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Civitas ID Receives $500,000 Grant to Build Open-Source Digital Public Infrastructure Closing the Documentation Gap

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$500,000 two-year grant from the Gates Foundation to advance open-source Digital Public Infrastructure designed for people excluded from formal systems due to documentation gapsAdvances open-source technology leveraging open standards and artificial intelligenceAddresses the documentation gap that prevents nearly a billion people from fully participating in the global economy, initially focused on displaced populations where the barrier is most acute

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Civitas ID, a US-based nonprofit building open-source digital identity infrastructure, today announced a two-year, $500,000 grant from the Gates Foundation. The funding continues the development of a resilient Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) specifically designed to close the documentation gap that prevents nearly a billion people worldwide from fully participating in the global economy. Civitas is initially focused on displaced populations where the barrier is most acute, with technology built to serve the wider population over time.

A barrier keeping people around the world from formal work, banking, healthcare, and education is not poverty alone. It is the inability to prove who they are and what they have done in a way institutions recognize. Civitas is developing three components to close that gap: verifiable digital credentials that institutions issue and verify, a wallet where individuals hold and control their own credentials, and a platform that helps people navigate the services and aid available to them. Together they are designed to be durable, adopted by governments and multilateral institutions, and adapted by partners. Civitas is actively developing partnerships and pilot programs in Colombia and Kenya to close the documentation gap.

“Nearly a billion people lack documentation institutions will trust,” said Colin Walsh, Founder and Board Chair, Civitas ID. “Civitas is initially focused on the 117.8 million forcibly displaced, where the barrier is most acute. They carry skills, ambitions, and the will to build stable lives. This funding from the Gates Foundation lets us build the digital public infrastructure to address the problem at scale and shift the paradigm from aid to self-reliance.”

The architecture is open-source and inspectable, built on W3C Verifiable Credentials, Decentralized Identifiers, and open protocols. The credentials are designed for institutional recognition across governments, banks, employers, healthcare providers, and schools.

Human-centered design research led by IDEO.org has anchored the technology development in the actual needs of the people it serves. The objective is that people own their identities and use verifiable credentials to unlock opportunity, stability, and long-term mobility, wherever they are.

ABOUT CIVITAS ID
Civitas ID is a US-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN 39-2324240) building open-source digital identity infrastructure. Civitas ID’s mission is to turn documentation from an economic barrier into an institutionally recognized bridge to opportunity and integration. The organization’s vision is a world where everyone can prove who they are and what they have done, wherever they are. Civitas ID has assembled a global ecosystem of humanitarian, academic, financial, technology, and legal partners across deployment corridors in Colombia and Kenya. Learn more at civitasid.org.

 

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PVFARM Commercially Launches Energy Storage Design Platform RE STACK

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Integration into the PVFARM workflow streamlines renewable energy project design while unlocking new energy storage market opportunities

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Aug. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Today, PVFARM launched the commercial version of its platform for utility-scale battery energy storage (BESS) layout exploration, RE STACK. Together with PVFARM, RE STACK forms an expanding suite of tools for utility-scale renewable energy design that enable teams to explore a wide range of layout options before progressing into detailed engineering.

RE STACK enables engineers to configure utility-scale BESS projects from manufacturer specifications and rapidly explore site layouts, road concepts, and medium-voltage collection topologies before detailed engineering begins.

Key features include

Battery recommendationEquipment configurationBESS layout generationRoad strategy planningMedium-voltage collection topology planning

Collaboration with over 80 companies during RE STACK and RE PILOT’s beta testing directly shaped the platforms’ capabilities. Throughout the beta testing process, participants provided feedback on critical design considerations, ranging from equipment selection to power conversion system (PCS) architecture, augmentation planning, fire safety access, and site topology. Beyond ensuring that the platforms solve real-world project challenges, this extensive collaboration also provided the insight needed to shape RE STACK and RE PILOT so they could deliver intuitive, informed decision-making while reflecting the latest technology and market dynamics.

“A lot of software takes forever to make even small changes, but RE STACK stands out from the competition. At Sun2O, we’ve received a lot of value and saved a lot of time from the platform. RE STACK is a highly useful tool for evaluating our sites, understanding the challenges we face, and being able to leverage PVFARM’s existing grading capabilities alongside it,” said Vatan Kumar, Vice President, Development Engineering at Sun2O. “Overall, PVFARM’s drive to capture all the detailed project inputs and challenge the norm is what impresses me most about RE STACK.”

“The future of engineering isn’t just designing faster. It’s exploring more before you design,” said Maksim Markevich, Chief Technology Officer of PVFARM. “With RE STACK and RE PILOT, we’re giving engineering teams the ability to evaluate far more possibilities before committing to detailed engineering. The result is better-informed decisions, greater confidence, and a workflow that keeps pace with the growing complexity of utility-scale renewable energy projects.”

The International Energy Agency has called energy storage the “fastest-growing power technology today,” and the response to RE STACK’s beta test program underscores that: 45 organizations enrolled in under a month. Yet, BESS projects often need repeated manual layout concepts before a workable site plan emerges. Stuck between increasing design work and widening applications, developer and EPC teams can rely on RE STACK to generate, evaluate, and compare alternatives earlier by generating BESS layouts automatically, exploring thousands of layout alternatives, testing different road configurations, and MV collection strategies.

About RE STACK

RE STACK enables battery developers and EPCs to start evaluating BESS layouts without the manual concept grind. Users can generate layouts and compare alternatives while the design is still flexible. This helps teams understand how much equipment can fit, how layouts perform under different assumptions, how roads affect site utilization, and how MV collection choices influence the arrangement.

Unlike traditional design methods that make equipment determinations from desired storage capacity, RE STACK answers key questions in the layout stage of BESS design. Learn more at restack.pvfarm.io.

About PVFARM

Launched by a team of builders, PhDs, engineers, and software experts, PVFARM is building the decision intelligence layer for utility-scale solar. The platform brings layout, electrical, structural, civil and financial workflows into one connected design system, helping project teams align around the same numbers, constraints, and tradeoffs early enough to shape outcomes earlier. With more than half of top U.S. utility-scale EPCs using PVFARM as part of their core workflow, PVFARM is helping drive the solar industry make better decisions – from first layout through long-term performance.

Learn more at pvfarm.io or www.linkedin.com/company/pv-farm.

Media Contact
PVFARM
media@pvfarm.io
1-949-804-9647

FAQ

Who uses RE STACK?RE STACK is designed for utility-scale renewable energy developers, engineering firms, independent power producers (IPPs), and engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractors responsible for planning, designing, and optimizing solar + storage and battery energy storage projects.How does RE STACK improve battery energy storage system (BESS) design?RE STACK replaces manual concept development with automated layout generation and comparison. Users can configure manufacturer-specific battery containers, PCS equipment, transformers, spacing requirements, roads, and medium-voltage collection strategies to rapidly evaluate how different design choices affect land utilization and project configuration before committing engineering-intensive resources.How is RE STACK different from traditional BESS design software?Traditional workflows often rely on manually creating a small number of layout concepts after major equipment decisions have already been made. RE STACK allows engineers to explore numerous feasible layouts earlier in project development, helping teams understand the design implications of equipment selection, site constraints, road placement, and electrical topology before detailed engineering begins.Can RE STACK work with different battery manufacturers and equipment vendors?Yes, RE STACK allows users to configure layouts using manufacturer-specific battery containers, power conversion systems (PCS), transformers, equipment dimensions, and spacing requirements. This allows engineering teams to compare different equipment configurations and evaluate their impact on project layouts.Can RE STACK export layouts for engineering workflows?Yes, RE STACK supports importing project boundaries using KMZ and DXF files and can export layouts to DXF for continued engineering work as well as PDF summaries for project review and collaboration.Why are early-stage layout decisions important for utility-scale solar and battery storage projects?Early layout decisions influence land utilization, constructability, equipment quantities, electrical design, project economics, and long-term performance. Evaluating more layout alternatives before detailed engineering helps teams identify better-performing projects while reducing redesign work later in development.

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Advance America Introduces Program to Reward Word-of-Mouth Referrals

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The new Refer It Forward program pays participants $50 for every successful referral

GREENVILLE, S.C., Aug. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Advance America, a leading provider of consumer financial services, has launched its new Refer It Forward program. For every referred friend who becomes a new Advance America customer, the referrer earns $50. No guessing; just one flat reward.

The program kicked off in May and arrives at a moment when many U.S. households are navigating rising costs and stagnant wages. With that kind of financial pressure, people are looking for practical ways to support the friends and family they care about. Refer It Forward makes that possible while rewarding them for it.

“Word of mouth has always been one of our most powerful connections to the communities we serve,” said Laura McCutcheon, Vice President of Marketing at Advance America. “Refer It Forward is our way of recognizing that and giving back to the people who help spread the word.”

How it works

Participating is simple:

Refer a friend using a personalized referral linkEarn $50 when that friend becomes a new Advance America customer and their loan is fundedChoose your reward: a Visa prepaid card or a retail gift card

A practical way to help and earn

For many Advance America customers, the referral program isn’t just about earning — it’s about being there for someone who needs a hand. Whether it’s a friend facing an unexpected expense or a family member who needs fast access to funds, a simple referral can make a real difference. With a flat $50 reward, customers always know exactly what they’ll earn.

“We wanted to create something that felt real and achievable — not a program with so many conditions that it loses its appeal,” added McCutcheon. “Fifty dollars for helping a friend is something we can all get behind.”

About Advance America

Advance America is a licensed and regulated lender providing convenient loan options online and in store at 700+ locations across 23 states.  

Since 1997, we’ve helped millions of families navigate life’s financial moments. We believe borrowing money should be simple, fast, and free from judgment — with clear terms and real human support when it matters most.

Making it work looks different for everyone. For us, it means backing you up with simple, honest money solutions that keep you moving forward.

Media Contact: mediarequest@teampurpose.com

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Strativera Now Credentialed Across Both Major CRM Ecosystems as Salesforce Listing Goes Live

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The Cherry Hill agency pairs a new Salesforce AppExchange consulting listing with HubSpot Solutions Partner status and Google Partner standing, each independently verifiable.

CHERRY HILL, N.J., Aug. 12, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Strativera, a digital marketing and revenue operations agency serving mid-market and private-equity-backed companies, today announced its Salesforce consulting practice is live on Salesforce AppExchange, giving the firm credentialed standing across both dominant CRM ecosystems.

The listing, Strativera Revenue Operations and Salesforce Consulting, appears in AppExchange’s Salesforce Consultants directory and covers org audits and cleanup, Sales Cloud implementation, lead lifecycle design, CRM migrations, and executive dashboards connecting campaigns to closed revenue. It joins the firm’s HubSpot Solutions Partner listing, which carries its own public 5.0 rating, and its standing in Google’s Partners directory.

“Most agencies pick a CRM camp because credentialing across ecosystems is expensive and slow,” said Janae Tanner, Co-Founder and Vice President of Growth and Client Success at Strativera. “We did it deliberately. A client’s CRM decision should follow their sales process, not whichever logo their agency happens to carry. Now we can give an honest answer in either direction, and every credential behind that answer sits in the issuer’s own directory rather than on our website.”

All three are publicly verifiable. The Google Partners listing is at https://appexchange.salesforce.com/appxListingDetail?listingId=2767129d-ff82-4774-871e-136a99f7ca04, and the HubSpot Solutions Partner listing at ecosystem.hubspot.com/marketplace/solutions/strativera.

The firm’s client ratings stand at 5.0 across Google, Clutch and GoodFirms, spanning 24 Clutch reviews and 8 GoodFirms reviews. Strativera has also joined the Clutch Guarantee, backing new engagements originating through Clutch with a 14-day, no-questions-asked money-back commitment.

“Buyers should be able to check everything an agency says about itself, and with us they can,” Tanner said. “The credentials live in the issuers’ directories. The reviews live on platforms we do not control. And new Clutch engagements now carry a 14-day guarantee. Verification is the standard our clients’ buyers hold them to, so it is the standard we hold ourselves to.”

Founded in June 2025, Strativera has grown to four offices, with headquarters in Cherry Hill Township, New Jersey, and locations in Manahawkin, New Jersey, Tampa, Florida, and Las Vegas, Nevada. The firm reports more than $104 million in client-attributed revenue growth and an average 28 percent reduction in customer acquisition cost across engagements spanning more than 17 industries.

About Strativera

Strativera is a digital marketing and revenue operations agency located at 7 Cooper Landing Rd, Cherry Hill Township, NJ 08002. Built for growth-stage, mid-market and private-equity-backed companies, Strativera connects strategy, campaigns, CRM and reporting into one revenue system delivered by senior operators rather than junior teams. Learn more at strativera.com.

Media Contact
Janae Tanner, Co-Founder and VP of Growth and Client Success
Strativera
(856) 380-0416
420580@email4pr.com 

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