Influencers

A version of this story first appeared in CNN Business' Before the Bell newsletter. Not a subscriber? You can sign up right here . You can listen to an audio version of the newsletter by clicking the same link. London (CNN Business) This week, Russia defaulted on its foreign debt for the first time since the Bolshevik revolution after it failed to pay interest on two bonds during a 30-day grace period that expired Sunday. But to put the event in context, we don't need to go as far back as 1918. Instead, we can look to 1998 . That's the year Russia defaulted on ruble-denominated bonds, triggering a "Moscow meltdown" that infected markets around the globe. Quick rewind: In August 1998 , following years of upheaval after the fall of the Soviet Union, the Russian government defaulted on its local debt and devalued the ruble. The move sparked chaos in Russia, driving up inflation, causing an economic contraction and triggering bank … [Read more...] about Russia’s last default sparked a crisis. This time is different

Like many companies, manufacturing technology firm Augury ditched its New York City office during the pandemic. With few people coming in, and most work able to be done remotely, paying rent on an empty office was a waste. advertisement advertisement But the need for an office didn’t go away completely, and now the company is fitting out a new space in the city. As it does, it’s fundamentally rethinking how the space will work by looking at who will actually be using it. To help guide the new design, the company surveyed its teams to understand how different departments expected to use the space, especially in a more hybrid work mode. “When we were talking about that, we started asking what kind of people will be there?” says Tiffany Millar, Augury’s workplace experience director. Home Away From Home The first persona is what Augury calls Home Away From Home, or people who live in the tristate area who may come into the office once or more per … [Read more...] about What does a hybrid office look like? This company has 5 ideas

When you’re hiring new candidates, how much do you prioritize cultural fit? Your answer to this question may depend on whether you’d consider your company’s culture a broth or a gumbo. advertisement advertisement A broth has exactly one consistency and flavor, while a gumbo features distinct ingredients, each one retaining its unique flavor while contributing perfectly to the overall taste. In my years within the DEI space, I’ve observed quite a few companies adopt a “broth” recruiting approach, vetting candidates based on how seamlessly they believe they’ll fit into their existing corporate culture. Ideally, this practice should revolve around assessing how well candidates align with a company’s values and vision. In reality, it may mean something more arbitrary—using the same jargon and lingo, laughing at the same jokes, adopting the “right” business casual look, etc. Some diverse candidates do check these boxes but many others do not—and their … [Read more...] about When the push for ‘cultural fit’ creates a DEI blindspot

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin The world of social media is competitive, but enormous and with endless possibilities for those who excel. Alessandro Riggio got started in the social media game in 2010 and today manages some of the largest names in the industry. Khaby Lame (who this week became number 1 on TikTok with 145 million followers, ahead of Charli d’Amelio), Serena Williams , Douglas Costa , Brahim Diaz , and Alvaro Morata - to name a few. Few have been around since the early days of social media, let alone to rise to the top. However, Alessandro proved not only his abilities, but also his passion when he rose from a film student to become one of the world’s top social media managers. As an example, Alessandro took on Khaby Lame as a client when he had 1,000 Instagram followers - fast forward to today where Khaby boasts around 80 million. Ale is an Italian entrepreneur who built a name for himself by bringing his clients to the … [Read more...] about Alessandro Riggio On How To Manage And Grow The World’s Biggest Social Media Personalities

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Jenna Kutcher is crystal clear on what she wants in life, and she’s figured out how to get it. This 30-something Minnesota mom treasures her at-home time with her husband and two little girls. She does the things other moms do—grocery shopping, struggling with nap time, keeping tabs on house repairs, cleaning up spilled Cheerios from the kitchen floor. For Jenna, there’s nothing in the world more important than the happiness and wellbeing of her family. She clearly embraces the adage that “no other success can compensate for failure in the home.” Stay-at-home Jenna is also one of the best-known social media influencers on the planet. After buying a $300 camera on Craigslist, Jenna became an award-winning wedding photographer. She loved that. But she dreamed a different dream and decided she preferred working from her cozy craftsman home in her yoga pants. To provide practical advice to other women entrepreneurs, … [Read more...] about This Goal Digger Can Help You Tap Your Own Potential

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin The point of an employee engagement survey is to discover what drives your unique group of employees so that you can more quickly engage them. That's not a controversial point, but this is: The best time to discover what drives your employees is often during the Summer months. Many companies eschew conducting surveys during the Summer, as employee vacations abound and businesses often slow. But something else happens during the Summer; as urgent operational crises often become less frequent, you get a more stable and accurate glimpse into employees' motivations. Think of it like this: Imagine that your company gets slammed with an onslaught of customer orders in the Fall. On the one hand, that's a good thing. But on the other hand, it's likely to increase employee frustrations and burnout. Now, if you conduct an employee engagement survey during that time, are you likely to discover employees' underlying motivations or … [Read more...] about Summer Is Weirdly Great For Employee Engagement Surveys

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin The talent revolution is in full swing, and even with threats of a recession, tech workers will still be in high demand. They have the skills companies need and the ability to shift jobs with ease. Many employers assume tech workers want remote work—and that offering the opportunity to work away from the office is the best way to attract them and keep them around. But this is a myth with only 18% of tech employees preferring remote work, according to a new study. What do tech employees really want? And how should their expectations inform the way employers think about creating work experiences for all of their people? The Influence of Tech Tech workers are a great place to start in considering the work experience, because tech is a significant sector of the economy, and it is therefore influential for many other areas of work. In fact, according to data sources , the tech industry is the second biggest driver of the … [Read more...] about Think Tech Workers Want Remote Work? Think Again: 5 Ways To Respond

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin NFL star Patrick Mahomes and Nascar driver Bubba Wallace have joined the growing list of athletes investing in a third fund led by venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. The firm, known as a16z, launched its third Cultural Leadership Fund, or CLF, which has the goal of growing Black wealth through ownership of future technology companies. The fund also attracted NBA player Blake Griffin, WNBA stars Nneka Ogwumike and Maya Moore, and NFL running back Leonard Fournette, as well as music producer Pharrell Williams and pop star The Weeknd. CLF’s investment portfolio includes equity stakes in blockchain company Dapper Labs, video game developer Roblox and publishing platform Substack. A16z said the fund has raised over $60 million since 2018. In a statement sent to Forbes , Wallace called CLF “important work” as its purpose is to enhance “access and equity for Black communities in tech.” Diversity in the tech … [Read more...] about Patrick Mahomes, Bubba Wallace Join A16z Cultural Leadership Fund Aiming To Grow Black Wealth