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Akeneo Named an Overall Leader in Ventana Research’s Product Information Management Value Index

Akeneo

Akeneo, the global leader in product experience management (PXM), today announced that it has been honored as an Overall Value Index Leader in Ventana Research’s 2021 Value Index on Product Information Management (PIM). Akeneo was further classified as Exemplary, the highest possible rating, based on Ventana Research’s thorough analysis of product and customer experience criteria. The PIM Value Index distils over a year of market and product research to evaluate 16 PIM software solutions in seven key categories weighted to reflect buyers’ needs. The index is structured to replicate the procurement process, and incorporates all the criteria needed to evaluate, select, utilize, and maintain PIM solutions and establish relationships with vendors. Akeneo earned a top-three ranking in six out of seven categories — more than any other company surveyed — and was ranked first in three categories, earning the title of Overall Value Index Leader in each category. Among the categories where Akeneo exceled: Customer Experience, where Akeneo PIM was ranked 1st for providing an impressive level of information to communicate their commitment and dedication to customer needs for PIM technology. TCO/ROI, where Akeneo PIM was ranked 1st for effectively demonstrating the PIM business case, including the product’s strategic value, total cost of ownership and total benefit of ownership. Usability, where Akeneo PIM was ranked 1st for meeting the varying business needs of executives, management, workers, analysts, along with IT, and others involved in the PIM processes. Capability, where Akeneo PIM was honored for providing the broader and deeper range of PIM capabilities that support enterprise, commerce, supplier, consumer, and business-to-business requirements. Manageability, where Akeneo PIM was recognized for providing easy, secure, and flexible technology administration by business users as part of new enterprise tech requirements in an organization. Reliability, where Akeneo PIM was celebrated for providing high performance and scalability of the PIM system that supports the continuous processing required for business continuity and operational resilience. Akeneo received an Exemplary Leader rating overall — the highest ranking possible — and won special praise for its TCO/ROI-related support, an area in which most surveyed companies struggled to deliver the support that customers need to make informed decisions. “Akeneo PIM provides a set of flexible enrichment capabilities, powerful automation, and actionable insights for building and enriching contextualized product catalogs. You and your team can be productive, collaborate without friction, and deliver those great product experiences regardless of channel,” said Mark Smith, Chief Research Officer at Ventana Research. “Our assessment finds Akeneo finished as a Value Index Leader in the highest number of evaluation categories, demonstrating its leadership and investment to PIM.” About Akeneo Akeneo is a global leader in Product Experience Management (PXM) helping businesses with products to sell to unlock growth opportunities by delivering a consistent and compelling product experience across all channels, including eCommerce, mobile, print, points of sale and beyond. With its open platform, leading PIM, add-ons, connectors and marketplace, Akeneo PXM Studio dramatically improves product data quality and accuracy, simplifies catalog management, and accelerates the sharing of product information across channels and locales. Leading global brands, manufacturers, distributors and retailers, including Staples Canada, Fossil, Air Liquide and Myer trust Akeneo to scale and customize their omnichannel commerce initiatives. Using Akeneo, brands and retailers can improve customer experience, increase sales, reduce time to market, go global, and boost team productivity. Contact Details David Wamsley +1 415-259-9104 dave@rosebudrp.io

June 24, 2021 06:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Summer Beauty Must-Haves

YourUpdateTV

Summer 2021 is here, and it’s safe to say that people have never been more excited to enjoy the season. Recently, Lifestyle Expert Emily L. Foley teamed with YourUpdateTV to discuss the beauty must-haves we need to thrive this season. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/FiAchlstK44 Protection from the Sun Sunscreen is a beauty must-have 365 days a year–not just in the summer! No matter what the weather is, our skin needs broad-spectrum sun protection from both UVA and UVB rays. CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 Sheer Tint is a great daily face sunscreen, because it’s a lightweight, 100% mineral sunscreen, which means it’s safe for even sensitive skin, plus it provides a sheer tint that blends well with most skin tones. It really offers sun care and skincare in one–it has that broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen you need, but it also has important skincare ingredients to restore the skin barrier, lock in moisture and soothe skin, like three essential ceramides, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide. Good Makeup Habits With people going out and putting on makeup, it’s important to remember to wash off your makeup at the end of the day. But what a lot of people don’t know is that ordinary liquid cleansers can leave up to 30% of your makeup still on your face–especially stubborn eye makeup! That’s why professional makeup artists and people in the know turn to Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes, because they remove even the tiniest traces of makeup to make sure nothing gets in the way of your healthiest skin. It’s always a good idea to do a double cleanse, so for the very best clean and your healthiest possible skin, you should use a wipe first and then cleanse. Healthy Looking Skin Everyone is so excited to pull out their sun dresses and actually get dressed and be seen for the first time in a long time, but that also means our pandemic skin is about to be exposed. It’s important to find products that are easy-to-use and deliver big results, and the Olay Premium Exfoliating Body Wash Collection does just that. Their Exfoliating & Moisturizing Body Wash made with sugar and cocoa butter, massages away dead skin cells to leave skin feeling smooth and renewed and is gentle enough to use every day. It’s full of moisturizing ingredients like Vitamin B3 Complex and petrolatum, which is the #1 dermatologist recommended moisturizer, so it deeply hydrates to nourish the skin. For more information, check out @EmilyLFoley on Instagram About Emily L. Foley: Emily is a freelance writer and on-air beauty and lifestyle expert. Specializing in beauty, fashion, entertainment and The Bachelor franchise (it’s totally a specialty), she writes for magazines such as Allure, Glamour, O, The Oprah Magazine, Marie Claire, US Weekly, and on the web for Brides.com, Refinery29.com, and Glamour.com. She's interviewed Oscar, Grammy and reality show winners; the designers who've dressed them, and the fans who love them. Emily resides in Atlanta with her husband and their exceptionally wonderful young children. 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

June 23, 2021 01:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Phase 4 Services Adds “Science and Quality Powerhouse” Duo to Roster of Cannabis Testing Experts

Phase 4 Services

MCR Labs Director of Scientific Operations Scott Churchill and former ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) Accreditation Manager Matthew Sica have joined Phase 4 Services, a laboratory management and consulting firm looking to solidify its status as a leader in the marijuana and hemp testing space. Churchill, an analytical testing and pharmaceutical science expert with nearly a decade of cannabis industry experience, has been named Phase 4’s vice president of scientific development. Sica, a compliance testing and accreditation expert with 30 year of experience in the field, has joined the firm as vice president of regulatory compliance & quality. “Scott and Matt have both been integral to growing MCR Labs into a successful multistate organization,” said Michael Kahn, founder and CEO of MCR Labs, a cannabis testing lab operating in several legal cannabis markets. “Together, these two are an absolute science and quality powerhouse that bring critical knowledge and experience to Phase 4’s consulting team.” In their respective roles at Phase 4 Services, Churchill and Sica will assist the firm’s laboratory partners with method development, process improvement, regulatory compliance, and managing the challenges of scaling operations effectively. Phase 4 Services works with cannabis testing labs in both the marijuana and hemp industries to streamline management processes, advance testing capabilities, and implement business strategies designed for the evolving cannabis industry. About Phase 4 Services: Phase 4 Services is a scientific consulting and laboratory management firm dedicated to growing, supporting, and enhancing hemp and cannabis testing laboratories. Founded by experts in analytical testing, pharmaceutical chemistry, business administration, and development strategy, our team is equipped with the knowledge and experience necessary to ensure partner laboratories are successful in their pursuit of advancing public health and safety for cannabis patients and consumers. For more information visit http://phase4services.com. Contact Details Phase 4 Services Joe Crinkley +1 857-230-0839 PR@phase4services.com Company Website https://phase4services.com/

June 23, 2021 11:38 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Comcast Business Helps Sabey Bring High-Speed Connectivity to Washington Area Data Centers and Offer Better IT Continuity

Comcast Washington

Comcast Business today announced it is investing in local Washington data centers in partnership with the Sabey Data Centers to bring better IT continuity and connectivity to businesses. Specifically, Comcast Business will integrate its connectivity into data centers located in Tukwila and Quincy, giving businesses a private connection to regional Sabey data centers. The collaboration will also help advance digital transformation initiatives and enable Washington state businesses to better support their employees working remotely. Most recently, Washington state has made a name for itself in the data center sector for hosting the digital assets of California-based enterprises. Thanks to these benefits, Washington is currently experiencing rapid growth across its data center market. Recognizing the benefits of hosting data in Washington state, Sabey Data Centers has brought to market a combined 2.2 million square feet of data center space throughout the state, and is providing tenants with access to reliable, price-stabilized affordable power via sustainable generation, superior connectivity and turnkey infrastructure deployment. As one of the largest privately-owned data center operators in the world, Sabey needs reliable, credible partners to help capitalize on the booming data center market in Washington. They have teamed up with Comcast Business for comprehensive solutions that support the broad connectivity initiatives data centers demand. “CIOs and IT decision makers are often challenged with managing connections to multiple data centers and cloud solutions, managing application performance as well as troubleshooting latency and throughput issues from their data center connections,” said John Ford, VP and General Manager, Sabey Data Centers, Seattle. “Comcast Business’ data center connectivity helps our customers simplify their workloads by providing direct access on a network that can be tied to a business’s physical location – this means great performance, reliability, and scalability, and ultimately greater network agility for businesses.” By integrating Comcast Business’ Hybrid Fiber Coax (HFC) system, Sabey Data Center customers will be able to take advantage of high network availability. Comcast Business has also built diverse 100 Gbps connections through separate network locations in its HFC system, so if there is an outage along one path, alternative paths are available for backup connectivity and support so Sabey customers can stay online. As part of the partnership, Comcast Business will also offer Sabey customers an “on-ramp” to popular cloud services like Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and IBM Cloud via the Comcast Business Direct-to-Cloud platform, which connects customers to the cloud without going through the Internet. “Comcast Business is focused on empowering businesses with a choice in hybrid IT solutions and massive Ethernet network reach,” said Scott Woodard, Director of Sales Engineering for Comcast Business’ WA Region. “Our goal is to connect data centers and cloud services to more than one million Ethernet-enabled buildings and businesses nationwide.” In addition, businesses already using Comcast Business Ethernet and IP services will have efficient and secure access to Sabey’s data centers. Plus, workers with Xfinity internet who need to remotely access information or upload files will be able to send their information through Comcast’s statewide network. “We’ve already seen that the demand for digital transformation has the power to completely revolutionize how a business operates,” said Rob Brenner, Vice President of Comcast Business for Comcast’s Washington Region. “As a provider of comprehensive technology solutions for businesses, we are thrilled to partner with the Sabey Data Centers to help local businesses in Washington transform their backend operations and modernize in anticipation of a data-driven future of work.” For more information, please visit http://business.comcast.com. About Comcast Business Comcast Business offers a suite of Connectivity, Communications, Networking, Cybersecurity, Wireless, and Managed Solutions to help organizations of different sizes prepare for what’s next. Powered by the nation’s largest Gig-speed broadband network, and backed by 24/7 customer support, Comcast Business is the nation’s largest cable provider to small and mid-size businesses and one of the leading service providers to the Enterprise market. Comcast Business has been consistently recognized by industry analysts and associations as a leader and innovator, and one of the fastest growing providers of Ethernet services. For more information, call 866-429-3085. Follow on Twitter @ComcastBusiness and on other social media networks at http://business.comcast.com/social. Contact Details Comcast Nick McDonald +1 425-977-5565 Nick_McDonald@Comcast.com FINN Partners Chloe Huard +13132094957 chloe.huard@finnpartners.com Company Website https://washington.comcast.com/

June 23, 2021 05:58 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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Cloudrise Closes Seed Round of Funding

Cloudrise

Cloudrise accelerates growth in 2021 by closing out their seed round of funding, recruiting new talent to their board of directors, fostering core partnerships, and delivering best-in-class data protection and automation services to their customers. Since launching the company in October of 2019, Cloudrise has delivered 100+ data protection services projects to over 60 customers globally, including several Fortune 50 enterprises. As they continue to exceed revenue targets and the momentum builds, Cloudrise is investing significantly to expand their service delivery and research and development teams, raising the bar for data protection and automation. In May, Cloudrise secured additional capital to help to fund further growth and innovation. Stormbreaker Ventures is a key investor that helped enable Cloudrise to close the seed round of investment funding. Said Mia, Managing Partner at Stormbreaker, commented: “Cloudrise’s vision of redefining data protection through automation is unmatched in this space and we are confident their innovative drive, coupled with Stormbreaker’s investment, will propel the team into their next phase of growth. We look to partner with high-velocity companies that build effectively and efficiently, and Cloudrise's approach to date has been the best of both." With success comes the need to add more talent to the Board of Directors. A Partner at Greater Colorado Venture Fund, Marc Nager also co-founded Startup Weekend, was CEO of UP Global, and Chief Community Officer at Techstars. Marc not only brings a wealth of experience to the board, but his passions for the Western Slope of Colorado align with Cloudrise’s drive to provide opportunities within their community. “I am honored and excited to join such a passionate and innovative team. I feel strongly that this team is at the right place, at the right time in the cyber security space, and we know the Western Slope startup community is going to rally behind the amazing team they're building in Grand Junction,” said Marc Nager. Cloudrise is committed to delivering high-value, innovative solutions to their customers. “We are extremely excited to welcome Marc to the board and Stormbreaker to our investment portfolio. These partnerships will enable Cloudrise to continue to innovate and provide world-class services to our customers. We founded Cloudrise on the premise that we want to provide value to our customers every day – and for us that means maintaining genuine culture, partnering with our customers, and driving innovation based on business needs”, said Rob Eggebrecht, CEO and co-founder at Cloudrise. About Stormbreaker Ventures Stormbreaker Ventures is an early-stage fund focused on capital efficient startups. The firm believes in a future where venture capital is more equitable, more efficient, and more genuine. Stormbreaker sees an opportunity within venture capital to be a true partner to its founders, not just a check that bides time until the next round. With a portfolio of more than 30 companies, Stormbreaker's partners operate from Silicon Valley, Denver, and Houston. About Marc Nager Marc is a Partner at the Greater Colorado Venture Fund and since 2009, Marc has been a leader of the startup movement around the world. He has built and scaled programs that have served more than 500,000 entrepreneurs in over 700 cities and 142 countries around the world. At UP Global he managed a team of nearly 75 people with offices in 5 international locations and oversaw Startup Weekend, Startup Next, Startup Digest, Startup Week, and Startup America. He's worked with grassroots and political leaders from around the world as well as executives at many FT500 companies around innovation and entrepreneurship. Originally from the small town of Mammoth Lakes, CA, Marc now lives in Telluride where he served as the Managing Director for the Telluride Venture Accelerator. When he is not working to change the state of rural economies, he can be found out in the mountains. About Cloudrise Cloudrise was founded by business and security entrepreneurs with experience in global markets, successful start-ups, and Fortune 500 companies. Combining decades of data protection expertise with automation, Cloudrise focuses on securing data wherever it resides. They assist organizations by assessing, enabling, automating, and managing their data protection and privacy programs. At Cloudrise, they are redefining data protection. Cloudrise can be found at www.cloudrise.com or on LinkedIn. Contact Details CLoudrise, Inc. Jodi Lewis +1 800-917-7619 sales@cloudrise.com Company Website https://cloudrise.com/

June 22, 2021 11:11 AM Central Daylight Time

NAWIC Philadelphia Foundation partners with NEST to Bring Hands-On Construction Camp for Girls this Summer

NEST

Middle school and high school-age girls from the Philadelphia area will attend a complimentary in-person construction camp this summer to provide real-world experience, mentorship, and education about the opportunities that exist in the construction industry, regardless of gender. The camp is called MyWIC, which stands for Mentoring young Women In Construction, and will take place two days per week in Philadelphia between July 12 and Aug. 17, 2021. MyWIC is run by the NAWIC Philadelphia Foundation, which partnered with companies like NEST, a leading national facilities management company to make it a reality. “Many girls are unaware that a career in construction can be extremely fun and financially rewarding,” said Mary Gaffney, NAWIC Phila. Foundation Treasurer. “Through the MyWIC camp, we work to promote construction awareness as well as leadership and team-building skills, build self-confidence, self-esteem, and boost their overall self-image.” “We can give these girls an incredible experience thanks to the support of companies like NEST, who is providing resources and expertise through their network of major retail partners here in Philadelphia and across the country,” added Gaffney. “Supporting the next generation of women in the construction industry is extremely important to us at NEST,” said Rob Almond, CEO of NEST. “We have a shortage of skilled men and women across the industry and the attendance in trade schools has seen a downward trend. Helping build up the profession of working in the trades has been a passion of mine for years.” The day camps will take place at several locations throughout the Philadelphia area during the months of July (12 th, 13 th, 19 th, 20 th, 26 th, 27 th ) and August (2 nd, 3 rd, 9 th, 10 th, 16 th, and 17 th ). About Mentoring Young Women In Construction Mentoring young Women In Construction (MyWIC) is a free, construction industry, day camp for 7 th through 12 th -grade girls in the Philadelphia region. MyWIC is organized and run by the NAWIC Philadelphia Foundation, a 501(C)3 non-profit organization, and sponsored by various organizations throughout the Philadelphia region. About National Association of Women in Construction With more than 115 chapters across the country, the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) offers its members education, support, and networking to help advance women’s careers in construction, build their technical skills, and become leaders. NAWIC’s core purpose is to strengthen and amplify the success of women in the construction industry from tradeswomen to business owners. The Philadelphia Chapter of NAWIC and the NAWIC Philadelphia Foundation are volunteer organizations. About NEST NEST is the pioneer of the Integrated Facilities Management (IFM) industry in the United States and Canada since 1994. NEST’s Integrated Facilities Management solution pairs financial acumen and business analytics with a strategic consultative approach. Real-time data, reporting, and analytics technology empower business leaders and facility management teams with the informed insights that enable them to make smarter decisions. To learn more about NEST, visit enterNEST.com or follow NEST on LinkedIn. Contact Details Eric Nemeth nemeth@ericpr.com Company Website https://www.enternest.com/

June 22, 2021 09:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Exchange Listing LLC Advises and Facilitates Logiq, Inc’s Listing on the NEO Exchange

Exchange Listing

Exchange Listing, LLC assisted with the listing of Logiq, Inc. (“Logiq” or the “Company”), a global provider of eCommerce and fintech solutions, on the NEO Exchange in Canada yesterday. Logiq closed its initial public offering of 1,976,434 units of securities of the Company (the “Units”) at a price of C$3.00 per unit for aggregate gross proceeds of C$5,929,302 (the “Offering”). Each Unit consists of one share of common stock of Logiq (a “Unit Share”) and one purchase warrant (each, a “Warrant”). Each Warrant is exercisable to acquire one share of common stock of Logiq (a “Warrant Share”) at a price of C$3.50 per Warrant Share for a period of 36 months. Logiq, which is based in New York, will trade on the NEO Exchange under the symbol LGIQ. Its common stock will continue to be traded in the U.S. on the OTCQX Market as LGIQ. The IPO was led by Research Capital Corporation as the sole agent and bookrunner. “ Exchange Listing efficiently guided us all the way through the listing process, including introducing us to the right people at NEO, connecting us with the investment banker, advising us on strategy, coordinating the entire team, and assisting with corporate governance,” said Brent Suen, Logiq ’s executive chairman and president. “As a U.S. company, filing in Canada can be complex, but Exchange Listing ’s hands-on approach facilitated a smooth listing. We consider Exchange Listing to be a trusted partner, one that we’ve relied on not only for the NEO listing but also as a strategic business consultant.” Logiq provides eCommerce marketing solutions for major brands using a variety of innovative technologies including a data engine and artificial intelligence-powered machine learning that enable deep consumer insights and user engagement analytics. “With the explosion of eCommerce showing no signs of abating, we think the Canadian market represents a great opportunity for Logiq,” said Peter Goldstein, Chief Executive Officer of Exchange Listing. “Today’s listing on the NEO Exchange will raise Logiq ’s visibility, open doors to future funding and help it continue on its growth path. We were thrilled to work closely with Logiq ’s management, investment banker and attorneys to help launch the company on the NEO Exchange.” Exchange Listing enables emerging growth companies to list on senior stock exchanges such as NYSE, NASDAQ and NEO. With extensive experience in investment banking, securities law, corporate governance and business management, Exchange Listing and its strategic partners facilitate its clients’ listing and capital markets objectives. Exchange Listing is designated as a Trusted Service Provider by the NEO Exchange, a listing of leading experts committed to meeting the needs of capital raising companies. About Exchange Listing Exchange Listing provides growth companies with direct access to a one-stop solution in the strategic planning and implementation of listing on a senior exchange such as NASDAQ or NYSE in a cost effective and efficient process. We assist clients in going public whether through an initial public offering, listing from another marketplace, merger or direct offering. We serve as the primary point of contact with the exchange, investment bankers, lawyers and other service providers. Our founders, strategic partners and advisors are entrepreneurs with backgrounds in investment banking, securities law, corporate governance and business management and have served as officers and directors of public and private companies. We pride ourselves in taking a hands-on role with our clients throughout the listing process. For more information, please visit: www.exchangelistingllc.com or contact info@exchangelistingllc.com. Contact Details WantLeverage Communications David Coleman +1 860-794-5520 dlccoleman@comcast.net WantLeverage Communications Julie Livingston +13472390249 julie@wantleverage.com Company Website https://exchangelistingllc.com/

June 22, 2021 08:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Minuteman Press Franchise in Bellingham Helps Buzzing Local Economy Recover from Pandemic

Minuteman Press International Inc

For Michael Tilley and his team at Minuteman Press in Bellingham, the COVID-19 pandemic brought forth unprecedented challenges but also new opportunities for growth as an essential printing business. Michael says, “Early on, a lot of our clients asked us if we were open. They were happy to know we were still operating and able to help them communicate to their customers that they were open as well. We put renewed emphasis on fast turnaround and timely delivery, which really set us apart since they knew they could rely on us.” By remaining open and operating, Minuteman Press in Bellingham supported a wide range of businesses and groups that relied on print and marketing to keep the community informed. Michael says, “The way we kept growing during the pandemic was that we offered products and services for other essential businesses. We worked with local restaurants, fire departments, police departments, hospitals, schools, and other vital organizations. They all needed signage and direct mail campaigns to promote updated guidelines for employees, customers, patients, and students. We were glad to be able to help spread the word.” Today, as more businesses reopen, Minuteman Press is ready to help them ramp up their advertising and marketing efforts. Michael explains, “As businesses come back, we are helping them by providing fresh banners, window graphics, flags, and full-color photos on windows. We’ve also been printing packaging materials such as labels, tags, boxes, and information sheets. Another popular service we provide is dye sublimation, which enables us to produce custom mugs and branded apparel.” Another way that local businesses can engage and connect with customers right now is by utilizing direct mail campaigns. Michael says, “Direct mail was and is getting more popular because it allows businesses and groups to reach out to their target audiences and reinforce operational updates. We’ve produced a combination of newsletters, postcards, and letters for local governments, local tribes, non-profit groups, and for-profit businesses.” “It’s been really great to see more businesses reopen and recover, especially those that were impacted. The local economy is buzzing again and we are getting even busier.” -Michael Tilley, owner, Minuteman Press franchise, Bellingham, Washington As a local small business owner himself, Michael can empathize with his clients and share his own insights from the past year. He says, “The most important thing to do is reach out to your current and former customers. Let them know you are there and engage with them. We have developed a multi-faceted marketing plan that includes phone calls, emails, direct mail, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Because we’ve done it ourselves and have found success, we know it can work for our clients and other local businesses.” Print is a vital marketing channel that can be used in conjunction with digital to deliver tangible results. Michael explains, “I think one aspect of this is that the pandemic jogged us back into a physical reality. We are physical beings and we are not cyber creatures. It made people pay more attention to print and how it’s all around us. Our ability to produce tangible printed items that people can see, feel, and connect with is a real benefit to my business. The printing industry in general makes sure business customers get what they need. It’s great to be able to rely on something when the world’s a little bit sideways.” Michael has owned Minuteman Press in Bellingham since September 2014. He shares, “Previously, I was a biology professor and I have a PhD in molecular genetics. I lived in Missouri and I moved to Bellingham to be closer to my children, which was the driving force behind switching careers. I was new to owning a business so I wanted to go into something with a framework in place. I bought an established Minuteman Press franchise and liked the potential to build on the existing customer base.” By providing ongoing local support, Minuteman Press International helped Michael transition from his prior career to becoming a business owner in a totally new industry. He says, “The support has been really solid all the way around. My Regional Vice President Chris Jutt and Area Manager Jayson Kraus have been great. I can call them anytime and they have been a great resource. I also enjoy the fact that we are provided with marketing strategies, content, and product ideas that we are free to use but that we also have enough freedom to run our franchise the way we see fit. Minuteman Press offers a solid system with a lot of knowledge behind it.” Michael reflects on his time as a business owner, saying, “I enjoy the fact that the work I do has a direct impact on how the company performs. I feel it’s important to have the right staff in place and to also manage the team properly. I have a staff of seven and I know that happy employees do a great job. The satisfaction I get from running my business the right way and growing a successful company is the ultimate reward.” As for what advice he would give to other local business right now, Michael shares, “Things are opening up, and business is going to start getting much busier for everyone. Act now so you don’t fall behind the curve. Have you worked out what your marketing plan is going to be when things do ramp up? Be prepared organizationally and develop a coherent marketing strategy across all different touchpoints. From web to print, be consistent with your branding and your messaging.” Minuteman Press in Bellingham is located at 4025 Iron Gate Rd., Bellingham, WA 98226. For more information, call 360-738-3539 or visit https://www.bellingham.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

June 21, 2021 10:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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SKEEPERS Enters US Market to Strengthen Brand and Customer Experience with Unique Consumer UGC Platform TEESTER

SKEEPERS

NEW YORK, NY & BOSTON, MA – JUNE 21, 2021 – Fast-growing tech company SKEEPERS, provider of people-smart SaaS solutions that enable brands to generate value for and from their customers, has announced its expansion and launch of its platform solution, TEESTER to the US market. With 384% company growth, over $20M in revenue in 2020 and $41M in funding to-date, SKEEPERS is on a mission to strengthen the brand and customer relationship through innovative SaaS solutions. TEESTER is an end-to-end solution for brands to easily create and broadcast user generated videos. Through authentic, relevant and high quality videos made directly by their customers, brands are able to tackle four main challenges: conversion rates, customer acquisition, SEO and loyalty. As an ROI-driven solution, TEESTER provides brands with: Community-created (employees and consumers) video content optimized for different formats and shareability across social media, marketing channels and product pages; Automated post-production capabilities to quickly generate videos at scale with an immediate and measurable impact on sales; A tailor-made video player dedicated to e-commerce with in-video shoppable capabilities. Following international success with 100+ brands including Disney, Weber and MAC Cosmetics, TEESTER was found to boost sales and conversion rates by +68%. "We know our consumers are craving authentic storytelling, and are content creators in their own right. With Teester, we love how we are able to scale video production and empower our communities to create content with us that we can amplify across all our channels,” said Sabrina Herlory Rouget, Executive Director, MAC Cosmetics France. “Teester is a cost-effective way to outsource our video production, provide parents and shoppers with answers, and show off our products using a more authentic and less 'salesy' approach. In fact, when parents have a question about a product, they often find the answer in the videos made by other parents," said Sandrine Roucheray, Digital Marketing & Customer Relationships Manager, VTech France. “Leveraging Teester to create user-generated videos allow us to achieve three strategic goals: improve the user experience on our digital platforms, automate large-scale video creation, and give our customers a new way of sharing their experience with our brand,” said Benjamin Boulic, International eCommerce Director, Petit Bateau. “The power of video and authentic consumer experiences is unequivocal. 96% of consumers find videos useful to make an informed purchase decision and 88% trust customer videos as much as word of mouth. TEESTER allows brands to enlist their most powerful ambassadors: their customers,” said Julien Chevalier, CEO at Teester. Other solutions in the SKEEPERS product suite include MyFeelBack and Verified Reviews (Avis Vérifiés, Opiniones Verificadas) which are enlisted by over 6,500 brands worldwide including MAC Cosmetics, Disney, Air France, Franklin Sport, Kaporal, Weber, Lacoste, Salomon, BMW, Cash for Cars and Hilti. With machine learning and blockchain at the heart of its data management system, SKEEPERS is helping brands to increase sales and engage consumers by encompassing three pillars: Engage – Generate ratings reviews and user generated video content to enhance brand advocacy; Improve – Manage the continuous improvement of the customer experience (CX) via an omnichannel CX management and customizable surveys platform; Activate – Automate brand interactions based on relevance, recognition and reward. “There is true cohesion across our product suite – enhancing the customer experience without eliminating human interaction. Technology helps to bridge the connections but humans are necessary for authenticity. This helps make the customer and brand relationship stronger,” said Pascal Lannoo, Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Experience Officer at SKEEPERS. SKEEPERS is a fast growing scaleup, recently recognized by the French government’s award, La French Tech as a top 40/120 late-stage startup company. SKEEPERS has plans to expand its product suite through mergers and acquisitions. For more information, please visit https://www.skeepers.io/. About SKEEPERS SKEEPERS is a fast growing scaleup that provides people-smart SaaS solutions that enable brands to generate value for and from their customers. We help brands build a new balanced relationship to grow in a context where consumers have taken the lead. With machine learning and blockchain at the heart of our data management systems, we arm brands with innovative solutions that increase brand sales and engage consumers. The SKEEPERS product suite includes MyFeelBack, Teester and Verified Reviews (Avis Vérifiés, Opiniones Verificadas) which are enlisted by over 6,500 brands worldwide including MAC Cosmetics, Disney, Air France, Franklin Sport, Kaporal, Weber, Lacoste, Salomon, BMW, Cash for Cars and Hilti. SKEEPERS is based in France with offices all over the world. For more information, go to skeepers.io. Contact Details Kite Hill Shania Roper +1 843-693-7161 shania@kitehillpr.com

June 21, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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