An estimated two billion people around the world are trying to learn English. For over 15 years, Lingo Media Corporation (OTCQB: LMDCF) (TSX-V: LM) has been targeting this sizable market with innovative learning solutions designed to help learners throughout various life stages – from the classroom to the boardroom – transcend language barriers while becoming more adept with English, the global language of business. Through its Lingo Learning subsidiary, Lingo Media provides published resources to China, the world’s largest English language learning market. Today, the company, along with its co-publishing partners, commands more than 60 percent market share in the Asian nation’s immense primary school market.

In 2007, Lingo Media paved the way for additional growth when it became one of the first companies to adopt speech recognition and analysis technologies. Since then, the company, through subsidiary ELL Technologies, has developed a broad range of stimulating, interactive products for specific purposes and clients – including academic institutions, governments and corporations. In September, Lingo Media once again demonstrated the marketability of this technology when it announced a multi-million dollar language learning software development contract in Colombia. This agreement continued the company’s rapid progress toward building a sustainable foothold in the educational markets of Latin America, which are among the most rapidly expanding on the planet.

The proliferation of mobile electronic devices in developing markets around the globe has created an unprecedented opportunity for companies with innovative learning solutions to rapidly expand their global reach. According to statistics from the Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) Play store, language learning apps such as Rosetta Stone (NYSE: RST), Duolingo and Memrise have amassed millions of downloads, but none of these apps offer the specialized learning solutions being marketed by Lingo Media. For this reason, Lingo Media has excelled in building a presence in its target markets.

“Learning English in an easy to use digital format is essential, especially for the military, government, corporate and academic industries,” Gali Bar-Ziv, president and chief executive officer of ELL Technologies, stated in a news release. “Through our large digital learning library, we are able to quickly and seamlessly build custom digital solutions based on the client’s needs. This further reflects our ongoing ability to gain market share and advance our position in… Latin America.”

According to a report by Ambient Insight, revenues from digital English products in Latin America will reach $260.9 million by 2018, up from just $136.2 million in 2013. Look for Lingo Media to capitalize on this performance as it continues to expand its presence in the region through the development of customized learning solutions that address pivotal market demands.

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

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Under the SEC’s new Systems Compliance and Integrity Regulation (Regulation SCI), which became compliant effective on November 3, 2015, OTC Link ATS is now considered a higher-volume equity ATS and SCI entity. OTC Link ATS is the OTC Markets Group’s alternative trading system. It facilitates electronic trading for the markets administered by the OTC Markets Group: the OTCQX, the OTCQB and the OTC Pink. Together, these three OTC market places list over 10,000 securities and include many well-known names such as Heineken, Volkswagen, and BNP Paribas.

Regulation SCI is in response to the increasing reliance of the U.S. securities markets on information technology systems and the potential disruption that failures of these systems could cause. On September 16, 2013, options market trading was halted for approximately 20 minutes due to a systems issue with the Options Price Reporting Authority (OPRA), the securities information processor for options market information that disseminates option quotation and last sale information to market data vendors. And on October 30, 2014, a network hardware failure caused a temporary shut down of the Consolidated Tape System, Consolidated Quote System, and Options Price Reporting Authority data feeds at the NYSE’s primary data center.

Regulation SCI is a far-reaching document, ranging over 700 pages, which establishes a number of mandates. It defines SCI entities taxonomically as ‘certain self-regulatory organizations (including registered clearing agencies), alternative trading systems (ATSs), plan processors, and exempt clearing agencies.’ It requires such SCI entities to establish written policies and procedures… to ensure that their systems have levels of capacity, integrity, resiliency, availability and security adequate to maintain their operational capability and promote the maintenance of fair and orderly markets. SCI entities must also involve their broker-dealer members and other SCI entities in system testing and devise and share disaster recovery plans. SCI entities are now bound to correct SCI events and to notify the SEC of such events. SCI events include, but are not limited to, systems disruptions, systems compliance issues, and systems intrusions.

SCI entities must now also share information about SCI events with other SCI entities and members. Their systems must be reviewed by objective, qualified personnel at least annually. And they must submit quarterly reports to the SEC regarding completed, ongoing, and planned material changes to their SCI systems together with records regarding all material information pertaining to those systems. These are all welcome changes that will bolster the security and resilience of the markets infrastructure. Including OTC Link ATS under the Regulation SCI purview is a timely reminder that over-the-counter markets do matter.

For more information or to view the entire OTC November Newsletter visit: http://www.otcmarkets.com/content/doc/OTCNewsletter/November2015Newsletter.html

On November 18, 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed a number of rules designed to enhance the operational transparency and regulatory oversight of alternative trading systems (ATSs) that trade national market system (NMS) stocks listed on national securities exchanges.

“Investors and other market participants need more and better information about how alternative trading systems work,” SEC Chair Mary Jo White said in the news release. “The proposed changes would represent a critical step forward in delivering greater transparency to investors and enhancing equity market structure.”

ATSs have been labelled ‘dark pools’ since information on prices and volume are not made public. NMS securities are exchange-listed equity securities and standardized options. A ‘national securities exchange’ is a securities exchange that has registered with the SEC under Section 6 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. At present, there are at least 30 exchanges registered as national securities exchanges with the SEC.

National securities exchanges are subject to several mandates. They must, for example, make price and volume information public. They also set rules governing the conduct of their members and perform self-regulation. ATSs, on the other hand, are regulated as broker-dealers and so escape the strict guidelines set for exchanges. Recent scandals involving ATSs have highlighted the need for greater transparency. The New York State Attorney General has accused Barclays of misleading investors in the operation of its ATS. And in January of this year, the SEC fined UBS $14.4 million for allowing orders priced in thousandths of a dollar in its dark pool and circulating this information to a select group of clients who used this pricing to jump the queue in order fulfillment.

The SEC proposal would require an ATS that trades NMS stocks to file detailed disclosures on the newly proposed Form ATS-N about its operations and the activities of its broker-dealer operator and its affiliates. It would also make Form ATS-N disclosures publicly available on the Commission’s website.

The comment period for the newly proposed rules will be 60 days after publication in the Federal Register.

For more information visit www.sec.gov

Ever since it was founded in 1995, OurPet’s Company (OTCQX: OPCO) has been blazing new trails… taking the roads less traveled. It’s driving force and co-founder Dr. Steven Tsengas is an engineer and inventor. He has been elected to the National Inventors Hall of Fame. That engineering expertise and open approach to new ideas has been employed, over the years, to develop OPCO’s stable of over 1,000 products. In addition, the company has another 30 or so products in the pipeline plus an intellectual property stockpile of over 160 patents. This is a company thinking ahead. It is in talks with a Japanese IT firm with the aim of incorporating wireless technology into up-and-coming products.

OurPet’s Company focuses on providing solutions such as mitigating the pathologies of aging pets. Its first product was a Big Dog Feeder that made it easier for big dogs to eat by elevating the feeding bowl. When it was developed in 1995, the idea was novel. For large dogs, eating at ground floor level is not healthy or comfortable. Their physical structure can be compromised leading to arthritis at the joints. The Big Dog Feeder has been a huge success. But over the past twenty years, the company has moved into other areas. Today its largest category of sales, which are on track to cross $23 million, is pet toys. In its 3rd Qtr 10-Q filing, the company gave a breakdown of each category as a percentage of total sales:

• Toys & Accessories – 50%
• Bowls & Feeders – 35%
• Edibles – 7%
• Waste & Odor Products – 5%
• Dog Houses & Health Products – 3%

The company has been growing at twice the rate of the industry. Since 2010, it has had an annual compounded growth rate of about 6%. In 2011, it initiated a two-pronged branding strategy. The OurPets brand is aimed at the pet specialty market, while the Pet Zone brand is designed for the mass market. This strategy has undoubtedly paid off.

The management team is ambitious. In a recent interview they stated their objective to double the size of the company. As part of that strategy, they are investing heavily in distribution and marketing infrastructure. They also plan to make the waste and odor category a more significant part of the company’s business, with their Smart Scoop product line spearheading the drive. The company’s total net revenue has steadily increased:

• 2010 – $17,091,741
• 2011 – $19,667,134
• 2012 – $20,160,751
• 2013 – $21,554,106
• 2014 – $22,770,562

The pet industry has proved to be recession resistant, since pets are dearly loved members of the family. There are an estimated 350 million pets in the U.S. and Canada. About 93 million are cats and 85 million are dogs. The average pet owner spends $1,200 per year for a cat and $1,800 per year for a dog. With OPCO’s remarkably innovative product line-up, that money will surely be spent wisely.

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

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The world is becoming increasingly dependent on technological conveniences and advances, particularly when it comes to commerce. In recent months, technology giants such as Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), Samsung (OTC: SSNLF) and Google (NASDAQ: GOOG; GOOGL) have demonstrated this evolving landscape with innovative forays into the mobile payments space. According to a study by Accenture, roughly 41 percent of consumers reported using their phones to pay at a merchant location in 2014, up from just 17 percent in 2012. This growth is likely just the beginning. Mobile-based payments in the United States are expected to reach $142 billion in annual volume by 2019, according to the New York Times. For merchants, this shifting consumer preference makes updating legacy point of sale systems a major focus in the coming years.

Alternet Systems, Inc. (OTCQB: ALYI) delivers technology products to financial organizations requiring solutions that can manage a wide range of payment channels. By partnering with leading manufacturers, the company seeks to offer innovative solutions that extend the capabilities of payment processing systems across a full range of capture devices – including point of sale, mobile phones, tablets, PCs and web-based applications.

One way in which Alternet is attempting to disrupt the payment technology industry is by offering an innovative, brand agnostic point of sale terminal to the U.S. market, which includes the largest collection of outdated legacy point of sale infrastructure in the world. Through a strategic partnership with the Brazilian leader in multichannel technology solutions for the electronic point of sale industry, the company is addressing an expansive target market that includes over 20 million merchants across the country.

In 2013, the global point of sale market was valued at $36.86 billion, and it is expected to achieve a compound annual growth rate of 11.6 percent from 2014 to 2020. As adoption of wireless and mobile point of sale solutions continues to increase, Alternet is in a favorable strategic position to capitalize on this market performance while promoting sustainable growth.

For more information, visit www.alternetsystems.com

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When Doc Brown invented the time machine in the movie ‘Back to the Future’, the most important piece to accomplish time travel was the flux capacitor. The biggest problem with time travel was, of course, the resources available at the point in time where you found yourself. The flux capacitor could convert any raw material into a reliable, sustainable, efficient source of energy needed to power the time machine.

This fun analogy to the popular 80’s science fiction movie relates to Georgia-based energy solutions company Dominovas Energy Corp. (DNRG), dedicated to delivering electricity on a multi-megawatt scale to areas of the world that lack this critical commodity. The biggest hurdle associated with deployment of a sustainable energy source to a frontier market is that fuel sources and availability vary, depending upon a wide range of factors.

The company’s RUBICON™ SOFC (solid oxide fuel cell) technology is fuel-flexible, specific to the variability and number of fuels that can be incorporated into its operation. The integration of the proprietary reformer with the RUBICON™ SOFC stack is engineered in such a way that the RUBICON™ will reform almost any hydrocarbon fuel to a suitable syngas composition (a mixture of carbon monoxide, hydrogen, methane, etc.) for optimal SOFC stack electricity generation. In laymen’s terms, this means that whatever you put into the company’s ‘flux capacitor’ will transport your country from the days of the Wild Wild West into the 21st century.

Importantly, the company’s energy solution is also ‘green’. Success in the global energy business is increasingly based upon the ability to produce energy efficiently while being kind to the environment. As a ‘non-combustion’ electricity producer, the RUBICON™ emits markedly less green-house-gas pollutants per unit of power produced. Generating mostly heat and water as byproducts, the RUBICON™ is a sustainable solution to the energy-mix. In summation, the future of energy is the focus for Dominovas Energy.

For more information, visit www.dominovasenergy.com

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International Stem Cell Corporation (OTC: ISCO) focuses on utilizing patented human parthenogenetic stem cells (hPSC), developed from unfertilized embryos, to treat Parkinson’s, retinal, and liver diseases where replacing dead and dying cells with new ones seems most effective. However, the road to commercialization and FDA approval is a long one. Therefore, the company has two wholly-owned subsidiaries that generate money in the meantime: Lifeline Skin Care, Inc. and Lifeline Cell Technology, LLC.

The first, Lifeline Skin Care, Inc., develops, produces, and markets a line of anti-aging cosmetic skin care products. These products use the company’s scientific rejuvenation breakthrough of non-embryonic stem cells to improve the look and feel of skin. These products include neck and eye firming creams, moisturizers, cleansers, and more. Sold all over the world, this cosmetic line promises youthful and healthy looking skin.

The second, Lifeline Cell Technology, LLC, develops, manufactures, and sells human cell culture products along with optimized reagents for laboratory research purposes. For example, the company offers VascuLife®SMC, a human smooth muscle cell medium optimized for the culture of human smooth muscle cells. This provides 15 population doublings at high growth rates. The company also sells Normal Human Mammary Epithelial Cells (HMEC) that provide a serum-free culture model for research on breast cancer, carcinogen screening, and other areas of breast research. All of Lifeline Cell Technology products are rigorously tested to the highest degree for maximum laboratory research operations.

In a news release, Andrey Semechkin, Ph.D., CEO, and co-chairman of ISCO recently stated, “We are maintaining our position as a leader in the regenerative medicine field and the overall operating income of our biomedical businesses continues to grow.” The company continues to manufacture and market its proprietary innovations while advancing developments in treatments of various diseases using stem cells.

To find out what the buzz is all about, visit www.internationalstemcell.com

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Bruce Perlowin, chief executive officer of Hemp, Inc. (OTC: HEMP), was recently featured in an interview on Up Close with Chris Tinney, a weekly podcast that introduces listeners to people making a difference in their communities and around the world. Perlowin, once dubbed the ‘King of Pot’ by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, is now referred to as the ‘Godfather of Pot Stocks’ after founding the first publicly-traded company in the medical marijuana space, Medical Marijuana, Inc. (OTC: MJNA). Today, he serves as the CEO of the first publicly-traded company seeking to capitalize on the nation’s ongoing industrial hemp revolution, Hemp, Inc.

In recent months, measures to reinvigorate the production of industrial hemp across the nation have been gaining steam. In 2014, President Obama signed a bill that removed hemp grown for research purposes from the Controlled Substances Act, and more than a dozen states now allow industrial hemp farming for research and/or commercial purposes. During the show, Perlowin detailed his vision for the future of the hemp industry.

“Medical marijuana, recreational marijuana and, certainly, industrial hemp have won,” Perlowin stated in the interview. “We will be legal in all 50 states. Trying to stop this movement is trying to sweep back the incoming tide with a broom – it’s not going to happen.”

Perlowin went on to give prospective shareholders insight into Hemp, Inc.’s progress toward the impending launch of its decortication facility in Spring Hope, North Carolina. He also highlighted the performance of the company’s cosmeceutical and nutraceutical product lines, as well as Hemp, Inc.’s enthusiastic efforts to educate the market through the production of The Hemp Nation magazine.

“Part of what we do as a public company in our position is not just make a profit; we believe in giving back and helping social causes,” Perlowin continued. “We have this massive educational campaign as part of a core element of our company, and The Hemp Nation magazine takes care of that.”

The Up Close with Chris Tinney Interview comes at an exciting time for followers of Hemp, Inc. Last week, the company reported its financial results for the third quarter of 2015, which included a 53.8 percent year-over-year increase in sales stemming from its hemp-based product line. As it continues to shift focus toward more advanced processing at its expansive decortication facility, Perlowin and the company’s management team are optimistic about Hemp, Inc.’s ability to capitalize on the rapid growth of the industrial hemp market in the years to come.

To listen to the full interview, visit www.christinney.com/hemp-inc

For more information visit www.hempinc.com

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“Boxed Water is Better.”

It’s a simple sentence that represents a powerful message about the environmental impact of the bottled water industry. Landfills across the United States are overflowing with more than two million tons of discarded water bottles, and this plastic packaging will take more than 1,000 years to biodegrade, according to the Santa Clara Valley Water District. Despite the environmental concerns, the national bottled water industry is thriving. According to a study by Statistic Brain Research Institute, annual spending on bottled water in the U.S. was estimated at $11.8 billion in 2014. That’s roughly 167 plastic bottles per person each year!

While major beverage companies such as PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) and Nestle (OTC: NSRGY) continue to capitalize on the performance of the bottled water market, a company in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is on a mission to minimize the impact of portable water solutions with a tried and tested packaging formula that’s just simple enough to work. Boxed Water Is Better LLC publicly launched Boxed Water in March 2009. Boxed Water is packaged in a 100 percent recyclable carton that has less than half of the carbon footprint of a PET bottle. To date, the company has secured placement in a variety of popular shopping destinations – including Costco (NASDAQ: COST), Whole Foods Markets (NASDAQ: WFM) and Kroger (NYSE: KR).

While Boxed Water Is Better LLC continues to make progress toward cracking the bottled water industry in the U.S., a similarly sized opportunity is available in Canada. The Canadian distribution rights for Boxed Water are held by RM Fresh Brands, which was acquired by Legacy Ventures International, Inc. (OTC: LGYV) in October.

According to a report by the Canadian Department of Agriculture, annual per capita consumption of bottled water increased by more than 107 percent from 1999 to 2009, accounting for roughly 10.6 percent of all non-alcoholic beverage sales in 2009. In the months to come, Legacy will look to capitalize on this market performance by offering an ecofriendly alternative. Currently, Legacy is focused on increasing brand awareness across Canada through the use of viral, event-driven marketing campaigns. Recent partnerships with major events such as the Toronto Film Festival and Holt Renfrew’s Holiday Kick Off have illustrated the massive potential of this strategy.

As the Boxed Water brand continues to gain steam in both domestic and international markets, Legacy is in a favorable position to realize sustainable financial growth. For prospective shareholders, ongoing efforts to disrupt the Canadian bottled water industry with a more environmentally conscious alternative make Legacy an intriguing investment opportunity moving forward.

For more information, visit www.legacyventuresinc.com

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Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS) is a junior exploration and mining company that focuses on obtaining mining claims, mineral leases, mine production, and historic mines for future growth potential. Specifically, the company acquires these base and precious metal mines in North America. At the moment, Star Mountain Resources is recommencing mining activities at the Balmat zinc mine in upstate New York, which is expected to turn the company into an active mine producer (instead of an explorer) with an impressive revenue stream beginning at the end of next year. To achieve its maximum growth through acquisitions, the company balances its core values on a pyramid of responsibility that instills confidence from the community, employees, and shareholders.

Environmental stewardship lays the foundation upon which the company is built. Star Mountain Resources believes in implementing planning and processes that won’t negatively affect the environment. Planning begins with exploration, then construction, up through reclamation. During these processes, the company diligently looks at safe water treatments, sewage systems, energy consumption, and clean air solutions. These continuous programs ensure federal, state, and local regulations are met.

Second, Star Mountain Resources provides a safe environment for employees at each facility. The company and its employees have developed personal work habits and practices that do not put anyone at risk. Then, the third tier involves the maintenance of community ties. Since 2011, the company has volunteered in flood mitigation efforts in Weber County, Utah, which have saved farms, homes, crops, and more. Star Mountain Resources also stands by its promise to hire, outsource, and buy locally in their operation communities.

Star Mountain Resources states that “responsibility to us means much more than operating in a corporate ethical manner.” The company’s responsibility is made up of strong values that provide daily guidance. By sticking to these values, along with its plan of continuous acquisitions, Star Mountain Resources intends to be a leading mining producer.

For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com

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