Shark tank winners

What would you do if you were chosen to appear on the ABC reality show "Shark Tank," and then Mark Cuban offered to invest $200,000 in your company? If you were Derek Pacque, the 23-year-old founder of CoatChex , you'd turn him down. The Idea CoatChex was born when Pacque, an entrepreneurship student at Indiana University, was told to come up with 10 pet peeves. "One was wearing my coat to the bar and not having anything to do with it," he says. His aggravation level peaked one night when he hid his coat in an out-of-the-way place only to find it had been stolen when he returned. When he asked bar owners why they didn't offer coat checks, they told him it was too messy, and too much of a hassle with patrons often losing tickets or leaving without their checked items. "So I said, do you mind if I set something up?" Pacque recalls. "I'll deal with the customers and the hassles, I'll get out when you don't need me, and I'll give you a percentage of … [Read more...] about Advice From the 23-Year-Old Who Said No to Mark Cuban

Akio Toyoda - A + A TOKYO (June 24): Toyota Motor Corp's chief had lobbied the Japanese government to make clear it supported hybrid vehicles as much as battery electrics or face losing the auto industry's support, a senior lawmaker told a ruling party meeting. The lobbying by Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota and chairman of the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association (JAMA) industry group, comes as the automaker faces increased scrutiny from green investors who said it has been slow to embrace battery-electric vehicles and pressed governments to slow a transition to them. Akira Amari, a former industry minister and a veteran member of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), requested changes to the government's annual economic policy road map at a June 3 meeting, saying he spoke with Toyoda a day earlier, according to notes and audio of the meeting reviewed by Reuters. The final version of the document included a reference to "so-called electric-powered … [Read more...] about After pressure from Toyota chief, Japan emphasises support for hybrid vehicles

FILE PHOTO: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gives a speech at the Business Forum during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Kigali, Rwanda June 23, 2022. Dan Kitwood/Pool via REUTERS LONDON— Boris Johnson’s Conservatives lost two parliamentary seats on Friday, a crushing blow to the governing party that prompted the resignation of the party’s chairman and intensified doubts about the future of Britain’s prime minister. In Rwanda for a meeting of Commonwealth nations, Johnson was defiant, pledging to listen to voters’ concerns and do more to tackle a cost-of-living crisis after what he described as “tough” results in the two so-called by-elections. The losses – one in the Conservatives’ traditional southern heartlands and in a northern England seat won from Labor in the last election – suggest the electoral coalition Johnson brought together at the 2019 national election may be fracturing. The transformation of Johnson from vote winner to electoral … [Read more...] about UK PM Boris Johnson under pressure after losing two parliamentary seats

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin In a recent collaboration with AND1 for Footlocker's “ 12 Days of Greatness ” holiday campaign, digital artist Jeff Cole channeled the nostalgia of street style basketball and the style of the 90s into a capsule that represents the ethos of the iconic basketball brand. This capsule collection, however, is just a window into Jeff’s creations. He is also the artist behind IKONICK, an inspirational art brand he co-founded with Mark Mastrandrea . IKONICK blends nostalgia, pop culture, and the kind of inspirational quotes you find on social media to create unique, motivational canvas art . Originating from the Gold Coast and the East Coast, Jeff , who grew up in Chicago, and Mark , a born and raised New Yorker, have come together and found a way to translate art into a business. A business that dresses a room and sells inspiration as its product, the co-founders and dynamic duo of IKONICK have found a … [Read more...] about From AND1 To The NBA. How IKONICK Co-Founders​ Jeff Cole And Mark Mastrandrea Are Inspiring The World Through Pop Culture

Ukrainian service members patrol an area in the city of Sievierodonetsk, Ukraine on June 20, 2022, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues. (Reuters filepix by Oleksandr Ratushniak) - A + A KYIV (June 24): Ukrainian troops were set to withdraw from the eastern city of Sievierodonetsk after weeks of intense bombardments and street fighting, the regional governor said on Friday, as Russian advances raised fears they could be cut off and surrounded. Russian troops fully occupied a town south of Lysychansk, which lies across the Siverskyi Donets River from Sievierodonetsk, Ukrainian officials said. Moscow claimed it had encircled about 2,000 Ukrainian troops in the area. The Russian advances appeared to bring the Kremlin closer to taking full control of Luhansk province, one of Moscow's stated war objectives, and set the stage for Lysychansk to become the main frontline city on that front. Ukrainian forces had for weeks held out against an onslaught in … [Read more...] about Russians close in on east Ukrainian cities, defenders set to quit Sievierodonetsk

Billie Eilish Seven-time Grammy Award winner Billie Eilish—one of the biggest international pop stars of her generation—will soon make a stop and take the stage in Manila for the first time, as part of the upcoming Asian leg of her ongoing tour, “Happier than Ever.” Produced by Live Nation Philippines, the 20-year-old singer’s concert will be held on Aug. 13 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. Tickets will go on sale June 27 at 10 a.m. via SMtickets.com and its outlets. Meanwhile, members of Live Nation Philippines site (Livenation.ph), will have an exclusive online window to buy tickets on June 25 from 10 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. “Asia! So excited to see you in August,” Billie wrote in an Instagram story. The world tour, which was launched in support of her critically acclaimed sophomore album “Happier than Ever,” kicked off last February and will also make stops in other Asian cities, including Seoul, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Bangkok and Tokyo. 2020 Manila show canceled Billie was … [Read more...] about ‘So excited to see you’: Billie Eilish to serenade PH fans on Aug. 13

Editor's note: Casper is one of Inc.'s 2015 30 Under 30 . This year's readers' choice winner is ThinkLite . How would you describe the act of buying a mattress at a store? T. Luke Sherwin, co-founder and creative director of e-commerce mattress startup Casper, calls it "millions of square feet dedicated to a false premise." More specifically: "That if you try a bed for two minutes while you're awake, you'll find the best long-term mattress for you." He's omitting other potential drawbacks, such as feeling swamped by a vast array of products and prices, and worrying about logistics of delivery, setup, and returns. Casper's business model is all about alleviating these pain points. For example, Casper sells only a single brand--its own--in six different sizes, ranging in price from $500 to $950. Casper designs and makes the mattresses itself, with final assembly taking place in a plant outside Atlanta. And the company sells directly to consumers through its … [Read more...] about How This Mattress Startup Made $20 Million in 10 Months

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Finding Kylian Mbappe courtside at an NBA game is almost as common as seeing the star forward on the field for Paris St. Germain and the French National Team. The 23-year-old World Cup winner is an avid basketball fan and been in attendance for a number of NBA games, including the 2019 NBA Finals and the league’s Paris Game in 2020 between the Charlotte Hornets and Milwaukee Bucks. Mbappe’s latest appearance came on June 23 at the 2022 NBA Draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. Mbappe, who was joined by 15 boys and girls from his foundation, didn’t just make the trip from France to see Duke’s Paolo Banchero get selected first overall by the Orlando Magic and the New York Knicks confuse fans with their trades. Today, the NBA announced a multi-year content creation partnership with Mbappe’s newly created production company Zebra Productions to engage fans around the world. “The strategic … [Read more...] about Kylian Mbappe’s Zebra Valley Production Company Partners With NBA

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin On June 24, 2021, the Seattle Kraken announced the hiring of Dave Hakstol as their franchise’s first head coach. Friday marks his one-year anniversary. He has already climbed the ranks to become the 19th-longest tenured coach in the 32-team National Hockey League. This summer, it seems like the NHL’s coaching carousel is spinning faster than ever. Here’s a rundown of the flurry of recent hirings and the latest on the vacancies that are still open. Old Faces In New Places In the last 10 days alone, four veteran bench bosses have signed on with new teams. John Tortorella brings his fiery personality and demanding style to the Philadelphia Flyers. Paul Maurice came back from a six-month hiatus to sign on with the Florida Panthers. Peter DeBoer moved from the Vegas Golden Knights to the Dallas Stars and Bruce Cassidy landed with Vegas just eight days after the Boston Bruins let him go. Between them, the quartet has … [Read more...] about Paul Maurice Is Part Of The NHL’s Hottest Trend: Veteran Coaches On New Teams

Branded is a weekly column devoted to the intersection of marketing, business, design, and culture. advertisement advertisement What happens when your brand connotes cheap-o performance, bare-bones service, and routine problems and inconveniences—so much so that you’re pretty much the running joke of your industry? If you’re Spirit Airlines, what happens is you find yourself the subject of a bidding war. Indeed, JetBlue doubled down on that outcome this week, raising its prior $31.50 per share cash offer for Spirit to $33.50, a deal worth an estimated $3.7 billion . JetBlue’s interest follows budget carrier Frontier’s $2.9 billion offer for Spirit back in February . (Spirit has postponed a shareholder vote on that deal as it considers JetBlue’s bid. The Frontier offer would involve a mix of cash and stock, and is now worth somewhat less as its share price has declined.) It may seem puzzling that Spirit, a complaint … [Read more...] about Why are the airlines fighting so hard to own Spirit, the most beat-up brand in air travel?