Connect with us

Technology

Amazon Canada Announces the Return of the Amazon Designer Spotlight

Published

on

TORONTO, Oct. 17, 2022 /CNW/ – Amazon Canada today announced the return of the Amazon Designer Spotlight, an exclusive online fashion series celebrating six Canadian designers, hosted by celebrity stylist Brad Goreski. The series takes Amazon.ca customers alongside Goreski as he unveils each designer’s personal and professional story in two-minute shorts dropping every day on the Amazon Canada Instagram channel (@amazonca). The first video drops today at 9 a.m. ET / 6 a.m. PT, with the final video premiering on Saturday, October 22. All six designer collections are also available now for customers to shop and discover at amazon.ca/DesignerSpotlight.

Enlisting the help of their friends and neighbours, collections in each video are worn by influencers that are unique to each designer’s brand, connecting creatives in communities across the country. Designers also share in the videos how they are choosing to pay it forward to Canada’s fashion community through their Amazon-powered $25,000 give-back-grant.

The six Canadian designers and the recipients of each $25,000 grant are detailed below.

L’Uomo Strano creates affirming wardrobes for gender-nonconforming people and their allies. Designed by Mic. Carter [they/them] in Toronto, the brand is invested in how clothing can foster self-expression and a sense of community. Carter has shared their grant with the fashion department at Toronto Metropolitan University, offering education in communication, design, textile and material practices, and design leadership.Hilary MacMillan is a fashion-first lifestyle brand, rooted in making a statement with size inclusive clothing and building women up. Designer and brand owner, Hilary MacMillan [she/her], pulls inspiration from her Scottish heritage, love of art, Canadian landscapes and design decades throughout history. Blanche MacDonald Centre is a worldwide recognized fashion, design, and beauty school in Vancouver, and the recipient of MacMillan’s grant.Entin Gartini is an Indonesian brand based in Montreal that uses one-of-a-kind handmade batik designs created by Entin Gartini [she/her]. Gartini selected Dress for Success Montreal as the recipient of the grant. The non-profit provides professional attire and development tools to women so they can gain economic independence.Valmora is a contemporary brand born out of Montreal. Matteo Valmora [they/them] is the Founder and Designer and strives to dismantle binary conceptions of menswear by inspiring men to seek non-gender conforming fashion.Hunter & Trove is a jewellery brand based in Vancouver, founded and designed by Yulee Harris [she/her]. Harris loves to create beautiful pieces that spark joy and create memories. Hitting close to home, Harris has selected the Jewellery Art and Design program at Vancouver Community College that educates students on the design, fabrication, and history of jewellery, as a recipient of the grant.Mobilize Waskawewin is an Indigenous-owned streetwear brand based in Edmonton. Designer Dusty LeGrande [he/him] aims to bring representation for Indigenous peoples and strives to empower, educate and help others find identity. Mobilize Waskawewin is “street wear wit a cree flair.” The grant will be shared with The Next Gen Scholarship – a resource allowing for authentic sharing of knowledge, business, design, and art practices to break barriers by supporting the next generation of designers.

“At Amazon, we are committed to fueling Canada’s fashion industry by giving locally-loved products a nationally accessible platform that helps them thrive,” said Vickie Gu, Head of Amazon Fashion in Canada. “Canadians rally around supporting small; this video series brings a sense of community to shopping from home by helping consumers feel connected to what they are wearing, and who they are supporting through these purchases.”

The Amazon Designer Spotlight is one of the many ways that Amazon continues to support and empower brand owners in Canada. Since 2003, Amazon.ca has made virtual shelf space available to Canada-based third-party sellers, many which are small- and medium-sized businesses. To learn more about how Amazon works with business owners across Canada, click here to read the Amazon Canada Small Business Empowerment Report, released today. And to learn more about the Amazon Designer Spotlight, and to shop collections from the creators featured, visit amazon.ca/DesignerSpotlight. Follow the conversation online using #AmazonDesignerSpotlight to stay up to date on all things related to the series.

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. Amazon strives to be Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company, Earth’s Best Employer, and Earth’s Safest Place to Work. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Career Choice, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, Alexa, Just Walk Out technology, Amazon Studios, and The Climate Pledge are some of the things pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.

SOURCE Amazon Canada

Continue Reading

Technology

LEAP Group Relaunches HumanView, a Growth Intelligence System Built to Explain Why Customers Behave the Way They Do

Published

on

By

Reimagined from the ground up, HumanView pairs statistical modeling with expert analysts to turn millions of real-world customer signals into business decisions

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — LEAP Group today announced the relaunch of HumanView, its growth intelligence service. The new version has been rebuilt from the ground up and now has a dedicated home at leapgroupnetwork.com/humanview.

HumanView analyzes what customers say and do across social platforms, e-commerce sites, review platforms, search behavior and user-generated content, including signals from Reddit, TikTok, YouTube, Meta, Amazon and Walmart+ that general AI tools cannot always access. Because the data reflects unprompted, real-world behavior, it avoids the response bias built into surveys and focus groups.

The service works in three layers. HumanView captures signals at scale, decodes millions of records through validated statistical models such as regression, correlation and clustering, and then relies on experienced analysts to interpret the patterns. Clients receive clear, human-validated insights instead of another dashboard.

“Machines find the patterns. Humans find the point,” said Alan Gilleo, CEO at LEAP Group. “The first version of HumanView showed us how much customers reveal when nobody is asking them questions. This version is built to explain why they act the way they do, and to put those answers in front of everyone making decisions, from product to service to marketing.”

HumanView focuses on three areas:

Growth Intelligence: customer motivations and how people perceive a brand and its competitors

Market and Category Intelligence: product pain points, service friction, unmet needs and competitive gaps

Audience Intelligence: new segments, positioning opportunities and gaps in the market

Every model is designed and validated by data scientists and benchmarked before it informs a recommendation.

To learn more about HumanView, visit leapgroupnetwork.com/humanview.

About LEAP Group
LEAP Group is a boutique marketing agency holding company with offices in Louisville, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Chicago. Guided by the belief that brands should “Market Less. Matter More.,” LEAP gives clients access to specialized experts across its entire network. Learn more at leapgroupnetwork.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/leap-group-relaunches-humanview-a-growth-intelligence-system-built-to-explain-why-customers-behave-the-way-they-do-302918557.html

SOURCE LEAP Group

Continue Reading

Technology

STEPHEN A. SMITH ADDRESSES WHITE HOUSE DINNER ATTENDANCE, REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO HBCUs AND PROTECTING CORPORATE INVESTMENT IN BLACK EDUCATION

Published

on

By

NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Stephen A. Smith, media mogul, New York Times bestselling author, and proud 1991 graduate of Winston-Salem State University, is addressing the public discussion surrounding his decision to attend a White House dinner with President Donald Trump, emphasizing his commitment to the long-term financial stability of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

For Smith, the decision was rooted in a commitment to institutions that have educated generations of Black leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs, and public servants.

“I will always advocate for HBCUs and the students whose futures depend on them,” Smith said. “My reason for attending the White House dinner was to discuss the challenges these institutions face in securing long-term funding and to make the case that corporate America must continue to invest in them.”

Smith acknowledged federal support through the FUTURE Act while expressing concern that political tensions surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) could discourage private companies from supporting HBCUs. He maintains that these institutions deserve sustained corporate partnerships, philanthropic contributions, and public investment.

“If we truly believe in free-market capitalism, businesses should be able to support educational institutions and charitable causes without fear of criticism or repercussions,” Smith said. “HBCUs have made extraordinary contributions to this country. They deserve sustained public and private investment.”

Ashley Christopher, Esq., Founder and CEO of the HBCU Week Foundation, recognized Smith’s advocacy and decision to engage with the administration.

“Stephen A. Smith has been a powerful advocate for HBCUs, using his platform and influence to shine a national spotlight on our institutions,” expressed Christopher, “His continued support of HBCU Week helps advance our mission of connecting students with life-changing educational opportunities, and we are proud to have him as our ambassador.”

Since Smith became an HBCU Week Ambassador in 2019, the initiative has facilitated more than 15,000 on-the-spot college acceptances and raised and awarded more than $150 million in scholarships, according to the HBCU Week Foundation.

As public discussion continues, Smith is emphasizing the importance of ensuring HBCUs have the resources and partnerships needed to educate future generations and expand opportunities for students.

CLICK HERE to watch Smith’s full response to his White House visit.

MEDIA CONTACT:

media@mrsasinc.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stephen-a-smith-addresses-white-house-dinner-attendance-reaffirms-commitment-to-hbcus-and-protecting-corporate-investment-in-black-education-302918547.html

SOURCE Straight Shooter Media

Continue Reading

Technology

Advantex Announces Completion of Financing and Extension of Maturity Date of Previously Issued Debentures

Published

on

By

TORONTO, Oct. 23, 2026 /CNW/ — Advantex Marketing International Inc. (CSE: ADX) (“Advantex”), a leader in the merchant cash advance and loyalty marketing products for merchants, today announced the completion of a $250,000 secured debt financing. Advantex issued a $250,000 non-convertible debenture which bears an interest rate at 12% per annum and matures December 15, 2027. The proceeds raised from this issuance of the Debenture will be used for working capital purposes.

Advantex has also extended the maturity of its existing $700,000 in 12% secured debentures from October 10, 2026 to December 15, 2027.

About Advantex Marketing International Inc.

Advantex provides working capital to merchants. Advantex also provides specialized marketing programs that enable members of Aeroplan to earn Aeroplan points at participating merchants.

Advantex shares trade on the Canadian Securities Exchange under the symbol ADX. For more information go to Advantex’s profile on www.sedar.com

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable securities laws relating to the future business and operations of Advantex. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by these statements. The business and operations of Advantex described herein is dependent on a number of factors and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Factors that could cause actual results to differ material include, but are not limited to, changes in Advantex’s economic and competitive conditions including but not limited to the industry sectors in which Advantex operates.

The statements in this news release are made of the date of this release. Forward-looking statements are made based on management’s beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date the statements are made and Advantex undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by applicable law.

SOURCE Advantex Marketing International Inc.

Continue Reading

Trending