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SCI Ventures Launches Venture Philanthropy Fund to Accelerate Restorative Treatments for Spinal Cord Injury and a Cure for Paralysis

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Global early-stage fund to catalyze development of the next generation of treatments

Backers include the leading spinal cord injury foundations in the U.S., U.K., and EU

NEW YORK and LONDON, June 10, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — SCI Ventures, a new venture philanthropy vehicle dedicated to funding and commercializing innovative treatments for spinal cord injury, today announced the launch of its first fund. SCI Ventures’ mission is to advance breakthroughs for people living with paralysis by supporting promising cure-oriented therapies and emerging technologies. The fund launches with $27 million in commitments and anticipates raising $40 million by year-end. 

Spinal cord injury (“SCI”) affects more than 15 million people globally, and options to address the dramatic impact on their quality of life are currently limited.1 Beyond the loss of movement, paralysis impacts bowel, bladder and sexual functions—and comes with massive financial costs. SCI is one of the most expensive medical conditions to manage: average lifetime costs range from $2.9 million for paraplegia and up to $6 million for high tetraplegia.2

SCI Ventures is led by a team of professionals with expertise in venture capital, technology, and science with deep personal connections to the cause and it’s advised by world-class neuroscientists. By serving as an early-stage investor with extensive sector expertise, SCI Ventures aims to catalyze funding for the SCI space. There are many commonalities between spinal cord injuries and adjacent conditions such as stroke and neurodegenerative disorders. Therefore, SCI Ventures is confident the technologies backed by the Fund will yield high impact beyond the SCI community.

The launch of SCI Ventures marks the first time that five of the leading foundations addressing spinal cord injury in the U.S., U.K. and EU have come together in support of a novel investment vehicle. Co-Founders are the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, Wings for Life, the International Spinal Research Trust (“Spinal Research”), the Promobilia Foundation and Shepherd Center. The venture philanthropy fund model was pioneered in SCI by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, which led SCI Ventures’ first investments in the technology company ONWARD® Medical and AXONIS Therapeutics. SCI Ventures is building on this progress and industrializing the model.

“Recent scientific and technological advancements have made recovery from paralysis a real possibility for the first time in history. However, while treatments to restore function for people with spinal cord injury have shown promise in lab settings, transferring these treatments to clinical settings remains a stubborn barrier,” said Adrien Cohen, Founding Managing Director of SCI Ventures.

“We’re bridging that gap by providing financial and operational support to promising early-stage companies. As an expert investor, we plan to attract more capital to the SCI space by lowering the investment risk through the combined network and knowledge of our backing foundations,” he added.

SCI Ventures is an independently managed fund focusing on seed and Series A financing rounds. It will redeploy 100% of its investment gains into additional companies working toward the mission to cure paralysis. SCI Ventures plans to support up to 20 companies and has already established a growing portfolio of investments, including:

ONWARD® Medical, which provides targeted stimulation of the spinal cord to restore movement and other functions, alone or in combination with brain-computer interface (BCI) technology for thought-driven movementAXONIS Therapeutics, which focuses on advancing drug discoveries for neuron revival and neuromodulationSania Therapeutics, a gene therapy company that can selectively target dysfunctional neural circuits, starting with spasticityAUGMENTAL, which is developing the MouthPad^: an in-mouth interface for hands-free human-computer interaction

“We’re proud to continue innovating and leading in our shared mission to restore function to people with spinal cord injuries and eventually cure paralysis,” said Maggie Goldberg, President and CEO of the Reeve Foundation. “SCI Ventures is a unique model and an opportunity to bring together leaders from across the SCI and paralysis fields to offer resources and expertise that, when combined, can create lasting, positive impact.”

“We have experienced first-hand the immense challenges people with paralysis face each day, so Wings for Life is incredibly proud to be a co-founding member of SCI Ventures and an enabler of breakthrough treatments,” said Anita Gerhardter, Global CEO of Wings for Life. “We see great potential in the emerging companies in SCI Ventures’ portfolio, and we are more confident than ever that people who are injured today will be the first generation that does not have to live with paralysis for the rest of their lives.” 

About SCI Ventures
SCI Ventures is the first venture philanthropy fund focused on innovative therapies for people living with paralysis. Co-founded by leading global foundations and advised by world class neuroscientists, SCI Ventures aims to catalyze the development of the next generation of treatments with an emphasis on technology to restore function and cure-oriented therapies. The fund shares the 501(c)(3) tax-exempt registration of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. To learn more about SCI Ventures, please visit https://www.sciventures.com. Follow us on LinkedIn here.

Media Contact
Prosek Partners
Pro-SCIVentures@prosek.com

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/spinal-cord-injury
https://www.nscisc.uab.edu/public/Facts%20and%20Figures%202024%20-%20Final.pdf 

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sci-ventures-launches-venture-philanthropy-fund-to-accelerate-restorative-treatments-for-spinal-cord-injury-and-a-cure-for-paralysis-302167597.html

SOURCE SCI Ventures

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Achieve named to Az Business Magazine’s ’10 Best Places for Women to Work in Arizona’ for 2026

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Recognition highlights the company’s commitment to creating opportunities for women to grow and lead

SAN MATEO, Calif., July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Achieve, the leader in digital personal finance, has been named among the 2026 10 Best Places for Women to Work in Arizona by Az Business Magazine. The annual recognition highlights organizations that create supportive environments where women can thrive professionally, advance into leadership roles and build meaningful careers.

The honor reflects Achieve’s ongoing investment in workplace programs that support employee growth, flexibility, leadership development and career advancement. Women serve in leadership roles across the organization and play a critical role in shaping the company’s culture, products and long-term success.

“Creating an environment where women can grow, lead and build rewarding careers is central to who we are as a company,” said Achieve Senior Vice President of Human Resources Heather Marcom. “We’re honored to be recognized among Arizona’s top workplaces for women and remain committed to fostering a culture where employees feel supported, valued and empowered to do their best work.”

Achieve maintains a major corporate presence in the Phoenix area, where hundreds of employees contribute to the company’s mission of helping people move from struggling to thriving financially. The company supports employees through leadership development opportunities, employee resource groups, mentorship and learning programs designed to help team members reach their professional goals.

The recognition adds to a growing list of workplace honors for Achieve. Earlier this year, the company was named among the Top 3 Best Workplaces for LGBTQ+ Employees by BestCompaniesAZ and was also recognized by AZ Big Media as one of Arizona’s Most Admired Companies.

“Strong organizations are built by diverse perspectives and inclusive leadership,” said Marcom. “We’re proud of the talented women across Achieve who help drive our business forward every day and grateful for the impact they make on our employees, customers and communities.”

The 10 Best Places for Women to Work in Arizona list is determined through a public voting process conducted by AZ Big Media and published in Az Business magazine.

About Achieve

Achieve, THE digital personal finance company, helps everyday people get on, and stay on, the path to a better financial future. Achieve pairs proprietary data and analytics with personalized support to offer personal loanshome equity loans, debt relief and debt consolidation, along with financial tips and education and free mobile apps: Achieve MoLO® (Money Left Over) and Achieve GOOD™ (Get Out Of Debt). Achieve is frequently recognized for providing top-rated customer experience and satisfaction by both consumers and leading personal finance review platforms and has 2,200 dedicated teammates across the country, with hubs in Arizona, California, Florida and Texas.

Achieve refers to the global organization and may denote one or more affiliates of Achieve Company, including Achieve.com, Equal Housing Opportunity (NMLS ID #138464); Achieve Home Loans, Equal Housing Opportunity (NMLS ID #1810501); Achieve Personal Loans (NMLS ID #227977); Freedom Debt Relief (NMLS ID # 1248929); and Freedom Financial Asset Management (CRD #170229).

Contacts

Austin Kilgore
akilgore@achieve.com
214-908-5097

Elina Tarkazikis
etarkazikis@achieve.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/achieve-named-to-az-business-magazines-10-best-places-for-women-to-work-in-arizona-for-2026-302833720.html

SOURCE Achieve

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National Press Club Statement on the withdrawal of subpoenas targeting New York Times journalists

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WASHINGTON, July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. released the following statement:

“The Justice Department’s decision to withdraw subpoenas targeting journalists at The New York Times is a welcome and necessary step to protect the public’s constitutional right to an independent press.

These subpoenas should never have been issued in the first place. Compelling journalists to reveal confidential sources sends a chilling message to those who seek to inform the public and threatens the very foundation of press freedom.

Every American should understand what is at stake when the government turns its investigative powers on journalists. It is not routine. It is an extraordinary intrusion that strikes at the heart of the First Amendment and your right to information about your government.

The greatest danger was not the subpoenas themselves, but the message they sent: That sources could be exposed, that whistleblowers should remain silent, and that the American people might know less about the actions of their own government.

A strong democracy depends on a press that can report freely, hold power to account, and inform the public without intimidation.

We urge continued vigilance to ensure that journalists can do their jobs without interference and that protections for source confidentiality are upheld consistently.”

About the National Press Club

Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world’s leading professional organization for journalists and a leading voice for press freedom in the U.S. and worldwide.

Contact: Beth Francesco, Executive Director of the National Press Club Journalism Institute, media@press.org

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/national-press-club-statement-on-the-withdrawal-of-subpoenas-targeting-new-york-times-journalists-302833722.html

SOURCE National Press Club

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NCC Launches NCC Connect™ to Put Credit, Fraud, and Compliance Inside the CRM Dealers Already Use

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A powerful new solution that embeds credit access, fraud detection, and compliance directly into the dealership’s existing CRM — removing the system-switching that slows deals and exposes dealers to risk.

AUSTIN, Texas, July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — NCC, a leading provider of credit and compliance solutions for automotive dealerships, today announced the launch of NCC Connect™, a powerful platform that runs credit, fraud, and compliance from inside the CRM a dealership already uses — without friction or duplicate entry.

“Dealers don’t need another system to log into,” said Brian Skutta, President and CEO of NCC. “They need the tools they already have to work better together. NCC Connect puts credit, fraud detection, and compliance right where the team already works — inside the CRM they use every day.”

“Dealers don’t need another system to log into,” said Brian Skutta, President and CEO of NCC. “They need the tools they already have to work better together. NCC Connect puts credit, fraud detection, and compliance right where the team already works — inside the CRM they use every day.”

As deals grow more complex and fraud more sophisticated, dealers are juggling more disconnected systems than ever — the CRM, the credit system, the compliance tools — switching between them on every transaction. Each switch breaks momentum, invites a skipped step, and slows the path to funding. NCC Connect meets this moment with a single, seamless solution that keeps the full credit, fraud, and compliance engine right where the team already works.

Why NCC Connect Matters Right Now

Dealers lose time and margin switching between the CRM, credit, and compliance systems on every dealAuto lending fraud continues to climb, with industry fraud exposure reaching a record $10.4 billion in 2025, according to Point Predictive’s 2026 Auto Lending Fraud Trends ReportState compliance is tightening, with laws like California’s SB 766 (CARS Act) taking effect October 1, 2026Every disconnected step is another chance for an error, a delay, or a deal that stalls before funding

These pressures are forcing dealers to consolidate, and NCC Connect delivers the edge.

Product Highlights:

Inside the CRM — Soft-pull and hard credit access from all three major bureaus — Experian, TransUnion, and Equifax — without leaving the workflowFraud & Identity Built In — Identity verification and synthetic fraud detection delivered within the credit pull, flagging Red Flag conditions before the deal moves to fundingCompliance on Autopilot — FCRA and FTC controls with automatic, audit-ready documentation stored in the deal record99.99% Uptime — The industry’s highest, so the platform is there when a deal is on the desk

NCC Connect runs soft-pull pre-qualifications and hard credit pulls from any bureau or score model without leaving the CRM, while customer data stays inside the existing CRM structure. Every credit, fraud, and compliance result is captured on the deal record — giving dealers a single, audit-ready source of truth and a faster, cleaner path to funding.

NCC Connect extends the same powerful, credit-first engine behind NCC’s Complete Credit™ platform into the CRM where dealers already work. For dealers, that means more approvals, stronger fraud protection, and faster funding, without changing how the team works.

Learn more about NCC Connect at https://nccdirect.com/ncc-connect/

About NCC:

With offices in Austin, TX, Bettendorf, IA, and Las Vegas, NV, NCC has been a trusted partner in credit-driven retailing for automotive dealerships for nearly three decades. We combine a powerful credit and compliance engine with a fully integrated Desking platform to drive maximum profitability. Our focus on innovation, user-friendly products, and dependable systems — supported by a dedicated account management team — has solidified our reputation as a leader in the industry. www.nccdirect.com

Media Contact

Holly Smith, NCC, 1 8285732722, hsmith@nccdirect.com, https://nccdirect.com/

View original content:https://www.prweb.com/releases/ncc-launches-ncc-connect-to-put-credit-fraud-and-compliance-inside-the-crm-dealers-already-use-302832007.html

SOURCE NCC

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