CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Forbes has named Farm Aid Co-Executive Director and Program Director Shorlette Ammons to its 2026 50 Over 50: Impact list, recognizing her leadership in strengthening family farmers, rural communities and the movement for a more just and resilient food and farm system. Ammons helps lead Farm Aid's work to keep family farmers on the land, amplify their voices and advance a vibrant, family farm-centered system of agriculture.

Now in its sixth year, Forbes' 50 Over 50, produced in partnership with Mika Brzezinski's Know Your Value initiative, celebrates women creating their greatest impact at age 50 and beyond. Ammons' recognition reflects a career rooted in community and addressing barriers facing family farmers — particularly Black, Indigenous and other farmers of color — while building the power of farmers to shape the systems that affect their lives.

"Farm Aid has always understood that family farmers are essential to the health of our communities, our food system and our democracy," Ammons said. "This recognition reflects the company I've been fortunate to keep — farmers, advocates, organizers and culture keepers who are committed to truth-telling and to preserving the shared story of who we are and how we got here. At a time when that history and the institutions that help carry it forward are under threat, our work at Farm Aid is more important than ever. I'm honored by this recognition, but our eyes remain on the larger prize: building a just and equitable food and farm system in which family farmers can thrive and all of us recognize the collective power we hold to create change."

Ammons joined Farm Aid as program director in 2022, bringing decades of experience in community-based food systems, rural advocacy and strengthening historically underserved communities. She became Farm Aid's co-executive director in 2025, sharing leadership with Co-Executive Director and Communications Director Jennifer Fahy.

Before joining Farm Aid, Ammons worked with the Wayne Food Initiative to strengthen local food systems and served as a children's librarian at Wayne County Public Library. A native of Beautancus, North Carolina, she grew up in a family of farmworkers, cooks and storytellers — experiences that continue to shape her commitment to family farmers and rural communities. She currently serves on the board of the Land Loss Prevention Project, which works to preserve Black-owned family farmland in North Carolina.

Ammons will join farmers, artists, advocates and supporters for Farm Aid 2026 in Virginia Beach, Va., on Saturday, Sept. 26. Tickets, priced from $85 to $350, are available at farmaid.org/2026 and the amphitheater box office, open Mondays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Venue and festival information is available at farmaid.org/festival.

The celebration will extend beyond the concert stage this year through Farm Aid's partnership with Virginia Beach's Neptune Festival for the Farm Aid Family Reunion: "We the Farmers" Takeover on Friday, Sept. 25. The free Virginia Beach Oceanfront gathering will feature music, dance and stories from farmers leading into Farm Aid 2026.

Farm Aid's mission is to build a vibrant, family farm-centered system of agriculture in America. Farm Aid artists and board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews, Margo Price and Nathaniel Rateliff host an annual festival to raise funds to support Farm Aid's work with family farmers and to inspire people to choose family farm food. Since 1985, Farm Aid, with the support of the artists who contribute their performances each year, has raised more than $90 million to support programs that help farmers thrive, expand the reach of the Good Food Movement, take action to change the dominant system of industrial agriculture and promote food from family farms.

SOURCE Farm Aid

Share this article

2026 Collegiate Inventors Competition Finalists Showcase Future of American Innovation

NORTH CANTON, Ohio, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Collegiate Inventors Competition®, an annual competition that has rewarded innovations, discoveries and research by college and university students and their faculty advisers for more than 35 years, announced today its 2026 finalists.

This year's finalists and their inventions provide a glimpse into the future of American innovation and emerging technological trends — from emergency resuscitation to rapid pesticide monitoring. Through their research, these students have harnessed their "inner inventor" to make working prototypes that can positively change our world.

Each year, individuals representing a broad cross-section of technological fields serve as first-round judges, evaluating entries based on originality of the idea, process, level of student initiative, and potential value and usefulness to society. The finalists will present their inventions in the Washington, D.C., area on Oct. 15 to a panel of final-round judges composed of the most influential inventors and invention experts in the nation — National Inventors Hall of Fame® Inductees and United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) officials. Winning teams, which receive cash prizes and patent acceleration, also will be announced on Oct. 15.

"The USPTO is proud to host and sponsor the 2026 Collegiate Inventors Competition because these students represent exactly what America's Innovation Agency is here to support: the next generation of inventors turning curiosity into invention, and invention into better tomorrows," said John A. Squires, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the USPTO. "Their work is a powerful reminder that the spirit of American ingenuity is alive and well and accelerating. We are proud to celebrate these remarkable finalists, help them see the power of intellectual property, and support them as they turn bold ideas into the technologies, companies and solutions that will shape America's next great chapter of innovation."

Established in 1990, the Collegiate Inventors Competition is a program of the National Inventors Hall of Fame and is sponsored by the USPTO. Follow the National Inventors Hall of Fame on Facebook, LinkedIn, X and Instagram for updates and additional information.

UNDERGRADUATE FINALISTS

CPRight, University of Washington

Team Members: Shubham Bansal, Prisha Hemani, Deeya Sharma, Nikhita Vaddineni; Adviser: Tristan Jafari

Real-time guidance for emergency resuscitation: Each year, more than 350,000 Americans experience a heart attack outside a hospital, and about 90% of them die. Bystanders are often willing to help but are unable to deliver high-quality CPR. CPRight is a single-use, wallet-sized patch a rescuer places on a patient's sternum. Displaying simple LED cues, it shows the rescuer, in real time, whether compression depths and rates are effective. CPRight does not require any additional technology or equipment, making it accessible and easy to use when seconds count to save lives.

Flow-IO, University of Minnesota

Team Members: Anuk Dias, Shaliny Jadhav, Dilshan Rajan; Adviser: Gwenyth Fischer

A failsafe IO needle: Rapid intravenous (IV) access is essential in emergencies, and in pediatric patients, traditional IV access is often unsuccessful. Intraosseous (IO) needles provide a lifesaving alternative by delivering medications and fluids directly into the bone marrow space. Existing IO devices rely on clinicians' judgment to select needle lengths and determine insertion depth, introducing substantial risks. Flow-IO is a universal pediatric IO needle architecture designed to replace traditional variable-length needle kits with a single, anatomy-driven device. This invention simplifies emergency medical inventory while eliminating clinician guesswork during high-stress situations.

KAIRS (Knee Artificial Intelligence Rehabilitation Sleeve), University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Team Members: Samanyu Dixit, Hieu Minh Doan, Sahaj Sapovadia, Chinmay Singh; Adviser: Devin Hubbard

A smart solution for knee recovery: After knee injuries and surgeries, patients follow months-long rehabilitation routines. The Knee Artificial Intelligence Rehabilitation Sleeve (KAIRS), a wearable rehab system, continuously monitors the range of knee motion and quality of movement during at-home exercises and everyday activities on the move. With a flexible, sensor-embedded sleeve, mobile app and cloud-based machine learning model, KAIRS delivers individualized progress tracking for patients and remote monitoring for clinicians. This invention could improve rehab adherence, support clinical decisions, enable personalized care plans and expand recovery guidance to patients with limited access to physical therapy.

Lighted Oral Optics for Kids, Rice University

Team Members: Ankitha Challa, Andy Corliss, Komal Talloo, Nahom Zerai; Adviser: Sabia Abidi

A modern approach to pediatric exams: Millions of families seek care annually for illnesses that require doctors to examine the back of a child's throat. The standard exam, using a tongue depressor and penlight, has remained largely unchanged in over a century. Team LOOK (Lighted Oral Optics for Kids) developed the Magic Wand, a child-centered system that combines a reusable handheld device, a disposable tongue-depressing attachment, and a secure digital platform for image capture and storage. Its wand-like design and interactive LEDs engage children while improving visualization, documentation and clinical efficiency.

Vaskular, Dartmouth College

Team Member: Victoria Makalah King; Adviser: Kwame Owusu

Individualized care for patients at risk: Venous thromboembolism (VTE) occurs when a blood clot in a deep vein, usually in a leg, travels to a lung and blocks an artery. VTE affects up to 900,000 Americans and causes up to 100,000 deaths annually. Vaskular is a wearable, battery-powered compression device that could prevent VTE through individualized therapy. Using synchronized ankle and knee photoplethysmography sensors to monitor blood flow and tissue oxygenation, it adjusts compression pressure, duration and sequencing in real time. Rechargeable and reusable, Vaskular could support patients both in the hospital and at home.

GRADUATE FINALISTS

BioAxis, New York University

Team Members: Rayan Bargouth, Asser El Ashwah; Adviser: Richard Stein

Supporting rotator cuff healing: Partial-thickness rotator cuff tears affect about 3 million Americans annually. Standard care includes rest, rehabilitation and pain management but does not repair structural damage. Many untreated tears progress to full-thickness rupture. Developed by Vitalis Regenerative Materials Inc., BioAxis is a single-use, point-of-care medical device that combines a patient's platelet-rich plasma with a prefilled bioresorbable polymer to form a tissue-adherent hydrogel. This closed sterile system combines scaffold reconstitution, controlled platelet activation, and injectable hydrogel delivery to support tendon preservation and repair for patients who don't meet the threshold for full surgical repair.

ClearView-Jaw, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Team Members: William McKay, Zachary Spears, Amogh Vellore; Advisers: Anish Ghodadra, Matthew Spector

Improving outcomes for head and neck cancer patients: Head and neck cancer patients often need mandibular reconstruction after jaw tumor removal, followed by high-dose radiation. The titanium plates used to secure the reconstructed jaw can distort radiation, shielding tumor cells and scattering the radiation into healing tissue, with about 60% of patients developing a complication within five years. The ClearView-Jaw device reduces harmful backscatter and shadowing while helping clinicians target tumors more precisely, lowering complications and improving patient outcomes.

CoFATE, University of Chicago

Team Member: Bryant Colin; Adviser: Aaron Esser-Kahn

A new perspective on drug discovery: Nine out of 10 drugs in clinical trials never reach patients. For immune drugs, that failure often begins with a test at the start. Existing tests use one cell type alone, measuring how strong a response is, but not what kind. CoFATE puts two immune cells in one tiny well, a dendritic cell that gives the instruction and a T cell that carries it out. It then reads which of five responses follows. Screening thousands of drugs this way could speed vaccines and treatments for autoimmune disease and cancer.

NeuTrode, University of South Florida

Team Members: Bridget Clift, Cristina Ramirez-Vargas, Addison Whitehead; Adviser: Nathan Schilaty

Reliable technology for neurological care: Electroencephalography (EEG) helps diagnose and monitor neurological conditions such as epilepsy, sleep disorders and brain injuries. Current EEG technologies consist of wet, semi-dry and dry electrodes, but each presents significant limitations. Providing an innovative alternative, NeuTrode is a flexible EEG electrode designed to maintain consistent scalp contact without the use of gels or liquids. Its soft, comfortable design adapts to different hair densities, skin conditions and head shapes, and it enables faster setup, improved patient comfort and steady, reliable signal acquisition.

SpectraSense, University of Washington

Team Members: Nathan Day-Holterhoff, Maxwell Mamishev, Rishi Sappidi, Maxwell Stafford; Adviser: Sep Makhsous

Rapid pesticide monitoring: Pesticides play an essential role in modern agriculture by protecting crops from insects, weeds and disease, but their widespread use has raised concerns about chemical residues entering the food supply. Combining fluorescence-based monitoring with embedded chemometric analysis in a compact, portable package, SpectraSense is designed to rapidly detect and classify pesticide residues at the point of inspection.

Second annual Social Connection in America™ survey measures the conditions that shape social connection and provides communities with data to guide action

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The second annual Social Connection in America™ survey continued to show troubling trends across several key indicators of social connection—including time spent with others, size of social networks, and social participation (clubs, religion or volunteering). Combined with continued gaps across other measures, these findings reveal a pattern from 2025 to 2026: the conditions that help people and communities thrive remain weak.

The findings come from the nation's first long-term effort to measure social connection comprehensively over 25 years, providing communities with annual national and state-level data to guide action.

"What concerns me is not any single finding, but the pattern of disconnection across the data, including too little time together, limited participation in community life and persistent loneliness," said Dr. Julianne Holt-Lunstad, professor of psychology and neuroscience at Brigham Young University and Co-Director and Scientific Lead of the Social Connection in America™ initiative. "For a second year, we are seeing many of the conditions that support strong relationships, health and well-being remain weak. These are warning signs we should take very seriously."

Key findings from the second annual Social Connection in America™ survey provide the first year-over-year look at national trends in social connection, and show that many of the patterns identified in 2025 persist in 2026. Key findings from the 2026 survey include:

- For most Americans, time with people they care about is occasional rather than routine. Almost 70% get together no more than once or twice a month, while one in five do so only a few times a year or less often.

- Time is the greatest barrier to social connection (30.6%). Beyond busy schedules, Americans point to distance (14.8%), the effort it takes to get together (13.3%), and anxiety in social situations (11.1%) as the biggest reasons they don't spend more time with others.

- Loneliness remains a concern. Four in ten Americans report moderate to severe loneliness.

- Most Americans do not see virtual connection as an equal substitute for spending time together in person. Nearly twice as many disagree (43.9%) as agree (24.4%) that virtual interactions satisfy their need for connection as much as in-person interactions.

- AI companionship has not yet become mainstream. Most Americans (84.9%) rarely or never use an AI companion, though nearly 15% say they interact with one at least sometimes.

- Interacting across differences helps build the trust, understanding, and relationships that strengthen communities. More than one-third (37%) of Americans report interacting with people from different backgrounds or viewpoints often or all the time, while 44% do so sometimes and nearly one in five (19%) rarely or never.

- Opportunities to contribute to others and participate in community life remain critical ingredients of connection, but the study found that 57% of Americans do not belong to clubs or organizations, 58% did not volunteer, and close to half (49%) did not attend religious services in the last year.

State-level data helps leaders understand where social connection is strong and where action may be needed.

"Many of the forces weakening social connection are hiding in plain sight. We often interpret them as individual choices or modern conveniences, when they are also the result of broader social and structural conditions," said Dr. Anita Chandra, RAND Distinguished Chair in American Social Policy, Senior Principal Policy Researcher, and Co-Director and Practice Lead of the Social Connection in America™ initiative. "The goal isn't just better data; it's better decisions. Data makes social connection visible. When communities can measure it, they can move beyond assumptions and make more informed decisions about the policies, programs, partnerships and investments that strengthen it."

Despite these challenges, the survey identifies community strengths on which to build. Most Americans report feeling they belong in their neighborhood (70.6%), while many say neighbors are willing to help one another (58%) and can be trusted (49.9%). These strengths provide a foundation for strengthening social connection.

YMCA of the USA and United Way Worldwide, strategic partners of Social Connection in America™, are using the data to inform community strategies, evaluate impact and strengthen programs. The survey's platform continues to support local action by providing state-level findings and public-use data sets for 2025 and 2026, helping community organizations and local leaders consider social connection in decisions about programming, policy and funding.

"Bringing people together always has been part of the YMCA's mission," said Suzanne McCormick, President and CEO of YMCA of the USA. "These findings reinforce that connection doesn't happen by accident. That's why the Y's new 10-year strategic vision, Creating Connected Communities, focuses on intentionally designing experiences that help people reach their goals, build meaningful relationships, and contribute to something greater than themselves. This research gives us valuable insight into how we can deepen our impact and ensure more people get what they need to thrive."

"One of the strongest messages emerging from United Way's Resilient Communities Advisory Council is that strong communities are built on strong relationships," said Rosie Allen-Herring, Interim President and CEO of United Way Worldwide. "The work of Dr. Anita Chandra and the Social Connection in America™ initiative has elevated important conversations about how trusted relationships, community participation, and social connection contribute to resilience. Those insights are helping inform how United Way delivers on community resiliency as one of our key focus areas."

About Social Connection in America™

Social Connection in America™ is the nation's first comprehensive, 25-year effort to track social connection across the United States. Led by RAND and The Connection Institute with support from the catalyst and founding funder, the Barnes Family Foundation, the project provides annual national and state-level data, creating a shared measurement system to help community organizations, policymakers, businesses and funders better understand and strengthen social connection over time. The survey currently tracks American adults and will convene a youth survey using RAND's American Youth Panel, starting in Fall 2026.

About United Way Worldwide

United Way mobilizes communities to action so all can thrive. True to our founding spirit, whenever there is a need in our communities, United Way is there. We bring a comprehensive approach to every challenge, actively listening and responding to local needs. Our reach across tens of thousands of communities means we can share innovations and scale impact to improve lives around the world. From strengthening local resilience to advancing health, youth opportunity, and financial security, we're working towards a future where every person in every community can reach their full potential. To learn more, visit www.unitedway.org.

About YMCA of the USA

The YMCA is the leading nonprofit committed to strengthening community by empowering young people, improving the health and well-being of people of all ages, and inspiring action in and across communities. For 175 years, the Y has been a place where meaningful connections help build stronger communities.

The Y is a part of everyday life, with locations in more than 10,000 neighborhoods in the U.S., helping people achieve their goals, build relationships, and discover a true sense of belonging. The Y plays a distinct role in building social connections through its focus on fundamental programs and services, volunteerism, community development, and advocacy that strengthens community. To learn more, visit www.ymca.org

Media Contact: Ann Saybolt, [email protected], +1.703.969.2859

SOURCE Social Connection in America

Share this article

Strategic Collaboration | Sanyou Bio and NovoCodex Partner to Co-Develop Innovative Dual-Payload ADCs

SHANGHAI and SHAOXING, China, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Sanyou Biopharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. ("Sanyou Bio") and NovoCodex Biopharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. ("NovoCodex") jointly announced that the two companies have formally entered into a strategic collaboration agreement. The partnership will focus on the joint development of innovative antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), leveraging Sanyou Bio's strengths in innovative ADC discovery powered by its AI-Super trillion antibody/molecule libraries (AI-STAL) and Sanyou AI-Drug Accelerator (SAI-DA), together with NovoCodex's extensive expertise in site-specific conjugation technology using unnatural amino acids. Through this collaboration, the two companies will jointly advance the development of innovative ADC therapeutics and work to deliver therapies with greater clinical value to cancer patients worldwide.

The core competitiveness of ADC therapeutics begins with the precision of antibody targeting and is realized through stable and controllable conjugation processes. NovoCodex's proprietary site-specific conjugation technology platform, NovoCode™, precisely incorporates unnatural amino acids into antibodies to achieve defined and controllable conjugation sites, ensuring a highly homogeneous ADC product rather than the heterogeneous mixtures generated by traditional random conjugation approaches. This technology has been validated in the pivotal Phase III clinical trial of ARX788, and has supported ARX305 in demonstrating a favorable safety window and durable antitumor activity in patients with advanced renal cancer with high CD70 expression.

Sanyou Bio's innovative ADC discovery platform was established in 2020 and has extensive experience in project design and process development, having successfully delivered more than 800 ADC conjugation projects. Particularly in the development of novel ADC molecular formats, Sanyou Bio has established capabilities in the discovery and design of dual-target ADCs and dual-payload ADCs. Dual-target ADCs enhance tumor selectivity by targeting two distinct antigen epitopes, while dual-payload ADCs expand the therapeutic window and help overcome drug resistance by incorporating two payloads with different mechanisms of action. These two innovative molecular formats are particularly well suited to have their design potential fully unlocked through NovoCodex's NovoCode™ platform.

The two companies' synergistic exploration in this area is expected to open up new technological possibilities for the development of next-generation ADC therapeutics.

The strategic collaboration will focus on the following key areas:

- Integration of Antibody Discovery and Site-Specific Conjugation:

Sanyou Bio will leverage the AI-STAL platform to screen antibody candidates with high internalization efficiency and high target specificity, while NovoCodex will use the NovoCode™ platform to develop site-specific conjugation processes, establishing a coordinated evaluation of antibody characteristics and conjugation strategies from the outset.

- Joint Exploration of Dual-Target and Dual-Payload ADCs:

Combining Sanyou Bio's molecular design capabilities with NovoCodex's site-specific conjugation platform, the two companies will advance the evaluation of target combinations for dual-target ADCs, the screening of payload pairs for dual-payload ADCs, and preclinical proof-of-concept studies.

- Building a Closed-Loop R&D Workflow:

The two companies will establish joint project teams to integrate the entire development process, from target research and antibody screening through conjugation process development and in vitro and in vivo evaluation, thereby accelerating the development of ADC candidates.

Dr. Xuejun Liang, Chairman and CEO of NovoCodex, said:

"The success of an ADC therapeutic depends, to a significant extent, on the degree of compatibility between the antibody molecule and the conjugation strategy. Sanyou Bio's AI-STAL and SAI-DA platforms can rapidly identify high-quality antibody candidates from massive molecular libraries, providing critical support for us to move upstream from process development toward the molecular design stage. At the same time, Sanyou Bio's capabilities in dual-target ADCs and dual-payload ADCs represent major directions in the development of innovative ADCs today. Through this collaboration, we look forward to jointly developing innovative ADC therapeutics with a wider safety window and more durable efficacy."

Dr. Guojun Lang, Founder and CEO of Sanyou Bio, said:

"NovoCodex's site-specific conjugation technology based on unnatural amino acids has been extensively validated in clinical development. NovoCodex's unnatural amino acid-based site-specific conjugation platform, NovoCode™, offers the key advantages of precise control over conjugation sites and a high degree of molecular homogeneity. The value of this collaboration lies in enabling Sanyou Bio's molecular discovery capabilities and innovative ADC R&D capabilities to directly serve an ADC technology platform already validated in clinical development. This means that we can rapidly translate the value of dual-payload ADC engineering into therapeutic candidates within a more predictable conjugation system. It represents an efficient integration of 'innovation at the source' and 'process validation,' and we look forward to the opportunities this collaboration will bring."

This strategic partnership marks a key milestone for Sanyou as it deepens industry-wide collaboration across the ADC landscape. Drawing on each party's complementary strengths in novel ADC development, Sanyou Bio and NovoCodex aim to streamline development of next-generation ADCs and build source-level innovation advantages for ADC drug discovery.

About Sanyou

Sanyou Biopharmaceuticals is a high-tech biopharmaceutical company driven by the mission of "To make it easy to develop new drugs worldwide". Guided by the vision "To become a front-runner in global innovative drug R&D", the company focuses on the R&D and commercialization of innovative drugs.

Built on its AI-STAL and Sanyou AI-Drug Accelerator (SAI-DA) platforms and driven by its innovative drug pipeline, Sanyou is committed to fundamentally addressing the key challenges at the source of innovative drug development.

Sanyou Bio has been dedicated to developing a world-class innovative biological drug R&D hub and to working collaboratively with partners worldwide to accelerate the development of innovative therapeutics. Headquartered in Shanghai, China, Sanyou has established global business centers across Asia, North America, and Europe, forming an international business network. The company currently operates and has planned over 20,000 square meters of R&D and GMP facilities.

Sanyou has established strong partnerships with more than 2,000 pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies worldwide. It has signed over 100 collaborative R&D agreements and completed more than 3,000 drug discovery and development projects. More than 10 CPO programs have entered clinical development, including four that have reached Phase III clinical trials.

The company has filed over 180 invention patents, with more than 30 granted. It has also obtained over 10 national and international qualifications and system certifications, including National High-Tech Enterprise, Shanghai "Specialized and Innovative" Enterprise, ISO9001, and ISO27001.

SOURCE Sanyou Biopharmaceuticals Co., Ltd.

Share this article

As the first final expense insurance marketplace on ChatGPT, users can research, get quotes, and buy a policy from dozens of providers in minutes.

RENO, Nev., Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Choice Mutual, a leading digital insurance agency specializing in senior life and burial policies, has officially launched its new ChatGPT assistant plugin. The innovative tool brings the nation's largest final expense marketplace directly into the AI era, allowing users to research, quote, and compare plans from top-rated providers through natural conversation.

As consumers increasingly turn to AI for daily research, Choice Mutual's new plugin bridges the gap between cutting-edge technology and expert, consumer-focused guidance. It represents the only specialized ChatGPT tool designed to deliver exact final expense insurance premium calculations rather than broad estimates.

A Simplified, Form-Free Quoting Experience

Traditional online insurance shopping often requires navigating rigid, multi-screen web forms. The Choice Mutual ChatGPT assistant replaces that friction with a fluid dialogue. Users provide basic details—such as age, state of residence, and coverage needs—one step at a time, just as they would with a live agent. The tool doesn't require personal contact information such as a phone number or email.

"Our goal was to make understanding final expense options and price transparency completely seamless. This tool adapts entirely to the user. You can ask clarifying questions mid-stream, pause, or adjust coverage amounts without ever losing your progress or having to restart a form," said Anthony Martin, CEO of Choice Mutual.

Instant Accuracy and Deep Industry Expertise

The assistant's backend connects directly to Choice Mutual's internal platform and pulls real-time pricing from over 20 top-rated insurers, including Mutual of Omaha, Aflac, TruStage, Aetna, Transamerica, and many more. Because the prices generated are actual live rates, users can confidently and anonymously review policy costs with zero obligation.

Beyond generating quotes, the assistant functions as a comprehensive, interactive knowledge base. Trained on Choice Mutual's extensive library of expert resources, users can ask complex questions about policy types, pre-existing health conditions, or funeral costs and receive clear, immediate answers without digging through articles.

Learn more about the ChatGPT plugin on Choice Mutual's website.

About Choice Mutual

Based in Reno, Nevada, Choice Mutual is a highly rated independent digital insurance agency specializing in final expense and burial insurance for seniors. Partnering with dozens of the nation's leading carriers, Choice Mutual helps families find peace of mind by matching them with the highest-value, lowest-cost policies tailored to their unique needs. For more information, visit choicemutual.com.

Media Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Choice Mutual

Share this article

ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Communities In Schools® (CIS®) announces the newest cohort of its National Alumni Advisory Council, a group of 10 alumni who will help shape and strengthen national alumni engagement efforts across the organization.

Drawing from their lived experiences as CIS students, council members will provide insight and feedback on alumni programs, strengthen connections across the CIS alumni network and help identify meaningful opportunities for leadership, engagement and professional growth.

The newest members of the National Alumni Advisory Council include:

- Ariana Ellis, CIS of Atlanta

- Leanna Esquivel, CIS of Tacoma

- J'Niyah Freeman, CIS of Georgia

- Bryan Harris, CIS of Los Angeles

- Amanye Jinwright, CIS of Charlotte-Mecklenburg

- James Leap, CIS of Eastern Pennsylvania

- Kaylee Main-Gomez, CIS of Nevada

- Miracle Mozzee, CIS of South Carolina

- James Rivera, CIS of East Texas

- Kuniya Young, CIS of Nation's Capital

"Our alumni bring unique perspectives that help guide and strengthen our work," said Cecilia Lee, Principal of Alumni Relations, CIS National Office. "We are proud to have this exceptional group join the council and look forward to the meaningful contributions they will make."

The council's work is already underway. Earlier this month, several members traveled to Washington, D.C., to participate in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) Leadership Conference and the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) Annual Legislative Conference.

Four alumni attended CHCI programming, participating in conference sessions and networking opportunities with leaders from across the country. The group also attended the CHCI reception, where they engaged with professionals and policymakers committed to advancing educational and economic opportunity.

As CHCI concluded, five additional council members arrived to participate in CBCF events focused on leadership, civic engagement, public service and community impact. The experience offered valuable opportunities to learn from national leaders while reflecting on how their own journeys can help inspire future generations of students.

"One of the greatest measures of our impact is seeing former students return as leaders. As a CIS alumnus, I'm honored to welcome our new council members and grateful for the perspectives they bring," said Rey Saldaña, President and CEO, CIS National Office. "Their participation in national leadership experiences like CHCI and CBCF is just the beginning."

The momentum continues later this month when council members gather in Memphis, Tennessee, from September 24-27 for their first in-person council convening. The meeting will provide an opportunity to deepen relationships, align around shared goals, learn about CIS's alumni strategy and explore how their collective experiences can help strengthen alumni engagement nationwide.

About Communities In Schools  

Communities In Schools® (CIS®) is proven to help students reach their full potential. For 49 years, CIS has supported millions of students in achieving their goals in school, succeeding in the workforce, and thriving in life. Working directly inside more than 3,500 schools across the country, CIS connects students to caring adults and community resources that help them see, confront, and overcome the barriers that stand between them and a brighter future. 

SOURCE Communities In Schools

Share this article

More than 800 team members at the $25B+ bank have adopted MANTL to drive growth, efficiency, and better customer experiences

PLANO, Texas, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Alkami Technology, Inc. (Nasdaq: ALKT), a digital sales and service platform provider for financial institutions in the U.S., today announced that Provident Bank (Provident) is live with MANTL Business Account Opening and Retail Account Opening across its 135-branch network. With MANTL, the $25B+ bank is unifying its physical and digital banking channels to drive growth, improve operational efficiency, and modernize the team member and customer experience.

Provident Bank partnered with MANTL to create a true integrated account opening strategy built on one Platform rather than separate systems for digital and branch channels. Today, Provident Bank is live online and in-branch, with more than 800 team members using MANTL to open business and retail accounts in the branch. Provident Bank's unified approach reduces the complexity of navigating multiple systems and gives team members more time to build human emotional connections and growth opportunities. By combining its digital and branch capabilities on MANTL, Provident Bank is setting a new standard for relationship banking—delivering a highly competitive, convenient account opening experience that meets modern customer expectations, wherever and however they choose to engage.

Provident Bank supports a broad range of account types on MANTL including minor accounts and individual retirement accounts (IRAs) that can be opened online and in-branch, while branch team members can open more complex specialty accounts, such as personal and business fiduciary accounts, revocable and irrevocable trust accounts, estate accounts, and escrow accounts. Bringing these account types onto MANTL enables Provident Bank to serve a wide range of customer needs through modernized, standardized workflows while creating a more efficient experience for team members and customers.

"Our partnership with MANTL is built on a shared vision and a strong level of trust in how technology can enhance the customer experience," said Scott Hurlbert, senior vice president, digital channels director at Provident Bank. "By bringing our digital and branch account opening capabilities together on one Platform, we're creating a competitive advantage for Provident while making the experience simpler and more consistent for both our customers and our team members. Just as important, we're investing in our people by giving them the technology, training, and tools they need to be there for our customers whenever and however they choose to engage with us, whether online, in a branch or through our contact center."

The implementation extended beyond deploying new technology, with partnership, training, and change management at the center of the launch. From day one, Provident evaluated and refined its existing account opening processes, applying MANTL best practices to simplify workflows rather than replicate legacy processes on a new platform. MANTL and Provident worked closely to support change management and foster team adoption, developing a customized training environment and delivering strategic training and enablement for employees across the organization.

"Provident Bank took a team member- and customer-first approach to modernizing account opening," said Benjamin Conant, chief product officer at Alkami. "By unifying business and retail account openings online and across 135 branches with MANTL, Provident Bank is giving more than 800 team members a simpler, more consistent way to serve applicants. This is how financial institutions turn the branch into a connected growth driver—equipping team members with more time and capacity to build relationships while delivering consistent experiences across channels."

Provident Bank completed the MANTL account opening implementation alongside a core system conversion. Together, these two large strategic initiatives highlight Provident Bank's commitment to the customer experience and providing access to best-in-class banking solutions.

Provident Bank's launch comes as financial institutions nationwide accelerate their investment in in-branch account opening. In 2026, in-branch account opening has become MANTL's highest-volume growth channel, reaching nearly 90,000 booked applications in a single month. This momentum underscores the opportunity for financial institutions to modernize existing branch infrastructure, connect it with digital channels and create scalable growth opportunities while improving team member and customer experiences.

To learn how MANTL can transform your account opening process and empower your team, visit here.

To learn more about Anticipatory Banking and the Alkami Digital Sales & Service Platform, visit here.

About Alkami

Alkami provides a digital sales and service platform for U.S. banks and credit unions. Our unified Platform integrates onboarding, digital banking, and data and marketing—each solution can stand alone, but together they deliver more—to help institutions onboard, engage, and grow relationships. As the future shifts toward Anticipatory Banking, we help data-informed bankers meet the moment with technology that drives action.

About Provident Bank

Founded in Jersey City in 1839, Provident Bank is the oldest community-focused financial institution based in New Jersey and is the wholly owned subsidiary of Provident Financial Services, Inc. (NYSE: PFS). With assets of $25.66 billion as of June 30, 2026, Provident Bank offers a wide range of customized financial solutions for businesses and consumers with an exceptional customer experience delivered through its convenient network of 135 branches across New Jersey and parts of New York and Pennsylvania, via mobile and online banking, and from its customer contact center. The bank also provides fiduciary and wealth management services through its wholly owned subsidiary, Beacon Trust Company, and insurance services through its wholly owned subsidiary, Provident Protection Plus, Inc. To learn more about Provident Bank, go to www.provident.bank or call our customer contact center at 800.448.7768.

Media Relations Contacts

Vested

[email protected]

Marla Pieton

[email protected]

SOURCE Alkami Technology, Inc.

Share this article

Three independent evaluations in a single quarter: the franchisors who use SOCi, the market measuring its growth, and judges assessing its agentic AI work.

SAN DIEGO, Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- SOCi Inc., the Agentic Workforce built for multi-location visibility, today announced three recognitions earned in the third quarter of 2026: a #1 ranking in Marketing Products & Services on Entrepreneur's 9th Annual Top Franchise Suppliers list, a ninth consecutive appearance on the Inc. 5000, and finalist placements in five categories at The 2026 A.I. Awards.

Each recognition is decided by a different group applying different criteria. The Entrepreneur ranking comes from franchisors rating the suppliers they actually work with. The Inc. 5000 measures revenue growth. The A.I. Awards are judged on the artificial intelligence work itself. Together they describe a company whose customers rate it highest in its category, whose growth has held for nearly a decade, and whose agentic AI work is being evaluated at the industry level.

Ranked #1 by the franchisors who use it

Entrepreneur's Top Franchise Suppliers list, now in its ninth year, is built from an annual survey of franchisors that drew more than 1,000 responses this year. Respondents identify the suppliers they work with, then rate them on quality, cost, and value. More than 180 suppliers are ranked across 13 categories.

More than 75 franchise brands reported using SOCi, giving it an average rating of 4.57 out of 5 and the top position in Marketing Products & Services. It is SOCi's second consecutive year at #1 in the category and its seventh straight year in the top three. The ranking appears in Entrepreneur's September/October 2026 double issue.

The ranking reflects how franchise brands are using SOCi's Genius Agents to run local marketing at scale. Rita's Italian Ice reached a 100% review response rate across more than 550 locations while cutting time spent on reviews by 93%. Liberty Tax moved from 60% to 90% of its 2,200-plus locations appearing in the Google local 3-Pack.

A finalist in five categories at The 2026 A.I. Awards

The A.I. Awards, operated by international cloud computing awards body The Cloud Awards, recognizes organizations driving the next generation of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Now in its third year, the 2026 program drew entries from organizations across North America, Europe, the Middle East, and APAC, spanning established technology companies and early-stage startups.

SOCi advanced to the finals in five categories:

- Best Agentic AI Solution

- AI Deployment of the Year

- Best Consideration of Ethics and Governance in AI

- Best Use of AI in Retail and eCommerce

- Best Use of AI in Sales & Marketing

"Unveiling the finalists for the 2026 A.I. Awards is a significant moment," said James Williams, CEO of The Cloud Awards. "With the sheer volume of entry submissions this year, the competition is fierce, and the quality of work on display is extraordinary. We look for genuine real-world execution that turns technological promise into tangible outcomes. SOCi and their fellow finalists have exemplified this."

The five categories span the full arc of SOCi's AI work: the agentic technology, its deployment at scale, the governance controls that make it deployable inside enterprise and regulated environments, and its application across retail and sales and marketing use cases.

Final judging is underway. The Cloud Awards will announce winners in each category on October 13.

A ninth consecutive year on the Inc. 5000

SOCi has been named to the Inc. 5000, Inc.'s annual ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in America, for the ninth consecutive year.

Nine consecutive years spans the full arc of change in local discovery. SOCi's 2026 Local Discovery Index, a survey of more than 1,000 U.S. consumers, found that 83% of consumers used a search engine to find a local business in the last 30 days, 55% used social media, and 52% used an AI tool. That last figure was 9% a year earlier.

SOCi's Genius Agents are built for that environment. More than 412,000 brand-trained agents are now deployed in production, executing over 27 million localized marketing tasks across more than 3 million managed locations and eliminating more than 5 million hours of manual marketing work.

About SOCi

SOCi is redefining how multi-location enterprises achieve local and AI search visibility with the industry's first agentic workforce. Built specifically for distributed brands, SOCi's brand-trained agents are guided by a unified visibility engine that autonomously executes and optimizes local marketing work across AI search, GEO ecosystems, social, and reviews, ensuring every location is visible, discoverable, and growing in today's geo-driven landscape. Trusted by leading brands like Ford, Ace Hardware, and Liberty Tax, and recognized by Fast Company as one of the World's Most Innovative Companies, SOCi transforms marketing from software you manage into work that gets done, intelligently, consistently, and at scale.

Learn more at www.soci.ai or contact [email protected].

SOURCE SOCi

Share this article

PropAccount.com Launches Marketing Hub Within PropGenie, Giving Prop Firm Operators an Automated Marketing Team

BOCA RATON, Fla., Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- PropAccount.com, the prop firm technology provider powered by FPFX Tech, has launched its Marketing Hub, a new tool inside PropGenie that enables prop firm operators to analyze the industry marketing that is resonating with traders and develop a complete marketing strategy, including branded creatives, copywriting, deployment schedules, and direct social channel integration for automated deployment.

The launch addresses a gap that follows operators well past their initial setup. Branding and building a website solves the first hurdle of getting a firm online, but running the marketing behind it – the graphics, the campaign copy, the day-to-day posting – is a challenge that usually requires in-house resources or expensive outsourced agencies to execute. Most new prop firms do not have that team in place on day one, and the weeks around launch tend to be the worst time to build one from scratch.

A Marketing Department, Automated

Marketing Hub joins PropGenie's existing Branding Studio, Web Builder, and Dashboard Builder tools, extending the same automated approach to ongoing marketing. The tool produces branded graphics and ad creative, writes copy for campaigns and channels, and connects directly to an operator's website and trader dashboard so offers can appear as on-site pop-ups and calls to action. A built-in social calendar lets operators plan, create, and schedule posts across every channel from a single place.

Built by Operators, for Operators

Marketing Hub was shaped by the same firsthand view into prop firm launches that produced the rest of PropGenie. As the provider behind more than 300 prop firms, PropAccount.com has repeatedly seen marketing become the piece operators are left to figure out on their own.

"Branding gets a firm online. Marketing is what actually gets it in front of traders, and that's the part most operators are still doing manually using subscription-based platforms, or paying someone else to do it for them. Marketing Hub puts that entire function inside PropGenie, so an operator does not need to hire a design or content team to run a campaign."

Justin D. Hertzberg, CEO of PropAccount.com

Marketing Hub is available now as a part of PropGenie Suite, in the admin portal for our white-label clients.

About PropAccount.com

PropAccount.com is a white-label solution provider powered by FPFX Tech. The platform enables entrepreneurs, trading educators, influencers, and introducing brokers to launch fully branded prop firms using enterprise-grade technology that covers trading platforms, risk tools, payments, KYC, affiliate systems, trader dashboards, operational support, and capital backing.

PropAccount.com currently supports prepackaged plan offers and the ability for operators to design their own.

For more information, visit propaccount.com.

Contact:

Scott

***@propaccount.com

Photo(s):

https://www.prlog.org/13172577

Press release distributed by PRLog

SOURCE Propaccount.com

Share this article

-- New Broadband MAX and TEL-HT MAX are Advanced UPS Battery Solutions Designed to Meet the Growing Power Demands of Next-Generation Connected Networks--

HORSHAM, Pa., Sept. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- C&D Technologies, a leader in energy storage innovation for 120 years, is bringing its latest critical power solutions to SCTE TechExpo26, September 29 – October 1, 2026, in Atlanta. Highlighting the technologies in C&D's booth (G1332) will be the new Broadband MAX Pure Lead AGM and Gel batteries and a preview of the TEL-HT MAX. Both solutions continue C&D's 120-year tradition of providing operators with the reserve power solutions needed to support emerging technologies, while delivering longer battery life and reduced total cost of ownership (TCO).

Built to address the evolving needs of broadband and telecommunications networks, C&D Technologies' MAX products focus on delivering dependable backup power with greater longevity and operational efficiency. The Broadband MAX VRLA battery series is engineered to extend service life and minimize the frequency of battery replacements, helping Outside Plant applications (OSP) reduce lifecycle costs. At SCTE TechExpo26, C&D will also offer a first look at the TEL-HT MAX, the latest addition to the TEL-HT portfolio. Designed to meet the reliability and performance demands of modern telecom infrastructure, TEL-HT MAX features enhanced technology that helps extend battery service life, enabling service providers to reduce maintenance requirements and achieve up to a 20% reduction in total cost of ownership (TCO).

"The convergence of broadband, mobile, Wi-Fi, and Edge technologies is enabling more intelligent networks and seamless connectivity experiences across the broadband ecosystem. It also places tremendous strain on power requirements," said Jon Anderson, Chief Technology Officer, C&D Technologies. "Our new products show our continued commitment to develop dependable backup batteries to help operators confidently navigate the evolution of the industry and help ensure customers are always connected."

Supporting the Network Revolution with Reliable Backup Power

As broadband infrastructure continues to evolve, reliable backup power remains essential to ensuring uninterrupted connectivity. C&D's telecom battery solutions are engineered to deliver long service life, operational efficiency, and dependable performance across a wide range of network environments. In addition to the new products, C&D will display its:

- TEL-HT batteries deliver unmatched durability and performance in extreme operating temperatures of -40° to 160° F.

- Pure Lead Max (PLM) batteries can reduce total cost of ownership by offering a sustainable, single-replacement for a 15-year UPS system.

- msEndur II Pure Lead AGM batteries are the original high-temperature-capable VRLA battery and C&D's most advanced 2V VRLA solution for Telcom.

- Broadband BBA Pure Lead AGM and Broadband BBG Gel batteries are specifically designed for broadband applications, making them ideally suited to meet all CATV site requirements.

- TEL Long Duration Batteries are Telcordia-tested, and qualified to meet superior standards on extensive life cycles,

Three Critical Reasons to Visit Booth #G1332

Critical power backup professionals who meet with C&D will come away with three key takeaways:

- Be the first to see the latest battery innovations that are driving the UPS market.

- Consult with C&D's technical and sales leadership to determine the best battery for their specific backup power requirements.

- Discover methods to confidently optimize backup power strategies to meet current and future demand.

For more information about C&D Technologies' telecom battery solutions, visit www.cdtechno.com.

About C&D Technologies, Inc. 

C&D Technologies manufactures and designs innovative battery systems for the storage and transmission of electrical power, primarily for standby power applications. The telecom, utilities, cable, broadband, government, infrastructure, UPS, renewable energy, and other mission-critical sectors depend on us to protect their data and keep their systems running. Headquartered in Horsham, Pennsylvania, C&D has two manufacturing facilities in the United States, one in Mexico, and two in China. C&D Technologies also owns the Trojan Battery Company, a globally recognized leader in deep-cycle battery technology, providing advanced energy storage solutions for motive power and renewable energy applications.

Matthew Singh

SOURCE C&D Technologies

Share this article