MILWAUKEE, Sept. 17, 2013 – Today Northwestern Mutual introduces a new online resource, TheMintGrad.org, designed to empower college students and recent grads to carve a path towards financial independence. “Millennials hear it all the time: What are you going to do when you graduate?” says Michael Van Grinsven, director of internships at Northwestern Mutual. “Despite being the most educated generation in history, this is a tough question with no easy answer. That’s because they need to consider their financial, career and lifestyle choices all at once. TheMintGrad has a unique mission to show 18-24 year olds how planning can be the difference between having a dream and making it come to life. And it all starts with FLC™ (financial loving care). Coined by Northwestern Mutual, the premise of FLC is that developing strong financial habits is inherent to overall wellbeing. “We know that Millennials invest a lot of time and money into their health, image, and personal interests,” says Bill Taylor, vice president of financial planning at Northwestern Mutual. “Focusing on financial fitness makes all these priorities possible.” User-friendly and interactive, TheMintGrad is comprised of four easily navigable sections. The content, developed by leading financial gurus and Northwestern Mutual experts, covers a broad spectrum of career and lifestyle planning topics in addition to financial goal-setting:

• Learn – easy-read articles provide tips for everyday money management, and career guidance
• Try It – interactive tools help users practice key concepts firsthand. Includes budget worksheets, savings calculators, and financial fitness tests
• Plan (to achieve your goals)  – unique self-assessments help visitors delve into their financial persona and deepen their  understanding of what shapes  their spending, saving and budgeting behaviors; while developing a roadmap to accomplish their financial goals
• Socialize (about money) - community forum features blog posts, polls and fun facts from a rotating think tank of financial experts

“Every element of the site – the look and feel, the topics, the tone – is geared to Millennials,” says Jean Towell, manager of TheMintGrad.org. “Our goal is to make TheMintGrad a resource this group turns to for guidance with navigating life decisions – like a smart, savvy friend who gives great advice without judgment.” Throughout its history, Northwestern Mutual has remained committed to helping people at all life stages forge a path to financial security. TheMintGrad is an extension of TheMint.org, which supports families and teachers with fun learning tools to guide children and teens to develop healthy habits.

– more –

“It’s never too soon for Millennials to start thinking about their game plan.” says Taylor. In fact, a 2013 Northwestern Mutual study showed Millennials are substantially more likely than other generations to call themselves “highly disciplined” planners. “TheMintGrad provides the tools to help them get money smart no matter what curveballs come their way,” he adds.

View full infographic

About Northwestern Mutual Northwestern Mutual is among the “World’s Most Admired” life insurance companies in 2013 according to FORTUNE® magazine and has helped clients achieve financial security for more than 156 years. As a mutual company with $1.4 trillion of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual has no shareholders. The company focuses solely and directly on its clients and seeks to deliver consistent and dependable value to them over time. Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company, Milwaukee, WI, and its subsidiaries. Northwestern Mutual and its subsidiaries offer a holistic approach to financial security solutions including: life insurance, long-term care insurance, disability income insurance, annuities, investment products, and advisory products and services. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC, broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company, limited purpose federal savings bank; Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company; and Russell Investments.

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For further information, contact:
Nikita Vilim
1-800-323-7033
mediarelations@northwesternmutual.com

YPT members, AirSage wants to know: Where are you going and how can we help advance your career?

ATLANTA, GA September 16, 2013—Young Professionals in Transportation (YPT) now have access to a new source of funding specifically earmarked for professional development and continuing education through The AirSage PASS: Professional Advancement & Success Scholarship.  AirSage™—a pioneer in digital population analytics, and the largest provider of consumer travel trends and population movement intelligence in the U.S.—has partnered with the national chapter of YPT to support the organization’s focus on cultivating emerging leaders in the transportation sector.  Headquartered out of Washington D.C., YPT provides professional development, fellowship, and networking opportunities for young professionals in the transportation field across the country and around the world.

Each quarter, the AirSage PASS program will award scholarships to young transportation professionals who have a drive to further develop their career through training, conferences, seminars, or other methods of advancement.  Depending on need and requirements, the funds can help cover the cost of registration, tuition, travel expenses and other fees.

“Today’s professionals must keep current in new and emerging technologies to recommend the most cost-effective, site-specific solutions,” said Thomas W. Brahms, Executive Director and CEO, Institute of Transportation Engineers. “In addition, we need to encourage new partnerships between the public and private sectors to develop collaborative solutions for transportation needs at all stages: planning, design, implementation and maintenance.”

The AirSage PASS, exclusively for YPT members, is part of AirSage’s larger commitment to corporate responsibility and focus on Giving Back that also includes:

☐     Contributions through donations to the LeadershipITE program (identifies, develops and engages leaders to shape the future of transportation) and sponsorships (as a Sustaining Affiliate sponsor for the YPT Organization).
☐     Educational discounts on AirSage data sets for universities and academic research that can advance the next generation of transportation professionals as well as the industry as a whole.

“As a technology company providing data to the transportation industry, AirSage has a responsibility to support industry-wide advancements through insights and education,” said Cy Smith, Founder and CEO of AirSage. “This summer’s release of the first ever ‘AirSage Annual Transportation Industry Survey’ eBook was one way to share industry insights. The AirSage PASS provides another opportunity to create a unique legacy of impact within the transportation planning community.”

AirSage PASS applications are reviewed quarterly. Details—including application and eligibility requirements, are accessible online. The first application deadline is Sep. 27, 2013 with announcement of awards on Oct. 11, 2013. The tentative schedule for subsequent awards:

☐     PASS Award deadline: Dec. 13, 2013  Award Announcement: Jan. 3, 2014
☐     PASS Award deadline: Mar. 7, 2014  Award Announcement: Apr. 2, 2014
☐     PASS Award deadline: Jun. 6, 2014  Award Announcement: Jul. 2, 2014

About AirSage
AirSage™—a pioneer in population analytics—is the largest provider of consumer locations and population movement intelligence in the U.S. Each day, AirSage uses patented technology to capture and analyze more than 15 billion anonymous, real-time, cellular-signal data points to identify travel patterns and transportation trends. Partnerships with the nation’s largest wireless carriers give AirSage exclusive access to data from more than 100 million mobile devices. Analyzed and aggregated, AirSage data provides actionable insights into where and when people travel and is transforming the transportation industry, commercial enterprises and a diverse range of industries. Find AirSage online at http://www.airsage.com and on Twitter @AirSage

About YPT
YPT is a professional organization for young transportation professionals based in Washington, DC with chapters around the country. We aim to provide career guidance, fellowship, and networking opportunities for young professionals in the transportation field through seminars, meetings, and happy hours. Find YPT online at http://www.yptransportation.org/ and @YPTvoice

WHAT: The Ericsson Networked Society Cities Case Competition encourages top global business students to try and solve the challenges of urbanization with information and communications technology. The winning team from the regional Networked Society Cities Case Competition, taking place in San Jose this week, will be awarded $3,000 and advance to the global Networked Society Cities Case Competition in Miami Beach, Fla. Top teams in Miami Beach will be judged by industry leaders and take home a combined $48,000 in awards.

WHO: Top business students from countries and regions including the U.S., Canada, China, Nigeria, Senegal, Thailand, Taiwan, Sweden, Portugal, Finland, Estonia, Ukraine, Argentina, Mexico and Brazil.

WHEN & Bay Area media are invited to attend the Silicon Valley Regional Competition,
WHERE: where Stanford, USC, UC Berkeley, UC Irvine, and UC Davis will compete. To RSVP, please email the media contact below.

September 13 and 14
Ericsson Silicon Valley Headquarters
250 Holger Way
San Jose, CA 95134

On November 18, winners will be announced in Miami Beach, Fla. at Ericsson’s Networked Society Forum.

QUOTE: “At Ericsson, we believe that mobile and broadband connectivity are vital to mitigating some of the global challenges of rapid urbanization,” said Don McCullough, director of strategic communication at Ericsson. “With the global Ericsson Networked Society Cities Case Competition, we are capturing some of the best thinking around these challenges from the next generation of global stewards.”

MORE INFO: For more information on the Ericsson Networked Society Cities Case Competition, click here. For specific details on the 2013 competition, click here.

MEDIA
CONTACT: Maria Culp
North of Nine Communications
415-268-4803
Maria.culp@nof9.com

NetworkFunder.com announces the launch of their new crowdsourcing site, which capitalizes on support structures from educational institutions.

Fort Lauderdale, FL (PRWEB) September 11, 2013 – NetworkFunder.com launched its crowdsourcing site which enables entrepreneurs to set up fundraising campaigns to accept pledges for their projects and draw upon the support of their academic network. Campaign Teams can choose to be identified by their Academic Institution or by their Sorority or Fraternity. Through NetworkFunder.com, it is also possible to search crowdfunding projects that have been launched by students, alumni or faculty from one’s school, sorority or fraternity. To set up a campaign or fund one, visit www.NetworkFunder.com.

And to celebrate the launch of the platform, NetworkFunder.com is sponsoring a fundraising contest. Please visit www.NetworkFunder.com and click “Get Started” to learn more.

The word crowdsourcing was originally coined in 2005 by the features editor at Wired Magazine. Since that time, a variety of websites have launched with the goal of helping crowdsourcers to raise needed funds to launch new products, services and ventures. However, NetworkFunder.com is the first platform to draw upon the vast resources available through the network of educational institutions.

Indiana University, Kelley School of Business MBA and site founder Dominic De Cayette stated, “Alumni, students and faculty have a natural connection and interest in the success of their colleagues. The goal of NetworkFunder.com is to bring individuals seeking money via crowdsourcing together with other students, faculty and alumni from their college.”

Launching a new fundraising project on NetworkFunder.com was designed to be an easy and streamlined process. Individuals simply select their institution, sorority or fraternity and create a profile page detailing their project and the amount of money that they need to raise to successfully launch. Once the project has been posted on the site, campaign teams can then reach out to school alumni, college friends and faculty to make their funding goals a reality. In turn, project funders benefit from receiving unique one-of-a-kind perks and incentives in return for their contributions.

Dominic adds, “Access to crowdfunding through academic networks need not be a one way street from alumni to students. Resources should flow to bright, creative ideas from alumni to alumni, faculty to alumni, student to student and so on. We are bringing together the power of crowdfunding with the power of academia and entrepreneurship. When people see the drive and enthusiasm of others within their academic network, that passion is contagious!”

About NetworkFunder.com:
NetworkFunder.com specializes in assisting those with crowdfunding projects to connect with students, faculty and alumni from their academic institutions. The platform enables entrepreneurs to launch new fundraising projects and then draw upon the support of people connected with their college or university to reach their funding goals. For more information, visit www.NetworkFunder.com.

Contact Person: Dominic De Cayette
Phone Number: 954.380.7271
Email Address: contactus@networkfunder.com

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Recently featured on Salon.com and Boing Boing’s Gweek Podcast, David McRaney offers insights into human nature and psychology that you can apply to your everyday life in YOU ARE NOW LESS DUMB: How to Conquer Mob Mentality, How to Buy Happiness, and All the Other Ways to Outsmart Yourself (Gotham Books). McRaney uses his signature mix of matter-of-fact humor and wit to answer questions like: “Is a belief more likely to be accurate just because many people share it?” and “Does a sequence of seemingly connected events actually mean anything?” Just check out the book trailer here for a taste of the many delusions we humans have been prey to over time.

You’ll learn how clothes can add to or subtract from your mental abilities, why getting paid to do something you love (as countless graduation speeches might advise you to do) diminishes your enjoyment of it, and how environmental factors have a bigger impact on your emotions than you’d think (which is why meeting a date for coffee, rather than drinks, can lead to greater attraction).

Whether you’re a budding amateur psychologist or trivia fiend, YOU ARE NOW LESS DUMB has plenty of food for thought for anyone who’s ever wondered why we do the strange, irrational things we do. But while you’re certainly not as smart as you’ve been taught to believe, it’s possible, with David McRaney’s book, that YOU ARE NOW LESS DUMB.

CONNECT ONLINE:
www.youarenotsosmart.com
@davidmcraney

ABOUT DAVID MCRANEY
David McRaney is a journalist and a self-described psychology nerd. He is the author of You Are Not So Smart, which grew out of the popular blog YouAreNotSoSmart.com and has written for several publications including The Atlantic and Psychology Today. He is a two-time winner of the William Randolph Hearst Award for his features and opinions writing, and in 2006 he was named one of the top 10 college journalists in the nation. He lives in Hattiesburg, Mississippi.

MEDIA CONTACT
Lindsay Gordon
Asst. Director of Publicity
212-366-2235
Lindsay.Gordon@us.penguingroup.com

September 5, 2013 – Irving, Texas / Fortune 500 companies will gather in San Antonio, Texas next month to hire MBA graduates. Thousands of recruiters and hiring managers from top employers will be exhibiting at the Annual Conference & Career Expo to be held by the National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) this October. NSHMBA is expecting hundreds of Fortune 500 companies at this year’s event, which attend to recruit top MBA-level talent.

NSHMBA invites MBA students, recent graduates and professionals to attend the top recruiting event of the year as it celebrates its 25th Anniversary in San Antonio. This Texas-sized Annual Conference & Career Expo is the premier opportunity for business school graduates to interview for choice career opportunities with top employers in one location. The event will take place from October 10-12, 2013 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas.

Registration to the Annual Conference & Career Expo is now open. Certain discounts to the event are available for NSHMBA members (for membership information, visit www.nshmba.org/Membership). Benefits of attending include:

• Hundreds of Fortune 500 companies participating
• Estimated 2,500+ recruiters and hiring managers in attendance
• Professional development sessions
• Numerous networking opportunities
• Internships available with select employers
• Connect with top employers seeking to hire MBA-level talent

To register, visit www.nshmba.org/NationalConference. For more information, contact attendee@nshmba.org or 877-4-NSHMBA, extension 7507.

About the National Society of Hispanic MBAs

The National Society of Hispanic MBAs (NSHMBA) was formed in 1988 as a non-profit organization. Widely known as the “Premier Hispanic Business Professional Organization,” NSHMBA serves 39 chapters and more than 24,000 members in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. NSHMBA is dedicated to building and advancing Hispanic leadership, advocating the pursuit of higher education and providing its members with world-class professional development and career management programs. For more information about the event, visit www.nshmba.org/nationalconference

One thing that won’t be around in 2030 are musical composers.

Already, computer generated music is opening new avenues for musical composition. Computer generated music is currently creating scores of scores being played by humans and by computer.

The advances are staggering. Sophisticated algorithms can create 50 pages of original music in one nano-second. With the help of a friend, I’ve created an algorithm I call www.jazzassistant.com, which uniquely combines Ionian, Mixolydian and Dorian chords and scales, using a random number generator to create octodcillions of pages every second.

The music created by the site (www.jazzassistant.com) can be saved to a computer or iPad, printed and edited, copyrighted, played…. Entrepreneurs will present millions of pages to the public at a minimal cost. Festivals of spontaneously written music will flood the stadiums. Bye-Bye Sheet Music Pie.

But the computer generated music algorithms are just the start.

As the May-June article, Pop goes the Algorithm, explored – algorithms are now being used, with success, to grade the music human musicians are creating across a wide spectrum of musical genres. Old scores (the ones created by humans) and new scores (the ones created by computer algorithms) can be stored in musical databases.

By 2030, Grandfather Pop algorithms will use the scoring algorithms on the stored creation algorithms – instantly letting record producers know which computer-generated compositions will be successful and instantly letting musicians know where to focus their ears.

Of course, why stop there? Artificial intelligence is also being used to scan and record musical instruments and human voices so they can be accurately simulated.

There’s a saying that in an infinite amount of time an infinite amount of monkeys typing on an infinite number of computers can turn out the complete works of Shakespeare. By 2030, (www.jazzassistant.com) using an infinite number of scoring algorithms interpreted by an infinite number of musical instrument simulations will create the complete works of Beethoven, the full repertoire of American Idol hits and the top ten works of heavy metal, rock, jazz and whatever composition your heart desires.

Biography

Douglas Cornish’s computer background is with X-Basic . He lives in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Douglas Cornish has been composing and playing blues and jazz for 50 years. He has been working in the econometric industry for seven years. He and Andrei Beleuta wrote www.jazzassistant.com.

A sample of his music “Sync Star Cornball Blues” can be heard by playing the MP3 Song here.

Douglas Cornish and Andrei Beleuta created the “megloid transmigration” program, on April 9, 2013.