Rhino Resource Partners LP (OTCQB: RHNO) is a producer of natural resources, including sulfur steam coal, metallurgical coal, gas, and oil. RHNO’s vision is “To be a leading supplier of natural resources; ever improving through teamwork and innovation, always committed to excel in safety, productivity, environmental excellence and stakeholder value.” The company’s guiding principles are safety, leadership, and communication, and it wants to continue building a future within the natural resources sector by creating strong partnerships with its stakeholders to enhance long-term value.

Since 2003, Rhino Resource Partners LP has acquired a number of properties and reserves that have been developed with low risk at a good price. Through these acquisitions, the company has managed to increase its coal production while maintaining extremely high environmental and safety standards. These standards run throughout the company’s entire vision and have been established and re-evaluated regularly to ensure that they are up-to-date and functional.

RHNO’s first priority is the safety of its employees, which is why it provides regular awareness training to ensure the highest production standards are met. Aside from this, RHNO’s ethics consist of honesty and integrity. The company communicates openly with its employees and stakeholders about activities that are currently operating and those that are being planned. In addition, Rhino Resource Partners LP believes it operates with the highest environmental standards in mind. The company aims to exceed safety and environmental regulations put in place by state and federal law in all of its mining operations, both underground and on the surface.

Since 2015, RHNO’s average MSHA violations were half of the national average in the United States. The company believes that by minimizing its impact on the environment it will be able to be more efficient in its production and, in turn, keep its employees happy. RHNO has mining operations in Central and Northern Appalachia and the Illinois Basin, and it has Western Bituminous operations in Utah and Colorado. It also has non-mining operations in Southeastern Ohio. Other natural resource assets include oil and gas in the Utica Shale region.

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

In a letter from Jim McGorry, CEO of Biostage, Inc. (NASDAQ: BSTG), shareholders were updated on the company’s valuation and the outlook for the second half of 2016. Biostage is a Massachusetts-based developer of bioengineered organ implants for treating life-threatening diseases of the esophagus, bronchus, and trachea, including cancer.

McGorry explained that Biostage has made “tremendous progress” in developing the company’s breakthrough Cellframe™ technology for creating Cellspan™ organ implants using a patient’s own stem cells and a proprietary biocompatible scaffold. As a result, the company is now able to transition, over the remainder of 2016, toward the start of human clinical trials, the first step of which is the filing of an investigational new drug application (IND) with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. McGorry explained how the company took the appropriate time to ensure its product’s safety and efficacy, while remaining on schedule for the planned filing by the end of 2016.

Biostage announced in May successful results from their large-animal studies of the Cellspan Esophageal Implant, conducted in conjunction with the Mayo Clinic. McGorry explained how the data obtained will form the basis for the company’s FDA application, seeking orphan designation for the product, and how Biostage is currently working on getting the results published in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, which will “greatly support and validate” the company’s progress. He added that anticipated progress over the second half of the year is expected to present “potential value inflection moments for shareholders.”

McGorry explained that Biostage’s recent $5 million at-the-market offering was an important step in solidifying the company’s cash position and addressing any market concerns in this area. He concluded, “We now have the capital to get us through a number of milestones in 2016 including the filing of an IND, and we expect to move into human clinical trials in 2017,” adding, “we believe the company’s momentum, liquidity and value should substantially increase,” and that “by this time next year our esophageal implant will be in a human clinical trial”. Biostage plans to follow this first esophageal product candidate with additional products to address life-threatening conditions of the bronchus and trachea.

For more on Biostage, visit www.biostage.com

Laguna Blends, Inc. (CSE: LAG) (FSE: LB6A.F) (OTC: LAGBF) was recently the focus of an article posted on Equity.Guru, an exclusive resource, tech and cannabis industry analysis firm. Under the lead of Chris Parry, former Director of Editorial at Stockhouse.com, award-winning journalist and corporate communications professional, Equity.Guru adheres to a self-described ‘take no prisoners’ editorial style, maintaining a constant focus on putting the interests of the shareholder first. While companies have the option to pay for Parry’s attention, they can’t bankroll favorable coverage, maintaining the integrity of Equity.Guru’s reports and garnering a sizable following throughout the investment community.

In last week’s article, fittingly titled ‘Aaaaand go: Laguna Blends hits its stride with opening sales data’, Parry expressed his optimism regarding Laguna’s upside following its recent release of preliminary sales data. In its first 11 weeks, Laguna’s affiliate marketing program brought in an impressive $105,000 in sales from its low-priced coffee and protein drink products, and early reports suggest a solid number of repeat orders moving forward. Taking into consideration the fact that Laguna has yet to officially launch its affiliate network and all sales to this point have come from a scratch-built sales team, the company’s early numbers are even more promising.

Parry’s newfound optimism regarding Laguna’s upside marks a major shift from his previous coverage of the company. As an early investor, he was disappointed by the fluidity of Laguna’s initial timelines, but that sentiment has all but disappeared when studying the company’s current trajectory.

“I lost my ass by buying early, but those buying in today have nothing but upside,” Parry stated in the Equity.Guru article. “You get it at a 90% discount to what I got it for, and that’s a bargain.”

To view the full Equity.Guru article, visit http://dtn.fm/WyX0N

Laguna’s strong sales figures are particularly noteworthy because of its affiliate marketing business model. Unlike regular retail, which requires months of waiting to determine if sales are meeting expectations, affiliate marketing offers quick feedback regarding the market acceptance of particular products, and reorder statistics are a good indicator of opportunities for additional growth. As sales figures rise, Laguna should expect its affiliate numbers to grow, creating an opening to greatly increase its market presence in a relatively short amount of time.

Prospective investors shouldn’t need to wait very long to determine if Laguna’s sales follow this course. The company’s management team has already announced intentions to disperse sales figures on an ongoing basis moving forward, giving shareholders reassurance that Laguna’s hot start in the affiliate marketing space doesn’t unknowingly cool down. If Equity.Guru’s article is any indication, though, waiting for these numbers before investing could be a mistake.

“I’ve warned you off for a while now but, as of today, Laguna is a go,” Parry concluded. “It will not see $0.10 again.”

For more information, visit www.lagunablends.com

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The good news just keeps rolling in for eXp World Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: EXPI), with Q1 revenues reported last month up a handsome 106 percent year-over-year, and, now, back-to-back recognition for the company’s primary subsidiary, eXp Realty, by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, as well as the number four digital draw of 2015, The Washington Post. Hailed for the second straight year by the Top Workplaces program, the ingeniousness of eXp Realty’s fusion of an agent-owned, full-service real estate brokerage, empowered by a real-time cloud office virtual environment, is now really starting to turn heads in the industry. This latest accolade is living proof of how compelling the company’s business model is and how rewarding the value proposition is for both agents and brokers.

The Top Workplaces program results are based on direct feedback from workplace members and represent a high-fidelity look into the health of eXp Realty’s thriving business culture, whose virtualized, broker-friendly, agent-owner centricity has considerable potential when it comes to fundamentally disrupting the real estate brokerage industry as we have known it. Given that The Washington Post was number four last year in terms of digital draw and recently surged to some 76 million monthly users, this kind of exposure is precisely the kind of thing the company needs to get the word out to a wider investing audience, especially considering how eXp Realty came in 12th out of 165 honorees in the Atlanta area and was ranked 20th best workplace overall in Washington in a survey conducted with the help of premier employee feedback and performance improvement solutions provider WorkplaceDynamics.

The concept of eXp Realty’s Agent-Owned Cloud Brokerage™ is an idea whose time has come. Supercharged by an extremely aggressive revenue sharing platform that rewards agents for new agents they bring into the network, paying out a percentage of their colleagues’ gross commission, this 21st century brokerage platform eradicates demographic barriers and puts a virtual cloud office into the hands of every agent. The fact that this revolutionary, agent-centric model is backed up by a cutting-edge cloud office, which is available around the clock in real-time, is a major reason the formula has been successful, particularly when it comes to a happy agent force. The company has swelled its ranks to nearly 1,300 agents in what seems like no time, and its army now spans 38 states in the continental U.S., as well as Alberta, Canada. This growing legion of unshackled agents continues steadily gaining traction among the huge number of agents that make up the overall pool, largely on the strength of its seemingly ideal and wholly-fresh approach to the space.

EXPI has even managed to branch out into the loan origination game via its First Cloud Mortgage subsidiary, which is already licensed in Arizona, California, and New Mexico. This bold move shows how successful the company’s agent-owned model truly is, and it is a shrewd play by EXPI going further into a 2016 market characterized by an increasing inflow of international capital and moderate home price growth. If we look at the underlying firm and office affiliations of realtors that are mapped out by the National Association of REALTORS® 2016 NAR Member Profile, we see that just over half are affiliated with an independent company, and around 86 percent of all members profiled were independent contractors.

Hopefully, savvy investors can appreciate what EXPI is doing here, spreading a viral model that empowers agents logistically and financially within an environment where localization is key. This distributed approach not only makes the agents happier, but it allows the entire network to flex dynamically, responding as regional markets ebb and flow. This makes sense for agent and broker alike, constituting a supreme value proposition in either case.

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

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In the latest issue of the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) Magazine, published quarterly, investors will discover a lengthy feature on Laguna Blends (CSE: LAG) (FSE: LB6A.F) (OTC: LAGBF). The CSE is an alternative stock exchange for micro-cap and emerging companies based in Toronto with some 330 listings. The feature tells the story of a company that has managed to successfully combine aspects of the old and the new, bringing it all together on a state-of-the-art online platform. Should Laguna be considered a beverage company, a multi-level-marketing (MLM) company, or perhaps even a tech company?

Laguna is certainly a beverage company. The company has formulated Caffe, a delicious healthful drink meant to be served hot. It combines instant coffee with whey and hemp protein, with approximately 20% of the 6.2 grams per package containing whey and hemp protein. Like instant coffee, Caffe only requires the addition of hot water to serve. If you prefer something cold, there’s Pro369. Pro369 is an infused plant-based function beverage combining HempOmega®, Hemp Protein, and Ginseng, that can act as a food supplement or as a complete meal. Pro369 is the first hemp protein powder to be registered with Health Canada, the Canadian federal government department of health, as a Natural Product with the following five approved health claims:

• A source of protein that helps build and repair body tissues
• A source of amino acids involved in muscle protein synthesis
• Assists in the building of lean muscle
• An adaptogen to help maintain a healthy immune system
• Supportive therapy for the promotion of healthy glucose levels

Both products contain adequate quantities of hemp protein, which is an exceptionally rich source of the two essential fatty acids (EFAs): linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid.

Laguna is also a MLM company. Multi-level-marketing, also known as network marketing, occurs when sales affiliates engage in direct selling to customers and also act as recruiting agents. In this latter role, the sales affiliate will build his or her own network of agents and earn commission on the sales of those agents. This approach emerged in the U.S. in the 1920s and has made companies like the privately-held Amway, Avon (NYSE: AVP) and Herbalife (NYSE: HLF) household names. In his interview with CSE magazine, Laguna’s CEO, Stuart Gray, enthused about the fast growth that MLM companies have experienced historically.

“Successful MLM groups grow faster than tech companies so one of the nice things about Laguna is that we have the ability to get bigger really quickly,” he stated.

Convinced of Laguna’s potential, Gray has invested over one million dollars in the company.

In addition, Laguna is a technological company. The company started beta testing of its Laguna World virtual 3D community in April 2016. Laguna World uses the very latest gaming technology to create a cyberspace where affiliates can educate themselves, build their own networks by recruiting others and sell directly to customers. Laguna World is not a replacement for the face-to-face selling interview, but an adjunct and enhancement to it. Online commerce is growing, and, as consumers become more comfortable buying over the internet, it will grow further. That is why Laguna believes this innovative virtual world technology ‘is a game changer in the Direct Selling / Network Marketing Industry.’

For more information, visit www.lagunablends.com

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Earlier today, eXp World Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: EXPI) announced that its subsidiary, eXp Realty, has been listed among the best places to work by The Washington Post and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The award marks the second consecutive year in which eXp Realty has been recognized as one of the best places to work in Atlanta, where it placed 12th out of 165 honorees. In Washington, eXp Realty was listed in the top 20 based on surveys conducted by both the Post and its partner, Workplace Dynamics.

“This is a tremendous honor for the agent-owners who are on our team,” David Harbour, leader of eXp Realty’s Washington, DC, metro region, stated in today’s news release. “This award speaks to the collaborative, engaging and rewarding environment of our company, not just here but in and across all eXp markets.”

EXPI’s continued success in offering an exceptional work environment for its agent-owners is particularly noteworthy following the company’s recent expansion efforts. Last month, EXPI announced that its real estate brokerage division had commenced operations in four new states, as well as the District of Columbia. In total, eXp Realty currently boasts a network of more than 1,240 real estate professionals across 38 states and Alberta, Canada. Ian Marshall, managing broker of eXp Realty in Atlanta, highlighted this growth in today’s news release.

“In the past two and one-half years we have introduced a new company, concept and brand into the Atlanta market; have added more than 100 real estate professionals to our team; and, are closing in on 1,000 homes sold,” Marshall stated. “eXp Realty agent-owners encourage and support the achievements of their fellow shareholders, not just in Georgia but across all eXp markets in the United States and Canada, and the achievements of the Company.”

For months, EXPI has operated with the goal of creating a value proposition that’s so lucrative that it would be ‘irresponsible for an agent and broker to hang their license anywhere else’, and the resulting agent/owner business model has proven to be a hit in markets around North America. In the first quarter of 2016, the company successfully leveraged a growing network of real estate professionals to achieve year-over-year revenue growth in excess of 100 percent. For the three month period, EXPI’s revenues totaled $7.1 million, up 107 percent from $3.4 million the previous year. This increase directly correlated with the company’s 106 percent increase in agent count over the first quarter of 2015.

The Agent-Owned Cloud Brokerage™ comes complete with a number of collaborative tools, training and socialization features designed to help brokers and agents maximize their positions in real estate markets around the continent. When combined with an aggressive revenue sharing program that offers brokers a percentage of the gross commission income earned by fellow real estate professionals they attract to the company, it’s clear to see why eXp Realty was ranked as a top workplace in Atlanta and Washington, DC, and similar recognition in other major markets could be on the horizon.

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

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Before the opening bell, Laguna Blends, Inc. (CSE: LAG) (FSE: LB6A.F) (OTC: LAGBF) announced its inclusion in the June 2016 Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) quarterly magazine as one of four featured companies that are considered difference-makers in their respective industries. The company’s two-page profile gives prospective shareholders an overview of Laguna’s recent success in leveraging a multi-level-marketing (MLM) strategy to capture market share in the growing hemp-based functional beverage products industry. The author of the profile, Peter Murray, also highlighted a promising path forward for Laguna.

“Not on that dangerous edge where you are re-inventing the wheel, nor on the lost-in-the-crowd track of doing the same thing as everyone else, Laguna Blends has apparently positioned itself in something of a sweet spot by introducing modern tools and unique products to an established industry,” Murray stated in the CSE magazine profile. “With an experienced executive team in place and sales underway, the company and its investors will soon find out just how many tech companies Laguna can leave in the rear view mirror.”

To view the full CSE publication, visit http://dtn.fm/9Hc9S. Laguna’s profile can be viewed on pages 18-19.

“Laguna is ecstatic to be included in the CSE Quarterly Magazine. We are working hard to build the necessary foundation for long-term success, the formula of which we believe combines a world class management team, efficacious products and digital disruption, cloud-based, immersive 3D technology.” Stuart Gray, chief executive officer of Laguna, stated in this morning’s news release. “Under this model, we recently launched sales in the USA and Canada and are happy to have exceeded internal sales goals. Laguna strives to be an International player in the direct sales industry within the next several of years, and we’re appreciative of the CSE for recognizing our progress toward this goal.”

Last week, Laguna offered some insight into its recent financial performance. Leveraging a growing network of independent affiliates that surpassed 700 members in April of this year, the company generated $105,000 in unaudited sales during the 11-week period ended May 31. These results exceeded Laguna’s internal sales goals, according to president Ray Grimm Jr., putting the company on track with its long-term sales growth strategy.

In an effort to build on its strong start to 2016, Laguna also introduced a new incentive program last week through which it will reward its top-performing affiliates with up to three 2017 Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) Model S vehicles following the achievement of predetermined sales milestones. The first Tesla is set to be awarded to the top affiliate producer when the company reaches its first month of at least $1 million in sales revenues. Additional vehicles will be awarded following the first months of at least $1.25 million and $1.5 million in monthly sales. Laguna will look to lean on the geometric growth opportunities presented by its MLM business strategy in order to achieve these sales figures ahead of the contest’s December 2017 end date.

“My near-term goal for Laguna Blends is having the Company become one of the network marketing industry’s Top 100 Companies,” Grimm added in a recent news release. “We know this achievement can’t be done without a dedicated base of affiliates, and this contest is just one way to show our appreciation for their hard work.”

For more information, visit www.lagunablends.com

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Monaker Group (OTCQB: MKGI) is a technology driven travel agency that operates through its booking platform: NextTrip.com. The company is made up of a number of divisions and brands such as Maupintour, NextTrip, Voyage TV, and NextTrip Resorts. MKGI boasts more than 60 years of experience in the leisure and travel industries. Although the company went through a restructuring in the summer of 2015, it has been active since 2009 under the name of Next One Interactive. Headquartered in South Florida, Monaker Group offers its services worldwide and helps tailor people’s vacations to suit their needs. From flights to accommodation and car hire, Monaker Group offers its customers the chance to book everything in one place, making the process of organizing a vacation a lot simpler.

Aside from the fact that the travel and tourism industry is one of the largest in the world, and that global international tourism revenue reached approximately US$1.25 trillion in 2014, Monaker Group established itself to fill a specific gap in the market. MKGI is one of the only travel and leisure platforms that offers its customers an all-inclusive service with a variety of travel options. With this system, guests are able to search through a huge portfolio of alternative lodging, timeshares, and resorts across a variety of websites. In addition to this, Monaker Group offers real-time booking opportunities and a bidding platform. This means guests can negotiate a price for their accommodation to get the best deals.

In addition to the numerous accommodation options, MKGI works closely with other companies, giving customers the chance to search and book car rentals, hotels, flights, cruises, and tour packages. These are supported by video content and itinerary ideas. MKGI has an alternative lodging inventory of over one million units and is in the process of developing a mobile application to reach a wider audience. Overall, the company offers more choices, more volume, and better prices. Monaker Group’s flagship NextTrip.com is a total booking platform that offers guests the luxury of booking everything for their trip in one place.

Monaker Group is still developing new ways of reaching its audience and providing them with the highest quality services, all while working hard to pursue market driven opportunities. Each year, MKGI is delivering more vacation choices to its customers, developing its technology to deliver customized options in “real-time”, establishing more partnerships to offer full services, and offering an aggregated end-to-end solution that combines full services, more choices, faster response, and better prices.

For more information, visit www.monakergroup.com

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Faith-based marketing is the combination of faith with marketing and business. There are a number of companies today who specialize in marketing faith-based products to targeted audiences. The integration of faith in media platforms has shown a high level of success in the mainstream world, bringing in millions of dollars each year. This said, films and music are not the only ways in which faith is being integrated into the 21st century. Digital and social media marketing have become new avenues for religious leaders to spread the word. But, what about media companies that have the focus to distribute faith-related content? Momentous Entertainment Group (OTC: MMEG) does not just spread the Christian word, it delivers content to which its customers can relate.

Momentous Entertainment Group is a direct response marketing company focused on creating, producing, and delivering quality content to a widespread audience. MMEG delivers its content via various media channels including feature film, television, radio, the Internet, and other forms of digital media. MMEG has three divisions: film, recordings, and direct marketing. The company has the aim to release the most inspiring Christian content possible to its customers. However, Momentous Entertainment Group does not just stop at its consumer products. The company incorporates faith all the way through into its business model, following the spirit and sending its message to all its team members.

Corporate governance is an important factor in running a successful business. MMEG functions according to a strong ethical code and this runs throughout the company’s hierarchy, from directors to employees. Some of the key factors introduced in the company’s code of ethics and business conduct include: treating employees fairly, complying with laws, and protecting company assets. The code goes into more detail in its policy statement, where it introduces the notion of faith, showing that Christianity is not just a selling point but a guide within the company’s structure. MMEG encourages its employees to follow “the spirit” when faced with business situations, and this message is spread throughout the code, putting particular stress on “doing the right thing and acting ethically even when the law is not specific”.

For more information, visit www.momentousent.com

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eXp World holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: EXPI) is a publicly-traded holding company for subsidiaries such as eXp Realty LLC and eXp Realty of Canada, which offer professionals the opportunity to earn equity awards for contributing to their growth. EXPI offers a full-service real estate brokerage that provides 24/7 access to collaborative tools and training. The company operates through a fully immersive, cloud-based environment in which real estate brokers are better able to collaborate and socialize. The company features an aggressive revenue sharing program where the agent is paid a percentage of gross commission income by introducing other real estate professionals into the company. As of today, EXPI has 106% agent growth. However, aside from the commission and the flexibility through the cloud-based environment, eXp World Holdings, Inc. has another secret weapon: the ‘Making It Rain’ program.

EXPI’s ‘Making It Rain’ program is a high-quality lead generation program that delivers leads to agents and brokers at discounted prices. Every agent at eXp World Holdings, Inc. gets a conversion website. Conversion is an amazing tool that turns traffic and leads into closings. Of course, an agent’s primary job is to drive traffic to websites. Many promote the website through their own personal social media platforms. However, this can be time consuming and complicated. The ‘Making It Rain’ Program launches tailored campaigns on the agent’s behalf. Agents and brokers can select a region, marketing budget, and platform. The ‘Making It Rain’ program then generates leads from these factors. The platform utilizes Google Adwords, which in turn means each lead is specifically targeting people looking to buy or sell real estate. The lead from this type of targeting normally has higher urgency and higher intent than from other sources.

The ‘Making It Rain’ Program is available to agents and brokers of eXp World Holdings, Inc. and is a fully managed lead generation plan. The plans start at $100 per month and can go higher depending on each individual agent’s budget. The program is contract-free and offers managed PPC and highly targeted ads that generate exclusive leads. The program will soon be introducing two new plans: Facebook Leads and Listing Promos.

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

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