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Pizza, Puzzles and Payment Processing: Bring Your Child to Work Day 2019

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On April 18th, Payscout held its annual Bring Your Child to Work Day across the Los Angeles and New Jersey offices. Throughout the day, the children learned about what we do at Payscout, and got a first-hand experience of our award-winning culture!

The kids started off the day meeting new friends and reuniting with old friends, both in-person and across the country via live feed. After many intense rounds of Bingo and with tummies full of pizza, they learned about payment processing, and what better way to do so than with cookies! Using their Payscout dollars and Payscout cards, the kids learned about the Payscout mission by supporting the entrepreneurial dream one cookie box transaction at a time.

See below for some of our favorite moments from the day!

We would like to send a big thank you to all the kids, parents, and everyone who helped make this such a fun-filled day.

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Payscout Reflects on Second Year as a Champion

Payscout is reflecting on its second full year as a Champion with the Jefferson Awards Foundation.  Two years ago today, Payscout partnered with JAF, the nation’s most prestigious and longest-standing organization dedicated to powering and celebrating service.

Over the past year, Payscout has continued its involvement with Students in Action, participating in the Fall and Winter Training in Los Angeles, as well as the annual Competition in both New Jersey and Los Angeles.  The Payscout team has volunteered their time with Van Nuys Middle School and were proud to see the students earn a gold-level banner award for their accomplishments.

Payscout activated the Lead 360 project and donated more than 200 Emma’s Art Kits to the UCLA Mattel Children’s Hospital and the Newark Beth Israel Medical Center.  

Payscout is proud to have generated the world’s first donation made in virtual reality to the Jefferson Awards Foundation.    

In May, Payscout, the Greater LA JAF team, and several SIA students and families attended opening day for the WNBA’s Los Angeles Sparks, thanks to tickets provided by Christine Simmons, President & COO of the Sparks. Ms. Simmons announced the donation while addressing the SIA students at the Winter Training at UCLA.

The Students in Action teams from schools in the San Fernando Valley area were honored by their council members at the Los Angeles City Council spring meeting, which was a tremendous educational opportunity for the students.

In recognition of her work with Payscout Gives and JAF, Payscout nominated Erica Boatman-Dixon as employee volunteer of the year, giving her the opportunity to travel to Washington DC in June to the JAF National Ceremony. There she had the opportunity to interact with recognized volunteers from around the country and meet with congressional representatives from California.

It is clear that 2018-2019 will be another enriching and exciting year for Payscout as a JAF Champion.  Changes are on the horizon with JAF and Payscout’s involvement, so continue reading this blog for more announcements about our partnership.

For more information on Payscout activities conducted during the first year as a Champion, click here.

You can also watch this brief video which highlights Payscout and other organizations involvement with the Jefferson Awards Foundation.

These efforts continue to serve as an example of our Belief, that every individual has a social responsibility to make the world a better place!

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Payscout’s Erica Boatman-Dixon Recognized by the Jefferson Awards Foundation

Erica from Payscout at JAF

In support of our Belief that every individual has a social responsibility to make the world a better place, Payscout serves as a Champion with the Jefferson Award Foundation (JAF), the nation’s most prestigious and longest-standing organization dedicated to inspiring and celebrating public service.  

Each Champion organization is given the opportunity to select one employee as its outstanding employee volunteer of the year.  

This year, Erica Boatman-Dixon was selected for her volunteer efforts, which include organizing activities for Students in Action at Van Nuys Middle School and working on Lead 360 activations and overall support of the Greater Los Angeles JAF team. As a reward for being selected as the employee volunteer of the year, Erica had the opportunity to travel to Washington, DC, to attend the annual JAF National Ceremony, the gathering of national leaders, grassroots heroes, and Students in Action Teams to celebrate the best of public service in America.  The National Ceremony activities took place from June 27 through June 29 and provided an opportunity to connect with other JAF Champion award recipients, community and celebrity award recipients, Students In Action teams and media partner award recipients.  

Recipients were given the opportunity to take a tour of many of the historical monuments in the National Mall on Wednesday evening to get to know one another.  On Thursday morning a Welcome Breakfast was held giving each award recipient the opportunity to address attendees and share their story. “There were numerous stories of triumph over tragedy and how loss compelled people to give back to the community,” said Erica. “We need a Welcome Breakfast like this every day,” she added.  

During the afternoon recipients had a chance to visit their Senator or Representative.  The California contingent visiting the offices of Senators Kamala Harris and Dianne Feinstein included:  the Greater Los Angeles SIA competition winning student team from Sage Oak and the students from the Convent & Stuart Hall Schools of the Sacred Heart in San Francisco, JAF Greater Los Angeles Executive Director Myla Rahman, San Francisco Program Manager Kim Bonney, and two award recipients from San Francisco, recognized for their efforts for assisting homeless women sleeping in their vehicles in Monterey and providing gifts for less fortunate children during the holiday season.  Though Ms. Harris and Ms. Feinstein were unable to attend the meetings, the opportunity to share information about community outreach efforts with representatives from each Senator’s office was exciting for all involved.

The day culminated with the evening Gala, a ceremony honoring the best of the best.  This year’s honorees were: Abbie Nelson & Pia Phillips (recognized for outstanding public service by individuals 25 years or younger – for their creation of PAB’s Packs – custom designed backpacks filled with comfort items to teenagers with a chronic diagnosis or repeat hospital visits); Elaine Wynn (recognized for outstanding public service by a private citizen); Philadelphia Eagles Defensive End Chris Long (recognized for outstanding public service in professional sports – Chris donated his entire 2017 base salary, worth $1 million, to benefit educational charities).  In addition, five individuals were presented with the Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Award for their contributions,

Each Students In Action team that earned the trip to Washington, DC was also eligible for national recognition for their overall achievements.  Though this was their first time participating in Students In Action, Sage Oak earned a bronze level banner for their efforts. An outstanding achievement for the small, but talented group of middle school students of whom we are extremely proud.  Way to go, Sage Oak! Jefferson Awards Foundation CEO Hillary Schaefer closed the National Awards with the following, “ … everyone around you is a powerful reminder of the best spirit of America. Each of us in this room knows that people can realize their true power through service to others.  It is incumbent on all of us to multiply service and multiply the good that it does. We are proud of being at the center of that for 46 years.”

For more information on the Jefferson Awards Foundation and how you can get involved, visit jeffersonawards.org.  

Congratulations to Erica, the students from Sage Oak, and all award recipients.  Payscout will continue to #CelebrateGood with the Jefferson Awards Foundation and other organizations that make the world a better place.  Follow our blog for more Payscout Gives employee engagement and activities.

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Inspiring Tomorrow’s Leaders

On May 21, Payscout People Operations Generalist Ebony McKnight PHR, SHRM-CP spoke at the Partnership UCLA Bruin Development Academy to students on, “How to Differentiate Yourself as a Candidate.” She was joined in the presentation by Payscout COO (and UCLA alum) Juan Sotelo.

The two spoke to UCLA students in the Banking & Finance session of the Bruin Development Academy, a course that covered strategies for success and skills mastery providing students the practical skillset to obtain a job in the banking and finance industries.

This was not the first time Ms. McKnight has shared insights on how to optimize one’s candidacy and land a dream job. The Human Resources subject-matter-expert regularly publishes inspirational posts on her LinkedIn account that are intended to help others find their personal passion, turn that passion into a profession, and lead the life they have always wanted.

This example of thought-leadership not only benefits the students who heard her story, it also aligns with Payscout’s Belief that every individual has a social responsibility to make the world a better place.

Yet another member of the Payscout team is leading by example and demonstrating what it means to give back. Way to go, Ebony!

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#13 Fastest-Growing Company in LA

Payscout, a Sherman Oaks, CA-based payments innovation company, has been honored as the #13 Fastest-Growing Company in LA by the Los Angeles Business Journal.  This is Payscout’s third-consecutive year on the list.  Payscout has been among the fastest-growing, privately held companies in Los Angeles for three consecutive years.  The Los Angeles Business Journal’s annual fastest-growing list featured Payscout at #13 in LA for 2017.  This is a remarkable achievement, not only because of the challenges associated with maintaining triple-digit percentage growth year-over-year, but also because of the setting in which it was accomplished.  Los Angeles is among the most desirable and fastest-growing parts of the world for tech-based companies.  Silicon Beach, the Westside region of LA that stretches from LAX to the Santa Monica Mountains, is home to over 500 tech startup companies.  As a payments innovation company, Payscout’s exponential growth can be attributed to five layers of innovation:

Culture: Payscout’s Award-Winning Culture has been ranked #17 among Medium-Sized Businesses by Entrepreneur Magazine, and #1 among Financial Services companies

Global/Alternative Payments: The Payscout “Go Global Now” technology platform provides one integration point for merchants to access 100+ countries, billions of consumers, and trillions of dollars;

VR/XR/New Acceptance: Payscout is the first company in the world to execute live payment transactions tied to the fulfillment of physical goods in virtual reality

Security: Our best-in-class fraud solution, Gumshoe, is a flexible fraud and risk middleware solution that delivers comprehensive KYC and risk mitigation in a stand-alone monitoring and management tool

Regulation: Payscout actively engages with regulatory stakeholders to drive innovative Regulatory Technology (RegTech) solutions reflected in policies, processes, and systems.

Topics: Global eCommerce, Credit and Debit Card Processing, Growth

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San Fernando Valley Business Journal: Payscout #3 Fastest-Growing Company

Payscout, a Sherman Oaks, CA-based payments innovation company, has been honored as the #3 Fastest-Growing Company in 2017 by the San Fernando Valley Business Journal.  This is Payscout’s third-consecutive year on the list.

Paysout has been among the fastest-growing, privately held companies in the San Fernando Valley for three consecutive years.

The announcement of Payscout’s 2017 top-three ranking came during the San Fernando Valley Business Journal’s “50 Fastest-Growing Companies” event at the El Caballero Country Club in Tarzana.

Payscout’s exponential year-over-year growth is fueled in part by Payscout’s five layers of innovation:

  1. Culture: Payscout’s Award-Winning Culture, built on Integrity & Trust, has been ranked #17 among Medium-Sized Businesses by Entrepreneur Magazine, and #1 among Financial Services companies.
  2. Global/Alternative Payments: The Payscout “Go Global Now” technology platform provides one integration point for merchants to access 100+ countries, billions of consumers, and trillions of dollars.
  3. VR/XR/New Acceptance: Payscout is the first company in the world to execute live payment transactions tied to the fulfillment of physical goods in virtual reality.
  4. Security: Our best-in-class fraud solution, Gumshoe, is a flexible fraud and risk middleware solution that delivers comprehensive KYC and risk mitigation in a stand-alone monitoring and management tool.
  5. Regulation: Payscout actively engages with regulatory stakeholders to drive innovative Regulatory Technology (RegTech) solutions reflected in our policies, processes and systems.
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Payscout Leads Payments Industry Advocacy

Payscout CEO and Co-Founder Cleveland Brown joined the Electronic Transactions Association for their annual Executive Fly-In to engage U.S. legislators and regulators on issues relevant to the payments industry.

On September 13 and 14, 2017, Payscout CEO and Co-Founder Cleveland Brown joined Communications and Content Strategist George Smith for a series of meetings with legislators and regulators to discuss issues affecting the payments community.  Each served as leaders in their respective groups, with Mr. Brown conducting regulatory meetings at the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, the Department of the Treasury, and the White House.

While Mr. Brown was speaking with the various regulatory leaders, Mr. Smith was on Capitol Hill engaging legislators at the offices of Rep. Randy Hultgren (R-IL), Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA), Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-CA), Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA), Rep. Bruce Poliquin (R-ME), and Rep. Drew Ferguson (R-GA).

Following their participation in the ETA’s Executive Fly-In, Payscout sat down with two key members of the Congressional Caucus on Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality Technologies, Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY) and Rep. Susan DelBene (D-WA) to demo and discuss Payscout’s VRCommerce solution.

Payscout’s Vision, Mission, and Cultural Attributes are rooted in the Belief that every individual has a social responsibility to make the world a better place.  It is that Belief that compels CEO and Co-Founder Cleveland Brown to continue to take time out of his busy schedule to engage all of the stakeholders in the payments ecosystem – from merchants, consumers, and systems providers, to legislators, regulators, and enforcement agencies – and ensure that the global ecommerce ecosystem continues to power economic growth and prosperity.

Image Captions: Payscout CEO and Co-Founder Cleveland Brown poses with Rep. Susan DelBene (D-WA) [top left] and Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-NY), both among the Co-Chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality Technologies.

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Payscout CFO Obtains Anti-Money Laundering Specialist Certification

Payscout Chief Financial Officer Dan Gardner is now a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) after successfully completing his certification with the Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS).

The ACAMS is the largest international membership organization dedicated to enhancing the knowledge and expertise of financial crime detection and prevention professionals, from a wide range of industries, in both the public and private sectors.

The CAMS certification is the global gold standard in anti-money laundering (AML) certifications.

The certification places Gardner among an esteemed international group, which includes members of financial institutions, regulators, NGOs, and more, who are involved in the flow of money and the controls related to tracking and reporting activity.

As a voluntary undertaking, the successful completion of the CAMS certification process demonstrates not only a commitment to Payscout’s core Cultural Attributes of Integrity/Trust, but also a broader movement in the financial services industry to create a “culture of compliance.”

Payscout, a leading global in payment processing provider operating on six continents, recently received its Financial Institution (FI) License in the EU and is now a regulated entity. For the Chief Financial Officer to voluntarily obtain a CAMS certification suggests Payscout is intent upon acting with the utmost Integrity, both as an FI in the EU, and more broadly as the thought-leading global payment processing provider in the world.

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Payscout #38 Among Largest Minority-Owned Businesses in LA

Payscout has been ranked #38 on the Los Angeles Business Journal’s 2017 list of Largest Minority-Owned Companies in LA.  The Los Angeles Business Journal published their 2017 list of the 100 Largest Minority-Owned Businesses in LA this week. “Largest” is determined by revenue (2016), but the list also denotes the growth percentage of each company.  Remarkably, among the 100 largest minority-owned companies in LA for 2017, Payscout posted the fourth highest growth rate from 2015-2016. That incredible pace of growth is central to the Vision of Payscout, which is to become the thought-leading and fastest-growing global payment processing provider in the world. Companies must be at least 50% minority owned in order to qualify for consideration on the LABJ’s list. Payscout, which is co-owned by Cleveland Brown and Manpreet Singh, is 100% minority owned.