Alexandria, VA

First and foremost, this book is not a cookbook. You will find no recipes here in spite of the title. Baking is a metaphor for life and creation, re-telling the old myths, the Viking sagas and historic events with sparkling humor and whimsical use of baking terminology.

Welcome to the most chaotic, flour-dusted, and deliciously inventive test kitchen in the Nine Realms. In Odin’s Baked Goods, the grim, blood-soaked battlefields of Norse mythology and the Viking Sagas are brilliantly reimagined through the warm, high-stakes, and notoriously temperamental art of professional baking. This book serves up a refreshing and fiercely witty departure from traditional mythological retellings, swapping heavy broadswords for heavy-duty rolling pins, and trading the coveted mead of poetry for a perfectly proofed, highly competitive sourdough starter.

This retelling is most unusual; it calls upon the reader to use imagination and approach the stories quite differently: what if we thought about the ancient gods and heroes of the North as… bakers? How would they tell their stories then? We are perhaps rather used to thinking about the world of the Norse myths and the kings and heroes of the old sagas as dark, brutal and tragic.

The true novelty of this concept lies in its seamless, hilarious fusion of divine epic and culinary disaster. By reframing the cosmic struggles of gods, giants, and mortal heroes as cutthroat corporate hospitality disputes, these ancient legends are suddenly imbued with a flavor that is universally relatable and endlessly entertaining. When Thor’s mighty hammer is repurposed as a magical meat tenderizer, when Loki is cast as the ultimate saboteur of the morning prep-shift, and when Ragnarok is presented not merely as the end of the world, but as a mutually destructive, apocalyptic bake-off, the reading experience is completely transformed.

The book depicts the world where fates rule, the afterlife, Valhalla, is not really that cheerful, and even the gods will face their own apocalyptic end at Ragnarök. Can humor really have a place here, save for a very occasional comedic element (a story of Thor crossdressing as a bride to trick a giant into giving back his hammer comes to mind)? Aren’t these stories best suited for hard times?

It turns out that in the hands of an imaginative and creative writer humor adds a wonderful taste to the myths and historic accounts. The format of the book is a collection of short stories that are quick to read; they flow by an engrossed reader seamlessly, leaving one with the desire to keep on going.

The vision is that “human history and myths should bring laughter and smiles, while at the same time being educational and instructional.” So, do not be deceived by all the whimsical storytelling and the humorous tone. The stories are true to the original sources and have been thoroughly researched. The bibliography is a wealth of resources on the Norse mythology and sagas in itself. There is enormous respect for the stories: from Snorri Sturluson’s the Poetic Edda and the Heimskringla to Beowulf, as well as history of the myths, works on Norse symbolism and rituals, history of Medieval Europe and even books on actual Scandinavian baking to name only a few. Thus, the book depict the gods and the heroes of the sagas as well as actual historic figures in Northern European history as true to the originals as they can be.

This unique presentation elevates the classical tales from dusty history lessons into vibrant, Michelin-starred comedy. The sheer absurdity of the Aesir acting as rival restaurant executives breathes new life into the myths, highlighting the outsized egos and bitter rivalries of the Norse pantheon. It brilliantly proves that the only thing more dangerous than a vengeful Viking warlord is a master pastry chef whose soufflé has just collapsed. Odin’s Baked Goods is a masterful recipe of wit and myth, meticulously layered and baked to absolute perfection. Grab your flame-retardant oven mitts and prepare your palate, because this literary tasting menu is guaranteed to be served piping hot.

But the divine antics of the gods only serve as the appetizer for the true meat of the book. Where Odin’s Baked Goods truly achieves a perfect, shattering crust is in its brilliant, carb-loaded reimagining of the legendary Viking Sagas. The great explorers and brutal kings of Scandinavian history are stripped of their chainmail and recast as cutthroat Master Bakers, each desperately striving to spread their proprietary recipes around the world and establish an absolute monopoly over the bread market of the North.

These stories as appealing to the young and old alike. You are going to learn a lot while laughing a lot. I loved going on a historic journey of unifying Norway (pardon me, unifying the ‘fragmented baking market of the 9th century Norway’) with Harald Halfdansson and his own transformation from Harald Tangle-Hair to Harald Finehair. This is a truly original and unique book, a wonderful take on the beloved tales of the North.

The historical era of bakery expansion begins with the legendary Ragnar Lothbrok. In the traditional sagas, Ragnar was a raider. In this culinary universe, Ragnar (whose nickname “Hairy-Breeches” actually refers to his terrible habit of wiping flour on his coarse wool trousers) is the ultimate industry disruptor. He looked at the stagnant, flatbread-dominated markets of Scandinavia and saw limited profit margins.

Ragnar’s “raids” were highly aggressive marketing campaigns. He flooded the English market with his dark, fermented loaves. His legacy was carried on by his famous son, Bjorn Ironside. Bjorn earned his legendary moniker not in battle, but because he was the only chef in Europe capable of pulling blistering hot cast-iron baking sheets out of a 600-degree oven using his bare hands.

Bjorn took the Lothbrok franchise south, navigating to the Mediterranean. He abandoned the heavy animal fats of the North in pursuit of the ultimate, fruity olive oils of Italy and Spain, inventing the Viking Age’s first aggressively herb-crusted focaccia.

While the Lothbroks expanded the menu through franchising, other bakers were forced to innovate through sheer, desperate exile.

Erik the Red was a notoriously volatile baker with a terrible temper. He was named “The Red” due to his terrifyingly spicy, paprika-infused sourdough starter that burned the mouths of anyone who ate it. Erik was legally banished from Iceland not for murder, but for throwing a heavy marble rolling pin at a health inspector who criticized his sanitation protocols. Sailing west, Erik discovered a massive, freezing, glacier-covered island. Knowing he needed investors to fund his new commercial kitchen, he executed the greatest false-advertising campaign in culinary history. He named the freezing rock Greenland.

Erik’s son, Leif Erikson, inherited his father’s wanderlust but possessed a much sweeter palate. Frustrated by the lack of local sugars in Greenland, Leif sailed further west, accidentally discovering the coast of North America.

While the explorers were foraging for new ingredients, the Scandinavian Kings were focused on absolute, ruthless corporate consolidation.

Sweyn Forkbeard (so named because he insisted on mixing all his doughs with a bizarre, two-pronged metal whisk) was the pioneer of the hostile corporate takeover. Sweyn invaded England not for land, but to monopolize the grain supply. He instituted the infamous Danegeld—a crippling tax that demanded the English pay the Danes in thousands of pounds of premium, triple-sifted pastry flour.

When Sweyn died from consuming too much unbaked marzipan, his empire fell to his son, Cnut the Great.

Cnut was a visionary CEO who successfully merged the bakeries of England, Denmark, and Norway into one massive, terrifyingly efficient conglomerate: The North Sea Empire. Cnut standardized recipes across three countries, ensuring that a croissant baked in London possessed the exact same lamination as one baked in Oslo.

However, Cnut’s absolute power bred legendary hubris. Believing himself to be the supreme master of culinary science, Cnut once famously staged a demonstration on the beach to prove to his sycophantic apprentices that he, the Emperor of the Ovens, was more powerful than the fundamental laws of baking chemistry.

While the Kings of Norway and Denmark waged corporate warfare over international grain monopolies, a fierce and chaotic rebellion was actively proofing on the fringes of the known culinary world. Enter the Free Bakers of Iceland. Having fled the oppressive, standardized menus and exorbitant flour taxes of the Scandinavian monarchs, these fiercely independent artisans established a libertarian baking utopia, and frequent dystopia, devoid of kings, CEOs, or executive chefs. The Icelandic Commonwealth was a rugged frontier of indie pop-ups, wild yeast experiments, and cutthroat local distribution turf wars. Disputes over pasty territory weren’t settled by royal decree; they were aggressively litigated at the Althing, which served as both the ultimate outdoor food festival and the supreme culinary tribunal.

In stark contrast to the unregulated, chaotic indie scene of Iceland stood the legendary Jomsvikings, an ultra-militarized, hyper-disciplined brotherhood of mercenary caterers operating out of a heavily fortified fortress-kitchen known as Jomsborg. The Jomsvikings were the medieval world’s premier tactical hospitality group. If a warlord needed to cater a three-day feast for a thousand angry, starving men in the middle of a blizzard, he hired the Jomsvikings. Their kitchen code was absolute and unforgiving: no baker under the age of eighteen, no unauthorized substitutions to the recipe, and absolutely no crying in the walk-in cold-retard chamber. To join their elite ranks, a prospective line cook had to prove his worth by performing a flawless, blindfolded lamination while being pelted with stale bagels by the senior staff.

But long before the Jomsvikings perfected their tactical catering, the ancient culinary world relied on freelance troubleshooters to handle disasters that went beyond mere burnt crusts or collapsed cakes. Chief among these was the legendary hero of the Geats, Beowulf. In this flour-dusted universe, Beowulf is not merely a monster hunter; he is the ultimate, bare-handed Health and Safety Enforcer.

Through the untamed, litigious indie pop-ups of the Icelandic Free Bakers, the fiercely militant kitchens of the Jomsvikings, and the epic, health-code-enforcing battles of Beowulf, this culinary reimagining proves that history’s greatest heroes weren’t just fighting for gold and glory; they were fighting, bleeding, and dying for the perfect crumb.

The golden age of the Viking baking monopolies came to a dramatic, bloody end in the year 1066, led by the ultimate culinary tyrant: Harald Hardrada (“Harald the Hard-Ruler”).

Harald was the Gordon Ramsay of the eleventh century, a towering, screaming, terrifyingly strict Head Chef who had spent years baking in the elite Imperial Kitchens of Constantinople before returning to violently seize the Norwegian franchise. Harald believed that the English baking market was weak and in desperate need of his superior, heavy-handed management.

He launched a massive invasion fleet, landing in Northern England with thousands of hungry, heavily armed line cooks, ready to execute the ultimate hostile takeover against the English King, Harold Godwinson.

The two culinary armies met at Stamford Bridge.

The resulting clash was the most chaotic bake-off in history. The Norwegians fought with blistering heat and heavy dough, but the English had the advantage of local supply lines. Ultimately, Harald Hardrada’s soufflé collapsed. The great tyrant was struck down, taking an arrow to the throat while aggressively critiquing an English archer’s stance.

The Viking era of baking ended that day at Stamford Bridge. Just weeks later, the English would face a new culinary invasion from the South, the Normans, bringing with them William the Conqueror, strict French culinary terminology, and the terrifying complexity of puff pastry.

Odin’s Baked Goods takes these sweeping, historical tragedies and masterfully reduces them to a perfect reduction sauce of humor and hubris. It reveals that whether you are a legendary warlord seeking to conquer an island, or a stressed-out line cook trying to perfectly temper chocolate before the morning rush, the human struggle is exactly the same: we are all just trying to keep our crusts from burning while the world burns around us.

After all, isn’t it a little easier to live one’s life with a wonderful ability to appreciate the humorous and the comical? This is a purely human trait perhaps handed down to us by Odin that day at his bakery. So, the book awaits its readers. As its back cover says, “The North mythology and key Viking sagas are here, kneaded, proofed, baked and covered with chocolate icing.

About Odin’s Baked Goods

Odin’s Baked Goods is a humorous, research-backed collection that reimagines Norse mythology, Viking sagas, and historical figures through the language of baking. Blending whimsical storytelling with respect for original sources, the book offers readers an entertaining and educational journey through the legends of the North.

A copy of the book can be purchased at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GYRTM6ML

Media Contact:
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Fort McMurray, AB

Âsokan Generational Developments has released the second episode of Bush to Boardroom, featuring Bradyn Parisian, CEO of the Saskatchewan Indigenous Investment Finance Corporation (SIIFC), in a conversation about Métis identity, entrepreneurial instinct, and what it means to finally stop being a chameleon.

Hosted by Âsokan founder and CEO Justin Bourque, Bush to Boardroom is a podcast about what Indigenous leaders actually carry into boardrooms, institutions, and partnership negotiations, and what it cost them to get there. Episode 2 picks up where the series began, not with credentials, but with the harder question: when did you feel like you could finally show up as yourself?

Parisian, who has chaired a $10 billion financial institution, taught entrepreneurship at the First Nations University of Canada and the University of Regina, and competed in a global entrepreneurship program at MIT, says the answer came in stages.

“It probably wasn’t until about ten years ago that I really embraced who I am and started living authentically,” said Parisian. “I knew very little about my heritage until I started actively looking for it.”

The conversation covers the shame that many Métis people of Parisian’s generation internalized growing up, the process of formally registering with the Métis Nation of Saskatchewan, and the three defining moments that shifted his sense of belonging, including arriving at MIT as “just a guy from Regina, Saskatchewan” and walking out having been elected group CEO and placed second against a global field.

“I realized these guys aren’t any smarter than anyone from Regina,” said Parisian. “That was the culmination of realizing I could actually do this.”

Bourque, who has spoken openly about suppressing his own Indigeneity early in his energy career, said the conversation reflects the broader purpose of the series.

“So many of us spent years making ourselves smaller in corporate rooms,” said Bourque. “Bush to Boardroom exists to name that experience and to show our youth that carrying both worlds isn’t a liability. It’s the whole point.”

The episode also explores why Parisian believes Indigenous people were the first entrepreneurs, the uncertainty facing young Indigenous business builders today, and what both men are doing differently at home to give their kids the cultural grounding neither of them had growing up.

Episode 2 of Bush to Boardroom is available now on Spotify and at agdev.ca.

About Âsokan Generational Developments

Âsokan, meaning “bridge” in nêhiyawêwin (Cree), symbolizes the company’s mission of forging sustainable, long-lasting partnerships between Indigenous communities and industry. Âsokan facilitates equity partnerships with Indigenous governance at the center, working across 80+ communities nationally. For more information, visit agdev.ca.

Media Contact:
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LAS VEGAS, Nev

Acquisition brings a novel, untethered, multi-shot electric shock projectile portfolio into the combined company, uniting less-lethal engagement and counter-drone protection from a single ecosystem. WCCP will enter a binding LOI for a share exchange with XLabs and a corporate rebrand to War Labs Defense Technologies, Inc.

WealthCraft Capital, Inc. (OTC PINK: WCCP), a publicly traded holding company pending rebrand to War Labs Defense Technologies, Inc., today announced that XLabs has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire a portfolio of intellectual property covering a novel, untethered, multi-shot electric shock projectile engineered for law enforcement, military, homeland security, correctional, and allied government end users. The acquired portfolio is expected to be contributed to the combined company on completion of the contemplated share exchange described below.

This acquisition represents the next step in the Company’s strategy to build a full-stack defense technology platform that spans non-lethal munitions and counter-UAS effects — connecting the moment a use-of-force decision is made to the tools available at the point of engagement. The acquired portfolio consists of an issued U.S. utility patent and design patent, a corresponding international patent application, and associated know-how and trade secrets covering a battery-powered, self-contained, launcher-independent conducted-energy projectile designed to be fielded from platforms already in service — including standard-issue 5.56 × 45mm NATO service rifles and .68 caliber launchers.

“This transaction is intended to place a USPTO-protected less-than-lethal platform inside a public company built to scale it,” said David N. Spriggs, Chief Executive Officer, WealthCraft Capital, Inc. “The rebrand to War Labs Defense Technologies gives shareholders exposure to an intellectual-property-first defense business at a moment when law enforcement and military end users are demanding proportional, accountable, and interoperable use-of-force technologies — engineered to work with the launcher, weapon, and magazine platforms already in the field.”

By combining an untethered, multi-shot electro-muscular incapacitation round with the Company’s 40mm high-power microwave (HPM) counter-UAS munition, the Company intends to offer end users a single ecosystem across less-lethal engagement and counter-drone protection. Following completion of the transactions contemplated by the announced binding letter of intent (described below), the Company’s product ecosystem is expected to include:

• 5.56 × 45mm NATO electro-muscular incapacitation round — designed for standard-issue 5.56 / .223 service rifle platforms, allowing operators to deploy the round from a weapon they already carry. As designed, delivery is via a dual barbed probe, with a target neuromuscular incapacitation effect of approximately 500 mA for 10–30 seconds, fed from a charged smart magazine with at-a-glance status indication. Performance characteristics reflect current design targets and are subject to ongoing testing and qualification.
• 68 caliber electro-muscular disruption round — a launcher-compatible variant intended to support patrol, tactical, corrections, and training applications from widely fielded .68 caliber launchers.
• 40mm high-power microwave (HPM) counter-UAS round — a 40mm munition intended to be compatible with widely fielded 40mm launcher platforms and engineered to defeat hostile small unmanned aerial systems at standoff through a directed HPM effect, providing dismounted units and installation-protection teams a soft-kill counter-drone capability from a launcher already in the field. Product capabilities are in development and subject to testing and qualification.

The global non-lethal weapons market is projected to reach approximately USD 15 billion by 2030, growing at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 6% from 2022 to 2030, according to a strategic report distributed by Business Wire on behalf of ResearchAndMarkets (Business Wire / ResearchAndMarkets, 2024). Within that market, the global less-lethal ammunition sub-segment is projected to reach approximately USD 1.49 billion by 2030, at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 4.9% from 2024 to 2030, according to Grand View Research (Grand View Research, 2024). Demand is being driven by heightened public and regulatory expectations around proportional use of force, the operational need for non-lethal options in populated combat and homeland-defense environments, and the rapid proliferation of small unmanned aerial systems that is expanding the counter-UAS munitions category alongside traditional less-lethal use cases.

The Company is focused on developing and commercializing products engineered for rapid deployment to two primary end-user channels: the warfighter and law enforcement. The Company is also evaluating a retail civilian channel that could serve owners of AR-15 platforms and widely fielded less-lethal launchers, subject to applicable U.S. federal, state, and local regulatory frameworks (including ATF, state-level less-lethal restrictions, and export-control laws). By designing rounds and munitions that are compatible with launcher, weapon, and magazine platforms already in service — rather than requiring new hardware — the Company intends to shorten the path from procurement to fielded capability for military and law-enforcement end users. Any civilian distribution would be conducted only in jurisdictions and through channels permitted by law.

Certain of the Company’s products and technologies are or will be subject to U.S. export controls administered under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and/or the Export Administration Regulations (EAR), and their manufacture, sale, and export will require applicable U.S. government authorizations.

Corporate Update

Separately, WCCP will enter into a binding letter of intent (the “binding LOI”) with XLabs for a contemplated share exchange and corporate restructuring, including a name change to War Labs Defense Technologies, Inc. (ticker expected to remain WCCP, subject to FINRA Rule 6490 processing), while definitive documentation is completed. Under the binding LOI framework, WCCP would issue equity for 100% of XLabs, and XLabs would become a wholly owned operating subsidiary. The number of shares to be issued in the share exchange, the resulting pro-forma ownership, any related-party relationships, and other material terms will be disclosed upon execution of definitive documentation and in the Company’s subsequent OTC Markets disclosures. Management believes these steps, together with the less-lethal ammunition patent acquisition, are intended to align the issuer with a USPTO-protected less-than-lethal defense and public-safety technology platform. Closing remains subject to definitive documentation, customary conditions, and any required corporate, regulatory, FINRA, and OTC Markets processes. There can be no assurance that a binding definitive agreement will be entered into or that the transactions contemplated by the binding LOI will close on the terms described or at all.

About WealthCraft Capital, Inc.

WealthCraft Capital, Inc. (OTC PINK: WCCP) is a Las Vegas, Nevada–based publicly traded holding company that acquires and develops controlling interests in operating businesses and strategic intellectual-property assets. Following the transactions contemplated by the binding LOI with XLabs and the pending rebrand to War Labs Defense Technologies, Inc., the Company is being positioned as a U.S. defense technology platform focused on non-lethal and lethal defense systems and counter-UAS munitions for law enforcement, military, homeland security, correctional, and allied government end users. Additional information about the Company is available on the OTC Markets website at otcmarkets.com/stock/WCCP.

War Labs Defense Technologies is the pending rebranded name of the Company’s operating platform, being built around a portfolio of proprietary, patent-protected non-lethal and lethal defense systems and counter-UAS munitions. War Labs’ mission is to deliver proportional, accountable, and interoperable use-of-force technologies to law enforcement, military, homeland security, correctional, and allied government end users — engineered to integrate with the launcher, weapon, and command-and-control platforms already in the field.

Please visit otcmarkets.com/stock/WCCP where WealthCraft Capital, Inc. discloses information about the Company, its corporate actions, and its business.

Media and Investor Contact

WealthCraft Capital, Inc. (pending rebrand to War Labs Defense Technologies, Inc.)
Attn: Investor Relations / Media Relations
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (702) 323-6704

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, including, without limitation, statements regarding the anticipated closing of the electric shock projectile patent-portfolio acquisition by XLabs and the expected contribution of the acquired portfolio to the combined company; the anticipated entry into a binding letter of intent and definitive documentation for the share exchange with XLabs and the resulting corporate restructuring; the number of shares expected to be issued and resulting pro-forma ownership; the anticipated market opportunity for less-than-lethal electric shock projectiles and related non-lethal weapons; the Company’s pending corporate name and ticker change and related FINRA Rule 6490 processing; product development plans, design targets, and expected capabilities across the Company’s electro-muscular incapacitation product family and its 40mm HPM counter-UAS munition; anticipated expansion into broader counter-UAS systems and adjacent technologies; targeted customer segments (including the warfighter, law enforcement, and any future civilian retail channel); intellectual property strategy; and business strategy and objectives. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s current expectations and assumptions and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially, including: the ability to execute definitive documentation and satisfy the closing conditions for the contemplated share exchange; the ability to protect, prosecute, and enforce the acquired intellectual property; the success of ongoing product development, testing, and qualification, and whether design targets translate into fielded performance; the treatment of any prior shell-company status of the Company and related resale limitations under Rule 144(i); regulatory approvals and processes (including FINRA Rule 6490 and OTC Markets review of any name and ticker change; ATF classification and state-level restrictions on conducted-energy devices and less-lethal munitions; and DDTC, BIS, and other applicable licensing and export-control approvals under the ITAR and EAR); market and customer acceptance; competition; the availability of capital; and general economic and industry conditions. Third-party market data cited herein is drawn from publicly available industry reports and is included for context only; the Company has not independently verified such data and makes no representation as to its accuracy or completeness. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement except as required by law.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, and no securities may be offered or sold in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, or sale would be unlawful. Any offering of securities by the Company will be made only pursuant to definitive offering documents and in compliance with applicable federal and state securities laws.

Media Contact:
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