Technology

Monalee Welcomes New Chief Revenue Officer Austin Frogge, Further Fueling Growth Across 26 U.S States

Published

2 years ago

August 29, 2024

Climate tech company, Monalee, has welcomed Austin Frogge as Chief Revenue Officer. Frogge has extensive experience taking organizations from small to large and comes with a deep understanding of differentiated go-to-market strategies for both B2B and D2C organizations. Throughout his career as a cleantech executive, Frogge has shown a relentless focus on improving customer experience and a strong ability to build teams and systems that scale.

BOSTON, Aug. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ –Monalee is accelerating its mission to make home solar and storage the go-to choice for homeowners and businesses nationwide. With a focus on innovation and customer-centric solutions, the company is rapidly expanding its operations across the U.S., bringing state-of-the-art solar technology to more communities. Since launching in June 2022, the fast-growing startup has already provided more than 200,000 homeowners with free, no obligation solar proposals that include fully automated designs, accurate pricing, and customization capabilities.

In the last year alone, Monalee has expanded to 26 states across the country, and a big part of this comes down to hiring the right people at the right time.

“Every hire a company makes is important–they will shape the product, operations or customer experience in some way. This is even more compounded in the early days of building a company, so we are extra diligent and mindful to find the right people to join us at Monalee. For us, that means scrappy, resourceful people who are also big thinkers and have track records to prove they get things done with very little,” explains Monalee co-founder and CEO, Walid Halty.

As part of their intentional hiring approach, Monalee has welcomed Austin Frogge as Chief Revenue Officer. Frogge has extensive experience taking organizations from small to large and comes with a deep understanding of differentiated go-to-market strategies for both B2B and D2C organizations. Throughout his career as a cleantech executive, Frogge has shown a relentless focus on improving customer experience and a strong ability to build teams and systems that scale.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Austin to the Monalee team and are looking forward to the deep impact he will have on our company as we move forward in our mission to accelerate home electrification by making the installation of solar, storage and EV more trustworthy, transparent, and accessible,” Halty shares.

Most recently, Frogge served as Sunrun’s VP of Sales, growing divisional revenue from $75 million to more than $500 million a year, 600 employees, and 14,000 customers annually. He also won Comparably’s ‘Best Sales Team’ award in 2022 and 2023. Before Sunrun, Frogge worked at SolarCity as their Regional Sales Director and holds a B.S in Supply Chain Management and a B.A. in Sustainability from the W.P. Carey School of Business.

“I’m energized to join the Monalee team at such an inflection point in our industry. It’s time to democratize solar so that more homeowners have access to the benefits of clean, renewable and predictable energy. That means lowering the costs, and barriers for homeowners to transact while providing better transparency in a digital age,” shares Frogge.

Among Frogge’s first actions as CRO will be to operationalize the early sales systems at Monalee to be more scalable to serve more people- while making sure they still maintain a core focus on the consumer. He will also work to add differentiated go-to-market strategies to reach customers in more places that are looking for home electrification solutions.

Monalee is currently available in 26 US states, with eight more to be added by end of year. Taking a digital-first approach to selling and installing home solar systems, Monalee’s patent-pending technology uses millions of data points to digitize and ‘shopify’ the buying experience based on customers’ homes and needs. They provide highly accurate initial solar designs to homeowners, complete with transparent pricing and clear timeline milestones.

About Monalee:

Monalee is a climate tech company that is accelerating the adoption of home solar, storage, and EV charging. By leveraging powerful machine learning and removing commission-based salespeople and system designers from the process, we are able to secure the same solar panel systems for homeowners at half the price compared to the top traditional solar companies in the U.S., making us the fastest, most efficient way to go solar. More information can be found on Monalee.co and on LinkedIn.

Media Contact

Walid Halty, Monalee, 1 650-899-8727, pr@monalee.co, https://monalee.co/

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SOURCE Monalee

Technology

SiriusXM Media Becomes Exclusive Audio Advertising Representative for YouTube in the United States

Published

13 minutes ago

April 22, 2026

YouTube, Home of The World’s Number One Podcast Platform and a Leading Music Service, Chooses Audio Ad Powerhouse SiriusXM Media as Its Exclusive Audio Sales Representative in the U.S.

New Deal Cements SiriusXM’s Leadership In Powering The Largest Ad-Supported Audio Ecosystem And Gives Brands Exclusive Access To YouTube’s Audio-First Inventory

NEW YORK, April 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — SiriusXM (NASDAQ: SIRI) today announced a new audio advertising partnership with Google that connects YouTube to one of the largest audio advertising platforms in North America. The agreement makes SiriusXM Media, the advertising group representing SiriusXM, Pandora, and expansive Streaming and Podcast Networks, the exclusive advertising representative of YouTube audio advertising inventory in the U.S. This will provide advertisers access to guaranteed impressions at scale for the first time, backed by similar sophisticated targeting and measurement as YouTube’s ecosystem.

“Audio is one of the most powerful mediums for listeners, creators, and advertisers alike, and at SiriusXM Media, we’re proud to be at the forefront helping brands harness that impact at scale,” said Scott Walker, SiriusXM’s Chief Advertising Revenue Officer. “By partnering with YouTube, a true leader in ad-supported content consumption, we’re uniting our unique skillset with their audience, creating an unparalleled opportunity for marketers and creators to grow their businesses.”

“YouTube has become a primary destination for audio-first content, where fans engage with their favorite podcasts, music, and creators,” said Romana Pawar, Senior Director of Product, YouTube Ads. “By partnering with SiriusXM Media, we are making it easier than ever for advertisers to tap into these high-attention moments.”

YouTube audio ads reach listeners wherever they are across audio-first content and behaviors: immersed in podcasts, talk shows, and music. By meeting users in environments primed for listening and engagement, such as when YouTube content is playing on smart speakers, brands can tap into high-intent listening experiences across YouTube’s vast creator ecosystem. According to a study from SiriusXM Media and Edison Research, there are more than 212 million monthly listeners in the U.S.1 engaging in audio-first content or environments on YouTube.

Starting this fall, advertisers will be able to buy guaranteed audio ad impressions against YouTube’s high-value audiences at scale for the first time directly through SiriusXM Media—paired with an audio-first activation approach to extend reach and impact. Brands can now reach YouTube’s expansive, next-generation and highly engaged audience in the same place where they buy SiriusXM Media’s leading portfolio of ad-supported audio inventory, ensuring a seamless buying experience powered by AdsWizz Inc.’s ad tech platform. As audio continues to reach consumers as a constant companion throughout the day, from commuting to working hours, this deal gives brands an opportunity to reach a valuable audience that is further leaning into audio-first behaviors and content on YouTube in high-attention moments.

Powered by AdsWizz, SiriusXM Media now offers access to 255 million monthly listeners2—reaching nearly 90% of the U.S. population 13+—delivering expansive scale and incremental reach, best-in-class measurement and targeting capabilities, and premium brand-safe environments across every major audio touchpoint. The landmark partnership with YouTube highlights SiriusXM’s commitment to an open, partner-first audio advertising ecosystem, continuing to connect advertisers to premium audio content wherever audiences choose to listen.

For more information, please visit https://www.siriusxmmedia.com/advertise-on-youtube-audio.

About Sirius XM Holdings Inc.
SiriusXM is the leading audio entertainment company in North America with a portfolio of audio businesses including its flagship subscription entertainment service SiriusXM; the ad-supported and premium music streaming services of Pandora; an expansive podcast network; and a suite of business and advertising solutions. SiriusXM offers a broad range of content for listeners everywhere they tune in with a diverse mix of live, on-demand, and curated programming across music, talk, news, and sports. For more about SiriusXM, please go to: www.siriusxm.com.

Media Contacts:
Victoria Chow, victoria.chow@siriusxm.com
Erica Walsh, ericawalsh@google.com

1 Edison Research, Infinite Dial 2026 + SiriusXM Media
2 Edison Research, Infinite Dial 2026 + SiriusXM Media

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SOURCE Sirius XM Holdings Inc.

Technology

ServiceForge plants two million trees worldwide

Published

13 minutes ago

April 22, 2026

The company celebrates a meaningful milestone in its ongoing initiative to make a lasting impact within global communities

PORTLAND, Ore., April 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — ServiceForge, the 24/7 live answering and customer service platform built for skilled trades and home service businesses, announces a significant achievement in its ongoing sustainability drive: the company has now planted more than two million trees worldwide, a milestone reached in time for Earth Day 2026.

Each month, ServiceForge plants one tree for every employee and every customer. What began as a simple commitment to give back has grown into a meaningful, long-term impact effort, now surpassing a major milestone. This accomplishment reflects the company’s continued dedication to environmental stewardship and community-focused values.

For context, two million trees adds up to:

Approximately 4,000 acres of forestRoughly 3,000 football fieldsTrees sufficient to remove an estimated 44,000 metric tons of CO₂ per year (equivalent of taking 9,500 cars off the road)

“This milestone reflects the kind of work we believe in: steady, intentional and rooted in real impact,” said Jane Blanchard, head of brand and marketing for ServiceForge. “In the skilled trades, success isn’t about quick wins; it’s about the slow, human work of strengthening homes, businesses and communities. Planting trees is a natural extension of that mission. It’s a way for us to contribute to something lasting, something that grows alongside the businesses we serve.”

ServiceForge partners with verified reforestation organizations that plant trees in areas affected by deforestation, wildfires and climate change. Partners include Trees for the Future, Save the Redwoods League and Friends of Pando, ensuring that each tree contributes to restoration efforts where it’s needed most.

“We’re in the business of fixing things,” Blanchard said. “What better way to exemplify that commitment than by planting trees, which clean the air, restore habitats and ultimately make the world a better place.”

For more information about ServiceForge and their Giving Back initiative, visit https://www.serviceforge.com/why-serviceforge/givingback

About ServiceForge
ServiceForge helps home service businesses get found, get booked and get paid with 24/7 human answering, scheduling, lead qualification and payments. By combining smart technology with real human connection, ServiceForge helps service businesses stand out in an increasingly disconnected world, ensuring contractors capture more jobs while delivering exceptional customer service. For more information, visit serviceforge.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/serviceforge-plants-two-million-trees-worldwide-302748866.html

SOURCE ServiceForge

Technology

Contractor Commerce launches AI-powered conversational buying experience

Published

13 minutes ago

April 22, 2026

New technology ushers in new era of e-commerce for home service contracting companies

LEBANON, Ohio , April 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Contractor Commerce, a leading e-commerce and sales enablement platform built specifically for home service contractors, announces the next evolution in its platform: a conversational buying experience that’s powered by AI and designed to improve the way homeowners shop for residential services online.

By empowering home service professionals to establish their own virtual storefronts, Contractor Commerce has long championed a modern buying experience, fully aligned with the way consumers seek information on the web, including through guided buying journeys and seamless purchasing flows. With conversational buying, Contractor Commerce embeds AI directly into the shopping experience, allowing the end consumer to enjoy a more natural, personalized and responsive process.

“This shift from guided to conversational shopping builds on everything we’ve done up to this point,” said Paul Redman, president of Contractor Commerce. “Our goal has always been to help contractors meet homeowners where they are. This advanced and intuitive approach will further that goal, and cement Contractor Commerce as a category leader.”

Contractor Commerce’s expanded capabilities are designed to reflect how homeowners buy today: researching options, comparing pricing and making decisions in a time and place that’s most convenient to them. Features include:

An image upload option, allowing homeowners to submit photos of their home systems to receive specific, real-time recommendations.Robust pricing tools, including quote comparisons and full rebate integration, enabling homeowners to fully assess their options and understand the fine print.An AI agent-guided buying journey, providing homeowners with personalized assistance even when they are not fully sure what types of services they need.

“Our conversational buying platform is made for contractors, not retailers,” Redman said. “The goal is to help businesses establish trust, improve their lead qualification process and capture after-hours demand, all while providing customers with a frictionless shopping experience.”

For more information about Contractor Commerce, visit ContractorCommerce.com.

About Contractor Commerce

Contractor Commerce is the pioneer and industry leader in providing e-commerce services for contractors, offering plug-and-play online stores for home service companies so they can grow their sales and serve customers with convenience and transparent pricing. To learn more about Contractor Commerce and its innovative solutions, visit ContractorCommerce.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/contractor-commerce-launches-ai-powered-conversational-buying-experience-302749472.html

SOURCE Contractor Commerce