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Tony Van Heugten, CTO of e-Vision Smart Optics, Inc., inducted in the 2024 Florida Inventors Hall of Fame

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Mr. Van Heugten , CTO of e-Vision Smart Optics, Inc., joins the exclusive list of 77 inductees to the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame with colleagues collectively holding over 5,200 patents. He earned his recognition as an inventor who holds over 61 U.S. Patents to his name. As CTO for e-Vision Smart Optics, his talents have added to the company’s list of over 345 e-Vision Smart Optics patents.

TAMPA, Fla., Dec. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — Anthony “Tony” Van Heugten, the Chief Technology Officer of e-Vision Smart Optics, Inc., became a 2024 Inductee in the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame.

“We are extremely proud of Mr. Van Heugten’s deserved induction into Florida Inventors Hall of Fame, an organization that recognizes Florida inventors whose achievements have significantly advanced the quality of life for all Americans,” Joel Zychick, CEO, of eVision Smart Optics, Inc.

Mr. Van Heugten is now on the exclusive list of 77 inductees to the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame with colleagues collectively holding over 5,200 patents. He earned his recognition as an inventor who holds over 61 U.S. Patents to his name. As CTO for e-Vision Smart Optics, his talents have added to the company’s list of over 345 e-Vision Smart Optics patents.

He joins an impressive list of globally recognized inventors

Mr. Van Heugten was inducted in the Annual Florida Inventors Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Friday, October 25, 2024 in Tampa, Florida.

The Florida Inventors Hall of Fame includes globally recognized names like Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Harvey Firestone and many other inventors that have made positive impacts in our lives.

About Tony Van Heugten

Tony Van Heugten is the Chief Technology Officer of e-Vision and a principle inventor of its liquid crystal tunable lens technology. Prior to joining e-Vision in 2007, Mr. Van Heugten, co-founded WaveTec Vision Systems, Inc. (“WaveTec”) in 2000 serving as Chief Technology Officer, co-inventing the intra-operative wave front sensor that improves visual outcomes in eye surgery. In 2014, WaveTec was sold to Alcon*. Mr. Van Heugten has worked with many leaders in the ophthalmic community developing numerous successful products such as an instrument that creates stitch-less incisions for cataract surgery in one pass and an instrument to remove an implanted IOL through a 3mm incision.

Mr. Van Heugten has also managed other numerous successful technical projects both inside and outside of ophthalmology including the development of new products in interventional cardiology (MedClose), vascular access (Johnson & Johnson) and laser-vision-correction lasers (Summit Technology). He was a co-developer of

e-Vision’s electro-optic phoropter for performing vision examinations.

e-Vision Smart Optics – Company Overview

eVision is headquartered in Sarasota, Florida and a pioneer in electronic lens modulation with more than 18 years of experience designing and fabricating optics that control and shape light with no moving parts. “We are extremely proud of Mr. Van Heugten’s deserved induction into Florida Inventors Hall of Fame, an organization that recognizes Florida inventors whose achievements have significantly advanced the quality of life for all Americans.” Joel Zychick, CEO, of eVision Smart Optics, Inc. With ownership or control of over 440 issued or pending worldwide patents, e-Vision has significant protection for its intellectual property. This extensive patent portfolio is classified as follows:

e-Vision Intellectual Property

Optical Designs for Electronic Lenses: e-Vision’s patents cover its designs for electronic lenses and optics, including diffractive and pixelated diffractive optics, refractive optics, combination diffractive/refractive optics and adjustable fluidic optics.Electronics: Patents cover activating (focusing), powering and charging electronic optics remotely, wirelessly and/or anatomically with the electronics either imbedded in the optics or located outside the optics. Other patents cover memory and data transmission.Specific Applications for Electronic Lenses: The patent portfolio covers the application of Smart Focus Optics for eyecare (contact lenses, IOLs and spectacles), mobile media (optics for cameras, web cams, the “Internet of Things”), ophthalmic diagnostic devices (the electronic phoropter, for example) and more.Flexible Optics: e-Vision’s patents also cover the use of flexible (foldable) electronic lenses, optics and electronics for its eyecare applications.Support: e-Vision also has numerous additional patents on the processes and methods required to fabricate electronic lenses and optics.Wearables: The Internet of Things: Patents covering electronic wearable frames that encapsulate mobile media components including audio, video, microphones and wireless communication and the electronics (power and control) to drive such components.

e-Vision Smart Optics, Inc. is a privately held Delaware-based Corporation with its development facility and administrative offices located in Sarasota, Florida. The company was established in 1999 and its initial focus was technology licensing and transfer activities for lens-based and electronic wearable applications. In 2010, e-Vision created its own development platform to create tunable liquid crystal-based optics and wearable electronic frames. e-Vision believes that its technology will have a transformative influence on the complex lens systems required to bring what can be imagined to reality.

Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality, AR, VR and MR

Today there is a rush to develop products that interface with powerful computing advancements in Augmented, Virtual and Mixed Reality. e-Vision Smart Optics patents and development activities interface the sight and sound that is critical for the success of AR, VR and MR. e-Vision Smart Optics holds many other patents that are foundational to the development of reality-based products in both spectacle lens eyewear and the Electronic Contact Lens (ECL) contact technology.

About the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame

By encouraging discovery, the Florida Inventors Hall of Fame supports a culture of creativity that fuels innovation, drives economic growth, and encourages investment in Florida. The Florida Inventors Hall of Fame is a state-wide initiative dedicated to honoring and celebrating Florida inventors whose achievements have significantly advanced the quality of life for all Americans.

Florida consistently ranks among the top 10 states for most patents granted. The Florida Inventors Hall of Fame recognizes these inventors, inspires the next generation of innovators, and works to bring attention to Florida, as a state where research, innovation and discovery thrive, and where great inventors have lived and worked.

*e-Vision has no affiliation with Alcon, the largest eye care devices company in the world.

Florida Inventors Hall of Fame • 3720 Spectrum Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33612 www.floridainvents.org

e-Vision™ Smart Optics, Inc. 1144 Tallevast Rd, Suites 113-115 Sarasota, FL 34243 www.evisionoptics.com

Media Contact

Joel Zycheck, e-Vision Smart Optics Inc., 1 9413514580, info@evisionoptics.com

, www.evisionoptics.com

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SOURCE e-Vision Smart Optics Inc.

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HKAGE Showcases Gifted Students’ Learning Journeys at InnoCarnival 2026

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Promoting “Technology for Good” Through Innovation and Creativity 

HONG KONG, Oct. 24, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education (HKAGE) has been invited to participate in InnoCarnival 2026, organised by the Innovation and Technology Commission. Under the theme “Technology for Good, Innovation for All”, HKAGE will showcase the learning journeys of gifted students who have completed programmes on AI robotic arms, underwater archaeology, etc., demonstrating how technology can be harnessed to address societal needs.

Having proactively aligned its work with the education development strategies of the Education Bureau (EDB), HKAGE fully supports the EDB’s Blueprint for Digital Education in Primary and Secondary Schools, which seeks to advance the digital transformation of school education in Hong Kong. Building on its Talent Development Model, HKAGE systematically develops programmes, provides diversified learning experiences and engages in cross-sector collaborations to nurture gifted talents equipped with innovative capabilities, technological literacy, and a strong sense of social responsibility. At the exhibition this year, HKAGE will present how students applied knowledge gained through gifted education programmes and learning experiences in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, environmental science, underwater archaeology and sustainable development to design socially conscious solutions. These experiences reflect the students’ ability to serve society with knowledge and respond creatively to diverse challenges.

Among the highlights is the learning journey of students in the “Artificial Intelligence Course: Creative AI Robotic Arm for Inclusion”. After acquiring foundational knowledge in artificial intelligence, robotics and sensor applications, students designed, tested and refined intelligent robotic arm prototypes through real-time data analysis and algorithms. With the aim of improving the quality of life for the elderly and caregivers, students explored various application scenarios for intelligent robotic arms. Another showcase features the “Environmental Science Course: Bat Echoes – Voices of the Night”. Through acoustic monitoring, the exhibition demonstrates how students recorded bat voices and analysed related activity data and characteristics. The programme enabled students to gain a deeper understanding of local biodiversity and explore practical approaches to ecological conservation.

The HKAGE exhibition booth also features an interactive photo-taking device, allowing visitors to take photos with different gifted programme themes and share the joy of learning.

On the first day of the exhibition, a “Build Your Own Glider Parent-Child Workshop” is specially organised by HKAGE for the visitors. Under the guidance of instructors and assisted by HKAGE students, participants will learn the basic principles of aerodynamics, including lift, gravity, thrust and drag. They will also learn to design, assemble and decorate their own gliders by using lightweight and durable materials, experiencing the joy of science and engineering.

Mr WONG Chung Po, Acting Executive Director of HKAGE, said: “The Academy is committed to providing gifted students with diversified learning platforms and encouraging them to transform knowledge into innovative practices that generate positive social impact. Participation in this exhibition not only provides students with a valuable learning experience that helps consolidate the knowledge acquired in gifted programmes, but also enables the public to better understand how gifted education nurtures a new generation of creative and socially responsible talents to jointly advance the philosophy of ‘Technology for Good’.”

InnoCarnival 2026 – The Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education

Date:

24 Oct – 1 Nov

Venue:

The Hong Kong Science Park

Booth:

C08-09

Time:

10:00 – 17:00 (Mon to Fri)

10:00 – 18:00 (Sat & Sun)

 

About the HKAGE

Established in 2008 and subvented by the Education Bureau, the HKAGE offers gifted education services actively to local primary and secondary school students to unleash their potential. It also provides gifted education-related information and support for teachers, parents, and other relevant stakeholders.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/apac/news-releases/hkage-showcases-gifted-students-learning-journeys-at-innocarnival-2026-302918606.html

SOURCE Hong Kong Academy for Gifted Education

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LEAP Group Relaunches HumanView, a Growth Intelligence System Built to Explain Why Customers Behave the Way They Do

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Reimagined from the ground up, HumanView pairs statistical modeling with expert analysts to turn millions of real-world customer signals into business decisions

LOUISVILLE, Ky., Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — LEAP Group today announced the relaunch of HumanView, its growth intelligence service. The new version has been rebuilt from the ground up and now has a dedicated home at leapgroupnetwork.com/humanview.

HumanView analyzes what customers say and do across social platforms, e-commerce sites, review platforms, search behavior and user-generated content, including signals from Reddit, TikTok, YouTube, Meta, Amazon and Walmart+ that general AI tools cannot always access. Because the data reflects unprompted, real-world behavior, it avoids the response bias built into surveys and focus groups.

The service works in three layers. HumanView captures signals at scale, decodes millions of records through validated statistical models such as regression, correlation and clustering, and then relies on experienced analysts to interpret the patterns. Clients receive clear, human-validated insights instead of another dashboard.

“Machines find the patterns. Humans find the point,” said Alan Gilleo, CEO at LEAP Group. “The first version of HumanView showed us how much customers reveal when nobody is asking them questions. This version is built to explain why they act the way they do, and to put those answers in front of everyone making decisions, from product to service to marketing.”

HumanView focuses on three areas:

Growth Intelligence: customer motivations and how people perceive a brand and its competitors

Market and Category Intelligence: product pain points, service friction, unmet needs and competitive gaps

Audience Intelligence: new segments, positioning opportunities and gaps in the market

Every model is designed and validated by data scientists and benchmarked before it informs a recommendation.

To learn more about HumanView, visit leapgroupnetwork.com/humanview.

About LEAP Group
LEAP Group is a boutique marketing agency holding company with offices in Louisville, Indianapolis, Cincinnati and Chicago. Guided by the belief that brands should “Market Less. Matter More.,” LEAP gives clients access to specialized experts across its entire network. Learn more at leapgroupnetwork.com.

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SOURCE LEAP Group

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STEPHEN A. SMITH ADDRESSES WHITE HOUSE DINNER ATTENDANCE, REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO HBCUs AND PROTECTING CORPORATE INVESTMENT IN BLACK EDUCATION

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NEW YORK, Oct. 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Stephen A. Smith, media mogul, New York Times bestselling author, and proud 1991 graduate of Winston-Salem State University, is addressing the public discussion surrounding his decision to attend a White House dinner with President Donald Trump, emphasizing his commitment to the long-term financial stability of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

For Smith, the decision was rooted in a commitment to institutions that have educated generations of Black leaders, professionals, entrepreneurs, and public servants.

“I will always advocate for HBCUs and the students whose futures depend on them,” Smith said. “My reason for attending the White House dinner was to discuss the challenges these institutions face in securing long-term funding and to make the case that corporate America must continue to invest in them.”

Smith acknowledged federal support through the FUTURE Act while expressing concern that political tensions surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) could discourage private companies from supporting HBCUs. He maintains that these institutions deserve sustained corporate partnerships, philanthropic contributions, and public investment.

“If we truly believe in free-market capitalism, businesses should be able to support educational institutions and charitable causes without fear of criticism or repercussions,” Smith said. “HBCUs have made extraordinary contributions to this country. They deserve sustained public and private investment.”

Ashley Christopher, Esq., Founder and CEO of the HBCU Week Foundation, recognized Smith’s advocacy and decision to engage with the administration.

“Stephen A. Smith has been a powerful advocate for HBCUs, using his platform and influence to shine a national spotlight on our institutions,” expressed Christopher, “His continued support of HBCU Week helps advance our mission of connecting students with life-changing educational opportunities, and we are proud to have him as our ambassador.”

Since Smith became an HBCU Week Ambassador in 2019, the initiative has facilitated more than 15,000 on-the-spot college acceptances and raised and awarded more than $150 million in scholarships, according to the HBCU Week Foundation.

As public discussion continues, Smith is emphasizing the importance of ensuring HBCUs have the resources and partnerships needed to educate future generations and expand opportunities for students.

CLICK HERE to watch Smith’s full response to his White House visit.

MEDIA CONTACT:

media@mrsasinc.com

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SOURCE Straight Shooter Media

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