The Nevisian Kiss on the Island of Love – eTurboNews | Trends | Travel News

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To solidify Nevis position as the definitive Island of Love, the Nevis Tourism Authority (NTA) has introduced a specialty cocktail with aphrodisiac properties for Valentines Day.

Inspired by Aphrodite, the ancient Greek goddess of love, beauty, and fertility, the NEVISAN KISS was conceived by the award-winning Nevisian mixologist, Mr. Kremour Maloney. Mr. Maloney tells us, Aphrodite was also Cupids mother, the symbol of Valentines love and passion, and she was acclaimed to have given us the gift of pleasure and the power of seduction, all elements that stir those lustful feelings that are captured in her namesake, Aphrodisiac, and we deliver in the Nevisian Kiss.

Aromatic and spiced, the NEVISIAN KISS contains three magical elixirs with aphrodisiac qualities that have been used through the ages: Cinnamon for blood flow and sexual libido; Ginger to increase body heat and a heightened heart rate; and Nutmeg, reputed to be Viagra for Women, also raises body heat, sweetens breath, and acts as an all-round stimulant. The foundation of the Nevisian Kiss is the Nevisian rum, Captain Nils Viking Rum, and combined these ingredients are brewed to make a potent mix.

The recipe for the Nevisian Kiss is a blend of 1.5 oz. Captain Nils Viking Rum, 1.0 oz. fresh lime juice, 1.0 oz. cinnamon infused simple syrup, 0.75 oz. apple juice, 2 slices of ginger root, and finished with a garnish of fresh grated nutmeg. To ensure you have your NEVISIAN KISS blended to perfection, Mr. Maloney will host a demonstration via a live stream on @NevisNaturally, the handle for Instagram on Sunday, February 14, at 1 pm AST (12:00 pm EST).

Nevis, The Island of Love, is renowned as a destination for all things romance: engagements, weddings, and romantic holidays. This Valentines Day, Nevis wants to assist you in declaring your love to your significant other in grand style by illuminating your commitment on the NTAs social media platforms. To be featured, all it requires for your participation is to share your love story, titled Nevis Love Story with their social media handles for the NTA and they will create a personalized image in your honor.

On receipt of your story, the NTA will create a Sandy Love graphic by drawing a heart on a pristine beach, lapped by the warm Caribbean waters, and take photos of the images. The graphic will feature the names of the lovers that submitted a Nevis Love Story with their social media handles tagged, and on Valentines Day, the tagged images will be posted on the NTAs social media platforms and shared to all their followers.

Participants are encouraged to share their love story with the world by reposting this virtual symbol to celebrate their love, sealing their commitment with a NEVISIAN KISS. Wishing a happy Valentines Day from Nevis with love.

For travel and tourism information on Nevis, please visit the Nevis Tourism Authority website at http://www.nevisisland.com and follow us on Instagram (@nevisnaturally), Facebook (@nevisnaturally), YouTube (nevisnaturally), and Twitter (@Nevisnaturally).

Nevis is part of the Federation of St. Kitts & Nevis and is located in the Leeward Islands of the West Indies. Conical in shape with a volcanic peak at its center known as Nevis Peak, the island is the birthplace of the founding father of the United States, Alexander Hamilton. The weather is typical of most of the year with temperatures in the low to mid-80sF / mid 20-30sC, cool breezes and low chances of precipitation. Air transportation is easily available with connections from Puerto Rico, and St. Kitts. For more information about Nevis, travel packages and accommodations, please contact the Nevis Tourism Authority, USA Tel 1.407.287.5204, Canada 1.403.770.6697 or our website http://www.nevisisland.com and on Facebook Nevis Naturally.

More news about Nevis

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WTTC Says Governments Should Abandon The Concept Of ‘High-Risk Countries’ And Instead Focus On ‘High-Risk Travellers’ – Hospitality Net

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London, UK -The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) is calling for governments to abandon the concept of 'high-risk countries' and instead focus on how individual 'high-risk travellers' are treated at borders.

WTTC, which represents the global Travel & Tourism private sector, is urging governments around the world to shift their focus from whole countries, towards individual travellers.

Instead, WTTC says governments around the world should redefine their whole approach to risk assessment, to revive international business and leisure travel.

Combined with a common international consensus on the metrics used to assess risk and a laser-like focus on a cost-effective, comprehensive, and rapid departure and arrival testing scheme for all travellers, could pave the way forward for the meaningful return of travel.

It would also ensure only those affected are forced to isolate, while travellers who test negative can continue to enjoy safe travels through observing hygiene protocols and mask wearing.

Gloria Guevara, WTTC President and CEO, said: "Risk based on entire countries is neither effective nor productive. Redefining risk towards individual travellers instead will be key for unlocking the door to the return of safe international travel. We need to learn from past experiences and crises such as 9-11."

"We cannot continue labelling entire countries as 'high-risk' which assumes everyone is infected. While the UK is currently seeing high levels of infections, clearly not all Britons are infected; the same goes for all Americans, Spaniards, or the French."

"The reality is much more complex. Not only does it stigmatise an entire nation, but it also halts travel and mobility when many people who test negative on departure and arrival could safely travel without exporting the virus."

"We have to recognise this reality and redefine the risk to focus on 'high-risk' individuals. We firmly believe implementing a comprehensive testing regime and the use of technology is the only practical way to restore international travel securely. Furthermore, a comprehensive testing programme will be less expensive than the economic cost brought on by blanket quarantines and lockdowns."

"This refocus would avoid exporting the virus and enable the free movement of travellers, while still observing enhanced hygiene protocols such as mask wearing and social distancing."

"We must learn to live with the virus, as it will take time for the global population to be vaccinated. This is why WTTC has long advocated introducing a comprehensive and cost-effective test on departure and arrival for all international travellers, as a way of preventing those carrying the virus from spreading it."

"As always, there is a crucial balance to be struck between the priority on public health with the need to sustain economic activity. As well ensuring people are safe and healthy, we also need to secure the health of the global economy - and revive the 174 million Travel & Tourism jobs affected by this devastating pandemic."

According to WTTC's 2019 Economic Impact Report, Travel & Tourism contributed US$8.9 trillion, or 10.3% towards the world's GDP. It accounted for one in 10 global jobs, giving employment to 330 million people through the Travel & Tourism sector.

WTTC is the body which represents the Travel & Tourism private sector globally. Members consist of CEOs of the world's Travel & Tourism companies, destinations, and industry organisations engaging with Travel & Tourism.

WTTC has a history of 25 years of research to quantify the economic impact of the sector in 185 countries. Travel & Tourism is a key driver for investment and economic growth globally. The sector contributes US$8.8 trillion or 10.4% of global GDP, and accounts for 319 million jobs or one in ten of all jobs on the planet.

For over 25 years, WTTC has been the voice of this industry globally. Members are the Chairs, Presidents and Chief Executives of the world's leading, private sector Travel & Tourism businesses, who bring specialist knowledge to guide government policy and decision-making and raise awareness of the importance of the sector.

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WTTC Says Governments Should Abandon The Concept Of 'High-Risk Countries' And Instead Focus On 'High-Risk Travellers' - Hospitality Net

Travel in a "Post-Covid-19" World and How Businesses are Preparing for it – ChicagoNow

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According to an earlier prediction byGBTA, business travel spend was expected to top $1.7 trillion by 2022. Judging by the performance of the travel industry in the past year, the business travel industry is expected to suffer a revenue loss of about $820.7 billion.

The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are far-reaching, cutting across every sector. States through her government and agencies are doing their best to curtail the spread of the virus. The pandemic has challenged businesses to redefine their mode of operations, priorities and revenue generation strategies.

In fact, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC, 2020),according to this report, stated that as at the 14th of April 2020, the COVID-19 virus had spread to over 180 countries, infecting an estimated 1.98 million people and accounting for 126,753 deaths worldwide. The spread of this strain of the virus, which was first discovered in Wuhan China, is heavily dependent on human movement and contact. Hence, the initial spread of the virus to parts of the globe can be linked to the travel industry, which was also badly hit as a result of COVID-19.

The travel industry and COVID-19

For businesses in the travel space, this new development represented a significant change in many areas, especially revenue generation. Conservative estimatesby the WTTC projected that the global travel and tourism industry was going to shed at least 75 million jobs along with a tourism GDP deficit of up to US$2.1tn in 2020 alone.

The World Travel and Tourism Council also reported that work travel represented 21% of the $8.9 trillion spent globally on travel and tourism in 2019. But with remote working, the revenue from work and business-related travels have dropped globally. These reports show that most workers have adapted to the concept of working from home, strengthened by the acquisition of sophisticated gadgets that guarantee effectiveness and efficiency.

Many are predicting that the concept of remote working has come to stay beyond the virus. Most businesses have diverted the funds set aside for business travel expenses to the acquisition of gadgets, they are unarguably not going to dispose of these tools when this period is over.

The perfect work-life balance that remote working offers is another reason for this belief. This is further strengthened by the rise of freelance jobs, which has the potential of replacing regular employment.

The tourism segment and COVID-19

This segment of the market is not left out of the adverse effects of COVID-19. With country borders shut down, tourists were forced to cancel their travel plans.

According to the Illinois Office of Tourism Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the tourism industry in the state welcomed 120 million visitors in 2019, representing a ninth consecutive year in Illinois tourism growth. Chicago is the largest city in the State and accounts for a large chunk of this number and the resultant revenue.

While tourists were seen here and there at the Bean, Navy Pier and Museum Campuses located in Chicago. This is a far cry from the figures and the number of visitors projected for the state before the pandemic hit the world.

As of June 2019, a publicationby the Chicago Tribune revealed that major events like Lollapalooza, Chicago Pride Parade or Taste of Chicago would not be held. While Skydeck Chicago, the observation deck on top of Willis Tower and museums are closed.

On the heels of the new reality, tourism brands are forced to innovate and find ways to stay afloat. For instance, Caravan Tours Inc,a Chicago-based tour company, is using their 2022 70th anniversary to offer potential tourists the opportunity to pre-register for 2022 tours. By doing this, these brands are selling hope, excitement and a longing for adventure to their clients and prospects. A pre-registration arrangement gives the impression that these sort of brands are doing something now and also have a plan to make the tours possible.

With the development of the coronavirus vaccine, which has already been shipped to some places, better days are ahead for every aspect of the global economy. This vaccine would help to boost peoples confidence, revive international travels and tourism. However, travel in the post-covid-19 world has a couple of factors to contend with.

Factors to contend with Post-COVID-19

The realities presented and normalized by COVID-19 would not just disappear. For the employee in Illinois who has now become conversant with the convenience of working from home, a return to full office work is unlikely, when freelance work opportunities are available. Here are a few factors the travel industry has to contend with if it is to bounce back:

1. Fear

This is probably the biggest factor that everyone - individuals and businesses alike, have to contend with. It is said that the fear of death has caused more death than death itself. This factor is capable of keeping the travel industry down for longer than necessary or expected.

Areport by the US Travel Association projected that the U.S. economy was to lose $155 billion in 2020 or $425 million per day, owing to a massive decline in foreign visits because of the pandemic or international travel bans. Governments all over the world are afraid of opening their borders for international trips and understandably so.

2. Change in living culture

The reality is that peoples way of living is not the same anymore. The culture in the world has gradually shifted with more dependence on the internet for daily living.Statista holds that as at October 2020, almost 4.66 billion people were active internet users as at October 2020. This number represents about 59% of the global population.

The report also shows that mobile has now become the most important channel for internet access, with mobile internet users accounting for 91% of total internet users globally. People have gotten used to the idea of depending on the internet for their daily needs order for groceries online when out of stock; find your choice piece and brand of fashion online and have then delivered to your doorsteps.

3. Government and emerging health policies

For a second, it felt like we were defeating the enemy. Countries around the world relaxed the lockdown with a plan for the phased return of full economic activities. But with the recent spike in new cases, countries are shutting their borders and enacting policies to protect her people from further harm.

With the recent spike, a new and deadlier strain of the virus has been reported in some places. New policies and guidelines have now been released by health authorities and government agencies to regulate movement and enforce existing safety measures. A case in point is the Travel Order issued for anyone coming into the City of Chicago from designated states in the US.

As the world braces up to the reality of life after COVID-19, travel businesses are empowering themselves with adequate information necessary to ensure the safety of their clients and others. The new norm is here and travel businesses are embracing the reality of it by strengthening the digital aspect of their operations, bracing up to facts and driving innovation.

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CHTA: Economic Survival Tied to Health Safety and Responsible Tourism – Travel Agent

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Despite having one of the worlds lowest rates of coronavirus infections, hospitalizations and deaths, the Caribbeans economic survival is in serious jeopardy as tourism-dependent economies struggle with the consequences of the pandemic and travel restrictions being imposed and considered by its most popular countries of origin for travel.

The Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) in a press announcement said it welcomed the new United Statesadministrations international travel measures, which call for returning travelers and those entering the United States to show proof of receiving a negative antigen or PCR test, while not mandating quarantines but recommending self-isolation upon returning.

The organization, whose membership includes 33 of the regions national hotel and tourism associations, expressed its appreciation and concerns in a letter to President Joe Biden and U.S. government officials last week in response to the administrations call for input on international travel protocols as part of an Executive Order on the matter.

Pivoting Back to Travel | The Destination Weddings & Honeymoons Edition

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In throwing its support behind requiring travelers entering the U.S. to show proof of a negative antigen test within 72 hours of travel, CHTA cautioned against the imposition of mandatory PCR tests for travelers returning to or entering the U.S. from the Caribbean, highlighting the stringent virus containment measures already in place within the region and the regions challenges in administering a much larger number of PCR tests. The organization stated that should this become a new requirement, it would severely strain the current testing capacity of many Caribbean jurisdictions, citing the availability, costs and processing time as essentially rendering much of the region unable to meet local and U.S. traveler testing demand.

With that said, the region has moved aggressively to increase its capacity to administer PCR and antigen tests as it aims to meet local demand and adhere to new testing requirements for travelers and returning residents to its key source markets. This stepped-up effort followed earlier announcements last month by Canada, the United Kingdom and the European Union.

(Note that the U.S. testing requirement does not apply to the United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, which are within the U.S. containment area.)

In its communication to the United States, CHTA added its concerns to those of the World Travel & Tourism Council, the U.S. Travel Association and the International Air Transport Association about the possible imposition of a mandatory quarantine period for travelers to the United States. The organization indicated should this be put in place it would be devastating to the regions economic health and also have further ramifications on the U.S. economy. The organization cited the link between the economies of the Caribbean and the United States.

CHTA urged Caribbean residents and businesses to bolster their already strong health safety protocols, stating that this is no time to let our guard down and echoed calls for all residents to wear face coverings, practice physical distancing, wash their hands frequently and adhere to sound hygienic practices advanced by the Caribbean Public Health Agency and local health authorities.

For moreinformation, visit http://www.caribbeanhotelandtourism.com.

Leo Garbutt Named Grenada Hotel & Tourism Association President

Saint Lucia Updates Arrival Protocols

CHTA's Frank Comito Steps Down From Leadership Role

Jamaica Ups Testing Capacity to Accommodate Travel Requirements

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CHTA: Economic Survival Tied to Health Safety and Responsible Tourism - Travel Agent

53 Black founders and investors to watch in 2021 – PitchBook News & Analysis

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In 2018, just 3% of VC partners in the US were Black, while 80% were white, according to the NVCA-Deloitte Human Capital Survey, a joint study designed to uncover the state of diversity and inclusion (D&I) across the venture industry.

For years, venture capitalists have faced mounting pressure to diversify their portfolio companies and investment teams with people of color and women. Last year, the conversation reemerged as protests erupted across the US in response to the police killings of several Black Americans. The venture industry, forced to reckon with its own overwhelming lack of diversity, saw an outpouring of support, with some founders vowing to reduce racial disparities in the industry.

This year, our list of Black founders and investors aims to celebrate and highlight leaders who are making a big impact. Thelist features both familiar names and the next generation of innovators who are working to shape their communities and the world at large.

For the people on this list, we considered:

The investorsAlthough mostly comprised of VCs, this list also features leaders who have created communities to empower other Black entrepreneurs through capitaland educational support. We have also included spotlights on several VC firms with a stated mission to fund diverse founders.

Where possible, weve included links to each persons Twitter page. Additionally, some companies are linked to PitchBook profiles, where you can further dive into funding details, other investors and more. Among the wide range of information available in PitchBook, users can search our database to find investors with active investments and a stated preference in minority and women-owned businesses.

These education technology (edtech) companies have developed software that enhances teaching practices and improves learning outcomes.

Dr. Johnetta MacCallaCo-founder and CEO of Zyrobotics, a creator of inclusive, educational technologies for the diverse needs of children with differing abilities.@Zyrobotics

Chris BennettCo-founder and CEO of Wonderschool, a network of modern early education programs to ensure all families have access to high-quality early childhood care.@wonderschools

These financial technology (fintech) companies use internet, blockchain and software technologies, as well as algorithms, to offer or facilitate financial services traditionally offered by banks.

Sheena AllenFounder and CEO of CapWay, a mobile banking and fintech company with the mission to restore trust and provide a fair opportunity to learn and grow wealth for all.@SheenaAllenApps

Joe BeardCo-founder of CollateralEdge, a fintech platform that provides banks with innovative, automated solutions to bolster the credit profile of loans and allow greater underwriting flexibility.@joebeard214

Tavonia EvansFounder of Guapcoin, a blockchain company and cryptocurrency created to amplify the economic voice of the Black community. @cryptodeeva

Jerry NemorinFounder of LendStreet, a lending platform designed to help people get out of debt, rebuild their credit and get a fresh start.@twitterhandle

David PotterCo-founder of CURU, a SaaS lead recovery platform that enables lenders and marketplaces to recover lost and rejected loan opportunities by boosting applicant eligibility in areas such as credit score and debt-to-income ratio.@CuruCredit

These founders are leveraging various mediums to contribute to and innovate entertainment.

Andre JonesCo-founder of The Tenth Magazine, a bi-annual publication that documents the history, culture, ideas and aesthetics of the Black LGBTQ community.@thetenthzine

Morgan DeBaunFounder of Blavity, a media platform focused on serving the multifaceted lives of Black millennials.@MorganDeBaun

Stacy SpikesFounder of PreShow and Movie, a mobile platform where customers can watch branded content in exchange for seeing first run movies in theaters for free.

These health technology (healthtech) companies provide mobility and other information technologies to improve healthcare delivery while decreasing costs.

Ade AdesanyaCo-founder of Moving Analytics, a digital cardiac rehabilitation and prevention program, delivered via mobile platform and health coaching.@AdesStartups

Crystal EvuleochaFounder of Kiira Health, a telehealth platform for collegiate women focused on addressing womens health inequities.@crystola_belle

Derrick MilesFounder and CEO of CourMed, an enterprise software provider that innovates delivery services from healthcare providers to patients.@CourMed

Kevin DednerFounder and CEO of Hurdle, a mental health company that puts culture first in its approachto deliveringtherapy and self-care support.@kdedner

Nathalie WaltonFounder of Expectful, a subscription platform that makes meditation easy for expectant and new mothers, in an effort to tackle the wellbeing crisis facing the 21 million women in the US on their motherhood journeys.@nathaliegwalton

Bea ArthurFounder of The Difference, an on-demand therapy technology that uses AI to connect users with a therapist via Alexa.@BeaArthurLMHC

These food technology (foodtech) companies are developing products and services intended to improve consumers food selection, purchasing and consumption experiences.

Zuleyka StrasnerFounder of Zero Grocery, a plastic-free online store that delivers fresh, high quality groceries and everyday goods at wholesale prices, utilizingreusable glass jars to reduce waste.@zuleykastrasner

Riana LynnFounder of Journey Foods, a SaaS and AI-powered platform intended to help food businesses develop nutritious food products.@rianalynn

Jasmine CroweFounder of GOODR, a platform created to provide a secure ledger that tracks an organizations surplus food from pickup to donation, delivering real-time social and environmental impact reporting analytics.@jasminecrowe

These companies exemplify the future of beauty because they are incorporating digital technologies into their products and services, providing bespoke products that target a niche group or are manufacturing and marketing their products as natural, clean and/or organic.

Darren TenkorangFounder of Trim-it, the first app-powered mobile barbershop, delivering the highest quality haircuts straight to your doorstep in a high-tech barbershop in a van.@Trimit_app

Tracey PickettFounder of Hairbrella, a rainwear company that combines fashion and function to keep hair dry and protected from the elements.@traceypickett__

Courtney CaldwellCo-founder of ShearShare, a B2B app that matches licensed beauty professionals to unused salon space.@ShearShareCOO

The travel industry took a hit in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic caused bookings to plummet. Hope for a 2021 travel season still exists and these founders are using technology to facilitatebetter travel experiences.

Ama MarfoCo-founder of Airfordable, alongside Emmanuel Buah. The duo created Airfordable to democratize travel in a budget-friendly way through a payment plan system with zero interest.@AmaMarfo

Joah SpearmanFounder of Localeur, which provides access to a global community of local insiders and authentic recommendations on where to eat and drink in over 180+ cities, as well as world travel tips, road trip guides and personalized itineraries.@joahspearman

Jonathan HayesFounder and CEO of Rewardstock, a platform that offers information on credit cards for travelers to earn, track and use reward points to book trips. The company was acquired by Experian in November 2020.@RewardStock

From streamlining internal teamwork to facilitating e-commerce sales, these founders are using technology to increase business productivity.

Ablorde AshigbiFounder of 4Degrees, a SaaS platform that provides relationship building recommendations and intelligent guidance on expanding team networks.@Ablordesays

Jordan WalkerFounder of Yac, an app designed to cut down on meetings and calls with voice messages, searchable transcriptions and asynchronous screen sharing.@jordanlwalker

Yaw AningCo-founder and CEO of Malomo, a shipment tracking and customer marketing platform for e-commerce brands that helps its users generate more revenue and increase customer loyalty.@YawA

Diishan ImiraFounder and CEO of Mayvenn, an online platform designed to provide quality hair products to hairstylists, so that they can sell directly to their clients without the burden of upfront costs.@DiishanImira

Karissma YveCo-founder of Gildform, an app that connects every element of the jewelry manufacturing supply chaintransforming the way fashion brand owners run their businesses.@karissmayve

These companies are helping both job seekers and hiring organizations find the best job match through software and mobile applications.

Ruben HarrisCo-founder and CEO of Career Karma, an app created to help job training programs find qualified applicants, as well as match people with coding bootcamps to support them throughout their careers.@rubenharris

Zack SmithFounder of Jobble, a mobile and web marketplace that connects businesses to people looking for gig economy and hourly work.@JobblerZack

Sky KelleyFounder of Avisare, a centralized network for all businesses to discover new contract opportunities, post their own and bid on all opportunities using one universal profile.@SkyKelley1

While not directly in the venture capital ecosystem, these founders started nonprofits and created communities aimed at educating and opening doors for future BIPOC leaders.

Kimberly BryantFounder and executive director of Black Girls CODE, a nonprofit that teaches computer programming and tech skills to girls and young women from underrepresented communities.@6Gems

Makinde AdeagboFounder of /dev/color, a nonprofit community for Black software engineers to help each other grow into industry leaders.@makinde

Laura Weidman PowersCo-founder and CEO of Code2040, a nonprofit aimed at helping underrepresented minorities achieve educational and entrepreneurial success.@laurawp

These investors are champions for minority voices in the private markets and are constantly working toward creating a more equitable future for entrepreneurs and investors alike.

About Harlem Capital PartnersFounded in 2015, Harlem Capital Partners is an early-stage venture firm based in New York. The firm prefers to invest in early-stage companies and reserves capital for investments in minority and women founders in the United States.

The firm has done its own research and compiled a list of 200 Black and Latinx venture capitalists to analyze occurrences and trends to understand minority involvement in the VC space.

See Harlem Capital Partners investment history

Abyah Nycole WynnCo-founder and managing director at Twenty65 Fund, a $10 million fund focused exclusively on supporting female and minority-led founders.@abyahw

Erik MooreFounder and managing director of Base Ventures, a seed-stage VC firm with the idea to fund disruptive ideas and champion nontraditional thinkers.@basevc

Taj Ahmad EldridgeSenior director of investment at Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI) and founder of Fund Humanity, a nonprofit impact-relief fund.@Econoahmad

Arian SimoneAngel investor and founding partner of the Fearless Fund, which recently launched a $25 million fund to invest exclusively in early-stage businesses run by women of color.@ArianSimone

About Fearless FundFearless Fund invests in women of color led businesses seeking pre-seed, seed level or Series A financing. Its mission is to bridge the gap in venture capital funding for women of color founders building scalable, growth-aggressive companies. Fearless Fund is built by women of color for women of color.

See the Fearless Funds investment history

Angela BentonFounder of NewME, a technology accelerator created to accelerate, educate and empower underrepresented tech entrepreneurs around the world and founder of Streamlytics, a platform designed to measure what content users are watching and listening to across streaming platforms . @ABenton

Karim WebbEntrepreneurial activist, founder and CEO of 4thMVMT, which focuses on communities impacted by institutional racism and invests in entrepreneurs who lack access to capital, operational resources and networks to start and grow a business.@KarimWebb

AboutBackstage Capital In 2015, Arlan Hamilton founded Backstage Capital from the ground up. Based in Los Angeles, California, the fund is dedicated to minimizing funding disparities in tech by investing in high-potential founders who are people of color, women, and/or LGBTQ.

SeeBackstage Capitals investment history

Sydney SykesLSVP scout investor and co-founder of BLCK VC, a nonprofit that aims to support and expand Black representation in venture. @Syd_Lykes

Female founders and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemicDownload this in-depth report: All In: Female Founders and CEOs in the US VC Ecosystem

LGBTQ+ founders and investorsRead our blog: 25 LGBTQ+ founders, entrepreneurs and VCs you should know

Note: All images were sourced from LinkedIn and Google. PitchBook does not own the rights to any of the images used in this post. If you'd like to have a photo removed, please contact us and we'd be happy to do so.

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53 Black founders and investors to watch in 2021 - PitchBook News & Analysis

The biggest post-pandemic challenge in travel – Travel Weekly

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Arnie Weissmann

How is travel changing? That question is really two questions, with two completely different answers, one for the traveling public and one for the travel industry.

In the near term, consumers are facing uncertainty: a shape-shifting landscape of border closures and testing mandates; the potential linkage of vaccine requirements to places and products; the specter of spikes and variants.

Their risks, however, are somewhat mitigated by flexible cancellation and rebooking policies.

If you're a travel professional, you must develop, over and above your traditional skill set, an expertise in all of the above. You must keep up with day-to-day changes in destinations, guide consumers through available options and have Plan B alternatives available at a moment's notice should arrangements be disrupted.

But the ability to do that well is connected to what I believe may be one of the biggest changes in -- and challenges for -- the post-pandemic travel industry landscape.

Earlier this week, I watched the Youth Digital Travel Summit, a three-evening program produced by a nonprofit called I Am Cultured. The organization sends under-resourced high school students abroad in their junior and senior years to expose them to the life-changing impact of international travel.

The trips were canceled for 2020, so organizers put together a virtual program that featured tourism officials from Italy, Costa Rica and Singapore; celebrities talking about their experiences traveling; and travel professionals -- suppliers and agents -- talking about what it's like to work in the travel industry.

The common thread among the professionals who spoke was a focus on the importance of relationships within the travel industry. Relationships, they emphasized, are the industry's foundation.

I fear that foundation has cracks that may make recovery more difficult for a period.

The U.S. Travel Association estimates 4.5 million American travel and tourism jobs were lost in 2020, and the World Travel & Tourism Council worries the global toll could reach 174 million. Part of the value that travel professionals, advisors and suppliers alike, bring to consumers is their connections to others in the industry. It's a significant piece of their professional equity. Most travel professionals have spent years, and many have spent decades, getting to know not just the places consumers travel but the people in those places.

Many of those connections have now been severed. There were hotel general managers, now laid off, who reassured us that standards would be high no matter where they were posted. Among the missing are concierges who we trusted to recommend the best restaurants to clients, not just the restaurants that gave them a kickback.

And, speaking of restaurants: among them are ones we've recommended for years but have now closed or lost a gifted chef.

There are business development managers at cruise lines, deep water and river, who advisors knew would act to resolve a client's problem but who have, in the past year, been let go.

And some tour guides -- the ones who clients remember long after other details of a trip have become hazy -- have been forced to find other work during the pandemic and will not be returning to their previous position.

Reliable hotels have closed and won't be reopening. Boutiques that were on the must-shop list are now out of business. Bars, pubs, tavernas that we knew would not disappoint have been shuttered.

There has, of course, always been churn among the people, products and places of travel. In any given year, we're disappointed to hear about changes that have meant the loss of a relationship or enterprise. But the scale of loss that has occurred in the past 10 months is deep and wide.

Nonetheless, there's reason for optimism. Over the next 12 months, our trusted colleagues who have lost their positions will, in many cases, return or resurface somewhere else.

And there's a reason that relationships have become so important to travel: This is an industry of extraverts. Relationships didn't become the foundation of the travel industry because it's the natural foundation of every industry. Travel attracts people who want to be of service to others. It's why all segments of the industry look to hospitality, in particular, for best practices in customer care.

Going forward, the void left behind by the friends and colleagues who have moved on from the industry will be filled by new people who will, soon, become not just industry contacts but part of an ecosystem of trust and support. You'll meet them on post-pandemic reconnaissance trips, at conference receptions and, yes, over Zoom.

Travel Weekly's recent cover story about people who have been laid off from the industry included remarkable optimism and resilience in the face of adversity. It's a tough industry to leave, and I suspect that many who may have lost their positions are going to return. The foundation of the travel industry may have fractures now, but its foundational promise is inherently valuable, powerful and renewable.

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The biggest post-pandemic challenge in travel - Travel Weekly

Universal teams with Big Hit and YG Entertainment to invest in global live-streaming platform – Music Business Worldwide

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Universal Music Group is joining forces with two K-Pop titans Big Hit Entertainment and YG Entertainment toinvest in a new digital live-streaming platform with ambitions on a global scale.

Big Hit has announced that both YG and UMG have acquired an equity stake in KBYK Live, a joint venture that was established between Big Hit and Kiswe last year.

KBYK Live subsequently launched VenewLive in September, a live-streaming content platform.

With the equity investment, YG and UMG say they will help expand VenewLive further in ways which a range of artists, including those signed with UMG and YG can participate.

A press release added that, as a result of the deal, VenewLive is expected to secure globally renowned artist line-up and high-quality performance contents represented by Big Hit, YG, and UMG, while further expanding the platform by utilizing Kiswes technologies including the multi-view live-streaming.

The PR continued: Powered by Kiswes cutting-edge technologies, VenewLive can customize each concert experience to fit the identity and characteristics of each artist while providing innovative and original performance experiences for fans to enjoy their favorite artists content in a uniquely customized, authentic and personalized way.

Big Hit says that the tech behindVenewLive was used for two record-breaking BTS online concerts last year: BANG BANG CON The Live and MAP OF THE SOUL ON:E in June and October respectively.

The former drew in a peak concurrent audience of 756,000 while the latter was viewed by a total of 993,000 audience worldwide.

KBYK Live CEO John Lee said, VenewLive has already live-streamed several large-scale performances last year and provided unique immersive fan concert experiences that can be offered through our cutting-edge technologies, including 6-angle multi-views, 4K resolution, and various interactive features.

He added, Our technology will be the basis for enabling fans to feel closer to artists, and help artists express their energy on a digital stage.

YG Entertainment Chief Operating Officer Sung Jun Choi said, We are excited about this investment as our company with many artists competitive on a global stage has secured a high-quality platform with leading technologies.

He added, We will continue to do our best to provide more interactive experiences and new services to global fans.

UMG Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and President of Operations Boyd Muir said, We are delighted to join Big Hit, YG and Kiswe as partners in KBYK as we look to help further evolve the opportunities and live-streaming experiences for UMG artists and their fans today, and into the future.

This past year has shown that the need for reliable and innovative live-streaming has never been greater. VenewLive offers some of the most creative and memorable opportunities for todays artists to globalize their art and performances, tailored to enhance the community and fan-experience.

Kiswe CEO Mike Schabel said, We have been developing video streaming and fan engagement technology since 2013 and are excited to use that digital technology to extend beyond the boundaries of a stadium to help artists perform to their global fans, and for those fans to feel like they are part of the concert. Having supported truly live pay per view concerts with some of the biggest artists in the world, we strive to deliver incredible experiences for every fan.

Big Hit Global CEO Lenzo Yoon said, Big Hits attempts to maximize fan experience are not limited to entertainment, but also implementing various technologies. KBYK is also part of this effort.

He added, Our dream and goal is to provide the most advanced technology currently available so that fans can experience the artists content in the best way possible under any circumstances. We will continue to study how new technologies and attempts in various fields can have a positive impact on strengthening our fan experience and actively introduce them.Music Business Worldwide

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Universal teams with Big Hit and YG Entertainment to invest in global live-streaming platform - Music Business Worldwide

Sharify makes it super simple to rediscover your citys social side – TechCrunch

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The pandemic has upended many aspects of urban life but perhaps the most visible upheaval is to citydwellers social lives, with curfews calling time on traditional night life across much of the Western world and social distancing putting a chilly spin on opportunities for getting together with people outside your usual circle. Who knew leaving the house was going to seem like such a mission?

Opportunities to escape the city entirely such as by jetting off somewhere remain severely limited or even impossible right now, depending on where you live. And for many urbanites COVID-19 may feel as if its turned the advantages of city living on its head, despite lockdowns generally not being as hard-line as they were at times last year and vaccines now (slowly) being rolled out.

Sharify is a startup that reckons it can help with the weird flatness of pandemic city living. Its a real-time events app (iOS and Android) that wants to bring back a little of the serendipitous joy of urban living by making it easier to discovery things going on around you maybe even just a few blocks away. To do this its combined real-time event listings with a map view (via the medium of emoji-style icons plus filters) to quickly and cheerfully surround you with stuff thats happening in the vicinity.

Though the business idea predates COVID-19, Sharify isnt blind to the changes wrought by the pandemic. And the app displays a star icon next to events that are deemed COVID-19 safe a subtle promotion meaning the organizer has measures in place to reduce the risk of contagion, such as controlling venue capacity, providing disinfectant hand gel and ensuring tables/seating are safety spaced. (Which may well be legal requirements for a venue to be open for business, of course.)

At the same time, the app lets users share their own meeting plan with other users potentially encouraging a bunch of strangers to meet up to play some music or hang out in the park or whatnot so its appropriateness for the pandemic moment in which we find ourselves does depend on how you use it.

Its open to social swings or roundabouts, you could say. (And limits on when/how clubs and bars can open may well be pushing a socially oriented and app-savvy demographic toward alternative ways (and tools) to mingle with strangers.)

More broadly, Sharify invites users to rethink the concept of travel and trips asking them to refocus their attention and energy on discovering entertaining things to do without having to go far or plan far ahead. Because, well, what else can anyone really do right now? Apart from stay at home ofc.

The app does have two view modes: One for events geared towards locals and/or a dedicated tourist view to cater to those wanting to do more typical sightseeing though content for the latter is obviously thinner on the ground at the moment. (And, well, tourism as a concept is starting to feel rather quaint and old-fashioned vs properly exploring your own backyard.)

Officially Sharify is launched in Barcelona, Madrid and New York City but says its expanding quickly and touts being present in 25+ cities around the world (presumably with a lighter events cadence vs those three).

I tested the app in Barcelona and quickly found a bunch of local events that looked interesting at least compared to another night of thumbing through the Netflix catalogue from a Banksy art exhibition, to a stand up comedy show (in English!), lots of theatre, a bunch of markets, yoga classes and a skateboarding event all going on within, at most, a couple of miles and days from where Ive been spending the vast majority of my time for, like, almost a whole entire year.

Just the act of seeing stuff still going on in a city which, frankly, hasnt felt very familiar or open for much of anything for close to 12 months was a bit of an eye opener.

After so much time locked down indoors maybe we all need a bit of a nudge/visual reminder that life is still going on and socializing is still possible (with appropriate safety measures and distancing) beyond the front door and away from the Zoom screen (or any other screen tbh). Even if Im not about to sign up for everything I spotted in the app. But feeling like I could is almost exciting enough.

As well as providing key details about each event (when, where, any website etc), Sharify lets you signal an intent to go thats visible to other users by joining an event. It also hosts per event chat where those who have joined are invited to talk to people who join the plan which is another neat little nudge to get users excited about going to a local thing, maybe without their usual friend group in tow.

Sharify isnt disclosing how many users it has but it says it has 100,000+ monthly event views (3K+ daily), and 5,000+ events every month. (On Google Play the app has had 10,000+ installs.)

Where users create their own plans to advertise to others it touts an impressively high join rate of 95%. (Albeit saying youre going to something you found via an app isnt the same as actually turning up.)

To encourage users to discover and attend others events, Sharify displays a smilie face on the map in locations where several people are up for sharing plans listing the number of people theoretically up for joining in stuff around there and nudging you to create a plan in this area to tap into that potential guest pool.

It also lets you drill down to check out micro profiles of these (public) socially interested locals displaying a first name, perhaps a photo and any interests if theyve chosen to select some from its curated lists of culture, hobbies, sports and social activities etc. (Happily theres no option to message individual users via their profile so no fear of stupid in-app spam.)

Location-based and social sharing is not new, of course. Indeed, its an idea thats been around the tech block so many times the sound of a real-time events map probably triggers a fuzzy feeling of havent I seen this before somewhere? The deja vu may be real but context is ever shifting, is the point. Or, to put it another way, here and now, in an open-ended pandemic, going about finding something to do probably looks and feels quite a bit different to how you did it, pre-March 2020.

Put simply: Best laid plans are toast. Friends who dont live in the same city are likely reachable only on Zoom or by text. And at very least youre dealing with hard limits on how far you can range for your entertainment in time and space.

Local and/or virtual is the new global, all of a sudden. So Sharify reckons its real-time events map is just the ticket/tonic in this curtailed context by cheerfully surrounding you with nearby stuff to do. The 2017-founded startup says its been growing despite the pandemic.

Were stuck at home, and we saw all the Netflix series. Is there any plan near my home for this afternoon? Event agendas simply dont work in this user case. Thats why we built a real-time map, says co-founder and CEO Gemma Prenafeta. And the problem we will face in some months from now: Im not stuck at home anymore. Where do I find new events easily?

As Sharify is a collaborative platform, we let people share their own events for free, we scrape different event sources such as Google and Tiqets, and we highlight those businesses that want to promote themselves, she adds, giving a succinct explainer on how the app populates the map view with stuff to do.

Social maps arent new, of course and features like Snap Map, which was added to Snaps social network via its acquisition of Zenly, certainly has a bit of overlap (while Sharifys smiley octopus logo on a yellow background has more than a little of Snaps ghost in look and feel), though Snap Map is more obviously focused on friends location and social sharing vs Sharify being about event discovery, first and foremost. (Friends may follow from this real-life socializing, is the suggestion.)

There are also event discovery network startups (like calendar-focused IRL). But, again, with such a glance-friendly map view, Sharify is paying closer attention to immediacy/hyper-local event discovery vs IRL which pivoted to helping people surface virtual events as the pandemic shuttered lots of real world events last year and has since focused on building out its own social network.

The immediacy factor is key at Sharify, as you can see whats happening, in real-time, says Prenafeta. We say going to a local event is a kind of Local Trip. Traveling before was about taking flights, now its about taking a Bird or a eCooltra to an event nearby.

Whether mapping real-time events is a standalone business or a feature/tool that could just be added to a dominant platform/social network is perhaps a more pressing question for this fledgling startup. And its notable that tech (and mapping) giant Google added a Community Feed to Maps late last year.

Facebook has also had an Events Near Me feature on its platform for years. Albeit, anything listed inside its walled garden has to contend with all the baggage Facebook brings with it. So an indie app with a fresh approach should have a chance to attract users who wouldnt be caught dead on Facebook (even in a pandemic).

Sharify has certainly come up with a really effortless way to spark a sense of possibility to feel like you can cut through the monotony of lockdown life just by firing up a super simple overview of stuff going on around you.

It then layers on some more powerful tools that are designed to help you find others to do stuff with, which adds a subtle but maybe deeper hook in these socially distanced times.

Life is still pretty locked down, and thats why its more important than ever to know whats open and what isnt, close to our house, suggests Prenafeta. And, well, its pretty hard to argue with that.

Shes looking beyond the pandemic too back to more normalcy and anticipating helping local businesses announce their reopenings, once thats possible. The team is currently working on a seed investment round to prepare for the post-pandemic momentum, she says.

So far the Barcelona-based startup has raised a pre-seed and an angel round led by IESE Group, per Prenafeta with a total of 501,000 (~$600k) invested to date into what has turned out to be a contextually fresh twist on the old SoMoLo trend.

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Sharify makes it super simple to rediscover your citys social side - TechCrunch

Around the globe, virus cancels spring travel for millions – The Associated Press

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FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) They are the annual journeys of late winter and early spring: Factory workers in China heading home for the Lunar New Year; American college students going on road trips and hitting the beach over spring break; Germans and Britons fleeing drab skies for some Mediterranean sun over Easter.

All of it canceled, in doubt or under pressure because of the coronavirus.

Amid fears of new variants of the virus, new restrictions on movement have hit just as people start to look ahead to what is usually a busy time of year for travel.

It means more pain for airlines, hotels, restaurants and tourist destinations that were already struggling more than a year into the pandemic, and a slower recovery for countries where tourism is a big chunk of the economy.

Colleges around the U.S. have been canceling spring break to discourage students from traveling. After Indiana University in Bloomington replaced its usual break with three wellness days, student Jacki Sylvester abandoned plans to celebrate her 21st birthday in Las Vegas.

Instead she will mark the milestone closer to home, with a day at the casino in French Lick, Indiana, just 50 miles (80 kilometers) away.

I was really looking forward to getting out of here for a whole week. I wanted to be able to get some drinks and have fun see the casinos and everything and honestly see another city and just travel a little, she said.

At least its letting us have a little fun for a day in a condensed version of our original Vegas plans. Like, Im still going to be able to celebrate. Im just forced to do it closer to home.

Flight cancellations will keep Anthony Hoarty, a teacher from Cranfield in England, from spending Easter with his family at their bungalow on the Greek island of Crete, a trip already postponed from last October. A trip to Mauritius last Easter also fell victim to COVID-19. Its the uncertainty, he said. You cant plan things. Its not knowing if the government is going to change its mind, if the other countries in Europe are changing their mind about travel.

I love going to our house - Id walk if I could, he said.

They could holiday in Britain but with most people grounded, places may be booked up or expensive: The chances of us doing anything are pretty remote, actually.

At bus and train stations in China, there is no sign of the annual Lunar New Year rush. The government has called on the public to avoid travel following new coronavirus outbreaks. Only five of 15 security gates at Beijings cavernous central railway station were open; the crowds of travelers who usually camp on the sprawling plaza outside were absent.

The holiday, which starts Feb. 12, is usually the worlds single biggest movement of humanity as hundreds of millions of Chinese leave cities to visit their hometowns or tourist spots or travel abroad. For millions of migrant workers, it usually is the only chance to visit their hometowns during the year. This year, authorities are promising extra pay if they stay put.

The government says people will make 1.7 billion trips during the holiday, but that is down 40% from 2019.

Each news cycle seems to bring new restrictions. U.S. President Joe Biden reinstituted restrictions on travelers from more than two dozen European countries, South Africa and Brazil, while people leaving the U.S. are now required to show a negative test before returning.

Canada barred flights to the Caribbean. Israel closed its main international airport. Travel into the European Union is severely restricted, with entry bans and quarantine requirements for returning citizens.

For air travel, the short-term outlook has definitely darkened, said Brian Pearce, chief economist for the International Air Transport Association. Governments have poured $200 billion into propping up the industry.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization says international arrivals fell 74% last year, wiping out $1.3 trillion in revenue and putting up to 120 million jobs at risk. A UNWTO expert panel had a mixed outlook for 2021, with 45% expecting a better year, 25% no change and 30% a worse one.

In Europe the outlook is clouded by lagging vaccine rollouts and the spread of the new variants.

That means there is a growing risk of another summer tourist season being lost said Jack Allen-Reynolds at Capital Economics. That would put a huge dent in the Greek economy and substantially delay the recoveries in Spain and Portugal.

Travel company TUI is offering package vacations in the sun in Greece and Spain, but with broad cancellation provisions to attract cautious customers. Places that can be reached by car, such as Germanys North Sea islands and the Alps, are benefiting to some extent because they offer a chance to isolate. The German Vacation Home Association says the popular locations are 60% booked for July and August already.

Thailand, where about a tenth of the population depends on tourism for its livelihood, requires a two-week quarantine for foreigners at designated hotels costing about $1,000 and up. So far, only a few dozen people a day are opting to visit. Tourist arrivals are forecast to reach only 10 million this year from 40 million in 2019.

Gerasimos Bakogiannis, owner of the Portes Palace hotel in Potidaia in Greeces northern Halkidiki region, said he is not even opening for Western Easter on April 4 but will wait a month for Greek Orthodox Easter on May 2 and, he hopes, the start of a better summer.

If this year is like last year, tourism will be destroyed, he said.

___

McDonald contributed from Beijing and Smith from Indianapolis. Elaine Kurtenbach contributed from Bangkok and Costas Kantouris from Thessaloniki, Greece.

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Around the globe, virus cancels spring travel for millions - The Associated Press

The Langham Hotels in the US and UK get top recognition – Travel & Tourism News Middle East

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U.S. News & World Report, a recognised leader in consumer rankings in all categories, recently announced the results of its 2021 Best Hotels List, including The Langham Huntington, Pasadena; The Langham, Chicago; The Langham, New York, Fifth Avenue and The Langham, London on this prestigious list.

The Langham, Huntington, Pasadena was recognised as the #1 hotel in Pasadena and the #37 hotel in all of California. This historic urban resort located in an idyllic community outside of Los Angeles has been a popular retreat for visitors to Southern California since it first opened its doors as a hotel over 110 years ago.

The Langham, Chicago was named the #2 hotel in Chicago; #2 in Illinois and #5 in the United States one of two Chicago hotels to make the top 5. One of the most celebrated hotels in The Langham Hotels & Resorts portfolio, The Langham, Chicago counts this among the many accolades it has received since it opened in 2013.

The Langham, New York, Fifth Avenue was named #4 in New York City. Located right in the middle of New Yorks most celebrated address, Fifth Avenue, The Langham enjoys a prime location for exploring one of the most exciting cities in the world, just steps away from the Empire State Building.

The Langham, London was named #6 hotel in England. The flagship of The Langham Hotels & Resorts brand, The Langham, London is known for being Europes first grand hotel, having been opened in 1865 by the Prince of Wales and serving as the address to see and be seen in London ever since.

In light of everything the US and the UK have been through in the last year, it is wonderful to be able to kick off 2021 with this exciting announcement on behalf of our three American hotels and our London flagship, said Stefan Leser, Chief Executive Officer of Langham Hospitality Group. This list serves as a reminder of that hotels are an important part of the communities in which they operate. We are honoured to be able to serve our guests in a fashion that is now being celebrated by U.S. News & World Report.

The Langham Hotels & Resorts is the luxury brand of Langham Hospitality Group, with 17 hotels on four continents, in some of the worlds most exciting cultural capitals, including the companys flagship in London. The Langham, Huntington, Pasadena; The Langham, Chicago; and The Langham, New York, Fifth Avenue are three of The Langhams four hotels in the US. The fourth, The Langham, Boston, is currently undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation and will reintroduced to the market in spring 2021. - TradeArabia News Service

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The Langham Hotels in the US and UK get top recognition - Travel & Tourism News Middle East

Salesforce declares the 9-to-5 workday dead, will let some employees work remotely from now on – The Verge

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Cloud computing company Salesforce is joining other Silicon Valley tech giants in announcing a substantial shift in how it allows its employees to work. In a blog post published Tuesday, the company says the 9-to-5 workday is dead and that it will allow employees to choose one of three categories that dictate how often, if ever, they return to the office once its safe to do so.

Salesforce will also give employees more freedom to choose what their daily schedules look like. The company joins other tech firms like Facebook and Microsoft that have announced permanent work-from-home policies in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

As we enter a new year, we must continue to go forward with agility, creativity and a beginners mind and that includes how we cultivate our culture. An immersive workspace is no longer limited to a desk in our Towers; the 9-to-5 workday is dead; and the employee experience is about more than ping-pong tables and snacks, writes Brent Hyder, Salesforces chief people officer.

In our always-on, always-connected world, it no longer makes sense to expect employees to work an eight-hour shift and do their jobs successfully, Hyder adds. Whether you have a global team to manage across time zones, a project-based role that is busier or slower depending on the season, or simply have to balance personal and professional obligations throughout the day, workers need flexibility to be successful.

Hyder cites picking up young kids from school or caring for sick family members as reasons why an employee should not be expected to report to work on a strict eight-hour shift every day. He also points to how the removal of strict in-office requirements will allow Salesforce to expand its recruitment of new employees beyond expensive urban centers like San Francisco and New York.

In the blog post, Hyder defines the three different categories of work as flex, fully remote, and office-based. Flex would mean coming into the office one to three days per week and typically only for team collaboration, customer meetings, and presentations, and Salesforce expects most of its employees to fall into this category.

Fully remote is what it sounds like never coming into the office except perhaps in very rare situations or for work-related events. Office-based employees will be the smallest population of our workforce, Hyder says, and constitute employees whose roles require them be in the office four to five days per week.

Our employees are the architects of this strategy, and flexibility will be key going forward, Hyder writes. Its our responsibility as employers to empower our people to get the job done during the schedule that works best for them and their teams, and provide flexible options to help make them even more productive.

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Salesforce declares the 9-to-5 workday dead, will let some employees work remotely from now on - The Verge

Open Our Schools and other commentary – New York Post

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From the right: Open Our Schools

Many liberals continually ignore the science that shows students can safely return to school, notes Wisconsin ex-Gov. Scott Walker at The Washington Times. The CDC confirmed that vaccinations of teachers is not a prerequisite for safely reopening schools, and plenty of teachers . . . are eager to be in the classroom, yet their union is blocking the way. Soaring enrollment at Catholic and private schools proves that parents understand that their children perform better with in-person instruction. Instead of letting the big government union bosses or liberal school administrators decide whats best for individual families, we should put the power in the hands of parents to make the right choice for their daughters and sons. It is time to open our schools.

At his Weekly Dish blog, Andrew Sullivan takes on the rising claims that the classics are inherently racist. He points to the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.s syllabus for a 1962 Morehouse College seminar, with Plato, Aristotle, St. Augustine all the way up to John Stuart Mill. King grasped . . . the core meaning of a liberal education, the faith that ideas can transcend space and time and culture and race. But now comes a broadening movement in the academy to abolish or dismantle the classics because of their iniquitous whiteness. The main claim: Since racist and imperialist societies drew on these ideas, the classics are therefore fatally tainted. But: Thats like saying that science should no longer exist because some scientists once practiced eugenics.

With the impeachment of ex-President Donald Trump and a focus on Republican infighting, the propaganda media and the Democrats . . . want to keep the GOP crouched in a circular firing squad shooting at itself, warns former Speaker Newt Gingrich at Newsweek. Yet Republicans have every reason to be optimistic, with a much stronger position in state governments and excellent opportunities in 2022. And the party will remain largely unified and focused on creating more jobs, lowering taxes, increasing take-home pay, defending Americas interests around the world and developing solutions in health, learning, space and other areas that matter to our future. In the end, the Republican Party of entrepreneurship and hard work will defeat the Democratic Party of unemployment and redistribution.

As Jane Austen wryly wrote, a good memory is unpardonable and a bad memory is going to be absolutely crucial in the new administration, snarks Roger Kimball at Spectator USA. Perhaps the Big Tech wardens in charge of what we can see and hear and think will start censoring items such as the clip from a Democratic debate where Kamala Harris lit into her now-boss on the issue of busing. As California attorney general, she was not above concealing exculpatory evidence that might exonerate people on death row, but you wont see that in the Vogue cover stories of the new VP or in rapturous interviews with her on CNN. But the biggest challenge will be keeping which acts of violence are OK, indeed commendable, separate from those which are not OK and must be regarded as totally reprehensible.

At the Minneapolis Star Tribune, retired cop Kim Voss recalls the firebombing of her Third Precinct office during the George Floyd riots: While our leadership held us back and we remained unsupported by our state, our city and our police administration, our neighborhoods burned. We felt helpless. The department has now seen almost one-third of its sworn personnel leave due to PTSD both diagnosed and undiagnosed. This is what happens when those in leadership disregard warning flags and stick their heads in the sand, leaving cops on the front lines to pay the price. Its tragic: If someone, anyone, in leadership from the city or the Police Department had reached out to us and talked to us as if they really cared about us, you would not be seeing one-third of our department leaving. That is a lot of experience walking away.

Compiled by The Post Editorial Board

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Open Our Schools and other commentary - New York Post

Opinion | On human rights, Amazon is at a crossroads – Crosscut

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A year later, the Jewish peace group Never Again Action highlighted a difficult history not taught in most schools, while linking Amazons practices directly to the tech industrys record of supporting human rights abuses. In a 2019 protest of the companys actions, the group organized a march from a Holocaust memorial in Boston to the Amazon offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

[W]eve seen this before, said protester Ben Lorber, I had ancestors killed in the Holocaust.

As a relatively new tech company, Amazon is at a crossroads. Will the company travel down a familiar road taken by other tech behemoths who turned a blind eye to human rights and workers rights? Or will it opt for the unfamiliar path, refusing to sell its technology and services in support of human rights abuses while also taking a strong, affirmative stance for better workplace conditions and greater diversity within its ranks? In large measure, this decision will fall to the incoming Amazon CEO Andy Jassy. Lorber and many others are pleading and protesting for the road less travelled.

In the spring of 2020, bowing to pressure from its rivals IBM and Microsoft, Amazon announced it would cease selling Rekognition to law enforcement agencies, but only for one year. The end of that year is coming up. In December, the New York State Common Retirement Fund, a large institutional shareholder, along with the Vermont State Treasurers Office, jointly filed a proposal calling on the worlds largest online retailer to curtail surveillance technologies like Rekognition.

But that investor proposal went further, asking Amazon to curb hate speech, increase diversity and improve workplace conditions. It was eerily prescient. Only several weeks later, the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol showed Amazon had provided a safe haven for white nationalists to spew hate, organize and even plan their attack. By the time the social media platform Parler, used by many white nationalist groups, was taken down from the Amazon Web Services cloud, the damage had already been done.

Meanwhile, workers at the company's warehouses continue to endure unjust labor practices. During a pandemic, when so many have turned to Amazon, these workers bear the brunt of increased demand without adequate protective equipment and working conditions to shield them from the virus. Many Amazon factory workers come from communities of color already ravaged by COVID-19.

Amazon has said it stands with the nationwide movement to identify and bring an end to systemic racism, yet it continues to face claims of racial discrimination, said a disappointed Thomas P. DiNapoli, New York state comptroller and trustee of the New York retirement fund.

Instead of welcoming this opportunity, Amazon appealed to the Securities and Exchange Commission to block these proposals from being voted on at its upcoming shareholder meeting. Its a strategic blunder and a tone-deaf response to attempts aimed at preventing the company from tragically following in the footsteps of another high-tech giant.

In the late 1920s, IBM, a newly minted company, and its audacious president, Thomas J. Watson Sr., threw its technological prowess behind the eugenics movement. Eugenics sought to further reproduction of blond, blue-eyed, fair-skinned individuals the so-called Nordic stock while eliminating the bloodlines of undesirables such as Blacks, Jews, Native Americans, Hispanics, the Irish, Italians, mixed-race individuals, LGBTQ+ people and the mentally and physically ill.

A major 1926 study by the Eugenics Record Organization on the island of Jamaica was at risk because eugenicists had no way of tabulating and reporting on so-called pure blood Europeans and their mixed-race offspring, whom together numbered in the millions.

But IBM did.

IBM engineers worked with the Eugenics Record Organization, headquartered in Cold Springs Harbor, New York, to design punch card formats for collecting, sorting, tabulating, printing and storing information on racial characteristics, allowing the organization to declare the Jamaica study a success in 1929 and announce plans for another, similar global project.

Four years later, Watson and IBM brought automated racial classification to Hitler and the Third Reich. Nearly every aspect of the Holocaust and the Nazi war machine was supported by punch card technology, courtesy of IBM. Each concentration camp had an IBM room, where punch cards held prisoners fates, down to the means of their extermination firing squad, gas chamber, oven or being worked to death.

With Germanys defeat, IBM turned next to South Africa, automating most aspects of apartheid. The company even designed specialized equipment to print the Book of Life passbook,carried by white and Colored South Africans,and the dreaded national identification card, which Black South Africans were forced to show on penalty of arrest. Then, after apartheid, IBMs use of technology to circumvent human rights returned to American soil. In 2005, the company used secret CCTV footage of unwitting New Yorkers collected by the New York City Police Department to improve facial recognition technology in order to discriminate based on skin color.

So when protesters in Boston said they had seen this before, they were deliberately connecting Amazons present to IBMs past, pleading that Amazon not repeat the mistakes of a previous generation. Some shareholders understood this and took up that call as well.

Workers rights within high-tech firms bear a similar dark history. In 1970, Black employees organized the National Black Workers Alliance of IBM (BWA) to demand the company hire more Black people, promote Blacks workers more equitably, provide Black employees equal pay and withdraw from apartheid issues similar to those being demanded by Amazon shareholders today.

BWA leaders were targeted with poor performance evaluations, denial of pay raises, accusations of violating company policy by disclosing pay and promotion data and, in one case, false allegations of sexual abuse. Many were fired, demoted or forced to resign.

BWA was fighting systemic racism that still exists at Amazon and other high-tech firms, where a majority of board and senior decision-making positions are held by white men. Less than 3% of high-level positions at high-tech firms are held by people of color. And this is not a pipeline problem. Qualified candidates can be found, if high-tech firms can find the will.

On Friday, the National Labor Relations Board ruled against Amazon, allowing workers at a Bessemer, Alabama warehouse to vote on unionizing. The SEC should follow suit and insist that shareholder proposals are also brought to a vote.

Jeff Bezos may be stepping down as Amazons CEO, but the problems identified by workers, protesters and shareholders remain. Martin Luther King Jr. said, the time is always right to do right. Yet companies like Amazon seem to operate as though that time never arrives; that profits are always more important than people, even in the wake of George Floyds death and calls for racial equity, synagogue attacks, four years of official lies supporting racial hatred and division and an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. King said it best. Now is the right time for Amazon to do right.

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Opinion | On human rights, Amazon is at a crossroads - Crosscut

David Gardner: Are Big Tech companies becoming too powerful? – WRAL Tech Wire

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Editors note: Investor and entrepreneur David Gardner is founder ofCofounders Capitalin Cary and is a regular contributor to WRAL TechWire.

CARY I received a lot of comments last year on my article, Living Through an Amazon Excommunication. Partly in jest, that article pointed out just how intertwined and dependent my day-to-day life had become on using various Amazon services and technologies. Some jumped to the conclusion that I must believe that big tech companies have too much power and control over us.

This has been a hot topic of late with the controversy over Twitter banning former President Trumps use of the platform. With so much of our news and opinions coming now from the big social media platforms like Facebook, Youtube, Instagram and TikTok, could these big tech companies restrict or limit points of view they dont like? Most of the debate on this topic is a Freedom of Speech argument which does not apply. The Constitution states that Congress will make no laws to limit our freedom of speech. Private companies can do whatever they want. When we agree to use a platform, we agree to that platforms terms of service. If a user violates that agreement then the platform has every legal right to restrict the violating users.

Living through an Amazon excommunication Investor David Gardners trials & tribulations

Now, just because something is legal doesnt mean it is right. Could these companies change their user agreements to restrict certain points of view? The answer is yes they could followed quickly by why would they? The one thing you can count on with big companies in general is that they are coin-operated. Social Media giants got to be giants by appealing to the largest base of customers possible. Put simply, they have not cared so much about what you posted so long as you posted it on their platform. Thats how they make money and keep their investors happy.

Imagine the CEO of a national retail shoe brand trying to explain to his board how from now on he is going to implement policies that alienate a large segment of his customers so that they will have to buy their shoes somewhere else. I doubt that the board and investors would respond well to that strategy or the CEOs continued employment.

So why do social media platforms remove some content and ban some users?

Nearly a third of active Twitter users followed Trumps tweets. For the already financially troubled company, Trump was a godsend. Banning Trump was tantamount to cutting off a third of the companys revenue. If big tech is, as I say, coin-operated, why would Twitter do something so harmful to its income statement?

The answer again is that these companies fear for their profits. They do not want more government regulation that could hold them liable for damages users may incur from posted content on their platforms nor do they want legislation that requires them to implement costly detailed moderation of billions of posts. However big the losses were for Twitter, the management team must have calculated even greater losses if it did not moderate Trumps tweeting. I cant imagine how they must have agonized over choosing between these two horrible business choices.

The major social media platforms have two great fears: the fear of losing users and the fear of government regulation because both of these mean big reduction in profits. These big tech companies have argued repeatedly that they are not responsible for what is posted on their platforms but that argument is getting increasingly more difficult to make.

For example, lets say you own a property along a street with a lot of walking traffic. To monetize that property you let people rent booths to sell items to the public. Lets say that one of your renters starts to sell Clorox-laced lemonade marketing it as a cure for Covid and some of its customers start getting sick or even dying. Suppose you know about this but choose to continue to rent that space anyway because you need the rental income. Are you liable for any of the damages people incur from the lemonade stand? Lets suppose that the local authorities start voicing suspicions and wanting you to appear for questioning. You dont want to lose the revenue from that booth but making a good, albeit painful, business decision, you decide to cancel the lemonade stands lease figuring it is better to lose some revenue now then run the risk of being held liable for potentially millions in personal injury damages or being shut down entirely by the local authorities. Welcome to the Twitter management teams dilemma.

In summary, big tech does not want to control our free speech in any way. They would have more users and make more money if they could just let all of their users post whatever they want. Nor are these platforms our virtuous guardians of the truth either. They have no secret political agenda or clandestine plot to manipulate the thinking of the masses even though that does make for some cool conspiracy theories. No. They are just struggling management teams trying to navigate ominous waters while keeping their investors happy and holding onto their jobs.

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David Gardner: Are Big Tech companies becoming too powerful? - WRAL Tech Wire

Big Tech Provides A Shot In The Arm To Vaccine Rollout – Forbes

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The pandemic has challenged most of us on a personal level, however, business wise, it hasnt been bad for everyone. Big tech leaders Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft, and Google, for instance, have all seen their market values increase this past year. Furthermore, all of these companies have found themselves poised to play a significant role in helping the world recover from coronavirus, using their technological prowess to do everything from track coronavirus spread, to manage tests and vaccines, and improve overall distribution workflows. The most important right now, obviously, is vaccine distribution.

Indeed, whether we realize it or not, vaccination distribution is a data-driven process. Globally, we will be using everything from AI to machine learning, the Internet of Things, and blockchain to process huge amounts of data about vaccinations happening in real time. And the data isnt just about shots in arms. Its about cold-chain traceability (proper storage), serial number verification, vehicle routing and geofencing of vaccine delivery, and more. Its a supply chain problem at a massive scale. Luckily, big tech seems to be stepping up in big ways. Which is good for society, and of course, is good for the market perception of these companies. A win-win, in a situation that has been anything but ideal.

Vaccine Management

Who knew vaccine management would be the next big thing in technology? Seeing the challenges facing vaccine distribution, companies like Workday,Salesforce,Microsoft, andServiceNoware pushing vaccine management service offerings into the market. For instance, on the Workday side, the software can track immunization status of employees, as well as get a big picture view of vaccination rates throughout the company by job profile, location, region, etc. Salesforce, for its part, is aiming to assist local, state, and federal governments with tracking inventory, refrigeration states, and other data on its Work.com site. Meanwhile, Microsofts system, developed for government and healthcare workers, aims to help with registration of vaccine providers and patients, phased scheduling, reporting, forecasting, and other types of analytics.

Just like at the beginning of the pandemic when many of these same organizations stepped up and created tracking dashboards, they are stepping again to pivot their services and technologies to serve the greater good.

Vaccine Distribution

Honeywell recently partnered with Atrium Health, Charlotte Motor Speedway and Tepper Sports & Entertainment with a goal of distributing 1 million vaccines by July 4. After being frustrated by the roadblocks and slow rollout in North Carolina, Honeywell CEO stepped up in a major way. He and the team and Honeywell created the necessary infrastructure to improve the efficiency of vaccine distribution in three days.

The public-private partnership will use tech like AI, the Internet of Things, and machine learning to create a virtual playbook that can be replicated at other vaccine sites across the nation. The first pilot was a success, using high-volume assembly line concepts, data entry automation, and analytics, to vaccinate almost 16,000 people in one weekend. They were able to vaccinate one person every four and a half seconds. This coming weekend they hope to be able to vaccinate almost 20,000 more. Now thats some technology (and public-private partnering) that needs to be distributed throughout the country!

Vaccination Credential Initiative

One thing that has been considered by many governments to safely reopen borders for travel would be a vaccine passport or digital proof that youve been inoculated or received a negative COVID test within the last few days. The likes of Oracle, Microsoft, Salesforce, and Commons Project have partnered to create what amounts to exactly that a vaccination passport for those who have been vaccinated against coronavirus. The system will allow those who have been vaccinated against COVID to access their vaccination records quickly and easily. This could then be used to prove protected status when traveling or accessing other public spaces. This is important because in general, vaccinations are not kept on public record. Theyre stored at your doctors office or exist solely on a piece of paper you need to carry with you. An electronic system could be huge for those seeking to prove their vaccine status and the rest of industries who will rely on those vaccines to ensure their services stay safe to the public.

This technology could also have other implications and be used to show other vaccine records for other situations like children entering school. Its just one more way where big tech is stepping up for the common good of the global community.

Mass Vaccination Sites

Big tech companies are big employers. Amazon alone had almost 800,000 employees in 2019. The company also added more than 400,000 jobs amidst the challenging, but digitally exponential year 2020. Why does this matter? These employees are members of our communities. They dont just work in Seattle at headquarters. They work in distribution centers across the country, in offices around the world, and as delivery drivers in your own neighborhood. Amazon knows this and is stepping up its commitment to support its employees receiving the vaccination. With pop-up clinics in Seattle and Florida for now, they are working with the Biden administration to administer at least one million vaccines. When supply becomes more readily available, theyve also pledged to use some of their locations to help vaccinate the public. Theyve also pledged technology services to help too. If there is a company that could help speed up this process, its the company that brought us 2-day shipping (then 1-day, then 1-hour) and changed online shopping and supply chain management forever.

Amazon is not alone in this effort. Google has plans to turn four office locations, parking lots and open spaces into mass vaccination sites for the public in California, Washington and New York. They join other companies like Disney and Starbucks who arent in the big tech realm, but are stepping up to help out in any way they can.

Big Techs Vaccine Efforts: Good for Society and the Brand

All of these efforts make sense on multiple levels. From a society standpoint, its great to see companies take responsibility for the major role that they can play for good. From a brand standpoint, its just smart business. The conscious consumer has been on the rise for the last few years and brands have had to sit up and take note. Many have made pledges to sustainability and have amazing corporate social responsibility goals and now this effort is just one more way that they are actively showing that they care about the world at large and not just the profits that they create. And its a great thing to see.

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Big Tech Provides A Shot In The Arm To Vaccine Rollout - Forbes

Did Big Tech Save the World From an Even Bigger Economic Meltdown? – Foreign Policy

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It is just over a year since the World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern as the new coronavirus started ripping through the world. Even as the virus took its grim toll, governments responded by locking down, and the world economy went into reverse, the past year has been one of unparalleled accelerationof the digital kind. Work, school, doctor visits, entertainment, weddings, goodbyes, and so much more real life moved online. The adoption of digital tools advanced by five years in a matter of eight weeksand many believe that is what buffered us all from an even more devastating economic collapse.

This point is particularly relevant as newly releasedInternational Monetary Fund data projects a global economic turnaround of around 5.5 percent growth in 2021. Every country in the G-20 is projected to grow; and the U.S. economy is expected to return to its pre-pandemic size by mid-2021, according to the Congressional Budget Office. Some of this optimism is, no doubt, predicated on an effective vaccine rollout, but much of it hinges on digital ecosystems playing their part.

It is true that digital connectivity helped preserve some semblance of normalcy. Internet usage surged in tandem with increased COVID-19 case rates. Adoption of digitization and automation accelerated across 85 percent of companies surveyed by McKinsey. In March 2020, Netflix had todowngrade its streaming resolutionto make room in the pipes, but internet speeds in most parts of the world have stabilized to pre-pandemic levels, a testament to the remarkable resilience of the technological infrastructure despite the spikes in traffic.

Remote work and schooling have had a mixed record. But in some instances, behavior changes may deliver positive benefits over time; for example, as schools went remote across India, almost 70 percent of respondents to a survey reported getting help from the community in educating children remotely. Such a collective approach to education across school, family, and community is likely to be one of the longer-term dividends of digital schooling even after physical schools reopen.

For ordinary users, all the hours spent online was a mixed bag. The fact that office work was virtual for so many was reflected in Zooms revenues, which by the end of October 2020 were up 367 percent from the previous year. Other sites associated with work and education, like Wikipedia, and with shopping, like Amazon, were the eighth- and 12th-most-visited websites in December 2020, which is good economic news. Of course, both were overtaken in popularity by an adult website, which may put that statistic in context. Meanwhile, meditation and sleep apps, which arguably promote mental health and productivity, surged, dropped, and surged again during 2020.

Another remarkable outcome of the extended periods of time online was an unprecedented surge in grassroots activity, principally over social media. These digital movements spanned a dizzying array of organizing forces and objectivesfrom a summer of protests to demand racial justice following the killing of George Floyd, to misinformation campaigns that transcended both the pandemic and politics, to masses of amateur investors convincing others to buy stock in underperforming companies. The movements were not just limited to digitally savvy young people on TikTok or Twitch; even illiterate farmers in India organized and sustained protests by learning how to go live and click on like and share buttons on social media. The economic impact of such movements will take some time to sort out, but suffice it to say they recast the idea of productivity in a way that cannot be ignored.

Of course, not everyone had the luxury of leaning on digital technologies as a substitute for the real economy. Although around 60 percent of workers in countries such as Singapore, Switzerland, and Sweden can telecommute, that proportion drops to below 30 percent in Mexico, Thailand, and India. Even within any given country, there are wide variations. In the United States, when it comes to readiness to work from home, it makes a difference if one is in Nebraska or in New York. It also makes a difference if one is Black, Latino, white, or Asian.

And so, a natural question emerges: Did the nations with better digital readiness experience greater economic resilience during the COVID-19 meltdown? The Digital Planet research initiative, which I direct at Tufts Universitys Fletcher School, found that while an advanced state of digital evolution was certainly helpful for most economies, its potential to cushion the economic blow was dependent on several additional factors: the makeup of the economy, the efficacy of public policy, and citizens trust of public officials. We developed a measure for the state of digital evolution for 90 countries and mapped the scores against the percentage fall in GDP growth from the second quarter of 2020 as compared to the same quarter in 2019, adjusted for inflation. We found that digital evolution could explain at least 20 percent of the reduction in the gap between the 2019 and 2020 growth figures. There are several things that can help explain this association.

First, the more digitally evolved economies tended to derive a larger share of their GDP from high-tech and information services sectors, the more significant portions of their workforce could shift from offices to working from home.

Second, digitally evolved economies tend to be better at delivering public services online due to superior infrastructure, a track record of digital transformation for vast parts of the public sector, and accessible, affordable internet. Such capabilities are an asset even in normal timesand particularly so in the context of a lockdown, a public health emergency, and socially distanced activities.

Third, many digitally evolved countries used their advanced status in different ways that contributed to economic resilience. Consider the cases of Ireland and South Korea. The Irish economy, more than that of any other European Union member state, scored high on the integration of digital technology into the economy and the digitization of businesses in general, with 35 percent of businesses selling online, 20 percent using big data, and a strong track record of digital public services. These translated into significant economic continuity even as the country locked down.

In South Korea, digital advancement and one of the highest rates of smartphone penetration anywhere in the world were key to a highly effective COVID-19 response. The public authorities and companies used multiple digital tools, from a government-issued contact tracing app to a smart city database to credit card transactions data, closed-circuit television footage, and smartphone location data to track COVID-19 exposure and transmission. It was even able to publish anonymized patient routes. This gave South Koreans the confidence to maintain economic and social activity with fewer restrictions than was the case in other countries. With recent memories of Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreaks, there was a greater public willingness to trade off privacy for more aggressive steps to manage the pandemic. This extensive use of technology in managing the pandemic helped to buffer the negative economic impact.

The positive associations between advanced digital evolution and economic resilience are notable but not universal. Among the exceptions, the United Kingdom presents a striking contrast. It is highly digitally evolved. High-tech and information services contribute significantly to its GDP, and a high percentage of its labor force can work from home. Yet, its economic decline was significant, where quarterly GDP growth dropped nearly 22 percent between the second quarters of 2019 and 2020.

The United Kingdoms unfortunate economic state matches the deadly impact of the virus: Since the start of the pandemic, more people have died there than anywhere else in Europe. Some of this failure can be attributed to a poor government response. Despite being relatively better prepared digitally to lock down, the government did not opt to do so until late March, weeks after other European countries. Moreover, the services sector as a whole makes up around three quarters of the British economy. The economy is disproportionately reliant on in-person activities within the service sector, with around 13 percent of total output based on activities like eating out, going to the movies, transportation, or attending live sporting events, as opposed to 10 percent in the rest of Europe. The slow government response and the makeup of the British economy led to the economic impact being severe despite a high state of digital advancement.

At the other end of the digital evolution spectrum, some less digitally advanced countries found ways to buffer the economic shock. Consider the cases of Indonesia and Vietnamtwo economies scoring relatively low on our digital evolution scorecard. Both avoided the worst economic reversals. The Indonesian government increased government spending by nearly 10 percent. In Vietnam, the government was able to keep the virus under control through aggressive restrictions. Both the government and the citizenry, with recent experience in dealing with infectious diseases, were willing to tolerate preemptive actions such as shutting down borders, closing schools, and investing in a resource-intensive contact-tracing program. It also helped that Vietnam was a primary beneficiary of the manufacturing exodus from China.

There is no question that the crisis was a period of expansion for Big Tech. Microsoft snapped up three cloud computing companies. Amazon hired hundreds of thousands of new workers and added 12 Boeing 767s to its fleet. Apple bought a weather app, a virtual reality company, and a digital assistant and speech recognition software company, among others. Facebook launched work on an undersea fiber network encircling the African continent. It dropped $5.7 billion into Indias Reliance Jio, while Google committed $10 billion to expand across the board in India, even as the country was reeling from one of the worlds most devastating economic reversals. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said it was their responsibility and duty to invest and added, Were in a fortunate position to be able to do this.

Indeed, Zuckerberg was speaking without a trace of irony and was in a fortunate position. There is no question that Facebook and Big Tech broadly prospered during this past year. But did Big Techs good tidings raise all ships? There is no question that it helped soften the blow. But the fortunes were not spread uniformly around the world. It all depended on what we did with that time online and where we lived while we were logged in.

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Did Big Tech Save the World From an Even Bigger Economic Meltdown? - Foreign Policy

Civil Rights Leaders And Celebrities Launch Petition To Hold Big Tech Accountable For Extremist Racist Rhetoric And Hate Merchandise – PRNewswire

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WASHINGTON, Feb. 9, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --American Family Voices, along with a coalition that includes Change the Ref, Fund for Reparations Now and the National African American Reparations Commission, today launched a petitionto demand that Big Tech take steps to address the deluge of extremist rhetoric and hate merchandise on their platforms. It also calls on Congress and the Biden Administration to create and enforce legislation that protects Americans and our democracy, and holds accountable those companies that neglect their responsibilities. This demand, backed by notable activists and celebrities including Rosario Dawson, Mark Ruffalo, Chelsea Handler, Alyssa Milano, Patricia Oliver,Dr. Abdul El-Sayed, Don Rojas, Ben Jealous, People For the American Way, and the National African American Reparations Commission(NAARC), comes just weeks after a violent mobwhipped up by conspiracy theories and hate speech hosted on Big Tech platformsattempted to take over the U.S. Capitol building and overthrow a democratic election.

"The Big Tech companies that enable and profit from the spread of disinformationsuch as Amazon, Facebook, YouTube and Twitterbear responsibility for the tragic events of January 6, and they are continuing their tacit support of hatred and lies through inaction while claiming to want to be part of the solution," said Lauren Windsor, Executive Director at American Family Voices. "These companies have shown that they care about their profits more than the common good. Our leaders need to enact and vigorously enforce meaningful regulation to protect our nation, our democracy, and our citizens who have been put at risk."

The coalition pointed to several examples of how Big Tech has facilitated the spread of racist and violent content. The U.S. Capitol was attacked by white supremacists who were empowered and emboldened by lies spread on YouTube, Twitter andFacebook. Many who led the violent assault that left five people dead were clad in Proud Boys garb sold on Amazon. This summer, at the height of racial justice demonstrations, Amazon was selling hats with the slogan "Black Lives Don't Matter" and glorifying mass shooters.

While a majority of Americans oppose these dangerous ideas, Big Tech companies have pursued profit at the expense of common-sense standards for humanity and decency. Unless regulated by Congress, Big Tech will lack any incentive to stop the spread of disinformation, the sale of dangerous products, or the facilitation of communications among violent extremists.

"We readily accept that television advertising must be regulated--it's time for Big Tech to be regulated," said Ben Jealous, President of People For the American Way. "Facebook, Twitter and Amazon should not be allowed to enrich themselves at the expense of our democracy, let alone people's lives."

The petition can be viewed and signed here.

SOURCE American Family Voices

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Civil Rights Leaders And Celebrities Launch Petition To Hold Big Tech Accountable For Extremist Racist Rhetoric And Hate Merchandise - PRNewswire

Florida Republicans target Big Tech and its big business in the state – Tampa Bay Times

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TALLAHASSEE Gov. Ron DeSantis has put a bulls-eye on tech giants that he contends censor conservatives speech, but the social media apps and platforms hes targeting are blockbusters for the states financial portfolio.

DeSantis, a close ally of former President Donald Trump, and Republican legislative leaders on Tuesday laid out a plan to punish Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Google and Twitter for blacklisting users or putting gags on social-media posts.

But the five tech behemoths are huge earners for Floridas investment portfolio, according to the State Board of Administration. The board manages Floridas pension plan as well as investments for more than two dozen other accounts.

Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Google, which is publicly traded as Alphabet, and Twitter reaped $3.1 billion for the state last year. The states investment in the big five known colloquially as FAAAT was just shy of $8 billion, according to information provided by State Board of Administration manager of external affairs John Kuczwanski.

DeSantis, House Speaker Chris Sprowls and Senate President Wilton Simpson held a news conference to condemn the tech companies, which have also been under scrutiny by Congress.

DeSantis repudiated Twitter for blocking Trump from its site and scolded Amazon for dropping Parler, a social media app used by many conservatives. Both actions occurred after Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 in a violent attempt to prevent the certification of President Joe Bidens victory in the November election.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, DeSantis expressed concern that the tech firms could disable or suspend a political candidates account in the run-up to an election.

They could potentially de-platform a candidate, suppress a message, and that is something that is okay? I dont think so, he said.

DeSantis, however, isnt proposing that the state shed its investments in the corporate giants.

Im open to it, he said when asked about such a move. But I dont think that would markedly change the behavior of big tech. These are really big companies.

The five companies make up about 7.8 percent of the states global equity portfolio, which totaled around $103 billion at the end of December.

The companies blew past the states 16.35 percent benchmark for global equity investments, Kuczwanski told The News Service of Florida in a phone interview Wednesday.

For example, the annual return on Facebook was more than 81 percent. At 31 percent, the return on Alphabet Inc. was the lowest of the five tech companies.

The states investment gurus dont recommend dropping the tech stock superstars.

We believe divestiture is the least effective way to change corporate business practices and in most cases is counterproductive; and divesting from companies shuts off an important access point to proxy voting and corporate management teams, Kuczwanski said in an email.

As of mid-day Wednesday, Apples market capitalization, or market cap, was $2.3 trillion, Amazons was $1.7 trillion, Alphabets was $1.3 trillion, Facebooks was $760.8 billion and Twitters was $43.7 billion. Market cap refers to the total dollar market value of a companys outstanding shares of stock.

DeSantis said legislation targeting the companies could include such sanctions as a $100,000-a-day fine for each day a candidate is removed from a platform.

The plan also could require technology companies promotion of candidates to be recorded as campaign contributions with the state elections office, he said. Tech companies could also be prohibited from blocking or partially blocking posts by or about political candidates, a practice known as shadow banning.

But critics of the proposal maintain that such policing of tech companies could be problematic.

Berin Szka, a technology law attorney who is president of TechFreedom, called DeSantis plan a reboot of a 1913 Florida law that required newspapers to give political candidates the right to reply to editorials. In 1974, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the law as unconstitutional.

Since 1998, the Court has repeatedly held that websites enjoy the same, complete protection of the First Amendment which makes everything he proposes unconstitutional. Gov. DeSantis poses as a constitutional conservative, but hes made quite clear that he doesnt take the Bill of Rights seriously, Berin said in a prepared statement.

While DeSantis and legislative leaders arent calling for the state to dump its investments in the U.S.-based tech companies, Florida lawmakers in the past have ordered steps to limit investments in certain corporations.

Under state law, the State Board of Administration has a list of scrutinized companies with prohibited business operations in Sudan and Iran. The prohibited operations involve the petroleum or energy sector, oil or mineral extraction, power production or military support activities, according to the agencys website.

The SBA also has a list of scrutinized companies that participate in a boycott of Israel, including actions that limit commercial relations with Israel or Israeli-controlled territories.

Dara Kam, News Service of Florida

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Florida Republicans target Big Tech and its big business in the state - Tampa Bay Times

Tucker Carlson: Have questions about the COVID vaccine? ‘Shut up and take it,’ says Big Tech – Fox News

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Anyone who tells you the details of the ongoing Potemkin impeachment trial are important is probably trying to distract you from something that actually is, likeour ongoing COVID pandemic.

After months of hearing that life could never return to normal until we get a vaccine, we got a vaccine (two, actually), but life did not return to normal. In fact, life got worse. We were instructed to take the new vaccine as soon as possible and then to put on more masks. Anyone who complained about that was punished. Most people obeyed the orders (not like they had a choice),but the whole thing made them nervous.

Why exactly did the rules change all of a sudden? Was there a good reason for that? When are we finally going to repeal coronalaw? And what about this vaccine? Why are Americans being discouraged from asking simple, straightforward questions about it? How effective are these drugs? Are they safe? What's the miscarriage risk for pregnant women? Is there a study on that? May we see it? And by the way, how much are the drug companies making off this stuff?

These questions are not conspiracy theories, they're the most basic questions in a democracy. Every citizen has a right to know the answer, but instead we got fluff and propaganda. The media rollout for the vaccine came off like a Diet Pepsi commercial at the Super Bowl. Tons of celebrity endorsements, not a lot of science. It was totally disingenuous and naturally it had the opposite of the intended effect.

IS THE COVID-19 VACCINE EFFECTIVE IF YOU DON'T HAVE A REACTION TO IT?

Most Americans already supported vaccines. They didn't need to be browbeaten in order to be convinced. They were grateful their kids no longer get tetanus and polio and chickenpox. They weren't anti-vaccine. And yet from the very first day, the way the authorities handled the coronavirusvaccine did not inspire confidence.

From the moment thevaccine arrived, the most powerful people in America worked to make certain that no one could criticize it. Here's Bill Gates' wife Melinda on CNN back in December:

MELINDA GATES: The Internet and the rise of social media has happened so quickly that really the regulations and the good policymaking hasn't stayed out in front of it. And quite frankly, it needs to catch up.

Quite frankly, she says, we need to censor people's views on the COVIDvaccine. Remember, Melinda Gates is not a scientist. She did not develop this vaccine. She has no background in epidemiology or any relevant discipline. She worked in the marketing department at Microsoft, but she's the wife of a billionaire. That's why she's on television, and it'swhy she's allowed to control what you're allowed to say about the drug she is demanding you inject in your body.

AT LEAST 36 PEOPLE MAY HAVE DEVELOPED RARE BLOOD DISORDER AFTER COVID VACCINATION: REPORT

Is this really science? Not even close. It's oligarchy, and all the billionaires are participating in it. The tech companies announced early they would not allow anyone to criticize this vaccine, andanyone who did would be kicked off their platforms right away. Corporate media then took it upon themselves to enforce this rule.

On Monday, CNN ran a story with this headline: "Facebook vowed to crack down on Covid-19 [sic] vaccine misinformation but misleading posts remain easy to find." That's not a news story. That's an open call for censorship, and it worked. CNN identified a group on Facebook called "COVID-19 Vaccine Injury Stories".The group was exactly what it sounds like: People talking about their experiences with the vaccine. Last week, that group was amongthe top 20 groups on all of Facebook. Tuesday, it couldn't be found, not even if yousearched specifically for its name.

Effectively, "COVID-19 Vaccine Injury Stories" no longer exists. CNN shut them down, erased them. Searchfor the word "vaccine" on Facebook now and you will find a lot of materialthatprecisely matches the storyline approved by Melinda Gates and her fellow non-scientist billionaires. The line is clear, you've heard it a million times: The COVIDvaccine is morally good, period. Don't dare say anything else. So if your neighbor drops dead after getting the shot, keep it to yourself. Facts like that are not allowed on Facebook nor on Twitter.

"I posted that there were multiple reports of adverse reactions [to the vaccine]," wrote one Twitter user, "and that the vaccines were still not fully trialed on pregnant women and kids. Twitter banned me until I deleted it for false information."

PHYSICIAN SLAMS YOUTUBE OVER 'EXTREMELY MISGUIDED' DECISION TO PULL SENATE TESTIMONY ABOUT POTENTIAL COVID TREATMENT

Is it false information? That's irrelevant.

According to another user, "Twitter suspended me for saying that vaccines have known side effects".Of course vaccineshave side effects. Physicians who develop vaccines concede that. But at the moment, you are not allowed to say it.

Facebook has long led the way in this kind of censorship. Last year, the company prohibited users from buying any advertisement that might discourage people from taking the vaccine or that might portray the new vaccines as "unsafe or ineffective." In the months since, tens of millions of Americans have been vaccinated and most of them seem fine.

On the other hand, scientists are now conceding on the record that the vaccine may trigger a fatal blood disorder in a small number of people. The New York Times recently wrote about it, and it's one of the stories you should save asa period piece for when the current darkness finally lifts and we can think and speak clearly again.

Two of the people theTimes interviewed wouldn't even give their names. One said she'd been badly injured by the drug, but she feared she'd be punished if she criticized the vaccine in public. In the picturethe New York Times ran, the woman covered her face like she was a fugitive.

Science can't live in an environment like this. Without relentless skepticism, science dies. That's what science is, relentless skepticism. And when it leaves, inevitably it's replaced by witchcraft and superstition. Are we there yet? You decide.

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The liberal website Vox recently ran a piece complaining that Facebook users were still being allowed to "make fun of Covid-19 [sic] vaccination", because mockery is always the gravest threat to false religions, anddemanded that Facebook remove the offending content immediately.Damn those smirking Americans. Make them stop laughing.

In a way, it is amusing. Even with total blanket censorship, it is pretty hard to crush the average person's sense of humor. But you've got to wonder: If they can force you to stop laughing about vaccines,what can't they make you do?

This article is adapted from Tucker Carlson's opening commentary on the Feb. 9, 2021 edition of "Tucker Carlson Tonight".

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Tucker Carlson: Have questions about the COVID vaccine? 'Shut up and take it,' says Big Tech - Fox News

What Apple’s Big Tech Frenemies Think Of Its iOS 14 Privacy Updates – Mashable India

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Changes are underway on iOS, and not everybody is happy about it.

Apple's iOS 14 contains privacy updates affecting apps that rely on user data to make money. While the changes first began rolling out in iOS 14, they're becoming mandatory in upcoming versions.

The new requirements, called App Tracking Transparency, mandates that apps ask for permission to track user behavior. iPhone users can accept or deny this permission on an app-by-app basis, or rescind it entirely in their settings. It also requires apps in the App Store to disclose what sort of data the apps "link" to you and collect about you; Apple calls these disclosures "nutrition labels."

The move is part of Apple's campaign to position itself as a privacy-oriented company, which has rustled the feathers of other companies trying to claim that title for themselves.

Apple's nutrition labels in iOS 14 are a a boon for privacy, but a thorn in the side of advertisers.

Most notably, Facebook has been engaging in a PR war with Apple about the change. Facebook *also* likes to say it really cares about privacy, but Apple's labels show just how much data Facebook accrues on its users. The change threatens Facebook's advertising product because it could limit the company's ability to collect the mountains of data it uses to target ads.

While Facebook has been vocally opposed to the change, it's far from the only company affected. Over the past few weeks, Apple's big tech buddies have been releasing their yearly financial reports, which include executives' opinions on what the next year holds for their money-making prospects. Executives weighed in on what the privacy updates mean for their bottom line, with responses ranging from righteous outrage to a big fat "meh." Here's what the companies had to say.

Mark Zuckerberg delivered some publicity punches related to Apple's business, claiming the nutrition labels and permissions were about cementing Apple's market dominance in messaging, while also hurting small businesses that "will no longer be able to reach their customers with targeted ads."

However, Facebook CFO David Wehner got down to what iOS 14 actually means for Facebook.

"We're going to have to be providing a prompt asking people for permission to use third-party data to deliver personalized ads," Wehner said. "We do expect there to be high opt out rates related to that, and that's factored into our outlook."

Snap execs said they expected the change to negatively impact the company's ads business, presenting a "risk of interruption to demand" by advertisers. However, CEO Evan Spiegel was pretty much down with it anyway.

"When it comes to some of the policy changes that Apple is making, you know, we really think of them as high integrity folks and we're happy to see them making the right decision for their customers," Spiegel said.

Twitter claimed that everything would be pretty much gravy with its ad business in the coming year. That's despite the "modest impact" the iOS changes could have.

"Assuming the global pandemic continues to improve and that we see modest impact from the rollout of changes associated with iOS 14, we expect total revenue to grow faster than expenses in 2021," Twitter's shareholder letter read.

Google was mum on how Apple's iOS changes would affect its tracking and advertising abilities. In response to a question about "some of the changing industry dynamics around privacy" (*cough* Apple) and what investors could expect "about the potential impact on ad revenues broadly as a result of privacy changes," execs spoke more generally, and pivoted to focusing on Google's recent move to replace third party cookies with its own product.

"We know that expectations are really changing for how data is used online. And people are demanding greater privacy," Philipp Schindler, Google SVP and Chief Budget Officer, said. "We remain very committed to our collaboration with the ads community on privacy-preserving open standard mechanisms that can, what we call, sustain a healthy and ad-supported web."

However, Google notably did not mention that it, too, is considering changes similar to (but reportedly less extreme than) Apple's. Nor did it bring up the fact that it has conspicuously not updated its iOS apps, an update that some speculate Google is delaying since it requires Google apps like Gmail or YouTube to lay bare how much data they collect.

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What Apple's Big Tech Frenemies Think Of Its iOS 14 Privacy Updates - Mashable India