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A Better Option For the Gig Economy

Juliet B. Schor

November 05, 2020 |

Yes! Magazine |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Canada

Platform co-ops are providing a third option to the gig economy and traditional employment. Stocksy United is a photography cooperative which is owned by the independent contractors who are members of the platform coop. All major decisions are made through voting by photographers and each member benefits from the flexibility of being a contractor without the uncertainty typically associated with gig work.

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In a boon for the climate, philanthropists are making it rain for cleantech innovators

Adrienne Day

October 30, 2020 |

Grist |

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800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

Prime Coalition is financing clean tech startups and climate-focused technologies that often don’t get a lot of funding. These technologies can be expensive to build and don’t generate profits immediately. So far, the public charity has secured $89 million that it has given into 18 energy ventures. “What’s important here is that the climate crisis is such a large-scale problem that we need lots of different types of solutions,” says Sarah Kearney, founder of Prime Coalition, “and so we need to match up right-fit capital to each kind of solution.”

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The Chinese Delivery Apps and Heroic FB Group That Are Keeping the SGV's Mom and Pop Restaurants Alive

Nancy Guan

October 22, 2020 |

L.A. TACO |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, San Gabriel Valley, California

Facebook groups and Asian delivery apps have helped Asian restaurants survive - and sometimes even thrive - the coronavirus lockdown in one of the largest Asian-American communities in the U.S. Food delivery apps like Chowbus, Fantuan, HungryPanda, and Runningman focus on Asian cuisine in San Gabriel Valley and have been responsible for recovering up to 70 percent of pre-pandemic business. These apps cater to Chinese-speaking, small-business owners, are more in tune with their needs, willing to negotiate fees, provide additional marketing, and offer personalized customer service to their merchants.

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Cold Hard Cash for Your Greenhouse Gas

Sarah Gonzalez Ayana Elizabeth Johnson Alex Blumberg

October 22, 2020 |

Gimlet Media |

Podcast |

Over 15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Illinois

Refrigerants being used in old air conditioners or grocery story cooling systems leak into the atmosphere contributing to global warming. Tradewater, a company in Illinois, picks up these containers, destroys the refrigerants, gives them cash, and then sells them as carbon offset credits. They collect up to 250,000 pounds of refrigerants per year, but there is still more out there. Supermarkets in the United States could switch to more natural refrigerants, but barely 1 percent are known to have done that. Getting rid of these refrigerants can be an important solution to combating climate change.

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Local tech company thrives with business model that invests in employee happiness and community work

Courtney Duchene

October 21, 2020 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Promptworks is a tech company seeking to create a nurturing environment for its own employees as well as help the local community. When the pandemic shut down the city, Promptworks created a mutual-aid platform connecting people in need with local residents who wanted to help. The company also hosted an event bringing together 80 leaders across several sectors to discuss and develop concrete plans to make Philadelphia more equitable.

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Philanthropies flow funds to climate technologies

Katherine Ellison

October 14, 2020 |

The Washington Post |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Cambridge, Massachusetts

Philanthropies are funding “tough tech” startups that are developing technologies to cut greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change. Since 2014, the nonprofit Prime Coalition has channeled more than $24 million from wealthy donors and foundations to 10 ventures focused on that goal. Not all of their investments, though, have paid off. Yet, some of these initial investments could lead to widespread solutions to the world’s climate crisis.

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What smaller Texas communities can learn from startups about COVID-19 economic recovery

Alyssa Goard

October 12, 2020 |

KXAN-TV |

Broadcast TV News |

3-5 Minutes

Response Location: United States, Texas

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, small businesses in Texas are struggling to stay afloat. A university-sponsored crash course might help struggling businesses find solutions catered to their community. Fifty-eight communities participated in the Regional XLR8 program sponsored by the IC institute at the University of Texas at Austin. The “secret sauce” for innovation the institute has used for decades involves getting people to work with one another as opposed to working separately.

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Akron wants to help small business owners grow, but officials say they need more help from banks

Abbey Marshall

October 12, 2020 |

The Devil Strip |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Detroit, Michigan

Motor City Match is an entrepreneurial development initiative that provides grants for historically marginalized business owners in Detroit. It also matches minority entrepreneurs with empty retail space in addition to providing business coaching and planning services. The program depends on nontraditional lenders to provide the funding. Motor City Match inspired the formation of Rubber City Match in Akron but that program has faced financing hurdles due to a lack of nontraditional lenders in the city.

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Reclaiming Indigenous Legacy One Beer at a Time

Bailey Berg

October 12, 2020 |

Life & Thyme |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Oklahoma

A coalition of Native American–owned breweries is using lagers and ales to educate the public about their heritage and to correct the racist narrative about Indigenous peoples’ relationship to alcohol. For example, Skydance Brewing Co. in Oklahoma labels its beers with names that pay homage to the experiences of Native Americans. “It’s important that we have Native American entrepreneurs tell our story for ourselves,” says Jake Keyes, the brewery founder. “For us to reclaim it.”

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Beekeeping empowers women, brings in honey and lush kitchen gardens

Monica Pelliccia

October 09, 2020 |

Mongabay |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: India

Almost 1000 women across remote and rural areas of India are caring for beehives as a part of the Under The Mango Tree (UTMT) network. The beekeepers have been employed through a social enterprise that aims to provide an extra source of income for farmers while working towards environmental conservation efforts. Beekeeping not only provided crucial income during the coronavirus shutdown, but it also helped pollinate home gardens, increasing produce output and enabling families to avoid markets during a time of social distancing.

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