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EDUCATORS CAN FOSTER TRUST IN SCIENCE THROUGH GLOBAL PLEDGE

International Day of Light Steering Committee

For more than a year, educators worldwide have been forced to transform the way they teach. However, advancements in science, specifically telecommunications, enabled the shift from a traditional classroom to remote learning environments. Today, scientific developments, including health advancements such as vaccines and testing, are allowing students to return to physical classrooms. The Trust Science pledge, a worldwide campaign to promote support for the scientific process and acknowledge the many benefits of science for society, offers a valuable teaching tool to help educators draw attention to the crucial role science plays in improving our quality of life. In celebration of this year’s International Day of Light on 16 May, the pledge is allowing people, particularly educators and students, around the world to affirm their support for science and the scientific process. Students can be leaders in understanding and defending science. Just as educators teach skills that build students’ scientific literacy to help them evaluate facts, they can offer ways for students to affirm confidence in the scientific process. “A dedicated effort to building—and in some cases, rebuilding—trust in science will prepare students to be the scientifically informed leaders we desperately need,” said Dr. Desiré Whitmore, Senior Physics Educator and Staff Physicist at the Exploratorium in San Francisco, CA. Additional resources for educators are available on the Trust Science website, including hands-on activity videos, lesson plans, posters to download, activities and lessons, links to online resources and the Laser Classroom. To date, the pledge has seen enthusiastic support worldwide with more than 2,500 signatures, including Nobel and Breakthrough Prize laureates, UNESCO L’Oréal For Women in Science prize winners, Presidents and CEOs of major scientific bodies, as well as scientists and students from more than 20 different countries. The Trust Science campaign is organized by the IEEE Photonics Society, SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, and The Optical Society (OSA), together with the International Day of Light Steering Committee. To sign the pledge and to learn more, please go to https://www.trust-science.org Contacts For questions about how you can engage with the campaign, please contact: info@trust-science.org For media inquiries, please contact: pr@trust-science.org Social media: please share using #TrustScience and #LightDay2021 Social media links: Facebook; Instagram; Twitter About the International Day of Light The International Day of Light (IDL) is a worldwide initiative that provides an annual focal point for the continued appreciation of light and the role it plays in science, culture and art, education and sustainable development, and in fields as diverse as medicine, communications and energy. The International Day of Light is administered from the International Basic Science Programme (IBSP) of UNESCO by a Steering Committee that includes representatives from a broad range of international partners: the American Institute of Physics (AIP), the American Physical Society (APS), Bosca, the China International Optoelectronic Exhibition (CIOE), Chinese Optical Society (COS), the European Centres for Outreach in Photonics (ECOP), the European Photonics Industry Consortium (EPIC), the European Physical Society (EPS), the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), the IEEE Photonics Society (IPS), the International Commission on Illumination (CIE), lightsources.org - the international network of accelerator based light sources, Light: Science and Applications, The Optical Society (OSA), Tampere University, SPIE, the International Society for Optics and Photonics, SESAME, Signify, Tampere University, Thorlabs, Transitions, the Université de Franche-Comté and Velux. For information about the International Day of Light, please visit www.lightday.org Contacts for IDL: John Dudley and Joseph Niemela 2021 Steering Committee Chairs Email: contact@lightday.org Bethany Downer 2021 Communications Coordinator Email: contact@lightday.org Media Contact for Trust Science: pr@trust-science.org About IEEE Photonics Society The IEEE Photonics Society is the professional home for a global network of scientists, engineers and allied professionals who advance laser, optoelectronics, and photonics technology. As a technical society representing the IEEE, it is a vital part of the world’s largest technical professional organization of more than 400,000 members dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. Through its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, educational activities, and humanitarian initiatives, the IEEE Photonics Society provides its members in more than 160 countries the opportunity to grow professionally and stay on the forefront of transformational breakthroughs in photonics. PhotonicsSociety.org About SPIE SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, was founded in 1955 to advance light-based technologies. Serving more than 255,000 constituents from 183 countries, the not-for-profit society advances emerging technologies through interdisciplinary information exchange, continuing education, publications, patent precedent, and career and professional growth. SPIE annually organizes and sponsors approximately 25 major technical forums, exhibitions, and education programs in North America, Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific. In 2020, SPIE provided more than $5 million in support of education and outreach programs. www.spie.org About The Optical Society Founded in 1916, The Optical Society (OSA) is the leading professional organization for scientists, engineers, students and business leaders in light science and technology. The society serves over 432,000 customers and 22,000 members from more than 100 countries who fuel discoveries, shape real-life applications and accelerate achievements in the field. OSA provides quality research, inspired interactions and dedicated resources for its extensive global network of optics and photonics experts through world-renowned publications. For more information, visit osa.org. Contact Details pr@trust-science.org +1 703-907-0010 pr@trust-science.org Company Website https://www.trust-science.org

May 11, 2021 09:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Velocity Global establishes board of directors

Velocity Global

5-member board chaired by founder and CEO, Ben Wright Directors guide company with expertise in compliance, global employment, and significant planned growth FFL Partners holds two seats following $100M growth investment in April Velocity Global, the leading provider of global employment solutions, established its board of directors to guide the company’s scale as the largest global Employer of Record (EoR) in 185 countries and all 50 United States. The five-member board is chaired by Ben Wright, Velocity Global founder and CEO. “We established a board of directors to bring in next-level business leaders as we welcomed our first outside investment and increased scale through our first acquisition,” said Wright. “Velocity Global accelerates the future of work for businesses that install remote teams for a myriad of reasons, from new work-from-anywhere models to revenue growth in new markets. The board provides additional perspective to our talented leadership team as remote work comes into its own and businesses increasingly separate their workforce from the workplace.” The directors contribute expertise in global employment and compliance, and will help chart the company towards significant scaled growth in the coming years. FFL Partners holds two seats on the board following its $100 million growth investment announced last month. That investment was used in part for Velocity Global’s acquisition of iWorkGlobal. Brands rely on Velocity Global’s expertise and global infrastructure to employ a compliant global workforce without the cost or complexity of setting up their own foreign legal entities or state registrations. As the Employer of Record, Velocity Global manages its clients’ workforce through in-country and in-state compliance, payroll, and benefits for the supported employees. Velocity Global’s offerings also include Independent Contractor Compliance to assess a workforce and Agent of Record (AoR) to streamline payments to contractors globally. The company’s platform combines these elements with a personalized customer experience focused on people first, best-in-breed technology, and increased scale for companies to grow their remote workforce. The Velocity Global board of directors includes: Ben Wright, Founder, Chairman, and CEO, Velocity Global Ben Wright leads strategy and growth of Velocity Global and its hundreds of global team members. He applies two decades of experience supporting companies' global business and remote teams. Wright founded Velocity Global in 2014 as a revolutionary way for companies to expand and hire across global markets. He is a recognized expert on the future of work and global expansion strategies. Wright was a national finalist for EY's Entrepreneur of the Year. He holds a B.B.A. in Accounting from the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame. Jonathon Bunt, Director, FFL Partners Jonathon Bunt joined FFL in 2017. His experience includes a leadership role at GuideSpark, Inc. an enterprise software-as-a-service technology company, as well as co-founder and CEO of byUs.com, a consumer services software company. Bunt began his career in private equity with Goldman Sachs in New York and Berkshire Partners in Boston. He adds Velocity Global to his current board positions for Accordion, ALKU, Maestro, and ProService. Bunt graduated magna cum laude from Princeton University with a B.S.E. in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering and earned an M.B.A with distinction from Harvard Business School. Tim Callahan, CEO, GovQA Tim Callahan is the CEO of GovQA, the leading provider of automated compliance workflow software for government. Callahan took the executive role at GovQA in 2020. Previously, he served as President of Streamline & Celergo for global payroll software and services provider ADP. Prior to that, he was CEO of Celergo LLC, a global payroll management company, before Celergo’s acquisition by ADP in 2018. Prior to Celergo, Callahan enjoyed a 28-year career in the global mobility industry as president and COO of Graebel Relocation Services and senior vice president of global sales and marketing for SIRVA, Inc. He holds a B.A. in History from Fairfield University. Robert Schlossman, Chief Legal Officer, Zscaler, Inc. Robert Schlossman has served as Chief Legal Officer for Zscaler, the leader in cloud security, since February 2016. He is a key legal and business advisor to CEOs, management teams, and boards of directors of public, private equity, and venture capital backed companies. He applies his expertise to guide companies through major transformations including IPOs, M&A transactions, spinoffs, international expansion, and introduction of new products and sales channels. Prior to joining Zscaler, he served as the chief legal officer of several technology companies. Schlossman holds a J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law, as well as a M.A. and B.A. in English from Stanford University. Cas Schneller, Managing Partner, FFL Partners Cas Schneller joined FFL in 2006. He is responsible for overall management of the firm and leads FFL’s Business Services investment activities. Previously, he worked at GTCR, a Chicago-based private equity firm. Schneller also worked at William Blair & Company as an analyst in the M&A group and at Luxor Capital Group as an investment analyst. He is on the board of Velocity Global and Accordion and serves as the Chairman of the Board of American Advisors Group, ALKU and ProService. He previously served on the Board of Directors of Crisis Prevention Institute as well as several other FFL portfolio companies. Schneller graduated summa cum laude from the University of Notre Dame with a B.B.A. in Finance and Business Economics and earned an M.B.A. from the Harvard Business School. Learn more about Velocity Global’s leadership team here. ABOUT VELOCITY GLOBAL Velocity Global accelerates the future of work beyond borders. Its platform enables businesses to employ remote teams and expand internationally through global expertise, best-in-breed technology, and scale. More than 700 brands rely on its Employer of Record model and infrastructure, also called an International PEO (Professional Employer Organization), in 185 countries and all 50 United States to compliantly employ thousands of supported employees, access global talent, and grow revenue. Named a “Leader” in Global Employer of Record services by prominent analyst firm NelsonHall, Velocity Global is a strategic partner to its clients through additional comprehensive services including Immigration, Independent Contractor Compliance to assess a workforce, and Agent of Record (AoR) to streamline payments to contractors globally. Founded in 2014, the company is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, with regional headquarters in Amsterdam, Bogotá, and Singapore, with local employees in 16 countries. Contact Details Velocity Global Eli Rice +1 720-650-4348 EliRice@velocityglobal.com Company Website https://velocityglobal.com/

May 11, 2021 07:02 AM Mountain Daylight Time

NCMA ANNOUNCES NEWLY ELECTED COMMITTEE MEMBERS

National Contract Management Association

Today, the National Contract Management Association (NCMA) announced the addition of seven newly elected committee members who will join its leadership group of distinguished volunteers. “I am pleased to announce the election of these outstanding members who will be relentless in leading work to advance our mission,” said Amanda Christian, NCMA program year 2022 President and Senior Vice President, Subcontracts and Procurement, CACI. These members serve on NCMA Board Committees that develop tactics to meet strategic goals and improve service to the NCMA community of contract managers and acquisition-related professionals. New committee members include: Jami Dinsmore, CPCM, Fellow Senior Manager of Contracts Ball Aerospace Jamie Gracia, CPCM, CFCM Federal Acquisition Change Agent Internal Revenue Service Katherine Higley, CFCM Compliance Manager for the Contracts Division Oak Ridge National Laboratory Jean Lohier, CPCM, CFCM Director of Contracts & Subcontracts Management Tyto Athene, LLC Robert Sheehan, CPCM, Fellow Sr. Contracts Manager IBM Brieann Staker, CFCM Director of Administration & Contracts Manager AGEISS INC Amanda Thompson, CFCM Director of Growth Services JJR Solutions, LLC “NCMA is powerful because of its volunteers who generously apply their time and talents to our mission. I look forward to partnering with them to propel NCMA and the profession forward,” said Kraig Conrad, NCMA CEO. The National Contract Management Association (NCMA), which was founded in 1959 and is the world’s leading association in the field of contract management. The organization, which has over 18,000 members, is dedicated to the professional growth and educational advancement of procurement and acquisition personnel worldwide. NCMA strives to serve and inform the profession and industry it represents and to offer opportunities for the open exchange of ideas in neutral forums. To find out more, please visit www.ncmahq.org. Contact Details Jennifer Knowlton +1 571-382-1127 jennifer.knowlton@ncmahq.org Company Website https://www.ncmahq.org/

May 07, 2021 12:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Graphic novel tackles disinformation around COVID-19 Vaccine and critical 5G infrastructure

Stockwood Strategy

Sophisticated social media campaigns sponsored by bad state actors are responsible for creating and spreading disinformation around the critical Covid-19 Vaccine and emerging infrastructure such as 5G technology for communications. Erly Stage Studios has today published Bug Bytes, the digital graphic novel, which sheds a light on the disruptive forces at work. This book is the second installment of the graphic novels that are a part of the Resilience Series commissioned by the US Cyber Infrastructure and Security Agency (CISA). Bug Bytes will inform and educate people on the dangers and risks associated with dis- and mis- information through fictional stories inspired by real-world events. In Bug Bytes, readers will meet the protagonist Ava Williams, a journalist and academic, patriot and member of Symous - a group fighting disinformation and foreign interference in elections as polling day approaches. Ava’s life gets tangled up in a web of lies as her father, a 5G technician gets hurt and she works to understand what a seemingly innocent poll online related to 5G technology has to do with the 5G Vaccine? Ava is surprised by the reaction of the anti-vaccination community at what is proven to be engineered data and has the unenviable task of making the case to the public at large for how they can be weary on data online with unproven provenance. Farid Haque, founder and CEO of Erly Stage Studios commented: “We’re delighted to have been commissioned by CISA to create a practical and engaging communication tool that highlights the existential threat of disinformation in the context of bad state actors. While the story is fictional many of the approaches shown are very much grounded in the reality of the technology we live with and are exposed to almost daily.” Bug Bytes provides a unique education for the reader about the world of social media and how digital resources can be hijacked to serve a more nefarious agenda. The ability for foreign bad state actors to weld this kind of influence on another nation is unprecedented as is their ability to twist and manipulate a narrative to use domestic groups to do their bidding. The work helps the reader understand the need to exercise care when it comes to consuming news and information via social media platforms and online sources of information. In the story, Ava Williams and a team of patriots are racing against the clock to shine a spotlight on the source of disinformation engineered to hurt critical communication infrastructure and damage the Vaccine roll-out efforts. Ava’s investigative journalism leads her through the metaverse to find allies and discovers through hard graft that foreign actors are tinkering with public data to maliciously mislead and influence perceptions of 5G as a communications technology and its fabricated link to vaccine effectiveness. “Bug Bytes is the culmination of the wealth of experience that Clint Watts brings in cyber warfare and disinformation and our studio’s creative direction and storytelling style. We spent months researching the real life incidents and then wrapped them into a fictional story” added Farid Haque. The graphic novel is being made available by CISA to the general public online as a free resource as the Covid19 vaccine roll out continues to have an impact across the United States and the world at large. The work is available for free for the public and media to read at the following URL: https://www.cisa.gov/cfi-resilience-series-graphic-novels. A first title in the series was released a few months earlier last year ahead of the US elections titled Real Fakes. Watch this space and log back into https://publishing.erlystagestudios.com/ to learn more. Contributing artists to Bug Bytes include: Jose Niño Galenzoga, Patricia Beja, Mona Shan and Joel Santiago. Lettering and layouts by Komal N. and Haroon M. Story by Clint Watts and Farid Haque, supported by the script writing team which includes Michael Gianfrancesco and Kabir Sabharwal. Edited by Tolly M. and Laila Khan. Special thanks to Randall Heather and Max Brooks. Erly Stage Studios is an indie publisher, headquartered out of London, United Kingdom, capturing iconic stories in serious graphic novels. We are an expert team of educators, storytellers, and artists working to create awareness about important topics using the graphic novel medium. The team loves shining a spotlight on stories that are yet to see the light of graphic novels. As an expert team of teachers, researchers and designers the team works with innovative organisations and policymakers around the world to deliver soft power through engaging and creative projects. Contact Details Erly Stage Studios Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://publishing.erlystagestudios.com/

May 06, 2021 05:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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NCMA ANNOUNCES NEW NATIONAL BOARD APPOINTMENTS

National Contract Management Association

The National Contract Management Association (NCMA) is proud to welcome four newly appointed members to its Board of Directors and appoints the next President-Elect. These Directors are ardent supporters of contract management and related acquisition professions and help practitioners connect to create what’s next in our robust community. The new appointments include: President-Elect: Wendy Masiello New Directors: Joy M. White, Denyce Carter, Major General Cameron Holt, Dr. Michael Wooten The newly appointed National Directors join 9 other Directors who bring extensive experience from both industry and government to the NCMA Board. Returning directors include, program year 2022 President Amanda Christian, Heather Dallara, Patrick Fitzgerald, Ted Harrison, Jeff Napier, program year 2022 President-Elect Wendy Masiello, Steve Sarris, Heidi Timmerman, and program year 2022 Past President Melissa Starinsky. As President-Elect, Wendy Masiello will serve as one of the three officers to expand NCMA thought leadership and elevate the contract management profession. Wendy Masiello is currently an independent consultant, having retired from the U.S. Air Force as a three-star general in July 2017. During her 36-year career with the Air Force, she served as director of the Defense Contract Management Agency; deputy assistant secretary (contracting), Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition; and program executive officer for the Air Force’s $30 billion service acquisition portfolio. "Ms. White, Ms. Carter, Major General Holt, and Dr. Wooten bring their unique backgrounds and perspectives to the Board as NCMA grows and advances in service of members. They are powerful additions to a team deeply focused on our mission, strategy, and the profession," said Amanda Christian, NCMA program year 2022 President and Senior Vice President of Subcontracts and Procurement at CACI. “I welcome our new Directors and celebrate Wendy’s move into a new Board leadership role. It is an honor to have their guidance as we increase relevance and service to this amazing community,” said Kraig Conrad, CEO of NCMA. New terms begin 1 July 2021. The National Contract Management Association (NCMA), which was founded in 1959 and is the world’s leading association in the field of contract management. The organization, which has over 18,000 members, is dedicated to the professional growth and educational advancement of procurement and acquisition personnel worldwide. NCMA strives to serve and inform the profession and industry it represents and to offer opportunities for the open exchange of ideas in neutral forums. To find out more, please visit www.ncmahq.org. Contact Details Jennifer Knowlton +1 571-382-1127 jennifer.knowlton@ncmahq.org Company Website https://www.ncmahq.org/

May 05, 2021 01:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

How To Reduce Social Security Taxes In Retirement by Jennifer Lang Financial Services

Jennifer Lang Financial Services, LLC

Contact Details Jennifer Lang Financial Services, LLC. Jennifer Lang +1 877-487-8926 mail@jenniferlangfinancialservices.com Company Website https://www.jenniferlangfinancialservices.com

May 04, 2021 10:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Intapp Announces Plan to Acquire Repstor

Intapp

Introducing New Collaboration and Content Capabilities Backed by Seamless Microsoft 365 Integration Acquisition to Bring Secure, Frictionless Collaboration, and Microsoft Teams Management to Professional and Financial Services Firm Intapp, a leading provider of industry-specific, cloud-based software solutions that enable connected professional and financial services firms, today announced it has signed an agreement to acquire Repstor, creator of Microsoft 365-based enterprise content management and team collaboration tools. The transaction is subject to regular and customary closing conditions and is expected to close within the next 30 days. Headquartered in Belfast, Northern Ireland, Repstor specializes in purpose-built cloud solutions that enhance Microsoft Teams, Microsoft SharePoint, and Microsoft Outlook. Repstor solutions help professional and financial services firms get the most out of their Microsoft 365 investments. The software offers improved information governance and security while boosting productivity by providing industry-specific templates that span firms’ deal, matter, and engagement lifecycles. More than 285 organizations around the world use Repstor solutions to manage critical information and help professionals engage with extended partners. “Repstor powers connected firms, breaking down silos with context-aware collaboration that puts all of a firm’s content and insights in a single, secure place,” said Mark Holman, Chief Strategy Officer at Intapp. “We’re seeing continuing expansion in firms’ use of Microsoft 365 — and specifically Microsoft Teams — for enhanced collaboration and document management. Adding Repstor capabilities to our OnePlace and DealCloud solutions will allow firms using our solutions to better collaborate and access content to boost productivity and improve outcomes across the dealmaking and engagement lifecycle, from strategy through origination and execution.” In addition to streamlined firmwide collaboration and document lifecycle management, the solution will leverage Intapp ethical walls capabilities to enable rights management, supporting secure workflows with firms’ internal and external collaborators. “Intapp is a leading provider of cloud-based software designed for the unique needs of partner-led firms, and we’re incredibly excited to be part of this team,” said Alan McMillen, CEO of Repstor. “Our two companies share a vision for a future where truly connected firms — including people, processes, and data — can drive better outcomes for their clients. Together, we want to be the partner for firms looking to empower their team members and gain a competitive advantage through technology.” Christian Rast, Global Head of Technology and Knowledge at KPMG international, a mutual client of Intapp and Repstor, said: “KPMG International is pleased to see these two great companies and their technologies growing together. All of their solutions are purpose built for the professional services market; by enhancing Microsoft’s cloud platform with Intapp solutions, they’ll help users excel at digital transformation. Our member firms look forward to leveraging the combined technology power of Repstor and Intapp to accelerate the success of our work and our clients in the professional services industry.” # # # About Intapp Intapp makes the connected firm possible. We help professional and financial services firms better connect their people, processes, and data through AI-powered software solutions. Trusted by approximately 1,600 of the world’s premier private capital, investment banking, legal, accounting, and consulting firms, Intapp offers an end-to-end solution purpose-built to help modernize these firms. Intapp facilitates greater team collaboration, digitizes complex workflows to optimize deal and engagement execution, and leverages proprietary AI to help nurture relationships and originate new business. Intapp helps firms increase profitability and investment returns, operate more efficiently, and better manage risk and compliance. For more information, visit intapp.com and connect with us on Twitter (@Intapp) and LinkedIn. About Repstor Repstor specializes in optimizing Microsoft 365 productivity and information control for professional services firms and in-house legal teams. The company was recently recognized on the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 rankings, recognizing rapid growth tech companies, for the fourth year running. Repstor helps teams coordinate and execute matter management in a secure, ordered, and traceable way, harnessing existing investments in these Microsoft technologies to offer substantial efficiency gains for law firms and legal operations. Repstor clients include Adams & Adams, gunnercooke, and Boels Zanders Advocaten, as well as legal teams within major brands such as IATA, National Grid, and Network Rail. For more information, visit repstor.com and connect with us on Twitter (@Repstor1). Contact Details Natalie Papaj +1 703-586-0048 natalie.papaj@intapp.com Company Website http://www.intapp.com

May 03, 2021 12:30 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Chia Launches its Green Digital Currency (XCH)

Chia Network

Highlights Eco-friendly chia (as “ XCH ”) commences its first transaction today with widespread digital exchange adoption expected in May Over the past 14 days, Chia Network has routinely been the largest and most decentralized blockchain by full node count - usually exceeding 100,000 full nodes Chia Network reinvents “mining” with energy efficient at-home “farming ” for everyone Chia + Chialisp are designed for secure “smart coin” transactions Chia Network Inc. (“Chia"), a new energy efficient decentralized blockchain created by Bram Cohen (the inventor of BitTorrent), today launches its revolutionary digital currency, chia. The green digital currency, chia (as “XCH”), is expected to gain widespread digital exchange listing, and rapid worldwide adoption in the financial, corporate, commercial, and governmental sectors. Founded in 2017 in the U.S. with a global workforce, Chia Network’s protocol seeks to become an alternative to traditional financial networks. It strives to provide a secure, energy-efficient network for modern finance and payments. Chia is green money XCH is Chia Network's native digital currency. Chia is created as a reward to chia “ farmers ” (the analogue to Bitcoin’s or Ethereum’s “miners”). The protocol uses an improved and simplified implementation of Bitcoin’s unspent transaction output (UTXO) model. These simplifications actually increase the flexibility and programmability of coins. Chia farming rewards 2 XCH per block for the first three years as the incentive mechanism that supports its new Nakamoto consensus. “The first chia transaction is an exciting milestone which furthers our long term mission to provide environmentally sustainable financial freedom. I am incredibly proud of our team and our reinvention of Bitcoin’s approach to the ‘everything is a coin’ model. We will continue to enhance the features of Chia and Chialisp in the areas of coloured coins, digital identity wallets, and NFT (non fungible token) support. This is just the beginning of our journey to become the core of a new financial architecture," shared Bram Cohen. Chia + Chialisp = secure “smart coin” transactions Chialisp is Chia Network’s smart coin language based on the functional language Lisp. Everything on the chia blockchain is a coin. Smart coins deliver smart contract and smart transaction capabilities in one package. Chilalisp has been designed for security and simplicity, while allowing for powerful and broad functionality. Applications running on Chia Network’s blockchain are intended to have functionality appropriate for banking, payments, asset issuance, global exchange, and other financial applications. Key feature sets of Chialisp include: Coloured coins Digital identity wallets Rate limited wallets Authorised payee wallets Multi-signature wallets Recoverable wallets Atomic swaps Chia Network’s blockchain will enable users to build and customize sophisticated custody and clearing arrangements. Chialisp will allow chia controls to match and exceed internal accounting controls and to safeguard funds from accidental loss, theft, or hacking with various risk tolerance levels in an easy to audit manner. Chia's Proof of Space & Time uses vastly less energy than Proof of Work In comparison with other blockchains, Chia greatly reduces energy consumption and environmental contamination while improving upon Nakamoto consensus. Chia’s blockchain replaces “Proof of Work”, which is the consensus protocol used by Bitcoin and Ethereum, with the first of its kind "Proof of Space and Time" consensus protocol that eliminates the unfairness, energy inefficiency, and centralization of Proof of Work. Instead of using power hungry specialized computing resources, Chia relies on storage space coupled with the added variable of time (via a “verifiable delay function”, or “VDF”) to ensure the integrity and security of the blockchain. A chia farmer will expend some CPU cycles to create "plots" on hard drives, but will then utilize the energy-efficient resource of drive space over the following years to participate in the consensus mechanism that verifies new blocks on the Chia blockchain. How to farm chia ("XCH") The goal of farming (verifying and ensuring the integrity of transactions on the Chia blockchain) is to utilize unused disk space to help validate financial transactions. Farming in the Chia network is a very lightweight process that leaves your computer free to do other things. To learn more about Chia’s blockchain, chia farming and the chia farming reward schedule, please watch the Company’s March 19th mainnet launch video and read Chia’s Business Whitepaper. For tips on how to plot and farm, please visit chiadecentral.com and review Chia plotting basics posted by Gene Hoffman, President of Chia Network. To get started, visit Chia Network GitHub to install the Company’s blockchain software. Chia offers broad OS support as well as a GUI for simple and easy wallet/farm management. The Company is committed to providing resources to enable simple and straightforward plotting and farming. About Chia Network Chia Network Inc. was founded by Bram Cohen, the inventor of BitTorrent. Chia Network is a state-of-the-art open-source decentralized blockchain, digital currency, and smart transaction platform. Using the first new secure Nakamoto consensus algorithm invented since Bitcoin, Chia aims to operate an eco-friendly, more secure and user-friendly payment system for cross border payments, issuing financial assets, lending, escrow payments, institutional custody, and distributed identity. Chia’s “Proof of Space and Time” based blockchain reduces waste in “Proof of Work” based blockchains. Built to run Chialisp, the company’s newly developed smart coin language, Chia’s blockchain allows its users to build and execute secure "smart coin" transactions. Chia believes that “digital money” should be easier to use than cash, harder to lose, and nearly impossible to steal. The Company is funded by leading venture capitalists including Slow Ventures, a16z, Naval Ravikant, Galaxy Digital, Greylock, True Ventures, MetaStable, Stillmark, DCM, and others. The Company’s Advisors include Dr. Dan Boneh, Research Partner at a16z and Applied Cryptography Professor at Stanford University; and Dr. Krzysztof Pietrzak, Cryptography Professor of IST Austria; and Ms. Katie Haun, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz. Investor Relations Contact: Gretchen Lium. For more information, chia.net and connect with us on Twitter ( @chia_project ), Facebook, GitHub, Reddit, and LinkedIn. Contact Details Chia Network Inc. Gretchen Lium +1 303-638-9185 gretchen@chia.net Company Website https://www.chia.net/

May 03, 2021 07:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Seen #TeacherTok? Osmo For Schools Gifts 4 Lucky Teachers $500 Gift Cards For TikTok Videos, For National Teacher Appreciation Week

Osmo for Schools

Osmo for Schools, a division of Tangible Play, Inc., focuses on building in-classroom usage of Osmo’s award-winning educational systems. Using proprietary AI technology, these systems help teachers foster collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking, and increased engagement in learning, in students. Osmo is used in more than 30,000 schools in North America. Tangible Play is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. For more information about Osmo for Schools and its products, visit schools.playosmo.com. Osmo for Schools, the educational division of Tangible Play, Inc. and part of the award-winning consumer STEAM brand Osmo, announces it has selected 4 lucky teachers on TikTok to each receive a $500 gift card, for their creative and inspiring videos, in honor of National Teacher Appreciation Week (May 1-7, 2021). “Throughout this past year, we were thrilled to see so many teachers who used their creativity to the max to get kids to learn during this challenging time, and we loved the heartwarming videos they posted on social media, to tell the world what they did and how,” says Jan Richards, head of education sales and marketing at Osmo for Schools, which promotes in-classroom usage of Osmo’s tools and recently received the 2021 EdTech Award for Curriculum and Instruction Solution. “We laughed a lot when the videos were funny, admired their dedication, and got inspired by so many. Osmo for Schools selected 4 teachers who present themselves as heroes going the extra mile during the pandemic.” The 4 winning teachers are: Tristan Campbell @trissssss10 Clamentia Hall, Jr. @mrclementineteach Mandy Curley @mandycurley1 Claudine James @iamthatenglishteacher Says kindergarten teacher Clamentia Hall, Jr., “Osmo has taken educational technology and teacher appreciation to an unprecedented level! It has been an absolute pleasure to share a bit of humor and joy with educators who could use a little morale boost. Osmo has affirmed that educators everywhere deserve an incredible amount of appreciation for the hard work they do.” On July 1, 2021, Osmo for Schools, in partnership with Osmo Cares, the charitable arm of Osmo, will begin accepting applications for its first-ever mini-grant consisting of $2000 worth of Osmo for Schools’ educational technology. A total of 20 in-kind, mini-grants will be awarded to U.S. public schools in time for the fall semester. The mini-grant is intended to help schools which lack needed funding to purchase educational technology. Mini-grant recipients, who will be announced Aug. 9, 2021, will be able to choose from a selection of Osmo for Schools products; only one recipient will be selected per school. Schools must already have appropriate tablets on hand, or a plan to purchase tablets--they are not included. For further details about the mini-grant and application process, visit here: schools.playosmo.com/grants. About Osmo for Schools Osmo for Schools, a division of Tangible Play, Inc., focuses on building in-classroom usage of Osmo’s award-winning educational systems. Using proprietary AI technology, these systems help teachers foster collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking, and increased engagement in learning, in students. Osmo is used in more than 30,000 schools in North America. Tangible Play is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. For more information about Osmo for Schools and its products, visit schools.playosmo.com. Contact Details Carolyn Kamii PR +1 310-251-0550 carolynkpr@gmail.com Company Website http://schools.playosmo.com

May 03, 2021 04:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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