When entrepreneurs look to blaze theirs paths in the rough and tumble world of sole proprietorship, they commonly gravitate toward horizons that show promise of growth, financial-freedom, sustainability and self-gratification. Low start-up costs are intriguing as well. Rarely are there opportunities that offer a unique blend of all these sought-after characteristics, unless one comes across and looks inside Laguna Blends, Inc. (OTC: LAGBF).

Referred to as a network marketing company by its president and chief executive officer, Stuart Gray, Laguna’s sales channel is comprised of retail sales through independent agents, or ‘affiliates’. These individuals or groups use Laguna’s technology resources to help them build, in many cases, global businesses from their own homes, regardless of where they live. A main draw of this model is that Laguna’s technology replaces the high costs associated with travel and traditional hotel conferences and meetings.

With its primary market geographically prevalent in North America, Laguna’s attraction is its focus and expertise with the nutritional health benefits of hemp. The company initially broke into the market with functional beverage products containing hemp and other efficacious ingredients. Laguna’s first product, Caffe, is an instant, hot coffee beverage that is infused with both whey and hemp protein and ready to serve by just adding water. The product offers a robust infusion of protein, containing two grams of the essential nutrient in every serving.

An equally popular product offering, Pro369 is a plant-based, instant hemp protein that is served cold and comes in four tantalizing flavors for the ‘on-the-go’ consumer. Water soluble, Pro369 can be mixed in water, added to nearly any beverage or blended in a shake. Pro369 is also a great source of Omegas 3, 6 and 9 and contains ginseng, as well. Notably, the Canadian Minister of Health recently granted Laguna a product license along with a Natural Product Number (“NPN”) for all four of the Pro369 flavors. They are all listed under the same NPN. With this certification, the company’s products are officially recognized as being a source of protein that helps build and repair body tissues, as well as a source of amino acids, which are involved in muscle protein synthesis.

For more information, visit www.lagunablends.com

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Before the opening bell, Monaker Group, Inc. (OTCQB: MKGI) announced a new partnership with Recruiter.com, an online global recruiting and career services site, to develop a custom travel club solution for its members. When complete, the new service will be available to all of Recruiter.com’s roughly three million members and followers, delivering customized travel and lifestyle offerings including highly discounted travel and vacation packages complete with special benefits such as concierge support, exclusive experiences and premium upgrades.

“We are pleased to be a trusted partner to Recruiter.com and look forward to delivering their members a high quality platform and exceptional customer support,” Bill Kerby, chairman and chief executive officer of Monaker, stated in this morning’s news release. “The partnership gives us another distribution outlet for our growing Alternative Lodging inventory and other travel products within our portfolio. Furthermore, the Recruiter.com Travel Club validates Monaker Group’s unique ability to build innovative products for both work and play.”

In recent weeks, Monaker has placed much of its focus on unlocking specialty lodging inventory through its large-scale travel distribution platform, NextTrip. On Tuesday, the company took a significant stride toward achieving this goal when it announced the integration of its proprietary timeshare booking engine, NextTrip Resorts, into its flagship booking platform. NextTrip Resorts offers a number of unique advantages over existing timeshare booking platforms, including instant booking confirmations on more than 250,000 units. In total, Monaker has approximately one million alternative lodging units under contract, positioning it as one of the largest players in the rapidly growing alternative lodging industry.

According to data from Research and Markets, the global vacation rental market is in a period of significant growth, with current estimates calling for the industry to exceed $169 billion by 2019. Timeshares and alternative lodging are expected to play a key role in this market performance as innovative new platforms, such as NextTrip Resorts, provide owners with the tools needed to offer the approximately 25 percent of timeshare, fractional and condo-hotel unit inventory that currently goes unused to consumers. With an estimated 19 million rooms falling under this category in high-demand vacation destinations around the globe, Monaker’s new platform positions it as a major force in a largely untapped market.

Monaker expects to obtain additional commitments from major hospitality companies and independent operators with national and international networks of resorts in the coming weeks, effectively strengthening the NextTrip platform. When combined with complementary ventures, such as the company’s newly-announced partnership with Recruiter.com, Monaker’s launch and expansion of NextTrip have it well-positioned to achieve considerable growth moving forward.

For more information, visit www.monakergroup.com

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When one of the expert nutritionists from Content Checked Holdings, Inc. (OTCQB: CNCK) was featured last month in an article on heavily-trafficked foodie site The Daily Meal, which is geared toward everyone from pro cooks and industry insiders to savvy diners, the spot showcased exactly the kind of actionable intelligence the company’s apps were designed to provide. The insights provided by Content Checked’s Registered Dietitian, Tory Tedrow, CNSC, regarding the importance of foods like lentils in a diet as a key source of iron (http://dtn.fm/qVh0j) were on target for this article and indicative of CNCK’s expertise.

Tedrow explained how iron deficiency anemia is the natural result when people don’t have enough foods containing iron in their diets and that fatigue, weakness, and shortness of breath are some of the common symptoms. Offering solutions for readers, such as the helpful tip that combining iron-rich foods with others that contain high levels of vitamin C (such as oranges) will help maximize iron uptake by the body, is another prime example of insight that CNCK provides its users through its apps.

Such important dietary information is precisely the kind of nutritionist-driven intelligence that users can get access to with the swipe of a finger using the company’s family of mobile apps. The apps were built to provide people who have specific dietary restrictions with a quick and simple answer to whether or not a product is suitable for their dietary needs. The company’s three apps – including ContentChecked for food allergies, SugarChecked for added sugars and MigraineChecked for migraine triggers – allow users to quickly scan a product’s barcode with their smartphones and gain access to a rich database of nutritional information.

The ability to provide feedback on over 70% (and growing) of all food products in the U.S. with the swipe of a finger is a powerful weapon in the fight against food related issues like allergies and diabetes. By using Content Checked’s apps routinely, end users gain healthy insights along the way. Users become educated over time by the apps, which steer them clear of bad decisions and can, therefore, also help to steer them in the right direction, nutritionally speaking.

An app like SugarChecked is a prime example of the type of tool the CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation was referring to when it recommended to its email user base that diabetics should utilize the growing number of apps designed to do everything from track blood sugar levels to help more closely define eating habits.

For more information, visit www.contentchecked.com

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Earlier today, Immune Therapeutics, Inc. (OTCQB: IMUN) announced that Nigeria’s National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has approved the company’s patented Lodonal™ as an over-the-counter, non-toxic adjunct therapy in the treatment of HIV/AIDS. With this approval, IMUN’s distribution partners, AHAR Pharma and GB Pharma Holdings, will now be able to launch nationwide marketing and sales programs for the breakthrough immunotherapy, creating a new revenue stream for IMUN and contributing to health security in Nigeria.

“Receiving approval of our affordable non-toxic immunodeficiency treatment Lodonal is a significant company milestone,” Noreen Griffin, chief executive officer of IMUN, stated in this morning’s news release. “Supported by a new and growing body of clinical research, we expect Lodonal will be increasingly proven as an effective treatment for patients suffering from a comprised immune system and other autoimmune conditions as it prepares for commercialization.”

The NAFDAC approval comes as a result of the successful completion of a 90-day bridging study conducted by AHAR Pharma at the State Specialist Hospital in Nigeria. The results of the Nigerian study were consistent with IMUN’s previous clinical trials of Lodonal, yielding an average increase of 44 percent in CD4 count in the treatment group, as compared to an increase of just 11 percent in the control group. Higher CD4 counts have been linked to increased ability to fight HIV and other infections. According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (http://dtn.fm/QU4dS), CD4 count is the ‘most important laboratory indicator of how well [the] immune system is working and the strongest predictor of HIV progression’.

The market potential of Lodonal in Nigeria, which is Africa’s leading economy with more than 175 million people, is immense. Among its many benefits, Lodonal is cost-effective and easy to administer, requiring just a single daily oral dose. In addition to affordably improving the quality of life of patients, the therapy also offers a compelling economic benefit to national health care systems, as it is designed to produce a significant reduction in opportunistic infections.

The path of destruction created by the HIV/AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa is staggering. According to AVERT (http://dtn.fm/hPF5o), a global provider of HIV/AIDS education, roughly 24.7 million people in the sub-Saharan region were living with HIV in 2013. Among those individuals, just 39 percent of adults were on antiretroviral treatments. When combined with the knowledge that an estimated 75 percent of adults in the region with HIV who are currently accessing antiretroviral treatments have not yet achieved viral suppression, the critical need for IMUN’s innovative adjunct therapy is clearly demonstrated.

“While we finalize the registration process… we will focus on distribution throughout Nigeria,” continued Griffin. “Simultaneously we will be working to leverage the successful clinical trial results and NAFDAC approval to expedite the approval and distribution into the many other African nations that have been devastated by HIV/AIDS for the past 17 years.”

Learn more by visiting www.immunetherapeutics.com

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According to a recent report from the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) titled ‘The Hyperconnected Economy: How the growing Interconnectedness of Society is changing the Landscape for Business’ (http://dtn.fm/W4z9k), ‘more than a technological trend, hyperconnectivity is a cultural condition to which businesses have no choice but to adapt.’ The report goes on to explain that ‘hyperconnectivity is a term that describes a defining feature of contemporary society. Thanks to the Internet, mobile technology and soon the Internet of things, people, places, organizations and objects are linked together like never before.’ In other words, developments in technology have shrunk the world. However, while the technology has drawn us closer, it has also multiplied the complexity of our lives. The same applies to business. As the EIU report hints, the increased connectivity presents new challenges and opportunities for businesses. The launch of Alternet Systems, Inc.’s (OTC: ALYI) Data Analytics Division in January 2016 is, thus, timely, as it offers businesses the tools to navigate the new landscape of this virtual world.

The seminal event of this brave new virtual world was, of course, the introduction of packet switching technology. It was used at first in the U.S. Department of Defense’s ARPANET and is now widely employed in the super network known as the internet. Now the internet has over one billion websites, and sites are added at the rate of two or three every second. Now also, according to a press release (http://dtn.fm/d9thU) issued by the International Telecommunications Union, an agency of the United Nations (UN), around 3.2 billion people globally are using the internet. ‘Between 2000 and 2015, Internet penetration has increased almost seven-fold from 6.5 to 43 per cent of the global population’ and ‘the proportion of households with Internet access at home advanced from 18 per cent in 2005 to 46 per cent in 2015.’ It’s not just people, of course. Much of the internet is automated with computers ‘speaking’ to computers and other ‘smart’ devices in the internet of things (IoT).

Many of the largest companies in the world are already grappling with ways to tackle this enormous amorphous mass of data, referred to as ‘big data’. Big data is big and growing. The term ‘googol’ may have connotations of gargantuan but the size of the Google index pales in comparison to the petabytes of data still waiting to be cataloged. One petabyte equals 2⁵⁰ bytes. It has been reported in ‘How Much of the Internet is Hidden’ (http://dtn.fm/7PqmI) that ‘Eric Schmidt, Google’s former CEO, estimated that it (the internet) consists of roughly five million terabytes of data. That’s over five trillion megabytes. Google’s web search has indexed about 200 terabytes of this data. That’s a lot of data, but that comprises only 0.004 percent of the whole thing.’ The term big data is no exaggeration.

Since the volume of data available is so immense, it is very likely that organizations will require specialized third-parties, like Alternet Systems, to not only provide the analytics tools but also the strategies needed to take advantage of the internet’s hidden treasures. Size is not the only defining critical factor of big data, which is structured in a variety of formats from a diversity of sources: ecommerce transactions, financial transactions, social media interactions, web logs, etc.

The EIU report continues with the observation that ‘one of the important outcomes of hyper-connectivity for business is the creation of new fields of competition. Data are being developed within companies, from public sources, by third-party vendors that provide multiple linkages on products, pricing, branding and sales. From proactive pricing to tracking the branding of competitors’ products, hyper-connected data present a new basis for competition.’

With an International Data Corporation (IDC) forecast that the ‘big data technology and services market will grow at 26.4% compound annual growth rate to $41.5 billion through 2018’, Alternet Systems aims to be, in the coming months, one of those third-party vendors.

For more information, visit www.alternetsystems.com

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The global zinc industry is currently suffering a supply shortage, which translates to good news for Star Mountain Resources, Inc. (OTC: SMRS). SMRS is gearing up following its recent acquisition of Balmat Holding Corporation. The Balmat mine in upstate New York has a long history of successful zinc production. Zinc mining companies have been shut down in China and Australia, amounting to about 10% of the total world supply, according to Haywood Securities. Acquiring the Balmat Zinc Mine means SMRS is positioning itself for success. According to its Industry Guide 7 Mineral Reserve report (IG7), the Balmat Mine will require a minimal investment to prepare for production. At the same time, projections for the next 2.5 years and 8.5 years show potentially large profit margins due to rising zinc prices.

The Balmat Mine is located in upstate New York in St. Lawrence County, about 1.3 miles away from Fowler. It was initially opened in 1930 and worked for 71 years until production was ceased in 2001. Production and mining was resumed between 2006 and 2008, when it was stopped due to another drop in zinc metal prices. The Balmat Mine has produced more than 30 million tons of zinc since it was opened and never ceased production due to issues with the mine itself. In addition to that, the IG7 report confirmed that the mine is well-situated, capable of producing high-grade zinc, and can be placed into production with minimal expense and time.

On another note, Haywood Securities has stated that zinc price predictions have been very conservative this year, and the firm still estimates zinc to be at a healthy $1.20 per pound in 2018. The last time zinc inventory levels hit a critical low was in 2006, causing zinc metal prices to spike to $2 per pound. The IG7 also shows promising results as the mineral reserve estimate dictates the zinc produced would be high-grade zinc concentrate suitable for sale to smelters around the globe.

However, Star Mountain Resources Inc. is not only working toward meeting its financial goals. The company also has a clear vision to responsibly develop great assets while maintaining a strong focus on their core values. These include the safety of all employees and local communities, promoting sustainable growth and maintaining high standards of respect for all the people involved in each project. In addition to this, the company always aims to improve the communities of which it becomes a part, as well as providing transparency and honesty to all stakeholders, and SMRS is passionate about improving its practices wherever it can.

For more information, visit www.starmountainresources.com

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Earlier this week, Momentous Entertainment Group, Inc. (OTC: MMEG), an entertainment and direct response marketing company focused on creating and distributing quality content and products, announced the commencement of initial production filming for an upcoming reality TV series, tentatively titled ‘Dennis Gile’s Quarterback Academy’. The show will provide viewers with an inside look at the work football quarterbacks put in behind the scenes in order to hone and perfect their performance levels. Momentous has already engaged the services of two-time Emmy Award winner Albert Miller and Runway Lights of Scottsdale, Arizona, to film the production while enriching the look and feel of the series.

“We’ve captured some amazing personal stories and journeys of young athletes as they deal with injuries, exhaustion, and the pressures to meet expectations on and off the field,” Tim Williams, executive vice president of Momentous Entertainment, stated in a news release. “These stories will appeal to hard core football enthusiasts as well as non fans who will find empathy and encouragement in the stories as they unfold over the life of the series and the careers of these young players.”

Momentous originally signed a talent agreement with Dennis Gile, coach at the Dennis Gile Quarterback Academy, last November. This agreement outlined work on two sports-related series, including the previously mentioned ‘Dennis Gile’s Quarterback Academy’ reality series and an additional program detailing Bobby Earnhardt’s pursuit of the coveted NASCAR Championship title, tentatively titled ‘Chasing a Legend: The Racing Life of Bobby Dale Earnhardt’. In addition to his work as a professional quarterback in both the National Football League and the Canadian Football League, Gile also races sprint cars in the USAC Southwest Sprint Cars championships.

In early March, Momentous offered an update on its progress with the Bobby Earnhardt series, which started initial filming in the fall of 2015. The company is currently working on a pilot reel that it expects to present to fans in the near future. Momentous also released a sneak preview of the series highlighting its adrenaline-pumping racing action, which can be viewed at http://dtn.fm/2fxrF.

Momentous is focused on creating faith and family driven content that can be delivered through distribution channel partners, as well as its direct response services group. According to the company’s research, demand for faith-based programming in the U.S. is on the rise, particularly in the South and Midwest. As it continues to develop its distribution and sales channels, Momentous will look to capitalize on this demand by leveraging the more than 100 years of combined music, film and TV production experience held by its management and consulting teams.

For more information, visit www.megcorporate.com

A pioneer in regenerative medicine, International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCQB: ISCO) strives to make a difference with its stem cell technology called parthenogenesis. The biotechnology company uses unfertilized eggs to create pluripotent human parthenogenetic stem cells (hPSC). These stem cells have the power to turn into any cell, healing and replacing aged or damaged cells. The possible indications for this technology range from cellular treatment point to a breakthrough for the treatments of degenerative diseases of the eye, nervous system, and liver. ISCO’s research and development team strongly believe in the effectiveness of their stem cell solution in such diseases as Parkinson’s, Corneal Blindness, and Ischemic Stroke. However, completing the proper testing and sanctions necessary to commercialize the company’s technology will take many years. In the meantime, ISCO derives substantial revenue from its two subsidiaries: Lifeline Skin Care Inc. and Lifeline Cell Technology, LLC.

Lifeline Skin Care Inc.(www.lifelineskincare.com) focuses on developing and marketing anti-aging products using ISCO’s breakthrough stem cell technology. The cosmetic company uses stem cells from unfertilized eggs to create solutions that reverse aging, add elasticity, and improve damaged skin cells. First, proteins are captured from these eggs and encased in micro nanospheres for protection. Antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals are then added for extra rejuvenation. Lifeline Skin Care’s products boost collagen production for even, firm skin. Retailers like Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), cosmetic surgery offices, spas, and international corporations sell these products, which adds more revenue streams and exposure for ISCO.

ISCO’s other subsidiary, Lifeline Cell Technology, LLC. (www.lifelinecelltech.com), develops and commercializes human cell culture products. Academic, pharmaceutical, and government laboratories purchase these products, such as frozen human cells and the material need for cultivation, for disease testing and study. Lifeline Cell Technology offers epithelial, hematopoietic, bladder, breast, kidney cells and more with the highest guaranteed quality. According to the company, these cells will “out-perform any other cells” out there.

Though ISCO eagerly waits for its proprietary parthenogenesis technology to gain global allowance, the company effectively uses its two subsidiaries for a steady revenue stream. The operating income for both companies increased 65% to $1.67 million in 2015, with 2014 having $1.01 million. Lifeline Skin Care retained steady numbers while Lifeline Cell Technology sales were up 15%. Overall, ISCO saw an 8% increase last year, as compared to 2014. The company intends to continue using its scientific breakthroughs and products toward contributing to regenerative medicine.

For more information, visit www.internationalstemcell.com

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It is the goal at many of today’s forward-thinking companies to drive initiatives that lead to the desired business outcome of environmental sustainability. In the case of OurPet’s Company (OTCQX: OPCO), dogs and cats are included in the business model. The Ohio-based company develops, produces, and markets an array of pet accessories and consumable products designed to draw out our pets’ natural feeding and playing instincts.

Evidence of the company’s commitment to ‘green’ is observed through its line of Pet Zone® EcoPure Naturals® toys, which are made from sustainable or recyclable materials. These toys are the Catnip Fruits Slices, Veggie Assortment, Spider Wand™, Loofah Wand™ and Catnip Carrots, just to name a few products.

OPCO endeavors at designing, developing, producing, and marketing numerous accessory and consumable pet products designed to improve the health, safety, comfort, and enjoyment of pets in locations around the world. The company serves up various dog and cat products; cat and bird feeders; dog and cat toys; cat and dog waste management products; catnip products; natural and nutritional pet supplements; and topical products. The company markets its products under the OurPets® and Pet Zone® brands. Most notably, the company leverages its business model by serving mass retailers, pet superstores, regional pet chains, grocers and pet food manufacturers and distributors. Founded in 1995, OurPet’s is based in Fairport Harbor, Ohio.

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

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Earlier today, Oakridge Global Energy Solutions, Inc. (OTCQB: OGES) announced plans to commence a three-part, 90-minute TV business mini-series that will take a closer look at the evolution of Oakridge from a true R&D company to the only U.S. manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries. The biographical exposé, titled ‘Power Up America’, will feature award-winning television host Ken Evseroff, who viewers may recognize from investment program ‘New To The Street’, touring on location at Oakridge’s newly-completed 70,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Palm Bay, Florida. The first 30-minute episode is expected to air in early June on FOX Business, with date and times yet to be announced.

“When I first met with Steve Barber on our NYC film set and learned all he was doing, I thought to myself this company has so much going on they need a whole TV show for themselves,” Vince Caruso, president of FMW Media Works Corp., stated in today’s news release. “Then my team visited OGES in Florida with Governor Rick Scott. We shot a lot of footage and interview content, whereas our TV editors expressed the difficulty of cutting out anything — it all makes sense and needs to be shown.”

Over the past year and a half, Oakridge, under the leadership of chief executive officer Steve Barber, has significantly advanced its strategy of becoming a leader in the global lithium-ion battery market. In 2015, the company focused on achieving balance sheet liquidity, paying down all of its $2 million debt. Since then, Oakridge has introduced a wide range of stored energy solutions – including its Pro Series battery systems for golf cars and local area electric vehicles, its Liberty Series motorcycle batteries, and its Patriot Series lithium-ion batteries for professional unmanned aerial vehicle pilots and remote control vehicle enthusiasts, among others. Leaning on the marketability of these products, the company entered the second quarter of 2016 with an existing pipeline of orders totaling $24 million.

Moving forward, Oakridge is well-positioned to build on this strong start as it capitalizes on its unique position as the only U.S. manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries. More than 35 percent of global demand for lithium-ion batteries is attributed to the U.S. market, divided across military, civilian and medical applications. Oakridge leads the way across these applications with a commitment to innovation and commercialization of top quality products. The company estimates that its rechargeable power sources are the longest-lasting on the global market, boasting a battery life up to three times greater than foreign-manufactured counterparts.

For more information, visit www.oakridgeglobalenergy.com

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