Dear Friends,

Greetings from Washington D.C. where the U.S. administration is hoping to pass the hotly debated American Jobs Plan by September; the American Jobs Plan will invest in America in a way we have not invested since we built the interstate highways and won the Space Race, we read on the White House homepage.

GOP lawmakers are however largely opposed to Biden's plan, mainly because it calls for raising the corporate tax rate to pay for the infrastructure spending in the plan. Democrats could decide to move forward without Republicans through a process known as budget reconciliation if they have all 50 Democrats in the Senate and almost every Democrat in the House on board.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that she was confident that “the investments and tax proposals in the Jobs Plan, taken as a package, will enhance the net profitability of our corporations and improve their global competitiveness” and that the proposed tax hikes would simply "return the corporate tax rate toward historical norms.”

Meanwhile, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg toured the Frederick Douglass Memorial Bridge project which replaces the 70-year-old bridge spanning the Washington, D.C. Anacostia River to highlight the need for more government investment in roads and bridges.

White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy also pitched in saying that the envisaged infrastructure collaboration with the private sector would be too popular an investment trend for a future administration to roll back, as would the undergirding energy and environment policies.

Finally, as temperatures continue to warm up, DMV residents can expect to see a "cicada tsunami" as soon as this weekend according to CBS News. As the cicada mate and die in the span of approximately four weeks, roads and pathways should clear right in time for our June 25, 9 am plogging event at Hanes Point to pick up trash along our Swedish American business community-run; show your stripes and sign-up here.

Member Testimonial: Swedish Match & Haypp

For the last episode of SACC-DC’s spring sustainability series, we will feature SAFT Batteries, and mainly their Swedish side located in Oskarshamn on the east coast of Sweden. SAFT is involved in the design, development, and manufacturing of batteries based on various technology cells used in energy storage, transport, industry, and defense. Headquartered in France, SAFT has an international presence in nearly 30 countries including Sweden and United States. The global organization consists of nearly 4000 people and has a turnover of around 700 million Euros. The company was established in 1918 and it became a subsidiary of the oil company Total in 2016. Since then, Total has changed to become TotalEnergies with a greater focus on renewables.

"The digital technology age means a massive boom in devices and increasing energy demand, but it doesn’t have to come at the cost of the environment". Patrick de Metz: Environmental and Governmental Affairs Director at Saft.

To start off, how did you end up with the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce, Washington D.C? And when were you here? I was at SACC-DC during the fall and winter of 2014-2015 and ended up at the DC chapter by coincidence. When I graduated with my master's in Economics from Linkoping University, I wanted to do something more before doing the traditional thing, moving to Stockholm and staying there. I had studied in Hong Kong two years prior and was excited to get some experience from the United States too - I applied to several different positions within the organization and DC ended up working out in the best way possible!

I had the best experience from SACC - I learned a ton, was in a whole new networking environment, and got to work firsthand with all aspects of a business. Coming out of a business management program was the perfect hands-on experience. I valued the people I worked with and got to learn from the most!

I learned a lot about how to actually manage accounting at the chamber, it was the perfect organization to learn the ins and outs from in my opinion because it allows you to see the big picture and how all parts fit together - from income, expenses, net profit to equity.

The biggest cultural difference was probably when I walked to the office on a very snowy day for half an hour. Very happy to have made it I entered the building which was empty - “it is a snow day, it’s closed” someone said. It took me a long day to understand that snow day meant you did not go to work :)

My first piece of advice is, take the opportunity! It is an amazing experience and once you are in it just try to learn as much as you can from people around you, no one in the US thinks it is odd if you reach out and ask for a coffee so take advantage of the open culture and the talent around you! Also, have fun and be social. One of my bridesmaids was a person I met in DC during my internship and I’m so grateful for that friendship alone!

Meet the team: Rasmus Jonsson, Business Associate

Since I am pursuing a master’s degree in sustainability management here in D.C, I stumbled over a webinar organized by SACC-DC about sustainable packaging last fall. I was searching for an internship for this spring and contacted Karin Hammar, the Executive Director. She told me that a position was open for applicants. As I already lived in D.C. this was a perfect fit for me to grow in my professional career, so I applied for it and got the position.

It has been great! I have learned a lot and the environment within the SACC organization is very inspiring. I have worked with a variety of tasks which has been fun and as we have members in various industries no task is the same. I have also gotten to connect with a lot more people in the area. Washington D.C. is a city where a lot of things happen so I am looking forward to when we can start having our in-person events.

I came to the U.S. five years ago on a soccer scholarship. I have a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from California State University, Monterey Bay and I recently finished my master’s degree in Sustainability Management from American University, Kogod School of Business. My master's is quite unique since it is one of the very few sustainability programs that is offered by a business school. The program is very similar to a regular MBA but has a bigger emphasis on sustainability. A great program that I believe will be useful in the future as many companies are focusing more on its sustainable outreach.

As I am holding a degree in Sustainability Management, I am picturing myself with everything from, sustainability reporting, waste management to disclosure and communication of environmental, social, and governance goals and energy usage. But I am always willing to try new things so depending on the opportunities that are given to me I could see myself in a broad range of positions and workplaces.

In third place, I would say is sightseeing of all the monuments and national malls. This is a must if you are here as a tourist. The second place is a bit of a hidden gem, it is the area of Old Town Alexandria. It is a very nice place to walk around in. And lastly, first place is all the sports that exist in D.C. As I am kind of a sportsman I like to go and watch baseball, soccer, and hockey games live whenever they occur.

Use the white button above to take the survey.

The Swedish School (Svenska Skolan) is looking to hire teachers for the upcoming fall semester.

Read more here about this rewarding opportunity.

Please contact Principle Jenny Pugh for more information.

Establish your virtual networking skills & make valuable connections within the SACC network! Join us on May 26th for the opportunity to gain new contacts all over the U.S.

Therefore, we are nine regional chapters of The Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce co-hosting this virtual networking event!

The event will last for 90 minutes, with the first half coaching by Stephanie Michelle, followed by the second half’s networking. We will use zoom breakout rooms, where participants will be shuffled into groups of 4, 8 minutes apart, which means every person will gain 15 new connections!

Stephanie Michelle is a Forbes-featured leadership & life coach, certified hypnotherapist, and best-selling author of the transformational networking book, Confident Introvert. She has facilitated over 1,000 events and established a fulfilling career helping people generate meaningful connections with themselves and others that catapult them forward in their career and life. To date, Stephanie has helped thousands of people celebrate their strengths, step into their authentic confidence, and make meaningful connections through speaking at places like Harvard University and 1:1 coaching.

Facebook – Instagram – LinkedIn – Website

Play with a purpose. Take the opportunity to support our Chamber and contribute to a great cause, the National Breast Cancer Coalition, while enjoying Westfields’ wonderful golf course.

Webinar Opportunities: Sustainability Series 2021

Please contact Business Associate Thea Nguyen at Thea.nguyen@sacc-dc.org for further information!

Secure your membership today!