Technology

VIDA SHOES INTERNATIONAL, INC. ACQUIRES DONALD PLINER®

Published

2 hours ago

July 28, 2026

Acquisition strengthens Vida’s growing portfolio of premium footwear brands and reinforces its leadership in the fashion-comfort market

NEW YORK, July 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Vida Shoes International, Inc. (www.vidagroup.com), a leader in the women’s, children’s and men’s footwear industry with Sunrise Brands, proudly announced that it has acquired the Donald Pliner® brand, including all associated intellectual property and brand assets. The transaction officially closed on July 20, 2026.

The acquisition marks another significant milestone in Vida’s continued growth strategy and further expands its portfolio of premium footwear brands. Donald Pliner® joins Vida’s family of brands as the company continues to strengthen its position within the fashion-comfort footwear category.

Donald Pliner® is recognized as one of the industry’s most respected footwear brands, known for its distinctive design, premium craftsmanship and loyal consumer following. The brand has maintained consistent distribution and strong brand equity, making it a natural fit within Vida’s expanding portfolio.

“For more than 52 years, Vida has specialized in developing, manufacturing, marketing and distributing footwear,” said Solomon Dabah, President of Vida Shoes International, Inc. “Donald Pliner is an iconic brand with tremendous heritage, strong consumer recognition and significant growth potential. Its premium positioning and loyal customer base align perfectly with our expertise and long-term vision. We believe Donald Pliner has all the ingredients necessary to become an even stronger force in the fashion-comfort marketplace.”

The acquisition supports Vida’s long-term strategy of building a balanced portfolio of both owned and licensed brands. By combining Donald Pliner®’s established market position with Vida’s global development capabilities, technical expertise, financial resources, marketing expertise and longstanding retail relationships, the company sees significant opportunities to accelerate future growth.

In the near term, Vida’s focus will remain on supporting and strengthening the existing Donald Pliner® business while preserving the brand’s identity and premium positioning. The current product assortment will continue, with future investments centered on innovative materials, advanced construction techniques, enhanced product development, digital commerce initiatives and increased consumer engagement.

“We have tremendous respect for the Donald Pliner team and everything they have accomplished rebuilding the brand,” said Gabriel Safdeye, Senior Vice President of Vida Shoes International, Inc. “Our goal is to provide additional resources, infrastructure and expertise that will accelerate growth while remaining true to the brand’s DNA. We look forward to working closely together and building on the strong foundation already in place.”

“Having led Donald Pliner for the past six years, I have seen firsthand the strength of this brand, the talent of this team, and the loyalty of our customers,” said Griffin Guez, CEO of Donald Pliner®. “We worked hard to rebuild and elevate what Donald Pliner stands for, and I couldn’t be more proud of what we accomplished together. I want to especially recognize Jonathan Guez, whose leadership of our e-commerce division meaningfully strengthened the brand’s digital presence and consumer reach. Seeing the brand join Vida’s portfolio is tremendously exciting. Vida’s proven record in the footwear industry, deep expertise and exceptional team make them the ideal home for the future of Donald Pliner. I look forward to their continued success.”

Donald Pliner® currently enjoys distribution through a strong network of premier department stores, specialty retailers and digital partners. Vida intends to maintain those valued retail relationships while thoughtfully expanding distribution through strategic partnerships that preserve the brand’s premium positioning.

The company also expressed its appreciation to the Vida team, recognizing that this milestone reflects years of dedication across the organization.

“This acquisition would not have been possible without the incredible people of Vida,” Dabah added. “Every division across our company has contributed to the strength of our business through hard work, resilience and an unwavering commitment to excellence. Our talented associates and leadership team have built the foundation that allows us to continue investing in exceptional brands and growing our portfolio. I want to sincerely thank every member of the Vida family for helping make this exciting new chapter possible.”

Looking ahead, Vida envisions elevating Donald Pliner® into one of the leading fashion-comfort footwear brands by investing in product innovation, consumer awareness, digital growth and strategic distribution while remaining true to the qualities that have made the brand successful for decades.

ABOUT VIDA SHOES INTERNATIONAL, INC.
Vida Shoes International, Inc. designs, manufactures, markets and distributes fashion-forward and outdoor adventure footwear for women, men and children. In addition to marketing products under its own brands including Jambu®, JBU®, J Sport®, Aquatalia®, Andre Assous® and Munro®, Vida is a licensee of various brands, including BCBG®, Bruno Magli®, Splendid®, Kenneth Cole®, Stride Rite®, Carter’s®, Merrell® Kids, Saucony® Kids, Kurt Geiger® and OshKosh B’Gosh®. Vida also designs and manufactures products under private labels brands for various retailers. Vida’s wholesale distribution includes department stores, independent retailers, specialty stores, national chains and mass merchants. Vida supports direct to consumer ecommerce for Stride Rite®, Merrell Kids®, Saucony® Kids, Jambu®, JBU®, J Sport®, Bruno Magli®, Aquatalia®, Andre Assous® and Munro®. Learn more at www.vidagroup.com.

ABOUT DONALD PLINER®

Founded in 1989, Donald Pliner is a premium footwear brand known for blending distinctive design, exceptional comfort, and quality craftsmanship. Offering a collection of women’s and men’s footwear, the brand is recognized for innovative materials, thoughtful details, and versatile styles that balance fashion with everyday wearability. Donald Pliner is distributed through premier department stores, specialty retailers, select digital partners, and its direct-to-consumer channels.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vida-shoes-international-inc-acquires-donald-pliner-302836621.html

SOURCE Vida Shoes International

Technology

YPTC Philadelphia Named #1 Best Place to Work in 2026!

Published

38 minutes ago

July 28, 2026

PHILADELPHIA, July 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Your Part-Time Controller, LLC (YPTC) has been named the 2026 #1 Best Place to Work by the Philadelphia Business Journal. Announced on July 23rd at the publication’s in-person awards event, YPTC was recognized as the top-ranking company in the “Large Business” category.

To generate its list of local honorees, the Philadelphia Business Journal worked with Quantum Workplace to distribute comprehensive surveys where employees measured the strength of their organization’s leadership, culture, benefits, and more.

For over 15 years in a row, YPTC has been recognized as a Best Place to Work in Philadelphia and was named #1 in 2021, 2023, and 2025. Nationally, YPTC was recognized by Accounting Today as the #1 Best Firm to Work for in 2025 and ranked #59 in the Top 100 firms in 2026. YPTC was also ranked the #2 Best Place to Work for Women in 2025.

“Philadelphia is home to an incredible nonprofit community, and we’re proud to support so many organizations making a difference throughout the city and the region,” said Carole Melvin, YPTC Regional Director. “Being named a Best Place to Work reflects our commitment to creating a workplace where talented people can thrive while helping our clients strengthen their missions. I’m incredibly proud of our people and grateful for the positive impact they make for one another, our clients, and the communities we serve.”

Read the full article to learn more about YPTC Philadelphia’s Best Place to Work recognition and see the full list of winners.

YPTC is hiring! If you’re an accounting professional seeking flexible and purpose-driven work, visit our Careers page to see our open positions.

About YPTC
YOUR PART-TIME CONTROLLER, LLC (YPTC) is a national accounting firm with over thirty years of experience building stronger nonprofits. YPTC offers specialized nonprofit accounting services, including fractional/outsourced CFO, accounting and month-end financial management, financial planning and analysis, and grant management and compliance. Support, flexibility, and transformation mark our overall approach; we meet clients wherever they are. As a trusted thought partner, YPTC allows nonprofits to focus on what matters: furthering the mission of the organization. For more information, please visit our website www.yptc.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/yptc-philadelphia-named-1-best-place-to-work-in-2026-302836665.html

SOURCE Your Part-Time Controller, LLC

Technology

OSC finds growing awareness, ownership and optimism toward crypto assets

Published

38 minutes ago

July 28, 2026

TORONTO, July 28, 2026 /CNW/ — The Ontario Securities Commission today published the results of a survey that shows awareness and ownership of crypto assets among Canadians are on the rise. The survey of 2,360 Canadians found that 59 per cent are aware of crypto assets, while ownership has increased to 25 per cent.

“Crypto markets continue to evolve, and Canadians are participating in them more than ever before,” said Naizam Kanji, Executive Vice President, Strategic Regulation at the OSC. “By identifying emerging trends and behaviours with our research, we can look around corners, anticipate potential opportunities and risks, and ensure our regulatory approach supports investor protection while fostering fair and efficient markets.”

The survey found an encouraging sign that crypto owners are becoming more informed about investor protection measures. Half of crypto owners reported checking whether their crypto asset trading platform is registered before using it, up from 38 per cent in 2023. However, at the same time, knowledge of crypto assets remains limited; many investors had some misunderstanding around regulation, insurance protections and transaction capabilities.

The research also examined emerging forms of digital assets. Awareness and ownership of stablecoins and tokenized real-world assets remain relatively low, but interest is high among those who are familiar with these products.

The survey found that the majority of Canadians now believe that crypto assets will play a key role in the future of Canada’s financial system. Among Canadians aware of crypto assets, 38 per cent indicated they were highly likely to purchase crypto assets in the future, up 18 percentage points from 2023.

The OSC has resources to help investors understand crypto assets and how they work on GetSmarterAboutMoney.ca. To stay on top of the latest information and resources, sign up for the OSC’s popular e-newsletter, Investor News.

The mandate of the OSC is to provide protection to investors from unfair, improper or fraudulent practices, to foster fair, efficient and competitive capital markets and confidence in the capital markets, to foster capital formation, and to contribute to the stability of the financial system and the reduction of systemic risk. Investors are urged to check the registration of any persons or company offering an investment opportunity and to review the OSC investor materials available at www.osc.ca.

SOURCE Ontario Securities Commission

Technology

New Analysis From Obi Finds World Cup Match Days Sent Rideshare Prices Surging Across Host Cities

Published

38 minutes ago

July 28, 2026

Uber fares peaked 62% above baseline, while the World Cup Final produced the tournament’s most expensive rideshare night

NEW YORK, July 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — World Cup fans faced significantly higher rideshare prices on match days, particularly for riders who chose Uber, according to a new analysis from Obi, the global real-time rideshare price-comparison platform.

Obi analyzed more than 15,000 fare and wait time data points from Uber, Lyft, Waymo and DiDi across eight World Cup host cities and 15 key matches, spanning the opening weekend through the Final. Uber prices rose above their prior-week baseline during every match Obi monitored, with an average peak increase of 62%. Lyft fares peaked 43% above baseline on average.

The price impact grew as the tournament progressed. Uber’s average peak increase was 59% during the group stage, rising to 72% during the quarterfinals, semifinals and Final.

“Fans expect transportation to cost more when tens of thousands of people leave a stadium at once, but the size of these increases – as well as the differences between providers for exactly the same trip – were striking,” said Ashwini Anburajan, CEO of Obi. “This is precisely why greater price transparency matters. Riders should be able to see their options clearly and make an informed choice, especially when demand is at its highest.”

Among the report’s key findings:

The Final was the tournament’s most expensive rideshare night. In the New York market on July 19, Uber reached a peak fare of $143, 77% above baseline, while Lyft peaked at $102.New York – New Jersey was the most expensive host market tracked. MetLife Stadium averaged a peak Uber fare of $146 across the four matches Obi measured there.Provider choice produced substantial savings. During Brazil versus Morocco in New York, Uber reached $149 while Lyft was $91 for the same trip at the same moment – a $58 difference and the largest provider gap recorded.The largest variance between Lyft and Uber was during Brazil vs Morocco, recorded at $58, a 64% variance.Lyft was generally less expensive than Uber in U.S. markets. In New York, Lyft frequently ran $30 to $50 below Uber on match nights.Higher prices were often accompanied by shorter pickup times. Obi found that Uber wait times declined on most of the game nights it analyzed, suggesting that higher fares helped draw more drivers onto the platform.

Across the tournament, the difference between the least and most expensive provider averaged $25 on game nights. The results illustrate how quickly major events can change local rideshare markets, as well as how consumers can pay materially different prices depending on which app they open.

“Rideshare pricing is dynamic by design, but consumers rarely have a clear view of the entire market,” Anburajan added. “The World Cup demonstrated that the first price a rider sees may be far from the best one available.”

The complete report, “The World Cup Effect: How Match Days Sent Rideshare Prices Surging,” is available at https://rideobi.com/worldcup/

ABOUT OBI

Obi is a global real-time aggregator that compares millions of pricing and pick-up (ETA) data points, providing consumers and businesses with actionable insights. The free Obi app allows riders to compare all the major rideshare providers, taxis and black cars instantly. With over 1,500,000 users, the Obi app is available in over 175 countries, providing global price transparency for riders. The app is available for free download on iOS and Android at rideobi.com.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-analysis-from-obi-finds-world-cup-match-days-sent-rideshare-prices-surging-across-host-cities-302836671.html

SOURCE Obi