The Orange County Register recently recognized Experian as one of the Top Workplaces among hundreds of leading companies in Orange County for the third year in a row. In addition, we were recognized for our efforts to make our communities better, earning a separate award as the top large business for Social Responsibility. This was based on Experian contributing more than 4,000 hours in volunteer time to various charities, including our work with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County, volunteering time at 25 high schools and providing counseling and help at the OC Rescue Mission. The selection process is based solely on employee feedback gathered from a survey. This methodology is important because it reflects what our employees think of Experian. It shows that we’re more than just a place where people work, rather we’re a community where our team members take pride in contributing.

There are many things that can cause angst for consumers during the holiday season including travel delays, overeating, and picking a New Year’s resolution. One of the biggest stressors is often the financial impact of holiday shopping. In fact, according to a national survey by Experian, many respondents are concerned about the financial stress of gift buying and adding debt, as well as becoming an identity theft victim.

On Nov. 8, 2016, citizens across the country will flock to polling stations to cast their votes for the 45^th President of the United States. Until then, however, you can expect to hear a number of candidates offer their views on a plethora of political issues over the next year, including small business.

Small Business Saturday is just around the corner, and as it approaches there are a growing number of advertising campaigns encouraging consumers to forego the big box retailers in favor of shopping local. As a supporter of my own neighborhood small businesses, I can appreciate the effort. After all, the success of small businesses is what really drives our economy forward. Not only do they provide employment opportunities for those in the community, but small businesses often bring a level of innovation and can stimulate growth.

The Millennial generation comprise approximately 80 million people – the largest in history. Thus, it is no surprise that every type or organization from financial to automotive to healthcare are seeking to better understand their mindset and habits. Experian also recently took a look at these post-Baby Boomers to learn more about their approach to personal finance conducting a national survey among more than 1,000 people ages 19-34.

Experian Marketing Services, a recognized leader in data-driven marketing and cloud-based marketing technology, has hired digital-marketing industry veteran Bridget Bidlack to lead the global product vision, evolution and innovation for the Experian Marketing Suite.

More than 2.5 billion gigabytes of data is generated every single day. By 2020, it’s estimated that 40 zettabytes of data will be created. The sheer amount of data available today is changing nearly every aspect of our business and personal lives. Big Data is also transforming the world of sports – from the way General Managers recruit and draft players, to how coaches set lineups and design plays and even how everyday fans watch and participate in professional sports. Today, every major professional sports team either has an analytics department or an analytics expert on staff. By 2021, the markets for sports analytics is expected to reach $4.7 billion. This year, nearly 57 million people in the United States and Canada will play fantasy sports.

The Movember Foundation launches its first mobile messaging program powered by The Experian Marketing Suite to raise awareness for men’s health.

It was only a few months ago when millennials officially surpassed baby boomers to become the largest living generation. Since millennials are so numerous, it stands to reason, that they could also become the most prevalent population of small business owners in the U.S. As a matter of fact, everyday there are hundreds of new start-ups being created by this younger demographic.

The appetite and need for data within businesses is continuing to grow at a rapid pace. Organizations are viewing data as a strategic asset and using analytical insights for everything from key business decisions, to the customer experience and more. However, the methods for managing first-party data and ensuring it’s accuracy have not kept pace with the growing data demand. The majority of businesses today are still relying on siloed, departmental strategies for data management that have little data governance or consistency in terms of people, processes, and technology.

For those of you attending the Money 20/20 show in Las Vegas next week, billed as the largest global event focused on payments and financial services innovation, the topic of millennials will be top of mind. Why? Because the millenials are 75 million strong, even surpassing the Baby Boomers, and the financial services industry knows that future success depends on learning what matters to millennials and building products and services around those desires. This is true for both consumer lending and small business lending for budding entrepreneurs.

I am part of a community that completely energizes me, makes me believe that there are good people in the world and that makes me want to be better. Over the course of four days in September, my co-workers and I were transported into the world of self-proclaimed “money media nerds” at FinCon, the Financial Influencers conference, where people share thoughts, best practices and update one another on the latest trends. FinCon is THE annual event for the financial media community.