Category: Celebrity

AUSTIN, Texas, April 11, 2023 (Newswire.com)
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In the relaunch of her riveting first memoir Lost Girl: From the Hood to the White House to Millionaire Entrepreneur, Rebecca Contreras tells her inspiring story of transformation, perseverance, and how a lost girl was found. Born prematurely as a drug-addicted infant to a single mother in a Texas border town, Rebecca came to know abandonment all too well. Yet despite becoming a teenage, welfare-dependent mother herself, she earned her GED and managed to break the generational cycle, working her way up to become an advisor to the President of the United States before achieving the American dream by becoming an entrepreneurial success story. 

After setting the stage by recounting a childhood filled with neglect and abuse, Rebecca shares how she overcame the obstacles of her past. In her words, “We can’t focus on what we lack or the mistakes of our past, but we have to be deliberate about our future. With perseverance, faith, embracing the hard change of self, and engaging strong mentors, that GED took me from the hood to the Office of the Texas Governor, and eventually all the way to the White House.”

Her desire to change her life’s trajectory and her sheer will and resolve to succeed altered the course of her and her family’s lives forever. But she doesn’t stop there. Sharing what she learned along the way has become her passion as she reaches out to mentor others because, as she says, “No one—and I mean no one—makes it flying solo.”

Rebecca Contreras has been the President and CEO of AvantGarde LLC, a 110+ employee human capital consulting firm, since founding it in 2011. Along with her husband, she is also the co-founder of the nonprofit organization LaunchPad, which serves disadvantaged inner-city youth through educational programs and mentoring. 

Because Rebecca’s book is a demonstration of hope and empowerment for young at-risk women, Lost Girl is being relaunched to coincide with the 2023 Girls of Legacy Kickoff Event on April 11. Rebecca was inspired by promising young women through her work in the inner city and started Girls of Legacy in 2022, her signature initiative. Through her own matched funding, the program has been able to support ten Class of 2022 Title 1 high school graduates through partial scholarships and mentoring in college and professional development/training programs. 

The eBook for Lost Girl is being offered at a promotional price during the 2023 Kickoff Event, and 100% of any proceeds will go toward Girls of Legacy fundraising efforts. 

Order today on Amazon by clicking here.

Publisher: BOSS Media
Release date: April 11, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-63337-588-8 (eBook)

Media Contact:
Crystaline Lopez
[email protected]
www.rebeccacontreras.com

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Contact Information:

Crystaline Lopez

[email protected]

Original Source:

Author Rebecca Contreras Reveals How She Went From the Hood to the White House to Millionaire (With Only a GED) in Her First Memoir ‘Lost Girl’

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Audeobox CEO and 2x GRAMMY-nominated music producer YoungFyre is bringing back the excitement of online beat battles with the launch of a one-of-a-kind platform called NEXXT.

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Recognition marks third Occupational Health & Safety platinum honor for global EHS software provider

TORONTO, April 11, 2023 (Newswire.com)
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Cority’s Hygiene Essentials Solution, which helps companies reduce industrial and occupational risks and boost compliance, has earned a prestigious 2023 Occupational Health & Safety (OH&S) Industrial Hygiene Award in the category of Risk Assessment and Management, which helps companies reduce industrial and occupational risks to boost compliance. These awards honor the outstanding product development achievements of health and safety manufacturers whose products or services significantly improve industrial hygiene. 

Cority’s award for its Hygiene Essentials Solution marks the third time OH&S has recognized the leading global Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) software provider for its innovation in product development. In 2021, Cority won an OH&S Industrial Hygiene Award in the category of Auditing & Compliance for its Compliance Management Solution. OH&S also named Cority’s Ergonomics Management Solution a New Product of the Year in 2018. 

“This recognition validates Cority’s position as an innovative and trusted powerhouse in the industry, delivering to organizations people-first EHS solutions,” said Amanda Smith, Cority’s vice president of solutions marketing and enablement. “With our strong expertise in Industrial Hygiene and Safety, we are focused on building solutions that not only help organizations achieve operational excellence and protect their employees effectively but make better decisions that lead to a safer, healthier, and more sustainable future in the long run.”  

According to International Labour Organization (ILO), workplace diseases and occupational injuries are responsible for more than 2 million fatalities annually on a global scale. Despite having industrial hygiene programs in place, organizations are facing challenges due to budget constraints and a shortage of hygiene experts, making it difficult to manage these exposures effectively.

The Hygiene Essentials solution responds to these market needs by providing automated monitoring plans and data transfer, mobile capabilities, employee cohort tracking, and reporting tools for driving data-driven decisions for effective hygiene risk management.

“Our team’s extensive background in industrial hygiene and safety, combined with our expertise in designing and configuring solutions for customers, has enabled us to build an unparalleled knowledge base into our software,” added Smith. “This means that our customers can benefit from our advanced knowledge and solutions which are designed to be user-friendly and accessible to all.”

Cority’s Hygiene Essentials Solution allows businesses to digitize their industrial hygiene management programs quickly, easily, and affordably. Like all of Cority’s Essentials packages, this purpose-built solution combines industry best practices and proven workflows in a ready-to-use, rapid time-to-value offering with scalability for future program expansion. The solution enables organizations to manage all their quantitative and qualitative hygiene exposure assessment data in one centralized place, helping them identify hazards, evaluate and manage risks and develop a comprehensive hygiene program to protect their workforce.

Hygiene Essentials is a standardized version of Cority’s comprehensive Industrial Hygiene solution under the Cority Health Cloud. It is also part of CorityOne^TM, the company’s integrated EHS SaaS-based platform, which provides a scalable and seamless path for future growth. Building on an organization’s industrial hygiene program, clients can easily unify all their EHS programs into a single comprehensive platform to uncover key insights and create a single, accurate, and holistic view of EHS performance.

To determine the winners among those nominated in 21 categories, an independent panel of highly qualified judges carefully reviewed and scored each entry. The judges’ combined scores dictated the winners of each category.

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Contact Information:

Meredith Schweitzer

[email protected]

3476989196

Original Source:

Cority’s Hygiene Essentials Solution Wins Prestigious 2023 OH&S Industrial Hygiene Award

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GENEVA, Switzerland, April 10, 2023 (Newswire.com)
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Next Sunday, April 16, at 2 p.m., in Geneva, Switzerland, Ali Aboutaam, President of Phoenix Ancient Art, one of the world’s leading dealers in rare and exquisite antiquities, will lecture about the exciting findings of a rare Byzantine amethyst cameo pendant of Jesus Christ (Christ Pantokrator). Christ Pantokrator is represented in half-length and full-face with his head slightly turned to the left. In the frame of the gem on both sides of the shoulders, one can see engravings of Greek characters: I(…)C X(…)C (Jesus Christ). This remarkable sparkling and pure amethyst gem is closely linked to the sapphire cameo of St. John the Baptist housed in the Louvre (MS 91).

Ali Aboutaam excitedly says, “While conducting research about the provenance of this spectacular gem, I stumbled upon a black-and-white photo of this piece as being part of an exhibition ‘L’Antiquité Chrétienne’ at the Musée du Louvre in 1958!” The exhibition consisted of 81 Christian objects and was published by Etienne Coche de la Ferté in Paris.

The representation of Christ Pantokrator on a precious stone cameo is very rare. A small group dated to this period was preserved, including a beautiful sapphire cameo, now in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection.

Byzantium rediscovered an appreciation for glyptic after the iconoclastic crisis, yet exclusively favoring religious subjects showing Christ, the Virgin and the saints in either half- or full-length. Amethyst and sapphire were luxury stones used almost exclusively for the most prestigious objects. 

Ali adds, “It is so rare to find old publications for miniature objects like this one because these were intimately and privately treasured in jewelry boxes and small drawers. One can imagine the pendant decorating the necklace close to the heart of a faithful Christian in the 12^th century.”

The lecture will be at 6, rue Verdaine in Old Town, Geneva on Sunday, April 16, 2023.

ABOUT PHOENIX ANCIENT ART

With galleries in New York City (Electrum) and Geneva, Switzerland, Phoenix Ancient Art is one of the world’s leading dealers in rare and exquisite antiquities with a focus on Greek and Roman, Near Eastern and Egyptian art. Its works of art have been acquired by world-class museums around the world, as well as by private collectors. Phoenix Ancient Art is a second-generation family business that was founded by Sleiman Aboutaam in 1968 and continues today under the leadership of his sons Hicham and Ali Aboutaam.

For more information, contact [email protected] or visit www.phoenixancientart.com.

Contact Information:

Ali Aboutaam

President

[email protected]

+41223188010

Original Source:

Antiquities Dealer Ali Aboutaam Discovers Jesus Christ Pendant’s History

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An unparalleled hybridized escape room experience that interweaves the virtual world and physical reality, curated by MetaBlaze. As an official sponsor and event partner of NFTNYC, MetaBlaze is set to bring an otherwor…

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Six-time Grammy Award-winning artist will bring her audience-enchanting performance to the stage at The Klein, with tickets on sale this week through ezEvent.com

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Toho, Japan’s foremost movie company, collaborates with Universal Music Artists LLC to present Mofu Mofu Music Caravan (MMMC). First, Toho will launch an engaging NFT collection that breathes life into the mesmerizing world of Mofu and provides exceptional commercial licensing opportunities for its holders.

TOKYO, April 10, 2023 (Newswire.com)
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Toho, Japan’s premier movie company, and Universal Music Artists LLC, a subsidiary of UNIVERSAL MUSIC LLC Japan for UMG, the world leader in music-based entertainment, have joined forces to create an enthralling music intellectual property, Mofu Mofu Music Caravan (MMMC). 

In collaboration with SaltSweeet Inc., a pioneering web2 and web3 marketing venture company, this innovative NFT project aims to transform the way anime IP is experienced, valued, and utilized. Set in the enchanting Mofu world, MMMC features 10,000 limited-edition, high-quality NFTs, each representing exclusive rights and privileges associated with the captivating characters from Mofu World, initially produced and developed by Toho and SaltSweeet.

Mofu Mofu Music Caravan
Mofu Sapiens, residents of the Mofu world, deeply cherish music. However, when the Mofu government bans free-spirited music, a dark age descends. Only government-approved music is allowed. Some Mofu Sapiens, unwilling to submit to oppressive restrictions, come together to form a band, using their musical instruments as a means to express their desire for freedom.

The journey to liberating music by Mofu Mofu Music Caravan (MMMC) begins now.

Upcoming Music Video Release
This summer, Mofu Mofu Music Caravan will enthrall fans with the release of its debut music video. With an engaging anime storyline featuring the main characters with impressive visuals and a captivating soundtrack, this eagerly-awaited premiere promises an unforgettable experience for Mofu World enthusiasts and music lovers across the globe.

Enhanced Commercial Licensing Utility
MMMC offers a unique and enhanced commercial licensing utility for NFT holders. By owning a Mofu Mofu Music Caravan NFT, holders unlock a world of opportunities to create, collaborate, and monetize their NFTs in various ways, such as merchandising, brand collaborations, licensing for advertising and media, and access to a supportive community.

Experience MofuMofu at NFTNYC 2023
Stay tuned for significant updates regarding project partnerships in April. Meanwhile, all enthusiasts, collectors, and industry professionals are invited to visit the Mofu Mofu Music Caravan booth at NFTNYC 2023. As the premier NFT event, NFTNYC 2023 brings together the brightest minds and most innovative projects in the non-fungible token space. The booth will showcase the captivating Mofu Mofu Music Caravan project, offering an exclusive insight into its unique features and potential. Hosted in the vibrant city of New York, NFTNYC 2023 provides an unparalleled opportunity to learn, network, and explore the fascinating world of NFTs.

For more information, please visit:

Official website: http://mmmc.toho.co.jp;
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MofuMofuMC. 

Contact Information:

Takuya Kayaki

Toho Co., Ltd.

[email protected]

Zhen Yu

SaltSweeet Inc.

[email protected]

Original Source:

Toho and Universal Music Artists LLC Unveil Mofu Mofu Music Caravan (MMMC): A Cutting-Edge Anime IP Project. Firstly, Toho Will Launch an NFT Collection With SaltSweeet Inc.

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Acoustic rock artist’s second album finds an eager audience – everywhere – courtesy of playlists and independent media

WASHINGTON, April 7, 2023 (Newswire.com)
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The pre-release reviews are strong. UK Independent says, “This is a classic sounding American record … great lyrics and a nice modern folk sound.” New Artist Discoveries enthuses the music is “animated by perfect melody and precise lyrics. This is a wonderful style of Pop.” Our Sound calls it “a breath of fresh air among so many electronic songs.” Hailed as fresh and original, Gumbrecht’s songs are playing on six continents in over 50 countries via popular playlists and social media.  

Today, Enter the Muses officially drops as the spring holiday weekend gets underway. The album follows last year’s Colorshow with a fresh take on traditional rock/folk/songwriter-style music.  Muses explores the sources of inspiration and connection in modern life. It is a broadly optimistic collection. Gumbrecht’s signature features – bright guitars, country/southern-rock arrangements, animated storytelling – are abundant. He sings with a confident and engaging voice. His poetic lyrics bear repeated listening. Here are stories about summer car trips, the whims of luck, backyard parties, and tumbling road races. The songs relate to and enhance each other underscoring the idea that muses are present and constantly shaping our experience.  

Eight original songs are performed by Gumbrecht and the talented team that delivered his debut album. Collaborators include the velvet-voiced Claire Marie, musician/producer Eric Michael Lichter, and sound engineer Guido Falivene. The ensemble handles the range of moods and styles in a relaxed, sometimes improvised manner. They infuse Gumbrecht’s songs with easy-going charm and warmth.

Gumbrecht, a native New Yorker, was raised in the album-rock era. His music recalls Paul Simon, James Taylor, Bruce Springsteen, the Eagles and CSNY with a modern vitality. Ed initially performed in NY bands and theater before leaving the arts for a traditional career. He continued writing – penning songs daily as well as authoring novels, short stories and screenplays. With the 2022 release of Colorshow, Ed returned to musical performance. Enter the Muses is his second album release in 14 months. A third project is underway for late 2023 release.  

Today, Gumbrecht’s albums stream beyond genre and geographic boundaries. World Indie Generation calls his music “Emotional, lyrical, touching. A complete delight.” As Enter the Muses pours into the world this week, it promises to become a bright highlight in the soundtrack of 2023. 

Enter the Muses is now available through all major music outlets and streams. Add these classic songs to your playlists and share them with friends who appreciate fine music.

Album Tracks: Enter the Muses, Well, Another Leaf, Walking Backward, Sunset Drive, 
(Love Will) Make us Wise, Cry a Little Longer, Air

Contact Information:

Ed Gumbrecht

Composer

[email protected]

860-510-3888

Original Source:

New Music 2023: Gumbrecht’s Muses Stream Across the World

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Readymag’s collaboration with the Type Directors Club, ‘The Faces Behind Typefaces,’ earns Webby nomination for its insightful exploration of type design pioneers

NEW YORK, April 6, 2023 (Newswire.com)
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‘The Faces Behind Typefaces‘, created by Readymag, a tool for designing digital publications without coding, has been nominated for the 27th Annual Webby Awards in the Marketing & Content Management category under Apps, dApps and Software. This digital editorial explores the legacies of pioneering typeface designers and their contributions to the creative field.

‘The Faces Behind Typefaces‘ coincides with the 75th anniversary of the Type Directors Club, which serves a global audience of typographers, type designers, and lettering artists around the world. Designed in the form of an editorial, this project shares insightful conversations about typographers such as Paula Scher, Paul Rand, Gerard Unger, Ed Benguiat, Rubén Fontana, Emigre, and Adrian Frutiger.

Alya Datiy, Head of Brand Marketing, Readymag, “Besides building a tool for designing websites without code, we at Readymag strive to foster self-expression and recognize excellence in the practice of design. In this project, we wanted to highlight the impact of typography heroes and pioneers through the eyes and words of up-and-coming type and design professionals. Our partner for this project, the Type Directors Club, bridges the gap between type culture past and present. Together, through our editorial and design expertise, we did our best to highlight and explain this connection.”

The project is now competing for both the Webby Award and the Webby People’s Voice Award, which is voted on by the public from April 4 to April 20, 2023.

Readymag is a browser-based design tool that has everything you need to make visually complex websites: the most up-to-date typography, impressive animations, and complete creative freedom with no layout limitations. The tool doesn’t restrict creativity, offering free composition, a customizable grid, and a blank page to start with. Readymag is the perfect solution for users torn between simple website builders and complex systems that require the help of professional developers. 

Contact Information:

Alisa Kusti

Communications Manager

[email protected]

Original Source:

Readymag’s Digital Editorial Nominated for Webby Awards

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The Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Music celebrates immigrant musicians’ contributions to the arts, culture, and society.

NEW YORK, April 6, 2023 (Newswire.com)
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Juan Pablo Contreras receives the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Music for his work as a composer and conductor of orchestral music that draws on his Mexican heritage and for his leadership in founding the Orquesta Latino Mexicana. 

The Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise is a $50,000 prize awarded by the Vilcek Foundation as part of the Vilcek Foundation Prizes Program. The Vilcek Foundation prizes are awarded annually to immigrant artists and scientists whose work has had a profound impact on U.S. culture and society. The Vilcek Prizes for Creative Promise in Music acknowledge artists at a pivotal point in their careers and celebrate artists whose work demonstrates a unique insight or contribution to their genre.

“Juan Pablo Contreras’s music simultaneously draws upon tradition and defies the conventions of those traditions,” says Vilcek Foundation President Rick Kinsel. “His compositions incorporate aspects of Mexican culture and folk music to enrich the classical genre and propel it beyond its historically Eurocentric focus,” he says. “Contreras’s artistry is equally matched by his commitment to mentoring others: His leadership empowers the next generation of Latino artists to pursue and excel in composition and performance.”

In recognition of Contreras’s achievements, the Vilcek Foundation has developed and shared a video profile with the composer, titled Juan Pablo Contreras composes classical music with the sounds of Mexico. 

Born in Guadalajara, Mexico, Contreras first moved to the United States at the age of 19 to study composition at the California Institute of the Arts. After earning his BFA, he moved to New York to pursue his master’s at the Manhattan School of Music. As Contreras began to delve into the classical canon for inspiration for his own compositions, he was drawn to the music of American composer Aaron Copland, Hungarian composer Béla Bartók, and Brazilian composer Heitor Villa-Lobos. “The way they blended classical passages with sounds from their native countries really spoke to me,” he recalls. “I started to write works that were influenced by the sounds of my homeland and that told stories about modern Mexico.”  

A dedicated teacher and mentor, Contreras advocates for equity and inclusion in orchestral commissions and programming. Making classical music more accessible to the Latino community in Los Angeles, and to broader audiences, is deeply important. When the COVID-19 health emergency struck and people were ordered to stay at home to protect public health, Contreras found purpose in bringing people together online. He developed an online orchestration course, training and mentoring 120 Latin American composers over the course of four months, and offering need-based scholarships.

In the summer of 2021, Contreras founded the Orquesta Latino Mexicana in Guadalajara, an orchestra of 45 people, centering focus on young musicians from Latin American and Hispanic countries. Breaking from Mexico’s government-funded model of orchestra, the purpose of the Orquesta is to celebrate and promote the work of young, living Latino composers and musicians. 

Contreras’s work is a celebration of modern immigration and cultural exchange. Each piece reflects his experiences and the context in which it was created. His music is allegorical, telling stories as a way to link the past, present, and future, and to find common ground with audiences through narrative. They include Lucha Libre—an orchestral composition that tells the story of six instrumentalist luchadores battling with bravado and flair—and Mariachitlán, a piece that evokes the sounds of Mariachi Plaza in Guadalajara.

Read more at the Vilcek Foundation: Juan Pablo Contreras composes classical music with the sounds of Mexico

The Vilcek Foundation

The Vilcek Foundation raises awareness of immigrant contributions in the United States and fosters appreciation for the arts and sciences. The foundation was established in 2000 by Jan and Marica Vilcek, immigrants from the former Czechoslovakia. The mission of the foundation was inspired by the couple’s respective careers in biomedical science and art history. Since 2000, the foundation has awarded over $7 million in prizes to foreign-born individuals and has supported organizations with over $6 million in grants.

The Vilcek Foundation is a private operating foundation, a federally tax-exempt nonprofit organization under IRS Section 501(c)(3). To learn more, please visit vilcek.org. 

Contact Information:

Elizabeth Boylan

Communications Manager

[email protected]

+12124722500

Related Files
VFP2023 – Juan Pablo Contreras – Press Release.pdf

Original Source:

Vilcek Foundation Awards $50,000 Prize to Mexican American Composer Juan Pablo Contreras

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