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SPOTLIGHT SPORTS GROUP ANNOUNCES LONG-TERM STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH PLAYMAKER CAPITAL INC. BRAND YARDBARKER

Spotlight Sports Group

Spotlight Sports Group assists Playmaker Capital Inc and Yardbarker in expanding market-leading content offering through the creation and provision of turnkey, always-on premium horseracing digital destination Spotlight Sports Group (SSG), a world-leading technology, content and media business specializing in sports betting and fantasy sports, has announced a long-term strategic partnership with Playmaker Capital Inc. (Playmaker) brand Yardbarker, a premier US sports and entertainment media platform which attracts more than 12 million user sessions per month. Spotlight Sports Group will provide a turnkey, always-on, premium horseracing destination on Yardbarker.com, featuring entries, results, content, tools, games, and coverage of all the largest US horseracing tracks. Spotlight Sports Group’s horseracing platform will provide coverage for Yardbarker customers throughout North America. Initially, the partnership includes significant coverage of the forthcoming Kentucky Oaks and the Kentucky Derby delivering: - Entries, results and charts for races leading up to the 2022 Kentucky Derby - Profiles of every horse scheduled to Run for the Roses, and horse-by-horse breakdowns with notes and quotes for the big races - Complete stats articles breaking down ten ways to play the big races and exclusive pick-6 analysis for both the big days In addition to the 2022 Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks content, the site will have coverage for all other US tracks throughout the year, including: - Entries, latest odds, results and charts for races at major US tracks - Feature horseracing articles for both casual and regular handicappers - Daily free bets and exclusive offers for the best places to play - Horseracing event guides for major track openings - AI-based automated horseracing generated content - Unique contests and games to make horseracing more fun “It could be argued that there is a perception that horseracing in America has been thought to be difficult to understand and consume,” commented Rick Wolf, SVP, Spotlight Sports Group. “Spotlight Sports Group’s decades of experience publishing premium horseracing content and actionable betting intelligence, coupled with Yardbarker’s reach to sports fans, gives us the unique opportunity to make horseracing digestible, understandable and continue to support its growth and popularity with all sports fans.” “Understanding that our audience loves all sports but was not engaged in horseracing created an opportunity to deliver a world-class experience and encourage our users to embrace an amazing sport,” added Yardbarker CEO Ben Maggin. “Yardbarker’s brand is the perfect place to ignite a renewed love of horseracing and create a place where fans can understand, embrace and enjoy one of the oldest sports in America. Spotlight Sports Group is the perfect partner to introduce horseracing to the Yardbarker audience and explode awareness across the sports landscape.” In addition to the creation and activation of sports betting content platforms for media, Spotlight Sports Group’s partner offerings include unique free-to-play games, betting intelligence and data, and automated entries, results and picks. For more information on Spotlight Sports Group partner offerings please visit: https://www.spotlightsportsgroup.com/en_us/. #### ABOUT SPOTLIGHT SPORTS GROUP Spotlight Sports Group (owned by Exponent Private Equity) is a world-leading technology, content and media business specializing in sports betting and fantasy sports. Evolved from the Racing Post Group, Spotlight Sports Group engages millions of people directly through Racing Post, Pickswise, Fantasy Alarm, Free Super Tips and myracing. The company also has decades of experience in powering growth and conversion for the world’s biggest sportsbooks and media companies, delivering best-in-class technology and expert scalable content experiences in more than 70 languages. ABOUT PLAYMAKER Playmaker Capital Inc. (TSX-V: PMKR; OTC: PMKRF) is a digital sports media company that lives at the intersection of sports, gambling, media and technology. Playmaker is building a premier collection of sports media brands, curated to deliver highly engaged audiences of sports fans to sports betting companies, leagues, teams and advertisers. ABOUT YARDBARKER Yardbarker is a digital media property focused on the publishing of sports and entertainment news and information. Founded in 2006, the property distributes content on its website, social media platforms, and via third-party syndication partners. In addition, Yardbarker curates and distributes 'The Morning Bark' and 'Quiz of the Day' email newsletters to more than 370K daily subscribers. MEDIA CONTACT Camilla Wright, Red Knot - E: camilla@redknotcomms.com ABOUT SPOTLIGHT SPORTS GROUP Spotlight Sports Group (owned by Exponent Private Equity) is a world-leading technology, content and media business specializing in sports betting and fantasy sports. Evolved from the Racing Post Group, Spotlight Sports Group engages millions of people directly through Racing Post, Pickswise, Fantasy Alarm, Free Super Tips and myracing. The company also has decades of experience in powering growth and conversion for the world’s biggest sportsbooks and media companies, delivering best-in-class technology and expert scalable content experiences in more than 70 languages. Contact Details Tom Webb +1 512-952-9369 tom@redknotcomms.com Company Website https://www.spotlightsportsgroup.com/en_us/

May 03, 2022 11:37 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Popular Gifting Trends for Mother's Day

YourUpdateTV

A video accompanying this announcement is available at: https://youtu.be/SdtdOyh8kmE Sunday, May 8 th is Mother’s Day, the perfect time to honor all the moms in your life. According to the National Retail Federation, shoppers planned on spending about $220 on Mother’s Day gifts in 2021. That number is expected to go up this year, due in part to limited COVID restrictions, various consumer deals, and the popularity of online shopping—including free shipping and easy return policies. Online searches have determined a few of this year’s biggest Mother’s Day gifting trends. As expected, flowers, jewelry, and sweets topped the list. However, restaurant-related searches and electronics are seeing record levels of spending this year. A recent Microsoft survey discovered more than 20% of mothers said they would like a spa visit. This is aligned with another shopping trend, which is shopping and supporting local businesses. Industry insiders say Mother’s Day is one of the biggest retail holidays of the year and expect to see more than $25 billion in spending in 2022. Fister has some gifting tips to help make mom’s heart melt this upcoming Mother’s Day. SKIN IS IN: Mother’s Day is less than a week away and Fister say’s it’s always a good idea to think outside of the box. Skincare is one of the first things that comes to her mind for this year’s Mother’s Day. The Beauty Expert says, “I’m really loving the high-performance Korean skincare brand, Sulwhasoo,” pointing out their Bestsellers Trial Kit, which features a few favorites, including their #1 selling First Care Activating Serum. It’s a radiance enhancing, anti-aging serum that also helps boost the absorption of following skincare products used on top.” The First Care Radiance Set is a limited edition 4-piece set of bestsellers that either clears impurities, amplifies hydration, or smooths one’s complexion for an everlasting glow. Finally, Fister says the Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream Set is a luxury gift set featuring new and improved silky-soft, anti-aging Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream. For more information, go to US.Sulwhasoo.com. Direct link: Bestsellers Trial Kit: https://us.sulwhasoo.com/collections/korean-skin-care-sets/products/bestsellers-trial-kit-1 First Care Radiance Set: https://us.sulwhasoo.com/collections/korean-skin-care-sets/products/first-care-radiance-set Concentrated Ginseng Renewing Cream Set: https://us.sulwhasoo.com/collections/korean-skin-care-sets/products/concentrated-ginseng-renewing-cream-set Social media handles: Facebook: @ sulwhasoo.us Instagram: @ Sulwhasoo.us PRIORITIZE HEALTH & WELL-BEING: Health and well-being have really become a priority over the past two years. The beauty and lifestyle expert says, “Now’s the time to help moms live happier and healthier lives.” As a mom, Fister points out that finding balance is incredibly important. This includes everyday feelings of being run down, stressed out, or in need of a little R&R. Fister’s view on self-care is loud and clear, “I’m loving The Good Patch.” This brand makes plant-powered wearable wellness patches for life’s everyday struggles, such as sleep and stress. Fister highlights that the patches are easy to use. The consumer just peels & sticks the patch to their wrist (or any venous area). The B12 Awake patch gives a user’s day a boost. It’s made with caffeine, green tea, and vitamin B12. Perfect for getting through that afternoon slump. The Relax patch is perfect for unwinding and decompressing on stressful days. It’s made with ashwagandha, passionflower, and rhodiola. “Perfect for dealing with the “joys” of parenting,” Fister jokes. The Dream patch is for getting some quality sleep. It’s made with 10mg melatonin, valerian root, and hops. This is ideal for travel, red-eyes, or even just a good nap. Fister says The Good Patches can be worn all day, delivering a sustained release of ingredients over 8-12 hours. They are available at Target, ULTA, and CVS. For more information, go to TheGoodPatch.com Direct link: https://thegoodpatch.com/ Social media handles: Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok: @thegoodpatch KEEP IT SOFT & STYLISH: The popularity of athleisure in the fashion industry continues to boom. Fister says it will definitely be noticeable this Mother’s Day, adding, “Who doesn’t love stylish leggings, sweatpants, and loungewear? They’ve become staples to our wardrobes… have they not, ladies?!? This year, she says a fun idea is for moms to coordinate with their mini, otherwise known as their daughter. “A brand I love is Spiritual Gangster,” says Fister, adding, “This brand is my go-to for leggings, soft fleece sweats, and fun graphic styles all rooted in optimism which I think we can all use more of right now. They also have a fantastic Mini Me Collection.” The beauty and lifestyle expert says the feminine floral active set has a matching girls legging that are both made from eco-conscious performance fabric— a super soft blend of recycled fibers and cooling yarns. Fister points out, “I also love the girl’s pink sweats! Made to match the women’s style —the girl’s Bridget raglan pull-over sweatshirt made in soft and cozy cotton terry pairs perfectly with the matching sweat pant. It’s a pretty in pink moment moms and daughters will both love.” For more information, go to SpiritualGangster.com Direct link: https://spiritualgangster.com/collections/mini-me-kids Social media handles: Facebook: @ SPIRITUALGANG Instagram: @ SPIRITUALGANGSTER Pinterest: @SPIRITUALGANGSTERLOVE STAY ON TREND: Fister says this year’s Mother’s Day gifting ideas even includes a new fashion trend. “This year, it’s really all about embracing vibrancy and joy—bold prints, micro-textures, and florals. It’s the season for moms to look and feel fabulous,” Fister adds, “From mothers and daughters to sisters and friends, Ramy Brook is a woman-owned business with styles that can be worn by women of all ages.” Ramy’s signature use of silk fabrics, lively colors, and sophisticated silhouettes immediately caught Fister’s eye. She is impressed by the collections intent to be a day-to-night solution in a woman’s wardrobe. She continues, “Another thing that means so much to me, is how the brand’s vision is for women to feel beautiful and confident—knowing they’re sexy, wearing something special, and looking their absolute best. Ramy Brook has timeless styles that truly transcend generations.” For more information, go to RamyBrook.com. Direct link: https://www.ramybrook.com/ Social media handles: Facebook: @ Ramy Brook Instagram: @ ramybook Pinterest: @ ramybrook TikTok: @ ramybrookny Twitter: @ ramybrook Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

May 03, 2022 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Youth Nicotine Vaping is a Mental Health Crisis

YourUpdateTV

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

May 02, 2022 01:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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

Bread & Law

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

April 29, 2022 08:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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

Pencil

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

April 29, 2022 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Top Tips for Returning to the Office

YourUpdateTV

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

April 28, 2022 06:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

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Ripken Baseball Celebrates National Beef Month with Tommy’s Jerky

Ripken Baseball

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

April 28, 2022 09:03 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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

HPL Digital Sport

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

April 28, 2022 09:01 AM Eastern Daylight Time

Elsevier appoints Judy Verses as President, Academic and Government Markets

Elsevier

Elsevier, a global leader in research publishing and information analytics, is pleased to announce the appointment of Judy Verses to the newly created role of President, Academic and Government Markets. Judy will join Elsevier on May 2, 2022 as a member of the company’s executive leadership team, reporting to Kumsal Bayazit, CEO; she will be based in Amsterdam. Judy will be responsible for Elsevier’s global strategy for product development, sales, marketing, academic relations, and research intelligence solutions to serve the needs of academic researchers, librarians, research leaders, policymakers, and funders. She will be instrumental in building on Elsevier’s extensive open access (OA) offerings that include more than 600 gold OA journals, over 2,000 institutions served by transformative deals around the world, and some 119,000 OA articles published in 2021. Judy will oversee the company’s broad product portfolio aimed at academic and government customers, including: ScienceDirect, the world’s largest platform for peer-reviewed primary scientific and medical research hosting more than 19 million pieces of content from 4,400 journals and 43,000 e-books. Scopus, an expertly curated abstract and citation database with content from 27,000+ journals by 7,000+ publishers to help researchers track and discover global knowledge in all fields. SciVal, a web-based analytics solution that provides insights into the research performance of over 20,000 academic, industry and government research institutions. Pure, a research information management system that enables evidence-based decisions, simplifies research administration, and optimises impact, reporting and compliance. Digital Commons, a leading institutional repository that enables universities to share and preserve their community’s research, scholarship, and collections with a range of modules to improve research data management, visibility and impact. Judy’s career is testament to her belief in the power of knowledge to enable and transform individuals and communities. She has a strong track record of building trust and of being a strong advocate for inclusion and diversity. Most recently, Judy was Executive Vice President, Research, at Wiley, leading the company’s academic journal publishing and platforms businesses. Prior to joining Wiley in 2016, she was President, Global Enterprise & Education at Rosetta Stone, a market leader in online language learning and literacy. Previously, she had been President and Chief Client Officer at Blackboard, a leading supplier of educational enterprise software where she was accountable for all global marketing and sales and driving the transformation to a customer-centric organization. The earlier part of Judy’s career was in telecommunications with Verizon where she held multiple senior leadership roles in sales, product, and marketing. Judy Verses commented on her appointment: “I cannot be more excited to join the Elsevier team. In my time in the industry, I have always been impressed with Elsevier’s tremendous portfolio of quality content and data analytics solutions. I look forward to the opportunity to work with an exceptional group of people to delight our customers in the research community and drive towards an open future.” Kumsal Bayazit, CEO of Elsevier, said: “Judy is a highly respected leader who understands deeply the needs of our customers in the research community. She is passionate about serving librarians, researchers, research leaders, policy makers and funders to advance knowledge and make critical decisions based on quality content and insights. We are delighted to welcome Judy to the Elsevier team at this exciting time as we work together with the communities that we serve to advance openness, inclusion, collaboration and transparency in research.” About Elsevier As a global leader in information and analytics, Elsevier helps researchers and healthcare professionals advance science and improve health outcomes for the benefit of society. We do this by facilitating insights and critical decision-making for customers across the global research and health ecosystems. In everything we publish, we uphold the highest standards of quality and integrity. We bring that same rigor to our information analytics solutions for researchers, health professionals, institutions, and funders. Elsevier employs 8,700 people worldwide. We have supported the work of our research and health partners for more than 140 years. Growing from our roots in publishing, we offer knowledge and valuable analytics that help our users make breakthroughs and drive societal progress. Digital solutions such as ScienceDirect, Scopus, SciVal, ClinicalKey and Sherpath support strategic research management, R&D performance, clinical decision support, and health education. Researchers and healthcare professionals rely on our 2,700+ digitized journals, including The Lancet and Cell; our 43,000+ eBook titles; and our iconic reference works, such as Gray's Anatomy. With the Elsevier Foundation and our external Inclusion & Diversity Advisory Board, we work in partnership with diverse stakeholders to advance inclusion and diversity in science, research and healthcare in developing countries and around the world. Elsevier is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. www.elsevier.com Contact Details Andrew Davis VP Corporate Communications andrew.davis@elsevier.com Company Website https://www.elsevier.com/

April 28, 2022 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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