Category Archives: Personal Empowerment

21 Oct 2021 --- Holistic nutrition, microbiome health and the sustained plant-based consumer appetite are in focus within ADMs second annual list of global consumer trends. Based on in-depth research from ADMs proprietary Outside Voice consumer insights platform, ADM provides a breakdown of each growth space poised for takeoff in the new year.

Consumers today continue to navigate a tumultuous environment that has uprooted every aspect of their lives, comments Brad Schwan, vice president of category marketing for ADM.

This has led brands to develop new solutions purpose-built to help consumers establish a sense of normality for themselves, their families and their pets. Were seeing everything from foods, feeds and beverages that promote gut health to plant-based meat and dairy alternatives to biodegradable packaging.

Below are the eight key consumer trends fueling current and future global growth that point the way for ADMs innovation, renovation and development platforms:

The recent global pandemic has placed renewed interest on mental well-being, with many looking for more effective ways to cope with stress and anxiety.1. Nourishment for the Whole SelfWhile this is a long-term trend, the recent global pandemic has placed renewed interest on mental well-being, with many looking for more effective ways to cope with stress and anxiety.

Wholesome nutrition is one important way consumers are looking to support their holistic well-being. ADM Outside Voice finds that 37% of global consumers expect the snacks they eat to improve their mental well-being.

According to Innova Market Insights research, brain and mood health claims make up the largest percentage of botanical and herbal-based food supplement launches in the North American market and are growing quickly.

Speaking to NutritionInsight, supplement industry experts recently highlighted that mental health positionings are poised to edge out immunity in consumer priorities. In this space, flavor and fragrance titan Givaudan recently unveiled an ashwagandha infusion for healthy mood.

2. Plant-based LifestylesA flexitarian approach to eating has become mainstream as consumers look to functional, wholesome, plant-based nutrition to support healthy, environmentally friendlier lifestyles.

ADM analysis forecasts that alternative proteins will very likely account for 11% of the total protein market in 2035.

This is being fueled, in part, by COVID-19, which has accelerated interest in plant-based, as a health-forward alternative for consumers who are paying close attention to their bodys nutritional needs.

At the recently culminated Anuga 2021 trade show in Cologne, Germany, vegan offerings were branching out into new cuisines, targeting adventurous consumers with cravings for grilled Middle Eastern meats, Asian satays and the Mediterranean palate.

3. Microbiome as The Root Of WellnessAwareness of the microbiome as central to wellness has grown over time. ADMs Outside Voice data indicates that 58% of global consumers are aware of the potential benefits that bacteria in the digestive system can have on their overall health.

Awareness of the microbiome as central to wellness has grown over time.This trend has led to a proliferation of foods, beverages and supplements that support gut health for overall well-being. Demand for probiotics has risen significantly in the Chinese market, propelling ADMs latest joint venture with Qingdao Vland Biotech Group.

Consumers approach to supporting a healthy gut is evolving from reactive (seeking foods to alleviate discomfort) to proactive (tailored and customized pre-, pro- and postbiotic solutions), as they strive to achieve greater empowerment over their personal health and well-being.

4. Clean & Transparent SourcingConsumer demand for clean label products, which they consider to consist of real, kitchen-level ingredients, is highly pronounced. This has also led to a desire for transparency across the entire product lifecycle, from how its made to how its packaged.

As consumers become more sophisticated in their understanding of the products they consume, 58% of global consumers say they will be more attentive to locality claims as a result of COVID-19.

In line with this theme, Transparency Triumphs was crowned as a Top Trend for 2021 by Innova Market Insights. Advances in AI, blockchain, machine learning, robotics and the Internet of Things (IoT) are anticipated to raise the bar for digital traceability solutions such as smart labeling and digital tracing at speed.

5. Humanization of PetsPets are more commonly seen as part of the family a trend that has been present over time but accelerated in strength during the pandemic. This extends to what their pets eat, with many pet parents transposing their purchasing values and preferences onto their furry companions.

Theres been a 41% increase in all natural pet foods launched globally. Likewise, ADM Outside Voice also found that 30% of global pet owners spent a significant amount of time researching the best food options in the last year.

Evidencing the upward trend of premium ingredients for pets, Netherlands-based biotech company Veramaris recently unveiled natural marine algal oil-based omega 3 fatty acids for pet food called Veramaris Pets.

6. Precise & Responsible Animal FeedingIn addition to the rise in natural-positioned pet nutrition, there is an increased demand for optimized feed solutions. These must support human and animal nutrition in an efficient, environmentally friendly manner for a range of animal species.

This is driving brands to begin providing digital documentation explaining how the animal was raised, particularly related to its consumption of antibiotics or growth hormones.

Nearly half (49%) of consumers are willing to pay a premium for products with high quality assurances and verifiable safety standards, according to ADM.

In addition to the rise in natural-positioned pet nutrition, there is an increased demand for optimized feed nutrition.7. Sustainable GoodnessConsumers see sustainability as a moral imperative as they connect it to what is right and ethical, their community and the environment. In fact, 47% of global consumers say they are now more attentive to sustainability claims.

This has sparked demand for ethical production and sustainable sourcing practices such as regenerative agriculture and carbon negative production to protect the food supply of the future.

Current Innova Market Insights analysis highlights that the health of the planet is overtaking personal health priorities this year as consumers prioritize a more collectivistic outlook on well-being.

8. Advanced Renewables & BioSolutionsTodays consumers are more conscious of the environmental impact of their consumption and the food system at large, with a specific focus on the use of finite materials and physical waste.

ADM notes that 38% of global conscientious consumers are willing to pay more for products made with sustainable materials.

Upcycling is increasingly leveraged as a way to meet this demand. For instance, NutriLeads recently unveiled its immunity-boosting upcycled carrot ingredient, BeniCaros.

Similarly, Canadian upcycling food company Outcast Foods launched five single-ingredient powders from rescued fruits and vegetables, while a new EU-funded project is aiming to repurpose olive leaves that are typically wasted throughout the olive oil production chain.

By Benjamin Ferrer

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ADM forecasts whole self nutrition, microbiome awareness and sustained plant-based appetites to star in 2022 - FoodIngredientsFirst

Focusing on your own individualpersonal development plan enhances the qualities you hold within you and makes your dreams and aspirations turn into a reality. Your potential is limitless and investing in personal development is a way to harness your many talents.

Establishing aims and goals for what you want to achieve, where you would like to go in the short term or long term, can improve your personal development.

After studying just about everything that has been written or said about personal development and success, I have come to the conclusion that the root of both is your level of self-confidence.

Self-confidence is the critical factor in everything you accomplish because, with the appropriate amount, you will try almost anything.

This article will cover more than just a personal development definition, but the personal skills needed for development and improvement.

Many people underachieve in their careers because they do not realize the areas of personal development that can help achieve mastery in any field.

There is no substitute for hard work. If you set a goal, make a plan, and work on it every day, you will see personal development and progress within your career.

There are no limits except for the limits you place on yourself with your thinking.

Commit yourself to lifelong learning. Even if you are at the top of your field, there is always something to learn.

You will become unstoppable and you will see your entire future open up in front of you if you live a goal and growth-oriented life.

Personal Development is the process of improving oneself through conscious habits and activities.

It is the pursuit of personal growth to enhance the quality of life and to achieve ones dreams and aspirations.

Focusing on a few personal development categories such as personal skills, personal growth, and personal power can create habits for personal improvement.

Personal growth is founded on education and skill. Our society tends to reward those who are above average.

Those who know more than the average are typically paid more than the average.

Through education and experience, you increase your skill level and your ability to succeed in your field.

There are 7 main categories of personal development that most people focus on:

Are you trying to grow your skills in the workplace? The highest paid, top individuals in their field are the ones that focus on growing their personal skills.

These skills can be ones you were born with as well as skills gained through deliberate practice.

Knowing what areas you excel in and which need development are very useful in your personal and professional life.

Personal growth is bettering yourself, stepping out of your comfort zone, focusing on becoming a better version of yourself.

Humans and the human mind is constantly evolving and never stops. Your job is to always be a better version of yourself than you were yesterday.

Personal power is supported by your contacts and money. Developing an ever-widening circle of contacts increases the number of open doors for you.

Having people with like-minded goals and are willing to help you can directly affect how successful you are.

Money in the bank provides freedom and the ability to take full advantage of certain opportunities when they present themselves.

Personal improvement stems from good work habits and having a positive mental attitude. Thinking before you act is critical to developing good work habits.

Set priorities on a list and consider the likely consequences before beginning. Maintaining a positive mental attitude will reduce the amount of time that it takes you to achieve your goal.

Promoting a positive image and a creativity within your daily life can speed up the time it takes to achieve your goals and increase your personal empowerment.

Creativity thinking means continually looking for faster, better, easier, and cheaper ways to get the job done.

It is very important to be conscious of areas in which you are naturally gifted as well analyze areas in which you need improvement.

Being truthful about where you currently stand is the first step to moving forward. You should be constantly evaluating where you stand in relation to achieving your goals and ambitions.

Ambition goes to waste when there are no clear goals in sight. Developing short term and long term goals are a pivotal step.

Having a set plan will help you to have a clear understanding of which strategies are necessary in order to reach your desired destination.

There are several aspects of personal development disciplines that will make achieving success possible if developed correctly.

A few of these disciplines include goal setting, planning and organizing, and concentrating on your high-value activities.

Goal setting can be done in the early morning and take only a few minutes of your day.

It can be as simple as purchasing a spiral notebook and writing out your ten goals at the beginning of each day. This will program them deep into your subconscious mind.

Planning and organizing at the end of the day can help you better prepare for the coming day.

When you plan out your day, putting it down on paper, you can begin to visualize your important tasks and make sure you are working to complete them throughout the day.

Concentrating on your high-value activities will contribute to your success as much as any other discipline you can develop.

Promoting the highest value activities will make a powerful difference in how quickly you achieve them.

Most of the time, what you think about is what you become. Information, ideas, impressions, all add up to a sum total and feed into your mind.

From the moment you wake until the moment you close your eyes at the end of the day. Everything you experience plays a factor, however, some things make a bigger impression than others.

Developing personal development goals for work can make the difference between success and failure.

Some personal development goals for work examples include the Golden Hour and the 21-Day Mental Diet.

The Golden Hour Rule steers the trajectory of your day.

Beginning your day early and by investing your first hour in yourself will make a tremendous difference in the way you feel and you will begin to see positive results in your day.

You will begin to see yourself in a more positive light and begin to improve on your personal development.

The 21-day Mental Diet means waking up early and investing at least the first two hours of your day in yourself.

With this extra time, lay out clear goals you can work to achieve in the workplace. This can be improving your productivity and efficiency to help you get that promotion or earn a raise.

Your goals may also include education. You need to learn more to earn more.

Try setting a goal to read something educational, motivational or inspirational every day before you go to work.

Personal development goals for employees are very important because without a goal or vision, then the attention is not being spent on what is most critical.

A few key personal development goals for employee examples for employees are selecting areas of focus, set schedule, and monitoring progress.

Leadership development goals are similar, however, involves you identifying development needs, learning opportunities, and then formulating a plan of action.

Recording your outcomes and evaluating areas that need more structure.

The objectives of personal development are continuous personal growth, increased potential for success, and capitalizing on potential opportunities.

You can practice your personal development skills by setting aside time for the important people in your life, performing action exercises that force you to perform at the highest level and studying growth performances help ensure you continue to climb the ladder of success.

Personal development courses, coaches, and programs can also help you hit your goals.

A personal development program accompanied by a personal development coach help to keep you disciplined and moving forward.

If you are looking to transform your life, check out these courses and programs. They will teach you how to stop worrying and stressing out and how to take control of your life, forever.

Youre getting all my knowledge, distilled into powerful lessons that you can immediately apply to your own life.

Power of Personal Achievement

Learn the right way to visualize your ideal future. This course will teach you how to set your goals and methodically achieve them with more efficiency than ever before.

This program will teach you how to ditch the negative emotions that have been hindering your success as well as how to redirect your energy and resources towards your personal mission.

The Science of Self Confidence

In this course, I teach you just about everything Ive learned about self-confidence during the past four decades.

I reveal the secret of the four Cs that teach you how to escape the endless loop of failure. You will find your true self and as a result, finally feel truly confident.

Maximum Productivity

This course will equip you with the skills to discover your special calling. You will learn everything you need in order to know how to take the shortest, fastest route as possible to your destination.

Ultimate success is achievable when you know how to dramatically improve your productivity.

Creating a plan for personal development helps you get a better sense of control over your life and will make you better prepared for whatever comes your way.

You may be thinking What is a personal development plan.

A personal development plan is your guideline for your life and your future success.

The reason you need a personal development plan is that making a plan will help you to make better decisions and remind yourself where you want to go.

Good preparation increases the probability of success and decreases the risk of things going wrong along the way.

When writing a personal development plan, the thing about the goals you want to achieve, ways in which you need to improve and develop, and design a plan that will make you prepared to tackle the most important tasks for the coming day.

A Personal development cycle is a continuous cycle that is composed of three major components curiosity, awareness, and truth.

Each component aspect feeds into next in a continuous loop.

As we age, we tend to get set in our routine and lose the curiosity we had as children. You should never become so compliant that you lose your hunger to learn and improve.

Ignorance is not always bliss. Becoming aware of our old and bad habits is the only way to actually instrument positive change.

It is important to develop a sense of personal awareness to increase your knowledge and understanding of where our strengths and weaknesses lie.

Embrace your truth. The world is yours for the taking, but first, there is some self-growth that needs to occur.

By learning and accepting what your strengths and weaknesses are, you can capitalize on the strengths and continuously work to improve the areas of weakness.

Forming a personal development planning checklist is the best way to monitor yourself and make sure you are on track to accomplish your end goals.

Start by writing out your goals with as much detail as possible. Then write down your strengths and weaknesses.

Next, write down a list of resources that you have available to you that may help in your personal development.

This list can include courses and workshops, books and websites, or networking. Do not be afraid to ask others for help.

You can network by reaching out to friends and family, colleagues, or even by joining a group that is devoted to the areas you would like to focus on.

Learning from a mentor is the best way to gain invaluable experience and life skills.

Personal Development does not have to be a daunting task. If you follow this personal development plan guide, you will uncover key ways of improving yourself without worry and stress.

However, before you can set up a plan, you need to do some self-reflecting and answer personal goal questions.

A few questions you should develop before laying out a specific plan of action are:

After answering those questions, you can create a personal plan that contains a few key components.

The key components you should focus on are having a specific outcome that you are constantly working towards, planning and paving a path towards achieving it, being mindful of the obstacles, and understanding the bigger motivation behind your actions.

When developing a personal development plan for work, you should focus on SMART goals. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound.

Following this easy to remember acronym, you can improve both your personal and professional life.

In order to make progress that you can see and track, you need to document a detailed plan of action.

Read more:

Personal Development Plan: Examples & Templates for Success

Every October I binge watch scary movies. Id never describe myself as a horror movie fan, but you can bet that when the autumn colors are in full bloom and pumpkins begin popping up around the neighborhood, Im watching Silver Bullet, The Shining, The Exorcist, and maybe even some hokey slasher films like Friday the 13th. I dont remember when this tradition started, or why.

A perennial favorite is Scream and its three sequels (and an MTV series that ran between 2015 and 2019 that was actually pretty good).

Now, when the original movies dropped in the late 1990s, I thought they were dreadful. (It was hard to get past the killer walking around in a cape in broad daylight.) I dont feel this way today, which is why I fully intend to go see the latest installment: Scream 5, which is slated for a January release. The trailer for the newest film just dropped, and it will give horror fans goosebumps.

The movie looks amazing and appears to feature many of the same characters, plot elements, and themes as its predecessors. This is encouraging, because the themes found in the original films tell an important story about good and evil, strength and weakness.

A few nights ago I once again found myself watching the Scream movies into the wee hours and noticed a theme I hadnt noticed before. Two themes, actually: self-empowerment and the toxicity of victimhood. The killers in these movies . SPOILER ALERT

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. Billy Loomis, Debbie Salt, Roman Bridger, and Jill Roberts all suffer from what wed today call a victim mentality. The world took something from them, and they plan to extract their due in returnby slicing and dicing innocent people.

Throughout the films we see characters toy with a question: who is to blame for the carnage we witness on screen? What made the killers what they are and do what they do? During the big reveal in Scream, Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), the hero of the films, raises this issue with Loomis and his annoying, drooling accomplice, Stu Macher (Matthew Lillard).

Sidney Prescott: You sick f***s. You've seen one too many movies!

Billy Loomis: Now Sid, don't you blame the movies. Movies don't create psychos. Movies make psychos more creative!

The topic comes up again in Scream 2 when Sarah Michelle Gellars character, Cici, challenges the idea that a murder in a movie theater was the result of a horror movie that depicted the Woodsboro slayings.

Film Teacher: You could say that what happened in that theatre was a direct result of the movie itself.

Cici: That is so Moral Majority. You can't blame real life violence on entertainment.

Film Class Guy #1: Yes you can. Don't you ever watch the news?

Film Class Guy #2: Hello? The murderer was wearing a ghost mask just like in the movie. It's directly responsible.

Cici : No, it's not. Movies are not responsible for our actions.

Its a surprisingly philosophical question for a horror movie: who is responsible for our actions (in this case, murder)? To what extent are people who were not involved culpable for an act? The second film doesnt quite give us the answer to these questions. Not until Scream 3 do we get to see in no uncertain terms who is to blame.

In this film, we hear the sad story of killer number three. Roman Bridger, the director of the latest Stab movie (fictional movies based on the fictional slayings), was abandoned by his mother, Maureen Prescott (ne Roberts)Sidneys mother. After tracking Mrs. Prescott down, Bridger was told by his mother that she wanted nothing to do with him. She had a new life, and her old life was history. In retaliation, we learn, Bridger got Billy Loomis (the killer in Scream) to kill Maureen Prescott by revealing that she was having an affair with Billys father, precipitating the subsequent carnage.

This plot might sound like a bad soap opera, but thats not the point. The point is that Bridger believes he is a victim and blames Sidney Prescott for his pain.

Bridger: Youre going to pay for the life you stole from me, Sid. For the mother, and the family, and the stardom, and g***ammit for having everything that should have been mine!

Sidney: Oh, why dont you get on with it and stop your whining. Ive heard all of this s**t before. Do you know why you kill Roman? Do you? Because you choose to. There is no one else to blame!

Because you choose to.

The idea that people are responsible for their actions is hardly novel. Yet its one that today is falling out of fashion, as people increasingly seek to blame external forces for their circumstances.

This is why Dr. Jordan B. Peterson, the best-selling author of 12 Rules for Life, makes it clear the most important rule for life is a simple one: take control of your life.

This is something Sidney has clearly learned, and the antagonists of the films have not.

In Scream 4, Sidney, now a successful self-help author promoting a book, confesses that for years she blamed others for her pain and saw herself as a victim.

That was unacceptable to me, she tells a small bookstore crowd. So I sat down and began to write a new role that would be my own. A role for a woman who leaves the walls of fear behind and steps outside of darkness.

Its a clear message of self-empowerment. This is not to deny that Sidney was wronged. She was. Her mother was murdered. Then her best friend. And her boyfriend tried to kill her (the first of several people to attempt this). But she refuses to let these things define her, which is the key to empowerment.

Adversity can create resilience, and trauma often inspires personal growth, writes Stanford University psychologist Kelly McGonigal.

Sidneys publicist takes a different view of things. Encouraged by a new rash of slayings in Woodsboro, she tells Sidney her book sales will go through the roof if she can just play her role: the victim.

Sidney, accept your situation. Youre a victim, for life. Embrace it. Use it, the publicist says.

Sidney is incredulous. Did you read my book?

She fires the publicist, who moments later receives her comeuppance: an ill-fated end in a dark parking garage at the hands of a masked killer.

The next time you watch the Scream movies, keep an eye out for how the charactersheroes and killers alikeconfront adversity and approach personal responsibility. In addition to a high body count, youll find a lesson in how self-reliance empowers and how victimhood consumes.

We dont know for certain if Scream 5 will maintain this message of personal empowerment, but judging from the trailer, its a pretty safe bet.

At one point in the trailer, Dewey (David Arquette) tells Sidney its happening again.

Three attacks so far, Dewey tells her. Do you have a gun?

Im Sidney Prescott, she responds. Of course I have a gun.

Read more here:

The Hidden Message of the Scream Movies: Victimhood Is Toxic - Foundation for Economic Education

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Concrete, an employee engagement and task management platform, and Legion Technologies, the pioneer in AI-powered workforce management, today announced LaborSafe, a new schedule-aware integration between their technologies that will enable Concrete customers to embrace a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) approach for hourly workers, without fear of labor law contravention.

As retailers know, achieving optimal field team performance in stores relies on great communication, process and visibility, but empowering individual hourly workers with modern communications has always been a sticking point, due to compliance concerns, said Tristan Rogers, founder and CEO of Concrete. This new initiative with Legion solves the problem by enabling our customers to establish a personal connection with every store worker which is key to their engagement and performance while also labor law compliant. In addition, retailers will save on dedicated hardware costs at store level for their field teams.

The LaborSafe initiative will enable Concrete customers to control use of the Concrete Field Worker Engagement app on field teams personal phones, ensuring that work systems and tools can only be accessed when an employee is on location and on shift. Off shift, the app will still allow employees to communicate with the business and receive important updates when they need them by leveraging Legions knowledge of employees schedules and clocks in real time.

The Legion WFM platform helps enterprises with AI-powered workforce management (WFM) that optimizes labor efficiency and enhances the employee experience simultaneously at scale. It enables them to plan with long term budgeting and automated demand forecasting, execute more effectively with optimized labor plans and automated scheduling, and empower employees with schedules that better match employees preferences, gig-like flexibility, and modern digital tools. Through the Legion WFM mobile app, employees can share scheduling preferences, view upcoming shifts, swap shifts, and more. These benefits are crucial for employee retention and engagement.

Optimizing labor while simultaneously enabling better experiences for the frontline workforce through the Legion Workforce Management platform is a strategic priority for Legion, said Sanish Mondkar, founder and CEO of Legion Technologies. Our work with Concrete gives our customers a seamless experience for planning labor and empowering employees with schedule flexibility and modern communications, without worrying about compliance issues.

About Concrete

Concrete helps brands such as Calvin Klein, Tory Burch, The Vitamin Shoppe, Bonobos, and Bath and Body Works better engage and retain their field team, reducing their exposure to the $19B in recruitment and training costs caused by staff churn in the retail market.

Concrete provides its customers a mobile first employee engagement and task management platform that connects field workers to daily SOPs, communications and education to drive store performance at scale. Equipped with a suite of features to cover all instore processes from visual merchandise approval to product recalls, Concrete can deliver brands a 3-5% revenue increase at store level whilst also cutting employee churn by 50%. Concrete gives brands the power to drive consistent conversion and customer satisfaction across the store fleet by controlling the instore activities that matter.

Concrete is used in more than 160 countries by more than 100 brands. For more information, visit https://concreteplatform.com.

About Legion Technologies

Legion Technologies mission is to transform hourly jobs into good jobs. The companys industry-leading, AI-powered workforce management (WFM) platform optimizes labor efficiency and enhances the employee experience simultaneously at scale. The Legion WFM platform has been proven to deliver 13x ROI through schedule optimization, reduced attrition, increased productivity, and increased operational efficiency. Legion delivers cutting-edge technology in an easy-to-use platform and mobile app that employees love. The company is backed by Norwest Venture Partners, Stripes, First Round Capital, XYZ Ventures, Webb Investment Network, Workday Ventures, and NTT DOCOMO Ventures. For more information, visit https://legion.co.

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Concrete and Legion Partner to Deliver Greater Empowerment to Field Teams Without Compliance Risk - Business Wire

For Sierra Capri, saying goodbye to On My Block after four seasons was bittersweet.

The actress who plays the lead role of Monse Finnie on the groundbreaking Netflix series tells ELLE.com, We [the cast] were trying to absorb the last few moments that we had together, but at the same time, it's not like it's the last time I'm going to see them because they're truly my family off screen. Although this marks the ending to an iconic television show, its just the beginning for 23-year-old Capri as she continues to take on roles that highlight intersectionality and self-assured characters like Monse and sharpen her directorial skills behind the camera.

ELLE.com caught up with Capri to discuss the making of On My Blocks last season, her plans for a dual career in forensics and acting, and her dream to develop a show that honors her mothers upbringing in Newark, New Jersey.

I honestly feel like acting in general is a therapy session, which is why I love the field so much. But for our show in particular, that last day, we were all looking at each other like, where did the time go? Can you believe that we filmed four seasons of a show? The fact we even made it to four seasons with the support of our amazing fans and all the love we received over the years, we would not be in these positions without it. We're very aware of that and we never take it for granted. It was almost like a blink, and we're done.

Oh, my goodness. I'll put it this way. I tried to watch season 1 and I was like, I can't. It was like going back to school, being on this show, because you're with people for four years. I basically was able to grow in my personal and professional life with all of them and we all got to see each other evolve. And now people are married. I was at weddings and seeing people have babies. It's crazy.

As for Monse, I think she has grown since season 1 and I'm so grateful that this season, I feel like I was given the freedom to really do what I wanted to do with the character. I felt like I didn't really have that freedom in season 1 through 3 because it was more of me playing the idea of what they wanted me to be and me not really having much say in it, so I was grateful to the producers and the rest of the crew for allowing me to just do what I wanted to do and go out with a bang since they were like, You guys all know your characters well by this point, just do what you want to do with it.

COURTESY OF NETFLIX

I mean, it's interesting that you bring that up because me and Jessica [Marie Garcia, who plays Jasmine], we would talk about this all the time on set. Even with her character, she felt the same. She didn't want her character to revolve around a man. And she always felt like it was Jasmine going after Ruby, and I always felt like it was Monse going after Cesar [played by Diego Tinoco], so we both supported each other, and we helped each other find our footing this last season. We both had a clear understanding and a clear vision, and we wanted young girls who look up to us to know that you don't need a man to be complete. Especially when you're so young and you don't even know yourself, it's really important that you figure out who you are first before you try to complete someone else. I'm very glad that we both used each other, and we displayed friendship amongst Brown and Black girls, as well as self-improvement and self-empowerment, so I'm very excited about that. I hope everyone likes that.

Definitely. I'd say about 50 percent of households, if you're of color, are raised by a single parent. I was raised by a single mom even though my father is very much in my life, but I did spend most of my time with my mom, so I definitely think that is a topic that needs to be explored more in Hollywood and needs to have light shed on it, because I'm sure that she is not the first girl that was raised by her father and not her mother, even though I know a lot of people thought that was strange. They're like, Oh my goodness, how is it that a mom doesn't want to raise her child? But it happens, there are situations like that, of course, in real life. I'm glad that we did touch on that on our show, and I hope that a lot of young girls can relate to it and can know that they're not alone.

If you go back and watch season 4 with a fine-tooth comb, you can literally see the scenes where we're trying not to break. And I see Brett smiling and he's smiling and I'm like, Oh God, I hope the fans can't see. Youll see us grinning. Also, because I lived with Brett [Gray] and Jason [Genao] the first two seasons, aside from the show, those are probably my fondest memories because we really got to know each other. I love them. They're my brothers. We made so many great memories. Brett said, "I knew me and you were going to get along here because as soon as I came into the house, you opened the door and you had a bonnet on and you were like, 'I'm about to wash my hair in the sink.'" He was like, she's going to be my friend.

COURTESY OF NETFLIX

I was going into my last year of college when I booked the show and I was studying biology, but my plan was to become a pathologist. I had one year left, I intended on finishing. I did not go to school for that long not to get my degree. I remember I tried to go back online because I was in the year where you have to be in the classroom for your labs. I couldn't do it at the time, so now I have the time to go back and actually be hands-on, so I'm excited.

I was talking to our showrunner and she's letting me shadow her, directing-wise. The goal is to eventually come out with my own show based on my mom's hometown, Newark, New Jersey.

So many great and so many intense things that have happened in her childhood and in her past that I was like, mom, this would be the perfect plot for a show, because in Baltimore [where Capri grew up], nobody really talks about the city like that. Nobody talks about Newark like that and what it's like for people who are from there and to come so far, because it's not easy to come from there and to make it out and to make it to where you are today. I think it could be something really inspiring and I'm looking forward to that. And maybe I want to get into music, eventually; the possibilities are endless. Who knows?

First and foremost, never take no for an answer. I always say that. You're never too big to learn. You're never too seasoned to learn. There's always room to improve on whatever you do even if you've been doing it for years, there's always room for improvement. And I always sayword to Denzelwhich is so true, If you have the dreams but you're not willing to put the momentum behind them to make them come true and move your feet, then that's all they're going to remain, dreams, and they're just going to pass you by. Definitely take initiative and get motivated and don't wait for someone else to give you the okay first. You're going to have to make it happen yourself.

This interview was edited and condensed for clarity.

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According to the International Finance Corporation, globally, women are now starting businesses faster than men. A 2021 DHL Global Index found that Ugandan women are the most entrepreneurial globally, followed by Botswana and Ghana.

Despite progress in recent years, many women still face significant barriers to starting their businesses. These include a lack of capital, time, and the needed skills. An industry that subverts these barriers is direct selling. At least 74.4% of direct selling representatives are women.

Direct sellingconsists of two main business models: single-level marketing, in which a direct seller makes money by buying products from a parent organization and, selling them directly to customers, andmulti-level marketing (also known asnetwork marketingorperson-to-person marketing), in which the direct seller may earn money from both direct sales to customers and by sponsoring new direct sellers and potentially earning a commission from their efforts

Malou Caluza, the CEO of QNET, a global direct selling company, attributes this uptake to the nature of the direct selling industry and the barriers it shutters for women to prosper.

More women around the world are turning direct selling into an opportunity for personal success for it leapfrogs barriers they face while offering balance for women seeking fulfilling careers, she said.

In the developing world, especially in Africa and Asia, direct selling has proven a resilient model. With the penetration of mobile technology and e-commerce, younger women have discovered new ways to engage their networks and sell products.

Direct selling provides an attractive and flexible income opportunity for women who lost their jobs and those looking to make a supplemental income as micro-entrepreneurs and gig economy participants.

Many businesses around the world use the direct selling business model to promote unique products and services in categories such as wellness and nutrition, personal and beauty care, home care products, she explained.

The growth of direct selling creates employment opportunities for underrepresented women to participate in the money economy.

For women, direct selling offers a great platform to become micro-entrepreneurs and build a sales business promoting products through signing up as distributors of direct selling companies, the QNET CEO added.

During difficult economic times, women have had renewed awareness to establish more income streams. Direct selling offers an opportunity to start a less capital-intensive business and eliminates operational and logistics hassless.

QNET saw record-breaking growth of up to 65% in African markets. The increased demand for online shopping and the transition to digital played to the advantage of our high-performing e-commerce platform, Caluza noted.

At a global level, Africa is projected to be the new frontier of direct selling. The World Bank noted that the adoption of digital technologies is instrumental in helping the continent recover faster from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2020, the World Federation of Direct Selling Associations (WFDSA) reported a 17.3% increase in the number of women involved in this industry, bringing African direct selling distributors to 6.3 million.

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Is Direct Selling the Answer to Women Empowerment in Africa? - chimpreports.com

Connor Schoen (22) and Tony Shu (21) are on a mission to break the cycle of homelessness with Breaktime, a Boston-based non-profit that helps find transitional employment for young adults experiencing housing instability.

Schoen and Shu met as undergraduates at Harvard. The inspiration for Breaktime came when they were working at a homeless shelter and noticed that the number one thing young adults at the shelter were looking for was a stable job. They wanted a job sometimes even more than they wanted housing, and thats because stable employment is the most critical factor in achieving stable housing, Shu told In The Know.

While Shu and Schoen acknowledge all the great job training companies in their community, they saw a lack of support in the transitional phase between those job training programs and securing an actual job. The duo started working towards opening a caf, called the Breaktime Caf, which was designed to be a transitional employment hub, but then the Covid-19 pandemic hit and their plans changed.

Shu and Schoen were told to wait out the pandemic and conserve their resources until it was over, but they had a better idea. What we ended up doing was making use of the kitchen thats in our building, explained Shu. Food insecurity was a huge rising crisis because of the pandemic, and we realized that we could employ young adults experiencing homelessness to prepare and then deliver nutritious meals to frontline workers, but also to families experiencing food insecurity.

The way the Breaktime process works now is the trainees go through a 2-week program focused on professional development and personal empowerment, and then are staffed for 13 weeks at non-profits and other organizations across the city where they learn transferable skills.

But Shu and Schoens ambitions go beyond just making a difference in their local community. The two hope to get policymakers involved and scale their business model city-wide, state-wide, and even nation-wide. We want to make sure that our young people are heard by our legislators and by our leaders, Schoen explains. We want to set up roundtables where legislators and leaders get to meet young adults experiencing homelessness, hear about their experiences, and that helps to form policy decisions.

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Connor Schoen and Tony Shu are taking action in ending young adult homelessness with actionable steps to stable employment - Yahoo Philippines News

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Leading talent design innovation firm, McGuckin Group, today unveiled Women On Their Way (WOTW), the first corporate empowerment program for women that provides a systems approach to developing and advancing women leaders. McGuckin Group has helped hundreds of Fortune 500 companies redesign talent and developed WOTW to specifically identify and address the corporate systems that hold women back, while at the same time empowering them.

Corporations are throwing money at empowerment programs, but real change only happens when you address the systems, while you simultaneously coach women on how to navigate the system and thrive, said Audrey McGuckin, Founder and CEO of the McGuckin Group. Time and time again I work with companies who unknowingly work against their own DEI investments. WOTW allows you to stop throwing money at a flawed system and start investing in real change.

Outside help brings outside perspectives, said Don Charron, CEO, Kimball Electronics. Working with the McGuckin Group brought me a solution that was robust, customized to Kimball culture, and that held me accountable to the journey so that we experienced the full value and impact of the work.

WOTW offers two programs: Navigator, an individual level, year-long peer development course for women; and Compass, an organizational-level program that identifies and fixes the corporate systems that unknowingly hold women back. The annual fee for WOTW Navigator is $6,900 for director level, and $9,900 for executive level women leaders. The program is open to individual women as well as groups within an organization. Navigator includes 12 months of curated content, learning modules, monthly group sessions, and peer learning. Navigator is led by experts who help women illuminate and eliminate old ideas, identify personal pain points, and uncover the landmines that are hampering their career progression. Each year-long cohort includes up to 50 participants, and the first Navigator session begins November 16, 2021. Companies or individuals interested in Navigator can learn more or enroll in the program here.

Would you rather spend $100,000+ replacing a woman leader, or invest $7,000 to empower and engage employees? added McGuckin. Our Navigator participants have chosen to invest and provide ongoing growth for women. Im so excited to start our journey this November.

Companies can also expand beyond Navigator with WOTW Compass, a corporate consulting solution that tackles gender equity at a systems level. WOTW Compass helps leaders see, understand, and address the systemic blocks to womens advancement, staying power, and success. It includes more advanced consulting including blueprint design, leadership coaching for men and women, talent strategy integration, and executive mindset coaching. More information on Compass can be found here.

ABOUT WOMEN ON THEIR WAY (WOTW)

Women On Their Way (WOTW) is a premier gender inequality and leadership diversity development program designed to improve and accelerate women's advancement. Created by McGuckin Group in 2021, WOTW takes a bottom-up and top-down approach to cultivate female leadership and works with individuals to identify ambitions and improve capabilities. The WOTW team works with organizations to impact system change through mindset and culture shifts and by architecting talent strategies that move the needle on gender equity. More information can be found on LinkedIn or at WOTWJourney.com.

ABOUT MCGUCKIN GROUP

The McGuckin Group is a talent design innovation firm that specializes in three services Talent Strategy, Leadership Development, and DEI. They orchestrate the Aha Moments that enable executives to uncover, unlock, and unleash human talent and innate leadership that exists within an organization. From the shop floor to the Executive Suite, the McGuckin Group team has lived and breathed every flavor of corporate culture. They bring an in-house sensibility and a fresh point of view. Consider them the anti-consultancy talent consultancy. For more information, visit mcguckingroup.com.

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Introducing Women On Their Way, the First Systems Approach to Developing and Advancing Women Leaders - Business Wire

Last month, the police chief of Richmond and her husband, an Oakland police sergeant, drove to Vallejo to confront the mother of a man they had come to believe was sex-trafficking a young woman on the streets of Oakland.

But this visit was not work-related. The 18-year-old woman, who months earlier had been on track to start college in the fall, is a relative of the couple. She has resisted their attempts at intervention, not only denying that she is being trafficked but filing for a restraining order against them, saying they once held her against her will.

In many ways, the situation mirrors others in which family members go to almost any length to attempt to persuade a relative to leave prostitution.

But this case, which has prompted criminal investigations involving at least five law enforcement agencies, is unique in that it involves a couple with power and deep connections in Bay Area law enforcement. And it raises questions about whether they crossed lines in responding to a personal emergency and used their connections to get the trafficking case prioritized over others.

Vallejo police are investigating whether Bisa French, the Richmond chief who made history last year as the first woman to lead the city force and Californias only Black female police chief, and her husband, Oakland police Sgt. Lee French, made criminal threats against the trafficking suspects mother during the Sept. 22 visit, according to a lawyer for the Frenches.

Both Bisa and Lee French are on leave from their jobs and declined interview requests through their attorney. The Chronicles efforts to reach the young woman and the trafficking suspects mother have been unsuccessful. The investigation was first reported by the East Bay Times.

The Frenches attorney, Michael Rains, said the couple may have told the mother something to the effect of If I find your son, Im going to kick his butt, but he insisted they did not break any laws. Ive not heard of any allegations out there, Rains said, that theyre trying to use their badge or law enforcement status in any way.

But law enforcement is now at the center of the case. The trafficking suspect, 34-year-old Oho McNair of Richmond also known as Joe Goldman was arrested Oct. 11 by Oakland police. The next day, the Alameda County District Attorneys Office charged him with felony pimping and pandering in connection with the Frenches relative.

As of Friday, McNair was being held at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin in lieu of $100,000 bail. He has pleaded not guilty.

Meanwhile, the Frenches family member is continuing to fight the couples attempts to intervene in her life. The Chronicle is not naming the young woman because she is an alleged victim of sex trafficking, though she denies she is a victim.

In a handwritten request for a restraining order against the Frenches, filed at the Contra Costa County Superior Court in Richmond, the teenager alleges that they confronted her on Sept. 21, the day before their trip to Vallejo, after she went to their home.

The teenager said the Frenches physically restrained her from leaving and threatened to kill McNair whom she refers to as her partner and lock her up if she didnt leave him. The Frenches deny the accusations.

According to court records, the case traces back to when the young woman met McNair at a Safeway store where they both worked. She began working there in November 2020, when she was 17.

McNair had a history of sex trafficking. According to records in Alameda County Superior Court, he was convicted of human trafficking in 2014 and sentenced to 288 days in jail, with credit for time he had already served after his arrest the year before.

During a preliminary hearing in the earlier case, a 20-year-old woman who testified against McNair said she had met him on the online dating site Tinder. Though she ultimately gave him money she made from having sex with clients, while he protected her as she worked on the Track in Oakland, the woman said she thought of McNair as her boyfriend and would confide in him about her mental health and other problems.

It was, in a way, like we were dating, she said. He was kind of like my best friend as well.

Oakland police Officer Marcos Campos, who wrote a probable cause statement for McNairs recent arrest, said witnesses had observed potential inappropriate behavior between McNair and the teenager before they quit Safeway at the same time.

The teen left her home a few days after her 18th birthday in June and did not tell her family where she was going. She had planned to attend St. Marys College in Moraga this fall. Campos suggested that Lee French was the reporting party in the trafficking case, but did not detail exactly what initiated the investigation.

Campos wrote, however, that on Sept. 19 he obtained the teenagers credit card history and found numerous charges for rooms at Oakland hotels known for prostitution activity.

Searching through past police reports, Campos discovered that the young woman had been arrested Aug. 18 for loitering on East 15th Street, in an area known for prostitution, while wearing tight and revealing clothing. Officers had detained her on suspicion of engaging in prostitution before releasing her. She has not been charged with any crime.

Based on my training and experience, (the teen) was actively being sex trafficked along the E. 15th St. corridor, Campos wrote.

On Sept. 21, the teen went to the Frenches residence in Richmond, where she told Lee French to stop preventing her from being an active sex worker, Campos wrote. Sometime after that, an Oakland police officer and an FBI agent were dispatched to the scene.

An Oakland Police Department spokesperson said Friday that Sgt. French has been shielded from any information pertaining to the investigation of his relative.

An FBI spokesperson said he could not confirm or deny the existence of any investigation. The FBI commonly gets involved in local trafficking cases.

The teen told the officers that day that she knew McNair as Pro and that he taught her to move and make money, Campos wrote. She told the investigators that he instructed her to read books on self-empowerment and how to make money. While she performed street-level prostitution, Campos wrote, McNair kept the profits and provided protection.

He said the teen told police that while working for McNair, she did not have to make an exact amount before returning home. She felt fortunate and happy because other prostitutes do not have this same privilege. She also reportedly said that McNair made her into a stronger person and brought her up to her full potential.

In her seven-page handwritten request for a restraining order, the teen described a chaotic scene when the Frenches met with her at their home. She said that after arriving at the home, she asked Lee and Bisa French not to bother her and to let her make her own decisions.

As she stood up to leave, she said, the Frenches rushed over to her and told her she wasnt going to leave the house.

Together they pinned me down in the chair as I screamed at the top of my lungs for them to stop, the teen wrote. Bisa French then threatened to kill McNair and his mother, a threat that Lee French echoed, according to the teens written request.

After several more physical altercations and attempts to leave by the teen, she said she decided to comply and play smart, and agreed to spend the night at a friends house though she described sneaking out and sleeping in McNairs car that night.

The next day, McNair received a call from his mother saying that the Frenches had driven to her Vallejo home and threatened to kill McNair if the teen did not return to the Frenches residence, according to the teens statement. She said she agreed to go, and that the Frenches then drove her to the federal building in Oakland, where FBI officers got her to agree to go to a safe house in Arizona.

She wrote the letter seeking a restraining order on Oct. 1 from the safe house, and it was filed in court six days later. But a temporary restraining order, which is often granted immediately, was denied.

A judge, referring to the relationship between the teen and the Frenches, wrote, Based on the information provided it appears that the (teen) is not in immediate danger of abuse and the alleged facts, while serious, appear to involve complex issues that require a hearing. The narrative strongly implies that the (teen) may be suspected to be a victim of crime by someone other than the (Frenches).

On Oct. 6, the day before the teens written statement was filed, she went missing from the safe house, Campos wrote. Officers found her at McNairs side when they arrested him in Richmond on Oct. 11th.

While denying the allegations in the restraining order application, Rains said the Frenches believe McNair crafted the request. The judge set a hearing for Oct. 25.

Rains said that when the couple went to McNairs mothers house on Sept. 22, they were invited inside and had a conversation. It was an emotional thing, Rains said. There were no terrorist or criminal threats made.

Even a couple of cops never realized the power these guys can exert over a girl, he said. He said of McNair: Hes completely taken over her mind and will.

It was early October when Vallejo police detectives reached out to the Frenches and said the allegations could qualify as criminal threats, Rains said. He said the Frenches will cooperate with the investigation and grant an interview to detectives soon.

Vallejo Police Chief Shawny Williams said in a statement last week that his department is investigating members of the Richmond and Oakland police departments.

As the Chief of Police, when an incident occurs in Vallejo which involves police officers employed by another department, it is my responsibility to contact the employing department to inform them of accusations involving one of their members, so the employing agency can launch an internal affairs investigation, Williams said.

He added, All communications with the Richmond and Oakland Police Departments were conducted in accordance with standard operating procedures.

On Oct. 8, Richmond City Manager Laura Snideman emailed council members to alert them that Bisa French was taking personal leave to address a distressing family situation and that Louie Tirona would serve as acting chief.

French joined the city force as a 22-year-old single mother in 1998 and later worked graveyard shifts while studying criminal justice management at San Francisco State University. She became the first Black woman to head the Richmond Police Department in July 2020.

It is a very sad tragedy for the French family, and they deserve our compassion, our prayers and our support as they work through this to, hopefully, a positive outcome, Richmond Mayor Tom Butt said.

According to Rains, when McNair was arraigned Thursday in Alameda County Superior Court, the teenager his alleged victim was there to support him.

San Francisco Chronicle staff writer Andres Picon contributed to this report.

Matthias Gafni, Susie Neilson and Michael Cabanatuan are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: matthias.gafni@sfchronicle.com, susie.neilson@sfchronicle.com, mcabanatuan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mgafni, @susieneilson, @ctuan

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Two top cops in the Bay Area tried to save a family member from sex trafficking. Now they are being investigated - San Francisco Chronicle

Fleri Inc.

COLUMBUS, Ohio (PRWEB) October 19, 2021

Fleri Inc., a personal finance company for immigrants known widely for the FleriHealth product which enables immigrants to buy affordable healthcare plans for their loved ones back home, will join the Techstars Toronto Accelerator Program starting this October.

Techstars is a seed accelerator that runs an intensive mentorship-driven program for founders and early-stage startups and entrepreneurs. Fleri will join 10 other startups in the Techstars Toronto 2021 cohort as it sets its sights on global expansion. The Techstars Toronto Accelerator Program is designed to provide mentorship, funding, and access to its network, beginning with a Demo Day at the end of the guided program. When selected, startups will be able to pitch to a carefully curated group of investors.

Since it launched in 2020, Fleri, which was founded by Ghanaian-born entrepreneur Samuel Baddoo, has kept the immigrant experience at the forefront of its mission. The company focuses on providing solutions and products that uniquely empower immigrants to take control of their financial lives. Knowing that 83% of the time, immigrants will send money to cover a health emergency faced by a dependent relative back home, Fleri released its first product: FleriHealth.

FleriHealth enables immigrants, beginning with those from Africa, to directly sponsor healthcare plans for their loved ones and families back home rather than sending traditional money transfers. In their pilot year, FleriHealth has enabled more than 220 family members to access quality healthcare in Ghana and Nigeria. Fleri partnered with five health insurance companies and other healthcare providers in its pilot markets giving the beneficiaries of immigrants access to healthcare benefits such as traditional health insurance coverage and more personalized care options. The company also provides a concierge care service powered by 400 nurses for families of immigrants from Nigeria.

According to Baddoo, Fleri enhances peace of mind for immigrants, given the knowledge that their loved ones have healthcare coverage around the clock and by eliminating most of the fees and transaction costs paid through traditional money transfer services. Fleris digital platform enables immigrant users to protect their loved ones back home without sacrificing their own financial wellness. Fleri customers and beneficiaries also receive health alerts and wellness reports to track the care given underscoring the platform's ability to enhance access to life saving information.

Fleri, which means to Flourish in Haitian Creole was born out of Baddoos own experiences as an immigrant in the United States. After losing his Grandmother last year due to the challenges within the healthcare system in his country of birth, Ghana, he set out to create a solution that will help fellow migrants avoid the same pain - one that immigrants in Canada know so well.

Toronto is regarded as the most immigrant-concentrated city in the world, with 52 percent of our population being foreign-born, says Sunil Sharma, Managing Director of Techstars Toronto. When we met the team at Fleri it became clear to us that they are solving such a fundamental problem in the minds of immigrants, how to ensure the health of their loved ones back home, no matter where they live.

Although Fleris first focus is in providing healthcare coverage for families of migrants living in the diaspora, Sharma acknowledges that Fleris potential goes beyond healthcare.

Fleri has a massive opportunity to grow its products beyond funding healthcare via remittances into full empowerment of immigrants to take control of their financial lives, says Sharma. Immigrants in Toronto constantly think about their loved ones back home and always want to do more to support them. Fleri finally allows them to take action and make an immediate difference in their lives.

As for expanding its operations, Baddoo says, Fleris focus on empowering immigrants to flourish financially will be matched in turn by Torontos vibrant diversity and Canadas reputation for being immigrant-friendly. This combination will create the perfect catalyst for Fleris growth, enabling us to develop relevant financial products with which immigrants will support their loved ones back home and enhance their own financial wellness.

For media inquiries about Fleri Inc., or for advance interviews with Founder Samuel Baddoo, please contact Fleri at +1 614-569-1158 or via email communications@joinfleri.com

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Fleri Inc., an Ohio-based fintech startup that puts the immigrant financial wellness at the forefront, joins the Techstars Toronto Accelerator Program...