gener8tor and NMotion Join Forces

gener8tor NMotion Partnership Release

International “Rising Star” Chocolatier Has Officially Opened Its Doors on Madison’s East Side

CocoVaa Chocolatier will be hosting its grand opening and an all day open house of its new space at The Marling on Tuesday, December 18th from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. The event will include a ceremonial ribbon cutting by the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce and events throughout the day including a tempering
demonstration by master chocolatier and owner Vata Edari and a chocolate bar station where customers can choose inclusions for custom holiday bars.
The event is open to the public and will take place at CocoVaa Chocolatier, 1815 East Washington. Doors open at 10 a.m. with formal remarks and a ribbon cutting ceremony at 3:30 p.m.
Speakers will include Zach Brandon, president of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, Alder Marsha Rummel, representative of District 6 where CocoVaa is based, Lynn Lee, head of the Marquette Neighborhood Association, and others. Lee says that the community is excited to have CocoVaa in the neighborhood. “The meticulous craftsmanship Vata applies to her chocolates synthesizes science and magic to create unique experiences Marquette neighbors can relate to. We are proud CocoVaa has found a home with us in the Marquette neighborhood.”
The Open House will feature guided tours throughout the day where Edari will share the backstories of her shop’s unique and unusual design elements, as well as information about her product and the science of chocolate.
Beginning as a hobby in the background of a solo law practice, Edari, a single mom, grew CocoVaa Chocolatier into an International award winning fine chocolate company in only two years. Known for her unique flavor profiles, her chocolate encased fruit infused caramels and whimsical designs, CocoVaa has
quickly gained a growing fan base of regulars on a regional and national level.
This past summer, she traveled to London with her kids to collect seventeen Academy awards at the prestigious Academy of Chocolate Awards. Competing with well established fine chocolate companies from around the world, Edari was named an International Rising Star making her one of only a few American chocolatiers to ever make the Academy’s Roll of Honour Board. Edari returned from London to supervise the buildout of her new shop which was little more than a concrete slab at that point. Edari chose to build out in new construction and specifically chose The Marling for its location and its aesthetic appeal.
The developers of The Marling will be in attendance to celebrate the completion of the CocoVaa buildout. Dan Lipnick of Houston based M-M Properties expressed his excitement about the CocoVaa opening. “We are very excited to have the world renowned chocolatier as our first commercial tenant. Vata and her chocolate company, which has risen to some extraordinary heights in a very short period of time, really exemplifies the dynamic energy that made Madison appeal to us in the first place. We look forward to CocoVaa’s opening. It’s a grand occasion for us as well as the community as a whole.”
Mayor Paul Soglin states he plans to make an appearance to celebrate the accomplishments of Edari who is also the granddaughter of his long-time friend, the late Clarence Kailin, a well-known Madison social justice activist.
Edari says she’s overcome with emotion when she thinks about the unwavering support she’s received for her upstart chocolate company. “The buildout took longer than I expected and was much more expensive than I ever imagined. My biggest fear was that everyone would forget about me and I’d have trouble making the rent after pouring everything I have into this. However, the first day I opened a couple weeks ago, I had a line of regulars at the door waiting to get their favorite flavors. I didn’t advertise and I had no signage, yet they were there through word of mouth.” More than half of Edari’s customers are regulars.
Edari plans on having a special dedication at her opening to the trades she commissioned to build her new space. “This was a small job for some of these companies who pushed aside more lucrative jobs to take on the CocoVaa buildout. I’m eternally grateful to them and I think they should be recognized by the community for what they helped to build.”
E-Mail: info@cocovaa.com
Phone: 1-888-803-6122
www.cocovaa.com

Youngstown Business Incubator Announces Program Partnership With Nationally Ranked gener8tor

Youngstown, OH — The Youngstown Business Incubator (YBI) announced a partnership today with gener8tor, a nationally ranked accelerator that invests in high-growth startups. The partnership will bring gener8tor’s gBETA and gALPHA Programs to Youngstown, with a primary focus on the Additive Manufacturing industry.

gener8tor YBI Partnership Release

Allianz Life and Securian Financial team up with gener8tor to invest in, accelerate insurance innovation

New “OnRamp Insurance Accelerator” invests in tech startups, and annual “OnRamp Insurance Conference” coming to Twin Cities
MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL, Minn.–To invest in the next generation of insurance technology and innovation, Allianz Life Ventures, part of Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America, and Securian Financial have joined forces with nationally ranked startup accelerator, gener8tor, to establish the OnRamp Insurance Accelerator.
Each year, five startups will be accepted into the three-month, concierge accelerator program in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Each will receive a cash investment of $100,000, office space and access to gener8tor’s global network of mentors and investors. Applications are now open for the first OnRamp Insurance Accelerator cohort. Startups may apply at onrampinsuranceaccelerator.com/apply.
“We are very excited to bring some of the brightest minds in insurtech to the Twin Cities through this new collaboration,” said Chris Hilger, Securian Financial’s chairman, president and CEO. “We are in the midst of a complete digital and technical transformation at Securian Financial, and our investment in the accelerator will give us further opportunities to collaborate with and learn from entrepreneurs developing the next generation of technology that will reshape our industry. We also feel that this is a great economic development opportunity for the Twin Cities, as startups from all over the country will get to see first-hand why the Twin Cities is such a wonderful place to live and build a business.”
“We are pleased to partner with gener8tor to support the insurance tech startups that are developing the tools and technology for tomorrow’s insurance industry,” said Walter White, president and chief executive officer of Allianz Life. “We have a common vision of the potential of new technologies, and a commitment to finding new, innovative and efficient ways to serve our contract and policyholders both today and for years to come.”
The creation of the OnRamp Insurance Accelerator builds off the success of the industry-leading OnRamp Insurance Conference. As part of the new Allianz Life Ventures, Securian Financial and gener8tor relationship, the annual OnRamp Insurance Conference will be held in Minneapolis-St. Paul. The 2019 OnRamp Insurance Conference will take place on April 11, 2019 at Target Center.
Started by gener8tor in 2016, the OnRamp Insurance Conference brings together the insurance industry’s leading corporations, investors and startups. The event specifically focuses on connecting insurance startups and investors with insurance executives in corporate venture capital, innovation, M&A and strategy. The conference highlights innovations disrupting the insurance industry, the leaders making such innovations possible and how new technologies and business models will reinvent the industry. The one-day event, which always takes place in a sports stadium, includes a full day of programming.
“The OnRamp Insurance Conference will bring thousands of insurance executives, investors and startups to the Twin Cities. To build off of those relationships, we are thrilled to team up with two of the best carriers in the business to invest in the best insurtech startups via the OnRamp
Insurance Accelerator,” said Troy Vosseller, co-founder of gener8tor.
About Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America
Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America, one of FORTUNE’s 100 Best Companies to Work For® in 2018, has been keeping its promises since 1896. Today, it carries on that tradition, helping Americans achieve their retirement income and protection goals with a variety of annuities and life insurance products. In 2017, Allianz Life provided a total of $2.7 billion in benefit payments that supported policyholders’ financial objectives. As a leading provider of fixed index annuities, Allianz Life is part of Allianz SE, a global leader in the financial services industry with 142,000 employees in more than 70 countries worldwide. More than 85 million private and corporate customers rely on Allianz knowledge, global reach, and capital strength to help them make the most of financial opportunities.
About Allianz Life Ventures
Allianz Life Ventures, part of Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America (Allianz Life), makes investments in North American companies with potential market traction and a demonstrated ability to drive innovation. Allianz Life Ventures is uniquely positioned to leverage the financial strength and in-house expertise of Allianz Life to help our partners succeed. Active in all investment stages from seed and early stage to growth, current partners include: Core Innovation Capital, blooom, tomorrow, LifeYield, Gainfully, Vestwell, Ladder, and Covr.
About Securian Financial
At Securian Financial, we’re here for family. And we’re here because of it. We’re guided by our purpose: helping customers build secure tomorrows. Since 1880, we’ve been building a uniquely diversified company that has outlasted economic ups and downs while staying true to our customers. We’re committed to the markets we serve, providing insurance, investment and retirement solutions that give families the confidence to focus on what’s truly valuable: banking memories with those who matter most.
About OnRamp Insurance Accelerator
Each year, the OnRamp Insurance Accelerator, with Allianz Life and Securian Financial, invests in five insurtech startups who participate in a three-month, concierge accelerator program in Minneapolis-St. Paul. Each startup receives a cash investment of $100,000, office space and access to gener8tor’s global network of mentors and investors.
About OnRamp Insurance Conference
The OnRamp Insurance Conference brings together the insurance industry’s leading corporations, investors and startups. The event specifically focuses on connecting insurance startups and investors with insurance executives in corporate venture capital, innovation, M&A and strategy. The conference highlights innovations disrupting the insurance industry, the leaders making such innovations possible and how new technologies and business models will reinvent the industry.
About gener8tor
gener8tor is a turnkey platform for the creative economy that connects startups, entrepreneurs, artists, investors, universities and corporations. The gener8tor platform includes pre-accelerators, accelerators, corporate programming, conferences and fellowships focused on entrepreneurs, artists and musicians. gener8tor is a nationally ranked, GOLD-tier accelerator in the U.S. as ranked by the Seed Accelerator Rankings Project.
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Securian Financial is the marketing name for Securian Financial Group, Inc., and its affiliates. Insurance products are issued by its affiliated insurance companies, including Minnesota Life Insurance Company and Securian Life Insurance Company, a New York authorized insurer. Securities and investment advisory services offered through Securian Financial Services, Inc., registered investment advisor, member FINRA/SIPC.
Contacts:
Securian Financial
Jeff Bakken, Media Relations
651-665-7558 jeff.bakken@securian.com
Allianz Life
Brett Weinberg, Media Relations
763-765-7160 brett.weinberg@allianzlife.com
gener8tor
Troy Vosseller
608-354-6606 troy@gener8tor.com

Upland Hills Health Join QualityPath for Colonoscopies

Contact:

Tierney Anderson

608.210.6642

E-mail: tanderson@the-alliance.org

www.the-alliance.org/press

Upland Hills HealthJoin QualityPath for Colonoscopies

MADISON, Wis. (Oct. 26, 2018) – Upland Hills Healthhave met the national quality measures and adopted processes that improve care for patients to become QualityPath providers for colonoscopies.  

The Alliance is adding colonoscopies to QualityPath as part of efforts to help employers emphasize the value of colorectal cancer screening for employees and their family members that are covered by a health plan that uses The Alliance network to access health care. The Alliance also provides employers with a white paper on colorectal cancer screening that identifies cost-effective approaches and recommends additional resources.

The Alliance developed QualityPath for colonoscopies with one of eight Purchaser Value Network (PVN) grants made nationwide with funding provided by the Laura and John Arnold Foundation for regional business coalitions implementing innovative practices in value-based purchasing and health care payment reform. PVN is an initiative of the Pacific Business Group on Health, San Francisco, Calif.

Launched in 2015, the QualityPath program currently guides patients to high-quality providers for CT and MRI scans and knee replacement and total hip replacement surgeries.

QualityPath offers these benefits:

• Doctors, hospitals and clinics meet national quality measures and adopt practices that lead to better outcomes.
• A bundled price covers most elements of surgeries and tests. For patients that means low out-of-pocket costs – sometimes nothing!
• A warranty covers complications or repeat tests.
• A patient experience manager guides surgical patients.
• Online tools and information provide additional support
• Shared decision-making reduces unnecessary care.
• A toolkit helps employers tell employees about the advantages.

Employers who are members of The Alliance can enroll in QualityPath, which is then offered to employees and family members enrolled in health plans that use The Alliance network. A list of participating doctors, hospitals and clinics is available on The Alliance website (www.the-alliance.org).

The Alliance is a not-for-profit cooperative that moves health care forward by controlling costs, improving quality and engaging individuals in their health. Members include more than 240 self-funded employers and multiemployer plans in Wisconsin, Illinois and Iowa.

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Alliance President and CEO Cheryl DeMars is available for interviews on request.