Corporate
Social Responsibility &
Sustainability Report
2014
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- Corporate Social Responsibility Report 2014 - 1
Corporate
Social Responsibility &
Sustainability Report
2014
Prepared by Erica Newman, Sustainability Director for CrossRealms, Inc.
and Kate Buczek Sustainability Intern.
All content is copyright CrossRealms, Inc. © 2014
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Table of Contents
Letter from the Sustainability Director
4
Who We Are
6
About this Report
7
Past Sustainability Initiatives
8
Sustainable Operations
12
Community Engagement
15
Workplace
17
Contact Information
20
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Letter from the Sustainablilitv
Sustainablility Director
Social responsibility and sustainability
are important to us at CrossRealms,
Inc. We are a values-driven business
that actively seeks to improve our
community. CrossRealms CEO and
Enterprise Architect Usama Houlila
provides the impetus and vision for
the firm’s community outreach and
sustainability efforts. He recognizes
the importance of protecting the
environment for current and future
generations and is dedicated to helping others succeed. He is particularly
committed to solving the problem of
Chicago’s digital divide. To this end,
he provides local youth with a range
of opportunities to interact with technology and gain exposure to a professional work environment. I am proud
to share our first Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability Report
and reaffirm our commitment to social
equity and sustainable development.
~Erica Newman
Sustainability Director
Erica Newman ~ Sustainability Director for CrossRealms
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“
As we grow as a company,
we’re eager to find creative ways to
establish our presence as a force for both
social equity and sustainable development.
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Who We Are
CrossRealms is an information technology
(IT), managed services, and consulting
firm, located at 55 W. Monroe St. Suite
3330, Chicago, IL 60603. We are dedicated
to simplifying technology for businesses
by providing adaptive managed services
and consultation on a per-project basis.
We offer a diverse range of managed
services in advanced telephony, Citrix,
monitoring and analytics, network security, and SQL. Our engineers also provide
IT consulting for backup and disaster
recovery, cloud, data centers, databases,
monitoring, network security, telecommunications, and software development.
CrossRealms has experienced dramatic
growth since 2007, driven by increased
demand and referrals from our loyal clientele. We not only have advanced technically, but also have cultivated our sustainability department. Our work is sustained
by our employees’ commitment to supporting our surrounding communities,
improving STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering and Mathematics) education
in Chicago, bridging the digital divide, and
providing efficient technology solutions
for businesses.
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At CrossRealms, caring about providing
clients with innovative technology and
the highest quality services and products
goes hand-in-hand with caring about our
employees and community. We value
diversity and inclusion. With each project
we take on, we seek to give something
back. We encourage and provide opportunities for our employees to volunteer in
the community.
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About this report
The Corporate Social Responsibility and
Sustainability Report includes information about
our past and present sustainability efforts and
our managed services. This report adheres
to the Green Reporting Initiative (GRI) format,
but is not verified as a GRI standard report.
For further information regarding this report
and its contents, please contact one of our
Sustainability Team members.
Usama Houlila ~ CEO and Enterprise Architect of CrossRealms
He continuously strives to create inovative solutions
in sustainability and technolog y.
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Sustainability Initiatives
Past Sustainabilitv
CrossRealms has been collaborating with individuals and organizations since 2011 on projects that bridge the digital divide. The term
digital divide refers to disparities in access to,
use of, and opportunities to benefit from information and communications technologies.
Our past projects have focused on accessibility,
social and community development, education,
communication, and sustainability.
Camp Butterfly, June 2012 - CrossRealms collaborated with and donated money to
Camp Butterfly toward the creation of a space for environmental education, neighborhood
stewardship and an e-waste fundraising program. Camp Butterfly seaks to empower girls
in the Bronzecille neighborhood of Chicago.
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Sustainability Initiatives
Past Sustainabilitv
Raspberry Pi Computers at Polaris
Charter Academy
(July 2013)
CrossRealms installed six Raspberry Pi
workstations as part of a pilot program
at Polaris Charter Academy in Chicago.
CrossRealms supplied technical hardware for the school to use in its computer lab. Our goal was to help Polaris
stimulate student interest in computers,
computer programming, and STEM.
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Raspberry Pi Bake-Off Competition
(August 2013)
CrossRealms created the Raspberry Pi
Bake-Off Competition as an invitation
to developers to create an educational
game or program to promote learning using the Raspberry Pi. We developed this
project to accomplish the following goals:
•
Create and release open-source code
to help bridge the digital divide in
Chicago
•
Give aspiring developers an opportunity to develop software and apply
classroom learning to a real-world
challenge
•
Create a more mature and educational
Raspberry Pi platform
•
Facilitate CrossRealms’ engagement
with the community
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Sustainability Initiatives
Past Sustainabilitv
Still frame from video featuring Lilli Rudis explaining the impact of
standard data centers, and the CrossRealms initiative to reduce their
environmental impact. This video was closed captioned using software
created by the Amara Project.
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The Amara Project
(November 2013 - Present)
Green Data Center
(January 2012 - January 2013)
CrossRealms began supporting the
Amara Project, which facilitates the addition of closed captioning to videos using
an online application and the power of
crowd-sourced content. Amara’s software ensures that the words displayed
on video match or, when necessary, clarify what is spoken. This technology can
also be used to create subtitles in many
languages. The Amara Project expands
the availability of video content to the
American Sign Language (ASL) community and non-English speakers. CrossRealms adds closed captioning to all of
its videos through the Amara Project.
CrossRealms designed and aspired to
construct an underground data center below an urban greenhouse. The
byproduct heat would be channeled
into the greenhouse, providing an ideal
environment to grow fresh produce,
even during harsh Chicago winters. We
also intended to incorporate electronic
recycling into the green data center.
As people around the world become
more dependent on technology, data
centers are expanding and proliferating,
producing excess heat and contributing
to urban heat islands. Data centers also
drain energy from the buildings where
they are housed and increase operating costs. Obstacles including land and
building contracts prevented us from
realizing this project.
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Sustainability Initiatives
Past Sustainabilitv
Camp Butterfly and E-Waste Recycling
Program (June 2012)
Southwest Youth Collaborative
(August 2008 - January 2011)
CrossRealms donated money to build a
garden for Camp Butterfly, an innovative
program to empower girls in Chicago’s
Bronzeville neighborhood through
education in environmental and neighborhood stewardship. CrossRealms also
helped Camp Butterfly collect used electronics as part of an electronic-waste
recycling and fundraising program.
CrossRealms CEO Usama Houlila partnered with and served as a board
member of the Southwest Youth Collaborative (SWYC). The Collaborative
was a network of youth and community
organizations serving the Chicago Lawn,
West Lawn, West Englewood, Gage Park,
and West Elsdon neighborhoods of Chicago. CrossRealms donated money for
the continuous application of SWYC programs. SWYC dissolved in March 2012.
Chips for Charity (December 2011)
CrossRealms hosted its first charity
event, Chips for Charity. Guests were
invited to play Blackjack and Texas
Hold’em at Lux Bar in Chicago. The winner of the event received $500 to donate
to a charity of their choice and selected
St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.
Training Session for Employees on
Effective Communication (June 2012)
CrossRealms employees participated in
a training session on Effective Communication, led by Dan Duster, president
of 3D Development Group. The training
focused on the fundamentals of good
communication and mutual respect.
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Sustainability Operations
Sustainabilitv
Sustainability is a way of life at CrossRealms.
We recognize the importance of sustaining the
environment for current and future generations.
Economic Improvements through Sustainable Operations:
•
•
LEED Certified Office Building
Economic Growth
LEED Certified Building
CrossRealms is located in a LEED Gold Certified Building,
which helps us minimize our environmental impact and reduce our operating costs. The Hearn Building was retrofitted
in 2009, producing annual savings of 755,400 kilowatt hours
and $64,000. Natural lighting and green elevator operations
also help reduce operational costs. The building’s Destination
Dispatch program uses software that minimizes unnecessary
elevator stops and can increase elevator capacity by up to
30%. More information on the 55 W. Monroe retrofit can be
found on our website.
CrossRealms staff using their Divvy bikes - Divvy is a Chicago bike
sharing initiative, aimed at getting Chicagoans up and active and
reducing the environmental impact of commuting.
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Sustainability Operations
Sustainabilitv
Economic Growth
Green Data Center Operations
CrossRealms delivers customized solutions at a fixed cost to improve business
productivity, offers scalable managed
services, and ensures that the technology
needs of our clients are met into the future. We support the work of our clients’
in-house IT engineers or provide our own
expert team to manage and proactively
monitor their IT systems for optimal performance, resiliency, and high-availability.
Our customized retrofits of our clients’ IT
infrastructure, helps them reduce operational costs and supports growth.
This year, we have reduced our environmental footprint by promoting Green
Data Center Operations. Our new data
center uses one-third less energy than
the previous data center used. We are
using newer, more efficient equipment
and adjusting usage patterns. To increase storage capabilities, CrossRealms
replaces individual drives instead of buying new storage units each time.
Environmental Initiatives at
CrossRealms:
•
•
•
•
Old Data Center
Green Data Center Operations
Raspberry Pi Exploration
General Efficiency
Recycling
New Data Center
(cut to 1/3 prior consumption)
Data Center Energy Consumption
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Sustainability Operations
Sustainabilitv
Raspberry Pi Exploration
CrossRealms relishes finding innovative
ways to be more energy and resource
efficient. We are exploring using the
Raspberry Pi as a data center hub. The
Raspberry Pi is similar to a standard
desktop computer when connected to
a monitor or computer--and only costs
$5 to operate annually. This workstation
set-up also is less costly to maintain. If
problems arise, users can simply replace
the Secure Digital card rather than purchase a new desktop, replace computer
parts, or incur technician labor costs.
General Efficiency
• CrossRealms conserves energy by
turning office lights off when not
in use.
•
CrossRealms minimizes its transportation footprint through phone and video conferencing for remote employees
and clients, and through carpooling
and public transportation usage.
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• CrossRealms uses filtered water
and reusable dishes onsite to reduce waste.
CrossRealms interior at 55 W. Monroe - An LEED certified
building into which CrossRealms moved in January 2014.
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Community Engagement
CrossRealms strives to create opportunities for
interested employees and clients to engage with
the community. To this end, we created our own
community development project and joined forces with dozens of other organizations to provide
unique learning experiences to Chicago youth
during their summer break.
The Pioneer Project
The Pioneer Project is CrossRealms’ primary sustainability initiative. The goal of Pioneer, launched in 2014, is to enhance STEM
education through hands-on activities that engage our youth.
We are developing Raspberry Pi kits that can be checked out
or borrowed and building partnerships with local libraries and
other organizations to distribute these kits.
pioneer
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Chicago City of Learning (CCOL) - Summer 2014
This summer CrossRealms participated for the first time in the
Chicago City of Learning (CCOL) to increase the visibility of the
Pioneer Project to Chicago youth. This is the second year CCOL
has implemented its’ summer programs that involved over 100
youth-serving organizations. Youth are able to create an online
profile, access learning opportunities around the city, earn
digital badges and discover new interests during the summer
months. Working with CCOL helped the Pioneer Project prioritize its curriculum and follow-through on its goals with the
establishment of its first ever Raspberry Pi Class.
Chicago City of Learning
Chicago City of Learning (CCOL) is
unique network that connects local organizations with youth throughout the city of
Chicago to their learning initiatives and
resources. There are over 100 programs
and activities in video, robotics, fashion,
sports, writing, art, and more! To learn
more about CCOL, visit their website.
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Community Engagement
Mini-Maker Faire
The Sustainability team previewed it
Raspberry Pi Connoisseur Class at CCOL’s
Mini Maker Faire. We set up three computers with the computer programming
game, Scratch, and a light- automation
activity that one of our interns developed. We also displayed and distributed
information about the Raspberry Pi and
had extra Raspberry Pis on hand for
youngsters to engage with.
Raspberry Pi Connoisseur Class
We held a free Raspberry Pi Connoisseur Class for four youngsters at our
office. They learned about the device
and how to connect it to a monitor; play
the online programming game, Scratch;
set up light automation using a Cobbler
attachment; and create personalized
roadmaps for a robotic vehicle.
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Kate Buczek teaching an 2nd grader about Raspbery Pi computers
at CCOL Mini-Maker Faire.
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Workplace
CrossRealms promotes a
healthy, collegial and inclusive
work environment through a
range of activities and initiatives.
market and tried to eat more locallygrown food, as well as support locallyowned restaurants and grocery stores.
Our summer nutrition intern provided
CrossRealms colleagues with a homemade meal once a week.
Company Dinners
CrossRealms hosts a company dinner
every other month so that employees
can get to know each other on a personal basis. We also have a tradition of
celebrating holidays and personal milestones together.
Physical Fitness Initiatives
CrossRealms promotes physical fitness
and charitable giving by participating in
local races. Each year employees participate in the Bastille Day Run, which
supports the Mercy Home for Boys and
Girls, and the Hot Chocolate Run, which
supports the Ronald McDonald House.
CrossRealms also provides employees
with membership to our building’s health
club. In 2013 we offered employees a discounted Divvy (bicycle) Annual Membership in support of their fitness goals and
the environment.
Healthy Living Initiatives
Nutrition Program - Summer 2014
CrossRealms launched a nutritious lunch
initiative to promote healthy eating at
the office, help employees maintain high
energy levels throughout the workday,
and boost productivity. Our employees
made outings to the downtown farmers
CrossRealms employees Tim Connors, Redouane Aghrib, Kyle Neal
and Andrea LeJeune at our company BBQ in June 2014
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Workplace
Weekly Status Meeting
CrossRealms holds a weekly employee
meeting to give everyone a chance to
talk about their projects, learn about
each other’s work, and explore opportunities for collaboration and community outreach.
Recycling
CrossRealms has provided recycling
education to our employees, created
an Earth Day recycling competition and
awareness program in 2014, and participates in all building recycling initiatives.
Internship Program with Illinois
Institute of Technology
CrossRealms in 2012 created an internship program for international students
at the Illinois Institute of Technology. In
both the winter and summer of 2014, we
hosted a group of interns for six-weeks.
The interns worked in marketing, business development, or engineering for
the Sustainability Team. The internship
gives international students a chance to
CrossRealms employees participating in weekly
status meeting.
learn about American business culture;
apply their skills to a project; improve
their communication skills; learn how
to work as part of a team and independently; and share their culture. It also
expands the horizons of CrossRealms
employees.
CrossRealms employees at the Bastille Day 5K/8K
run in July 2014.
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Workplace
Cultural Excursions
Cultural excursions are an important
component of our internship program.
Many of our interns are new to Chicago
and the United States. Our cultural excursions have included architectural tours
of Chicago and visits to the Museum of
Science and Industry.
Usama Houlila and our group of Summer IIT interns at one of our
company condo parties.
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Contact
CrossRealms, Inc
Sustainability Team:
Additional Thanks To:
55 West Monroe St, Suite 3330
Chicago, IL 60603
(312) 278-4445
[email protected]
www.crossrealms.com
Ali Ellison
Sustainability Associate
[email protected]
Usama Houlila
Enterprise Architect/CEO
[email protected]
Paapa Okyere
Sustainability Associate
[email protected]
Cedric Casuga
Media and Marketing Specialist
[email protected]
Ray Ortiz
Engineer Associate
[email protected]
Andrea LeJeune
Graphic Designer
[email protected]
Learn more about CrossRealms’ sustainability efforts at
www.crossrealms.com/sustainability
This Report was made by:
Erica Newman
Sustainability Coordinator
(December 2013 - October 2014)
Kate Buczek
Sustainability Intern
(February 2014 - August 2014)
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