When he began making angel investments, Jim Powers, CEO of Charlottesville, Virginia-based drug discovery company HemoShear, put $50,000 into two biomedical firms. Eventually, venture capital was needed, and Powers’ investments were diluted to a valuation of about $1,000 each. He says he now realizes that this was probably inevitable, but it’s not something he understood then.

I was sitting across the table from a Silicon Valley CEO who had pioneered a technology that touches many of our lives — the flash memory that stores data on smartphones, digital cameras, and computers. He was a frequent guest on CNBC and had been delivering business presentations for at least 20 years before we met. And yet, the CEO wanted to sharpen his public speaking skills.

10. Casper $100.0M Round: Series D Month of funding: March Description: Casper is a sleep startup that launches a comfortable mattress sold directly to consumers, eliminating commission-driven, inflated prices. Founded by Constantin Eis, Gabriel Flateman, Jeff Chapin, Neil Parikh, Philip Krim, and T. Luke Sherwin in 2013, Casper has now raised a total of $339.7M in total equity funding and is backed by investors that include Leonardo DiCaprio, New Enterprise Associates, Norwest Venture Partners, Pritzker Group Venture Capital, and Slow Ventures.

Image: https://www.alleywatch.com

Not getting enough quality sleep is the easiest way to kill productivity.  Yet, from needing that cup of coffee (or more) to feel human in the morning to the after-lunch slump, being tired has become a cultural norm.  

As a health and behavior expert and having spent years working in clinical sleep, making time for a full night of sleep and setting the stage for quality sleep is the secret to accomplishing more during the day. This may seem impossible, especially for those who struggle to fall asleep or stay asleep, but there are plenty of things that can help and leave you with more time throughout the day.

If you think that financial modeling for a new business is arcane magic, limited in value to financial wizards and professional investors, then you have been listening to the wrong advisors. In reality, a simple Excel spreadsheet model customized around your assumptions can save you hours and avoid a wasted expense in validating alternative vendor and marketing decisions.

Innovation districts — located in major cities and anchored by research universities — are quickly becoming the destination locations for talent and the companies that seek that talent.

Two things are clear: Cities are competing for talent, and talent has choices.

If you are looking to see what’s next, look at Cincinnati. By creating a cabinet-level chief innovation officer position, University of Cincinnati President Neville Pinto has ushered in the opportunity to connect the economic engine of the institution to the business community. My mandate is to reinvent the way business and the university intersect.

Cement that absorbs carbon dioxide. Engineered human genes. Food-saving algorithms.

Companies are solving problems in innovative ways. As such, if you're looking for who's going to make a big impact in the new year, these businesses are pretty safe bets. Here are seven startups to keep your eye on in 2020. 

Not long ago, Bill Gates shared what he thinks is the most important perk companies can give the best employees: flexible work arrangements.

Now a new study from Harvard Business School says companies that let their employees "work from anywhere," and work whenever they want, wind up with employees who are more loyal, more productive, and cost less.

Image: Bill Gates. Photo credit: https://flickr.com/photos/184851290@N06/48847377972/

FINLAND is introducing a FOUR-DAY working week and SIX-HOUR days under a massive reform by the world’s youngest prime minister, Sanna Marin. The 34-year-old’s reform will let workers spend more time with family and enjoy their lives, culture and hobbies.

Image: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanna_Marin#/media/File:Prime_Minister_of_Finland_Sanna_Marin_2019_(cropped).jpg

It’s no secret that today’s workplaces are changing. Open floor plans, remote work, and virtual meetings are all part of the modern office experience. Whether people are working from coffee shops, in a cubicle, or from a posh office lounge, comfortable seating options are paramount. And to illustrate just how important healthy workstations are, British office equipment company Fellowes has commissioned a lifelike, full-size model named “Emma,” whose myriad ailments show the dark side of where we’re headed if work comforts continue to go unchecked.

Image: Photo: courtesy Fellowes

Everyone involved in business today knows that the gig economy is flourishing. Perhaps you’ve even thought about joining it — not as an Airbnb host or Uber driver, but as a public speaker. It’s a pretty sweet gig, after all. You get to travel the world and get paid to go to parties, all while sharing your passions and expertise with interesting — and interested —people. I’ve been a full-time keynote speaker for almost four years, so I have firsthand knowledge of just how awesome it is, and people often ask me what it’s like.

In an age of uncertainty, people need inspiration.

The 21st century has given us great access to information and a heightened awareness of human impact on the planet. We are also witnessing a proliferation in the use of technology by a global population that is increasingly digital native.

However, although circumstances have changed, people continue to look for leaders who provide guidance in much the same way as leaders of previous centuries did. Leadership is still largely viewed through the filter of politics, but big business – the sort that controls an economic value that compares with an entire continent’s GDP – is a growing source of leadership that determines the direction of the world.

Whatever you've succeeded at or failed trying, somebody you respect said has something worth listening to on the topic.

Entrepreneurship will make you cry and hope for a happy ending. Just like a good movie.

Despite being very ready for 2019 to end, I hadn’t thought all that much about everything turning into 2020 and what changes and expectations that might create.

Rwanda may have not widely adopted robotics, 5G or other latest generation of technology yet, but it has made a name for itself when it comes to promoting Information and Communication Technologies.

This fact was arguably more apparent in 2019. It was the year perhaps the country experienced some of the most important developments in the technology space.

Welcome to another challenging new year ahead! You’ve probably already made your resolutions for 2020, but if not, I suggest a renewed commitment to finding happiness and satisfaction in your chosen business lifestyle. After all, most of us spend more hours in this role than any other, and life is too short to spend most of your life unhappy.

Area Development’s ninth annual Leading Metro Locations report uncovers many key economic growth trends in the U.S. economy. This research document took a wide-spectrum, analytical view of 399 Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) and ranked them using 16 total indicators to flush out sometimes hidden “change and growth” attributes.

Image: https://www.areadevelopment.com

An apple a day may keep the doctor away, but it won’t do anything to cure you of a case of the Mondays. Making a successful transition from weekend mode to workweek mode can require practice. After all, we have a lot working against us on Mondays.

For starters, science says sleeping in on the weekend can interfere with your body clock and result in a not so cheerful Monday morning. As psychologist Susanna Jernelöv, a sleep researcher at Sweden’s Karolinska Institute, explains, “It’s partly because of our circadian rhythm, so when you sleep in later, it’s like giving yourself a bit of jet-lag, and jet-lag makes you less bright and perky.”

We all have intense periods at work where multiple deadlines converge, an important deal is closing, or a busy season lasts for a few months. During these times, we may work more intensely or longer hours, but we know that the situation is temporary, and we are able to keep work in perspective. Conversely, approximately 10% of Americans are considered workaholics, defined as having a “stable tendency to compulsively and excessively work.” Whether you are in the midst of a temporary work crunch, or if working all the time is your version of “normal,” there are some key signs that you are pushing yourself too hard. These include: