Expanding biocatalysis for a sustainable future

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin The Dallas Mavericks have just lost two straight games to the Charlotte Hornets, one of the league's worst teams, which acts as a symptom of what has been an underwhelming season for the Texas-based organization. What's even worse than their diminishing playoffs odds is the fact that the Mavericks won't have much control in the offseason about.. well, anything, really. Kyrie Irving and Christian Wood - the team's second and third-best players - are both unrestricted free agents, who have the right to leave outright. Tim Hardaway Jr and Davis Bertans, two players with inconsistent production on fairly large deals, remain on the books and won't necessarily be easy to move off of. And the middle of it all is Luka Dončić, the Slovenian superstar who is unquestionably a Top 5 talent, and a franchise-carrying player. With three years left on his contract after the conclusion of this season, Dončić looks increasingly trapped … [Read more...] about The Dallas Mavericks Need To Take Control Of Their Own Future

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin With President Biden’s veto of the Congress’s bipartisan joint resolution , ESG has been one of the hottest news stories in the financial world. Beyond the politics of it, proponents and opponents of the ESG push have their own reasons for staking out their positions. Would it surprise you to learn that self-interest plays a role? What is ESG and how does it work? At its most basic core, ESG is merely an extension of placing portfolio restrictions based on subjective, rather than accounting, factors. “Explained in simplest terms, ‘ESG’ stands for environmental, social and governance which is an investing strategy that takes into account a business’s environmental and social risks as part of a broader financial analysis,” says Rob Reilly, finance faculty at the Providence College School of Business and investment consultant at North Atlantic Investment Partners in Boston. How you use ESG will depend on how you … [Read more...] about Who Supports ESG Investing And Who’s Against It (And Why)

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Global technology and business solutions provider NTT and its subsidiary NTT DATA have strengthened its partnership with IndyCar. NTT and IndyCar announced on March 27 its entitlement extension will begin in 2024 after completion of the current agreement. NTT and NTT DATA will continue as the official technology partner of the NTT IndyCar Series, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the Indianapolis 500, and the IndyCar/NASCAR Brickyard weekend. It will increase its involvement through its Smart Venue application at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway as well as enhancements to its mobile app and continued data integration and transformation of the sport. The multi-year agreement also includes official technology partner status. “NTT is an excellent partner across our enterprise with strongexpertise and a deep commitment to our sport,” said Roger Penske, Chairman, Penske Corporation. “From Smart Venue technology at the … [Read more...] about IndyCar, NTT And NTT DATA Sign Multi-Year Agreement

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin With Earth Day fast approaching, many of us are trying to find ways to use more earth-friendly items to help us, help the planet. Many companies are now doing their part and are offering products that use sustainable manufacturing processes, organic ingredients and recycled packaging. You can now find these green products in unexpected categories, ranging from furniture to socks to gummies. Below are some of my favorites. Thuma Beds Thuma has created furniture that is beautifully designed and incredibly easy to assemble. The Thuma bed can be put together in minutes and looks incredibly stylish once assembled. Even better, the Thuma bed is officially GREENGUARD Gold certified, meaning that all of the materials used meet some of the world’s most rigorous third party emissions standards, making the bed both good for the environment and the consumer. These sleek beds are made from upcycled rubberwood with a lifetime … [Read more...] about Earth Day Is Almost Here–Go Green With These Cool Products

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Dining at San Francisco's Michelin-starred restaurant Sons & Daughters is an intimate experience, one in which refined hospitality and attention-to-detail meets new Nordic inspired cuisine prepared with an emphasis on both seasonality and sustainability. Recently appointed Executive Chef Harrison Cheney brings to Sons & Daughters over 14 years of formidable culinary experience, having spent a quarter of his culinary career at two Michelin-starred Gastrologik in Stockholm. Before that, he worked with acclaimed Michelin-starred chefs Phil Howard at The Square in London and Michael Tusk at Quince, and at The Ledbury at Notting Hill. Since becoming Executive Chef, he's introduced an impressive 18 course tasting menu that truly takes diners on a culinary journey, one that takes ingredients at their very peak of ripeness and refines them in exceptional ways that bring out the essence of their being. An example? The … [Read more...] about Recently Appointed Executive Chef Harrison Cheney Brings New Nordic Influence To Michelin Starred Restaurant Sons & Daughters

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin The doomsayers who predicted the literal demise of the U.S. restaurant industry after Covid—especially at the fine dining level—proved myopic in the extreme. A new study called the “Agency Forward Restaurant Survey” compiled by Nationwide Insurance, which both insures and advises restaurants on coping with inflation to supply chain issues shows that every segment of the industry has not just survived but in many cases is thriving well past pre-pandemic levels of business. To explain the findings I spoke with Peter McMurtrie, President of Commercial Lines at Nationwide: You say reservations have returned to pre-pandemic levels. Does this apply as much to fast food and chain restaurants (which are mainly walk-in) as with higher end and fine dining? While this research study only focused on fine dining, fast casual and family-style restaurants, recent research as well as our interactions with customers have shown fast food … [Read more...] about The US Restaurant Industry Has Bounded Back from Covid At Every Level From Fast Food To Fine Dining

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Alok Kulkarni is Co-Founder and CEO of Cyara , a customer experience (CX) leader trusted by leading brands around the world. Out with the old, in with the new. Contact centers are evolving, and your technology should, too. In the past, with legacy call centers, customer journeys were relatively simple and linear: Call in, talk to an agent and resolve the problem. But those days are long gone. With the rise of omnichannel communication, today’s customer journey is more complex and the route to a successful customer experience (CX) may crisscross its way through several different channels, touching not only human agents but bots along the way. In today’s tense economic climate, CIOs and CX leaders have a crucial but challenging task: maintain growth while simultaneously cutting expenses and increasing efficiency. Most IT executives would agree that putting money into new technology will help accelerate growth and … [Read more...] about How To Determine Where To Invest Your CX Technology Budget First

MANILA  -BPI Century Tokyo Lease and Finance Corp  (BPICT), through wholly-owned subsidiary BPI Century Tokyo Rental Corp (BPICTR), is acquiring Diamond Rent-a-Car, one of the biggest car rental companies in the Philippines. Diamond Rent-a-Car consists of three companies, which are Diamond IGB, Inc. (DIGB), Diamond Fleet Solutions Services Inc. (DFSSI), and Buenaflor Car Services Inc. (Pronto), all wholly owned by the Buenaflor family. DIGB was incorporated in 1980 and has been providing car lease and rental under the trade name of Diamond Rent-a-Car, while DFSSI and Pronto have been complementing the business through its fleet management BPO and car maintenance and repair, respectively. Satoshi Matsuo, president and CEO of BPICT and BPICTR, said the acquisition of Diamond Rent-a-Car was in line with their aim of being the operating lease and rental solutions company of choice in the Philippines, delivering products and services to valued partners with integrity and … [Read more...] about BPI Century Tokyo to acquire Diamond Rent-a-Car

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin There has been a smoldering fire on the geopolitical stage that, if we continue to ignore, we risk allowing it to spread and burn its surrounding environment. I’m referring to the convergence of multiple technology revolutions with the high-stakes competition between the United States and a rising authoritarian competitor in China. Whichever country leads in technology will sit at the commanding heights of the global economic and trade system, geopolitics, and a new age of innovation. Ultimately, we must ensure the light we see in the future is the beacon of freedom, democratic values, liberal market principles, and private sector-led economy rather than the dangerous, destructive flames of state-led authoritarianism. We’re waking up to a five-alarm fire. Last month, I testified before the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee in a hearing titled “The United States, China, and the Fight for Global … [Read more...] about Washington Must Wake Up To The Innovation Imperative

MANILA, Philippines  -The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on Monday said the local startup venture fund (SVF) ecosystem had reached about P8 billion, representing the amount of money now looking for high-potential enterprises to invest in. Aiming to help grow and accelerate the local startup sector, the SVF Investment Committee held a community mixer event last Friday, where five accredited co-investment partners and eight startups participated, according to the DTI. “We need the help of our co-investment partners for shepherding and accelerating the startups to encourage them to work with us and keep things on track,” said National Development Corp. (NDC) general manager and SVF investment committee chair Antonilo Mauricio. The five co-investment partners today are Gobi-Core PH Fund, ICCP SBI Venture Partners, Real Tech Holdings, Foxmont Capital Partners and IdeaSpace Foundation. Equity, debt financing NDC, which is DTI’s investment arm, has allocated P500 million for … [Read more...] about P8B now available to fund promising Philippine startups, says trade dep’t