The pandemic changed the way everyone learned and worked, with styluses and tablets becoming more essential than ever. This prompted inventors Carolita Blythe and Sheri Selling, both Hollywood Script Supervisors, to find a solution to the irritating problem of losing their styluses. Through their frustration came innovation and the birth of the ZoopLoop which was awarded a U.S. patent in June 2023, solidifying ZoopLoop’s place in the market.
“We knew we were not the only ones with the problem of misplacing our stylus,” said ZoopLoop co-founder Carolita Blythe. “Technology is the core of our everyday lives, and we wanted a device that would protect our investment.”
ZoopLoop is available in black, blue, and grey for $14.99 at thezooploop.com.
About ZoopLoop: Originally created for the Apple Pencil, ZoopLoop is a tether made of pliable silicone that secures your stylus or digital pen to your tablet case. It was invented to give users peace of mind knowing that when their stylus makes it out of the case, it will always make it back in with the use of the strong, sleek, and flexible ZoopLoop.
Shaylon Scott, Executive Director of Founders First CDC, has gained invaluable insights into the challenges faced by diverse-led businesses throughout her years of dedicated observation. She said “Through our grant programs, we are not just providing financial support; we are nurturing the dreams and aspirations of small business owners, and fueling their potential to create lasting change. These grants serve as a beacon of hope and a pathway to success, demonstrating our unwavering dedication to building a more inclusive economy.
This grant program, totaling $100,000, not only offers financial aid but also includes a scholarship to one of Founders First’s prestigious business growth accelerator programs. Its primary focus is on empowering businesses owned by diverse founders, with annual revenues ranging from $100,000 to $5 million, employing 2-20 individuals, and has the ability to add 1-2+ net new premium wage jobs in the next 12 months.
“We’re proud to support Founders First CDC in their commitment to providing expertise and grant funds to Southern California small business owners. Small businesses are the backbone of San Diego’s economy, making up 98 percent of firms and 61 percent of all jobs. It’s programs like these that ensure small and diverse firms can grow quality jobs and remain resilient in an unpredictable economy,” Eduardo Velasquez, Sr. Director of Research and Economic Development at San Diego Regional EDC.
Applications for the Southern California Job Creators Quest grant are open from October 17, 2023, to November 13, 2023.
Founders First CDC is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 that was founded in 2015 and has received significant support from regional community reinvestment banks to empower diverse founder-led, revenue-generating small businesses through three primary programs: (1) Founders Challenge; (2) Founders Bootcamp; and (3) Founders FastPath. By building recurring revenues, tech-enablement, and essential solution focus, Founders First serves as a catalyst for positive change to entrepreneurs of color and female founders to become leading employers in their communities.www.foundersfirstcdc.org
On accepting his new role, Faircloth commented, “Joining Caliber Public Safety, known for its innovation and commitment to public safety professionals, is a privilege. I’m ready to lead the sales and marketing teams, foster growth, and ensure the company’s offerings continue to have a positive impact.”
Dr. Tammie Wojcieszak, Executive Vice President at Caliber Public Safety, added, “Having Faircloth on board as Vice President of Sales and Marketing is exciting. His industry knowledge and strategic approach are valuable assets as the company works towards fulfilling its mission to deliver the best to its customers.”
Faircloth’s appointment arrives at a promising time for Caliber Public Safety as the company seeks to expand its product range and deepen its commitment to public safety agencies across the nation.
About Caliber Public Safety
Caliber Public Safety provides Computer-Aided Dispatch, Mobile, Records Management, and Forensic Science related solutions to 1,000+ Public Safety agencies across North America. Our customers include Federal & State Police Agencies, County Governments, Large Metropolitan, and Mid-small cities. We pride ourselves on providing solutions with data-sharing and interoperability at the core of our products. Approximately 40% of our team comes from Public Safety, that is why we share the same passion our customers do. We believe the best way to move our business forward is by taking care of our customers and employees – earning the right to win new business. As a business of Harris Computer Systems, our customers enjoy Software for Life providing assurance we will never sunset a product in use by a maintenance-paying customer. We are in the business of forever.
Retailers must redefine the “general market” by adjusting data sets to remove outdated biases and to understand audiences more accurately.(3) Sticking to old definitions hurts businesses and consumers. The FDA-approved asthma medication albuterol is a prime example. Children with Puerto Rican or African American backgrounds are less responsive to the drug, which is used in inhalers. However, since the clinical trials lacked diversity, this shortcoming was not revealed until after approval. A lack of diversity in clinical research can have serious repercussions. In marketing, inclusivity and diversity offer invaluable insights that businesses likewise cannot afford to overlook.(4)
There are myriad approaches to diversity, but they are not interchangeable. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) programs can increase market share, drive customer loyalty, and attract top talent. A more diverse workforce will serve a multicultural audience more effectively.(5) However, while CSR and DEIB benefit brands and customers, they are not the same as multicultural and inclusive marketing.(6)
To embrace the new reality, organizations need to evolve their strategy to connect with people of all backgrounds. There are two marketing approaches businesses are utilizing to achieve this. Multicultural marketing involves segmenting an audience based on race, culture, or ethnicity and media planning and buying for that segment.
Inclusive marketing, on the other hand, reaches beyond cultural and racial segments to connect with customers based on transcendent fears, motivations, and desires — executed inclusively, segmenting audiences by factors that unite people rather than divide them.(7) Pulling off effective inclusive marketing and social commerce requires a deeper audience understanding. While first-party data can provide actionable feedback, it lacks context without a diverse team.
Data reveals significant diversity gaps as high as 600% in white color jobs across industries.8 Yet, diverse companies are 35% more likely to perform better, and diverse teams are 87% better at making decisions and 70% more likely to capture new markets.(9) To garner the benefits diversity brings to a business and a team, a corporation’s makeup should reflect the area’s population and the customer base.(8)
A few brands are leading the way as models of successful diverse and inclusive marketing and reaping the benefits of their advanced approach. Nike’s “Until We All Win” is one example. Others include Proctor & Gamble and Progressive, whose ads feature relatable and diverse people.(10)
Fullmoon Digital has long recognized the importance of having a diverse team to serve its clients effectively. Chew explains, “We are expanding, and that reflects how we engage with our clients. The diversity within our teams pushes us all to consider each other more and to consider different viewpoints. So many of our team are world travelers. We speak a lot of languages. Our first-hand experience is diversity drives growth and expands perspectives almost daily.”
About Fullmoon Digital Fullmoon Digital, founded by Derek Chew, a former early Yahoo! employee, is one of the few 100% independent digital marketing agencies in the United States. The firm is cross-functional, with deep experience in media planning and buying, digital consultancy, SEO, digital strategy, programmatic, analytics, performance marketing, paid media, social advertising, and creative. They push the envelope of what is possible in terms of marketing and technology, all the while providing best-in-class digital marketing service to their “pack” of clients. For more information, please visit http://www.fullmoondigital.com.
References: 1) Council, Hispanic Marketing. “Multicultural Majority Happening Faster than Predicted.” MULTICULTURAL MAJORITY HAPPENING FASTER THAN PREDICTED, 16 Feb. 2022, prnewswire.com/news-releases/multicultural-majority-happening-faster-than-predicted-301483106.html. 2) Curtis, Gregory. “How Brands Can Unleash the Power of Multicultural Marketing: Iri Blog.” How Brands Can Unleash the Power of Multicultural Marketing | IRI Blog, iriworldwide.com/en-us/insights/blog/unleash-the-power-of-multicultural-marketing. Accessed 21 July 2023. 3) Hillman, Jane. “The Importance of Diversity in Market Research.” Prolific · Quickly Find Research Participants You Can Trust., 6 Mar. 2023, prolific.co/blog/importance-diversity-market-research. 4) Editorial Staff. “Accurate Data and Measurement Enable Inclusive Multicultural Marketing.” Accurate Data and Measurement Enable Inclusive Multicultural Marketing, 1 Nov. 2022, portada-online.com/more-features/how-accurate-data-and-measurement-enable-inclusive-multicultural-marketing/. 5) Markets, Research and. “Global Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Market to Reach $15.4 Billion by 2026.” PR Newswire: Press Release Distribution, Targeting, Monitoring and Marketing, 5 Aug. 2022, prnewswire.com/news-releases/global-diversity-and-inclusion-di-market-to-reach-15-4-billion-by-2026–301600777.html. 6) Mizrahi, Isaac. “Diversity and Inclusion and Multicultural Marketing Are Not the Same.” Forbes, 12 Nov. 2019, forbes.com/sites/isaacmizrahi/2019/11/11/diversity–inclusion-and-multicultural-marketing-are-not-the-same/?sh=7093ee8913fb. 7) Archila, Sandy. “Multicultural and Inclusive Marketing Are Not the Same.” Adweek, 25 Oct. 2022, adweek.com/brand-marketing/the-real-difference-between-multicultural-and-inclusive-marketing/. 8) McDowell, Jason. “Corporate Diversity Should Mirror Both Population and Customer Base.” Recruiter.Com, recruiter.com/recruiting/corporate-diversity-should-mirror-both-population-and-customer-base/. Accessed 21 July 2023. 9) Perry, Nick. “20 Diversity in the Workplace Statistics to Know.” Fundera, 23 Jan. 2023, fundera.com/resources/diversity-in-the-workplace-statistics. 10) Panel Experts. “Council Post: 11 Brands That Successfully Model Diverse and Inclusive Advertising.” Forbes, 12 Oct. 2022, forbes.com/sites/forbescommunicationscouncil/2022/07/15/11-brands-that-successfully-model-diverse-and-inclusive-advertising/?sh=689d097c57b9.
Media Contact
Karla Jo Helms, JOTO PR™, 727-777-4619, [email protected], jotopr.com
A practicing obstetrician and gynecologist, Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew has spent her career engaging marginalized communities and building programs that promote access and outcomes equity for vulnerable patients and mitigate socio-economic barriers to care, particularly for women.
Modern Healthcare’s annual “Top Diversity Leaders” recognition celebrates a distinguished group of executives and organizations that are identified by an expert panel to be the nation’s trailblazers in the areas of health care diversity, equity, and inclusion.
In 2021 and 2022, Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew was named to the magazine’s Top 25 Diversity Leaders list. This year, she was named to Modern Healthcare’s special class of “Luminaries,” an award that honors individuals who have made “outstanding, sustained contributions to health care” and have a proven track record of improving organizations, advancing the careers of other minority leaders, and enhancing health care’s diversity and equity standards.
Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew is now among just a handful of the nation’s health care leaders to be named diversity Luminaries by the magazine, a group that includes Greg Adams, chair and CEO of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals; Beverly Malone, CEO for the National League for Nursing; and Ken Frazier, executive chairman of the board at Merck.
The 2023 individual awardees include leaders from health care institutions, insurance plans, academia, government, and the retail sector.
Profiles of the Top Diversity Leaders will be published online at ModernHealthcare.com/top-diversity-leaders and in the Oct. 16 issue of Modern Healthcare magazine.
“Modern Healthcare’s 2023 Top Diversity Leaders and organizations exemplify a commitment to meaningful diversity, equity, and inclusion,” said Dan Peres, President of Modern Healthcare. “They have exceeded industry standards and continue to devote necessary resources to providing internal opportunities while advancing community health equity, setting a great example for others.”
At Highmark Health, Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew and the AHN Equitable Health Institute — which she established — are advancing a comprehensive internal and external strategy designed to promote a culture of equity and inclusion across every component of the health and wellness enterprise.
In 2021, Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew and her team focused their efforts on equitable COVID-19 testing and vaccine distribution, ensuring that historically underserved communities and populations had equal access to these life-saving resources. In 2022, the Equitable Health Institute expanded its First Steps and Beyond program, a critical initiative established by AHN to reduce Black infant and fetal mortality and ensure that all babies born in the greater Pittsburgh region celebrate their first birthday.
And in 2023, the institute, along with partners from the AHN Women’s Institute, launched AHN’s first CenteringPregnancy® program, a nationally recognized model of group prenatal care shown to improve birth outcomes, particularly among Black babies.
In 2023, she was also appointed academic chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Drexel University College of Medicine.
“Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew is one of the nation’s top advocates for health care equity and diversity, and her incredible body of work speaks for itself,” said Bruce Meyer, MD, Highmark Health’s Western PA Market President. “We are extremely proud of everything she has done at Highmark Health to further advance our organization’s commitment to the highest DEI standards that guide our strategies, both as an employer and as a facilitator of health and wellness services for millions.”
At AHN, Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew and her team have built from the ground up a program that has greatly strengthened the network’s ability to effectively meet the health needs of every community it serves, said Jim Benedict, AHN President.
“Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew and her Equitable Health Institute team have had an extraordinary impact on our Network, and the diverse patient populations that we care for throughout the Western Pennsylvania region, helping to ensure that every person and every community feels valued and has access to the high-quality health care services they need and deserve.”
Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew joined AHN in 2020 from University Hospitals/Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, where she served as Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chair of Clinical Diversity and Inclusion, and Assistant Dean of Students. She founded the JustWondoor (Women and Neonates, Diversity, Outreach, Opportunity, Research) global health program.
Dr. Larkins-Pettigrew earned a bachelor’s degree in nursing at the University of Pittsburgh, a master’s degree in education from California State University, a master’s degree in public policy from the University of Pittsburgh and her medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She served in the U.S. Navy for 13 years, achieving the rank of lieutenant commander and completing an OBGYN internship at Portsmouth Naval Hospital.
She also completed a residency at Magee Women’s Hospital in Pittsburgh, and practiced at Magee for eight years, while also serving as Magee’s Director of Global Health Programs.
About the Allegheny Health Network:
Allegheny Health Network (AHN.org), is an integrated healthcare delivery system serving the greater Western Pennsylvania region. The Network is composed of 14 hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, Health + Wellness Pavilions, multiple employed physician organizations, home and community-based health services, a research institute, and a group purchasing organization. The Network provides patients with access to a complete spectrum of advanced medical services, including nationally recognized programs for primary and emergency care, trauma care, cardiovascular disease, organ transplantation, cancer care, orthopedic surgery, neurology and neurosurgery, women’s health, diabetes, autoimmune disease and more.
AHN employs approximately 22,000 people, has more than 2,600 physicians on its medical staff and serves as a clinical campus for Drexel University College of Medicine and the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine.
In the current market, many phone options are available for children and teens to use. The Gabb phone, Palm phone, Samsung Galaxy S22, Bark phone, Pinwheel Plus 3, Motorola Moto G Pure, KidiBuzz G2, Apple iPhone 13, Troomi, Light Phone 2, and Nokia 2780 Flip are a few of the leading mobile phone choices for minors. Each cell phone option has benefits and drawbacks, and parents should gauge their children’s ages and needs to determine the ideal fit for them.
To learn more about phone options for children and teens, please visit Prepaid Bill Inc here.
About Prepaid Bill Inc: Prepaid Bill Inc is an authorized national payment center. As an authorized national payment center, we provide an easy way to re-up any wireless carrier around the world fast and easily. All payments and refills are instant 24/7!
The Xenium Analyzer is a state-of-the-art solution offering subcellular profiling of RNA targets alongside multiplexed protein in fresh frozen or FFPE tissues. Leveraging advanced imaging and analytical capabilities, the Xenium Analyzer allows scientists to explore the spatial arrangement of cells, RNA, and proteins within tissues with unprecedented precision and depth. This breakthrough technology empowers researchers to gain deeper insights into the intricate biology of organisms, diseases, and cellular interactions.
“10x Genomics is excited to have BioChain as a 10x-trained Xenium Service Provider. Xenium is increasingly recognized as the best-performing system for in situ analysis due to its ease of use, best-in-class performance and ‘top-notch’ data quality. With the adoption of the Xenium platform, service providers such as BioChain make high-performance in situ analysis easily accessible to the scientific community and accelerate the pace of new discoveries that advance human health.” – Nikhil Rao, VP, Product Management and Xenium Business Leader.
“The Xenium Analyzer aligns perfectly with BioChain’s mission to provide scientists with innovative tools that advance scientific and drug discovery,” continues Sundaram. “We believe this service will power our clients’ breakthrough opportunities.”
BioChain has steadily invested in its spatial biology services and now offers the following:
10x Genomics Visium Spatial multiomics services: Map the whole transcriptome within the tissue context with 10x Genomics Visium® Spatial Gene Expression. Unravel biological architectures in normal and diseased tissue and discover new biomarkers.
NanoString GeoMX DSP services: NanoString’s GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiler is a flexible spatial-omics platform enabling spatial transcriptomics and/or spatial proteomics in user-selected regions of interest.
Curio Bio Curio Seeker Whole Transcription Spatial Mapping: Based on Slide-seqV2 from the Broad Institute at MIT, Curio Seeker produces continuous high-resolution gene expression maps at 10um resolution.
Enable Medicine: Accelerate insight discovery by generating, managing, and analyzing spatial biology data on the Enable Cloud Platform.
Spatially Characterized Tissues: BioChain’s spatially characterized tissues supply robust spatial workflows (sample prep, imaging, library construction, sequencing, and data visualization.)
Xenium Analyzer services can be accessed by contacting our dedicated customer support team. BioChain also offers comprehensive training and support services to ensure researchers can harness the full potential of this cutting-edge technology.
“Just like with humans, a pet can’t be optimally healthy unless they’re also happy,” said Dr Becker “Fear, anxiety, and stress (FAS) in life raises the levels of hormones that are destructive to both the body and mind. Fear Free uses clinically proven protocols to remove or reduce FAS triggers, it takes steps to mitigate FAS so that the pet feels safe and calm during a veterinary visit. The worst thing for a pet parent to feel is that they’re ‘hurting their pet by trying to help them’. In a Fear Free Certified Veterinary Practice, we ‘take the pet out of petrified and put the treat into treatment’. Expect tails to wag and cats to purr.”
“The certification of Harrison Family Vets is a fantastic way for Fear Free to announce their formal expansion into the UK, New Zealand and Australia,” said Randy Valpy, Fear Free’s CEO. “For years individual veterinary staff have been able to become certified, but they have had to pay in US dollars and there wasn’t a mechanism for practices to become certified. With a simplified pricing structure for practice certification and a new website launching in early 2024 we will be promoting our programs using local currencies.”
The practice certification process took Harrison Family Vets several months to achieve. Group Clinical Director, James Harris, who led the project outlined “The message behind Fear Free in protecting the emotional well-being of pets under our care fitted easily with our own beliefs. Taking this to the next level required an open and honest team conversation, development of realistic protocols and a subtle change in behaviours to ensure we always put the pet first within a supportive work environment”. On the resource needed to achieve certification, he added “Most of the changes have been doing things differently rather than actually doing more”. Initially Harrison Family Vets had committed to certifying every single one of its team, clinical and non-clinical, but wanted to go a stage further. Yvette Rowntree, Clinic Director at Reading, commented “We are so proud to have been the first of what we hope will be many certified practices in the UK. Working in a truly committed Fear Free environment makes such a difference to the pets we treat”. Kristie Faulkner concluded “When we first learned about Fear Free from a former American colleague, we were told that it is a superior way to practice. Having adopted it, we now believe this completely and hope that for the benefit of all pets, many other practices will follow our lead”.
“We are absolutely thrilled to have Harrison Family Vets as our first UK Fear Free Certified Veterinary Practice” said Dr Jennifer Merlo, Fear Free’s Director of Veterinary Affairs, “We now plan to certify further practices in the UK and beyond providing veterinary professionals with the knowledge and techniques to practice quality medicine while showing consideration for patient’s emotional health as well.”
The Fear Free team will be attending London Vet Show in November and Dr Becker will be presenting on how Fear Free radically changes companion animal practice and the benefits to pets, people, and practice.
Harrison Family Vets were established in 2021. They are a family owned independent group, with three generations of the Harrison family currently working in the group. They currently operate five practices in Reading, Dudley, Didsbury, Stockton, and Doncaster. They aim to open a further five practices in 2024 and aim to have in excess of thirty practices across the country by the end of the decade.
Founded by Dr Marty Becker and developed by hundreds of experts in behaviour, medicine, and handling, Fear Free offers online and in-person education to veterinary professionals, the pet professional community, animal shelter staff and volunteers, and pet owners. Fear Free provides both professionals and pet lovers alike with the knowledge and tools to look after a pet’s physical and emotional wellbeing.
Veterinary or pet professionals can learn more about becoming Fear Free Certified by visiting fearfreepets.com. Pet owners can visit fearfreehappyhomes.com to access free videos, articles, and more that will help improve the physical and emotional health of their pets right at home. Shelter, rescue, and animal welfare employees and volunteers can visit fearfreeshelters.com to enrol in the complimentary program.
Contact:
For Harrison Family Vets Kristie Faulkner [email protected] 07435 983401
Ferrara opens the book with a history of surrogacy in the United States and then leads the readers through the extraordinary ethical framework of gestational surrogacy as it is done in the United States. Further on, Ferrara meticulously explains the various stages of the surrogacy journey in detail that will assist all intended parents to organize their thoughts and plans to have children through surrogacy. As Dr. Doyle asserts, this book is authored by “one of the most trusted and admired surrogacy attorneys in the United States.”
The book is geared to gestational surrogates as well as intended parents, in that it gives thoughtful consideration to what surrogates need to know about the surrogacy process and what they should look for in choosing a surrogacy agency that will properly support them in this profound endeavor.
Attorney Ferrara is the Founder and Legal Director of Worldwide Surrogacy Specialists, LLC, one of the foremost and leading surrogacy agencies in the world. She incorporates her thirty plus years of legal practice in assisted reproduction technology law as legal advisor to the many intended parents she represents. Ferrara changed the law in Connecticut when she argued the case of Raftopol v Ramey before the Supreme Court of Connecticut. This precedent-setting case paved the way for all intended parents, genetic or non-genetic, straight or gay, to become legal parents of their babies by way of a pre-birth order of legal parentage. In sum, Ferrara created a new way to become a legal parent.
Ferrara is a member of the Academy of Adoption and Assisted Reproduction Attorneys, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the American Bar Association Family Law Section, and the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association’s Family Law Group. She was awarded the LAMBDA Award for Outstanding LGBTQ+ Community Service, as well as the Mid-Fairfield AIDS Project President’s Award since she was the President of this organization in the 1980s.She frequently lectures and presents as a panelist at international surrogacy conferences, universities, and professional seminars all over the world.
For anyone in the fertility field, and for all intended parents looking toward surrogacy as a family formation option, as well as for women considering the path of becoming a gestational surrogate, Ferrara’s book is a must read. Available now at Amazon and other online bookstores.
“With Journyx Scout, our customers will be able to use AI to quickly ask questions to understand their time data better than ever,” stated Lance Ellisor, chief operating officer at Journyx. “One customer we talked to mentioned that within just a few minutes and prompts, he could get answers about his data that would have otherwise required six hours to build a report with the same information. Plus, with just one click, the information can be easily exported to Microsoft Excel for further analysis, and/or to create charts and graphs.”
Ellisor continued, “Journyx Scout is ideal for busy executives and managers who need to glean essential time data information quickly and easily without having to ask someone to build or modify reports for them. And, since Scout uses natural language, it’s super-easy to navigate and home in on the data you’re looking for.”
Journyx Scout is now available to current customers through a beta testing program. To learn more about the solution and how to get started, please visit journyx.ai.
About Journyx, Inc.
Journyx delivers easy-to-use time tracking solutions for complex organizations. Whether you need employee time tracking data for project cost accounting, billing, payroll, or compliance, Journyx offers an unmatched level of customization and flexibility, so you get the data you need, when you need it. Journyx products are tested and integrated with top ERP and payroll systems such as Microsoft Dynamics, Sage Intacct, Oracle NetSuite, ADP, Intuit QuickBooks, and more. For additional information, visit journyx.com.
