Wonders & Blunders: Serious Business

05.24.2017
By: Kevin Dinino

 

Serious Business

This is serious stuff, there’s no if’s, and’s, or but’s about it. Tesla’s factory workers have some grievances, the environment needs saving (but could blockchain come to the rescue?), a name can make or break your future, and banks are going to live another day. We’re digging in with Wonders & Blunders. 

Big Dreams Driven Too Far 

Tesla is an iconic company known for revolutionizing clean-air vehicles, but its ambitious dream is driving workers to the floor … literally. As CEO Elon Musk attempts to increase production by 495% by 2018, worker injuries and complaints are spreading like wildfire. According to The Guardian, workers have reported seeing colleagues “hit the floor like a pancake and smash their face open,” and management sympathetically responding to injury complaints with comments such as “We all hurt. You can’t man up?” Musk claims to be deeply concerned about the welfare of his workforce; however the internal dialogue appears to be broadcasting a different message. In an age where culture can be directly correlated to a company’s bottom line, CEOs need to consider more than just the numbers. 
Magic Internet Money Might be the Key to Saving the World 
Blockchain, the digital ledger that assigns unique codes to cryptocurrencies allowing it to be accurately recorded and tracked, is the latest superhero. How so? It’s helping to increase accountability and transparency. Conservation biologist Guillaume Chapron told WIRED, “One reason why we have environmental crises, like the overexploitation of natural resources and pollution, is because the global economy is full of actors who are doing business without much accountability.” Blockchain is being applied to everything from tracking produce to reduce waste and food poisoning; providing farmers in Kenya with corruption-free insurance payouts; to discouraging governments from breaking promises or misreporting progress. Next on the list? World hunger.

Banks Can Breathe Easy … For Now 

Are banks facing an impending break up? The Trump Administration is saying it does not support a separation of banks from investment banks and that “doing so would create problems for the financial markets, the economy and liquidity.” While banks have dodged their worst fears, there are Glass-Steagall Act-like bills looming. The Wall Street Journal breaks down what Glass-Steagall could mean in the 21st century. 
IN THE NEWS
Multiemployer plan programs are struggling to keep up financially. Zane Dalal, Executive Vice President of BPA, talks to PLANSPONSOR about how a simple shift in the current model could help revive the industry.
DON’T MISS THIS
Startup enthusiasts, entrepreneurs, investors and lovers of innovation, you’re not going to want to miss San Diego Startup Week! SDSW brings together the community to share progress, exchange resources and celebrate the thriving innovation economy found in our city.  
Date: June 19-23, 2017
Place: San Diego, CA
BOTTOM LINE
The IPO pipeline is back, baby! It looks like Silicon Valley has deemed the public market waters safe for swimming, but the road to an Initial Public Offering begins long before the Opening Bell. 
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What’s in a Name?

Guess what’s more difficult than naming your first born? Naming your startup! Especially because a name can impact VC funding. Well a bit of creativity can do wonders. Even expert branding consultants are “surprised at how many names we can come up with that sound like they should be in the dictionary, even if they’re not.” Forbes gives a rundown of recent trends. 

 

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