News & Opinion

Linden Research, Inc. (“Linden Lab”), the creator of Second Life, and comic book publisher Zenescope Entertainment, in conjunction with leading digital licensing agency, Epik, recently announced they have partnered to bring the dark and twisted Grimm’s Universe to life as the Zenescope Metaverse inside Second Life.   This marks the first time a Zenescope property has been realized inside a virtual world, and the first phase of an on-going partnership with Linden Lab that will introduce new content over time. Zenescope and Second Life are just the latest additions to an ever-growing list of world leading brands, IP owners and game developers in Epik’s partner ecosystem, which includes ViacomCBS, Warner Music, Universal Music Group, Tencent, Garena, and many more.   Fans can interact with and play as some of the classic fairytale characters popularized by Zenescope’s comic books and graphic novels, acting out scenarios and following different storylines within a 3-D online virtual world. Visitors will find plenty of iconic locations and other nods to Zenescope heroes and villains, including Rockman’s Ice Cream shop from Belle’s series, and a fully-playable Goblin Golf course. The immersive world is full of games, hidden surprises, and exclusive virtual collectibles and merchandise found only in Second Life. The Zenescope Metaverse inside Second Life features… familiar Cindy, Belle, and Mad Hatter character costumes and avatars, multiple scenarios and storylines to follow, more than 50 exclusive virtual collectibles and branded merchandise items, including clothing, furnishings, and the fan-favorite Cheshire cat plushie, games and activities like the fully playable Goblin Golf and the Mad Hatter’s Hedge Maze, complete with trophies, a clandestine quest, hidden locations, and other secrets.   For more on this exciting new experience watch Right This Minute interview with Zenescope Co-founder Ralph Tedesco and character Cinderella Monroe

Future Today, the only full-stack streaming solution that packages branded channels and delivers the audiences to watch them, announced the launch of three free streaming services on Rogers Ignite TV and Ignite SmartStream: FilmRise, Fawesome and iFood.tv. In addition, the companies have expanded their partnership whereby Rogers Sports & Media (RSM) will now provide ad sales representation for all of Future Today’s streaming channels across Canada.   “Rogers is a dominant force in shaping the TV viewing experience and leads the way in customer-focused offerings,” said Vikrant Mathur, Founder and CEO, Future Today.   In the last 12 months, Future Today has experienced extraordinary growth and has aggressively expanded its content library to offer more than 225,000 movies, TV shows and episodes with the addition of 15,000 hours of premium content that is currently available on every major streaming platform, including Rogers Ignite TV and Ignite SmartStream, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple, LG, Samsung, Vizio, Xbox, iOS and Android.   Read more from Rapid TV News here.

New Cutting-Edge Tech Developer Teams with Award Winning PR Firm to Promote Global Powerhouse of Software Development and Engineering Talent Commit USA,  a global technology services company specializing in custom software and IoT solutions, has selected Bob Gold & Associates (BG&A), a nationally recognized data-driven public relations and brand management agency, as its PR agency of record. The agency will help drive awareness for Commit USA and support the company’s expansion into North America, where it offers its comprehensive array of tech R&D services.   “Commit makes cool ideas real. From concept to design and manufacturing, if a product can be dreamt of, Commit can make it real. It has the unique blend of development expertise, resources and engineering capabilities required to get quality products to market in less time and at a lower cost. Simply put, if you are looking to be an innovator in IoT, AI, or Big Data, you need their help,” said Bob Gold, president and CEO of Bob Gold & Associates.   Founded in 2005, Commit is a growing international tech R&D firm with offices in New York, Israel and the Ukraine. Its 500+ multidisciplinary innovation experts specialize in a range of advanced technologies and applications for multiple business sectors, including Fintech, Medtech, Martech, consumer goods and more. To date, the company has designed over 1,200 projects for more than 1,000 companies, ranging from small startups to global brands like IBM, Salesforce, Citi, Taboola, SanDisk and many others.   “Countless startups and global enterprises alike struggle to move past ideation and really deliver or implement their software and IoT products on time, on budget and with great quality,” said Max Nirenberg, CRO & Managing Director, Commit USA. “Commit USA is uniquely positioned to solve this challenge with its powerhouse team and flexible, end-to-end approach. And BG&A’s empirical methods, tailored processes and award-winning team provide the optimal resources to tell our story.”   Integral to Commit’s success is the firm’s Flexible R&D methodology, which offers Commit’s multidisciplinary development services via a unique on-demand model. This approach has helped its startup clients cuts costs by over 40% and enabled 90% to release their projects ahead of schedule.   Well suited to the demands of working from anywhere, Commit’s clients also gain access to top engineering talent in multiple geographies, without the challenge of overseeing a global team. It leverages its comprehensive range of engineering capabilities, resources and Flexible R&D model to design and deliver any project on time, on budget and with great quality. While 84% of startups on average fail to get to revenue, more than 91% of Commit’s startup projects have successfully launched into market.   BG&A provides uniquely tailored strategies for a full spectrum of communication needs in today’s digital-first world. The company works closely with tech companies and other clients to develop customized, comprehensive, results-oriented, data-driven campaigns to expand share of voice and develop new media relationships. Unique to the agency, its proprietary BG&A Insight™ approach creates proactive, personalized and effective media relations campaigns that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Replicable and Timely.   For more information, please visit: www.commit.us or www.bobgoldpr.com.

AdTech startup plans to add over 100 jobs in urban core, capitalizing on the region’s tech talent availability and innovation ecosystem   Advocado, a cross-media data management platform (DMP) fueling advertising performance, today announced its three-year plan to add over 100 high-paying technology jobs—a combination of engineering, data science, customer success, operations, sales and marketing roles—in downtown St. Louis as part of its long-term commitment to the city’s economic development. Advocado was founded in St. Louis in 2017.   This commitment follows Advocado’s recent evaluation of multiple markets, ultimately deciding to maintain and grow their headquarters in the Midwest’s “capital of innovation,” St. Louis, despite pressures to expand their business in a traditional coastal tech hub. To make this decision, the startup leveraged the strategic regional insight, market analysis, and the business and civic relationships facilitated by AllianceSTL, the business-attraction initiative of the metro’s regional economic and civic leadership organization, Greater St. Louis, Inc. With the support of the Missouri Partnership, the Missouri Department of Economic Development, the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership and the St. Louis Development Corporation, the business attraction team at Greater St. Louis, Inc. helped the company establish roots in the city and accelerate its growth, reinforcing St. Louis as a world-class destination for startups and tech innovators.   “We’re excited to see Advocado expand in St. Louis,” Missouri Governor Mike Parson said. “The company’s commitment to innovation and growth has resulted in the creation of over 100 jobs that will provide new opportunities for Missourians to grow and succeed.”   “Our passion for revitalizing the economy in St. Louis naturally attracted us to the urban core,” said Brian Handrigan, 52, co-founder and CEO of Advocado. “At the same time, our collaboration with the regional team that was convened by Greater St. Louis, Inc.  allowed us to see how the city could function as a launchpad for our growing business. Not only have we been able to escape the restrictions of a coastal tech hub, expand on a massive scale and develop our product, but we’ve also been able to thrive here knowing we’re a positive force combatting workforce displacement in the area.”   “Being in St. Louis allows us to embrace our core values and our commitment to an uplifting work culture,” said Jeff Linihan, 46, co-founder, COO and president of Advocado. “We’re able to provide our diverse group of talented employees a space that is teeming with character and depth—it’s beyond physical structure. A building with the history and feeling of our current headquarters is hard to find outside of St. Louis City. As an AdTech company, we know that tech jobs, at their core, are creative and require the atmosphere to match; a farm of cubicles doesn’t compete with 15-foot ceilings and the cultural amenities of a world-class city."   Advocado’s historic location at 1000 Clark Ave. in downtown St. Louis is over 13,000 square feet in size, a testament to the city’s affordable real estate and standard of living, which ranks the 7th highest in the U.S. Boasting numerous accolades and rankings, St. Louis is home to a highly qualified workforce, a nationally acclaimed startup movement and a diverse economy. With one of the nation’s lowest costs of living, St. Louis is recognized by Entrepreneur as the “No. 1 City for Innovation in the Heartland” and LinkedIn’s “Top U.S. City to Launch Your Career,” a place where investment, talent, mentorship and lifestyle all intersect.   The spirit of St. Louis will allow the startup to remain at the forefront of the advertising industry, despite constant shifts in the digital media ecosystem. As ad dollars move away from linear broadcast and cable television, Advocado will be able to improve its data management platform and better monetize the real-time actions of viewers in a cross-platform environment. With the city’s superior talent and opportunities for technology and R&D, the company can expand its capabilities further and provide more accurate, abundant data that will give its customers a leg up in a very competitive landscape.   “Advocado fully understands the value that the St. Louis region brings to the growth of their business. As a burgeoning tech hub, the Greater St. Louis metro offers the affordability, flexibility, investment potential and talent pool a business like theirs needs to move from startup to standout,” said Steve Johnson, chief business attraction officer, Greater St. Louis Inc., and president of the AllianceSTL initiative. “We join our state and regional partners in recognizing and applauding Advocado’s commitment to our region and their impact on job growth and technological innovation. Their choice to commit specifically to Downtown St. Louis makes great strides in bringing new jobs to the core of the region — advancing a significant goal in the STL 2030 Jobs Plan. Advocado joins a rapidly expanding number of companies that see their civic commitment as growth potential — and we can’t wait to watch what they do next.”   Available to advertisers worldwide, Advocado helps power over 210 local U.S. markets and is the most robust real-time TV ad insights platform available to date.  

Joyn’s Platform Utilizes Real-time Data to Simplify and Streamline Underwriting for Small and Middle Market Risks     Commit USA, a global technology and custom software solutions company, and Joyn InsuranceSM, a New York City-based InsurTech startup, today announced a partnership to support the development of Joyn’s new platform, which is slated to launch this year.   Commit was tapped to help with both design and development of the new platform’s user experience. The company’s expert development team has been fully integrated alongside Joyn’s existing engineering team members and partners to ensure seamless collaboration and rapid development throughout the project.   Commit was selected for its comprehensive range of engineering and data capabilities, development expertise and customer-centric approach, which were critical to addressing the unique complexities and usability challenges of developing Joyn’s solution.   “Joyn is bringing big ideas to the insurance industry and is backed by brilliant executives and innovators who have already helped shape the world of InsurTech. It’s exciting to support their vision and be part of this transformation,” said Max Nirenberg, CRO & Managing Director, Commit USA. “Joyn’s platform is truly a best-in-class solution that addresses the biggest pain points experienced by underwriters and brokers in the commercial insurance industry. It’s the future of underwriting for Small and Middle markets.”   Joyn is an innovative, data-centric, technology-driven managing general agent (“MGA”) that provides commercial insurance to the highly fragmented U.S. Small and Middle Markets. Leveraging real-time data, automation and a robust technology stack, the platform can significantly improve the commercial insurance experience, by streamlining and bringing consistency to underwriting processes and decision making. Joyn’s platform can greatly expedite response times for quotes, increase transparency during the underwriting process, and provide a policy at bind.   “This segment of the commercial insurance market is fragmented and rife with inefficiencies, redundancies and lost opportunities for brokers and their clients. Data and technology are the keys to solving these issues,” said Ed McGough, CTO and Co-Founder, Joyn Insurance. “Partnering with an organization like Commit, who have both scale and a startup mindset was an easy decision. We have access to top engineering talent in multiple geographies, without the complexity of managing a global team and operation. Max and his team work seamlessly with Joyn and our existing partners.”   Joyn Insurance was founded by a unique team of insurance executives that are both industry veterans, and technology advocates, including CEO Seraina Macia and CTO Ed McGough. The team at Joyn will work with retail brokers to provide insurance services across a range of industries, including real estate, manufacturing, services, retail, wholesale and contracting.   Integral to Commit operations is its proprietary Flexible R&D methodology, which offers the firm’s multidisciplinary development services via a unique on-demand model. Commit’s approach often reduces development costs by over 40% for its startup clients and has helped 90% release their projects ahead of schedule.   For more information, please visit: https://www.commit.us or https://www.joyninsurance.com/  

US manufacturers lose more than $1.17M each year on average   US manufacturers on average incur losses of around $1,174,000 per year due to production line shutdowns caused by label printing problems, a global study of IT directors in manufacturing organizations has revealed. This is slightly below the global average, with many companies losing more than $1.31M each year.   The study of 300 IT directors globally, including 100 from the US, found that on average more than two-thirds of manufacturers (67%) were having to shut down their production line for more than an hour if there was a problem with label printing, with an additional 21% saying the line had to be shut down for more than 30 minutes. Recovery time was slightly faster but still problematic for US manufacturers, with just over half (51%) experiencing downtimes of 60 minutes or longer.   The study also revealed that manufacturers – both globally and in the US – were having to pause production lines just under six times a year on average due to such problems, with nearly three-quarters (77% globally and 69% in the US) saying their production line had to be paused four times or more in the past year as a consequence of labeling issues.   Ken Moir, VP Marketing, NiceLabel, said: “Any business disruption or shutdown can significantly impact any manufacturer causing loss of revenues and ultimately even putting the business itself in jeopardy. The danger of that being caused by mislabeling becomes a growing concern as labeling becomes a key part of business and supply chain strategy.”   Given the losses they are incurring due to shutdowns, it is unsurprising that 29% of the US survey sample see ‘reducing costs’ and 22% see productivity gains among the main benefits of modernizing/automating their manufacturing processes, including labeling, with technology, while 31% reference ‘eliminating errors’ as a key driver.   As Moir explains: “Ultimately, the risks to production operations extend well beyond full shutdowns. Decentralized labeling for example, also adds risk to production operations. An ERP system is supposed to provide “a single source of truth” to business users. However, at many organizations there are as many versions of the truth as there are labeling locations. That is because in decentralized labeling operations, each facility may not be integrated with ERP and will be creating their own label formats and duplicated product and customer data.   “After all, without centralization,” continues Moir, “manufacturers are generally not integrated to the same source of truth and that creates redundancies of data – making enterprise-wide updates unmanageable and adding significantly to inaccuracies and inconsistencies.”

Purpose-built smart workplace suite to help small businesses accelerate growth, enhance customer and employee experiences, and reopen with confidence   Personalized smart services pioneer Plume®, today announced a major category expansion of its solutions with the launch of WorkPass™ – a first-of-its-kind suite of intelligent services and management tools purpose-built for the needs of Small Business Owners (SBOs). This new solution builds on Plume’s HomePass™ Smart Home Services suite deployed by more than 180 Communications Service Providers (CSPs) across more than 23 million homes globally.   “Our research shows[1] that 42% of SMBs plan to increase spend on WiFi management. Managing and securing the plethora of LAN-attached devices is an important investment driver and two-thirds of businesses expect to connect more devices over the next two years. WiFi is also helping small businesses thrive by enabling new services such as guest analytics, building security and environmental control,” said Camille Mendler, Chief Analyst, Service Provider Enterprise, Omdia.   WorkPass offers a suite of services that help SBOs meet their networking, cybersecurity, guest analytics, business insights, marketing & advertising, and employee management needs unified under a common app and web portal, without the need for costly IT infrastructure or multiple point solutions. This easy, do-it-yourself, and self-install approach with the most comprehensive set of services for SBOs is unique to WorkPass. Purpose-built from the ground up for the specific needs of SBOs, services such as Concierge™ provide guest analytics to generate actionable insights while Keycard™ helps managers understand employee behavior in order to improve workplace safety and engagement. All of this is easily installed and managed through the WorkPass mobile app. WorkPass also works seamlessly with Plume’s suite of data-rich and cloud-delivered back-end support, operations, analytics, and marketing tools that Plume provides to CSPs today.   “The specific needs of small businesses have been ignored for way too long – CSPs have been trying to serve Main Street either through residential offerings, or through enterprise campus focused systems, both of which are square pegs in round holes,” said Fahri Diner, Co-founder & CEO, Plume. “Until now there was no purpose-built solution that provided rich data-driven tools and analytics for SBOs and the CSPs who serve them, and one that can be installed, managed , and operated without an ‘IT guy’. Our goal with WorkPass is to bring new services to enable always-on managed connectivity, massively increased productivity, unprecedented security, and insightful marketing accessed right from a single pane of glass by the SBO.”   WorkPass is immediately available to CSPs in all of Plume’s markets globally and available direct-to-small businesses via Plume.com/workpass in the U.S.   “We are delighted that Plume is bringing its massively scalable cloud platform and AI know-how into the small business sector,” said Jeff Ross, President, Armstrong. WorkPass provides a suite of modern services – including adaptive WiFi, cybersecurity, real-time data insights and LTE back-up – all designed to address the unique operational needs of a small business owner. As an existing Plume customer, this new solution integrates seamlessly into our established systems, and immediately expands our portfolio to bring new revenue and service opportunities.”   WorkPass offers services that are catered to the unique and very specific needs of small business owners that manage their own IT environment and is designed to deliver amazing experiences for all network users and be effortlessly managed from the WorkPass app:   Seamless, uninterrupted connectivity: WorkPass includes adaptive WiFi that blankets every corner of your business premises with perfect internet coverage. What’s more, Plume’s unique AI-driven algorithms continuously optimize performance for every device and application.   Control networks from anywhere: WorkPass offers SBOs control over their networks, enabling them to easily manage guest networks, security settings, device access, and more right from their smartphones. App-based controls let owners monitor the network or troubleshoot wherever they are.   Real-time insights to help small businesses thrive: WorkPass offers small businesses actionable insights into customer behavior that can drive sales and build loyalty. Concierge turns guest analytics, such as visit frequency, data usage, or length of stay, into opportunities for expanded touchpoints. Flow™ uses revolutionary WiFi sensing technology to offer real-time presence detection providing insights into traffic movement throughout your business, translating to more effective merchandising, staffing optimization, and layout decisions.   AI security to protect small businesses from new threats: Cybercrime is constantly evolving, and small businesses need secure networks that stay one step ahead. WorkPass leverages AI to ensure data, smart devices and business are always safe. Multiple access zones ensure back-end systems, employees, and customers have the access and security that’s perfect for them. Flow alerts owners if motion is detected during closed hours.   Best-in-class hardware: WorkPass leverages Plume’s iconically designed and performance-defining SuperPod™ WiFi access points, available in Wi-Fi 5 (802.11 ac) and Wi-Fi 6 (802.11 ax) wall pluggable options, as well as desktop and ceiling mounted configurations with integrated LTE-backup. The open-source OpenSync™ silicon-to-cloud framework brings additional hardware choice, and enables services to be deployed rapidly and at scale across all business subscribers. Seamless LTE back-up options and service means small businesses will never lose connectivity during fixed-line outages. Plume’s cloud-based platform self-updates and scales seamlessly with your business.   “As a fully integrated service provider it is imperative that we provide both consumers and small businesses with modern digital subscriber experiences,” said Christy Batts, Broadband Division Director, CDE Lightband. “WorkPass renders connectivity & IT infrastructure worries a thing-of-the-past bringing SBOs a huge boost as they rebuild post-pandemic and unite the communities they serve. We intend to capitalize on this cloud-based technology that enables small and independent businesses, to modernize through a personalized solution that rivals big business.”   As part of Plume’s goal of helping small business owners and their communities after a challenging period during the pandemic, Plume will provide, for free, up to three SuperPods for all new WorkPass memberships acquired via Plume.com/workpass through September 30, 2021.   Click here to learn more about WorkPass.   [1] Source: Digital SoHo and SME Insights Survey, Omdia, 2020   SOURCE Plume Design, Inc. Related Links http://www.plume.com

Commit, the leading Israeli-based global technology and custom software solutions company, today announced its expansion into North America with the launch of Commit USA. The new business unit is led by Max Nirenberg, serving as Chief Revenue Officer and Managing Director, and is headquartered in New York City.   Nirenberg will lead and optimize Commit’s growing international organization, oversee strategic planning for the global account management teams and ensure the company’s innovative and unparalleled delivery capabilities meet the US market needs.   “The pace of tech innovation has never been more intense, with more startups launching, and failing, than ever before. A great idea alone is not enough to succeed. What many organizations lack are the engineering capabilities, development know-how and adequate resources to get their product into market. This is where Commit can help,” said Arik Faingold, President, Commit. “Max’s experience and passion for building successful sales teams and customer centric services on a global scale will be invaluable to our organization and customers as we expand into new international markets.”   Founded in 2005, Commit is one of Israel's leading R&D and software development firms, offering a comprehensive range of engineering capabilities and resources to design and deliver any project on time, on budget and with great quality. The firm’s proprietary Flexible R&D methodology helps transform its clients’ technology visions into high-quality products, reducing costs by over 40% and resulting in 90% of projects released ahead of schedule. The company specializes in a range of advanced technologies and applications for multiple industries including Fintech, Medtech, Martech, IoT, consumer goods and more.   Commit has led over 1,200 projects for more than 1,000 organizations worldwide, with clients ranging from early-stage startups to global brands including IBM, Salesforce, Citi, Taboola, SanDisk and many others.   More than 91% of Commit’s startup projects have successfully launched into market. In stark contrast, on average, 84% of startups never get to revenue and ultimately fail. Some of the leading reasons for startup failures include depleting cash between funding rounds, lacking the right team and resources, and insufficient differentiation. Commit has not only solved this problem, but has successfully scaled its solution for organizations of any size.   “Startups and mature companies alike are facing increasing pressure to cut costs while improving business outcomes. Commit USA is uniquely positioned to address these challenges and more,” said Nirenberg. “Niche consultancies are often expensive and struggle to scale, but Commit’s expert engineering capabilities and methodology for project management gives us the flexibility to provide hands-on services, and shift resources to quickly scale whenever a need arises. The result is a superior product at a fraction of the cost and time.”   Nirenberg brings more than 20 years of management experience to Commit USA, with a strong specialty in SaaS and tech services. Previously, he served as the global Chief Sales Officer for the world’s largest independent pure-play quality assurance company, Qualitest, where he oversaw teams across three continents and helped sell the organization in its latest Private Equity round for approximately $400M in 2019. Prior to Qualitest, Nirenberg was an Equity Partner and VP Sales/Professional Services at Venator Sales Group, a sales management consulting and training firm.   The global market for Internet of Things (IoT) end-user solutions is expected to grow to $1.6 trillion by 2025, with more than 5.4 billion IoT connected devices in North America alone. In a similar trend, Commit has more than doubled its revenue in the past five years and has increased staff by more than 30% since 2020 to capture growing demand and new opportunities globally.   For more information, please visit: https://www.commit.us

Matthew Hong, Gayle Meyers, and Michael Beer Tapped to Drive Development and Adoption of Real-Time Data Management StartupAdvocado, a cross-media data management platform (DMP) fueling advertising performance, today announced the addition of three new senior executives to its board of directors and council of strategic advisors, who will help drive Advocado’s strategies across data optimization, media, branding, finance, capital formation, and business development. Joining the board as strategic directors are media expert Matthew Hong, former Chief Operating Officer at Turner Sports and Former Executive Director of Search at AOL, and AdTech entrepreneur Gayle Meyers, formerly Chief Growth Officer at LUMA Partners. Named as a strategic advisor is Michael Beer, Head of Financial Strategy at Luminar Technologies. “Traditional advertising is finally being held to the same high standards of performance, accountability, and precision that digital advertising has delivered for decades, and data is fast becoming the key to this transformation,” said Gayle Meyers, Board Member of Advocado. “Advocado's proprietary real-time, precise, and actionable data is consistently noted by its customers as a core differentiator that brings them value and quantifiable ROI.” “Since founding Advocado, it has been our mission to build a next-generation startup focused on leveraging the power of people, and one that would set an example for entrepreneurs everywhere,” said Jeff Linihan, President, COO, and Co-Founder of Advocado. “Matt, Gayle, and Michael have enormous experience and unique insight having served on countless boards and as advisors. Their joining Advocado further strengthens our strategic capabilities and validates our premise that a strong culture focused on people will attract the best there is.” Advocado’s newest board and advisory council members are known for their focus on intelligent tech, growth strategies, and results-driven approaches. They bring more than 60 years of experience in AdTech, media, finance, and business development. Matthew Hong brings more than two decades of media and intelligent tech expertise, and a blazing track record of effective business strategy, partnership development, rights acquisitions, marketing, and sales after advising some of the world’s preeminent organizations. Matt is the former Chief Operating Officer at Turner Sports and former Executive Director of Search at AOL, and continues to help steer top industry players like NASCAR and SAS Analytics Software & Solutions. An avid team builder and supporter, Hong was recently announced as an investor for the Washington Spirit, now the premier women’s sports property in the world. Gayle Meyers is an entrepreneur, consultant, and operating partner for numerous organizations in digital marketing, with over two decades’ experience in advertising technology and services. She leverages this experience to optimize growth strategies for the development and transformation of individuals, teams, and organizations. Meyers is currently a consultant, and formerly the Chief Growth Officer, at LUMA Partners, where she led overall marketing, branding, communications, and partnership strategy. Michael Beer brings a wealth of knowledge as the Head of Financial Strategy for Luminar Technologies, an autonomous vehicle sensor and software company, where he helped bring minority investments from the world’s largest commercial vehicle manufacturer, Daimler Truck AG, and Volvo. He also draws on over a decade’s experience as a research analyst for top organizations like CitiBank. “We’re experiencing a massive shift in how, where, and when consumers engage with the brands they love, and as a result, audiences and data have become more fragmented than ever before,” said Brian Handrigan, CEO and Co-Founder of Advocado. “Recent developments like the crumbling of third-party cookies and amendments to the CCPA have only exacerbated the issue. Advocado has the answer, and the rich experience and insight that each of our new board members and advisors provide will help us achieve ubiquitous, industry-wide adoption.” Available to advertisers worldwide, Advocado helps power over 210 local US markets and is the most robust real-time TV ad insights platform available to date. The company currently monitors over 2,000 national, local, and cable channels in real-time. In the last 12 months, Advocado has detected over 86 million commercial spots for its clients, and has activated more than 50 billion keyword bid changes in real-time, resulting in millions of new website visits. Using Advocado’s platform, customers have achieved as much as 11x return on ROI, a 390% increase in conversion, and a 400% increase in leads.