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America Achieves Congratulates Local Coalitions Forming Regional Tech Hubs and Building Good Jobs Economies

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Out of hundreds of applicants to the bipartisan Tech Hubs program, 12 Tech Hubs to receive implementation grants totaling $504 million

America Achieves calls for additional appropriations, already authorized by Congress with bipartisan support, to meet local demand for Tech Hubs nationwide

NEW YORK, July 2, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — America Achieves congratulates the 12 regions winning Tech Hub implementation grants today. We are proud to have provided in-depth technical assistance to 6 of these 12 Tech Hubs. 

The Biden-Harris Administration announced grants today through the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Economic Development Administration (EDA). This program was enabled by Congress’ bipartisan $10 billion authorization of the Tech Hubs program as part of the CHIPS and Science Act in 2022 and an initial down payment of just over $500 million in appropriations. 

America Achieves is calling on Congress to appropriate an additional $2 billion this year – 20% of bipartisan authorization levels – to fully fund all 31 of the designated Tech Hubs and enable a second funding competition. Further appropriations would put Americans to work in hundreds of thousands of good jobs that grow local industries of the future and strengthen U.S. competitiveness and national security.

“In rapidly changing local economies, communities across America are investing in local businesses, good jobs, and quality training for their residents to solve problems, grow the economy, and advance national security and competitiveness,” said America Achieves CEO Jon Schnur. “Today’s announcement – funded by the bipartisan Tech Hubs program – responds to surging local interest and leadership aiming to build vibrant Tech Hubs and a ‘Good Jobs Economy’ that creates new, good jobs and ensures that local residents have fair access to good jobs.” 

Nearly 400 local coalitions submitted applications in the first round of the Tech Hubs competition last year. Of those applicants, 31 became designated Tech Hubs in October 2023. Today’s announcement provided a total of $504 million in funding to 12 of these Tech Hub designees. America Achieves also celebrates the incredible work of the 31 designated Tech Hubs that are poised to help communities compete globally, drive economic growth locally, and create good jobs; the EDA announced that all of them will receive significant benefits, regardless of whether they received federal funding this round.

The regions supported by America Achieves in their applications and receiving funds today include: The Tulsa Hub for Equitable & Trustworthy Autonomy (THETA) (Oklahoma); Headwaters Hub (Montana); the South Florida Climate Resilience Tech Hub; the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub; and the Nevada Tech Hub. 

After working closely with these coalitions, America Achieves feels confident that the Tech Hubs grantees will deliver on their potential by using funds effectively and creating Good Jobs Economies in their communities – growing a local economy that equips local residents with the skills, pathways, and support to get and keep good jobs that deliver on the Tech Hub promise.

“America Achieves was a trusted partner supporting our hub throughout this process,” said Wendy Harris, Regional Innovation Officer of the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub. “From their expertise in workforce and economic development to their hands-on assistance with our application, they helped us lay the foundation for the Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub and our work to come.” 

“Making Tulsa’s Tech Hub a reality was no small feat,” said Jennifer Hankins, managing director of Tulsa Innovation Labs, which led Tulsa’s Tech Hubs strategy, “and required contributions from partners across the country. America Achieves brought invaluable expertise and capacity to our team and was integral to developing a proposal that ultimately resulted in a historic investment to secure Tulsa’s economic future.”

A clear pathway toward fully funding the Tech Hubs program is essential to sustain the momentum that local leaders around the country have generated. In 2022, Congress provided bipartisan authorization for $10 billion to support the Tech Hub funding competition created by the CHIPS and Science Act and the Department of Commerce. To date, Congress has appropriated $541 million – just 5% – of this funding. This funding, while significant, is a first step that has only supported 3% of this first round of Tech Hubs applications. To fulfill the potential of this program and build Tech Hubs that create good jobs across the country, Congress must build on this down payment and appropriate the full amount authorized.

About Some of the Regions Supported by America Achieves

The Tulsa Hub for Equitable & Trustworthy Autonomy (THETA) will transform the Tulsa, OK region into a globally competitive hub for the development, testing, manufacturing, and deployment of cyber-secure autonomous systems, such as drones. Tech Hubs funding will create up to 56,000 new jobs, with half these jobs going to Tulsans who have been historically underrepresented and excluded from the benefits of regional economic growth. THETA will build on Tulsa’s legacy of aerospace manufacturing, significant investments in the local drone industry and nationally unique testing facilities to build the Tulsa Tech Hub. In addition, THETA includes partnerships with Tribal nations and Black Tech Street to meaningfully engage underrepresented communities in advanced technologies and expand economic opportunity to these communities.
 The Wisconsin Biohealth Tech Hub aims to draw on Wisconsin’s storied manufacturing history to position the state as a global leader in personalized medicine, an emerging healthcare approach that tailors tests, treatments, and therapies informed by a patient’s unique genetic code, medical record, and environment. 
 Headwaters Hub seeks to establish Montana as a global leader in the development and production of “smart photonic sensors” – primarily optical and laser technologies – and ways that local businesses and workers can ensure cutting-edge technology, in combination with artificial intelligence and machine learning, can be applied to self-driving vehicles, emissions tracking, and farm and wildfire management, among other applications. Montana’s proposal centers rural and tribal communities and seeks to ensure that these communities help lead Hub projects and share in their expected benefits, particularly with regard to job creation.
 The South Florida Climate Resilience Tech Hub – a consortium led by Miami-Dade County – will advance gains that the region has already been making in sustainable climate technology and filling local jobs engaged in high tech efforts.
 The Nevada Tech Hub will put local residents to work by drawing on the region’s rich sources of lithium and materials needed for electrification, to further establish the state as an international hub for the processing and recycling of self-sustaining batteries that can power electrical vehicles, among other uses.

About America Achieves

America Achieves is a nonprofit organization that partners with local communities to support a blend of economic growth and economic mobility – creating Good Jobs Economies that create good jobs in high-growth sectors and ensuring that participation in those jobs much more closely reflects the diversity of local communities than it does today. For more than a decade, America Achieves has incubated high-performing initiatives, launched new nonprofit organizations, and partnered with local leaders focused on making their communities better places to live, learn, work, and raise a family. In recent years, our nonprofit organization has helped design, shape, and secure federal funding for a series of new programs and policies supporting place-based economic and workforce development. America Achieves helped regional coalitions that applied for this funding, with a combined success rate more than four times greater than the national average.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/america-achieves-congratulates-local-coalitions-forming-regional-tech-hubs-and-building-good-jobs-economies-302188275.html

SOURCE America Achieves

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Make Time Wellness Announces Launch of Award-Winning Products at The Vitamin Shoppe

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April 7, 2025

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New Wellness Solutions Available Starting April 2025, Empowering Women to Prioritize Their Brain Health

LOS ANGELES, April 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Make Time Wellness, the rapidly growing wellness brand focused on women’s brain health, is excited to announce its official launch at The Vitamin Shoppe. Beginning this month, Make Time Wellness products are now available at approximately 475 retail locations of The Vitamin Shoppe and Super Supplements, as well as www.vitaminshoppe.com, making it easier for women across the U.S. to prioritize their brain health, beauty, and overall wellness.

The launch at The Vitamin Shoppe marks a significant milestone for the brand, which has gained widespread recognition for its innovative approach to women’s wellness. Make Time Wellness’ unique product offerings, including the Make Time for Brain Health & Beauty Gummies, Make Time for Beauty Sleep Gummies, and the reformulated Make Time for Brain, Body & Beauty Vitamin Powder, are designed to support women in their daily health and beauty routines.

Helen Christoni, co-founder of Make Time Wellness, shared her thoughts on the brand’s new partnership. “We are beyond excited to launch Make Time Wellness at The Vitamin Shoppe. This partnership gives us the opportunity to expand our reach and offer more women across the country the tools they need to take control of their brain health and to make time for their overall well-being.”

As part of the launch, Make Time Wellness is introducing three of its innovative products to The Vitamin Shoppe customers. These include:

Make Time for Brain Health & Beauty Gummies ($39.99) – A sugar-free gummy formulated with Cognizin® Citicoline, biotin, MCT oil, and Curcumin to support brain function, focus, and beauty from within.Make Time for Beauty Sleep Gummies ($29.99) – A sugar-free gummy with melatonin, biotin, elderberry, lavender, and chamomile extract to promote restful sleep and rejuvenation of the skin.Make Time for Brain, Body & Beauty Vitamin Powder ($49.99) – The award-winning hero product, recently reformulated with Cognizin® Citicoline and organic green tea to support cognitive function, focus, and vitality while maintaining its signature orange flavor.

Emma Heming Willis, co-founder of Make Time Wellness, reflected on the significance of the collaboration. “Partnering with The Vitamin Shoppe is a big step for us in bringing our products to a wider audience. We’re also proud to give back by donating 5% of every sale to Hilarity for Charity, which supports families and caregivers impacted by Alzheimer’s disease. This partnership allows us to make a meaningful impact, not only through our products but also by supporting a cause that’s very close to our hearts.”

“As the premier specialty retailer for lifelong wellness solutions, The Vitamin Shoppe is proud to introduce Make Time Wellness to our customers. We admire the brand’s science-driven approach to brain health and holistic well-being, as well as the passion and leadership Emma, Helen, and their team bring to advancing essential conversations around women’s health,” shared Muriel Gonzalez, President of The Vitamin Shoppe.

With this launch, Make Time Wellness is excited to offer more women the opportunity to discover its science-backed products and take the first step in their wellness journey.

About Make Time Wellness

Make Time Wellness was created to help women prioritize their brain, body, and beauty—and, in doing so, make more time for themselves. Co-founders Emma Heming Willis and Helen Christoni were inspired by the lack of products focused on women’s brain health, and together, they built a movement to raise awareness, educate, and offer high-quality, science-backed wellness products. For more information, visit maketimewellness.com or follow @maketimewellness on Instagram.

About The Vitamin Shoppe

Lifelong Wellness Starts Here™. The Vitamin Shoppe®, a subsidiary of Franchise Group, Inc., is a global, omnichannel specialty retailer and wellness lifestyle Company with the mission of providing customers with the most trusted products, guidance, and services to support them on their journeys of lifelong wellness. Based in Secaucus, New Jersey, the Company offers a comprehensive assortment of nutritional solutions, including vitamins, minerals, sports nutrition, specialty supplements, herbs, homeopathic remedies, and green living products. In addition to carrying products from approximately 700 national brands, The Vitamin Shoppe offers products from its proprietary brands within its owned and wholesale channels, including: The Vitamin Shoppe®, Vthrive The Vitamin Shoppe®, BodyTech®, BodyTech® Elite, plnt®, ProBioCare®, and True Athlete®. In the U.S., the Company conducts business through over 675 company-operated retail stores under The Vitamin Shoppe and Super Supplements™ banners and via its website, www.vitaminshoppe.com. Globally, The Vitamin Shoppe serves customers in select Asia, South America, and Central America markets through local omnichannel partners.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/make-time-wellness-announces-launch-of-award-winning-products-at-the-vitamin-shoppe-302421152.html

SOURCE Make Time Wellness

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Sell with Confidence. Keep Your Business in Trusted Hands

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April 7, 2025

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A new opportunity is available to help rural business owners transition ownership while protecting their legacy, supporting employees, and keeping wealth in local communities.

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo., April 7, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — A new opportunity is available to help rural business owners transition ownership while protecting their legacy, supporting employees, and keeping wealth in local communities. The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) is making it easier for businesses to explore employee ownership, thanks to a program that removes financial barriers and offers valuable tax credits and discounts.

“Too many business owners reach retirement without a solid succession plan.This program provides a clear, affordable path for owners to explore employee ownership and safeguard what they’ve built.”

With 80% of businesses listed for sale never finding a buyer, many owners face difficult choices that often result in closures, displacing loyal employees and pulling money out of the community. However, this program provides a better solution—helping business owners transition to employee ownership and securing the future of their businesses.

Employee ownership offers a proven pathway for preserving small businesses, empowering employees, and strengthening local economies. Unlike traditional sales, transitioning ownership to employees ensures that businesses remain rooted in their communities, maintaining jobs and keeping profits local.

With Baby Boomers retiring at record rates, rural businesses face increased risk of closure because of a lack of potential buyers in these smaller markets. “Too many business owners reach retirement without a solid succession plan,” said Marion Champoux-Pellegrin, Rural Employee Ownership Director for Rocky Mountain Employee Ownership Center. “This program provides a clear, affordable path for owners to explore employee ownership and safeguard what they’ve built.”

Who Qualifies?

The program is available to a limited number of businesses starting the process in 2025. To qualify, businesses must meet the following requirements:

At least three interested employeesSale of at least 20% of the businessLocated in rural Colorado

Business owners ready to protect their legacy and empower their employees should act now. With limited spots available for 2025, interested owners are encouraged to contact Rocky Mountain Employee Ownership Center (RMEOC) today to begin the process.

Rocky Mountain Employee Ownership Center (RMEOC), – RMEOC is a Colorado-based nonprofit leading the effort to help Colorado businesses explore and convert to employee ownership models. RMEOC’s mission is to create a more inclusive and fair economy by equipping business owners with the tools and resources they need to transition successfully. Through this program, RMEOC provides technical assistance, education, and ongoing support, ensuring that business owners have the guidance they need throughout the transition process.

Media Contact

Marion Champoux-Pellegrin, Rocky Mountain Employee Ownership Center, 1 303-351-2003, marion@rmeoc.org, https://www.rmeoc.org

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prweb.com/releases/sell-with-confidence-keep-your-business-in-trusted-hands-302419363.html

SOURCE Rocky Mountain Employee Ownership Center

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ECOVACS ROBOTICS Embraces Matter: Taking Smarter, More Convenient Floor Cleaning to the Next Level

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April 7, 2025

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ECOVACS ROBOTICS robotic vacuum cleaners DEEBOT now support Matter for seamless smart home control.

SUZHOU, China, April 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — ECOVACS ROBOTICS, a global leader in service robotics, has taken a major step forward in smart home integration by bringing its robotic vacuum cleaners DEEBOT into the Matter ecosystem. As China’s decade-long market leader in robotic vacuum cleaners, ECOVACS is making cross-platform connectivity, control, and automation smoother than ever.

Matter, the universal smart home standard developed by the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), eliminates compatibility barriers by allowing devices from different brands to work together seamlessly. With enhanced interoperability, robust security, and simplified setup, Matter ensures a smarter, more reliable smart home experience—whether controlled locally or via the cloud.

ECOVACS’ global lineup – including DEEBOT X2, X2 Combo, T50, T50 Max, and X8 – will gain Matter 1.4 support, with functionality updates rolling out across these models in phases. This strategic enhancement ensures seamless integration with the growing Matter ecosystem, further simplifying connected home experiences.

Building on ECOVACS’ technological advancement, the brand made waves at CES 2025 with the global debut of its groundbreaking DEEBOT X8 PRO OMNI. This industry-redefining robotic cleaner introduces the revolutionary OZMO ROLLER Instant Self-Washing Mopping Technology—ECOVACS’ first ultra-high pressure, high-speed mopping system with real-time self-cleaning capabilities.

The X8 PRO OMNI’s exceptional innovation earned remarkable industry acclaim, receiving top honors at the world’s prestigious tech events: the ‘Best in Show,’ ‘Best of CES,’ and ‘Editor’s Choice’ awards at CES 2025, along with both the ‘Best of IFA’ distinction and ‘Indoor Cleaning Solutions Gold Award’ at 2024 IFA.” The X8 Family has achieved cumulative sales of 230,000 units in the Chinese market by February 2025.

With 27 years of innovation in service robotics, ECOVACS has empowered over 28 million households across more than 170 markets—driven by its mission of “Robotics for All.” Now supporting Matter, ECOVACS enables effortless cross-platform integration, letting users sync their robots with any Matter-compatible smart home setup, ushering in a new era of intelligent home cleaning.

SOURCE ECOVACS

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