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Center for the Study of Capitalism at Wake Forest University Hosts Diversity & Inclusion Webinar

LEVICK

Wake Forest University’s Center for the Study of Capitalism will host a July 15 webinar titled, “Doing the Right Thing: How Companies Lead in the New Age of Diversity & Inclusion.” The event will focus on potential diversity and inclusion initiatives for businesses currently rethinking their policies and communications tactics. The panel’s evolution was prompted by the recent focus on the Black Lives Matter protests that have generated far more conversation than all other social issues – abortion, immigration, gun control, #MeToo – combined . The panel will be hosted by the Center for the Study of Capitalism at Wake Forest University, a research and teaching center and a trusted source of information about well-functioning democratic capitalism. The panel will be hosted by Richard Levick, Chairman and CEO of LEVICK and Executive Affiliate of the Center for the Study of Capitalism. Webinar panelists include: Neil Foote, Foote Communications Kurt Bardella, LEVICK William Ide, Akerman Chris Jackson, Ipsos Derede McAlpin, LEVICK “Since the murder of George Floyd and the Battle of Lafayette Square, diversity and inclusion have dominated our society’s debate in ways they haven’t since the great Civil Rights movement of the 1960s,” Levick said. “All the CEOs, general counsels and board members we have spoken with recognize this historic nature of this moment and tell us ‘We want to do the right thing, but we don’t fully know what or how.’ This webinar is designed to provide the pathway.” While some companies have made significant changes to their policies policy to respond to the Black Lives Matter movement and the public’s outcry for corporate action, many are still asking how and what to do while others are unnecessarily immobilized by past actions or inactions. The webinar will include communications and legal experts who will examine the internal and external changes that companies need to adopt given societal upheaval. For more information on the webinar, visit https://capitalism.wfu.edu/events/doing-the-right-thing-how-companies-lead-in-the-new-age-of-diversity-inclusion/ About the Center for the Study of Capitalism The Center for the Study of Capitalism at Wake Forest University is a research and teaching center and a trusted source of information about well-functioning democratic capitalism. Contact Details Maria Stagliano +1 404-245-0899 mstagliano@levick.com Company Website https://www.levick.com

July 10, 2020 09:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Americans Blindsided by Medical Bills During COVID-19

YourUpdateTV

Most Americans do not know the prices of their healthcare prior to receiving the care. This can lead to unforeseen medical bills that can be financially devastating to Americans and their families. Recently, Cynthia A Fisher, Founder of PatrientRightsAdvocate.org partnered with YourUpdateTV to discuss the importance of healthcare price transparency. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/l0EX546XbLs System-wide healthcare price transparency can become law by passing the Healthcare Price Transparency Act, which requires hospitals and insurance companies to reveal their discounted, cash prices and secret, negotiated rates, as part of the next COVID-19 stimulus package. This is a bi-partisan issue. 90% of all Americans surveyed want to know prices and be able to shop for the best quality at the lowest price – driving down the costs of care and coverage. Businesses contracting directly with price transparent providers for care and coverage, are already saving 30-50% for their employees and their families. Economists estimate that this bi-partisan measure will save over $1 trillion per year for the United States. Healthcare price transparency is the key to lowering America’s devastatingly high healthcare costs through informed, empowered consumers. For more information, please visit PatientRightsAdvocate.org About Cynthia A. Fisher Cynthia A. Fisher is a life sciences entrepreneur, independent investor, and corporate board director. She founded WaterRev, LLC to invest in novel technologies that enable sustainable practices in water use. She serves on the public company boards of The Boston Beer Company (SAM) and Easterly Government Properties, Inc. (DEA). Cynthia is best known for her pioneering work as Founder and CEO of ViaCord, Inc., a leading umbilical cord blood stem cell banking service which she started in 1993. In 2000, she co-founded and was President of the cellular medicines company, ViaCell, Inc. (Previously to founding ViaCord, Cynthia ran the Blood Bank Division of Haemonetics Corporation, a medical equipment manufacturer. She began her career in sales at IBM focusing on healthcare IT, insurance, and defense industries. Cynthia holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, as well as an Honorary Doctorate of Science and BS in Biophysics from Ursinus College. About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content, produced by award-winning video communications firm. 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

July 10, 2020 09:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Current Patent Litigation Costs Are Between $2.3 to $4M - from the BlueIron blog

BlueIron, LLC

Patent litigation in the US has two major stages: claim construction (sometimes called a Markman hearing) and a trial for infringement and damages. In a vast majority of cases, once the claim construction is done, the writing is on the wall and a settlement happens. "With the cost of litigation at an all-time high, patent enforcement and defense insurance makes sure you have the ability to survive," says Russ Krajec of BlueIron, a patent-finance company. The American Intellectual Property Lawyer’s Association (AIPLA) issues a bi-annual survey of IP-related costs . In the latest survey, the claim construction portion of a patent litigation ranges from $250,000 for less than $1M at risk to $2.375M for cases where $25M or more is at risk. For the entire trial, the AIPLA says that for less than $1M at risk, the trial will cost $700,000, while the very high value cases will cost $4M or more. “The AIPLA data says that with less than a million dollars at stake, both parties will have to spend $700K – or a total of $1.4 million dollars to fight a patent lawsuit,” says Krajec. “That is crazy that the expenses are so high.” “Startup companies are always cash-constrained,” continues Krajec. “No startup has the cash reserves required to go up against a Big Tech company that decides they want to use the startup’s technology. Not only does this happen in technology-based companies, but it is standard practice with the life sciences space. Certain big companies find it cheaper to blatantly infringe a startup’s patents and just dare them to sue.” Patent enforcement and defense insurance gives a startup the means to survive patent litigation, yet few startups bother to get these policies. “Most angel investors who are board members require a startup to have director’s and officer’s insurance. Over the last decade there were fourteen patent lawsuits for every individual D&O claim,” says Krajec. BlueIron is a broker for patent enforcement and defense insurance policies, including policies written by Intellectual Property Insurance Services Corporation in Louisville, Kentucky. “IP insurance is the only insurance we sell, as part of our whole patent-based financing options for companies from startups to publicly traded companies.” Schedule a call with BlueIron and see if Intellectual Property Insurance is right for your company. Learn more about Patent Litigation here on the BlueIron blog. Learn more about BlueIron's IP insurance here. The PatentMyth Podcast has an episode on patent insurance. About BlueIron: BlueIron provides IP-related financing for companies from startups to publicly traded companies. BlueIron finances the cost of getting a patent and building patent portfolios, provides insurance for enforcement and defense of those patents, and can provide $2-5M loans using patents as collateral. You can read the BlueIron blog here. About Russ Krajec: Russ Krajec is a registered patent attorney who has been practicing for over 20 years, as well as a podcaster, blogger, and author. His book “Investing In Patents” describes the business criteria used to identify good inventions and good patents. Krajec is the host of the Patent Myths podcast, which looks at IP from a business standpoint. Contact Details Russ Krajec +1 970-776-4355 russ.krajec@blueironip.com Company Website https://blueironip.com

July 10, 2020 08:02 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Patent Myths from BlueIron: You Should Never File A Provisional Patent Application

BlueIron, LLC

“Provisional patent applications are widely touted as the go-to thing for startup companies or independent inventors, but they are always the wrong thing to do,” says Russ Krajec , CEO of BlueIron , a company providing IP-related funding for emerging companies. A provisional patent application has a lower filing fee than a conventional, non-provisional patent application, and many patent attorneys will do provisional applications for much less than a “full” or non-provisional patent application. A provisional patent application has a one-year deadline to convert to a non-provisional patent application, so many people use this opportunity to add more material to the patent application. Even the United States Patent and Trademark Office suggest that independent inventors use the provisional patent application route. “From a business and economic standpoint, the provisional patent application creates more problems than it solves,” says Krajec, a registered patent attorney. “The provisional application process is designed to delay getting a patent, but in almost every situation, it is better to speed up the process – the exact opposite of the provisional.” The faster a company can get its patent, the faster the company can license and enforce their technology. The faster the patent issues, the more value the company has when it is raising money or getting loans using IP as collateral. “The difference in filing fees between a provisional and non-provisional patent application is about $600. When raising money, a provisional patent application screams to an investor ‘I don’t think this patent application was worth the extra $600 to file it as a non-provisional!’” explains Krajec. “Some sophisticated angel investors see provisional patent applications as ‘angel bait.’ Many entrepreneurs know their patents might be worthless, but they do provisionals to satisfy gullible angel investors.” A low-cost provisional patent application often results in a loss of international filing rights, but always results in a delay in getting an enforceable/licensable asset, and a more expensive patent overall. “Many entrepreneurs are mistaken that just because they filed a ‘thin’ provisional application that they are ‘protected.’ But the actual protection only starts when the complete, non-provisional patent application is filed.” To learn more, please visit the BlueIron Blog "Should I File a Provisional Patent Application" or the PatentMyths podcast episode entitled “The Myth of Provisional Patent Applications” . About BlueIron: BlueIron provides IP-related financing for companies from startups to publicly traded companies. BlueIron finances the cost of getting a patent and building patent portfolios, provides insurance for enforcement and defense of those patents, and can provide $2-5M loans using patents as collateral. You can read the BlueIron blog here. About Russ Krajec: Russ Krajec is a registered patent attorney who has been practicing for over 20 years, as well as a podcaster, blogger, and author. His book " Investing In Patents " describes the business criteria used to identify good inventions and good patents. Krajec is the host of the Patent Myths podcast, which looks at IP from a business standpoint. Contact Details Russ Krajec +1 970-776-4355 russ.krajec@blueironip.com Company Website https://blueironip.com

July 09, 2020 11:06 AM Mountain Daylight Time

Minuteman Press Franchise Reviews How Print is Essential With Infographic

Minuteman Press International

Contact Details Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

July 09, 2020 11:11 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Op-ed by Thomas E. Pierce, Filmmaker, Entrepreneur, and CEO of Pierce Media & Associates

Pierce Media & Associates

While history chapters are unfolding, we are watching culture shift as we live it. We have grieved. We have feared. We have huddled in our homes. And this is just the beginning of a brighter tomorrow. As CEO of an entertainment marketing consultancy, a filmmaker, a philanthropist, and on the verge of launching something a-new, I blinked just like you and everything changed. And so, we adapt because that’s what we do. Despite our losses and frustrations what makes us trailblazers is our determination to do better, to be our best, and we were given a window to do just that. During quarantine, our habits shifted. Behaviors changed. We all look in the mirror and know we’ll never be the same people again. In fact, 76% of people picked up new habits, behaviors and routines of that 89% say they plan to keep them, according to Reach3 Insights ongoing study. As an optimist, a culture driver, and an entrepreneur, I constantly wonder how this will be played out. Who will flourish and rise up and who might fall off that thin hanging thread. A shake-up is upon us, now is the time to stay focused, be actionable, define new tactics, drive with empathy, and create initiatives, campaigns, and offerings for our clients to shape a better tomorrow. What a gift. As leaders, we listen. As entrepreneurs, we seek to understand as decisions are made. As filmmakers, we are excited to go, eager to be courageous, and responsible to get it right. In our marketing transcention, now is a time we cannot rely on assumptions. Data from six weeks ago is already out-of-date. I share trends and habits with my clients and look forward and around the corner, and I encourage lively discussions among other trend seekers and setters so we pave our way forward and help ensure brands/corporations make good decisions. Key finding #1: Influencers changed People have digital maturity. Digital word-of-mouth is the new influencer, authentic conversation is more powerful than a clicked/liked on post, discussing your products to advertise your products. Thought leadership is replaced with helpfulness. People want to be invited to contribute context to foster community. People will idolize peers shaping our future for a better tomorrow more than celebrities that don’t share their values. The micro-social audience is proving to be more powerful than a macro audience if spoken-to and shared-with correctly. Key finding #2: the now buzzword authenticity has always been our guidepost Less polished, authentic content in a video connects more deeply. Brands who care, win mind share. Asking the question of "what do you need" and "what can I do to help" are key. Flexibility to adapt. Customer service and customization is at the forefront of marketing. Quality over quantity, less is more is here to stay. Empathy wins. More than half (56%) of people say they want to hear what brands do in communities, according to the American Association of Advertising. Key finding #3: humankind unites with home-sweet-home Humankind unifies with a shared purpose. Acknowledgment of shortfalls and being raw in communications is valued. Except, don’t rush to understand diversity issues like others have tried and backfired, stay in your lane, listen, action speaks louder than words. The "Homebody Economy" sticks even as restrictions are lifted. “Safety-subconscious” will always be first in line. Key finding #4: Innovation no longer an option speaking to your consumers Innovation becomes a necessity. People expect and need a personalized experience and with all touchpoints throughout their journey, to instill brand loyalty. In two years, revival in nightlife and social indulgence makes a comeback. This means, think ahead and be courageous in your planning. Key finding #5: New Gen’s are born Gen "ZEOs" - usually future-focused - used COVID time for personal and professional development Gen C is born and is not an age group but a powerful new force and mindset in consumer culture. A term used to describe people who care deeply about creation, curation, connection, and community. Generation Alpha are those under age 10 who did homeschooling and online learning during COVID Coronial Generation are those born in 9 months from quarantine. As we enter the decade of a new counterculture shift, let us drive culture to new levels. Make 2020 the year we see better and do better. Pierce Media (PMA) is a Marketing & Public Relations Consultancy specializing in popular culture. We build brands and individuals through integrated partnerships, bespoke brand experiences, content production, and media. We pride ourselves on being an influential and innovative consultancy, helping brands create culturally-relevant, highly impactful initiatives that drive business results. Contact Details Shari Beagelman +1 917-626-7071 shari@pma.media Company Website https://www.pma.media/

July 09, 2020 09:48 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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As COVID-19 Restrictions Lift Americans Return to Travel

YourUpdateTV

According to the U.S. Travel Association, more than two-thirds of consumers miss traveling and can’t wait to get out again, and one in four are already planning a future vacation. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/TsJdJ3quJLE Travelers will drive, rather than fly, and hence take shorter trips closer to home. Choice Hotels’ has nearly 6,000 franchised hotels across America conveniently located near drive-to destinations and therefore well-positioned to support the resurgence of the American road trip this summer. Americans will have different comfort levels when they first venture out in this new travel environment and will be looking for indications from restaurants, hotels and attractions that they are committed to prioritizing travelers’ health and safety. Choice’s Commitment to Clean initiative is designed to help give guests added peace of mind when booking a stay. Commitment to Clean is the company’s holistic approach to supplying hotel owners and their employees with the tools they need to help Choice-branded hotels worldwide achieve superior levels of cleanliness. As part of the initiative, every Choice-branded hotel is designating a “Commitment to Clean Captain,” each of whom is responsible for completing applicable best-in-class cleanliness training and communicating new protocols and best practices to the rest of each hotel’s staff. Travelers will be looking to make the most of their travel budgets. Choice Privileges, the company’s award-winning loyalty program, is currently offering a Stay Twice, Earn a Free Night promotion, designed to help guests maximize their travel budgets as they return to the open road. Choice Privileges also recently announced a series of enhancements that help provide members with the flexibility to use their benefits as soon as they are ready to travel. Updates include reducing the number of nights required to earn elite status; pausing the expiration of loyalty points until Dec. 31; and initiating upgrades, extensions and bonuses for current elite members. For more information on what Choice Hotels is doing to help travelers this summer, visit www.ChoiceHotels.com About Choice Hotels: Choice Hotels International, Inc. is one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world. With more than 7,100 hotels, representing over 590,000 rooms, in over 40 countries and territories as of March 31, 2020, the Choice® family of hotel brands provide business and leisure travelers with a range of high-quality lodging options from limited service to full-service hotels in the upscale, midscale, extended stay and economy segments. The award-winning Choice Privileges® loyalty program offers members benefits ranging from everyday rewards to exceptional experiences. For more information, visit www.ChoiceHotels.com . 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

July 08, 2020 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Minuteman Press Franchise Presents Free COVID-19 Resource Bounce Back USA - Free Marketing to Support Local Business

Minuteman Press International

Contact Details Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

July 08, 2020 10:10 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Survey Reveals Growing Acceptance Around COVID-19 Contact Tracing and Exposure Notification Apps

Metova Inc.

Contact Details Anders Steele +1 323-909-2341 anders.steele@metova.com Company Website https://metova.com/survey-reveals-growing-acceptance-around-covid-19-contact-tracing/

July 08, 2020 07:47 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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