Shopify's China Plans, Forces Shaping World, Serena Backs Online Academy, Tesla Acquires Hibar Systems, Subaru From Niche to Major Player, City Flight, Star Wars Cookware
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Shopfiy Builds China Team Amid International Expansion Push
“When you think about the China opportunity, there’s a massive commerce market there, [a] huge number of eyeballs that they can they can potentially reach out to,” said Guggenheim Partners director Ken Wong, who covers the company’s stock.
The company is also hiring someone to sign up new partners—the firm’s term for the developers who build third-party apps for its platform—as well as a person to oversee the “translation and localization of Shopify’s product content” into simplified Chinese.
Three Big Things: The Most Important Forces Shaping the World
An irony of studying history is that we often know exactly how a story ends, but have no idea where it began. Here’s an example. What caused the financial crisis? Well, you have to understand the mortgage market. What shaped the mortgage market? Well, you have to understand the 30-year decline in interest rates that preceded it. What caused falling interest rates? Well, you have to understand the inflation of the 1970s. What caused that inflation? Well, you have to understand the monetary system of the 1970s and the hangover effects from the Vietnam War. What caused the Vietnam War?
Exclusive: Serena Williams-backed online academy raises $3M to teach tech jobseekers how to sell
Flockjay’s mission is simple: Train people from nontraditional and underrepresented backgrounds in tech sales via a 12-week live, online program. Oh, and make the tuition free.
[Photo: courtesy of Flockjay]The funding round included superstar backers like Serena Williams and Will Smith, in addition to a host of big-name investors: Microsoft chairman John Thompson; Airtable head of sales Liat Bycel; Gmail inventor Paul Buchheit; and former Netflix CPO Tom Willerer, among others.
Make the tuition not upfront payments but 10% of alumni’s first-year salaries, meaning trainees can participate in the program for free and not have to pay up until they actually start earning a living.
Tesla acquires Canadian battery specialist, Hibar Systems
The company grew to global renown in the battery industry and has seen a 600 per cent increase in revenues since its inception, according to a 2018 Report on Business interview with CEO Iain McColl.
In April, Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, announced the company was driving towards making a “million mile battery,“ possibly as early as next year.
Subaru's New Challenges As It Goes From Niche To Major Player
It wasn’t long ago that we were all impressed (Imprezed?) at Subaru’s ascent (okay I’m done, I swear) to record sales in the American market. The small Japanese automaker spent a decade going from New England, Colorado and Oregon’s all-wheel-drive golden child to mainstream success story. But these days, things aren’t that simple.
Subaru spent $2.7 billion on warranty repairs and recalls over a five year period ending this past March, sapping revenue and contributing to the brand’s routine low J.D.
The Outback , long the darling of families at the north ends of both coasts, is a good new car that continues to offer buyers space and versatility on top of a classic flat-four all-wheel-drive drivetrain.
The 20 cities in the Northeast that Americans are escaping in droves
Between 2010 and 2018, lots of people fled the Northeast to settle in the South. These are the cities that saw the most dramatic population shifts.
The Best Economic News No One Wants to Talk About
Something’s happening to wages that neither Democrats nor Republicans care to acknowledge. According to analysis by Nick Bunker, an economist with the jobs site Indeed, wage growth is currently strongest for workers in low-wage industries, such as clothing stores, supermarkets, amusement parks, and casinos.
A Goldman Sachs look at data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics found growth for the bottom half of earners at its highest rate of the cycle.
Le Creuset is dropping a 'Star Wars' cookware line, and fans will want every piece in the collection
Le Creuset is making the waiting period a little more bearable by releasing a "Star Wars" collection, combining iconic characters and objects from George Lucas' universe with its kitchen gear.
Available for purchase on November 1, the line includes eight novelty products that fans of the series will immediately recognize, like this Han Solo Carbonite Signature Roaster ($450) inspired by "Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back."