Partnership combines GoTraveler’s category leadership and an iconic travel programming library with Ionic’s operating apparatus, audience platform, and direct buyer access, sharpening one of CTV’s most engaged genres into a destination environment for travel advertisers.

NEW YORK, June 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Ionic Studios LLC (“Ionic”) and Questar Entertainment Group, Inc. (“Questar”) today announced the formation of Ionic Questar Holdings, LLC, a joint venture to operate, monetize, and grow GoTraveler, North America’s largest travel channel on free ad-supported streaming television. Under the partnership, Ionic serves as Publisher of Record and brings its full operating apparatus to the channel, while Questar contributes the GoTraveler brand and a content library built over more than four decades. Both companies are equally invested in establishing GoTraveler as the definitive travel destination on connected television.

GoTraveler is one of the most established channels in the FAST ecosystem, distributed across DIRECTV, LG Channels, VIZIO WatchFree+, Xumo, Sling TV, Dish Network, Plex, and additional connected television platforms across the United States. The channel runs 24/7 programming spanning destinations on six continents, with a content slate that balances destination guides, culinary travel, cultural immersion, and adventure programming. It is, by design, a lean-back, aspirational, brand-safe environment built to keep travel-engaged viewers on the screen.

What sets GoTraveler apart is the library behind it. Questar has been building travel and lifestyle programming since 1985, and the channel draws from a catalog that includes some of the most recognizable franchises in the category, among them Anthony Bourdain’s A Cook’s Tour, Rick Steves’ Europe, Exploring Mexico’s Kitchen with Rick Bayless, Smart Travels with Rudy Maxa, Curious Traveler, Dream of Italy, and America’s National Parks. The result is a channel with a clear editorial identity and a viewer who comes back to it intentionally, in a market where most travel inventory in FAST is recycled, thinly packaged, or sold against broad demographics.

Ionic brings the operating apparatus of a modern connected television publisher: ad operations and demand integration, agentic ad serving, SSP and DSP relationships, direct sales execution, and platform-level distribution expansion. Audience identification across GoTraveler runs on Ionic’s behavioral and contextual platform, surfacing high-intent travel viewers, both active travelers and those in the planning window, without relying on demographic assumptions alone. Buys can be structured through Ionic’s iX Access framework, giving travel brands, hospitality companies, online travel agencies, destinations, and financial services advertisers direct and transparent access to GoTraveler inventory rather than navigating opaque exchange supply.

The partnership comes as FAST audiences in the United States are projected to reach 131.4 million in 2026, accounting for 54% of all connected television users (eMarketer), while U.S. travel industry digital ad spend is on pace to approach $9.4 billion this year, nearly double its 2021 level. Travel as a category has the audience curve and the advertiser curve, but FAST has largely treated it as filler rather than a genre worth building. Ionic and Questar are taking the opposite view, and putting the operating investment behind it.

“GoTraveler has built something genuinely rare in FAST: a channel with a clear editorial identity and a viewer who comes back for it intentionally,” said Shafi Mustafa, Managing Director of Ionic Studios. “That is the kind of supply that deserves better than open-auction CPMs and broad-stroke demographics. With this partnership, we are putting GoTraveler in front of advertisers who understand the difference between reaching someone and reaching someone in the right moment, and we are building the channel into the destination the travel category has been missing in connected television.”

“GoTraveler is the connected television expression of a travel content business we have been building since 1985,” said Jonathan Plowman, Chief Executive Officer of Questar Entertainment. “Partnering with Ionic gives us the monetization, distribution, and commercial execution to scale that work the way it deserves, in front of the travel advertisers who should be in this environment. We are aligned with the Ionic team on what GoTraveler can become in CTV, and on the path to get there.”

The joint venture begins immediate work across three fronts: platform distribution expansion into additional FAST endpoints, content investment to deepen and refresh the GoTraveler programming slate, and direct advertiser activation across the 2026 and 2027 commercial cycles. Both parties are invested in the long-term growth of the channel as a category-defining destination on connected television.

About Ionic Studios

Ionic Studios is the studio for the open streaming ecosystem. The company assembles a scaled portfolio of exclusively represented, brand-safe FAST channels into a single, unified buying system, bringing the consistency, reach, and activation standards advertisers expect from premium walled gardens to the open CTV market. Ionic builds the portfolio through three paths: channels it owns and operates, joint ventures with content partners, and exclusive strategic partnerships with leading independent studios. The portfolio today reaches more than 100 million U.S. households across 94 exclusively represented channels, with over 250 million hours streamed monthly and 5.2 billion monthly ad impressions. For more information, visit ionic.tv.

About Questar Entertainment

Questar Entertainment, founded in 1985 in Chicago, is a media company specializing in travel and lifestyle content. Its flagship asset, GoTraveler, is the largest travel channel on free ad-supported streaming television in North America, distributed across the major FAST platforms in the United States. GoTraveler’s programming spans destinations on six continents and draws from a library of iconic travel franchises developed across four-plus decades of category-defining production. For more information, visit questarentertainment.com.

Media Contact
Ionic Studios
Warda Baig
warda@ionic.tv

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SOURCE Ionic Studios

Partnership Will Accelerate and Support Rapid Expansion of AI Adoption and Data Modernization Capabilities Across Regulated Industries and Public Sector

WASHINGTON, June 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Computomic, the leading global Databricks delivery partner, today announced a strategic growth investment from Washington Harbour Partners LP, a mission-first defense tech accelerator and force multiplier for U.S. and allied defense companies, during the Databricks Data + AI Summit. Computomic has established itself as a trusted partner for enterprise data modernization, large-scale legacy migrations, and AI transformation initiatives across some of the world’s most complex and highly regulated industries.

Computomic is one of Databricks’ fastest growing and most experienced delivery partners and has delivered 250+ Databricks projects across Financial Services, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Public Sector and Manufacturing. During its longstanding partnership with Databricks, Computomic has built a reputation for on time, on budget, no drama delivery and a consistent track record of completing some of Databricks most complex and strategic Enterprise engagements.

This partnership will help Computomic scale its Databricks practice, expand capacity for customers, and pursue larger, more strategic engagements while preserving the leadership, culture, delivery model, and Databricks-first focus that have defined the company’s success.

Organizations across every sector are racing to deploy AI, but many remain constrained by legacy architectures that were never designed to support modern analytics, machine learning, or agentic systems. Establishing AI-ready data platforms has become one of the most urgent priorities facing enterprise leaders today. Computomic addresses this challenge through deep expertise in legacy-to-Databricks modernization, helping organizations transform mission-critical data environments and create the foundation required for enterprise-scale AI adoption. Computomic’s experience spans large-scale modernization programs involving thousands of legacy objects, hundreds of ETL workflows, and highly complex enterprise data environments where governance, security, and reliability are critical.

“Enterprises in the world’s most demanding, regulated industries and the public sector are rebuilding around modern data and agentic AI, and Computomic has emerged as the indispensable partner guiding that transformation on Databricks,” said Mina Faltas, Founder and CEO at Washington Harbour Partners. “We are proud to partner with Computomic, the top-ranked Databricks delivery partner globally and a trusted name across financial services, healthcare, and other regulated industries. The team has built something exceptional, and we look forward to accelerating its next phase of growth.”

Through the partnership with Washington Harbour Partners, Computomic will deepen its presence within the rapidly growing Databricks ecosystem while supporting continued investment in talent, innovation, and industry-leading solutions built on the Databricks Data Intelligence platform. It will also enable the company to expand its capabilities in enterprise modernizations, AI adoption, and next-generation data architecture transformation.

“This partnership allows us to accelerate everything we’re already doing well without fundamentally changing who we are or how we serve our customers,” said Sanjeev Agarwalla, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Computomic. “With Washington Harbour Partners behind us, we can scale our Databricks practice more quickly across regulated industries, invest in industry-leading solutions built on the Databricks platform, and help our customers modernize their data foundation to unlock AI at scale. The opportunity in front of us is enormous, and we’re excited to build on our momentum while remaining focused on delivering exceptional outcomes for our customers.”

Today’s announcement marks an important milestone in Computomic’s growth and strengthens its ability to meet increasing demand for specialized Databricks expertise. Together, Computomic and Washington Harbour Partners will expand access to new markets, broaden the company’s customer solution portfolio, and help more organizations realize greater value from their data and AI investments.

About Computomic
Computomic, based in Princeton, New Jersey, is a Databricks Gold Partner with operations in the US, EMEA, and India. At its core, Computomic is built on technical superiority, deep Databricks expertise, and a relentless focus on outcomes. We bring together exceptional engineers, architects, and problem solvers who thrive on tackling complex challenges, pushing boundaries, and delivering meaningful transformation for clients in regulated industries.

Computomic fosters a culture where talented people come to do the best work of their careers. Through innovation, collaboration, continuous learning, and high standards of execution, we empower our teams to move with agility, challenge conventions, and create measurable impact. With partnership, integrity, and technical excellence at the center, Computomic helps customers accelerate their Databricks Data and AI modernization journeys with confidence.

About Washington Harbour Partners
Washington Harbour Partners, based in Washington DC, is a private investment firm that brings a fresh approach to investors and founders, providing flexibility and deep operational expertise at all stages of the investment cycle – from growth equity to control buyouts to public markets. The firm has deep domain expertise in the areas of national security, defense technologies, cybersecurity, enterprise software, and technology-enabled services. In 2026, Washington Harbour Partners ranked sixth among all defense technology investors, and the highest ranked non-government affiliated firm to also fund private equity investments, in the Silicon Valley Defense Group’s NatSec100 report, investing in 16 of the companies named to the list.
For more information, please visit https://washingtonharbour.com/

Clearsight Advisors, Inc. served as the exclusive financial advisor to Computomic. Terms were not disclosed.

Media Contact
whp@invariantgr.com

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SOURCE Computomic

Planet Classroom and VoiceAmerica Launch AI for a Better World Podcast, Challenging Founders and Investors to Prioritize Global Impact Over Short-Term AI Hype

NEW YORK, June 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As artificial intelligence reshapes global markets—from wildfire response to climate innovation—a defining question faces the next generation of entrepreneurs: Will AI be used to chase valuations, or to solve humanity’s most urgent challenges?

The Planet Classroom Network, in partnership with VoiceAmerica, today announces the podcast premiere of “Anousheh Ansari: Building What Matters in the Age of AI.” In this high-stakes dialogue, Planet Classroom Co-Founder and CEO C. M. (Cathy) Rubin sits down with Anousheh Ansari, CEO of the XPRIZE Foundation and the first female private space explorer, to examine what separates responsible AI leadership from hype-driven innovation.

The End Goal Is Impact, Not Just Profit

“AI is just the means to get to that ultimate goal,” Ansari explains. “The end goal is not just profit, it’s impact.”

From AI-powered wildfire detection to $100 million carbon removal breakthroughs, Ansari outlines a blueprint for responsible AI leadership. She emphasizes that technological innovation fails without contextual grounding—testing solutions in real-world environments, from the Amazon rainforest to Sub-Saharan Africa.

What Separates AI Leaders from Hype-Driven Startups?

Rubin presses Ansari on how founders can navigate the pressures of rapid AI acceleration while maintaining ethical clarity.

Key insights include:

The Contextual Gap: AI startups often fail when solutions are built in isolation from real-world conditionsThe Two-Sided Value Model: Successful ventures solve both environmental and economic challenges simultaneouslyThe Legacy Test: Long-term impact—not short-term growth—defines enduring companies

A Defining Test for the AI Economy

“Technology is a tool—but humanity gives it purpose,” says C. M. (Cathy) Rubin.
“For entrepreneurs and policymakers shaping the AI economy, success cannot be measured by speed alone. It must be measured by the legacy of global impact we leave behind.”

Key Questions for the Innovation Community

Is your AI solution designed for a lab—or for the real world?Are you building for a headline—or for a generation?How does your business model balance growth with long-term planetary responsibility?

🎧 Listen Now and Rethink What AI Leadership Means

“Anousheh Ansari: Building What Matters in the Age of AI”
Available June 15, 2026, on VoiceAmerica and the Planet Classroom Network

About Anousheh Ansari

Anousheh Ansari is CEO of the XPRIZE Foundation, engineer, entrepreneur, and spaceflight participant. In 2006, she became the first female private space explorer and the first astronaut of Iranian descent. She co-founded Telecom Technologies, Inc., and Prodea Systems, and leads global competitions addressing climate, energy, and health.

About C. M. (Cathy) Rubin

C. M. (Cathy) Rubin is Co-Founder and CEO of Planet Classroom and a featured writer for Forbes. A multimedia journalist who has authored more than 800 articles on AI and innovation, she consults globally on ethical AI and education transformation.

About Planet Classroom

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SOURCE Planet Classroom Network