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PG&E Awards Scholarships to 60 Students Across Northern and Central California Helping Ease College Costs for Families

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$350,000 from The PG&E Corporation Foundation will Help Students Pursuing Higher Education

OAKLAND, Calif., Aug. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — The PG&E Corporation Foundation is awarding 60 students from across Pacific Gas and Electric Company’s (PG&E) service area with 2024 Better Together STEM Scholarships.

The PG&E Corporation Foundation (PG&E Foundation) funds the Better Together STEM Scholarship program. This year, the PG&E Foundation is sponsoring 20 scholarships of $10,000, 20 scholarships of $5,000, and 20 scholarships of $2,500 each, for a total of $350,000. These charitable donations come from PG&E shareholders, not PG&E customers.

Scholarships are awarded to students pursuing degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) disciplines. STEM education fosters ingenuity, creativity, and experimentation, leading to new ideas, innovations, and technological advancements that can have global impact.

Alexis Schoel, from Yuba City, comes from a small school of less than 50 students where she took Advanced Placement courses. She hopes to be the first in her family to obtain a bachelor’s degree with the help of her Better Together STEM scholarship.

“This accomplishment is not just for me, but also for my family. This scholarship will help me achieve all my future goals of becoming an engineer and maybe even one day leading my own team of engineers,” said Schoel, who will major in mechanical engineering at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

Samuel Badilla, of Reedley, will major in environmental studies at the University of Southern California.

“Someone at PG&E believed that I can succeed in college and positively make a difference in the world’s fight for the environment and sustainability, and that support allows me to believe in myself as well,” said Badilla.

Scholarships are based on academic achievement, demonstrated participation and leadership in school and community activities, and financial need. You can see the full list of this year’s scholarship recipients here and watch a video of prior scholar Ella Heimbrodt whose passion to understanding the effects of climate change led her to major in sustainable environmental design at UC Berkeley.

“For more than a decade, The PG&E Corporation Foundation has helped lessen the financial burden of higher education for families, and supported students as they pursue their college dreams and STEM-based education — it’s a tradition that we are grateful to be able to continue. These scholars are our future doers and thinkers and will help solve tomorrow’s problems, come up with solutions to better care for our planet and communities, and we can’t wait to see all that they will accomplish,” said Carla Peterman, PG&E Corporation Executive Vice President, Corporate Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer, and Chair of the Board of The PG&E Corporation Foundation. 

Scholarship recipients must plan to enroll in full-time undergraduate study for the entire 2024-2025 academic year and be seeking their first undergraduate degree at an accredited four-year institution in California, or at a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) anywhere in the United States. HBCU eligibility was added two years ago in response to a trend in applications from students admitted to HBCUs, none of which are in California.

Supporting Local Scholars

Since 2012, the Better Together STEM Scholarship Program has awarded nearly $7.5 million to accomplished students — all charitable donations from PG&E shareholders, not customers.

In addition to the Better Together STEM Scholarship Program, PG&E’s 11 employee resource groups (ERGs) and two engineering networking groups (ENGs) award scholarships to help offset the cost of higher education. The funds are raised entirely through employee donations, employee fundraising events and Campaign for the Community, the company’s employee giving program. Since 1989, more than $6 million ERG/ENG Scholarships have been received by thousands of recipients.

About PG&E

Pacific Gas and Electric Company, a subsidiary of PG&E Corporation (NYSE:PCG), is a combined natural gas and electric utility serving more than 16 million people across 70,000 square miles in Northern and Central California. For more information, visit www.pge.com/ and http://www.pge.com/about/newsroom/.

About The PG&E Corporation Foundation
The PG&E Corporation Foundation is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, separate from PG&E and sponsored by PG&E Corporation.

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SOURCE Pacific Gas and Electric Company

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AI-Powered Earbuds Transforming North American Smart Offices: Exclusive Insights from viaim CPO at CES 2025

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LAS VEGAS, Jan. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — At CES 2025 in Las Vegas, Liu Da, Chief Product Officer (CPO) of viaim, an AI technology hardware company deeply rooted in the smart office sector, gave an exclusive interview, sharing valuable insights into viaim’s exploration of the field of AI-powered earbuds, its innovative product concepts, and how the technology addresses common workplace challenges in North America. Mr. Liu also delved into the market potential of AI-powered earbuds and viaim’s strategic blueprint for shaping the future of smart offices, especially in the North American market.

North American business professionals have widely embraced remote and hybrid work models. The rise of multilingual communication has fostered a highly digitalized consumer landscape with diverse user needs, particularly for smart office solutions. In response, viaim is dedicated to developing practical AI solutions that alleviate repetitive and tiring office tasks. By addressing the evolving demands of North American professionals with its AI-driven innovations, viaim is advancing its global mission to transform work efficiency and productivity.

Unique advantages of AI-powered smart earbuds

In the interview, Mr. Liu said earbuds, being close to the user’s senses, are seamlessly integrated into daily life and serve as an ideal platform for AI technology. Unlike traditional office hardware, AI-powered earbuds are portable and versatile, fitting various scenarios such as remote meetings, commuting, and entertainment. He highlighted that viaim’s AI-powered smart office solutions position the Company to bridge the gap between people and devices, transforming earbuds from simple audio tools into smart office partners. 

viaim’s technology and design challenges during the R&D  phase

Mr. Liu detailed the challenges the Company faced during the R&D phase, including integrating AI computing power, storage, and sensors into earbuds with limited space while maintaining portability and battery life. He also highlighted the difficulty of balancing human auditory sensitivity with machine signal processing to ensure a natural user experience. To tackle these challenges, viaim employed multi-terminal collaboration, integrating earbuds, apps, and cloud services to ensure seamless voice processing and secure data management tailored to the needs of North American professionals.

Market potential, insights, and positioning in North America

A report from Upwork, the world’s largest work marketplace, projects 36.2 million Americans will work remotely in 2025, marking an 87% increase from pre-pandemic levels. AI-powered earbuds, with capabilities including meeting recording and follow-up task management, cater to the digitalized and multilingual North American market. As remote and hybrid work rises, AI earbuds are becoming vital for workplace efficiency and language learning. viaim stands out with a competitive strategy focused on technological innovation and market segmentation, offering unique value beyond traditional earbud brands.

Future strategy and product vision

Mr. Liu believes technology’s true value lies in solving real-world problems. “When users actively engage with our AI solutions, it demonstrates their true value,” he stated. AI earbuds remain the Company’s core focus, empowering professionals to shift their attention from routine tasks to meaningful creative endeavors. Looking ahead, viaim plans to expand its product lineup to include smart glasses and office accessories, creating a comprehensive AI office ecosystem. The Company aims to rapidly iterate based on user feedback, expanding AI earbuds from niche to mass markets and advancing industry development.

Media Contact: 

Qian Wang
+86-15321782927
wangqian@vision-intelligence.tech

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SOURCE VIAIM

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Steller Unveils Group Trip Planning

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KIRKLAND, Wash., Jan. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Steller, a video-based, travel planning platform that allows travelers to discover, connect and book based on experiences shared by creators, introduced its most requested feature yet: group trip collaboration. The feature transforms how travelers plan group trips by consolidating everything—discovery, communication, organized planning, and booking—into one platform. 

Steller launches group trip planning, streamlining discovery, communication, and booking into one collaborative platform.

Traditional Trip planning involves multiple surfaces and when traveling with others, multiple communication channels. It is difficult to stay organized when communication is spread across text messages, social DMs, email, etc.  

Steller’s new collaboration feature eliminates communication chaos and streamlines trip planning by offering a central group hub for organizing every piece of the process. Travelers can invite others to join their Trip itinerary, keeping communication, discovery, and booking in one place. With Steller’s library of more than 30 million pieces of user generated travel content, groups can share videos of activities, dining spots, attractions, add notes, and co-create custom itineraries. Flexible itinerary views—list, map, and video—give everyone a complete picture of the plan to share and edit with their travel companions.

“Collaborative trip planning has been a top request from our community.  When we launched Trips by Steller   last January, we knew it would resonate, but the response has far exceeded expectations. In a short time, over 50,000 users have planned and booked trips by incorporating their favorite user-generated travel videos into personalized itineraries. For our destination clients,  Trips by Steller has seamlessly connected travel influencer marketing to planning and commerce. Steller clients see more than 18% of viewers who engage with their influencer campaigns planning trips to their destination—a result that sets a high bar in the travel industry. Adding collaboration to the mix amplifies that impact, inspiring more people to explore, engage and transact together!” said Pete Bryant, CEO of Steller. 

How It Works  

Whether it’s a getaway for two or a large group adventure, collaboration makes organizing travel plans easy with an all-in-one solution. 

Build Your Itinerary Together: Group members can contribute by adding things to do, activities, and notes.Stay Organized: Add notes and structure by day, activity, or group to eliminate confusion.Flexible Views: View your itinerary as a detailed list, on a map, or through video for a fully customizable planning experience.Real-Time Updates: Keep track of changes, additions, and edits made by group members.On-the-Go Access: Everyone can access the itinerary on their phone.

Steller continues to lead the charge in innovative travel planning, ensuring that its platform evolves based on user feedback. Collaborative trip planning is the latest step in its mission to evolve travel. 

About Steller 

Steller, headquartered in Kirkland, Wash., is the market leading travel planning platform that guides travelers from inspiration to planning and booking through authentic experiences of their favorite creators. Steller’s patent pending platform distributes millions of pieces of bespoke, worldwide video content that can be found and booked on the Steller app. Learn more at www.steller.co  and  stellerforbusiness.com

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SOURCE Steller

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RAAPID Raises Series A from M12, Microsoft’s Venture Fund to Scale Next-Generation Healthcare Risk Adjustment

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Company reports 300% revenue growth in 2024 and advances partnerships with nation’s leading health systems

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Jan. 10, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — RAAPID, the industry-leading healthcare AI company, announced today a significant Series A investment from M12, Microsoft’s venture fund. This strategic funding positions RAAPID to expand its groundbreaking Neuro-symbolic AI platform that is reshaping healthcare risk adjustment.

RAAPID’s explosive growth – marked by a 300% revenue increase in 2024 – demonstrates the market’s strong validation of its advanced technology platform. The company has quickly established itself as a trusted partner for major health plans and provider., At the core of RAAPID’s success is its pioneering VisionAI technology, which tackles one of healthcare’s most pressing challenges: making sense of unstructured medical data. While over 70% of medical records exist as unstructured data when shared outside EHRs, RAAPID’s AI engine transforms this complex information into actionable insights, enabling unprecedented accuracy in risk capture and care gap identification.

“Our vision extends beyond traditional risk adjustment,” states Chetan Parikh, Founder and CEO of RAAPID. “We’re creating a future where AI augments healthcare professionals’ capabilities, leading to better patient outcomes and more accurate appropriate reimbursements. This investment from M12 accelerates our mission to transform healthcare through advanced AI.”

RAAPID’s purpose-built Risk Adjustment platform has achieved remarkable results:

Slashing chart review time by 60-80%Surpassing industry standards with 95%+ coding accuracyGenerating additional appropriate and compliant revenue per memberImproving risk capture accuracy by 25%

The HITRUST-certified platform stands out for its unique Neuro-symbolic AI approach, combining neural networks with an extensive medical knowledge graph containing over 4 million clinical entities and 50 million relationships. This sophisticated technology enables both retrospective analysis and prospective risk adjustment, helping organizations identify and address care gaps to positively impact patient health.

“Healthcare organizations are increasingly seeking innovative solutions to manage risk and improve care delivery in value-based arrangements,” said Todd Graham, Managing Partner at M12. “RAAPID’s AI-driven risk adjustment platform aligns perfectly with our investment strategy. Through M12, we are committed to providing our portfolio companies with access to Microsoft’s resources and expertise to drive significant impact in the healthcare sector.

Led by a team with over 25 years of healthcare technology expertise, RAAPID has collaborated with experts from the top 4 tech giants in developing its clinical AI solutions. RAAPID continues to push the safe boundaries of what’s possible in healthcare AI. The company’s selection as an M12 portfolio company validates its position as a leader in healthcare technology innovation.

As value-based care becomes increasingly important, RAAPID’s AI-powered solutions are becoming essential tools for healthcare organizations striving to improve timeliness and quality of care all patients expect. With this new funding, RAAPID is poised to further advance its technology and expand its positive impact on patients, providers and payers.

About RAAPID
RAAPID develops AI-powered solutions for healthcare payers, providers, and supporting organizations. The company’s cloud-based risk adjustment platform uses neuro-symbolic AI to identify chronic conditions, determine HCC codes, calculate risk scores, and analyze population health trends. RAAPID serves organizations that participate in Medicare Advantage, ACA, Medicare ACO, and Medicaid programs.

For more information about RAAPID’s AI-powered risk adjustment solutions, visit www.raapidinc.com

CONTACT:
Mayur Vyas
(502) 699-3044
388583@email4pr.com

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SOURCE RAAPID

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