SAN DIEGO - OCTOBER 26, 2026

GOVX and the Carolina Hurricanes Announce Multi-Year Partnership

“Military members and their families are the backbone of so many communities throughout North Carolina. These American heroes strengthen our state and inspire us all. We are excited to partner with a company that values and honors these individuals as much as we do, and together, we hope to show our gratitude in a meaningful way.”

-Brian Fork, Hurricanes Holdings Chief Executive Officer

The Carolina Hurricanes and GOVX, the online shopping platform exclusively serving current and former military members, first responders, emergency medical professionals, educators, and other government service personnel, announced today a multi-year partnership naming GOVX a Proud Partner of the Hurricanes and sponsor of the team’s Hero of the Game program, as well as presenting sponsor of the Military Appreciation Night.


Building on a longstanding tradition of honoring the military community and those who serve, Military Appreciation Night will be held on Thursday, March 25th as the defending NHL champions take on the Dallas Stars at the Lenovo Center.


Military members and their families are the backbone of so many communities throughout North Carolina," said Brian Fork, Hurricanes Holdings Chief Executive Officer. "These American heroes strengthen our state and inspire us all. We are excited to partner with a company that values and honors these individuals as much as we do, and together, we hope to show our gratitude in a meaningful way."


GOVX branding will be integrated throughout all home games, including in-game video board and social media features and in-arena LED signage. GOVX will also receive recognition on home broadcasts during the Hero of the Game feature.

"We are honored to partner with the two-time Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes to celebrate the extraordinary service and sacrifice of our military members, veterans, and first responders," said Aaron Pelander, Chief Brand Officer of GOVX. “Together, we're excited to rally Hurricanes fans everywhere around a shared mission of support both on and of the ice.”


Additionally, as a benefit to the partnership, eligible GOVX members will have access to discounted tickets for Hurricanes home games throughout the 2026-27 season.


About GovX

GOVX is dedicated to serving those who serve our country and communities – military service members, first responders, law enforcement officers, emergency medical professionals, and other government service personnel. With a customizable suite of solutions, GOVX provides leading brands who share in this mission with a unique opportunity to support this deserving audience. Through the flagship marketplace, GOVX.com, brands can authentically reach a growing community of 13M+ members with their own storefront. More than 2K trusted brands currently have a storefront on GOVX.com, offering unbeatable deals to those who serve. With the proprietary verification app, GOVX ID, brands can easily enable service member discounts within the checkout flow of their own sites. More than 5K brands currently utilize GOVX ID technology to honor service members. By leveraging GOVX marketing services solutions, brands can effectively amplify their products or services within an engaged and exclusive community and reinforce their support for Americans who make a difference. In addition to providing unmatched value to those who serve, GOVX also donates a portion of every order to non-profits who serve the military and first responder community. To date, over $3M has been donated through the GOVX Gives Back initiative. For more information, visit https://www.govx.com.


ABOUT THE CAROLINA HURRICANES

The Carolina Hurricanes were established in Raleigh in 1997 after relocating from Connecticut, where the National Hockey League franchise was originally founded in 1979. Since their arrival in North Carolina, the Hurricanes have captured seven division championships, three Eastern Conference titles and won Stanley Cup championships in 2006 and 2026. The team plays its home games at Lenovo Center, where the NHL held the 2004 NHL Draft and the 2011 NHL All-Star Weekend. The Hurricanes also hosted 56,961 fans at NC State’s Carter-Finley Stadium for the 2023 NHL Stadium Series. For more information, visit CarolinaHurricanes.com.


CHRIS BOHNERT - CPO

Chris joined GOVX in 2015, bringing more than 15 years of product, marketing and general management experience in the consumer internet space. As head of Product at GOVX, Chris leads product management, design and business intelligence for the entire product portfolio.


Chris began his career at Active Network in 2002 and helped grow the company from start-up to a successful IPO in 2011. During his time at Active Network, Chris managed several teams and product-lines, including the flagship media property, Active.com and the eCommerce division.


In 2012, Chris joined Takelessons, an online education marketplace matching students with qualified teachers. As VP of Product and Technology, he led a cross-functional team, including engineering, product management and design.


Chris earned a BA from the University of Arizona and an MBA from San Diego State University.

ADAM HOMZE - VP ENGINEERING

Adam joined GOVX in 2014 as the Vice President of Software Development and is responsible for leading the software development group, how our applications are built, and scaling the GOVX tech stack.


Since 2005, Adam has actively participated in the growth phase of several startups; holding multiple technical and leadership positions. Over that time, he has developed a wide range of skills to tackle the challenges inherent in building technology companies.


Adam earned a B.S. in Computer Science from the University of California, San Diego.

AARON PELANDER - CHIEF BRAND OFFICER

As the leader of the Brand Marketing team at GOVX, Aaron is responsible for crafting and executing a comprehensive brand strategy that supports GOVX’s business goals and mission. Working closely with the wider marketing and creative teams, Aaron brings the GOVX identity to life through creative storytelling, consistent brand messaging, strategic marketing channel investments, impactful partnerships and sponsorships, and alignment with key non-profit organizations, all aimed at increasing GOVX brand awareness and recall.


Before joining GOVX in 2014, Aaron held senior marketing and management roles at the Active Network and Provide Commerce. He earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Arizona and his MBA from San Diego State University.

CAROL SCHNUGG - CFO

Carol serves as Chief Financial Officer for GOVX and oversees all financial, accounting and administrative matters for the Company as well as negotiating and administrating Brand-Partners’ wholesale pricing. Prior to joining GOVX, she served as Controller for Billabong’s Sector 9 company, where she oversaw its acquisition by Billabong and was recruited to oversee all financial and accounting matters along with managing its e-commerce site.


Carol previously owned and operated her own accounting and tax practice and was an accountant with Deloitte & Touche.


Carol received a B.S. in finance from San Diego State University and is a Certified Public Accountant.

ALAN COLE - CEO/PRESIDENT

Alan began his career as co-founder and President of DELTYME Corporation, a San Diego-based web services firm working with national clients including Target, Cisco Systems, Costco and Garden Fresh.


After stepping away from an operating role at DELTYME, Alan attended business school at the University of Texas with a focus on entrepreneurial management. During his time in Austin he took on due diligence responsibilities at Gefinor Ventures (an early stage venture firm) and worked in marketing and business development roles in several Austin-area startups including Convio and Metreos.


Alan ultimately moved back to San Diego to join Active Network, where he held executive responsibility for the company's $50M Media + Marketing division. After six years with Active Network, Alan moved on to serve as COO of TakeLessons, an online education marketplace connecting students with qualified teachers. In late 2016, Alan joined GOVX as CEO.

Alan holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Santa Clara University and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin.