Podcasts about host tyler kern

On this episode of Closing The Books, a podcast by IC System, Host Tyler Kern talked with Mary Prendergast, Vice President of Business Development at IC System, and Gary Meza, CEO, and Owner of GTM Medical Consulting, whose mission is to become the leading business advisor for physicians in the Mid-Atlantic by helping its clients achieve best practices both financially and operationally. The trio talked about how a business adviser can improve your healthcare organization's revenue challenges. Meza and GTM Consulting help practices that are struggling. Having worked with over 100 practices from numerous backgrounds, he helps them by restructuring them and making them more financially sound. One of the main issues he sees is billing efficacy, which in turn becomes a cash flow issue. “To flesh this out I ask physicians if I can review their accounts receivable and monthly billing report,” Meza said. “Very seldom do they review these on a regular basis. They just want to practice medicine.” The business of healthcare has changed over the last ten years, however, with practices now forced to enlist a business consultant or business manager. Meza has been a long-time partner of IC System, introducing clients that need help with self-pay solutions. The pandemic, however, has brought a fresh round of challenges to the industry. Listen to hear more about these challenges and how a business adviser can help improve a healthcare organization. For more information, visit https://www.icsystem.com/.

It's true that there's a small number of women in the semiconductor industry, but one woman has pledged to work towards changing this fact. Host Tyler Kern chatted with Jodi Shelton, the CEO of the Dallas-based, Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA), on an episode of “Getting Technetical.“ The two got down to the nitty-gritty of the semiconductor industry, and Shelton's plans for changing the future landscape of the field. Shelton co-founded GSA close to three decades ago, and her company's mission has heavily focused on bringing together the best and brightest in the industry. But the lack of women has shed light on an area that desperately needs improvement. As one of the few women faces in the semiconductor field, Shelton discussed a new program that GSA launched called the Women's Leadership Initiative, which is aimed at attracting more women to the industry while empowering them to take on leadership roles are primary goals of the initiative.She talked about her own experience in the field and why this initiative is of particular significance to her. “This industry is very male-dominated and there were many times – 90 percent of the time – that I was the only woman in the room. So, working on this Women's Leadership Initiative has certainly been one of the most rewarding things that I've done in my career,” said Shelton.Currently, Shelton said that women make up approximately 10 percent of the semiconductor industry. This gender disparity speaks to the need to promote career opportunities within this sector to young women. Shelton noted that she believes women are either being ignored, or not enough is being done to recruit them. The goal now is to seek out women pursuing STEM degrees at colleges around the country, and just by Shelton's own presence, be an example that women can indeed have a career in this field. She highlighted increased revenue, company growth in the midst of shortages, and how even with supply chain concerns, the semiconductor industry continues to grow and it's an opportune time to find success in it.“There really has never been a better time to be in the semiconductor industry,” said Shelton. She added that “growth is robust and sustainable, and the pace of innovation is accelerating rapidly.”

All over the country, volunteers are serving their school districts and communities. Finding them isn't the only task but managing and maintaining volunteer relationships canquickly become a challenge without the proper tools and resources.. Host Tyler Kern talked to a school official with a lifetime of volunteer experience. Chris Robinson, the Volunteer Program Supervisor for the Lake Washington School District, said volunteers are vital and functional to the success of any school. She added that in addition to teachers and administrative staff, volunteer relationships play a significant role in a child's educational experience.“Obviously, we want our kids to graduate, to be future ready, and be able to contribute to our societies. So, we want them to be successful, and volunteers being there every step of the way with academics and enrichment programs really do help to achieve that mission,” Robinson said.

Nick Agopian, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at RenewAire, and Paul Raymer, Chief Investogator from Heyoka Indoor Solutions LLC, joined Host Tyler Kern for the second of three series episodes on improving indoor air quality.Agopian explained why balanced ventilation with outdoor air is so important. When one cubic foot of air moves out of a building, one cubic foot moves back in. This new air can can take on internally generated contaminants from the building, but as the air moves back out, Mother Nature can help purify the contaminants. “Ventilation, in concert with Mother Nature, helps us to remediate some of the problems we have indoors,” Agopian said. Filtering can also be beneficial for reducing contaminants, but it can filter both good and bad pathogens. However, Agopian does believe filtration has its time and place. “Ventilation with filtration can be a good thing in order to achieve the highest level of good indoor air quality or great indoor air quality resolving the issue that we talked about earlier which is sick building syndrome,” he stated.Agopian and Raymer explained how crucial balanced ventilation is for indoor air quality (IAQ). The solution to pollution is dilution achieved via increased and balanced ventilation. With enough controlled fresh and filtered outdoor air coming in to replace equal parts of stale indoor air via balanced design, the indoor air quality will be enhanced. “All the leaks and cracks in the house are neutralized, and that is one of the most important parts of balance ventilation, Raymer explained.” He added that you really need to know what you're doing and make sure equipment works how it is designed to work, which is part of the reason Paul wrote the second version of the Residential Ventilation Guidebook as a reference.How is balance ventilation achieved? “Each room has its own particular needs and requirements based on what you're using it for and how you're using it,” said Agopian. He added, “Demand-based control is paramount, without a doubt.” A balanced ventilation system exhausts contaminants from the whole house. Generally, exhaust-only ventilation units, like bath fans and or oven hoods, only expel contaminants from a localized single source. Additionally, balanced ventilation provides filtered supply air whereas exhaust-only units bring in uncontrolled outdoor air that has seeped through cracks and openings. Uncontrolled air is not filtered air. Controlled supply air is preferable as contaminants are filtered out. “Balance is not just the wholistic look of one system, but balance is each individual room accordingly,” Agopian stated.Moving forward, it may be beneficial to examine ventilation from a load-based lens for each room. For example, the ACA Manual J looks at heat load from each room by classifying rooms into Category A (supply) rooms and Category B (exhaust) rooms, which could conceptually carry over to ventilation.Clearly, increased ventilation is an essential asset to any house. But what about the monster under the bed, the cost? Stay tuned and join for Episode Three of the series to find out more. Subscribe to the IAQ IQ: Indoor Air Quality and You podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify for the latest insights and news about the air quality in your home and office.

Nick Agopian, Vice President of Sales and Marketing at RenewAire, and Paul Raymer, Chief Investogator from Heyoka Indoor Solutions LLC, joined Host Tyler Kern for the second of three series episodes on improving indoor air quality.Agopian explained why balanced ventilation with outdoor air is so important. When one cubic foot of air moves out of a building, one cubic foot moves back in. This new air can can take on internally generated contaminants from the building, but as the air moves back out, Mother Nature can help purify the contaminants. “Ventilation, in concert with Mother Nature, helps us to remediate some of the problems we have indoors,” Agopian said. Filtering can also be beneficial for reducing contaminants, but it can filter both good and bad pathogens. However, Agopian does believe filtration has its time and place. “Ventilation with filtration can be a good thing in order to achieve the highest level of good indoor air quality or great indoor air quality resolving the issue that we talked about earlier which is sick building syndrome,” he stated.Agopian and Raymer explained how crucial balanced ventilation is for indoor air quality (IAQ). The solution to pollution is dilution achieved via increased and balanced ventilation. With enough controlled fresh and filtered outdoor air coming in to replace equal parts of stale indoor air via balanced design, the indoor air quality will be enhanced. “All the leaks and cracks in the house are neutralized, and that is one of the most important parts of balance ventilation, Raymer explained.” He added that you really need to know what you're doing and make sure equipment works how it is designed to work, which is part of the reason Paul wrote the second version of the Residential Ventilation Guidebook as a reference.How is balance ventilation achieved? “Each room has its own particular needs and requirements based on what you're using it for and how you're using it,” said Agopian. He added, “Demand-based control is paramount, without a doubt.” A balanced ventilation system exhausts contaminants from the whole house. Generally, exhaust-only ventilation units, like bath fans and or oven hoods, only expel contaminants from a localized single source. Additionally, balanced ventilation provides filtered supply air whereas exhaust-only units bring in uncontrolled outdoor air that has seeped through cracks and openings. Uncontrolled air is not filtered air. Controlled supply air is preferable as contaminants are filtered out. “Balance is not just the wholistic look of one system, but balance is each individual room accordingly,” Agopian stated.Moving forward, it may be beneficial to examine ventilation from a load-based lens for each room. For example, the ACA Manual J looks at heat load from each room by classifying rooms into Category A (supply) rooms and Category B (exhaust) rooms, which could conceptually carry over to ventilation.Clearly, increased ventilation is an essential asset to any house. But what about the monster under the bed, the cost? Stay tuned and join for Episode Three of the series to find out more. Subscribe to the IAQ IQ: Indoor Air Quality and You podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify for the latest insights and news about the air quality in your home and office.

Technology advances continue to snowball, it doesn't appear progress will slow anytime soon. Angus McFadden, Semiconductor Technology Manager at Technetics, joined Host Tyler Kern explain how semiconductor manufacturing is evolving. McFadden heads discovery for emerging and new technologies at Technetics, working with other companies under a semiconductor initiative. McFadden has seen shrinking line width and wafer stacking in semiconductor nodes. Technetics is working on three nanometer widths with some customers, but eventually they will reach a physical limit around two nanometers. Packaging, where wafers are stacked to improve unit area functionality, is another way shrinking is occurring. With these advances, the gaming industry is placing more emphasis on semiconductor importance with more use of AR and VR. “That demands a lot of computing power, a lot of bandwidth, a lot of memory,” stated McFadden. Because cell phones are the portal to world, these customers are also demanding improved semiconductor manufacturing. People want to see high resolution screens and refresh rates with a longer battery life, which is another reason for smaller semiconductors.The size reduction means materials and contamination sensitivity are changing, which ties into cleaning. Smaller particles at the atomic level are now considered contaminants, and manufacturing companies are now turning to service from larger companies that specialize in cleaning. “A lot of people use us, and they feel comfortable with that because were insular from the rest of the world and they don't do it in house anymore on a large scale because they just can't afford it, it doesn't make sense, and getting the talent is difficult,” McFadden explained. McFadden believes the market will remain strong for the foreseeable future and grow for the next seven to ten years. For more updates on the semiconductor industry, subscribe or visit technetics.com.

Industry 4.0 isn't just about manufacturing and technology. It's about wholly redefining manufacturing operations to achieve a more excellent circular economy and sustainable results. According to Deloitte, 70 percent of manufacturing executives believe their organization's long-term success requires integrating industry 4.0 technology. But how do businesses get started? Here to give insights on this episode of RedTalks is Greg Giles, Executive Director at RedViking. Along with Host Tyler Kern, they talked about the benefits of industrial IoT, the interconnected network of devices woven together to improve the performance and efficiency of industrial processes. Giles grew up in Michigan, and his family worked in the automotive industry, so it was only natural that he would follow the same line. His parents were product engineers working for “The Big Three” auto companies, and he believed this was his future as well. As an electrical engineering student at the University of Michigan, Giles went on to work for an automotive company before embarking on his own journey at RedViking, where he's been for roughly 24 years. Things have changed quite a bit over the years, but Industry 4.0 is set to reign in large changes. “Now, the desire to have more information more rapidly and more easily accessible is really a big challenge for a lot of people,” Giles noted.

Film extruders increasingly recognized the benefits of investing in automation to replace the traditionally time-consuming process of cleaning chilled rollers and the disruption to production. But, from Baldwin's experience, while extruders recognize the danger of manual cleaning, taking the proactive step to employ automation to prevent operator injury is not always a priority. On this episode of Baldwin's Unlocking Potential Podcast, Host Tyler Kern talked with Bob Baillargeon, Business Development Manager and Sales at Baldwin America. They talked about how Baldwin can help with automation, process improvement, and how automatic cleaning systems can consistently and efficiently clean film cylinders. Many of the calls Baldwin receives for its automated film cylinder cleaner come urgently when film extruders are expected to react to such a tragedy, which is more common than many realize. “At first, you wouldn't think it's dangerous, but when you go into these plants, and you actually see the extrusion lines, and you see the position these operators need to go into and how close they are to 500-degree dye,” Baillargeon said. Baldwin offers an array of automation and process improvement technologies that help film extruders supply higher quality results faster and with increased safety. Baldwin has been manufacturing surface cleaning technologies for decades in the print industry.

Host Tyler Kern welcomed Gary Penta to the podcast “Discover the Truth,” where the pair discussed Penta's history with metal detecting. Penta started his pastime as a metal detector after retiring from the Air Force. “When I came back, I wanted a hobby,” said Penta. He caught a television program highlighting the activity and thought, “Who are these guys?” Not long afterwards he bought his own equipment and started hunting in Texas, where he was living at the time. Penta and his wife, also a veteran, now reside in Florida. Penta is a member of the Ring Finders Club. “Ring Finders is a pretty interesting organization,” explained Penta. After signing up, members are given locations and sent out to look out for items, almost always rings. Penta is Scooba diver, and he has discovered his fair share of rings, as well as items like iPhones. For his day job, his diving skills take center stage. As a treasure salvage diver, Penta works for a search and salvage business. “It has to do with the 1750 fleet, where the Spanish ships washed ashore on the east coast of Florida. 11 or 12 ships broke up, give or take, and millions upon millions of gold coins, silver coins… basically emptied into the shore… so here it is, hundreds of years later and we're still looking for this stuff.” Penta also treasure hunts on Florida's west coast, where he looks for fossils. “We go on these boats, and we dive, and it sounds crazy, but we can actually find 10,000-year-old megalodon teeth just sitting on the ocean floor.” In his spare time, he makes miniature models and complete dioramas, which he started several years ago as a form of therapy after losing his son in Afghanistan. “I started with miniature metal detectors,” of course. His work can be found at mydetecting.com, as well as his Facebook page: Gary Penta. He showcased several examples on the podcast. Penta also had tips for aspiring metal detectors. “The best advice I can give for someone is find a hunting buddy or better yet find a club, join a club. Get yourself a machine, learn your machine, you gotta know what this machine sounds like, you gotta do testing.” “When you swing your detector, keep your coil to the ground.” When you use an upswing, he explained. the coil should be level to the ground. “Low and slow.”

Artificial intelligence (AI) is often associated with consumer-facing and mainstream industries such as gaming, securities and retail, but it plays just as crucial of a role in the biopharma industry. Sandi Colner, head of lab and life sciences vertical for Intel, and Stephanie Davies, head of science for cell therapy at ValitaCell, joined Host Tyler Kern to discuss this.   “The reason these therapies are important is that they really are a potential solution for a lot of diseases that don't have alternative treatments like certain types of cancer, or OA and Crohn's disease,” Davies explained.  Currently, the manufacturing process is still crude. This is partly because tools to monitor cell health and function can take half the time the entire process takes. Embedding a new breed of simple, automatable analytics in these processes — such as image and AI based assessment of cell quality — can help produce a high yield of quality cells to treat patients. This can help decrease the strenuous manufacturing processes that limit the industry.  Sandi Colner, head of Lab and Life Sciences at Intel says that the biopharmaceutical industry is undergoing an immense digital transformation driven by AI. “Although the application of AI in manufacturing is still in its nascent stage,” Colner says, “it's already created an extensive ecosystem of different AI solution providers.” Davies believes the key to accelerating this lies in industry collaboration. “I think these amazing collaborations that we are having across various parts of the industry are going to help connect different siloed data sets. It's going to enable us to have access to sufficiently large data sets that are diverse and that are really going to be needed to train these AI models,” she said.  Looking to the future both Davies and Colner see many ways AI can help solve problems in the emerging cell and gene therapy industry. “This is difficult science, and we need to acknowledge that,” says Colner. She continues to explain that the next collaborations happening across various parts of the AI industry will enable new cell therapies to be delivered. If you are interested in learning more or collaborating in the transformation of the biopharma industry, please connect with Stephanie Davies or Sandi Colner on LinkedIn. Subscribe to this channel on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts to hear more from the Intel Internet of Things Group.

Jim Huscroft, President of Gates & Sons, Inc., joined Host Tyler Kern to discuss the upcoming World of Concrete Show set for January 18th through January 20th in Las Vegas. Past shows have seen attendance of 80,000 with international attendees. Huscroft explained, “So to have it be our highlight of the year, like we said we get a pulse of the industry, we get the chance to talk to so many industry professionals, whether they are distributors of product, whether they are the contractor.” One of the benefits Huscroft has witnessed from the show is hearing good things from many people. Every year, there are people who haven't heard of Gates, and Huscroft views this as an opportunity. “What it really is is a joy to explain what our products do, the thoughtfulness and innovation that we try to put into everything, even just the history of the company, to have somebody spend time with you and let you walk them through your display,” he said. Gates will include interactive displays showcasing all products including foundation, their wood-based forming system, a lot fast column clamp line, and a 30-inch scaffold bracket. “We don't just sell a thing, we aren't just handing pieces and parts over, our goal is to try and provide a solution to a contractor on a job site, and that partnership I think is something that is really valuable to our customers and it's really part of our culture,” said Huscroft.The World of Concrete Show will host a cornhole tournament co-sponsored with UFP Concrete Forming Solutions. on Wednesday, January 19th from 6 to 9pm at Planet Hollywood Hotel. Cash prizes, food, and drinks will be available. For more information, email Gates. You can als visit them in booth W1904 of West Hall at the show.

Jim Huscroft, President of Gates & Sons, Inc., joined Host Tyler Kern to discuss the upcoming World of Concrete Show set for January 18th through January 20th in Las Vegas. Past shows have seen attendance of 80,000 with international attendees. Huscroft explained, “So to have it be our highlight of the year, like we said we get a pulse of the industry, we get the chance to talk to so many industry professionals, whether they are distributors of product, whether they are the contractor.” One of the benefits Huscroft has witnessed from the show is hearing good things from many people. Every year, there are people who haven't heard of Gates, and Huscroft views this as an opportunity. “What it really is is a joy to explain what our products do, the thoughtfulness and innovation that we try to put into everything, even just the history of the company, to have somebody spend time with you and let you walk them through your display,” he said. Gates will include interactive displays showcasing all products including foundation, their wood-based forming system, a lot fast column clamp line, and a 30-inch scaffold bracket. “We don't just sell a thing, we aren't just handing pieces and parts over, our goal is to try and provide a solution to a contractor on a job site, and that partnership I think is something that is really valuable to our customers and it's really part of our culture,” said Huscroft.The World of Concrete Show will host a cornhole tournament co-sponsored with UFP Concrete Forming Solutions. on Wednesday, January 19th from 6 to 9pm at Planet Hollywood Hotel. Cash prizes, food, and drinks will be available. For more information, email Gates. You can als visit them in booth W1904 of West Hall at the show.

On this episode of Weaver: Beyond the Numbers, Host Tyler Kern talked with Rob Nowak, Partner in Tax Services at Weaver, about the bonus depreciation of business assets. “Bonus depreciation is one of the incentives that's been around in the tax code for about 20 years,” Nowak said. “It's an enhanced expensing election that allows taxpayers to immediately write off the cost basis of qualifying assets placed in service during a year.” So, what are qualifying assets? It's a tangible property with MACRS class life of 20 years or less. It also includes some other property that is specialized to an industry, like particular water treatment property, software that is amortized over three years and certain types of plants. “Both new and used property now qualify for bonus depreciation, which is a little bit of a departure from some prior law,” Nowak said. Under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Job Act, the law was changed to allow new assets but also used property. However, those would not qualify if a taxpayer previously used the property or a predecessor entity or related entity. “There's also a specific classification of property referred to as qualified improvement property,” Nowak said. “That's certain improvements to commercial real estate.” Listen to the full episode to hear all of Nowak's insights on the bonus depreciation incentives. Subscribe and listen to future episodes of Weaver: Beyond the Numbers on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Weaver's professionals are known for helping clients address problems, achieve compliance and prevent fraud or loss. Visit weaver.com for more thought leadership.

The pandemic may have halted many industries from growing, but that is not the case for the commercial space market. Jason Riggs, Director of Strategy at Technetics, discussed the market's future for 2022 with Host Tyler Kern.Recently, propulsion and launch vehicles have made an entrance into the market, and private funding and public funding are both fueling investments. 3D printing and design stability have helped create cost efficiency and standard designs, which are essential for ensuring continuity of supply. There is also need for nations to lift national security payloads like communication satellites as the hunger for data and connectivity become more important. Large constellations will fuel connectivity by providing internet to the 50% of the world that lacks connection. The cost and size of communication satellites has been drastically reduced, allowing more to be in orbit. Companies such as AST space mobile, Astranis, Amazon project Kuiper and SpaceX are taking part in the rush to launch more satellites. “That space launch service market is expected to grow at around a 13 to 14% CAGR, putting the market size at over 26 billion by the year 2027,” said Riggs.In terms of future innovations, aviation fuels, hybrid electric aircraft, hydrogen aircraft, sustainable supersonic aircraft and all-electric aircraft makers are on the rise. The industry is starting to see use of hypersonic missiles that travel at five times the speed of sound and deliver conventional and nuclear payloads anywhere in the world in minutes. Riggs explained the role of Technetics: “Our goal is really to develop and acquire technologies that will allow us to help drive these markets forward, not just chase them.”For more information on this topic, subscribe to the podcast on Apple iTunes or Spotify and visit the Technetics website.

Because of the pandemic, the commercial aero market was profoundly impacted by the sudden disruptions in travel. Jason Riggs, Director of Strategy at Technetics Group, discussed this phenomenon and how the market has rebounded with Host Tyler Kern. Globally, air traffic is down by 30% from pre-pandemic levels, and airframers are making calls to increase production rates to 75 per month, which is double what it is today. What does this mean for the supply base? This will create more strain, especially in the skilled labor workforce. Skilled laborers faced layoffs in 2020, and now the workforce is 10-20% smaller than it should be. Like many other industries, businesses are having difficulty recruiting employees back, and Riggs said a hypothesis for the cause is that the younger generation is switching industries. An additional source of pressure in the industry is the semiconductor and chip shortages. The shortages have caused more customer interest in dual sourcing to mitigate supply concerns and drive down costs. Because of stressors like these, 2021 has seen a lot of defense-related merger and acquisition transactions. “Defense-related content typically stays strong during downturns, and that certainly was the case during the pandemic,” Riggs explained. Businesses are trading multiples significantly higher than a few years ago, and commercial deal flows are predicted to continue increasing next year as businesses improve. Despite these challenges in 2021, the fundamentals for aerospace and defense remain strong. Riggs knows the market will make a full recovery, hopefully by 2023 or 2024. “It's just a question of how and when, but we feel really good about the market; we are excited about where things are going,” he stated.Subscribe to the podcast on Apple iTunes or Spotify and visit the Technetics website for more information on this topic.

Because of the pandemic, the commercial aero market was profoundly impacted by the sudden disruptions in travel. Jason Riggs, Director of Strategy at Technetics Group, discussed this phenomenon and how the market has rebounded with Host Tyler Kern. Globally, air traffic is down by 30% from pre-pandemic levels, and airframers are making calls to increase production rates to 75 per month, which is double what it is today. What does this mean for the supply base? This will create more strain, especially in the skilled labor workforce. Skilled laborers faced layoffs in 2020, and now the workforce is 10-20% smaller than it should be. Like many other industries, businesses are having difficulty recruiting employees back, and Riggs said a hypothesis for the cause is that the younger generation is switching industries. An additional source of pressure in the industry is the semiconductor and chip shortages. The shortages have caused more customer interest in dual sourcing to mitigate supply concerns and drive down costs. Because of stressors like these, 2021 has seen a lot of defense-related merger and acquisition transactions. “Defense-related content typically stays strong during downturns, and that certainly was the case during the pandemic,” Riggs explained. Businesses are trading multiples significantly higher than a few years ago, and commercial deal flows are predicted to continue increasing next year as businesses improve. Despite these challenges in 2021, the fundamentals for aerospace and defense remain strong. Riggs knows the market will make a full recovery, hopefully by 2023 or 2024. “It's just a question of how and when, but we feel really good about the market; we are excited about where things are going,” he stated.Subscribe to the podcast on Apple iTunes or Spotify and visit the Technetics website for more information on this topic.

PDMP and EPCS are two emerging abbreviations essential to curbing the current opioid epidemic. David McFarlane, Marketing Communications Manager with Medsphere, and Host Tyler Kern discussed what they are and their relevance.PDMP, or Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs, are state registries that track opioid administration by pharmacists. PDMPs are not implemented in every state and are not state-standardized. EPCS, or Electronic Prescriptions for Controlled Substances, is when providers send a prescription to a pharmacy and there is an electronic record that can link to the PDMP. Currently, PDMP and EPCS are not federally mandated. Twenty-two states lack one program while six lack either. This will likely soon change, as the government moves to enforce overarching requirements that could prevent addicted individuals from doctor shopping across state lines.A federal mandate would not change pharmacist workflow much if these programs are automated. In fact, implementation would benefit healthcare workers such as physicians. An ER physician might pull up a patient record and observe a history of their prescriptions on the registry to see if anything indicates addiction. McFarlane explained, “It also gives him or her a clear picture of where that patient sitting in front of him or her sits and what their real needs are.” This data is useful but there is no protocol for how to approach it in terms of funneling patients to rehab programs or administering weaning medications. McFarlane stated, “That's something that has to be discussed widely in the country in terms of programs, in terms of protocols for physicians in different hospitals.” As for next steps, McFarlane believes protocol standardization at the state level is achievable if small hospitals receive funding to implement opioid programs and comply with a mandate.Learn more about PDPM and EPCS and get in contact with McFarlane by visiting medsphere.com.

On this episode of Weaver: Beyond the Numbers, Host Tyler Kern talked with Rob Nowak, Partner in Tax Services at Weaver, about the bonus depreciation of business assets. “Bonus depreciation is one of the incentives that's been around in the tax code for about 20 years,” Nowak said. “It's an enhanced expensing election that allows taxpayers to immediately write off the cost basis of qualifying assets placed in service during a year.” So, what are qualifying assets? It's a tangible property with MACRS class life of 20 years or less. It also includes some other property that is specialized to an industry, like particular water treatment property, software that is amortized over three years and certain types of plants. “Both new and used property now qualify for bonus depreciation, which is a little bit of a departure from some prior law,” Nowak said. Under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Job Act, the law was changed to allow new assets but also used property. However, those would not qualify if a taxpayer previously used the property or a predecessor entity or related entity. “There's also a specific classification of property referred to as qualified improvement property,” Nowak said. “That's certain improvements to commercial real estate.”Listen to the full episode to hear all of Nowak's insights on the bonus depreciation incentives.Subscribe and listen to future episodes of Weaver: Beyond the Numbers on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Living, working, and recreational environments can make all the difference when it comes to your health, mood, and wellbeing. Host Tyler Kern spoke with Tom Lattomus, Controls Account Executive at Boland, about the WELL Building Certification, which affords business owners the opportunity to positively impact these environments to improve health.The WELL Building Certification provides industry professionals with the opportunity to demonstrate advanced knowledge in human health, wellbeing and how this interacts with building environments. Lattomus explained, “The WELL building standard is a vehicle for owners, property managers, architects, engineers for building organizations to build more thoughtful and intentional spaces.” The certification includes studying webinars and content, and practice exams are available online. Those wishing to become certified must sit for a live or proctored exam within a year. The benefit of this certification is that it shows a business's commitment to fostering health and wellbeing in their environment. Examples of features a business may choose to address include air quality, water quality, natural light presence, exposure to nature, and selection and quality of building materials. Ultimately, the WELL Certification provides businesses with the opportunity to better serve clients with evidence-based design connections. “The aim is to advance the health through better design, operational protocols and policies, and foster culture of health and wellbeing,” said Lattomus. This has become even more important post-pandemic as individuals have focused more on the indoor spaces where they live and work. Lattomus encouraged those considering the certification to pursue it to invest in employees and bring better service to clients. “It's hard to improve what you don't measure,” he said. The WELL Standard and strategies that come with it help to identify facets that can be improved and measure ways to improve them.

Living, working, and recreational environments can make all the difference when it comes to your health, mood, and wellbeing. Host Tyler Kern spoke with Tom Lattomus, Controls Account Executive at Boland, about the WELL Building Certification, which affords business owners the opportunity to positively impact these environments to improve health.The WELL Building Certification provides industry professionals with the opportunity to demonstrate advanced knowledge in human health, wellbeing and how this interacts with building environments. Lattomus explained, “The WELL building standard is a vehicle for owners, property managers, architects, engineers for building organizations to build more thoughtful and intentional spaces.” The certification includes studying webinars and content, and practice exams are available online. Those wishing to become certified must sit for a live or proctored exam within a year. The benefit of this certification is that it shows a business's commitment to fostering health and wellbeing in their environment. Examples of features a business may choose to address include air quality, water quality, natural light presence, exposure to nature, and selection and quality of building materials. Ultimately, the WELL Certification provides businesses with the opportunity to better serve clients with evidence-based design connections. “The aim is to advance the health through better design, operational protocols and policies, and foster culture of health and wellbeing,” said Lattomus. This has become even more important post-pandemic as individuals have focused more on the indoor spaces where they live and work. Lattomus encouraged those considering the certification to pursue it to invest in employees and bring better service to clients. “It's hard to improve what you don't measure,” he said. The WELL Standard and strategies that come with it help to identify facets that can be improved and measure ways to improve them.

The trend for seeing electric vehicles (EV) on the road has been on the rise. Sameer Pagnis, President, Global Automotive at TE Connectivity joined Host Tyler Kern to discuss facilitators and roadblocks in the EV field.A convergence of factors are responsible for increasing EV prevalence. The technology is integrating rapidly, battery pack density is improving, and economics make these cars more affordable. The performance factor that makes it difficult for consumers to go back to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles once they have driven EVs. Alternatively, the main barrier preventing EVs from a complete overhaul of ICE vehicles is range or charge anxiety, which includes charge time, how many miles a charge gets, and charge station availability. “Once that charge anxiety is addressed, that eliminates the primary hurdle of widespread adoption from a technology perspective,” said Pagnis. The electrical power of these vehicles also poses an added safety challenge. Pyrotechnic or fire events needs to be known to the driver at least 20 minutes ahead of time. The high voltage switching in EVs also causes terminal and electromagnetic noise. Pagnis summarized: “The density of power that can charge rapidly and be made available economically and functions reliably; that is the biggest challenge.” The future of EV will rely on consumer experience. TE must take their experience and find people, supplies, and customers who can partner and provide the right level of input. “It is all about bringing all of those experiences together and learning from it rapidly so that the end consumers get the best product.”For more information, visit te.com to read blog posts on this topic or connect with the engineer support teams or sign up for the Circuit monthly newsletter. Additionally, iTunes, Spotify, and Google offer the Our Connected World podcast.

On this episode of Weaver: Beyond The Numbers, Host Tyler Kern talked with Sandra Dunphy, Director Energy Compliance Services, and Greg Staiti, Partner Energy Compliance Services. Dunphy and Staiti recently attended the Opis RFS, RINs & Biofuels Forum in Chicago. Dunphy has been with Weaver for almost 11 years, and she leads the Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS) team. She and her team help companies navigate the regulations and how they work. As the first conference speaker this year, she gave an overview of the conference's agenda. But, the big news out of this year's conference was the delay in the EPA's regulation announcement. “The timing of the conference this year was quite interesting,” Dunphy noted. “We have annual objectives that EPA publishes each year of the period of the regulations. We have now been waiting for an announcement related to 2021 about the standards the industry to try to meet.” These standards are called Renewable Volume Obligations. Usually, they have them by the end of November before the compliance year, which means they should have had them by November 2020. “Ironically, in the conference last year, we said we were waiting for the EPA's announcement, and here we are a year later still waiting for that announcement,” Dunphy said. Staiti has been with Weaver since 2012. He oversees the consulting part of the practice within Weaver's Energy Consulting Services. They focus on the transportation fuels regulation that affects all the fuels that go into vehicles. His presentation focused on feedstocks and other issues that are an obstacle under current RFS regulations. “Both of our presentations were very heavy on the regulatory framework for renewable fuels,” Staiti said. “But, mine, in particular, focused on some of the challenges within the existing regulatory structure that could inhibit the expansion of opportunities for renewable fuels and their associated feedstocks, under the current regulations.”

On this episode of Weaver: Beyond The Numbers, Host Tyler Kern talked with Sandra Dunphy, Director Energy Compliance Services, and Greg Staiti, Partner Energy Compliance Services. Dunphy and Staiti recently attended the Opis RFS, RINs & Biofuels Forum in Chicago. Dunphy has been with Weaver for almost 11 years, and she leads the Renewable Fuel Standards (RFS) team. She and her team help companies navigate the regulations and how they work. As the first conference speaker this year, she gave an overview of the conference's agenda. But, the big news out of this year's conference was the delay in the EPA's regulation announcement. “The timing of the conference this year was quite interesting,” Dunphy noted. “We have annual objectives that EPA publishes each year of the period of the regulations. We have now been waiting for an announcement related to 2021 about the standards the industry to try to meet.” These standards are called Renewable Volume Obligations. Usually, they have them by the end of November before the compliance year, which means they should have had them by November 2020. “Ironically, in the conference last year, we said we were waiting for the EPA's announcement, and here we are a year later still waiting for that announcement,” Dunphy said. Staiti has been with Weaver since 2012. He oversees the consulting part of the practice within Weaver's Energy Consulting Services. They focus on the transportation fuels regulation that affects all the fuels that go into vehicles. His presentation focused on feedstocks and other issues that are an obstacle under current RFS regulations. “Both of our presentations were very heavy on the regulatory framework for renewable fuels,” Staiti said. “But, mine, in particular, focused on some of the challenges within the existing regulatory structure that could inhibit the expansion of opportunities for renewable fuels and their associated feedstocks, under the current regulations.”

The use of Artificial Intelligence and other new technologies is becoming essential for manufacturers working to build resilience and remain competitive in an ever-changing marketplace. According to a recent survey from The Manufacturer, 65 percent of leaders in the manufacturing sector are working to adopt AI. In this episode of To The Edge and Beyond, Host Tyler Kern talked with Tara Thimmanaik, Systems Architect and Dave Austin, Senior Principal Engineer for the Industrial Solutions Division at Intel about adopting industrial AI for smarter manufacturing. More and more manufacturers are seeing AI as the way of the future, so much so that its adoption is expected to grow at a rate of 57.2 percent CAGR over the next five years within warehouses. However, implementation can be challenging and there are barriers to entry. "The barriers are everywhere. “They usually start with the fact that there's never enough data,” says Austin. “You've also got to have enough of the right kinds of data. AI needs context, labels, and quality to create viable solutions.” Thimmanaik agrees adding, “It's not just about getting AI training right. It's about taking the environment in which the AI performs into consideration. That's what Industry 4.0 is all about – the digital transformation of manufacturing.”Thanks to the COVID pandemic, companies are realizing they need to innovate and shift their focus. “As a system architect, I like to understand what it takes to make those 4.0 transformations happen on factory floors,” Thimmanaik says. “There are LOTS of technologies which must come together and play well. We must realize that only those technologies that make business sense will be adopted.”"AI is very good at giving us insight into what it's trained to do,” said Austin, “but once we start getting into that space of asking it to give us an answer for something it isn't trained to do, or outside of that data space, it's actually not so great." Thimmanaik stresses that what is needed is an ecosystem of solutions. “Intel has a whole range of market-ready solutions, and we partner with some of the best players in this industry. It's about identifying business problems and developing end-to-end solutions that are easily scalable.”To learn more about Tara Thimmanaik and Dave Austin:• Connect with them on LinkedIn• Visit www.intel.com/manufacturingSubscribe to this channel on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts to hear more from the Intel Internet of Things Group.

Here to break down Link2Valves on this episode of The Valve Chronicles is Jake Corzine, Western Regional Manager for Cla-Val, and Tim Neumann, the Production Facilities Lead at Mission Springs Water District, which provides, protects, and preserves water in Desert Hot Springs, California, and the surrounding areas. The two talked with Host Tyler Kern about Link2Valves. Neumann was introduced to Link2Valves when he worked for the City of Redlands and was tasked with monitoring 18 modulating valves, which are the lifeblood of the system, according to Neumann. There were no maintenance records on the valves, and he inquired that if he was going to do 18 valves, he should also do all the valves in the city. “They kind of looked and me and said ‘Really?'” Neumann recalled. “It kind of went from there, and I started using Link2Valves as soon as it came out.” One of his favorite aspects is the geo-location, especially when having new staff, as they can be directed to the valve's location. It also provides information on the type of valve and its function, which is a significant convenience for Neumann when maintaining the valves. “The other thing I think is really nice is the monthly report you can get sent to you in email format,” Neumann said. “When you have a bunch of different job duties, it is important to get that reminder.”

The app Link2Valves helps to make faster, more intelligent decisions on water system infrastructure. It has an intuitive and user-friendly design, with precise and easy-to-interpret data while maximizing maintenance efficiencies for automatic control valves and other water system assets. Here to break down Link2Valves on this episode of The Valve Chronicles is Jake Corzine, Western Regional Manager for Cla-Val, and Tim Neumann, the Production Facilities Lead at Mission Springs Water District, which provides, protects, and preserves water in Desert Hot Springs, California, and the surrounding areas. The two talked with Host Tyler Kern about Link2Valves. Neumann was introduced to Link2Valves when he worked for the City of Redlands and was tasked with monitoring 18 modulating valves, which are the lifeblood of the Redlands system, according to Neumann. There were no maintenance records on the valves, and he inquired that if he was going to do 18 valves, he should also do all the valves in the city“They kind of looked and me and said ‘Really?'” Neumann recalled. “It kind of went from there, and I started using Link2Valves as soon as it came out.” One of his favorite aspects is the geo-location, especially when having new staff, as they can be directed to the valve's location. It also provides information on the type of valve and its function, which is a significant convenience for Neumann when maintaining the valves. “The other thing I think is really nice is the monthly report you can get sent to you in email format,” Neumann said. “When you have a bunch of different job duties, it is important to get that reminder.”

Brad Snodgrass, global account manager at Boland Trane, explained to Host Tyler Kern about modular chillers' benefits and how Boland works with customers to ensure an upgrade is the right move for them. Instead of the traditional physically separated chillers, modular chillers have one point of electrical connection with a factory control component—this means a more efficient system that physically takes up less space and allows significantly more flexibility. “The benefit of the modular chiller is now when we're putting the new chiller back in, we have these small building blocks, and we're able to put them in one at a time. It doesn't matter if you're running into a small elevator, narrow hallway, or whatever the building feature presents as a challenge, the modular chiller is able to help you overcome that and get the new chiller into the space,” said Snodgrass. Boland wants to ensure future customers are treated like partners by taking on a consultative approach when determining if modular chillers are an appropriate update. These steps include:1. Identify the customer's needs that may reveal the opportunity for a modular chiller upgrade2. Discuss examples to determine the type of problems to solve, such as phasing, future expansion needs, and seasonal turndown3. Conduct factory testing to verify and prove packaged solution's capabilities and inspire ideas 4. Design and implement the right solutions with experienced engineers and award-winning softwareMaking a capital purchase such as modular chillers is a large investment for any company. Partner with a reputable HVAC equipment and service provider with the teams and technology to deliver the right results efficiently and responsibly.

Brad Snodgrass, global account manager at Boland Trane, explained to Host Tyler Kern about modular chillers' benefits and how Boland works with customers to ensure an upgrade is the right move for them. Instead of the traditional physically separated chillers, modular chillers have one point of electrical connection with a factory control component—this means a more efficient system that physically takes up less space and allows significantly more flexibility. “The benefit of the modular chiller is now when we're putting the new chiller back in, we have these small building blocks, and we're able to put them in one at a time. It doesn't matter if you're running into a small elevator, narrow hallway, or whatever the building feature presents as a challenge, the modular chiller is able to help you overcome that and get the new chiller into the space,” said Snodgrass.

On this episode of Talkin' Shop with Walbro, Host Tyler Kern talked with Christopher Quick, President, Walbro Aftermarket Products Group, Bob McCue, Channel Marketing Director, Walbro, Elton Fisch, Engineering Director. They dug into how Walbro is performing as the company heads into the end of the year. “After eight months of this newly formed business unit and bringing additional staff members in, I can't say how proud I am of the team and how they've embraced the vision, strategy, defined culture, and working through the tactics to make things happen,” Quick said. “We are nearing the best sales ever.” This good information in the sales department comes as the team at Walbro has faced multiple supply chain interruptions, logistics issues, resource issues, and in the midst of a global pandemic. The team has really worked hard, made each other accountable, and carried out the mission, according to Quick. “We've been hit with higher costs all the way around that has hurt us from a P&L perspective, but the volume demand is assisting with the pain in the short term,” Quick said. The year started with a significant strategy shift, which included expanding other market segments. They've also beefed up their product offerings and increased service and dialogue with their partners. The new product offerings include power sports, chain saw, bar, and chain, as well as propellers. Down the line, they also want to look into strategic acquisitions to help fuel their growth.

Over the past year and a half, the pandemic caused numerous issues to the supply chain. The Biden Administration is pushing for relief, but it looks like problems will exist through the holidays, leaving Americans in short supply for Christmas. Here to give insights on this episode of 10 Minutes To A Better Building is Mike Alexis, Account Executive at Boland. He talked with Host Tyler Kern about how Boland is confronting the issues with the supply chain. American consumers aren't the only ones facing a shortage due to the supply chain, as issues also trickled down to the HVAC industry. Some of the equipment in HVAC requires the same semiconductor chip to function that is impacting the automobile industry.“The HVAC industry right now is dealing with the same issues that virtually every other industry is facing at the moment,” Alexis said. “From material shortages to labor shortages, to the warehouse to the trucking industry. It's even been impacted by the semiconductor chip shortage that's pretty much crippled the auto industry.” The HVAC industry isn't unique in its present struggles but there is an overlap in dealing with the same shortages as other industries. At Boland, they are taking the situation one day at a time by dealing with and adapting to each issue. The issues are equally spread across residential and commercial applications. “The semiconductor chip shortage has impacted the residential side of things a little bit more,” Alexis said. “There's a little bit more electronics, like some of the temperature sensors in the thermostats. They need these semiconductors chips and some of these boards and higher-end stuff.”

Over the past year and a half, the pandemic caused numerous issues to the supply chain. The Biden Administration is pushing for relief, but it looks like problems will exist through the holidays, leaving Americans in short supply for Christmas. Here to give insights on this episode of 10 Minutes To A Better Building is Mike Alexis, Account Executive at Boland. He talked with Host Tyler Kern about how Boland is confronting the issues with the supply chain. American consumers aren't the only ones facing a shortage due to the supply chain, as issues also trickled down to the HVAC industry. Some of the equipment in HVAC requires the same semiconductor chip to function that is impacting the automobile industry.“The HVAC industry right now is dealing with the same issues that virtually every other industry is facing at the moment,” Alexis said. “From material shortages to labor shortages, to the warehouse to the trucking industry. It's even been impacted by the semiconductor chip shortage that's pretty much crippled the auto industry.” The HVAC industry isn't unique in its present struggles but there is an overlap in dealing with the same shortages as other industries. At Boland, they are taking the situation one day at a time by dealing with and adapting to each issue. The issues are equally spread across residential and commercial applications. “The semiconductor chip shortage has impacted the residential side of things a little bit more,” Alexis said. “There's a little bit more electronics, like some of the temperature sensors in the thermostats. They need these semiconductors chips and some of these boards and higher-end stuff.”

Ransomware is one of the greatest dangers in healthcare IT, with cyberattacks in healthcare rising to 42 percent in 2020. Over the past year and a half, hackers attacked large institutions and smaller organizations with increased intensity. On this episode of Full Circle Healthcare, Host Tyler Kern talked with Thomas Grove, Vice President of Operations at Phoenix Health Systems. They discussed the increase in ransomware attacks and the criminal organizations that deploy these attacks. “Ransomware is increasingly common, and it's expensive,” Grove stated.One-third of healthcare organizations were impacted by ransomware last year, according to research from Sophos. Two-thirds of organizations also expect to be impacted. “I think the other third are deceiving themselves,” Grove said. The cost of a data breach also hit record highs in 2020; the average price of an incident was $4.24 million. One of the major difficulties in staying ahead of ransomware attacks is due to the fact that they are constantly evolving. One of the ways to combat this ever-increasing danger is by having your files backed up, according to Grove. This allows healthcare facilities to restore files. However, new ransomware is more mature than this original model. The new ransomware is silently exists for more extended periods while it gathers data. Grove explained: “When we think of ransomware, we think of ransomware in the classic model, where ransomware gets loaded in your system, it encrypts your files in place. You get contacted by the ransomware itself demanding ransom.”

On this episode of 10 Minutes To A Better Building, Host Tyler Kern talked with Jason Lawrence, Ductless Technical Specialist at Boland Trane, which provides HVAC solutions and a network of more than 360 locations throughout the United States and Canada. They dove into VRF (Variable Refrigerant Flow), the ins and outs, and when VRF is a good design application.“Most VRF is heating and cooling equipment, and it's a split system,” Lawrence said. “We have a condenser outside, and then we have indoor units. We could have up to 50 indoor units, or as something as simple as a condenser with one indoor unit.” What makes this system different is that it's a VX refrigeration system. It has refrigerant in it, but the compressor is actually modulating various capacities. And it's the same thing with the fan motors, Lawrence explains. VRF systems provide energy savings, smaller zones, heat recovery, and reduced duct losses. While a simple Google search might show that a VRF system is ductless that isn't always the case. “Ductless is almost an improper term,” Lawrence said, “...but there's a lot of ducted units, as well, that have air ducts on them. The difference being we may have a smaller duct system on a VRF unit.” VRF systems offer many benefits. For example, in a home, there's a thermostat, and it's hot out. The home unit comes on at 100 percent of its capacity, cools it down to the thermostat temperature, and then turns off. A VRF system is similar to a car in that it's able to match the load. It will require more energy when it starts up, but it's easier to maintain once it's going. “We want it to match the load,” Lawrence said. “It stops so much of the slamming on and off, so it's very energy efficient.”

On this episode of 10 Minutes To A Better Building, Host Tyler Kern talked with Jason Lawrence, Ductless Technical Specialist at Boland Trane, which provides HVAC solutions and a network of more than 360 locations throughout the United States and Canada. They dove into VRF (Variable Refrigerant Flow), the ins and outs, and when VRF is a good design application.“Most VRF is heating and cooling equipment, and it's a split system,” Lawrence said. “We have a condenser outside, and then we have indoor units. We could have up to 50 indoor units, or as something as simple as a condenser with one indoor unit.” What makes this system different is that it's a VX refrigeration system. It has refrigerant in it, but the compressor is actually modulating various capacities. And it's the same thing with the fan motors, Lawrence explains. VRF systems provide energy savings, smaller zones, heat recovery, and reduced duct losses. While a simple Google search might show that a VRF system is ductless that isn't always the case. “Ductless is almost an improper term,” Lawrence said, “...but there's a lot of ducted units, as well, that have air ducts on them. The difference being we may have a smaller duct system on a VRF unit.” VRF systems offer many benefits. For example, in a home, there's a thermostat, and it's hot out. The home unit comes on at 100 percent of its capacity, cools it down to the thermostat temperature, and then turns off. A VRF system is similar to a car in that it's able to match the load. It will require more energy when it starts up, but it's easier to maintain once it's going. “We want it to match the load,” Lawrence said. “It stops so much of the slamming on and off, so it's very energy efficient.”

On this episode of Closing The Books, a podcast by IC System, Host Tyler Kern talked with Mary Prendergast, Vice President of Business Development at IC System, and Gary Meza, CEO, and Owner of GTM Medical Consulting, whose mission is to become the leading business advisor for physicians in the Mid-Atlantic by helping its clients achieve best practices both financially and operationally. The trio talked about how a business adviser can improve your healthcare organization's revenue challenges. Meza and GTM Consulting help practices that are struggling. Having worked with over 100 practices from numerous backgrounds, he helps them by restructuring them and making them more financially sound. One of the main issues he sees is billing efficacy, which in turn becomes a cash flow issue. “To flesh this out I ask physicians if I can review their accounts receivable and monthly billing report,” Meza said. “Very seldom do they review these on a regular basis. They just want to practice medicine.” The business of healthcare has changed over the last ten years, however, with practices now forced to enlist a business consultant or business manager. Meza has been a long-time partner of IC System, introducing clients that need help with self-pay solutions. The pandemic, however, has brought a fresh round of challenges to the industry. Listen to hear more about these challenges and how a business adviser can help improve a healthcare organization.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced companies and building owners to consider the air quality in their buildings. While the virus might not always be prevalent, air quality is now a top-of-mind issue and a major factor when it comes to occupant health and wellness. Because of this, building owners will have to improve factors such as ventilation.On this episode of IAQ IQ: Indoor Air Quality and You, Host Tyler Kern discussed building ratings and certifications with Nick Agopian, VP of Sales and Marketing at RenewAire, and Sarah Nugent, Sustainability Director at Steven Winter Associates. Steven Winter Associates provides research, consulting and advisory services to improve commercial, residential and multi-family-built environments for private and public sector clients. Nugent touched on three programs that set the standards and guidelines for building ratings and certifications: the Fitwel Viral Response Module from the Center for Active Design, GSA and the CDC; the IWBI WELL Health Safety Rating at International WELL Building Institute; and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program from the U.S Green Building Council (USGBC).These three programs were created because of the vacuum and new focus on occupant health and wellness, according to Nugent. The pandemic has caused a heightened focus on lingering air particles in indoor facilities. The worst air compounds, like viral diseases, cannot be detected by human senses. Agopian believes the world needs to become more resilient. “There's a lot of reevaluation, and when we look at minimum code, what does that mean? And if we maintain it, now we definitely have to entertain higher performing buildings that offer us a little more than whatever minimum code was,” said Agopian.When it comes to indoor air quality standards, customers will likely start choosing a place to visit, rent, etc. based on these certifications. One distinguishing factor will be ventilation standards—buildings can display their WELL Health Safety Rating to indicate how far above standard their facility is ventilated. According to Nugent, Steven Winters Associates emphasizes upgrading systems to increase ventilation efficiency, especially in older buildings. Listen to hear more about building rating systems and certifications created during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced companies and building owners to consider the air quality in their buildings. While the virus might not always be prevalent, air quality is now a top-of-mind issue and a major factor when it comes to occupant health and wellness. Because of this, building owners will have to improve factors such as ventilation.On this episode of IAQ IQ: Indoor Air Quality and You, Host Tyler Kern discussed building ratings and certifications with Nick Agopian, VP of Sales and Marketing at RenewAire, and Sarah Nugent, Sustainability Director at Steven Winter Associates. Steven Winter Associates provides research, consulting and advisory services to improve commercial, residential and multi-family-built environments for private and public sector clients. Nugent touched on three programs that set the standards and guidelines for building ratings and certifications: the Fitwel Viral Response Module from the Center for Active Design, GSA and the CDC; the IWBI WELL Health Safety Rating at International WELL Building Institute; and the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program from the U.S Green Building Council (USGBC).These three programs were created because of the vacuum and new focus on occupant health and wellness, according to Nugent. The pandemic has caused a heightened focus on lingering air particles in indoor facilities. The worst air compounds, like viral diseases, cannot be detected by human senses. Agopian believes the world needs to become more resilient. “There's a lot of reevaluation, and when we look at minimum code, what does that mean? And if we maintain it, now we definitely have to entertain higher performing buildings that offer us a little more than whatever minimum code was,” said Agopian.When it comes to indoor air quality standards, customers will likely start choosing a place to visit, rent, etc. based on these certifications. One distinguishing factor will be ventilation standards—buildings can display their WELL Health Safety Rating to indicate how far above standard their facility is ventilated. According to Nugent, Steven Winters Associates emphasizes upgrading systems to increase ventilation efficiency, especially in older buildings. Listen to hear more about building rating systems and certifications created during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On this episode of the podcast, Host Tyler Kern talked with Christina Armstrong, Director of Global Marketing and Communications at ScreenBeam, and Ashley Flaska, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Exertis Pro AV. Exertis is the leading technology distributor of consumer, business, and enterprise products from established and emerging technology brands and a wholly-owned subsidiary of parent company DCC PLC, an FTSE 100 company. The trio talked about the “Plug-in to Exertis ProAV & Tech Tour” coming up and the partnership with ScreenBeam. They're taking the show on the road this year, as these events will hit regional centers across the country. Exertis partnered with vendors, including ScreenBeam, and invited all of their resellers in a specific region. “Typically, we do ten of these throughout the year, and so we can hit all of the main regions,” Flaska explained. “We select different areas that would be metro areas in some of the bigger cities, and then we also have some mid-sized cities to make sure we incorporate the full gamut of the country within these shows.” Obviously, the country is still under a cloud of COVID, so having these shows back in person allows for a lot of exciting opportunities. This includes the formal, in-person meeting of ScreenBeam's reps with their Exertis reps instead of behind a screen. The next event is on Oct. 15. in New York City. Other dates: Nov. 10 in Los Angeles. Dec. 2 in Toronto. Dec.16 in Atlanta. Visit the site here to learn more about the events: https://www.exertisna.com/plugin

On this episode of the podcast, Host Tyler Kern talked with Christina Armstrong, Director of Global Marketing and Communications at ScreenBeam, and Ashley Flaska, Senior Vice President of Marketing at Exertis Pro AV. Exertis is the leading technology distributor of consumer, business, and enterprise products from established and emerging technology brands and a wholly-owned subsidiary of parent company DCC PLC, an FTSE 100 company. The trio talked about the “Plug-in to Exertis ProAV & Tech Tour” coming up and the partnership with ScreenBeam. They're taking the show on the road this year, as these events will hit regional centers across the country. Exertis partnered with vendors, including ScreenBeam, and invited all of their resellers in a specific region. “Typically, we do ten of these throughout the year, and so we can hit all of the main regions,” Flaska explained. “We select different areas that would be metro areas in some of the bigger cities, and then we also have some mid-sized cities to make sure we incorporate the full gamut of the country within these shows.” Obviously, the country is still under a cloud of COVID, so having these shows back in person allows for a lot of exciting opportunities. This includes the formal, in-person meeting of ScreenBeam's reps with their Exertis reps instead of behind a screen. The next event is on Oct. 15. in New York City. Other dates: Nov. 10 in Los Angeles. Dec. 2 in Toronto. Dec.16 in Atlanta. Visit the site here to learn more about the events: https://www.exertisna.com/plugin

On this episode of Beyond the Classroom, Host Tyler Kern discussed future-ready learning with Ron Stefanski, Executive Director, Strategic Partnerships at Centric Learning, and Dr. Kevin Brown, Executive Director of Texas Association of School Administrators, which advocates on behalf of all the administrators in the state of Texas. As the son of two educators, Brown has been a teacher for 31 years, an assistant principal, principal, an assistant superintendent, and a superintendent. He is also a long-time supporter of future-ready schools, even before he joined TASA. The concept entered his mind when he realized there's more that schools can do for students than just focus on standardized tests. “It is not easy to define, but I think for me that started when I was a principal in an elementary school that was really focused on standardized tests,” Brown said. “We were working really, really hard to do that, and we improved scores tremendously, but at the end of the day, I'm not sure we were serving our students very well.” Learning should be more exciting, more engaging, more inspiring, and more relevant for the students, according to Brown. It shouldn't feel like drudgery or remediation that had to go through all the time. In 2008, just as Brown was becoming a superintendent, TASA came up with a document called “Creating a New Vision for Texas Public Schools.” Thirty-five superintendents came together to create the document, which “reads like the Declaration of Independence,” Brown said. The document focused on controlling Texas public schools at the local level, not the federal or state, and teaching students as individuals.

On this episode of Packed With Pearson, Host Tyler Kern talked with Scott Reed, Vice President of Sales for Syntakt Packaging Integrations, and Michael Senske, President of R.A., Pearson Holding Company. They dug into the big news of the formal separation of Pearson's System Solutions Group from Pearson Packaging Group. The packaging side of the business is now Syntakt Packaging Integrations. “Historically, Pearson Packaging Systems has been a company that's focused on producing individual discrete machine centers, packaging machinery, and small cells,” Senske explained. “Several years ago, we started offering complete end-of-line solutions.” With these new solutions, the Pearson System Solutions Group emerged to create fully integrated solutions. But, for various reasons, there's been confusion about who does what, so they decided to launch a separate organization that isn't machine-oriented. “What we really wanted to do is kind of launch a separate organization that really is not machine-specific,” Senske said. “Its role isn't to design and manufacture packaging machinery. It is really to provide engineering services, project management services, integration services, and provide customers with complete end-of-line solutions.” The overall end result is a business that is a separate entity with a separate core competency, with a separate group of employees. This new entity is Syntakt Packaging Integrations. “We're really focused on the end-of-line … full turn-key systems on the end of the line,” Reed said. “Case erect, case pack, case seal, palletize, and many of the technologies that are intermingled in that.”

On this episode of Keeping Count, a podcast from the experts at Datascan, Host Tyler Kern talked with Gerry Meca, Chief Information Officer at Datascan. They talked about some of the trends in the industry and what they will look like moving forward. Meca joined Datascan as VP and Chief Information Officer in March 2020. He previously worked with Dr. Pepper and some other companies and has seen firsthand the importance of inventory management. At Dr. Pepper, he got experience with Datascan technology and what goes into keeping track in a warehouse. He also got a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into inventory in retail environments. When it comes to inventory at Datascan, one thing is paramount: “This may come as a surprise, but it's all about accuracy,” Meca said. “The philosophy that we have is all about providing a retailer an easy-to-use, flawless device and software application for counting the inventory quickly and giving them immediate feedback on how well the store is post-count.”Datascan is also looking to the future. With their technology and software, they want to tell how a store will do when they do the count. As part of this philosophy, they believe that stores should be counting their inventory with their own people. “They count on them for cash, cash registers, credit cards, and other somewhat trusting aspects of the business, and yet inventory management sometimes falls to a third-party,” Meca said.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced retail establishments to think creatively. Most developed strategies where consumers could buy online, pick up in store (BOPIS) or pick up and drop off (PUDO). Both methods have their benefits and drawbacks but are effective strategies in the modern retail environment.Host Tyler Kern spoke with Mo Cheema, Director of Solutions Design and Implementation at Position Imaging, where he designs omnichannel retail fulfillment solutions for the iPickup platform, about Cheema's role, BOPIS, PUDO and the benefits of both strategies.“BOPIS is a more retailer-centric solution, while PUDO is a more courier-centric solution,” Cheema said. “But PUDO does have some benefit to the retailer, as well, meaning it helps them bring that additional foot traffic to the store.”BOPIS refers towhen a customer orders something online and picks it up in store. It's probably one of the most common ways to order something. It was around before the pandemic but gained steam as retailers and consumers considered new ways to shop.According to Cheema, a common variation of this is the curbside pickup model, where many retailers will put the order in a consumer's car or truck for them.On the other hand, PUDO is where couriers can drop off the packages at locations and customers can pick them up at their convenience. Customers can opt-in for this option, but it also happens when a courier attempts to drop off at a home location but cannot, so they'll leave the package at a store.“Through direct and in-direct research, we've learned that every one-third of the customers who come into the store to pick up a package, whether it's via BOPIS or PUDO, actually shop in the store,” Cheema said.BOPIS is often attractive to retailers because it saves them on shipping costs. PUDO is a strategy for the couriers, though retailers usually pull in foot traffic when consumers show up to pick up their packages.Listen to learn more about these online retail strategies.

It is almost fall. This means action-packed Monday and Th ursday nights and Sundays in the National Football League. When you're sitting at home watching the game, it seems like just a game on the field, but there are a lot of technologies behind the scenes, and one of those is Zebra Sports' Next Gen stat tracking.On this episode of Salary Capped, Host Tyler Kern talked with John Pollard, Vice President of Zebra Sports for Zebra Technologies, the official player tracking technology for the NFL. They've served in that capacity for the last eight seasons.“We have installed our RFID player tracking technology system in all NFL stadiums here in the U.S.,” Pollard said. “Our system's also installed in the U.K. stadium and in Mexico City, as well.”The system consists of a series of receiver boxes installed around the perimeter of the stadiums. The players' shoulder pads contain RFID tags about the size of a nickel. Those tags emit signals to the receiver boxes. The information collected includes whether a player is on the field, where they're at, and, of course, orientation to other players. Other metrics include: total distance traveled, top speed, acceleration, deceleration. This can encompass one play or a series of plays, or entire games. But that's not it.“Finally, we have an RFID tag that's been installed in the NFL football,” Pollard said. “That took a lot of R&D work and cooperation from the leadership in the NFL, Wilson Sporting Goods, and ourselves to work on this tag.”Listen to hear more about Zebra's Next-Gen Statistics and all the information they collect in the ball tag.

On this episode of Salary Capped, Host Tyler Kern talked with Juliana Villalba, CEO of Rebus, a fan activation platform for sports streaming services and monetization of fan engagement. It's used by teams in the WNBA and Chicago Sky.The inspiration behind the launch of Rebus is a funny story. For Villalba, it was worlds colliding when she met her Co-Founder, Jose Berrio, in Columbia. It was a rainy day, and she was trying to get to the airport but couldn't catch a ride. She jumped in front of the first taxi that drove by, and she asked the person inside where they were going, and it was the airport. The passenger? Jose.“It was an insane thing to do here in Columbia because I didn't know who he was,” Villalba said. “We started talking on the 45-minute drive to the airport.”"We are creating experiences that are worth remembering,." - Juliana VillalbaIt turned out that Berrio was also a software entrepreneur and already had another company. Villalba also had another company and used to work with events, so she was interested in the industry, specifically pertaining to sports, entertainment, and corporate events. Nothing happened, but they kept in touch for two years.Fast-forward, Berrio called Villalba with an idea for a solution involving fun, engagement, and events. With Berrio's passion for soccer, they set out to create something that created an excellent experience for fans. The service works by engaging the fans that aren't at the games. For example, with the Chicago Sky with millions of social media followers, only 20,000 or so attend games. The rest of the fans are at home, so engaging them through content, streaming, and other services is essential.“We are creating experiences that are worth remembering,” Villalba said.

In July of 2020, the Washington football team ditched their previous name under intense social and economic pressures. The team plans to stick with their generic name until early 2022.Marketing strategy and activation firm Metaforce conducted a simulation to rename the team. They performed a series of panels and focus groups involving players and long-time fans to rename the team.On this episode of Salary Capped, Host Tyler Kern talked with Allen Adamson, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Metaforce, about the rebranding of the NFL franchise, which doesn't happen that often. Metaforce marketing company has deep expertise with strategy, go-to-market planning, branding, creativity, and activation.When Adamson initially heard news stories about the Washington Football team changing the name, he hoped they didn't move fast, as the reports mentioned, because it would be hard.“The older the name, the more heritage there is, the harder it is to replace it because everyone is so in that world that everything else looks terrible.” - Allen AdamsonAdamson said they did what they did with any other corporate or product client. They interviewed management to find what is at the heart of their organization. They also talked to former players and fans to try to identify what is at the root of the organization, besides the name. They dug into the DNA, the culture, the stories such as “what fathers tell their sons about the team.”Listen to hear more about what goes into the renaming of an NFL franchise.

On this episode of Straight Outta Crumpton, Host Tyler Kern and Greg Crumpton talked with former NASCAR driver Ward Burton, who won the 2002 Daytona 500. He now operates the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation, whose mission is to conserve America's Land and Wildlife through wise stewardship. They talk about his foundation, NASCAR, and how kindness benefits everyone.Greg grew up watching Ward, just as Ward was also growing up, as they are near the same age. As Ward progressed through his NASCAR career, or Phase One of his life, according to Crumpton, he noted that he always admired how Burton handled his sponsorships. While growing up in Atlanta, Greg attended some of Ward's races. But, Crumpton noted that professional athlete aside, he always admired how Burton carried himself and how he was a nice guy."It is really easy to be kind and available if they want a story about you, versus being the other way, so I was never aloof on any of that." - Ward Burton"In business and in personal life, that goes so far," Crumpton said. "How you treat your people: your interviewers and your co-competitors. You set a good bar for that."Back in the days of print reporters in pit row and TV network reporters, Burton noted that those folks had a job to do, too."It is really easy to be kind and available if they want a story about you versus being the other way, so I was never aloof on any of that," Burton said. He always took time to be available for requests because not only would you get a good message out about your team or partners, but it was about working together.

With athletes just wrapping up the Olympic trials in Eugene, Oregon, and team places firmly cemented to compete in Tokyo, it is an excellent time to look at how athletes gain a competitive edge.On this episode of Salary Capped, Host Tyler Kern talked with Jonathan Lee, Director of Sports Performance Technology, Olympic Technology Group at Intel Corp. He gave insights into how athletes get ahead of their competition with Intel's 3D Athletic Training (3DAT).“3DAT is a technology that we developed at Intel that allows the use of standard video and standard video cameras to capture the form and motion of athletes,” Lee said. “We use AI and computer vision to detect different points on the body, and we can reconstruct a 3D skeleton of the athletes.”They do this without special suits or markers, so athletes are unburdened from wearing sensors or deviating from their regular training program. Using the 3D information, they can extract information about mechanics and how they perform and move.“3DAT is a technology that we developed at Intel that allows the use of standard video and standard video cameras to capture the form and motion of athletes." - Jonathan LeeElsewhere, athletes are using wearables to gain a competitive edge. An example of this would be the use of continuous glucose monitors in athletes to improve metabolic performance. Another example would be a pack an athlete wears to track movement during a soccer match. But, the folks at Intel wanted to track an athlete's natural movement during a game or practice to gain performance insights.“The wearables and sensors that exist now, they say where a player or athlete is now, so almost like you're tracking a dot,” Lee said. “As opposed to us, we're tracking how they move. When you get in that space, usually that kind of analysis is done with many sensors or in a lab.”

In the 43rd minute of Denmark's opening game against Finland in the Euros, star player Christian Eriksen collapsed from a cardiac episode on the pitch, requiring life-saving CPR and an external defibrillator.On this episode of Salary Capped, Host Tyler Kern talked with Dr. Matt Davis, Board Certified in Primary Care Sports Medicine and serves as team physician for SMU Athletics. Tyler and Dr. Davis talked about this event, how vital the trainer's actions were, and what a trainer or physician must do.“It generally happens in a hospital. You hate to see it happen on the field, but it's happened in my career.” Dr. Matt DavisIt brought back some memories for Dr. Davis, and he noted that whenever you have to get involved in stuff like that, a lot of stuff runs through your mind. Most physicians and doctors, however, switch into professional mode and do what they have to do.“This is something we're trained to do,” Davis said. “It generally happens in a hospital. You hate to see it happen on the field, but it's happened in my career. You kind of switch into professional mode, and there's an algorithm you go through, so that's what went through my head dealing with personal situations like that, though the folks on the field looked like they were doing what they were trained to do.”It's really no different if you were walking down the street, according to Dr. Davis. The first thing you have to do is assess the situation. In essential life support, there are algorithms that trainers must follow. First, you have to determine if a patient is breathing, conscious or has a pulse. Once you decide they don't have a pulse, then you kick into CPR mode.

Pre-planning to develop a suitable gymnasium control system is a key element in modern gymnasium design, and the subject of the latest episode of Engineering Value, a Draper podcast. Gyms are becoming more multi-use facilities where different kinds of events are held.Gyms are also hosting more activities simultaneously.As we return to facilities in a post-pandemic world, we need ways of allowing groups to participate while distancing from other groups. Host Tyler Kern and Draper director of gymnasium equipment Neal Turner, CSI, CCPR, LEED®AP, discussed this topic in depth in a recent livestream, and that broadcast is now available as an audio or video podcast.

On this episode of Talkin’ Shop With Walbro, Host Tyler Kern talked with Steve McColman, YouTube influencer and host of Steve’s Small Engine Saloon and Small Engine Mechanic. The duo dug into Walbro, small engines and Steve’s YouTube channel.

Host Tyler Kern grabbed 10 minutes from Allen King, Service Team Leader at Boland, to discuss an important topic in building maintenance – the regular service and upkeep of HVAC systems. Like getting scheduled oil changes to maintain a car's performance, an HVAC system also needs routine maintenance for optimal performance, efficiency and longevity.“You go change your car's oil at the proper intervals to keep the engine clean and performing properly,” King said. It's the same with a building's air conditioning system. “You keep the filters clean, you keep the coils clean, and the systems can perform much better.”One maintenance tip for HVAC systems is keeping the condensers clean. Over time, mineral builds up in the condensers, so water treatment of the condensers will reduce those minerals and maintain the unit. “And, typically, once a year, you have to rod the tubes, where you push a brush through to push out silt and mud that accumulates,” King said.Using a good-quality filter on the HVAC system will also provide benefits. For a few additional dollars, a better filter will last longer and provide more efficiency.An HVAC system's belt requires maintenance to ensure slippage does not occur.“If you're a building owner, that's the last thing you want is to hear from your tenants that they're uncomfortable,” King said. “It's a wise property manager that takes care of the air conditioning system.”While routine HVAC maintenance is essential, so is safety. “When you go in to, say, check the fan belts, you want to turn the fan off,” King said. “You want to turn the disconnect off that feeds power to the fan starter or the fan frequency drive or whatever is being used to make sure it cannot start when you're putting your hands in there. You don't want to take a chance on losing any fingers or anything like that.”The professionals at Boland are available to consult on any HVAC maintenance building requirements.

Adonis Jennings used to pound the gridiron in the XFL. Now the former football player is a clothier for Harper & Jones in Dallas. On this episode of Salary Capped, Host Tyler Kern talked with Adonis Jennings about the similarities between playing football and being a professional clothier.Jennings noted the hard work that both football and high-end clothing require. Both also require the skill to develop relationships with co-workers and clients. Some fun is also thrown in the mix.When the NFL Draft happens on April 29, players will be dressed up in the finest clothes. It is one of their biggest days, and one Jennings is familiar with, and some of his clients want to dress up in a suit and tie. Some want to wear a nice shirt. This year will be tricky with the pandemic, so some rookies will be attending, and some are staying at home, which will also affect how they dress.Jennings worked with Kwity Paye from the University of Michigan and Caleb Farley from Virginia Tech. According to Adonis, both will be wearing interesting suits, though Farley will be doing so from home. Dressing a future professional footballer requires the knowledge of a former professional football player. With unique sizing, considerable time will be spent fitting clothes to these athletes.

Adonis Jennings used to pound the gridiron in the XFL. Now the former football player is a clothier for Harper & Jones in Dallas. On this episode of Salary Capped, Host Tyler Kern talked with Adonis Jennings about the similarities between playing football and being a professional clothier.Jennings noted the hard work that both football and high-end clothing require. Both also require the skill to develop relationships with co-workers and clients. Some fun is also thrown in the mix.When the NFL Draft happens on April 29, players will be dressed up in the finest clothes. It is one of their biggest days, and one Jennings is familiar with, and some of his clients want to dress up in a suit and tie. Some want to wear a nice shirt. This year will be tricky with the pandemic, so some rookies will be attending, and some are staying at home, which will also affect how they dress.Jennings worked with Kwity Paye from the University of Michigan and Caleb Farley from Virginia Tech. According to Adonis, both will be wearing interesting suits, though Farley will be doing so from home. Dressing a future professional footballer requires the knowledge of a former professional football player. With unique sizing, considerable time will be spent fitting clothes to these athletes.

The fans remember the highlights but the franchises remember the technology, data, and inventions that powered their season. Host Tyler Kern sits down with the innovators, leaders and founders that are taking sports into the future.This week on Salary Capped, host Tyler Kern sits down with the Co-Founder and Chief Athlete Officer of the Ultimate Gaming League, Josh Johnson. The newly created league will, for the first time, allow fans to join the team, not just watch the team.For Johnson, the league is a gateway enter the business world as a franchise owner and a method for giving back to one of his first loves, gaming.Kern dives into how Johnson has brought in other professional athletes who recognize the game that is the business of their brand and have a passion for “picking up the sticks.”

Engineering can involve any industry, and Engineering Experience is all about bringing those unique stories to listeners. Host Tyler Kern and Paragon CEO Mike Wilkinson spoke with Chris Debrecht, Owner and COO of Tempo Financial Solutions, about his company's partnership with Paragon.

In this episode of Engineering Value, we discuss how selecting appropriate window coverings is about more than color. The right window shade fabric balances aesthetics and performance. Host Tyler Kern is joined by Jeff Miller, Director of Architectural Shading Solutions for Draper, and Colin Blackford, Director of Business Development for Mermet USA., to discuss how glass and its glazing should influence shade fabric selection, and that fabric choice must consider both the exterior and interior.

Baldwin launched its new industry podcast, Unlocking Potential, which will focus on printing and industrial process automation and enhancement. Host Tyler Kern chatted with Baldwin's COO Peter Hultberg and CMO and IoT Officer, Steve Metcalf, to give listeners insight into Baldwin's history and evolution.

The world of sports is seeing a major transformation in the role of technology in competition.Will technology enable us to unlock our full athletic potential, or will it actually be the method we use to play sports? A new organization is trying to marry those two ideas together.Four pioneering companies in sports are joining forces to launch the International Association of Mixed Reality Sports (XRS). The focus of the new organization will be to promote physical activity by combining sports, technology and gaming.On Thursday, Nov. 20, the International Association of Mixed Reality Sports (XRS) was publicly launched in Munich (GER), Helsinki (FIN) and Zurich (CH). Initiated in early October by the CEOs and founders of four pioneering companies in the rapidly growing industry, the world's first association of its kind is meant to support and grow the meaning of mixed reality sports (XRS).Host Tyler Kern will be sitting down with Markos Aristides Kern, Founder & CEO, Fun with Balls, Chairman of the Board, XRS Mixed Reality Sports Association, Dr. Raine Kajastila, CEO, Valo Motion, and Stephan Niedecken, Co-Founder, Sphery AG. Kern will dive into the issues they have seen in the world of eSports and mixed reality sports and how they want to address declining sports participation.Follow Along for a New Episode Every Monday!

We've all seen it--the Old Faithful geyser on the corner gushing water into the street, blocking traffic and sending pedestrians running in the other direction. It is a partial pipe rupture, and over 250,000 happen in the U.S. each year. This episode of “Valve Chronicles” uncovers how these bursts happen and how they can be prevented.Host Tyler Kern welcomes Technical Product Specialist at Cla-Val, Roger Lah (embed contributor page) , to explore the many features of the 39A triple action valve.Surge events are a pipe's worst enemy and all too common when basic air valves cause negative pressure in the pipeline. Pipes can burst for a number of reasons, like excessive air accumulation, improper ventilation, and these aforementioned surge events. The 39A valve confronts these common problems head on.Operating much like an air bag for rushing water, the 39A slows the venting process and cushions the rejoining of the water with the air valve exhaust. The result? No surge event and no slam effect. Over time, these slam events weaken pipes, causing costly ruptures.But 39A not only medicates this problem, it also prevents it, using Cla-Val software to analyze slam events and provide data that engineers use to prevent future ruptures.Easily disassembled with hand tools and serviced with locally obtained parts, the 39A is a cost-effective improvement to a pipeline. Lah points out that now is the perfect time for water districts to inspect, repair and service pipelines, since road traffic is reduced.Find the “high-hazard areas where surges can happen,” said Lah, and service the pipe before it's too late.To learn more about Cla-Val valves and software visit www.cla-val.com.

The world of commerce platforms now expands beyond transactional payments—information is king! Host Tyler Kern and Barry Stearn, director of partner success for Europe's division of FreedomPay, discussed emerging payment trends, and how this fast-evolving landscape is becoming more complex. “Payments has become really an information business,” said Stearn. “Yes, there is a transactional exchange, there is a packet of data that passes from the merchant through to the processor for authorization…but built in that consumer journey, look at all the elements that exist around that process.” Stearn went on to explain how the back end-data engine can help businesses, e.g. the service industry, capitalize on the many customer interactions at those establishments. “At Freedom Pay, we have the ability not only to capture information at the point of sale around what that loyal customer is buying, we can also build out an analytical token of said consumer profile," Stearn said. This securely stored environment allows the client to better understand who their loyal customer is, and to properly market offers and promotions that make sense.