Secret Bay Resort & Residences – an approved citizenship by investment property in Dominica, announces new amenities

Roseau, Feb. 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — New Amenities Include a Hillside Funicular, Garden-to-Fork Chef’s Table Experience, Elevated Decks, Art Gallery & a Kombucha Brewery 

Secret Bay, one of Dominica’s approved Citizenship by Investment real estate options, announced it is now accepting guest reservations for its new Clifftop Multi-Villa Estates for stays beginning June 2023.

Those looking to diversify their investment portfolios offshore should consider Secret Bay as the luxurious property that allows investors to also gain coveted second citizenship in one of the world’s most beautiful islands.

The Commonwealth of Dominica, rated in the top three for best citizenship by investment programmes in the world by the CBI Index, offers multiple avenues for investors to tap into the country’s, as well as the globe’s, wealth of opportunities through its investment migration programme.

To qualify for Dominican citizenship under the real estate option investors only have to purchase authorised property worth at least USD$200,000 – the real estate must be held for either three years from the date citizenship is granted or, if the future purchaser is also citizenship by investment applicant, five years from the date citizenship is granted.

 

A look at Secret Bay’s new amenities 

Secret Bay’s array of new amenities – introduced as part of the award-winning resorts’ multi-year master plan – include a hillside funicular, garden-to-fork chef’s table experience, elevated decks, an art gallery, and a kombucha brewery.

This evolution of Secret Bay is spread over 40+ acres of coastal land to allow for additional amenities in the future, and more private villas in the for-sale residence program, all while lowering the resort’s overall density and granting guests the utmost in the luxury of time and space.

Dinesh Kissoon, general manager of Secret Bay said of the additions, “We’re delighted to expand our private villas to this Clifftop region of Secret Bay and, for the first time, introduce a multi-villa estate offering for our guests.”

“In addition to the new villas, we’re also thrilled to bring even more new amenities and experiences to Secret Bay, and to continue to raise the bar for excellent hospitality and transformational experiences.”

The exclusive six-star, all-villa, Relais & Châteaux rainforest resort and residences are situated on top of a 200-foot cliff with expansive views of the Caribbean Sea and access to three swimmable and secluded beaches. The clifftop multi-villa estates are architectural masterpieces thoughtfully tucked in among the trees and natural landscape, reaffirming Secret Bay’s commitment to environmental preservation.

Each clifftop estate features two villas, thoughtfully sited so that each has expansive views and ultimate privacy and seclusion. The addition of these villas increases the resort’s inventory to 16 and four more clifftop villa estates are expected to be completed by the end of 2023.

The first clifftop eco villa comprises Secret Bay’s iconic Zabuco Villa and popular Ti-Fèy Villa designs and collectively features three bedrooms and four bathrooms. The two villas within the compound can be booked separately for a couples’ getaway or together for family and friends traveling as a group.

Meanwhile, designed to be booked together, the renowned Zabuco Honeymoon Villa is accompanied by the newly-designed Mapou Cottage, which can be used as an alternative studio or relaxation space, as well as a private family and friends accommodation.

“We’re incredibly excited about this new offering,” said Gregor Nassief, proprietor of Secret Bay and The Residences at Secret Bay, and CEO of GEMS Holdings Limited. “Whether it’s for couples, a large family, or a group of friends, Secret Bay’s commitment to the luxury of time and space has organically evolved through these first-of-a-kind multi-villa estates. Designed with the utmost privacy in mind, the essentially independent, but connected villas can be booked separately or as a multi-villa estate.”

Each villa within the villa estates is appointed with a gourmet kitchen, an in-nature private plunge pool, stylish bathrooms with rain showers and soaking tubs, and hand-crafted indoor furnishings.

Each multi-villa estate is set upon half to two-third-acres, having direct access to the resort’s forthcoming funicular, one of the many amenities launching in 2023. Additional amenities, which will be unveiled over the next 12 months, include:

  • Gwiyavye’ Heights — Floating eight feet off the ground, three floating decks place guests at the height of the towering guava trees, revealing views of the sparkling Caribbean Sea and the emblematic beauty of Cabrits National Park.
  • Botanica Organic Garden & Chef’s Table — A garden-to-fork concept, the outdoor chef table experience is nestled into the chef’s organic garden just next to the Cario River. Here, guests can indulge in a wholesome plant-based and/or fresh seafood experience focusing on fresh vegetables, fragrant herbs, aromatic spices, and other natural ingredients sourced from the chef’s organic garden.
  • Botanica Nature Walk — A meandering nature trail that starts at Secret Bay’s Welcome House and winds through the rainforest beginning and ending with pedestrian bridges over the magical Cario River. The educational path alongside the riverbank reveals the island’s unique flora and fauna. Guests can also forage here before experiencing the Chef’s Table.
  • Bwa Denn: Food, Art, Retail & Kombucha Brewery — A creative and cultural immersion like no other, the modern, minimalist three-level structure features a contemporary Caribbean and Latin American art collection of over 100 distinct pieces, as well as a casual gourmet all-day restaurant headed by Executive Chef Damith Ranaweera, a full-service bar, microbrewery dedicated to locally-made kombucha, private dining and conference space, mini theatre, a coastal-inspired retail boutique, cutting-edge wine cellar, and rooftop lounge with spellbinding ocean views.
  • Bwa Denn: Fitness & Play — Located on the ground floor of the Bwa Denn, the property’s Art Gallery, the open-air fitness and play area is designed for guests to reconnect and rebalance the body and spirit. The space is equipped with self-powered air bikes, a rower, a treadmill, two combo racks for strength workouts, dumbbells, kettlebells, power bars, pilates balls, mats, a ping pong table, and a relaxation lounge.

Tucked away on the unspoiled “Nature Island” — one of the Caribbean’s most sparsely populated, environmentally conscious, and culturally rich countries — Secret Bay has been praised for its ability to effortlessly capture the luxury of time and space along with its artful fusion of high design, local craftsmanship, commitment to sustainable development through numerous green and eco-friendly initiatives and a reputation for authentic guest experiences custom-curated to personal preference.

For information or to book, interested parties can click here. 

PR Dominica
Commonwealth of Dominica
001 (767) 266 3919
mildred.thabane@csglobalpartners.com

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8741603

Coda Payments Appoints Shane Happach as Chief Executive Officer

Payment solution veteran to steer Coda through key growth stage

Singapore, Feb. 02, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Coda Payments (“Coda”), the leading provider of cross-border payments and distribution solutions to publishers of digital content, announced the appointment of Shane Happach as Chief Executive Officer.

An industry leader in payments and financial technology, Happach brings over 15 years of payments experience to Coda. Happach spent a decade driving more than 500% growth at Worldpay, one of the world’s largest payment service providers, leading the commercial function of its online payments division from 2011 until 2016 and serving as its Executive Vice President from 2016 to 2021. He most recently acted as CEO of Mollie, a next-generation payments and financial services player for small and medium-sized enterprises.

Happach will be responsible for growing Coda’s ecosystem of users, content publishers, and channel partners while expanding its consumer and B2B product offerings.

“Coda has unlocked billions of dollars of value for its clients and enriches the lives of tens of millions of users every month with a highly differentiated suite of offerings. I look forward to building on this foundation, leading the Coda team at this exciting moment in the company’s growth,” said Happach.

Neil Davidson, Coda’s founder and executive chairman, said, “Shane is a seasoned payments executive and CEO, relishes delivering impactful solutions to clients, enjoys operating on a cross-border basis, and has a track record of creating value for shareholders both private and public. I look forward to working with him in the months and years to come.”

Happach will relocate to Singapore and take up his new role in May. He takes over from Philippe Limes, who has served as CEO since 2019.

About Coda Payments

Coda Payments (“Coda”) operates Codashop, the leading independent source for games and in-game currencies. Coda also offers Codapay, which allows publishers of digital content to accept the same range of hundreds of payment methods available on Codashop on their own websites, and xShop, which allows publishers to distribute their products through a range of e-commerce and other consumer-facing platforms.

The Coda vision is to be the platform of choice for taking life’s digital experiences over the top.

Attachment

Coda Payments Press
[email protected]

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8741412

Zoom to Release Financial Results for the Fourth Quarter and Full Fiscal Year 2023

SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 01, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Zoom Video Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZM) today announced it will release its financial results for the fourth quarter and full fiscal year 2023 on Monday, February 27, 2023, after the market closes.

A live Zoom Video Webinar of the event can be accessed at 2:00 pm PT / 5:00 pm ET through Zoom’s investor relations website at https://investors.zoom.us. A replay will be available approximately two hours after the conclusion of the live event.

About Zoom
Zoom is for you. Zoom is a space where you can connect to others, share ideas, make plans, and build toward a future limited only by your imagination. Our frictionless communications platform is the only one that started with video as its foundation, and we have set the standard for innovation ever since. That is why we are an intuitive, scalable, and secure choice for large enterprises, small businesses, and individuals alike. Founded in 2011, Zoom is publicly traded (NASDAQ:ZM) and headquartered in San Jose, California. Visit zoom.com and follow @zoom.

Public Relations
Colleen Rodriguez
Head of Global PR for Zoom
[email protected]

Investor Relations
Tom McCallum
Head of Investor Relations for Zoom
408.675.6738
[email protected]

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8741067

FOLK HERO™ expands globally with push into Europe and the Middle East

New York, NY, Feb. 01, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FOLK HERO™, [INVNT GROUP]’s brand strategy firm, is expanding its global operations into Europe and the Middle East, growing its storytelling reach across the region.

FOLK HERO is a modern brand studio, brand consulting agency, and leading expert in global brand storytelling. The firm has led award-winning brand strategy campaigns for Loro Piana, Intimissimi, Sales Force, Tezenis, Walmart Media Group, Nurosene and more.

Ben Mainwaring has been appointed Chief Strategy Officer of FOLK HERO.

“As we continue to build on the strength of our global strategic offering, Ben brings great expertise in technology, purpose and innovation, that will help Folk Hero continue to successfully take brands into the future,” said Rob Klingensmith, CEO of FOLK HERO.

Mainwaring brings over 20 years of brand marketing strategy, new product development, and commercial strategy experience, specializing in automotive, emerging technology and systems innovation.

Mainwaring will be based in INVNT GROUP’s EMEA headquarters in London, supporting client work across the region.

“We’re thrilled to have this powerhouse resource on the ground in the EMEA region enhancing our capabilities for clients. Helping brands and organisations ensure that they are telling the best version of their brand story, and reaching the most relevant audiences is crucial,” said Claudia Stephenson, Managing Director of INVNT GROUP EMEA. 

Ben Mainwaring joins FOLK HERO after 8 years as Founder at Matter, delivering strategy and innovation to private sector and governments clients across the US, Middle East, and Africa.

“I have known INVNT GROUP’s leadership for over a decade and have been so impressed by how the business has grown, adapted, and innovated over the years. I am joining FOLK HERO at a pivotal time in the evolution of the GROUP – advancing the agency’s brand strategy and storytelling power. I can’t wait to make my own contribution to the agency’s challenger mantra and broaden our offering to new markets and world-class clients,” said Ben Mainwaring, Chief Strategy Officer of FOLK HERO.

ABOUT FOLK HERO

Folk Hero, established by award-winning brand strategist Rob Klingensmith and part of [INVNT GROUP] The Global BrandStory Project™ specializes in bringing story strategies to the executive level, creating master brand narratives that act as brands’ operating and organizing principles. The firm helps its clients develop unusually compelling brand narratives, architecture, identity and tone-of-voice, all underpinned by a robust research methodology and deep understanding of contemporary consumer behaviors. For more information visit: www.folkhero.com

 

ABOUT [INVNT GROUP]

[INVNT GROUP]™ THE GLOBAL BRANDSTORY PROJECT was established as an evolution of the founding global live brand storytelling agency INVNT in 2008, with a vision to provide consistent, meaningful, well-articulated BrandStory across all platforms. With offices in New York, Sydney, London, Singapore, Dubai, San Francisco, Stockholm, Detroit, and Washington D.C.; headed by President and CEO, Scott Cullather, [INVNT GROUP] represents a growing portfolio of complementary disciplines designed to help forward-thinking organizations everywhere, impact the audiences that matter, anywhere. The GROUP consists of modern brand strategy firm, Folk Hero; creative-led culture consultancy, Meaning; production studio & creative agency, HEVĒ; events for colleges and universities, INVNT Higher Ed; digital innovation division, INVNT.ATOM; creative multimedia experience studio, Hypnogram; and the original live brand storytelling agency, INVNT. For more information visit: www.invntgroup.com

Jhonathan Mendez de Leon
INVNT GROUP
[email protected]

GlobeNewswire Distribution ID 8740864

Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) Celebrates Its 40th Anniversary

WASHINGTON, Feb. 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), a global organization that works alongside local partners in communities worldwide to strengthen democracies and build competitive markets, kicked off its 40th anniversary celebration today with the release of an online CIPE 40 Timeline. Plans for the anniversary include the release of a series of profiles recognizing the contributions of key collaborators and a multi-part podcast looking at CIPE’s impact over the past four decades.

Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) Celebrates Its 40th Anniversary

Throughout the anniversary year, CIPE will celebrate its successes and partner achievements, show how its programs have informed new approaches, and address forward-looking challenges. On February 7, CIPE will host a virtual event  to unveil a new initiative and website dedicated to the future of democracy and technology. The event “Visions for a Technology-Enabled Democratic Future” will be held in conjunction with project co-producers, the National Democratic Institute (NDI) and International Republican Institute (IRI), which along with CIPE are part of the core institutes of the National Endowment for Democracy.

Through the dedication of our team members and partners, CIPE has implemented programs and grants which are models for successful projects and have made a dramatic impact in more than 130 countries,” said CIPE Executive Director Andrew Wilson. “In these times of rising authoritarianism, as well as movements and uprisings, the connection between economic freedom and political freedom is clear. Democracy is at a critical inflection point making our work more important than ever.”

CIPE was established in 1983 at the United States Chamber of Commerce to support democratic and economic development abroad through programs with the private sector and think tanks. Efforts started in Latin America with initiatives to integrate thousands of unregistered small businesses into the “formal” economy, establish a regional business leadership training institute, and generate legislative advisories to inform policy. Over the past 40-years, CIPE has initiated more than 3,000 projects worldwide and is currently working on more than 300 programs and grants in over 80 countries.

About CIPE

The Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE) is a global organization that works to strengthen democracy and build competitive markets in many of the world’s most challenging environments. Working alongside local partners and tomorrow’s leaders, CIPE advances the voice of business in policy making, promotes opportunity, and develops resilient and inclusive economies. To learn more about CIPE, visit cipe.orgLinkedInFacebook, or Twitter.

Contact:
CIPE Communications Department
[email protected]

CIPE logo

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Press Release: Coalition for Digital Africa Announces Internet Exchange Point Initiative

ISTANBUL, Feb. 1, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — The Coalition for Digital Africa announced another major initiative aimed at strengthening the Internet infrastructure across the continent. This latest initiative will focus on enhancing five existing Internet exchange points (IXPs), to improve Internet access by making it faster and more affordable, thus positively impacting Internet users in the regions they are placed in.

Internet Society

The Coalition for Digital Africa is an initiative created by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) that aims to bring more Africans online by supporting the development of a robust and secure Internet infrastructure in Africa. IXPs enable the exchange of Internet traffic locally and are essential for any region aspiring to participate fully in the global Internet economy. The initiative is supported by a grant from ICANN and will be implemented by the Internet Society (ISOC).

Using an assessment tool developed by ISOC, five IXPs will be identified based on their potential to make a high impact on the respective local and sub-regional markets. The Internet Society will work to create a clear plan for growth and development, tailored to the regions’ interests to strengthen the Internet in Africa. A local manager will be identified and recruited for each IXP, to be responsible for implementing the action plan and achieving measurable project targets while receiving training and support from ISOC.

“Well-managed IXPs open new worlds of possibilities, with modest investment, by improving local Internet services and reducing their costs,” said Sally Costerton, Interim President and CEO of ICANN, which launched the Coalition for Digital Africa in December 2022.

Research from the Internet Society shows that IXPs improve the end-user experience through lowering the costs of Internet access and stimulating the development of local Internet ecosystems and cross-border interconnection.

“IXPs make Internet access cheaper and more reliable. They are a critical resource in making sure the Internet is for everyone,” said Andrew Sullivan, President and CEO of ISOC. “The Internet Society is grateful for this investment by ICANN that will help bring Internet access to more people throughout the continent.”

Details of the IXP project were announced during a webinar on 30 January. The initiative is another in a series of initiatives aimed at improving accessibility to the Internet under the auspices of the Coalition for Digital Africa.

The Coalition for Digital Africa comprises governments, regional and international organizations, and the local Internet community. Conceived by ICANN, the Coalition for Digital Africa is an alliance of like-minded organizations committed to building robust and secure Internet infrastructure to bring more Africans online. More information is available at www.coalitionfordigitalafrica.africa.

About ICANN

ICANN’s mission is to help ensure a stable, secure, and unified global Internet. To reach another person on the Internet, you have to type an address – a name or a number – into your computer or other device. That address must be unique, so computers know where to find each other. ICANN helps coordinate and support these unique identifiers across the world. ICANN was formed in 1998 as a not-for-profit public-benefit corporation and a community with participants from all over the world.

About the Internet Society

Founded in 1992 by Internet pioneers, the Internet Society is a global non-profit organization working to ensure the Internet is for everyone. Through its community of members, special interest groups, and 130+ chapters around the world, the organization defends and promotes Internet policies, standards, and protocols that keep the Internet open, globally connected, and secure. For more information, please visit: Internetsociety.org.

ICANN

 

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