South Suburban Citizen 11-9-2022

Nicor Gas hosted a celebration for its new Glenwood Facility.

PHOTO BY CHICAGO SOUTHLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

TRANSFORMATIONAL GIFT FROM MACKENZIE SCOTT WILL ALLOW CHICAGO URBAN LEAGUE TO ENHANCE EMPOWERMENT PROGRAMS

CHICAGO -- The Chicago Urban League today announced a transformational gift that will allow the organization to enhance and expand the reach of its empowerment programs and strengthen its physical infrastructure.

Philanthropist and author MacKenzie Scott has donated $6.6 million to the organization. The gift is the largest single contribution in the Chicago Urban League’s 106-year history.

“We’re honored and grateful that Ms. Scott and her team have recognized the Chicago Urban League’s value and impact to the community,” said President and CEO Karen Freeman-Wilson. “By placing racial equity and social justice at the forefront of her philanthropic mission, Ms. Scott is shining a much-needed spotlight on the nation’s structural and institutional limitations and helping to build a stronger, more resilient society for everyone.”

Freeman-Wilson added that the organization will use the contribution to retire debt and complete building and technology infrastructure improvements begun last year at its building at 4510 S. Michigan Avenue. The building houses more than 60 em ployees and includes classrooms, labs, and meeting spaces for job training, financial and digital literacy workshops, youth programming, and community events. The Chicago Urban League has been seeking to upgrade its physical spaces and technology to continue to ensure a safe, high-functioning work environment for staff and to better meet the needs of its clients.

Ms. Scott’s generosity will also support the expansion of the League’s workforce development, housing, youth services, entrepreneurship, and leadership development programs, as well as its more recent efforts to promote health equity. “This is an incredible gift that better positions the Chicago Urban League to pursue our mission and address critical issues affecting our communities,” Freeman-Wilson said.

The Chicago Urban League is one of 25 Urban League affiliates around the nation that received simi lar donations from Ms. Scott, who in 2019 signed The Giving Pledge, a promise by the world’s wealthiest individuals and families to dedicate the majority of their wealth to charitable causes.

CHICAGO FOUNDATION FOR WOMEN SEEKING NOMINATIONS FOR IMPACT AWARDS

The nomination form for Chicago Foundation for Women’s Impact Awards is live.

Each year through its Impact Awards, Chicago Foundation for Women celebrates Chicago-area individuals and one corporation for their dedication to increasing resources and opportunities for women, girls, trans, and gender nonbinary individuals in the Chicago area.

The Impact Awards ceremony will be held in the spring of 2023 and is a celebratory gathering highlighting the tremendous leaders impacting our communities.

This year, Chicago Foundation for Women launched the inaugural Beacon Award, honoring a leader whose published work has highlighted the issues facing women and girls in the Chicago region and enabled their voices to be heard.

The 2022 Beacon Award honoree was Jim DeRogatis, a journalist, associate professor of in structor with the Department of English and Creative Writing at Columbia College Chicago, and co-host of Sound Opinions, a weekly show about music syndicated nationally on public radio and via podcast. DeRogatis was the Chicago Sun-Times music critic for 15 years, where he broke the story of sexual as sault allegations against R. Kelly. DeRogatis pursued this story for 18 years, conducting an investigation that would inspire the Lifetime docuseries, Surviving R. Kelly. DeRogatis published his work on the R. Kelly investigation in his book, Soulless: The Case Against R. Kelly.

To nominate someone, visit https://tinyurl. com/4rr6hybk.

Nicor Gas celebrates opening of its Glenwood Facility

Continued from page 1

BY TIA CAROL JONES

It is one of the largest and busiest areas among the natural gas distribution company. The previous Nicor Gas Glenwood Facility, located at 19199 Glenwood Chicago Heights Road, was built in 1960 and the new facility was completed in January 2020.

Nicor Gas has provided natural gas services to Illinois since 1858. There are more than 2,200 energy professionals and the company provides natural gas to almost 2.3 million customers.

Dr. Terri Winfree, President of the Chicago Southland Chamber of Commerce, noted Nicor Gas’ investment in the Glenwood and Southland community. Nicor Gas has been a longstanding member of the Chicago Southland Chamber of Commerce, the employees have volunteered their time and the company has given charitably to causes throughout the community. It also is a part of the pipeline replacement initiative, which replaced aging natural gas pipelines.

“Investing in Illinois, which has brought many jobs into this area and enhances Nicor’s ability to provide homes and businesses with the reliable energy we need,” she said. “These continued investments in the community are part of what Nicor does to help sustain the community.”

Pat Whiteside, Senior Vice President of Operations for Nicor Gas, talked about how delivering safe, reliable, and efficient natu ral gas is the company’s highest priority. Also it is highly import ant that the team reflects the community it serves.

“When you look at our Glenwood team, when you look at our Bellwood team, when you look at our Rockford team … our teammates that come to work every day live in those communi ties,” he said. “This new facility is not only an investment in our workforce, to ensure a safe and reliable delivery of natural gas services, for today, and also into the future.”

Whiteside added that when a facility is being conceived, the

care is taken to ensure the building will last well into the future. He said that natural gas is part of Illinois’ clean energy future.

“We will be here to help our community, help our state, help the city of Glenwood move into the future,” he said.

Whiteside reiterated that Nicor Gas invests in the commu nities it serves by providing jobs and supporting new businesses, and partnering with organizations that support energy assistance, community enrichment and environmental stewardship, as well as diversity and education.

“This facility is as much about our employees as it is about the communities we support and the customers we serve, the busi nesses we partner with and the expansion of jobs, through those new employees who come through these doors and ultimately become part of the Nicor Gas family,” he said.

Nicor Gas has hired more than 180 new employees during the last two years. Whiteside pointed to those numbers as a sign that business is booming for Nicor Gas.

Brian Mitchell, Village Manager of Glenwood, talked about the importance of business retention. He thanked Nicor Gas for moving within Glenwood.

“Spend your money where you want to see your growth. For us, it is right here in the Village of Glenwood. We want to continue to be a partner with Nicor Gas,” he said.

Federal Oversight of Cook County Assessor’s Office Ends Under Assessor Fritz Kaegi

Cook County – The Cook County Assessor’s Office (Assessor’s Office) announces that it is no longer under federal monitoring after a judge lifted the consent decree and court order which governed the office’s hiring processes since 2012.

In a hearing on Tuesday, Nov. 1, Judge Edmond Chang found the Assessor’s Office in substantial compliance with the consent decree brought on by lawsuits filed by Michael Shakman in 1969. The finding of substantial compliance is due to the Assessor’s Office’s creation and execution of an employment plan for its staff, training on its provisions, the absence of employment decisions based on political fac tors, and the implementation of procedures that will prevent politics from interfering with the long-term operations of the office.

“This is a great day for fairness and ethics in Cook County,” said Assessor Kaegi. “My team and I have worked hard during our first term to ensure that the corrupting influence of politics will never again have a place in the Assessor’s Office. Moreover, the end of this oversight will save taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars each year, creating a more efficient office for the people we serve.”

Judge Chang noted that Cook County Assessor Fritz Kaegi’s leadership and public statements “set the tone” for

the office’s “good faith attempts” to meet the terms of the consent decree. He also noted there had been no findings of unlawful political discrimination during the four years of Assessor Kaegi’s administration.

Though the consent decree is now lifted, the Assessor’s Office will retain a two-person internal compliance team to ensure the office follows its employment plan and maintains a hiring process free of political influence.

“The Shakman case upheld the idea that public employ ees have a right to free political speech that does not affect their employment,” said the Assessor’s office’s Chief Legal Officer Tatia Gibbons. “We’re pleased the judge found our office in substantial compliance with the decree as it recog nizes the Office’s dedication to fair employment practices and shows the office is free from undue political influence.”

The Shakman case is synonymous with government reform and led to consent decrees in 1972, 1979, and 1983 which sought to eliminate political influence in the hiring decisions of various offices in the City of Chicago, Cook County, and the State of Illinois. The City of Chicago was released from federal oversight in 2014 and Cook County’s Office of the President achieved compliance in 2018. In August 2022, a federal appeals court released the Governor’s Office from oversight.

Nicor Gas’ Glenwood Facility is 42,000 square feet and located not far from the original facility.

PHOTO BY CHICAGO SOUTHLAND CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

ComEd, Peoples Gas, and North Shore Gas to Collaborate on Gas Meter Reading

ICC Approves Plan to Create Customer Savings, Protect the Environment

CHICAGO – The Illinois Com merce Commission has approved an innovative collaboration that enables Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas to securely transmit natural gas meter data via ComEd’s smart grid communica tions network, creating new efficiencies and cost savings for gas customers and reducing carbon emissions. Together, the two natural gas providers serve more than 1 million customers, and the majority receive their electricity service from ComEd.

network also will enable Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas customers to view analytics that detail their energy usage and help them control costs. Fewer in-person appointments will be needed as more tasks are able to be completed remotely.

POLITICAL AFFAIRS

IPHCA HONORS COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTER CHAMPION U.S. SENATOR DICK DURBIN

Said Torrence Hinton, president of Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas.

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ComEd’s Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) is a combination of smart meters, communications net works, and data management systems. It has played a key role in ComEd’s ability to deliver record-level reliabili ty, fewer outages and improved custom er satisfaction while keeping bills flat.

Up to now, Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas have read their customers’ meters by driving a vehicle down every street and transmitting data from each meter via radio signal. AMI will remove that fleet of vehicles from the street, eliminating more than 580,000 driving miles per year and 626 tons of carbon emissions per year. In addition to helping the environment, the cost savings from the reduced driving and other efficiencies will more than offset the cost of AMI.

Operational savings for Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas — and in turn, their customers — will total an estimated $5.5 million per year.

Connecting to ComEd’s AMI

“Using AMI will reduce costs for customers and enhance our level of service,” said Torrence Hinton, presi dent of Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas. “Combined with the environmen tal benefits, this is a great step forward for everyone we serve, and across the Chicago region.”

“Our smart grid investments offer value not only for our customers but for other Illinois utilities,” said Terence Donnelly, ComEd president and COO. “We are eager to demonstrate the ben efits of this innovative solution to the customers we share with Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas.”

North Shore Gas expects to com plete the implementation of AMI by the end of 2023. Peoples Gas expects to finish implementation by the end of 2024. Installation of any new equip ment required will occur in unison with other maintenance work, such as routine safety inspections.

The innovative collaboration be tween ComEd, Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas to eliminate the cost of having two separate networks trans mitting meter data will be a model for efficiency and environmental sustain ability for utility companies across the United States.

The RTHS Mighty Marching Machine Continues To Win

The Rich Township High School District 227 Marching Band, known as the Mighty Marching Machine, under the direction of Phil Crews has had recent big wins both at the Chicago Classic Battle of Bands and taking numerous titles at the 2022 Oblong Spooktacular Band Festival.

On Oct. 1, the marching band competed at the annual Chicago Classic at Soldier Field. They com peted against 7 other schools and in the end were named baddest band in the land, taking home first place.

On Oct. 29, the Mighty Marching Machine went to Oblong, Illinois to compete in the annual Spooktacular Band Festival. The band competed against 11 other schools and had a clean sweep in the competition being named the Grand Champions of the event, and won the following awards: 1st Place in Parade Band, 1st Place in Field Show, 1st Place in Drum Ma jors and 1st Place in Percussion.

The Illinois Primary Health Care Association (IPHCA) was pleased to honor U.S. Senator Dick Durbin re cently for his exceptional leadership and efforts in support of communi ty health centers and underserved areas.

IPHCA presented the 2022 Distinguished Community Health Center Advocate Award at Crossing Healthcare in Decatur Illinois. IP HCA and its member health centers are thankful for the Senator’s long standing commitment to healthcare issues, including protections for the 340B prescription drug discount program, advancing historic invest ments in the National Health Service Corps, and assistance to providers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Senator Durbin has shown time and time again his support for community health centers and, most importantly, the individuals and communities they serve,” said Ollie Idowu, President + Chief Executive Office at IPHCA. “At every turn, he has supported our efforts to enhance and expand access to high-quality, comprehensive healthcare to our patients, including his leadership in securing historic investments for the National Health Service Corps – a powerful tool for attracting and retaining healthcare providers in underserved communities.”

“Community health centers are a critical resource for so many Illinoisans, especially in urban and rural areas that have been historical ly underserved,” said Durbin. “Every single one of our residents deserves access to quality health services, and our community health centers are invaluable partners. I’ll continue advocating for federal investments to strengthen the workforce, lower costs, and improve health equity in every corner of our state.”

The award was presented by the IPHCA on behalf of their national affiliate, the National Association for Community Health Centers (NA CHC).

“Using AMI will reduce costs for customers and enhance our level of service.” Combined with the environmental benefits, this is a great step forward for everyone we serve, and across the Chicago region.”

Girl Scouts of the USA Hires New Chief Development Officer and Chief Operations Officer

NEW YORK, PRNewswire -- Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) announced two new C-suite hires to expand the orga nization’s talented and diverse leadership team. Shelley Goode has joined as the chief development officer (CDO) and Brandt Haynes has joined the organization as the chief operating officer and head of transformation (COO). Both Shelley and Brandt bring a wide range of experiences and decades of expertise in executive, industry, and nonprofit roles that will be impactful to the mission and work of Girl Scouts.

“I am thrilled to welcome Shelley Goode and Brandt Haynes to the Girl Scouts of the USA team,” says Girl Scouts of the USA CEO Sofia Chang. “Both Shelley and Brandt are results-driven execu tives, thoughtful collaborators, and inspiring leaders. Alongside our colleagues, volunteers, and partners, we will continue to lift and strengthen the work we do to empower this generation of Girl Scouts.”

As CDO, Shelley will focus on deepening the culture of philanthropy at Girl Scouts by leading a revenue-generating community with diverse funding streams including individual and alumni engage ment, philanthropic giving, corporate partnerships, and foundation and government grants.

Shelley most recently served as chief development officer for the KIPP Foundation. KIPP is a nonprofit network of 280 college-preparatory public charter schools. She also served as vice president of resource development for Oxfam America, an organization that is part of a global confederation dedicated to fighting the injustice of poverty.

In her 30-plus years of experience, Shelley has served some of the world’s largest and most respected institutions—the nonprofit equivalent of Fortune 500 companies—in fundraising, marketing and communications, and nonprofit leadership. She is deeply familiar with the significant problems facing com munities throughout the world and has promoted solutions and raised funds for issues that include women’s empowerment,

STEM initiatives, poverty, affordable housing, and reintegra tion of veterans back into society. As a nonprofit leader, she has shaped policy and strategy at the C-suite level and worked with decentralized affiliates and partners to implement diversity- and inclusion-focused solutions.

“I’m honored to start the important work ahead at Girl Scouts of the USA and continue to provide more opportunities for young women across the country as they reach for new heights,” says Shelley.

As COO and head of transformation, Brandt Haynes is responsible for leading and aligning all strategic, revenue, marketing, pro gram, and technology activities for Girl Scouts of the USA. He will serve as a cross-function al change agent across the organization and a key council partner as he leads the evolution of the Girl Scout brand, program, and organi zation to ensure its long-term impact.

Throughout his 20-plus years of in dustry experience, Brandt has built strategy, marketing, operations, content, and analytics teams and guided them in strategic business evolution. He served as executive vice president at HBO (later WarnerMedia), building the teams and plans to transform the company’s product and distribution model to meet changing consumer demands—from DVD and Blu-ray to digital download and ultimately, direct-to-consumer streaming. In this role, he led a team responsible for developing and operationalizing the strategy to drive scale for HBO’s digital businesses, including HBO Now and the launch of HBO Max. Most recently, he served as head of consumer revenue for Pushkin Industries. In this role, he oversaw the launch of Pushkin+, helping evolve Pushkin’s brand and busi ness model from an advertising-driven audio production company to a consumer brand with a recurring subscriber base.

For more information about the Girl Scouts of America, visit girlscouts.org.

InteliChart Expands Leadership Team with New Chief Operating Officer

CHARLOTTE, N.C., PRNewswire -- Inteli Chart, a leader in patient engagement solutions for health care providers of all sizes, announces the appointment of Anthony L. Carter as its new chief operating officer. Carter brings over 20 years of experience in overhauling products and services to InteliChart, identifying opportunities to grow top-line revenues, driving product development, and guiding leadership teams to success.

“InteliChart is excited to be gaining yet another industry veteran talent with the addition of Antho ny,” said Gary Hamilton, CEO of InteliChart. “His ability to build and mentor teams while advancing growth makes him an invaluable asset for the com pany, and we’re thrilled to bring him aboard. The strategic, innovative approach he takes in driving an operation towards its goal will be instrumental to our continued success and expansion.”

Carter will oversee multi-level business functions and manage InteliChart’s operational performance. His experience in growing businesses through operational excellence and healthcare product innovation will be particularly valuable as InteliChart accelerates growth and reaches into new patient engagement markets. He has worked on numerous healthcare SaaS solutions that deliver value to providers and payers across the globe, including Europe, China, India, Japan, Africa, and Canada.

Carter is a past senior vice president of operations at SPH An alytics, a leading healthcare measurement and analytics platform, where he oversaw strategies that nearly doubled the company’s revenue growth. In addition, he tenured as Vice President at Change Healthcare Clinical Review, where he led the product management organization, the initial validation and audit organi zation, and introduced leading-edge product designs for SaaS-de

livered machine learning platforms. He has an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, MSEE from the Georgia Institute of Technology, and a BSEE from Mich igan State University.

“Modern and comprehensive patient engagement solutions are crucial for the success of health care providers today,” said Carter. “My focus is to provide the leadership and vision necessary to ensure InteliChart’s continued commitment to delivering innovative solutions, improving health care efficiencies, and exceed ing customer expectations.”

For more than a decade, InteliChart has successfully partnered with healthcare organizations across the country to streamline workflows and deliver healthier outcomes. Through continuous innovation and product development, the organization is poised to continue meeting the ever-evolving needs of today’s consumers and the providers that serve them.

InteliChart delivers Healthy Outcomes, the market-lead ing, patient-engagement platform that helps providers attain superior patient outcomes. The Healthy Outcomes platform consists of Patient Portal, Family Portal, Patient Intake, Patient Notify, Patient Survey, Patient Schedule, Patient Activate, and Patient eHealth.

Located in Charlotte, NC, InteliChart was founded in 2010. Industry-leading EHR vendors, hospitals, health systems, and physician practices have selected InteliChart as their pa tient engagement platform, collectively representing 70 million patients. We integrate with 40-plus EHR products and single integration access to all the solutions on our Healthy Outcomes platform. For more information, visit www.intelichart.com.

John Deere Enters Partnership with Advantage Capital to Increase Investment in Supporting Underrepresented Entrepreneurs and Business Owners

MOLINE, Ill., PRNewswire -- Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) announced it will be entering a partnership as a limited investor in Advantage Capi tal’s Empower the Change (EPC) growth fund, which provides entrepreneurs of color access to capital in order to grow their businesses and create community wealth.

Deere’s commitment to the fund as a lead investor is part of the company’s broader objective of allocating $500 million within the next three years to identify and grow relationships with underrepresented and disadvantaged business enterprises, creating a more diverse and sustainable supplier network within the agriculture industry.

“John Deere is committed to strengthening underrepresented communities and creating equitable wealth within the agriculture industry,” said Wallas Wiggins, vice president of global supply management and logistics for Deere. “This announcement sup ports our company’s history of advocating for—and investing in—opportunities that advance social and economic change. We look forward to seeing the positive impact within the lives and livelihoods of the small suppliers the Empower the Change fund will help scale.”

John Deere has placed a robust emphasis in working with partners across the country to create equitable opportunities for communities previously under engaged. In 2020, in partnership with the National Black Growers Council and the Thurgood Marshall Fund, Deere launched the LEAP Coali tion focused on improving the livelihoods of Black farmers. LEAP (Legislation, Education, Advocacy and Production Systems) works with organizations such as the Federation of Southern Cooperatives and the Center for Heirs Property to provide awareness, assistance and legal help and counsel to help Black and minority farmers gain a clear title to their land and ensure the long-term sustainability of their land. John Deere deploys a multi-faceted approach to funding which includes not only monetary investments in pro grams but resource support. John Deere’s investments include funding to support the National Black Grow ers Council, The Federation of Southern Cooperatives, Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS), Thurgood Marshall College Fund and 1890 land-grant institutions such as North Carolina A&T.

Deere & Company (www.JohnDeere.com) is a global leader in the delivery of agricultural, construc tion, and forestry equipment. We help our customers push the boundaries of what’s possible in ways that are more productive and sustainable to help life leap forward. Our technology-enabled products including John Deere Autonomous 8R Tractor, See & Spray™, and E-Power Backhoe are just some of the ways we help meet the world’s increasing need for food, shelter, and infrastructure. Deere & Company also provides financial services through John Deere Financial.

For more information on Deere & Company, visit us at www.deere.com/en/news/.

Advantage Capital provides financing to estab lished and emerging companies located in communi ties underserved by conventional sources of capital. Since 1992, the firm has invested more than $3.6 billion in companies from a diverse array of industry sectors and has helped support more than 65,000 jobs. Learn more at www.advantagecap.com, or via Twitter or LinkedIn.

RNewsFoto/Girl Scouts of America

PRNewsfoto/InteliChart, LLC

City Colleges of Chicago Outperforms the State and National Averages for Fall Enrollment

CHICAGO – City Colleges of Chicago (CCC)’s fall 2022 enrollment is up 6.9 percent year over year, exceeding the Illinois community college average of +1.5% and the national average (flat), according to a report published Friday by the Illinois Community College Board.

Enrollment in a combination of credit and adult education programs has increased at six of its colleges: Harry S Truman (+11.5%), Kennedy-King (+17.4%), Malcolm X (+11.6%), Olive-Harvey (+14.8%), Richard J. Daley (+5.5%), and Wilbur Wright (+3.6%). The number of Adult Education students alone grew by 16.6 percent – an increase of 1,098 students –from fall 2021.

The increase in enrollment comes after City Colleges has embarked on targeted efforts to enhance and expand college resources and offerings in recent years, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. The seven City Colleges are meeting the needs of the Chicago economy with quality, in-demand programs in transportation, distribution and logistics, cannabis studies, manufacturing, IT, early childhood education, engineering, healthcare, and more. City Colleges launched Future Ready in 2021 to help eligible Chicagoans gain credentials and prepare for in-demand careers in many of those industries at no cost.

Additionally, opportunities such as the Star Scholarship have been strengthened to ensure that high-achieving students can attend college even if they cannot afford it. This year’s class of Star Scholars was the largest awarded and enrolled to date, with 1,597 students attending all seven colleges. The scholarship is one of many opportunities offered through the

Chicago Roadmap, an unprecedented partnership between Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and City Colleges of Chica go launched in 2020 to create a seamless transition for CPS students to post-secondary options. CCC also offers Workforce Equity Initiatives and makes many scholarships, waivers, and grants available to students to help them attend college.

The positive enrollment numbers in Adult Education reflect the strong leadership and determined students in the program, which offers free English as a Second Language and high school diploma preparation classes. The Adult Education Department has been focused on strengthening community partnerships, linking adult learners to career pathways, and expanding its reach to help more students reach their goals.

Through enrollment management and strategic marketing efforts, City Colleges is making a concerted effort to educate the public on all the community college system has to offer, including in-demand, high-growth career pathways, transfer options for students who want to earn a bachelor’s degree, and supports for adult learners looking to return to the classroom.

Like the national trend, City Colleges of Chicago was not immune to the effects of the pandemic and saw an 8.6% drop in fall 2021 enrollment. Although still in a state of recov ery after the height of the 2020 pandemic, City Colleges of Chicago’s efforts to remove barriers, offer unique educational pathways, and create access are bringing back students to its colleges.

To view the full ICCB report, click here. For more report information visit ICCB, http://www2.iccb.org/data/studies-re ports/student-reports.

The increase in enrollment comes after City Colleges has embarked on targeted efforts to enhance and expand college resources and offerings in recent years, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

WINDOW UNVEILING WITH BILLY PORTER KICKS OFF BLOOMINGDALE’S BEST HOLIDAY EVER

NEW YORK, PRNewswire -- Bloomingdale’s announced the official start of the holiday season with a holiday campaign like no other. Preparing shoppers for the Best Holiday Ever, Bloomingdale’s is the onestop destination for gifting, entertaining, and holiday cheer. With a series of festive and fun in-store and digital activations, Bloomingdale’s brings the spirit of the holidays to a new level.

To kick off the season, on Nov. 17, Bloomingdale’s will unveil its Best Holiday Ever window display, along Lexington Avenue at the 59th Street flagship. The windows will embody the spirit of the season, with gift giving and making memories as the common thread throughout. Each window will feature a variety of magical elements, from larger-than-life wrapping paper, scissors, and champagne glasses to a toy workshop, a three-dimensional camera feeding images of holiday cards, and more. The unveiling celebration will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a performance like no other by Billy Porter, Emmy, Grammy and Two-Time Tony Award Winner. The event is open to the public, but those at home can also tune in live on Blooming dales.com to get a first look at the windows.

“Bloomingdale’s has been the go-to destination for holiday shopping for 150 years,” shared Tony Spring, CEO of Bloomingda le’s. “This season feels particularly special, as we commemorate our historic milestone and gear up for a season like no other. Customers can expect to be wowed both in-store and online with amazing gifts, enter taining tips, events, and activations that will make this the best holiday ever.”

The Best Thanksgiving and Best Holiday Ever campaign makes preparing for the holidays stress-free and fun. Guests can stop in the store or tune-in online for a series of partnerships and collaborations that offer up entertaining tips, recipes, gifting suggestions and so much more.

CELEBRATIONS LIKE NO OTHER Holiday Cheer Comes to Life: Santaland

Throughout the season, guests will be immersed in a winter wonder land that truly brings the magic of the holidays to shoppers and families. During the Saturday’s Generation Holiday Bash, select stores will also host an exclusive breakfast with Santa, a Holiday Bear sweater customiza tion, a Santa’s Workshop photo experience, and much more.

HOLIDAY GIFTING LIKE NO OTHER Bloomingdale’s 150th Anniversary Exclusive Collection: Holiday Gifting Edition

The company’s biggest and most impressive collection of limit ed-edition designer collaborations will continue with a rollout of new, exclusive launches for the holiday season. The luxury selections featuring top brands and designers will span across beauty, home, accessories, fine jewelry, and women’s and men’s fashion.

Bloomingdale’s Carousel: The Greatest Gifts with Ayesha Curry

The spirit of the holidays comes to life with the Carousel at Bloomingdale’s, which will feature over 150 gifts across categories, curated by Ayesha Curry. With over 16 diverse and woman-owned brands included and bundles from Ayesha’s lifestyle brand, Sweet July, the Carousel is a one-stop shop for everyone on your list. Ayesha will also join Jordan Andino On Screen at Bloomingdales.com on November 16 for home and holiday entertaining tips.

GIFT SERVICES FOR THE BEST HOLIDAY EVER

Whether it’s finding the right gift for everyone on your list, preparing your home for guests, or finding the perfect outfit for any holiday occa sion, Bloomingdale’s guest services are here to help. Personal shopping appointments, gift wrapping, same-day delivery, and stylist one-on-ones for holiday events are all available to take the stress out of the holiday season.

For more information on Bloomingdale’s holiday activations, events, celebrations and more, please visit Bloomingdales.com or on Instagram, @Bloomingdales.

Mane & Tress Opens Its Online Boutique to Boost Clients’ Confidence With Quality Hair Extensions

HOUSTON, PRNewswire -- For many, their hair is their calling card. The styles, colors and lengths they wear are a form of art and self-expression. In short, many men and women alike feel a deep emotional connection to their hair.

Mane & Tress, a new online hair bou tique, recognizes the importance hair plays in our lives and its effects on confidence and self-image. Unfortunately, many people don’t feel confident because of how their hair looks. Additionally, others want more flexibility to create incredible styles that reflect their personality and mood without committing long-term to any one style. Driven by the dual mission of giving people more confidence and allowing for more hairstyle creativity, Mane & Tress offers a wide range of 100% virgin and human hair extensions and wigs that can easily be applied and taken off so wearers can experi ment with their hair fantasies.

Jade Mcleod is the founder of Mane & Tress. A haircare enthusiast with over ten years of experience wearing and research ing extensions and wigs, Mcleod sought to put her knowledge to use to create a one-stop shop to make it easier for people to find top-quality hair extensions and wigs while keeping affordability in mind.

“Over the years, I’ve had my fair share of frus trations in finding vendors with a hair product that met my rigorous standards for quality while offering styles I could get excited about,” said Mcleod. “I know many other people face these same issues. With this in mind, I wanted to make it easier for those shopping for hair extensions by collecting some of the industry’s best extension and wig products in one space. At Mane & Tress, we help their hair become the main attraction while saving them money and the time and hassles of exhaustive online searches.”

Mane & Tress offers hair extensions and wigs in various lengths, textures and colors. All products

Afro Unicorn™

Launches

are made of 100% virgin and human hair, giving customers confidence that they can enjoy a more natural look whether they opt for a wig or extensions that seamlessly blend with their existing hair. Mcleod has especially focused on offering a large selection of textures, acknowledging that hair varies from one per son to the next, whether their look is straight, kinky, or anything in between.

The boutique’s product offerings include lace wigs, hair bundles and closures, beginner wigs, col ored wigs and $99 and under options, giving shoppers choices at every price point and in every style they are seeking.

To learn more about Mane & Tress and to shop its online boutique featuring today’s best extensions and wigs, visit www.manetressshop.com. To keep on top of latest hair trends and Mane & Tress news, follow the shop on Facebook and Instagram.

2022 New Holiday Gift Giving Tradition in Major Retail

LOS ANGELES, PRNewswire -- Afro Unicorn™ is spreading its magic this season with the launch of its holiday line, creating a brand-new gift-giving tradition for years to come. The fully licensed Black owned char acter brand founded by brainchild April Showers has launched its 2022 holiday collection at Walmart .

This one-of-a-kind Holiday Magic Afro Unicorn gift box is the perfect toy with a purpose for Christmas.

Setting the tone for a new holiday tradition, “Holiday Magic Afro Unicorn” is here to be an extra set of eyes to encourage acts of kindness while spreading holiday magic. This one-of-a-kind Holiday Magic Afro Unicorn gift box affordably priced at $19.98, includes the fluffy, festive “Unique the Unicorn” plush adorned in her colorful scarf – the perfect toy with a purpose for Christmas. “Unique the Unicorn” comes in a brown shade and is designed to remind children of color how unique, divine, and magical they truly are. In addition to the cuddly stuffed unicorn, the gift box includes a Holiday Magic Unicorn Advent Calendar and Afro Uni corn Reward Stickers to capture all the acts of kindness leading up to the big day. It incentivizes little ones to spread the magic throughout the season, with selfless

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acts such as “calling your loved ones,” “giving an extra healthy snack to a friend,” or “gifting your teacher with an apple.” Doing so will reward them with a surprise gift on Christmas Eve–the present is tucked away in the holiday box in a beautiful bright red satin bag!

Looking for the perfect finishing touch? Additional seasonal products include Afro Unicorn wrapping paper available in stores with four vibrant holiday colors that give representation for $4.98 per package.

Boasting a variety of whimsical products, Afro Unicorn’s special holiday offerings ensure that all may experience Afro Unicorn’s core values of kindness while being *unique, divine, and magical* with authentic representation. “We are thrilled to start new holiday traditions centered around spreading acts of kindness and creating holiday magic for others,” said Showers, who invites customers to celebrate the holidays with Afro Unicorn – the beautiful brown, magical Unicorn with an afro-style mane and a sparkling crown adorning her head.

To complement this new holiday tradition, be sure to download and stream “An Afro Unicorn Holiday” EP available mid-November on all platforms.

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The NEA

Big

Read:

Indigenous

CHICAGO – Illinois Humanities will host a series of free book groups, events, and handson workshops about contemporary Indigenous stories in partnership with communities native to the greater Chicago area. The NEA Big Read: In digenous Stories launches in November – Native American Heritage Month – with book groups and events running through April 2023.

The books featured in the series encourage conversations about Native experiences and explore themes of freedom, belonging, and dis placement. English-language book groups will read There There by Tommy Orange (Cheyenne and Arapaho) and Postcolonial Love Poem by Natalie Diaz (Mojave). A Spanish-language book group hosted at the Little Village Public Library will read Spanish translations of There There, as well as Luna Nueva (New Moon) by Enriqueta Lunez, a Mexican poet who writes in Spanish, English, and Tsotsil. Book groups will be hosted by libraries, bookstores, and Illinois Humanities partners throughout Chicago, and more partners will join the series and host groups in the winter and spring. Individuals who join a book group will receive free copies of Indigenous Stories titles. Quantities are limited, and participants are encouraged to sign up soon.

“We are honored to launch this program during Native American Heritage Month in

Stories will launch Nov. 19

free public event at the Field Museum’s Native Truths: Our Voices, Our Stories exhibition.

partnership with contemporary Native leaders in Illinois,” said Gabrielle Lyon, Executive Director of Illinois Humanities. “Reading together and participating in community events with leaders like SANTIAGO X and the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian helps ensure we can raise awareness about both the historical and contem porary experiences of Native people in Illinois.”

In addition to free community book groups, Illinois Humanities is partnering with sever al cultural organizations to host public events and workshops throughout Chicago to connect readings with contemporary experiences of local Native communities. Scheduled events include: a launch celebration at the Field Museum on Saturday, Nov. 19, including a complimentary visit and presentation of the Field Museum’s Native Truths: Our Voices, Our Stories exhibi tion; a panel and community discussion with members of Chicago’s Native communities about the lasting impact of the Indian Urban Relocation Program, hosted by the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian on November 30; and a handson workshop exploring the Newberry Library’s Edward E. Ayer Collection, one of the strongest collections on American Indian and Indigenous Studies in the world, on January 21. More events to be announced for winter and spring include writing workshops and a presentation by Indig

enous futurist artist SANTIAGO X at the Coil Mound installation in Horner Park, hosted by the Chicago Public Art Group.

“The Indigenous Stories program features books by Indigenous authors whose stories have a lot to teach us about what it means to not just acknowledge the history of the land we occupy, but to admit the truth of it, pass it on, and attempt to heal from it,” said Rebecca Amato, Director of Teaching and Learning at Illinois Humanities. “The public events and experiences that Illinois Humanities and our partners have designed to coincide with these texts give us the space to do this work together; because honoring history and ‘living right’ starts with listening to one another.”

The NEA Big Read: Indigenous Stories’ free book groups will begin reading and meeting for book discussions in November and December. Interested participants can join a book group through Illinois Humanities’ website, or can start a book group of their own using a DIY book group toolkit, available later this November.

Learn more about The NEA Big Read: Indigenous Stories, join or start a book group, and register for the program launch event at ILHumanities.org/BigRead.

The NEA Big Read: Indigenous Stories is a program of Illinois Humanities made possible by the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest.

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Urban One’s Reach Media and Comedian-Actress Amanda Seales Announce Partnership for New Syndicated Radio Show and Podcast

DALLAS, PRNewswire -- Aman da Seales, comedian, multi-hyphenate, and social justice advocate, can now add syndicated radio host to her grow ing list of achievements, Reach Media an nounced. The Amanda Seales syndicated radio show and accompany ing podcast premiered on Nov. 7th on WRNB 100.3 FM Philadelphia and is available for distribution to additional radio stations.

“I am beyond excited to be partnering with Radio One and Reach Media to launch The Amanda Seales Show. After years of sticking with my brand of comedy and academy to cultivate a community, this feels like more than an opportunity, but a purpose-filled possibility to empower and change minds using humor to translate the truth,” said Seales.

As leaders in mainstream urban, urban AC, and inspirational music with the top talent in syndicated radio programing, Reach Media connects with ninety percent of Black America.

“We are extremely excited to be launching a new show with Amanda Seales. A fresh show with a female host focused on the future. Amanda is a very versatile talent, excelling as a comedian, speaker, actress and social influencer,” said David Kantor, CEO of Urban One’s Radio One and Reach Media divisions.

With an uncanny knack for using humor to make serious topics (racism, politics, rape culture, sexism, police brutality, etc.) relatable and interesting, she combines intellectual wit, silliness, and a pop culture obsession to create her unique style of “smart funny”

content for the stage, screen, and now, radio. Joined by co-host, Marc “DJ Nailz” Dixon of Power 105.7 Columbus, audi ences will get a full dose of the comedian’s unfiltered opinions, fact-based insights, and hilariously real point of view each day.

Colby Tyner, Senior VP Programming of Urban One’s Radio One and Reach Media divisions, who worked to bring the parties together said, “From her Smart Funny & Black show to HBO’s Insecure, Amanda is an exceptional creative force who uses her comedic and social media skills to entertain but also enlighten audiences. It only makes sense to now add a daily syndicated radio show. We look forward to working with and sharing her amazing content.”

Amanda Seales is a comedian and creative vision ary with a Master’s in African American studies from Columbia University. Seamlessly blending humor and intellect, her unique style of smart funny content spans various genres across the entertainment and multi-me dia landscape. She is best known for her iconic role as “Tiffany DuBois” of HBO’s Insecure and her debut comedy special, I Be Knowin. Ms. Seales is a former cohost on daytime talk show, The Real, host of NBC’s Bring the Funny” and the host/writer of the ground breaking 2020 BET Awards. Amanda speaks truth to change via her wildly popular Instagram @Aman daSeales, weekly podcast Small Doses, and book by the same name. Centering community building in her comedy, she is also the creator and host of the touring variety game show, Smart Funny & Black.

BYRON ALLEN’S ‘THE GRIO TELEVISION NETWORK’ LAUNCHES NEWS BLOCK FEATURING EBONI K. WILLIAMS AND MARC LAMONT HILL

LOS ANGELES, PRNewswire -- Allen Media Group’s African American-focused news, lifestyle, sports and entertainment platform theGrio (www.thegrio.com) launched THE GRIO WITH EBONI K. WILLIAMS and THE GRIO WITH MARC LAMONT HILL. The daily two-hour news block from America’s largest Black newsroom will feature critical news and information in the U.S. and around the world. Reaching over 50 million television households, plus 250 million device users, these two news programs will also be available on demand via the TheGrio Streaming App. Hosted by lawyer, author and television person ality Eboni K. Williams and author, activist, and scholar Marc Lamont Hill, each one-hour program brings a unique perspective and analysis of world news and events.

Eboni K. Williams is an Ameri can lawyer, author and television host. She currently hosts and is executive producer of the Warner Music Group podcast HOLDING COURT WITH EBONI K. WILLIAMS. In addition to guest hosting ABC’s THE VIEW, Williams previously co-hosted the late-night talk show STATE OF THE CULTURE on Revolt TV and was host and executive producer of RE VOLT BLACK NEWS.

Marc Lamont Hill is an award-winning journalist, author, scholar, commentator, and television host. He has been named one of the 100 Most Influential Black Leaders by Ebony magazine and The Root 100. As a social activist, he has led numerous campaigns to free political prisoners and stop executions. For more than 16 years, Hill has been a staple in mainstream media, offering incisive political commentary on television outlets including CNN, BET, and Fox News.

“Eboni K. Williams and Marc Lamont Hill are extremely talented, very smart, and will bring much-needed new voices to the global con versation,” said Byron Allen, Founder/Chairman/CEO of Allen Media Group. “The Grio News has a strong and trusted relationship with the Black community. Allen Media Group is committed to investing heavily in The Grio, working with the best talent, and increasing our worldwide distribution as we continue to deliver excellence.”

“I am thrilled to join The Grio and lead a show that centers Black culture and directly speaks to what our people need to know relating to the American legal system,” said host Eboni K. Williams. “We know the system is rigged, but each night I’ll give the people what they need to know in order to successfully navigate it and relentlessly pursue justice.”

“This is an exciting time to be launching these bold new shows,” said Marc Lamont Hill. “Given the current social, political, and economic climate, we have an opportunity to provide programming that informs, inspires, and empowers our community. Our goal is not to play nice, but to tell the truth from our perspective.”

HitPiece Collaborates with Rick Ross to Launch Upcoming ‘Boss Forever’ NFT Collection

PROVO, Utah, PRNewswire -- HitPiece, the easiest place to create and buy authentic music artist NFTs, an nounced a partnership with the GRAMMY® Award-nominat ed multiplatinum superstar, two-time New York Times-Best selling author, and business magnate entrepreneur Rick Ross. The platform will mint and launch Rick Ross’s upcoming Genesis NFT collection, including 200 unique NFTs of The Boss’s digital avatars.

Collectors of the NFT will receive VIP access to Rick Ross’ world within the Metaverse, named “Boss Land,” which is an immer sive experience of his Promise Land property with mythical aspects. Alongside exclusive Rick Ross experiences, fans can tour the metaverse property, including a zoo, and even a swimming pool filled with champagne.

Each NFT will come with an exclusive merchandise package including an autographed copy of one of Rick Ross’ books. Rarer NFTs will give fans access to a custom velour

jumpsuit, a unique apparel item worn by Rick, and a oncea-year Facetime session with Rick. 5 Ultra Rare tokens will grant holders the chance to visit the rap mogul’s 235+ acre Promise Land property outside Atlanta, GA and a 1/1 NFT collector will receive a 1/1 a necklace custom made of their avatar.

“I thought I crashed the NFT market, but now I’m here to make it even bigger,” said Rick Ross. “You know, if the Boss is in the metaverse, then it’s the place to be.”

Rick Ross and other investors, including Pelion Ventures, participat ed in HitPiece’s $5 million Seed round. The funding is being used to develop further the leading music blockchain platform that specializes in collectibles and experiences and help the company pioneer the web3 and metaverse space. Rick Ross has previously engaged with the web3 community, having launched an automotive NFT last year, but this will be his first collection for his fans.

Music executive and industry veteran Rory Felton and serial entrepreneur Jeff Burningham launched the music NFT marketplace in August with a renewed focus on intellectual property rights for artists and a partnership with Audible Mag ic, the leader in identifying music rights that enable music use by social media platforms, NFT marketplaces, metaverses, and gaming applications. Since then, the platform has grown its creator partnerships to include ATL Jacob, Furnace Fest, Lil Gotit, Matt Ox, Pyrex Whippa and more.

“HitPiece has always been about giving music fans and supporters unique and exclusive ways to engage with the art ists and their content,” said Rory Felton, CEO and co-founder of HitPiece. “We are excited to have Rick Ross as an early adopter and partner as we continue to expand our suite of tools and offerings for music creators, collectors, and fans.”

Fans who purchase Rick Ross NFTs can also access The Lounge, the ultimate listening room in the Metaverse. Rick’s team including, James Woodward from talent agency Uni versal Attractions, helped coordinate the partnership as they sought the perfect launch partner for Rick Ross into web3.

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AMG/theGrio

Kipu Launches Updated Logo and Website to Reflect New Brand Direction

CORAL GABLES, Fla., PRNewswire -- Kipu Health, the technology partner for mental health and addic tion service providers, announced the launch of its new website and logo, designed to reflect Kipu’s updated branding strategy focused on empowering caregivers and patients on every step of the recovery journey.

Growing patient needs, new reimburse ment models and behavioral health staffing shortages created a unique opportunity for Kipu to evolve its mission and vision to better serve clients as they adapt to a changing behavioral health landscape. With Kipu’s more than 10 years shaping the behavioral health technology industry, the new brand represents how the company is shifting its focus to improve how the entire behavioral health ecosystem operates, interacts, communicates and heals.

“Our new brand is a visualization of the continued investment we make in talent, solutions and technology to be the leading behavioral health software platform,” said Paul Joiner, Kipu’s CEO. “The brand launch comes at a pivotal time in the industry and the new direction shows the breadth of what Kipu delivers to help providers transform reimbursement models and effectively treat patients throughout their entire care journey.”

Kipu’s new vision starts with the company’s innovative technology platform, which is designed to optimize operations across the care continuum. The branding also represents Kipu’s commitment to invest ing in the services and solutions providers need to stay ahead of industry changes including data and analytics, interoperability capabilities and clinical insights and support.

“Our brand strategy process has been an extraordi

nary internal effort and I am thrilled with how it reflects our new company vision,” said Shannon Conklin, Kipu’s vice president of marketing. “It represents Kipu’s commitment to supporting providers and patients throughout recovery, and it reaffirms our com mitment to our people. Our new brand empowers our entire workforce to deliver the best service possible to our clients and guide them through the challenges they face as behavioral health care continues to evolve.”

Kipu is the leading enterprise software provider delivering Electronic Medical Records (EMR), Cus tomer Relationship Management (CRM) and Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) solutions that serve the behavioral health industry. The Kipu EMR is a fully configurable electronic health record and integrated billing platform that is the largest and most widely implemented EMR purpose-built for the addiction treatment industry. Used by more than 80,000 users at more than 1,600 facilities, globally, Kipu’s cloud-based platform manages the entire patient life cycle from the very first call through admission, treatment, follow-up and billing.

To learn more about Kipu’s new brand, visit https://www.kipuhealth.com/.

Karmanos Cancer Institute partners with

top cancer organizations to endorse initiative to increase lung cancer screening in the United States

DETROIT, PRNewswire -- The Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute has partnered with more than 50 cancer organizations across the country to issue a call to action urging individuals, providers and insurers to increase access to and utilization of low-dose computed tomography (CT) scans for those at high risk for lung cancer.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in the Unit ed States, accounting for almost 25% of all cancer deaths. Despite advances in treatment and successful efforts to reduce smoking, the disease kills more than 350 people in the U.S. each day — but it doesn’t have to be this way. If all people who should be screened for lung cancer got screened, we can save tens of thousands of lives, and tens of millions of dollars. Lung cancer is so deadly because it is most often diagnosed at an advanced stage when treatment options are lim ited and outcomes are poor.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends annual screening for people ages 50-80 who have smoked for at least 20 years. However, only 5.7% of eligible Americans were screened for lung cancer before the COVID-19 pandemic — compared to screening rates for breast, cervical and colon cancers that hover between 60% and 80%. And we know screen ing rates have decreased for all cancers due to the pandemic.

The new effort also aligns with and supports the national Cancer Moonshot initiative, which aims to reduce cancer deaths by 50% over the next 25 years. Lung cancer screening is one easy way to help reach that goal. This call to action provides guidance for national support, including public funding and health policy changes needed to signifi cantly improve lung cancer screening participation.

Two major barriers to screening are coverage and access. While low-dose CT screening for lung cancer is covered by Medicare and most private insurance plans, the pre-authorization process can delay the procedure by several days and place an unnecessary burden on community providers. Additionally, a recent study by the American Cancer Society found that at least 5% of those eligible for low-dose CT scans live more than 40 miles from a screening facility — and that percentage jumps to nearly 25% for screening-eligible individuals in rural areas.

If a patient is eligible for lung cancer screenings, they should inquire with their primary care physician about Karmanos’ Lung Cancer Screening Program. For more information, visit karmanos.org/ lungscreening or call 1-800-KARMANOS.

The Foundation for Sickle Cell Disease Research Hosts Virtual Symposium

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., PRNewswire -- The Foundation for Sickle Cell Disease Research (FSCDR), the US’s first outpatient center exclusively dedicated to the treatment of, and innovative research for, Sickle Cell Disease (SCD), will host a virtual symposium on November 10th. Access to quality care in SCD is under threat of regression, while the SCD patient-to- provider ratio is worsening. In response to these critical obstacles, the one-day sym posium will focus on the subject matter of Sickle Cell Disease: Orphans & Burned Out Practitioners.

Led by Scientific Chair Dr. Daniel Armstrong, Executive Vice Chair of Pediatrics, and Director of the Mailman Center for Child Development at the University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine, participants will experi ence a solution-oriented day to help prevent SCD providers from burnout, and to provide care to the unprecedented number of SCD children exiting the feathered child health nest, transitioning into orphaned patients sans a medical home.

This symposium is offering six CME credits to attendees, while sickle cell warriors and their caretakers are invited to participate in the symposium at no cost.

Consisting of 10 half-hour sessions, the symposium will address topics ranging from patient-physician relationship stress, to transitioning to adult healthcare, and sickle cell provider burnout. The full agenda from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET can be found at fscdr.org. The Symposium will be available for regis trants to re-watch afterward.

“It took nearly 100 years before we began seeing significant advances in care of children and adults with sickle cell disease, and those changed the life experience for many. Sadly, those significant advances are at risk of being derailed because SCD clinicians and investigators are leaving the field, some because of retirement, some because of their own illness or death, but many because of burnout,” said Dr. Armstrong. “Restoring the committed SCD workforce is critical to continued improvements for the individuals who live with SCD every day.”

The Foundation for Sickle Cell Disease Research (FSCDR) is a compre hensive, multi-specialty medical and research center in addition to non-profit organization, that provides a platform for researchers, healthcare providers, individuals and their families living with sickle cell disease. For more informa tion please visit www.fscdr.org.

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Meet the new Kipu. With Kipu’s more than 10 years shaping the behavioral health technology industry, our new brand represents how the company is shifting its focus to improve how the entire behavioral health ecosystem operates, interacts, communicates and heals. PRNewsfoto/Kipu Health.

nation’s

(StatePoint) Even as they ride out inflationary pressures, supply chain disruptions and economic uncertainty, women owners and executives of small and mid-size majority-women-owned businesses have an optimistic outlook about the near-term future of their businesses, according to a recent survey.

The PNC Bank survey found that women business owner (WBO) expectations for their own com panies remain strong, with 41% feeling highly optimistic- up from 29% in the fall of 2020 but down from 67% in the fall of 2021 -- while the share of those feeling pes simistic has held constant at just 1%.

The survey also indicated that more than eight in 10 women business owners are very confident about their future success and nearly half say it comes from their own hard work and drive. Similarly, 79% of WBOs are very satisfied with their role as a business owner or leader compared to 67% of men business own ers (MBOs).

“We are seeing a new pattern of selfempowerment among women business owners that is very encouraging,” said Beth Marcello, director of PNC Women’s Business Development. “Their own hard work to survive the pandemic is the source of their confidence and optimism today.”

The survey suggests that women have a take charge, can-do attitude. When it was difficult to find employees, 49% of WBOs versus one-third of MBOs say that they or their managers stepped in to cover open staff hours themselves. Additionally, they’re focused on growth: 81% surveyed are Woman Business Enterprisecertified, 73% market their certification, and 88% say that certification has been a helpful business development tool.

“For the first time, we have evidence of increased financial confidence among women business owners. They are two times more likely than men to say they’re considering a new loan or line of credit to support business growth,” said Marcello. “They are monitoring their cash position and have a cash reserve, but they’re investing excess cash rather than stockpiling it; they are continuing to leverage the increased efficiency of the dig ital financial tools they migrated to during the pandemic; and they are confidently increasing pricing as the econo my allows for it.”

Meeting the Challenges

While WBOs have concerns about inflation, profitability

and the supply chain, they believe they’re prepared for these challenges. Although similar portions of WBOs and MBOs experienced supply chain issues in the past year, 79% of WBOs believe they have the right amount of inventory they need to succeed.

WBOs also intend to maintain or expand on policies they initiated during the pandemic, including allowing flexible work arrangements (48%), increasing compensation (38%) and implementing employee health or safety enhancements (33%). WBOs are more likely than MBOs to adopt Corporate Social Responsibility poli cies or practices, including gender pay equity (34% vs. 9%) and diversity and inclusion (29% vs. 14%). These disparities could be an indication of why fewer WBOs (30%) than MBOs (43%) are finding it harder to hire new staff compared to six months ago.

Identifying and addressing challenges faced by women financial decision makers is a compo nent of PNC’s Project 257: Accelerating Women’s Financial Equality, an initiative to help close the 257-year economic gender gap. More information about these efforts as well as helpful resources for women financial decision makers can be found at pnc.com/women. To connect with Project 257, follow PNC on social media: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter.

While the pandemic created new eco nomic challenges, many with lasting effects, women busi ness owners largely overcame these obstacles, taking away lessons that have inspired their optimism and con fidence today.