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Mancini Duffy Expands Seattle Presence with Appointment of Kara Schmidt-Robben as Studio Director

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SEATTLE, Feb. 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Mancini Duffy, a national full-service design firm with a 110-year history of excellence in architecture, interior design, and planning, proudly announces the appointment of Kara Schmidt-Robben, NCIDQ, IIDA, LEED AP ID+C, as the Studio Director of its Seattle regional office in Rainier Square.

“Expanding our presence in Seattle has been an exciting opportunity, blending the energy of a startup with the strength of Mancini’s deep expertise and resources,” says Lauren Maxted, Director of Marketing & BD, Director of the Seattle Office, and Principal. “We are building something new while staying grounded in the innovation and excellence that define our firm. Kara’s wealth of experience is a tremendous asset as we grow, and we are thrilled to have her leadership in shaping a team that will drive our vision forward.”

“The expansion of our Seattle office is an exciting milestone for us,” says Christian Giordano, President and Co-owner. “The Pacific Northwest is a hub of innovation and creativity, which aligns perfectly with how we approach design. With Kara and Lauren leading the way, we are eager to showcase how we deliver exceptional projects and bring thoughtful, tech-forward solutions to clients who share our passion for great design.”

Schmidt-Robben brings a distinguished career in workplace and corporate design, having led high-profile projects in Washington, including Rover’s headquarters in Seattle, Fluke’s headquarters campus in Everett, and Orrick’s offices in Seattle and Portland. Her extensive leadership experience includes serving as President of the International Interior Design Association’s (IIDA) Northern Pacific Chapter, where she championed design excellence and industry advocacy.

“I am delighted to join Mancini in Seattle to provide our region with superior service and design solutions,” says Schmidt-Robben. “Backed by our innovative design capabilities, we are focused on creating unique environments that support our clients, their user groups, and connect to the region around us.”

As part of Mancini’s expansion in the Pacific Northwest, Schmidt-Robben’s leadership will be instrumental in shaping the firm’s regional presence. Her expertise in delivering tailored workplace solutions aligns seamlessly with Mancini’s tech-forward approach to design, leveraging its patented software, The Toolbelt, a platform for real-time project visualization and interactive client collaboration. This tool has been instrumental in enhancing the efficiency of the firm’s 360 Design process.

“Expanding our presence in Seattle has been an exciting opportunity, blending the energy of a startup with the strength of Mancini’s deep expertise and resources,” says Lauren Maxted, Director of Marketing & BD, Director of the Seattle Office, and Principal. “We are building something new while staying grounded in the innovation and excellence that define our firm. Kara’s wealth of experience is a tremendous asset as we grow, and we are thrilled to have her leadership in shaping a team that will drive our vision forward.”

Mancini’s Seattle office plays a key role in the firm’s continued expansion into dynamic, design-centric markets, delivering its legacy of innovation and forward-thinking design solutions. The office is currently engaged in three hospitality projects at the Concourse C expansion within the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (Sea-Tac), reinforcing its commitment to excellence in the region.

ABOUT MANCINI:
Mancini is a national design firm with a 100+-year-old history and a tech-forward approach. A full-service design firm specializing in architecture, planning, and interior design, Mancini is headquartered in New York City with regional offices in Millburn and Red Bank, New Jersey, Phoenix, Arizona, Seattle, Washington, and Tampa and West Palm Beach, Florida. The firm complements its century of expertise with a contemporary entrepreneurial spirit and technological skill for clients in the commercial, aviation, healthcare, education, financial and professional services, retail, multifamily residential, restoration, institutional, religious, sports, tech, life sciences, and media sectors. The firm is known for designing iconic projects like TSX Broadway in Times Square, Omnicom Group’s national offices, and major aviation projects. Mancini is dedicated to leveraging technology that enhances the design solutions it delivers for its clients’ toughest challenges with its patented technology, The Toolbelt.

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SOURCE Mancini Duffy

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LianLian Global and PayPal Power Cross-Border Payouts for Social Commerce, Marketplace, and eCommerce Customers

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Social commerce, marketplaces and eCommerce players served by LianLian Global can now pay creators, influencers, developers, and independent contractors directly to their PayPal and Venmo wallets.

NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — LianLian Global  today announced it has partnered with PayPal (NASDAQ: PYPL) to enable its social commerce, marketplace and e-commerce clients to send payouts directly to PayPal accounts globally and to Venmo accounts in the U.S.

The creator and gig economy runs on fast, low-friction payouts. Brands are expected to spend $32.6 billion on creators in 2026 and roughly 50 million people worldwide create content professionally or semi-professionally (Gigapay Global Creator Economy Report 2026). Many of these recipients already hold a PayPal or Venmo account: PayPal had over 400 million active accounts across approximately 200 markets at the end of Q2 2026, and Venmo reached 67 million monthly active accounts in Q4 2025.

Paypal Payouts is live in 96 global markets and 24 currencies. It allows merchants to send to any email address, mobile number, or Venmo user handle, with or without an existing PayPal or Venmo account.

To support enterprises expanding globally, LianLian Global provides digital payment services including pay-in, pay-out, acquiring, foreign exchange, virtual cards and payment aggregation. To date, its parent company Lianlian DigiTech has served more than 13.3 million clients. Its services reach more than 200 countries and regions, support transactions and settlement in more than 140 currencies, and connect with more than 180 global e-commerce platforms.

The partnership combines LianLian Global’s cross-border collection, FX and compliance infrastructure with PayPal’s global wallet network. Key offerings include:

Pay to PayPal: Payouts from LianLian Global clients to PayPal account holders in 96 markets, using only the recipient’s email or phone numberPay to Venmo: Domestic U.S. payouts to Venmo users, including creators, influencers and independent contractorsPayPal Payouts for Platforms: Mass disbursements for social commerce, marketplaces and affiliate platforms paying large numbers of sellers, creators and contractorsSpeed to settle: Save time and money by eliminating check runs and postage; no need for routing numbers and bank accounts.

Sandra Lam, Deputy CEO of US at LianLian Global: “Social commerce is creating a new economy, where creators, influencers and independent sellers drive discovery and sales alongside the platforms they sell on. Paying these participants fast, across borders and in small amount is what powers the network effect of social commerce. We see our work with Paypal as a key step in building the payout rails for the global gig economy.”

The collaboration expands LianLian Global’s payout coverage and supports its growth in the U.S. and global markets as cross-border platforms scale their creator and contractor programs.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lianlian-global-and-paypal-power-cross-border-payouts-for-social-commerce-marketplace-and-ecommerce-customers-302917635.html

SOURCE LianLian Global

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Crab2B Debuts as Hong Kong’s First Dedicated B2B Platform for Mobile Electronics

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HONG KONG, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — With the global population surpassing 8 billion, mobile electronics have become essential to modern life, with smartphones now used by billions of people. Across approximately 13,861 cities worldwide, electronics wholesalers play a vital role in the supply chain. Among the world’s three major wholesale hubs for digital electronics, Dubai serves the Middle East and Africa, Miami connects markets across Latin America, and Hong Kong draws strength from its unique position linking mainland China with global markets. According to Hong Kong Customs data, re-exports of used mobile phones from Hong Kong reached 51.5 million units in 2025, while the total value of electronics exports hit HK$3.9216 trillion. Yet despite its value running into the trillions of Hong Kong dollars, it has long lacked a dedicated online platform.

Crab2B was created to fill this gap as Hong Kong’s first B2B platform dedicated to mobile electronics. Inspired by Alibaba’s online B2B marketplace model, the platform focuses on consumer electronics, bringing together hundreds of thousands of buyers and sellers worldwide and enabling them to connect directly.

Crab2B covers a broad range of products, including smartphones, tablets, laptops and other smart devices. Listings span brand-new and used devices, as well as certified pre-owned (CPO) and as-is products. The platform also connects buyers and suppliers with service providers offering product inspection, international logistics and repair services. Users can search for products by brand and model, while all merchants undergo rigorous verification before joining the platform. With these safeguards in place, Crab2B is designed to meet the needs of businesses across the value chain, protect the interests of both buyers and sellers, and facilitate mutually beneficial transactions.

Building on Hong Kong’s established trading network, Crab2B made its debut at the HKICEC Global Mobile Exchange Pavilion during the Global Sources Hong Kong Shows, held at AsiaWorld-Expo from October 18 to 21, 2026, where it also launched the Crab2B app. Looking ahead, Crab2B will remain firmly rooted in Hong Kong while expanding its global reach, continuing to refine the platform to deliver a smarter, more comprehensive digital marketplace for mobile electronics. By helping international buyers identify suitable suppliers, simplifying cross-border sourcing and reducing transaction costs, Crab2B aims to support the continued growth of Hong Kong’s digital trade sector and contribute to the city’s long-term prosperity and stability.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/crab2b-debuts-as-hong-kongs-first-dedicated-b2b-platform-for-mobile-electronics-302917652.html

SOURCE CRAB 2B TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT CO., LIMITED

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AiMOGA Launches Global Robot Innovation: Mobo Debuts from Wuhu, Empowering Homes and Businesses

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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — AiMOGA Robotics has officially launched Mobo, its first consumer-grade humanoid family companion robot, marking a new chapter in intelligent living for Malaysian households and enterprises. Unveiled globally from AiMOGA’s headquarters in Wuhu, China, during a joint international users summit with its sister brands, this groundbreaking product reflects the company’s commitment to worldwide innovation and technological excellence.

Standing 0.9 meters tall with 22 degrees of freedom, Mobo supports over 20 languages—including Bahasa Malaysia—and delivers rich, personalized interactions. Designed for family life, it offers children interactive learning, storytelling, and object recognition, while providing elders with conversational companionship and customizable reminders. Powered by MoAgent, AiMOGA’s embodied intelligence system, Mobo features a dual-brain architecture enabling real-time responses, multi-tasking capabilities, and adaptive learning through facial recognition and secure MogaCloud integration.

Peng Xia, AiMOGA Robotics Executive Vice President, said Mobo’s spatial perception, interaction, execution, decision-making, and cognition layers form a perception-decision-execution-feedback loop. Spatial memory enables object retrieval, while social navigation recognizes pedestrian paths and interaction zones. Multimodal technologies coordinate language, facial expressions, and movement for natural interaction.

Beyond home use, Mobo shows strong potential in professional settings—from customer service to logistics—supporting AiMOGA’s vision of integrating robotics into everyday workflows.

Since its debut in August 2026, Mobo has attracted over 10,000 prospective users. Thirty-five were selected as Global User Experience Officers, receiving one year of complimentary use to help shape future improvements.

At the event, Guibin Zhang, AiMOGA Robotics General Manager, outlined strategies in R&D, cost optimization, sales and leasing. The “Platform Institute + Scenario Institute” model drives validation for bipedal, quadruped, and wheeled robots. Plans include 300 global experience centers and “Jia Tian Xia”, a robot leasing brand launching in Wuhu. Leveraging Chery’s manufacturing and platform resources enhances cost efficiency and scalability.

Notably, AiMOGA’s impact in Malaysia is amplified through strategic collaboration with sister brands Chery, OMODA & JAECOO, iCAUR, and LEPAS. Their partnership extends far beyond vehicle showrooms and daily operations—jointly developing integrated smart ecosystems that span mobility, retail, smart offices, and connected living.

As part of a global rollout with over 3,000 units deployed across 60+ markets, this initiative aims to bring intelligent, accessible robotics to more Malaysian families and businesses—enhancing productivity, convenience, and quality of life.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/aimoga-launches-global-robot-innovation-mobo-debuts-from-wuhu-empowering-homes-and-businesses-302917658.html

SOURCE AiMOGA Robotics

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