Amplify. Accelerate. Action. Thousands gather to re-energise UN Sustainable Development Goals during Catalyst 2030 annual event

# Catalyst 2030 explores bold new strategies to confront world’s pressing problems from food security to health crises

# UN’s sustainable development goals in the spotlight as 2030 deadline looms

# Thousands of social entrepreneurs and innovators collaborate at global event

AMSTERDAM, May 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Members of the growing and influential movement of social entrepreneurs and innovators, Catalyst 2030, will gather with world leaders during Catalysing Change Week 2022 to find bold new strategies to make the world a more sustainable and fairer place for everyone.

High energy, frank and innovative discussions that spark collaboration with practical outcomes will mark the scores of physical and online sessions and activities that will take place across the globe from 9 to 13 May 2022 at this critical point in the evolution of the planet.

The week-long event is open to everyone who is interested in learning about the growing Catalyst 2030 movement, its work and successes in tackling the root of some of the world’s most difficult challenges, as it seeks to accelerate attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

Jeroo Billimoria, Catalyst 2030 spokesperson and one of the movement’s co-founders said, “We are excited that Catalysing Change Week 2022 will bring together a diverse group of experts, social innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders from the private sector and government.  In a spirit of true collaboration. Some of the problems that will be tackled include poverty, climate, food security and education. Participants will tap into the collective wisdom around systems change while forging partnerships across countries, regions and sectors,” Billimoria said.

Catalysing Change Week 2022 will host scores of online sessions over five days and in several languages, covering all major time zones. The Week will build on the success of Catalysing Change Week 2021 which attracted an audience of close to 6,000 individuals. Participants represented more than 1,600 organisations across 131 countries.

During this year’s Catalysing Change Week 2022, the South-South Alliance for Equitable Green Development will address the inequity surrounding funding of climate-smart solutions. These sessions will outline opportunities climate management provides for development and employment as well as pathways for the G7 and G20 to make significant contributions.

Another key milestone during Change Week 2022 is the launch of  Africa Forward, which will announce a new cohort of African social entrepreneurs.  The objective of Africa Forward is to support the next group of social entrepreneurs who can identify innovative pathways and collaborative solutions.

This year’s theme, “Let’s Re-Energise the SDGs” reflects the movement’s priorities in this unique period of our global history. The COVID-19 pandemic holds the potential to delay the achievement of the SDGs by 50 years or more.

“Catalysing Change Week 2022 is a unique engagement opportunity for anyone who has an interest in achieving social change and to learn more about what social entrepreneurs and innovators are doing to confront and to accelerate the achievement of the SDGs before 2030,” Billimoria said.

Registration for Catalysing Change Week 2022 is free.
For more information, visit https://catalyst2030.net/about-the-campaign/

Notes to editors

Catalyst 2030 is a global movement of social entrepreneurs and social innovators from all sectors who share the common goal of creating innovative, people-centric approaches to attain the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Joining forces with communities, governments, businesses and others, Catalyst 2030 members are changing systems at all levels through collective action and bold, new strategies.

Launched at the World Economic Forum in January 2020, Catalyst 2030 comprises more than 1,500 people and organisations who are active in over 180 countries and who directly reach an estimated two billion people. We believe in collective action and that bold new strategies are needed to achieve the SDGs by 2030.

For more information about the work of Catalyst 2030, or to arrange an interview, please contact nwando@catalyst2030.net

Contact: Nwando Ajele
Email nwando@catalyst2030.net

Report: Companies resolved employee IT issues 23% faster in 2021

Freshworks’ annual IT Service Management Benchmark Report reveals how automation, virtual agents, and chatbots helped companies delight employees in the remote and hybrid work era

SAN MATEO, Calif., May 04, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Freshworks Inc. (NASDAQ: FRSH), a software company empowering the people who power business, today announced the findings from its second annual Freshservice Service Management Benchmark Report which measured key performance indicators (KPIs) for the IT industry across 62 million tickets in 2021. The report revealed that global IT teams adapted to remote work in 2021, resolving employee tickets 23% faster than the year before as overall resolution time for IT tickets went down by seven hours.

In a world where employees increasingly rely on technology to get their work done at home, in the office, and everywhere in between, the Freshworks report confirmed that new technologies that enable chatbots and virtual agents are making a substantial impact helping employees and companies become more productive — and even delighting them along the way.

“Making sure IT works flawlessly is essential for modern businesses to succeed,” said Prasad Ramakrishnan, CIO of Freshworks. “Analyzing data from around the world, we found that IT teams mastered the challenges of remote work last year in large part by employing powerful yet easy-to-use technologies that help them do more, faster. Importantly, these technologies are also engaging employees at work, which is critical to help companies retain talent and grow.”

The report analyzed anonymous, aggregated data from 86 countries, more than 4,200 organizations, and over 62 million unique employee support tickets. New tech features including AI-powered responses played a significant role in speeding up resolutions as bots deflected nearly 60% of tickets. Companies with automations achieved resolution times 22% faster than those who did not, and companies offering a catalog of IT services through their ITSM software reduced resolution times 17% compared to those who did not. Companies are taking notice and rapidly adopting more advanced technologies. Nearly 25% of integrations included bots and workflow applications — a 40% increase compared to 2020.

While less than one percent of IT interactions were via chat, this channel provided significant benefits: employees who chatted with virtual agents saw customer satisfaction scores hit 100% in some cases, while delivering 48% faster responses (5.21 hours) and 62% faster resolution times (8.74 hours) compared to those who don’t use virtual agents.

Freshworks analyzed KPIs across 14 industries to understand how industries compare to each other:

  • Happy hoteliers: Companies in hotels, tourism, and leisure achieved the highest employee satisfaction rating (98.01%).
  • Real estate resolutions: Property development and building infrastructure companies have the lowest average resolution time at 18.49 hours, while leisure and hospitality has the highest (27.32).
  • Consumer products and services finish first in first response: Their average first response arrived in 8.23 hours, nearly 50% faster than the industry with the slowest first response time (healthcare).
  • Retail and e-commerce IT departments fix it fast: They achieved the highest first contact resolution rate at 73%.

The report also analyzed regional differences. Notably, the report found that North American IT departments achieved the highest customer satisfaction rating at 97.92%. However, it takes multiple interactions to resolve employee queries, leading to the longest average resolution time in the world at 24.27 hours. Conversely, companies in Latin America are the quickest to assign tickets and respond to customer issues within 8.24 hours and 7.60 hours, respectively.

Download the complete Freshservice Service Management Benchmark Report 2022 here, and learn more about how to combine the forces of ITSM and ITOM in an ebook here.

About Freshworks Inc.
Freshworks Inc. (NASDAQ: FRSH) makes business software people love to use. Purpose-built for IT, customer support, sales and marketing teams, our products empower the people who power business. Freshworks is fast to onboard, priced affordably, built to delight, yet powerful enough to deliver critical business outcomes. Headquartered in San Mateo, California, Freshworks operates around the world to serve more than 56,000 customers including Bridgestone, Chargebee, DeliveryHero, ITV, Klarna, Multichoice, OfficeMax, TaylorMade and Vice Media. For the freshest company news visit www.freshworks.com and follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

© 2022 Freshworks Inc. All rights reserved. Freshworks and their associated logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of Freshworks Inc. All other company, brand, and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Media Contact:
Jayne Gonzalez
408-348-1087
PR@freshworks.com

World Record to Be Set as BetOnline Places First Wager From Space

Global Gambling Company Allows Users to Bet on Coin Flip from Beyond Earth’s Atmosphere

BetOnline.ag

BetOnline.ag

MIAMI, May 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BetOnline.ag, a sports betting, poker and casino website that has been in operation for more than 25 years, is scheduled to set history in the gaming industry by becoming the first company to accept wagers surrounding a coin flip from space.

BetOnline worked with Sent Into Space, a high-altitude balloon operator led by Dr. Alex Baker and Dr. Chris Rose, to execute the launch of the first bet from beyond Earth’s atmosphere. Sent Into Space has more than 500 successful flights in its portfolio, collaborating with high-profile brands such as eBay, Pixar, Barbie and Burger King.

“When BetOnline approached Sent Into Space last year with the idea of placing the first bet in space, it was all hands on deck to make this novel concept come to fruition,” Dr. Rose said. “Not only did they manage to conceptualize this incredible feat, they also achieved a world record in the process.”

The world’s first-ever bet from open space was a two-pronged approach that required months of research and preparation.

The first of the two launches sent a spinning coin bearing the BetOnline logo 20 miles above the atmosphere, stopping only once the craft returned to Earth several hours after launch.

The second launch rocketed a spacecraft with an iPad and a robotic arm. The iPad provided a live feed of the BetOnline.ag website in space by using a two-way network bridge. The final innovation was a highly-dexterous mechanical arm accompanied by a stylus, which placed a bet on the outer space coin toss in real-time.

The coin toss bet, heads or tails, was called at random using a random number generator with unpredictable inputs from environmental sensor readings, ensuring the outcome was impossible to predict in advance.

“This collaboration was our most ambitious project to date,” Sent Into Space co-founder, Dr. Baker, said. “The creativity from BetOnline was other worldly, and the development of highly complex technologies from our team allows BetOnline to continue to be a trailblazing leader in the betting space and beyond.”

The outcome of the flip has already been privately recorded, but BetOnline customers have been placing wagers on the 50-50 proposition during the last month. Betting on the coin toss will be available until the “landing” is revealed, which the company has said will coincide with National Space Day on Friday, May 6.

“We set the prop bet standard and we wanted to etch our brand in history with a record-breaking attempt,” Adam Burns, BetOnline Props Director, said. “In honor of Space Day, we want customers to celebrate space along with the timeless tradition of picking ‘heads or tails.’”

The “first bet in space” initiative is currently being submitted to Guinness World Records.

BetOnline.ag is renowned for innovative approaches of putting its brand on the map, previously placing a wager from the top of Mount Everest.

Earlier this year, BetOnline became the first operator to add the popular cryptocurrency ApeCoin to its crypto cashier.

About BetOnline.ag

Established more than 25 years ago, BetOnline (www.betonline.ag) has become a worldwide leader in providing safe, legal and secure online gaming. The company’s guiding principle is to establish long-lasting, positive relationships with its customers and within the gaming community. BetOnline features the most innovative technology and online gaming solutions for its sportsbook, poker, casino and horse racing clients.

Contact

Joshua Barton
Odds PR
josh@oddspr.com

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BetOnline aims to set Guinness World Record with first bet from outer space.

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Artemest, the Luxury Online Marketplace for Italian Craftsmanship, Raises €15 Million Investment From IRIS Ventures and Olma Luxury Holdings

On a mission to preserve beauty and uniqueness, connecting local creators to global customers

Featured Image for Artemest

Featured Image for Artemest

MILAN, May 03, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Italy is estimated to hold more than 1.3 million small arts and crafts companies, employing 3 million people. In an increasingly globalized world where design is a commodity, craftsmanship is gaining importance for highly demanding customers and sector experts. Artemest is disrupting this industry by supporting craft businesses and creators and connecting them to global customers looking for unique, handmade pieces.

Ippolita Rostagno launched Artemest after a visit to Florence, where she realised many of the local artisans were going out of business as their customer base increasingly shopped online. Joined by Marco Credendino, they set out to create a global network connecting local businesses with affluent individuals across the globe.

Artemest today has become the realisation of this vision: six years after launching, they connect 1,300+ Italian artisans and creators – offering 60,000+ products – with thousands of customers and design professionals across the globe. Artemest’s catalogue looks more like an art museum than an interior design shop; offering a curated selection of home décor, art and furniture.

Ippolita Rostagno said, “Craftsmanship has been central to the development of the civilized world and has coalesced generations around the idea that art matters. Our ambition is to further this tradition by bringing beauty into people’s everyday lives”.

Artemest has now secured €15 million in funding, led by specialist fund IRIS Ventures and Olma Luxury Holdings. The marketplace will use this funding to accelerate growth, with a focus on the US; further develop its technology, brand & community and optimize its catalog and talent recruitment. Legal counsels Edoardo Canetta Rossi Palermo and Barbara Ballandi led the Chiomenti legal team advising Artemest on the deal.

The investment will also support the development of Artemest’s services for interior designers, brands and hospitality partners, offering them best-in-class, end-to-end support thanks to its personal advisors as well as its content and tech-enabled tools.

Montse Suarez, Founder and Managing Partner of IRIS Ventures, finishes: “Finding visionaries building purpose-led brands that transform the way we live is what we do at IRIS Ventures, and Artemest is a perfect illustration of it. Artemest is the Italian guardian of craftsmanship excellence and creativity, giving the community of artisans and small businesses the ability to preserve their heritage by making it accessible to a global audience”.

Artemest

Co-founded by jewellery entrepreneur Ippolita Rostagno and Marco Credendino (former Yoox-Net-a-Porter), Artemest is the largest marketplace of Italian high-end, artisanal design, with a vision to become the leading global platform for contemporary design and luxury craftsmanship.

IRIS Ventures

IRIS Ventures is the advisor to IRIS Fund I FCRE, a growth equity fund targeting European and US purpose-led consumer-centric brands and tech-enabled solutions that solve for healthier, happier and more convenient lives. IRIS Ventures has presence in Barcelona, London and New York.

Contact

press@artemest.com

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Air Putri public bath draws thousands of visitors during Eid

Thousands of visitors thronged the Air Putri public bathing spot in Kawa village, West Seram Barat district, Maluku province, on the day after Eid al-Fitr 1443 Hijr.

“Every holiday like this, (I am) no longer surprised by the crowds of visitors. Sometimes, (the visitors) park their cars in the village because they cannot enter the Air Putri area anymore,” La Salim, an entrance guard at Air Putri, said on Wednesday.

If the Air Putri destination is flooded with visitors, he can earn between Rp3 million to Rp6 million because the entrance ticket for cars is priced at Rp20 thousand and for motorcycles at Rp5 thousand, he added. “Just calculate it; usually, the number of motorcycles can reach 200, while cars can be 100. But they just pay the entrance fee. They do not have to pay the parking fee,” he said.

The Air Putri tourist attraction is usually crowded with visitors up to the seventh day after Eid, he added.

“Usually, it is still very crowded seven days after Eid. Later after that, only a few people come or (it is) even quiet,” he said.

Meanwhile, one of the food vendors at the spot, Ariyati, said that her goods are selling well. She sells rujak, snacks, and instant noodle cups, and beverages. “I sell Pop Mie (instant noodle cup) at Rp15 thousand, rujak at Rp10 thousand, snacks at Rp2 thousand, and drinks such as Pop Ice (a local instant beverage) at Rp5 thousand,” she informed.

As ANTARA observed, Air Putri Waiyoho is a tourist attraction that is already well-known among the people of Maluku. For those traveling to West Seram region, a visit to the public bathing spot is worth a visit.

The water in Air Putri is as cold as ice. The spot is always crowded with people from various circles and regions. Now, several shelter places and locker rooms have also been provided for visitors at Air Putri.

Source: Antara News

Jakarta authority must act promptly on mysterious hepatitis emergence

Deputy Chair of Jakarta Regional Representative Council’s (DPRD’s) Commission E Anggara Wicitra Sastroamidjojo urged the provincial authority to take prompt action over the emergence of mysterious acute hepatitis in the province.

The mysterious hepatitis had earlier claimed the lives of three children, who died while receiving medical care at the Cipto Mangunkusumo National Central Hospital, he stated.

“We need to increase our alertness because even the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared acute hepatitis cases as an extraordinary occurrence. Reviewing our experiences, we must not underestimate newly detected diseases, especially since children are the most vulnerable to this disease,” Sastroamidjojo remarked here on Wednesday. The regional parliament legislator highlighted that the Jakarta Provincial Health Office must play a key role in anticipating a surge in hepatitis cases, as the Health Ministry’s circular instructs provincial authorities to play an active role in addressing the possible outbreak of the disease.

“The Jakarta provincial Health Office must coordinate intensively with the Health Ministry to conduct investigation and case tracing to find the initial infection source,” he noted.

He also urged the authority to involve regional officials to inform residents about the mysterious hepatitis.

“Informing residents about the disease is also important. The authority can involve neighborhood units (RT), community units (RW), and family welfare organizations (to disseminate the information), yet the information must be crystal clear to prevent panic among residents that would soon be free from the COVID-19 pandemic,” Sastroamidjojo remarked. Earlier, the Health Ministry confirmed that three children, who died while receiving medical care at the Cipto Mangunkusumo National Central Hospital, were suspected to be infected with the mysterious acute hepatitis.

The ministry’s spokesperson, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, remarked that an investigation, which will include complete virus research, will be launched to investigate the disease’s origin.

“While the investigation is ongoing, we urge residents to remain vigilant yet calm,” Tarmizi noted in her statement on Sunday (May 1).

The three children died in a span of two weeks, with the last death occurring on April 30, 2022, she added.

Source: Antara News

COVID-19 vaccination services given at Gambir, Pasar Senen stations

COVID-19 vaccination services are still available at Pasar Senen and Gambir Stations, Jakarta, during the return flow of 2022 Eid.

One of the health workers in charge of vaccination services at Pasar Senen Station, Dr Merry, stated that the procedures to administer vaccination was still the same as usual, with a physical examination being conducted before receiving the COVID-19 vaccine shot.

“Health screening is conducted as usual (prior to receiving the COVID-19 vaccine),” Dr Merry stated at the Pasar Senen Station area here on Wednesday.

Among the examinations conducted were body temperature and blood pressure checks as well as questions being posed pertaining to the health status of prospective vaccine recipients.

Merry remarked that the type of vaccine used was AstraZeneca. On Tuesday, May 3, some 81 people were recorded to have received vaccines, and most of them were booster doses.

“Yesterday, (the service began), people (prospective travelers) showed enthusiasm, yes. (There were) 81 people. Today, (there are) 35 people,” she added.

PT KAI Area of Operation (Daop) 1 Jakarta collaborated with stakeholders, including the national defense force, police force, and the Health Office to provide vaccination services, ranging from the first dose to the third dose, at the Pasar Senen and Gambir Stations. The service was provided from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. local time.

The vaccination site at Pasar Senen Station was close to the departure gate for electric trains and long-distance trains. On the other hand, the vaccination site at Gambir Station was located in the North Parking Area, or about 200 meters from the train departure gate.

According to the latest regulations set by the Circular of Transportation Ministry Number 39 of 2022 on Instructions for Implementing Domestic Travel by Rail Transportation During the COVID-19 Pandemic, which has been effective since April 5, 2022, currently, prospective train users, who may depart without showing an antigen or PCR test, were only people that had received dose 3 or booster vaccines.

Those who have received the second vaccine must show a negative result of the Rapid Antigen Test that was valid for 1×24 hours or the RT-PCR test, 3×24 hours.

However, long-distance train passengers in the age bracket of 6-17 years that have received the second dose of vaccination were not required to show a negative result of the RT-PCR or Rapid Antigen Test.

Those who have just been vaccinated for the first time must show a negative result of the RT-PCR test valid for 3×24 hours, while prospective passengers that had yet to be vaccinated for medical reasons were required to show a doctor’s certificate from a government hospital and a negative result of the RT-PCR test valid for 3×24 hours.

Furthermore, train passengers under the age of six were neither required to be vaccinated nor needed to show a negative result of the Rapid Antigen Test or RT-PCR, but they must be accompanied by a guardian, who met the travel requirements.

In order to ensure an orderly inspection process, KAI has integrated their ticketing system with the PeduliLindungi application for data validation on vaccination and COVID-19 test results.

The data would be accessible by the company at the time of ticket booking through KAI Access, the KAI website, and at boarding.

Area of Operation 1 Jakarta still provided Rapid Test Antigen services for Rp35 thousand, with operational hours from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time at Gambir Station, and from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time at Pasar Senen Station.

Source: Antara News

Indonesia records 266 recoveries, 176 daily cases

At least 266 COVID-19 patients recovered from the viral infection as of 12 p.m. local time on Wednesday (May 4, 2022), according to the COVID-19 Task Force.

As per data received from the task force here on Wednesday, the additional recoveries took the total number of recovered patients since the start of the pandemic in March 2020 to 5,884,325.

Jakarta province contributed the most recoveries at 102, followed by Bali (45), East Java (28), Central Java (18), and West Java (16), the task force informed. Meanwhile, as many as 176 daily cases of COVID-19 were recorded on Wednesday, taking the total number of confirmed cases to 6,047,491.

The provinces that contributed the most additional cases were Jakarta with 62 cases, West Java and Banten with 26 cases each, East Java with 15 cases, and Bali with 11 cases.

Additionally, 16 deaths were confirmed on Wednesday, with Central Java province reporting the most deaths at 10, followed by East Java (3), Jakarta (2), and Central Kalimantan (1). The COVID-19 Task Force also recorded 6,845 active cases, or patients undergoing treatment and self-isolation, as of Wednesday, a decline of 106 compared to the previous day.

Meanwhile, 1,437 suspected cases were detected, and 69,766 specimens from 49,650 people were examined in hundreds of laboratories across Indonesia.

The daily specimen positivity rate was recorded at 0.59 percent, while the daily person positivity rate was pegged at 0.35 percent.

The task force asked people to continue to follow the health protocols with strict discipline. The protocols included wearing masks, washing hands with soap and running water, maintaining distance, avoiding crowds, and reducing travel.

Source: Antara News