26, Jun 2024
Superhero Support and Montgomery County Comic & Cosplay Club – RisuCon2024 Team Up for Prune Belly Syndrome Research
Rockville, MD, June 26, 2024 –– Superhero Support, a non-profit organization bringing the power of costumed heroes to good causes, and the Montgomery County Comic & Cosplay Club, a fellow non-profit group celebrating comics, anime, and cosplay, are thrilled to announce a unique partnership at RisuCon 2024.
This exciting collaboration between these two non-profit organizations aims to raise critical funds for Prune Belly Syndrome (PBS) research. From today until September 1st, 2024, all donations made to Superhero Support will be directed towards supporting vital PBS research efforts.
Prune Belly Syndrome is a rare congenital disorder primarily affecting the abdominal muscles. This partnership between Superhero Support and Montgomery County Comic & Cosplay Club signifies a powerful union between fantasy and reality, with superheroes lending their strength to support those living with PBS.
“We at Superhero Support are incredibly proud to partner with Montgomery County Comic & Cosplay Club at RisuCon2024 for such a worthy cause,” said Johanna Flores, spokesperson for Superhero Support. “PBS is a serious condition, and by joining forces, we can significantly impact funding vital research. Together, we can be the heroes that the PBS community needs.”
- 0
- By Rabindra
26, Jun 2024
Competitive Strategy Consultant and Author Arjan Singh writes an Amazon Bestseller in the US & India, that helps Businesses Plan Strategy Through War Games
June 2024 – Delhi, India: Indian-American Competitive Strategy Consultant and College Professor Arjan Singh ensures that businesses stay ahead of the curve by creating war game scenarios and analytical exercises that enable them to develop creative solutions.
In his book Competitive Success: Building Winning Strategies with Corporate War Games, published by Forbes which is already an Amazon bestseller in the US and India since its release in April, 2024; he outlines topics such as “Identifying Your War Game Objectives,” “Assessing the Field of Battle,” and “Assessing Troop Strength, Morale, and Resources”. As an army troop sets itself up for victory in a war zone; Singh likens and designs these scenarios to enable companies and businesses to always come out on top as winners, no matter what the economic outlook is.
As Singh explains: “War games aren’t just dress rehearsals or strategy plans, but are simulations of your competitive market in a controlled, safe, internal environment where you can explore many different dimensions.”
In a fast-changing global marketplace, uncertainties are both multiple and radical. The future of the market structure and nature of competition are unpredictable as well. In such an unsettling scenario war games can come to the rescue of industry captains and entrepreneurs alike. They help in risk identification, revenue generation, and cost avoidance.
He continues, “In war gaming the whole point is to simulate failure. In a safe war-gaming simulation, you can use failure as a springboard to succeed. It’s much less painful and cheaper to fail in a workshop than to deploy millions of dollars to find out afterward it’s not going to work”
Singh has been running corporate war games for the past 20 years and has worked with more than 200 organizations worldwide. Throughout the book, he draws on not only case studies from the corporate world but also from the war games he conducts with business students at Southern Methodist University (SMU) Cox School of Business, where he is an adjunct professor of Marketing and Global Consulting.
The book is particularly relevant to our times. Technology is as much a disruptor in the global business environment as it is in other spheres of society. In Competitive Success, Singh illustrates through case studies how it needs to be taken into account in a war gaming preparation. For instance, Zoom turned out to be an unlikely competitor of American Airlines as a result of COVID-19. During the pandemic people realised that if the end goal is to have an effective business meeting, they might not need to get an airplane to be face-to-face if they can jump on a Zoom call.
“War gaming is an ongoing, lifelong process,” Singh says. “For it to be successful, it can’t just be a one-off. Integrate it into your company as part of your culture, with an open, humble, and curious mind, and you will build winning strategies that lead to competitive success.”
In India, Singh has trained and conducted war games with the Tata group of companies; and in the US he works with several pharma and chemical conglomerates.
Singh is based in Scottsdale Arizona, USA where he lives with his wife and two children.
To buy the book, click on: https://tinyurl.com/yrvrmmpv
About Arjan Singh
Arjan Singh (www.corporatewargames.com), author of Competitive Success: Building Strategies with Corporate War Games, is an expert in helping companies develop data-driven strategies through war games, strategic and competitive analysis, scenario planning and building business early warning systems that deliver significant impact. He has advised 68 of the top 100 companies in the Fortune Global 500 list in building winning strategies. Singh is an Adjunct Professor of Marketing and Global Consulting at Southern Methodist University (SMU) COX School of Business.
About Forbes Books
Forbes Books (www.books.forbes.com) is the exclusive book publisher of Forbes. Forbes Books identifies and selects authors who are game changers and thought leaders in their fields. They are people who recognize how publishing a book can elevate their message and inspire audiences to better themselves and the world around them. Since its launch in 2016, Forbes Books has grown into the premier independent business book publisher.
26, Jun 2024
Telarus Announced as ChannelVision Visionary Spotlight Award Recipient
Sandy, UT, June 26, 2024 –Telarus is proud to announce that it has been awarded a 2024 ChannelVision Magazine Visionary Spotlight Award (VSA) for Telarus SolutionVueTM AI Quick Solution Assessment (QSA) in the Best Emerging Technology Breakthroughs 2024 category.
An annual competition, the VSAs highlight channel and service provider innovation in communications, honoring products, services, deployments, and channel contributions across numerous categories. Editors from Beka Business Media, as well as a panel of judges from independent industry resources, fielded hundreds of applications. Criteria included overall innovation, future industry impact, creativity, feature set differentiation, ease of use, and interoperability.
Telarus SolutionVue is an intelligent assessment platform that quickly matches a business’s short- and long-term priorities with technologies from a knowledge base of certified Telarus suppliers, removing the guesswork from initial sales conversations, and extending the value of available solutions delivered for the end-user. The SolutionVue AI QSA provides Telarus channel partners with self-guided discovery for existing and prospective customers in all the following AI areas:
· Customer self-service chatbots
· Real-time agent assist and knowledge suggestions for contact center agents
· Agent coaching and quality management for contact center managers
· Accent matching and auto-redaction
· Contact center performance insights and analytics
· Outbound communication management and automation
· Generative AI and intelligent business intelligence popular GTP engines (OpenAI, Gemini, Copilot, & Bedrock)
ChannelVision Magazine editors found Telarus SolutionVue AI QSA exemplifies rapid innovation within the communications industry, demonstrating a cornucopia of opportunities for channel partners to boost their roles as trusted partners for business success.
“Congratulations to all of our winners,” said Beka Business Media founder and ChannelVision Magazine publisher, Berge Kaprelian. “For a year that saw a record number of nominations, I can proudly say that all VSA recipients – spanning Overall Excellence, Business Technology and Service Provider Technology – have made outstanding strides that warrant distinction.”
“Telarus is excited to receive the ChannelVision VSA for SolutionVue,” said Jennifer Pockell Dimas, Chief Marketing and Experience Office for Telarus. “The AI QSA enables our technology advisors to have informed AI discovery conversations with their customers, resulting in near real-time technology and best-fit supplier recommendations. Our advisors use the tool to help them identify the right solutions for their customers and expand their deal sizes.”
26, Jun 2024
Abhyasa School boys show all-round performance in all categories of Hockey competition
Hyderabad, June 26. 2024: Abhyasa Residential School Boys have shown a round performance in the Hockey Competition of A.P and Telangana Regional ICSE & ISC Schools Sports Meet-2024 held in the city. The school has emerged as champion by making a clean sweep of gold medals in all three categories in the Hockey competition. Abhyasa has won in U-14, U-17 and U-19 categories in the Hockey competition of AP and Telangana Regionals-2024-25 conducted at the NASR Boy’s School- Gachibowli in Hyderabad.
The school’s U-14 team won gold beating Future Kids School- Hyderabad with a score of 4-0. The U-17 team has won gold beating The Hyderabad Public School- Hyderabad with a score of 1-0. And the U-19 team has won gold beating NASR School with a score of 3-0.
The Association of ICSE and ISC Schools of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Region conducted the competition. The competition was tough.
26, Jun 2024
The Convergence Foundation co-hosts a landmark conference on ‘Creating Systemic Impact’
Bengaluru, 26th June 2024: The Convergence Foundation, in collaboration with Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, Centre for Exponential Change, and India Impact Sherpas (knowledge partner), hosted a landmark conference on ‘Creating Systemic Impact’, bringing together development practitioners, thought leaders and philanthropists to focus on the practices and enablers of systems change.
Organizations that adopt the systems change approach—System Support Organisations (SSOs)—work closely with governments at both the central and state levels to create large-scale impact by addressing the root causes of problems rather than applying quick fixes or band-aid solutions.
In the keynote address by Rohini Nilekani, Chairperson of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, she emphasized, “This decade is one of the most critical decades in human history, demanding inclusive and exponential social change. We have the best chance ever now to create a different future than is feared. But for that, we need risk capital deployed strategically and urgently to reduce the friction between Samaaj, Sarkaar, and Bazaar, and unlock the true potential of each. Philanthropists and foundations must step forward NOW! Let’s think bigger, be bolder in our collaborations, and place better bets on leaders who are invested in systemic change.”
A highlight of the conference was a panel discussion on ‘Unlocking Funding for Systemic Impact’, moderated by Praveen Khanghta, Head of Strategy and Investments at The Convergence Foundation. The panel featured esteemed speakers including Murugan Vasudevan, CEO of Veddis Foundation; Shruti Shibulal, CEO and Director of Tamara Leisure Experiences; Srikanth Viswanathan, CEO of Janaagraha; and Sumit Tayal, CEO of Give India.
Bikkrama Daulet Singh, Operating Partner at The Convergence Foundation, while emphasising the urgent need to unlock funding for systemic impact, stated, “The systems change approach holds the highest potential for transformative change. Philanthropists seeking maximum return on investment should prioritize supporting organizations that collaborate with governments to achieve scalable and sustainable results. It is crucial for philanthropists and system orchestrators to learn, reflect, and continuously align their efforts to maximize their collective impact.”
The conference also featured the unveiling of Sanjay Purohit’s book, Think Sustain, the third instalment in the Think book series. The book was launched by Rohini Nilekani. Alongside Think Scale and Think Speed, Think Sustain aims to inspire change that leads to impactful transformations. These Think books serve as companions in the journey to achieving impact at scale.
Sanjay Purohit, the author, CEO, and Chief Curator of Centre for Exponential Change, expressed his gratitude at the conference, saying, “C4EC is an emerging space for co-creation and collaboration bringing together system orchestrators, diverse enablers, and influencers to enable exponential change journeys. The reason why we co-founded this Centre is because we know that the exponential change journey is long and winding and we all need to come together to inspire these ripples of change. Like we strive to conserve natural systems (such as coral reefs and rainforests) that sustain the health of our planet, we must strive to enable system orchestrators, who ensure the health of our society.”
The conference marked a significant step towards fostering collaboration and innovation in addressing India’s complex challenges at scale. The commitment and insights shared by the participants underscored the potential of systems change to drive sustainable and impactful development across India.
25, Jun 2024
YMCA and St. Petersburg Foundation Partner to Offer Free Swim Lessons for Lealman-Area Kids and Teens
Lealman, FL, June 25, 2024 –The YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg and the St. Petersburg Foundation are thrilled to announce the launch of the Lealman Swim Program, an exciting initiative designed to provide free swim lessons to children and teens in the Lealman area. Thanks to generous funding from Community Foundation Tampa Bay, this program aims to equip young people with essential swimming skills, ensuring they can enjoy the water safely this summer.
Why It Matters
For years, Florida has led the nation in child drowning deaths, and 2023 was no exception. Florida Department of Children and Families data shows 99 kids drowned to death last year. The importance of swim safety cannot be overstated, yet children in the historically underserved, unincorporated Lealman area of Pinellas County have no direct access to a community pool.
For years, Lealman community leaders have expressed their desire to build a pool in Lealman, but have faced funding and logistical challenges. In an effort to solve this issue, nonprofit leaders at the St. Petersburg Foundation, Community Foundation Tampa Bay and the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg put their heads together and came up with a solution: instead of bringing the pool to Lealman, let’s bring Lealman to the pool.
Free Swim Lessons for All Skill Levels
Starting on July 15, the Lealman Swim Program offers free swim lessons every Monday and Wednesday from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. at the Jim and Heather Gills YMCA in St. Petersburg. These classes are open to children and teens aged 6 to 16, regardless of their swimming experience. Each participant will receive a total of 8 lessons, with a maximum cohort size of 30 to ensure personalized attention and a supportive learning environment. The program will end on August 7, 2024.
Convenient and Accessible
To make participation as easy as possible, the YMCA is providing a dedicated bus service that will pick up and drop off participants at the Lealman Exchange. Additionally, two chaperones with Level 2 background checks will accompany the children throughout the program, ensuring their safety and supervision. Each participant will also receive a complimentary swim bag and towel.
“This program is a fantastic opportunity for youth in the Lealman area to learn a vital life skill,” said Ashley Morales, Engagement Director of the St. Petersburg Foundation. “Our goal is to save lives and empower children, ensuring they have the skills and confidence to stay safe around pools, oceans and all bodies of water. We are incredibly grateful to Community Foundation Tampa Bay for their generous support and the YMCA of Greater St. Petersburg for stepping up to host, making it possible for us to offer these lessons at no cost to families. It is truly a team effort and an encouraging showcase of community collaboration to see this program come to fruition.”
Community Support and Lifeguard Training Opportunities
For teens and young adults interested in furthering their swimming skills, the program also offers opportunities to work toward lifeguard certification. Interested individuals can contact the Lealman Exchange at (727) 464-5404 for more details.
Funding from Community Foundation Tampa Bay is also earmarked for Parent & Child swim classes at the YMCA, and scholarships are available on a direct-request basis. “We would love to have mothers and/or fathers bring their little ones for early childhood swim lessons, so we are actively reaching out to families in the Lealman area to offer these lessons, as well,” Morales added.
Sign Up Today
Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to learn valuable skills, make new friends, and have a splashing good time. Sign up for the Lealman Swim Program today and dive into a summer filled with fun and adventure.
25, Jun 2024
Patricia A. Smith Chosen as a Woman of the Month for May 2024 by P.O.W.E.R.
Montgomery, AL, June 25, 2024 — Patricia A. Smith of Montgomery, Alabama, has been chosen as a Woman of the Month for May 2024 by P.O.W.E.R. (Professional Organization of Women of Excellence Recognized) for her outstanding contributions and achievements in the field of education.
About Patricia A. Smith
Patricia A. Smith is a retired educator who enjoyed a long career in early childhood education. During her tenure, her expertise was in assisting students who were struggling with behavioral issues, improving both their learning and social interaction skills.
Smith began her journey in early childhood education working in a home daycare for 14 years. “From there, I joined the Head Start program,” said Smith. “My next move after three years was to the elementary school working with special needs children from PreK to 5th grade. Then, I transitioned to an Early Head Start program working with infants and toddlers. I decided to retire in 2021.”
Smith received her B.A. in Early Education from Ashford University. An active community member, she served on the Board of Directors for Sav-A-Life from 1996 – 2000. She has 2 children; a son Charles (Satori) and a daughter (Chalise +Dale) and two grandsons; Charles III, and Nazir.
25, Jun 2024
2024 Northport Tea Dance
Northport, MI, June 25, 2024 –Northport Pride’s 2024 Tea Dance, September 29, 2024; 2pm to 6pm at Faro hosted by The Chetcuti Evans Foundation with special guest Monique Madison and The Kunty Kittens and music by DJ Jay Harnish.
The annual Northport Tea Dance is an important event for our region and creates awareness and visibility for the LGBTQ members of our community.
About Monique Madison (@iownamonique2021):
Monique Madison has been practicing the art of female impersonation for 27 years. Monique resides in Kalamazoo, Michigan, where she is the owner/creator of the entertainment company The Kunty Kittens (@thekuntykittens).
Monique is also a published author of The Serial Showgirls series while also being cast at Five15 in Royal Oak, Michigan and a main Bingo hostess for The Comedy Series.
Monique made her film debut in the LGBTQ Christmas film called A Holiday I Do and also just finished filming season one of a comedy sitcom called The Agency as one of the lead roles Parker/Iowna.
About DJ Jay Harnish (@jayharnish):
Jay Harnish is a Grand Rapids based Audio Visual Engineer and Theatrical Producer. With over 20 years of experience working in live production management and design, Jay has worked with events ranging from Broadway tours and orchestras to comedians and musicians.
Jay has spent the last twelve years working nationally as an AV engineer and video director for the PCA Porsche Parade and a production manager for Harry Potter Symphony national tours. He has worked in venues all over the country from Carnegie Hall in NYC to Bass Hall in Austin.
Currently, Jay is reopening Dog Story Theater in Grand Rapids while he tours his home state as an audio engineer for The Kunty Kittens.
The Chetcuti Evans Foundation is a 501c3 Non-profit organization which hosts and sponsors events for the sole purpose of collecting donations which are in turn contributed to Northern Michigan and South Florida charities in need. The Foundation has an emphasis on the LGBTQ and under-served communities. The Foundation also produces events that promote visibility, awareness and inclusion for the LGBTQ community.
25, Jun 2024
The Thinker Opera Premieres at Cincinnati Art Museum
Cincinnati, OH, June 25, 2024 — Mexican-American composer Nathan Felix will present his new immersive opera titled The Thinker at Cincinnati Art Museum on Friday August 16. The Thinker, is a short opera about French sculptor Auguste Rodin. The opera will feature Corbin DeSpain (tenor) as Auguste Rodin, Rachel Kobernick (soprano) as Rose Beuret, Lucianna Astorga (soprano) as Rodin’s stalker Gwen John, Tess Klibanoff (mezzo) as sculptor and lover Camille Claudel, and Michael Hyatt (bass) as painter and colleague Claude Monet.
Felix is known for his guerilla-style approach in presenting classical music in unconventional spaces and The Thinker is no exception, with a performance utilizing space, movement, and acoustics to activate the Cincinnati Art Museum in a unique way. The idea behind Felix’s immersive opera is similar to a flash mob as it revolves around blurring the line between performer and audience by having musical performers move amongst the audience as they perform a cohesive musical composition. The audience is encouraged to follow the narrative of the piece which entails following the soloists but they are ultimately given agency to explore based on feeling, sight and soundscape.
The Thinker, is a short opera about French sculptor Auguste Rodin and his colorful life. The opera highlights and explores Rodin’s humble beginnings, salacious affairs, life-long love for Rose Beuret and his encounters with iconic contemporaries such as Claude Monet. Other featured musicians include conductor Moyue Zhou, violinist Tao Xue, violist Lila Reeser and cellist Colin Gregoire.
24, Jun 2024
Virat Kohli Reclaims Top Spot in Kroll’s Celebrity Brand Valuation Report with Brand Value of Nearly USD 228 Million
MUMBAI/NEW DELHI: Kroll, the leading independent global risk and financial advisory solutions firm, announced today the launch of the ninth edition of its Celebrity Brand Valuation Study titled, “Brands, Business, Bollywood”. The study provides a ranking of India’s most powerful celebrity brands based on brand values derived from their brand endorsement portfolios and relative social media presence.
The overall brand value of the top 25 Indian celebrities included in the latest study is estimated at $1.9 billion in 2023, an 18% jump from the previous year.
Key findings of the report include:
● Virat Kohli reclaimed the number one spot with a brand value of $227.9 million, nudging Ranveer Singh to second place at $203.1 million.
● Shah Rukh Khan secures third position with a brand value of $120.7 million on the back of three blockbuster hits in 2023, marking his incredible return into India’s top five celebrity endorsers since 2020.
● Akshay Kumar dropped a rank this year to the fourth position with a brand value of $111.7 million while Alia Bhatt moves to fifth with a brand value of $101.1 million.
● Other notable movements include the meteoric rise in brand value of Kiara Advani moving from rank 16 to rank 12, and Katrina Kaif returned to the list of India’s most valued celebrity brands after five years.
Aviral Jain, Managing Director, Valuation Advisory Services at Kroll said, “Our report recognizes the expansion of celebrity-owned startups across various industries and the spectacular rise of Indian celebrities as global ambassadors of reputed global brands. The year 2023 also witnessed Bollywood’s powerful comeback to the film industry, with blockbusters breaking records to cross the $100 million mark—re-establishing Bollywood’s dominance in the film industry. The synergy between celebrity entrepreneurship, global star advocacy and the resurgence of Bollywood is set to redefine the dynamics of the entertainment and business industries.”
About Kroll
As the leading independent provider of risk and financial advisory solutions, Kroll leverages our unique insights, data, and technology to help clients stay ahead of complex demands. Kroll’s team of more than 6,500 professionals worldwide continues the firm’s nearly 100-year history of trusted expertise spanning risk, governance, transactions, and valuation. Our advanced solutions and intelligence provide clients with the foresight they need to create an enduring competitive advantage. At Kroll, our values define who we are and how we partner with clients and communities.
