Daily Archives: March 18, 2022

When Major League Soccer decided to build Centene Stadium in St Louis, the first priority was honoring the hard truths of the past. The 22,500-seat soccer-specific stadium is designed with canopy shading and is 40ft below street level. It also sits on the same block that was once a part of Mill Creek Valley, the predominantly Black neighborhood on the Southwest end of St Louis once home to 20,000 residents, 800 businesses and more than 40 religious institutions. In addition to Madame CJ Walker, Americas first Black woman millionaire, Mill Creek was also home to Josephine Baker, Scott Joplin and General William Tecumseh Sherman. Even poet Walt Whitman was known to visit the thriving Black community. But in the summer of 1959, the residents of Mill Creek Valley were displaced and the neighborhood demolished in the name of urban renewal.

Now the embryonic MLS club St Louis City SC and Great Rivers Greenway are using the stadium as a platform to tell the story of Mill Creek Valley.

It was really setting a precedent of starting as a community-led brand and community-led club that was actually entrenched in the community in more ways than just the sport, says Khalia Collier, vice-president of community relations for St Louis City SC.

Mill Creek Valley, as it once was, spanned the downtown west district of St Louis. Today, the one-mile stretch of the Brickline Greenway linking Centene Stadium to Harris-Stowe State University, the citys HBCU, will be a standing tribute to the community that was lost. Artist and native St Louisan Damon Davis says Mill Creek Valley is a virtually unknown part of Black history he was previously not aware of.

I learned about it during the research phase of preparing the application, Davis says. I was kind of embarrassed. Growing up we learned about Black history and I knew about all these people around the world, but I didnt know this place existed.

Davis won the bid to design the artwork for the Counterpublic Civic Art Exhibition in 2023 and, after learning about the neighborhood, he wanted to know more. As a result, Davis was moved to create a monument that he says will never be forgotten. The public art installation runs along Market Street on the southwest side of the stadium and consists of eight pillars or hourglasses that represent time, or a collective history Davis says has been glossed over. Within each hourglass is a pyramid symbolic the earth or sand at a standstill.

If the sand is not falling that means time is not moving, so the idea of the pyramid being in the top chamber, is the idea we have stopped for a second to commemorate and to have reverence for these histories that were purposely covered up, Davis says. There was an intention behind removing these people from the narrative of St Louis and now there must the same intention behind bringing their stories back to life.

In between the pillars in front of Centene Stadium and Harris-Stowe University will be signage and individual pillars connecting the few remaining buildings from Mill Creek Valley along the greenway. The segment of the Brickline Greenway will include Harris-Stowe State Universitys renovated Stars Park, former home to the St Louis Stars of the Negro Baseball League, and Vashon Community Center, one of the only remaining structures from Mill Creek Valley, that will be converted into the Don and Heide Wolff Jazz Institute and National Black Radio Hall of Fame.

From the 1950s to the mid 80s, St Louis was considered the soccer capital of the US thanks to a large immigrant population from Germany, Italy and Ireland that produced more homegrown soccer players than any other state. Currently St. Louis has acres of soccer fields spanning out into the suburbs of the St Louis region, but when you cross the Daniel Boone Bridge you wouldnt know the sport exists in the same way, Collier says.

St Louis City FCs headquarters, training facility and stadium are strategically located within the downtown west district. The location makes it easy to prioritize resources and give sustainable infrastructure where it did not exist, Collier says. Right now, the expansion club is working through an infrastructure plan to make the game more accessible. The areas of impact are youth development which prioritizes Black and Brown children having access to soccer community investment, social justice, and health and wellness.

You can say bridging the gap in the game of soccer is really lofty, but how were going about doing it is incredibly intentional and were calling community members in, so they see these opportunities of us integrating technology and sport innovation in a way thats simply hasnt been done, Collier says.

The St Louis City SC app features stories about Mill Creek Valley, where fans can learn how the current landscape represents the row houses that made up the vibrant community. The stadium also incorporates plaques into the landscape as hedgerows representing homes and within the landscape is the address of each home. Because St Louis is a predominantly Black city, Collier says its important to share the history of the neighborhood and also include the community in what St Louis City SC is up to off the pitch.

The nascent club is eager to engage the next generation about career opportunities within the sport. The MLS is the youngest and most diverse sports league in the country and St Louis City want to reflect that on every level. Before the stadium opened, the club had the most participation of African Americans on any major project in the city of St Louis. The club also sourced staff from the local workforce to boost economic development in Black and Brown communities. Collier says thats just the beginning as they continue to hire ahead of the official start of play in March 2023.

In addition to the greenways, the Brickline connecting St Louis will be used as a catalyst for growth and partnership. Great Rivers Greenway is focused on community engagement based on equity and economic development, says Susan Trautman, CEO of Great Rivers Greenway. The vision for the Brickline Greenway is 20 miles of pathways that connects 17 neighborhoods including Forest Park, Gateway Arch National Park, Fairground Park and Tower Grove Park. While the area along Mill Creek is largely developed, GRG is partnering with several organizations in an equity economic development working group with goals centered around people, power, places and systems. Trautman says it was essential that the working group receive input from the community about how to revitalize the areas of disinvestment in North St Louis.

Its about using the community voice to make decisions about how land and real estate is developed, Trautman says. And working in tandem with our nonprofit partners we will have an equity economic director who encourage and support development that is driven by community need adjacent to the greenway.

GRG recently released an RFQ for design to build the Brickline North section. The organization then held a mixer to allow small businesses owned by people of color to become part of the major design team effort. GRG is focused on design and construction in the North St Louis area where there is not as much opportunity. and real estate development is focused on the 500ft to quarter-mile perimeter of the Brickline, where economic development is more likely to occur.

The biggest part of making sure people in the community are engaged is educating them on how they can be engaged and introducing them to opportunities where maybe they are a sub consultant to start so maybe they can grow their business, Trautman says.

From Davis artwork to economic initiatives, St Louis City SC is striving to be a new spirit in St Louis through the power of sport. And for the club, acknowledging the past is part of building for a better future. Collier says the monument dedicated to the story of Mill Creek Valley goes beyond the fan experience, but it pushed St Louis in the middle of a national conversation.

Not only do we get to educate St Louisans, we get to educate the world, Collier says. But this is going to be a national monument in St Louis and theres nothing like this in sports.

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St Louis City SC looks to MLS future by remembering hard truths of the past - The Guardian

Sponsorships support virtual event focused on developing leadership skills in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB)

PHOENIX, March 17, 2022--(BUSINESS WIRE)--University of Phoenix is pleased to announce ETS, the worlds largest, nonprofit educational assessment, measurement, research and learning organization, and Diverse: Issues In Higher Education, a premier source of timely news, provocative commentary, insightful interviews and in-depth special reports on diversity in higher education, as sponsors of the Universitys first annual Inclusive Leadership Summit and Career Fair, April 12-15, 2022.

The free, virtual event is open to the public and focused on helping participants develop diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) skills as inclusive leaders and will provide opportunities for networking connection and employment.

"The Inclusive Leadership Summit and Career Fair brings an opportunity to focus on how industry leaders can address systemic inequities of a diverse workforce and workplace," states John Woods, Ph.D., provost and chief academic officer of University of Phoenix. "As sponsors, ETS and Diverse are organizations demonstrating leadership, commitment, and advocacy for equity and inclusion in educational settings, the workplace, and the community at large."

Diverse featured the Inclusive Leadership Summit and Career Fair in a March 15 article.

Titled "Creating the intentional leader of today, tomorrow and beyond," the University of Phoenix Inclusive Leadership Summit and Career Fair offers attendees access to a Career Fair as well as in-depth workshops, research presentations and choose industry-focused tracks: Leadership & Management, Healthcare and Education.

The Inclusive Leadership Summit integrates research findings from University of Phoenix Career Institute and Research Centers to influence topics addressed while highlighting academic fields of study offered at the University.

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Register for the University of Phoenix Inclusive Leadership Summit here.

About ETS

At ETS, we advance quality and equity in education for people worldwide by creating assessments based on rigorous research. ETS serves individuals, educational institutions and government agencies by providing customized solutions for teacher certification, English language learning, and elementary, secondary and postsecondary education, and by conducting education research, analysis and policy studies. Founded as a nonprofit in 1947, ETS develops, administers and scores more than 50 million tests annually including the TOEFL and TOEIC tests, the GRE tests and The Praxis Series assessments in more than 180 countries, at over 9,000 locations worldwide. http://www.ets.org.

About Diverse: Issues In Higher Education

For more than three decades, Diverse: Issues In Higher Education has been Americas premier source of timely news, provocative commentary, insightful interviews and in-depth special reports on diversity in higher education. Savvy individuals who appreciate the crucial and ever-changing role that higher education plays in the lives of students, professionals, their families and their communities make reading Diverse a regular habit.

About University of Phoenix

University of Phoenix is continually innovating to help working adults enhance their careers in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, and Career Services for Life help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. For more information, visit phoenix.edu.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220317005941/en/

Contacts

Sharla HooperUniversity of Phoenixsharla.hooper@phoenix.edu

Excerpt from:

ETS and Diverse: Issues In Higher Education Announced as Sponsors for the University of Phoenix Inclusive Leadership Summit and Career Fair - Yahoo...

WASHINGTON, March 18, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The U.S. Black Chambers, Inc. (USBC) is pleased to announce the keynote speakers for its upcoming Women's History Month Luncheon on Thursday, March 24th, 2022 in Washington, DC in partnership with AT&T.

The theme of the Annual Women's History Month Luncheon is "Redefining Empowerment" and features two dynamic women of power, Natalie Cofield, SBA Assistant Administrator for the Office of Women's Business Ownership, and Nicole Cober Johnson Esq., Founder of The BOW Collective.

"AT&T is a proud supporter of the U.S. Black Chambers of Commerce and we are excited to celebrate Women's HERstory Month with the organization. It is such an important time to highlight and uplift Women in the business community, and we applaud the U.S. Black Chambers of Commerce for being a champion for Women and Black-owned businesses." Says Tanya Lombard, AT&T Vice President, Global External & Public Affairs

Both Natalie Madeira-Cofield and Nicole Cober Johnson Esq. have a rich history of championing women entrepreneurs and women in leadership by providing executive coaching, access to capital, business strategies, and business development.

USBC couldn't be more excited for our upcoming event, powered by longtime corporate partner AT&T on March 24th in Washington, DC. This event will celebrate women entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds who have made significant contributions in business and their communities.

"USBC is being intentional about challenging the status quo by curating a conversation about women's entrepreneurship. We will honor the achievements of women who've broken through glass ceilings and challenged traditional definitions of success, while also examining the many factors that prevent Black women from achieving their entrepreneurial dreams." Says USBC President & CEO, Ron Busby.

The event will showcase the "Giants of Women's Entrepreneurship" and unpack how we can redefine what it means to intentionally empower women at every stage of their journey. National News Journalist Taylor Thomas will emcee USBC's Women of Power Luncheon, featuring fireside conversations moderated by Jotaka Eaddy, Founder, and CEO of Full Circle Strategies, and USBC EVP, Talisha Bekavac.

The hybrid event will host 80 special invited in-person guests in addition to being broadcasted for virtual attendees. The event is expected to draw a hybrid audience of more than 300 business owners, influencers, entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and community leaders from across the country.

Attendees will hear from founders, investors, and community leaders who are setting new standards for the industry, discover how to get more involved with female founder initiatives, and network with other like-minded individuals.

For more details about this amazing event, check out the event page here.

Media Contact

Tiffany Murphy, The Culture Equity, 1 281-900-5494, usbc@thecultureequity.com

SOURCE U.S. Black Chambers, Inc.

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SBA Assistant Administrator Natalie Cofield and Nicole Cober Esq., Founder of The BOW Collective to Keynote USBC Women of Power Luncheon - 69News...

Litter, like the weather, is something easy to complain about but harder to change, at least on a community-wide level.

A small group of Columbus citizens is hoping to rally the city and county to join efforts in tackling the litter problem but needs all the help they can get if the campaign is going to reach critical mass.

During his weekly Wednesday press conference, Columbus Mayor Keith Gaskin lent his support to the group, which is staging its first Pick It Up Possum Town litter clean-up event on April 2 in each of the citys six wards.

The goal of the grass-roots group is not merely to set aside a day to remove litter, but to create a sustainable anti-litter program that will focus on prevention.

In lending his support to the effort, the mayor introduced Mayor Possum, a bespectacled plush toy possum, a nod to the name given to the area by native Americans in the early 1800s, and his own childhood, when the Litter Bug raised awareness among children about litter.

When a person is taught to wear a seatbelt as a child, it becomes second nature to wear them as they grow up. The same principle applies to litter. The mayor said he plans to take Mayor Possum and his Dont Be a Litter Critter into schools and churches.

Littering is almost always a thoughtless act. Few people are deliberately motivated to mar the landscape with cans, bottles, wrappers, etc. So awareness is a first step in any campaign. Awareness leads to being intentional about properly disposing of litter. Those conscious acts become a habit that can create a culture.

Any successful anti-litter campaign follows that pattern.

In 1970, the Keep America Beautiful campaign introduced a memorable TV public service ad featuring a crying Indian as he surveyed a landscape polluted by litter. More recently, Texas employed its Dont Mess With Texas ad campaign, which saved the state millions of dollars in state highway clean-up funds as people were reminded to properly dispose of their trash.

For grown-ups who perhaps have never considered the full range of negative consequences of litter, its important for them to know that litter isnt simply an eyesore but has far-reaching implications. Trash can become a breeding ground for rodents, cockroaches and bacteria they often carry. Its a threat to public health, but it can also affect a community in other damaging ways: collecting in and clogging drains and sewers and costing the city taxpayer dollars for clean-up. The local economy can suffer, too. Tourists do not look favorably on communities where litter abounds.

Melissa Parsons, who is leading the group, hopes to collaborate with other groups in ongoing efforts in the area, including the Ive Got Your Block program in the Columbus Municipal School District, as well as programs at Vibrant Church and the YMCA, among others.

We encourage businesses, civic groups, churches and individual residents to join this continuing effort. We note the model used by The Salvation Armys Red Kettle program where groups volunteer to serve on a particular day or weekend.

In preparation for the April 2 clean-up day, Parsons group met with city council members to identify areas in their wards where litter is particularly bad. One practical suggestion is for the city to make sure there are trash cans in those areas. People will use a trash can for their disposables if there is one nearby. They are more likely to litter when no trash can is in close proximity.

Enforcement is often cited as a means of combating litter, but the most successful enforcement is again awareness. Years ago, the city had a litter control officer who, acting on tips from the public, sent letters to letters to offenders reminding them of the negative effects of litter. Aside from the most egregious examples of littering, the best enforcement may be raising awareness.

The litter problem wont be solved overnight. It will take a sustained, community-wide effort to keep our city and county clean.

The good news is that if each of us do our part, we can and will succeed.

The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.

Original post:

Our view: Awareness is the first step in combating litter - The Commercial Dispatch

Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim was a reunion, a thinktank and a launchpad in one, eliciting joy, camaraderie and urgency. It challenged and inspired, and for those approaching with curiosity, raised as many questions as it did answers.

One thing is for certain: the $274 billion natural products industry is flourishing, and its future is rooted in purpose. With 2,750 exhibitors, including 625 first timers, Expo West was the place to see whats next for this industry. Here are the top takeaways that will drive responsible growth, intentional innovation and far-reaching inclusion.

No stranger to entrepreneurship and Expo West, former Honest Tea CEO Seth Goldmans journey came full circle as he showed up as CEO of his new brand Eat the Change, which sells plant-based snacks such as mushroom jerky and carrot chews. "This is a movement conference. Its a business event, but we are all also working on a common cause," Goldman shared during Brand-Building Connections, a session geared toward young innovators that attracted many first-time exhibitors.

The State of Natural and Organic keynote centered around themes that will move the needle for the industry and society at large, specifically equity and impact. Carlotta Mast, New Hope Network senior vice president, called for the industry to "harness the technology and J.E.D.I to build a prosperous, high-integrity industry that creates health, joy and justice for all people while regenerating the planet." Meanwhile, Nick McCoy, managing director of Whipstitch Capital, made the economic case for it, pointing out heightened investor focus on ESG (environment, social and governance) that will drive responsible industry growth. "Primary investors are increasingly demanding ESG validation, he said. "Mission-driven companies will benefit from the increased demand and the impact will accelerate." Good news for the many Expo West brand and product launches focused on solving problems related to agriculture, climate change, waste, inequity and more.

A packed ballroom throughout Climate Day programming proved that plant-friendly practices are top of mind for the natural products value chain. We have always been mission driven but having high ideals and doing something good in the world is very different from looking at the data knowing what you have to do to have an impact, said Rebecca Hamilton, owner and co-CEO at W.S. Badger Co. Speakers throughout Climate Day reinforced that we are just scratching the surface of our climate work and emphasized that theres a great need to bring more equity into our climate activism.

Rev. Lennox Yearwood Jr.s message that "climate justice is racial justice and racial justice is climate justice" echoed throughout the show. Investing in BIPOC farmers, bringing diverse voices to the table and addressing the communities most impacted by climate change is critical to advancing both movements. "For us, it means centering the voices of frontline communities, the people who are affected first and worst should be developing the solutions," said Karen Lickteig, community coordinator at B Corporation, which recently published its Climate Justice Playbook.

During our Natural Products Expo Virtual Expo West kickoff event keynote, Goodles co-founders Gal Gadot and Jen Zeszut revealed one of the driving forces behind their healthier mac and cheese company: joy. That theme was reinforced throughout the week at Expo West, whether with a NEXTY-winning natural glitter popcorn, mood-supporting supplements and beverages, the whimsical booths decorating the Anaheim convention center or Tabitha Browns empowering messages of self-care. "Joy is how I live my life. The world didnt give it and the world cant take it away." There seemed to be an awareness that despite the big and very real challenges we are facing as a global community, joy can amplify our work to support the health of people and planet. Indeed, embracing (and packaging!) happiness is a trend were hopeful wont fade away.

With more than 625 new exhibitors at Natural Products Expo West, innovation was on display in Anaheim. From the Fresh Ideas Organic Marketplace to the North Hall and Hall E, emerging brands proved that theyre the heartbeat of Expo West. Categories and trends delivering the most innovation included plant-based, functional beverages and climate-friendly foods. While dietary supplement innovations werent giving us too much to talk about, cannabinoids beyond CBD and the evolution of alternative delivery formats such as shots and gummies infused some energy into the category. Innovation of the future will focus on serving broader demographics to ensure the natural products industry's impact is far-reaching and inclusive. Peruse our full trends guide, all exhibitors in NPEV and our NEXTY Award winners.

From full attendance of plant-based education sessions to the number of new foods and beverages on the show floor, plant based was abuzz. "Plant based is expanding its roots," said Kathryn Peters, SPINS executive vice president, during the State of Natural keynote. "It keeps propagating and propagating." Yet, industry leaders pointed to the need for more guardrails and transparency, as two plant-based movementsembracing whole real foods and pushing the envelope with food technologysparked lively conversation.

In advance of Expo West, Shelley Sapsin, New Hope Network's director of market integrity, shared New Hopes position on food tech, which had a strong presence in Anaheim. We do have a position but its not for, or against, food tech. Its about transparency. We all want solutions to some of the significant challenges we face: food access, climate change, fresh-water depletion, nutrient-deficient foods, food waste and more. At the show, it was clear that more conversations and deeper commitment to transparency are necessary, and that for some, food technology's presence is a direct conflict with the show's roots. But there were also bright spots. During Innovations in Plant-Based Meats and Alternative Proteins, Perfect Day and Chi Foods beautifully shared their unique approaches to plant-based foods and how theyre each striving to change the food paradigm.

New Hope Network has planned a year of activities on our community platform, Natural Products Expo Virtual. Discover thousands of amazing companies, more pre-show programming and livestreamed sessions including Climate Day, Pitch Slam and the State of the Natural & Organic Industry keynote.

Explore the Natural Products Expo West agenda and the NPEV agenda to learn more and make your plans. Access to NPEV is included with Expo West in-person registration.

Originally posted here:

The future of CPG: 5 takeaways from Natural Products Expo West - New Hope Network