Connect with us

Technology

Accion Opportunity Fund and Ripple celebrate the first graduating class of the Digital Leap Forward Accelerator

Published

on

Fifty small business owners across 20 states complete an eight-week program built to help them compete in a digital economy, with a 100% graduation rate

SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Accion Opportunity Fund (AOF), a leading national nonprofit lender and advocate for underserved small businesses in the United States, and Ripple, the leading provider of blockchain-based enterprise solutions, today announced the graduation of the first cohort of the Ripple Digital Leap Forward Accelerator — a program designed to help small business owners adopt the digital tools, financial knowledge, and technology they need to grow and compete.

Fifty small business owners completed the eight-week program, representing more than 18 industries across 20 states. All fifty graduated. Each received a $10,000 grant, funded by Ripple, to invest in their business — a total of $500,000 committed directly to small business owners across the country.

“Our mission extends far beyond access to capital,” said Luz Urrutia, President and Chief Executive Officer of Accion Opportunity Fund. “Capital opens the door. Knowledge, resources, and community help businesses thrive. That’s what this accelerator was built to do, and these fifty graduates proved it, showing what’s possible when small business owners have both the funding and the know-how to put new tools to work.”  

Over eight weeks, participants worked through expert-led sessions on digital marketing, AI and technology integration, financial planning, payments, automation, inventory management, human resources, and operations. Each graduate also completed a personalized digital assessment and roadmap to guide their next steps and joined a peer community of fellow small business owners navigating the same challenges. Graduates can continue working with AOF through free business advising beyond the program.

The program is part of a broader partnership between AOF and Ripple, which includes a $15 million contribution to Accion Opportunity Fund — the first contribution AOF has accepted in stablecoin, made in Ripple’s RLUSD — supporting lending, research, and digital education for small business owners across the United States.

“At Ripple, we believe the technology transforming global finance can also open doors for small business owners in the United States,” said Jonathan Perri, Director of Social Impact at Ripple. “Contributing to Accion Opportunity Fund in RLUSD puts that belief into practice, using digital assets to help real businesses grow. We’re proud to support this cohort of graduates and inspired by what they’ve already accomplished.”

The accelerator responds to a clear need. According to AOF’s national research, 79% of underserved small business owners say up-to-date digital tools are highly important to their business. Rather than lagging in their willingness to adopt technology, many are ahead in their sense of urgency — what they often lack is access to the right tools and the knowledge to use them effectively. The Digital Leap Forward Accelerator was built to close that gap.

“Before the program, I was just guessing at things,” said Shandra Turner, founder of The Bougie Grazer in Atlanta, Georgia. “Now I can look at analytics and I know where to find them, and how to pivot. The accelerator really helped me with that.”

To learn more about the Digital Leap Forward Accelerator and the AOF–Ripple partnership, visit aofund.org/partnerships-ripple.

About Accion Opportunity Fund
As a leading national nonprofit small business lender and Treasury Department-certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), Accion Opportunity Fund provides affordable loans, free business advising, educational resources, and support networks to fuel long-term success. More than a lender, the organization champions underserved small business owners who are ready to grow, thrive, and build a better future. For over 30 years, Accion Opportunity Fund has expanded access to economic opportunity by creating pathways to both financial and knowledge capital.

About Ripple
Founded in 2012, Ripple is the leading provider of blockchain-based enterprise solutions across traditional and digital finance. Its solutions span global payments, custody, liquidity, and treasury management, serving as a one-stop shop for moving, storing, exchanging, and managing value. Ripple’s stablecoin, RLUSD, and the cryptocurrency XRP underpinning these solutions allow Ripple and its customers to shape the modern financial system.

Media Contact
AOF: pro-accion@prosek.com
Ripple: press@ripple.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/accion-opportunity-fund-and-ripple-celebrate-the-first-graduating-class-of-the-digital-leap-forward-accelerator-302855647.html

SOURCE Accion Opportunity Fund

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

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

Technology

Accessibility Services, Inc. Launches BT RemoteSwitch Nurse Call Adapter

Published

on

By

Bluetooth device lets patients with severe mobility limitations call for help using the assistive technology they already use

HOMOSASSA, Fla., Aug. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Accessibility Services, Inc. (ASI) today announced the launch of the BT RemoteSwitch, a Bluetooth nurse call adapter that gives patients with limited mobility a direct way to call for help without relying on someone else to notice or interpret their needs.

Traditional nurse call systems require patients to press physical buttons. That is a barrier for many people with high cervical spinal cord injuries, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), severe cerebral palsy or traumatic brain injury.

The BT RemoteSwitch pairs with a patient’s iPhone, iPad, Android phone or Android tablet and connects to standard nurse call infrastructure through a quarter-inch jack or standard hospital wall adapters. Patients call for help using tools they already know: TD Snap augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) software, Siri or Google Voice Access; a button or switch; or eye-tracking or head-tracking. Setup typically takes 10 to 15 minutes and requires no changes to facility infrastructure. The device supplements existing nurse call methods and safety protocols rather than replacing them.

“We started by asking patients what they needed,” said Brice Green, VP of Business Development at ASI. “Too many people with conditions like ALS or spinal cord injuries were locked out of basic independence.”

The BT RemoteSwitch serves hospitals, rehabilitation facilities, home care and senior living communities, and is typically set up by caregivers, Assistive Technology Specialists or Speech-Language Pathologists. The device is available now for purchase through ASI. The companion BT RemoteSwitch app is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play. Visit (https://go.asi-florida.com/C40xW6) or contact ASI to learn more or purchase.

ASI will debut the BT RemoteSwitch at the ALS Nexus Conference, hosted by The ALS Association, Aug. 23-26, 2026, at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Resort in Orlando, Fla. Attendees can visit ASI in the Nexus Pavilion for a live demonstration and discuss hospital and home care configurations.

About Accessibility Services, Inc.

Accessibility Services, Inc. (ASI) designs assistive technology, including augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) and environmental control systems, to restore independence for individuals with severe disabilities, progressive diseases, and spinal cord injuries. Founded in 1991 by the late Fred Thompson with a primary vision to help veterans, ASI remains guided by his philosophy to start with the customer and work backwards. For more information, visit accessibilityservices.com.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/accessibility-services-inc-launches-bt-remoteswitch-nurse-call-adapter-302857515.html

SOURCE Accessibility Services Inc.

Continue Reading

Technology

Following Its $2 Million Kickstarter Success, xLean Brings AI Agent-Powered Floor-Washing Robot to IFA 2026

Published

on

By

DOVER, Del., Aug. 24, 2026 /CNW/ — xLean Robotics will showcase xLean TR1, the world’s first dual-form transformable floor-washing robot, at IFA 2026 from Sept. 4–8, following a preview at ShowStoppers @ IFA, on Sept. 3 at Messe Berlin.

xLean TR1 returns to Berlin with four honors: Best of IFA Next and Best in Design Honoree at IFA 2025, followed by the Red Dot Award: Product Design 2026 and an International Design Excellence Award (IDEA).

More than 2,000 early backers pledged over $2 million to xLean TR1 on Kickstarter, validating xLean’s belief that home robots should address the messes people actually face.

Households face a familiar compromise: autonomous robots manage daily cleaning, but sudden spills, dried stains, and muddy paw prints still require another appliance. TR1 closes that gap by operating as an autonomous whole-home floor washer, then transforming in one second into a handheld cleaner for targeted messes, combining robotic convenience with immediate human control.

That raised a broader question: can a robot understand what someone needs rather than wait for a predefined command?

Central to xLean’s presentation will be live demonstrations of EvoMate™ OS, an AI Agent experience designed to make robot cleaning as natural as asking someone for help. Visitors will see TR1 interpret one-sentence requests, identify what needs cleaning, execute the appropriate task, and report completion. Demonstrations will also show simple visual assistance, including locating everyday items and checking whether pet essentials need attention.

Unlike voice systems limited to preset commands, EvoMate™ OS interprets intent and manages cleaning from request through completion, without complex maps, menus, mode selections, or manual settings. To support this intelligent experience, xLean TR1 is powered by the D-Robotics Sunrise™ X5 AI chips with 10 TOPS of computing power.

The same user-driven philosophy extends to product design. Following strong community support, xLean introduced two supporter rewards: a newly unlocked Space Silver TR1 and personalized top-cover laser engraving for names, messages, or graphics. Both will be shown at IFA as examples of community-driven personalization and the beginning of deeper European localization.

xLean invites European distributors, retailers, and service partners to discuss market launches, localized experiences, channel partnerships, and long-term service support and experience TR1 in action at IFA.

Visit xLean at ShowStoppers @ IFA on Sept. 3 and Booth 11.1-129 during IFA 2026, Sept. 4–8.

More information: https://xlean.ai 

Media Contact
Davy Kwok
davy@xlean.ai 
+86 13246736683

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/following-its-2-million-kickstarter-success-xlean-brings-ai-agent-powered-floor-washing-robot-to-ifa-2026-302857687.html

SOURCE xLean Robotics

Continue Reading

Technology

Queue Associates Achieves Microsoft Milestone with All Three Solutions Partner Designations and Six Solution Paths

Published

on

By

Microsoft recognition affirms Queue’s extensive capabilities across AI, business applications, cloud, data, modern work, and security.

NEW YORK, Aug. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Queue Associates has reached a major milestone in its more than 30-year relationship with Microsoft, attaining all three Microsoft Solutions Partner designations under the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program: Solutions Partner for AI Business Solutions, Cloud & AI Platforms, and Security.

“We achieved all three Microsoft Solutions Partner designations and six solution paths four months ahead of schedule, bringing our customers exceptional Microsoft expertise with the personal commitment that defines Queue.” – Jeffrey Goldstein, Global Managing Director

Queue has achieved all six solutions partner paths that contribute to the designations: Business Applications, Modern Work, Security, Data & AI (Azure), Infrastructure (Azure), and Digital & App Innovation (Azure). Collectively, the recognitions validate Queue’s reach across the Microsoft technology ecosystem. Additionally, Queue holds Microsoft’s Small and Midsize Business Management Specialization, validating demonstrated customer success, certified expertise, and an established consulting practice serving the SMB market.

These distinctions reflect a depth of knowledge more commonly associated with much larger Microsoft partners. Queue combines extensive global delivery resources and wide-ranging technical proficiency with the close customer relationships and personal accountability that have defined the company for more than three decades. Sustained investment in specialized talent, technical skilling, and customer success enables Queue’s teams to deliver locally while drawing on experience from its worldwide operations.

Serving midmarket and large clients worldwide, Queue’s capabilities span Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central and other Dynamics 365 ERP and CRM applications; Microsoft 365, Power Platform, and Copilot; Azure infrastructure; Microsoft Fabric, data, and AI; application development and DevOps; and cybersecurity with identity, data, applications, and cloud environments. Customers can draw on this breadth through Queue as a single Microsoft partner, bringing together the technology and operational capabilities they need as their priorities become increasingly connected.

“We realized our goal of achieving all of Microsoft Solutions Partner paths four months ahead of schedule, demonstrating our commitment to Microsoft and the Microsoft AI Cloud Partner Program,” said Jeffrey Goldstein, Global Managing Director of Queue Associates. “I’m deeply proud and honored that we can bring our customers this level of Microsoft knowledge while preserving what has always defined us: understanding their businesses, sharing their goals, and being personally accountable for their success.”

Microsoft’s three Solutions Partner designations bring the six paths together throughout its commercial solution areas. Business Applications and Modern Work contribute to the Solutions Partner for AI Business Solutions designation. Data & AI (Azure), Digital & App Innovation (Azure), and Infrastructure (Azure) contribute to Solutions Partner for Cloud & AI Platforms. Security represents the path for Solutions Partner for Security. Microsoft evaluates partners based on requirements that encompass performance, skilling, and customer success.

Queue’s Security portfolio includes Microsoft Defender, Microsoft Sentinel, Entra, Purview, and Security Copilot, as well as identity and access management, threat detection and response, security operations, data governance, compliance, Zero Trust, cloud security, and assessment and remediation.

This combination helps Queue support customers pursuing Microsoft Frontier initiatives and establish the technology foundations for AI and agents. ERP modernization can incorporate analytics, automation, AI, and security. Copilot and agentic AI initiatives can address governance, identity, data, and cloud readiness from the outset, giving customers a practical path from strategy to results.

About Queue Associates

Queue Associates is a leading global Microsoft Solutions Partner serving midsized and large organizations in the Americas, APAC, and EMEA. Since its founding in 1992, Queue has helped customers transform operations, advance AI, and Frontier goals, strengthen security, and realize greater value from Microsoft technologies with deep acumen, personalized service, and long-term partnership.

Visit QueueAssoc.com for more information.

Media Contact

Karl Joseph Ufert, Queue Associates, 1 2122691313, kufert@queueassoc.com, https://queueassoc.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prweb.com/releases/queue-associates-achieves-microsoft-milestone-with-all-three-solutions-partner-designations-and-six-solution-paths-302857064.html

SOURCE Queue Associates

Continue Reading

Trending