Bridging the gap: rethinking business and finance in wildlife conservation

Bridging the gap: rethinking business and finance in wildlife conservation

Crowdsource Innovation Since 1970, there has been a 69% decline in species populations; this human-driven loss is at such a scale that it puts every species at risk. The private sector has a critical role to play in bringing in innovative solutions to achieve large-scale and long-term success in wildlife conservation. Biodiversity credits – among other novel financial instruments – have the potential to increase conservation funding with measurable outcomes without serving as a corporate offset. Today is the United Nations World Wildlife Day . This has been celebrated on 3rd March annually since 2013 to highlight the importance and contribution of wild animals and plants to our lives and the health of the Earth. This year’s theme is Partnerships for Wildlife Conservation , underlining the role of business and finance in securing our wildlife and biodiversity-based resources. According to WWF’s Living Planet report , we have seen an average decline of 69% in species populations since 1970. Although we have made huge progress in wildlife conservation and protection over the past century, we still face severe challenges, such as land-use change, ocean plastic pollution, illegal wildlife trading, climate change and habitat loss caused by unsustainable production and consumption […]

Mazzeo appointed dean of Olin Business School

Mazzeo appointed dean of Olin Business School

Michael Mazzeo, a professor of strategy at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, will be the next dean of Olin Business School at Washington University in St. Louis, effective Jan. 1, according to Chancellor Andrew D. Martin. Mazzeo will succeed Anjan V. Thakor, the John E. Simon Professor of Finance and director of doctoral programs and the Wells Fargo Advisors Center for Finance and Accounting Research, who has served as interim dean since July. Mazzeo “I am thrilled that Mike Mazzeo accepted our offer to be the next dean of the Olin Business School,” Martin said. “Mike stood out as an impressive candidate from the beginning of the search process. We’re fortunate to have found such a talented leader and scholar to assume this role and build upon Olin’s global reputation as a leader in business education and scholarship.” “I also want to take this opportunity to recognize and express my gratitude to Anjan Thakor for his service as interim dean. He has been a strong and steady presence during the past seven months and has been invaluable in ensuring a seamless transition for the Olin community. I’m especially grateful to Dean Thakor for continuing to serve […]

Couple starts cake business out of their own kitchen

Couple starts cake business out of their own kitchen

SEFFNER, Fla. — There’s a husband and wife team living in Seffner that decided to go all in on a new business that is catching the attention and taste buds of family, friends, and neighbors throughout the community. From cute animals to popular movies and even your favorite mouse, there isn’t a cake request that Elizabeth Smith can’t design. “Everyone in the neighborhood started asking, ‘Hey can you do this,’ or ‘Can you do that,’ so I thought, ‘Ok, let me experiment,’” said Elizabeth. What started as just a hobby turned into a flourishing business during the pandemic. Elizabeth found herself baking upwards of eight cakes a week. “Everyone was at home, everyone was on social media, so I’m baking, I’m posting pictures, ‘Where are you located,’ ‘Where can I come get this,’” said Elizabeth. They call the business Baby Kakes Confectionery, and no, that’s not a misprint. “When you look at the word cake everybody has the C; we wanted to be different and go with the K,” said husband Darrell Smith. Darrell is in charge of the pies and deliveries. “My favorite part would be delivering and seeing the smiling faces once they see the cakes,” said […]

Walmart Health eyes Medicare Advantage business with planned expansion

Walmart Health eyes Medicare Advantage business with planned expansion

Photo: Dustin Chambers/Bloomberg via Getty Images Walmart Health is eyeing more Medicare Advantage business as it prepares to nearly double the footprint of its in-store clinics. Driving the news: The big retailer said Thursday it’s planning to add 28 additional health clinics — which offer primary care, behavioral health services, vision checks and dental care within select Walmart stores — in 2024. The new clinics are planned for Walmart Supercenters in Dallas, Houston, Phoenix and Kansas City, Missouri. Between the lines: In September, Walmart and UnitedHealth Group announced a 10-year partnership to deliver care to seniors in Medicare Advantage plans. The private Medicare plans are expected to serve more than half of eligible beneficiaries this year and have been highly lucrative for payers. Walmart looked to leverage its relationship with UnitedHealth and targeted expansion in places where it had a deep existing presence and projections for local population growth, said David Carmouche, senior vice president of omnichannel care at Walmart. "Obviously we layer a lens where there is 64-plus demographic growth in those markets. You put that all together and those markets stood out to us," Carmouche told Axios. The big picture: Retailers are increasingly jostling for primary care […]

Will Facebook’s ‘Meta Verified’ be a success? San Diego business leaders discuss

Will Facebook’s ‘Meta Verified’ be a success? San Diego business leaders discuss

Meta is trying out a paid service called Meta Verified. Pictured: Facebook employees take a photo with the company’s logo outside its headquarters in Menlo Park. Meta, parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced this week it would be testing out a new paid subscription for $11.99 a month. Meta, parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced recently that it would be testing out a new paid subscription for $11.99 a month (or $14.99 for mobile users) that comes with different perks, such as a blue check mark. Similar to Twitter’s $8 a month Twitter Blue program , Facebook and Instagram users paying for Meta Verified will have added benefits that will increase their visibility on the platforms. It’s been sold as a way to build a brand. It’s unclear how successful Twitter has been so far. An outside service estimated there are about 300,000 users. Twitter Blue users sometimes face ridicule on the service from other users for paying. Some social media users have criticized the experiment as paying for popularity . However, a Wired article suggested outrage over Twitter Blue may have been more tied to dislike of Elon Musk, instead of aversion to paying for other […]

UConn School of Business Reduces MBA Course Requirements, Enabling Students to Complete the Degree More Quickly

UConn School of Business Reduces MBA Course Requirements, Enabling Students to Complete the Degree More Quickly

Beginning in Fall 2023, the program will decrease the number of credits required to earn an MBA from 57 to 42 UConn’s popular MBA program will now be faster, more flexible, and more convenient (Adobe Stock). The UConn School of Business announced today that it has revised its MBA program , making it faster, more flexible, and more convenient for graduate students to earn their degrees. Beginning in Fall 2023, the program will decrease the number of credits required to earn an MBA from 57 to 42. It will also change its concentrations and realign its core courses. The changes allow students to complete the MBA program faster—in just over a year if pursued aggressively—and at a lower cost. “The UConn MBA program, which has long set the bar for excellence, will retain its vibrancy, rigor, and focus on essential leadership development,’’ says John A. Elliott, Dean of the School of Business. “We have re-examined our offerings and arranged courses to have maximum impact, added elective concentrations, and allowed students to pursue specialized interests.’’ UConn MBA students may opt for the Online MBA program, which is 100% online, or what is called the FLEX MBA, which allows them to […]

Alteryx Comes To The Rescue For Companies In A Stormy Sea Of Big Data

Alteryx Comes To The Rescue For Companies In A Stormy Sea Of Big Data

The world is awash in data and Alteryx ( AYX ) helps its clients navigate the ocean of information that awaits them. And because the planet’s information crush continues to grow at a blistering pace, it means AYX stock is cruising. The amount of data created this year is expected to reach 120 zettabytes — with 1 zettabyte equal to 1 trillion gigabytes — according to Statista. This Big Data explosion fuels a booming market for data analytics software, providing Alteryx with a large field of opportunity to mine. Based in Irvine, Calif., Alteryx provides a cloud-based data analytics platform that helps businesses boost their performance. They can quickly prepare, blend and analyze data from a multitude of sources, which is critical now since data creation is growing at exponential rates. Meanwhile, the application of data analytics affects organizations across practically every industry, giving Alteryx broad market potential. AYX Stock: 73% Jump In Revenue Research firm International Data Corp., in a global survey, found that 72% of organizations believe analytics investments will outpace all other software investments in 2023. It’s all helped both the top and bottom lines for Alteryx. Last month, the company reported fourth-quarter results that showed […]

Meet Lauren Rosenblatt, Business Reporter

Meet Lauren Rosenblatt, Business Reporter

Lauren Rosenblatt joined The Seattle Times in January 2022. She covers Amazon, innovation and technology, and workforce issues. She is currently chronicling a consequential time at Amazon as Seattle’s largest company undergoes waves of layoffs and unionization efforts. Her diverse collection of stories includes an in-depth profile of influential local investor Tom Alberg and the rise and fall of Seattle celebrity CEO Dan Price . Lauren hails from the great city of Pittsburgh, where she worked the business desk of the Post-Gazette, covering robotics and automation, startups and labor. Lauren is a runner, book nerd and wannabe hiker. What drew you to specialize in business journalism? When I started my first reporting job out of college, my editor at the time told me business journalism is fun and meaningful because business stories impact everyone. Everyone has a stake in what happens in the workforce – whether they’ve been at the same company for 20 years, recently retired, are looking for their first job or can’t find a job. Business journalism is a way to tell stories about workers, and I enjoy finding new stories to tell from the perspective of different people, cities and industries. People look to business […]

School of Management’s Transformational Leaders Program wins Inspiring Programs in Business Award

School of Management’s Transformational Leaders Program wins Inspiring Programs in Business Award

The program earned ‘INSIGHT Into Diversity’ magazine’s 2023 Inspiring Programs in Business Award for encouraging students to pursue business careers The Binghamton University School of Management. The Binghamton University School of Management’s (SOM) Transformational Leaders Program has earned INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine’s 2023 Inspiring Programs in Business Award, casting a national spotlight on its work of helping students chart a course toward successful business careers. Launched in 2021 , the three-year Transformational Leaders Program provides individualized guidance for SOM students from underserved populations or those who may be facing economic challenges. The program’s award was announced Thursday, March 2 by INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine , the country’s top diversity and inclusion publication in higher education. It recognized the program for having inspired and encouraged young people to consider careers in business through mentoring, teaching, research, and successful programs and initiatives. Jerah Reeves, the program’s coordinator, said this recognition wouldn’t be possible without the commitment each of the 39 students currently enrolled in the program have shown in applying what they’ve learned. Part of what makes this program successful, he said, is that each student’s plan over the course of three years is tailored to his or her specific needs. […]

Aster DM Healthcare shortlists two bidders for a majority stake in its Gulf business - sources

Aster DM Healthcare shortlists two bidders for a majority stake in its Gulf business – sources

DUBAI, March 3 (Reuters) – Dubai-based Aster DM Healthcare is looking to sell a majority stake in its Gulf-based business and has short-listed buyers for the sale, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. Aster, which operates hospitals, clinics and pharmacies in the Gulf and India, is looking to sell a stake of more than 50% in its business in the region, said the sources, declining to be named as the matter is not public. Advertisement · Scroll to continue Private equity firm Fajr Capital and Dubai financial services firm Gulf Islamic Investments have been shortlisted in the process, the sources said. Register for free to Reuters and know the full story Fajr declined to comment, while Aster and Gulf Islamic Investments did not immediately respond to a request for comment when contacted by Reuters on Friday. Mumbai-listed Aster began a sales process at the end of last year to demerge the Gulf business to help investors and analysts better understand the company, one of the sources said. They want to monetise the business and believe that they are not getting appreciation of the GCC business in the share price, the source said. Aster’s stock price […]