Up-And-Coming Rookie Ty Collins Smashes His First Two Minor League Seasons

NY Weekly Staff on November 14, 2022

Powerhouse hitter Babe Ruth once said, “Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.” Like in any sport, practice and perseverance are two crucial qualities that boost casual players into the professional field. Never give up is a typical piece of advice given to anyone fighting for their dreams, to the extent of losing its meaning sometimes. But it is a cliche for a reason. It is only with a relentless pursuit that we achieve progress.

For Ty Collins, his dreams of playing professional baseball seemed farther than ever since he did not have a college commitment. But against the odds, he was still drafted in 2021 and has gone on his first Minor League short season with an outstanding 1-0 record, and a 10.80 earned run average (ERA) pitching within four games. Playing in the Florida complex League circuit under the Philadelphia Phillies Organization, Ty Collins was a relief pitcher with 3.1 innings pitched, giving up three hits, five runs, and four earned runs. Considering his background and quick entry into professional baseball, this is an impressive season performance for a first-timer.

Pushing for an even better run, Ty ended the 2022 Season with an outstanding 2-0 record for a career line, a 3-0 record in a relief pitcher role, and an ERA of 3.86. Staying with the Philadelphia Phillies team, Ty pitched in nine games, throwing 9.1 innings. With nine innings pitched this year, Ty Collins struck out 12 batters with an eye-opening total career line of 17 strikeouts as a relief pitcher. These numbers show that Ty Collins is a name to watch out for in the field. He has exhibited fast improvement and natural talent in his first two years in the game. Fans, experts and casual baseball enthusiasts anticipate an even better season for Collins this coming 2023.

“Getting my first taste of Minor League baseball was very humbling but finding the right mentality also allowed me to become the most pure and authentic version of myself, which kept me motivated because I’m not only growing and getting better as a baseball player, I’m growing and getting better as a person too.” Ty shares about his first two runs in the Minor League.

In the Off Season, he was also on the cast of two Netflix shows, “Colin in Black & White”, an American six- episode limited fictionalized drama series. He doubled Actor Jayden Michael during all the baseball pitching scenes who played as Colin Kaepernick in the series. He also was on the cast of “All American- Homecoming as Actor Payton Alex Smith’s double for all of the pitching and baseball scenes, his love and passion for baseball shining through even off the field.

Ty’s passion developed an indestructible love for the game because growing up he witnessed how much baseball itself has connected families, friendships and built life long brotherhoods. He has witnessed people being brought closer through a shared interest in baseball. In this experience, he draws motivation in his game in the hopes of someday being able to inspire someone and change their outlook in baseball as well. 

While Ty is still starting his career, he is already planning to further solidify his name in the baseball community. As legendary baseball player and manager Chuck Tanner once said, “The greatest feeling in the world is to win a major league game. The second greatest feeling is to lose a major league game.” So we are all counting on Ty’s upward trajectory to eventually playing in the big leagues.

Sharan Gupta’s Wonderful And Whimsical Directorial Debut Mark A Renaissance For The oft-maligned Art Form: The Web Series

NY Weekly Staff on November 14, 2022

Web series have been around since the late 1990s. Over the last two-plus decades tens of thousands of writers, directors, and actors have created series to showcase their talents – all with the hopes of becoming big Hollywood stars and household names. However, the vast majority of internet series have fallen flat for a variety of reasons: poor acting, bad direction, stilted writing, and cheap production values.

Web series have had a fraught history: In 2008, the creators of thirtysomething sunk millions into the web series Quarterlife. NBC decided to develop the concept into a series. It lasted just one episode. Also in 2008, Darren Star developed We Need Girlfriends for Sony Pictures and CBS. We Need Girlfriends was created by amateur filmmakers Steven Tsapelas, Angel Acevedo, and Brian Amyot. CBS and Sony spent two years and tens of millions of dollars developing the show. The pilot tested so badly that Tsapelas, Acevedo, and Amyot were fired and the project was scrapped. Issa Rae’s mega-hit 2016 HBO series Insecure was based on her web-show Awkward Black Girl. Rae’s prodigious talent, endless charm, and brilliant writing make her success all but destined. No one has ever come close to following in her footsteps.

The fact is that there are a ton of web series out there and none of them are very good or even watchable beyond the first ad roll. Imagine my chagrin when I was asked to Sharan Gupta’s new series, Bearded. Bearded is a modern-day relationship series about lovelorn 20- somethings. I was prepared to slog through a terrible series. I saw a rough cut of the series, which is still in post-production and I was pleasantly surprised. Sharan Gupta’s ambitious web series Bearded is wonderful and brilliant.

The eight-episode series follows free-spirited K, played by Ketra Long. K lives with her boyfriend and best friend, Derek, played by Kevin Le. One day, K catches Derek in bed with another man – K realizes that she is Derek’s beard, hence the title Bearded. The series follows K’s struggle to deal with her feelings for Derek while still pretending to be his girlfriend. Derek is not out to his parents and he needs K to play along until he works up the courage to come out. The show has everything: deft and relatable humor, unrequited love, high-stakes family drama, and realistic LGBTQ representation. Sharan Gupta’s casting of Long and Le is a masterstroke. They look as if they were made for this project. Sharan Gupta’s series is cut from the exact same cloth as Transparent and Love, Simon. Bearded is light, fun, and very well crafted. Long and Le are well casted. They take a well-treaded premise and make it fresh with their charm and breezy style.

The real shining star is director Sharan Gupta. Gupta shows skill and exceptional talent with the camera and shot selection. He gets so much out of his young actors that it’s hard to believe Gupta himself is so young. Gupta makes the series his own, crafting every scene and composing every shot with the deftness and expertise of a seasoned pro. If there is any single element that will start the resurgence of the web series as a serious art form it’s Gupta’s unparalleled vision. Gupta’s direction marks him as one of the premiere directors to watch. Gupta takes every single element of the production and makes it his own.

Gupta’s production design is simple and works very well. The costumes he selected are not garish and fit the style of the characters. His music choices put him in the category of Edgar Wright, each track enhances the raw human emotion the viewer will feel in every scene. Gupta’s shooting locations give us a nice view of hipster Los Angeles. Sharan Gupta’s cinematographer, Nishant Prabhakar, use of light and color is wonderful. The series, which is solely edited by Gupta, is leisurely and gives the scenes and the actors time to breathe. The sound design is on point. Gupta’s shows restraint by blending all these elements together. The series’ tone is the perfect mix of humor and drama – it does not bombard your senses. He teases them, but you never feel as if it’s too much. 

The series star Ketra Long also wrote the pilot episode with K. Alex Fletcher. The dialogue feels natural and not overworked. The characters are all fully formed people that exist in the real world. The descriptions are vivid and strong, giving the reader clear and indelible mental images. The scripts are very well done. However, it’s Sharan’s pure and unmatched artistry that elevates already good work into the realm of the sublime. 

I believe Bearded should be in your top eight shows that you must watch. The show’s biggest strength is the length of the episodes. At ten minutes a piece the viewer never feels like the show is overstaying its welcome. Bearded gets five stars. Bearded is a narrative series, which, I’m sure, every distributor will fight to pick up. The target audience are millennials, and generation Z viewers who want the next, great streaming binge. 

On top of the entertainment value, the series will spark a conversation among thoughtful viewers. The series questions preconceived ideas about relationships, love, sexuality, identity, race, and familial relationships. One cannot walk away from watching Bearded without questioning your preconceived views on the nature of boyfriend/girlfriend relationships and what love, friendship, allyship, representation, and support really means. 

This series deserves to be made, and Sharan Gupta deserves to be a star director. Sharan Gupta is a once-in-a-century talent and this project is one that no one should miss. I look forward to all the great things this young man has to offer the world of cinema. Once people absorb this show and see just how high Gupta sets the bar he might have single-handedly given the web series new life. Gupta throws the gauntlet down and I predict that many will pick it up and finally start the Platinum Age Of Independent Web Series.

Determined Teenager to Prominent Watch-Collector—Zach Lu’s Long Journey with Luxury Watches

NY Weekly Staff on November 14, 2022

At age 32, New York watch collector Zachary Lu, also known as @zachattack__25 to his 82.9K instagram followers, has become a fascinating figure both in the world of horology and to the general public who avidly follow his social media collecting journey. However, Zach’s penchant for tasteful timepieces blossomed prior to the age of instagram, and long before he had an iota of reputation among collectors. In fact, when Zach Lu talks about starting the clock on his collector’s journey, he goes back in time and nostalgically relives his teenage years. 

Zach Lu spent his formative teenage years in the early 2000s, and according to Zach, “if you were a guy” a 2000s kid, you were either really into cars or really into watches”. Zach’s teenage-guy diversion was certainly watches, but his enthusiasm for wrist pieces was far from superficial. At 15, he managed to slap an elegant—and usually-adult-appreciated-–Gucci Quartz watch onto his teenage wrist. When the beloved watch’s needles came to a sudden standstill some months later, Zach was crushed and went about trying to fix it with the doggedness of a scientist yearning for a breakthrough. “There was no instagram, facebook, or twitter, barely anything on the internet,” he said. “So I went to a bookstore to research options.” Although Zach realized that his Quartz had simply run out of battery, he spent several days with his nose in whatever horology treatise he could lay his hands on, and, while he was so sequestered in books about time, he truly began to understand what a luxury timepiece signified. The world of watches was opening for him, elegantly, breathtakingly, and Zach was intoxicated by the lure of what a sophisticated watch could usher into his existence. 

It wasn’t long before Zach Lu was noticed by stalwarts in the Geneva watch circle. In 2005, Vacheron Constantin celebrated their 250th anniversary of exceptional watchmaking and Zach Lu was on hand. He dipped his toe in the Geneva pool of watch personalities by attending the Antiquorum thematic auction dedicated to ‘The Quarter Millennium of Vacheron Constantin’, and acquiring his “first legit purchase” here. In Geneva, Zach was also taken to Patek Philippe, one of the most renowned luxury brands in the world, by a well-meaning watch-loving family friend and he resultantly began to look for a Patek connection. Philippe Stern, the then-CEO of Patek Philippe had heard about the intriguing teenager who had picked up the nice VC and who now wanted an in with Patek; Stern asked the Geneva boutique to extend a personal invitation to the teenager. And suddenly, the bewildered and thrilled sixteen-year-old found himself touring Patek’s inner cogs with Patek personnel. This was quickly followed by lunch and an intimate life-changing tete-a-tete on all things horology with none other than Philippe Stern himself. 

Zach Lu’s early experience in Geneva was formative in making Zach the collector he is today. “That lunch [with Patek’s Stern] changed my view on horology,” remembers Zach. “I became a Patek loyalist. I’ve been buying from them for 17 years. I attend every Patek auction I can. I go to the Patek collector’s dinner every year without fail.” Indeed, more than half of Zach’s impressive collection is now Patek. He explains that he classifies his watches by how ‘classy’ or ‘sporty’ they may be. And Patek has continually satisfied his unending appetite for classy watches, with their undying elegance and bold choices. In his seventeen years as a VIP Patek client, Zach Lu has acquired the mythical 2499 1st Series, the Sky Moon Tourbillon 6002R and the limited edition Tiffany Nautilus in his most triumphant watch coup to date. When he wants to switch up his wrist adornment with something sporty he typically goes for Richard Mille watches, which he likes for their futuristic demeanor and innovative material design. Zach Lu, therefore, has close relationships with both Patek and Richard Mille, and anticipates a long and adventurous journey with both brands. And as he continually and successfully expands his prominence and prestigious future in the watch industry, he looks back at the beginnings of his horology pilgrim with wonder. He talks about recently meeting another teenage collector. “I love seeing young collectors and I see a lot of myself in them,” he said. “It’s bittersweet. It reminds me of getting older, but I also remember how lucky I’ve been.”

Diversity and Inclusion – The Key to Success

NY Weekly Staff on November 14, 2022

The collection of strategies, policies, and missions undertaken by a firm to establish and foster an inclusive workplace that draws a diverse pool of people from various cultural origins is called diversity and inclusion. Aside from providing a competitive advantage, organizations with D&I policies and procedures are more innovative and respectful of diverse viewpoints, attracting top talent in any field. Although they are often used interchangeably, diversity and inclusion are not the same things. In the workplace, inclusion involves ensuring that every employee feels included and a team member. A diverse workforce feels appreciated, seen, heard, and respected. As a result, you will see increased creativity, teamwork, and employee engagement.

While the value of diversity and inclusion in the workplace cannot be overstated, knowing where to begin and how to apply effective practices or methods can be difficult.

Diversity and inclusion are critical to the success of any company. According to a 2020 McKinsey & Co. study, organizations that value diversity and inclusion are 35% more likely to have greater financial returns than firms that do not. Furthermore, Deloitte research discovered that workplace diversity and inclusion might enhance creativity by up to 20%. It’s also an essential consideration for many of today’s job applicants, with 70% saying they want to work for a firm that values diversity and inclusion.

Michael Bach, a well-known Author, has written two books centered around diversity and inclusion at work, “Birds of All Feathers: Doing Diversity and Inclusion Right” and ” Alphabet Soup: The Essential Guide To LGBTQ2+ Inclusion at Work.” The second book revolves around LGBTQ+ inclusion at work.  Bach is the founder of the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion (CCDI) and CEO of CCDI Consulting.

Handling diversity and inclusion

In his work, Michael Bach emphasizes the need for inclusion to be promoted at all levels and owned by the leadership. It is inadequate to hire someone to handle diversity and inclusion. It is vital that leadership accepts responsibility for it and then prioritizes inclusiveness throughout the organization. The first stage is creating a business case in the workplace, and companies should always ask themselves why having a diverse and inclusive workplace is essential. They should next figure out what specific difficulties keep them from becoming one. Then it will be time to plan and carry out their problem-solving strategy. Finally, before repeating the procedure, students should assess their efforts, outcomes, and thoughts.

The right thing to do

The importance of inclusion and diversity in building employee engagement is emphasized throughout the book. It provides a complete picture of diversity, pushing the reader to see the need to implement it into all aspects of a business and highlighting its capacity to enhance production when supported by leadership and principles.

Michael Bach challenges the notion that diversity and inclusion are merely “the right thing to do.” Bach has demonstrated the strategic importance of driving D&I in all types of organizations by integrating his vast subject matter expertise with instructive business situations. On the other hand, the inclusion of LGBTQ+ at work is another topic that Bach has shed a broader light on in his second book.

Creating an LGBTQ+ inclusive workplace

Creating an LGBTQ+ inclusive workplace is not just moral thing to do; it also makes good commercial sense. Employees are protected, valued, and able to participate fully in inclusive settings. According to Oxford research, people who are engaged with their work are 13% more productive, which equates to higher levels of productivity for any organization.

All people, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation, should have equal access to opportunities and services, and their safety should be protected. Nonetheless, people who identify as LGBTQ+ are among society’s most excluded and stigmatized members. Because of their actual or suspected sexual orientation and gender identity, they are more vulnerable to discrimination, abuse, and prejudice. This may have long-term consequences for their social and psychological well-being and a considerable detrimental influence on society as a whole.

Honors and recognition

CCDI Consulting has received many distinctions under Bach’s leadership, including the Canadian HR Reporter Readers’ Choice Award in the category of Diversity/Employment Equity Consultant in every year the award has been given (since 2016). Bach’s book “Birds of All Feathers: Doing Diversity and Inclusion Right” Received the prestigious 2020 Silver Natilus Award in the category of Rising to the Moment.

Bach has personally received multiple recognitions for his work. He received the Catalyst Canada Honors Human Resources/Diversity Leader award in 2011 and the LGBTQ Workplace Advocate award from Start Proud. He also won the Inspire Award for LGBTQ Person of the Year in 2011, the Pride at Work Canada Leadership Award in 2012, and the Women of Influence’s Canadian Diversity Champions awards in 2011 and 2012.

Steadfastness Brought By Education

NY Weekly Staff on November 14, 2022

Education is learning new information and developing a grasp of many topics that can be applied to daily life. Education is not just about learning things from books; it may also involve real-world experience outside the classroom. Education provides stability in life that no one can ever take away. Being well-educated and obtaining a college degree increases your chances of landing a better job and opening new avenues for yourself. Education is more important than ever during the developmental phases of children. It is a period for youngsters to develop social and mental abilities that will be essential for their future growth and success. Childhood education also allows children to understand themselves and their interests.

People may become better citizens by learning what is good and wrong, resulting in a better society when rules are observed. An educated nation understands the value of voting, but not mindlessly, and with an awareness of what their party genuinely stands for. Education may also assist individuals in acquiring employment, which is essential for a country’s survival. Education is more vital than ever and has reached new heights as people understand what it comprises better. While a college degree is regarded as very useful for a successful profession and social acceptance in modern culture, it is not the sole source of education.

Trinidad and Tobago’s education system is partly and mostly based on the British school system, and it is obligatory between the ages of 5 and 16. With a literacy rate of over 98%, Trinidad and Tobago is regarded as one of the most educated countries in the world. In educating people, teachers play a pivotal role, and Dr. Lennox Superville is a valid example of a teacher who makes a difference by effectively educating their students.

The role of a teacher

The teacher’s role is to assist students in learning by transferring knowledge and establishing an environment in which students can and will learn efficiently. However, teachers play a variety of functions that differ from culture to society and from educational to educational level. Some roles are played at school, while others are in the community.

Dr. Lennox Superville’s voyage

On June 10, 1942, Dr. Lennox Superville was born in Fyzabad, Trinidad. When Dr. Lennox Superville was seven years old and a student at Nelson Street Boys’ R.C. School in Port of Spain, Trinidad, he received the tragic news that his mother had passed away from a heart attack. Dr. Lennox Superville was profoundly startled and grieved by this information. Naturally, none of these things can make a child’s pain over losing his mother go away. Dr. Lennox Superville still gets choked up thinking about this occurrence. Dr. Lennox Superville was 13 years old when he entered Osmond High School, 5th Street San Juan, Trinidad, and Tobago, to study for the General Certificate Examination (GCE) O’ Level exams. He didn’t let anything stand in his way of passing various GCE O’ Level topics. Dr. Lennox Superville then began teaching at Immanuel’s High School Barataria, T&T, in 1961, mostly as a Mathematics instructor.

Superville began working as an adjunct lecturer at Hunter College in New York City in 1972 and was promoted to assistant professor with tenure in 1978. Additionally, he gave lectures on basic programming at Columbia University in the City of New York (CUNY) in the summer of 1977, biostatistics for nurses at St. Joseph College Brooklyn in the fall of 1978, and Basic Skills: Arithmetic and Algebra, A Modular Approach (1978, 1979) for first-year students enrolling in CUNY through Open Admissions. Superville was co-chair of the CUNY Mathematics Discussion Group Journal (1978-79).

Dr. Lennox Superville has been the Executive Director of Infosysarchitecture, Ltd. in Maraval, Trinidad, since July 2021. He was the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Co-Founder of Infosysarchitecture, LLC in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 2009. Since March 2020, he has been the leader of Immanuel’s High School Alumni of T&T, Limited, a non-profit organization. He founded LESA Communications in Raleigh, North Carolina, in 1989. In Trinidad and Tobago, LESA Communications concentrated on installing satellite dishes. A career change from assistant director at the Department of Public Instruction to the director, then chief information officer at the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor in Raleigh, NC, was made possible because of LESA.

Rosa Cesareo’s Single “Pretty Eyes” Secures 13th Spot at UK Music Week Commercial Pop Chart

NY Weekly Staff on November 14, 2022

Many people want to pursue music as a career, hoping to do what they love for a living while sharing their passion with others. But the road to music stardom is far from easy. One needs to develop their musical talent and spend time honing their craft, which is what 21-year-old Rosa Cesareo has done relentlessly over the years. Today, she is enjoying the fruits of her labor.

Rosa Cesareo is a musician and artist from Las Vegas, Nevada, best known for two hit songs, “Pretty Eyes” and “Cruisin’.” Both songs have been making rounds on streaming platforms and radio waves. On September 7th, 2022, she released her single “Pretty Eyes,” which recently hit the UK Music Week Commercial Pop Chart and gathered raving reviews from fans and new listeners. The song debuted at #19 on the chart and is currently at #13, with a recent surge in streaming activity.

Rosa was born to immigrant parents who moved to the United States before meeting in California and later moving to Nevada. Her Iranian mother and Italian father first noticed her passion for music when she was four, playing her Hello Kitty CD player repeatedly and drawing herself to music no matter the occasion. That would become the starting point of Rosa’s musical journey. 

The artist’s skills have brought her many prestigious honors and opportunities. One of her most valued achievements is gaining admission to Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, an awe-inspiring feat for a promising talent like Rosa, who has never had formal musical training before. She grew her craft by finding other ways to learn. Her eagerness to entertain others, singing her favorite songs by Gwen Stefani, Amy Winehouse, and Brittney Spears, has been a strong driving force. 

Rosa stands out because of her rich and distinct singing voice, which has captured people’s attention and interest non-stop. Despite her parents not being musicians, they exposed Rosa to different kinds of music from different cultures at an early age. As a result, she has developed a global taste in music that has shaped her bold and unique sound. As a way of supporting her passion, her father bought her a piano as a gift, and she learned how to play it by watching the pianists’ hands note by note until she could play it herself.

When she was 15, Rosa became inspired to write songs that allowed her to express herself during a tumultuous time. After writing and releasing her originals on SoundCloud for several years, Rosa decided to pursue music for her higher education. 

At present, Rosa is in her final year of studying Production and Sound Design. While pursuing her studies, she also performs her original songs at solo, duo, and band gigs in Las Vegas and Boston.

With technology and worldwide coverage of today, it’s easier than ever to make and establish a music career. However, that does not mean the journey won’t be hard. As a promising artist who is ready to take over the world one day, Rosa stays positive and keeps her love for music alive during the process. 

 

Troy Sandidge’s Strategize Up Reveals Marketing Secrets Entrepreneurs Need for Growth

NY Weekly Staff on November 13, 2022

Despite the difference in products, services, or methods, all businesses share one thing in common: to be successful. The metrics for success depend on their growth, profitability, and impact. In the United States alone, over 600,000 new businesses are created every year, but only about 30% of the ventures succeed, proving that entrepreneurship is truly not a walk in the park. With fierce competition in every industry and the various demands to cope with the need to make a presence in the digital space through marketing, many entrepreneurs fail to make the cut. 

Award-winning growth strategist Troy Sandidge has seen many cases of unsuccessful businesses and saw that their strategies fail because of the three Cs: complexity, confusion, and complications. With his new book, Strategize Up: The Simplified Blueprint to Scaling Your Business, he aims to provide entrepreneurs with a blueprint anyone would be able to decipher to grow and scale their businesses.

Strategize Up was written to tackle dilemmas entrepreneurs are facing in their businesses and help them grow and scale faster in a sustainable method. Better known as the Strategy Hacker®, the author has made his mark in various scopes, demand gen, sales enablement, inbound and digital marketing strategies, cultural anthropology, business ethnography, and behavioral science. Banking on his experiences and knowledge in sales, he has helped his clients generate hundreds of millions of dollars in returns and has been instrumental in launching over 35 brands worldwide.

“My goal in writing this book is to make growth simple no matter the business, industry, profession, or how much experience you have in marketing and sales,” said the author. “I’ve compiled over a decade of experience and insights into a written blueprint that doesn’t make marketing intimidating but instead easy to understand in the hopes to show the reader that growth is possible,” Sandidge added. 

Strategize Up presents readers with a manifesto of concepts, frameworks, methodologies, and tactics. It is designed to guide and empower small businesses, entrepreneurs, and emerging brands to properly navigate their industry, boost their marketing strategy, and accelerate their trajectory toward growth and profitability. Sandidge recognizes how challenging it is for brands and businesses to stay on top in today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world. With Strategize Up, he aims to equip them to better face the digital space.

Sandidge’s book is tailored around three main points about successful business strategies: they need to be simple, scalable, and sustainable. By mastering the three components, the strategist believes that anyone can address the three Cs hindering them from reaching the summit of their respective industries. 

“This book will provide you with simple concepts on how to tap into millions of buyers with your story, which social media channels to use to activate and amplify your brand message, and how to incorporate the right mindset and level of momentum necessary to achieve business success. You will learn how to level up your marketing using high-quality content, get (and retain) business during the toughest times, and go from formulating strategies to building systems to developing solutions to scaling your business for sustainable growth,” Sandidge said. 

On top of enriching lives with Strategize Up, Sandidge is also hosting a weekly podcast called iDigress, hailed one of the Top 100 Marketing Podcasts today. 

How One Tech Startup is Helping Businesses Discover What’s Hidden in Plain Sight

NY Weekly Staff on November 12, 2022

In a post-pandemic world where businesses are eager to get back out there to build relationships, establish connections and expand their brand, one tool strives to make things simpler when it comes to business events. 

Plain Sight prides itself in being an innovative way of sponsoring, hosting, or attending business events. Networking events can be critical for marketers looking to promote their brands, event hosts looking to make more money, and event-goers looking to expand their networks. Plain Sight caters to all three. Their technology has something for everyone when it comes to building business connections. What sets Plain Sight apart?

A successful networking event will strengthen business connections and get you noticed. The problem is that the time, money, and energy invested into business events often don’t produce a positive return for those who sponsor, host, and attend them. To solve this problem,  Plain Sight closes the gap by providing a one-stop shop for everyone involved.  

Sponsoring an event 

While hosting can be overwhelming, sponsoring an event brings its own set of concerns. You may be a business looking to sponsor a certain type of event, but you need help finding the right one. If this is the case, Plain Sight can connect you with the right opportunities. Brands looking to partner with business events can connect with hosts outside their network and will only be notified only about opportunities that align with their goals. Plain Sight will serve as their single point of contact for all agreements and payments, as well as provide them with outcome reports for each sponsored event. Plain Sight acts as their concierge service for event marketing opportunities. Without being charged fees or upfront costs, brands save time, save money and better measure their ROI.

Hosting an event 

If you’ve ever hosted a business event, you know how much effort goes into it. Finding sponsors, event marketing, and keeping things organized can be very time-consuming and overwhelming – especially if you operate a smaller business or are just starting out. Without the right sponsors and turnout, your event can be a loss rather than a gain. Plain Sight allows you to keep your event organized by handling its registration and connecting you with the right sponsor for your event with no upfront cost. Plain Sight’s event technology allows event hosts to offer a better attendee experience as well as generate additional revenue.

Attending an event 

Plain Sight doesn’t just work for sponsors and hosts. One thing that sets Plain Sight apart from other event apps is that attendee participation continues beyond registering for an event. Once you register, you can set up a profile with your interests or abilities. The platform will then look at the profiles of other people who have registered for the same event and provide suggestions of who you should connect with based on your interests taking the guessing game out of the event itself. Instead of spending half the night talking to people that you really don’t connect with, your interactions will be more intentional. Not only does Plain Sight help event-goers expand their network, but it also allows them to discover networking events that are available in their area. 

Named Apple’s App of the Day, Plain Sight is making waves with event organizers all over the country and a community of over 20,000 event-goers. Businesses are eager to make up for lost times post-pandemic, including expanding networks and getting people connected. Plain Sight can help companies do just that. 

How Hand-Crafted Bottle Breacher Products are Merging Patriotism and Compassion to Support Veterans

NY Weekly Staff on November 11, 2022

In a 2019 Pews Research Study, 47% of post-9/11 veterans surveyed said they had difficulty transitioning from military to civilian life. For Mike and Amber Wall, a husband and wife team with patriotism pulsing through their veins, that’s 47% too many. 

With deep honor and respect for the men and women who served fearlessly in the armed forces, they knew they wanted to impact the lives of veterans, but were not sure how. Amber had already worked 20 years in a corporate environment where she helped train veterans transitioning into the workforce but often felt limited by corporate bureaucracy and values that didn’t align with her own. Mike watched her struggle courageously as he wrestled with his own inability to do more for veterans.

Then Bottle Breacher happened. 

When Mike and Amber purchased the company made famous on the hit show Shark Tank, they knew their chance to make a difference had arrived. After acquiring the company from the original founder, Navy Seal Eli Crane and his wife, Jen Crane and two of the show’s investors, Mark Cuban and Kevin O’Leary, Mike and Amber strapped in for the ride of a lifetime. 

What is Bottle Breacher? 

With a tip of their hat and a knowing grin, the two owners will say you can call their flagship product a bottle opener if you want to, but then you’d be missing out on the “so much more” that makes their product unique. It’s a brand—a brand that helps instill value and respect. 

“We are parents and patriots first; Bottle Breacher is just a small piece of our responsibility as both.” – Amber Wall

Most bottle openers are generic pieces of metal with a hole cut out on one end. If you’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all, until your eyes take in the exquisite craftsmanship of a Bottle Breacher. The handcrafted .50 cal bullet bottle openers (also in sizes 20mm and 30mm) are statement pieces that not only represent the heart and soul of the US military but are also a reminder of the freedom offered through the sacrifices of so many.

The once-shot bullet bottle openers are made from dummy ammunition and are completely safe. Each Bottle Breacher goes through a meticulous, handcrafted process that includes,

  • Reloading each bullet bottle opener
  • Cutting for the opener
  • Tumbling, then handpicking each one to ensure the best quality
  • Prepping and cleaning for a powder coating to provide a smooth finish
  • Laser engraving (if personalized)
  • Repolishing and inspecting for quality control

All manufacturing is completed in-house in one of their three industrial suites by patriots (veterans and civilians) who believe in the Bottle Breacher company mission. 

“Military appreciation is not one month out of the year, but every day of the year. We are forever grateful for our freedom, which has also provided us with this opportunity to serve those who have served us.” – Mike Wall

Bottle Breacher is a different kind of company. “Support, appreciate and encourage” are the guiding principles behind everything they do, and “hiring more of our brave men and women who keep our flag flying every day” is at the top of their list. 

To learn more about the variety of Bottle Breacher luxury gifts for men and their mission to support veterans, visit their website. 

Unifi.AI Brings Flexible Automated Solutions to Data Privacy Compliance

NY Weekly Staff on November 11, 2022

With 2.5 quintillion bytes of data created every day, many companies find themselves on the hamster wheel of compliance as they struggle to keep up with data privacy law updates while keeping customer information safe.

According to UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development), as more and more social and economic activities have [sic] “place online, the importance of privacy and data protection is increasingly recognized. Of equal concern is the collection, use and sharing of personal information with third parties without notice or consent of consumers. 137 out of 194 countries had put in place legislation to secure the protection of data and privacy.”

As the amount of information produced continues to grow, companies are looking for a more efficient way to secure data and manage the growing number of countries requiring data privacy compliance.

Data privacy compliance without automation leaves the door open to human error. The Enterprisers Project points out that, 

It is nearly impossible for organizations to be 100 percent compliant with their legal privacy obligations. Digital business ecosystems are constantly changing, creating new risks and areas of non-compliance. Meeting requirements and preventing breaches and incidents requires continuous diligence, and while some organizations take this seriously, others meet compliance once and say, “Whew, we’re done!”

Unifi.AI’s privacy platform provides consumers with simple privacy and encryption solutions that help companies build data flow diagrams with a single click. 

Co-founders Pramod Misra and Neha Tiwari started Unifi.AI with one ambitious goal in mind—solve some of the toughest problems of machine learning, data privacy and AI governance. 

Pramod brings 20 years of experience in data science and machine learning to Unifi.AI, and Neha’s background includes 15 years of data privacy consulting. With a laser focus on the possibilities automation could provide, together, they developed a platform that met and exceeded their goal.

Unifi.AI reduces the time companies spend on compliance and executing encryption or app permissions. The AI-led platform reduces setup time to one-third of the normal process. Companies can rest knowing that their compliance needs are handled automatically. 

Benefits of working with Unifi.AI:

Automated functional structure and data flow design

Data flow diagram created in a few hours rather than weeks or months

Risk assessment and matrix

Standard contractual clauses for your vendors and partners

Compliance with NIST/ISO27001 Frameworks

Risk quantification for each country and regulation

Unifi.AI doesn’t collect or store any information on its platform, so information is only viewable on the client side. 

With Unifi.AI, companies don’t have to worry whether they are getting compliance right by doing it themselves or hiring a privacy expert. Unifi.AI’s easy-to-use platform allows companies to comply with multiple data privacy laws (e.g. GDPR, CCPA, HIPPA) with a single click. Everything is automated and hassle-free.

Learn more about how Unifi.AI is protecting customers’ data through automation on their website.

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