National Science Foundation data shows that while Black Americans make up 13 percent of the U.S. population, and Latinx people 18 percent, in 2019 they received just three and seven percent, respectively, of new engineering, math, physical sciences and computer science PhDs.   

This spring, Bloomberg Philanthropies and Johns Hopkins University launched the Vivien Thomas Scholars Initiative - an effort to address underrepresentation in STEM fields and prepare the next generation of researchers and scholars to assume leadership roles in tackling some of the world's greatest challenges. The program will create pathways for students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, as well as Minority Serving Institutions, to pursue and receive PhDs, and is part of Bloomberg Philanthropies' Greenwood Initiative - an effort to increase intergenerational Black wealth and address systemic underinvestment in Black communities.  

The initiative is named after Vivien Thomas - a Black surgical laboratory supervisor who developed a life-saving cardiac surgery technique to treat "blue baby syndrome" at Johns Hopkins Hospital in the 1940s. Despite his life-saving research, Thomas's contributions went unrecognized for decades because of racial discrimination.   

Damani Piggott, the inaugural Associate Vice Provost for Graduate Diversity and Partnerships at Johns Hopkins University, and Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell, the President of Spelman College, sit down with Garnesha Ezediaro of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Greenwood Initiative to discuss Vivien Thomas' legacy, how we can ensure diversity in PhD programs in the future, and why it's important to create pathway programs to prepare the next generation of leaders in STEM fields.

104. Increasing Diversity in STEM Fields

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 8 million people are killed by tobacco each year.

Unfortunately, most tobacco-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, areas that are targets of intensive tobacco industry marketing. But the good news is that the scale of this human tragedy is preventable.

The Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use at Bloomberg Philanthropies works with national and local governments in more than 110 countries to help implement measures to protect people from harm, such as creating smoke-free public places, banning tobacco advertising, and increasing tax on tobacco products. This initiative builds on Mike Bloomberg's successful efforts in reducing smoking rates during his time as mayor of New York City. Since the launch of the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use in 2007, global smoking rates have fallen from 22.7% to 17.5%. 

While we're making strides to save lives around the world, there's still work to be done in the face of new challenges, such as the rise in flavored tobacco products and e-cigarette use among teens in the U.S.

On this episode, Katherine Oliver sits down with Betsy Fuller, who is part of Bloomberg Philanthropies' team working to reduce tobacco use, to discuss our tobacco control work in the Philippines, how the country is working to combat youth vaping, and to share an update on global smoking rates around the world.

130. Reducing Tobacco Use in the Philippines

Did you know that it could take up to 500 years for single-use plastic bottles to biodegrade in the ocean, according to estimates from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration?

What if the solution for more sustainable packaging also lies in the seas? Bloomberg Philanthropies is working to ensure the ocean, key marine ecosystems, and the billions who depend on them can survive and thrive through the Bloomberg Ocean Initiative. 

Our guest today – Pierre Paslier – co-founded Notpla, short for "not plastic," a company on a mission to make packaging disappear. Based in London, the team creates alternative packaging made from seaweed and plants, ranging from a bubble that could replace plastic cups and bottles at sporting events, to single dose spheres of toothpaste and sustainable, biodegradable packaging for takeaway food. Since it started in 2019, Notpla has replaced almost 3 million units of single-use plastic from entering the environment.

Notpla is a winner of the 2022 Earthshot Prize, a prestigious global environment prize launched by His Royal Highness Prince William to incentivize change and help repair our planet with innovative solutions by 2030. Our founder, Mike Bloomberg, serves as Global Advisor to the Winners of the Earthshot Prize, including Notpla, and Bloomberg Philanthropies - alongside Bloomberg LP - has supported The Earthshot Prize since its creation in 2019, as a Global Alliance Founding Partner. In fact, Bloomberg LP uses Notpla's sustainable packaging at its European headquarters in London.

On this episode, Katherine Oliver sits down with Pierre. They discuss how he created Notpla with his co-founder and former classmate, Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez, how Notpla expanded from its first product to introduce packaging solutions for electronics, fashion, cosmetics and food, his experience with The Earthshot Prize, and how he’s planning on using his prize money to expand Notpla’s impact.

131. Making Single-Use Packaging Disappear

Across the United States, millions of students are performing below grade level. Eighth grade reading scores are at their lowest level in two decades, and math scores are at a three-decade low, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

How can we help students combat pandemic learning loss?

A great education is critical to ensure America can continue leading the global economy - and Bloomberg Philanthropies is funding summer school in eight cities to help public charter school students catch up to where they need to be. Our Summer Boost initiative is just one of the ways we're working to ensure all students have the chance to get a high-quality education.

In this episode, Howard Wolfson, who leads Bloomberg Philanthropies' education program, joins political strategist and venture capitalist Bradley Tusk for a wide-ranging conversation about how Bloomberg Philanthropies is working to address the ongoing crisis in America's education system - from supporting career and vocational training programs, to expanding access to top colleges for talented students from low-income families. This audio is adapted from the Firewall podcast, where entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, strategists and journalists reveal what's really on their mind.

132. Combatting Pandemic Learning Loss

Women and girls make up a disproportionate amount of the 1.2 billion people who live in extreme poverty around the world. Our guests today are working in Rwanda and in cities around the world to create opportunities for women that lead to economic independence. Since 2007, Bloomberg Philanthropies' Women's Economic Development Initiative, led by Verna Eggleston, has focused on developing women's skills to help them master income-generating activities.

More than 724,000 women and their families have enrolled in training and education programs directly benefiting over 2.8 million of their children through access to health insurance, education beyond primary school, increased savings, and much, much more. This summer, an independent third party evaluation conducted and published by the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies showed how effective and replicable the program is. In this episode, Katherine Oliver sits down with Verna Eggleston, who leads Bloomberg Philanthropies' Women's Economic Development Initiative, Laurie Adams, the CEO of Women for Women International, and Christine Condo, the Executive Director of Sustainable Growers. They discuss how the program affects women, their communities, and their children and families, key findings of the Johns Hopkins report, and how listeners can get involved.

133. Investing in Women's Economic Independence

The overdose crisis is affecting US communities everywhere. A new survey by the Pew Research Center found nearly one in two people in the U.S. knows someone with a substance use disorder.

In 2018, the Bloomberg Overdose Prevention Initiative began its work supporting Michigan and Pennsylvania in using a data-driven approach to confront the overdose crisis, resulting in both states seeing lower increases in overdose deaths than the national average despite the setbacks brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, the Initiative began working in five other hard-hit states: Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. Alongside partners, the Initiative draws upon learnings from the initial two states to implement new programs, and to advocate for federal policies to expand treatment access and harm reduction with a goal of accelerating progress in reducing overdose deaths.

On this episode, Katherine Oliver sits down with two of Bloomberg’s critical partners in this effort – Kat Humphries, a Program Manager for the Overdose Prevention Program at Vital Strategies, and Tahira Malik, the founder of Samad’s House in Milwaukee, Wisconsin – to discuss the common misconceptions people have about substance use disorder, harm reduction as an effective strategy for preventing overdose deaths, and policies that could implemented to support recovery in communities across the country.

134. Advancing Public Health Strategies to Reduce Overdose Deaths

Everyone knows that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but can singing in the shower also help? What about seeing a play or taking a painting class? For the past two years, Bloomberg Philanthropies has supported the EpiArts Lab, a National Endowment for the Arts Research Lab based at the University of Florida’s Center for Arts in Medicine in partnership with University College London. The EpiArts Lab has analyzed longitudinal datasets that follow thousands of U.S. residents from all demographics, over several decades to understand whether participating in the arts has long-term benefits for public health.

While we continue to grapple with the mental health fall out of the pandemic, crises caused by climate change, the polarized political landscape, and the marginalization of certain populations…..now more than ever, people are looking for relief.

The good news is, EpiArts Lab has produced over a dozen peer-reviewed papers uncovering the impacts of arts activities on health indicators in various populations, with compelling findings.

In this episode of Follow the Data, Katherine Oliver sits down with Jill Sonke, PhD, director of research initiatives in the Center for Arts in Medicine at the University of Florida, and Tracey Knuckles of our arts team to shed light on the ways that cultural activities can help keep you healthy and how the arts can be incorporated into healthcare systems.

135. Can the Arts Keep You Healthy?

The future of our country depends on bold changes to education to ensure that all students are able to realize their full potential.

According to The National Center for Education Statistics, in 2022, average mathematics scores at fourth grade declined across the country. Furthermore, only a third of Americans have a bachelor’s degree or higher, while there continues to be major shortfalls of qualified candidates for “middle skills jobs."

How can we improve student achievement and provide them with viable pathways to jobs that lead to long-term economic mobility

Building on more than a decade of education reform work from Mike Bloomberg’s time as mayor, Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Education program works to ensure that all students have the skills and opportunities to succeed in the 21st century. From supporting the growth of charter schools to investing in programs that help young people get the specialized training they need, our Education program works alongside partners to implement initiatives that will make a significant difference for the children most in need of a great education and chart a path to a successful future.

On this episode, Katherine Oliver sits down with two colleagues from Bloomberg’s Education team – Eve Bois, who manages the Career and Technical Education portfolio, and Jasmine Jenkins, who co-manages the K-12 Education and Advocacy portfolio, to discuss the challenges facing public education in America, Bloomberg Philanthropies’ comprehensive education reform work, and how we are expanding post-secondary opportunities for students through school-based and work-based programs.

136. How Can We Support Student Success at All Stages?

Data plays a critical role in helping build a more equitable society. As leaders and organizations across the country grapple with how to strategically invest in Black communities, having access to relevant data about wealth equity in the U.S. is essential. Unfortunately, that data is often out-of-date, inaccessible, not disaggregated by race, and not available at the local level.

So, how can we work to reduce the gaps in racial wealth equity data?

Supported by the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative, the Black Wealth Data Center works to remedy the problem of insufficient and inaccessible data on the topic of Black wealth. By making relevant data disaggregated by race available, the Black Wealth Data Center's Racial Wealth Equity Database empowers leaders to leverage the data necessary to develop and implement effective programs and policies to increase racial wealth equity.

To celebrate the Black Wealth Data Center’s recent one-year anniversary, Katherine Oliver sits down with Garnesha Ezediaro, who leads Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Greenwood Initiative, Darrick Hamilton, the Founding Director of the Institute for the Study of Race, Stratification and Political Economy at the New School, and Lamar Gardere, the Executive Director at The Data Center of Southeast Louisiana and national recipient of the Black Wealth Data Center and National Neighborhood Indicator’s Local Data and Engagement Grant Program, to discuss the importance of data in advancing racial wealth equity, the challenges faced by organizations that don’t have access to data, and how the Black Wealth Data Center is helping provide decision-makers with data collection and accessibility.

137. How Can We Reduce the Gaps in Racial Wealth Equity Data?

Tobacco use is the world’s leading cause of preventable death.

Since the mid-20th century, the tobacco industry has used deliberate marketing tactics to confuse the public about tobacco’s harmful effects, causing billions of deaths globally from tobacco use and second-hand smoke. However, a growing number of countries and organizations around the world are standing up to the tobacco industry and taking strong action.

Since its launch in 1995, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids has tackled the tobacco industry head on. And since the launch of the Bloomberg Initiative to Reduce Tobacco Use in 2007, the arch of the fight against tobacco has changed drastically – in turn, saving millions of lives. Despite this progress, the data shows that there's still a lot of work to be done. While cigarette use declined exceptionally over the years, the tobacco industry has found ways to reinvent itself through social media ad campaigns and colorful, fun-flavored e-cigarettes tailor made for kids.

On this episode, our host Katherine Oliver, sits down with Matt Myers, outgoing President of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and Yolonda Richardson, the Campaign’s current President, to share more about the arduous battle against the ever-evolving tobacco industry and its deceptive marketing to kids and low-income communities around the world.

138. Tackling the Tobacco Industry Around the World

Solutions to many of the greatest challenges we face depend on the progress of cities.

Local leaders are uniquely positioned to bring about real change that has tangible impact for residents, but often, they don’t have the resources to do so. How can we support city governments in bridging this gap, so they have the capabilities they need to move communities forward?

The Government Innovation team at Bloomberg Philanthropies focuses on providing mayors and local government officials with the tools and support they need to tackle the pressing problems they face and improve people’s lives.

On this episode, James Anderson, who leads Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Government Innovation program, joins Nneka Sobers, the Assistant Director of Product Development at the Urban Tech Hub at Cornell Tech, to discuss how Bloomberg Philanthropies works with city halls around the world to strengthen their problem-solving capacity and increase their use of data, innovation, and cross-sector collaboration by providing leadership training, programs, and an infrastructure that allows for urban ideas to spread across cities worldwide.

This audio is adapted from their recent conversation at the Urban Tech Summit hosted at Cornell Tech, where academics, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and industry and public sector leaders gathered to discuss how cities can drive decarbonization around the world.

104. Increasing Diversity in STEM Fields

Follow the Data

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