Alpha Phi Alpha’s Alpha Alpha Lambda Chapter to recognize Walthour at its Centennial Gala for his leadership in expanding access to capital and economic opportunity across New Jersey

SHORT HILLS, N.J., Sept. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Blueprint Capital Advisors announced today that Jacob Walthour Jr., Chief Executive Officer of Blueprint Capital Advisors and Founder of Power100 by Blueprint Capital Advisors, will be recognized as the Financial Empowerment & Equity Honoree at the Alpha Alpha Lambda Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.’s Centennial Gala in New Jersey.

Walthour, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha since 1987, will be recognized as the celebration’s Financial Empowerment & Equity Honoree for his commitment to expanding economic opportunity and access to capital for all New Jerseyans. Walthour has been a committed advocate for marginalized communities and businesses in the state and drew attention to the wide disparities that exist in New Jersey in the areas of education, health care, income and wealth. He coined the phrase “Two New Jerseys” in his New Jersey Senate testimony in 2019 —underscoring the economic divide between communities benefiting from growth and those too often left outside it.

“New Jersey has extraordinary talent, communities and institutions, but our state is strongest when opportunity reaches everyone,” said Walthour. “I have always believed access to capital can strengthen businesses, families and communities. To be recognized by my brothers, who are themselves among the most distinguished members of their professions and communities, deeply humbles me. We are carrying forward the legacy of Brothers Thurgood Marshall, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., John H. Johnson and W.E.B. Du Bois, who understood that leadership carries a responsibility to create opportunity for others. There is still important work ahead, and I remain committed to building a New Jersey where more people can participate, grow and prosper.”

“Jacob Walthour represents the legacy-driven leadership our Centennial Gala celebrates — professional excellence, service and a commitment to expanding economic opportunity,” said Fred Davis Jr., President of the Alpha Alpha Lambda Chapter. “His trailblazing leadership in financial services, his work in New Jersey and his advocacy for greater access to capital embody our theme, ‘Brotherhood, Business, and Benevolence: Remaining Legacy Driven,’ and the values Alpha Alpha Lambda has championed for 100 years.”

The Centennial Gala will be held on Saturday, September 19, 2026, from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM at the Hanover Marriott, 1401 NJ-10 E, Whippany, New Jersey. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Randal D. Pinkett. Dr. Pinkett serves as Co-Founder, Chairman and CEO of BCT Partners, a global, multi-million-dollar research, training, consulting, technology, AI and data analytics firm. The gathering will commemorate a century of service by the Alpha Alpha Lambda Chapter while celebrating individuals who embody its longstanding commitment to leadership, achievement and community advancement.

About Blueprint Capital Advisors

Blueprint Capital Advisors is an investment management firm led by Founder and Chief Executive Officer Jacob Walthour Jr. The firm is committed to delivering institutional investment solutions while advancing broader access and opportunity within the financial services industry.

About Power100 by Blueprint Capital Advisors

Power100 by Blueprint Capital Advisors recognizes and convenes influential leaders across the institutional investment community, creating opportunities for connection, visibility and engagement among professionals shaping the future of capital.

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SOURCE Blueprint Capital Advisors

New platform unites healthcare signals, AI-powered engagement led by Grace, and a proprietary network of curated, bundled-payment care partners to help employers, TPAs and healthcare innovators lower costs and close care gaps before they become claims.

DALLAS, Sept. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Lyric Health today announced the launch of its Healthcare Operating System, a platform built to help self-funded employers, third-party administrators (TPAs) and healthcare innovators turn fragmented healthcare data into coordinated member action.

Built on more than a decade of virtual care delivery and healthcare technology development, the operating system unites data integration, intelligent automation, AI-powered engagement, clinical services, an in-house and curated provider network, and care navigation within a single, connected platform — with one goal: identify meaningful healthcare opportunities earlier, engage members at the right moment, and guide them to the most appropriate, highest-value care.

A market with no shortage of data — and a coordination problem

Employers, TPAs and health plans are contending with a familiar set of pressures: healthcare premiums and out-of-pocket costs that continue to strain budgets, long wait times and provider shortages that delay care and frustrate employees, rising rates of stress, burnout and behavioral health need, a growing chronic disease burden, and persistent gaps in health equity and access. At the same time, the market has responded with a proliferation of disconnected point solutions — telehealth apps, navigation vendors, wellness programs and chronic-condition tools — each addressing a slice of the problem without ever being asked to work together.

“The healthcare industry does not have a shortage of point solutions. It has a coordination problem,” said Rey Colón, Founder and CEO of Lyric Health. “Our vision is to create the operating system that connects healthcare intelligence with action. When we identify a signal, the value is not simply knowing that the signal exists. The value is engaging the member, guiding them to the right care and helping ensure the next step actually happens.”

From fragmented data to coordinated action

Lyric’s operating system is designed to close that gap by connecting signals from sources such as eligibility, claims, pharmacy, labs, clinical interactions, connected devices and other available health data with intelligent workflows that can initiate engagement and navigation. The model runs on a continuous sequence — Data → Signals → Intelligence → Engagement → Navigation → Care → Outcomes — so that instead of requiring members to navigate a fragmented healthcare system on their own, Lyric proactively identifies opportunities and coordinates the next best action across virtual care, primary care, behavioral health, specialty programs, centers of excellence and trusted external partners.

Grace: an intelligent interface within the orchestration layer

Powering that coordination is Lyric’s orchestration layer — the intelligence and workflow engine that turns a signal into an action. Within it sits Grace, Lyric’s AI-powered healthcare companion, who gives members a conversational front door into their journey. Today, Grace can manage the whole member experience; help members understand their benefits, triage the members needs and steer them toward appropriate care at the right time, coordinate scheduling and next steps, and stay engaged with their care plan — all grounded in the data and workflows behind the broader platform, not as a standalone chatbot.

A proprietary, curated network built for value

For the highest-cost, highest-variability episodes of care — procedures such as joint replacement and other orthopedic and musculoskeletal (MSK) surgery, imaging, infusion therapy and specialty medications — Lyric has built a proprietary, curated network of trusted care partners under direct, bundled-payment contracts. Rather than routing members into the standard fee-for-service system, Lyric’s operating system identifies members who may need these services early and steers them to credentialed centers of excellence within its network, with pricing negotiated and guaranteed in advance.

In one example from Lyric’s bundled-payment network, a total joint replacement episode was priced at roughly 170% of the Medicare baseline through Lyric’s direct-contracted network, compared with roughly 210% of the Medicare baseline under standard major medical benefits — meaningful savings realized alongside a more coordinated surgical and recovery experience for the member.

Lyric’s operating system is also built to flex around a partner’s existing infrastructure. Lyric currently powers 130 white-label brands, with partners leveraging the platform’s tools to build custom virtual care initiatives tailored to their population. That flexibility extends to network design as well: partners can bring their own network and use Lyric’s as added capacity or wraparound coverage, and can structure engagement as utilization-based programs, subscription models or fee-for-service arrangements.

A measurable return on investment

Results from Lyric’s proactive care model point to a measurable return on investment for the organizations that adopt it. Across its member population, Lyric has been associated with the following outcomes:

4:1 ROI — Clients are realizing a 4-to-1 return on investment through Lyric’s virtual care platform steering members to the best care destination73% reduction in unnecessary ED visits — When leveraging Lyric’s virtual consultations members avoided emergency department visits 73% of the time.93% member satisfaction — Plan members rated their end-to-end virtual consult experience in the highest satisfaction tier

For plan sponsors, that combination of lower claims spend, reduced administrative burden and stronger member engagement translates into a defensible, measurable return on investment — not just the promise of one.

Lyric’s Healthcare Operating System is available now to self-funded employers, TPAs and health plans. Lyric will share more on Grace’s expanded capabilities, the orchestration layer and outcomes data in the weeks ahead.

About Lyric Health

Lyric Health is an award-winning healthcare technology company helping employers, TPAs and health plans lower healthcare costs and improve member outcomes through intelligent coordination. Lyric connects data, virtual care, clinical expertise, member engagement and a trusted healthcare ecosystem to identify healthcare signals and guide members toward the right care at the right time.  To learn more please visit www.getlyric.com

Media Contact

Isaiah Colon
422791@email4pr.com
469.647.9314
www.getlyric.com

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SOURCE Lyric Health

SBTi independently validates near- and long-term science-based targetsNear-term targets align with a pathway to limit warming to 1.5 degrees CelsiusCommitment builds on energy-efficient infrastructure that has helped customers like Malayala Manorama reduce power and cooling costs by 70%

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Hitachi Vantara, the data storage, infrastructure and hybrid cloud management subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd. (TSE: 6501), announced its commitment to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across its global value chain by fiscal year 2040 (FY2040). The company also announced that its near- and long-term science-based emissions reduction targets have been independently validated by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), a global corporate climate action organization that develops standards, tools and guidance for science-based target setting.

For more information about Hitachi Vantara’s sustainability efforts, go to: https://www.hitachivantara.com/sustainability

For customers and partners, the SBTi validation confirms that Hitachi Vantara’s targets align with the latest climate science and reinforces the transparency and accountability behind the company’s climate strategy. The milestone also reinforces Hitachi Vantara’s broader focus on helping organizations address one of the defining challenges of the AI era: managing rapidly growing data infrastructure requirements more efficiently and sustainably.

For organizations working to meet their climate and sustainability goals, addressing emissions across the value chain is becoming increasingly important. According to a recent Congressional Research Service report, energy efficiency and conservation can reduce electricity consumption and lower energy bills, with cooling systems accounting for as much as 38% to 40% of data center electricity use. As data and AI demands continue to grow, more efficient infrastructure can help organizations reduce power and cooling costs while supporting their emissions-reduction goals.

“Customers increasingly expect their technology suppliers to demonstrate that their climate commitments are credible and backed by action,” said Simon Ninan, senior vice president of business strategy, Hitachi Vantara. “Our commitment to achieve net zero by FY2040 sets a clear direction and holds us accountable to measurable progress. Independent validation of our science-based targets strengthens that commitment while building on the work already underway across our business to help customers improve efficiency, reduce power and cooling costs and make progress toward their own sustainability goals.”

Hitachi Vantara’s validated science-based targets establish near- and long-term milestones toward its FY2040 net-zero commitment. Under its near-term targets, the company has committed to reduce absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions 98% by FY2030 from an FY2024 baseline year and reduce Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions 51% per usable petabyte of storage capacity sold by FY2036. Under its long-term targets, the company has committed to reduce Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions 97% per usable petabyte of storage capacity sold by FY2040, compared with the FY2024 baseline year.

The milestone builds on continued progress across Hitachi Vantara’s sustainability efforts. In FY2025, the company reduced Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 43%, largely driven by obtaining 50% of its energy from renewable sources. The company also expanded lifecycle sustainability initiatives across its Virtual Storage Platform One (VSP One) data platform, including its block, file and object portfolios, while strengthening its greenhouse gas emissions governance, data quality and audit readiness. Hitachi Vantara is working to align its broader product portfolio with the Hitachi Eco-Design Management Guidelines.

The company is also working to help customers improve the efficiency of their data infrastructure and reduce their environmental impact. VSP 360 Clear Sight, for example, gives customers greater visibility into energy use and carbon impact across their VSP environments and provides recommendations to improve operational efficiency. Recent customer results include:

DestekBank reduced data center energy consumption by 25% and total cost of ownership by 20%.Malayala Manorama cut power and cooling costs by 70% and reduced data center rack space by 66%.Garanti BBVA estimates that its Hitachi Vantara storage systems consume approximately 30% less energy than competing systems.Aquiris deployed VSP One Block to support critical water treatment operations that process more than 110 million cubic meters of wastewater annually and collect more than 1 million data points per day, while helping reduce power usage and lower its carbon footprint.

“Our commitment to achieving net zero by FY2040 reflects both ambition and accountability,” said Courtney Hadden, sustainability director at Hitachi Vantara. “Sustainability is most effective when it is embedded into decision-making across the organization, supported by strong governance and informed by reliable data. Independent validation of our targets reinforces that approach, providing a clear, science-based framework to measure our progress and hold ourselves accountable over the long term.”

Together, these efforts reinforce Hitachi Vantara’s commitment to helping customers build more efficient, resilient and sustainable digital infrastructure while advancing measurable progress toward a lower-carbon future.

To learn more about Hitachi Vantara, visit https://www.hitachivantara.com/en-us/home.

Additional Resources

Blog: Five Habits That Cut IT Energy Waste, Without Spending MoreSBTi: Target DashboardBlog: Raising the Stakes for Sustainable, AI-ready InfrastructureBlog: Sustainability from the Boardroom to the Control PlaneReport: Looking Ahead to the FuturePress Release: Hitachi Vantara Releases FY2025 Sustainability Report, Highlighting Leadership in Energy-Efficient Infrastructure for AI-Driven WorkloadsWebinar: Simple, Secure and Sustainable

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About Hitachi Vantara
Hitachi Vantara is transforming the way data fuels innovation. A wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Ltd., Hitachi Vantara provides the data foundation the world’s leading innovators rely on. Through data storage, infrastructure systems, cloud management and digital expertise, the company helps customers build the foundation for sustainable business growth. To learn more, visit www.hitachivantara.com. 

About Hitachi, Ltd.
Through its Social Innovation Business (SIB) that brings together IT, OT (Operational Technology) and products, Hitachi aims to be a global leader in continuously transforming social infrastructure through digital, contributing to a harmonized society where the environment, wellbeing, and economic growth are in balance. Hitachi operates worldwide across four sectors – Digital Systems & Services, Energy, Mobility, and Connective Industries – as well as a Strategic SIB Business Unit focused on new growth areas. With Lumada at its core, Hitachi creates value by combining data, technology and domain knowledge to solve customer and social challenges. Revenues for FY2025 (ended March 31, 2026) totaled 10,586.7 billion yen, with 606 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 290,000 employees worldwide. Visit us at www.hitachi.com.

HITACHI is a trademark or registered trademark of Hitachi, Ltd. All other trademarks, service marks, and company names are properties of their respective owners.

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SOURCE Hitachi Vantara