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Kivvit Announces Addition of Top-Level Talent

Kivvit

Kivvit today announced a transformative expansion with 10 new hires – including a cohort of four new Managing Directors – marking the largest expansion of Kivvit’s senior leadership team since the firm’s founding twenty years ago. Joining Kivvit’s senior leadership as Managing Directors are Arielle Goren, Aaron Mays, Terri Sanders, and Jalisa Washington-Price. “Kivvit is singularly focused on attracting great professionals who can thrive in our unique operating structure, which focuses equally on sectors, industries and geographies, supported with a suite of internal service teams. This work culture creates a platform for our team to do our best work and constantly grow professionally,” said Kivvit founder and CEO Eric Sedler. Other recent additions to the Kivvit team include: Katie Coleman, Principal (Chicago) Iris Dew, Brand Strategy Senior Associate (Chicago) Alex Hanns, Principal (Chicago) Mashal Hashem, Associate (New York) Christine Lee, Senior Associate (New York) MJ Sheckles, Talent Manager (DC) These latest hires cap a year of expansion for Kivvit that included record revenue growth, the launch of a new talent team and brand strategy team, and a doubling in size of the firm’s digital and insights teams. MANAGING DIRECTOR PROFILES: Arielle Goren Arielle specializes in messaging, strategic counsel, executive and crisis communications. Before Kivvit, Arielle founded and lead Juno Strategies, a boutique communications consultancy where she developed and executed social impact campaigns on behalf of start-up and non-profit clients. In that capacity, she helped launch San Francisco and Oakland’s COVID-19 emergency relief funds, mobilized a coalition in support of expanded healthcare access for gig workers, and highlighted technological innovations being used to preserve the stories of Holocaust survivors. Arielle also previously honed her business, tech, executive and crisis communications skills as one of Uber’s early hires to its Policy & Communications team. Arielle began her career as an aide to Senator Chuck Schumer and has held senior positions as a speechwriter and communications advisor in New York State and Los Angeles City government, as well as on Hillary Clinton’s historic 2016 presidential campaign. Aaron Mays Aaron Mays is an award-winning PR professional and media relations strategist based in Chicago. Before Kivvit, Aaron led his own communications firm, where he worked with clients in the US and the UK. He has devised numerous earned media campaigns over the course of his career, securing placements in local and national outlets, as well as across the globe in Mexico, Canada, the UK, sub-Saharan Africa, New Zealand, and Australia. Prior to that, he served in communications roles at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, The Axis Agency, and Rise Interactive. Terri Sanders Terri is an award-winning marketing, branding, and communications expert with more than 20 years of experience. She works across industries in brand development and positioning, marketing strategy, consumer research, audience development, and crisis communications. Prior to joining Kivvit, Terri served as the chief marketing and communications officer for HIMSS, where she was responsible for global management of its brands as well as marketing, communications, design, and UI/UX. Before that, she worked in communications and branding at The Chartis Group, and previously Terri served as director of corporate brand and strategy at AIM Specialty Health. In 2019, she received the Power 50 - Women Transforming their Industries award. Jalisa Washington-Price Jalisa is a decorated campaign strategist. Jalisa most recently worked at iHeartMedia as VP, Political & Advocacy. Jalisa also worked on the Joe Biden presidential campaign, serving as Senior Political Advisor to vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris. In 2021 Jalisa was the Director of the Office of the Vice President-elect for the Presidential Inaugural Committee. Jalisa has also held senior leadership positions at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, worked on a number of congressional and statewide campaigns and worked on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign. In 2020 Jalisa was named 40 under 40 in Government and Politics by Fortune. She has made appearances on MSNBC and CNN. About Kivvit Kivvit is one of the largest and fastest-growing independent strategic communications and public affairs firms in the United States, with over 130 professionals across six offices in Boston, Chicago, Miami, New York, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C. Kivvit has earned over 60 awards and recognitions in the past 5 years, including Public Affairs of the Year (Reed Awards), Digital Agency of the Year (PRovoke SABRE North America), Most Innovative Agency (Bulldog Stars of PR Awards), and a Best Agency to Work For (PRovoke). Kivvit also leads O'Dwyer's national rankings of independent communications firms across multiple categories, including #1 for Non Profits, #2 for Energy, #3 for Corporate Social Responsibility, #3 for Real Estate, and #4 for Education. Contact Details Kivvit Zach Silber +1 212-929-0669 zsilber@kivvit.com Company Website https://www.kivvit.com/

February 04, 2022 03:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

The Importance of Indoor Air Quality

YourUpdateTV

Aire Serv®, a Neighborly® company, is a global franchise providing installation, maintenance and repair of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and indoor air quality systems. Aire Serv® franchisees provide services to residential and commercial customers from more than 200 locations worldwide. Established in 1992, Aire Serv® is part of Neighborly®, is the world’s largest home services franchisor of 29 brands and nearly 5,000 franchises collectively serving 10 million+ customers in nine countries, focused on repairing, maintaining and enhancing homes and businesses, united under one platform serving 10 million+ customers in nine countries. Neighborly® brands are found at Neighborly.com and through the Neighborly App. For more information about Aire Serv®, visit AireServ.com. The quality of the air we breathe has a direct effect on our health and comfort. You may notice some of the more prominent side effects of indoor air pollution, like an unpleasant odor, but many others go undetected. These include headaches, fatigue, respiratory issues, and other serious, long-term conditions. Recently, Hall of Famer and Super Bowl Champion, Jerome “The Bus” Bettis, teamed up with Aire Serv, a Neighborly company, on a nationwide satellite media tour to discuss the importance of indoor air quality, especially when it comes to how pollution can impact workouts. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/moFVmGsuRK0 Jerome was diagnosed with asthma at the age of 14 and as an avid athlete, making sure he wasn’t aggravating that condition was critical to his performance level. As a result, he started learning about different air pollutants and discovered that many are actually found within the home. When you’re constantly breathing in air pollutants, it can take a toll on your breathing over time and especially make it difficult to breathe deeply while exercising. When you don’t get enough oxygen, your energy level decreases, which directly impacts the intensity and performance of your workouts. The cleaner the air you breathe, the better you’re setting up your body for a successful training session. Something as simple as changing the air filters quarterly can have a great impact on indoor air quality. Also, being more mindful of the items in your household will help, such as opting for real plants that will help purify the air indoors, buying beeswax or organic candles, and even swapping out dryer sheets and fabric softeners for more natural alternatives. The experts at Aire Serv recommend making sure you have proper ventilation and filtration throughout the home, as well as air treatments to get rid of any bacteria or viruses. To determine what’s best for your home, call a service professional from Aire Serv to test for you, as this will eliminate a lot of the guesswork. Aire Serv service professionals will go through a discovery stage that discusses issues in the home such as dry throat, allergies, asthma, headaches, and fatigue before analyzing the air quality inside of the home. Once the analysis is complete, the service professionals can recommend additional measures to improve the quality of air in the home, including air and duct cleaning, duct sealing, UVC protection, and ionization. For more information, you can visit AireServ.com, or Neighborly.com to learn more about their other home service brands. About Jerome “The Bus” Bettis: The former Pittsburgh Steelers Running Back is one of the best all-time running backs in the NFL (6th overall in rushing). Jerome Bettis was also the recipient of the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award in 2001. “The Bus” finished his NFL career in January 2006 after 13 seasons, retiring immediately following the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 21-10 win over the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XL in his hometown of Detroit. Diagnosed with asthma at age 14, Bettis is a tireless advocate for asthma education and awareness. Bettis founded and establish “The Bus Stops Here Foundation” in 1996 to help improve the quality of life for disadvantaged and underprivileged children. About Aire Serv ®: Aire Serv®, a Neighborly® company, is a global franchise providing installation, maintenance and repair of heating, ventilation, air conditioning and indoor air quality systems. Aire Serv® franchisees provide services to residential and commercial customers from more than 200 locations worldwide. Established in 1992, Aire Serv® is part of Neighborly®, is the world’s largest home services franchisor of 29 brands and nearly 5,000 franchises collectively serving 10 million+ customers in nine countries, focused on repairing, maintaining and enhancing homes and businesses, united under one platform serving 10 million+ customers in nine countries. Neighborly® brands are found at Neighborly.com and through the Neighborly App. For more information about Aire Serv®, visit AireServ.com. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

February 04, 2022 02:54 PM Eastern Standard Time

Video

COD Launches Virtual Newsroom to Expand Coverage of Stories, Experts and Events

College of DuPage

The College of DuPage News Bureau recently launched a new virtual newsroom to enhance coverage of events, subject-matter experts, features and other news from the Glen Ellyn campus, its centers and ongoing work in the community. The new virtual newsroom website provides an overview of the College’s latest news, student success stories and faculty experts through stories, videos and photos. Visitors to the site also can read the latest from COD President Dr. Brian Caputo and other College thought leaders to learn more about campus happenings and programs. “Our inaugural virtual newsroom brings forth a unified user interface and solid experience that is uniquely designed to meet the needs of both internal and external audiences,” said Wendy E. Parks, Vice President of PR, Marketing and Communications. “We are excited to share this digital platform that will serve as a news hub and repository of sources, industry trends and information.” In addition, media outlets now have direct access to COD footage and photos, and easily can contact News Bureau staff through the website’s improved navigation. “College of DuPage is a multi-faceted institution, and it is important for us to better capture our vital and engaging content by incorporating the multitude of tools we use to convey our institutional story,” said News Bureau and Community Engagement Senior Manager Jennifer Duda. “The News Bureau and COD’s web team collaborated to create a platform that operates very much like front page news for the institution.” The site features videos from COD’s award-winning Multimedia Services department, information on upcoming events, and analysis on current issues and trends from faculty experts who share their knowledge through the College’s Speakers Bureau. “We are very proud of the end result and excited to share this resource with our community members and local media,” Duda said. The News Bureau crafts dynamic and compelling stories to support the College's mission and vision through media outreach, social media strategy and multimedia pieces. The department is responsible for developing press releases and obtaining media placements in local, regional and national media outlets to enhance visibility of the College's news, programs, students, faculty, events and thought leadership. News Bureau Contact Details Jennifer Duda +1 630-942-3097 dudajen@cod.edu

February 03, 2022 01:00 PM Central Standard Time

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NERL and Elsevier continue agreement and develop open access pilot

Elsevier

February 3, 2022 – NERL, a consortium representing some of America’s leading research institutions, and Elsevier, a global leader in research publishing and information analytics, have established a new three-year agreement. The deal provides 13 of the NERL member institutions with ScienceDirect access and pilots retroactive open access (OA) for participating institutions’ authors. In 2021, a project team of NERL and Elsevier representatives established the agreement terms to ensure continued access to Elsevier's journals and support the NERL core values of transparency, sustainability, equity, reproducibility, and flexibility. This mutually sustainable agreement includes numerous NERL Preferred Deal Elements. The retroactive OA pilot program is the first of its kind. Each year of the agreement will open five years of content by researchers based at NERL institutions—a total of 15 years constituting tens of thousands of articles authored by leading researchers. The agreement advances NERL’s values-based licensing agenda and Elsevier’s commitment to OA. The participating institutions—including Cornell University, the University of Notre Dame, the University of Pennsylvania, Dartmouth, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Rochester, the University of Miami and others—will all have content included as a part of the pilot. Lindsay Cronk, project Co-chair and University of Rochester Assistant Dean of Scholarly Resources & Curation, said: “The future of scholarly communication depends on agreements that don’t reinforce the inertia of the past or create new inequities. We have succeeded in this agreement by arriving at an entirely new model that provides more access for all who seek knowledge.” Greg Eow, President of the Center for Research Libraries, the administrative host of NERL, added: “We are proud that NERL continues to be a leader in the movement towards open access, and we look to build on this agreement to find even more robust ways to democratize access to scholarship going forward.” Elsevier works in partnership with customers to understand their objectives and collaborate with them to achieve these while preserving the quality, integrity, and sustainability of peer-review scholarly communications. The agreement supports NERL's goals by enabling researchers to stay up to date with the latest science, technology, and health findings worldwide via ScienceDirect, while opening ScienceDirect content authored by NERL researchers. “We are delighted to support NERL’s world-class researchers to access and publish high-quality, trusted research,” says James Tonna, Elsevier’s Vice President for North America Academic and Government. “Working collaboratively with NERL, we hope to play a small part in helping their researchers advance science and improve health outcomes for the benefit of society.” About NERL A national leader in negotiated licensing, NERL maximizes effective and sustainable access to content for its member institutions. By building and supporting alliances between higher education and the information industry, NERL serves as an advocate for the collective power and influence of academic libraries and their parent institutions. The NERL and Elsevier project was co-chaired by Jessica Morales of Notre Dame and Lindsay Cronk of the University of Rochester, with key contributors that included Ken Peterson formerly of Dartmouth University, Maridath Wilson of Boston University, Michael Fernandez of Yale University, Katie Brady of the University of Pennsylvania, and Terrie Wheeler of Cornell University. About Elsevier As a global leader in information and analytics, Elsevier helps researchers and healthcare professionals advance science and improve health outcomes for the benefit of society. We do this by facilitating insights and critical decision-making for customers across the global research and health ecosystems. In everything we publish, we uphold the highest standards of quality and integrity. We bring that same rigor to our information analytics solutions for researchers, health professionals, institutions and funders. Elsevier employs 8,100 people worldwide. We have supported the work of our research and health partners for more than 140 years. Growing from our roots in publishing, we offer knowledge and valuable analytics that help our users make breakthroughs and drive societal progress. Digital solutions such as ScienceDirect, Scopus, SciVal, ClinicalKey and Sherpath support strategic research management, R&D performance, clinical decision support, and health education. Researchers and healthcare professionals rely on our 2,500+ digitized journals, including The Lancet and Cell; our 40,000 eBook titles; and our iconic reference works, such as Gray's Anatomy. With the Elsevier Foundation and our external Inclusion & Diversity Advisory Board, we work in partnership with diverse stakeholders to advance inclusion and diversity in science, research and healthcare in developing countries and around the world. Elsevier is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. www.elsevier.com Media contact Andrew Davis Elsevier Communications, UK andrew.davis@elsevier.com Contact Details Elsevier Andrew Davis +31 20 485 2719 andrew.davis@elsevier.com Company Website https://www.elsevier.com/

February 03, 2022 10:01 AM Eastern Standard Time

News Release

CSG Forte Adds Tens of Thousands of Merchants and New Partners in 2021

CSG

CSG Forte, a CSG ® (NASDAQ: CSGS) company, recorded a milestone year in 2021, adding tens of thousands of merchants to its portfolio through the strength and reach of its growing partner network. With one of the most robust and complete payment platforms on the market, CSG Forte enables integrated software vendors (ISV) to differentiate their solution stack by offering a fully customizable payments solution that seamlessly integrates into existing architectures to scale payments smarter, faster. New partners and enterprises to the CSG Forte portfolio include AlarmHive, Boon-Chapman, Civicplus®, OneShare Health, Velosimo, and Woodson & Bozeman, who collectively serve thousands of merchants across North America in healthcare, government, insurance and property management markets. “Digital transactions have exploded over the last two years and CSG Forte is in a unique position to provide value where no one else can,” said Jeff Kump, head of payments, CSG Forte. “Through our extensive list of ISV partners, we can address the custom needs of insurers, municipalities, and property managers alike instead of forcing them into a one-size-fits-all solution. This means faster time to revenue, increased efficiencies and reduced costs that lead to enhanced end customer experiences. Our success in 2021 was due in large part to our team’s relentless passion, collaboration, and industry-leading innovation. I am proud of the momentum we have built across key verticals and our sustained growth in the market as we embark on another monumental year.” “As the demand for digital payments continues to accelerate, businesses and governments need a payments provider that can not only onboard merchants quickly, but also deliver ongoing innovation that will address changing market demands,” said Mike Strawhecker, president of The Strawhecker Group. “CSG Forte has the ability to deliver speed and flexibility for businesses of all sizes.” CSG Forte delivers a single, end-to-end payments platform that helps businesses and platforms mitigate fraud risks, comply with PCI requirements, and reduce the number of integrations needed to operate more efficiently and cost-effectively. With experience in payment processing (both ACH and Card payments), acceptance, authorization, and management, CSG Forte handles tens of billions of dollars in payments for more than 81,000 merchants annually. CSG Forte, the leading digital payments platform, was recognized by The Strawhecker Group as the Best Performing Payments Gateway in the 2022 Real Transaction Metrics Awards. In 2021, CSG Forte was recognized as the Best Point-of-Sale Company globally at the Fintech Breakthrough Awards and named the Best E-Commerce Gateway Platform at the Card Not Present Awards. Learn more about CSG Forte’s innovative, secure payment solutions that help customers scale payments smarter and grow their business faster. About CSG Forte CSG Forte, a CSG company, delivers scalable digital payments for smarter and faster business growth. Our world-class, award-winning technology offers a unified end-to-end payments platform that easily adapts to changing needs and empowers companies to transform their payments operations into a competitive business strategy. With CSG Forte, companies can process omnichannel payments and offer agnostic payment acceptance, shifting payments from a line-item expense to a profit center. CSG Forte manages billions of payments annually for over 81,000 merchants across government, telecom, insurance and other industries. For nearly 40 years, CSG’s technologies and people have helped some of the world’s most recognizable brands solve their toughest business challenges and evolve to meet the demands of today’s digital economy with future-ready solutions that drive exceptional customer experiences. Our solutions deliver real world outcomes to more than 900 customers in over 120 countries. To learn more, visit www.forte.net and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Copyright © 2022 CSG Systems International, Inc. and/or its affiliates (“CSG”). All rights reserved. CSG® is a registered trademark of CSG Systems International, Inc. All third-party trademarks, service marks, and/or product names which are referenced in this document are the property of their respective owners, and all rights therein are reserved. Contacts: Jordy Spitale CSG +1 (504) 615 8820 Jordy.spitale@csgi.com John Rea Investor Relations +1 (210) 687-4409 John.rea@csgi.com Contact Details Tammy Hovey +1 917-520-2751 tammy.hovey@csgi.com Company Website https://www.csgi.com

February 03, 2022 06:37 AM Mountain Standard Time

Osmo From BYJU’s Names Kar-Han Tan, Ph.D., Head of Computer Vision and Machine Learning

Osmo

Award-winning STEAM brand, Osmo from BYJU’S, announces Kar-Han Tan’s appointment as Head of Computer Vision and Machine Learning, effective immediately. With three decades leading teams in robotics and AI research and development, Tan will further the development of a world-class computer vision and AI platform that aids in the creation of new products, games, and devices incorporating gains made in deep learning technology. In addition, he will lead a growing global team to research, develop, and optimize new algorithms for computer vision and AI-enabled features such as object detection, object recognition, hand tracking, pattern matching, and hand-drawing analysis, among others, all in an effort to create the best learning tools and outcomes.. “We were impressed by Kar-Han’s extensive experience leading R&D teams in robotics, AI, and deep learning,” says Mark Solomon, Senior Vice President of Products and Platform at BYJU’S. “His background will help Osmo expand the usage of computer vision technology across BYJU’S various products and platforms, further meeting the needs of learners of all ages everywhere.” Tan, who was born and educated in Singapore, most recently founded Helpful Robotics LLC, which designed and built an AI-enabled autonomous assistive robot from the ground up, and fostered a collaboration between scientists and engineers located in the San Francisco Bay Area, including the University of California San Francisco, and at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. “It’s an important moment for Osmo to capitalize on the explosive breakthroughs in computer vision technology driven by advances in deep learning in recent years,” says Tan, a father of two school-aged children who is passionate about kids’ at-home learning utilizing game-based play. “When combined with advances in neural engines and discoveries of new algorithms for devices, it offers a realm of new capabilities for all devices. Osmo is part of a new ‘space age,’ transforming what was previously imagined as sci-fi fantasy into a concrete reality within the realm of gamified learning and tools.” Between 2017 and 2019, Tan was Head of Product Research and Development at Singapore Telecommunications in Singapore, where he built and led an end-to-end research and development organization and led a number of engineering teams. He helped form the Singtel Cognitive and Artificial Intelligence Lab for Enterprise (SCALE) including a collaboration between Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), which focused on resolving various challenges faced by cities in keeping their infrastructure facilities in top working condition, through the use of smart sensors embedded with AI. Tan was also involved in product launches for a cloud-based open robotic fleet management platform, an AI-powered IoT platform, a smart camera system using Edge intelligence, and an immersive 3D physical security management system. Prior to this, Tan was Vice President of Engineering at NovuMind in Silicon Valley, where he formed and led the software and deep learning algorithms team, in addition to leading the development of a proprietary system for deep learning-based, real-time, unconstrained face recognition system that was installed in an office building in China, to monitor times of entries and exits. Before NovuMind, he was Principal Engineer at Hewlett Packard Personal Systems and later promoted to Head of Advanced Development. He served as technical lead for the computer vision software team for Sprout by HP, the first consumer product to integrate a 3D camera and incorporate 3D scanning capability. Tan’s research and development career also includes working for HP Labs, Epson, and Mitsubishi Electric Research Lab. Tan earned a Ph.D. in Computer Science specializing in computer vision technology from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, a M.S. in Computer Science specializing in robotics from UCLA, and a B.Sc. in Computer Science from National University of Singapore. Tan holds over 60 patents, and his research has been published and cited in numerous academic and trade journals. About Osmo From BYJU’S Osmo is an award-winning STEAM brand, wholly owned by BYJU’S, the leading global edtech company. Osmo and Osmo Education products are used in over 2.5 million homes and 50,000 classrooms, respectively. Osmo builds a universe of hands-on, curriculum-based learning experiences that nourish the minds of children by unleashing the power of imagination. The brand brings physical tools into the digital world through augmented reality and its proprietary reflective artificial intelligence. Learn more at PlayOsmo.com and Osmo Education. About BYJU’S Launched in 2011, BYJU’S is the world’s leading education technology company for students Pre K-12 and is beloved by 100 million students around the world. By making learning contextual and visual, not just theoretical, BYJU’S is paving the way for new-age, geography-agnostic learning tools that sit at the cross-section of mobile, interactive content and personalized learning methodologies. To learn more, go to: byjus.com/us. Contact Details Osmo Lisa Fujioka lisa@tangibleplay.com Company Website http://www.playosmo.com

February 03, 2022 05:00 AM Pacific Standard Time

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Aurora Strategy Group Announces Largest Expansion In Its History

Aurora Strategy Group

Marcel Wieder, President and Chief Advocate for Aurora Strategy Group announced the firm’s largest expansion by adding six new consultants in Australia, Canada, and the United States. This follows the recent addition of consultants in Israel and the United Arab Emirates. “Aurora continues to grow and develop new markets for our services,” said Wieder. “As economies begin to reopen, we are positioning our firm to assist clients in helping get their message delivered to government, media and stakeholders.” In addition to its current offering of services, Aurora will now be able to offer clients polling and creative media services inhouse. “These new services provide one stop services to clients,” according to Wieder. “With a growing footprint in Australia, North America, and the Middle East, Aurora can assist clients with consultants on the ground. Plus, as members of the International Public Relations Network, we have access to firms in over 40 countries.” Joining Aurora are Dr. Raphaella Crosby from Armidale, Australia; Hasneet Punia from Brampton, Ontario; Tom Sigurdson from New Westminster, British Columbia; Tony Fazio from San Francisco, California; Bud Jackson from Alexandria, Virginia; Cherri Senders from Los Angeles, California and Nancy Todd from Sarasota, Florida. “This is an exciting time for Aurora Strategy Group as we continue to build out our team,” Wieder said. “The new members of the Aurora team will add additional depth to our existing team. We are thrilled that they have joined us in our journey to open up new markets and working with great clients.” Dr Raphaella Kathryn Crosby is based in Armidale, Australia, and is a pollster and political communication strategist with over 20 years’ experience in election campaigning and Not-For-Profit strategic communication. Best known for her work running the Australian Democrats in 2008-9 and as the Founder and board director for Migraine Australia since 2019, she is passionate about working for social good organizations and driving change agendas. Earlier in her career, Crosby worked for the Federal Government and several leading universities in strategic communication and marketing before joining Essential Media, consulting on research-led campaigns and managing the account of the Australian Council of Trade Unions. Her belief in research-led campaigning fueled her drive to complete a PhD in voter behaviour and research methods, then transitioning to work primarily as a pollster. Dr. Crosby now runs the KORE Poll, a regular federal politics poll in Australia that continues her PhD challenge of finding a better model to predict election outcomes and chases the pollster’s unicorn of trying to capture momentum. Dr. Crosby brings together extensive experience from her public service, corporate, political, and not for profit background to be able to provide clients with holistic advice and a deep understanding of how to change hearts and minds in any context. In addition to research and campaigning, she has experience in lobbying and communication in the health, higher education, media, employment, and agriculture sectors. Hasneet Singh Punia is based in Brampton, Ontario, and is an astute leader with over a decade of extensive senior management experience serving as Chief of Staff to both a provincial Minister and Mayor of a large urban Canadian municipality. He has also served as public policy consultant and government relations and stakeholder relations manager in the private sector. Punia has extensive knowledge of how government works at both the provincial and municipal levels. He has developed and maintains strong and effective relationships with government officials (elected and non-elected) and key public affairs influencers. He has developed and executed coordinated public affairs strategies, issues management plans, and built coalitions of like-minded supporters. He has been focusing on disruption technology like ride sharing and micro mobility and how to help local governments adapt to innovation. Punia has served as a campaign manager in several municipal and provincial campaigns and advised candidates in federal election campaigns. Punia is active in the community volunteering at the local food bank, serving as a soccer coach and helping to fundraise for his local hospital. He has an Honours Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto. Tom Sigurdson is based in New Westminster, British Columbia, and has worked with building trades unions for over 20 years. He has twice served (1997 – 2003 & 2011 – 2020) as the Executive Director for the BC Building Trades Council. He worked for Canada’s Building Trades Unions in Ottawa as the Director of Political and Legislative Affairs. In addition to working with the national and provincial organizations, he has worked with local unions affiliated with the Teamsters and Heat and Frost Insulators. Sigurdson was a two term NDP Member of the Alberta Legislative Assembly (1986 – 1993) serving on several Legislative Committees as well as Official Opposition Critic for Labour, Education, Employment & Immigration and Career Development & Employment. He has been a volunteer board member for Habitat for Humanity (Lower BC Mainland), the Immigrant and Employment Council of BC, the Construction Sector Council and SkillPlan. He was appointed to serve as a board member for the BC Industry Training Authority as well as a Governor of the BC Institute of Technology. Sigurdson has worked with Indigenous leaders on workforce development programs and continues to engage in workshops as a non-indigenous co-presenter on historical colonization and current reconciliation actions. Sigurdson has managed numerous political campaigns at the national, provincial, and municipal levels in Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia. Tony Fazio is based in San Francisco, California, and has over 50 years of experience working as a community organizer, political consultant, and non-profit advisor to hundreds of campaigns in a variety of communication industries. Mr. Fazio can create and advise winning battles for Political Candidates, Initiative Referendum Campaigns, Labor Organizations, Public Relations Agencies and Public Affairs Companies across America. Mr. Fazio has worked in 45 different states since he started his career. Fazio’s political consulting firm, Winning Directions, that he founded has been in existence since 1981 and has been recognized for its creativity and winning track record, receiving over 100 Pollie Awards the political industry’s highest honor on behalf of its clients. Fazio was the past President of the American Association of Political Consultants, Campaigns and Elections magazine recognized him as an expert and rising star in the political business and American University hosts the Anthony J Fazio Political Direct Mail Archive, which houses more than 10,000 of his individual pieces of direct mail. Tony is also on the executive board of the Center for Congressional and Presidential Studies at American University. Cherri Senders is based in Los Angeles, California, and brings more than 25 years of experience in journalism and communications to her role as publisher, communications director, and consultant to dozens of labor unions and non-profits. With an extensive background in messaging to both union members as well as the public, Cherri honed her skills writing about social issues for local and national publications ranging from Omni, Working Woman and California Magazine to the LA Times and the LA Weekly. Her interest is in helping the public understand the issues complex confronting working families today. Whether tackling day-to-day issues or long-term campaigns, Cherri uses her experience in print, web, and social media, and develops and implements strategic plans that deliver measurable results on time and within budget. Her company’s award-winning publications, web sites and campaigns have helped in numerous outreach efforts, from on-going member education to contract ratifications to local, and state elections. Cherri has a BA from the University of Maryland, where she majored in English Literature. Bud Jackson is based in Alexandria, Virginia, and is an internationally recognized strategic communication and political consultant who has scripted, produced, and executed millions of dollars in highly successful and award-winning television and digital paid communication campaigns on behalf of political candidates, advocacy organizations, unions, and private sector clients. He also serves clients in public relations and crisis communication. Jackson is an early pioneer of utilizing mass communication as a catalyst to build grassroots support and activism. He produced the first-ever television ad to draft a candidate for United States President (Draft Wesley Clark for President) and soon thereafter became the first media consultant to shoot, edit and upload daily videos on behalf of a United States presidential campaign. In 2006, Draft Obama for President retained him to encourage Barack Obama to run for President of the United States. His ad “Believe Again” was the first television ad the 2008 presidential election and aired in early presidential primary states and Hawaii while the Obamas were vacationing on the island. Jackson is a president emeritus of the American Association of Political Consultants Mid-Atlantic chapter. National Journal’s Hotline profiled him, and Campaigns and Elections Magazine featured him as a “Mover and Shaker” in American politics. He appears frequently on television and radio programs and is often quoted in print and online media as an experienced political and communication strategist. He occasionally lectures on current political events, campaign strategy and strategic communication and is a contributing author to Louisiana State University’s Guide to Political Communication. A Massachusetts native now in Washington, DC, he is a graduate of Boston University’s College of Communication and has an Executive MBA degree from Quantics School of Business and Technology in Washington, DC. Nancy Todd is based in Sarasota, Florida and is a political consultant and president of Nancy Todd, Inc., an international strategic consulting firm. Todd cut her political teeth in Louisiana where she attended LSU law school and volunteered in political campaigns. She started with the legendary Matt Reese in 1979. Since then, Todd has been a consultant to over 196 campaigns in 42 states and six countries, with a winning record of 98 percent. She has worked with candidates and projects both nationally and internationally and has received several national awards for creativity in political advertising. Todd has served as Chairman and Past President of the Board of Directors of the International Association of Political Consultants and now Past President and Chairman of the American Association of Political Consultants. In 2009 Todd was inducted into the prestigious Hall of Fame of the AAPC, the first such woman to be so honored. She is a frequent speaker both nationally and internationally for governments, heads of state, key leaders in emerging democracies and major universities including Harvard, the John F. Kennedy School of Government, George Washington University, Georgetown University and Vanderbilt University. Her articles and commentary have appeared nationally in newspapers and professional publications. Aurora Strategy Group is an award-winning public affairs, government and public relations firm headquartered in Toronto, with offices in Australia, Canada, Israel, United Arab Emirates, and the United States. Contact Details Marcel Wieder +1 877-274-4685 info@aurorastrategy.com Company Website https://www.aurorastrategy.com

February 03, 2022 07:19 AM Eastern Standard Time

SURGING DAILY FANTASY SPORTS PLATFORM STATHERO’S NEWEST INNOVATIVE GAME PLAYS DRIVES PLAYER GROWTH WITH EASY AND LUCRATIVE NEW CONTESTS.

StatHero

StatHero, the next gen Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) platform with unprecedented winning percentages and an emphasis on skill over luck, is announcing the easiest, fastest way to get in on sports betting action with their ‘ PICK’EM’ games. StatHero is also offering players odds multipliers in select ‘ HEAD TO HEAD ’ house lineups. StatHero’s platform continues to breathe fresh new life into the DFS space with an 884% growth in annual revenue while still having their players clocking over a 50% winning percentage. The startup who has seemingly cracked the code between high player winning percentage and company profitability is launching another innovative new gameplay with the intent of solving the biggest issue for the daily fantasy player, their lack of time. StatHero’s PICK’EM game play is the fastest way to play the most familiar fantasy format against the house. Each contest simply pits two pre-selected and pre-posted fantasy teams against each other and players simply select which side they think will score more points. It’s been an immediate hit, especially in states where sports gaming has yet to be legalized. StatHero remains the ONLY independent fantasy sports company playable in 34 states (with more on the horizon) and with their PICK’EM gameplay players in those states no longer need to sift through hundreds of players to create a lineup. One click to pick a winner. It’s fantasy gameplay that fans love without the hours of analysis or tough decisions on who to start. Jason Jaramillo, CEO of StatHero: “We take a lot of pride in keeping things simple, fun and easy. And while the convergence of fantasy sports and sports gambling can be difficult, we think this new offering truly removes the intimidation and stigma surrounding daily fantasy sports and sports gaming altogether.” The breakthrough DFS platform has also upped the ante with their flagship ‘HEAD TO HEAD’ (H2H) contests, by offering up to 10x odds on select H2H contests to test players’ skills with bigger payouts. StatHero has launched a new challenge that gives players higher payouts on their plays if they can beat posted lineups with a lineup of a lesser salary. Putting players in control has been a hallmark of StatHero’s innovation and this new option is no different, giving players the ability to select the odds they want to play for. StatHero now offers 4 unique ways to play DFS against the house that appeal to players of all skill levels and risk profiles: PICK’EM, HEAD TO HEAD, PARLAYS and SURVIVOR POOLS. All games allow DFS players to go up against house lineups instead of long odds contests against unknown users or bogus prop plays. StatHero recently passed their $4 million Series A round of funding and is focusing on their Series B round of funding that is on the horizon for this year. For media/press inquiries on, please contact: Dianne Quirante, dianne@emcbowery.com About STATHERO Combining the best of fantasy sports and sports gaming, StatHero is a first of its kind daily fantasy sports platform. The company has exploded in growth since founded in 2019 in large part due it’s simple gameplay, low commitment and instant gratification. Stathero uses the familiar fantasy sports based format to allow players to compete against posted lineups across a variety of professional sports and game types including Survivor Pools, Head-to-Head and Fantasy Parlays. Their patent pending gameplay gives players an advantage unlike any other in fantasy sports. It’s truly daily fantasy the way it was meant to be played - one-on-one. For more information, visit: www.stathero.com and follow us on Twitter @StatHeroHq. Contact Details Dianne Quirante +1 323-654-0001 dianne@emcbowery.com Company Website https://stathero.com/

February 02, 2022 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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DistroTV Makes History as the First FAST to Debut an Original Feature Film with the Global Premiere of Its New Hispanic Film, "Escandalo Secreto"

DistroTV

DistroTV, the largest, independent, free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) platform, is set to make history as the first FAST to debut an original feature film with the global premiere of its new Hispanic film, “Escándalo Secreto: En Plena Cuarentena.” The comedy feature film, directed and written by Jorge Cano, will hit the DistroTV screen for its global premiere on February 25th. This marks the latest installment in DistroTV’s new, free-to-stream DistroTV Español channel bundle and comes on the heels of DistroTV’s recent expansion of its global distribution footprint, which now includes Latin American audiences. Translated to “Secret Scandal: In Quarantine,” “Escandalo Secreto” will debut exclusively on DistroTV Español and be available to all DistroTV audiences globally, including 17 countries in Latin America and in the U.S. where more than 53 million people speak Spanish. The Jorge Cano-helmed comedy features an international, all-star global cast including Alejandro Gutierrez, Danny Trejo, Ninel Conde, Lina Castrillon, Platanito, Nanis Ochoa, Armando Hernandez, Lorena Herrera, Reykon, Margarita Reyes, Alexander Ospina, Valentina Lizcano, Nitzia Chama, Ricardo Hill, Isabella Santiago, and Pancho Moler. The DistroTV original, based on COVID times and set in Bogota, Colombia, will have viewers laughing from beginning to end. “We were thrilled to work with such a diverse and talented group of artists on the making of this film, and to have DistroTV exclusively stream the worldwide premiere just makes sense,” says the film’s director, Jorge Cano. “DistroTV prides itself on streaming diversified content, content that will suit audiences of all backgrounds and interests. This movie premiere is special, because, to us, it represents the start of a movement -- one in which all streaming services take a better hand in helping to profile more creative talent, and to appeal to more viewers in the process.” “Right on the heels of our huge expansion into Latin America, we could not be more excited to break ground in the FAST industry and announce our debut of the first-ever direct-to-CTV original feature film,” said Navdeep Saini, co-founder and CEO of DistroScale, parent company of DistroTV. “Staying true to our commitment to continue to grow our content library to meet the needs of our growing and diverse global audience, we are so proud to premiere this original film on our platform. By also bringing exclusive Spanish-language content into our existing territories, we can ensure that this film will be seen all over the world in a time when we all could use a good laugh!” DistroTV continues to grow and diversify its 200+ channel content library. The platform’s strong programming lineup includes a mix of popular film and television shows, such Bloomberg, EuroNews, People TV, Magellan TV and TD Ameritrade network, as well as independent channels like Black Enterprise, as well as Kweli TV, which spotlights the rich history and global diversity of the Black community; and DistroTV Desi, its free-to-stream South Asian channel bundle. Audiences can enjoy these channels for free anywhere across a wide array of CTV and mobile devices, as well as on the web by visiting Distro.tv -- No registration. No credit cards. Stream for FREE. To become a viewer and / or understand which channels are available for live and / or Video-on-Demand (VoD) access in the various countries, visit https://www.distro.tv or install DistroTV for free on Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Google TV, LG TV, Samsung TV, Sony TV, iOS, or Android. View the official film trailer here. To access DistroTV Español, visit https://www.distro.tv/espanol/. About DistroTV DistroTV is the largest, independent, free, ad-supported streaming television service on the market. Launched in 2019 by parent company DistroScale, the platform caters to a multicultural, rapidly expanding, globally-minded audience of passionate viewers in the US, Canada, and UK. Satisfying the growing demand for premium video content in multiple languages, DistroTV delivers premium video content from producers globally across North America, the UK, Bollywood, Latin America, China, Southeast Asia, and growing. With more than 150 channels plus thousands of Video on Demand (VOD) shows, DistroTV cultivates content that covers a broad spectrum of topics to connect with people’s passion points around Entertainment, Lifestyle, Sports, News, Documentaries and International Content in live, linear and video-on-demand formats. DistroTV is available on the web, as well as through Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Google TV, Apple TV, LG TV, Samsung TV, Sony TV, and iOS and Android devices. About DistroScale DistroTV is the first direct-to-consumer offering from DistroScale, a technology company founded in 2013 and known for providing a global clientele of thousands of media properties with the industry's most comprehensive video platform for web, apps, and streaming. DistroScale is an all-in-one solution providing infrastructure, content delivery, curation, analytics and a full suite of monetization options. Video enabled by DistroScale reaches more than 250 million visitors per month. The company is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. To become a DistroTV viewer, visit www.distro.tv. More information on DistroScale & DistroTV is available at www.distroscale.com. Contact Details Kite Hill PR Mackenzie Gavel +1 631-739-5716 distrotv@kitehillpr.com Company Website https://www.distro.tv

February 02, 2022 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time