Small business confidence hits highest level since Biden took office

Even in the face of stubborn inflation, small business owners are striking a more positive tone. Optimism surrounding the economy is rising and the CNBC|SurveyMonkey Small Business Confidence Index reached its highest level since President Joe Biden took office, according to the latest quarterly data released on Thursday morning. Twenty-eight percent of small business owners … Read more

How Bridgit Mendler went from Disney star to space startup CEO

Bridgit Mendler’s path from Disney Channel star to space startup CEO started with — quite literally — an accident. The 31-year-old is the CEO and co-founder of Northwood Space, a company based in El Segundo, California that aims to mass-produce ground stations — otherwise known as the antennae that communicate with space satellites. It’s a … Read more

From Harvard labs to lucrative Amazon side hustle

Jenny Woo came up with her seven-figure side hustle in a classroom. She was working on her master’s degree in education at Harvard University, learning about emotional intelligence and child development. The former C-suite consultant and school director thought just about everyone could benefit from learning more about both. She wasn’t sure how to make … Read more

More than 100 years since the Black Wall Street massacre, Tulsa is creating a haven for entrepreneurs

Venita Cooper, founder of Silhouette Sneakers & Art in the Greenwood district of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Parnia Mazhar| NBC News. TULSA — Nestled among rows of colorful shoes lining the walls of Silhouette Sneakers & Art, a framed black-and-white photo reminds owner Venita Cooper of the giants whose shoulders she stands on. Overlaid on that picture … Read more

My morning routine, email habit helps me stay productive

Some people swear a productive day starts at 4 a.m. Others sleep on factory floors to ensure work gets done. Not Mark Cuban. The billionaire serial entrepreneur and investor wakes up between 6:30 and 7 a.m and, without getting out of bed, spends an hour responding to emails, he told comedian Trevor Noah on a … Read more

Japan Sends Impact Startups To SOCAP 23 Conference In SF

From Oct. 22–26, a delegation of 20 Japanese entrepreneurs and members of the impact startups ecosystem attended the SOCAP23 social entrepreneurship conference in San Francisco. Each year, SOCAP brings together investors, entrepreneurs and social impact leaders with the aim of solving some of the world’s toughest challenges with market-based solutions. Kota Takaoka, CEO of AiCAN … Read more

The moment I knew I wouldn’t succeed in corporate America

Mark Cuban once pictured himself running a major corporation — until he started his first job out of college. After Cuban graduated from the University of Indiana in 1981, he was hired at Mellon Bank in Pittsburgh, he recently said on Trevor Noah’s “What Now?” podcast. He liked the job almost immediately, feeling comfortable enough … Read more

How Orlando restaurant Build My Burgers went from debt to success

Build My Burgers founder Aly Lalani always knew that a typical desk job wasn’t for him. He wanted something more challenging and unpredictable. The 38-year-old has worked in the restaurant industry for the last 16 years, spending most of that time employed by other people — until 2021, when he opened Build My Burgers in … Read more