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Unique Stays Are Booming on Airbnb, with Big Opportunity for Hosts

YourUpdateTV

From a treehouse to a giant potato hotel, searches for unique homes on Airbnb have increased by 94 percent in 2021 compared to 2019, with Hosts of unique stays collectively earning $300 million globally. Recently, the Host of the Big Idaho Potato Hotel, Kristie Wolfe, teamed with Airbnb and YourUpdateTV on a satellite media tour to talk about why guests are so drawn to unique homes and the economic opportunity of hosting for those with unique spaces to share. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/R3kglXdaOA8 The Big Idaho Potato Hotel is one of the several unique stays that travelers are turning to break up the monotony of the past year. According to the Airbnb Report on Travel & Living, this fascination with unique stays is universal, with 55 percent of the 100 most wishlisted homes in the last year falling into unique categories. Unique home searches have increased by 94 percent in 2021 compared to the same time period in 2019. Searches for certain types of unique homes – such as yurts, huts and farm stays – have exploded by 10x compared to just two years ago. In fact, there are over 170,000 unique properties all over the world on Airbnb. Unique Hosts have also benefited from the increased interest in unique stays. Since the start of the pandemic, they have collectively earned $300 million globally. To help meet the pent-up demand, Airbnb launched the new Flexible Destinations tool for guests who aren’t committed to a specific destination and want to be able to filter for unique stays when finding trip accommodations. Spending time outdoors has become more important than ever, and parks are seeing a broader range of people visiting and enjoying in record numbers. As more and more people flock to these treasured places, it’s imperative to be safe and thoughtful about how to enjoy and experience them. Airbnb has teamed up with the National Park Foundation to encourage people to recreate responsibly in parks this summer and share some really helpful tips. This includes: Be mindful of where you plan to visit. Don’t overcrowd areas, as this may endanger the safety of yourself and others. When you’re ready to leave a park, make sure to pack up your garbage. Minimize waste by bringing food in reusable containers and utilize refillable water bottles. Remember to respect wildlife and always observe from a distance. And be an active part of making the outdoors safe and welcoming for park visitors of all identities and abilities. Whether you already have a unique space to share, or are interested in creating one, now is the time to consider joining Kristie in sharing it with people from all over the world, on Airbnb. If you’re interested in learning how to get started as a Host, go to airbnb.com/host About Kristie Wolfe: Kristie is a proud Idahoan who is passionate about living simply. In the winter of 2013, she fulfilled a lifelong dream of building her very own treehouse and sharing it with travellers from around the world. From the success of that unique stay, she has since been able to build a hobbit hole, refurbish a fire lookout and, of course, has made over a 6-ton spud guests can sleep in! 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

July 13, 2021 05:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Starting With Reducing World Inequity; W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Esri, and PVBLIC Form New Data Alliance Using Big Data Geospatial Technology for SDG Goals

Esri

A long-term universal threat to social and economic development, inequity hampers poverty reduction initiatives, destroys people’s sense of fulfillment and self-worth, and stunts every human’s potential. In September 2015, world leaders agreed to 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that have the power to create a better, more equitable world by 2030. Reducing inequality is the most important step countries can take to improve standards of living. Based on the foundational principle of reducing inequalities of all kinds, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Esri, the PVBLIC Foundation, and the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) Global Geospatial Information Management (UN-GGIM) Secretariat, announced today they have joined forces to form the SDG Data Alliance. Using the power of purpose-driven collaboration, globally recognized geospatial frameworks, and leading GIS technology, this influential group of partners will accelerate achievement of the SDGs by creating 17 SDG Data Hubs across developing nations in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Based on geospatial frameworks and technology, the data hubs will assist developing countries in measuring, monitoring and reporting on their progress toward reducing inequality and will empower people to ensure inclusiveness and equality. The SDG Data Alliance will empower governments, businesses, and people to respond to and manage shared global challenges like poverty, inequality, and climate change. SDG Data Hubs at Work. A Few Local Examples Ireland and Gender Equality. Women are significantly outnumbered by men in both local and national politics in Ireland. The introduction of gender quota legislation before the 2016 General Elections produced an increase of 6.5 percentage points in female representation in those elections. The gender quota legislation did not apply in the 2019 Local Elections, which saw a smaller increase of 3.8 percentage points in the number of seats won by women. With SDG equity data, gender information, constituent and population information, and economic data help identify marginalized workers, economic and labor market opportunities, and gender balance in government. Iraq and Health Access Inequity. A young pregnant woman living in an informal settlement in Iraq during COVID-19 pandemic may not have adequate water, sanitation, housing or access to healthcare facilities. With SDG equity data around water, healthcare and housing, gaps and patterns can be identified in context to build an infrastructure to keep this woman and her baby healthy during the pandemic. Haiti and Climate Justice. Haiti is extremely vulnerable to natural disasters with more than 90 percent of the population at risk. A young man makes his living and supports his family by selling fruit on the street during rush hour and at tourist destinations. Hurricane Irma nearly swept away his family’s home and his ability to go to school for a better economic potential. With SDG equity data around education, economic growth, climate, and agriculture, insights can be found and shared to provide this young man the opportunity to finish his education and build a more promising future for his family. The SDG Data Alliance’s technology, expertise, and financial support will help countries around the world measure their progress in achieving global equity. Geospatial information and the collaborative efforts to collect and share SDG data are the foundation for connecting people to their location and environment. This alliance enables countries to more precisely allocate resources to address all forms of inequity - reducing inequalities of all kinds, including equity for women, reducing hunger, poverty, improving access to clean water and taking action to reduce the impact of climate change. “Together, we have a vision to build the capacity of communities, governments and NGOs to monitor their progress towards their goals,” said La June Montgomery Tabron, President and CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. “At the heart of this partnership is the belief that people have the capacity to create the conditions for their children to thrive and for communities to become equitable places of opportunity. When communities see the full picture of what’s at play, it will only accelerate that change.” “Inequality threatens long-term social and economic development, and hampers poverty reduction initiatives, especially among vulnerable global communities,” said Jack Dangermond, Esri founder and president. “Open, community-driven partnerships like the SDG Data Alliance offer a framework to create a reporting environment that help communities see patterns and trends around issues like inequality. Our goal in this partnership is to enable the world to work more effectively together on reducing inequalities by leveraging geospatial technology to better understand and solve these challenges.” “We have been advancing this concept for many years and it is remarkable to see this dream become a reality with so many global partners coming together,” said Sergio Fernandez de Cordova, Chairman of PVBLIC Foundation. “Our core mission at PVBLIC is to mobilize media, data, and technology to take action on the sustainable development goals and that’s what the SDG Data Alliance is all about. The partners assembled here are poised to rewrite history, around the role of data, in a post-pandemic world.” “Reducing Inequalities is fundamental to creating a just and prosperous world where no one is left behind and everyone can thrive,” said Michelle Gyles McDonnough, Director, Sustainable Development Unit, Executive Office of the Secretary-General at the United Nations. “It is essential that member states build up their capacity based on actionable data to measure and monitor their progress on the SDG 10 – Reducing Inequalities. The SDG Data Alliance is an example of a multistakeholder initiative that drives progress and offers innovative solutions. Greater universal equality among women and men, income groups and regardless of race and ethnicity will enable us to keep the promise to reach the goals by 2030.” Visit the SDG Data Alliance site at alliance.sdg.org. Members of the SDG Data Alliance have already helped many countries create, organize and implement their SDG Data Hubs including Colombia, Ireland, Kenya, Mexico, State of Palestine, Philippines, Qatar, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, and the United Arab Emirates. About W.K. Kellogg Foundation: The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF), founded in 1930 as an independent, private foundation by breakfast cereal innovator and entrepreneur Will Keith Kellogg, is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work and life. The Kellogg Foundation is based in Battle Creek, Michigan, and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special attention is paid to priority places where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority places in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico and New Orleans; and internationally, are in Mexico and Haiti. For more information, visit www.wkkf.org. About Esri: Esri, the global market leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, location intelligence, and mapping, helps customers unlock the full potential of data to improve operational and business results. Founded in 1969 in Redlands, California, USA, Esri software is deployed in more than 350,000 organizations globally and in over 200,000 institutions in the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Africa, and the Middle East, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, nonprofits, and universities. Esri has regional offices, international distributors, and partners providing local support in over 100 countries on six continents. With its pioneering commitment to geospatial information technology, Esri engineers the most innovative solutions for digital transformation, the Internet of Things (IoT), and advanced analytics. Visit us at esri.com. About PVBLIC Foundation: PVBLIC Foundation is an innovative non-profit organization that mobilizes media, data, and technology for sustainable development and social impact around the world. The Foundation connects public, private, and nonprofit sectors, plugging innovations into social agendas and helping governments, NGOs, and intergovernmental organizations amplify their impact through original programs, creative partnerships, and strategic donor funds. The foundation has managed programs and partnerships that have reached more than a billion people in 125 countries and inspired global action on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Contact Details Esri Jo Ann Pruchniewski +1 301-693-2643 jpruchniewski@esri.com W.K. Kellogg Foundation Kari Carlson +12698832220 kari.carlson@wkkf.org PVBLIC Foundation Luisa Fernanda Ruiz +573105819176 luisaf@pvblic.org CIEN+ Angela Sustaita-Ruiz +19172042787 angela.sustaitaruiz@cien.plus

July 13, 2021 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Velocity Global acquires Shield GEO in second growth transaction this year

Velocity Global

Company continues to scale leading global work platform Follows acquisition of iWorkGlobal in April Combined company serves more than 1,000 brands and over 7,000 supported employees this year DENVER, July 13, 2021 — Velocity Global continues to scale its leading global work platform with the acquisition of Shield GEO, an established global Employer of Record (EoR) provider. This is Velocity Global’s second acquisition this year, after it acquired iWorkGlobal in April. The company deployed capital from the $100 million growth investment from FFL Partners announced in April to complete the transaction. Terms of the deal were not announced. Velocity Global adds scale to its global work platform that simplifies the employer and employee experience. The platform combines the company’s cloud-based workforce management technology, personalized expertise, and unmatched global scale. Users access automated technology as well as partner with a dedicated experience team for individualized solutions and expertise. As the largest global EoR in 185 countries and all 50 United States, Velocity Global manages a client’s workforce by providing in-country and in-state compliance, payroll, and benefits for the supported employees. The company also offers Independent Contractor Compliance to assess a workforce and Agent of Record (AoR) to streamline payments to contractors globally. “For the last seven years we built our platform to support how and where work gets done. This now allows us the strategic position to scale up to meet the accelerated demand from the shifting workforce,” said Ben Wright, Velocity Global founder and CEO. “Both sides of the employment equation -- employers and employees -- fundamentally changed in the last 18 months. It’s not just about working from anywhere, it’s about how to recruit, how to retain employees, how to grow revenue, and how to manage a newly empowered work-life balance.” The “future of work” or gig economy is worth $4.5 trillion according to a 2020 report from Staffing Industry Analysts. “Velocity Global’s continued profitable organic growth sets the foundation for further scale through strategic acquisitions,” said Cas Schneller, FFL Managing Partner. “Both of the company’s recent acquisitions were of profitable, strong businesses at a time when scale is needed to match the market. Velocity Global strengthens its leadership position in the future of work.” The combined company serves more than 1,000 brands and over 7,000 supported employees this year. Velocity Global is registered in all 50 United States and continues to grow its footprint to include 50 wholly owned foreign legal entities in the most desired international markets by year’s end. “We share a proud history of organic growth, and now was the time to combine the global reach of Shield GEO with that of Velocity Global, and deliver an even greater experience that the market is demanding,” said Duncan Macintosh, Shield GEO co-founder. “This combination multiplies the growth opportunity for our team.” “We have known Ben and Velocity Global for a long time and we’ve always viewed our industry similarly, especially in terms of how we service our customers and the employees that we support for them,” said Tim Burgess, Shield GEO co-founder. “Delivering a great human-focused customer experience is important to all of us. We are excited by what our combined teams can do together.” Shield GEO is based in Hong Kong with entities in the U.K. and Australia, and a global remote team. The combined company welcomes all 75 Shield GEO employees and is led by Wright under the Velocity Global brand. Burgess and Macintosh will support the integration of Shield GEO into Velocity Global. ABOUT VELOCITY GLOBAL Velocity Global accelerates the future of work beyond borders. Its global work platform simplifies the employer and employee experience through cloud-based workforce management technology, personalized expertise, and unmatched scale. As the largest global Employer of Record (also known as International PEO) in 185 countries and all 50 United States, more than 1,000 brands rely on Velocity Global to build global teams without the cost or complexity of setting up foreign legal entities or state registrations. The company offers additional services including Independent Contractor Compliance to assess a workforce, and Agent of Record (AoR) to streamline payments to contractors. Velocity Global was named a “Leader” in Global Employer of Record services by prominent analyst firm NelsonHall. Founded in 2014, the company has hundreds of employees in 27 countries. For more information visit velocityglobal.com. Contact Details Velocity Global John Hall +1 720-650-4348 news@velocityglobal.com Company Website https://velocityglobal.com/

July 13, 2021 05:30 AM Mountain Daylight Time

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25-Year Independent Printing Business Custom Printing Converts to International Minute Press Franchise in Nampa, Idaho

Minuteman Press International Inc

Mike Cutler started selling print out of his garage in 1996. Over the next 25 years, Mike built a successful printing business that averaged over $1 million in gross sales over the past 5 years. Mike shares his experience in attempting to sell his independent printing company Custom Printing on his own for six to eight months and reveals how Minuteman Press International was able to step in to help him successfully sell the business. History of Custom Printing Mike says, “Custom Printing was a true family business I built from the ground up. I learned the printing trade through my father, who was a line and typesetter dating back to the 1950s. After starting the business in 1996, I quickly out-grew my garage and opened my first retail location in 1998. At the time, my specialties were thermography, offset printing, and stationery (envelopes and forms). By 2006, we out-grew the original location and expanded to a 6,000 sq. ft. facility. Between 2006 and 2014, I completed eight acquisitions to expand my business. The companies I acquired were in the areas of large format printing and signs, lithography, trophies, and reprographics.” Mike continues, “In 2015, we expanded even more, giving us 8,200 sq. ft. of space to work with. When the pandemic hit in 2020, we actually excelled and recorded our biggest sales year operating as an essential business. At the time of the sale, we had nine full-time employees and some part-time staff. Our 5-year average was $1.2 million in yearly sales.” Selling the Business By June 2020, Mike decided that it was time to sell Custom Printing. At first, he was asking different colleagues and people he knew. However, Mike quickly realized that this wasn’t going to be easy. He says, “I tried to sell the business that I worked so hard to build for six to eight months on my own. I was also preparing to let it go at a very undervalued price as I couldn’t find the right people to buy the business and I found many of them were time-wasters and tire-kickers. On top of that, when I consulted with a business broker, they were asking me for 10% off the top of the sale, and they also wanted a percentage of my lease agreement.” After experiencing these challenges on his own, Mike turned to Minuteman Press International to help sell his printing business. “One of the franchisees I knew locally in Idaho referred me to Chris Jutt, Minuteman Press International Regional Vice President. After our first phone call, I felt confident that Chris had the ability, drive and connections to make this dream a reality for me. Our meetings were always super easy going and comfortable. Chris took all the pressure off of me and said to focus on my successful business and he would do the rest. That is just what he did.” Before meeting with Minuteman Press International, Mike even went as far as to get a professional valuation of his printing business. He shares, “When I knew I was going to be selling, I made sure to get the shop ready. I made sure my financials were in proper order, I kept up with equipment maintenance and repairs, and I kept running and growing my business. Just to get a valuation of my business, I spent $3,000 to get it done professionally. Minuteman Press International did this for free and came up with the same number. That really impressed me and reassured me that the sale of Custom Printing was in capable hands.” “We set a price for my independent printing business that was significantly higher than I anticipated, and Chris Jutt recommended some terms. Within one week, I had several very interested parties. Chris found the perfect people to purchase my business – James and Sheryl Wisler – that will continue what I started some 25 years ago. Minuteman Press International knew that the most important things to me were my long-term employees, my clients, and the reputation I had worked so hard to build. Chris found buyers that valued the same things. He and the entire team at Minuteman Press International delivered on all of my expectations and exceeded in most of them. Looking back, if I knew this was going to be this easy, I would have contacted him years ago.” -Mike Cutler, independent print operator, Custom Printing (now International Minute Press, Nampa, Idaho ) Transition to New Owners After the sale of his business, Mike quickly realized how beneficial it was to have the team at Minuteman Press International assist with all aspects of the transition to the new owners. He shares, “At first, I was apprehensive about how the transition would go. I was immediately relieved when I saw how Minuteman Press International took the reins to teach and train James and Sheryl. We are only two and a half weeks into the transition phase, and already I feel like I am not needed as much as I thought I would be. My employees are in great hands, my clients are being taken care of, and James and Sheryl are doing a fantastic job.” He adds, “The entire team both here locally and at their corporate headquarters has been phenomenal. No matter who I’ve talked to or worked with during this entire process, everyone has been professional as well as instrumental in making this happen. It’s a win-win situation all around.” “The smooth transition has reassured me that it was the right move to sell my business with Minuteman Press International. They have the right plan, the right experience, and everyone has been incredible to the very last detail. In my acquisition experience, nothing has ever been as easy as this. I had everything to gain and nothing to lose, and there were absolutely no hiccups along the way. I would easily rate my experience as 10/10.” -Mike Cutler Advice to Other Sellers When asked what advice he would give to other print shop owners looking to sell, Mike answers, “Don’t even waste your time trying to do this yourself. When you try to sell on your own, there are so many bottleneck issues and you will likely undervalue your business. I couldn’t find the right buyers on my own and I had to spend too much time to meet with people repeatedly while still running my own business.” Mike concludes, “Minuteman Press International alleviated the bottlenecks and came forward with qualified buyers who were ready to write the check for the right price. I am 100% satisfied beyond my expectations. This was a total team effort by everyone, and they all came through for me.” Contact Minuteman Press International today for a free valuation at no obligation and learn more about how we can help you sell your printing business at no cost to you. Call us at 1-800-645-3006 or visit https://bit.ly/minutemanpressconversions Contact Details Minuteman Press International Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

July 12, 2021 12:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Agora Data to Present at TIADA’s Annual Conference, “Where Is the Money?”

Agora

Agora Data will be speaking and exhibiting in the “Where Is the Money?” panel discussion at the Texas Independent Automobile Dealers Association (TIADA) Conference and Expo being held July 25-27, 2021, in Round Rock, Texas. “Where Is the Money?” overview will be held on Monday, July 26 at 11:30 am for Buy Here Pay Here (BHPH) dealers to learn about abundant capital that will change BHPH forever. Chris Barry will talk about Agora’s breakthrough AgoraCapital program that gives BHPH dealers access to capital previously only accessible to the largest auto lenders and finance companies. “One of the biggest obstacles BHPH dealers face is the unavailability of abundant and inexpensive capital to build their loan portfolios,” said Chris Barry, SVP Sales, Agora Data. “The options BHPH dealers currently have come with high interest rates, personal guarantees and restrictive financial covenants. Along with fewer borrowing options, BHPH dealers rarely have the resources for advanced analytics and technology to gain critical business insights about their biggest asset, their BHPH loan portfolio. Agora is changing the entire business dynamic for BHPH dealers.” With AgoraInsights, BHPH dealers have resources to access capital and business information, powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning. With AgoraCapital, the company created a unique and innovative capital model that gives BHPH dealers equal footing with larger dealerships. A BHPH dealer can go from borrowing money at higher rates to borrowing at lower rates with no personal guaranty. This innovation in auto finance gives BHPH dealers the financial leverage traditionally only enjoyed by large dealerships. Beyond financing, the business insights from Agora give BHPH dealers deep vision into new business possibilities. It is important for BHPH dealers to attend Agora’s “Where Is the Money” presentation at TIADA. Agora’s program promises to revolutionize the business and enable BHPH dealers to prosper and grow in ways they never could before. Agora representatives will be available throughout the conference and at booth #707 in the Kalahari Resorts exhibit hall. About Agora Data, Inc: Founded in 2017, Agora Data’s mission is to provide access to capital for Buy Here Pay Here dealers and small to mid-sized finance companies. Pioneered by Agora Data, AgoraCapital, AgoraCredit and now AgoraPoint all provide critical funding so small- to mid-sized originators can obtain all the cash they need to fuel growth. Agora’s proprietary, radical, AI-infused technology connects dealers and finance companies with the capital markets. Agora Data made history by closing the first-ever Crowdsourced Subprime Auto Securitization in 2020 and followed that up with its second transaction in early 2021. For more information, visit agoradata.com or contact us at 877-592-4672. Contact Details Shelly Vandeven +1 682-282-4130 media@agoradata.com Company Website https://agoradata.com/

July 12, 2021 10:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

PCMA Private Client Lending Announces the Launch of “A Life Well Lived” National Television Marketing Campaign.

PCMA

PCMA, the pioneer and leading voice in Non-Bank Private Client Lending, announces the launch of its new omni channel – brand response marketing strategy with “A Life Well Lived” national campaign. “Developed from over 25 years of direct response marketing experience, story brand copy development, and predictive data modeling, our proprietary omni channel strategy will help build PCMA into a household name,” said John R. Lynch, CEO, and founder of PCMA. “We have grown steadily since our post-covid reboot, and as the leader in direct marketing of high-net-worth lending services, we are quickly becoming one of the most trusted franchises catering exclusively to high-capacity-clientele.” PCMA’s omni-channel marketing strategy consists of a nationally televised cinematic film series titled “A Life Well Live” in parallel with a data driven “By Invitation Only ” direct response mail campaign. Launching in the 3 rd quarter, the cinematic film series is supported by an online studio featuring the entire film series, along with each corresponding story board. www.pcma.mortgage/studio “We are in the business of rarity and trust. Our reputation, earned daily, is about delivering on promises made,” says Lynch. “Our clients know they can count on PCMA to provide a collaborative level of financial competence and bespoke credit products that meet the specified needs of our coveted clientele.” PCMA recently unveiled their new brand position, We Are Private Client Lending. This statement is more than just a tagline, it is the firm’s true north statement. The new brand position, in conjunction with our omni-channel marketing method will help elevate the brand awareness to the point where PCMA will rival old-line giants like JP Morgan, Citi Private, and Morgan Stanley. A strong brand makes PCMA standout in high-capacity lending and gives the firm a decided edge in the market as we expand our product catalogue and national marketing efforts,” said Lynch. PCMA is the leading Non-Bank Private Client lending organization serving the needs of high net worth clientele. PCMA offers qualified individuals and institutions bespoke lending solutions across all major residential asset classes. PCMA is a diversified financial enterprise offering private client solutions through a direct to consumer and distributed retail business model. PCMA strives to build trusting and enduring relationships by putting clients and professional partners at the center of all they do. PCMA is headquartered in Orange County, CA. Additional information is available at www.pcma.us.com Contact Details PCMA Private Client Lending Jason Jepson +1 949-394-7033 jason.jepson@pcma.us.com Company Website https://pcma.mortgage/

July 12, 2021 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

CSG and Analysys Mason Study Reveals Growth Opportunities and Potential Pitfalls Facing Communications Service Providers Post COVID-19

CSG

DENVER, July 8, 2021 — CSG ® (NASDAQ: CSGS) and Analysys Mason today released the results from their research collaboration examining how well-positioned communications service providers (CSPs) are to meet future enterprise demand for communications and IT services post COVID-19. Key to the report was the finding that a significant 80+% of the largest global enterprises surveyed will consider buying edge, 5G-slicing and private network services within the next five years. Though opportunities abound, disparities between CSP and enterprise views on the importance of technology solutions and billing and invoicing for supplier selection could lead many CSPs to fall short on capitalizing on the post-pandemic economy. The report - Large Enterprises’ Demand for Communications and IT services – surveyed 16 CSPs and more than 200 multinational corporations between February and May 2021. The report focused on three core areas: identifying changing patterns of enterprise demand for communications and IT services; the opportunity for CSPs; and the role of billing and invoicing. Looking more closely at the findings, 92% of enterprise respondents have accelerated their plans to use more IoT, security, cloud and unified communication services. Though connectivity still accounts for the majority of current revenue for CSPs from large enterprises, cloud, security, edge and IoT services have come out on top as the main drivers of future revenue growth. In fact, 66% of enterprises surveyed expect to increase cloud services spending in the next 12 months, reflecting the growing importance of the cloud for business continuity. “There is significant appetite among enterprises to buy additional IT services from their main communications provider,” said Catherine Hammond, principal analyst, Analysys Mason. “Up to 50% of enterprises today say they already buy cloud, security and IoT services from their main CSP and another 30% would consider buying these services from their CSP in future. This poses an opportunity for CSPs to continue investing in leading edge technologies that not only broaden their portfolio but enable them to deliver a one-stop-shop to meet enterprise IT needs.” “5G, cloud and IoT are disrupting the CSP market in profound ways,” said Ken Kennedy, COO and global head of revenue management and digital monetization for CSG. “It’s no longer purely about voice and data. Today’s enterprises look to their communications provider to deliver a broad ecosystem of products and services that will allow them to unleash the full potential of their business. To deliver on this promise, CSPs need to modernize their technology stacks to create scalable processes that enable them to bring new products and services to market faster and lead to new revenue streams.” Additional key report findings include: CSP revenue from IT services is increasing, but not as rapidly as enterprises are increasing their IT spend. This suggests that the CSP share of this spend is falling. Only a quarter of CSPs surveyed report selling services other than voice and data connectivity to the majority of their enterprise customers. Enterprises rated the importance of technical solutions in supplier selection significantly higher than CSPs at 4.4 vs 4.1 on a scale of 1 to 5. This disparity could be a limiting factor that impacts the number of enterprises choosing to buy more IT services from CSPs if CSPs don’t continue to invest in broadening their products and services portfolio. More than 60% of enterprises reported using at least three different suppliers for their core communications services with nearly all enterprises expressing the desire to reduce this number. The most common reason (69%) cited for multiple suppliers was the need for additional services, suggesting an opportunity for suppliers with a wide portfolio to upsell add-on services. Billing and invoicing are considered to be very important in supplier selection by many enterprises – more so than by CSPs. 77% of enterprises rated it as very or somewhat important as compared to only 58% of CSPs. This gap could lead to customer churn as poor billing and invoicing was cited by 21% of enterprises as a reason for not renewing their contract. The proliferation of cloud and ‘as-a-service’ models is creating demand for more flexible billing, and this trend is only likely to increase in future. Many CSPs currently use work-around solutions for new services, which is unsustainable. Automation will be key for CSPs to scale and grow for the future. For more insights into enterprise trends impacting CSPs and to view the full report, visit https://www.csgi.com/resources/large-enterprises-demand-for-communications-and-it-services-survey-results-2021/. # # # About CSG For more than 35 years, CSG has simplified the complexity of business, delivering innovative customer engagement solutions that help companies acquire, monetize, engage and retain customers. Operating across more than 120 countries worldwide, CSG manages billions of critical customer interactions annually, and its award-winning suite of software and services allow companies across dozens of industries to tackle their biggest business challenges and thrive in an ever-changing marketplace. CSG is the trusted provider for driving digital innovation for hundreds of leading global brands, including Airtel Africa, América Móvil, AT&T, Charter Communications, Comcast, DISH, Formula 1, Hutchison 3 Indonesia, Inmarsat, Mastercard, Maximus, Microsoft, Mobily, MTN, New Leaf Service Contracts, State of California DMV, TalkTalk and Telstra. To learn more, visit our website at csgi.com and connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Copyright © 2021 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: Tammy Hovey Global / North America / Asia-Pacific Public Relations CSG +1 (917) 520-2751 tammy.hovey@csgi.com Kristine Østergaard CSG Europe / Middle East / Africa Public Relations +44 (0)75 0051 8412 kristine.ostergaard@csgi.com John Rea Investor Relations CSG +1 (210) 687 4409 john.rea@csgi.com Contact Details CSG Tammy Hovey +1 917-520-2751 tammy.hovey@csgi.com Company Website https://www.csgi.com

July 08, 2021 06:30 AM Mountain Daylight Time

Jeff Pink, Founder of Iconic Beauty Brand, Launches Best-Selling Memoir

ORLY

It All Started With Pink--written by Jeff Pink has just concluded a successful book launch on Amazon with the book ranked as a #1 Best Seller in multiple categories. As ORLY marked its 45th anniversary in 2020, Jeff Pink, CEO and Founder of ORLY International, shares his rich history in this honest and passionate memoir. Detailing his journey as an immigrant who grew a small beauty supply shop in Tarzana, Los Angeles, to an internationally renowned beauty brand with a 135,000 square foot state-of-the-art factory and headquarters in Los Angeles, Jeff recounts his storied career and its impact on the nail polish industry. The memoir provides behind-the-scenes documentation of moments in beauty history. Jeff details the origin of the iconic Original French Manicure from its beginnings in Hollywood studios to Paris Runways, as well as creating the first color collection for nail polishes in the late ‘70s, The Winery Collection. Between these nuggets of beauty history, Jeff imparts lessons he has learned along the way of establishing and growing a brand, being an effective leader, and more importantly, the definition of success. Readers will learn about humility, reaching out for help, taking chances on people and ideas, and the need to constantly evolve in order to stay on top. Today, ORLY produces more than 750 products for nail color and care, including releasing six seasonal color collections annually, and is distributed throughout the United States and 40 countries worldwide. “Jeff Pink’s generosity of spirit is what drew me to him as a friend and a client, but his heart and soul made me adore him. His products and unique inventions changed the nail industry forever. The Original French Manicure took the professional salon to new heights in nail fashion. ORLY’s natural nail care treatment products earned him the leadership in this category. Jeff’s memoir is a treasure trove of valuable information and written with heartfelt honesty.” - Deborah Carver, President and CEO of NAILPRO Magazine " Jeff uses his experiences in the cosmetic and fashion world to illuminate the reader to the opportunities and challenges faced by an entrepreneur with a passion to succeed. He provides the reader with the success stories, and also the challenges that he faced. His telling of the seminar that changed his dealings with employees hit home to me. I think this is a must read for everyone interested in the cosmetic business as well as anyone interested in a true depiction of life as an entrepreneur. " - John Servatius, CPA The book, marketed by BCG Publishing is available on Amazon Jeff Pink can be reached at OrlyBeauty.com. Learn more about ORLY at @orly on Instagram. About ORLY It all starts with innovation. From the conception of the timeless nail looks such as the Original French Manicure®, cutting-edge color, treatments, textures and design, to what’s new and next in nails; it’s all been created by the brains and beauty lovers at ORLY®. Family-owned since 1975, ORLY products are made with love at their headquarters in Los Angeles. ORLY prides itself in products made without harmful ingredients, being the first to offer a 13-free formula and being vegan. ORLY is also cruelty-free and Leaping Bunny certified. Contact Details Glow Yang PR Gloria Yang +1 310-381-9964 gloria@glowyangpr.com Company Website https://www.orlybeauty.com

July 08, 2021 08:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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WellSaid Labs Announces $10M Round Led by Fuse to Build “Voices for Every Brand”

WellSaid

WellSaid Labs, the artificial intelligence text-to-speech technology company, announced a $10 million Series A round led by FUSE, with participation from previous investor Voyager, as well as Qualcomm Ventures LLC, and GoodFriends. The Series A was oversubscribed with interest from VCs given the record year-over-year growth in revenue and incredible customer demand. WellSaid Labs plans to use these funds to drive further AI and product innovation, scale go-to-market functions, and grow the team. With a mission to offer businesses and brands the highest quality Text-to-Speech (TTS) service imaginable, WellSaid Labs empowers content creators and product teams to create engaging voice content for infinite use-cases in streaming services, radio, programmatic advertising, digital marketing, and corporate training content. WellSaid Labs has rearchitected TTS to resolve business’ toughest content development problems and deliver an easy way for content creators — big or small — to develop all their desired content in one consistent voice that represents their brand. WellSaid Labs’ Voice Avatar library provides access to multiple read styles and tones anyone can use for their productions. In addition, brands can create their own AI Voice Avatars to spec — capturing the likeness, style, and uniqueness of the voice needed to tell their stories in exactly the right way. “Plain and simple, WellSaid is the future of content creation for voice," said Cameron Borumand, General Partner at FUSE. "This is why thousands of customers love using the product daily with off-the-charts bottom-up adoption. Matt and Michael have assembled a world-class team and we couldn’t be more thrilled to be a part of the WellSaid journey.” Creating natural-sounding speech from text is considered a “ grand challenge ” in the field of AI and has been a research goal for decades. Over the last three years, WellSaid Labs has consistently researched and developed tremendous breakthroughs in the quality, speed and reliability of neural text-to-speech systems. In June 2020, WellSaid Labs' TTS became the first to achieve human parity for naturalness on short audio clips across multiple voices. "We’ve added AI Voice to the toolkit of thousands of content creators and their teams," said Matt Hocking, CEO of WellSaid Labs. "Our human-parity AI voice can be produced faster than real-time, and updated on-demand. Opening up new and exciting opportunities to 'add voice' where never before perceived possible. AI voice easily ensures every production can be created and updated efficiently at scale." “Content creators or product experience designers were previously faced with difficult tradeoffs between quality and scalability when using TTS tools or human voiceover. WellSaid’s incredible voices, which are accessible through a studio application or a scalable API, removes the need to choose whether you want natural, lifelike speech or infinitely scalable and easily editable voice content. WellSaid provides both and delivers it however your team would like to consume it,” said James Newell, Partner at Voyager Capital. “Creative teams have found it to be extremely useful when they need to produce multiple pieces of high-quality content in a consistent voice in hours instead of weeks.” “Recent developments in TTS technology using generative AI have enabled synthetic voices to sound very human-like, finding exciting new applications for voice including e-learning, advertising and news readers," said Carlos Kokron, Vice President at Qualcomm Technologies Inc. and Managing Director at Qualcomm Ventures Americas. “WellSaid Labs provides an industry leading product that generates highly accurate human-like voices. We look forward to working with WellSaid Labs to help fuel the creator economy with human-parity AI voices across mobile and IoT.” "WellSaid's team has applied deep technical expertise to build a platform that enables easy creation and editing of incredibly life-like audio," said Dave Gilboa of Good Friends and co-CEO of Warby Parker. "We see meaningful growth potential in the use of high-quality audio in giving brands the ability to communicate with customers and creators the ability to engage with audiences." WellSaid Studio eliminates the complexities traditional text-to-speech technologies present to creatives — making the production, updating, and publishing of voiceovers extremely simple and cost effective. Product developers access WellSaid Labs’ core AI engine via real time APIs to power up digital experiences with a reliable and scalable voice infrastructure. About FUSE FUSE is an early-stage venture capital firm investing in Pacific Northwest-based companies that are reinventing the modern economy with software. FUSE is committed to supporting the next generation of B2B technology entrepreneurs building category-defining businesses of lasting value. General Partners Kellan Carter, Cameron Borumand and Brendan Wales are joined by Venture Partner and Seattle Seahawks captain Bobby Wagner, as well as Senior Operating Partners John Connors and Satbir Khanuja. Their strategic LP base includes current and former executives at the Pacific Northwest’s top companies, including Microsoft, Amazon, Nike, Starbucks, Costco, T-Mobile, Boeing, Avalara, DocuSign, Smartsheet and many more. For more information about FUSE, please visit fuse.vc. About Voyager Capital Since 1997, Voyager Capital has focused on first-round venture investments to help entrepreneurs in the Pacific Northwest create winning businesses. Built on the team's extensive experience with startups and its exceptional network across the industry, the firm's entrepreneur-centric approach accelerates the pace at which companies can build, execute, pivot and scale. Voyager has $520M under management investing in B2B software, cloud infrastructure, and applications driven by AI and machine learning. With offices in Seattle, Wash., Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, BC, Voyager provides its portfolio the unwavering support and stage-appropriate connections needed to disrupt markets and create sustainable competitive advantage. About Qualcomm Ventures Qualcomm Ventures, acting through Qualcomm Ventures LLC or its affiliated entities, has been making strategic investments in technology companies that have the potential to dramatically transform our world since 2000. As a global investor, we look to help entrepreneurs build revolutionary businesses that reshape the world around us. For more information please visit: www.qualcommventures.com. About GoodFriends Good Friends is a venture capital firm that was started in 2019 by the founders of Warby Parker, Harry's, and Allbirds. Good Friends invests in early stage businesses with a consumer lens. About WellSaid Labs WellSaid Labs is the leading AI text-to-speech technology company and first synthetic media service to achieve human-parity in voice. Creators, product developers, and brands alike power up their stories and digital experiences with a wide variety of voice styles, accents and languages — at scale. For more information go to www.wellsaidlabs.com Contact Details Forrest Carman +1 206-859-3118 forrestc@owenmedia.com Company Website https://wellsaidlabs.com/

July 07, 2021 09:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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