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Rice University announces historic gift to establish Virani Undergraduate School of Business

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HOUSTON, Oct. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Houston business and community leaders Farid and Asha Virani have made a generous philanthropic gift to Rice University’s business program igniting a new era of opportunity for students. In recognition of this historic contribution, the current undergraduate business program will be named the Virani Undergraduate School of Business.

Rice is equipping graduates to become thoughtful and effective leaders in the business world and beyond.

Farid Virani is the founder and CEO of Prime Communications, the largest AT&T-authorized retailer in North America. He is deeply committed to giving back to the community through his active involvement in organizations such as Teach for America, SEARCH Homeless Services and Texas Children’s Hospital and is a longstanding member of the Young Presidents’ Organization.

Farid immigrated to the United States from Pakistan at the age of 19. After exploring various entrepreneurial ventures, he ultimately founded Prime Communications in 1999, starting with just a single store in Houston’s Baybrook Mall. Looking back on his journey, Farid credits his success to three guiding principles that have shaped both his personal and professional life: “stay humble, stay hungry and stay scrappy.” He believes these values will deeply resonate with Rice’s undergraduate business students as they embark on their paths and confront the challenges ahead, especially at a school that now proudly bears his family’s name.

Dr. Asha Virani ’89 is a Rice alumna, medical doctor and board member of The Kinkaid School and Asia Society Texas. She and Farid are also founders of The Faris Foundation, a nonprofit focused on bringing brighter days and better treatments to children with cancer, created in honor of their beloved son, Faris D.

The couple’s son, Faraz Virani ’21, graduated from Rice with a bachelor’s degree in sport management and minors in business and entrepreneurship — the same year Rice Business launched its undergraduate business program. Their daughter, Zoya, graduated from Emory University in 2022 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and sociology and currently works in the tech industry.

This extraordinary gift will support undergraduate curriculum development and delivery, co-curricular opportunities, a new associate dean position and other resources to support undergraduate career readiness and academic success.

“We are incredibly excited to support Rice Business, as we believe in the transformative power of education. This contribution will play a pivotal role in preparing the next generation of business leaders and entrepreneurs to tackle the challenges and seize the future opportunities — not just for our city, but for our state and our country,” Farid Virani said.

“Our vision is to foster a culture of curious and compassionate lifelong learners who will lead with a strong ethical orientation and intellectual humility,” Asha Virani said.

The Virani Undergraduate School of Business aims to provide students with a robust foundation in leadership and business fundamentals, including accounting, finance, marketing, organizational behavior, strategy and communications. An associate dean position will be created to lead the new school, and a national search will be conducted to fill this role.

“We are profoundly grateful to Farid and Asha Virani for their extraordinary gift, which will transform our undergraduate business education,” Rice President Reginald DesRoches said. “Their success and commitment to excellence inspire our students, and their generosity will serve as a lasting testament to what can be accomplished through vision and determination.”

“This significant gift from the Virani family will advance undergraduate education, meeting a high demand for an undergraduate business major and providing unparalleled opportunities for student development. Rice is equipping graduates to become thoughtful and effective leaders in the business world and beyond,” said Amy Dittmar, the Howard R. Hughes Provost and executive vice president for academic affairs.

Rice Business Dean Peter Rodriguez emphasized that this gift will significantly impact the nearly 300 students currently declared as business majors, fostering a new generation of leaders equipped to tackle pressing global challenges. This includes supporting ongoing growth in the number of business majors at Rice and advancing opportunities in areas like energy transition, artificial intelligence, nonprofits benefiting society at large, health care reform and the revitalization of urban communities.

“We extend our deepest gratitude to the Virani family for this remarkable gift, which will have a lasting impact on Rice Business students for years to come,” Rodriguez said. “This gift allows our undergraduate students not only to study with world-renowned faculty but to thrive in co-curricular endeavors and in their future careers.”

Click here to watch a video of the donor family.

About Rice University

Located on a 300-acre forested campus in Houston, Rice University is consistently ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has highly respected schools of architecture, business, continuing studies, engineering, humanities, music, natural sciences and social sciences and is home to the Baker Institute for Public Policy. With 4,574 undergraduates and 3,982 graduate students, Rice’s undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio is just under 6-to-1. Its residential college system builds close-knit communities and lifelong friendships, just one reason why Rice is ranked No. 1 for lots of race/class interaction, No. 2 for best-run colleges and No. 12 for quality of life by the Princeton Review. Rice is also rated as a best value among private universities by Kiplinger’s Personal Finance.

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SOURCE Rice University

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Joycollab by Pitch Solution Now Supports More Languages to Boost User Connectivity and Productivity

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SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Pitch Solution has enhanced its Joycollab metaverse office platform by adding English and Japanese language support, alongside the existing Korean interface as part of its global expansion plan. This follows extensive preparations for the Japanese market entry, including local market research, participation in trade shows, usability improvements based on feedback, and engagement with local companies since early 2023.

Launched in South Korea in May 2022, Joycollab enhances remote collaboration for businesses and organizations through a user-friendly 2.5D virtual office. Accessible through PC web browsers and mobile applications, it supports features such as video conferencing (including Zoom), voice and text chat, instant messaging, and avatar gestures. It also provides essential tools such as information board, kanban board, electronic approval system, and Google integrated calendar to increase team productivity and efficiency. The platform also includes a time zone feature, ensuring that remote teams, overseas offices, and customers can collaborate effortlessly regardless of location. 

Building on its success in the APAC region, Pitch Solution participated in the K-Metaverse@Vietnam exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City in September 2024. The event allowed Pitch Solution to explore the Vietnamese market, generate significant interest from local buyers and secure new partnerships.

 An Jung-su, CEO of Pitch Solution, shared his vision for the company’s future, stating, “Along with the Joycollab office platform, we plan to enhance our core technologies and differentiate our services through the integration of Joycollab Community World. This will expand our service offerings, support our entry into overseas markets, and create new business opportunities, driving our growth as a global company.”

To celebrate, Pitch Solution is offering the first 50 companies a free three-month trial of Joycollab’s premium plan. Visit https://jcollab.com/freetrial_EN.html to claim this offer.

Experience Joycollab’s metaverse office home page in English https://jcollab.com/index_EN.html or Japanese https://jcollab.com/index_JP.html and visit https://pitchsolution.co.kr/ to learn more about Pitch Solution.

Contact support@pitchsolution.co.kr or  https://jcollab.com/inquire_EN.html to inquire more about Joycollab or Pitch Solution’s innovative service. 

About Pitch Solution

Founded in February 2020, Pitch Solution Co., Ltd. specializes in collaboration solutions. With over a decade of experience in developing and operating software solutions, the company now focuses on creating immersive collaboration tools and metaverse platforms that meet the needs of the new normal era.

For media inquiries, please contact Jonggeun Park, General Manager, jgpark@pitchsolution.co.kr 

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SOURCE Pitch Solution

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PingPong Partners with China’s Largest Trade Fair to Empower Global Businesses finding High-Quality Supply Chains

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GUANGZHOU, China, Oct. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — PingPong, one of the leading global cross-border payments platforms for businesses, is proud to officially  announce its role as the cooperative partner of the ‘Trade Bridge’, a trade promotion initiative during the 136th Canton Fair. The multi-day event will feature over 30,000 global companies exhibiting goods, and host more than 130,000 global buyers from over 200 countries and regions.

As a cooperative partner of the Canton Fair’s “Trade Bridge” initiative, PingPong has leveraged its global ecosystem to bring over 300 buyers to the event from around the world, particularly Thailand, Indonesia, South Korea and Vietnam. These buyers can easily connect with top Chinese sellers and screen suppliers, facilitating global trade corridors.

PingPong has also created a platform to match Chinese merchants with high-quality global buyers, facilitating 1-on-1 meetings to support both buyer and seller needs. Additionally, PingPong is hosting three online and offline procurement matchmaking events, opening new opportunities for global expansion.

Earlier this year, Canton Fair’s Trade Bridge signed a comprehensive strategic partnership with PingPong to utilize its global ecosystem to help Chinese businesses expand internationally.

Jianqin Shu,Partner and General Manager of SMB Business Group at PingPong said, “At this year’s Canton Fair, we’ve mobilized local teams, partners, and buyers from around the world, including Vietnam, South Korea, Indonesia and Thailand, forming a delegation of hundreds to meet face-to-face with trade companies. This shows PingPong’s value is more than just in payments, it is a global ecosystem of buyers and sellers. In September, we also led an industry summit in Vietnam with over 4,000 attendees to help businesses access global markets. Going forward, we will continue expanding our network to more countries and regions, offering valuable connections and fostering growth for merchants on our platform.”

One of PingPong’s clients is Thai buyer Sumin Tunpeiroh, who is also a representative at the event. He hopes to source new steel grinding machines for next year’s sales, commenting, “PingPong built an excellent platform, allowing us to engage directly with top companies and discover the newest products.”

PingPong will continue to facilitate trade connections during the second and third phases of the 136th Canton Fair, focusing on matching buyers from Thailand and South Korea with high-quality Chinese suppliers. And PingPong also invited top Vietnamese influencer ZhuZhu and leading Thai beauty blogger PeePee to livestream their exhibition experiences during the fair. These livestreams create in-depth opportunities for foreign trade businesses to connect with international influencers, opening a window to overseas markets and consumers, and helping businesses transform in the digital trade era.

About PingPong

PingPong was founded in New York in 2015, with the goal of solving the immense challenge of scaling enterprise businesses globally. Fast forward to today, and PingPong has become one of the world’s leading global cross-border payments platforms, processing more than $200 billion USD. Our API-first cross-border payments platform integrates with enterprises to send, manage, and receive money faster on a global scale.

PingPong currently has 30 offices spanning 11 countries, with over 1000 employees. Our international presence helps businesses solve complex payment needs in every major economy across all time zones.

About Canton Fair:

As a comprehensive international trading event with the longest history, the largest scale, the most complete exhibit variety, the largest buyer attendance, the most diverse buyer origin and the greatest business turnover in China, Canton Fair is hailed as China’s No.1 Fair and the barometer of China’s foreign trade.

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Garda World Security Corporation Announces Pricing of Previously Announced Offering of US$1 Billion of Senior Notes due 2032

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MONTRÉAL, Oct. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ – Garda World Security Corporation (“GardaWorld” or the “Company”), an entrepreneurial-driven corporation focused on building global champions in security services, AI-enabled security technology, integrated risk management and cash automation solutions, announced today the pricing of the private offering (the “Offering”) of US$1.0 billion aggregate principal amount of 8.375% senior unsecured notes due 2032 (the “Notes”). The Offering is expected to close on or about October 31, 2024, subject to the completion of customary closing conditions.

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering (i) to finance the previously announced conditional redemption of all of its 9.5% senior unsecured notes due 2027 (the “2027 Unsecured Notes Redemption”), (ii) to finance the cash consideration in respect of its previously announced acquisition of the business of Stealth Monitoring, a North American leader in cutting-edge commercial mobile and fixed video monitoring security solutions in the United States and Canada (the “Stealth Acquisition”), (iii) to pay fees and expenses related to the Offering, the 2027 Unsecured Notes Redemption and the Stealth Acquisition, and (iv) with any remaining proceeds, for general corporate purposes, including potential future acquisitions. Pending any specific application of the net proceeds, the Company may use a portion of the proceeds to invest in government securities or cash equivalents.

The Offering will be made in a private transaction in reliance upon an exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), in the United States only to investors who are reasonably believed to be “qualified institutional buyers,” as that term is defined in Rule 144A under the Securities Act, and pursuant to the prospectus exemption of section 12 of the Securities Act (Québec) for distribution of securities to persons established outside Québec, or outside the United States pursuant to Regulation S under the Securities Act and upon reliance on the accredited investor prospectus exemption in Canada.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of any of the Notes (nor the Company’s 9.5% senior unsecured notes due 2027) in any jurisdiction in which such an offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. The Notes mentioned herein have not been and will not be qualified for sale to the public under applicable Canadian securities laws and, accordingly, any offer and sale of securities in Canada will be made on a basis which is exempt from the prospectus and dealer registration requirements of such securities laws. The Notes have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any other jurisdiction and may not be offered or sold in the United States or Canada without registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements or an applicable exemption from the prospectus requirements of Canadian securities legislation.

About GardaWorld

GardaWorld is an entrepreneurial-driven corporation that builds global champions in security services, AI-enabled security technologies, integrated risk management and cash automation solutions, employing more than 132,000 highly skilled and dedicated professionals across the globe. Driven by a relentless entrepreneurial culture and core values of integrity, vigilance, trust and respect, GardaWorld’s global champions offer sophisticated, tailored security and technology solutions through high-touch partnerships and consistently superior service delivery. With a deep understanding that security is critical to the organizational resilience of business operations and the safety of communities, GardaWorld is committed to impeccable governance, professional care and the well-being of everyone. Thanks to a well-earned reputation, GardaWorld businesses are long-standing security partners of choice to some of the most prominent brands, influential individuals, Fortune 500 corporations and governments. For more information, visit gardaworld.com.  

Forward-Looking Statements

Information provided and statements contained in this press release that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the applicable securities laws. Certain statements in this press release may constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of securities laws. Forward-looking information may relate to GardaWorld’s future outlook and anticipated events, business, operations, financial performance, financial condition or results and, in some cases, can be identified by terminology such as “may”; “will”; “should”; “expect”; “plan”; “anticipate”; “believe”; “intend”; “estimate”; “predict”; “potential”; “continue”; “foresee”, “ensure” or other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. In particular, statements regarding GardaWorld’s future operating results and economic performance and its objectives and strategies are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on certain factors and assumptions including the growth management, market competition, cost of financing, key personnel, government regulations, standard customer service contracts, insurance, strikes and other labor protest, supply chain disruptions, information technology system and cybersecurity breaches, operations outside Canada and the United States, cash in circulation and prevailing economic activity, currency fluctuations, credit risk, reputational risk and financial covenants risk, many of which are beyond GardaWorld’s control. While management considers these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to GardaWorld, they may prove to be incorrect. Forward-looking information is also subject to certain factors, including risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from what GardaWorld currently expects. The foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive. Therefore, future events and results may vary significantly from what management currently foresees. The reader should not place undue importance on forward-looking information and should not rely upon this information as of any other date. GardaWorld will not update these statements unless applicable securities laws require GardaWorld to do so.

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SOURCE GardaWorld Security Corporation

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