• This nonprofit health care organization provides truly life-changing mental health services.
• Unlike physical health care where there is a commonly agreed-upon remedy for any given ailment, mental health care doesn’t have a common treatment, and Centerstone is doing the work to improve the clinical treatment model.
• Centerstone helps hundreds of thousands of patients nationwide and has changed national policy to break the stigma surrounding mental health issues and substance use disorders. 

About Centerstone

Centerstone is a nonprofit health care organization that provides exceptional mental health care and substance use disorder services. They provide mental care, addiction treatment, and community education across the United States. 

By using a shared-service model of departments, Centerstone’s dedicated teams are always there to help out fellow staff, no matter when, where, or how. Unlike physical health care where there is a commonly agreed-upon remedy for any given ailment, mental health care doesn’t have a common treatment. That’s why, through countless studies, experiments, technological advancements, and evidence-based practices, Centerstone is constantly working to provide that clinical model while simultaneously crafting each individual patient’s unique path to success. 

Changing National Policy

Centerstone does much more than provide for the individual; they are reshaping national policy in America. Just this year, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act was passed, which will help thousands to fight addiction. Centerstone’s national policy team, alongside many other mental health care providers, have had countless meetings with Congress members and Senators. Fighting the opioid epidemic and achieving better mental health care has to be a collaborative effort. A win for anyone is a win for all. Centerstone’s scientists, researchers, and academics are all experts devoted to growing mental health care through innovation. Whether it’s through developing smartphone apps that let their clients communicate with their counselors or making breakthroughs in medication-assisted treatment, Centerstone’s dedicated researchers are changing the world for the better. 

Mental Health Care Funding

Since the inception of Centerstone’s grant writing team just under 15 years ago, they have secured over $250 million in public aid. This is an unprecedented amount for a nonprofit of any size, especially for one in mental health care. These funds directly impact Centerstone’s ability to provide life-changing services to our more than 150,000 clients and improve the research within the mental health care industry as a whole. 

The Future of Mental Health Treatment

Centerstone’s providers are on an unending quest to better themselves and improve the care they give to those that seek their help. They have an entire team leading this cause—the Center for Clinical Excellence—because there’s always room for improvement. By the end of 2020, Centerstone plans on having another Center for Clinical Excellence entirely devoted to depression, one of the most widespread forms of mental illness in the world. In addition, Centerstone is always searching for ways to expand their care, whether by adding new services, by widening the range of locations, or by working with new partners in every community. 

Centerstone won the Gold Stevie Award for Best Annual Report - Non-Profit Organizations in The 2020 American Business Awards®.

Interested in entering The 2021 American Business Awards? 

• Accessing data through GigaSpaces accelerates the operation by up to 100x, meaning that analyses can be processed in minutes instead of hours.
• GigaSpaces solves the problem of processing rapidly growing data from different sources by seamlessly accessing external data stores to improve the efficiency and streamline business intelligence. 
• By interacting with data as it streams through the network in real time, users of GigaSpaces can proactively enhance network performance to improve customer satisfaction and to prevent technological slowdowns and glitches. 

About GigaSpaces

GigaSpaces provides the fastest in-memory computing platforms for real-time insight to action and extreme transactional processing. With GigaSpaces, enterprises can operationalize machine learning and transactional processing to gain real-time insights on their data and act upon them in the moment for mission-critical applications across the globe.

GigaSpaces AnalyticsXtreme, launched in February 2019, accelerates analytics running on real-time and historical data, thus enabling companies to generate smarter, faster insights for better business intelligence on big data. More efficient queries, analytics, and machine learning on live data enriched with historical data can have a huge impact on several time-critical applications.  These include predictive maintenance, live risk analysis, fraud detection, dynamic pricing, personalized services, customer 360, and location-based advertising.

Using AnalyticsXtreme to access information stored on data lakes is accelerated by up to 100x, and batch analytics can run in minutes instead of hours. For example, when stock market data was streamed using AnalyticsXtreme to speed up searches on data lakes, queries were completed in six milliseconds instead of 2.5 seconds—100 to 400 times faster. This time reduction can have a huge impact on trading profitability that requires split-second buy and sell decisions.

How It Works

AnalyticsXtreme accelerates analytics by providing a unified speed layer over different data storage technologies (Hadoop, Amazon s3, Azure Blob Storage) on premise, cloud and multi-cloud. With AnalyticsXtreme, all types of data (structured, unstructured, and semi-structured including tables, key-value, objects, documents, text, graph, images, etc.) is ingested into a multi-model speed layer, reducing the need to stream the data multiple times and accelerating processing by reducing the operational overhead. By co-locating business logic and data, events are processed as they enter the system, resulting in a reduction of multiple network hops and overhead.

A vast array of industries can benefit from this extreme transactional and analytical processing. Insurers can perform a continuous risk analysis to determine the optimal premiums for policyholders. Loan approvals can be executed in near real time. Online retailers can ingest, store, and analyze huge amounts of data about competitor’s offers, personal preferences, and more to generate best offers. Customer service applications can automatically transfer calls to the most relevant agent and then provide answers based on responses to similar requests. Transportation companies can use a live view of vehicles and operators to optimize routes and to protect the personal safety of their passengers. By interacting with rich, real-time data as it streams through the network, telecommunications companies can proactively enhance network performance to prevent customer frustration due to a lack of coverage, slow page downloads, and stuttering video.

GigaSpaces’ COVID-19 Response

Meeting the expectations of the “customer of now” will require advanced technology that can deliver actionable personalized information at split-second speeds. Real-time analysis is an essential capability, enabling organizations to deliver excellent customer experiences and improve profitability. AnalyticsXtreme solves the problem of ingesting, processing, storing, and analyzing large and rapidly growing data from diverse data sources. It also seamlessly accelerates access to external data stores to improve the wisdom and speed of business intelligence. To provide better scaling and availability to ride out the COVID crisis, GigaSpaces offered a free Go-Live professional services package.

GigaSpaces won the Gold Stevie Award for New Product & Service Categories—Business Technology in The 2020 American Business Awards®.

Interested in entering The 2021 American Business Awards?

• Essential oil industry leader sets high standards for sustainability, conservation, and community support. 
• “All businesses should have a human focus and an environmental focus”. 
• Young Living is more than an essential oil company - they exceed expectations in every way by creating a sustainable business model, aiding those in need, and caring for the planet and its inhabitants.

About Young Living

Young Living Essential Oils is a leader of the modern essential oil movement. Young Living was founded in 1994 by D. Gary Young, and since then, they have expanded into 29 worldwide offices that oversee 33 markets, 24 corporate-owned and partner farms, nearly 600 individual products, and more than 3200 employees. As the world leader in essential oils, Young Living’s vision is to bring the benefits of essential oils to every home. They take their industry leadership seriously by setting a standard for sustainability, conservation, and giving back to the community. 

Celebrating Earth Day

Young Living declared an inaugural company holiday to give back to their local community. Around 2000 employees participated in service projects to cultivate gardens, plant trees, clear trash, and tidy trails. They have also partnered with the Arbor Day Foundation to restore wildlife habitat by planting more than 5000 trees (on behalf of each Young Living team member) in Fishlake National Forest. 

Eco-Friendly Achievements 

In 2019, Young Living spearheaded many impactful efforts to protect the lives of those they touched. Last year, they increased focus on corporate and community sustainability efforts. In particular, the Spanish Fork warehouse reduced its waste to about 1% in just eight months. Open-top dumpsters were repurposed, and plastics, office paper, metals, pallet wrap, wood, etc. have their own bins for recycling, or turning into energy. 

Lehi employees moved into the brand-new global headquarters, which includes more than 20 eco-friendly features, including regionally-sourced construction materials, vehicle charging stations, and extensive recycling systems. As a result, Young Living was given LEED and Green Globe certifications, as well as the 2019 Utah Business Green Business Award. 

Last year, they also implemented a new water recycling program at their Utah-based farm, saving close to 260 million gallons of water per year, which earned the 2019 SEAL Award. The Green Team was created to not only lead green initiatives, but to support efforts in the community as well. This team participates in the Utah Sustainable Business Coalition with the mission to connect with other local businesses to implement sustainable practices. Young Living’s conservation efforts are ensuring that animals and their habitats are protected and preserved. Both the global headquarters and the Utah-based farm are home to milkweed waystations to support migrating monarch butterflies, helping to offset the loss of milkweeds and nectar sources needed. 

Philanthropy

Each year they donate a portion of their proceeds from their Animal Scents products to benefit the Vital Grounds Foundation. Their mission is to protect and restore North America’s grizzly bear populations by conserving wildlife habitats. 

The D. Gary Young, Young Living Foundation led their 2019 global philanthropic efforts which impacted over 220,000 lives, raised $5.5 million in donations, and supported 86 organizations. 

The Young Living Academy in Ecuador educated 350 students in 2019, and celebrated the 21 graduates of the fourth graduating class.

By partnering with Hope for Justice, Young Living has impacted over 18,000 lives and helped end human trafficking and slavery. 

This nature-friendly company is continually growing deep roots in purpose, people, and our planet. As frequently quoted by the president and COO, Jared Turner, “We firmly believe that all businesses should have a human focus and an environmental focus”. Young Living is a purpose-filled company, fueled by what really matters - making the world a better place so we can all continue to enjoy nature’s living energy. 

Young Living’s COVID-19 Response

Young Living has stepped up their social responsibility efforts by partnering with several non-profit organizations to help those in need: 

• They are working with Baby2Baby to fulfill needs for baby essentials and personal care items in family resource centers, homeless shelters, health clinics, and Head Start centers across the US.
• They donated over 400lbs of food to the Utah Food Bank. 
• They offered the use of their corporate Lehi Building to the Utah Department of Health as hospital overflow. 
• Their Philippines office raised funds for the Red Cross to benefit front-line workers in the country.  
• Employees have sown over 2500 fabric masks for use by employees in the Spanish Fork warehouse and for donation to the Navajo Nation Tribe. Operations continue, with additional masks being donated to local health care organizations. 
• The D. Gary Young, Young Living foundation donated $100,000 to the International Rescue Committee’s COVID-19 response efforts which helps people impacted by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and regain control of their future. This is accomplished by providing aid in crisis-stricken areas to pave the way for long-term recovery in over 40 countries. 
• Young Living donated over $200,000 to the Meals on Wheels COVID-19 Response Fund. 
• They are donating Thieves hand sanitizer to fire and police departments, school districts, health care workers, and other vital support areas. 

Young Living won the Silver Stevie for Corporate Social Responsibility Program of the Year - At Organizations With More Than 2,500 Employees in The 2020 American Business Awards®.

Interested in entering The 2021 American Business Awards? 

• Under the guidance of Carl Gould, the 7 Stage Advisors team helps clients discover where they need to place their efforts for maximum efficacy by coaching, mentoring, and training clients on how to sustain growth over an extended period.
• Gould’s dynamic presentations, practical content, and real-world experience makes him one of the world’s most sought-after speakers. 
• Gould built three multi-million dollar businesses by the age of 40 and has donated thousands of hours of coaching to populations in need. 

About 7 Stage Advisors 

Carl Gould

Gould is an inspirational leader, always challenging those around him to seek out their passions, reach their potential, and make and achieve their goals. He has experienced adversity and challenges in his life. However, he has used those experiences to push himself in new directions by never allowing negative circumstances to dictate his potential future opportunities. For example, when he was in college, he broke his leg which required several surgeries and extensive recuperation. Gould was forced to drop out of college because his funding ran out. This “opportunity,” however, was where it all started: It was his chance to start a business and begin his path to entrepreneurship.

Gould’s Achievements 

Gould donated over 1,000 coaching hours to those in need including the homeless, military personnel, assisted living and nursing home recipients, students, and emerging entrepreneurs. This coaching experience not only aligned with his philanthropic values, but it also helped him hone his skills as one of the pioneers of the coaching and professional services sector.

A serial entrepreneur, author, and speaker, Gould built three multi-million dollar businesses by the age of 40. He is at the forefront of the entrepreneurial community domestically and globally. Gould believes that the mark of a great leader/executive is defined by the value you create for others and the legacy you leave behind. There are more than 7,000 advisors worldwide that are serving over 35,000 businesses on six continents as a result of Gould’s methodologies. His company, 7 Stage Advisors, has mentored the launch of over 5,000 businesses. 7 Stage Advisors donated over 400 hours of coaching to entrepreneurs as a service to the community. 

Recent Accolades

The past couple of years have been a busy time for Gould. He has extended his impact not only domestically but around the world, through mentoring, coaching, consulting, speaking, and appearing in the media. He is also an influential thought leader in the area of business growth, focusing on growth strategies for small- to mid-market companies. 

Gould’s dynamic, energetic presentation style combined with his practical, impactful content and real-world experience are the reasons why he is one of the most sought-after speakers globally. He engages his audience and keeps them on the edge of their seats. His content is original, profound, and battle-tested.

Gould appears regularly in print publications, podcasts, and on television and radio, providing his expertise and analysis on today's most pressing political and business issues. His appearances include Fox, CBS, ABC, NBC, Forbes, and iHeartRadio.

This year he launched his own daily micro-podcast #70secondCEO, a daily fix for busy CEOs and entrepreneurs. 

This year also saw the launch of Hypergrowth Academy. Gould grew four businesses in his career (landscaping, construction, real estate development, and coaching) and advised tens of thousands of others on six continents to do the same. He now wants to help others achieve their business goals. Gould’s inspiration for the academy came from the tremendous lessons he has learned, the benefit of working with top mentors, and the experiences he has been grateful for his entire career.

Since 2019, his major accomplishments include: 

• Launching “#70secondCEO”, a daily micro-podcast for CEOs and business owners
• Launching Hypergrowth Academy for committed entrepreneurs who want to build a sustainable, profitable business that reaches its full potential 
• Donating 7 Stage Advisors’ mentoring services to over 240 businesses in eight countries
• Winning Visionary Co-Chair for the Entrepreneur’s Organization NJ chapter
• Winning The Bronze Stevie® Award - Entrepreneur of the Year
• Becoming a member of Forbes Coaches Council 
• Winning the prestigious CEO World Awards® in the Gold Award Entrepreneur of the Year category
• Winning NJBIA Executive of the Year award
• Mentoring entrepreneurs in five countries
• Being the keynote at conferences in seven different countries

7 Stage Advisors’ COVID-19 Response

This team has been helping CEOs, business owners, and others navigate through this pandemic, equipping them to cope with the swift changes and come through prepared and stronger than before. 7 Stage Advisors has offered live sessions and weekly offerings including helpful Q&A time to hear and respond to their business needs on a weekly basis.

7 Stage Advisors won the Silver Stevie for Entrepreneur of the Year - Business & Professional Services in The 2020 American Business Awards®.

Interested in entering The 2021 American Business Awards? 

4Life Transfer Factor Collagen received the most votes in the 2020 People's Choice Stevie® Awards for Favorite New Products, a feature of The American Business Awards®, the U.S.A.’s top business awards program, which are now in their 18th year.

The worldwide public vote was conducted last month, with the highest number of votes deciding the winners in a variety of product categories. More than 87,000 votes were cast.  To win, a category’s leading vote-getter had to have received at least 100 votes. 4Life Transfer Factor Collagen collected more than 19,000 votes.

The crystal People’s Choice Stevie Awards will be mailed to Stevie Winners before they are honored at the virtual awards ceremony on August 5. There, the winners of peer-adjudicated Gold, Silver and Bronze Stevie Awards will also be honored for their awards.

All new products and services nominated in the new product awards categories of this year’s American Business Awards were eligible to be included in voting for the people’s choice awards.

The winners of the 2020 People’s Choice Stevie Awards for Favorite New Products are:

-Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Solution: Retention Intelligence
-API Management Solutions: Ambassador Edge Stack
-Business-to-Business Service: Credit Logix
-Big Data Solution: Tavant Manufacturing Analytics Platform
-Biz/Competitive Intelligence Solutions: Datamatics TruCap⁺
-Business Technology – Other: Ericom Shield
-Cloud Infrastructure: Wind River Cloud Platform
-Cloud Platforms: iboss cloud
-Cloud Storage / Backup: Quest Software's QoreStor 6.0
-Collaboration/Social Networking Solution: Passageways' OnSemble Employee Intranet
-Consumer Electronics: The SpotOn Virtual Smart Fence
-Consumer Products – Durables: Delta® Glass Rinser
-Consumer Products – Other: 4Life Skincare & Age-Defiance
-Content Management Solution: Laserfiche Vault
-Content Solution: Humana's CMS EOB statement merge
-Corporate Learning/Workforce Development Solution: Articulate 360
-Digital Process Automation Solution: Creatio
-Education Solution: Emotional ABCs Classroom
-Endpoint Security Management Solution: Ericom Shield
-Financial Management Solutions: CCH Tagetik Analytic Information Hub
-Financial Service: Bitvore Cellenus
-Financial Solutions: Bank of America Mobile Banking App
-Governance/Risk/Compliance Solutions: Passageways' OnBoard Governance Platform
-Hardware – Computer: OWC Mercury Elite Pro Dock
-Hardware – Storage: OWC ThunderBay 4 mini, Thunderbolt 3
-Healthcare Technology Solution: MedTrainer's Improved Compliance Platform
-Healthcare/Pharma: Butterfly Network's Portable Ultrasound Device
-Identity & Access Security Solutions: Sontiq Small Business Suite
-Industrial Products & Services: Newberry's New Slim Line 280 and 500 gallon Steel Tanks
-Insurance Solution: John Hancock EDGE
-Migration as a Service: DCAC Migration Solution
-Network Security Solutions: iboss cloud Network Security
-Payments Solutions: Century Business Solutions'  EBizCharge
-Relationship Management Solutions: RE/MAX, LLC’s booj Platform
-Telecommunications: Nextivity's Cel-Fi QUATRA 4000

• BioIQ is reshaping how payers, employers, and consumers navigate the U.S. health care system
• The company provides individuals with a comprehensive view of their health journey
• Populations previously overlooked, underserved, or disadvantaged by the health care system are BioIQ’s focus

About BioIQ

BioIQ is a health care engagement and quality care gap closure company that is redefining the way payers, employers, and consumers navigate and connect with the U.S. health care system. BioIQ leverages consumer analytics, real-time omni-channel engagement strategies, and an extensive ecosystem of health care partners to provide a comprehensive view of individuals throughout their health journey.

BioIQ provides payors and employers with tools that simplify health testing programs. The company also helps organizations understand population health risks and motivates people to prevent and monitor costly, chronic conditions. Care is more easily accessible with BioIQ’s seamless connection between people and testing. 

Recent Accolades

In the past year, BioIQ reached a major milestone on their journey to positively impact 100 million patient lives by conducting their one millionth colorectal cancer (CRC) screening - CRC being the second-leading cause of cancer deaths in the U.S. BioIQ reached this milestone, often helping unengaged or disadvantaged populations, by facilitating care using consumer analytics, omni-channel engagement, and a curated network of partner solutions. This combination of capabilities are being leveraged to produce similar results across myriad other major health conditions. This milestone shows the importance of offering convenient access to care, meeting consumers where they live, and communicating via their preferred method. BioIQ also introduced several new retail service offerings, including vision, immunizations, and point-of-care screening through our collaboration with Walmart. 

With a new website, BioIQ rebranded and relaunched to better reflect the 18 million+ people the company serves. The new site combines images of positive, active individuals as part of a streamlined and modern appeal that evokes the ease and simplicity BioIQ brings to navigating health care.

BioIQ’s COVID-19 Response

BioIQ has added COVID-19 diagnostic and antibody testing to the company's lineup of health screening solutions. They are working with employers and health plans to get vital testing resources to those who are most in need, including health care workers, essential workforces, and vulnerable patient populations. The company is actively working with employers on a thoughtful return-to-work strategy inclusive of on-site provider access for testing as well as legal recommendations.

BioIQ won the Bronze Stevie for Company of the Year: Computer Software - Medium in The 2020 American Business Awards®.

Interested in entering The 2021 American Business Awards?

• After 15 years in the staffing industry, Anserteam Workforce Alliance relaunched and rebranded this past year
• Anserteam sets itself apart with a refreshed new look, logo, tagline, website, social media, and color palette 
• Tips on how to rebrand during COVID-19
• With access to over 2,500 locations across the United States and Canada, Anserteam is one of the fastest-growing staffing firms

About Anserteam Workforce Alliance

Anserteam Workforce Alliance represents North America’s best staffing agencies aligned together to deliver world-class workforce management solutions. They provide exceptional levels of expertise at locations throughout North America by offering end-to-end talent services that can be customized for any size business.

Anserteam was established in 2004 by a group of staffing entrepreneurs who discovered a gap in staffing service offerings. Their boutique staffing agencies provided a superior level of service and expertise at a local level, but they had a hard time competing with larger firms when it came to clients with multiple locations. 

They joined together in an alliance, each taking ownership of their respective markets. They also developed cloud-based technology so they could service clients seamlessly and efficiently on an international scale and recruited more members to join in along the way. Today, the Anserteam Workforce Alliance provides clients with access to over 2,500 staffing firm locations in the United States and Canada and backs them with technology, strategic analytics, and operational support. 

After 15 years and explosive growth in the contingent workforce management industry, Anserteam wanted to launch into 2020 with an updated look and feel.

Rebranding Strategy

Before, Anserteam was consistently branded as Anserteam Workforce Solutions. In the 2020 rebrand, they replaced “Solutions” with “Alliance” to better differentiate their brand by nodding to their roots. Anserteam started as an alliance, and they continue to carry that spirit of partnership to this day. Their slogan, “The Team Behind Great Teams”, shows the everlasting support and commitment to their partners. 

All the new branding elements came to life in an updated website with simplified navigation, targeted calls to action, SEO optimizations, and some new interactive features. One new feature is the Virtual Consultation, which allows potential clients to fill in key details of their contingent labor programs, and uses a formula to determine which of Anserteam’s solutions would best fit their needs. It provides a great conversation starter for sales calls and has proven to be a valuable tool early in the marketing conversion funnel. 

Overall, the new logo, tagline, and color palette all work together to reflect the teamwork, collaboration, and diversity that makes Anserteam great partners for staffing suppliers and clients. The website, blog program, and social media initiatives have provided a vastly improved user experience to bring in new client leads, and Anserteam is ready to expand its marketing initiatives in 2020 and beyond. 

Rebranding During COVID-19

Anserteam's rebranding initiative launched in March 2020, just as the COVID-19 pandemic began impacting North America. Anserteam mobilized to keep their clients in the essential manufacturing sector staffed and their employees safe. With increasing uncertainty upending the staffing sector, the flexibility of Anserteam's alliance allowed them to adapt quickly to their clients’ changing needs. Remote teams have remained intact and fully operational throughout the initial wave, and Anserteam is now focused on helping businesses reopen safely where it is possible. Service offerings have expanded to include on-site medical professionals for employee temperature checks, employee symptom tracking, social distancing enforcement, and increased disinfecting and janitorial services. Anserteam Workforce Alliance is committed to getting great teams back to work as safely and efficiently as possible.

Anserteam Workforce Alliance won the Bronze Stevie for Re-Branding / Brand Renovation of the Year in The 2020 American Business Awards®. 

Interested in entering The 2021 American Business Awards?

• At PayJunction, ethical payment processing means disrupting the industry with honest billing practices and green technologies that help customers save money
• All-in-one payment processing helps improve customer satisfaction
• New feature: ZeroTouch terminal helps reduce the spread of the viral COVID outbreak

About PayJunction

Stevie-winner PayJunction is a payment processing solution that prides itself in unparalleled customer service. Their transparent, ethical billing practices and green technologies help customers save money and merchants sell more efficiently. 

In 2019, the PayJunction Customer Support team was able to maintain its high-quality level of service while continuing to scale operations to better serve their growing number of customers. PayJunction’s customer satisfaction score has been solidly in the 98% range for the previous two years and always above 95% in the previous four years. Because of PayJunction’s incredible customer service efforts, the department has been honored with numerous awards in recent years for going above and beyond customers’ expectations.

Recent Accolades

• More than 45,000 solved tickets in 2019
• 98.1% satisfaction score
• 1.3 hours average response time
• Over 1,000 positive responses from customers
• A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau
• 5 years in a row with zero complaints
• A rating on Card Payment Options
• 5-star reviews on Merchant Maverick, Capterra, and Trustpilot

PayJunction’s COVID-19 Response

PayJunction Support has been working diligently since the COVID-19 outbreak hit. They have faced unprecedented challenges and risen to the occasion each time. Most notably, they've continued to offer top-tier support in launching a new ZeroTouch terminal amidst the outbreak and have expertly guided their clients on how to operate the new terminal remotely. With all the uncertainty, PayJunction has continued to serve customers with patience, kindness, and knowledge.

PayJunction won the Silver Stevie Award for Customer Service Department of the Year in The 2020 American Business Awards®.

Interested in entering The 2021 American Business Awards? 

• Scoop, a carpooling service, has prevented the release of more than 62 million pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere by providing over 9 million trips to people across the United States
• Scoop is available in over 2,000 major cities including the San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle, Los Angeles, Reno, Portland, and Detroit
• This carpooling service is the most sustainable in the industry—Scoop targets large employers, office parks, and government agencies to carpool efficiently, and the algorithm matches riders and drivers going in the same direction

About Scoop

Scoop is the largest carpooling solution in the country by creating more than 9 million trips on the road in major cities across the United States. Scoop partners with the world’s most forward-thinking businesses and organizations to offer an impactful carpool solution to their workforce.

Since launching in 2015, Scoop has become the definitive enterprise carpooling solution for employers. They have partnered with more than 55 innovative companies including LinkedIn, Workday, and T-Mobile to mitigate the impact of the daily commute on their workforces. Scoop operates in more than 2,000 cities across the country, with plans to expand to other major metro areas impacted by congestion caused by single occupant vehicle trips (SOVs). 

With over 9 million carpool trips to date, Scoop takes a unique approach with each city to build an extensive enterprise carpooling network that is cohesive with the city’s laws and workforce dynamics. 

Scoop does not focus  on individual riders and drivers, which has proven ineffective for making carpooling a viable commuting option. Instead, the company targets large employers, office parks, and government agencies to carpool efficiently and to offer carpooling as a workplace benefit. To match coworkers or neighbors going in the same direction, Scoop uses an algorithm based on prior trip feedback from drivers and riders, prescheduled pick-up times, and city-wide traffic patterns. Riders and drivers split the cost of the commute, and to incentivize carpooling, some employers are partially subsidizing the costs of the ride.

Using Data to Bring Awareness to the Impacts of Commuting

To expand education and awareness on the true environmental, social, and professional impact of commuting, Scoop surveyed over 7,000 workers in 16 metropolitan areas via the 2019 State of the American Commute. The study’s goal was to learn how the commute is decreasing productivity, adding costs, and extending the workday of Americans. The report found that 74% of Americans drive alone to work each day, resulting in more than 50 billion solo trips each year. To combat the negative impact of single-occupancy vehicle trips, Scoop has put more than 9 million carpool trips on the road to date, preventing the release of more than 62 million pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. 

Scoop’s COVID-19 Response

As a safe, reliable, and equitable carpooling solution, Scoop is working with employers across the nation to help organizations prepare their return-to-workplace plans. A return-to-workplace plan is only as safe as your people's commute to the workplace. In this new landscape where 90% of Americans are avoiding public transit and only 1/3 of Americans have reliable access to a personal vehicle, Scoop is helping employers create a safe commute solution for their people.

Recent Accolades 

• Scoop was named to the list of Best Workplaces by Inc. magazine and the San Francisco Business Times 
• Scoop won 2020 Comparably Award categories for Best Company Culture, Best CEO, Best Company for Women, and Best Company for Diversity
• The World Economic Forum’s Mobility Challenge Awards recognized Scoop for its carpool partnership with LinkedIn. Chosen as one of the 18 case studies worldwide used as exemplary sustainable corporate mobility programs, a critical element to the success of LinkedIn’s deployment of the Scoop carpooling service was Scoop’s dedicated efforts to  educate LinkedIn employees on the social and environmental values of carpooling.

Scoop won the Silver Stevie Award for Company of the Year - Transportation in The 2020 American Business Awards®.

Interested in entering The 2021 American Business Awards? 

With the ongoing economic impacts of the Great Recession, astronomical student debt, COVID-19, rising housing costs, and myriad other financial factors, retirement looks a lot different today than it used to. Gone are the days of finding a job, staying with the company for 40 years, and retiring with a handshake and a gold watch. Pensions and 401(k)s are increasingly hard to come by. Plus, with often insurmountably expensive real estate costs, fewer people are entering the realty market. As a result, many people don’t have valuable homes to supplement their retirement nest eggs.

Given these kinds of factors, it’s little surprise that the concept of “retirement” has shifted. In this landscape, one thing is clear: If financial services groups want to continue to stay relevant, they will need to change their approaches, advice, and outlook to match what financial wellness means to millennials and members of Generation Z.

Rethinking Retirement Age

In a 2018 study by Bankrate.com, millennials responded that they think 61 is the ideal age to retire. Despite this aspiration of early retirement, however, approximately two-thirds of millennials have nothing saved for retirement.

Because of increased debt and decreased financial opportunities, more people than ever are being forced to reevaluate what’s realistic when it comes to retirement. For many, this means bumping out that expected age of retirement. Some don’t even expect to retire at all, instead considering part-time jobs, second careers, or other money-making opportunities as they get into the later years of their lives.

Increased longevity further complicates the issue. Across the globe, people are living longer than ever, which seriously skews issues related to realistic retirement age, health insurance, and life insurance.

Rethinking Financial Wellness

Companies that provide financial planning and other money-management services are often viewed as symbolic of a bygone era. After all, someone who has nothing saved for retirement, doesn’t own a home, and is working on paying down $50,000 in student debt can feel as if these companies aren’t relevant to their financial realities.

That doesn’t need to be the case, though. These companies can still help younger clientele reach their financial goals; they just have to shift how they think about accomplishing this endeavor. John Hancock, which is based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, is one such company successfully refining its approach. 

“At John Hancock, we know it’s time to look beyond outdated concepts like ‘net assets’ and to build financial solutions that fit into customers’ whole lives—with easily accessible products that reflect their values, their approach to wellness, and their holistic well-being,” says Meghan Fackler, a thought leadership manager at John Hancock. “That’s why we’re redefining retirement, insurance, and investing for the modern generation of consumers to address both their health and wealth.”

To connect with this modern generation of consumers, one key is reframing the idea of financial wellness as the most important kind of wellness. Financial service providers are finding that the younger generation prizes a more holistic approach to well-being, and providing advice that resonates means tailoring to that mind-set.

Twine is an app that provides financial advice and automated money management to empower users to manage multiple savings goals with a partner – it’s a smarter way to collaborate and save for what matters. Twine is for people who might not have their own financial advisor but want to make better financial decisions to reach their goals, regardless of their income or age. The app simplifies saving for major milestones like down payments, weddings, and vacations by allowing users to collaborate and link accounts with others to stay on track. Twine is built, developed and powered entirely by innovative technology while leveraging the financial expertise of John Hancock.

“We believe good health and financial wellness are essential ingredients to overall well-being, and we want to help motivate people to make healthier
choices—for themselves and their future,” says Fackler.

With this goal in mind, John Hancock has had success especially with one initiative: a partnership with the Vitality Group, which can serve as a template for similar companies looking to connect with younger investors.

“In 2015, we started a new chapter in our 155-year history when we partnered with the Vitality Group to help our clients live longer, healthier lives,” says Feckler. “As the first life insurance company in the United States to offer a wellness-based rewards program, John Hancock life insurance with Vitality gives our customers the financial protection they need while also helping them earn savings on their premiums, shopping gift cards, and travel discounts for their everyday healthy habits, such as going for a walk, eating well, and getting a regular health check.”

John Hancock was recently honored with multiple Stevie® Awards in the 2020 American Business Awards®, earning the company a Grand Stevie® Award. This designation is reserved for the top 10 most-recognized organizations. 

The 2021 American Business Awards are not open for entries yet. The 2020 International Business Awards® are accepting nominations through July 28, 2020.