News

Leifras Wins 3-Year Nagoya Contract for School Instructor Bank

Image
Leifras Wins 3-Year Nagoya Contract for School Instructor Bank

Tokyo – September 13, 2026 -- Nasdaq-listed LEIFRAS Co., Ltd. (Nasdaq: LFS) has secured a three-year contract renewal from the City of Nagoya to operate the "Nagoya School Club Activities Human Resources Bank," extending a program it has run since April 2022 into a new term beginning September 1, 2026.

Nagoya renews Leifras deal to staff after-school programs across 16 wards

The contract covers the recruitment, training, and matching of instructors for "new sports and cultural activities" offered to grades four through six at municipal elementary schools across Nagoya's 16 wards. The initiative forms part of Japan's broader shift of school club management from school-based staffing to outsourced, community-based operation, a transition driving demand for vetted, professionally trained local instructors.

Comfrt's NIL Club Campaign Draws 2.3x Projected College Athletes

Image
Comfrt's NIL Club Campaign Draws 2.3x Projected College Athletes

Atlanta – September 13, 2026 -- Apparel brand Comfrt attracted more than 2.3 times its projected number of college athlete participants in a recent marketing campaign run through NIL Club, the largest team-based NIL platform in college sports, reaching capacity faster than either company anticipated.

Athletes signed up faster than Comfrt or NIL Club forecast, filling the campaign ahead of schedule

Participating athletes selected a Comfrt hoodie and sweatpants set, produced an Instagram Reel depicting a real moment from their day, and received reimbursement for the apparel plus a 10 percent commission on every sale generated by their content.

Pillar To Post Franchisee Wins IFA's Top Individual Honor

Image
Pillar To Post Franchisee Wins IFA's Top Individual Honor

Tampa – – September 13, 2026 -- Greg DuPey, owner of a Pillar To Post Home Inspectors franchise in Morrisville, Pennsylvania, has been named a 2026 Franchisee of the Year by the International Franchise Association (IFA), the trade group's highest honor for individual franchise owners.

DuPey grew his territory nearly fourfold since buying an existing franchise in 2012

DuPey, a former foodservice operations executive, and his wife Theresa acquired the Morrisville franchise in 2012. Under their leadership, the business expanded to nearly four times its original size, according to Pillar To Post.

DuPey rebuilt the business after a severe roof-fall injury left him in a body cast

Shortly after taking ownership, DuPey suffered a serious back injury falling from a roof. He continued working through recovery, and the couple steered the franchise through the injury and subsequent economic downturns while continuing to scale operations.

Galloway Acquires Indiana's Hafer, Expanding to 21 Offices

Image
Galloway Acquires Indiana's Hafer, Expanding to 21 Offices

Denver – September 13, 2026 -- Galloway & Company, LLC has acquired Hafer Inc., a 70-person architecture, interior design, and MEP engineering firm based in Evansville, Indiana, growing Galloway's footprint to 21 offices across 13 states.

Galloway adds four Midwest offices through the Hafer deal

Hafer, founded in 1978, operates from Evansville, Indiana; Columbus, Ohio; Owensboro, Kentucky; and Carbondale, Illinois. The firm delivers architecture, interior design, MEP engineering, landscape architecture, planning, and sustainable design services across healthcare, civic, corporate, higher education, K-12, religious, retail, restaurant, library, and aquatics projects.

Roundstone Sets 2027 Medical Captive Forum for Nashville, May 11-12

Image
Roundstone Sets 2027 Medical Captive Forum for Nashville, May 11-12

Rocky River, Ohio – September 13, 2026 -- Roundstone Insurance will hold its annual Medical Captive Forum (MCF) on May 11 and 12, 2027, in Nashville, Tennessee, bringing together hundreds of employer executives to tackle rising health plan costs.

Event targets employers moving away from fully insured health models

The complimentary two-day forum will gather CEOs, CFOs, HR leaders, benefits advisors, and healthcare innovators to discuss redesigning health plans for greater transparency, cost control, and long-term sustainability. Sessions will cover plan design, captive insurance structures, and cost containment strategies through panels, roundtables, and networking.

Roundstone reimburses attendees for lodging costs

Beyond complimentary programming, Roundstone will reimburse employers for one night's hotel stay, lowering the barrier for mid-market companies to attend.

Michael J. Fox Wins 2026 Lasker Award for Parkinson's Research Push

Image
Michael J. Fox Wins 2026 Lasker Award for Parkinson's Research Push

New York – September 13, 2026 -- Michael J. Fox, founder of The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF), has been named a laureate of the 2026 Lasker~Bloomberg Public Service Award, one of America's most prestigious biomedical research prizes. The Lasker Foundation cited Fox for "dispelling the stigma of the disease and spearheading a revolution in the world of Parkinson's research." More than 100 past Lasker Laureates have gone on to win the Nobel Prize.

Anixa Biosciences CEO, Trial Patient to Discuss Breast Cancer Vaccine on Bloomberg TV

Image
Anixa Biosciences CEO, Trial Patient to Discuss Breast Cancer Vaccine on Bloomberg TV

San Jose, Calif. – September 13, 2026 -- Anixa Biosciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: ANIX) confirmed that Bloomberg TV will air an interview with Chairman and CEO Dr. Amit Kumar and breast cancer vaccine trial patient Sherie Steinberg this Saturday, September 12, at 7:00 PM ET, reaching an estimated 73 million U.S. homes.

Bloomberg TV segment to spotlight breast cancer vaccine data and patient outcomes

The interview will air on the RedChip Small Stocks, Big Money show and is also available online. Dr. Kumar is expected to detail recent progress in Anixa's cancer vaccine development program, including a breast cancer vaccine designed for three applications: treating existing disease, preventing recurrence, and reducing the risk of initial onset in high-risk patients.

Esquire Profile Spotlights T.A.C.T. Franchisee's Multi-State Growth

Image
Esquire Profile Spotlights T.A.C.T. Franchisee's Multi-State Growth

St. Louis – September 13, 2026 -- Esquire magazine has featured T.A.C.T. franchise owner David Lesaffre in a profile titled "The Trauma Cleaners," documenting his expansion into three franchise territories amid rising demand for professional biohazard and hoarding remediation services.

Franchisee builds three-location operation across two states

Lesaffre, operating alongside Leanne, expanded his T.A.C.T. franchise footprint to include T.A.C.T. 48, T.A.C.T. AZ, and T.A.C.T. Fort Worth, according to the company. The Esquire feature examines how the pair navigated high-stakes scenarios spanning biohazard recovery, vehicle decontamination, and large-scale hoarding management since completing training in St. Louis.

NAMM Opens Registration for 2027 Show With $9.8B Buying Power

Image
NAMM Opens Registration for 2027 Show With $9.8B Buying Power

Carlsbad, Calif. – September 13, 2026 -- NAMM has opened registration for The 2027 NAMM Show, a five-day gathering expected to draw more than 60,000 industry professionals from 122 countries and representing $9.8 billion in buying power. The event runs January 26–30, 2027, at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California.

Exhibition floors open for three days of product launches and business meetings

The main show floors will be open January 28–30, offering brand experiences, product demonstrations and creator engagement across the global music products sector. Education sessions, professional development programming, networking events and industry gatherings begin two days earlier, on Tuesday, January 26.

Vision Films Sets Global VOD Release of 'Isolation' via Legacy Distribution

Image
Vision Films Sets Global VOD Release of 'Isolation' via Legacy Distribution

Los Angeles – September 13, 2026 -- Vision Films will release the dystopian drama "Isolation" worldwide on Transactional VOD on September 22, 2026, through a distribution agreement with Legacy Distribution.

Deal expands independent film's reach across major streaming platforms

The film will launch on Amazon, Apple TV/iTunes, Google Play and most cable platforms in the US, Canada and UK on the same date. The agreement pairs Vision Films' VOD aggregation network, which handles over 800 titles, with Legacy Distribution's international programming and digital media distribution infrastructure.