Private Equity Moris Beracha Wuani

If you work for, or run, a business, there is an email that tends to show up at least once a month: the “let us help you fix your website” email. At this newspaper, those emails make the rounds. Fake consultants promise front-page Google attention and a spike in views. The spiel goes on and eventually asks for contact with the recipient. Maybe it’s a phone call, maybe it’s a simple email reply, but all roads lead to wanting critical information from the business. Small businesses are big targets for these scams as they might be new to the world of website building and it would be easy to jump in with hopes of expansion into the web. Don’t fall for it. There are real paid consultants businesses can seek out that are legitimate. If someone reaches out with promises of internet grandeur, it’s best to put their email in the spam folder where it belongs. Link: https://www.chicoer.com/2020/02/11/branding-scam-targets-businesses-scam-of-the-week/

Almost any textile you can think of — from cotton to leather to nylon — has social and environmental impacts risks at every level of its supply chain: from the growing or extracting of its raw material inputs, to the processing it takes to turn those inputs into the materials we recognize. But when it comes to managing risk and replacing harmful materials with preferable ones, it can be tough for companies to know where to begin. Through Textile Exchange’s Material Change Index (MCI), we track the apparel, footwear and home textile sector’s progress toward more sustainable materials sourcing as well as alignment with global efforts such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the transition to a circular economy. This week, Textile Exchange proudly launched the fourth edition of the MCI, which featured the voluntary participation of more than 170 companies (some covered subsidiaries) including major brands such as Adidas, C&A, Gucci, IKEA, Inditex, Nike,

In recent years, stars have lent their names to all kinds of sneaker collaborations. Puma had Rihanna. Reebok had Gigi Hadid. Adidas had Kanye West. Nike had … Jesus Christ? Not exactly. In October, a pair of “Jesus shoes” — customized Air Max 97s whose soles contained holy water from the River Jordan — appeared online for $1,425. They were designed by a start-up called MSCHF, without Nike’s blessing. The sneakers quickly sold out and began appearing on resale sites, going for as much as $4,000. The Christian Post wrote about them. Drake wore them. They were among the most Googled shoes of 2019. The only thing that didn’t happen, said Kevin Wiesner, 27, a creative director at MSCHF, was a public disavowal of the shoes by Nike or the Vatican. “That would’ve been rad,” he said. Now, in the MSCHF office in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn, a pair stands like a trophy. MSCHF isn’t a sneaker company. It rarely even produces commercial goods, and its employees are reluctant

With a new decade comes a new era of sustainability leadership. The 2020s herald a pivotal chance to deliver on our great climate, environment and development challenges, and the scale and pace of change will require truly transformative thinking. We will need to move beyond efficiency and doing less harm, and base strategies on new goals that ensure business success also meets the needs of people and the planet. It’s time to step up a gear or three on our journey toward a sustainable future. But what does this mean for how we do business? At the heart of this shift is a move toward "regenerative" rather than just "less extractive" business strategies. With growing public commitments to "carbon zero" targets, businesses are refocusing on how to work in ways that put back more into society, the environment and the global economy than they take out. This sounds like an abstract goal on the surface, but in real terms, it is a powerful reframing of mind

The way we produce, (re)use and dispose of or recycle our materials has an impact on nearly every one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a collection of 17 global 2030 goals introduced by the United Nations in 2015. Also known as the Global Goals, the SDGs were designed to be universal (for both developed and developing countries), holistic (people-centered and planet-sensitive) and measurable. They include 169 targets and aim to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. For the textile industry, "SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production" is a gateway to many of the other SDGs. More sustainable cultivation of cotton, wool, wood and other natural raw materials aligns with the "Zero Hunger" and "Life on Land" goals. Converting to renewable energy and deploying cleaner technologies in the fiber processing stages have a positive effect on the "Clean Water and Sanitation," "Industries, Inno

With fears about Covid-19 grounding flights, keeping Chinese consumers homebound, and halting goods coming out of China, investors may be worried about how Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX) can continue its growth efforts in that region. These fears may be or may not be unfounded, but Chinese sales are less likely to have an effect on the coffee giant's overall condition than doomsayers realize. Starbucks' U.S. growth has remained phenomenal over the past few years. Customers are happy: That's what's been fueling the company's outstanding growth, and that's what will continue to boost its numbers and shareholder value long-term, despite any potential Covid-19 (also referred to as the coronavirus) headwinds. Need proof? Keep reading. Why the domestic numbers matter more There can be no global expansion if there isn't strength back home. And if there is, even if there are hiccups globally, the company can remain strong to eventually push the borders again. Starb

An effort to lower barriers for entrepreneurial women received a boost from the Wells Fargo Foundation this month in the form of a $20,000 grant, one that enable the University of Montana to grow a program aimed at building a more equitable future. The Pursue Your Passion program, which opens for enrollment this month, will focus on meeting the needs of busy women who statistically bear the brunt of unpaid household work and care at more than twice the rate of men, according to a recent report. “(It) can meet the needs of women who have a less flexible schedule due to families, busy careers and other factors,” said Morgan Slemberger, director of the university’s Pursue Your Passions program. “We want to make it easier since availability can be a barrier to starting something new.” Slemberger, who also serves as the associate director of the Blackstone LaunchPad entrepreneurial program at UM, said the funding will support female-centered programming as the new course gets under

This year, 2020, has been dubbed the "super year" for the environment. We’re used to hearing about climate change and the urgent need to slow global warming. This year, environmental experts are adding another focus to the mix: biodiversity. A new business buzzword? Or an oldie but a goodie? It depends who you ask. Historically, biodiversity tends to be a sustainable business trend that comes and goes but now, it may (fortunately) be here to stay. In January, the environment was top of mind among the world’s most notable business leaders at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos. According to the WEF’s 2020 Global Risk Report, destruction of nature negatively will affect bottom lines and generally, these risks are undervalued by business decision-makers. While business and biodiversity might seem strange bedfellows, companies are dependent on biodiversity. And while the level of dependency can vary across sectors, the loss of biodiversity is a critical risk for all.

Infosys's acquisition of U.S. cloud consulting software provider Simplus underscores the Indian software exporter's push to expand digital business as clients curtail spending on traditional technology outsourcing. The Bengaluru-based company agreed to buy Simplus for $250 million, including $50 million in earn out payments, it said in a statement last evening. Simplus specializes in the so-called Salesforce business software implementation on the cloud. In 2018, Infosys had acquired a Finnish company called Fluido in a 64 million-euro ($70 million) deal for Salesforce implementation on the cloud. Indian software exporters are fast shifting to new internet-based technologies such as cloud computing and artificial intelligence from low-margin, rudimentary services such as managing the IT infrastructure and back offices of western clients. "Service providers globally have been active in Salesforce competency acquisitions," Kotak Institutional Equities in a note

The pressure is mounting for a "new normal." That’s the brief summary from this year’s World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, which I attended last month with the United Nations Secretary-General, my team and many of U.N. Global Compact's business partners. World leaders increasingly understand the urgency of becoming more ambitious to deliver the world we all want. Among their chief concerns is climate change, which the 2020 WEF Risk Report presented as the mother of all risks. For the U.N. Global Compact, Davos presented a unique opportunity. It marked that 20 years ago, the late U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan initiated a global compact of shared values and principles between the United Nations and business to give the global market a human face. It also marked the launch into the U.N. Decade of Action to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Walk or talk? The Decade of Action marks a shift. The planetary window for "business as usual"

Nasdaq (NASDAQ: NDAQ) reported $4.2 billion in total revenues for the full year 2019, declining by 0.4% (y-o-y) due to low volatility in cash equities and equity options market. However, net revenues remained relatively stable, thanks to 10% (y-o-y) growth in recurring revenues from non-trading segments. Notably, Nasdaq’s technology solutions business observed a 25%(y-o-y) growth, driven by the company’s acquisition of Cinnober even as it continued to grow deal volumes. Trefis highlights the key sources of Nasdaq’s revenues in an interactive dashboard along with our projections for 2020. While the Market Technology segment accounts for less than 10% of Nasdaq’s top line as of now, the segment can potentially grow at an annual rate of up to 10% over the coming years to double in size by 2025. A Quick Look At Nasdaq’ Revenues Nasdaq reported $4.2 billion in Total Revenues for full-year 2019. It includes four segments: Market Services: $2.6 billion in FY2019 (62% of Total Revenue

The numbers: Small businesses turned more optimistic about sales and profits in the first month of 2020, but they are still struggling to find qualified workers, according to a closely followed survey. The National Federation of Independent Business said its index of small-business optimism rebounded from a small dip in at the end of last year, rising to 104.3 points in January from 102.7 in December. Business owners were more confident that sales would continue to rise and help support higher profits, the NFIB said. What happened: The net percent of owners who expect higher inflation-adjusted sales in the months ahead rose by 7 points to 23%. By and large, business owners were nonplussed by the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. A gauge that measures uncertainty was basically unchanged. The biggest worry of small businesses continues to be a shortage of skilled employees available for hire. A quarter of owners say it’s their No. 1 problem — more than taxes or re

"Social media doesn’t work…" If I had a dollar for every time I’ve overheard this sitting in a coffee shop or restaurant - well, I’d probably have an extra $100 dollars in my bank account or more. We once sat with a business owner who told us that social media wasn’t worth it, and when we checked out his accounts, the images uploaded weren’t great, the posting was inconsistent, and let’s not even go into the captions. A few months later, that business was gone. I’ve also had the privilege of sitting in the restaurants that my agency handles social media for, and there I've witnessed, first-hand, people marching up to the counter to order, phone in hand, Instagram open, pointing to a photo we’ve posted and saying “I want this”. So what’s the difference between the people in the first scenario and my client? For the most part, it's simple - there are some basic mistakes that entrepreneurs and businesses repeatedly make in social media marketing which are li

Is your website a potential liability? Yeah, it probably is. Over the last three to four years, there has been an “explosion” of lawsuits and claims by disabled individuals asserting that businesses’ websites (and, increasingly, their mobile apps) were not accessible to them because they were not up to code with Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, according to Charles Marion, an attorney with Blank Rome LLP in Philadelphia. The issue received national attention after a decision this past October by the U.S. Supreme Court to let stand a lower court ruling which opened the door for blind people to sue Domino’s Pizza for not making its website accessible. The lower court ruling decided that the ADA not only applies for making a company’s brick and mortar establishments accessible to disabled people, but covers their online properties as well. Dominos is not the only business exposed to these claims. According to a 2019 study, a whopping 98 percent of more t