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Comcast RISE Announces Major Expansion to All Women-Owned Small Businesses in the Twin Cities

Comcast Twin Cities

Comcast recently announced a major expansion of its Comcast RISE program to now include all women-owned businesses regardless of race or ethnicity in Comcast services areas nationwide, including the Twin Cities. This expansion of the Comcast RISE program furthers its efforts to advance digital equity and help provide underrepresented small business owners with access to the digital tools they need to thrive. In its first year alone, Comcast RISE provided more than $60 million in grants, marketing and technology services to more than 6,700 small businesses owned by people of color, including Black, Indigenous, Hispanic, and Asian Americans, among others. Of the 6,700 Comcast RISE recipients to date, nearly 70% are businesses owned by women of color, which spurred Comcast to take a deeper look into the unique challenges faced by women entrepreneurs. According to a study by the National Association of Women Business Owners, 42% of businesses in the U.S. are owned by women, with more than 1,800 new businesses being started every day. That’s nearly five times the national average. However, according to the same study, women-owned businesses are growing at only half the rate of those run by men, namely because women struggle to access capital and other resources to help them succeed. Comcast RISE, a multi-year, multi-faceted initiative launched to help strengthen small businesses hard hit by COVID-19, is accepting applications now through June 17, 2022. Twin Cities small businesses owned by people of color and all women-owned small businesses are encouraged to apply for the chance to receive consulting, media, and creative production services from Effectv, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable, or technology upgrades from Comcast Business, based on their specific needs. Since the program’s inception, Comcast announced over 200 Twin Cities small businesses as Comcast RISE recipients. This includes Revival, Stunning Beauty Supplies and The Greenery Minneapolis, all local woman-owned businesses and Comcast RISE recipients. “This opportunity is a positive aspect to my business and the community. Not only will we be able to reach more prospects, we’ll also be able to add a few employees to the team,” said Henrietta Smaller of Stunning Beauty Supplies in Burnsville, Minnesota. “It feels great to know someone believes in me and my dream.” Comcast RISE, which stands for Representation, Investment, Strength, and Empowerment, is part of Project UP, Comcast’s comprehensive initiative to advance digital equity and help provide underrepresented small business owners with access to the digital tools and funding they need to thrive. Over the next 10 years, Comcast is committing $1 billion to programs, like Comcast RISE, and partnerships to reach an estimated 50 million people with the skills, opportunities, and resources they need to succeed in an increasingly digital world. Comcast RISE, which just celebrated its one-year anniversary, will continue to be open to racially and ethnically diverse small business owners. The expanded Comcast RISE eligibility to all women-owned businesses is effective now. More information and the applications to apply for marketing and technology services are available at www.ComcastRISE.com. About Comcast Corporation Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company that connects people to moments that matter. We are principally focused on broadband, aggregation, and streaming with 57 million customer relationships across the United States and Europe. We deliver broadband, wireless, and video through our Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky brands; create, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, Universal Studio Group, Sky Studios, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, multiple cable networks, Peacock, NBCUniversal News Group, NBC Sports, Sky News, and Sky Sports; and provide memorable experiences at Universal Parks and Resorts in the United States and Asia. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. Contact Details Comcast Corporation Jill Hornbacher +1 651-425-1695 jill_hornbacher@comcast.com Company Website https://twincities.comcast.com/

January 27, 2022 08:00 AM Central Standard Time

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The Customer Experience Market Ecosystem is Being Transformed by a High Level of Consolidation and Investment Activity, According to Dash Research

Dash Network

The customer experience (CX) market ecosystem is a broad web of solutions and technologies aimed at smoothing out a customer’s journey from start to finish and providing a personalized and engaging experience. On the technology provider side, these solutions aim to increase loyalty and satisfaction, optimize revenue, and allow for better targeting and retention. According to a new report from Dash Research, this market landscape has been developing at a rapid pace for more than a decade, however recent shifts in industry priorities and business models are now creating a period of significant change as mergers & acquisitions, investment activity, and new business formation reshape the constellation of market participants. Dash Research’s analysis indicates that COVID-19 in particular has resulted in an abrupt, but sustained move to digital, causing a large increase in the digital customer data stream and a greater focus on housing, analyzing, and interpreting this data. In addition, customers have grown to accept and even look for increased personalization during their customer journey touchpoints, allowing this deluge of data to be leveraged by companies aiming for deeper relationships and more engagement. “The CX market itself encompasses large players, such as Oracle or Adobe, as well as smaller companies carving out a niche in areas like personalization or customer feedback,” says senior analyst Sherril Hanson. “There are pure play companies included in the ecosystem, but many companies span multiple market segments both within and outside of CX.” Hanson adds that even established market participants are in the midst of significant change. For instance, contact centers have needed to pivot their technology and workflows to account for increased omnichannel usage and remote agents. And tied to these new demands is a greater focus on employee experience (EX), as support employees and others in the labor force have needed to respond to fast-changing models. Driven by these changes and other emerging trends, Dash Research anticipates that continued consolidation, repositioning, and investment will all continue to make the CX market a rapidly evolving ecosystem for at least the next few years. Dash Research’s report, “CX Market Ecosystem”, outlines six segments in the CX ecosystem: customer data & analytics, personalization & optimization, customer insights & feedback, contact center, customer relationship management (CRM), and employee experience (EX). The report provides an overview of the market in general and includes a brief discussion of industry trends in each segment. Dash Research has included profiles on 150 companies in the CX space. There is an additional list of 100 other industry participants included in the report, as well as an Excel-based summary of key facts and figures for the companies. An Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the firm’s website. Dash Research, the market intelligence arm of Dash Network, provides in-depth research and insights on the worldwide CX market including a comprehensive assessment of technology solutions, business issues, market drivers, and end-user dynamics across industry sectors. Dash Research’s global market coverage combines qualitative and quantitative research methodologies to provide a complete view of emerging business opportunities surrounding contact center technologies, customer data & analytics, customer data platforms, customer insights & feedback, customer relationship management, personalization & optimization, and employee experience. For more information, visit www.dashresearch.com or call +1.720.603.1700. Contact Details Dash Research Clint Wheelock +1 720-603-1700 press@dashnetwork.com Company Website http://www.dashnetwork.com

January 27, 2022 08:15 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise unites global partners for 2022 virtual conference

Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise

Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, a leading provider of communications, cloud and networking solutions tailored to customers’ industries, is hosting its global partner conference between February 15-16 th 2022. Following the success of last year’s Connex21 event, which was the first of its kind to be held virtually, this year’s Connex22 conference will again take to a virtual stage, prioritising the safety of employees and partners and demonstrating Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise’s belief that the enterprise can work from anywhere and everywhere. With a purpose to maintain business continuity and inspire the Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise community for the year ahead, Connex22 will bring together Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise partners and employees from all over the world. The theme for this year’s event is ‘Go Future’ and recognises that the future is built upon experience and learning as well as ambition and goals. The event will feature CEO Jack Chen, alongside other Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise executives and business leaders. The conference will discuss the challenges faced during 2021, from the health crisis to the global components shortage. It will also showcase the company’s 2022 strategy, discussing core business objectives, the product roadmap, and growth opportunities for the business and its international partners in 2022. “Supported by learnings from the last two years, businesses now have the opportunity to take advantage of digital transformation, and thrive by embracing new technologies which boost business with more efficiency at employee and company level,” comments Rukmini Glanard, Executive Vice President Global Sales, Services and Marketing. “Some businesses are yet to adopt the necessary technologies, and we are committed to guiding them on their digital transformation journey. For those who have already started, it’s about optimising the use of technologies such as the cloud, automation, IoT, network data and Artificial Intelligence to reach their full business potential in 2022 and beyond.” Continuing its vertical focus, Connex22 will reveal Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise’s plans for further innovation across the healthcare, education, government, transportation energy and utilities markets. Solutions specialists will demonstrate new product roadmaps and present the ways in which Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise will continue to support partners in making everything connect for business growth. “Connex22 ‘Go Future’ is about continued momentum for Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise, our business partners, and of course our customers,” says Rukmini Glanard. “It’s about building on the progress we have made in digitalising business with continued co-creation and innovation. The digital landscape holds so many possibilities and we look to a future of building great relationships and solutions to facilitate even more business success in the digital age.” Following the announcement of new partnerships, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise has an even stronger ecosystem of 3,400 business partners all over the world. This helps the company achieve an effective international reach, with a local focus, for over a million customers around the world. About Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise delivers the customised technology experiences enterprises need to make everything connect. ALE provides digital-age networking, communications and cloud solutions with services tailored to ensure customers’ success, with flexible business models in the cloud, on premises, and hybrid. All solutions have built-in security and limited environmental impact. Over 100 years of innovation have made Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise a trusted advisor to more than a million customers all over the world. With headquarters in France and 3,400 business partners worldwide, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise achieves an effective global reach with a local focus. al-enterprise.com | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram Contact Details Alcatel Lucent Carine Bowen +33 1 55 66 31 09 press@al-enterprise.com Company Website http://www.al-enterprise.com/

January 27, 2022 05:30 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Say Hello to Amazon Glow: Technology That Keeps Families Connected

YourUpdateTV

Families who live or spend time far from each other have long understood how technology can help keep people connected. Over the last two years, the need to stay connected has been more important than ever. Recently, Lifestyle Expert Bethany Braun-Silva teamed with Amazon on a nationwide satellite media tour to discuss tips on connecting with family, keeping kids engaged, and how the new Amazon Glow can help. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/7Saw2MonRxg Connecting with distant family is especially important for kids – there is something so special about the smile’s kids bring to our lives, especially when they are shared with extended family and relatives. From playing games and drawing to reading and solving puzzles, the fun families and loved ones have together is so important. It is so hard to replicate these experiences when not in person together, but we try our best because we know these relationships can be so impactful. While video chatting has been a great tool over the last few years, how many times have we jumped on a call with relatives, only for our child to quickly get bored and wander off? The key to staying connected is keeping everyone engaged and visible, making virtual visits feel much more like being in person together. Amazon Glow is a new device that really makes it easy and fun for kids to spend time with remote grandparents, aunts, uncles and family friends. It’s really a new way to create bonds across generations, even when distance is a barrier. During video calls on Amazon Glow, kids read stories, play games, use physical objects and can even create art using the touch-sensitive projected virtual space. At the same time, loved ones far away can engage with the same content on their tablet or smartphone using the free Glow App. Pick from thousands of children’s books to read together, draw pictures, or play early literacy games like ABC Bubbles or classics like Chess and Checkers. Activities on Glow create engaging sensory experiences with audio, video, and tactile elements similar to in-person fun. Children have access to books, games and art activities and can experience all of these in a whole new way with remote family and friends. It’s a great resource for parents looking to provide opportunities for their children to actively use their senses while simultaneously building new family memories and connections. For more information, visit Amazon.com/Glow About Bethany Braun-Silva: Bethany Braun-Silva is the former editor at Parenting.com, one of the most trusted resources for parents online! She received her Bachelor's Degree at New York University, where she studied theater arts and creative writing. She then received an M.F.A. from Pace University at the Actors Studio Drama School. She moved to Los Angeles in 2010 where she began her career in journalism. It was a particular Broadcast Journalism class at UCLA that confirmed her passion for telling stories and being of service to the community. She worked at various media companies before landing her first job as a parenting editor. It was there that she knew she could blend her love for writing with her love of being a mom—she had just welcomed her first son Eli! Since then, Bethany has worked for Understood.org, Big Apple Parent Magazine, CafeMom, RedTri, Mommy Poppins, OK! Magazine, Hollywood Life and various other parenting publications. She can often be seen interviewing celebrity parents and of course at her local playground with her two boys. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

January 26, 2022 05:01 PM Eastern Standard Time

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REPX appoints Ian Clowes as CEO

REPX

Clowes brings over 25 years of executive and board experience in the fintech, financial services, and payments industry. REPX’s race to the top of the fintech world continues with a very high-profile entry at its top. The fintech, through products and a series of technologically advanced applications – all based on registered patents – and an innovative business model, allows sports clubs, entertainment and sports stars, celebrities, influencers, brands and cities with high tourist appeal to have their own personalized prepaid card. Along with a special App that allows them to connect with their followers, this innovative product boasts a significant potential increase in fan engagement. Reaching its target of nearly half a billion fans in soccer and Esports, REPX has already signed partnerships with 15 top football clubs of international relevance. As proof of a winning dynamism on the product front but also of the management team, the company has announced in recent days another excellent entry in its top management, entrusting Ian Clowes with the post of CEO. Clowes brings over 25 years of executive and board experience in the fintech, financial services, and payments industry. He is also a seasoned entrepreneur and has an impressive track record of launching and building successful businesses in the fintech space. His career has included roles such as Group payments director of Abbey Bank (now Santander), director of Unisys and CEO of an investor-backed, high-growth digital payments and banking platform Fintech. He earned his MBA from Warwick University. “I am thrilled to be joining REPX at the start of their amazing journey and looking forward to building a transformational business with this prestigious board to bring social commerce to billions of sports and celebrity fans worldwide” – said Clowes. “Repx already has an envious roster of premiere sports teams and global brands as clients and is uniquely positioned to provide banking services and exciting new fintech products to the sports and entertainment world. Building on the recent launches of AS Roma and AC Milan, its rich client base of global brands gives access to over 500m fans worldwide and is a true industry disruptor”. Clowes is an influential player within the payments and fintech industry, having served on numerous industry associations and regulatory bodies including the Payments Association (PA), APACS Council, BACS and the Cheque and Credit Clearing Company. He is currently serving as Chairman for the boards of Paynetics UK (a card issuer and payment service provider) and Swiipr (a mobile wallet platform in the travel space). Prior to REPX, Clowes was the CEO of Payment Cloud Technologies (PCT), a B2B digital banking and payments platform that he founded in 2008 and merged with Tuxedo Money Solutions to form the Omnio group in 2019. Francesco de Leo, a founder and senior board member at REPX, commented: “We are proud to announce that The Repx is on the move to make 2022 a memorable year under the stewardship of Ian Clowes, our new CEO. We are confident that with this highly qualified addition to our executive team, we are now ready to fast forward the blitz-scaling of REPX across Europe. The financial service industry is currently facing an unprecedented process of creative disruption, with not so much room left for those players that are not capable, nor willing to embrace tech-enabled innovation. We operate in a hyper-competitive market space where talent and brainpower make all the difference. REPX is moving on to further enlarge its talent pool to sharpen the future of the fintech world. Speed of action is key to stay ahead of the game: I like to thank our best-in-class board of directors and the founder, Alfredo Maria Villa, for their un-relentless support”. About REPX REPX is a fintech revolutionizing traditional banking by combining technology and the passion of billions of fans worldwide with Social Media. REPX allows sports teams, celebrities, influencers, brands and iconic cities to innovatively connect with fanbases through exclusive co-branded prepaid cards, debit cards and digital products. REPX’s portfolio of partners and brands creates maximum engagement of the social generation through electronic payments. Come and explore the many opportunities our platform has to offer by visiting us at www.therepx.com Contact Details REPX Antonio Matta +44 7752 613086 marketing@therepx.com 360PRWire Allan Herman +1 786-544-5592 allan@360prwire.com Company Website https://therepx.com/

January 26, 2022 11:55 AM Eastern Standard Time

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CSG Forte Earns Best Performing Payments Gateway by The Strawhecker Group in 2022 Real Transaction Metrics Awards

CSG

CSG Forte, a CSG ® (NASDAQ: CSGS) company, the leader in complete and customizable digital payment platforms today announced its recognition by The Strawhecker Group (TSG) as the Best Performing Payments Gateway in the 2022 Real Transaction Metrics Awards for delivering exceptional performance across transaction and gateway check benchmarks. Additionally, CSG Forte received first place for Lowest Gateway Minute Outage, with the lowest outages recorded in North America and global benchmark groups. The Real Transaction Metrics Awards are based on TSG’s Gateway Enterprise Metrics (GEM) platform, where TSG measures and benchmarks the experience from the merchant’s point of view by using pings and real transactions to monitor each gateway’s performance from over 20 different global locations. “It’s no small feat to be rated the best in The Strawhecker Group’s Real Transaction Metrics Awards and this achievement is the result of the dedication and innovation of the entire CSG Forte team to create extraordinary experiences for our customers,” said Jeff Kump, head of payments, CSG Forte. “The ubiquity of digital payments has elevated the bar for secure and convenient digital transactions. As merchants and partners demand more out of their digital payments platforms, CSG Forte will continue to lead the way in delivering game changing technologies that drive the next era of growth for the industry. I would like to thank The Strawhecker Group for this honor and for recognizing our team’s hard work and relentless efforts.” “We are excited to honor CSG Forte for their stellar performance,” said Mike Strawhecker, President of TSG. “GEM has provided the data to make tangible improvements to the CSG Forte platform, and it shows with this year’s awards.” On TSG’s GEM Index, CSG Forte surpassed the average score by over 12 points. Benchmarked against more than 20 gateway providers, the Index is an overall scorecard for gateway metrics based on five key areas: gateway minute outage, gateway availability, transaction speed, transaction success rate, and authorization rate. For more information on CSG Forte’s single, end-to-end payments platform, please visit: https://www.forte.net/why-csg-forte/. About CSG Forte CSG Forte, a CSG company, delivers scalable digital payments for smarter and faster business growth. Our world-class, award-winning technology offers a unified end-to-end payments platform that easily adapts to changing needs and empowers companies to transform their payments operations into a competitive business strategy. With CSG Forte, companies can process omnichannel payments and offer agnostic payment acceptance, shifting payments from a line-item expense to a profit center. CSG Forte manages billions of payments annually for over 73,000 merchants across government, telecom, insurance and other industries. For nearly 40 years, CSG’s technologies and people have helped some of the world’s most recognizable brands solve their toughest business challenges and evolve to meet the demands of today’s digital economy with future-ready solutions that drive exceptional customer experiences. Our solutions deliver real world outcomes to more than 900 customers in over 120 countries. To learn more, visit www.forte.net and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Copyright © 2022 CSG Systems International, Inc. and/or its affiliates (“CSG”). All rights reserved. CSG® is a registered trademark of CSG Systems International, Inc. All third-party trademarks, service marks, and/or product names which are referenced in this document are the property of their respective owners, and all rights therein are reserved. Contacts: Jordy Spitale CSG +1 (504) 615-8820 Jordy.spitale@csgi.com John Rea Investor Relations +1 (210) 687-4409 John.rea@csgi.com Contact Details Tammy Hovey +1 917-520-2751 tammy.hovey@csgi.com Company Website https://www.csgi.com

January 26, 2022 06:15 AM Mountain Standard Time

First United States Open Registry to be Launched in Washington, DC

COPE

A landmark Revitalization Plan for US Maritime Trade, Commerce and Strategic Competition to support and assist in resolving America’s supply chain crisis, ensure maritime sovereignty and security, and revitalize maritime commerce will be launched at the National Press Club in Washington, DC on February 1, 2022, at 1:30PM with remarks by Ambassador John D. Negroponte, the first U.S. Director of National Intelligence and former Deputy Secretary of State; the Governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Honorable Albert Bryan, Jr.; and President Eric R. Dawicki of the Northeast Maritime Institute. Highlights of the Plan include the formation of the first U.S. open registry, and other maritime initiatives designed to make the United States more competitive and propel it into a stronger leadership position as a maritime nation. Governor Bryan and President Dawicki will participate in the signing of a historic agreement between the U.S. Virgin Islands and Northeast Maritime Institute which features the collaboration on the development of the first open U.S. registry. Following initial remarks outlining the Revitalization Plan, there will be a panel discussion moderated by Jeremy Greenwood, a Federal Executive Fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Strobe Talbott Center on Security, Strategy, and Technology. Panel participants include Stephen Flynn, PhD, Founding Director of the Center for Global Resilience at Northeastern University, leading Homeland Security advisor under the Bush and Obama administrations, and global expert on supply chain resilience; Admiral James Watson, Northeast Maritime Institute Trustee and former Director of Prevention Policy for Marine Safety, Security and Stewardship at the United States Coast Guard and the first Director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement at the US Department of Interior; Captain Anuj Chopra, Co-Founder & CEO of FNI ESGPlus; Carleen Lyden Walker, Co-Founder and Executive Director of the North American Marine Environment Protection Association, and Captain John Konrad, Founder and CEO of gCaptain. Additional commentary will be provided by Nishan Degnarain, former Chairman of the World Economic Forum – Global Agenda Council on Oceans; Jonathan Kempe, Verifai Australia; and Dr. Sal Mercogliano, PhD, Campbell University. Remarks from all are expected to cover topics such as decarbonization of shipping, capital investment in new technologies, supply chain security, transparency in shipping, economic growth opportunities, the status of the U.S. maritime industry, U.S. national security interests, and more. The event will outline how implementation of the Revitalization Plan for US Maritime Trade, Commerce and Strategic Competition will provide economic stability and environmental protection, as well as revitalize the position of the United States as a major competitor in international maritime trade and commerce while enhancing national security, both domestically and internationally. A Revitalization Plan for US Maritime Trade, Commerce and Strategic Competition was developed by a team of Distinguished Fellows at the Northeast Maritime Institute – Center for Ocean Policy and Economics (COPE) and advised by an array of leading thinkers in the maritime industry. Key elements of the plan include: Formation of the U.S. Virgin Islands’ open international ship registry—the first, and only, international U.S. open ship registry. Development of a short sea transshipment hub in the Caribbean to alleviate supply chain congestion by moving a portion of east coast distribution from land to sea and increasing the number of ports importing ever-increasing quantities of goods from overseas. Build public/private/international partnerships to address strategic maritime issues, increase transparency and enforce legal and ethical standards. Establish and implement a green shipping strategy, including decarbonization of the U.S.-flagged fleet. Establishing a Maritime Venture Capital Fund to finance commercially advanced technologies that solve maritime and ocean industry problems with a focus on environmental vulnerabilities. Modernization of the maritime workforce by deploying state of the art education and training tools in the US and abroad. Additional information can be found at COPE Advanced registration to attend this event will be required for access to the live stream. About Northeast Maritime Institute Northeast Maritime Institute (also called NMI) is a private, coeducational, maritime college offering an Associate in Applied Science in Nautical Science degree. Established in 1981, Northeast Maritime Institute is the only private maritime college in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The college was originally established to provide an alternative to traditional education and training, with an emphasis on preparing mariners for employment. Graduates receive an Associate degree and are eligible to receive a United States Coast Guard Masters license upon graduation. The college operates a training ship, the M/V Navigator, as well as the brigantine tall ship S/V Fritha. About COPE The Center for Ocean Policy and Economics (COPE) is hosted by the Northeast Maritime Institute – College of Maritime Science: Created to tackle some of the ocean’s “wicked problems.” A culmination of years of extensive research and conversations with leading experts in the maritime and ocean related fields, COPE is a facilitator for cogent maritime and ocean policy and economic development project initiatives linking academic, corporate, non-governmental, and governmental partners to create impactful solutions. Contact Details COPE Carleen Walker +1 203-260-0480

January 25, 2022 07:51 PM Eastern Standard Time

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Akeneo Scales Leadership Team to Accelerate Global Growth

Akeneo

Akeneo, a global leader in Product Experience Management (PXM) solutions, today announced making several key executive appointments to support its rapid expansion in the global marketplace. Following Akeneo’s recognition as one of Built In's Best Places to Work and as an Innovatech Award Winner, the hires leave the company poised to expand, drive innovation, and unlock customer success. The executive appointments include industry veterans Dagbert Sansen as General Manager for the Americas; Johan Benoualid as General Manager for EMEA and APAC; Lisa Manske as Vice President of Business Operations; and Antoine Barbier as Vice President of Product. Collectively, the new appointees bring decades of industry expertise, and position Akeneo to bring its game-changing PXM offerings to new markets in 2022. A global ecommerce leader with a 10-year record of growing companies from start-up to exit, Dagbert Sansen joins Akeneo from Rokt, the ecommerce advertising leader, where he served as SVP of Business Development. Sansen previously held top leadership roles with major U.S. software and services companies including digital experience management leader Sitecore, martech innovator STYLELABS, and open-source business software vendor Odoo. Known for his success in forging partnerships to bring complex software solutions to top global businesses such as Diageo, P&G, The Coca Cola Company, Unilever and Columbia Sportswear, Sansen has built and managed agile teams operating across Europe, North America, and APAC. In his new role as General Manager for the Americas, based in Akeneo’s U.S. headquarters in Boston, he will spearhead Akeneo’s expansion throughout the Americas with a specific growth focus on the U.S. In the rest of the world, Akeneo’s explosive growth will be overseen by General Manager Johan Benoualid, who steps into the new role following a successful four-year tenure as Akeneo’s VP of EMEA and APAC Sales. A veteran software sales manager who previously served as Managing Director for Southern Europe at Hootsuite, and as Regional Manager for Adobe, Benoualid is a powerful champion for Akeneo’s PXM offering, and has used his expertise to help hundreds of leading global enterprises to leverage the power of product data to grow their businesses and optimize sales, marketing, and customer experiences. Other key additions to the Akeneo global leadership team include Lisa Manske, who joins the company as VP of Business Operations after working as Director of Strategy and Operations for ServiceNow, the cloud computing and digital workflow management leader. Manske formerly served as Head of SMB Sales for EMEA for Facebook, and spent four year as part of the Business Operations team at LinkedIn. Educated in New York, and with experience working in France, Ireland, and the United States, she brings deep experience identifying and capitalizing on growth opportunities in new global markets. Antoine Barbier also joins as VP of Product, bringing deep technological and business operations expertise gained working for top tech companies in Silicon Valley, the United Kingdom, and France. A SaaS product specialist with 18+ years of experience working in the global digital media and advertising industry, Barbier comes to Akeneo from Ogury, where he served as SVP of Product. He previously served as Director of Product Management at Adobe, where he led digital video, display, native, and social products for Adobe Advertising Cloud, and held senior product and business development positions at TubeMogul, Rhythm, and End2End Mobile. “At Akeneo, we know we’re only as good as the people we hire — and that’s why we’re so delighted to welcome Dagbert, Johan, Lisa, and Antoine to the executive leadership team,” said Frederic de Gombert, Akeneo CEO. “All of these supremely talented leaders bring deep experience in the world of ecommerce, along with the entrepreneurialism, dynamism, and genuinely global mindset needed to scale Akeneo and bring our innovative experience-driven product to new markets. We have ambitious plans for 2022, and our new executive team gives us the expertise and strategic vision required to build out our product and expand into new markets all around the world.” About Akeneo Akeneo is a global leader in Product Experience Management (PXM) solutions that help merchants and brands deliver a compelling customer experience across all sales channels, including eCommerce, mobile, print, and retail points of sale. Akeneo's open-source enterprise PIM, and product data intelligence solutions, dramatically improve product data quality and accuracy while simplifying and accelerating product catalog management. Leading global brands, including Fossil, Staples, Tarkett, and Grundfos, trust Akeneo's solutions to scale and customize their omnichannel and cross-border commerce initiatives. Using Akeneo, brands and retailers can improve customer experience, increase sales, reduce time to market, go global, and boost team productivity. For more information, visit https://www.akeneo.com/ Contact Details Ran Xu +1 213-309-2373 ran@rosebudpr.io Company Website https://www.akeneo.com

January 25, 2022 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

Tribevest Secures $3 Million in Seed Round Funding to Enable Friends, Family, and Like-minded People to Invest as a Group

Tribevest

Tribevest, the platform that allows friends and family to invest together, announced it raised $3 million in a seed funding round. Investors in the round include I2BF Global Ventures, Mucker Capital, Gaingels, Vibe Capital led by Teachable Founder Ankur Nagpal, and Ryan Leslie, the founder of SuperPhone and Grammy-nominated recording artist. In an unprecedented approach, Leslie led an investor group that included Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings from The Earn Your Leisure Podcast in utilizing Tribevest's platform to participate in Tribevest's seed round. Tribevest’s platform allows investor groups to easily form LLCs, create operating documents, establish their FDIC bank accounts, and handle annual compliance. Through Tribevest’s collaborative dashboard, investor tribes can access their documents, pool capital, and transact as a single entity. Based in Columbus, Ohio, Tribevest started in 2018 after its founder Travis Smith struggled with the process, roadblocks, and fees required to invest as a group with his brothers. “We’re doing something special here at Tribevest that no one has ever done before and the investing world is taking notice,” said Smith. “I’m incredibly proud to see many of our company’s investors use Tribevest to pool capital and, in turn, use those dollars to participate in our funding round. This capital will allow us to continue to grow, add to our incredible team, and ensure that Tribevest becomes a household name in investing.” “Tribevest solves a problem for investor groups of all sizes and levels of sophistication,” said Ilya Golubovich, Managing Partner of I2BF Global Ventures. “Investing as a group previously took hiring expensive lawyers, navigating antiquated banking procedures, and overcoming so many question marks. We’re incredibly impressed by Travis and his team and look forward to taking this journey to grow a platform that brings simplicity to group investing.” “Making more millionaires is more important than making more millions,” said Leslie. “I view Tribevest as a platform that can level the playing field and help democratize capital. I look forward to continuing my journey of educating my community about investment strategies they may have never thought possible.” “As the largest investor network focused on supporting and investing in the best venture-backed companies that embrace and value diverse leadership, including LGBTQ+, Gaingels is proud of participating in Tribevest’s financing,” said Lorenzo Thione, Managing Director of Gaingels. “We are resolved on helping Tribevest grow and scale while strengthening its prospects of success by building a culture that reflects the diversity of its executive teams, staff, and customers.” Over the last year, Tribevest saw significant growth as investor group creation increased 10x in 2021. To date, 60% of tribes invest in more than one investment type. Real estate investments lead the way with 53% of tribes investing in multi-family properties, 32% investing in vacation homes, and another 32% in syndications. Tribes invest in small business ventures 45% of the time, while 24% invest in stocks, 22% invest in cryptocurrency, and 7% invest in collectibles. About Tribevest Founded in 2018, Tribevest is a collaborative, group investing platform that enables friends, family, and like-minded people to organize as an investor group, pool money, and manage co-owned investments. Based in Columbus, Ohio, Tribevest was founded by entrepreneur Travis Smith. Tribevest believes that forming and funding small to mid-sized investment groups will allow the general U.S. population to uncover a wealth of viable investment pathways to achieving personal financial freedom. Learn more about Tribevest at Tribevest.com or follow the company on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. About I2BF Global Ventures I2BF Global Ventures, an international venture capital group focused on early-stage technology investments with over $500 million under management. I2BF backed 100+ companies operating in the areas of deep tech, digital transformation, and the future of content industries. For more information please visit www.i2bf.com. About Gaingels Gaingels is the leading investment syndicate in support of and representing the LGBTQ community and allies in the venture capital space. With over $380,000,000 deployed into a portfolio of over 600 companies since 2018, Gaingels is also the co-founder of Mathison.io and provides an internal at-cost diverse board member/observer recruitment advisory for our portfolio companies. Gaingels invests in companies with LGBT founders and C-suite leaders at all stages of growth, as well as in other high-growth companies resolved on building more inclusive teams. Gaingels is a founding co-signer of the Diversity Term Sheet Rider Initiative to increase access to venture funding events for non-traditional check writers, and regularly co-invests with select VC leads across a variety of sectors, from technology, to B2B, healthcare and consumer, in competitive and over-subscribed rounds from Seed to Growth/pre-IPO. For more information visit www.gaingels.com. # # # Contact Details Eric Nemeth nemeth@ericpr.com Company Website https://www.tribevest.com/

January 25, 2022 08:55 AM Eastern Standard Time

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