ST. HELENA, Calif., May 13, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Karen MacNeil, wine authority, author of “The Wine Bible,” and co-founder of COME TOGETHER A Community for Wine, will deliver the opening keynote at the 2026 Vine to Mind Symposium, a joint initiative of the University of California, Davis and Harvard University, taking place May 19–20 on the UC Davis campus.

Photo caption: Karen MacNeil, author of “The Wine Bible,” and co-founder of COME TOGETHER A Community for Wine.

MacNeil will be joined by Christine Wente and Michael Mondavi, two figures whose family names have shaped the American wine story for generations. Together, the three will speak to the cultural standing of California wine today, and to the work of sustaining wine’s place in American life for the next generation.

That work is the animating purpose behind Come Together A Community for Wine, which MacNeil co-founded in 2024 with Kimberly Noelle Charles, DipWSET, of Charles Communications Associates and Gino Colangelo of Colangelo & Partners. In response to mounting headwinds facing the global wine industry, Come Together has built two of the largest pro-wine consumer campaigns in the United States: Share & Pair Sundays, now in its second year and running May 3 through June 28, and Come Over October, returning for the third year this fall.

“Wine is at a critical juncture in American culture, and we must rise to meet the challenges,” said MacNeil. “The Vine to Mind Symposium gives us—scientists and industry leaders alike–an opportunity to come together to explore a modern and practical approach to wine over the coming decades. Coming together on behalf of wine’s future underscores wine’s historic role as the beverage that has brought people together for 8000 years.”

The Vine to Mind Symposium convenes data scientists, scholars, and industry leaders to examine how data-driven insight and AI can advance viticulture, enology, and wine communications. Additional speakers include Orley Ashenfelter, Eric Asimov, Jing Cao, Felicity Carter, Joe Czerwinski, Xiao-Li Meng, Madeline Puckette, Liz Thach, Jason Wise, and Ben Montpetit. Sessions will be held at the Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science, with a post-symposium visit to Napa Valley on May 21.

ABOUT THE VINE TO MIND SYMPOSIUM

The 2026 Vine to Mind Symposium is organized by the Harvard Data Science Initiative in partnership with the Agricultural and Resource Economics department and the Viticulture and Enology department at the University of California, Davis. The symposium brings together wine industry leaders and academics to explore the intersection of wine, wine communications, data science, and artificial intelligence, and how data-driven insights and AI can advance viticulture, enology, and the broader wine ecosystem. This year’s gathering also marks the 50th anniversary of the 1976 Judgment of Paris, widely considered the blind tasting that forever changed the cultural landscape for the California wine industry. The 2026 symposium will be held on the UC Davis campus May 19–20, 2026, with a post-symposium visit to Napa Valley on May 21. For topics, speakers, and past highlights, visit: https://www.vinetomind.org/.

About COME TOGETHER A Community for Wine

COME TOGETHER A Community for Wine is a dynamic community for wine enthusiasts dedicated to fostering connections, education, and appreciation within the wine world. Through innovative campaigns and community-driven initiatives, the organization brings together industry professionals, passionate consumers, and wine lovers of all backgrounds to celebrate wine’s unique ability to create meaningful human connections. Founded by noted wine writer and author Karen MacNeil, along with leading wine industry marketers Gino Colangelo of Colangelo & Partners and Kimberly Noelle Charles, DipWSET of Charles Communications Associates, the mission-driven company shares the story of wine’s historic and contemporary role as a beverage that uniquely brings people together. Learn more: https://www.cometogetherforwine.com/.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Kimberly Noelle Charles, DipWSET kcharles@charlescomm.com 415-701-WINE (9463)

Regan Carlin rcarlin@colangelopr.com 978-460-3921

News Source: COME TOGETHER – A Community for Wine Inc.

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AUSTIN, Texas, May 13, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Watkins Insurance Group, a leading independent insurance agency in Texas, has announced the addition of Patrick McFadden as a Private Client Insurance Advisor. McFadden brings 30 years of insurance experience and holds the LUTC and FSCP professional designations. His hire reflects the agency’s continued commitment to serving the Austin metro market and specifically the growing segment of individuals and families whose lifestyles and assets require a more tailored approach to coverage strategy and personal service.

Image caption: Watkins Insurance Group.

“We are thrilled to welcome Patrick to our team,” said Chris Scott, President of Watkins Insurance Group. “This addition reflects our ongoing commitment to serving the full breadth of insurance needs across the Austin community including clients with complex portfolios who benefit from the kind of personalized, consultative approach Patrick brings. He is exactly the caliber of advisor we look for when expanding our team.”

McFadden’s career spans nearly every facet of the insurance industry. He began as a Claims Representative, a foundation that shaped his understanding of how coverage performs when it matters most. Over the following three decades, he went on to serve as an Agency Owner, Private Client Advisor, Sales and Operations Manager, Regional Manager for a national carrier, and Risk Management Consultant. That breadth of experience gives him a perspective on risk that few advisors can match.

“Given our track record of success serving high-net-worth clients in Austin, expanding our private client practice was a natural next step,” said Hanna Ogle, Executive Vice President of Personal Lines. “Patrick’s background managing complex insurance portfolios for individuals with significant assets makes him an outstanding fit for our clients, and his addition allows us to serve this segment at an even higher level. Clients with complex personal risk profiles deserve an advisor who understands that from day one.”

In his new role, McFadden will focus on building and managing comprehensive risk portfolios for individuals and families with complex personal risk profiles, including high-value homes, vehicles, and personal assets. He takes a proactive, consultative approach designing custom risk management plans around each client’s lifestyle, assets, and long-term goals, then actively monitoring those plans as circumstances change.

About Watkins Insurance Group

Watkins Insurance Group is a Top 100 Property & Casualty agency as ranked by Insurance Journal and the largest privately-owned independent insurance agency in Central Texas. Founded in 1949 and headquartered in Austin, Texas, the agency delivers tailored insurance, employee benefits, and surety bond solutions for businesses and individuals across the country. Watkins operates through multiple locations, supported by a veteran leadership team and a network of globally connected resources through its membership in Assurex Global, the world’s largest association of privately held insurance brokers. For more information, visit https://watkinsinsurancegroup.com/

MEDIA CONTACT:
Dshanya Reese, CIC
Brand Marketing Manager
Dreese@WatkinsInsuranceGroup.com

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News Source: Watkins Insurance Group

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BOCA RATON, Fla., May 13, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — Web Scribble, a leading provider of career center technology for associations and mission-driven organizations, today announced the launch of Career Center technology for colleges and universities. The new offering helps institutions connect students earlier to employers, mentors, alumni, professional communities, career fairs, and long-term career pathways in one student-centered experience.

Image caption: Web Scribble Launches Career Center Technology for Colleges and Universities.

Web Scribble has spent more than two decades building career engagement infrastructure for professional associations, serving more than 400 associations and helping millions of job seekers connect with employers and professional communities. The company is now extending that experience into higher education, where institutions are placing greater emphasis on career readiness, employer relationships, alumni engagement, and measurable student outcomes.

“Students and families are asking harder questions about where education leads, and institutions are expected to answer with more clarity,” said Alexey Gutin, Co-Founder and CEO of Web Scribble. “Web Scribble is bringing employer relationships, career pathways, and professional associations into higher education so institutions can create a stronger connection between education, opportunity, and long-term success.”

CONNECTING STUDENTS TO WHAT COMES NEXT

Career services teams are being asked to connect more parts of the student career journey, from exploration and employer engagement to mentoring, career fairs, alumni participation, and outcomes visibility. Web Scribble’s Career Center technology is designed to bring these functions together in one platform, giving campus teams better visibility into career engagement and giving students a clearer path from education to opportunity.

THE PLATFORM INCLUDES:

• Branded career center experiences
• Employer networks and partnership tools
• Virtual and in-person career fair management
• Mentoring programs connecting students with professionals and alumni
• Alumni career engagement
• Career guides, career paths, interview preparation, offer support, and application assistance
• Career engagement signals and activity visibility for campus teams

ABOUT THE LAUNCH

Web Scribble will introduce the higher education Career Center offering through several higher education events and conversations, including a booth presence at the NACE conference. Institutions can book time with the Web Scribble team at NACE here:

Web Scribble will also present at SUNY CUAD and Florida ACE, continuing conversations with higher education leaders focused on career readiness, alumni engagement, employer relationships, and student outcomes.

Web Scribble’s Career Center technology for higher education is available now. Institutions interested in learning more can visit here.

ABOUT WEB SCRIBBLE

Web Scribble is a leading provider of career center technology for associations and higher education. For more than 20 years, Web Scribble has helped organizations connect people to opportunity through career centers, job boards, career fairs, mentoring, employer engagement, career pathways, and related career tools. Web Scribble serves more than 400 associations and has helped millions of job seekers connect with employers and professional communities. The company helps organizations strengthen career engagement, create new employer-supported revenue opportunities, and deliver measurable value to the communities they serve. Learn more at https://www.webscribble.com/.

News Source: Web Scribble Solutions, Inc.

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CHICAGO, Ill. and DENVER, Colo., May 13, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — The Kiosk Manufacturer Association (KMA) and The Industry Group (TIG) will serve as a central technology hub for self-service, AI, payments, and accessibility at the 2026 National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, May 16–19. Restaurant operators and technology leaders are invited to visit Booth #5829 in the North Building at McCormick Place to see practical solutions that increase throughput, improve guest experience, and strengthen compliance across restaurant formats.

Image caption: Kiosk Association Anchors Tech Hub at 2026 NRA Show.

At Booth #5829, attendees will see a spectrum of deployed and deployable technologies. Pyramid Computer will feature its POLYTOUCH kiosk platforms, giving operators flexible hardware options for ordering, wayfinding, and guest engagement. TPGi will demonstrate accessibility best practices, including JAWS and screen reader compliance, to help restaurant brands meet ADA and EAA requirements. URway Holdings has conversational AI and voice ordering that reduces friction and allows more guests to complete orders successfully. Sitekiosk will demonstrate secure kiosk software and device lockdown designed to protect unattended terminals from tampering and misuse while simplifying remote management. Innovative Technology is expected to highlight biometric and identity validation capabilities, subject to final confirmation.

KMA and TIG are also offering an “NRA 2026 Tech Walking Route” that starts and ends at Booth #5829 and guides visitors through a curated loop of self-service, POS, payments, AI, hardware, and robotics exhibitors in the North Hall. The walking tour is designed to minimize backtracking, group vendors by theme, and help attendees capture actionable insights at each stop. Walking-tour instructions and a downloadable route map will be available online so visitors can plan their technology time before they arrive.

In other news, TIG has introduced new company profile services featuring first-level SEO and AI analysis to help vendors improve visibility beyond a basic website. Organizations can use an online self-survey to determine whether they need a formal profile, and profiles are available for purchase at $79. Additional Consensus research reports are also available, including voice in AI self-service, cash acceptance versus credit with calculator, and a retrofit decision kit with ROI calculator; supporters receive all data reports free.

For a complete preview of exhibitors at Booth #5829, solution overviews, and walking-tour details, visit the KMA/TIG NRA Show page at https://kioskindustry.org/nra-national-restaurant-show.

Media and attendees with questions can contact Craig Keefner at craig@kioskindustry.org or 720-324-1837.

IMAGE LINKS for media:

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News Source: The Industry Group

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ST. LOUIS, Mo., May 12, 2026 (SEND2PRESS NEWSWIRE) — OptiFunder®, the mortgage industry pioneer in warehouse management automation, has partnered with Vesta, the AI-native loan origination system and agent platform, to connect loan origination and warehouse funding workflows. The integration links origination, funding, and sale to the capital markets, eliminating fragmented systems and manual handoffs that have historically slowed execution and increased risk.

Image caption: Vesta Partners with OptiFunder to bring loan origination and warehouse funding together.

That fragmentation ends with Genesis by OptiFunder, a Warehouse Management System for mortgage originators, embedded directly inside Vesta’s LOS. Mortgage bankers can now manage warehouse funding strategy, optimize line utilization, and automate post-closing workflows without switching systems or rekeying data. The integration combines real-time origination data with intelligent decisioning across OptiFunder’s network of 60+ warehouse lenders, cutting financing costs and improving funding accuracy across origination, reconciliation, and paydown — all from a single system of record.

“Warehouse management has traditionally operated outside the LOS, creating unnecessary friction and risk,” said Brian Abbott, Chief Operating Officer of OptiFunder. “By connecting the LOS and Genesis, we’re aligning origination and warehouse workflows into a single, intelligent process. Originators gain a seamless, end-to-end funding experience, Vesta extends its operational reach, and warehouse lenders benefit from standardized, system-driven connectivity that scales across multiple originators and environments.”

Beyond originators, the integration delivers meaningful value across the broader warehouse ecosystem. Together, Vesta and OptiFunder extend the origination workflow into warehouse finance—one of the most capital-intensive and operationally complex stages of mortgage lending—without requiring custom, one-off integrations for each warehouse lender. For warehouse lenders, Genesis provides a single, bi-directional integration that supports dozens of originators, improving consistency, visibility, and operational efficiency.

The API-based integration also enhances reliability and security throughout the funding lifecycle. System-to-system connectivity reduces reliance on spreadsheets, emails, and manual portal activity, minimizing data errors and operational risk. Secure data transmission, role-based access controls, and complete audit trails improve transparency and support compliance requirements, while automated workflows ensure funding, collateral, reconciliation, and paydowns are executed consistently and predictably.

“We’re proud to partner with the OptiFunder team to bring Genesis closer to the loan origination workflow,” said Monica Raciti, Head of Operations and Partnerships at Vesta. “Warehouse finance is one of the most operationally complex parts of mortgage lending, and tighter integration between origination and funding makes life easier for the lenders we both serve.”

For more information about Genesis by OptiFunder, visit: https://www.optifunder.com/

To learn more about Vesta, visit: https://www.vesta.com/

About OptiFunder

Founded by mortgage lenders to modernize post-closing and secondary market operations, OptiFunder is a mortgage technology company delivering transparent, efficient warehouse management solutions for mortgage originators and warehouse lenders. Its Genesis and Greyhound platforms seamlessly connect funding, post-closing, and loan repayment, creating a unified lifecycle that reduces friction, improves visibility, and supports scalable operations. OptiFunder has been recognized for its innovation and growth, earning honors including Inc. 5000’s Fastest Growing Private Companies, HousingWire’s Tech100 Mortgage award, and Progress in Lending’s Innovation Award.

About Vesta

Vesta is the AI-native loan origination system and agent platform for mortgage, powering banks, independent mortgage banks, and fintech lenders. Built on a modern, cloud-native system of record, Vesta gives lenders a single source of truth—every loan, borrower, property, and document is versioned, auditable, and accessible via API—so teams and agents operate from the same trusted context. Vesta blends deterministic rules and configurable workflows with autonomous agents that can interpret documents, call domain tools (e.g., income and asset calculators, conditions, disclosures, pricing and fee workflows), and orchestrate work across teams and third parties with traceable outcomes and human oversight. The result is faster cycle times, lower cost per loan, and a scalable “agent factory” operating model. Founded in 2020, Vesta is backed by Andreessen Horowitz, Bain Capital Ventures, Conversion Capital, Index Ventures, and Zigg Capital. Learn more at https://www.vesta.com/.

MULTIMEDIA:

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Image caption: Vesta Partners with OptiFunder to bring loan origination and warehouse funding together.

News Source: OptiFunder

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