SAN DIEGO - DECEMBER 17, 2024

GOVX Becomes the Title Sponsor for the Upcoming PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour Event in Norfolk, Virginia

Continuing the multi-year agreement, GOVX will also serve as the official verification platform for qualified members.

“We have deep respect and appreciation for those who protect and serve our communities and country, many of whom are based in the Norfolk area. GOVX shares the values that are so important to everyone in our sport—dedication, honor, and a commitment to excellence. Together, we’re proud to support and celebrate those who make a difference every day.”

-Josh Baker, Chief Revenue Officer, PBR

San Diego, CA— GOVX, the online shopping platform exclusively for current and former first responders, U.S. military servicemembers, emergency medical professionals, and other government personnel, is honored to build on its multi-year official partnership with PBR by announcing its designation as the Title Sponsor for the PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour event set to be held at Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Virginia from February 28 to March 1, 2025.


The PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour showcases the best bull riders from around the world competing in one of the most exciting live sporting events, showcasing the ultimate matchups of the talented cowboys and amazing animal athletes born to buck.

This agreement continues the shared mission to bring exclusive discounts to the more than 9.5M members of the GOVX community. Currently, GOVX members and qualified PBR fans can save up to 25% off PBR event tickets across a variety of PBR events. Available ticket discounts can be found on GOVX.com or PBR.com, with all eligibility verification powered by GOVX.

GOVX announced its official partnership with PBR, the world’s leading bull riding organization, in 2023. The multiyear, integrated partnership focuses on a shared commitment of honoring those who have served our country and communities.


As part of the partnership, GOVX will maintain an in-arena presence at PBR Norfolk and future PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour events. Additionally, GOVX and PBR will honor a military/first responder non-profit as an element of the partnership – an aspect that aligns with the GOVX Gives Back charitable program, which has donated over $1.5M to date. Throughout the 2025 Pendelton Whisky Velocity Tour, GOVX will also pledge a $50 donation to Folds of Honor, the military and first responder non-profit for every Qualified Ride registered.

“As we enter year two of our partnership, we at GOVX couldn’t be more excited to head back into the arena for GOVX PBR Norfolk,” said Alan Cole, GOVX CEO. “The Virginia area has historically been home to many of those who’ve served, and we look forward to welcoming them to all the adrenaline-packed action of the world’s top bull riding league.”


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, educators, and other government service personnel. With a customizable suite of solutions, GOVX provides leading brands who share in our mission with a unique opportunity to support this deserving audience.


Through our flagship ecommerce site, GOVX.com, brands can authentically reach a growing community of 9.5M+ members with their own storefront. More than 1K trusted brands currently have a storefront on GOVX.com, offering unbeatable deals to those who serve. With our verification app, GOVX ID, brands can easily enable service member discounts within the checkout flow of their own sites. More than 3K brands currently utilize our GOVX ID technology to honor service members. By leveraging GOVX marketing services solutions, brands can effectively amplify their products or services within our 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 nonprofits who serve the military and first responder community. To-date we have donated more than $1.5M through our GOVX Gives Back initiative. For more information, visit https://www.govx.com.


ABOUT PBR

PBR is the world’s premier bull riding organization. More than 800 bull riders compete in more than 200 events annually across the televised PBR Unleash The Beast tour (UTB), which features the top bull riders in the world; the PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour (PWVT); the PBR Touring Pro Division (TPD); and the PBR’s international circuits in Australia, Brazil, and Canada. In 2022, the organization launched PBR Teams—10 teams of the world’s best bull riders competing for a new championship—as well as the PBR Challenger Series with more than 60 annual events nationwide. PBR is a subsidiary of Endeavor, a global sports and entertainment company.

For more information, visit PBR.com, or follow on Facebook at Facebook.com/PBR, X at X.com/PBR, Instagram at Instagram.com/PBR and YouTube at YouTube.com/PBR.


For more information, contact: Andrew Giangola – 646-871-2402 – [email protected].


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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.

AMBER MILLER - CRO

Amber joined GOVX in early 2014 to head up marketing and member acquisition. She has been leading the Ecommerce efforts since 2016 focusing on the 2 most important customers at GOVX: our deserving members and the brands that provide outstanding products to members.


Prior to GOVX, Amber worked at Active Network for close to 10 years developing a business unit responsible for selling and fulfilling advertising for some of the world’s top endurance events.


Amber holds an MBA from University of San Diego and a B.A from University of California, San Diego.

JOEL PASION - CCO

As Chief Creative Officer, Joel oversees all branding, web, print and other design requirements of the Company. Prior to joining GOVX, he served as Chief Creative Officer for AnyArt, Inc., which operates the AnyArt e-commerce website. Before that, he served as Creative Director for ClosingCorp, a real estate data provider serving large banks and real estate companies. Prior to ClosingCorp, Joel was the Creative Director for Epic Cycle Interactive, a San Diego web and design agency working with major league sports teams.


Before relocating to San Diego, Joel taught web, multimedia and technology courses at the University of Saint Francis in Fort Wayne, Indiana. He earned a B.A. in Biology from St. John’s University.

ROB MORRISON - CTO

Rob serves as CTO for GOVX and oversees all software development associated with the GOVX.com Web site as well as integrations with Vendor-Partner ERP/ecommerce platforms.


Prior to joining GOVX, Rob was a Partner with Kore Technologies, where he architected and developed the company’s ecommerce web platform used by large institutions to facilitate transactions through integrations with large enterprise systems.


Prior to joining Kore Technologies, Rob was a technical lead with Intuit, which owns Quicken, QuickBooks and other financial and accounting software applications.


Prior to his work at Intuit, Rob was Manager of Advanced Product Development for Epicor where he managed a large-scale Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system designed for Microsoft BackOffice.


Rob received a B.S. in Computer Sciences from East Carolina 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.