JUNE 2024
Cover Story
Marine & College Student Charts his Own Path to Success through Community Builder Scholarship, pg. 19
GetRuralLeaderMag.com | JUNE 2024 1
Contents
Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Kuanita E. Murphy, PhD Rural Leader Magazine, LLC is a digital publication that highlights every day people doing extraordinary things nationally and abroad. www.RuralLeaderMag.com www.GetRuralLeaderMag.com
About Us
Launched in March 2014, Rural Leader Magazine, LLC is a digital publication with a mission to highlight every day people doing extraordinary things in business, education, music, community, art, sports, and leadership nationally and abroad. Rural Leader Magazine honors exemplary individuals on a variety of levels, such as the 20 under 20 Honors, 40 under 40 Honors, Best Small Town Restaurant, Small Town America’s 100 Most Influential People, the Scholars of Collegiate Distinction, Fifty under Fifty, and the Eagle Elite Club.— Reproduction in any manner, in whole or in part, in English, or other languages, is prohibited without written consent. Send editorial ideas to Kuanita Murphy, PhD, Editor-in-Chief [email protected] Contact Us [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
2
RuralLeaderMag.com | JUNE 2024
6 Orchestrating ‘Affectionate Intelligence’ with AI Processors
12 Three Tips for sticking to a healthy lifestyle plan
8 Rural Community Celebrates Barbershop Talks One Year Anniversary
17 Achieving Meaningful Growth With ‘Innovation for Impact’
9 Things are not always what they seem: Beware of identity fraud 11 Men's Wellness Awareness Month
COVER STORY 19 Marine & College Student Charts his Own Path to Success through Community Builder Scholarship 21 Living Well With Hypertension Workshop
Editor’s Note Dear Readers, Inside this issue, there are a number of great articles about leadership best practices, building positive self-esteem and productivity! We hope you enjoy this issue. As always, I hope you enjoy this issue and continue to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Thanks again for your continual support! Sincerely, Kuanita E. Murphy, PhD Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
What you do matters. @RuralLeaderMag
Tell us what you think about our publications, if you have a great idea for a story, or to just share. We may print your comments in Rural Leader Magazine. By sending us your comments, you’re giving permission to call you for an interview. Please be sure to include your name, address, email address, and phone number so we can reach you. Write to us at [email protected]—
GetRuralLeaderMag.com | JUNE 2024 3
4
RuralLeaderMag.com | JUNE 2024
GetRuralLeaderMag.com | JUNE 2024 5
Orchestrating ‘Affectionate Intelligence’ with AI Processors By Jung Jae-chul, home entertainment research and development lab leader of HE R&D Lab at LG Electronics Imagine a TV that not only delivers your favorite shows in incredible picture quality but also connects with you on a deeper level. That concept is no longer bound to imagination, as LG’s latest TVs are capable of understanding what you want and need, tailoring every moment you spend with it through ‘Affectionate Intelligence.’ This is the essence of LG’s unwavering commitment to crafting empathetic algorithms through three decades of technological innovation. This ethos seamlessly extends to the development of its AI chipsets, which are designed to foster more meaningful TV interactions. As a testament to this dedication, LG’s Alpha AI processor, engineered exclusively for its OLED TVs, made its global debut a decade ago as one of the biggest breakthroughs in TV processing technology history. This AI-powered processor is constantly evolving based on customer feedback, which guarantees a TV experience that only gets better with time. Amidst the widespread adoption of OLED panels, LG OLED TVs set themselves apart courtesy of the first OLED-dedicated AI processor. This processor leverages advanced algorithms and cutting-edge 6
RuralLeaderMag.com | JUNE 2024
upscaling technology to unlock uncharted levels of picture quality within LG OLED TVs. Various processing technologies continue to evolve with AI, notably showcasing significant performance enhancements in the Neural Processing Unit (NPU) - essential for affectionate intelligence - with a remarkable surge of 400 percent. LG’s latest OLED evo TVs1 are equipped with the new α (Alpha) 11 AI processor which boosts processing speeds by 30 percent compared to its predecessor. What’s more, LG’s premium AI processing technology has expanded to LG QNED TVs, taking the performance of its high-end LCD TV lineup to new levels. LG QNED TVs feature the Alpha 8 AI processor to achieve a 1.3-fold increase in AI performance and 1.6-fold increase in processing speed compared to its predecessor. These remarkable advancements come together to form a powerful yet refined audiovisual experience that heightens the audience’s sense of immersion. At the core of LG’s AI TVs lies a deep understanding of the user’s preferences, habits and desires. Seeking to enrich the home entertainment experience with versatile personalization and added convenience, the latest LG AI TVs can recognize voices based on unique webOS profiles, making it easier
to deliver personalized recommendations based on their personal viewing history. This user-centric approach lets users access their favorite or most-used content and services in an instant, while Picture Wizard works to tailor picture quality to their preferences to foster a deeper understanding and connection. Picture Wizard lets users pick from a range of image options, so that they can fine-tune images to their liking and receive greater viewing satisfaction without having to learn everything there is to know about technical aspects such as brightness, contrast or sharpness. With sound quality now deemed just as important as image quality in completing the viewing experience, AI processing technologies have been evolving to help the TV’s audio performance catch up. AI Sound Pro offers richer and fuller audio while the LG TV’s built-in speakers produce virtual 11.1.2 surround sound to heighten immersion. The AI can even enhance dialogue clarity by separating vocals from the soundtrack, making it seem like sounds are emanating naturally from the screen’s center. Moreover, WOW Orchestra creates three-dimensional audio which works in unison with the TV’s built-in speakers and compatible LG soundbars, creating a unified sound together. LG’s focus on the webOS smart TV platform, which powers over 200 million smart TVs, is clear
for everyone to see. webOS enriches everyday life experiences with versatile personalization and enhanced convenience in the form of individual profiles, voice recognition and recommendations based on viewing history. With its extensive user base, LG is set to maintain a strong presence in targeted advertising, FAST and content streaming services. Lastly, the webOS Re:New program2 offers the latest webOS upgrade to existing LG Smart TV owners to guarantee the most up-to-date TV experience for the next five years. That means consumers purchasing an LG OLED TV or LG QNED TV launched in 2024 can benefit from the latest webOS platform until 2028. To explore the various efforts the LG Home Entertainment Company is making to curate life-enriching experiences for every kind of user, stay tuned to the LG Newsroom. 1 LG OLED evo M4 and G4 models M2 Pop-up notifications offering a full upgrade without the need to select specific UX, UI or features are only sent to customers who have agreed to receive them. Please note that this upgrade does not cover the TV’s hardware performance, features or durability.—
GetRuralLeaderMag.com | JUNE 2024 7
Things are not always what they seem: Beware of identity fraud Scam artists are constantly changing tactics to steal your personal identifiable information (PII), including account usernames and passwords, Social Security numbers, birth dates, credit and debit card numbers, personal identification numbers (PINs) or other sensitive information. With this information, they can carry out crimes like financial fraud that can be difficult and frustrating for victims to remedy. The United States Postal Inspection Service is working hard to stop these scammers in their tracks. You can help too, by familiarizing yourself with these identity fraud scams designed to trick you into giving up your “financial DNA” and turning over your personal identifiable information (PII) to imposters. 1. Phishing. If you ever receive an email about a package delivery or unpaid online postage charges, usually with the subject line, “Delivery Failure Notification,” be careful. These phishing emails appear to be from the U.S. Postal Service but they are not and you should not interact with them. The phishing emails may contain either a spoofed or fake URL for you to follow or a file that if opened, can activate a virus, both resulting in stealing your personal infor-
8
RuralLeaderMag.com | JUNE 2024
mation. How can you tell if an email is NOT from USPS or the Postal Inspection Service? If the email requests “immediate action,” has poor grammar and spelling errors, asks you to confirm PII or asks for payment of any kind, you’re likely dealing with a phishing email. USPS officials would never contact consumers directly asking for payment or PII. If you receive a phishing email: * Treat your personal information like cash * Don’t click on any links * Forward USPS-related spam emails to spam@uspis. gov * Report non-USPS spam emails to the Federal Trade Commission * Delete the email 2. Smishing. Have you received unsolicited mobile text messages with an unfamiliar or strange web link that indicates a USPS delivery requires your response? You’re likely dealing with a smishing scam. This type of deceptive text message lures recipients into providing personal or financial information.
GetRuralLeaderMag.com | JUNE 2024 9
Scammers often attempt to disguise themselves as a government agency, bank or other company to lend legitimacy to their claims. Even if you’ve signed up for USPS tracking, pay close attention to the message. The Postal Service will never ask you for PII in a text message, redirect you to another site for payment, or contact you via text message, unless you initiated the request. If you receive a smishing text message from the Postal Service: * Don’t click on the link * Don’t reply * Forward the smishing/text message to 7726 or email [email protected] * Report non-USPS fraud to the Federal Trade Commission * Delete the text message * Block spam messages * Review your cellphone bill for suspicious charges * Keep your security software up to date 3. Vishing You may have enjoyed the game telephone when you were younger but calls from scammers trying to get your personal information are nothing to play with. A new twist on phishing, vishing is something you need to be aware of. Vishing is short for voice phishing and scammers will try to hook you as soon as you answer the phone. Here’s how to spot it. Scammers call from a number that may look familiar or even appear to be from a legitimate source, like your bank or a government agency. The caller, however, is anything but legit. They may claim there’s an issue with your account or a problem that requires your immediate attention. Then the scammers will ask for sensitive information like Social Security numbers, credit card details or passwords.
10
RuralLeaderMag.com | JUNE 2024
To protect yourself from vishing: * Verify the identity of the caller * Ask yourself why the caller is asking for your information * Never give out sensitive information over the phone * Report the call to the alleged bank, government agency or company * Block spam callers * Place your number on the national Do Not Call List 4. Quishing. QR codes are incredibly common nowadays. You’ve probably seen them on posters, food menus and TV screens. Take caution before you scan. Some QR codes may be a form of phishing known as quishing. If you receive a message from an unfamiliar email address or text message or find a poster in a high-traffic location, don’t scan it. If you do, the QR code could take you to a scammer’s website (which may look legitimate) but is designed to scam you out of your PII. If you find or receive a suspicious QR code: * Don’t scan it, especially if the message or poster urges you to act immediately * Report the QR code to the bank, government agency or company that the scam artist is impersonating * Block scam messages Stay alert! Scammers are always on the hunt for sensitive information. Protect yourself and others by using caution and reporting suspicious emails, texts, calls, voicemails and QR codes to the proper authorities. To learn more about how to protect yourself from identity fraud, visit uspis.gov/identity-fraud-2024. You can also find additional fraud prevention resources on our website at USPIS.gov.—
GetRuralLeaderMag.com | JUNE 2024 11
Three Tips for sticking to a healthy lifestyle plan
As the seasons change, a familiar moment of truth happens in many households. When you’re turning over your closets - putting away your sweaters until next year, and bringing out the t-shirts, shorts and sundresses - you begin wondering how your summer clothes mysteriously got one size smaller over the winter. And then the realization hits: your New Year’s resolution to exercise more and eat right has fallen by the wayside. It’s all too common. According to recent research out of The Ohio State University, only 9% of Americans who make resolutions stick to them. Some 23% quit in the first week and 43% quit by the end of January. It’s not the resolutions themselves that are the problem. Exercising more is an excellent goal! It’s the motivation factor. How can you make healthy lifestyle changes that will stick? Dana Ryan, Ph.D., MA, MBA, director of sports performance, nutrition and education and Chair of the Herbalife Fitness Advisory Board at Herbalife, says it’s all about enjoyment, community and confidence. “In my opinion, the magic ingredient that helps 12
RuralLeaderMag.com | JUNE 2024
boost the motivation is making friends and becoming part of a community,” Ryan says. “The added accountability that friendships or fitness mates can provide can help to create long-lasting healthy active habits.” The Ohio State research study found the same thing. Accountability is a key factor in sticking with positive changes. But, it’s about more than dutifully reporting in. Much more. Here are Ryan’s top three tips for making healthy changes in your lifestyle that stick, supported by research from the National Library of Medicine. Choose an activity you enjoy while you’re doing it. It’s crucial to pick an activity you enjoy and that feels good to your body. This is a huge predictor of success, and it’s a typical area that people get wrong. When embarking on a fitness journey, many people focus on how they feel after the workout is over. A sense of accomplishment, that buzz of electricity, a rush of endorphins. But if you’re slogging through a workout - running on a treadmill as you watch the Continued on page 14 GetRuralLeaderMag.com | JUNE 2024 13
Continued from page 12 distance tick off, ever so slowly - to feel good after it’s over, it’s likely you won’t stick to it for long. Burnout will kick in quickly and you’ll be making excuses to skip the gym. Instead, find an activity that makes you feel good while you’re doing it. Not sure what that is? Try different things. Take a yoga class, experiment with Pilates, book a few sessions with a personal trainer at the gym, join the rowing club on a nearby lake or river, rent a kayak for a few hours. Dust off your bike and get it tuned up, and take it for a spin. Find a pickleball club near you. Get those 10,000 steps in with a neighbor each morning. You’ll find something you like to do, guaranteed. Stick with it past the learning curve. This is key. Give it a shot. It’s especially true if you’re trying a new activity. Didn’t realize how hard it is to hold the downward dog pose in yoga? Feel clumsy in a rowing shell? Can’t lift as much weight as you thought you could? Don’t sweat it. You don’t have to be perfect right away. Most people aren’t Serena Williams the first time they pick up a tennis racket. The secret is to give it a little time for your body to get used to those new movements. You’ll get better at it. Yoga will get easier, you’ll be able to bike farther, Pilates will feel more natural. It is at that point you’ll start to feel body confidence. And then you’re hooked. Find a community where you feel recognized and supported. Here’s where accountability comes into
14
RuralLeaderMag.com | JUNE 2024
play. But remember, it’s not about dutifully reporting in. It’s about finding a community to support your fitness goals. It could be a yoga class that you take at the same time each week, or a fitness club you frequent every day after work. It could be a workout buddy you meet up with at the park, a group of neighbors who walk together, a wellness coach who motivates you through your nutrition and fitness routine, or even your dog, who waits at the door each morning with his leash. Numerous studies show how finding community, even if it’s a community of just one other person, helps people achieve their fitness goals. Each of these tips builds on and supports the others. If you pick an activity that you enjoy, you’ll experience a heightened emotional response and a greater release of the exercise-induced happy hormones dopamine and serotonin. This induced feeling of joy may encourage you to keep at it. If you keep at it beyond the learning curve, you’ll master body movement and feel confident, and that will keep you coming back for more. And if you do it with a buddy, it will elevate your social connections and encourage you further. Even if those resolutions fell by the wayside, it’s not too late to pick them up! And watch how those summer clothes will magically become the right size again, just in time for the warmer weather.—
GetRuralLeaderMag.com | JUNE 2024 15
Achieving Meaningful Growth With ‘Innovation for Impact’ By Dr. Sokwoo Rhee, executive vice president of Innovation for LG Electronics, head of LG NOVA In business, meaningful growth can’t happen without innovation. It’s essential if your organization is to evolve and thrive, and if you’re serious about adding value to people’s daily lives. With a thirst to drive innovation, and a wealth of knowledge in the area of IoT, I set out to establish and grow my own startup. I’m happy to say I succeeded in this endeavor. However, with the business model being rather narrow - a continuous cycle of making products and then selling them - there were limitations to what I could do. After making the decision to sell my company, I went on to serve as the Presidential Innovation Fellow for Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS), a program run by the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. It was a valuable and enlightening experience. There, I had the chance to work with leading tech companies to further develop and execute plans for industrial IoT and global smart cities. During my seven years in the U.S. federal government, I realized that there are limits to what governments can do with regard to building smart ecosystems. In the end, private companies are the ones bringing the ideas and concepts of smart solutions and businesses to fruition. This was when I was first approached by LG Electronics. The company wanted to create a new organization dedicated to the discovery of future businesses. LG offered me this amazing opportunity to head up a team they were in the process of putting together. I thought deeply about the prospect of joining LG. While the company is universally recognized as a strong player in the consumer electronics field, looking in from the outside, it seemed to lack what some might call, a certain ‘disruptive innovation.’ However, I was intrigued by its determination and desire to uncover future business and was confident that the company possessed the agility necessary to change and ‘disrupt.’ Personally, I believe that if there are ten great ideas on the table, seven or eight of them will fail to develop into successful businesses. While many people view this way of thinking about business creation as just plain crazy, LG CEO William Cho is, thankfully, not among them. At LG NOVA, an initiative I am grateful to lead, our mission is to establish a community for nurtur16
RuralLeaderMag.com | JUNE 2024
ing, growing and creating new businesses in new market areas for LG. Early in the LG NOVA journey, we realized that entering new businesses - or new business areas - is difficult if you’re relying solely on your internal capabilities. If LG wants to create new home appliances, it is in a good position to do this internally because it is already a global leader in consumer electronics, with all the necessary expertise and experience at its disposal. LG NOVA’s mandate is to explore entirely new and different concepts, not currently in LG’s wheelhouse. Although there are thousands of engineers and experts working in LG’s R&D centers, their expertise is in products and areas of business that LG is already in. This is why the LG executive team resolved to look outside of LG. Our goal is to explore new business avenues that would, ultimately, help contribute to the advancement of LG Electronics. Startups, by the nature of their business model and ability to be at the ground-level of market needs, are leading the forefront of innovation. However, startups will not partner with just any firm that approaches them. This is why we needed to show that LG, as a company, has the commitment and capability to go far beyond home appliances and TVs. This is where LG NOVA comes in. To establish ourselves in the market, we came up with the idea of hosting a grand challenge. In September 2021, we announced the launch of Mission for the Future, an annual, global competition for startups where we could identify innovative technologies and business ideas for a better tomorrow. The participating startups were tasked with developing and presenting technology-based solutions for improving daily life, our communities and the planet. The tech areas we asked them to focus on included clean tech, healthcare and future tech/AI. To give you an idea of how it works, imagine there is a startup that creates sensors for use in healthcare devices. They might pitch a scenario or concept where their sensors are deployed in TVs to enable innovative new services. Our own business experts, or entrepreneurs in residence (EIRs), would then work with the startup to assess the feasibility of their idea. In many cases, EIRs would work closely with the startup to develop a relevant, but entirely different business idea that could be exciting to both parties. If the idea was deemed to be viable, and in alignment with LG NOVA’s goals and values, a partnership agreement might result and LG NOVA would launch GetRuralLeaderMag.com | JUNE 2024 17
a new business based on the collaboration. This is how a small, fledgling company can set its unique concept on the fast track to becoming a commercialized product. Through this process, and by combining our capacity with the startup’s capacity, we can create a joint business where LG has as much ‘skin in the game’ as the startup. And at every step along the way, LG NOVA will be right there with them, from meeting with investors to introducing and marketing the ‘final product’ to customers. Through LG NOVA, we can create new products and services that can make a positive difference - and do it at a much larger scale than a startup could manage, if it were to go it alone.
I am proud to be a part of LG and to help guide LG NOVA into exciting new territories where boundless innovation awaits discovery. And I can say, without exaggeration, that I truly love this role. Ultimately, I’m striving for Innovation for Impact - which also happens to be the motto and the philosophy of LG NOVA. While there are many, many ways to make a profit, we have committed ourselves to achieving profitability in a meaningful way, and to leaving a lasting, positive impact on the world.—
Marine & College Student Charts his Own Path to Success through Community Builder Scholarship Students with the drive, enthusiasm and commitment to improve their communities can take those qualities even further, with some support. That’s the main idea behind the Frito-Lay Community Builder Scholarship, which awarded $25,000 each to students who demonstrate a passion for leading and uplifting their local communities, contributing to a brighter future. “As a first-generation college student myself, I received a life-changing scholarship while pursuing my degree,” said Jesus Gutierrez, Frito-Lay North America DEI HR manager. “I know the impact this scholarship will make on these students, who are pioneering change through their passions - and I expect their commitment to their community to continue beyond school.” As one of a diverse group of employees on the scholarship judging committee, Gutierrez also had the opportunity to help surprise one of this year’s recipients, college student and U.S. Marine Corps 18
RuralLeaderMag.com | JUNE 2024
Sergeant Ramon Perez. While attending college and fulfilling demanding duties in the Marine Corps, Ramon Perez of Rochelle, New York, also volunteers with his local Boys & Girls Club and Big Brothers, Big Sisters. He began volunteering in high school, discovering he could make an impact on his community through mentorship. “It’s cool to have somewhere to feel safe,” said Perez. “I felt like I had that safe place at the Boys and Girls Club. I want to continue to impact my community as a volunteer and make it a better place for everyone.” He learned about giving back as young as 10 years old, when he joined his father on annual road trips from New York to Mexico with a truckload of donations for his extended family’s community. His father instilled in Perez his dedicated work ethic and commitment to family. GetRuralLeaderMag.com | JUNE 2024 19
To chart your unique path to success, while balancing, work, school, service and positively impacting your community, Perez offers this advice: Be transparent about your schedule. When juggling commitments, communication is key in meeting your goals and showing everyone your dedication. For example, when he had a weeklong training for the Marines, he worked with his college professor to share a recording of his presentation ahead of time. Find advocates and allow them to champion you. Working together with instructors and mentors has been crucial for Perez being able to succeed in several arenas. Maximize your time. “Ask yourself when you can multitask,” Perez said. “For example, is your commute a chance to catch up on reading?” Optimize opportunities. A Veterans Affairs representative helped Perez find available scholarships, which he now pays forward by helping Marines in his platoon apply for scholarships. Be confident: When applying for scholarships Perez says, “It’s really about selling yourself. This is a skill I learned in the Marine Corps. Once I was plugged into the process, Scholarship America makes finding scholarships easy.” Perez will be a senior at Baruch College this fall, studying accounting and finance. He wants to get into the financial sector and become a CPA, with the ultimate goal of helping his parents retire. 2024 Community Builder Scholarship Recipients Mehar Bhasin from Lakeville, Connecticut. Bhasin is passionate about STEM and co-founded the non-profit organization STEAM BLOOM, which has provided over 2,000 students free access to computer science resources. Bhasin will be a sophomore at Dartmouth College this fall.
20
RuralLeaderMag.com | JUNE 2024
Jaelyn Hardaway from San Antonio, Texas. Hardaway served on the San Antonio mayor’s Youth Climate Council and was co-founder of the first Antonian branch of Cancer Kids First. She recently organized and led an initiative to deliver personalized care packages to pediatric patients locally and internationally. Graduating high school this year, Hardaway is currently deciding where she will attend college. Caleb Oh from Gambrills, Maryland. Oh co-founded the non-profit Kid Changemakers when he was just in elementary school. He’s raised thousands of dollars to help support food insecurity initiatives and to help at-risk populations such as foster children and the homeless. He also successfully lobbied state senators to remove the tax on diapers, saving families millions of dollars. Oh will be a sophomore at Harvard University this fall. “Each student has had their own unique path to finding their purpose through community, education and their personal backgrounds. Based on my experience, I’ve seen the value that diverse thinking and backgrounds can bring to leadership,” said Gutierrez. “What all of these students have accomplished is impressive and inspiring.” Frito-Lay established the Community Builder Scholarship as part of its commitment to education and the goals of PepsiCo Positive (Pep+). Pep+ is a strategic transformation initiative focused on giving back to the communities Pepsi brands serve. Since 2022, Frito-Lay has provided $600,000 in scholarship funds to students across the country. Learn more at Pepsico.com/our-stories.—
GetRuralLeaderMag.com | JUNE 2024 21
22
RuralLeaderMag.com | JUNE 2024