For months, Giggles N’ Hugs, Inc. (OTC: GIGL) has been making moves to better position itself for financial growth. Leveraging the marketability of its innovative family-friendly restaurant and play center concept, the company has garnered interest from both mall owners and franchisees regarding both national and international expansion. In October, GIGL gave the investment community some insight into this interest when it announced that Westfield Corp. (OTC: WEFIF), one of the world’s leading shopping center operators, had reached out to the company about expanding upon their current partnership. According to Joey Parsi, founder and chief executive officer of GIGL, interest from Westfield may be just the tip of the iceberg.

“With the unbelievable management team we now have in place, and having one of the most unique concepts in the restaurant industry, as well as the deals and opportunities we are getting from Westfield and all the other major mall owners, we are ready to explode onto the national scene first with multiple locations in some of the best properties in the country and ultimately around the world,” Parsi stated in a news release.

Currently, GIGL owns and operates three locations in the Greater Los Angeles area, including two locations in Westfield malls, but the company has recently turned much of its attention toward expanding its footprint around the country, especially along the West Coast. Earlier this month, GIGL took a major step toward turning that goal into a reality when it signed an agreement with New York-based Chardan Capital Markets, LLC. Under the terms of this agreement, the boutique investment bank will introduce GIGL to potential investors and business partners, advise and assist management in preparing for presentations to financial sources and perform a wide variety of financial advisory services.

This partnership is particularly interesting for GIGL’s prospective shareholders, because Chardan specializes in providing a range of investment services to micro-cap emerging growth companies. The bank has become a leader in the securement of capital solutions for these companies, raising in excess of $13 billion through more than 250 transactions.

“As we continue to grow and expand our reach in markets throughout the country and the world, we look forward to working with Chardan to assist in taking our company to the next level,” continued Parsi.

With a proven concept, mounting interest from some of the world’s largest mall operators and a partnership with one of the country’s most successful investment banks focused on servicing micro-cap companies, GIGL could be on the cusp of a period of considerable growth. As the company seeks to begin taking the necessary steps to uplist to a national exchange during 2016, GIGL is emerging as one of the hospitality sector’s most intriguing investment options.

For more information, please visit www.gigglesnhugs.com

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Nutra Pharma Corporation (OTC: NPHC) is a biotechnology company specializing in the acquisition, licensing and commercialization of pharmaceutical products and technologies for the management of neurological disorders, cancer, autoimmune and infectious diseases. The company’s product portfolio includes Cobroxin, the first over-the-counter pain reliever clinically proven to treat moderate to severe chronic pain, and Nyloxin, the only non-narcotic and non-addictive treatment for severe pain. Both products were developed by Nutra Pharma’s wholly-owned drug discovery subsidiary, ReceptoPharm.

Currently, ReceptoPharm is developing proprietary therapeutic protein products for the prevention and treatment of viral and neurological diseases by leveraging the specialized receptor-binding proteins found in nature, particularly those found in cobra venom. The company’s leading drug candidates, RPI-MN and RPI-78M, are being developed for the treatment of HIV and multiple sclerosis, respectively. By leveraging a proprietary chemical process, ReceptoPharm is able to create drugs that possess a host of desirable properties – including lack of toxicity (which eliminates the threat of overdosing), extended shelf life and total absence of serious adverse side effects.

Earlier this month, Nutra Pharma took a significant step in the development of RPI-78M when it announced that it had applied for an orphan drug designation from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of Myasthenia Gravis (MG). If received, this would be the company’s second orphan drug designation approved in recent weeks. In September, Nutra Pharma was granted the designation for the treatment of Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Orphan drug designations are designed to encourage the development of drugs which may provide significant benefits to patients suffering from rare diseases. For pharmaceutical companies, the program offers a seven-year period of market exclusivity, as well as tax credits and, in many cases, grant funding to cover a portion of clinical research costs.

“We have been clear over the last year that we would be moving our drug platforms forward,” Rik J. Deitsch, chairman and chief executive officer of Nutra Pharma, stated in a news release. “This includes our work in Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis as well as additional potential orphan designations for our therapeutic pipeline.”

Although MS most commonly occurs in adults, it also effects an estimated 10,000 children in the U.S., according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. There are currently no approved treatments for pediatric MS. Instead, FDA-approved self-injectable disease-modifying therapies developed for use in adults are often used ‘off-label’ in children. Large clinical trials are still needed to assess the treatment efficacy of these therapies in the pediatric population, making a therapeutic designed and tested specifically to treat pediatric MS a potential game changer moving forward.

For more information on the company, visit www.NutraPharma.com

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Latitude 360 (OTC: LATX) is surfing the wave of an industry that, according to a recent study, is growing at over 16% per annum and has been maintaining that rate over the past five years. The company is an award-winning, full-service upscale restaurant and leisure emporium that plans, develops, constructs and operates premier entertainment venues. At present it operates three such locations. The first was opened in January 2011 in Jacksonville, Florida; the second in November 2012 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the third in Indianapolis in January 2013. The company plans to open three more locations. The first of these is slated for Syracuse at Destiny USA, the largest shopping center in the state of New York.

Latitude 360’s menu of entertainment options at its three locations includes a main restaurant (360 Grille & Bar), a luxury bowling alley (The Lanes), a dine-in movie theater (Cinegrille), a game room offering the latest hi-tech video and redemption games, a theater for live performances (Latitude Live), a sports theater with multiple HD screens, a luxury smoking lounge (Latitude Lit), and a dance arena (Axis Bar & Stage).

Latitude 360 is promoting a seminal idea. It aims to redefine the modern American entertainment experience by altering the mix and variety of entertainment options available at one venue. Latitude 360 is the Disneyland for adults. The company’s strategy is to create a one-stop entertainment shop where dining facilities, the movies, bowling, gaming, live entertainment or a sports bar can be found. The company recently launched its latest product offering, 360 Fantasy Live, in the highly lucrative fantasy sports market.

Fantasy sports allow sports fans to bet on the performance of their favorite players. Fantasy sports are fast becoming the sports fan’s stock market, since every fan that knows and loves his football can now put his knowledge to the test. The Fantasy Sports Trade Association (FSTA) reports that, currently, there are close to 57 million players of fantasy sports in the U.S. and Canada, each of whom spends, on average, $465 per year. That amounts to roughly $26.5 billion. The customer base for fantasy sports, according to the FSTA, has been growing at an annual compounded rate (CAGR), from 2010 to 2015, of over 12%. The typical fantasy sports player is male, around 37, and college educated, and about half earn more than $75,000. The industry has yet to realize its potential. It is now moving into sports other than football.

For more information on the company visit www.latitude360.com

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Moxian, Inc. (OTC: MOXC) provides social marketing and promotional platforms for clients who want to promote their businesses through social media. These clients can run advertising and promotional campaigns while gaining access to consumer behavior data compiled from a database provided by the company through Moxian+, their social media platform. For consumers, Moxian+ is a great way to see what special events and promotions are going on nearby. They can also play games, message friends, and shop at an online mall with virtual currency, all while racking up rewards points. Businesses using the platform can study analytics, use business and marketing tools geared toward customer needs, and advertise their services. In a social media-driven world, Moxian is providing an integrated platform that aims to pinpoint consumer behavior so businesses can take advantage and make a profit.

Behind the scenes, the management team of Moxian is filled with experience, intelligence, and creativity. At the forefront is CEO and chairman, James Mengdong Tan, who has over twenty years experience in private and public company management in both Asia and the United States. His work history includes being the chairman and CEO of Vashion Group, executive director and CEO of Vantage Corporation, and serving on the board of Pacific Internet Ltd. Tan graduated from the prestigious National University of Singapore in 1985.

Another impressive team member is Director Liew Kwong Yeow, who has over twenty-five years experience in senior positions related to the quality, procurement, and engineering of products. Past employers include Matsushita Denki, General Motors (NYSE: GM), and Intel (NASDAQ: INTC). He holds degrees and certifications from Singapore Polytechnics University, Intel University, and the General Motors Institute.

The Director of Creative and Marketing, Edmund Ooi, brings two decades of creative development and managing experience to Moxian. He helped the company increase its drive in China with his vast marketing communication and creative skills. In the past, Ooi has helped generate the sales and marketing strategies of Samsung (OTC: SSNLF), Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), Mercedes, Warner Bros. (NYSE: TWX), and more.

Moxian intends to consistently improve its product while expanding its reach to include a wider audience. In a recent news release, Ooi stated, “I think we have seen a great leap in our skillset and our ability to offer much stronger and more robust software.”

For more information, visit the company’s website at http://ir.moxian.com/html-en/

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Dubbed The Marijuana Legalization Company, Freedom Leaf, Inc. (OTC: FRLF) is a movement marketing business that highlights trending news about the cannabis industry through social media, in a print magazine and on the www.freedomleaf.com website.

Freedom Leaf’s founders are long-term cannabis advocates. Over the course of five decades, they have accumulated deep insights vital to the success of the legal marijuana industry and created brands pushing for the end of marijuana prohibition. With thousands considering legal marijuana one of the fastest-growing industries in the U.S., the founders have set up a clear and defined path for Freedom Leaf to share in the bounties of this mushrooming trade by continuously:

• growing its broad suite of product and service offerings; and
• refining its strategic distribution and licensing models.

As a leading marijuana-related news company, Freedom Leaf is engaged in multiple vertical and horizontal businesses – including branding, business development, education, entertainment, incubation, licensing, multi-media and public relations.

One of the company’s diverse services, Freedom Leaf Magazine, offers activists, consumers, entrepreneurs and patients a dependable way to stay on top of the latest marijuana-related information, innovations and legislation. The magazine reports on cannabis movements and their relationship to the law, politics, art, fashion, entertainment, finance, business, health and medicine. With a passionate flair and an engaging twist, the magazine chronicles stories related to the history of the cannabis industry with a focus on themes such as the fears of consumers during prohibition, growing and smuggling operations, incarceration, legislation and marijuana activism.

Freedom Leaf’s publications and products are conceived for empowerment. They are designed by and for cannabis activists, as well as other like-minded individuals, in the U.S. and around the world. They make it possible for those involved in the cannabis movement to build a career in freedom (by marketing Freedom Leaf’s products and services). To date, Freedom Leaf has published and distributed 10 editions and hundreds of thousands of copies of its magazine in over 30 states thanks to the backing of more than 150 activist marketers.

For more information, visit http://freedomleaf.com

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An enduring expression tells us ‘you can’t put an old head on young shoulders’, meaning we shouldn’t expect someone young to have the wisdom and maturity associated with older folk, but Legacy Ventures International, Inc. (OTC: LGYV) has turned that time-honored saying on its head. The company, indeed, has young shoulders. It was incorporated in Nevada on March 4, 2014, but its management team is full of experience in start-ups, business development, branding, distribution, retail sales and strategic planning. Legacy Ventures is focused on the acquisition of proven and high-potential businesses across a variety of business sectors. Through the strategic provision of capital and oversight to companies that have innovative products, category game changers and established fast growth brands, Legacy Ventures aims not only to add shareholder value, but to make the world a better place to live.

A good example is its first major acquisition, RM Fresh Brands, which holds the rights to distribute Boxed Water in Canada. Boxed Water is a trendy new product that is expected to have an enthusiastic response from green consumers: those who prefer products that have been produced in a way that protects the natural environment. Boxed Water is environmentally friendly. It is packaged in a biodegradable carton that is 76% paper and has less than half the carbon footprint of the now ubiquitous polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle.

Evan Clifford is CEO at Legacy Ventures. Over the last 15 years he has had his fingers in many pies. He has, at one time, managed the careers of singer and songwriter Danny Fernandes, as well as Alicia Josipovic, who played Bianca DeSousa in the Canadian TV series Degrassi. He has been a concert producer. He co-founded Just Sushi, the world’s first 100% sustainable Ocean Wise sushi restaurant, and he was a partner in Cirqus Nightclub, which garnered acclaim as one of the hottest nightclubs and patios in the west end of the Greater Toronto Area. Clifford loves disruptive game-changing technologies. He was an investor in the Zenn Motor Company, a Canadian company that previously developed electric vehicles. ZENN is an acronym for Zero Emissions No Noise. He has been a speaker at the Idea City Conference, which is a sort of North American Davos for artists, authors, cosmologists, designers, entertainers, filmmakers, inventors, musicians, scientists and technologists. He was owner and Creative Director at Toy Box Events, ‘Where Imagination Comes to Life‘. He also served as a director at Golden Cross Resources, which engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties in Canada.

Matthew Merson is a director at Legacy Ventures. Merson has spent the last 25 years in senior executive positions at Dannon Yogurt, Sara Lee, Glaceau Vitaminwater, Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO), Aramark (NYSE: ARMK), and ZICO Beverages. He is currently the vice president of sales at Boxed Water is Better, LLC. For the last decade. Merson has specialized in the start up space for emerging brands that are disrupting the norm or creating entirely new categories. He thrives on building teams that can bring brands to life across all channels of sales, and he has expertise in all functional business areas – including operations, finance, marketing, human resources and international sales.

Mirwan Ferris is the brand broker at Legacy. Ferris, along with his brother Ameen, built the very successful retail chain Healthy’s Nutrition, which they later sold to Planet Organic Health Corp. Ferris then purchased Excel Marketing, later re-named Ex-L Brand Management, which represented and distributed ZICO Coconut Water, Hugo Naturals and many other popular brands. In 2011, he sold Ex-L Brand Management, and started a new brokerage firm, Ferris Brand Management. Ferris has experience in the Canadian retail market and the knowledge and skills to effectively navigate its distribution network.

Ron Patel is president of Legacy’s subsidiary, RM Fresh Brands, which markets Boxed Water. Patel has extensive experience in third party logistics and procurement. Over the years, he has been involved in the sourcing of over 10,000 different products for some of the largest U.S. and Canadian Military Prime Vendors. His focus has been in worldwide sourcing capabilities, purchasing and consolidation. In the last few years, Patel has been working with the Canadian and U.S. product landscapes and has developed alliances with hundreds of distribution, manufacturing and retail operations.

Rehan Saeed is chairman of the board at Legacy Ventures. Saeed has over 10 years of diverse experience across multiple verticals in the banking industry. As the acting CFO of a start-up (UMF), he built and managed a $110 Million real estate portfolio within 2 years. Later, he joined AYA Financial as vice president and brought in over $30 Million in revenue and increased profitability by 25% above the competition. Saeed teaches investments and finance at Centennial College Toronto and acts as a consultant to Bay Street law firms structuring specialty financing contracts for their institutional clients. Saeed has a bachelor’s degree in information technology (BA), a master’s in business administration (MBA) and is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

Look out for Legacy Ventures. The company’s experienced leadership team is out to change the world.

For more information, visit www.legacyventuresinc.com

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Seventy miles northwest of Fairbanks, Alaska, in one of the most desirable mining jurisdictions on earth, Canadian junior mining exploration company International Tower Hill Mines Ltd. (NYSE MKT: THM) is developing its 100% interest in the Livengood Gold Project. The Livengood Mining District has been actively mined for nearly 100 years, and it’s considered one of the largest independent and undeveloped gold deposits in the world with production of more than 500,000 ounces of gold and more than 20 million ounces of gold resource contained.

Within this district, THM controls in entirety its 75-square mile land package, which is made up of Alaska State mining claims, fee simple land, federal placer claims, mineral lands leased from the Alaska Mental Health Land Trust, and leases with private holders’ federal patented and unpatented lode and placer claims.

According to THM, the Livengood gold resource has significantly expanded since it was acquired by the company in late 2006, marked by aggressive resource expansion drilling programs that now total more than 714,900 feet in over 792 drill holes.

THM’s stated vision is to “become a top mid-tier gold mining company,” and its advancement strategy to do so, in specific regard to the Livengood Gold Project, is to utilize a cash management program and maintain the necessary environmental baseline activities to move the permitting process forward. The mine plan provides sufficient ore to support annual production of roughly 577,600 ounces over an estimated 14-year mine life and an average of 698,500 ounces in the first five years of production.

As of September, 30, 2015, THM reported working capital of USD$7.5 million, which the company said it expects will enable Livengood Gold Project advancement into the year ahead.

For more information visit www.ithmines.com.

As part of its efforts to restructure its global business under recently appointed executive chairman Hal Turner, Elephant Talk Communications Corp. (NYSE MKT: ETAK) recently announced a series of executive and board appointments. These appointments are expected to be the first in a number of critical improvements to the company’s organizational structure designed to boost Elephant Talk’s business operations, technological developments and ability to deliver the best services and support to its rapidly expanding customer base.

The executive appointments and transitions include:

• Gary Brandt has been named chief restructuring officer and will be responsible for leading the transition and reorganization of Elephant Talk’s global operations. Brandt brings more than three decades of experience in C-level and executive finance leadership with several public companies in the technology space.
• Armin Hessler, formerly co-president of the company’s mobile platform business, will now serve as Elephant Talk’s chief operating officer.
• Robert Skaff, founder of DiNotte Lighting Hampton, has been elected as a new independent director, assuming the position formerly held by Jaime Bustillo.
• Tim Payne, current president of Elephant Talk North America (ETNA), has stepped down as the company’s interim chief executive officer. Payne will continue to serve as president of ETNA.

“When I assumed the role of executive chairman last month, one of my first priorities was to undertake an extensive, top to bottom review of the company,” Hal Turner, executive chairman of the board of Elephant Talk, stated in the news release. “With Gary Brandt’s appointment to lead the restructuring and the expansion of Armin Hessler’s responsibilities, we are building a foundation of world-class leadership to run our global business operations that will complement Elephant Talk’s world-class technology.”

The company expects to continue its restructuring efforts by announcing additional executive appointments during the first half of 2016.

Hal Turner was appointed to the position of executive chairman last month. He brings more than 40 years of international C-level global telecom and communications experience to Elephant Talk, including extensive experience as an executive with major wireless and wired operators. Notably, he served in senior sales and marketing roles at AT&T (NYSE: T) and as the president and chief operating officer of BellSouth Communications, Inc. prior to its merger with AT&T.

Elephant Talk is a leading international provider of mobile networking software and services. Leveraging software-defined networking, network function virtualization and cloud technologies, the company has developed a suite of products that are at the leading edge of performance and reliability in the rapidly evolving mobile telecommunications industry.

For more information, visit www.elephanttalk.com

North Carolina passed a law in October 2015 allowing for the regulated cultivation of industrial hemp. Once guidelines for the hemp program are established, landowners will be permitted to produce and harvest cannabis containing less than 0.3% THC – the psychoactive chemical in marijuana that creates a euphoric feeling. The NC Department of Agriculture will be responsible for issuing licenses and distributing seeds to those who have registered. The bill became law on October 31, 2015.

Industrial hemp will give North Carolina farmers another valuable cash crop and could replace tobacco crops that have lost value in recent years. For those concerned, hemp is very different than marijuana, containing less than 0.3% THC, so it would be impossible to get “high” from industrial hemp. Various parts of the plant can be used in the manufacture of more than 25,000 products. The leaves and flowers can be used to make CBD medicines for patients with cancer, intractable epilepsy, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and many others. The oil and seeds have high amounts of omega fatty acids, which help improve cholesterol levels and lower the risks of heart disease.

Hemp, Inc.’s (OTC: HEMP), wholly-owned subsidiary, Industrial Hemp Manufacturing, LLC, is in the starting blocks ready to capitalize on the country’s growing attraction to hemp by way of the operation of the largest decortication plant in North America, which is located in Spring Hope, North Carolina. In a proactive, strategic move, the company’s management team initiated construction and installation activities at its 70,000-square-foot warehouse several months prior to the passing of the new law in order to prepare for the likely legalization of industrial hemp production in the state. Currently, the decortication plant is near completion.

Pat McCrory, Governor of North Carolina, passed Senate Bill 313, which is viewed by many as a major step in the direction of sustainable financial growth for Hemp, Inc. The law’s intent is to “establish an agricultural pilot program for the cultivation of industrial hemp in the state… and to pursue any federal permits or waivers necessary to allow industrial hemp to be grown in the state.”

Hemp, Inc. produces products made from industrial hemp. The company also offers products and services to the medical and recreational marijuana industries. The company develops and operates a website providing entertainment and news related to the medical marijuana industry. The company was formerly known as Marijuana, Inc. and changed its name to Hemp, Inc. in June 2012. Founded in 2008, Hemp, Inc. is headquartered in Las Vegas, Nevada.

For more information, visit www.hempinc.com

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Parkinson’s disease is a progressive movement disorder, meaning that symptoms continue to get worse over time. Approximately one million people in the US are living with this disease. While there is currently no cure and its cause remains unknown, treatment options for managing symptoms range from medication to surgery.

Parkinson’s (PD) involves the death of nerve cells in the brain, called neurons. Some of these dying neurons produce dopamine, a chemical that sends messages to the part of the brain that controls movement and coordination. As PD progresses, the amount of dopamine produced in the brain decreases. The result is that the inflicted individual is unable to control movement in a normal fashion.

Scientists are also exploring the suggestion that loss of cells in other areas of the brain and body contribute to PD. As an example, researchers have discovered that the first indication of PD — clumps of a protein alpha-synuclein, which are also called Lewy bodies — is found not only in the mid-brain, but also in the brain stem and the olfactory bulb. These areas of the brain are associated with non-motor functions such as sense of smell and sleep regulation. Scientists believe that the presence of Lewy bodies in these areas could explain the non-motor symptoms experienced by some people with PD before any motor sign of the disease appears.

Central to the conversation of the treatment of PD is International Stem Cell Corporation (OTC: ISCO). The company’s wholly owned subsidiary, Cyto Therapeutics, has received regulatory approval by the Therapeutics Goods Administration (TGA) of Australia to initiate a phase I/IIa dose escalation trial of human parthenogenetic stem cells-derived neural stem cells (ISC-hpNSC) in patients with moderate to severe PD.

In 2014, the company announced encouraging results from preclinical studies of its ISC-hpNSC therapeutic candidate. In its preclinical studies, the cells demonstrated an improvement in PD symptoms and promoted increases in brain dopamine levels following the intracranial administration of ISC-hpNSC. The studies also noted that the ISC-hpNSCs provided neurotrophic support and cell replacement to dying dopaminergic neurons.

International Stem Cell Corporation is a publicly traded biotechnology company with a powerful new stem cell technology called parthenogenesis, which uses unfertilized eggs and promises to significantly advance the field of regenerative medicine by addressing the problem of immune-rejection. The company is centered on using stem cells to treat diseases of the eye, the nervous system and the liver, where cell therapy has been proven clinically but is limited by the availability of safe immune-matched human cells or tissue.

For more information, visit www.internationalstemcell.com

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