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Aetion Launches Barcelona Technology Hub and Appoints Ken Watson as Chief Technology Officer

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BARCELONA, Spain, June 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Aetion®, the global leader in real-world evidence (RWE) technology and analytics, announced today the creation of an RWE technology hub in Barcelona, Spain, to convene the most capable group of dedicated RWE technologists in the industry. Aetion also announced the appointment of Ken Watson as Chief Technology Officer (CTO). Ken draws upon his decades of experience at companies such as Microsoft, the Toronto Stock Exchange, and WeWork — as well as several startups he co-founded — and is responsible for leading Aetion’s overall engineering and product strategy.

Aetion established a presence in Barcelona in 2021 and has steadily grown its team there since. As part of the launch of its technology hub, Aetion will more than double the size of its engineering team in Spain, drawing top technical talent locally and from around Europe. The Barcelona team will work across Aetion’s product suite, enhancing existing offerings and continuing to innovate at the forefront of RWE technology. The recent release of Aetion® Discover — the first Aetion product to be built in Barcelona — was a turning point in establishing the city as Aetion’s new technology hub. Aetion Discover is a visual-first application designed for exploratory analyses on wide-ranging research questions from disease burden to unmet need, real-world value, and more, and it is already transforming the way clients generate insights quickly and at scale.

Ken joined Aetion in August 2023 as SVP of Engineering and, early on, led the successful launch of Discover and product enhancements such as an R development environment integrated with Aetion applications, workflow updates to Aetion® Substantiate, and new data management capabilities in the Aetion Evidence Platform®.

“As a technology leader of companies at all stages and sizes, and as a multi-time founder himself, Ken is the ideal person to lead Aetion’s overall technology and product organization and our Barcelona technology hub,” said Jeremy Rassen, Aetion President and Co-Founder. “His expertise in building global teams, combined with the mission-driven engineering talent in Barcelona, will be put toward solving complex problems and further accelerating our ambitious software roadmap.”

Ken shared, “I am honored to be stepping into the CTO role at this inflection point for Aetion. Building high-quality software in a rapidly evolving field takes entrepreneurial spirit and technical know-how, and I’m thrilled to bring my skills to help answer today’s most pressing questions in healthcare. With our expanded and co-located Barcelona team working closely with our world-class epidemiologists and data scientists, I am confident in our ability to deliver the next wave of software innovation that’s so critically needed in this era of novel treatment proliferation.”

Aetion is the only company to offer a full range of software products to turn real-world data into real-world evidence. All Aetion applications are built upon its flagship Aetion Evidence Platform, providing interoperability across applications while consistently drawing upon virtually any source data and hosting environment.

Contact info@aetion.com for more information on Aetion software and services, or careers@aetion.com to inquire about roles in Aetion’s Barcelona Technology Hub.

About Aetion®

Aetion is a healthcare analytics company that delivers real-world evidence for the manufacturers, purchasers, and regulators of medical treatments and technologies. Aetion’s suite of real-world data analytics applications analyzes data from the real world to produce transparent, rapid, and scientifically validated answers on safety, effectiveness, and value. Founded by Harvard Medical School faculty members with decades of experience in epidemiology and health outcomes research, Aetion informs healthcare’s most critical decisions—what works best, for whom, and when—to guide product development, commercialization, and payment innovation. Learn more at aetion.com.

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SOURCE Aetion

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

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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.

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SOURCE LEAP Group

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

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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

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SOURCE Straight Shooter Media

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

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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.

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