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Google Opens New Nonprofit Venue in the Heart of Downtown Austin

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As part of Google’s newest Austin Office, Google.org Nonprofit Venue reflects Google’s continued local investment

AUSTIN, Texas, Aug. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Google is opening its new downtown Austin Sail Tower office as a vibrant hub for nonprofits, completely free of charge. At today’s launch event, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and community leaders joined Google executives to unveil the vibrant space and demonstrate the creative ways nonprofits can leverage this unique opportunity.

The Google.org nonprofit venue reflects Google’s longstanding investment in Austin and expands the community role of Sail Tower. Opened last year, Sail Tower marked another milestone in Google’s more than 20 years in Texas.

“Google has been an active part of Austin’s growth for nearly two decades, and this new Google.org venue takes Google’s commitment to a new level,” said Mayor Watson. “Spaces like this are absolutely vital for Austin’s nonprofit community. They provide a place for organizations to collaborate, innovate and serve our city in new ways. When good neighbors and partners like Google open doors to our local visionaries, they’re not just offering a physical space, they’re strengthening the fabric of Austin and helping our community thrive.”

To include the Austin community in the unveiling celebration, Google hosted a free, in-person “Make AI Work for You” workshop for local nonprofits and small businesses. The interactive session is designed to help small business owners and nonprofit leaders harness the power of AI to grow and streamline their operations. Through hands-on coaching from a Google trainer, attendees learned how to apply AI to solve challenges that matter most to their businesses and organization from writing effective prompts to brainstorming business solutions to delegating repetitive tasks using Google’s suite of AI tools. Because nonprofits and small businesses are so essential to our communities and our economy, Google also offers virtual trainings and resources for nonprofits and small businesses, at no cost.

A New Hub for Austin Nonprofits
Sail Tower is now also open for Austin metro area nonprofits, providing free access to a versatile space that can support a variety of gatherings. During the event, Google also announced that Austin Community Foundation (ACF), Central Texas’ trusted partner in philanthropy for nearly 50 years, will work alongside Google to enable local organizations to access the space.

“Google has been a long-standing supporter of our nonprofit ecosystem in Central Texas, and ACF is proud to support that work,” said Meagan Longley, Chief Impact Officer at Austin Community Foundation. “This new venue gives nonprofits access to a technology-rich space in the heart of Austin at no cost – building the capacity of our nonprofit leaders to convene, celebrate, and problem-solve.”

The ground floor venue at Sail Tower is available for local nonprofit programming – eligible organizations can book the space for workshops, classes, meetings, and events. It can accommodate up to 143 people, and it’s fully equipped with high-speed Wi Fi, A/V capabilities, event supplies and other amenities. Learn more.

A New Texas-Inspired Workspace for Austin Googlers
Located along Lady Bird Lake, Sail Tower features abundant natural light, outdoor terraces with native Texas plants and interiors inspired by landscapes across the state, including the desert wildflowers of Big Bend, the hiking trails of the Hill Country and the thunderstorms of Marfa. 

Local artwork and flexible workspaces were designed to reflect Austin while supporting innovation, collaboration, and enabling Googlers to do their best work.

“With this new Google.org venue, Google is opening our doors at Sail Tower to community organizations and marking the next chapter of our long-term investment in Austin and the state of Texas,” said Jim Anderson, Texas Office Leader and Vice President of Cloud North American Partner Ecosystem and Channels for Google. “By establishing a third place for the local nonprofits that serve as the backbone of the city, Google is deepening its continued commitment to fostering learning, creativity, and connection right in the heart of downtown.”

Google strives to always be a good neighbor through long term partnerships and investments in our offices, our people, and the communities where we are located. In 2025, Google helped provide $55.7 billion of economic activity for hundreds of thousands of Texas businesses, nonprofits, publishers, creators, and developers, and since 2005, Google and Googlers have given more than $112 million in funding (cash grants, social impact funding, employee donations, and gift match) to organizations and nonprofits in Texas. Learn more about Google in Texas at g.co/economicimpact/texas.

Media Contact:

Sharon Chapman

schapman@themach1group.com

512.568.7159

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SOURCE Google

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PNC Celebrates 50th New Branch Opening Since Launch of Coast-to-Coast Build-Out of More Than 300 Branches

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PNC remains on track to open more than 55 new branches this year

PITTSBURGH, Aug. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — PNC Bank today announced the opening of its 50th new location, an important milestone in the company’s coast-to-coast build-out of more than 300 branches across key U.S. markets. This milestone reflects the strong momentum behind the national bank’s multi-year strategy to invest $2 billion in its branch network, including building locations in 19 markets as well as renovating its existing network across the U.S. PNC remains on track to open 55 new branches in 2026, the largest single-year branch expansion effort in its history.

The Hialeah branch in Hialeah, Florida, which opened Aug. 3, 2026, marks PNC’s 50th new branch opening and represents consistent progress against the bank’s long-term expansion commitments. The recently opened branches span strategic growth markets across the country, including Dallas, Miami, Houston and Denver.

“Our branch network is the heartbeat of our retail business, offering hospitable and relationship-based advice and assistance to the millions of customers who visit us each month,” said Alex Overstrom, head of Retail Banking at PNC. “Reaching our 50th branch opening is an important milestone in what is ultimately a journey to create a ubiquitous network across the United States.”

PNC’s expansion strategy began with a nearly $1 billion commitment announced in February 2024, which included plans to open more than 100 new branches and renovate more than 1,200 existing locations nationwide through 2028. Building on that foundation, PNC expanded the initiative in November 2024 with an additional $500 million investment, increasing its planned branch openings to more than 200 across 12 cities. Most recently, in November 2025, PNC increased its goal to add a total of 300 new branches by 2030, raising its total branch investment to approximately $2 billion. The announcement also expanded the company’s market footprint and reaffirmed its commitment to fully renovate its entire branch network.

PNC recognizes that physical branches continue to play an essential role in fostering trusted relationships, offering personalized financial guidance and supporting complex financial needs. Through its growing network of new and modernized locations, PNC is giving customers greater choice in how they bank, whether online, through the new mobile app or in person, while ensuring that customers have seamless access to the expertise, products and resources they need to achieve their financial goals.

PNC Bank, National Association, is a member of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (NYSE: PNC). PNC is one of the largest diversified financial services institutions in the United States, organized around its customers and communities for strong relationships and local delivery of retail and business banking including a full range of lending products; specialized services for corporations and government entities, including corporate banking, real estate finance and asset-based lending; wealth management and asset management. For information about PNC, visit www.pnc.com.

CONTACT:
Darby Rowe
(717) 824-6314
darby.rowe@pnc.com

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SOURCE PNC Bank

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Enzene Launches NeX™, a Comprehensive Suite of Solutionsto Enable Cost-Efficient, High-Yielding Local Biomanufacturing

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PUNE, India, Aug. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Enzene, a leading global continuously innovative development and manufacturing organization (CIDMO™), today announced the launch of NeX™, a transformative end-to-end partnership model that enables governments, institutions, and biopharma organizations to establish world-class biomanufacturing capabilities wherever they need them.

Built on the company’s proven EnzeneX® fully‑connected continuous manufacturing™ (FCCM™) platform, NeX delivers a turnkey, scalable, and sustainable way to make state-of-the-art innovation in biologics manufacturing transportable, close to patients and supply chains, and without the prohibitive capital burden of conventional fed‑batch facilities. By enabling local FCCM‑based manufacturing, governments can significantly expand patient affordability and access to life‑saving biologics.

Enzene’s NeX program includes comprehensive build-out and launch coordination with support for facility design and build-out, technology transfer and IP licensing for the EnzeneX platform, workforce development through the company’s SparX™ structured training curriculum, and ongoing operational support during start-up and commercialization. Where required, participating organizations may also receive access to selected products from Enzene’s biosimilar portfolio for manufacture within their own regions.

“A conventional biologics plant often requires between $300 million and $400 million to build,” commented Himanshu Gadgil, Ph.D., CEO of Enzene. “With our fully-connected continuous manufacturing platform, the same output can be achieved for $60–$80 million. The efficiency comes from a compact, integrated system architecture rather than the scale-intensive layouts of fed-batch facilities, allowing for long-term cost advantage and high product yields for locally manufactured biomedicines.  We are already engaged in discussions with multiple governments and corporations all around the world and are looking forward to helping deliver affordable medicines to patients worldwide.”

Enzene’s NeX program is intended to help regions accelerate the establishment of local biopharma capabilities and risk-mitigated supply chains, develop domestic scientific talent, and reduce long-term manufacturing costs for local patients. The company estimates that facilities built under the program can achieve validation and commercial readiness in under three years.

For more information, visit www.enzene.com/nex.

About Enzene

Enzene is a Continuously Innovative Development and Manufacturing (CIDMO™) partner supporting innovators and biosimilar developers across discovery, development, and commercial supply. Operating from facilities in India and the U.S., Enzene provides integrated biologics development and manufacturing services enabled by its EnzeneX® fully‑connected continuous manufacturing™ (FCCM™) platform, which delivers the world’s leading yields and cost efficiency, and is validated for commercial biologics production.

To expand regional biologics capability, Enzene also offers NeX™, an end‑to‑end partnership program that supports governments, institutions, and biopharma organizations in establishing local biomanufacturing, leveraging all the productivity, operating cost and capital advantages of continuous processing. NeX provides comprehensive facility design guidance, technology and IP transfer, workforce development through its SparX™ training program, operational oversight, and territory‑specific pipeline support.

For more information, visit www.enzene.com.

Media Contact:
Miles Fisher-Pollard
Orientation Marketing
milesfp@orientation.agency

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American Council of the Blind’s 2026 Conference and Convention Showcases Innovation, Advocacy, and Community

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ALEXANDRIA, Va., Aug. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The American Council of the Blind (ACB) concluded its 2026 Conference and Convention, bringing together nearly 1,200 virtual and in-person attendees from across the country. Held during ACB’s 65th anniversary year, the convention celebrated ACB’s legacy of advocacy and its continued commitment to advancing accessibility, innovation, and opportunity for people who are blind or have low vision.

Throughout the week, attendees participated in educational sessions on artificial intelligence, advocacy, accessible technology, leadership, employment, and more. The convention also featured ACB affiliate meetings, networking events, and tours of local attractions. ACB’s Exhibit Hall showcased the latest advancements in assistive technology and other innovative products and services.

Advocacy remained a central focus, with sessions highlighting ACB’s legislative priorities, including improving digital accessibility, expanding accessible transportation and healthcare, and advancing equal opportunity for people who are blind or have low vision.

The convention also celebrated the strength of community through youth and scholarship programs, leadership development, and opportunities for attendees to connect, learn, and build lasting relationships.

ACB’s annual banquet featured keynote speaker Precious Perez, a blind musician and advocate, who shared her personal journey, discussed her advocacy work, and performed some of her original music.

“Our annual convention demonstrates what’s possible when our community comes together to share ideas, advocate for change, and embrace innovation,” said ACB Executive Director Scott Thornhill. “The connections made, knowledge shared, and partnerships formed throughout the week will continue to advance opportunities for people who are blind or have low vision.”

ACB extends its sincere appreciation to the volunteers, presenters, exhibitors, affiliates, sponsors, and attendees whose contributions made this year’s convention a success. ACB also offers a special thanks to the convention Diamond Sponsors, Microsoft, Vanda Pharmaceuticals, and Waymo, for their generous support and commitment to advancing accessibility and inclusion.

The 2027 ACB Conference and Convention will be held July 23-30 in Jacksonville, Florida.

About the American Council of the Blind

The American Council of the Blind (ACB) is a national member-driven organization representing Americans who are blind and have low vision. Founded in 1961, ACB works to increase independence, security, equality of opportunity, and quality of life through advocacy, education, community engagement, and information. Learn more at https://www.acb.org.

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SOURCE American Council of the Blind

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