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The police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor are only the more recent high-profile examples of a long history of Black American death and mistreatment at the hands of police. Their deaths and others set off a protest movement across the country, and right here in Madison, with activists taking to the streets daily to call for an overhaul of policing and an end to persistent racial disparities. Seeking to capture the motivations, fears and hopes powering the local movement, the Cap Times spoke to nine activists. These are their words.

These excerpts were compiled from longer interviews. To read longer Q&As, which were also edited and condensed for clarity, visit go.captimes.com/voicesofprotest.

Impact Demand organizer, Ayomi Obuseh, poses for a portrait in front of the mural her Mother and Brother created, outside of Overture Center, in Madison, on Thursday, July 23, 2020.

Ayomi Obuseh thinks of herself as shy, but when someone passed her the microphone at one of Madison's early protests, another protester called out, Speak up, even if your voice shakes. Today, as an organizer with the youth-led organization Impact Demand, she advocates for changes to local policing policies and encourages other young people to speak up, too.

To be honest, I think the relationship between my community and the police there hasn't been one for a long time. The events that have been happening recently have been here forever, it's just now we have video evidence of what's been going on for a long period of time.

Growing up, you have to tell your little brother to put his hood down, for example, or to tell him how to act and talk and how to make himself appear less than he is so that somebody thats carrying a weapon cannot shoot at him, even though he's unarmed. You have to teach your siblings and your children to be scared. And it's weird because you want to build them up, but you have to teach them to hold themselves down and to limit themselves, because somebody might not know how to do their job correctly. So the relationship theres not really one there.

But another thing is with the policies. There has to be a change with those as well, because the policies in place allow for the relationship to be disintegrated.

When we start to put these (new) policies in place, I really feel like Madison will be the ideal place it claims to be. It claims to be something that I would want to live in. It claims to be someplace that's really liberal and progressive and inclusive. Unfortunately it's not. And I think that once we realize that it's not, we can start to have that future that we claim to have.

When there was the protest and everything that happened, there was a shock. When there was a riot, there was a shock. Nobody was listening to the peaceful protests being done before, but after the shock period, now they're taking the time to understand why that is.

People forget that we're going through this every day. There's so many missing BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) girls. There's so many BIPOC boys and girls that are dead, and nobody really looks into that, or the human trafficking that hits the Black communities. Nobody talks about these things anymore because it happens so often that it's not news.

I think my hope comes from the support that I've already gotten from community members and representatives, because people are reaching out. To see the motivation in everyone's eyes to do something and the hope that they have encourages me to continue to have hope.

My fear, I guess, is that things become stagnant. I think that's a lot of people's fear. But I think one thing that cures it is being a part of an organization or putting yourself in a position to actually see the change.

With so few Black men in Madison classrooms, Mendota Elementary teacher Alexis Dean thinks of his work with children as its own form of activism. Shortly after George Floyd's death, Alexis teamed up with local education and technology company Infamous Mothers to facilitate a two-day virtual conference where kids were invited to discuss their thoughts, and he participated in Sandburg Elementary School's family-friendly protest.

Seeing black men die in the streets hurts my heart so much because it could be me, it could be my brother, it could be my father. So I feel it's my duty to be using my voice somehow, to be a part of the conversations that need to be had, and a part of the fight that needs to be had for my safety, and for my family's safety and for the kids who are going to grow up to be living in this life. Also, I know how important it is to show up as an educator who cares so much about these issues, because then it shows how much we need to be talking about it in the classroom.

The kid that I nanny, he's 4 years old. And when he talks about Spider-Man and bad guys and stuff, he doesn't say, I'm going to kill the villain. He says, I'm going to catch the villain. So if you can't chase that person and catch them, then that villain is gone for another day and you catch them another time. Kids don't immediately say the answer is to kill them. They say, like, We're trying to catch the bad guy. And if we can't catch them, we will catch them another time.

That's something that constantly gets to me when people are shot in the back for running, just because they are getting away. If they're getting away, it's because the police officer probably isn't trained enough to catch the person and they took your Taser or they got you on the ground, and that's kind of your fault. You're supposed to be trained to do it. But, in your mind, you shouldn't be instinctively wanting to kill somebody. That's just like that's terrible.

A fixture in the fight for racial and gender justice in Madison, M Adams is co-executive director of Freedom Inc., a Black and Southeast Asian nonprofit organization working to counter root causes of violence, poverty, racism and discrimination. Many know Freedom Inc. for its vocal campaign to remove police from schools, but much of the organization's work is about youth development and supporting survivors of gender-based violence.

People think about the civil rights movement as being effective in changing the hearts and minds of people, but actually the reason why the sit-ins were successful is because of the financial cost on the establishment. The reason why the bus boycotts were successful is because Black people on the busing systems were a significant portion of how the bus systems were able to operate. Yes, shifting hearts and minds is important and engaging people is important, but they were able to be successful because they had a scientific understanding of what actually was driving society.

And so when we approach these questions here, we are thinking scientifically, which is why we invest our energies and our resources into developing people power. We will not be able to out-resource the state.

I think when people are focused on how they feel about policing, then it's easy to wind up doing things that we think will change somebodys heart and hope that the changing of their heart will then help them see your humanity. A scientific perspective on the policing question would ask, What is the fundamental root that allows this thing to happen?

The fundamental issue as to why the police are able to murder Black people with impunity is because Black people do not have the power over police. Black people as a class, we dont have the power to regulate the police. If I'm here with my child and a police officer busts in here and they grab her and they beat her, there's actually nothing I can do. You can't stop them. You cant out-weapon them. The law doesn't back you up to intervene. This is the thing about George Floyd. Had one of those people intervened and tried to defend him, they would have been murdered also. That's the unspoken thing: You can't actually do anything about this.

The fundamental issue is power, which is why we have scientifically said the way that we're going to solve this issue is for Black people to have community control of the police.

The people we work with I think really (understand Freedom Inc.). I think the broader, bigger public Madison, I think they only get to see our resistance work, which we think is fine and important, but they get to see it from how it's being reported and not because they're able to talk with us, interact with us and understand our thinking. And I don't think they also see the other work that we do in addition to challenging power. For example, one of our biggest buckets of work is actually in ending gender-based violence. So we do a lot of work to stop domestic violence, sexual violence, child abuse, elder abuse and a host of other things.

And because we do this work, we actually are looking for deep solutions to some of the most heinous forms of violence. So when people say to us, You just want rapists to be free, we're like, Oh, you misunderstand our work. We are the people who work with survivors. We see the terrible violence, and we ourselves are also survivors of this terrible violence, so we don't come to this from merely a rhetorical place. We come to it from a lived experience, and we come to it as Black and brown people, as women and girls, as queer, trans and intersex people who are seeking safety for ourselves right now.

Andi Janeway splits their time between theater and activism. As a Black albino, Janeway prefers to let those who can't pass for white be center stage at protests, but you can find them behind the scenes, blocking traffic, administering first aid or handing out an extra water or cigarette to anyone who asks.

I feel right now that, at least in Madison, its falling into the very Madison-specific trap of, Well, we marched, and that's enough. We showed up, we did something, so we're done being activists today. I personally believe Madison to be the national capital of negative peace, because so much of the sentiment shared in Madison, especially by white people, is this idea that peace is better than what it takes to achieve justice, and I don't personally agree.

I feel like a lot of people are more committed to doing the pleasant thing than doing the necessary thing. And sometimes the necessary thing is to be pleasant and to be peaceful. But I feel like they're so lost in this idea of being peaceful that they don't understand that in an oppressive power system that is predicated on violence against certain demographics, any opposition from those demographics will be seen as violence, no matter how objectively peaceful it may be. And when you're playing a losing game like that, sometimes the only way you can win is to literally flip the table and run.

So at this point I'm just feeling very impatient and also, at the same time, prepared. Like, I'm ready for whatever comes next I just want it to be coming already.

As much as it would be convenient and efficient for there to be some moment that opens society's eyes and makes everyone go, Oh my God, this is terrible, that is not the case. Historically speaking, it's always been an entire generation changing one at a time and spreading that to their peers one at a time and saying, Hey, this just doesn't make sense and I don't understand why we're okay with it.

I feel like the sort of deadly combination in Madison is white liberalism and Midwest nice. Those two combine to create this idea of like, Well, I'm doing the nice thing by saying Black Lives Matter, but I'm not going to do a confrontational thing by shutting down the intersection or by telling the mayor to her face that this is a problem. So, for lack of more delicate terminology, they're kneecapping themselves by their commitment to being nice. And I think that the only way to change that is to have their peers, who they see as equal to them and who they respect on a personal level, point out the flaw in that philosophy.

Founder and CEO of Urban Triage, Brandi Grayson, addresses protesters as they gather around the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison, on Saturday, May 30, 2020, to demand justice in the latest high-profile death of a black person at the hands of white law enforcement officers; George Floyd, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Brandi Grayson is founder and CEO of Urban Triage, a nonprofit on a mission to empower breakthroughs and transformation in Black families and Black communities through education and community support.

As a result of existing in this system of white supremacy racism, there's a hierarchy created that has white men on top, and they're creating policies and practices that are incongruent to the well-being of the people who are most vulnerable at the bottom of this hierarchy. So in order to flip the hierarchy, you have to change the power dynamic. You have to bring the people who are most affected by policy to the table and have them really be the folks who say, This is what I need to feel safe. This is what I need to feel whole. This is the kind of services that I need in terms of my health care, in terms of public education, in terms of policing.

I see the change (lately) in Black people, specifically this burning desire for liberation, this burning yearning for freedom. That energy, that drive fills me with hope, because history has taught us that any revolution or push for change is only possible if the folks who are most impacted are front and center.

So that's where my hope lies. I'm not as hopeful in political officials or elected officials. I think, because of the design of our systems and political terrain, there isn't a lot of space for politicians to be radical. And what history has taught us is that change does not occur because politicians are willing to take the risk. Change comes from the pressure of the people. Through education and building our analysis together as a community and across our country, a fire and yearning for change will continue to grow. And then the fire will really force our local officials to take heed, which hopefully creates a ripple effect.

Things change slowly. That's just what it is. So I'm pretty confident that what we're doing right now is planting the seed and creating the ripple effect that will eventually turn into a tsunami.

It would be amazing if 10 years from now we're looking back, and I'm like, The rebellion took off, across our country and across the globe, for Black lives, and Madison responded in a radical way. We elected Black officials, and not just Black officials but people with the appropriate analysis, because white supremacy isn't about color it really is about the mental conditioning and societal conditioning of living in this culture.

So, for me to be proud (of Madison), itd be like, looking back in 10 years, we have bars and restaurants on State Street owned by Black people. We have liquor licenses that aren't restricted by music. We have mental wellness services, and community centers owned and operated by Black people for Black people. We have youth programming that's really focused on empowering breakthroughs and transformation within our community. We would have a reparations fund that's specifically for empowerment and building Black people and vulnerable people up to be present in their lives and self-sufficient.

We will have conversations rooted in not just equality, but real equity, where we're looking at what's required to to service people and meet people where they're at, and a public education system that no longer has the worst educational gap in the country. That would make me proud to be a Madisonian.

Marquon, who goes by Sire Gq, is an organizer with What's Next Forum, a group focused on thinking through solutions to police violence and other social problems, including at Sunday afternoon think tank gatherings. He spoke to the Cap Times in early June. Three weeks later, Madison police arrested him on a suspected probation violation and said he was a person of interest in the June 23 firebombing of the City-County Building. He has been in Dane County Jail since June 30 but has not been charged.

Protests are good, but eventually we're going to be yelling to deaf ears and they're not going to hear us anymore. Today we went to different stores all along State Street. We passed out letters and we explained what we're doing. We allowed people to read the letter and choose for themselves if they're going to fight this cause with us, or stand by and be a problem. So weve just got to stay active, stay knocking on doors, stay inviting people. There's no leadership here. We are all one. Everyone has their own say. If you have an idea, bring it to the table. We're all going to talk about it. We're going to break it down together. We're going to fix the problem together.

Protesting is usually the same thing over and over and over and over and over. This right here actually gets things done because it gets your mind working. What can we do? How can we fix that? I want to get their brains rolling so we can all figure out a plan and execute it. Im just so happy right now, its ridiculous.

A lot of people are so tired of being sick and tired of being sick and tired. But right now, how many people are coming together is showing that there can be a brighter future. Everyone has come together. It is so overwhelming the support from all these other countries and all these other states protesting together. It shows you that hope exists. It shows you that a great future can possibly be there, but we have to unite and stay on the topic at hand.

We have to finish what we start as a community, as a country. We have to finish what we start and stick to our words. But yeah, the hope is there. It's a hard time, but we can see the light at the end. So that's all that matters. As long as I can see that light, Ill be out here fighting.

Local activist, Johanna Heineman-Pieper, poses for a portrait before the start of a protest on Williamson Street, in Madison, on Friday, July 17, 2020.

Johanna Heineman-Pieper describes herself as a pretty big onion a transracial adoptee who grew up in a well-off white family in Chicago and later went on a racial identity journey to meet her birth father and learn about what it meant to be biracial. Today, she's a regular at Madison's protests and drives a BLM-mobile emblazoned with statements like White silence is violence.

It gives me goosebumps every time I hear the youth (at the protests) speak with such eloquence and passion. And I really hope they're not saying similar things in 70 years.

As much as I want to be optimistic about it, change is hard. I'm not a huge fan of change. However, I am a fan of change when it improves the quality of life for people, animals, environment, all of the above. The problem is that we are so set on our ways in a society. I have had to unlearn so many things already and I know I'll continue to. It's an ongoing process, and the problem is that everyone's at a different place in their own personal processing. And what that means is that the average processing time for the nation is pretty darn slow because you have some people that just won't do the research, they won't do whatever. And it's like, OK, great. So you're at zero, and I'm probably at like an 80. And that just means that the national average is going to be quite low, so change is very unlikely to happen as quickly as we need it to.

And I'm reminded of that every time I talk to my grandmother. My birth grandmother was a Black Panther. Shes an inspiration. The problem is that we shouldn't have all these inspiring people who are decades and decades older than we are that have been doing the same work. We should be inspired by them to do something different, to do another kind of innovative thing, not just fight the same battle over and over in a different way.

I'm in training right now for my electrical apprenticeship, and there's this one white man and I really hope to kind of have conversations with him who said that he's frustrated with all of the news headlines. He's tired of hearing about all the issues that are going on right now. And I'm like, You know what? I'm tired of them fucking happening. We shouldn't have to have these conversations about race and racism. We shouldn't have to, but we do because of all the systemic issues. So I'm feeling all sorts of ways right now.

He's feeling frustrated. I feel some type of way that he feels frustrated, but he's feeling frustrated and that's OK. It is okay to have feelings. It's also important to realize where they're coming from, and if they're coming from a place of privilege, then that needs to get in check. So it's okay to feel your feelings, just know where they're coming from, and keep an open mind.

We need to normalize conversations about racism in order to have as many brains on this coming from a human heart perspective to actually make change. Who knows, maybe there's some guy driving a tractor in Texas right now and let's just say he learns all this stuff and maybe he has a great idea about community control of the police. Who knows? I think that'd be amazing. We just needed to normalize the conversation of race and racism and social justice so that people can talk about it without clamming up.

High school students, Sodia (15) and Cilena (17), pose for a portrait outside of the Freedom, Inc. office in Madison, on Friday, July 24, 2020.

Sodia, 15, and Cilena, 17, who asked to withhold their last names, are youth leaders with Freedom Inc.'s Freedom Youth Squad, which led a four-year campaign to remove police officers from Madison schools. The group achieved that goal in June but it continues to push for transformative justice, accountability for teachers and school officials who call police on students, decision-making power for youth and trusted adults, and investments in youth leadership.

Cilena: Teachers are always calling (security guards) or cops on the students for just any behavior problems, but that behavior problem is normal for teens. You shouldnt call the police for that situation. That just shows a lot of anti-Blackness in our schools. Also, in the hallways, the securities are always harassing Black students. Thats why were trying to take cops out of school because cops are not trained to build relationships with students. They're trained to use deadly forces. Way before the George Floyd situation, people were against our campaign work. After the George Floyd situation, people have been more supportive.

Sodia: Before, if people weren't against it, they were iffy about it. They weren't absolutely sure about taking cops out of school because they have their worries about it and they thought cops were really helping us. You could just tell from the stares. When you're talking about it with the School Board members, you can tell they didn't really care much about what we had to say by their actions or their body language.

Cilena: We've been attending these School Board meetings for four years. And it took four years for them to finally understand us. Theres still a lot of ignorance going on, but I do feel like theres a lot of supportive energy and feedback. What I worry about is, with this pandemic going on, when we go back to school, how would that look? Are there still going to be security guards harassing the students? Are there going to be teachers calling the cops or security guards on students?

Sodia: I think this is a really good time where a lot of people are hearing our voice because of the situations that are happening. We're saying it loud and clear and people are listening a lot more. But there are also people who decide to disagree and ignore what we do. The change I see is, a lot of students who didn't really have their education about (consequences of policing), they know it well now and they supported a lot. And it's getting out there and people are trying to learn about it and trying to understand what's happening around us instead of just being oblivious to it. What I'm worried about is just that the violence that the police are doing to people who are protesting is just going to get worse.

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Voices of protest: Activists share the goals, hopes and fears that keep them pushing for change - Madison.com

Theres something curious about mobile and online personal finance apps and websites, sometimes called fintech. Theyre not used much by people over 50, especially low-to-moderate income older adults.

What Id tell my fellow 50-plusers: Its not you, itsthem the fintech designers and marketers.

Online bankinghas never been more important than it is now for older adults, Linda Peters, director of Older Adult Programs at the Northwest Side Housing Center in Chicago, said in a digital empowerment presentation at the recent National Council on Aging (NCOA) virtualAge & Actionconference. And yet, she added, there has been a huge digital divide between older adults and banking.

The sites really are not intuitive. Im not sure theyre designed for younger people. Its just that younger people are used to dealing with crappy websites, so they just keep going.

As thepandemichas temporarily closed some bank branches and made visiting open ones and ATMs a potential COVID-19 risk, however, its definitely pushing some people who were previously reluctant adopters to adopt online banking, saidThomas Kamber, executive director of Older Adults Technology Services (OATS) and a Next Avenue Influencer in Aging.

But as the nonprofit Financial Health NetworksFintech Over 50: Designing for Low-to Moderate-Income Older Adultsresearch report (sponsored by the AARP Foundation in collaboration with Chase JPM, +1.96% ) shows, fintech designers and marketers have done a pretty crummy job making their tools ideal for boomers, Gen Xers and the Silent Generation.

Thats especially true for the 56 million Americans over 50 with incomes under $45,000 or so, who could really use the help. According to the Financial Health Networks researchers, only 17% of low-to-moderate-income adults over 50 are financially healthy; 57% are financially coping and 26% are financially vulnerable.

You might like: As Trump and Biden trade age insults, older workers suffer

Its not as if people 50+ are tech Luddites. Most are active users of smartphones and other technology offering access to fintech solutions. Some 86% of adults in their 50s and 81% of those in their 60s have smartphones.

Older low-to-moderate-income adults, the Financial Health Network report said, prefer to feel fully in control over their money and personal information and will be most drawn to fintech companies that put them in the drivers seat. Theyre especially concerned about financial fraud; more than 3.5 million Americans 60+ were victims in 2017.

One reason so many older Americans still dont deposit checks through their bankssmartphone app: fear of what might happen if they do.

In my experience, theres distrust. How do I know my money is going to get to you as opposed to handing my check to a teller? said Donna Turner, chief operations officer at Zelle, a digital payments network owned by a group of major banks.

See: Why you should be using a VPN if you bank and invest online

The percentage of older adults using mobile checking to deposits has been on the rise during the pandemic, though. A June 2020 SYKES survey of 1,000 people 55+ found that 18% who do use mobile checking did so for the first time due to the pandemic. And Zelle says 55% of people 55 and older are using mobile banking more frequently since the start of the pandemic.

Fear also prevents some older Americans from using personal finance apps to manage their savings and investments.

Said Kamber: If youre using Google Maps and you make a mistake and go down the wrong street, you go down one block. If you use your retirement savings account and accidentally put money in the wrong place, you could lose thousands of dollars.

Kamber is somewhat annoyed by many in the fintech world.

There seems to be a war between user design and engineering and unfortunately, engineers have won. The sites really are not intuitive, he said. Im not sure theyre designed for younger people. Its just that younger people are used to dealing with crappy websites, so they just keep going.

A few highlights from theFintech Over 50report (noted in bold), based on Financial Health Networks focus groups with 90 low-to-moderate-income older adults, along with insights from experts about what those people said.

Many fintech solutions are designed for younger users and dont address the needs of users over 50 properly.

It is surprising, said Heidi Johnson, director of behavioral economics at Financial Health Network. The financial health needs of low-to-middle-income older adults are often serious and similar to those we all experience, with the challenges of building up short-term savings and that we might have to keep working.

Also see: The financial planning business is mostly white, but these investment advisers are trying to change that

Johnson and Kamber believe its less about designing money management tech tools specifically for older users and more about incorporating these users in the target audience. This population doesnt need super-tailored products, said Johnson. They just need to be included in solutions.

Even though older adults are catching up to younger generations technology use, the stereotype of the tech-illiterate older person persists. Many of the focus group participants, the report noted, seemed to have internalized this stigma of technological ineptitude and largely identified themselves as bad at technology.

Kamber said hes seen it a million times, adding that older people are treated condescendingly and in dismissive ways when theyre trying to learn technology. Then, he said, the worst thing that happens is you dont use the tools to manage your money and you then spend money you dont have.

Only a small number of the focus group participants had tried (or were aware of) more holistic digital financial management tools or more targeted offerings that could help them manage their most common financial challenges, such as insufficient short-term savings, unmanageable debt, inadequate protection from medical shocks, inability to retire fully and financial obligations.

I hear [older] people say: I got my smartphone to send pictures and share photos and for Google Maps, said Kamber. They dont think of financial management as one of the core killer apps.

Some of the focus group participants ran into challenges navigating within an application, losing their way after an inadvertent click or a transition to an unfamiliar page.

The focus group participants would sometimes respond by abandoning their task, closing an application or turning off a device just so they could find their way back to familiar territory.

Older people want good, clean design, said Kamber. Theyre like the Scandinavian design consumers of the internet.

Some participants were wary of automated bill paying or account transfers, which raised fears for lower income older adults who wanted the ability to monitor and control the flow of money in and out of their accounts closely.

For many of them, the researchers said, taking financial decisions out of their hands put them at risk of paying additional fees.

Many participants expressed an aversion to fintech products specifically targeted toward older users.

Instead, they said they desired a mass-market product that meets their specific needs, without marginalizing them for their age or demographic.

What could help make personal finance apps and tech tools better for people 50+? The Financial Health Network researchers, Johnson and Kamber have numerous recommendations for fintech designers, including these eight:

1. Have older adults as part of your initial focus groups when designing the products and services. Its extremely rare for the companies to do that, Kamber said. He estimates less than 2% of fintech online products are user tested with people over 60. Maybe less than 1%, he added.

And they have to do it in a way thats not tokenistic, Kamber said. That means not calling your grandmother and saying What do you want? and then going to a business meeting and saying: She wants big buttons. Companies instead need to invest enough energy so the information they get about older users is meaningful.

2. Use inclusive messaging, showcasing different ethnicities and backgrounds and framing aging in a positive light. Dont single out low-to-moderate-income older adults for their age, disability status or financial situation.

Said Johnson: When older adults see themselves reflected in marketing and as potential users, theyre much more likely to be interested in trying them out.

3. Make fees clear and tell users what the costs are upfront.Older adults with lower incomes are particularly sensitive to hidden costs and fees, the Financial Health Network researchers noted.

4. Let users test things out.Allow pre-adoption exploration of features by offering product demos and functional mock-ups online where people can browse them, the Financial Health Network report said.

5. Share information concerningfraud protectionand data security early in the users experience with the product.When asking for personal information, explain why, as well as how it will be used and protected.

Older adults who identify with historically marginalized communities, such as people of color, documented and undocumented immigrants and religious minorities often feel apprehensive when financial companies ask for personal information, the Financial Health Network report noted.

6. Let users hit pause on any automatic or recurring actions with their money.Those include auto-payment of bills or auto-contributions of savings. There may be months, particularly for low-to-moderate-income older adults, when they wont have the spare cash to automatically pay a bill on a certain date or move money from checking to savings.

7. Provide navigation signposts.The more the experience is clear, as well as intuitive, the better. Otherwise, older adults may give up because they feel lost.

8. Offer human support to help users when something goes wrong and provide training that covers the full range of the content.Tutorials should include things like a key for icons in the interface; learning materials and how to easily get software updates.

To help train older adults, Zelle has joined with Kambers Senior Planet program from OATS, offering people 60+ free classes about mobile banking and avoiding financial scams.

Also on MarketWatch: Apple, Google release technology for coronavirus-tracking apps

And programs like Capital Ones Ready, Set, Bank: Online Banking Made Easy can help. It works with groups like the Northwest Side Housing Center in Chicago and OATS to teach older residents how to use online and mobile banking tools.

Jamie Lutton, senior management of community development for Capital One COF, +2.34% , said at the NCOA conference that after taking its classes, 76% of seniors were more comfortable with online banking and 77% felt safer banking online. But, its worth adding, just 29% actually signed up for online banking afterward.

Johnson believes designers and marketers of personal finance apps and sites have a lot to gain by better serving low-to-middle-income Americans 50 and older.

Think about including them and designing products and services for them and you will be positioned to carry forward with them well beyond the pandemic, she said.

Read more here:

This is what personal finance apps should be doing to better serve older people (and maybe everyone) - MarketWatch

CHICAGO, July 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) consumer credit snapshot found the percentage of accounts in financial hardship started to level off for credit products such as auto loans, credit cards, mortgages and personal loans during the month of June 2020. Some of this leveling off was due, in part, to accounts coming out of financial hardship status in June.

Accounts in financial hardship defined by factors such as a deferred payment, forbearance program, frozen account or frozen past due payment have largely kept delinquency numbers in check as consumers continue to navigate the ongoing impacts of COVID-19. TransUnions financial hardship data includes all accommodations on file at months end, and includes any accounts that were in accommodation prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Accommodation programs have provided consumers with much needed payment flexibility as external triggers such as rising unemployment and a decrease in government relief funds have started to shape the future outlook of the consumer wallet.

In the early months of the pandemic, unemployment benefits and relief from the CARES Act gave consumers a bit of a cushion, leaving the consumer fairly well-positioned from a cash flow perspective, said Matt Komos, vice president of research and consulting at TransUnion. Lenders have been working with consumers during this time of uncertainty by extending financial hardship offerings that help them understand and manage their financial situation. These accommodations have been working as intended and have helped thwart a material breakdown in delinquency performance in the near-term.

Since the pandemic began in March 2020, delinquency performance has held steady, with credit products across auto, credit card, mortgage and personal loans all showing a recent month-over-month improvement in performance from May to June 2020.

Credit cards saw the greatest decline in delinquency over this period with borrowers 90+ days past due (DPD) decreasing from 1.76% to 1.48% month-over-month. This decrease also held true for accounts in 30+ DPD delinquency status an early indication that may signal consumer distress by decreasing from 3.06% to 2.66% from May to June (compared to 3.49% at 30+ DPD in June 2019).

Consumer balances for credit card also showed a 7.41% year-over-year decline from June 2019 to June 2020 as well as a monthly balance decrease of $43 since May. These decreases may signify that consumers are continuing to manage debt prudently and are paying down their existing card balances. At the same time, overall consumer credit lines have declined from $24,641 in June 2019 to $23,724 in June 2020, which is also down from $23,800 in May 2020.

These are signs of a credit market that continues to function despite the spike in consumer unemployment, said Paul Siegfried, senior vice president and credit card business leader at TransUnion. When there is uncertainty in the market, consumer credit performance is highly scrutinized and new accounts generally will not receive the same type of credit limit as they might have prior to a crisis. However, the longer individuals who are not in an accommodation program perform well, the more likely additional credit will be extended.

*Credit card delinquency rate reported as 90+ DPD per industry standard; all other products reported as 60+ DPD

Over the course of the pandemic a substantial segment of consumers have continued to make payments, but are also proactively engaging with their lenders to discuss payment options. TransUnions ongoing Financial Hardship Survey indicated that of consumers with a current financial accommodation on a loan, 32% are in favor of repayment plans that will allow for paying down debt gradually while continuing regular payments. A smaller percentage (18%) preferred paying off all postponed payments with a lump sum and 21% indicated they would like financial accommodations to be extended further.

By many accounts, we are still in the early phase of the pandemic, and there is some uncertainty still around the nature of the economic recovery we may experience. It will likely be months before the financial impacts of COVID-19 begin to materialize from a credit performance standpoint, and some of this will be dependent on any additional government actions. During this period of time, lenders will need deeper consumer insights to better calibrate risk across their portfolios and make more informed decisions, concluded Komos.

TransUnions June Monthly Industry Snapshot Report features insights on consumer credit trends around personal loans, auto loans, credit cards and mortgage loans. Additional resources for consumers looking to protect their credit during the COVID-19 pandemic can be found attransunion.com/covid-19.

About TransUnion (NYSE: TRU)TransUnion is a global information and insights company that makes trust possible in the modern economy. We do this by providing a comprehensive picture of each person so they can be reliably and safely represented in the marketplace. As a result, businesses and consumers can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good.

A leading presence in more than 30 countries across five continents, TransUnion provides solutions that help create economic opportunity, great experiences and personal empowerment for hundreds of millions of people.

http://www.transunion.com/business

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Performance in the Consumer Credit Market Holds Steady as Number of Borrowers in Financial Hardship Status Stabilizes - GlobeNewswire

There are brands in the fashion industry that use their platforms to speak up about issues in society and then there are brands that were created specifically to inspire and create a dialogue around issues in society. Be the Difference Clothing, founded in 2014 in Jersey City, is one of those inspirational brands with an admirable mission and purpose. This company is known for conversation-sparking t-shirts with both light-hearted and powerful themes. Its more than fashion, its a movement. Joy, the mastermind behind the brand, uses clothing to send messages of encouragement and believing in love above all else. Read on to learn about how Joy is using her e-commerce brand to be the difference she hopes to see in her community.

Joy goes by her author name, Joy W. She was born in Hoboken, raised in Jersey City, and has no intentions of leaving, as she put it.

It is important to her to continue the discussion around important topics. While her t-shirt designs are great conversation starters, Joy also wanted to be a part of the conversations that can make a difference. She has spoken as a guest at several community events, including at Beloved Community Charter school about the importance of education. Joy also spoke during a Womens Empowerment and Vision Board Workshop about the importance of speaking things into existence, empowering other women, and the importance of never giving up. I was also able to speak during the Black History Month celebration in 2019, and 2020. I even received my first Certificate of Appreciation this year by the NU Lambda Lambda JC chapter. That was the dopest feeling, Joy tells Hoboken Girl.

Joy was inspired to make her first shirt Work Hard Snack Harder, after realizing that she would end her workout with chocolate and ice cream. It wasnt until she encountered a man on her way home that she decided to take her t-shirt making more seriously. After seeing someone under the influence of a substance bent over backwards swaying slowly in 20 degree weather, I knew I couldnt get out of my car to help, but that I could make a t-shirt. Addiction Kills The Family was my second t-shirt.

After the first two t-shirts, Joy made the decision to create a brand that sends messages of positivity. Most if not all designs or sayings are created to inspire and encourage the wearer, and those who see the designs. Some designs are inspired by personal experiences and others from situations I see or hear, she shared. The more we talk about our problems, the more we can become whole and really live out our lifes purposes.

I also donate 10% of all clothing sales to Haydens Heart {raises awareness for CHD}. I love babies, and this charity financially helps families who have children in hospitals, as well as hosts retreats for surviving parents.

Read more: A List of Hoboken + Jersey City Boutiques to Shop Online

Upon visiting the Be the Difference Clothing website, the first thing that pops up is a live chat asking if theres anything you need assistance with {a very helpful tool should you have a question about something}.

Some of her unisex t-shirts and hoodies read Im a survivor of ___, I will not be defeated, over oppression, honesty = freedom, follow your dreams, addiction kills, the grass is greener right here, hard work pays off, say no to workforce bullying, and rebuilding trust. Other t-shirts read a paycheck is not a passion, and all I need is love. Women also have the option of tank tops.

Children and infant clothing is also available. Some of the onesies read I love my dad, I will be a leader, my future is bright, power, and forever love. Sizes for onesies range from 3 to 12 months and 2T to 4T.

Joy even has socks with unique designs and quotes for $15 a pair. One pair has a leaf design in bright pink, orange, and yellow with a quote reading falling in love with the process. Another pair is sky blue with pink tulips and a heart in the middle with a quote reading love and peace across the middle.

I only make a limited amount of socks because we are all individuals and need to be reminded that its okay to be set apart, and it keeps me creative, Joy shared.

Joy has self-published two books of her original quotes. Quotes That Make You Say OH From Instagram to your Hand Part 1 and Quotes that make you say OH! From Instagram to your Hand Part 3.

Joy explains, One day, I was minding my business getting my hair done while watching Queen Sugar. One of the women there said more of us African American women should write more so that younger girls can see how versatile we as a culture can be. In my head, I was like I aint writing no novel and Im not an author, but I do like challenges. By the time I got home, I realized how Id been posting quotes on Instagram three times a day for the past year, so maybe that could be my contribution.

Her first book was self published in October 2018. I was in shock for a good six months, Joy explains. Later, she published her second book, which is actually part 3. Part 2 will never be published since I felt it didnt hit (meaning it didnt have enough mind bending quotes) hard enough, she tells us. Joy went on to publish part 3 in June of 2019. She intends to publish Part 4 by the end of July 2020. The quotes are 100% original. I didnt want to be like anyone else, and its more fun, and challenging to think outside of the box, she says.

See more: Local Spots in Hoboken + Jersey City Delivering Everything Under the Sun

Joy took her passion for public speaking and created a YouTube channel to begin a dialogue with viewers about both serious and light-hearted topics. In her series titled Hello World Talk Show, Joy has hosted inspirational segments, motivational lessons, cooking tutorials, advice on maintaining healthy relationships, workout videos, goal setting, how to cope with grief, and so much more.

I wanted to document everyday people sharing different life experiences so that anyone who may come across the episodes can know they are not alone nor do they need to struggle alone, she shared. Its an amazing idea knowing that someone can be going through a similar situation. I believe in humanity, when we grow together the world will flow together, and life will be better.

Joy is a versatile and creative person who finds genuine enjoyment from speaking to others about all aspects of life. She quickly pivoted her t-shirt brand into a movement, a fun way to bring awareness to serious issues, and also celebrate the happy things in life. From t-shirts, to books, and inspirational videos, Joy does it all. Through Be the Difference Clothing, Joy is doing her part to be the difference in the world.

Deals, News, + Everything Local

Victoria is a fourth-generation Hoboken native, BNR in the Mile Square and part-time in Jersey City. Through playing softball for fourteen years, playing the trumpet for the Hoboken High School Redwings Band, and graduating from New Jersey City University, these two cities have a special place in her heart. When she isnt Style Assisting or volunteering at Symposia Bookstore, Hoboken Fire Museum/Hoboken Historical Museum, shes exploring everything the Concrete Jungle has to offer. You can catch her at art exhibitions, local festivities, traveling, diving into a new book, thrifting or indulging in some form of arts and crafts.

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Be the Difference Clothing: One Woman's Fashion Movement in Jersey City - hobokengirl.com

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On May 21st, Mary Kay Inc., an advocate for global womens empowerment and entrepreneurship, joined the International Women's Forum (IWF) Virtual Conference, for a session titled SAFE SETS: An online panel discussion with TIMES UP UK.

The live session tackled the ever-present issue for women across the globe: sexual harassment and abuse in the workplace. TIMES UP UK stressed the critical importance of changing the culture to ensure a safe workplace free from harassment and referred to the work being done to define safety for women in film through intimacy guidelines.

The speakers with TIMES UP UK included:

TIMES UPs efforts will help bring about broader change for women in the workplace worldwide and across industries, said Carolyn Passey, General Manager of Mary Kay UK and Ireland. As one of the worlds leading champions of womens empowerment, Mary Kay is proud to support, through IWF, women leaders who are standing up to give fellow women a voice, help them embrace their identity and define their own boundaries.

What was increasingly apparent throughout the conversation was how #MeToo and TIMES UP have had a huge and positive influence for changing the way productions work, how they are shifting to better practices in many new ways, and in particular with the new role of the Intimacy Coordinator, said Dame Heather Rabbatts. The conversation about safe sets is about how we make the culture shift, one industry after another, until we dont need to have this conversation ever again.

Yes, means yes, no means no, and maybe means no we celebrate and embrace the no, emphasized Ita OBrien, when talking of the process during which actors get to voice their comfort level when shooting intimate scenes. The firm founded by OBrien, Intimacy on Set, has put in place guidelines to provide clear lanes of communication and consent not only between actors, but also everyone else involved in shooting intimate and emotional scenes. Clear boundaries actually create freedom and help understand what is right for you.

This line goes to the heart of the matter, and how we are all learning to express where our boundaries lie, and not being afraid to share them, concluded Dame Heather Rabbatts. Having in place some mechanisms to protect yourself is very important, so that we know we can exercise a no. This should empower us in all the sticky and difficult situations that happen in life, whether personal or professional.

It is invigorating to witness the influential work that female thought leaders and advocates have achieved over the past several years for the advancement of womens safety and security in the workplace. These women, some of the most influential thought leaders in the United Kingdom, are on a mission to champion the next generation of women to become tomorrows leaders, said Marty Wikstrom, Member of IWF U.K. and co-chair of the Cornerstone Conference. IWF has been advancing womens leadership and championing equality worldwide since 1974, and Mary Kay has been an advocate of womens entrepreneurship and leadership since 1963. This session reflects a meeting of the minds, and we are proud to showcase this female-fueled partnership.

About Mary Kay

One of the original glass ceiling breakers, Mary Kay Ash founded her beauty company more than 56 years ago with three goals: develop rewarding opportunities for women, offer irresistible products, and make the world a better place. That dream has blossomed into a multibillion-dollar company with millions of independent sales force members in nearly 40 countries. Mary Kay is dedicated to investing in the science behind beauty and manufacturing cutting-edge skin care, color cosmetics, nutritional supplements and fragrances. Mary Kay is committed to empowering women and their families by partnering with organizations from around the world, focusing on supporting cancer research, protecting survivors from domestic abuse, beautifying our communities, and encouraging children to follow their dreams. Mary Kay Ashs original vision continues to shineone lipstick at a time. Learn more at MaryKay.com.

About International Womens Forum (IWF) and the Leadership Foundation

IWF is an invitation-only membership organization of more than 7,000 diverse and accomplished women from 33 nations on six continents. IWF advances womens leadership and champions equality worldwide by connecting accomplished women both globally and locally. Members include Fortune 500 executives, government leaders from the local to sovereign level, international nonprofit leaders, and luminaries from the academy, arts and sciences: http://www.iwforum.org.

About TIMES UP UK

TIMES UP is an organisation that insists on safe, fair and dignified work for women of all kinds. In response to the growing TIMES UP movement in the US, a group of UK-based women: actors, producers, writers and others from the film, TV and theatre industries catalysed a sister initiative in the UK. For maximum impact it is set up under the TIMES UP brand and aims to amplify and reinforce the message already promoted in the US.

The UK movement seeks to build on key elements of the solidarity letter released by TIMES UP and the statement by the activists attending the Globes, which emphasised the need to highlight the connections between the harassment revelations in Hollywood and the wider, systematic nature of harassment and violence against women across all industries, contexts and countries with the recognition that this issue is universal. We seek strength in unity and maximum cooperation. The activist statement also flagged the ways in which the TIMES UP initiative joins an ever-growing collective of organisations, movements and leaders working to end gender-based violence. The UK work stands absolutely in solidarity with existing movements: TIMES UP UK is also now a recently formed charity, and as a charity we can only continue the work with support and donations. We all appreciate that we are experiencing unprecedented challenges but as TIMES UP focusses on safety for all women in the workplace, which now includes the home, we hope you will be able to support us: http://www.timesupuk.org.

About Intimacy on Set

Founded in 2018, Intimacy on Set provides services to TV, film, & theatre when dealing with intimacy, sexual content, and nudity. Its Founder, UKs leading Intimacy Coordinator, Ita OBrien, pioneered the role of the Intimacy Coordinator and since 2014 has been developing best practice Intimacy on Set Guidelines, which have been widely adopted in the industry. Championed by the TIMES UP movement and others, the firm advocates for safe, fair and dignified work for everyone. OBrien has worked on numerous high profile productions including Normal People (BBC3/Hulu), Sex Education 1&2 (Netflix), Gangs of London (Sky Atlantic), The Great (Hulu) and I May Destroy You (BBC/HBO), and has been widely covered in the national and international media as the leading spokesperson in this space: http://www.intimacyonset.com/.

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Mary Kay Inc. Advocates for Women's Empowerment, Safe and Dignified Work Environments at International Women's Forum TIME'S UP UK Virtual Event -...

SCHENECTADY Alfredo Smalls cradled his friend Rashad Robinson before he bled to death after being shot outside of a Mont Pleasant bar in 2011.

That was the beginning of his decision to shun the gang lifestyle.

But the trauma remains.

Ultimately, he attended 28 funerals in 36 months.

Im not healed, said Smalls, co-founder of Save our Streets, the Schenectady-based community empowerment group.

As the city convulses under a recent spasm of gun violence five people were shot last weekend, while three have been slain by gunfire in two months a handful of gang members-turned-mentors shared their stories Tuesday in a plea for peace.

Instead of asking for a seat at the table, were creating our own table, said William Rivas, co-founder of Save Our Streets. The event was organized by518 Talks.

Representatives from Nationally Touching Greatness and Band of Brothers also gathered at Jerry Burrell Park on Tuesday evening, just steps away from where someone was injured by gunfire on Schenectady Street last weekend.

Each spoke of the allure of getting pulled into the streets, a key factor being the lack of strong male role models.

Smalls mother moved the family from Brooklyn to Schenectady, where Alfredo had never seen the sheer amount of open space. But it wasnt enough to escape getting sucked into violence.

Phyllis Smalls, his mother, asked what more she could have done.

Honestly, there was nothing you could have done, he said. The absence came from the males.

Ali Walker recounted a similar trajectory. With a single mom working two jobs, four siblings and a father nowhere to be found, he longed for male mentorship.

Sports provided a temporary diversion.

When I looked into those bleachers, I didnt see anyone there for me, Walker said.

By 14, he was making bad decisions.

Shaquan Page said he had poor coping mechanisms, and developed what he referred to as an f-the-world attitude.

I was in accelerated classes, but at the same time, I was the baddest kid in school, he said.

And while he hated drugs growing up because his mother was an addict, Page gravitated towardthe local drug dealer because he had the most money in the neighborhood.

Page was in prison by 16 and served 12 years on robbery and burglary charges.

While there, he engaged down a path of self-improvement.

These kids need people to talk to, Page said.

Panelists didnt make excuses for their actions several served stints in state prison but rather wanted to present an unvarnished portraitof the streets to attendees, including city Police Chief Eric Clifford and City Council members Carmel Patrick and Karen Zaleski-Wildzunas, in order to better inform their policy making.

The people making the decisions dont know this, Rivas said.

The rise in gun violence comes amid a national reckoning on racial discriminationand as the city continues to grapple with the fallout of a violent encounter between a Schenectady police officer and suspect.

Rivas offered the crowd of roughly three dozen attendees a chance to ask questions, but mainly wanted the speakers to share their stories.

Marva Isaacs pointed at the shooting last weekend near her Duane Avenue home and contrasted the rash of gunfire with sustained activism in the Capital Region calling for police reforms following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25.

All lives matter, Isaacs said.

Page responded, They need to be reminded Black Lives Matter themselves ... everything starts with self.

Asked whats lacking in the community, Page circled back to the lack of strong role models.

They need a viable, consistent source of morality, he said, calling for more discipline:Physical. Spiritual. Emotional.

The community as a whole needs to be a family,Smalls said.

Each panelist had different reasons for their own personal evolution.

Delvern Cooper, founder of Nationally Touching Greatness, was tired of being incarcerated.

Walker lost his mother, and was unable to be with her when she died.

Smalls said he was about to do something bad, but Rivas gave him a job at the Altamount Program, where he now works as a case manager.

The panel also addressed a group of youngsters, who lined up on picnic tables as the mentors gave them a dose of straight talk.

Be a leader, not a follower, Cooper said.

Rivas said the kids werent much younger than when the speakers had flocked to the gang lifestyle.

You guys are kids and we want you to remain innocent, Rivas said.

Smalls said, I was doing the same things I told you not to do. I shot someone, and I went to jail for that.

Walker, co-founder of the Albany-based Band of Brothers, says youth mentoring would have inevitably steered him down an alternative path.

I was getting in trouble because I had nothing to do, he said. The fun things were the wrong things to do.

Clifford attended the event with five officers and said his primary goal was to listen.

It was very meaningful, Clifford said. We never get to hear stories like this.

While panelists have eschewed the gang lifestyle, several remain gang-affiliated, a measure important to retain credibility with kids, said Smalls, who is affiliated with the Crips.

A lot of young kids only listen to kids in these gangs, Smalls said.

On the origin of gangs: It was always about making sure our community stays intact, he said, and somewhere along the line, we lost that.

Page said gangs need to pivot back and reinforce their original message, and wield their powers for good.

The structure of gangs is to fight against oppression, he said.

Cooper, who is affiliated with Nine Trey, roundly denounced gun violence.

The increase in gun violence is not acceptable in our communities, he said.

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Mentors appeal to youth in effort to quell violence in Schenectady - The Daily Gazette

AuthorDebbie Macomber's Heartof Texas novels are coming to television, and Shania Twain's along for the ride.

The book series dates back to 1998's "Lonesome Cowboy" and tells the story of siblings Savanah, Grady and Richard Weston as they cope with the death of their parents, keep the family ranch afloat and maneuver their own personal lives.

"Heart of Texas is an exciting project for me to be involved in as I very much relate to the dynamics and the powerful connection of friends and family of a small-town community," Twain said in a statement. "It's a story of love, laughter and true grit, all elements that so strongly influence my song writing."

Twain will be an executive producer for the series, teaming her with production company Reel World Management's Roma Roth and Christopher E. Perry, the duo behind Netflix'sVirgin RiverTVseries.

"Reel World Management is excited to collaborate with Shania Twain and Debbie Macomber, two outstanding female creatives who have successfully built powerhouse brands, to create a series that will resonate emotionally with a global audience while also reinforcing the valuable themes of tolerance, female empowerment, family, community, diversity and endurance," says Roth in a statement.

Read More: Hear Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani's New Duet 'Happy Anywhere'

Twain's social media post teases new music from a five-time Grammy award winner and the queen of country pop.

"I'll be able to write about love and loss and hardship and triumph. It's going to run the gamut in that sense," Twain told The Hollywood Reporter. "I'm still getting a feel for the sound and mood of the music. I'll be getting together with an arranger, and that's going to be new for me as well, getting involved with the actual scoring."

Macomber's novels have spent over 1,000 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.

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Shania Twain to Executive Produce, Write Songs for 'Heart of Texas' TV Series - Wide Open Country

For many women, that time of the month can bring about a range of emotions. From cravings to mood swings, women all over have different experiences when getting their monthly visit from dear Aunt Flo. However, for women who suffer from uterine fibroids, especially Black women, it is an entirely different experience.

Although 80% of all women will develop uterine fibroids by the age of 50, Black women experience them at a more alarming and severe rate. When speaking with doctors about symptoms or various treatment methods, Black women are often dismissed or offered hysterectomies as the only option. And with the number of Black women who suffer from fibroids increasing, more and more are taking matters into their own hands by educating themselves, establishing advocacy organizations, finding support within their communities, and restructuring their lifestyles so that this debilitating dilemma can someday be a thing of the past.

Here, four Black women weigh in on fibroids and how they are using their personal experiences to improve the quality of life for others.

Tanika Gray Valbrun, founder of The White Dress Project https://thewhitedressproject.org/

What is The White Dress Project?

We are a nonprofit, patient advocacy organization, and believe that as scientists and government officials, there should be more of an investment in the research of this epidemic. I came up with the name after having my first surgery in 2013. I was going through a lot mentally while recovering, had never had surgery before, and my procedure invasive. So, I was having a tough time. Through all my ups and downs, I realized that I did not have anything white in my closet. And it reminded me of all that I sacrificed. Having to avoid something for so long in my life was a problem.

Then I thought about all the other areas of my life that I sacrificed due to fibroids. It bothered me that one was talking about it and that doctors would make statements saying, If they (the fibroids) arent bothering you, dont bother them. However, when I mentioned it to friends, it was a common thing. It was then that I realized we should support one another. As women, we are experiencing debilitating symptoms and going through them alone. We are making excuses when calling in sick, when, we are laying on our bathroom floors, in a fetal position due to our fibroid symptoms. And I just felt that that should not be so. If it were a male issue, there would be more support and discussion, and I wanted to see that for women, especially Black women. So that was the birth of the White Dress Project.

I was familiar with fibroids because my mother had them. She lost two sets of twins because of them and later had to have a hysterectomy. Hearing my moms stories and knowing what she went through, in addition to other women who maybe did not have a history or whose mothers never talked about it, made me realize how it has been normalized. And I found that to be problematic.

What are some of how your organization supports women?

When I first started, I wanted support for myself and to create a community of women who no longer had to suffer in silence, to show them that they are not alone, and remove the shame surrounding reproductive health issues. In comparison to the research, it was vital that we talked about it. A large part of what we do is to get women to a place where they no longer feel silenced or feel as though they must shun themselves.

Before COVID, we held events where women would come dressed in their white to help women feel pretty and supported and loved. We knew that we were not necessarily comfortable in wearing our white, but we also knew that we were there to support one another. When you have fibroids, you do not feel comfortable wearing white, but we are pushing through that.

We also offer community education through our advisory council of doctors, with one of the signature programs Dialogue with the Doctors. The idea behind it is to have a conversation with a doctor and almost get a free second opinion. We are continually providing resources, education, and access to doctors and healthcare professionals because we know the many areas that fibroids affect us. During COVID, however, we pivoted and provided all our programming virtually.

What many people do not know is that we are singlehandedly the ones who created Fibroid Awareness Month. In 2014, I got legislation through the Georgia House of Representatives to declare July as Fibroid Awareness Month. After passing in Georgia, it was then passed in the US House. So, it really warms my heart to see how it is grown and hear so many people talking about it. All while knowing that we are the ones responsible for it.

LaToya Dwight, BBA, MSM, RHU, CHCC, REBC, Founder of The Fibroid Pandemic info@thefibroidpandemic.com

What led you to create your platform, The Fibroid Pandemic?

I have uterine fibroids and was offered a hysterectomy. At the time, I did not know what fibroids were, and was not given any resources other than being told that there is no proven data as to what caused them. That did not sit well with me and made me do my research. I began doing yoga, qigong, eating for my blood type, and just really taking my womb into my own hands. After deciding that I would have a minimally invasive procedure, I realized that a lot of women do not know where to turn because they are typically given the recommendation of having a hysterectomy. And while there is nothing wrong with having one, statistically, 60% of hysterectomies are not needed. So, the reason I started this platform was to be a resource or solution for women to have somewhere to turn and do their own research.

What can you tell me about the relationship between Black women and fibroids?

It is mainly due to Black women being more overweight than our white counterparts. Not only that, the environment that Black women are exposed to is also a major factor. Historically, within our culture, the foods that we eat used to be the scraps. So, generation after generation, a lot of those eating habits such as dairy, pork, fat, fried food, and sugar have continued and contributed to the development of fibroids. It may be more common to see white women in the gym, running outdoors, and being active, but it did not necessarily become common in Black communities until 10-20 years ago. Because of that reason, Black women tend to be more obese.

Also, due to our environments, Black women tend to carry more stress. Whether it is on our jobs, in our relationships, or our households. Many of our Black men are absent from the households, and Black women are left to raise the children on their own. So those components contribute to the development of fibroids in Black women more than our white counterparts.

We tend to suffer longer because we do not always have the support or know where to begin. A lot of times, we do not even know what is going on in our bodies. There are a lot of women who have very heavy menstrual and feel that it is normal when it is not.

With all those factors combined, that is why Black women suffer three times more likely than white women.

What are some different holistic methods that Black women can do to improve their symptoms or shrink their fibroids?

There are several ways that a woman can naturally shrink their fibroids, but it takes time, and consistency is key. One thing women can do is remove dairy from their diets. Also removing any external stressors. Stress plays a big role in fibroid development. But really incorporating organic produce and changing the way you prepare your foods.

Switching cosmetic products is key, as well. More so, the feminine hygiene products. I sell the Cherish brand, sanitary napkins. The more commercial-grade products that you see in the stores are made with so many chemicals that are, in fact, poisonous to our wombs and feeding a slow death to the uterus. What happens is, they go through a seven to the eight-stage bleaching process, and the companies do not tell you all the chemicals they are using. So, you have young girls who start using these products during teen and pre-teen years, and by the time they get to their early 20s, these products have fed poison into their uterus. And it is no wonder we have someone who at 25 years old is receiving a recommendation for a hysterectomy.

So, when taking all of this into consideration, these are ways to shrink or minimize fibroids. But again, the key is consistency.

Phyllis Frempong, RN, Fitness Coach, The Fibroid Queen https://www.instagram.com/fibroidqueen/

What would you say is the link between Black women and fibroids?

I would say that we are more at risk based on awareness, research, and empowerment. Starting with awareness, Black women are last when learning the information needed to maximize our options. In the medical system, it has been this way for a long time. It has been set up for us to be at a disadvantage; therefore, we are required to educate and empower ourselves to stay abreast of what is going on.

With doctors and nurses, there can be a lot of cultural incompetence. And for me, being a Black woman, I can talk from both a patient and nurses perspective that Black women are completely unaware when it comes to knowing their bodies or how to communicate what is going on. I have been in situations where I was immediately judged by the color of my skin and pigeonholed into a decision that a doctor thought was best for me. So, I encourage Black women to be aware of not only fibroids but what is going on in their bodies.

The second thing is having a recollection of what you can do and being aware of your decisions. With fibroids, we have gone from hysterectomies being the only option to having more and knowing how they can impact your quality of life.

When looking at fibroids, they are caused by a hormonal imbalance which is driven by different factors. From having a sedentary lifestyle, emotional disease, diet, and environment. All of that has an effect on the liver and hormones that are regulating in your body. So, removing the actual fibroid or the uterus itself does not get to the root of the cause. Empowering Black women to know that their bodies are stronger than they think and that if they can give it what it needs, can really improve the power of our bodies. And that is what I had to do with my journey.

I have been able to educate and empower women through different holistic resources to help them get symptom relief and not look at surgery as their only option.

Being that you are a nurse, what are some things that Black women should look out for?

There are four main triggers which include bloating, anemia, heavy cycles, and painful cramps. For the most part, we are made to think that those things are normal and a part of being a woman. Also, the myth that Black women have a high tolerance for pain. Knowing that you have to communicate what is going on with because doctors will take that information with a grain of salt. The standard is when experiencing those four main triggers, to request an ultrasound because the physical assessment is not enough.

Another thing is being aware of your vitamin D levels. They say that vitamin D is almost a prevention for fibroids. When it comes to Black women and our skin, vitamin D is harder to absorb due to our melanin. So, in your labs, make sure that your vitamin D is where it needs to be.

Also, your hemoglobin and iron levels are key indicators of heavy cycles. They tell you how much oxygen and blood are running through your body, and if it is low then something is wrong. So, you want to be sure to check for that as well.

So, what has been your personal experience with fibroids?

I grew up in an African household, so talking about medical issues was not encouraged. I remember my mom coming home really drained and tired, and asking her what happened. After initially dismissing me, she later said that her doctor informed her that she would need to get her uterus taken out. I asked why and she said that was fibroids.

I did not quite know what fibroids were, I just remembered the name. So, years later, while in nursing school, I asked the doctor for an ultrasound and was questioned. When in a situation like this, always go with your instincts. Something told me to request it, and after finding a quarter-sized fibroid on my uterus, I was told to just monitor it.

Now there is nothing wrong with the wait and watch approach, but you need some strategies to prevent the fibroids from thriving. There is something that you are doing that made them appear. When being told to monitor it, I feel that it is a set up because you need some information on what to do to prevent an increase in symptoms and having to request something extreme.

After later being told that my fibroids increased in number and size, I went into a depression and felt like my body failed me. Being a coach, I have always been healthy, but after taking care of others and lacking in my own self-care, my body suffered. After feeling low, I empowered myself and turned my home into a lab. I used what I learned as a nurse and fitness coach and created a lifestyle regiment to not only reduce my symptoms but shrink my fibroids. I realized that if I could do that, then I could help others.

So now, my mission is to help millions of women end their suffering with holistic resources and a community of like-minded women to live their lives beyond fibroids.

Dr. Soyini Hawkins, MD, MPH, FACOG http://fibroidandpelvicwellness.com/

What has been your experience with treating fibroids?

I am a minimally invasive gynecological surgeon and my practice primarily focuses on gynecological surgery, all ailments of women who may need surgical intervention, and the top one in my community is fibroids. Getting into that niche of fibroid surgery has become a passion of mine starting from a personal place. I had fibroids and underwent an intense surgery. Since then, I have had two children, and now in my own practice, I decided to go into this. So, managing fibroids naturopathically is just as important to me as surgery.

Aside from most talked about fibroid symptoms, what are some additional warning signs that Black women should look out for?

Unbeknownst to many, fibroid symptoms can be associated with things that we think are normal.

And while heavy menstrual bleeding is most talked about symptom, fibroids can cause back pain, frequent urination, discharge, recurring infections, pain with activities, and constipation. So, the things that we think are a result something else, could in fact be fibroids.

Do you know why Black women experience fibroids at a higher rate than our white counterparts?

The thing about fibroids is that they do not discriminate. However, Black women are two to three times more likely to experience not only fibroids but symptomatic fibroids than white women. Eighty percent of Black women will develop fibroids during their childbearing years compared to 70% of white women. The reason why is still unknown, and I do feel that fibroids are understudied and under-researched. We know that there is a hereditary component and that there are things that are a part of our diet as well as our cosmetic products and melanin. But fibroids are very multi-factorial, so from one person to the next, we do not understand exactly what makes them grow or re-grow.

Do you feel that Black women are ignored when we discussing our symptoms with our doctors?

Yes, and that is a part of the problem. Therefore, there are movements focused on educating and advocating and empowering women to understand their bodies as well as options for treatment. What has happened, especially with Black women is that if we have a bad experience with the doctor, we get dismissed. It then becomes a thing of guilt or that we put it away, or we feel like no one is going to help us. Then when we do find a doctor that is willing to help, Black women are only offered hysterectomies, when a lot of times, they are asking for something minimally invasive.

What are some things that Black women should keep in mind when advocating for themselves?

Do not be afraid of getting a second opinion or finding someone who is going to listen. Also, understand that what you hear, may not always be what you want to hear, but a good doctor is going to help you understand your options. The understanding is what helps us, especially Black women, to embrace that and feel like we are a part of our health care team. It also helps to relieve some of the mental anguish that comes along with it.

Contributing Writer, Racquel Coral is a lifestyle writer based in Chicago. Find her on social media @withloveracquel.

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Fibroids and the Black Womb: Four Women and Their Mission to Heal Others From Uterine Fibroids - Chicago Defender

The teenage years are a transformative time in every persons life. Despite the typical struggles faced by teenagers, these years are meant to be a period full of exploration and growth. Traditionally, its a time when they begin to form the passions and ideas that will shape them throughout their personal and professional lives.

In the year 2020, however, mental health is getting in the way. The majority of teens 62 percent said that their anxiety now keeps them from being the person they want to be, according to a new survey funded by the Allstate Foundation.

Teenagers are paying attention to the world around them. Theyve experienced, either first-hand or on the news, the struggles the United States is facing, most notably, in terms of the COVID-19 pandemic and current race relations. As a result, many are overwhelmed with feelings of fear and uncertainty.

Overall, 73 percent of the 1,000 teens surveyed said that they feel more worried about the future now than they did six months ago. And whether their school will be administered in person or online, teens are uncertain, nervous and stressed about returning.

Teens are paying attention. They are speaking clearly about their needs, and we must answer their call, Stacy Sharpe, senior vice president at Allstate, said in a news release.

So, in these trying, uncertain times, the Allstate Foundation highlights the importance of social and emotional learning.

More than two decades of research shows that SEL, or social and emotional learning, helps young people build important life skills like empathy, stress-management and resilience so that they can thrive in an ever-changing world, according to the brief summarizing the survey.

Working with its nonprofit and company partners, the foundation has compiled a list of free resources to help teenagers develop the life skills to handle anything that is thrown their way.

One free resource available is the Inner Explorer family app, a free mindfulness and mediation app that can teach teenagers and their family members to curb their anxieties, stressors and fears by living in the moment.

And for teens and parents who are anxious and confused about the state of race relations in the country, the foundation suggests they check out the resources provided by its partner The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning (CASEL), which recently hosted a webinar Owning Your Power To Raise Kids Who Challenge Racism and provided a summary sheet with tips that can help individuals increase their understanding of race and racism in the United States.

To help teens explore and reflect on their emotions, the foundation points to a resource guide to journaling during the coronavirus pandemic, which is something that less than half of the teens surveyed said they currently do. While the guide was created by the foundations partner Facing History and Ourselves as a tool for educators, it can also serve a resource for parents to encourage journaling at home, according to the foundation.

Independently, the foundation has also created a guide to help parents instill skills like resilience and empathy in their teenage children.

As a long-time champion of youth empowerment, we know skills such as empathy, stress-management and resilience are critical to young peoples success in life, Sharpe said in the release. Thats why we partner with leading nonprofits to give families access to important social and emotional learning resources to prepare our youth and the adults who support them for the future.

News & Content Manager

Jackson Schroeder is a graduate of Ohio University with a B.A. in Journalism from the E.W. Scripps School. He is originally from Savannah, Georgia. Jackson has covered a wide range of topics, including sustainability, technology, sports, culture, travel, and music. He plays bass and guitar, and enjoys playing and listening to live music in his free time.

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Helping Teens Overcome Heightened Anxiety - The University Network

On Tuesday, 155 civil rights organizationsfrom Feminist Majority Foundation to the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rightscalled onmembers ofCongress to swiftly pass the Voting Rights Advancement Act (H.R. 4), recently reintroduced as the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.

The letter also urged swift passage of the HEROES Act (H.R. 6800), which contains essential funding for states to hold safe elections during the pandemic.

Dear Member of Congress:

The death of Congressman John Lewis, a civil rights giant, has had a profound impact on people around the world. Public officials both national and international have offered moving words of praise and admiration in honor of the remarkable life and legacy of Mr. Lewis. There is no greater way to pay tribute to Mr. Lewis than by turning those laudatory words into action.

It is in this spirit that The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and the 154 undersigned organizations write to urge you to honor the life and legacy of the late Representative John Lewis by passing federal legislation to safeguard the fundamental right to vote. Mr. Lewis helped lead the historic 1965 march for voting rights in Selma, Alabamasustaining a cracked skull at the hands of state troopersand he spent the next half century at the helm of the nations fight for voting rights and equality. Mr. Lewis was a civil rights icon, an American hero, and the conscience of the Congress.

There would be no truer tribute to Representative Lewis than for the Senate to pass the Voting Rights Advancement Act (VRAA)recently reintroduced as the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Actand the election provisions of the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act.

Enacting these critical legislative measures would protect the integrity of the November election and counter the disenfranchisement of communities of color that the nation has sadly witnessed in the aftermath of the Supreme Courts infamous Shelby County v. Holder opinion in 2013. That decision gutted the preclearance provision of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which required states and jurisdictions with a history of discrimination to obtain federal approval before making changes to their voting laws and elections.

In one of his last public statementson June 25, 2020, the seventh anniversary of the Shelby County decisionRepresentative Lewis observed:

In our country, the right to vote is preciousalmost sacred. Countless people marched and protested for this right. Some gave a little blood, and far too many lost their lives. Around the globe, generations of U.S. officials boasted of this legacy and progress. Today, the world is horrified in watching Americansespecially people of coloronce again stand in immovable lines and experience undeniable, targeted, systematic barriers to democracy. The record is clear. A rampant war is being waged against minorities voting rights in my home state of Georgia and across the nation.

In the days since his passing, public officials from across the political spectrum have paid tribute to Representative Lewis, a reflection of the universal respect and admiration he commanded during his life of public service and sacrifice. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called John Lewis a monumental figure who made huge personal sacrifices to help our nation move past the sin of racism.

But he said nothing about restoring the Voting Rights Act or taking actions to honor John Lewis. The true measure of people are their deeds, not their words. If Senate leadership truly wishes to pay tribute to Representative Lewis, they will restore the Voting Rights Act by passing the Voting Rights Advancement Act. This crucial bill would correct the Supreme Courts shameful Shelby County v. Holder ruling, create a new Section 5 coverage formula based on recent evidence of discrimination, and help safeguard the right to vote for communities of color across thenation.

Representative Lewis was a fierce advocate of the Voting Rights Advancement Act, and he held the gavel as the House of Representatives passed it over seven months ago, on December 6, 2019. RepresentativeLewis often called the right to vote the most powerful nonviolent tool we have in our democratic society, and he said the VRAA was necessary because the country was in an ongoing struggle to redeem the soul of America, and were not there yet.

To honor the legacy of John Lewis, the Senate must promptly conduct hearings on the Voting Rights Advancement Act and build an appropriate evidentiary record to buttress this legislation, and then bring it up for a vote. The House has done its partconducting extensive hearings last year and amassing significant evidence of ongoing voter discrimination in Americaand now it is time for the Senate to follow suit.

In addition, the Senate must honor the memory of John Lewis by passing the election provisions of the HEROES Act. This legislation would provide necessary funding of $3.6 billion to states for election assistance as well as vital voting rights reforms that were based on Representative Lewiss Voter Empowerment Act such as no-excuse absentee ballots, at least 15 days of in-person early voting, accessible online and same-day voter registration, and equal access for voters with disabilitiesthat are essential to help this nation safeguard the November 2020 election. Once again, the House has done its partpassing the HEROES Act over two months agoand now the Senate must act.

Congress is poised to pass another COVID-19 relief package in the coming weeks, and the package must include robust election assistance and voting reforms for states so that the November general election does not become a large-scale replication of what we witnessed during the primary process. In too many states during the primary season, long lines, poll closures, poll worker shortages and insufficient training,inaccessible polling places and broken machines, and surges in absentee ballot requests that went unfulfilled left many votersparticularly voters of color and voters with disabilitiesunable to safely exercise their fundamental right to vote. It is simply unacceptable to force voters to choose between their fundamental right to vote and their personal health and safety.

John Lewiss home state of Georgia was ground zero for democracy dysfunction during this years primaries. During the Georgia primary in June, some voters of color had to wait in lines of up to seven hours in inclement weather in order to cast their ballot as a result of such problems as polling place closures, voters not receiving absentee ballots on time, the need to clean and sanitize voting machines, insufficient numbers of and malfunctioning machines, and inadequate training of poll workers.

This is nothing short of modern-day voter suppression. The problems in Georgia were exacerbated by the fact thatafter Shelby County v. Holderstates with proven records of discriminatory voting practices, likeGeorgia, no longer had to obtain federal approval before making election changes.

John Lewis was never satisfied with an America that did not keep faith with its promises. He refused to accept a country that did not live up to its highest moral values. And he rejected the idea that Americacould not be betterparticularly toward those so often left behind in our society. His life was a living vigil for what it means to remain a foot soldier in the march for equality. Whether in the area of votingrights or systemic racism, or anywhere in which injustice remains, we honor his legacy by continuing his fight for a democracy that works for all of us.

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Civil Rights Groups Urge Congressional Action on Voting Rights"in Honor of the Remarkable Legacy of John Lewis" - Ms. Magazine

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE: AEO) announced today the launch of OFFLINE by Aerie, a new sub-brand offering a complete collection of activewear and accessories built for REAL movement and REAL comfort. Leveraging AEOs continued success cultivating lifestyle brands, paired with Aeries incredible strength and growing customer demand, OFFLINE is the evolution and expansion of the brands popular Chill.Play.Move. collection into an unparalleled offering of soft, cozy and comfortable activewear. Uniquely designed for the Aerie girls slam dunks, slipups, the hell yeas, the ughs, the 5ks and the recovery days.

Health and wellness have always been at the core of Aeries mission as weve led the body positivity movement, inspiring and empowering women around the world to feel confident inside and out. OFFLINEs unique take on active lifestyle products celebrates REAL life when some days you feel like you can take on the world and other days you need that extra push to get off the couch, said Jennifer Foyle, Aerie Global Brand President. Building on the growing success of our leggings and activewear, OFFLINE provides another powerful platform to grow our community, while uniquely complementing Aeries full lifestyle collection of bras, undies, lounge and soft apparel. Were here for your journey as you fly and as you fall, and even the slant of the I in our name is a reminder that there is no straight path to the finish line.

OFFLINE by Aerie will be available online at aerie.com with two retail store locations planned to open by the end of 2020.

The OFFLINE collection features an activewear assortment of leggings, bike shorts, tops, sports bras, fleece, bottoms and accessories. Signature products include:

The sub-brand also continues Aeries commitment to responsibly sourced styles, which are reflected through the REAL Good badge, an icon that identifies products made from more sustainable raw materials including recycled fabrics. It also designates products manufactured in a factory that meets expectations for AEOs Water Leadership Program, an initiative that focuses on water reduction and water recycling, in keeping with the companys ongoing commitment to sustainability.

About Aerie

Aerie is a lifestyle brand offering intimates, apparel, activewear and swim collections. With the #AerieREAL movement, Aerie celebrates its community by advocating for body positivity and the empowerment of all women. Aerie believes in inspiring customers to love their real selves, inside and out. Retouching-free since 2014. Visit http://www.aerie.com to learn more. Let the Real You Shine.

About American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.

American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. (NYSE: AEO) is a leading global specialty retailer offering high-quality, on-trend clothing, accessories and personal care products at affordable prices under its American Eagle and Aerie brands. Our purpose is to show the world that theres REAL power in the optimism of youth. The company operates stores in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Hong Kong, and ships to 81 countries worldwide through its websites. American Eagle and Aerie merchandise also is available at more than 200 international locations operated by licensees in 25 countries. For more information, please visit http://www.aeo-inc.com.

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American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. Introduces OFFLINE by Aerie, a Fresh Take on Activewear Designed for Real Life - Business Wire

As concerns about COVID-19 increase in the US and athletes continue to speak out about social justice issues, several WNBA players have chosen to forgo the 2020 basketball season, which began on July 25. In order to show support for these hard-working women, Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets has set up the KAI Empowerment Initiative, which was founded with the intent of providing financial support for individual players who are "active but will not play in the 2020 WNBA season due to personal, professional, health, and/or safety-related reasons," according to AP.

The initiative, which launched on July 27, is fully funded by Irving, who has committed $1.5 million to supplement the income of these WNBA players and grant them access to a financial literacy program provided by investment banking company UBS. Irving said he was inspired to fund the initiative after speaking with several WNBA players - including Washington's Natasha Cloud, Seattle's Jewell Loyd, and Atlanta's Renee Montgomery - who explained to him the personal and professional challenges they have faced in deciding whether to play this season.

Related: Baseball Players and Coaches Kneeled For Racial Justice on Opening Day

See MLB Players Kneel For Racial Justice on Opening Day

While some players in the NBA are paid upward of $30 million annually, the top annual salary for a player in the WNBA is $215,000 (though players are able to make additional money in the league through other "cash compensation increases"), which makes Irving's pledge a powerful and meaningful gesture in support of his fellow basketball players. To apply for the grant, WNBA players must explain the circumstances and reasons behind their decision to sit out the season and must not be receiving financial support from anywhere else. Eligible players must apply on the KAI Empowerment Initiative website by Aug. 11 and will be notified of their status on Aug. 24.

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Kyrie Irving Will Contribute $1.5 Million to Support WNBA Players Forgoing the 2020 Season - Yahoo Sports

Priya Sunil uncovers how Siemens, Marriott International, 3M, AkzoNobel, and Fuji Xerox Singapore have leveraged custom-built systems to evolve the learning approach, while DKSHs Christopher Schultz steps into the learners shoes.

Picture this you switch on your TV, laptop, tablet or handphone and browse through a catalogue of learning materials, wondering which one youll pick today, but before you can do that, you find something interesting in the recommended for you section.

No, we arent talking about Netflix, but an AI-driven virtual learning library; or one like Spotify, that allows you to subscribe to specific channels catered to your role. Wouldnt that be amazing?

What if, just by scanning an employee, youre provided with a comprehensive report on their personality, skills and knowledge, which will help you better assess their culture fit and learning style. How much more efficient would that be for your L&D teams?

We asked our interviewees for their craziest L&D ideas, and they certainly didnt disappoint. While we hope these initiatives arent too far off in the future, lets pause and take stock of how they are working hard to make personalised learning a reality today, using progressive learning models, AI-driven platforms, and more.

Siemens: Leveraging AI-driven platforms to recommend personalised learning content

With a belief that ones learning and growth journey is unique to the individual, global powerhouse Siemens is all for customised L&D. As such, employees can benefit from diverse learning activities that are considered meaningful and relevant to them, and driven by their interests.

These learning activities can be specific to the brands products, specialist knowledge and methodology, as well as business and process-specific expertise, shares Chinh Duong, Head of Learning & Development, ASEAN, Siemens.

In building this custom approach, managers are encouraged to engage in continuous dialogue with their employees on their learning needs, help them fulfil their potential and support their growth plans in their current job.

The team also conducts learning needs identification surveys that explore the individual and organisational demands for future skills development.

Chinh Duong explains: "The survey results help us to align and understand the business growth priorities, and gaps between an individuals and the companys capability. We then design and develop learning solutions that are specific and relevant to address those gaps."

To ensure learning remains dynamic for the digital age, the team created an online My Learning World platform for employees to find the latest relevant learning content that they can personalise and learn in their own time. The content covers a wide range of traditional classroom and virtual courses. There is also an internal video platform which contains both user and expert-generated content.

Apart from the above, Chinh Duong shares:

"Our internal social media platform connects learning communities and allows employees to access knowledge available within the company in order to solve problems and deal with specific challenges daily."

Given the platform offers access to a huge span of courses, knowledge modules, training videos, e-learning measures and global learning communities, Chinh Duong notes that it can be overwhelming for employees. "Our challenge is how to put this learning content into context for employees and provide relevant recommendations for them."

To address this, the platform is AI-driven, and continuously provides recommendations and personalisation for each learner. "Learners can also design their own learning path for learning and completion at their own pace."

The system comprises more than 15,000 learning resources available in multiple languages from internal and trusted external sources. Learners can not only access the resources anytime, anywhere, but they can also share their own learning playlists or content, and offer insights on specific topics. This makes growth more social, connected, and rewarding, Chinh Duong says.

Fuji Xerox Singapore: A brand new approach to the 70:20:10 model

Fuji Xerox Singapore, a provider of document services and printing technologies, adopts the classic 70:20:10 learning framework albeit in the context of personalised learning, says Jacely Voon, General Manager, Human Capital & CSR, Fuji Xerox Singapore.

The first is step-in and step-up (70%), which means learning through completing daily tasks, resolving issues and refining their job-based skills; the second (20%) comes from virtual bite-sized learning programmes, and virtual facilitator-led learning; and third is online learning (10%), through the firms customised e-learning platform of hand-picked digital resources as well as LinkedIn Learning.

Different streams have different approaches for personalised learning. For example, the 70% approach is by individuals and linked to departmental and organisational impact while the 10% formal learning is tailored at a functional and individual level depending on the defined future skills by the department head.

To ensure a best-suited approach, the team first identifies the needs of personalised learning based on competency assessments, individual functional gaps for future skills, and talent and potential assessment. In the process, individual assessments and manager evaluations are carried out to identify any gaps, while also comparing the current functional gaps versus the future state of the organisation as well as the department. This gap assessment is then followed by building an individual development plan based on their training needs.

Amid all of this, coaching and mentoring are key to building personalised learning at Fuji Xerox, especially since 70% of the employees learning path is largely based on learning by doing. As such, supervisors are encouraged to take on the role as coaches and mentors to help professionals set personal goals and be accountable to those goals.

Over time, organisations will then inadvertently benefit from the personal and professional development their employees undergo, Jacely explains.

While having a best-fit system works, Jacely notes it can be challenging given the modern workplace is forever changing and new forms of collaboration and continuous learning are needed to keep up.

In that instance, Fuji Xerox moved to address both learning needs through a hybrid model, where 10% is adopted based on a one-size-fits-all method, while a more tailored approach is applied for the other 20% and 70% learning systems.

This personalised learning system, driven by empowerment, has accelerated learning based on individuals pace and appetite for personal growth.

"Because the very nature of work is constantly changing, our belief is that the 70:20:10 model can help to embed a more sophisticated learning culture at an individual, team and organisation level."

Further, this learning framework has helped employees to step forward to own their development and growth.

"Referencing our step-in and step-up approach, employees have volunteered to participate in different work groups across departments or teams to learn and work with each other," Jacely says.

"It not only helped to address the perception of favouritism when it comes to reward and recognition, it also gave employees the opportunity to be visible, and directly contribute to the organisations growth, while expanding on their horizon and increasing their competencies."

Marriott International: Market-specific flexibility driven by a common framework

An 80/20 approach is how Marriott International tackles its learning programmes, as Regan Taikitsadaporn, Chief Human Resources Officer for Asia Pacific, tells us, whereby 80% comes from the teams common framework, while 20% gives the companys markets the flexibility to customise where needed.

When personalising learning for its associates, the team strives to take a balanced approach between role, function and business unit.

"This is because the roles at our hotels vary depending on brand and size, and do not necessarily correspond to the business functions at the corporate level," Regan says.

"For instance, when we roll out training programmes to support hotel initiatives, we tend to specify the roles and departments that must complete the training. On the other hand, for our leadership development programmes, the target audience would be based on the various leadership levels."

The team recently launched an internally built personalised learning platform, called the Digital Learning Zone, that serves as a central access point to all Marriott learning content. It also allows associates to view the required and recommended training based both on their job function and desire to learn something new.

"We know that our associates want personalisation and ease of access, and this platform is intended to bring learning to our associates and make it easy for them to learn and grow."

Whats the journey like towards such a system? "When our business leaders surface a learning need, the first thing we do before initiating any design work is to consult with them and their stakeholders to assess capability gaps and to identify behavioural and performance outcomes," he says. "We do this in a number of ways, including surveys, oneon- one interviews and focus groups."

The team also identifies capability gaps during its annual talent review process, during which L&D captures key talent development and learning needs, which is then incorporated into L&Ds business planning cycle.

That said, not every journey is free of challenges. For Regan and his team, for instance, one key challenge when designing and developing learning programmes is creating content that is applicable to all markets without generalising too much such that the training loses its objective.

He explains: "We know that associates based in different markets have different cultures to adapt to, but we do our best to keep our learning programmes simple, yet meaningful for them to learn and grow."

Another challenge faced is local translations for the programmes rolled out. As the business continues to expand in the APAC region, there is an increased demand and need to offer the programmes in more languages.

"Sometimes, associates learn best when they are provided with training that is catered for them to easily understand, but on the other hand, we need to manage our resources and prioritise programmes that need translation for ease of learning."

Through it all, the results have paid off. The Digital Learning Zone, for one, has received overwhelmingly positive responses in the past few months, especially because the ability to deliver in-person learning programmes has been impacted by COVID-19. "Through the platform, our associates have been able to access not only Marriott-developed training, but also training from over 15 external learning partners on topics such as resilience and change leadership."

AkzoNobel: A development compass that leads you to the virtual learning hub

Experience, exposure, education these are the three elements driving the 70:20:10 model of L&D at paintsand performance coating MNC, AkzoNobel.

"We strive to keep everyone highly engaged in a diverse and inclusive working environment where we have the ability to build our careers through experiences and learning opportunities," says Marieke Bos - van den Berg, the firms Regional HR Director Asia.

The learning model was adopted with the belief that up to 90% of learning takes place outside formal learning activities, such as classroom training. The company then offers the important 10% formal learning opportunities via its AkzoNobel Academy, a virtual hub for learning. "The academy offers learning for general, functional and people management skills. As such, the learning is highly personalised to the type of role and level of the employee."

In order to leverage on this model, the team uses a voluntary online tool, the Development Compass, to identify the learning needs of each employee based on current and future roles. The compass includes a self-assessment based on relevant functional or managerial competencies, which also offers the option of inviting managers and colleagues to contribute to the assessment. Based on the outcomes of the Development Compass, individual development plans are created and progress can then be tracked.

Apart from the above, AkzoNobel also has a SuccessFactors Learn module linked to the academy, which allows the team to capture all learning opportunities in one space. "Furthermore, we offer several other virtual learning options such as Percipio, Gartner and IMD Research and Knowledge," she says.

She also highlights how a pandemic has expedited the future of work in "unprecedented ways".

"The social stigma of remote working is disappearing, companies are rethinking their workforce architecture, and an urgent need to upskill/redeploy employees has arisen."

"Going forward, I believe companies have a social responsibility to continuously upskill their employees. Embedding a learning culture as part of a companys DNA is a competitive advantage!"

3M: Encouraging learning through a rewards system

As a company that spans four business divisions globally, 3M sees the need to adopt different approaches from broad strokes to granular, so as to cater to everyone in the company. Thus, the brands learning systems are typically personalised based on its employees functional skills and competencies, while leadership skills, soft skills, coaching and mentoring programmes are common across all business and functional groups.

According to Stella Huang, 3Ms Area Human Resource Leader, Asia, these programmes are created to address specific developmental needs or to build future capabilities. Its 96,000 employees are split into these main segments all employees, senior leaders, supervisors and managers (referred to as people leaders); employees who are recognised as having high potential; and production employees. "We believe that each employee should take ownership of their careers and development, and we provide opportunities and platforms for them to do so," she says.

"Our go-to learning platform/library is called 'Develop U', which has over 10,000 learning resources in more than 15 languages. Employees are encouraged to pursue L&D based on their individual development plans, which they have put together in consultation with their supervisors."

Thus, employees can access e-modules, TED Talks, videos, business book summaries and tip sheets across diverse areas, including data science, digitalisation, working on global teams, and more, on the portal. Given the brands global presence, these offerings are global in nature and its L&D strategy is then aligned to the business strategy for the year/future. The global priorities are then translated into the different areas, regions and countries it operates in, and employees are able to customise their learnings to address organisational/team expectations, individual challenges and career aspirations.

In developing the strategy, the team identifies employee needs through futuristic workplace symposiums and surveys; regular employee engagement surveys; focus group discussions and round tables; and two-way communication through town halls, impromptu virtual chats, and more.

The one challenge 3M faced during this entire process was that employees had not been enticed enough to learn virtually in the past. However, this changed with the coming of the workfrom- home situation across countries early this year.

"We are now in the right place at the right time, and it was only the question of proper marketing and promotion, and of course, senior leadership buy-in.".

To give further impetus to this, a new Learner of the Quarter contest was introduced, where employees who complete a minimum of three courses can enter a lucky draw. The contest drew many employees attention to virtual learning, while highlighting the benefits and attractiveness of this medium as well.

The registration and participation since the contest was announced has resulted in a hockey stick increase, and from an average of 30 employees for a virtual webinar in 2019, all workshops in the past quarter have consistently attracted more than 100 participants. Some have even reported between 300 to 500 participants.

"Thanks to strong support from our senior leadership across Asia and all the individual countries, the initiative seems to be heading for a huge success!" she says. "Besides the valuable skills and knowledge employees gain from the courses, Im heartened to report that offering courses in multiple languages has also helped change mindsets and overcome long-standing barriers for our employees. Our key challenge is to maintain interest levels and sustain this platform over the long term."

Case study: Approaching personalised learning through the lens of the learner

QAs a learner, what would you look forward to in an organisations personalised learning system?

What I think most learners would appreciate is a learning interface like a fitness app. For example, I am using adidas Training by Runtastic. It asks me what my goals are, what my current level of fitness is, and then offers a range of customised workouts that guide me through each exercise. Afterwards, I rate how easy or difficult the workout was and how I feel. Based on my feedback, the app suggests different workouts to help me towards my goal. A similar interface, but for capability development, would be amazing!

QWhat are the typical challenges in implementing such a system?

There are three challenges: budget is one, content is another but the biggest challenge is having the right data to accurately assess employees capability gaps. To do this in a way that is accurate and works across all levels of the organisation, would be quite a feat.

QOne of the biggest things about personalised learning is that it may seem to be more expensive and time-consuming. Is this true, and if so, how do we tackle that?

The perception of it being expensive and time-consuming is mostly about the creation of such a system. Once it is in place, it would be tremendously cost-effective and time-saving because it would deliver the tailored learning that was most useful.

Using Netflix as an analogy: if you just had to randomly sort through thousands of titles, you would waste a lot of time and likely not find something you really enjoyed watching. With the algorithms they have in place, you quickly find titles you will enjoy. Expensive to build, inexpensive to operate.

QWhat is your advice to firms looking to implement a personalised learning system?

Whether it is a personalised learning system or any other learning and development intervention, the same question always applies: what problem, specifically, are you trying to fix? When you can clearly answer that question, you will be more likely to develop a useful solution.

Note: All responses shared by Christopher Schultz are in a generic context, and not in the context of the organisation he represents.

This article first appeared as part of a feature in the May-June 2020 e-mag edition of Human Resources, Singapore, and will appear in the upcoming Q2 2020 edition of Human Resources, Malaysia.Read the case study in the e-mag, or the full feature here.

Photos / Provided

Read the rest here:

How Siemens, Marriott International, 3M and more are putting the 'personal' in personalised learning - Human Resources Online

MALLORIE McILWAIN/THE EXPRESSChildren are shown participating in activities at the Lock Haven YMCAs daycare center.

LOCK HAVEN With the phasing reopening of the state, more childcare and daycare services in the local area will be able to fully reopen providing services for parents who are going back to work. Dr. Praful Bhatt, Geisinger Lock Haven pediatrician, among other physicians, wants to help parents and children ease back into the new normal of going back to daycare.

Children have stayed home for months and going back to childcare centers may not be easy, Bhatt said. Parents should have the empowerment to make the decision, considering their own personal situations.

He continued by saying that parents can help in appropriate preparation before children actually return to childcare centers.

Children can perceive the anxiety that parents may have, Bhatt added. They (parents) should stay calm and remain vigilant. It comes a long way in terms of helping.

He also said that parents should have the conversation with their children on why they have to wear their masks and why they need to keep a distance from their friends.

MALLORIE McILWAIN/THE EXPRESSChildren are shown participating in activities at the Lock Haven YMCAs daycare center.

They can even start by interacting with children at home over video chat, having regular exercise and playing games with family members.

I think they can prepare them well in this way, he said. They know their children the best.

He even suggested parents have a discussion with their pediatrician to discuss their childs needs, risks and family medical history to determine if the child could potentially be at higher risk of getting or transmitting the COVID-19 virus to other children and or staff.

Keep children, staff and families as safe as possible, he said.

According to Bhatt, centers should be making their best efforts to provide a safer environment including listening to Center for Disease Control and government guidelines.

It is important for parents to have that assurance that there are proper procedures in place, not only for the surfaces but for the toys as well, he said.

He suggests that centers answer questions like do parents have the responsibility to check their childs temperature or will the center do that upon arrival, what are the cleaning policies, what the daily routines would be and would there be an isolation room for children who may become sick during the day?

Bhatt also suggested keeping the routines the same, having the same staff in contact with the same children and having strong discussions with parents on who the children would be exposed to as well as limiting all interactions between different classes and staff members.

If the group size is kept smaller and if time and weather permits, they should use outdoor spaces to play because it can reduce the spread of germs, he said. Children are recommended to keep six feet apart, especially during naps, meals and snacks.

He added that keeping surfaces, the toys that the kids play with clean as well as universal masking, hand washing and social distancing measures are extremely important in ensuring that there is not an outbreak at any of these facilities.

Many local daycare centers have helped provide safe places for children during the pandemic including the Lock Haven Branch YMCA who has been open at half-capacity since May 4 after closing on March 16 for a period of time.

They opened during Governor Wolfs red phase under a state waiver according to Lori Lohman, senior school-age director.

At first, they opened with just school-age and had their second group of kids, preschool and younger, at their Susquehanna Avenue location Associate Executive Director Bethann Bartlett said.

We did that mainly so that we could keep the numbers low, she said.

Bigger spaces, smaller amount of kids, Lohman added. We have rooms that are licensed for 30 children but we only have about 14 filled up, giving the kids that space to social distance.

The branch has also taken numerous precautions to ensure the safety of not only the children and their families, but the YMCA staff members including universal encouragement of masking while walking through the building, outside and in smaller spaces, as well as temperature checks, handwashing upon arrival and limiting interactions with groups.

Other procedures include: parents can only come into the YMCA lobby to drop off their children, children cannot bring in any unnecessary items including toys from home, staff can bring children to parents vehicles for pick up times and regular daily screening.

We are trying to prevent as much as we can, Lohman said.

A lot of these processes we do on a daily basis; we just do them every hour since the pandemic started, Bartlett added.

The YMCA is also defining the groups by age and does not have interactions between the groups as well as keeping the same teachers with the same groups and only staff members and children are allowed in the childcare area.

Staff members follow the same guidelines that children do, including masking, handwashing, temperature checks and screenings.

They have been really great about it, Bartlett said.

The kids at the YMCA have been keeping busy with camp activities, crafts and safe field trips to state parks and rivers for canoeing, trail walking and fishing.

While on field trips, the procedures continue by seating the children every other seat, wearing masks and open windows.

It allows us to still get out and do fun things, but still doing it in smaller groups, Lohman said. Our goal here at Lock Haven is to keep all children and staff safe while maintaining all of the Department of Human Services and Governors guidelines.

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Segun Awofadeji in Gombe

The Gombe State Governor, Mr. Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has signed the state governments revised 2020 budget into law yesterday.

The initial budget of N130. 829 billion, which was tagged the Budget of Change was reviewed downward to the sum of N107.371 billion due to the global economic shocks that was occasioned by COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected national and personal incomes.

The revised capital expenditure for the 2020 fiscal year now stands at N57,006,609,493.48 as against the initial figure of N71,046,953,693.48 while the recurrent expenditure was reviewed down to N50,364,799,100.00 against the earlier signed figure of N59,781,783,900.00.

Yahaya explained that the appropriation law was revised in line with the current realities that have constrained the state government to review its priorities.

He said that despite the downwards review of the budget, the state government would ensure that health, education, agriculture and other critical sectors would remain the top priorities of the state.

The Governor said that the health sectors budget was increased to demonstrate the administrations resolve to combat COVID-19 and its socio-economic impact on the lives and means of livelihood of the people.

He said the sum of N500 million has been provided for the task force to boost the states health sector and intervention activities like the establishment of isolation centres, renovating, upgrading and equipping of the health care facilities, the procurement and provision of medical supplies as well as the commencement of testing for COVID-19 in Gombe and the upgrading of the general hospitals in Kumo, Billiri and Bajoga.

Yahaya said that the state government made provisions in the revised budget that would rebuild other sectors of the states economy in order to enable the state prepare ahead of post COVID-19 challenges.

He said that N300 million has been provided for agricultural inputs like seeds and chemicals while youths and women empowerment initiatives received N1 billion each.

See the article here:

Gombe Reviews 2020 Budget to N107bn - THISDAY Newspapers

By Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank

July 18 is celebrated across the world as International Nelson Mandela Day. Honourable Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, while paying homage to him, stated, The beloved Madibas work, ideals and principles continue to inspire us. He demonstrated the triumph of peace, equality and service.

Today, through this column, I am sharing his ideas and views in the field of education, in an attempt to connect them to the scope and possibilities for the qualitative growth of the Indian education system.

In his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom, Mandela describes how education impacted various phases of his life. Though incarcerated in jail, he obtained his legal education through correspondence courses. The critical question for Mandela concerning education was regarding the purpose of education. He viewed education as serving manifold purposes.

Stressing upon education as the means for personal development and as a vehicle for equality of opportunity, he said, Education is the great engine of personal development. It is through education that the daughter of a peasant can become a doctor, that the son of a mineworker can become the head of the mine, that a child of farm workers can become the president of a great nation.

He thus viewed education as having the power to liberate the individual socially, economically and philosophically.For Madiba, education is not confined to formal institutional spaces. To quote him, To a narrow-thinking person, it is hard to explain that to be educated does not mean being literate and having a BA, and that an illiterate man can be a far more educated voter than someone with an advanced degree.

His views are amply reflected in the draft New Education Policy of India. The policy recognises the skill and the value of learning from experts in their fields, even if they do not possess a professional degree. The policy advocates that local experts from various trades like carpenters, masons, etc. will be formally called to schools to impart skill education.

And going several steps ahead, the policy also states that students of upper primary classes shall have a ten-day internship with local crafts and trade persons, to not only learn their trade craft, but also to become sensitised to the contributions of such self-learnt experts and skilled persons to the progress and growth of society.

Madiba believed that education is a tool for empowerment and transformations. To meet this objective, however, education needs to be contextualized. One of his famous quotes related to education is that it is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.

Education was also seen as the enemy of prejudice. Hence Mandela said, The power of education extends beyond the development of skills that we need for economic success. It can contribute to nation-building and reconciliation.

Mirroring Mandelas view the ministry is coming out with a policy which envisages that the curriculum and pedagogy of our institutions must develop among the students a deep sense of respect towards the fundamental duties and constitutional values, bonding with ones country, and conscious awareness of ones roles and responsibilities in a changing world.

In the quest to pursue modern education, one should not forget ones cultural history. Mandela opined that one needs to know and understand ones cultural history eg: music, arts, dances and local language.

He confessed that in his own personal life he had learnt a lot about his country and its people through cultural expressions. India has a rich cultural history spanning millennia.

The Ministry is coming out with a new education policy. The vision of the policy is to instill among the learners a deep-rooted pride in being Indian, not only in thought, but also in spirit, intellect, and deeds, as well as to develop knowledge, skills, values, and dispositions that support responsible commitment to human rights, sustainable development and living, and global well-being, thereby reflecting a truly global citizen.

Mandela always emphasized discipline, hard work and physical fitness and sincerely practised it in his own life. He said, I have found that I worked better and thought more clearly when I was in good physical condition, and so training became one of the inflexible disciplines of my life.

He would take time out to jog on the spot during the periods when he was in hiding. Exercise and physical fitness were critical not only for him in his personal life, they also became an inalienable part of his educational philosophy.

When Government of India launched the Fit India Movement on August 29, 2019 to inculcate physical activity/sports into the daily life of citizens, it reiterated the Indian culture of centuries of considering physical, mental and spiritual wellness in a single continuum, just as Mandela did.

Thirteen Lakh schools and Eleven Crore students all over the country took the fitness pledge. Through the firm commitment in the new education policy to treat physical education and skill education as an integral part of the academic curriculum, (and not as an extra-curricular or co-curricular activity), the government will bring back the focus on these areas for ensuring the holistic development of every child.

It is quite heartening to note Madibas views on computer literacy. In fact, they were quite modern. Mandela urged teachers to ensure learners were computer literate from grade one itself. He thus wanted todays learners to be in sync with the contemporary technological developments. His views are more relevant in todays world when most of the learning is shifting towards blended e-learning.

The Government of India has launched Prime Minister E- Vidya for providing multi-modal access to education through DIKSHA (one nation-one digital platform), TV (one class-one channel), SWAYAM, Air through Community radio and CBSE Shiksha Vani podcast, and study material for children with disabilities. These will usher in an era of availability of quality e-content on the public domain, thus enabling technology to become the harbinger for equity in education.

Nelson Mandelas vision has the transformative power for education.

The path of education in India is established on the foundational pillars of access, equity, quality, affordability, and accountability as outlined in the New Education Policy, and these were very close to Mandelas heart. Indeed, we take inspiration from him, as we commit to harness the creative potential of each learner while empowering them to become socially, economically and philosophically liberated for contributing from an equity standpoint in transforming India into a global knowledge hub.

Author is Shri. Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank, Human Resources Development Minister, Government of India. He can be reached at [emailprotected]

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Nelson Mandelas views and relevance to the education system of India - Rising Sun Chatsworth

By:Calvin Glidewell, President/CEO, inspirEx Healthcare Strategies

A year ago, many healthcare transformation thought leaders were predicting that the greatest disruptors in our industry would be healthcare company megamergers or blue chip tech companies entering the healthcare delivery marketlike CVSs acquisition of Aetna, Apples foray into personal health records and interoperability, or Amazons empowerment of Alexa and acquisition of PillPack. Probably none of them would have named the novel coronavirus as the biggest prospective change agent in the industry. But here we aresmack in the middle of a COVID-19 pandemicand many of the medium- to long-term effects of the virus have become apparent to those of us in the field. Heres a glimpse at some of the trends and impacts on the healthcare industry from COVID-19: the good, the bad, and the ugly.

The Good:

Telehealth: From Wall Street to Main Street, one of the most significant effects of the pandemic has been the explosive adoption and acceptance of telehealth as a means of delivering healthcare services. Healthcare delivery was already moving out of the four walls of the hospital into outpatient sites of care and even into retail settings. But COVID has brought providers to the desktops and mobile devices of mainstream America. Some estimates indicate that, as of April 2020, telehealth (defined as synchronous video conferencing, store and forward of digital medical data, and remote patient monitoring) has grown by 80% year over year1, spurred on by the relaxation of telehealth guidelines and reimbursement restrictions previously adopted by public and private insurers. Sure, there are still challenges to addresslike continuation of these looser reimbursement policies, interstate licensure and credentialing issues, broadband access in rural areas, etc.but the horse is out of the barn and theres no turning back now. Telehealth has the ability to positively impact healthcare in many ways, including creating greater access to primary care, abating the overcrowding in the ED, and enabling a better quality of life for chronic disease patients. Most systems have already invested heavily in telehealth; those that havent need to catch up quickly.

Self-care and family care: Despite some mixed and often diffuse messaging from public health authorities early in the pandemic and the occasional deliberate flaunting of social distancing guidelines by segments of the population, by and large, most Americans are embracing more personal responsibility in the care of themselves and their loved ones. Mainstream America is now adopting many of healthcares sacred principles like frequent handwashing, cleaning and sterilizing ones immediate environment, and adopting practical infection control practices (think masks, gloves, etc.). In addition, baby boomers and Gen X-ers are becoming steadily aware of the hidden hazards of congregate living for their parents, and they are increasingly choosing noninstitutional settings for their aging or disabled family members. Even though these family members may be homebound, they often lead a more dignified, more comfortable, and happier life than their counterparts in more institutional settings. Innovative hospital systems like Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore or Adventist Health in California have created Hospital-at-Home programs (virtual hospitals) which feature video visits and remote patient monitoring by hospitalists to enable patients to remain in the comfort of their own homes during their hospitalization and convalescence.2

Occupational Health and Safety: Employers are becoming increasingly aware of their new responsibilities to provide a COVID-free work environment (and their potential liabilities if they do not). Federal and state courts are already seeing a dramatic rise in the number and types of COVID -related lawsuits, including cases related to workplace safety, workers compensation, and employees in high risk settings.3 Many employers have responded by dramatically reducing business meetings and travel and by converting as much interaction as possible to virtual settings. For those employers who need on-site employees, there is a renewed interest in employee health and safety, to wit, a dramatic rise in plastic protective shields for frontline personnel, the provision of PPE for essential workers, more robust disinfectant processes for common areas and equipment, and the reconfiguration of offices spaces to allow for more social distancing. The pandemic provides the opening for health plans, healthcare providers, and occupational health and safety professionals to play a larger role in executive conversations, facility design, and employment practices.4

Artificial Intelligence: Before the pandemic, we had already seen the promise of AI in healthcare applications like using supercomputers to interpret radiology scans or identify skin lesions5, employing machine learning to aggregate and analyze huge amounts of diagnostic data to aid in accurate cancer diagnosis6, and applying real-time data analytics to speed up the healthcare revenue cycle7. But the pandemic has hastened the adoption of AI areas not heretofore imagined. For example, health departments are using AI to analyze large amounts of public health data to identify and predict new virus hot spots and to develop early warning systems, clinicians are using chest imaging data along with AI-enabled EHR data to improve risk stratification and to categorize the type of care COVID-19 patients receive8, and pharmaceutical manufacturers are using AI to accelerate vaccine research. Look for AI to be adapted to many more clinical and operational aspects of healthcare delivery in the future.

The Bad:

Effect on Medical Practices and Hospital Volume: The traditional bastions of healthcare deliverythe doctors office and the hospitalhave been hit particularly hard during the pandemic. One MGMA study showed that 97% of all medical practices have endured a financial hit, some with revenue declines of 60% or more.9 Many physician practices have had to furlough or eliminate staff and cut their own salaries; many will not survive at all. This will further exacerbate the already growing physician shortage and further limit access to those needing care. Hospitals have had a double whammy: eliminating or reducing profitable elective surgeries while simultaneously treating resource-intensive (but comparatively low-reimbursing) COVID patients. And despite the CARES Act and other federal assistance, many hospitals, particularly safety net institutions, are facing huge cash shortfalls and will be severely limiting capital expenditures for growth initiatives for the foreseeable future. Smaller, independent, and rural hospitals are particularly at risk for their survival. M & A activity, which was already strong prepandemic, is likely to increase as stronger organizations and institutions absorb the more financially-strapped providers. Government officials and private insurers should closely monitor the situation and be prepared to provide relief in the form of advance payments, expedited reimbursement, and grant funding when warranted.

Delays in Care: Some studies indicate that near of all Americans have delayed seeking care because of loss of income and the fear of infection from COVID.10 The negative consequences to the patient for not obtaining timely care can result in needless suffering and death. There are already signs that cancer rates are rising rapidly and caregivers are seeing more deaths from heart disease than expected.11 In addition to patient effects, the impact to healthcare organizations will also be significant. Time and again, research shows that delays in seeking care result in poorer clinical outcomes and more expensive hospitalization costs. Despite losing their profitable selective surgeries and service lines, healthcare organizations need to prepare now for the demand that has been suppressed by the pandemic. When bed capacity allows, healthcare organizations need to encourage and reassure those who have delayed care; to do so, they need to beef up their infection control processes and convince their patients that they are ready for the new normal of treating patients in an institutional setting. As they do so, recognize that this pent-up demand will probably result in more acute care episodes, longer lengths of stay, and higher costs.

Uptick in mental health and substance abuse conditions: The pandemic has not only created a greater need for behavioral health interventions; it has simultaneously upended the already patchy and fragile continuum of care for mental health and substance abuse patients. Even as 40% of Americans have reported that stress related to the coronavirus has negatively affected their mental health,12 staffing crises and shortages of protective supplies have caused a reduction in mobile crisis teams, residential programs, and behavioral health call centers. Also, during the pandemic, there has been a surge in alcohol sales and a dramatic spike in opioid deaths. Social distancing, for all the good that it has done in society at large, has imperiled social connection and support for addicts and has jeopardized their recovery. Some relatively novel interventions have cropped up, including community-led and family-led interventions, more robust remote therapy, and technology-enabled collaboration platforms for primary care and behavioral health providers.13 We as a healthcare system need to continue to find new ways to address the depression, isolation, and drug use exacerbated by the pandemic and to create treatment modalities which are safe and effective in dealing with behavioral health conditions.

The Ugly:

Disparities in Care: COVID-19 has laid bare the ignominious underbelly of our healthcare delivery system; that is, that vulnerable populations are more at risk for contracting the virus and less likely to recover. COVID-related morbidity and mortality for Black, Latino, and native Americans are three to four times higher than for white Americans.14 Although genetic or biological factors may have some small bearing on these statistics, the more likely explanation lies in the longstanding cultural, social, and environmental conditions associated with these ethnic and demographic groups. Societal factors contributing to these disparities in disease incidence and hospitalization rates include housing conditions, income, education, and wealth gaps, access to healthcare providers, and inherent societal discrimination.15 Healthcare executives alone cant be expected to fundamentally undo the years of socioeconomic injustice. They can, however, be vocal proponents of health equity and should be proactive in identifying and rooting out any vestige of inequitable care in their organizations. They can also use their position in the community to reach out to underserved populations, to promote positive policy changes, to address social determinants of care, and to espouse socially-conscious healthcare delivery.

Public Health and Health System Preparedness: Finally, COVID-19 has also exposed the potholes and gaps in our public health system. Clearly, there were miscommunications in our early minimization of the potential magnitude and dangers of the virus and missteps in our uncoordinated response efforts. Confusion between state and federal responsibilities, lack of communication among large federal agencies (such as the CDC, the FDA, and FEMA), state public health departments, hospitals, private laboratories, and equipment suppliers led to a suboptimal rollout of diagnostic testing and a lag in ensuring that hospitals had adequate personal protective equipment and ventilators. Ultimately, this delay and confusion resulted in lost time and lives. But the problem goes deeper than interagency or state/federal miscommunication. Simple complacency or a false sense of security led to an erosion of our public health infrastructure. As far back as 2000, the Institute of Medicine issued a report entitled Public Health Systems and Emerging Infections: Assessing the Capabilities of the Public and Private Sectors,16 warning that diminished funding levels and lackluster support for the American public health system, particularly at the state and local levels, would lead to diminished capacity to predict, detect, and respond to an emerging infectious disease. Despite this warning and others like it, the last decade has seen a further reduction in the spending on the public health infrastructure and a decline in the public health workforce by more than 15%.17 Even in the wake of SARS, Zika, Ebola, H1N1, and now COVID-19, the CDC has seen relatively flat funding for the past 10 years.18 As citizens, we should demand accountable leadership; and as healthcare leaders, we should rally for appropriate reinvestment in our federal, state, and local disease surveillance and response systems.

So there you have it. COVID-19 is a devastating and deadly disease, and it has tragically impacted us (as of late July) with over 4 million cases and over 146,000 deaths19and thats just in the United States. It continues to dominate our news cycle, our economic recovery, and, indeed, our very lives and livelihood. But it has also impacted us in ways we never imagined. We have learned that the pandemic has implications not just in healthcare, but in social justice, economic well-being, international cooperation, and world order. As much as we might want to put the pandemic in our rear-view mirror, lets not let this experience be for naught. Lets capitalize on our successes, learn from our failures, and candidly look at the opportunities to improve our preparedness and response efforts for the next inevitable disruptor in healthcare.

Notes:

1.https://finance.yahoo.com/news/telehealth-market-us-reach-revenues-150000310.html

2.https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/newsletter-article/hospital-home-programs-improve-outcomes-lower-costs-face-resistance

3.https://www.natlawreview.com/article/employers-beware-covid-19-related-employment-lawsuits-are-heating

4.https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/payer/optum-survey-employers-leaning-health-plans-to-assist-return-to-workplace-initiatives

5.https://www.theimagingwire.com/2019/05/09/googles-imaging-ai-breast-cancer-predictor-watson-imaging-goes-live/

6.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0304383519306135

7.https://www.medicaleconomics.com/view/artificial-intelligence-benefits-revenue-cycle-management

8.https://healthitanalytics.com/news/artificial-intelligence-could-speed-covid-19-detection-treatment

9.https://www.mgma.com/data/data-stories/covid-19%E2%80%99s-impact-on-provider-compensation

10.https://khn.org/news/nearly-half-of-americans-delayed-medical-care-due-to-pandemic/

11.https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMms2009984

12.https://www.psychiatry.org/newsroom/news-releases/new-poll-covid-19-impacting-mental-well-being-americans-feeling-anxious-especially-for-loved-ones-older-adults-are-less-anxious

13.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(20)30307-2/fulltext

14.https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/05/30/865413079/what-do-coronavirus-racial-disparities-look-like-state-by-state

15.https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/health-equity/race-ethnicity.html?

16.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22953360/

17.https://www.astho.org/StatePublicHealth/COVID-19-Highlights-Need-to-Fund-State-Public-Health/04-01-20/

18.https://forensicnews.net/2020/03/10/

19.https://covidtracking.com/data

Calvin Glidewell, President/CEO, inspirEx Healthcare Strategies

cglidewell@inspirexhealthcare.com

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Effects of COVID-19 on the Healthcare Delivery System - The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly: SF STAT! - South Florida Hospital News

CHICAGO, July 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A new TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) consumer credit snapshot found the percentage of accounts in financial hardship” started to level off for credit products such as auto loans, credit cards, mortgages and personal loans during the month of June 2020. Some of this leveling off was due, in part, to accounts coming out of financial hardship status in June.

Accounts in financial hardship defined by factors such as a deferred payment, forbearance program, frozen account or frozen past due payment have largely kept delinquency numbers in check as consumers continue to navigate the ongoing impacts of COVID-19. TransUnion’s financial hardship data includes all accommodations on file at month’s end, and includes any accounts that were in accommodation prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Accommodation programs have provided consumers with much needed payment flexibility as external triggers such as rising unemployment and a decrease in government relief funds have started to shape the future outlook of the consumer wallet.

In the early months of the pandemic, unemployment benefits and relief from the CARES Act gave consumers a bit of a cushion, leaving the consumer fairly well-positioned from a cash flow perspective,” said Matt Komos, vice president of research and consulting at TransUnion. Lenders have been working with consumers during this time of uncertainty by extending financial hardship offerings that help them understand and manage their financial situation. These accommodations have been working as intended and have helped thwart a material breakdown in delinquency performance in the near-term.”

Since the pandemic began in March 2020, delinquency performance has held steady, with credit products across auto, credit card, mortgage and personal loans all showing a recent month-over-month improvement in performance from May to June 2020.

Credit cards saw the greatest decline in delinquency over this period with borrowers 90+ days past due (DPD) decreasing from 1.76% to 1.48% month-over-month. This decrease also held true for accounts in 30+ DPD delinquency status an early indication that may signal consumer distress by decreasing from 3.06% to 2.66% from May to June (compared to 3.49% at 30+ DPD in June 2019).

Consumer balances for credit card also showed a 7.41% year-over-year decline from June 2019 to June 2020 as well as a monthly balance decrease of $43 since May. These decreases may signify that consumers are continuing to manage debt prudently and are paying down their existing card balances. At the same time, overall consumer credit lines have declined from $24,641 in June 2019 to $23,724 in June 2020, which is also down from $23,800 in May 2020.

These are signs of a credit market that continues to function despite the spike in consumer unemployment,” said Paul Siegfried, senior vice president and credit card business leader at TransUnion. When there is uncertainty in the market, consumer credit performance is highly scrutinized and new accounts generally will not receive the same type of credit limit as they might have prior to a crisis. However, the longer individuals who are not in an accommodation program perform well, the more likely additional credit will be extended.”

*Credit card delinquency rate reported as 90+ DPD per industry standard; all other products reported as 60+ DPD

Over the course of the pandemic a substantial segment of consumers have continued to make payments, but are also proactively engaging with their lenders to discuss payment options. TransUnion’s ongoing Financial Hardship Survey indicated that of consumers with a current financial accommodation on a loan, 32% are in favor of repayment plans that will allow for paying down debt gradually while continuing regular payments. A smaller percentage (18%) preferred paying off all postponed payments with a lump sum and 21% indicated they would like financial accommodations to be extended further.

By many accounts, we are still in the early phase of the pandemic, and there is some uncertainty still around the nature of the economic recovery we may experience. It will likely be months before the financial impacts of COVID-19 begin to materialize from a credit performance standpoint, and some of this will be dependent on any additional government actions. During this period of time, lenders will need deeper consumer insights to better calibrate risk across their portfolios and make more informed decisions,” concluded Komos.

TransUnion’s June Monthly Industry Snapshot Report features insights on consumer credit trends around personal loans, auto loans, credit cards and mortgage loans. Additional resources for consumers looking to protect their credit during the COVID-19 pandemic can be found at transunion.com/covid-19.

About TransUnion (NYSE: TRU) TransUnion is a global information and insights company that makes trust possible in the modern economy. We do this by providing a comprehensive picture of each person so they can be reliably and safely represented in the marketplace. As a result, businesses and consumers can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good.®

A leading presence in more than 30 countries across five continents, TransUnion provides solutions that help create economic opportunity, great experiences and personal empowerment for hundreds of millions of people.

http://www.transunion.com/business

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Performance in the Consumer Credit Market Holds Steady as Number of Borrowers in Financial Hardship Status Stabilizes - Stockhouse

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ameriprise Financial today announced that nine financial advisors were named to Barrons list of the Top 100 Women Financial Advisors in the country. Barrons magazine recognizes the industrys top women advisors based on several factors, which include levels of professionalism and success in the business. The rankings are based on data provided by more than 4,000 of the nations most productive women advisors.

Its no surprise that these highly talented advisors have earned a place on this distinguished list, said Bill Williams, Executive Vice President of the Ameriprise Franchise Group. Their accomplishments reflect their unwavering commitment to clients. Were also proud to have the #1 ranked Top Woman Advisor at our firm. Kimberlee Orth started her career at Ameriprise and has built an incredible practice grounded in helping people achieve their financial goals. She truly represents the best of Ameriprise.

We applaud the advisors who have earned this recognition, said Pat OConnell, Executive Vice President of the Ameriprise Advisor Group & Ameriprise Financial Institutions Group. They continuously raise the bar when it comes to operating highly successful practices and providing clients with exceptional service.

These advisors have built incredible practices and were proud of everything theyve accomplished, said Deirdre McGraw, Executive Vice President of Marketing, Communications and Community Relations at Ameriprise. They care deeply about their clients and bring the best of Ameriprise to the people they work with. We know women make great financial advisors and were dedicated to being a place where they can have rewarding careers and make a difference in the lives of their clients.

Ameriprise is committed to being the firm of choice for women in the financial services industry. As part of its strategy to recruit, retain, develop and engage a diverse workforce, the company hosts annual Womens Advisor Summits and sponsors the Ameriprise Womens Empowerment (WE) Network.

Financial services is a great profession for women and Im honored to be in the company of the most successful in the industry, says Kimberlee Orth, Ameriprise Private Wealth Advisor and Barrons #1 ranked Top Women Advisor on the 2020 list. Ive been with Ameriprise my entire career and with the support of my wonderful team, weve built a business that helps people achieve their life goals by making smart and informed financial decisions. Making a positive impact on their lives while at the same time growing my practice and investing in my talented team has been incredibly fulfilling.

Its no secret that women are underrepresented in the industry, said Audree Begay, Ameriprise Private Wealth Advisor who was featured in the Barrons Top Women Advisor article. This trend is starting to shift as firms like Ameriprise are providing more opportunities to recruit, develop, and mentor women who have the talent and skills to succeed in the industry. On a personal level, Im dedicated to making my practice a place where women can enter the industry and grow in their careers.

The full list of Barrons Top 100 Women Financial Advisors can be found at Barrons.com.

Visit barrons.com for additional information about Barrons.

About Ameriprise Financial

At Ameriprise Financial, we have been helping people feel confident about their financial future for more than 125 years. With a network of approximately 10,000 financial advisors and extensive asset management, advisory and insurance capabilities, we have the strength and expertise to serve the full range of consumer financial needs. For more information, visit ameriprise.com.

Source: Barrons, July 17, 2020 Barrons Top 100 Women Financial Advisors. Barrons is a registered trademark of Dow Jones, L.P.; all rights reserved.

Barrons listings are based on data compiled by many of the nations most productive advisors, which is then submitted to and judged by Barrons. Key factors and criteria include: assets under management, revenue produced for the firm, regulatory and compliance record, and years of professional experience. Barrons is a registered trademark of Dow Jones, L.P.; all rights reserved. This award is not indicative of this advisors future performance.

Ameriprise Financial Services, LLC., Member FINRA and SIPC

2020 Ameriprise Financial, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Nine Ameriprise Financial Advisors Named to the Barron's Top 100 Women Financial Advisors List - Business Wire

June 2020 was the month the girlboss facade collapsed.

It began as a slow crumbling. In December, Steph Korey stepped down as CEO of cult-favorite luggage brand Away (she would go on to step back in a month later and resign a second time in July). In February, Tyler Hanley resigned as CEO from the millennial activewear company she founded, Outdoor Voices.

Come June, girlbosses began to fall like dominoes amid allegations of toxic work cultures that perpetuated racism:

In the midst of it all, Sophia Amoruso the pioneer of the term girlboss resigned on June 22 from the #GirlBoss media platform she had created years earlier. But while the girlboss has met a swift and public downfall, that's actually a good thing and it's not the end of the female leader. Instead, it's the beginning of a new space for more inclusive leaders to shine without being defined by gender.

So, what exactly happened to the girlboss? To fully understand her rise and fall, you have to go back to 2014.

Jen Gotch of Ban.Do allegedly led a toxic culture. Craig Barritt/Getty Images

The female founder trying to crack the glass ceiling isn't a new concept, but 2014 was the year she got a new name.

That year, Sophia Amoruso wrote the now-famous memoir #GirlBoss, laying the foundation for the #GirlBoss media platform she launched three years later. At the time, 30-year-old Amoruso was CEO of online fashion retailer Nasty Gal (Nasty Gal would go on to file for bankruptcy in 2016).

Sophia Amoruso ushered in the girlboss era. Rich Fury/Getty

Suddenly, women everywhere were using the term as it came to encompass more than the definition of a female CEO and instead embodied the overall attitude of women particularly young ones being able to do anything. The girlboss Instagram account has 1.6 million followers, and to date, the term has been hashtagged more than 20.2 million times. Celebrities from Miranda Kerr to Gwyneth Paltrow have self-identified as a girlboss.

Other monikers like #bossbabe, SHE-E-O, and the boss bitch soon started cropping up, all reincarnations of the same ideal: the young, ambitious woman who can have it all while lifting up other women on her path to success.

The girlboss had hustle. She was an entrepreneur or a leader in her industry. In many iterations, she was a millennial. And she often had that effortless, "it"-like quality of knowing what she wants and of relying on being cool without seeming to care that she's cool.

This very aesthetic also became the heart of the brand she created and led.

Leandra Medine started Man Repeller in 2010 as a personal fashion blog with cheeky takes on how women can dress for themselves, not for men. The "I don't care what other people think of me" attitude struck a chord with cool girls, transforming the brand into the lifestyle site it is today.

Leandra Medine epitomizes the "cool girl" consumer Man Repeller caters to. Krista Anna Lewis

Man Repeller features articles on Reformation clothes, which was dubbed the label for "cool girls" everywhere and seen on celebrities such as Karlie Kloss and Kendall Jenner. The secret to Reformation founder Yael Aflalo's success, wrote Emilia Petrarca for W Magazine, is that she "has taken her personal Los Angeles cool-girl style ... and translated it for the masses."

Similarly, Jen Gotch, who spent time "rubbing elbows with Instagram cool girls," per Buzzfeed's Stephanie McNeal, founded Band.O and served as its "muse." She built the brand on an upbeat mission that fused self-care with female empowerment, a combination she has personal experience with due to a history of anxiety and bipolar 2 disorder.

Meanwhile, Christene Barberich's Refinery29 played to the cool girl's ambitions and political savviness with series like Money Diaries and 2020 election. And that reader is the same girl likely to be a member of The Wing, co-founded by Audrey Gelman, a cool girl whose wedding was featured on Vogue.com and who made an appearance on the hit HBO show "Girls."

Yael Aflalo built a successful "cool girl" clothing brand based on her personal style. Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images

These platforms created a needed space for the stylish and career-oriented woman, becoming successful empires along the way. The Wing opened in 2016 with a 13,000-person wait list and a 20,000-follower Instagram presence. Today, the company is estimated to be worth $200 million. Within three years of its founding, Reformation had become an e-commerce business; in 2019, it projected yearly sales to exceed $150 million. And in 2019, Vice acquired Refinery29 in a $400 million deal.

Audrey Gelman created The Wing for ambitious women like herself. Evelyn Hockstein/For The Washington Post via Getty Images

But in her quest to tout gender inclusivity, the girlboss fell short in another critical form of inclusivity: diversity. As Leigh Stein for Medium wrote in a takedown of the girlboss, "Racial inequity was never really on her radar. That was someone else's problem to solve."

By ingraining her personal identity into the brand's identity, the girlboss left no room for the cool girl to be anything but white and wealthy. Her downfall comes as corporate America faces a reckoning

Since the peak of the Black Lives Matter protests in June, employees of color have revealed the very white core of these companies.

Two former employees told CNN Business' Kerry Flynn that Barberich would reject photos of Black or plus-sized models for Refinery29, deeming them "off-brand." Barberich acknowledged to CNN the brand's shortcomings came at "the detriment of Black women and women of color in particular."

Medine took to Instagram to address accusations of favoritism and a lack of diversity at Man Repeller:

A post shared by Leandra (Medine) Cohen (@leandramcohen)Jun 10, 2020 at 5:19pm PDT

Gotch, too, took to Instagram (her account has since been deleted) to respond to employee allegations of racism at Ban.Do after a Buzzfeed investigation revealed a racist, "mean girls" environment at the company. "I am guilty and not only am I guilty, I have been so ignorant and so insulated by the ease and comfort of my white privilege..." she wrote.

A New York Times expose from March on The Wing revealed low pay, poor treatment, and racism at the company. When these criticisms resurfaced in June, Gelman resigned, saying in an email to staff that stepping down was "the best way to bring The Wing along into a long overdue era of change."

It's a similar story at Reformation, where a racist culture pushed out Black employees, former employees told Business Insider's Bethany Biron. In an Instagram statement, Aflalo apologized for failing the Black community:

A post shared by Reformation (@reformation)Jun 7, 2020 at 5:15pm PDT

In what Fortune's Emma Hinchliffe dubbed a reckoning, a total of eight female founders had stepped down from the companies they were leading by the midway point of 2020.

Not every young female founder has stepped down. Emily Weiss remains with Glossier; Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin remain with The Skimm. Not every woman at the helm of a millennial-loved company is white: Consider Payal Kadakia of ClassPass or Arum Kang, co-founder and CEO of dating app Coffee Meets Bagel.

Not every company with a bad boss is a start-up helmed by a woman or a millennial. Recent investigations into companies like Pinterest, CrossFit, and Bon Appetit each of which is (or until recently was) helmed by male leadership have uncovered toxic workplaces.

And not every female helming a company stepped down for the same reason. Amoruso took to Instagram to announce that her departure from the #Girlboss platform was tied to the company's decimated revenue during the pandemic (past reports have indicated that she oversaw a culture rife with poor leadership and high turnover at Nasty Gal, allegations she did not respond to at the time).

But as the reign of some of the most prominent girlbosses has come to an abrupt end, what has opened up is space for a new type of leader. Refinery 29 and Ban.Do are both currently seeking successors to Barberich and Gotch, respectively, while Reformation has replaced Aflalo with the brand's current president. Gelman was replaced by an "office of the CEO" helmed by three executives. And Medine has stepped into an intern role at Man Repeller, which is hiring a diversity and inclusion specialist.

Christine Barberich has stepped aside as Refinery29's editor-in-chief. Refinery29

What's more, as the girlboss is meeting her downfall, so is the "girlboss" title and that's a good thing. Such titles might be intended to empower women, but they only reinforce the idea that women aren't equal to their male counterparts.

"While 'girlboss' immediately draws attention to the feminine, it also infantilizes the role of a female as a boss," Magdalena Zawisza, a Reader in Consumer and Gender Psychology at the UK's Anglia Ruskin University, told BBC in January. "Have we ever heard about 'boy bosses?'"

This infantilization makes disavowing the girlboss title a step toward gender equality. The girlboss downfall is not the end of the female leader, but the beginning of a new space for more inclusive leaders to shine without being identified by gender.

It's time the world sees that a bad boss is a bad boss and a good boss is a good boss, regardless of age or gender.

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The fall of the girlboss is actually a good thing - Business Insider