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U.S. Commerce Department Imposes Heavy Preliminary Duties on All Imports of Russian Ferrosilicon

U.S. Ferrosilicon Producers

The U.S. Commerce Department (“Commerce”) today announced preliminarily antidumping duties (“AD”) of 283.27 percent and countervailing duties (“CVD”) of 748.58 percent on all imports of ferrosilicon from Russia. Commerce’s determination is in response to petitions filed by U.S. ferrosilicon producers, CC Metals and Alloys, LLC (“CC Metals”) and Ferroglobe USA, Inc. (“Ferroglobe”), requesting eight AD and CVD investigations into unfairly priced and subsidized imports of ferrosilicon from Russia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and Brazil. All eight investigations were initiated on April 17, 2024. The significant duties announced today on Russian ferrosilicon imports address unfair pricing of Russian imports and improper subsidies received by Russian producers and exporters. CC Metals and Ferroglobe welcomed Commerce’s announcement. “Today’s announcement confirms that Russian producers and exporters received massive government subsidies that have allowed them to flood the U.S. market with unfairly traded ferrosilicon imports. This allowed Russia to be the dominant import source, accounting for over 30% of all imports in 2023,” said Marco Levi, Chief Executive Officer of Ferroglobe PLC. “These preliminary duties begin the process of removing the market and price distortions caused by improper Russian government intervention and support.” “Commerce’s decision validates our analysis that Russian producers and exporters have not been playing by the rules of international trade that they agreed to follow,” said Chris Cobb, Plant Manager of CC Metals and Alloys, Inc. “We are grateful to Commerce staff for its hard work and commitment to enforcing U.S. trade laws and ensuring that everyone complies with their international obligations. We look forward to seeing a level playing field restored.” Once Commerce’s determination is published in the Federal Register in the coming days, all importers of Russian ferrosilicon will be required to post cash deposits or a bond to secure the significant potential duties they may owe. Commerce also is continuing its investigations of imports from Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and Brazil. In those investigations, preliminary CVD determinations will be made no later than August 12, 2024, and AD determinations will be made no later than October 24, 2024. If the determinations in those cases are also affirmative, provisional duties on imports from Kazakhstan, Malaysia, and Brazil will be collected based on the preliminary margins calculated by Commerce. About the CC Metals and Ferroglobe CC Metals traces its roots back to 1949, when it was founded as a producer of large-volume commodity ferroalloys for the steel industry in Calvert City, Kentucky. Today CC Metals is an ISO 9001 certified leading manufacturer of more than 40 different products including 18 different ferrosilicons and more than 20 different magnesium ferrosilicon inoculants, high purity, 3%-9% magnesium and proprietary alloys. CC Metals ships over 100,000 metric tons of finished product annually from its manufacturing facility in Calvert City, KY via barge, rail and truck. Ferroglobe USA, Inc. is a wholly-owned U.S. subsidiary of Ferroglobe PLC, a world leading producer of silicon metal and ferroalloys, serving a customer base across the globe in dynamic and fast-growing end markets, such as solar, automotive, consumer products, construction and energy. Through its subsidiaries, Ferroglobe operates metallurgical manufacturing facilities and mining sites in Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, South Carolina, and West Virginia. For more information, visit https://www.ccmetals.com/ and https://www.ferroglobe.com/. Contact Details Elizabeth Heaton +1 202-445-9858 elizabeth@eahstrategiesllc.com

June 24, 2024 05:47 PM Eastern Daylight Time

New Scholarship Examines How Changing Generations Affects U.S. Politics

University of Michigan Press

As we approach another presidential election, attention will return to polls and how we can expect voting to vary by generation. Already New York Times articles in 2024 have featured the headlines “Young Voters Have an Entirely Different Concept of Politics” and “Prospect of a Rematch of Biden-Trump Causes Young Voters to Retreat.” Our pop culture often assumes that different generations have different political leanings and beliefs—that the Silent Generation is all Republican, white, and conservative, or that Millennials are liberal and diverse—but are these assumptions true? The University of Michigan Press is publishing a book that explores this very question: Generational Politics in the United States: From the Silents to Gen Z and Beyond edited by Sally Friedman & David Schultz. Generational Politics in the United States From the Silents to Gen Z and Beyond Edited by Sally Friedman & David Schultz Publication Date: June 18, 2024 Cloth ISBN 978-0-472-07676-5 | $90.00 Paper ISBN 978-0-472-05676-7 | $44.95 Open Access ISBN 978-0-472-90444-0 454 pages, 62 figures, 38 tables, 6x9” Distributor: Chicago Distribution Center press.umich.edu/Books/G/Generational-Politics-in-the-United-States2 "What's in a generation? How do we know when a new one begins, while an old one ends? Going beyond public opinion to also explore how generations manifest themselves within elite behavior, this book is bound to be a cornerstone in the study of generational politics and political socialization, shaping the discourse for years to come." — Elias Dinas, European University Institute This is the first comprehensive book that examines the concept of generations from a political science perspective. It brings together chapters from an array of political science scholars that will give readers insight into the role of generations in American politics, how generations relate to other variables such as age, race, gender, and socioeconomic status, how politics in the United States are impacted by changes in generations, and how the passing of the Baby Boom generation and rise of the Millennials and Gen Z will change American politics. This book is part of the University of Michigan Press's "Dialogues in Democracy" collection, which invites all readers to find books that contextualize their experiences of voting in America. To make sure all interested readers have an opportunity to engage with this scholarship, the book will be published open access and will be immediately available free-to-read online. The University of Michigan Press is a vital component of UM Library's Publishing division, which is the primary academic publishing division of the University. In partnership with authors and series editors, they publish in a wide range of humanities and social science disciplines. They champion the library's dedication to helping all learners, researchers, and creators to succeed through global digital and print publishing and distribution programs. The Press, with a rich history of publishing expertise, continues to lead in the development of digital scholarship and to support the dissemination of quality knowledge as widely and freely as possible. Contact Details Press contact: Danielle Coty-Fattal - Publicity Manager dcoty@umich.edu Interview Contacts: David Schultz +1 612-396-8043 dschultz@hamline.edu Sally Friedman sfriedman2@albany.edu

June 17, 2024 11:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Hoffman Financial Group Joins Forces with AmeriLife’s Brookstone Capital Management

AmeriLife

Brookstone Capital Management (“Brookstone”), a leading, SEC-Registered Investment Advisory (RIA) firm and affiliate of AmeriLife Group, LLC (“AmeriLife”), announced today that it has partnered with Hoffman Financial Group, a nationally recognized financial planning firm based in Atlanta. Per the agreement, terms of the deal were not disclosed. “We’re excited to partner with the Hoffman team. This collaboration will only strengthen both organizations and continue to provide best-in-class solutions for them and all the clients they serve,” said Dean Zayed, CEO of Brookstone Capital Management. “Additionally, this partnership underscores Brookstone’s ongoing investment and commitment to our advisors and our goal to be the leader at the intersection of insurance and securities.” “Hoffman Financial Group is a premier financial services firm – Chris and his team have created something special that we are excited to be a part of,” added Darryl Ronconi, president of Brookstone Capital Management. “With a broader relationship with Brookstone and AmeriLife, our goal is to help continue to accelerate their significant growth by providing them with even more resources and support.” Founded in 2011, Hoffman Financial Group is a comprehensive financial and retirement planning firm with one goal in mind: to be the go-to financial advisor for individuals wanting to retire. The firm offers a completely hands-on approach to retirement planning and a full suite of wealth management offerings, including investment management, 401(k) and IRA rollovers, tax planning, and more through its eight investment advisor representatives. Hoffman Financial Group has applied this high-touch approach to unique offerings such as Her Wealth Her Way ®, designed specifically to help women retire with comfort, confidence, and class. Hoffman Financial Group is also incredibly active in the media, bringing its expertise on money management to viewers of The Financial Edge on Atlanta’s CBS 46 and ABC’s Good Morning America Weekend every Sunday morning, and to listeners of Money Unleashed on Atlanta’s 95.5 WSB every Sunday afternoon. Additionally, the firm is an Official Partner of the University of Georgia Bulldogs ® and, most recently, was named Official Financial Advisor of former Bulldog and NFL player Brock Bowers, partnerships that have cemented Hoffman Financial Group as a leading financial services company alongside two distinguished names in collegiate sports. “I couldn’t be more excited to partner and expand our relationship with Brookstone,” said Chris Hoffman, founder of Hoffman Financial Group. “They are the best partner to take us to the next level. The entire team is thrilled about the opportunity of aligning Hoffman Financial Group with the extensive resources and talent that they offer.” Now, as part of the AmeriLife family of companies, Hoffman Financial Group will enjoy broad access to best-in-class platforms, tools, resources, and an expansive product portfolio to move quickly into new markets, accelerate production, and drive the firm’s growth for years to come. “Chris Hoffman has built a powerhouse brand and business that is reshaping retirement planning for America’s retirees,” said Mike Vietri, Chief Distribution Officer for AmeriLife Wealth Group. “We’re incredibly excited for Hoffman Financial Group to join forces with Brookstone as part of AmeriLife Wealth Group, and look forward to integrating their unique approach, expertise, and leadership into our fast-growing distribution platform.” ### About Hoffman Financial Group Hoffman Financial Group is a leading financial planning firm based in Atlanta, Ga. With a personalized approach coupled with highest standards of financial advisory services, the firm specializes in principal protection, income planning, wealth accumulation, legacy planning, and more. For more information, visit HoffmanCorporation.com. About Brookstone Capital Management Founded in 2006, Brookstone Capital Management (BCM) is an SEC-Registered Investment Advisory firm with over $9.5B in Assets Under Management (AUM), providing fee-based investment management services through its network of more than 750 financial advisors and firms. Brookstone is an innovator and industry leader and empowers independent financial advisors of all sizes to scale their business by providing access to a Turnkey Asset Management Platform (TAMP) along with a dedicated team to support every aspect of an advisor’s practice. Visit BrookstoneCM.com for more information. About AmeriLife AmeriLife’s strength is its mission: to provide insurance and retirement solutions to help people live longer, healthier lives. In doing so, AmeriLife has become recognized as a leader in developing, marketing, and distributing life and health insurance, annuities and retirement planning solutions to enhance the lives of pre-retirees and retirees across the United States. For more than 50 years, AmeriLife has partnered with top insurance carriers to provide value and quality to customers served through a distribution network of over 300,000 insurance agents and advisors and 120 marketing organizations and insurance agency locations nationwide. For more information, visit AmeriLife.com, and follow AmeriLife on Facebook and LinkedIn. Contact Details Media Jeff Maldonado media@amerilife.com Partnership Inquiries Patrick Nichols corporatedevelopment@amerilife.com Company Website https://amerilife.com/

June 17, 2024 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

bluSPARC™ Expands Executive Team for Next Phase of Growth

bluSPARC

bluSPARC, an innovator in connecting leadership development to organizational performance, announces two new members of its executive leadership team: Chief Growth Officer Michael Hubert and Chief Operating Officer Dr. Lori Bradley. Both professionals will impact client engagement with Hubert overseeing the growth strategy and Bradley managing interactions with clients and the delivery of bluSPARC’s high-touch approach. Since launching in 2019, bluSPARC has worked with organizations from start-ups to Fortune 100 firms including Amazon, Chewy, Simple Tire, and 5.11. In the past year, the company has increased the number of leaders in its development programs by nearly 300%. Grounded in evidence-based leadership theories and shaped by its founders’ decades of practical experience, bluSPARC’s approach delivers measurable results for individual and organizational growth. “With the addition of Lori and promotion of Michael to the executive team, we will be more strategic about innovation and expansion. As experts in organizational growth and performance, we knew the time was right to change the management structure and bring more expertise to the executive level,” said Co-Founder Kim Villeneuve, Ed.D. “Lori’s deep background in engagement management and talent development combined with Michael’s proven proficiency in client-centric growth strategies and data analytics will drive smart, sustainable growth.” Bradley is a prominent leadership icon and influencer in talent management having held senior talent roles at a range of companies including Chewy, Amazon, United Airlines, and PVH, one of the world’s largest global apparel companies that includes iconic brands Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger. She comes to bluSPARC as a former client which gives her a unique understanding of the organization’s approach to development and succession planning. In addition, she has served as Executive Chair of the bluSPARC Elite program since January 2024. “bluSPARC’s focus on addressing the individual needs and leadership pain points of each client with its three-part approach of proprietary assessments, cohort learning for teams, and executive leadership coaching really sets it apart,” said Dr. Bradley. “After experiencing the program for myself and my work with companies through the bluSPARC Elite program, I know the changes this approach can make for executives and organizations. I am thrilled to be part of this next phase of the company.” As CGO, Hubert will lead the strategic alignment of bluSPARC’s services to customize them for each client’s specific goals. He has been serving as bluSPARC’s Vice President of Finance, Technology, and Operations for more than two years and has a deep understanding of the company’s strengths and areas for growth. Hubert’s deep background includes work in investment banking at Meridian Capital, experience leading Analytics Strategy at Starbucks, and a Master of Information and Data Science from UC Berkeley. “Michael’s talents add so much value for both bluSPARC and our clients,” said Co-Founder Andrew Rahaman, Ed.D. “His analytical background is essential for improving how we manage and implement our assessment frameworks to help organizations drive performance and growth. After working with us as a vice president, he knows the company and the best ways to optimize and expand so much of what bluSPARC does internally around technology, customer service, marketing, and financial functions.” “It is rare for an executive coaching company to have the ability to connect data to behavior change. By providing these metrics, our clients can clearly see the return on investment of the bluSPARC approach. I am looking forward to increasing the use bluSPARC’s science-based methodology to do even more to improve leaders and help organizations thrive,” said Michael Hubert. “Despite our recent growth, I’ve identified a lot of untapped potential within the organization that we can leverage by using technology in more ways and establishing systems to support consistency and efficiency.” For more information or to schedule a personal consultation, visit www.bluSPARC.com. About bluSPARC™ bluSPARC develops leadership programs tailored to the unique needs of professionals at every level of an organization. Its integrated three-part approach incorporates executive coaching, cohort learning, and competency-based assessments that align with current and future goals of both individual participants and their companies. Founded by scholars of leadership principles and honed through years of industry experience, bluSPARC’s team of diverse organizational behavior experts is committed to the science of metrics-driven leadership to create transformational change. When bluSPARC ignites leaders, the enterprise thrives. Contact Details Catbear Communications for bluSPARC Melissa Arnoff Melissa.Arnoff@catbearcomms.com Company Website https://www.blusparc.com

June 12, 2024 09:35 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Yandex develops and open-sources an LLM training tool that saves up to 20% of GPU resources

Yandex

Yandex introduces YaFSDP, a method for faster and more efficient large language model (LLM) training. Potentially saving users hundreds of thousands of dollars per month. Available free. Yandex, a global tech company, recently introduced YaFSDP, an open-source method for training large language models (LLMs). YaFSDP is currently the most effective publicly available tool for enhancing GPU communication and reducing memory usage in LLM training, offering a speedup of up to 26% compared to FSDP, depending on the architecture and number of parameters. Reducing the training time for LLMs through the use of YaFSDP can result in savings of up to 20% in GPU resources. “Currently, we're actively experimenting with various model architectures and parameter sizes to expand YaFSDP’s versatility,” noted Mikhail Khruschev, a senior developer at Yandex and part of the team behind YaFSDP. “We are thrilled to share our developments in LLM training with the global ML community, contributing to increased accessibility and efficiency for researchers and developers worldwide.” The case for YaFSDP LLM training is a time-consuming and resource-intensive process. Machine learning engineers and companies that develop their own LLMs invest significant time and GPU resources — which equals money — in training these models. The larger the model, the greater the time and expenses associated with its training. Yandex’s YaFSDP works by eliminating GPU communication inefficiencies, ensuring that training requires only necessary processor memory and making GPU interactions uninterrupted. YaFSDP optimizes learning speed and performance, enabling AI developers worldwide to use less computing power and GPU resources when training their models. For instance, in a pre-training scenario involving a model with 70 billion parameters, using YaFSDP can save the resources of approximately 150 GPUs, which translates to roughly $0.5 to $1.5 million (depending on the virtual GPU provider or platform) in potential monthly savings. YaFSDP’s training efficiency YaFSDP, an enhanced version of FSDP, outperforms the FSDP method in the most communication-heavy stages of LLM training like pre-training, alignment, and fine-tuning. The final speedup shown by YaFSDP on Llama 2 and Llama 3 demonstrates significant improvements in training speed, reaching 21% and 26% on Llama 2 70B and Llama 3 70B respectively. “YaFSDP has shown impressive results on models ranging from 13 to 70 billion parameters, with particularly strong performance in the 30 to 70 billion range,” said Mikhail Khruschev. “Currently, YaFSDP is best suited for widely-used open-source models based on the LLaMA architecture.” YaFSDP isn’t Yandex’s first open-source tool. The company has previously shared several other tools that have become popular with the ML community, including: CatBoost, a high-performance library for gradient boosting on decision trees. YTsaurus, a big data platform for distributed storage and processing. AQLM, one of the most advanced quantization algorithms for extreme compression of large language models, developed jointly by Yandex Research, HSE University, IST Austria, and NeuralMagic. Petals, a library designed to simplify the process of training and fine-tuning LLMs, developed in a collaboration involving Yandex Research, HSE University, University of Washington, Hugging Face, ENS Paris-Saclay, and Yandex School of Data Analysis. Accessing YaFSDP YaFSDP is freely available on Github. – – – – – For Reference During large language model (LLM) training, developers have to efficiently manage three primary resources: computing power, processor memory, and processor communications. YaFSDP conserves the first two, which helps to accelerate the LLM training process. LLM training relies on numerous GPUs organized into clusters — arrays of interconnected graphics processors that can perform the vast number of calculations necessary to train models with billions of parameters. Distributing computations among processors within a cluster requires constant communication, which often becomes a "bottleneck", slowing the training process and resulting in inefficient use of computing power. To overcome this bottleneck, Yandex developers created YaFSDP, a method that improves GPU communication and optimizes learning speed and performance. When combined with Yandex’s other performance-enhancing solutions, the method accelerated the training process by up to 45% for some of its models. YaFSDP works by eliminating GPU communication inefficiencies, which leads to optimized network usage and reduced memory load. It ensures that training requires only necessary processor memory and makes GPU interactions uninterrupted, facilitating further optimizations like minimizing processor communication time. This leads to a significant enhancement in both performance and memory efficiency. The YaFSDP method can be used effectively in transformer-based text generative models with multiple layers (multilayer perceptrons), mostly represented by LLaMA-like models. In a pre-training scenario involving a model with 70 billion parameters, using YaFSDP can save the resources of approximately 150 GPUs. When compared to FSDP, the final speedup shown by YaFSDP on Llama 2 and Llama 3 demonstrates significant improvements in training efficiency. About Yandex Yandex is a global technology company that builds intelligent products and services powered by machine learning. The company’s goal is to help consumers and businesses better navigate the online and offline world. Since 1997, Yandex has been delivering world-class, locally relevant search and information services and has also developed market-leading on-demand transportation services, navigation products, and other mobile applications for millions of consumers across the globe. Contact Details NettResults Media Team media@nettresults.com

June 12, 2024 08:55 AM Eastern Daylight Time

NOVUS INK Advisors and Solidus Capital Group Team-up to Serve Growing Transatlantic Commercial Interests of Mid-Market Enterprises

NOVUS INK Advisors

NOVUS INK Advisors and Solidus Capital Group signed a services agreement today to provide integrated senior advisory and execution services to small-and mid-market enterprises amid thriving commercial interests between the United States and Europe. The two firms aim to accelerate client services by combining expertise and resources to support growth into new markets, encompassing management counsel, valuation, performance tracking, board advisory, marketing, communication, public and government affairs. The collaboration will enable NOVUS INK Advisors and Solidus Capital Group to meet the unique needs of global small-and mid-market enterprise clients operating across business-to-consumer, business-to-business, and business-to-government segments. The transatlantic economy is proving remarkably robust in the face of global economic and geopolitical disruptions. No two other regions in the world are as deeply integrated as the United States and Europe, according to the 2024 Transatlantic Economy Report from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, AmCham EU, Johns Hopkins SAIS and the Transatlantic Leadership Network. The report states: "the $8.7 trillion transatlantic economy employs more than 16 million workers in mutually onshored jobs on both sides of the Atlantic. It is the largest and wealthiest market in the world, accounting for half of total global personal consumption and close to one-third of world GDP in purchasing power. Ties are solid in foreign direct investment, portfolio investment, banking claims, trade and affiliate sales in goods and services, digital links, energy, mutual R&D investment, patent cooperation, technology flows, and sales of knowledge-intensive services." The services agreement will be overseen by a committee chaired by Pia De Lima and Daniel Diaz, NOVUS INK Advisors' Managing Partners, and Andreas Dal Santo, Solidus Capital Group's Managing Director. NOVUS INK Advisors is based in Miami. Solidus Capital Group, affiliated with Atlantic Business Labs, is based in New York. NOVUS INK Advisors is a communication, public and government affairs lobbying firm. NOVUS INK Advisors' practice areas include Corporate, Band and Product Reputation, Business Strategy, Crisis and Reputation Risk, Financial Services, Investor Relations, Mergers & Acquisitions, Brand and Product Marketing Communications Strategy, and Public and Government Affairs. NOVUS INK Advisors is a registered lobbying firm. To learn more, visit: www.NovusInk.com. Solidus Capital Group specializes in management consulting, business valuation, and board advisory services for firms expanding into North America, Latin America, and Europe. It is spearheading an ecosystem of companies, consultants, and subject matter experts with experience from different industries and regions to support corporate and institutional clients' global strategies and growth into new markets. To learn more, visit www.solidus-capital.com. CONTACTS: NOVUS INK Advisors: client.services@NovusInk.com Solidus Capital Group: client.services@Solidus-Capital.com Contact Details NOVUS INK Advisors Client Services client.services@NovusInk.com Company Website https://www.novusink.com/about

June 11, 2024 09:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

AmeriLife and Succession Capital Alliance Partner to Expand Distribution Platform for Advanced Life Insurance Solutions

AmeriLife

AmeriLife Group, LLC (“AmeriLife”), a national leader in developing, marketing, and distributing life and health insurance, annuities, and retirement planning solutions, announced today that it has partnered with Succession Capital Alliance (“SCA”), the innovator behind premium financing for life insurance and a leading provider of advanced life insurance solutions for financial professionals and their high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients. Per the agreement, terms of the deal were not disclosed. “Succession Capital Alliance stands out in our industry for its unique approach to serving the high-net-worth life insurance market,” said Scott R. Perry, chairman and CEO of AmeriLife. “I’m excited to welcome Julian Movsesian and his team to AmeriLife as our newest partners. Succession represents a powerful addition to our growing distribution, and I look forward to working together.” Founded in 2004, SCA is known industrywide for its proprietary, nationally recognized Capital Maximization Strategy℠, an innovative strategy that finances policy premiums through custom loans tailored to each client’s unique circumstances to maximize the value of their life insurance assets. This approach – coupled with deep relationships with top carriers and financial institutions – has set SCA apart in the high-net-worth space and has helped financial professionals place more than $60 billion of life insurance and $6 billion of financed life premium since inception. Now, alongside AmeriLife, SCA will gain access to best-in-class shared services and one of the largest wealth distribution networks in the industry to expand its market opportunities and accelerate its already impressive growth. “Over the past 20 years, Succession Capital Alliance has grown into the premier partner for elite advisors across the nation in the advanced life insurance space,” said president and CEO Julian Movsesian. “Our partnership with AmeriLife will enable us to get to the next level, as it offers SCA the ability to expand our distribution channels and leverage AmeriLife’s technology, shared services, and deep analytical capabilities. I couldn’t be more excited for our team and the financial professionals we serve.” As AmeriLife Wealth Group continues to break through traditional distribution models, the addition of Succession Capital Alliance will help drive and fortify its wealth protection business, arming AmeriLife’s growing wealth affiliate network with advanced life, tax, estate, and succession planning solutions in service to the company’s holistic approach to the markets it serves. “Today’s announcement is another critical milestone achieved for AmeriLife Wealth Group and our ability to grow and sustain the next generation of wealth firms and their financial professionals,” said Mike Vietri, Chief Distribution Officer for AmeriLife Wealth Group. “SCA provides a distinctive offering that will not only elevate our life insurance business, but also expand protection solutions for more agents and their clients.” ### About Succession Capital Alliance Succession Capital Alliance, headquartered in Newport Beach, California, is the gold standard in advanced life insurance planning for advisors and their high-net-worth clients. With a singular focus on maximizing the performance of life insurance assets through Premium Financing, SCA leverages the Capital Maximization Strategy to provide leverage within a client's portfolio. For additional information, please visit SuccessionCapital.com. About AmeriLife AmeriLife’s strength is its mission: to provide insurance and retirement solutions to help people live longer, healthier lives. In doing so, AmeriLife has become recognized as the leader in developing, marketing, and distributing life and health insurance, annuities, and retirement planning solutions to enhance the lives of pre-retirees and retirees across the United States. For more than 50 years, AmeriLife has partnered with top insurance carriers to provide value and quality to customers served through a distribution network of over 300,000 insurance agents and financial professionals and more than 100 marketing organizations and insurance agency locations nationwide. For more information, visit AmeriLife.com, and follow AmeriLife on Facebook and LinkedIn. Contact Details AmeriLife Jeff Maldonado +1 321-297-1112 media@amerilife.com Succession Capital Alliance Adrina Movsesian amovsesian@successioncapital.com Partnership Inquiries Patrick Nichols corporatedevelopment@amerilife.com Company Website https://amerilife.com/

June 10, 2024 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Comcast Announces Live American Sign Language Interpreting Services at Eight Bay Area Xfinity Store Locations

Comcast California

As part of its ongoing commitment to digital inclusion and accessibility, Comcast today announced the availability of live American Sign Language (ASL) interpreting services at eight Xfinity Store Locations in the Greater Bay Area. Customers who need ASL support can stop into any of the select Bay Area Xfinity Stores, where representatives will utilize ASL Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) to access a live interpreter provided by partner, Communication Service for the Deaf (CSD). The Retail Associate simply taps the app on the store iPad and is connected in moments via video to a live interpreter who can translate from ASL to English and vice versa as the customer and Associate converse. “We’re proud to deliver an inclusive service solution that will help more customers better interact and engage with Retail Associates representing our Xfinity Products and Services, to provide them with a much better in-store experience,” said Thomas Wlodkowski, Comcast Vice President for Accessibility. “I’m also grateful to our partners in California — who are helping to close the digital divide for more members of our disabled community by working with us on a variety of digital equity initiatives.” Comcast launched the ASL VRI service as a pilot in select stores last year; it is the first telecommunications retailer in the country to offer live, on-demand, remote ASL interpreting services in stores to better serve customers. The company is expanding the service to additional stores across the country this year. The eight Xfinity Greater Bay Area stores that offer ASL VRI service include: San Jose: 1068 E. Brokaw Rd. # 50, San Jose, CA 95131 Sunnyvale: 301 W. McKinley Ave. Suite 140, Sunnyvale, CA 94086 San Jose: 1566 Monterey Hwy #20, San Jose, CA 95110 San Jose: 1600 Saratoga Ave., San Jose, CA 95129 Palo Alto: 2825 El Camino Real #100, Palo Alto, CA 94306 Fremont: 43325 Christy St., Fremont, CA 94538 Oakland: 3070 E. 9 th St., Oakland, CA 94601 Dublin: 4104 Grafton St., Dublin, CA 94568 “As part of California School for the Deaf’s mission, we are deeply committed to providing a language rich environment that maximizes communication access in order for our students to lead fulfilling lives,” said Amy Novotny, Superintendent, California School for the Deaf. “Access to technology and connectivity builds confidence and independence, and that’s why we are excited to partner with Comcast on opportunities to close the digital divide for members of our Deaf and hard of hearing community.” The American Community Survey (ACS) estimates that 3.6% of the U.S. population is “deaf or have serious difficulty hearing.” Additionally, according to Pew Research Center, 23% of people with disabilities say they never go online, with 57% saying they do not have a home broadband connection. That’s why, through its Project UP initiative, Comcast is working to address and eliminate the unique barriers to connectivity through a series of efforts, including Internet Essentials, Lift Zones, and skill development and training. In addition to announcing this inclusive retail experience for customers, Comcast donated $60,000 in digital equity grants to community partners, San Francisco LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, California School for the Deaf, and the World Institute on Disability. These grants aim to broaden the scope of digital inclusion and accessibility to students, families, seniors, and community members. “Assistive technologies are opening doors to greater independence for folks with a range of disabilities,” said Sharon Giovinazzo Chief Executive Officer of the San Francisco LightHouse of the Blind and Visually Impaired. “These innovations truly can level the playing field. Comcast has been a valued partner in delivering technologies and supporting our efforts to promote independence, community, and equity for blind and low vision people.” “Diversity, equity and inclusion are the guiding stars of what we do here at the World Institute on Disability, and it is gratifying to see partners, such as Comcast, who also believe that equity and accessibility go hand-in-hand,” said Marcie Roth, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, World Institute on Disability. “Technology continues to evolve rapidly, and we must continue to work together to invest in solutions, which will help support people with disabilities having equal and greater access to products and services in today’s world as well as laying the foundation for greater accessibility for future generations.” About Comcast’s Accessibility Program: For more than a decade, Comcast has invested in making its products, technology, and experiences accessible to the widest possible audience while opening new doors to independence for people with disabilities. These innovations include the Large Button Voice Remote, voted USA Today’s Best Accessible Design remote in 2023, and the Xfinity Adaptive Web Remote. To learn more about Comcast’s groundbreaking accessibility work, visit corporate.comcast.com/accessibility. About Comcast Corporation: Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company. From the connectivity and platforms, we provide, to the content and experiences we create, our businesses reach hundreds of millions of customers, viewers, and guests worldwide. We deliver world-class broadband, wireless, and video through Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky; produce, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through brands including NBC, Telemundo, Universal, Peacock, and Sky; and bring incredible theme parks and attractions to life through Universal Destinations & Experiences. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. Contact Details Comcast Calfornia Jon Koriel +1 925-315-2690 jon_koriel@comcast.com Company Website https://california.comcast.com/

June 06, 2024 10:15 AM Pacific Daylight Time

Kevel Named to Newsweek’s List of the Top 100 Global Most Loved Workplaces for 2024

Kevel

Kevel has ranked #13 on Newsweek ’sTop 100 Global Most Loved Workplaces® list for 2024. This is the 2 nd annual Top 100 Global Most Loved Workplaces® list in collaboration with the Best Practice Institute (BPI), a leadership development and benchmark research company. The results were determined after surveying more than 2 million employees from businesses with workforces varying in size from 30 to more than 10,000. The list recognizes companies that put respect, caring, and appreciation for their employees at the center of their business model and, in doing so, have earned the loyalty and respect of the people who work for them. Why is Kevel most loved? Kevel is committed to creating a thriving and diverse community, and it doesn't just show up in their recruitment. By addressing feedback from specific groups, from BIPOC to LGBTQ+ to women, Kevel ensures everyone has the psychological safety to be their authentic selves in the workplace. And with all-staff annual retreats, an international remote-first culture and the opportunity to work on cutting-edge, innovative technology, what's not to love? “We pride ourselves on being a people-first organization where we encourage vulnerability, authenticity and transparency. We aim to build an environment where every employee feels respected, welcomed and heard. We provide autonomy and flexibility, and promote from within to ensure every employee has the opportunity to reach their full potential.” - Mike Kohn Chief People Officer, Kevel How positive workers feel about their future at the company, career achievement, how much employer values align with employee values, respect at all levels, and the level of collaboration at the firm were the five critical areas measured to gauge employee sentiment. In addition, areas such as inclusion, employee wellness, diversity, career development, and company leadership were identified and analyzed in relation to the five critical areas measured. “As workplaces continue to shift, it’s clearer than ever that fostering collaboration, embracing a positive outlook, and aligning values are essential. The companies celebrated on the 2024 Global Most Loved Workplaces® list truly embody these principles. They show us that by championing respect and team oriented outcomes, they’re not just building great workplaces, they’re shaping a brighter future for all.” - Nancy Cooper, Global Editor in Chief of Newsweek Methodology BPI measures five primary areas to determine how employees feel about where they work to create the Most Loved Workplaces® list: the level of collaboration at the workplace, how positive workers are about their future at the company, how much employer values align with employee values; respect at all levels and career achievement. In consultation with Newsweek editors, BPI also considered employee wellness, diversity, inclusion, career advancement, and other workplace and talent development initiatives. To identify the top 100 companies ranked in this Newsweek publication, companies were evaluated and scored as follows: 50 percent of the initial score was based on direct employee responses to BPI's proprietary Love of Workplace Index® assessment. Another 15 percent was derived from analysis of external public ratings from sites such as Comparably, Careerbliss, Glassdoor, Indeed, and Google. The final 35 percent came from BPI’s direct interviews and written responses from company officials. Newsweek then researched every company on the list to determine the final list of 100 companies and their rankings. To view Kevel’s ranking and the full list, visit the Global Most Loved Workplaces® 2024 page. To learn more about the Most Loved Workplace certification, visit https://mostlovedworkplace.com/ and the Best Practice Institute, visit bestpracticeinstitute.org. About Kevel Kevel powers innovative, flexible ad tech infrastructure APIs that fuel its ad serving solutions. It’s unique offering empowers multi-brand retailers to launch differentiated retail media networks that improve the shopper experience while maintaining total control of their first-party data. Kevel believes that every digital retailer should have the capability to scale their own distinct ad platform, just like big tech players like Amazon. Customers like Edmunds, Klarna, Delivery Hero, Leroy Merlin, Slickdeals, and other leading retailers and marketplaces all launched their own retail media network with Kevel. The company has garnered numerous accolades, most recently earning recognition as one of the leading 100 innovative tech start-ups driving the future of brand-to-consumer in 2023 and awarded the MarTech Breakthrough Award for best overall ad tech company in 2022. Learn more at www.kevel.com Contact Details Kevel Jennifer Choo Director of Marketing +1 973-343-8819 jchoo@kevel.com

June 06, 2024 09:58 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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