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Fuse Integration, an innovative federal defense communications, networking and computing solutions provider, today announced it conducted a successful live-flight demonstration of its Tactical Edge Networking capability in support of the U.S. Marine Corps' I Marine Expeditionary Force and the U.S. Navy's Third Fleet. The joint multi-domain exercise enabled the interconnecting of multiple distributed nodes and command posts replicating expeditionary advanced base operations.

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Throughout the day-long exercise at Camp Pendleton in California, Fuse provided networked text, voice communications and live video across the distributed network to the I MEF and Third Fleet. The company demonstrated resilient, multi-domain networking in a notional, SATCOM-denied environment; low probability of intercept/low probability of detection discovery for Bandwidth Efficient Common Data Link over out-of-band control planes; directional mesh networking; and multi-link crossbanding.

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In support of the exercise, Fuse utilized three of its key products: Tactical Technologies Toolset, a remote network monitoring and management solution for multi-domain operations; CORE®, a flexible and small, weight and power networking solution that connects aircraft, ground vehicles and ships with ground operations across secure and unclassified networks; and the DARE Airborne Networking Gateway, which extends network connectivity for airborne and ground-based warfighters in a wing-mounted pod airframe.

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"Our nation's warfighters require reliable, secured communications across multiple domains to outpace the adversary's decision-making," said Sumner Lee, CEO of Fuse. "Our team has developed the capability to enhance shared awareness between distributed, expeditionary nodes and accelerate the sensor-shooter cycle. We're grateful for the opportunity to support our Navy-Marine Corps team and look forward to supporting future joint exercises with our proven technologies."

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The Fuse TEN architecture is designed to enable joint all-domain command and control, facilitating rapid prototyping with joint networks and "speed to fleet" deployment across multi-domain – air, ground, maritime – platforms.

Primrose Schools was named the winner of two StevieAwards - the Gold Stevie Award for Company of the Year in the Consumer services - Large category and the Bronze Stevie Award for Marketing Campaign of the Year in the Education and Training category - in the 20th Annual American Business Awards.

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Primrose Schools received top recognition as Company of the Year for its rapid growth and consistent leadership in early education and care throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Amid the high demand for childcare, in 2021 the company awarded 27 franchise agreements, opened 22 schools and experienced a 340% increase in potential franchise owner inquiries compared to 2020. In 2021, Primrose schools donated a combined $350,000, 35,000 books and 150,000 canned food items to nonprofits across the country.

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"The pandemic brought the childcare crisis in our country in sharp focus," said Jo Kirchner, CEO of Primrose Schools. "This recognition is a testament to the dedication of our Support Center team and the franchise owners and staff in nearly 475 schools across the country that are working to serve more children and provide increased accessibility to high-quality education and care for all families."

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Primrose Schools won the Bronze Marketing Campaign of the Year for its high-achieving Recruitment Marketing campaign designed to encourage passionate educators to return to early care and education positions and bring relief from talent shortages and long waitlists across the country. The campaign generated a 192% increase in school hiring.

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"This marketing campaign helped us achieve our vision to deliver the best and most trusted early education and care for children and families across America during an extremely challenging time in the industry," said Tim Roush, Chief Marketing Officer of Primrose Schools. "We're honored to be recognized for our efforts to help open the door for more children to experience high-quality early education."

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More than 230 professionals worldwide participated in the judging process to select this year's Stevie Award winners. The American Business Awards are the U.S.A.'s premier business awards program. All organizations operating in the U.S.A. are eligible to submit nominations – public and private, for-profit and nonprofit, large and small.

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More than 3,700 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were submitted this year for consideration in a wide range of categories, including Startup of the Year, Executive of the Year, Best New Product or Service of the Year, Marketing Campaign of the Year, Thought Leader of the Year, and App of the Year, among others.

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Leaders from Primrose Schools accepted the awards at the Marriott Marquis Hotel on Monday, June 13, in New York City. Details about The American Business Awards and the list of 2022 Stevie winners are available at www.StevieAwards.com/ABA.

Brightspeed today outlined its planned fiber network build for the state of Alabama. By the end of 2023, Brightspeed will finish the first phase of construction and deliver over 60,000 new fiber passings across several counties in the state. In subsequent years of its network initiative, the company plans to add another 60,000 fiber passings for a total of up to 120,000 new fiber-enabled locations in its Alabama footprint.

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Alabama is one of the 20 states forming Brightspeed's operating territory, covering mainly rural and suburban regions of the country. The company will initially be comprised of the incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC) assets and associated operations of Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN), which are the subject of a pending acquisition by Apollo-managed funds (NYSE: APO). The parties expect to obtain regulatory approvals in the third quarter of this year, and to close the transaction in early fourth quarter.

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Brightspeed will invest at least $2 billion in its fiber optics transformation, which is expected to reach up to 3 million homes and businesses over the next five years, including in many locations where fiber and advanced technology have not historically been deployed.

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"We are thrilled to announce our fiber network plans for Alabama," said Sherry Hessenthaler, Operations Strategy Lead for Brightspeed. "At a time when high-quality internet access has never been more important to today's families and businesses, we will be ready to hit the ground running with our deployment. It is a privilege to be able to share in Alabama's growth and development by doing our part to help bridge the digital divide."

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Brightspeed plans to bring faster, more reliable Internet and Wi-Fi initially to over 60,000 residential and commercial locations over the next 18 months in markets within Baldwin, Covington, Dale, Elmore, Fayette, Geneva, Henry, Pickens, and Tallapoosa counties. These new locations will augment the more than 10,000 existing fiber passings Brightspeed will assume upon the close of the transaction between the Apollo funds and Lumen.

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"In addition to our own network investment in Alabama, we are equally inspired by the opportunity to partner with the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) to pursue a possible extension of the build and bring fiber-based internet to even more customers in the state," Hessenthaler added.

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"Ensuring Alabamians in every community – big and small – have the ability to have high-speed connectivity is simply a necessity these days. Over the past few years, we have made increasing our broadband infrastructure across the state a priority, and we are making great progress thanks to partners like Brightspeed," said Alabama Governor Kay Ivey. "In this first phase of constructing its planned fiber network, Brightspeed will make connectivity a whole lot better and a whole lot quicker for over 60,000 Alabamians. This is another tremendous step in the right direction."

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Brightspeed previously announced that it is working with a select team of technology innovators and partners to deploy an FTTP architecture engineered for faster deployment and market availability. The company's XGSPON-based network will enable downstream and upstream internet speeds that exceed 1Gbps.

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Information regarding Brightspeed's other state-specific network build plans will be forthcoming.

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For more information about Brightspeed, visit the company's website, www.brightspeed.com.

DartPoints, the leading edge digital infrastructure provider, announces the appointment of Jackie Steinberg as Channel Chief, a new role for the company. Steinberg will lead DartPoints' expanding channel program, develop and nurture relationships with the channel community, and ultimately scale and streamline DartPoints' channel sales function. Formerly Regional Partner Development Manager for AT&T, Steinberg was responsible for expanding AT&T Business and ACC Business Services through Technology Services Distributors and their partners.

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"Jackie brings a unique blend of leadership, passion, and industry experience to the team, and we look forward to seeing how our channel partner program will flourish with her at the helm," said Monty Blight, VP of Sales for DartPoints. "Whether delivering our hybrid cloud and colocation services or next generation edge services, the channel will greatly benefit from Jackie's expertise and sales prowess."

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Steinberg has 13 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, building and sustaining high-performance sales teams, and establishing and maintaining relationships with key clients and strategic partners. Steinberg was responsible for the re-launch of AT&T's Colocation Ecosystem across all TSDs and their Partners, as well as launching and successfully making the first ever sale within the ACC Business portfolio. As Regional Channel Director of Nitel, prior to her role at AT&T, she consecutively ranked as the company's Top Channel Manager and President's Club Winner for multiple years. Steinberg has a Bachelor's degree in Arts and Sciences, majoring in Spanish Language Arts, from Illinois State University.

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"Given my background in growing industry channel programs, with a particular passion for solving customers' technology issues, DartPoints is an exciting next step," Steinberg said. "I'm thrilled to show the incredible value of DartPoints' infrastructure and cloud solutions to the channel community that I'm so passionate about."

Crawford & Company® (NYSE: CRD-A and CRD-B), the world’s largest publicly listed independent provider of claims management and outsourcing solutions to carriers, brokers and corporations, announces the appointment of Nidhi Verma to chief people and environmental, social and governance (ESG) officer. In her new role, effective July 1, 2022, Verma will work with company leaders to direct meaningful changes to the organization’s people agenda and employee experience, including culture transformation, employee value proposition, talent management, leadership development and total rewards. She will also be responsible for spearheading Crawford’s ESG initiatives, including the organization’s focus and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

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Over the course of her eight-year tenure at Crawford, Verma has developed a proven track record of success in a wide spectrum of people and organizational effectiveness areas including people strategy, executive coaching, mentoring, high-performance workforce, employee engagement and culture revitalization. Moreover, her extensive experience in the talent space, coupled with a passion for creating inclusive work cultures, has enabled her to design and deploy global talent programs with an intentional DEI focus. She has worked in multiple geographies globally such as the United States, United Kingdom and Asia which has strengthened her cross-cultural astuteness.

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Crawford Chief Executive Officer, Rohit Verma commented, “Nidhi’s deep expertise in talent, culture, people strategy and DEI makes her the right choice for Crawford as we reimagine the Crawford experience. Her ability to drive global change, along with her passion for creating meaningful and inclusive employee experiences, will be an asset in our journey to push cultural transformation efforts.”

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Nidhi Verma added, “It’s a privilege to take on this role as we enter a new phase of growth at Crawford. With disruption in the industry and volatility in the job market, my focus and energy will be in partnering with our leaders, employees, the human resources team and clients to create extraordinary employee experiences and foster an inclusive, safe, well-being-centric culture.”

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Verma has published several articles in leading business/HR/talent journals and co-edited a book, "Workforce Wake-up Call: Your Workforce is Changing, Are You?”. Her recent recognitions include the “2020 Elite Women in Insurance,” as well as the “Hot 100 2021,” both by Insurance Business America. Prior to joining Crawford, Nidhi worked both as a consultant for Fortune 500 companies, as well as an internal talent practitioner with organizations like Arthur Andersen, Hewitt Associates (now Aon Hewitt) and LexisNexis. Nidhi has two master’s degrees: a Master of Human Resource Management from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai and a Master of Adult Learning & Leadership from Columbia University, New York.

Xplor Technologies, a global platform integrating software, payments, and Commerce Accelerating Technologies for "everyday life" businesses, today announces the launch of TrueCoach Partner Perks. The new program from Xplor's market-leading coaching software, TrueCoach, offers exclusive access to discounted certifications, products, tools and services – enabling monthly and annual subscribers in the U.S. to deliver more tailored support to clients, and reduce their operating costs.

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For coaches, the "glue-it-together" approach of sorting through spreadsheets, emails, videos and text messages to deliver tailored fitness programming is now in the past. TrueCoach eliminates the time-intensive tasks that pull coaches and trainers away from their clients, opening the door for fitness professionals to provide more personalized coaching experiences while growing their business at scale.

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Whether an individual coaches remotely, in person, or a hybrid of the two, the new TrueCoach Partner Perks program guarantees a coaching kit is always nearby. TrueCoach Partner Perks is designed to provide cost effective access to business tools, from the best partners in the industry – whether new strength bands, dumbbells, or a refresher nutrition course.

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"For trainers, TrueCoach is an integral part of running a successful business. Our new Partner Perks is another way we're helping our customers save money while they deliver quality programming and real-time engagement," said Michelle Furniss, General Manager, TrueCoach, Fitness & Wellbeing at Xplor Technologies. "We strive to give our coaches the most value possible so they can run their business efficiently and focus on passion over paperwork."

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TrueCoach Partner Perks launches with six trusted fitness brands: Precision Nutrition, Airrosti, InsideTracker, TRX® Training, ISSA (International Sports Sciences Association), and TruGrit Fitness. As more partners are added the program will cater for everything a fitness professional needs to run their business. Through Partner Perks, discounts are offered on training certifications, physical products, supplements, healthcare, insurance, continuing education and more – designed to help coaches reduce operating costs, while meeting the nuanced needs of their clients.

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"Since 2009, InsideTracker has been a trusted partner to some of the world's most successful coaches and trainers, helping optimize client results with science-backed nutrition and training recommendations based on blood, DNA and fitness tracker data," said Royi Metser, director of business development, InsideTracker. "We're excited to join TrueCoach Partner Perks, to offer trainers preferred access to our precision platform, and help them grow new revenue streams."

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With this launch, Xplor Technologies offers another means for fitness and wellbeing professionals to expand their business at scale, in addition to the holistic operating software and embedded payment processing services already available.

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"ISSA is extremely excited to be the first fitness certification partner to be included in TrueCoach's Partner Perks program. We are looking forward to helping TrueCoach's 20,000+ coaches strengthen their community through ISSA's specialized education," said Andrew Wyant, president and CEO of ISSA.

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TrueCoach Partner Perks are available now to all monthly and annual U.S. subscribers.

Susan G. Komen®, the world's leading breast cancer organization, is awarding $21.7 million to fund 48 new research projects at 26 distinguished academic medical institutions in the U.S. that are focused on improving patient outcomes – particularly for people with the most aggressive breast cancers, or who have experienced a recurrence or metastasis. With this investment, Komen is now supporting more than 152 active research projects representing more than $115 million in funding.

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"The investment we are announcing today in a broad portfolio of cutting-edge research will help advance breast cancer care and improve outcomes for all people diagnosed with breast cancer, including underserved populations and those with few treatment options," said Victoria Wolodzko Smart, SVP of Mission at Susan G. Komen. "With this investment, we're supporting some of the top breast cancer researchers who share our mission and giving everyone impacted by breast cancer hope, as we move closer to the cures for breast cancers."

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Of the total $21.7 million awarded today:

• 79 percent supports research focused on the most aggressive breast cancers, metastasis and recurrence;
• 33 percent supports clinical trials;
• 20 percent supports research focused on eliminating breast cancer disparities;

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"We still have much to learn about aggressive breast cancers and breast cancers that recur and metastasize. This critical research investment from Susan G. Komen will help us unravel the biology of breast cancers to better understand how to prevent breast cancer recurrence and metastasis, and develop more treatment options, including new treatments for people living with metastatic breast cancer," said Jennifer Pietenpol, Ph.D., Susan G. Komen Chief Scientific Advisor.

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Pietenpol also serves as the Benjamin F. Byrd, Jr. Professor of Oncology, Chief Scientific and Strategy Officer and Executive Vice President for Research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

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Komen research grants are being awarded to the following study investigators at 26 preeminent U.S. institutions:

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Julie Palmer, Sc.D., M.P.H., Boston University

Jennifer Ligibel, M.D., FASCO, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Nancy Lin, M.D., Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Kornelia Polyak, M.D., Ph.D., Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Sara Tolaney, M.D., M.P.H., Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Nikhil Wagle, M.D., Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Sunil Badve, M.D., FRCPath, Emory University School of Medicine

Maria Sosa, Ph.D., Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Tarah Ballinger, M.D., Indiana University

Pedram Razavi, M.D., Ph.D., Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Jorge Reis-Filho, M.D., Ph.D., FRCPath, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Sohrab Shah, Ph.D., Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center

Lisa Coussens, Ph.D., Oregon Health & Science University

Yibin Kang, Ph.D., Princeton University

Hai Wang, Ph.D., Roswell Park Cancer Institute

Christina Curtis, Ph.D., M.S., Stanford University School of Medicine

Melinda Telli, M.D., Stanford University School of Medicine

Allison Kurian, M.D., M.Sc., Stanford University School of Medicine

Haruka Itakura, M.D., Ph.D., Stanford University School of Medicine

Daniel Hollern, Ph.D., The Salk Institute for Biological Studies

Reshma Jagsi, M.D., D.Phil., University of Michigan

Melissa Troester, Ph.D., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Angela DeMichele, M.D., M.S.C.E., University of Pennsylvania

Adrian Lee, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh

Steffi Oesterreich, Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh

Alana Welm, Ph.D., University of Utah Huntsman Cancer Institute

Amelie Ramirez, Dr.P.H., M.P.H., UT Health San Antonio

Mariana Chavez MacGregor, M.D., M.Sc., FASCO, UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Sharon Giordano, M.D., M.P.H., FASCO, UT M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Srinivas Malladi, Ph.D., UT Southwestern Medical Center

Tuya Pal, M.D., Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Ben Ho Park, M.D., Ph.D., Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Jennifer Pietenpol, Ph.D., Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Sonya Reid, M.D., Ph.D., Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Cynthia Ma, M.D., Ph.D., Washington University

Rulla Tamini, Sc.D., Weill Cornell College of Cornell University

Mariya Rozenblit, M.D., Yale University

Lajos Pusztai, M.D., D.Phil., Yale University

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Komen has invested more than $1 billion in breast cancer research in the 40 years since its founding, more than any other non-profit, and second only to the U.S. government.

DimeTyd, the advanced logic-based online engine that offers seamless recuperation of profit leakage based on accounting errors, is being promoted by Positec to its clients and vendors as a tool to recoup lost revenue and resolve missed deductions and overbillings. Positec is a leading e-commerce global company offering research and development, manufacturing, and marketing for power tools with offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Benelux, and Brazil, with headquarters in Suzhou, China

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"Positec has a global reach in around 50 countries and regions; we implement a multi-level, multi-brand strategy, all conducted through e-commerce and online business. In 2021 Positec recorded almost $100 million in sales on the Amazon Marketplace," said Christine Vaccarino, PositecUSA Director of Operations. "DimeTyd helped us streamline operations with Amazon; an analysis found lost profits and missed deductions we were able to recoup and add to our bottom line. We strongly recommend that any business with an e-commerce presence visit DimeTyd and benefit from their unique understanding of the Amazon marketplace to help save money, time, and recoup lost profits."

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DimeTyd's platform conducts an audit of lost revenues dating back to five years and processes millions of data points to recoup funds seamlessly. Once audited and reconciled, DimeTyd makes course corrections on recurring issues, enabling vendors to maximize future profitability in the marketplace.

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"The DimeTyd solution empowers vendors to take control of their e-commerce business, unlocking hidden profitability and automating Amazon's complex vendor accounting platform," said Rohan Thambrahalli, DimeTyd founder and CEO. "We are excited a company such as Positec recommends our platform to its clients and vendors."

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Founded by e-commerce veterans, DimeTyd's technology is the first automated solution designed for Amazon vendors to accurately process volumes of complex data produced within ongoing transactions and resolve costly overbilling and deductions. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, DimeTyd's vision is to empower fair, accountable, and transparent accounting for the e-commerce world.

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For more information, visit www.DimeTyd.com.

Groundfloor, the wealthtech platform that allows everyone to build wealth through real estate, is announcing the launch of a new Spanish-language program specifically for Spanish-speaking real estate entrepreneurs who are looking for financing on residential fix and flip or new construction projects. Through this program, Groundfloor has launched a dedicated experience for Spanish-speaking entrepreneurs that provides information on our lending products in their native language and connects interested borrowers to a dedicated Business Development Manager who is fluent in Spanish. Further plans for the program include a Spanish-language application portal and the translation of all relevant loan documents and informational materials into Spanish.

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"Diversity is one of our core values at Groundfloor, and we've always attracted real estate investors from a wide range of backgrounds and ethnicities," said Jeff Seal, Director of Originations for Groundfloor. "Recently we've seen increasing interest from Spanish-speaking real estate entrepreneurs, a group that has been typically underserved by traditional financial organizations. We know that the loan application process can be intimidating, especially when going through it in a non-native language. True to our mission, we want Groundfloor to be the place that makes it easy for everyone to build wealth through real estate."

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Since its launch in 2013, Groundfloor has loaned more than $710 million in capital to independent real estate entrepreneurs, who are working to improve their communities while building their own wealth. Some of the other advantages to lending from Groundfloor include:

• Loan sizes from $75k to $1.5m
• Special pricing and leverage options for general contractors and builders
• True deferred payments – no payments until loan repays
• Ability to maximize cash flow by rolling all points and fees into closing
• Up to 100% Loan-to-Cost
• Up to 75% Loan-to-After repair value
• No liquidity requirements or interest reserves

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Spanish-speaking real estate entrepreneurs who would like more information or are interested in submitting an application can visit https://borrowers.groundfloor.us/espanol to start the process.

The intricate world of smart homes is now more accessible than ever with the launch of InterOperate Smart Home, a home automation company located in Charlotte, N.C.

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InterOperate Smart Home is a division of the workflow automation and system integration company, InterOperate, which has been an industry leader in making complex technological solutions work together to allow teams and businesses to thrive. Now, they are taking their expertise to the next level.

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"We believe smart home capabilities should be affordable and available to all," said Michael Blakely, InterOperate CEO. "The newest technology should not have to be limited to those with extensive experience in home automation. That's what we're here for."

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InterOperate Smart Home prides itself on taking the guesswork out of home automation by providing the consulting, installation and maintenance that comes with creating a seamless smart home ecosystem.

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Blakely said selecting the right connected devices is just as important as making them work well together, that is why InterOperate Smart Home is brand agnostic. It works with all systems and devices to create a customized design that works best for its clients.

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"We pride ourselves on being a full-service offering that includes everything in your home, like door locks, window shades, thermostats, garage doors and even coffee machines that automatically brew a fresh cup when you wake up in the morning," said Blakely. "We also expand beyond these common items and build automations that are personalized to our clients' needs."

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InterOperate Smart Home automation uses software to combine technologies with everyday behaviors to simplify daily tasks. Blakely says one of the best examples of how this technology can be utilized is when leaving for a vacation.

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"When you are running out the door on the way to the airport, you can close the wind shades, lock the doors, turn off the lights and completely prepare your home for your departure with the click of a button," says Blakely. "Then, while you're away, you can still have full access to the interworkings of your home by automatically watering your plants or receiving an alert if your smoke detectors or security systems go off to give you peace of mind that your home is in your control from anywhere in the world."

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InterOperate Smart Home currently offers its services in the Charlotte N.C. metro area, which serves as both the InterOperate Headquarters and Blakely's hometown.

BNY Mellon Wealth Management expands its Dallas office with three new additions including Chris Gold as Dallas market president, Megan Steinbach as senior private banker and Dan Patterson as senior wealth manager. They are all based in Dallas and report to Todd Carlton, regional president, Central Region.

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"The Dallas office is thriving and attracting new clients and we are well placed to add new talent to further support our Active Wealth framework," said Carlton.

• Chris will lead the Dallas area and focus on client relationships, COI interactions, product, service and sales delivery.
• Megan will work with new and existing high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients to develop and implement a strategic plan for managing credit and treasury solutions.
• Dan will provide comprehensive wealth management advice, including managing portfolios and providing strategic planning and advice for ultra-high-net-worth clients.

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Chris brings more than two decades of wealth management experience and joins BNY Mellon Wealth Management from Northern Trust, where he served as a senior managing director. Prior to that, he held a variety of senior roles at Lazard Asset Management, Bank of America and EY. Chris earned a Bachelor of Arts from DePaul University.

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Megan joins BNY Mellon Wealth Management from Northern Trust, where she most recently served as senior private banker. She also held a variety of roles at Frost Bank. Megan earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Southern Methodist University.

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Dan has 35 years of financial services experience and joins BNY Mellon Wealth Management from Northern Trust, where he was a senior investment portfolio manager. Before that, he served as an institutional fixed income portfolio manager at Provident Investment Counsel. Dan earned a Bachelor of Science from Marshall University, a Master of Business Administration from Northern Arizona University and a Juris Doctorate from Whittier College School of Law.

Stellus Capital Management, LLC (“Stellus”), a leader in middle market direct lending, today announced the hiring of Bill Haverland as Principal and Casey Carroll as Vice President, Investor Relations.

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“With their many years of credit, private equity and investment banking experience, we are very pleased to have Bill and Casey join the Firm,” said Robert T. Ladd, Managing Partner at Stellus. “Bill and Casey will provide our private equity clients and investors the high caliber support that is the hallmark of Stellus Capital.”

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Mr. Haverland, who will be focused on building private equity relationships in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, brings more than 10 years of credit and investment banking experience to Stellus. Most recently, he served as an Executive Director in Fifth Third Bank’s Technology, Media, and Telecom Group, where he focused on private equity coverage from 2017 to 2022 and was a member of the Investment Banking team responsible for originating and executing M&A transactions. Mr. Haverland received a B.S. in Commerce from The University of Virginia with concentrations in Finance and Management.

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Mr. Carroll joins Stellus with more than 10 years of investor relations and fundraising experience. Most recently, Mr. Carroll was the Vice President of Investor Relations at Comvest Partners, where he was involved in all aspects of IR with a focus on institutional fundraising for the firm’s Private Credit and Private Equity strategies. Prior to that, he was a Senior Vice President of Production and Development at Straight Up Films in Los Angeles, involved in fundraising, financial structuring, and production for the firm’s slate of films. Mr. Carroll holds a B.A. from The University of Vermont.

hihotels by Hospitality International, a leader in economy lodging across the United States, is pleased to announce the launch of its new and improved INNcentive Instant Rewards program. INNcentive members will enjoy greater value when staying at a hihotels brand and now have access to thousands of discounts and special offers from nationally recognized companies.

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Featuring five distinct brands – Scottish Inns, Red Carpet Inn, Master Hosts Inns, Downtowner Inns and Passport Inn – hihotels has a unique loyalty program that offers immediate benefits and discounts rather than requiring members to accumulate enough points for a reward.

The perks and deals include:

• 15% room discount during each stay*
• Early check-in**
• Late checkout**
• Access to thousands of discounts and special offers for dining, shopping, entertainment and travel
• Weekly emails with special offers for traveling and everyday activities

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*based on availability
**up to 2 hours and based on each hotel's policy and availability

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"Our frequent guest program has been popular with our customers because it is not based on points. I think everyone can relate to the frustration of joining a loyalty club and not getting anything out of it because it's too complicated, they don't travel often enough to take advantage of it or an unreasonable amount of points are needed for a reward. Our guests enjoy benefits as soon as they sign up, and now membership is even more valuable thanks to the thousands of additional discounts now available," said hihotels President & CEO Chris Guimbellot.

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Guests can sign up for the INNcentive Instant Rewards program for free by visiting stayhihotels.com/inncentive-rewards or stopping by the front desk of any hihotels brand location.

Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP (BAL) is pleased to announced that three of its attorneys have been elected to leadership positions at the American Immigration Lawyers Association. AILA is the primary industry group that supports U.S. immigration attorneys and law firms of all sizes.

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BAL Partner Jeff Joseph will serve as Second Vice President for the 2022-23 term and BAL Partner Maggie Murphy has been re-elected to AILA's Board of Governors for a three-year term. Additionally, BAL Senior Associate Tiffany Martinez, of the firm's San Francisco office, has been elected Chair of AILA's Northern California chapter and as such will also serve on the Board of Governors for one year.

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Jeff leads the firm's Denver office and has over two decades of experience in immigration law, including an impressive litigation record. With deep roots in the Denver area, Jeff is well-known for his leadership in the immigration legal community, serving as a past Chair of the Colorado Chapter, as a past elected director on the AILA National Board of Governors, and on numerous national committees, most recently serving as AILA's Treasurer last term.

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"I'm thrilled to serve as Second Vice President and I'm ready to go to work for all our members by ensuring that we better utilize technology and reinvent how we prepare for changes so we can continue fighting for immigrants as we face new challenges in this complex environment," Jeff said.

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Maggie leads BAL's Austin office and has been a member of AILA for over 18 years serving on various membership and conference planning committees, as former Chair of the Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma Chapter, and as the Board liaison to the Department of Labor and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services field office operations committees this past year. She will serve her second term as an elected director of AILA's Board of Governors.

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"I'm honored to serve this organization and to continue helping AILA members get access to resources that empower them to serve their clients, foster their own well-being, and grow their practices," said Maggie.

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"These attorneys are elite practitioners who will lend their considerable talents to AILA," said BAL Managing Partner Jeremy Fudge. "Just as it is our mission as a firm to make a positive difference in people's lives, Jeff, Maggie and Tiffany will make a positive difference for AILA members, their professional lives and the businesses and people they serve."

JELD-WEN (NYSE: JELD), a leading global manufacturer of high-performance interior and exterior building products, announced today its first shipments of AuralinTrue Composite windows and patio doors, an innovative new product line that blends the beauty of wood with strength and durability that surpasses vinyl. Auraline products are GREENGUARD Gold certified and feature fresh, contemporary designs delivering crisp, clean lines that homeowners desire and builders want to use.

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"Auraline True Composite by JELD-WEN combines the best features of wood and vinyl windows to deliver a truly superior product designed to fill a critical gap in the product spectrum for dealers and homebuilders," said John Krause, SVP & GM, North America at JELD-WEN. "The Auraline product line fulfills our ongoing commitment to innovation and sustainability, and we're excited to make these next-generation windows the composite standard in our industry."

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A new alternative to vinyl and wood, the products blend wood fiber with synthetic polymers and a co-extruded color to create a highly durable material that has the beauty and luxury of wood and requires no painting and limited maintenance. Auraline True Composite is twice as rigid as vinyl for improved strength and cleaner installation. Auraline products also come in PG35 standard, category-best PG50 and LC-rated options.  

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"Auraline delivers homeowners a luxury look for less, offering the beauty and efficiency of wood combined with the durability and ease of maintenance that is far superior to vinyl," said Caleb Standafer, Director of Strategy & General Manager for Auraline True Composite Windows and Patio Doors. "These windows and patio doors answer the call from homeowners who are demanding premium aesthetics at a more affordable price."

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Slimmer sight lines are a signature of Auraline True Composite Windows and Patio Doors, with up to 28% more visible glass, providing homeowners with more natural light, which can reduce energy consumption from artificial interior lighting needs. The standard premium glass package also delivers nearly 40% more energy efficiency than industry basic glass packages, and with at least 30% of composite material coming from reclaimed sources, Auraline represents the next generation in composite windows and patio doors.  

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Builders and homeowners can choose a white or black finish, with a chestnut bronze finish slated to launch later this year. Coordinating hardware finishes are available in white, black and satin nickel; bronze hardware will launch alongside the chestnut bronze finish later this year. From modern to traditional looks, Auraline windows and patio doors are versatile to suit a variety of styles and operating type needs. Now available are:

• Single-Hung Windows with a removable side-load bottom sash that lifts open vertically;
• 2 & 3 Panel Sliding Windows with sash that slide open horizontally; and
• 2 Panel Sliding Patio Doors available in multiple configurations to match the windows.

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Coming in phases throughout the remainder of the year are:

• Casement Windows, which are hinged at the side and open the full frame area;
• Awning Windows, which are hinged at the top to open out from the bottom;
• Direct Set, Geometric and Radius Windows, which enable wide-open views with minimal disruption;
• Mulled Windows with continuous head and sill construction that improves performance in the field; and
• 3 & 4 Panel Sliding Patio Doors available in multiple configurations to match the windows.

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Auraline True Composite products are available nationwide at select dealers. For more information, visit jeld-wen.com/auraline.

ActivePure, the global leader in sustainable 24/7 indoor surface and air purification technology, announced today the promising results of the technology's installation throughout Paramount Group, Inc.'s (NYSE: PGRE) extensive portfolio. A leading owner, operator and manager of Class A sustainable office space, Paramount began installing and testing the patented decontamination technology in 2021 throughout its real estate portfolio.

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Paramount conducted a series of independent indoor air quality (IAQ) tests in their New York buildings before and after the installation of ActivePure. The testing compared total volatile organic compounds (TVOCs) from both indoor and outdoor air samples. Following the installation of ActivePure technology, Paramount's properties experienced 80%+ declines in TVOCs from baseline levels, progress which has been sustained even as traffic and pollution have steadily increased from cities and offices re-opening.

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Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted as gases from a variety of sources that impact air quality both indoors and outdoors. Improving indoor air quality by reducing VOCs and airborne pathogens through ActivePure's units is yielding significant benefits for all building occupants throughout Paramount's portfolio.

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The post-pandemic expectations for commercial real estate to provide a higher indoor air quality standard without increasing the portfolio's carbon footprint form an environmental paradox for many. However, because ActivePure does not require airflow changes, increased ventilation or additional HVAC fan power, it creates a sustainable solution for air and surface disinfection and decontamination.

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Both ActivePure and Paramount continuously demonstrate their commitment to sustainability leadership and social responsibility. Paramount is an industry leader in Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) initiatives demonstrated by achieving LEED Platinum or Gold certifications and 2021 ENERGY STAR labels across 100% of their REIT portfolio. Paramount was among the first property management firms to install ActivePure, a decision driven by the enhanced sustainability features of this technology.

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"Paramount's assets are home to thousands of tenants, visitors, and employees, and we recognize our role in maintaining healthy and safe environments for all building occupants," said Joseph Szabo, senior vice president, property management at Paramount. "The value of ActivePure is we can achieve both wellness and sustainability goals simultaneously, so the decision to implement the technology across our portfolio was aligned with our commitment to responsible operations."

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ActivePure Technology recreates the air-cleaning process that naturally occurs outdoors. Referred to as Advanced Photocatalysis, the patented technology utilizes UVC light and a catalyst to work with the humidity in ambient air to create the same oxidizing molecules found outdoors and bring them indoors. Testing results have proven that ActivePure reduces over 99.9% of indoor airborne SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is the virus that causes COVID-19, as well as mold, bacteria, fungi and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), without chemicals, ozone or the need to trap or filter contaminants. ActivePure's line of products features portable, stand-alone devices to induct solutions installed into existing HVAC systems, designed to fit the needs of each space.

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"The entire world is contemplating their real estate footprint in the new normal," said Amy Carenza, chief commercial officer at ActivePure. "When tenants decide to lease a space in a sustainable property, they are opting in on a commitment to a better environment. ActivePure allows commercial buildings to pursue the virtuous cycle of ESG more easily through achieving the highest indoor air quality standards without increasing their carbon footprint. As the pandemic becomes endemic, companies should not have to choose between protecting their workers or protecting the environment."

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ActivePure and Paramount provide sustainable and environmentally conscious solutions to tenants across the nation. For more information about Paramount, visit PGRE.com or call 212-237-3100. To learn more about ActivePure, and its solutions for air and surface purification, visit ActivePure.com or call 888-217-4316.

The U.S. VasQ™ External Support Comparative Study results were presented this month for the first time globally at the VASA 2022. The study was a propensity-score matched comparison of the VasQ U.S. Pivotal Study single-arm prospective data with untreated contemporary Medicare patients who underwent arterio-venous fistula creation for hemodialysis by the same study surgeons. The study results demonstrated a significant improvement in primary patency and fistula usability with less re-intervention burden within the first 6 months post-creation.

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Dr. C. Keith Ozaki, vascular surgeon and Executive Vice Chair of the Department of Surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital of Boston, MA, and the local principal investigator for the phase 3 Pivotal study, stated, "The results of this carefully performed analysis clearly link higher patency, lower reintervention rates, and increased hemodialysis access usability with the VasQ device. This data supports similar results from multiple European studies on VasQ's ability to reduce intervention burden on hemodialysis patients."

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The data release at VASA builds on previous VasQ U.S. Pivotal Study data releases, first by Dr. Ellen Dillavou, Chief of Surgery at WakeMed, NC, who reported at VEITH 2021 that VasQ met the primary effectiveness performance goal, and second, by Dr. John Lucas III, Vascular Surgeon at Greenwood Leflore Hospital, MS, who reported at Charing CX 2022, London UK, high secondary patency rates at 2-years as compared to published contemporary U.S. meta-analyses.

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Dr. Dillavou added, "The mounting volume of evidence for VasQ continues to support the adoption of this technology as standard practice for access creation in order to give our patients the best chance for successful dialysis with a fistula and expediting removal of central venous catheters."

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VasQ is currently under review by the FDA for market clearance and is not available for sale in the U.S. at the time of this publication.

Cirba Solutions is now the combined entity representing Heritage Battery Recycling, Retriev Technologies, and Battery Solutions, creating the most experienced and comprehensive battery management and materials platform enabling a circular battery supply chain for the industry. The company’s focus on lithium-ion batteries, required for the rapidly growing electric vehicle industry, is supported by its robust end-to-end solution for all types of battery recycling and processing. Its expansive footprint includes six processing locations in North America, including two lithium-ion operations, and will be rapidly expanding with additional materials processing sites being selected this year.

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“Our society is experiencing a rapid electrification transformation. Cirba Solutions, which signifies where circularity and batteries come together, is the most experienced and trusted company to handle the entire battery management process for our customers and we have the expertise to grow our services to meet the scope and scale of the upcoming future,” said David Klanecky, CEO, Cirba Solutions. “A key to our success will be to address the complexity of the circular supply chain for customers to meet the industry’s need for lithium-ion batteries.”

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The company has fundamentally expanded its operational capabilities and industry expertise in the last eight months:

• In October 2021, Retriev Technologies combined with Heritage Battery Recycling to create the largest lithium-ion battery recycler in North America.
• In March 2022, the company appointed battery-industry veterans David Klanecky as CEO and Luke Kissam as Chairman of the Board to join the leadership team.
• In that same month, the company acquired Battery Solutions, the North American leader in sustainable, end-to-end management solutions for end-of-life batteries.

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Cirba Solutions has a well-established heritage through its predecessor companies. Retriev Technologies was the largest and most experienced cross-chemistry battery recycler in North America and has recycled more than 50 million pounds of lithium-ion batteries. For more than 30 years, it has seen battery technology change and has adapted to meet market needs through innovation, customer collaboration, and laser-focused execution.

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Battery Solutions built the largest North American post-consumer battery sorting services with a transportation, logistics, and collection infrastructure that can collect any volume of batteries of any type throughout the continent and leads the industry in compliance and safety. Processing tens of millions of pounds of end-of-life batteries annually with more than 7,000 customers, covering collection, services, and battery-centric logistics, this supports the battery management efforts for the circular supply chain.

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“Cirba Solutions is the only player in the market today that has an operational, differentiated business with a full suite of capabilities to address lithium-ion and cross-chemistry battery demand,” said Klanecky. “Plus our differentiated technology roadmap provides a technical foundation for significant gains in upgrading materials while servicing the industry needs for today.”

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The industry is preparing for the growing demand of electric vehicles in North America, which is estimated to grow from two million cars on the road today to 118 million by 2040. Auto manufacturers have committed to invest more than $500 billion in electrifying their fleet. Demand for new metals is anticipated to grow three-fold over the next eight years, enabling battery recycling as a viable and more sustainable resource for the overall EV supply chain.

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“We are servicing the needs of today and supporting our future generations with sustainable solutions for the planet,” said Klanecky.

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More information is available at www.cirbasolutions.com.

"This investment will allow InductiveHealth to pursue significant product development initiatives," said InductiveHealth CEO and Co-Founder Matthew Dollacker. "The COVID-19 pandemic exposed many opportunities for improvement in public health. We plan to leverage this investment to bring forward exciting new technology capabilities to improve public health outcomes, while continuing to grow our industry-leading team of epidemiologists, engineers, and public health specialists to serve our growing client needs."

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"Having the ability to push our innovation practices even further with Diversis, and to grow our world-class team, will mean that we can provide essential public health surveillance and response solutions to even more areas around the country, and eventually the world. Our goal is to help ensure that every public health crisis is met with accurate, timely data that can track and monitor the situation and enable the best public health outcomes."

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Partnering with Diversis

InductiveHealth's new partner is the Los Angeles-based investment firm Diversis, dedicated to fostering growth acceleration and providing development opportunities to software and technology organizations. Their goal is a collaborative partnership that ensures the organizations they work with are always heard and supported.

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"Diversis is excited to partner with another amazing and future-looking company," said Diversis Co-Founder and Managing Partner Kevin Ma, "The work that InductiveHealth is doing is vital to improving public health capabilities, and we believe that our growth investment in them will prove to be something that will genuinely help change the public health landscape for years to come."

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Growth and innovation

InductiveHealth has had a long-standing commitment to fully remote work, which in turn attracted a wide number of expert technologists in public health that would otherwise not be able to relocate to the company's headquarters in Atlanta.

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Today, the company has a staff of approximately 85 in the United States. It will use investment to continue a trend of more than 50 percent year-over-year growth, while also accelerating product development and client delivery at scale. InductiveHealth will primarily invest in engineering and product staff, developing services in ways that will improve the quantity, quality, and use of data for public health surveillance and response.

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The proof is in the numbers

Currently InductiveHealth supports public health reporting and analytics for more than 70 percent of hospital and urgent care visits in the United States. In addition, more than 6 million healthcare transactions per day are facilitated through its services.

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As the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated, public health crises can occur at any time. InductiveHealth provides products and services that can help ensure that public health leaders have the tools that they need to effectively respond. With the growth investment from Diversis, InductiveHealth will be able to continue to innovate in this field, preventing avoidable illness and injury and saving lives.

smartwater is taking hydration to new heights this summer and today announces its newest global brand ambassador, Zendaya. A champion of artistry and originality, acclaimed actor and performer Zendaya is pioneering new ways to live a more purposeful life. As smartwater’s global ambassador, Zendaya will appear in a series of new creative from the brand that celebrates those who are defining ‘smart’ on their own terms and will support community water programs that will directly impact thousands of women.

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“We could not be more thrilled to have Zendaya join smartwater as the newest face of our brand,” said Matrona Filippou, Global Category President, Hydration, Sports, Tea & Coffee, The Coca-Cola Company. “A global icon and cultural force, Zendaya isn’t afraid to be true to herself, and that’s what makes her the perfect addition to the smartwater family.”

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Created in partnership with VMLY&R and WPP/OpenX, the campaign creative will begin rolling out in the U.S. from June 21 across television, audio, social and streaming channels, with global markets to follow. The campaign celebrates those who keep it smart, whatever the choice, and aren’t afraid to free themselves from the restraints of convention.

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“I’m very excited to begin this new relationship with smartwater,” said Zendaya, smartwater Global Brand Ambassador. “We all know how important it is to stay hydrated and smartwater is my go-to source no matter what I am doing throughout the day.”

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As the face of the brand’s newest campaign, Zendaya will work with smartwater to support community water quality and access improvements in various cities around the world, starting with Zendaya’s hometown of Oakland, California, by partnering with the Global Water Challenge (GWC) – a coalition of leading organizations collaborating to achieve universal access to clean drinking water. In the U.S. alone, 2.2 million people have no water at home and 44 million Americans are served by water systems that don't function optimally.

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Together, smartwater, GWC and Zendaya are launching the smart solutions: global water challenge, which will invite local organizations to apply for grant funding to GWC’s women for water action platform that uplifts women and their communities through the power of clean water access. These efforts build on more than a decade of investments in clean water access around the world from The Coca-Cola Company which have reached more than 18.5 million people since 2010. GWC’s work has proven that with access to clean water, people, especially women and girls, are healthier, safer, educated and employed.

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“Our organization doesn’t operate without the support of our purpose-driven partners, and we are grateful to have smartwater and Zendaya on board to help ensure communities in need have more access to clean water,” says Monica Ellis, CEO of Global Water Challenge. “With the smart solutions: global water challenge, we’ll specifically work to address community water access, improving and protecting water quality, and economic empowerment opportunities through water.”

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For more information about smartwater, visit smartwater.com. For more information about the Global Water Challenge and the smart solutions: global water challenge, visit www.globalwaterchallenge.org.