Originally published on Cision PR Newswire.
At Imagine 2022, Automation Anywhere, Inc., the global leader in cloud-native intelligent automation, today announced a collaboration with the Center for Humanitarian Technology (CFHT), a nonprofit that provides technology and operations solutions to humanitarian organizations. Together, Automation Anywhere and CFHT are enabling a greater number of internally displaced people and refugees to receive humanitarian aid in Ukraine.
In collaboration, Automation Anywhere and CFHT created the ‘Telegram for Humanity’ Bot — a customized software bot, or digital worker for Step with Hope (Крок з надією), a Ukrainian humanitarian organization that provides aid to more than 8,000 families each week in combat zones and recently released territories in southern Ukraine.
The ‘Telegram for Humanity’ bot is automating thousands of manual requests for aid with increased speed and accuracy, saving the organization nearly 200 hours of manual processing each week. This is expected to free up Step with Hope’s 96 volunteers across 20 centers to increase their efforts of direct assistance for refugees, providing food, hygiene kits and access to psychologists, lawyers, and child welfare specialists to those in need.
“Members of our volunteer team are refugees themselves, and the ability to help other Ukrainians is our main priority,” said Alla Semenchuk, Operations Director of CFHT. “It’s critical and tremendously challenging work to find and manage the distribution of necessary resources for refugees and internally displaced people. The customized bot that Automation Anywhere and CFHT have built for Step with Hope is both refugee-friendly and volunteer-friendly—it makes application processing quick and transparent, saving human effort and strengthening the organization’s structure.”
As part of its Social Impact Program, Automation Anywhere’s mission is to fuel the future of work by empowering nonprofits and uplifting human lives through automation technology.
“Technology is all about human enablement,” said Neeti Shukla, Social Impact Officer and Co-Founder, Automation Anywhere. “In collaboration with CFHT, we are proud to support this humanitarian effort with life-saving technology that can make a difference to the millions of Ukrainians that have been displaced by conflict.”
“CFHT and Automation Anywhere’s collaboration to build a custom bot for Step with Hope has enabled us to provide humanitarian aid to a greater number of internally displaced people in Ukraine,” said Inna Kampen, Director of Step with Hope. “Our volunteers and the families we serve are enduring the unthinkable. Having a responsive, user-friendly bot to interact with vulnerable families who are requesting help allows the volunteers to use more of their valuable time providing direct support, while spending less time processing and validating requests manually.”
About Automation Anywhere
Automation Anywhere is the leading cloud automation platform, delivering automation and process intelligence solutions across all industries globally to automate end-to-end business processes for the fastest path to enterprise transformation. The company offers the world’s only cloud-native platform combining RPA, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and analytics to automate repetitive tasks and build enterprise agility, freeing up humans to pivot to the next big idea and build deeper customer relationships that drive business growth. For additional information about our social impact endeavors, please visit https://www.automationanywhere.com/company/global-impact.
About the Center for Humanitarian Technology
The Center for Humanitarian Technology is a non-profit that harnesses the power of volunteer engineering, technology, and operations experts to optimize humanitarian organizations. CFHT develops, deploys, and operates information and communication technology to support scalable humanitarian emergency relief efforts. For more information about CFHT or to learn about becoming a partner or donor, please visit www.cfht.org, contact CFHT at contact@cfht.org, or follow CFHT on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
Read the article here.
Originally published on EPR Retail News.
ContactPigeon, one of the leading omnichannel customer engagement platforms for retailers in Europe and the USA, expands its operations in Cyprus. By building up a special team of professionals that will be based in the neighboring country, ContactPigeon will be providing its customer engagement services to its cross-industry clients that are operating there. With this expansion, the Greek startup aims to consolidate its reach to the thriving Cyprus market.
Furthermore, ContactPigeon becomes an official sponsor for the 14th e-Commerce Conference that took place in Nicosia, Cyprus on the 20th of September 2022.
The E-Commerce Conference by IMH is a benchmark for the e-commerce industry in Cyprus. With industry experts as keynote speakers and leading businesses as sponsors and participants, the conference presents the upcoming, international trends in the e-commerce sector as well as case studies that provide attendees with valuable knowledge and insights. The 14th E-Commerce Conference is addressed to entrepreneurs, Commercial Managers, Marketing & Communication and advertising professionals, Digital Managers, and also those who are interested to start operating in the e-Commerce sector.
This year, the participants had the opportunity to meet with ContactPigeon members at its booth and learn about the company’s activities and the benefits of its omnichannel customer engagement platform.
About ContactPigeon
ContactPigeon empowers marketing leaders and business owners with the only omnichannel customer engagement platform built for retailers. The platform is designed to deliver perfectly timed and personalized messages for each customer, regardless of whether the point of contact is offline or online. The company has been awarded numerous industry awards and distinctions since 2015 and is also a member of the Pledge 1% corporate philanthropy movement. Its client base consists of hundreds of retailers in Europe and the USA such as Fujitsu, Tommy Hilfiger, GAP, and L’OREAL.
Read the article here.
Originally published on Vegconomist.
UK hemp milk producer Gaia’s Farming Co. has raised £500,000 in seed funding. The raise follows a £200,000 pre-seed round last year.
The investors in the round were not disclosed. Gaia says it will use the funding to “keep building and keep innovating in the hemp space”, with a particular emphasis on expanding its team.
The company has also recently partnered with Pledge 1%, a global movement encouraging companies to donate a proportion of their staff time, product, and/or profit to a charity of their choice. Gaia will be pledging 1% of both its sales and its time.
Gaia’s hemp milk
Hemp is considered highly sustainable as it captures four times more carbon dioxide than trees, while its strong roots help to replenish nutrients in the soil and remove toxins. Every part of the plant can be used, meaning there is no waste. Gaia’s Farming Co told vegconomist that it is on a mission to change people’s views towards hemp — the plant is often viewed negatively because it is part of the same family as cannabis, despite the fact that it does not have psychoactive effects.
Gaia’s initially launched in January with two products — Hemp & Oat M*lk and chocolate-flavoured Hemp & Coco M*lk. The latter was recently named a finalist in the Great British Food Awards 2022, and has also launched at plant-based burger chain Neat Burger.
“I believe the Food & Beverage category has the greatest opportunity to disrupt the hemp space,” said Gaia’s CEO Michael Kyriakou. “Truly untapped with great potential for innovation. There obviously comes great barriers that anyone in the hemp space can testify to, but what gives me the greatest pride is building a team to spearhead that innovation and change. After all, it’s in our hands.”
Read the article here.
Pledge 1% is launching a new blog series, First 100, to celebrate how companies under 100 employees are making an impact through their Pledge 1% programs. Over the past 5+ years, we’ve heard amazing stories from smaller (under 100 employees) companies. We want to highlight these members and provide more examples and ideas that inspire other businesses to do the same.
Any Pledge 1% member company under 100 employees can participate. The Pledge 1% team will review, draft, and design each piece to share on the Community and across our social media (@PledgeOne). We encourage you to tune in, comment, and share any stories from your team and network!
This will be an ongoing series and we are aiming to go live with the first story in mid-October.
This is a great opportunity for our community to learn about and share how you are achieving your social impact goals – whether that’s through your time/product/profit/equity pledges, leveraging leadership and influence, instituting inclusive hiring and internal policies, or other programs.
If you have any questions, please email Kait at kait@pledge1percent.org.
[SUBMIT]
Originally published on Bizjournals
Argo AI LLC, the Pittsburgh-based self-driving vehicle technology startup, announced a new partnership with a local volunteer-run food salvage platform and a food distributor to autonomously deliver meals to those facing food insecurity throughout the region.
The partnership will see Argo autonomously deliver meals sourced by food saved from 412 Food Rescue, a local nonprofit that recovers surplus food from retailers and businesses that would otherwise go to waste. Argo will also partner with its food service provider Parkhurst Dining — the contract dining division of Eat’n Park Hospitality Group — to deliver surplus food Argo originally offered to its employees out of its Strip District headquarters.
“We’re driven by our purpose of reimagining the human journey, and that includes ensuring self-driving vehicles are broadening access to transportation and goods to everyone in the communities where we operate,” Summer Fowler, chief corporate responsibility officer at Argo, said in a prepared statement. “We see an opportunity for autonomous vehicles to offer reliable delivery of food donations to address food insecurity, and we are proud to launch this initiative with 412 Food Rescue and Parkhurst.”
The parent organization of 412 Food Rescue — Food Rescue Hero — claims to have saved 100 million pounds of food from going to waste across the country as of July 2022 and since its original founding in 2015 when it only went by 412 Food Rescue. Food Rescue Hero, also based in Pittsburgh, now operates in 25 cities across the U.S.
“412 Food Rescue has always aimed to modernize food recovery to make donating surplus food easier for businesses, and delivering that food immediately, making food access convenient for people in need,” Leah Lizarondo, co-founder and CEO of 412 Food Rescue, said in a prepared statement. “We believe in using every tool in our technological toolbox to get food to people who need it, and we’re excited to explore how one of the most innovative technologies we’ve seen in Pittsburgh can be used for good through our partnership with Argo.”
An estimated one-in-five Pittsburgh residents face food insecurity, Argo and 412 Food Rescue said in a release. The local existence of food deserts — an area with limited or no access to fresh and affordable food — as well as other barriers like limited transportation options or business-focused operating hours of area food banks further exacerbates the need for more options that address the needs of the hungry, the organizations said.
Enter the self-driving car, which Argo is betting will be able to use to help address this need in Pittsburgh. While a human safety operator will remain in the vehicle per current Pennsylvania law, Argo is also hoping that another demonstration of its tech’s potential will further validate its planned offering to the public as it readies an eventual commercial rollout.
Read the article HERE.
Originally published on Salesforce
Salesforce, the world’s leading CRM, today announced $25 million in new grants to support school districts and education nonprofits across the United States. This year marks the tenth anniversary of Salesforce’s commitment to education, with giving now totaling more than $165 million in support of schools, educators, and students around the world.
As the education system looks to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, schools need support more than ever. Students face significant learning loss and many are struggling with social and emotional traumas experienced during the pandemic. This gap is particularly pronounced for students of color. Educators are also feeling the pressure, with teacher shortages leading to increased workloads and class sizes.
This year’s funding will focus on student wellbeing, supporting both social and emotional learning, behavioral and mental health programs, and trauma-informed therapy, as well as robust support to improve the resiliency of schools and educators.
Salesforce celebrates 10 years of supporting schools at Presidio Middle School
To celebrate reaching a milestone — 10 years of giving — Salesforce will today host a special event at Presidio Middle School in San Francisco.
“Celebrating Our Schools” will feature remarks from Salesforce Co-CEOs Marc Benioff and Bret Taylor, San Francisco Mayor London Breed, Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf, San Francisco Superintendent Dr. Matt Wayne, and Acting Oakland Superintendent Dr. Sondra Aguilera.
“As schools’ needs have changed, we’ve evolved to meet those challenges – from the early days of providing WiFi and devices, to STEM and computer science, and now a renewed focus on mental health. We’re just scratching the surface of what we can do together.” EBONY BECKWITH, CHIEF BUSINESS OFFICER AND CEO OF THE SALESFORCE FOUNDATION
“It’s been an amazing 10-year journey working with our schools,” says Ebony Beckwith, Chief Business Officer and CEO of the Salesforce Foundation. “As schools’ needs have changed, we’ve evolved to meet those challenges – from the early days of providing WiFi and devices, to STEM and computer science, and now a renewed focus on mental health. We’re just scratching the surface of what we can do together.”
“Salesforce’s 10-year partnership represents the single largest investment from a private entity to SFUSD. Their support continues to have a profoundly positive impact on San Francisco public school students, preparing them for 21st Century-learning in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education, all while decreasing the opportunity gap for our underrepresented students of color and girls,” says Dr. Matt Wayne, Superintendent of SFUSD. “We are incredibly grateful for their leadership, vision, and investment in our public schools.”
Pledge 1%’s #WomenWhoLead series celebrates female leaders who are paving the way for the next generation. While our featured leaders come from a variety of backgrounds and industries, they are united in their efforts to promote equality for all women in the workplace. We’ve asked them to share a bit about their journey to success, as well as lessons they’ve learned along the way.
Nicola Askham
The Data Governance Coach, Nicola Askham Ltd
London, UK
What is your current role? Briefly describe in 1-2 sentences.
I help organisations understand and manage their data better. For almost two decades I have helped organisations reduce costs and inefficiencies and remain relevant.
What’s the best part of your job? What do you enjoy the most?
I love running my training courses as I am giving people the skills to make sure that data is used to solve problems and make better informed decisions.
We’ve all faced personal and professional challenges these past two years – what motivates you to keep going?
I’m trying to help as many people as possible be successful with Data Governance as I see a world where everyone understands the value of data and uses it to make a positive impact.
If you could describe yourself in one word what would that be and why?
Enthusiastic – I often awake at night thinking about exciting possibilities and opportunities for collaboration, helping my clients, or what I’m going to cover in the latest in my video and blog series helping people make sense of data governance.
What are you looking forward to this year? Are there any goals (personal or professional), activities, or experiences you are excited about?
I’m evolving the services I offer to give clients the skills they need to do data governance successfully themselves. Data governance is relevant for every industry or sector but I’m seeing an upsurge in interest in the public sector. This is an area I’m keen to focus on because it has a direct impact on us as citizens. It shows data as a force for good enabling agencies to make good decisions, spend public money wisely and invest in the right places.
Contact: nicola@nicolaaskham.com
Every startup hub has the ultimate goal to be profitable because this is how business founders and their employees make a living. But when giving back to the community is infused to their business and brand, that’s what makes their work more meaningful.
Pledge 1% members Mangala Martinus, Managing Director of Payments Consulting Network, Kate Kesby, Founder & CEO of WYDA, and Tom Lipczynski, Co-Founder & CEO of Vpply will participate in a panel discussion to talk about how building a giving pledge has helped their organizations define and deliver on their purpose, to achieve meaningful social impact, while still creating a profitable business.
The panel discussion will be held at the UTS Startups on Friday 30 September and be moderated by Murray Hurps, Director of Entrepreneurship at University of Technology Sydney.
Support our fellow community members! You can attend in-person at 3:30 pm or watch the Livestream via LinkedIn or YouTube at 4:00 pm.
Get your free tickets here if you’d like to attend live: https://events.humanitix.com/startups-confessions-7rkq1ys3/tickets?dateId=632185fe30de697772bf7525
Watch the livestream through the following links:
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCRGRrc9VYo
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6977778225569574912
Pledge 1%’s #WomenWhoLead series celebrates female leaders who are paving the way for the next generation. While our featured leaders come from a variety of backgrounds and industries, they are united in their efforts to promote equality for all women in the workplace. We’ve asked them to share a bit about their journey to success, as well as lessons they’ve learned along the way.
Tammy Begley
Marketing Automation Practice Lead, Destined (a media.monks company)
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
What is your current role? Briefly describe in 1-2 sentences.
I lead a team of Marketing Automation Consultants at a Salesforce Partner. We are responsible for implementing and ensuring our customers get the most out of the Salesforce Marketing Automation platforms across APAC.
What’s the best part of your job? What do you enjoy the most?
I get to work with a fantastic group of self motivated, passionate people who are always looking for new innovative ways to help our clients. I really enjoy being able to make an impact in the businesses that we are working with.
We’ve all faced personal and professional challenges, especially during these past two years – what motivates you to keep going?
I just think my extremely resilient personality made it possible for me to keep going over the last 2 years. I also had some really great career advancements over the last 2 years. I was promoted twice, I was invited to sit on a Salesforce advisory board and I was selected as a Salesforce Marketing Champion 2020, 2021. This all made my work really enjoyable and challenging at the same time. And even though I was juggling the home schooling of a prep school child, being a wife and home maker at the same time, the joy I got from the interactions I had with my colleagues and clients helped me to pull through.
What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?
Don’t ever be afraid to ask for help. You do not know the answers to everything.
What does generosity mean to you?
Generosity for me is a combination of giving unselfishly without expecting to get back snd being kind and helpful to other.
How do you feel businesses can play a larger role in solving today’s biggest challenges? Do you have any specific stories or examples from your work or colleagues you can share?
I am a big believer in work place flexibility when it comes to where people work from. Covid showed us that people can be highly productive working from home. We moved to Australia 11 years ago without any immediate family. This meant we did not have any family support when I had our son. When I had my son 8 years ago I made the decision that I would not work 5 days a week as I wanted to ensure I had a day in the week to focus on my family and me to be able to better support us. This work flexibility has really helped as its allowed me to find the right balance between being a working mother, a wife and a homemaker.
If you could describe yourself in one word what would that be and why?
Effervescent. I have a really bubbly personality and I am extremely energetic. I think the word effervescent describes me perfectly.
If you could pick a song to guide you through 2022, which song would it be?
Shine – Kygo Remix
What are you looking forward to this year? Are there any goals (personal or professional), activities, or experiences you are excited about?
I am really excited about this year! From a professional perspective I have the goal of turning our Marketing Automation Practice into a successful part of our business where we attract great people who love what they do and who love working in the team and who want to stay. From a personal perspective we are travelling back to South Africa for the first time in 2.5 years to be with our families in June. We are going to celebrate what was my moms 70th birthday 2 years ago in the Serengeti. I cannot wait to get back into the African bush and to reconnect with our family.