Stem cells have near-limitless abilities. They divide, reproduce, and build on each other to repair and regenerate tissue. Stem cells are most interesting for their ability to renew themselves and to differentiate into specific cells. Every single time a stem cell divides it can become a different stem cell. These are just some of the reasons stem cells have become so popular in the research and medical world. Human stem cells are currently being used to test new drugs and find new treatments for a range of diseases, including Parkinson’s, ischemic strokes, metabolic liver diseases, retinal blindness, corneal blindness, and many more.

Thanks to the nature of stem cells, they are often used in cosmetics. This is due to the fact that stem cell extracts can lead to renewal, regeneration, and repair of the skin. In actual fact, cosmetics do not have stem cells in them. Rather they are actually made using extracts from where the stem cells were grown. These extracts are used as a supplement to help grow and naturally repair the skin.

When stem cells first started getting used for medical and cosmetic purposes, they were embryonic stem cells. These stem cells have the ability to reproduce at an exceptional rate, but they require many growth factors, such as nutrients, vitamins, salt, and oxygen. In addition, these first pluripotent eggs were taken from donated human embryos, otherwise known as ESC. Due to the fact that creating ESC involved destroying a human embryo, there have been moral issues associated with their fabrication.

International Stem Cell Corp. (OTCQB: ISCO) has pioneered a new type of pluripotent stem cells from unfertilized eggs. These new cells are known as human parthenogenetic stem cells (hPSC). ISCO’s new cells have not only cut out all the ethical issues associated with embryonic cells, they also retain many of the factors that make them important within the medical and cosmetic industries. ISCO’s subsidiary, Lifeline Skin Care, Inc., is a cosmeceutical business that develops, manufactures, and markets stem cell derived cosmetics. Lifeline Skin Care uses human stem cell extracts and non-embryonic cells. The company uses small molecule technology to help smooth, repair, and restore the skin to give all the benefits that most people buying cosmetics are looking for.

For more information, visit www.internationalstemcell.com

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Before the opening bell, Agora Holdings, Inc. (OTC: AGHI) reiterated its intentions to uplist to the OTCQB Venture Market in the coming months. In line with this goal, the company has signed an engagement letter with Bart and Associates, LLC, a Denver-area law firm specializing in securities and investment-related law, outlining plans to commence preparation of a Form 10 Registration Statement, followed by ongoing quarterly and annual reports and 8-K filings. When this process is completed, Agora will be positioned to offer continuous reporting and improved transparency to its shareholders and the investment community at large.

“The company is excited about this next milestone,” Dan Terziev, chief executive officer of Agora, stated in this morning’s news release. “The filing of the Form 10 and all required audited financials mean that we can aggressively pursue the move to a more senior exchange.”

Agora’s goal of uplisting has been evident in recent months, as the company has continued to place focus on auditing its financial statements. In early April, Agora engaged an independent accounting and auditing firm, BF Borgers CPA PC, to complete audits of its financial statements under PCAOB and US GAAP auditing standards. In June, the company announced the completion of audits stemming from this agreement before posting the audited findings on the OTC Markets site.

“The Company is moving in a very positive direction,” added Terziev. “As we keep moving forward, we are confident that our shareholders will be rewarded given the performance of our company in the marketplace and its future potential.”

In addition to its ongoing efforts to uplist to the OTCQB Venture Market, Agora, through subsidiary Geegle Media, continues to make progress toward the commercial release of its FRAME platform. Upon release, FRAME will allow companies and individuals to better control their social media marketing efforts by conveniently distributing brand-relevant messages to a variety of networks from a single, centralized dashboard. Agora’s management team expects the introduction of FRAME to “revolutionize the way brands interact via social media” while providing “long-term value for [Agora] shareholders.”

According to a report by Simply Measured (http://dtn.fm/xpY7v), roughly 62 percent of businesses implement social media management platforms in order to fine-tune and measure the results of social media marketing campaigns. When combined with the knowledge that an enormous 93 percent of marketers are currently using social media for business, FRAME has expansive market potential as a solution for businesses, public relations firms and investor relations agencies to engage customers, track and measure social media campaign performance, and execute the strategic distribution of branded content.

For more information, visit www.agoraholdingsinc.com

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Cannabidiol, or CBD, is one of the active cannabinoids present in cannabis, as well as in hemp, a variety of cannabis. Although many people focus on THC, the key psychoactive component in cannabis, CBD, offering medical benefits without psychoactive properties, is becoming increasingly popular. Since a report by the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology (http://dtn.fm/xX8mG) was published in 2013 suggesting positive CBD applications, including reducing nausea and vomiting, suppressing seizure activity, combatting psychosis, combating tumor and cancer cells, and helping with anxiety and depression, CBD has made significant progress in the world of medicine.

Today, numerous trials are taking place around the world to understand the positive effects of cannabis and its components. Laguna Blends (OTC: LAGBF), a network marketing company based in the U.S. and Canada, focuses on the nutritional benefits of hemp and hemp based products. After the launch of its two products, Caffe and Pro369, the company took its passion for hemp a step further. Shares in Laguna Blends, Inc. shot through the roof as it announced the results of Cannaceuticals’ clinical trials of a cannabis extract facial serum, which showed 100% improvement of the skin of each subject.

The serum was tested on 21 women. Every single woman involved in the clinical trials witnessed an overall improvement in the appearance of their skin. With this, Laguna shares rose by 12.5% to $0.27. With these developments, Laguna Blends could become a player in the skincare industry as well as the functional beverage industry.

By the end of 2016, the skincare market is expected to grow to $121 billion. This growth is expected to reach a huge $154 billion by the end of 2021, according to Statista (http://dtn.fm/V70hE). With Laguna entering into a non-binding letter of intent with Swiss-developed care line Cannaceuticals, the group could incorporate itself within the skincare and beauty industry, as well as the direct sales industry. Ray Grimm Jr., president of Laguna Blends, had this to say in a recent news release: “Management believes that this proposed acquisition will immediately establish Laguna as a player in the skincare category”.

For more information, visit www.lagunablends.com

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Since the release of The Ten Commandments starring Yul Brynner and Charlton Heston in 1956, the faith-based movie industry has had many ups and downs. At the time of its release, the movie, which cost $13.5 million, was the most costly ever made, according to Life Magazine. This year marks the sexagesimal anniversary of that Paramount Pictures blockbuster, as well as the release of a new film of the same name. Os Dez Mandamentos (The Ten Commandments) made its debut in Brazil in January 2016. Thus continued the legacy of Cecil B. DeMille’s 1956 classic, which shows that the faith-based movie industry is alive and well with prospects that are looking increasingly brighter. Positioned at the cusp of this revival is Momentous Entertainment Group (OTC: MMEG) with its faith-based, family-oriented product lineup.

The Ten Commandments turned out to be the seventh most successful film of all time. In 2014 dollars, its worldwide gross would be $2.19 billion. It was the first of many successes for the faith-based movie industry. The biggest of them all since then has been Mel Gibson’s 2004 saga The Passion of the Christ, which has, according to Box Office Mojo, grossed over $370 million in the U.S. and Canada alone. Yet, in one way, the C.S. Lewis movies have been even bigger. The Chronicles of Narnia trilogy scored a stupendous $538 million at the box office. War Room, although released to generally negative reviews in 2015, also became a hit and has so far brought in close to $62 million. Hot on its heels are two 2014 releases, God’s Not Dead, which made $61 million and Son of God, which earned $60 million.

A Wikipedia piece claims that ‘all five of the major Hollywood studios have created marketing departments to target the growing demand for faith-based and family fare’, although there is no evidence that the largest, Disney Film Studios (NYSE: DIS), with its Buena Vista brand, actually does have a separate unit for faith-based enterprises. Some commentators have, nevertheless, discerned distinctly religious or Christian themes in many Disney films. Disney’s first animated movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, released in 1937, shows Snow White, with head bowed and hands clasped, beseeching God to bless the seven little men who have shown her so much kindness, a scene as profoundly moving and Christian as anything in an openly religious epic. And who has seen The Lion King without noting how its draws on the Christian ethos?

Momentous Entertainment Group has embarked on an aggressive marketing strategy in this faith-based, family-oriented market. Its first venture, The Greatest Story Every Sung, is a celebration of the life of Jesus Christ. It is a compilation, on compact disc (CD), of 34 songs, each introduced by Stephen Baldwin. A second faith-based product is a double CD album, titled Tim Storey presents Daily Reminders from Scripture, which consists of recitations of bible passages on the themes of hope, love, peace and joy. Tim Storey is a pastor and motivational life coach to many of the top names in the entertainment industry, including Oprah Winfrey. A third faith-based offering from Momentous is a music video with the title I Believe. I Believe is sung by Suzanne Olmon, who is music director at the Church of Faith United Methodist Church in Richmond, Texas. An audio track of I Believe originally appeared on the album The Greatest Story Ever Sung.

For more information, visit www.momentousent.com

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Last month, Content Checked Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: CNCK) secured coverage in another widely-read publication when its Director of Nutrition, Tory Tedrow, RD, CNSC, was interviewed for an article posted on Examiner.com. The piece, titled ‘Allergies and pregnancy’ detailed the importance of a healthy, balanced diet during pregnancy. In the article, Tedrow offers suggestions on foods that should be avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding. She also uses the platform to dispel a common myth relating to food allergies.

“Current research shows that there is no reason to avoid highly allergenic foods during pregnancy or while breastfeeding,” Tedrow stated in the article. “Some research has shown that avoiding those foods can actually increase your baby’s risk of developing food allergies.”

To view the full article, visit http://dtg.fm/ZQL5p

In addition to offering a few healthy tips for expectant mothers, the Examiner.com article also provides valuable exposure to Content Checked and its family of health apps. SugarChecked is mentioned multiple times throughout the article, and a link to the Content Checked website is also included. Examiner.com serves as a daily news and entertainment hub for an estimated 4.8 million unique monthly visitors.

Content Checked has found great success in securing coverage in a number of high-profile media outlets in recent months, including Forbes, USA Today, ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox, Los Angeles Business Journal and Yahoo, among others. In May, CEO Kris Finstad noted this progress in an interview on the UPTICK Network Stock Day Podcast. Finstad also used this platform to give prospective investors some insight into Content Checked’s headway toward building a sizable presence in the roughly $13 billion U.S. food allergy and intolerance market. Currently, the Company’s apps boast a combined userbase of approximately two million people in the U.S. and Norway, largely due to its growing database that includes information on approximately 70 percent of conventional U.S. grocery products and is updated regularly.

Building on its current momentum, Content Checked is moving toward the impending release of revamped versions of its apps complete with a library of new features and improved usability. Alongside this release, the company plans to launch an extensive marketing campaign while eyeing international expansion in Canada, the U.K. and Australia in the coming months.

To view the company’s full financials, visit the following link: http://dtn.fm/sIJ7M

For more information, visit www.contentchecked.com

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Earlier today, eXp World Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: EXPI) announced that its full-service real estate brokerage, eXp Realty, has commenced operations in the State of Utah. The company’s operations in Utah will be overseen by managing broker Rick Southwick, a recognized leader in the local real estate community with more than 30 years of experience. Among his achievements, Southwick was named 2015 Utah Realtor of the Year and served as the 2014 president of the Utah Association of Realtors. Prior to joining eXp Realty, he worked as an owner and team leader with Keller Williams for 15 years and as associate vice president for Coldwell Banker for approximately 16 years.

“The industry has been hungry for a business model that is wholly different from anything that its members have been presented with before,” Southwick stated in this morning’s news release. “eXp is that business model and agent ownership provides the greatest opportunity for agents that I’ve seen during my years in the business.”

To date, eXp Realty has commenced operations in nearly 40 U.S. states, as well as Alberta, Canada, attracting more than 1,240 real estate professionals with its innovative Agent-Owned Cloud Brokerage™ business model. The company has found similar success in recruiting industry leaders in its operating markets. Late last month, EXPI announced that Sally and Stephen Koss of the venerable Landmark brand in Greater Boston had joined the eXp Realty team after more than three decades within the RE/MAX (NYSE: RMAX) system.

“The Company continues to attract highly-respected, strong, and established leaders who share our passion for and commitment to agent-ownership and utilization of technologies that will position agents well as the industry continues to evolve,” Jason Gesing, chief executive officer of eXp Realty, stated in this morning’s news release.

EXPI’s recent progress toward expanding its presence in the real estate sector has also translated into considerable financial growth. In the first quarter of 2016, the company recorded revenues in excess of $7.1 million, an increase of 107 percent from the previous year. This performance was attributed to EXPI’s success in increasing its sales agent base and, as a result, realizing a greater sales volume through its brokerage division. The company’s agent count at the conclusion of Q1 2016 was up 106 percent from the comparable period of 2015.

With recent news in mind, this rapid growth seems set to continue. Last month, eXp Realty was named among the best places to work by both The Washington Post and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, based on the feedback of workplace members. This marked the second consecutive year in which the Agent-Owned Cloud Brokerage was recognized as one of the best places to work in Atlanta.

For more information, visit the company’s website at http://investors.exprealty.com

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Before the opening bell, Laguna Blends, Inc. (OTC: LAGBF) announced some of the highlights of a recent clinical trial completed by Cannaceuticals (“Canna”). The study, which was conducted by BioScreen Testing Services, Inc., highlighted the efficacy of Canna’s cannabidiol (CBD) face serum, with test subjects noticing a 100 percent overall improvement to the appearance of skin within two weeks. These results follow last week’s announcement of Laguna’s entry into a non-binding letter of intent with Cannaceuticals of California, USA whereby the two companies will look to enter into a definitive manufacturing and exclusive license agreement for the purpose of pursuing mutually beneficial business opportunities in the rapidly expanding CBD skin care industry.

“Obviously when you receive a 100% improvement with a product you have a home run type of product with proven science and clinical data,” Ray Grimm Jr., president of Laguna Blends, stated in this morning’s news release. “Laguna is ecstatic to be in negotiations to acquire the Cannaceuticals brand name and product line. Management believes that this proposed acquisition will immediately establish Laguna as a player in the skin care category.”

Other highlights stemming from Canna’s clinical study included:

• 85.71 percent of test subjects noticed an improvement to their skin appearance within the first seven days
• 80.95 percent of subjects noticed an improvement to their skin texture within two weeks
• 80.95 percent of subjects noticed an improvement in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles of the mouth area
• 80.95 percent of test subjects said they would purchase the Canna serum product if it was made available for sale

These results are particularly promising for Laguna, as the company continues to make strides toward entry into the $121 billion global skin care industry. According to last week’s news release, Laguna and Canna have agreed to an exclusivity period relating to Canna’s CBD skin care products that will extend through July 29, during which time the two companies plan to finalize a definitive agreement. The initial terms of this agreement state that Laguna will purchase the entirety of Canna’s existing inventory and receive an exclusive license to sell the products in the United States and Canada.

Pending due diligence and any required approvals, Laguna will look to offer Canna products through its affiliate marketing network as early as August of this year in the U.S., with sales in Canada expected to follow by the end of 2016. Laguna will also receive license and marketing rights to sell Canna products in Asia, Europe and Mexico, subject to Canna receiving regulatory approval in those markets, setting the stage for potential international growth in the months to come.

For more information, visit www.lagunablends.com

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In the past, companies worldwide focused on traditional functional benefits, price competition, and features. Businesses sometimes lost their focus, aiming to be the best for themselves instead of their clients. Of course, these two go hand-in-hand in the sense that companies cannot succeed without the support and loyalty of their customers. However, in the past 20 years, technology has changed the relationship between companies and their customers, a change clearly seen in the nation’s real estate industry.

The real estate brokerage world has taken a shift toward the client. This shift has been branded “client centric”. An article entitled ‘The Evolving Brokerage Model’ on REALTORMag sums up this new model perfectly. It states, “These days, the most successful brands center on experiential benefits, relationships, and relevance to consumers.” Since the housing boom, a younger generation of homeowners have come to the surface, a generation not interested in whether or not a real estate broker is number one in the state or country. They want to know they are being treated with respect and getting the most honest, trustworthy services.

Sherry Chris, president and CEO of Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate LLC, described this new type of homeowner as “searching for someone who will look out for their best interests, not efficiently move them through the sales funnel.” eXp World Holdings (OTCQB: EXPI) has evolved alongside its clientele by doing just this. EXPI understands that buying a home can be an emotional time for a person. The company knows that its clients depend on it to navigate the process, give insight into properties, offer a comparative perspective, negotiate, and advocate on their behalf.

EXPI has also evolved its relationship with its agents and brokers to offer the best and most revolutionary working environment it can. The Long-Term View section of the EXPI site reads: “The greatest asset of any real estate brokerage is the group of agents and brokers who are a part of it. In our view, those agents and brokers should be owners and at eXp Realty, they are”.

Aside from paying special attention to it consumers, agents and brokers, EXPI has taken a step toward the future with a cloud-based environment where, according to the company, “agents and brokers build their own businesses. They work, attend classes, strategize, collaborate, innovate, enjoy water-cooler chats, build teams, build unity and share experiences across geographic borders inside of our Cloud Office Environment.”

For more information, visit the company’s website at http://investors.exprealty.com

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Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a tool companies use to manage their relationships and interactions with their customers. Using a CRM system enables businesses to collate information from their various customer service streams. These systems allow merchants to see everything about their customers in one place. This includes their history with the company in question, the status of any orders, and even information drawn from their social media accounts. It takes CRM to the next level: Social CRM (SCRM).

Traditional CRM is designed to manage the customer relationship through conventional channels. On the other hand, SCRM gives the consumer more control. In an IBM Institute for Business Value study by Carolyn Heller Baird and Gautam Parasnis, titled From Social Media to Social CRM, the authors found that: “Traditional CRM strategy focuses on management solutions for channels such as corporate Web sites, call centers, and brick and mortar locations. With Social CRM, these strategies now take into account the dynamics of the community-based environment that defines social media – an environment in which control of the relationship has shifted to the customer, who has the power to influence others in his or her social network.”

With this in mind, companies have taken a big leap towards tapping social media for marketing. Many of these believe social media will transform the way their business works. Unfortunately, many companies that have embraced the use of social media in their business are not using the platforms to their full potential. This is partly because many businesses confuse social media strategy with social CRM strategy. In actual fact, these two are very different. The key difference is the integration and approach for engaging customers.

Moxian, Inc. (OTCQB: MOXC) integrates social media, entertainment and business intelligence. The social marketing and promotion platform helps merchants accelerate business growth through social media. Leveraging over 100 years of combined experience, the company has developed a Multi-Channel Social Commerce Platform that uses a variety of its own tools to generate data for businesses. Moxian’s proprietary Social Customer Relationship Management platform works in a way that helps merchants and consumers interact. The Moxian+ Business App has built-in SCRM, allowing merchants to push a variety of promotions and marketing campaigns that, in turn, generate personalized reports.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.Moxian.com

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OurPet’s Company (OTCQX: OPCO) is known for its high quality, innovative products that improve the health, safety, comfort and well-being of pets. It’s a company driven to differentiate itself by employing the latest technology. Now, OurPet’s Company is demonstrating its marketing savvy with its recent launch of a Direct Response Television (DRTV) campaign in conjunction with AsSeenOnTV.pro (http://dtn.fm/fP4ep).

Most of us are familiar with DRTV, which offers viewers the opportunity to purchase from a commercial, through the late-night, early-morning programming known as the infomercial, the long-form versions of which seem to go on and on about the latest widget you must have. It could be a Pet Rock or perhaps a Pocket Hose. Such products have given DRTV unsavory associations. However, the genre has since reinvented itself. Its main objective is no longer harvesting direct sales. DRTV campaigns are now mostly employed to test products and messaging against targeted consumer segments. More importantly, DRTV aims to provide fodder to get nationwide retailers like Wal-Mart (NYSE: WMT), Target (NYSE: TGT), Home Depot (NYSE: HD) and others to take a bite. As Priceonomics (http://dtn.fm/vK2fv) puts it, ‘DRTV viewers today are the beta audience for Wal-Mart shoppers tomorrow’. ‘Most of today’s infomercials… aren’t necessarily designed to sell products at all; they’re designed to test the salability of those products in a mass-market environment like Wal-Mart’.

DRTV campaigns that get mass retailers to sign distribution contracts have proved to be formidable marketing strategies resulting in astoundingly successful products and product lines. ProActiv, a skin care line, brings in over a billion dollars in revenue a year, according to Mental Floss (http://dtn.fm/2aKUy). PedEgg, which scrapes your heel to remove calluses, has sold $450 million since launch, and the George Foreman Grill brings in $202 million in annual revenues. Many DRTV promotions are branded with the AsSeenOnTV logo, which ‘is a sort of informal trade affiliation and open-source brand mark representing major DRTV brands in the retail business’.

Wider distribution may be the catalyst that takes OurPet’s Company’s business to the next level. The company has been growing at a rate 50 percent higher than the industry. Data provided by the American Pet Products Association (APPA) (http://dtn.fm/1yZH3) indicates that total U.S. pet industry expenditures rose, at a CAGR of 4.44 percent, from $48.35 billion in 2010 to $60.25 billion in 2015. During the same period, OurPet’s Company’s net revenues went from $17.1 million (2010) to $23.9 million (2015), increasing at a CAGR of 6.86 percent.

Some of the products likely to charm those late night somnambulists include the OurPets® Catty Whack®, an unpredictable game of hide and seek designed for cats of all ages, which was first introduced in 2015. The introduction of the OurPets® Catty Whack® actually resulted in the genesis of the Intelligent Pet Care® line of products, which offers ‘the application of Blue Tooth and Wi-Fi to improve the connectivity between humans and pets’. The line includes the Intelligent Pet Care® Feeder, Waterer and Intelligent Litter Box, all of which allow pet owners to monitor their pet’s behavior through the IntelligentPetLink® smartphone app, downloadable from the Apple app store and Google Play.

For more information, visit the company’s website at www.ourpets.com

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