As they push change programmes, one of the chief obstacles external stakeholders must confront is companies’ preoccupation with profitability. In recent years, there has been a proliferation of rating and ranking systems designed to make firms pay more attention to issues such as corporate governance practices, environmental standards and fair employment contracts. External agencies apparently believe that creating a ranking around an issue helps raise the stakes, since no company wants to be seen coming up short against their peers.

On June 17, the world lost David Morgenthaler — a great entrepreneur, iconic investor, major philanthropist, and just plain brilliant man. For me the loss of David Morgenthaler was personal. David taught me more than anyone else — academic or practitioner — about investing in startups. Much of what I teach my students is basically David’s wisdom. Many beautiful obituaries about David have been written already. I am not going to write another. Instead, I am going to try to summarize a few of the things David taught me by offering 11 of my favorite David Morgenthaler aphorisms.

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Statins can indeed produce neurological effects. These drugs are typically prescribed to lower cholesterol and thereby reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke. Between 2003 and 2012 roughly one in four Americans aged 40 and older were taking a cholesterol-lowering medication, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But studies show that statins can influence our sleep and behavior—and perhaps even change the course of neurodegenerative conditions, including dementia.

From Dubai to Sweden, these hotels (and hotel bars, spas, and restaurants) take sleeping with the fishes to a whole new below-sea level. Prepared to be wowed by deep blue and bright turquoise waters—all visible while you stay dry and comfortable.

There are many factors that contribute to the success of a small business. One factor is the passion an entrepreneur has for his or her business idea. The more excited you are about your business, the easier it will be to manage the challenges that are sure to arise and put in the time necessary to become successful.

This is why there is a lot of promise in turning a hobby you love into a thriving business. But, of course, passion alone is not enough. Consider each of the questions listed below in order to determine if your hobby has the potential to become a lucrative business.

Others may disagree, but I think this is where/when founders make the biggest mistakes.

If you don’t know what to do, well … we’re all biased to action. Pick a course. A Good Plan Today is Better Than a Perfect Plan Tomorrow.

But … when you really don’t know what to do AND you are biased to action … in my experience, that’s a sign to take a pause.

In an effort to make eye tracking cheap, compact, and accurate enough to be included in smartphones, a group of researchers is crowdsourcing the collection of gaze information and using it to teach mobile software how to figure out where you’re looking in real time.

Researchers at MIT, the University of Georgia, and Germany’s Max Planck Institute for Informatics are working on the project, and they say that so far they’ve been able to train software to identify where a person is looking with an accuracy of about a centimeter on a mobile phone and 1.7 centimeters on a tablet.

Image: https://www.technologyreview.com

Yet, the perceived entrepreneurial opportunities increased over the same period, according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor South African Report 2015/16.

Kobus Engelbrecht, spokesperson for the Entrepreneur of the Year competition, sponsored by Sanlam and BUSINESS/PARTNERS ,says there are many aspects at play when analysing these figures.

Parts of Shawnee County may soon join the ranks of 55 other Kansas counties that are recognized by Network Kansas as an “e-community” or entrepreneurship community, with the help of a tax-credit-based fundraiser put on by Shawnee County Extension and its leadership team.

Network Kansas is a state-wide network of nonprofit businesses building resources that aims to help entrepreneurs and small-business owners across the state.

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Has Britain’s vote to leave the European Union put the kibosh on relocation to some of the most beautiful and cultural cities on the Continent? That was certainly one of the defining arguments of the Remain campaign. Brexit will stop our children from travelling freely to EU countries, drive up airfares and shut the door on exciting job opportunities, it was claimed. 

College is a great time for unlearning and preparation. It is also the time when the realization kicks in that life, after school, will be about pursuing what you love while also making money. While many choose to dedicate college time to study and introspection there are several others who gear up for the big world outside by deciding to work part-time from college itself. There are many who harbour dreams of becoming a successful entrepreneur right from their college days. It is never a good idea to drop out simply to pursue this idea but there is also no reason why you cannot pursue your entrepreneurial dreams simply because you are in college.

From flying cars to wrist-mounted computers, these devices never got past the awkward stage

On first encounter, new gadgets are always a little odd, no matter how useful they ultimately prove. Consider that, just a few years ago, pulling a smartphone out of your pocket likely generated some quizzical stares. Now, nothing could be more mundane as phones have become the de facto tool for everything from keeping in touch with friends to hailing a cab. For every technology that became ubiquitous, however, there are dozens of examples of devices that never made it past the awkward stage.

Image: http://time.com

The iPhone was hard to come by when it first came out. Even if you were willing to pay the exorbitant price, it had sold out in just a few hours in my hometown of Raleigh, North Carolina. So when I pulled mine out at bars or on street corners, I was exceptionally popular. People wanted to see it and talk to me about it. They wanted to understand how it worked. And after talking to me for 10 minutes, they wanted one.

Image: http://www.fastcompany.com

Managers of various angel funds in the state say the popular program that’s received heavy scrutiny in recent months is working just fine while lawmakers and state officials say a thorough review is necessary to ensure proper use of taxpayer money.

Last week, the interim Political Subdivisions Taxation Committee forwarded a bill draft for next session that would eliminate the angel fund investment tax credit and expand the state’s seed capital investment tax credit.

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Think about the last time you bought something, and ask yourself a simple question: why did I buy it? Well, the answer most certainly is that you felt you needed it. Something motivated you to shop for that item, buy it, and use it. Consumers only buy things when they’re motivated.

Understanding consumer behavior starts with understanding motivation. If you know what drives people to buy products and services, you can make sure your products and services have the right features and benefits people want.

Most of the young entrepreneurs I know are classic proof of the old adage that people tend to overestimate what they can do in a short period, and underestimate what they can do over a long period. They become frustrated when they are unable to build their startup in a weekend, and give up way too soon when the path to real success seems to be interminable.

The expanding role of healthcare providers is not limited to societies with “developed” healthcare systems. Diseases, such as AIDS and malaria, prevalent in the third world and emerging countries are now considered chronic or curable with the proper treatment, leaving those afflicted with greater chance of recovery. However, as the cost the typical person pays for healthcare over his or her lifetime rises, the question becomes: How will these emerging societies, especially those in less-developed countries, sustain a rising bill?

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I sit on a board as a nonexecutive director and often feel uncomfortable about the amount of time available to raise questions and debate issues. In addition, I recently worked with a different board on how to add more value to the business. In this role I found myself counseling one of the directors to ask fewer questions and make fewer comments.

Clusters of high-tech startups are blooming everywhere, in cities large and small. From Denver to Washington, D.C., and Austin, Texas, to Chattanooga, Tenn., entrepreneurs are seeking greener pastures, including better quality of life and lower operating costs for their startups.

Former AOL chief and Revolution LLC founder Steve Case calls this the “rise of the rest,” and it is a real phenomenon. And yet, as fast as the rest of the country creates startups, Silicon Valley grows even faster, disrupting entire industries, from transportation to lodging, retail and media.

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In a year when presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has spouted anti-immigrant rhetoric and black men have died at the hands of the police, college freshmen are reading works that reflect the current turmoil. Many colleges and universities are asking incoming students to read books that treat themes of immigration and racial injustice. Colleges have increasingly come to rely on reading assignments as a way of providing a common intellectual experience for the incoming freshman class. Students typically read the same book over the summer and discuss the work during their first week on campus.

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