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WNBA Star and Las Vegas Aces Guard Jewell Loyd Acquires Help With My Loan Through Family-Owned Chicago Financial Firm, Loyd & Co.

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WNBA star and Las Vegas Aces Guard Jewell Loyd proudly announces the acquisition of Help With My Loan (HWML), through her single-family office Loyd & Co., a Chicago-based, mission-driven financial firm which she co-founded with her brother Jarryd Loyd. In addition to her acclaimed basketball career, Jewell has recently led several strategic acquisitions that have set new industry benchmarks, reinforcing her status as a visionary in both sports and finance. By acquiring HWML, Loyd & Co. will expand its offerings to help clients—especially minority small business owners—grow and scale.

CHICAGO, Feb. 24, 2025 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — WNBA star and Las Vegas Aces Guard Jewell Loyd proudly announces the acquisition of Help With My Loan (HWML), through her single-family office Loyd & Co., a Chicago-based, mission-driven financial firm which she co-founded with her brother Jarryd Loyd. In addition to her acclaimed basketball career, Jewell has recently led several strategic acquisitions that have set new industry benchmarks, reinforcing her status as a visionary in both sports and finance. By acquiring HWML, Loyd & Co. will expand its offerings to help clients—especially minority small business owners—grow and scale.

“I’m passionate about the work we’re doing at Loyd & Co. and thrilled about the Help With My Loan acquisition, which allows us to expand our impact.”

“Growing up, I saw firsthand how access to resources can define someone’s future,” said Loyd & Co. Co-Founder Jewell Loyd. “That’s why I’m passionate about the work we’re doing at Loyd & Co. and thrilled about the Help With My Loan acquisition, which allows us to expand our impact. This company is breaking down barriers for minority entrepreneurs, providing them with the capital and technology to compete on an equal playing field. Too often, small business owners—particularly those from underserved communities—are overlooked or denied funding by traditional financial institutions. We’re here to change that.”

At Loyd & Co., our philosophy is simple: access to capital is a right, not a privilege. By harnessing cutting-edge fintech and personalized wealth management, we’re building an ecosystem where every entrepreneur can succeed, create jobs, and reinvest in their communities. This initiative goes beyond loans—it fuels economic mobility and builds generational wealth. When minority-owned businesses thrive, entire communities prosper, and that’s the legacy we’re shaping with this acquisition.

Founded in 2017 in Pasadena, California by co-founders Chris Karageuzian and Jack Artinian, HWML is a full-spectrum lending platform with a mission to transform the industry by making traditional funding accessible. HWML uses AI and proprietary underwriting to streamline loan processes, reduce loan approval times, and implement inclusive lending models. With this transition, both co-founders are managing partners of Loyd & Co.

“This acquisition marks the culmination of an eight-year journey for Jack and I,” said Karageuzian. “We are thrilled to join Loyd & Co. which have the resources and knowledge and embodies great character. When we first met back in February 2024, two things stood out to me: the $146 million funding gap for the minority community in Chicago and the staggering 40% unemployment rate among African-American youth aged 20-24.”

He added: “Our platform is poised to address these challenges head-on. By matching lending at a 95% rate and operating 80% faster than any other platform, bank, or broker, we can significantly close the financial gap. Additionally, this acquisition will create job opportunities across various sectors of our company, helping to reduce unemployment and foster economic growth in the community.”

Loyd & Co. has partnered with Male Mogul Initiative (MMI) led by Walter Mendenhall, the founder and CEO of Male Mogul Initiative and managing partner of Loyd & Co., to support young Black men on Chicago’s West and South Sides, helping them achieve lasting goals and revitalize their communities. MMI, in collaboration with Loyd & Co., have invested in HWML to develop workforce development programs offering training and certifications for wealth management and small-business entrepreneurship.

Loyd & Co. Co-Founder and Managing Partner Jarryd Loyd has already witnessed the beneficial impact of this acquisition firsthand. He shared how a small trucking company in Chicago expanded its fleet, a daycare provider secured funding to open a second location, and a minority-owned construction firm obtained working capital to bid on larger projects.

“These are real businesses, families, and communities benefiting from what we’re building,” Jarryd said. “Our goal is to build a sustainable ecosystem where access to capital is a right, not a privilege, for every entrepreneur with a vision.”

Loyd & Co. invites investors, philanthropists, and community leaders to join them on this transformative journey. To learn more about partnership opportunities or to discuss how you can help drive economic empowerment, please contact our investor relations team and visit http://www.theloydco.com.

About Loyd & Co.
Loyd & Co. is a conviction-based financial firm founded on the belief that we are bold builders of the future. We are a family office specializing in asset and wealth management, fintech and lending, private equity, real estate, and sports and tech investing.

Our mission is to democratize access to capital, transform wealth management, and innovate with blockchain solutions. Through our fintech lending platform, wealth advisory, and cutting-edge technology, we empower individuals, families, and businesses to build generational wealth and create lasting impact.

About HWML
Our goal is to help you reach yours. Help With My Loan was founded in 2017 to transform the industry and make traditional funding more accessible. In the first three years alone, we built a network of 300+ vetted finance partners and secured more than $850 million for our users.

Chris Karageuzian and Jack Artinian, HWML co-founders, met in the banking world and bonded over dreams of something better. With years of high-level experience in banking, lending, and business financing, both leaders knew the ins and outs of the industry. HWML puts that insight to work for you with innovative solutions and cutting-edge technology.

About the Male Mogul Initiative
The Male Mogul Initiative (MMI) is a Chicago-based nonprofit dedicated to transforming young men into community leaders through entrepreneurship, leadership development, and workforce training. Since its founding, MMI has helped young people build businesses, acquire investment properties, and gain financial independence through innovative education and mentorship programs. ###

Media Contact

Marie Lazzara, JJR Marketing, 630-400-3361, marie@jjrmarketing.com, https://jjrmarketing.com/

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SOURCE Loyd & Co.

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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.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/leap-group-relaunches-humanview-a-growth-intelligence-system-built-to-explain-why-customers-behave-the-way-they-do-302918557.html

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

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stephen-a-smith-addresses-white-house-dinner-attendance-reaffirms-commitment-to-hbcus-and-protecting-corporate-investment-in-black-education-302918547.html

SOURCE Straight Shooter Media

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