Latest news with #systemicchange
CNA
27-07-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Women's Copa America highlights inequality in South American women's football
Intended to spotlight women's football in South America, the 2025 Women's Copa America in Ecuador has instead exposed deep inequalities with the men's game, outraging some players and drawing unflattering comparisons with the Women's Euros in Switzerland. With Olympic and Pan American qualification at stake, the continent's finest players expected professional conditions when the tournament kicked off earlier this month. What they found sparked widespread outrage and calls for systemic change. The controversy erupted when images circulated on social media showing Brazil and Bolivia players warming up side-by-side in a cramped indoor space before their Group B clash, rather than on the pitch as is standard in men's competitions. Brazil great Marta, who came out of international retirement for the competition, led the calls for change. "We are expected to perform well and work hard, but we also have to demand a high level of organisation," the six-time FIFA Player of the Year told Globo Esporte. Brazil midfielder Ary Borges delivered even sharper criticism, directly challenging CONMEBOL president Alejandro Dominguez: "Even amateur matches are better organised than this. Ask Alejandro if he could warm up in a space measuring five or 10 metres and smelling of paint," she said. "I think we saw an example of what can be done with the Men's Copa America and its huge infrastructure. Why does the women's tournament have to deal with this kind of thing?" TECH GAP DEEPENS FRUSTRATION While CONMEBOL eventually allowed 15-minute pitch warm-ups following the backlash, the absence of VAR technology in knockout stages intensified player grievances. Chilean forward Yanara Aedo called the lack of VAR "disrespectful" after a controversial 2-1 loss to Argentina. "VAR changes everything... Everyone could see the two penalties that weren't awarded," she told reporters. "This is the Women's Copa America, and it should be the same as the men's tournament. The Women's Euros are being played at the same time, so it's disappointing for us to see this competition taking place with no VAR," she added. The timing proved particularly galling, with Europe's tournament in Switzerland breaking attendance records while utilising cutting-edge technology. Brazil's Kerolin captured the growing discontent on social media: "I'm watching the Euros today... and man. The difference in structure, audience and investment is surreal. It's discouraging." The disparities have also drawn criticism beyond South America. Lynn Williams, the National Women's Soccer League's all-time leading scorer, challenged governing bodies on Sam Mewis's podcast The Women's Game. "Think about a tournament that's happening at the same time, the Euro Cup. And you, as a player, are witnessing this, having a very different experience between media coverage, access to the game, and investment in the sport in these countries. Why aren't we investing in them?" Former United States midfielder Mewis, a Women's World Cup winner in 2019, added: "I want to see governing bodies and people in positions of power advocating more for the players." Next year's Finalissima in Los Angeles against the European champions could further highlight the inequalities.
Forbes
17-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Visionary Investors: Why Vision Matters More Than Chasing Founders
Reema Khan - Founder | CEO - Green Sands Equity. In today's investment landscape, the allure of backing visionary founders often overshadows the importance of cultivating genuine vision within investors themselves. Investors often rely on founders' visions, chasing market trends based on promising pitches and compelling data. In contrast, I've noticed visionary investors embrace a holistic grasp of the future, catalyzing systemic change and inspiring mindset shifts that harmonize with a coherent and constructive tomorrow. My interest in this topic stems from my own journey as an investor committed to aligning capital with purpose. It is also a reaction to the mind-numbing slogans at many VC shops thoughtlessly pandering to founders. The Role Of Visionary Investors I believe visionary investors are not just financial backers—they are cultural and technological architects. They direct capital toward the creation of worlds that do not yet exist, often bridging multiple sectors under a unified worldview. For example, J.P. Morgan (1837–1913) didn't just finance industries—he helped stabilize them, shaping American capitalism to withstand crises. Morgan consolidated railroads for efficiency and helped organize U.S. Steel and General Electric. He played a key role in stabilizing markets during the panic of 1907, acting as a de facto Federal Reserve. I think Morgan's legacy lies in reshaping industries and creating national champions that transformed the U.S. economy. Meanwhile, Andrew Carnegie (1835–1919) mastered industry and redefined wealth. With Carnegie Steel, he helped fuel the growth of railroads. After selling to J.P. Morgan, he invested his fortune in education, founding over 2,500 libraries, Carnegie Mellon University and the Carnegie Institution for Science. His legacy is one of transforming wealth into a philosophy of capital, with his famous credo: 'The man who dies thus rich dies disgraced.' AI And The Limits Of Data Without A Worldview Some may be wondering if, given the advent of artificial intelligence (AI), investors should bother cultivating a visionary mindset at all. AI's strengths lie in pattern recognition, momentum tracking and detecting groupthink or echo chambers that can mislead human decision-makers. Yet despite its power, AI operates without a worldview. A worldview is more than information. Humans form worldviews through growth, contradiction, responsibility and the passage of time. AI does not experience the world; it processes it. AI cannot feel awe, pain or passion. It cannot wrestle with moral ambiguity or make choices based on a sense of identity. It can describe how water tastes, but it can never truly taste it. This matters deeply in investing. Visionaries don't just predict trends—they assign meaning, choose alignment and act with conviction. Balancing AI And Human Vision Visionary investors today must integrate the best of both worlds: the massive analytical power of AI with the irreducible depth of human imagination. AI can surface patterns, identify anomalies and accelerate insights, but it cannot create with intention or lead with purpose. I believe visionaries use AI not to replace their intuition, but to sharpen it. This partnership can be powerful. For example, we are funding post-doctoral research exploring how large language models (LLMs) can analyze trends in biotechnology research to detect convergence, breakthroughs and shifts in scientific inquiry. This gives us a window into the evolving edge of collective human consciousness—what we're asking, where we're looking and what might be coming next. Yet even here, the decision of what to support, what to scale and what future to build rests not on the AI—but on the investor's vision. Crafting Your Vision So how can investors begin to craft a meaningful vision? Here are four suggestions: Clarify what truly matters to you, beyond returns. Whether it's equity, innovation or resilience, your values are the compass for your investments. Don't just follow where the market is going; imagine what the world needs 20 years from now. Build your thesis around that. Every investment is a statement of belief. Everything that exists in this world today first existed in a mind. What legacy are you building through your portfolio? Competition helps build great products; cooperation helps build great civilizations. Founders often thrive in competition, pushing boundaries and racing to market. But visionary investors must embrace cooperation: sharing insights, aligning visions and collaborating across sectors to shape enduring systems and cultures. Long-term progress is rarely built in isolation. We all have to make some smart bets to get the privilege of making bold bets. Many wait too long to embrace this new role for themselves. In venture capital, internal rate of return (IRR) is measured at the time of exit or at the end of a fund's life. The true visionaries are already among us, but we may fail to recognize them because their work is still unfolding. We may be stunned when it comes time to calculate their IRR—especially in impact—years down the road. By then, we will be living in a new world they quietly laid the foundations for. The Quiet Builders Of The Next World Founders of startups certainly have vision, often deep insight into their domain of expertise or field. The great ones can even see how their innovations ripple out to impact adjacent industries or shape society at large. Yet, investors should not abdicate their own vision, outsourcing foresight to founders and hoping disparate ambitions will somehow converge into a cohesive future. I think vision remains the most vital and sought-after force in investing. To lead with purpose, investors must commit both capital and intention, crafting a vision that is both thoughtful and their own. When founders and investors bring their visions into alignment, the result is not just capital backing an idea, but a shared commitment to building a coherent and transformative future. The true nature of visionary investing involves composing the future. This is not just capital allocation but world-building. The information provided here is not investment, tax, or financial advice. You should consult with a licensed professional for advice concerning your specific situation. Forbes Business Council is the foremost growth and networking organization for business owners and leaders. Do I qualify?
Forbes
15-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How FreeFrom And Gifted Are Helping Survivors Soar
SURVIVOR MADE Sweatshirts What if the solution to gender-based violence isn't just safety—but wealth? That's the radical—and necessary—premise behind FreeFrom, the national organization founded by Sonya Passi. And through its social enterprise Gifted, FreeFrom is flipping the script: from survivors as recipients of charity to creators of value, owners of businesses, and builders of generational wealth. FreeFrom isn't about short-term band-aids. It's about systemic change—economic, cultural, and structural. And at the heart of its model is a bold question: What if financial security was the long-term focus of survivor support? Sonya Passi has been working in the gender-based violence space since she was 16. While in law school, she began noticing a troubling pattern—survivors were still financially destitute years after leaving their abusers. The system was designed to respond with temporary fixes: a few weeks of shelter, a restraining order, maybe some public assistance. But economic abuse doesn't end with a court date. So in 2016, she founded FreeFrom to challenge the status quo. "The number one obstacle to safety for survivors is economic insecurity," Sonya told me. 'You can't be safe on minimum wage. You can't heal if you're broke.' FreeFrom exists to design and test real, lasting solutions—from emergency cash grants and savings matching, to policy change and business incubation. The organization has already changed laws in 21 states—red, blue, and purple—working across political divides to embed economic justice into survivor support systems. Sonya Passi, Founder of FreeFrom One of FreeFrom's earliest programs was a pilot entrepreneurship initiative across shelters in LA, San Francisco, and Oakland. Twenty-four survivors participated. All twenty-four launched businesses. All twenty-four made a profit. And nearly a decade later, the experiment has evolved into Gifted—a thriving online store where every product is made by a survivor-entrepreneur. But this is more than commerce. It's community. It's storytelling. It's healing. Gifted is intentionally designed to remove barriers for its makers. Products like candles, clothing, and bath salts are beautifully branded under the Gifted label—offering both brand consistency and confidentiality for those who may not be ready to put their faces online. It's a thoughtful solution that centers survivor needs while delivering premium, purpose-driven products. Seventy percent of each sale goes directly to the entrepreneur. The remainder supports FreeFrom's operational engine, allowing the model to sustain and scale. And the impact is real. Just ask Cherry, one of Gifted's early hires. After fleeing abuse, navigating homelessness, and rebuilding her life through shelters and Section 8 housing, she found work at Gifted. Fast forward two years: she's now Gifted's Sales and Marketing Manager and has launched her own product line of planetary bath salts, sold through the very platform that gave her a second chance. "I went from overdrafts and payday loans to living wage, benefits, flexible hours, and dignity," she shared. 'And now, I'm off public assistance, off Section 8, and thriving.' Collective care box Gifted's success is built on more than business savvy. It's built on lived experience. The team understands the trauma, the legal hurdles, the financial wreckage—because they've been through it. And it's not just about selling soaps or candles. It's about transforming narratives. 'We want people to see survivors not as broken,' Sonya said, 'but as brilliant. Not as liabilities—but as leaders.' That's why storytelling plays such a central role in their work. Last year, FreeFrom released SURVIVOR MADE, a beautiful, calming documentary that follows six survivor-entrepreneurs through the chaos of the holiday season. Executive produced by the likes of Padma Lakshmi Roxane Gay, Nava Mau, Debbie Millman, Alok Vaid-Menon, and with music by FKA Twigs the film flips the lens. Rather than focusing on trauma, it celebrates joy, creativity, and post-violence possibility. With nearly 15,000 viewers and a donation-powered streaming model, the film is both a storytelling vehicle and a revenue generator for the movement. Building Community And this August, FreeFrom will convene its second Survivor Wealth Summit in downtown Los Angeles, gathering over 600 survivors alongside advocates, movement builders, and policymakers for a transformative three-day experience. Designed as a holistic response to gender-based violence, the Summit merges healing spaces, interactive financial workshops, networking panels, and the vibrant Gifted Community Market—all anchored by a special SURVIVOR MADE film screening. The goal isn't just recovery—it's reclamation: shaping financial futures, amplifying survivor leadership, and creating community power that outlasts the event. Some tickets are still available here. Here's what I love about FreeFrom and Gifted: they don't just ask you to care. They show you how to act. You don't need to be a survivor to play a role in ending gender-based violence. You just need to be an ally, a citizen, a human. Whether you're buying a self-care gift from Gifted, donating to the FreeFrom fund, or attending the Survivor Wealth Summit, you are becoming part of a new ecosystem. One where healing, safety, and prosperity are not luxuries, but rights. And that's the brilliance of their inspiring and stylish brand: they remind me of Product (RED)—flipping the narrative from guilt to joy, from pity to empowerment. The language shift from 'victim' to 'survivor,' from 'safety' to 'wealth,' isn't just semantics. It's strategy that can drive narrative change on the issue. There's a quiet revolution happening—led by survivors, powered by community, and fueled by economic justice. FreeFrom and Gifted aren't just building programs. They're building a new paradigm. In a world obsessed with short-term impact, here's a model rooted in sustainability, storytelling, and systemic change. And if you've ever wondered what 'doing good' looks like at its most human, most strategic, and most scalable—look no further. FreeFrom isn't just helping survivors survive. They're helping them soar.
Travel Daily News
13-06-2025
- Business
- Travel Daily News
The Travel Foundation strengthens its leadership with three new trustees
The Travel Foundation appoints three new trustees and an advisor, enhancing its expertise to drive systemic change in sustainable tourism globally. Leading global sustainable tourism NGO, The Travel Foundation has welcomed three new trustees, bringing a wealth of new experience and expertise to its team. The Travel Foundation's new trustees are: Shannon Guihan , Chief Sustainability Officer for leading tour operator the Travel Corporation and Head of the TreadRight Foundation . , Chief Sustainability Officer for leading tour operator the and Head of the . Charlotte Lamp Davies , founder of A Bright Approach, a management consultancy specializing in business strategy, sales, and marketing for travel technology companies. , founder of A Bright Approach, a management consultancy specializing in business strategy, sales, and marketing for travel technology companies. Natasha Mytton-Mills, a policy and advocacy professional with extensive experience in strategic advocacy, policy development, and governance. The Travel Foundation has also welcomed its first 'Accommodations and Hospitality Advisor', Claire Whitely to its team. Claire has 15 years' experience driving sustainability in the hospitality industry, including within Hilton and the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance. Claire will provide pro-bono strategic guidance to the Travel Foundation, contributing to projects and methodologies to ensure best practice. Jeremy Sampson, Travel Foundation CEO said, 'This year marks a pivotal moment for the Travel Foundation as we prepare to take the next steps in our evolution and increase our impact. We have a clear mission, to accelerate change towards a more balanced tourism model and a distinct role, supporting others to lead the way for systemic change. These high calibre new additions to our team are well placed to contribute to that goal, with the expertise, knowledge and dedication to greatly enrich our work.' The leadership of the Travel Foundation's board of trustees has also seen some changes. Helen Marano is currently co-Chair, with Megan Morikawa. Jane Ashton, another long-term trustee and former Sustainability Director at easyJet has stepped into the role of Vice-Chair. Helen Marano remarked upon the valuable contributions the new Trustees will render in serving on the Travel Foundation board, 'We are honoured they want to join the team in furthering the direction of the organization and focus on driving the changes needed for the health and future of our industry.' The Travel Foundation's three key priorities across its work on climate change and inequity in tourism are: Research and advocacy: highlighting the need for change, showing the way forward, and supporting organisations to take effective action. Centre of expertise: developing practical solutions, training and capacity building to support many more tourism organisations to take action. Impact partnerships: collaborating with leading organisations to co-create innovative solutions that place our priorities at the centre of the sector's future.
The Guardian
26-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
We demanded justice after George Floyd's death. Donald Trump made things worse, but we fight on
Yesterday, I led a private memorial service at George Floyd's graveside, along with his family, in Houston, Texas. Once that was over, we visited the housing project where Floyd and his siblings grew up. Half a decade after Floyd was taken from them, they were keen, as are we, to ensure his life and legacy will not be forgotten – and to remind the world why the fight for police accountability continues. He died in front of the entire world. Everyone saw the phone footage of the incident where a white officer in Minneapolis kneeled on Floyd's neck for more than nine minutes as he repeatedly said 'I can't breathe', and cried out for his mother. His desperate pleas for help were ignored by those sworn to serve and protect the public; but they were heard in every corner of the globe. The movement for police reform gained renewed fire, and people from all walks of life demanded systemic change and the protection of Black lives. Five years later, while the officer convicted of Floyd's murder is behind bars, the current climate in the US and regressive actions from those in power have set us back and prevented substantive police accountability. Just a few days shy of this sombre fifth anniversary, Donald Trump's department of justice announced that it would back away from cases to force reforms on police departments – including in Louisville, Kentucky, and in Minneapolis, the city where Floyd was killed. This outrageous decision is not a surprise; it is just the latest roadblock in the fight for police reform and justice. It is an insult to the mothers, fathers, children and loved ones of all those killed at the hands of law enforcement. The consent decrees and small incremental changes that were achieved after tireless advocacy, organising, protests and political courage have been dismantled by a department that should be protecting the civil rights of individuals, not eliminating them. This move isn't just a policy reversal. It's a moral retreat that sends a chilling message that accountability is optional when it comes to Black and Brown victims. Trump is shamelessly weaponising the justice department against marginalised communities. The decision to dismiss these lawsuits with prejudice solidifies a dangerous political precedent that police departments are above scrutiny. The timing is no coincidence; it is an insult to Floyd's family and the loved ones of victims such as Sandra Bland, Tyre Nichols, Breonna Taylor, Eric Garner and countless others whose names we may never even know. I remember delivering the eulogies for Floyd (one in Minneapolis and one in his native Houston) like it was yesterday. There was so much frustration, anger, disgust and exhaustion permeating throughout the US and, in turn, in many nations across the world. In fact, his death sparked global protests against racial injustice, particularly at the hands of law enforcement. Many young people mobilised and hit the streets for the first time, and more than 200,000 folks joined us in the nation's capital for a march on Washington in August 2020 to call attention to ongoing police injustice. Despite a pandemic, hundreds of thousands from all races, ages and socioeconomic backgrounds protested alongside my organisation, National Action Network (NAN), as we led this march through the streets of Washington. Much has changed. In the wake of Floyd's killing, and amid calls to respect Black lives, many corporations made commitments to continue diversifying and investing in our communities. Now we are watching many of those same companies turn their backs on their own diversity, equity and inclusion policies, capitulating to a rightwing government. The 2021 conviction of Derek Chauvin, the officer who killed Floyd, represented one of the first major cases in which someone in law enforcement was held accountable for their actions. But now some conservative groups and individuals are pushing for Chauvin to receive a pardon from the president. Such action would be the height of throwing salt into an already achingly deep wound. It should not be entertained for a moment. Some (particularly those in power at the moment) would like to distort reality and act as though police brutality and misconduct aren't current problems. Nothing could be further from the truth. According to Mapping Police Violence, police in the US have killed 456 people so far this year (as of 23 May). In fact, there has only been a single day when police haven't killed a person in 2025. And as it highlights, Black people are 2.8 times more likely to be killed by law enforcement than their white counterparts. This is why we still march, this is why we still put pressure on elected officials and corporations. For several months, NAN and I have been leading 'buy-cotts' to support businesses such as Costco who remain firm in their DEI commitments. I have had meetings with PepsiCo's chair and the CEO of PepsiCo North America, as well as Target's CEO. Recently, I joined fellow leaders of national civil rights organisations for a meeting with top Google executives. And on 28 August, NAN will lead a march on Wall Street to defend DEI, remind corporations of their own promises in the wake of Floyd's death, and reiterate that we will only spend our dollars where we are respected. When I stood in front of mourners five years ago at Floyd's funeral, I said that his story has been the story of Black people, because the reason we could never be who we wanted and dreamed of being is because society kept its knee on our neck. Well, just as we loudly proclaimed around the world then, we say it again, remembering George Floyd, remembering all the victims: get your knee off our necks. Do it now. Rev Al Sharpton is an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist and radio talkshow host
