Chief of Minds, a human resources strategy firm, strives to assist Black entrepreneurs streamline their operations and achieve maximum efficiency to assist maintain longevity.

Founded in 2014, Chief of Minds is making an impression in the human resources sector. CEO and founder Lakeisha Robichaux strives to assist businesses plan your path to success — even in a hostile corporate environment.

Robichaux’s goal is to “reduce workload, optimize HR functions and minimize costs.” The CEO is experienced; She improved her business optimization skills by working with corporations reminiscent of CVS Pharmacy, Dollar General Corporation, and Loyola University.

The founder serves as president of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce, helping navigate small business owner processes in the capital of Louisiana.

As president, Robichaux provides networking opportunities, training and knowledge to assist Baton Rouge entrepreneurs construct profitable and sustainable businesses.

Robichaux’s work through Chief of Minds is more necessary than ever as legislative attacks on DEI have been successful in recent years, leaving many minority demographics vulnerable. Black entrepreneurs must prepare for the barriers that will arise now that legal protections, plans and incentives for minorities are slowly being removed.

In his work, he puts emphasis on a thoughtful approach to efficiency and worker relations. Studies have shown that employees burn out faster than in previous generations. A rigorous work environment and heavy workload are aspects that reduce productivity, which in turn reduces company profits. However, there’s a way for a corporation to steer with compassion while maintaining high standards of worker performance and production.

“She believes”Genuinely caring for others and expressing empathy creates a positive work environment and improves team performance.

Robichaux and the “Chief of Minds” are poised to steer the corporations through the next 4 years of Donald Trump’s presidency. A conservative House of Representatives and Senate may mean a discount in programs aimed toward supporting small businesses. To thrive, businesses might want to take stock. Evaluating your HR practices is an important first step.

Under pressure from customers and investorsmany US corporations have committed to voluntarily reducing their impact on the climate. But this does not at all times mean they reduce their very own greenhouse gas emissions.

AND a large variety of corporations as a substitute, they pay others to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on their behalf through the projects they generate carbon offsets.

There are reasons to be skeptical of this practice. Chief amongst them is that projects designed to offset carbon emissions have long occupied land in poorer countries, displacing small farmers AND life-threatening in the method. The quality of some voluntary offsets traded all over the world has also proven difficult to confirm. This is recommended, for instance, by studies of forest relocation projects lots of them are usually not that effective in carbon sequestration, they claim.

We consider there’s a higher solution: Companies could spend a few of their carbon offsetting money on climate-friendly projects that not only reduce emissions, but additionally improve the lives of individuals within the U.S. communities where these corporations operate.

Our team On the Climate, Health and Energy Equity Lab at Vanderbilt University, he explored the potential of corporations contributing offset dollars to improve energy efficiency in low-income housing, starting with a pilot study in our hometown of Nashville. Efficiency improvements can save energy and money and reduce carbon emissions. At the identical time, they reduce among the many health risks created or increased by living in a home that’s difficult to properly heat and funky.

Such modernizations can be financed by sale of carbon offsets on “social coal segment. voluntary market for emission allowances. The combined economic, health and climate benefits of modernizing low-income energy sources could support such projects attractive for corporations wishing to meet their climate commitments and gain positive attention from the area people.

Energy efficiency pays off in some ways

In the US, low-income households spend on average 6% to 10% of your income on energy costs. Often, renters and homeowners struggle to maintain healthy temperatures in aging, poorly insulated homes.

For some people, the associated fee of heating their home can be so high that it becomes difficult alternative: “heat or eat”.”what can participate in a physical examination AND mental health toll.

In Nashville, we checked out implementing 4 key varieties of energy efficiency improvements in low-income housing. Together they can reduce energy consumption and energy-related carbon emissions while earning offset credits within the voluntary carbon market.

We calculated that a combination of replacing the windows, refrigerator, and heating and cooling system, and insulating the attic of a two-bedroom rental apartment in Nashville could reduce the carbon dioxide emissions from energy use in the house by an estimated amount 592 tons over 25 years of modernization operation.

If carbon emissions reductions from a Nashville home retrofit were packaged as carbon offsets and sold on a voluntary carbon market at a price of $30 to $45 per ton, the cash earned could cover the numerous material costs of energy efficiency retrofits. These prices are in step with the costs requested by other significant carbon offsets AND significant social advantages. It can also be quite possible that community health advantages would be more attractive to some corporate buyers than greenhouse gas reductions alone. Offset transactions may be facilitated by non-profit organizations, social enterprises or local governments.

Many of those improvements are too expensive for low-income households without outside financial assistance. Landlords tend to avoid them because tenants, not owners, pay utility bills.

Lessons from Maine and the Southeast

Projects are already mobilizing funds to offset carbon emissions for renewable energy and energy efficiency within the US

One of the early innovators was the Maine Housing Authority. Agency pilot financing for energy efficiency modernization of residential buildings with the sale of carbon offsetting allowances within the early 2000s and discovered how complicated this process can be.

Chevrolet’s purchase of $750,000 in carbon credits for a project in Maine in 2012 enabled it to increase efficiency to approximately 170 houses. The project revealed several essential findings, including the necessity for: a large variety of houses and a high carbon price for the project to repay. A 2012 review of this system found that while each home could generate a whole bunch of dollars in carbon credits, preparing the project, measuring and verifying the worth, and selling any such offset it can cost tens of hundreds of dollars before work on the homes begins.

To reduce these costs, our team member Maya Maciel-Seidman developed a way to quantify carbon reductions from upgrading home energy systems. It was able to reduce time and costs by counting on publicly available utility and government data combined with easy-to-perform ground measurements.

Another challenge of any such carbon offsetting – and offsets supporting clean energy production – you could come across issue of additionality: Would modernizing low-income energy systems still occur without carbon offset financing?

I do not think so. There are federal programs that provide funding to improve energy efficiency in low-income housing. However, over 40 years of federal weather assistance program experience and Energy assistance program for low-income households suggests that these programs don’t reach the overwhelming majority of eligible low-income households.

A solar startup within the southeastern United States provides one other example of carbon offsetting environmental AND additional economic advantages close to home. Clear loop generates carbon offsets by constructing utility-scale solar farms in the dirtiest parts of the US power gridregions with little renewable energy and highly polluting power plants. The company funds investments in photovoltaic energy through: selling carbon offsets prematurely representing the emissions saved over the lifetime of every solar farm.

Companies and residents profit

The use of carbon offsets isn’t a substitute for emissions reductions or for public policies and financing to eliminate fuel poverty and insecurity. However, we consider that mobilizing a voluntary carbon market to finance energy efficiency improvements in low-income homes could provide clear relief for a lot of households.

The physical proximity of corporations supporting such projects also needs to enable greater transparency and accountability. When corporations purchase carbon offsets which might be generated locally and supply additional advantages to host communities, they strengthen their social permit to operate while making progress on climate commitments.

Pusha T is expanding his business to incorporate coffee. The rapper launched his Grindin coffee brand with an exclusive pop-up in Los Angeles.

The premium coffee mix is high in caffeine and is called after a song by the unique duo Clipse, produced by Pharrell. To rejoice the launch, Pusha T partnered with Cafe Tropical to serve mugs to curious fans.

The collaboration also has to do with the personality of Pusha T. The rapper, known for his rough and smart lyrics concerning the drug trade, decided to release Grindin with Cafe Tropical because the distributor. According to Hypebeast, they were also the unique owners of the cafe heavily involved in cocaine smuggling within the Seventies.

“All my dreams and ideas start with my passions,” the rapper wrote within the caption concerning the partnership. “Fortunately, I was able to find partnerships and platforms that helped bring my visions to life… It’s just a part of me and how I start my day.”

The ambassador of the Louis Vuitton fashion house showed his inner barista by appearing on the restaurant on November 16 for the brand’s debut. The mixture may be utilized in traditional drinks comparable to hortados and cortados, with press permission I’m calling “strong black coffee reflecting the artist’s taste”, per

Another probability for coffee lovers to try Grindin has arrived at Camp Flog Gnaw. Pusha T hosted a pop-up on the music festival, but attendees could get greater than only a drink from the brand. The 47-year-old also debuted merchandise comparable to T-shirts and sweatshirts that accompanied the coffee.

Pusha T continues to construct his empire because the multi-Grammy Award-nominated rapper leverages his provocative brand to create something latest. For those outside of Los Angeles, Grindin may also debut nationwide in early 2025. In the meantime, those that wish to try the mug may have to search for the following pop-up.