At Oakridge Global Energy Solutions, Inc. (OTCQB: OGES), talent and technology thrive. A manufacturing company with big dreams, Oakridge means to reach every corner of the global battery market, and with its talent and technology, it appears to be overcoming the competition in the design and manufacture of high-performance battery systems. Oakridge has a 30-year history and presence in the world of integrated energy storage solutions, and, these days, it looks to be bringing the lessons learned from every one of those years to its ventures. In the same way battery technology is advancing by leaps and bounds, Oakridge is advancing by leaps and bounds.

State-of-the-art. Next-generation. These are the terms that describe the type of opportunities Oakridge is pursuing. In the world of battery manufacturing, a new era has arrived, and Oakridge is seeking to access and develop technology that will allow it to continue to create state-of-the-art, next-generation, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. The company currently operates a strong lithium-ion battery manufacturing facility in Palm Bay, Florida, in addition to providing energy storage solutions throughout the U.S. Using top-of-the-line technology, Oakridge manufactures high-quality electrodes, cells, batteries and energy storage systems that have been enhanced and designed to address multiple high-demand target markets.

Oakridge’s energy systems have applications in the aerospace, marine, medical, military and telecom fields. They power remote control and portable devices, including medical devices. They are the starter motor batteries for cars, trucks, motorcycles, jet skis, snow mobiles and boats. They can take the form of motionless living space power for homes, businesses, RVs, boats and uninterruptable power supplies. They also have motive applications in electric and hybrid electric fleet vehicles, e.g. golf cars.

Oakridge’s product development team hires high-caliber talent and works with external lithium battery professionals to produce cutting-edge products, such as the Liberty Series lithium-ion motorcycle batteries that were first introduced to commercial markets last month at the Daytona Beach Bikefest. The development and delivery of the Liberty Series backs up the fact that Oakridge values innovation for commercial success. The batteries are manufactured at the Palm Bay, Florida, facility, and, in keeping with the company’s “Made in the USA” promise, the design for all component systems (from the battery pack to the management system and mechanics) were completed by leaders in various relevant industry segments in the U.S.

The resulting product is incredibly powerful. Oakridge’s Liberty Series batteries deliver a long-lasting, highly-reliable energy solution for all models of Harley Davidson, Indian and Victory motorcycles. These large bikes need a strong battery to start their large engines, and the Liberty Series batteries, which utilize Oakridge’s proprietary electro-chemistry process and a specialized battery management system, have the juice to get the job done.

For more information, visit www.oakridgeglobalenergy.com

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Before the opening bell, Halitron, Inc. (OTC: HAON) announced the financial results for its first year operating under its new equity holdings business model, which ended December 31, 2015. Throughout 2015, the company generated $1,182,726 in gross sales at 73 percent gross profit. Sales, general and administrative expenses totaled $718,993, while Halitron’s net income was $146,025. The company also reported $59,476 of expenses relating to the costs associated with being a public company.

“2015 was an excellent first year of operations under our revised equity holdings business model,” Bernard Findley, chief executive officer of Halitron, stated in this morning’s news release. “We acquired three businesses, exited two transactions which had a favorable impact on the fourth quarter financial results in Other Income, completed the two-year audit, posted historical data to the OTC Markets Filings and Disclosure section, raised equity capital, and built an incredible pipeline of acquisitions going into 2016.”

As of December 31, 2015, Halitron’s cash on hand totaled $11,540, and accounts receivable totaled $633,924. In the first quarter of 2016, the company’s management team successfully leveraged this modest working capital balance, in combination with the distribution of stock grants, to complete four accretive acquisitions that are expected to drive sustainable growth in the coming months. Following the completion of its acquisition of ArchivalPhotoPages, which was announced earlier this week, Halitron is on a run rate to generate over $10 million in sales over the next three years, including sales from its current pipeline of acquisitions.

“Early in 2016 we continued to use restricted stock as form of currency to help drive the growth of the business,” continued Findley. “The results from these transactions are expected to drive profitability and cash flows late in the year, which will presumably lead to increased stock price and provide management the opportunity to raise additional capital to help support the equity holding model whereby the Company can use cash as a larger portion of paying for the enterprise value of target acquisitions.”

Since 2015, Halitron has completed seven acquisitions, with four coming since the beginning of this year. Halitron’s current assets are structured into two strategic business units, including a sales and marketing division and a manufacturing division. Through its sales and marketing division, the company owns NDG Holdings, Inc., a digital marketing firm acquired in January 2015; PiecesInPlaces, a brand sales business acquired in February 2016; and ArchivalMuseumSupplies and ArchivalPhotoPages, two leading direct marketing brands acquired in March 2016. Through its manufacturing division, Halitron owns and operates PRD Holdings, Inc., a manufacturing asset based in Mexico. The company is actively seeking out additional acquisitions to roll into its existing operations in order to better capitalize on the foundation created by its current infrastructure.

For more information, visit www.halitroninc.com

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Human embryonic stem cells typically come from fertilized eggs. International Stem Cell Corp. (OTCQB: ISCO) uses a process called parthenogenesis, in which researchers use chemicals to induce the egg to begin developing as if it had been fertilized. The egg — called a parthenote — behaves just like an embryo in the early stages of division. Because it contains no genetic material from a father, however, it cannot develop into a viable fetus. Just like embryonic stem cells, parthenogenetic stem cells can be coaxed to grow into different kinds of human cells or tissue, ready to be transplanted into diseased areas of the body. International Stem Cell Corp. scientists have converted them into liver cells and plan to convert them into neurons for treating Parkinson’s disease, pancreatic cells for diabetes, and other tissues.

International Stem Cell Corp. is conducting a current study in which 12 people with moderate to severe Parkinson’s disease will be treated at Royal Melbourne Hospital in Melbourne. They will be given one of three doses of cells, from 30 million to 70 million. They will be monitored for 12 months to evaluate the safety and activity of these cells. The patients will be assessed before receiving the treatment under standards such as the Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale and will be reassessed at intervals.

Here are some startling statistics from the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation’s website (http://dtn.fm/t4Jyi). As many as one million Americans live with Parkinson’s disease, which is more than the combined number of people diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy and Lou Gehrig’s disease. Approximately 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease each year, and this number does not reflect the thousands of cases that go undetected. An estimated seven to 10 million people worldwide are living with Parkinson’s disease. Incidence of Parkinson’s increases with age, but an estimated four percent of people with PD are diagnosed before the age of 50. Men are one and a half times more likely to have Parkinson’s than women.

The combined direct and indirect cost of Parkinson’s, including treatment, social security payments and lost income from inability to work, is estimated to be nearly $25 billion per year in the U.S. alone. Medication costs for an individual person with PD average $2,500 a year, and therapeutic surgery can cost up to $100,000 dollars per patient.

For more information, visit www.internationalstemcell.com

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Earlier today, Elio Motors, Inc. (OTCQX: ELIO) took a major step toward the start of production for its highly-anticipated three-wheeled vehicle when it announced finalization of its body panel design. Through unprecedented levels of supplier input and collaboration, the company was able to reduce body panel development time by roughly 90 percent, further demonstrating Elio’s commitment to innovation in the automotive space.

“We’ve organized our engineering teams and supplier partners to give them more freedom to provide ideas and decisions,” Paul Elio, founder and chief executive officer of Elio Motors, stated in this morning’s news release. “Their collective brainpower is essential in meeting the aggressive cost and quality standards we’ve set and that our customers demand. The teamwork and talent of our supplier partners was on full display in the body panel development.”

In an effort to expedite body panel design, Elio grouped its engineering team members and supplier partners into eight work groups, with each taking responsibility for a specific portion of the vehicle. The company encouraged members of each group to work together on a daily basis to review and approve proposed engineering changes and push the company’s vehicle closer to predetermined cost and quality targets. Using this integrated approach, Elio was able to avoid many of the delays that are inherent in traditional manufacturer/supplier relationships in the auto industry, which can impede the development process and increase the final cost of a vehicle.

“The Elio Motors design process is the new paradigm in automotive engineering and design,” added Frank Phillips, Jr., president of Elio design partner Molded Plastic Industries. “It allows participating suppliers to bring their best ideas to the table and to work together collaboratively with other product development teams (PDT) for the good of the project.”

Elio’s milestone builds on what has been an exciting week for the American automotive industry. Tesla Motors (NASDAQ: TSLA) continues to grab headlines ahead of the unveiling of its all-electric Model 3, which is scheduled for tonight. The launch of the Model 3 will mark a major turning point for Tesla, as the vehicle is priced at roughly half the sticker price of the automaker’s Model S and Model X. Reports (http://dtn.fm/aE1vX) of lines of would-be buyers at Tesla stores around the globe waiting to reserve the Model 3 pushed TSLA stock up about two percent in afternoon trading, despite the fact that production isn’t scheduled to begin until 2017. Early reports suggest that Model 3 reservations will amount to billions of dollars in short order for Tesla, highlighting the viability of an affordable, innovative approach to automotive development.

While a $35,000 sticker price for a Tesla Model 3 has car buyers lining up, it’s far from the most affordable impending entry into the American automotive market. The Elio Motors vehicle has a targeted base price of just $6,800. According to the company’s website, this unmatched affordability, when paired with an estimated fuel economy of up to 84 miles per gallon, has already enticed more than 51,280 individuals to make a deposit on the sleek two-seater.

For more information, visit www.eliomotors.com

Yesterday, Alternet Systems, Inc. (OTCQB: ALYI) filed its Annual Report (10-K) for the year ended December 31, 2015, with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), which set out the background for the company’s present focus on big data. 2015 was a turning point for Alternet Systems. The company ‘decided to cease pursuing digital currency opportunities due to the market collapse for digital currencies.’ Its 10-K cited the lack of a clear regulatory framework, the entrance of ‘major players’ in the field and the volatility of digital assets such as Bitcoin as some of the risks and challenges in the digital currency space. Going forward, Alternet Systems will focus on data analytic tools and services for the telecommunications and financial services industries. To this end, earlier this year, the company announced the launch of its Data Analytics Division, expanding its portfolio of existing digital commerce technologies.

In a recent press release, Henryk Dabrowski, CEO of Alternet Systems, stated, “Alternet has a successful history of developing and commercializing young digital commerce technologies. We are now building upon that history to develop and commercialize an expanded portfolio of new key technologies into the burgeoning big data analytics sector… We anticipate our new Data Analytics Division to build upon the revenue base we established in 2015 from our digital commerce operations throughout the course of 2016.”

In April 2015, the company, through subsidiary Alternet Payment Solutions, LLC (APS), signed an agreement with R4 Technologies, LLC (R4) to market and promote R4’s purpose-built cloud platform for micro-segment data, insight and engagement to help brands leverage data and automate yield optimization. APS is to partner with R4 across Latin America and the Caribbean. R4 Technologies, according to a page (http://dtn.fm/9BX5g) on the IBM website, ‘is the first company to make data science available through a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform for business users to increase revenue and profitability. R4 uses an algorithmic approach to revenue yield management to find growth hidden in massive amounts of data and then programmatically align product, channel and promotions.’

Big data is the next big thing in the digital arena. It involves the provision of solutions to solve three major challenges in information technology that have come to be known as the ‘three Vs’, including volume, variety and velocity. The first challenge is coping with the enormous amounts of data being generated on a continual basis. Data volume is now measured in petabytes (2⁵⁰ bytes) instead of terabytes (2⁴⁰ bytes). ComputerWeekly.com quoted (http://dtn.fm/2cTjp) ‘Michael Chui, principal at McKinsey (as saying) that the U.S. Library of Congress “had collected 235 terabytes of data by April 2011 and a petabyte is more than four times that.”’

The variety of data is also multiplying as web logs, social media interactions, ecommerce transactions, financial transactions and other sources, each sometimes in a different format, proliferate. Velocity in the generation and hunger for this data has become gargantuan. According to internet live stats (http://dtn.fm/pqXt9), ‘when Google was founded in September 1998, it was serving 10,000 search queries per day’ now it ‘processes over 40,000 search queries every second ’.

Alternet’s partnership with R4 Technologies and its cloud platform builds a strong foundation for Alternet’s Data Analytics Division. The company’s aim to provide data analytics as a SaaS product has as much potential as the cloud-computing SaaS service offered by Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), which has grown into a $6.7 billion dollar business.

For more information, visit www.alternetsystems.com

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Giggles N’ Hugs, Inc. (OTCQB: GIGL) is currently the top kid- and parent-friendly restaurant company in Los Angeles. What’s not to love about a play space that offers fun activities that promote exercise along with food that is nutritious and delicious? Parents can choose to sit on the outskirts of the 6,000 square foot restaurants to enjoy themselves while their children roam free inside the play area. Not just for dinner and after school, Giggles N’ Hugs also offers fantastically themed parties for every occasion that are sure to please even the most stubborn of children. Parents can also be confident that their children will always receive natural and healthy menu items at Giggles N’ Hugs, because its restaurants are already ahead of the growing organic trend that is sweeping fast food chains.

It seems that the natural and organic food trend might stay around for a while longer. Global sales of healthy food products are estimated to reach $17 trillion by 2017. In an article on Forbes, James Russo, SVP of global consumer insights at Nielsen, stated, “While economic concerns continue to remain in the forefront for consumers, health and wellness concerns continue to increase in importance.” He explains that the idea of using food to manage health issues instead of instantly grabbing medication could be the source of this organic food burst. That said, more and more food chains are starting to pay attention to their menus so that consumers and their families have the option of eating healthier.

With more natural food options comes the opportunity for parents to become role models for their children earlier in terms of eating healthy. If children see their parents eating organic, natural foods, they will follow suit. That’s where Giggles N’ Hugs comes in. The restaurant chain is fully stocked with locally sourced, hormone-free, and organic foods that make up a menu filled with a variety of delicious options. Adults can get wraps, salads, sandwiches, and pasta, while children can get favorites like mac n’ cheese, mini hot dogs, cheeseburgers, and pizza. Giggles N’ Hugs even has its own “Mom’s Tricky Treat Sauce” that hides pureed vegetables in otherwise unhealthy meals like pizza and pasta. For example, the cheesy mac n’ cheese is filled with pureed butternut squash, while pizza and spaghetti sauces are laced with pureed spinach. No one can tell the difference!

With parents increasingly aware of what’s in the food their children are eating comes the realization that buying natural and nutritious food should be a lifestyle, not a trend. Children should learn at a young age that healthy eating doesn’t necessarily mean sacrificing on taste. Giggles N’ Hugs is the perfect catalyst for jumpstarting young children down a healthier eating path with its tasty menu filled with vegetables and whole-grains. The already successful restaurant intends to continue delivering high-end food options to families with the expectation of expanding across the United States.

Learn more by visiting www.gigglesnhugs.com

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Before the opening bell, International Stem Cell Corporation (OTCQB: ISCO) provided a business update and announced its fourth quarter and year-end financial results for the period ended December 31, 2015. Through wholly-owned subsidiaries Lifeline Skin Care and Lifeline Cell Technology, the company increased its operating income by 65 percent to $1.67 million during 2015, as compared to $1.01 million in 2014. This increase, which also included an eight percent rise in total revenues, was attributed to a 15 percent spike in sales through Lifeline Cell Technology. Lifeline Cell Technology is expected to continue gaining momentum in the months to come following the recent launch of its new nano-compound products, which have been shown to induce the production of elastin and collagen without the toxic characteristics of retinoic acid.

This strong financial performance set the stage for ISCO’s progress toward the development of its innovative human parthenogenetic stem cells-derived neural stem cells, as described by its CEO and co-chairman, Andrey Semechkin, PhD.

“2015 was a milestone year for ISCO,” he stated in the news release. “We made significant progress in our corporate priorities and received authorization by the Therapeutics Goods Administration in Australia to initiate a Phase I dose escalation clinical trial of human parthenogenetic stem cells-derived neural stem cells (ISC-hpNSC®) in patients with moderate to severe Parkinson’s disease (PD). In addition to Parkinson’s, our scientists are currently evaluating other therapeutic indications based on our stem cell technology platform.”

After receiving approval to begin clinical trials of ISC-hpNSC for the treatment of Parkinson’s in Australia, ISCO entered into a master clinical research agreement with the Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, one of the world’s leading brain research centers, covering a phase I clinical study. With this arrangement in place, the company commenced enrollment for its clinical trial in early March, and it expects to provide interim results from the study as early as October 2016.

ISCO will look to build on its recent progress moving forward in 2016. In addition to completing dosing in its phase I clinical study and reporting preliminary efficacy and safety clinical trial results, the company aims to report on the results of animal studies examining the efficacy of ISC-hpNSC as a treatment for stroke, as well as animal study results of a novel therapy using a patient’s own cells to combat osteoarthritis.

For more information, visit www.internationalstemcell.com

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The Daily Meal ran the article “Nutritionists Suggest Cooking With These 12 Ingredients to Boost Energy” on its website and included Tory Tedrow’s commentary, which you can find on slide seven. Her role and affiliation with Content Checked Holdings (OTCQB: CNCK) is clearly mentioned with a link back to the company’s website. Ms. Tedrow, RD, CNSC is a registered dietitian with the company.

There’s no way around it: Diet is directly responsible for a large portion of your energy level. You can caffeinate and catnap as much as you want, but without making nutritious food choices, sustained energy just isn’t feasible.

When looking for such energy, certain foods function more effectively than others. We’ve reached out to nutritionists in order to identify the best ingredients and modes of eating to keep your body full of energy throughout the entire day.

“Lentils are a protein-packed, iron-rich food,” says Tory Tedrow, RD, CNSC at ContentChecked. “Iron is needed to create the oxygen-transporting protein hemoglobin. When people don’t eat enough iron, they develop iron deficiency anemia and experience symptoms such as general fatigue, weakness, and shortness of breath due to the lack of oxygen in their body. Combine iron-rich foods [such as lentils] with foods high in vitamin C, such as oranges, to maximize iron absorption.”

To view the entire article, visit the following link: http://dtn.fm/wa11M

The Daily Meal is geared toward cooks, food lovers, wine connoisseurs, discerning diners and everyone in-between. It often features original content from industry insiders and tastemakers, restaurant and chef reviews, information on wine and cocktails, insight into seasonal ingredients, and food travel recommendations, as well as a cooking section with techniques and recipes. The site is also highly trafficked, reaching an estimated audience of 1.2M unique monthly visitors.

For more information, visit www.contentchecked.com

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Earlier today, Lingo Media Corporation (OTCQB: LMDCF) (TSX-V: LM) announced the hiring of Luis Ortiz. Ortiz joins the company’s ELL Technologies division as director of sales, Latin America. He brings more than two decades of sales and sales management experience in the pivotal Latin American region to the Lingo team, having previously delivered significant sales growth for employers such as Wi-LAN Inc. (NASDAQ: WILN) and SMART Technologies (NASDAQ: SMT). Moving forward, the company expects this industry insight and sales expertise to play an important role in helping deliver its cutting-edge suite of English language training solutions to channel partners, distributors and direct sales clients throughout Latin America.

“We are very pleased to have such an experienced professional join the ELL Technologies team. Luis brings tremendous talent and a deep understanding of how to build out sales channels in Latin America,” Gali Bar-Ziv, chief operating officer of Lingo Media, stated in this morning’s news release. “We are confident that Luis will provide great value to our prospects and customers.”

Ortiz’s track record in Latin America is impressive. With SMART Technologies, a world leader in simple and intuitive solutions that enable more natural collaboration, Ortiz developed and implemented a successful channel program for Latin America that drove regional sales increases of 100 percent per year from 2005 to 2013, during which time SMART established a strategic foothold in 17 countries throughout the region. He also played a key role in the negotiation of the largest education technology contract ever awarded by the federal government of Mexico.

“I am very excited to join the ELL Technologies team. The current and upcoming solutions offered by the company are market-leading technologies that become more relevant as the Latin American education market grows,” Ortiz stated in the news release. “These solutions represent an outstanding revenue opportunity for distributors and I look forward to driving sales growth by increasing and strengthening our distributor network in the region.”

The addition of Ortiz to the ELL Technologies team comes just weeks after Lingo, through its subsidiary, announced completion of development for its ‘ELL Studio’ speech recognition and pronunciation mobile app, which is expected to be available on both Android and iOS devices. Using this app, language learners will be able to practice their spoken English on their mobile devices in any setting. The company plans to launch ‘ELL Studio’ in the second quarter of this year as a free tool for current subscribers of ELL Technologies’ courses.

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

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Despite the growing popularity of social media, and our dependency on sites like Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) and Twitter (NYSE: TWTR) for information, some businesses have still been hesitant to jump aboard. There’s skepticism around its effectiveness for local small businesses, which is one reason companies such as Moxian, Inc. (OTCQB: MOXC) have tailored their business models to be more small and medium business friendly. We see huge brands like Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO), Nike (NYSE: NKE) and Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) using social media with great success, but what about the average coffee shop around the corner or a non-celebrity dentist? Can they use social media to grow their businesses in 2016?

The answer is an astounding yes. Social media allows smaller-sized companies to compete against some of the larger companies and reach more customers. There are plenty of stats that showcase just how powerful social media is for businesses of all sizes. Here are some powerful numbers that make it more than evident that social media is the way to go in 2016, according to a survey on SproutSocial.com:

• 63 percent of millennials say they stay updated on brands through social networks
• 46 percent of millennials rely on social media when making purchase online
• 89 percent of 18-29 year olds are active on social media
• Marketers spent an estimated $8.3 billion on social media advertising in 2015
• 78 percent of companies now say they have dedicated social media teams

Social media has crossed over from being a tool that only forward-thinking companies should use. These stats show that social media marketing has become a necessity just like paid ads, flyers and other “traditional” marketing efforts. In order to compete today, businesses can’t afford not to be active on social media.

Moxian engages in the business of providing social marketing and promotion platforms designed to help merchants accelerate and advertise their business growth through social media. These products and services enable merchants to run targeted advertising campaigns and promotions, and aim to enhance the interaction between users and merchant clients by using consumer behavior data compiled from the Moxian database of user activities. The company has two primary core products: Moxian+ User App and Moxian+ Business App.

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

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