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Comcast And YWCA Partner to Help Women and Families of Color Access Free WI-Fi Resources

Comcast West Division

Comcast and YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish today announced WiFi-connected Lift Zones at four Puget Sound area sites. Each site will have high-speed Internet service to help communities in need access online resources. The Comcast Lift Zones will reach upwards of 140 families living in YWCA permanent housing, supportive housing, and emergency shelters. More than 1,000 community members who use YWCA’s computers will be able to access educational resources and advance their careers. The Lift Zones will also give kids a safe place for distance learning. Lift Zones will enhance YWCA’s efforts to break down barriers in the most critical areas of people’s lives through Internet connectivity and technology access. The partnership will make housing, education, healthcare, financial literacy and employment services more accessible at the following YWCA sites across King County and Snohomish County: Greenbridge Learning Center - White Center The Willows - South Seattle Somerset Village Apartments - Lynnwood Passage Point - Maple Valley “Comcast Lift Zones are an invaluable resource for the women and families YWCA serves,” said Maria Chavez-Wilcox, Chief Executive Officer, YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish. “As the COVID-19 pandemic has increased people’s reliance on technology to meet their basic needs, online connectivity has become an essential lifeline for work, distance learning, telemedicine, and other critical services. We’re grateful for the partnership of Comcast in helping narrow the digital divide for women and BIPOC communities in our region.” The YWCA Lift Zone at Greenbridge Learning Center delivers a WiFi network that extends outside the building, bringing faster connectivity for community residents in the area and enabling participation in a wide variety of programs. Services are available in multiple languages by YWCA and community partners, and classes include computer literacy, vocational training, financial literacy, free tax filing, and more. The YWCA Lift Zones at Somerset Village Apartments, Passage Point, and The Willows support women and families living in permanent housing, supportive housing, and emergency shelters. This new source of free Internet access will meet a critical need for parents and families. “As a parent, I know how hard distance learning can be. A reliable Internet connection plays a huge part in that,” said Jason Aqui, Director of Information Technology, YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish. “Lift Zones are a game-changer. They help us ensure that everyone we serve is able to build a healthy life and reduce digital inequities faced by women and BIPOC communities.” Working with its network of nonprofit partners, Comcast has been building Lift Zones statewide since fall 2020 to help communities find safe spaces to get online, participate in distance learning and access important resources. The company plans to complete 80 Lift Zones in Washington by the end of 2021. “The YWCA plays an important role in bringing equitable resources to women and BIPOC communities across our region,” said Rodrigo Lopez, Region Senior Vice President, Comcast Washington. “Through this partnership, we can extend the Lift Zone program to more families that need access to Internet connectivity.” Comcast Lift Zones are an extension of the company’s Internet Essentials program, the largest and most comprehensive low-cost Internet adoption program for low-income Americans. Since 2011, it has connected 85,000 low-income households statewide, many for the first time. The program offers access to free digital literacy training resources, the option to purchase an Internet-ready computer for less than $150; and low-cost, high-speed Internet service for $9.95 a month plus tax. Internet Essentials is structured as a partnership between Comcast and tens of thousands of school districts, libraries, elected officials, and nonprofit community partners nationwide. For more information, or to apply for the program in seven different languages, please visit www.internetessentials.com or call 1-855-846-8376. Spanish-only speakers can also call 1-855-765-6995. For more information about Comcast’s comprehensive connectivity program for low-income Americans visit https://corporate.comcast.com/values/internet-essentials About YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish YWCA is the region’s oldest and largest organization focused on the needs of women, and provides services and advocacy to support stable homes and economic advancement, reduce violence and improve health, and promote racial equity and social justice. With programs that serve more than 10,000 people each year, YWCA is on a mission to eliminate racism, empower women, stand up for social justice, help families, and strengthen communities. To learn more, please visit our website: ywcaworks.org. About Comcast Corporation Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company with three primary businesses: Comcast Cable, NBCUniversal, and Sky. Comcast Cable is one of the United States’ largest video, high-speed internet, and phone providers to residential customers under the Xfinity brand, and also provides these services to businesses. It also provides wireless and security and automation services to residential customers under the Xfinity brand. NBCUniversal is global and operates news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures, and Universal Parks and Resorts. Sky is one of Europe's leading media and entertainment companies, connecting customers to a broad range of video content through its pay television services. It also provides communications services, including residential high-speed internet, phone, and wireless services. Sky operates the Sky News broadcast network and sports and entertainment networks, produces original content, and has exclusive content rights. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. Contact Details Comcast Washington Nick McDonald +1 425-977-5565 Nick_McDonald@Comcast.com YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish Annalee Schafranek aschafranek@ywcaworks.org Company Website https://washington.comcast.com/

March 24, 2021 06:02 AM Pacific Daylight Time

Chia Launches Eco-Friendly Blockchain & New Digital Currency

Chia Network

Highlights Chia Reinvents Digital Money with Energy Efficient At-Home Farming Rewards Chia Blockchain Full Node Count approximates 2,000 in the last 24 hours and exceeds 12,500 since Launch Chia Network Inc. (“Chia”) today introduced its revolutionary eco-friendly blockchain, its new digital currency known as “chia,” as well as a new breakthrough smart transaction on-chain programming language called “Chialisp”. Chia’s blockchain is a global open-source decentralized network that operates a payment settlement system using chia, its native cryptocurrency. The Company expects its blockchain will be used in a range of transactions, including cross border payments, issuing financial assets, and stable coin issuance. Chia intends to sell software service and support for its open source blockchain and smart transaction software to governments, financial institutions, corporations, and large buyers and sellers of storage. “We are very excited to launch Chia’s new blockchain and smart transaction platform which is easier to use, more energy efficient, and more secure than existing digital money alternatives. Improving upon Proof of Work’s shortcomings around centralization, electricity consumption and poor programmability, Chia’s blockchain has the potential to become the core of a new monetary architecture,” said Bram Cohen, Chia’s CEO. As of March 2021, Chia’s blockchain has approximately 2,000 full nodes in the last 24 hours and 12,500 full nodes since launch as compared to Ethereum with 6,800 full nodes. According to Bram Cohen, a robust amount of independently-operated nodes is considered essential to the success of Chia, as its fundamental value relies upon its ability to remain decentralized. Farming will allow even the smallest farmer running a node a chance to win rewards for validating the network. Running a node is also a more secure way to self-custody chia. "Bram Cohen is one of the greatest living protocol designers (BitTorrent), right up there with Satoshi and Vitalik” -- Naval Ravikant Chia is the answer to Bitcoin’s climate problem Banks and currencies are susceptible to routine shocks from governmental mismanagement, global financial crises, and generally run on antiquated technologies. Bitcoin was launched during one of these banking crises to try to address these ongoing issues. But Bitcoin now expends approximately 64 terawatt-hours per year, a level of energy consumption comparable to the nation of Switzerland. This level of energy usage is controversial and could get worse as bitcoin adoption and energy prices increase. Further, Bitcoin script is very limited, slow to develop, and has generally required significant changes in the Bitcoin protocol that can take years to be deployed. These delays and limitations have hampered building custody and controls into the Bitcoin blockchain. Ethereum shares Bitcoin’s reliance on “wasteful” mining and has additional problems. Almost every deployed Solidity smart contract that has attracted large balances has in some way been compromised. The Solidity scripting language makes it easier to write software than to secure it. Ethereum has mostly become known for the fundraising mechanism known as an “ICO”, where the fundraiser creates new tokens on the Ethereum network to sell for bitcoin and ether - many of which have uncertain regulatory compliance. Environmentally green chia (XCH) aims to save the planet Chia ’s blockchain offers functional and environmental advantages to Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple’s existing platforms. The Chia blockchain is more open and accessible than existing financial institutions, more efficient and less wasteful than the Bitcoin and Ethereum blockchain, and better designed for secure smart financial transactions than the Ethereum blockchain while being more decentralized than Bitcoin, Ethereum, or Ripple. Chia’s blockchain replaces “Proof of Work” which is the consensus method that Bitcoin and Ethereum use, with the first of its kind “Proof of Space and Time” which uses significantly less energy and leads to a more decentralized and more secure blockchain. Proofs of Space harnesses unused disk space, rewarding owners of empty space for “ farming ” and Proofs of Time add security and time predictability to the network. As Bitcoin uses Bitcoin Script and Ethereum uses Solidity for programming transactions, Chia’s blockchain uses Chialisp. Chialisp, is a newly developed blockchain programming language and on-chain smart transaction development environment that will unleash the security, transparency, and ease of use that cryptocurrencies promise. Applications running on Chia’s blockchain are intended to have functionality appropriate for banking. The primary focus for the initial launch will be on core functionality such as financial controls, payments clearing and settlement, and managing the issuance of various assets. One of the primary use cases for chia is in international payments - especially in regions whose governments or financial systems are particularly volatile. The Company expects that the Chia blockchain and Chialisp will facilitate a range of transactions, including facilitating cross border payments, issuing financial assets, and stable coin issuance with best in class custody and controls. Chia - the easiest digital money to farm - is “the people’s choice” Compared to the existing modern finance platforms, chia is the easiest digital money to farm. In contrast to the technically proficient skills required to join a miner community, all people can “farm” chia at home for a fraction of the cost. Learn more about chia farming and the chia farmer reward schedule in Chia’s business Whitepaper. Earn your chia (XCH) rewards today It is straightforward to install the Chia blockchain for Windows, MacOS, and many other platforms as well. Download the Chia blockchain and earn your chia (XCH) rewards now. To learn more about Chia’s blockchain, please watch the Company’s mainnet launch video. Exchange trading - stay tuned Please expect an initial six week period where transactions will be frozen and farmers will only be receiving farming rewards. The Chia blockchain will soft fork in final transaction capabilities during this period in a 1.1 release. The soft fork will be a required upgrade before the six-week period ends. Read all about it in Chia's release notes. About Chia Network Chia Network Inc. was founded by Bram Cohen, the inventor of the BitTorrent protocol. Chia is a state-of-the-art open-source decentralized blockchain, digital currency, and smart transaction platform. Using the first new secure Nakamoto consensus algorithm invented since Bitcoin, Chia aims to operate an eco-friendly, more secure and user-friendly payment system for cross border payments, issuing financial assets, lending, escrow payments, institutional custody, and distributed identity. Chia’s “Proof of Space and Proof of Time”-based blockchain reduces waste in “Proof of Work”-based blockchains. Built to run Chialisp, the company’s newly developed on-chain smart transaction programming language, Chia’s blockchain allows its users to build and execute smart contracts and enable peer-to-peer applications. Chia believes that “digital money” should be easier to use than cash, harder to lose, and nearly impossible to steal. The Company is funded by leading venture capitalists including Slow Ventures, a16z, Naval Ravikant, Galaxy Digital, Greylock, True Ventures, MetaStable, Stillmark, DCM, and others. The Company’s Advisors include Dr. Dan Boneh, Research Partner at a16z and Applied Cryptography Professor at Stanford University; and Dr. Krzysztof Pietrzak, Cryptography Professor of IST Austria; and Ms. Katie Haun, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz. Investor Relations Contact: Gretchen Lium. For more information, visit https://chia.net and connect with us on Twitter (@chia_project), Facebook, GitHub and LinkedIn. Contact Details Gretchen Lium +1 303-638-9185 gretchen@chia.net Company Website https://www.chia.net/

March 24, 2021 06:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time

EXAWARE COLLABORATES WITH AMDOCS TO DEPLOY OPEN DISAGGREGATED ROUTING SOLUTIONS FOR GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS SERVICE PROVIDERS

Exaware

Exaware, a leading provider of carrier-grade, open network routing solutions, today announced a collaboration with Amdocs, a leading provider of software and services to communications and media companies, for designing and deploying open-networking routing solutions for global mobile and fixed communications service providers (CSPs). This new engagement enables Amdocs to design and deliver integrated routing solutions based on ExaNOS, Exaware’s feature-rich, carrier-grade and high-scale network operating system (NOS), with the right choice of hardware suited to the desired application. Designed for mobile backhaul, cell site gateway, peering, edge and core applications, Exaware’s field-proven and robust NOS serves the needs of large-scale networks that require end-to-end disaggregated routing solutions. “Our collaboration with Amdocs is a significant step forward for Exaware. Amdocs has extensive experience meeting the increasingly complex needs of global CSPs that require reliable, innovative and cost-effective open solutions, in their network transformation journey,” said Ben Afshari, Vice President of Sales & Business Development at Exaware. “Leveraging Amdocs’s global reach and deep expertise, together we can offer reliable and open routing solutions based on ExaNOS, Exaware’s fundamental building block of disaggregated networks.” Contributing to industry developments, Exaware notably has taken an active role in the Telecom Infra Project (TIP) Disaggregated Cell Site Gateways (DCSG) working group, which has provided solutions for the cost-effective and scalable deployment of 5G networks. Exaware is also active in TIP’s Disaggregated Open Routers (DOR) working group, led jointly by KDDI and Vodafone, to provide solutions for core and edge applications. A long-time partner in TIP initiatives, Amdocs recently announced its selection as a system integrator to set up the first end-to-end TIP Community Lab in Southeast Asia. “As a TIP system integrator, collaborating with Exaware enhances our ability to efficiently design and deploy open-network routing solutions by allowing customers to select the best hardware and software to meet their needs from a vast open ecosystem of vendors. The open approach enables rapid innovation in network functions and applications, avoids vendor lock-in and drives cost down.” said Parag Shah, Customer Business Executive at Amdocs About Exaware Exaware is a leading provider of carrier-grade network routing solutions for mobile and fixed telecom service providers. Founded in 2007 (as Compass Networks) and headquartered in Israel, Exaware has redefined routing software that is engineered specifically for carrier networks. With incredible scale potential and unprecedented rich features, Exaware's open NOS software is ported to low-cost white-box equipment. With extensive experience in real-world applications, the Exaware team of world-class software developers and network engineers has developed a best-in-class open NOS software that is set to revolutionize the telecom routing market. For more information, visit www.exaware.com. About Amdocs Amdocs’ purpose is to enrich lives and progress society, using creativity and technology to build a better connected world. Amdocs and its 26,000 employees partner with the leading players in the communications and media industry, enabling next-generation experiences in 85 countries. Our cloud-native, open and dynamic portfolio of digital solutions, platforms and services brings greater choice, faster time to market and flexibility, to better meet the evolving needs of our customers as they drive growth, transform and take their business to the cloud. Listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market, Amdocs had revenue of $4.2 billion in fiscal 2020. For more information, visit Amdocs at www.amdocs.com. Contact Details Exaware Ben Afshari +972 52-400-7095 ben.afshari@exaware.com Company Website https://www.exaware.com

March 23, 2021 10:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Healthy Living for the Whole Family

YourUpdateTV

This month of March many families are looking for ways to update their lifestyle to stay healthy for the long term. They might be looking for ways to get outdoors, improve personal care habits, eat right, or check in on loved ones. Recently, Wellness and Lifestyle Expert, Terra Wellington, teamed up with YourUpdateTV to discuss a few ideas on how to improve your wellness choices. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/d193y7OYZaE Refresh Your Wellness Routine One thing the majority of us are looking for is a boost of happiness and health this spring. Recent studies say about 50 percent of us have experienced anxiety and depression over this past year. But the good news is that your wellness routine, like good sleep and regular exercise, can really help. One fun and meaningful tech tool you can look into for your wellness is with Amazon’s Alexa on Alexa-enabled devices like Echo Show 10. It’s a great motivator for making it easy to stay on top of your health and wellness. You can say to it, “Alexa, what is my wellness tip of the day?” or “Alexa, recommend a health and wellness podcast.” Alexa can give you guided meditations, play sleep sounds, suggest workouts and recipes, and so much more. Get Your Omega-3’s 70 percent of Americans have low levels of essential Omega-3s, which support our immune system, heart, brain, joint, eye, and skin health. To help you get your Omega-3s, you can check out Kori Pure Antarctic Krill Oil. It delivers Omega-3s in their natural phospholipid form. This means it has excellent absorption in your body compared to fish oil, and it has no fishy aftertaste. Plus, it’s certified sustainable. Watch That Kids Get Their Nutrition For children, you can check out Childlife Essentials and their LiveBiotics Immune & Digestive Support, and Zinc Plus. These vitamins and supplements have been around for 20 years and can help close the nutritional gap for your kids. They are gluten-free, non-GMO, and have no artificial colors, flavors, or sweeteners. They are great tasting too, with natural ingredients. And they are available at iHerb, Amazon, Whole Foods, and Sprouts. Setting Aside Time for Personal Care After a very stressful year, it’s important for your family healthy living to set aside time for personal care. On tip to remember is to take care of your skin. It’s part of a healthy lifestyle. There’s a skincare company from the UK that has just exclusively launched at Target — it’s Amie Skincare. This line was developed by a mother for her daughter to meet the changing needs of young skin. The company’s products are unique, affordable, vegan, and cruelty-free. They have three lines, depending on your skin type, with natural ingredients and gentle enough for daily use. Each skincare regime includes a wash or cleansing balm, moisturizer, a treatment (such as a mask, mist, or polish), and biodegradable cleansing wipes. The wipes biodegrade in 15 days, which is a huge plus for sustainability! For more information, visit simplemomsguide.com About Terra Wellington: Terra Wellington is a lifestyle media personality and actress who is one of the country’s foremost authorities. She has conducted more than 2,000 television interviews sharing wellness advice and tips. Terra is Editor in Chief at SimpleMomsGuide.com, an inspirational lifestyle site. About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

March 23, 2021 09:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Video

Koalifyed Breaks New Ground In The Influencer Marketing Space With Innovative End-to-End Platform

Koalifyed

Koalifyed, an influencer marketing platform for social-first brands, today announced the release of its end-to-end solution for modern influencer campaign management. Koalifyed enables brands to centrally manage all parts of the influencer ecosystem – from identification, contract management and creative execution, to payment and performance tracking. This model creates efficiencies and deeper collaboration between in-house marketing teams, agencies and creators to come together in one workspace. The vision behind Koalifyed is what makes it different from other platforms in the marketplace – it is built to continuously evolve with the ever-changing influencer industry, providing more effective ways to strengthen relationships with creators, incorporate more transparent data and analytics, and ensure security and operational efficiencies are at the core. And no matter the campaign size, it’s designed to address critical issues like real fraud detection, ROI measurement and manual content reviews – with the end goal of more effective, results-driven content. This approach offers unique benefits: Fraud Detection: Koalifyed’s proprietary bot detection service S.N.I.F.F. applies the power of commercialized government intelligence agency technologies to identify up to 10 times more bots than other products. Negotiate Rates in Real-Time: By applying S.N.I.F.F.’s authenticity score to rate discussions, brands can make more informed investment decisions directly in the platform. Contract In-Platform: Contracts and transactions happen securely in-platform, making the process five times faster than contracting outside the platform. Collaborate Seamlessly: Versatile content features allow marketers and creators to review, edit, track changes and approve content all within Koalifyed. Prove Performance: With creators opting in to Koalifyed, brands gain instant access to proof of performance, minimizing the stress of compliance and governance requirements, and creators can ensure their campaign insights are easily accessed by brands. With the end-to-end nature of the platform, Koalifyed can minimize the time historically spent on manual-intensive tasks, enabling brands to shift their focus to building stronger relationships with their influencer communities and driving more powerful content. Koalifyed was developed by Stagwell Technologies in collaboration with leading consumer marketing agency MMI Agency. “As new social platforms emerge and influencers take up a greater share of marketing budgets, we saw an opportunity to create an innovative solution that allows brands to gain efficiencies while showing the business value of influencer marketing,” said Charles Hu, Partner & CTO at Stagwell Technologies. “The options available today simply have not evolved with the needs of our industry and its users. Koalifyed facilitates and enhances the relationships between brand and creator, and it’s built to iterate, learn and grow with the changing needs of all stakeholders.” Today there are nearly 300 active creators on the platform and that number is quickly growing. Active user and Houston Lifestyle and Fashion Blogger, Jordyn Rush said, “Having access to technology like Koalifyed isn’t just about making my everyday tasks as a creator faster and more seamless, it’s also about having access to opportunities that can become real business partnerships.” “This space is growing and changing, and I see myself as an increasingly important marketing medium for brands. Like many others in the creator community, I take what I do very seriously, and the more that platforms like Koalifyed can help me start conversations with brands that recognize my expertise and my value, the better the ecosystem will be for all parties.” Koalifyed is now available to all brands and offers solutions for influencer marketing budgets of all sizes. Creators can also sign up to join the Koalifyed creator database to get discovered by brands via Koalifyed’s website. To learn more, sign up to be a part of Koalifyed’s creator database or request a demo, visit koalifyed.com. About Koalifyed Koalifyed is an influencer marketing platform designed by and for social-first brands that are boldly shaping culture. Born out of Stagwell Technologies, a member of The Stagwell Group, and incubated within one of the world’s top 5 advertisers, Koalifyed’s technology offers more speed, efficiency and trust in influencer campaign management. As the only end-to-end platform of its kind, marketers can now leverage a single platform to identify influencers, negotiate and draft contracts, and measure the success of campaigns. Koalifyed provides greater insight and protection against bots through a proprietary bot detection engine called S.N.I.F.F, which provides brands and influencers insights into real reach, quality and engagement levels of social audiences, so brands’ influencer dollars work smarter. To learn more, visit koalifyed.com. Contact Details KWT Global for Koalifyed Olivia Janicelli +1 646-989-3919 koalifyed@kwtglobal.com Company Website https://www.koalifyed.com

March 23, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

CSG Systems International Adjusts Convertible Debt Conversion Rate for 2016 Convertible Notes as a Result of Dividend

CSG

CSG ® (NASDAQ: CSGS) today announced that as a result of its first quarter dividend of $0.25 per share on its common stock, it will adjust the conversion rate for its outstanding 4.25% Senior Convertible Notes issued in March 2016 (the “2016 Convertible Notes”). The adjustments are made in accordance with the terms of the Indenture Agreement. CSG’s 2016 Convertible Notes (Unrestricted CUSIP Number 126349 AF6) mature on March 15, 2036 and the original $230,000,000 aggregate principal amount remains outstanding. Effective March 19, 2021, the conversion rate for the 2016 Convertible Notes has been adjusted to 7.6898 shares for each $1,000 in principal amount of 2016 Convertible Notes (equivalent to a conversion price of approximately $56.53) per share of CSG common stock. About CSG For more than 35 years, CSG has simplified the complexity of business, delivering innovative customer engagement solutions that help companies acquire, monetize, engage, and retain customers. Operating across more than 120 countries worldwide, CSG manages billions of critical customer interactions annually, and its award-winning suite of software and services allow companies across dozens of industries to tackle their biggest business challenges and thrive in an ever-changing marketplace. CSG is the trusted provider for driving digital innovation for hundreds of leading global brands, including Airtel Africa, América Móvil, AT&T, Charter Communications, Comcast, DISH, Formula 1, Hutchison 3 Indonesia, Inmarsat, Mastercard, Maximus, Microsoft, Mobily, MTN, New Leaf Service Contracts, State of California DMV, TalkTalk and Telstra. To learn more, visit our website at csgi.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Copyright © 2021 CSG Systems International, Inc. and/or its affiliates (“CSG”). All rights reserved. CSG® is a registered trademark of CSG Systems International, Inc. All third-party trademarks, service marks, and/or product names which are referenced in this document are the property of their respective owners, and all rights therein are reserved. Contact Details CSG John Rea +1 210-687-4409 john.rea@csgi.com Company Website https://www.csgi.com

March 22, 2021 05:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Minuteman Press Franchise Owners Lynne and John Regas Show Print is Essential in Frankfort, Illinois

Minuteman Press International Inc

Minuteman Press Frankfort Has Remained Open As an Essential Business During Covid-19; Owners Lynne and John Regas Share Their Insights on Adapting During the Pandemic and Helping Local Businesses “Bounce Back” CHICAGO & FRANKFORT, Ill. – As Lynne and John Regas approach five years in business, no year has been more defining for their Minuteman Press printing franchise than this one. “We both feel very fortunate that we were considered essential and were able to remain open during the COVID-19 pandemic, not only to be there for other local businesses and organizations, but to help us stay sane and keep working,” says Lynne. Print is Essential Since the beginning of the pandemic, Minuteman Press Frankfort has continued to provide high-demand products and services that have been critical in helping local businesses reach out to customers while promoting community solidarity. “Early on in the pandemic, we saw high demand for yard signs. We were able to supply local schools with graduation signs, and now those same school districts are coming back to us since it was so popular. Banners and flags have been in high demand from businesses who simply want to let customers know, ‘We’re Open.’ Restaurants have also come to us for takeout menus as they update their specials, menu items, and safe pickup and delivery options.” Lynne continues, “We are also helping a number of businesses reach out to the community via direct mail postcards and flyers. We’ve already reached out to several business categories about the power of mailing campaigns. For example, we have recently helped a local chiropractic office, a local physical therapist, and a local small gym owner increase their visibility (and therefore their customer base) by designing and mailing flyers using both direct mail and Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM). These are businesses that can really benefit from letting people know they are there and following every safety protocol to make sure they can provide their services and still keep you healthy.” “This pandemic really forced a lot of local businesses to rethink their paths forward, and we are here to help them do that and provide them with the design, print, marketing, and mailing services they need to do so. We are a local business ourselves, we support local businesses, and we are all in this together.” -Lynne Regas, Minuteman Press franchise owner, Frankfort, Illinois Helping Local Businesses Bounce Back When the pandemic first hit, Lynne and John launched Bounce Back Frankfort (part of Bounce Back USA by Minuteman Press International), a free community website that provides free local listings to businesses as well as free COVID-19 awareness and prevention posters. To date, 44 local businesses have signed up to reach out to community members with special offers. “The idea is simple,” says Lynne. “Let’s support local businesses, and let’s bounce back together as a community.” Lynne continues, “ We spent those first few weeks doing what we could to focus on a path forward and to give back to other businesses. Bounce Back Frankfort is special because it provides an uplifting message as well as a free way for people to advertise at a time where they could use that extra boost. It not only lifts our spirits, it also reminds everyone that it’s so important to communicate, connect, and engage with our community, especially right now.” “Our message to other local businesses is to hang in there. It’s important to remain calm and focused on the future while we navigate through these times. Knowing that everyone is in this together has caused a renewed sense of unity in the small business community we are a part of here in Frankfort. We’ve made sure that everyone knows we are here to support them – both now and in the future.” -Lynne Regas Adapting the Business and Receiving Ongoing Support Minuteman Press Frankfort is locally owned and operated but being part of the Minuteman Press franchise family has really helped Lynne and John learn and grow as business owners over the past five years and throughout the pandemic. Lynne says, “We have always been grateful for the support we’ve received from Minuteman Press, but 2020 and 2021 have really showed us that we made the right decision when we joined this family. The ongoing support during the pandemic has been above and beyond what we expected. From the Bounce Back program to the daily emails of suggestions and encouragement from Nick Titus (President of Minuteman Press International), we absorbed everything and did what we needed to do to adapt and pivot. It is so helpful to know what is happening with other franchises, both local and across the country, to know that we aren’t alone and to be reminded that there will be an end to this pandemic.” Lynne explains how she has learned and grown from this experience and is better positioned for the future. “We’ve started using social media much more to communicate and promote our business. We’ve had many businesses reach out to us as they start to reopen. For example, we ran a promotion for menus and restaurants responded.” She continues, “We have learned to incorporate marketing strategies and new ways of communicating so that we can reach and interact with clients safely. Whether it’s a promotion on Instagram or targeted local marketing, we are here to engage with customers across all touch-points.” “Lynne and John Regas have done a tremendous job supporting local businesses in their community and finding new ways to pivot and connect with their clients. They’ve followed the Minuteman Press franchise system closely and have built a solid foundation for their business over the past five years. They are great people and caring business owners, and I am proud to support them.” -Steve Szymanski, Minuteman Press International Regional Vice President, Midwest Reflections on Owning the Business and Advice for Others Prior to becoming business owners, Lynne and John worked in corporate sales. “ We were both involved in purchasing roles with different corporations. John had worked for the same company for almost 30 years and was laid off. I had worked for several different companies but was really just going through the motions. After John was laid off and began seriously thinking about opening his own business and being his own boss, I was supportive – but I’d be lying if I didn’t also say I was a little apprehensive. Looking back now, we certainly made the right decision.” She adds, “It’s so surreal that we’ve been doing this for almost five years because the time has gone by so quickly. We’re no longer in that ‘rut’ we were in when working our previous jobs, and every day is truly a new adventure. We are becoming the people we wanted to be – entrepreneurs who are doing what it takes to make their business successful, no matter what comes our way. The biggest reward, definitely, is no longer feeling like we are working hard for someone else. We’re working harder than we ever have but it’s for us and our business – and that makes it all worth it!” When asked what advice she would give to others, Lynne answers, “If you’re being honest with yourself, there is a lot of risk when you open your own business. Being a part of a company like Minuteman Press that really invests in its franchise owners helps mitigate that risk and should put any potential owners’ minds at ease.” She concludes, “We have potential new owners visit our center and we share our experiences as franchisees. We tell them how impressed we’ve been with the level of support we’ve received from day one. Ultimately, Minuteman Press International has always cared about us and their support during this pandemic has clearly demonstrated just how much they truly care.” For more information on Minuteman Press Frankfort, visit https://www.frankfort-il.minutemanpress.com. Learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press franchise opportunities and read Minuteman Press franchise reviews at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com. Contact Details Minuteman Press International Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

March 22, 2021 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Accelerating Women's Economic Empowerment Webinar: The post-COVID world offers new models of economic justice and empowerment for women

Media Outreach

TAIPEI, TAIWAN - Media OutReach - 22 March 2021 - Organized by Taiwan’s Foundation for Women's Rights Promotion and Development and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, with support from the Taiwan Economic and Cultural Office in New York, the Accelerating Women’s Economic Empowerment Webinar, which was held on 18 March, focused on policies and programs to help women achieve equality in the post-pandemic future. Speakers of the Accelerating Women's Economic Empowerment Webinar. “Women are bearing the brunt of the COIVD-19 crisis,” said Denise Scotto, vice president of the International Federation of Women in Legal Careers, as she opened on Accelerating Women’s Economic Empowerment Webinar. However, the new models of working from home, and greater access to technology and the internet may point to how the gender divide can be bridged. This was the message conveyed by speakers at the Accelerating Women's Economic Empowerment webinar, which took place parallel to the United Nations’ Commission on the Status of Women and during Women’s History Month celebrations. Headlining the event, Taiwan’s digital minister Audrey Tang discussed how to make the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality work in Taiwan. Tang pointed out that Taiwan is the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, equal pay day has come down to February 20, and over 41% of legislators in Taiwan’s parliament are women. Taiwan’s first transgender minister also testified that she had never suffered discrimination in her job. However, there are still areas where Taiwan has much to do. “Less than a quarter of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) students in tertiary education are women,” said Tang. Taiwan’s achievements in controlling the pandemic have been well documented. But one aspect that has not been widely reported is the gendered aspect to disease control. Tang highlighted the example of a Taiwanese boy who was teased for coming to school with a pink mask when medical supplies were being rationed. The boy called the government hotline to complain, and the next day the health minister and his top officials all wore pink masks during the daily press briefing. Tang said, “The health minister said it was fine for a boy to wear pink, and added that his favorite cartoon character was the Pink Panther.” Technological advances are also helping level the playing field for young women, said Tang, sharing one initiative against plastic straws started by a 16-year-old Taiwanese woman. “She didn’t have to wait until she was 18 or join a political party,” said the digital minister, adding, “more and more young women and men are looking into e-participation and co-creation across sectors to create their own initiatives.” The Swedish minister for gender equality’s state secretary Karin Strandås focused on applying a gender perspective to government policies and budgeting. “We must also focus on the role of men and boys as drivers for change,” said Strandås, “Men and boys in all their diversity must be part of transforming gender norms and inequality.” Responding to the pandemic, Strandås said, “It is about building a better world and a better future for everyone.” Although it is possible for men to take as much parental leave as women, Sweden has yet to achieve full equality in the workplace. “Reforms are necessary for women to enter the labor markets,” said Strandås. Strandås noted the link between economic inequality and domestic violence. “It is harder to leave a violent relationship if you are dependent on your partner,” the state secretary said. Taiwan’s ambassador at large Lin Ching-Yi spoke about the role of women in law making. “The more female participation there is in politics, the more gender-based policy making there will be,” said Lin. Talking about the danger women face on the frontline of the pandemic as nurses and cleaners, Lin said she was initially worried for their safety. Thankfully, Taiwan’s success in pandemic control has largely been down to gendered policy making. “All policies are based on gender equality,” said Lin, “so only ten nurses have been infected with COVID-19 in Taiwan.” Other speakers shared their experiences in advancing women’s economic rights and independence, investing in women’s empowerment, and supporting marginalized women to earn, save money, and improve their health and wellbeing. Algene Sajery, vice president of the Office of External Affairs at the US International Development Finance Corporation, outlined the Women’s Initiative which has catalyzed more than US$7 billion of investment in projects that are owned by women, led by women, or provide a product or service that empowers women. Iliriana Gashi, executive director of Kosova Women 4 Women, talked about her organization’s efforts to finance women economically affected by the pandemic, working together with the government and international corporations to help women running small businesses. Giving rights and more economic power to women is good for men too. “We are one human family, both men and women,” said Scotto, “so all of humanity is empowered by empowering women.” Concluding the session, Lin said after the pandemic, global society will face new norms. There will be an opportunity to build different economic models through the internet or community models, and create new ways for women to participate equally. Contact Details Taiwan’s Foundation of Women’s Rights Promotion and Development Helen Lee +852 3996 9731 helen.lee@wrp.org.tw Company Website https://www.media-outreach.com/

March 22, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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CMMC Center of Excellence Announces Engagement Agreement with TechnoGen & TechnoGen Cybersecurity

Interoperability Clearinghouse

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Center of Excellence ( CMMC COE ), hosted by the Information Technology Acquisition Advisory Council (IT-AAC), a public-private partnership serving the public and private sectors for more than 15 years, is excited to announce a partnership with TechnoGen, Inc., an ISO 9001:2015, ISO 20000-1:2011, ISO 27001:2013 and CMMI Level 3 Global IT Services and Consulting Company headquartered in Chantilly, Virginia and Offshore Development Center in Hyderabad, India. This unique partnership will extend efforts to identify and include proven capabilities within the CMMC COE Marketplace to improve cybersecurity protection and resilience for the global defense industrial base network of contractors, vendors, and suppliers. In addition, the partnership with TechnoGen and TechnoGen Cybersecurity establishes a presence for the CMMC COE in India with a future plan for a Center of Excellence- India in collaboration with the CMMC COE APAC. With over 16 years of experience providing end to end IT Services and Solutions to the Public and Private sectors, TGI provides highly skilled and certiﬁed professionals committed to helping clients solve complex problems and achieve their goals, on time and under budget. “This is exciting opportunity for us”, said Mr. John Weiler, Chairman of the Board at CMMC Center of Excellence, “This new partnership will further help advance the goals and objectives for improving the supply chain security and resilience of the US Department of Defense (DoD)”. Mr. Lax Chepuri, CEO of TechnoGen, Inc. expressed confidence and delight in the newly formed relationship with the CMMC COE saying, “Both TechnoGen, Inc. and TechnoGen Cybersecurity and will bring enthusiastic support for the goals and standards of the CMMC COE in both the U.S. and India Defense sectors.” The executed Engagement Agreement establishes a collaborative engagement between TechnoGen and the CMMC COE to partner in the furthering of their respective and complementary missions and objectives regarding the adoption, use, and expansion of CMMC based cybersecurity practices, risk management, and compliance for the DIB contractor, vendor, and supplier community of providers creating a broader CMMC ecosystem globally to improve security and resilience. Specific actions will include: The co-development of CMMC advisory services, cyber training and education programs to accelerate CMMC certification, increase cyber adoption and improve cyber protection & resilience. Co-sponsor symposiums, training programs and podcasts leveraging their combined cyber and IT expertise. Host regular working groups, with other partners, to enable collaboration and communications. Establish an independent Industry Cyber Security Advisory Council with peer organizations to advise and educate leaders across government and industry on the continued evolution and effectiveness of CMMC. The CMMC-COE ( http://cmmc-coe.org ) and TechnoGen partnership will focus on bringing together the many disparate cyber and national security communities of interest to reduce complexity, improve awareness, and accelerate industry effort to become more cyber resilient against the growing threats from nation states and criminal enterprises. The CMMC-COE establishes both a Market Place and Knowledge Clearinghouse that will include resources that support the overall effort, including white papers; tutorials; recorded webcasts; presentations; and more that will help reduce the cost and burden on small and medium size contractors already struggling from the impact of COVID. For more information on the CMMC COE, please visit http://cmmc-coe.org, email info@cmmc-coe.org or call 703-863-3766 For more information on TechnoGen, please visit https://www.technogeninc.com/ About Us ---------- CMMC-COE.ORG is a unique non-profit public-private partnership, with a vision to accelerate Cybersecurity Maturity Model (CMM) adoption, and reduce time & cost for security compliance for our partners by leveraging commercial best practices, CMMC standards, and innovative solutions for a measurable success. Our mission, focused on DOD mission objectives, cost containment and expeditious CMMC compliance, is to help the DIB improve cyber posture and resilience, and simplify its acquisition. The CMMC-COE is hosted by the Information Technology Acquisition Advisory Council (IT-AAC), a public/private partnership (P3) chartered in 2007 as an honest broker to reach outside the confines of the Federal IT advisories that lack dynamic reach into the Global IT Market, and dedicated to the adoption of commercial IT management standards of practice and innovations emanating from the Global IT market. Team IT-AAC has already demonstrated the value of its decade long investment, and provides a unique value to agencies seeking to achieve accelerate the transformation of legacy processes and systems. Our Just-in-Time SMEs apply an innovative suite of Technology Business Management and Agile Acquisition Processes needed to assure the business value of commercial IT. The Interoperability Clearinghouse (ICH), is the managing partner that make up the 24 NGO/SDO organizations that make up the IT-AAC. ICH provides the contract vehicles, clearances, and critical resources proven to guide sustainable, measurable and repeatable processes needed to drive better investment decisions as the speed of mission need, while aligning existing processes, methods and workforce with IT reform mandates contained in Clinger Cohen Act, FITARA, IT MGT Act, EO13838. Contact Details Bob Dix +1 703-975-6633 bob.dix@it-aac.org Company Website https://cmmc-coe.org

March 22, 2021 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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