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In May, 2023 the San Francisco-based startup Lypid introduced a game-changing vegan fat called PhytoFat, offering a significant step forward in the development of plant-based meats. From a carbon reduction and sustainability standpoint, this innovation could help make plant-based alternatives more appealing and reduce reliance on animal products, which have a high carbon footprint per calorie.
Makers of plant-based meats have long sought to mimic the juiciness, flavor, and texture of animal fats. Prior solutions, such as the use of coconut oil in Beyond Burgers, have met challenges due to differences in melting temperatures compared to animal fats. Coconut oil melts at just 78 degrees F, while pork fat renders at around 130 to 140 degrees F, leading to less satisfying cooking results.
Unusual recipes have cropped up on the internet to get around the problem of making food from “healthy” ingredients but mimic the flavor of the “unhealthy” foods. Banana peel bacon, an unusual concoction made from frying banana peels, is a case in point.
PhytoFat, developed by Lypid’s cofounders Michelle Lee and Jen-Yu Huang, is made from plant-based oils, water, and flavorings designed to mimic beef or pork. What sets it apart is its high melting point, achieved through a process called microencapsulation, wherein tiny droplets of oils are encased in a coating to create capsules that behave like animal fats.
In addition to being suitable for high-temperature cooking, Lypid’s fats are lower in saturated fats than animal-based ones, offering a healthier alternative.
To demonstrate the potential of PhytoFat, Lypid has created its own plant-based pork belly. Yet the primary business model is providing PhytoFat as an ingredient for other food companies. Offering three types, each with different melting points and textures, it has already been used in plant-based burgers and bao buns – also known as steamed buns which consist of a dough wrapping with a meat-based interior.
The company first launched in Asia, securing a deal with Louisa Coffee, Taiwan’s largest coffee chain, to serve plant-based burgers using PhytoFat in over 500 stores. Now, Lypid is expanding its footprint in the U.S., catering to restaurants and food companies.
This innovation can drive creativity in plant-based cuisine, as PhytoFat can withstand a variety of cooking methods, including pan frying, oven baking, and braising. As such, it has the potential to make plant-based diets more appealing and accessible, helping to reduce the environmental impact of our food systems.
Plant-based meat substitutes have been a focus of research and development for several years now, given the environmental, health, and ethical considerations associated with traditional animal farming. These alternatives aim to replicate the taste, texture, and nutritional value of meat, using plant-derived ingredients.
Some of the most notable companies in this field include Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods. Beyond Meat’s products are made from a mix of pea, mung bean, and rice proteins, while Impossible Foods’ key ingredient is soy leghemoglobin, a protein that carries heme, an iron-containing molecule that gives meat its unique taste and aroma.
Both companies have made significant strides in developing plant-based burgers, sausages, and other products that closely mimic the experience of eating meat. However, a significant challenge has been replicating the characteristics of animal fat, which contributes significantly to the flavor, juiciness, and overall mouthfeel of meat products.
Coconut oil, used by Beyond Meat, has been one solution, but its low melting point compared to animal fats limits its effectiveness. That’s where the San Francisco-based startup Lypid comes in. Their product, PhytoFat, utilizes a microencapsulation process to achieve a higher melting point, similar to that of pork or beef fat. This makes it more suitable for high-temperature cooking and provides a more satisfying culinary experience.
The potential applications of PhytoFat extend beyond just burgers and sausages. Lypid has developed a plant-based pork belly and PhytoFat is already being used in plant-based burgers and bao, demonstrating its versatility.
Other companies like Good Catch Foods are focusing on seafood substitutes, using a blend of six legumes to create products like fish-free tuna and crab-free cakes. JUST Inc. is another startup making strides in plant-based eggs.
In summary, while there are many companies working in the plant-based meat space, the introduction of PhytoFat by Lypid represents a significant innovation and step forward in the industry. By addressing the issue of replicating animal fats in plant-based products, Lypid is contributing to the increasing appeal and acceptance of plant-based diets.


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Grapeshot, a UK-based digital ad tech company, on Friday announced it has raised $3.3 million in a new round of funding. Including previous funding rounds, the company has now raised a total of $8.6 million.
The new round was led by Albion Ventures, a UK-based venture capital investor. Other investors include IQ Capital, a previous backer of Grapeshot, and Tim Schoonmaker, Grapeshot’s chairman.
Robert Whitby-Smith, partner at Albion Ventures, is joining Grapeshot’s Board of Directors.
John Snyder, Grapeshot’s CEO, told RTM Daily that the company will use the money to push its product into data management platform (DMP) analytics.
Additionally, Snyder revealed plans to hire six new employees in its New York office “immediately.” Over the near year, Grapeshot intends to further grow its team across the U.S. and has eyes on the Asia-Pacific market, with Singapore as a potential hub.
Grapeshot specializes keyword targeting. Its tech analyzes the content on a page before an advertiser buys ad space on that page via real-time bidding (RTB). The company claims over 180 trading desks and demand-side platforms use their keyword targeting app, including Turn, MediaMath and AppNexus.

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In her 55 years, Barbie has worn many hats: She’s been a princess and an aerobics instructor, a presidential candidate and police officer. Now, the wildly popular yet often controversial doll is joining the ranks of the Girl Scouts, and causing a stir once again.
The Girl Scouts teamed up with Barbie’s maker, Mattel, last year. Scouts can earn a Barbie “Be anything, Do everything” participation patch, the first ever with a corporate sponsor, and a Girl Scout-inspired Barbie doll is rolling out in stores.
Although corporate sponsorship is everywhere, from athletic stadiums to youth baseball jerseys, critics believe the partnership is a bad fit for the Girl Scouts. With her passion for fashion and impossible hourglass shape, consumer groups feel that Barbie in a scouting uniform sends the wrong message.
“Barbie is basically a terrible role model for girls, and she’s not about what the Girl Scouts’ principles are, which have to do with leadership and courage,” Susan Linn, a psychologist and director of the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, told TODAY’s Janet Shamlian.
The Girl Scouts strongly defended the partnership and the new doll, countering that Barbie has a wholesome image.
“Girls and moms alike associate this doll with the outdoors, camping, giving back in your community, and we think that those are really positive messages to all of our girls,” said Kelly Parisi, spokeswoman for Girl Scouts of the USA.
Mattel stood by its three-year deal with the Girl Scouts, saying in a statement to NBC News that Barbie’s mission is a good fit with the scouts, inspiring girls’ imaginations and showing them they can be anything they want to be.
As children are faced with ads and sponsorships at an early age, one mother of a scout told TODAY that the doll and patch are no big deal.
“I think if the girls didn’t identify with Barbie, it might create a problem for us as parents, but the girls love them,” she said. “It represents what they love.”
Barbie attracted wide attention — and criticism — in February for appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated as a swimsuit model.
Lisa A. Flam is a news and lifestyles reporter in New York. Follow her on Twitter.


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The Top 3 Marijuana Stocks Expected to Soar Following Jeff Sessions Exit.
Shares of marijuana companies traded broadly higher Wednesday, as U.S. midterm elections are likely to usher in a green wave, with Michigan voting to legalize recreational pot and other states supporting medical marijuana likely just the beginning.
The sector got a further boost after long-time cannabis opponent Attorney General Jeff Sessions resigned “at the request” of President Trump. Jeff Sessions resignation, coupled with a Democrat-controlled House of Representatives, could bring a much need boost to the marijuana industry in the U.S. Lets not forget, Jeff Sessions was who delivered a blow to the marijuana industry’s ability to raise capital.
The Most Obvious Expected Gainers:
Among the most-active stocks, Aurora Cannabis Inc. ACB, +5.87% hiked up 6.4%, Canopy Growth Corp. CGC, +0.33% tacked on 6.0%, Cronos Group Inc.CRON, -0.82% surged 8.4% and Tilray Inc. TLRY, -0.18% soared 31%.
The Companies poised to benefit from Illinois and Nevada results:
In other pot stocks, shares of Toronto-based Namaste Technologies Inc.NXTTF, +4.90% gained 5.7% after the company said its Cannmart Inc. subsidiary signed an agreement with AgMedica Bioscience Inc. to buy medical cannabis from AgMedica to sell on Cannmart’s online platform.
And now, Your Top 3 Candidates
First Place: Global Consortium Inc. (BDCI)
First and foremost, BDCI just announced today (talk about perfect timing) its aggressive expansion by Building a CBD Processing Lab, increasing harvest revenues to $4,000,000.
Press Release: Click HERE
Further, the completed merger with a transaction valued at over $40 million. has attracted some larger investors, and more are starting to take notice. From a recent press release,
Bahamas Development Corporation (soon to be known as Global Consortium, Inc. d/b/a Cannabis Consortium) (OTCPINK: BDCI) (“Cannabis Consortium”) and its wholly owned subsidiary BDCI Merger Sub, Inc. (“Merger Sub”) have completed a merger with Global Consortium, Inc. (“Global”), whereby Global merged with and into Merger Sub, with Global surviving.
This week Global will complete a $26-million-dollar merger with operating assets within the Cannabis sector. This is the first of several mergers that will be completed over the next 6 months.
In fact, unlike 90% of the current breed of “Marijuana” companies in the OTC that have simply poked their tow into the Marijuana sector, Bahamas Development Corp (OTC:BDCI) started out as a marijuana company, and has not changed course since.
Second Place: Aurora Cannabis Inc. (TSX:ACB)
Should see a big move here. Aurora Cannabis is a licensed producer and seller of medical marijuana and cannabis oil under the ACMPR. On April 16, 2018, Aurora announced an agreement with CTT Pharmaceutical Holdings Incorporated (OTC:CTTH) for joint exclusive rights for the Canadian distribution of CTT’s patented drug delivery technologies. The agreement includes rights to six patents related to cannabis delivery technologies, including the Orally Dissolvable Thin Film (ODF) Wafer technology. ODF Wafers are taken orally and dissolve quickly in the mouth, allowing for easy consumption of cannabis especially for individuals who have difficulty swallowing.
Third Place: Profile Solutions Inc. (PSIQ)
The King of eSwatini recently signed a contract to establish a large growing farm and processing plant for medical cannabis & hemp with a United States company called Profile Solutions Inc., (OTC:PSIQ).Analysts suggest that this deal will bolster the countries economic standing, and create new jobs and infrastructure.
Profile Solutions, Inc. (OTC Pink: PSIQ) is pleased to announce preliminary approval from the eSwatini Ministry of Economic Planning and Development to establish an exclusive growing farm and processing plant for medical cannabis & hemp in The Kingdom of eSwatini.
“We anticipate $ 12 — $ 20 million to come from the sale of Medical Cannabis and up to $ 10 million to come from the sale of CBD Hemp.”
This new direction for the country comes after reports that Trump has softened his view on the war on Pot, and with Jess Sessions getting sacked, we expect the industry to open to nationwide legalization much like Canada. According to Seung Min Kim at the Washington Post, Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO), whose state was the first to allow recreational marijuana sales, said that Trump indicated that he would support a law to allow state legalization experiments to continue.
Analysts are suggesting that PSIQ, which is currently trading at $0.20 may now have the support to surpass some of the big names in the Cannabis industry, such as Tilray ( NASDAQ: TLRY) and Aurora Cannabis Inc.


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Downtown Louisville has too much parking capacity, and the city is doing something about it.
The Louisville City Council will consider an ordinance next week increasing the ratio of a building’s size to the number of parking spaces required for all new construction and expansion.
City Manager Malcolm Fleming said while the situation has the potential to look like an unenviable one for a municipality trying to attract traffic to its business core, it’s more of a recognition by Louisville that its downtown isn’t a strip mall or a suburban shopping center.
“It doesn’t make sense to have more parking lots than you need,” he said, citing the price of land in Louisville and the detraction that oceans of asphalt pose to a city.
The ordinance proposes reducing the downtown parking requirement from one space per 400 square feet of development to one space per 500 square feet of development, for all uses except residential.
A 2009 study showed that parking in downtown Louisville was running at about 60 percent utilization in much of the commercial zone, even though some popular blocks saw the utilization rate rise to as high as 95 percent.
The study concluded that the maximum demand for parking during peak periods — usually around lunchtime and in the evenings — was one space per 532 square feet of development.
Fleming said many visitors — and even residents — aren’t aware of some of the downtown parking facilities available to them, such as the underground garage at the library.
“It’s a resource that’s not helping as much as it could,” he said. “It hardly ever fills up.”
The city, Fleming said, plans to create signs and paths that make the garage a more obvious and convenient place to park.
Erik Hartronft, a member of the Downtown Louisville Business Association and a local architect, said he supports the city’s proposed ordinance.
He said downtown Louisville’s character and layout are based on visits by a high proportion of local shoppers, who can walk, bike or take public transit to get to their destination.
He said parking is simply not in as high demand as it would be in shopping centers less anchored to a residential area and with less walkability.
“We can clearly get by with less parking because of the way Louisville works,” Hartronft said.
Contact Camera Staff Writer John Aguilar at 303-473-1389 or email@example.com.


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One similarity between grammar and business is that both are defined by punctuation marks. As the recent unprecedented unicorn run of startups indicates, the magic is in knowing when and how the two go together
The managing partner at Prime Venture Partners on why startups must use money as a tool and not a weapon, and how first wave of Digital India has aligned with other factors to create a heady environment for the birth of unicorns
Close to half of India's billion dollar-plus tech ventures—26 till mid-August—have emerged in 2021. Two dozen unicorns have emerged in just eight months. Can they keep galloping?
When older companies started downsizing or shutting shop during the pandemic, startups continued to gain momentum. In 2021 alone, startups have raised more than $20 billion in funding


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Indie Beauty Brands Saw Black Friday And Cyber Monday Sales Lifts Despite Pulling Back On Advertising
The beauty industry was handed a nice gift over Black Friday/Cyber Monday as consumers stocked up on scents, skincare, color cosmetics and more at prices befitting their slimmed-down budgets—and indie beauty brands were among those receiving the spoils.
Anne Beal, founder of skincare brand AbsoluteJOI, says, “The mood is good with shoppers. While COVID is still an issue, this is the first holiday season in years that feels remotely normal so people are feeling celebratory. People are willing to spend, but they are looking for value and want quality for the money they spend. So, it’s up to us as brand owners to be clear about the value and differentiated offers we are bringing to customers.”
Larissa Jensen, VP and industry advisor at market research firm The NPD Group, explains beauty flourished on Black Friday because it’s “that ultimate little luxury for consumers to indulge in and gift.” She says the performance is a bright sign for the industry, and she’s “very optimistic about holiday for beauty.”
Fragrance is especially expected to generate fourth-quarter wins. Typically, about 40% of the prestige fragrance category’s sales are during the holiday shopping period. Fragrance brand Commodity’s Black Friday is evidence of fragrance’s 2022 holiday shopping prominence. In a post on LinkedIn, it revealed its Black Friday sales soared 182% year-over-year. The brand offered 50% off the entire collection on its website.
In a year marred by persistent inflation, the opportunity to score savings was paramount in propelling American consumers to shop on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, particularly online as brick-and-mortar stores struggled to regain pre-pandemic foot traffic. Emily H. Rudman, founder of nail and makeup brand Emilie Heathe, says,“With inflation, I think people were looking for deals and holding their money. While for the most part, our consumer is price-insensitive, they are still looking for a deal when it comes seasonally, but also buy outside of the sales period.”
The trade organization National Retail Federation (NRF) reported that 196.7 million Americans shopped in stores and online from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday, an increase of 17 million shoppers from last year. Adobe Analytics statistics show that consumers racked up $9.12 billion in purchases on Black Friday, a 2.3% jump over last year. Cyber Monday performed even better, and $11.3 billion was spent online, per Adobe, a gain of 5.8% from last year and 4.6% from 2020.
Beauty saw a turnaround in online performance this year following a lackluster 2021. The retail technology company Bluecore reported that site traffic for health and beauty companies was up 26% year-over-year on Black Friday, taking the top spot ahead of apparel, electronics, home goods and other verticals. Consumers ramped up Black Friday health and beauty product purchases, leading the number of orders in the categories to lift 16% over last year.
Brick-and-mortar stores didn’t fare as well across industries as retailers continue to spread out their promotional calendars to elongate the spending season. Walmart, Target, Costco, Home Depot, Nordstrom and T.J. Maxx recorded declines in foot traffic compared to 2019. However, the NRF reported that foot traffic was up by 17% overall from last year.
Beauty demonstrated its dominance in the brick-and-mortar channel. Beauty and self-care retailers registered an 8.4% year-over-year store traffic increase and a 19.8% store traffic increase from 2019, per traffic analytics firm Placer.ai. Ulta Beauty recorded a 16.5% bump in store traffic on Black Friday compared to 2021 and a 31% bump from 2019. Smaller beauty-focused brick-and-mortar retailers saw traction, too. Trellis Beauty had a long line waiting to enter its Raleigh, N.C., store on Pink Wednesday, the clean beauty retailer’s spin on Black Friday, according to founder and CEO Tracy Trellis Gori,
Indie Beauty Performance
Skincare brand Flora & Noor saw a 38% boost in Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales. Starting on Black Friday, it offered a free month subscription of its skincare regimen for new subscribers. On Amazon, it offered 25% off its products on Black Friday, and a buy two, get one free deal on Cyber Monday. Founder and CEO Jordan Karim says, “We were more thoughtful about planning, graphics, and what we wanted to achieve business-wise, which was to increase the number of customers subscribed to our skincare regimens.”
Emilie Heathe ran a 25% off site-wide discount from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday that included a deluxe sample gift-with-purchase on orders of $75 and above. Sales jumped 35% compared to last year’s Black Friday/Cyber Monday and 200% compared to the previous calendar week.
AbsoluteJOI saw a 110% rise in revenue over the Black Friday/Cyber Monday period from the same period last year. Online customers stocked up on the brand’s skincare bundles that were 30% off. The period helped the brand’s November sales climb 70% from the prior month. AbsoluteJOI released a holiday gift guide in collaboration with 25 Black- and female- owned companies.
Return customers drove most of the brand’s gains during the crucial holiday shopping stretch, aligning it with wider industry patterns. Bluecore reported that 50% of Black Friday online beauty purchases were made by return customers. Diminishing returns on ad spend spurred AbsoluteJOI to shun social media advertising this year and instead focus on email marketing tactics to snag return customers.
Beal says, “It was a scary decision because the holiday season is very important for hitting our annual revenue targets, but I am happy to share that, compared to last year, revenue performance was the same, and we’re on track to make our annual revenue goals.”
Trademark Beauty’s Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales jumped almost 100% from last year. Promotions began on Black Friday and ran through Cyber Monday, with 50% off its hero products and 20% off newer launches on its site. The hair tool brand ran equivalent promotions on its Amazon storefront. Bestsellers included the Babe Wave Original hairstyling tool, which was marked down from $59 to $36, and the Sunny Styler, down to $71 from $89. In 2021, it offered 30% off site-wide on Black Friday and Shop Small Saturday, and a 50% off buy-one-get-one promotion on Cyber Monday.
Mounting competition and the escalated cost of digital advertising caused Trademark Beauty to change its Black Friday/Cyber Monday playbook substantially from last year. It eschewed paid media in favor of steeper discounts. The brand generated one email and one post per social channel along with a few Instagram stories daily from Black Friday morning to Cyber Monday evening to hype up its offers.
Joseph Maine, co-founder of Trademark Beauty, says, “Traditionally around this time of year the ad costs are exponentially higher, and those costs paired with a discount of 20% to 30% off not only cuts into profit margins, but also doesn’t allow us to stand out amongst a sea of retailers offering similar discounts.”
Beauty brands kicked off their Black Friday/Cyber Monday promotions earlier this year. The beauty performance marketing agency Iced Media found that the Monday before Thanksgiving was the most popular day for brands to activate sales. Of the 115 brands it tracked, less than 10% commenced holiday promotions a week before Thanksgiving, but, by Thanksgiving, more than a third of them were live with deals. “This is indeed earlier than we have historically seen brands begin Black Friday offers,” says Ashley Banks, chief client officer at Iced Media.
Skincare brand Pili Ani’s site-wide 15% off “Cyber Week Spree” started a week prior to Black Friday and ended two days after Cyber Monday. It was the brand’s first dive into Black Friday/Cyber Monday promotions since it launched in 2016. Average order values were up 20% on its site from an average week.
Makeup brand Grande Cosmetics started its week-long 30% off site-wide promotion on the Monday before Thanksgiving. It offered the same discount across its product portfolio at Ulta and Sephora from Thanksgiving through Cyber Monday. “We had a very successful Black Friday/Cyber Monday throughout our accounts,” says Alicia Grande, CEO of Grande Cosmetics. “Each of our SKU unit sales increased 2x to 3x during this promo.”
Black Friday was the brand’s single largest revenue day, and limited-edition holiday gift sets were popular. Grande says, “This year, we saw more shoppers going in store versus previous years due to COVID restrictions lessening. It seems like shopping behavior is shifting back to pre-pandemic trends and habits.”
The skincare brand Sonage opted for an additional day of savings for its Black Friday/Cyber Monday promotions this year. Beginning the Monday before Thanksgiving—a day earlier than last year—it offered seven days of deals on various products from its line, culminating in a 30% site-wide discount for Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday. Hydrating Cleanser, Vitamin C Serum, Botanic Souffle Cream, Glow to Go Glycolic Pads, Collagen Serum and Luster Eye Cream were its customers’ top choices. “We had a goal to do 20% above last year and beat that goal,” says Sonage CEO Anisha Khanna.
For Trademark Beauty, sales slowed more than in the weeks leading up to Black Friday this year than in past years, indicating to Maine that consumers delayed purchases to ensure they secured savings this year. “We believe inflation/post-pandemic life has pushed customers to wait for these discounts,” he says. “Shoppers know their products will arrive in a few days post-purchase and saved their shopping for this weekend.”
Premium beauty brands snagged new customers in greater numbers by offering discounts up to 30% and 40% off for Black Friday/Cyber Monday. Banks says, “We see an outsized percentage of new buyers at higher price points for hero products and sales lifts unseen at any other time of year…“For premium brands that seldom discount, they saw a 300% to 400% revenue lift compared to the lift they see when offering a gift with purchase, signaling that brands sitting out promos may have lost out to deal-seeking buyers.”
Beauty consumers’ eagerness to save may have buttressed sales, but it didn’t significantly hike average order values (AOVs). Sonage, Emilie Heathe and Trademark Beauty recorded Black Friday/Cyber Monday AOVs that were flat or slightly higher than last year. “The difference is not in dollars, but in what people want,” figures Beal. “People want less stuff and are looking for experiences, consumable items and things that bring simple joy.”
Influencer gift guides may have played a larger role in driving consumers to retailers and beauty brands’ sites during Black Friday/Cyber Monday than in previous years. Banks says, “Across the Meta, Snap, Pinterest and TikTok ecosystem, we see more creators helping brands sell their products in paid ads than ever before. We generally see a higher return on creator ads than brand ads, but it depends on the creator and the message. TikTok is offering generous creator subsidies this season, making it easier for new brands to embrace its ad platform.”
Karim says, “I noticed a lot of retailer hauls from influencers recommending what consumers should buy and advertising brand sales. Much of this was on TikTok and Instagram and created a sense of urgency in a way for consumers. I even noted products and sales myself from my favorite makeup brands.”
Consumer interest in influencer gift guides connected to heightened interest broadly in product information. “We see less impulse purchases and more research. We have seen a huge spike in traffic to our educational content—blogs and videos. Consumers are seeking advice more than ever to identify ingredients and results that are right for them,” says Khanna. “We think this will continue to be their shopping behavior going into the rest of the year and next year.”


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Another last ditch appeal for Georgia Avenue Wal-Mart foes
The Wal-Mart planned for 5929 Georgia Ave. NW is expected to break ground next month.
Or, if the store's critics win their latest legal battle, never.
Opponents of the project have filed another last-ditch appeal (their last, last-ditch appeal didn’t work), this time with the Board of Zoning Adjustments. Appellants Ginia Avery, Willie Baker, Edna Doggett, Baruti Jahi, William Washington and Michael Wilson have asked the BZA to overturn the building permit issued to the developer in June by the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs.
The Inspector of Buildings, they say, “erred by granting Missouri Avenue Development Partners LLC” its permit for the 106,244-square-foot Wal-Mart.
They argue that the Wal-Mart violates sections and elements of the Comprehensive Plan, specifically those involving East of Rock Creek Park, Upper Georgia Avenue Great Streets and, more generally, economic development. It would add a grocery store when the area is already well-served by supermarkets, they say, crush nearby small businesses, add no mix-of-uses, and fall short of the goal of providing “pedestrian-oriented” development.
“Nor is there any support for the Developer’s assertion that Walmart will increase tax revenues and jobs for D.C. by generating increased consumers and sales in the City,” according to the appeal.
Essentially, they argue that while Wal-Mart may do well, revenue will correspondingly fall at other stores.
The appeal was filed Aug. 10. Attorneys for developer Foulger-Pratt responded seven days later with motions to intervene in the case and to expedite the hearing. They say the appellants waited until the last possible moment to appeal, and a delay in the project stands to cost Foulger-Pratt nearly $70,000 a month and cause the project “irreparable damage.”
Michael Neibauer covers economic development, chambers of commerce, transportation and politics.
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Shifting the shape of the outdoor industry
The co-founders of alder apparel are making the outdoors more welcoming for everybody — and every body type.
What did your last outdoor experience look like? A multi-day trek through steep mountain terrain? A 50-mile trail run? Navigating a whitewater expedition in the rainforest? Mountain biking the steep, slick terrain of the Utah desert?
No? Don’t worry. You’re not alone.
While the outdoor industry would have you believe that all the fit folks showing up in so many marketing campaigns for clothing and gear are the norm, the way most of us spend time outside looks different. And our bodies look different, too.
In fact, the average U.S. woman wears a size 16 — though very few outdoor apparel brands offer products in sizes beyond 12. This leaves a lot of women feeling ignored and without functional gear to get outside. The mostly white, mostly thin, and mostly muscle-bound depictions of women in the wild that have for so long dominated how outdoor products are designed and marketed just don’t reflect the reality of how women are spending time in the great outdoors.
Mikayla Wujec and Naomi Blackman, co-founders of outdoor recreation apparel company alder, are on a mission to offer clothing and community that tells a more authentic story.
Making sure that everybody can benefit from the powerful, positive impact of time spent outside — on both mental health and physical well-being — is the goal of the business they’re building. By offering inclusive sizing and designing outdoor apparel that reflects their customers’ experiences and needs, alder is inviting everyone to the (picnic) table.
And people are lining up to take a seat at that table. Launched via Kickstarter in 2018, alder is now shipping its rapidly growing product line to customers across the U.S. and Canada, partnering with outdoor retailers to sell in brick-and-mortar shops, and developing a robust community of women sharing the stories of how they thrive outside.
“Our ultimate goal is to make the outdoors as welcoming and as accessible as possible for people,” Mikayla said. “We want to make sure that more body types are able to enjoy the outdoors and that there's a safe space for people of all gender expressions and skin colors and ability levels.”
Alder's co-founders are ready to craft a new story, sparked by joy and grounded in both intentional ways of doing business and an equally deep personal belief that the outdoors belongs to everyone.
Everybody — and every body — deserves to be seen
Friends since they were 13, Mikayla and Naomi connected through school, sports, and hanging out with a close group of friends in their hometown of Toronto throughout middle and high school. They have also always shared a love for spending time outdoors.
“There's so much to absorb in an outdoor space, whether you’re looking at trees or observing the changes in a place through the seasons,” Mikayla said. “That has always been really relaxing for me.”
Naomi agreed. “To be able to get outside and regroup by pausing and looking around — to feel the sun and watch the sky — has always brought me joy and has been how I’ve grounded myself,” she said.
While Mikayla and Naomi both have a personal history of joy in time spent outdoors, they are aware that many women — themselves included, at times — have felt excluded from an outdoor industry that has developed a very narrow definition of an “outdoorsy” woman.
The co-founders had moved on from their shared school days in Toronto to thrive in their respective careers — Mikayla as an environmental scientist and marine conservationist (she was named a National Geographic Explorer in 2015), and Naomi as a marketing executive for fashion brands. As they navigated their careers and continued to spend time outdoors themselves, they repeatedly heard women in their personal and professional circles describe an outdoor industry that wasn’t seeing them.
“We heard so many people in our communities express a love for the outdoors but then qualify their feelings with, ‘but I’m not really the outdoorsy type,’” Naomi said. Many women felt they needed to be hyper-intense athletes or climb towering peaks to claim membership in what seemed an exclusive club — one with a pretty limited uniform selection.
“So many people are fulfilled by a walk, a hike, or just observing nature and breathing fresh air,” Naomi said. But many women don’t see this common story reflected in the outdoor industry, which leads many to feel they don’t belong — something Naomi and Mikayla are looking to change. “Everyone should experience the joy of getting outside,” Naomi said.
There has to be a better way: Open air pants for the win
While the co-founders shared a general awareness that many were being excluded by outdoor apparel trends, it was Mikayla’s frustration with hiking pants, specifically, that prompted their first conversations around solving the problem.
In 2016, she was living in New Zealand with her husband, and the couple was hiking a lot. On a hike one day, she started thinking through what an ideal pant design would look like — and it wasn’t the ubiquitous leggings that seemed to be the only option for women. What about pockets? How about fabric that actually breathed and felt good?
The idea of creating a more functional option stuck. When she returned home to Toronto, Mikayla messaged her childhood friend immediately. “Naomi had extensive experience and a successful career working in the apparel industry, and she has an amazing sense of style,” Mikayla said. It turned out, Naomi shared her frustration around women’s outdoor apparel, having spent years observing the way so many fashion brands excluded a large portion of the population across sizing, marketing, and distribution practices.
From that initial exchange, the women were off and running. “The combination of my experience with the outdoor industry and firsthand issues with limited functionality of so much of what is offered to women — together with Naomi’s creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, and experience in the fashion space — created this really fantastic synergy,” Mikayla said.
The pair saw an opportunity to break down barriers and acknowledge the voices and needs of women who had long been ignored. It was a chance to build something that aligned with their personal values, but it was also smart business as this was a largely untapped market.
While Mikayla and Naomi knew there was a wider community of women who sought time outdoors to reflect, revive, and move, they also knew they needed to understand specifically what women were looking for in outdoor gear. To get the data to back up their anecdotal experience, they started digging into research.
“We went out and just asked as many women as we could, ’What's missing from your outdoor wardrobe? What do you need more of?’” Research via Reddit forums, Facebook, and focus groups provided data from about a thousand women. The resounding answer: 92% of those surveyed said they wanted better outdoor pants.
“That was the inspiration for our first product, the Open Air Pants — and the genesis of our product design process,” Mikayla said. They continued to prioritize the needs of the powerful community they saw forming around their idea. “As we designed that first product, we continued that iterative loop with our community, asking questions to inform the design elements: Do you want pockets? High rise? Low rise? Mid rise? What colors?”
That deep dive into consumers’ needs and experiences was essential to establish product-market fit, but there was another reason the co-founders were determined to gather insights from their community early on: their environmental footprint. “As we considered what product we wanted to produce, we thought it was really important from a sustainability perspective to make something that people actually needed,” Mikayla said.
On average, consumers will wear a piece of clothing only seven times before they throw it out or give it away. The co-founders wanted each piece to be both durable and stylish — something that would take women where they wanted to go for years.
With that commitment in mind, they combined their market research and Mikayla’s early sketches to deliver a concept for the Open Air Pant to designers who created technical designs. The pants were in the pipeline.
As we designed that first product, we continued that iterative loop with our community, asking questions to inform the design elements: Do you want pockets? High rise? Low rise? Mid rise? What colors?
“We use our values as a yardstick”
As they moved forward, Mikayla and Naomi continued to be intentional about keeping joy and values at the center of the company they were building — and their lives as co-founders.
“One of the first things we did was sit down and come up with values that felt true to us,” Mikayla said. “We didn’t want to just put out stock values; we wanted to make sure that they really spoke to the kind of unique company we wanted to build in the outdoor industry.”
Articulating their commitment to sustainability, diversity and inclusivity in the outdoors, nurturing community, and intentionally investing in the next generation has given the co-founders valuable touchpoints to guide decision-making as they’ve scaled. “Whether we’re making decisions about operational steps, like hiring, or we’re talking about the brand to our consumers, we really want to make sure that we are continually speaking to our values,” Naomi said.
Those early decisions around operational practices and core values led them to create a company culture that prioritized physical and mental well-being. “We had both heard so much about startup grind culture, and we just really didn't want to be that kind of company,” Naomi said. “There's so much research out there about the benefits of practices like a four-day work week, flexible work, and transparent communication. We wanted to make sure we built those things into the way that we worked from the beginning.”
As they hired their first key employees, the co-founders worked with a consultant to prioritize diversity and inclusion practices in their hiring process, continued to model the culture they wanted to sustain by taking time out for movement, vacation, and mental health — and looked to their core values for guidance.
“We use our values as a yardstick to measure our growth and our ambitions at a strategic, high level, but also for daily things as a gut check,” Mikayla said. “If we're launching a new program or doing a collaboration or whatever the decision is, we ask, ‘Does this align with our values?’”
We didn’t want to just put out stock values; we wanted to make sure that they really spoke to the kind of unique company we wanted to build in the outdoor industry.
It’s easy for any potential customer to see the commitment to alder’s core values on the company site, including descriptions of the environmentally friendly fabrics used in each piece of clothing and the details (name, location, and working conditions) of the factories that produce the items. The site also offers a direct link for community members to offer input for new product design, reflecting the company’s commitment to mindful design that serves their community.
The branding and marketing also reflects the joy that is so central to alder’s purpose. It’s colorful and quirky and strong all at the same time. “I was super excited about developing a brand identity and overall look and feel,” Naomi said. “If you look at alder versus some of the more traditional outdoor brands, there's a big difference in the expression of our brand. Whether it’s through our logo or our photography, we really wanted to make sure that joy came through.”
The company’s core values and emphasis on joy also shine through in the diversity of body types and activities among the women who are represented across alder’s social feeds. The models — many of whom are customers and friends of the co-founders — wear a wide range of sizes and represent different ethnicities, ages, and body types. They are pictured in urban landscapes, desert canyons, and pine-filled forests. Interspersed with people and product shots, the feed includes tips for making the most of time outside, sustainability strategies, and lots of pet posts.
It’s authentic and fun, but it also highlights the confidence and empowering experiences of women who are thriving in outdoor spaces.
Finding the right mix: money and mission
If you’re following along with the good energy that is palpable in this story, you may also be wondering, “What about the money?” How has the joyful momentum of alder’s founders translated to the nitty-gritty of fundraising? It can be hard to stay true to your values in the face of pressures to grow and scale, and you can’t make pants for free.
Mikayla and Naomi are the first to admit that raising funds to build the company — first for the Open Air Pants and then the wider scope of what is now nine core products, a growing team, and all the complexities of a business that come with that growth — has been a challenge. Neither founder came to the table with fundraising experience, and they’ve had to learn a lot on the fly.
Alder's funding story began with a Kickstarter campaign to fund production of the Open Air Pant. Naomi and Mikayla launched the campaign with a $20k goal and ended the campaign with $170k. But that period of initial fundraising was not without significant bumps along the way.
The Kickstarter process itself was more complex than the co-founders had expected, and learning to navigate the campaign at the same time they hit a significant production issue with their first order, delaying delivery to early backers, was rough. Add to that the fact that their initial production and delivery cycle coincided with the beginning of the pandemic and related supply chain issues and general uncertainty — and it made for an intense time.
Despite the hardships, those early funds raised through crowdfunding gave them momentum. They saw the positive response from early supporters and a growing community as proof they had a viable idea and a loyal customer base.
Of course the growing support for their products also meant they would need to raise additional funds to expand the product line and scale the business. With no experience pitching, the co-founders would go on to pitch to over 150 investors to raise the pre-seed round of funding that followed the Kickstarter campaign.
Early on, Naomi said they pitched to “anyone and everyone, which was great in some ways as it led to more connections." But, she noted, it was exhausting. “Pitching was really draining — especially for us as introverts — and we realized we needed to narrow the scope.”
After ruling out investors whose portfolios were primarily tech-focused or who had no apparel experience, they ultimately landed on a formula that seemed to connect them with the most receptive investors: “We found the most success (and even when we heard 'no,' the most rewarding conversations) from former founders, former operators, and investors who had experience in the apparel and brand space,” Naomi said.
They still routinely faced barriers to investment, though. “We've come up against a lot of challenges as women founders, but also for the business idea,” Mikayla said. “Apparel brands have fallen out of vogue with a lot of investment firms, and we had a lot of examples of fatphobia, racism, and sexism rearing their ugly heads as we’ve pitched, as well.” When they encounter investors whose values don’t jive with their mission, she added, “That's a pretty immediate sign that perhaps it's an opportunity for education, but it's likely not an opportunity for a partnership.”
Coming face-to-face with narrow-minded and discriminatory thinking through the fundraising process served as fuel for their fire and an affirmation of what drives them. “Our core values were non-negotiable from the beginning,” Naomi said. “Our inclusive sizing, our commitment to equal representation, and tactical, operational things like our four-day work week, for example, were never up for debate when we were seeking investment.”
The co-founders have also stayed committed to giving investors an authentic picture of not only their company values, but of who they are as founders and leaders of the company. “Mikayla and I approach startup life a little differently from the traditional depiction of founders,” Naomi said. “We have some Type-A qualities, but we're also quite relaxed. We're both introverted, and we truly believe in a more progressive approach to work that includes breaks and having a life outside of your startup.”
If investors passed on the idea because they questioned the co-founders’ commitment or ability to scale based on who they are or how they want to run the company, Naomi said they’re okay with that. “It means they weren’t the right fit for us. We know we’re in this for the long haul with investors, and the connection and alignment around values has to be strong.”
The result of this self-awareness, combined with the work to hone their pitching approach, has propelled the company’s growth without forcing a compromise on what matters. “We now have investors who are very much aligned with our company values,” Naomi said. “We don't want to just take money for money's sake. We don’t want to take money from people who are going to try and push us away from our vision.”
The joy of being friends and founders
The ups and downs of fundraising are just one aspect of building alder that makes the friends grateful to be in it together. “We have gone through some really high highs and some pretty low lows,” Naomi said. “Whether in seeking investment or operational challenges or hearing that there’s a boat stuck in a canal with our products aboard, we’ve been through it.”
Alongside the challenges, there has been consistent mutual support between these two co-founders. “I don’t want to give anyone the impression that there aren't hardships, but one of the blessings of having a co-founder who’s also a friend is that you have someone who can be there to offer emotional as well as operational support,” Naomi said. Their deep connection and shared values, she added, have “made it a pleasure to bring alder to life.”
I don’t want to give anyone the impression that there aren't hardships, but one of the blessings of having a co-founder who’s also a friend is that you have someone who can be there to offer emotional as well as operational support.
Preserving that connection and keeping joy at the center of their partnership as they continue to grow is a priority for both women. “We attribute the success of our co-founder relationship to our respectful and transparent communication style,” Mikayla said. “We've heard lots of stories of co-founder relationships falling apart, and we really want to invest in a healthy relationship and put time and energy into that.”
The pair’s focus on continuous, honest communication has led them to think ahead to issues and decisions that might arise to make sure they’re aligned on potential challenges. “We've talked through every dark, horrible scenario we think we might face as co-founders,” Mikayla said. “Those conversations will offer us a pre-defined pathway born from a place of respect and positivity from the beginning.”
Creating a new “outdoorsy” community
From the first pair of pants they dreamed up together, alder’s offerings now include a plethora of other products: a raincoat, dress, t-shirt, tank top, shorts, and fleece coat. And there’s more in the pipeline.
While designing and delivering functional, fun, durable apparel drives the daily operation, the co-founders’ broader mission is still to get more people to enjoy the outdoors through their lens of inclusivity and diversity. That vision is becoming reality in large part due to the fast-growing community of customers who are wearing alder products in the wild — and raving about the brand. The co-founders are committed to serving and listening to that community — the same one that has helped them develop products through meaningful input.
“One of the things we're excited about as we think about growth is offering pop-up retail experiences, where we can bring the alder brand to life and create a hub for our community to gather and experience the outdoors together,” Naomi said. The co-founders see the company as uniquely positioned to create events around the brand, which could be a major differentiator.
“We really want to be that conduit for bringing our community together to either try new outdoor activities or learn something new in the outdoors,” Naomi said. While the more traditional outdoor brands might have you think that everyone wearing hiking pants is engaged in a multi-day trek, the co-founders routinely hear from community members about the joy they find in activities beyond that limited scope. They are hunting for mushrooms and birding and painting outdoors. They’re taking photos and taking their dogs for walks and engaged in scientific and conservation efforts. Mostly, they are seeking the joy that comes from being outside.
Alongside the goal of sharing the joy of the outdoors with their community, the co-founders have strategic goals to grow their reach and their product line: “Right now we have about 80% of our customer base in the U.S. and about 20% in Canada, and we’re looking to expand our footprint in both countries.” To help meet those goals, alder has partnered with MEC (Mountain Equipment Company) to launch products in brick-and-mortar stores in Canada, and they’re working on securing additional retail partnerships throughout 2022.
All of these things can be true
Listening to Mikayla and Naomi describe their journey to date, the dual threads of ambition and mindfulness are hard to miss. That’s because prioritizing well-being for yourself and your team are not mutually exclusive while building an impactful, global business.
To date, their approach has proven the point: You can be ambitious and joyful, introverted and an ace at pitching your business. You can scale a company and work four days a week. You can be a National Geographic Explorer and find contentment in a walk in the park, or a marketing expert whose best days are spent outside with your dog under a clear, blue sky. You can appreciate the big-name players in your industry and learn from their legacy, and you can also be confident that you have something new and valuable to share.
In all these ways and more, alder’s co-founders are creating a world where everyone feels welcome and empowered, and they're writing a new — and joyful! — narrative for themselves and their community along the way.


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More and more companies are embracing and actively joining the shift towards a more sustainable Curacao! Whether it concerns small companies or larger ones, with the long road ahead, it is good to see how all sorts of companies are deliberating and taking action wherever they can right now.
Collect 50 plastic bottles and receive a voucher of 50 NAf.
Van den Tweel is an example of a company that has already been working on shifting focus from throwing away plastic to recycling the material by making it possible for Green Force to open a recycling center on their premises. The recycling center opened its doors in 2013 and is a place where different types of plastics still can be thrown away, sorted by their color. Green Force then takes over to process what is collected. But now Van den Tweel is also trying to create awareness by incorporating this theme into one of their campaigns. They offer a voucher of 50 NAf. in-store credit for the first 100 people to hand in 50 plastic bottles on September 17.
As we can read on their Facebook page, their campaign consists of 3 easy steps, of which the first is to collect 50 plastic bottles. The bottles have to be either type 1 (PET) or type 2 (HDPE) plastic, which are currently one of the few types of plastic that can be processed on the island itself. The second step is to hand them in on the date and time stated above at Van den Tweel Zeelandia and the third step is to receive the credit. Visit their Facebook page for details of the campaign.
Whether you are a regular shopper at Van den Tweel or you prefer another grocery store when you are in Curacao, campaigns like these make it more attractive for the community to actively join the movement towards sustainability in any form. In the hospitality sector on the island, we have also been seeing trends with a clear focus on sustainability. As the performance numbers continue to increase, according to the publications by CASHA (Curaçao Apartments & Small Hotels Association) and CHATA (Curacao Hospitality And Tourism Association), in combination with the impact of the hospitality industry on the island, this (the food service sector) is an important sector to actively show their commitment.
More on this soon on Future Islands!
Written by Thyrza Piëst.


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Apple could be starting a trade-in program soon, according to a report from Bloomberg. The program would not only help Apple sell new handsets, but would increase the proliferation of Apple products to markets outside of the U.S., where demand for used Apple devices is high.
According to the report, Apple has teamed up with Brightstar Corp, a mobile phone distributor who also has coordinated with the likes of AT&T,and other carriers with their trade-in programs. Apple is currently offering a web-based recycling service which pays Apple device owners for their used devices, but the new trade-in program will only be accessible through Apple’s retail stores.
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General Motors Co. is moving forward with plans to revive its polarizing Hummer brand, this time as an electric truck instead of an emblem of gasoline consumption, according to people familiar with the matter.
The Detroit automaker plans to debut a pickup around 2022 with boxy styling cues reminiscent of the Hummers of yore, one of the people said. GM is considering selling the battery-powered truck in existing dealerships under the marketing name “Hummer by GMC,” the people said.
If the company follows through with that plan, it would address the two biggest problems that doomed Hummer 10 years ago: its gas-guzzling image and its costly network of stand-alone showrooms. GMC is a division of GM that sells SUVs, trucks and vans.
“GM’s move is interesting because there could be a huge cohort of people that will now grow up associating GMC with being environmentally friendly,” said George Augustaitis, director of industry analytics at CarGurus.com, a car-shopping and research site.
Bloomberg first reported in June that GM was mulling the Hummer brand’s return as a line of electric vehicles. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier Friday that the automaker has decided to move forward with the plan.
To drum up interest in the long dormant brand, GM plans to announced its return with a Super Bowl commercial starring LeBron James, one of the people said.


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A group of Pacific Palisades dads and their kids set up a fundraising table in front of the Village Starbucks to raise money for California fire victims and the Los Angeles Fire Department.
The group set up shop on Sunday, Nov. 11, and sold a variety of donuts and beverages to community members. Donuts were available for $4, coffee for $3 and lemonade for $2.
Nearly $2,000 was raised by the group in three hours, including a $100 donation from John Paul DeJoria.
“Anyone who saw my post last week of how saddened I was by humanity after the horrific Thousand Oaks shooting should see that humans are capable of goodness too,” one of the participating dads, Matthew Del Negro, wrote in a social media post. “Amazed by the outpouring of love, support and money. It takes a village.”


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For more than a century, Vereeniging and the surrounding Vaal auto enthusiasts have been proudly serviced by Team Vaal and its subsidiaries, which currently include Mazda Vereeniging, Vereeniging Motors and Dutton Motors in Sasolburg.
According to owner and CEO, Rory Plitt, he is currently the third generation owning and managing car dealerships in the Vaal Triangle, and attest to the Mazda dealership being the oldest in the country.
“After my dad, Selwyn, took over the dealership from my grandfather, David, we were selling Morris, Wolseley, Riley (British Leyland), Volvo, Jaguar and Renault vehicles,” he told Dealerfloor recently. “But that all changed in 1963 when a scout from Japan came to the dealership and asked him if it could also become a Mazda dealership.”
The Mazda dealership is still going strong and over time more than 12 different auto brands were represented until they settled on Mazda (in Vereeniging), Volkswagen (Dutton Motors in Sasolburg and Vereeniging) and a used car dealership (Vereeniging Motors), as well as a filling station and a service workshop.
As one of the youngest recipients of the businessman of the year award from motor dealer development and training giant, Sewells, Plitt said that hard work alone is not always a recipe for success. “I believe one of the biggest influences on being successful, apart from having an excellent mentor in my father, was being able to work in every single department and division you can find at any car dealership.”
Plitt started his career in the auto industry while still at school. He had to wash cars, pack the tyre storage room and do general cleaning tasks at his dad’s car dealership. “As soon as I got my driver’s licence, I immediately started as a driver delivering and collecting documents, cars and the like,” he said. Plitt started working at the workshop and parts department, eventually filling the service manager position before he moved to selling used cars.
“I really grew into the different roles I played over the years and had to earn every promotion I got, as my dad never believed in favouritism just because I was his son,” Plitt remembers. “In fact, I believe it made it even harder for me, but today I am glad for that privilege as I believe in the same values.”
For Plitt, all his experiences prepared him to be a successful businessman, but also to play a valuable mentorship role to up-and-coming dealer principals and future owners in preparing them to take over a dealership and making a success of it. “The role that ABSA Vehicle and Asset Finance is playing in establishing such a mentorship programme is extremely valuable, with the transfer of skills and knowledge in the fundamentals of leadership by way of workshops, being an exciting prospect for me as a presenter,” Plitt announced.
When asked about navigating the current pandemic and COVID-19-related challenges for the industry, Plitt explains how long-standing relationships with his client base proved to be essential in keeping the business and its staff without any lay-offs.
“The current low interest rate and blooming used car market are essential in a time where we are very low on new vehicle stock,” he said. “The approval rates from banks and a renewed focus on service delivery by our financial partners cannot be overemphasised.”
With the right to repair act taking effect on 1 July 2021, Plitt had the foresight to establish the Team Vaal Service Centre a couple of years ago, confirming an already established brand to deliver in the necessary auto servicing needs.
“I believe the right to repair act brings big changes and challenges to the industry, especially if you run both new and used car dealerships, but as with so many things, it also brings opportunities if you are properly prepared and willing to embrace it,” Plitt concluded.
Despite the severe drought in large parts of the Karoo, the motor business in Graaff-Reinet is stepping up with more brands being represented in this part of the world.
If a pandemic and stock issues aren’t enough of a challenge, why not add a building project/dealership revamp/moving of facilities and getting a second dealership to full independent dealership status to a DP’s list of tasks.
Scott Auto Mazda in Bethlehem has a proud history that stretches back nearly 50 years, which makes them one of the best-known Mazda dealers in the Free State.


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(AllHipHop News) The Weeknd’s just dropped some teaser images from his upcoming comic book “Starboy.”
“Starboy” is based on The Weeknd’s Grammy Award-winning double-platinum album of the same name.
Starboy’s mission is to save Alphatron and the comic book follows the titular hero as he goes toe-to-toe against cannibalistic criminal mastermind Jack “The Chef” Smiley.
Eric Nguyen and Guru-eFX brought the art to life, while The Weeknd personally penned the story alongside La Mar Taylor, Christos Gage, and the teams at Marvel.
His new comic book creation joins the ranks of other Marvel Comics heroes, including “Black Panther,” “Iron Man,” “Captain America,” and “Deadpool.”
The first issue of “The Weeknd Presents: Starboy” will be available on June 13.


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Wednesday, October 3, 2012
DALLAS -- This year Polk County Bounty Market was prepared for bad weather.
In fact, after last year, vendors and managers simply expected it.
After a remarkably pleasant season -- especially in the latter half -- those rainy day expectations didn't come to fruition.
"I got brand new boots and I only got to wear them one day," said Chelsea Pope, the executive director of the Dallas Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center, which runs the market.
Thursday was the last week of the third season for Bounty Market, which Manager Bonnie Dreier called the best season yet.
"It was a good season," Dreier said. "I felt that from the beginning of the year. I felt that it was going to go well." Customer counts continue to increase, up to 10,345 this year from 9,124 in 2011. Sales also increased slightly to $57,000 from $55,000 in the previous season. The total number of vendors who attended the market was down slightly, but Dreier said the average weekly vendor count increased overall.
Graphic by Pete Strong
While the weather was more cooperative and attendance and sales were up, there were aspects of the market Dreier feels could be improved.
The first potential change could be the hours -- possibly shifting to be open for the lunch hour. Pope said the market would like to hear customer and community feedback on that point.
"We are going to talk to the vendors about timeframe, whether being open during the lunch hour would be better," Pope said. "Bonnie had a lot of vendors report that they were making a lot of their sales before they were officially set up because people were trying to catch them (during the lunch hour)."
"We are going to talk to vendors about it, but we would really like to know what the community wants on that point. Is it a lunch time or is it more of a dinner time thing?"
Expectations were high for the new winery booth, which featured one area winery each week for tastings and bottle sales. However, the booth wasn't quite the draw it was expected to be, with a few exceptions.
"They did have return customers," Dreier said. "We noticed certain people who would come back. They built a little following."
Dreier hasn't discussed with the wineries if the booth will return. But wine lovers shouldn't fret. Dreier said local wine will be featured in some way next season.
Pope said another change for next year will be a stronger focus on weekly events, such as live music and children's entertainment.
"This year we just didn't have the staff and volunteer base that we needed," Pope said. "That would be, I would say, the biggest thing for next year."
The market will hold its annual wrap-up and next season planning meeting on Oct. 25.
"I'm going to miss market," Pope said. "It's like a B12 shot to the arm. I'm looking forward to next year already."


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Oct 3, 2022
VIRTUE & VICE
•Surprise! Now we’re BOTH sick!
•Sep 2022 sales are down from both Aug 2022 and Sep 2021. Sigh.
•HEART EYES #2 is excellent!
•Why do 2nd issue sales fall so far from #1’s? Like, 80% far.
•Getting our Holiday plans underway (we started weeks ago).
•GIANT DAYS on Kickstarter.
•The legend that is Carlos Pacheco.
•Marvel Legends news from Hasbro Pulse.
Contest of Challengers #605


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EghtesadOnline: The Trade Promotion Organization of Iran is doing all it can to promote barter trade by setting up special internal and international "barter chambers" to connect exporters and importers, the TPO head said.
Hamid Zadboum said domestic foreign companies can tap into the new chambers to conduct trade without having to transfer money.
"The TPO is in talks with some countries and is working on ways and means to improve barter," IRIB news quoted him as saying.
The measure is in line with efforts to expand foreign trade hit hard due to a combination of factors, namely the fresh US sanctions, border restrictions imposed by most countries to curb the pandemic and the inability and unwillingness of Iranian export companies to return their proceeds.
The historic decline in oil export, crippling US restrictions on banking and money transfer and difficulties in importing raw material and intermediate goods have undermined Iran’s economy and battered businesses. The coronavirus pandemic has made a bad situation worse.
As per the TPO initiative, exporters and importers can enter an agreement "to import goods in proportion to exports without transferring money", Hamid Zadboum said.
The option is available to Iranian firms in that exporters can use their overseas earnings to import goods. Last month the government amended rules for the repatriation of non-oil export revenues allowing exporters to use their earnings to import goods, raw materials and machinery either for their own needs or a third party.
The so-called “import in return for export” or the “currency barter between exporters and importers”, was one of the options for exporters to fulfill their financial commitments in a package announced by the CBI. But the regulator scrapped the rule for the current fiscal year (ends March 2021) before restoring it.
The government’s measures to promote foreign trade also included revival of a policy to allow companies to import goods “without transferring currency”.
Measures for ‘import without forex allocation’ allow companies to use their own forex, in or outside the country, to import. The CBI had suspended such measures reportedly due to transparency issues and concern over capital flight.
Government officials say the new measures should help revive foreign trade that has taken a drubbing over the last two years due to the US restrictions.
According to Iran's customs officials, non-oil foreign trade stood at 62.84 million tons worth $30.3 billion in the first half of the current fiscal year (March 20-Sept. 21), indicating a 28% decline in value compared to the corresponding period last year.
H1 non-oil exports accounted for 46.31 million tons worth $13.56b and imports reached 16.52 million tons worth $16.78 b resulting in a trade deficit of $3.22 billion – something the government can ill afford under the dire economic conditions.
Compared to the corresponding period last year, export and import registered 35% and 21% decline in value, respectively.
Iran’s foreign trade was worth $42.16 billion during the same period last year, with exports near $20.94 billion and imports $21.22 billion.


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MsnNOW: what is everyone talking about?
On February 16th. Microsoft launched msnNOW – a new online trend-spotting service, which analyzes popular searches and most shared posts on Bing, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and BreakingNews.com. A team of editors then translates this info into small articles less than 100 words each.
Long story short, msnNOW gathers top online topics in one place and allows you to look through them within a minute. USA Today reports that the service’s target audience consists mainly of teenagers and young adults who rely on mobile devices to stay informed of all the latest news.
MsnNOW is recent news with a flavor of a global friend feed. It seems like a great idea to be able to get a quick overview of the online world within a couple of clicks. However, a few questions arise.
First of all, msnNOW gets its data about top search queries from Bing and Yahoo, which with a combined global market share of around 7% can’t compete with Google’s 91% (see StatCounter). So does msnNOW refleft the real situation?
The second question I ask myself is whether such news is really newsworthy. During the making of this post, the top story on msnNOW was about a dog that tried to jump off a balcony in Hollywood. So is it really big news?
Tagcloudgoogle maps android blogger privacy analytics search engine search engines viral video app website social iphone google spain twitter event apple street view searchcowboys funny baidu search engine strategies business ses china blog linkbuilding yandex a4uexpo sea indonesia realtime mobile sem internet google earth ppc europe bing


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Apple’s iPhone 5.
Walmart is apparently quite eager to get shoppers in its doors and is now selling the iPhone 5 for $72 less than Apple’s retail price.
The retailer today said that it would be selling the iPhone 5 for $127 with a new 2-year contract, or to customers who are eligible for an upgrade through their carrier. Walmart also dropped the price of last year’s iPhone 4S down to $47 from its previous $87.97 price tag, which also requires a carrier contract.
9to5Mac, which reported on the price changes earlier today, notes that the third-generation iPad (a generation behind the current model) is also on sale for $399. Walmart also plans to throw in a $30 Walmart gift card to iPad buyers who purchase on Monday, December 17.
Walmart says the details are available only in its retail store, and not online.
The sale comes just a few days after retailer Best Buy shaved $50 off the price of both phones, a sale that runs through January 5.
iPhone 5 now in stock at Apple stores; online ship time drops
iPhone 5 sales even better than earlier thought, Canaccord says
Get an iPod Shuffle bundle for $39
Pick the best iPhone, Android, or Windows phone for you
iPhone 5 ship time drops to two weeks


text:
Alibaba shopping extravaganza earns US$10b in first hour
Alibaba shopping extravaganza earns US$10b in first hour
The Alibaba Group claims this year's mega 11.11 sale will be its biggest ever
12 November, 2018, 03:54
Singles' Day, also called "Double 11" is the world's biggest online sales event, outstripping the sales of U.S. shopping holidays Black Friday and Cyber Monday combined. This year's tally breaks from gloomy forecasts about the world's second-largest economy, which is struggling with a tariff war with the USA, a stock market slump and slowing overall growth.
As a kind of antidote to the societal pressures of being in a relationship, many of China's singles began splurging on themselves on Singles' Day, which became seen as a type of anti-Valentine's Day.
The Twitter-like Weibo platform was blanketed with Singles Day-related posts on Sunday, from users proudly proclaiming they had resisted the shopping urge this year to those who cheerfully listed an array of mundane purchases. In a mere 10 hours time that number has increased to $10 billion.
In the lead-up this year's event, there were concerns that Alibaba and other e-commerce sites like JD.com, which runs a similar sale, may be hit hard by new tariffs on USA goods. It has already discounted the speaker again, in advance of this year's annual shopping event held on November 11.
"If people aren't buying new homes, they aren't buying appliances", he said. This is 21 per cent higher than the 57 billion yuan that the Alibaba Singles' Day sale brought in its early phase previous year.
It is now the world's biggest online sales event and last year's total was more than Black Friday and Cyber Monday's totals combined, according to Bloomberg.
Alibaba reportedly picked the date to organise a huge online sale to drum up revenues in what was traditionally a slow period between National Day in September and the Lunar New Year in February. The tariff fight with the United States is casting a pall not simply over trade, but over China's future writ large.
Film Industry Sucking Movie-Goers' Blood
Produced by Sun Pictures, the film stars Vijay and Keerthi Suresh in key roles with Oscar victor A R Rahman scoring the music. Referring to the movie industry as "blood suckers", the chief minister also defended the protests surrounding " Sarkar ".
England register historic win in Galle
Sri Lanka captain, Dinesh Chandimal said:It was a really good wicket, our batting was below-par and if you displayed such kind of a batting, you can't stay in the game.
White House yanks pass of CNN correspondent
Trump , speaking just before leaving for an global gathering in Paris to commemorate World War I, refused to answer Phillip. She also addressed how Trump told her to "sit down" on Wednesday as she attempted to ask questions about voter suppression.
The gala featured global celebrity appearances and performances from Miranda Kerr, Mariah Carey and Cirque du Soleil, which viewers were able to watch via two major TV stations as well as Youku's site.
Singles Day "is not a day of discounts, but rather a day of gratitude", Ma said in the video.
The November sale event is expected to founder Jack Ma's last at the helm of the company. "It's when retailers use the best products and best prices to show their gratitude to our consumers". China's digital retailers have come under fire for peddling low-quality and counterfeit items.
The opening of 11.11 global shopping event was enlivened by performances featuring Mariah Carey, Cirque du Soleil and many more.
The occasion also has big environmental implications.
Last week, Alibaba reported quarterly profit and sales well above analysts' estimates, while trimming its prediction for full-year sales by as much as 6 percent, with Ma warning that the economic conflict between the world's two largest economies could last 20 years.
Unfortunately, it seems that we can expect Trump to tweet rather than act over the next few days during his visit to France. Inside a gilded meeting room, Macron referred to Trump as "my good friend" and tapped him on the thigh.
The next Thursday Night Football game will take place at CenturyLink Field, as the Seattle Seahawks host the Green Bay Packers. The Jaguars beat Pittsburgh twice on the road last season, including a 45-42 upset in the divisional round of the playoffs.
According to the Bloomberg report, iPhone X users had been complaining about touch issues online for months. These are included with 13-inch MacBook Pro models that were sold between June 2017 and June 2018.
Pakistan scored 21 boundaries in their successful run chase, although none of their batters cleared the ropes during the innings. Afridi, victor of the Man of the Match award, bowled aggressively, in all of his three spells and was rewarded with 4 for 38.
Bride-to-be Markle wished to wear a tiara with emeralds but was refused after its origins could not be established. There's reportedly some drama in Kensington Palace this week, and no, it's not still about the Queen's tiaras .
Officers had initially responded to a report of a vehicle on fire on the popular shopping street at 4.20pm (5.20am GMT) on Friday. The utility was found alight on the corner of Bourke and Swanston streets, a busy shopping area in the heart of the city.
One source familiar with the recordings said that officials who heard them had been horrified by their contents. One of Prince Mohammed's top aides, Saud al-Qahtani, featured prominently in them throughout, sources said.
A 66th-minute goal by 20-year-old centre back Juan Foyth was enough to earn Spurs a ninth win in 12 league games this season. They are still unsure when their new stadium is going open, but Pochettino says fans should be patient and should be excited.
But, she said, she's concerned that Sessions' departure may be a sign that Mueller's investigation will be blocked. Mueller has tended to make major announcements over the Russian Federation probe on Fridays.
Xinhua says the presenters can "work" 24 hours a day on its website and social media channels, "reducing news production costs ". The anchor, dressed in a pin-striped suit with a red tie, nods his head in emphasis, blinking and raising his eyebrows slightly.
Throughout her husband's life in politics, she fought to balance public and private needs, and to maintain her self-esteem. Ahead of the former first lady's much-anticipated memoir release , some juicy highlights surfaced in the media.
But directing the migrants to the official ports could create massive backups among applicants on the Mexican side of the border. At Trump's request, the Department of Defense has already deployed 5,600 military personnel to the border to assist U.S.
US, EU denounce dissolution of Sri Lanka parliament
The EU said Friday, before the dissolution, that the crisis had scarred the Indian Ocean island's worldwide reputation. The only other legal ways would be through a referendum, or with the consent of two thirds of lawmakers.
Liverpool vs Fulham, Premier League 2018-19
The Argentine's CV, however, includes Valencia, Athletico Madrid and Sevilla in his most recent employers indicating his class. Jurgen Klopp has confirmed that Jordan Henderson , Naby Keita and Joe Gomez are all available after minor injury setbacks.
What the acting attorney general thinks of the Mueller probe
The two people close to Whitaker also said they strongly believe he would not approve any request from special counsel Robert S. Bipartisan bills to protect Mueller from politically motivated removal have been introduced in the House and Senate.
Packers look very mediocre against Patriots
Packers defense makes a goal-line stand from the 1-yard line in the third quarter of Sunday's matchup against the Patriots. We hope you enjoyed this edition of the Titletown Report. "We made some plays in the fourth quarter when we needed to".
Crude Oil Has Another Down Day
Oil in NY fell into a bear market, adding pressure on OPEC and its allies to cut production just months after adding barrels. Iran has mocked the United States sanctions.


text:
Chevy Malibu Eco Deemed Most Disliked Car of 2012
July 12, 2012 4:50 AM
comment(s) - last by
CNN/Fortune bestows this unwanted title on GM's mainstream, midsize "mild" hybrid
When it comes to all-new vehicles introduced in the past year, one model in particular has left many reviewers and industry analysts scratching their heads. The vehicle in question is the
2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco
, which was the first trim level introduced for the redesigned midsize sedan (it will soon be followed by a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine and 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine options).
What makes the Malibu Eco so perplexing, however, is that despite its mild hybrid powertrain, it doesn't appear to do anything better than its more conventional rivals and falls well short of "true" hybrids competitors.
deems the Malibu Eco "The most disliked car of the year (so far)" based on reviews from auto outlets like
Autoblog, Car and Driver, The Truth About Cars
New York Times
There are plenty of criticisms about the poor backseat room (due to a 4" cut in the wheelbase to make room for the redesigned
in the Chevrolet lineup), reduced trunk space relative to its predecessor (and even its cheaper
sibling), and poor handling. But the harshest comments are leveled at the Malibu Eco's powertrain. The vehicle uses an electric motor generator and a 65-pound battery that robs trunk space to boost its fuel economy numbers; however, it's simply not enough against the competition.
For example, the Malibu Eco starts at $25,995 and is rated at 25/37 (city/highway). For comparison, here's how the vehicle stacks up to its more conventional competitors which have base prices that starts at least $2,000 lower:
Nissan Altima: 27/38
Toyota Camry: 25/35
Hyundai Sonata: 24/35
$21,500 Nissan Altima
manages to undercut the Malibu Eco by over $4,000, yet delivers better fuel economy (city and highway), has a larger interior/trunk, and is nearly 500 lbs lighter. The Malibu Eco fares better against the Camry and Sonata, but both vehicles put up competitive numbers without the added weight, cost, and complexity of GM's mild hybrid powertrain.
The Malibu takes an even heavier beating from full-hybrid and diesel midsize sedans that cost roughly the same amount of money:
Ford Fusion Hybrid
Toyota Camry Hybrid
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
Volkswagen Passat TDI
Alex Taylor III writes, "In trying to combine the benefits of a full hybrid and a conventional gasoline-powered engine, [GM] came up with neither. The car lacks the fuel economy of the former and the efficiency and value of the latter."
Taylor concludes, saying, "Unlike Toyota, which pioneered the full hybrid Prius more than 20 years ago and never wavered, GM has vacillated -- swerving from EVs to hybrids and back again. With its latest effort coming up short by key quantitative standards, the automaker has inadvertently created in the Eco the most disliked car from the first half of 2012."
One can only hope that GM can deliver a more competitive hybrid solution for future vehicles. The company needs to find some middle ground between the Malibu Eco's mediocre powertrain and the
fuel-efficiency wizardry of the much more expensive Chevrolet Volt
New York Times
The Truth About Cars
Car and Driver
This article is over a month old, voting and posting comments is disabled
Fusion destroys the Malibu
7/12/2012 10:27:37 AM
I have been a GM car owner for most of my life, but the first time I saw the Fusion I was very impressed with it's looks. Then when Ford brought the Fusion Hybrid out, it pretty much sealed the deal - it's a tremendous car. The Malibu just doesn't belong in the same class.
"Google fired a shot heard 'round the world, and now a second American company has answered the call to defend the rights of the Chinese people." -- Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-N.J.)
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text:
Economy continues to improve
INDICATOR: » Revised Third Quarter GDP, November Consumer Confidence and September Home Prices KEY DATA: » GDP: +3.2 percent (from 2.9 percent); Consumption: 2.8 percent (from 2.1 percent)/ Confidence: up 6.3 points/ Home Prices (Over Year): +5.5 percent. IN A NUTSHELL: » “The economy is starting to hit on almost all cylinders.” WHAT IT MEANS: » Guess what? The economy isn’t terrible, at least if you believe the government’s data. Now I know some people pick and choose what they like or don’t like about the data, but economists are stuck actually having to look at all the numbers and right now they look pretty good. The economy expanded even faster in the summer than initially thought, though not quite as fast as my forecast. One more revision and we should be at the 3.4 percent that I had. The key to the upward revision was much better consumer spending than first estimated. Offsetting that was a smaller inventory build and less capital spending. That actually is good since the lower levels create a better chance the final quarter will also be above 3 percent. We also got the first reading on third quarter corporate profits and they soared. Firms have the funds to spend but they are not doing that. That could change soon.
Can consumers keep spending as they have been? Signs point to that happening. First, it looks like the Black Friday weekend and Cyber Monday were really strong. I know I tapped out the
past few days. But more importantly, consumers
seem more optimistic. The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index rebounded in November after falling in October. Respondents had a better attitude toward both current
and present economic conditions and thought that jobs would be more available. Rising confidence holds out hope the holiday shopping season will be strong.
On the housing front, prices continue to rise. The S&P CoreLogic CaseShiller National Home Price Index increased solidly in September, hitting its highest level ever. Yes, it broke through the peak set in July 2006. Every one of the 20 large metro areas posted a gain over the month, showing the increases are widespread. MARKETS AND FED POLICY IMPLICATIONS: >> The
wheels are starting to come off the bad economy. Did I say that wrong? Not really. It seems that everyone is stuck in 2009 when it comes to describing the economy. Consumers are not spending – wrong. The housing market is bad – wrong. Corporate profits are terrible – wrong. Businesses are hunkering down and not spending – right!
So, what do CEOs know that everyone else doesn’t? You tell me and we both know. There is only so much consumers can do on their own and exporters have probably maxed out given the uncertain world economy and strong dollar, so it is either up to businesses or the government. With Republicans having converted magically from no more spending to forget the deficit, Keynes is my hero, corporations are the only group
left holding things back.
Why haven’t companies stepped up? In a 2 percent economic growth world, which we are in, stock prices can do better if profits are plowed into buy backs and mergers rather than investing in plant and equipment. And just think, if those hundreds of billions of dollars held overseas are repatriated, boy will the M&A business go crazy, even if that adds little to potential GDP. If companies take some of their profits and actually start adding to capital, growth could really accelerate.


text:
After launching the iRist smart watch, Intex has now launched its first fitness smart band called the Intex FitRist.
Intex has announced the launch of the Intex FitRist, which is the company’s first fitness smart band. The band sports a 0.86 inch OLED display and can be paired with Android and iOS handsets using Bluetooth. The tracker is water-resistant and splash proof to prevent it from accidental spills and even rain. The company claims that it has a long lasting battery, which can last up to 12 days.
The Intex FitRist allows the user to track steps, distance travelled, calories burnt and monitor quality of sleep. The band can also offers notifications for incoming calls, control music and can be used as a remote shutter for the phone’s camera. The band is priced at Rs. 999 and is available exclusively on Snapdeal.
Speaking about the Intex FitRist, Sanjay Kumar Kalirona, Mobile Business Head, Intex Technologies, said, “Intex has always aspired to bring innovation and tech products that will improve and empower the lives of consumers. We have expanded our wearable segment with FitRist smart band for the fitness freak and tech savvy youth. We are happy to partner with the one of leading online marketplace – Snapdeal for bringing the fitness device exclusively to consumers and are confident that the platform will ensure quality reach.”


text:
Luxury car Mercedes doesn't inspire the same consumer confidence it used toImage: AP
German Cars Disappoint Car Owners
November 28, 2003
Mercedes and BMW for all their glamour, aren't the preferred choice of German car-owners, according to two surprising new surveys released this week.
When it comes to overall ratings, nothing tops the charts like a Mercedes Benz. But for everyday use, German car-owners prefer Japanese cars to the legendary names of their native country.
The stunning news is the result of two surveys conducted separately by car magazine AutoBILD and German car-insurer ADAC. The so-called Automarxx survey, conducted by ADAC with the Center for Automotive Research at Gelsenkirchen Technical College, asked more than 38,000 car owners to rank international car companies in terms of consumer satisfaction.
The German automobile industry's first entry on the list is Porsche at number eight. Toyota and Honda lead a pack of Asian rivals in the first seven spots.
The study, which will first be released to the public next week, is sure to disappoint the likes of Mercedes and Audi, who apparently enjoy a better reputation abroad than at home.
Not even in the top five
Covering a range of areas from company strength and market position to design and environmental friendliness, the latest Automarxx survey is the first to feature a Consumer Satisfaction section.
The consumer questionnaires looked at both the products and service of 33 manufacturers, and included ratings of electronics, motor power and comfort as well as of cost and standards of garage work.
While German brands Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Volkswagen and Porsche still occupy the top five of the Overall Rating section, they barely figure in the Consumer Satisfaction top ten, beaten by Toyota at number one, followed by other Asian competitors such as Subaru, Honda and Mazda.
Quality over image
The competition is not surprised by the results. Speaking from the Essen Motor Show, which opened on Thursday, Mazda's Peter Tuhl told Deutsche Welle that Mazda's position in the top five reflected the Japanese company's enduringly high technical standards.
He said a Mazda owner experiences "lasting satisfaction." A German car owner, on the other hand, is more like a "disappointed lover who realizes the first promises aren't going to come true".
The survey results seem to back up the mark. Mercedes has no problem with its image, but rather with its follow-through, according to the results.
Dr. Ferdinand Dudenhöffer, who led the survey, said the emphasis German companies like Mercedes place on innovation comes at the expense of production quality.
"Every technical innovation increases the risk of a break-down," he says."In this respect, Toyota is more conservative, which may not be good for its image, but is very beneficial in terms of reliability."
"Made in Germany" loses clout
The AutoBILD survey confirms the trend. The first German entry on the list is BMW at number five, again trumped by Asian rivals.
VW CEO Dr. Bernd Pischetsrieder admitted to AutoBILD that "in technical terms, Toyota is better then us. But not just us."
The results of the Automarxx survey are a blow to Stuttgart-based Mercedes in particular, which comes in at an astonishingly low number 32. Other German manufacturers fared equally badly, with Volkswagen at number 31 and Opel only four places higher.


text:
Earlier this week Sen. Howard Marklien and Rep. Travis Tranel announced that they will be bringing forward a bill to add the Dairy Innovation Hub to the proposed state Budget. Numerous agricultural and dairy organizations have been in favor of this new opportunity to help improve and grow the dairy industry. One of these organizations is the Dairy Business Association (DBA), I was able to talk to John Holevolt, Director of Government Affair for the DBA, about the Dairy Innovation Hub and what funding it would do for agriculture.
“This is a funding bill for the Dairy Innovation Hub. This is a concept we have been working on for a number of months now. It really would fund next level research. The next generation of dairy research at three different campuses of the UW-System, so Madison, Platteville, and River Falls. We just think it makes a whole lot of sense. We all understand the situation that we find ourselves in from a dairy economy standpoint. Now’s the time to really show so reinvestment. And show that we’re not, not only we are not giving up on dairy, we’re doubling down.”
Holevolt also noted that the funding for the hub could entirely be paid for by the impact the dairy industry has on the state economy.
“The overall funding for this annually is .02% of the amount of the economic impact the dairy industry has on our state. So a drop in the bucket. I think what we are going to see is that, we’re going to invest 7.9 million, but we are going to get grants from the federal government, from third parties that will help offset that. We’re gonna see spinoff businesses come out of this that are going to generate new tax revenue. So we can talk about how we’re spending $7 or $8 million dollars a year, but the reality is that money’s going to come back. It’s going to pay dividends.”
If you want more information about the Diary Innovation Hub you can look on the department of ag and consumer protection website, datcp.wi.gov.