Zackary Drucker – The Gender Spectrum Collection In the past few years, the lack of diversity in the technology startup ecosystem has become a well-known point of rightful criticism. The collective voices of women, people of color and LGBTQ founders and VCs has given this issue national attention, as well as exciting solutions.  From Backstage […]

Economically impactful businesses are profitable businesses and entrepreneurs’ first objective from executing on a startup app idea is to build a business that makes money. Here are 3 ways to ensure a return on investment in your startup app idea. Getty A business is created to generate a profit. Economically impactful businesses are profitable businesses […]

Despite publishing becoming an increasingly important field, the Authors Guild’s 2018 Annual Income Survey revealed that incomes of American authors fell to historic lows, declining 42% from 2009. And with the rise in other forms of entertainment, such as YouTube and social media platforms, authors are often hesitant to publish their work.  But central to […]

The Bobobark bag Laflore The fashion industry is one of the world’s worst polluters, producing microfibers that end up in the world’s oceans, amongst other impacts. And so the creators behind a designer bag are hoping that their fashion item will actually be beneficial to the environment – as the bag is made from cork […]

Nick Speidell, Kyle Speidell, Eric Speidell, Brad Speidell – Company Owners Courtesy: The Green Solution Forbes “Five Questions” Feature: Kyle and Eric Speidell of The Green Solution (19 locations in Colorado) Warren Bobrow=WB: Where do you live now? Did you ever think that you’d find yourselves working in the legal cannabis industry?  Kyle Speidell=KS: Originally from […]

Business travelers using Voom VOOM VFI LLC Hate sitting in traffic to and from the airport? Just order your own helicopter! On-demand helicopter services such as Voom, Uber Copter and Blade offer flights in some U.S. cities for the relatively affordable cost of about $200-$3001, booked via an app or online. In late September, Airbus-owned […]

If you’re trying to stay up to date on customer experience and customer service best practices and innovation, it helps to closely follow USAA, the giant in insurance, banking, financial services, car retailing, and other disciplines (all of which are services that USAA offers to its member base worldwide, which consists primarily U.S. servicepeople and their families). I’ve […]

Getty There’s a lot of buzz in the business world about customer experience – how it’s the key to combating commoditization, securing sustainable competitive advantage, and achieving market dominance. But here’s the little secret that business leaders don’t like to discuss:  many of them aren’t sold on the idea that a great customer experience actually […]

Invest time in building your business’ digital transformation narrative. Getty One of the most important steps a business can take when pursuing any kind of strategic plan, workforce transformation, or responsible business initiative is to make sure its leaders, people and stakeholders understand what it is you’re trying to do. Meaning, what problems are you […]

A couple in tribal Gujarat show their Uplift membership cards. They are excluded from mainstream insurance in India because of their age. Ashoka In India, 90% of the workforce is in the unorganized sector, with employers who are not registered with the government and employment terms that are often irregular and unpredictable. Many of these citizens earn […]

The average revenue of Latino-owned businesses improved 46.5% in 2019, increasing to $479,413 from $327,189 in 2018, according to Biz2Credit’s annual study. Meanwhile, the number of credit applications from Latino-owned businesses increased by 23% over the past 12 months. Latin American architect showing a couple her design for their house. Photo credit: Getty Getty The […]

Student exchange programs in high school. Getty Today, more than any other time in history, we are observing cultures come together in different ways. Due to technology and instant communication platforms, students have a stronger connection and understanding of the world around them. They can carry the world in their pocket, explore other countries, and […]

In an on-demand peer-to-peer (P2P) economy in which we are increasingly using Uber, Lyft and Airbnb, we are now accustomed to managing activities of daily life via our smartphones, with immediate results. Lessening the intermediary is becoming the norm for speed and lower fees. While mobile banking has traditionally been centered on bill paying and […]

I started a listening tour among customers and industry thought leaders in Q4 of 2018. The key themes have been consistent: Change has been happening at all levels at accelerating speeds. Innovation is perceived to be more accessible; however, productivity gains from robotics, and automation might be offset by rising costs to engage customers and […]

“If a crisis happens, I wouldn’t even know where to begin.” If you don’t know where to start, this article is specifically for you. How you respond during the first few minutes (and definitely the first hour) sets the tone for everything that follows. Call it the Golden Hour. It can make or break how […]

As a CEO, I often say, “Growing pains are more fun than shrinking pains.” Every business leader faces them as their company moves from one stage to the next. LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman describes it best in his book Blitzscaling as the need for speed when moving from a company’s early stages of “family,” “tribe” […]

As we enter an “Era of Ecosystems,” we need a different approach and thinking to manage these multi-dimensional and multi-lateral business relationships. I believe the partner management processes that have been developed as a profession are still relevant, but we do need to rethink how we apply them. Nine-way governance models just aren’t efficient and […]

This just in: In the war for talent, the talent is winning. Employers seem befuddled, desperate and confused. The traditional recruiting playbook is tired. Attracting talent by adding a few foosball tables and hosting “bring your puppy to work” day isn’t going to cut it. Even signing bonuses aren’t enough. Workers, especially the young ones, […]

We run our business like a tight-knit family. We have an established set of company and personal values that align with a code of conduct. Our culture emphasizes ethics I’m proud of. As a father of three kids, this is especially important to me. I like knowing that my company has a set of values […]

Early in my career, I was trained in a program that taught me about the grid model, which emphasizes that if you want strong results as a leader, you need to place a high value on the people who work for you. This might seem obvious, but in my experience, many leaders care more about […]

There are strategies that can help you to cultivate resilience and achieve career success. Getty According to the American Psychological Association, resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or even significant sources of risk. In simple terms, we might describe resilience as the ability to bounce back […]

Screen Shot 2019-10-12 at 17.30.56 Frenchy Cannoli Photo Courtesy: Frenchy Cannoli I was just over in Germany for the Berlin Bar Convent and while I was there I led a panel on cannabis and beverages. Afterwards I spent some time wandering around the city parks. I had many opportunities to purchase some European hashish, but […]

Friends drinking and talking on sunny patio Getty I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with Sundays. While it’s still the weekend and I want to make the most out of Sunday Funday, I’m also anxious about going back to the grind. Sometimes, I even straight-up dread Mondays.  That’s the worst: I’m supposed to be enjoying […]

null Getty Here are five things in technology that happened this past week and how they affect your business. Did you miss them? 1 — The FBI is warning companies about attacks that bypass multi-factor authentication (MFA).   Last month, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) shared information with private industry partners that the […]

Classroom learning will never be the same again. Juraj Varga from Pixabay The digital revolution is transforming the education sector. Instead of textbooks, students are using online platforms for learning. And instead of attending a class when they want to study a new language, they are downloading an app. Global education technology (edtech) is one […]

The strongest validation signal in a startup is revenue. The simplest way to validate a startup app idea before product development is to create and sell a mafia offer. Getty A startup doesn’t need thousands of users to be considered a business with a validated business model. There are thousands of startup cases that had […]

By Richard D. Harroch and Melissa Guzy Investment in financial technology (“Fintech”) companies is growing dramatically. Global Fintech funding has risen to over $100 billion, fueled by large M&A deals and large rounds of financing. Investment in Fintech companies is expected to continue to grow significantly in the next few years as such companies offer outsized […]

PARIS, FRANCE – SEP 28, 2018- Directly above view of New Amazon Cardboard box against yellow background. Amazon Prime is the online paid subscription service offered by Amazon.com web-commerce site photocredit- GettyGETTY Getty Amazon published ‘Our Positions’ on the ‘Day One’ blog this week. A weird tactic considering the company’s actions tend to speak louder […]

John Jantsch John Jantsch I spoke with John Jantsch, marketing consultant and entrepreneur, and author of the new book The Self-Reliant Entrepreneur. In this interview, we chat about what it exactly means to be a self-reliant entrepreneur and why cultivating this important quality is so critical for success. Andy Molinsky: Your book is called the […]

Medical technology concept. Getty Perhaps one of the biggest opportunities for AI (Artificial Intelligence) is the healthcare industry. According to ReportLinker, spending on this category is forecasted to jump from $2.1 billion to $36.1 billion by 2025. This is a hefty 50.2% compound annual growth rate (CAGR). So then what are some of the trends that look […]

How long is too long before you feel competent and confident in your work life? Just ask professional women in their early to middle careers. Many of them fail to recognize or acknowledge their abilities, despite statistics that suggest women leaders often outperform their male counterparts.  Research from Zenger Folkman indicates that in an apples-to-apples […]

Average Retail Credit Card’s Interest Rate Surges to 26% Despite Fed Cuts While the Fed recently cut interest rates again in a bid to boost U.S. economic activity by lowering borrowing costs, that easy money mindset is not being shared by issuers of retail credit cards. The average store card’s APR is now 26.01%, up […]

The HERU device HERU A gadget that’s the size of a trash and can heat your home, with everything from dirty diapers to empty chip packets, is currently being trialled in the UK. Nik Spencer, the man behind HERU, an acronym for Home Energy Resource Unit, is the founder of Mission Resources, a company he […]

Michael and Xochi Birch listed their home at 2799 Broadway. Daniel Lunghi for Sotheby’s International Realty Computer programming moguls Michael and Xochi Birch are selling their Pacific Heights estate for $39 million. The listing threatens the title of most expensive home ever sold in San Francisco, which was taken last year by 2920 Broadway when […]

When you’re just starting your business, you may try to handle all the operational and administrative aspects on your own to save money. Eventually, though, you’ll need to outsource these tasks if you want to grow—and finding a trusted local vendor can be the ideal solution. The problem is, there are dozens of businesses in your […]

There is a very common pitfall that business buyers fall into and the consequences can be horrible. You spend countless hours searching business for sale listings and finally find one. The seller tells you they do not do any marketing and the business has been on cruise control from many years. The more you speak […]

Brad Birnbaum, CEO and co-founder of Kustomer, is a youthful 40ish with a boyish haircut, a relaxed manner, and a surprisingly neutral accent, considering he’s Long Island born and bred. I looked Birnbaum up after two customer support experiences I had with two prominent Direct to Consumer [DTC] companies: Untuckit (the shirt company whose distinctive […]

Download the podcast via Apple Podcasts, Google Play or Spotify. Upaya Social Ventures is a nonprofit impact investing firm that answers the question, “How do you help people too poor for microloans?” The answer is both easy and challenging: jobs. The presumption of microlending programs often seems to be that everyone can or should be […]

The corporate world has changed a lot since the advent of personal computing. However, one thing has remained constant throughout this upheaval—the need for business meetings. Whether those meetings take place remotely or within a dedicated office space, they remain an integral part of planning policy and developing strategies. But in today’s fast-paced business world, meetings […]

When Melba Walton saw the boarded up buildings of downtown Franklin, TN she knew opportunity was waiting. 45 years later her granddaughter, Julie, with baby James in tow, run the family jewelry store, Walton’s Antique & Estate Jewelry. As a young girl growing up in the jewelry store – she made it her mission to […]

When the CEO of Hyr heard one of his workers had slept badly before a big meeting because of her bedding, he ordered a set of feather-filled pillows and had them sent to her home. And, when a shift worker took a job at an outdoor market for the holidays, a member of Hyr’s floating community […]

The unofficial mantra of silicon valley entrepreneurs may well be fake it ‘til you make it, an approach of resilient bravado that’s led to a slew of ultimately successful tech giants – and also to frank deceptions like Theranos. Marc Andreessen, Silicon Valley VC (Photo by Steve Jennings/Getty Images for TechCrunch) Getty Recently, I heard […]