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Organic Hard Seltzer is Showing No Signs of Fizzling

YourUpdateTV

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/hMJpXuD1gkQ It seems like you can't go to a grocery store, liquor store or socially distanced backyard barbecue without seeing a can of hard seltzer. The popularity of hard seltzer is exploding. It is the fastest-growing category in the alcoholic beverages industry with expected sales of $2.7 billion this year. Just 8 weeks after its debut in January, Michelob ULTRA Organic Seltzer – the first nationally distributed organic hard seltzer – is introducing a second variety pack, known as the Classic Collection, which will include three new flavors: Mixed Berry, Citrus and Mango Apricot. This follows the launch of the Michelob ULTRA Organic Seltzer Signature Collection, which touts refreshing flavors like Spicy Pineapple, Cucumber Lime and Peach Pear. Michelob ULTRA Organic Seltzer’s Classic Collection is a superior USDA certified organic seltzer made with real, organic juice making it light, refreshing and ‘as real as it tastes.’ With only 90 calories, 2 carbs, 0 added sugar and infused with organic juice, the Classic Collection is the perfect option for people who prioritize natural flavors and enjoy an active lifestyle. Ricardo Marques, VP of Marketing, Michelob ULTRA partnered with D S Simon Media and YourUpdate TV on a nationwide media tour to discuss the popularity of hard seltzer and the launch of the Classic Collection variety pack. Michelob ULTRA Organic Seltzer’s Classic Collection will be available nationally starting March 2021 wherever Michelob ULTRA is sold in 12 pack 12oz cans. Mixed Berry will be available in 16oz and 25oz cans. As the fastest growing beer brand in the country and with an established organic beer already in the brand family, Michelob ULTRA is positioned to thrive in the rapidly expanding hard seltzer category by providing a unique new option for the mature hard seltzer lover who enjoys a balanced lifestyle. 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

March 10, 2021 04:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

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SFAA Strongly Supports Bill Providing Essential Protections on All Federally Financed Projects Receiving TIFIA Funds

The Surety & Fidelity Association of America

The Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA) commends Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) Senator Mike Rounds (R-SD), Congressman Stephen Lynch (D-MA) and Congressman Troy Balderson (R-OH) for the introduction of the “Promoting Infrastructure by Protecting Our Subcontractors and Taxpayers Act.” This legislation provides essential protections for workers, suppliers and contractors by requiring payment protection on federally financed infrastructure projects receiving Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loans, including public-private projects (P3s). “Bonding TIFIA-financed P3 projects will protect taxpayers’ dollars, ensure project completion, protect local small business contractors and workers, and promote economic growth,” said Lee Covington, president and CEO of the Surety and Fidelity Association of America. “TIFIA should be modernized to include the same payment and performance requirements that protect all other federally funded infrastructure projects.” P3 projects have increased in popularity over the years, however the lack of clarity for requiring payment and performance protections on P3 projects can force taxpayers to absorb additional costs of rebidding a project, and subcontractors and workers are often left unpaid for extended periods of time if the contractor defaults. By ensuring a bond requirement, P3 projects will offer the same payment and performance protections that have been in place on public infrastructure projects, protecting our nation’s construction industry and taxpayers alike. “Construction is a risky business, and for over 100 years, the federal and state Miller Acts have protected against the risk of loss by requiring payment and performance bonds,” continued Covington. “SFAA looks forward to working with Congress, on a bipartisan basis, for the passage of this essential bill.” A list of co-sponsors organizations and additional information can be found here. ### The Surety & Fidelity Association of America (SFAA) is a trade association of more than 425 insurance companies that write 98 percent of surety and fidelity bonds in the U.S. SFAA is licensed as a rating or advisory organization in all states and it has been designated by state insurance departments as a statistical agent for the reporting of fidelity and surety experience. www.surety.org Contact Details SFAA Peter Roth +1 703-401-0676 proth@surety.org Company Website https://www.surety.org/

March 10, 2021 08:45 AM Eastern Standard Time

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The Big Business of Esports

YourUpdateTV

Esports have burst into the mainstream in recent years, transforming from a vibrant niche to a central form of entertainment around the world. Last year, there were more than 1.2 billion hours of esports consumed, with audience numbers expected to double by the year 2023. Sponsors have taken notice. Verizon’s recent sponsorship deal with Riot Games, maker of popular game League of Legends, is just another indication that esports is here to stay. Recently, Naz Aletaha, Head of Global Esports Partnerships & Business Development at Riot Games, participated in a nationwide satellite media tour to discuss the rise of Riot Games’ esports titles globally. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/pKnRoHYSYCo Riot Games announced that two of its biggest esports events of the year will take place back-to-back this May in Reykjavík, Iceland. Additionally, as Riot Games continues to expand its esports footprint, the company has expanded its partnership with Verizon as the Official 5G Partner, supporting both LoL Esports Global Events and VALORANT Esports. This partnership just serves as the latest iteration of Verizon’s consistent support of Riot’s esports business. Since 2020, Verizon has been the Official 5G wireless network provider for the League Championship Series (LCS), providing support for LCS through original video content and in-broadcast sponsored segments. Their support extended to VALORANT First Strike: North America, the first official tournament for Riot's premier tactical shooter, as well as The Wild Rift Invitational - the world’s first Wild Rift esports event featuring LCS players and celebrities. Fans can follow @lolesports on Twitter and visit lolesports.com for more info on MSI, including a list of qualified teams and broadcast schedule. The latest information about Masters 2 and the VALORANT Champions Tour can be found at @valorantesports and playvalorant.com. Naz Aletaha: As head of global esports partnerships at League of Legends publisher Riot Games, Aletaha has helped take esports from a niche competition to the fastest-growing global sport, drawing interest and investment from the traditional sports and entertainment industries. Aletaha has secured sponsorship agreements with some of the most valuable world-class brands including Louis Vuitton, Red Bull, State Farm, and Mastercard, as well as the single biggest media-rights agreement in the history of esports. The first-generation daughter of Iranian immigrants, Aletaha applied her passion for gaming and entertainment at Sony Motion Pictures and Activision prior to her current role at Riot Games. About LoL Esports™: LoL Esports is a premier global sport that has attracted the attention of millions of fans around the world since 2010. More than 800 players on 100+ professional League of Legends esports teams compete across a dozen leagues globally. Within each regional league, teams compete against one another over the course of two seasonal splits in hopes of earning regional titles and championship points. Regional placements and championship points are used to qualify teams for the two major international competitions: the Mid-Season Invitational and the World Championship (known as Worlds). To close out a season, fans vote for their favorite players from each league to attend the All-Star Event where players enjoy a weekend of friendly competition. For further information, visit: www.lolesports.com and www.lolesportsmedia.com. About the VALORANT Champions Tour: After a record-breaking closed beta that saw more than 1.7 million peak concurrent viewers on Twitch, VALORANT quickly established itself as the fastest growing esport of 2020. To support the competitive scene, Riot Games launched the VALORANT Champions Tour, a year-long, global circuit featuring three levels of competition: Challengers, Masters, and Champions. Teams compete through regional Challengers events, then qualify into international Masters events, with the goal to earn a spot at Champions, a two-week long tournament where one team is crowned the VALORANT Global Champion. The season-long competition tour will feature competitions in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. 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

March 09, 2021 03:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

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Cloudrise Accelerates Growth

Cloudrise

Cloudrise conquered the seemingly impossible in 2020, launching a new company amid a pandemic and economic downturn. Despite those challenges, we are pleased to announce their hard work paid off and Cloudrise is reporting a successful year one in business. Combining decades of data protection expertise with automation, Cloudrise focuses on securing data wherever it resides. Their data-centric approach to cybersecurity and use of automation enables Cloudrise to secure organizations’ data during their digital transformation journey. After launching the company in October 2019, Cloudrise went on to secure capital investments through a network of seasoned cybersecurity investors, and deliver automation-centric data protection services to over 50 customers. “The team at Cloudrise started this journey 17 months ago with an overriding focus and commitment to delivering value to our customers. Fueled by impactful partnerships and a relentless push for innovation, every day we strive to solve complex data protection and privacy problems. As we expand our data protection capabilities in the areas of in complex cloud and hybrid computing environments, as well as utilize automation to solve enterprise data protection problems, Cloudrise is well-positioned to become a global market leader in the area of scalable and effective data protection programs,” said Rob Eggebrecht, CEO and co-founder at Cloudrise. In 2021 the momentum continues to build as Cloudrise adds new customers across the globe, and expands team coverage across North America and Europe. They recently raised additional capital to help to fund growth and innovation, with the Greater Colorado Venture Fund (“GCVF”) leading significant investment in Cloudrise. The GCVF invests in early-stage startups headquartered across the state of Colorado, outside of the Front Range. “The innovative nature of the Cloudrise leadership team, and commitment to the communities of the Western Slope of Colorado, made for a perfect fit with our mission,” said Cory Finney, Partner at GCVF. In December, Cloudrise moved their headquarters from Denver to Grand Junction, CO. In doing so they have partnered with the Grand Junction Economic Partnership (“GJEP”), Economic Development Council of Colorado (“EDCC”), and Colorado Mesa University because their missions align. “Cloudrise embodies the community spirit that we seek from businesses who startup, expand, or relocate here. EDCC, an organization who promotes effective, responsible economic development, applauds Cloudrise’ decision to base its company in Grand Junction,” said Kim Woodworth, Operations Director with the EDCC. “This move will be a catalyst to growing an industry that will support Grand Junction’s effort in diversifying its economy.” One of Cloudrise’s goals is to create opportunity, revenue, and employment in rural communities of Colorado. “We are thrilled to officially welcome Cloudrise to our community. The founding team at Cloudrise has an esteemed reputation in major tech hubs like Silicon Valley and Boston. Their choice to relocate to Grand Junction will help attract more cutting-edge businesses, encourage skilled talent to move here, and grow our reputation as a rising tech hub,” said Robin Brown, Executive Director at the GJEP. Cloudrise is committed to delivering high-value, innovative solutions to its customers in the areas of data protection, automation, and data privacy, while driving opportunities for members and business partners within their community. About Cloudrise Cloudrise was founded by business and security entrepreneurs with experience in global markets, successful start-ups, and Fortune 500 companies. Combining decades of data protection expertise with automation, Cloudrise focuses on securing data wherever it resides. They assist organizations by assessing, enabling, automating, and managing their data protection and privacy programs. At Cloudrise, they are redefining data protection. Cloudrise can be found at www.cloudrise.com or on LinkedIn. Contact Details Cloudrise Jodi Lewis +1 800-917-7619 sales@cloudrise.com Company Website https://cloudrise.com/

March 09, 2021 11:11 AM Central Standard Time

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Shares of NHL Players are now available on Jock MKT

Jock MKT

Jock MKT (Jock Market), the company turning sports into a stock exchange, announced the National Hockey League has been added to their platform this week. The announcement marks the fourth league within Jock MKT’s proprietary platform that allows users to buy and sell shares of NFL, NBA, PGA and now NHL athletes in real time for real money. In an NHL “cash market,” Jock MKT users are able to buy virtual shares of star players like Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers or Alex Ovechkin of the Washington Capitals on a nightly basis. Likewise, users can invest in shares of players with more upside, such as the Anaheim Ducks’ Rickard Rakell. In the first NHL cash market on Monday, shares of Rakell increased 640% over the course of the night, from $3.38 to $25 per share, after he netted two goals and one assist. Prior to each night of NHL games, Jock MKT hosts an IPO stage that concludes minutes before the first puck drop. During the IPO, users can bid on shares of players using real cash. When the IPO ends, any Jock MKT user can buy and sell shares with other investors while the games are happening. Users have the option to hold their shares to the end of the night for cash payouts based on fantasy rankings. For a tutorial of how to play, watch this video. “In the world of fantasy sports, I think hockey fans are an underserved community,” said Tyler Carlin, Co-Founder of Jock MKT. “We are thrilled to add the NHL to our nightly lineup of cash markets. We currently have daily NHL and NBA offerings nearly every night, along with PGA happening weekly.” Now approved in 34 states, Jock MKT is one of the fastest growing fantasy sports platforms in the world. Early investors include Isaiah Kacyvenski, a retired eight-year NFL veteran with a Harvard MBA. Kacyvenski is Founding Partner and Managing Director of Will Ventures, an early-stage fund investing at the intersection of sports and technology. Additional investors include Ryan Moore, a current board member of DraftKings and Accomplice founding partner. Headquartered in Boston and launched in 2020, Jock MKT ( JockMKT.com ) is a fantasy gaming platform where users can make real money – every minute, every second, of every game. Inspired by a traditional stock exchange, Jock MKT allows users to buy and sell shares of athletes in real time. Jock MKT was co-founded by Tyler Carlin and investors include Isaiah Kacyvenski, Ryan Moore, Brandon Adams and Alumni Ventures Group. Available in the U.S. in 34 states, Jock MKT offers gaming options for events tied to the NFL, NBA, NHL and PGA Tour. Contact Details Eric PR & Marketing, LLC Eric Nemeth +1 602-502-2793 nemeth@ericpr.com Company Website https://jockmkt.com/

March 09, 2021 10:57 AM Eastern Standard Time

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The Limitations of Medicare and Medicaid by Jennifer Lang Financial Services

Jennifer Lang Financial Services, LLC

Contact Details Jennifer Lang +1 877-487-8926 mail@jenniferlangfinancialservices.com Company Website https://www.jenniferlangfinancialservices.com

March 09, 2021 10:05 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Agora Data’s Steve Burke Joins The Independent Dealer Podcast Showcasing Innovation in Auto Finance

Agora

Steve Burke, CEO of Agora Data, Inc., joined The Independent Dealer Podcast to talk about his firm’s recent industry-first crowdsourced securitization and the immense positive impact that future Agora crowdsourced securitizations will have on the auto industry and its consumers. During a recent episode, Burke joined the podcast’s hosts Jeff Watson of 4 Seasons Auto Sales and Luke Godwin of Godwin Motors for a 48-minute conversation on how Agora Data is changing the world of auto financing for Buy Here Pay Here auto dealers and smaller finance companies. Burke’s appearance on the show comes on the heels of Agora Data’s developing and executing the auto industry’s first-ever subprime crowdsourced securitization on December 29, 2020. This groundbreaking development in the world of structured finance provides Buy Here Pay Here auto dealers and small to mid-sized finance companies access to affordable capital markets funding. “There is a reason all the big dealers and banks are all in the capital markets,” Burke told Watson and Godwin on the podcast. “Enabling Joe’s Auto Sales with a $3 million portfolio to access the capital markets and be recognized adds an unbelievable number of intangibles and financial value to their dealership including significant growth. Now, the same exact capital that the big box dealers and finance companies have access to is available for Joe’s Auto Sales. AgoraCapital is bringing Wall Street to Main Street.” Prior to Agora, direct access to the capital markets with its more favorable financing terms was limited to only the largest institutional lenders and auto dealers. With Agora’s crowdsourced securitization program, subprime originators of all sizes now have a unique and viable financing option to obtain lower-cost capital with massively favorable terms thereby providing liquidity and fueling growth. In addition, Agora Data also recently announced its latest product offering – AgoraCredit. AgoraCredit was designed to transition originators from their current senior lender into interim credit lines that work in harmony with the AgoraCapital securitization program. AgoraCredit was created with the specific goal of not locking originators into expensive and risky lines of credit, but instead initiating the freedom of providing a smooth glidepath into the world of crowdsourced securitizations. Burke said, “The Independent Dealer Podcast by Jeff Watson and Luke Godwin is a source for independent used car dealers who want to get educated on how to improve their business and their life, and I applaud them for what they do for the dealer community.” Watson and Godwin talk to industry experts and dealers that are doing it right. Podcast #159 – Connecting Your Dealership To Wallstreet Money with Steve Burke is available on Apple, Spotify and where podcasts are found. About Agora Data, Inc Agora is re-inventing auto finance for Buy Here Pay Here dealers and finance companies with a crowdsourcing platform that bridges access to the capital market. Easy to use and analytically robust business tools empower the untapped and diverse portfolios of the BHPH auto market connecting dealers, sub-prime buyers, and capital market lenders with results-driven resources to enhance financial growth. Founded in 2017 by a best-in-class team of top professionals in auto finance and leading data scientists, the company has successfully combined billions in historical loan performance data to develop its AI-Infused predictive loan technology and machine learning models. www.agoradata.com. For more information, please contact Agora at (877) 592-4672 or contactus@agoradata.com. Contact Details Agora Data, Inc. Shelly Vandeven +1 682-282-4130 media@agoradata.com Company Website https://agoradata.com/

March 08, 2021 10:03 AM Eastern Standard Time

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CMMC Center of Excellence Announces Engagement Agreement with HKA Technology Solutions

Interoperability Clearinghouse

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Center of Excellence ( CMMC COE ), hosted by the Information Technology Acquisition Advisory Council (IT-AAC), a public-private partnership serving the public and private sectors for more than 15 years, is excited to announce a partnership with HKA Technology Solutions, an IT Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC) consulting company providing a wealth of GRC solutions for clients from the U.S. Government to the private sector. This unique partnership will extend efforts to identify and include proven capabilities within the CMMC COE Marketplace to improve cybersecurity protection and resilience for the global defense industrial base network of contractors, vendors, and suppliers. By facilitating results that customers want to reduce costs and risks, HKA provides the CMMC subject matter expertise that creates business value co-creation to help the DIB contractor think critically about establishing, documenting, and testing their CMMC administrative, technical, and physical controls to support the nation’s warfighters. Furthermore, HKA uses a unique Service Value System (SVS) to ensure that within the CMMC Practices and Processes Lifecycle, DIB CMMC practices and processes continuously co-create value with all stakeholders. The executed Engagement Agreement establishes a collaborative engagement between HKA Technology Solutions and the CMMC COE to partner in the furthering of their respective and complementary missions and objectives regarding the adoption, use, and expansion of CMMC based cybersecurity practices, risk management, and compliance for the DIB contractor, vendor, and supplier community of providers creating a broader CMMC ecosystem globally to improve security and resilience. Specific actions will include: The co-development of CMMC advisory services, cyber training and education programs to accelerate CMMC certification, increase cyber adoption and improve cyber protection & resilience. Co-sponsor symposiums, training programs and podcasts leveraging their combined cyber and IT expertise. Host regular working groups, with other partners, to enable collaboration and communications. Establish an independent Industry Cyber Security Advisory Council with peer organizations to advise and educate leaders across government and industry on the continued evolution and effectiveness of CMMC. The CMMC-COE ( http://cmmc-coe.org ) and HKA Technology Solutions partnership will focus on bringing together the many disparate cyber and national security communities of interest to reduce complexity, improve awareness, and accelerate industry effort to become more cyber resilient against the growing threats from nation states and criminal enterprises. “This is exciting opportunity for us”, said Mr. John Weiler, Chairman of the Board at CMMC Center of Excellence, “This new partnership will further help advance the goals and objectives for improving the supply chain security and resilience of the US Department of Defense (DoD)”. "Through the partnership with the CMMC-COE, HKA Technology Solutions scopes, tailors, and publishes CMMC policies, procedures, and standards to safeguard data Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability for our Defense Industrial Base members who support our nation's warfighters." said Mr. Glenn Axelrod, President & CEO. The CMMC-COE establishes both a Market Place and Knowledge Clearinghouse that will include resources that support the overall effort, including white papers; tutorials; recorded webcasts; presentations; and more that will help reduce the cost and burden on small and medium size contractors already struggling from the impact of COVID. For more information on the CMMC COE, please visit http://cmmc-coe.org, email info@cmmc-coe.org or call 703-863-3766 For more information on HKA Technology Solutions, please visit https://www.hkatechnolgysolutions.com/ About Us ---------- CMMC-COE.ORG is a unique non-profit public-private partnership, with a vision to accelerate Cybersecurity Maturity Model (CMM) adoption, and reduce time & cost for security compliance for our partners by leveraging commercial best practices, CMMC standards, and innovative solutions for a measurable success. Our mission, focused on DOD mission objectives, cost containment and expeditious CMMC compliance, is to help the DIB improve cyber posture and resilience, and simplify its acquisition. The CMMC-COE is hosted by the Information Technology Acquisition Advisory Council (IT-AAC), a public/private partnership (P3) chartered in 2007 as an honest broker to reach outside the confines of the Federal IT advisories that lack dynamic reach into the Global IT Market, and dedicated to the adoption of commercial IT management standards of practice and innovations emanating from the Global IT market. Team IT-AAC has already demonstrated the value of its decade long investment, and provides a unique value to agencies seeking to achieve accelerate the transformation of legacy processes and systems. Our Just-in-Time SMEs apply an innovative suite of Technology Business Management and Agile Acquisition Processes needed to assure the business value of commercial IT. The Interoperability Clearinghouse (ICH), is the managing partner that make up the 24 NGO/SDO organizations that make up the IT-AAC. ICH provides the contract vehicles, clearances, and critical resources proven to guide sustainable, measurable and repeatable processes needed to drive better investment decisions as the speed of mission need, while aligning existing processes, methods and workforce with IT reform mandates contained in Clinger Cohen Act, FITARA, IT MGT Act, EO13838. Contact Details Bob Dix +1 703-975-6633 bob.dix@it-aac.org Company Website https://cmmc-coe.org

March 08, 2021 08:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Consero Named Outsourced Accounting Preferred Provider for the National Venture Capital Association

Consero

Consero Global LLC, a leader in Finance as a Service (FaaS), today announced it is now a preferred partner of the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA), the preeminent trade association of the U.S. venture capital and startup community. “Consero’s mission is to disrupt the way PE and VC backed software and service businesses meet their finance and accounting needs, which is why we’re very excited to partner with the NVCA,” said Bill Klein, President of Consero. “Our FaaS model combines cutting edge technology, processes, and people in a fully-managed solution to deliver precise financial visibility and improved operational scalability, plus a lower and more predictable cost structure.” More than 150 operating companies that Consero partners with are backed by blue-chip private equity and venture capital investors. The company is focused on preparing companies to raise capital, M&A, and potential IPOs. Consero combines innovative integrated software, including the Consero SIMPL® financial management console and Simon voice-activated artificial intelligence technology with the traditional CFO, controller and bookkeeping services needed to support a business’s financial operations. All of this comes without the time, cost, and effort of creating and managing a full, in-house finance and accounting department. With Consero’s solutions, companies of all sizes can afford true enterprise level financial tools. About Consero Global Founded in 2006—by Scott Tynes, Bill Klein, and Kiran Jagannath—Consero Global disrupts the way businesses build and maintain their finance and accounting function. Through a cloud-based platform, Consero delivers the financial clarity and efficiency needed to drive a business forward. Strategic CFOs are adopting Consero’s cutting-edge Finance as a Service model to free up time and understand how the business is performing. Serving more than 150 clients and their portfolio companies, Consero, backed by BV Investment Partners provides the control and insight needed to steer businesses toward success. Contact Consero Global for more information about gaining greater control of your financial operations. More info at www.conseroglobal.com. Contact Details Consero Global Ray Young +1 512-633-6855 ray@razorsharppr.com Company Website https://conseroglobal.com/

March 05, 2021 10:33 AM Central Standard Time

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