Connect with us

Technology

Inc. Names Carbonate to Its 2025 List of the Fastest-Growing Private Companies in the Midwest

Published

on

The hospitality-focused creative agency debuts at #45 on the prestigious ranking

CINCINNATI, April 1, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Carbonate, a boutique creative agency that builds, reinvigorates, and grows brands and hospitality concepts, is thrilled to announce that it has ranked #45 on the 2025 Inc. Regionals: Midwest list—the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in the Midwest that have demonstrated significant success in their respective industries.

“To be recognized by Inc. for our growth only five years later is a meaningful milestone, and a testament to the incredible clients who’ve trusted us to help shape their future,” says Candace MacDonald, Co-Founder & Managing Director of Carbonate.

Five Years, Over 100 Brands

Founded as an independent agency in early 2020, Carbonate emerged from the consulting division of award-winning San Francisco-based hospitality marketing firm, af&co.—just before the pandemic delivered a seismic shift to the industry.

“We launched Carbonate during one of the most uncertain times for the hospitality industry, when everything was being reimagined,” says Candace MacDonald, Co-Founder & Managing Director of Carbonate. “That experience sharpened our focus on smart strategy and bold creativity, helping brands to rethink, refresh, and reemerge stronger. To be recognized by Inc. for our growth only five years later is a meaningful milestone, and a testament to the incredible clients who’ve trusted us to help shape their future.”

A creative agency at the intersection of strategy, design, and communications Carbonate has partnered with over 100 clients over the past five years—ranging from international corporations, to emerging small businesses—delivering strategic brand transformations across the U.S., with select projects in Europe. Carbonate’s portfolio spans multi-concept restaurant groups, independent restaurants and bars, global QSR chains, hotels, tourism, wine and spirits, coffee, food retail, and hospitality tech. The agency has designed and launched over 26 brand identities—developing entirely new concepts, and refreshing legacy brands to match evolving markets.

Beyond branding, the company specializes in creating comprehensive, integrated brand communication campaigns, using strategic website design, organic and paid social media, influencer partnerships, and email marketing to drive engagement and conversions, and strengthen brand equity.

Industry Insights That Lead the Conversation

Carbonate has also gained notoriety for its industry insights, working with brands to spot and apply emerging trends, and contributing to publications including Nation’s Restaurant News, Forbes, and Better Homes & Gardens.

Building on the success of its highly regarded Hospitality Trends Report—published in partnership with af&co. for the past 17 years, and featured in The New York Times—Carbonate continues to shape industry dialogue with its latest trends-focused initiative, Insight Out. Designed as a timely resource for marketing and operations leaders, Insight Out is a weekly publication that delivers actionable insights on key hospitality and branding trends, emerging social media movements, and broader cultural shifts impacting the industry.

“Over the years, we’ve built a reputation for being ahead of the curve, but what really sets us apart is knowing what to do with the trends we spot,” says Andrew Freeman, Founder of af&co. and Co-Founder of Carbonate. “We don’t just report on where the industry is heading—we help brands turn that knowledge into action, relevance, and revenue.”

With deep roots in strategy, design, and hospitality marketing, Carbonate remains at the forefront of industry innovation, equipping brands with the insights and tools needed to thrive in an ever-evolving landscape.

About Carbonate

Carbonate is a creative agency that builds, reinvigorates, and grows brands and hospitality concepts. Specializing in food, beverage, restaurants, hotels, and hospitality tech/B2B, Carbonate’s services include brand strategy, identity development, trend insights, design, and integrated brand communications. Prior to launching as an independent company, Carbonate was a division of San Francisco-based af&co. Together af&co. and Carbonate produce an annual Hospitality Trends Report, with insights consistently cited by outlets including The New York Times, Forbes, and more. Carbonate also produces Insight Out, a weekly insights publication dedicated to emerging hospitality & branding trends. Carbonate was ranked #45 on the 2025 Inc. Regionals: Midwest list—the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in the Midwest. Follow along @carbonategroup.

About Inc.

Inc. is the leading media brand and playbook for the entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future. Through its journalism, Inc. aims to inform, educate, and elevate the profile of its community: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters who are creating the future of business. Inc. is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow leading business publication Fast Company. For more information, visit www.inc.com.

Media Contact

Rachel Green, Carbonate, 1 9143104712, rachel@carbonategroup.com, http://www.carbonategroup.com/

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prweb.com/releases/inc-names-carbonate-to-its-2025-list-of-the-fastest-growing-private-companies-in-the-midwest-302416670.html

SOURCE Carbonate

Continue Reading

Technology

LG Electronics Kicks Off UAE Winter Roadshow for the All-New LG OLED EVO W6 Wallpaper TV

Published

on

By

UAE residents can spot the ultra-thin 9 mm True Wireless OLED evo W6 at iconic destinations across the country, with interactive social contests and a chance to win the flagship television.

LG Electronics is launching a winter-long roadshow across premier UAE destinations to showcase the all-new flagship LG OLED evo W6, True Wireless Wallpaper TV.The tour officially kicks off at The Lotus Lounge, Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort, running from 16 to 19 October 2026.Secret upcoming locations will be teased on Instagram via @lg_gulf. Guests who visit one of the spot and post an Instagram Story tagging #LGW6spotted and @lg_gulf will enter a grand draw to win an LG OLED W6 TV.

DUBAI, UAE, Oct. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — LG Electronics (LG) has announced the official launch of its nationwide UAE Winter Roadshow, showcasing the groundbreaking LG OLED evo W6, True Wireless Wallpaper TV. Commencing this weekend, the showcase will invite residents and visitors across the Emirates to experience the future of ultra-premium home entertainment firsthand in some of the country’s most scenic and luxurious lifestyle venues.

The roadshow marks the regional debut of the LG OLED evo W6, True Wireless Wallpaper TV, celebrating the much-anticipated return of LG’s iconic “Wallpaper” aesthetic. Measuring an ultra-slim 9.95mm in depth, the W6 mounts seamlessly flush against the wall with zero gaps, transforming the living space into a high-tech art gallery. Equipped with LG’s proprietary Zero Connect wireless transmission technology, the screen delivers lossless 4K video and audio from an untethered AV box placed up to 10 meters away, completely eliminating visible cable clutter.

First Stop: The Lotus Lounge, Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort

The LG OLED evo W6 winter journey kicks off with an exclusive opening pop-up at The Lotus Lounge at Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort, running from 16 to 19 October 2026. Guests visiting the venue will see the display blending seamlessly into an upscale seaside hospitality environment.

A Gamified Winter Tour: #LGW6spotted

Throughout the winter season, the LG OLED evo W6 will pop up at surprise footfall lifestyle destinations across UAE.

To engage consumers and tech enthusiasts, LG Gulf is introducing an interactive social campaign:

Ahead of every pop-up, upcoming secret locations will be teased on @lg_gulf on Instagram. Followers who correctly guess the venue can win exclusive on-the-spot giveaways.Visitors who embark on the city-wide trail and spot the installation at locations can enter a lucky draw to win their very own LG OLED evo W6, True Wireless Wallpaper TV at the conclusion of the campaign. To qualify, participants simply need to capture a photo of the TV, upload it to their Instagram Story, tag @lg_gulf, and use the hashtag # LGW6spotted.

Next-Generation Picture and AI Performance

Beneath its ultra-thin profile, the LG OLED evo W6 is driven by LG’s most sophisticated brain yet: the α11 (Alpha 11) AI Processor 4K Gen3. Engineered to analyze content frame-by-frame, the processor utilizes deep learning to upscale imagery with astonishing spatial depth, refine facial realism, and map multi-channel virtual surround sound tailored to room acoustics.

Complementing the processor is LG’s next-evolution Hyper Radiant Color technology alongside Brightness Booster Ultra, delivering luminous peak highlights that push conventional OLED boundaries while preserving the iconic inky, Perfect Blacks that define the medium. To suit the light-filled, open-plan spaces characteristic of modern homes in the region, the screen incorporates an advanced Reflection Free Premium coating that dramatically suppresses ambient glare without muting color vibrancy.

Setting an industry first, the LG OLED evo W6 also stands as the world’s first True Wireless TV capable of transmitting 4K visual clarity at an ultra-smooth 165Hz refresh rate. Complete with full support for Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, and leading gaming technologies, including Variable Refresh Rate (VRR), NVIDIA G-Sync, and AMD FreeSync Premium, the LG OLED evo W6 ensures uncompromising performance whether playing host to high-octane gaming or an intimate, theater-grade cinema evening.

For more information about the LG OLED evo W6, visit:
https://www.lg.com/ae/tvs-soundbars/lg-oled83w66la. To follow the roadshow schedule, decipher location clues, and enter the contest, follow @lg_gulf on Instagram.

About LG Electronics Media Entertainment Solution Company

 The LG Media Entertainment Solution Company (MS) is a recognized innovator in televisions, audio, displays and smart TV platforms. The MS Company enhances the media entertainment experience with its OLED TVs, renowned for perfect black and perfect color, and premium LCD QNED TVs, all powered by the personalized webOS smart TV platform. The MS Company also offers Information Technology solutions (gaming monitors, business monitors, laptops, projectors, cloud devices and medical displays) as well as Signage solutions (Micro LED signage, digital signage, hospitality displays and signage software solutions) that are designed to maximize customers’ work efficiency and deliver strong value. For more news on LG, visit www.LGnewsroom.com. 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/lg-electronics-kicks-off-uae-winter-roadshow-for-the-all-new-lg-oled-evo-w6-wallpaper-tv-302911823.html

SOURCE LG

Continue Reading

Technology

JinkoSolar Unveils Tiger Neo 5.0 All-Black Residential Solar Module with 25.52% Efficiency

Published

on

By

SHANGRAO, China, Oct. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd. (“JinkoSolar” or the “Company”) (NYSE: JKS), today unveiled Tiger Neo 5.0, an all-black residential solar module built on its all-new TAC technology. The first version to reach the market, an all-black 48-cell module, delivers a maximum power output of 510 W with a module efficiency of 25.52%. It was designed to redefine the upper limits of what a scenario-specific module can deliver in both appearance and efficiency for premium homes and other architecturally refined residences.

The module showcases a deeper, more uniform and more refined black appearance than conventional back-contact (BC) modules. Semiconductor-grade low- and high-temperature processes bring the power temperature coefficient down to -0.24%/℃, meaning stronger energy yield in high-temperature environments.

TAC technology combines the excellent carrier transport of TOPCon with the low-temperature processing and positive electrode passivation of HJT, pushing peak cell efficiency to 28%, approaching the theoretical limit of monocrystalline silicon cells. Together with a zero-gap cell layout and hidden-ribbon technology at module level, the module achieves an efficiency of 25.52%. Compared with conventional BC products, it delivers approximately 30 W more power, and a lower temperature coefficient. Its deeper, more premium black appearance blends seamlessly into residential rooftops— especially dark-colored ones — making it a standout in the residential module category for both power and aesthetics.

“Our vision for Tiger Neo 5.0 was to develop a panel tailored to premium residential rooftops. It pushes the boundaries of both performance and aesthetics with innovations in cell technology, passivation processes, structural design, module format and interconnections. With this launch, we aim to help move the industry toward solutions tailored to specific applications,” said Charlie Cao, CEO of Jinko Solar Co., Ltd.

About JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.

JinkoSolar (NYSE: JKS) is a holding company combining clean energy industrial operations and strategic investment in emerging technologies. Its industrial foundation is a controlling interest in Jinko Solar Co., Ltd. (SSE: 688223), a global leader in clean energy technology. The Company makes disciplined strategic investments in renewable energy, advanced materials, artificial intelligence, commercial space and other frontier technologies, drawing on its industrial experience and its ability to identify emerging technologies and bring them to commercial scale.

Through Jinko Solar Co., Ltd., the Company distributes its solar products and sells its solutions and services to a diversified international utility, commercial and residential customer base in China, the United States, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, Chile, South Africa, India, Mexico, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Poland, Austria, Switzerland, Greece and other countries and regions.

JinkoSolar has over 10 production facilities globally, over 20 overseas subsidiaries in Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, India, Turkey, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, the United States, Mexico, and other countries, and a global sales network with sales teams in China, the United States, Canada, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Spain, Japan, the United Arab Emirates, Netherlands, Vietnam and India, as of June 30, 2026.

To find out more, please see: www.jinkosolar.com 

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These statements constitute “forward-looking” statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as “will,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “future,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “estimates” and similar statements. Among other things, the quotations from management in this press release and the Company’s operations and business outlook, contain forward-looking statements. Such statements involve certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in JinkoSolar’s filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its annual report on Form 20-F. Except as required by law, the Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

For investor and media inquiries, please contact:

Ms. Stella Wang
JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.
Tel: +86 21-5180-8777 ext.7806
Email: pr@jinkosolar.com

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jinkosolar-unveils-tiger-neo-5-0-all-black-residential-solar-module-with-25-52-efficiency-302911814.html

SOURCE JinkoSolar Holding Co., Ltd.

Continue Reading

Technology

AGFUND wins international award for excellence in inclusive banking and social impact

Published

on

By

 Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal credits the founders of AGFUND’s microfinance banks for laying the foundations of its development impact

BANGKOK, Oct. 17, 2026 /CNW/ — The Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND) won the “Excellence in Inclusive Banking and Social Impact” award at the 2026 Sustainable Development Goals Awards, organized by the World Savings and Retail Banking Institute (WSBI) in cooperation with the European Savings and Retail Banking Group (ESBG).

AGFUND CEO Hammam bin Nasser bin Juraid accepted the award in Bangkok, Thailand, alongside the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group.

HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal bin Abdulaziz, President of AGFUND, said the recognition acknowledges AGFUND’s experience using financial services to empower underserved communities, strengthen livelihoods and promote economic independence.

He credited the founders of AGFUND’s microfinance banks, particularly the late Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz, for establishing institutions centered on empowering people.

He added that the award reflects over two decades of commitment, the dedication of financial inclusion banks and partners, and clients who transformed financing into businesses and family income. He emphasized expanding opportunities and measuring success through lasting improvements in people’s lives.

Prince Abdulaziz stressed that the recognition reflects the value of institutions reaching excluded populations and encourages broader access and economic opportunities for families.

AGFUND’s financial inclusion banking network has served more than 1.3 million clients and disbursed over US$1.37 billion in financing since inception. Women represent 59 per cent of borrowers, demonstrating its contribution to economic empowerment.

Presented by WSBI, established in 1924, together with ESBG, the award recognizes an approach linking financial services, social impact and sustainable development.

Following its first bank in Jordan in 2004, AGFUND expanded across nine countries: Jordan, Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Sudan, Mauritania and Sierra Leone, focusing on communities underserved by conventional financial institutions.

The network has issued more than 1.5 million loans, opened over 927,000 savings accounts, established 112 branches and employed more than 1,500 people. Its services finance micro and small enterprises and income-generating activities, improving livelihoods and economic independence.

AGFUND plans to strengthen development partnerships, advance digital solutions and innovative financial products, and integrate financing with training, capacity development, market access and risk protection.

It is also exploring geographic expansion, particularly in Africa, through institutional partnerships that adapt successful approaches to local needs and extend sustainable financial inclusion to more communities.

Website – https://agfund.org/

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/agfund-wins-international-award-for-excellence-in-inclusive-banking-and-social-impact-302911811.html

SOURCE The Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND)

Continue Reading

Trending