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At my house, theres an ongoing countdownmy three daughters are eagerly ticking off the days until schools out. Theyre dreaming about camp, late nights outside, and long days filled with play. As a mom, I love their excitement and I know how important this time is for their health and physical development. Im reminded at work that play shouldnt be viewed as a luxury, but an essential. At UNICEF, we know health, education, and protection from harm are foundational rights for every child. But it may be surprising how important play is in that equation. Research shows that when children have time and space to play, theyre not only happiertheyre healthier, more focused in school, and more likely to thrive long term. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that doctors actually prescribe play, recognizing its impact on brain development and emotional well-being. Create spaces for children to be children The lack of access to safe play areas, particularly children living in conflict zones, puts them at a disadvantage. To address this issue, UNICEF promotes physical activity and creates safe environments dedicated to play to ensure the health and well-being of children around the world. Conflict and disasters are not only disorienting and traumatizing, but they often uproot children from their homes and rob them of opportunities to just be kids. In emergencies, UNICEF responds with medicine and humanitarian supplies, and works to set up child-friendly spaces too. A child-friendly space allows children in crisis to focus on being kids. Play creates a sense of desperately needed normalcy and goes a long way toward minimizing the effects of trauma. Often when faced with a crisis, children are cut off from school. In these instances, a UNICEF child-friendly space will also serve as a temporary classroom or informal learning space. For many children who might never find their way back to school, these child-friendly spaces continue to offer basic education to keep those children learning. Play isnt a privilege, its a childs right When kids engage in play, they experiment with invention, boost creativity, enhance language and critical thinking abilities, and forge friendships. These skills are critical as they get older, and the lessons learned from play translate to the workforce. The benefits reaped from play are so important that, last year, the United Nations established a day focused solely to the power of play. On June 11, International Day of Play was dedicated to celebrating the power of play and its central role in a childs development. In addition to acknowledging the importance of play, UNICEF and other organizations are leveraging this moment as a call to action for governments, businesses, and other stakeholders to scale up services that promote play, enable access to preschool and learning through play for three- to six-year-olds, and ensure every child has access to safe, inclusive, and well-maintained play areas. What starts on the playground also shapes the future Play is more than just funits how children build the skills theyll carry into adulthood. Through play, kids learn to solve problems, collaborate, think creatively, and build confidenceskills theyll need not just in school, but as the workforce of tomorrow. Thats why play doesnt lose its value as we grow older. At work, my team carries big responsibilities, but Ive seen how making space for playeven in small waysstrengthens our ability to connect, think differently, and lead with resilience. Play in the workplace isnt frivolousits foundational. So now, as summer begins and our kids head into long days of play, wed do well to remember: What starts on the playground doesnt stay there. It shapes how we grow, how we work, and the kind of world we want to build. Thats why UNICEF works around the world to protect every childs right to playbecause play isnt a privilege. Its essential for healthy development, learning, and healing. Michele Walsh is executive vice president and chief philanthropy officer of UNICEF USA.
Category:
E-Commerce
In 2019, I joined a group of entrepreneurial women with one bold goal: to create the only bank in the country strategically built to close the gender lending gap. That vision became First Womens Bank. We were motivated by the numbers, and the opportunity to drive change. Women are transforming the economy in this country, owning over 14 million businesses representing 39% of all businesses, employing over 12 million people and generating $2.7 trillion. But despite this momentum, women are still not accessing the capital at equal rates as men. Women receive just 16% of commercial bank loansand only 4.4% of total dollars lent in the small business economy. That is the gender lending gap. It is layered. It is complex. But it is also highly addressable. Every business owner is unique, so we dont paint all women-owned businesses with a broad brush. But when you look at the data, a few patterns emerge. Understand the financing options First, many women simply arent connecting with the right forms of commercial capital. We often see women over-relying on personal credit tools when starting out, and sometimes throughout the life of their business. That might mean using credit cards, personal savings, or home equity lines to keep the business afloat. While resourceful, this approach is also limiting, and it can hurt their ability to qualify for commercial debt financing down the line. At the other end of the spectrum, we see women running high performing, growing firms turning to equity financing to fund expansion. Sometimes, depending on the industry or the companys life stage, thats the right call. But in many cases, it isnt. Some women may not be aware of their other options or realize that a competitively priced commercial loan can be a more cost-effective way to finance growth. This has real consequences. Studies show that on average, women founders retain just 48 cents of equity for every $1 retained by male business owners. Think about that: Women are overcoming obstacles, building successful companies, and then only owning half of their own success. We believe that needs to change. Our goal is to connect with women earlier in their business journey. Were encouraging them to think about commercial financing not just as a last resort, but as a strategic tool for growth. Education and outreach Over the years, weve also seen that women feel left behind in the lending process. They want to make informed financial decisions, but when the information or guidance isnt accessible, they get discouraged and disconnect from the process entirely. Imagine the potential if women could double or triple their access to capital, the ripple effect across jobs, communities, would be transformationalnot just for women, but for the entire U.S. economy. So, we rolled up our sleeves. We strategized, we led, and we built. Over two years, we raised nearly $40 millionthe most ever raised by a startup bank in Illinois. We launched in 2021 with a simple mission: to grow the economy by elevating the role of women within it. And from the start, investors and partners saw the power in what we were doing. Our success is rooted in that clarity of purpose. It takes a village But from the beginning, we knew we werent going to do this alone. It takes a village. Our ability to lend and support women-owned businesses is powered by deposits, and weve been fortunate to partner with some of the largest and most respected companies in the country. These organizations support First Womens Bank by holding zero interest deposits with us, creating real impact with their cash. The corporate mission partnerships are a concrete way for companies to bank with their values, support gender equity, and strengthen financial inclusion. We also knew we needed the right advocates at the table, leaders who could help amplify our mission on a national level. Thats why we created our Strategic Advisory Board, made up of lifelong champions of equality who have helped bring national attention to the power and potential of the womens economy. Billie Jean King, Sophia Bush, Nia Batts, Allyson Felix, and Wes Felix have all been instrumental in our journey. The solution is layered So, while the gender lending gap has many causes, it also has clear solutions. It starts with access. It grows through education. It scales through capital. And it thrives through partnership. This work is deeply personal to me. Throughout my career, Ive seen how often women are underestimated and how often we underestimate ourselves. Ive also seen what happens when women access the tools, the capital, and the support they need: They thrive, they lift others, and they transform communities. Thats why Im here. Thats why this bank exists. And when women rise, we all rise. Marianne Markowitz is president and CEO of First Women’s Bank.
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E-Commerce
Indoor toilets were once considered a health hazard. Electric lighting sparked fears of deadly fires. Air conditioning was dismissed as an unnatural threat to human health. It seems absurd now, but each of these technologiesnow fundamental to modern buildingswas initially met with widespread skepticism and resistance. Today, we’re seeing history repeat itself with water reuse. As the United States grapples with an escalating water crisis, a powerful solution is gaining momentum. Buildings can intelligently capture, treat, and reuse their own wastewater by leveraging advanced technology, data analytics, and automation to optimize every step of the water reuse process. These smart systems continuously monitor water quality and usage, automatically adjusting treatment processes to ensure safety and efficiency. While current regulations limit this recycled water to non-potable applications, the reality is that water from these systems is often treated to a level that is scientifically safe enough to drink. This isnt about compromiseits about building smarter, managing water as a circular resource, and using it where its needed most, all within the building itself. This innovation comes at a critical moment. Nearly 45% of the lower 48 states are currently experiencing drought conditions, with the Southwest and Plains regions particularly hard-hit. Major water systems like the Colorado River and Lake Mead face unprecedented strain, while aquifers supplying 90% of U.S. water systems are depleting at alarming rates. Climate change only compounds these challenges by intensifying evaporation and disrupting weather patterns, leading to both extreme droughts and devastating floods.At the same time, water and sewer rates are skyrocketing as municipalities invest billions to upgrade aging infrastructure and manage dwindling supplies. For buildings, this translates into rising operational costs and growing pressure to adopt more resilient, cost-effective solutions. Against this backdrop, onsite water reuse represents not just an innovative approach but an increasingly necessary one. And predictably, some people may feel uneasy with onsite water reuse, mostly because of perception, unfamiliarity, and the natural human tendency to be cautious about new technologies, especially those involving health and safety. But history shows us that discomfort is often just the first chapter in a story that ends with “How did we ever live without this?” The path from rejection to necessity History keeps repeating itself when it comes to building innovation. Take indoor plumbingpeople fought against it tooth and nail in the 1800s. Public health officials, guided by the now-debunked miasma theorythe belief that disease was spread by “bad air” rather than germsinsisted that human waste had to be kept outside the home. Ironically, their reliance on cesspools and open sewers only fueled the spread of deadly diseases like cholera and typhoid, which ravaged entire cities Only as modern sewage systems developed and germ theory took hold did attitudes finally shift. Indoor toilets, once feared as harbingers of disease, gradually became celebrated as symbols of sanitation and progress. Today, their presence is so fundamental that we’ve collectively forgotten they were ever controversial at all. Electric lighting faced similar resistance. Before it lit up our lives, it sparked public panic. Newspapers churned out stories about people getting electrocuted or going blind. The infamous War of the Currents between Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla only heightened public anxiety, with Edison going so far as to publicly electrocute animals to paint Teslas alternating current (AC) as a deadly force. Yet within a generation, those same lights became the very symbol of human advancement. Resistance gave way to adoption, and eventually to total dependence. Then there’s air conditioning. Doctors once warned it would make us soft and sickly. In the early 1950s, the National Association of Home Builders and the University of Texas partnered to create the Austin Air-Conditioned Villagea real neighborhood built to study how everyday families would adapt to living with air conditioning. Six homes were equipped with A/C, while others were left uncooled. Researchers tracked not just energy usage, but human behavior, comfort, and social response. Some participants worried about health effects, while others complained that the cooled air attracted scorpions and other desert pests. But over time, skepticism gave way to comfort, and the experiment helped lay the groundwork for widespread adoption. Now more than 90% of American homes have A/C, and places like Phoenix or Miami would lose millions of residents without it. What was once considered risky has become absolutely essential. Water reuse is gaining popularity Our centralized water infrastructure is showing its age. Pipes laid a century ago are failing. Treatment plants designed for consistent climate patterns are buckling under the pressure of intensifying droughts, floods, and wildfires. Meanwhile, commercial and residential buildings account for the majority of urban water useyet a significant portion of that demand is for non-potable applications like toilet flushing, irrigation, and cooling, which dont require pristine drinking water quality. Onsite water reuse offers a compelling alternative. With todays technology, buildings and industry can recycle up to 95% of their wastewater. This approach strengthens sustainability, enhances resilience, and increasingly improves the bottom line. San Francisco has already made water reuse mandatory for larger developments. Other cities such as Los Angeles and Austin are creating incentives or updating building codes. Forward-thinking developers aren’t waiting for mandates; they’re embracing water reuse to meet sustainability commitments and future-proof their investments. Still, old habits and perceptions persist. Some people instinctively recoil at the idea of treated wastewater, even when it’s used exclusively for non-potable purposes. But both the data and the historical pattern are clear about where we’re headed. The lifecycle of transformative technology Every transformative building technology follows a predictable journey: First comes resistance: “You want me to put what inside my building?” Then adoption: “Actually, this solves a real problem quite elegantly.” Followed by mandates and markets: “New code requires it, and buyers expect it.” Finally, normalization: “Remember when buildings didn’t have his?” Onsite water reuse is already transitioning from the second to the third phaseand picking up speed. Soon enough, we’ll look back at the practice of flushing toilets with drinking water with the same bewilderment we now feel about houses without indoor plumbing. The real question isn’t whether onsite water reuse will become standard practice. It’s how quickly we can make the leap from outrageous to obvious. Aaron Tartakovsky is the CEO and co-founder of Epic Cleantec.
Category:
E-Commerce
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