BEIJING, Oct. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — DAHON, a global leader in folding bikes, and RoyalBaby, a global leader in children’s bikes, announced a strategic partnership during a press conference at the Shangri-La Hotel in Beijing, China, on August 9, 2024.

This strong alliance between DAHON and RoyalBaby signifies an important milestone for China’s bicycle market. DAHON is a world-renowned folding bike brand that also stands at the forefront of scientific innovation for bicycle frames and components, while RoyalBaby is a global leader in children’s bicycles with a strong focus on the R&D and manufacturing of high-quality products. The synergy between the two global brands and their complementary strengths will not only inject fresh vitality into the children’s bicycle market, but also promote the quality and healthy development of the bicycle industry in China.

“As DAHON and RoyalBaby have accumulated a wealth of knowledge and outstanding performance in their respective fields, this strategic cooperation will surely set a new benchmark for the industry. I sincerely hope that this cooperation can drive more enterprises to actively explore their frontier of innovation and jointly promote the sustainable and healthy development of China’s toy and baby products industry.”, said Ms. Liang Mei, President of the China Toy and Juvenile Products Association at her keynote speech.

Ms. Zheng Xiaoling, Director of the China Bicycle Association, expressed that the partnership was a practical embodiment of the concepts of “sharing, win-win, and co-development.” It is believed that through in-depth cooperation, DAHON and RoyalBaby will lead the entire bicycle industry to move towards a more intelligent, personalized and green direction.

Dr. David Hon, Founder of DAHON, delivered a keynote titled “Driving High-Quality Industry Development through Shared Economy.” He remarked that DAHON had been always committed to developing lightweight and green transportation solutions. So far, the company had obtained over 500 bicycle-related patents, which had gone beyond the adoption by DAHON’s own products to sharing with other manufacturers through the “Sharing 360” global initiative. The partnership with RoyalBaby was a crucial step in this initiative and it marked a significant leap forward for China’s bicycle market.

Mr. Tong Lixin, Chairman of RoyalBaby, spoke about RoyalBaby’s dedication to the children’s bicycle sector, focusing on independent research and innovation to provide safe, practical products for children worldwide. He expressed confidence that the collaboration with DAHON would elevate both brands in technology, product innovation, and global market influence.

During the event, Dr. David Hon and Mr. Tong Lixin jointly unveiled five co-branded children’s bikes. RoyalBaby’s Brand Director, Mr. Liu Chang, introduced the new models featuring upgraded designs, manufacturing processes, safety features, and riding experiences. These offer new choices for the children’s bicycle market and provide users with a one-stop solution.

The creation of co-branded children’s bicycles is just the beginning of the strategic partnership. Mr. Xu Hongchen, Domestic Sales Manager of DAHON, discussed future market trends and emphasized that DAHON and RoyalBaby will further collaborate in areas such as technological innovation, channel marketing, and service promotion, creating richer, more diverse consumer experiences and supporting the trend towards green urban mobility.

The partnership will cover a comprehensive range of bikes, from large-wheel bikes (DAHON road and mountain bikes), to medium-to-small wheels (DAHON folding bikes under 20 inches) and small-wheel models.

In the future, DAHON and RoyalBaby plan to collaborate further through joint marketing and cross-industry partnerships, building their brand image and promoting the values of health and environmental sustainability, driving rapid development in the bicycle sector.

SOURCE DAHON

Lardie to Lead Multi-Faceted Development Strategies Across Social and Human Services Funders and Foundations

WASHINGTON, Oct. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Social Current today announced that Sarah Beth Lardie has joined the organization as chief development officer to oversee and coordinate funding and development strategies across a broad range of social sector and human services funders and foundations.

With nearly two decades of experience in advancing the mission, vision, and goals of nonprofit organizations, Ms. Lardie has helped to lead the growth and sustainability of a wide range of successful organizations, raising more than $20 million dollars annually for civil society actors ranging from United Nations to local food banks. She began her career as a social worker working with children and families before transitioning to a career in development. As a member of the founding leadership team of Joshua Venture, a fellowship program for social entrepreneurs, she was responsible for providing fellowships for 16 entrepreneurs across the U.S.  She has also been a mentor with MIT’s LaunchX program and an advisor to the African Venture Philanthropy Network.  

“Sarah Beth’s extensive experience in development and her understanding and familiarity with the social sector as a social worker will help us grow our strategic partners across the sector,” noted Jody Levison-Johnson, president and CEO of Social Current. “She will be a critical asset in our efforts to activate the power of the social sector to help build an equitable society where all people can thrive.”

“Building civil society, bringing more people and resources to the critical work being done is fulfilling,” commented Sarah Beth Lardie. “Nonprofit organizations are where innovations to solve society’s most difficult problems are happening, and I love being part of that. That’s what drew me to Social Current.”

Lardie received her bachelor’s in sociology and labor studies from Rutgers University, her master’s in social work from the Columbia University School of Social Work and her master’s in public administration from Carnegie Mellon University/University of Pittsburgh in a dual degree program. She is based in New York City.

Media Notes: Photo available upon request. Please contact Jennifer Devlin at jdevlin@social-current.org.

About Social Current
Social Current is the premier partner and solutions provider to a diverse network of more than 1,800 human and social service organizations. Together with our network, we are activating the power of the social sector to effect broader systemic change that is needed to achieve our vision of an equitable society where all people can thrive. We support, strengthen, and amplify the work of the social sector in six core integrated areas including brain science and trauma-informed approaches; COA Accreditation; child, family, and community well-being; equity, diversity, and inclusion; government affairs and advocacy; and leadership and organizational development.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sarah-beth-lardie-joins-social-current-as-chief-development-officer-302270791.html

SOURCE Social Current

HONG KONG, Oct. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — IDA, a Hong Kong-based fiat-referenced stablecoin issuer, is integrating Chainlink’s industry-standard services for tokenized assets. Those include Chainlink Proof of Reserve (PoR) for verifying asset collateralization and the Chainlink Cross-Chain Interoperability Protocol (CCIP) for the secure movement of cross-chain data and value to support its upcoming HKDA stablecoin issuance, which is backed 1:1 by the Hong Kong dollar. 

The Chainlink integration gives HKDA users enhanced visibility into the reserves backing the stablecoin through Chainlink’s secure and reliable onchain PoR data. IDA also plans to integrate Chainlink CCIP, which will enable IDA to securely mobilize HKDA across multiple blockchains, ultimately enhancing the token’s utility and accessibility.

“Chainlink is the industry standard for verifying the collateralization of digital assets onchain and moving them cross-chain, providing our ecosystem partners with enhanced assurances regarding the stability and backing of HKDA, as well as increased accessibility to HKDA by making it available across various chains” said Sean Lee, co-founder and CSO of IDA.

IDA is currently collaborating with leading financial institutions, banks, traditional exchanges, virtual asset exchanges, retail businesses, and real-world asset (RWA) issuers on the use of HKDA as a secure payments vehicle and institutional trading instrument in digital asset markets. “The ability to tokenize RWAs not only streamlines transactions and reduces costs, but also enhances market efficiency, making it easier for businesses to manage and trade their assets. This innovation will undoubtedly stimulate the economy and transform the financial landscape,” Lee added.

Angie Walker, Global Head of Banking and Capital Markets at Chainlink Labs said, “We are excited to be IDA’s technical partner and provide a solution that enables greater visibility into the asset collateralization behind the stablecoin while powering secure cross-chain movement. Our goal is to not only advance the adoption of HKDA as a payments vehicle for cross-border transactions but also support the development of tokenized real-world assets. Tokenized money, including stablecoins, has the potential to unlock quadrillions of dollars of tokenized assets, bringing more liquidity to the market.”

About IDA Finance Hong Kong Limited (IDA)
IDA is the premier digital asset technology company to spearhead the widespread adoption of blockchain finance and to empower businesses to seamlessly integrate between Web2 and Web3.   

HKDA, a fiat-referenced stablecoin built on public blockchain protocols, will be the first product launched by IDA. HKDA is designed to drive enhanced digital connectivity for seamless commerce and payments between Hong Kong and global markets, 24/7/365. To maintain the highest level of security and stability, all circulating HKDA will always be fully backed by at least 100% reserve assets in regulated Hong Kong based authorized institutions.   

To maximize the network effect of HKDA for domestic and cross-border usage, IDA is partnering with key industry players to facilitate the minting, redemption and widespread acceptance of HKDA as a payment and settlement digital currency. In subsequent phases, IDA will also launch key products denominated in other US Dollar (USD) pegged currencies with ecosystem partners across regulated financial institutions and Web3 platforms. 

More information can be found at idafi.xyz / LinkedIn / X

About Chainlink
Chainlink is the universal platform for pioneering the future of global markets onchain. Chainlink has enabled over $15 trillion in transaction value by providing financial institutions, startups, and developers worldwide with access to real-world data, offchain computation, and secure cross-chain interoperability across any blockchain. Chainlink powers verifiable applications and high-integrity markets for banking, DeFi, global trade, gaming, and other major sectors.

Learn more about Chainlink by visiting chain.link or reading the developer documentation at docs.chain.link.

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SOURCE Chainlink; IDA