All Entries Tagged With: "investment"
Save The Bay’s two-hour Seal and Lighthouse Tours set to begin on Nov. 19 in Newport
NEWPORT, R.I. – Nov. 8, 2016 – While the first of this season’s Save The Bay’s Newport Seal Tours will begin on Friday, November 11, the organization’s two-hour Seal-Lighthouse tours will launch a week later, on Saturday, November 19, combining the best of the Newport Seal Tours with a tour of one of Rhode Island’s most beloved historic lighthouses. The first Seal-Lighthouse Tour departs from Bowen’s Ferry Landing at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 19. As the two-hour tour cruises through historic Newport Harbor, guests will take in 360° views of seals resting on Citing Rock off of Rose Island and enjoy an off-boat tour of the beautiful and historic Rose Island Lighthouse. Seal tours are held most Saturdays and Sundays from November 11 through April 31, plus some public school vacation days, while Seal-Lighthouse Tours will be held on select weekends each month from November 2016 to April 2017, beginning on Nov. 19 and 20.
“These tours are longer than our typical one-hour seal tours, in that we add another hour to enjoy beautiful Rose Island Light. Passengers will get a guided tour of both grounds as well as the lighthouse, where they will have the amazing opportunity to climb up to the top of the light,” said Dan Blount, education spet and boat captain.
Save The Bay has offered seal tours for more than 15 years throughout the months of October through April, when harbor seals come into the harbor to feed. Unlike visits to a zoo or aquarium, these boat tours offer guests the exclusive experience of catching winter seals in their natural habitat. And unlike Save The Bay’s shorter seal tours, these two-hour cruises include the lighthouse tour component. Save The Bay marine experts will provide an educational overview of harbor seals, Rhode Island’s recently-named official state marine mammal, and an historical perspective on Rose Island Light.
The two-hour Seal and Lighthouse Tours are $42 for non-members, $32 for members, seniors and children ages 3-12 and $5 for children under the age of three. These tours depart from Bowen’s Ferry Landing, 18 Market Square, Newport, RI. Tour tickets can be purchased online at Save The Bay’s Seal Tour website, www.savebay.org/seals, or through the Bowen’s Wharf kiosk in downtown Newport. For additional information call 401-203-7325.
Global Investor Forum names Jennifer Rousseau to Advisory Board
Rhode Island Foundation accepting applications for $300,000 Genius Grants
PROVIDENCE, RI – The Rhode Island Foundation is accepting applications for $300,000 grants to develop, test and implement innovative ideas that have the potential to dramatically move Rhode Island forward. The 2017 Innovation Fellowship program focuses on proposals that increase or improve civic engagement.
“We are marking our 100th anniversary with a year-long celebration of community. As we come to the end of our centennial, we could think of no better tribute than to encourage Rhode Islanders to think creatively about what that means to them,” said Neil Steinberg, the Foundation’s president and CEO. “With this targeted emphasis, we hope to engage and inspire people to become agents of change and progress.”
This is the sixth consecutive year that the Foundation has offered the fellowships, which are made possible through the vision and generosity of philanthropists Letitia and John Carter.
“By encouraging bold thinkers to bring their best ideas to life, Letitia and John Carter bolster our state’s reputation as a home of creativity and resourcefulness,” said Neil Steinberg, the Foundation’s president and CEO.
Up to two recipients will receive up to $100,000 a year for three years. Preference will be given to proposals with the potential to generate the greatest good for the greatest number of Rhode Islanders, a small idea that has the promise to be built to scale or new approaches to long-standing challenges.
“Letitia and I believe deeply in the capacity of everyday Rhode Islanders to solve the issues that affect our state. We are committed to making our state a better place to live and hope the public is inspired to submit proposals with the potential to lead the way,” said John Carter.
The Foundation will also give priority to applications that propose a new, novel or re-energized approach that has not been tried meaningfully in Rhode Island, the unique fit of the fellowship for the idea and the idea’s potential to generate excitement within a broader community and leverage resources from other sources.
Only individuals may apply. Although applicants do not have to be residents of Rhode Island when they apply, they must commit to living in Rhode Island during the term of their fellowship. All the eligibility requirements are posted on the Foundation’s website at rifoundation.org.
The deadline to apply is Fri., Dec. 16. The initial, one-page application asks applicants to summarize their idea in no more than 150 words and to describe how it would promote civic engagement. An informational session for potential applicants is scheduled for Mon., Nov. 14.
Steinberg will chair the selection committee. The other members are Elan Babchuk, director of innovation at Clal – The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership; Central Falls School Supt. Victor Capellan, Theresa Moore, president of T-Time Productions; Aidan Petrie, co-founder and chief innovation officer at Ximedica; Rhode Island College President Frank Sánchez, Dan Shedd, president of Taylor Box Company; and Leslie Taito, senior vice president of corporate operations at Hope Global.
In February 2017, the selection panel will ask a group of semi-finalists to submit a more detailed application and a short video. The Foundation expects to announce the winners in April.
The five previous rounds of fellowships generated more than 1,450 applications. The 2016 recipient is Ray Two Hawks Watson.
Watson is boosting the state’s tourism industry and improving social cohesion by capitalizing on Rhode Island’s cultural heritage, history and diversity through his Providence Cultural Equity Initiative.
The other previous recipients are Amy Bernhardt, David Dadekian, Adrienne Gagnon, John Haley, Daniel Kamil and Emily Steffian, Soren Ryherd, Dr. Lynn Taylor and Allan Tear.
The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. In 2015, the Foundation awarded $41.5 million in grants to organizations addressing the state’s most pressing issues and needs of diverse communities. Through leadership, fundraising and grantmaking activities, often in partnership with individuals and organizations, the Foundation is helping Rhode Island reach its true potential. For more information, visit rifoundation.org.
Business Trend Survey by Employers Association Shows Distinctions for Northeast Region
LINCOLN, RI – With close to 900 members concentrated in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, The Employers Association of the Northeast today unveiled the findings of the 2016 National Business Trends Survey conducted by the Employer Association of America.
Results from this comprehensive survey of 1,242 organizations, covering 2,814 employer locations and 45 U.S. states, indicates that the majority of executives surveyed remain optimistic for 2016, are confident they will award pay increases, will provide a heightened emphasis of recruiting, and plan to increase training budgets to focus on developing their existing employees.
“Here in the Northeast, we certainly understand that regulatory compliance is a concern and we are heartened to see more companies looking to increase staff,” stated Meredith Wise, President of the Employers Association of the Northeast. “We are also encouraged by the commitment of businesses in the Northeast to technology, processes, and people.
The top three distinctions for the Northeast from the findings appear to be:
- Regulatory compliance is a bigger concern
In comparison to the national average, companies in the Northeast view the cost of regulatory compliance as a greater challenge, both in the short term and long term. The data shows 32% of the Northeast regional responses expressing concern in the short term vs. 27% of the national responses. On a long-term basis, 42% of Northeast regional responses see regulatory compliance as a serious challenge, whereas nationally the average checks in at 34%.
- There is a greater commitment to invest in technology, processes, and people.
There appears to be a greater consensus on the part of Northeastern businesses to invest in technology equipment, lean, and other process improvements, as well as invest in training. All measures were responded to more favorably and at a higher rate than in comparison to the national norms. Overall 70% of executives surveyed in the Northeast said they would be making investments in people, facilities, and/or equipment in 2016 vs. only 62% nationally.
- More companies are looking to add staff.
While the majority of surveyed executives indicated that they would be increasing staff in 2016, a greater percentage of Northeastern executives – 59% plan on adding staff compared to the national norm of 52%.
For over 100 years, the Employers Association of the Northeast has provided resources for organizations to maximize employee engagement and retention while minimizing risk.
