WBENC LIFT Financial Center of Excellence Receives $300K from Fifth Third Foundation
The Fifth Third Foundation pledged a $300,000 grant to the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) LIFT Financial Center of Excellence. The grant will be disbursed over three years. According to WBENC President & CEO Pamela Prince-Eason, the Fifth Third Foundation’s partnership with WBENC will facilitate its ability to provide funding opportunities and educational resources for women entrepreneurs, fostering their business growth.
“Fifth Third has a long-standing commitment to advancing inclusion for small businesses and improving the well-being of our communities. We believe that our communities are stronger when all business owners have access to capital, tools, and other resources they need to thrive,” said Carla Cobb, Vice President and Director of Supplier Diversity for Fifth Third Bank. “This support from the Fifth Third Foundation will provide important funding to enable WBENC to support more women in growing their businesses.”
WBENC is the largest certifier of women-owned businesses in the United States. The organization is a staunch advocate for female-led companies and entrepreneurs. LIFT was founded to advance gender equality for female business owners through funding and educational opportunities. LIFT collaborates with WBENC corporate members to help women business owners successfully access capital and achieve scalability in their company’s finances.
Learn more about the LIFT Financial Center of Excellence here.
Whistle Express Car Wash Enhances Customer Experience with New App and Premium Services
Whistle Express Car Wash unveiled a series of upgrades to enhance its customer experience, including launching an innovative mobile app that will facilitate member access at each Whistle Express location. The updates include a new premium chemical line that repels water, enhances color, and resists dirt and dust. The upgrades also include new signage aimed at improving the customer journey. Signage will present modern graphics and easy-to-understand instructions, ensuring a seamless visit from start to finish.
“Our goal at Whistle is to make the experience easier on the customer, so this marks a significant stride forward as we unveil updates aimed at redefining the car wash experience,” said Jose Costa, CEO of Whistle Express. “With enhanced app integration, the introduction of our new chemical line, Diamond Plus, and our revamped signage, we are committed to delivering unparalleled convenience, quality, and innovation to our loyal members across our growing footprint.”
The new Whistle app provides frictionless access and management of memberships across all 150+ Whistle Express locations. It also introduces an enhanced loyalty program, “Whistle Rewards,” which allows customers to earn points that can be redeemed for memberships, wash packages, and add-on services. The app’s revamped interface offers secure in-app payments, a real-time location finder, family plans, and exclusive savings and promotions. New members who download the app will receive 100 bonus points and can spin a daily “reward wheel” for additional points.
Learn more about the new Whistle Express Car Wash app here.
Starbucks Partners with Next Gen Consortium, Major Brands in Reusable Cup Pilot Program
Starbucks is partnering with more than 30 restaurant brands, including Dunkin’, Burger King, and Yum Brands, to pilot returnable beverage cups. The program is in collaboration with NextGen Consortium and will take place in Petaluma, California, from August 5 to October 28. Unlike Starbucks’ previous program, which encouraged customers to bring their own cups, this test allows customers to “borrow” a cup and return it to one of 60 return bins throughout the city. The returnable cups, featuring a purple design with the logo, “Sip, Return, Repeat,” aim to help Starbucks meet its sustainability goals. Laxman Narasimhan, CEO of Starbucks, has said that the company wants to slash its “climate, water, and waste footprint in half” and have all recyclable, reusable, or compostable packaging by 2030.
“Last year, Starbucks conducted a similar test in the same area, but we tested on our own,” shared Helen Kao, Director of Reusables at Starbucks, in a statement. “This year, we expanded on that through our partnership with NextGen Consortium to drive systems change. What if we saturated a community, and reusables became the cultural norm? Now, it’s an ecosystem of global brands, local businesses, city leaders, and community groups working together. The industry is realizing that it’s easier to partner than do things alone.”
Starbucks has promoted reusable and returnable cups for years, allowing customers to bring their own cups for a 10-cent discount. The COVID-19 pandemic briefly halted the program, but started again in 2021. In collaboration with NextGen Consortium, Starbucks and McDonald’s launched 100% compostable and recyclable cups in 2020. In 2021, Starbucks partnered with Go Box to test reusable cup rental services, while in 2022, Starbucks announced plans to transition to reusable cups by 2025. Eight Starbucks locations, including six company-owned cafes and two licensed stores in Target and Safeway, will participate in the pilot.
Learn more about NextGen Consortium’s reusable cup system here.
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Original Article Links:
Fifth Third Foundation Awards $300,000 to WBENC LIFT Financial Center of Excellence
Whistle Express Car Wash Revolutionizes Wash Experience with Systemwide Launch of the Whistle App Technology, Premium Chemical and Updated Signage
Starbucks joins Dunkin’, Peet’s Coffee, Burger King, Yum Brands, and other restaurants in piloting reusable cups program with NextGen Consortium