Month: October 2017

Celebrities Stand with LGBTQ Students and Point Foundation

Stuart Mitchell

More than 450 guests and celebrities filled the Beverly Hilton Hotel to support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) students at Point Honors Los Angeles. Point Foundation (Point), the evening’s beneficiary, is the nation’s largest scholarship-granting organization for LGBTQ students. The gala evening also included an announcement by Wells Fargo of $1.8 million in continued support for Point. Wanda Sykes was presented with the Point Legend Award by Anthony Anderson for having achieved greatness in her career and unapologetically supporting the LGBTQ community. Writer, director, and producer Jill Soloway…

Read More

Monica Lewinsky Debuts “In Real Life” PSA and New #BeStrong Emojis

Stuart Mitchell

Bullying prevention social activist Monica Lewinsky announces the launch of the “In Real Life” PSA campaign – including new additions to the #BeStrong suite of emojis. October is Bullying Prevention Month and the film and emojis are designed to bring attention to the epidemic of cyberbullying and offer solutions. While the PSA draws attention to the difference between how people behave online versus in real life, the #BeStrong emojis allow people to take action when witnessing online bullying. “In Real Life” is a powerful exploration of bullying that recasts the…

Read More

PR disaster for WHO as Director-General rescinds Mugabe Goodwill Ambassador appointment

Stuart Mitchell

The World Health Organization has revoked the appointment of Zimbabwe’s Robert Mugabe as a goodwill ambassador following a widespread outcry. The WHO’s director general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who previously made the appointment at a high-level meeting on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Uruguay on Wednesday, said in a statement that he had listened to those expressing concerns. The Statement was as follows: “Over the last few days, I have reflected on my appointment of H.E. President Robert Mugabe as WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases in Africa. As a result I…

Read More

Booking.com Announces New Scholarship Programs to Support Women in Technology

Stuart Mitchell

Booking.com, one of the world’s largest travel e-commerce companies and digital technology leader, has introduced Booking.com Women in Technology Scholarships, a new, two-year initiative designed to support women seeking careers in technology. Working in conjunction with the University of Oxford in the UK, and the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, these scholarships will be granted to women looking to further their education and advancement in the technology sector. The grants will equal over $585K across both university partnerships. Recognizing an under-representation of women in under-graduate and advanced STEM-related…

Read More

Narrative VR experience focuses on Rotary International’s work to eradicate polio

Stuart Mitchell

Don’t Panic has teamed up with Rotary International, the global network of leaders dedicated to humanitarian issues, to create a new immersive VR experience, named One Small Act. As one of the first examples of narrative storytelling in VR, the experience highlights the impact rotary International is making around the world, focusing on its work to eradicate polio. One Small Act will act as collateral to increase donations to worthy causes. It was created in partnership with Google. It depicts a young girl growing up in Bosnia. Initial calm and…

Read More