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PathAI, a global leader in AI-powered pathology, today announced a strategic partnership with Google Cloud at Bio-IT World Conference & Expo to help biopharma companies and anatomic pathology (AP) labs accelerate the adoption of AI and digital pathology.

PathAI’s AISight (1) Intelligent Image Management System (IMS) is an AI-native IMS that seamlessly blends PathAI and third-party algorithms into a single laboratory workflow and image analysis platform, providing researchers and pathologists direct access to powerful biomarker quantification tools that have the potential to increase lab operational efficiency and aid in disease staging and scoring. PathAI will leverage Google Cloud’s infrastructure to bring AISight to more biopharma companies and AP labs worldwide, enabling faster deployments of novel AI models for a variety of clinical and research needs.

"Bio-IT World is where pioneers convene to address the industry's most significant challenges, including how to leverage massive scale data from biological and clinical studies to accelerate the discovery and development of transformative new therapies for patients. PathAI partners across the drug development paradigm, firstly with biopharma by enabling the development of new insights and diagnostics and supporting global clinical trials through PathAI’s AISight Clinical Trials platform, trial-ready algorithms, and Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) and Good Clinical Practice (GCP) compliant laboratory; and also with AP labs ensuring scaled access to algorithms through AISight," said Dr. Andy Beck, CEO and co-founder of PathAI. "Our partnership with Google Cloud helps us transform our capabilities to accelerate adoption of these powerful tools and ultimately reshape how disease is understood and treated.”

The partnership will involve the integration of PathAI’s AISight solution with Google Cloud's infrastructure and AI capabilities, providing:

Accelerated adoption of precision medicine solutions: Google Cloud's infrastructure enables rapid scaling of AISight's digital pathology IMS and algorithmic capabilities globally, aiding digital pathology laboratory operations and researchers in processing petabytes worth of data for large-scale biomarker discovery and clinical studies, ultimately bringing advancements to patients more quickly.

Customized solutions and tailored AI models: The latest Google Cloud AI tools within the AISight platform provide the ability to quickly develop customized solutions and deploy novel AI models tailored to specific research needs.

"We understand the urgent need within the biopharmaceutical industry for secure, scalable solutions in AI-driven drug discovery, laboratory operations, and biomarker quantification,” said Ryan Terry, managing director, Healthcare and Life Sciences, Google Cloud. "We're incredibly excited to partner with PathAI to create a new wave of solutions that leverage precision medicine to help solve the industry’s most significant challenges."

(1) AISight is For Research Use Only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures.

About PathAI

PathAI is dedicated to improving patient outcomes through its groundbreaking AI-powered pathology platform. Our solutions provide invaluable insights for biopharmaceutical companies, researchers, and laboratories, ultimately enabling precision pathology and the vision of more effective treatments. Learn more at www.pathai.com.

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Maggie Naples

+1 401-490-9700

pathai@svmpr.com

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Maggie Naples
pathai@svmpr.com

Kevel has become certified as a Most Loved Workplace® backed by the research and analysis of Best Practice Institute (BPI). Most Loved Workplace (MLW) validation provides the most comprehensive look at workplace sentiment for organizations today.

“Kevel’s driving philosophy regarding the management of our people is that, ‘we are all adults’. We lead with respect, positive intent and transparency, and we actively live our values as the backbone of our regular decision making at all levels of the company. We have continuous growth conversations with our employees and provide company financials openly in regular all-hands meetings to make sure we bring every single person along this journey with us. We collect employee feedback in engagement surveys and openly share the results. We get The regular feedback we get from our employees demonstrates how these practices foster an environment of mental stability, wellbeing and safety that allows us to thrive and grow, driving us towards success as a team.” —James Avery, Kevel CEO and Founder

Kevel has been certified as a Most Loved Workplace® because of its dedication to being a true people-first organization where vulnerability, authenticity and transparency are encouraged and valued. The Kevel team aims to build an environment where every employee feels respected, welcomed and heard. As a remote first organization, Kevel is focused on providing a highly communicative and collaborative environment that enables flexibility and autonomy for its employees. Kevel strives to promote from within and ensure that every employee has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

The Most Loved Workplace accreditation certifies companies where employees are the happiest and most satisfied at work. Kevel became certified as a Most Loved Workplace based on its scores on the Love of Workplace Index™, which surveyed employees on various elements around employee satisfaction and sentiment including the level of respect, collaboration, support, and sense of belonging they feel inside the company.

"I started Most Loved Workplaces out of inspiration from my community of people who consciously place love for their employees at the center of their business model," said Louis Carter, the founder, and CEO of BPI and a social/organizational psychologist, thought leader, entrepreneur, and author. Carter's book, "In Great Company: How to Spark Peak Performance by Creating an Emotionally Connected Workplace," identifies the specific areas needed to become a highly respected, reputable organization where people love to work with each other—a Most Loved Workplace.

Backed by BPI, in its original research that created MLW criteria, Most Loved Workplaces surveyed more than 175 companies and more than 3,000 executives across the United States, the Middle East/Northern Africa, and Southeast Asia. They found that productivity rises as employee sentiment increases, with 94 percent of responders saying they did three to four times more work for a company they loved and 95 percent saying they stayed at companies they loved three to four times longer. The Most Loved Workplace certification is the most valid method to determine employee experience and recognize a great workplace.

To view Kevel’s company certification, visit the certification page. To learn more about the Most Loved Workplace certification, visit ​​https://mostlovedworkplace.com/ and the Best Practice Institute, visit bestpracticeinstitute.org.

About Kevel

Kevel powers world-class retail media networks with the Retail Media Cloud™. With the combination of the Kevel Ad Server and Kevel Audience, multi-brand retailers, marketplaces, and ecommerce companies can launch limitless ad formats and unique targeting segments online and in-store, all with closed-loop attribution. Kevel believes that every digital retailer should have the capability to scale their own distinct ad platform, just like big tech players like Amazon. Customers like Edmunds, Klarna, Delivery Hero, Leroy Merlin, Slickdeals, and other leading retailers and marketplaces all launched their own retail media network with Kevel. The company has garnered numerous accolades, most recently earning recognition as one of the leading 100 innovative tech start-ups driving the future of brand-to-consumer in 2023 and awarded the MarTech Breakthrough Award for best overall ad tech company in 2022. Learn more at www.kevel.com.

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Jennifer Choo

+1 973-343-8819

jchoo@kevel.com

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Jennifer Choo
jchoo@kevel.com

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Soozie Eastman
media@unbridledeve.com

Bluepeak is accelerating its more than $100 million investment to expand its fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network to over ten new markets in Oklahoma and Texas starting this year.

“We’re thrilled to continue building out our fiber-to-the-home network, expanding into new communities and bringing cutting-edge technology and an incredible value proposition to more customers in Oklahoma, Texas and elsewhere,” said Bluepeak CEO Rich Fish.

The expansion means Bluepeak’s fiber network will soon be available to more than 100,000 new homes and businesses in new markets across Oklahoma and Texas. Denison, Texas, was the company’s most recent fiber expansion market announced in late 2023, and the new investment by Bluepeak will result in more than ten additional communities in the region benefiting from greater choice among their internet options starting in 2024 and 2025.

Since 2021, Bluepeak has been dramatically improving broadband options by bringing fast, reliable, affordable fiber internet to residents of Oklahoma, Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota and Texas. The latest network expansion investment is part of Bluepeak’s larger plans to invest more than $200 million to continue building out its network in its currently served markets, reaching more than 200,000 new locations with its fiber network in 2024 and 2025.

With Bluepeak service, customers get fiber-fast speeds, equal upload and download speeds and whole-home WiFi. Bluepeak service features all-in pricing, where the price on the website is the price on the bill, with a minimum service tier of 1 gigabit-per-second (Gbps). Homes can get up to 5 Gbps and businesses 10 Gbps and beyond. Each fiber internet speed package includes Wi-Fi powered by eero, along with the added value of eero Secure, which protects devices from online threats, ads and allows for customized content filtering. Bluepeak's fiber network provides reliable connectivity and the bandwidth to connect more devices for internet, streaming, gaming and more.

Ultimately, Bluepeak service increases broadband competition for internet consumers by providing a fast, reliable, affordable choice for internet in communities where options have traditionally been very limited.

• According to the Federal Trade Commission, competition “benefits consumers by keeping prices low and the quality and choice of goods and services high.”
• In addition, a 2020 report by Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond on “Bringing Broadband to Rural America” determined that broadband access and adoption is linked to increased job and population growth, higher rates of new business formation, higher home values, and lower unemployment rates.

Those interested in more information on Bluepeak service availability and details on the construction process can sign up for updates by entering their service address at mybluepeak.com.

About Bluepeak

Bluepeak is a new kind of internet provider bringing fast, reliable, affordable internet to places that have needed better options for too long. The company has roots serving Great Plains and Midwest communities going back more than 30 years. As the need for internet in the region has evolved so has Bluepeak, upgrading and expanding service to several markets in South Dakota, southwest Minnesota, Oklahoma, Wyoming and North Dakota with the newest cutting-edge technology. These expansion efforts include multi-million-dollar infrastructure projects, community involvement and growth through local hires. Bluepeak is earning the trust of customers and businesses through simple, affordable offerings, responsive, reliable customer service and transparent pricing. The company’s unique approach to delivering internet service has earned Bluepeak accolades for customer satisfaction, network performance, workplace culture and meaningful community partnerships. Visit www.mybluepeak.com to learn more.

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Jesse Granger

+1 720-703-4315

mediaqueries@mybluepeak.com

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Jesse Granger
mediaqueries@mybluepeak.com

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Maria Castellano
maria@bondstreetadvisors.com

CoverSelf, a unified platform for healthcare claims and payment integrity, is today announcing the appointment of Ashish Singh, Advisory Partner at Bain & Company, as Board Director. This development comes on the heels of the company’s recent close of a $8.2 million seed round.

Ashish is a well-known and deeply respected Bain & Company leader. He led Bain’s global Healthcare and Life Sciences (HLS) practice from 2012 to 2018 and served two terms on Bain’s global Board of Directors in the same time period. Ashish also founded Bain & Company’s India office and was at its helm as Managing Director (2005-2011) and Chairman (2011-2014). Over the years, he also co-founded Bain’s Enterprise Software, Media & Entertainment, Pharmaceutical and Payer practices.

Ashish Singh, Advisory Partner at Bain & Company, joins CoverSelf as a Board Director

Ashish’s expertise lies in corporate and BU strategies, market entry strategies, operational improvement, organisational effectiveness, M&A, healthcare IT, and large-scale corporate transformation programs.

“We are thrilled to welcome Ashish onboard as our Board Director. He is a veteran in this space and brings invaluable experience in formulating overall strategy and US GTM strategy, as well as in-depth knowledge of the US healthcare system and health plans. Not to mention, his broad network of relationships across the industry will benefit us in the long term,” said Rajasekhar Maddireddy, Co-founder of CoverSelf.

“We’ve been busy since our funding announcement. We are already live as the secondary editor in three health plans, with an expansion to another four over the next six months in the works. We are in full-scale implementation with a top 10 health plan, and executing a PoC with a Top 5 health plan. These are showing remarkable results, wherein the platform is processing 25 times more claims in the same time window than was done earlier. We will soon start initial moves into markets adjacent to the payment integrity (PI) space via collaboration with a focused set of partners to bring broader integrated solutions to our clients.”

CoverSelf was founded in 2021 by US healthcare domain experts Rajasekhar Maddireddy and Raghavendra Pawar to tackle the ever-increasing claims inaccuracies and waste. The company aims to democratize the healthcare claims and payment integrity industry by creating a first-of-its-kind, fully open and transparent solution that empowers payment integrity teams in health insurance companies (payers) to transparently resolve health claims with hospitals and medical practices (providers).

CoverSelf’s purpose-built platform utilizes multiple approaches, including the smart use of GenAI, to reduce waste while identifying new savings opportunities. The platform empowers payers to adapt to claims and payment inaccuracies by enabling them to configure their policies and logic in simple English-like language or use simple policy-specific templates, overcoming the fear of losing IP and fostering innovation and new concept releases without technical dependencies.

“According to recent reports, the $9 billion PI industry has grown at around 7% CAGR in recent years. This just shows the inherent complexity of the billing processes. The truth is, over the years, there has been a perceptible negative impact on providers' experience with payments, and trust in payers has taken a significant hit. This has resulted in ballooning waste and improper payments. Given this scenario, I’m glad to lend a helping hand to CoverSelf’s mission,” said Ashish Singh, Board Director of CoverSelf.

“I will work closely with the co-founders and top management to increase Coverself's visibility amongst healthcare payers and technology partners and also bring my expertise to assist them in corporate and market strategy. What we are doing in CoverSelf is not just building a product that is looking to solve a few pain points; we are on a once-in-a-lifetime mission to truly democratize healthcare claims and payment integrity and restore faith in the US’s healthcare ecosystem!”

About CoverSelf

CoverSelf is a generational leap forward in healthcare claims and Payment Integrity architecture, built from the ground up for healthcare-specific use by passionate domain experts and strong technology professionals with decades of experience in addressing the pain points faced by Providers and Payers when dealing with the latest technological advancements.

Founded in 2021, CoverSelf’s Payment Integrity Platform engages modern technologies to address payment leakage & claims inaccuracies while remaining transparent & accessible to Payers. The platform empowers payers to prevent and adapt to the ever-evolving claims & payment inaccuracies. We also help you reduce complexity and administrative costs with our unified healthcare dedicated platform.

Bilal Mahmood

+44 7714 007257

b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com

Media Contact

Bilal Mahmood
b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com

BIMQuote announced the appointment of Ken Trent as President where he’ll be providing cutting-edge technology solutions that help homebuilders save on material costs for new construction builds.

Ken has a background in construction administration with a proven track record of success in cost savings and process improvements. He combines that with over 10 years of experience in eCommerce and digital technology solutions for products and services.

Formerly the Chief of Growth at Builders Capital, the #1 Private Construction Lender Nationwide, Ken implemented strategic initiatives that enhanced the borrower experience by developing online portals where customers could have 24/7 access to their draws and loan details.

"Ken is results-driven with a strong focus on the customer experience," said Travis Dodge, BIMQuote Founder. "His vision and initiative will help private homebuilders gain greater awareness of this revolutionary software and drive home the value that BIMQuote delivers access to the same national buying power that production builders are accustomed to."

Ken commented on the transition, stating, "My background in construction has equipped me with a strong foundation in project management and a keen eye for detail. These skills, combined with my experience in digital technology solutions provide a unique perspective that I believe will be invaluable in the adoption of BIMQuote to homebuilders nationwide. I am thrilled to be part of this innovative team and look forward to contributing to the company's continued success."

BIMQuote is currently being offered to Builders Capital borrowers, who can utilize the software to order localized building materials at discounted prices. The cost savings are based on their national relationships with hundreds of material providers from wood framing to windows, to roofing and appliances and everything in between. The materials are organized by cost code provided in detailed quantity takeoffs based on the homebuilders' submitted plans.

To learn more about BIMQuote and its technology solutions visit BIMQuote.com

About BIMQuote and Customhome.ai

BIMQuote and customhome.ai offer innovative products available to homebuilders, enabling them to operate more competitively, efficiently, and profitably in their business. BIMQuote offers a full project management and procurement suite, with integrated accounting and automated contracting tools such as lien waivers. Customhome.ai allows for the customization of a 3D digital model of a home and immediately generates a material takeoff as well as site-specific residential designs. Learn more at: BIMquote.com and customhome.ai

Media Contact

Trisha Hudson

trisha.hudson@builderscapital.com

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Trisha Hudson
trisha.hudson@builderscapital.com

• More Patients are Facing Kidney Failure: Around 360 people start dialysis every 24 hours in the United States. Over 130,000 people reach kidney failure each year in the US alone, with the vast majority transitioning from hospitals to one of 7,638 dialysis centers across the country.
• Patient Fears of Self-Cannulation: Many patients express apprehension about self-cannulation, an essential step in home hemodialysis (HHD). A study of people on dialysis found that 47% said needle phobia kept them from doing self-care treatments.
• Low Uptake of Home Hemodialysis: Despite its benefits, less than 2% of patients are on home hemodialysis (HHD) today due to barriers including cannulation fears and lack of adequate training.
• Dialysis staffing challenges: Patient Care Technicians (PCTs) are a critical part of the dialysis care team and patient safety. Staffing challenges continue to put pressure on recruitment, training and retention of PCTs in the dialysis workforce. In a recent survey, only half of PCTs reported that they plan to be working as a dialysis PCT in 3 years. 
• Training Gaps in Home Modalities: A limited number of training sessions available for home dialysis modalities contributes to patient uncertainty and low retention. Home HD training represents a substantial investment in time for patients and providers. It takes around 30 hours of in-person training to train one home patient, which is constrained by staffing, scheduling, transportation and logistical needs.
• Patient Transition and Retention Challenges: Data indicate notable failure rates for patients transitioning to home hemodialysis, with a significant percentage discontinuing treatment within the first year. The percentage of patients on home HD at one year was substantially lower among patients who attended 10 or fewer sessions (31-35%) compared to those with 11 or more. The percentage on PD at one year was lowest for those who attended 1-3 sessions (48%).

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Chronic Kidney Disease in the United States, 2023.
2. U.S. Renal Data System, USRDS 2023 Annual Data Report
3. Plantinga LC, Bender AA, Urbanski M, et al. Patient Care Technician Staffing and Outcomes Among US Patients Receiving In-Center Hemodialysis. JAMA Netw Open. 2024;7(3):e241722. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.1722
4. Plantinga LC, Rickenbach F, et al. Professional Fulfillment, Burnout, and Turnover Intention Among US Dialysis Patient Care Technicians: A National Survey. AJKD Vol 82, Issue 1, 22 - 32.e1. 2023
5. Fitzpatrick T, Butt Q, Maddox T. Enhancing Home Dialysis Training and Retention through Interactive Virtual Reality. Nephrol Nurs J. 2023
6. Fresenius Medical Care North America, IKONA Health Receive Major Grant to Expand Virtual Reality Healthcare Education, Improve Access in Rural Mississippi (PR Newswire - January, 2023)

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IKONA Press
hello@ikona.health

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Cyrus Shaoul
cyrus@leela-ai.com

Comtex News Network, Inc. (Comtex), a leading provider of news aggregation and distribution services to top firms in financial services, news publishing, syndication, and analytics, proudly announces the launch of its innovative API platform, Omnia.

Omnia is a state-of-the-art API platform designed to revolutionize the way businesses access and utilize news content. Omnia empowers users with instant access to real-time streaming news, AI-generated article summaries, enhanced tagging and categorization based on NLP, advanced filtering, and access to an extensive catalog of curated news sources.

Key features of Omnia include:

• Real-time Streaming News: Omnia provides real-time streaming news via websockets push and REST API for seamless integration into existing systems.
• Enhanced Tagging and Categorization: Leveraging AI and proprietary NLP-based algorithms, Omnia offers enhanced tagging and categorization of content, including press releases, earnings releases, product categories, and more.
• AI-Generated Article Summaries: Omnia utilizes AI to generate concise and searchable article summaries, enabling users to quickly grasp an article before reading it.
• Advanced Filtering: Omnia's advanced filtering capabilities allow users to customize their news feeds based on specific criteria, ensuring they receive only the most relevant content.
• Access to an extensive collection of curated, high-quality sources used by top companies in financial services, analytics, research and a broad range of industries.

Omnia is designed for rapid integration and serves a variety of use cases, including training of LLMs, financial platforms, asset management, trading, academic research, legal research, market research, and much more.

Commenting on the launch, Comtex CEO Kan Devnani said, "We are pleased to bring a flexible, state-of-the-art news platform with access to curated, premium news sources to market. Omnia is an extendable platform, combining AI with our rich experience applying NLP to news content. This will allow clients to derive more intelligence and insights from the news content we offer and help clients curate and identify the content most relevant to them. Comtex will use Omnia to deliver evolving analytics and insight to its users."

Access to Omnia can be trialed by visiting https://www.comtex.com/api. Comtex encourages users to explore its features and capabilities.

To learn more about Omnia and request a demo, please contact sales@comtex.com or visit https://www.comtex.com/api.

About Comtex News Network

Comtex News Network, Inc. (Comtex) is a leading provider of news aggregation services to top firms in financial services, news publishing, syndication, and analytics. With a wealth of experience and expertise, Comtex delivers comprehensive news solutions that empower businesses to make informed decisions and stay ahead of the competition. Comtex also offers syndication services to content providers and platforms to generate traffic to online content.

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Media Relations

sales@comtex.com

Media Contact

Kan Devnani
kdevnani@comtex.com

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Lizzy Kolar
info@scope-zero.com

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Jared Lerner
jared@nappr.io

BridgeFT, a cloud-native, API-first wealth infrastructure software company that enables financial institutions, fintech innovators, and registered investment advisors (RIAs) to deliver better, data-driven outcomes for their clients, today announced that it has been selected as winner of the “Data Warehouse Solution Provider of the Year” award in the 5th annual Data Breakthrough Awards program conducted by Data Breakthrough, an independent market intelligence organization that recognizes the top companies, technologies and products in the global data technology market today.

BridgeFT’s WealthTech API is the industry’s first WealthTech-as-a-Service platform, offering an open API to AI and trade-ready multi-custodial data, advanced analytics, and application services. The WealthTech API eliminates the need for individual data feeds from a range of custodians and back-office providers, enabling wealth management firms and wealthtech application providers to create differentiated, next-generation wealth management applications.

“Large amounts of client and investment account data–whether from custodians, alternatives or held-away assets–is powering the wealth management industry, which is why we created the WealthTech API: to make it simpler for businesses to access these insights to further enable differentiation and accelerate growth,” said Joe Stensland, Chief Executive Officer of BridgeFT. “We are honored to receive this award from Data Breakthrough. As we continue to build out our services, this award serves as an important validation of our modern, API-first WealthTech-as-a-Service platform.”

The annual Data Breakthrough Awards is the premier awards program founded to recognize the data technology innovators, leaders and visionaries from around the world in a range of categories, including DataOps, Data Analytics, AI, Business Intelligence, Data Privacy, Data Storage and many more. The 5th annual Data Breakthrough Award program attracted thousands of nominations from across the globe.

“By offering access to complex and hard-to-get data through a modern technology infrastructure, BridgeFT allows superior data breadth and depth with value-add processing for high data quality. Providers rely on outdated legacy solutions for financial data aggregation. These processes are often riddled with inaccuracies and lengthy deployment without the relevant applications to deploy the financial data once received,” said Steve Johansson, Managing Director, Data Breakthrough. “Congratulations to BridgeFT; their WealthTech API and unique approach to data technology goes beyond data aggregation by integrating robust functionalities into its platform to make best use of the data.”

About BridgeFT

BridgeFT is a cloud-native, API-first wealth infrastructure software company that enables financial institutions, FinTech innovators, TAMPs, and registered investment advisors to deliver better, data-driven outcomes for their clients. Our WealthTech-as-a-Service platform, WealthTech API, makes wealth management technology better by accelerating, simplifying and reducing the cost of app development and maintenance, so our clients can focus on delivering next generation wealth management applications and unique digital experiences that amplify their differentiators. Leading financial services firms and technology companies trust BridgeFT to power their digital wealth management ecosystems and automate critical back-office operations--seamlessly aligning multi-custodial data aggregation, advanced analytics and reporting, and application services to deliver truly personalized client experiences. For more information, visit bridgeft.com.

About Data Breakthrough

Part of the Tech Breakthrough organization, a leading global provider of market intelligence and recognition platforms for technology innovation and leadership, the Data Breakthrough Awards program is devoted to honoring innovation and market disruption in data technologies, services, companies and products. The global Data Breakthrough Awards program provides a forum for public recognition around the achievements of data companies and solutions in categories including data analytics, management, infrastructure and hardware, storage, Business Intelligence and more. For more information visit DataBreakthroughAwards.com.

Tech Breakthrough LLC does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in our recognition programs, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with award designations. Tech Breakthrough LLC recognition consists of the opinions of the Tech Breakthrough LLC organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Tech Breakthrough LLC disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this recognition program, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

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media@bridgeft.com

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Media Inquiry
media@bridgeft.com

Trust & Will, the leading digital estate planning and settlement platform in the U.S., introduces significant enhancements to its Trust & Will for Advisors platform, serving over 11,000 financial advisors nationwide.

With a focus on simplifying estate planning and probate, Trust & Will for Advisors offers comprehensive solutions encompassing wills, trusts, and probate services. The latest features include:

• Estate Reports: Visualizations of clients' estate plans, providing advisors with automated insights into assets, succession, and planning opportunities.
• Estate Summary: Client-centric summaries detailing key estate decisions, ensuring advisors maintain visibility and adaptability as clients' circumstances evolve.
• Personalized Client Insights: Tailored insights derived from clients' estate decisions, facilitating proactive engagement and fostering lasting advisor-client relationships.
• Legacy Contact: Client-assigned read-only access for designated individuals to assist during the settlement process.
• New Dashboard Design: Introducing a sleek, user-friendly interface tailored exclusively for financial advisors.
• Dedicated Support Team: A committed support team providing seamless onboarding for financial professionals utilizing the platform.

"We're excited to expand our product offerings tailored for financial advisors, enhancing their ability to serve clients effectively," says Andres Mazabel, Head of Advisors at Trust & Will. "By incorporating direct feedback from our advisor network, we've reimagined the advisor experience from start to finish. These new features empower advisors with enhanced visibility into their clients' holistic financial landscapes, fostering enduring and impactful relationships."

Financial professionals can register for a free webinar on April 17, 2024, to learn more about Trust & Will for Advisors.

In conjunction with these enhancements, Trust & Will conducted a study to explore generational preferences in financial advisory services amid the impending Great Wealth Transfer. Key findings from Trust & Will’s 2024 Annual Study: “Planning Through the Pressure: The Millennial Approach to Estate Planning” include:

• More than half of Millennials and Gen Z (57%) express interest in working with financial advisors for estate planning, suggesting a generational shift towards professional guidance.
• A striking 28% of respondents, predominantly from Gen Z (48%), express a preference for using the same financial advisor as their parents or family members.
• Almost a quarter of respondents (23%) included hiring a financial advisor as part of their 2024 or 2025 financial goals.

For the complete study results, please visit http://trustandwill.com/study.

Since its inception in 2017, Trust & Will has facilitated estate planning for nearly 700,000 families, safeguarding sensitive financial information through bank-level encryption and SOC 2 Type II compliance. With a network exceeding 11,000 financial advisors, Trust & Will remains the largest estate planning platform tailored specifically for financial professionals in the U.S.

Study Methodology

For general population data, Trust & Will worked with OnePoll to survey a nationally representative sample of 1,000 Americans aged 18 and older from March 12-13, 2024.

About Trust & Will

Trust & Will is simplifying estate planning and settlement with attorney-approved, legally valid documents and processes designed to adhere to individual state guidelines. Since 2017, we've helped hundreds of thousands of Trust & Will members leave their legacy with an affordable way to create an estate plan or settle the estate of a loved one. Our platform uses bank-level encryption that protects customer data and complies with the highest security standards, including SOC 2 and HIPAA. Trust & Will is the official estate planning benefit provider for AARP members, along with several leading financial institutions, who all believe in our mission of helping every family leave their legacy. To learn more, visit trustandwill.com.

Trust & Will is an online service providing legal forms and information. Trust & Will is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice.

Media Contact

Danielle Nuzzo

631-807-7772

danielle@trustandwill.com

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Danielle Nuzzo
danielle@trustandwill.com

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Lynn Smith
lynn@lynnsmithtv.com

The Investments & Wealth Institute (“the Institute”), the leading membership organization and credentialing body for financial advisors and wealth management professionals, is pleased to announce updates to its renowned and accredited Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®) certification program. On August 1, 2024, changes to the learning requirements for the CIMA certification, the curriculum taught by the Investments & Wealth Institute and their elite educational partners, and revisions to the exam itself will go into full effect.

Changes to the CIMA certification are reflected in the Defining Wealth Management report, published by the Investments & Wealth Institute, to summarize the knowledge and professional capabilities required of wealth management professionals, teams, and firms.

CIMA certification teaches and tests advisors on creating, managing, and evaluating model portfolios, target-date funds, ETFs, and index funds. They learn to manage risk and return — including when and how to incorporate alternative investments into client portfolios — and how to build proper investment policy statements. CIMA certified professionals understand how to apply behavioral finance to address cognitive biases in client decision-making, and how capital markets and global macroeconomic trends affect portfolio design. In summary, they are equipped to prudently assemble, evaluate, and/or manage portfolios that meet client objectives and outcomes as fiduciaries.

A CIMA certified professional is an investment or wealth management professional, with at least three years of experience, who can integrate a complex body of investment knowledge, ethically contributing to prudent investment decisions by providing objective advice and guidance to individual and institutional investors. Fewer than 3% of advisory professionals have earned and maintained the certification. However, more than 15% of teams or practices with $500M or more in AUM have at least one CIMA certified professional serving on the team. (Cerulli Associates, 2023)

“Since 1988, the CIMA certification has served the industry’s most respected wealth management practices,” said Sean Walters, CAE®, Chief Executive Officer of the Institute. “The changes our volunteers are making in 2024 reflect the latest advancements in the practice of competent and ethical investment advice. These updates have been derived, as always, from a painstaking examination of the knowledge and skills needed by today’s most advanced financial and investment consulting professionals to ensure the CIMA certification remains on the leading edge of technical portfolio construction and risk management.”

The 2023 job task analysis study was performed in coordination with HUMRRO — a non-profit test development organization. The CIMA job analysis applied a scientifically administered survey which required 300 investment practitioners to rate a series of knowledge and skill statements using a variety of metrics by importance, time spent performing a task, level of ability required for tasks, and relevance of certain knowledge required to perform the job.

The CIMA Certification Commission adjusted the exam blueprint according to the findings of the survey. Registered Education Providers then updated their curricula to reflect the updated blueprint. With the newly updated curriculum having launched on April 1, 2024, the whole process will culminate on August 1, 2024, with the debut of the new exam.

Certified Investment Management Analyst practitioners are required to exhibit knowledge of 89 topics, organized within 20 sections and five knowledge domains. Approximately 20% of the revised exam and learning requirements have been updated. Notable highlights of these updates include:

• Alternative investments and private markets are increasing (from 2% to 5% of the examination)
• Portfolio Construction is increasing (from 5% to 8% of the exam)
• Risk and risk measurement calculations are decreasing (from 12% to 6% of the exam)
• Performance Measurement and risk attribution are decreasing (from 8% to 5% of the exam)
• Client discovery and investment policy are decreasing (from 8% to 6%)

Perhaps the most significant new section of content will be on investment implementation approaches (5% of the new exam). Many wealth management firms have outsourced investment management expertise to TAMPs, model portfolios, and AI/digital-allocators. However, research on clients of advisors has consistently reported that investment management is the most important technical competency that they expect from their advisor. CIMA certified practitioners must now demonstrate knowledge competencies related to investment implementation approaches — from applications of asset allocation methodologies to resolving concentrated positions in the existing portfolio. Advisors must evaluate questions of accumulation and distribution based on the realities of client time horizons, assets and liabilities, and desired objectives. Candidates must properly differentiate between applicable investment management models and help clients make appropriate selections to meet their goals.

“From an ethical standpoint, advisory professionals who don’t fully understand the portfolios they recommend to clients, or who don’t know how to effectively and prudently create, manage and adjust portfolios catered to client objectives, are doing their clients a disservice,” said James LaFleur, CIMA®, CPWA®, RMA®, CAIA, MSIT, chair of the CIMA Certification Commission, a volunteer committee of subject matter experts who established the revised requirements.

CIMA certification candidates must have three years, at minimum, of verified professional experience in financial services or a related industry at the time of certification. Candidates must successfully pass two background checks — at time of application and at time of certification. The CIMA curriculum is taught through Registered Executive Education partners, including programs offered by two of the world’s most elite business schools, the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and the Yale School of Management. The CIMA certification examination will be administered as a four-hour, 120-question multiple choice examination at an established testing center or via an approved online proctored exam provider. The examination currently has a 48% first time pass rate (two-year average).

About the Investments & Wealth Institute

Founded in 1985, the Investments & Wealth Institute is the premier professional association, education provider, and standards body for financial advisors. Through its award-winning events, publications, courses, and acclaimed certifications — Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®), Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®), and Retirement Management Advisor® (RMA®) — the Institute delivers Ivy league-quality, highly practical education to more than 20,000 practitioners annually in over 40 countries. Members of the Institute include the industry's most successful investment consultants, advanced financial planners, and private wealth managers who embrace excellence and ethics in applying a broad set of knowledge and skills in their daily work with clients.

Media Contact

Allison Edmondson

+1 303-850-3207

aedmondson@i-w.org

Media Contact

Allison Edmondson
aedmondson@i-w.org

Global professional services firm Alvarez & Marsal’s Consumer and Retail Group (A&M CRG) released its latest consumer report, Consumer Sentiment Survey Spring 2024, which examines the influence of inflation and resulting changes in consumer spending over the last year, as well as spending outlook for the upcoming six-month timeframe.

This is the sixth chapter of its bi-annual Consumer Sentiment Report, based on a survey of 1,800+ consumers matching the U.S. adult population according to gender, age, ethnicity, region and income. The report delves into shifting behaviors in response to personal finances and economic conditions. It includes insights into consumers' shopping priorities across categories, concerns about increasing prices, vacation plans, and other factors shaping purchase decisions for the upcoming spring season, among other relevant insights.

“Our semi-annual survey aims to analyze the influence of ongoing economic concerns on consumer spending patterns, channel preferences, and their overall confidence in financial stability over time. Retailers can utilize the data and insights from our report to develop financial plans, efficiently manage inventory, enhance marketing campaigns, and establish pricing strategies at a category level,” stated Chad Lusk, Managing Director at Alvarez & Marsal’s Consumer and Retail Group. “This survey cycle reveals a growing consumer pessimism as we head into the spring season, with intentions to exercise greater caution in spending especially in higher income households.”

The study found that:

• Consumer outlook for spring is weaker as consumers are anticipating spending less and having less money versus Fall ‘23
• Consumers are planning to reduce spending across the board but show the smallest decline in spending intentions for experiences compared to Fall ‘23, with a rising number of respondents planning vacations this year
• In higher income brackets, there's a notable trend towards prioritizing saving over spending. In the $200K+ income bracket, the percentage of respondents prioritizing saving surged by 12% compared to Fall '23. Across various spending categories, we consistently observed the most significant decreases in desire to spend in the higher income households
• Higher income households are turning to second-hand shopping to save money. The number of respondents earning $100K+ who shop second-hand to save costs increased by 10% this spring.

"Retailers must recognize the cautious consumer mindset and adjust strategic priorities accordingly to align with spending plans," Lusk advised. "Retailers, particularly ones servicing higher income consumers, should anticipate providing discounts and promotions across different categories as the season progresses, also while implementing flexible inventory strategies to minimize overall liabilities, given that those typically less affected by recession or inflation will be spending less.”

To download a pdf of Consumer Sentiment Survey Spring 2024, please visit: https://alvarezandmarsal-crg.com/insight/consumer-sentiment-survey-spring-24/

About Alvarez & Marsal Consumer and Retail Group (A&M CRG)

The Alvarez & Marsal Consumer and Retail Group (CRG) is a management consulting firm that tackles the most complex challenges and advances its clients, people, and communities towards their maximum potential. CRG combines the best of A&M’s broader firm's bias toward action and practicality with deep consumer and retail industry experience. CRG partners with businesses across a wide range of categories including Food & Beverage, Beauty & Personal Care, Grocery, Mass Merchandise, and Apparel & Footwear to drive significant performance improvement.

Media Contact

David Schneidman

dschneidman@alvarezandmarsal.com

Media Contact

David Schneidman
dschneidman@alvarezandmarsal.com

Activate, the pioneering live-action gaming venue and viral sensation on TikTok, is excited to announce the grand opening of its first North Carolina location in Charlotte, opening on May 3, 2024. The unique and dynamic venue promises an opportunity for guests to immerse themselves in the nationwide gaming phenomenon. Activate Charlotte is located at 1848 Galleria Blvd Suite 9B, Charlotte, NC, 28270, USA.

With 20 locations in North America's hottest cities, such as Houston, Plano, Chicago, Atlanta, and New Jersey, Activate Charlotte joins the family, promising an electrifying mix of games that will put your agility and wit to the ultimate test.

"Charlotte's vibrant culture is the perfect match for our physically immersive gaming adventures," said Bryce Anderson, Partner at Activate. "We can't wait to energize the city with our unique blend of tech and play. It’s a destination where every visit is a new challenge, every game a fresh conquest."

Activate Charlotte’s new state-of-the-art gaming facility welcomes all ages and skill levels, encouraging players to explore and create their own unique gaming experience. Here’s what to expect:

• Guests can sign up in groups of two to five players
• Through progress tracking via Activate’s high-tech electronic RFID wristbands, players can rack up points, level up, and earn prizes along the way.
• Top gaming rooms include the TikTok viral sensation Mega Grid with 500+ multi-activated rainbow-colored tiles, blasting the beaming bullseye in a game called Strike, and feeling like a modern-day spy in the Laser room.
• Try Level 1, easy, or take it to Level 10, extreme.
• Play as a team in cooperative mode, or challenge your friends in competitive mode games.

"Activate is about igniting that team spirit and passion for fun," added Anderson. "We're here to create epic stories, memorable laughs, and to cheer as our guests shatter records. We believe in fun that fuels the soul and games that push you to your playful limits!"

Additional Activate locations are set to open in 2024 across the U.S. in markets such as Kansas City, Columbus, and Detroit, along with internationally in the UK and UAE. Today, Activate operates in over 20 locations across Canada and the U.S.

Plan Your Visit

• Book in advance to save time and ensure a game room is available. Each game lasts 1-3 minutes. The full gaming experience lasts 75 minutes.
• Complete the safety waiver required for you to play in advance.
• Wear activewear and flat, closed-toe shoes.
• Age requirements: Children 10 and under require a paid adult with them at all times in gaming rooms. Children ages 11 to 13 must have an adult present at the facility.
• Where: 1848 Galleria Blvd, Suite 9B, Charlotte, NC 28270
• When: Sun-Thu: 9:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m., Fri-Sat: 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.

For a sneak peek into Activate’s action-packed gaming experience, and to keep tabs on the Activate Charlotte grand opening, visit https://playactivate.com/charlotte.

Join the Inner Circle to be the first to hear about new locations, behind-the-scenes information, deals, and more. As a thank you for signing up, Activate will extend 50% off your first booking, valid until June 3rd, 2024.

Please find imagery assets here.

To keep tabs on the grand opening, visit https://playactivate.com.

About Activate

Founded in 2019, Activate is a state-of-the-art gaming facility with locations across the United States and Canada. Each Activate location offers a variety of unique gaming rooms with over 700 levels for players to compete, earn stars, and track achievements online. Activate combines physical activity and gaming to create an immersive experience as part of a healthy lifestyle. To learn more about Activate, please visit https://playactivate.com. Follow Activate on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/activategames and Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/activategames/.

Media Contact

Jalila Singerff

+1 613-614-6777

jalila@jiveprdigital.com

Media Contact

Jalila Singerff
jalila@jiveprdigital.com

• Dr. Evgeni Drynkin, who joins as an Engagement Manager from Cornerstone Research. Dr. Drynkin received his PhD in Economics from Stanford University.
• Dr. Omar Farooque, who joins as a Principal Economist from Spotify, where he was a Senior Research Economist. He received his PhD in Economics from Northwestern University.
• Dr. Ashish Rajbhandari, who joins as a Principal Economist. Dr. Rajbhandari was previously a Senior Economist at Amazon and received his PhD in Economics from UC Irvine.
• Dr. Stefan Weiergraeber, who joins as a Senior Economist. Dr. Weiergraeber was previously a faculty member at Indiana University Bloomington, and received his PhD from University of Mannheim.
• Dr. Jingchen Wu, who joins as a Senior Principal Scientist from Flexport, where he was a Senior Manager in Applied Science. Dr. Wu received his PhD in Applied and Interdisciplinary Mathematics from the University of Michigan.
• Dr. Adler Xie, who joins as a Senior Principal. Dr. Xie was a Senior Data Science Manager at Twitter, and received her PhD in Economics from the University of Illinois-Champaign.

• Ms. Iqra Imtiaz, Data Engineer, joins from Wavely Diagnostics where she was a software engineer. Imtiaz earned her Masters of Engineering in AI for Product Innovation from Duke University.
• Dr. Muntasir Rahmn, who joins as a Principal Engineer from Microsoft’s Business Copilot Applied AI group, where he was a principal Machine Learning engineer. Dr. Rahmn received his PhD in Computer Science from the University of Illionois at Urbana-Champaign.
• Mr. George Vorobiov, Senior Principal Engineer, who joins from Amazon where he was a Principal Engineer. Vorobiov received his MSc, Computer Science from Southern State University. 

Media Contact

Rob Chedid
rchedid@keystone.ai

The Investments & Wealth Institute (the Institute)—the premier professional association, education provider, and standards body for financial advisors—has announced its partnership with CEG Worldwide, an elite financial advisor coaching, research, and consulting firm, at the Institute’s flagship annual conference, Experience 2024, in Las Vegas.

CEG Insights—CEG Worldwide’s research arm dedicated to providing knowledge of the concerns and expectations of high-net-worth (HNW) families and the best practices of the industry’s top financial advisors—will collaborate with the Institute to create several types of research deliverables to enterprise, team, and individual stakeholders who serve or aspire to serve HNW clients.

“At the Investments & Wealth Institute, our mission is to deliver premier investment and wealth management education to help financial advisors better serve their clients,” said Sean R. Walters, CAE®, Chief Executive Officer for the Institute. “Our 2023 Institute member-needs survey indicated that nearly 70 percent of our members already find Investments & Wealth Research—a component of the Institute’s Investments & Wealth Monitor publication—to be a valuable member benefit. We expect this partnership with CEG Worldwide to further enhance our research offering as CEG has an unparalleled understanding of how elite advisors who operate in the HNW space can further elevate their practices to be successful and provide even more successful outcomes for clients.”

“Our collaboration with the Investments & Wealth Institute is a game-changer for financial advisors who serve high-net-worth clients,” said John Bowen, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of CEG Worldwide. “By combining the Institute's deep industry knowledge with CEG's expertise in understanding the needs and expectations of wealthy families, we will create powerful resources that enable advisors to elevate their practices and deliver unparalleled value.”

The research partnership in its first year includes:

Custom & Semi-Custom Research Reports for Corporate Clients—The Institute and CEG Insights will jointly develop and deliver co-branded, custom research to interested Institute enterprise (firm-level) clients who seek help in solving the needs that their advisor teams have to be able to improve and grow their businesses and better serve HNW clients. The topic of these research projects will be driven by the enterprise client and based on a negotiated fee agreed upon by the Institute, CEG Insights, and the enterprise client involved.

Wealth Management Mastery Series—CEG Insights already offers a subscription service to its stakeholders via the Wealth Management Mastery Series, a highly regarded research series that provides a wide range of knowledge and strategies for successfully serving HNW clients. The Institute will help promote a curated version of the Mastery Series to its enterprise clients who represent potential prospects for CEG in an effort to further expand awareness and adoption.

Investments & Wealth Research Series—Since 2008, the Investments & Wealth Monitor has provided IWI members with a quarterly research publication called Investments & Wealth Research. This informative series delivers practice-oriented topics designed to help members better serve their clients and distinguish their expertise in a global, and highly competitive marketplace. CEG Insights will work with IWI editorial staff to develop and deliver new research findings as part of this series.

The May/June Investments & Wealth Monitor will feature an article by CEG's Bowen on bridging the wealth management divide. The article will reveal substantial gaps between the services advisors report providing and what clients perceive they receive. At Experience, Bowen will present CEG Insights' latest findings, suggesting that now is an ideal time to work with affluent entrepreneurs: 20% of those surveyed, with an average of $15.6 million in assets, will likely change advisors within two years.

About Investments & Wealth Institute

Founded in 1985, the Investments & Wealth Institute is the premier professional association, education provider, and standards body for financial advisors. Through its award-winning events, publications, courses, and acclaimed certifications—Certified Investment Management Analyst® (CIMA®), Certified Private Wealth Advisor® (CPWA®), and Retirement Management Advisor® (RMA®) certifications—the Institute delivers Ivy league-quality, highly-practical education to more than 30,000 practitioners annually in over 40 countries. Members of the Institute include the industry's most successful investment consultants, advanced financial planners, and private wealth managers who embrace excellence and ethics in applying a broad set of knowledge and skills in their daily work with clients. Learn more at www.investmentsandwealth.org.

About CEG Worldwide & CEG Insights

CEG Worldwide and CEG Insights are recognized providers of research, coaching, and consulting services for financial advisors and the wealth management industry. Specializing in serving high-net-worth clients, CEG Worldwide offers business development strategies, coaching, and training to help advisors grow their practices and build successful businesses. CEG Insights, the research arm of CEG Worldwide, researches the needs and expectations of wealthy families and the best practices of top advisors. Together, CEG Worldwide and CEG Insights support advisors in achieving success, delivering excellent client experiences, and navigating the evolving industry landscape. Learn more at www.cegworldwide.com and www.ceginsights.com.

Media Contact

Allison Edmondson

+1 303-850-3207

aedmondson@i-w.org

Media Contact

Allison Edmondson
aedmondson@i-w.org