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Sage Communications Recognized as a PRNEWS Elite Top 100 Agency

Sage Communications

Sage Communications, a leading technology and public sector marketing and public relations agency in the Washington, D.C. metro region, announced today it was named to PRNEWS ’ 2022 Agency Elite Top 100 List. The national catalogue celebrates the top communications firms that represent their clients through innovation, strategy and creativity, while driving the best results, reputation, media coverage and thought leadership. “This recognition is a true testament to the hours of hard work our team members put in on a daily basis and the awe-inspiring stories our clients have to tell,” said Julie Murphy, senior vice president of public relations. “We take great pride in the work we do for our incredible clients in technology, government, education and beyond, and are grateful to be recognized among the industry’s best.” The top 100 list ranges from small boutique agencies to some of the largest global firms in the world. Honorees were chosen based on successful case studies, client testimonials and noteworthy capabilities that stand out in the PR and communications arena. Founded in 2003, Sage is known for its tactical support to clients across cybersecurity, technology, government and more. The company’s work in public relations and social media, combined with marketing, lead generation and events, has served the D.C. area for almost 20 years, and continues to grow. View the 2022 PRNEWS Agency Elite Top 100 list by visiting https://bit.ly/3m8dsne. To learn more about how Sage can help tell your organization’s story, visit www.aboutsage.com. About Sage Communications Located in the Greater Washington, D.C. area, Sage Communications is a full-service marketing communications and public relations agency providing strategic marketing services to technology, government, healthcare, pharmaceuticals, non-profits and consumer-oriented organizations. The company provides a unique fusion of traditional and digital services that include public relations, advertising, marketing, branding, social media, interactive services, and event management to Fortune 500 companies, start-ups, non-profits, government agencies, associations and coalitions to deliver custom, high-impact communications programs. Sage supports several organizations and activities including the Leadership of Greater Washington, DC Jazz Festival, Access Youth, and The Children’s Inn at NIH. For more information, please visit our website at www.aboutsage.com or visit us on Twitter and LinkedIn. Contact Details Sage Communications Mike Atkinson +1 703-891-5686 matkinson@aboutsage.com Company Website https://www.AboutSage.com

August 18, 2021 08:35 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Melwood’s Board Welcomes New Members, Gives Thanks to Outgoing Directors

Melwood

Melwood, a leading national employer and advocate for people with disabilities, is honored to welcome Suzanna Kang, Raquel Tamez, and Robb Wong to its Board of Directors. Led by Chair Don Hathway, Melwood’s Board drives the organization’s strategic vision and stewardship. As General Counsel for the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), the trade association representing the $422 billion U.S. consumer technology industry, which supports more than 18 million U.S. jobs, Suzanna Kang brings critical experience and knowledge to the Board, as Melwood strategically expands its workforce development and employment initiatives in this sector. A graduate of The Georgetown University Law Center, Kang is an active volunteer in the Washington, DC metropolitan area, serves on the Board of the Parents Council of Washington, and is a member of Many Hands DC. Raquel Tamez is the Chief Inclusion & Engagement Officer at CRA International, a leading global consulting firm specializing in management consulting and economic litigation, representing 80% of Fortune 100 companies and 94% of AMLAW 100 companies. Throughout her career, Tamez has been a champion for breaking down workforce barriers for disenfranchised communities. As CEO of the Society of Hispanic Engineers (SHPE), she led SHPE’s mission of empowering the Hispanic community to realize its fullest potential through careers in STEM—science, technology, engineering, and math. As General Counsel for SourceAmerica, Tamez supported the critical work of this nonprofit organization that creates tens of thousands of employment opportunities for people with disabilities annually across the United States through the U.S. AbilityOne Program. She is a graduate of St. Mary’s University School of Law and the University of Texas at Austin. Robb Wong is the CEO of FedSolve, LLC, a management consulting company for small business growth strategy. He recently served as the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Associate Administrator for the Office of Government Contracting and Business Development, where he was a tireless advocate for small business government contractors across the United States to ensure they were fairly represented in federal procurement. Wong’s SBA experience, coupled with his business acumen, fuels his passion to promote the growth of disability-owned businesses and neurodiverse workforce hiring initiatives. He is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center. “On behalf of myself and Melwood’s more than 1, 600 employees, I am thrilled to welcome our new Directors and look forward to leveraging both their expertise and their passion for our mission to ensure a bright future for Melwood and the 2500 individuals that we serve,” said Larysa Kautz, President & CEO of Melwood. “At the same time, I want to sincerely thank our outgoing board members, Joseph C. Green, Jr., Darrell McGraw, Glenn S. Miller, and Dr. Kevin Pelphrey for their tireless service and thoughtful leadership during their Board terms.” Looking ahead, Melwood and its leaders are committed to growing the organization as an innovative, forward-thinking model and thought leader for disability inclusion, providing education and resources, leveraging partnerships, and impacting policy. “These accomplished and dynamic leaders will help us navigate a post-COVID world to ensure we can continue to grow and serve our communities and our clients, while advocating for people with disabilities nationwide,” said Hathway. “Each one of them brings a unique perspective, experience and passion, and we’re thrilled to have them join our leadership team at what we see as a pivotal moment for our mission.” For more information about Melwood’s programs, employee resources, and advocacy initiatives, please visit https://melwood.org/. About Melwood Melwood is one of the largest employers of people with disabilities in the country, employing more than 1,600 workers – nearly 1,000 of whom are people with disabilities. Melwood offers job placement, job training, life skills for independence, and support services to more than 2,500 people each year in DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Melwood also has an inclusive summer camp program for children and provides employment and support services to veterans and active duty military members who have experienced service-related trauma or injury. For more information, visit www.Melwood.org. Contact Details Melwood (Curley Company for Melwood) Lorianne Walker +1 410-688-1330 lorianne@curleycompany.com

August 17, 2021 12:47 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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COMCAST NAMES JOHN KELLER SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR THE MOUNTAIN WEST REGION

Comcast Colorado

Comcast today announced John “J.D.” Keller as the new senior vice president for the company’s Mountain West Region, succeeding Amy Lynch who was named Comcast West Division’s senior vice president of Customer Experience and Customer Operations. In this role, Keller is the top executive responsible for customer experience, sales, operations, and financial performance for the region. Keller will report to Rich Jennings, president of Comcast’s West Division, and will oversee Comcast’s operations serving Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Tucson, AZ and parts of Idaho with more than 2.5 million residential and business customers and managing more than 2,500 employees. Keller previously held the role of senior vice president for the Comcast Twin Cities Region, a position he held for four years. Under his leadership, the region experienced strong growth, operational excellence, and continued commitment to advancing digital equity in our communities and enhancing customer experience. Keller came to Comcast from the security services industry, where he served in several senior leadership roles, and lead that company’s largest region with more than 4,000 employees. “My family and I are excited to be moving to the Denver area, and I’m looking forward to leading the Comcast Mountain West team,” said J.D. Keller, senior vice president, Comcast Mountain West Region. “I’m eager to collaborate with local business, community, education and nonprofit leaders to create meaningful change in our communities and connect people to more of what they love.” “J.D. is a strong, innovative leader at Comcast dedicated to our employees and operational excellence,” said Rich Jennings, Comcast West Division president. “His track record for bringing teams together as well as his focus in and on the community will serve us well guiding this important, multi-state region.” A native of Utah, Keller earned a bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Utah and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix. About Comcast Corporation Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company that connects people to moments that matter. We are principally focused on broadband, aggregation, and streaming with over 56 million customer relationships across the United States and Europe. We deliver broadband, wireless, and video through our Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky brands; create, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, Universal Studio Group, Sky Studios, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, multiple cable networks, Peacock, NBCUniversal News Group, NBC Sports, Sky News, and Sky Sports; and provide memorable experiences at Universal Parks and Resorts in the United States and Asia. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. Contact Details Comcast Leslie Oliver +1 303-810-6326 leslie_oliver@comcast.com Company Website https://colorado.comcast.com/

August 17, 2021 11:44 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Cyvatar’s Stephanie Simpson Named a Finalist for the Top 10 Women in Cybersecurity at the 2021 Black Unicorn Awards

Cyvatar

Cyvatar today announced the selection of another member of its senior executive team as a finalist for outstanding achievement at this year’s Cyber Defense Magazine Black Unicorn awards, announced during the 2021 Black Hat USA conference. Stephanie Simpson, vice president of platform management, was chosen as a finalist for the Top 10 Women in Cybersecurity; she competed against the industry’s leading cybersecurity experts for this prestigious award. “We’re pleased to name Stephanie Simpson as a finalist for the Top 10 Women in Cybersecurity among an elite group of female information security professionals at the third annual Black Unicorn awards,” said judges Robert R. Ackerman Jr., David DeWalt, Dr. Peter Stephenson, and Gary Miliefsky. “This year’s competition was fierce, and she should be proud of her achievement.” Stephanie was selected from women around the world who vied for top honors. She has two decades of software product leadership, from ideation to launch, to fill gaps in the industry and meet customer needs. She has brought many award-winning innovations to market including Cyvatar’s cybersecurity-as-a-service (CSaaS) platform, developed with fellow Black Unicorn winner Craig Goodwin. As an engineer, Stephanie is no stranger to disruptive technologies, and customers and colleagues alike benefit from her passionate, transformative leadership style. “Female technical talent in cybersecurity is hard to find, and we’re fortunate to have such an accomplished practitioner as Stephanie on the executive team at Cyvatar,” said Corey White, Cyvatar co-founder and chief executive. “Diversity and inclusion are foundational to our success, which makes Stephanie’s vision, energy, and leadership vital as we recruit top talent across the organization.” Only Cyvatar offers subscription-based CSaaS designed to provide outcomes, continuous remediation, ongoing solution maintenance, and the ability for all of its customers to execute their security strategies at speed and scale. Find out how CSaaS can work for your business at cyvatar.ai. About Cyber Defense Awards This is Cyber Defense Magazine’s 9th year of honoring cybersecurity innovators, in this case the Black Unicorn Awards for 2021 on our Cyber Defense Awards platform. In this competition, judges for these prestigious awards includes cybersecurity industry veterans, trailblazers and market makers Gary Miliefsky of CDMG, Dr. Peter Stephenson of CDMG, Robert R. Ackerman Jr. of Allegis Cyber and David DeWalt of NightDragon with much appreciation to emeritus judge Robert Herjavec of Herjavec Group. To see the complete list of finalists for the Black Unicorn Awards for 2021 please visit https://cyberdefenseawards.com/black-unicorn-awards-finalists-2021/ About Cyvatar Cyvatar is committed to making cybersecurity effortless for everyone. As the industry’s first subscription-based, cybersecurity-as-a-service (CSaaS) company, it’s our mission to transform the way the security industry builds, sells, and supports cyber solutions. We empower our members to achieve successful outcomes by providing expert advisors, proven technologies, and a strategic process roadmap to guarantee results that map to their business drivers. Our approach is rooted in proprietary ICARM (installation, configuration, assessment, remediation, maintenance) methodology that delivers smarter, measurable security solutions for superior compliance and cyber-attack protection faster and more efficiently, all at a fixed monthly price. And because we’re a subscription, members can cancel anytime. Cyvatar is headquartered in Irvine, California with locations around the world. Begin your journey to security confidence at https://cyvatar.ai/ and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Contact Details Cyvatar KC Higgins +1 303-434-8163 kc@cyvatar.ai Company Website https://cyvatar.ai/

August 16, 2021 12:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Treliant Acquires Vox Financial Partners, Strengthening its Capital Markets Capabilities and Expanding its Footprint into Europe

Treliant

Treliant announced today that it has acquired Vox Financial Partners (Vox), a leading Capital Markets consulting firm that helps global financial institutions deliver regulatory and business change. The transaction between the two privately-owned firms closed on August 13, 2021 and terms were not disclosed. The acquisition of Vox is a milestone for Treliant, a strategic advisory firm that has enjoyed strong organic growth since its founding in 2005. With this acquisition, Treliant is expanding its European footprint and capital markets consulting capabilities to better serve its client base and position it as a solid global competitor. “Vox Financial Partners is a natural fit for Treliant,” said Treliant CEO B. Scott Fisher. “Terry Robinson and the Vox leadership team have worked on some of the most complex initiatives and delivered major change in some of the largest global investment banks. They bring deep knowledge from their careers in the industry, as consultants, and as entrepreneurs. They are a perfect complement to Treliant and we are excited to have them join our team.” Vox combines global banking and regulatory experience, innovative data solutions, and skilled specialists to help global financial institutions successfully plan, resource, and deliver regulatory and business change projects. Vox consultants work on client sites and also from their Service Delivery Centres in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and Lodz, Poland. “We are very excited to join forces with Treliant,” said Terry Robinson, Vox co-founder and CEO. “We share similar values and goals; forming and maintaining long-term relationships with our clients is of critical importance to Treliant and us. We look forward to working together to provide Vox’s capital markets expertise and delivery capabilities to a broader global audience.” In his new role at Treliant, he will hold the title of Chief Executive Officer for the Capital Markets practice. Vox was founded in 2016 by Terry Robinson and Brendan Gorman. Since then, it has built a team of experienced project managers and subject matter experts, supported by trained and resourceful junior staff, to help banking clients address a wide range of regulatory and business challenges. These have included MIFID2, Brexit, Initial Margin, and Benchmark Reform. In January 2021, Vox acquired Delv Global, a business and technology change consultancy that specializes in solving challenges in data, technology, regulations, and innovation across finance, risk, product control, operations, treasury, and front office. “The financial services industry continues to need more of the expertise and capabilities provided by Treliant and Vox,” Fisher said. “We are making a substantial investment in our capital markets practice and global expansion with this acquisition, and we look forward to continuing to provide excellent results for our clients.” Treliant is a multi-industry consulting firm that serves organizations around the globe. Our firm serves financial institutions, consumer-oriented businesses, other corporations, and law firms. As a firm of leading professionals from industry and government, we assist our clients in navigating regulatory requirements and on best practices, while meeting strategic and operational objectives. We partner with clients as trusted advisors and via managed services including through secondments, interim resources, and other outsourcing strategies. Our advisory and assurance services and specialized, high-quality business solutions strengthen our clients’ corporate and regulatory compliance programs, risk management, and business performance. We also provide comprehensive support for corporate and regulatory investigations, litigation, and as government agency monitors and independent consultants. We serve companies from Main Street to Wall Street and across the globe. Vox is a global consulting firm that specializes in navigating financial institutions through complex regulatory and business change. We combine global banking and regulatory expertise, innovative data solutions, and skilled specialists to help global financial institutions execute change programs successfully and operate business-as-usual processes more efficiently. We do this by providing our clients with top talent matched to their specific needs - from subject matter experts who can lead the most complex, challenging projects in finance to resourceful, technically-capable juniors who have undergone tailored training. We can provide our services on client site or from our near-shore Service Delivery Centres. Contact Details Treliant, LLC Melissa Pazornik +1 202-249-7932 mpazornik@treliant.com Company Website https://www.treliant.com

August 16, 2021 09:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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UNFCC Climate Report delivers a message of hope stating 1.5 is within reach if immediate action is taken

North American Marine Environment Protection Association

The Zero Emissions Ship Technology Association (ZESTAs) sees the UNFCC Climate report as a message of hope and believes the authors have made it abundantly clear that it is possible to avert climate catastrophe by pursuing the “very low emissions scenario” within the next two decades. As reported, there are no other options; it is global society’s obligation to act now with “drastic, rapid and large-scale reductions in greenhouse gases to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees”, because it can. ZESTAs is nailing their colours to the mast by starting at true zero with their unprecedented “SHIP ZERO – Charging to True Zero” workshop 1-3 November coinciding with COP 26 in Glasgow, Scotland. ZESTAs’ SHIP ZERO workshop will be the first ever shipping event to align with the IPCC “very low emissions scenario”, by not contemplating the use of fossil fuels or any GHG emitting fuel or technology. “The simple truth is the time for discussion is past – nothing remains but for us to act. Whatever your beliefs, whatever your passions, whatever your politics, insuring that we, as a society are no longer contributing to the end of life as we know it is imperative. This century is about reckoning – the morals, purpose and goals of society must align with the common good in every aspect of life. Sustainability is not just a goal but a social imperative that transcends our societies and presents us with both opportunities and obligations – future societies will either praise us or damn us for our actions today” observed Brent Perry, CEO, Sterling PlanB, Chair of ZESTAs Board of Directors. Only truly zero GHG emissions systems, solutions and technologies will be considered at this workshop. ZESTAs states that the technology to achieve true zero in all sectors of shipping exists today but that weak or misaligned policies and lack of finance are preventing these technologies from upscaling, achieving economies of scale and penetrating the wider market. “We need to stop throwing the ball out to 2050 and investing in half measures that won’t get us where we need to be. We need to invest in true zero now, upscale and shoot for 2030. If we don’t, we have no chance of stopping warming anywhere near 1.5. The IPCC report clearly states we’ve got a shot. We need to take that shot and act now to change policy and finance, allowing zero emissions ship technologies to get to market before 2030” said Madadh MacLaine, ZESTAs Secretary General The SHIP ZERO workshop will feature highly technical presentations, followed by discussions and brainstorming sessions, bringing together shipping stakeholders from; innovation, policy, finance, infrastructure, energy, and the wider shipping sector to combine solutions into an actionable road map. “Our intention is that the outcome of SHIP ZERO is an action plan, a navigational chart to true zero with waypoints based on realizable actions, available technologies, and implementable policies that will keep warming below 1.5 degrees” MacLaine continued. The SHIP ZERO workshop will demonstrate that marinized battery and hydrogen systems are market ready at multi megawatt scales, and that wind propulsion is being installed across the world fleet to delivers significant emissions reductions today. “Wind propulsion uses the power of the wind as a direct renewable energy source and is available everywhere at sea. Any energy taken from wind directly on ships by modern sail technology does not burden the infrastructure that ultimately will be powered by wave, sun and wind, reducing the renewable energy required to produce clean fuels. Wind assisted technology therefore makes all other technologies more feasible. ‘The answer my friends, is blowing in the wind’!” stated Frank Nieuwenhuis, eConowind, ZESTAs Board of Directors, Advisor More good news is that renewable energy and green hydrogen production infrastructure are being rolled out across the globe. From Scotland to Chile, from the United Arab Emirates to Monaco, governments are creating strategies that will achieve a price for green hydrogen that can compete with fossil fuels by the end of the decade. “If shipping is looking for that silver bullet, ZESTAs has a fully loaded chamber and we’re ready to fire” said MacLaine. In light of the "code red for humanity", declared by United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres in his response to the IPCC report, ZESTAs calls on governments and regulators to acknowledge that fully developed market ready zero emissions ship technologies exist by creating the policy frameworks necessary for these technologies to have a fighting chance of competing against incumbent fossil fuel technologies and achieve market availability before 2030. “I urge the governments of the world and each person living today to go “all in” – shift away from polluting activities and scale up climate solutions that deliver as close to zero emissions as possible. We still have the opportunity to mitigate the worst effects of climate change. Governments can change policies to support this goal. As individuals we can make changes in our lives directly and speak with our votes to ensure our governments are not watered down by misrepresentative interests that are not focussed on climate management.” Brent Perry, CEO, Sterling PlanB For additional information on SHIP ZERO 26, go to https://zestas.org/ship-zero/. Contact Details NAMEPA Carleen Lyden Walker +1 203-255-4686 executivedirector@namepa.net Company Website https://zestas.org/ship-zero/

August 15, 2021 10:08 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Purify Fuel’s nanO2 ESG Combustion Catalyst Provides Immediate Reduction of GHG Emissions Addressing “Code Red for Humanity” Declared by IPCC Report

Purify Fuel

In a report issued this week, the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) issued a “Code Red for Humanity” citing that impacts from human activity are exceeding the limits set in 2015 for temperature increases. “Global warming of 1.5°C and 2°C will be exceeded during the 21st century unless deep reductions in carbon dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas emissions occur in the coming decades” cited the report. In a world looking for solutions, the report recognized that “from a physical science perspective, limiting human-induced global warming to a specific level requires limiting cumulative CO2 emissions, reaching at least net zero CO2 emissions, along with strong reductions in other greenhouse gas emissions.” It further stated “Our report shows that we need to be prepared for going into that level of warming in the coming decades. But we can avoid further levels of warming by acting on greenhouse gas emissions,” said report co-chair Valerie Masson-Delmotte, a climate scientist at France’s Laboratory of Climate and Environment Sciences at the University of Paris-Saclay. Calling for immediate action, the report stated, “It is unequivocal that the increase of CO2, methane (CH4) and nitrous oxide (N2O) in the atmosphere over the industrial era is the result of human 10 activities and that human influence is the principal driver of many changes observed across the 11 atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere.” Propelled by this sense of urgency, major industrial companies are turning to Purify Fuel’s nanO2 tm family of Combustion Catalysts to provide an immediate reduction in greenhouse gases. “With the world’s focus on developing immediate fossil fuel alternatives, we cannot lose sight of the reality that the majority of industries are still dependent on heavy duty diesel fuel applications and searching for ways to reduce emissions” stated John Carroll, Chief Executive Officer of Purify Fuel. “We are pleased that the immediate benefits of our nanO2 ESG Catalyst to help diesel and biodiesel fuel burn cleaner is being embraced by these industries to reduce GHG levels immediately”. Purify Fuel has been identified as one of the world’s most innovative sustainable technology companies. Its nanO2 Combustion Catalysts provide a transitional solution that will help fight climate change until alternatives are invented. It successfully reduces CO2, methane and nitrous oxide, which together represent 98% of all greenhouse gases. The product has been extensively tested since the middle of last year and has been aggressively launched across multiple industries (rail, marine, oil and gas, and mining). Since 2018 it has treated 75MM gallons of diesel removing the equivalent emissions produced by more than 200,000 automobiles. Purify Fuel uses patented nanotechnology-based rare earth oxides to help large diesel operators save money and reduce emissions. Purify Fuel’s nanO2 ESG Catalyst® are custom blended to optimize diesel fuel, biodiesel and dual-fuel blends for marine, fracking, military, mining, power generation, and rail markets. The combustion catalysts increase energy harvested from each gram of fuel while reducing particulate matter emissions and soot created by incomplete combustion. Purify Fuel works directly with large consumers of diesel and biodiesel fuel to help them save money, increase power, and reduce emissions. Contact Details Purify Fuel Carleen Lyden Walker +1 203-260-0480 c.walker@purifyfuel.com

August 11, 2021 08:15 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Enter Africa: Versus Africa seals fundraise as it paves the way for companies to access markets with ease

Versus Africa

Africa presents a $2.1 trillion consumer spending market for businesses seeking to explore new opportunities for their products and services. Enabling businesses to enter the continent is Versus Africa, a consumer insights platform, that has today announced a $850k pre-seed capital fundraise as it scales operations to support companies in Africa and around the world as they launch their products and services across Africa. A Techstars 2019 cohort start-up, Versus Africa helps brands get closer to their consumers by obtaining key insights and helping them make better business decisions. Versus combines online and offline consumer data to give brands actionable and competitive insights for the African market. Versus counts brands such as Pizza Hut, Vodacom among others and has partnered with several global agencies including R/GA to support their campaigns. The Versus Africa platform improves the go-to market strategy and approach of businesses selling in the continent. Through their unique African language sentiment analysis, the technology captures consumer insights using online (social listening and online brand tracking) and offline data trends (conducting in-person surveys through several thousand local scouts) to help brands inform, engage and adapt their product and service strategies. They ‘listen’ (for sentiment, trends and feedback) and then ‘ask’ (for opinions, about behaviours and motivations) to offer a complete insights package for businesses. Kemdi Ebi, CEO and Co-Founder of Versus commented: “We’ve purposely built our tool to help businesses “'listen” and ''ask” the African consumer to get true engagement and actionable insights. We’re helping them make sense of the thoughts and opinions of African consumers from varying backgrounds. For those who speak in different African languages and slang, we're able to accurately identify sentiment, trends and opportunities when we “listen” online. With real-time market research and unique patented tools that translate the complexity of local languages and cultures, Versus offers actionable insights to businesses that want to make their African market entry or continuing existence a success.” The complex nature of the continent with multiple languages, varying socio-political communities and cultural nuances means it has long been difficult for companies to be successful across multiple countries. Versus Africa offers a fresh lens into the market opportunity with their unique and dynamic research approach. “We have blended technology with boots on the ground to offer the purest insights to companies using Versus Africa. For the first time, businesses near and far are able to make better decisions on their product strategy in the continent. We are particularly excited because as we scale further, we are in pole position to be the go-to homegrown solution for easy, flexible and accurate research for the plethora of new local businesses cropping up across the continent” added Kemdi Ebi. Commenting on investing in Versus Africa, the MD of Techstars London Eamonn Carey said: "For the longest time, it’s been apparent that there is huge potential in markets throughout Africa - but one of the big challenges has always been getting real, detailed, granular data about users, habits, opinions and more. The Versus Africa platform helps local, regional and global brands get real, meaningful answers to their questions - helping them launch, grow and scale more effectively across the continent. I was incredibly impressed by the team, the tech and the vision they had to use a combo of tech and people to gather an incredible dataset for their customers." Various global research businesses have reported on Africa’s macro trends and geo-political events. Before Versus, there have been few that have achieved true regional and local market insights for businesses to make informed decisions. “How many Africans own and operate research in Africa? Not many. Africa deserves a local intelligence research edge born from within. There have been international research agencies and insights tools that have tried to explore Africa but only from a distant and macro lens, now, for the first time businesses will get true local insights to help them enter key markets across the continent. I hope our launch and growth propels more like-minded tech-focussed Africans to help grow this research industry” concluded Kemdi Ebi. About Versus Africa Versus Africa helps brands get closer to their consumers by obtaining insights and helping them make better business decisions. Versus combines online and offline consumer data to give brands actionable and competitive insights for the African market. Versus has served brands such as Pizza Hut, Vodacom among others and have partnered with several global agencies including R/GA.Versus Africa, a 2019 Techstars cohort startup, was recognised by Cannes Lion Festival for Innovation and it was the first African company to showcase at Slush Tokyo 2019. Contact Details Versus Africa Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com

August 11, 2021 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Cyvatar’s Craig Goodwin Named a Finalist for the Top 10 Cybersecurity Experts at the 2021 Black Unicorn Awards

Cyvatar

Cyvatar today announced the selection of a member of its senior executive team as a finalist for outstanding achievement at this year’s Cyber Defense Magazine Black Unicorn awards, announced during the 2021 Black Hat USA conference. Craig Goodwin, Cyvatar co-founder and chief product and strategy officer, was selected as a finalist for the Top 10 Cybersecurity Experts; he competed against the industry’s leading cybersecurity experts for this prestigious award. “We’re pleased to name Craig Goodwin as a finalist for the Top 10 Cybersecurity Experts among the elite group of information security professionals at the third annual Black Unicorn awards,” said judges Robert R. Ackerman Jr., David DeWalt, Dr. Peter Stephenson, and Gary Miliefsky. “This year’s competition was fierce, and he should be proud of his achievement.” Craig was selected from security practitioners around the world that vied for top honors. He is a battle-tested CISO who has built a successful career delivering transformative IT and security programs by combining holistic security, IT, and business leadership expertise to produce extraordinary results. Craig’s innovation brings the membership economy to cybersecurity with Cyvatar’s CSaaS platform, which is rapidly becoming the de facto operating system for today’s security programs. “At a time when so many companies struggle to find top security resources, we’re blessed to have an exceptional talent like Craig leading company strategy,” said Corey White, Cyvatar co-founder and chief executive. “Because we offer cybersecurity as a service, people are the lifeblood of our organization. The work Craig and his team have done to bring the award-winning Cyvatar platform to customers enables us to deliver fast, affordable, fully managed security programs to any size business at prices that don’t break the bank. His achievement means no customer has to go without the very best cybersecurity available today.” Only Cyvatar offers subscription-based CSaaS designed to provide outcomes, continuous remediation, ongoing solution maintenance, and the ability for all of its customers to execute their security strategies at speed and scale. Find out how CSaaS can work for your business at cyvatar.ai. About Cyber Defense Awards This is Cyber Defense Magazine’s 9th year of honoring cybersecurity innovators, in this case the Black Unicorn Awards for 2021 on our Cyber Defense Awards platform. In this competition, judges for these prestigious awards includes cybersecurity industry veterans, trailblazers and market makers Gary Miliefsky of CDMG, Dr. Peter Stephenson of CDMG, Robert R. Ackerman Jr. of Allegis Cyber and David DeWalt of NightDragon with much appreciation to emeritus judge Robert Herjavec of Herjavec Group. To see the complete list of finalists for the Black Unicorn Awards for 2021 please visit https://cyberdefenseawards.com/black-unicorn-awards-finalists-2021/ About Cyvatar Cyvatar is committed to making cybersecurity effortless for everyone. As the industry’s first subscription-based, cybersecurity-as-a-service (CSaaS) company, it’s our mission to transform the way the security industry builds, sells, and supports cyber solutions. We empower our members to achieve successful outcomes by providing expert advisors, proven technologies, and a strategic process roadmap to guarantee results that map to their business drivers. Our approach is rooted in proprietary ICARM (installation, configuration, assessment, remediation, maintenance) methodology that delivers smarter, measurable security solutions for superior compliance and cyber-attack protection faster and more efficiently, all at a fixed monthly price. And because we’re a subscription, members can cancel anytime. Cyvatar is headquartered in Irvine, California with locations around the world. Begin your journey to security confidence at https://cyvatar.ai/ and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Contact Details Cyvatar KC Higgins +1 303-434-8163 kc@cyvatar.ai Company Website https://cyvatar.ai/

August 11, 2021 07:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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