Head of Technology Practice

The Women's Center & Shelter's Celebrating Survivors event spread awareness while honoring survivors and supporters. May 31, 2026 Melissa Rayworth The recent Celebrating Survivors event hosted by the Women's Center & Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh put a welcome spotlight on the many people in its community who lift up local women and support them as they cope with and survive domestic abuse. It was a moment "to publicly say to survivors, 'We know that you are brave. We know you are on a journey. We believe you, support you. We want to be here with you. And there's help, and there's people - a whole community of people - who are not just willing to help, but excited to help,'" said Women's Center's president and CEO, Nicole Molinaro. The event also served as a powerful reminder that "there is help and hope available," Molinaro said. "Calling our 24/7 hotline could really get you in to talk to somebody who can help you figure out what your next step is. So regardless of whether you are trying to figure out if you're in an abusive relationship, whether you are literally fleeing for your life, or any step in between, give us a call and we can talk." Amid the atmosphere of celebration at the event, held at Nova Place on May 9, the focus was on the troubling reality that millions of American women face multiple kinds of intimate partner abuse, which may be physical, emotional, financial, sexual or a combination of these. As the dinner and awards ceremony began, the crowd paused for a moment of silence. "We honor all of the survivors here with us tonight, those we have served for the past 52 years, and those who are walking among us, still on their healing journeys," Molinaro said. Speakers, including County Executive Sara Innamorato and Mayor Corey O'Connor and First Lady Katie O'Connor, spoke about the commitment that Allegheny County and the city of Pittsburgh have toward those who are facing abuse. CELEBRATING PROGRESS AND SHARING LIFESAVING TOOLS Innamorato mentioned the Intimate Partner Violence Reform Initiative (IPV), which drives the county's strategic direction and systems-level coordination to better serve survivors. "The Initiative, which started four years ago, is a collaborative of over 30 partners representing those involved in working with IPV victims and perpetrators in Allegheny County," Innamorato said. "Among the most impressive achievements of this group is the establishment of a fatality review protocol and coordination between the courts and Women's Center - and now all victim-serving organizations - to identify high-risk offenders and work in a coordinated fashion to serve their partners or ex-partners," she said. "It's truly life-saving work and a testament to what can be done when people work together with a common goal of safety." The Women's Center's SUCCESS Award was given to the Pittsburgh-based staff of the communications firm Burson, for their work in creating awareness about IPV and about the Bright Sky app. Molinaro spoke about having "witnessed firsthand their commitment and dedication to creating awareness of domestic violence. It's gone beyond a personal passion and mission and is embraced by their entire organization." The Bright Sky app can be a lifeline for people who are trying to determine whether the things they're experiencing in their relationship are a form of abuse, Molinaro says. And while the Women's Center also has a text-and-chat line where women can speak with a live person, the app can be valuable if someone is at a moment when they "don't want to necessarily reach out, until they've learned a little bit more and kind of internally thought about it," Molinaro says. "We really want to be able to make sure that there's help available, without having to put any pressure on talking with anybody," she says. "And it's for family and friends, as well. There's some great tools in there for family and friends to have conversations, to recognize red flags and things like that." A centerpiece of the evening was the Sherley & Ted Craig Humanitarian Award, given to the Best of the Batch Foundation co-founders Charlie and Latasha Wilson Batch for their year-round dedication to the Women's Center's mission. (Learn more here about their 20-year commitment to their annual Batch a Toys initiative, which brightens the holidays for children and families who are served by the Women's Center.) They were both clearly moved by the recognition. Kidsburgh don't think of the Women's Center & Shelter as a "partner," explained Wilson Batch, who serves on the Women's Center board while also serving as a hands-on manager of Best of the Batch alongside her husband. "Let me be very clear," she told the Celebrating Survivors crowd. "We are family." To learn more about the Women's Center & Shelter, click here. And learn about its half-century of impact (and how they may be able to help someone you know) right here.

The launch of UMN and Burson Indonesia collaboration. Published by levina on March 8, 2026 Group photo of the UMN & Burson Indonesia teams. (Doc. UMN) Tangerang, (05/02/2026) - The UMN Career Development Center (CDC) has launched a recruitment collaboration with Burson Indonesia. The collaboration between UMN and Burson Indonesia will focus on student career and academic programs, including recruitment, curriculum matching, and other academic activities across UMN's four faculties. Previously, UMN had conducted an industry visit to Burson Indonesia and discussed opportunities for collaboration. Through this collaboration, UMN hopes to gain broader access to various career opportunities while meeting the needs of an ever-evolving industry. "Collaboration with the industry is part of UMN's commitment to expand its network continuously. The collaboration with Burson Indonesia will lead to the recruitment of students for internships and full-time positions. In addition, Burson Indonesia can also participate in various career programs at UMN, such as career days and campus hiring," Dr. Ika Yanuarti, S.E., M.S.F, CSA., Vice Rector for Student Affairs, said. Ika emphasized that the collaboration with Burson Indonesia is an effort to continue developing students' soft and hard skills. Of course, it is also to continue developing and implementing UMN's 5C values (Caring, Credible, Competent, Competitive, & Customer Delight) in the world of work. "In addition to career activities for students, this collaboration also leads to the development of the learning curriculum at UMN for four faculties, so that UMN continues to keep up with industry developments through guest lectures and curriculum matching activities. Through this program, we hope to continue to meet industry needs and increase student absorption in the industry," she added. Ika hopes that this inauguration will strengthen the relationship between UMN and Burson Indonesia, and, of course, that UMN can continue to work with the industry and keep up with developments in the world of work. "We ourselves have previously accepted several UMN students to work at Burson Indonesia, as well as held several guest lectures at UMN. With the start of this collaboration, it is hoped that the relationship between UMN and Burson Indonesia can become more active and accommodate the careers of UMN students," Sofrida Saraswati, Head of People & Culture at Burson Indonesia, said. For Sofrida, Burson Indonesia focuses not only on public relations agencies but also on software development, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and creative teams. Of course, with this collaboration, Sofrida is open to other faculties at UMN. "I hope that the relationship between UMN and Burson Indonesia can be sustainable. We want to continue to attract young people with high enthusiasm. I am sure that in the future there will be more programs that can be carried out together with UMN," Sofrida concluded. By Rachel Tiffany | UMN News Service English translation by Levina Chrestella Theodora