March 2019 – Echo of Spirit

Guilherme Paulus Recounts His Rewards and Obstacles in the Brazilian Entrepreneurial World

The life of an entrepreneur in Brazil can be quite difficult since there are many obstacles and challenges that one must face and overcome. Conversely, being an investor in Brazil can be also quite lucrative. Lack of venture capital and heavy taxes from the government are among the factors that prevent entrepreneurs from achieving their dreams. However, a savvy entrepreneur like Guilherme Paulus has become so successful in his specialty in accommodations and tourism. Needless to say despite the numerous types of negative factors working against investors in Brazil, Guilherme Paulus came up with a sound strategy and at the right time in order to accomplish his business dreams.

Guilherme Paulus is one of the most prominent businessmen in Brazil. He studied business administration in the university and when he was just 20 years, he joined IBM as an intern. At 24 years, he met Carlos Vicente Cerchiari a local government official who had visions of expanding tourism in Brazil. Guilherme Paulus was interested in this idea but had no funds at the moment. Mr. Cerchiari proposed an investment contract to establish a company named CVC which is also known as Operadora e Agencia de Viagens CVC Tour Ltda anticipating that Guilherme would be the brains behind the companies daily operation. The duo opened their very first store in Sao Paulo and continued to be partners for 4 more years before Guilherme quit from its operations.

Guilherme took advantage of every opportunity that availed itself to become the head of tourism and accommodations in Brazil. The savvy entrepreneur came up with a plan that gave him the opportunity to listen to customers, different individuals and government agencies. He is indeed a sturdy believer in listening and has been many times quoted saying that the most important advice he can offer is the need to ask for advice, and always listening to elders as this way one will hear more. Guilherme firmly believes that any accomplished entrepreneur needs to give back to society in one way or another. Guilherme Paulus did this within his country Brazil thus setting a good example.

His Facebook Page: https://pt-br.facebook.com/guilhermejesuspaulus/

Betsy DeVos Visits Schools with First Lady Melania Trump

It’s been a long road for Betsy DeVos. She started out at Calvin College, getting interested in politics at an early age. She also wanted to learn about education reform and began to look at alternative paths for underprivileged children. While this started in the 1990s, DeVos had already been working with Republican party leaders before that. In the early 2000s, she led a movement in Michigan to change the state’s policies towards educational choice.

Educational choice has been a polarizing topic for many families in the United States. Betsy DeVos is a huge proponent of the programs, and she has spoken about it in several interviews. She recently talked to Leslie Stahl on “60 Minutes” about the success of these programs, indicating that she had seen the most growth in two states Louisiana and Florida. These states have the most educational choice programs, much to the dismay of many in the public school system.

So why don’t people like educational choice and Betsy DeVos?

For one, educational choice seems to be a catch-all program to help students go to the school of their choice. However, many students and teachers have spoken out that it’s actually taking tax dollars to send students to private schools. To this, Betsy DeVos shakes her head. She stated in her interview with Stahl that this isn’t how the program works nor does it seek to take away any funding.

In fact, educational choice is funded through philanthropy and donations. DeVos has some of the biggest backers in the tech world on her side, such as Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook and Bill Gates of Microsoft. She even has donors like Sam Walton on her list. She has also donated over $35 million to the cause.

So what is educational choice?

Educational choice is the option for students to pick where they want to go to school instead of going to school where they are zoned. The problem is that some states are providing programs for students to go to private schools. While DeVos contends the funds are not public tax dollars, it’s easy to see the confusion. In fact, many of the programs are paid for with funding and help from the DeVos Family Foundation.

It’s clear that DeVos is just trying to help students and has made it her goal to prioritize students first. She spoke out about how students have been affected by failing schools and former policies of previous administrations, such as Common Core. However, there has been little done to improve other areas of education, and now she has less than two years to figure out how to incorporate educational choice in more areas.

DeVos will continue to work on educational choice until 2020.

For updates, follow Betsy DeVos on twitter.

Mark Holyoake Shifts Towards New Direction

Mark Holyoake’s Experience

After his decision to leave Iceland Seafood International, Mark Holyoake is focusing on other projects. His investment in ISI put him in a position to influence the seafood industry, but he wants to go back to his real estate origins. He believes he can use his experience to succeed in the market. The decision to move onto other projects will give time to focus on his investments. Iceland Seafood International will continue to thrive in the current market conditions.

His Work At Iceland Seafood International

As a member of the board of ISI, Mark Holyoake focused on giving the company insights into finding trends. His experience in real estate gave him a foundation for the seafood industry. The company increased its share of the market while he was a member of its board, and his strategies are still in use. The success of ISI is influencing other seafood companies, and Holyoake’s approach to investment is spreading as well. Identifying popular food items before they rise in the market is a core part of food company plans. This strategy will continue into the future as his influence spreads.

His Plans For The Future

Mark Holyoake wants to focus on the real estate market for now, but he continues to use his experience from Iceland Seafood International. Returning to his original investments with new insights will give him an advantage in his strategy. His current approach to real estate involves watching trends and developing a new plan. He’s using his smaller stake in Iceland Seafood International to prepare for other investments. He will still be the largest stakeholder in the company, but Mark Holyoake can focus on new ambitions. His experience in the seafood industry puts him in the right position for success today.

About Mark Holyoake: about.me/markholyoake

Mike Nierenberg Demonstrates How Real Estate Investments Don’t Always Mean ‘Properties’

Through his years of experience in the investment sector, Mike Nierenberg has been able to garner the kind of expertise that is sought after by industry experts and investors alike. With his previous working experience at institutions such as JP Morgan, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, and Bear Stearns, Mike Nierenberg has been able to lead his current firm New Residential Investment Corp. quite impressively. As the organization’s chairman Mike Nierenberg, president and CEO, Mike Nierenberg has been integral to the developments that have taken place at New Residential Investment, which has just unveiled its common stock in an initial public offering (IPO).

With the real estate investment trust (REIT) offering new products and investment options, it would be accurate to state that the organization is thriving under Nierenberg’s leadership.

One such product comes in the form of mortgage servicing rights (MSRs), which is an efficient way to invest into real estate assets without having to buy properties.

These MSRs are used to tap into the cash flow that providing the mortgage services to a homeowner brings to the table. That is one of the reasons why over $3 trillion MSRs have been sold by banks since 2010.

Now, Mike Nierenberg has made these options available through New Residential Investment. This ensures that investors are able to tap into the opportunities offered by real estate investments without having to go through the hassles that come with investing into properties.

With this approach in mind, Mike Nierenberg and New Residential Investment aim to serve those who want to get the most out of their investments.

About Michael Nierenberg: www.corporationwiki.com/p/ia2v9/michael-nierenberg

Insights for SEC Whistleblowers

In the financial world, not everyone plays by the rules. Insider trading might not hit the front page of the newspapers as much as other instances of corruption, but this doesn’t mean financial laws are rarely violated. The Securities Exchange Commission likely would prosecute more people for violations if it knew about their alleged illegalities.

Someone on the inside usually has to come forward for the SEC to learn about wrongdoings. Becoming a whistleblower, however, seems daunting. Working with an SEC whistleblower lawyer, someone can report corruption while garnering protections against retaliation.

Doing the right thing isn’t the only motivation for blowing the whistle. The SEC has a program in place to provide compensation for those assisting in the recovery of illegally procured gains. Working with an attorney could help with the reward recovery process.

Regardless of the potential for a reward, some still don’t wish to come forward. The would-be whistleblowers worry about the reveal of their identities. Consider this another reason why working with an SEC whistleblower attorney. The attorney represents the client and protects his/her identity. SEC tips for effective whistleblowing might not suggest hiring an attorney, but retaining a lawyer could be a wise move.

An attorney doesn’t work alone when trying to protect an employee from retaliation. The SEC further developed an “anti-retaliation authority” intended to protect anyone who shows the courage to come forward and report corruption. The SEC understands people take career and personal risks when reporting about the wrongdoings of powerful corporations and their executives. A willingness to protect a whistleblower shows the SEC understands the dangers and works to prevent harm from befalling anyone. Still, seeking representation from an experienced attorney further adds a layer of protection.

Whistleblowers may also wish to be duly compensated for their risks. The SEC may award a percentage of recovered assets in the aftermath of a successful whistleblower case. The average person might prove to be a valuable citizen when the time comes to pull away the covers to prove criminal activities. The concerned citizen likely also wants whatever financial compensation he/she deserves. A whistleblower attorney could assist in making sure a client receives deserved rewards. For many, this might be what matters the most.

Deirdre Baggot’s Determination To Improved Healthcare

Deirdre Baggot is a resident of Denver, Colorado who who is involved in providing health care know how in a business oriented manner. She is an expert who handles issues of health as well as payments involved in the health sector. She has had an extensive career experience whereby she worked in an institution like the University Of Health System as a business analyst as well as an administration manager whereby throughout her stay in the institution, she received an accolade for being an outstanding leader when it comes to safety. She has been able to attend prestigious institutions of learning like the University Of Colorado as well as Loyola University Graduate School Of Business. Read more interview about Deirdre Baggot at Inspirery

She has been acknowledged for being being the one responsible for the flourishing of consulting practices which have improved mechanisms for two entities that operate in the healthcare sector. She has successfully created a good relationship, came up with designs as well as facilitated their implementation for 200 hospitals which has greatly led to positive patient experience at a lower cost. She has received a lot of recognition nationally due to her efforts on the carrying out of bundled payments. She is an expert who has ensured that in each institution that she has worked for, its returns improve tremendously thus catapulting her work ethic to higher heights.

Deirdre Baggot is a committed individual that works towards coming up with mechanisms that will improve the healthcare system as well as to ensure that patients enjoy services provided by health facilitie. She does her work, driven by passion. She believes in coming up with sophisticated mechanisms of boosting the quality of care as well as ensuring that patients receive the required diagnosis to reduce other complications from coming up later by advancing the idea of checklist.

See more: https://en.everybodywiki.com/Deirdre_Baggot

“Marc Beer’s Renovia Development for Women Health Products “

Marc Beer co-founded Renovia Inc. company in 2016 which was meant for the development and commercialization of biotechnology, diagnostic and pharmaceutical products. The health products were to help women with urinary inconsistence and other pelvic floor related problems. Working over 25 years in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical and diagnostic fields, he has had a wealthy experience in the industry. Marc Beer was interested in helping women with these problems which has always troubled women in the past few decades. Through his ability to foresee these problems he came up with Renovia. Before founding the company, he also started up ViaCell that also dealt with health products.

Recently the prolific CEO successfully closed a Series A financing fund. These would help in raising funds for women healthcare. Later on Marc Beer, closed another series B financing where he raised $42M for the women healthcare products- $30M and $10M in debts. His commitment to trading these problems has made him gain sponsors for funding the startup. According to researchers, approximately 20 million women in the U.S. and over 250 million in the world are affected with urinary incontinence and other pelvic floor related problems. Therefore, Renovia Inc. will continue with other new health products closing both series rounds.

Renovia is developing products in the treatment of millions of women within the world. Pelvic floor related problems has been a major unaddressed problem in the health sector. The Boston based company is therefore coming up with an app and other proprietary medical technologies that would help women to maintain and visualize their own pelvic moment. Aside from this, the company has invested in pipeline products that have a better potential in diagnostic and treatment of urinary incontinence problems.

Using The Pelvic floor muscle exercises, women are able to track their own health without necessarily going to the hospital. They have been widely accepted as one of the best in treatment of pelvic floor related disorders. Other disorders associated with the pelvic floor are stress and other urgency that are based in the Urology and other Physical therapy. All these problems have been addressed by Renovia and will help millions of women worldwide. Apparently, most women may not have the ability to track down the problems within their muscle contraction. The problem of remembering to do the exercises is common hence the development of Leva.

Leva app is designed in training muscle within the pelvic floor. Being an FDA cleared device, the it has helping women to track down, maintain and share their problems with other women online. Through the visualization technology, the women can target the continence maintaining muscles responsible. This device has been revolutionary since they have coaching sessions and real time interaction hence optimizing pelvic floor muscles. Women has always wanted to have nonsurgical means of maintaining their health systems hence the development of Leva and the product pipeline products. Renovia has designed these devices to work simultaneously that has helped to represent the changes in the pelvic floor. Learn more: https://patch.com/massachusetts/boston/renovias-marc-beer-raises-42m-treat-womens-health-issues

Oren Frank and his Talkspace company

Talkspace is an app that offers therapy to its clients via video chat. The app was co-founded by its current CEO, Oren Frank in 2012. Through its qualified personnel, Talkspace provides its users with licensed therapists who help them manage their issues. The reaction of its users has been positive since it gives peace of mind. For more information of Oren Frank, visit his crunchbase profile

Neil Leibowitz is the new Chief Medical Officer. Neil previously worked at the UnitedHealth as a senior medical director. Talkspace’s medical personnel will soon be giving medicines to their clients when needed. Oren Frank said that the company is generating millions of dollars as it has over 1 million users paying for the service. Neil’s focus is to help improve the corporate side of the business in a year.

Research conducted shows that employers are taking mental health seriously due to the impact of depression on a person’s productivity. Neil was initially reluctant in joining Talkspace until he discovered it was a way of increasing access to the therapists. Consumers are willing to pay for this service at affordable rates. Most employees mostly use messaging service for their convenience. Oren Frank is ready to help the youth and couples.

Most teens in the United States suffer from anxiety and depression in their day-to-day activities. This can be as a result of bullying, drug addiction, teenage pregnancy, and alcohol consumption due to peer pressure. Oren Frank says teens are pressured to get good grades, to look good, and to be involved in other activities rather than studying. The depression can be as a result of income by their households or having an excellent job after attending a four-year college.

Talkspace in a recent interview with Jason Saltzman shows that people tend to place celebrities and those in the executive to a mythic level. They forget that these are persons with challenges since they interact with people from different backgrounds. Jason describes mental health as a significant issue affecting those in executive positions. This mental health is as a result of various interactions with clients with the risk of rejection. Oren Frank advises individuals to learn how to live with anxiety.

Cassio Audi’s Executive Financial Management

Audi is a known result-driven, accomplished financial management executive. He has 23 years of commercial experience within private and public companies, start-ups, turn-around cases, private equity funds, and multi-billion dollar companies. Audi has smoothened business operations and increased profitability and efficiency. For all these years, he has achievements in change management, improvement of productivity, financial processes and controls and other implementations.

Cassio Audi and Heavy Metal Band

Before becoming a financial management executive, Audi had proved his musical talent. He started composing songs and telling stories when he was still a child. The lyrics of the songs are said to have been superb. In conjunction with his colleagues Felipe Machado, Pit Passarell, Yves Passarell, and Andre Machado, they started “Viper” rock band in 1985. His drumming skills helped their Brazilian band scale the heights. This became the first Heavy Band in Brazil and Latin America’s history.

Cassio

Viper was motivated by England’s Iron Maiden and The Heavy Metal bands. The band released its debut album Soldiers of Sunrise which made it recognized due to its influence. Besides, it sold over ten thousand copies. Cassio Audi continued composing and writing songs for their band. Its second album in 1989, Theatre of Fate, became a success to surpass some famous bands. Viper brought a significant influence in the Brazilian music industry.

In the same year, Cassio Audi’s music career came to a halt. He left the band for his university studies. His new career path (to become executive of financial management) has proved to be effective

Ashley Lightspeed’s Successful Career

Ashley Lightspeed is a successful young woman. She has accomplished a lot throughout her career. She currently works at Lightspeed Ventures. From a young age, Ashley was fascinated by business and developing ideas. As a teenager she was interested in architecture and not business; she used to sit with her dad in their garage watching him come up with building projects and sketching constructions. As she grew up she became more interested in business and switched her mind to doing business as a career, Ashley has contributed a lot to the growth and expansion of various industries and continues to help start-up companies. Related articles at prnewswire.com

Ashely Lightspeed is a member of Lightspeed Ventures; she has accomplished a lot while working there and has helped many entrepreneurs and upcoming firms. Ashley has created a diverse working environment at Lightspeed; as a leader, she supports new talents among employees. She has advocated for more female employees at Lightspeed by enabling the board to see how productive women can be in retail business. Ashley uses prototyping as a vital element in business; Ashley uses it to come up with business strategies and create new products. She believes that with prototyping one can go through a project twice before deciding to implement the idea thus ensuring that it’s working accordingly.

According to Ashley Lightspeed, though she no longer prototypes business ideas, she believes that he still uses it when venturing into business with other firms. Ashley has worked for several other firms too; her first job was at Bain and Company, she helped the company in many ways. Ashley also worked at Thumbtack as a category manager; her primary role was to plan and organize events. She helped Thumbtack become a major event planner. She left to further her studies at Stanford Business School and later joined Lightspeed Ventures where she works up to date.

Learn more: https://nypost.com/2016/02/20/this-is-why-your-wedding-is-ridiculously-expensive/