Private Equity Moris Beracha Wuani

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 ...

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....

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...