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ImmunityBio Appoints John Brennan and Wesley Clark to Board of Directors

CULVER CITY, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–ImmunityBio, Inc., a privately-held immunotherapy company, today announced the appointment of John Brennan, former Central Intelligence Agency Director, and Wesley Clark, retired U.S. Army General, to the company’s board of directors, effective immediately.

With the appointment of Messrs. Brennan and Clark, the company’s board expands to four directors, including Christobel Selecky, who was appointed to the board in August 2020, and Patrick Soon-Shiong, MD, Chairman and CEO of ImmunityBio. All four directors are expected to serve on the combined board of ImmunityBio and NantKwest (Nasdaq: NK) upon completion of the pending merger.

“As we expand our activities in today’s dynamic global environment, and make progress toward closing the NantKwest merger, assembling an outstanding Board to help oversee the continued execution of our strategy has been a top priority,” said Dr. Soon-Shiong. “We are excited to welcome John and Wesley to the ImmunityBio Board and look forward to benefiting from their significant international and government experience.”

“I am excited to join ImmunityBio at this important time for the company,” said Mr. Brennan. “ImmunityBio is doing pioneering work across oncology and infectious disease, and is poised to accelerate its progress when it joins together with NantKwest.”

Mr. Clark stated, “ImmunityBio is a unique company with a promising pipeline and multiple opportunities to deliver breakthrough advances. I am honored to begin working with Patrick and the rest of the Board and management team, leveraging my global expertise as the company enters its next phase.”

About John Brennan

Mr. Brennan served for 25 years in a variety of roles at the CIA, rising from analyst to station chief, and finally being appointed as the agency’s Director by President Barack Obama. He also served as Deputy National Security Advisor for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism. Brennan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Fordham University, and is a Distinguished Fellow at the Fordham University Law School. He earned a Master of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin, where he currently serves as a Distinguished Non-Resident Scholar and a senior advisor to the University’s Intelligence Studies Projects.

About Wesley Clark

General Clark served for 34 years in the U.S. Army, rising through the ranks to earn his fourth star as a full general in 1996. He served as the Supreme Allied Commander Europe of NATO where he commanded Operation Allied Force in the Kosovo War. Highly decorated throughout his career, Gen. Clark was awarded the U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Bill Clinton. He is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, where he was class valedictorian. After graduating from West Point, General Clark was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to the University of Oxford where he earned degrees in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. He earned a master’s degree in military science from the Command and General Staff College. General runs Wesley K. Clark and Associates consulting firm and is Chairman and CEO of Enverra, a boutique investment bank.

About Christobel Selecky

Ms. Selecky is a chief executive, entrepreneur and board member with more than 30 years of healthcare industry experience. Ms. Selecky held several leadership positions over her 14-year career at FHP International Corporation, including as President of the FHP California Health Plan. She subsequently co-founded, and served as President, CEO, and Executive Chairman of LifeMasters Supported SelfCare, a national leader in the field of disease and population health management. Ms. Selecky serves on corporate and not-for-profit boards of directors and, as a consultant helping improve patient engagement, population health outcomes, and healthcare cost management. In addition to ImmunityBio, she currently serves on the Boards of Directors of Paris-based Teleperformance, Satellite Healthcare, and Griswold Home Care. She is active in several board governance organizations such as NACD and Women Corporate Directors and is also a lecturer in Healthcare Entrepreneurship in the MBA program at the University of California, Irvine.

NantKwest Transaction

As previously announced on December 21, 2020, ImmunityBio entered into an agreement to combine in a stock-for-stock transaction with NantKwest. The combination, which is expected to close in the first half of 2021, will create a leading immunotherapy and cell therapy company focused on oncology and infectious disease.

About ImmunityBio

ImmunityBio, Inc. is a late-clinical-stage immunotherapy company developing next-generation therapies that drive immunogenic mechanisms for defeating cancers and infectious diseases. The company’s immunotherapy platform activates both the innate (natural killer cell and macrophage) and adaptive (T-cell) immune systems to create long-term “immunological memory.” This novel approach is designed to eliminate the need for high-dose chemotherapy, improve upon the outcomes of current CAR T-cell therapies, and extend beyond checkpoint inhibitors.

ImmunityBio’s platform is based on the foundation of three separate modalities: antibody cytokine fusion proteins, synthetic immunomodulators, and second-generation human adenovirus (hAd5) vaccine technologies.

Anktiva™ (ImmunityBio’s lead cytokine infusion protein) is a novel interleukin-15 (IL-15) superagonist complex and has received Breakthrough Therapy and Fast Track Designations from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for BCG-unresponsive CIS non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). The company is also in Phase 2 or 3 trials for indications such as first- and second-line lung cancer, triple-negative breast cancer, metastatic pancreatic cancer, recurrent glioblastoma, and soft tissue sarcoma in combination with the company’s synthetic immune modulator (Aldoxorubicin).

ImmunityBio is also developing therapies, including vaccines, for the prevention and treatment of HIV, influenza, and the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 with its second-generation human adenovirus (hAd5) vaccine technologies.

Forward-Looking Statements

This communication contains forward-looking statements relating to the proposed transaction involving NantKwest, Inc. (“NantKwest”) and ImmunityBio, Inc. (“ImmunityBio”), including financial estimates and statements as to the expected timing, completion and effects of the proposed transaction and statements relating to NantKwest and ImmunityBio’s future success in improving the treatment of various diseases and illnesses, including, but not limited to COVID-19 and cancer. Statements in this communication that are not statements of historical fact are considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), which are usually identified by the use of words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “continues”, “could”, “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “potential”, “predicts”, “projects,” “seeks,” “should,” “will,” and variations of such words or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are neither forecasts, promises nor guarantees, and are based on the current beliefs of NantKwest’s management and ImmunityBio’s management as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to NantKwest and ImmunityBio. Such statements reflect the current views of NantKwest and ImmunityBio with respect to future events and are subject to known and unknown risks, including business, regulatory, economic and competitive risks, uncertainties, contingencies and assumptions about NantKwest and ImmunityBio, including, without limitation, (i) inability to complete the proposed transaction because, among other reasons, conditions to the closing of the proposed transaction may not be satisfied or waived, (ii) uncertainty as to the timing of completion of the proposed transaction, (iii) potential adverse effects or changes to relationships with employees, suppliers or other parties resulting from the announcement or completion of the proposed transaction, (iv) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against the parties and others related to the potential transaction between NantKwest and ImmunityBio, (v) possible disruptions from the proposed transaction that could harm NantKwest’s or ImmunityBio’s respective business, including current plans and operations, (vi) unexpected costs, charges or expenses resulting from the proposed transaction, (vii) uncertainty of the expected financial performance of the combined company following completion of the proposed transaction, including the possibility that the expected synergies and value creation from the proposed transaction will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected time period, (viii) the ability of each of NantKwest or ImmunityBio to continue its planned preclinical and clinical development of its respective development programs, and the timing and success of any such continued preclinical and clinical development and planned regulatory submissions, (ix) inability to retain and hire key personnel, and (x) the unknown future impact of the COVID-19 pandemic delay on certain clinical trial milestones and/or NantKwest’s or ImmunityBio’s operations or operating expenses. More details about these and other risks that may impact NantKwest’s business are described under the heading “Risk Factors” in NantKwest’s most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and in subsequent filings made by NantKwest with the SEC, which are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. NantKwest and ImmunityBio caution you not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. NantKwest and ImmunityBio do not undertake any duty to update any forward-looking statement or other information in this communication, except to the extent required by law. No representation is made as to the safety or effectiveness of these product candidates for the therapeutic use for which such product candidates are being studied.

Certain information contained in this communication relates to or is based on studies, publications, surveys and other data obtained from third-party sources and NantKwest’s and ImmunityBio’s own internal estimates and research. While NantKwest and ImmunityBio believe these third-party sources to be reliable as of the date of this communication, it has not independently verified, and makes no representation as to the adequacy, fairness, accuracy or completeness of, any information obtained from third-party sources. In addition, all of the market data included in this communication involves a number of assumptions and limitations, and there can be no guarantee as to the accuracy or reliability of such assumptions. Finally, while NantKwest and ImmunityBio each believes its own internal research is reliable, such research has not verified by any independent source.

No Offer or Solicitation

This communication is not intended to and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, sell or solicit any securities or any proxy, vote or approval in any jurisdiction pursuant to or in connection with the proposed transaction or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be deemed to be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act.

Additional Information and Where to Find It

In connection with the proposed transaction, NantKwest filed with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4, which included a prospectus and joint proxy / solicitation statement of NantKwest and ImmunityBio (the “solicitation statement/prospectus”). The registration statement was declared effective on February 1, 2021 and the solicitation statement/prospectus was first mailed to stockholders of NantKwest on or about February 5, 2021. NantKwest may also file other documents regarding the proposed transaction with the SEC. This communication does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities or a solicitation of any vote or approval. This communication is not intended to be, and is not, a substitute for such filings or for any other document that NantKwest may file with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION, INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO CAREFULLY READ THE ENTIRE REGISTRATION STATEMENT AND SOLICITATION STATEMENT / PROSPECTUS, AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THESE DOCUMENTS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. Investors and security holders are able to obtain free copies of the registration statement and solicitation statement/prospectus and other documents once they are filed with the SEC by NantKwest through the website maintained by the SEC at www.sec.gov. In addition, investors and security holders are able to obtain free copies of the prospectus and other documents filed with the SEC on NantKwest’s website at www.ir.nantkwest.com.

Participants in the Solicitation

NantKwest and certain of its respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from stockholders of NantKwest in connection with the proposed transaction under the rules of the SEC. Investors may obtain information regarding the names, affiliations and interests of directors and executive officers of NantKwest in NantKwest’s proxy statement for its 2020 annual meeting of stockholders, which was filed with the SEC on April 24, 2020, as well as its other filings with the SEC. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, are included in the registration statement, solicitation statement / prospectus and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC by NantKwest regarding the proposed transaction (if and when they become available). You may obtain free copies of these documents at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Copies of documents filed with the SEC will also be available free of charge from NantKwest using the sources indicated above.

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Arlo Technologies to Present at the Raymond James 42nd Annual Virtual Institutional Investors Conference

SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Arlo Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: ARLO), a leading internet-connected security camera brand, today announced that Matthew McRae, CEO, and Gordon Mattingly, CFO, will present at the Raymond James 42nd Annual Virtual Institutional Investors Conference.

	Date:				Monday, March 1, 2021
	Time:				1:20 p.m. ET

The presentation will also be webcast on Arlo’s IR website at http://investor.arlo.com. Interested parties should access the webcast approximately 10 minutes before the scheduled start time. The webcast replay will be available as soon as possible following the event on Arlo’s IR website.

About Arlo Technologies, Inc.

Arlo is the award-winning, industry leader that is transforming the way people experience the connected lifestyle. Arlo’s deep expertise in product design, wireless connectivity, cloud infrastructure and cutting-edge AI capabilities focuses on delivering a seamless, smart home experience for Arlo users that is easy to setup and interact with every day. The company’s cloud-based platform provides users with visibility, insight and a powerful means to help protect and connect in real-time with the people and things that matter most, from any location with a Wi-Fi or a cellular connection. To date, Arlo has launched several categories of award-winning smart connected devices, including wire-free smart WiFi and LTE-enabled security cameras, video doorbells, and floodlight.

With a mission to bring users peace of mind, Arlo is as passionate about protecting user privacy as it is about safeguarding homes and families. Arlo is committed to supporting industry standards for data protection designed to keep users’ personal information private and in their control. Arlo doesn’t monetize personal data, provides enhanced controls for user data, supports privacy legislation, keeps user data safely secure, and puts security at the forefront of company culture.

Source: Arlo-F

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Posted on February 24, 2021 9:03 am

KONE Strengthens Its Partnership With Orange Business Services and Migrates Its Contact Center Infrastructure to the Cloud

KONE Strengthens Its Partnership With Orange Business Services and Migrates Its Contact Center Infrastructure to the Cloud

• Moving global contact center to the cloud to simplify and optimize operations
• Key element for transformation of the customer service experience

PARIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–KONE, a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, has strengthened its partnership with Orange Business Services by moving its global contact center solution to the cloud. This is part of KONE’s ongoing commitment to delivering a high-quality end user experience worldwide.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210224005552/en/

KONE customer care centers are a vital component for customer service, both for the end-user and direct business customers. (photo credit: Orange Business Services)

KONE customer care centers are a vital component for customer service, both for the end-user and direct business customers. They play a strong role in overseeing critical elevator operations, service records and technical data.

By moving the contact center infrastructure to the cloud, KONE will be able to benefit from scalability, flexible omnichannel capabilities, intelligent call routing and built-in security. The contact center can handle email, voice, and alarms for sites around the world and is integrated into KONE’s remote monitoring platform.

“Orange Business Services is playing an important role in helping us with our digital transformation by migrating our contact center solution to the cloud. This will further enhance our customer experience and pave the way for further innovation in our customer support service,” said Antti Koskelin, Chief Information Officer, KONE.

As part of the agreement, Orange has established five contact center hubs globally to simplify and optimize the organization, moving away from a site-based infrastructure to the cloud. The solution spans 35 contact center sites across all continents.

“We are honored to have KONE’s continued trust to improve and innovate its business-critical customer support function. Our global cloud expertise and experience will provide KONE with an optimized and flexible solution, offering improved scalability, cost-improvements and potential for innovation,” said Fabrice de Windt, Senior Vice President, Europe, Orange Business Services.

About Kone

At KONE, our mission is to improve the flow of urban life. As a global leader in the elevator and escalator industry, KONE provides elevators, escalators and automatic building doors, as well as solutions for maintenance and modernization to add value to buildings throughout their life cycle. Through more effective People Flow®, we make people’s journeys safe, convenient and reliable, in taller, smarter buildings. In 2020, KONE had annual sales of EUR 9.9 billion, and at the end of the year over 60,000 employees. KONE class B shares are listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd. in Finland. For more information visit: www.kone.com

About Orange Business Services

Orange Business Services is a network-native digital services company and the global enterprise division of the Orange Group. It connects, protects and innovates for enterprises around the world to support sustainable business growth. Leveraging its connectivity and system integration expertise throughout the digital value chain, Orange Business Services is well placed to support global businesses in areas such as software-defined networks, multi-cloud services, Data and AI, smart mobility services, and cybersecurity. It securely accompanies enterprises across every stage of the data lifecycle end-to-end, from collection, transport, storage and processing to analysis and sharing.

With companies thriving on innovation, Orange Business Services places its customers at the heart of an open collaborative ecosystem. This includes its 27,000 employees, the assets and expertise of the Orange Group, its technology and business partners, and a pool of finely selected start-ups. More than 3,000 multinational enterprises, as well as two million professionals, companies and local communities in France, put their trust in Orange Business Services.

For more information, visit www.orange-business.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and our blogs.

Orange is one of the world’s leading telecommunications operators with revenues of 42 billion euros in 2019 and 257 million customers worldwide at 30 September 2020. Orange is listed on the Euronext Paris (ORA) and on the New York Stock Exchange (ORAN). In December 2019, Orange presented its new “Engage 2025” strategic plan, guided by social and environmental accountability. While accelerating in growth areas, such as B-to-B services and placing data and AI at the heart of innovation, the entire Orange Group will be an attractive and responsible employer.

Orange and any other Orange product or service names included in this material are trademarks of Orange or Orange Brand Services Limited.

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KONE customer care centers are a vital component for customer service, both for the end-user and direct business customers. (photo credit: Orange Business Services)

Amazon Donates $15 Million to Code.org to Create New Equity-Minded Advanced Placement Computer Science Curriculum to Help High School Studentsin Underserved Communities Excel in Tech

New AP curriculum aims to increase access, participation, and long-term career success for high school students from communities currently underrepresented in tech – with Georgia, New Mexico,Ohio, Oklahoma, andPennsylvania set to pilot the program during the 2021-2022 school year

SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) today announced a $15 million donation from Amazon Future Engineer to nonprofit Code.org to support the development and launch of a new equity-minded Advanced Placement computer science programming curriculum. The new curriculum will teach students the same tools and concepts as the existing AP Computer Science A (AP CSA) course, and it will be built inclusively to take into account the unique cultural perspectives, interests, and experiences of Black, Latino, Native American (BLNA), and other minority students. By using a research-backed and culturally responsive approach to teaching in the curriculum, Code.org and Amazon Future Engineer hope to increase equitable access, participation, and achievement in computer science (CS) among high school students of all backgrounds and encourage more BLNA students to pursue careers in engineering.

For many students, taking AP CSA is an opportunity to earn a college credit equal to a first semester college CS course—a critical step in a student’s CS journey for long-term success. For example, Black students who take the AP CSA course are seven times more likely to study CS in college, according to the College Board, which administers the AP program. However, while Black students made up 15% of the U.S. student body in 2020, they comprised only 3.5% of exam takers—down from 3.9% in 2019 and largely flat for the years prior. Additionally, only 14% of the 70,000 students who took the AP CSA exam in 2020 were from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups* and only 25% of students identified as female, according to Code.org.

To make AP CSA more equitable and accessible to all, Code.org will design the new curriculum to incorporate students’ diverse interests and experiences into CS concepts. The goal is to empower students to investigate real-world concerns during class activities. Additionally, open-ended projects will enable students to demonstrate mastery of concepts that make no assumptions about their cultural backgrounds or life experiences. Students will also develop and model valuable, real-world career skills, such as conducting code reviews, tracing code segments, reading documentation, and writing code, with both the user and other developers in mind. Through firsthand experiences, students will ultimately be able to envision themselves as capable software engineers.

“Since its inception, our Amazon Future Engineer program has worked to ensure more students have the resources and skills they need to build their best futures,” said Jeff Wilke, former CEO Worldwide Consumer, Amazon. “With our donation to Code.org, we hope that even more students—from a wider variety of backgrounds—will be inspired and prepared to pursue computer science in high school, college, and beyond.”

“We are excited to develop a much-needed AP-level programming curriculum to inspire, engage, and prepare a more diverse population of students in high school computer science,” said Hadi Partovi, CEO and Founder of Code.org. “With our experience of designing CS curricula that break records in student participation and diversity, we are confident of the curriculum’s potential impact, and we are grateful for Amazon’s generous support to make it possible.”

State education leaders in Georgia, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania have pledged to expand AP CSA during the 2021-2022 school year. Code.org will supply the curriculum and professional development workshops needed to offer the curriculum to all participating schools, ensuring all interested students will have a trained teacher to prepare them for the year-end exam administered by the College Board. Additionally, each state has committed to requiring all of its high schools in their states to offer computer science. Teachers and others interested in the program can sign up to receive news and updates as the curriculum development progresses. Code.org will make the new AP CSA curriculum available for all schools nationwide for the 2022-2023 school year.

“The Georgia Department of Education is committed to transforming computer science education from an elective available for a few students, to a foundational educational discipline accessible to all,” said Richard Woods, Georgia State School Superintendent. “This new AP Computer Science A curriculum will be designed to inspire, support, and prepare students from all backgrounds who want to pursue a CS path.”

In addition to working with states, Code.org is forming both an Education Advisory Council—composed of representatives from nonprofits, colleges, and universities, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities—and an Industry Advisory Council with representatives from a variety of employers. These councils will provide feedback in the development process to ensure the new AP CSA curriculum best prepares students for the next step in their education and careers.

The $15 million donation from Amazon Future Engineer, paid over three years, will also help Code.org enhance student awareness around academic and career pathways in computer science. The nonprofit will also use the funding to provide tools to help students succeed in college-level computer science classes and beyond. Amazon Future Engineer is Amazon’s signature CS program intended to inspire and educate students from underserved communities and groups currently underrepresented in tech to pursue careers in computer science. In addition, AWS is the strategic cloud solution that powers the Code.org platform for this new curriculum and other offerings like Hour of Code tutorials, ensuring millions of students across the world can learn uninterrupted using advance, secure cloud computing technologies.

Amazon’s partnership with Code.org is only one part of the company’s ongoing work to support education and racial equality initiatives in communities across the country. Recently, the company donated $10 million to organizations that are working to bring about social justice and improve the lives of Black and African Americans. Recipients are selected with the help of Amazon’s Black Employee Network (BEN) and include groups focused on fighting systemic racism through the legal system as well as those dedicated to expanding educational and economic opportunity for Black communities. Amazon followed its donation with an employee match program that garnered an additional $17 million, meaning the organizations received a total of $27 million from the Amazon community. In addition, Amazon teamed up with musician Pharrell Williams, his education equity nonprofit YELLOW, and the Georgia Institute of Technology last month to announce an ongoing collaboration called “Your Voice is Power” to encourage middle and high school students to share their voice about the importance of racial justice and equity while learning to code new music remixes.

About Amazon Future Engineer

At Amazon, we believe in the power of computer science to unleash creativity and unlock human potential. We also know that while talent and passion is spread across all young people, opportunity is not. That is why we created Amazon Future Engineer: our signature computer science education program designed to offer all young people the chance to build their best future. Amazon Future Engineer is a childhood to career program, offering programming that starts with primary school and continues through secondary into career. Amazon Future Engineer inspires and educates millions of students globally, including hundreds of thousands of students in the U.S. each year. Students explore computer science through school curriculum and project based learning using code to make music, program robots, and solve problems. Amazon Future Engineer also awards 100 students each year with four-year, $40,000 scholarships and paid internships at Amazon, and celebrates teachers with professional development and $25,000 Teacher of the Year Awards. Amazon Future Engineer is part of Amazon’s $50 million commitment to STEM and computer science education. The program is available in the U.S., UK, Canada, and France.

About Amazon

Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.

*URG or underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, by Code.org’s definition, refers to students from marginalized racial/ethnic groups underrepresented in computer science including students who are Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino/Latina/Latinx, Native American/Alaskan, and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. See more at code.org/diversity.

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Jerry Bruckheimer Joins Skillz Board of Directors

Bruckheimer’s appointment set to accelerate media industry shift towards interactive entertainment

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Skillz (NYSE: SKLZ), the leading mobile games platform bringing fair competition to players worldwide, today announced that famed film and television producer Jerry Bruckheimer has joined its board of directors. The appointment marks the first time that Bruckheimer has accepted a position on a public company board and comes less than three months after Skillz debuted on the New York Stock Exchange as the first publicly traded mobile esports platform.

“Skillz puts the excitement and competitive drama of esports into the hands of billions of people around the world,” said Bruckheimer, “and I’m excited to join the company defining the future of interactive entertainment.”

Bruckheimer has a deep track record of success across the entertainment spectrum. His films have collectively grossed more than $18 billion, ranking him among the top five producers of all time. He is the co-founder and co-majority owner of the National Hockey League franchise, the Seattle Kraken. Bruckheimer also served on the board of directors for privately-held Zenimax Media, the creator of hit gaming franchises Doom, Fallout, and Elder Scrolls. Zenimax was acquired by Microsoft in 2020 for $7.5 billion.

“Jerry has a unique ability to create blockbuster experiences that captivate global audiences and enrich the lives of billions of people,” said Andrew Paradise, CEO and founder of Skillz. “With Skillz, Jerry will have an interactive canvas to reach and engage his biggest audience yet.”

The mobile gaming industry is now almost twice the size of movies and is expected to more than double by 2025 to surpass $150 billion in revenue. Skillz is leading the gaming industry into the future, enabling players around the world to engage in fun and fair competition.

About Skillz Inc.

Skillz is the leading mobile games platform that connects players in fair, fun, and meaningful competition. The Skillz platform helps developers build multi-million dollar franchises by enabling social competition in their games. Leveraging its patented technology, Skillz hosts billions of casual esports tournaments for millions of mobile players worldwide, and distributes millions in prizes each month. Skillz has earned recognition as one of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies, CNBC’s Disruptor 50, Forbes’ Next Billion-Dollar Startups, and the #1 fastest-growing company in America on the Inc. 5000. www.skillz.com

About Jerry Bruckheimer

Perhaps the most successful film and television producer of all time, Jerry Bruckheimer’s productions include the monumentally successful films “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “National Treasure,” “Bad Boys,” and “Beverly Hills Cop” franchises, “Black Hawk Down,” “Pearl Harbor,” “Remember the Titans,” “Armageddon,” “The Rock,” “Crimson Tide,” “Top Gun” and “Flashdance.” Bruckheimer created “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,” which quickly became the number one show on television, and launched three successful spin-offs. Bruckheimer also produced “Without a Trace,” “Cold Case,” and ten-time Emmy Award-winning “The Amazing Race.”

In a career spanning more than 40 years, Bruckheimer’s films have collectively grossed more than $18 billion including box office and ancillary sales. His projects have been honored with 43 Academy Award nominations, 6 Oscars, 8 Grammy Award nominations, 5 Grammys, 23 Golden Globe nominations, 4 Golden Globes, 140 Emmy Award nominations, 23 Emmys, 36 People’s Choice nominations, 15 People’s Choice Awards, and numerous MTV Awards, including one for Best Picture of the Decade for “Beverly Hills Cop.”

Source: Skillz Inc.

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UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation Awards 25,000^th Grant

• Families can apply for grants online at www.UHCCF.org
• Since 2007, UHCCF has provided $54 million in medical grants to pay for children’s medical expenses not covered, or not fully covered, by a commercial health insurance plan

MINNETONKA, Minn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation (UHCCF) awarded its 25,000^th grant, continuing its mission of helping families gain greater access to medical care that improves the quality of life of children across the United States.

Since 2007, UHCCF has provided more than $54 million in medical grants to pay for children’s medical expenses not covered, or not fully covered, by a commercial health insurance plan. UHCCF’s funding is provided by contributions from individuals, corporations and UnitedHealth Group employees. As a company, UnitedHealth Group has contributed more than $1 billion to support healthy communities since 2000.

A family in Arizona received UHCCF’s 25,000th grant, which they used to pay for their young daughter’s treatments, surgery, and hospital stays related to her heart condition.

Ella, 9 years old, was born with only half a functioning heart. She has already undergone three open heart surgeries and the family expects additional surgeries in the future, as well as a possible heart transplant. Ella has no functioning spleen and a very weak immune system that requires daily medication and cardiologist appointments during the year.

“We’re very thankful to receive the medical grant as her care is extremely expensive. And while there is nothing we wouldn’t do to care for her, it’s hard to keep up with all the medical bills,” her mom said.

UHCCF is privileged to award the 25,000^th grant in memory of Bob Hart. Hart, of Scottsdale, Ariz., was a UHCCF regional board member for more than 10 years and an inspiration as he generously helped fund more than 75 UHCCF medical grants for children in the Western U.S.

“Many of us know families with children who struggle each day — physically, emotionally and financially. That is why the UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation is committed to helping improve the health of children and lessen some of the stress that affects entire families,” said UHCCF President Matt Peterson. “Our hopes and prayers are with Ella as we are humbled to be in a position to help such an amazing child and family.”

UHCCF has set a goal to award its 50,000^th medical grant in 2030, underscoring its reach and commitment to help children and their families across the United States.

UHCCF grants help pay for a variety of medical services and equipment such as physical, occupational and speech therapies, counseling services, surgeries, prescriptions, wheelchairs, cranial helmets, orthotics, eyeglasses and hearing aids. Families can receive up to $5,000 annually per child ($10,000 lifetime maximum per child), and do not need to have insurance through UnitedHealthcare to be eligible.

To be eligible for a grant, a child must be 16 years of age or younger. Families must meet economic guidelines, reside in the United States and have a commercial health insurance plan. Grants are available for medical expenses families have incurred 60 days prior to the date of application as well as for ongoing and future medical needs.

Applications and more information about UHCCF can be found at www.uhccf.org.

About UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation

UnitedHealthcare Children’s Foundation (UHCCF) is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that provides medical grants to help children gain access to health-related services not covered, or not fully covered, by their family’s commercial health insurance plan. Families can receive up to $5,000 annually per child ($10,000 lifetime maximum per child), and do not need to have insurance through UnitedHealthcare to be eligible. Since 2007, UHCCF has awarded more than 25,000 grants valued at over $54 million to children and their families across the United States. UHCCF’s funding is provided by contributions from individuals, corporations, UnitedHealth Group, and its employees. Visit uhccf.org for more information.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210224005104/en/

Will Holman

UnitedHealthcare

(952) 931-5926

[email protected]

KEYWORDS: United States North America Minnesota Arizona

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Insurance Other Health Physical Therapy Managed Care General Health Professional Services Women Philanthropy Hospitals Men Fund Raising Foundation Family Other Philanthropy Consumer Health

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Nucleus Research Releases Q1 2021 Equity Snapshot for Salesforce

Analysts highlight long-term investments in low-code, analytics, and remote work enablement as key drivers of performance

MIAMI–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Nucleus Research, a global provider of ROI-focused technology research and advisory services, today released its Q1 2021 Equity Snapshot for Salesforce. The snapshot provides an analysis of Salesforce’s market growth and performance over the last quarter and a competitive outlook for the months ahead.

“As organizations assess their CRM needs going forward, Salesforce is well-poised to take on new customers who are being driven to modernize their IT portfolios and deliver differentiated customer experiences in the now-digital business environment,” says Daniel Elman, research manager at Nucleus Research and author of the Equity Snapshot. “Salesforce is positioned well in both the short- and long term with its CRM dominance, growing platform adoption, and savvy complimentary tech investments.”

To read the full snapshot, go to: https://nucleusresearch.com/research/single/equity-snapshot-salesforce-q1/

About Nucleus Research

Nucleus Research is a global provider of investigative, case-based technology research and advisory services. The company’s ROI-focused research approach provides unique insight into the actual results technology solutions deliver, allowing organizations to cut through marketing hype to understand real operational value and select or renew the best technology solution for their environment. For more information, visit NucleusResearch.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210224005101/en/

Adam Ouellet

InkHouse

[email protected]

978-413-4341

KEYWORDS: United States North America Florida

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Professional Services Data Management Technology Other Technology Finance Software

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Knowles Releases New Broad Market Development Kit to Speed up Voice Integration for Bluetooth Devices

Bluetooth Standard Solution Development Kit supports seamless integration and includes Knowles Audio Processor, SDK, pre-integrated mics, and integration support for Bluetooth chips

ITASCA, Ill.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Knowles Corporation (NYSE: KN), a market leader and global provider of advanced micro-acoustic microphones and speakers, audio processing, and precision device solutions, today announced the AISonic™ Bluetooth^® Standard Solution, a new, complete development solution that enables fast and easy voice integration to Bluetooth devices. The development kit enables OEM and ODMs to build voice-activated calling, control, and far-field speech recognition capabilities into Bluetooth devices, including smart speakers, smart home locks, connected light switches, wearables, in-vehicle voice assistants, and more.

AISonic Bluetooth Standard Solution is one development package available under Knowles’ new line of reference solutions for voice activation, control, and contextual audio processing for TVs, portable speakers, soundbars, whitegoods, and a wide range of IoT electronics, known as Knowles Industry Standard Solutions. The kit is built upon Knowles industry-leading AISonic Audio Edge Processor IA8201, which achieves high performance along with the industry’s lowest power consumption to enable wake-on-voice functionality in small, battery-operated devices.

“The demand for voice control in all aspects of our lives is growing – smart home device control, such as turning on and off lights or asking our virtual assistant for directions in our car, is becoming commonplace. But the market is fragmented, and with more connected devices coming to market it has become increasingly difficult to quickly integrate voice capabilities that work seamlessly,” said Vikram Shrivastava, senior director, IoT Marketing at Knowles. “Device manufacturers need high-quality, broad market development solutions to bring these capabilities to market quickly and scale to keep up with the fast-evolving way that we are living, working, and communicating. We’ve leveraged Knowles’ audio and voice integration expertise to create a powerful suite of standard solutions for different applications to make it easier for manufacturers to quickly and efficiently add speech recognition and voice capabilities to devices and get to market in a fraction of the time.”

The AISonic Bluetooth Standard Solution Package balances scalability and flexibility to bring ease of integration across a myriad of embedded platforms. The kit features an IA8201 reference board accompanied with an API supporting integration with Bluetooth chipsets having an embedded MCU running an RTOS, and system firmware release configured to support sensors and pre-integrated microphones from Knowles to enable the highest quality audio capture. The solution has helped Knowles partners to scale further in developing AWS-AVS, Alexa Auto and AVS-AMA solutions on several Bluetooth and embedded MCU platforms.

The opportunities for voice integration have extended from inside homes and buildings to mobile, automotive, wearable, and other accessory applications for on-the-go control. Sugr, a world-wide solution provider well known for its voice algorithm and integration capability has just completed the iOttie Aivo Connect integration with Knowles IA8201.

“Product time to launch is essential in current market competition. Voice User Interface development is even more difficult because it is analog and physical nature,” said Sean Song, CEO of Sugr. “The Knowles Industry Standard Solution streamlined traditional DSP development, integration and optimization. This framework enabled my team to develop SugrSense Bluetooth AMA module with IA8201 efficiently. The Knowles team’s deep expertise in audio makes our work together on projects such as the iOttie integration, virtually seamless.”

The AISonic Bluetooth Standard Solution also includes algorithms for an Audio Front End suitable for use with many voice assistants or cloud-based ASR APIs. The Knowles OpenDSP partner program allows for many algorithm developers to provide libraries for a Beam Former, omnidirectional voice capture, AEC to sort voice commands from background to meet the stringent false wake standard of AVS.

Retune DSP is part of the Knowles OpenDSP ecosystem and has ported its voice-control solutions, VoiceSpot and VoiceSeeker to the IA8201. VoiceSpot, Retune’s ultracompact wake word engine, enables voice-wake on memory-constrained, always-on, battery operated edge devices, and is Amazon-certified. VoiceSeeker is Retune’s multi-microphone audio front-end preprocessing solution capable for far-field voice control applications. Furthermore, Retune’s Conversa two-way voice communication software solution enables the IA8201 on a number of high-performance Bluetooth speakerphones and headphones.

“As voice control has grown over the past few years, we’ve worked closely together with Knowles to deliver our voice-first software solutions for a variety of devices. Knowles Bluetooth Standard Solution is another innovative approach to support the growing voice market and help a broad portfolio of device makers easily implement voice UX. With Retune DSP’s algorithms included, customers can move quickly to deploy a best-in-class voice experience,” said Chris Welsh, Partner at Retune DSP.

Availability

The AISonic Bluetooth Standard Solution is now available to customers. Information about additional standard solution packages from Knowles is available here.

To learn more, please visit Knowles.com.

About Knowles

Knowles Corporation (NYSE: KN) is a market leader and global provider of advanced micro-acoustic microphones and speakers, audio processing, and precision device solutions, serving the consumer electronics, communications, medtech, defense, electric vehicle, and industrial markets. Knowles uses its leading position in SiSonic™ MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems) microphones and strong capabilities in audio processing technologies to optimize audio systems and improve the user experience in mobile, ear, and IoT applications. Knowles is also the leader in acoustic components, high-end capacitors, and mmWave RF solutions for a diverse set of markets. Knowles’ focus on the customer, combined with unique technology, proprietary manufacturing techniques, rigorous testing, and global scale, enables it to deliver innovative solutions that optimize the user experience. Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, Knowles is a global organization with employees in over a dozen countries. The company continues to invest in high value solutions to diversify its revenue and increase exposure to high growth markets. For more information, visit knowles.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210224005114/en/

Financial Contact:

Mike Knapp

Knowles Investor Relations

Phone: (630) 238-5236

Email: [email protected]

Press Contact:

Caster Communications, Inc.

Phone: (401) 792-7080

Email: [email protected]

Press Kit Link for assets:

Knowles AISonic Bluetooth Standard Solution Press Kit

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Ronald L. Johnson Elected to the EMCOR Group, Inc. Board of Directors

NORWALK, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
EMCOR Group, Inc. (NYSE: EME) today announced the election by the Company’s Board of Directors (the Board) of Major General (U.S. Army, Retired) Ronald L. Johnson to the Board effective March 1, 2021.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210224005111/en/

General Johnson, 66, has over 40 years of strategic leadership and management experience, as well as a broad range of technical and operational knowledge. Currently, General Johnson holds several leadership positions at the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech).

General Johnson is Professor of the Practice at Georgia Tech and serves as Faculty Leadership Fellow and Faculty Diversity and Inclusion Fellow among other roles. Prior to his current position, General Johnson served as the Managing Director of the Tennenbaum Institute at Georgia Tech, the first multi-disciplinary center uniting academic, government, and corporate experts to create business models examining large scale enterprise transformation. Prior to joining Georgia Tech, General Johnson was Senior Vice President, Referee Operations for the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was responsible for establishing and leading this new department to ensure the integrity and high quality of the NBA officiating program, including overseeing 62 NBA referees, 31 WNBA referees, and 37 D-League referees.

General Johnson entered the private sector in 2008 after a distinguished 32-year career in the U.S. Army. Most recently, he was Deputy Commanding General and Deputy Chief of Engineers, serving as the principal engineer advisor to the Chief of Staff of the Army, assisting the Chief of Engineers in maintaining oversight of organizing, training, and equipping 70,000 engineer soldiers. He retired from the U.S. Army after serving from 1976 to 2008.

Anthony J. Guzzi, Chairman of the Board and CEO of EMCOR Group, Inc., commented, “Ron brings a track record of impressive accomplishments and expertise to our board of directors. His strategic, operational, technical knowledge and leadership experience are going to be a tremendous asset to EMCOR as we continue to grow our business and drive long-term value for our shareholders.”

General Johnson is a recipient of multiple military commendations, including three Distinguished Service Medals, and has also received a number of civilian awards, including the Georgia Tech’s Joseph Mayo Pettit Distinguished Service Award and the 2019 Black Engineer of the Year – College Educator of the year. He received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Mathematics from the United States Military Academy, a Master of Science in Strategic Planning and Theater Operations from the School of Advanced Military Studies, and a Master of Science in Operations Research and Systems Analysis from Georgia Tech.

EMCOR Group, Inc. is a Fortune 500 leader in mechanical and electrical construction services, industrial and energy infrastructure and building services. This press release and other press releases may be viewed at the Company’s Website at www.emcorgroup.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210224005111/en/

R. Kevin Matz

Executive Vice President

Shared Services

203-849-7938

FTI Consulting

Investors: Jamie Baird

212-850-5600

KEYWORDS: Connecticut United States North America

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Other Energy Other Construction & Property Commercial Building & Real Estate Energy Construction & Property Building Systems

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Major General (U.S. Army, Retired) Ronald L. Johnson (Photo: Business Wire)

Tenet to Participate in Raymond James Institutional Investors Conference

DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–
Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE: THC) is scheduled to present at the Raymond James Institutional Investors Conference on Tuesday, March 2, 2021, beginning at 9:10 a.m. Eastern time.

A live webcast and audio archive of the event may be accessed through the investor relations section of Tenet’s website at www.tenethealth.com/investors. The replay will be available for 30 days.

About Tenet Healthcare

Tenet Healthcare Corporation (NYSE: THC) is a diversified healthcare services company headquartered in Dallas with 110,000 employees. Through an expansive care network that includes United Surgical Partners International, we operate 65 hospitals and approximately 550 other healthcare facilities, including surgical hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, urgent care and imaging centers and other care sites and clinics. We also operate Conifer Health Solutions, which provides revenue cycle management and value-based care services to hospitals, health systems, physician practices, employers and other clients. Across the Tenet enterprise, we are united by our mission to deliver quality, compassionate care in the communities we serve. For more information, please visit www.tenethealth.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210224005092/en/

Investor Contact

Regina Nethery

469-893-2387

[email protected]

Media Contact

Lesley Bogdanow

469-893-2640

[email protected]

KEYWORDS: United States North America Texas

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Hospitals Health Surgery Practice Management

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