Archives for May 2017

Black AIDS Institute Announces “30 Days Of HIV” campaign leading up to National HIV Testing Day

May 28, 2017 by NWFacts Leave a Comment

Black AIDS Institute (BAI), the U.S.’s only national think tank focused on HIV impact in Black communities, has announced “30 Days Of HIV” a national, digital, community campaign to raise awareness, educate and mobilize Black communities around the ongoing HIV/AIDS crisis in Black communities across America. Launching on May 27 through National HIV Testing Day (June 27), this campaign has three core elements: An Online Community Calendar to promote HIV and health related events serving Black communities, an Instagram storytelling series titled In The Life, featuring community-sourced life experiences of Black, gay/bi/trans men, and lastly, Daily Actions – once a day call to action to mobilize Black communities and those who serve them.

Phill Wilson, President and CEO, Black AIDS Institute and a Black, gay, HIV-positive man, who conceptualized this initiative says: “Even though it is not in the news as much as it was a few years ago, HIV/AIDS is an ongoing, and in among some sectors of the Black community, a tragically growing crisis. Black gay and bisexual men in the United States have a 50% lifetime HIV infection rate. Black women still represent 61% of the new HIV infections among women. Our house is still on fire and we don’t seem to notice. 30 Days Of HIV is designed to spotlight the problem, but more importantly, what we are and what we can do, if we focus on this problem.

The Online Community Calendar will feature HIV and health-related activities for Black communities during the May 27-June 27 time period. Organizations planning health fairs, HIV-testing or other outreach activities during this timeframe are invited to submit the events for inclusion on the calendar to geraldG@blackaids.org. The Instagram campaign, In The Life, invites Black GBTQ/SGL men to submit their photo stories about a select life experience, by May 23, to pavniatwork@gmail.com. Finally, the Institute will be publishing Daily Actions to mobilize Black communities to take care of their health and fight HIV/AIDS.

All aspects of the campaign will be housed on www.blackaids.org and will be promoted daily via multiple social media platforms –Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

For questions and more information please contact: Pavni Guharoy, Black AIDS Institute, pavniatwork@gmail.com

“BubbleUp” Shows Every Sat., June 10 – Aug. 26, 4 pm & 6 pm

May 28, 2017 by NWFacts Leave a Comment

PACIFIC PLACE CREATES A SUMMER WONDERLAND

AS BUBBLES FILL THE ATRIUM

Pacific Place, downtown Seattle’s premier shopping center, is celebrating summer with a new experience – Bubble Up. Bubble Up is a nightly show that will transform Pacific Place into a summer wonderland, as bubbles fill the center’s Atrium at 4pm and 6pm every Saturday June 10 through August 26. The shows are choreographed to pop songs as thousands of bubbles are released on level one which will rise up to level 4.

“We are looking to surprise and delight our guests this summer with our Bubble Up shows as we do with our winter snow shows during the holidays,” said Tory Glossip, Vice President of Management Services, Madison Marquette “This new show at Pacific Place will be fun for all ages, but will especially appeal to families looking to experience something new and unexpected within one of their favorite downtown Seattle destinations.”

The Bubble Up shows at Pacific Place will be the perfect spot for locals and visitors to capture their ideal summer photos, while at the same time, enjoy a shopping excursion, a bubbly cocktail, soda or beer with their BFF or a delectable dinner and a movie outing. In addition, during each show, if guests tag their Instagram and Facebook photos with #bubbleuPP they will be entered into the “Summer Pacific Place dinner & movie package giveaway.” A winner will be selected at random on August 28 for a chance to win a package of four AMC movie tickets, popcorn and drinks, and a $100 gift card to Din Tai Fung at Pacific Place.

For more details on Pacific Place’s Bubble Up shows, stores, restaurants and the photo contest rules, visitwww.pacificplaceseattle.com or the center’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages.

Chairman And CEO Sean Combs Promotes Long-Time Associate Dia Simms To President Of Combs Enterprises

May 28, 2017 by NWFacts Leave a Comment

Simms will lead company in all verticals including fashion, spirits, media, and other brands

States Sean Combs, “There is nobody better equipped to run Combs Enterprises and lead us into the future. Dia’s passion, ambition, hard work and commitment to excellence have produced an unparalleled record of success. She has created and grown countless businesses and inspired those around her to excel. Not only am I confident she will succeed in her new role, I am excited about everything Combs Enterprises will accomplish under her leadership.”

“Working my way up through the ranks at this company over the past 12 years, I could have never imagined the amount of support, trust and confidence that Sean and everyone on the team have shown,” says Simms. “Being a woman, and the first person to assume this role within the company, I am incredibly honored to be able to carry on the ‘Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop’ torch.”

Simms has worked with Mr. Combs since 2005, putting her relentless commitment to excellence and her unparalleled skills as a creative strategist and marketer to work in a variety of roles. Her rise through the ranks began during her first role with the company as an assistant, where she made her way to the Chief of Staff and then general manager of advertising and marketing firm, The Blue Flame Agency. Simms then took on the role of Executive Vice President of Combs Wine & Spirits, and was promoted shortly thereafter to President of Combs Wines & Spirits, where she led the strategic execution of all Cîroc Ultra Premium Vodka, DeLeon Tequila and spirits innovation projects for the company. During her tenure, Simms was a key player in the acquisition of DeLeon Tequila and the brand’s relaunch and an integral part of Cîroc Ultra Premium Vodka’s 1000% growth, in which it moved from virtual obscurity to one of the most recognized vodka brands on the globe. Under her purview, the beverage brands won several awards, including Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Market Watch’s ‘Spirit Brand of the Year,’ the coveted Diageo Golden Bar for ‘Best Spirits Advertising’ and Diageo’s Global Marketing Brilliance Award for ‘Best Synergy 360’. They were also recognized by the Pro Awards in 2014 for ‘Best Cause-Based Campaign’ and ‘Best Campaign that Uses a Holiday Theme.’

Simms was recognized by The Network Journal in their ’40 Under Forty Class of 2010,’ and in 2011 was an honoree at the United Way of New York City’s ‘Power of Women Luncheon,’ and was named ‘Leader of the New School’ by Essence Magazine that same year. In 2014, she won the Bronze Stevie ‘Maverick of the Year Award’ at the International Business Awards, honoring excellence in Advertising, Marketing, Public Relations and Business Services.

Simms is a highly-respected leader who also on the board of THREAD Organization that provides underprivileged high-school students resources to help foster their academic advancement and personal growth. She is also a on the board of BINKABLE, a mobile app that enables people to connect with the best creative talent on the market.

Sean “Diddy” Combs, Chairman and CEO of Combs Enterprises, one of the world’s leading entertainment companies, today announced the promotion of Dia Simms to President of Combs Enterprises. In her new role, Simms will oversee business activities across the companies and investments built and cultivated by Mr. Combs. She will work directly with Mr. Combs to ensure that Combs Enterprises exceeds its financial and operational goals, as well as continuing to grow and expand globally and fulfill its broader strategic vision. Simms will also lead efforts across Combs Enterprises to identify and pursue strategic investments that expand the reach and influence that Mr. Combs has on entertainment, media, fashion, spirits, culture and other sectors. Under her new leadership, Combs Wines & Spirits will fold into Combs Enterprises as she oversees both ventures.

As New Hepatitis B and C Infections Increase, the Nation’s Local Health Departments Are Working to Protect Americans

May 28, 2017 by NWFacts 17 Comments

Statement by Laura Hanen, MPP, Interim Executive Director and Chief of Government Affairs of the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)

“New hepatitis C infections have nearly tripled over five years, according to new preliminary surveillance data recently released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than 3.5 million Americans are living with hepatitis C virus, making it the most common chronic blood-borne infection in the United States. Baby boomers are six times more likely to be infected with hepatitis C than those in other age groups and are at much greater risk for death from the virus, but the greatest increases were among young people aged 20-29. This is primarily a result of increasing injection drug use associated with America’s growing opioid epidemic. Approximately half of people living with hepatitis C virus have no symptoms and don’t know they are infected, and the vast majority of new infections go undiagnosed. The surveillance report also shows a continued rise in new hepatitis B infections, which increased by 20.7 percent in 2015.

“Hepatitis B and C present significant challenges to public health and healthcare systems. NACCHO calls on the federal government to provide the funding and commitment necessary to address these challenges. As the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s new consensus report, A National Strategy for the Elimination of Hepatitis B and C, states, we can eliminate hepatitis B and C as public health threats by 2030 if the appropriate leadership, investment, and strategies are fulfilled. Hepatitis B and C are completely preventable, but only when we commit the resources necessary for testing, treatment, and in the case of hepatitis C, a cure.

“Resources must reach the local level, where local health departments are providing critical services and leadership to these efforts. The funding to address viral hepatitis is severely limited, and the failure to act on this data will have significant consequences for our communities. The lack of resources is particularly concerning, in the facing of a growing opioid epidemic that is fueling increases in injection drug use, a critical risk factor in the spread of hepatitis B and C, as well as HIV. Without appropriate federal and state funding, as well as public policies, local health departments will struggle to implement effective public health interventions to prevent and treat viral hepatitis.

“In addition to the surveillance report, two MMWR articles were released: State HCV Incidence and Policies Related to HCV Preventive and Treatment Services for Persons Who Inject Drugs, which demonstrate the need for comprehensive approaches to combat the duel epidemics of opioid addiction and injection-related infections diseases, including syringe services programs; and Hepatitis C Virus Infection Among Women Giving Birth, which shows that estimated rates of hepatitis C infection among pregnant women in the United States have nearly doubled during 2009–2014. In Tennessee, the rate in 2014 was approximately three times the national rate.

“NACCHO is committed to supporting local health department efforts to address viral hepatitis. We created an online educational series to increase local health department knowledge and capacity to address hepatitis C, which includes examples of how local health departments can leverage existing resources to support their efforts and promote sensible policies to the age of curative treatment for hepatitis C. And, of course, we will continue to use advocacy to call attention to the unique needs of local health departments, who are the first line of defense in protecting community health.”
Click here to learn more about NACCHO’s hepatitis C resources and view the latest NACCHO Exchange, which includes information on the connections between the opioid epidemic and the spread of infectious diseases, such as HCV.

Multicultural Men Finally Have Clinically Proven, Natural Solution For a Bump-Free Shave

May 28, 2017 by NWFacts 2 Comments

“Frederick Benjamin Grooming” releases an avant-garde shaving line to promote healthy skin and eliminate skin irritation

According to the Journal of Investigative Reporting, multicultural men are 50 times more likely to experience ingrown hairs and irritating, often painful razor bumps.

Black and Latino men frequently experience this unsightly skin damage, which can be largely attributed to standardized ingredients in typical shaving products as well as conventional shaving processes that are not designed for their tightly coiled curls.

“As I’m working behind-the-scenes for these multinational brands, I noticed everything hitting the shelves is mass-marketed,” James said. “Nothing was addressing the specific concerns of multicultural males. That’s what Frederick Benjamin does. We give them the needed products and processes to eliminate their battle with skin irritation and skin damage.”

Frederick Benjamin Grooming fuses all natural oils and other ingredients such as aloe vera and witch hazel into their products to help protect, prevent and reduce the painful, unattractive skin irritation commonly found within the multicultural community.

“We want men to feel confident in every room they enter and that starts with their morning grooming routine,” said James. “Men are not only investing more time into their daily grooming but also their money in search of the best shave. The best shave is the one that consistently removes hair while reducing irritation, and that’s what our products and processes like our three-step shaving regimen do.”

The three-step shaving regimen was created to enhance the overall shaving experience by providing men with three products to prevent skin irritation altogether.

The Easy Primer Pre-Shave Oil, made with avocado and grape seed oil extracts, adds a protective coating to the skin, which encourages razor glide. The Hydro-Glaze Cooling Aloe Shave Gel goes on clear allowing men to see what they are shaving and achieve a more precise shave meaning less strokes, cuts, and irritation.

Men then complete their shave with the clinically-proven Bump Clear Post-Shave lotion, which has been shown to reduce the appearance of razor bumps in as little as 14 days when applied daily resulting in a smoother, bump-free moisturized jawline and neck.

Frederick Benjamin shaving products are available online. They can also be found in select retailers and barbershops in major cities such as New York City, the DC-metro area, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Austin.

After noticing multicultural men often battle razor bumps and ingrown hairs, and the products most available to them did not meet their specific needs, founder and former L’Oreal brand manager, Michael James, conducted extensive research to develop Frederick Benjamin Grooming, a natural shaving line designed specifically for multicultural men that has been clinically proven to eliminate skin damage.

Ethnic Business Coalition Receives Endowment from Washington Hospitality Association to Fund Growth and Help Immigrant and Minority Owned Business

May 28, 2017 by NWFacts Leave a Comment

The Ethnic Business Coalition (EBC) received a $25,000 endowment from theWashington Hospitality Association to help it cultivate new programs the Seattle Foundation‘s 2017 GiveBIG Event. These funds will help the EBC develop and create ambassadors for ethnic hospitality businesses. The Seattle Foundation also donated through its Give Big campaign.

“The Ethnic Business Coalition is grateful for this donation from the Washington Hospitality Association. Washington Hospitality has been a strong ally and partner of the EBC, and this generous donation allows the EBC to grow our program and continue our work of supporting people of color and immigrant owned businesses,” the EBC said in a statement. “Washington Hospitality is the leading voice and advocate for the hospitality industry and we are grateful to have them as a partner. We look forward to working with them to build a strong hospitality industry.”

According to the EBC, many ethnic hospitality businesses could be considered “micro-businesses.” In Washington, 84 percent of all restaurants have fewer than 20 employees while ethnic hospitality businesses have fewer than ten. Restaurants work within tiny profit margins (4 percent) and the average profit before taxes is less than $31,000 annually. Micro-businesses make even less and need extra support to survive regulations, changes and economic shifts that are part of the business landscape in Seattle. Additionally, these businesses have language barriers, cultural differences and a lack of access to key resources.

The donation from the Washington Hospitality Association opens up a relationship with immigrant owned businesses and EBC members so they can make use of association membership benefits. In Washington, 23.4 percent of the workforce was born outside of the U.S. Immigrants are the foundation of the hospitality industry. All employees, whether they immigrated to the U.S. yesterday or generations ago, are critical to the success of the hospitality industry and Washington communities.

“We support the work of the Ethnic Business Coalition as it empowers and amplifies the voices of ethnic and immigrant business owners, who in turn vitalize our communities and enrich Washington culture,” said Anthony Anton, president and CEO of the Washington Hospitality Association.

DiversityInc Announces 2017 Top 50 Companies for Diversity List

May 24, 2017 by NWFacts Leave a Comment

DiversityInc Tuesday announced its 2017 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list and global professional services company EY took the number one slot. Prior to this year’s competition, EY has been among the Top 10 for the past eight years

“Like the other companies high on the DiversityInc Top 50, EY understands diversity and inclusion is critical to business and rooted in finding the best talent,” said DiversityInc CEO Luke Visconti. “EY is number one because the company worked harder than all others and has deep CEO engagement with Steve Howe, who has empowered his people to do their job, and they did it.”

The DiversityInc Top 50 list, issued yearly since 2001, recognizes the nation’s top companies for diversity and inclusion management. These companies excel in such areas as hiring, retaining and promoting women, minorities, people with disabilities, LGBT and veterans.

In addition to its position on the Top 50, EY also landed on nine specialty lists, including No.1 for Executive Women, People with Disabilities, Diversity Councils, Employee Resource Groups and Mentoring.

DiversityInc’s extensive annual survey yields an empirically driven ranking based on recruitment, talent development, senior leadership commitment and supplier diversity. This year’s competition was improved by new survey questions, increased emphasis on fairness over chasing numbers and more sophisticated analysis from DiversityInc data scientists.

To view the complete Top 50 and specialty lists, visit http://www.diversityinc.com/top50.

Joining EY on the Top 10 list are:

2-Kaiser Permanente
3-AT&T
4-PricewaterhouseCooper
5-Johnson & Johnson
6-Sodexo
7-MasterCard
8-Marriott International
9-Wells Fargo
10-Abbott

Visconti noted that the DI stock Index of the Top 50 companies shows a three-year return of nearly 28 percent, outperforming the S&P 500’s 26 percent and the Dow’s 25 percent.

Companies with more than 1,000 U.S.-based employees are eligible to enter the DiversityInc Top 50 competition each year, and there is no cost to compete. Each company’s rank is based on an objective analysis of numerous factors, based on data from an extensive survey. The four equally weighted areas of measurement are Talent Pipeline, Equitable Talent Development, CEO/Leadership Commitment and Supplier Diversity.

In addition to the Top 50 list, DiversityInc also revealed the following specialty lists:

Top 13 Companies for Diversity Councils (EY, No. 1)
Top 12 Companies for Employee Resource Groups (EY, No. 1)
Top 15 Companies for Mentoring (EY, No. 1)
Top 12 Companies for People with Disabilities (EY, No. 1)
Top 12 Companies for Recruitment (AT&T, No. 1)
Top 11 Companies for Supplier Diversity (Dell, No. 1)
Top 10 Companies for Veterans (Northrop Grumman, No. 1)
Top 12 Hospitals and Health Systems (Mount Sinai Health System, No. 1)
Top 11 Regional Companies (Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, No. 1)
Top 5 Utilities (Ameren Corporation, No. 1)
Top 9 Companies for Executive Women (EY, No. 1)
Top 11 for Progress (Southern Company, No. 1)
Top Companies for Global Diversity (not a ranked list)
Top Companies for LGBT Employees (not a ranked list)

The announcement dinner in New York City featured speakers including Trevor Noah, host of Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show”; Steve Howe, U.S. Chairman and Americas Managing Partner of Ernst & Young; Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr., Founder and President of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition; and Dr. Johnnetta B. Cole, recently retired Director of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art and past President of Spelman and Bennett colleges, who received DiversityInc’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

The 2017 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity event is made possible thanks to the following sponsors: Abbott, Accenture, ADP, Altria, AT&T, BASF, Bayer, Boeing, Cox Communications, CVS Health, Dell, Deloitte, EY, General Motors, Hilton, Inc., Humana, Johnson & Johnson, Kaiser Permanente, Kellogg Company, MasterCard, Marriott International, MasterCard, Monsanto, Nielsen, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Sodexo, Southern Company, Target, TD Bank,

TIAA, TimeWarner, Toyota Motor North America, US Bank, Wells Fargo and Wyndham Worldwide.

About DiversityInc The mission of DiversityInc is to bring education and clarity to the business benefits of diversity. The DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity list began in 2001, when many corporations were beginning to understand the business value of diversity-management initiatives. The 2017 Top 50 Companies for Diversity results will be featured on ‪DiversityInc.com and in DiversityInc magazine. DiversityInc is a VA certified veteran-owned business and a USBLN certified business owned by a person with a disability. For more information, visit www.diversityinc.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn@DiversityInc.

In Loving Memory of Michael Anthony Akridge-Davis

May 24, 2017 by NWFacts Leave a Comment

Michael Anthony Akridge-Davis also known as “Coach Mike” “Mike D” or “Big Mike”. He was raised in Seattle, WA Michael was extraordinary man and served as not only a mentor he was a Prenominal man in general. He played an impactful role in the community as a coach who had love for all sports whether it was supporting kids from the side line one thing we will always remember him for his bubbley personality and his unique laugh.
Funeral services will held on Monday, May 22, 2017 at viewing will before the service 11AM – 1PM and funeral service at 1PM at Mountain View Funeral Home, 4100 Steilacoom Blvd SW, Lakewood, WA. 98499; 253-584-0252

In Loving Memory Willie Gene Henderson, JR

May 24, 2017 by NWFacts Leave a Comment

Sunrise March 27th,1955
Seattle, Washington,
Sunset: May 7,2017 Survivors include
His Father Willie Henderson, Sr.
Brother, William Powell, Sister Marjorie Carstarphen and a host of Niece’s, Nephews, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins,
Relatives and friends, he was preceded in by his late mother,
Charlestra White Henderson
Services Graveside Monday May
22,2017 1130am TAHOMA NATIONAL Cemetery, Kent, WA.
Viewing, Sunday May 21,2017
3PM-6PM Dayspring Fitch Funeral Home
5503 Rainer AVE. S. Seattle, Washington, 98118

In Loving Memory of Quincy Tromyane Marshall, Jr.

May 24, 2017 by NWFacts Leave a Comment

Quincy Tromyane Marshall, Jr.
Sunrise: January 8, 1993 – Sunset: May 10, 2017
God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers. We love and miss you. You will never, ever be forgotten.

Memorial service May 20, 2017 at 2-6PM at Holy Ground Community Church, 3425 Martin Luther King Jr. Way So. Seattle, WA.