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Web3 Community Platform Metasky brings in US$ 1.8 million led by Sequoia Capital India, Woodstock Fund

Metasky

Metasky, a platform aimed at the intersection of Web3 and the creator economy, has raised US $1.8 million in a pre-seed token sale round led by Sequoia Capital India and Woodstock Fund. Metasky positions itself as a bridge to Web3 - working with influencers, creators, and brands closely to form a Web3 strategy for their followers with the help of its user-friendly tools for buying, storing, and using NFTs (non-fungible tokens). Web3 is a set of technologies that give ownership of digital assets and data straight to end users. Ownership is given in the form of NFTs and Crypto Tokens. This new approach gives communities the same power that large centralised companies like Google and Facebook have long monopolised - opening avenues for new business models that are far more creator friendly. Metasky’s platform aims to convert people from being mere social media followers into engaged members of a brand’s digital world. Metasky is launching a user-friendly Web3 Wallet that democratises access to the decentralised world by making it easy for anybody to buy and securely hold Crypto Assets (NFTs and crypto tokens). Metasky’s Wallet can seamlessly integrate inside any existing website or application, converting any existing app to a Web3 app. These assets can then be used to provide exclusive benefits to token holders. These benefits range from unlockable digital content of your favourite creators, exclusive chat rooms and live streams, to backstage access into their offline events. Commenting on the fundraise, Ankit Arora Co-Founder at Metasky said, “Metasky itself is organised as a decentralised community. It is the most efficient way of aligning a group of people towards a shared goal. We want to walk the talk that decentralisation is important, but it is a means to an end. Concepts like NFTs only make sense if they are accompanied with a strong set of utilities, a passionate community, and real governance rights. We are building Web3 tools to serve this purpose.” Metasky was founded in 2021 by Ankit Arora and Prakhar Sharma to elevate NFTs from just images into objects that are alive and packed with exclusive benefits. "Ankit and Prakhar are accomplished company builders, and we are excited to work alongside them as they create a holistic platform for NFT communities." Shailesh Lakhani, MD, Sequoia India. Metasky recently launched its first community led project called “Tanukibles” - a play-to-earn game which has started its journey as an NFT collection. Tanukis are animals native to Japan, deeply embedded in Japanese mythology. Anyone can be a part of the production team of Tanukibles by getting one of 9999 limited edition Tanukis. Some Tanukis are rewarded to community participants on merit, others are scheduled to be up for public sale in April. About Metasky Metasky aims to be a bridge to Web3 for influencers, creators, and brands by working with them closely to form a Web3 strategy for their followers. With the help of its user-friendly tools for buying, storing, and using NFTs, Metasky democratises access to the decentralised world. Metasky Wallet can seamlessly integrate inside any website or application, converting any existing app to a Web3 app and enables brands to provide exclusive benefits to token holders. Benefits range from unlockable digital content, exclusive chat rooms and live streams, to backstage access into offline events. About Sequoia Capital IndiaSequoia helps daring founders build legendary companies, from idea to IPO and beyond. Sequoia India operates in Southeast Asia and India where we actively partner with founders from a wide range of companies, across categories, including BYJUs, Carousell, Druva, Gojek, OYO Rooms, Tokopedia, Truecaller, Zilingo, Zomato and more. We spur founders to push the boundaries of what’s possible. In partnering with Sequoia, startups benefit from nearly 50 years of tribal knowledge and lessons learned working with companies like Airbnb, Alibaba, Apple, Dropbox, Google, LinkedIn and Stripe early on. From the beginning, universities, endowments and other non-profits have been the backbone of our investor base, which means founders’ accomplishments make a meaningful difference. For more information on Sequoia’s work in India and SE Asia, visit - https://india.sequoiacap.com/ Contact Details Metasky Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://metasky.me/

March 09, 2022 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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SUNNY VODKA LAUNCHES NATIONALLY WITH AN ASPIRATIONAL WEST HOLLYWOOD SPIRIT

EMC|BOWERY

Brand Directors and Partners, Stas Karanikolaou and Zack Bia, Partner with Global Brand Equities To Launch A New Handcrafted Gluten-Free Corn Based Premium Vodka For The Modern Consumer (LOS ANGELES, CA - March 8, 2022) Global Brand Equities unveils Sunny Vodka, the newest addition to their successful liquid portfolio, with next generation entrepreneurs, Stas Karanikolaou and Zack Bia. The best friend duo who are undeniably recognized for disrupting and running the event scene in Los Angeles and cultural events beyond, are now venturing into the alcohol and spirits arena as Partners and Brand Directors with Sunny Vodka. Sunny Vodka is an aspirational brand conceptualized in West Hollywood, capturing the essence of its hometown. The creation of Sunny is a love story built by best friends who simply know what people want to drink and bask in all of life’s moments. The brand brings life to a casual day by the pool, a home cooked meal or a black-tie affair with one sip the world is always Sunny. Sunny Vodka is vegan, gluten-free and made from 100% U.S. grown corn and handcrafted in small batches. Prior to bottling, Sunny is distilled 6 times and is finished through an extra filtration process using California Limestone. The result is a more sophisticated approachable vodka that is cleaner, brighter and smoother with a pleasant aroma, mixable profile & a better mouthfeel. The premium spirit reaches the modern consumer with an eloquently smooth and welcoming flavor profile offering the true taste of vodka. Sunny will be retailed at the competitive price of $24.99 per 750ml bottle (80 Proof, 40% ABV). Sunny Vodka will be exclusively available in key retail chains and distributed by Shaw-Ross International Importers in partnership with Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits across the country starting with top major markets in California, Las Vegas, Florida and New York on February 1, 2022 and available for purchase at spirit merchants BevMo!, GoPuff Delivery and Wally’s. Stas Karanikolaou, Co-Brand Director of Sunny Vodka comments, “We distinctively sought out to make sure this vodka would be made with quality ingredients, better taste and artistic branding. Most importantly, we wanted to make sure that it was at a reasonable price point to help recreate some of the amazing memories my friends and I have had while drinking Sunny.” Zack Bia, Co-Brand Director of Sunny Vodka says, “ I love working with our "family" on Sunny Vodka. This is not like an endorsement where people just add their name; this is an authentic lifestyle we live and breathe. We are very proud of how far we have come with creating Sunny Vodka to be smooth, clean & a refreshing quality for everyone to aspire and enjoy responsibly.” “Sunny Vodka is not your average spirit, it's an entire lifestyle and community which revolves around an incredible liquid. Sunny is here to breathe new life into the industry's largest liquor category with this launch. The Sunny liquid is extraordinarily smooth, and it has taken our team years to refine it to this superior standard using custom methods in production and distillation. We are delighted to have our distribution led by Shaw-Ross International Importers and Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits in the US, giving Sunny the best visibility in On and Off-premise retailers as well as e-commerce platforms. Our co-founders are experts in building community and we are proud to partner with them on this incredible brand. ” said James Morrissey President of Global Brand Equities. To kick off the launch, Global Brand Equities have purchased select campaign billboards throughout West Hollywood with locations on Sunset Blvd. and Melrose Ave, alongside a hand-painted mural capturing the sunny landscape of Los Angeles, starting with first sign “It’s Always Sunny on Sunset” at the “bird streets” barricade off Sunset Blvd. The billboards and mural amplify the essence of the prolific trendsetting culture and aspirational lifestyle in the city. For the influential brand, the mission is to create a community that starts with the people and their networks of tastemakers and influencer relationships. Sunny Spritz 2oz Sunny Vodka 1oz Fresh Lime Juice 1oz Agave Nectar 1 oz Crafted Soda Water Garnished with cucumber peel and fresh mint sprigs Sunny Pop 2oz Sunny Vodka 2oz Craft Soda Water Garnished with lemon Sunny Martini 3oz Sunny Vodka 1/8oz Dry Vermouth Garnish with 3 Olives Sunny Screwdriver 2oz Sunny Vodka 2 dashes orange bitters 1-2 hand squeezed blood oranges Sunny Aperol Spritz 1oz Sunny Vodka 2oz Aperol 2oz Craft Soda Water Orange Wheel Garnished with fresh rosemary sprig For more information and find out where Sunny Vodka is sold, please visit: www.sunny-vodka.com to find the nearest retailer. For press/ media inquiries, please contact: Ben Russo, ben@emcbowery.com Dianne Quirante, dianne@emcbowery.com ABOUT SUNNY VODKA Sunny is a love story between best friends who simply know what people want to drink. There are only a few things in life that bring people together and make lasting memories - a great drink is the top of the list. Whether you are with family, friends, a loved one or on your own, nothing beats a smooth glass of Sunny. A casual dinner, a funny toast or a black-tie affair, you cannot deny the easy, clean taste from the world’s best vodka: Sunny. ABOUT GLOBAL BRAND EQUITIES Global Brand Equities (GBE) is the leading producer, owner, and operator of disruptive consumer brands in the spirits industry. Founded by international entrepreneur James Morrissey, the GBE portfolio consists of investments in brands that live in high-growth categories. Responsible for some of the industry’s most successful product launches globally, the company continues to innovate and evolve beyond the average industry standard, resulting in the creation of some of the best-known brand names of our generation. Creating long-term growth of brand equity is a priority for all of the GBE businesses, and its foundations are deep rooted in the liquor, manufacturing, and entertainment sectors, ensuring longevity and the ability to scale at a global level. Always focused on delivering products at the highest level of quality, the portfolio continues to receive exceptional accolades from leading experts. The company’s global perspective is seen with its Maison No 9 French rosé wine brand. In partnership with Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum recording artist Post Malone, the brand has disrupted the wine industry globally, breaking records for its sales at launch, and scaling across multiple continents in its first 18 months. The liquid currently retains a 91-point score on wine.com. Contact Details EMCBOWERY Dianne Quirante dianne@emcbowery.com

March 08, 2022 09:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Digital staffing firm uses NFTs to raise money and awareness for Ukraine

Pixoul

Pixoul, a digital consultancy and IT staffing firm, announced today plans to partner with UNICEF amidst the growing humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. The company will use all proceeds from its NFT (non-fungible token) studio to donate to the emergency relief effort. The decision is a landmark shift in the growing crypto sector, as the digital assets become a vehicle for charitable donations. What is happening in Ukraine is a tragedy—we at Pixoul feel deeply for the Ukrainian people and want to lend support in any way we can,” says Devon Fata, CEO and President of Pixoul. “We knew when we started our NFT studio that we wanted to use this arm of our business to better communities near and far. I can’t think of anything more important right now than funding this fight for freedom.” Purchases of Pixoul NFTs will go entirely toward UNICEF’s emergency response efforts, as well as support to the local artists creating the NFTs. The digital art is available for purchase at: https://opensea.io/collection/pixoul-eye-candy. About Pixoul: Pixoul is a leading innovation consultancy and IT staffing firm that helps clients deliver outstanding products and scale digital teams. They were recently recognized as a 2022 Dallas Manifest Award winner as a top B2B firm, as well as a 2021 Clutch award winner for excellence in IT and business services. Connect with Pixoul at www.pixoulinc.com. Contact Details Pixoul Christiana Stankewitz +1 830-321-0359 hello@pixoulinc.com Company Website https://www.pixoulinc.com/

March 03, 2022 01:03 PM Eastern Standard Time

3rd Annual Survey: CMOs Increasingly Being Tapped to Lead Growth in Difficult Business Environment in 2022

Chief Outsiders

Chief Outsiders, the nation’s largest and fastest growing firm offering fractional Chief Marketing Officer services with Fortune 500 experience, today revealed the results from the third annual survey of its CMOs on their 2022 outlook. The results speak to the changing expectations that the C-suite holds for CMOs, the impact of the pandemic and changing customer behaviors and preferences (among them those pertaining to ESG) on companies and companies’ marketing priorities. “While it seems that we finally have the worst of the pandemic behind us, the impact of Covid on the economy, on businesses’ growth prospects and on customer preferences and behaviors, will continue to be strongly felt for quite some time to come. More than ever, CMOs are being called upon to take the leading role in helping companies accelerate growth in this new environment, many of whom haven’t embraced digital marketing solutions in any significant way until now,” said Art Saxby, founder and co-principal of Chief Outsiders. “Since labor shortages also impact the marketing function, and technology makes remote work more viable than ever, fractional CMOs are rapidly becoming a natural option for an increasing number of CEOs faced with a need to hire specialized executive-level help for achieving their growth objectives,” said Pete Hayes, CMO and co-principal of Chief Outsiders. Key Survey Takeaways: Expectations for 2022 Respondents were mixed on their expectations for 2022, with 47 percent of CMOs surveyed reported having a pessimistic view on the New Year. 46 percent expected the economic circumstances to improve. See Table 1, Q15: ( N: 57) here. Impediments to growth in 2022 CMOs identified as main headwinds for companies’ growth a continued shortage of talent, on-going supply chain issues, inflation, and potential government Covid measures. In other words, CMOs expect that the uncertainty and longer-term impact of the pandemic will continue to weigh negatively on companies’ growth prospects. See Table 2, Q16: (N: 55) here. CEO priorities for CMOs In the current environment where an unprecedented confluence of quickly evolving economic and sociological factors impact not only what customer have to be spend, but also how they collect information on alternatives and what factors weigh in when they make a purchasing decision, CMOs are called upon by their CEOs, first and foremost, to set the growth agenda. Second is lead generation (filling the sales pipeline), and third is building the organization to achieve growth goals. 76.4 percent of respondents say the shift in growth emphasis is permanent, while 12.7 percent say it’s not. See Table 3, Q8: (N: 56) here. Importance of ESG Another important factor impacting growth prospects for businesses are changes in customer buying behavior that are not new but have been accelerated through - and because - of the pandemic. Important changes to behaviors, next to the digitalization of the buyer journey, include growing concerns with ESG where 69 percent of respondents said that a brand’s stance on environmental and social issues is somewhat important or extremely important to customers when making purchasing decisions. And more than 83 percent said that CMOs should take the lead in defining and activating a brand’s ESG initiatives. See Table 4, Q36: (N: 54) here. Capturing and managing 1st party B2B, B2C customer data Upcoming changes to companies’ ability to leverage third party data is an emerging challenge marketers will need to address. When asked where marketers can best capture and manage first party customer data, at in-person events came second to last (the owned website and social media came first) - the same picture can be seen for both B2B and B2C customers. See Table 5, Q27: (N: 55) for B2B and Table 6, Q28: (N: 48) for B2C here. CEO attitudes towards fractional CMOs CEOs also no longer need CMOs to be on payroll, let alone check in every morning at 08:00 AM. Increasingly, attitudes are becoming more positive towards fractional CMOs where 70 percent of respondents said that fractional CMOs are becoming ever more accepted by the C-suite, with only 18 percent indicating that only some CEOs are willing to work with fractional CMOs. See Table 7, Q11: (N: 56) here. The complete results of the survey available upon request. About this survey Chief Outsiders surveyed more than 60 CMOs with Fortune 500 experience in over 1,400 enterprise and mid-market companies on their perspectives of their marketplaces. This marks the third annual CMO survey on what to expect in market trends and company growth. About Chief Outsiders Chief Outsiders is the leading Fractional CMO firm that helps CEOs accelerate growth through the development and disciplined execution of well-crafted growth plans. The firm has more than 100 part-time, or fractional, Chief Marketing Officers (CMOs) engaged from coast-to-coast. Unlike traditional marketing and management consulting firms, each CMO has held the position of VP Marketing or higher at one or more operating companies, including many Fortune 500 firms. Chief Outsiders CMOs have served on the executive team of more than 1,400 client companies, driving growth strategy and execution plans by offering instant access to talent with highly customized and flexible engagements. Because of its market-based growth plans, quality of leadership, and experienced team, Chief Outsiders has been recognized for the past eight years by Inc. Magazine as one of the 5,000 fastest growing privately held companies in the US, and was recognized in 2019 as a Forbes Small Giant. Chief Outsiders’ CEO Art Saxby and Principal Pete Hayes are the co-authors of “The Growth Gears: Using a Market-Based Framework to Drive Business Success,” an Amazon #1 best-seller for business owners and CEOs. For additional information about the companies who trust Chief Outsiders as their premier source for business growth acceleration, click here. Contact Details Razor Sharp PR Ray Young +1 512-633-6855 ray@razorsharppr.com Company Website https://www.chiefoutsiders.com/

March 02, 2022 12:55 PM Pacific Standard Time

LevLane Advertising Announces SVP, Partnerships and Development

LevLane

LevLane Advertising, a full-service, award-winning advertising agency based in Center City, Philadelphia, has announced Carl Cherkin, former Vice President of Communications and Business Development at Philadelphia Union, as the agency’s first Senior Vice President of Partnerships and Development. LevLane is a nationally recognized agency which offers creative services, brand planning, social media strategy, public relations, analytics, and more. It was founded almost 40 years ago and has grown to employ more than 75 full-time employees today. Bruce Lev, LevLane’s CEO, Chief Creative Officer, and co-founder, said that while driving in new business and expanding the agency’s presence in the region are primary goals for Cherkin, he fully expects him to step in and contribute in areas outside of partnerships and development. “That’s just who Carl is, and the exact reason we brought him onto our team.” In his previous role at Philadelphia Union, Cherkin was a member of the executive team responsible for launching Philadelphia Union, the city’s successful Major League Soccer team, where he remains a consultant, now in his 13 th season with the club. In addition to the ground-breaking launch, he established a number of successful relationships with corporate sponsors, Chambers of Commerce, and a vast and varied array of businesses, while continuing to generate a continuum of profitable business development opportunities at all levels for the club. Prior to his work in business development and communications, he had a successful career spanning decades in journalism and public relations. For Cherkin, the transition from Emmy Award-winning television sportscaster to business development executive was natural. “I’ve spent my entire career making connections and building relationships, it’s what I love to do,” he said. “I am looking forward to being a part of the team that pushes LevLane into its next phase of growth. We have incredible talent here and my hope is that our reputation for attracting creative powerhouses and impressive clientele makes us the number one agency in Philadelphia and mid-Atlantic region.” The agency has experienced steady growth throughout the past several decades—the decision to bring on a senior vice president for partnerships and development ensures that the agency as a whole remains energized. ‘‘This is an exciting time for LevLane and for me as well. I’ve been given a unique opportunity to work in an environment where the culture, already created, is so vitally important. That my lifelong friend Bruce Lev has been the driving force behind that culture, makes it that much more meaningful,” said Cherkin. “It’s incredibly motivating and at the same time challenging, to know that any and all of contributions I make to this extraordinary group of people will continue to enhance the growth and success of LevLane and its clients.” About LevLane LevLane is an award-winning, full-service, independent advertising agency in Philadelphia, PA, that has been building brands that people love for nearly 40 years. Contact Details Lauren Stralo +1 610-401-4825 lstralo@levlane.com Company Website https://www.levlane.com

March 01, 2022 08:07 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Simplifying Social Media for Small Business Owners: Tips on How Local Businesses Can Stand Out in 2022

YourUpdateTV

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/mQc2Uxrk-EU Small business owners have already had to get creative in so many ways in the past few years. According to a survey from Adobe, 74% of small business owners are facing creative burnout. One way to reset and refresh their business is by improving their social media presence. For a small business owner who may already be feeling stretched creatively, social media can seem daunting or time intensive. Natalie Zfat partnered with Adobe Creative Cloud Express on a media campaign to provide small business owners with helpful tips to better reach customers and get their business back on its feet. No matter their budget or confidence level for graphic design, here are some of the tips she shared to easily create standout graphics, photos, and videos in no time: Inspiration can strike at the oddest times. Creative Cloud Express allows you to create quick, easy content on the fly – with thousands of high-quality templates to customize your Instagram Stories, video cover slides, timeline carousels and more. Carousels outperform single-image Instagram posts. According to research by SocialInsider, the average engagement rate increases by 2% when using all 10 carousel slides, and carousels with a mix of video and images see the highest engagement rate per post at 2.33%. Filling the carousel with gorgeous content is easy when you use Creative Cloud Express, which lets you easily search through Adobe Stock images and leverage more than 20,000 fonts. Did you know that social media posts with video have 48% more views? Creative Cloud Express makes it super easy to edit and customize videos (even if video editing isn't your forté). It's no secret that social media users scroll quickly, and it can be tricky to stand out. 82% of small business owners know that a creative design will drive business, but 45% cite that they don’t have either the time, tools or skills to bring their ideas to life. One way to “stop the scroll” is with compelling animation and imagery. Creative Cloud Express lets you incorporate animated elements easily and create beautiful, thumb-stopping imagery that will catch your audience's eye. Something as simple as a colorful, animated shape layered behind text - or a funny GIF or sticker - will help your message stand out and allow you to inject more of your personality. And the best part: You don’t have to be a designer to get it done. Use “Quick Actions” powered by Adobe Sensei to remove backgrounds from photos, trim and merge videos, convert videos to GIF, and more. Integrate your brand's aesthetic across multiple platforms for a cohesive experience. Creative Cloud Express allows you to build your brand by uploading logos, colors and more. This makes it easy to seamlessly adapt your brand creative for social media, email marketing, website and more. The Shared Libraries feature in particular makes it easy for anyone and everyone on your team to work from a cohesive bank of templates to achieve that brand consistency. The Instagram algorithm is ever-changing, but we know that content that inspires shares and saves does particularly well, especially when that content is in video form. 74% of small business owners acknowledge that they are facing major hindrances to their creativity right now. To maximize engagement, aim for content that is beautiful, funny or educational. Infographics and video tutorials (“How To’s”) are a great way to do this - and Creative Cloud Express offers stunning, customizable graphs, charts and other great visuals that lend themselves to shareable content. Think of your social media profile as your storefront. 55% of small business owners say their online presence is more critical to their success than a physical store. Is your bio fully fleshed out? Is it clear what you're offering your audience? Creative Cloud Express allows you to create beautiful, robust profiles, with thousands of high quality templates for banner images, profile photos, Instagram Highlight covers and more – all customizable with your brand colors and typography. Don't have a brand book (yet)? Dip into Creative Cloud Express’ Stock and Fonts database for thousands of unique, stunning imagery and font styles for marketing materials like logos, flyers, banners, and more. To learn more about Creative Cloud Express and its different graphic design features go to: adobe.com/express About Natalie Zfat: According to Mark Cuban, “Natalie Zfat doesn’t mess around.” Natalie Zfat is a social media expert, speaker and host who has partnered with some of the most iconic brands in the world, including Samsung, Facebook, CNBC and LinkedIn. Curating original social media content, strategy and campaigns, Natalie gains millions of impressions for the brands she advocates for. When she’s not with her clients, Natalie loves sharing her social media thought leadership in her Forbes column, on television and at conferences and universities, including the New York Times, CBS, Carnegie Mellon, NYU Stern School of Business, SXSW and CES. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

February 22, 2022 04:34 PM Eastern Standard Time

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35-Year Printing Business SprintPrint Converts to Minuteman Press Franchise in Madison, Wisconsin

Minuteman Press International Inc

For 35 years, Phil Van Kampen and his wife Liz built their family-owned independent printing business SprintPrint into a multimillion dollar company by doing what they’ve always done for their customers. “We make printing easy,” says Phil. With the business doing well and retirement on the horizon, Phil has decided to sell the business to the Kenney family: Chrispin, Lynn, and their son CJ. Moving forward, SprintPrint will be rebranded as Minuteman Press in Madison as part of the Minuteman Press Conversion Program. The business will remain at their location at 2790 South Fish Hatchery Road. The Kenney family also owns a Minuteman Press franchise in Waunakee, which they have owned since 2013. Selling the Business As Phil approached retirement and was looking to sell the business, he wanted to make sure that there would be minimal disruption for both his clients and his employees that helped make SprintPrint a success. Phil says, “We had 12 employees, with at least half of them being with us for over 20 years. I wanted to make sure they were taken care of even after I sold the business.” Phil continues, “Originally, we were approached by another company but all they wanted was to buy our customer list. We were also contacted by a business broker and found that their commission rate was expensive. They also seemed to have no sense of urgency as if we wouldn’t be a priority, and so we decided not to go forward with them.” Eventually, Phil found the right partner to sell his business in Minuteman Press International. Phil explains, “After we decided not to use the business broker, Liz came home with a flyer from Minuteman Press that we received in the mail. I called Steve Szymanski, who is the Midwest Regional VP, and we talked for over an hour. I simply trusted him, liked what he had to say, and so we moved forward.” “The Minuteman Press Conversion Program was exactly what we needed to sell our business. There was no charge, no commission, and no broker fees. I also liked the fact that Minuteman Press would aid the new owner in running the business, and that I could retire without worrying about my customers and employees. In fact, my wife Liz is staying on to work with them because she isn’t ready to retire and loves her job. Steve Szymanski helped coordinate the sale and made it work, and it has been an easy transition for all involved.” -Phil Van Kampen, Retired Owner, SprintPrint, Madison, Wisconsin Meet the New Owners Lynn Kenney is the majority owner of the newly acquired business that is being rebranded as Minuteman Press in Madison. Lynn shares, “For the last 17 years, I’ve been working for the post office as a rural carrier. I also have a background in accounting and payroll in my early career working at Excalibur in Las Vegas.” For the Kenney family, the acquisition of SprintPrint simply made sense. Lynn explains, “My husband, Chrispin, was interested in expanding our current business while also building the business with our son CJ. We look forward to offering the same quality and experience customers have relied on in the past. In addition, we will be offering expanded products and services to existing and future customers.” “I believe good communication, accountability, education, and execution are the keys to running a successful family business. After 9 years of building our first location, we are looking forward to building another successful Minuteman Press franchise with our son CJ and creating great relationships in the Madison community.” -Lynn Kenney, New Co-Owner, Minuteman Press, Madison, Wisconsin CJ Kenney graduated from University of Wisconsin-Madison in December 2021 with a degree in Communication Arts. After graduating, CJ knew that he wanted to take the next step forward with the family business. “I’ve been working with my parents at their center in Waunakee for eight years, since I was in high school. I did whatever they needed me to do. I ran deliveries, I helped with in-house apparel and production, and I loved going to BNI meetings and customer calls with my dad.” CJ continues, “I love talking to people, and I learned a lot from my dad. It always seems like he knows what to say and how to build relationships. I love this business because we can meet so many people that become friends in addition to working with them as clients. I just felt like this was the right track to take for my career and for the family business.” “With SprintPrint, we saw some tremendous expanding points for our business. Phil and Liz built a fantastic business over 35 years that will help us grow our in-house wide format printing services for the production of banners, signs, and posters. They also have a fantastic staff and clients I am excited to work with them as we begin this new chapter as Minuteman Press in Madison.” -CJ Kenney, New Co-Owner, Minuteman Press, Madison, Wisconsin History of the Business Before opening SprintPrint in 1987, Phil worked for another large printing chain based in Madison for 10 years. He says, “I decided to leave and start my own business. I knew what I wanted to do, and I decided I wanted to work for myself. We started the business and I made sure we differentiated ourselves as a quick printer focused on B2B clients rather than walk-ins.” Like many other business owners, Phil grew SprintPrint by building long-term relationships and becoming the face of the business. He also provided products that made sense and helped him stand out. Phil says, “One thing that set us apart early on is that we got into the mailing side of the business, invested in the equipment and the expertise, and became a one-stop source for in-house printing and direct mail.” After six years in business, SprintPrint moved to a 6,000 sq. ft. facility, then added onto the facility in 1997. “This is the same location at 2790 South Fish Hatchery Road that Minuteman Press is taking over, which I am very excited about because it makes for an even easier transition.” Over the past ten years, SprintPrint has continued to evolve and grow. “The biggest change over the past decade was getting into large format printing, which has been a huge benefit to our clients. During the pandemic, we experienced growth in large format, and direct mail held steady. We always try to make printing easy, and the past few years have been no different.” During the pandemic, SprintPrint continued to operate as an essential business and meet the needs of their clients. Phil says, “We have many long-term customers for 30 years or more with well-established businesses. They were able to weather the storm and continue marketing, and we were there to help them adapt and pivot as needed.” Retirement and Advice for Others Now that the sale is complete, Phil is looking forward to his well-earned retirement. “I’ve taken up woodworking as a hobby, and it is very relaxing to be able to enjoy each day.” Phil summarizes his experience with Minuteman Press and shares his advice for others who are looking to sell their printing business: “As owners of SprintPrint, my wife Liz and I had decided in the last year that, after 35 years, it was time to sell our business. It was of utmost importance that our employees were taken care of – we were looking for someone who would run the business in place and retain our staff. We originally explored selling it ourselves or working with a broker, which was not working out for various reasons. We then contacted Steve Szymanski, Regional Vice President of Minuteman Press International, to explore our options with their firm. We found their system to be very attractive as there was no cost to us to market our company for sale, and we could exit the business entirely upon sale. Minuteman Press was able to find a buyer that was the best fit for how we wanted to leave the industry. We could not be more pleased with the whole process. We would highly recommend working with them to any print shop owner looking to sell their business.” Learn more about Minuteman Press in Madison, WI by visiting their website: https://minuteman.com/us/locations/wi/fitchburg. For more information on how to sell your printing business through Minuteman Press International’s Conversion Program, call 1-800-645-3006 or visit https://bit.ly/minutemanpressconversions. Contact Details Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

February 22, 2022 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Avi Kumar Converts Independent Print Shop to Minuteman Press Franchise in Longmont, CO

Minuteman Press International Inc

A vi Kumar has been part of the Minuteman Press franchise family since May 2016 as the owner of Minuteman Press in Greeley, CO. In February 2021, Avi had the opportunity to buy Ron’s Printing Center located in Longmont, CO, which was in business for 40 years. Avi converted Ron’s Printing Center into his second Minuteman Press location in February 2021 and is now celebrating one year in business at the new center. Minuteman Press in Longmont is located at 420 Main Street, Longmont, CO 80501. Avi says, “Our Regional Vice President Jack Panzer told us about this established business for sale in Longmont, which is 40 minutes from us. The main advantage was to extend profitability and expand our business in Northern Colorado.” He continues, “Another advantage was that we did not have to spend a lot of extra effort in marketing this as a new business because Ron’s Printing Center had been established for a long time. The employees were all very hands-on and diligent and we were able to retain them all. Within the second month, we added mailings, promotional products, and apparel to their product lines. In fact, we just wrapped up a 30K mailer for a local non-profit organization and secured a large apparel order as well.” Prior to franchising in 2016, Avi worked in retail as a convenience store manager of several locations. “I used to manage some stores in Illinois for a big outfit out of Wisconsin. I finally got tired of answering to my boss and decided I wanted to own my own business. I moved on to better pastures and we decided as a family that Colorado was our calling.” Avi is thankful for being able to work with Minuteman Press and Jack Panzer over the past five-plus years in Greeley and on the conversion in Longmont in 2021. He says, “Working with Jack is amazing as he is very thorough and helpful. Since I started my business in Greeley in 2016, he has been a huge resource for us and very supportive. As we continue to build in Longmont, we are also expanding in Greeley to a new 5,000 sq. ft. facility – remodeling is under way as we speak. We started small and grew the business, and now we are building on that success at the right, consistent pace.” For more information on Minuteman Press in Longmont, CO, visit https://minuteman.com/us/locations/co/longmont. Learn more about #1 rated Minuteman Press franchise opportunities at https://minutemanpressfranchise.com. To learn how to sell your printing business through the Minuteman Press Conversion Program, visit https://bit.ly/minutemanpressconversions. Contact Details Minuteman Press International Chris Biscuiti +1 631-249-1370 cbiscuiti@mpihq.com Company Website https://minutemanpressfranchise.com

February 15, 2022 11:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Telos tEVM and dStor to Power the MetaVerse in Utopian Fashion - Grants and Hackathons are Live!

Telos Foundation

Telos Blockchain (Tlos) has launched its very own non-Ethereum fork Virtual Machine ( tEVM ) and a cloud-based peer to peer decentralized file storage system ( dStor ) to facilitate the exploding Metaverse and all its future needs. Telos is a 3rd Generation, ESG compliant layer 1 blockchain that has been executing energy-efficient smart contracts uninterrupted since 2018. Every transaction on the Telos Network utilizes less than 0.000002 kWh of energy per transaction and costs end users zero to near zero in gas fees. Prior to the recent Telos EVM launch, the Telos mainnet was executing smart contracts only for Native C++, but now with the new Telos EVM it also can deliver smart contracts for Solidity and Vyper as well. The vast majority of all actively used dapps utilize one of these two languages, C++ or Solidity. Now that Telos EVM is live this means that Telos is the only blockchain capable of generating blocks for the two most popular languages. “With the Metaverse set to become its very own multi-trillion-dollar industry via entertainment and commerce, layer 1 blockchain solutions will be needed more now than ever. It is fundamentally impossible for any of this to work without them. Layer 1 blockchains that are scalable, affordable and energy efficient are the foundation of the Metaverse. The Telos Blockchain is the most advanced and robust layer 1 by many multiples. A utopian solution for Web3.0 and the Metaverse.” Justin Giudici, Acting CEO at Telos Foundation. Telos and its tEVM is capable of sustainably delivering hundreds of millions of near fee-less transactions per day before any future sharding/rollups. The Metaverse will need this level of capacity to thrive. Telos' current capacity is sufficient to handle the transaction needs of every single existing layer 1 chain, including all their future forecasted growth for the next decade. As other chains boast their theoretical transaction capacity, Telos delivers. With any one of the following third-party comparisons, one can clearly see for themselves some of the proven strengths of Telos. Cardano, Solana, Polkadot, Fantom and Telos vs the Clock Telos vs Fantom Telos vs Avalanche vs Binance Smart Chain vs Ethereum *Visit links above For Web 3.0 commerce and entertainment to thrive, dApps need speed, capacity, affordability, energy efficiency, decentralization and even p2p file storage. With Telos‘ half-second block times and endless capacity, transactions will consistently be inexpensive and faster than the eye can see. Transactions are instant with Telos. With the launch of the Telos EVM, Solidity based dApps can finally utilize all of these advantageous attributes as well. Ultimately, dApps on Telos can spread their wings, minimize their spending, and take flight on a Layer 1 platform that has no congestion in sight. *Developer Alert: Telos Spark Hackathon - 100,000 Tlos for First place! Feb 7 to March 6th - Register Here Telos Ignite Grant Program - 12 million over 4 years! Live now! - Register Here Some uses on Telos are even free for the end-user, specifically if the dApp was built in Native C++. These dApps running natively on Telos can enjoy zero fee transactions if they have staked enough resources to support their activity. These fee-less transactions are favorable for many Web 3.0 users, especially because the vast majority of transactions are simple transactions. For example, simple transactions are extremely common in blockchain gaming. It is often difficult for dApps to build a lucrative model around these continuously fluctuating transaction costs. Telos allows Web 3.0 dApps to overcome this barrier by being the only layer 1 platform offering a pathway to fee-less transactions. On the solidity side, the Telos EVM charges near zero gas fees for transactions. Uniquely, the prices do not move linearly with the Tlos coin price. Instead, the gas fees are fixed, independent, and remain homogeneous, which is very helpful when building a business on blockchain. Unpredictable fluctuating costs can destroy most business models, making it extremely important to note that Telos brings much needed stability to this variable. Telos' founders also bring years of Metaverse experience to the table. You may be wondering how that’s possible when the Metaverse seems to be brand new and Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg just made it popular, but there is a background story. Before Web 3.0 and virtual reality were married off and coined into a single phrase, the Metaverse, Telos was already heavily engaged in the concept. In this MetaVerse / Web 3.0 gaming video from over 2 years ago, you will see Telos chief architect, Douglas Horn explaining how much of this works. The process of creating and owning digital art via NFTs and not just selling them but utilizing them across different virtual environments has been a deep seeded concept within the Telos team. It’s a concept that has led to the development of Telos EVM and Telos dStor, a decentralized peer-to-peer cloud-based file storage system that’s fully integrated into the Telos architecture. Telos dStor, as of now, is the highest performance storage system available. Individual users, collectors, digital graphic artists, musicians, and gaming companies can store all their digital Metaverse content seamlessly and simultaneously on dStor. This storage capability is available in all global regions, in a decentralized environment, for prices far lower than those offered by Google or Amazon for single-region availability. The next decade is sure to be metamorphic regarding the web and how we interact with it. Web 3.0, blockchain and real life are all on a path to collide into an altered virtual reality and layer 1 platforms like Telos will certainly be needed to deliver the fundamental building blocks that will help manifest the MetaVerse. About Telos Telos is a 3rd generation smart contract platform that offers compatibility with Solidity, Vyper and Native C++ smart contracts, providing full EVM/Solidity support as well as a fee-less native smart contract layer upon which the EVM is built. Telos performance is unrivaled in the industry and was purpose-built to offer speed, scalability, cost-effectiveness, decentralization and end-user fairness. The network can sustainably support hundreds of millions of transactions per day, produces blocks in 0.5 second intervals on a first-in-first-out basis (eliminating frontrunning on the network), offers a fee-less native and low per transaction cost EVM (<$0.10), and a fully decentralized block producer network. About The Foundation The Telos Foundation is a Decentralized Autonomous Organization established as a promotional and funding body to advance the Telos Blockchain Network and provide support to network applications. Contact Details Telos Foundation The Team hello@telosfoundation.io Company Website https://www.telos.net/

February 15, 2022 10:34 AM Eastern Standard Time

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