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LevLane Announces Multiple Promotions and Role Changes

LevLane

LevLane, a full-service, award-winning ad agency, now in its 37th year, has announced multiple promotions as the agency continues to see strong growth. “We are so proud of this team. Over the past year we have experienced challenges we never anticipated and despite that our team has continued to deliver,” said Josh Lev, SVP | Brand Engagement of LevLane. “As we emerge from one of the most difficult times in memory, we are excited to look to the future and the team who will help to get us there.” Web Development Megan Hegarty has been promoted to Vice President, Digital Services. Senior Living Beth Simos has been promoted to Vice President, Director of Client Engagement. Creative Taylor Irwin has been promoted to Associate Creative Director. Steven Graziano has been promoted to Senior Art Director. Joe Schoppy has been promoted to Senior Copywriter. Digital Media Ed Stec has been promoted to Vice President, Paid Search Director. Sarita Shinde has been promoted to Digital Analytics Manager. Life Sciences MaryPat Siwak has been promoted to Account Director. Gina Gattis has been promoted to Account Supervisor. Samantha Spurrier has been promoted to Account Executive. Content & Digital Strategy Gabrielle Costello has been promoted to Director of Content. Michele Burns has moved into the role of Content Project Manager. Tyler Heileman has moved into the role of Digital Content Writer. Emily Glorioso has moved into the role of Social Media Specialist. About LevLane LevLane is an award-winning, full-service, independent advertising agency in Philadelphia, PA that has been building brands that people love for nearly 40 years. Contact Details LevLane Liz Weir +1 610-401-4825 lweir@levlane.com Company Website https://www.levlane.com

May 13, 2021 07:06 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Video On Demand Technology Provider Intelivideo and CIPIO Partner to Increase Customer Retention in the Hybrid B2C Subscription Economy

CIPIO.ai

CIPIO, a B2C Subscription Customer Success company, today announced the start of a strategic partnership with Intelivideo, a Video on Demand (VOD) and Livestreaming digital platform provider for gyms, health clubs, and fitness operators. The partnership empowers Intelivideo’s customers with unmatched visibility and actionable intelligence into subscriber behavior, helping them increase subscriber engagement while proactively preventing churn. The partnership will enable Intelivideo’s customers to acquire a competitive advantage in the rapidly transforming fitness market, fighting its way through the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic. In today’s fitness market, where 76% of all consumers have had to switch to at-home workouts to accommodate the constraints of social distancing, Intelivideo has helped brick-and-mortar gyms and health clubs rapidly transform themselves to serve the needs of customers, in the process solidifying its role as a frontrunner in the digital fitness space. “Our customers have a significant amount of data and customer signals. CIPIO's capability to package those signals up in Data Apps with hyper-personalized predictions and recommendations for the digital subscriber is a game-changer” said Adam Zietsiff, President and CEO of Intelivideo. “We are very excited to partner with CIPIO to help our customers grow exponentially by providing them with predictive recommendations to proactively prevent subscriber churn – thus closing out a critical loop when it comes to retaining subscriptions.” To move beyond the BI and AI status quo, health club operators need solutions that help them deliver real business value instead of getting them stalled by technology and implementation hurdles. CIPIO eliminates all the bottlenecks from Data to ROI, thus accelerating time to value for businesses. With over two million subscriber churn-specific algorithms and nearly code-free building blocks, CIPIO’s Data Apps use AI to unify all the siloed data lifecycle steps, operationalize automated workflows, and recommend insights directly into engagement systems. This empowers fitness stakeholders and non-technical users across levels to rapidly uncover trends and engagement patterns and make timely decisions to delight subscribers across all channels and devices consistently. “Following the pandemic, health and fitness are more important to consumers than ever before. We are obsessed with helping fitness operators with the critical task of serving the health and wellness crises that the COVID pandemic has created,” said Growson Edwards, CEO of CIPIO. “CIPIO’s Domain-Infused Data Apps Platform™ arms health club operators with unprecedented customer intelligence aimed at enhancing subscriber engagement and retention for continued growth.” CIPIO’s entry into the OTT market could not have happened at a better time when the segment is witnessing skyrocketing demand for media and entertainment, virtual fitness, elearning, and gaming. CIPIO’s Domain-Infused Data Apps helps OTT players manage subscription fatigue and offers incentivized retention recommendations to increase member loyalty and minimize churn. About Intelivideo: Established in 2013, Intelivideo is a Video On Demand (VOD) and digital technology platform for gyms and health clubs. Intelivideo is committed to developing strong partnerships with the fitness industry to help deliver premium on-demand and livestreaming experiences to clients' member bases. The platform's end-to-end solution helps clubs build a successful Subscription Video On Demand (SVOD) business to complement brick-and-mortar facilities and services, helping them differentiate themselves from disruptive third-party digital fitness offerings in a hyper-local, hybrid fashion. About CIPIO: CIPIO is pioneering the Industry's first domain-infused Data Apps Platformâ¢ that humanizes and automates predictions and recommendations to increase Subscriber engagement, retention, and growth for B2C Subscription Companies. CIPIO's early adopters include Crunch Fitness, Industry's Gym, Xponential Fitness, Motor City Church, Pure Barre, Club Pilates, AKT, YogaSix, NCFit, Cyclebar, RowHouse, Stretch Lab, and Stride who have witnessed a significant return on investment in a short time. Contact Details CIPIO Chris Foudy +1 831-238-1905 chris@cipio.ai Company Website https://cipio.ai/

May 12, 2021 12:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Calls for housing and landmarks for UK’s derelict land - Romal Capital survey

Romal Capital

With Britain still in the grip of an on-going housing crisis, property developers Romal Capital sought the views of the British public on regenerating derelict land and brownfield sites. The national survey* found that 59% of Brits are calling for derelict land to be converted into modern, efficient housing and a place for cultural landmarks. More the three-quarters (77%) feel that when brownfield sites are regenerated, they bring a sense of freshness, art and culture to an area improving the lives of everyone around it. However, as these sites stand, 74% believe that derelict sites are eyesores on the nations landscape. Romal Capital’s survey reported that over four-fifths (83%) of respondents feel Westminster governments have failed to prioritise regenerating brownfield sites in their area, in recent years. People in the North East of England (90%) felt strongest about this followed by those in the South East (85%). It follows that a lack of commitment from central government will have a regional impact. 79% of people pointed the length of time it takes for decisions to be made as the most significant hurdle to change. “It’s great to see that people across the country want see their areas improved and repurposed. However, it is clear that speed is the issue more than ambition says Romal Capital’s CEO Greg Malouf. Regeneration and planning have a lot of due process and extensive local bureaucracy, and it is this that needs to be restructured to get things going. Local authorities need more support and resources to streamline these processes and fast track regeneration of these sites.” What to do with all this space? A 2020 report** from the countryside charity CPRE found there was over 25,000 hectares of brownfield land across 21,000 sites in the UK. Enough to fit over 1 million homes. The survey discovered that almost a third (30%) of people would most like to see cultural landmarks built on this unused, derelict land, while a similar amount (29%) want to see modern, efficient homes and communities built to help solve the nations crippling housing crisis. When it comes to regenerated outdoor space, over a quarter, (26%) are in favour of new recreational facilities. “Many people are desperate for somewhere permanent to live and keen to see former industrial and undeveloped areas turned into new, progressive housing neighbourhoods and community hubs.” says Malouf “The authorities must become far more proactive and flexible to allow this to happen.” Notes to the editor *Research findings based on a survey of 2,000 UK households carried out in April 2021 for Romal Capital by LMRMC (Market Research Society approved partner and ESOMAR corporate member). **CPRE Report 2020 About Romal Capital Romal Capital is an international award-winning property developer based in Liverpool. The team brings to the city over 60 years of combined property development experience from across Liverpool, and other major UK and international cities. Contact Details Romal Capital Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://www.romalcapital.co.uk/

May 12, 2021 06:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Despite Gender Pay Gap, Women Lead The Next Wave of Wealth Transfer by Jennifer Lang Financial Services.

Jennifer Lang Financial Services, LLC

Contact Details Jennifer Lang Financial Services, LLC. Jennifer Lang +1 877-487-8926 mail@jenniferlangfinancialservices.com Company Website https://www.jenniferlangfinancialservices.com

May 11, 2021 10:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Probiotic Skincare Start Up, Layers, Enters Burgeoning Microbiome-Focused Category With Holistic Inside + Out Beauty Approach

Layers Probiotic Skincare

Layers, a new probiotic skincare company, officially debuted four SKUs of synergistic high-performance products in the beauty and wellness category. With the understanding that superior skincare results are ultimately achieved by respecting our microbiome, Layers formulated their products with effective hard-hitting ingredients that work to minimize fine lines and wrinkles, enhance skin brightness, and improve elasticity while protecting and supporting the skin barrier. The result is dramatically improved skin without irritation. Microbiome and probiotic skincare are poised to be a large and enduring category, slated to grow to be 13% of the overall skincare market by 2030, as stated by Mintel. According to market research consultancy Verify Markets, microbiome skincare sales are projected to rise in double-digit percentages through 2023 across several countries, including United States (24.8%), Germany (22.2%) and Japan (19.8%). Layers inside + outside approach to healthy skin lies in the science-based Human Microbiome Project which illustrates the symbiotic relationship between our gut and skin, called the gut-skin axis. These two seemingly separate systems talk to one another through your microbiome, the trillions of good bacteria whose micro-language is responsible for everything from releasing natural antibiotics to supporting our immune system to improving hydration and supporting collagen production. Ignored by the skin care industry for decades, these bacteria dramatically impact skin health; imbalances can manifest as accelerated aging, extreme dryness, and even skin conditions such as eczema. On a mission to educate consumers, Layers believes in addressing the two holistically by providing effective, scientifically-proven, power-packed ingredients to improve skin health and appearance. “We continue to learn more every day about how our body’s systems are connected with one another and with our microbiome. Layers harnesses the power of probiotics to bolster these connections and bring your best, glowing skin to the surface.” - Rachel Behm, Founder of Layers With almost a decade of corporate experience in big beauty, Layers Founder Rachel Behm is a former Johnson & Johnson executive who worked on brands like Neutrogena, Clean & Clear, Aveeno, Lubriderm, and ultimately oversaw the Johnson & Johnson Incubator Program. Layers and Behm are backed by Ignite Venture Studio, an accelerator of new and existing brands co-founded by CPG veterans Josh Ghaim and Jeff B. Smith. Behm’s personal interest in the microbiome stems from the work she did as a lab technician on The Human Genome Project, which underscored the importance of the more recent Human Microbiome Project. Layers debut assortment includes an ingestible, Daily Glow Probiotic Supplements, a dual-sided formula with a potent 5-strain probiotic on one side and a ceramide extract on the other, along with a complementary three step skincare regimen; Balancing Milky Cleanser, Probiotic Serum, and Immunity Moisturizer, that repairs the skin while strengthening the barrier. Prices range from $29-$89. Behm believes that the self-care experience should be indulgent as it is effective, which is why she chose beautiful glass packaging, a complex yet subtle fragrance, and highly efficacious active ingredients. Available initially for pre-sale, the products can now be purchased on the brand’s direct-to-consumer website, with retail expansion expected by late 2021. Founded in 2021 by ex-Johnson & Johnson executive Rachel Behm, Layers Skincare recognizes beautiful skin begins with a thriving microbiome and harnesses the power of probiotics to boost the body’s natural ability to bring your best skin to the surface. Potent supplements + science-backed topicals, developed by industry experts, fuel the gut–skin connection to reveal dramatically renewed skin that glows from the inside out. Contact Details Amanda Smeal Consulting, Inc. Amanda Smeal amanda@amandasmeal.com Aimee Moss aimee@aimeemoss.net Company Website https://mylayers.com

May 11, 2021 08:02 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Nottingham shepherds first administrator issuer led conversion of mutual fund to ETF

Nottingham

First public trades on NYSE ARCA Monday May 10th Adaptive Growth Opportunities ETF (AGOX) The Nottingham Company, a leading fund administrator, issuer and consultant to the mutual fund and ETF industry, is pleased to announce live trading on NYSE ARCA for its first conversion of an open-end mutual fund to an exchange traded fund (ETF). Nottingham-affiliated series trust Starboard Investment Trust completed the registration portion of the process recently for the Adaptive Growth Opportunities Fund converting to Adaptive Growth Opportunities ETF (AGOX). Starboard Investment Trust is the first fund administrator sponsored series trust to convert one of its mutual funds to an ETF. The Adaptive Growth Opportunities Fund converted all its assets to AGOX on Friday May 7th, with public trading opening Monday morning May 10th. Adaptive Growth Opportunities has been a Morningstar 5-Star rated fund in both the *Three- and **Five-year categories, as of 3/31/2021. The investment objectives of AGOX will remain identical to Adaptive Growth Opportunities. *Out of 218 funds in the Tactical Allocation Category. **Out of 192 funds in the Tactical Allocation Category. The Morningstar star ratings presented are based on returns that are net of fees or expenses that were assumed by the Advisor. This arrangement had a material positive effect on the total return for the periods presented. Five Star Ratings from Morningstar represent Funds that perform in the top 10% of the Category, for the respective time period. The performance information quoted represents past performance, which is not a guarantee of future results. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor's shares, when redeemed, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. To obtain performance information current to the most recent month-end, please call 888-721-4588 or visit www.adaptivefds.com. The conversion is also a first in converting a mutual fund with multiple classes into an ETF with a single class. “The process required a lot of thought and whiteboarding. We have been told nobody has done this previously”, according to Pete McCabe Chief Operating Officer for Nottingham. “Our fund accounting team worked with our custodian Clear Street and the process was completed seamlessly.” “This was a complicated process which we could not have done without the leadership of the Nottingham team”, stated Adaptive Investments CEO Greg Rutherford. “Kip Meadows brought the idea to me in the Fall of 2020. Based on our many years of working with Nottingham we knew they could get it done, even though we knew it was treading new territory. We are excited to be among the first mutual funds to convert to an ETF, responding to what our wealth managers are telling us they want for their clients”. The Adaptive Growth Opportunities mutual fund is only the second mutual fund to convert to an ETF, and the only conversion thus far led by a fund administrator and consultant. “We are somewhat unique in that we can propose an entrepreneurial business idea and act upon it”, stated Kip Meadows, Founder and CEO of Nottingham. “Banks and firms owned by private equity are reluctant to undertake new ventures, and several of our ETF issuer competitors do not come from a fund organization, fund administration background. We have been setting up mutual funds for three decades, and ETFs for five years, so we have a good idea of what team to put together for a project like this”. Katherine Honey, President of Nottingham added, “We have such good partners in the industry, both the legal and accounting firms we work with and the strong relationships we have built with NYSE Arca, Clear Street, and many Lead Market Makers and APs. We really could not have pulled this off without strong team efforts both within our team at Nottingham and by our industry partners. We are very excited and looking forward to the next conversions we already have in registration.” This conversion had tremendous insight from our partners Terry Davis with Greenberg Traurig, who serves as Trust Counsel to the Starboard Investment Trust and Jim Kaiser with BBD who provided valuable input on the tax and financial statement issues. GTS-Mischler has taken the role of Lead Market Maker and Latour Trading, LLC will fill the newly NYSE Arca created role of Supplemental Lead Market Maker, among the first to adopt the new role. About Adaptive Investments Adaptive Investments follows the theories and methodology of Modern Portfolio Theory (MPT), introduced by Harry Markowitz in the 1950s. The goal of MPT is a relatively simple, static allocation of assets could weather any market environment. To implement the MPT approach to investing, Adaptive Investments is a manager of managers investment platform that strives to deliver adaptive correlation strategies to financial advisors. Adaptive Investment’s solutions attempt to make portfolios more dynamic by systematically turning risk on or off based on market conditions. Adaptive markets its funds and now ETFs primarily to the wealth management and investment advisory community, helping advisors bring MPT to their client base. RCADP0521003 Investors should consider the investment objective, management fees, risks, charges and expenses of the Fund carefully before investing or sending money. The Prospectus and Summary Prospectus contains this and other information about the Fund. For a current Prospectus and/ or Summary Prospectus, call 888-721-4588, visit us at www.adaptiveinv.com or email us at info@adaptiveinv.com. Please read the Prospectus and/or Summary Prospectus carefully before you invest. Current and future holdings are subject to change and risk. An investment in the Adaptive Growth Opportunities Fund is subject to investment risks, including the possible loss of some or the entire principal amount invested. There can be no assurance that the Adaptive Growth Opportunities Fund will be successful in meeting its investment objective. Investment in the Adaptive Growth Opportunities Fund is also subject to the following risks: Common Stock Risk, Control of Portfolio Funds Risk, Equity Securities Risk, Fixed Income Risk, ETF Investing Risk, Fund Investing Risk, Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk, Foreign Securities and Emerging Markets Risk, Investment Advisor Risk, Management Risk, Large-Cap Securities Risk, Market Risk, Portfolio Turnover Risk, Quantitative Model Risk, Small-Cap and Mid-Cap Securities Risk, Cybersecurity Risk, and COVID-19 Risk. The Adaptive Growth Opportunities Fund may invest in foreign securities and emerging markets, and these investments have risks that differ significantly from those associated with domestic securities. More information on these risks can be found in the Adaptive Growth Opportunities Fund’s prospectus. An investment in the Adaptive Growth Opportunities ETF is subject to investment risks, including the possible loss of some or the entire principal amount invested. There can be no assurance that the Adaptive Growth Opportunities ETF will be successful in meeting its investment objective. Investment in the Adaptive Growth Opportunities ETF is also subject to the following risks: Common Stock Risk, Control of Portfolio Funds Risk, Equity Securities Risk, Fixed Income Risk, ETF Investing Risk, Fund Investing Risk, Cash and Cash Equivalents Risk, Foreign Securities and Emerging Markets Risk, Investment Advisor Risk, Management Risk, Large-Cap Securities Risk, Market Risk, Portfolio Turnover Risk, Quantitative Model Risk, Small-Cap and Mid-Cap Securities Risk, Cybersecurity Risk, COVID-19 Risk, Authorized Participant Risk, ETF Structure Risks, and Early Close/Trading Halt Risk. The Adaptive Growth Opportunities ETF may invest in foreign securities and emerging markets, and these investments have risks that differ significantly from those associated with domestic securities. More information on these risks can be found in the Adaptive Growth Opportunities ETF’s prospectus. The Adaptive Funds are distributed by Capital Investment Group, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC, 100 E. Six Forks Road, Suite 200, Raleigh, NC 27609, (800) 773-3863. There is no affiliation between Adaptive Investments, the Investment Advisor to the Fund, and Capital Investment Group, Inc. Since 1988, Nottingham has offered consulting for investment fund organization and ongoing operations support for mutual funds and ETFs including fund accounting, compliance administration, and transfer agency for those funds. Nottingham offers a full range of turnkey services, managing relationships between clients and all outside vendors and services, including lead market markets and Authorized Participants, prime brokers and custodians, outside legal counsel, independent auditors, custodians, printers, insurance companies and the fund board. Nottingham remains one of the largest privately held fund administration firms in the US operating quite efficiently from eastern North Carolina. Contact Details Lindy Fields +1 252-984-3811 lindy.fields@nottinghamco.com Company Website https://www.ncfunds.com/

May 10, 2021 11:46 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Osmo’s Math Wizard Debuts Two Additions That Let Students Embrace Math, Just As Studies Suggest Larger Learning Loss in Math Due to Pandemic

Osmo

With research suggesting a greater learning loss in mathematics, over reading, among K-8 students during the pandemic, and many school districts have yet to reopen full-time, in-person learning, parents are looking for affordable, supplemental at-home learning to help kids with math, and avoid a gap in learning. They are also looking for products to help a child struggling with math or needing a confidence boost to learn it. To meet this growing demand, Osmo launched, for the first time ever, a learning series-- Math Wizard, which now offers two additions. The curriculum-inspired series’ active learning approach allows kids to learn math through tactile play and use of creativity and imagination, so much that they are eager, if not thrilled, to learn more. “What’s amazing is that 20,000 kids played Math Wizard and solved more than 3.5 million math problems since Oct. 1, 2020,” says Pramod Sharma, CEO of award-winning STEAM brand Osmo. “Parents who witnessed their kids using the product were thrilled with their child’s engagement and really liked the healthy screen time.” Self-Paced Games Build Math Confidence, Decrease Anxiety The eight-part Math Wizard series allows kids to experience math through hands-on, narrative- and adventure-driven games, where kids use manipulatives to experiment, exercise their imagination and creativity. The self-paced games drive enthusiasm and help build math confidence, decreasing math anxiety commonly-felt by students and parents, and inspire kids to solve problems on their own--a hallmark of all Osmo games. For struggling learners, targeted hints are built into the games to nudge them along so they find a correct answer, and remain engaged. The series is intended for kids 6-8 years (grades 1-2), and perfect for learning at home. The first two titles of the series cover the foundations of addition and subtraction, and introduce students to measurement standards, while the third and fourth titles focus on laying foundations for multiplication and division, adding more than two numbers, understanding how equations are formed, and addition and subtraction fluency. Families can start a child’s education by purchasing any title within the series. Newest Additions to Math Wizard The third title in the series is Math Wizard and the Amazing Airships (available for iPad and Fire; retail $59.99 at playosmo.com and Amazon.com ), which focuses on mathematical thinking, where kids join Rupert the robot mouse in building and designing airships for the many islands of Spellbarrow Port. Using math and Rupert’s magical wrench, kids deliver packages, balance objects so they can fly, and navigate challenges like thunderstorms and high winds. Amazing Airships features two games and the box contains: 1 Magical Board; 16 Ship Pieces; 16 Cargo Pieces; 12 Balloon Pieces. The two games contained within are: Airships - players build airships on their mat and test them in the skies, learning how to balance lift (balloons) and weight (packages, wood blocks) so they can fly. Clockwork - in this all-digital game, players use their fingers and counting skills to wind up a team of quirky clockwork robots, to the right amount, so they can move around the port Kids will learn: Building and balancing equations Practicing addition and subtraction Solving for an unknown value Introduction to algebraic thinking The fourth title is Math Wizard and the Enchanted World Games (available for iPad and Fire; retail $59.99 at playosmo.com and Amazon.com ), which sets the foundations of multiplication and inspires critical thinking. Here, kids create power smoothies and meals for athletes across various competitions! Using math skills, they give their team the right mix of magic ingredients needed to win the gold. The box features 2 games and contains: 1 Lunchbox Mat; 27 Fruit & Veggie Pieces; 1 Juice Mat; 12 Fruit Strips; 1 Magical Token. The two games contained within are: Bento Box - players choose from five different sports and help athletes by packing them a magic lunchbox requiring the best combination of fruits Juice Team - elite athletes across four different sports count upon players to blend the right number of fruits to create a magic juice, so they can win trophies Kids will learn: Repeated addition as a foundation of multiplication Advanced addition and subtraction Number decomposition Analytical skills Osmo also offers a 4-box set featuring 4 Math Wizard titles ( Magical Workshop, Secrets of the Dragons, Amazing Airships and Enchanted World Games ) and includes a base for iPad or Fire ( retail $236 at playosmo.com and Amazon.com). The fifth title in the Math Wizard series will debut in Fall 2021. Praised By Parents & Teachers; Math is a Critical Life Skill “ Math Wizard couldn’t have come at a better time! Since we are distance learning, the kids could use the extra hands on help with math. The creative story lines and fun physical items made teaching math concepts fun! The layout was similar to how they teach common core in school so that was extremely helpful.” Jenielle Chaney, parent, Orange County, California “ Math Wizard is helping my students to subitize basic addition problems. They love to get their turns making potions and that makes them love addition and subtraction. The visual of using tens and ones is also reinforcing place value. Both basic addition and understanding place value are key foundations to success in learning mathematics in the future. To have a successful life, you have to have basic math skills. Math is used in just about every aspect of life.” Zandra Clay, first grade teacher, Lockhart, Texas “In my opinion, math is definitely a critical life skill. Through math, students are able to analyze options, make decisions, and find new ways of thinking and problem-solving. These skills are needed for day-to-day activities....” Alexa Brown, elementary school teacher, Alma, Alabama Additional teacher feedback here. About Osmo Osmo is an award-winning STEAM brand whose products are used in over 30,000 classrooms and 2.5 million homes. It is building a universe of hands-on play experiences that nourish the minds of children by unleashing the power of imagination. The company brings physical tools into the digital world through augmented reality and its proprietary reflective artificial intelligence. Founded in 2013 by ex-Google engineers Pramod Sharma and Jerome Scholler, the Osmo Play System fuses digital gameplay and physical interaction to create fun and nutritious play experiences designed for all kids. Osmo is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. Learn more at playosmo.com. iPad & Fire Compatibility for Math Wizard Contact Details Karen O'Dell +1 310-251-0550 karen@playosmo.com Company Website http://www.playosmo.com

May 06, 2021 04:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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Graphic novel tackles disinformation around COVID-19 Vaccine and critical 5G infrastructure

Stockwood Strategy

Sophisticated social media campaigns sponsored by bad state actors are responsible for creating and spreading disinformation around the critical Covid-19 Vaccine and emerging infrastructure such as 5G technology for communications. Erly Stage Studios has today published Bug Bytes, the digital graphic novel, which sheds a light on the disruptive forces at work. This book is the second installment of the graphic novels that are a part of the Resilience Series commissioned by the US Cyber Infrastructure and Security Agency (CISA). Bug Bytes will inform and educate people on the dangers and risks associated with dis- and mis- information through fictional stories inspired by real-world events. In Bug Bytes, readers will meet the protagonist Ava Williams, a journalist and academic, patriot and member of Symous - a group fighting disinformation and foreign interference in elections as polling day approaches. Ava’s life gets tangled up in a web of lies as her father, a 5G technician gets hurt and she works to understand what a seemingly innocent poll online related to 5G technology has to do with the 5G Vaccine? Ava is surprised by the reaction of the anti-vaccination community at what is proven to be engineered data and has the unenviable task of making the case to the public at large for how they can be weary on data online with unproven provenance. Farid Haque, founder and CEO of Erly Stage Studios commented: “We’re delighted to have been commissioned by CISA to create a practical and engaging communication tool that highlights the existential threat of disinformation in the context of bad state actors. While the story is fictional many of the approaches shown are very much grounded in the reality of the technology we live with and are exposed to almost daily.” Bug Bytes provides a unique education for the reader about the world of social media and how digital resources can be hijacked to serve a more nefarious agenda. The ability for foreign bad state actors to weld this kind of influence on another nation is unprecedented as is their ability to twist and manipulate a narrative to use domestic groups to do their bidding. The work helps the reader understand the need to exercise care when it comes to consuming news and information via social media platforms and online sources of information. In the story, Ava Williams and a team of patriots are racing against the clock to shine a spotlight on the source of disinformation engineered to hurt critical communication infrastructure and damage the Vaccine roll-out efforts. Ava’s investigative journalism leads her through the metaverse to find allies and discovers through hard graft that foreign actors are tinkering with public data to maliciously mislead and influence perceptions of 5G as a communications technology and its fabricated link to vaccine effectiveness. “Bug Bytes is the culmination of the wealth of experience that Clint Watts brings in cyber warfare and disinformation and our studio’s creative direction and storytelling style. We spent months researching the real life incidents and then wrapped them into a fictional story” added Farid Haque. The graphic novel is being made available by CISA to the general public online as a free resource as the Covid19 vaccine roll out continues to have an impact across the United States and the world at large. The work is available for free for the public and media to read at the following URL: https://www.cisa.gov/cfi-resilience-series-graphic-novels. A first title in the series was released a few months earlier last year ahead of the US elections titled Real Fakes. Watch this space and log back into https://publishing.erlystagestudios.com/ to learn more. Contributing artists to Bug Bytes include: Jose Niño Galenzoga, Patricia Beja, Mona Shan and Joel Santiago. Lettering and layouts by Komal N. and Haroon M. Story by Clint Watts and Farid Haque, supported by the script writing team which includes Michael Gianfrancesco and Kabir Sabharwal. Edited by Tolly M. and Laila Khan. Special thanks to Randall Heather and Max Brooks. Erly Stage Studios is an indie publisher, headquartered out of London, United Kingdom, capturing iconic stories in serious graphic novels. We are an expert team of educators, storytellers, and artists working to create awareness about important topics using the graphic novel medium. The team loves shining a spotlight on stories that are yet to see the light of graphic novels. As an expert team of teachers, researchers and designers the team works with innovative organisations and policymakers around the world to deliver soft power through engaging and creative projects. Contact Details Erly Stage Studios Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://publishing.erlystagestudios.com/

May 06, 2021 05:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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NEST joins executives from Ross Stores, Ascena Retail Group, Boot Barn, and Lush to discuss “What’s Next” in Retail Operations on May 11-12

NEST

NEST, the leading integrated facilities management company, will host a two-day webinar series with national retail executives on Tuesday, May 11 and Wednesday, May 12. The three 1-hour segments will dive into the future of retail operations following the pandemic. Select attendees will be chosen to nominate charities that will receive monetary donations from NEST Nurtures. Attendees can sign up for the “What’s Next” webinar via NEST’s website. Schedule to include: Session 1 on Tuesday, May 11 at 2 p.m. ET – “How is Post Pandemic Operations Really Different from Business-as-Usual?” Featured speakers: Russell Arbuthnot, Retail Maintenance Coordinator, Lush Josh Witte, Director, Store Operations, Brand Maintenance and Repair, Ross Stores Moderated by Kara Cutino, Vice President, Store Development, Facilities Services, Asset Protection & Store Purchasing, Ascena Retail Group, Inc. Session 2 on Wednesday, May 12 at 11 a.m. ET – “You Heard It from the Experts.” Featured speakers: Stacy Brown, Vice President of Customer Success, SiteCompli CJ Jernigan, Chief Revenue Officer, BFC Solutions Rob Almond, CEO, NEST Moderated by Alana F. Dunoff, ProFM, FMP, IFMA Fellow, Consultant/Instructor, AFD Professional Services, LLC Adjunct Professor, Temple University Session 3 on Wednesday, May 12 at 1 p.m. ET – “Operational Success Goes to New Heights” Randy Rokosz, Boot Barn’s Director of Procurement Rob Almond, CEO, NEST Since the pandemic hit the U.S. and Canada, NEST has played an important role to keep retailers’ doors open and maintain consumer confidence. From implementing new janitorial procedures to decreasing facility management expenses through an integrated approach, NEST is developing industry-leading facility management strategies for more than 40 retail clients. NEST manages approximately 60,000 individual retail locations in North America. NEST is the pioneer of the Integrated Facilities Management (IFM) industry in the United States and Canada since 1994. NEST’s Integrated Facilities Management solution pairs financial acumen and business analytics with a strategic consultative approach. Real-time data, reporting, and analytics technology empower business leaders and facility management teams with the informed insights that enable them to make smarter decisions. To learn more about NEST, visit enterNEST.com or follow NEST on LinkedIn. Contact Details Eric PR & Marketing, LLC Eric Nemeth +1 602-502-2793 nemeth@ericpr.com Company Website https://www.enternest.com/

May 05, 2021 11:31 AM Eastern Daylight Time