Billion Strong Seeks Global Support Through Crowdfunding Effort

Rockville, Virginia (August 10, 2021) – Global Nonprofit Organization Billion Strong launches crowdfunding campaign to help create an internal movement for people with disabilities (PwDs) around the world.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are 1.3 billion PwDs around the world. And while creating a global community of 1.3 billion people might seem like a lofty goal, Billion Strong, a global nonprofit organization for and by PwDs, only continues to increase its passion and momentum. This week, Billion Strong launched its crowdfunding campaign on Mightycause, an online donation and fundraising platform that’s tailored for nonprofit communities. The funds will go towards Phase 1 and Phase 2 of Billion Strong and set the groundwork for connecting PwDs all around the world.

“The goal of Billion Strong,” says Dr. LaMondre Pough, the CEO of Billion Strong, “is to help PwDs find their own empowerment and move forward. We want to make it sustainable by creating a loop of identity, education, professional development, and economic empowerment. And we want to honor and recognize all of the intersectionalities that exist within our beautiful community.” He also acknowledges that building a global organization is a massive undertaking and will require global support. “We encourage people to join the movement. If you have a disability, love someone with a disability, or are an ally or an accomplice, join the movement by going to www.billion-strong.org.”

Billion Strong Executive Chair Debra Ruh, who is also CEO of Ruh Global IMPACT and well known around the world as a disability rights’ advocate, is handling all partnerships for the nonprofit. “We want representatives in every single country and every single state. Currently, we have advisors/partners in Algeria, Amsterdam, Armenia, Austria, Australia, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, China, Columbia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, England, Germany, Ghana, Holland, India, Iran, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Malawi, Mauritius, Mexico, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Northern Ireland, Oman, Panama, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Sierra Leona, South Korea, Spain, Sudan, Switzerland, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Tunisia, Uganda, UAE, USA, Vietnam, Wales, and Yemen. In addition, several UN agencies are supporting our efforts.”

Donations will help support the development of a global ecosystem where PwDs voices will be heard and valued, a marketplace with inclusive e-commerce technology, R&D, education and resources, a shared economy model, support for entrepreneurs with disabilities and social entrepreneurs without disabilities, technology development, and making the community discoverable by corporations who want to include PwDs as employees, customers, and vendors.

To donate to the Billion Strong crowdfunding campaign, visit their organization page on Mightycause (www.mightycause.com/organization/Billion-Strong). For more information about Billion Strong and how you can get involved, visit the website (www.billion-strong.org).

Note: Billion Strong Corp is in process for IRS tax exemption as a 501(c)(3) public charity. During this pending approval period, your donation IS NOT tax-deductible. The application process can take 6 to 9 months or more to process and is not in our control. Upon approval, donations are deductible retroactively up to 27 months to our formation date of April 01, 2021.

About Billion Strong

Billion Strong is an identity and empowerment organization designed to bring the billions of voices of persons with disabilities together. It is a global community of persons with lived experiences of disabilities that also celebrates its allies and accomplices. Billion Strong will embrace and support the global community, which includes entrepreneurs with disabilities and other diverse groups, with professional development, training, mentoring, coaching, education, and programs to assure that employers know how to find qualified candidates with disabilities all over the world.

Source: Billion Strong

Behind The Scenes At Billion Strong: Meet The Team

Rockville, Virginia (June 7, 2021) – Global Nonprofit Organization Billion Strong introduces three new hires and the Chairman and Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors.

On the heels of last week’s announcement of Dr. LaMondre Pough stepping into the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Billion Strong, several new hires round out the beginnings of their small but mighty team. Sonja Thompson has accepted the position of Chief Marketing Officer (CMO); Rosemary Musachio will be Director of Global Outreach; and Jasmin Ambiong is the Partnership Development Manager, APAC.

Sonja (Soni) Thompson was previously a Senior Editor for CBS Interactive and a Senior PR Manager/Senior Strategist for Huawei Technologies USA, with over 20 years’ experience in content strategy and creation, as well as community building and engagement. She has a lived experience at the intersection of the LGBTQ+ and disabled communities, which she believes will provide value as CMO. According to Thompson, “This organization is doing some really important work, and my team is incredible. We are, indeed, stronger together.”

Rosemary Musachio was previously an electronic and information technology (E&IT) accessibility analyst and Chief Accessibility Officer (COA) for Ruh Global IMPACT, and she currently still provides accessibility consulting services for a California law firm. Having developed cerebral palsy at birth due to brain damage has not slowed down Musachio’s ambitions. She’s a writer, world traveler, and passionate about helping PWDs like herself get their voices heard in her new role as Director of Global Outreach. “Billion Strong will be booming, and I’m excited to help the boom become as loud as possible.”

Jasmin Ambiong worked in the telework industry for several years as a tutor, virtual assistant, and usability tester, and more recently was a transcriptionist and social media coordinator for Ruh Global IMPACT. At a young age, she developed Retinoblastoma and lost her eyesight, but her vision as Partnership Development Manager, APAC, is to create and foster meaningful and long-lasting partnerships with different PWD organizations in Asia for Billion Strong. “This is more than just a job for me. It’s my passion, my dream come true.”

“Billion Strong is a community by and for people with disabilities. We are going to show the world what we can do when we work together. Right now, this is a very small team, but we are passionate, dedicated, and bring our experience to the table every day to help amplify our efforts to make the world a better place for the over 1.3 billion people with disabilities on the planet,” said CEO Dr. LaMondre Pough. “As we grow, we will be looking to fill more positions, all around the world. In the meantime, we welcome volunteers to help build momentum and make this movement a reality.”

Billion Strong has also elected two of its Co-Founders as Chairman and Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors, Debra Ruh and Richard Streitz, respectively. Debra Ruh is a global influencer, known around the world as a longtime advocate for disability, inclusion, and accessibility. She is also the CEO and Founder of Ruh Global IMPACT, a company that helps organizations with disability inclusion programs and strategies. Richard Streitz also has decades of experience working with accessibility. His role as COO of Ruh Global IMPACT has provided him with a lot of experience with domestic and international operations, which will be invaluable in his role on the board.

According to Debra Ruh, “Billion Strong is going to change so many people’s lives! Ruh Global IMPACT is very excited to be the first vendor of Billion Strong, but we know that there are many other companies, partners, and sponsors that will join this movement and help it grow. Richard and I are thrilled to be on the board of directors. It’s such an honor.”

About Billion Strong

Billion Strong is an identity and empowerment organization designed to bring the billions of voices of persons with disabilities together. It is a global community of persons with lived experiences of disabilities that also celebrates its allies and accomplices. Billion Strong will embrace and support the global community, which includes entrepreneurs with disabilities and other diverse groups, with professional development, training, mentoring, coaching, education, and programs to assure that employers know how to find qualified candidates with disabilities all over the world. To learn more about Billion Strong and how you can get involved, visit the website (www.billion-strong.org).

Source: Billion Strong

Global Nonprofit Organization Billion Strong Announces Dr. LaMondre Pough As CEO

Rockville, Virginia (May 27, 2021) – Billion Strong, a Global Nonprofit Organization, is proud to announce the appointment of Dr. LaMondre Pough as Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

Dr. LaMondre Pough is a passionate speaker, mentor, and recognized leader for the community of People with Disabilities. As CEO of Billion Strong, he brings to the position his natural ability to empower audiences to embrace diversity and create environments where people genuinely belong.

According to Debra Ruh, Chair and Co-Founder of Billion Strong, “We are incredibly blessed to have Dr. LaMondre Pough lead this global movement. He has a lived experience as a person with disabilities, identifies as a man, and is also an African American. He understands firsthand the global disability inclusion space. He is also talented and has a lot of powerful experience. Be prepared to be impressed!”

Diagnosed before his second birthday with spinal muscular atrophy, Pough challenges people to find purpose and ways to improve themselves in every circumstance. In addition to his role as CEO of Billion Strong, he serves as the Chief Sustainability Officer for Ruh Global IMPACT, Chairman of Arts Access South Carolina, and recently was inducted into the Susan Daniels Disability Mentoring Hall of Fame, Class of 2020, for his unwavering work supporting disability justice, racial justice, and COVID-19 related issues that impact the disabled community.

Pough believes that developing a positive disability identity is a key component to uniting and elevating the community. He says, “it is vital to create environments where people with disabilities are invested and supported and can learn about the experiences of others with disabilities. A community by people with disabilities for people with disabilities. Focusing on identity is critical when we can talk about our lived experiences with disabilities. We all benefit by sharing our stories and letting others know what is happening worldwide. Much work has been done, but there is still a lot more that needs to be accomplished.”

About Billion Strong

Billion Strong is an identity and empowerment organization designed to bring the billions of voices of persons with disabilities together. It is a global community of persons with lived experiences of disabilities that also celebrates its allies and accomplices. Billion Strong will embrace and support the global community, which includes entrepreneurs with disabilities and other diverse groups, with professional development, training, mentoring, coaching, education, and programs to assure that employers know how to find qualified candidates with disabilities all over the world. To learn more about Billion Strong and how you can get involved, visit the website (www.billion-strong.org).

Source: Billion Strong

Cheetah Mobile’s News Republic launches new ‘Made for Samsung’ app with exclusive features for Samsung Galaxy devices

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 18, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Cheetah Mobile Inc. (NYSE: CMCM), the leading mobile utility and content app developer, today announced an exclusive “Made for Samsung” app release of its News Republic mobile news app specifically designed for Samsung mobile products. Available today in the Samsung Galaxy Apps store, the “News Republic for Samsung” app introduces several exciting new features:

• Text-to-speech: Article pages now have a speaker icon that users can tap to activate text-to-speech functionality. Playback controls will appear at the bottom of the screen.
• Long-press for more info: Within a news article, Samsung users can now long-press on a topic to view Wikipedia information without leaving the article.
• Edge Panel news: Samsung Galaxy S7 edge owners can get the freshest news, simply by opening their Edge Panel app. A list of Breaking News will appear, and a single tap will open the article of interest.
• Gear S3 widget: News Republic is now compatible with the Gear S3. The new widget displays the Top Stories, and users can click to read the full articles, with the help of a circular scroll bar, directly from their smartwatch.
• Newsstand: Users can select individual news outlets to follow from within the app. News Republic’s learning algorithm will also recommend content providers directly in the article list page.

“We’re thrilled to work closely with Samsung to offer this latest version of the News Republic app,” said Charles Fan, CTO of Cheetah Mobile. “New features like text-to-speech, long-press for more info, and Gear S3 support, will make News Republic’s personalized AI-powered experience even better for Samsung users. We know Samsung takes pride in offering their users new and innovative ways to consume news and interesting content, and we’re honored to provide a ‘Made for Samsung’ version of News Republic for their popular mobile devices.”

Cheetah Mobile acquired News Republic in 2016 to drive the company’s emergence as a leading mobile content company. The News Republic app has achieved the No.1 position in the News and Media category in over 60 countries on Google Play, and it has been No. 1 in News and Media in 23 countries/regions on iOS.

About Cheetah Mobile

Cheetah Mobile is a leading mobile internet company. It aims to provide leading apps for mobile users worldwide and connect users with personalized content on the mobile platform.

Cheetah Mobile’s products, including its popular mission-critical utility applications Clean Master, CM Security, and Battery Doctor, help make users’ mobile internet experience smarter, speedier, and safer. The Company has attracted 612 million global Mobile MAUs as of September 2016, of which approximately 80% are located outside of China. Leveraging the success of its mission-critical applications, Cheetah Mobile has launched its line of mobile content-driven applications, including News Republic and Live.me.

Cheetah Mobile provides its advertising customers, which include direct advertisers and mobile advertising networks through which advertisers place their advertisements, with direct access to highly targeted mobile users and global promotional channels, which are capable of delivering targeted content to hundreds of millions of users. For more information about Cheetah Mobile and its products, please visit www.cmcm.com.

Source: Cheetah Mobile

Cheetah Mobile brings Cheetah Ads to Europe with vertical video moments at Advertising Week

LONDON, March 20, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — Cheetah Mobile Inc., the leading mobile utility and content app developer, today celebrated the launch of its Cheetah Ads division in the European market. Cheetah Ads will present this week at Advertising Week Europe, showcasing its strategy to serve vertical video ads for every kind of mobile moment.

Cheetah Ads works hand-in-hand with Cheetah Mobile’s diverse app portfolio, as well as exclusive partner musical.ly, to bring beautiful, full-screen ads to the wide range of mobile experiences. Cheetah Ads reaches across pre-social interactions like AppLock, where brands can connect with users outside of popular social apps; to in-social moments in chart-topping apps musical.ly and Live.me; smart personalized content in News Republic; and utility moments in apps like Clean Master and CM Security.

Cheetah Mobile will lead three sessions from The Guardian Stage at Advertising Week Europe this year. On March 20th, as part of the Mobile Track, Morden Chen, GM of Overseas Ad Sales, will discuss how to “Unlock the Key to Mobile Marketing” at 11:00AM. Later that afternoon, at 4:15PM, Jenny Quan, Executive Dean of Cheetah Lab, will present studies “Comparing Europe and China in the Mobile Era.” On March 22nd, as part of the Video Track, Michael Murray, Cheetah Mobile’s Director of Ad Sales, will offer his insights about “Transitioning to Vertical Video” at 9:30AM.

Cheetah Lab, Cheetah Mobile’s research group, released a new report today at Advertising Week Europe. Titled “China-Europe Mobile Synergy: Trends in User Behavior, Phone Brands and Advertising,” the report compares popular mobile apps across the Chinese and European markets, as well as the latest developments in mobile monetization.

Formerly known as Cheetah Ad Platform, Cheetah Ads leverages Cheetah Mobile’s artificial intelligence strength to make ads smarter for its 600+ million users around the world.

“Cheetah Ads enables European brand advertisers to intelligently reach their best audiences through the power of vertical video ads,” said Scarlett Xiao, Senior Vice President, Global Marketing and Business Development at Cheetah Mobile. “Europe remains one of Cheetah Mobile’s strongest markets, and we’re thrilled to introduce Cheetah Ads to clients here in London.”

“With guaranteed viewability and professional editing services, Cheetah Ads helps brands leave a strong impression with their vertical video ads,” stated Arther Wu, Senior Director of Monetization and Business Operations at Cheetah Mobile. “Our partner brands are seeing strong engagement for their vertical video campaigns on musical.ly.”

Cheetah Mobile has risen to become one of the top app developers in the world with over 612 million monthly active users worldwide, most of whom come from the under-30 mobile generation.

About Cheetah Mobile

Cheetah Mobile is a leading mobile internet company. It aims to provide leading apps for mobile users worldwide and connect users with personalized content on the mobile platform.

Cheetah Mobile’s products, including its popular mission-critical utility applications Clean Master, CM Security, and Battery Doctor, help make users’ mobile internet experience smarter, speedier, and safer. The Company has attracted 612 million global Mobile MAUs as of September 2016, of which approximately 80% are located outside of China. Leveraging the success of its mission-critical applications, Cheetah Mobile has launched its line of mobile content-driven applications, including News Republic and Live.me.

Cheetah Mobile provides its advertising customers, which include direct advertisers and mobile advertising networks through which advertisers place their advertisements, with direct access to highly targeted mobile users and global promotional channels, which are capable of delivering targeted content to hundreds of millions of users. For more information about Cheetah Mobile and its products, please visit www.cmcm.com.

Source: Cheetah Mobile