One blessed day two winters ago, the city where I lived urged residents to stay home and off the roads and public transit. Shortly thereafter, a much-anticipated email from my boss arrived, notifying us that the office was closed. We were all to work from home.

It was cause for celebration in the form of homemade pancakes, followed by a snowball fight with my partner and our dog, followed by steaming cups of hot chocolate and a long, lazy afternoon nap.

Hours of heavy snowfall, coastal flooding and whipping winds combined to make this weekend'sblizzard one of the most powerful weather events to ever hit the east coast of the U.S.

What had been a relatively calm and snow-less winter for much of the region ended on Saturday, as the storm dumped snow on a wide swath of eastern seaboard. Ten states in all have declared a state of emergency, stretching from Georgia up through New York.

Bengaluru may have hogged the startup spotlight in recent years, but Hyderabad has been working towards building one of the strongest foundations for a powerful startup ecosystem and hub in India. In fact, there was a time when it was believed that Hyderabad would give Bengaluru a tough competition.

Image: http://yourstory.com

Another day, another 500-point swing of the Dow.

Paying attention to the stock market in 2016 is stomach-churning stuff, especially for venture capitalists who decide daily whether to invest in new firms knowing this may not be the year for profitable returns.

The buyout cycle has begun to slow, and last year was a turning point.

Our recently released 2015 Annual U.S. PE Breakdown is a thorough recap of all the private equity trends you need to know, covering dealmaking activity, deal multiples & debt levels, exits, fundraising and more. But not everyone has the time to read through a packed 20-page report, so we pulled 10 of the top charts featured in the breakdown for a visual summary of U.S. private equity last year. 

Image: http://pitchbook.com/

If you are trying to get faster at solving a Rubik’s Cube and need some extra motivation, please don’t watch this.

Software engineers Jay Flatland and Paul Rose have built a machine that can solve Rubik’s Cubes ridiculously fast. Their robot takes just over one second to complete the task.

Image: http://venturebeat.com

As we connect everything from Barbie dolls to front-door locks and cars to the Internet, we’re creating more—and possibly more dangerous—potential ways for cyberattackers to wreak havoc.

Security researchers have reported on the ease with which you can break into a range of connected gadgets like baby monitors and cars. This past summer a piece in Wired showed how a software bug could be exploited to control a Jeep driving down the highway. (Jeep owner Chrysler quickly fixed the bug.)

Image: http://www.technologyreview.com

There has been a good deal of conversation about General Electric's decision to move its headquarters to Boston. This discussion is a healthy sign as we chart Connecticut's future. Having recently relocated to Hartford from Boston, my perspective is informed by having been part of that particular ecosystem that drew GE to the Bay State. At the same time, as a relative newcomer to Connecticut, I am incredibly optimistic about the wealth of resources that are right here in Greater Hartford.

Ready or not, education has entered the “Innovation Age,” where it’s not about what students know but what they can do with what they know. Teachers can prepare students thrive in the Innovation Age by teaching them to think at three levels: “what,” “so what,” and “now what.” Students might think of it in terms of three overarching questions: What is the basic concept? What is its relevance and what is it related to? And now, what can I do with what I have learned to find solutions to unmet needs?

There are three specific myths that surround our most beloved creators, and if you model yourself on those myths, you're setting yourself up for failure. The myths are (1) the lone wolf inventor; (2) the eureka moment; (3) the myth of the expert. From new theories of physics and revolutionary patents to Toy Story and the iPhone, creators depend on their ability marshal the talent of large teams of people. Yet despite the readily available evidence that we tend to romanticize innovation, myths persist because we love telling stories in narrative form.

Image: http://bigthink.com

It's called the "Impossible Trinity" for a reason.

In economics, you can't have it all. A country must choose two out of the following:

control of a fixed and stable exchange rate independent monetary policy free and open international capital flows The theory is that a country that attempts to get all three at once will be broken by the international markets as they force a run on the currency.

Hospitals and health systems are clinging tenaciously to the belief that their economic survival depends on their embracing continuous quality improvement and Lean methods. After all, in a time of ratcheted-down reimbursement, the need for a little belt-tightening and quality improvement seems obvious.

However, as authors Tyson Browning and Nada Sanders remind us in their book Can Innovation Be Lean?, “Lean practices were pioneered in repetitive production systems characterized by relative stability and certainty.” Though hospitals strive for minimization in variation to create repetitive production systems, there are few things more diverse than a patient’s presentation of illness, just as there are few things less stable or certain than health care.

In February 2010, electric bus maker Proterra, then based in Colorado, announced it had chosen Greenville, S.C., as the location for a $68-million R&D and manufacturing investment. The presence of the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR), an industry-driven knowledge and innovation coalition, was a big factor in the selection, which came after evaluating sites in 30 states. Proterra aimed to create up to 1,300 jobs over seven years.

Nearly six years into that time frame, the company — which moved its headquarters from Golden, Colo., to Greenville in 2011 — has made bold moves driven as much by policy-driven markets as by market-driven policies. In October, Proterra announced the opening of a new corporate headquarters in the Silicon Valley municipality of Burlingame, Calif.

Image: While Proterra's HQ is moving to California, its R&D and manufacturing presence in Greenville, S.C., will remain strong. Images courtesy of Proterra

Great leaders complicate leadership development—a notion that may seem paradoxical until you stop and consider just how much has been written about Winston Churchill, Mahatma Gandhi, Abraham Lincoln, Golda Meir, Ernest Shackleton, and countless other celebrated leaders. The sheer volume is overwhelming, and the lessons that emerge from one leader’s experience may be completely inapplicable to another’s.

Kimbal Musk was 25 when he and his brother Elon (perhaps you've heard of him?) sold their first tech company, called Zip2, for around $300 million. Elon poured some of his money into his next venture, which later became PayPal. Kimbal invested, but left Silicon Valley for culinary school, and later started opening a series of highly regarded restaurants in Colorado. Now he's on a mission to help America eat healthier, more sustainable food.

Image: http://www.fastcoexist.com/

Cash could become history within a decade, thanks to new financial instruments, including virtual currencies, some of the world's leading bankers said during the World Economic Forum on Wednesday (20 January).

The impact of technology, the overarching theme of this year’s meeting, will be very significant.

The evolution would be so significant that John Cryan, co-CEO of Deutsche Bank AG, predicted that, in ten years’ time, “probably” we would not see cash anymore. It is “terribly inefficient”, he added.

Image: http://www.euractiv.com 

Robust innovation is essential for economic growth and social progress around the world. Until now, most studies of innovation policy looked at how nations’ policies affect innovation in their own country. This report assesses 56 countries—which comprise almost 90 percent of the global economy—on 27 factors reflecting the extent to which their economic and trade policies contribute to and detract from innovation globally.

What does it mean when someone calls you smart or intelligent? According to developmental psychologist Howard Gardner, it could mean one eight things. In this video interview, Dr. Gardner addresses his eight classifications for intelligence: writing, mathematics, music, spatial, kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal.

Almost every startup will need investment money at some stage, and more often than not, will have to ask for it. Angels can be a boon to your company, but what traits are they looking for in an entrepreneur that will give them confidence to invest generously?

As an investor, I’ve been approached by many startups, and I’ve learned that not all startups are cut from the same cloth. There are a few very clear signs that I personally look for in an entrepreneur before I am willing to make any long-term investment. Before you make your first pitch, follow my advice for a smooth and fruitful connection with any angel.

DAVOS, SWITZERLAND—As the Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum enters its final quarter, there continues to be a lot of buzz about Canada in General and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in particular. Trudeau had a hectic day Friday that included meetings with international leaders and a session in the grand Congress Hall on gender equality that included Sheryl Sandberg from Facebook and Melinda Gates from the Gates Foundation.

Image: ANDREW VAUGHAN / THE CANADIAN PRESS Prime Minister Justin Trudeau waves as he departs Zurich on Saturday, after a busy week at the World Economic Forum in Davos.