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Let’s Dive lands US$1.7m to make remote working more human, tackling concerns of worker isolation

Stockwood Strategy

Let’s Dive a platform for remote employee engagement and building team culture has today announced it has raised US$1.7 million in funding led by Sequoia Capital India’s Surge. The funding round also saw participation from Village Global and several angel investors*. Let’s Dive will use the funding to further build experiences on the platform to help remote teams tackle isolation, distribute the product to thousands of companies around the world and build a cross-border product team. The on-going global pandemic has upended traditional ways of working, forcing businesses all around the world to set themselves up remotely. Let’s Dive’s founders, who have been building solutions for remote teams for over five years, know from experience that isolation and the lack of team bonding are the biggest obstacles to successfully sustaining a remote work culture. Let’s Dive is a platform that eliminates isolation by bringing teams together and recreating a social space where participants can connect through a range of exciting activities. This creates deeper bonds amongst remote teams who lack the advantage of personal connections. Teams can play games like poker, pictionary, icebreakers, trivias, chess, card games and organise YouTube watch parties. Let’s Dive has already attracted over 100 teams from 28 countries to its platform. Businesses currently using the platform include teams from Silicon Valley giants like Facebook, Airtable, and in India, some of the biggest tech companies like Swiggy and Hike. Currently, Let’s Dive is an invite-only experience. Companies can apply for access on www.letsdive.io. “Having founded and run one of the first 100% remote working businesses, I have personally seen the importance of togetherness and team camaraderie as core pillars of company culture. Remote working poses a significant challenge for businesses trying to maintain this. With Let’s Dive, we set out to solve this problem and drive real engagement and interaction amongst colleagues online,” said Nitesh Agrawal, Co-Founder, Let’s Dive. “Let’s Dive has already gained strong traction and attracted hundreds of teams to our platform - without any marketing. The product’s experience is so unique that teams feel connected within a few hours of usage. With the funding and partnership from Sequoia Capital India’s Surge, as well as investors such as Village Global, we look forward to rolling out Let’s Dive to businesses globally to help them create the best possible remote team culture.” added Nitesh. The company was founded in July 2020 by Nitesh Agrawal and Om Prakash. Both have had previous experience with building and scaling startups and have worked with startups like Housing.com, Ola, Mykarma, Fitzoo. Before Let’s Dive, Nitesh led Indiez as founder and CEO, where he built a community of 10,000+ engineers from 50+ countries and was one of the first 100% remote organisations. Ends *Along with the marquee investors, top tier angels such as Utsav Somani from iSeed, Akhil Paul, Anand Chandrasekharan (Former Snapdeal CPO and Facebook Director of Messenger), Zvi Band (Founder, Contactually), Job Van (Founder, Remote.com), Ravish Naresh (Founder, Khatabook), Sai (Founder, Mobile Premier League), Cecilia Stallsmith, Sunita Mohanty (Facebook), OnDeck community and Kamir Kothari (SVB) also participated in the round. About Let’s Dive Let’s Dive is on a mission to build togetherness for businesses with remote working teams. The SaaS platform provides a social space for remote teams, and aims to help companies build their culture through fostering better human connections. Let’s Dive users can hang out, play games, or watch videos, all while sharing their audio and video with their colleagues. For more information, visit: https://www.letsdive.io/ About Surge Surge is Sequoia Capital India’s rapid scale-up program for startups in India and Southeast Asia. Surge combines $1 million to $2 million of seed capital with company-building workshops, a global curriculum and support from a community of exceptional mentors and founders. The program’s goal is to supercharge early-stage startups and give founders an unfair advantage, right out of the gate. For more information on Surge, visit www.surgeahead.com. Contact Details Bilal Mahmood +44 7714 007257 b.mahmood@stockwoodstrategy.com Company Website https://www.letsdive.io/

December 01, 2020 07:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Celebrating the Holidays Safely with Ereka Vetrini

D S Simon Media

The holidays aren’t canceled. We have to reimagine them for the pandemic era.There are still a few ways to keep family traditions at the holidays alive, even during the COVID-19 pandemic. Focus on the Traditions that we CAN Do It’s so easy to focus on what we can’t do right now. No matter how small the gathering, focus on keeping the traditions that bring you joy just as they have every year. Go all out with decorations. You can make grandmother’s pineapple bake for Thanksgiving or build gingerbread houses. And, you can even drive around town and look at everyone else’s holiday decorations. (Don’t forget the hot cocoa!) Stay positive by getting really excited about all the things you can still do and put your energy into them. Forget the Formal and Spend Time Together Safely Even though the size of your gathering may change, the tradition of eating a good meal and spending quality time together should not. As the 5X Thanksgiving host, Ereka suggests to keep safe and simple. In a recent Chinet® brand survey, 35% of respondents said they’ll be using disposable tableware for the holidays. Many said their focus is less on a formal setting and more on spending time together safely. In fact the CDC encourages using “single use items”. Fortunately, Chinet® Cut Crystal® collection allows us to get fancy without the fuss. Chinet® Cut Crystal® plates, cups and cutlery are so elegant and come in a completely coordinated collection perfect for holiday celebrations. They have the right combination of strength and style. Chinet® Cut Crystal® collection is the right call if you are looking to spend less time cleaning up and more time with loved ones. Hostess Tips for the Small Group Many are talking about ditching the turkey, but Ereka says go for it- either choose a smaller turkey or go big and enjoy leftovers for days! Another tip for those hosting… Target is here to save the day. You can now use their contactless services Drive Up, Order Pickup or same-day delivery with Shipt to get everything you need for your holiday meals and more, including fresh and frozen groceries nationwide – no membership required. Whether that be a whole frozen turkey, green beans, ready-made sides like garlic mashed potatoes, or apps like these Fig & Rosemary crackers with Brie cheese… Target’s ready to get you what you need, when you need it. This holiday, Target has enhanced their pickup and delivery services to make it even easier and safer to shop for holiday meals and more. They’ve added nearly 8,000 Drive Up spots to serve more guests quickly and 100,000 Shipt shoppers to make getting whatever you need to feed the family as easy as pie. Final Tips to Enjoy the Season Connect any way you can. Take your zoom parties up a notch with playlists, themes and virtual games. FaceTime family members and let them know you care. Enjoy the traditions you love. Bake plenty of goodies. Celebrate and find joy in the smaller moments and appreciate what you have. About Ereka Vetrini Ereka Vetrini is a TV Host, Lifestyle Expert, Brand Spokesperson, Producer, Blogger and proud mom of two who got her start on Donald Trump ‘s “The Apprentice” season 1. Ereka is currently the host of Lifetime’s Access Health. Access Health brings you the latest cutting-edge developments and innovations in medicine, nutrition and fitness, so women everywhere can take charge of their health starting today! She is also a regular contributor to NBC’s 1st Look and NY Live. As an on-air correspondent for NBC she covers the hottest spots to dine, travel and shop! Ereka was previously the host of TLC Sunday Brunch where she brought you the very best brunch & cocktail recipes, styling tips and so much more! As a mother of two, Ereka enjoys spending every spare minute running after her 9 and 7-year-old. About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

November 25, 2020 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Buyer Beware: Don't Let Counterfeit Goods Ruin Your Holidays

D S Simon Media

Counterfeit goods are a problem all year long, but demand for gifts, household products, virtual learning items, and even health products, means the holiday season is an especially busy time for crooks. Counterfeit products cost the global economy over $500 billion dollars a year. Ahead of the holiday shopping season, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Global Innovation Policy Center is raising awareness with consumers about the dangers of counterfeit goods and how to avoid falling for scams. Because of the global pandemic and shifts in shopping habits more consumers than ever will be looking for a good deal online, and with that, the likelihood of coming across counterfeit items increases. Kasie Brill, Vice President of Brand Protection & Strategic Initiatives at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce conducted a nationwide media tour in conjunction with YourUpdateTV and D S Simon Media to discuss: How big of a problem the sale of counterfeit goods is in the U.S. Why the current Covid-19 pandemic is increasing the number and sale of counterfeit goods Details on why health products are also susceptible to counterfeiting How the U.S. consumer can protect themselves against buying counterfeit goods About YourUpdateTV: YourUpdateTV is a social media video portal for organizations to share their content. It includes separate channels for Health and Wellness, Lifestyle, Media and Entertainment, Money and Finance, Social Responsibility, Sports and Technology. Media Contact: Michael O’Donnell D S Simon Media 212-736-2727 modonnell@dssimon.com Contact Details YourUpdateTV +1 212-736-2727 yourupdatetv@gmail.com

November 23, 2020 11:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Cashmere Eco-Designer Fights Fast Fashion During Pandemic Holiday Season

Agility PR Solutions LLC

In a year when most craft fairs and festivals have been cancelled, ekologic cashmere clothing designer Kathleen Tesnakis of Troy, N.Y., is joining other artists in making the shift to online retail while keeping up the meaningful interaction between customer and creator. “This is the first November in eight years that my partner and I haven’t had to wake up at 4 a.m. to pack a rental van with a year’s worth of ekologic inventory, then drive from upstate down to Manhattan to set up an entire shop in Grand Central Terminal for the Holiday Fair,” said Tesnakis, who recycles cashmere to create new sweaters, skirts, hats and gloves. “Normally, we would spend the next month-and-a-half running our shop in Grand Central, overseeing our bustling studio in Troy and traveling between the two locations weekly to replenish inventory. It’s nice to get a little more sleep, but in normal years the Grand Central show accounts for about two-thirds of our annual revenue.” This year, ekologic is a featured artist in the first ever Grand Central Virtual Holiday Fair, a web-based version of what organizers claim to be New York City’s oldest and largest indoor holiday market that beckons customers from across the world to shop in the Terminal’s historic Vanderbilt Hall. Though Grand Central is most lucrative for her, Tesnakis said other art shows that occur across the nation throughout the year are no less important for designers like herself. She typically spends the spring and summer touring the country to sell her clothing line at various curated art shows in places like Dallas, Texas, Jackson Hole, Wy. and Portland, Ore. Those shows, all of which were cancelled this year due to COVID-19, account for the rest of ekologic’s annual revenue. Though the company has maintained an online store for more than two decades, the majority of her customers have preferred to shop in person, sometimes returning year after year to the same festivals and fairs. “I think people really put a value on the experience of purchasing handmade items directly from the artist who made them,” Tesnakis said. “When you shop our online store, you’re still purchasing directly from us. But I recognize that some customers need a bit more help deciding what colors to chose, what size to pick… which is why I’m available for virtual personalized shopping appointments.” Another way she connects with customers is through broadcasting on Facebook Live each Wednesday at 3 p.m. to share her production process and progress in the studio, as well as her philosophy on sustainability that guides her business practices. Climate change and environmental pollution are major crises facing humanity and we have to keep pushing for more sustainable practices,” Tesnakis said. “We have to be more eco-conscious, even during a pandemic, because our planet’s ecosystem is in a health crisis, too. I hope people will keep that in mind as they do more of their shopping online this season. Also, there are so many small artisan businesses that need your support this year and the gifts you find will have an extra special meaning.” FAST FASHION AND WASTE The average American throws away approximately 80 pounds of cheap textiles per year, choking landfills with “fast fashion” garments sold by mass-market retailers. “‘Fast fashion’ is clothing that’s made fast and cheap, with questionable labor practices and ends up in a landfill quickly,” Tesnakis said. “It’s a wasteful, environmentally destructive industry that has to change.” Since 1996, Tesnakis' ekologic company has practiced an alternative to “fast fashion” by recycling cashmere to create high-quality pieces including sweaters, dresses, hats and mittens in women’s and men’s styles that can be worn and cherished for generations. The ekologic mission is to make clothes that inspire a movement of sustainability and environmentally aware customers. “We’ve been on the front lines of the slow fashion revolution for over 20 years,” Tesnakis said. “Our clothing is made to last and to spark conversations about the clothes we wear and the products we purchase.” FASHIONABLE, GREEN, AND ONE-OF-A-KIND Every item made by ekologic is unique because of the way Tesnakis gathers and assembles her materials. After hunting down discarded cashmere treasures, she dismantles each article of clothing while taking the time to recognize its individual character and beauty. Finally, she transforms the material by joining it with other pieces to give an old garment new life and purpose. The random nature of recycling means Tesnakis must work with the materials she finds. While ekologic’s product lines are consistent, each ekologic item is uniquely individual. “Recycling informs my design and production,” Tesnakis said. “I don’t get to order trendy materials. It’s my job to make trends happen.” ekologic clothing is sought after by the environmentally conscious and fashion conscious alike. Celebrities, like Lee Ranaldo, of the iconic rock band Sonic Youth, and celebrated actress Halle Berry have been spotted wearing ekologic apparel. “In recent years, ‘green’ has become a powerful marketing tool that is sometimes used in cynical and disingenuous schemes,” Tesnakis said. “ekologic has been making genuinely ‘green’ fashion long before ‘green’ was fashionable.“ LOCALLY HARVESTED, ZERO WASTE, NO HARSH CHEMICALS In 2003, the eco-clothing company moved from Portland, Ore. to Troy, N.Y. to be closer to the fashion epicenter of New York City and family. All of the cashmere that ekologic recycles into new garments comes from within a 150-mile radius in the “Tri-State” area, qualifying it as “locally harvested.” Since moving to New York state, ekologic has repurposed more than16 tons of post-consumer clothing that would otherwise have ended up sold to international barges or landfilled. The ekologic process of washing and deconstructing post-consumer clothing uses only environmentally-friendly soap–no harsh chemicals or dyes—while striving to use a minimal amount of water. In 2014, ekologic adopted a “zero waste” production facility goal, meaning that even the smallest scraps of material are put to some re-use. ekologic has inspired other artists and manufacturers to use only post-consumer products and has forged new partnerships in order to achieve the “zero waste” goal. "We know that being green isn't easy. It's a lifelong process. Don't be intimidated and feel like you have to change your life overnight," says Tesnakis. "What we're asking you to do is take the steps that are closest to you to change. If each one of us did this, we would have an incredible impact on the world." WHY RECYCLE CASHMERE? Clothing was far more expensive in the early 20th century than it is today, and therefore there was a greater incentive to transform and re-purpose old clothing items into quilts or toys, or even a smaller version of the same garment—a damaged or worn dress for an adult would often be repurposed as a dress for a child. As clothing became cheaper, through outsourcing labor to developing nations, Westerners increasingly began to discard clothing items after one lifecycle or sometimes after a single use as in the case of seasonal fast fashion. By the early 1990s, nearly all new clothing was destined to be landfilled within a matter of a few years. But Tesnakis says she recognized that there are a few materials, such as wools, that have characteristics that made them prime for recycling. “Cashmere and wool are strong, antimicrobial natural fibers which helps them stay in good condition for generations,” Tesnakis said. “It's not uncommon for a beautiful cashmere jacket or a cashmere sweater to be still viable 20 to 30 years later.” REMADE BY HAND IN AMERICA: CONTINUING A HISTORY OF WOMEN & TEXTILES IN TROY, NY “Most people don’t know where their clothing was manufactured. Buying directly from the designer is a rewarding way to shop,” said Tesnakis. “When you shop ekologic, you know who made your clothes. You know how your clothes were made and what materials your clothes were made of. Those are the tenets of the slow fashion movement that will lead us to a fashion revolution.” Tesnakis noted that Troy is nicknamed the "Collar City" because a woman, Hannah Montague, invented the detachable collar here in 1827. Later, in 1864, Kate Mullany started the all-women Collar Laundry Union in Troy, one of the first women's labor unions in history. Tesnakis’ first studio in Troy was in a building that housed the Troy Waste Manufacturing Company which produced garments created from textile waste from the shirt collar industry 100 years before she got there. This year she opened a new studio at 184 4th Street in Troy’s “Pottery District” neighborhood. NEW DESIGNS FOR 2020 This year, ekologic debuted the newly-designed “Jackson” sweater, a modern mosaic piece that achieves zero waste, and a French-inspired beret. Accessories by ekologic cost between $72 to $88, while clothing prices range from $235 to $480. HIGH RESOLUTION PHOTOS & VIDEOS For high resolution fashion photos of ekologic products and models, and broadcast quality video of ekologic Designer & Founder Kathleen Tesnakis in her Troy studio, visit the following Dropbox link: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/to8qae7vlp88gvc/AAAUuH5wEXR-hNEGFEXF3nyMa?dl=0 CONNECT WITH EKOLOGIC For information, call (518) 274-0813 email info@ekologic.com or visit: http://www.ekologic.com, https://www.facebook.com/ekologicny, https://www.instagram.com/ekologic/ @ekologic_ny YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC36T7s993TqhZuQkvudAlHg ART PARTY CENTRAL To help other artisans pivot to the virtual world, Tesnakis and four other women-owned businesses founded ArtPartyCentral.org to connect independent designers, artists and lifestyle brands with discerning, fun-loving shoppers online. Art Parties are festive, engaging and intimate hour-long virtual events presented by six makers showcasing their newest pieces, current inspirations, a peek at their techniques, and sharing the love of their work in their own environments. Contact Details Kathleen Tesnakis +1 518-867-1864 info@ekologic.com Company Website http://www.ekologic.com

November 19, 2020 10:33 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Cyvatar Adds Starter Subscription to CSaaS Offering

Cyvatar

Cyvatar today announced the availability of its starter subscription, a fast and cost-effective introduction to the company’s revolutionary all-in-one cybersecurity-as-a-service (CSaaS) offering. Cyvatar delivers outcomes-based solutions to organizations that cannot hire in-house security teams, do not have the runway to experiment with multiple security tools as they scale, or cannot compete against larger firms for the scarce number of skilled resources available. Its starter subscription offers businesses the quickest route to remediation--the process of identifying and closing gaps or vulnerabilities in a security environment--by bundling expert practitioners, proven technologies, and a strategic long-term roadmap into a fixed monthly price. The starter subscription also enables companies trying to maintain standards including SOC 2, CMMC, NIST, ISO, HIPAA, and PCI to achieve complete and continuous compliance even as regulations change. “Companies often don’t realize the hidden costs of maintaining compliance,” said Cyvatar Founder and Chief Experience Officer Corey White. “They think if they purchase a compliance tool or managed service, they’ll be covered--but that’s rarely the case. Too often, such solutions uncover more problems that require remediation without providing the capabilities to patch vulnerabilities and keep an organization’s data both safe and compliant. Our experts provide solutions across the entire security lifecycle as part of an inclusive all-in-one subscription model.” Cyvatar’s starter subscription covers incident response services, IT asset inventory, continuous vulnerability scanning security gap analysis, and a strategic roadmap to ensure that once an organization achieves remediation it preserves that solved state over time while maintaining all applicable compliance requirements. Rather than simply sending alerts, Cyvatar’s seasoned cyber veterans manage the entire security process, from assessment to continuous remediation and maintenance. “You can spend a small fortune investing in a series of pen tests, assessments, or other costly activities that don’t bring you any closer to remediation,” said Craig Goodwin, founder and chief product and strategy officer at Cyvatar. “Historically, companies had good security or full compliance, but not both. We’re revolutionizing the industry by ensuring both goals are met simultaneously so customers no longer have to sacrifice one to achieve the other.” The Cyvatar starter subscription delivers guaranteed cybersecurity and compliance outcomes at a fraction of the cost of legacy approaches: What security challenges are you trying to solve? What barriers do you face? Click HERE to get started with Cyvatar’s cybersecurity-as-a-service (CSaaS) subscription and register for the Subscription Launch Party on December 8th. About Cyvatar Cyvatar.ai is a transformative cybersecurity company that operates at the intersection of our customers and technology to define what a cybersecurity solution should be: guaranteed business outcomes that are measurable. We break down barriers to create positive experiences for passionate companies globally. Cyvatar is headquartered in Irvine, California. Learn more at https://cyvatar.ai/ and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter. Contact Details KC Higgins +1 303-434-8163 kc@cyvatar.ai Company Website https://cyvatar.ai/

November 19, 2020 08:22 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Convey Services Launches Cloud Exhibit

Convey Services

Convey Services, a SaaS technology company, today expanded its Cloud Conventions platform by launching Cloud Exhibit ™, a universal, portable, virtual exhibit environment that improves branding, and enhances attendee experience, when exhibiting or sponsoring any virtual event, regardless of the platform used by the tradeshow or conference. Cloud Exhibit is the digital version of a custom trade show booth that companies can use to showcase their products and services at dozens of different events and conferences, selectively displaying from a collection of formats and assets to match every audience. With Cloud Exhibit you can own a branded, content-rich exhibit environment connecting attendees to a custom experience. “Today, companies must adapt to virtual booth environments on event platforms that have the philosophy of one size fits all,” said Carolyn Bradfield, CEO of Convey. “As the virtual event trend expands into 2021 and beyond, companies large and small will exhibit at an increasing number of virtual events delivered over a variety of technology platforms. Exhibitors don’t have a say in the platform a trade show chooses, but they can control everything an attendee sees and can engage with. Cloud Exhibit provides a customizable, flexible, virtual booth environment that comes online in days without the time, risk, or expense of development. It maintains a strong corporate identity, provides better control of branding, and has an expanded set of sales tools.” How Cloud Exhibit Works Cloud Exhibit is built on Cloud Conventions’ technology platform providing exhibitors with a framework to create a custom branded display that can be linked to any virtual tradeshow. Attendees logged into a virtual event are connected to the Cloud Exhibit platform through hyperlinks or by single sign-on technology transferring the attendee into the Cloud Exhibit platform, creating a data record at the same time. Cloud Exhibit has many of the capabilities of a Cloud Conventions event portal including customization of the home page with graphics and embedded videos or 3D virtual technology. The platform is segmented into catalogs to organize and visually display content, showcase products, or segment individual brands and hold live or on-demand sessions. Every Cloud Exhibit comes with an attendee CRM, built-in email marketing and analytical reports to track engagement. “Customized, connected, focused and branded, a Cloud Exhibit showcases you in the way you want it to be seen and tracks engagement,” added Bradfield. “We created Cloud Exhibit in response to demand from exhibitors participating in Cloud Conventions-hosted events who are exhibiting at other events in 2021 on platforms that are less robust. Most event platforms do not provide companies with enough messaging control, branding, and a flexible experience to encourage attendee interaction, so having a permanent online environment that is portable only makes sense.” Cloud Exhibit comes with the technology framework to customize the homepage, organize content, create attendee dashboards, manage data records and relationships in the CRM, deliver virtual sessions and track activity. Cloud Exhibit portals include online training and an administrator help database to answer frequently asked questions. For more information on Cloud Exhibit visit: cloudconventions.com. About Cloud Conventions Cloud Conventions is a Virtual Trade Show and Conference Platform from Convey Services that brings new capabilities to a marketplace looking for solutions to replace the thousands of live trade shows, annual conferences and association meetings cancelled in the wake of COVID-19. Originally launched as ConveyLive, Cloud Conventions automates exhibitors and virtual booths, attendee registration, speaker sessions and reminders, invitations and email communication, while at the same time producing detailed analytics on attendee, session and exhibitor activity. Trade Associations and event managers can explore all of the Cloud Conventions solutions by visiting https://cloudconventions.com or contacting info@cloudconventions.com or call 888-975-1382. Cloud Conventions™, Cloud Exhibit™, Cloud Kickoffs™, Conduct™, One-Touch Email Share™, Hub & Spoke™, 360° Virtual Exhibit Hall & Lobby Experience™ and ListLock™ are trademarks of Convey Services LLC Contact Details Bruce Ahern +1 770-580-0810 bahern@conveyservices.com Company Website https://cloudconventions.com

November 17, 2020 01:45 PM Eastern Standard Time

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CMMC Center of Excellence Announces Memorandum of Understanding with Maryland Innovation & Security Institute

Interoperability Clearinghouse

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Center of Excellence ( CMMC COE ), hosted by the Information Technology Acquisition Advisory Council (IT-AAC), a public-private partnership serving the public and private sectors for more than 15 years, is proud to announce a Memorandum of Understanding with the Maryland Innovation & Security Institute ( MISI ) and Dreamport Mission Accelerator. This unique partnership will extend efforts to advance the goals and objectives for improving the cyber and supply chain security and resilience of the US Department of Defense (DoD) global Defense Industrial Base (DIB) network of contractors, suppliers, and vendors. The executed MOU establishes a cooperative agreement between the Maryland Innovation & Security Institute and CMMC COE to partner in the furthering of their respective and complementary missions and objectives regarding the adoption, use, and expansion of CMMC based cybersecurity practices for the DIB contractor community and the information and communication technology community creating a broader CMMC ecosystem to improve security and resilience. Specific actions will include: The co-development of CMMC advisory services, cyber training and education programs to accelerate CMMC certification, increase cyber adoption and improve cyber protection & resilience. Collaboration on cyber technology knowledge sharing Co-sponsor symposiums, training programs and podcasts leveraging their combined cyber and IT expertise. Host regular working groups, with other partners, to enable collaboration and communications. Establish an independent Industry Cyber Security Advisory Council with peer organizations to advise and educate leaders across government and industry on the continued evolution and effectiveness of CMMC Through this exciting partnership, the CMMC-COE ( www.cmmc-coe.org ) will also focus on bringing together the many disparate cyber and national security communities of interest to reduce complexity, improve awareness, and accelerate industry effort to become more cyber resilient against the growing threats from nation states and criminal enterprises. The CMMC-COE partner network will be sharing a wide range of capabilities from member organizations, including; cyber standards frameworks, education, solution architectures, cyber mentoring, workforce, and other elements needed to scale to the demands of the entire DIB market place in the US and abroad (400,000+ contractors). The CMMC-COE establishes both a Market Place and Knowledge Clearinghouse that will include resources that support the overall effort, including white papers; tutorials; recorded webcasts; presentations; and more that will help reduce the cost and burden on small/medium size contractors already struggling from the impact of COVID. MISI is recognized as a leading provider of cybersecurity expertise and test and evaluation resource for cybersecurity technologies. MISI helps organizations by disrupting traditional innovation and accelerating the discovery of viable cybersecurity and related technologies that when combined with more mature technology, results in powerful new capabilities tackling new vulnerabilities and attack vectors launched at the US and the world. Acceleration is accomplished through maximum collaboration between our global cybersecurity and technology network of resources, academia, federal laboratories, and technology incubators and accelerators in our cyber mission accelerator facilities and labs, thereby, speeding up solution discovery through continuous probing of the marketplace and disruptive thought leadership. The team at MISI is deeply engaged with DoD suppliers across the nation and around the world as part of the organization’s efforts to find, test, evaluate, and develop as necessary, cost-effective cyber solutions in support of the nation and its supply chain. MISI’s work includes an almost two year deep dive into studying the challenges and state of the Defense Industrial Base ( DIB ) as it pertains to DFARS-7012 and readiness for the new CMMC requirements. For more information on the CMMC COE, please visit http://cmmc-coe.org email info@cmmc-coe.org or call 703-863-3766 For more information on the Maryland Innovation & Security Institute, please visit https://misi.tech/ About Us ---------- CMMC-COE.ORG is a unique non-profit public-private partnership, with a vision to accelerate Cybersecurity Maturity Model (CMM) adoption, and reduce time & cost for security compliance for our partners by leveraging commercial best practices, CMMC standards, and innovative solutions for a measurable success. Our mission, focused on DOD mission objectives, cost containment and expeditious CMMC compliance, is to help the DIB improve cyber posture and resilience, and simplify its acquisition. The CMMC-COE is hosted by the Information Technology Acquisition Advisory Council (IT-AAC), a public/private partnership (P3) chartered in 2007 as an honest broker to reach outside the confines of the Federal IT advisories that lack dynamic reach into the Global IT Market, and dedicated to the adoption of commercial IT management standards of practice and innovations emanating from the Global IT market. Team IT-AAC has already demonstrated the value of its decade long investment, and provides a unique value to agencies seeking to achieve accelerate the transformation of legacy processes and systems. Our Just-in-Time SMEs apply an innovative suite of Technology Business Management and Agile Acquisition Processes needed to assure the business value of commercial IT. The Interoperability Clearinghouse (ICH), is the managing partner that make up the 24 NGO/SDO organizations that make up the IT-AAC. ICH provides the contract vehicles, clearances, and critical resources proven to guide sustainable, measurable and repeatable processes needed to drive better investment decisions as the speed of mission need, while aligning existing processes, methods and workforce with IT reform mandates contained in Clinger Cohen Act, FITARA, IT MGT Act, EO13838. Contact Details Bob Dix +1 703-975-6633 bob.dix@it-aac.org Company Website https://cmmc-coe.org

November 16, 2020 10:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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Quidel Corporation Triple Winner in International MarCom Awards Competition

Quidel Corporation

Quidel Corporation has been honored with three awards for creative excellence from the international MarCom Awards competition, just announced. Quidel is the diagnostic health care manufacturer behind the industry’s most rapid and reliable in-office test for Lyme disease, the Sofia® 2 Lyme FIA test. The MarCom Awards is an international creative competition that recognizes outstanding achievement by marketing and communications professionals, both corporate and agency. Quidel was cited for excellence while competing against more than 6,500 entries from the United States and several foreign countries. Quidel was presented with MarCom’s highest honor—a Platinum Award—for its soon-to-launch consumer-facing website titled “Lyme Disease Answers.” Created in tandem with its strategic and creative partner breakwhitelight, the website will provide consumers with the peace of mind that comes with increased knowledge of the prevalence, causes, warning signs and symptoms of Lyme disease as well as important information regarding the latest in Lyme disease testing and treatment. A Gold Award was presented to Quidel for its new series of attention-grabbing educational videos called “Quick Takes.” This soon-to-launch library of short and engaging videos, which will be regularly produced in the coming months with breakwhitelight, will help health care professionals and consumers alike enhance their knowledge of Lyme disease by providing the information, expertise and up-to-the-minute data needed to quickly and clearly confront this disease that afflicts as many as 400,000 Americans every year. Quidel was also honored by MarCom for a commentary by Roxanne Carfora, D.O., titled “An Epidemic Within a Pandemic.” Published in the August 2020 issue of Healthcare Business Today, the article calls Lyme disease one of the fastest-growing infectious diseases in the country and speaks to the needed partnership between medical science and consumers to understand the disease and to lessen its spread. Lyme disease can strike anyone at any age and can lead to a number of serious, life-threatening problems if not caught early. Leading the way in Lyme disease testing is Quidel’s innovative Sofia 2 Lyme FIA test. This test provides a patient as well as his or her physician with indicative results within minutes as opposed to days, which has historically been the norm. Performed in the privacy of a doctor’s office or local clinic, it is also the only test that can get results from a simple finger prick of blood. Given that the vast majority of patients tested are negative, not having to wait days for test results allows physicians and nurse practitioners to more rapidly treat those patients with positive results while more quickly pursuing other diagnosis and treatment for those who test negative. About Quidel Corporation Quidel Corporation (Nasdaq: QDEL) is a leading manufacturer of diagnostic solutions at the point of care, delivering a continuum of rapid testing technologies that further improve the quality of health care throughout the globe. An innovator for over 40 years in the medical device industry, Quidel pioneered the first FDA-cleared point-of-care test for influenza in 1999 and was the first to market a rapid SARS-CoV-2 antigen test in the U.S. Under trusted brand names, Sofia®, Solana®, Lyra®, Triage® and QuickVue®, Quidel’s comprehensive product portfolio includes tests for a wide range of infectious diseases, cardiac and autoimmune biomarkers, as well as a host of products to detect COVID-19. With products made in America, Quidel’s mission is to provide patients with immediate and frequent access to highly accurate, affordable testing for the good of our families, our communities and the world. For more information about Quidel, visit quidel.com. # # # Contact Details Jim Yeager +1 424-644-0225 jim@breakwhitelight.com Company Website http://Quidel.com

November 10, 2020 08:00 AM Pacific Standard Time

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CMMC Center of Excellence Announces Memorandum of Understanding with CREST International

Interoperability Clearinghouse

The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Center of Excellence ( CMMC COE ), hosted by the Information Technology Acquisition Advisory Council (IT-AAC), a public-private partnership serving the public and private sectors for more than 15 years, is proud to announce a Memorandum of Understanding with CREST International, an international not-for-profit certification and accreditation body that supports the global technical information security market and is headquartered in the UK. This unique partnership will extend efforts to advance the goals and objectives for improving the cyber and supply chain security and resilience of the US Department of Defense (DoD) global Defense Industrial Base (DIB) network of contractors, suppliers, and vendors through an evaluation process intended to validate the capabilities, experience, and integrity of CMMC COE provider partners. The executed MOU establishes a cooperative agreement between CREST International and the CMMC COE, in coordination with the CMMC COE EU ( http://cmmc-eu.com ), to partner in the furthering of their respective and complementary missions and objectives regarding the adoption, use, and expansion of CMMC based cybersecurity practices for the DIB contractor community and the information and communications technology community creating a broader CMMC ecosystem to improve security and resilience across the global defense industrial base. CREST ( www.crest-approved.org ) provides internationally recognized accreditations for organizations providing technical security services and also includes professional level certifications for individuals providing vulnerability assessment; penetration testing, cyber incident response; threat intelligence; and security operations center ( SOC ) services. “This is a momentous occasion for us”, said Mr. John Weiler, Chairman of the Board at CMMC Center of Excellence, “Our global expansion will further help advance the goals and objectives for improving the supply chain security and resilience of the US Department of Defense (DoD) beyond North America”. “This new partnership between CREST and CMMC COE will play an important role in strengthening the resilience and protection of vital critical national infrastructure through structured testing to validate security defenses and controls, carried out by highly-qualified and certified professionals,” said Tom Brennan, Chairman of CREST USA. “It is vital that the buying communities in both the public and private sectors have the confidence and trust that their employees, contractors or suppliers have the highest levels of knowledge, skill and competence.” With locations in Europe, Asia, Australia, and the United States, the partnership reinforces a foundation of global capability for the validation of CMMC providers in 1) training & education; 2) readiness assessment 3) development and implementation of a tailored plan of action & milestones to advance preparedness, and 4) continuous monitoring to ensure maintenance of certification compliance. The CMMC-COE ( www.cmmc-coe.org ) and the CMMC COE EU ( https://cmmc-eu.com/ ) will continue to focus on bringing together the many disparate cyber and national security communities of interest to reduce complexity, improve awareness, and accelerate industry effort to become more cyber resilient against the growing threats from nation states and criminal enterprises. The CMMC-COE partner network will be sharing a wide range of capabilities from member organizations, including; cyber standards frameworks, education, solution architectures, cyber mentoring, workforce, and other elements needed to scale to the demands of the entire DIB market place in the US and abroad (400,000 contractors). For more information on the CMMC COE, please visit http://cmmc-coe.org email info@cmmc-coe.org or call 703-863-3766 For more information on the CMMC COE EU, please visit https://cmmc-eu.com/ For more information on CREST, please visit www.crest-approved.org About Us ---------- CMMC-COE.ORG is a unique non-profit public-private partnership, with a vision to accelerate Cybersecurity Maturity Model (CMM) adoption, and reduce time & cost for security compliance for our partners by leveraging commercial best practices, CMMC standards, and innovative solutions for a measurable success. Our mission, focused on DOD mission objectives, cost containment and expeditious CMMC compliance, is to help the DIB improve cyber posture and resilience, and simplify its acquisition. The CMMC-COE is hosted by the Information Technology Acquisition Advisory Council (IT-AAC), a public/private partnership (P3) chartered in 2007 as an honest broker to reach outside the confines of the Federal IT advisories that lack dynamic reach into the Global IT Market, and dedicated to the adoption of commercial IT management standards of practice and innovations emanating from the Global IT market. Team IT-AAC has already demonstrated the value of its decade long investment, and provides a unique value to agencies seeking to achieve accelerate the transformation of legacy processes and systems. Our Just-in-Time SMEs apply an innovative suite of Technology Business Management and Agile Acquisition Processes needed to assure the business value of commercial IT. The Interoperability Clearinghouse (ICH), is the managing partner that make up the 24 NGO/SDO organizations that make up the IT-AAC. ICH provides the contract vehicles, clearances, and critical resources proven to guide sustainable, measurable and repeatable processes needed to drive better investment decisions as the speed of mission need, while aligning existing processes, methods and workforce with IT reform mandates contained in Clinger Cohen Act, FITARA, IT MGT Act, EO13838. Contact Details Bob Dix +1 703-975-6633 bob.dix@it-aac.org Company Website https://cmmc-coe.org

November 10, 2020 05:00 AM Eastern Standard Time

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