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This Architecture And Design School Is A Talent Engine In The Capital Of Design, San Diego

Ambow Education Holding

By David Willey, Benzinga If Los Angeles is the city of actors, then San Diego could be said to be the city of architects and designers. NewSchool of Architecture and Design (NewSchool), located in downtown San Diego, is one school leading the field of design and architecture, and it serves as an engine of talent-producing students who bring their creative vision across the globe. The architecture and urban planning global market is currently worth $281 billion. Though the profession in the US took a slight hit due to COVID-19, the number of US architects has been steadily increasing in the five years up to 2021, with over 121,000 architects currently licensed in America. Architects and urban designers can find work in industries ranging from construction and project management to engineering, interior design, and urban planning. San Diego is something of a hub within this bustling world of urban architecture and design. The city was recently nominated as the World Design Capital (WDC) 2024, along with Tijuana, Mexico. San Diego was chosen as an example of how cities are innovating with their urban spaces post-pandemic. The city has a history of celebrating a rich architectural culture, boasting its own “ 7 Modern Wonders,” as well as multiple historic cultural districts such as its famous Balboa Park and a new district slated to celebrate Black arts and culture. NewSchool’s Place in San Diego NewSchool's faculty is actively preparing talent by involving its students in designing future scenarios of both the city and the wider area, including Tijuana, to contribute to the vision of the World Design Capital. The school’s campus is in the city’s East Village, which is part of the education corridor that includes City College, the Urban Discovery Academy and many other educational institutions promoting design thinking in K-12. This design district of San Diego has also seen the launch of the I.D.E.A. project to build an innovative urban mixed-use district for education and arts, the development of Tailgate Park, and the University of California San Diego (UCSD)’s new state-of-the-art building on the corner of Park & Market. Globally recognized and awarded, NewSchool offers multiple programs accredited by the National Architecture Accrediting Board (NAAB). NewSchool’s undergraduate and master's degree programs are housed within two schools, the School of Architecture and Construction Management, and the School of Design. The school is also home to the Center for Healthy Environments, which produces leaders in the design world committed to a healthy and sustainable approach to urbanism and architecture. Part of NewSchool’s mission is to provide its students with key connections in the industry, as well as opportunities for students to engage the community and collaborate on real-world projects. Some of these projects include design planning for a new Downtown Master Plan in National City, CA, as well as the development of a research center in Mission Bay, San Diego. For the National City project, 70+ students spent 20 weeks creating plans for urban renewal of the downtown area. These students developed a creative vision encompassing 40 city blocks to help the communities. In this endeavor, the students followed official National City Downtown Specific Plan guidelines set out by the local council. In 2020, the NewSchool’s Undergraduate Integrated Design Studio collaborated with the University of California San Diego, the National Audubon Society, and the City of San Diego Planning Department, to design a new Wetlands Education and Research Center. The project’s aim was to help decision-makers re-imagine the range of possibilities for increasing public access to Mission Bay and learning more about the preservation and role of this amazing ecosystem in the heart of San Diego. This project highlighted how contemporary urban design can respond to the environment in a sustainable manner. These projects highlight NewSchool’s commitment that students learn to innovate with their designs while also being trained rigorously in the technical and logistical aspects of architecture and urban planning. NewSchool has contributed to the urban fabric of San Diego for many decades, and NewSchool alumni and faculty continue to help design and build the city. Want to learn more about the exciting world of architecture and design? Visit NewSchool’s website. This article was originally published on Benzinga here. Ambow Education Holding Ltd. is a leading cross-border career educational and technology service provider, offering high-quality, individualized services and products. With its extensive network of regional service hubs complemented by a dynamic proprietary learning platform and distributors, Ambow provides its services and products to students in China and United States of America. This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Kevin Derrivan kderrivan@amboweducation.com Company Website https://www.ambow.com/

March 09, 2023 09:15 AM Eastern Standard Time

Houseware launches with $2.1M funding to help SaaS companies laser-focus on revenue

Houseware

SaaS businesses worldwide have been under intense scrutiny due to drifting macroeconomic conditions over the past year as they seek to establish sustainable business models. Yet, a key means to unlock growth and revenues remain in the hands of the few: the data teams. Helping their commercial and revenues teams make better and faster decisions using their rich store of data, Houseware is today coming out of stealth with a $2.1M seed funding round. The funding round was led by Tanglin Venture Partners with participation from GTMfund, Better Capital, and prominent angel investors from leading SaaS businesses, including Snowflake, Stripe, Carta, Zendesk, Superhuman, and others. Houseware is on a mission to address access and usability of data through apps empowering a wider audience in companies beyond data and engineering teams. “ Data and metrics have come into sharp focus over the past 6 months across SaaS businesses with board meetings now seeking answers to the cost of customer acquisition, which lead channels are working the best, or how product usage links to churn. Investors are focused on solid unit economics and the path to profitability so that a lot will depend on hard-core, disciplined, top-decile business execution. Houseware plans to address these questions for the ecosystem to shape the next decade of SaaS, fuelled by sustainable growth and profitability concepts,” said Divyansh Saini, Co-founder & CEO of Houseware. Founded in 2021 by Divyansh Saini and Shubhankar Srivastava, they sought to flip the value of the cloud data warehouse from data and engineering teams to the revenue function in SaaS companies. Hence, the eponymous name "Houseware" was born, quite literally flipping the word "Warehouse." Having spent the previous 5 years working at the intersection of data and go-to-market teams in SaaS companies, Divyansh Saini observed that the world of tables, columns, rows, schemas, and metrics that drive the business is completely broken today. The true identity of a user, customer, invoice, or transaction is split across hundreds of point solution tools spread across an organization, such as Stripe, Salesforce, Mixpanel, Gainsight, etc. These tools' plaguing and overpowering nature mean that simple questions like “how many users do we have?” have been left unanswered and key initiatives dropped. Sankalp Gupta, Partner at Tanglin Venture Partners who led the round, said, “Houseware is building at the cusp of two really broad markets - the modern data stack and system of records like the CRM inside SaaS companies. Divyansh and Shubhankar are exceptional founders with deep product thinking. At Tanglin, we’ve been fortunate to have partnered with them early in their journey and look forward to supporting them as they create a seismic shift in this low NPS, deep TAM market. ” Houseware enables SaaS businesses to create a true new-age CRM built on the cloud data warehouse for the modern world. Houseware combines the power and depth of the modern data stack (tools like Snowflake) with the beauty and agility of the best of consumerized SaaS (tools like Notion). The unique combination now enables teams to move from simply consumers of data to creators of data-first use cases across the revenue function. Divyansh Saini added: “Executives across the revenue function are under tremendous pressure to find avenues for growth. Metrics and access to these insights to run experiments are at the heart of this problem, and Houseware is becoming mission-critical across our users, with up to 30% using the product daily” Houseware will use the funding to grow its customer base, expand its team, and double down on alliances with partners like Snowflake to scale its offerings. “During my time as a GTM operator at various SaaS companies, I would have loved to have something like Houseware. The experience of being able to run with use cases across different segments is powerful for any scaling SaaS company looking to find their alpha (and now even more critical during this downturn),” says Scott Barker, Co-founder & Partner at GTMFund. About Houseware Founded in late 2021, Houseware is on a mission to address access and usability of data through apps empowering a wider audience in companies beyond data and engineering teams. Houseware enables SaaS businesses to create a true new-age CRM built on the cloud data warehouse for the modern world. Houseware combines the power of the data stack with the agility of tools like Notion to enable teams to move from simply consumers of data to creators of data-first use cases. Houseware won the coveted 2022 Snowflake Startup Challenge at the Snowflake Summit in Las Vegas, Nevada, competing amongst 300+ other startups from 70+ countries around the world. For more information, please visit https://www.houseware.io/ About Tanglin Venture Partners Tanglin Venture Partners is an early-stage venture capital firm targeting high-growth start-ups in India and South East Asia. Tanglin aspires to be long-term partners to entrepreneurs solving complex problems via technology. The team’s 'operator' mindset informs their approach to investing and engagement with the portfolio companies. Tanglin’s portfolio includes companies like Moglix, Plum Insurance, Ninjacart, Credgenics, Pepper Content and Public amongst others. For more information, visit https://www.tanglinvp.com/ About GTMfund GTMfund is an early-stage fund focused on investing in hyper-growth B2B SaaS companies. The fund is comprised of 220+ go-to-market executives from the fastest-growing companies on the planet (Snowflake, DocuSign, Okta, Salesforce, Twilio, Square, Procore, etc). The fund operators have been there, done that, from zero to IPO and support the founders with everything GTM - from strategy to hiring and execution. Visit: https://www.gtmfund.com/ About Better Capital Better is a top-tier India-focused pre-seed venture firm with a portfolio of 200+ companies including stellar successes like Slice, Rupeek, Open, Khatabook, Bijak, Airmeet, Teachmint, Kutumb, Dukaan, Jai Kisan, Skill Lync, M2P, Toddle & more. Better is founded and run by Vaibhav Domkundwar, a lifelong entrepreneur turned investor who brings 20+ years of operating experience across product, growth, sales & marketing. You can see more here: https://www.bettercapital.vc Contact Details Houseware Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://www.houseware.io/

March 09, 2023 07:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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News Release

Nano Caps With Big Breakout Potential (EPAZ, HNRC, KRBP, NLTX)

RazorPitch EPAZ

Penny stock trading can offer investors an exciting opportunity to potentially reap significant gains. While a lot of investors might concentrate on more well-known stocks listed on significant exchanges, there are a ton of low-priced stocks that are currently trading that may offer promising investment potential. In this article, we'll be delving into the world of penny stock trading and examining four stocks that are currently trading at attractive prices. These stocks could have the potential to experience explosive growth, and we'll be taking a closer look at what these companies offer. While investing in penny stocks can come with increased risk, it also presents the opportunity for big rewards. As investors, it's important to carefully analyze the potential of each stock and assess their long-term prospects. Penny stocks offer an exciting opportunity to invest in promising companies at a low price. Let's explore what these four stocks have to offer and why they may be worth considering for your portfolio. Epazz Inc. (OTCMKTS: EPAZ) is a mission-critical provider of drone technology, blockchain mobile apps, and cloud-based business software solutions. On March 7, Epazz announced that the company received the official utility patent on their AI-predictive drone Smart Charging Pad. This now allows EPAZ to seek international patents using established U.S. patent treaties. They will concentrate on patent registration in Ukraine, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Canada, Australia, South Africa, and Brazil. EPAZ believes that the Smart Charging Pad is a major game changer in the drone charging arena. While most competitors are pricing their charging pads for drones weighing less than 55 pounds anywhere from $4,000 to $15,000, the ZenaDrone Smart Charging Pad, which can be used to charge our ZenaDrone 1000, weighing over 250 pounds, will be priced at less than $15,000. The ZenaDrone Smart Charging Pad allows the ZenaDrone 1000 to land on the charger for automatic charging. This allows the drone to be used in remote areas and operate in a true autonomous fashion. According to the company, the Smart Charging Pad has built-in computer vision to help it understand the environment around it and select the best option for receiving energy. It also has options for solar panels or wind power. The ZenaDrone 1000, with its updated artificial intelligence (AI) predictive automation software, is a serious aircraft created for use by the military as well as in the oil and gas and agriculture industries. The ZenaDrone is meant to be a workhorse and to push the limits of future technology available today. The company's affordable offerings are getting noticed quickly. Just a few weeks ago, back in February, EPAZ submitted Phase 1 SBIR proposals to the U.S. government. If ZenaDrone is awarded a Phase 1 contract, which has a value of up to $75,000 per proposal, the company will then be able to submit for Phase 2 contracts, which have a value of up to $1.2 million per contract. ZenaDrone will hear back from the government in 90 days. Additional phases of the SBIR would give the business the opportunity to secure significant government contracts worth up to $15 million over the following three years. The company's prospects are also improved by the US government's ban on Chinese drones, which coincides with the significant revenue opportunity provided by SBIR contracts in the upcoming years. A further benefit of joining the program is that ZenaDrone will be permitted to sell its drones to US allies. With the US Military drone segment set to expand, and the potential for big revenue over the next few years, EPAZ should be on the list of any investor looking for a promising penny stock Houston Natural Resources Corp. (OTCMKTS: HNRC) is a diversified energy company with oil and gas interests as well as wastewater treatment facilities. The Halff Oil Field in Crockett County, Texas, has 83 oil wells with an estimated 33 million barrels of oil and water treatment and appraised reserves of $69 million. HNRC has acquired a 9.9% interest in Cunningham Energy LLC, which has an appraised reserve of $352 million. On Tuesday, HNRC announced record results for the quarter ending in December 2022. HNRC increased revenue by 12.6% over 2021. Their total earnings increased by 24.9% over the previous year. Earnings per share for 2022 were $ 0.14 per share. HNRC has a net asset value of $ 1.35 per share as of December 31, 2022. Frank Kristan, president of Houston Natural Resources Corp., commented, "The company's increase in revenues and earnings has been due to acquisitions and an increase in services it provides to its portfolio companies. The company sponsored a successful $86 million NYSE listing of an energy focused special purpose acquisition corporation in 2022 and acquired an interest in Cunningham Energy. We anticipate consistent growth from revenue and profit in 2023 in addition to other liquidity events for HNRC shareholders. While the stock finished Tuesday up nearly 75%, ultimately it could not carry the momentum into Wednesday, and the stock fell 22.66%. Keep it on your shortlist for potential breakouts. Kiromic BioPharma Inc. (NASDAQ: KRBP) is a clinical-stage biotherapeutics company using its proprietary DIAMOND artificial intelligence 2.0 target discovery engine to detect, develop, and commercialize cell therapies with a therapeutic focus on immuno-oncology Last week, the company celebrated a victory when they released promising news regarding a preclinical trial. According to KRBP, the company received favorable safety results from the histopathology evaluation of a preclinical study of the pharmacology of KB-GDT-01 (trademark: Deltacel) administered alone and in combination with a non-biological anti-tumor therapy in mice. “These findings are in line with what we observed in a study evaluating Deltacel monotherapy at a dose more than 7 times higher than the maximum dose planned for the Deltacel clinical trial, and they confirm that Deltacel was well tolerated in mice, even when given as part of a combination therapy that further boosted its potency,” said Leonardo Mirandola, Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer of Kiromic BioPharma. Kiromic plans to submit the Deltacel IND application to the FDA in the current first quarter. If accepted, plans call for the activation of the clinical trial process to begin in the second quarter of 2023. The planned clinical study will evaluate Deltacel in combination with a non-biological anti-tumor therapy for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer.' The stock finished up 12.59% on Wednesday. A big winner from Wednesday's after hours trading session is Neoleukin Therapeutics Inc. (NASDAQ: NLTX). This biopharmaceutical company uses "de novo" protein design technology to develop next-generation immunotherapies for cancer, inflammation, and autoimmunity. Neoleukin employs sophisticated computational methods to create proteins with specific pharmaceutical properties that may provide a therapeutic advantage over native proteins. NLTX announced earlier this week that it had hired SVB Securities to help it review strategic options for the business with the aim of increasing shareholder value. Neoleukin's Board of Directors approved a further corporate restructuring to conserve cash, which included a 70% reduction in the company's workforce, in connection with the evaluation of strategic alternatives. CEO Jonathan Drachman, M.D., will also be stepping down after a short transition. The company anticipates that this force reduction will be finished in the first half of 2023. Razorpitch Inc. is a marketing communications and investor relations firm serving private, pre-IPO, and public companies. RazorPitch specializes in corporate, investor, and stakeholder communications. Our goal is to raise visibility, expand awareness, and increase value. To learn more, visit RazorPitch.com. Disclaimers: The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides investors a safe harbor in regard to forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, assumptions, objectives, goals, assumptions of future events or performance are not statements of historical fact may be forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on expectations, estimates, and projections at the time the statements are made that involve a number of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those presently anticipated. Forward looking statements in this action may be identified through use of words such as projects, foresee, expects, will, anticipates, estimates, believes, understands, or that by statements, indicating certain actions & quotes; may, could or might occur Understand there is no guarantee past performance is indicative of future results. Investing in micro-cap or growth securities is highly speculative and carries an extremely high degree of risk. It is possible that an investor's investment may be lost or due to the speculative nature of the companies profiled. RazorPitch is responsible for the production and distribution of this content. RazorPitch is not operated by a licensed broker, a dealer, or a registered investment advisor. It should be expressly understood that under no circumstances does any information published herein represent a recommendation to buy or sell a security. Contact Details Mark McKelvie +1 585-301-7700 markrmckelvie@gmail.com Company Website http://razorpitch.com

March 09, 2023 05:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

Legal & General’s new report on Women in the U.S. Gig Economy finds income disparity, multiple roles, worry about financial future

Legal & General

- Lowest pay bracket: 58% are women; Highest pay bracket: 68% are men - Earning over $100K a year in gig work: 18% are female, 28% are male - 71% of female gig workers say their biggest worry is their financial futue - Just 8% of women surveyed have a pension plan A special International Women’s Day report in a broad new study sponsored by Legal & General Group ( LGEN, LGNNY ), U.S. Gig Economy Special Report: Tasked With Both Childcare and Earning, Women Fall Behind Their Male Counterparts, was released today. The report continues narrating original research on the changing U.S. workforce and the reluctance of so many to enter into traditional employment. The study looks into the diversity and differences as well as the shared traits of this group of workers, along with the tradeoffs they make in favor of flexibility. This special report in the data-rich U.S. Gig Economy study, Tasked With Both Childcare and Earning, Women Fall Behind Their Male Counterparts, explores several areas of gender disparity between the male and female freelance workers who were surveyed. The sample comprised 47 percent women, who largely make their living in lower-paid sectors such as Beauty & Heath, Media/Writing and Online/App Services—this, in contrast to the highest paid, mostly male sector, IT. Across all categories of respondents, whether paid per project, per hour, per week or per month, the pay gap between men and women was 32 percent on average, and as much as 45 percent in median average pay per month. The study found that female gig workers are far more likely than males to prioritize their children and other family caregiving responsibilities ahead of the stability and future financial security offered by the full-time, office-based work model. They also worry far more than men do about the long-term financial outlook their choice entails. Verbatim responses received ahead of the survey from female gig workers show a more realistic and stoic outlook on their financial prospects than their male counterparts, including their projected income at retirement and their ability to weather unforeseen financial crises such as a loss of income or a major home or car repair. “The value of women in the workforce becomes increasingly obvious, even as more and more American women find themselves turning to working independently as the only way to juggle multiple roles and responsibilities in their lives. This study shines the light on some key areas that are ripe for reparation in the U.S. labor space, notably more equitable pay and better social and financial safety nets for women. Employers looking to get this hard-working contingent back to the office should additionally address women’s evident need for flexibility, as they pick up many other family and householder duties. The private sector can and should lead the way in improving their lot.” Sir Nigel Wilson, Chief Executive, Legal & General Group Female gig workers’ biggest concern is their long-term financial future Legal & General’s study looks at the complex and multifaceted societal and financial factors behind independent work, including what is missing for many to feel secure in life and society. Seven out of 10 women in this study worried about a lack of job security and predictability of income, as well as not having access to group retirement plans and other benefits. “Globally, women are at far greater risk of poverty in their old age than are men, and U.S. policymakers are taking notice of this fact. We’re seeing proposed legislation, for example, that would tie federal funding for business growth to the provision of affordable childcare and other benefits meant to empower the workforce. Still, there is a substantial bridge for employers to cross when considering the critical reasons that female workers, in particular, are choosing flexibility over financial security. We hope our research goes some way toward creating a basis for positive change.” John Godfrey, Director of Levelling-Up, Legal & General Group Future segments of this research will look in depth at gig workers’ outlook and financial situation around retirement planning; what it would take to get gig workers to go back to the traditional workplace; and a closer look at the pandemic fallout for gig workers. To receive a pdf of any of these reports, please email Meir Kahtan/MKPR at mkahtan@rcn.com. About the Study Legal & General undertook proprietary research into the attitudes and changes U.S. gig workers are experiencing in relation to their work situations and financial outlook. The U.S. Gig Economy research was compiled using original survey data from 1044 U.S.-based workers aged 18 to 60 who are neither students nor retired, and who earn at least 60% of their income from gig work. The data was collected via online survey fielded to individuals sample sourced from YouGov’s US panel. The Legal & General-designed survey was scripted and hosted on Gryphon, YouGov’s proprietary survey scripting platform, and the field work took place between August 19 and 31, 2022. Key demographics such as age, gender and region were allowed to fall out naturally. 20 questions were designed to understand facts about earnings, drivers of and barriers to gig working, financial product ownership & financial capacity when coming across adverse situations, and future expectations of being involved in the gig economy. Verbatim comments were captured by Legal & General in research carried out in June 2022. About Legal & General Group Established in 1836, Legal & General is one of the UK's leading financial services groups and a major global investor, with over £1.4 trillion ($1.7 trillion) in total assets under management* of which a third is international. We also provide powerful asset origination capabilities. Together, these underpin our leading retirement and protection solutions: we are a leading international player in pension risk transfer, in UK and US life insurance, and in UK workplace pensions and retirement income. Through inclusive capitalism, we aim to build a better society by investing in long-term assets that benefit everyone. *as of December 31, 2021 The information contained in this press release is intended solely for journalists and should not be relied upon by private investors or any other persons to make financial decisions. Contact Details Meir Kahtan Public Relations, LLC Meir Kahtan +1 917-864-0800 mkahtan@rcn.com Company Website https://www.legalandgeneralgroup.com/

March 08, 2023 01:00 PM Eastern Standard Time

GameOn Entertainment expecting a "very profitable" 2023

GameOn Entertainment Technologies Inc

GameOn Entertainment Technologies Inc founder & CEO Matt Bailey speaks to Proactive's Thomas Warner about the work the B2B technology company is doing to "make it easy to get involved in web3 through games." Bailey says that after reaching cash break-even in December 2022, he's expecting a "very profitable" 2023. Contact Details Proactive United States Proactive United States +1 347-449-0879 action@proactiveinvestors.com

March 08, 2023 12:58 PM Eastern Standard Time

Video

Nextech AR Solutions announces company has changed name to Nextech3D.AI

Nextech3D.AI

Nextech AR Solutions CEO Evan Gappelberg joined Steve Darling from Proactive to share news the company has re-branded including a name change to NexTech3D.AI. Gappelberg tells Proactive the name change, he feels, is better suited for the future as the company is now an AI-powered 3D modeling for eCommerce company. Contact Details Proactive Investors Canada +1 604-688-8158 na-editorial@proactiveinvestors.com

March 08, 2023 12:03 PM Eastern Standard Time

Video

Letting Your Money Work For You? Current’s Debit Card Rewards Program Could Be The Way To Go

Current

By Faith Ashmore, Benzinga In the early 2000s, lots of banks offered a variety of rewards for debit cards - it was the status quo. However, the federal government enacted the Durbin amendment of the Dodd-Frank Act in 2010 which effectively reduced the rewards for debit card use. While the amendment added more protection for consumers, debit card rewards decreased and many banks started restricting rewards to their credit card programs. Today, credit cards are the primary provider of bonus features like travel rewards or miles, cashback deals, and retail perks. A Bankrate survey in 2022 reported that cashback is the favorite feature among credit card users. It is unsurprising that cashback is a prized feature. Cashback works by the bank offering a percentage of cash back on every qualifying purchase. For example, if a bank offers 1.5% cash back for every purchase at a restaurant, the user will earn 1.5 cents in cash back rewards for every dollar spent. This amounts to roughly $15 for every $1,000 spent. While there are a few banks that still offer cash-back rewards to debit card users, they are few and far between. While approximately 83% of Americans own at least one credit card, only 51% of low-income individuals own a credit card. In comparison, 85% of high-income individuals own at least one credit card. The unfortunate side of credit cards is it can be hard to qualify with a low income and a low credit score, which means that people with higher incomes also have more access to the reward programs that are attached to credit cards. Current is shifting this narrative and offering cash back rewards for their debit card. The company is a new type of banking alternative and many features are ideal for individuals looking to get some extra cashback in their wallets. Current is built around the idea that people deserve financial flexibility and freedom in their everyday life. How Does Current’s Cash Back Program Work? Current offers cash back rewards through their debit card and on their app. Users can earn up to 15x points at over 14,000 participating merchants nationwide. The points can then be redeemed through the app for either cash or other items, whatever you prefer. Another unique feature is the app shows all the current locations near you that qualify for cash back with the number of points awarded. Current’s system is meant to be simple for people to use and earn money back. The cash-back program looks to work well with Current’s other features. The company offers direct deposits up to two days earlier than the scheduled pay date. 1 The mobile banking app also grants overdrafts up to $200, pending approval, with no overdraft fees. There are no minimum balance fees either. 2 Current’s app also allows for buying and selling crypto without trading fees, conveniently all in one place. For individuals who aren’t looking to invest in a volatile market, Current offers savings pods with up to 4.00% APY. 3 For those looking for a flexible banking option with features that help optimize their money, Current seems to be innovating in the financial world and might be a good option. This article was originally published on Benzinga here. Current is a leading U.S. financial technology platform serving the needs of Americans who are working to create a better future for themselves. Our mission is to enable members to change their lives by creating better financial outcomes. Leveraging the best technology, we deliver inspirational and motivational products as we all move forward in a world of increasing digitization and complexity. Current is a financial technology company, not a bank. Banking services provided by Choice Financial Group, Member FDIC. The Current Visa Debit Card is issued by Choice Financial Group pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. and may be used everywhere Visa debit cards are accepted. 1 Faster access to funds is based on comparison of traditional banking policies and deposit of paper checks from employers and government agencies versus deposits made electronically. Direct deposit and earlier availability of funds is subject to timing of payer's submission of deposits. 2 Please refer to Overdriveâ¢ Features Terms and Conditions. Out of network cash withdrawal fees, third-party, and adding cash fees may apply. 3 The Annual Percentage Yield ("APY") for Current Interest is variable and may change at any time. The disclosed APY is effective as of January 18, 2023. Qualifying direct deposit of more than $200 required for 4.00% APY. No minimum balance required. Must have $0.01 in Savings Pods to earn Current Interest on up to $2000 in deposits per Savings Pod up to $6000 total. Please refer to Current Interest Terms and Conditions. Cryptocurrency services are powered by Zero Hash LLC and Zero Hash Liquidity Services LLC, and may not be available in all states. Licensed to engage in Virtual Currency Business Activity by the New York State Department of Financial Services. Terms and conditions apply. When you buy or sell cryptocurrency, a difference between the current market price and the price you buy or sell that asset for is called a spread. However, unlike most other exchanges, Current does not charge an additional trading fee. All forms of investments carry risks, including the possible loss of principal. Cryptocurrency is not subject to FDIC or SIPC coverage. Contact Details Erin Bruehl media@current.com Company Website https://current.com

March 08, 2023 09:45 AM Eastern Standard Time

3 Reasons Why You Should Verify Customer Email Addresses

ZeroBounce

Only 57.21% of all the email addresses ZeroBounce verified last year were valid and safe to keep, which shows the prevalence of poor-quality data in email lists. Email is the dominant communication channel of our time. With 4.3 billion users worldwide, more people use email now than ever. As a marketing channel, email is lucrative, but your success depends so much on the quality of your email list. Verifying your customer email addresses is thus a must – here’s why. Almost 23 percent of your email list decays yearly. Company layoffs, people switching jobs or simply going with a different email provider means contacts that were previously valid will now bounce back. Aside from that, email lists acquire other types of low-quality emails, such as spam traps, disposable or abuse emails (users who will report you as spam). Data decay affects email marketing ROI, but not verifying customer email addresses can have even more dramatic consequences. Recently, JPMorgan Chase was duped into buying Frank, an online student financial aid business. Frank boasted that it had attracted millions of users, but almost all of them – 4.25 million – were fake. JPMorgan Chase realized the deception after its team sent a mass email resulting in a 70 percent bounce rate. This whole disaster could have been prevented had JPMorgan Chase verified the email list. What is email list verification? Email verification is the process that allows you to remove invalid and harmful data from your list. An email verifier scans your database, identifies non-existent email addresses, and scrubs them within minutes. Sadly, a lot of businesses aren’t aware of email verification. Sometimes it’s because they don’t fully grasp how valuable an asset their customers’ email addresses are. The best way to get the most out of an email list is to practice good email hygiene. It all starts with verifying the emails you gather to ensure they are legitimate. Here are the top benefits of email verification. Preserve your sender and brand reputation When you don’t verify email addresses, your sender reputation will plummet. A lowered sender reputation will affect your email deliverability, meaning more and more of your emails will start landing in the spam folder. The chances of your emails being seen on time, if at all, are nil. Think about all of the emails your company needs to send: transactional, opt-in notices, receipts, and notifications of shipping. When customers miss these messages, you run into problems. For example, let’s say you arrange an automated email that is triggered two days before an appointment. If nobody sees it, what good does it do? Missed emails can lead to misunderstandings, annoyed customers, wasted time, and a lot of aggravation for you. You can eliminate most of these issues if you check your email list consistently. ZeroBounce gives you an uncomplicated, proactive system to help stop your emails from going to the spam folder. ZeroBounce verifies 100,000 emails in 45 minutes, identifying invalid and other types of contacts that prevent you from reaching the inbox, Avoid spending money on dead leads There’s no better way to reach your people than by email, as it is the method consumers prefer over all others. However, not all email addresses are equal. Sometimes, users abandon their email addresses after changing jobs or schools. In other cases, the customer makes an error when entering the email address. You should be aware that far more nefarious types of bad data are on many email lists. For example, some customers use disposable email addresses, also known as temporary emails, that are active for only a brief time. Even worse, there are spam traps that sometimes find their way into legitimate company email databases. Verify the legitimacy of the leads you gather so that you can make the most of them and boost conversions. Verifying customer email addresses strengthens all of the crucial metrics: open rates, clickthrough rates (CTR), conversion rates, and ROI. Strengthen marketing by keeping bots away One of the first steps in strengthening your marketing is finding out who your customers aren’t. That means no bots, spam traps or email addresses that will bounce. You don’t want to waste resources or time marketing your offerings to uninterested people or, even worse, fake or inactive email addresses. Email verification helps you get rid of the contacts with no marketing potential, bots and toxic emails. Humans often can’t tell bots and legitimate emails apart - but great email verifiers can. Bonus tip: Once you’ve eliminated damaging emails, you can go the extra mile and fine-tune your marketing even more. ZeroBounce allows you to determine who your most active and promising subscribers are. Check out the Activity Data tool to see which of your subscribers has been most active in their inboxes lately. With more information about the people on your list, you can do a better job with your marketing. Keep your company’s integrity pristine Spam has a negative connotation, and for excellent reasons. First of all, it’s a nuisance. Although laws vary depending on the country, it’s generally forbidden. There is no place where spam gives a positive impression. Don’t be associated with spam-like behavior. For the public to hold a company in high esteem, it has to be reputable. With data and privacy breaches regularly making headline news, your business can’t afford to appear careless. Remember JPMorgan Chase’s email fumble? It could have been avoided with just a little awareness of email standards. In addition to obeying laws and being a considerate sender, you can’t neglect checking your email list health. Be vigilant in removing inactive or harmful email addresses. It’s essential to your organization’s reputation. Verify 100 email addresses free As email continues to be a part of our daily lives, its presence in business grows. While more companies have started grasping the true value of email, more brands realize how crucial maintaining the quality of email lists is. Those that don’t have a strategy to verify customer email addresses won’t ever be able to maximize all of the benefits email marketing offers. ZeroBounce allows you to clean your email list in bulk and in real time. Using both of these email verification methods together will eliminate email data decay and keep your email database in great shape. Want to check 100 email addresses for free? Start a ZeroBounce account. If you have any questions, ZeroBounce offers 24/7 ongoing technical and customer support. This article was originally published on Benzinga here. ZeroBounce is an award-winning email verification and deliverability platform helping 200,000+ customers land more emails in the inbox. The service removes email typos, nonexistent and abuse email accounts, spam traps and other risky email addresses. ZeroBounce’s email deliverability toolkit further supports the safe inbox delivery of transactional and marketing emails. The company operates a military-grade security infrastructure. ZeroBounce has validated more than 18 billion emails. Some of the companies it serves are Amazon, Disney, Netflix, LinkedIn, and Sephora. This post contains sponsored advertising content. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice. Contact Details Brian Minick support@zerobounce.net Company Website https://www.zerobounce.net/

March 08, 2023 09:15 AM Eastern Standard Time

Epazz’s ZenaDrone Subsidiary Gains Traction With the U.S. Military, Closing In On First Government Contracts

Epazz, Inc.

The use of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) has become increasingly important for the U.S. military in recent years. These advanced technologies offer a range of benefits that make them invaluable in modern warfare. Drones provide a safer alternative to traditional manned aircraft, allowing for operations in dangerous or remote areas without risking the lives of pilots. They also offer enhanced surveillance capabilities, allowing military personnel to monitor enemy movements and gather intelligence without the need for ground troops. Additionally, drones can be equipped with various weapons systems, allowing them to engage targets with precision and accuracy from a safe distance. As such, drones and UAVs have become a critical component of the U.S. military's arsenal, and their use is likely to continue to expand in the future. One company that is working closely with the U.S. military to expand drone technologies and capabilities is Epazz, Inc. (OTC Pink: EPAZ) and its ZenaDrone subsidiary. How Much is the U.S. Military Spending On Drones & What Is The Growth Outlook For UAVs? For the fiscal year 2022, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) set aside $8.2 billion for the research, development, testing, and evaluation of unmanned systems and robotic technologies. This represents an increase of roughly $700 million in funding for drones compared to the fiscal 2021 budget. The annual DoD budget for UAVs has been increasing over the past several years. For context, the U.S. DoD allocated $7.5 billion to these specialized technologies during the fiscal year 2018. Another factor driving the U.S.’s growth in drone and military spending is heavily influenced by China’s increased military output. In March 2023, China announced it increased defense spending by 7.1% in 2022 to 1.45 trillion yuan. For 2023, China has already announced an additional 7.2% spending increase to a new annual total of 1.56 trillion yuan. China has also been cozying up to Middle East nations looking to bolster their armed drone fleets. In fact, China and Saudi Arabia began working together in 2022 to develop military drones that have communications, flight control, camera, radar, and wireless detection capabilities. According to Markets N Research, the global autonomous drone market was valued at $15.5 billion in 2022 and is estimated to reach a valuation of $56.5 billion by 2030. This represents a very impressive compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.30% between 2023 and 2030. The market research firm notes that the growth estimate is being driven by the projected rise of UAVs across a wide range of applications, including national security, government operations, and commercial uses. Given the tremendous growth in the autonomous drone market coupled with an early-stage arms race between the U.S. and China, spending and demand for the latest and greatest drone technologies will likely continue to see meaningful growth through the rest of the decade at least. Introducing Epazz and ZenaDrone Epazz is an Illinois-based provider of mission-critical drone technology, blockchain mobile apps, and cloud-based business software solutions. The company trades on the OTC Markets board under the symbol "EPAZ." For this article, we will be focusing on Epazz’s ZenaDrone subsidiary. ZenaDrone provides multifunctional UAV s integrated with machine learning systems, multispectral sensors, and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. Using its camera capture feature, ZenaDrone can create an interactive 3D environment that can be manipulated and simulated through the use of predictive AI analytics, also known as predictive modeling. This means that the interactive 3D environment can combine acquired data with predictive analytics to forecast future outcomes. The ZenaDrone 1000's portable size is fitted with foldable carbon fiber propellers for quicker speed and steadfast hovering in the air. Its body is enveloped and reinforced with durable carbon fiber wrap to resist humidity, heat, moisture, and other atmospheric impacts on the drone's integrity. The ZenaDrone 1000 is an intelligent smart drone for commercial, industrial, and agricultural use. It is integrated with machine learning software and artificial intelligence for precise navigation. Autofitted with detachable hardware components, it is customizable to meet unique business and industrial needs. While the military application of ZenaDrone is the initial focus of Epazz, the UAV systems have a wide application use across numerous industries including farming & agriculture, environmental monitoring, power line & utility inspection, oil & gas, mining, construction, livestock management, and many more. ZenaDrone: Recent News & Developments Since the start of 2023, Epazz and ZenaDrone have seen very meaningful updates in their mission to secure the companies’ first government contract for the ZenaDrone 1000 UAV. Over the past three months, ZenaDrone has been awarded a utility patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for its predictive AI smart charging pad for its ZenaDrone 1000. Furthermore, Epazz and ZenaDrone have been invited by the U.S. Air Force to visit a California airbase to demonstrate and showcase the ZenaDrone 1000 model. In addition, the companies are working on securing Phase 1 SBIR and access to the BlueUAS program. Here is a deeper breakdown of Epazz and ZenaDrone’s recent accomplishments: March 2023: 7 th: Epazz Holdings is proud to announce the receipt of their newly issued utility patent from the US Patent Office - an AI predictive smart charging pad specifically designed for the ZenaDrone 1000. This marks their second patent granted for ZenaDrone technology, with two additional patents currently being reviewed. The ZenaDrone team plans to utilize predictive AI analytics to further enhance its AI technology and expand its global impact across a multitude of industries. The Drone Smart Charging Pad is expected to be priced at less than $15,000, which is very competitive compared to the other drone charging options available on the market today. Many competitor options have charging pads for drones weighing less than 55 pounds with a price tag between $4,000 and $15,000. The smart charging bad has a built-in computer vision feature that allows it to understand its surrounding environment and select the best location for charging. The charging pad also has options for solar panels or wind power, which gives the ability to charge in remote locations. 1 st: The US Air Force has cordially invited ZenaDrone to display its revolutionary ZenaDrone 1000 at a California air base on the 16th and 17th of March - marking the first time a military base has interacted with drone technology. With an eye on US government contracts, the company has already applied for Phase 1 SBIR contracts and is actively seeking out additional partnerships for Phase 2. In addition, they have applied to the US government's BlueUAS program, which encourages the use of Made-in-America drones. ZenaDrone is making sure to leave no stone unturned as it strives to make its mark in the industry! February 2023: 27 th: Epazz recently submitted Phase 1 SBIR proposals for ZenaDrone, an innovative provider of multifunctional unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with machine learning systems, multispectral sensors, and AI technology. As the US government strives to meet its need for non-Chinese drones, they have initiated the BlueUAS program to acquire American-made drones. Currently, ZenaDrone is in the process of applying for the BlueUAS program - a list that is still growing. ZenaDrone estimates to hear back within 90 days from the government regarding its Phase 1 SBIR proposal. Once Phase 1 has been approved, ZenaDrone will be able to submit proposals up to $75,000. The company says it will then begin the steps to move up to Phase 2 SBIR, which increases the contract amount to up to $1.2 million per proposal. CEO Shaun Passley, Ph.D., said, “We are taking multiple pathways to becoming a government contractor of drones. It is a major opportunity for us, as Chinese drones are banned by the US government. It has opened up major demands for our drones.” 14th: Epazz has revealed that their subsidiary, ZenaDrone, will be presenting demonstrations of their drone technology to U.S. government agencies. These demonstration flights will provide an opportunity to show how the drone performs in specialized settings, following the success of ZenaDrone's appearances at various industry expos and conferences in 2022. These events led to the booking of these all-important flight demos. Overall, Epazz and its ZenaDrone subsidiary are in a very great position to benefit from the forecasted growth and demand for autonomous drones and other UAV technologies. The U.S. military seems to be increasingly interested in testing out ZenaDrone and its capabilities, as seen with its recent invite from the U.S. Air Force to come to showcase its technology at a California airbase. This represents a major opportunity for the company to get first-person feedback from military personnel on the ZenaDrone 1000. The road to its first government contract continues to gain steam after filing the Phase 1 SBIR proposal in late February 2023. This means ZenaDrone could get a response from the government around late May 2023 regarding the Phase 1 SBIR proposal. Management has already stated their interest in expanding to Phase 2 SBIR upon approval of Phase 1, as it will allow for total proposal amounts to increase from $75,000 to $1.2 million per contract. In the end, Epazz’s initial focus on the military application for its drone business could serve as a great foundation and proof-of-concept for the company to go out and build out the ZenaDrone business in countless other applicable industries. Epazz and ZenaDrone appear to be setting up for a strong future. 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March 08, 2023 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

Technology