Shop small, do big things for your community

Why Small Businesses Matter puts a spotlight on the local merchants who donate their time, talent, goods, and services for the betterment of our community. The shop local movement spreads virally as local businesses who are tagged have the opportunity to share their story!

You're ITThe Parent Collective!

Three questions withJessica M. Hill,founder ofThe Parent Collective.

Why did you start your business?

I started The Parent Collective because of my experience with having my boys in the UK. The UK gets a lot of things right when it comes to having a baby. This includes a 1-year maternity leave, in-home midwife visits postpartum, health visitors who are focused on the physical and emotional health of the mom but their approach to prenatal classes had the biggest impact on my transition into motherhood. The UK looks at prenatal classes as an opportunity to build a community without mom dates or trying to talk over baby music classes.

Our signature prenatal series, which sorts participants by neighborhood and due date, not only teaches you all you need to know about labor and how to care for your newborn, but throughout four classes, you will connect with other local expectant couples and develop your modern-day village - a support network of couples that will help you through illness, loneliness, marital problems, and the run of the mill baby drama. They also provided each other with companionship during those sometimes endless and monotonous days with a newborn.

What is your best-selling product/service?

By far our in-person prenatal series is our best-selling service. During Covid, we shifted all of our programs to zoom and still offer zoom options, but since returning to in-person classes, our series are selling out months in advance. I think couples are hungry for that connection and feeling of community we all missed out on during the pandemic.

I couldnt do what I do without our amazingly supportive venue partnerKaia Yoga!

I am also so appreciative of the network of support for new moms that we refer to all of the time includingMilk Street Lactation,The Fairfield Motherhood Cooperative,The Alliance Center,and many more.

Have you "reimagined" your small business?

Through my years working with expectant and new mothers, Ihave seen many women who are struggling with the transition to motherhood. Whetheritis managing the juggle of responsibilities between work and home, resisting the pull of perfectionism, fighting against mom guilt and burnout, or feeling disconnected from the woman they were before they became a mother; oftenthese women need a safe space to work through some of the thoughts in your head to gain clarity and develop strategies for making life smoother and more enjoyable.This needinspired me topursue certification as a life coach.

Coaching is focused on looking at the present day and moving you forward so I work with moms to identify priorities, craft goals, and experiment with weekly action steps that help them see concrete change.

I offer 1:1 coaching as well as group programming for new mothers, working mothers, and one dedicated to exploring Fair Play; a game-changing solution designed to illuminate the invisible work of domestic and childcare tasks and spark conversation between partners with the goal of more fairly dividing responsibilities.

VisitThe Parent Collectiveonlinehere, and make sure to check out theirFacebookpage as well!

HamletHub thanksFairfield County Bankfor making our Why Small Businesses Matter series possible!

Read more here:
Why Small Businesses Matter in Westport: The Parent Collective - HamletHub

For Teresa Ferreiro, reentering the workforce after surviving cancer felt overwhelming. So Ferreiro, of A Corua, Spain, founded the online platform Soul Reconnect to help other breast cancer patients and survivors navigate the frightening, often isolating, journey.

If you dont know how to go back to work, talk to others, or face your fears, then things can get very difficult, said Ferreiro, who was diagnosed with breast cancer 12 years ago.

Her return to the workforce after cancer included getting certified as an executive professional coach and pursuing a doctorate in communications. Those skills form the foundation for Soul Reconnect, which provides health care coaching and other tools to help patients navigate medical appointments, improve nutrition and exercise, and return to work.

The business, which uses methods informed by scientific research and patient feedback, also offers webinars and retreats to foster personal growth. Most importantly, Ferreiro says, Soul Reconnect empowers women through their recovery. The patient is no longer just a passive person who waits for a treatment, or others, to make decisions, Ferreiro said. Now, the patient is in the center, and she is the one who runs her life.

She credits the Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE), a U.S. State Department program that empowers women to start and scale businesses, with helping her develop a business plan that incorporates her professional and personal experience, and launch Soul Reconnect.

AWE has trained more than 16,000 women worldwide since it launched in 2019. Ferreiro was accepted into AWE in 2021 as the COVID-19 pandemic forced more companies to conduct business online. AWEs online community of women entrepreneurs supported Ferreiro as she launched her business during the tumultuous economic time.

What I didnt know was that, for example, I would be constantly pivoting starting and stopping three times due to COVID, she said. So, it was more like being part of a community where we all are in the same place; otherwise, you feel very alone.

She also says AWE helped her realize the possibilities for expanding Soul Reconnect. She hopes to partner with companies seeking to offer wellness programs to employees, and add and translate content to reach patients outside Spain, and with other illnesses.

The program helped me to be brave, and think, OK, theres nothing to lose,' Ferreiro said. This is my idea, and it is going to work!

A version of this article was previously published by the State Departments Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

View post:
Coaching others through the fight against cancer - ShareAmerica

HYDE PARK Ernest Radcliffe is a father figure to thousands of kids on the South Side.

Hes also a football coach with a distinctively gruff voice and screeching whistle.

Yeah, hes loud, said Rastus Hill, one of Radcliffes assistant coaches with his youth football program, Southside Wolfpack. But the kids, they listen.

Southside Wolfpack recently celebrated its 25th anniversary. The program has long provided helmets, shoulder pads and a safe haven for Black youth at its field in Jackson Park. Radcliffe and his wife, Tonya, watch over 220 kids, have youth football teams ages 6-13 years old and a national champion cheerleading team.

Southside Wolfpack has helped thousands of kids go to college, produced hundreds of Division 1 athletes and sent three players to the NFL.

Ernest Radcliffe dropped his whistle and smiled as he named some of the men who grew up wearing his black and red uniforms: former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver DaRon Brown, former Michigan State University defensive end Demetrius Cooper and Radcliffes own son, Kendall, a former minor league baseball outfielder.

Former quarterback Greg Brown is now a chef, and Abdullah Pratt is in residence at the University of Chicago Medical Center, Radcliffe said.

Im proud of all of them, Radcliffe said. People I used to coach are starting to bring their children.

Radcliffe, 59, keeps a full schedule and still outruns us, said 13-year-old Wolfpack defensive lineman Robert Wise. The coach has won two baseball city championships at Morgan Park High School, directs travel baseball program The Show and has led the Wolfpack since he started it in 1997.

Radcliffe, a former star athlete from Roseland and the nephew of Negro Leagues legend Ted Double Duty Radcliffe, was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1986. He took a job at the YMCA after a career-ending injury in the minor leagues.

I was trying to find my way, Radcliffe said. I came back home and first worked at the bank, and one day this couple came in and asked me to crunch their numbers. So I put my head down and dozed off. When I woke up, I told them I was praying on their numbers.

I quit the next day. Coaching came easy.

The first Wolfpack team had 25 kids who responded to flyers around the South Side YMCA, 6330 S. Stony Island Ave., Radcliffe said.

Among them: a running back named Greg Owens, a standout at Mount Carmel High School who went on to play at Northern Illinois University, Radcliffe said. From there, the program just kept going and going, Radcliffe said.

We started winning, getting kids into college, and you cant stop then, Radcliffe said. Getting called coach, its special. It was my calling.

Some of Radcliffes former players have come back to coach with him.

Daquan Caldwell, an EMT by day who coaches the 10-year-old team, said Radcliffe has always been commanding, scratchy, kinda terrifying, and the person who always held me accountable.

You think he hates you one moment, and the next moment you know its love. And it shows, because hes brought me back here to change the lives of others, Caldwell said. Were keeping the tradition of the brotherhood going.

Christopher Coutee-Bouyer coaches the 8-year-old team and remembers taking a friend to a Wolfpack practice as a kid.

He has a way of challenging you, getting the best out of you, even without saying it, Coutee-Bouyer said. He recognized we were competitive guys, and that activated something in us.

Wolfpack coach Charles Williams said hes worked with Radcliffe since 2001, and hes long had his own effective style of leadership.

When he gets emotional, thats passion for the kids and the sport. And that translates to them, Williams said. They come here and get love and respect and learn how to love and respect others. This program saves lives.

Over the years, the Radcliffes have paid peoples bails, spoken at court hearings, helped people through teenage pregnancy and taken players into their home, Tonya Radcliffe said.

At a recent practice, a young Wolfpack player came up to Tonya Radcliffe and told her he was hungry.

Things are always happening to these kids, and its overwhelming. Sometimes you want to quit, but you cant, because we can be life changers, Tonya Radcliffe said. We cant leave our kids falling.

The Radcliffes, Mayor Lori Lightfoot and other community leaders cut the ribbon on a football field in Jackson Park in April. The field was funded by the Obama Foundation and the former president stopped by for a Wolfpack practice.

I saw Obama come down that hill, and it was the highlight of my life. It made me think about how far we had all come, Ernest Radcliffe said. Well always be able to tell the kids now that the first Black President walked on their field.

Radcliffe said hell coach another 25 years if he can.

We have to keep pushing our young people. We tell them that theyre Division 1 athletes, that they can go somewhere special. We can see it in them before they know, Radcliffe said. And seeing hundreds of kids on this field, no worries, having a good time, thats the success.

This season, Angelique Wilson has signed up to be team mom for her son Aidens 10-year-old Wolfpack team.

Hes all in on sports now. Hes only 10, but he talks to his friends about going to UCLA, Wilson said. This place has given my son some good dreams.

Subscribe to Block Club Chicago,an independent, 501(c)(3), journalist-run newsroom. Every dime we make fundsreportingfrom Chicagos neighborhoods.

Clickhereto support BlockClub with atax-deductible donation.

Thanks for subscribing to Block Club Chicago, an independent, 501(c)(3), journalist-run newsroom. Every dime we make fundsreportingfrom Chicagos neighborhoods. Clickhereto support Block Clubwith atax-deductible donation.

Listen to Its All Good: A Block Club Chicago Podcast:

Continued here:
Southside Wolfpack Youth Football Has Helped Thousands Go To College, 'Saved Lives' Over Its 25 Years - Block Club Chicago

ANSONIA Emmett OBrien Tech soccer coach Arthur Solis favorite quote from Nelson Mandela is I never lose, I either win or learn.

What Solis learned Tuesday afternoon is that he is loved and no matter what his win-loss record says, he has already won.

Solis, who has been the OBrien boys soccer coach for 47 years, was honored for his legendary career in a pregame ceremony Tuesday afternoon ahead of the Condors game against Abbott Tech.

Solis was presented with a plaque from his players as family, friends and former players looked on and was then given the key to the city of Ansonia by Mayor David Cassetti who read a proclamation in honor of Solis.

Solis said he cannot imagine a life away from the sideline.

People say that some day I will not want the job, thats not going to happen, Solis said. When I leave, they will be taking me on a stretcher off the field. Im not thinking about retiring. When you have fun, you cannot say I dont want to have fun anymore. And this is fun to me. The best reward you get is from (your heart) when you see guys coming back who you coached many years ago who just want their kids to meet you. Money cannot buy that, thats what life brings you. The happiness of helping somebody else.

OBrien is a co-ed team, something Solis said he has done for years because OBrien does not have enough players to field an independent girls team.

Making the ceremony even more special was the fact Solis son, Adrian, coaches Abbott Tech and was on the opposite sideline for his fathers special day.

I call this the Solis Bowl, said Adrian Solis, whose Abbott Tech team won 2-1. This ceremony today was a surprise for him. One of his coaches reached out a month ago and he had this great idea to honor him. I always look at all these records being broken for wins and this and that. Hes been here 47 years and he never talks about giving it up. Which is amazing to me.

Solis coached Adrian at OBrien. His son joined him on the Condors coaching staff before making the move to Abbott.

During the ceremony, Mayor Cassetti said he was first a student at OBrien Tech in 1975 and Solis has been there the whole time.

I graduated, went through my business career and Im ready for retirement and hes still here. Its truly amazing, Cassetti said. Coach Solis has been a mentor and friend as well as a coach to hundreds of players over the years, teaching them the importance of good sportsmanship and fair play.

Solis moved to the United States from Guatemala in 1966 when he was 16 years old and enrolled at Ansonia.

Ansonia did not have a soccer program in 1966 and Solis tried to play for OBrien Tech across town, but was denied because he was not a student at the school.

Instead, Solis joined the Condors coaching staff, volunteering as an assistant coach.

He went on to play soccer at Sacred Heart University, where he graduated in 1974.

In 1975, he got the job as OBriens varsity soccer coach, going 0-12-1 in his first season.

He led the team to its first state tournament appearance in 1988 and coached his son on the team from 1995-97.

In addition to his work at the varsity level, Solis helped start youth soccer programs in both Ansonia and Derby where he has coached and refereed for decades.

Hes a cornerstone of the soccer program, not only in Ansonia but the entire Valley and even Connecticut when you start looking at where his players and his family end up, Adrian Solis said. Im coaching in Danbury, his other son is coaching in Boston, his other son is in D.C. so hes nationwide. The influence hes had on his players stays with them through their lives. They are in the military, they go into the trades and all these different jobs. Then their kids come back and play for him, too. Its remarkable the influence he has had.

Before stepping away from teaching, Solis worked in the New Haven school system, teaching elementary school for 35 years.

Solis mission is to give back everything soccer has given to him since he moved to the United States.

It can only be done because of the passion for the sport and because there is a little bug in the back of my head that tells me to pay back what I got, Solis said. Its a passion I have. I live in Portugal during the summer for three months, but I come back for this because these are my kids.

Solis said everything he does is for the kids.

Since 1976, when I got those first guys, they were respectful and they gave their hearts and thats what I was looking for, Solis said. These people give me their hearts. We always say we dont lose, we either win or learn. Mandela. Dont worry about losing, you gain more experience.

Follow this link:
O'Brien Tech coach Arthur Solis presented with key to Ansonia - CT Insider

Oct. 19Dick Meader's humanity and humility are what I admired most in the beloved coach.

I had the privilege of extensively covering the University of Maine at Farmington men's basketball team for four remarkable seasons and I got to know Meader the program's longtime coach well. He was 76 when he died on Sunday.

I knew he had a storied past as a respected coach, who had great success overseeing the men's basketball programs at Thomas College and the University of Maine at Farmington, but this soft-spoken man was a genuine gentleman and his dedication was reflected in his players every time they stepped onto a court.

Meader's love of basketball, compassion and high regard for his athletes was his trademark approach to the game and life as well.

In a season preview about the Beavers that I wrote in November of 2019, Meader's last season, the UMF coach had the privilege of mentoring four seniors guard Issac Witham, forwards Riley Robinson and Bill Ruby and center Anthony Owens.

When I spoke with Meader about his team, he had this to say about his players:

"No. 1, they are great kids," Meader said before the 2019-2020 season began. "I shouldn't use the word 'kids,' but young men. They take their studies seriously. They work hard at it. In basketball, again, they work very hard.

"You see them going in the locker room at times. They will be sitting on the couch with their computers in their laps and working on problems together. They really take their studies seriously. I just hope we have a good season for their sake."

But that feeling of respect and camaraderie worked both ways.

Ruby put it all in perspective about the coming 2019-20 season and his respect for Meader when he said:

"We have built some good relationships the past four years," Ruby said in that season preview. "We all have the same goal to bring home a NAC championship for the Farmington community and Coach Meader, too."

Story continues

Besides being dazzled by Meader's kindness, I was always impressed at how Meader recalled key moments of each basketball game.

He would invite me into a room and we would have a sit-down after each game I covered, allowing him to speak freely without distractions from all the noise in the hallway. He would give me his explicit rundown of what transpired on the court.

The beloved coach would replay those details like he was sitting courtside and watching the game all over again. There was no hand-waving, outbursts of anger or blaming during the course of our conversations after a hard-fought loss. There was just this mild voice providing details of a game. Again, it was his humanity that contained any frustration he was feeling after a loss.

I have met dozens of good and great coaches throughout my career, but I especially enjoyed just sitting down with a gentleman who made his living coaching college basketball. I also respected him for his temerity to continue coaching despite being afflicted with Parkinson's disease.

His humility came shining through when he retired in 2020 after coaching collegiate basketball in the state for over four decades.

"I don't want to be an anchor to any program," Meader said in a Timeout column I wrote in March of 2020. "It is time to enjoy some other things and not feel guilty when you are not doing something, basketball-wise, or not seeing a summer league game your kid is playing in. In the summer, you spend a lot of time recruiting. It is time."

In a world ravaged by COVID-19, war and environmental catastrophes, we all could use a strong cup of Meader's humanity or humility right now.

Dick Meader was a once-in-a-generation human being who cared about the important things and for me, our friendship still makes life worth living.

The rest is here:
Timeout: Dick Meader was only human -- and that's what made him special - Yahoo News

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Lake Highlands High School has a history of producing great coaches, both from its student ranks and its coaching staff. LHHS 1975 grad Lynn Jensen, who coached football for 16 years in LH and years more in Garland ISD and Dallas ISD, says theres something unique about the neighborhood, the athletes, the families and the school.

Its a heartfelt thing, says Jensen. It speaks to the specialness of this community. You hear people gritching sometimes, but its a pretty special place.

In September, Jensen took a job as assistant director of athletics for Bishop Dunne Catholic School. Hes one of many former Wildcat coaches and players now working for high school and college athletic departments across the country. You can read more about him here.

Kent Laster, another alum, is head football coach at Wacos University High School.

Football is a passionate game, Laster told the Waco Tribune-Herald, and he encourages his players to seek PRIDE in their game and in their life passion, respect, integrity dedication and excellence.

Everybody is bought into holding up the trophy, are you bought into the daily process it takes to get there? That is the key.

NFL Pro Bowler Phil Dawson holds the Cleveland Browns franchise record for the most field goals made. He still has 13 records at the University of Texas, and he kicked a game-winning 50-yarder against Virginia in 1995. Despite playing for the Browns, the 49ers and the Cardinals, he says his finest mentors were from his high school days.

The greatest coaches I ever had were my high school coaches at Lake Highlands High School in Dallas, Texas, both on and off the field, Dawson told KVUE TV. The impact that they had on my life kind of began this dream in me to one day coach. Little did I know I would play [in the NFL] so long, but I finally got around to it and havent regretting it one bit.

LHHS alum Dave Handal is in his first year as head coach of the Tomball Cougars. Serving as defensive coordinator last year, he took his team including his son Keegan to the state semifinals. Keegan started at middle linebacker and said the time they spent together paid off.

Having my dad as the coach, all the film study we do, it really gives me an advantage, Keegan told Houstons KPRC TV. All the game-planning he puts in, I get all the insight about it. It shows on the field. The knowledge he gives me really benefits my game.

Tomball lost in the state semifinals to another LHHS alum Denton Guyers Reed Heim. Heim has experience as an assistant coach at SMU and Baylor, and as Guyers new head coach he won playoff games against Flower Mound, Jesuit, Trophy Club, Prosper and Tomball before losing to Austin Westlake.

Additional alums include: Isaac Grieder as assistant coach at Lake Highlands Junior High;Mark Carey coaching the defensive line at the University of Mary Hardin Baylor; Marcus Coleman as the secondary coach at Trinity University; Brett Sawyer as defensive coordinator at Boerne High; Stoney Pryor as head coach and athletic coordinator at College Station High School, Anthony Hicks as assistant head football coach at Frisco Heritage and Kent Ackmann as boys head soccer coach at Princeton High.

At least twelve former Wildcat coaches are still leading teams of young men and women: David Gunn is head football coach at Paragould High in Arkansas; Kenny Wheaton is an offensive consultant at Harding University; Che Hendrix is head football coach in Boerne; Jason Wilson is head baseball coach in Allen; Ed Barry coaches football and track at Shelton School; Paul Maturi is assistant athletic director at Jesuit; Royce Slechta is offensive coordinator at Jesuit; Don Woods is defensive coordinator at Jesuit; Todd Holmes is athletic trainer at Jesuit; Gary Taylor coaches track and field at Sunnyvale High School; Pete Grieder is assistant wrestling coach at Bishop Lynch; and John Bandy now manages Kimbrough Stadium in Plano.

Lots more former coaches not mentioned here have gone on to serve as teachers or principals, and others have retired after being inducted into football halls of fame. In the slideshow above by photographer Mike Duhon, coaches from the state champion team of 1981 returned last Friday night to celebrate that accomplishment. Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat.

This article has been updated with additional alums and former coaches.

Read this article:
Wildcat alums and coaches lead teams across the country - Lake Highlands Advocate

MIAMI In the season opener against the Heat, Alex Caruso got the start in place of Zach LaVine.

The plan for Friday against the Wizards? Its a wait-and see.

Ayo Dosunmu earned the start at point guard in place of Lonzo Ball (left knee). Will the second-year player hold up through the month or even the next week? Thats another wait-and-see.

The plan for Thursday was to have LaVine (left knee) work out when the team practices in Washington, but how much will he be able to do?

Thats right, a wait-and-see.

So much for the organizations continuity plan.

Unfortunately for Bulls coach Billy Donovan, itll be his responsibility to clean up the mess.

Some of the stuff is unfortunate, and anytime youve got players out not just our team, any team it hurts, Donovan said. But were still going to have to play games with some of these things going on. The continuity is not ideal, but from a coaching perspective, weve got to play to an identity.

Thats how Donovan is approaching life with question marks surrounding Ball and LaVine to start the season. He wont get overly concerned with players as much as establishing a team identity.

But identities are built through practices, and with LaVines ability to practice from day to day unknown and with no definite timeline for Ball to come back, how much can actually get done in these practices?

Donovan has installed the foundation pieces of his offense and defense but admittedly has a lot to build out in both aspects.

Its just the way it is, Donovan said. I feel like its my responsibility and my job that whoever the next person is that has to step in for Zach, weve got to play to a certain style on both ends of the floor. Listen, youre talking about a guy [in LaVine] that gets 27 points per game, shoots over 40% from three and is an NBA All-Star. I cant ask any of those guys to replace him, but regardless of if hes there or not, can we play how we know we need to play to put ourselves in the best position to play with the best teams?

Heads up

Veteran DeMar DeRozan made sure his teammates werent sulking in the wake of the injury-management news on LaVine.

DeRozan admitted that it would be easy for his teammates to fall into the woe-is-us trap, especially after all the injuries last season, but he wouldnt allow it.

You cant hold your head down at all, DeRozan said. Nothing ever goes as ideal as you want it to go. Thats just part of life.

Were a team, and everyone has to have the approach that nobody is going to feel sorry for us, and were not looking for anyone to feel sorry for us.

Expected outcome

Reserve guard Coby White saw the deadline for an extension on his rookie contract come and go Monday, making him a restricted free agent at the end of the season. It was a scenario that White expected to see play out that way.

I wasnt really focused on that, White said. Just play this year out. I put in a lot of work this summer, so let my work show, and take it from there.

Excerpt from:
'Continuity' is out the window now, and Bulls coach Billy Donovan has to fix things - Chicago Sun-Times

When she was in high school, Chloe visited UVA and seriously considered her parents alma mater. She wanted a smaller school, however, and chose Wake Forest, in part because of her connection with Bill Ferguson, then the Demon Deacons head coach. But Ferguson was gone by the time Wilson arrived in Winston-Salem, N.C., and her volleyball experience at Wake was not what shed hoped.

And so, after two seasons at Wake, where she became friends with Anna Bennett, whose father is head mens basketball coach at UVA, Chloe decided to start anew elsewhere. Virginia was again an option. The Hoos had a new coach, Shannon Wells, for whom Chloe had played at a USA Volleyball event as a middle-schooler.

I really loved working with her, Chloe recalled, so I knew who she was, and she knew who I was, so that made it a little bit easier.

They set up a phone call during which Wells, a former University of Florida associate head coach, described her vision for the Cavaliers program, and Chloe decided the time was right for her to head to Charlottesville.

Her dad, I know, is so proud and Im so happy that shes there, said Kerry Wilson, who has two degrees from the University. Chloe didnt know it, but thats where her story began. Virginia is just so special to our family.

For Chloe, there are reminders of her father on Grounds, and not only the bench outside JPJ. The Cavaliers associate head coach for mens basketball, Jason Williford, was one of Shawn Wilsons college teammates.

He was a good dude, kind-hearted, Williford recalled. He didnt play a whole lot, but he was a good piece of the program. Well-liked. Funny as all outdoors.

Wilson, who was born in Murray, Ky., grew up in Nashville, and he had a catch phrase that never failed to crack up his teammates, Williford recalled. If he agreed with you on anything, hed say, He aint lyin! And it was in that Tennessee voice with that country accent. So we all would say that.

Wilson was especially close with teammates Doug Smith and Chris Havlicek. They were the Three Amigos, Williford said.

In the preseason, Williford said, Jones would send his players on two-mile runs in the morning. Players, depending on their position, had to finish in a certain time. Wilsons teammates, like his fraternity brothers, called him Big Red, and he hated running, Williford said, so he and Junior Burrough were always dead last.

After his basketball career ended, Wilson stayed in Charlottesville to do medical research (and to court his future wife), and he discovered a new athletic passion.

Id see the dude running through the Corner, through Grounds, Williford said, laughing. It was the best he ever looked. I chuckled at how he didnt enjoy running until after college. So that was crazy.

See the article here:
UVA Volleyball | Wilson's Journey Leads Back to UVA - Virginia University

Image: Meta / MIXED

Der Artikel kann nur mit aktiviertem JavaScript dargestellt werden. Bitte aktiviere JavaScript in deinem Browser und lade die Seite neu.

Our weekly recap: Meta week is over and, as expected, brought Quest Pro and a lot of news. Coincidentally, Google is also talking about telepresence again.

Quest Pro hasnt been a secret for a long time, now Metas mixed reality headset is finally official. For around $1,500, you get a mixed reality headset packed with a lot of technology that can do both VR and AR. The first testers are unsure about the target group of Quest Pro. The probably most interesting new feature, namely Passthrough AR, is rated rather critically because the video quality falls short of expectations.

As expected, Quest Pro will not be sold in Germany for now. Meta CTO Andrew Bosworth said on Instagram that Meta has a plan and that German consumers should tell regulators that they want to buy Meta devices in Germany. Now then. The German Federal Cartel Office says it is in talks with Meta about the new Meta accounts.

In addition to Quest Pro, there was news at Meta Connect about Microsoft on Meta hardware, avatars with legs, and Horizon Worlds, which is significantly behind Metas plans in terms of active users, according to internal documents.

If anyone was still looking for confirmation that Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella is serious about a software-led metaverse strategy, theyre getting it in the form of more leaks surrounding Hololens. The military version IVAS is still under heavy fire from the US Army: Some soldiers are said to be worried about their lives because the headset displays are so bright and can be spotted from far away.

According to insiders, there is no roadmap to speak of for a commercial Hololens. After the departure of mixed reality boss Alex Kipman, an XR vacuum has apparently arisen at the Redmond software giant. It looks like Microsoft is largely keeping its hands off tech glasses for now. Nadellas appearance at Meta Connect fits that bill.

In Metas big telepresence VR week, Google, surely not coincidentally, is back with its Starline holo-telephony booth. Google is positioning Starline as a glasses-free telepresence alternative that is now being rolled out in the first companies.

Two testers are enthusiastic about the photo-realistic 3D video calls, but have concerns about the size and price of the cabin. Starline is still far from being an option for private customers with the current technical equipment.

While Microsoft is looking to exit XR hardware, Valve is apparently looking to get back into it after its handheld hiatus: according to a job ad, the popular gaming company wants to take the next steps in VR and is looking for some computer vision specialists to do so. Valve is developing new tracking technologies, which could in turn benefit a standalone PC hybrid headset. Assuming Valve follows through with the project.

A developer animated a digital design assistant using Epics digital human kit, then gave her life with three networked AI systems: The computer lady generates images on demand and independently asks about motif details our AI sister magazine THE DECODER reports.

Also in THE DECODER: Four practical WordPress plugins with AI generation and bigger is better, at least with Deepminds AlphaZero.

Note: Links to online stores in articles can be so-called affiliate links. If you buy through this link, MIXED receives a commission from the provider. For you the price does not change.

See the original post:

Quest Pro is here, Google and Valve report back - MIXED Reality News

It seems like a tale of the past, but the U.S. saw record low mortgage rates in 2020 and 2021; concurrently, real estate investment soared. But the tried-and-true adage that real estate investment is a long-term proposition has never been more true today as mortgage interest rates steadily climb. As real estate prices come down and a recession looms, the question of whether now is a good time to invest in real estate takes center stage

Savvy investors understand that real estate has been a consistent hedge against inflation. The low interest rates of a year ago made property affordable at first, but the real estate market adjusted by increasing home values. And now, as interest rates go north of 7%, many buyers are finding themselves priced out of the market.

That situation presents an opportunity for rental property investors who can increase rental rates as home inventory dwindles and buyers, priced out of the market, seek temporary housing until interest rates decline. This model can lead to consistent passive income for investors.

But its all still about location, and investors in rental properties need to be conscious of the economic realities of the geographic area they are buying in. Investors need to be aware of the unemployment in the area of their investment properties, says David Tuyo, CEO of University Credit Union in Los Angeles. You obviously want to hedge your bets that tenants will be able to pay rent as much as possible, told Bankrate.com.

Price is an important consideration when investing in real estate. And while lower purchase prices can generate a more significant return potential, its not the only factor to consider. Mortgage rates still significantly affect the profitability of an investment, and there are potentially more hikes ahead with a recession looming.

Superior returns in real estate tend to follow recessionary periods, according to the latest report from investment advisor Cohen & Steers Capital Management, Inc., which has $88 billion in assets, of which $56 billion is in real estate. The company believes the current market dislocation in the real estate market will likely generate strong returns in 2023 and 2024.

Story continues

Listed real estate tends to lead private real estate in both selloff and recovery during recessionary periods, Cohen & Steers said in its report. Differences in the real-time pricing of listed real estate investment trusts (REITs) and private real estate can create significant short-term dislocations. By understanding the leading and lagging behaviors of private and listed markets, real estate investors may be able to tactically allocate at different times across the two asset classes, seeking to take advantage of how markets have priced in current conditions.

As for continued inflation, the report also says that sectors with shorter lease durations, such as self-storage and hotels, can adjust rents quickly to keep pace. These sectors demonstrate greater cyclicality and can serve as a buffer against inflation.

Cohen & Steers report claims the U.S. is heading into what they refer to as an average recession, as measured against recessions over the past 100 years. Our base case is a decrease of 2% to 3% in real global domestic product and a duration of about 12 months.

However, the report is especially bullish about the expectation of superior returns in real estate following these recessionary periods. The result, emerging from this challenging period, may be some strong vintage returns across both real estate categories. However, optimizing a real estate portfolio can be enhanced by integrating both listed and private markets.

As for alternative real estate investment opportunities, Cohen & Steers points to cell towers, healthcare facilities and data centers as emerging secular winners because of tech innovations over the past few years.

Read next: Bezos-Backed Startup Lets You Become A Landlord With $100

Photo by Rohan Reddy on Unsplash

See more from Benzinga

Don't miss real-time alerts on your stocks - join Benzinga Pro for free! Try the tool that will help you invest smarter, faster, and better.

2022 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

Read more:
A Recession May Just Prove To Be A Great Opportunity For Real Estate Investment - Yahoo Finance