NAWRB Magazine Volume 10, Issue 2 Technology Human Balance by Women in the Housing & Real Estate Ecosystem

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2021 Leadership

Technology Human Balance®

Award Winners

Vol. 10/Issue 2

sheC EN My Perspective on PropTech Page 10

s ) D TER(FOL

The Invisible Veteran: A Day in the Life of the Forgotten Female Marine Page 14

Preparing for a Ransomware Attack Page 36

Your Guide to Effective Conflict Resolution Page 50

Technology Human Balance® Volume 10, Issue 2

Technology Human Balance® is at the center of this week’s issue of NAWRB Magazine and for good reason. Every day, new technology is being developed and improved, shifting the way we live and what our futures will look like. To ensure a positive Quality of Life, humanity must think about the numerous ways in which technology enhances and complicates our day-to-day routines. In this issue of NAWRB Magazine, our articles examine the Technology Human Balance® through a myriad of lenses. From informative articles about Proptech and ransomware attacks to articles reflecting on moments of a career, different perspectives and ideas shine through. You will meet Vermont Marine Veteran Stephanie, a woman struggling with homelessness who was not getting the help she needed from Veterans Affairs. When California Commissioner Erica Courtney flies to Vermont to help Stephanie out, she finds the problem is rooted much deeper than she thought. Find out how to successfully manage conflict resolution in Tami Bonnell's article. With easy steps, tips, and tricks, including active listening and staying consistent in your tone of voice, Tami teaches how to feel confident in your own conflict resolution. For this issue’s sheCENTER(FOLD), we present to you the 2021 NAWRB Leadership Award Winners, recognizing 15 women leaders for impressive contributions in their field. We applaud these women for their hard work and perseverance through what was one of the most challenging years to be a leader! A huge thank you to all the advertisers, contributors, and subscribers to the magazine! It is your dedication that keeps our community of powerful women growing and thriving. As we contemplate Technology Human Balance®, let us emphasize humanity and promote the Quality of Life for all!

Desirée Patno, CEO & President of NAWRB Chairwoman of NDILC

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Executive

PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Desirée Patno GRAPHIC DESIGNERS

Galilea Diaz Riley Mendoza CONTENT WRITER

Sierra DeWalt PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

Jay Jones

/NAWRB

Tami Bonnell Allan Dalton Indira Cameron-Banks Erica G. Courtney Kellie Aamodt John Torvi Shiraz Omar Suha Beidas Zehl Neely Tamminga Monica LeBlanc Dina Saoudi Patty Arvielo Leora Ruzin Lucy Dunn Monda Webb Sheila Matuscak Jacqueline Castillo Mitzi Perdue Davia Temin Jennifer McKinney Lisa Morales-Hellebo Nancy Obando

NAWRB Magazine is a quarterly publication with gender lens perspective, featuring unique content, articles on diversity, inclusion and engagement in the housing ecosystem, exclusive interviews with industry professionals, business development tools, book reviews, feature stories and more. All materials submitted to NAWRB Magazine are subject to editing if utilized. The articles, content, and other information in this publication are for information purposes only, but do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of NAWRB. NAWRB assumes no liability or responsibility for any inaccurate, delayed or incomplete information, nor for any actions taken in reliance thereon.

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Access to Capital

Renters in Post-Pandemic America Continue to Struggle A 2020 report by the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies revealed that typical renter households pay more than 30 percent of their income for housing, which makes it challenging for middle and low income households to find affordable rental housing. Making matters worse, the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic put more than 3.5 million Americans at risk of eviction according to a 2021 Census Bureau survey. "...typical renter Evidence has also Federal grant money, nonprofits shown that the impact households pay more have created private sector parthas been disproporthan 30 percent of their nerships to launch programs that tionate among minority are already having an impact in income for housing..." renters, who are double communities of significant need. the number of minority homeowners. All of these facts underscore the One example is the joint response by National need for more nonprofit support resources that Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) and the help protect renters in seeking affordable and Housing Partnership Network (HPN). Their Renter sustainable housing solutions. Advantage program, supported by funding from the Although communities throughout the nation implemented eviction moratoriums in response to the pandemic, many have expired, and even more are about to end. More than $45 billion in Federal funds were made available in 2021 for Emergency Rental Assistance, with less than half spent or obligated. While families continue to wait for vital support funded by the remaining

"More than $45 billion in Federal funds were made available in 2021 for Emergency Rental Assistance, with less than half spent or obligated." NAWRB MAGAZINE |

Wells Fargo Foundation, enables credit counselors and nonprofit rental property owners to work directly with renters to preserve their housing status and stabilize their financial situation in communities across the U.S. Renter Advantage streamlines service delivery for credit counselors to provide renters with trusted guidance including enrolling renters in need of assistance in plans to address sustainable rent repayment, debt management, and improving long-term financial health. Credit counseling provided by trusted nonprofit organizations has been proven as an effective pathway to financial stability for those experiencing a financial shock, such as income reduction that leads to debt delinquencies. The role of the nonprofit credit counselors in rental counseling programs is to advocate for consumers by identifying solutions to the most critical budget and debt repayment issues. A viable action plan may include a range of options including enrollment in

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a Debt Management Program (DMP) where credit payments and interest rates are reduced while delinquent accounts are re-aged to report as being paid on time. Independent research by The Ohio State University has proven the overall positive impact of nonprofit credit counseling on financial wellbeing in their Sharpen Your Financial Focus Impact Evaluation. Addressing the matter of past-due rent becomes much more manageable after a renter is on such

"Addressing the matter of past-due rent becomes much more manageable after a renter is on such a pathway toward financial stability." a pathway toward financial stability. As that journey begins, counselors can work with property managers and tenants to identify the most equita-

ble solutions for resolving rent issues while preserving the housing status of renters at risk. Nonprofit counselors are also able to direct renters toward other resources in their community for support addressing matters like food insecurity, job skills training, and affordable access to healthcare. The combined result brings tenants and property managers together to lift renters out of crisis while helping stabilize the rental housing market.

More information about the impact of nonprofit credit and rental counseling can be found by visiting the NFCC website.

Rebecca Steele Former President and CEO of NFCC

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Vol 10 / Issue 2 Technology Human Balance®

TABLE of

CONTENTS Access to Capital 5 Renters in Post-pandemic America Continue to Struggle by Rebecca Steele

2021 NAWRB Leadership Awards

Leadership

NDILC in The News

Real Estate 10

My Perspective on PropTech by Allan Dalton

Profile The Invisible Veteran: A Day in The Life of the Forgotten Female Marine by Erica G. Courtney

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

20 8

sheCenter(fold) 26

NDILC's Twelve Leadership Principles

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36 42 44

Technology Preparing for a Ransomware Attack by Indira Cameron-Banks The Four Industrial Revolutions Infographic

Government Kellie's Korner

Business Ownership 46 What Could Possibly Go Wrong? Common Pitfalls for Real Estate Professionals, and What to Do about ThemPart 1 by John Torvi

Media

Your Guide to Effective Conflict Resolution by Tami Bonnell

Aging Population 52 Life Extension: What Does it Mean for Humanity's Future

Quality of Life 56 Brandix – Engaging with Communities for a Better Tomorrow by Shiraz Omar

Changing the Lives of India's Children by Akshaya Patra Foundation USA

Moments by Dina Saoudi

Leadership

Erica Courtney

Erica Courtney led Division COVID response planning, policy, and training efforts for Task Force McCoy. She helped over 13,000 Afghan refugees and implemented an emergency center for women and children and educational programming so that the women and children would get the proper care and support they need during resettlement. Starting March of 2022, she will be serving as a Military Strategist for the United States Forces Korea (USFK) and will provide assessments and recommendations to senior military and civilian decision-makers related to national security, develop key policy documents, plans, and strategy for a theater of operations.

Tami Bonnell Tami Bonnell was named Co-Chair of EXIT Realty Corp. International in September of 2021. Since her promotion, the company has grown in every sector and added 50 new offices in the past 6 months. In addition, she has been named one of the 200 Most Powerful and Influential People in Residential Real Estate and one of the Top 10 Women Leaders by industry trend-watcher Stefan Swanepoel.

Teresa Palacios Smith Teresa Palacios Smith recently spoke at the 2022 Georgia Women in Leadership Symposium with the theme “Paragon of Womanhood: Restoration, Reintegration & Reemergence.” She was a Special Guest on the Sales and Marketing Power Hour about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in November. She also continues her podcast, “Women Who Lead,” which is on Spotify, Apple, Google, Stitcher and more.

About NDILC The NDILC is dedicated to raising the number of women leaders and growing women's employment and empowerment at all levels in the housing ecosystem. The Council, composed of senior executive women, works diligently towards gender equality and obtaining equality opportunity for women across America. To learn more about the NDILC, please visit www.NAWRB.com/NDILC.

Who do you know that is a perfect NDILC fit?

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My Perspective on Proptech By Allan Dalton There exists an undeclared war being waged between real estate high touch and real estate high tech, or proptech. To the investors who are pouring billions of dollars into proptech companies, high touch may very well become the casualty of this epic battle. To simply assert that there is not a battle, as high tech and high touch will and must, operate in concert to this author, is naive. The question isn’t whether these two phenomena, continue to mesh, but rather what will be the proportional significance of each to both consumers and real estate professionals. Behaviorists perpetually conjecture over the proportional importance surrounding both heredity and environment. Although the influence either heredity and environment are somewhat immutable, this may not be the case for how the ultimate balance is struck between high tech and high touch value. Especially within a specific real estate related context. I believe that real estate professionals would be well advised to carefully monitor the equilibrium being established between high tech and high touch, and its trajectory. Tipping the scales towards high tech, in my view, beyond the unprecedented investments being made into the proptech sector, are the unresolved challenges that our transaction-to-transaction real estate industry faces, for which the industry may not be prepared.

“The ultimate question is, what should be the proper balance, from a real estate perspective, between high tech and high touch?” The ultimate question is, what should be the proper balance, from a real estate perspective, between high tech

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and high touch? To answer that question, one must resolve how much do real estate consumers truly value the human skills, human engagement, and the prospect of their lifelong relationship with their real estate agent.

“The question isn’t whether these two phenomena, continue to mesh, but rather what will be the proportional significance of each to both consumers and real estate professionals.” Moreover, how resonant, and how valued are real estate trusted advisors, when juxtaposed with the allure of antiseptic, algorithmic and AI results. Those algorithms supported by artificial intelligence will further fuel information technology systems. Systems, that will propel proptech in the form of I Buyer programs, 3D virtual tours, community mapping, predictive data, drone utilization, deeper property historical data, recommended negotiating strategies, high tech appraisals, paperless transactions, and a host of other high informational technological innovations. Unquestionably, the ever-increasing range of examples where machine and deep learning-based AI becomes more popularized and consumer demanded, will only grow, especially in a postcovid hybrid lifestyle environment. I may not be right, but I am convinced, that one of the reasons that explains the industry’s lack of a greater strategic plan to influence the aforementioned balance between high tech and high touch, has to do with the definition of the

Real Estate “potential” disrupter. That would be, the words artificial intelligence. After all, considering that the most common synonyms for the word artificial are false, contrived, inferior and pretend, how much of a threat could “artificial” intelligence ever be to the human relational intelligence of a real estate professional? With a name like artificial intelligence, why would the real estate industry ever be fearful of their future value?…..thus bring it on! LOL. Perhaps if the reference of this partial disrupter to real estate related human intelligence was differently named, then the industry would be more prepared. How about superior intelligence, less expensive intelligence, more trustworthy intelligence, or real estate value disruptive intelligence, versus the benign and cryptic AI characterization, then the real estate industry would become better prepared. I realize that nothing I think or write could ever remotely slowdown the ever-emerging use of technology across the entire residential, commercial, property management, and real estate investor landscape.

“...the industry’s lack of a greater strategic plan to influence the aforementioned balance between high tech and high touch, has to do with the definition of the “potential” disrupter.” No one in real estate or the world in general, for that matter, possesses a finger large enough to plug the hole in any dike that seeks to slow down the inevitability of emerging technology, especially information technology, or proptech, which delivers greater levels of convenience, data security, predictive data and transparency surrounding transactions and lifestyle related data and information. All of which leads to a more empowered consumer.

Accordingly, the only area which I believe anyone in real estate, or any professional field can impact will be on the integration of property tech with professional skill and value. In order to achieve the proper counterbalancing required to countervail the massive disproportionate value of machine technology/intelligence over human intelligence in years to come, will require more than merely blending the objectivity of AI or 2001 Hal with the subjectivity of agent Al. The proper balance must begin by first resolving the real estate industry’s collectivized inability to better socialize and promulgate its full and contextualized human value withing the real estate spectrum. To that end, not that I consider myself a futurist, here are my six suggestions on how the industry might better combine proptech with high touch, and artificial intelligence with human intelligence.

1. Value must exceed image. The refrain that “image is everything” will not preemptively inoculate the real estate industry at large from a high-tech imbalance. Clearly, the real estate industry is prodigiously photoshopped, resplendently dressed, invented personal promotion, has been writing its own reviews for fifty years (all positive), and real estate parking lots are brimming with BMWs and a litany of other luxury sedans. When it comes to value, there will be a challenge from proptech as many consumers already perceive a real estate transaction as a fee inflated event which they must subsidize in order to promulgate and inefficiently run industry. The real estate industry, although fees are all negotiable, is vulnerable to the diminution of fees in general if consumers expect transactional and machine-driven efficiencies to drive down their costs and how they individually believe agent value. NAWRB MAGAZINE |

Purchase Today!

tinyurl.com/2020WHER

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2020 NAWRB WHER: Real Estate

5. The Market Does Not Determine What Homes Sell For. If much of the industry continues to be educated, or catastrophically coached, that the market or the buyer unilaterally determines what a home sells for, then the single greatest value that a real estate professional represents to the public, will remain categorically truncated. Such self-imposed value minimization will leave the industry even more vulnerable to the ever-ascending role of information technology. Technology that will guarantee greater transactional and facilitative efficiency. The real estate industry must evolve to the collective understanding that the market or the buyer only influences the price for which a home sells and does not unilaterally determine this result. Borrowing the description of how the commodity or stock market functions, not only accounts for these professionals monumentally lower fees, but also suppresses what Christy Budnick refers to as real estate’s most “invaluable” skills… marketing, networking, staging, merchandising, negotiating, and managing human relationships.

2. Seek Engine Optimization Must Complement Search Engine Optimization. The reason I coined the term “seek engine optimization” which to me describes proptech platforms like Adwerx and Chalk Digital, is because almost all search related technology leads to lead gen, and what I refer to as the payment of real estate tariffs. To the contrary, technology that inserts real estate professionals in a proactive hyper-local and strategic fashion, advances greater value and stimulates relationships before, during, and after real estate transactions.

3. Evolving from Serving to Representing Communities. These two different terms should speak for themselves, and I will leave to the reader how to comprehensively accomplish this, as our research and development and marketing teams are doing just that for our networks.

4. Converting Data Bases to Client Bases. I could possess the largest data base in all of real estate by purchasing the voter registration lists for both political parties, and in so doing, I could walk through the national convention as proud as a peacock, but with a data base alone, in five years I could end up as a feather duster. Like all of my concepts, our developmental teams, under the leadership of Christy Budnick, our CEO, is working on developing this proptech enabled program for our network.

6. We Must Do More to Embrace Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity. To quote the past President of NAHREP, and the Sr Vice President of Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity, for both Home Services of America and Berkshire Hathaway Home Service, Teresa Palacios Smith, “How can our industry define itself as high touch or relational, unless this also means reaching out and including all people?” I agree with Teresa as ironically, not only will proptech instantaneously provide consumers with more advanced data and information 24/7, enjoying in a sense, a relational advantage over humans, but also artificial intelligence, given its objective purity, does not subjectively discriminate or stratify people through unconscious bias. In other words, all inhumanity must be removed from human inhumanity must be removed from human intelligence. While there is not one, or even six, measures that will completely countervail the potential of information technology reducing the perceived value, or even partially replacing real estate professionals, at the very least, these are some of the measures which I respectfully recommend. Again, I suggest, there is nothing artificial about artificial intelligence. It is as real as real estate itself and proptech must complement and be used in conjunction with high touch for the benefit of consumers, clients, and real estate professionals.

Allan Dalton

Sr, VP Research and Development HomeServices of America & Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

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Profile

The Invisible Veteran: A Day in The Life of the Forgotten Female Marine by Erica G. Courtney

September 2021, Vermont She sits in the dark corner with her notepad, pen, and comfort dogs as she breathes heavily, disconnected from the world. She hands her notebook to me with a list of items to do to help her feel safe. I read it and recite the words she has posed. “You are OK and you are safe,” while following the direction to squeeze her hand. She looks to me with an empty gaze in her eyes. In a trance in which she is longing to be snapped out of. How did she get to this point and why? Where is her voice and why has she not been heard for years? Her name is Stephanie and through my journey with her, I found her to be one of the strongest, most resilient people I have ever met. Her story is as long as it is complex. To really understand the bigger picture and how she fits within, you must first look to the data. Military service increases the risk of mental and physical health problems as veterans have significantly elevated rates of suicide, psychiatric and physical illness, including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance abuse and obesity compared with civilian populations. Veterans also face higher rates of unemployment, homelessness, and divorce.

"The most vulnerable are veterans under 34 years of age and women veterans are often viewed as the

‘Invisible Veteran’. "

How about the difference between female to male veterans?

• Women are 3x more

likely to commit suicide than non-military men, male veterans are 2x more likely. • 81% male workforce participation vs. 61% for women veterans • Women veterans suffer 2x-3x PTSD and Depression rates over male veterans • Homelessness for males at 5% of the total population and 10% for females • 74% of female veterans say the public does not recognize their service • About 1 in 3 women seen in VA respond “yes” when screened for Military Sexual Trauma (MST) • Women are given lower VA claim ratings (10-30%) than men (70-100%)

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The numbers are alarming on so many levels but let’s start with comparing the population of women veterans to non-women veterans in the U.S. • 3x the unemployment level • 3x more likely to experience homelessness & poverty • 23% are divorced vs. 12% It is not all doom and gloom. Once past the critical ‘three-year’ transition mark, they often outperform their civilian counterparts in business, educational attainment, running for and winning public office and volunteering, making their communities safer. There are over 42,000 organizations set up to help veterans and their families, but statistics show that no matter how much money or how many new organizations pop up daily, the problems they face are intensifying. It is imperative we take a holistic approach and avoid passing them around as they often get lost in the system. Intentions may be well meaning but what I witnessed with Stephanie, was a person that kept getting referred out only to encounter barrier after barrier keeping her from attaining the help she needed. It was a travesty and people need to know that for every one we hear about, there are thousands we do not. A lesser person would have given up years ago, but Stephanie keeps going. Trying. How did I, a Commissioner from California representing women and girls in the state and a woman veteran myself, get entangled in this? The usual story-a friend of a friend reached out and said a Marine needed help. I have heard every story over the years but when I took Stephanie’s call, I had a hard time keeping up and something in my gut said I needed to 16

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get on a plane the next day and fly to Vermont. That is exactly what I did. The injustices this woman has faced from her initial basic training days to today are astronomical. From being raped early on and threatened to keep her mouth shut or her career was over to abusive relationships, massive weight gain, alcohol abuse, coping with being a young single parent, mental illness and eventually homelessness during the pandemic. What is striking here is that yes, we can view her as a victim of societal failures on many levels, but we can’t ignore the fact that she recognized she was on a bad path, put herself through nursing school, became a physical trainer focused on nutrition and strength training, currently holds a record in Vermont for lifting, and got her dishonorable discharge overturned to receive benefits from Veterans Affairs. End of story with a happy ending, right? No. This is where it gets interesting and where I come in. Finally, she is going to get help and the VA is her first stop. Disaster. In a nutshell she is told, if you were a male veteran, you would have access to two-year transitional housing which includes three meals a day, transportation, mental health, employment services and more. But, sorry, we have nothing for women veterans like that in the state. There simply are not enough of you. We also have very limited funds and may only be able to give you a voucher for a few days to a local hotel. But what we can do for you, they say, is offer you some extra blankets and pillows so you are more comfortable living out of your truck over the winter. Oh, and lastly, there is a two-year wait for mental health services but here is a prescription for 17 -medications until then. Are you kidding me! Nope. I have a voice and I am going to use it to give a voice to what may become one of the

strongest advocates in Vermont on women veterans’ issues. This is not OK; thus, I am now on a plane headed east. I immediately rallied my network of other Commissioners in California, and my first stop would be the Vermont Women’s Commission. I rented a B&B in VT and had Stephanie and the dogs meet me there. I walked in, unsure of how this was going to go, and we connected through the night, having obtained better insight into her journey. She was so happy to have a bed, a shower and to be able to do dishes. It was heartbreaking but also a window into the change that is coming. The next morning, we met with three key women from the Vermont Women’s Commission, and they were blown away by her story, the discriminatory practices in the law, funding and dug into the barriers she faced. She now had three more advocates making calls to the Women’s Caucus, Bernie Sander’s office, NGOs and more.

Lisa, the VT Chair, even began looking for places for Stephanie as we wanted her off the streets. It was beautiful how they rallied. Next day, Veterans Affairs, and I was ready to kick down some doors. Stephanie, however, faced a lot of triggers upon entry into the building and often gets panic attacks as she does not see the VA as an advocate for her. She had to know every exit and walked through at a brisk pace to get to the destination. I kept telling her she is safe, I am here, and everything will be OK. We managed to get the one person who was awful to her out of the picture, and she was now NAWRB MAGAZINE |

Onto a local nonprofit after dealing with the VA, Friends of Veterans. They were initially turned off by Stephanie as she comes across strong and aggressive but when we met with a volunteer in person it was magical. Pat has a father who served in Vietnam and a brother who served in the Gulf war, both suffering from PTSD. His kindness, patience and compassion towards Stephanie brought me to tears. This is a small organization, and they struggle to fundraise, but were the only ones who gave instant results. She was given gas and food gift cards and they said they were going to help her with a pre-approval security deposit letter so she could get some financial relief. They came through on their promise and it was a beautiful thing to watch. The moral of this story, big government is not solving problems no matter how much money they get, but a group of strong compassionate women Commissioners and a small group of NGO volunteers made change happen. dealing directly with the supervisor who was amazing. Meghan understood Stephine gets overwhelmed with applications and listened to her story ensuring that she would get the one-on-one service she needed. She arranged meetings off site, outside of the VA at a coffee shop with Rachel, another VA rep who knew landlords in the area and made it her mission to get Stephanie shelter. See the theme here: Stephanie is untrusting of many men and women made her feel much more at ease. Take notice VA. They confirmed that there is in fact no housing for women vets as well as limited funds for temporary shelter offering a few nights in a hotel. Again, we can do better. Stephanie was extremely proactive but here are the things she faced and undoubtedly, other women face and can’t get the help they deserve. Because Stephanie has a service dog it eliminates her from most state housing options. Also, because she has an income, which is directly related to her service-connected disability, she does not qualify for shelters. Thirdly, she is a woman-based solely on gender, she has no options provided by the VA. Lastly, she is homeless and has no address to put on applications and landlords do not want anyone that was homeless in their places. To complicate things further, her son is now 15 and if she leaves Vermont, there goes any state support, so she is bound to find a place in a market where there is simply limited inventory. 18

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End of day, Friday. I was feeling great; the balls were moving, and Stephanie had a voice now that people were listening to. However, it should not have taken a stranger with a bit of clout to give voice to a hero. That should be powerful enough in its own right, but it is not. For the one we see, there are thousands we do not and lose every day to suicide, addiction, and mental illness. Stephanie and I decided to go on a hike-get into nature and clear our heads. Upon pulling into the park, Stephanie snapped at me and was panicking. She voiced she needed five minutes to process. OK. I am not a therapist and was a bit annoyed at her but took a deep breath and gave her the space. She ran, barefoot to the creek and sat in it with her dogs. Water. Then she came up and was a different person. I wanted to know what that was about, and she let me know that she has been homeless for seven months, kicked out of her apartment during COVID as her landlord lost her job and needed her house. She has been isolated. Alone. Little activity. Lives in fear of sexual assault nightly. She expressed that the last few days moved at a rapid pace, and it was very hard for her. I knew this may be coming out so the first night I gave her options to stay in her truck, sit outside or call in if she was uncomfortable. She declined and wanted to be strong. She was very strong. She kept up with me and that is hard to do so it is understandable she

was trying to process going from zero help to a state behind her. We hiked. We talked. We connected. This trip was just as valuable for me. I work at the national or state level and getting into the tactical, grassroots level is so important to reignite my passion to keep going. To keep advocating and doing. Living in her shoes even for a few days alerted me to start really digging in my own state, California, and they know I am coming with vigor ensuring what happened in Vermont is not happening in my state. Meetings are set with CalVet and the VA and I am hopeful about what we can do to identify barriers women veterans face in order to protect those that equally served our nation in uniform. While some argue we simply do not have enough women veterans in the state of Vermont, I argue against this premise. Vermont has nearly 4,000 women veterans and through 2045, this number is expected to increase slightly year over year while the male veteran population is expected to decrease from 36,000

to 18,000. By 2045, women veterans will make up 23% of the entire Vermont population. In California, we have more veterans than any other state and like Vermont, by 2034, while the female veteran population rises to 15% of the total veteran population, male veteran population will decrease by 4.6%. Currently we have over 150,000 female veterans in the state and make up about 11% of all veterans compared to 10% nationally. Total veterans in the U.S. as of September 2019 was 19.2M and the total number of women veterans is 1.9M with Texas, Florida, California, Virginia, and Georgia topping the list. Numbers tell a story, but it is important to really ‘hear’ an actual story. To feel anger, joy, disgust and yearn for justice. Numbers don’t convey that emotion and this country should get emotional about the topic surrounding the lack of access on so many levels to women that served their country. Abraham Lincoln once said that we can judge a country on how it treats those who bore the brunt of freedom. How are we doing? We can certainly do better.

" I am happy to report Stephanie has recently moved into an apartment and will be getting her now 15-year-old son back shortly. She is managing clients as a personal trainer and is nesting trying to adjust the best she can. She now has space to process. She may not be ready to lead the effort just yet for other women veterans in Vermont but mark my words, give her time. She will be fierce.

After all, she is a Marine. "

Erica G. Courtney

President, Zulu Time, Founder 2020 Vet, U.S. Army Aviation, Major NATO Gender Advisor

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NDILC’s Twelve Women Leadership Principles NAWRB’s Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Council (NDILC) introduced their Twelve Women Leadership Principles in 2020, which they collectively created to help women in the work force become more effective leaders at any stage of their careers, and empower other women to reach their full potential. This is a universal guide for all levels of leadership, and any woman can benefit from applying them.

1. Acknowledge Trailblazers: Know and learn from the women who came before you. We are all standing on the shoulders of giants.

Hosted by Erica Courtney “If you work hard, you will get to where you need to be. Sometimes it just requires a little bit more fight to pave your path.” “Trailblazers help us see how to open doors, how to think differently, and how to break the social stigma.” “You can be a badass and still lead with love.”

2. Keep Achieving: Effective leaders always keep learning. There is always something to learn and improve upon.

Hosted by Kellie Aamodt “Achieving isn’t just in the workplace. Achieving is a lifelong mission.” “If you are passionate about something, it will get you through the tough times.” “When you’re up there in your element, the sky is the limit.”

3. Believe: Whatever the mind can conceive, it can achieve. Hosted by Teresa Palacios Smith “When you tell a child they can do it, they believe they can do it because of you.” “When you think of Keep Achieving and being a Trailblazer, so much of it starts with that belief.” “People feel the best about themselves when they do something they didn’t know they could.” 20

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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

4. Pass the Torch: Give opportunities to future generations of women. Your legacy will be the people you help along the way. Hosted by Tami Bonnell “When you’re in an environment of trust, you’re willing to take risks to grow.” “When you’re younger, you want to be like one of the guys. You don’t want to be different. The older you get, you realize you are different.” “Moving in and making change happen is one thing. Being patient with change is another thing.” “Make it your own personal mission to create and do what you want to do.”

5. Know Yourself: Be authentic and lead in a way that is true to you. Own your unique talents and strengths, and empower those around you.

Hosted by Marcia Davies “Knowing yourself is having the confidence to surround yourself with different perspectives.” “When your values are in alignment with your head and your heart, you can hang on to self-discipline and passion.” “Go after what YOU think you want to be.” “People won’t follow inauthentic leaders. When you build teams, you’ve got to make sure they trust you.”

6. Speak Out: Unconscious bias is present, but ignoring it only perpetuates it. Take a stand and speak out.

Hosted by Desirée Patno “You have to share the mic and hear what others have to say.” “When you address a scenario, take into mind that there are always three sides to every story.” “Smart businesses understand that diverse employee populations build products that appeal to diverse communities.” “Don’t let things build up. Have the conversation so you have a chance to build a bridge and not a wall.” NAWRB MAGAZINE |

7. Listen: Never assume anything about anyone. Everyone has their own story that makes them who they are.

Hosted by Tasha Liniger “Hearing is an ability. Listening is a skill... It’s a sensory ability. You have ears to hear, but listening is through the mind.” “It’s so important to really actively listen. Most people are so excited about having a conversation or wanting to matter.” “It is really powerful to open yourself up first. That’s a good way to encourage honesty. “

8. Be Present: Sharing your time is one of the most valuable gifts you can give. Do it with intention by truly being present.

Hosted by Tami Bonnell “The present is a gift, so don’t always look behind and regret your choice.” “It’s so important for us to be in the present and realize that everybody has faults, and everybody is trying to get somewhere. And if we are present, we can actually help them get to where they want to be.” “Sharing your time is one of the most valuable gifts you can give. Do it with intention by truly being present.” “You need to be present and spend the time right here, right now.”

9. Prepare for the Future: Women with advanced skills today will be ready for tomorrow’s challenges.

Hosted by Dr. Chitra Dorai

“All of us have dreams, a vision.”

“Luck favors the one who is best prepared.” “That’s why we don’t say prepare for YOUR future. We say prepare for THE future. It’s the future of everyone, not just your future or my future.” “You have to be able to get past those obstacles and be able to take bad situations and turn them into something positive.”

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10. Lead by Example: Inclusion isn’t enough. Press for parity and strive for excellence in everything

Hosted by Dr. Chitra Dorai “Seldom do we really get to see the pictures of the leaders who are leading by example who are doing the right thing, and there are many of them.” “Leading by example definitely means standing up for your team when things get tough.” “You’ve got to be that example in every facet of your life.” “You don’t always have to be the expert. There are times where you have to say ‘you know what. I’ve never done this before.’”

11. Be Accountable: For yourself, for your community, for your planet. Hosted by Desirée Patno “Really knowing yourself so that you can be accountable makes a huge difference.” “You want to make sure you’re following that course until you’re successful.” “I choose to work with companies that are trying to do good by the planet, or by the people.” “When you’re passionate about something, you’re going to stick with it, and you’re going to take responsibility for it.”

12. Build Equality: Empower women every day to achieve an equal playing field. Hosted by Erica Courtney “I am valuable to the organization, and therefore you should also compete equally and provide equal access to the opportunities that I know my male counterparts are getting.” “Equity is about having the opportunity like anyone else to be able to do something that everyone else can do.” “How are we supposed to have equity or equality if we’re not even given it from everything we buy to all our financing terms.” NAWRB MAGAZINE |

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2020 NAWRB WHER: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Thank you to our NDILC Board!

Watch them all on our YouTube channel: tinyurl.com/NDILCYouTube Follow us on Social Media! NAWRB.com | Instagram @NAWRB Facebook: @NAWRB | LinkedIn: @Women in the Housing & Real Estate Ecosystem (NAWRB) NAWRB MAGAZINE |

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NAWRB Leadership Award Winners

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Women in the Housing & Real Estate Ecosystem (NAWRB) is pleased to announce the Winners of the 2021 NAWRB Leadership Awards! This year’s award theme is Technology Human Balance® as we recently marked eighteen months since our transition to the realm of digital interfaces and virtual work. Although the pandemic affected everyone worldwide, these women leaders showed tenacity, adaptability, and strong leadership through it all in the Housing & Real Estate Ecosystem.

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Suha Beidas Zehl Founder and President Z Technology Solutions

Suha Zehl is an award-winning executive leader who has over 35 years of experience in various industries including financial services, mortgage lending, technology, business intelligence, and higher education. She is the Chief Innovation Officer at Blackfin Group and the Founder/President of her own consulting firm, Z Technology Solutions. In addition to serving as a Certified Delegate with Women in the Housing and Real Estate Ecosystem (NAWRB), Suha also serves on the Board of Directors for Women with Vision, the Board of Governors for the National Association of Minority Mortgage Bankers of America (NAMMBA) and is a Visionary Ambassador with NAMMBA. Suha is a regular contributor to various industry magazines including Mortgage Women Magazine and The Vision Magazine. She also frequently publishes articles on several social media platforms including LinkedIn. Suha is a sought-after speaker and podcast guest; she has appeared on stage and at virtual events, including NEXTWinter19, 2021 Mortgage Star Conference, WWV Celebrity Coach Webinar Series, NEXTSummer21, and Fintech Hunting. She has interviewed several executive leaders, including Marcia Davies, COO of MBA and Founder of mPower. Suha is also the host of her own LinkedIn series, In the Spotlight with Suha, where she shines the light on the next generation of leaders in the real estate and financial services space.

Suha is the recipient of the Women of Influence award (2021) and a Tech Trendsetter award (2019) by HousingWire, the Mortgage Star award (2021) by Mortgage Women Magazine, the NEXT Powerhouse award (2021) by NEXT Mortgage Events, the Most Powerful Women in Fintech award (2019 and 2021) by Progress in Lending, and the Woman with Vision award (2019) by Mortgage Women Magazine. Suha has also been recently recognized by Women in the Housing and Real Estate Ecosystem (NAWRB) with the Mentor Leader Award (2021). Suha is currently pursuing several certifications as a professional coach from the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC). She holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree and a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science. She is also a Project Management Certified Professional and has completed the Harvard Management Development Program. Suha speaks four languages and is an avid scuba diver, travel, and culinary enthusiast. “ The Human-Technology Balance – a puzzle that we have to solve for. We can all agree that technology has introduced new tensions as well as opportunities to help transform the way business is done. As disruption and innovation rages around us, we cannot forget to maintain a human approach to doing business. We must remember to use technology to improve human relationships; we can find ways for technology to complement, not replace, what we do. We must strive to place people, customers and employees, at the heart of everything that we do, ensuring that we are focused on solving real human problems. ”

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Monica LeBlanc is the Broker/Owner of Diamond State Realty Coop and Diamond State Property Management. She is the 2021 Vice President of the Delaware Association of Realtors, President of the Women’s Council of Realtors Sussex County Network, and President of the Dover Downtown Rotary Club. She served as the 2020 President of the Kent County Association of Realtors and was named both Kent County Realtor of the Year and Delaware Realtor of the Year in 2019. She serves as the Co-Coordinator for the motorcycle rights group ABATE of Delaware Kent County Chapter and sits on the First State Animal Shelter and SPCA board of directors.

Community service is also important to her. Monica is the 2018 recipient of the Good Neighbor Award given by the Kent County Association of Realtors. Licensed since 2005, Monica holds several Real Estate designations including being a GRI which is a Graduate of the Real Estate Institute. Throughout her career, she has always believed that education in the industry is the key to her success. Monica has helped guide new Realtors to become successful, no matter what company they work under. Her own agents have also followed in her footsteps, winning the Good Neighbor Award the Num quo dit velluptasi que voloritium iuspast exerspereium officie quafour years in asolo row. molendendi Sales have always beennimporumquo a passion as she dolorum was the first woman Broker/Owner, State car salesperson tionsedic totatisDiamond sequossunt peruptatur?Tempore recupta non re num aut et odignie nescit haruptissit eius ra in 1980 at the young age of 18, opening the doors for other women volorestiur, sitatem volore repudis eius, aut et officabo. Itatemq uossit ommolup taquatet expla con rero beat to get into that industry. Monica is the go-to gal when it comes to Real Estate and Realty Cooperative LLC plaborum ratiani doloribus, im nos eum Property res asseManager doluptas autemporemod exera sed qui aut autem issues and is a provenmin leader in her industry. Inratur her spare time, she enjoys boating and quid spending timesequia with her two children. ea venepudita tempore est arum quia andusam nonsed quam corehen ihiligent, ut quodis ma

Monica LeBlanc

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L d ead r a o

Neely Tamminga

CEO & Chief Whiteboard Artist, DISTILL

XXXXXX Neely Tamminga is CEO and co-founder of DISTILL - a strategic advisory services company to CEOs and board directors in the consumer sector. Since co-founding DISTILL in 2017, Neely has helped CEOs form better strategies for growth in the apparel, home furnishings, media, e-commerce, beauty, and food industries. Though each engagement differs in its needs, actions, and initiatives, the approach remains the same: creative collaboration, expert research, and swift deliverables easily synthesized by leadership teams for actionable ideas while also presenting board-ready solutions aligned with key stakeholders. Prior to launching DISTILL, Neely had a successful 20-year career on Wall Street as a managing director and senior research analyst covering the consumer sector. During her career, Neely led the consumer research practice as a Group Head at Piper Jaffray, a growth-company investment bank. In addition to ongoing research responsibilities for more than 30 companies during her tenure, Neely helped develop and lead the longest, consistently running, longitudinal consumer survey project in the United States of teen research consumption behaviors called, “Taking Stock with Teens.” While serving as a research analyst, Neely helped more than a dozen companies move their statuses from

privately held to publicly traded by participating in their initial public offerings. A few of these highlighted companies include Wayfair, Bare Essentials, Ulta Beauty, Vera Bradley, and Coty. Beyond the initial public offering process, notable research coverage included Nordstrom, Williams-Sonoma, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Urban Outfitters. Key career awards include top sell-side analyst in The Wall Street Journal Best on the Street analyst survey in 2006 and 2011 for coverage in broad line and apparel retailers. In 2010, FT/Starmine ranked Neely No. 2 in Stock Picking for her 2009 coverage in Specialty Retail. In 2009, FT/ Starmine ranked Neely No. 2 Industry Estimator for her 2008 coverage in Personal Products. In 2007, Neely was named by Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal as a 40 Under Forty award winner. Neely has also received recognition by Institutional Investor magazine for her coverage in the apparel & footwear, department stores, and hardlines retailing sectors. Frequently quoted in the media and featured on such channels as CNBC, Bloomberg, and Fox Business News, Neely is considered an expert in consumer behavior and the retail industry.

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Since DISTILL’s launch in 2017, Neely has co-authored more than 30 whitepapers, articles, and research studies on the consumer economy, consumer behavior, and the competitive landscape for retailers and brands. A frequent keynote speaker, Neely has presented multiple times at companies and organizations including Google, ShopperTrak, Tyco Retail Solutions, Turnaround Management Association, and more. In 2020, Neely debuted as a TEDx speaker with the launch of her talk about the graying of the U.S. economy titled, “Let’s Shape an Economy that Values Connection Over Consumption.”

Shelia Matuscak CEO & Co Founder CoeoSpace

Sheila is the Founder & CEO of CoeoSpace (pronounced co-ee-oh). CoeoSpace is a free and open platform where Landlords and Brokers can supercharge their leasing and sales efforts. Occupiers find your space through our custom-matching algorithm. Landlords and Brokers can then boost their listing’s reach to decision-makers by 1000x via Google, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram with the Promote Space services. Sheila is a commercial real estate veteran and launched CoeoSpace, an open data platform company, in 2019 with the vision of using technology to bring digital tools, transparency and efficiency to the commercial real estate industry. Sheila has 25 years of experience working in all aspects of commercial real estate including brokerage, development, investment and now CRE tech. She most recently was a Managing Partner of Cresa Global prior to launching CoeoSpace. Sheila is a licensed real estate broker in the State of Illinois and she is a member of CREW (Commercial Real Estate Executive Women), The Economic Club of Chicago, The Urban Land Institute and is a longtime sponsor of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award program. She is also on the advisory board of the Youth Impact Program at Northwestern University and on the Chicago Board of CareerSpring. Sheila received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree in Finance at Saint Mary’s College in South Bend, Indiana and an MBA degree from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Business. NAWRBMAGAZINE MAGAZINE | | 29 29 NAWRB

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As Vice President of Real Estate Operations for the San Diego Housing Commission (SDHC), Jennifer McKinney oversees the agency’s Property Management department. Ms. McKinney is responsible for the administration of various affordable housing programs, as well as the day-to-day maintenance operations for more than 2,000 units of affordable-housing owned by SDHC.

Jennifer McKinney Vice President, Property Management, San Diego Housing Commission

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Patty Arvielo

Co-Founder & President New American Funding

She has more than 25 years of real estate management experience, including commercial and multifamily properties. Her areas of expertise include property repositioning, rehabilitation, financial management, budgeting and forecasting, and employee development. Prior to joining SDHC, she worked in real estate management in the private sector. Ms. McKinney has a bachelor’s degree from Point Loma Nazarene University and holds a certification in Real Estate Finance, Investment and Development from the University of San Diego.

Patty Arvielo is the President and Co-Founder of New American Funding. She is a champion of diversity and inclusion who creates and maintains a supportive, inclusive work environment for all. She is a passionate mentor who believes in inspiring and guiding younger generations to find the own success in business and in life. Patty Arvielo has been a leader in the mortgage industry for nearly 40 years. She has worked her way up from the bottom rung and gained extensive knowledge of the entire industry along the way. Over the course of her career, she functioned in a variety of capacities, from underwriting to processing to her current role as Co-Founder and President of New American Funding. A first-generation Hispanic American, Arvielo learned the value of hard work from her mother, who built a successful cleaning business in California. At age 16, Arvielo entered the workforce with an entry-level clerical position at TransUnion Credit. From there, she landed a job at a prominent mortgage company, where she would rise through the ranks from a clerical loan opener all the way to branch manager to assistant vice president. Living by the credo “with risk comes reward,” she and her husband Rick Arvielo launched their own mortgage company in 2003. In the years since, Arvielo has

transformed New American Funding into one of the largest independent mortgage lenders in the U.S., one that helps tens of thousands of families achieve the dream of homeownership every year. In fact, New American Funding is now the largest Latina-owned private mortgage company in the nation, appearing on Inc. 5000’s list of Fastest Growing Companies in America six times. But Arvielo’s company isn’t only defined by its size. Thanks to Arvielo’s dedication to creating an inclusive and encouraging environment, New American Funding has also become one of the best places to work in the entire country. Arvielo and New American Funding recognize the importance of diversity and inclusion. As a result, New American Funding is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture that respects and appreciates differences among employees, whether those differences are in ethnicity, gender, race, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, education, or religion. Arvielo has also driven New American Funding to become an industry leader in lending to minorities. In that spirit, Arvielo established the company’s Latino Focus and New American Dream initiatives to improve the lending experiences of Hispanic and Black home buyers, respectively. Those initiatives have led New American Funding to far exceed all other large lenders in lending to minority borrowers. As a result, Arvielo is a coveted national voice on lending to minority communities, frequently advising federal and state lawmakers, federal and state regulators, governmental agencies, other large lenders, and much more on this critically important issue. Arvielo’s work both at New American Funding and as an advisor has earned her numerous national awards from prominent organizations and media outlets, including being recognized in 2016 by Ernst and Young as an EY Entrepreneur of The Year® for Orange County

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Lisa Morales-Hellebo Co Founder/General Partner, REFASHIOND Ventures

XXXXXX Lisa is a VC, Entrepreneur, and Fashion Tech Community Catalyst. She is Co-Founder and GP of REFASHIOND Ventures, CEO and Co-foundner of REFASHIOND OS (rOS) and is Co-founder of the Worldwide Supply Chain Federation. Lisa Morales-Hellebo is passionate about helping fashion tech and supply chain startups achieve industry adoption, growth, and scale. As a VC, seasoned entrepreneur, product strategist, and community builder, Lisa knows what it takes to spot and coach a winning team — backed by 25 years of working with startups to F500s on strategy and execution across branding, product development, and innovation. Lisa takes R&D seriously and is currently co-founder of REFASHIOND OS (rOS), a startup that is building a network of on-demand apparel Microfactories across the USA and its public marketplace, ASSEMBLY.fashion. She is also co-founder of The Worldwide Supply Chain Federation, an organization that is changing how supply chain professionals learn about, collaborate, and adopt supply chain innovation around the world. The New York Supply Chain Meetup is its founding chapter, attracting hundreds of attendees from around the globe to its monthly events.

Lisa has co-founded and is general partner of REFASHIOND Ventures — an NYC-based, early-stage supply chain technology venture fund that invests in startups refashioning global supply chains. She is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University, serves on select Advisory Boards, and has been featured in numerous publications.

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Monda Raquel Webb is an award-winning author, filmmaker, and performing artist. Currently, Monda combines producing, writing, performing, and publishing under her consulting company Monda Media, LLC, where she pursues her passion for the written word, spoken word, social media, television and film under one umbrella.

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Monda Webb

CEO, Little Known Stories Production Company, LLC

After graduating with a degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Rhode Island in 1990, Monda began her production career as a traffic coordinator for CityCable 16, a municipal channel in Washington, DC. She quickly climbed the ranks and served in all aspects of production, from grip, to production assistant, to producer to on-air talent. As producer, she won awards from the National Association of Telecommunications Officers and Advisors (NATOA) for Production in several different categories. Additionally, Monda has over 25+ years of corporate, government and non-profit experience. Her specialties lie in mortgage finance, FinTech, outreach (grassroots, multicultural), partner engagement, TV/Film production, business development, content creation, (web, print, broadcast), training (development, instructor-led, instructional design), communications (b2b and b2c), and marketing Monda has led strategic communications/ marketing/training efforts for the Government, Mortgage Finance, Telecommunications and IT Industries. By nature, Monda is a super-connector and has spent years building and sustaining relationships with people in the government, non-profit and for-profit sectors.

Monda established Little Known Stories Production Company, LLC as the production arm of Monda Media in 2014. In 2015, Monda wrote, directed and produced her calling card to the film industry, “Zoo (Volkerschau)”, a short film about the last known human zoo at the 1958 World Fair in Brussels, Belgium. Zoo has won 11 U.S. and International Film Festival Awards, including awards from Spain and Indonesia, for “Best Short (film)”, “Best Script”, “Excellence Award”, “Best International Short” and other categories. Monda’s sophomore film “Pooch Sitter”, a film about a quirky pet-sitter who seeks love and affection from other people’s dogs in an untraditional way, is currently on the film festival circuit. This modern-day Goldilocks-ish tale is giving paws to audiences worldwide. A staunch advocate of giving back to the community, Monda is a proud member of the NAWRB Consortium, and Board Member for three non-profit organizations, which include “Wings for Joy”, “Consumer Action” and “Women in Film and Video DC (WIFV-DC),” for which she is an Executive Board Member and Treasurer.

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Jacqueline Castillo CEO, Legacy Ladies

Jacqueline Castillo is a philanthropist, visionary, author, advocate, life coach and businesswoman. She is founder and President of a not-forprofit organization called Legacy Ladies, Inc. Our mission is to be a premier organization that transforms the lives of disenfranchised girls. We foster character, confidence and grace through our academic and experiential programs; with the goal of developing extraordinary thinkers who are courageous leaders that will become productive global citizens. Legacy Ladies is celebrating their 14th anniversary and has awarded over a million dollars in in-kind offerings and financial support for their programs, Adopt-a-Family and Adopt-aSchool, with a committed board of 9 people. Jacqueline has continued the legacy of leadership by establishing an experiential leadership program called, “From the School House to The White House Leadership Academy,” which is the organization’s best practice in serving students in disenfranchised communities Jacqueline Castillo’s professional experience ranges from the capacity building at the University of North Florida to Regional Sales Manager for Nicholas Earth Printing to on-air

television talent. She is a strong advocate of community service and has served on many boards such as the Visiting Nurses Association, Jacksonville Women’s Network, and the Hubbard House. While there she coordinated and trained 75 volunteers in the recruitment of potential donors, resulting in more than 600 African-American donors within 18 months. She was appointed by the Mayor of Jacksonville, FL, to the Jacksonville Housing Authority Committee Task Force and served on the Health and Human Services Sex Education Task Force and the Conflict Resolution Committee. Jacqueline also organized and spearheaded a grassroots task force, African American Citizens for Change, designed specifically to create awareness of political and social consequences. As a result of her leadership, she has received numerous awards: “Women of the Year ” award from Assemblymember, Mike Davis, “Women Making a Difference,” the “Bernard and Shirley Kinsey Award” for the humanitarian works of Legacy Ladies, Inc., received by Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University’s (FAMU), the Meritorious Award from the NAACP Los Angeles Youth Council, recognized by the “Our Authors Study Club” for outstanding community service, recipient of the “Public Service Award” from the Ebony Guild, “Woman of the Year” award from the Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, the “Golden Glow Award” from the L.A. Chapter of Chums, Inc., Women in NAACP, “We See You Awards,” “Faith Awards,” and Biddy Mason Award for community service. Jacqueline holds a B.S. degree in Business Management from the University of Phoenix. She is married to James and they have a son, Justin, who is their pride and joy.

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Lucy Dunn

CEO, OCBC Orange County Business Council

Lucy Dunn is President and CEO of Orange County Business Council. She leads a dynamic organization of business members, working with academia and government, to ensure the county’s economic prosperity and high quality of life. Before joining OCBC, she served as Director of the California Department of Housing and Community Development under Governor Schwarzenegger, who also appointed her to the California Transportation Commission in 2008. Governor Jerry Brown reappointed her two more terms. She helped develop Orange County’s 10 Year Plan to End Homelessness and serves as a business advisor for the South Coast Air Quality Management District and Southern California Association of Governments. She is founding co-chair of the R.E.A.L. Coalition of 23 CEOs of California’s largest business organizations from San Francisco to San Diego advocating for infrastructure, education, water, and governance reform. Lucy received the California State Legislature “Woman of the Year” and an Assembly Certificate of Recognition as “person of the year.” She was the first woman president in the 80-year history of the Building Industry Association of Southern California. She serves on the boards of Pacific Symphony, Mobility 21, UCI Foundation, California Economic Summit, Homeful Foundation, Orange County Housing Trust, and Orange County Taxpayer Association.

She is the recipient of numerous honors and awards from advocacy for housing to mobility and education. In 2014, OC Register named her as one of “Orange County’s 100 Most Influential.” In 2016, the Endangered Habitats League honored her for her work in advancing the protection of habitat and cultural resources, while providing South Orange County mobility options. In 2018, Orange County Business Journal named her one of OC’s 500 Most Influential. She is an attorney, singer, world-traveler, and the mother of two sons and a remarkable daughter-in-law.

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Nancy Obando

Sr. Vice President Strategic Products & Affordable Lending Mountain West Financial Inc.

XXXXXX Nancy Obando is the Senior Vice President of Strategic Products and Affordable Lending at Mountain West Financial Inc. Through various leadership roles, Nancy learned the true importance of external public relations at the corporate level to effectively be a voice within the community and develop deep relationships with key players to maximize quality and exposure. During this journey, she discovered her passion for being an advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. As a previous President running the largest Asian based real estate organization and with current seats in the National Association of Minority Mortgage Bankers of America Los Angeles and National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Association, Nancy Obando received many awards from the City of Los Angeles, County of Los Angeles and U.S House of Representatives for her various contributions within the community. Nancy’s vision is to ensure that she and her team are enabling members of minority groups and professionals that invest time and talent in the underserved and emerging communities to establish a deep-rooted foundation to becoming leaders in the real estate, finance, and development sector. She considers being helpful an important part of her identity, holding the belief that “only when your desire to help is authentic can it reward you with new real connections and trust within the community.”

“ I am extremely honored to receive the 2021 Finance Leader award. As a Finance Leader, I believe we are a part of a cohort revitalizing the US Economy and breaking the cycle of generational renters. Now more than ever we are tasked to reset our minds to reach beyond our traditional methods of finance and communication. By doing so, we can influence for impact and sales digitally and more importantly, turn successes into a source of generational wealth for households. ”

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EXIT Realty Corp International’s Co-Chair Tami Bonnell is an internationally renowned leader in the real estate industry and was instrumental in building three major brands. Among her many achievements, she was recognized by Real Estate trend watcher, Stefan Swanepoel, three years consecutively as one of the 200 Most Powerful and Influential people in residential real estate, among the top 20 corporate executives and among the top 10 women leaders. Ms. Bonnell has been a featured speaker at the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTOR’S® convention to the Top 500 power brokers, The National Women’s Council REALTORS®, Inman News Connect Conference, and the RIS Media’s Leadership Conference. She was named to the Women in the Housing and Real Estate Ecosystem (NAWRB) National Diversity & Leadership Inclusion Council (NDILC).

Tami Bonnell

Co-Chair, Exit Realty Corp International

Ms. Bonnell was honored by STEM connector as one of its 100 Corporate Women Leaders in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). She is also the recipient of NDILC’s 2020 Diversity & Inclusion Leadership Award. Ms. Bonnell is a 30 plus year veteran of the real estate industry and joined EXIT Realty in 1999. She was appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2012 and promoted to Co-Chair in 2021. She is a wife, mother of three, and grandmother of three. In her spare time, she is a martial artist, coach and referee, an information junkie and reads over 300 books a year!

“ Technology can take over if we allow it. It is supposed to be a tool to get more done in less time, to be efficient. The difference between efficient and effective? Efficient is doing things right, effective is doing the right things. To insure close relationships and effective leadership it’s important to have real communication, not just through our devices. I try to use the time it saves to build stronger relationships. Set time aside to truly connect. Harvard business did a study on Happiness and determined strong relationships to be a key factor. Showing people you value them and that they matter is imperative for building a successful team, people grow in an atmosphere of trust, that can only be built by investing in people not just technology. ” NAWRBMAGAZINE MAGAZINE | | 33 33 NAWRB

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Mitzi Perdue

CEO, Win This Fight! Stop Human Trafficking

The organizer of Win This Fight, Stop Human Trafficking, Mitzi Perdue, is an author, speaker, and businesswoman who specialized in real estate. She holds a BA with honors from Harvard University and an MPA from George Washington University. She is a past president of the 35,000-member American Agri-Women. She’s also a former syndicated columnist for Scripps Howard and her column, The Environment and You, was the most widely syndicated environmental column in the country. Her television series, Country Magazine, was syndicated to 76 stations. She currently hosts The Pen and the Planet on EarthX TV. As a woman in real estate, she founded CERES Farms in 1974. Today it’s a second-generation commercial and agricultural real estate investment company that has owned rice fields, vineyards, and commercial and residential real estate. CERES Farms is a major supplier of wine grapes in California, and if you’ve tasted any of the following wines, you may have tasted grapes grown from her vineyards: Joel Gott, Robert Mondavi, Kendall Jackson, Gallo, McManis, Sutter Home, Diageo, and the Wine Group.

Today Mitzi is working to combat human trafficking by “cutting the head off the snake.” She’s working to combat the money laundering that enables the $150 billion human trafficking industry. As part of raising awareness about trafficking, she has published close to 100 articles on human trafficking just in the last year in outlets such as Psychology Today and Wealth Management. She’s also been on more than 100 podcasts, talking about trafficking.

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“ In recent decades the real estate management industry has evolved tremendously due to technological advancements. I have found this must be tempered with human oversight and involvement in order to yield the bestoutcome. Moreover, the approach to striking a perfect balance between technology and humans starts with analyzing the issue, the business needs, and the proposed solution. The best solutions are achieved when people and technology work in harmony. ”

CEO of Temin and Company – a boutique risk, reputation, and crisis management consultancy – Davia Temin works with some of the most talented and impactful leaders in the world, helping them to refine and strengthen their vision, voice, and market position in times of crisis and opportunity. Temin and Company specializes in ethically-based crisis, reputation, and culture management; risk assessment; and corporate governance for global companies, professional services firms, foundations, colleges and universities, and governments. During crises, Davia serves as a spokeswoman, strategist, and leadership and communications coach at the board, CEO, and executive committee levels.

Davia Temin

President & CEO, Temin and Company Incorporated

A nationally recognized writer, commentator, and coach, she has worked with literally hundreds of business and world leaders and appeared on CBS, CNN, NBC, Bloomberg, PBS, ABC, and in The Wall Street Journal, and numerous other publications and networks around the world. Prior to founding Temin and Company 23 years ago with the backing of GE, Davia headed Corporate Marketing, Crisis Management and Public Affairs for GE Capital, Schroders, Scudder, Citi Investment Bank, and Columbia Business School.

Profiled in many business and leadership books, she writes the “Reputation Matters” column for Forbes.com, is a contributor to Huffington Post, American Banker, Directors & Boards, Corporate Board Member, and Chief Executive Magazine and has written chapters on “Rebuilding Trust in the Financial Markets” for the book Trust, Inc., and on crisis leadership for Women on Board – Insider Secrets to Getting on a Board and Succeeding as a Director. An honors graduate of Swarthmore College, she attended Columbia University for her master’s degrees. She served as First Vice Chair of the Board of Girl Scouts of the USA for 9 years, and board member of Swarthmore for 11 years. She has received numerous awards, including the Woman of Power & Influence Award by the National Organization for Women and The Girl Scouts Pinnacle Award for Leadership – their highest honor.

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L n a r ea ete

XXXXXX Leora Ruzin, CMB, AMP is the Senior Vice President of Lending at Coloramo Federal Credit Union. Leora is also the Managing Editor of both “The Vision” and “Women with Vision” magazines and is currently on numerous industry Boards, including Folds of Honor. A 14-year veteran in the lending industry, Leora is incredibly passionate about spreading awareness on helping everyone achieve the American dream of financial freedom. Leora is a fierce advocate for housing finance reform and common-sense credit policy. She is the winner of numerous prestigious industry awards, including Housing Wire’s 2020 “Women of Influence,” National Mortgage Professional Magazine’s 2020 “Women of Inspiration” and is a two-time winner of the “Women with Vision” award, given by 20/20 Vision for Success coaching.

Leora Ruzin

SVP of Lending, Coloramo Federal Credit Union

An Army veteran, she understands the importance of ensuring no one is left behind, and truly feels that anything can be achieved through perseverance and teamwork. Her experience with trauma, both as a cancer survivor a a survivor of sexual and physical abuse, has given her the drive and passion to help other women find hope

and strength during similar circumstances. When Leora is not spending her time advocating for homeownership and spreading the word about the importance of investing in personal goals, she continues to expand her own knowledge through reading and attending industry workshops. Leora holds an Associate’s degree in Accounting, a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and is a veteran of the United States Army. She currently resides in Palisade, Colorado with her husband and daughter. “When I think of the term “Technology Human Balance,” I immediately recall how difficult it was to retain the credit union model of serving our members while being thrust in the craziness of a COVID-19 shelter-in-place. Out of nowhere, credit unions across the country were forced to look at their technology offerings and pivot on a dime to ensure the needs of members were being met, while shutting down our lobbies. What was born of out that crisis was the evolution of the modern-day credit union, and the building of services that were available to members from their homes, while still ensuring that access to human beings was possible … At the core of it all remains the understanding that nothing will replace the importance of human-to-human connection and collaboration. That will never go away, and for that reason alone, credit unions are here to stay.”

“ We are honored here at NAWRB to leverage our unique bandwith to connect these incredible leaders to create greater social impact with solutions”

- Desirée Patno, CEO NAWRB MAGAZINE |

Start Thinking About...

PREPARING FOR A RANSOMWARE ATTACK What is a Ransomware Attack? Ransomware attacks occur when cybercriminals use a malicious software, or “malware” to block a computer, device, electronic system and/or data from use by its owner, and then demand a ransom payment before releasing it into the owner’s control, or a payment to prevent further public disclosure of that data (e.g. exposing private data on public platform). The electronically stored data and files are encrypted and held hostage until the ransom is paid, usually in cryptocurrency -- a cheap, anonymous and quick way for criminals to move funds. The malware used to generate illicit revenue in this manner is generally referred to as ransomware. The software developers who make ransomware, will solicit another criminal actor (sometimes terrorist or state actors) interested in demanding a ransom, and typically rent out the ransomware to that actor for a cut of

the action. These two parties typically partner up with a hacker/compromiser to find a way into the target computer, device, system or data in order to launch a ransomware attack.

Do I Really Have to Be Concerned with a Ransomware Attack? YES! In 2020, an estimated 65,000 ransomware attacks occurred, eliciting over $400M in cryptocurrency payments. Notably, the victims of ransomware attacks are not only large multinational organizations. Ransomware spreads -- quickly -- to vendors and customers of larger institutions.

“In 2020, an estimated 65,000 ransomware attacks occurred, eliciting over $400M in cryptocurrency payments.” Before the malware is even discovered, individuals and small businesses that have functioned without any IT specialists, cybersecurity experts or even cyber-insurance can fall victim to a debilitating ransomware attack. If you or your business has money and a digital presence you need to be concerned about a ransomware attack. Cyber-incidents are constant: one frequently quoted statistic is that at least one cyber-attack occurs every forty seconds. If you are a victim of a ransomware attack, you will receive a notification on your computer or device describing the system, data or files that have been encrypted, or locked, and what will happen to them if you fail to make a payment as instructed by a certain time.

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Should I Pay a Ransom to Release my Own System or Data Being Held Hostage? The decision as to whether to pay the demanded ransom is not simple, and paying the demand is oftentimes not recommended. Your money is better spent investing in the preparations described below to help you withstand the almost inevitable ransomware attack. Parties launching a ransomware attack are criminals, so there is no guarantee that if you make a payment that you will receive the encryption key needed to unlock your system data, or files in return. Very often the encryption key released to the owner of the system or data held hostage doesn’t work effectively or at all, and the unlocked files or data end up being in disarray or irreparably corrupted and unusable.

“Cyber-incidents are constant: one frequently quoted statistic is that at least one cyber-attack occurs every forty seconds.” Even though you may be the victim of a ransomware attack and are simply trying to reclaim your system or data, paying the demanded ransom can trigger federal and other reporting requirements and possibly imposition of fines and penalties on you for making a payment -- even unwittingly – to certain prohibited persons or those in prohibited countries. The recent advisories issued by the US Dept. of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, signal the current trend of the federal agencies expecting the private sector to take more aggressive proactive steps to counter cyber-incidents like ransomware attack. Notwithstanding the potential penalties, any payment made in response to a ransomware attack will go to a criminal and there is a high likelihood that such funds will be used to support an organized criminal enterprise. Payment of the ransom, which is usually made by transmitting funds from the attack victim’s traditional bank account to a cryptocurrency exchange, can be

“...paying the demanded ransom can trigger federal and other reporting requirements and possibly imposition of fines and penalties on you for making a payment -- even unwittingly – to certain prohibited persons or those in prohibited countries.”

Technology considered a first step in the money laundering process. (Other ways ransom payments are made is through a transfer of funds to an intermediary party which can be a cyber-response company or cyber insurance company, or even third-party individual “money mules” who have been solicited by the cybercriminals, and then from there converted into cryptocurrency through an exchange.)

“Another reason to contact federal law enforcement is that the Dept. of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and Secret Service can all be helpful in the event of a ransomware attack. Without extensive blockchain analysis (performed by specialists), you will not know the hands into which a ransom payment will fall, leaving a real possibility that on top of a ransom payment you may catch federal fines and penalties as well. However, early reporting to law enforcement may be considered by federal agencies as a factor mitigating against such penalties. You can contact law enforcement including contacting your FBI Field Office or filing an online complaint or making a report to CISA.

“... include legal counsel to help you navigate the potential legal obligations triggered by your response to a ransomware attack ...” Another reason to contact federal law enforcement is that the Dept. of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and Secret Service can all be helpful in the event of a ransomware attack. These federal agencies are quickly and constantly responding to such events. As a result, they may have previously encountered the specific ransomware being used in an attack, and have already secured the encryption key critical to unlocking the device, system or data being held hostage. Additional members of your ransomware attack response team could, and should, include legal counsel to help you navigate the potential legal obligations triggered by your response to a ransomware attack, your cyber insurance company, and possibly other cyber response consultants and specialists that help negotiate ransomware payments for victims, and help with the ransomware decryption before any payment is made.

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Volume IV - STEM

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2020 NAWRB WHER: STEM

our houses unlocked and open -- not having to juggle keys and groceries to enter -- we don’t do so because we do not want criminals ransacking our home, stealing our property, and holding our loved ones hostage. Just as we take basic steps to protect our homes and their contents, we have to take necessary, fundamental basic steps to protect our devices, systems and electronically stored data.

“There is no way to absolutely prevent a ransomware attack, but there are basic best practices that can do a good job of keeping your devices, systems and data harder to access...”

Can I Prepare for a Ransomware Attack? Yes, and you should because there is a high likelihood that you will encounter one. The first part of being prepared is making it as difficult as possible for a hacker to find way to enter your system, which is the essential initial step for ransomware to take hold. If the cyber criminals cannot enter your device or system, they cannot install the ransomware necessary to hold it hostage. But to make it difficult for cybercriminals to access your devices, systems and files, you are going to have to make it inconvenient for those who are authorized to access them -- you, your employees, your vendors and maybe your customers. In a world of ever increasing (and, inevitable) cyber-attacks, it is critical to shift our mindset and priorities from convenience to safety. Hackers prey easily on organizations that lack vulnerability scanning, grant access to their network

“The first part of being prepared is making it as difficult as possible for a hacker to find way to enter your system, which is the essential initial step for ransomware to take hold.” through unsecured remote desktops, and are susceptible to successful phishing attempts. While it would be much easier to leave the front doors to

There is no way to absolutely prevent a ransomware attack, but there are basic best practices that can do a good job of keeping your devices, systems and data harder to access and can make cybercriminals move on to another target. These practices are akin to closing and locking the front door to your house, turning on the porch light, and putting your valuable papers and jewelry in a hidden locked location.

1. Vulnerability Scanning– Walking the Perimeter to Find Easy Access Points: It is definitely worth checking the perimeter of your network systems find spots vulnerable to a ransomware attack before hackers do. Vulnerability scanning, along with regular timely patching While there are many companies available to help you walk the perimeter, it is definitely worth checking out the available services offered by the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) or email CISA at vulnerability_info@cisa.dhs.gov.

2. Consistent Employee Training & Reminders– Don’t Open the Door to Hackers: Remember that “social engineering” (fooling or manipulating people to gain access to systems through a phishing emails, business email compromise, invoice manipulation, financial fund transfers or other means) remains the easiest and most popular way for a hacker to gain access to your device(s), systems and data –the necessary and critical first step of a successful ransomware attack. By not opening up your devices, system or data to hackers when they knock through one of these ruses you and your employees are keeping hackers out of your system. Every person has moments of forgetfulness, carelessness, or distraction during the workday that could easily result in the errant click or download that opens the door to a ransomware attack. Consistent employee training and reminders to be on alert and wary of hacking attempts can help prevent more successful bids to break into your network.

3. Multi-Factor Authentication & Strong Passwords– Install Double Locks on the Door: Multifactor authentication (MFA) and passwords (strong ones, different ones) can help protect important systems and files. MFA is a method of verifying that the person trying to access a system is actually the person they claim to be, and helps combat “weak” passwords. Once a person enters a password, an MFA system requires verification through a second method unique to the individual accessing the system (e.g. a text message to a specific number, biometric data like a fingerprint, or an access token specifically assigned to an individual). This is especially important for the (hopefully very few) employees who have administrator accounts – those privileged accounts that have additional access to important files, systems and networks. Strong unique passwords and MFA is an absolute must for these special user accounts.

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4. Segregated and Tested Backup Files & Systems – Hide and Lock-up the Valuables: Having readily accessible and current backup files allows you to access your data without having to pay a ransom for it. Routine data and file backup is a good start, but those backup files and data must be segregated from your usual network and tested. In order to get paid, cybercriminals need to keep your files and data hostage so the ransomware will necessarily encrypt backup systems connected to the hacked network. If your backup data is segregated from your network, you are locking it up in a hidden location out of reach from cybercriminals. Once your files and data are backed-up and segregated --- make sure to test that the backup works and you can quickly and effectively access your needed systems and data before falling victim to a ransomware attack. Another ransomware attack twist is that the ransom payment is not demanded for restoring access to data but instead to prevent public disclosure of sensitive data. Making sure such sensitive (usually personal) data is encrypted is also a critical step to protecting your company from a successful ransomware attack.

5. Obtaining Cyber Insurance – Insuring Against Losses: Obtaining cyber insurance may not be as straightforward as you think -- the policies are not standard, and in order to be covered you must specifically confirm whether you will be covered for ransomware attacks and/or social engineering schemes. If you aren’t managing the cybersecurity risks at your organization (with some of the suggestions here) you may also find yourself in the position of not being able to obtain a policy or afford one. While you are thinking about cyber insurance for your own organization, also think about whether your vendors have adequate cyber policies that would cover losses to you or your company.

6. Have a Cyber Incident Response Plan – Have an Escape & Recovery Plan: Because almost all organizations rely on networks, systems and electronically stored data to function, they are all vulnerable to a cyberattack and should prepare to withstand and survive such an incident. It is critical for organizations to create an Incident Response Plan (IRP), the standard operating procedure for responding to or recovering from a cyber-incident like a ransomware attack. Creating an effective IRP could help an organization avoid being sanctioned by regulators, held liable for losses by customers, and decimated by data (and reputational) loss.

The First Step to Devising an Incident Response Plan is . . .

THINKING ABOUT YOUR DATA At that “Oh Sh*t” moment when you realize your business data has been compromised by a cyber incident, you are going to have to first identify whether the cyber-attack is over or still ongoing, and then next identify what exactly happened – what data was breached and what are your legal obligations in connection with that data. An IRP is intended to help you prepare for that moment when either you and/or your vendors sustain a data breach by thinking about your data before that inevitable cyber incident happens so you can get back to business and your customers. - What kind of data do you have? - How is the data maintained (digital, paper, and other tangible data)? - Where is the data located? - Does the data have legal and/or contractual obligations (by regulations or contracts - Think about end of life for data - collection, security, use, retention, transfer, and secure destruction. - Data security requirements may include specific requirements, like encryption of PHI under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA), or more general data security requirements based on reasonableness or industry standard practices identify any mandatory obligations for reporting a

breach in data security that come from regulatory or contractual obligations. - Also remember the obligations in your own cyber incident response plan (hintmake sure you have a cyber incident response plan!) - Contractual relationships may adopt these data security requirements by reference, or impose additional obligations

PRELIMINARY QUESTIONS TO ASK ABOUT HOW YOUR VENDORS PROTECT DATA AND HOW THAT CAN AFFECT YOU . . . - Does your Vendor have security certifications and/or a framework for cybersecurity? - Does your Vendor have adequate insurance, including cyber liability coverage that covers you as a beneficiary or third-party? - Does your Vendor had a history of data security breaches? - Will your Vendor allow you to audit its cybersecurity, or provide you copies of its external security audit reports? - What due diligence does your Vendor conduct for its own employees, subcontractors, suppliers, and other third parties, especially those that might have access to the organization’s data? - What access controls and related data security measures does your Vendor employ? - What are your Vendor’s encryption practices for data when it is stored or being transmitted? - If the Vendor will maintain your organization’s data, where will it be located? - How and where will it be transferred? How much notice will you receive if it is to be relocated?

Interested in digging deeper into Federal Guidance on Cyber and Ransomware? Check out more resources here: * CISA Guidance * Secret Service Guidance * Department of Justice Guidance * Federal Guidance on Reporting Cyber Breaches

- What are your Vendor’s backup and recovery plans? - Does your Vendor have an incident response plan? - Will your Vendor provide you with

notice of its own data incidents? - What are your Vendor’s legal and contractual obligations for your data? - What is the scope of your Vendor’s access to your networks and data? Can it be limited, logged, monitored, and/or encrypted?

Indira Cameron-Banks Cameron-Banks Law Former Assistant US Attorney DOJ Crime & Fraud NAWRB MAGAZINE | 41

Age of Mechanization Steam engines, Waterpower, Iron production

1807 – the first steamboat was built and traveled 150 miles between NYC and Albany, NY in 32 hours (about 3 days faster than previous ships) 1833 (in the UK), female factory workers outnumbered male workers at 57% of the workforce (most of them under the age of 20) By 1843, about 30,000 women had moved from family farms to Lowell, MA to work in the textile mills, 80-90% of the mill workers were female

The second industrial revolution was the electric revolution. Using electricity, gas, and oil as power, along with the key inventions of the car and plane, meant a new degree of luxury for the world. (Appr. 1870-1925)

Electric Revolution Electricity, Gas, and Oil

The first industrial revolution was the eve of mechanization. Steam engines, waterpower, and iron production took off and changed life for humanity. (Appr.1765-1830)

May 1st, 1844 - the first telegraph is sent from Annapolis, Maryland to Washington D.C. 1849 - Elizabeth Blackwell becomes first American woman to graduate from medical school 1908 – the first Model T Ford automobile presented to the public; the first car affordable to the average American and the beginning of assembly line production

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The fourth industrial revolution defines our present and future as humans. The new frontiers of this industrial revolution include Artificial Intelligence (AI), metaverses and other forms of virtual reality, 3D printing, and robotics. (Appr. 2016-Today)

Metaverse Digitization

AI, Virtual and Augmented Reality, and Genetic Engineering

Nuclear energy, Electronics, and the Internet

1936-1938 – the first programmable computer, Z1, was created by Konrad Zuse in his parents’ living room in Germany 1960 – the first geothermal power plants were built in the US, still the largest to this day 1962 – Katherine Johnson, a black woman working at NASA on trajectory analysis, is chosen to verify the calculations for John Glenn, the first American man to orbit space

The third industrial revolution was the beginning of digital technology. Nuclear energy, electronics (including computers), and robots were introduced. This period became the shift leading into the fourth industrial revolution, today’s industrial revolution. (Appr. 1969-early 2000s)

The questions which arise from moving forward into the uncharted and unknowable territory of the fourth industrial revolution (also known as 4IR or Industry 4.0) surround how it will affect human purpose and everyday life.

1997 – World chess champion Gary Kasparov loses a match against Deep Blue, an IBM chess playing computer program 1997 – Cynthia Breazeal started building Kismet, a robot who can emulate human facial expressions 2019 – Monthly-connected VR headsets on Steam surpassed 1 million

As we experience the fourth industrial revolution, will humanity reach the other side with more satisfaction in our quality of life or less? How will navigating these new versions of reality alter or remove human choice? Will new technologies make the Technology Human Balance easier or more difficult to understand and attain? NAWRB MAGAZINE |

Kellie’s Korner The days are getting shorter and soon we will start getting cooler. Thoughts can’t help but turn to falling leaves, pumpkins and preparations for the holiday season. After an extremely draining 2020, and a confusing 2021, planning for the holidays this year will be very different. COVID not only affected human lives, social patterns and education norms, but it had an enormous impact on e-commerce and the businesses that depend on and support it. Many articles and reports have been written on the impact of Covid on supply chains. You may be asking what does that really mean? How does that relate to e-commerce and how does that affect me personally? Do I need to do something different this year in regards to holiday shopping?

retail stores. This to satisfy the consumers who will be waiting on “Black Friday “outside of stores in the early morning for the “hot” items. These “hot” items are typically sold out during these sales within hours of the doors opening as there is not enough inventory to go around. This year that will be applied dramatically. Consumers are very aware currently that inventories are even lower this year due to covid and supply chain issues. Remember Cabbage Patch Dolls, Talking Elmo or just about any new Nintendo game! This year inventory shortages will be the norm.

E-commerce began to increase over the past few years dramatically. Consumers stopped waiting at the stores and shifted much of their purchasing to home deliveries. This Well, the short answer is yes. After was a result of Amazon developing 35 years in the logistics industry and its own delivery network while using over 28 at UPS as Vice President traditional carriers as well. This of Sales, it seemed like a great time accelerated during the lockdowns as to share with you why this holiday more orders were done online. It did season will be different from any however take labor from the already other we have experienced in our limited labor supply. In addition, lifetimes. Amazon added vehicles and aircraft as well. This was all due to the need Historically, the holiday season is to move products to homes that called “peak season” in the logistics were previously purchased at malls industry, due to the dramatic increase and retail stores. Think of it this way, Former Vice President of Corporate in shipments that need to be delivered prior to covid when you purchased Inside Sales, UPS (Retired) both to consumers and businesses. anything you occasionally went to get This typically starts in September with businesses building it. During covid with stores locked down you’d go online and up their inventories. The ships arriving at the ports in the purchase those items now to come to your home via a carU.S. increase dramatically starting in August. The Ports of rier. Getting the product to you still takes time and a vehicle LA and Long Beach which are primarily fed from Asia are to get it to your home. This increased the amount of labor, no exception. These two Ports account for 46 of all importequipment and fuel being used by carriers. That has driven ed goods in the U.S. The rail system also sees a dramatic e-commerce up substantially. increase in container movements. This system is used heavily by package delivery companies to move these containers The number of ships arriving at the LA/Long Beach ports from the ships that are going across the U.S. Shipping comand all ports in the U.S. continued to increase as we were panies do this versus relying solely on over the road truckin lockdown. The ships from Asia typically arrive in Southing. The number of additional trucks and drivers needed for ern California while European ships typically arrive on the this three month period could never be fulfilled. All of this east coast. During the covid lockdown ships sat in the water is done as to meet the dramatically increased needs of the waiting to be processed. As the port strike showed a few

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years ago, being idle in a port creates a bottleneck. It has the same effect as a traffic jam on the highways. There are only so many containers a day that are physically capable of being processed. Only a fixed number of trucks, containers and trains can fill the roads and rail systems daily. Right now, projections are that the ports have a backlog of eight months The entire industry deserves a round of applause for the efforts they’ve made to keep the supply chain moving over the past year and a half. With the quarantines that started in April 2020, they focused on getting Americans their essential goods such as pharmaceuticals and food products.

"One ship carrying 12,000 containers takes a crew of 3,000 people working 24 hours a day for 3 days to process."

Government On some days we have had as many as 50-60 ships back logged in the Long Beach/ Los Angeles ports. Due to all the issues above, it could possibly take one to two years to correct. Its complexity makes it difficult to correct quickly. This is a very simplistic overview of current supply chain issues. So, what does this mean to each one of us? Consumer demand needs to be managed. Retailers are advising consumers of the need to order early and ship early. If there is something you truly desire, order it very early. You should prepare yourself for potential shipping delays. One option is to take pictures of the items you are giving from the website and wrap them. This way you can have a wonderful holiday season in-spite of these issues. Remember, the supply chain is a chain and right now every link is challenged. Thank the port workers, truck driver, hub worker, package delivery drivers and logistics employees every day for what they do. They are definitely essential workers!

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What Could Possibly Go Wrong? Common Pitfalls for Real Estate Professionals, and What To Do About Them – Part 1 The work of “real estate” is truly a collaborative one. Every person and business are dependent on another person and business to get the job done. To state “No person is an island” could not be more true. The specialized work of agents and brokers, appraisers, lenders, attorneys, home inspectors and title agents is woven together to achieve a common goal. This collaborative effort is mostly successful , but participants should understand that their risk of problems and potential insurance claims and lawsuits is multiplied by each business, and their employees and agents, involved in the work. With three decades in the insurance industry, including the last sixteen years working with real estate professionals, the author has witnessed thousands of insurance claims, ranging from the legitimate to the fantastical. There were few occasions when only one business or person was sued. Liability and responsibility for any damages is not determined at the time a claim is made, but after the lengthy process of interviews, depositions, mediation, hearings and/or trials. While anyone can be sued, it is what happens next that determines who wins or loses The average time for resolution of a claim against a real estate brokerage or agent, for example, is about one year. Statistics show that 25% of all real estate will be sued during their career.

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Buisness Ownership Let us look at some of the more common claims and see who is a potential target of a lawsuit: Disclosure/Non-Disclosure of a property condition, defect or characteristic. These types of claims amount to almost half of all lawsuits. Examples include (alleged) leaky roofs, cracked foundations, square footage errors of building and/or property, incorrect zoning information, title defects and in one interesting example, the buyers’ inability to add on to their home due to protected plants on the property. Targets of these types of lawsuits are typically agents/brokerages, home inspectors, appraisers and title agents.

Fair Housing and Discrimination allegations result in long, expensive and emotionally taxing proceedings. Examples can include an agent’s comments like “you won’t be happy in this neighborhood, as it’s mostly old/ young/families/single (i.e. people who I think are not like you)”, handicap discrimination, including therapy and comfort animals, not showing properties to all potential buyers, appraisal valuation allegedly based on the race of current occupants, restrictive conditions, cost and availability of rental properties based on ethnicity, gender, color, etc. of potential occupant, and other varied but similar restrictions, acts and comments. Demonstrating how difficult some of these allegations can be to sort out, a recent lawsuit involved a claim against an agent representing a seller who had put (potentially discriminatory) conditions on the out-of-state buyer. When the seller’s agent conveyed the information to the potential buyer, that person claimed discrimination as the agent allegedly changed the conditions of the sale due to the sound of the potential buyer’s voice. Targets of Fair Housing and Discrimination suits are agents, lenders, appraisers, attorneys and property managers.

Dual Agency and Agent-Owned property. The primary mandate in providing a professional service is to act in the best interest of one’s client. The goal of every seller is to sell as high as possible while the goal of every buyer is to buy as low as possible. How does a dual agency listing reconcile that? What if the listing agent is also the owner of the home? In these types of situations, it becomes most difficult to prove that bias did not exist. The defendant will almost always be found to have some liability, and the primary defendant will be the agent/brokerage. In the spirit of most lawsuits, however, the appraiser and lender may be brought in if the price paid is the basis of the suit, or the appraiser, home inspector and/or title agent if the basis of the claim is property defect or characteristic.

Property Damage or Bodily Injury. The question of who is responsible to injury of a person or property is complicated. Who bears responsibility for a faulty stair railing if a tenant falls down the stairs and is injured, the property owner or property manager? Another scenario might be a potential buyer being injured during a showing or open house, or the property being damaged because a window was left open and water came in. Note that there are different implications and obligations for the listing agent and buyers’ agent for both open houses and showings, as well as claims related to improper lockbox protocols. Bodily injury and property damage claims generally are directed at agents/ brokerages, though appraisers and home inspectors are vulnerable for issues that might arise during their inspections.

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Employees and Agents. The above scenarios discuss potential harm to a third party, but harm can also come to a business due to actions of an employee or agent, including fraud and embezzlement, discrimination or harassment claims or injury to an employee/agent while performing a business-related task. The latter can be especially troublesome for real estate brokerages, as few States clearly require Workers Compensation for independent contractor agents while many States provide confusing or no direction on whether agents should be covered under Workers Compensation. The above represents real-life risk (and we haven’t even mentioned cybercrime!). The reader may ask “Doesn’t my insurance cover this?”. It is mostly true that some insurance policy covers the examples made above. But which ones? What are the conditions of coverage; how much do they cost and where do I get them? Can I reduce my risk of being sued by better training and procedures? (That’s a big YES). Insurance policies can be confusing, and no policy covers everything (if someone tells you that a policy is “comprehensive’, run for the hills). For example, one type of policy covers damage from a showing, while another from an open house, though there also might be coverage for both in another type of policy! Confusing? Yes, but there are remedies. A business owner bears the responsibility of identifying potential risk factors and taking action to reduce them. Anyone can be sued at any time, and defense attorneys are more expensive than insurance policies (which of course provide your defense). Nevertheless, insurance policies can also be costly, and any entrepreneur should understand their coverage. Just as businesspeople use the specialized services of attorneys and accountants, the services of an insurance advisor and risk manager who is familiar with your industry can be just as valuable. In this piece, we discussed some of the things that can go wrong, and next we will discuss some risk management tools and how to obtain the most appropriate insurance coverage when the inevitable happens.

John Torvi

Owner and President of J Torvi Advisory 48

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Your Guide to Effective Conflict Resolution By Tami Bonnell

As leaders, our livelihood and the health of our business depend on how well we communicate, especially when it comes to conflict and crisis resolution. Strong leaders humanize and personalize every interaction. Engaging in conflict or crisis resolution isn’t about being right, it’s about mediating a successful outcome. If you’re intimidated or fearful about facing people in conflict, remember that it’s just a conversation, and fear is a feeling, not a fact. In most business circumstances, the sooner an issue is resolved, the better, because it can turn personal very quickly if left to fester.

“Having the right mindset is four times more important than your actions and can significantly impact every day and circumstance, not only those involving conflict resolution.” Part of grounding yourself as a leader is to develop the right mindset, and that doesn’t magically appear on the day of a crisis; it’s a work in progress. Establish and stick to a positive morning routine including elements of visualization, meditation and affirming so you can start every day in control of your thoughts and attitude. Having the right mindset is four times

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more important than your actions and can significantly impact every day and circumstance, not only those involving conflict resolution. When a conflict or crisis arises that requires your attention, one minute of preparation can save a hundred minutes of struggle. First, take 120 seconds to visualize a successful outcome. Then do your homework on the issue, but even more important, do your homework on the people involved.

“When a conflict or crisis arises that requires your attention, one minute of preparation can save a hundred minutes of struggle.” Here at EXIT Realty for example, all our Regional Owners and Broker/Owners complete a DISC personality profile assessment and I receive a copy. Many times, having advanced knowledge of whether someone has a predominantly dominant, inspiring, supportive or cautious personality type has helped me to understand how they handle conflict and I can take care to speak their “language” to engage with them in relatable way. Normally in a crisis there’s a fight or flight window of approximately six hours when people tend to catastrophize. As early as possible, set a time the next day for everyone to talk and

Media ask them to come to the table with solutions and an open mind. Set the ground rules, and using words that work (concern, collaboration, brainstorm), explain that together you’re going to find a solution. You’re on a mission to accomplish X and they are an integral part of it. I find that with this direction, often the parties resolve the issue before we meet. Doing so empowers them to rise to the next level on their own, and when they run into a problem again, I can remind them of how well they did.

“The ideal plan isn’t to “crush” one side or the other, rather that everyone comes away a winner.” If the issue isn’t resolved, consider how you’re going to meet. Technology should be part of your team, but it is never a replacement for the human being. Whenever possible, meeting in person is preferable, but if not, use technology like Zoom or FaceTime. Make sure you can see people’s faces if you can’t physically be in the same room. So often in trying to resolve an issue, points of view can be misinterpreted and misunderstood and being able to see someone’s facial expression can alert you when you might need to dig deeper to really understand.

“Actively listen - no multitasking – be present.” Everyone wants to be heard. Listening intently while you keep them talking makes a huge difference. Phrases to help draw them out include: • Help me understand, • Paint the picture for me, • Tell me more, • I care about you enough to have this conversation.

Keep your tone conversational and don’t get emotional. Actively listen - no multitasking – be present. Work hard to understand where they’re coming from regardless of the issue, their point of view or how much you might disagree. Other factors bubbling under the surface could be in play that aren’t readily apparent, such as worries about the pandemic, struggles in their personal life, family or finances. The ideal plan isn’t to “crush” one side or the other, rather that everyone comes away a winner. Even if the conflict or crisis was successfully resolved, follow up with all parties, because if someone was left feeling uneasy, you’ll want to do damage control. At the very least, strive for a growth opportunity all around.

“Normally in a crisis there’s a fight or flight window of approximately six hours when people tend to catastrophize.” Immediately after the meeting ask yourself what worked and what you could have done differently. Consider what can be done to prevent the issue from arising again. What did everyone learn? I strongly believe that tough conversations build better leaders and strengthen relationships, but only when they’re done right.

Tami Bonnell Co-Chair of EXIT Realty International

Life Extension: What Does it Mean for Humanity’s Future? “Would you want to live forever if you could?” This is by no means a new question or concept. But what about the question, “would you want to live to 150 years or older if you could retain the health and vitality of your youth?” Likely, more people would be interested. This is the form of biotechnology that life extension scientists are working on and even testing in clinical trials right now. What exactly is life extension and why is it something that might change the future of aging? The process of aging involves deterioration in our bodies on many levels. This bodily degeneration includes telomere attrition, mitochondrial dysfuntion, cellular senescence, and stem cell exhaustion, among others. Of course, when taken as a jargon-filled list of inevitable physical failings, the challenges of aging seem bleak. However, researchers in the field of life extension do not believe this has to be the case. An informative video on the subject, researched by a Germany-based science channel, explains: “Scientists are trying to shift the attention of the medical community from optimizing lifespans to optimizing healthspans, the part of our lives during which we’re disease-free.” Considering the multiple areas which contribute to the aging process, scientists will need to tackle more than one of these complications at a time to lengthen healthspan and halt age-related diseases. While this is a future objective for life extension research, current experimentation focuses on addressing a few of the individual detrimental aspects of aging. Lifespan.io, a nonprofit organization promoting, amplifying, and tracking aging and life extension research, describes its goal as making “chronologically old and chronologically young people, at every level, indistinguishable from each 52

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Lifespan.io, a nonprofit organization promoting, amplifying, and tracking aging and life extension research, describes its goal as making “chronologically old and chronologically young people, at every level, indistinguishable from each other.” other.” One of the areas targeted in clinical studies is the damage done by senescent cells. How are senescent cells created and why are they harmful? To protect us from losing strands of our DNA, there are long segments of extra DNA at the end of chromosomes called telomeres. In some cells, after multiple cell divisions, these telomeres disappear, and the cell becomes a dysfunctional version of itself called a senescent cell. These cells don’t die; instead, the amount of them in your body increases as you get older. As the previously mentioned video states, “They harm tissue around them and are linked to many diseases that accompany old age like diabetes and kidney failure.” Therefore, reducing the number of senescent cells in our bodies could have positive effects on reducing age-related diseases. This process is called senolytics and has already been tested in studies with both mice and human participants. When the study was tested on mice, a portion of older mice was treated, and another portion was kept as a control group. The older mice with a reduced number of senescent cells were found to exercise more and had better function of their hearts and kidneys. They were also less prone to cancer and lived up to 30% longer than normal mice. Following this experiment, Unity Biotechnology conducted clinical trials with humans, specifically using patients with knee osteoarthritis. The drug, called UBX0101, was tested in phases. Phase 1b was successful, and researchers saw improvements for patients with osteoarthritis. Therefore, the U.S. FDA cleared the study for a second phase. However, in August of 2020, Phase 2 was discon-

Aging Population tinued because no significant difference was found in knee pain levels between participants in the test and placebo groups. Unity Biotechnology’s response to the discontinued studies was “While these are not the results we had hoped for, the evidence that senescent cells contribute to diseases of aging remains compelling, and we are excited to advance UBX1325 for retinal diseases, which inhibits Bcl-xL, a distinct senolytic target.” These two studies, in mice and humans, reveal a need for more research into the effectiveness of senescent cell elimination techniques. In contrast with this discontinued study, there are other methods of life extension biotechnologies that are at more advanced stages of development. According to Lifespan.io’s Rejuvenation Roadmap, of 63 experimental medications and therapies, only 1 so far has been fully released (as of 2/25/22). This is the company Grifols’ AMBAR medication. AMBAR, which stands for Alzheimer Management by Albumin Replacement, is a technique which “infuses patients with human albumin and intravenous immunoglobin (IVIG) for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.” The MedlinePlus website defines albumin as a protein made by the liver which aids in keeping fluid in the bloodstream so that it doesn't leak into other tissues. AMBAR was tested in a series of studies with 496 patients between the ages of 55 and 85 with mild or moderate Alzheimer’s. The patients were randomized into three treatment groups and a control group. The findings were a 71% less clinical decline in all treated patients and a positive

impact in memory and quality of life in patients ried, with a common worry being inequality with moderate Alzheimer’s. To see the details between rich and poor. of how the study was conducted and how results were measured, visit the AMBAR Clinical The website Lifespan.io has a response to this Program page of Grifols website. concern, claiming that while the drug will How far away is life extension from likely start out expensive, its price being available to people outside will decrease to affordable levof clinical trials? While the els. The example given was answer is dependent on that full genome sequence several factors, includdecreased in cost from ing research funding, $100,000,000 in 2001 Mikhail Batin estito $300 today. Life mates: “It will probextension treatments ably take another could similarly fall to 10 years to create a become more widely megaproject. Then 10 available. more years for us to extract the first results Perhaps the main on human life extension question when it from the colossal amount comes to these new of data. It will be sometime technologies is whether 2040-2045.” Some believe it their benefit to society will could happen even sooner. Ray outweigh potential evils which Kurzweil, in a 2016 interview, precould arise. What will Technology dicted that radical life exten"When the treatments Human Balance® look like sion could be widespread by come out, will only the when we become reliant on 2030. technology to keep us healthy richest members of and alive? Will these treatsociety benefit from As is to be expected, there is ments raise the Quality of them?" controversy and pushback Life for all or only a select to the studies due to ethical, few who can afford them? religious, and other concerns with the vision of While there are many more questions than prolonging human life to unprecedented years. answers, the one certainty is that life extension Two of the more common concerns are the treatments would completely change the way issues of overpopulation and economic access we view death and aging. to these treatments. When the treatments come out, will only the richest members of society benefit from them? A 2016 survey suggests that American citizens are wary. Pew Research Center conducted a survey which asked US residents how they felt about potential biomedical techniques, one of which was using gene editing to reduce the risk of disease in one’s lifetime. Of the respondents, 68% said that they were wor54

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Quality of Life

Brandix –

Engaging with Communities for a Better Tomorrow Brandix’s corporate DNA is based on the premise that inspired people reinforced with the right set of values and a sense of purpose are fueled to deliver inspired solutions. As the leading Apparel exporter in Sri Lanka, nearly 90% of the entire Brandix workforce is represented by females. This has led to the company identifying that a well-rounded individual is a value addition not only to the organization, but also to their personal lives. Brandix therefore strives to engage its employees to participate in company initiatives that promote personal development, helps them strike a healthy work-life balance, and encourages their drive to succeed in their respective field of work. Enabling continuous education to pursue individual aspirations has been a key component of Brandix’s Corporate Social Responsibility strategy and is aligned with the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 4 of Quality Education. Within this focus, Brandix’s journey to inspire the next generation through education began in 2010 with the launch of ‘Ran Daru Scholarships’, offering financial assistance to Grade 5, O/L, and A/L students of Brandix Associates, and ‘Ran Daru Thilina’ in 2016 to provide schoolbags, stationery, and other school essentials to children from nursery age to Grade 5. Additionally, Learning and Development plays an integral role in the personal and professional development plan for Brandix Associates and includes P.A.C.E. (Personal Advancement & Career Enhancement), a Gap Inc. program for female Associates launched at Brandix in 2012, and ‘Brandix Shilpa’, an initiative that took life in 2018 to

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optimize existing career pathways and vocational training for Associates who lack formal education qualifications. Brandix’s work in CSR stems from its mission to engage in its business with a sense of purpose. As a result, the company chose to identify and provide inspired solutions for significant societal needs prevalent in its operating locations and become an agent of change for its communities. In 2006, Brandix developed the ‘Care for Our Own’ initiative to respond to the urgent need for clean drinking water supply systems among its Associates and their communities, and to contribute to the national goal of providing safe drinking water and sanitation for the entire populace by 2025. The focus on water was also prompted by the pivotal role it plays in the apparel manufacturing process. The Brandix CSR team has been working to alleviate the stress of water poverty for women across Sri Lanka. The company’s CSR efforts were initiated following a comprehensive survey of its workforce, where it was highlighted that lack of access to clean water was the most pressing concern for its female Associates. This resulted in Brandix focusing its initiatives on water and women’s work as the core offering towards the communities of Sri Lanka under the four main pillars of ‘Provide’, ‘Educate’, ‘Research’, and ‘Engage’. Additionally, Brandix also conducts programs that cover livelihood development, construction of housing, and health screenings.

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Brandix sincerely believes that to inspire change, the company must effectively educate and engage its stakeholders, thereby making them ambassadors of change. This ensures a ripple effect of inspired acts from person to person, resulting in sustainable solutions that will impact more beneficiaries in the future. The company will continue its journey of supporting communities by providing employment, aiding sustainable community development initiatives, and making a conscious effort to enhance the quality of life for those across its communities.

Shiraz Omar Brandix Lanka Limited

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Changing the Lives of India's Children

According to the UN, India shares a quarter of the global hunger burden. Nearly 47 million Indian children, about 29% of the world’s malnourished children, suffer from chronic undernutrition or stunting. In addition, almost 3,000 children die daily, due to malnutrition according to a World Bank Report.A recent UNICEF report states that more than 8.1 million Indian children are out of school. At a national level, 29% of Indian school children drop out before completing five years of primary school and 43% drop out before finishing upper primary school. Only 42% of students complete high school. This makes India among the top 5 nations for school dropouts for children in primary school, with 1.4 million children, aged 6 to 11, not attending school. Too often, poverty forces children into various types of child labor. Poverty reduces food security, increases hunger and thus negatively impacts a child’s ability to learn, despite having access to a quality education. Also, a large majority of foreign aid is geared towards educational programs. However, solely investing in education without addressing the underlying causes of low education rates greatly reduces the efficacy of aid

This is where Akshaya Patra Foundation USA come in. About Us Akshaya Patra means ‘inexhaustible vessel’ in Sanskrit. We drive social impact and do it in innovative ways. We build bridges, foster individual capabilities & empower people while using technologically innovative ways to scale our program. Our vision is ‘No child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger’.

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From our humble beginnings providing 1,500 free meals to underprivileged children in 2000, Akshaya Patra has grown to be the world’s largest secular school lunch program, serving 1.8 million nutritious meals daily to Indian children aged 6-14 years old. Our 60 ISO-standard kitchens make between 10,000 to 250,000 meals in 6 hours and 800+ trucks transport these meals to 19,257 schools, 6 days a week. The Akshaya Patra Foundation works in partnership with the

Central Government and various State Governments to implement the program. The government supports us with grain and cash subsidies amounting to 60% of our total cost. The rest is covered by the generous support we receive from corporate, foundation and individual donors. To date, we have served over 3 billion meals. It cost 20 USD to feed a child for an entire year.

"No Child in India shall be deprived of education because of hunger."

Our innovative program design combines technological innovation and government collaboration to create a highly effective, sustainable, scalable and replicable school meal program.

In addition to providing school lunches, the organization provides breakfast to 163,000 children, aged 3-5 years old, in rural-childcare programs and serves students in the largest Urdu-speaking school in Asia. The organization also supports nursing mothers and pregnant women by providing them with nutritious meals so that their children are not born malnourished. In 2006, the Akshaya Patra Foundation USA (AP USA) was formed as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. The foundation is headquartered in Los Angeles, California and supports the Akshaya Patra mission by raising

funds and awareness in the United States. We have a strong network of volunteers, chapters and youth ambassadors across the country that support our necessary and worthwhile cause. Our Impact Akshaya Patra directly tackles hunger for the world’s most vulnerable populations, in a country where 40% of all Indian children are undernourished. In a little over a decade, the school meal program has demonstrated a measurable impact in combating malnutrition and promoting education.

"Studies conducted by AC Nielsen showed that, in some schools, 9 out of 10 children only attended because they were being served a meal." Studies conducted by AC Nielsen showed that, in some schools, 9 out of 10 children only attended because they were being served a meal. Studies also show that the proportion of students’ test scores in the 80th percen-

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tile and above, is much higher in schools that participate in the Akshaya Patra program, suggesting that the nutritious meal has had a tremendous impact on the lives of children. 72% of girls participating in our program also report having a normal BMI for their age versus 64%, which represents the proportion of girls in non-participating schools. They are not only attending schools at a higher rate but they are also retaining and utilizing information to perform well at schools. Our Holistic Approach By providing unlimited servings to children and their siblings, the impact of the program extends past the child and into the family home as Akshaya Patra ensures that more family members have access to unlimited, quality meals. Children and teachers are trained on personal hygiene and food safety practices. Decentralized kitchens provide women with a sustainable source of income, thus helping them break the cycle of poverty. Centralized kitchens hire people from neighboring villages, thus providing employment and stability. 30% of Akshaya Patra’s global workforce is female. For example, in the state of Gujarat, 55%-60% of kitchen staff are women.To ensure safety, female staff employed in kitchens start work at 10:00 am (after sunrise) and end their shifts at 6:00 pm (before dark). Maternity leave is also provided. Skills development and training sessions are provided regularly for kitchen staff and a nutritious meal is also provided, daily, for all kitchen staff. Staff are trained on quality & safety measures, Six Sigma, Kaizen, 9S, GMP, GHP and ERP to improve the efficiency & effectiveness of the Midday meal program.

COVID Relief The Akshaya Patra Foundation was at the forefront of providing COVID relief in India and we developed several programs in response to the ever-changing environment in India. We coordinated with local governments and adapted our current model of delivery to ensure that food reached the most underserved sections of society. Since March 2020, we have distributed over 216 million meals across India. We also provided education kits for children in rural areas who were unable to obtain an education; provided nutritional kits geared towards pregnant & nursing women and held vaccination drives while dispelling widely-held myths surrounding COVID vaccines in rural communities.

Akshaya Patra

Foundation U S A

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Moments "My special memories as the Co-Founder of an investment and consulting agency and social enterprise that works with governments around the world"

The moment I took the little ones to the office. At the time my boys were 3 and 1. They sat in the office chairs and rotated and played with the phones. Why was that moment so important? I was a stay-at-home mom for years and I wasn’t sure if the day would ever come when I would go back to work. I have all the respect in the world for moms who choose not to enter the workforce and only focus on their children. However, I lost myself and my self-esteem somewhere between diaper

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change number 3729 and load of laundry number 3528. I didn’t need an office to pursue my dreams, but the office was tangible evidence that I wasn’t only dreaming.My boys saw another side of their mother. Yes, she sings, dances, and cooks their favorite meals but also has a white board that’s used for their drawings and the strategies she silently thought about while changing all those diapers and doing all those loads of laundry.

The moment the school called me and said: “Your son was in an accident. You need to come to school immediately.” What the school didn’t know was that I was in one of the most important meetings of my life when I received that call. I had… I won’t mention who was at the office. I stood up, apologized, and left. I realized then that no matter who was at the office or whose office I was in, my sons come first.

The moment I took my boy right after the ER to a meeting. Yes, he needed a few stitches due to a fall, but he was good, alive, and well (and with my imagination? My mind went into every worst-case scenario during the drive from the office to school). Mind you, should I have sent him to be with family? Yes, but there wasn’t time. I had to make a choice and I chose to pick up anything I could find at the supermarket and keep my little one beside me during a 3-hour-meeting. Was I being the best mom in that moment? No. But, I was the best mom I could be considering there is a price to pay when you pursue your dreams. That’s when I learned that there is no such thing as work-life balance. You make choices and with each choice there is a price. You have to decide the price you can live with. This is about Technology Human Balance. My background is in Social Psychology. One of the companies we’ve invested in is an Arabic chatbot and the founder joked that he wants to create an “Ask Dina” bot because it’s almost humorous how often I receive calls and how many people want or need something from me every moment. Will an “Ask Dina” bot take care of those calls/emails/messages? Will the bot eventually be even better at responding to all those people than I am? Let us go back to my moments, I wonder what if we had the technology needed to change diapers, do the laundry and the dishes. I

wonder what if we had the technology that would allow us to have safer playgrounds, so our children do not fall and hurt themselves. I wonder what if we had the technology that allows us to entertain children while educating them and feeding them nutritious foods no matter where we go. I was born and raised in Jordan, a country in the Middle East. So, while I’m wondering “what if” maybe I can dare suggest whether or not we can have the technology that will stop bombs and plant trees instead. I won’t get too political but maybe to truly tackle and discuss the issue of Technology Human Balance we must go back to the white board and rearrange our priorities, reevaluate our values and ethics, and redefine the meaning of being “Human” to make whatever new technologies more humane and in service of all people, especially exhausted working moms.

Dina Saoudi CO-Founder of Seven Circles

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NAWRB Magazine Volume 10, Issue 2 Technology Human Balance

Articles inside

NDILC's Twelve Women Leadership Principles

The Four Industrial Revolutions

NDILC in the News

2021 NAWRB Leadership Award Winners

Moments

Changing the Lives of India's Children

Brandix - Engaging with Communities for a Better Tomorrow

Life Extension: What Does it Mean for Humanity's Future?

Your Guide to Effective Conflict Resolution

What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Kellie's Korner

Preparing for a Ransomware Attack

The Invisible Veteran: A Day in the Life of the Forgotten Female Marine

Publisher's Letter

My Perspective on Proptech

Renters in Post-Pandemic America Continue to Struggle