Products

LIFEAID Sets E-Com Black Friday Sales Record

December 5, 2017

- Category : Products

- Tags : Life, Modern, Moment, Nature

SANTA CRUZ, CALIF. – Hot off the heels of the traditional shopping season kick-off, LIFEAID Beverage Co, LLC. achieved an impressive volume of Direct to Consumer business during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend reaching just shy of $500,000 in direct website e-commerce sales.

The company, known for their niche “clean supplement blends” has seen a meteoric rise over the last year. 2018 is proving to be a potential break-through year for the brand.

For a second year, LIFEAID has secured a top spot on the Forbes list of Fastest Growing Companies and 2017’s list recognized the brand as the 2nd fastest growing in its category. FITAID, the Recovery Blend, which is popular within the CrossFit and OCR communities, recorded an impressive 35% share of the weekend’s sales. Notable portfolio performers included FOCUSAID and brand flagship product LIFEAID; while GOLFERAID, PARTYAID, and TRAVELAID rounded out the strong sales figure.

According to their VP of Sales, Dan Leja, “2018 is going to be a breakout year for the Brand.” Leja goes on to report, “We anticipate in excess of 12,000 traditional retail outlets, including some of the most established national retailers.”

This figure is 4 times what their retail penetration was in 2017. Authorizations include GNC, Kroger, Safeway, with significant reviews pending. At time of release, SPINS data is displaying promising results as they are positioned as a top 5 brand in their category over the last 24 weeks. Additional focus in 2018 will include consistent brand awareness efforts and building off their consumer successes to help bolster and sustain their current trajectory in retail.

About LifeAid Beverage

At LifeAid, we fuel your passion with our clean and refreshing nutritional blends. Our products are tailored for your active lifestyle – without all the junk. LifeAid products are available throughout the US in more than 5,000 CrossFit gyms and retail stores such as Whole Foods and The Vitamin Shoppe. Join us as we show the world there is a better way. For more information, please visit www.lifeaidbevco.com or contact press@lifeaidbevco.com

Vizzario Brings Vision Metrics To Esports For Player Evaluation

By admin on

November 7, 2017

- Category : Products

- Tags : Life, Modern, Moment, Nature

Riot Games is holding its second annual scouting combine for League of Legends Championship Series later this month in Los Angeles followed by its first player draft. That process will include training and practice before a round-robin tournament, but a startup vision technology company is hoping to introduce new objective measures into the realm of esports player evaluations.

Vizzario, which launched in 2014 and has received funding from insurance giant VSP Global, has developed a sensory data-exchange platform that measures human interaction with computer stimuli, which is then processed through machine learning and computer vision algorithms to monitor and predict one’s visual function. Its software development kit (SDK) can be integrated into any interactive experience — including esports — to track performance passively while not altering gameplay. (Vizzario recently agreed to a partnership with a major esports athlete, whose identity it cannot yet disclose.)

Vizzario’s signature metric is its Vision Performance Index, VPI, which measures one’s overall visual function based on five components (and 11 sub-components): field of view (central and peripheral), accuracy (targeting and reaction time), multi-tracking (focus and divided attention), endurance (fatigue and recovery) and detection (color, contrast and acuity) — FAMED, by its acronym.

“It lends for a lot of discovery,” Vizzario’s founder and CEO, Dr. Khizer Khaderi, told SportTechie. “You can start taking the VPI score and you can start marrying it with in-game statistics to get a more multi-dimensional view of each player.”

A front-facing camera can record eye movements to provide additional information, though that is not needed to compute a VPI.

In time, as sufficient data is collected, certain baseline visual profiles will emerge for elite esports performers. That might help steer competitors into the best opportunities to succeed. It’s possible, for instance, that each of the five roles on League of Legends could require different visual attributes; perhaps a player has been shoehorned into the wrong role — or even the wrong game — based on his or her skill set.

Current evaluations of esports players are generally relegated to in-game statistics only, “and it doesn’t really explain what are the potential nuances that separate certain athletes from others,” Khaderi said. Much like the NFL combine has a 40-yard dash and a shuttle run, so too might esports combines have different events breaking down skills.

“The ecosystem in general is very interested in being able to learn more about their players, learn more about ways of helping their players, optimizing the players in terms of their abilities, giving them the potential tools for training and also optimizing their health,” he said.

Vizzario can track vision performance during esports such as League of Legends. (Riot Games)

Khaderi is an ophthalmologist by training who founded the Sports Vision Lab at the University of California-Davis and served as the director of neuro-ophthalmology at the UC Davis Eye Center. He holds five patents, serves as a medical advisor to Magic Leap and previously consulted for the Chicago White Sox, Boston Celtics and San Francisco 49ers. A baseball simulation game he devised helped improve on-field performance.

Vizzario currently has relationships with the military as well as technology companies working in mobile, augmented reality, entertainment and consumer health and wellness. On that last front, this collection of data has especially far-reaching ramifications; Vizzario is collaborating with researchers from Duke and Stanford.

The inherent nature of esports requires logging long durations of time in front of screens, an activity that can cause visual eye strain, dry eye, light sensitivity and headaches. The info gleaned from Vizzario’s software can help guide the answer to questions such as the optimal length of training and when players might need to rest their eyes. Some of this can be extrapolated to other sports: How soon before a game should an athlete turn off his or her phone? Could early-game struggles be vision-related?

As of a 2014 study Khaderi cited while giving a talk at TiEcon (a technology entrepreneurship conference), the U.S. ranked sixth in the world in digital media consumption, with an average of 7.5 hours on a device. He’s hoping the democratization of technology away from labs and clinical settings to homes can produce helpful results, asking, “How we can leverage the problem, which is technology, to actually find a solution?”

Link to original story : https://www.sporttechie.com/vizzario-vision-performance-index-esports/

Products

Lion Tea Seeks To Prove Benefits of Dandelion

By admin on

September 21, 2017

- Category : Products

- Tags : Life, Modern, Moment, Nature

Brooklyn, New York (September 27, 2017) — It’s been quite the summer for Brooklyn based wellness brand Lion Botanicals. Since the June launch of their prebiotic dandelion tea, Lion Tea, they’ve been proving the dandelion is so much more than a pesky weed. A local play on traditional dandelion tea or “horta” as it was known in ancient Greece, Lion Tea is wild crafted from the roots, leaves and flowers of U.S. picked dandelions. Prized as “whole plant formulation,” the product harnesses the restorative powers of the weed-come-wildflower along with the naturally occurring prebiotic inulin. Known to clinicians as the primary food source of probiotics in the gut, inulin is a fiber that is fast gaining a reputation in the functional world.

Ray DeRosa, founder and CEO of Lion Botanicals shares his story: “After a heavy night of drinking, I awoke to my fleeting eyesight. Unfortunately, what I thought was a hangover was a rare genetic eye disease known as Leber’s. My Greek mother put me on a regimen of Dandelion Tea for a year, miraculously reversing the effects. It wasn’t until after that incident though did my friends discover the true value of the concoction – it worked wonders on hangovers”

But hangovers aren’t the only thing this wonder weed can cure. It’s also detoxes the liver and skin, aids in weight loss, reduces water retention and is packed with prebiotics to maintain strong gut health.With the emergence of the better-for-you and functional beverage market the product’s re-release (after 8 years) is being referred to as “a perform storm.” The launch is characterized by 4 unique, balanced, yet approachable SKUS: Lemon & Honey, Hibiscus & Blueberry, Blood Orange & Ginger and Mint. Housed in a 10oz glass bottle the product boasts no more than 5 ingredients and carries a 100% clean label, organic certification.

Since their launch, Lion Tea has entered over 250 stores throughout Brooklyn and Manhattan and is now available on Fresh Direct. It’s still early for the brand but one thing has quickly become certain, Lion Tea is one dandelion you’ll want to keep around. Follow their journey @lionbotanicals.

Fishpeople Seafood Closes $12 Million Series B Funding Round with Lead Investment from Advantage Capital

By admin on

June 6, 2017

- Category : Food, Products

- Tags : Life, Modern, Moment, Nature

PORTLAND, Ore.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Fishpeople Seafood, a mission-driven brand leader in sustainable and traceable seafood, announced today that it has closed a $12 million Series B financing round with a lead investment from Advantage Capital Agribusiness Partners (“ACAP”). 3×5 Partners, a longstanding partner of Fishpeople, continues its investment in the company, along with additional funds from a premier group of leading sustainability-focused investors including S2G Ventures, Encourage Capital, Blueberry Ventures and Collaborative Fund. Together, these groups round out a highly respected and experienced set of funds at the epicenter of investing in innovative, disruptive brands with the shared goal of driving the food & beverage industry to a healthier, more sustainability-driven future.

.@Fishpeoples makes waves with $12 million capital raise which will fuel expansion, innovation, and brand awareness

In its relentless quest to champion and preserve the ocean and the local fishing communities it serves, Fishpeople, a certified “B” Corporation, works with proud, small-scale fishermen to catch only abundant species of fish and ensure consumers have access to the highest quality, best tasting seafood in its sustainably-sourced Seafood Kits, fillets and soups. With the additional capital raised, Fishpeople intends to expand distribution of its consumer product lines available in retail grocery stores as well as its newly available “for chefs” line of foodservice options, fuel product innovation to make great seafood available to consumers in a broader array of product formats, drive brand awareness, and meet consumers’ increasing demand for transparently-sourced seafood.

“When I joined Fishpeople in 2015, I was inspired by our founders’ uncompromising commitment to evolve the seafood industry to do better and do right by consumers, fishermen and the oceans,” stated Ken Plasse, CEO of Fishpeople. “We are thrilled to have found such a unique group of mission-aligned, respected investors that focus on companies disrupting the food and beverage space with forward-thinking tactics, a focus on product and food system innovations, and a strong commitment to sustainability. As we continue to lead the charge in transparent seafood products that consumers can trust, we are excited to receive this round of funding that supports the resources necessary to accelerate growth and continue to disrupt and elevate the seafood industry.”

“When we heard about Fishpeople, we knew we needed to get involved with this company. The seafood industry is one of the last to see meaningful improvements in product quality or sustainability, so we are excited to work with a group of people that is so dedicated to providing better options and full traceability for consumers,” said Tyler Mayoras, Principal of ACAP, which is dedicated to growing rural U.S. economies by funding transformational food and agriculture companies in areas including sustainable agriculture, water conservation and the better-for-you food space.

S2G Ventures, a multi-stage venture fund that invests in forward-thinking food and agriculture companies whose products and services meet the shifting demands for healthy, sustainable and local food, is excited to be part of the investment group as well, said Chuck Templeton. “Working with Fishpeople to help them expand their product mix and continue to make waves in the industry aligns perfectly with our strategy at S2G. Their commitment to bettering the entire seafood industry is inspiring.”

Fellow “B” Corporation and Portland-based investment firm 3×5 Partners, an existing investor, enthusiastically renewed their commitment with Managing Director Nicholas Walrod stating, “We are deeply committed to preserving the resources that future generations are going to need. 3×5 is happy to back companies like Fishpeople that serve the needs of consumers while benefiting the planet and those who live and depend on it.”

Jason Scott of Encourage Capital shared, “We know that solving problems, like restoring and protecting fisheries, requires systemic solutions. Along with our partner Zoma Capital, we look forward to accelerating the growth of Fishpeople’s integrated ‘water to plate’ approach, which involves its commitment to sustainably sourcing, producing and delivering the highest quality seafood to its consumers. Fishpeople has a proven track record of building productive relationships with fishers and developing innovative products that are profitable and have deep impact in improving fisheries, fishing communities and people’s health. We are confident that this investment will help Fishpeople expand its sustainable seafood sourcing from the fishing communities of the Pacific Northwest to the rest of the United States and beyond.” Encourage is investing in vertically integrated sustainable seafood companies, with a focus on Latin America.

The additional funding will enable the brand to continue its journey to become the most trusted name in seafood by furthering the company’s growth and pioneering new product developments, all while passionately adhering to its unwavering commitment to consumers and fishermen as a market and thought leader in the sustainable seafood space. Their most recent new product debut, a lineup of Wildly Delicious Seafood Kits, made quite a splash earlier this year at the Seafood Expo North America (SENA), receiving the Seafood Excellence Award for “Best New Retail Product.” Fishpeople products are currently available in Whole Foods, Safeway/Albertsons, and more than 5,000 natural and conventional grocers nationwide, with additional retail growth planned through 2017. For more information about Fishpeople, visit fishpeopleseafood.com.

About Fishpeople Seafood

The world doesn’t need another seafood company; it needs a different seafood company. Founded in Portland, Oregon, in 2012 with the mission of changing consumers’ relationship with the sea, Fishpeople delivers pure, sustainable, traceable fish direct from proud, small-scale fishermen. Fishpeople passionately believes that the story behind your fish matters. They know that where it comes from, how it’s caught, and the way it’s handled are what makes their fish so wildly delicious. Their entire process is intentional, and you can taste the difference. As a Certified “B” Corporation, they believe in relentless transparency and consider people, planet and profit in every decision they make by being committed to supporting undervalued species, coastal communities and protecting ocean habitats. Fishpeople’s consumer products are available in more than 5,000 natural and conventional grocers as well as club stores nationwide, and their “for chefs” line of next generation fresh & frozen foodservice solutions is currently available to restaurants and foodservice operators on the West Coast. For more information about the brand and updates on new product offerings, visit fishpeopleseafood.com or follow Fishpeople on Facebook (@fishpeopleseafood), Instagram (@fishpeople_seafood) and Twitter (@fishpeoples).

Products

Taking On Leadership Roles In Tech With Codeverse Cofounder Katy Lynch

By admin on

May 24, 2017

- Category : Products

- Tags : Life, Modern, Moment, Nature

Much like the tech industry overall, the startup world is not one in which women are heavily represented. Less than one in five startups have a female founder in 2017, and those statistics have remained relatively stagnant since 2012.

This is why it’s more important than ever for today’s ambitious women—like Katy Lynch from Codeverse—to challenge the status quo and show what they’re made of. In this interview, Lynch gives us a glimpse into her own story and shares advice for budding female entrepreneurs.

Laurence Bradford: How did you get into entrepreneurship?

Katy Lynch: I moved to Chicago on my own in 2007. My first experience within the Chicago startup community occurred when I worked for Where I’ve Been, Facebook’s largest travel application, which was founded by my husband, Craig Ulliott. I was tasked with managing all marketing and branding efforts for the company.

At a startup, you quickly learn that everyone moves swiftly and anything can change at a moment’s notice. You have to roll up your sleeves and tackle challenges as they come. There were countless times when I was thrown into big projects without much guidance from the team.

For two years at WIB, I was a sponge, absorbing as much information as I could about every department—tech, product, sales, PR, marketing, and operations. The more I learned about how to run a business, the more excited I got about the possibility of starting my own.

Where I’ve Been was acquired by Tripadvisor in 2010, and so I took the opportunity to spin off and create SocialKaty, a full-service social media marketing agency. I ran the business for four years, until I sold it to award-winning digital agency Manifest. Now, Craig and I, along with third co-founder Dave Arel, have our newest business, Codeverse—state-of-the-art coding studios that teach kids to build games and apps.

Bradford: Have you faced obstacles in your work as an entrepreneur/leader in tech?

Lynch: One of my favorite quotes is by Winston Churchill: “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” The truth is, as an entrepreneur, you are constantly facing hurdles and making mistakes. The most important lesson is to pick yourself up, learn from mistakes, and keep pushing forward!

Being successful requires drive, passion, resilience, and confidence.

Bradford: If you had to attribute one characteristic to your success thus far, what would it be? Why?

Lynch: Persistence. It is one of the most important contributing factors to being successful in life and business.

You do not get anywhere in life by remaining stagnant. People who are persistent are driven by a higher purpose: their mission. They devote their time, effort, and energy to achieving their mission.

For me, personally, teaching a billion kids to code is mine and Craig’s mission.

So, ask yourself: “What is my mission and how will I achieve it?”

Bradford: What advice do you have for other women wanting to start their own company?

Lynch: I have five pieces of advice:

Entrepreneurship is extremely hard. It takes long hours, dedication, and perseverance while maintaining charisma. Most people shouldn’t do it; it’s dangerous that entrepreneurship has become sexy. There is nothing sexy about it. Entrepreneurship is a constant battle and it changes you, so think long and hard about the commitment before you jump right in.
Learn every aspect of your business, especially the parts you’re not good at. You do not have to be an expert in all areas, but you must have a good understanding of what is going on within every department of your company, including sales, marketing, tech, product, operations, and finance.
Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you. Hire individuals who are experts in their field. Network with community leaders who you can call or text for perspective, ideas, and feedback.
Sell sell sell! To be a fantastic business leader, you must know how to sell your mission, your vision, and your values to investors, your community, your employees, and your customers. You must live and breathe your brand every day.
Trust your gut and take risks. Especially when you’re young. But always admit and learn from your failures. People will follow and respect that.

Bradford: What advice can you offer to women who want to take on leadership roles at their current company, or in their community?

Lynch: Work hard and keep persisting. As Chester Karrass stated, “you don’t get what you deserve. You get what you negotiate.”

If you are at a company that does not value you or your skills, leave. There are plenty of fantastic companies that would love for you to be a part of their team!

If you are interested in getting more involved in your community, show up to events. Network with notable community leaders. Ask how you can get more involved.

Bradford: If you could go back in time and make any changes to your career trajectory, what would you do differently?

Lynch: I would not change a thing about my startup journey. I have learned so much about myself and business, through my successes and my failures. I would not be the person I am today had I not gone through those experiences.

Laurence Bradford is the creator of Learn to Code With Me, a blog and podcast for those wanting to learn tech skills and transition into a new career.

Food, Products

‘Fishpeople’ tells the stories of those who are at home in the ocean

By admin on

April 12, 2017

- Category : Food, Products

- Tags : Life, Modern, Moment, Nature

The love for the ocean surfers feel is not necessarily something felt by everyone. Some people have never seen the ocean, some are afraid of it, others could care less for it. So how does a surfer translate this feeling of utter peace to those that don’t feel it?

Keith Malloy is one of those people who has dedicated his life to the ocean. He was transformed by it as a child and it has made him who he is today. The pro surfer/filmmaker recently made his second film, “Fishpeople”, which dives into six lives that have been shaped by the ocean.

We caught up with Malloy to find out about the filmmaking process, the ocean’s abilities to heal and how his own relationship with the ocean has changed over the years. The film starts touring around the country on April 13.

Where did the concept for “Fishpeople” come from?

The ocean has had such an awesome effect on my life, that I knew there had to be some other good stories out there where people have had the ocean affect them positively.

If ever there were a fish person, Dave Rastovich is one. Photo: Courtesy of Donnie Hedden/Patagonia

How did you end up choosing these six individuals?

I had friendships with some really interesting folks like Dave [Rastovich] and Eddie [Donnellan] and Kimi [Werner] that I thought it would be a no-brainer for them to be in the film. I wanted people who had their entire lives completely shaped by the ocean.

Matahi Drollet on one of the largest waves ever ridden at Teahupoo. Photo: Courtesy of Domenic Mosqueria/Patagonia

What did you learn in your first film “Come Hell or High Water” and being a part of all your brother Chris’s films that helped when making “Fishpeople”?

The first film taught me was how important it is to have a good crew of talented people you get along with to help make the vision come to life. I was lucky, because I have been around my brother Chris’s films and got to help around them and got to know the people who worked on them, who are all just really good friends.

That definitely bled over into this film as well. The better of an experience it can be for everybody working on it, the better the film comes out as well.

Director Keith Malloy. Photo: Courtesy of Donnie Hedden/Patagonia

Were you surprised by anything anyone of the Fishpeople said about the ocean?

Somehow, a few of them ended up saying the ocean just feels like home. It was funny because I didn’t expect to hear that. I did, but I didn’t. As much time as I’ve spent in the water in my life, I don’t think I would quite say that. But I thought it was really cool that unprompted at least half of them said the ocean feels like home to them. I totally agree in ways, but at the same time just surprising a little.

Ray Collins giving the ocean its well-deserved salute. Photo: Courtesy of Donnie Hedden/Patagonia

Did you come away with any new ideas, perspectives, or thoughts on the ocean after making this?

I kind of knew going into it, but learned more about the therapeutic values of the ocean. In one section of the movie we have inner city kids who have rough upbringings in San Francisco, and we took them surfing. We interviewed a couple different doctors and healthcare professionals, and it was neat to see them telling it from their perspective. To hear those therapeutic values of the ocean in the medical world and to hear it validated was pretty cool.

One of Eddie Donnellan’s disciples. Photo: Courtesy of Donnie Hedden/Patagonia

How was that experience with the inner city kids?

I’ve done quite a few different surf days with kids that have life problems. There’s a little bit of fear involved, these waves are coming at them that are constantly changing, the cold water. All those things are so distracting to get your mind off of what is bothering you, and get you away from your worries. It did take those kids a while to crack a smile, the end of the day is when you really see them smiling and happy.

A youngster learning the ins and outs from Eddie Donnellan. Photo: Courtesy of Donnie Hedden/Patagonia

To see that experience happen is pretty amazing and special. Hopefully the film will help people that are on the edge of being more in the ocean, maybe they’ll be affected in the way that will help them take that extra step.

How has your own relationship with the ocean changed over the years?

It has changed over the years. Up until I had kids, I was surfing everyday no matter what. Now I have two little girls, I still have this love and connection with the ocean that is so strong. But now I take my girls surfing and that’s more fun than being out by myself.

Dave Rastovich from above. Photo: Courtesy of Ryan Kenny/Patagonia

I still have the same connection that I’ve always had, I think that’s part of the reason why I wanted to make the film. It’s been such a great influence on me and my life. I could not imagine not having the ocean there for me.

Eye care technology company Vizzario brings in $2M, but to go toward what exactly?

By admin on

January 20, 2016

- Category : Products

- Tags : Life, Modern, Moment, Nature

Eye care is reaching a whole new level, and one contributor to the innovation is California-based technology company, Vizzario. It was recently announced that the company, created in 2014, brought in $2 million and is looking for an additional $1 million. But CEO Khizer Khaderi, who is a faculty member and director of neuro-ophthalmology at the UC Davis Eye Center, has remained tight-lipped about how the money will be used.

A Vizzario representative was unavailable to comment about the financing, but according to Sacramento Business Journal, Khaderi said in an email that he isn’t ready to reveal details about Vizzario’s plans for this investment. The potential possibilities with its “Vision Intelligent” technology look very interesting, though.

The company is looking to address eye care from issues caused from injuries or diseases, but also providing options to treat the additional strain we have with today’s technology by constantly staring at screens.

Actually, Vizzario is taking advantage of our constant screen-staring habits and using its application technology and video game tools to better understand and diagnose long-term issues in order to create better rehab tools. The game aspect is an approach that could be especially helpful in diagnosing vision problems in children.

The eye-screening technology can also reportedly be used to measure traumatic brain injuries caused by collisions or blows to the head, which the company believes will be a useful tool for assessing vision injuries for athletes.

With the most recent financing, chances are we will hear more about this technology and the upcoming developments in the near future.

Newer posts