Technology

Ukrainian-founded Preply Extends Leadership in Language Learning with First U.S. Office, Fresh Branding, and Two C-Suite Additions

Published

3 years ago

October 25, 2023

Sofia Tavares, Chief Brand Officer and Jerry Kingkade, Chief Revenue Officer will Spearhead Leadership and Growth from Preply’s New York City Office

NEW YORK, Oct. 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Preply, a leading online learning marketplace, today announced a company rebrand and the appointment of two C-suite executives as it establishes its first office in the U.S. in New York City. The global online language learning market is set to reach $47 billion by 2025, due to globalization, technological advancements, and rising demand for bilingualism, all of which drive the demand for innovative language education solutions. With over 600 employees of 60 nationalities across New York, Kyiv and Barcelona, Preply has become a global e-learning powerhouse that connects 40,000 tutors with the world’s largest live language learning community in 180 countries. Preply revenues have grown tenfold over the last three years with this latest activity signifying the company’s doubling down to extend category leadership in what is already its largest market.

New Executive Leadership Drives Preply’s Growth in the U.S.

The two new executive hires; Sofia Tavares as Chief Brand Officer and Jerry Kingkade as Chief Revenue Officer, bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the organization. Both executives will be based in the New York office and have already played a key role in the rebrand and the establishment of the new office announced today.

Tavares will lead the company’s transformation into an iconic brand. Having previously served as Senior Vice President of Brand at Delivery Hero where she was instrumental in the company’s transition to IPO, Tavares has over two decades of experience leading global marketing strategies for some of the world’s most recognizable brands, including PepsiCo, Cadbury plc, Bacardi, Black & Decker and PetroChina. Tavares is fluent in eight languages.

Kingkade will drive the company’s efforts to transform communications and culture through language at organizations across the world. Having led teams across the U.S., Canada, and Europe, Kingkade joins Preply from Flowspace, where he doubled revenue and tripled gross profit in his first year as CRO. Prior to Flowspace, Kingkade was VP of Sales and Marketplace Operations at Houzz, where he grew the sales organization from one rep to hundreds of employees.

New Identity Marks Next Phase of Preply’s Journey.

Having done extensive work on Preply’s vision and mission earlier in the year, Preply collaborated with London-based agency Koto to redefine the company’s identity and double down on what makes Preply unique.

The new identity introduces a fresh logo, vibrant color palette, and improved website design to improve the learning experience for users and tutors, helping millions more people make their language learning dreams a reality. The new brand is anchored around the theme of repetition, a powerful element of success for those studying a language that reflects how practice, progress and growth transform a learning journey.

“Our new vision, unlocking human potential through learning, has been the driving force behind this project. Today, more people than ever aspire to learn a new language. We believe that by strengthening our brand, we better serve everyone’s language learning needs and aspirations,” said Sofia Tavares, Chief Brand Officer of Preply. “I couldn’t be more excited to be on this journey with the Preply team, and I’m grateful to our wonderful tutors, students, employees and the wider language learning community for coming along for the ride.”

More information about Preply’s new brand can be found in Tavares’ blog post.

Helping U.S. Employers Gain a Competitive Edge

The U.S. is home to the headquarters of some of the largest multinational companies in the world with the American Council of Foreign Language Teachers reporting that 90% of U.S employers rely on a multilingual workforce. However, the demands are not being met and as a result, 25% of U.S. employers are losing out on business opportunities.

“The world is more connected than ever. We are hearing time and again from clients that communications mistakes are costly, both from a financial and reputation standpoint”, remarks Jerry Kingkade. “We’ve welcomed 200 new organizations to the Preply program in the last 12 months and more than doubled the number of clients we’re working within the U.S. so far this year. A staggering 75% of working Americans feel that foreign language skills are important for their career prospects[1]. As we establish our U.S. presence in New York, we look forward to picking up the pace, serving the needs of this hard-working population, and playing a part in addressing a specific skills gap in the labor market”.

Preply’s momentum surges with the introduction of its New York office

Preply is reinforcing its commitment to growth and to better serve its existing U.S.-based B2B customers and partners with the launch of its first office in the U.S. The New York City location was chosen as a large number of multinational corporations are based in the Northeast.

The new office, The Malin, is now open, located at 134 Charles Street in the heart of New York’s West Village. Preply anticipates that by the close of 2023, 25+ employees will be working from the office complementing Preply’s existing two hubs in Barcelona and Kyiv.

About Preply
Preply is an online language learning marketplace, connecting tutors to hundreds of thousands of learners in 180 countries worldwide. More than 40,000 tutors teach over 50 languages, powered by a machine-learning algorithm that recommends the best tutors for each learner. Founded in the United States in 2012 by three Ukrainian founders Kirill Bigai, Serge Lukyanov, and Dmytro Voloshyn, Preply has grown from a team of 3 to a company of over 600 employees of 60 different nationalities with offices in Barcelona, New York, and Kyiv.

[1] Preply survey 2023 amongst 3000 global participants

Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2256296/Preply_Logo.jpg
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2256298/Preply_Sofia.jpg
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2257267/Preply_Jerry.jpg
Video – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2256302/PMP_video_for_blog.mp4
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2256297/Preply.jpg
Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2256321/Preply_language.jpg

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ukrainian-founded-preply-extends-leadership-in-language-learning-with-first-us-office-fresh-branding-and-two-c-suite-additions-301967282.html

SOURCE Preply

Technology

Zum Celebrates Its Drivers Nationwide As Back-to-School Season Gets Underway

Published

52 minutes ago

September 3, 2026

Drivers in Fresno, Rockford and other cities share why they’re excited about the 2026–27 school year

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Sept. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Zūm, a leader in student mobility, is kicking off the 2026–27 school year by spotlighting its drivers across the country dedicated to delivering reliable, transparent and efficient service for students, families and schools.

“As students return to school, we are proud of our amazing teams of drivers who are helping provide access to education for children and peace of mind for families each day,” said Ritu Narayan, Founder and CEO of Zum. “Drivers are the heart of our operation and often the first smiling face a child sees. They understand the importance of their work and we believe ours have a positive influence on the students they serve.”

Zum supports more than 6,500 schools across 19 states. This year, Zum welcomed several new school district partners, including Fresno Unified School District (CA), School District of Philadelphia (PA), Shawnee Mission School District (KS) and Rockford Public Schools (IL).

A few Zum drivers share why they enjoy working with students and families:

“I drive special needs students: elementary, middle and high school. The parents are great; they need a lot of help, and we provide it with door-to-door service. The training was excellent, and I work with a monitor who has been doing this for about 10 years, so I’ve learned a lot from him. Everything’s been inspiring—and at the end of the day, you feel good about yourself, because you’re helping all these kids.”
— Zum driver Chester Herbert (Rockford, IL)

“I like the atmosphere of the job: the co-workers, the staff, the children, the overall experience of delivering the kids every day to school safely. I also like the responsibility of it. I’ve definitely gotten to know some of the kids and have been building little bonds with them. I like driving and being a good part of the community.”
— Zum driver Antoine Robinson (Oakland, CA)

“I raised five kids and have 14 grandkids, so I’m always surrounded by children. I like greeting the kids in the morning and talking to them: ‘What did you do last night?’ ‘What did you have for dinner?’ They’ll tell me about Grandma and Grandpa, or Mom and Dad … At Zum, there’s a bunch of drivers, and we’re all a team, helping each other. Everybody’s dedicated to doing their job the best they can.”
— Zum driver Grace Maher (Fresno, CA)

“My job is so fulfilling. My first ‘Oh, wow!’ was the technology; my tablet tells me exactly where to go. Also, the buses are very important: We have brand new buses, EV buses, buses that have AC. I am a people person, and to make (the students) feel good, I try to know every single kid by name. You make them feel valuable, like you care. Then we start having conversations, and they are at peace when they see me.”
— Zum driver Pascale Dalle (Oakland and Redwood City, CA)

“This is my first year driving a school bus. I have six kids at home, so now I’m home early enough to spend more time with them. In this job, you’re working with kids. You have to be patient. Even my wife was like, ‘Oh, that would be perfect for you.’ I love going to work and the people I work around, and I love being able to be home on the weekends with my family.”
— Zum driver Juan Santillan (Fresno, CA)

At Zum, drivers benefit from modern facilities, digital tools, real-time communication, and technology that simplifies daily operations, allowing them to focus on what matters most: serving students safely and reliably.

“Zum has a driver-first approach to student mobility, and our drivers understand the essential role they play in families’ lives,” said Liz Sanchez, Executive Vice President of Student Mobility at Zum. “In the weeks and months leading up to the start of the school year, our drivers have been busy training and preparing so they’ll be ready for the first day.”

Zum is helping school districts improve reliability, strengthen communication with families and modernize one of the nation’s largest public mobility systems through its AI-powered Connected Mobility Experience (CMX™) platform. To learn more about how Zum is redefining student mobility, visit www.ridezum.com.

About Zum

Zum is redefining mass mobility with Zum CMX, which connects and coordinates people, vehicles, and operations in real time. In the student mobility market, Zum is addressing a daily source of anxiety and disruption by providing a reliable, transparent, and efficient mobility experience for students and families. Learn more at www.ridezum.com. Today, more than 6,500 schools in 19 states have relied on the Zum CMX system.

Media Contact

Jenny Mayfield
VP, Communications, Zum
press@ridezum.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zum-celebrates-its-drivers-nationwide-as-back-to-school-season-gets-underway-302868268.html

SOURCE Zūm

Technology

UNISORB Welcomes BILZ-USA to Expand Engineering and Product Solutions

Published

2 hours ago

September 2, 2026

UNISORB Named Sole North American Distributor for BILZ

MICHIGAN CENTER, Mich., Sept. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — UNISORB Installation Solutions, a global provider of machine mounting, vibration isolation, and precision leveling solutions headquartered in Michigan Center, Mich., today announced it has acquired BILZ-USA, effective August 30, 2026, making UNISORB the exclusive distributor of BILZ products across North America. The transition expands UNISORB’s engineering support and on-site project management capabilities for industrial customers seeking precision vibration isolation and leveling solutions. Full product and service details are available at www.UNISORB.com.

UNISORB is now the exclusive North American distributor of BILZ products.

“BILZ’s leveling and isolation technology closes a gap in our product line at the high-precision end of the market,” said John Hornberger, Chief Executive Officer of UNISORB. “Combining our installation and project management teams with BILZ’s engineering staff means customers get one point of contact for a project that used to require two vendors.”

What This Means for Customers

Decades of combined expertise. BILZ’s engineering staff join UNISORB’s engineering and project management teams, giving customers a single technical team backed by decades of hands-on experience in vibration isolation, leveling, and precision installation.A broader, unified product line. UNISORB’s lineup now spans BILZ’s full catalog, from basic leveling mounts to active isolation systems, alongside UNISORB’s existing machine mounting and installation solutions, giving customers access to a significantly wider range of solutions from a single source.More capability for BILZ customers. Longtime BILZ customers now gain direct access to UNISORB’s full engineering, manufacturing, and on-site project management resources; capabilities not previously available through BILZ alone.A unified approach to installation. Customers receive continuous support from initial site survey through final leveling and installation, managed by one team rather than coordinated separately across two vendors.Centralized North American distribution. Distribution from Michigan Center will consolidate logistics for customers ordering across North America as the transition is completed.One point of contact. BILZ orders will transition to being placed directly through UNISORB in the coming weeks, moving away from what was previously a two-vendor process for combined leveling and isolation projects.

About UNISORB

UNISORB Installation Solutions, headquartered in Michigan Center, Michigan, is a global provider of machine mounting, vibration isolation, and precision equipment leveling solutions for manufacturers across a range of industrial sectors. More information is available at www.UNISORB.com.

Media Contact

John Hornberger

Chief Executive Officer, UNISORB

jhornberger@unisorb.com

Tim Spahr
Vice President – Sales & Marketing
tspahr@unisorb.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/unisorb-welcomes-bilz-usa-to-expand-engineering-and-product-solutions-302868227.html

SOURCE UNISORB Installation Solutions

Technology

Eliminate costly enclosures: ABB debuts IP66/Type 4X Drives for Australia’s harshest industrial environments

Published

2 hours ago

September 2, 2026

New ACS580, ACH580 and ACQ580 IP66/Type 4X drives support food and beverage, HVACR, manufacturing, and water and wastewater applications exposed to harsh environmental conditions.

MELBOURNE, Australia, Sept. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ABB has introduced ACS580, ACH580 and ACQ580 drives with IP66/Type 4X protection, extending the range of motor control solutions available for applications operating in demanding environmental conditions. The new drives are designed for installations where motor control equipment may be exposed to dust, water, humidity, outdoor weather and other harsh conditions, providing greater flexibility when considering drive selection, installation design and equipment location.

Tailored for different industry requirements

The three drive families are designed to address the specific requirements of different industries and applications:

ACS580 IP66/Type 4X drives are designed for demanding food and beverage environments, supporting motor-driven applications including pumps, fans, compressors, mixers and conveyors operating across wet, washdown, indoor and outdoor production environments.ACH580 IP66/Type 4X drives are designed specifically for HVACR applications, supporting equipment operating in exposed and outdoor locations, including rooftop air handling units, cooling towers, exterior exhaust fans, outdoor pump skids and outdoor chiller units.ACQ580 IP66/Type 4X drives are designed for water and wastewater environments, supporting a broad range of applications including clarifiers, surface aerators, screens, flocculators, dosing systems, activated sludge pumps, lift stations and booster stations.

Many Australian facilities operate in environments that present challenging conditions for installed electrical equipment. The IP66/Type 4X design provides greater flexibility to locate drives closer to the application, where appropriate for the installation.

By reducing the need for additional protective enclosures or dedicated electrical rooms and enabling shorter motor cable runs, this approach can reduce site installation costs and complexity. It can also support faster installation and commissioning and a smaller overall system footprint.

The drives incorporate a range of built-in features designed to support installation, operation and integration, including coated circuit boards, integrated EMC C2 filtering, a built-in DC choke for harmonic mitigation, and Safe Torque Off (STO). The design also provides option slots for additional I/O and fieldbus communications, enabling the drives to be configured for different application requirements.

Optional Bluetooth-enabled control panels further support commissioning and interaction with the drives. When used with ABB’s Drivetune mobile application, Bluetooth connectivity provides a convenient way to access and work with drive settings. ABB’s drive software and connectivity tools can also support commissioning and diagnostic activities.

ABB is also highlighting the importance of distinguishing ingress protection ratings from other environmental performance characteristics when selecting equipment for demanding applications.

In Australia, an IP66 rating relates specifically to the enclosure’s protection against the ingress of dust and water, in accordance with AS/NZS 60529 and IEC 60529. The first digit, 6, denotes a dust-tight enclosure, while the second 6 denotes protection against powerful water jets.

Environmental characteristics such as UV, corrosion and chemical resistance should therefore be considered separately from the IP66 classification and assessed against the specifications and testing applicable to the individual product. This distinction is particularly relevant for equipment installed in outdoor, coastal, washdown or chemically exposed environments. ABB, for example, separately identifies corrosion, UV and chemical-resistance characteristics for its ACS580 IP66/Type 4X drive rather than treating these as properties conferred by the IP66 rating itself.

The ACS580, ACH580 and ACQ580 IP66/Type 4X drive range is available in power ratings from 5.5 kW to 22 kW, providing a solution for applications where protection against dust ingress and water exposure is an important consideration in the selection, installation and operation of variable speed drives.

Learn more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nCWb7g-MGI

About ABB
ABB (ABBN: SIX Swiss Ex) is a leading global technology company that energizes the transformation of society and industry to achieve a more productive, sustainable future. By connecting software to its electrification, robotics, automation and motion portfolio, ABB pushes the boundaries of technology to drive performance to new levels. With a history of excellence stretching back more than 130 years, ABB’s success is driven by about 110,000 talented employees in over 100 countries.

ABB Drives is a global technology leader serving industries, infrastructure and machine builders with world-class variable speed drives, drive systems and packages. We help our customers, partners and equipment manufacturers to improve energy efficiency, asset reliability, productivity, safety and performance.

Media Contact:
Natalie Landrito
Marketing and Communications Manager
contact.centre@au.abb.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/eliminate-costly-enclosures-abb-debuts-ip66type-4x-drives-for-australias-harshest-industrial-environments-302868246.html

SOURCE ABB