• Zenergy’s vision is helping businesses through responsible energy use and management
• The company focuses on significantly decreasing the carbon footprint in America
• Zenergy features its Zero Cost Program

Zenergy Brands, Inc. (OTC: ZNGY) specializes in lessening utility consumption. A business-to-business (B2B) enterprise, the company provides retail energy, energy conservation, smart controls and efficiency-based products and services. Its corporate vision is to enhance businesses by way of responsible energy use and management. The company is based in Dallas, Texas.

Zenergy serves commercial, industrial and municipal customers. It offers these customers the ability to decrease their utility consumption from 20 percent all the way up to 60 percent via its Zero Cost Program. The program is designed to help customers reduce electricity, natural gas and water consumption, as suited to their specific needs.

Zenergy Brands’ emphasis is on significantly lessening the carbon footprint in America. In addition, its focus is on substantially decreasing the demand on the national energy grid and on the nation’s water supply; the Zero Cost Program is an excellent means to this end.

For instance, with every Zero Cost Contract initiated, Zenergy performs an industry best practices analysis. It does so to ascertain what the environmental impact is per customer contract. It desires to help its customers realize their sustainability goals and lessen damaging carbon emissions by way of the Zero Cost Program.

The program enhances businesses by immediately decreasing energy consumption. It facilitates this through the use of smart controls, building automation, LED lighting solutions, refrigeration optimization, efficient water systems, EC motor controls, demand-side management and load factor correction (http://ibn.fm/Zx0tr).

Fundamentally, the Zero Cost Program is a financing mechanism. It allows the company’s customers to reduce utility consumption with no out-of-pocket cost. It achieves this via the implementation of proven conservation technologies. The program was developed based on an industry standard agreement known as a Managed Energy Services Agreement (MESA). With MESA, Zenergy Brands acts as a go-between for the customer and the utility. It develops, obtains financing for, installs and maintains energy efficiency measures and equipment at clients’ facilities (http://ibn.fm/1Ufjc).

The Zero Cost Program is finding increased acceptance in diverse markets. Recently, Zenergy Brands announced that it closed a Zero Cost contract with a Texas-based franchisee of a recognized fast food restaurant chain. In a recent news release, Zenergy Vice President of Business Development Jeff Bay-Andersen said, “We are excited about this partnership and hopeful that this deal marks the beginning of an upward trend whereby we can secure more Zero Cost contracts with other similar franchisees.” This deal is worth a total contract value of $393,969 (http://ibn.fm/ZCqU7).

Zenergy Brands continues to innovate in its efforts to help its customers drive down energy consumption. The company’s focus is wise energy usage and providing shareholders quality returns based on a broader adaption of its Zero Cost Program. Zenergy is at the forefront of cutting-edge solutions to efficient energy usage.

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

• First medical cannabis producer in North America to meet rigorous standards of GMP certification, supplying cannabis flower and extracts
• Canadian federally-licensed cannabis cultivator, processor and distributor
• Q2 2018 revenue increased to $9.7 million, up 95.2 percent over second quarter of 2017
• Multinational distribution network makes Tilray medical cannabis available to patients in 11 countries on five continents
• Raised $163.6 million in a successful IPO in July 2018 and $55 million from leading institutional investors prior to IPO
• Agreements signed to supply medical cannabis via Canadian pharmacies and recreational cannabis to adult-use consumers in seven Canadian provinces and territories
• Received U.S. government approval to import cannabinoid study drug to UC San Diego for clinical trial for treatment of essential tremor, a neurological disorder

Tilray, Inc. (NASDAQ: TLRY), a global pioneer in cannabis research, cultivation, production and distribution, continues to build an international footprint in the cannabis space with a long list of “firsts” in the cannabis industry. As one of only a few cannabis companies with a U.S. stock listing, Tilray’s stock has been a favorite of investors, soaring more than 10-fold since its initial public offering in July. Tilray’s diverse management team of industry leading experts includes PhD research scientists, master horticulturalists, engineers and patient advocates, in addition to backing by billionaire investor Peter Thiel.

Tilray’s aggressive pursuit of agreements to supply premium cannabis products to not only the Canadian market, which is poised to become the first G7 country to legalize recreational cannabis nationwide in October, but to any country that has legalized cannabis. Among its most recent announcements, the company has:

• Executed a non-binding letter of intent with IntelGenx Corp. to co-develop and commercialize oral film products infused with recreational and medical cannabis (http://ibn.fm/OAFLK)
• Received approval from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to import a medical cannabis supply drug for a clinical trial on essential tremor at the University of California San Diego Center for Medicinal Cannabis Research (http://ibn.fm/dXv4s)
• Regulatory permits approved for export to Germany of medical cannabis flower and full-spectrum medical cannabis oil for patient use (http://ibn.fm/BAgNU)
• Currently supplying products for several different clinical trials in partnership with universities, hospitals and governments in Australia and Canada (http://ibn.fm/gIv0T)
• Established wholly owned subsidiary High Park Company to produce and distribute a broad-based portfolio of cannabis brands and products in Canada; an investment totaling $100 million that’s expected to grow the company’s Canadian workforce to more than 500 in the next several years

In Deloitte’s 2018 cannabis report (http://ibn.fm/4vTb5), the research firm frames the total cannabis market in Canada as “significant” and one that has “spurred innovation, entrepreneurship and jobs.” Canada’s medical and recreational cannabis market is expected to generate $7.17 billion in total sales in 2019.

Brendan Kennedy, president and chief executive officer of Tilray, notes the company’s strong start to 2018 and offers insight to its future plans in a second quarter earnings report to stakeholders (http://ibn.fm/WNKql).

“Tilray is well-positioned to continue to pioneer the development of the global medical cannabis market and to become a leader in the adult-use cannabis market in Canada,” Kennedy states in the report. “In the second quarter, we generated significant revenue growth as a result of our global strategy, our multinational distribution network and our commitment to research, innovation, quality and operational excellence.”

Financial highlights in the report include an increase in revenue to $9.7 million, up 95.2 percent compared to the second quarter of 2017; a 97 percent increase in total kilogram equivalents sold compared to the prior year; and an average net selling price per gram increase from $6.20 to $6.38.

Business highlights in 2018 to date show Tilray’s successful IPO and funding received from institutional investors that brought $218.6 million to the company; signed agreements to supply cannabis to adult-use consumers in seven Canadian provinces and territories and signed strategic agreements with Sandoz Canada, a division of Novartis, to collaborate on the creation and sale of co-branded and co-developed non-combustible medical cannabis products. Agreements or LOIs were also signed with Shoppers Drug Mart Inc., Canada’s largest pharmacy chain, and Pharmasave, one of Canada’s leading independent pharmacy chains, to provide Tilray products once certain legal steps have been met.

Exports to Argentina, South Africa and the United Kingdom now make Tilray products available in 11 countries on five continents. The company also launched High Park Holdings Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary formed to serve the pending adult-use market in Canada, in addition to the launch of the CANACA brand, which celebrates the historic moment in Canada as it becomes the first G7 nation to federally legalize cannabis for adult-use.

Tilray’s company culture promotes experience, precision, research and care for its customers and clients. Its precisely formulated products are cultivated to meet exacting patient needs and come in two primary forms – extracts and dried flower. Tilray’s product line centers on active ingredients and standardized, well-defined preparations with a focus on patient safety and efficacy. The company’s clinical research program is designed to evolve current scientific understanding of the therapeutic value and risks of cannabinoid-based medicines. Tilray’s flagship production facility is located in Nanaimo, Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

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

• ChineseInvestors.com sees astounding 28,859 percent revenue growth in CBD product brands
• Company tapping into economic potential of huge ethnic Chinese population in China and North America
• Company delivers education and analysis in Chinese on all aspects of cryptocurrency production and trade

A financial information company dedicated to empowering Chinese-speaking investors and building on the market potential of cannabis-infused health and wellness products is announcing the expansion of its footprint in North America with the opening of offices in eastern Canada. ChineseInvestors.com, Inc. (OTCQB: CIIX) issued a news release on September 17 stating that it now has a sales and support office in Richmond, British Columbia, in addition to its headquarters in San Gabriel, California, and other corporate satellites in New York City and Shanghai.

The new British Columbia offices are located in the heart of Richmond’s busy financial district in the Pacific Business Centre, a prime location in close proximity to major Canadian banks, SkyTrain stations, shopping plazas and the neighboring Service Canada Centre, according to the news release (http://ibn.fm/fKGtp).

“With 54% of Richmond, British Columbia’s population representing individuals of Chinese ethnicity, we are in the optimal Canadian location to serve our target market,” CEO Warren Wang stated in the release, noting ChineseInvestors.com’s “long history of delivering quality, innovative subscription and educational services to Chinese globally.”

China’s citizens comprise the world’s largest national population — estimated this month to be at over 1.4 million people or 18.54 percent of the total planet’s population, according to the United Nations (http://ibn.fm/QVLdp). Ethnic Chinese people’s presence in North America mirrors their global anthropological status — they make up the largest subset of the diverse Asian American community (http://ibn.fm/ArsNy) and are collectively a potential economic engine.

ChineseInvestors.com is focused on delivering market analysis and education in the Chinese language to assist investors striving to participate in market activity. In November, the company launched a news and investment education portal covering strategies and opportunities to capitalize on the rising star of cryptocurrency and blockchain markets, including trading guidelines, market commentary and analysis. After the beginning of the new year, the company began producing a daily cryptocurrency video newscast in Chinese in conjunction with independent news agency Wall Street Multimedia.

ChineseInvestors.com’s fiscal year-end report adds that the company’s gross operating revenues experienced a 41 percent year-over-year increase primarily as a result of consumer product sales tied to its subsidiaries’ hemp brands. Its hemp oil and liquor products were the primary reason its sales grew from $1,308 the previous May to $377,719 this year — an astounding 28,859 percent increase. Revenues from the company’s cryptocurrency brands grew from $19,453 to $206,648 during the year (http://ibn.fm/VP0OL).

The company plans to establish a cryptocurrency ATM network with an online coin-to-coin exchange for Chinese cryptocurrency investors, and to dedicate more resources to marketing its hemp-based CBD products as the government regulatory climate continues to yield to popular clamor for greater legalization of hemp as an agricultural commodity. Eventually, ChineseInvestors.com expects to spin off its CBD division, ChineseHempOil.com, Inc. In the meantime, the company has set its sights on moving into more U.S. states, Toronto and Japan, Wang told MoneyTV (http://ibn.fm/CQTPf).

Wang said that he hopes the CBD spinoff will take place by year-end as part of a drive to list on the OTC or a national exchange such as Nasdaq in the coming months.

“We intend to continue to expand our consumer division by dedicating more resources to marketing hemp-based CBD products both domestically and in China,” Wang stated in the interview. “At the same time, we will continue to offer our core financial subscription services with a focus on increasing subscription revenues through targeted marketing of the Company’s new cryptocurrency subscription services and educational products.”

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

• Marifil Mines presented promising results related to the availability of gold in the San Roque property in Argentina
• Samples were processed adhering to the strictest industry quality assurance standards
• Marifil Mines announced a financing initiative aimed at generating a cumulative amount of $1 million

Canada-based Marifil Mines Ltd. (TSX.V: MFM) (OTCQB: MFMLF) recently received the preliminary results for its diamond core drilling program at the Argentine San Roque property, indicating significant mineralization at the four holes that were tested, according to a company release (http://ibn.fm/sMXVb). The release also emphasizes Marifil Mines’ commitment to rigorous quality assurance and quality control at its San Roque property, located near the Atlantic coast in the Province of Rio Negro, Argentina.

Preliminary assay results for the company’s diamond core drilling program highlight the use of four HQ-size core holes totaling 846 meters (2,776 feet), with gold mineralization reported for all four holes. Currently, there are 112 holes at the property totaling 16,683 meters (54,734 feet). Each one of the holes intercepted some degree of mineralization, which is indicative of an extensive mineralization system. Some of the holes are below the grade cut-off level as presented by the company. In some instances, mineralization starts at the surface and continues to the bottom of the hole.

Marifil Mines is the project operator at San Roque. The property is held by Minas San Roque S.A., which is jointly owned by Marifil’s wholly owned subsidiary, Marifil Mines S.A. (51 percent), and NovaGold Resources Inc.’s (TSX: NG) wholly owned subsidiary, NovaGold Argentina Inc. (49 percent).

The company carried out an extensive, systematic quality assurance program at San Roque aimed primarily at maintaining the integrity and safety of the drill core samples. The samples were kept in a secure location and were shipped in tamper-proof bags for assaying at Alex Stewart Argentina S.A. (ASL) in Mendoza. The analysis was also carried out following rigorous quality standards.

All of the drill core samples’ analytical results were reviewed by an independent geochemist consultant. According to the review, the Marifil quality assurance program at San Roque conforms with the best industry practices, with only minor adjustments required to make it fully compliant, and assay results are within acceptable limits for accuracy and precision. Marifil Mines has already addressed the minor adjustments to be incorporated into the next drilling program, which were primarily to produce duplicate samples from the remaining half of the drill core instead of submitting a quarter of the corresponding core as Marifil did previously.

In addition to presenting the San Roque property results, Marifil has also made a financing announcement. As of September 13, the company has arranged a non-brokered private placement financing that consists of up to 10 million units, each one priced at $0.10. The gross proceeds are anticipated at $1 million.

Each individual unit consists of a Marifil Mines share and one share warrant. The warrant enables the owner of the share to acquire one additional share of the company at an individual price of $0.15. The period during which this acquisition can take place is two years from the closing of the current financing.

All of the securities to be issued are going to be the subject of a hold period that’s bound to expire in four months from a day after the closing of the financing. Several conditions will apply to the financing, including the receipt of all regulatory approvals.

Marifil Mines is dedicated to acquiring resource-rich properties in Argentina, with a primary focus on lithium, cobalt and gold exploration. In addition to the San Roque property, the company currently holds mining claims to 15,250 hectares (37,700 acres) of land in the Argentine Puna, within the famed ‘Lithium Triangle,’ where it has revived its lithium exploration program, which was halted in 2009. The company also owns the Las Aguilas property in central Argentina, which is currently the country’s largest known nickel/cobalt property.

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

• Owner of two international U.S. patents and six patents issued by the People’s Republic of China, including three invention patents and three utility model patents
• Revenue for China’s solid waste recycling industry grew at a CAGR of 13.5 percent to an estimated $16.2 billion from 2014-2018
• Sustainable and eco-design recycling trends of industrial waste recycling creating value by extending a products’ life-cycles
• TMSR’s patented green technology allows industrial companies to extract valuable metal byproducts from solid industrial waste
• Global mining waste management market expected to reach 233.56 billion tons by 2022 at a CAGR of 6.1 percent from 2017-2022

TMSR Holding Company Limited (NASDAQ: TMSR), together with its subsidiaries, is providing a clear choice for companies producing industrial solid waste in China that are looking for a clean alternative to traditional waste disposal. Recognized as an industry leader in the research, development, production and sale of solid waste recycling systems and zero emissions process systems for the industrial and mining sectors in the People’s Republic of China, TMSR operates through its wholly owned business divisions: Shengrong Environmental and Wuhan HOST Coating Materials.

The solid waste recycling industry in China continues to grow, even after the Chinese government banned the import of 24 categories of recyclables and solid waste by the end of 2017. The country’s high demand for limited resources, rising concerns about the environment and urbanization are fueling the industry’s growth. Revenue for the solid waste recycling industry in China grew at an annualized rate of 13.5 percent from 2014-2018 to an estimated $16.2 billion, according to an industry report issued by IBISWorld (http://ibn.fm/fzCYM).

The global waste recycling market, which covers municipal solid waste, industrial non-hazardous waste, construction and demolition waste, plastic waste,and waste from electrical and electronic equipment, is also expanding and expected to generate $282.1 billion in 2018, according to a report by Frost & Sullivan (http://ibn.fm/nuweA).

TMSR subsidiary Shengrong Environmental designs, builds, sells and services customized solid waste recycling systems and equipment to tackle much of the waste produced by these industries. Shengrong’s patented equipment can process aluminum slag, copper mine tailings, iron mine tailings, red mud manganese tailings and molybdenum tailings, among many others. Unlike traditional chemical-based recovery methods, the company extracts resalable metals from the waste without generating any pollution. The residues are processed to manufacture high-quality construction materials, turning polluted solid waste into valuable industrial materials with zero discharge (http://ibn.fm/wQvZJ).

Trends of industrial waste recycling include innovative business models and disruptive technologies including “green technologies” such as those offered by TMSR. By supporting principles of sustainability, TMSR provides end users in the solid waste recycling markets a clean alternative that significantly reduces solid waste discharge into the environment, reducing energy use and pollution while creating value for businesses and extending products’ life-cycles.

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

• Biotech company is focused on becoming a worldwide leader in R&D and sale of hemp-derived, CBD-based nutraceuticals, pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements
• ETST is developing three new CBD formulas in Canada under a provisory patent; it is also clinical testing its Hygee medical device for detecting sexually transmitted diseases in women
• With its Form 10 Registration Statement filing now effective, ETST will begin reporting annual, quarterly and periodic financial statements

Earth Science Tech, Inc. (OTCQB: ETST) anticipates that its uplisting to the OTCQB Venture Market will enable it to reach global recognition and increase liquidity as a leader in the hemp-based CBD space in several fields, such as cannabinoid products. It also develops innovative medical devices designed for multi-national marketing (http://ibn.fm/IArhk).

The Florida-based company seeks to raise its recognition level and perform more R&D for the CBD industry. ETST manufactures, markets and distributes its own cannabinoid products, including capsules and oils. It is a leader in the medical cannabis markets, with its products available at retail health food stores and e-liquid smoke shops.

“Historically, up-listing to the OTCQB and being fully reporting has resulted in greater liquidity and awareness,” Nickolas S. Tabraue, president, director and chairman of ETST, stated in a news release (http://ibn.fm/kFLuV). “We are committed to the higher level of corporate and financial disclosures required as an OTCQB fully reporting company, demonstrating our commitment to our loyal shareholders.”

In Canada, it is testing three new CBD IP formulations. It is also clinical testing its Hygee MSN-2 medical device for detection of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in women at Québec’s Clinique Santé Amitié (http://ibn.fm/BGONO).

It is developing two new products in Brazil in a joint venture with Bionatus Laboratrio Botnico of Brazil and its Canadian division Bionatus Botanical Laboratories, Inc. In the U.S., it is conducting studies with the University of Central Oklahoma on the impact of high grade full spectrum CBD on immune cells and breast cancer (http://ibn.fm/WvDDW).

ETST holds several wholly owned subsidiaries. Cannabis Therapeutics is an emerging biotechnology company. KannaBidioiD manufactures and distributes in the recreational sector. Earth Science Foundation, Inc. is becoming a non-profit and accepts grants and donations to conduct additional studies. Earth Science Pharmaceutical develops medical diagnostic tools and vaccines. It also formed subsidiary Canno Inno Laboratories Inc., a strategic Montreal, Canada-based company that provides ETST with access to government grants.

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

• Lithium ion batteries (“LIB”) have key advantages over lead acid batteries in systems designed for use in power grid failure
• State-of-the-art designs in uninterrupted power supply systems depend on lithium-ion battery packs
• Battery technology conference notes that new uninterruptable power supply (“UPS”) systems face lithium supply challenges

While the electrical vehicle market is driving a rising worldwide demand for lithium, another sector is set to push the need for this light metal even higher. At a leading industry event for battery technology this week, participants discussed the growing demand for lithium ion batteries for use in UPS systems in big data centers (http://ibn.fm/8Juh8).

This is good news for Canada-based QMC Quantum Minerals Corp. (OTC: QMCQF) (TSX.V: QMC) (FSE: 3LQ), a company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and development of natural resource properties containing high-quality lithium, silver, gold, nickel, copper and zinc mineralization. The company recently announced that it has expanded its Cat Lake property holdings as it pushes the Irgon Mine Project forward toward a production decision.

The Battery Show, held September 11-13 in Novi, Michigan, is an event which drew together engineers, executives and other industry specialists. At a workshop titled “Batteries to Support Critical Power Grids,” participants learned how lithium ion batteries have major advantages over lead acid batteries in UPS systems. Such systems are crucial in a number of industries, including health care, transportation, commerce and data processing, where an interruption in the power supply could cause widespread disruption, including loss of life.

Thomas Lynn, technical director of lithium battery producers LiiON LLC, told the workshop that engineers are increasingly using lithium-based batteries in state-of-the-art power backup systems.

The majority of UPS systems are still built on lead acid batteries, but LIBs are beginning to gain ground in a trend that is expected to continue, Lynn said. Lithium ion batteries hold significant advantages in UPS systems in as much as:

• Lead acid battery data systems have a three- to six-year lifespan, while lithium ion systems can last from 15 to 20 years.
• Lithium ion systems are built with battery management systems, which allow engineers to constantly monitor the status and health of the system.
• Lithium battery packs are smaller and lighter in weight than lead acid batteries, which translates into savings in real estate space.

However, the workshop also heard that, while the UPS industry sees enormous advantages in adopting LIBs, it faces the same supply challenges with which the electric vehicle industry is already grappling.

QMC’s wholly owned Cat Lake Irgon Lithium Mine Project is located on a site previously owned by the Lithium Corporation of Canada Ltd., which carried out a large amount of work several decades ago. It is due to this previous exploration and development work (undertaken during the 1950s) that QMC is anticipating starting operations much sooner than expected and is currently working toward bringing the property online for production. Additionally, the company recently announced that it has staked nine additional mineral claims covering 4,784 acres, expanding the Irgon Property’s contiguous footprint to 11,325 acres.

The historic (non NI 43-101-compliant) resource estimates at the site calculated a vast lithium resource of 1.2 million tons grading 1.51 percent lithium-oxide. The company is currently in the process of updating the resource estimate according to current industry standards, and so far, the results have been positive, as they compare favorably with historic assays. Channel sampling on the Irgon Dike has returned 1.59 percent Li2O over 16 meters. Regional results on other dikes in the area returned three grab samples with concentrations over 1.90 percent lithium-oxide, including one that assayed 2.62 percent.

These positive results, alongside the property’s favorable location and well-developed mining infrastructure, offer significant value and positioning for QMC to capitalize on the rising global demand for lithium.

British Columbia-based Quantum Minerals is confident that its Canadian Irgon Mine Project will make a major contribution to the world’s lithium supply. This property is located in Manitoba, one of Canada’s most productive mining regions.

In addition, also located within Manitoba, QMC is exploring its Namew Lake District Project, which consists of two volcanic massive sulphide (“VMS”) properties – the Rocky Lake and Rocky-Namew.  Located in the prolific Flin Flon VMS mining belt, each of these properties has great potential to host additional base metal-rich mineral deposits.

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

• Two-year contract brings company’s CLR Roasters coffee brand to patrons, crews of international cruise line
• YGYI CEO appointed to board of directors of Direct Selling Association, a national trade organization representing direct selling industry
• Q1 2018 revenues rose by 11 percent over Q1 2017 at $43 million, with gross profits increasing to $25 million
• YGYI enters $7.7 billion cannabis market with HempFX product line

Leading omni-direct lifestyle company Youngevity International, Inc. (NASDAQ: YGYI) is making enviable strides among several sectors of the direct selling industry as it expands its brands and offerings in multiple markets. Among the latest highlights is an expansion into the lucrative cruise line industry with the signing of a two-year contract to provide the company’s CLR Roasters coffee to over 60,000 crew members serving on 60 ships, along with passengers of three luxury cruise ships, a company press release states (http://ibn.fm/mlaSV).

“We are very proud of the footprint we have established in the cruise line industry and this new contract establishes us as a worldwide player in the space. We are hopeful that this relationship will lead to other opportunities among this prestigious operator’s other six cruise line brands,” Ernesto Aguila, president of CLR and founder of the Café La Rica Brand, stated in the news release. “We are quite enthusiastic about this opportunity to expose our coffee and custom blends to such a large organization.”

CLR Roasters LLC is a fully integrated coffee business with multiple brands including Café La Rica, the official “Cafecito” of the Miami Marlins, and Jose’s Java House, a single serve consumer brand. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, CLR Roasters owns two coffee plantations and a wet and dry processing mill located in the high mountains of Matagalpa, Nicaragua, that’s able to process over 30 million pounds of green coffee on an annual basis. Coffee produced by CLR Roasters is certified by numerous organizations to ensure that its exquisite quality, phenomenal taste and environmental sustainability exceeds industry standards, as the company notes on its website

Created through the 2011 merger of Youngevity Essential Life Sciences with Javalution® Coffee Company, today’s Youngevity International Inc. is a virtual worldwide Main Street of products and services under one corporate entity that supports a healthy and empowered lifestyle. Among the Top 100 Global Direct Selling Companies, Youngevity offers products from the six top selling retail categories, including health/nutrition, home/family, food/beverage (including coffee), spa/beauty, apparel/jewelry and a range of innovative services.

Youngevity has also introduced a new line of three proprietary blends of hemp-derived cannabinoid products – Soothe, Relax and Uplift – that gives the company a foothold in the $7.7 billion cannabis market. The company expects to introduce the HempFX (Trademarked) product line to the public soon, with the official launch anticipated to take place by October 2018, a news release states (http://ibn.fm/apRnO).

“Hemp-derived cannabidiol aligns with what we do very well,” Steve Wallach, CEO of Youngevity, stated in the news release. “We’ve taken what we know about essential nutrients, along with decades of knowledge specializing in natural, plant-based nutrition and their most beneficial nutrients and put that knowledge to work to develop high-end cannabidiol products.”

As a testament to Youngevity’s success and influence in the direct selling industry, Wallach was recently appointed to the Direct Selling Association (“DSA”) board of directors. With nearly three decades of sales and network marketing experience, Wallach has successfully guided Youngevity from a domestic seller to a worldwide marketer of products and services that support a healthy and empowered lifestyle. Youngevity’s Q1 2018 revenues increased 11 percent over Q1 2017 at $43 million, while total company revenues in FY 2017 were recorded at $165.7 million, according to a July 2018 investor relations fact sheet (http://ibn.fm/Z4Agf).

“I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity to serve on the DSA Board of Directors,” Wallach stated in a news release (http://ibn.fm/iwm6P). “I look forward to helping advance the association’s global membership initiatives and being at the forefront of positive change in our industry.”

The DSA is a national trade association that represents the direct selling industry and advocates on behalf of its 200-plus member companies. Its board consists of 22 industry leaders who serve as officers and directors, as nominated and elected by their peers. In addition to leading and directing the affairs of the association, board members are charged specifically with promoting the DSA code of ethics. Board leadership also carries government relations, education and research responsibilities.

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

• Customer engagement is crucial for online retailers
• Gamification platform employs game elements to engage website visitors
• Stake by Chinese investors provides potential entry to huge Asian market

In the 19th century, the maxim “build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door” might have applied, but that was like… two hundred years ago, when consumer choices were rather limited and there was no internet. Marketplaces today are fiercely competitive, and the business that eschews marketing probably won’t survive for very long. Particularly online, marketing tools, like those provided by DeepMarkit Inc. (TSX.V: MKT) (OTCQB: MKTDF), are crucial to attracting customers and converting their visits into sales.

The tech company is developing gamification technology that holds the promise of engaging customers more effectively. Since the launch of its e-commerce toolkit in March, the company has received over 125,000 reviews by email from merchants enjoying high conversion rates, verifiable indication that DeepMarkit’s customer acquisition tools have proven extremely beneficial to merchants (http://ibn.fm/wrDct).

Gamification is the incorporation of game elements into marketing. Games are universally appealing, because they stimulate and uplift our psyches. They are also an essential way of experiencing and learning about the real world. The cub that playfully chases its sibling is developing the speed required to capture antelope, which can do 55 mph. Again, Lewis Hamilton confessed recently “before he became a racer, he used to play F1 on his PlayStation.” Hamilton, who has won the world title four times, is the current Formula 1 champion (http://ibn.fm/5XHlN).

Gamification activates many of the psychological attributes – achievement, competition, collection, collaboration and community – that make us play games. A game that awards points triggers our need for achievement, for example. One with levels fulfils our desire for status, while another that calls for teams fosters our sense of community. This means that cleverly employed game attributes can be used to generate customer leads, promote products and deliver rewards, as well as to build brand awareness and strengthen customer loyalty.

The DeepMarkit platform – Gamify – allows merchants to build branded games that provide incentives to website visitors, motivating them into actions that generate leads and result in sales. The Gamify platform integrates several gaming elements with interactive advertising and powerful visuals, including 3D images. It is flexible enough to fit campaigns of all sizes and is suitable for multi-channel and omni-channel approaches that incorporate web, mobile and social media.

In addition, the platform offers a selection of easily customizable gaming apps featuring a customer’s branded e-store, as well as tailored landing pages, technical support, real-time analytics, data collection and engaging marketing campaigns. The patent-pending app comes complete with unique user incentives that draw consumers in with games and prizes, which in turn engage shoppers, turning them into buyers and building brand loyalty. It is available via free download on major e-commerce platforms, including Shopify, BigCommerce and WooCommerce, and also as a plugin for WordPress, which opens the door for easy and broad adoption.

The market for tools like those offered by DeepMarkit is expanding rapidly. A recent report by P&S Market Research calls for “the global gamification market… to touch $22,913.0 million by 2022,” driven by the growing involvement of people in social sites, high adoption of gamification in corporate and institutions and growing penetration of gadgets and display devices.  That would mean a CAGR of 41.8 percent during the forecast period; the market was $1,698.7 million in 2015 (http://ibn.fm/8PRa3).

In June 2017, the Gamify platform attracted a $1.5 million investment from Allstate International LLC in Hong Kong. The investment gave Allstate a 10 percent stake in DeepMarkit. It provides an opportunity to bring the Gamify platform into the huge Asian gaming market. Ironically, with so much at stake, DeepMarkit is obviously not playing games.

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

• “Oki” product line includes iced teas and flavored water
• Nutritional supplements to be sold as capsules and tinctures
• Hemp extract market projected to reach $2.1 billion by 2020, according to company officials

Phivida Holdings Inc. (CSE: VIDA) (OTCQX: PHVAF), a food and beverage company that produces hemp-infused products, has announced the launch of a new line of drinks and supplements featuring hemp extracts into the mainstream market.

According to a company press release (http://ibn.fm/Qcl9R), the Oki line of products, which includes food supplements and flavored functional beverages containing active hemp extracts, is to be available in up to 2,400 retail outlets across the United States. Oki beverages include two main varieties – iced teas and flavored water – sold in 16oz bottles, each containing 10 mg of hemp extract. The supplements are packaged as capsules and tinctures.

In keeping with the company’s focus on holistic health and nature-based foods, the Oki products are organic and vegan-friendly, containing only non-genetically-modified, plant-based ingredients, and are sold in glass bottles that may be recycled.

“We created the Oki line as a powerful new offering that restores balance and focus to our everyday lives when we need it most – whether during recovery from a workout or getting ready for the day ahead,” Phivida President and CEO Jim Bailey said in a news release. “Following the success of our Vida+ line of full spectrum hemp oil extracts and capsules targeting the clinical market, the Oki launch is the next milestone in our journey to bring premium products to broader consumer and retail audiences.”

Mike Cornwell, Phivida’s Chief Marketing Officer, said that the Oki brand comes to the market at an exciting period of high growth. “The size of the functional beverage market is estimated to be approximately $14 billion and the hemp extract market is poised to explode to $2.1 billion by 2020,” he added. “We’re proud to be able to offer consumers a new line of products that could benefit them, using formats like beverages and supplements, which are relatively unchartered by other companies in our category. We truly are in the midst of very exciting times.”

Phivida conducted extensive consumer research before the Oki product launch, during which it was able to align the product line with the ethos, habits and attitudes of its target market. The research revealed that consumers of active hemp extracts prioritize healthy lifestyles and seek out functional beverages. They are more likely to reject drinks that contain large amounts of sugar and processed ingredients, and value hemp extract for its positive effects on anxiety and its ability to boost relaxation.

The research was paramount in advancing and validating Phivida’s product design, according to Cornwell. Oki beverages are completely aligned with the preferences of functional beverage consumers, as indicated by product testing scores as high as 80 percent with a sample group of 1,200 individuals.

As part of its distribution plan, Phivida has an exclusive agreement with Natural Specialty Sales, through which it has access to several operators in the quality natural products space, including Whole Foods, Sprouts Farmers Market and National Co-op Grocers.

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