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Youth Nicotine Vaping is a Mental Health Crisis

YourUpdateTV

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/PzinsT6mmYA Two health crises among youth — a mental health crisis and a vaping epidemic — pose increasing threats to a generation of young people. A recently published study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) shows that youth depression and anxiety doubled during the pandemic, compared to pre-pandemic estimates. Meanwhile, youth vaping remains at epidemic levels with nearly 20% of high schoolers vaping nicotine, with nearly 40% of those who use e-cigarettes, doing so on a regular basis. Truth Initiative ®, the organization behind the highly effective truth ® youth smoking, vaping and nicotine public education campaign organized a Moment of Action for Mental Health as part of its latest Breath of Stress Air effort to bust the fantasy that vaping nicotine is a stress reliever. The Moment of Action for Mental Health comes on the heels of Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issuing an advisory on the state of mental health among young people as an “urgent public health crisis,” and coincides with the on-going youth e-cigarette epidemic. According to the latest December 2021 Monitoring the Future Survey (MTF) report, nearly 20% of high school seniors used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days. A Truth Initiative survey found that 93% of e-cigarette users reported that vaping negatively affected their lives because it made them feel more stressed, depressed, or anxious, while 90% of those who quit said they felt less stressed, anxious, or depressed. Young people nationwide can text “ ACTION ” to 88709 to participate and join in the movement. Those looking to get help quitting e-cigarettes can get free and anonymous help from This is Quitting from truth. It is a free and anonymous, text-message based quit vaping program designed for young people. Teens and young adults can join for free by texting “ DITCHVAPE ” to 88709. Learn more about Truth Initiative, the Moment of Action for Mental Health and see get resources by visiting truthinitiative.org. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

May 02, 2022 01:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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PR Expert April White Announces Web Release of ‘Is Living United Worth the Fight?,’ a Talk for TEDxAlmansorParkLive

Trust Relations

Following the TEDxAlmansorParkLive virtual event, public relations industry thought leader and agency owner April White today announced the web release of her official TEDx talk, “Is Living United Worth the Fight?” As a former journalist and the founder of Trust Relations, White believes that we can move beyond the differences that sow division and judgment in society today, with the power of self-reflection. “Is Living United Worth the Fight?” is now available to watch on the Trust Relations website, as well as on the official TEDx Talks YouTube channel. During the talk, which first premiered at the virtual TEDxAlmansorParkLive event on April 23, 2022, White shares her personal journey to live a more united life, after overcoming years of estrangement from her family over ideological differences. “Is Living United Worth the Fight?” also uncovers the steps we can take to reckon with the behaviors we dislike in others, in order to refine our own personal weaknesses and recognize everyone’s inherent value. “I believe that if we can pinpoint what upsets or irritates us in others, we can reclaim it in ourselves and use it as a tool to self-correct and improve,” said White. “We can be the change we want to see in the world and live a more authentic life, both personally and professionally, if we embrace the differences that might otherwise alienate us from others.” “Is Living United Worth the Fight?” taps into the professional philosophy that drives the mission of White’s PR firm, Trust Relations. White coined the term “trust relations'' to replace the traditional concept of public relations, in an effort to promote the importance of authenticity and trust-building exercises as part of any brand building or reputation management campaign. Her talk for TEDxAlmansorParkLive offers actionable steps to recognize dissonance and build authentic connections as business leaders, in our relationships and with ourselves. TEDxAlmansorParkLive is an independently organized event created in the spirit of TED’s mission of “ideas worth spreading.” The TEDx program helps communities, organizations and individuals produce TED-style events at the local level, while TEDxLive events are centered around the live webcast of an official TED Conference, providing a more open and global audience through virtual attendance. To access more information about the TEDxAlmansorParkLive event and to watch April’s talk any time, visit https://trustrelations.agency/landing-page-tedx-talk/. About April White April White is a leading public relations veteran who has nearly 20 years of experience counseling and implementing campaigns on behalf of clients across various industries, from Fortune 100 companies to startups. She has worked at the world’s best PR agencies in New York City, including Weber Shandwick, Edelman and Rubenstein Public Relations before starting her own firm, Trust Relations, and has represented an impressive roster of clients and their executives over the course of her career. White is a former award-winning journalist and current contributor to Forbes, Newsweek, Entrepreneur, PRNews, and PR Daily. She is also the co-host of several industry podcasts including The PR Wine Down, Hyper Busters and the newly debuted Trust Relations: The Podcast. You can connect with White on LinkedIn if you’re interested in booking her as a speaker or podcast guest. About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized. (Subject to certain rules and regulations.) About TED TED is a nonprofit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, often in the form of short talks delivered by leading thinkers and doers. Many of these talks are given at TED conferences, intimate TED Salons and thousands of independently organized TEDx events around the world. Videos of these talks are made available, free, on TED.com and other platforms. Audio versions of TED Talks are published to TED Talks Daily, available on all podcast platforms. TED's open and free initiatives for spreading ideas include TED.com, where new TED Talk videos are posted daily; TEDx, which licenses thousands of individuals and groups to host local, self-organized TED-style events around the world; the TED Fellows program, which selects innovators from around the globe to amplify the impact of their remarkable projects and activities; The Audacious Project, which surfaces and funds critical ideas that have the potential to impact millions of lives; TED Translators, which crowdsources the subtitling of TED Talks so that big ideas can spread across languages and borders; and the educational initiative TED-Ed. TED also offers TED@Work, a program that reimagines TED Talks for workplace learning. TED also has a growing library of original podcasts, including The TED Interview with Chris Anderson, WorkLife with Adam Grant, Far Flung with Saleem Reshamwala and How to Be a Better Human. Follow TED on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and on LinkedIn. Trust Relations, founded in 2019, is a virtual strategic communications firm that creates nimble and proactive “dream teams” for clients through a national network of the industry’s best and brightest practitioners. "Trust Relations" is a term coined by President and Founder April White to describe a new approach to strategic communications focused on communicating clients' authentic actions, value and goodwill. In technology, trust relationships are an administration and communication link between two domains. In communications, they are a bond of mutual respect between a brand and the people it serves. The firm excels at identifying inspiring ways for clients to show their brand value by identifying supportive proof points and ideating creative activations that demonstrate their unique story and value proposition. For more information, visit https://www.trustrelations.agency/. Contact Details April White +1 323-216-8589 april@trustrelations.agency

May 02, 2022 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Shareholder Activist Wants Warren Buffett to 'Save' Capitalism

National Legal & Policy Center

Peter Flaherty, Chairman of the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC), will today present a shareholder proposal to separate the roles of Chairman and CEO at the Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting in Omaha. Both positions are held by Warren Buffett. Here is the complete text of Flaherty's planned remarks: I am Peter Flaherty, Chairman of the National Legal and Policy Center. Our mission is to promote ethics in public life. Toward that end, we sponsor the Corporate Integrity Project. Our proposal would separate the roles of Chairman and CEO. I’d take it one step further and suggest that Berkshire remove itself from corporate America’s assault on American institutions and culture. I am proud to say that I am a capitalist, but it is obvious to me be that capitalism is failing to deliver for the American people. Is this meeting Woodstock for capitalists, or is it Altamont? Real wages have been falling for years. Wealth disparity has never been greater. And right outside my hotel window here in Omaha is a homeless encampment, an all-too-familiar sight in American cities. We don’t have a free economy; we have bailout capitalism. When small businesses lose money, they go out of business, but when billionaires bet wrong, government steps in to save their fortunes. Money printing by the Federal Reserve and irresponsible, debt-fueled spending by politicians — called fiscal stimulus — have artificially inflated asset values. So those with the most assets benefit the most. Wage earners get ruinous inflation. But even worse than the wealth gap is the values gap. The top 1% now seek to impose their corrupt morality upon the rest of us, whether it is in the form of Critical Race Theory, transgenderism, or the myriad of other “woke” causes that permeate corporate advertising and messaging. Why has corporate America embraced both economic and cultural radicalism? It’s pretty simple. When you have so much money, your fortune is going to come under scrutiny. The best way to insulate yourself and keep anti-business activists off your back is to embrace their causes, even if in the process you undermine the system that produces your wealth. That is what allows Mr. Buffett to advocate higher taxes, even though everyone knows they will fall mainly on the middle class, or bankroll the likes of Hillary Clinton. The Federal Reserve has offered free money to corporate America for over a decade now, creating a class of oligarchs, and greatly enhancing corporate political power. Executives now believe they can tell elected governors and legislators what to do, as we have seen in Indiana, Georgia, Texas and Florida. Last year, Coca-Cola CEO James Quincey, a British citizen, sought to kill Georgia’s new voter integrity law by making inaccurate and inflammatory statements about it. He also instituted diversity training whereby white employees were encouraged to “try to be less white.” Despite being Coke’s most celebrated shareholder, Warren Buffett has done nothing about Quincey. In fact, Mr. Buffett jumped on the “America is racist” bandwagon by signing a statement by corporate leaders suggesting that Republicans seek to restrict ballot access based on race. All this did not prevent Coke from sponsoring the Winter Olympics in China, which has never had a free election, and where minority communities are the victims of genocidal policies. And what about Apple? A large part of Apple’s supply chain is in China. The company removes apps from the app store at the request of the Chinese government because they are used by human rights activists. And of course, Apple is the world’s most successful corporate-tax minimizer, famous for routing profits through offshore tax shelters. Over at American Express, the company instituted an “Anti-Racist Initiative” for employees that teaches that capitalism is fundamentally racist and requires workers to engage in an exercise to determine whether they are “oppressor” or “oppressed.” Activism by “woke” CEOs may be reaching its limits. The people of Florida are fighting back against Disney’s Robert Chapek, who not only embraces the view that gender is a form of oppression, but that kindergarteners must be forced to confront it. Mr. Buffett has praised the brand endurance of Disney’s characters and the trust parents place in its content to be safe and appropriate for children. But now the company is adding warnings to Dumbo, Peter Pan and Aladdin about the stereotypes they allegedly portray. And poor Prince Charming has been excised for kissing Snow White QUOTE, UNQUOTE “without consent.” Warren Buffett has yet to address the crisis gripping corporate America, and I fear he never will. Yes, Berkshire may be a holding company, and Mr. Buffett may stay out of the way of managers, but what happens when these executives use their companies to wage a social revolution that most Americans don’t want? Is he not responsible? He can’t have it both ways. In this country, wealth has been admired and even celebrated because our system allows anyone to become rich. But what happens when Americans suddenly find their history and future under attack by Corporate America? The social contract that permits for such affluence will be broken. Mr. Buffett, if you are the face of capitalism, why don’t you do something to save it? Founded in 1991, NLPC promotes ethics in public life and government accountability through research, investigation, education, and legal action. Contact Details National Legal and Policy Center Peter Flaherty +1 202-329-8357 danrenejr@gmail.com Company Website http://www.nlpc.org

April 30, 2022 10:40 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Velocity Global to play ball in partnership with the Rockies in 2022

Velocity Global

Talent solutions company to sponsor fastest pitch of the game, other brand engagements at Coors Field Velocity Global to serve as the official global workforce solution platform for the Colorado Rockies Velocity Global, the leading provider of global talent solutions, and the Colorado Rockies baseball franchise today announced a robust partnership for the 2022 season. Velocity Global will serve as the official global workforce solutions platform of the Colorado Rockies. As part of the sponsorship, Velocity Global will present the fastest pitch of the game after the first six innings and will also receive an in-game feature during an inning break or pitching change on the main video board. “Like the Rockies, we’re proud to be a part of what makes Denver a better place to live and raise a family,” stated Velocity Global founder and CEO Ben Wright. “Just as our name implies, our company has grown and works with extreme velocity, so this partnership is truly a home run. Working with the Rockies allows us to further our commitment to the city our company calls home, and we look forward to our employees joining others in the community to enjoy Rockies game days.” “Velocity Global is a cutting-edge tech company that represents the future of the workforce,” said Walker Monfort, Rockies Vice President of Corporate Partnerships. “As a Denver-based employer that understands the changing dynamics in today’s world, we’re thrilled to team up with Velocity Global this season.” In addition to the high-speed pitch of the game, Velocity Global will be featured around the stadium in engaging and dynamic physical and digital assets. These assets will prominently display Velocity Global’s branding and messaging around Coors Field (home and visitor bullpens, and concourse televisions framing). As the largest global Employer of Record (EoR) in 185 countries and all 50 United States, Velocity Global manages a client’s talent, providing in-country and in-state compliance, payroll, and benefits for the supported employees. About Velocity Global Velocity Global accelerates the future of work for anyone, anywhere, anyhow. Its Global Work Platform™ simplifies the employer and talent experience through its proprietary cloud-based talent management technology, backed by personalized expertise and unmatched global scale. The platform offers a full suite of talent solutions, including global Employer of Record and Contractor Management, to help companies onboard, manage, and pay talent in more than 185 countries and all 50 United States. Thousands of brands rely on Velocity Global to build international teams without the cost or complexity of setting up foreign legal entities or state registrations. 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 six continents. For more information, visit velocityglobal.com. Contact Details Velocity Global Chris McGrath +1 720-650-4348 news@velocityglobal.com Company Website https://velocityglobal.com/

April 29, 2022 10:00 AM Mountain Daylight Time

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New public relations firm, Bread & Law, launches to help CMOs and CCOs thrive amid a ‘new normal’

Bread & Law

Andrew Graham, a veteran public relations agency executive and the 2021 president of the New York chapter of the Public Relations Society of America, today announced the formation of Bread & Law, a new public relations firm set up to help leading companies and their decision-makers thrive amid a media and business environment increasingly fraught with conflict and tension. Reporting directly to chief marketing officers and chief communication officers, the firm’s core focus is on understanding and using the best practices to effectively serve clients under any circumstance. The firm is industry-agnostic and launches with clients in the finance and technology fields. “Business leaders are facing an avalanche of disinformation and propaganda, which are working in tandem to exhaust both the creators and consumers of news. This is why competition for earned attention is so fierce and why there are so many pressures put on modern CMOs and CCOs,” said Graham. “I believe good-faith efforts to communicate openly and honestly with all stakeholders can defeat the amplified toxicity out there, and the purpose of my new firm is to work with leading companies to do just that.” Beyond that core purpose, the firm will also act as an incubator to test proof-of-concept for new ideas and processes meant to redefine the PR industry’s norms. The first business unit it is incubating in this way is Espresso, a service for thought leadership campaigns with guaranteed results and fixed pricing. “To cut through all the noise, thought leadership material needs to obey actual news values, and to maintain a viable price point, it needs to lean on technology and proprietary data,” Graham said. “That’s the basic process defined in Espresso. It cuts unpredictability and cost uncertainty completely out of the thought leadership process. Based on the available research and data, ours is the best practice for the creation and dissemination of thought leadership material.” About the Agency Bread & Law (est. 2022) is a new public relations firm designed to help companies thrive either despite or because of the erosion of trust in institutions and expertise. Our approach is unique. We work with clients to strategically embrace conflict because it's the dominant news value today. We think and act with realness because so many others in our field don't. And we have absolute expertise in the methods that work in today’s competitive media and business environment because knowing process is what turns good ideas and intentions into outcomes. We consult directly with heads of communication and marketing, doing whatever is necessary to help them realize their agendas, and we’re building a portfolio of lean agencies that complement that core focus. Follow us on Linkedin or reach out at newbiz@breadandlaw.com. Contact Details Bread & Law Andrew Graham andrew@breadandlaw.com

April 29, 2022 08:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Pencil partners with Shopify & Meta to bring AI-generated ads to ecommerce merchants

Pencil

Creative AI company Pencil has partnered with the No. 1 ecommerce platform for businesses Shopify to provide their merchants with the latest innovation in online advertising for ecommerce, AI-generated ads. Rather than spending hours in video editing software or engaging expensive professional agencies, Shopify merchants can now generate original video ads to pitch their businesses in just a few clicks. Furthermore, AI-generated ads trained using 1st-party data from advertisers’ Meta ad accounts via the Meta Marketing API have been shown to consistently double return on ad spend for brands and halve customer acquisition costs. Shopify merchants using Pencil’s AI-generated ads will be able to discover new audiences on Meta’s platforms and grow their businesses faster. Pencil’s AI-generated ads work because they prioritize both creativity and data. When a merchant connects their Shopify store, Pencil analyzes their brand and product information and generates a wide variety of ad ideas to pitch their products. When a merchant then connects their Meta advertising data, Pencil compares the newly generated ideas to what’s worked well in the past. Those ideas similar to past winners are highlighted to the merchant. In this way Pencil helps merchants learn what works while continuously exploring fresh new creative ideas that might resonate with audiences. Rob Carliner, Co-founder/COO of Angela Caglia Skincare commented: “Pencil is by far the best way to create winning ads at scale by combining editing software with AI learning algorithms to effectively eliminate guesswork of making winning ad creatives… as you’re no longer dependent on agencies, Pencil gives you all the tools you need to level the playing field. The interface is easy, the results are impressive. Lots of companies claim to have built a better mousetrap, Pencil has actually done it!” Pencil analyzed over 100 ecommerce campaigns that used AI-generated ads and found the best ads delivered an average return on ad spend (ROAS) 2x that of other ads the brands were running. One brand’s AI-generated ad campaign delivered 7x higher ROAS. Will Hanschell, CEO and co-founder of Pencil commented: “We’re beyond excited to make our creative AI software available to the almost 2,000,000 merchants on Shopify. This direct integration makes creating content for business owners and marketers as simple as clicking a button. When up to 70% of stores’ revenues come from ads, winning with ads is incredibly important. Pencil puts the creative and analytical power of a professional agency into the hands of anyone looking to start and scale a business online.” This partnership announcement comes hot on the heels of Pencil joining Meta’s Business Partners, a program that connects businesses to an ecosystem of advertising specialists. More than 200 million businesses worldwide use Meta’s apps to connect with customers and grow, and over 10 million of them run advertising campaigns each month. Pencil leverages proprietary technology to generate video, derive insights and make predictions, as well as integrating the OpenAI API to generate ad copy. The OpenAI API provides access to GPT-3, one of the world’s most powerful language models. Pencil is among the companies approved to use it commercially. This approval requires strict criteria in AI safety and ethics. About Pencil Pencil is a Creative AI company on a mission to generate unexpected ideas that get results. Pencil generates ads that learn to perform, delivering the return on ad spend that helps brands scale their businesses. Pencil’s AI-generated ads are a new way of making ads that algorithmically optimise for creative novelty, brand relevance and return on advertising spend. It always starts from a human brief and it always involves total human editorial control. Pencil’s Creative AI platform generates ads in minutes and has been shown to double returns for brands. Pencil was founded in 2018 with a team from Google, Meta and Uber and is backed by Sequoia Capital India’s Surge, Wavemaker Partners, Singapore Innovate and Entrepreneur First. For further information visit: https://www.trypencil.com About Shopify Shopify is an all-in-one commerce platform to start, run, and grow a business. Shopify offers online retailers a suite of services that includes payments, marketing, shipping, and customer engagement tools to simplify the process of running an online store for small merchants. For more information visit: https://www.shopify.com About Meta Business Partners Meta Business Partners are companies Meta has vetted for their expertise. They have the experience to help grow advertisers’ business – from running ads, to selling products, to engaging with customers. For more information visit: https://www.facebook.com/business/marketing-partners Contact Details Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://www.trypencil.com/

April 29, 2022 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Top Tips for Returning to the Office

YourUpdateTV

With pandemic restrictions being lifted around the country, people are returning to a work environment that looks familiar but feels much different. Recently, Dr. Dana Sumpter, a Professor of Organization Theory and Management at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School, participated in a nationwide satellite media tour to discuss tips for employees, especially working moms, returning to the office and what organizations can do to help facilitate the process. A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/vdw5gcwfEuI Employees are facing many challenges as they return to the office, especially working parents and caregivers. The first is how returning to the office can impact scheduling. Going back to the office means creating new routines, which can impact an entire household. There is also the challenge of uncertainty. The continued uncertainty around childcare, schooling, health protocols, and more, can completely disrupt a work routine and make it difficult to integrate back into the office. One suggestion from Dr. Sumpter? Be very clear about your availability. During the pandemic, many employees became accustomed to being “constantly available,” which is unsustainable in an office environment. It’s important to be proactive in regard to what you want your work hours to be and be clear with co-workers about when you need to take some time for yourself. Companies and organizations can also take the lead in helping their employees successfully return to the office. The first thing they can do, is keep their finger on the pulse of how employee re-entry is going, which means listening and paying attention to how their employees are feeling. It’s also important to consider employees’ holistic needs. Employers can demonstrate they care about employees holistically by upping their support policies and structure opportunities for people to connect. One potential way to jumpstart or revitalize your work life? Dr. Sumpter suggests earning a higher degree, such as an MBA or aMasters in Leadership, can be an experience and credential to help employees reach their career goals. For more information, visit bschool.pepperdine.edu About Dr. Dana Sumpter: Dana Sumpter is an Associate Professor of Organization Theory and Management at Pepperdine Graziadio Business School. Her research employs a cross-cultural lens in understanding social behavior at work, studying topics including energy, mindfulness, power, work/family systems, people management, and work relationships. She has published in numerous academic journals, and her recent award-winning international management case focused on a woman’s human resource management expatriate role in Oman. In addition to her teaching and scholarship, Professor Sumpter enjoys consulting, giving presentations and talks, and running professional workshops. She gave a popular TEDx talk in 2018 titled "Don't Underestimate Working Mothers." Previously, she was a Vice President of Human Resources at Citigroup, based in New York and Singapore. Across 10 Asia-Pacific nations, Dr. Sumpter has led live executive training and coached executives on people management skills. She is an avid traveler, who has spent time in more than 30 countries, and counting! Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

April 28, 2022 06:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Ripken Baseball Celebrates National Beef Month with Tommy’s Jerky

Ripken Baseball

In celebration of National Beef Month in May, Ripken Baseball announces its first multi-year partnership in the meats and smokies category with Tommy’s Jerky. As the official jerky of Ripken Baseball, Tommy’s Jerky will provide its award-winning products at The Ripken Experience™ in Aberdeen, MD, Myrtle Beach, SC, and Pigeon Forge, TN. To kick off the new partnership, Ripken Baseball will host multiple “Jerky and Jersey” social media contests where fans can win a supply of Tommy’s Jerky products along with a Cal Ripken, Jr. autographed jersey. “We continue to identify and align with partners that elevate the players’ experience,” said Amanda Shank, Vice President of Business Development for Ripken Baseball. “Tommy’s Jerky is the ultimate easy to go snack and perfect option for all of our players, coaches, umpires, and families inside and outside our facilities.” As part of the retail program, Tommy’s Jerky award-winning jerky and meat smokies will be made available to enhance performance and refuel the umpires during competition. In addition, youth travel baseball teams seeking a delicious and easy way to raise funds to support their program have an opportunity to earn a profit by selling Tommy’s Jerky variety of products. Teams are encouraged to reach out directly to Amy Bulick at abulick@tommysjerky.com if interested in receiving more information about Tommy’s Jerky fundraiser program. “We are so pleased and honored to be the Official Jerky and Smokies of Ripken Baseball,” said Amy Bulick, President and CEO of Tommy’s Jerky and Smokies. “Our high-quality production process and unique flavors set us apart from other jerky and smokie brands. Like Ripken Baseball, we are a first-class experience, and we take great pride in what we do.” Tommy’s Jerky and Smokies looks forward to supplying players, families, and fans with amazing products to tempt their tastes for many seasons to come. About Tommy’s Jerky: Tommy’s Jerky and Smokies is built on tradition and pride of a job well done. With a state-of-the-art facility and USDA approval, the delicious jerky and smokies are made for a high protein, low fat snack to enjoy on the go or any time. Made from the highest quality meats, there is a flavor to please everyone that offers a healthy energy filled boost of flavor that fills cravings and boosts performance. About Ripken Baseball Ripken Baseball brings teammates, coaches, and families together through its Big-League Experiences, while teaching the values of the game, and how to play it the right way – the Ripken Way. Recently expanding the best experience in youth sports to satellite locations through Ripken Select Tournaments, Ripken Baseball continues to innovate the game through tournaments, camps, clinics, and spring training at their state-of-the-art baseball and softball facilities – The Ripken Experience™ Aberdeen (Maryland), The Ripken Experience™ Myrtle Beach (South Carolina), and The Ripken Experience™ Pigeon Forge (Tennessee). Contact Details Eric Nemeth +1 602-502-2793 nemeth@ericpr.com Company Website https://www.ripkenbaseball.com/

April 28, 2022 09:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

New Strategic Partnership Between Cardinal Sports Capital & HPL Digital Sport Creates Accelerator Program

HPL Digital Sport

Cardinal Sports Capital (CSC), a Toronto-based advisory and investment firm focused on the sports gaming and media/tech/data convergence space and HPL Digital Sport (HPLDS), a specialty group within New York-based Hot Paper Lantern, helping sports betting, fantasy sports and sports technology companies create greater brand relevance, announced the creation of a strategic partnership to form an Accelerator Program. CSC is planning to invest between $75-100 million through the Accelerator Program. The Accelerator Program unites the strengths and capabilities of both CSC and HPLDS to help companies in the sports betting, igaming, sports technology and fantasy sports categories navigate through a host of challenges to see their business models grow quicker and become more successful. The Accelerator Program will tap dozens of key investors within the firms’ networks to fund target companies at various emerging growth stage levels. Other specific services include: Helping to shape and create business strategies for marketplace success Relationship building and introductions to targeted customers, vendors, partners, advisors, counsel and others to make key inroads A guiding hand and a focus on capital raises through a large collective investor network Advertising, partnership development, positioning, marketing, public relations, influencer engagement, investor relations and other brand building and customer acquisition solutions The vision behind the Accelerator Program is to help streamline a company’s access to essential tools needed for entrepreneurs to obtain capital, network in the right channels, effectively articulate their value proposition and get their products and services into the hands of the right audiences. WagerWire, a proprietary sports betting futures marketplace, is the first company to participate in the Accelerator Program. “We are excited to leverage the combined skills of CSC and HPLDS to help jumpstart our company. The synergies between the two organizations align extremely well and, as a client, has made combined strategy calls, investor conversations, brand positioning initiatives, public relations goals, as well as overall workflow a seamless experience. These two groups work hand-in-hand, which minimizes the complexity of having a few disconnected agencies help control different parts of our business,” said Zach Doctor, co-founder and CEO at WagerWire. “While the attention surrounding the North American sports gaming market is high, market conditions have clearly become more challenging. We see that it’s harder for even the best companies to navigate the complexities of the capital markets, investment needs, all while positioning themselves the right way with investors, potential strategic partners and customers,” said Scott Secord, partner at Cardinal Sports Capital. “We’ve partnered with HPLDS before on a number of mutual clients and feel our end-to-end services, now offered through the Accelerator Program. really complement what these early growth stage companies need.” CSC also has a strategic partnership with Canaccord Genuity, a global investment banking and financial services company. CSC’s portfolio companies include low6, Quarter4, ThriveFantasy and WagerWire. HPLDS and CSC have previously collaborated on advisory and marketing communications efforts with Quarter4 and ThriveFantasy, as well as other clients. “Many passionate and driven entrepreneurs come to us wanting to market their offerings to build mindshare and new users. But, a lack of investment dollars and a misunderstanding of what the investment community cares about, often creates real challenges to conducting business as they had hoped,” said Ed Moed, CEO of HPL Digital Sport. “This partnership with CSC will allow us to tap our wide-scale network of investors to allow these worthy companies the opportunity to close on their early rounds of investments, and leverage our experience and guidance as advisors to build, market, sell and conduct business as they had planned to.” A number of HPL Digital Sport current and former clients include Sportradar, Monkey Knife Fight, BettorEdge, SharpLink Gaming, Champion Gaming, NBC Sports Edge and Rush Street Interactive. For more information on the Accelerator Program please email: Ed Moed at emoed@hotpaperlantern.com and John Libro at jlibro@cardinalsportscapital.com. About Cardinal Sports Capital: Founded in 2021, Cardinal Sports Capital focuses on market sectors that include sports gaming, and the media/tech/data convergence space. The firm aims to bring a different dynamic to the commercial sports and gaming marketplace through a combination of financial investment, marketing services, and industry connectivity. About HPL Digital Sport: Hot Paper Lantern Digital Sport is a specialty group within Hot Paper Lantern (HPL) that works with sports betting, fantasy and sports technology brands to build greater brand relevance and acquire new audiences. The group’s unique value proposition is how it leverages years of deep expertise in this category with the way it integrates specific services such as: strategic branding, customer research/analytics, performance marketing, public relations and social media strategy, experiential and high level creative design to generate results. Contact Details Michael Adorno +1 212-931-6143 madorno@hotpaperlantern.com Company Website https://www.hpldigitalsport.com/

April 28, 2022 09:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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