organizations are separate legal entities from the United States-based ARI, but they are all affiliated with ARI. In January 2017, ARI announced Jim Brown as its CEO, succeeding Yaron Brook as its operational executive. In June 2018, Tal Tsfany, co-founder of the Ayn Rand Center Israel, took over as the president and CEO of ARI. In 2020, ARI received a Paycheck Protection Program loan of between $350K and $1 million, which Binswanger and Ghate described as "partial restitution for government-inflicted losses". Programs ARI runs a variety of programs, many of which are aimed at students. It sends free books to schools, sponsors student essay contests and campus clubs and offers financial assistance to students applying to graduate school. It also has an online bookstore, offers internships for current and recently graduated college students and provides speakers for public lectures and media appearances. Conferences ARI organizes a week-long Objectivist Conference (OCON) each summer in a different city throughout the United States. OCON primarily consists of lectures, social events, and professional mentoring. Speakers have included ARI-affiliated Objectivists as well as like-minded speakers such as Flemming Rose and Dave Rubin. ARI also hosts a three-day Ayn Rand Student Conference (AynRandCon) each fall, which is aimed at college and graduate school students. Objectivist Academic Center The Objectivist Academic Center (OAC) is an educational program that conducts online classes on Objectivism and related fields. Entry to the program requires admission after application, which requires college transcripts and admission essays. OAC does not offer college credits and is rather intended as a supplement to a college education. International efforts In recent years, ARI has made a concerted effort to promote Objectivism globally. Institutions affiliated with ARI in countries outside the United States are separate legal entities. In October 2012, ARI helped establish the Ayn Rand Center Israel (ARCI) to promote Objectivism in Israel and the Middle East. Its current director is Boaz Arad. In 2016, ARCI launched the Atlas Award for the Best Israeli Start-up, presented annually at the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. Judges for the award include Yaron Brook and Shlomo Kalish. Moovit was the first recipient of the award in 2016 and Zebra Medical Vision won the award in 2017. In April 2015, ARI helped establish the Ayn Rand Institute Europe to promote Objectivism in Europe. The current chairman of ARI Europe is Lars Seir Christensen, CEO and co-founder of Saxo Bank. In February