Latest news with #BuildingBlocks
Forbes
21-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Why Every Business Needs An AI Adoption Roadmap
Janet Lam is an AI solutions expert and the founder of Building Blocks Business Planning, helping businesses thrive through innovation. AI isn't just for tech giants anymore. From dental offices to logistics companies, businesses of all kinds are starting to use AI—not to replace people, but to support them. It's becoming a helpful assistant that takes care of repetitive work, boosts productivity and gives teams more space to focus on what really matters. That said, diving into AI without a plan can be frustrating. The tools can feel overwhelming, and leaders often worry about cost, complexity or how their teams will react. But here's the thing: adopting AI doesn't need to be extreme. It can start small. With the right mindset and a solid plan, it can be surprisingly manageable—and valuable. Here's how to think about AI adoption in a way that makes sense for your business and your people. What It Really Means To Be An 'AI-First' Company Being 'AI-first' isn't about using the most cutting-edge technology or trying every tool on the market. It's about being intentional. It means looking at your operations and asking: Where could AI actually help us work better? This approach starts at the foundation. AI-first companies design workflows with AI in mind from the beginning, not as something to tack on later. And they don't all have in-house tech teams or massive budgets. They look for the areas where AI can make a real difference—like speeding up manual tasks, helping with lead management or generating quick content drafts. The goal isn't to turn everything over to AI. It's to use it to give your team more time to focus on higher-impact work. AI Adoption Isn't The Same As Digital Transformation It's tempting to lump AI into the broader category of digital transformation, but they're not quite the same. Digital transformation often means moving things from paper to digital or getting set up in the cloud. It's about catching up. AI adoption, on the other hand, is more forward-looking. It's about building systems that don't just store information—they act on it. They learn, adapt and help make decisions in real time. That opens the door to new ways of working that go beyond just being more efficient. It's about becoming smarter, faster and more responsive. Why You Need A Roadmap One of the biggest mistakes I see businesses make is jumping into AI by picking a tool they've heard about and trying to force it into their workflow. When it doesn't fit, adoption stalls. Teams get frustrated. The whole effort loses momentum. What works better is starting with a roadmap. A clear, realistic plan that lines up with your team, your systems and your business goals. It doesn't have to be fancy or long. But it does need to be grounded in how your business actually works. A Practical AI Roadmap In Four Steps Look at what's slowing your team down. Maybe creating content takes too much time or your team is buried in repetitive customer questions. These are often great places to start. Don't try to tackle everything at once. Start with something focused—like using AI to summarize internal meeting notes, generate first drafts of reports or automate lead follow-ups. Test the tool on a small scale. See what's working and what isn't. Ask your team how they're using it and where it helps—or doesn't. If the pilot works, expand carefully. Don't get distracted by every shiny new tool. Stay focused on what's delivering actual results for your team. Keep It People-Centered The best AI projects I've seen are the ones that don't lose sight of the human side. It's not just about onboarding people into new software—it's about showing them how AI can make their day-to-day better. When teams see that AI is helping them spend less time on repetitive tasks and more time doing the work that matters, they're more likely to embrace it. It's not about replacing them. It's about helping them do their jobs more effectively. Final Thoughts AI is moving fast, but that doesn't mean businesses need to chase every trend. A roadmap helps you take a more thoughtful approach: test what works, build around your team and grow with purpose. The companies making real progress aren't doing everything at once. They're making smart, well-timed decisions. And more often than not, the ones that seek the right guidance early on tend to avoid missteps and build momentum more quickly. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
Winnipeg Free Press
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Globe and Mail big winner at National Newspaper Awards
The Globe and Mail took home the most prizes at the National Newspaper Awards on Friday, with nine wins in the 23 regular categories. The Toronto Star had the second-most wins, with six. The Chronicle Herald, Montreal's La Presse and Reuters won two awards each, which celebrate the best in Canadian journalism. Katrina Clarke and Jeff Hamilton of the Free Press were nominated for the George Brown Award for Investigations for their six-part series — called Building Blocks, Crumbling Foundation — published in June on the state of child care in Manitoba and related underlying issues. Frank Gunn / The Canadian Press Files The Canadian Press photographer Frank Gunn was nominated for a National Newspaper Award in the sports photo category for this image of Toronto Argonauts receiver Dejon Brissett being upended by Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive back Tyrell Ford at the 111th Grey Cup in Vancouver. Robert Cribb, Wendy-Ann Clarke, Declan Keogh and Owen Thompson of the Star won that category for their reporting on a program meant to fund mental health care for First Nations and Inuit people. The Star also won the John Honderich Award for Project of the Year for its work on childhood sexual abuse and the complicated legacy of literary icon Alice Munro. Aaron Beswick of the Chronicle Herald won the E. Cora Hind Award for Local Reporting for his coverage of the lawlessness in lobster and eel fisheries. He was also named Journalist of the Year. The Globe led all newspapers with 16 nominations, followed by the Star with 15 and La Presse with 13. The winners were announced at a gala in Montreal. Kari Medig of the Globe won in the feature photo category for an image of double amputee Oleksandr Budko and the Wild Bear Vets program. Two photographers — Winnipeg resident David Lipnowski for The Canadian Press and Shane Gross of the Globe — were nominated in that category for pictures taken in Manitoba. Nathan Denette of The Canadian Press won in the sports photo category for an image of Canada's men's pursuit team at the Olympics. Frank Gunn of The Canadian Press was nominated for an image of a Toronto Argonauts receiver being upended by a Winnipeg Blue Bombers defensive back at the 111th Grey Cup in Vancouver. Meanwhile, a Free Press sports reporter was first past the post at another awards gala earlier this week. Mike McIntyre won in the writing category at the Jockey Club of Canada's 50th annual Sovereign Awards. During Elections Get campaign news, insight, analysis and commentary delivered to your inbox during Canada's 2025 election. The ceremony was held in Woodbridge, Ont., Thursday. The awards celebrate 'outstanding human and equine achievements in Canadian thoroughbred racing and breeding.' McIntyre won for his August feature on a former jockey who returned to riding nearly a decade after she was paralyzed in an accident at Assiniboia Downs. 'I'm very honoured to receive this prestigious award,' McIntyre wrote on social media. Clarke and Hamilton's child-care series is also nominated in the written news category at the Canadian Association of Journalists awards. The CAJ winners will be announced in Calgary on May 31. fpcity@
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nebraska nonprofit addressing rural child care shortage
LAUREL, Neb. (KCAU) — Finding a daycare with available spots is challenging for many families in rural towns. Building Blocks is looking to address that issue in Laurel, Nebraska. 'Originally about three years ago, I actually went to my employer. I had lost my child care due to them changing careers, so I was looking for child care,' said Megan Pippitt, board president at Building Block Early Childhood & Family Development Center in Laurel. 'At the time, I had an infant and a toddler, which, finding one spot would have been probably okay, but finding two spots was very, very difficult.' Northwest Iowa woman wins $30K from scratch game According to a 2020 study from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, 58% of working parents left their job after struggling to find child care that fit their needs. While Pippitt was able to find child care with help from her family, they, like many others, had to drive out of town to drop their kids off. 'For me, for instance, I was traveling 15 miles,' Pippitt said. 'There are two providers 15 miles from us, and then another provider 20 to 25 miles from us. That's pretty basic, but there are people who are traveling even farther based on where they're working and convenience of drop-off and things like that.' Not long after, the Building Block Early Childhood & Family Development Center was created, officially opening its doors on Jan. 27 of this year. Building Blocks takes in kids as young as six weeks to as old as 13, separating them into four different classrooms. 'Every classroom is based off of age,' center director Amanda Christensen said. 'So in the infant room, we focus really on the fine motor skills, you know, the crawling. The toddler stage where we focus a lot on the social emotional skills, the learning how to play, the interacting and then the preschool. That is a lot of preparing them for kindergarten.' Building Blocks is already seeing plenty of interest from the Laurel community. 'Right now, we have a capacity of 70 children,' Pippitt said. 17th Annual Sioux City St. Patrick's Day Parade held downtown 'We roughly have about 25 kiddos,' Christensen said. 'We do have a wait list, our numbers are growing quickly, so we have a wait list for the infant room and the toddler room at the moment. And we are currently in the process of hiring two infant teachers.' Once Building Blocks has more staff, officials expect to fill up spots fast. 'So it was super important to find land and purchase enough where we could expand because we do expect to grow,' Pippitt said. Building Blocks will hold a ribbon cutting and open house on March 31. Officials encourage families to check out the facilities. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Concrete saw caused CO leak at Maine daycare that hospitalized 11, officials say
Authorities say a concrete saw used during an unpermitted construction project next to a Maine daycare caused a carbon monoxide leak that hospitalized several children and staff members on Wednesday. Following an initial investigation, the Office of the State Fire Marshal (FMO) says fumes from construction work being done at a suite adjacent to the Building Blocks daycare likely caused the initial carbon monoxide leak. According to investigators, a propane-powered concrete saw was used throughout the day inside the suite as part of the construction work. Propane-powered gas saws are not intended to be used indoors and are often labeled to prevent use in unventilated space. The FMO says carbon monoxide from the saw's exhaust likely seeped through either the HVAC air intake duct or through a suspended ceiling, infiltrating the daycare. Officials say the project was not associated with the daycare, didn't have a proper construction permit for the suite, and covered a fire alarm system in the room where the concrete saw was used, which was why no fire alarms were going off upon emergency crews arrivals. A subsequent investigation of the daycares heating system found no concerns related to emission leaks. At the time of the incident, staff at the Building Blocks Daycare noticed an odor and individuals beginning to feel unwell. 7 children and 4 adults were eventually hospitalized with symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. All were treated at Portsmouth Hospital and have since been discharged. The name of the construction company was not immediately available and it's unclear if any fines or charges will be levied. State Fire Marshal Shawn Esler praised staff members at the daycare for taking action and preventing tragedy. 'It is important to note that daycare providers of the Building Blocks Learning Center recognized a problem and took action,' Esler said. 'They evacuated children and staff to safety and notified the fire department as soon as they recognized something was wrong. Their quick response, the professionalism of the Kittery Fire Department, and the medical expertise of the Portsmouth Regional Hospital helped prevent a tragedy.' The investigation remains ongoing and no further information was immediately available. Officials from the Kittery Fire Department, Kittery Code Enforcement, the Maine Fuel Board, and the FMO were on scene until after midnight Wednesday gathering information related to the incident. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
