Anybody with a video camera and a YouTube account can take to the Internet and publicly broadcast an American Idol audition tape or clip of their dog jumping on a trampoline. But what about the rest of us; the rapidly growing population of professionals who want to share videos privately, either with loved ones or colleagues?
Until November 2011, private video sharing and storage was an underserved market, but the launch of Givit—the first universal cloud service for personal and private video sharing—sought to remedy that.
During SXSW Interactive, amidst the veritable avalanche of tech startup promotion, San Diego-based Givit grabbed our attention with its simplicity and built-in value to businesses.
We sat down in Austin with Givit Founder and CEO Greg Kostello, who gave us a close-up look at his creation. Kostello launched Givit in late 2011 after recognizing a need in the market.
In an age where the average professional has access to multiple forms of technology on the go, the ability to access files anywhere, at any time, is invaluable, but wasn’t possible in this capacity before Givit.
“The hardware got way ahead of the software, and people were looking for an evolution,” says Kostello. “Now we’re making software that matches our hardware’s abilities—and whatever you have on hand is perfect.”
Because Givit users can automatically back up video files created with any recording device on the cloud for later retrieval, the entire storing and sharing process becomes transparent. The Givit service can be fully accessed on smartphones and several other mobile devices and everything loads in the background of your system so your sending device never gets tied up.
Givit’s practical uses for professionals are as varied as they are all-encompassing.
Are you a managing executive that has to travel frequently?
You could create briefings videos at your convenience and share them through Givit with your team, keeping them up-to-date.
Need to create training or demonstration videos for your team that can be accessed easily, yet cannot be distributed to the public?
Videos shared with Givit can discreetly and smoothly show your staff things that couldn’t be described with ordinary words. Plus, your videos become truly private—they cannot be forwarded or shared further so they may only be viewed by the recipients chosen.
“What you put on Givit stays on Givit,” Kostello assures.
Have a bug with one of your systems and you want to quickly fill in your IT department without broadcasting your issues to the World Wide Web?
Send a video of the problem in question through Givit and your IT team can reply right away, either with text or another video. Problem solving couldn’t be any smoother; unless, of course it was face-to-face.
The fact is, when you can’t be there in person, video is the fastest, clearest and warmest way to communicate with the people you need to help you run your business.
“I could sometimes easily send an email, but there’s something about email that’s impersonal,” Kostello says.
With Givit, everyone with a smartphone, tablet or computer could use the almighty video to privately facilitate communication between departments.
During SXSW, Givit announced a partnership with Cisco that will prove to be invaluable to users of Cisco’s Flip Video cameras and FlipShare sharing software.
Last year, Cisco decided to exit the Flip video camera business. As a result of the transition, all FlipShare videos now have a 30 day expiration period and all FlipShare users must find another program to offload, organize and archive their videos by the end of 2013. That’s where Givit comes in.
With a Givit account and a few mouse clicks, FlipShare users can transfer their videos over to Givit for permanent storage and sharing capabilities.
For fans of the Flip camera, Cisco’s partnership with Givit is a perfect match—within a few days of the announcement, over 70 thousand videos were uploaded to Givit, making it the fastest growing video community on the Web.
For Kostello, it’s just another opportunity to present the public with value.
“I like creating products that people love to use,” Kostello says. “With Givit, we built the reward system right into the product.”
]]>A portion of the proceeds raised by the concert will benefit a number of local and national charities, specifically addressing the needs of families. Operation Homefront, a national charity that provides emergency financial and other assistance to the families of our service members and Wounded Warriors, will be one of the primary recipients, and the other partner organizations will be announced this summer.
"Cheerwine is a great family company whose cornerstone has always been placing the community before itself," said Tom Barbitta, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Cheerwine. The 95-year-old, family-owned soft drink company is a frequent sponsor of local charities and events, and the concert with the Avett Brothers will allow them an opportunity to increase the scope of their charitable work. "Even though Cheerwine is a small brand in an industry of giants, we feel that our commitment to giving back can make a powerful statement, and inspire others that even the 'little guy' can make a difference."
The Legendary Giveback builds upon the relationship Cheerwine and the Avett Brothers have cultivated in recent years, which includes Scott Avett voicing a series of Cheerwine radio advertisements. The partnership will allow Cheerwine and Avett Brothers fans to enjoy the concert experience of a lifetime, with the added bonus of supporting a number of important causes.
"Our relationship with the Avett Brothers is very real, very authentic," added Barbitta. "And since we're both in the business of putting smiles on people's faces, the simple objective of giving back to those in need is something that can bring everyone together."
Founded by brothers Scott and Seth Avett, the band has achieved fame through a combination of their earnest, powerful songwriting and energetic stage shows. Their major label debut, I and Love and You, reached #16 on the Billboard 200; they reached a national audience earlier this year when they appeared with Mumford and Sons and Bob Dylan at the 53rd Grammy Awards.
"As musicians, an event like this is a natural way for us to give back to our fans," said Scott Avett, lead singer and multi-instrumentalist for the Avett Brothers. "To realize the needs of these groups is humbling. We're proud to be able to contribute."
Details of the concert will be revealed in July. Fans are encouraged to stay tuned for updates at Facebook.com/Cheerwine and on Twitter at twitter.com/DrinkCheerwine.
About Cheerwine
CHEERWINE: Born in the South. Raised in a Glass.
Launched in 1917 by L.D. Peeler, Cheerwine is a soft drink with a flavor that always surprises. It is an iconic brand from North Carolina. Owned and distributed by the Carolina Beverage Corporation and Cheerwine Bottling Company in Salisbury, N.C., the 95-year-old company is still privately owned and managed by the same founding family; four generations of whom have worked there. Cliff Ritchie leads Cheerwine as president and CEO. Available in supermarkets and convenience stores in select states nationwide and on the website at www.cheerwine.com.
About The Avett Brothers
The Avett Brothers formed in 2001 in Charlotte, North Carolina when banjoist Scott Avett and guitarist Seth Avett joined forces with standup bass player Bob Crawford. Raised in the textile town of Concord, North Carolina, the Avett Brothers were influenced by their dad, Jim Avett, who had a box of eight-track tapes that Scott and Seth picked through, listened to and digested. It included albums by Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Crosby, Stills & Nash, and Jim's own folksy duo, Common Decency. Other roots musicians from the folk and country realms filtered into their subconscious, too. Because of their wide range of influences, the Avett Brothers might be described as a rootsy amalgam of folk, country, bluegrass, rock and pop – with a jab of punk-style dynamics here and there. More information about the Avett Brothers can be found at www.theavettbrothers.com or Facebook.com/theavettbrothers.
SOURCE Cheerwine
]]>WIN honors military veterans all year 'round by offering service members a discount of 10% off the franchise fee. Additionally, they choose up to five Veterans a quarter as recipients of their "WIN for America" initiative, waiving the franchise fee for those that qualify.
Steve Wadlington, President of WIN Home Inspection believes in leveraging the training and skills veterans are taught in combat, to achieve civilian world accomplishments. "It's no secret within corporate America that military training sets a career course, and most veterans excel in the workforce," says Wadlington.
"The Military Friendly Franchises® list was created three years ago out of demand from military veterans, many of whom want to start or own their own business, but are unclear where to begin," said Sean Collins, director for G.I. Jobs. "Being selected as a Military Friendly Franchise places WIN Home Inspection in this elite group, and is testimony to WIN's world class programs and policies that support military veterans interested in franchise opportunities."
The full list of Military Friendly Franchises® is published each June in G.I. Jobs Magazine, and on www.MilitaryFranchising.com, a web tool that helps veterans decide which franchise to choose.
ABOUT WIN HOME INSPECTION
WIN Home Inspection began in 1993 offering home inspection business franchises in the Pacific Northwest. Within a year, the company dominated this regional market and has since expanded across the U.S. with more than 168 locations in 28 states. It is one of the fastest growing home inspection companies in the country, and listed on VetFran and GI Jobs as a top 10 Veteran-Friendly Franchise. For information on WIN Home Inspection and the home inspection business opportunity, call 800.967.8127 or visit www.winfranchise.com.
--Photography available--
http://www.wini.com | http://www.winfranchise.com | http://winforamerica.com
SOURCE WIN Home Inspection
]]>WASHINGTON, May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Last week the Institute of Medicine (IOM) issued its obesity-prevention report at the Weight of the Nation™ conference hosted by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). This report included a call to action for increased access to healthy foods (like fruits and vegetables) at retail outlets nationwide[1]. Findings from a new Michigan State University (MSU) study released today, underscored the critical role that canned fruits and vegetables play in helping Americans increase these intakes, regardless of geography or income level. It's time to visit the S.H.E.L.F.
The MSU study, "Nutrition and Cost Comparisons of Select Canned, Frozen and Fresh Fruits and Vegetables" analyzed more than 40 scientific journal studies and nutrition data, comparing canned fruits and vegetables to fresh and frozen based on nutrition and cost. The results created a reminder of the many good reasons why it's time to revisit what's on the S.H.E.L.F. Canned foods are not only tasty, they are:
"Canned foods can be a terrific option to easily and inexpensively incorporate great tasting nutrition into healthy meals," said Patricia Bannan, MS, RD, author of Eat Right When Time is Tight. "One of the IOM report directives is to increase access to healthy foods at various locales. It's important that people do not overlook the variety at convenience stores across the country with healthy options sitting on the S.H.E.L.F."
The release of the MSU study follows FDA announcement that BPA, a lining used to protect canned foods from contamination, is safe within current guidelines.
Additional study highlights can be found at www.cancentral.com/MSUStudy.
About the Can Manufacturers Institute (CMI)
CMI is the national trade association of the metal can manufacturing industry and its suppliers in the United States. CMI members account for the annual domestic production of 130 billion food, beverage and general-line metal cans. Together, they employ approximately 32,000 workers and operate nearly 150 plants in 36 states. For more information, visit www.cancentral.com.
[1] IOM, Accessing Progress in Obesity Prevention: Solving the Weight of the Nation, Strategy 2-4, p 201-207
SOURCE Can Manufacturers Institute
]]>LINCOLNWOOD, Ill., May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Potty training with your child can be more fun when Elmo's there to help. Publications International, Ltd. (PIL) and Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit educational organization behind Sesame Street, today launched Potty Time with Elmo, an app to help children who are learning to use the potty. The app is now available in the Apple App store for a special introductory price of $0.99.
The Potty Time with Elmo app, for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, is based on the best-selling book of the same name. The app features a story with Elmo about the rewards of learning to use the toilet, as well as songs, stickers, and a reward chart for children. For parents, the app offers training tips, multiple story-reading modes, and a way to track their child's potty progress.
"Our sound storybook Potty Time with Elmo has been a best seller since it was first published in 2005," says Louis Weber, PIL's CEO and President. "And given the way today's kids are engaging with iPhones and iPads, it just made sense to take the next step and turn that book into an interactive digital app."
"With the help of their friends like Elmo, Sesame Street has always endeavored to help kids learn important life skills," says Jennifer A. Perry, Vice President, Worldwide Publishing, Sesame Workshop. "We are excited to introduce a fun new way to support families as they reach what is a very significant milestone for every child."
Features of Potty Time with Elmo include:
The special introductory price will be available through May 29, 2012. The app will be regularly priced at $2.99.
ABOUT PUBLICATIONS INTERNATIONAL, LTD.:
Founded in 1967 by CEO Louis Weber, Publications International, Ltd. is one of North America's leading publishers of mass market books, periodicals, and educational products, in categories including children's, automotive, sports, reference, travel, inspirational, and, most recently, digital applications for smart phones and tablet computers. The company pioneered and remains a leader in the field of interactive sound storybooks for young readers. PIL works with a wide variety of popular and respected children's licenses, including Sesame Workshop. PIL products are published in more than 35 languages.
For more information, contact Sera Hayes (shayes@pubint.com).
ABOUT SESAME WORKSHOP:
Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit educational organization that revolutionized children's television programming with the landmark Sesame Street. The Workshop produces local Sesame Street programs, seen in more than 150 countries, and other acclaimed shows including The Electric Company, to help bridge the literacy gap. Beyond television, the Workshop produces content for multiple media platforms on a wide range of issues including literacy, health, and military deployment. Initiatives meet specific needs to help young children and families develop critical skills, acquire healthy habits, and build emotional strength to prepare them for lifelong learning. Learn more at www.sesameworkshop.org.
Contact: Sera Hayes
Publications International, Ltd. (http://pilapps.com/elmopotty)
telephone: (847) 329-5687
email: shayes@pubint.com
SOURCE Publications International, Ltd.
]]>"We are forecasting that 70 percent of PPL's 2012 ongoing earnings will come from our rate-regulated businesses in the United Kingdom, Kentucky and Pennsylvania," said William H. Spence, PPL's chairman, president and chief executive officer.
"In 2010, 73 percent of our ongoing earnings came from our supply business, which is driven by the ups and downs of wholesale electricity prices. And, over the past couple of years, the fluctuations in wholesale electricity prices have been decidedly down," Spence said.
He said this repositioning of PPL was completed in a remarkably short time through the acquisition of regulated utility operations in Kentucky in 2010 and the United Kingdom in 2011 at a combined cost of about $14 billion. Even though the repositioning was accomplished with extraordinary speed, Spence said, the continuation of depressed wholesale electricity prices has proven that the company acted none too soon.
"The bottom line is this: Without the additional earnings from these rate-regulated operations, PPL's earnings per share would be significantly depressed for 2012 and the foreseeable future," Spence said. "The fundamental driver of our acquisitions in 2010 and 2011 was reducing risk for the company at a time of unprecedented turmoil in competitive electricity markets."
For 2011, PPL's earnings from ongoing operations were $2.73 per share, attaining the high end of the company's 2011 forecast of $2.55 to $2.75 per share. In April 2011, PPL completed the acquisition of the former Central Networks electricity distribution businesses in central England and successfully integrated those operations into its Western Power Distribution affiliate in the U.K. by the first quarter of 2012. PPL's U.K. affiliate, with more than 7.8 million customers across central and southwest England and south Wales, led the way in PPL's earnings performance in both the fourth quarter of 2011 and the first quarter of 2012.
At the meeting, shareowners re-elected all PPL directors to one-year terms: Frederick M. Bernthal, retired president, Universities Research Association; John W. Conway, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Crown Holdings, Inc.; Steven G. Elliott, retired senior vice chairman of The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation; Louise K. Goeser, president and chief executive officer, Grupo Siemens S.A. de C.V.; Stuart E. Graham, retired president and chief executive officer of Skanska AB; Stuart Heydt, retired chief executive officer of Geisinger Health System; Raja Rajamannar, executive vice president, senior business, and chief transformation officer of Wellpoint, Inc.; Craig A. Rogerson, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Chemtura Corporation; PPL Chairman Spence; Natica von Althann, founding partner of C&A Advisors; and Keith H. Williamson, senior vice president, secretary and general counsel of Centene Corporation.
During the meeting, held at Lehigh University's Zoellner Arts Center, PPL shareowners also voted on three other management proposals. They approved the 2011 compensation of PPL's executive officers named in this year's proxy statement; approved PPL's 2012 stock incentive plan; and ratified the appointment of Ernst & Young LLP as the company's independent auditing firm for the year ending Dec. 31, 2012. They also approved a shareowner proposal that requested the board to amend PPL's governance documents to eliminate plurality voting for directors and provide for directors to be elected by a majority of votes cast at an annual meeting of shareowners. Although this last vote is non-binding, PPL's board is expected to review the issue again before next year's annual meeting.
PPL Corporation, headquartered in Allentown, Pa., through its affiliates, owns or controls about 19,000 megawatts of generating capacity in the United States, sells energy in key U.S. markets, and delivers electricity and natural gas to about 10 million customers in the United States and the United Kingdom. More information is available at www.pplweb.com.
"Earnings from ongoing operations" should not be considered as an alternative to reported earnings, or net income attributable to PPL, which is an indicator of operating performance determined in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). PPL believes that "earnings from ongoing operations," although a non-GAAP financial measure, is also useful and meaningful to investors because it provides management's view of PPL's fundamental earnings performance as another criterion in making investment decisions. PPL's management also uses "earnings from ongoing operations" in measuring certain corporate performance goals. Other companies may use different measures to present financial performance.
Statements contained in this news release with respect to future earnings are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Although PPL Corporation believes that the expectations and assumptions reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from the results discussed in the statements. Any such forward-looking statements should be considered in light of such important factors and in conjunction with PPL Corporation's Form 10-K and other reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
SOURCE PPL Corporation
]]>(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120516/LA08583LOGO)
The truck features four flavors swirling with a rotating variation of TCBY's extensive product line, including yogurt flavors low in fat, fat free or no sugar added in addition to a non-dairy, fat-free sorbet. The TCBY truck also offers a wide range of toppings. A Facebook page alerts customers to the daily location of the truck throughout the area: facebook.com/tcby.truck.
"Our new mobile platform exemplifies TCBY's forward-thinking approach in growing the brand and offering a new way to provide our perfected product to consumers," said Tim Casey, CEO of TCBY. "Our new frozen yogurt truck, which is designed to emulate our innovative brand look and feel, broadens our customer reach and strengthens our social media positioning."
Pioneering the endeavor is TCBY area developer and franchisee Samuel Batt. Batt, who piloted the company's first self-serve store and currently owns 10 TCBY locations, partnered with TCBY to open and/or franchise 23 TCBY self-serve locations in North Carolina and South Carolina within the next three years.
"The debut of the TCBY truck shows our continued commitment to meeting customer demands for greater accessibility of TCBY's healthy frozen yogurt products," said Batt. "Now more than ever, TCBY permeates the North and South Carolina market and remains the unparalleled leader in frozen yogurt. I am a firm believer in TCBY's product, brand and outlook for the future."
About TCBY
TCBY is the largest and fastest-growing frozen yogurt brand, leading the industry with its self-serve concept. With more than 30 years of experience, and as the first frozen yogurt concept, TCBY is a successful model that has fueled the growth of a thriving industry. TCBY, which currently has 380-plus franchise locations in 47 states, offers the most extensive product line of any frozen yogurt company, with all yogurt flavors low in fat, fat free or sugar free. TCBY recently launched its new frozen yogurt classification called "Super Fro-Yo," the healthiest frozen yogurt product available in the market, as well as Greek frozen yogurt, which has the same nutritional benefits of Super Fro-Yo plus twice the protein. TCBY is part of Mrs. Fields Famous Brands® and thus is a sister company to Mrs. Fields. For more information, visit www.tcbyfranchise.com.
SOURCE TCBY
]]>PASADENA, Calif., May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Families and outdoor enthusiasts looking to explore the Great Outdoors have a new resource to help navigate the ins-and-outs of hiking trails, camp grounds, fishing holes, bike trails, bird watching locales and more with ParkVisitor.com, the nation's first park rating system featuring nearly 5,000 parks nationwide.
Similar to how people rely on reviews to find a good restaurant, mechanic or doctor, users at ParkVisitor.com tap into an online community to research activities and share their experiences at the same time. Experts and outdoor enthusiasts contribute comments, tips and reviews – and combined with social media input – create a profile of each park with a proprietary ParkVisitor™ score.
Park rangers and locals alike add tips to their reviews such as hidden climbing spots or even a great place to grab a coffee or burger nearby. The insider tips about specific "what not to miss" activities enhance the excursion before even leaving home.
People can search for parks by rating, geographic location or specific activities and features. A mobile app of ParkVisitor.com will be released this summer.
From now until May 31, 2012, each new park review will count as an entry to win a Jackson Day Tripper Kayak, (msrp $799).
SOURCE ParkVisitor.com
]]>Mr. Johnson is Chief Executive Officer and President of Forward Industries, Inc., a NASDAQ-listed company that designs, markets and distributes soft-sided carrying cases and electronic accessories for the handheld consumer electronic and medical industry.
Robert B. Goergen, Blyth's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said of Mr. Johnson's appointment, "Brett brings consumer products experience to Blyth as the sitting CEO of a public company. His sales and marketing knowledge will make him a valued dialog partner in our future strategic efforts."
Mr. Johnson founded Benevolent Capital Partners in 2005. Benevolent Capital Partners is a diversified holding company with investments in real estate, real estate services, manufacturing, branded consumer products and eco-conscious businesses. Mr. Johnson also served as President, Targus Group International, the leading global provider of mobile computing solutions, as well as Managing Director of Targus EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa). He began his career with Targus as sales director for the western region of the United States. Prior to joining Targus, Mr. Johnson served as an associate for Montgomery Securities and as a senior analyst of mergers and acquisitions for Intermedia Partners.
Mr. Johnson is a member of the Young Presidents Organization. He serves on the Board of Trustees of Choate Rosemary Hall and is a Senior Fellow in Entrepreneurship and a member of the Board of Visitors for the Graziadio School of Business at Pepperdine University. Mr. Johnson is a co-founder and board member of the non-profit, UpCycle Foundation.
Blyth, Inc., headquartered in Greenwich, CT, USA, is a multi-channel company primarily focused on direct selling. We design and market home fragrance products and decorative accessories, as well as weight management products, nutritional supplements and energy drink mixes. These products are sold through the home party plan method of direct selling and through network marketing, respectively. The Company also designs and markets household convenience items and personalized gifts through the catalog/internet channel, as well as tabletop lighting and chafing fuel for the foodservice trade. The Company manufactures most of its candles and chafing fuel and sources nearly all of its other products. Its products are sold direct to the consumer under the PartyLite®, Two Sisters Gourmet® by PartyLite and ViSalus Sciences® brands, to consumers in the catalog/Internet channel under the As We Change®, Miles Kimball®, Exposures®, Walter Drake® and Easy Comforts®, and to the Foodservice industry under the Sterno®, Ambria® and HandyFuel® brands. In Europe, Blyth's products are also sold under the PartyLite brand.
Blyth, Inc. may be found on the Internet at www.blyth.com.
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance and underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts. Actual results could differ materially due to various factors, including the slowing of the United States or European economies or retail environments, the risk that we will be unable to maintain our historic growth rate, our ability to respond appropriately to changes in product demand, the risk that we will be unable to integrate the businesses that we acquire into our existing operations, the risks (including foreign currency fluctuations, economic and political instability, transportation delays, difficulty in maintaining quality control, trade and foreign tax laws and others) associated with international sales and foreign sourced products, risks associated with our ability to recruit new independent sales consultants, our dependence on key corporate management personnel, risks associated with the sourcing of raw materials for our products, competition in terms of price and new product introductions, risks associated with our information technology systems (including, susceptibility to outages due to fire, floods, power loss, telecommunications failures, computer viruses, break-ins and similar events) and other factors described in this press release and in the Company's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K.
SOURCE Blyth, Inc.
]]>CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Brazil's mobile data market is expected to nearly double in revenue by 2015 as mobile users learn the benefit of advanced services – one of the many topics on the agenda at the Rio Wireless International Conference on May 21 & 22, 2012. For more information, click here: http://www.riowireless.com.br/site.
"Brazil's mobile data market reached US$8.24 billion in 2011; this number is expected to nearly double by 2015, when it'll reach around US$15.43 billion," says Vinicius Caetano, Senior Analyst for Pyramid Research, who will present this latest data at a keynote session at Rio Wireless. "The popularity of smartphones plays a significant role in this increase. In the same period, these devices will jump from being 21 percent of all devices sold in Brazil to 49 percent."
"This increase in data popularity and smartphone sales is a positive consequence of the mobile user sophistication as they learn the benefits of advanced services, such as mobile Internet," Caetano explains. "Our upcoming Rio Wireless conference is designed to capture the amazing mobile opportunity in Latin America, and will be the place where market leaders can gather research-driven content that will focus on the region's mobile trends."
"The Light Reading Communications Network and Network Eventos have partnered to expand the conference's reach beyond Brazil's borders by providing an ideal platform for service providers seeking strategic advice as they develop their businesses in Latin America," says Joseph Braue, Executive Vice President/Group Director of the Light Reading Communications Network. "By combining Network Eventos' expertise in producing successful Brazilian telecom events with Pyramid's market growth analysis and Heavy Reading's telecom technology expertise, we can provide a conference of tremendous substance for regional telecom executives and regulators."
To view the agenda, list of speakers and to register, click here: http://www.riowireless.com.br/site.
Pyramid Research (www.pyramidresearch.com) offers practical solutions to the complex demands our clients face in the global communications industry. Its analysis is uniquely positioned at the intersection of emerging markets, emerging technologies and emerging business models, powered by the bottom-up methodology of our market forecasts for more than 100 countries – a distinction that has remained unmatched for more than 25 years. As a telecom research arm of the Light Reading Communications Network (www.lrcn.com), Pyramid Research contributes to the only integrated business information platform serving the $4 trillion global communications industry.
The Light Reading Communications Network (www.lrcn.com) combines the most trusted telecom research brands with award-winning online communities and a rich events portfolio to deliver the only integrated business information platform serving the global communications industry. With the power of this platform, leaders who build, deploy, finance and regulate next-generation telecom networks are able to make more informed decisions on emerging market and service opportunities. The Light Reading Communications Network is a division of UBM TechWeb (www.ubmtechweb.com), the global leader in technology media and business information.
Network Eventos (www.networkeventos.com.br) specializes in organizing events in the Telecommunications and Information Technology arena. Our principal purpose is to bring together others that are interested in the field, in order to exchange knowledge and experience, search for alternatives for infrastructure development, and new business opportunities, as well as training the work force. Network Eventos is always ready to accept new challenges. We can organize, with agility and precision, events that meet the needs of our clients and partners and training for your company at a minimum cost, providing all the necessary logistics.
Jennifer Baker, +1-617-871-1910, jbaker@pyr.com
SOURCE Pyramid Research
]]>SAN MATEO, Calif., May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Bertram Capital, a private equity firm headquartered in San Mateo, California, is pleased to announce the promotion of Ingrid Swenson to Partner and Managing Director. Ms. Swenson, the Chief Financial Officer at Bertram, has been with the firm since its inception in 2006 and oversees all of Bertram Capital's Finance, Administrative and internal Information Technology activities.
Ms. Swenson has led the Finance team's efforts in support of each of the twenty-two investments made by Bertram Capital since the firm's first investment in January of 2007. In addition to her finance and administration responsibilities, Ms. Swenson serves as the firm's Chief Compliance Officer, ensuring Bertram is at the forefront in instituting proper controls and maintaining compliance with all required industry regulations. Most recently, Ingrid and her team designed and rolled-out a comprehensive internal compliance program, coinciding with the firm's registration with the SEC as a Registered Investment Advisor.
"As a founding team member of Bertram Capital, Ingrid Swenson has played an integral role in the firm's success and has been instrumental in building our world class Finance, Administrative and IT teams," said Jeff Drazan, Managing Partner. "Ingrid's well-earned promotion to Partner and Managing Director is a direct result of the unwavering commitment to excellence and tireless work ethic she displays on a daily basis."
Prior to Bertram, Ms. Swenson was Controller of Mayfield Fund. Previous to Mayfield Fund, Ingrid was a Senior Manager at PricewaterhouseCoopers in its Life Science and Venture Capital practice. Ingrid currently serves on the board of directors of the West Coast Chapter of the Private Equity Chief Financial Officer Association and is a member of the American Society of Women Accountants. Ms. Swenson earned a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural & Managerial Economics from U.C. Davis and is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the state of California.
About Bertram Capital
Bertram Capital is a San Mateo, CA based private equity investment firm with more than $850 million in capital under management. Founded in 2006, Bertram Capital's mission is to build value for equity holders, employees, customers, and partners by helping already profitable companies realize their full potential. Visit www.bertramcapital.com for more information.
SOURCE Bertram Capital
]]>Market leaders Mail.ru, Vkontakte and Yandex, together with a further 40 speakers and 400 guests, will debate Russia's digital future.
Russia is one of the fastest growing and leading European digital markets, as demonstrated by the user numbers and the capitalisation of internet giants such as Mail.ru, Vkontakte and Yandex. The digital conference, DLD Moscow, taking place from 27-29 May 2012, is being held in the Russian metropolis for the first time. Among the 40 speakers will be Dmitry Grishin (CEO, Mail.Ru Group), Pavel Durov (CEO, Vkontakte) and Arkady Volozh (CEO, Yandex). Additionally, entrepreneurs, creative minds and experts from the international DLD community, such as Italian designer Lapo Elkann, Matt Michelsen of Lady Gaga's littlemonsters.com or Japanese architect Kazuyo Sejima, will also be speaking at the conference.
Other speakers (a selection):
As is usual at Digital-Life-Design, the exchange of information and ideas, away from the podium, will also play a significant role. This first conference of its kind in Russia promises the 400 guests expected, 300 of which come from abroad, exciting insights and business contacts in this key location for commerce and technology. More than 50 million Russians use the internet, making the country a dynamic digital and consumer market. DLD Moscow will take place in the "Digital October Center" (http://digitaloctober.com) at the heart of Moscow.
The Skolkovo Foundation, which has played an essential part in bringing digital innovation to the country, will host the event. Skolkovo has its origins in a Russian government initiative aimed at modernising the economy and establishing a competitive high-tech sector in the country.
Background:
DLD is the international conference and innovation platform of Hubert Burda Media. DLD Media organises Europe's leading digital conference DLD, the women's conference DLDwomen as well as international network events in places like Palo Alto, New York, London, Tel Aviv, Rio de Janeiro and Beijing. DLD produces media publications, online and video formats as well as studies on the content of the various conferences. It also advises DLD partner companies, start-ups, investors and institutions. Its managing directors are Stephanie Czerny and Dr. Marcel Reichart, who founded the DLD Conference in 2005.
Further Information:
Michael A. Pries
Hubert Burda Media
Corporate Communications
Arabellastraße 23
81925 Munich
Tel.: +49-89-9250-3784
Email: michael.pries@burda.com
SOURCE Hubert Burda Media
]]>Leveraging the Grow Sole shoe donation campaign created by The CementBloc for Girls Right of Way sponsored by the Coore Foundation, the agency's Internet Week event will demonstrate firsthand how a worthy cause can ignite action when combined with a real-world, real-time social platform. Girls Right of Way is a not-for-profit organization whose primary goal is to provide education and resources designed to empower girls, build their self-esteem, and reduce HIV transmission.
At the event, attendees will experience and create live news that will be spread through social media venues as they trade in their gently worn shoes for a pair of Grow Sole flip flops. A second pair of flip flops will also be donated to a deserving child in one of the beneficiary countries. All of the action at the Sole-cial Experiment will take place in both real and virtual worlds, with real-time video streams, tweets, and status updates displayed throughout the event. There will be plenty of sole food, sole dancing, and sole-cializing with many of New York's forward-thinkers from the digital community.
"We wanted to create an experimental event that would showcase how the real word and social world could converge in real time for a cause," said Elizabeth Elfenbein, Partner, Creative at The CementBloc. "We're excited to see how it will manifest for the Grow Sole Project."
Since 2008, Internet Week has taken place all over the city, celebrating the openness of the World Wide Web and the digital community in New York. Internet Week partners host diverse events in different locations around Manhattan, resulting in a critical mass of web-focused events that raises the profile of both New York City's industry as a whole and the partners who participate.
Date: May 17, 2012
Time: 6:00 pm—9:00 pm
Location: The CementBloc, 162 5th Avenue, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10010
You can view the full Internet Week schedule and sign up for The CementBloc event by registering at: https://www.internetweekny.com/schedule/all#/?filters=on
If you are a member of the press, you can register for Internet Week Press Credentials at:
https://internetweekny.com/media#/?page=press_credentials
About The CementBloc: The CementBloc is a leading multichannel healthwellness creative agency based in New York. Founded in 2000 by Susan Miller Viray and Rico Viray, The CementBloc is also a founding member of Indigenus, an independent global network of entrepreneurial healthcare creative agencies.
SOURCE The CementBloc
]]>Robert B. Goergen, Blyth's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, said of Ms. Dietze's appointment, "Jane brings a strong technology background and financial management expertise to Blyth. We are very pleased to have her join us now as a significant percentage of our capital expenditures are being used for strategic technology investments in our direct-to-consumer businesses."
Ms. Dietze is Director of Private Equity and Bowdoin College's Investments Office. Prior to joining Bowdoin College she was a Managing Director at Fortress Investment Group, a global alternative investment and asset management firm. Before Fortress Investment Group, Ms. Dietze was a General Partner at Nextpoint Partners, an early-stage technology investment fund, where she was also Acting CEO of Secured Services, a publicly-traded software firm. She has been a General Partner at Columbia Capital, an IT and communications fund, and she was President, CEO and Co-Founder of TORSO, Inc., which is now owned by Oracle Corporation. Prior to that she served as Investment Officer, Europe Department at International Finance Corporation, a private investment arm of the World Bank. Ms. Dietze started her career as a financial analyst in mergers and acquisitions with Goldman, Sachs & Co.
During the course of her investment management career, Ms. Dietze has served as a board member or observer of Adjoined Consulting (now Capgemini), Approva, Netuitive, Pihana Pacific (now Equinix), RiverMine Software, Affinity Internet (now Hostway), Spaceworks (now Manugistics), Relera, Digital Paper (now ePlus) and Intersect. She is currently involved with Half the Sky Foundation, a non-profit organization nurturing China's orphaned children.
Blyth, Inc., headquartered in Greenwich, CT, USA, is a multi-channel company primarily focused on direct selling. We design and market home fragrance products and decorative accessories, as well as weight management products, nutritional supplements and energy drink mixes. These products are sold through the home party plan method of direct selling and through network marketing, respectively. The Company also designs and markets household convenience items and personalized gifts through the catalog/internet channel, as well as tabletop lighting and chafing fuel for the foodservice trade. The Company manufactures most of its candles and chafing fuel and sources nearly all of its other products. Its products are sold direct to the consumer under the PartyLite®, Two Sisters Gourmet® by PartyLite and ViSalus Sciences® brands, to consumers in the catalog/Internet channel under the As We Change®, Miles Kimball®, Exposures®, Walter Drake® and Easy Comforts®, and to the Foodservice industry under the Sterno®, Ambria® and HandyFuel® brands. In Europe, Blyth's products are also sold under the PartyLite brand.
Blyth, Inc. may be found on the Internet at www.blyth.com.
This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance and underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts. Actual results could differ materially due to various factors, including the slowing of the United States or European economies or retail environments, the risk that we will be unable to maintain our historic growth rate, our ability to respond appropriately to changes in product demand, the risk that we will be unable to integrate the businesses that we acquire into our existing operations, the risks (including foreign currency fluctuations, economic and political instability, transportation delays, difficulty in maintaining quality control, trade and foreign tax laws and others) associated with international sales and foreign sourced products, risks associated with our ability to recruit new independent sales consultants, our dependence on key corporate management personnel, risks associated with the sourcing of raw materials for our products, competition in terms of price and new product introductions, risks associated with our information technology systems (including, susceptibility to outages due to fire, floods, power loss, telecommunications failures, computer viruses, break-ins and similar events) and other factors described in this press release and in the Company's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K.
SOURCE Blyth, Inc.
]]>"We have convened this panel during Mental Health Month and Borderline Personality Disorder Awareness Month so that pediatricians, school personnel and other professionals who deal with children will know what's been learned about the do's and don'ts of helping highly sensitive, intense children and their parents, preferably at an early age," said Edie Mannion, program director of MHASP's Training and Education Center, which organized the event. "There have been significant breakthroughs in the field, and we want to accelerate the dissemination of this information."
The panel will include Caroline Watts, Ed.D., senior lecturer and special education coordinator, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania; Renee Turchi, M.D., M.P.H., a pediatrician at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children and assistant professor at the Drexel University School of Public Health; Pat Harvey, LCSW-C, author of Parenting a Child Who Has Intense Emotions (video presentation); and Neal Bowen, Ph.D., NCC, mental health director, Hidalgo Medical Services, who will present his video interview of staff at the First Born Program of the Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation in New Mexico.
"Learning more about what each of us can do to support children's strengths and vulnerabilities is a responsibility we all share," said panelist Caroline Watts.
The event is for parents and family members, pediatricians, school personnel, childcare providers, early intervention providers, behavioral health providers, child welfare providers, clergy, academicians/students, individuals in recovery from mental health conditions, and other concerned individuals. Resources for family support and mental health education will be available.
The mission of the Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania is to "promote groundbreaking ideas and create opportunities for resilience and recovery by applying the knowledge learned from the people we support, employ, and engage in transformative partnerships."
Registration is preferred: contact Edie Mannion, 267-507-3863, TECinfo@mhasp.org.
SOURCE Mental Health Association of Southeastern Pennsylvania, Training and Education Center (TEC)
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