The George Jarkesy Show

Houston, TX (PRWEB) May 19, 2012

The George Jarkesy Show welcomed Mark Ghiglieri – CEO of Masterpiece Investments on May 11, 2012. The firm creates detailed sculptures through the use of technology and has grown through the recession despite being a specialized product.

Jarkesy asked about the technology behind creating lifelike sculptures from smaller sculptures or even people. Mr. Ghiglieri explained that digital scanning technology is used to scan an object and then recreate it, “down to your finger print and eyelash details.” He also added that they have created sculptures for companies such as Adidas, Nike, Disney, Win Casino, and the movie Transformers. Jarkesy then inquired about the growth and success of the art company through the recession. “The key to the company’s success,” as stated by Mr. Ghiglieri, “is our nonprofit gala charity donations. We are the only company that donates bronze statues and bullion to non profit events, and we split the revenue 50/50 which acts as the anchor of the business. The company is growing to 600 auctions a month and to date has donated tens of millions to charity while still creating a livelihood. “

To hear the full episode, visit their website http://www.georgejarkesy.com

About Jarkesy & Company

George Jarkesy is a money manager and professional investor, respected financial and corporate adviser, and radio host of the nationally syndicated ‘The George Jarkesy Show’. He is a frequent market commentator and guest on FOX Business News, FOX & Friends, and CNBC. George started his career in the financial services industry with a New York Stock Exchange member. George also serves on the Finance Committee of the Republican National Committee (RNC) and is an active member of the National Investment Banking Association, The Jarkesy Foundation, Helping A Hero, and Chairman of The National Eagles and Angels Association.

About Masterpiece Investment Corporation

Masterpiece Investments Corporation (MPI) is a leader in the fine art market-place and includes six divisions: the Fine Art Gallery Division, the Charitable Division, the Bullion Division, Masterpiece Galleries through the Patron Company, the Additive Workshop Subsidiary Division and the Chiurazzi Foundry Subsidiary Division. The Bullion Division of MPI offers collectors the opportunity to own masterful works from renowned and celebrated artist Lorenzo Ghiglieri in pure gold and silver.

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, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Boca Raton, FL (PRWEB) May 16, 2012

Marty and Michele are an unlikely duo. Marty has lived all over the world including Bangladesh, the UK and the US. Fifteen years ago, Marty was a studying computer information systems at Florida Atlantic University. He delivered pizzas. The driver’s side door of his car always jammed. That didn’t make delivering the pizzas any easier. Fifteen years ago, Michele was working and living in the Boston area. She had a successful career in accounting and her husband had a career in finance. She’d always lived in the northeast and ordered a lot of delivery pizza when the weather was too cold or snowy.

Fast forward to 2005. Michele and her husband had moved to South Florida to enjoy the gorgeous weather. Marty had graduated from college and was still living in the South Florida. Their paths crossed when they both worked at a start-up technology firm. The firm was developing a product to serve the investment advisor arena. Marty was head of technology and Michele worked on the business side. They ended up working closely together – the technology geek and the stuffy accountant.

As so often happens these days, both found themselves out of work in 2011 when the technology firm dissolved for a number of reasons. By then Marty had a two year old daughter and a son on the way. Michele was trying to figure out what to do next. Looking for work in this economy is a too familiar problem these days. Ever since Marty became a parent, he had been thinking about and researching how he was going to raise his kids. With his background in technology, he looked around for tools that would help. He couldn’t find anything that quite filled the bill. He came up with an idea to build something to help him and other families. In 2011, Marty and Michele met for lunch. He discussed his idea of developing a tool that parents could use to help them encourage a strong work ethic and good behaviors, teach kids basic budgeting, savings and time management skills, and provide a private way for families to chronicle life events. He also wanted something that allowed his whole family to see and participate in while keeping it private to the family members he chose– even his sister in Australia.

Soon after, the two collaborated. FamilyViewed.com was born and has now launched. Both are in a business together that neither one of them could have ever imagined fifteen years ago or even three years ago. A few weeks ago, they were at a family fun festival making cotton candy for more than 1,500 kids. You should have seen Michele. She had sticky pink stuff all over her. Lesson learned: Make sure you get a shield when renting a cotton candy machine. FamilyViewed.com and all that goes with it are a far cry from the stuffy accountant and the technology geek. In this economy, creativity and innovation rule the day for some.

©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

TrueMores.com

Charleston, South Carolina (PRWEB) May 12, 2012

For over two years, TrueMores.com has been making and selling the highest quality 100% pure mulberry silk sheets. As their business continues to grow in popularity, they have slowly been expanding their offerings. First, it was pajamas and now they have released luxury 100% silk scarves for women.

Most silk scarves on the market these days are made from inferior silks. TrueMores.com uses the same grade “A” 100% mulberry silk they use for their bedding with the only difference being the momme weight. They actually have three different weights of silk, a spring weight, summer weight, and a winter weight.

Their current collection consists of 12 momme weight silk and some under that for a more summer feel. They are thick enough so you can’t see directly through them. However, they are not completely opaque. There are many different styles as well. TrueMores.com makes 36″ square silk scarves as well as the longer versions measuring 20″ by 46″. Besides the quality of the silk fabric, the prints on these scarves are gorgeous.

They have beautiful floral patterns, various unique artwork, and solid colors with a gentle fade. With all the bright colors available, there are many scarves that are perfect for a more casual outfit as well as a more formal dinner outfit. “Wearing a silk scarf is not only fashionable but during the warm months, they can actual help keep you cool, making them fashionably functional,” Dan, TrueMores.com founder says.

TrueMores.com hopes to become the leader in the silk scarf industry so they can eventually call on photographers and painters to submit their designs for future production. “How amazing would it be to have local artists and photographers showcase their work on an entire line of silk scarves?” says Dan. “I can see a day where we have scarves that highlight local tastes and feels. For example, in Charleston we would have a marsh scene with a sunset.”

Currently Dan plans on regularly releasing new scarves on their website. Plus he is going to be working on getting his collection into top luxury boutiques across the South East.

About TrueMores.com:

TrueMores.com is a luxury silk retailer. They are silk experts that currently have product offerings in silk bedding, silk pajamas for women, and now silk scarves. They manufacture the silk themselves which allows Dan and his team to offer amazing prices. This aligns with their goals of making 100% mulberry silk available to everybody, not just the wealthy and elite.

©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Mark Spellun, Media Entrepreneur and Founder of Plenty Magazine

New York City, NY (PRWEB) May 10, 2012

“As global warming really only promises to get worse,” Mark Spellun believes “we should watch for five critical trends over the next decade. None of these are the sole answer to rising global temperatures, but they all will be pieces of the puzzle as we seek to adapt to a changing world.”

On his website, Spellun typically covers green business ideas, thoughts on clean technology, and trends that could drive cultural change. In 2004, he launched Plenty, a nationally distributed magazine which was at the forefront of covering the emerging green consumer and business revolutions.

“Plenty was a magazine designed to get people excited about the environment and saving the planet. Each issue was packed with stories of the people, technologies and ideas that were changing our world.” says Spellun.

As for trends over the next decade, Spellun predicts:

Trend #1: Small is Beautiful Once Again

Gas has already hit record highs in some parts of the country. With instability in the Middle East and a global economy that may be ready to heat up, Spellun expects cars to get smaller and homes to become more energy efficient as people look to save some green even if they don’t really want to be green.

Trend #2: Crowdfunding for the Environment

VCs and private equity will finance the large-scale solar projects, but Spellun points out that “many of the micro eco-innovations to get their initial capital through kickstarter.com or a green focused crowdfunding site, a number of which have recently launched, such as greenunite.com.

Trend #3: New Battery Technology

If electric cars are ever going to hit the mainstream, they are going to have to get more than 100 miles to a charge. IBM is exploring lithium-air technology (rather than the current lithium-ion batteries that power today’s electric vehicles, cell phones and laptops). Lithium-air batteries take oxygen from the air, which then reacts with the lithium in the battery to produce electricity.

Trend #4: Disaster Preparedness Becomes Chic

Events such as Hurricane Irene will make people prepare for the worst. Smart families will have their survival gear at the ready and will be thinking about how to protect their home from the next natural disaster. Eco Steel has built a hurricane proof home on Cusabo Island, SC. It’s Completely off the grid and 140 mph winds shouldn’t ruin the family dinner.

Trend #5: Carbon Positive is the New Neutral

Green leaning companies or organizations could differentiate themselves by going carbon positive: Carbon positive actions take more CO2 out of the atmosphere than they put in. If you were planning on going carbon neutral already, you don’t have to do anything different, you just have to plant more trees than you would have otherwise and perhaps install a few more solar panels.

For deeper insights on these topics or to join the debate, visit http://www.markspellun.com

About Mark Spellun

Mark Spellun is a media entrepreneur, having appeared on NBC, MSNBC, Fox & Friends and Fox Business as well as numerous local television and radio appearances to talk about green business and the modern consumer. Previously, he worked at the Economist Group. He has an MBA from the University of Oxford.

©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

San Rafael, CA (PRWEB) May 07, 2012

Costello & Sons Insurance, a locally based insurance agency in San Rafael, California, is proud to announce that although California business insurance rates are rising across the state, the agency is still capable of securing highly competitive premiums for its clients, whether they are in need of a basic commercial policy or more complex technology insurance. While smart business owners know that having proper insurance is essential to protect their company finances, many are struggling to stay afloat in this poor economy.

That’s where Costello & Sons Insurance has stepped in. As a local, independent agency, Costello & Sons Insurance has the unique ability to compare and shop coverages and premiums nationwide. As a third-generation insurance brokerage, the agency has been committed to building mutually beneficial relationships with both its clients and partner insurance carriers for decades.

The team at Costello & Sons Insurance knows that every company’s insurance needs are different, which is why the licensed agents work with multiple carriers so that they can find solutions that are tailored to their customers’ unique needs and budgets. Aside from securing affordable coverage, Costello & Sons Insurance is fully capable of insuring virtually any business risk. Extensive experience has led the agency to insure distinct risk exposures ranging from IT insurance to venture capital liability. In an era when premium rates are climbing, Costello & Sons Insurance has been able to put its insurance savvy to the test and provide clients with truly budget-friendly business insurance quotes.

About Costello & Sons Insurance:

Costello & Sons Insurance is a third-generation brokerage with roots in downtown San Francisco. The California insurance agency has grown to over 2,000 clients and over $ 45 million in premium, which puts it in the top 15 percent of brokers in the nation. With offices in Northern and Southern California, Costello & Sons Insurance is a regional insurance broker that is small enough to know its clients by name and large enough to insure clients with worldwide operations.

©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

McLean, VA (PRWEB) May 01, 2012

Mortgage Harmony Corp., a financial services technology and engineering company today announced the appointment of Raymond T. Crosier as president. Prior to joining the company, Crosier was president and chief operating officer of financial services provider Online Resources Corporation (NASDAQ:ORCC), a leading provider of web-based financial services to thousands of financial institutions and billers. During his tenure, Online Resources expanded market share and experienced double-digit revenue growth for nine consecutive years. Crosier is also a current Board member and former Chairman of the Electronic Funds Transfer Association.

“The traditional mortgage loan and refinance process in this country is seriously flawed. We believe our product fixes what is wrong with the current system, and can reignite confidence in the mortgage industry,” said Keith Kelly, founder and CEO of Mortgage Harmony. “Ray has been the executive lead in multiple companies that have brought change and innovation to the financial services industry. His experience from start-up organizations to larger public companies will help us grow Mortgage Harmony to the benefit of clients, consumers, investors, and employees alike.”

“We are long overdue for a change in the mortgage business – especially one that will bring lenders, servicers and investors a higher value for their mortgage asset, while at the same time offering a dramatically better value proposition to the consumer,” said Crosier. “A mortgage feature like the HarmonyLoan™, that can bring an economic advantage to everyone in the value chain while solving issues that have plagued this process for decades, is truly transformational.”

The company also announced the appointment of Daniel F. Ritten and Kevin Ziolkowski as senior vice presidents of business development. Ritten and Ziolkowski will work with strategic industry partners to expand distribution and the availability of the HarmonyLoan™ to the mortgage lending community and ultimately, the homebuyer. Ritten, former SVP of sales and client services of Online Resources, has an extensive background in financial services, transaction processing and e-commerce industries. Ziolkowski, a former director with PMI Mortgage Insurance Company, is an accomplished and respected mortgage banking professional with over two decades of experience in the mortgage insurance industry.

About Mortgage Harmony

Mortgage Harmony’s core product, the HarmonyLoan™, is a consumer-initiated interest rate-resetting mortgage with a patented recurring compensation structure to the loan officer. It gives the borrower the option of reducing their mortgage interest rate with no closing costs, no appraisal, no credit check, no fees, and most importantly, no hassle: all in minutes at the click of a button on a website. It mitigates mortgage prepayments, improves the borrower’s credit risk profile and brings greater stability and value back to the housing finance industry. It is a mortgage feature that can be applied to a new mortgage or to convert an existing mortgage.

For more information on Mortgage Harmony and the HarmonyLoan, please visit http://www.mortgageharmony.com.

Attachments

©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Miramar Beach, FL (PRWEB) May 02, 2012

IAIMS created InsuranceRivals.com to allow on line shoppers to easily compare rates between local insurance agents and the on-line direct writers like GEICO and Progressive. That’s where the ‘Rivals’ comes into play. IAIMS stands for Insurance Agent Internet Marketing Systems. That said, IAIMS also knows that some on line shoppers prefer to compare rates between local insurance agents and direct writers that operate from one central location. This is the primary reason IAIMS built InsuranceRivals.com.

InsuranceRivals.com consists of the main web site as well as the five line specific sites, CarInsuranceRivals.com, HomeInsuranceRivals.com, LifeInsuranceRivals.com, BusinessInsuranceRivals.com, and HealthInsuranceRivals.com. Each of these web sites allows shoppers to choose a zip code and view 10 available quote sources. These quote sources are links to local insurance agents, direct writers, and insurance quote aggregators. Quote aggregators are consumer portals that are owned and controlled by leads vendors. Leads vendors collect quote information and then sell it to multiple local agents within the shopper’s community. Typically agents pay between $ 12 to $ 30 per lead, pending on the type of insurance requested. Some leads vendors will sell the shoppers information to just one local agent, naturally for a higher price. The industry calls this an exclusive lead.

Local agent listings in InsuranceRivals.com typically display the agent’s logo, location and contact information. Additionally, there is a map link in the listing as well as an agency web site link. Some of these agents, usually independent agents, offer quote multi-rater systems within their web sites thus allowing the on line shopper to get multiple quote comparisons from all of the companies that the agent represents.

InsuranceRivals.com is free to consumers and is all about empowering the on line insurance shopper with the ability to compare rates between all the sources of insurance quotes via one easy to use web site.

©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Wilmington, DE (PRWEB) April 29, 2012

The Association of Educational Publishers (AEP), the nonprofit organization for the educational resource community, is pleased to announce the finalists for the 2012 AEP Awards. Honoring excellence and innovation in the education community, the Awards are the longest-running and most highly regarded recognition program in the industry.

For 2012 the AEP Awards were updated to ensure that they remain relevant, recognizing the challenges and needs of education in the 21st century. Three key principles–quality content, age appropriateness, and innovation–drove the judging criteria and evaluation process for selecting finalists and winners.

“Each of the finalists represent the highest level of achievement in product development for the education industry,” said Eric Hamilton, Assistant Director at the American Museum of Natural History and AEP Awards Committee Chair. “In an era where almost anyone can publish and sell their materials, the AEP Awards show the value of professionally developed and vetted learning resources that offer real opportunities for educators to improve student achievement.”

Awards are given in four categories:

1. The Distinguished Achievement Awards (DAAs), honoring the best in a range of product types and resources used by teachers, parents, and students

2. Innovation Awards–new in 2012–recognizing forward-thinking products that are pioneering changes in the education landscape

3. Beacon Awards, recognizing outstanding marketing of educational products

4. Golden Lamp Awards, one of the most prestigious honors in the education industry, highlighting the “best of the best” products for teaching and learning each year in four categories: Periodicals, Professional Development, Supplemental Resources, and Whole Curriculum Programs.

The 2012 Golden Lamp Finalists are:

PERIODICALS

Highlights High Five (Highlights For Children, Inc.)
Teaching Young Children (NAEYC)
Independent School (NAIS)
Scholastic ART (Scholastic Inc.)

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

PD Online (ASCD)
Siemens STEM Academy (Discovery Education)
Classroom Discussions: Seeing Math Discourse in Action (Math Solutions)
Teachscape Reflect Live (Teachscape)

SUPPLEMENTAL RESOURCES

Surrealism for Kids (Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art Children’s Art Center)
Footsteps2Brilliance’s Academic Language Program for Students, ELL Edition (Footsteps2Brilliance)
The Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting (Girl Scouts of the USA)
Promoting Health Among Teens – Comprehensive DVD Set (Select Media, Inc.)

WHOLE CURRICULUM PROGRAM

Words in Action Gr. 1 (Developmental Studies Center)
Discovering Our Past: A History of the United States & United States History and Geography (Glencoe/McGraw-Hill)
Literacy, Language, & Learning: Early Childhood Themes series (Teacher Created Materials)
Leveled Texts for Differentiated Content-Area Literacy series (Teacher Created Materials)

For a complete list of AEP Awards finalists, go to http://www.AEPweb.org.

Products were judged in a three-tier process (educator review, professional review, and certification) with only the best materials advancing to the higher rounds. Having products judged first and foremost by educators is critically important because they know best which products will succeed or fail directly in the classroom and ensures that the winners are truly leaders in the field. All entrants will receive judges’ feedback to help them improve their materials.

AEP Awards Finalists and Winners earn the right to display the AEP Award Seal, nationally recognized by educators, administrators, and parents as a mark of outstanding quality and achievement. Winners will be announced June 5 at AEP’s Content in Context Conference in Washington, DC. For more information and to register, visit http://www.contentincontext.org.

About the Association of Educational Publishers (AEP)

The only professional organization that serves the diverse needs of the entire educational resource community, the Association of Educational Publishers (AEP) encourages and advocates for professional, quality content for teaching and learning. The membership of AEP represents the wide range of individuals, institutions, and businesses dedicated to delivering progressive learning resources in all media and for any educational setting. Founded in 1895, AEP now helps its members navigate the global realities of educational publishing in the 21st century.

AEP is at the forefront of the educational publishing industry, leading initiatives that help drive the future of content development and delivery. It has taken a leading role in many efforts supporting the industry, including the Learning Resource Metadata Initiative (LRMI), which is changing the way educational materials are found on the Internet; Innovation Through Inclusion, promoting industry-wide diversity; and representation of educational publishers on matters such as new legislation and funding. Through its events, publications, and recognition programs, AEP works to inform and advance the industry and to define and applaud excellence in the field.

For more information, please visit http://www.AEPweb.org.

©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

New York, NY (PRWEB) April 26, 2012

Independence Holding Company (NYSE:IHC) today announced the formation a new company, IHC Specialty Benefits, Inc. (IHC Specialty), which will accelerate IHC’s growth into new niche lines of business.

Jeff Smedsrud, chief marketing officer of IHC, will be chief executive officer and president of the new company.

IHC Specialty will develop new health insurance products and services that are expected to be in greater demand as federal health care reform is implemented. The product lines contemplated for expansion include supplemental and ancillary insurance, such as accident, critical illness and pet insurance. A significant amount of products will be marketed directly to consumers through IHC’s proprietary technology.

Dave Keller, former senior vice president of sales and marketing for IHC Health Solutions, and Brian Dow, former senior vice president of ecommerce and business development for IHC Health Solutions, are joining Smedsrud at IHC Specialty, along with nine other team members.

“We have seasoned executives who are passionate about growing business and capitalizing on market trends. No matter what happens with health care reform, we have entered into a new world of how consumers buy and utilize health-related products. We plan to embrace this new shopping mentality by offering customized products and exchange platforms,” said Smedsrud.

The company is partnering with large payers, accountable care organizations, and distributors—both local and national—to create product and consumer solutions.

IHC Specialty is a member of The IHC Group, an insurance organization composed of Independence Holding Company (NYSE:IHC), a publicly traded holding company with more than $ 1 billion in assets, and its operating subsidiaries. The IHC Group is composed of affiliated insurance carriers, marketing and administrative companies and agencies committed to providing excellent service and offering competitive health, life, disability, stop-loss, short-term medical, travel and dental insurance products to groups and individuals. The IHC Group has approximately $ 600 million in annual premium and fees.

Find out more information about IHC Specialty, contact Dave Keller at dave(dot)keller(at)ihcgroup(dot)com.

©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Indianapolis, IN (PRWEB) April 23, 2012

Vehicle design groups find it challenging to link physical validation with software simulation for a successful outcome. Throw in trying to take advantage of the power offered through Open Source software and they find it impossible. In an effort to eliminate these barriers, Streamline Solutions LLC, a joint venture formed between ENGYS LTD and the Auto Research Center LLC, has combined all three challenges into one software suite. Elements, a software suite focused on bridging the gap between stylists, engineers and management offers a more complete design integration to force shorter product to market cycles, improved vehicle efficiency and lower product cost. Elements will be on-line in June of this year. “The opportunity to combine ENGYS’ leading-edge software design, the momentum of the Open Source community and ARC’s world leading validation techniques is a compelling opportunity to positively impact the vehicle design world,” explained Mike Camosy, CEO of Auto Research Center LLC.

Helping to cross the boundaries between the stylist’s need for a product’s emotion and the engineer’s need of functionality, Elements will engender a type of communication throughout the entire design/development team that will lead to shorter product cycles, reduced costs and ultimately benefit the vehicle end user. A software design suite with this type of system integration capability has been in need for years. The competitive advantage of linking with the Open Source community will allow Elements the opportunity for unparalleled development. “This is a unique situation where we have the opportunity of bringing together for the first time the best of automotive engineering design practices with the latest and most advanced Open Source CAE software, all within a common easy-to-use platform”, explained Eugene de Villiers, General Manager of ENGYS LTD.

Streamline Solutions LLC, founded this year, is a vehicle software development company with in-house capabilities for physically validating its own software. The Auto Research Center LLC, founded in 1998, is a world leader in vehicle efficiency design, measurement and validation. ENGYS LTD was founded in 2009 to deliver all the advantages of Open Source CAE software to industry via a range of application, development and support services.

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For additional information, Streamline Solutions LLC will be hosting a question/answer session at this year’s SAE World Congress on April 24 at 9:00 – 10:00am in COBO Center, Detroit, Michigan in Room D2 – 09.

©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.