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Amid Rapid Growth, Origin Expands Team; Launches New Enterprise Division

Origin Media

Origin, a pioneering media, and technology company reshaping how brands engage and activate consumers on the largest screen at home, announced today the launch of a new enterprise division and the appointment of two strategic hires. Molly McArdle joins as Head of Enterprise Partnerships and Sahil Shah as Head of Programmatic. Since its inception two years ago, Origin has grown from a self-funded $30K bootstrapped start-up to a thriving business generating more than $13 million in revenue during the pandemic. Leaning into their unprecedented growth, the company is now expanding its reach with a new enterprise division that works with partners such as independent streaming services and publishers to augment their ad sales capabilities by offering Origin’s first to market Native CTV solutions directly to their clients. “We are thrilled to welcome Molly and Sahil to the team at a time when we are rapidly growing,” said Fred Godfrey, CEO and Co-founder at Origin. “Their deep expertise will play a pivotal role in elevating Origin’s position as the market leaders in Native CTV advertising by extending our solutions through enterprise-level partnerships as well as innovative new products, each of which will help our clients unlock new revenue streams and stand out in this fiercely competitive market.” Leading Origin’s new enterprise division, McArdle will be responsible for growing the company’s existing partnerships and building new relationships with key strategic partners. She has extensive experience overseeing the development of personalized solutions for partners and strategic network accounts that deliver a tangible return on investment. She previously served as Account Director at STAQ until its acquisition by Operative Media. She was a key player in the acquisition and following, was promoted to Senior Commercial Executive of Enterprise Sales. McArdle will report directly to Fred Godfrey. “Origin’s vision in CTV advertising is second to none. As we continue to see CTV evolve, Origin is at the forefront when it comes to disrupting the status quo powered by a feverish belief that they can address the growing needs of a rampant market,” said McArdle. “Origin’s philosophy to put their customers first will be a core value in my new role and I look forward to intensifying the enterprise partnerships they already have and to forging new opportunities in places they have yet to conquer.” In 2021, advertisers are expected to spend an additional $2.37 billion on programmatic CTV video ads compared to 2019 presenting a major opportunity for Origin to grow its market share. Shah joins Origin from Purch and Future plc where he served as Head of Programmatic Sales in North America and Director of Global Programmatic Sales, respectively. With more than a decade of experience in technology publishing, he has a proven track record of leveraging programmatic teams to drive company-wide revenue growth. Based in New York, Shah will lead the company’s programmatic efforts across product, operations, and sales, reporting to Origin Co-founder and Chief Business Officer, Stephen Strong. “Origin is building something that offers a completely new spin on CTV at a time when the industry has barely brushed the pinnacle of its growth potential in today’s global digital economy,” commented Shah. “I’m excited to be a part of this moment and look forward to helping Origin build out a first-to-market product that has a meaningful impact on the industry, as well as grow their programmatic revenue amid a growing number of TV viewers today continuing to move toward CTV devices.” For more information on Origin, please visit www.originmedia.tv. About Origin Origin is a pioneering media and technology company whose first to market native advertising solutions are reshaping how brands engage and activate consumers on Connected TV. The original architects of ‘‘Native CTV’, Origin’s in-house animation studio produces engaging native content for advertisers that is designed to capture the attention of a room, immerse the audience in active dialogue and elevate the connection they feel towards a brand. Origin was founded by media veterans Fred Godfrey and Stephen Strong, whose success has been shaped by a relentless commitment to infuriating the status quo. Learn more at www.originmedia.tv. Contact Details Kite Hill PR Kerriann Becker origin@kitehillpr.com

September 08, 2021 09:08 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Velocity Global adds tech talent acquisition veteran Kokoro Robinson to double its global team

Velocity Global

Robinson joins Velocity Global from Stack Overflow Velocity Global to double its worldwide team of 400 over next year Robinson is a two-time Velocity Global client Velocity Global, the leading provider of global employment solutions, today announced it welcomed Kokoro Robinson as its vice president of Talent Acquisition. Robinson applies 25 years of experience building teams for high-growth technology companies. “We plan to double our team over the next year and Kokoro has spent more than two decades building global teams from Silicon Valley to push midsized companies to their next stage,” said Sarah Fern, Velocity Global chief people officer. “He has been a direct client of Velocity Global in two of his recent positions so he knows firsthand how to build global remote-first teams.” Robinson reports to Fern as the company grows its headcount that now stands at approximately 400 in 27 countries across five continents. “This is not about jobs; I look to hire owner-employees -- people with a passion for what they do and for the collective organization,” said Robinson. “Velocity Global delivers a unique global platform for companies and talent to benefit from a distributed and varied workforce. We look for individuals who want to guide that journey. We literally create the future of how the world works.” The company’s global work platform simplifies the employer and employee experience to employ any talent anywhere with just a click through its proprietary cloud-based workforce management technology, a system backed by personalized expertise and unmatched global scale. Robinson joins Velocity Global from Stack Overflow where he led Talent Acquisition for the world’s pre-imminent question and answer website for developers, touting some 100 million active monthly users. Prior to that, he led talent acquisition for Saba Software (now part of Cornerstone OnDemand NASDAQ: CSOD) where he doubled the size of the organization while cutting in half the time-to-fill and cost-per-hire metrics. Previously he held roles with Good Technology (now part of Blackberry), where he led the charge for their diversity and inclusion. “As a former client of Velocity Global, I know firsthand how we can serve as an example of best practices to grow global, distributed teams,” said Robinson. “The survival of any company going forward relies on hiring and supporting remote global talent. What was a trend for tech companies prior to 2020 is now mainstream in every industry. Along with a talented group at Velocity Global, I get to build the team that supports this model for nearly every company in the world.” Velocity Global is hiring for roles across the organization, particularly on the Technology, Revenue, and Marketing teams. For more information on open positions, interested candidates can visit https://velocityglobal.com/about-us/careers/. About Velocity Global Velocity Global accelerates the future of work beyond borders. Its global work platform simplifies the employer and employee experience to employ any talent anywhere with just a click through its proprietary cloud-based workforce management technology, backed by personalized expertise and unmatched global 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 across five continents. For more information visit velocityglobal.com. Contact Details Velocity Global John Hall +1 720-650-4348 news@velocityglobal.com Company Website https://velocityglobal.com/

September 08, 2021 07:01 AM Mountain Daylight Time

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BEE Set to Take Stage at SaaStr 2021 Annual Conference to Address Industry Trend of “build-vs-buy”

BEE

BEE, a business unit of Growens and leading digital content design platform, announced today they will be speaking at this year's SaaStr Annual event, the world’s largest non-vendor B2B software conference. BEE has been an active participant of SaaStr sponsored events and this year Mariela Towers, Head of Marketing and Jules Costa, Content Manager will take the stage to talk about "Behind the Scenes of a Build-vs-Buy Decision.” SaaStr is known to be the most inclusive event in SaaS. In the past three years, 60% of speakers were women or multicultural speakers, and they strive to continue this growth through future events. BEE echoes the sentiment of diversity and inclusion and will be represented by two of their own women leaders to speak at the conference. For the first time, Towers and Costa will bring their diverse backgrounds in business and content strategy to the SaaStr conference by joining key industry conversations. "We are looking forward to the event and the opportunity to safely engage and network with fellow SaaStrs in person this year,” said Towers. “We are excited to bring a relevant conversation about leveraging third-party technology for faster speed to market, and of course can't deny that the team at BEE is really proud to participate in the movement to balance out what diversity should look like in technology.” "SaaS products continue to play a huge role in the future of work. We've seen remote collaboration become expected and, at times, crucial to sustaining business,” states Costa. “The 'make or buy' decision is one piece of getting these products to market faster." For more information on this upcoming event check out saastrannual2021.com. BEE can be found at booth 323 where the team will also be highlighting BEE Plugin, the company's embeddable email, landing page and popup builder that is integrated into over 600+ different SaaS applications worldwide. About BEE: BEE provides no-code design tools that empower everyone to quickly create content that resonates. BEE’s visual builders are used to design emails, landing pages, one-page sites, and more. They deliver fantastic design flexibility and a great user experience, combining granular control on design elements with handy features like editing content directly in mobile view. BEE is building on its vision to help democratize content design, with millions of monthly users in over 20 languages and from over 150 countries. BEE’s design tools are available online at beefree.io and embedded in 600+ SaaS applications. BEE will present on Tuesday, September 28 at 12pm PST/3pm EST. Contact Details Jules Costa communications@beefree.io Company Website https://beefree.io/

September 08, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Founder David Landis Retires October 1 as President of Landis Communications Inc.

Landis Communications

David Landis, who founded San Francisco-based Landis Communications, Inc. (LCI) at his kitchen table in 1990, is retiring October 1 after a 43-year career in marketing communications. Sean Dowdall, LCI’s current General Manager, has been promoted to be the agency’s new president. “I started this integrated communications agency with the lofty goal of creating a corporate culture that values employees, clients and those in need. Our commitment to the community, award-winning work and partnership with clients is a testament to the teams who have worked at LCI for more than 30 years,” stated Mr. Landis. “During that time, we’ve donated hundreds of thousands of dollars – and volunteer hours - to San Francisco Bay Area nonprofits. LCI’s staff is ready to take the next step in the agency’s evolution and I’m excited to see what’s next.” “David is a true example of someone succeeding by following his passion,” said Sean Dowdall, president of LCI. “He has run LCI based on the tenets of superior client service, creativity and service both to the community and our employees. The business he built has shaped the industry and led service evolution - whether that was the rise of social media and digital marketing, joining an international public relations network like the Public Relations Global Network (PRGN) or focusing on employee well-being. I’m humbled to be following in those footsteps.” LCI specializes in serving clients representing a diverse array of industries, including: consumer technology, B2B, healthcare, the environment, consumer products, hospitality and nonprofits. It is one of the last remaining independent communications agencies in San Francisco. Over the past 31 years, Mr. Landis has worked with notable LCI clients, including: Match.com, Old Navy, Whole Foods Market, UCSF, Save the Redwoods League, Centre for Neuro Skills, Graton Casino and Resort, Velodyne Lidar, Peninsula Open Space Trust, Project Open Hand, PRC, Global Alzheimer’s Platform Foundation, San Francisco Symphony, iTradeNetwork and many more. LCI is the recipient of numerous awards recently and over the decades: America’s #1 PR Firm (Ragan’s Ace Awards); two national IABC Gold Quill Awards; a national PRSA Sabre Award; PR News Agency 100 Elite; Forbes Top 200 U.S. Agencies; and PRSA SF’s Agency of the Year and Campaign of the Year. Mr. Landis taught public relations in the MBA program at San Francisco’s Golden Gate University. A recipient of numerous awards, he is a published writer and has been a featured speaker at numerous industry conferences, as well as a guest lecturer at Stanford University, the University of California-Berkeley, University of San Francisco, and Golden Gate University. David currently writes for Forbes and the San Francisco Business Times, as well as penning a food/restaurant column for the San Francisco Bay Times called “ The Gay Gourmet.” He is also the Curator of Amateur Music Network, where he interviews stars of opera, symphony, jazz and Broadway. Prior to launching LCI, Mr. Landis served as Public and Community Relations Director for KPIX TV, the San Francisco CBS affiliate. While there, he helped the station win both a Peabody Award and a National Emmy Award for the groundbreaking AIDS Lifeline nationally-televised AIDS education series. Before his work in television, Mr. Landis was PR Director of the San Francisco Symphony, where he helped open San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall. Mr. Landis is a Past President of PRGN. An out gay businessman, he is a lifelong champion for LGBTQ+ causes and is proud that LCI is certified by the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Landis currently serves on the boards of San Francisco’s Friends of Alta Plaza Park, ODC (San Francisco’s modern dance company and school) and Project Open Hand, which serves meals to vulnerable populations. Mr. Landis is especially proud that the San Francisco Business Times named the agency a top Bay Area corporate philanthropy donor for the past two years. Landis is a graduate of Northwestern University, where he majored in classical piano. About Landis Communications, Inc. (LCI) LCI’s motto is: “We believe in ideas that create change. We craft compelling stories. And, we communicate.” Celebrating 31 years in business and based in San Francisco, LCI is an award-winning, full-service public relations, marketing communications, digital and social media agency that offers a unique mix of expertise in corporate, consumer, technology, B2B, B2C, healthcare, environmental and nonprofit public relations. Ragan’s ACE Awards named LCI America’s #1 Small Agency and America’s #1 Healthcare PR Agency. LCI also is the San Francisco/Silicon Valley member agency of the Public Relations Global Network (www.prgn.com), with 50+ agency affiliates worldwide. For further information about LCI, visit www.landispr.com. Contact Details Landis Communications, Inc. Brianne Miller +1 650-575-7727 brianne@landispr.com Company Website https://www.landispr.com/

September 08, 2021 06:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Velocity Global named the presenting sponsor of PGA TOUR University

Velocity Global

Velocity Global has partnered with the PGA TOUR and GOLF Channel to become the presenting sponsor of PGA TOUR University, the PGA TOUR announced Tuesday. Additionally, Velocity Global, which delivers a global work platform for employers to grow compliant distributed workforces in 185 countries and all 50 United States, has been named the Official Global Workforce Solutions Platform of the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions as part of the multi-year agreement. Entering its second season, PGA TOUR University presented by Velocity Global rewards elite college players with access to Tours operated under the PGA TOUR umbrella, while upholding the principles and virtues of collegiate athletics. At the end of each college golf season, the top 15 players in the final Velocity Global Ranking earn status on the Korn Ferry Tour or a PGA TOUR international tour. The Class of 2022 Ranking will be finalized May 30 following the conclusion of stroke play at the NCAA D-I Men’s National Championship at Grayhawk Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. “We’re excited to welcome Velocity Global to the PGA TOUR family as the first-ever presenting sponsor of PGA TOUR University,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “Velocity Global shares our passion in supporting the top collegiate golfers on their journey to the professional game, and we look forward to their partnership in growing PGA TOUR University together.” As the Official Global Workforce Solutions Platform and Official Professional Employer Organization of the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions, Velocity Global will have a presence in programming throughout PGA TOUR media properties, align with PGA TOUR players and host customers at PGA TOUR events. “This partnership highlights access to opportunity. The Velocity Global Ranking identifies the top players in college golf and rewards them with access to the Korn Ferry Tour and the PGA TOUR’s international network of competition, just as we make global work accessible to employers and talent,” said Ben Wright, Velocity Global Founder and CEO. “We’re proud to partner with the PGA TOUR to open doors for these players and support the game’s future stars, as Velocity Global supports the future of work.” Billy Horschel, a six-time PGA TOUR winner and the 2014 FedExCup champion, is a global brand ambassador for Velocity Global and an avid supporter of college golf. During his four-year career at the University of Florida, Horschel was a two-time SEC Player of the Year and a four-time All-American. “Velocity Global is the perfect match to present the top college players in the world of golf because it is the company that drives how work gets done for the next generation,” said Horschel. “They cheer for hard work and success, and that’s exactly what the PGA TOUR University presented by Velocity Global does. It creates access to global opportunities for these players to compete right away which is so important for their development as pros. I look forward to competing against these guys really soon.” In addition to being the presenting sponsor of PGA TOUR University, the agreement also includes a partnership with GOLF Channel. PGA TOUR University and the Velocity Global Ranking will be featured each Wednesday on Golf Today and within weekly live tournament coverage, as well as across GOLF Channel and PGA TOUR digital platforms throughout the season. GOLF Channel’s first college tournament broadcast of the season is next week’s Maridoe Collegiate Invitational (September 13-15). Additionally, GOLF Channel will collaborate with Velocity Global to highlight a new PGA TOUR University charity program to be announced at a future date. “As the television home of college golf, we’re excited to continue the growth and development of PGA TOUR University alongside our partners at the PGA TOUR,” said Tom Knapp, EVP, Partnerships and Programming, NBC Sports. “The addition of an international partner like Velocity Global enhances our ability to cultivate this important platform, and ensure the top collegiate players will be showcased on GOLF Channel as they progress toward competing throughout the professional ranks and ultimately on the PGA TOUR.” The PGA TOUR University Class of 2021 made their marks in their first summers as professionals. Arizona State’s Kevin Yu finished 4th in the 2021 Velocity Global Ranking, and he posted five top-25s and two top-five finishes in eight starts on the Korn Ferry Tour. On the Forme Tour, Arizona’s Trevor Werbylo and SMU’s Mac Meissner both have wins after finishing 9th and 8th, respectively, in last year’s Velocity Global Ranking. With one event remaining this season, Werbylo leads the Order of Merit and Meissner is fifth, and both players are in position to be promoted to the Korn Ferry Tour next season. For more information, please visit www.pgatour.com/university or  velocityglobal.com. About Velocity Global Velocity Global accelerates the future of work beyond borders. Its global work platform simplifies the employer and employee experience to employ any talent anywhere with just a click through its proprietary cloud-based workforce management technology, backed by personalized expertise and unmatched global 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 across five continents. For more information visit velocityglobal.com. About PGA TOUR University presented by Velocity Global PGA TOUR University presented by Velocity Global rewards elite college players with access to Tours operated under the PGA TOUR umbrella, while upholding the principles and virtues of collegiate athletics. Introduced in 2020, the program strengthens and elevates the path to the PGA TOUR through the Korn Ferry Tour and PGA TOUR international tours. The Velocity Global Ranking will be featured on GOLF Channel each Wednesday on Golf Today and within weekly live tournament coverage, as well as across GOLF Channel and PGA TOUR digital platforms throughout the season. For more information, please visit www.pgatour.com/university and follow PGA TOUR University on Twitter and Instagram (@PGATOURU). Contact Details Velocity Global John Hall +1 720-650-4348 news@velocityglobal.com PGA TOUR Chris Richards ChrisRichards@pgatourhq.com Company Website https://velocityglobal.com/

September 07, 2021 09:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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The Meningitis Vaccines: What Parents of Adolescents Should Know

YourUpdateTV

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/OpbXUBrzUA4 According to the CDC, COVID-19 disrupted routine well-child visits for many children over the last year. As a result, too many children have fallen behind on receiving recommended vaccines – and that includes adolescents and young adults. If young adults are not receiving these recommended vaccinations, they are now vulnerable to infectious, potentially deadly diseases. So are the campuses and communities they live in. One vaccine that often gets left behind is Meningitis B, which is recommended for adolescents 16-23 years old. There are two types of meningitis vaccines – MenACWY and MenB. Few have received the MenB vaccine, yet it’s responsible for 100% of meningococcal meningitis outbreaks on college campuses since 2011. One issue? A lack of communication from pediatricians and family physicians. A recent study found that 49% of pediatricians and 69% of family physicians did not discuss the MenB vaccine during routine visits for 16-18-year-olds. That’s one reason why research shows that nearly 80% of parents did not know about the MenB vaccine, and why more than 78.2% of 17-year-olds have not received at least one dose of the Meningitis B vaccine. As kids head back to school, it’s important that parents take the time to check what vaccinations their teens and young adults have received and proactively talk to their healthcare provider about what other vaccines they need – including both the MenACWY and MenB meningitis vaccines. For more information visit: https://meningitisbactionproject.org/ About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

September 02, 2021 01:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Pencil announces free creative AI dashboard for brands to learn from their past Facebook ads

Pencil

Creative AI company Pencil has today released a free creative AI dashboard and also an Instant Predictive Audit (IPA) which can analyse thousands of Facebook and Instagram ads to generate new ideas and predictions for ecommerce and SME advertisers. Pencil is the only automated system which generates unlimited video ads that then learn to improve and drive more sales over time. The new creative dashboard will be free forever, and automatically analyses a Facebook account, and then groups all of a brand’s previous ads into “winners” and “losers.” Winners are ads that are performing above a threshold (e.g. the average, top 10%, or top 25%) on a particular metric, and they can be used to generate new strong ideas, with a “More like this” feature. Losing ads can be switched out and improved in a few clicks using the “Replace” feature, and there’s also indicators to identify “Fatiguing” and “Scaling” ideas. “The new creative AI dashboard is going to significantly improve the way we build and run ads on Facebook and Instagram,” said Tye DeGrange, founder of Round Barn Labs. “We already know that creative quality and variety is driving more than 50% of our performance for us on Facebook, but identifying winners and losers with the speed and scale we want is often difficult. We estimate this tool will change the game for our team, improving our vision, speed, creativity, and results.” Pencil’s customers will be able to access the new IPA which will audit thousands of ads to provide “Day Zero” new ideas and predictions, enabling brands to use their best creative to make their next creative. Previously, users needed to run sufficient Pencil ads and media investment before gathering enough data to see any predictions, which might take several weeks. Now with the IPA, Pencil already knows on Day Zero what has worked before and what didn’t, and users get predictions built on all their past Facebook ad tests. Pencil also revealed that 3 out of 4 Pencil users successfully find ad “winners” which outperform their average performance benchmarks. On average these winning ads beat their baselines by 79% (ROAS, return on advertising spend) and 48% (CPA, cost per acquisition). The new data was published in the Q3’2021 edition of “Creative AI Works”, based on an analysis of over 650 Pencil ads that ran between November 2020 and July 2021. The report also found that teams which ran 10 or more Pencil ads were typically able to find “winners” that performed 100% higher than ROAS baselines and 50% lower than CPA baselines. The full report can be downloaded here. Will Hanschell, CEO and co-founder of Pencil commented: “These results and these new features mean that we and our users are already further ahead with Creative AI than where we expected to be during 2021. We didn’t want to just build a product, we wanted to create a whole new system, to help solve this $100 billion video advertising industry problem. We now have an effective, integrated SaaS system tested and launched, and a way for any small business to get started and get value immediately.” Finally, these new features would not be possible without the outstanding partnership and performance of CLIP. IPA utilizes OpenAI's CLIP neural network, which is trained across 400 million image-language data points to learn the presence of concepts in the images automatically. Earlier in the year, Pencil upgraded from OpenAI’s GPT-2 to GPT-3 to drive its ad copy generation, and saw its success rates jump from ~65% to over 95%. About Pencil Pencil is a Creative AI company on a mission to generate unexpected ideas that get results. Pencil generates ads that learn to drive sales, delivering the return on ad spend that helps brands scale their businesses. Pencil was founded in 2018 with a team from Google, Facebook and Uber and is backed by Sequoia Capital India, Wavemaker Partners, Singapore Innovate and Entrepreneur First. Further information visit: www.trypencil.com Contact Details Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com

September 02, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Pet Insurance and the Pandemic

YourUpdateTV

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/9KdDYhsia2A Amid the pandemic last year, more than 2 million dogs and cats were adopted from shelters. Now, as employees across the U.S. anticipate a potential return to in-person work, pet parents have some concerns about how the transition may impact both their animals’ and their own well-being. In fact, MetLife’s new Pet Parent Pulse Survey found that three in four (74 percent) working pet parents are considering how pet care during this time may impact their finances, while nearly all (95 percent) anticipate that a possible transition back to the office will cause a change in their pet’s health or routine. If you are a working pet parent, what do you need to know and prepare for during this time? “It may be as simple as making some changes at home, like introducing a crate or a gate to keep your pet safe and healthy. Alternatively, maybe pet care or ‘doggy daycare’ services make sense for you,” said Katie Blakeley, vice president and head of pet insurance, MetLife. “Many pet parents are also leaning on their employers to help them navigate the return to office and how it may effect their furry family members. For example, introducing pet health insurance into a voluntary benefit plan is becoming a popular option for many working pet parents.” For more information visit: metlife.com/insurance/pet-insurance About MetLife: MetLife, Inc. (NYSE: MET), through its subsidiaries and affiliates ("MetLife"), is one of the world's leading financial services companies, providing insurance, annuities, employee benefits and asset management to help its individual and institutional customers navigate their changing world. Founded in 1868, MetLife has operations in more than 40 countries and holds leading market positions in the United States, Japan, Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. For more information, visit www.metlife.com. YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

September 01, 2021 01:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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NORTH SIXTH GROUP ACQUIRES OWNERSHIP INTEREST IN ASCOLI FOOTBALL CLUB

North Sixth Group

North Sixth Group today announced it has acquired an ownership interest in Italian professional football club Ascoli Calcio 1898 FC (Ascoli FC) in partnership with Massimo Pulcinelli and Bricofer S.p.A, the leading retailer in the home goods and DIY sector in Italy. Founded in 1898, Ascoli boasts a rich tradition, having competed in Serie A and Serie B respectively for 16 and 25 seasons. North Sixth Group will co-own the club alongside Massimo Pulcinelli and family. The Pulcinelli family founded Bricofer in 1979, which has grown to become one of the largest retail chains in Europe with more than 500 million Euro in annual revenues and 124 locations throughout Italy. North Sixth Group will control international market operations and will share governance and decision-making rights with Pulcinelli in coordination with the club’s Board of Directors. "It is an honor to own and operate a club that was founded nearly 125 years ago with the tradition, history and following of Ascoli,” said Matt Rizzetta, Chairman of North Sixth Group. “We would like to thank the Pulcinelli family, who have worked tirelessly and made numerous sacrifices during a challenging economic period to put Ascoli in a position for future growth. We look forward to partnering with Massimo and his family to build a special future for the Picchi fans.” Joining North Sixth Group as owners are a variety of institutional and strategic investors, including former Univision CEO Vince Sadusky; engineer, entrepreneur, investor, Super Bowl champion and NFL all-pro defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh; KM Sports Ventures, a Los Angeles-based sports investment fund founded by media industry entrepreneur Mike Pollack; and Wavemaker Partners, a venture capital firm based in Los Angeles and Singapore which has raised over $650 million across multiple funds and special purpose vehicles. “We have a special connection and shared global vision with Matt and his team at North Sixth Group,” said Massimo Pulcinelli, Ascoli FC owner and Bricofer CEO. “We have many exciting plans as our vision to bring Ascoli to Serie A continues in the years ahead, including the opening of fan clubs, youth academies and other important investments. We look forward to bringing these initiatives to life for our fans alongside our co-owners and partners at North Sixth Group.” Representing North Sixth Group in the transaction was Tuscan-based attorney Simone Calzolai, founder of law firm Studio Legale Calzolai and Dr. Andrea Taddei of accounting firm Studio Picchi, Rome-based sports lawyer Stefano Mancini, New York-based law firm Breslow & Walker, LLP, and Nicola Cirrincione, who will serve as the club’s representative in the North American market. Representing Pulcinelli and Ferinvest S.r.l were Studio Legale Maione and Studio Legale Martella. ABOUT ASCOLI FC Ascoli Calcio 1898 FC (“Ascoli”), is an Italian football club based in Ascoli Piceno in the Marche region of Italy. Known as “La Regina Delle Marche” or the “Queen of Marche”, Ascoli is one of the oldest and most decorated clubs in Italian football. Ascoli was founded in 1898 and have competed in more than 40 seasons in Italian football’s top competitions, Serie A and Serie B. The team is known as the “Picchi” or “The Woodpeckers” and are well-known for their home kits with their signature vertical black and white stripes. As of the 2021-22 season, Ascoli are competing in Serie B, the second highest tier of Italian football. ABOUT NORTH SIXTH GROUP North Sixth Group is a family office operating company. The company has wholly owned and minority interests in a variety of investments across multiple sectors all sharing a common vision of Passion, Purpose and Progress. Included in the North Sixth Group family of companies are leading public relations firm N6A; modern marketing and content house Studios; data-as-a-service provider Everything Clicks; news distribution software solutions provider News Direct; global Italian football streaming platform 196 Sports, and other holdings across media, marketing, technology, sports and entertainment. Additionally, North Sixth Group dedicates financial, networking and human capital resources to community-based initiatives geared toward Passion, Purpose and Progress. ABOUT BRICOFER GROUP S.P.A. Founded in 1979, Bricofer Group S.P.A. (“Bricofer”) is the leading Italian operator in the DIY sector and one of the largest retailers in Europe, with more than 100 locations across Italy and annual revenues in excess of 500 million Euro. Specializing in the home goods and renovations sector, Bricofer is proud to be at families’ service for the care of their house and the realization of their home projects. Bricofer consists of three main business lines across retail, wholesale and e-commerce. Bricofer’s retail line covers a national network of 124 stores in strategic positions across Italy. Bricofer’s wholesale line, referred to as Ottimax, is dedicated to professionals and private label suppliers. Bricofer’s e-commerce line is among the most distinctive online platforms among DIY retailers in Italy. Contact Details N6A (North America Press Contact) +1 212-334-9753 AscoliFC@northsixthgroup.com Company Website https://northsixthgroup.com/

September 01, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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