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Mascoma Bank and Mamava are both B Corporations, businesses committed to considering the needs of people and the planet as well was financial profitability
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Mascoma Bank’s proactive leadership resulted in a swift approval of Mamava’s PPP Loan
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Mascoma Bank installs two Mamava lactation pods to support breastfeeding employees and visitors
Vermont Business Magazine In time for National Breastfeeding Month, Mascoma Bank has announced the installation of a Mamava lactation pod placed in the Mascoma Bank Operations Center in White River Junction, VT—underscoring its commitment to putting people’s needs first.
Mascoma’s operations facility, housed approximately 110 employees pre-COVID-19, currently holds 30 employees, but that number is expected to rise as it becomes safer for people to return to the workplace.This is the second Mamava pod purchased by Mascoma—the first was installed at the bank's Pine Street branch in Burlington.
Mascoma Bank Operation Center's New Mamava Pod/Photo Courtesy of Mascoma Bank
“Our relationship began with our dedication to supporting breastfeeding mothers who work at Mascoma—as well as visitors to our busy Burlington branch—by installing a Mamava pod,” says Samantha Pause, Chief Marketing Officer of Mascoma Bank. “Our initial successful install at our Pine Street location led to the purchase of another pod. When COVID-19 hit, it changed the way our employees work with the majority of our operations team members now working remotely from home. However, we wanted to continue with our plans for the Mamava Pod install at our Operations Center. There will always be a need for a safe, comfortable space available for any of our team members who are nursing moms. We are dedicated to our employees and want to provide them with a vibrant and engaging workspace that includes amenities that make them comfortable and welcome.
Putting the needs of employees and community first is a hallmark of Mascoma Bank’s business approach. Mascoma is a B Corporation that, unlike traditional corporations that prioritize financial profitability above all, considers “the triple bottom line”—profit, people, and planet—and uses the power of business to also address social and environmental problems.
Mamava is also a B corporation—one that launched to change the culture of breastfeeding to make it more equitable for all mothers. “Mascoma Bank had a small office in our building in Burlington, when we found out they were a B- Corp we were compelled to begin banking with them. ” says Sascha Mayer, CEO and co-founder of Mamava. “Having a trusting relationship with a bank prior to the pandemic has been super helpful as we have navigated 2020. It is a pleasure to work with a partner like Mascoma Bank that is united in the shared purpose of supporting women and families.”
Mascoma’s reputation for best-in-class support of small businesses prompted Mamava to open a business account with Mascoma at the end of February 2020. Neither company could have predicted what was about to ensue with the emergence of COVID-19, or the support Mascoma would provide Mamava.
“When the Payroll Protection Program was announced, Mascoma proactive was unbelievably helpful and responsive,” says Brian Wannop, Chief Financial Officer of Mamava. “We had daily updates about what we needed to successfully submit. Within 48 hours, we were approved and funded. I believe that we may have been one of the first small businesses in Vermont to actually receive our PPP funding. The New England business community has been deeply impacted by the pandemic, and it’s clear that the businesses relying on each other and building with symbiotic relationships will be key in surmounting the challenges that COVID-19 has sprung on us. We are grateful for their partnership.”
About Mascoma Bank
Mascoma Bank is a Certified B Corporation and is mutually owned since 1899. With 30 locations throughout Vermont, New Hampshire, and Portland, Maine. We offer a wide array of banking and investment services. We strive to be a force for positive change, demonstrating that people and place matter, and to be responsible to each other and future generations.
About Mamava
Mamava, the leading expert in lactation space design, is dedicated to transforming the culture of breastfeeding in the United States by providing flexible lactation space solutions designed to meet the needs of breastfeeding families. Mamava pods are linked into a proprietary smart technology system that empowers easy wayfinding and autonomous access. Moms can open them with Mamava’s free app (available for iOS and Android). The app also allows moms to see availability of pods, opt into vacancy alerts, adjust interior lighting and airflow, and leave digital notes of support for the next person. Best of all, the app helps moms find more than 6,000 (Mamava-vetted) places to pump on the go—not just Mamava pods, and never a bathroom. To learn more, visit Mamava at mamava.com, and follow Mamava on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Source: WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, VT - August 26, 2020 - Mascoma Bank