TORONTO, ON

Positioned to Accelerate Agentic AI Transformation in Canada, Manu brings depth in IT, energy, financial services and telecommunications to the global consulting group.

Artefact, a global consulting firm specializing in data and AI transformation, has just named Manu Saxena as Partner, strengthening the firm’s Canadian leadership as demand grows for enterprise-scale data, AI, and agentic transformation.

Manu joins Artefact with a mandate to bring the firm’s proven global AI transformation to the Canadian market, helping organizations move beyond experimentation and embed AI into core business processes with measurable impact. His appointment reinforces Artefact’s commitment to supporting Canadian enterprises as they scale from AI pilots to production-grade transformation, combining strategy, data foundations, cloud architecture, governance, and adoption.

A strategic leader with deep fluency across both finance and technology, Manu has built a career at the intersection of high-finance strategy and deep-tech execution. A CFA charter holder with two MBAs, he brings experience spanning equity research, wealth management, enterprise data, AI/ML, cloud consulting, and large-scale transformation delivery. 

“Manu brings exactly the kind of hybrid leadership the market needs right now: strategic depth, technical credibility, and the ability to turn ideas into execution,” said Ghadi Hobeika, Managing Partner and CEO, Artefact North America. “As enterprises look to scale AI beyond pilots, Manu will play a key role in helping clients redesign processes, modernize data foundations, and unlock measurable business value.”

At Artefact, Manu will focus on helping Canadian clients adopt AI at enterprise scale, from strategy and governance to data platform modernization, agentic AI deployment, workforce enablement, and operating model redesign. His work will align with Artefact’s broader mission to deliver end-to-end AI transformation, combining C-suite advisory with hands-on implementation and adoption.

“AI transformation is no longer about isolated pilots or technology showcases,” said Manu Saxena, Partner at Artefact. “The opportunity now is to redesign core processes, build trusted data foundations, and deploy AI in ways that create measurable operational and financial impact. I’m excited to bring Artefact’s global expertise in data readiness, operational resilience, governance, and AI adoption to Canadian organizations, at a moment when the market is ready to move from ambition to execution.”

Beyond his professional work, Manu is an active mentor to MBA and Master’s applicants and is passionate about developing the next generation of business and technology leaders. Outside of work, he can often be found watching cricket, exploring new business ventures, and keeping up with the latest developments in generative AI.

About Artefact

Artefact is a leading global consulting firm dedicated to accelerating the adoption of data and AI to positively impact people and organizations. The team specializes in data & AI transformation and AI/data-driven marketing to drive tangible business results across the entire enterprise value chain – with a focus on top and bottom line business value. Artefact offers the most comprehensive set of data-driven solutions per industry, built on deep data science and cutting-edge AI technologies, delivering AI projects at scale in all industry sectors.

From strategy to design to implementation, Artefact offers an end-to-end approach and solutions: data & AI strategy, data quality and governance, data platforms, AI Factory, data-driven customer experience, and marketing ROI. Our 2000 employees operate in 27 countries (Americas, Europe, Asia, Middle East, India, Africa) and we partner with 1000+ clients.

Media Contact:
Dalyce Semko
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 4038693259

NEW YORK, NY

ThriveCart, a leading all-in-one creator commerce, course, and community membership platform used by more than 75,000 businesses worldwide, today announced that it is expanding its built-in sales tax calculation and collection features to merchants on all plans, including ThriveCart Standard. 

The expansion of ThriveCart’s long-standing tax tools removes a friction point for creators as they scale: the need for separate, subscription-based tax compliance software. ThriveCart’s tax engine automatically calculates the correct rate for each customer’s jurisdiction at checkout, verifies VAT IDs for EU buyers, and applies the reverse charge mechanism where applicable – across the USA, Canada, the EU, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and other additional territories.

“Tax compliance shouldn’t be a barrier to growth for online sellers. By extending our built-in tax tools to every ThriveCart plan, we’re giving all of our merchants – from those just starting to established businesses – a straightforward, reliable way to collect relevant taxes and stay compliant without needing additional software. This is part of our ongoing commitment to keeping everything creators need in one place, for the lowest cost possible,” said Ismael Wrixen, CEO of ThriveCart.

The feature is entirely opt-in. Merchants who choose to enable it can calculate and collect sales tax directly within ThriveCart. Two new in-platform tools further support compliance awareness: a dashboard banner that surfaces products without tax enabled, and a prompt that appears each time a product is taken live without tax configured.

Tax remittance features are on ThriveCart’s roadmap and planned for late Q3 2026.

About ThriveCart

ThriveCart is a creator commerce and community management platform designed for course creators, coaches, membership businesses, and digital entrepreneurs. The platform combines high-conversion checkout and funnel technology, subscription management, affiliate programs, community-first course platform with membership delivery, gamification, and lifecycle tools in one unified system. ThriveCart powers more than 75,000 businesses worldwide, has processed over $8 billion in sales across more than 70 million transactions, supports more than 13 million student enrollments, and includes an affiliate network of over 900,000 affiliates. ThriveCart’s mission is to replace fragmented creator tech stacks with a unified commerce and course platform. Visit thrivecart.com for more.

Media Contact:
Jared Orlin
Email: [email protected]

MISSOULA, Mont.

GuideTime, a hospitality technology platform designed to help lodging operators monetize guest experiences, is expanding its presence across the hospitality sector by enabling hotels, resorts, RV parks, campgrounds, and glamping destinations to offer curated local experiences directly to their guests.

As travelers increasingly seek authentic, destination-driven experiences, hospitality operators are looking beyond traditional accommodations to create memorable stays and unlock new revenue opportunities. GuideTime’s platform allows properties to integrate bookable local experiences into their websites and guest communications without adding operational complexity for onsite teams.

Unlike traditional concierge programs, GuideTime manages the entire experience lifecycle, including provider sourcing, vetting, booking coordination, payment processing, and guest communication. This allows hospitality teams to focus on delivering exceptional service while GuideTime handles the logistics behind each experience.

The platform currently partners with hospitality groups, resorts, lodges, RV resorts, campgrounds, and destination organizations throughout the United States. Through GuideTime, guests can discover and book outdoor adventures, guided tours, recreational activities, wellness experiences, and other locally curated offerings before and during their stay.

“Travelers increasingly want experiences that connect them to the destinations they visit,” said Sam Jankovich, Co-Founder and CEO of GuideTime. “Our mission is to help hospitality operators enhance guest engagement while creating meaningful new revenue opportunities through curated experiences.”

GuideTime’s hospitality solution is designed to generate ancillary revenue while improving guest satisfaction and differentiating properties in a competitive marketplace. According to the company, participating properties can create a new revenue channel from guest activity bookings without additional staffing requirements.

Beyond hospitality, GuideTime continues to build technology infrastructure connecting lodging operators, experience providers, guides, outfitters, and destination organizations through a unified ecosystem. The platform supports thousands of bookable experiences and a growing nationwide network of outdoor recreation and tourism partners.

To learn more about GuideTime’s hospitality platform, visit:

https://guidetimehospitality.com/ 

Watch the platform overview video:

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/wQzB_NP2UpI

About GuideTime

GuideTime is a hospitality and travel technology platform that helps hotels, resorts, RV parks, campgrounds, glamping operators, and destination organizations transform local experiences into bookable guest offerings. Through its fully managed technology platform, GuideTime handles experience curation, provider management, payments, booking workflows, and guest engagement, helping hospitality operators create new revenue opportunities while enhancing the guest journey. Learn more at https://guidetimehospitality.com/.

Media Contact:
Sam Jankovich .
Email: [email protected]