Friends with Benefits
Peer-to-peer loan websites easily connect borrower to cash — but will they last?
Peer-to-peer lending platforms have hit their stride, and the number of peer loans has grown 84 percent per quarter since Prosper launched in 2006. In that same period, originations for other types of consumer loans have fallen 2 percent a quarter.
The Good Samaritan Gets Savvy
Modern benefactors are starting younger and taking a broader view of philanthropy
We are at a critical point in history. Longstanding social issues like hunger, poverty and lack of access to quality education continue to plague the world. All the while, wealth continues to grow at a staggering rate. This global dichotomy has given rise to new philanthropists who approach their discipline in a radically different way.
New Coworking Space Coming to Midtown
Outlet Coworking says they have something different to offer
Coworking spaces in Sacramento have evolved from simple work spaces reminiscent of coffee houses to communities that offer classes, art galleries and networking events. In January, Outlet Coworking, a new coworking space at 2110 K St., will open to meet the growing demand for such spaces and services.
Greetings from Greater Silicon Valley
San Joaquin’s rebranding efforts have the county going tech
What images does Silicon Valley conjure? Google, Apple, Facebook, and on and on? Mainstays of the world’s hub of technology and innovation? Did a glimpse of Stockton appear in that mix? If the San Joaquin Partnership’s campaign to rebrand the area as Greater Silicon Valley works out, it soon will.
Rise of the New Passionates
Entrepreneurs and retirees are creating opportunities — and even entire markets — through which to share their personal interests
Today, new passionates are creating a bigger impact than ever. Quite literally, they are changing the world in their image. And the businesses, nonprofits, community groups and governments willing to support and embrace them can also benefit.
Back Off!
Micromanaging is toxic — here are 3 tips to help you stop today
At my first full-time job after college, the office manager routinely sorted through the recycling box to ensure that tossed junk mail had been cancelled with the sender. If someone from my department did not write the cancellation clearly enough, there was a lecture. This culminated in a 20-minute rant and the ultimate request to track all incoming junk mail, date of cancellation and subsequent mail on a spreadsheet for review. I refused. And then I quit.
Startup of the Month: Pondera Solutions
Local entrepreneur uses Google Analytics to help state agencies detect fraud
In 2011, Jon Coss was on the hunt for funding. He had an idea for a system that could leverage Google Analytics to detect and prevent fraud and abuse in government programs. But this infrastructure-as-a-service model was new back then, untested and hard to explain to venture capitalists.
Wandering Shepherd
Jeremy Shepherd and his always-on-the-go flock
Jeremy Shepherd has been tending to his growing flock since 2009. He sells mutton to local markets but also works his herds as mobile mowers with local farmers in Yolo County.
On the Cover: Function with Flair
These local designers make art that's user-friendly
What more can your storage cabinets do for you? How can your placemats become conversation pieces? What if sitting down to read a magazine felt a little bit like being at the carnival?
Truffle Troubles
A looming global chocolate shortage threatens to damper the holiday season, but local businesses have yet to feel effects
A global cocoa shortage threatens to put a damper on the good tidings and cheer, as worldwide demand for chocolate outstrips the waning production in the Ivory Coast and Ghana, which produce more than 70 percent of the world’s mass-market cocoa.