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CMMC Center of Excellence & CMMC COE EU Announce Memorandum of Understanding with Gerico Security SRL of Italy

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, in collaboration with the UK’s Parava Security Solutions representing the CMMC-COE in Europe, is excited to announce a partnership with Gerico Security SRL through a Memorandum of Understanding to expand presence across Italy and Europe. This unique partnership represents an agreement to jointly drive education, awareness, and adoption of the CMMC standard and other cybersecurity measures to improve protection and resilience of the global supply chain that supports the Defense Industrial Base network of contractors, partners, vendors, and suppliers around the world. Through this bold collaboration, the parties will pursue initiatives that are mutually beneficial and deemed critical to the broad adoption and embrace of the CMMC, NIST standards, and cybersecurity best practices including: Sourcing of Senior qualified CMMC/Cyber professionals (both DoD and industry) serving as distinguished guest lecturers in selected events and seminars. Co-sponsorship of selected/approved webinars to gain a prospective on technology and business trends and giving insight to help propagate innovation that leads to crafting better industry proposals in response to DoD requirements. Co-Developing CMMC/Cyber Training and Education programs that will accelerate CMMC certification AND improved cyber protection and resilience “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)”. “This is a great moment for the deployment of cyber security and CMMC for the European Defense Industry Base. said Andy Watkin-Child of Parava Security Solutions, who also leads the CMMC COE EU. Having Gerico as a Partner in Italy brings their unique cyber security skills to support companies within one of Europe’s Largest Defense Partners deploy CMMC and cyber Security”. “We are proud of the strategical and cultural relationship between our Countries within which this agreement can be considered to be a missing peace. In an era of asymmetric cyber warfare, cybersecurity is the primary defense tool of the western industrial systems and, we believe that the CMMMC model will be used within both the defense and civilian sectors”, said Mr. Giustino Fumagalli, CEO of Gerico Security. Gerico Security SRL is the CMMC’s reference point in Italy. Through the CMMC-COE and PARAVA agreement, Gerico is aimed at supporting the main defense parties on both sides of the Atlantic and is aimed at defining and achieving high levels of cybersecurity both on large and small Italian companies belonging to the DoD’s Defense Industrial Base. Gerico Security is an Italian center of excellence in advisory on information & cyber security, business continuity, internal and third-party audit and security inspection activities. Gerico supports private organizations in business process certifications through the provision of turn-key projects of Governance Risk & Compliance. 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 the CMMC COE EU, please visit https://cmmc-eu.com/ For more information about Parava Security Solutions, please visit https://www.parava.org/ For further information about Gerico Security, please visit www.gerico-sec.it or send an email to info@gerico-sec.it 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

January 19, 2021 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

Minuteman Press Franchise in Fairfield, CT Empowers Local Businesses to Grow Sales During COVID-19

Minuteman Press International Inc

“We are busier than ever and that is becoming true for those we serve. Everything is coming back and people are enthusiastic to move forward and grow.” Minuteman Press in Fairfield, CT is a locally owned design, marketing, and printing franchise that has remained open as an essential business during the COVID-19 pandemic. Owners Cheryl Camarato and Susan Wybiral have worked hard for nearly ten years as business owners to get where they are today, and they weren’t going to let anything get in their way. Cheryl explains, “Over the last four years we took our sales to incredible heights. We have mentored businesses of all sizes and we are proud of our operations and business growth both before the pandemic and during it.” Cheryl continues, “The beginning of COVID-19 was a scary time for everyone, but we made fast moves to remain open and strengthen our clients’ connections so they could survive and eventually resume growth.” From her words to real world actions, her full staff was hard at work within weeks. A grateful community of entrepreneurs, graduates and families were well on their way developing new ways for keeping life and prosperity in Fairfield. “What I did was shut the door and worked,” Cheryl explains. A lot of people were very happy Minuteman Press in Fairfield was still working on their behalf while they were under unbelievable pressure. “We got an email that said, ‘Thank God you are still working!’ and it was from a large landscaping customer with 90 locations. We take care of design and print, advising on strategy for all of them. I’d say we do postcard mailings for them to the amount of 40,000 per week, give or take.” Cheryl’s reputation for meeting complex situations head-on empowers her capabilities as a problem-solver. “Challenging times are opportunities for us to utilize our full-range of technology. We help our clients by leveraging our products and services as well as the combined years of experience Susan and I have rerouting businesses into success stories, even against the odds.” They are unmatched when it comes to taking calculated risks and they share this talent with everyone who entrusts them with projects. As it turns out, Cheryl has an uncanny ability to come out on the winning side of tough decisions during a time when it’s difficult to calculate because facts are still developing. As the world opens back up, she and Susan are part of the reason the local economy is becoming revitalized. “We bought our center with skillsets perfectly matched to make it all work and developed a healthy relationship with our franchise family over the years, too.” She adds, “My wife and I went to our system-wide World Expo in Las Vegas and I met so many great people from headquarters as well as other franchise owners from around the world. We knew we would never have a slow time because our industry is filled with options that we can extend to our customers. We have recently added another large format machine, a heat press and have been printing floor graphics and doing vehicle wraps. So, while the holidays were bonkers around here with orders as might be expected, we are also busy right now. Our restaurants, small business owners, local government and non-profits are coming to us for help and we have them all covered. We do not have slow periods and we can see the good effects of our work in action all around the area.” Cheryl reduced spending immediately and used her innate and earned business intelligence to bolster her bottom line. She called and visited her customer base to check on their welfare and help them strategize. “We remained open and busy because print is an essential business, so we did a great deal of work for the town, including the parks department which needed health and safety signage without delay. Then, we were sensitive to local families hoping to celebrate graduations. So, we designed printed options like lawn signs and put them online, including Esty as a way to create a special tradition and help our area preserve this rite of passage.” The thoughtful designs were met with $15,000 worth of sign orders and happy families. “It was a strong sales month for us in the middle of lockdowns. We remained positive and somehow, we pulled it off. We took care of signage for between six and eight grammar schools, the same number of middle schools plus public works and the board of education. People really needed help preserving monumental moments and businesses needed help adjusting to unusual hours. Signage was in high-demand and our business never slowed down.” Cheryl is humble about her role as mentor, but her reputation for being there for clients grows even as she models how to handle emergencies. Susan is a production master and takes care of the latest technology their modern printing center houses. Cheryl says, “I am on the money end of our business and with that came the decision to diversify years ago. We made wise equipment decisions that allow us to take care of clients in-house the majority of the time and we never stop devising new ways to make real connections with target audiences. The response is a stronger, more enduring business no matter which industry our client represents.” Four years ago, Cheryl and Susan took an A-frame sign and cut it into the shape of a t-shirt, advertising customized apparel. “Within an hour people came in asking if we could print customized t-shirts. We knew we would work to make sure our clients’ options in marketing was not limited, so we provided things some people might not expect from a ‘print shop.’ During the COVID-19 challenge our efforts really paid off as we are able, for instance, to welcome our construction and landscaping customers into much more than they realized they could use to grow business.” Today there are still uncertainties but Cheryl keeps her finger on the pulse of each brand under her care. She has helped them all make swift adjustments. “We move and groove an go on to the next thing while a lot of other printers just print basics. For example, we have a ton of construction companies and when their owners come in, they come in asking for work orders. We then show them how we can letter their trucks and provide A-frame signs, branded facemasks and an entire marketing strategy to take them around hurdles reaching customers.” “Every time I provide a freshly printed, branded facemask as a sample, I get an order for up to several hundred,” she says. It is how Minuteman Press in Fairfield meets the reality of what her community faces and helps make it possible to keep buying and selling. She adds, “We move quickly and when people were working from home and under stress, we used our status as an essential business to create a bridge between their restricted activity and the message they need to keep in front of target audiences.” Her commitment is firm and her approach to sales is no-nonsense but Cheryl’s devotion to the success of every project entrusted to her staff at Minuteman Press in Fairfield is deeply personal. This is met with lasting gratitude as she concludes, “We are busier than ever and that is becoming true for those we serve. Everything is coming back and people are enthusiastic to move forward and grow.” For more information on Minuteman Press in Fairfield, CT, visit https://www.fairfield-ct.minutemanpress.com. To learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press franchise opportunities, visit https://minutemanpressfranchise.com. Contact Details Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

January 18, 2021 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Loveland, Colorado Celebrates 75th Valentine Anniversary With Socially-Distanced Activities and Themed Local Beverages

Loveland Chamber of Commerce

*Note to Media: Download additional photos and video here. For 75 years, Loveland the nation’s Sweetheart City has been spreading love and joy across the world by re-mailing valentines with a special stamp and poem. Today, Visit Loveland and partners celebrate the program’s diamond anniversary by unveiling details on reimagined sweetheart season activities in the city. “The Valentine Re-Mailing Program put Loveland on the map as the nation’s Sweetheart City 75 years ago and today, we take our role in sharing love very seriously with activities and more ways for visitors to celebrate,” said Cindy Mackin, visitors services manager for the City of Loveland. “From love lock sculptures and festive art and light displays to our socially-distanced group wedding, scavenger hunts, and more, we welcome everyone to Loveland to spread the love this valentine’s season.” Re-Imagined Sweetheart City Activities Experience any of the following socially-distanced activities across the city in February. Specific dates apply for each. Check out the most up-to-date details on all here. Valentine Group Wedding | Feb. 14 | $95 per couple: What could be more romantic than saying "I do" on Valentine's Day in the Sweetheart City? Now more than ever, celebrating love and connection is needed. Loveland, Colorado is known for being the best place in the country to celebrate Valentine's Day. To honor love, My Big Day hosts an annual wedding on Feb. 14 where couples get married or renew their vows with a special custom ceremony and romantic touches. Careful accommodations and adjustments are being made for the 2021 wedding which will be held at Chapungu Sculpture Park at Centerra. Tickets and details are available at ValentinesDayInLoveland.com. Love Locks | Available year-round | Free; can purchase love lock for $20 at Visitors Center: Loveland is home to two of the largest love lock sculptures in the U.S. Love locks are a symbol of love and commitment that has been inspired by an ancient custom where lovers lock a padlock on a chain or gate and then throw away the key, symbolically locking their love forever. The love lock sculptures allow love locks to stay locked forever in the nation’s Sweetheart City on a beautiful piece of art. The Quest for Dan Cupid - A socially-distanced scavenger hunt | Feb. 1 - 15 | Free: What is Valentine’s Day without Dan Cupid? Join our quest during the first two weeks of February to find him and bring him back in time for Valentine’s Day so he can shoot his arrow of love to those across the world from the nation’s Sweetheart City. Participants will be entered to win the ultimate Loveland experience trip worth over $500 with hotel stay, food, shopping, and more. Free and open to the public. Lights and Art Installations | Various dates | Free Downtown: Valentine-themed lights can be found across Loveland to celebrate valentine's season. Head downtown for the “Something RED” art installations and community mural from the Creative District, the Tunnel of LOVE, and valentine displays in the Foundry Plaza. “Something RED” features local artist interpretations of the color RED - the color of action, violence, heat, luck, happiness, and passion. Installations include glowing symbols of love and luck, sailors’ valentine, and even a robot cheering up his broken-hearted friend. Windows will feature a speakeasy collage, video work, and even a pair of Firebirds from Feb. 12 - March 12. Participants can also help create the “Stamp” Your Love community mural that is on display at the corner of 4th Street and Lincoln Ave. Artist Scott Freeman is working with the Loveland Museum to set up a socially-distanced, safe experience for community members to create pieces for the mural. Time slots to paint are during specific times Jan. 27 - Feb. 10. Registration opens on Jan. 20 at lovelandmuseumgallery.org. Loveland Lights at Chapungu: Chapungu Sculpture Park in Centerra will be lit up with thousands of red and pink lights and sweetheart-themed decor backed by romantic music from Feb. 1 - 14. The lighting display is free and open to the public from 5-9 p.m. every evening. Sweetheart Classic Race | Feb. 13 | $30 for singles | $55 for couples: The 2021 Sweetheart Classic takes runners on a course with diverse terrain and views, from downtown out to River's Edge Natural Area. Socially-distance start times for waves, no in-person award ceremony, and other safety measures are in place to ensure safe, healthy fun. Runners can bring a sweetheart and participate together or single runners can be on the lookout for that future running partner. Be My Valentine - An Evening at the Rialto | Feb. 13 | free concert with a suggested donation of $40: Enjoy Valentine’s Day date night in the comfort of your own home with live concerts streamed from the Historic Rialto Theater in downtown Loveland. This is a fundraiser for Backstage Rialto. Lovely Valentine Libations Head to Loveland to taste delicious locally-produced beverages only found in the Sweetheart City during the first two weeks of February or until they sell out. 2021 Loveland Valentine Wine: Sweet Heart Winery in Loveland has produced the Loveland valentine wine - a Valentine’s Day 2021 special edition 2018 Malbec with a special label from Loveland artist Billie Colson. This medium-bodied Malbec is a delight with bright red berry aromas on the nose. This fruit-forward wine continues to entice with notes of sugarplum, red cherry, and black raspberry. With a hint of baking spice and sweet tobacco on the finish, this wine is a pleasure to drink - perfect for sharing with your valentine. There will be 400 bottles of this wine available on Feb. 2 at Sweet Heart Winery. 2021 Loveland Valentine Beer: The Bleeding Heart, the 2021 official Loveland valentine beer produced by Grimm Brothers Brewhouse, is a barrel-aged Baltic Porter brewed with vanilla and bourbon. 2021 Loveland Valentine Coffee: The Sweetheart Blend official coffee for 2021 is a Gingersnap flavor by Top of the Lakes that will be sold at the Loveland Visitors Center. About Visit Loveland The mission of Visit Loveland is to enthusiastically promote, market and sell Loveland, Colorado as a destination for meetings, conventions and individual travelers, fostering economic development and benefiting and supporting members and the overall business community. It is Visit Loveland’s goal to promote tourism, conventions and related activities within the city by marketing the city and sponsoring destination and community events. Learn more at VisitLovelandCO.com. Contact Details Nicole Yost +1 970-776-9980 Nicole@FynPR.com Cindy Mackin 970-290-8810 cindy.mackin@cityofloveland.org Company Website https://www.visitlovelandco.org/

January 14, 2021 08:06 AM Eastern Standard Time

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CMMC Center of Excellence Announces Memorandum of Understanding with Women in Cybersecurity Mid Atlantic

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 proud to announce a Memorandum of Understanding with the Women in Cybersecurity Mid Atlantic affiliate. This unique partnership will extend efforts to advance the goals and objectives for improving the cyber and supply chain security and resilience of the US Department of Defense (DoD) global Defense Industrial Base (DIB) network of contractors, suppliers, and vendors. The executed MOU establishes a cooperative agreement between the Women in Cyber Security Mid Atlantic and 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 for the DIB contractor community and the information and communication technology community creating a broader CMMC ecosystem 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. Expand and drive diversity across the cybersecurity workforce 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 Through this exciting partnership, the CMMC-COE ( www.cmmc-coe.org ) will also 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. 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/medium size contractors already struggling from the impact of COVID. The CMMC-COE partner network will be sharing a wide range of capabilities from member organizations, including; cyber standards frameworks, education, solution architectures, cyber mentoring, workforce, and other elements needed to scale to the demands of the entire DIB market place in the US and abroad (400,000+ contractors). “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)”. “The WiCyS Mid-Atlantic is excited to team with the CMMC COE in efforts to enhance the overall security of the defense industrial base supply chain. This partnership clearly demonstrates the CMMC COE’s commitment to a diverse cybersecurity workforce, which is key to defending the nation’s cyber critical infrastructure. Creative and inclusive teaming is essential to the CMMC’s success!”, said Ms. Diane M Janosek, Founder and Senior Advisor, Women in Cybersecurity Mid-Atlantic. WiCyS is a non-profit membership organization with national reach that is dedicated to bringing together women in cybersecurity from academia, research and industry to share knowledge, experience, networking and mentoring. The initiative was created through an NSF grant (Award # 1303441 ) by Dr. Ambareen Siraj at Tennessee Tech University in 2012, and has grown into a wonderful alliance among academia, government and industry. WiCyS offers mentoring, learning, networking and career development to women at all stages of their cybersecurity careers. Whether you are a student just considering a career in cybersecurity or an experienced leader in the cybersecurity workforce, WiCyS provides tangible benefits and a supportive community. The Women in Cybersecurity Mid-Atlantic Affiliate (WiCyS MAA) is a regional affiliate that covers the geographic areas: South New Jersey, South-East Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, District of Columbia, and Northern Virginia, and will continue to undertake activities to promote recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in cybersecurity. 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 the Women in Cybersecurity Mid Atlantic, please visit https://www.wicysmidatlantic.org/ 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

January 14, 2021 06:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

COVID-19 is No Match For Love as Loveland, Colorado Celebrates 75th Anniversary of Valentine Re-Mailing Program

Loveland Chamber of Commerce

*Note to media: Additional images and Broll video are available here. For 75 years, Loveland, the nation’s Sweetheart City Loveland has been spreading love and joy across the world by re-mailing valentines with a special stamp and poem. Today, the Loveland Chamber of Commerce celebrates the program’s diamond anniversary by unveiling the 2021 stamp, valentine card and verse, and postmark. “This is a very special year for Loveland and this amazing program. So much has rocked the world recently and we are honored to help spread love, joy, and unity when people need it most,” said Mindy McCloughan, president of the Loveland Chamber of Commerce. “Our designs and verses this year not only reflect the 75-year history of the program, but they also demonstrate that COVID-19 and national unrest are no match for love. Let’s work together to spread even more joy, happiness, and love this valentine's season.” Loveland’s Valentine Re-Mailing Program Loveland receives more than 100,000 valentines from all 50 states and 110 countries across the world through its Valentine Re-mailing Program, the largest program of its kind. Volunteers handstamp the collector’s stamp (also known as a cachet) and postmark onto each individual valentine that comes through the program. The 2021 collector’s envelope artwork was designed by Corry McDowell. It includes the following verse written by Judy Rethmeier: “Let’s unite our hearts this Valentine’s Day. Our Sweetheart City will lead the way.” McDowell also crafted the commemorative 75th-anniversary postmark. To get this special collector’s envelope artwork and the special 2021 postmark, send your pre-addressed, pre-stamped valentines in an enclosed, larger 1st Class envelope. Then send this envelope to Postmaster - Attention Valentines, 446 E. 29th St., Loveland, CO 80538-9998. Once received, valentines will be removed from the larger envelope and stamped before being re-mailed to its intended recipient. All international mail must be received in Loveland by Feb. 1, all U.S. mail must be received by Feb. 7, and all Colorado mail must be received by Feb. 10 to ensure delivery by Valentine’s Day. Participants are encouraged to send their valentines to Loveland as soon as possible. The 2021 Loveland Valentine Card for purchase The 2021 card and verse were created by Beata McKee. The card design is a celebration of the program's 75-year history, including photos of the program, including recognition of Ted Thompson, who is known for his extensive efforts to make Loveland the nation’s Sweetheart City. The valentine card verse is: “For seventy-five years the Sweetheart City, USA has been mailing out valentines with verses to say that you are liked, loved, thought of, or missed, when you can’t be hugged, held, cuddled or kissed. I may not be able to come see you tomorrow, but Cupid will be there with his bow and arrow to remind you that love is so very grand and that wishes of love are sent from Loveland.” Valentine cards can be purchased online at loveland.org for $7 (which includes the card, printing, processing, and postage), and at the Loveland Chamber of Commerce, Loveland Visitors Center, and other local retailers. Find the complete list on the website. Loveland will also host socially-distanced and safe valentine activities including a group wedding, race, quest for Dan Cupid, and more. Additional details on those activities and Loveland valentine beer, wine, and coffee will be available soon at VisitLovelandCO.com. About the Loveland Chamber of Commerce Founded in 1902, the Loveland Chamber of Commerce is northern Colorado’s “driving force for business.” Comprised of more than 750 local companies, the chamber offers a vast array of educational and networking programs to help its investors, both large and small, gain the skills and resources necessary to thrive and prosper in today's economy. As a founding member of the Northern Colorado Legislative Alliance (NCLA), the chamber also serves as an advocate for business, working on behalf of entrepreneurs to lead and influence local, state and federal policy on issues affecting the unique interests of business in northern Colorado. For more information on the Loveland Chamber, please call 970-667-6311 or visit loveland.org. Contact Details Nicole Yost +1 970-776-9980 Nicole@FynPR.com Mindy McCloughan 970-744-4791 Mindy@Loveland.org Company Website https://loveland.org/

January 12, 2021 10:35 AM Eastern Standard Time

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COVID-19 Creating Retirement Related Risks 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

January 12, 2021 10:05 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Say 'Cheers!' to Dry January: Athletic Brewing Company offers a 'Dry January" without Compromise

YourUpdateTV

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/Q9AdRSlIG-M Dry January — kicking off the new year by cutting out alcohol for an entire month — is a health trend more people are trying each year. The 12-months of 2020 have been 365 days to forget. While 2021 couldn’t have arrived soon enough, flipping the calendar often means renewing an annual commitment to pursuing a healthy and active lifestyle. For some, this means beginning the New Year with a Dry January and for others, it means elevating their inner athlete to a new level. Regardless of the motive, January is viewed as the month of giving things up – going on diets, cutting back on socializing, and reducing or eliminating alcoholic beverages. Too often Dry January is viewed as full of compromise and for many hard to sustain. Athletic Brewing Company, America’s first brewery dedicated solely to brewing nonalcoholic beers, is changing that thinking with “athletic” beers that are great tasting, low in calories, all-natural, refreshing, and just happen to be nonalcoholic. During a nationwide media tour in conjunction with D S Simon Media and YourUpdate TV, Bill Shufelt Fast Company’s “Most Innovative Company’s” Honoree, 2020 and Co-Founder, Athletic Brewing Company discussed: What “Dry January” is and why it has become such a large trend What’s behind the surge in popularity of the nonalcoholic beer market in the U.S. Ways someone can enjoy a “Dry January” without drinking alcohol What the backstory is of Athletic Brewing Company and why Fast Company named them a “Most Innovative Company” honoree “Athletic Brewing is focused on reminding beer lovers that being dry doesn’t have to be about giving something up and doesn’t have to end in January. It’s about living life to the fullest and above all, living without compromise to the best of your ability each and every day of the year,” said Athletic Brewing Co-founder Bill Shufelt 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

January 12, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Pencil doubles returns for brands with next generation ads created by AI

Stockwood Strategy

Online video ads can now be generated by artificial intelligence (AI), while learning what resonates with audiences, in order to deliver better results for brands. This innovation is being pioneered by Pencil, the Creative AI company, with the launch of its Machine Generated Creative (MGC) platform. US online sales reached almost $800 billion in 2020, up by 32% year-over-year fuelled by the pandemic*. Over ten million advertisers bought over $80 billion of Facebook ads last year, and research consultancy Nielsen has estimated that creative design can drive almost half of campaign performance. Learning Pencil’s MGC video ads, which are each unique and can be generated in 1 minute, have dozens of creative parameters which can be tracked and analysed through the Pencil platform. Using historic ad performance data, Pencil is able to understand what in the ad is resonating with customers. It can then generate new batches of ad ideas which are new and distinct, but which share winning characteristics with past winners. In this way Pencil learns what works while continuously exploring new ideas that might resonate with audiences. For example, a flashlight brand using Pencil may generate a first batch of ads and find that those pitching battery life outperform those pitching brightness. The brand may then generate more ads exploring how battery life is important when keeping a flashlight in the car for emergencies. Performance Pencil analysed over 100 campaigns that used MGC video ads over the past 6 months and found the best MGC ads delivered an average return on ad spend (ROAS) 2x that of other ads the brands were running. One brand’s MGC campaign delivered 7x higher ROAS. Will Hanschell, CEO and co-founder of Pencil commented: “Great ad campaigns are born from many creative ideas that are distilled down to a few. We are doing exactly this, extremely quickly, using AI. In launching MGC, we want to bring speed, insights and new ideas to marketing teams who care about both the creativity and the results of their ads - that means all marketing teams. Our platform uses the same brainstorm and refine process that creative teams have always used, which means creative teams can collaborate with the platform or use it to automate their day-to-day experimentation.” “Video ads have been dominating marketing campaigns around the world, even more so in 2020 as businesses have pivoted to ecommerce and social channels to engage new customers. The Pencil platform allows brands affordable access to the most powerful AI technology available today to deliver badly needed growth for their businesses, from day one.” Technology Pencil leverages proprietary technology to generate ad video, derive insights and make predictions, as well as integrating the OpenAI API to generate ad copy. The OpenAI API provides access to GPT-3, one of the world’s most powerful language models. Pencil is among the first companies approved to use it commercially. This approval requires strict criteria in AI safety and ethics. GPT-3 allows Pencil to go beyond generating product descriptions, and begin to generate entirely new narratives around a brand or product. For example, pitching a flashlight in an ad by first establishing that working in the dark can be dangerous. This makes Pencil’s ads more compelling to potential customers, and therefore more effective for brands. “Our ads are able to learn from what works for the people - like you or me - who see them and click on them. Our platform gives brands a tool to build a deep understanding of what’s working, what isn’t and what they should try next. We are generating ideas and campaigns that self-learn, providing brands with new insights and a way forward to grow their businesses. With the 2x better results we’ve already achieved at 10x less time and cost, we believe AI will be as fundamental to creativity in the future as the pencil was in the past.” adds Will Hanschell Ends *eMarketer, US Ecommerce Growth Jumps to More than 30% About Pencil Pencil is a Creative AI company on a mission to generate unexpected ideas that get results. Pencil generates ads that learn to perform, delivering the return on ad spend that helps brands scale their businesses. Pencil invented Machine Generated Creative (MGC), a new way of making ads that algorithmically optimises for creative novelty, brand relevance and return on advertising spend. It always starts from a human brief and it always involves total human editorial control. Pencil’s MGC platform generates ads in minutes and has been shown to generate ads that double returns for brands. Pencil was founded in 2018 with a team from Google, Facebook and Uber and is backed by Sequoia, Wavemaker Partners, Singapore Innovate and Entrepreneur First. Contact Details Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://www.trypencil.com/

January 12, 2021 06:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Ruby Laine Apparel and Keep Music Live Washington Announce a Collaborative Collection of Limited Edition Hoodies

Ruby Laine Apparel

Seattle streetwear brand Ruby Laine Apparel announces a Special Collection in collaboration with Keep Music Live Washington. Keep Music Live is a fundraising campaign committed to saving community-based music and event venues throughout Washington State that are facing hardship and potential closure from the restrictions statewide due to Covid-19. The pieces are available for a limited time starting today, online at https://rm.realmerch.com/keep-music-live/. The collection consists of a limited edition hoodie available in two colors, black and grey heather, that showcase the Keep Music Live Washington logo. Each piece is handmade to order in Seattle, available in sizes Small to XXXL, and priced at $150. “Music and live music culture is such a huge inspiration behind the identity and creation of Ruby Laine Apparel,” said Ruby Laine Apparel founder Ruby Pope. “Supporting local music venues is so important to me, and Keep Music Live is the ideal partner in our efforts to help out independent venues and artists in this difficult time.” “We are excited to be selected by Ruby Laine Apparel for an exclusive line of merchandise, and grateful to Ruby’s commitment to supporting Washington’s independent music venues.” said Manny Cawaling, Board President for Keep Music Live. At Ruby Laine Apparel, it’s a priority to highlight current issues and causes that Ruby is passionate about, and express that support through new designs. Another product available is a commemorative inaugural hoodie, supporting the incoming 46th presidential administration. The Biden/Harris Inauguration Hoodie is available in three styles through www.rubylaineapparel.com. Ruby Laine Apparel prioritizes supporting community artisans and ethical practices by employing only local sewers and producers, and working to support community-minded organizations. Contact Details Lauren Foster +1 206-310-2082 lauren.v.foster@gmail.com

January 11, 2021 03:00 PM Pacific Standard Time

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