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Ascent Partners with MSU Federal Credit Union to Transform Business Lending

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Innovative Loan Origination Add-On to Enhance Member Experience and Drive Portfolio Growth

NEW YORK, Feb. 27, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Ascent Platform Corporation, the leader in financial portability solutions for banks and credit unions, is pleased to announce its partnership with Michigan State University Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU) to revolutionize its business lending. Through a pilot partnership, MSUFCU will test Ascent’s Loan Origination add-on for unsecured business loans and lines of credit, offering members a streamlined and efficient lending experience.

“Ascent is well positioned to sit on top of systems we have, automate manual processes, & augment the member experience”

Ascent’s platform provides a seamless digital application and approval process, leveraging third-party data to automatically populate applications and provide instant pre-approval or decline decisions in real-time. The platform also features an intuitive document collection portal and integrated instant messaging, facilitating communication and collaboration between borrowers and lenders.

This streamlined process brings numerous benefits to MSU Federal Credit Union (MSUFCU), including a decrease in application abandonment rates and a reduction in the time and effort expended by lenders and associates. Moreover, both members and MSUFCU stand to gain from the enhanced accuracy of data, which drives a more robust underwriting process, ultimately leading to better lending outcomes.

“Ascent is well positioned to sit on top of the systems we have, automate many of our manual processes, and augment the member experience,” explained Ben Maxim, Chief Digital Strategy and Innovation Officer at MSUFCU. “Beyond business and commercial originations, we anticipate using Ascent for ongoing portfolio monitoring, which will allow us to approve business loans that we wouldn’t have in the past.”

The collaboration between Ascent and MSUFCU represents a significant advancement in the digitization of financial services. Ascent’s platform enables financial institutions to securely share internal and external financial information, streamlining operations and improving efficiency. With its configurable add-on modules, Ascent empowers institutions to launch bespoke lending products, automate loan monitoring and renewals, and enhance regulatory compliance.

“MSUFCU is one of the most innovative financial institutions in the country; having them as both a client and investor through their CUSO Reseda Group, has enabled Ascent to mature our strategy more rapidly than we would have otherwise,” said Arjun Sahgal, co-founder and CEO of Ascent. “Ben and the MSUFCU team have been real partners in fleshing out Loan Origination and our other add-on modules, and we are grateful for their expertise and continued commitment to Ascent’s development.”

About Ascent Platform
Ascent is the next-generation data platform that provides financial institutions with the tools and data sources required to service their customers or members. Ascent merges open banking sources with systems-of-record data to create a holistic view of customers or members, and enables institutions to deliver better banking experiences. Ascent can be deployed and connected to existing systems and applications. Additionally, to help banks and credit unions launch and gain immediate benefit from the platform, Ascent offers add-on modules that unlock value from loan origination and servicing systems. These highly configurable add-ons enable institutions to quickly launch bespoke lending products, automate loan monitoring and renewals, and eliminate wasted effort on internal and external audits. For more information, please visit ascentplatform.io.

About MSUFCU
Founded in 1937, MSUFCU has a national reputation for excellence and has received several top industry and workplace awards, including being named a Best Credit Union to Work For® by American Banker for the sixth year, a Top Workplace by the Detroit Free Press for 13 consecutive years, and a National Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® winner for seven consecutive years. MSUFCU has also been certified as a Great Place to Work® for 10 consecutive years and has been recognized by the Credit Union National Association, earning first place for the people-helping-people philosophy Louise Herring Award. The Credit Union operates an award-winning, wholly owned credit union service organization, Reseda Group, along with digital financial platforms AlumniFi and Collegiate, trade name Oakland University Credit Union, and its foundation, the Desk Drawer Fund. MSUFCU is headquartered in East Lansing, Michigan; and has 24 branches; over 350,000 members; $7.64 billion in assets; and more than 1,100 employees. For more information, visit msufcu.org.

Contact:
Glen Fossella
glen@ascentplatform.io
617-335-2181

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/ascent-partners-with-msu-federal-credit-union-to-transform-business-lending-302071289.html

SOURCE Ascent Platform Corporation

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Artprice News: D-12 | 18th LYON BIENNALE – CONTEMPORARY ART

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17 & 18 SEPTEMBER FOR PROFESSIONALS, 
OPEN TO ALL FROM 19 SEPTEMBER

PARIS, Sept. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Twelve days before opening to the public, the 18th Lyon Biennale – Contemporary Art is preparing to welcome artists, contemporary art professionals, collectors, institutions and members of the international art community for two professional preview days, on Thursday 17 and Friday 18 September 2026.

Then, from Saturday 19 September, the Biennale will open its doors to everyone for nearly three months of exhibitions across 11 venues in Lyon and its metropolitan area, until 13 December 2026.

17 & 18 SEPTEMBER – TWO DAYS DEDICATED TO CONTEMPORARY ART PROFESSIONALS

Ahead of its public opening, the Biennale de Lyon invites the French and international art community to two professional preview days offering an exclusive first look at its 18th edition.

Artists, curators, gallerists, directors of museums and art centres, collectors, and professionals working in cultural institutions, production, mediation, communications and research are invited to join us in Lyon on 17 and 18 September.

Professional accreditation includes:

exclusive access to the exhibition venues during the professional preview days on 17 and 18 September;access to the opening reception of the 18th Lyon Biennale – Contemporary Art, on Friday 18 September at Les Grandes Locos;access to all Biennale venues during the first two days of the public opening, on 19 and 20 September.

Accreditation is personal and mandatory for access to the professional preview days. Applications are open through Wednesday 16 September 2026 inclusive.

Apply for professional accreditation: https://www.labiennaledelyon.com/espaceprofessionnel/accreditation-faq 

Professional Days programme: https://www.labiennaledelyon.com/espaceprofessionnel/journees-professionnelles-programme?compact=1 

Meetings, conversations with artists, opportunities for exchange and professional events will punctuate these two days. The programme notably includes international encounters and networking sessions at Les Grandes Locos, as well as a series of conversations bringing together artists and professionals from different international art scenes.

Professional Office contact

pros@labiennaledelyon.com 
+33 (0)4 27 46 65 67

FROM 19 SEPTEMBER – THE BIENNALE OPENS TO EVERYONE

From Saturday 19 September to Sunday 13 December 2026, the 18th Lyon Biennale – Contemporary Art invites audiences to discover a new artistic map of Lyon and its metropolitan area.

Entitled “Passer d’un rêve à l’autre / To pass from one dream to another”, this 18th edition is under the artistic direction of Isabelle Bertolotti and curated by Catherine Nichols.

Inspired by Lyon’s traboules — passageways that lead through courtyards and buildings, connecting one space to another — the Biennale explores the ways in which we can move from one mode of perception to another and, perhaps, from one collective dream to another.

Drawing on the history of Lyon as a city of trade, production, circulation and exchange, this edition examines the economies that organise our lives: the ways in which human and more-than-human beings acquire, transform, share and circulate the material and immaterial resources that enable them to live.

11 VENUES TO EXPERIENCE THE CITY DIFFERENTLY

With 120 artists and 11 exhibition venues, this year’s Biennale extends far beyond a traditional museum itinerary. Cultural institutions, heritage sites, former industrial spaces, public spaces and places of transit form a geography to be discovered across the city and metropolitan area:

Les Grandes LocosMusée d’art contemporain de Lyon – macLYONMusée des Tissus et des Arts décoratifsTraboules des pentes de la Croix-RousseJardin du Musée des Beaux-ArtsIAC – Institut d’art contemporain / Frac Rhône-AlpesMusée des ConfluencesFondation BullukianParking LPA Saint-AntoineMetro Line B – Gare Part-Dieu stationCour des Loges, A Radisson Collection Hotel

Three venues form the principal anchors of this edition: Les Grandes Locos, macLYON and the Musée des Tissus et des Arts décoratifs.

At Les Grandes Locos, the industrial scale of the site resonates with questions of production, transformation, extraction and circulation. At macLYON, the exhibition explores more closely the conditions of existence, life and death, inheritance and debt. At the Musée des Tissus, the works examine forms of relationship, care and exchange.

Around these three major hubs, the Biennale spreads throughout the city, taking over artistic institutions, heritage sites and everyday spaces alike.

LYON: A CITY-WIDE ARTISTIC EXPERIENCE

For nearly three months, the Biennale invites audiences to see Lyon differently.

Entering a museum, walking through a traboule, encountering an artwork in a former railway-industrial site, a garden, a car park or a metro station: the itinerary turns the city itself into one of the territories of the exhibition.

With this 18th edition, the Biennale de Lyon reaffirms more strongly than ever its mission: to make contemporary art an experience of encounter, circulation and sharing, open to everyone.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

18th Lyon Biennale – Contemporary Art: “Passer d’un rêve à l’autre / To pass from one dream to another”

Artistic Director: Isabelle Bertolotti

Guest Curator: Catherine Nichols

General Director, Biennale de Lyon: Cécile Bourgeat

Professional Preview Days: 17 & 18 September 2026

Opening reception: 18 September 2026 at 6:30 pm, by invitation

Public opening: 19 September 2026

Exhibition: 19 September to 13 December 2026

11 exhibition venues in Lyon and its metropolitan area
120 artists

400 works

Professional accreditation open through 16 September 2026 inclusive.

Public ticketing: advance sales until 18 September, with the Biennale Pass available for €20 instead of €25.

Biennale de Lyon
https://www.labiennaledelyon.com

Images:
[https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2026/07/img1-BAC26_VISUEL_V.jpg]
[https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2026/07/img2-BIENNALE_LYON_BAC26_BLOC-MARQUE_EN_DATES.jpg]
[https://imgpublic.artprice.com/img/wp/sites/11/2026/07/LOGO-labiennaledelyon.jpg]

ANOTHER PASSAGE OPENS

Alongside its long-standing commitment to the Lyon Biennale, Artprice opens another passage — this time through language.
Dialogue Between a Thinker and AI, thierry Ehrmann’s 1,800-page open-access RAW typescript, places memory, art, humanism and artificial intelligence into circulation.
Not a product to consume, but a text to enter, explore and share.
The Codex is yours: https://www.dialoguebetweenathinkerandai.com/en/

About:

Artprice by Artmarket and La Demeure du Chaos/Abode of Chaos are partnering with the 18th Lyon Biennale, curated by Catherine Nichols and under the artistic direction of Isabelle Bertolotti.

This collaboration brings together two major players in the art world, both deeply rooted in Lyon while maintaining a strong international outlook. For more than forty years, the Lyon Biennale has supported the evolution of contemporary art and helped establish the Lyon metropolitan area as a leading platform for artists, art professionals, and audiences from around the world. Artprice, the global leader in art market information, has for many decades documented the transformations of the international art scene and the careers of the artists who shape it.

Contact:  Thierry Ehrmann, ir@artmarket.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/artprice-news-d-12–18th-lyon-biennale–contemporary-art-302871508.html

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Last-Minute Gift Delivery (2026): Same-Day Ideas for Birthdays, Flowers, and Small Gifts by Expert Consumers

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NEW YORK, Sept. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Expert Consumers has published a new review of last-minute gift delivery options, highlighting DoorDash as a practical choice for birthdays, flowers, celebrations, and other occasions when traditional shipping no longer fits the timeline.

Last-Minute Gift Delivery:

DoorDash – a local commerce platform offering same-day gift delivery from nearby florists, bakeries, grocery stores, beauty retailers, and other local businesses, with gifting features such as digital cards and personalized messages.

The review reflects a broader shift in on-demand delivery. Platforms once associated mainly with restaurant orders now connect consumers with a wider range of nearby products, giving last-minute shoppers another way to handle time-sensitive gifting without relying on multi-day shipping.

Why Is Local Delivery Useful for Last-Minute Gifts

Last-minute gifting often creates a fulfillment problem rather than a product-search problem. A suitable gift may be easy to find online, but standard shipping can make the purchase irrelevant if delivery falls after a birthday, celebration, milestone, or other occasion.

Expert Consumers notes that DoorDash uses a local-first model. Instead of starting with a nationwide product catalog and waiting for an item to move through a shipping network, shoppers can begin with the recipient’s delivery address and see what nearby participating businesses already have available.

That distinction can matter when only a few hours remain. Local availability provides a clearer picture of products with a realistic chance of arriving the same day, whether the need is flowers, dessert, a small retail gift, or a simple care package. Product selection varies by address, making the recipient’s location central to what can actually be ordered.

How Does DoorDash Same-Day Gift Delivery Work

After entering a delivery address, shoppers can browse participating florists, bakeries, grocery stores, beauty retailers, convenience stores, and other local merchants with available delivery windows. Eligible purchases can then be marked as gifts during checkout.

Gift orders may include recipient details, a digital card, and a personalized message. Scheduled delivery is also available from participating merchants, which can help when a birthday, anniversary, or another occasion is known earlier but delivery is still needed on a specific day. Order tracking provides additional visibility after checkout, particularly when a gift is expected before a dinner, celebration, or event.

Gifts may be delivered in as fast as 35 minutes*, although timing can be affected by store hours, distance, product availability, merchant preparation time, and local delivery demand.

*Delivery times vary by location. See app for estimate.

What Last-Minute Gifts Can Be Delivered Through DoorDash

Expert Consumers highlights several gift categories available through DoorDash that can work well when a birthday, celebration, or thoughtful gesture needs to come together quickly:

Flowers and plants: Bouquets and arrangements can suit birthdays, anniversaries, congratulations, sympathy gestures, host gifts, and other occasions. All florists offer same-day flower delivery.Cakes and bakery treats: Cakes, cupcakes, cookies, pastries, chocolates, and other sweets can work for birthdays, office celebrations, milestones, and thank-you gifts.Beauty and self-care gifts: Skincare, cosmetics, bath products, candles, and similar items can work for birthdays, get-well gifts, or simple pick-me-ups.Snacks and comfort items: Coffee, candy, drinks, groceries, and favorite snacks can form an informal care package for friends, family members, coworkers, or students.Retail gifts: Depending on nearby stores, options may include electronics, clothing, sporting goods, craft supplies, and products connected to hobbies or everyday interests.DoorDash gift cards: A digital gift card can provide a flexible fallback when timing is especially tight or the recipient’s preferences are difficult to predict.

The source review also shows how these categories can fit different last-minute situations. A birthday remembered around lunchtime may still leave time for flowers, cake, chocolates, or a small self-care gift. Someone recovering at home may appreciate soup, tea, snacks, flowers, or comfort items. Smaller occasions may call for cookies after a coworker’s promotion, favorite snacks for a student finishing exams, flowers for a host, or a treat after an important milestone.

Why Can DoorDash Be a Strong Fit for Urgent Gifting

For consumers comparing last-minute gift delivery options, DoorDash brings nearby inventory, estimated delivery timing, gift messaging, scheduled delivery where available, and order tracking into one platform. The range also means that a last-minute gift does not have to follow a traditional format. The most practical option can depend on the occasion, recipient, and products available nearby.

For birthdays remembered late, flowers needed before dinner, congratulations, get-well gestures, or other small moments worth recognizing, Expert Consumers finds that DoorDash offers a practical way to turn locally available products into same-day gifts when traditional shipping is no longer an option.

The full review can be read at the Expert Consumers website.

About DoorDash

DoorDash is one of the world’s leading local commerce platforms, helping businesses grow and connecting consumers with the best of their neighborhoods. Through its global portfolio, including Deliveroo and Wolt, DoorDash serves communities across more than 40 countries, delivering experiences that bring people together—from everyday moments to global celebrations.

About ExpertConsumers.org: Expert Consumers delivers news and insights on consumer products and services. As an affiliate, Expert Consumers may earn commissions from sales generated using links provided.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/last-minute-gift-delivery-2026-same-day-ideas-for-birthdays-flowers-and-small-gifts-by-expert-consumers-302871331.html

SOURCE ExpertConsumers.org

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Hiring Intentions Strengthen Across APME as Net Employment Outlook Reaches +33% for Q4 2026, ManpowerGroup Survey Finds

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The seasonally adjusted Net Employment Outlook (NEO) for Q4 2026 in Asia Pacific and the Middle East (APME) stands at +33%, improving by five points quarter-over-quarter and four points year-over-year.The Information sector (+42%) reports the strongest NEO in Q4 2026, while Hospitality (+20%) reports the weakest NEO among sectors.Most employers report hiring timelines are unchanged (40%) or faster (31%) than in 2025, with better targeting of candidates (27%) cited as the leading driver.Early-career hiring remains resilient across APME, with 45% of employers increasing hiring over the past year, more than double the proportion reporting a decline (18%), while 36% report no change.

SINGAPORE, Sept. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Hiring intentions strengthened across APME heading into Q4 2026. Most employers also report filling vacancies at the same speed or faster than a year ago, according to the latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey.

The survey of 12,794 employers across 11 APME countries and territories found that 46% plan to increase headcount in the coming quarter, 13% anticipate a decrease in staffing levels, while 40% expect no change.

Hiring sentiment improved across APME markets in Q4 2026, with most markets reporting quarter-over-quarter increases. India (+54%) continues to report the strongest hiring Outlook in the region, and globally, followed by UAE (+41%) which records the region’s strongest quarter-over-quarter improvement, rising 24 points from Q3 2026. Meanwhile, Japan (+7%) reports the most cautious Outlook in the region.

“The stronger Outlook across APME reflects employers’ continued focus on growth and transformation,” said François Lançon, Regional President, Asia Pacific & Middle East, ManpowerGroup. “Organizations are creating jobs as they expand, pursue new growth opportunities, and build the capabilities needed to keep pace with technological change. Increasingly, hiring decisions are being shaped by what businesses need to deliver now and to stay competitive next.”

View the full results: https://www.manpower.com.sg/en/meos-apme

About ManpowerGroup

ManpowerGroup® (NYSE: MAN), the leading global workforce solutions company, helps organizations transform in a fast-changing world of work by sourcing, assessing, developing, and managing the talent that enables them to win. Our expert family of brands – Manpower, Experis, and Talent Solutions – creates substantially more value for candidates and clients across more than 70 countries and territories and for more than 75 years.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/hiring-intentions-strengthen-across-apme-as-net-employment-outlook-reaches-33-for-q4-2026-manpowergroup-survey-finds-302868812.html

SOURCE ManpowerGroup

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