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CIPIO Completes $2M in Pre-seed funding to launch Industry's First Domain Infused Data Apps Platform™ for the B2C Subscription Businesses

CIPIO.ai

CIPIO, a B2C Subscription Customer Success company, today announced the launch of the Industry's first Domain Infused Data Apps Platform™ that solves the massive business problem of retention and growth. Amidst the unprecedented disruption and digital acceleration triggered by COVID-19, this problem has multiplied by ten folds as customer behavior, decision making, and choices have changed dramatically. To accelerate its growth and product innovation, CIPIO completed its $2M pre-seed round in December 2020, led by DX.Partners and an experienced team of investors- including Linda Abraham, Managing Partner of Crimson Capital, Vineet Goel of Visa, Kathy Holmes of Arcola Investment, Ketan Karkhanis CPO of Turvo (ex-Salesforce GM & SVP), Karl Rumelhart, CPO of Gainsight, and the Dean of Big Data-Bill Schmarzo. CIPIO disrupts the B2C Subscription Customer Success category by unifying vast quantities of data from systems of records, customer behavior, and domain infused pre-built data apps. Companies get actionable predictions and recommendations that are directly integrated into engagement systems such as Hubspot to ensure maximum financial outcomes. Gartner predicts that 75% of B2C Businesses will offer Subscription services by the year 2023. "COVID-19 has hyper accelerated this transform across Fitness, OTT, Sports, Entertainment & Media just to name a few. Yet B2C Subscriber churn is 3X the churn in the B2B SaaS market, and B2C Growth rate is 50% lower than the B2B Saas Companies," says Growson Edwards, Co-Founder & CEO of CIPIO. "At CIPIO, we understand the change and disruption B2C Subscription Businesses are facing in this new Hybrid Subscription Economy and are desirous about our mission to help our customers Retain, Grow, and Acquire their subscribers exponentially." "CIPIO's domain centric approach to address the significant gap in today's CDP solution is a game changer. Data Apps are the future of the Hybrid Subscription Economy, and CIPIO's Retention, Growth, and Acquisition Data Apps are directly and rapidly impacting the customer's bottom line," said Ketan Karkhanis, Chief Product Officer at Turvo, and an investor at CIPIO. Ketan previously ran Einstein Analytics at Salesforce and has in depth experience with Customer Success in the B2B SaaS market. “As founders, we are channeling our B2B SaaS Retention & Growth knowhow into our Domain infused Data Apps Platform™ for B2C SaaS,” says Manoj Kumar Goyal, Co-Founder & CPO of CIPIO. Mr. Goyal previously led Oracle’s Customer Data Platform team, served as Marketo’s Chief Product Officer, and is obsessed with delivering ROI. “We are removing 8-12 months of the time and a myriad of domain experts, BI specialists, Data Engineers, and Data Scientists it takes to generate value out of Customer data.” continues Goyal. “Our Data Apps are powered by Domain infused AI Platform that automates all the necessary functions to generate value out of Data with efficient Human Involvement built specifically for our customer.” The company is so confident in delivering the ROI so much that they are giving away their Domain Infused Data Apps Platform™ for free until the customer sees the results of acceleration in retention, growth, and acquisition. Companies can access the Industry's first Domain Infused Data Apps free trial here. About CIPIO: CIPIO is pioneering the Industry's first domain-infused Data Apps Platform™ that humanizes and automates predictions and recommendations to increase Subscriber engagement, retention, and growth for B2C Businesses. CIPIO's early adopters include Crunch Fitness, Industry's Gym, Xponential Fitness, Motor City Church, Pure Barre, Club Pilates, AKT, YogaSix, NCFit, Cyclebar, RowHouse, Stretch Lab, and Stride who have witnessed a significant return on investment in a short time. Contact Details CIPIO Chris Foudy +1 831-238-1905 chris@cipio.ai Company Website https://cipio.ai/

April 21, 2021 12:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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How 529 College Savings Plans Work by Jennifer Lang Financial Services

Jennifer Lang Financial Services, LLC

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

April 20, 2021 10:05 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Refreshing Your Home (Inside & Out)

YourUpdateTV

Over the last year, the function of our homes has completely changed. These days, the home is where we spend our time, raise our families, work, study, exercise and so much more. With spring here, now is the perfect time to make some changes to help you refresh your home and love where you live. Recently, Angi Home Care Expert, Bailey Carson, teamed with YourUpdateTV on a nationwide satellite media tour to discuss easy ways to refresh your home this spring. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/0oEaIjRsFmg Whether you’re finally getting around to the home office, looking to redecorate for spring, or preparing the backyard for some outdoor entertainment, Angi has you covered. Here are some tips to get you started: It has been very easy for clutter to build up over the last year, so think about what items you want to donate, discard or keep, and then come up with permanent solutions to eliminate clutter moving forward. Shelving, cabinets, or simple baskets can help create a stress-free environment. Focus on the heart of the home: your kitchen. Improve flow and make your space more efficient by putting in an island, installing shelves in your pantry or simply adding bins and dowels to organize your cabinets. You can also give it all a new feel with a fresh coat of paint, modern backsplash or new hardware like cabinet handles. With spring here, everyone is ready to start spending more time outside. If you have an existing deck or patio, think about it giving it a good power wash or re-staining to get it ready for the season. If a deck or patio is still on your wish list, now is a great time to embark on that project. Just make sure you have the tools, talent and time to do it right – otherwise, it’s best to hire a pro! For more information, download the Angi app or visit Angi.com About Bailey Carson: Bailey Carson is a Home Expert and the Head of Book Now for ANGI Inc. and its brands including Angi, HomeAdvisor powered by Angi, and Handy. In this role, she oversees all aspects of Book Now services from product and operations to sales and marketing. She transitioned from her prior role as General Manager of Everyday Services for ANGI Inc. 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

April 20, 2021 09:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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D8 Holdings to Accept Bitcoin, Ethereum, Dogecoin for Delta-8 THC Products

D8 Holdings, Inc.

D8 Holdings, Inc., the market leader in hemp-derived Delta-8 THC —today announced it will start accepting Bitcoin, Ethereum and Dogecoin as payment methods on their site. “Our customers are early adopters, many of whom are heavily involved in the crypto market,” said Chris Duffield, CEO of D8. “With $2 trillion dollars sitting in crypto assets, and $45 billion parked in Dogecoin, the ability to accept crypto currency presents a big opportunity for our company.” D8.co will integrate Bitpay into their online platform, and all transactions will be settled in Doge. With the click of a button, customers can trade Doge for delta-8 gummies, delta-8 carts and delta-8 disposables as long as they are over 21 years of age. “Anyone paying with crypto will get a free pack of Delta-8 gummies as a bonus. We are looking long-term, and don’t plan on selling a single Doge,” concluded Duffield. About D8 Holdings Inc. The D8 Holdings team based in Colorado and Miami—with satellite offices in Las Vegas and Los Angeles—is an assembly of the top hemp and cannabis minds in the country. With backgrounds in extraction, chemistry, manufacturing, marketing, distribution, and legal, the D8 Holdings team came together organically around this elusive, but extremely powerful molecule to create a new category of products. More info at www.d8.co. # # # Contact Details D8 Holdings Chris Duffield +1 424-333-2112 chris@d8.co

April 20, 2021 08:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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CMMC Center of Excellence Announces Engagement Agreement with CICER ONE TECHNOLOGIES

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 Cicer One Technologies, an innovative company with a suite of communications and data management and protection tools that are specifically designed to end 3rd party exposure of sensitive information, to protect CUI, intellectual property and sensitive financial, customer, and employee data. Decentralized Autonomous Edge Computing by Cicer One Technologies Inc provides turn-key compliance solutions for CMMC, NIST 800-171, ITAR and Federal or State level privacy requirements. Zero-trust, jurisdictionally controlled management of users, documents, and chat communications enables non-technical business owners the confidence and ease-of-use required to achieve compliance in a cost-effective manner. 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. The executed Engagement Agreement establishes a collaborative engagement between Cicer One Technologies 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 Cicer One Technologies ( https://ciceronetech.com ) 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. “We are excited to embark on this journey with Cicer”, said John Weiler, Chairman of the Board at CMMC Center of Excellence, “The foundation of CMMC starts with visibility into devices in the network and the risks they bring. This new partnership will further help advance the goals and objectives for improving the supply chain security and resilience for the US Department of Defense (DoD)”. Cicer One Technologies adds to the growing list of recognized technology providers contributing to the growth and advancement of the CMMC compliance knowledge base, product refinement, and education collateral. Together we share the responsibility to accurately disseminate knowledge and education thereby building cyber resiliency across the DIB supply chain. “This new partnership further enables important and critical discussions regarding cybersecurity and the protection of the DIB supply chain. We are excited to contribute in the development and education of policy, products, and services throughout the adoption of the CMMC protocol supporting contractors across the country,” said Robert Embleton, 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 Center of Excellence, please visit http://cmmc-coe.org, email info@cmmc-coe.org or call 703-863-3766 For more information on Cicer One Technologies, please visit https://ciceronetech.com/ email info@ciceronetech.com or call 512-582-7009 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

April 20, 2021 06:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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XA Network expands and appoints senior advisory board, as Southeast Asia digital economy races ahead

XA Network

The XA Network [the X denotes any tech firm with $1b+ valuation and the A refers to Alumni], the leading member-based investment network of executives from prominent tech firms in Southeast Asia, has today appointed an advisory board. The appointments signal the organisation's growth and reach, as the Southeast Asian digital economy proves resilient and is racing ahead at full velocity. John Wood (ex-Microsoft, Room To Read), Steve Chen (co-founder of YouTube), Maya Hari (Twitter) and David Thevenon (Balderton Capital, ex-Google) have been appointed to advisory board positions. They will work directly with the members as the organisation scales and will champion the new purpose - to be an organisation that fosters inclusive innovation for the benefit of start-ups across Southeast Asia. On his appointment, John Wood, advisory board member at XA Network commented: “I’m delighted to join this esteemed board to support and drive the ambitious community of investors. The XA Network brilliantly embodies Metcalfe's law – e.g., the value of a network rises exponentially as the number of users grows. I believe this generation of technology leaders, by working together to support the start-up ecosystem in Southeast Asia, will have an immense impact on the region. We are all very committed to the power of smart capital, intense mentoring and fuelling inclusive innovation. This approach resonates with me on many levels and I look forward to helping XA Network scale to the next level”. The XA Network is made up of 100 tech leaders from companies including Alibaba, Gojek, Grab, Google, Amazon, Netflix, YouTube amongst others. These investors offer an unmatched array of skills and counsel to their portfolio companies from engineering advice, product management, to marketing and partnership building experience. As a collective, this is embodied in their purpose to foster inclusive innovation beyond simply investing in start-ups. The XA Network exists to empower the tech community in Southeast Asia with its inclusive innovation approach. The Southeast Asia digital economy is forging new ground every year* and 2020 was no different, despite COVID-19. Over 70% of the region is now online, accounting for 400 million people (of a total population of 580 million). Digital adoption of consumer-service businesses increased as more people spent time online during lockdowns. HealthTech and EdTech based companies are earmarked to take-off in the coming years. Overall, the digital economy added USD $100 billion to the region and is poised to grow to over USD $300 billion by 2025. The XA Network portfolio businesses are making a positive impact across the region such as Indonesian startups, Sampingan who enable access to the gig economy and Bukukas who enable small businesses to digitize their operations. Meanwhile, Singapore-based mentor platform Tigerhall is connecting the world’s most successful people with young professionals. Nellie Wartoft, CEO at Tigerhall commented: "We raised $2m in 2020, it was a huge milestone for the company but we had a lot to do. The XA Network members are some of the absolute most supportive investors I've ever had on my cap table. They're never afraid of rolling up their sleeves and doing real work either, which is rare to find amongst investors. They feel much more like an extended team than just financial investors to me, and have been key to Tigerhall's success." The appointments come at an exciting time for XA Network as they achieved their first exit. Lomotif, Singapore’s video-sharing service, was acquired by a syndicate for US$125 million. The deal is said to be one of the biggest exits by a tech startup in Singapore in recent years. XA Network highlights (last 12 months) Membership base increased from 50 to 100 people in March 2021 XA Network portfolio includes 30 start-ups in a range of sectors including mobility, healthtech, foodtech, edtech, adtech, fintech, social commerce, proptech Portfolio companies have also gone on to raise $82m in follow-on capital Notes to the editor * e-Conomy SEA 2020 Report About the XA Network The XA Network [the X denotes any tech firm with $1b+ valuation and the A refers to Alumni] is an investment network comprising senior executives from prominent tech companies including Alibaba, Gojek, Grab, Google, Amazon, Netflix and Twitter amongst others. Its mission is to invest and empower early-stage companies across Southeast Asia through their inclusive innovation approach, by exposing these businesses to the wide array of skills in the network. Since 2018, they have made 30 investments and expanded their member base to 100 people. XA Network has invested in a wide variety of promising companies including Bukukas, Tigerhall, Sampingan, Neuron, and Infradigital as well as the Vertex Southeast Asia and India fund. Contact Details XA Network Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 press@xanetwork.co Company Website https://xanetwork.co/

April 19, 2021 08:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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The big move: A third of UK households to move home as COVID-19 set to change where Britons live

Romal Capital

Millions of us are set to move home permanently, as a consequence of the pandemic, citing remote working as the facilitator and quality of life as the ambition, according to new research by property developer Romal Capital. The national survey* of 2,000 households found that nearly a third (31%) are planning to change their living arrangements following successive lock-downs and remote-working experiences. This is a staggering increase as only between 4% to 5% of households, typically, move homes in any given year**. The need to move is slightly higher in the 25-34 years age category (32%) compared to slightly less in those over 60 (28%). One fifth (20%) will have aimed to move within the next three months. The ability to combine working from home and in the office in a hybrid working environment influenced more than a quarter of respondents (26%) to consider relocation. Remote working aside, over a quarter of those surveyed (26%) mentioned the need for suitable jobs in the local area. “We’re seeing a paradigm shift in how this country wants to live and work,” says Romal Capital’s CEO Greg Malouf. “Hybrid working options and lifestyle changes are two key elements driving this change in behaviour. Moreover, the temporary stamp duty holiday and the desire to cash-in on significant property price increases in 2021 have also empowered decision making. In fact, in the same period a 16% property price-hike in Liverpool alone, underlines this very bullish market. The current UK housing market simply does not match this new reality, and with these changing demands, there needs to be a country-wide rethink on meeting housing needs.” While still considering location, 29% said that a good standard of living will be the most important factor in deciding their future location. It seems however people do not want to go completely remote with almost a quarter of respondents (23%) citing road networks and connectivity as two important criteria, with areas perceived likely to increase in value (10%) and locations near hospitals (9%) closely following. People ranked Waterfront living, whether by the sea, lake or canal, as the top “X-factor” draw for their new living location followed by substantial green spaces and good community feel. Of these, over half (51%) of 35-44 year olds selected community feel in contrast to 41% of the over 60’s who opted for waterfront living (61%). Notes to the editor *Research findings based on a survey of 2,000 UK households carried out in April 2021 for Romal Capital by LMRMC (Market Research Society approved partner and ESOMAR corporate member). ** ONS, Families and households in the UK. About Romal Capital Romal Capital is an international award-winning property developer based in Liverpool. The team brings to the city over 60 years of combined property development experience from across Liverpool, and other major UK and international cities. Contact Details Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://www.romalcapital.co.uk/

April 16, 2021 04:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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CORRECTING AND REPLACING: Alumni Pros Global Sports Teams Up with PlayersTV to Produce Original Content

Alumni Pros Global Sports

Alumni Pros Global Sports (APGS), which delivers monetization, optimization, and fair distribution of profits to help athletes leverage their intellectual property values, is pleased to announce its partnership with PlayersTV, the athlete-owned and culture-powered media and entertainment network launched by Players Media Group. As part of the partnership, APGS will create and produce original content for PlayersTV and its social media channels, including a comedic animated talk show with sports highlights, news, and interviews titled What’s up with JYD featuring Jerome Williams’ animated alter-ego, JYD, as the host, and Ballers Garage, a lifestyle show offering viewers an exclusive glimpse into their favorite athletes’ lives as they showcase their favorite whips, kicks, and beats. APGS will also host Game of the Week, an online, interactive program showcasing memorable games of some of the most popular youth and college basketball players. Game of the Week will be a collaboration with Be the Beast, a youth sports network delivering innovative solutions to athletes, and Ball Dawgs, the fastest growing basketball media outlet. Lastly, APGS is producing a limited series entitled Ballin in Vegas, which will feature young basketball executive and team market owner, Jeremiah “Dadog” Williams as he helms the upstart Vegas Ballers franchise in The Basketball League. “Our mission at APGS is to provide athletes across all levels the ability to control and monetize their IP in the global market through licensing strategies such as endorsements, trading cards, video games, and event appearances,” said global NBA ambassador and APGS co-founder, Jerome ‘JYD’ Williams. “With PlayersTV as a distribution partner, we can develop original content that will not only entertain viewers but will equip our network of athletes with another avenue to connect with fans, showcase their talent, and improve their overall IP.” Since its launch in March 2020, PlayersTV has partnered with elite professional athletes, including Carmelo Anthony, Vernon Davis, CJ McCollum, and Chris Paul, among others, and has become home to a diverse collection of original series, co-produced by athletes and brand partners. PlayersTV is the first and only athlete lifestyle network distributed across digital, linear, and OTT, reaching more than 120+mm global households. “We’re off to an impressive start with our strategic partnership with APGS,” said Nancy Pingitore, CEO of Players Media Group, Inc. “Our collective focus is all about creating great video viewing experiences and advertiser appeal. With four highly unique productions in the works, we’re excited to be able to deliver these through PlayersTV’s diverse audience and broad distribution.” In addition to the creation of the four original programs, APGS has launched Alumni NBA Holdings, (the “Fund”) in partnership with IECP Fund Management, an alternative investment platform, and Investcorp, a $35 billion leading global provider and manager of alternative investment products. Founding Partners include NBA Hall of Famers Allen Iverson, Julius Irving, George Gervin, and Spencer Haywood. As a general partner of the Fund, Jerome Williams is lending his expertise in private equity to Players Media Group as a sports, entertainment, and media advisor. For more information on Alumni Pros, please visit www.alumniprosglobalsports.com. For more information on PlayersTV, please visit www.playerstv.com, ABOUT ALUMNI PROS GLOBAL SPORTS Alumni Pros partners with athletes globally, including former and current NBA, NCAA, and youth basketball players, to strengthen their personal intellectual property values in the global sports economy. Through fair and equitable sharing of IP values, athletes can leverage and control their name, image, and likeness for merchandise, video games, and event appearances, benefitting both the individual player and the sport overall. Through its diverse strategic partnerships, Alumni Pros currently has more than 1 million members. Based in Henderson, Nev., the company was founded by retired NBA power forward Jerome Williams, an accomplished investor and fund manager Robert Smith. To learn more, visit www.alumniprosports.com ABOUT PLAYERSTV Players Media Group (PMG) is an athlete-owned and culture-powered media and entertainment network home to a diverse collection of original series co-produced by athletes and brand partners. More than 50 elite athletes are investors in PlayersTV including Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving, Carmelo Anthony, Damian Lillard, A.J. Andrews, C.J. McCollum, De'Aaron Fox, Angel McCoughtry, Ken Griffey Jr, Trevor Bauer, Travis Kelce and Vernon Davis among others. PlayersTV is distributed across digital, linear, and OTT and is available on Samsung, SLING TV, LG Channels, Vizio Smartcast, Roku, and Xumo TV (all devices), reaching more than 120+mm households. Visit us at http://www.players-media.com and connect with us @PlayersTV. Contact Details Media Contact North 6th Agency for Alumni Pros Global Sports +1 619-450-3743 alumnipros@n6a.com Investor Contact George King, Chief Financial Officer ir@alumniprosports.com Company Website https://www.alumniprosglobalsports.com

April 15, 2021 01:10 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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INTERNATIONAL SCIENCE LEADERS LAUNCH A GLOBAL PLEDGE TO TRUST SCIENCE

International Day of Light Steering Committee

Ahead of this year’s International Day of Light celebration on 16 May, the International Day of Light Steering Committee announces the launch of the Trust Science pledge, a worldwide campaign to promote support for the scientific process and to acknowledge the many benefits of science for society. Crises such as the coronavirus pandemic demonstrate the importance of scientific research and remind us how much we depend on dedicated professionals to find evidence-based solutions to global challenges. To recognize the central role played by science in society, the Trust Science pledge invites the general public to join leading scientists worldwide to affirm confidence in the process of scientific research and discovery. To date, the pledge has seen enthusiastic support worldwide with founding signatories including Nobel laureates, UNESCO L’Oréal For Women in Science prize winners, Presidents and CEOs of major scientific bodies, as well as scientists and students from more than 20 different countries. The pledge is now being shared widely to invite all interested individuals to take part. The Trust Science pledge states: “Trust in evidence-based, scientific facts is essential for providing sustainable solutions to today’s challenges. By adding my name to this declaration and pledge, I recognize the key role that scientific research and discovery plays in improving quality of life for all.” The Trust Science campaign is organized by the IEEE Photonics Society, SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, and The Optical Society (OSA), together with the International Day of Light Steering Committee. “The events of the past year have spotlighted science’s crucial role in solving critical global problems,” said Steering Committee Chair John Dudley from the Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté in France. “This campaign will allow people around the world to join us in affirming support for science and the scientific process. We encourage all to sign, and our hope is that this will stimulate valuable discussions within families, at the workplace and in educational settings.” In the context of the International Day of Light, the campaign will also highlight a number of Champions, research leaders in broad areas of light science and technology, including solar energy, the study of cultural heritage and healthcare. To sign the pledge and to learn more, please go to https://www.trust-science.org Contacts For questions about how you can engage with the campaign, please contact: info@trust-science.org For media enquiries, please contact: pr@trust-science.org Social media: please share using #TrustScience and #LightDay2021 Social media links: Facebook; Instagram; Twitter About the International Day of Light The International Day of Light (IDL) is a worldwide initiative that provides an annual focal point for the continued appreciation of light and the role it plays in science, culture and art, education and sustainable development, and in fields as diverse as medicine, communications and energy. The International Day of Light is administered from the International Basic Science Programme (IBSP) of UNESCO by a Steering Committee that includes representatives from a broad range of international partners: the American Institute of Physics (AIP), the American Physical Society (APS), Bosca, the China International Optoelectronic Exhibition (CIOE), Chinese Optical Society (COS), the European Centres for Outreach in Photonics (ECOP), the European Photonics Industry Consortium (EPIC), the European Physical Society (EPS), the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES), the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), the IEEE Photonics Society (IPS), the International Commission on Illumination (CIE), lightsources.org - the international network of accelerator based light sources, Light: Science and Applications, The Optical Society (OSA), Tampere University, SPIE, the International Society for Optics and Photonics, SESAME, Signify, Tampere University, Transitions, the Université de Franche-Comté and Velux. For information about the International Day of Light, please visit www.lightday.org Contacts for IDL: John Dudley and Joseph Niemela 2021 Steering Committee Chairs Email: contact@lightday.org Bethany Downer 2021 Communications Coordinator Email: contact@lightday.org Media Contact for Trust Science: pr@trust-science.org About IEEE Photonics Society The IEEE Photonics Society is the professional home for a global network of scientists, engineers and allied professionals who advance laser, optoelectronics, and photonics technology. As a technical society representing the IEEE, it is a vital part of the world’s largest technical professional organization of more than 400,000 members dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. Through its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, educational activities, and humanitarian initiatives, the IEEE Photonics Society provides its members in more than 160 countries the opportunity to grow professionally and stay on the forefront of transformational breakthroughs in photonics. PhotonicsSociety.org About SPIE SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, was founded in 1955 to advance light-based technologies. Serving more than 255,000 constituents from 183 countries, the not-for-profit society advances emerging technologies through interdisciplinary information exchange, continuing education, publications, patent precedent, and career and professional growth. SPIE annually organizes and sponsors approximately 25 major technical forums, exhibitions, and education programs in North America, Europe, Asia, and the South Pacific. In 2020, SPIE provided more than $5 million in support of education and outreach programs. www.spie.org About The Optical Society Founded in 1916, The Optical Society (OSA) is the leading professional organization for scientists, engineers, students and business leaders in light science and technology. The society serves over 432,000 customers and 22,000 members from more than 100 countries who fuel discoveries, shape real-life applications and accelerate achievements in the field. OSA provides quality research, inspired interactions and dedicated resources for its extensive global network of optics and photonics experts through world-renowned publications. For more information, visit osa.org. Contact Details pr@trust-science.org +1 703-907-0010 pr@trust-science.org

April 15, 2021 10:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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