News Hub | News Direct

How Well Do States Support Small Businesses?

YourUpdateTV

The 2021 Small Business Friendliness Survey results are in from Thumbtack, the only app homeowners need to care for their home. This year, they heard from more than 3,600 small business owners in the home maintenance and construction industries as well as events, lessons, and business services who evaluated federal, state, and local governments on their experiences over the past year and the support they received. In addition, Thumbtack surveyed over 1,150 Americans to learn about the actions they’ve taken to champion local businesses. Recently, David Steckel, Home Expert at Thumbtack, participated in a nationwide satellite media tour to discuss the survey results and much more. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/XxtlN7bIbPw Cities and states across the U.S. received grades from “A+” to “F” on overall friendliness as well as several other factors including regulations, taxes, training opportunities and more. Here are some of the highlights: Overall Friendliest States for Small Businesses: Maine – A+ New Hampshire – A+ North Carolina – A+ Florida – A Georgia – A- Overall Friendliest Cities for Small Businesses: Jacksonville, FL – A+ Salt Lake City, UT – A+ Orlando, FL – A Baltimore, MD – A Seattle, WA – A- Female-Owned State Support Rank: Maryland – A+ Washington – A+ Massachusetts – A- Georgia – A- Virginia – B- BIPOC-Owned State Support Rank: Virginia – A+ Florida – A+ Maryland – A+ Georgia – A+ New York – A+ For more survey results and to explore services, visit Thumbtack.com About David Steckel: David Steckel is a Home Expert at Thumbtack, with 15 years of experience in the home building industry. At Thumbtack, he provides homeowners with the guidance they need to better plan, budget, and complete home maintenance projects. As a licensed general contractor, David has experience in custom home building as well as residential and commercial building maintenance. Prior to his role at Thumbtack, David founded Setter, a subscription-based home maintenance and repair service. About Thumbtack: Thumbtack is a technology leader building the modern home management platform. Through the Thumbtack app, homeowners can effortlessly manage their homes — confidently knowing what to do, when to do it, and who to hire. Bringing the $500 billion home services industry online, Thumbtack empowers millions of homeowners to fix, maintain, and improve their most valuable asset. Hundreds of thousands of local service professionals, from painters and plumbers to photographers and math tutors, use the Thumbtack platform to grow their business each year. 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

September 17, 2021 05:25 PM Eastern Daylight Time

Video

EXPLORE THE WORLDS: MEOW WOLF’S CONVERGENCE STATION IS NOW OPEN

Meow Wolf

Convergence Station is now open for quantum travel. The highly-anticipated third permanent exhibition from US-based arts and entertainment company, Meow Wolf, will be welcoming its first guests today - Friday, September 17th. The experience is nestled in the middle of W Colfax Ave and I-25, in the heart of the Sun Valley neighborhood. The sought-after experience sold a record high 35,000 tickets within the first 24 hours of ticket sales opening earlier this month. "This is unlike anything we - or anyone - has developed before,” said Ali Rubinstein, Co-CEO and Chief Creative Officer of Meow Wolf. “We've created an immersive experience out of extraordinary art, while continuing our rich narrative layer for visitors to dive into and connect with on a deep emotional level. Convergence Station will change the face of immersive Art Experiences not just for Denver, but for the world. This is next level." Meow Wolf has worked with over 300 creatives, including 110+ Colorado-based collaborating artists, to bring 79 unique projects within the 4 floors of interactive space in Convergence Station to life.These muralists, sculptors, fiber artists, and technologists have worked tirelessly to build a mind-bending installation that will leave travelers appreciating what it really means to be immersed in a narrative. Notable collaborating artists working on this project include Kalyn Heffernan, Kyle Singer, Cal Duran, Everything is Terrible!, Molina Speaks, Sofie Birkin, along with Moment Factory and many others. Unforgettable and transformational, this is the place where memory, quantum travel, and unseen worlds meet. Convergence Station offers an immersive, interactive experience that will transport travelers of all ages into fantastic realms of story and exploration. Guests will discover psychedelic, mind-bending art and an underlying rich narrative, which will take them on a journey of discovery into a surreal, science-fictional epic. “Our most ambitious project to date, the Denver exhibition, is bound to bend minds, inspire creativity, and touch hearts,” said Todd Richins, Executive Creative Producer at Meow Wolf Denver. “From our partnership with artists and collaborators on the venue, to the retail and food spaces within our walls, Meow Wolf Denver is a one-stop immersive and imaginative art experience for all ages.” The anchor spaces of Convergence Station include: CONVERGENCE STREET - Once the scorned sanitation district, residents of C Street are glad to have converged away from the bureaucratic landlords of their former homeworld. And because they don’t trust politicians, the citizens elect a new mayor every 20 minutes. The economy of Convergence is based around the collecting and trading of memories, and the hub of this economy is C Street’s Convergence Exchange. EEMIA - The people of Eemia are led by an ancient scientific order called the Kaleidogoths. When the Convergence tore some of the Eemian population away from their homeworld, they were in the midst of a thousand year ice age. OSSUARY - Ossuary’s labyrinth of corridors connects many spaces by collaborating artists. Oss has become the “Gold Standard” repository for memories from across the Convergence through both sanctioned and shadow market Memory Trading. The people of Ossuary are led by a historic Lineage of Librarians – dedicated to the preservation of Oss and all knowledge from across the known multiverse. NUMINA - Numina exists beyond linear time — existing everywhere, and at any point in time, simultaneously. Numina has anchored itself in the third and fourth dimensions by joining the Convergence in order to learn about language, linear time, and free will. In addition to the art, guests can experience the 488-person live performance venue called The Perplexiplex where regular concerts will be taking place, created in collaboration with Moment Factory. Visitors can also look forward to dining at HELLOFOOD, a fast-casual cafe that has both grab and go and dine-in offerings. Inspired by the variety of tastes found in our neighborhood of Sun Valley, HELLOFOOD offers local food and beverage by local entrepreneurs who represent inclusivity and convergence of cultures. Before returning to the real world, guests will also be able to continue their exploration in the exhibition’s gift shop. Meow Wolf's signature swag has gained a following of its own for its whimsical, maximalist style. Spanning over 2,000 square feet and offering over 1,500 unique items, these carefully curated keepsakes will allow guests to take home a piece of their experience. In celebrate the opening of Denver’s new quantum transit station, earth-based advertising agency Wieden+Kennedy worked with Swedish director Andreas Nilsson, Grammy-winning songwriter Bret McKenzie, and a team of CG artists from around the world to create a “transdimensional travel ad”—one that urges bipedal humans everywhere to escape their drab, boring planet and go “see the worlds.” The surreal film can be viewed here - it was made from a combination of vintage travel films and shot footage, which were stitched together and then digitally mutated to create strange, beautiful, converged worlds. Convergence Station will be open from 10:00 am until 10:00 pm Sunday through Thursday and from 10:00 am until 12:00 am on Fridays and Saturdays. Hours are subject to change. Tickets are available via meow.wf/denver-tix for pre-purchase for $45 for General Admission ($40 Children / Seniors / Military), and $35 for Colorado Residents. Visitors are required to pre-book a time slot and masks are required for entry. Meow Wolf was recognized in Fast Company 's 2020 list of the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies, and awarded the #1 spot for Live Events. The company also opened Omega Mart, its second permanent installation in Las Vegas earlier this year, following the success of their flagship location in Santa Fe, House of Eternal Return. ### Listicle Information The immersive arts and entertainment company, Meow Wolf, has opened Convergence Station in Denver today on September 17, 2021 with their most ambitious project yet. Created by 110+ collaborating artists and more than 200 Meow Wolf creatives, this 4-story immersive exhibition will be home to 79 unique installations, including cavernous spaces 30 feet high. Guests will discover psychedelic, mind-bending art, and an underlying rich narrative, taking them on a journey of discovery into a surreal, science-fictional epic. It will be like NOTHING they have ever experienced before. The exhibition will also be home to The Perpexiplex, a 488 person live performance venue, the HELLOFOOD cafe, and a retail space. Tickets are available via meow.wf/denver-tix. COVID-19 Meow Wolf is aware of the rapidly changing circumstances due to COVID-19. They are continuing to monitor the situation and will make adjustments to help ensure the safety of our guests, staff, and community. Any changes will be communicated directly to ticket holders via email, on Meow Wolf’s website, and social media channels. Currently, the protocol is as follows: face masks are required for guests at all times except when eating or drinking with social distance. There will be hand sanitizer dispensers placed at guest and employee entrances and throughout the exhibit. Convergence Station will make available non-latex gloves for employee and guest use. Employees will be required to test weekly for COVID-19. Recognized in Fast Company's 2020 list of as The World's 50 Most Innovative Companies' and claiming Blooloop's #2 and #3 spots as the 'World's Top Immersive Art Experiences,' Meow Wolf is a US-based innovative arts and entertainment company. An ever-evolving wellspring of creativity, Meow Wolf makes art to stir the imagination and transport audiences of all ages into fantastic realms of story and exploration, with locations to explore in Santa Fe, Las Vegas, and (soon to open) Denver. The company's first location in Santa Fe opened in 2016 and showcases the THEA Award-winning, international sensation, House Of Eternal Return, where two million visitors have now discovered a mind-bending mystery house with secret passages, portals to magical worlds, and surreal, maximalist and mesmerizing art. In 2019, Meow Wolf expanded beyond Santa Fe and opened Kaleidoscape, the world's first artist-driven ride at Elitch Gardens in Denver. Meow Wolf opened their second permanent installation, Omega Mart, at AREA15 in Las Vegas in February 2021 which went on to be a huge success. Their third permanent installation in Denver is slated to open September 17, 2021. Meow Wolf is proud to be the only certified B-Corporation in the themed entertainment industry, with a team dedicated to social impact and building a more inclusive and sustainable economy. Contact Details Jive PR + Digital Maya Sarin +1 818-422-2248 maya@jiveprdigital.com Company Website https://meowwolf.com/

September 17, 2021 09:00 AM Mountain Daylight Time

Israeli SleepX to be merged into AppYea Inc. (APYP)

Appyea

AppYea continues the process of merging SleepX into the company. The merger is expected to be completed by 12/01/2021 in accordance with the model published on 08/02/2021 ( Link ) In parallel, SleepX continues developing and improving its algorithms and planning to start production during 2022. The SleepX product is being designed to provide a unique answer to approximately 90 million Americans who suffer from the problem of snoring. DreamIT The night wrist band will include several sensors and a vibration motor which will operates with an intensity adapted to the user's reactions in real time in order to accustom the user to sleep in the correct position using biofeedback, thereby reducing or eliminating snoring. SleepX solution is being developed in collaboration with the Biomedical department of Ben Gurion University in Beer Sheva, and is patent - protected in the US, EU and Israel. https://www.sleepxclear.com/ipportfolio In addition to reducing snoring and improving sleep quality, users will be able to access important statistics relating to their sleep patterns via an app (Apple and Android) to track over time and detect anomalies. Product Clip The sleep apnea market is projected to reach USD 9.9 billion by 2026, at a CAGR of 6.9% during the forecast period. Major factors driving the growth of this market include the growing awareness regarding the detrimental effects of snoring, availability, and benefits of anti-snoring treatments, growing geriatric and obese population, presence of a large number of cigarette smokers and alcoholics, and a large pool of an untapped snoring population. However, poor efficacy of current anti-snoring treatments available in the market, high cost of some of the anti-snoring treatments, and lack of reimbursement are major factors restraining the growth of this market. “The SleepX approach should not only solve physiological problems for a great many people, but it may also allow many couples to go back to sleeping together," says Bary Molchadsky, SleepX's entrepreneur and CEO. “The decision to merge with AppYea was made in order to accelerate the start point of production. Lately, we see major players entering the market – Google presented its new Fitbit watch with the possibility to monitor snoring. Amazon presented at the beginning of the year the new Alexa that is supposed to identify sleep apnea. However, we believe that the patent-protected technology underlying the SleepX approach should be accepted in the marketplace.” “The SleepX products are being designed to provide, besides monitoring, biofeedback based individual treatment, adjusted to each user in real-time. Following the launch of the first snoring treatment product, the company intends to start clinical trials in order to receive FDA approval for sleep apnea treatment.” “I’m certain that tens of thousands of academic research hours together with international strong patents, would provide Appyea’s investors a significant advantage over time.” Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This release includes forward-looking statements. Such statements involve risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth herein. No statement herein should be considered an offer or a solicitation of an offer for the purchase or sale of any securities. Although APYP believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements and the assumptions upon which they are based are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations and assumptions will prove to have been correct. Forward-looking statements, which involve assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies, and expectations, are generally identifiable by use of the words "may," "will," "should," "could," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "intend," or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as these statements are subject to numerous factors and uncertainties, including but not limited to adverse economic conditions, intense competition, entry of new competitors and products, adverse federal, state and local government regulation, inadequate capital, unexpected costs and operating deficits, increases in general and administrative costs, unanticipated losses, financial condition and stock price, inability to carry out research, development and commercialization plans and other specific risks. APYP does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement. Neither APYP nor SLEEPX are subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities and Exchange Act of 1934 as amended. Contact Details Asaf Porat info@appyea.com Company Website http://www.appyea.com

September 17, 2021 08:47 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Today is National Pet Bird Day

BEAK

Contact Details Jamie Baxter +1 775-322-4022 jamie@theimpetusagency.com

September 17, 2021 08:08 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Image

Celebrate National Pet Bird Day on September 17

BEAK

The Bird Enjoyment & Advantage Koalition (BEAK), a concentrated effort to educate on and grow responsible bird ownership, is excited to announce the 3 rd annual National Pet Bird Day, which will take place Friday, September 17, 2021. Pet bird owners are encouraged to share stories, photos and videos of their birds using the hashtag #NationalPetBirdDay, while others can learn more about the joys and benefits of bird ownership. “Birds are amazing companion animals and are actually very connected to their owners,” said Brent Weinmann, BEAK Chairman. “National Pet Bird Day serves as a day to celebrate all the amazing ways pet birds enrich our lives, educate on responsible bird ownership and encourage others to consider adding a feathered family member to their flock.” What is it exactly that bird owners love most about their beloved companions? According to the American Pet Products Association, bird owners say the top benefits are that birds are fun to watch/have in the household, they provide love, companionship, company and affection, and even relieve stress. But there’s more, studies show birds can also increase social interaction, which is very important to mental health and wellbeing, and pets can be instrumental in teaching children empathy and responsibility. Currently, Millennials represent the largest demographic of bird owners with 45 percent of bird owners being Millennials. For those interested in adding a bird to their home, BEAK offers an interactive quiz at www.myrightbird.com where a series of questions help match users with the right bird for their lifestyle. Quiz questions range from time and financial commitments, living arrangements and noise tolerance, to birds’ level of affection and expected lifespan; all key factors for potential bird owners to consider. “We understand that birds like any pet can be a big commitment and through our resources like the quiz, bird locator, species information and avian vet locator we hope to provide new bird owners the information they need to enjoy the happiness and beauty they bring to a home,” said BEAK president, Dean Reyes. Follow @MyRightBird on social media leading up to National Pet Bird Day for live educational demonstrations, giveaways, photo contests and more! To learn more about National Pet Bird Day visit www.nationalpetbirdday.com for a downloadable toolkit and other ways to participate. About BEAKFounded in 2016, the Bird Enjoyment and Advantage Koalition (BEAK) consists of bird product manufacturers, associations and caregivers with shared interests to address the need for increased, responsible bird ownership. BEAK’s mission is to conduct research, identify existing resources, opportunities and challenges, and educate and drive awareness of the benefits of bird ownership through strategic communications, marketing, collaborations and initiatives. www.MyRightBird.com Contact Details Impetus Agency Jamie Baxter +1 775-322-4022 jamie@theimpetusagency.com

September 16, 2021 11:45 AM Pacific Daylight Time

DONORSTRUST LAUNCHES GIVING VENTURES PODCAST

Donors Trust

This week the team at DonorsTrust, a donor-advised fund committed to encouraging philanthropic giving and protecting donor intent, launched a new podcast focusing on philanthropy. The Giving Ventures podcast explores innovative projects and problem-solving initiatives made possible by support from DonorsTrust account holders. “We are excited to provide a forum where donors with a pro-liberty mindset can learn more about great work on exciting projects that may otherwise get missed,” explained Peter Lipsett, Vice President at DonorsTrust and Giving Ventures host. “My colleagues and I regularly engage with groups aiming to limit government, grow personal responsibility, and strengthen free enterprise. The podcast allows us to share insights and ideas from these conversations, ideally leading to even more philanthropic activity.” Giving Ventures is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and directly from the DonorsTrust website. “The Giving Ventures podcast will feature a variety of people, initiatives, and nonprofits dedicated to making the world a better, freer place thanks to the ongoing generosity of the DonorsTrust donor community,” Lipsett continued. “We look forward to using this new avenue to connect givers with the causes and projects they care about most.” In the first episode, “ New Approaches to Reducing Poverty,” Peter Lipsett talks with three leaders tackling innovative free-market solutions to this age-old problem. Guests for the inaugural episode include: Randy Hicks, president, and chief executive officer of the Georgia Center for Opportunity, discusses the ways the organization is combating poverty in the Peach State. Matt Warner, president of Atlas Network and director of its Human Dignity and Freedom Project, shares what his organization is doing to curb poverty at home and abroad. Graham Walker, executive director of the Oakland, California-based Independent Institute, shares how his organization is tackling homelessness and poverty in the Golden State. “Our first episode of Giving Ventures will get your mind racing about all the possibilities for new philanthropic partnerships and open your eyes to the ways our donors and grantees are changing the world for the better,” Lipsett said. “Future episodes will surely do the same.” About Giving Ventures: As the landscape of nonprofits continues to grow, trying to stay current on all the good work going on can be overwhelming – especially if you target your support to efforts that help reduce government’s size and people’s dependence on it. Twice a month, the Giving Ventures podcast will highlight several non-profit efforts, initiatives, and projects that leverage private philanthropy to solve public problems. Giving Ventures is produced by Peter Lipsett and Carolyn Bolton with music from Zapsplat.com About DonorsTrust: Established in 1999 as a 501(c)(3) public charity, DonorsTrust is a community of donors devoted to creating a better future. Our donors support charities they believe protect our Nation’s constitutional liberties and strengthen civil society through private institutions rather than with government programs. Our boutique size lets us offer our donors personal attention and advice that helps them achieve their philanthropic goals. We ensure that our donors’ intentions are protected and offer them a simple, effective, and tax-advantaged way to give. Since its inception, DonorsTrust has granted out over $1.5 billion to over 4,000 charities that protect our constitutional liberties and strengthen civil society without government funding. ### Please visit http://www.donorstrust.org For more information DonorsTrust and Giving Ventures Podcast, or to schedule an interview please contact Dan Rene of kglobal at 202-329-8357 or daniel.rene@kglobal.com Contact Details kglobal Dan Rene +1 202-329-8357 daniel.rene@kglobal.com Company Website https://www.donorstrust.org/

September 16, 2021 11:10 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Great Place to Work® Announces the Best Workplaces for Women™ 2021

Great Place to Work®

Great Place to Work®, the global authority on workplace culture has determined the Fortune Best Workplaces for Women ™ 2021 by analyzing confidential employee surveys representing the opinions of 5.6 million U.S. employees. There are 38 new companies on this list this year and two of them, Bitwise Industries and Greenhouse) made it to the top five. Twenty-six of the 75 large organizations on the list are new, and 12 out of the 25 small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are making their Best Workplaces for Women debut. Hilton tops the list this year, followed by financial corporations American Express and Bank of America. Impressively, Bank of America jumped 39 spots from their position on last year’s Best Workplaces for Women list. The number of participating organizations increased 40% from 2020, but the spots available this year remains at 100, making it more difficult than ever to earn a spot on the list. This year’s list is made up of 75 large companies and 25 SMBs. “These companies have made a commitment to fostering equity in the workplace. With the facts about gender inequity in mind, the Best Workplaces for Women braved the task of combatting gender inequity by ensuring their women employees feel safe, heard, challenged and valued,” says Michael C. Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work. COVID-19 was disproportionately hard on working women, who experienced more furloughs and layoffs and had higher quit rates compared to their male colleagues. Nowhere was this truer than in the hospitality industry. That makes it even more impressive that four hospitality companies—Hilton, Marriott, Hyatt and Kimpton—made the list in 2021. Hyatt even jumped seven spots to make this year’s top 10, powered by an incredibly strong representation of female leadership, a barrier many organizations struggle to overcome. In fact, half of the executive management at Hyatt identify as female. The company has made numerous internal investments to support their female employees, including Women@Hyatt Diversity Business Resource Group (DBRGs), which are akin to Employee Resource Groups (ERG) at other organizations. The group has since expanded to include Hyatt B.L.A.C.K, Hyatt Asian-Pacific Islanders, Latinos@Hyatt, Hyatt disABILITIES and HyPride. Though Nationwide, Rocket Companies, and Bank of America saw the largest improvement in their employee survey scores, many more on the list showed great improvement in how women were experiencing their workplace, despite the lasting impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the well-being of women worldwide. See the full list of the Best Workplaces for Women™ 2021 What are the top 10 companies to work for as a woman in 2021? About the Best Workplaces for Women methodology The methodology for determining the Best Workplaces for Women is unique in that it specifically analyzes how women are experiencing the workplace. In order to do this, we ask employees to respond to over 60 survey questions describing the extent to which their organization creates a great place to work For All™. Eighty-five percent of the ranking is based on what women themselves report about their workplace, and how fairly those experiences compare to men’s reports of the same workplaces. The survey measures the extent to which women report their organizations create a great place to work For All—for example, whether people trust each other and employees are able to reach their full human potential, no matter who they are or what they do. We analyze whether different identities women hold change their experience of the workplace. We analyze these patterns relative to each organization’s size, workforce makeup and what’s typical in their industry and region. We also measure the degree to which employees from all backgrounds are equally involved in innovation opportunities, believe company values are lived and breathed, and believe management is effective. Fifteen percent of the remaining rank is based on how well-represented women are in the workforce and throughout management, taking into account industry trends. To be considered, companies need to employ at least 50 women, at least 20% of their non-executive managers need to be female and at least one of their executives needs to be female. About Great Place to Work Great Place to Work is the global authority on workplace culture. Since 1992, they have surveyed more than 100 million employees around the world and used those deep insights to define what makes a great workplace: trust. Great Place to Work helps organizations quantify their culture and produce better business results by creating a high-trust work experience for all employees. Their unparalleled benchmark data is used to recognize Great Place to Work-Certified™ companies and the Best Workplaces™ in the US and more than 60 countries, including the 100 Best Companies to Work For® and World’s Best Workplaces™ lists published annually in Fortune. Everything they do is driven by the mission to build a better world by helping every organization become a great place to work For All™. To learn more, visit greatplacetowork.com, subscribe to their company culture newsletter and read “ A Great Place to Work for All. ” Join the community on LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram. Contact Details Kim Peters +1 415-844-2574 kpeters@greatplacetowork.com Company Website https://www.greatplacetowork.com

September 16, 2021 07:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Image

OKY and SUZUKI Guatemala form Strategic Alliance

OKY

OKY, a cross-border e-commerce fintech platform, and Suzuki Guatemala have announced the formation of a strategic alliance for the Guatemalan marketplace. Suzuki Guatemala, one of the country’s leading companies, will now be selling their products through OKY’s innovative platform. The addition of Suzuki to the OKY network of over 100 leading brands enables immigrants in the United States to purchase Suzuki motorcycles in Guatemala through a variety of payment options, including cash, credit card, or direct transfer from a banking account. In addition, this partnership allows OKY users in the U.S. to give their loved ones increased mobility which opens new opportunities for economic advancement. The alliance came into effect on July 16, 2021. To use the service, the user must download the application and create an account. Then, they can make a purchase directly through the application or go to one of the 1,380 points of sale in more than 250 cities in the United States and add funds with cash. Once the recipient in Guatemala has received their digital voucher, they can present it to a salesperson at their nearest Suzuki branch and choose from more than 30 motorcycle models Suzuki Guatemala offers. The entire process is safe and immediate. “As immigrants, we understand what the needs of the region are, the challenges they face, and the type of support that is required from family or friends who are currently in the United States,” said Víctor Unda CEO of OKY. “Through this alliance, Guatemalans abroad will be able to offer their loved one’s access to one of the most popular and important motorcycle brands in Guatemala. This collaboration between OKY and Suzuki is unique. We will be able to observe the positive impact of the application of technology as a tool to promote inclusion and provide a better quality of life for all,” he added. Beyond providing them access to an effective, safe, and less expensive method of transportation, the alliance between OKY and Suzuki Guatemala allows immigrants in the United States to offer an indispensable work tool to their parents, children, or friends. In turn, this will enable them to continue the path toward financial independence. OKY is the only fintech platform designed to give immigrant communities the ability to digitize cash and engage in cross-border e-commerce activities. Through OKY, users can send funds directly to family members in their home country to make purchases at participating retailers such as Suzuki. By removing these barriers, a motorcycle company like Suzuki can now sell products to Guatemalans in the United States who do not have access to traditional financial tools, making it a unique alliance for immigrants and their families in the region. This alliance not only adds a leading global brand to OKY’s network but also aligns itself with the mission of providing immigrants in the United States with a greater number of resources that contribute to closing the geographic divide with more appropriate and equitable financial solutions. Through OKY, users can continue to participate and contribute in a meaningful way to the lives of those they had to leave. “Suzuki is one of the most popular motorcycle brands in Guatemala, and we are committed to the progress and economic development of the communities we serve. We are proud to be a part of the OKY network,” said Ing. Balmory Leck, Suzuki Sales Manager in Guatemala. “The work and dedication of the immigrant community in the United States is admirable and we are confident that, together with OKY, we can continue to support and have a positive impact on the economic development and growth of their home countries,” he added. ABOUT OKY OKY was launched in the summer of 2020 for immigrants and by immigrants, with the vision of helping underserved communities achieve financial equity and overcome common financial barriers through the use of technology. OKY achieves this by enabling users to make e-commerce transactions without the support of financial institutions, which often impede the immigrant community from attaining financial stability. Today, OKY users across the United States and other countries have access to a marketplace that connects the Central American region including retail service providers in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and some offerings for México. For more information, please visit the company’s website, https://okyapp.com/en/ ABOUT SUZUKI SUZUKI, with more than 50 years in the Guatemalan market, currently being the leader of Motorcycles in Guatemala. It has the largest stock of Parts and Accessories in Central America. Its mission is to be a comprehensive and productive organization for Guatemalans, sell motorcycles and high-quality products with the best support, generating business opportunities through a network of employees, trade agents, and satisfied customers. Contact Details Julio Ligorria julio@balserapr.com Company Website https://okyapp.com/en/

September 15, 2021 01:16 PM Eastern Daylight Time

NSI Insurance Group Acquires Fourth Agency in 15 Months

NSI Insurance Group

NSI Insurance Group, a leading independent insurance agency specializing in risk management, employee benefits, and insurance services for businesses and individuals, recently made its third and fourth acquisitions in the past 15 months, with the purchase White Cloud Insurance and Express Insurance, both in Miami. NSI Insurance Group now has four offices throughout South Florida. NSI Insurance Group, founded in 1958, ranks among the largest privately owned firms in Florida and operates within five business segments including personal and commercial insurance, employee benefits, and specialty programs. The company has achieved robust growth, driven by a combination of expansion in existing verticals and strategic acquisitions. The company has been continuously recognized as a “Best Practices” agency in a survey of the largest insurance agencies in the United States. “We have continued our long-standing pattern of consistent yet conservative growth through growing our existing client base and making strategic acquisitions of top-quality insurance companies throughout South Florida,” said NSI Insurance Group CEO Oscar Seikaly. “We believe our strategy brings exceptional new opportunities for our clients and our employees as we continue to develop our firm.” Last year, NSI Insurance Group acquired Fort Lauderdale, Florida-based Pallant Insurance, one of the largest LGTBQ-owned and managed agencies in the state. The Pallant brand continues under the same leadership as a subsidiary of NSI Insurance Group. Last summer, the company acquired Ensurgroup, based in South Miami, while the Express Insurance and White Cloud acquisitions closed in the past few months. “As the South Florida population grows and density increases, we must become more geographically diverse and reinforce our back-office operations,” said Seikaly. “The acquisitions enable us to move quickly and improve our leverage with major carriers, which is critical during a tight market.” According to Seikaly, the acquired agencies were all excellent cultural fits, and each firm brings expertise that benefits the entire organization. Executive leaders of each firm have been retained and continue to work with the company. Contact Details David PR Group John P. David +1 305-274-3903 john@davidpr.com

September 15, 2021 10:59 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Consumer