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Bloomingdale Is Getting an Artsy Coffee Shop That Sells Vegan BLTs – Eater DC

Posted: November 14, 2019 at 2:45 pm


A new buzz in Bloomingdale

The Bloomingdale neighborhood will have another coffee competitor to stalwart Big Bear Cafe and the Sylvan bakery when Creative Grounds DC opens Saturday, November 23, in a 62-seat space at 1822 North Capitol Street NW. The menu promises ethically sourced coffee and food goods from local vendors. Look for espresso drinks and teas; kale salads and vegan BLTs; and all-day pastries like croissants, cookies, cakes slices, and bagels. The stark, two-story space from husband-and-wife duo Kenn Blagburn and Asmara Sium covers 2,000 square feet and will double as an incubator for creative types by hosting exhibits and artist talks.

10 more days for TenPenh

Asian fusion restaurant TenPenh in Tysons Corner will serve its last spring roll on Friday, November 22, after just three years of business, according to a post on its website flagged by Washington Business Journal. The expansive 260-seat venue at the base of the neon-lit Silverline Center development also has a main dining room and lounge. Landlord WashREIT did not respond to a request for comment about the future of the space. Chef Jeff Tunks ran the Passion Food Hospitality restaurant for 11 years in D.C. before closing in 2011 (the name stems from its original 10th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue locale). The menu is inspired by his travels to places like Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Thailand. Comeback dishes included red Thai curry lobster and Chinese-style smoked lobster. The closing is the latest in a string of shutters for Passion Food, which recently shut down Penn Commons and Acadiana.

Eggplant meatballs incoming

Meanwhile, Tysons is prepping to welcome another restaurant on Thursday, November 14. B.GOOD Tysons West (1495 Cornerside Boulevard), the first area location for the fast-casual chain, offers salads and bowls, burgers and chicken sandwiches, smoothies and shakes, and eggplant meatballs. Kids eat free every Tuesday and Thursday. The new restaurant is No. 65 in the U.S. Its Virginia footprint currently includes two locations in Richmond. Tysons recently welcomed another health-conscious eatery with the arrival of Flower Child.

Absolute Wrst is coming to Gaithersburg

Self-deprecating West Coast chain Dog Haus is opening a second Maryland location this winter (644 Center Pont Way). Along with its lineup of gourmet hot dogs, sausages, burgers, and chicken sandwiches served on grilled Kings Hawaiian rolls, the 2,600-square-foot restaurant will pour dozen of beers and wines on tap. Its inaugural area location opened last year in Bethesda.

A rolling cause

H Street sushi staple Sticky Rice DC is extending Octobers breast cancer awareness month through the end of next year. Half the proceeds from every Pink Roll sold goes to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Sticky Rice also makes a Vegan Pink Roll with in-house vegan tuna.

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Bloomingdale Is Getting an Artsy Coffee Shop That Sells Vegan BLTs - Eater DC

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November 14th, 2019 at 2:45 pm

Posted in Vegan

Quantzig Helped a Vegan Food Manufacturer to Scale Business Operations & Drive Profitability Using Customer Segmentation – Business Wire

Posted: at 2:45 pm


LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Quantzig, a global data analytics and advisory firm, that delivers actionable analytics solutions to resolve complex business problems announces the completion of their recent success story that highlights the business benefits of customer segmentation.

View Quantzigs comprehensive portfolio of customer analytics solutions here: http://bit.ly/2CKiw9f

Top organizations in the vegan food market are finding it difficult to scale up in terms of sustainability, profitability, and footprint. Due to many such factors, capital expenditure plans are destroyed, and insightful business strategies are being ignored across sectors. To set precise business plans and act accordingly, businesses in the vegan food market need to adopt robust customer segmentation models. With a similar intention, a leading vegan food manufacturer based out of the US approached Quantzig. They wanted to leverage our analytics expertise to implement appropriate customer segmentation models and retain valuable customers.

Our advanced analytics solutions and data clustering techniques can help you create meaningful segments based on customer needs and preferences. Request a FREE proposal to get started.

Quantzigs Customer Segmentation Engagement Overview

Bridging the narrowing gap between customer-centricity and value proposition, we bring innovative customer segmentation analytics solutions to the market to help our clients scale their operations and drive profitable outcomes.

Business Challenge

Solution Offered

Outcome

To identify and implement appropriate customer segmentation models to profile and retain valuable customers.

Implemented customer segmentation models and helped the client gain an in-depth understanding of different customer groups.

Segmented customers into distinct groups & devised new strategies to profile and retain valuable customers.

According to the customer segmentation experts at Quantzig, Developing homogenous customer groups can not only help you understand customer needs but can make marketing, product development, and customer service more effective and value-driven.

Speak to our analytics experts to gain comprehensive insights into our analytics capabilities.

Business Benefits of Customer Segmentation

Read the complete success story here: http://bit.ly/34UfEmr

About Quantzig

Quantzig is a global analytics and advisory firm with offices in the US, UK, Canada, China, and India. For more than 15 years, we have assisted our clients across the globe with end-to-end data modeling capabilities to leverage analytics for prudent decision making. Today, our firm consists of 120+ clients, including 45 Fortune 500 companies. For more information on our engagement policies and pricing plans, visit: https://www.quantzig.com/request-for-proposal

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Quantzig Helped a Vegan Food Manufacturer to Scale Business Operations & Drive Profitability Using Customer Segmentation - Business Wire

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November 14th, 2019 at 2:45 pm

Posted in Vegan

At Prioritized Pastries, Alex Feick Puts Vegan and Gluten-Free Treats First – Riverfront Times

Posted: at 2:45 pm


I met this woman through a moms group I belonged to, and she was telling me about her son who was born with celiac disease and a severe nut and egg allergy, Feick recalls. He was getting ready to turn five years old and had never had a birthday cake. It just got to my heart bringing up kids is the quickest way to appeal to me. I started tweaking my recipes and made a birthday cake for him, and when I brought it to his party, all of the other moms started asking for stuff. I figured there was enough of a demand for this to go over well.

Feick, who recently opened a brick-and-mortar location of her year-old brand, Prioritized Pastries (4904 Devonshire Avenue, 314-858-0333), understands that people do a double-take when they learn she does not eat a gluten-free or vegan diet herself. Considering that her bakery caters to people looking for these types of baked goods, its a natural assumption.

However, as Feick explains, the idea to open Prioritized Pastries actually came from her lifelong passion for the restaurant business. She was a child when her mom moonlighted at a caf on Main Street in St. Charles, and she would bring Feick to work with her on the weekends. By the time she was eight years old, Feick was bussing tables, a gig that earned her a little money over the course of two summers. The impression it left on her would last much longer.

It made such an imprint on me, Feick says. I remember the hustle and bustle, the kitchen yelling at the front-of-house, the front-of-house yelling at the kitchen. I loved it and got enthralled with the industry at that point.

At fifteen, she got her first real job in the restaurant business and never looked back. Although she alternated between cooking gigs and waiting tables, it was clear to both her and her employers that she was better suited for the kitchen, an assessment that was made clear to her when she was a server at Soulard Coffee Garden. The owners flat-out told me I wasnt good at this, Feick laughs.

Feick felt confident she could excel in the kitchen, and one of her Soulard Coffee Garden colleagues agreed. He was working a second job at BBs Jazz, Blues and Soups and was looking for some additional help. Feick accepted the job offer, and before she knew it, she was creating nightly specials and begging to do the restaurants desserts.

At the same time, Feick was attending culinary school, where she further realized that pastry was her path in the kitchen. Whether she was baking on her days off or for her coworkers, Feick was always making desserts and pastries to make herself and others feel better.

Because her opportunities to bake were few and far between at BBs, Feick left the club to work at Pie Oh My! in Maplewood and the Mud House on Cherokee where she further developed her pastry craft. After that, she landed at Niche, a gig she admits she applied for out of arrogance.

I had this instructor in culinary school who pushed me and asked me where I wanted to work, Feick recalls. Obviously, I wanted to work at the best place I could think of, so I said Niche. He told me to apply there, I think to knock me down a bit, but I ended up getting the job.

At Niche, Feick was pushed well beyond anything shed experienced before, and though it wasnt always easy, she relished the opportunity to learn from the restaurants talented pastry team. When the chance to run the pastry program at the Libertine came up, she decided to go for it, seeing it as a great next step for her career.

It was indeed a great advancement, and at the same time bittersweet. With her desserts catching some buzz, Feick was asked to be featured in an article about restaurants that prioritized their pastries for a local publication. She was interviewed, did the photo shoot and told family and friends the date her feature was going to be published. A week before it was set to come out, she got laid off.

I was in total shock and didnt see it coming, Feick recalls. I assumed I was safe. Then, to add salt to the wound, the publication called me to tell me they were pulling the article because I was no longer a prioritized pastry chef.

The next day, she launched a Facebook page for her business and named it Prioritized Pastries.

People think I named it that because I prioritize vegan or gluten-free baking needs, Feick laughs. Its spite. I did it totally out of spite and anger.

The setback proved to be a launchpad for her business. Feicks friends at Pie Oh My! let her use their kitchen as a baking space after they closed, and she got to work making her signature baked goods for the farmers market. Originally, she would bring a case of regular baked goods and a case of gluten-free and vegan ones. The latter proved to be the first to sell out every week.

Building on the success of her products and the demand for gluten-free and vegan baked goods, Feick went all in on the concept. She opened her first brick-and-mortar space, not simply because it is a place of her own, but because it allows her to finally get some rest.

The first two years of the business, I was going into Pie Oh My! in the middle of the night to work, coming home in the morning so my husband could go to work and then spending the day taking care of my daughter, Feick explains. Now that I have this place, I can sleep like a normal person someday!

Feick took a break from prioritizing her pastries to share her thoughts on the St. Louis food and beverage scene, her Dr. Pepper habit and why inclusive cooking is critical in the industry.

What is one thing people dont know about you that you wish they did? Im not gluten free! I dont have allergies or aversions, and neither does my kid. Everyone assumes I do because of my style of baking, but the truth is, Im just a baker who wants everyone to be able to eat a cupcake once in a while!

What daily ritual is non-negotiable for you? Coffee! Before life begins, coffee must be made and consumed.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Definitely the power to control time. Theres never enough, and I find myself wishing at least twelve times a day that I could stop time and get more done.

What is the most positive thing in food, wine or cocktails that youve noticed in St. Louis over the past year? There are so many positive things happening in our food scene right now. So many young chefs are killing it, and I think the greatest thing we have going for us is an openness and welcoming attitude toward anyone willing to try something new.

What is something missing in the local food, wine or cocktail scene that youd like to see? More all-inclusive baking and cooking. I love good comfort food as much as the next Midwesterner, but as food allergies and lifestyle changes are becoming more mainstream, Id like to see more people trying to merge the two. Just because people have food aversions doesnt mean they dont still want to enjoy a meal with all the bells and whistles.

Who is your St. Louis food crush? Oh lord, there are too many to mention! Kaylen Wissinger at Whisk has definitely been a huge inspiration of mine, and I will always look up to Sarah Osborn-Blue from Niche Food Group. I think I was too intimidated by her when I was working under her, but there are so many things I picked up watching her and learning from her that are implemented daily in my kitchen that have made me better. And of course, Nathaniel Reid for his technical skill and precision. I mean, come on, hes just brilliant!

Whos the one person to watch right now in the St. Louis dining scene? Id say Nick Bognar, but the world seems to have caught on to that one already. In the pastry world, Id look out for Abby Benz at Spoil Me Sweetly out of the Bakers Hub. She is a true artist with fondant and a piping bag.

Which ingredient is most representative of your personality? Salt. I can be salty af sometimes, but I can also be the thing that enhances the sweetness in something. And while you may not notice it if its there, you always notice if its missing!

If you werent working in the restaurant business, what would you be doing? I ask myself this question all the time. I still havent figured it out yet. Thats why Im still here!

Name an ingredient never allowed in your bakery. This is an easy one gluten! Really though, anything overly processed or fake. Or anything that we can just make ourselves.

What is your after-work hangout? Home! Not much beats hanging out with my kid while wearing comfy clothes and watching Moana on repeat these days.

Whats your food or beverage guilty pleasure? Ugh soda. Ive kicked so many bad habits, but god help me, I just cant give up my Dr. Pepper!

What would be your last meal on Earth? Can you make a meal out of cake? Because definitely cake. Chocolate cake. With vegan chocolate ice cream. But then again, I always think the answer is cake. We are always hungry for tips and feedback. Email the author at cheryl.baehr@riverfronttimes.com.

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At Prioritized Pastries, Alex Feick Puts Vegan and Gluten-Free Treats First - Riverfront Times

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November 14th, 2019 at 2:45 pm

Posted in Vegan

15 Plant-Based Breakfast Ideas for Vegans and Carnivores Alike – Yahoo Lifestyle

Posted: at 2:45 pm


Sure, breakfast is the most important meal of the day (it jump-starts your metabolism and fuels the body so the brain can focus), but it can also be the trickiest. Ideally, breakfast should be tasty, healthy and easy. However, deciding what to eat at the break of dawn can be, frankly, annoying. Enter these delicious, exciting plant-based breakfast dishes. Some are intended forgrab-and-go dining,while others are best left for leisurely days off. Whether youre a vegan or a meat lover, all of these recipes deliver bold flavors and will help start your dayoffright.

While muffins typically require eggs, these treats use flax eggs made from flaxseed meal and water. Theyre packed full of carrots, apples and nuts, and theyrebursting with flavors of vanilla, cinnamon and ginger. Make a big batch and youve got 16 to 18 muffins! Thats enough for the whole family and then some. You can also freeze them and defrost one the night before.

Preparing an overnight oats recipe is like sending yourself flowers the mail: Put in a little work now and surprise yourself later with a truly magnificent treat. These overnight oats feature pomegranate (so be sure to make it in the fall when pomegranates are in season), oats (duh) and almond milk. Plus, we cant forget the cacao nibs (chocolatygoodness with antioxidants and fiber).

Toast that is gluten-free, Whole30-approved, vegan andgasp!tasty? You bet! Sweet potato toast serves as an excellent breakfast staple, especially because you can top it with things like nut butter, avocado, fruit and pretty much whatever floats your (sweet potato) boat. Not only can you bake these slices (in justtenminutes) and eatthemright away,butthey keep for three to five days in an airtight container for a full week of breakfasts.

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Were big into smoothies because they area great basefor any supplements or additions you need or want to toss in. This smoothie calls for just four ingredients, all of which are jam-packed with nutrients our bodies need to fend off illness and dehydration. Were talking hydrating watermelon,vitaminCrich mango, fiber-dense bananas and the omega-3 fatty acidsuperstaravocado.

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Oh, you still chew your spinach? Join the club and start drinking your favorite super-green every morning (your skin, hair and bones will thank you).Its made from spinach, banana, avocado anda couple other pantry staples,sowe have a feeling you have everything to make this guy already.

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News flash: Breakfast tacos do not require eggs. These plant-based breakfast tacos are made with high-protein tofu seasoned with cumin, chili powder, turmeric and garlic. Beyond that, its pretty much up to you what you want to garnish them with. This recipe recommends cilantro, avocado and jalapeo. We wouldnt mind red peppers, mushrooms or black beans, either.

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Chia seeds give any dish a healthy dose of fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and protein, which means they are ideal additions to breakfast recipes. This one in particular puts chia seeds front and center, combining them with almond butter, almond milk (or really anynondairymilk of your choice) and maple syrup for added sweetness. The result is a creamy pudding worthy of your most important daily meal. Pro tip: Melt the almond butter before adding it to the mix; this helps distribute itmore evenly.

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Yogurt parfait on the go? Sure, if you have two free hands and want to spill yogurt all over yourself as you run for the train. Nah, well go with these brilliant parfaitpops. Darn Good Veggies offers avegan Greek yogurtrecipe to use for these guys, which were sure is as delish and dairy-free as it sounds. Plop it together with granola and berries andvoil! A yogurt parfait that wont embarrass you first thing in the morning.

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Breakfast bowlsare excellent fordelivering nutrients to the body without sacrificing taste. Take this blueberry-turmeric bowl,for instance. In just a few minutes youve got turmeric (anti-inflammatory), ginger (detoxifying), spirulina (B12 and protein), blueberries (antioxidants), kale (vitaminK) and more waiting for you to dig in. Top it off with pear slices and pumpkin seeds for maximum impact.

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Buying granola at the grocery store tends to be more trouble than its worth. Lots of granola isoverstuffedwith sugar and additives to provide taste, which ends up filling you with empty calories. No, thank you. Instead, make this homemade granola with delicious flavor built in, like creamy peanut butter and cocoa nibs. Just make sure you use vegan dark chocolate (as if we had to tell you).

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A different takeon chiapudding, this version feels autumnal. Could be the apples and cinnamon, or the slick combinationofraisins and maple syrup. Either way, you can make this on Sunday night and itll keep in the fridge for a few days, meaning youve just conquered breakfast for the week. Congrats. Take a bow.

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These energy bites can be ready in 15 minutes and then eaten in two seconds. All it takes is mixing up pumpkin puree, oats, pepitas, raisins, chia seeds, nut butter and maple syrup in a giant bowl andthen rolling it into little balls.The recipe does suggest tossing them into the refrigerator for a bit to keep them spherical and prevent them from falling apart, but if you cant wait to chow down, we say go for it.

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This is basically adult peanut butter and jellyin travel size. In one compact muffin, youve got flax, oats, chia seeds, crushed peanuts, coconut, peanut butter and strawberry jam. The recipe does call for milk, but were thinking coconut milk might make a great substitution. Again, this is a new take on an old favorite, which we love.

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Scones and tea make a perfect pairas do raspberries and lemons. These scones are made with frozen berries because they dont fall apart as easily as fresh berries during baking. Side note:This recipe calls for spelt flour, a wheat flour with more protein and fiber than white flour. It also contains coconut oil and coconut palm sugar, which makes for a creamy flavor. Scones always taste best fresh and dont really hold up well as leftovers, so plan accordingly.

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Liquid smoke, paprika and maple syrup are key to making the tempeh in this recipe flavorful. Layer the tempeh bacon on a slice of bread topped with avocado, tomato and lettuce. Sprinklealittle salt and pepper,and youve got yourself a savory breakfast full of protein (tempeh), lycopene (tomato) and omega-3s(avocado).

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RELATED: 21 Easy Plant-Based Diet Recipes to Try Tonight

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15 Plant-Based Breakfast Ideas for Vegans and Carnivores Alike - Yahoo Lifestyle

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November 14th, 2019 at 2:45 pm

Posted in Vegan

Your 401(k) May Soon Have Fewer Investment Choices But That’s a Good Thing – Yahoo Finance

Posted: at 2:44 pm


Your companys retirement plan may soon shrink its investment menu. While few of us like the idea of having fewer choices in life, the move could actually turn out to benefit most investors.

For millions of Americans, their employers 401(k) is their main retirement savings vehicle. But experts have long complained that plans, which typically offer several dozen investment choices, can intimidate and ultimately turn off workers with their complexity and cost.

The good news is plans have been getting simpler and cheaper. Most plans now automatically enroll workers in funds that offer an age-appropriate mix of stocks and bonds. New evidence suggests that firms are streamlining their la carte investment menus, too.

Financial firms that help employers design 401(k) plans say they are choosing fewer investment managers to include in 401(k) fund rosters than in the past, according to results of annual study of 180 such advisers by Sway Research LLC.

The survey, first reported by trade publication Investment News, targeted consultants who typically work with mid-sized 401(k)s with $10 to $50 million in assets. Roughly half of these advisors agreed or strongly agreed they were working with fewer investment managers. Only 15% about of the advisors disagreed.

So why do investors benefit from fewer options?

Because, the trend is largely driven by 401(k) plans emphasizing passive index mutual funds rather than actively managed ones that aim to pick winning stocks, according to Sway Principal Christopher Brown.

Since index funds are designed to represent broad swaths of the market, like all U.S. stocks or all developed world foreign stocks, investors dont need as many options.

Whats more, the best index funds tend to be the cheapest ones, and those cheapest funds tend to be offered by a few very large investment firms, such as Vanguard, State Street and Dimensional Fund Advisers, who can rely on their giant scale to gain a pricing edge, according to Brown.

While savers might like the idea of a large menu of mutual funds in the abstract, when it comes down to it, most are better sticking with index funds and pocketing the extra cash that their low fees have bought us.

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Your 401(k) May Soon Have Fewer Investment Choices But That's a Good Thing - Yahoo Finance

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November 14th, 2019 at 2:44 pm

Posted in Investment

US is the ‘prime market’ for investment in 2020, UBS Chairman Axel Weber says – CNBC

Posted: at 2:44 pm


The world's largest economy is the "prime market" for investment next year, according to the chairman of Switzerland's largest bank.

His comments come as market participants closely monitor global trade developments after President Donald Trump threatened to "substantially" increase tariffs if China failed to agree to a trade deal.

The U.S. and China have imposed tariffs on billions of dollars' worth of one another's goods since the start of 2018, battering financial markets and souring business and consumer sentiment.

"The U.S. generally when you look at the outlook for growth is more positive than it is for Europe," UBS Chairman Axel Weber told CNBC's Joumanna Bercetchein an exclusive interview at the UBS European Conference in London on Wednesday.

"Trade disputes between China and the U.S. have a much bigger impact on the outlook for China in the negative sense than they have for the United States. It is impacting the U.S. as well but in a less pronounced way."

"So, if you look at for areas of growth and investment, the U.S. is the prime market," Weber said.

Expectations of a so-called "phase one" trade deal between the two economic giants have been rising in recent weeks, supporting stocks and riskier assets.

However, a lack of progress on an agreement has intensified concerns about whether a trade deal will take place at all.

Speaking at the Economic Club of New York on Tuesday, Trump said both sides were "close" to reaching a "phase one" trade deal but did not offer any details on where or when it might be signed.

The U.S. president also repeated an accusation of China "cheating" on trade, though he blamed the situation on past leaders of the world's largest economy.

"The question many clients ask is: So, what about the dollar? Now that the Fed has come down with rates, will the dollar move in the opposite direction?" Weber said.

"Short-term, it might be that there is some slight change but, long term, I think I am very dollar positive. The dollar will continue to be the major currency in the world and will continue to be very strong."

The dollar index was marginally higher on Wednesday, trading at 98.366 against of basket of six major currencies, up almost 0.1% on the day.

The Fed has cut interest rates three times in 2019 in what it has been characterized as a "midcycle adjustment."

The CME FedWatch tool, which reflects trading in fed funds futures, shows market expectations for another rate cut next month are very low, at less than 4%.

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US is the 'prime market' for investment in 2020, UBS Chairman Axel Weber says - CNBC

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November 14th, 2019 at 2:44 pm

Posted in Investment

The Future Of Real Estate Investing: Digital Assets Are Here, Now – Forbes

Posted: at 2:44 pm


Today, blockchain is consistently brought up as the technology catalyzing the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Blockchain and other distributed ledger technologies are currently being developed and implemented by the biggest and smallest of enterprises, financial institutions, central banks and governments around the world.

Some of the most proven use cases include agricultural supply-chain management and food safety, tokenization of real estate assets, foreign exchange transactions, immutable voting, interbank settlements, securing patient data and land registry. And the list goes on.

"Then why haven't I noticed?" you may ask. Blockchain will have reached its tipping point of mainstream acceptance when people are using blockchain without knowing they're using blockchain, once the technical aspects of how it works have faded into the background, when it's simply part of daily life. That said, Big Business is already deeply engaged in leveraging this revolutionary tech, innovating and building the foundational aspects for the new world ahead.

If you're the type of person who might have been surfing the web on a Netscape browser, or you're "hodling" the dotcom bubble stocks you bought at $6 a share, you're the trailblazing type who will be on the cutting edge of this technological revolution as well.

As a blockchain advisor and investor, I find the most compelling personal use cases to be those in which blockchain can make life better, easier, safer, more efficient or all of the above. I am personally invested through my professional work in advancing enterprise blockchain applications in the marketplace and also hold a small portfolio of cryptoassets. Now that we're in the longest bull market in American history since WW2, more investors are becoming disenchanted with equity markets given recent volatility and are seeking out alternative investment options with low correlation to the stock market, to protect their portfolio against potential economic instability.

Enter the digitalization of value. Be it company equity, asset-backed securities, cryptocurrencies or security token offerings (STOs), the age of digital assets is now, and they are real-deal investments, with nearly $1 billon raised through STOs alone in the last 18 months with another $1 billion USD in digitized real estate assets in the pipeline.

Blockchain tech enables companies to generate digital securities called tokens that are remarkably adaptable from a financial-engineering point of view, embedded with data (including regulatory compliance) that used to require substantial human involvement. These alternative financial mechanisms (think coins, tokens, STOs) enable direct investment in commercial real estate assets without the requirement of typically siloed institutional investment opportunities, yet with all of the security of SEC/FINRA regulation. Think fractionalized ownership of high-yield, regulated investment opportunities without having to pay your broker/dealer for transacting the deal on your behalf. This is where the convergence of digitization and disintermediation brings about enormous value for us as individual investors.

I believe we will soon live in a world of decentralized finance where investment is open to all, where we can invest directly into whichever asset class we prefer through blockchain-based offerings, enabling a vastly more liquid, transparent and cost-efficient means of building wealth than we've ever seen.

As this technology continues to impact finance, I expect that the average individual investor will have immensely greater access to asset classes still reserved for the ultra-wealthy and connected. New, transparent, decentralized and proven blockchain investment use cases are very much the FAANG investments of tomorrow, so start doing your due diligence today.

From my perspective as a real estate developer, one of the most compelling blockchain use cases is just that real estate. On a large scale, blockchain is powering the tokenization of commercial real estate equity to offer investors fractionalized yet liquid ownership of unique, high-yield assets.

On a smaller scale, blockchain makes the buying and selling of homes much easier as well, enabling an immensely more efficient home-buying experience. If you've ever bought or sold a home, you know all about how lengthy and tedious the process can be. Blockchain-based real estate agreements are now being initiated and processed through digital real estate brokerages that essentially disintermediate the entire process, enabling home buyers and sellers to transact all parts of the deal peer-to-peer through a smart contract that controls the process securely from start to finish, saving major time and money.

Real estate assets are impeccably well suited for tokenization. I wholeheartedly stand by my previous prediction that "by 2025, the majority of global real estate investments will be issued as tokenized asset offerings (TAOs) and held as cryptoassets, specifically security tokens, just like traditional securities but traded peer-to-peer without financial intermediaries."

In order to get a jump on this digital transformation, I highly recommend taking a course or two on the subject in your spare time. For example, UC Berkeley offers an online primer course on blockchain technology through which you can learn of the latest advances in the space while earning a professional certificate that can help advance your career as well as your investing prowess.

Also, take advantage of your free time to strengthen your fluency in fintech, blockchain, cryptoassets, proptech or whatever space particularly interests you by absorbing the latest research and news. I like to follow sources such as Cointelegraph and seek out the latest reports on these topics by reputable global firms. Deloitte's "2019 Global Blockchain Survey"is a comprehensive source for learning all about today's most promising applications in the space.

There are many opportunities to get involved with other enthusiasts and professionals in this space through local Meetup gatherings focused on blockchain and crypto. A nonprofit foundation focused on a specific field, such as theFoundation for International Real Estate and Blockchain Expertise (FIBREE), of which I am a Regional Chair, can be another resource for knowledge and ideas.

The future of investing is here, so my advice is to learn everything you can and jump into the digital age of real estate investment now, and watch your knowledge, experience and wealth grow while the rest of the pack still pays most of their profits to the intermediaries.

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The Future Of Real Estate Investing: Digital Assets Are Here, Now - Forbes

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November 14th, 2019 at 2:44 pm

Posted in Investment

What AI startups need to achieve before VCs will invest – TechCrunch

Posted: at 2:44 pm


David BlumbergContributor

Funding of artificial intelligence-focused companies reached approximately $9.3 billion in the U.S. in 2018, an amount that will continue to rise as the transformative impact of AI is realized. That said, not every AI startup has what it takes to secure an investment and scale to success.

So, what do venture capitalists look for when considering an investment in an AI company?

What we look for in all startups

Some fundamentals are important in any of our investments, AI or otherwise. First, entrepreneurs need to articulate that they are solving a large and important problem. It may sound strange, but finding the right problem can be more difficult than finding the right solution. Entrepreneurs need to demonstrate that customers will be willing to switch from what theyre currently using and pay for the new solution.

The team must demonstrate their competence in the domain, their functional skills and above all, their persistence and commitment. The best ideas likely wont succeed if the team isnt able to execute. Setting and achieving realistic milestones is a good way to keep operators and investors aligned. Successful entrepreneurs need to show why their solution offers superior value to competitors in the market or, in the minority of cases where there is an unresolved need why theyre in the best position to solve it.

In addition, the team must clearly explain how their technology works, how it differs and is advantageous relative to existing competitors and must explain to investors how that competitive advantage can be sustained.

For AI entrepreneurs, there are additional factors that must be addressed. Why? It is fairly clear that were in the early stages of this burgeoning industry which stands to revolutionize sectors from healthcare to fintech, logistics to transportation and beyond. Standards have not been settled, there is a shortage of personnel, large companies are still struggling with deployment, and much of the talent is concentrated in a few large companies and academic institutions. In addition, there are regulatory challenges that are complex and growing due to the nature of the technologys evolutionary aspect.

Here are five things we like to see AI entrepreneurs demonstrate before making an investment:

Demonstrate mastery over their data and its value: AI needs big data to succeed. There are two models: companies can either help customers add value to their data or build a data business using AI. In either case, startups must demonstrate that the data is reliable, secure and compliant with all regulatory rules. They must also demonstrate that AI is adding value to their own data it must explain something, derive an explanation, identify important trends, optimize or otherwise deliver value.

With the sheer abundance of data available for companies to collect today, its imperative that startups have an agile infrastructure in place that allows them to store, access and analyze this data efficiently. A data-driven startup must become ever more responsive, proactive and consistent over time.

AI entrepreneurs should know that while machine learning can be applied to many problems, it may not always yield accurate predictions in every situation. Models may fail for a variety of reasons, one of which is inadequate, inconsistent or variable data. Successful mastery of the data demonstrates to customers that the data stream is robust, consistent and that the model can adapt if the data sources change.

Entrepreneurs can better address their customer needs if they can demonstrate a fast, efficient way to normalize and label the data using meta tagging and other techniques.

Remember that transparency is a virtue: There is an increased need in certain industries such as financial services to explain to regulators how the sausage is made, so to speak. As a result, entrepreneurs must be able to demonstrate explainability to show how the model arrived at the result (for example, a credit score). This brings us to an additional issue about accounting for bias in models and, here again, the entrepreneur must show the ability to detect and correct bias as soon as they are found.

Continue reading here:
What AI startups need to achieve before VCs will invest - TechCrunch

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November 14th, 2019 at 2:44 pm

Posted in Investment

Are winter tires a good investment? – Boston.com

Posted: at 2:44 pm


Q. I have a question about winter driving. Front wheel drive is good in the winter and better with snow tires. What about snow tires on all four wheels versus four all season tires? I guess my real question is, are four snow tires worth the money?

A. Winter tires improve the traction of any vehicle in cold, wintry conditions. In addition to a tread design that is better suited to dig through the snow, the rubber is made of a compound that stays stickier in cold weather and provides better traction even on dry roads. I was once road testing an Audi A6 quattro, and it had summer tires on it. The temperature was cold and there was about one inch of snow on the road. I drove less than a mile slipping and sliding, turned around, and used my own car with winter tires. If you need to be out before the snowplows, buying winter tires is a good investment.

John Paul is AAA Northeasts Car Doctor. He has over 40 years of experience in the automotive business and is an ASE certified master technician. E-mail your car question to jpaul@aaanortheast.com.

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Are winter tires a good investment? - Boston.com

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November 14th, 2019 at 2:44 pm

Posted in Investment

Carrefour Brasil to invest around 2 billion reais per year through 2024 – Reuters

Posted: at 2:44 pm


SAO PAULO, Nov 14 (Reuters) - Carrefour Brasil plans to invest around 2 billion reais ($475 million) in 2020 to push forward its digital transformation and expand brick-and-mortar stores, particularly wholesale and convenience formats, executives said on Thursday.

The local subsidiary of Frances Carrefour SA is likely to maintain this level of capital expenditure until 2024, they said. In 2019, its investments will be around 1.8 billion reais, depending on areas the group may acquire later this year.

Chief Executive Noel Prioux said the group expects economic conditions in Brazil to only improve later in 2020. It will be a recovering year for a stronger economy in 2021, he said.

Carrefour Brasil will keep the expansion pace of its wholesale unit Atacadao at 20 new stores per year but aims to accelerate the openings of convenience stores.

The companys efforts also include offering a wider range of financial products, such as online accounts and loans, to strengthen the already sharp growth of its e-commerce platform.

Carrefour Brasil recently acquired a 49% stake in fintech EWally to introduce a digital bank account to its customers as early as next year, according to Chief Financial Officer, Sbastien Durchon.

$1 = 4.1950 reaisReporting by Gabriela Mello; Editing by Steve Orlofsky

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Carrefour Brasil to invest around 2 billion reais per year through 2024 - Reuters

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November 14th, 2019 at 2:44 pm

Posted in Investment


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