About 10 years ago, there was genuine debate in Silicon Valley about whether you had to be an asshole to succeed. Silicon Valley was drawing a lot of its formulation of how the business world should be from libertarian thinking, which dominated economic ideas since the 1970s. By the late 2000s, this had evolved into […]
Elizabeth MacBride
Posted inUncategorized
Editor’s Note: Burnout World; Dark Web’s Criminal Minds; Small Biz Gets Stuck w George Santos
Before the holidays, I wrote two pieces for CNBC about cybersecurity, which is a growing crisis in the small business community and a new challenge for regulators. They were published last week. We Are All Jacinda Now Jacinda Arden of New Zealand announced last week that she’ll step down in three weeks, and won’t […]
Posted inInnovation
A Great Financial Backbone For A Social Enterprise
Finding investors for a social enterprise that combines business with impact, like an employment program or an environmental benefit, is harder than you might expect. It’s not about the cash flow. Cash flow in a successful social enterprise with a dual mission can equal that of a business that prioritizes profits. Increasingly, consumers like social […]
Posted inInnovation
A $350 Billion U.S. Chip Manufacturing Boom
As I journalist, I’ve learned to ask myself: What are the dynamics on the ground now that could result in change five years from now? These are the trends I’m watching this year, that I believe will shape events over the next five. From Chips to Wafers, All Made in America The global chip manufacturing […]
Posted inVC Spotlight
VC Spotlight: Boomerang Ventures in Indiana Focuses on MedTech and Health
Unexpected fact: Warsaw, Indiana, population 16,000, is the orthopedic capital of the world. One hour west of Fort Wayne, Warsaw is home to more than 100 medical device companies, like Zimmer Biomet and Paragon Medical, working on the mechanics and processes that make hip implants and other sophisticated surgeries possible. . The medical device industry […]
Posted inVC Spotlight
Venture Spotlight: $3.2B Advantage Capital Looks To Invest Even Deeper, Especially In Black Communities
With $3.2 billion in assets under management, Advantage Capital is considered one of the most important impact investors in the country. The St. Louis- and New Orleans-based firm averages 100 deals a year. Its portfolio includes companies such as NevadaNanotech, which enables the sense of smell in devices, and Portland, Oregon-based Brew Dr. Kombucha. The […]
Posted inTrailblazers
Wartime Entrepreneurs: 50 Syrian Women Find A Way To Export Aleppo’s Famous Soap To The U.S.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com, in 2015. The point in the interview when Jehan’s voice cracked a little is when she talked about the women back at home, in Syria. They are the 50 women she leads in a cooperative, packaging Aleppo’s famous laurel soap in handcrafted crochet. Amazingly, they drive their fanciful Scents of Syria […]
Posted inTrailblazers
Editor’s Note: Why A Worker Is No Longer A Worker
The recent tempest in a coffee mug over Dolly Parton’s celebration of the gig economy revealed a problem with the English language today: A worker is no longer a worker. Today, nearly 60 million people are entrepreneurial in some way. The vast majority inhabit the frontlines of the economy. They are freelancers or the late-night business starters […]
Posted inUncategorized
Editor’s Note: State-Backed Venture Capital Is Back On The Agenda
A note from our editor, Elizabeth MacBride: Entrepreneurs create the economic future. So which kinds of entrepreneurs, working on what kinds of companies, do we want to finance? Do we seek to create the next Google, or do we want a thousand restaurants to reopen on our street corners? Venture capital is apt to finance […]
Posted inMentorship
Op-Ed: The Business Lobby Is Up For Grabs
When the National Association of Manufacturers moved rapidly to condemn the events of Jan. 6, I noticed. The Association, like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, is an old, politically powerful part of the business lobby that loves conservatism and has lately been in the pretty tight embrace of Republican party. But the Republican party, these […]
