Global Critical Care Products Market Research report 2020 provides information regarding market size, share, trends, growth, competition landscape, challenges and opportunity, revenue, and forecast to 2027. A comprehensive overview of the Critical Care Products Market is recently added by Stratagem Market Insights to its humongous database. The Critical Care Products Market report has been aggregated by collecting informative data of various dynamics such as market drivers, restraints, and opportunities.

This innovative report makes use of SWOT, PESTLE, and Porters Five Forces analyses to get a closer outlook on the Critical Care Products Market.

Following key players have been profiled with the help of proven research methodologies:

Novartis, GE Healthcare, Abbott, Plunketts Health Care, Sproxil, Safaricom, Dexcom, Piramal, Mylan, Convatec.

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has affected every aspect of life worldwide. The study provides full coverage of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Critical Care Products market and its key segments. Furthermore, it covers the present and future impact of the pandemic and offers a post-COVID-19 scenario to provide a deeper understanding of the dynamic changes in trends and market scenarios.

Competitive Landscape:

Competitor analysis is one of the best sections of the report that compares the progress of leading players based on crucial parameters, including market share, new developments, global reach, local competition, price, and production. From the nature of competition to future changes in the vendor landscape, the report provides an in-depth analysis of the competition in the global Critical Care Products market.

Research Methodology:

Stratagem Market Insights follow a comprehensive research methodology focused on providing the most precise market analysis. The company leverages a data triangulation model which helps the company to gauge the market dynamics and provide accurate estimates. Key components of the research methodologies followed for all our market reports include:

In addition to this, Stratagem Market Insights has access to a wide range of regional and global reputed paid databases, which helps the company to figure out the regional and global market trends and dynamics. The company analyses the industry from the 360 Degree Perspective i.e. from the Supply Side and Demand Side which enables us to provide granular details of the entire ecosystem for each study. Finally, a Top-Down approach and Bottom-Up approach is followed to arrive at ultimate research findings.

It includes analysis on the following

Finally, the Critical Care Products Market report is a believable source for gaining Market research that will exponentially accelerate your business. The report gives the principle locale, economic situations with the item value, benefit, limit, generation, supply, request, and Market development rate and figure, and so on. Critical Care Products industry report additionally Present a new task SWOT examination, speculation attainability investigation, and venture return investigation.

Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report versions like North America, Europe, or Asia.

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Stratagem Market Insights is a management consulting organization providing market intelligence and consulting services worldwide. The firm has been providing quantified B2B research and currently offers services to over 350+ customers worldwide.

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Critical Care Products Market Enlightenment on Future Scenario by 2027 - The Market Feed

Her debut novel, Stones in my Bra the search for love, enlightenment and the perfect flapjack, is out now.

Set in Sheffield, it features many of the things she loves about her hometown.

Sheffields writing scene

Writing was something I took up as my children got older and I had more free time.

I wrote to amuse myself and my friends and didnt really understand there were skills to be learnt in terms of narrative arcs and plot development.

Then, thanks to an article in the Telegraph, I discovered Joanne Burn, a great writing coach based in Grindleford, and later I found the Sheffield writing scene and joined The Virtual Writers Caff run by local actor and creative, Letty Butler.

Im amazed at how much home-grown talent Sheffield has!

In the current climate, local press has taken a hit in readership. This is such a shame as its vital to have professionally trained journalists to report on issues that affect us.

I always pick up the Sheffield Telegraph on a Thursday to find out whats happening and appreciate that, even in lock-down, theres been a balance between publishing the facts and keeping a positive outlook.

Local radio also keeps us up-to-date and entertained. I love the phone-ins and interactions with the listeners so wanted to incorporate an element of that into my story line.

Sheffields alternative therapies

Im used to being considered alternative by my family!

Whats nice is that in recent years, many of the practices, such as yoga, mindfulness and reflexology that were once considered strange, have now become mainstream.

My novel introduces the reader to several therapies in a light-hearted way and, should they be inspired to try out a gong bath, clear their clutter, or cherish their chakras, then groups such as the Reiki Shining Light Circle here in Sheffield can offer them all.

Sheffields running community

I got into running a few years ago and pre-Covid was a regular at the Endcliffe park run. Im a member of the Millhouses Beginners Group which meets every Thursday at 9.30 am and runs through Ecclesall Woods.

Ive learnt such a lot I never knew there were so many techniques to improve your form.

The sessions are free, fun and open to all ages.

In fact, Im so inspired by them that I had my narrator join a similar club in her quest for self-improvement.

Lockdown has been made bearable by still being able to get a curry from the Bilash on Sharrowvale Road, a pie from the Broadfield on Abbeydale Road and a drink and a meal in our excellent neighbourhood pubs. Theres also no shortage of superb cafes in Nether Edge. But nothing can beat my narrators award-winning flapjack.

Ive had a long career in teaching English as a foreign language and my students always say how theyve been made to feel at home here.

I love the fact Sheffield embraces different cultures and has such a vibrant international community at both universities. Id also like to mention the Migration Matters festival and the charity ASSIST which do so much to raise our awareness of asylum seekers and refugees. And lets not forget neighbourhood groups, like NENG, who organize events such as our quarterly market. In my novel the narrator worries her father is suffering from dementia.

So, reading of the Sheffield care workers who locked down with their vulnerable residents made me feel really proud. Its why I chose to give my Bridget Jones meets Eat, Pray, Love story its unique Sheffield flavour and also why profits from my sales will be going to Alzheimers UK.

Stones in my Bra is rated 4.9 and can be purchased on Amazon.co.uk. or at Wickwire, in Nether Edge.

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MY FAVOURITE THINGS: Amazed at the amount of home-grown talent in Sheffield - Sheffield Telegraph

November 27, 2020 00:00 ET | Source: Archway Publishing

photo-release

NEW YORK, Nov. 27, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Follow one womans mystical journey into the unknown as she pursues personal growth through fear, faith, and courage in Juana Vasquezs new novel, Naked: A Journey to the Unknown (published by Archway Publishing).

Gigi is a woman seeking enlightenment. She realizes that her current state of mind may be her greatest obstacle. She wants to break through old patterns that are holding her back. To understand how she came to be ruled by her routines, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery. Her quest is to find peace. She believes that a small town called Callicoon, has the quietness that she is looking forward. To get there she must overcome her fears and insecurities as they are connected to her limited way of thinking, there she believes she will meet her true self.

I want readers to understand that changing the way we perceive life can be challenging, but, with determination, is possible, Vasquez states. Many of us are afraid of changes. Gigi, the main character, is no different. She is afraid, however, she embarks on a journey into the unknown, overcomes herself, and lands in a safe place.

Naked is also available for purchase on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Naked-Journey-Juana-Vasquez-ebook/dp/B084RDNBBS.

Naked

By Juana Vasquez

Hardcover | 5.5 x 8.5 in | 116 pages | ISBN 9781480886919

Softcover | 5.5 x 8.5 in | 116 pages | ISBN 9781480886926

E-Book | 116 pages | ISBN 9781480886933

Available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About the Author

Juana Vasquez was born in the Dominican Republic in 1971 and immigrated to the United States in 1990. In 1993 she was introduced to metaphysics by an acquaintance she met at a local library in Paterson, New Jersey. Her interest in human behavior and in challenging herself led her to study the science of religion and metaphysics over the course of 20 years. She currently lives in New York City. Her book is also available in Spanish, titled Al Desnudo.

Simon & Schuster, a company with nearly ninety years of publishing experience, has teamed up with Author Solutions, LLC, the worldwide leader in self-publishing, to create Archway Publishing. With unique resources to support books of all kind, Archway Publishing offers a specialized approach to help every author reach his or her desired audience. For more information, visit http://www.archwaypublishing.com or call 844-669-3957.

Bloomington, Indiana, UNITED STATES

https://www.archwaypublishing.com/

Formats available:

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New book about change and transformation follows woman's journey to find herself - GlobeNewswire

Donovan, the singer/songwriter once called the next Dylan, who Bob Dylan ridiculed on one of his European tours, has a song that goes:

First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is.

Its a reference to a Buddhist text and refers to enlightenment. Something you believe in is present, then its not, then it is. Everything changes. Some changes are unavoidable and some are unpleasant.

Changes in my neighborhood directly effect the way I live my life.

And its really hard for me to accept change. But this time, I had no choice. The proof was right in front of my eyes, even though I wanted to ignore it.

A for sale sign hanging in the right hand window. Vida was gone.

A valued asset of the Stapleton community since 2003, Vida served up fine food in a wonderfully cozy atmosphere, while Cesare Evora played on the sound system. Local art decorated the walls and many a joyful night was spent there with family and friends. Our friend Silva owned and operated the restaurant. Joan and I celebrated our 10th anniversary within its walls.

Vida opened around the same time as The Muddy Cup, signaling a revival to the area that eventually led to three years of Van Duzer Days. The Cups owners, Jim and Rob, were directly responsible for my family moving into the neighborhood. Jim knew our landlord, Joe, and arranged for us to see the apartment that has now been our home for the past 17 years.

Close proximity to both the Cup and Vida helped in our decision.

One night, Jim, Rob, Joan, Silva and I stood in the vacant restaurant, way past closing time. Silva brought out a bottle of wine and proposed a toast to us all. As we drank, a light patina of snow fell. We gazed upon it wistfully. Aint nobody going to work tomorrow, Rob declared. In fact, nobody did.

Through the years, Vida had its ups and down. Severely limited parking outside the restaurant didnt help. Though the area buzzed with activity from the restaurant, the Cup and Martini Reds (which is now the Hop Shoppe), people didnt come much to the neighborhood. To each their own. And, their loss.

Silva sometimes complained that she wanted to leave, that it was too much running the restaurant, cooking and handling its financial affairs. Then, she would change her mind and tough it out for another year. We thought she always would.

This year, we were wrong. This was the year Silva made good on her promise and disappeared, leaving the shell of a storefront behind her.

Then again, this year, nobodys been right about anything. All bets are off. The only sure thing is uncertainty, and that can destroy a local business faster than you can say pita bread.

Times have been tough for Stapleton. The former Cup is now a tattoo parlor. The former Duzer Local looks to be re-opening under the name Amiras Cafe. So many new enterprises were set to begin before the virus came to town. Now, its mostly wait and see.

But, my mind is on Vida, its promise and what it meant to this neighborhood. It absolutely increases the quality of life in a community if you can walk down the block to a decent restaurant. Staten Island has no shortage of great places to eat, but when its your neighborhood, your community, when you see your friends gathering at a local spot to eat or hear music or just hang out, it means a lot more.

That sense of community gets you through pandemics and catastrophes, good times and bad, hustle and hollowness. Each venue is a brick upon which other venues are built. And, when one brick disappears, the rest topple and sometimes fall away.

What will happen now is anybodys guess. The Coop, which is a bar next door, might expand. The storefront might stay vacant for awhile, as did the Cup. Whatever happens, the memories of good times within Vidas walls will not fade. They, too, are bricks in a chain of memories.

I have faith in Stapleton, otherwise I wouldnt live here. On first glance, it might seem unimpressive and maybe even, to some folks, threatening. Stapleton does have a reputation, and a lot of it for unsavory things. But the people are what make a community, and the people that have made their home here like Donna, Frankie and Dave, who have set up businesses like Joe and Ira and the hundreds of musicians who have come to play at the Cup, Martinis, the Hop Shoppe and Duzer Local have made this a place of warmth and solace. Mountains may come and go, but memories are forever.

Hold those grey heads high!

Comments about this and ally columns may be addressed to Talk To The Old Guy on Facebook. My deep appreciation to all who have left lovely thank you notes. You are sincerely welcome!

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The Old Guy: Remembering a beloved Staten Island restaurant that did not survive 2020 - SILive.com

There are 1.5 million learning disabled people in the UK, but they are rarely seen or heard from. Little is spoken of this demographic of people, who in many cases completely rely on others in order to live.

Unless youre a family carer or professionally involved, you may not know or have regular contact with any learning disabled people.

However, in episode 7 of the latest season of The Crown, viewers learn more about the royal family and learning disabled people. Peter Morgan, creator of the series, writes about two learning disabled women, Nerissa and Katherine Bowes-Lyon.

In Morgans fictional depiction, Princess Margaret and the Queen discover that Katherine and Nerissa, their cousins on their mothers side, are still alive, despite being listed as dead in Burkes Peerage, and have spent their adult lives in an institution for mental defectives.

Despite being born into wealth and privilege, Nerissa and Katherine found that their background didnt protect them from a harsh truth that still perpetuates today: learning disabled people are, in the main, forgotten.

I would like to be comforting, to ameliorate and to say the Bowes-Lyon sisters were born in another time; an age that lacked enlightenment, far removed from our own. But these institutions are still with us, now called assessment and treatment units, and a recent report showed that within NHS hospitals like these and some specialist schools, learning disabled/autistic people are subjected to prone restraint every 15 minutes.

The world knows how dangerous prone restraint is, because we watched in horror as a version of the technique was used on George Floyd this summer.

Covid-19 deaths must prompt better healthcare for people with learning disabilities

Id like to be able to look back to another time and place when I reflect on the fate of the Queens cousins. I want to say that things have moved on significantly in all areas of life for disabled people. But this month, the BBC is commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Disability Discrimination Act and seemingly only physically disabled people are being featured in the broadcasters celebrations.

Learning disabled people are still denied work opportunities; in England, only six in 100 people with a learning disability are in employment, compared with 52.5% of the wider disabled community in Great Britain.

And in the context of the pandemic, learning disabled people in the UK are six times more likely to die of Covid-19 and learning disabled people in the UK aged between 18 and 34 are 30 times more likely to die from Covid-19. Learning disabled people have not as yet been included on the extremely vulnerable shielding list, even though respiratory conditions were the leading cause of death of learning disabled people in 2018 and 2019.

In the episode The Hereditary Principle, Morgan chooses not to forget. He wanted to tell the world that these two women the Queens cousins existed. I loved the episode, and loved too that the production team chose learning disabled performers to tell Nerissa and Katherines story.

Its key that the representation of learning disabled people onscreen is authentically rendered, which is definitely the case with the writing and direction. There is no sentimentality, no inspiration porn on view.

In 2009, I launched a campaign called Dont Play Me, Pay Me after our then 14-year-old child was the first autistic person in the UK to play an autistic character, in the BBCs Dustbin Baby. At the time, it was a radical notion.

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The campaign drew attention to the lack of disabled people in creative industries to highlight that disabled peoples ambitions arent diminished by a lack of talent, only by a lack of opportunity. I met broadcasters including the BBC and the campaign prompted widespread news coverage. I was diagnosed as autistic in 2014 and went back into the acting career Id trained for, but if TV and film representation of disabled people is rare for young disabled actors, its even rarer for those, like me, in middle age.

In The Crown, Morgan puts the reason for the forgotten story of Nerissa and Katherine Bowes-Lyons secret lives and unmarked deaths as being down to the Queen Mothers desire to protect the monarchy from her own personal, perceived family shame.

My question is that in keeping contemporary learning disabled peoples lives away from the public gaze, isnt 21st century society guilty of denying and betraying our shared humanity in a world that would much rather forget that learning disabled people exist?

Read this article:
The Crown's learning disability storyline highlights painful lack of progress - The Guardian

INDIANAPOLIS Theres an old standby rejoinder that debaters use to rebuff outlandish claims:

Youre entitled to your own opinion, but youre not entitled to your own facts.

Maybe.

Maybe not.

Anyone tracking social media realizes that Americans dont even agree on facts these days. President Donald Trumps campaign to overturn the 2020 presidential election results is a case in point.

To most Americans, the presidents court battles to decertify ballots and disenfranchise voters are exercises in a dangerous kind of absurdity. They see that, in state after state and court after court, Trumps claims of voter fraud and other forms of election malfeasance either have been tossed out or flat dismissed, often in withering, even contemptuous terms.

They hear the president claim that he has been wronged but see him produce nothing that resembles evidence facts indicating that fraud occurred and they conclude that he is lying.

They are the majority.

But there is a substantial minority of Americans who dont see things that way. They argue, in their own network and now on their own social media platform, that hundreds of thousands of votes either have been manufactured (if they were for Democrat Joe Biden) or thrown away (if they were for Trump.)

These are supposed to be facts things that should be verifiable.

But the verification in the hothouse world that Donald Trumps supporters inhabit is the repeated assertion of the claim. A fact becomes a fact simply because it is said again and again and again.

And not because its truth or accuracy can be established by any sort of objective means.

This might be amusing if the stakes werent so high.

Im not talking about whether the Biden presidency is delegitimized, undercut or opposed. Presidencies come and go. Some succeed. Others fail.

That is the nature of things.

Nor am I speaking now about President Trumps attacks on American institutions the sovereignty of the courts, the oversight responsibilities of the legislative branch, etc. (All of these, by the way, the president took an oath to defend.)

Those are serious matters. The presidents assaults on the bulwarks of a government established by a free people intent on ruling themselves will have lasting consequences and recovery efforts will require years possibly even decades before the damage is undone.

But recovery is possible.

That may not be the case with the war Donald Trump now wages.

In that conflict, the premise animating the American revolution is the enemy, the thing the president seeks to destroy.

The revolution that made us a country was a product of the Enlightenment. The American Enlightenment thinkers many of whom declared independence from Britain and drafted the Constitution under which we still govern ourselves placed their faith in reason. They believed that people who had access to facts would arrive at positions that made sense.

That were fair.

That were just.

The author of the Declaration of Independence, not surprisingly, gave voice most memorably to this creed.

[T]his institution will be based on the illimitable freedom of the human mind. for here we are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor to tolerate any error so long as reason is left free to combat it, Thomas Jefferson wrote in a letter to English historian William Roscoe.

But Jeffersons faith in freedom and American deals was based on a conviction that facts matter.

That truth is something that can be tested and verified.

That is the faith that Donald Trump and his followers now challenge.

For them, the truth is a malleable commodity, easily shaped and molded to meet the needs of the moment.

And facts?

Well, they are not much different than fiction.

If Trump is right about this, then Jefferson and the other founders of this nation were wrong. Reason is powerless and cannot prevail when facts do not matter.

These days, Donald Trump spends much of his time focusing on filing lawsuits and going to court.

Among the many things hes putting on trial is the idea of America itself.

John Krull is director of Franklin Colleges Pulliam School of Journalism and publisher of TheStatehouseFile.com, a news website powered by Franklin College journalism students.

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Trump's war with America itself | Opinion | washtimesherald.com - Washington Times Herald

Many social ideas strongly rooted in the heritage of Christianity go beyond mere justice to include care for the poor, the homeless and the migrant.

A recent letter to this newspaper contended that the logical outcome of all Catholic politicians following Catholic teaching in their political lives was a theocracy. The writer invoked memories of an old Ireland when some Catholics in politics declared themselves bound to obey the rulings of their church in their decision-making.

Then, presuming causation and ignoring the possibility of similar miseries elsewhere, he linked poverty, emigration, censorship, cruelty to women and children etc with this theocratic Ireland.

Theocracy is a system of government where priests (not politicians) rule in the name of God or a god. Where laws command support from a religious majority but are oppressive to a religious or non-religious minority, you have crude majoritarianism, not theocracy.

But linking religiously influenced ideas with theocracy has propaganda value. If you dont like what religious values inspire some people to think, you can suggest that they are not thinking for themselves at all.

Many of the values we most cherish in the western world, from racial equality to concern for the poor, do not stem from the Enlightenment or the French Revolution. They have deeper roots in the Christian revolution.

Long before the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789), the Spanish Dominican friar Bartolom de las Casas (1484-1566) saw the evils committed by European conquerors in the Americas and understood that St Pauls words that there is neither slave nor free meant that human beings had rights that must be respected by everybody.

Critics of the Catholic Church often struggle to grasp that its faithful may draw on this heritage when formulating ideas about the common good; that in thinking for themselves they might be intellectually persuaded by what their church proposes.

Consider laws on marriage, or right-to-life issues as they affect the welfare of third parties. Here, the churchs perspective on the common good is easily shared by non-believers. The famous rationalist, John Stuart Mill, posited that the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilised community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others.

This idea sits harmoniously with Christian notions of protecting the vulnerable, and of the legitimacy of restraining your freedom and mine in order to do so.

Other social ideas strongly rooted in the heritage of Christianity go beyond mere justice to include care for the poor, the homeless and the migrant. These values are so widely held that we dont even bother to inquire into their origin among us.

They have prevailed to varying extents outside of Christian civilisation. But if you have any doubt about how they came to influence our culture, read a history of the Roman Empire.

There are, of course, aspects of Catholic or Christian social teaching where reason alone does not seem to bring the point home without the guiding light of faith.

Christians need prudence here. People have the right to present their ideas on whatever basis they like. Because God and the church says so! could be reason enough for one, just as Because there is no God and anything goes! may be sufficient argument for another. But these are unhelpful, unconvincing, extremes.

If you are promoting the common good, it is futile to advocate public policy on grounds that cannot be supported by people of goodwill of different faiths and none.

There are challenges for everybody here. Believers must accept that not everybody shares their idea of a god who demands justice, charity and ultimate accountability. Atheist champions of reason alone may struggle to locate a higher value by which to justify their admirable condemnation of survival of the fittest and neglect of the poor.

Our starting premises are not easily provable, but they set the compass for our thoughts. If you think we are just chemicals, you may reason one way. If you believe that we are beloved children of God, you may argue differently. If you believe in a god that is not loving, then God help us all.

Most of us are ready to agree that human life and human dignity are sacred. We may continue to wonder if this is a religious or a rational worldview, or both. And then we have to debate the application of that vision to our policies and laws.

Original post:
Many exalted western values rooted in Christian tradition - The Irish Times

Jordan Gaspar, who is the managing partner and president of the woman-owned VC firm AF Ventures, adds that these new standards are unlikely to revert to those of pre-COVID once a vaccine is available and economies reopen fully.

But, that isnt a bad thing, as she explains in this episode of FoodNavigator-USAs Investing in the Future of Food. Rather, she says, many of the changes and opportunities spurred by the pandemic will accelerate much-needed, true advancement in the industry and open new avenues for innovation and business development.

My biggest hope is that we dont go back to who we were before all of this. I think we have learned so much. Theres been so much progress applied to our industry. Theres so many new developments that we can continue to invest in once we have a moment to take our breath. So, my hope is that we can take the positive elements from the past, but really be focusing on what is true advancement in our industry, thats accelerated by several years in the past few months, Gaspar said.

For example, Gaspar says, while travel restrictions during the pandemic hindered face-to-face meetings with fundraising companies, they ultimately fostered increased transparency and open communication which will behoove companies and investors alike going forward.

We invested in six companies this past year, including ones evaluated virtually, which has been an adjustment, she said. We realized that we had to become flexible and nimble in our own process because the world has changed a little bit. And so, we invested in companies where we did a supply chain audit over Zoom and had a couple dozen more Zooms to get to know each other.

Likewise, she notes, supply chain and marketing challenges have given investors a chance to see how entrepreneurs and businesses perform under pressure.

COVID is a real marker of the type of resilience that certain founders can have, and for us those are all markers of a different level of expectation of founders, which is a result of COVID where the bar is raised that much higher, Gaspar said, adding, the pandemic also provided a great opportunity to see what people were made of essentially just to see what their chops were.

For each challenge the pandemic has posed, it also has created new opportunities for entrepreneurs to appeal to consumers and investors, including, in AF Ventures case, new eating occasions, distribution strategies, and platforms for cross-category expansion.

Theres so many lessons from this. First and foremost, the categories of priority are going to shift or expand to include more grab-and-stay options and at home lunch and snack solutions, Gaspar said. I had no idea how important lunch options in my home were [before the pandemic] because I used to wake up, send my kids to school and my spouse would go to work, and there was this whole portion of the day where there were no snacks and meals to be responsible for. Now have two snacks and lunch that I also am purchasing and thinking about in terms of stocking. So, we do have a change in use occasion.

In addition, she said, the pandemic has revealed the importance of omnichannel distribution not just for shelf stable products but refrigerated and frozen options as well.

Other areas of interest to consumers and investors include adaptogens, immunity-based platforms, functional ingredients, and solutions that prioritize physical health and mental well-being, Gaspar said.

As important as the market potential and business savvy of a company is to investors, the pandemic also underscored the importance of entrepreneurs emotional intelligence and how they treat employees qualities that increasingly are influencing consumers purchasing decisions.

It cant just be about business anymore. People are investing so much, and weve been thinking a lot about how we can support our teams, how to be good employers and teammates, Gaspar said.

She explained that before the pandemic, AF Ventures would have considered potential partners HR policies, but now with the strain of social distancing and working from home, Gaspar says companies including hers need to be more proactive in ensuring the health and happiness of staff.

Worker welfare also has become an increasingly important priority for many consumers as the pandemic has shined a light on the value of essential workers and the risks they take to help serve others.

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Investing in the Future of Food: Pandemic slows investment dealmaking, but also opens opportunities - FoodNavigator-USA.com

This is the first part in a two-part series examining the pros and cons, as well as a case study, of 'Reg A' offerings.

When I started in this business over two decades ago, the concept of alternative investments was limited to essentially one thing: hedge funds.

Sure, real estate and private placements existed, but they were more yield-wagging high-commission garbage products. Anybody was who was "anybody" had an investment in a hedge fund. Barriers to entry included a high net worth requirement, a long-time frame, and a big dollar investment. The closest comparison to its exclusivity was the American Express (AXP) Black Card.

Fast-forward to 2020, and hedge funds are only one-in-a-handful of easily obtained alternative investments. Owning a hedge fund is like the cheese on the burger of your portfolio.

Do you want Cheddar, American, or Swiss?

Pepper Jack, you say? Great choice.

Just as we've witnessed direct listings and special purpose acquisition corporations (SPACs) turn the initial public offering market on its head, crowdfunding and private offerings via "Regulation CF" or "Regulation A" allow even the smallest investor to participate.

A Regulation A offering is an exemption under which a private company can offer and sell their securities to the public under two different tiers. Tier 1 requires a company to follow Blue Sky laws, but there are no limitations on whether someone can invest or how much they can invest. Tier 2 allows a company to raise $50 million rather than $20 million of Tier 1. While there are no Blue Sky laws to follow, there can be investor restrictions if the offering won't be listed on a national exchange.

Let's get this out of the way up front, the risks in these types of investments are high risk, really, the highest of risk. A Regulation A offering not intending to immediately list on a national exchange carries all the risk of traditional hedge funds with less liquidity and more dependence on potentially less experienced management. With high risk comes high reward. Success can equate to enormous payoffs.

When I consider investing in Regulation A offerings that won't be listed, I go through a checklist. I also anticipate nine out of 10 of them won't be home run.

When I consider investing in Regulation A offerings that won't be listed, I go through a checklist. I also anticipate nine out of10 of them won't be home run. There's a good chance more than half will lose money with a few investments that result in a total loss. But you only need one grand slam from the bunch and a couple of singles or doubles to come out ahead.

Rather than talking in hypotheticals, let's take a look at a company I recently reviewed as a consideration. Again, I want to note these are high risk, but with the current trends in portfolio structuring, it is a category investors should understand.

The first place I start is with the business concept. If the elevator pitch from management doesn't intrigue me quickly, it's certainly going to be a harder sell. It's not an automatic no by any stretch, though. Boring, unsexy businesses can be profitable and make for good investments, but let's be honest, most folks want to be able to see the big upside in the first30 seconds.

After that, we move on to management, financials, competitors, barriers to entry, total addressable market, and the business plan.

Today's case studio is Audition Showdown, a company with an active, but underperforming Reg A offering (you can check it out here if you want to follow along); however, I struggled to understand after hearing the premise, because it is one of those that immediately grabs your attention.

Audition Showdownis a mobile talent show on a dedicated social media platform aimed at singers, songwriters, performing artists, and comedians. Think TikTok meets "American Idol" -- or really any television talent show like "The Voice," "America's Got Talent," "So You Think You Can Dance," "The Masked Singer," and so on. The list is long.

In short, it's the professionalism of TikTok, Triller, Snap (SNAP) , and YouTube (GOOGL) . Those three also qualify as competitors, so this is a David vs. Goliath situation. But who doesn't love an underdog?

Artists create a profile on the app. For a low, one-time fee of $19.95 to $24.95, they can compete in weekly competitions to win prizes and cash. This includes the ability to upload full performance videos that people can watch.

You don't have to pay to casually use the app or upload snippets (15-second short videos). The pay portion is only for artists investing in themselves to unlock the full potential of the platform.

On the surface, there's enough here to make me want to dig deeper.

One has to consider the risk of market saturation or market fatigue for this type of application, given all the talent shows currently on television and the popularity of TikTok and Triller. We see talent shows, however, expand and evolve, not contract.

Even with those considerations, Audition Showdown potentially fills a void. There's no direct competition. Unfortunately, nothing stops TikTok, YouTube, or Snap from doing something similar in the future, so the first-mover advantage could be a huge key to success. Earlier this week, we saw Snap announce a new entertainment platform called Spotlight with the most entertaining Snaps from the Snapchat community gathered in one place and tailored to a user's preferences and favorites.

To help kick off the new platform, Snap will award of $1 million every to Snapchatters, who create the top Snaps on Spotlight.

Conclusion: There's enough uniqueness and upside potential to continue digging, and with Snap sniffing in the space, expect its users to want to expand their reach. Let's pick up on this theme Friday. Have a great Thanksgiving in the meantime.

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This Is Not Your Father's Alternative Investment - RealMoney

November 25, 2020 14:07 ET | Source: Red White & Bloom Brands Inc.

TORONTO, Nov. 25, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Red White & Bloom Brands Inc. (CSE: RWB and OTC: RWBYF) (RWB or the Company) is pleased to announce they will be in attendance at two invitational investment conferences this month.

Benzinga Small Cap Conference Panel Discussion: Tuesday, December 8th, 2020 Presentation: Tuesday, December 8th, 2020 1:00PM ET

2020 Cantor Fitzgerald Virtual MSO Cannabis SummitPresentation: Wednesday, December 16th, 2020 3:00PM ET

For more information or to schedule a one-on-one meeting with RWBs management during these events, please contact Red White & Blooms Investor Relations atIR@redwhitebloom.com.

About Red White & Bloom Brands Inc.

The Company is positioning itself to be one of the top three multi-state cannabis operators active in the U.S. legal cannabis and hemp sector. RWB is predominantly focusing its investments on the major US markets of Michigan, Illinois, California, Arizona, Oklahoma and Massachusetts with respect to cannabis, and the US and internationally for hemp-based CBD products.

For more information about Red White & Bloom Brands Inc., please contact:

Tyler Troup, Managing Director Circadian Group IR IR@RedWhiteBloom.com

Visit us on the web:www.RedWhiteBloom.com

Follow us on social media: Twitter: @rwbbrands Facebook: @redwhitebloombrands Instagram: @redwhitebloombrands

Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD LOOKING INFORMATION

This press release contains forward-looking statements and information that are based on the beliefs of management and reflect the Companys current expectations. When used in this press release, the words estimate, project, belief, anticipate, intend, expect, plan, predict, may or should and the negative of these words or such variations thereon or comparable terminology are intended to identify forward-looking statements and information. The forward-looking statements and information in this press release includes information relating to the new team members expertise and how the Company will benefit from their ability to assist the Company implement its business plan. Such statements and information reflect the current view of the Company with respect to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in those forward-looking statements and information.

By their nature, forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause our actual results, performance or achievements, or other future events, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others, the following risks: risks associated with the implementation of the Companys business plan and matters relating thereto, risks associated with the cannabis industry, competition, regulatory change, the need for additional financing, reliance on key personnel, the potential for conflicts of interest among certain officers or directors, and the volatility of the Companys common share price and volume. Forward-looking statements are made based on managements beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements.

There are a number of important factors that could cause the Companys actual results to differ materially from those indicated or implied by forward-looking statements and information. Such factors include, among others, risks related to the Companys proposed business, such as failure of the business strategy and government regulation; risks related to the Companys operations, such as additional financing requirements and access to capital, reliance on key and qualified personnel, insurance, competition, intellectual property and reliable supply chains; risks related to the Company and its business generally. The Company cautions that the foregoing list of material factors is not exhaustive. When relying on the Companys forward-looking statements and information to make decisions, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. The Company has assumed a certain progression, which may not be realized. It has also assumed that the material factors referred to in the previous paragraph will not cause such forward-looking statements and information to differ materially from actual results or events. However, the list of these factors is not exhaustive and is subject to change and there can be no assurance that such assumptions will reflect the actual outcome of such items or factors. While the Company may elect to, it does not undertake to update this information at any particular time.

THE FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PRESS RELEASE REPRESENTS THE EXPECTATIONS OF THE COMPANY AS OF THE DATE OF THIS PRESS RELEASE AND, ACCORDINGLY, IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AFTER SUCH DATE. READERS SHOULD NOT PLACE UNDUE IMPORTANCE ON FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION AND SHOULD NOT RELY UPON THIS INFORMATION AS OF ANY OTHER DATE. WHILE THE COMPANY MAY ELECT TO, IT DOES NOT UNDERTAKE TO UPDATE THIS INFORMATION AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME EXCEPT AS REQUIRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LAWS.

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Red White & Bloom Announces Participation in Upcoming Investment Conferences - GlobeNewswire