Connect with us

Technology

Dhar Mann Named an “Honorary Big” by Big Brothers Big Sisters of America for Back-to-School Season

Published

on

Founder of Dhar Mann Studios and one of the world’s most influential storytellers reaching over 170 million followers across platforms, Mann rallies individuals to become “Bigs” and transform young lives through mentorship

TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA), the nation’s preeminent one-to-one youth mentoring organization, today announced Dhar Mann, one of the world’s most influential storytellers and founder of Dhar Mann Studios, as an Honorary Big. Timed to the back-to-school season, the partnership encourages Mann’s followers to become Bigs by showcasing how consistent mentorship helps young people build confidence, explore new opportunities, and imagine what’s possible for their futures.

BBBSA’s First ‘Honorary Big’

Mann is the founder of Dhar Mann Studios, the audience-first global entertainment company dedicated to uplifting the world by creating stories and experiences that help people feel seen and connected – the same values that BBBSA advances through hundreds of thousands of caring one-to-one mentoring relationships each year. Adult mentors, called Bigs, are paired with young people affectionately called Littles to empower, grow and connect as they explore new paths and imagine what’s possible for the future.

As an Honorary Big, Mann will launch the back-to-school campaign across his platforms that spotlights the powerful bonds between Bigs and Littles and real mentoring matches while creating memorable experiences that positively impact their education and access. With more than 20,000 young people currently waiting for a mentor, the partnership aims to inspire more individuals to become Bigs.

“Dhar Mann has built one of the largest platforms in the world centered around hope and human connection,” said Artis Stevens, president and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. “We are proud to welcome him into our village as an Honorary Big and partner with him to amplify the incredible impact mentorship has on a young person’s life.”

In collaboration with Big Brothers Big Sisters and Macy’s, Mann kicked off his Honorary Big duties by hosting a group of Littles for a surprise Macy’s shopping experience in Los Angeles. Mann connected with the Littles, learning how their relationships with Bigs provided consistent mentorship, support, and new experiences that helped them build confidence, pursue their goals, and reach their dreams.

In his role as Honorary Big, Mann will continue to engage with Bigs and Littles in person and distribute content across his powerful platforms to highlight the rewards of mentorship and encourage people to volunteer.

The Value of Consistent Mentorship

The everyday impact of mentorship comes from people willing to be present in a young person’s life. Mentoring does not require special skills, unique access or endless free time. Anyone can create life-changing impact through meaningful, consistent mentoring relationships.

“I’ve always believed that one person who truly sees you and believes in you can change the direction of your life, and that’s the power of mentorship,” said Dhar Mann. “Partnering with Big Brothers Big Sisters as an Honorary Big feels like a natural extension of what we do at Dhar Mann Studios. I am excited to continue creating stories that inspire people to make a positive difference in the lives of others and encourage more people to become mentors and Bigs who support the next generation.”

Follow the Journey

Follow Dhar Mann’s journey as an Honorary Big, which begins HERE, with Mann’s connection with a Little named Noah. Inspired by Noah’s resilience, generosity and selflessness, Mann surprised him with an unforgettable gift, in addition to an unlimited shopping spree courtesy of Macy’s.

Learn more about ways to get involved with Big Brothers Big Sisters at www.bbbs.org.

About Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

Founded in 1904, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA) is the largest and most experienced youth mentoring organization in the United States. The mission of Big Brothers Big Sisters of America is to create and support one-to-one mentoring relationships that ignite the power and promise of youth. Big Brothers Big Sisters’ evidence-based approach is designed to create positive youth outcomes, including educational success, avoidance of risky behaviors, higher aspirations, greater confidence, and improved relationships. Big Brothers Big Sisters serves more than 5,000 communities across all 50 states. For more information, visit: www.bbbs.org.

About Dhar Mann

Dhar Mann is the founder of Dhar Mann Studios, an audience-first global entertainment company dedicated to uplifting the world by creating stories and experiences that help people feel seen and connected. Through Dhar Mann Studios, he has built a storytelling universe connecting more than 170 million followers globally and delivering nearly 300 million views each week across platforms. Widely recognized as one of the world’s most influential storytellers, Mann has been honored by Forbes as a Top Creator and named to the TIME100 Creators list, which recognizes the digital voices shaping global culture. His content is rooted in universal human experiences and focuses on themes of empathy, resilience, and personal growth. Across cultures and generations, his stories resonate deeply, with three out of four viewers reporting that the content changes how they feel, think, and treat others after watching. Under Mann’s leadership, Dhar Mann Studios operates from a 125,000-square-foot, three-stage production studio in Burbank, California. The company produces positive, uplifting original programming ranging from long-form narrative series to short-form content, as well as large-scale, custom partnerships with leading brands and organizations including Adobe, the NFL, Global Citizen, and Gap. DMS also produces original programming for distribution partners such as Samsung TV Plus, where Mann launched a FAST channel and the platform’s first creator-led original content deal, as well as FOX Entertainment through a landmark global vertical video slate. Dhar has been nominated for Favorite Male Creator at the 2024 and 2025 Nickelodeon Kids Choice Awards. He’s also won various Telly Awards and Shorty Awards, most recently being honored for “Studio of the Year” at the 2025 Shorty Awards.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dhar-mann-named-an-honorary-big-by-big-brothers-big-sisters-of-america-for-back-to-school-season-302845790.html

SOURCE Big Brothers Big Sisters of America

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Technology

ZAC Cognitive Explainable-AI (CXAI) enabling Situational Awareness for Autonomous Driving

Published

on

By

POTOMAC, Md., Aug. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Z Advanced Computing, Inc. (ZAC), the pioneer Cognitive Explainable Artificial Intelligence (CXAI) software startup, was awarded 25 million dollar sole-source contract from US Air Force, with a recent new task order. In addition, ZAC is bringing its Situational Awareness tech to Self-Driving. The brain-inspired CXAI is the foundation and a prerequisite for the Human-Level Situational Awareness, which will enable Fully Autonomous-Driving (under all complex or unexpected conditions or situations on the road).

ZAC is the only company in the world to achieve AI training with:

only few training samples (typically 5 to 50), based on Abstraction/Generalization, similar to humans (instead of 1000s to Billions).much smaller/lower computation resources, CPU/GPU, energy/battery, Carbon footprint, size/weight, and cost of installation/maintenance.

CXAI is the foundation and prerequisite for the Human-Level Situational Awareness, to enable Level-5 Self-Driving.

Similarly, ZAC-CXAI is being recognized as a superior technology for the edge computing/applications (useful for many applications) by International Business Times (titled “Cognitive Explainable AI Challenges ‘The Bigger Is Better’ Narrative In AI”, by Adam Bent, 30-Apr-2026): “Because CXAI does not require extensive cloud-based infrastructure, it can be deployed on a wide range of devices, including edge environments”. In addition, ZAC also eliminates the “Hallucination” and “Black Box” problems (associated with the Neural Nets).

ZAC owns a very strong IP portfolio: over 450 inventions (including 15 issued/allowed US patents).

ZAC has an impressive team of scientists/developers. The development is headed by Dr. Saied Tadayon, a scientist, veteran software developer, and math prodigy, who ranked 1st as an undergrad at Cornell, with his PhD in Electrical Engineering from Cornell at age 23 (the youngest).

ZAC has world-renowned advisors, including 2 Nobel Laureates:

Prof. David Lee (Nobel Laureate, Physics),Prof. Roald Hoffmann (Nobel Laureate, Chemistry),Prof. Mory Gharib (former Caltech Vice Provost of Research),Prof. Gholam Peyman, MD (Inventor of LASIK; recognized by the Smithsonian Magazine as the Top 8 Medical Inventions/ Marvels; awarded National Medal of Technology and Innovation by US President),late Prof. Robert Buhrman (former Cornell Sr. Vice Provost of Research),Prof. Mike Spencer (former Cornell Associate Dean of Engineering for Research),late Prof. Mo Jamshidi (UTSA, former Founding Dir. of NASA Center for Autonomous Control; US Army Science Board),late Prof. Lotfi Zadeh of UC Berkeley (“Father of Fuzzy Logic”; co-inventor of Z-Transform; AI Hall-of-Fame), who is also one of ZAC inventors.

Contact:

Z Advanced Computing, Inc. (ZAC)
Tel.: 301-294-0434
media@ZAdvancedComputing.com
www.ZAdvancedComputing.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/zac-cognitive-explainable-ai-cxai-enabling-situational-awareness-for-autonomous-driving-302846186.html

SOURCE Z Advanced Computing, Inc.

Continue Reading

Technology

AAOS Member Insights Panel highlights surgeons’ priorities for technology innovation and physician well-being

Published

on

By

ROSEMONT, Ill., Aug. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics are rapidly transforming musculoskeletal care while easing the burdens of managing a surgical practice. Yet orthopaedic surgeons still need more effective solutions for complex clinical challenges made worse by daily administrative challenges.

Together, these pressures can harm the mental health of surgeons and their support teams. Insights from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons’ (AAOS) Member Insights Panel, a national research panel of more than 520 orthopaedic surgeons, reveal what physicians hope technology can do to improve patient care, streamline practice management and support clinician well-being.

Technology Advancements and Adoption
Survey respondents named robotics/robotic surgery as the single most exciting innovation in clinical practice. AI ranked second among surgical advancements and first among practice tools that may lighten clinical and administrative burdens. Examples of AI-driven efficiencies include tools for insurance coding, dictation, compliance, and other time-consuming tasks.

Interest in robotics was reflected in 30% of responses, highlighting that it often provides better implant positioning, alignment, surgical precision, and soft-tissue balance. AI followed, with 22% of respondents noting its growing role in surgical planning, diagnostics, and clinical documentation. Augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed-reality, computer-assisted tools are gaining traction in surgical training and education, according to 11% of respondents.

Beyond the operating room, survey respondents said that non-clinical technology could improve efficiency in daily operations. Coding and billing resources topped the list of desired tools (42%), followed by AI-powered documentation (25%). Respondents said that trimming administrative tasks would enable them to spend more time with patients and less time on paperwork.

When evaluating new technologies, 40% of respondents said they would ask themselves:

Will it improve workflows within my practice?Will it reduce the operating room footprint?Will it fuel overall efficiency from the operating room to the office?

However, respondents also pointed to reimbursement or administrative burdens that block them from trying new technologies. Nearly 50% said these pressures sometimes stood in the way of tech adoption, while 29% said they were often or almost always a barrier.

Mental Health Remains a Critical Challenge
While respondents shared optimism about emerging technologies, they also noted the ongoing personal demands of practicing medicine. More than one in four orthopaedic surgeons said they are either simply getting by or struggling, suggesting that technology alone cannot address many of the profession’s biggest challenges.

In describing sources of stress, survey respondents cited intense pressure to perform (53%), the emotional impact of patient outcomes (50%), growing administrative workloads (46%), and the difficulty of achieving a healthy work-life balance (43%). Respondents also pointed to the strain of dealing with insurance companies, specifically the battle for authorization and payment, as well as the flawed structure of the United States healthcare system.

“It is time to take the focus back to what really matters, instead of metrics created by people who are not in medicine,” one respondent noted, echoing the views of many others.

Despite growing concerns for physician well-being, conversations around mental health remain difficult for many orthopedic surgeons. Some 27% of respondents said they found it difficult to discuss mental health at work. Only 54% said they felt comfortable doing so.

Real-World Perspective to Drive Smarter Decisions
Together, these findings highlight the value of the AAOS Member Insights Panel as a rapid source of perspective from orthopaedic surgeons across career stages and specialties who have volunteered to share their expertise and perspective.

The panel captures surgeons’ views and experiences with innovation, technology, and the products and services needed to run a practice amid growing challenges. It also documents what surgeons need most, giving clinical and non-clinical partners an opportunity to address unmet needs with new technologies and approaches.

“The best insights come from the people doing the work every day,” said Kristen Wagner, director of market research, AAOS. “Through our Member Insights Panel, organizations gain direct access to verified orthopaedic surgeons who can share what’s happening in practice, what’s working and where unmet needs remain. Those insights help our partners move forward with confidence and create solutions that deliver real value.”

To learn more about how AAOS Market Research Services can deliver actionable insights tailored to your organization, contact Angela Buckley at buckley@aaos.org or visit AAOS.org.

About the AAOS Member Insights Panel
The AAOS Member Insights Panel is an opt-in group of 524 U.S.-based members (Residents/Fellows, Candidates, Active Fellows and Allied Members) who provide feedback through short SMS research chats for industry partner projects and select internal staff questions. Learn more here.

About AAOS
With more than 39,000 members, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons is the world’s largest medical association of musculoskeletal specialists. AAOS is the trusted leader in advancing musculoskeletal health. It provides the highest quality, most comprehensive education to help orthopaedic surgeons and allied health professionals at every career level to best treat patients in their daily practices. AAOS is the source for information on bone and joint conditions, treatments and related musculoskeletal healthcare issues; and it leads the healthcare discussion on advancing quality.

Follow the AAOS on Facebook, X, LinkedIn and Instagram.

For More Information:

              Nicole Winston-Ramirez

847-384-4162

winston-ramirez@aaos.org

              Deanna Killackey

847-384-4035

killackey@aaos.org

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/aaos-member-insights-panel-highlights-surgeons-priorities-for-technology-innovation-and-physician-well-being-302846175.html

SOURCE American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons

Continue Reading

Technology

In HelloNation, Optometry Expert Dr. Spencer Franz Clarifies Eye Discomfort Causes

Published

on

By

The article explains how dry eye and allergies can cause similar symptoms while requiring different approaches to treatment.

CARLSBAD, N.M., Aug. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Are your red, watery eyes caused by allergies or something else? That’s the question answered in a HelloNation article featuring Optometry Expert Dr. Spencer Franz of Vision Source Carlsbad in Carlsbad, New Mexico. The article explains how the dry Carlsbad climate can make it difficult to tell the difference between dry eye and eye allergies, two conditions that share symptoms but require very different treatments.

As detailed in the article, dry eye is a condition that occurs when the eyes do not produce enough quality tears or when tears evaporate too quickly. In Carlsbad, where dry air and frequent wind are part of daily life, tear evaporation increases and can lead to irritation, blurry vision, and ongoing discomfort. According to Dr. Franz, even individuals who have never had eye discomfort before may develop dry eye symptoms due to environmental exposure.

In contrast, eye allergies are caused by a reaction to airborne substances like pollen, dust, or mold. These allergens trigger the release of histamines, which create itching, redness, and swelling. While both dry eye and allergies can cause similar signs, the HelloNation article explains that allergy-related symptoms often come with nasal congestion or sneezing and tend to include intense itching, which is less common with dry eye.

Watery eyes are one of the more confusing symptoms. The article clarifies that watery eyes can happen with either condition. In dry eye, excessive tearing is a reflex response to dryness, and the tears are usually poor in quality. With allergies, tearing is part of the body’s inflammatory response. Without a routine eye exam, it can be difficult for individuals in Carlsbad to determine what is really causing their eye irritation.

Another way to tell the difference is by looking at the pattern of redness. The article explains that dry eye redness may appear gradually and get worse throughout the day, especially with screen use or wind exposure. Allergy-related redness often comes with puffy eyelids or swelling and may happen more suddenly. Because of the shared signs, misdiagnosis is common without a thorough evaluation.

Using the wrong kind of eye drops can lead to more frustration. Dr. Franz notes in the HelloNation article that allergy drops reduce histamines, while artificial tears restore moisture. Some redness-reducing drops can actually make dry eye worse if used too frequently. Choosing the wrong product may not only delay relief but also worsen symptoms over time.

Carlsbad residents who work on screens throughout the day may find their symptoms worsening due to reduced blinking. This can further dry out the eyes and lead to irritation that is often mistaken for allergies. The article emphasizes that only a routine eye exam can help pinpoint the exact cause of discomfort and recommend appropriate treatment.

During an eye exam, eye care professionals can assess tear quality, look for signs of inflammation, and evaluate how the eyelids are functioning. According to HelloNation, this step is essential for treating the root cause rather than simply masking symptoms. Whether a person is dealing with dry eye or eye allergies, knowing the difference can lead to faster, more effective relief.

Proper diagnosis leads to targeted care. Dry eye may be treated with lubricating drops, prescription medication, or lifestyle changes. Eye allergies might require antihistamines or coordination with an allergist. The article reminds readers that treating the wrong condition could result in prolonged irritation or even long-term eye surface damage.

Living in Carlsbad means managing environmental conditions that constantly affect the eyes. Understanding the difference between dry eye and eye allergies is an important part of protecting comfort and long-term eye health. When symptoms persist, guessing is no substitute for a professional opinion.

Dry Eyes vs. Allergies: How to Tell the Difference in Carlsbad’s Dry Climate features insights from Dr. Spencer Franz, Optometry Expert of Carlsbad, New Mexico, in HelloNation.

About HelloNation
HelloNation is America’s Good News Network, a premier media platform built on the idea that good news travels faster when real people tell real stories. Through its community-focused publications and innovative “edvertising” approach, HelloNation delivers content that informs, inspires, and spotlights the leaders making a meaningful impact in their communities.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/in-hellonation-optometry-expert-dr-spencer-franz-clarifies-eye-discomfort-causes-302846189.html

SOURCE HelloNation

Continue Reading

Trending