Greenscreens.ai is a pricing solution for the logistics industry that delivers short-term freight market pricing intelligence and business insights. Using machine learning, their solutions help customers make data-informed pricing and purchasing decisions.

“The acquisition of Greenscreens.ai marks another significant step in our strategy to transform data into actionable intelligence for the freight industry,” said Aaron P. Graft, founder, vice chairman and chief executive officer of Triumph Financial. “With our recent acquisition of Isometric Technologies, we laid the groundwork for performance-based intelligence. The acquisition of Greenscreens.ai will expand our capabilities into pricing intelligence.”

Dawn Salvucci-Favier, chief executive officer of Greenscreens.ai, added, “Joining Triumph is an exciting opportunity for Greenscreens.ai. Since day one, our mission has been to provide the industry’s leading neutral platform for pricing and revenue optimization. As a part of Triumph, we can broaden our impact and accelerate innovation in freight pricing.”

“This acquisition strengthens Triumph’s ability to deliver validated, high-quality data that enhances decision-making and drives efficiency,” Graft said. “As we expand our Intelligence segment, we remain committed to giving customers in our network access to actionable insights into the freight industry so they can transact confidently.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Triumph will acquire Greenscreens.ai for $140 million in cash and $20 million in TFIN stock. The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of regulatory approvals, and is expected to close during the second quarter of 2025. J.P. Morgan is serving as financial advisor and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz is acting as legal counsel to Triumph Financial in connection with the transaction. DLA Piper is acting as legal counsel to Greenscreens.ai in connection with the transaction.

About Triumph

Triumph Financial, Inc. (Nasdaq: TFIN) is a financial holding company focused on payments, factoring, banking and intelligence. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, its diversified portfolio of brands includes TriumphPay, Triumph, TBK Bank and LoadPay.

About Greenscreens.ai

Greenscreens.ai is transforming how the freight industry buys and sells freight through a collaborative and dynamic approach driven by clean data and innovative technology. Leveraging sophisticated machine learning algorithms, Greenscreens.ai provides market intelligence via an intuitive and integrated platform, empowering users to quickly adjust their freight strategies based on powerful real-time data insights. With two distinct products—one serving shippers and one serving brokers—customers buy and sell with confidence, unveil markets, and build resilience.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Investors are cautioned that such statements are predictions and that actual events or results may differ materially. Triumph Financial’s expected financial results or other plans are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results and future events to differ materially from those set forth or contemplated in the forward-looking statements: the ability of Triumph Financial to consummate the pending acquisition of Greenscreens.ai, including the possibility that the expected benefits related to the pending acquisition may not materialize as expected; the pending acquisition of Greenscreens.ai may not be timely completed, if completed at all; prior to the completion of the pending acquisition of Greenscreens.ai, Greenscreens.ai’s business could experience disruptions due to transaction-related uncertainty or other factors making it more difficult to maintain relationships with employees, customers, other business partners or governmental entities; Triumph Financial may be unable to successfully implement integration strategies or to achieve expected synergies and operating efficiencies with Greenscreens.ai within Triumph Financial management’s expected timeframes or at all; the ability to satisfy the closing conditions to the Greenscreens.ai transaction in a timely basis or at all; the ability of Triumph Financial or Greenscreens.ai to retain and hire key personnel; the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the right of one or both of TBK Bank and Greenscreens.ai to terminate the merger agreement; and the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Triumph Financial, Greenscreens.ai or their respective directors, officers or employees. For a discussion of risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see “Risk Factors” and the forward-looking statement disclosure contained in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 11, 2025. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made and Triumph Financial undertakes no duty to update the information.

Source: Triumph Financial, Inc.

Triumph Investor Relations Contact Luke Wyse Senior Vice President, Head of Investor Relations
lwyse@tfin.com | 214-365-6936

Triumph Media Contact Amanda Tavackoli Senior Vice President, Director of Corporate Communication
atavackoli@tfin.com | 214-365-6930

Greenscreens.ai Media Contact Celine Clayton Vice President, Marketing
celine.clayton@greenscreens.ai | 386-848-9314

By Meg St-Esprit at Thrillist

Those first few moments in a new destination are exhilarating. The fresh sights, scents, sounds, come together to create that elusive high avid travelers chase. But for travelers with disabilities, the same new experiences can be overwhelming, and even limiting.

Airports are loud and often difficult to navigate for anyone, but for a neurodivergent traveler who struggles to function in chaotic environments, they can be nearly impossible. For a visually impaired traveler, the signage most people use to navigate a new destination is often unreadable. New cities are exciting, but a wheelchair user likely doesn’t know which restaurants and museums are accessible, like they would in their hometown. Calling an Uber or hailing a cab is also not always an option, as most rideshare vehicles are not wheelchair accessible. Will the hotel have a shower they get in and out of, or a place for their service animal to relieve themself? For many travelers with disabilities, each step of their journey requires careful planning and consideration.

As an avid traveler and mother to children with multiple physical and developmental disabilities, I know how much planning a vacation for a family like ours requires, and just how time consuming and frustrating it can be. A crop of apps and programs created to make travel more accessible have begun to level the playing field, though. We tested these programs in real-world settings ranging from airports to our own community to see just how they work and how they can make traveling easier for us. While there are many new apps and programs emerging constantly, we focused on those that are available in most destinations and are easy to navigate. While the tourism industry still has a long way to go to make travel more accessible, these programs are leading the charge—and have made our most recent trips a bit less fraught.

accessibleGO

For non-disabled travelers, booking a hotel is mostly about price, location, and amenities. For travelers with physical disabilities, hotels can be a nightmare. While the ADA has guidelines about accessible hotel rooms, these booking rules often do not fully apply to third-party booking sites like Priceline or Travelocity. Sometimes a traveler books an accessible room only to find it doesn’t match the online description or was even given away to a non-disabled hotel guest.

That’s where accessibleGo comes in. This platform allows travelers to filter accessibility options that extend beyond the basic “wheelchair accessible” toggle feature in most hotel booking apps. AccessibleGO allows users to search for lodging with roll-in showers, accessible swimming pools, outdoor space for service dogs, and more. The platform also takes things one step further—once a booking is made, an accessibleGO team member contacts the destination directly to assure that all accommodations are able to be met.

“Our goal here at accessibleGO is to enable travelers with disabilities to get their accessibility needs met, no matter where they are going or what their needs are so that they feel comfortable to take that trip,” says co-founder and CEO Miriam Elijas. Beyond hotel rooms, users can search for mobility rentals, rental cars with hand controls, wheelchair van rentals, and more.

Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program

While there’s no app yet, the web-based Sunflower program is growing in usage around the world. By simply requesting a free lanyard through the program, users are easily identifiable to airport staff as a traveler with an invisible disability. The bright green lanyards are decorated with sunflowers and are easily visible to TSA and airline staff. As a family that travels with several invisible disabilities, including autism, ADHD, and a joint condition that limits mobility some days but not others, we don’t always stand out as a family that may need assistance navigating the airport—but we do.

We first tested this program out at Pittsburgh International Airport, which also has a great sensory room. The TSA lines at PIT are generally not long, but we were able to take our children through a shorter line reserved for travelers with disabilities. On our return trip out of Orlando International Airport, the security lines were long and overwhelming. We knew that not all of our children would be able to manage it after a busy week. The security line marked with a sunflower symbol was much shorter, and the TSA staff took extra care with our kids and their anxiety.

Gatwick Airport in London was the first to use the sunflower lanyards in 2016, and the program has expanded across the world since. Participating locations have sunflower lanyards on site—most airports keep them at the customer service desk before security. Travelers can also request a pass via the website or by contacting their local airport ahead of their trip—and they do not need to disclose their disability to receive a pass. At this time, over 200 airports participate in countries across the globe, and a growing list of railways, museums, and theme parks are adopting the program as well. Some users report that not all airport staff seem to be versed in what the lanyard means, so continued education is needed. We do think an app would be helpful, too. The website is thorough and helpful, but since most of us travel with our phones in pockets, apps are just handier.

Be My Eyes

When I rush through an airport, my eyes glance up at the overhead signage to point me towards my gate, restrooms, or baggage claim. Once at my destination, I scan for safe walking routes. For visually impaired travelers, navigating airports, hotels, and unfamiliar destinations in general can be a challenge. Braille signage is not as common as it should be, and is only required in certain locations. With the app Be My Eyes, which is available on Apple and Android, users can scan anything from written documents to photos—and AI or a stable of volunteers will verbally interpret the information for them.

We tested it on overhead signs in a local T station as well as on sets of public stairs near our home. The AI descriptions are incredibly accurate, even noting how shadows on a photo may indicate a tree out of frame and denoting the location of handrails and cracks in the pavement. After requesting an AI response, we had the option to ask further questions to the chatbot or call a live volunteer for more input. Overall, we found the app to be well-designed and very user friendly.

TSA Cares

While most accessibility programs are private companies or nonprofits, TSA does have one solid option: TSA Cares. The Cares program is available in all US airports and exists to modify standard security and travel requirements to meet the needs of certain groups of travelers. In addition to supporting travelers with disabilities, TSA Cares also offers support to military families, families traveling with young children, and other groups who may have a difficult time traveling. Travelers can print a TSA notification card to let staff know about their needs if they do not wish to (or cannot) do so verbally.

There’s also an app called MyTSA that provides information on packing rules, wait times, and disability accommodations. There are various accommodations offered by the program. For example, the program can help travelers become exempt from removing their shoes or unpack their bags at security.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey is one of many locations incorporating TSA Cares protocol into a broader goal of accessibility. The Newark airport recently joined the list of airports with sensory rooms, and had added a security line dedicated solely to screening neurodivergent travelers—the first in the country. How travelers utilize TSA Cares varies widely based on their needs, and some airports seem better at it than others. More cohesive training for TSA staff would be a great addition to the program. Contact the program to find out specifics about your needs.

Google Maps

Most travelers are familiar with Google Maps and accompanying Google services that make trips easier. But recent improvements in Google products have made Maps a perfect choice for travelers with disabilities.

Sasha Blair-Goldensohn, Accessibility and Disability Inclusion Features Lead at Google Maps, is a wheelchair user himself, so he’s used his own personal experiences to make Google services more accessible. He says these updates are a game changer for travelers with accessibility needs and points to the crowdsourced accessibility information from other Maps users and the ability to create wheelchair-accessible routes as top features.

When browsing shops in a particular destination, the wheelchair icon features details like step-free entrances, accessible parking, and more. The screen reader and voice guidance features are helpful for travelers with auditory and visual impairments. The screen reader feature audibly provides information on nearby locations when the user holds their phone up to scan their surrounding area. Voice guidance in Maps, which is enabled with a toggle button in settings, provides much more detailed feedback on walking routes so that visually impaired travelers or those who have a hard time following a basic map can navigate a new location. Google Live Transcribe can turn any audio announcement or speaking person’s words into written text for travelers with auditory disabilities, too.

Roadtrippers

Planning a road trip—complete with waystations along the route—can be particularly tricky for travelers with disabilities. For those with service dogs, finding a spot where their companion can play, rest, and relieve themselves is necessary, for example. The Roadrippers app, which is available on Apple and Android, has long been a go-to for travelers choosing stops and attractions along a selected route. By choosing your route and how frequently you plan to stop for a short break or overnight, the app creates a custom itinerary that includes necessary stops like gas stations—and fun stops like the World’s Largest Corn Maze.

Updates to the platform allow travelers with disabilities to filter their searches with accessibility in mind. Once users choose the type of attraction they are interested in, they can then select the “wheelchair accessible” filter to narrow a broad list down to spots that work for them. A vast collection of reviews and feedback from other travelers can help determine if a particular attraction is a fit. I’m hopeful that future updates to the platform will increase the ability of options travelers with disabilities can search for—particularly info on the accessibility of roadside attractions.

zTrip

If we aren’t road tripping or renting a car when we travel, rideshares are a must. While our family can use any standard rideshare vehicle, some travelers with physical disabilities cannot. Unfortunately, this is an area where the main players fall short. Uber and Lyft do have accessible vehicles via the UberWAV and Lyft WAV programs, but it’s limited to a small number of cities so far. Foldable wheelchairs are allowed in standard rideshare cars—if they fit, which is a gamble.

While zTrip is not yet in every U.S city, there are more options in more locations. Wheelchair accessible vans and trained drivers are a regular part of zTrip’s business so they know how to accommodate travelers safely. Riders can hail a zTrip vehicle just like a standard taxi, though there’s no guarantee that will be an accessible vehicle. For that, rides can be booked via phone, website, or app. Hopefully zTrip expands to more cities soon so that it’s a reliable option wherever you’re headed.

Imagine traveling to a national park that you’ve always dreamed of seeing, super-excited … and then discovering that it’s off limits to you. If you’re a traveler with a disability, you’ve experienced this. “All the parks that I’ve visited are not fully accessible,” says Alice Lopez of Austin, Texas, a self-described “proud blind mom” with mobility issues. “I always have a hard time.”

She’s in good company. According to the Centers for Disease Control, approximately 25 percent of Americans have some sort of disability. As our population ages, that number will continue to grow. To address this issue, the National Park Service (www.nps.gov) launched a program in 2015 to make the nation’s premier parks and historic sites more accessible for travelers with sensory and mobility needs.

The result: You can admire Yosemite’s Giant Sequoias or gaze at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon in a wheelchair, ride fat-tire beach buggies on national seashores, and more. In addition, the NPS offers an access pass to all parks for $10 for people with disabilities. They have also added enhancements for visitors with vision issues and other conditions.

Alas, it’s not a perfect system. “While the national parks are supposed to be accessible, reality on the ground isn’t always the case,” says Miriam Eljas Goldman, cofounder and CEO of accessibleGO.com, a New York-based travel booking website designed for people with accessibility needs. (Alice Lopez, mentioned above, is one of accessibleGO.com’s travel forum experts.) Ask about accessible accommodations, tours, walkways, and infrastructure before you go to avoid disappointment.

Check each park’s website under “Plan Your Visit,” and “Accessibility,” to see what’s offered, advises Wiener Russell of Chapel Hill, N.C., on the accessibleGO forum. “My wife is confined to a wheelchair but we have been to many national parks and have used trails and done other activities together.” Communities like accessibleGO, with 120,000 users, are a great resource. “By asking others who might share the same disability concerns, you will be much more likely to get the information you need,” Eljas says.

Even then, you may not get a real wilderness experience, just a taste of the park’s glories. accessibleGO.com travel forum expert Paul Choquette of Coatesville, Pa., has visited the Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Everglades, and other big parks. “There is always at least one ‘accessible’ trail that is indicative of the area and surroundings,” he notes, but for his tastes, they’re too tame: “They tend to be short, flat, and paved, and don’t really get you out into nature.” Just another factor to consider as you make your plans.

Among the services offered at NPS sites — in addition to accessible restrooms, visitor centers, food concessions, and parking — are wheelchair-accessible trails, boardwalks to attractions, beach entrances with wheelchair-and-assistive-device-friendly surfaces, along with accessible picnic areas and campsites, and some loaner devices including beach wheelchairs (typically available on a first-come, first-served basis). Some visitor centers have audio-enhanced exhibits, tactile features for the blind, and captioned and audio-aided videos, plus assistive-listening devices in theaters and exhibits. Braille, large-print, and audio versions of print materials may also be available. These features vary among parks.

Also, look beyond the gear the parks offer if you want to go exploring, or want to make sure equipment is available for you. Some rental outfits deliver scooters and off-road, ATV-type wheelchairs. Choquette offered another tip for manual wheelchair-using explorers: “Get a fifth-wheel attachment. It makes unpacked nature trails easier to navigate.”

A few parks stand out as especially user-friendly for those with accessibility issues. Here’s a look:

Congaree National Park, Hopkins, S.C.

This bio-diverse park claims the largest intact expanse of old growth, bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the southeastern United States. Think massive “champion” trees, set within more than 26,000 acres of wilderness, and a 50-mile paddling trail. “It’s a surprising one for accessibility,” Russell says. An elevated walkway in the lowlands forest offers a window into this enchanting environment. The park’s visitor center offers a standard wheelchair, two large wheelchairs, three all-terrain wheelchairs, and Braille brochures upon request; call ahead to inquire about availability. There’s an accessible campsite at Longleaf Campground, with packed dirt and fine gravel, and accessible vault toilets. Paddling on Cedar Creek is a great way to see the park, but expect uneven terrain at canoe launches. The park offers free kayak adaptations for those who BYO boat. These devices allow users with a weak grip, no grip, or only one arm to paddle. www.nps.gov/cong

Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona

Brian Kelly, The Points Guy (www.thepointsguy.com) called the Grand Canyon “one of the most wheelchair-accessible NPs in the country.” Glenn Ratzel of Livingston, Texas, a forum travel member at accessibleGO.com agrees. The South Rim is the most accessible area, guests say. Accessible shuttle buses, visitor center, and wheelchair-friendly viewpoints and trails get love from mobility-challenged visitors.

And, there’s this: “Show the ranger at the entrance booth (use the left lane) your handicap placard. They will give you a pass and a daily gate code that will allow you to park right next to the sites,” Ratzel notes. You’ll gain access to drivable areas that aren’t typically open to visitors. Some park outfitters offer accessible mule rides, and some rafting companies offer wheelchair access to rafts. www.nps.gov/grca

Yellowstone National Park in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming

Within its 2.2 million acres, Yellowstone is a wonderland of dramatic canyons, dense forests, alpine rivers, hot springs, and gushing geysers. Residents include bears, wolves, bison, elk, and antelope, among hundreds of species. Yellowstone is surprisingly accessible; an extended system of boardwalks provides access to popular attractions such as the Old Faithful geyser.

Yellowstone offers multiple accessible paths, complimentary use of wheelchairs, and accessible fishing on the Madison River at the Mount Haynes Overlook. The park’s website spells out exactly what to expect, accessibility-wise, at all of its major beauty spots (we checked — it’s up-to-date). “Yellowstone is my first choice due to its size and accessibility. Every activity I encountered there was accommodating for wheelchair, mobility vision and hearing challenges,” writes Aileen Joy Walsh of Las Vegas in a recent post on accessibleGO.com. This park-lover also recommends the boat tour at Everglades National Park, and the numerous accessibility features of Sequoia National Park. www.nps.gov/yell

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Empire, Mich.

Picture 450-foot-tall sandy bluffs rising alongside 65 miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, with a backdrop of forest. No wonder Sleeping Bear Dunes is considered one of the most beautiful parks in America. Pierce Stocking Scenic Drive, a 7.4-mile loop, offers stellar views (at 12 overlooks) of Lake Michigan, the Glen Lakes, and the dunes.

Mobility aids are available for guests’ use, including sand wheelchairs and a track chair, an all-terrain, electric powered chair suitable for the Bay View Trail in Port Oneida, and the Railroad Grade Trail in Platte River Campground. To make reservations, visit the Friends of Sleeping Bear Dunes website. Other features include an accessible campsite at D.H. Day Campground, and accessible canoe and kayak transfers and launching on Loon Lake. Accessible parking and toilets are available at four locations within the park; a hard-surfaced, wheelchair-adapted picnic area is also available.

Deep, loose sand makes traversing the beach a difficult proposition, though. The park offers a hard-surfaced beach deck with benches at the Cannery Beach in Glen Haven. To assist guests who have experienced some degree of hearing loss, the park has installed a permanent Assistive Listening Device at the visitor center. The park’s 25-minute film is close-captioned. Portable wireless FM Assistive Listening Devices are available for use with interpretive programs in the visitor center and ranger-led trail walks. www.nps.gov/slbe

It takes a different kind of approach to reach the 53 million Americans with disabilities — but Miriam Eljas, CEO of AccessibleGO, thinks she is getting it right. Launched in 2017 as a hotel booking site built exclusively for people with accessibility needs, the platform recently added flights, rental cars with hand controls, wheelchair van rentals, mobility rentals and concierge ride services for wheelchair-accessible vehicles, all in one place.

According to Eljas, that 53 million include 30 million with a mobility disability, eight million vision, eight million hearing and 11 million cognitive (the total is larger than 53 million because many have multiple disabilities.)

It may seem like a no-brainer to reach out to this sizeable segment — and many do. But according to Eljas, it’s not that simple. The difference is in the follow-through. With every booking, AccessibleGO staff will reach out to the supplier to confirm that the accessibility request will be fulfilled.

For flights, AccessibleGO will contact the airline directly to insure that requests can be accommodated. For car rental, they’ll verify that there are hand controls and spinner knobs; and for hotels that the accessible room is actually available and has the special features that are necessary – like bathtubs with grab bars, refrigerators for medicine, visual fire or smoke detectors and more.

That kind of service may sound like an expensive proposition, but Eljas said a 30% repeat booking rate and retention of lifetime customers compensates for the time investment in making sure that accessibility features are, in fact, in place.

There is a significant awakening happening about accessible travel, said Eljas, with more companies publishing their accessible rooms online and so forth. But the follow-through and execution are often lacking – and that makes for unhappy customers who will not be back.

The biggest issue for many customers, said Eljas, is the lack of trust in the experience. “A traveler will often show up late after a long flight and their accessible room has been given away. We make sure that doesn’t happen.”

In addition, according to Eljas, travelers who ask about accessibility may have to wait a week or so to get a response. For almost all of AccessibleGo’s listings, booking is instantaneous, except in the case of van rentals and wheelchair accessible rides when there is an answer within 24 hours.

AccessibleGO markets itself in traditional ways — with paid advertising, social media and a lot of word of mouth. Also critical is a community forum that, said Eljas, is “the heart and soul” of the operation, with users posting continually with questions and answers about their experiences. “This is a community where people offer support and motivation to those who haven’t traveled in a while or who have recently become disabled.”

If marketers are interested in getting a greater share of this large but complex demographic, the bottom line is that, while honesty and follow-through are always key in a marketing promise, in the world of disabilities they are paramount.

By Lily Girma
January 25, 2024 at 3:15 AM PST

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Americans with disabilities made up an active, rapidly growing segment of the travel industry. In 2018 and 2019, at least 70% of them (28 million people) collectively spent $58.7 billion on trips, according to a 2020 nationwide study conducted by the Harris Poll. The report, commissioned by Open Doors Organization, an accessible-travel advocacy group, shows that such spending has skyrocketed—up 339%, from $17.3 billion, in 2015. Still, more than 70% of the special needs travelers reported that they encountered major obstacles in dealing with airlines, airports, cruise lines and hotels.

Accessible travel took a hit during the pandemic years, like every other travel segment. And now, with travel spending soaring, a startup focused on accessible vacations aims to better serve the sector.

On Jan. 17, hotel-focused booking platform accessibleGO announced a wide-reaching expansion to make it simpler for travelers with disabilities to plan trips. Having helped them find rooms with up to seven special accessibility features in 180 destinations across the US since 2018, the platform is moving to address nearly every facet of a vacation, from flights to airport transfers and car rentals.

“There was very limited interest in our demographic when we started [in 2018],” says Miriam Eljas, accessibleGO’s co-founder and chief executive officer, who was inspired to create the site after traveling with her late mother, who had multiple sclerosis. “Now, it’s really changed. There’s been this awakening in the travel industry that there is this market—and they want to travel and they have these needs that must be met.” To wit, Eljas says, accessibleGO’s booking volume was four times higher in 2023 than in 2022.

For a special needs traveler, booking a vacation can be far from seamless. It’s not always guaranteed, for instance, that a traveler in a wheelchair will receive prompt service at an airport, whether they’re traveling with a service animal or need assistance to get from the check-in counter to the gate. Even if they obtain the requested room with a roll-in shower or a fridge to store medicine, they might find accessibility features to be insufficient in the same hotel’s lobby and restaurants. And when it comes to transportation around their destination, a rental car might lack the necessary add-on features, while public transit might be short on wheelchair-accessible options.

As the first one-stop shop for accessible travel in the US, accessibleGo is addressing all of this. Book a flight on its site, for instance, and you can add specific special needs requests. A new rental car portal has options from all the major companies, including wheelchair vans and such optional accessibility features as spinner knobs that make it easier to steer with one hand. Users can book wheelchair-accessible taxi services and rent mobility accessories and hotel aids like scooters, wheelchairs and hoyer lifts, which help them shift from bed to wheelchair and vice versa.

Part of what complicates the expansion is a continued need for “white glove service,” as Eljas describes it, to ameliorate (if not quite eliminate) blunders by airlines and other providers. While the Americans with Disabilities Act and Air Carrier Access Act legally require buildings and airlines in the US to accommodate wheelchair users in specific and detailed ways, it can be onerous to confirm that they will meet the moment; this usually requires lengthy discussions with customer service. AccessibleGo is taking on that responsibility for every hotel, flight and car rental booking made on its platform. “It’s a core part [of our proposition] that makes people trust us and understand we’ve got their back,” says Eljas. “And that’s a very big part of [working with] this demographic—making them feel confident and safe.”

Eric Lipp, founder and executive director at Open Doors Organization, says this service is accessibleGo’s biggest competitive advantage. “A lot of times information doesn’t get conveyed from a third-party vendor [such as Booking.com or Expedia] to the carrier, cruise line or hotel,” he explains.

AccessibleGo is not alone in trying to address this large but overlooked market. Competition now includes Wheel the World, which offers hotels, activities and group tours in 117 global destinations, and Responsible Travel, a marketplace for multiday tours whose website includes a filter for accessible itineraries around the world. Such services are growing at pace with accessible advocacy: Groups like the International Air Transport Association, International Civil Aviation Organization and Airlines for America are all discussing accessibility with greater urgency.

AccessibleGo thus faces challenges to dominate the market. It must grow quickly to serve international destinations and to add activities and tours before competitors catch up on the airline and car rental fronts. The company is scaling-up its reach by partnering with Arc, a nonprofit organization with 800 nationwide chapters for people with developmental disabilities. In exchange for marketing access to Arc’s sizable user base, accessibleGo is creating a give-back program to support the nonprofit. It hopes to replicate this model with other nonprofits in the near future.

Meanwhile, with Open Doors’ next national study already underway, the market for accessible travel seems certain to keep growing.

“I can tell you—just looking at the number of wheelchair pushers [who help disabled travelers] at airports,” says Lipp. “We are out in pretty full force.”

NEW YORK, N.Y., Jan. 17, 2024 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) – accessibleGO, the leading accessible travel platform, today unveiled a series of enhanced products and services to make all aspects of travel more accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities. Now in addition to hotels, customers can book flights, rental cars with hand controls, wheelchair van rentals, mobility rentals, and concierge ride services for wheelchair-accessible vehicles, all in one place. Additional features will be introduced in the coming months.

At accessibleGO, disrupting the travel booking process extends beyond the initial reservation. Once a booking is made, an accessibleGO team member contacts the provider to confirm accessibility requests can be accommodated. This key differentiator provides peace of mind for customers and their travel companions that specific needs will be met.

“In a world where traveling with accessible needs can feel totally inaccessible, we are committed to doing all we can to empower travelers with disabilities as they plan their trips,” said Miriam Eljas, co-founder and CEO of accessibleGO. “We are excited about the progress we’ve made with our partners in the disability community, and look forward to continuing to improve the travel booking process for people with accessibility needs and their travel companions so they can travel freely and with confidence.”

The new features on accessibleGO.com include:

• Flights: In addition to booking flights, customers can specify what they require assistance with. accessibleGO will contact the airlines directly to confirm the accessibility requests can be accommodated.
• Car Rentals: Customers can request unique accessibility features including car hand controls and spinner knobs, which will be confirmed on their reservation by accessibleGO within five business days.
• Wheelchair Van Rentals: Customers now have access to the widest national coverage of wheelchair van rentals via agreements with national and regional partners.
• Mobility Rentals: Through a partnership with Scootaround, customers can book mobility products including scooters, wheelchairs, hoyer lifts, hospital beds and recliners through accessibleGO.
• Concierge Ride Services for Wheelchair-Accessible Vehicles: In partnership with Jayride, accessibleGO is offering wheelchair accessible rides, including airport transfers, hotel pickups and general travel services, ensuring customers will have the right vehicle with a reliable service provider with 24/7 support by Jayride’s customer service team.

Travelers can also book an accessible hotel, resort or motel worldwide on accessibleGO’s one-of-a-kind hotel booking platform, which also includes proprietary accessibility information on more than 6,000 hotels in more than 180 cities across the U.S. Other benefits include exclusive discounted rates up to 60 percent off for members and an unparalleled customer service experience that confirms accessibility requests including rooms and special features such as roll-in showers, ADA bathtubs with grab bars, refrigerators for medicine, visual fire or smoke alarms, and more.

accessibleGO’s robust booking engine is complemented by an engaged community of travelers worldwide with all different kinds of disabilities, where questions can be asked, personal stories and experiences are freely shared, and trusted recommendations and tips are posted from people with accessible travel needs along with their caregivers.

To book travel or to join and engage with the accessibleGO community, visit accessibleGO.com.

About Tourist Access Ltd. dba accessibleGO

accessibleGO is the leading accessible travel platform in the U.S. for people with disabilities to book accessible hotel rooms, flights, car rentals with hand controls, wheelchair van rentals, mobility rentals, and concierge ride services for wheelchair-accessible vehicles. accessibleGO also offers proprietary accessibility information on more than 6,000 U.S. hotels, along with exclusive discounted rates up to 60 percent off for members and an unparalleled customer service experience that confirms accessibility requests. The robust booking engine is complemented by a dynamic community of travelers with similar circumstances who share information and inspiration with each other.

Visit https://accessiblego.com/ for more information.

Red Door and FASH, both investors in Adapt’s Pre-Series round in late 2021 and Convertible Notes in 3 rd QTR 2022 and 2023, have partnered together for this investment round being termed as the Restructure Round. The Restructure Round supports a bridge loan, conversion of the existing Convertible Notes and the corporate reorganization of the company into a U.S. based holding company. The investment also provides the Restructure Round investors with control of the Board of Directors and other governance controls. Upon the completion of the Restructure Round the bridge loan will be converted into a newly created Senior Preferred Stock in the new holding company.

“We have learned a lot since our initial investment” says Richard Wolpow, Managing Partner. “We invested in a best of class technology with Adapt’s Internet of Things (IoT) offerings, combining its hardware devices and SaaS model software. However, as with all start-ups, Adapt has had their share of challenges and growing pains which only further exasperated managing operations in four countries. The positive to it all has been the unwavering support of Adapt’s strategic partners and clients such as; DHL, PwC, Onset, Cold Chain Technologies, etc., the list goes on.

With this investment round we now have the control needed to bring in additional resources in support of the company’s growth strategy. This started with the appointment of Red Door’s Managing Director on the deal, Don Warriner, as interim President & CEO who will be supported by Co-founders Anirban Gupta and Sai Kiran, COO Cheryl Vance, CFO Sandeep Jain and CRO Jody Radoff. In addition, we have engaged best-in-class consultants to help Adapt evolve. This includes DBI Network US Inc., a global consulting network specializing in strategy, product and service innovation, and supply chain transformation, as well as Rakesh Bhatia of RubikSolutions LLC.

Rakesh, a former Big-4 senior partner (PwC and KPMG) brings deep leadership experience in scaling operations, building emerging technology solutions and global talent in 12+ countries. Rakesh previously led PwC’s US Global Business Services along with many other titles including; Global Relationship Partner and Board Member of the PwC Acceleration Center.  All this is just a long-winded way to say; we are more excited than ever about the future for Adapt and we are building a first-class team for the mission”. Wolpow concluded.

Don Warriner, Interim President and CO commented, “With the recent completed Restructure Round, Adapt is well positioned to become the Global Leader in Cold Chain Supply Intelligence for global pharma, food companies and other cold chain companies.  With a robust, scalable technical platform, our future product/service roadmap will enable our clients to track and trace temperature sensitive cargo on a real-time basis coupled with fingertip access to compliance, audit and Ai driven decision support information. Companies are striving every day to make more informed decisions, be more efficient, eliminate waste and focus on corporate sustainability initiatives.”

Rakesh Bhatia commented “I am excited to work closely with Richard, Don and management team to help strategically transform Adapt to capture its true market potential. I truly believe that with new focus on maturing and scaling Adapt operations, leveraging emerging technologies and a thoughtful go to market strategy will position Adapt as a formidable player in the supply chain asset tracking field”.

“FASH sees a high trajectory for Adapt’s excellent suite of Iot products and services” says Flavian Santhiapillai, Chief Operating Officer of FASH. “With this Restructure Round and strategic re-organization of Adapt we are setting in place the core personnel, infrastructure and support network to enable Adapt to focus on key geographies & product lines to become a truly global player in supply chain and logistics. We look forward to a continued partnership with Red Door, Onset and all out consultants to achieve this goal”.

“The Restructure Round demonstrates our ability to quickly respond and adapt to market changes without losing momentum”, asserts Co-Founder, Director Anirban Gupta. “The increased investment in ADAPT Ideations by RDCP & FASH bears testimony to their trust and confidence in the team and the venture as global enterprises move towards increased supply chain digitisation and adoption of our smart platforms. We, as founders, are excited to welcome and support Don Warriner and Rakesh Bhatia, who are highly experienced & decorated industry professionals, as they prepare to lead ADAPT’s transformation journey.”

About Red Door Capital Partners LLC:

The Red Door team is a group of seasoned entrepreneurial experts from private equity operations, investments & wealth
management, and legal services, that have joined together to identify, invest in, and manage private equity transactions. Red Door invests side-by-side along with its network of High-Net-Worth Individuals, Family Offices and Registered Investment Advisors (RIA’s). Red Door partners with founders and entrepreneurs that seek real capital partners to create collaborative relationships, deploy strategic oversight, implement governance, and professionalize operations – all to ensure our family of investors are protected and prepared for a successful exit transaction.

For more information on Red Door and its latest transactions visit www.reddoorcp.com
or contact Don Warriner, Managing Director, Adapt Ideations, dwarriner@reddoorcp.com

About Adapt Ideations:

Adapt Ideations was founded based on the concept that there is a greater need for information digitization to unlock the power of asset intelligence for timely and proactive business decisions.  This led the company to implement the most advanced and innovative technology in asset tracking and monitoring solutions to allow companies to remain competitive and achieve greater operational efficiency. Adapt Ideations specializes in providing innovative supply chain and logistics solutions to a variety of industry sectors. They offer a wide range of IoT (“Internet of Things”) enabled asset tracking and monitoring solutions to enhance supply chain visibility and ensure adherence to compliance and regulations.

For more information on Adapt Ideation visit https://www.adaptideations.com/,
Or contact Jody Radoff, Chief Revenue Officer @ Jody@adaptideations.com

Leading active tracking and monitoring global solution provider Adapt Ideations announces the appointment of their first female executive, Cheryl Vance as Chief Operating Officer. Adapt Ideations is known for their unique engineering-first approach to the market and their focus on bringing innovation and sustainability together changing the landscape of the global track and trace market. The real-time data collected empowers their clients to make datadriven decisions and develop insights into their operations allowing for actionable and realworld outcomes to be developed.

Vance brings with her extensive knowledge of operational aspects of organizations through technology and project management. Previously, Vance has held various leadership roles across a range of Fortune 500 companies including IBM and GE, as well as nonprofits. Cheryl is also the Founder and Principal of VictorLee Group, a management consulting firm focused on maximizing organizational performance through optimizing efficiency and productivity. Cheryl serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees for Congressional School, Treasurer for the Board of Directors for Everyone Home DC, Regional Facilitator Lead for Harvard Business School Alumnae Circles and was recognized by Harvard Business School with the Making a Difference Award. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama and is an alumna of Harvard Business School.

As Chief Operating Officer, Vance will lead and scale the company’s growth and global business operations spanning customer engagement, client support, and product management leveraging her track record of leading global cross functional teams and developing customer centric processes. As Chief Operating Officer, Vance will be paramount in shaping Adapt Ideations’ future and implementing global operational excellence.

“Adapt Ideations is proud to share the exciting news of Cheryl Vance’s appointment as Chief Operating Officer to lead solutions delivery & global operations. We’re looking forward to the significant impact that Cheryl’s leadership will have in transforming Adapt’s operational culture and processes spanning across multiple geographies & regions.” – Anirban Gupta CEO & Co-Founder, Adapt Ideations “Adapt brings an unmatched value proposition to flexibly meet the unique needs of clients. I am excited to join Anirban and the management team as we write the next chapter of our growth.” – Cheryl Vance Chief Operating Officer, Adapt Ideations

About Adapt Ideations

Adapt Ideations is a leading asset intelligence management enterprise specializing in designing and developing asset tracking and monitoring solutions for the global supply chain. Adapt Ideations is known for their ability to develop innovative, purpose-built, and affordable asset tracking and monitoring solutions assisting companies to automate everyday asset management functions to achieve greater visibility of their global supply chain operations. Adapt Ideations assists their clients to transform everyday data into operational efficiency. Adapt Ideations has a wide range of global asset tracking and monitoring solutions designed to cater to the needs of pharma, food & beverages, logistics, and many more industries. To learn more visit www.adaptideations.com.

Lawrence Cisneros and Brandon Schwartz loved the idea of canned cocktails, but they weren’t impressed by the big brands offered in stores. Unwilling to compromise on quality for convenience, the SoCal entrepreneurs launched Drnxmyth and shook up the industry.

Drnxmyth delivers an authentic cocktail bar experience with its blend of real ingredients and unique innovation. From Bourbon Sour to Margaritas, every flavor is made with cold-pressed fruit juice sourced from California farms. Meanwhile, their twist-to-mix technology keeps the alcohol separate for impossibly easy and truly fresh drinks every time.

Recently, we caught up with Lawrence to learn more about his journey and hear his advice for fellow entrepreneurs.

1. Why did you start Drnxmyth?

I wasn’t an expert drink maker — and I was usually more of a beer drinker — but I always loved a great cocktail! When my girlfriend (now wife) would ask me to make craft cocktails for get-togethers, I found the ingredient prep to be frustrating. Ultimately, it took time away from hanging out with our friends and would result in subpar drinks. I tried a few canned cocktails, but I couldn’t find any that tasted fresh, like the ones we’d have at our favorite cocktail spots in LA.

Drinks at the cocktail bar couldn’t be distributed outside the bar for regulatory and food safety reasons. It seemed like a tough problem to solve, but I wanted easily accessible drinks that could be sold in stores without compromising on quality.

We started Drnxmyth because we knew if we could create the requisite technology and supply chain — along with a powerful brand — we’d have unique opportunities in the market. Now, we’re able to partner with world famous bartenders for recipes, collaborate with renowned spirit brands, and sell to iconic hotels and nightclubs.

2. What obstacles did you face along the way?

Many. Our aim was to take the ready-to-drink cocktail to its maximal degree by recreating the live craft cocktail experience with fresh juices and bottling it. We started with just an idea and little in the way of money or experience. So, we had to be creative, work hard, and, ultimately, persist.

First, we needed a dual chamber bottle to keep the alcohol from adulterating the cold-pressed juice. That type of packaging didn’t exist at the time, so we had to invent it ourselves.

Then, we had to develop a brand new supply chain and figure out how to blend and bottle fresh juices in a distillery environment — no U.S. alcohol manufacturer had the ability or regulatory license to handle fresh juices. We partnered with an existing fresh juice bottling facility and acquired our own license at that property. Convincing them wasn’t easy.

We also wanted to keep our juice fresh without heat pasteurization or preservatives. That required the use of high pressure technology, something no other alcohol company had ever done before.

On top of that, we had to convince early investors we could pull this off without a final — or even rudimentary — product in hand. We had to be first in a number of areas, but it was all necessary to bring our simple, yet powerful, idea to life.

3. What lessons do you have for other entrepreneurs?

It’s okay to do things differently, but make sure it really matters to the customers you’re trying to reach. Ideally, you’ll want to figure out a way to keep your processes and intellectual property proprietary.

Don’t waste your time trying to copy other people. Big companies do that and they have way more resources than you. You have to have the insight big companies are missing, backed by validating metrics like honest feedback from family, friends, and consumers. Their feedback will be more nuanced and valuable than some report given to an executive elsewhere.

4. What’s on the horizon for Drnxmyth?

More products at Bristol Farms! We currently have about five cocktails at Bristol Farms but we have 18 in total and they’re all amazing!

Right now we’re working on a 750ml party size container to give people the equivalent of four Drnxmyth bottles for the price of three. We’re also moving into the nightclubs, concerts, and events space so people can enjoy our drinks in fun environments. Our team is also working on a number of collaborations including a podcast and a celebrity-inspired cocktail series.

5. How do you keep work/life balance? What drives/inspires you?

Why does there have to be balance when I’m having so much fun? I love being in the field, making the product, selling the product, and capturing social media content. Still, it can be grueling to take investor calls, pitch the product to new clients, and decide on new cocktails to launch all at once.

I’m driven by the opportunity to showcase our world-class product in person. People have never seen anything like Drnxmyth before and it’s something that we started from scratch on the back of a napkin. Now, we’re partnering with new companies on a daily basis. We know that we have enough time to make our mark in the world. This industry is as old as human civilization itself, but we know that we can set a new standard for quality and go down in the history books.

BROOKFIELD, Wis., May 2, 2023 – Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a leading global provider of payments and financial services technology solutions, is enabling Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and software companies to expand simple and secure payment experiences via mobile devices with a first-of-its-kind text-based payments capability. This new technology will be available via an integration with Authvia, an innovative SaaS company at the forefront of driving commerce into the conversational commerce era.

Text and chat have become more common in business-to-consumer communications, and as the demand for contactless payments grows, so has the demand for text conversations to end in a seamless transaction.

“As consumer demand fuels the software-led payments evolution and ISVs focus on building for the future, Fiserv is expanding its digital payments capabilities into conversational commerce,” said Jon Halpern, Head of ISV at Fiserv. “Authvia provides a robust solution that aligns with our ISV payment engine, with industry-pacing technology and real experts helping to guide integration.”

Through Authvia’s integration with CardPointe ® gateway from Fiserv, ISVs can instantly connect processing services with the patented Authvia technology, TXT2PAY, allowing business users to bill, invoice and accept payments from customers quickly and easily via text and chat conversations.

The combination of Fiserv and Authvia technology provides ISVs a complete, PCI- and TCPA-compliant platform with the APIs, tools and expertise necessary to securely integrate text-based payments into their software without developing their own solution.

“We wanted to find a new and innovative product for our clients, and our relationship with Fiserv gave us a simple path to offering a flexible solution like TXT2PAY, with no development work required,” said Sean McNabb, President of Red Rook Payment Solutions. “Initially, we rolled out TXT2PAY as a standalone solution to a single client, and due to overwhelmingly positive feedback, we have now rolled it out to our entire client base.”

With text message open rates at an impressive 98%, text payments can reduce the time and resources needed to collect payments and diminish friction for both the merchant and the payee. The intuitive payments technology of TXT2PAY accelerates cash flow and provides the contactless and convenient mobile payment experience consumers expect.

“We are thrilled to partner with Fiserv as we look to revolutionize how businesses and consumers engage and transact,” said Chris Brunner, Founder and CEO of Authvia. “Together, we’re bringing compliant and secure conversational commerce technology to market at scale and effectively eliminating barriers to businesses’ success – all while creating positive customer experiences.”

In a world moving faster than ever before, Fiserv helps clients deliver solutions in step with the way people live and work today – financial services at the speed of life. Learn more at https://integrate.clover.com/text-based-payments.

About Fiserv

Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV) aspires to move money and information in a way that moves the world. As a global leader in payments and financial technology, the company helps clients achieve best-in-class results through a commitment to innovation and excellence in areas including account processing and digital banking solutions; card issuer processing and network services; payments; e-commerce; merchant acquiring and processing; and the Clover® cloud-based point-of sale and business management platform. Fiserv is a member of the S&P 500® Index and one of Fortune® World’s Most Admired Companies ™. Visit fiserv.com and follow on social media for more information and the latest company news.

About Authvia

Authvia is an innovative SaaS company at the forefront of driving commerce into the conversational commerce era with first-of-its-kind text-to-pay technology—a patented solution that will revolutionize how businesses and consumers engage and transact. We seamlessly orchestrate finance, communication, and technology to support and secure transactions via text messaging and other message-based communication channels, such as chat or WhatsApp. It’s done via Authvia—the conversational commerce engine. For more information, visit www.authvia.com.