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Fintech MarketFinance reaches profitability as it returns a record start to the year

Stockwood Strategy

Fintech business lender MarketFinance has kicked off 2021 with a significant increase in lending volumes. Year to date, MarketFinance has deployed over £64m in business loans and invoice finance to businesses across the UK. This is up 50% from the same period last year. As a CBILS accredited lender by the British Business Bank, MarketFinance has been at the forefront of supporting SME businesses throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Profit landmark MarketFinance has played a pivotal role in supporting SMEs. It has provided over £2bn to the most underserved businesses, giving them access to the working capital they need. MarketFinance announced that it turned profitable in February 2021 and will continue to grow at pace as the business scales products and operations. Anil Stocker, CEO at MarketFinance said: “The pandemic has sped up digital adoption across large parts of our society. Business lending is no different. We are seeing a continuing need to provide fast, easy-to-access, digitally available funding solutions to SMEs across all sectors within the UK. Fintech lenders such as MarketFinance are well placed to help power the post-Covid economic recovery across the country.” Partnerships In reaching a wide range of businesses, MarketFinance has deepened its 2018 partnership with Barclays Bank helping more of their business banking customers with invoice finance funding. In September 2020 MarketFinance also partnered with fellow fintech Ebury to ensure SMEs across the UK were able to quickly access the emergency lending, offering loans and revolving credit facilities to Ebury’s UK SME base. Aligning with their £10m BCR commitments, MarketFinance is continuing to partner with high-street banks and business platforms to enable more businesses to access the right financial solutions for them. Anil Stocker added: “A key part of our strategy is partnering with organisations who want to improve access to finance for their business customers. Our mission has always been to give SMEs a fair playing field for them to get access to working capital. We’re now working with partners to embed our finance technology within their platforms, allowing their customers quicker and easier access to the working capital they need.” ENDS Notes to the Editor About MarketFinance MarketFinance is a busi ness finance company with offices in London and Manchester. The online platform enables businesses to access a range of flexible finance solutions - quickly and easily. This smart technology is backed by help from real people so business owners can save time and focus on growing their business. Since 2011, MarketFinance has cumulatively advanced over £3 billion to companies across a range of sizes and sectors, providing working capital and finance for everything from paying staff and suppliers to launching new products or services and accelerating growth. MarketFinance is backed by Barclays, Mouro Capital, European venture capital fund Northzone (invested in Klarna, iZettle and Trustpilot), and private equity group MCI Capital (also invested in iZettle, Azimo and Gett). Contact Details MarketFinance Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@marketfinance.com Company Website https://marketfinance.com/

March 10, 2021 05:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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The Big Business of Esports

YourUpdateTV

Esports have burst into the mainstream in recent years, transforming from a vibrant niche to a central form of entertainment around the world. Last year, there were more than 1.2 billion hours of esports consumed, with audience numbers expected to double by the year 2023. Sponsors have taken notice. Verizon’s recent sponsorship deal with Riot Games, maker of popular game League of Legends, is just another indication that esports is here to stay. Recently, Naz Aletaha, Head of Global Esports Partnerships & Business Development at Riot Games, participated in a nationwide satellite media tour to discuss the rise of Riot Games’ esports titles globally. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/pKnRoHYSYCo Riot Games announced that two of its biggest esports events of the year will take place back-to-back this May in Reykjavík, Iceland. Additionally, as Riot Games continues to expand its esports footprint, the company has expanded its partnership with Verizon as the Official 5G Partner, supporting both LoL Esports Global Events and VALORANT Esports. This partnership just serves as the latest iteration of Verizon’s consistent support of Riot’s esports business. Since 2020, Verizon has been the Official 5G wireless network provider for the League Championship Series (LCS), providing support for LCS through original video content and in-broadcast sponsored segments. Their support extended to VALORANT First Strike: North America, the first official tournament for Riot's premier tactical shooter, as well as The Wild Rift Invitational - the world’s first Wild Rift esports event featuring LCS players and celebrities. Fans can follow @lolesports on Twitter and visit lolesports.com for more info on MSI, including a list of qualified teams and broadcast schedule. The latest information about Masters 2 and the VALORANT Champions Tour can be found at @valorantesports and playvalorant.com. Naz Aletaha: As head of global esports partnerships at League of Legends publisher Riot Games, Aletaha has helped take esports from a niche competition to the fastest-growing global sport, drawing interest and investment from the traditional sports and entertainment industries. Aletaha has secured sponsorship agreements with some of the most valuable world-class brands including Louis Vuitton, Red Bull, State Farm, and Mastercard, as well as the single biggest media-rights agreement in the history of esports. The first-generation daughter of Iranian immigrants, Aletaha applied her passion for gaming and entertainment at Sony Motion Pictures and Activision prior to her current role at Riot Games. About LoL Esports™: LoL Esports is a premier global sport that has attracted the attention of millions of fans around the world since 2010. More than 800 players on 100+ professional League of Legends esports teams compete across a dozen leagues globally. Within each regional league, teams compete against one another over the course of two seasonal splits in hopes of earning regional titles and championship points. Regional placements and championship points are used to qualify teams for the two major international competitions: the Mid-Season Invitational and the World Championship (known as Worlds). To close out a season, fans vote for their favorite players from each league to attend the All-Star Event where players enjoy a weekend of friendly competition. For further information, visit: www.lolesports.com and www.lolesportsmedia.com. About the VALORANT Champions Tour: After a record-breaking closed beta that saw more than 1.7 million peak concurrent viewers on Twitch, VALORANT quickly established itself as the fastest growing esport of 2020. To support the competitive scene, Riot Games launched the VALORANT Champions Tour, a year-long, global circuit featuring three levels of competition: Challengers, Masters, and Champions. Teams compete through regional Challengers events, then qualify into international Masters events, with the goal to earn a spot at Champions, a two-week long tournament where one team is crowned the VALORANT Global Champion. The season-long competition tour will feature competitions in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

March 09, 2021 03:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

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Shares of NHL Players are now available on Jock MKT

Jock MKT

Jock MKT (Jock Market), the company turning sports into a stock exchange, announced the National Hockey League has been added to their platform this week. The announcement marks the fourth league within Jock MKT’s proprietary platform that allows users to buy and sell shares of NFL, NBA, PGA and now NHL athletes in real time for real money. In an NHL “cash market,” Jock MKT users are able to buy virtual shares of star players like Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers or Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals on a nightly basis. Likewise, users can invest in shares of players with more upside, such as the Anaheim Ducks’ Rickard Rakell. In the first NHL cash market on Monday, shares of Rakell increased 640% over the course of the night, from $3.38 to $25 per share, after he netted two goals and one assist. Prior to each night of NHL games, Jock MKT hosts an IPO stage that concludes minutes before the first puck drop. During the IPO, users can bid on shares of players using real cash. When the IPO ends, any Jock MKT user can buy and sell shares with other investors while the games are happening. Users have the option to hold their shares to the end of the night for cash payouts based on fantasy rankings. For a tutorial of how to play, watch this video. “In the world of fantasy sports, I think hockey fans are an underserved community,” said Tyler Carlin, Co-Founder of Jock MKT. “We are thrilled to add the NHL to our nightly lineup of cash markets. We currently have daily NHL and NBA offerings nearly every night, along with PGA happening weekly.” Now approved in 34 states, Jock MKT is one of the fastest growing fantasy sports platforms in the world. Early investors include Isaiah Kacyvenski, a retired eight-year NFL veteran with a Harvard MBA. Kacyvenski is Founding Partner and Managing Director of Will Ventures, an early-stage fund investing at the intersection of sports and technology. Additional investors include Ryan Moore, a current board member of DraftKings and Accomplice founding partner. Headquartered in Boston and launched in 2020, Jock MKT ( JockMKT.com ) is a fantasy gaming platform where users can make real money – every minute, every second, of every game. Inspired by a traditional stock exchange, Jock MKT allows users to buy and sell shares of athletes in real time. Jock MKT was co-founded by Tyler Carlin and investors include Isaiah Kacyvenski, Ryan Moore, Brandon Adams and Alumni Ventures Group. Available in the U.S. in 34 states, Jock MKT offers gaming options for events tied to the NFL, NBA, NHL and PGA Tour. Contact Details Eric PR & Marketing, LLC Eric Nemeth +1 602-502-2793 nemeth@ericpr.com Company Website https://jockmkt.com/

March 09, 2021 10:57 AM Eastern Standard Time

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The Limitations of Medicare and Medicaid by Jennifer Lang Financial Services

Jennifer Lang Financial Services, LLC

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

March 09, 2021 10:05 AM Eastern Standard Time

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The LPGA Launches LPGA Live to Drive Virtual Connections with Players and Fans

Notable Live

Notable Live, an interactive Events platform, announced today a new partnership with the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), with a goal to enhance and extend the experience of live LPGA events off the course and enable fans, sponsors and spectators to get up close and one-on-one with LPGA Tour Members. With the challenges of in-person gatherings this year, the LPGA wants to ensure the organization continues to find innovative ways to stay connected with fans and sponsors alike by providing them with engaging content and interactive ways to engage with each other. From the LPGA Women’s Network to the LPGA*USGA Girls Golf (Girls Golf) and the LPGA Lesson Zone to the Fan Zone, the LPGA will utilize the Notable Live platform for a set of dynamic virtual events to amplify on-location tournaments, provide continuing education and real-time instruction that will enable face-to-face interaction with fans. “The Notable Live platform gives the LPGA a great opportunity to enable face-to-face, secure interactions between fans, sponsors and our athletes,” said Brian Carroll, the LPGA’s senior vice president of global media distribution. “Even as we progress through these difficult times, we look forward to continuing to grow our digital connections with fans located around the world and help them get to know the many diverse faces who make up the LPGA Tour.” In addition to hosting fan events, the LPGA plans to utilize the platform to integrate its sponsors to further commemorate the events across both the live and virtual experiences. “We are thrilled to have the trailblazing team at the LPGA on board with our mission to celebrate the passion of fans and make more connections possible between them and the LPGA professionals they admire,” said Notable Live co-founder Mike Antonucci. “LPGA Live will be an innovative extension of what the organization has traditionally offered in person and will create experiences that will feel like the closest thing to being a live spectator. This, coupled with their mission to deliver unique access to their players, is why we couldn’t be more excited about this partnership.” Together, the LPGA and Notable Live are committed to developing new ways to engage and support players, members and fans in a way that complements the organization’s existing live programming. The first event was held Monday, February 15, with Sandra Gal and members of Girls Golf. To sign up for LPGA Live Events, go to https://lpga.notable.live and create your account to get started. About the LPGA The LPGA is the world’s leading professional golf organization for women. Founded in 1950 and headquartered in Daytona Beach, Fla., the association celebrates a diverse and storied membership with more than 2,300 members representing more than 30 countries. With a vision to inspire, empower, educate and entertain by showcasing the very best of women’s golf, LPGA Tour Professionals compete across the globe, while the Symetra Tour, the official development and qualifying tour of the LPGA, consistently produces a pipeline of talent ready for the world stage. Additionally, LPGA Professionals directly impact the game through teaching, coaching and management. The LPGA demonstrates its dedication to the development of the game through The LPGA Foundation. Since 1991, this charitable organization has been committed to empowering and supporting girls and women through developmental and humanitarian golf initiatives, such as LPGA*USGA Girls Golf. Follow the LPGA on its television home, Golf Channel, and on the web via www.LPGA.com. Join the social conversation at www.facebook.com/lpga, www.twitter.com/lpga and www.youtube.com/lpgavideo, and on Instagram and Snapchat at @lpga_tour. About Notable Live Notable Live was founded in 2018 when a fan, Mike Antonucci, and a pair notables Pat Smith and Emmitt Smith, teamed up to create a truly unique platform focused on providing fans with unparalleled access to their favorite notables via face-to-face, virtual interactive events. Notable Live is a mobile app available on the App Store and Google Play that grants fans real access to notables by putting them "in the room" together for unforgettable virtual experiences. Connect with Notable Live at www.notable.live or on Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. Contact Details Notable Live Alan Bloodgood, SVP Licensing and Operations +1 301-704-8584 alan.bloodgood@notable.live LPGA Christina Lance, Director, Tour Media Christina.lance@lpga.com Company Website https://www.notable.live

March 08, 2021 08:33 AM Eastern Standard Time

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CMMC Center of Excellence Announces Engagement Agreement with HKA Technology Solutions

Interoperability Clearinghouse

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Center of Excellence ( CMMC COE ), hosted by the Information Technology Acquisition Advisory Council (IT-AAC), a public-private partnership serving the public and private sectors for more than 15 years, is excited to announce a partnership with HKA Technology Solutions, an IT Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) consulting company providing a wealth of GRC solutions for clients from the U.S. Government to the private sector. This unique partnership will extend efforts to identify and include proven capabilities within the CMMC COE Marketplace to improve cybersecurity protection and resilience for the global defense industrial base network of contractors, vendors, and suppliers. By facilitating results that customers want to reduce costs and risks, HKA provides the CMMC subject matter expertise that creates business value co-creation to help the DIB contractor think critically about establishing, documenting, and testing their CMMC administrative, technical, and physical controls to support the nation’s warfighters. Furthermore, HKA uses a unique Service Value System (SVS) to ensure that within the CMMC Practices and Processes Lifecycle, DIB CMMC practices and processes continuously co-create value with all stakeholders. The executed Engagement Agreement establishes a collaborative engagement between HKA Technology Solutions and the CMMC COE to partner in the furthering of their respective and complementary missions and objectives regarding the adoption, use, and expansion of CMMC based cybersecurity practices, risk management, and compliance for the DIB contractor, vendor, and supplier community of providers creating a broader CMMC ecosystem globally to improve security and resilience. Specific actions will include: The co-development of CMMC advisory services, cyber training and education programs to accelerate CMMC certification, increase cyber adoption and improve cyber protection & resilience. Co-sponsor symposiums, training programs and podcasts leveraging their combined cyber and IT expertise. Host regular working groups, with other partners, to enable collaboration and communications. Establish an independent Industry Cyber Security Advisory Council with peer organizations to advise and educate leaders across government and industry on the continued evolution and effectiveness of CMMC. The CMMC-COE ( http://cmmc-coe.org ) and HKA Technology Solutions partnership will focus on bringing together the many disparate cyber and national security communities of interest to reduce complexity, improve awareness, and accelerate industry effort to become more cyber resilient against the growing threats from nation states and criminal enterprises. “This is exciting opportunity for us”, said Mr. John Weiler, Chairman of the Board at CMMC Center of Excellence, “This new partnership will further help advance the goals and objectives for improving the supply chain security and resilience of the US Department of Defense (DoD)”. "Through the partnership with the CMMC-COE, HKA Technology Solutions scopes, tailors, and publishes CMMC policies, procedures, and standards to safeguard data Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability for our Defense Industrial Base members who support our nation's warfighters." said Mr. Glenn Axelrod, President & CEO. The CMMC-COE establishes both a Market Place and Knowledge Clearinghouse that will include resources that support the overall effort, including white papers; tutorials; recorded webcasts; presentations; and more that will help reduce the cost and burden on small and medium size contractors already struggling from the impact of COVID. For more information on the CMMC COE, please visit http://cmmc-coe.org, email info@cmmc-coe.org or call 703-863-3766 For more information on HKA Technology Solutions, please visit https://www.hkatechnolgysolutions.com/ About Us ---------- CMMC-COE.ORG is a unique non-profit public-private partnership, with a vision to accelerate Cybersecurity Maturity Model (CMM) adoption, and reduce time & cost for security compliance for our partners by leveraging commercial best practices, CMMC standards, and innovative solutions for a measurable success. Our mission, focused on DOD mission objectives, cost containment and expeditious CMMC compliance, is to help the DIB improve cyber posture and resilience, and simplify its acquisition. The CMMC-COE is hosted by the Information Technology Acquisition Advisory Council (IT-AAC), a public/private partnership (P3) chartered in 2007 as an honest broker to reach outside the confines of the Federal IT advisories that lack dynamic reach into the Global IT Market, and dedicated to the adoption of commercial IT management standards of practice and innovations emanating from the Global IT market. Team IT-AAC has already demonstrated the value of its decade long investment, and provides a unique value to agencies seeking to achieve accelerate the transformation of legacy processes and systems. Our Just-in-Time SMEs apply an innovative suite of Technology Business Management and Agile Acquisition Processes needed to assure the business value of commercial IT. The Interoperability Clearinghouse (ICH), is the managing partner that make up the 24 NGO/SDO organizations that make up the IT-AAC. ICH provides the contract vehicles, clearances, and critical resources proven to guide sustainable, measurable and repeatable processes needed to drive better investment decisions as the speed of mission need, while aligning existing processes, methods and workforce with IT reform mandates contained in Clinger Cohen Act, FITARA, IT MGT Act, EO13838. Contact Details Bob Dix +1 703-975-6633 bob.dix@it-aac.org Company Website https://cmmc-coe.org

March 08, 2021 08:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Fintern launches consumer lending driven by AI and Open Banking

Stockwood Strategy

The UK consumer lending market is worth £160bn, yet over 15 million people in the UK are denied access to affordable loans. These people are resorting to unsustainable means including high-cost lenders and buy-now-pay-later schemes to manage their lives. Today, digital consumer lender Fintern has launched to radically transform the financial well-being of people with an innovative and sustainable lending approach that goes beyond traditional credit scoring and puts affordability first. Fintern’s next generation credit technology bypasses credit scores in making lending decisions, focusing instead on affordability. Fintern builds relationships with customers helping them to understand how much they really need, how much they can afford to take on, and how they will repay. Fintern integrates its AI platform with Open Banking* to smartly connect the dots in consumers’ banking data enabling Fintern to obtain the most accurate view of borrowers’ affordability and spending behaviour using real time transaction information. Gerald Chappell, CEO and co-founder of Fintern commented: “Fintern will help people to really understand what is affordable for them, rather than offering yet another faceless transactional process. Currently, lenders either lend money or don’t, and then don’t engage with the borrower again until the loan terms ends or payments are missed. “Our success as a lender lies in the ability of our customers to repay their loans. Our AI-powered technology helps us and all our customers to understand their finances in a deeper, more hands-on way than ever before. This approach allows us to increase approval rates, lower APRs and empower our customers to make the best and most responsible borrowing decisions for them.” The approach of banks to personal lending inappropriately results in “computer says no” answers for millions every year. While traditional behavioural credit scoring (the industry’s approach for credit decisioning) works well to separate the highest quality customers from the lowest, it performs poorly in differentiating risk among the majority of people. Often the consumers hardest hit are those who have had historical blips in their credit records or, for example, those people who are new to credit or have moved countries. Dr. Michelle He, COO and co-founder of Fintern added: “We will be closer to our customers than incumbent lenders can ever be, and this will differentiate us in the marketplace. Intelligently integrating AI and Open Banking data disrupts credit decisioning for the better of all customers. Doing it well requires the right experience. Data and technology are Fintern’s bread and butter. We have an amazing team with extensive experience in digital lending and credit analytics. They are customer obsessed and have made the Fintern App a unique experience.” Looking ahead, Gerald Chappell added: “As we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, Fintern is needed now more than ever. While many existing lenders are reducing credit supply given the shock to their existing portfolios, Fintern uses high frequency transaction data to understand consumers’ real time financial circumstances and lend responsibly. Over the next 4-5 years, we intend to rapidly grow in the UK building a £1bn loan book alongside broadening our product range and considering expansion to other geographies.” Fintern received its FCA authorisation as a regulated consumer credit lender in February 2021. The co-founders have built an exceptional team that includes credit experts with over 100 years’ experience in finance and technology. Ends * Open Banking regulation requires UK banks to open up customer transaction data in a secure and standardised form, which means the third party providers have access to consumer data from banks via APIs. While the UK is leading globally on Open Banking, adoption is under way in 35 economies. About Fintern Fintern is a digital consumer lender on a mission to expand access to low cost personal finance and transform financial well-being. Fintern’s next generation credit technology bypasses credit scores in making lending decisions, focusing instead on affordability. Fintern builds relationships with customers helping them to understand their repayment capacity and credit appetite. Fintern integrates its AI platform with Open Banking to smartly connect the dots in consumers’ banking data enabling Fintern to obtain the most accurate view of borrowers’ affordability and spending behaviour using up to the minute transaction information. Fintern was founded in 2020 with a team from McKinsey, EY, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, HSBC and XiaoMi. Fintern is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, firm reference number 929244, a member of Cifas (the UK's leading anti-fraud association) and registered with the UK Information Commissioner's Office in compliance with the Data Protection Regulations 2018. Contact Details Fintern Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 press@fintern.ai Company Website https://fintern.ai/

March 08, 2021 06:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Minuteman Press Franchise in Fredericksburg, VA Supports Local Businesses During COVID-19

Minuteman Press International Inc

Minuteman Press Fredericksburg Has Remained Open Throughout COVID-19 As An Essential Business Owner Doug Walton Shares Insights On Operating During the Pandemic and How Minuteman Press is Helping Local Businesses Bounce Back For nearly 15 years, Doug Walton has owned the Minuteman Press design, marketing, and printing franchise located at 10699 Courthouse Road. Because printing is considered an essential business, Minuteman Press Fredericksburg has remained open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. “It feels good to remain open and help other local businesses navigate the pandemic economy. We have been able to help them market themselves through direct mail, provide banners and signage to help with social distancing, and we have even supplied many with acrylic sneeze guards and masks to help keep their employees and customers safe.” Print Is Essential As a longtime local business owner in an essential industry, Doug is uniquely positioned to be able to help organizations and businesses as they continue to reopen and recover. “We’ve expanded our products and services over the years and when the pandemic first hit we were ready to provide high-demand items such as direct mail, signage, and sneeze guards. Businesses have come to us for banners, posters, yard signs, floor decals, and branded clothing, which has been a good source of growth. When everyone’s graduation ceremonies were canceled, we were able to help students and their families celebrate with lawn signs.” Doug continues, “The response from the community has been incredible. They know we have been here for a long time, and they appreciate our ability to provide custom printing of all kinds to help keep people safe. We also have been helping businesses reach out to their customers through marketing and direct mail campaigns. When restaurants need new menus or businesses have important updates and special promotions, Minuteman Press Fredericksburg is here as their trusted local provider.” “The printing industry has been designated as essential for a reason. The products and services we provide support almost every other business and allow them to continue to operate. We print for many different kinds of customers from HVAC contractors to the local Sheriff’s office and more. They all depend on us to do their jobs, and we are happy to be there to help them with everything they need during this unprecedented time.” -Doug Walton, owner, Minuteman Press Fredericksburg, VA Bounce Back Fredericksburg One of the ways Doug and his team are giving back is through Bounce Back Fredericksburg, a free community platform that provides businesses with free local listings and COVID-19 awareness and prevention posters. To date, 60 participating businesses have posted special offers and promotions that community members can take advantage of to support local and shop local. Doug says, “I would encourage every business owner to advertise more. There is no such thing as too much marketing. Take advantage of Bounce Back Fredericksburg, start a direct mail campaign, or simply take a look at your marketing materials and make sure everything is professional and up to date.” As the economy continues to recover, Doug sees opportunities for businesses to come back strong. “I’d like to think that we are proof it is possible to operate and market during the pandemic. As more and more of the local economy comes back, my message is to refocus and stay positive. I hope my own positive attitude encourages my fellow business owners to realize we will get through this together and that brighter days are ahead.” As for his own marketing efforts, Doug has used every tool available to him as part of the Minuteman Press franchise family. “We have depended on direct mail, email, and social media to advertise. We have kept the message simple by saying ‘we are here to help, and we are all in this together.’ The response has been very encouraging. Many have thanked us for being there when people need us at this critical time.” He adds, “As a franchisee, the support we’ve received from Minuteman Press International has been great. At the beginning, we received daily updates of what was going on in our industry, tips for pushing forward, words of encouragement, and tons of new resources including the launch of the Bounce Back USA program. They have continued to share success stories from across the nation and provide recommendations and industry news as well as new marketing templates and strategies to help us grow.” Benefits of Franchising Prior to owning his own business, Doug worked in construction. He was able to successfully switch industries and change careers by going the franchise route. As printing industry leaders, Minuteman Press offered Doug comprehensive training and ongoing support that he continues to benefit from today. Doug says, “Minuteman Press is outstanding. They are always there for support. I couldn’t imagine navigating this pandemic without them. Over the years they have always been there when I need them and they are always looking for ways to help us be more successful. Minuteman Press truly cares about their franchisees.” Reflecting on the rewards of business ownership, Doug adds, “It comes down to my improved quality of life. I don’t miss any of my daughter’s school or sports events. I can make my own schedule. It’s as simple as that and I wouldn’t want it any other way.” “Doug Walton has simply done a tremendous job as the owner of Minuteman Press Fredericksburg for nearly 15 years,” says Bob Heimbuch, Minuteman Press International Regional Vice President, Virginia / DC / Maryland. “I am especially proud of his efforts in helping the local business community through Bounce Back Fredericksburg as well as all of the ways he has been supporting local businesses during the pandemic. Doug is truly dedicated to his clients and his community and he lifts others up with his positivity while providing outstanding products and services.” Advice for Others When asked for what advice he would give to other business owners, Doug answers, “Put your blinders on and don’t pay any attention to bad news. Do everything you can to service your customers. Advertise more. This is not the time to cut back. Keep a positive attitude and encourage everyone in your community to support local businesses.” “And remember, we are all in this together.” For more information on Minuteman Press Fredericksburg, visit https://www.fredericksburg.minutemanpress.com. Learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press franchise opportunities at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com. Contact Details Minuteman Press International Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

March 05, 2021 09:01 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Introducing: Generation Collection

Generation Collection

Generation Collection is proud to announce their official brand launch, and introduce their premier collection of investment grade, sustainable jewelry. Generation Collection is investment grade, 24 karat gold jewelry, made in the US from recycled metals that cut 99% of the environmental pollution. Created out of a desire to do good for people and the planet, Generation is the first sustainable investment jewelry in the US, intentionally built on a circular economy premise. Generation jewelry is a 0 carbon investment. The company is focused on driving change by:​ Turning waste into Gold. Reducing pollution through circular gold. Goal: Impact for Generations. Making jewelry an appreciating asset. Offering women an opportunity to invest in an appreciating asset. Goal: Wealth for Generations. CHALLENGING THE STATUS QUO The fashion industry is the 2nd largest global polluter, only after petroleum, and responsible for 10% of emissions. Every day, the world purchases ~1Billion worth of jewelry. Using recycled gold that cuts 99% of the pollution of mined gold, we could decarbonize nearly 2% the entire fashion industry. Every year the world spends $300B on jewelry. $100B of that is spent in Asia on high-carat jewelry. By contrast, most US jewelry is crafted from 14K (58% gold), 18K (75% gold) or, at best, 22K (92%) gold and loses most of its value the moment it's purchased. US jewelry today is a depreciating asset. Boryana Straubel would like to see that changed. “2020 was eye-opening. I asked myself what the products of the future look like? The Covid-19 crisis halted most sustainability investments while the price of gold skyrocketed. People still think that sustainability and financial returns are at odds. The products of the future need to be both sustainable and financially beneficial for people. Recycled 24k gold is just that.” – Boryana Straubel, Founder WHY 24 KARAT? 74% of women still don’t invest. Worrying about women’s financial health is important to Boryana Straubel, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Generation. Born in a small Bulgarian town and raised by a single mother, from a very young age, the value of hard work was instilled in Boryana. When she graduated high school as class valedictorian in 2000, her mother gave her the gift of a lifetime: a 30-gram, 24-karat gold necklace. This gift, which required years of saving and sacrifice to buy, became Boryana’s most prized possession. Gifting gold to a child in Bulgaria is the equivalent of providing them with an investment account; it is a functional gift, a beacon of hope and a promise of a brighter future. The price of gold that summer was $280/troy ounce (31 grams). 20 years later, that same necklace is now worth $1,900 – an appreciation of 580%. The S&P 500 appreciated 160% over that time. Not only was this necklace a symbol of accomplishment and a mother’s love, it also delivered an important life lesson to Boryana: the value of appreciating assets. Thus, the intention for Generation Collection was born. With the launch of Generation investment-grade jewelry, Boryana aspires to help more families accrue wealth, while celebrating life's most meaningful accomplishments. She married this mission with her belief in driving positive environmental change. This directly ties back to her work at The Straubel Foundation, where she focuses on impact investing in innovative early-stage ventures that help accelerate the transition to a more environmentally sustainable future. Generation’s collection of investment rings, pendants, earrings, necklaces and bracelets are crafted using only investment grade, recycled 24 karat gold, platinum and silver. The jewelry is priced dynamically, based on the metal commodity market price and provides sustainability statistics for each piece. Unlike gold bars and coins, Generation’s investment jewelry is a functional investment: it can be worn while it appreciates in value. Generation Collection uses upcycled e-waste and scrap gold – turning waste into value. This sourcing method significantly reduces energy, water and carbon dioxide. Mining gold from electronic waste has 50x more yield than from natural ores. One single gram of recycled gold saves 680 liters of water. One gram of mined gold causes 36,451 grams of CO2 emissions, compared to 3.62 grams of recycled gold. The energy savings from one gram of recycled gold are equivalent to 5,860 cell phone charges. That's almost 16 years of charging. A small 8 gram recycled gold ring offsets 128 years of phone charging. Generation’s recycled metals are also completely circular which means they can feed their own (and other companies) metal supply chains for unlimited cycles. Prioritizing sustainability, Generation aims to not only be a carbon neutral business but provide customers with the opportunity to help sequester carbon for centuries by offering the option to plant trees with every purchase. Generation pieces are available for purchase on Generation-Collection.com. Prices range from $450 to $7,000 USD. For more information on Generation Collection, please visit www.Generation-Collection.com. Contact Details OGAKI Amber Cardullo +1 646-475-7056 acardullo@ogakidigital.com Company Website https://generation-collection.com

March 04, 2021 10:03 AM Eastern Standard Time

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