Technology

Space Center Houston Calls on Student Innovators for the 2024-2025 Conrad Challenge

Published

2 years ago

September 3, 2024

Registration open through November 1, 2024

HOUSTON, Sept. 3, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Registration has opened for the Conrad Challenge, the world’s most highly regarded global STEM innovation and entrepreneurship competition.

Embarking on its 19th year, the Conrad Challenge, presented by Space Center Houston, celebrates and convenes youth teams aged 13-18, where they present innovative solutions across four categories: Aerospace & Aviation, Cyber-Technology & Security, Energy & Environment, and Health & Nutrition. A special category for 2024-2025 is Currents of Change: The Water Challenge, daring students to help communities worldwide with water equity, purity, and efficiency.

“As a premier destination for science exploration and learning, we are excited to present the Conrad Challenge and host this dynamic competition,” said Daniel Newmyer, vice president of Education Research and Collections at Space Center Houston. “We look forward to engaging with students from around the world who will push the limits of innovation, using STEM principles and skills to shape the future.”

Teams competing in the year-long Challenge are teamed with subject matter experts and resources supporting the creation of a commercially viable innovation as they advance through four rounds of the competition. The Challenge begins with the Activation & Lean Canvas Stages, where students transcend geographical boundaries to collaborate, devise solutions, and tackle global challenges. Students progress to the Innovation Stage where they learn entrepreneurial skills, create marketing materials, and present their innovations to a panel of expert judges.

Successful participants earn the title of Conrad Challenge Finalists and are invited to advance to the Power Pitch Stage held during the prestigious Conrad Challenge Innovation Summit & Expo at Space Center Houston. Finalist teams compete to earn scholarships, entrepreneurial support, and the Challenge’s top honor, the title of Pete Conrad Scholar. At the Summit, teams, judges, alumni, and other members of the Conrad community assemble for a four-day event featuring dynamic workshops, tours, community sessions, and the EXPO, all leading up to the much-anticipated awards dinner.

Created by Nancy Conrad, the wife of Pete Conrad (Apollo 12 astronaut and third man to walk on the moon), the Challenge aims to carry on his legacy after his untimely death in 1999. The Challenge provides opportunities for real-world, relevant learning that fosters innovation and entrepreneurship, allowing students to create impactful solutions and a sustainable society for generations to come.

“We are thrilled to welcome a new cohort of bright minds as they embark on this journey of discovery,” said William T. Harris, president and CEO of Space Center Houston. “The Conrad Challenge empowers young visionaries to transform bold ideas into reality, fueling a new generation of leaders ready to extend the limits of what’s possible.”

Since its inception, the Conrad Challenge has engaged over 1,000 schools worldwide, spanning all 50 U.S. states and 72 countries, reinforcing the Challenge’s commitment to diversity and global representation. The 2023-2024 competition marked record-breaking success with over 3,400 students participating.

Registration is open until Friday, November 1, 2024, at 11:59 P.M. EDT, by which time all registered teams must submit the necessary requirements for the Activation Stage. To register and for more information, visit www.conradchallenge.org.

About the Conrad Foundation

The Conrad Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting collaborative, student-centered, real-world, relevant learning that fosters innovation and entrepreneurship. Through its programs, the Foundation unleashes students’ potential to create impactful solutions and a sustainable society for generations to come. For more information about the Conrad Foundation, its Challenge, or the 2024-2025 competition, visit www.conradchallenge.org.

About Space Center Houston

Space Center Houston’s shared purpose is to bring people and space closer together. Over 1.3 million visitors and more than 250,000 students and educators visit each year to connect with the significance of space exploration to pursue a path in STEM or follow along as incredible feats of human spaceflight continue to make new discoveries. Space Center Houston is owned by the Manned Space Flight Education 501(c)3 nonprofit organization and generates an annual $118M economic impact to the Greater Houston area. Space Center Houston is a Smithsonian Affiliate, the Official Visitor Center of NASA Johnson Space Center, and a Certified Autism Center. Learn more at spacecenter.org.

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SOURCE Space Center Houston

Technology

1-800Accountant Launches Tax Savings Services Designed for 1099 Workers

Published

57 minutes ago

April 22, 2026

New offering helps independent contractors structure their business to reduce their tax burden from day one

NEW YORK, April 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — 1-800Accountant, the nation’s leading virtual accounting firm for small businesses, announced the launch of a new service offering built specifically for 1099 workers and independent contractors. The service helps freelancers and self-employed professionals work with an accountant to select the right business setup for their income, with a focus on reducing taxes from the start.

Growth Is Outpacing Tax Readiness

Independent contractor work has grown significantly in recent years. 1-800Accountant’s client data shows sharp year-over-year growth across contractor-heavy industries, with Consulting up 17%, Construction up 10%, and Service-sector clients growing more than 200% compared to 2024. Despite this growth, many contractors continue to overpay their taxes because they operate without a formal business structure in place or the right tax election.

The gap is particularly visible in industries like Healthcare, Engineering, and Legal, where LLC adoption among 1-800Accountant clients sits at 81%, 72%, and 71%, respectively, well below the 90%-plus rates seen in higher-adoption industries like Construction and Real Estate. 1-800Accountant’s new business tax optimization service closes that gap by matching contractors with the right business type while ensuring their business is set up correctly before they file their first return.

“Independent contractors continue to be one of the fastest-growing segments of the American workforce, and they are also among the most underserved when it comes to strategic tax planning,” said Mike Savage, Founder and CEO of 1-800Accountant. “That lack of planning means that most 1099 workers don’t realize how much they’re leaving on the table. This service changes that. We’re giving contractors access to the same strategic advantages that established businesses have, ensuring the right business setup from the beginning.”

Tax Strategy Built In from Day One

These services walk clients through a structured process that includes accountant-recommended business types, registering with the appropriate state agencies, and coordinating with an accountant to ensure alignment between the structure and the client’s specific tax situation. 1-800Accountant integrates business setup for 1099 earners into a broader tax strategy tailored around each contractor’s income level, filing status, and long-term goals.

“What sets us apart is the tax strategy layer,” said Ryan Teeples, Chief of Strategy at 1-800Accountant. “What contractors and gig workers actually need are professionals to help them understand which tax setup makes the most sense for their income, their industry, and where they want their business to go. Then, we do the work to save on both their business and personal taxes. That’s what we’re delivering here.”

The service is available now to new and existing 1-800Accountant clients. Pricing starts at $19 per month (plus any government filing fees) and includes business setup evaluation, tax return preparation and filing, state registration, federal registration, simple-to-use AI bookkeeping software, and a consultation with a tax expert for onboarding and explanation of their individual tax situation.

About 1-800Accountant

1-800Accountant is the nation’s leading virtual accounting firm for small businesses and independent contractors. With a team of credentialed accountants and tax professionals, 1-800Accountant provides bookkeeping, tax preparation, tax planning, and advisory services to clients across all 50 states. The firm is committed to making professional accounting accessible and affordable for business owners at every stage.

Contact: Wyatt Johnson
Content Manager, 1-800Accountant
920-807-9159 | media@1800accountant.com

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SOURCE 1-800Accountant

Technology

9fin launches in APAC to expand global credit coverage

Published

57 minutes ago

April 22, 2026

With APAC playing a bigger role in increasingly complex global credit markets, 9fin brings the news, data and AI tools professionals need to navigate volatility

HONG KONG, April 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — 9fin, the AI-native information platform for global debt markets, has formally launched in the Asia Pacific region, giving credit professionals access to cutting-edge news, data and analysis across private and public bonds and loans.

As the 9fin team continues to grow quickly across APAC from its initial base in Hong Kong, it is supporting firms locally by providing proprietary credit intelligence, comprehensive data, and AI-powered workflow tools, all within one unified platform.

The launch comes as the tussle between public and private markets intensifies in APAC, making it more important than ever for banks, asset managers, advisors, and law firms to have visibility across the full credit landscape. While bond issuance has dropped amid geopolitical disruption, private credit activity remains robust as borrowers seek alternative financing options.

By combining deal intelligence from local sources with its extensive global credit database and AI tools, the 9fin platform gives users a comprehensive view across fragmented markets. The APAC platform includes coverage of more than 1,800 issuers and 16,000 instruments, with issuance history dating back to 2003 following 9fin’s acquisition of Bond Radar, in March 2025.

9fin is already used by more than 300 institutions globally, including KKR, Apollo, BNP Paribas, and Kirkland & Ellis. The company’s APAC buildout — supported by its $170 million Series C fundraise in March 2026 — marks the next phase of its global expansion.

Steven Hunter, CEO and co-founder at 9fin, commented: “APAC is a complex region and is becoming even more so as private markets expand and geopolitical volatility increases. The region needs a faster, smarter platform covering the full picture across bonds, loans, private credit and distressed. That’s exactly what 9fin provides. With our full platform now live in APAC, we’re giving our users the clarity to make informed decisions, faster.”

9fin’s APAC launch follows its expansion across the US, Europe, and Latin America, with CEEMEA to follow.

About 9fin

9fin is the AI-native platform for global debt markets. Founded by former J.P. Morgan banker Steven Hunter and Deutsche Bank engineer Hussam EL-Sheikh, the company combines data, analytics, and AI-powered workflows in a single platform, helping clients work smarter and faster to outperform their peers.

The company is headquartered in London, with offices in New York, Hong Kong, and Belfast and with teams across Latin America and Asia. For more information, visit 9fin.com.

Media contacts
Jessica Simpkin
jessica.simpkin@9fin.com
Shree Dhond/Katie Nerantzis
Dukas Linden Public Relations | 9fin@dlpr.com

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Technology

Trimble First Quarter Earnings Call and Webcast

Published

57 minutes ago

April 22, 2026

WESTMINSTER, Colo., April 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Trimble (Nasdaq: TRMB) will hold a conference call on Wednesday, May 6, 2026 at 8 a.m. ET to review its first quarter 2026 results. The call will be broadcast live on the web at https://events.q4inc.com/attendee/544327873. Analysts who wish to dial into the call may do so by first registering at https://events.q4inc.com/analyst/544327873?pwd=s5ilhwSm. Upon registration, dial-in details will be sent via email to the registrant.

About Trimble

Trimble is a global technology company that connects the physical and digital worlds, transforming the ways work gets done. With relentless innovation in precise positioning, modeling and data analytics, Trimble enables essential industries including construction, geospatial and transportation. Whether it is helping customers build and maintain infrastructure, design and construct buildings, optimize global supply chains or map the world, Trimble is at the forefront, driving productivity and progress. For more information about Trimble (Nasdaq: TRMB), visit: www.trimble.com.

FTRMB

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SOURCE Trimble