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Chia Launches its Green Digital Currency (XCH)

Chia Network

Highlights Eco-friendly chia (as “ XCH ”) commences its first transaction today with widespread digital exchange adoption expected in May Over the past 14 days, Chia Network has routinely been the largest and most decentralized blockchain by full node count - usually exceeding 100,000 full nodes Chia Network reinvents “mining” with energy efficient at-home “farming ” for everyone Chia + Chialisp are designed for secure “smart coin” transactions Chia Network Inc. (“Chia"), a new energy efficient decentralized blockchain created by Bram Cohen (the inventor of BitTorrent), today launches its revolutionary digital currency, chia. The green digital currency, chia (as “XCH”), is expected to gain widespread digital exchange listing, and rapid worldwide adoption in the financial, corporate, commercial, and governmental sectors. Founded in 2017 in the U.S. with a global workforce, Chia Network’s protocol seeks to become an alternative to traditional financial networks. It strives to provide a secure, energy-efficient network for modern finance and payments. Chia is green money XCH is Chia Network's native digital currency. Chia is created as a reward to chia “ farmers ” (the analogue to Bitcoin’s or Ethereum’s “miners”). The protocol uses an improved and simplified implementation of Bitcoin’s unspent transaction output (UTXO) model. These simplifications actually increase the flexibility and programmability of coins. Chia farming rewards 2 XCH per block for the first three years as the incentive mechanism that supports its new Nakamoto consensus. “The first chia transaction is an exciting milestone which furthers our long term mission to provide environmentally sustainable financial freedom. I am incredibly proud of our team and our reinvention of Bitcoin’s approach to the ‘everything is a coin’ model. We will continue to enhance the features of Chia and Chialisp in the areas of coloured coins, digital identity wallets, and NFT (non fungible token) support. This is just the beginning of our journey to become the core of a new financial architecture," shared Bram Cohen. Chia + Chialisp = secure “smart coin” transactions Chialisp is Chia Network’s smart coin language based on the functional language Lisp. Everything on the chia blockchain is a coin. Smart coins deliver smart contract and smart transaction capabilities in one package. Chilalisp has been designed for security and simplicity, while allowing for powerful and broad functionality. Applications running on Chia Network’s blockchain are intended to have functionality appropriate for banking, payments, asset issuance, global exchange, and other financial applications. Key feature sets of Chialisp include: Coloured coins Digital identity wallets Rate limited wallets Authorised payee wallets Multi-signature wallets Recoverable wallets Atomic swaps Chia Network’s blockchain will enable users to build and customize sophisticated custody and clearing arrangements. Chialisp will allow chia controls to match and exceed internal accounting controls and to safeguard funds from accidental loss, theft, or hacking with various risk tolerance levels in an easy to audit manner. Chia's Proof of Space & Time uses vastly less energy than Proof of Work In comparison with other blockchains, Chia greatly reduces energy consumption and environmental contamination while improving upon Nakamoto consensus. Chia’s blockchain replaces “Proof of Work”, which is the consensus protocol used by Bitcoin and Ethereum, with the first of its kind "Proof of Space and Time" consensus protocol that eliminates the unfairness, energy inefficiency, and centralization of Proof of Work. Instead of using power hungry specialized computing resources, Chia relies on storage space coupled with the added variable of time (via a “verifiable delay function”, or “VDF”) to ensure the integrity and security of the blockchain. A chia farmer will expend some CPU cycles to create "plots" on hard drives, but will then utilize the energy-efficient resource of drive space over the following years to participate in the consensus mechanism that verifies new blocks on the Chia blockchain. How to farm chia ("XCH") The goal of farming (verifying and ensuring the integrity of transactions on the Chia blockchain) is to utilize unused disk space to help validate financial transactions. Farming in the Chia network is a very lightweight process that leaves your computer free to do other things. To learn more about Chia’s blockchain, chia farming and the chia farming reward schedule, please watch the Company’s March 19th mainnet launch video and read Chia’s Business Whitepaper. For tips on how to plot and farm, please visit chiadecentral.com and review Chia plotting basics posted by Gene Hoffman, President of Chia Network. To get started, visit Chia Network GitHub to install the Company’s blockchain software. Chia offers broad OS support as well as a GUI for simple and easy wallet/farm management. The Company is committed to providing resources to enable simple and straightforward plotting and farming. About Chia Network Chia Network Inc. was founded by Bram Cohen, the inventor of BitTorrent. Chia Network is a state-of-the-art open-source decentralized blockchain, digital currency, and smart transaction platform. Using the first new secure Nakamoto consensus algorithm invented since Bitcoin, Chia aims to operate an eco-friendly, more secure and user-friendly payment system for cross border payments, issuing financial assets, lending, escrow payments, institutional custody, and distributed identity. Chia’s “Proof of Space and Time” based blockchain reduces waste in “Proof of Work” based blockchains. Built to run Chialisp, the company’s newly developed smart coin language, Chia’s blockchain allows its users to build and execute secure "smart coin" transactions. Chia believes that “digital money” should be easier to use than cash, harder to lose, and nearly impossible to steal. The Company is funded by leading venture capitalists including Slow Ventures, a16z, Naval Ravikant, Galaxy Digital, Greylock, True Ventures, MetaStable, Stillmark, DCM, and others. The Company’s Advisors include Dr. Dan Boneh, Research Partner at a16z and Applied Cryptography Professor at Stanford University; and Dr. Krzysztof Pietrzak, Cryptography Professor of IST Austria; and Ms. Katie Haun, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz. Investor Relations Contact: Gretchen Lium. For more information, chia.net and connect with us on Twitter ( @chia_project ), Facebook, GitHub, Reddit, and LinkedIn. Contact Details Chia Network Inc. Gretchen Lium +1 303-638-9185 gretchen@chia.net Company Website https://www.chia.net/

May 03, 2021 07:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time

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Seen #TeacherTok? Osmo For Schools Gifts 4 Lucky Teachers $500 Gift Cards For TikTok Videos, For National Teacher Appreciation Week

Osmo for Schools

Osmo for Schools, a division of Tangible Play, Inc., focuses on building in-classroom usage of Osmo’s award-winning educational systems. Using proprietary AI technology, these systems help teachers foster collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking, and increased engagement in learning, in students. Osmo is used in more than 30,000 schools in North America. Tangible Play is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. For more information about Osmo for Schools and its products, visit schools.playosmo.com. Osmo for Schools, the educational division of Tangible Play, Inc. and part of the award-winning consumer STEAM brand Osmo, announces it has selected 4 lucky teachers on TikTok to each receive a $500 gift card, for their creative and inspiring videos, in honor of National Teacher Appreciation Week (May 1-7, 2021). “Throughout this past year, we were thrilled to see so many teachers who used their creativity to the max to get kids to learn during this challenging time, and we loved the heartwarming videos they posted on social media, to tell the world what they did and how,” says Jan Richards, head of education sales and marketing at Osmo for Schools, which promotes in-classroom usage of Osmo’s tools and recently received the 2021 EdTech Award for Curriculum and Instruction Solution. “We laughed a lot when the videos were funny, admired their dedication, and got inspired by so many. Osmo for Schools selected 4 teachers who present themselves as heroes going the extra mile during the pandemic.” The 4 winning teachers are: Tristan Campbell @trissssss10 Clamentia Hall, Jr. @mrclementineteach Mandy Curley @mandycurley1 Claudine James @iamthatenglishteacher Says kindergarten teacher Clamentia Hall, Jr., “Osmo has taken educational technology and teacher appreciation to an unprecedented level! It has been an absolute pleasure to share a bit of humor and joy with educators who could use a little morale boost. Osmo has affirmed that educators everywhere deserve an incredible amount of appreciation for the hard work they do.” On July 1, 2021, Osmo for Schools, in partnership with Osmo Cares, the charitable arm of Osmo, will begin accepting applications for its first-ever mini-grant consisting of $2000 worth of Osmo for Schools’ educational technology. A total of 20 in-kind, mini-grants will be awarded to U.S. public schools in time for the fall semester. The mini-grant is intended to help schools which lack needed funding to purchase educational technology. Mini-grant recipients, who will be announced Aug. 9, 2021, will be able to choose from a selection of Osmo for Schools products; only one recipient will be selected per school. Schools must already have appropriate tablets on hand, or a plan to purchase tablets--they are not included. For further details about the mini-grant and application process, visit here: schools.playosmo.com/grants. About Osmo for Schools Osmo for Schools, a division of Tangible Play, Inc., focuses on building in-classroom usage of Osmo’s award-winning educational systems. Using proprietary AI technology, these systems help teachers foster collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking, and increased engagement in learning, in students. Osmo is used in more than 30,000 schools in North America. Tangible Play is headquartered in Palo Alto, California. For more information about Osmo for Schools and its products, visit schools.playosmo.com. Contact Details Carolyn Kamii PR +1 310-251-0550 carolynkpr@gmail.com Company Website http://schools.playosmo.com

May 03, 2021 04:00 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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Akshaya Patra USA Raises Over $1 Million at Virtual Event for Children of India and for COVID-19 Food Relief

The Akshaya Patra Foundation USA

The Akshaya Patra Foundation USA held its first virtual gala of 2021, Partnerships for Happiness, featuring Dr. Deepak Chopra, Sonu Sood, and Milind Pant. The online gala was highly successful, with over 750 families in attendance and over $1 million in donations collected. With COVID-19 cases on the rise in India, all funds raised will provide food relief to migrant workers, including cooked meals, ration boxes for families, and Happiness Kits containing 20 days worth of food, hygiene products, and educational supplies to Akshaya Patra’s mid-day meal beneficiaries. “We are very gratified to see the grassroots support for the mission of Akshaya Patra. With the developing COVID crisis in India and the ongoing need to support the meals for education program for the children of India, the broad participation of our donors and their commitment to this cause allows us to address these issues directly,” said Siva Sivaram, Board Chairman of Akshaya Patra USA. The event kicked off with a presentation from Dr. Deepak Chopra speaking on the ‘Nature of Reality - Metahuman.’ Later in the program, astute business leader Milind Pant held a fireside chat with talented actor and humanitarian Sonu Sood. Sonu shared his life story and most recent humanitarian efforts to support those in India impacted by the pandemic. Throughout the event, attendees enjoyed terrific performances by singer and producer Abby V and the beautiful dancer Vinaini Jayasinghe. Overall, the evening was full of remarkable conversations, lively entertainment, and inspirational moments celebrating Akshaya Patra’s beneficiaries, youth ambassadors, volunteers, and chapter teams. The Partnerships for Happiness virtual gala was hosted by the Atlanta, Boston, Buffalo, Grand Rapids, Maryland, Washington D.C., and Virginia chapters. Established in 2000, Akshaya Patra is the world’s largest NGO school meal program providing hot, nutritious lunches to over 1.8 million children throughout India. It costs just $20 to feed a child for an entire school year. Since the COVID-19 lockdown began on March 24th, 2020, Akshaya Patra has served more than 122 million meals to migrant workers, its beneficiaries and their families. Contact Details Akshaya Patra Foundation USA Akshaya Patra Foundation USA +1 781-438-3090 contact@apusa.org Company Website https://wwww.foodforeducation.org

April 30, 2021 10:30 AM Pacific Daylight Time

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Comcast Launches Additional 44 WiFi-Connected “Lift Zones” in Twin Cities

Comcast Twin Cities

As part of its ongoing commitment to help connect low-income families to the Internet so they can fully participate in educational opportunities and the digital economy, Comcast today announced it has equipped 44 additional locations in the Twin Cities with WiFi-connected “Lift Zones” bringing the total to 74. Working with its network of nonprofit partners, Comcast is providing robust WiFi hotspots in safe spaces designed to help students get online, participate in distance learning and do their homework. This initiative provides free connectivity inside partner community centers for the next three years. “We are so pleased to be the recipients of Comcast’s Lift Zone Wi-Fi connectivity in our recreation centers and other park facilities,” said Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board Superintendent Al Bangoura. “As we move toward re-opening more recreation centers for safe in-person programming, we are looking forward to providing programs that support youth in doing their schoolwork, facilitate work readiness training, and invite families in to access virtual activities and information.” “We are proud to partner with community organizations across the Twin Cities and equip them with free internet service that will provide kids with safe, fast and reliable connectivity to keep up with school and prepare for a brighter future,” said J.D. Keller, regional senior vice president, Comcast Twin Cities. “The COVID-19 crisis continues to put many low-income students at risk of being left behind, accelerating the need for comprehensive digital equity and internet adoption programs to support them. We hope these Lift Zones will help those students who, for a variety of reasons, are unable to connect to effective distance learning at home.” Some of the new Twin Cities community organizations that have established Lift Zones in their respective facilities include 40 Minneapolis Parks & Rec locations and Face to Face in St. Paul. A full list of new Comcast Lift Zones can be found here. In March, Comcast announced a $1 billion commitment over ten years in continued support of digital equity, including its Lift Zones initiative, which aims to establish WiFi-connected safe spaces in 1,000+ community centers nationwide for students and adults by the end of 2021. Lift Zones complement Comcast’s Internet Essentials program, which has helped connect a cumulative total of 10 million low-income people to the Internet at home since 2011, including more than 272,000 Minnesotans. About Comcast Corporation Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company that connects people to moments that matter. We are principally focused on broadband, aggregation, and streaming with over 56 million customer relationships across the United States and Europe. We deliver broadband, wireless, and video through our Xfinity, Comcast Business, and Sky brands; create, distribute, and stream leading entertainment, sports, and news through Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, Universal Studio Group, Sky Studios, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, multiple cable networks, Peacock, NBCUniversal News Group, NBC Sports, Sky News, and Sky Sports; and provide memorable experiences at Universal Parks and Resorts in the United States and Asia. Visit www.comcastcorporation.com for more information. Contact Details Comcast Jill Hornbacher +1 651-425-1695 Jill_Hornbacher@comcast.com Comcast Dave Nyberg +16513416401 Dave_Nyberg@comcast.com Company Website https://twincities.comcast.com/

April 29, 2021 10:00 AM Central Daylight Time

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Velocity Global names veteran global leader Sarah Fern as Chief People Officer

Velocity Global

Velocity Global, the leading provider of global employment solutions, welcomed veteran human resources leader Sarah Fern as its new Chief People Officer. Fern leads the people strategy for Velocity Global’s growing remote-first team of 300 in 16 countries that is expected to double over the next 18 months. Fern applies two decades of experience including leading global remote teams for international brands and high-growth companies. She is responsible for employee engagement and satisfaction, as well as recruiting and career development. Based in London, Fern joins the executive team and reports directly to founder and CEO, Ben Wright. “Sarah oversees the most important asset of our company - our people - and our most important strategy - our culture,” said Wright. “She brings perspective as a previous client and now as leader of our growing team. She steers our global employee experience as we deploy our first capital infusion and integrate the iWorkGlobal team.” Velocity Global announced a $100 million growth investment from FFL Partners and its acquisition of iWorkGlobal earlier this month. The combined company creates the largest Employer of Record (EoR) in 185 countries and all 50 United States. Brands rely on Velocity Global’s expertise and global infrastructure to employ a compliant global workforce without the cost or complexity of setting up their own foreign legal entities or state registrations. As the Employer of Record, Velocity Global manages our clients’ workforce by providing in-country and in-state compliance, payroll, and benefits for the supported employees. Fern joins Velocity Global from the Talent Management software technology space. Most recently she served as Human Resources Director for Saba Software (now part of Cornerstone OnDemand) through several major acquisitions, business integrations, and transformations into a public company. Fern was a client of Velocity Global as Saba Software expanded into Mexico. “I experienced firsthand the ‘People First’ approach from Velocity Global and am privileged to lead the employee experience for this incredible group of professionals,” said Fern. “As businesses leverage global remote workforces like never before, Velocity Global leads by example and delivers an exceptional customer and supported employee experience.” In addition to EoR services, the company offers Independent Contractor Compliance to assess a workforce and Agent of Record (AoR) to streamline payments to contractors globally. Its platform combines these elements with a personalized customer experience, best-in-breed technology, and increased scale for companies to grow their remote workforce. Prior to Saba Software, Fern held roles with Honeywell and Mattel. Her biography is available on Velocity Global’s Leadership page. ABOUT VELOCITY GLOBAL Velocity Global accelerates the future of work beyond borders. Its platform enables businesses to employ remote teams and expand internationally through global expertise, best-in-breed technology, and scale. More than 700 brands rely on its Employer of Record model and infrastructure, also called an International PEO (Professional Employer Organization), in 185 countries and all 50 United States to compliantly employ thousands of supported employees, access global talent, and grow revenue. Named a “Leader” in Global Employer of Record services by prominent analyst firm NelsonHall, Velocity Global is a strategic partner to its clients through additional comprehensive services including Immigration, Independent Contractor Compliance to assess a workforce, and Agent of Record (AoR) to streamline payments to contractors globally. Founded in 2014, the company is headquartered in Denver, Colorado, with regional headquarters in Amsterdam, Bogotá, and Singapore, with local employees in 16 countries. Contact Details Velocity Global John Hall +1 303-204-6131 johnhall@velocityglobal.com Company Website https://velocityglobal.com/

April 29, 2021 07:02 AM Mountain Daylight Time

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