Legacy Ventures this morning announced that award-winning actor, screenwriter, director, producer and jazz vocalist Robert Davi has joined the company to assist in the development of various corporate brands, starting with Boxed Water.

“We are very excited that Robert Davi has joined the Legacy team as we expand the Boxed Water footprint. He will prove a valuable team member as we develop our brands across North America,” Evan Clifford, CEO of Legacy Ventures, stated in the news release.

Davi has an extensive network of relationships in the entertainment industry, as well as in charitable and community circles, all of which have the potential to bode well for Legacy Ventures as it seeks to heighten brand awareness.

Davi is one of the film industry’s most recognized tough guys, with more than 140 film credits – including most recently a key role in Expendables Three, the most popular James Bond villains, Franz Sanchez in “Licence to Kill,” FBI special agent Big Johnson in” Die Hard,” Al Torres in “Showgirls,” Leo Marks in “The Iceman.” He has also starred in the small screen in hit shows like Profiler, Stargate Atlantis, Criminal Minds and CSI.

Besides working in film, television and music and raising his family, Davi volunteers his time with such charities as The Dream Foundation, Exceptional Children’s Foundation, Heart of a Child Foundation, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Youth Foundation, The Humane Society of the United States, Heart of a Horse, NIAF, The Order ‘Sons of Italy’ in America (OSIA), and UNICO. Since 1998, Davi has been the National Spokesperson for i-Safe America, which is regarded by many Internet experts as the most complete Internet safety program in the country.

Davi has received numerous awards for career achievement and community involvement, and is currently on the Steering Committee for George Washington University’s Homeland Security Policy Institute where is the only entertainer among 28 members, which consists of mainly Senators and former heads of the FBI and CIA. Davi has developed Civilian Patrol 93, which is at Homeland Security, where a lesson plan is being written.

For more information visit www.legacyventuresinc.com

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In October, Star Mountain Resources announced that it had entered into three-way definitive agreements with Northern Zinc, LLC and HudBay Minerals, Inc. (NYSE: HBM) to acquire Balmat Holding Corporation – including St. Lawrence Zinc Company, LLC and its mining operations in the Balmat mining district of St. Lawrence County, New York. This morning, SMRS provided an update on this transaction, announcing that it had met all of the closing conditions in the purchase agreements, and, as a result, the acquisition has now closed.

“We are delighted to have closed this transaction with Northern Zinc and HudBay and thank the teams at both companies for their help in making this transaction happen,” Joe Marchal, chief executive officer of SMRS, stated in a news release. “The team we have assembled has world class financial and mining experience that we believe will enable the company to grow into a successful global base and precious metals mining group.”

In total, the Balmat mining complex encompasses a permitted and equipped zinc mine, a floatation mill, an office structure and necessary infrastructure related to the operation of the mine. Additionally, SMRS will acquire just under 2,700 acres of fee simple real estate and more than 50,000 acres of mineral rights as part of the transaction.

Although operations at the Balmat mine were suspended in 2008 as a result of low commodity prices, there are no legal or regulatory hurdles preventing the immediate commencement of mining operations following SMRS’s acquisition. The complex’s care and maintenance team has kept mining permits current, MSHA inspections up-to-date and environmental controls and conditions in regulatory compliance throughout the seven-year period.

With the Balmat acquisition now complete, SMRS is in a strong position to move forward with its ongoing transformation from a junior mining company to a producer. The company will also look to benefit from a potentially long-term relationship with Northern Zinc, which employs a full roster of mining industry professionals with decades of valuable technical and managerial experience.

SMRS has previously announced intentions to build on the momentum provided by this acquisition in order to improve its cash flows and initiate efforts to uplist to a national stock exchange. For prospective shareholders, this upside makes SMRS an intriguing investment opportunity.

“Based on data provided to us during our due diligence on this… acquisition, we believe that the [Balmat] base metal mine opportunity presents to us the possibility of outstanding cash flows in the near term,” continued Marchal. “We intend to upgrade and modernize certain infrastructure systems, develop additional access to existing mining areas and restart production at this mine within six to nine months.”

For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com

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Elephant Talk Communications Corp. offers an advanced mobile network platform with cyber security solutions for both Mobile Network Operators (MNO) and Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO). The company gives its customers tier one, on premise or cloud-based, outsourced mobile communications network functionality that greatly diminishes the Total Cost of Ownership for its customers. Elephant Talk works not only with smaller MVNOs like Vodafone and Zain, but also with larger MNOs like T-Mobile and HP.

The Elephant Talk Software DNA® 2.0 mobile service platform includes advanced Software Defined Networking (SDN) with Network Function Virtualization (NFV) technologies. This platform uses a range of Commercial-Off-the-Shelf (COTS) hardware that supports a whole list of network services and features to suit client interests. For better industry competition awareness, this service also uses “3D Processing” in real time, to view key performance indicators (KPI) quickly so Elephant Talk clients can stay ahead of the game.

On the business end, the Elephant Talk Business Operating Support System (BOSS) helps its clients every step of the way. The company assures a low-cost deployment of products and services so clients can run their business efficiently. Furthermore, Elephant Talk’s support system assists clients with sales, marketing, revenue assurance, payment plans, strategy, distribution and more. That way, Elephant Talk clients can have the best tools available to run a successful company.

ValidSoft, a subsidiary of Elephant Talk, continues the mobile platform with its voice biometrics security software. This gives clients and their customers a smoother experience when finishing a transaction. Instead of remembering pins and passwords, customers simply speak into their devices to unlock what they need. ValidSoft aims to provide a helpful user experience for both client and consumer.

Having technology that is user friendly can create a stable and sustainable relationship between the manufacturer and buyer. Elephant Talk Communications Corp. intends to solidify a positive user experience for its clients and, in turn, their customers.

For more information, please visit http://elephanttalk.com

As both adult and childhood obesity rates continue to rise, it’s interesting to observe that alternatively, the nation’s organic food trend is also rising. But it’s more than just weight conscious consumers driving the increase. The industry is also advancing as more consumers seek healthy foods void of pesticides, genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and antibiotics.

According to a 2013 report from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than 20,000 pesticides products are being marketed annually in the United States, adversely impacting the health of both consumers and the environment. As more consumers become aware of the health concerns, the demand for organic foods is on the rise, sending the organic food market on a growing spree estimated at 14% CAGR during 2014-2018 (United States Organic Food Market Forecast & Opportunities, 2018).

While organic meat, poultry and fish are expected to pick up pace in the four-year period, organic fruits and vegetables – as they do now – will lead the growth.

These trends are a driving point for Fresh Promise Foods, a brand acquisition company focused on the health and wellness food and beverage industry primarily through its majority-owned subsidiary, Harvest Soul. Harvest Soul is rapidly growing its namesake among the organic and broader health food industry through the development and marketing of innovative USDA organic and GMO-free food and beverages.

Utilizing some of the world’s healthiest ingredients, Harvest Soul creates a nutritionally-dense combination of fiber-rich vegetables and fruits mixed with tasty bits of chewable seeds, nuts and berries. By encouraging chewing during consumption, these revolutionary juices have been shown to jumpstart digestion and promote improved nutrient absorption. All of Harvest Soul’s chewable juices are HPP Fressurized™, preserving “straight from the harvest” freshness and nutrients not possible with heat pasteurization.

Even more applicable to industry demand, the company’s use of USDA organic ingredients ensures that its products aren’t produced using harsh chemicals and fertilizers. Organic farmers and producers avoid many conventional methods and opt for approved natural fertilizers and crop rotation to manage the soil, plants and weeds. To be considered “organic,” a product has to be made up of at least 95% organic ingredients, which controls the conventional ingredients that can be used.

In 2013 alone, the U.S. organic industry grew nearly 13% to reach $40 billion in sales, representing considerable market opportunity for innovative, unique products that fit growing consumer demands.

Since launching its chewable juice products online in December 2014, FPFI has made considerable progress in expanding Harvest Soul’s presence among the health-conscious demographic, exhibiting its products at key industry trade shows and expanding its distribution network.

FPFI has also secured product placement in all 32 Whole Foods Market locations in its five-state southern region and entered into a distribution agreement with San Francisco-based Optimum Sales in order to expand its distribution footprint to include the West Coast and Pacific Northwest. The company most recently launched its e-commerce storefront website on Amazon.com (NASDAQ: AMZN) and introduced a new, highly experienced VP to head the e-commerce channel. Harvest Soul has stated its plans to integrate incremental improvements to the site on an ongoing basis, deepening its online presence and market reach.

For more information, visit www.freshpromisefoods.com

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Legacy Ventures International and Boxed Water Is Better, LLC have teamed up with luxury retailer Holt Renfrew to support its upcoming “Holiday Kick Off and Charity Shopping Event.”

Boxed Water will be given out at Holt Renfrew locations across Canada today, November 4, during the retail giant’s holiday kick off and national charity shopping night. From 5 p.m.-9 p.m., 10% of all sales will be donated to The Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada.

“We are very excited about the collaboration between Boxed Water and Holt Renfrew. The alignment with Canada’s largest retailer of luxury brands and our sustainable Boxed Water brand will keep shoppers hydrated while supporting a charitable cause and doing one small thing to protect our environment,” Evan Clifford, CEO of Legacy Ventures, stated in the news release.

Participating in broader community support endeavors will also raise brand awareness for the Boxed Water brand – which is part of Legacy Ventures’ RM Fresh Brands innovative brand portfolio that includes Aloe Gloe, Uncle Si’s Iced Tea and Chef 5-Minute Meals. Boxed Water is made mostly of paper to better utilize the earth’s renewable resources and minimize the use of plastics; by implementing more efficient shipping, Boxed Water also helps reduce the company’s carbon footprint.

For more information visit www.legacyventuresinc.com

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Stellar Biotechnologies (OTCQB: SBOTF) (TSX-V: KLH), a leading manufacturer of Keyhole Limpet Hemocyanin (“KLH”) protein for generation of antibody and cell-mediated immune responses against disease indications, has received approval for its common shares to begin trading on The NASDAQ Capital Market as of November 5, 2015, under the symbol “SBOT.”

“This is a significant milestone for Stellar and an important step in our corporate growth,” Frank Oakes, president, CEO and chairman, of Stellar stated in the news release. “We anticipate that the listing of our shares on NASDAQ will raise our visibility within the investment community and with institutional investors, and will offer our shareholders an opportunity for increased liquidity. This approval comes at an important time for Stellar, as evidenced by our recently announced plan to expand manufacturing capacity to meet growing demand for KLH protein in immunotherapy. We look forward to sharing our future achievements with investors, customers, and collaborators.”

In recognition of the achievement, Nasdaq has invited Stellar to ring the Nasdaq Closing Bell tomorrow afternoon, the first day of the company’s trade on the exchange. Oakes and members of Stellar’s management team will participate in the Nasdaq closing ceremony on Thursday, November 5, 2015, at 4 p.m. ET at the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York City. The event will be broadcast live via Nasdaq’s livestream portal at http://livestream.com/nasdaq/live.

For more information visit www.stellarbiotechnologies.com

Ever wonder why domesticated animals seem less fierce than their wild counterparts? Dr. Steve Tsengas, the president and CEO of OurPet’s Company (OTCQX: OPCO), says that because our beloved cats and dogs do not experience the harshness of nature with the threat of bigger predators, they remain about 30% smaller than their cousins. They basically stay young forever as immature teenagers; complete with total dependence on their parents and occasional outbursts.

With this in mind, OurPet’s commits to developing and marketing inventive products designed to “awaken a pet’s natural instincts” while nurturing a relationship between pet and owner. For dogs, the company created a line of toys that gives Fido the mental stimulation and physical exercise he needs for healthy growth. For instance, the Buster Food Cube is a plastic ball that owners can fill with delicious treats. The catch? The dog has to figure out how to release those treats by rolling it around and the owner can even increase the difficulty if needed. There’s also the Flappy® Ruffy®, a squeak toy with flaps that simulates the feeling of caught prey to the dog.

Cats have their own feral-awakening toys too. With the Catty Whack™, felines chase a feather wand that moves quickly and randomly while squeaking like a mouse. This toy impersonates prey in the wild. Cats also enjoy the Play-N-Squeak™ toy line which brings out their stalk and chase instinct through a toy that squeaks like a mouse when handled.

Not only does OurPet’s Company develop healthy pet toys, but it also produces feeding, storage, and waste management products that aim to improve pet and owner lifestyles. Even more toys and products are under way that should contribute to the company’s goal of enhancing natural predispositions in domesticated pets and should be announced in 2016.

OurPet’s shows no sign of slowing down and says they are “at the point to support continuous improvement in revenue growth and profitability” which can be seen in the company’s record third quarter revenue numbers.

For more information on OurPet’s Company, visit www.ourpets.com

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A profound shift in American beer culture is underway, and traditional powerhouse brewers like Anheuser Busch (NYSE: BUD) and Molson Coors (NYSE: TAP) are rapidly losing market share to upstart companies with an eye for the details. In 2014, the total domestic beer market was up just 0.5 percent, according to the Brewers Association, but the craft beer category continued its meteoric rise, accounting for double-digit (11 percent) volume share of the marketplace for the first time ever.

This surge is being led by established names in the craft brewing space – including Boston Beer Company (NYSE: SAM) and D.G. Yuengling and Son, Inc. – but it is also creating an opportunity for smaller brewers to rapidly increase their presence in one of the country’s most intriguing markets. Appalachian Mountain Brewery, Inc. (OTC PINK: HOPS) is one company that’s capitalizing on the current market conditions.

In the second quarter of 2015, HOPS realized a 60 percent year-over-year increase in total revenue, recording $478,572 for the period. Similarly, the company’s net profit increased by 32 percent for the quarter thanks to an extremely strong 77 percent gross margin.

In addition to its solid financial performance, HOPS has made waves in the craft brewing industry through its award-winning beers. In July, the company announced that it had claimed three medals in the 2015 U.S. Open Beer Championship, which featured breweries from 13 countries offering nearly 4,000 beers and ciders. The company’s Blonde Ale won the gold medal in the Blonde/Golden Ale category and its Porter brew won the bronze medal in the Robust Porter category. Additionally, HOPS received a silver medal for its Cinful Plum Cider as a result of its unique combination of creativity and imagination.

With a high quality product and strong financial growth, HOPS is in a favorable position to benefit from the recent performance of the craft brewing industry. In August, the company announced intentions to begin gauging market demand for an initial public offering as well as a potential uplisting to the OTCQB exchange. For prospective shareholders, this opportunity could foreshadow a chance for HOPS to continue building on its recent progress while promoting strong returns in the months to come.

For more information, visit www.appalachianmountainbrewery.com

With the rapid rise in recent years of online language learning platforms such as Babbel, which has over 25 million app downloads to date, or freemium model-based social network language learning platform Busuu, which now boasts over 50 million users, the English language edtech market has effectively evolved beyond the grasp of all but a handful of truly savvy companies. As of earlier this year, over 60 million people were signed up to use the free, gamified Duolingo platform, which lets anyone via browser or smartphone app study languages, taking advantage of the platform’s adaptive language teaching technology.

However, Duolingo, which has taken in nearly $40 million in VC to date and even started shoveling out crowdsourced translation services to the likes of Buzzfeed and CNN as early as 2013, still doesn’t really have a revenue model to speak of. Looking at the underlying nature of the market today, it is easy to understand how Livemocha, despite over 16 million users and $19 million in funding, ended its startup run in an $8.5 million buyout by Rosetta Stone (NYSE: RST) last year. LinkedIn’s (NYSE: LNKD) $1.5 billion acquisition of renowned online education company Lynda.com last year – which is widely known in tech circles for its comprehensive, highly-valuable courses from industry experts, as well as its affordable prices – speaks volumes about where we are at in the evolution of the edtech market.

Furthermore, consider the following data point from June of this year by founder of the EdTech Europe conference, Benjamin Vedrenne-Cloquet, that edtech currently still represents less than five percent of the $4 trillion global education market. There is massive growth potential here and one of the biggest targets moving forward will be Latin America, where over 600 million people speak just two languages. Populations are largely resident in 20 or so major metropolitan centers throughout Latin America and in key markets such as Brazil, the nearly ubiquitous penetration of both broadband and smartphone coverage spells big success for companies that can deliver meaningful, truly useful digital content, as well as the ancillary services needed to learn English.

In stark contrast to now prevalent academic MOOC (massive open online course) programs, up-and-comer Udemy (which recently did a $65 million raise, led by private equity/VC firm, Stripes Group) is focused specifically on offering experts from any field the ability to create courses and offer them to the public, either for free, or for a tuition fee. This is sort of like Uberizing the Lynda.com model. According to head of business development for Udemy in Latin America, Brazil’s connectivity penetration leads the way as an example of where the regional edtech market is headed, and because the government allows for one fifth of the higher education curriculum to be delivered online in a partially unregulated space, the potential 25 million consumer market (core market of 7 million paying students) in Brazil has some of the highest margins available anywhere.

For an established edtech provider like Lingo Media (OTCQB: LMDCF) (TSX-V: LM) though, it’s about far more than simply generating the sort of healthy revenues evinced by its recent Q2 financial reportage, which showed 776 percent year-over-year revenue growth in digital learning, overtaking print-based revenue for the first time in the company’s history. Lingo Media is clearly driven by a strong, underlying mission to fundamentally change the way the entire world learns English.

In addition, the company is driven by the opening up of new markets, and providing best-in-class, innovative online, as well as print-based solutions. The recently announced securing by Lingo Media of a multi-million dollar software development contract with the Colombian Ministry of Labour’s National Training Service, SENA (Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje), to provide a variety of digital resources and content that will be incorporated into SENA’s LMS (learning management system), is a solid indicator of how the company is currently making huge strides in Latin America.

Secured via a partnership between Lingo Media’s wholly-owned ELL Technologies subsidiary and Colombian ESL edtech digital platform developer, eDistribution, this multi-million dollar software development deal puts Lingo Media at the forefront of what is an ongoing campaign by Colombia’s government to leverage the nation’s substantial human capital via language learning. English is mandated in all schools by official Colombian policy under the PFDCLE (Foreign Languages Competencies Development Programme), with the goal of making the entire country bilingual, following CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) proficiency standards.

Given that eDistribution is a specialist in the field of developing enhanced digital resources for second language classroom practices, and that ELL Technologies’ product suite spans the gamut from contextual-based training to comprehensive, SCORM-compliant achievement testing – putting together a winning package of digital resources, lessons, and learning objects for SENA should be a snap for the pair. The highly customizable and fluid framework that will be provided to educators, which will allow unprecedented ease of access to tools enabling dynamic coursework and in-class session development, no doubt will come to serve as a living advertisement for other regional markets.

Columbia’s SENA is laser-focused on digital content and this sweetheart deal is a major feather in Lingo Media’s cap. A deal which will serve to further open up the Latin American market, giving the company an ever more stable footing, amid the Permian Sea-like development of what continues to be one of the hottest markets in edtech today.

All around the world today, some two billion people or more are trying to learn the English language. In China, kids start learning English as early as grade three, and its teaching is mandated by law. China has become the largest English-speaking country on earth as a result of this practice and Lingo Media’s print based roots are firmly established in this key global market, with a wide range of popular educational text books and learning tools available through the company’s publishing unit, Lingo Learning.

Learn more, visit Lingo Media online at: www.lingomedia.com

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In recent months, Dominovas Energy Corporation (OTCQB: DNRG) has made considerable progress toward expanding its presence in the promising power generation markets of sub-Saharan Africa. Just last week, the company announced a landmark capital commitment of $1.2 billion in project financing with Graecrest Energy Solutions, effectively validating its business model and demonstrating the feasibility of installing power infrastructure in global and emerging markets. Earlier today, Dominovas Energy took another step toward the commercialization of its innovative RUBICON™ solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) technology when it announced the completion of a concept design study for the efficient manufacturing of the system.

“Building a mega-watt class SOFC system required a fresh and sustainable approach to address and overcome the engineering challenges for the overall system development,” Dr. Shamiul Islam, executive vice president of fuel cell operations with Dominovas Energy, stated in a news release. “This proprietary study serves as a viable and venerable cornerstone upon which the manufacturing and commercialization process can proceed.”

The concept study – which was completed in concert with AVL List GmbH (AVL), the world’s largest independent developer of powertrain systems – confirmed the specific design details needed to create a groundbreaking precision-engineered system capable of supplying clean, reliable, commercially-viable and sustainable energy to millions of sub-Saharan Africans. With the completion of this study, Dominovas Energy is prepared to enter the next level of detailed design, engineering and manufacturing of its multi-megawatt systems in order to capitalize on its favorable strategic position in the region.

“The results of this study offer a roadmap and confirm the technical feasibility of the ‘commercialization’ of the multi-MW modular RUBICON™ power generation technology,” Dr. Martin Hauth, project manager of fuel cell systems with AVL, stated. “We are very excited to enter into the next phase of system commercialization for deployment with Dominovas Energy.”

In addition to its rapidly expanding presence in sub-Saharan Africa, Dominovas Energy has also recently made strides toward establishing a foothold in the Middle East, as announced in a recent press release, and the Company is moving aggressively to fortify its relationship and standing in the region. This growing global presence stems from rising concerns about climate change, energy security and air pollution, which have driven a persistent demand for environmentally-friendly fuel cell technology in recent years.

Dominovas Energy has eagerly embraced the opportunity to support and deploy its proprietary SOFC technology to address this demand. Look for the company to continue to capitalize on its strategic partnerships in both sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East in the months to come, as it positions itself to achieve sustainable financial growth. For prospective shareholders, the recently announced completion of the concept design study for its RUBICON™ technology could foreshadow an opportunity for Dominovas Energy to achieve strong returns in the future.

For more information, visit www.dominovasenergy.com

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