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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/" xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/" xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/" > <channel> <title>Alpha Leaders</title> <atom:link href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" /> <link>https://alphaleaders.co.uk</link> <description>Latest Entrepreneurs and Leaders News and Updates</description> <lastBuildDate>Mon, 13 May 2024 18:16:26 +0000</lastBuildDate> <language>en-GB</language> <sy:updatePeriod> hourly </sy:updatePeriod> <sy:updateFrequency> 1 </sy:updateFrequency> <generator>https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.4</generator> <image> <url>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/cropped-alph-icon-32x32.png</url> <title>Alpha Leaders</title> <link>https://alphaleaders.co.uk</link> <width>32</width> <height>32</height></image> <item> <title>Bumble Removing Controversial Celibacy Ads Following Online Backlash: What To Know</title> <link>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/bumble-removing-controversial-celibacy-ads-following-online-backlash-what-to-know/</link> <comments>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/bumble-removing-controversial-celibacy-ads-following-online-backlash-what-to-know/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Press Room]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 13 May 2024 18:16:25 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Innovation]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Bumble]]></category> <category><![CDATA[bumble ad]]></category> <category><![CDATA[bumble campagin]]></category> <category><![CDATA[bumble celibacy]]></category> <category><![CDATA[bumble celibacy ad]]></category> <category><![CDATA[bumble celibacy billboard]]></category> <category><![CDATA[bumble celibacy campaign]]></category> <category><![CDATA[bumble new ceo]]></category> <category><![CDATA[celibacy]]></category> <category><![CDATA[what happened to bumble]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://alphaleaders.co.uk/bumble-removing-controversial-celibacy-ads-following-online-backlash-what-to-know/</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Topline Dating app Bumble said it’s removing billboards seemingly targeted at women that discourage celibacy after receiving backlash online from women who feel the messaging delegitimizes women’s freedom of choice. Key Facts After deleting all of its old posts on Instagram, Bumble teased a rebrand on its social media platforms, which launched April 30 by [...]</p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk/bumble-removing-controversial-celibacy-ads-following-online-backlash-what-to-know/">Bumble Removing Controversial Celibacy Ads Following Online Backlash: What To Know</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk">Alpha Leaders</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><h2 class="topline-heading">Topline</h2><p>Dating app Bumble said it’s removing billboards seemingly targeted at women that discourage celibacy after receiving backlash online from women who feel the messaging delegitimizes women’s freedom of choice.</p><h2>Key Facts</h2><div class="key-facts"><div class="key-facts-element"><p>After deleting all of its old posts on Instagram, Bumble teased a rebrand on its social media platforms, which launched April 30 by saying dating needs a “wake-up call,” and featuring historic images of women “exhausted from the dating scene.”</p></p></div><div class="key-facts-element"><p>However, pictures of some of Bumble’s new billboards went viral on social media due to their suggestion that celibacy isn’t the answer to dating; the ads, which feature images of women, include messaging like “Thou shalt not give up on dating and become a nun,” and “You know full well a vow of celibacy is not the answer.”</p></p></div><div class="key-facts-element"><p>A Sunday Instagram post from Bumble celebrating Mother’s Day was flooded with comments from users encouraging women to “stay celibate,” while others declared they will delete their Bumble accounts because the company’s “main interest is not women, but the patriarchy.”</p></p></div><div class="key-facts-element"><p>Some social media users feel like Bumble’s new anti-celibacy campaign is “counterintuitive to its origin story,” which was a dating app “where women set the tone,” and can find romantic relationships or new platonic friends.</p></p></div><div class="key-facts-element"><p>One TikTok creator—whose viral video has almost 450,000 views—said Bumble is “delegitimizing our celibacy because you want males to have more access to our bodies,” captioning the video “4B 4LLLLLL,” a reference to the Korean feminist 4B movement, which is the refusal of childbirth, heterosexual marriage, dating and heterosexual sexual relationships.</p></p></div><div class="key-facts-element"><p>Bumble told Forbes Monday it included the celibacy ads “as a response to the frustrations of dating,” but it’s in the process of removing the ads due to the concerns it’s received from customers.</p></p></div></div><h2 class="subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align">Crucial Quote</h2><p>“We have heard the concerns shared about the ad’s language and understand that rather than highlighting a current sentiment towards dating, it may have had a negative impact on some of our community,” Bumble told Forbes. “This was not our intention and we are in the process of removing it from our marketing campaign, and will continue to listen to the feedback from our members.”</p><h2 class="subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align">Key Background</h2><p>Bumble was released in December 2014, and received over 100,000 downloads within its first month, according to Forbes’ reporting. It set itself apart from other dating apps because it relied on women making the first move and sending the first message after a match. The point of this was to “feel more polite and walled-off” than other dating apps like Tinder—which is infamously known for its hookup culture. However, as a part of Bumble’s rebrand, the company launched the “Opening Moves” feature in April, which lets women put questions on their dating profiles, allowing men to send the first message after a match. Whitney Wolfe Herd—Bumble’s co-founder and former CEO—told The New York Times the new feature was introduced after receiving feedback from women who felt like sending the first message was a burden.</p><h2 class="subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align">Tangent</h2><p>The rise of celibacy among women has grown in recent years. Though it’s popular among religious groups, many young women have said they’re not celibate because of religion, but instead to reevaluate their relationships with men. Actress Julia Fox even weighed in on the celibacy conversation, commenting “2.5 years of celibacy and never better tbh” on a viral TikTok video that featured pictures of Bumble’s celibacy ads.</p><p><fbs-ad position="inread" progressive="" ad-id="article-0-inread" aria-hidden="true" role="presentation"></fbs-ad></p><h2 class="subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align">Big Number</h2><p>4 million. That’s how many paying users Bumble had in 2023, according to a February announcement. Its app revenue increased by 22% to $884.8 million last year.</p><h2 class="subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align">Forbes Valuation</h2><p>Forbes estimates Wolfe Herd’s net worth at $400 million.</p><h2 class="subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align">Further Reading</h2><p>Former Billionaire Whitney Wolfe Herd Out As Bumble CEO Amid Stock’s 80% Slide (Forbes)</p><p>Billion-Dollar Bumble: How Whitney Wolfe Herd Built America’s Fastest-Growing Dating App (Forbes)</p><p>Women on Bumble No Longer Have to Make the First Move (Forbes)</p><p>Tinder Is Helping Redefine ‘Hookup Culture’ (Paper)</p><p>Frustrated with hookup culture, Gen Z women are swearing off sex and entering their ‘celibacy era’ (Business Insider)</p></div><p><script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><script async src="//www.tiktok.com/embed.js"></script></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk/bumble-removing-controversial-celibacy-ads-following-online-backlash-what-to-know/">Bumble Removing Controversial Celibacy Ads Following Online Backlash: What To Know</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk">Alpha Leaders</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/bumble-removing-controversial-celibacy-ads-following-online-backlash-what-to-know/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Caitlin Clark really is the new Larry Bird—when it comes to race and basketball</title> <link>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/caitlin-clark-really-is-the-new-larry-bird-when-it-comes-to-race-and-basketball/</link> <comments>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/caitlin-clark-really-is-the-new-larry-bird-when-it-comes-to-race-and-basketball/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Press Room]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 13 May 2024 18:12:36 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Basketball]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Race]]></category> <category><![CDATA[sports]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://alphaleaders.co.uk/caitlin-clark-really-is-the-new-larry-bird-when-it-comes-to-race-and-basketball/</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>For much of the past two years, Caitlin Clark has been the centerpiece of the college basketball world. Now Clark, like NBA Hall of Famer Larry Bird was 45 years ago, is involuntarily the focus of discussions about race and her transition to professional basketball. Though Clark hasn’t said anything to fuel the Black-white narrative surrounding her meteoric [...]</p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk/caitlin-clark-really-is-the-new-larry-bird-when-it-comes-to-race-and-basketball/">Caitlin Clark really is the new Larry Bird—when it comes to race and basketball</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk">Alpha Leaders</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p>For much of the past two years, Caitlin Clark has been the centerpiece of the college basketball world.</p><div><p>Now Clark, like NBA Hall of Famer Larry Bird was 45 years ago, is involuntarily the focus of discussions about race and her transition to professional basketball. Though Clark hasn’t said anything to fuel the Black-white narrative surrounding her meteoric rise, talks about a double standard are being had.</p><p>“I think it’s a huge thing. I think a lot of people may say it’s not about Black and white, but to me, it is,” Las Vegas Aces star A’ja Wilson said when asked about the race element in Clark’s popularity and before she recently signed two major endorsement deals. “It really is because you can be top notch at what you are as a Black woman, but yet maybe that’s something that people don’t want to see.</p><p>“They don’t see it as marketable, so it doesn’t matter how hard I work. It doesn’t matter what we all do as Black women, we’re still going to be swept underneath the rug. That’s why it boils my blood when people say it’s not about race because it is.”</p><p>To be clear, Clark is a skilled hardcourt savant from Iowa. Bird was a skilled hardcourt savant from Indiana State. And like Bird, Clark has captivated audiences and brought unmatched attention to women’s basketball with an ability to score from every corner of the court.</p><p>Neither Bird nor Clark were the first great white male or female pro basketball players. Jerry West is the actual NBA logo and before Clark, the long list of talented white WNBA players included Sue Bird and Breanna Stewart.</p><p>But sports can be elevated by a heated rivalry, particularly when race is involved.</p><p>Clark’s rise has come with an on-court bravado that made her must-watch TV as she led the Hawkeyes to back-to-back NCAA championship game appearances. When Bird led the Sycamores to the title game in 1979, he squared off against Magic Johnson in one of the most-watched games in NCAA tourney history.</p><p>At Iowa, Clark’s on-court rival in the NCAA Tournament was former LSU star Angel Reese. Then she took on women’s juggernaut South Carolina and coach Dawn Staley. The matchups created the kind of made-for-social media moments that captivated audiences, regardless of gender.</p><p>The matchups also led to ongoing discussions about how race plays a factor in the treatment afforded to Clark, a white woman from “America’s Heartland,” as compared to Black counterparts like Reese.</p><p>Clark has said she and Reese are just pieces of a larger movement.</p><p>“I would say me and Angel have always been great competitors,” Clark said prior to Iowa’s Elite Eight matchup with Reese and LSU in March. “I think Angel would say the same, like it’s not just us in women’s basketball. That’s not the only competitive thing about where our game is at, and that’s what makes it so good. We need multiple people to be really good.”</p><p>Still, the race-based debate over perceived slights to Black players or favoritism toward Clark is not going away as the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft prepares for her first regular-season game on Tuesday night when Indiana plays Connecticut.</p><p>“I think new fans, or maybe returning fans to women’s college basketball, have been drawn in. In part because of Clark. But also, you know, because of the LSU-Iowa rivalry,” said Victoria Jackson, a sports historian and clinical associate professor of history at Arizona State University.</p><p>“There are basketball reasons,” Jackson said, “but also there are racial reasons for why Clark has been able to kind of break off into a completely different stratosphere from players that came before her.”</p><p>Because of the perceived double-standard, nearly everything involving Clark gets questioned:</p><p>— Clark’s first preseason game was streamed, but Reese’s was not.</p><p>— Clark gets an endorsement deal. Other established Black stars not so much.</p><p>— If Reese talks trash, it’s viewed as unsportsmanlike. If Clark does it, she’s being competitive.</p><p>— Reese received some backlash for going to the Met Gala before a game, <a rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://twitter.com/Reese10Angel/status/1788199861986168904" target="_blank" aria-label="Go to https://twitter.com/Reese10Angel/status/1788199861986168904" class="sc-330a5589-0 gPJZJS">raising questions</a> would there have been same type of scrutiny if Clark had graced the red carpet.</p><p>Wilson, who signed with Gatorade last week and announced Saturday that she is getting a Nike signature shoe, and others have cited how companies are clamoring to be in business with Clark as an example of the disparity in how players are treated.</p><p>The deal Clark struck with Nike will reportedly pay her $28 million over eight years — making it the richest sponsorship contract for a women’s basketball player, and it includes a signature shoe. Before Wilson’s announcement Saturday, the only other active players in the WNBA with a signature shoe were Elena Delle Donne, Sabrina Ionescu and Stewart – who are all white.</p><p>The perception extends beyond endorsements.</p><p>While Clark’s preseason debut was available on the WNBA League Pass streaming app, a post on the X platform from the WNBA <a rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://twitter.com/WNBA/status/1786539798640914796" target="_blank" aria-label="Go to https://twitter.com/WNBA/status/1786539798640914796" class="sc-330a5589-0 gPJZJS">incorrectly stated that all games</a>, including the debut of Reese and fellow rookie former South Carolina standout Kamilla Cardoso for the Chicago Sky, would also be available.</p><p>So, a <a rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://twitter.com/heyheyitsalli/status/1786547444198621367" target="_blank" aria-label="Go to https://twitter.com/heyheyitsalli/status/1786547444198621367" class="sc-330a5589-0 gPJZJS">fan in attendance</a> at the Sky’s game livestreamed it. It received more than 620,000 views.</p><p>In an <a rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://twitter.com/WNBA/status/1786539798640914796" target="_blank" aria-label="Go to https://twitter.com/WNBA/status/1786539798640914796" class="sc-330a5589-0 gPJZJS">apology post explaining</a> why the Sky’s game wasn’t also available, the WNBA said Clark’s game was available as part of a limited free preview of its streaming app.</p><p>There also have been racial components to how Clark is treated on social media as compared to others, most notably Reese.</p><p>Reese, who has previously spoken about the vitriol she received online, was recently attacked again after she missed a preseason practice to attend the Met Gala. Clark also has been the target of online criticism, but apparently not to the extent that Reese has been.</p><p>Online hate-speech accounts for approximately 1 percent of all social media posts in the context of sports, according to Daniel Kilvington, course director in Media & Cultural Studies at Leeds Beckett University in Leeds, England.</p><p>“Although this might sound quite low, consider how much traffic is online and how many posts are made every single day,” said Kilvington, whose work with the Tackling Online Hate in Football research group has looked at the issue through the sport of soccer. “One percent is therefore 1% too high as athletes are primary targets of hate-speech, harassment and death threats simply for playing a game they love.”</p><p>But as Clark’s popularity grows, so will the debate. Jackson believes it’s a good time to openly have discussions about it.</p><p>“I don’t know how many times I read and heard her described as generational talent,” the ASU professor said. “And whenever we’re making those cases, I immediately think, well, who are the other generational talents we’ve had? And, I think too often the athletes could be placed in that category who have been Black women have not had that sort of gushing attention. And especially the kind of general public, crossover saturation that Caitlin Clark has had.</p><p>“There are overlapping, intersecting reasons for why that is. But, I think we can’t not think about it if the goal here is to have equitable treatment of the athletes in the sport.”</p><p>___</p><p>AP Sports Writer Mark Anderson and AP reporter Corey Williams contributed.</p></div><p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk/caitlin-clark-really-is-the-new-larry-bird-when-it-comes-to-race-and-basketball/">Caitlin Clark really is the new Larry Bird—when it comes to race and basketball</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk">Alpha Leaders</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/caitlin-clark-really-is-the-new-larry-bird-when-it-comes-to-race-and-basketball/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>The Battle for The Streets of New York</title> <link>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/the-battle-for-the-streets-of-new-york/</link> <comments>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/the-battle-for-the-streets-of-new-york/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Press Room]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 13 May 2024 18:10:24 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Business]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://alphaleaders.co.uk/the-battle-for-the-streets-of-new-york/</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>On a recent morning, the intersection of East 77th Street and Lexington Avenue presented a vivid illustration of the tumult. A taxi trying to make a left turn had to maneuver around a Verizon crew digging up the asphalt. A box truck was parked in the bus lane, and the M102 bus, with its accordionlike [...]</p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk/the-battle-for-the-streets-of-new-york/">The Battle for The Streets of New York</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk">Alpha Leaders</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="13StreetFight"><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->On a recent morning, the intersection of East 77th Street and Lexington Avenue presented a vivid illustration of the tumult.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->A taxi trying to make a left turn had to maneuver around a Verizon crew digging up the asphalt. A box truck was parked in the bus lane, and the M102 bus, with its accordionlike belly, was forced to change lanes and snake around it.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Dozens of people streamed out of the subway and into the crosswalk. A man pushing a double stroller navigated between the subway entrance and a sidewalk compost box. A woman’s shopping cart wheels got stuck in a crack in the sidewalk. CitiBikes and delivery bikes whizzed by. A cargo bike stopped in front of a FedEx truck that was unloading packages next to a bike lane.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Lively, energetic streets make city living attractive — people to watch, windows to browse, benches to sit on, trees for shade.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->But lately, New York City streets are teetering between lively and unlivable. Residents clash over traffic, noise, parking, 5G towers and heaps of trash. Most years, far fewer pedestrians get killed by motorists than in generations past, but last year was the deadliest year for cyclists since 1999.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Still, people who have thought deeply about the state of the city’s streets believe dramatic improvement may be on the way — if New York is willing to seize the moment.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->That’s because the city is about to embark on the nation’s first congestion pricing plan, charging most drivers $15 to enter much of Manhattan below 60th Street — and forcing many commuters to find a different way into the city.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->The aim is to reduce car traffic in one of the world’s busiest commercial districts and raise money for public transportation.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><figure class="g-wrapper svelte-13ig1yh" style="" role="group" aria-label="image"><div class="g-block g-block-margin svelte-1jrfrvl g-margin-inline" style=""><div class="g-block-width g-max-width-body svelte-1jrfrvl"><div class="g-wrapper_caption g-text-align-left svelte-cu2gla"><p class="g-caption svelte-cu2gla"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->People, bikes and vehicles compete for space on New York City’s streets.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-credit svelte-cu2gla"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Karsten Moran for The New York Times<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p></p></div></div></div></figure><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->“I think this could be the catalyst for a streets renaissance in New York,” Janette Sadik-Khan, New York City’s former transportation commissioner, said in a recent interview.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->“We have to talk about how we’re going to reclaim that space and make it work for people.”<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Of course, congestion pricing, too, comes with a fight. The plan is supposed to start in June, but it faces several lawsuits brought by elected officials and residents from across the region, who describe it as ill-conceived and unfair to commuters who drive because public transit isn’t robust enough to serve their needs.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->“They don’t drive because they want to,” said Susan Lee, a member of a coalition called New Yorkers Against Congestion Pricing. “They don’t want to sit in traffic.”<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Could congestion pricing actually reduce the number of cars in the city to a dramatic extent? If so, what would take their place?<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->There are other ideas and experiments in the works for taming New York’s streets, and they raise questions of their own. Could a proposal to ban parking close to intersections improve public safety? Will the Sanitation Department’s garbage containerization plan make sidewalks cleaner? Is there a way to keep package delivery trucks from blocking the streets? Must 5G technology create public eyesores in residential neighborhoods?<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->In the months ahead, The New York Times will examine the debates raging in neighborhoods all over the city about who and what gets to take up space on New York’s streets and sidewalks.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p> <h2 class="g-subhed g-theme-news svelte-1jdmsuh"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->How did we get here?<!-- HTML_TAG_END --> </h2><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Orchestrating the flow of traffic and pedestrians has been a complicated and emotional project for centuries.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->New York City’s streets were laid out before anyone knew how they would ultimately be used — long before cars were even invented. The first city planners could not have anticipated Uber vehicles, let alone Amazon deliveries or commuters on electric scooters.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->In New York’s earliest days, the streets were a free-for-all. People walked or rode horses. There were no crosswalks or stoplights; if you had to cross the street, you simply walked across the street.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><figure class="g-wrapper svelte-13ig1yh" style="" role="group" aria-label="image"><div class="g-block g-block-margin svelte-1jrfrvl g-margin-inline" style=""><div class="g-block-width g-max-width-body svelte-1jrfrvl"><div class="g-wrapper_caption g-text-align-left svelte-cu2gla"><p class="g-caption svelte-cu2gla"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Traffic on Broadway in 1859 consisted of pedestrians, horse-drawn carts and streetcars.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-credit svelte-cu2gla"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->William Notman, via Getty Images<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p></p></div></div></div></figure><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Soon, horse-drawn vehicles used the streets alongside pedestrians, and people dashed between them. (Later, New Yorkers dodged streetcars in much the same way, giving the Brooklyn baseball team its name.)<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->The arrival of bicycles neatly encapsulated the city’s ever-shifting debate over how the streets should be used — and by whom.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->By the 1890s, the streets were full of bikes. Men and women took to cycling through the city so quickly — and dangerously — that it was called “scorching.”<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->About 100 years later, in 1987, speeding bike messengers were deemed so dangerous that bicycles were banned from Midtown — temporarily.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Today, the city encourages residents and visitors to ride bikes. New York has bike lanes and a flourishing bike share program, plus an explosion of food delivery powered by e-bikes. The renewed popularity has also come at a grave cost: Last year 30 cyclists were killed on city streets, and 395 were severely injured.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->“It’s hard to say whether it’s the best of times or the worst of times for bicycling,” said Jon Orcutt, the director of advocacy at Bike New York and the former policy director at the city’s Department of Transportation. “More people are doing it than ever.”<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->“If you’re not killed — squished like a bug — you can bike across town in 10 minutes,” he added. “It’s easy. It’s really efficient.”<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p> <h2 class="g-subhed g-theme-news svelte-1jdmsuh"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Enter the car — and the car crash<!-- HTML_TAG_END --> </h2><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->On the evening of Sept. 13, 1899, Henry Hale Bliss, a 69-year-old real estate broker, was riding a Manhattan streetcar on his commute home.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->At 74th Street and Central Park West, Mr. Bliss stepped from the streetcar and into the street, where he was immediately hit by a taxi. He died on the scene and is recognized as the first person in the United States to be killed by a car. There is a plaque at the intersection commemorating his death.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->“At the end of the Gilded Age, right before World War I, suddenly, there were motor vehicles everywhere,” said James Nevius, an author and New York historian.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->The development meant people could move around faster — but it also put more people in danger.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->In 1920, there were about 200,000 registered vehicles in New York City; by 1925 that number had more than doubled. A century later, that figure is two million.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><figure class="g-wrapper svelte-13ig1yh" style="" role="group" aria-label="image"><div class="g-block g-block-margin svelte-1jrfrvl g-margin-inline" style=""><div class="g-block-width g-max-width-body svelte-1jrfrvl"><div class="g-wrapper_caption g-text-align-left svelte-cu2gla"><p class="g-caption svelte-cu2gla"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->This scene of Park Avenue near 57th Street was typical of 1930s traffic. Over 10 million cars went through the Holland tunnel in 1930.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-credit svelte-cu2gla"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->George Rinhart/Corbis, via Getty Images<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p></p></div></div></div></figure><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->And yet New Yorkers are still using the same streets that were laid out generations ago. In Manhattan, the rigid street grid was designed in 1811. Avenues are 100 feet across. Cross streets are 60 feet wide, including the space for sidewalks on both sides.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->That’s 720 inches in which to fit not just cars but also pedestrians, baby strollers, trash, compost, scaffolding, bicycles, e-bikes, scooters, skateboards, package delivery trolleys, garbage trucks, delivery trucks, food carts, 5G towers, dining sheds, trees, CitiBike docks, buses, taxis, ambulances and on-street parking.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->It’s like a giant game of Tetris — except all the pieces just won’t fit.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->In fact, some of the pieces are growing larger: In the past decade, the average vehicle got 12 percent longer and 17 percent wider. (Cars’ blind spots have also gotten larger.)<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->And the number of pieces just keeps expanding. New York City’s population reached 8.8 million in 2020, and the New York region is now home to nearly 19 million people. The city’s population has dropped some in the past few years, but city officials believe that recent population estimates have significantly underestimated the number of newly arrived migrants, which, by some counts, is over 180,000.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p> <h2 class="g-subhed g-theme-news svelte-1jdmsuh"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Taming the streets<!-- HTML_TAG_END --> </h2><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Even as New York’s streets and sidewalks have become more chaotic, there are also plenty of examples of the opposite: moments when the city has tamed the traffic and found new uses for its old spaces.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Over the past 10 to 15 years, sweeping pedestrian plaza initiatives — detouring cars and encouraging space for sitting and strolling — have gradually changed the landscape, from the Jackson Heights neighborhood in Queens to Times Square.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><figure class="g-wrapper svelte-13ig1yh" style="" role="group" aria-label="image"><div class="g-block g-block-margin svelte-1jrfrvl g-margin-inline" style=""><div class="g-block-width g-max-width-body svelte-1jrfrvl"><div class="g-wrapper_caption g-text-align-left svelte-cu2gla"><p class="g-caption svelte-cu2gla"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Times Square was once full of traffic. In May 2009, the city closed Broadway to cars and set out lawn chairs, the start of the area’s transformation to pedestrian plaza.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-credit svelte-cu2gla"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Damon Winter/The New York Times<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p></p></div></div></div></figure><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->The Open Streets program restored pedestrian-first streets, free of cars and safe enough for strolling, chatting and letting kids ride bikes.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->The coronavirus pandemic ushered in a chance to rethink public spaces, and the absolute quiet on the streets during lockdown was a reminder that the city isn’t inherently noisy, but traffic is.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->And there are plenty of other places to look for inspiration: In Bogotá, Stockholm, London and Paris, certain streets are being closed to cars. There is an effort in Europe to avoid the oversize pickup trucks and SUVs that make American roads so deadly. Paris has designated “school streets” where cars have been removed to make way for children. Cycling is flourishing in Europe; emissions are down.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->In New York, Ms. Sadik-Khan, the former transportation commissioner, is among the people thinking deeply about the future of streets — and she is optimistic.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->“There’s a new generation of New Yorkers who’ve never known a city without protected bike lanes and bike share,” Ms. Sadik-Khan said. “More people than ever are working from home. Commuting patterns are in flux. There’s the opportunity to make a new deal for people getting around.”<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->What will a “new deal” look like? And will New Yorkers be on board?<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->No matter what happens, change doesn’t come without a fight — and many of the battles will be fought street by street and block by block.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Over the next few months, we will take a close look at some of these street fights — and we’re eager to hear about yours, too.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p><p class="g-text svelte-urmhfi"><!-- HTML_TAG_START -->Use this form to tell us what you think about the state of New York City’s streets.<!-- HTML_TAG_END --></p> </p></div><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk/the-battle-for-the-streets-of-new-york/">The Battle for The Streets of New York</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk">Alpha Leaders</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/the-battle-for-the-streets-of-new-york/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>The Company Driving Success in the B2B Creator Economy</title> <link>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/the-company-driving-success-in-the-b2b-creator-economy/</link> <comments>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/the-company-driving-success-in-the-b2b-creator-economy/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Press Room]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 13 May 2024 17:29:39 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Innovation]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Entrepreneur Ventures]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Entrepreneurs]]></category> <category><![CDATA[funding]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Fundraising]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Growing a Business]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Influencers]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Science & Technology]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Social Media]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Starting a Business]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Technology]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://alphaleaders.co.uk/the-company-driving-success-in-the-b2b-creator-economy/</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Entrepreneur Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm partnered with Entrepreneur Media that is dedicated to backing passionate and innovative founders as early as day one. In this series, we are profiling the amazing entrepreneurs that Entrepreneur Ventures is working with to share their insights on building and growing a thriving business. Please give us [...]</p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk/the-company-driving-success-in-the-b2b-creator-economy/">The Company Driving Success in the B2B Creator Economy</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk">Alpha Leaders</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><p><em>Entrepreneur Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm partnered with Entrepreneur Media that is dedicated to backing passionate and innovative founders as early as day one. In this series, we are profiling the amazing entrepreneurs that Entrepreneur Ventures is working with to share their insights on building and growing a thriving business.</em></p><p><strong>Please give us the elevator pitch of your business.</strong><br />My name is David Walsh, I’m the founder and CEO of Limelight. We’ve built this pioneering B2B creator collaboration platform that revolutionizes how B2B brands achieve virality. We help brands identify B2B creators who have built large followings for specific niches in business, and on the creator side, we recommend brands that are looking for creators via a recommendation engine and allows them to book advertising across all of their channels (LinkedIn, newsletters, podcasts, etc.) They find each other on the platform, manage the partnership and performance, as well as pay each other.</p><p><strong>What inspired you to launch Limelight?</strong><br /> I have been in tech for 10 years and after exiting my last company, I took some time off and asked myself what I wanted to do next. Get into the venture race? Join another company? I landed on, “I want to be my own boss” and that narrows down your options! I’m from Ireland and was living in Los Angeles. I had high rent and expensive childcare, so I decided I’d better build something! I was very deliberate in my approach. I knew I wanted to launch a company in the revenue tech space because it’s very sticky. If you help a company grow, everyone will keep you on.</p><p>So I was posting content on LinkedIn to raise capital, build awareness and drive leads. And as I did that, I became aware of this whole ecosystem that exists, the B2B creator economy. These individuals have created large audiences, 50,000 up to 600,000, posting content every day on a specific niche. As we know, people who buy products today are greatly influenced by individuals they know and trust on their social media feeds. I realized, why don’t we build a product for these creators? So that’s what I did with Limelight.</p><p><strong>How did you go about building it?</strong><br />I raised the capital last year, closed around December and then told my new investors I was pivoting the business model. I rebranded the company and we spoke with about 100 B2B content creators in a period of four to six weeks and a few weeks ago came out with our beta. We’ve had over 100 companies sign up in less than 30 days, so the thesis is working.</p><p><strong>Related: Need Something Fast? These Entrepreneurs Created a Fleet of Self-Driving ‘Stores on Wheels’ That You Can Hail With the Tap of a Button.</strong></p><p><strong>How is your team built out?</strong><br />Sales, marketing, recruiting, finance, operations and products are my focus. But coding? That I can’t do. I found a really strong engineer who was previously at Uber and he is the fastest coder I’ve ever seen in terms of velocity and quality. And I have a really strong designer who’s a 23-year-old out of college, a phenomenal UI UX designer who just takes an idea, makes it an image, and then the developer develops it. So there’s three of us doing it right now. And it is moving insanely fast.</p><p><strong>What advice would you give entrepreneurs seeking investment?</strong><br />I think back to my experiences and the common denominator is that all dollars aren’t created equal. But before you think about who it comes from, it’s really important to think about how much you need. I used to think I needed as many millions as I could possibly get because I want to hit unicorn status and scale as fast as possible. Now I still think that I want to build an efficient scalable software business that still becomes a unicorn, but I don’t think I need as much money to do it. 2019 to 2022 taught me that more money equals more problems and it’s harder to scale.</p><p>So my advice is to calculate the amount you need to build and grow, then close the round as fast as possible because you can spend all of your time fundraising for a year and none of your time building the business.</p><p><strong>Related: How This Entrepreneurial Couple Is Revolutionizing Brand Loyalty</strong></p><p><strong>You’ve written and spoken a lot about the power of hearing no. Can you explain that?</strong><br />When I started out I was making tons of cold calls every day and I loved it. The first thing you learn in sales is rejection. And I’m teaching my team members today that we’re gonna get rejected all the time, so get used to it! Rejection is important because it builds up thick skin and also teaches you what your company can be doing to better serve your potential customers. I have a recorded note taker and every single sales call I make goes to my engineering team, and goes to my product team. I tag them and I say, listen to this because it’s the only way to make sure that you’re creating a feedback loop.</p><p><strong>Did you always know that you wanted to be an entrepreneur?</strong><br />When I was 19, my dad asked me what I wanted to do. I said, “I want to own a tech company when I’m 25.” So I had that ambition at an early age. I remember we were in a coffee shop and the rest of the people laughed at me. But I remember saying that, and I actually called him when I was 27 and told him I was two years late.</p><p><strong>What advice would you give to young people with similar ambitions?</strong><br />Grab those moments and windows of opportunity when you can do something unique and different. There is no age cutoff, but as you get older, you’ll have more life responsibilities that make the decision to jump into entrepreneurship more difficult. If I could do one thing, I’d go back to college and convince every single lecturer to talk about being an entrepreneur. You just have less risk at that age. Also, follow great leaders and managers — not big ideas. Surround yourself with the best and you increase your learning potential dramatically.</p><p><strong>Related: All True Entrepreneurs Share This One Personality Trait, Says the Founder of Spicewell</strong></p><p><strong>We hear a lot about embracing tough times and needing grit to push past tough moments. You’ve had your share.</strong><br />Yes. I moved to the United States from Ireland and I worked in Indeed. I loved my time there, but I knew I eventually wanted to start my own company, so I decided to launch an internal incubator in the company. I wrote an online playbook about how to help immigrants navigate the talent acquisition process on a visa. I had four student visas at this point and felt like I was an expert. So I turned that playbook into a pitch of building a remote marketplace of talent within Indeed and helping our customers hire non-US citizens. It got lots of traction and I presented it to the CEO and Chief Innovation Officer. It got funded with $250K, but then I was called into HR. They said they didn’t know I was on a student visa and basically that I couldn’t remain at the company because I was technically replacing an American worker’s job.</p><p><strong>So your pitch to help people work in America got you kicked out?</strong><br />Essentially, but I knew I could figure it out. I actually felt free. My wife thought I was crazy, but I felt like this was a good thing. I was able to use this story to raise my next round. I had my own business and was able to stay in the States. And wouldn’t you know it? Indeed’s venture arm reached out 3 years later to become an investor!</p><p>So I think everyone in their career gets setbacks. Things go sideways, and curveballs get thrown at you and I think how you react in that moment is the most important component. Too many people react very emotionally on the spot like the world’s ending. But if you’re able to focus on what’s 10 years from now and think that this happened for a reason, you can usually find your way to your greater goals. </p></div><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk/the-company-driving-success-in-the-b2b-creator-economy/">The Company Driving Success in the B2B Creator Economy</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk">Alpha Leaders</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/the-company-driving-success-in-the-b2b-creator-economy/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Bitcoin ATM Side Hustle Goes Full-Time and Hits $1B in Sales</title> <link>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/bitcoin-atm-side-hustle-goes-full-time-and-hits-1b-in-sales/</link> <comments>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/bitcoin-atm-side-hustle-goes-full-time-and-hits-1b-in-sales/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Press Room]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 13 May 2024 17:16:57 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Living]]></category> <category><![CDATA[ATMs]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Bitcoin]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Business Ideas]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Career]]></category> <category><![CDATA[cryptocurrency]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Cryptocurrency Blockchain]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Decentralized finance]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Growing a Business]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Innovation]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Leadership]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Legal]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Life Hacks]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Money & Finance]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Operations & Logistics]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Personal Finance]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Productivity]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Science & Technology]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Side Hustle]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Starting a Business]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://alphaleaders.co.uk/bitcoin-atm-side-hustle-goes-full-time-and-hits-1b-in-sales/</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Neil Bergquist, co-founder with Michael Smyer of Coinme, a cryptocurrency exchange headquartered in Seattle. Earlier this month, Coinme announced that, after a decade in business, it reached $1 billion in sales through a consistent 164% yearly growth rate. Image Credit: Courtesy of Coinme. Neil Bergquist. What was your day [...]</p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk/bitcoin-atm-side-hustle-goes-full-time-and-hits-1b-in-sales/">Bitcoin ATM Side Hustle Goes Full-Time and Hits $1B in Sales</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk">Alpha Leaders</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><p><i>This Side Hustle Spotlight Q&A features Neil Bergquist, co-founder with Michael Smyer of Coinme, a cryptocurrency exchange headquartered in Seattle. Earlier this month, Coinme announced th</i><i>at, after a decade in</i><i> business, it reached $1 billion in sales through a consistent 164% yearly growth rate.</i></p><p><i></i><sup>Image Credit: Courtesy of Coinme. Neil Bergquist. </sup></p><p><b>What was your day job when you started your side hustle?</b><br />I was the managing director at SURF Incubator, a community-supported space for digital entrepreneurs. In this role, I was one of two executives responsible for managing the organization. Day-to-day operations included supporting hundreds of startups, managing our staff, securing corporate partners, overseeing the 15,000-square-foot downtown office space, coordinating events and doing everything possible to help our entrepreneurs succeed.</p><p><b>Related: These College Friends Started a ‘Fun’ Side Hustle That Landed Them on ‘Shark Tank’— Now the Idea Is Helping Dozens Make Extra Cash: ‘Start Saying Yes’</b></p><p><b>When did you start your side hustle, and where did you find the inspiration for it?</b><br />I was inspired to launch bitcoin ATMs when I was at SURF Incubator. I knew the technology, specifically bitcoin and the concept of decentralized money, had great possibilities for the future. My co-founder Michael Smyers and I believed we could place bitcoin ATMs around town, including at the incubator, and they would nearly run themselves.</p><p>Our inspiration accelerated after the world’s first bitcoin ATM launched in Vancouver, Canada. It processed over $1 million in transactions in its first few weeks of operation. This success validated the customer demand for bitcoin and bitcoin ATMs as an essential channel for this new “magic internet money.” This early validation and my long-term belief in the promise of bitcoin led my co-founder Michael and I to establish Coinme in early 2014 and launch the first licensed bitcoin ATM in the U.S., one of the first 10 deployed worldwide.</p><p><b>What were some of the first steps you took to get your side hustle off the ground?</b><br />At the time, the entrepreneurial mantra was “build fast and break things.” Unfortunately, we wanted to operate a money services business in the U.S. If you “break things,” you risk going to jail. We found the most competent fintech lawyers, who fortunately agreed to a deferred payment plan and subsequently went to the state regulators with a business plan, funds flow and presentation on bitcoin.</p><p>I tried to learn about the Bank Secrecy Act and the U.S. Patriot Act, which provide the general framework for anti-money laundering laws in the U.S. I also educated myself about state-level money transmission laws. After investing what little money I had, my co-founder and I established Coinme as an LLC, and we applied for a first-of-its-kind virtual currency money transmitter license from the state of Washington. We aimed to protect consumers by helping them buy bitcoin from a regulated and trusted exchange.</p><p>We needed to secure a bank account as part of the licensing process. Hundreds of banks that wanted nothing to do with bitcoin turned us down. At one point, it seemed like this would be the thing that would kill the idea. Fortunately, Michael’s girlfriend at the time randomly opened a bank account with a local credit union. We decided to see if they would bank with us. Sure enough, they accepted our business plan and provided us with a Money Services Business (MSB) bank account, which was required for licensure.</p><p>It took us several months to meet the state’s licensing requirements, but a week after we were approved, we deployed the first federally registered and state-licensed bitcoin ATM in the U.S.</p><p><b>Related: The Sweet Side Hustle She Started in an Old CVS Made $800,000 in One Year. Now She’s Repeating the Success With Her Daughter — and They’ve Already Exceeded 8 Figures.</b></p><p><b>What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while building your side hustle, and how did you navigate them?</b><br />There were plenty of challenges. On a day-to-day basis, all we did was put out fires. The ATMs would malfunction, which seemed to happen every few days. A customer’s ID would get stuck in the ID reader, and, reasonably, they would need it back as soon as possible. It didn’t matter how far away you were; you needed to visit that ATM immediately. We passed a customer support cell phone around as we took calls at all hours of the day before hiring someone years later.</p><p>The biggest challenge we faced was managing cash logistics. Our customers would insert physical bills into the ATM, and bitcoin would be transferred to their bitcoin wallet. We had thousands, sometimes hundreds of thousands, of physical dollars in the ATM that needed to reach our bank account and, eventually, our bitcoin liquidity provider.</p><p>Established companies work with security companies like Brinks, Garda and Loomis, but we needed to be larger for them to work with us. So, we had to do it ourselves. After much discussion, we decided the best approach was to put on street clothes, visit the ATM late at night with a JanSport-type backpack and stuff it full of cash from the cash acceptor. Then we’d wait anxiously for the bank to open, wait in line, and then, when it was our turn, we’d empty six figures of cash onto the counter. The bank teller’s expressions were priceless.</p><p>We did it this way for over three years before we could afford (and convince) an ex-military individual with a concealed weapon permit to take on the role. Eventually, we became big enough to contract with Garda. As the team grew in the early days, doing at least one cash run became almost a rite of passage. At one point, when we had locations across the U.S., some people had to fly to an ATM to pick up the cash because our bank was too small and they didn’t have any locations in that state. That was a bag you definitely carried with you on the plane. Dealing with TSA and explaining the cash brought about its own challenges, but that is a story for another day.</p><p><b>Related: He Started a Luxury Side Hustle at Age 13 — Now the Business Earns More Than $10 Million a Year: ‘People Want to Help You When You’re Young’</b></p><p><b>How long did it take you to see consistent monthly revenue? How much did the side hustle earn? </b><br />The bitcoin ATMs made revenue on day one as our revenue came from transaction fees, but our costs exceeded revenues for at least the first six years. It was brutal. We maxed out credit cards, took out high-interest personal loans, negotiated payment plans with critical vendors and did whatever we could to preserve cash.</p><p>I had to work nights and weekends to run Coinme for three years while not receiving a paycheck and maintaining a demanding full-time job. At one point, my wife — who is also a business partner — and I took the proceeds from the sale of our primary residence in Seattle and put those funds into the company during one of bitcoin’s now-infamous downturns. Michael sold shares in another company he co-founded to help keep Coinme afloat. The funds enabled us to keep critical team members employed while we tried to grow top-line revenue.</p><p>Due to our perseverance and a little luck, in Q1 2017, Coinme received an influx of cash from a $1 million seed round. This investment came just in time, as the company’s bank account had dwindled to $11.</p><p><b>What were some of the steps you took to go from side hustle to full-time business?</b><br />The revenue from three bitcoin ATMs was not enough to cover the infrastructure expense of being a regulated financial technology company. About a year after launch, it became clear that we either needed to grow or die. We maxed out our borrowing limits on peer-to-peer lending platforms and purchased more bitcoin ATMs. This growth led to additional revenue but wasn’t enough to cover expenses. At that point, I began seeking outside capital as if my life depended on it. Fortunately, we found a like-minded bitcoin pioneer and technologist who invested out of their early-stage fund. This funding gave us the runway and limited pay necessary to quit our day jobs and proceed at full speed.</p><p><b>Related: He Started a Salty Backyard Side Hustle That Out-Earned His Full-Time Job and Now Makes Over $1 Million a Year: ‘Take the Leap’</b></p><p><b>What does growth and revenue look like today? </b><br />On May 1, 2024, Coinme celebrated 10 years in business with $1 billion in sales. Over the 10 years, we achieved an average annual revenue growth rate of 164%. We’ve survived three crypto winters, growing to over 40,000 locations where we’ve crypto-enabled existing kiosks and ATMs. This pivot from hardware to software has helped us scale and become profitable. We’re fortunate to be on pace to double revenue this year.</p><p><b>What do you enjoy most about running this business?</b><br />I enjoy building something new that wouldn’t exist unless you did it, and that can help people while being financially self-sufficient.</p><p>We help people by giving them access to what we believe is the future of money. The bitcoin a Coinme customer purchased in 2014 with $20 would be worth over $2,000 today if they haven’t sold it. But bitcoin gains aside, we believe in a digitally native form of money. That could be USDC (a U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoin we support on our platform) that can be sent or received anywhere in the world nearly instantly and for free. It’s like sending an email, but it’s money.</p><p>The ability to send borderless and permissionless funds also gives people in developing countries access to the U.S. dollar, bitcoin and other blockchain-based stores of value that have been proven to preserve their hard-earned wealth better than their hyperinflationary local fiat currency. Financial services are having a once-in-a-generation evolutionary moment, and it’s been exciting to learn about the challenges that will enable that vision to become a reality.</p><p><b>Related: When This Entrepreneur Couldn’t Decide What to Name His Business, He Started a $2,000-a-Month Side Hustle to Help — Now It Earns Over $10 Million a Year</b></p><p><b>What’s your advice for others hoping to start successful side hustles or full-time businesses of their own?</b><br />You have to love it. If you don’t love it, you’ll hate it. Starting a business or side hustle can be scary, exhausting and risky, and it will consume whatever you can provide and more. If you’re doing something you’ll love, you’ll have the energy, resilience, faith and confidence to convince or at least try to convince everyone you know or don’t know to help in some way, shape or form.</p><p>Before diving in head first, start small and validate your key assumptions. Who is my customer? What are they willing to pay for this service? How much does it cost me to provide this service? Is it scalable? Defensible? What are the risks I need to take to test this idea? If I fail, what is my affordable loss?</p><p>There are a lot of books out there, but for the ABCs that even the most intelligent people overlook, I recommend looking at the “Business Model Canvas” and the “Value Proposition Canvas.” A good business idea has many components. Make sure you have assumptions for the critical aspects of your concept and plot them onto a business model canvas and value proposition canvas. Think of this canvas exercise as a simple blueprint for your idea. This approach will help you flesh out your concept and identify which assumptions you need to test and which must be true for your business to take off. </p></div><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk/bitcoin-atm-side-hustle-goes-full-time-and-hits-1b-in-sales/">Bitcoin ATM Side Hustle Goes Full-Time and Hits $1B in Sales</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk">Alpha Leaders</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/bitcoin-atm-side-hustle-goes-full-time-and-hits-1b-in-sales/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Dark Web Defense: 19 Tech Experts Share Smart Strategies</title> <link>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/dark-web-defense-19-tech-experts-share-smart-strategies/</link> <comments>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/dark-web-defense-19-tech-experts-share-smart-strategies/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Press Room]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 13 May 2024 17:15:39 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Innovation]]></category> <category><![CDATA[dark web]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Forbes Technology Council]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://alphaleaders.co.uk/dark-web-defense-19-tech-experts-share-smart-strategies/</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>“Hidden” from search engines and only accessible via specialized software, the dark Web isn’t always used for malicious purposes, but it can be. Organizations and individuals face a variety of risks from activities originating from the dark Web, including data breaches, financial fraud, identity theft and the exploitation of security vulnerabilities. Taking proactive steps can [...]</p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk/dark-web-defense-19-tech-experts-share-smart-strategies/">Dark Web Defense: 19 Tech Experts Share Smart Strategies</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk">Alpha Leaders</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><p>“Hidden” from search engines and only accessible via specialized software, the dark Web isn’t always used for malicious purposes, but it can be. Organizations and individuals face a variety of risks from activities originating from the dark Web, including data breaches, financial fraud, identity theft and the exploitation of security vulnerabilities.</p><p>Taking proactive steps can help businesses and individuals safeguard their digital assets and online presence. Below, 19 members of Forbes Technology Council share defensive strategies that can help organizations and individuals protect themselves and their assets from the dangers of the dark Web.</p><h2 class="subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align">1. Run Tabletop Scenarios With Stakeholders</h2><p>A focused strategy is to run tabletop scenarios with relevant stakeholders, simulating a scenario where elevated credentials are harvested. This approach addresses the attacker’s key strength: dwell-time. Create realistic attack vectors, develop response plans and measure times for detection, forensics, containment and remediation, adjusting processes to minimize latencies. – Abhijeet Mahagaonkar, Polychain Capital</p><h2 class="subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align"><strong>2. Identify Compromised Credit Cards</strong></h2><p>A primary threat originating from the dark Web is card testing fraud. Financial institutions can employ dark Web monitoring to identify compromised cards and reissue them. E-commerce institutions can enhance security by implementing multifactor authentication, robust fraud detection for account takeover fraud and bot activity, and risk variable analytics. They can prevent fraud through transaction monitoring, CVV verification and challenge mechanisms. – Ranjitkumar Sivakumar, Amazon</p><p><fbs-ad position="inread" progressive="" ad-id="article-0-inread" aria-hidden="true" role="presentation"></fbs-ad> </p><p>Forbes Technology Council is an invitation-only community for world-class CIOs, CTOs and technology executives. <em data-ga-track="InternalLink:https://councils.forbes.com/qualify?utm_source=forbes.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=forbes-links&utm_term=ftc&utm_content=in-article-ad-links">Do I qualify?</em></p><h2 class="subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align">3. Sign Up For Reputable Monitoring Services</h2><p>Don’t wait for someone to steal your identity! Dark Web monitoring services are like watchdogs for these secret sites. They constantly check for your information and tell you right away if they find it. This way, you can change passwords, keep an eye on your credit report and fix any problems before they escalate. – Sarath Babu Yalavarthi, JPMorgan Chase & Co</p><h2 class="subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align">4. Adopt Zero Trust</h2><p>To shield against dark Web threats, adopt a zero-trust architecture, ensuring all access is verified. Complement this with advanced threat protection to counter zero-day vulnerabilities, and integrate endpoint detection and response for continuous monitoring and swift threat response. This strategy comprehensively fortifies defenses. – Moshiul Islam Mishu, Enterprise Infosec Consultants</p><h2 class="subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align">5. Engage In Emerging Trend Detection</h2><p>Online safety is increasingly a priority for front-line customer support and trust and safety staff, just as it is for IT teams. Emerging trend detection helps companies stay ahead by spotting emerging threats such as misinformation and malicious activity via real-time alerts from the deep Web and the dark Web. This helps companies protect their brand integrity before a crisis occurs or damage is done. – Paula Kennedy Garcia</p><h2 class="subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align">6. Implement Advanced Data Encryption</h2><p>Implement advanced encryption for all sensitive data, making it unreadable and useless to unauthorized users who might access it via the dark Web. This significantly reduces the potential impact of data breaches. – Margarita Simonova, ILoveMyQA</p><h2 class="subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align">7. Invest In Runtime Security</h2><p>Investing in runtime security is critical to handling threats originating from the dark Web. Hackers will sell direct access to compromised networks on nefarious websites. The buyers then launch further attacks, such as ransomware. To ensure an organization is protected against such threats at all times, it is important to invest in runtime security, such as endpoint detection and response and extended detection and response. – Austin Gadient, Vali Cyber</p><h2 class="subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align">8. Focus On Defense-In-Depth Controls</h2><p>An organization has already failed once exfiltrated data has been published on the dark Web. Any response is purely reactionary at that point. Organizations must instead focus upstream by protecting the business with commensurate defense-in-depth controls. While the dark Web can provide insight into attacker sentiment, it cannot be the sole focus of a cyber strategy. – Mike Lefebvre, SEI</p><h2 class="subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align">9. Leverage MFA And Pen Testing</h2><p>I strongly recommend multifactor authentication with a minimum of three factors, including biometrics. Other important security measures include using phishing scanners; encrypting data at rest and in transmission; mandating strong, complex passwords; and storing data in secure database applications. Penetration and ethical testing of all software applications that host sensitive data is also highly recommended. – Valentine Wats, TEMSCONSU – (Excelitte & PMPplanner Brands)</p><h2 class="subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align">10. Adopt Data-In-Use Encryption</h2><p>The base layer of every cybersecurity measure for any kind of threat mitigation is encryption; everything else should be built on top of that. But traditional encryption methods are no longer sufficient. The new standard is data-in-use encryption, which allows an organization to process (compute, search, analyze and so on) encrypted data <em>in use</em>, not just at rest or in transit. – Ryan Lasmaili, Vaultree</p><h2 class="subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align">11. Cultivate A Security-Focused Culture</h2><p>Continuous education and training are not only vital for organizations to safeguard themselves and their employees, but are also among the simplest and most effective strategies. Cultivating a security-focused culture prompts employees to be cautious with unknown messages, fosters dialogue with security personnel and ensures a flow of updated threat information. – Neil Lampton, TIAG</p><h2 class="subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align">12. Monitor Dark Web Forums</h2><p>Monitor dark Web forums for leaked information about your organization using scanning services. Educate employees on cybersecurity, enforce strong password policies and implement multifactor authentication to reduce vulnerabilities. This proactive approach minimizes risks from the dark Web. – Roman Vinogradov, Improvado</p><h2 class="subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align">13. Add AI-Powered Security Solutions</h2><p>Much of the activity on the dark Web is the sharing and selling of phishing-as-a-service kits, stolen personal data to be used in phishing attacks, and tips and tools for exploiting generative AI platforms (for example, WormGPT) to fuel phishing attacks. Phishing is king. User training should play a role, but AI-powered security solutions are essential to block never-before-seen phishing attacks that employ evasive techniques. – Patrick Harr, SlashNext</p><h2 class="subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align">14. Leverage Device Intelligence Technology</h2><p>Fraudsters obtain legitimate login credentials and bank information through the dark Web. Device intelligence allows organizations to identify users exploiting this information. For example, this technology can flag unusual login locations and IP addresses or suspicious actions, such as unusually large purchases. This awareness allows companies to execute additional ID verification steps. – Dan Pinto, Fingerprint</p><h2 class="subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align">15. Enhance Your Identity Hygiene</h2><p>Enhancing identity hygiene is a key measure against dark Web threats. Regularly updating passwords, employing two-factor authentication and monitoring account activity can shield individuals and organizations from unauthorized access. This focused practice minimizes vulnerabilities, safeguarding personal and professional identities against exploitation. – Lior Yaari, Grip Security</p><h2 class="subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align">16. Partner With A Vendor To Be Alerted To Breaches In Real Time</h2><p>You need to know when your customers’ data is on the dark Web due to a data breach, because fraudsters can access stolen credentials to intrude into your digital ecosystem. Hire a vendor that offers near-real-time confirmation of breaches that impact your customers and can identify compromised attributes. In those instances, you can introduce more friction into the login process. – Christophe Van de Weyer, Telesign</p><h2 class="subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align">17. Always Question The Inclusion Of Sensitive Information In Messages And Requests</h2><p>Forget malware and ransomware—one of the most dangerous things being sold on the dark Web today is information. From Social Security numbers to home addresses, hackers will leverage all manner of personal information in order to make their messages more convincing. Always question why certain information is being included in a message or request, and ask yourself whether its inclusion serves a legitimate purpose or not. – Eyal Benishti, IRONSCALES</p><h2 class="subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align">18. Implement Zero Standing Privileges For Employees</h2><p>Credentials theft is a common consequence of dark Web marketplaces. Organizations must implement zero standing privileges for employees so that even if someone’s credentials are compromised, the hacker can’t do much. Implementing phishing-resistant, strong authentication measures (such as passkeys) also prevents hackers from stealing credentials. – Atul Tulshibagwale, SGNL.ai</p><h2 class="subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align">19. Develop An Anonymous Web Presence Strategy</h2><p>Develop an anonymous Web presence strategy to minimize digital footprints that attract dark Web activities. This involves using privacy-focused browsers, VPNs and secure email services for sensitive communications. Encouraging such practices among staff and within an organization’s operations can significantly reduce the risk of sensitive information being compromised and ending up on the dark Web. – Jagadish Gokavarapu, Wissen Infotech</p></div><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk/dark-web-defense-19-tech-experts-share-smart-strategies/">Dark Web Defense: 19 Tech Experts Share Smart Strategies</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk">Alpha Leaders</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/dark-web-defense-19-tech-experts-share-smart-strategies/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>GameStop and memecoins soar as ‘Roaring Kitty’ hints at comeback</title> <link>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/gamestop-and-memecoins-soar-as-roaring-kitty-hints-at-comeback/</link> <comments>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/gamestop-and-memecoins-soar-as-roaring-kitty-hints-at-comeback/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Press Room]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 13 May 2024 17:11:32 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[cryptocurrency]]></category> <category><![CDATA[GameStop]]></category> <category><![CDATA[memes]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://alphaleaders.co.uk/gamestop-and-memecoins-soar-as-roaring-kitty-hints-at-comeback/</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>It’s the meme that launched a thousand trades. Shares in GameStop Corp and related meme coins surged on Monday morning after retail trader Keith Gill—a.k.a. the “TheRoaringKitty”—hinted at his return to trading, by sharing a meme on X. Gill—also known as “DeepF***ingValue” on Reddit—is credited with sparking the GameStop rally of 2021, where shares in the [...]</p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk/gamestop-and-memecoins-soar-as-roaring-kitty-hints-at-comeback/">GameStop and memecoins soar as ‘Roaring Kitty’ hints at comeback</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk">Alpha Leaders</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><div data-cy="article-content"><p>It’s the meme that launched a thousand trades. Shares in GameStop Corp and related meme coins surged on Monday morning after retail trader Keith Gill—a.k.a. the “TheRoaringKitty”—hinted at his return to trading, by <a rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://twitter.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1789807772542067105" target="_blank" aria-label="Go to https://twitter.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1789807772542067105" class="sc-330a5589-0 gPJZJS">sharing a meme</a> on X. Gill—also known as “DeepF***ingValue” on Reddit—is credited with sparking the GameStop rally of 2021, where shares in the ailing video game retailer soared 21-fold over a two-week period, before crashing to pre-surge levels in a matter of days. Monday’s post marked the end of Gill’s 3-year hiatus.</p><div class="paywall"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="zxx" dir="ltr"><a rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://t.co/YgjVqtgcNS" target="_blank" aria-label="Go to https://t.co/YgjVqtgcNS" class="sc-330a5589-0 gPJZJS">pic.twitter.com/YgjVqtgcNS</a></p><p>— Roaring Kitty (@TheRoaringKitty) <a rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://twitter.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1789807772542067105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" aria-label="Go to https://twitter.com/TheRoaringKitty/status/1789807772542067105?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="sc-330a5589-0 gPJZJS">May 13, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p> <!-- --></p><p>Gamestop’s share price rose by 111% on Monday, but has since retreated to about half that value, trading at around $30 as of noon EST. Another meme stock, AMC Entertainment Holdings, was up 12%. Meanwhile, over the past day, certain meme coins seem to have jolted by the post: GameStop coin GME, unaffiliated with the company, is up by over 1,775%, according to CoinGecko data. An AMC token is up by over 4,500%, in addition to a cat-themed meme coin KITTY, up by over 8,000%, according to data from DEXTools.</p><p>The meme in question, a slouching desk-sitting man leaning forward, symbolizes the act of “locking in,” or a period of intense focus, with X users interpreting the post as a rallying cry to lock into trading markets. “Hey bro what we buying,” one user <a rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://twitter.com/blknoiz06/status/1789898861315543061" target="_blank" aria-label="Go to https://twitter.com/blknoiz06/status/1789898861315543061" class="sc-330a5589-0 gPJZJS">replied</a>; “Just in time for the memecoin supercycle” another <a rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://twitter.com/digitalartchick/status/1789815452639572198" target="_blank" aria-label="Go to https://twitter.com/digitalartchick/status/1789815452639572198" class="sc-330a5589-0 gPJZJS">added</a>.</p><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="in" dir="ltr">Roaringkitty is back. <a rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://t.co/mzMjzKhI6a" target="_blank" aria-label="Go to https://t.co/mzMjzKhI6a" class="sc-330a5589-0 gPJZJS">pic.twitter.com/mzMjzKhI6a</a></p><p>— wallstreetbets (@wallstreetbets) <a rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://twitter.com/wallstreetbets/status/1789839123793981538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" aria-label="Go to https://twitter.com/wallstreetbets/status/1789839123793981538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" class="sc-330a5589-0 gPJZJS">May 13, 2024</a></p></blockquote><p> <!-- --></p><p>DEXTools data also shows that a host of opportunistic tokens have been issued over the past day. GameStop and STONKS (slang for meme stocks) have amassed over $300,000 in market capitalization each during their first 10-hours-or-so of trading, while others, such as TheRoaringKitty, have reached less than $1,000 in liquidity.</p><p>Meme markets were buzzing following Gill’s post because of his role in the January 2021 short squeeze of video game retailer GameStop. GameStop is a U.S. brick-and-mortar retailer that sells video games and before the rally, it was widely deemed to be in declining health. Its share price had been tumbling for an extended period of time, from around $50 at the start of 2014 to just an all-time low of 64 cents in April 2020. </p><p>Gill began posting analysis of the company on Reddit from 2019 which became a viral sensation during the COVID pandemic. In 2021, his fame grew after he instructed an online community of retail traders to buy GameStop options and leverage their shares of the company. Within a month, the stock rose from $4 to over $120. Gill’s $53,000 investment was worth nearly $50 million at its peak, cultivating Gill’s cult-like status as a trader who made a fortune by betting against hedge funds—in other words, playing Wall Street at its own game, from the comfort of his bedroom. One hedge fund, Melvin Capital, lost billions of dollars betting on the decline of ailing stocks like GameStop. </p></div><div class="sc-83cd12c6-0 gjLFAy article" data-cy="subscriptionPlea">Learn more about all things crypto with short, easy-to-read lesson cards. Click here for Fortune’s Crypto Crash Course.</div></div><p><script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk/gamestop-and-memecoins-soar-as-roaring-kitty-hints-at-comeback/">GameStop and memecoins soar as ‘Roaring Kitty’ hints at comeback</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk">Alpha Leaders</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/gamestop-and-memecoins-soar-as-roaring-kitty-hints-at-comeback/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Melinda French Gates to Resign From Gates Foundation</title> <link>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/melinda-french-gates-to-resign-from-gates-foundation/</link> <comments>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/melinda-french-gates-to-resign-from-gates-foundation/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Press Room]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 13 May 2024 17:09:23 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Business]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://alphaleaders.co.uk/melinda-french-gates-to-resign-from-gates-foundation/</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Melinda French Gates, one of the world’s most influential philanthropists and the ex-wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, announced Monday that she was resigning from the foundation that she and her husband founded. In a post on X, Ms. Gates said she was “immensely proud” of the work of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, [...]</p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk/melinda-french-gates-to-resign-from-gates-foundation/">Melinda French Gates to Resign From Gates Foundation</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk">Alpha Leaders</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Melinda French Gates, one of the world’s most influential philanthropists and the ex-wife of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, announced Monday that she was resigning from the foundation that she and her husband founded.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">In a post on X, Ms. Gates said she was “immensely proud” of the work of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which she and Bill Gates started in 2000. She said she would be leaving with $12.5 billion to “commit to my work on behalf of women and families,” and that her last day would be June 7.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">The foundation is recognized as one of the most powerful organizations in global philanthropy, particularly in fields like global health and early-childhood education, and has made strides in reducing deaths caused by malaria and other infectious diseases. As one of the biggest donors at the World Health Organization, it exerts a considerable level of influence over the policies in developing countries, especially in health and education.</p><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Mr. and Ms. Gates announced their plans to divorce in May 2021, after 27 years of marriage. The foundation at the time said they would remain co-chairs of the organization.</p></div><aside class="css-ew4tgv" aria-label="companion column"/></div><div><div class="css-53u6y8"><p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0"><em class="css-2fg4z9 e1gzwzxm0">This is a developing story. Check back for updates.</em></p></div><aside class="css-ew4tgv" aria-label="companion column"/></div><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk/melinda-french-gates-to-resign-from-gates-foundation/">Melinda French Gates to Resign From Gates Foundation</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk">Alpha Leaders</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/melinda-french-gates-to-resign-from-gates-foundation/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Google Chrome For Android Users Alerted To ‘No 2FA’ Password Problem</title> <link>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/google-chrome-for-android-users-alerted-to-no-2fa-password-problem/</link> <comments>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/google-chrome-for-android-users-alerted-to-no-2fa-password-problem/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Press Room]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 13 May 2024 16:14:29 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[Innovation]]></category> <category><![CDATA[android]]></category> <category><![CDATA[chrome warning]]></category> <category><![CDATA[cybersecurity]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Google]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Google Chrome]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Google Password Deletion]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Google Password Manager]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Password Manager]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Privacy]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://alphaleaders.co.uk/google-chrome-for-android-users-alerted-to-no-2fa-password-problem/</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>Clearing your web browser cache and using a password manager are among the top tips for basic security and privacy. Unless you are doing both these things using Google Chrome on the Android mobile platform, it would seem. Until an application update fixes the issue, this version of Chrome defaults to including your saved passwords [...]</p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk/google-chrome-for-android-users-alerted-to-no-2fa-password-problem/">Google Chrome For Android Users Alerted To ‘No 2FA’ Password Problem</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk">Alpha Leaders</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div><p>Clearing your web browser cache and using a password manager are among the top tips for basic security and privacy. Unless you are doing both these things using Google Chrome on the Android mobile platform, it would seem. Until an application update fixes the issue, this version of Chrome defaults to including your saved passwords in the items deleted when clearing your browser data. Chrome for Android users should also be aware that when clearing this data there will be no authentication required before deleting all your passwords.</p><h2 class="subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align">Who Raised The Chrome For Android Password Deletion Issue?</h2><p>A user highlighted the problem of Google Password Manager credentials vanishing when clearing browsing data for Android Chrome users in the Google Pixel subreddit, relating their own experience. Happy to move from using a combination of Authy and Bitwarden for authentication and password management to Google Password Manager for a more integrated experience; all was fine until recently.</p><p>Noticing the Pixel smartphone’s performance had slowed down, the user cleared the Chrome browser history and cache. They noted that ‘saved passwords’ were among those listed as configured for data to be cleared but didn’t think this related to passwords in the integrated password manager vault. “Cherry on the top,” the user said, “is that Chrome didn’t prompt or request for additional authentication, like a fingerprint, before cleaning out the vault.”</p><p><fbs-ad position="inread" progressive="" ad-id="article-0-inread" aria-hidden="true" role="presentation"></fbs-ad></p><p>The user in question had to revert to switching back to Bitwarden, which they had not deleted, to regain control of accounts protected by the credentials stored there. Google support had already told them that the passwords could not be retrieved as far as the ones stored on Chrome and deleted were concerned. An Android developer who read the posting then raised the issue on the Google Chromium developer support forums with the title of: To prevent users inadvertently clear all passwords change the UI.</p><h2 class="subhead-embed color-accent bg-base font-accent font-size text-align">Google’s Response Is That A Fix Is Coming Soon</h2><p>The posting in the developer support forum included a recommended mitigation to solve the problem of users inadvertently deleting their password vault data: remove the ‘Saved Passwords’ option from the Chrome for Android clear browsing data user interface. Another developer who had also lost passwords with a single click complained that “not forcing two-factor authentication for something like this is crazy to me.”</p><p>A Google employee responded by raising the issue with a member of the Chromium team, asking if they should reconsider how the UI works when clearing passwords. The answer was a resounding yes. While acknowledging the removal of the saved passwords item from the toggle list, the Chromium developer did warn that there will be “some product work” before the change can be made and released to general public.</p><p>In the meantime, Android users should go and check the Chrome three-dot menu for items listed under the clear browsing data option. Ensure the saved passwords option remains unchecked if you also make use of the integrated Google Password Manager.</p></div><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk/google-chrome-for-android-users-alerted-to-no-2fa-password-problem/">Google Chrome For Android Users Alerted To ‘No 2FA’ Password Problem</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk">Alpha Leaders</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/google-chrome-for-android-users-alerted-to-no-2fa-password-problem/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> <item> <title>Apple says privacy is a ‘core value.’ Tim Cook shouldn’t compromise it to bridge the gap on AI</title> <link>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/apple-says-privacy-is-a-core-value-tim-cook-shouldnt-compromise-it-to-bridge-the-gap-on-ai/</link> <comments>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/apple-says-privacy-is-a-core-value-tim-cook-shouldnt-compromise-it-to-bridge-the-gap-on-ai/#respond</comments> <dc:creator><![CDATA[Press Room]]></dc:creator> <pubDate>Mon, 13 May 2024 16:10:05 +0000</pubDate> <category><![CDATA[News]]></category> <category><![CDATA[A.I.]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Apple]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Commentary]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Leadership]]></category> <category><![CDATA[Tech]]></category> <guid isPermaLink="false">https://alphaleaders.co.uk/apple-says-privacy-is-a-core-value-tim-cook-shouldnt-compromise-it-to-bridge-the-gap-on-ai/</guid> <description><![CDATA[<p>For years, Apple has positioned itself as a champion of consumer privacy, setting itself apart from its tech industry peers Google and Facebook and their ad-based business models that rely on siphoning up as much user data as possible. “Privacy is a fundamental human right,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said last year, repeating a mantra [...]</p><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk/apple-says-privacy-is-a-core-value-tim-cook-shouldnt-compromise-it-to-bridge-the-gap-on-ai/">Apple says privacy is a ‘core value.’ Tim Cook shouldn’t compromise it to bridge the gap on AI</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk">Alpha Leaders</a>.</p>]]></description> <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p></p><p>For years, Apple has positioned itself as a champion of consumer privacy, setting itself apart from its tech industry peers Google and Facebook and their ad-based business models that rely on siphoning up as much user data as possible.</p><div><p>“Privacy is a fundamental human right,” Apple CEO Tim Cook <strong>said</strong> last year, repeating a mantra he has made a central part of Apple’s marketing strategy. </p><p>But Apple’s privacy reputation is starting to show some major cracks—due to mounting revelations about its lucrative relationship with Google, which has been called <strong>“</strong>the pioneer of surveillance capitalism<strong>.”</strong></p><p>The U.S. government’s antitrust lawsuit against Google has produced some eye-popping numbers. According to recently unsealed court documents from the trial, Google paid Apple <strong>$20 billion</strong> in 2022 to make Google the default search engine on its Safari web browser. That’s up from a reported <strong>$18 billion</strong> payment in 2021. A Google witness at the trial testified that Google pays Apple <strong>36% of the revenue</strong> it earns from search ads on Safari.</p><p>The details of these transactions, which both companies had taken pains to keep secret, do much to undermine Apple’s rhetoric about being a defender of user privacy. They lay bare how Apple, a company that calls privacy a “core value,” has been profiting handsomely from Google, known for its voracious collection of personal data. (Google says it does its best to protect user data.)</p><p>Far from seeking to distance itself from Google in the wake of these revelations, Apple appears to be open to expanding the relationship. According to <em>Bloomberg News</em>, Apple has held negotiations to use Google’s Gemini generative AI tools to power new features on the iPhone. The latest reports indicate Apple may be close to a deal with OpenAI but is still talking with Google. Apple is lagging behind other tech industry players in developing generative AI, and such a deal would be a quick way for the company to leapfrog ahead with the technology.</p><p>However, an AI partnership with Google would raise yet more questions about Apple’s commitment to privacy. A recent investigation by the <em>New York Times</em> revealed that Google quietly revised its privacy policy last year in an apparent effort to expand the amount of user data available to train its generative AI models—and released the new language on the July 4 weekend to minimize scrutiny of the changes. By tapping into Google’s Gemini for the iPhone, Apple would be associating itself with these tactics.</p><p>Whomever Apple ends up partnering with on AI, the company must be transparent with its users about where their data will go and how it will be used. Apple forged its privacy reputation in 2016 during its high-profile standoff with the FBI over an iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino mass shooters. Apple famously refused the FBI’s request to unlock the device, warning it would create a “<strong>master key</strong>” that would break encryption and put the privacy and security of millions of Americans at risk. Cook called the case a “civil liberties” issue, putting privacy at the forefront of Apple’s corporate brand.</p><p>In the years since, Apple has taken important steps to protect privacy, including features that require apps to get explicit permission from users to track their behavior and allow users to turn on end-to-end encryption for their messages and other data stored in Apple’s iCloud. But Apple’s deep entanglement with Google casts a large and growing shadow over the company’s claims to be a privacy savior.</p><p>The fact that Apple is financially benefitting—to the tune of billions of dollars—from Google’s privacy-invasive search engine makes Apple marketing slogans like “What happens on your iPhone, stays on your iPhone” ring hollow. It also adds a distinct odor of hypocrisy to Cook’s frequent jabs at tech industry rivals over their data-hungry ways. At one 2015 event, where the Apple CEO was feted as a “Champion of Freedom” by a privacy advocacy group, Cook took aim at companies that are “gobbling up everything they can learn about you and trying to monetize it,” adding that “it’s not the kind of company that Apple wants to be.”</p><p>Apple’s defense of the Google search deal basically boils down to: It’s not perfect, but there’s no other option. Testifying at the Google antitrust trial, Apple executive Eddy Cue, who negotiated the latest version of the search deal, said there “wasn’t a valid alternative” to Google. In a 2018 interview, Cook said Google’s search engine is “the best” and talked up Apple’s privacy settings for web browsing.</p><p>These comments suggest that Apple had no choice but to partner with Google. However, it is important to note that Apple’s relationship with Google goes beyond the search deal. Tech publication <em>The Information</em> reported in 2021 that Apple was the largest corporate client of Google’s cloud storage service. According to the report, Apple “dramatically increased” the amount of user data it stored in Google’s cloud that year and was poised to boost its spending on the service by 50%. The latest reports about Apple’s negotiations with Google over a potential AI deal suggest that Apple is willing to take the partnership even further. Apple’s customers deserve to know more about how the company’s dealings with Google affect the privacy of their data, particularly in light of Apple’s heavy marketing of itself as a privacy-minded corporation. It is clear that regulators are no longer taking Apple’s privacy promises at face value. The Justice Department’s antitrust lawsuit against Apple, filed in March, observes that Apple “selectively compromises privacy and security interests when doing so is in Apple’s own financial interest,” giving the Apple-Google search deal as a prime example.</p><p><em>Katie Paul is the director of the Tech Transparency Project.</em></p><h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="block-a9c15eee-292b-44aa-9217-08f3279fafcf">More must-read commentary published by <em>Fortune</em>:</h2><p><em>The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary pieces are solely the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of </em>Fortune<em>.</em></p></div><p>The post <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk/apple-says-privacy-is-a-core-value-tim-cook-shouldnt-compromise-it-to-bridge-the-gap-on-ai/">Apple says privacy is a ‘core value.’ Tim Cook shouldn’t compromise it to bridge the gap on AI</a> appeared first on <a rel="nofollow" href="https://alphaleaders.co.uk">Alpha Leaders</a>.</p>]]></content:encoded> <wfw:commentRss>https://alphaleaders.co.uk/apple-says-privacy-is-a-core-value-tim-cook-shouldnt-compromise-it-to-bridge-the-gap-on-ai/feed/</wfw:commentRss> <slash:comments>0</slash:comments> </item> </channel></rss> If you would like to create a banner that links to this page (i.e. this validation result), do the following:
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