Recently I represented Join My Village at a women’s empowerment conference, as a panelist on a breakout session entitled “Women’s Empowerment and Corporate Social Responsibility: the Intersection of Markets, Mission, and Action”. In what would turn out to be more than coincidental, I addressed this roomful of 300-plus women’s activists on the same day that news of the latest Betty Crocker cookbook hit the stands. And while most audience members were fashionably nonplussed by Betty’s 90-year run and the release of her 11th edition of “Big Red” (though all could have been closeted keepers of editions 1-10), Betty’s legacy – and ongoing utility – may have provided the most actionable lesson for all in attendance. Read the rest of this entry »

During the month of November, the U.S. traditionally celebrates Veterans Day, focusing attention on those who have served our country through military service. It is a time to reflect not only on their contributions but also on their post-service needs, which have evolved over the years. One key challenge today, for example, is how to successfully seek employment after service.

Veterans represent an elite and diverse talent pool available for hire. Most veterans possess transferable skills, professional discipline and positive attributes identifiable in today’s evolving workforce. According to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, by hiring veterans, employers can leverage the U.S. military’s $140 billion per year spent on education and training and tap into the 200,000 service members who transition to the civilian workforce each year. Read the rest of this entry »

Tough economic times are putting a strain on the European Union these days. Recent reports out of Berlin have German chancellor Angela Merkel calling for a stronger political union in Europe to overcome the bloc’s debt crisis, which she called “maybe Europe’s most difficult hours since World War II.”

Amid the financial struggles, the executive body of the European Union, the European Commission, recently published a new policy on corporate social responsibility that recognizes the role that CSR or corporate citizenship can play in an economic recovery. In explaining Read the rest of this entry »