<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">CanvaCanva CEO Melanie Perkins</div></div></div>The year was 2012, and <a href="http://www.canva.com">Canva</a> CEO Melanie Perkins, then 24, had scored an invitation to <a href="http://www.maitaiglobal.com">MaiTai</a> Maui, an exclusive event on the beach organized by investor Bill Tai and attended by the kingmakers of the startup world. It was the start of big things for the Sydney-based Canva, which provides online tools to make it easy for anybody to do advanced graphics design work. It's basically a simpler alternative to Adobe Photoshop, and Perkins boasts you can learn how to use it in 23 seconds. In the last 12 months, Canva has gone from 1.5 million users to over 10 million, with 50,000 business teams paying for it. In the two weeks since the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/canva-graphic-design-photo/id897446215?mt=8">Canva iPhone app launched</a>, it's been downloaded 330,000 times. The company has raised more than $27 million from investors including Founders Fund, 500 Startups, and Felicis Ventures.But while Canva is certainly a rising star now, it was a journey that took some patience, a willingness to be rejected -"so much rejection," as Perkins puts it - and, as we can flash back to Maui in 2012, at least one <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitesurfing">kitesurfing</a> adventure on the beach."We just kept getting rejected, but it was obvious in my head that this was the future of design," Perkins, now 28, says. <h2>A lot of rejection </h2>In 2012, Perkins had already tasted success once.She founded her first startup, Fusion Books, in 2007 when she was 19-year-old college student. Fusion Books helped schools custom design their yearbooks, and was a success. But the tech behind Fusion Books only represented a small part of the larger ambition that would become Canva."We wanted to take it to a much broader market and design everything," Perkins says.In 2012, Perkins and cofounder Cliff Obrecht went out looking for investor capital to take this bigger idea and bring it to life. But investors simply wouldn't bite, no matter how hard they hustled. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">CanvaCanva's online design software.</div></div></div>Perkins didn't give up: She spent three months living on the floor of her brother's San Francisco apartment while taking trips down to Silicon Valley to meet with investors. During the day, she'd use the free WiFi in the mall's food court. In the meanwhile, she says she took something like 100 meetings with investors, but none of them ever turned into a deal for Canva."I remember thinking, 'why is this so hard?'" Perkins says. <h2>Kiteboarding for capital</h2>Which brings us back to Maui in 2012. Tai is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/angel-investor-bill-tai-has-put-money-into-110-companies-on-5-continents--heres-how-he-picks-them-2013-9">famous in the investor world for his love of kiteboarding</a>, where a boarder is literally dragged over the waves by a massive parachute-looking kite. So when Tai runs a MaiTai event, kiteboarding is always a centerpiece of the occasion. Tai met Perkins at a conference in Perth, and was impressed enough with her Canva pitch that he invited her to MaiTai Maui to meet some of the tech bigwigs who rated a spot on the guest list.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Business InsiderCameron Dietrich kiteboarding</div></div></div>Perkins was so dead-set on finally landing some big investors, she decided to teach herself kitesurfing, a sport she describes as "peculiar" and "dangerous" but also a lot of fun. And it worked. Through kiteboarding, Perkins met a well-connected investor who put her in touch with Hollywood stars Owen Wilson and Woody Harrelson, who both ended up investing in Canva. And her more traditional pitch session at MaiTai Maui earned her some early investors too, including Tai himself, leading to a $3 million seed round."It was a lot of journeying, but it ended up doing exactly what we hoped it would," Perkins says.<h2>If you build it...</h2>After that, raising capital got easier, Perkins says, and investor interest ran much higher. Instead of having to come to Silicon Valley for money, she says, investors flew to Canva in Australia to get into the $15 million funding round it closed in October 2015.Next up for Canva, Perkins says, is just keeping working on the technology and building out the team, to get it into the hands of more people. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">CanvaCanva for iPhone</div></div></div>"We feel we've only done 1 percent of what we can do with Canva," Perkins says.As for entrepreneurs who want to follow in her footsteps, she has one piece of advice: No matter what you read or hear, don't believe in the myth of the "overnight success." Building companies takes time and hard work, and not everybody will be on board right away."Rejection is just part of the process," Perkins says. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/barbara-corcoran-shark-tank-cry-tears-emotion-2016-1">'Shark Tank' investor reveals the biggest mistake you can make in the office</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="FqMWY1MDE6gKbroBnAeubPulKjAD-3_i" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

This 28-year-old startup founder learned to kiteboard to impress investors - and it paid off big time

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/jack-ma">Jack Ma</a> is the cofounder of $480 billion <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/alibaba">e-commerce company Alibaba.</a></li><li>The eccentric billionaire is equally as famous for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jack-ma-alibaba-chairman-extravagant-moments-retirement-party-2019-9">throwing lavish company parties</a> as he is for his wealth.</li><li><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/jack-ma-quotes-alibaba-inspirational-2019-6-1028295089">Ma stepped down as Executive Chairman of Alibaba in Sept. 2019.</a></li><li>His stake in Alibaba, and his many other ventures, have made him the richest man in China, worth $38 billion. </li></ul>Following is a transcript of a video. Narrator: Jack Ma is China's richest man, with an estimated worth of $38 billion. The 55-year-old is the cofounder of the e-commerce giant Alibaba. It's China's biggest digital marketplace, responsible for an estimated 80% of all online sales in China. After 20 years at Alibaba, Ma announced in September 2019 he'll be stepping down as executive chairman. But don't worry. The flamboyant businessman is still sitting pretty. Here's how Jack Ma makes and spends his billions.The billionaire is truly self-made. Ma started out as an English teacher, where he made just $12 a month. Harvard University rejected him 10 times, and he was turned down for jobs at an estimated 30 companies, including KFC. But with the introduction of the internet, Ma saw an opportunity. And with no tech or business background, he founded Alibaba with the help of 17 friends in 1999. The digital marketplace connected Chinese customers with manufacturers. Alibaba's start was initially rocky, facing the dot-com-bubble burst in 2000 and competition from eBay's Chinese venture, EachNet. But with some help from investments from Yahoo, the company found its feet by the mid-2000s.Then, in 2014, Alibaba went public in what was the largest IPO in US history. And the sale made Ma the richest man in China. Alibaba rakes in money through the retail site Taobao; the payment-processing service Alipay, of which Ma holds a nearly 50% share; and the popular Chinese social-media site Weibo.But Alibaba doesn't just do e-commerce. Under Ma's leadership, the company now owns the South China Morning Post and even a movie studio that's invested in films such as "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation" and "Star Trek Beyond." Since Ma became executive chairman in 2013, Alibaba's revenue has grown by 1,100%. And as of September 2019, the company's market cap has reached $465 billion. And Ma's 5.3% share in Alibaba? Well, it's now worth a cool $24.6 billion.But beyond Alibaba, Ma's income stream is impressively diverse. In 2010, Ma and four associates founded the venture-capital firm Yunfeng to handle much of Ma's personal investing. Ma also has stakes in Yahoo China. With billions in his pocket, you would think he's a big spender, right? Well, not exactly. He drives a humble Roewe RX5 SUV that cost just $15,000. And he doesn't spend much on hobbies, either. It's said he loves meditating, playing poker, and practicing tai chi, a hobby that led him to star in a kung fu film. But if he does splurge, it's in real estate. In 2015, he reportedly bought a house in Hong Kong's most expensive neighborhood for a whopping $191 million. At the time, the purchase broke the record for the most expensive home by square foot in Asia. He also dropped $23 million on a property in New York's Adirondacks. And a year later, he bought a 210-acre vineyard in the south of France. Plus, he still owns the apartment at Lakeside Gardens where he started Alibaba 20 years ago.So how does he travel between all these properties? A Gulfstream 550 private jet purchased by Alibaba for $49.7 million. Alibaba also foots the bill for the legendary talent shows of which Ma is always front and center. Ma's talent-show performances have become the stuff of legends, from MJ dances to "Lion King" sing-alongs. The most impressive celebration was Ma's retirement party in September 2019. Alibaba rented out an Olympic-sized stadium for a massive celebration with 60,000 employees. It included an employee parade and a rendition of Josh Groban's "You Raise Me Up" by Ma himself. But even with all his bashes and billions, Ma said he was actually happier when he was an English teacher. He's noted his billions come with a responsibility to spend on behalf of society. Maybe that's why he's turned to philanthropic work aimed at healthcare, the environment, and education.Under his leadership, Alibaba donates 0.3% of earnings to environmental issues. Ma sits on the board of China's Nature Conservancy and has donated millions to disaster-relief efforts. The Jack Ma Foundation, formed in 2014, had pledged $44-million-plus both to Zhejiang University Hospital and to rural Chinese teachers. With his newfound retirement and soaring investments, no one knows where Jack Ma will take his billions next. But it will probably include a killer outfit.Get the latest Alibaba stock price<a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/baba-Quote"> here.</a>

Alibaba cofounder Jack Ma is the richest man in China - here's how he spends his $38 billion net worth

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>Three startup founders just got a bump from Richard Branson and angel investor Bill Tai. The startups got to travel to Necker Island, Branson's 74-acre Caribbean retreat, as finalists in the <a href="http://extremetechchallenge.com/">Extreme Tech Challenge,</a> a startup competition led by MaiTai Global. <a href="http://www.maitaiglobal.org/">MaiTai Global</a> is "a group of extraordinary entrepreneurs, innovators, and athletes" founded by Tai and kiteboarder Susi Mai. Thousands of startups applied for the chance to pitch Branson and a panel of judges that also included Google Maps cofounder Lars Rasmussen and Samsung Electronics president Young Sohn.A select group presented their businesses at CES in January. Of that group, three were chosen to head to Necker during the first week of February: smartphone breathalyzer company <a href="https://www.breathometer.com/">Breathometer</a>, medical app <a href="http://www.doctorondemand.com/">Doctor on Demand</a>, and bus travel search site <a href="http://www.wanderu.com/">Wanderu</a>. The startups spent two days on Necker, networking with the panel members and enjoying the sun. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>"It was the most incredible experience I've ever had," Wanderu cofounder Polina Raygorodskaya said to Business Insider. Wanderu aggregates booking sites for train and bus networks, making it easy to make travel arrangements in one place. The startup originally started its desktop site in August 2013, but it just launched its iOS app this week. "To me, Branson is someone I've always looked up to, especially as someone in the transportation space," Raygorodskaya said. "He's disrupted so many industries in transportation, and he was really excited about what we're doing." Branson hasn't invested in Wanderu yet, but Raygorodskaya said the weekend gave them plenty of opportunities to network."We're not in the process of raising a round, but there was a lot of interest after the presentation," she said. "We definitely built some important connections." <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div>The startups certainly had some fun, too. The Wanderu team rented a catamaran for the week, and they got lots of time to enjoy the accommodations on Necker. The Great House, which people can rent for a whopping $60,000 a night, has eight bedrooms and a zip line that can bring you down to the beach below.The house looks amazing.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div> The crew also took some time to kiteboard, one of Tai and Branson's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/angel-investor-bill-tai-has-put-money-into-110-companies-on-5-continents--heres-how-he-picks-them-2013-9">favorite hobbies</a>. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"></div></div></div> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/iphone-headphones-tricks-2015-2">14 things you didn't know your iPhone headphones could do</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="o2OGM3czpWcydnvhjbkDBd6feXPuExiD" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

What it's like to pitch Richard Branson on Necker Island

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Goldman Sachs announced its 2019 class of managing directors, with 465 new promotes getting the nod.</li><li>Of the 465 promoted, 29% are women, and 34% identified as an ethnic minority or LGBTQ.</li><li>The firm announces managing-director promotions every two years.</li><li>It's one of the most coveted positions on Wall Street, a step below partner at the premier investment bank.</li></ul><a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/GS-Quote"> Goldman Sachs</a> just announced a new class of 465 managing directors, and millennials comprised nearly two-thirds of it. The promotions, which are announced once every two years and are among the most coveted on Wall Street, put recipients one step <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-ceo-solomon-offering-buyouts-to-partners-shrink-senior-ranks-2019-9">below partner</a> at the prestigious investment-banking firm.The 2019 class is smaller than the record-setting class of 509 in 2017, but larger than the class of 2015, which had 425 new MDs.It's also one the youngest classes the bank has promoted - 62% are millennials, up from 44% in 2017 and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/goldman-managing-director-list-2015-11">30% in 2015</a>.Other headline stats about the class:<ul><li>66% started their careers as analysts or associates at Goldman Sachs, equal with 2017.</li><li>29% of the class is women, up from 24% in 2017.</li><li>34% of the identified as an ethnic minority or LGBTQ: 26% are Asian, 4% are black, 2% are hispanic/Latino, and 2% are LGBTQ. </li></ul><h2>Here's the full list of all 465 new managing directors:</h2>Rashid Abdalla Angela Abramian-Katz Meredith Adams Keren Adan Vikas Agrawal Mike Ahern Edward Ainsworth Danny Akerman Temidayo Akinola Aaron Albert Eyas Aldossari Marsha Alexander Daniel Alger Asad Ali Brendan Ames Dipam Amin Rebecca Anderton-Davies Junnosuke Ando Ash Ang Timothy Arblaster Kenan Arkan Patrick Armstrong Cameron Arrington Cindy Au Anne-Victoire Auriault John Aurre Frederick Baba Andrew Bailey Tanya Baker Victoria Baker-Duly Venkatesh Balasubramanian Nick Baltas Maria Barron Baratech Luke Barrs Robert Bartlett Dennis Beeson Angus Bell Bob Bengtson Kerryann Benjamin Jeff Bernstein Adam Berry Michel Beshara Justin Betzen Praveen Bhagavathula Peter Biggs Ersen Bilgin Nathan Bird Simon Birtwistle Barnali Biswal Brittany Boals Moeller David Bodenstein Vanessa Bogaardt Kevin Boova Andrea Bora Said Boujnah Jeff Boyd Rachel Boyd Glyn Braganza Joyce Brayboy Pierre Brunet Keith Brunini Steven Budig Francisco Cabeza Kimberly Carabetta Sarah Card Marie Cardoen Gloria Carreno Jonathan Carter Osmar Castellani Junior Lucia Catalan Federico Ceresole Jeffrey Chao John Chappell Yogesh Chati Frank Chen Selina Chen Hakim Cherrouk Christopher Yiu Chung Cheung Tak Cheung Siddharth Chhabria Liz Chick James Chilcott Jon Child Naveen Choppara Leonard Chung George Cole Greg Collett James Colletti Kevin Conniff Simon Constant Charles Corke Krystal Cowan Ben Coward-Talbott Nerissa Cumberbatch Ryan Cunn Nadim Daban Brook Dane Abigail Darby Michael Daub Bill Davis Christopher Dawe Jeffrey Dawkins Adam Dawson Philipp de la Chevallerie Camille de Lamotte Frederik De Neree Joaquin de Soto Dan Deighton Manuel Deijk Stefanie D'Elia Lena Demashkieh Michael Dente Philippe Derimay Bradley Diener Michel Dimitri Angelo Diotisalvi Natalia Dobrinskaya John Doherty Matthew Doherty Jerome Dortmans Hamish Douglas Crista Downey Andre D'Souza Alexander Dupont Brett Durick Tsuyoshi Egawa Gaudenz Eichenberger Nnaemeka Eke Bill Elfsten Abel Elizalde Russell Elliott Scott Epperson Robert Fama Meriem Feghoul Xinyi Feng Roger Fenningdorf David Fernandez Morgan Fitzpatrick Ryan Flanagan John Flood Kellan Florio Kerry Flynn Jeremy Follett Anneliese Foster Fabrice Francois Marissa Freund Anders Furuhed Sebastien Gagnon Timothy Galligan Francesca Gardner Raj Garigipati Brian Garrett Douglas Gilman Aaron Goldman Jeremy Goldman Sanyam Goyal Ricky Grant Steven Gray Jules Gruner Shao Ping Guan Anushka Gupta Sonia Gupta Arvind Guruprasad Itir Guvenc Mungan Raymond Haagen Andrew Haave Sylvia Hadjimamas Terry Hagerty Sharon Hall Jeff Haller Scott Hankey Sara Hanlon Tom Haraldsson Alex Harman Lauren Havens Ken Hayahara James Hayward Tom Healy Victoria Hegan Michael Heller Paula Hendrickson Evan Herring Schuyler Heuer Daniel Hibbert Andrew Hine Megan Hogan Yoomin Hong John Hooton George Horton Dan Howard Christine Hu Katie Hyde Nicole Irvin Ahmed Ismail Kumar Iyer Philip Jacob Raphaelle Jacquemin Rajan Jain Rich James Marene Jennings Kyle Jessen Natasha Jhunjhunwala Brandon Johnson Geddes Johnson Milind Joshi Sojin Jung Amy Jupe Michael Kagan William Kallop Jordan Kaufman Charlotte Keenan Maxime Kennel Aron Kershner Ronald Keung Eugene Khafizov Feroz Khosla Kieron King Tom Knott Simon Knowles Sarah Kong Scott Konicki Robert Koslow Kunal Koya Elisabeth Kozack Joanna Kozlowski Kristin Kramer Jason Kreuziger Daniel Krinsky Kristin Kuney Casey Laflamme Beyrouthawit Lakew Mikael Lang Mark Langham Francesca Lau Karmen Lau Victoria Ledda Adrian Lee Sara Lee Niall Leguillon Chip Lemkau Marie Claire Lennon Matthew Leskowitz Ryan Lester Curtis Leung Jacky Leung Giulia Lewandowski Christian Lhert Aihua Liang Chi-Yu Liang Mony Lim Nyan Lin Tobias Lindemann Jon Lindgren Ada Liu Adrian Loh Syida Long Lorenzo Pasquale Longo Alexandre Lucas Michelle Luk Amanda Lynam Chris Lyon Srivats Madhavan Alok Madhukar Devasish Majumdar Salome Makharadze Shun Manabe James Mann Todd Mansfield Corey Maple Ivan Martinez Farzad Mashayekhi Morad Masjedi Michael Mastropaolo Moe Matar Colin Mathews Ritesh Mathur Brooke Mayne Jordan McCallum Mark McCaskill Catherine McCormack Paul McGregor Andrew McLennan Brian McMahon Nehal Mehra Ramiro Menchaca Mark Midle Giuseppe Milicia Kristin Milot Yusuke Minowa Aric Mizrahi Sherry-Ann Mohan Stacy Mohr Mohammed Mohsinali Helen Moloney Matthew Mottram Richard Mulley Ken Murata Sarah Murray Usman Naeem Soumik Nandy Satish Narang Vijay Narayanan Jamil Nathoo Joseph Natoli Sean Navin Aziz Ndiaye Ryan Newman Sara Nielsen Eyal Nirenberg Quinn O'Bryen Joanna Obstoj Jackie O'Connor Nonso Ogbonna Laide Oginni Mari Oishi Scarlett Omar-Broca Enrico Orlandi Jean Otrakji Edouard Panie Francesco Papa Pratik Pareek Gemma Parrott Atul Pawar Arnaud Payement Yuriy Podoshev Mitesh Popat Matthew Popper Arnaud Porchet Nicole Poulson Joseph Pozzi Anant Prasad Frederic Pripp Chaitra Purushotham Benny Quek Conor Quinn Thomas Radberg Stephanie Raimo Kamal Ramnani Michael Rand Olivia Rascoe Jibraan Rasheed Varun Rastogi Seth Reagen Nikhil Reddy Adil Rehman Elaine Rene Salveen Richter Fabian Riedel Helen Rigley Joe Ritchie Ilan Rochman David Rockliff Pearl Rodrigues Mark Romanczuk Mairin Rooney Delia Rosoga Ranjith Roy Mark Ruffles Benjamin Runnacles Ashley Ryan Eric Ryckman Takeshi Saito Sushil Sancheti Neha Santiago Vijay Saraswat James Sarvis Christian Schaefer Heather Schuyler Katelyn Seager Gowri Sekar Chris Semones Vikram Sethi Hui Shan Adi Sharma Praharsh Sharma Nicole Sharp Inna Shaykevich Jenna Shen David Shih Michael Shin Aekloveya Shyam Haris Siddiqi Adam Siegler John Sienkiewicz Craig Singer Peter Smith Brian Snyder Tejas Sodha Doug Spencer Mark Spitzer Anushree Srivastava Christian Stassen Holger Staude Emily Stecher Becky Steinthal Samuel Su Vivek Sukhatme Danny Suwanapruti Andy Tai Stephanie Tan Kei Tanaka Jacky Tang Hekmat Tannous Michael Tarulli Luigi Tavella Archana Tayade Emma Taylor Lori Taylor Asher Teren Gurtaran Thethi Jonathan Thomas Neil Thomas Bryn Thompson-Clarke Todor Todorov Steven Torbeck Sidney Tordjman Stephen Tripi Clemens Tripp Michael Trokoudes Jason Tsang Christian Tschirdewahn Candice Tse Vicki Tung Mateo Ugas Alekhya Uppalapati Rucha Vaidya Steven Valentic Peter VanDeventer Kyle VanFleet Alexandre Virolle Christopher Volmut Neel Vora Danielle Walsh Jordan Walter Bingwen Wang Phyllis Wang Zac Wang Brandon Watkins James Weaver Deborah Wei* Steven Weiss Robert Whelan Andrew White Anna Whitlow Eva Maria Wiecko Liz Wilcockson Lennart Wilhelm Rob Williams Henry Willoughby Jim Wiltshire Maggie Wojcik William Wolcott Jean Xu Xiao-ou Kevin Xu Susan Yan Julien Yoo Wael Younan Laura Young Nick Young Ali Zaidi Kirill Zavodov Thilo Zeidler James Zhang Wanjing Zhang Yun Zhang <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/10-up-and-coming-fintechs-2019?IR=T&amp;itm_source=businessinsider&amp;itm_medium=ctgr_bii&amp;itm_term=ctgr_leadgen&amp;itm_content=finance&amp;itm_campaign=10-up-and-coming-fintechs-2019-2"></a>

Goldman Sachs' new managing-director list is out, and millennials dominated the class

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">CoinmineCoinmine launched a crypto mining device called Coinmine One.</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Coinmine, a startup backed by Coinbase Ventures and other investors, rolled out a new crypto mining device that allows users to mint cryptocurrencies at home.</li><li>The device now allows users to mine Ethereum, Ethereum Classic, Monero, and Zcash, though not yet Bitcoin. </li><li>The launch comes at a time when mining cryptocurrencies at home is difficult to do at scale, in the wake of falling crypto prices and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bitcoin-price-rise-causes-hash-rate-arms-race-2018-2">rising energy costs. </a></li></ul>For $799, you can mine cryptocurrency at home.Launched this week, a new gadget called Coinmine One gets rid of the traditionally cumbersome mining process. Instead of manually assembling multiple computer graphic processors, downloading the software, and setting up a crypto wallet, all you need to do is power up the device, connect it to WIFI, and tap your phone to choose which coin you want to mine. For the initial launch, Coinmine One allows users to mine Ethereum, Ethereum Classic, Monero, and Zcash - but not yet Bitcoin. With further updates, it will support Grin, Dfinity, Filecoin and Bitcoin Lightning, the company said. Unlike most specially-designed, unwieldy mining rigs, the Coinmine One device is smaller, handier, and quieter. The device is the size of a PlayStation video game console with a sleek Apple-esque design and comes pre-assembled. You can simply use a mobile app to control the device, which also doesn't produce roaming sounds when turned on. With a white, transparent cover, it looks like a compact computer case and is powered by an operating system, dubbed MineOS, which updates automatically to support a variety of crypto networks. It also consumes a relatively small amount of electricity at 120 watts per hour, according to the company, The device is aimed at overcoming one of the main challenges in crypto mining - the high barriers for ordinary people to enter, said Farbood Nivi, cofounder and CEO of Coinmine.See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wall-street-firms-are-making-bitcoin-more-stable-2018-8">Wall Street has helped eliminate one of bitcoin's biggest problems, and it could fulfill 'Satoshi Nakamoto's original vision'</a>"Crypto is about decentralizing information and money with decentralized computing," he said. "The more you can support the decentralization, the more people can support the decentralizing power, the more secure, powerful, reliable and valuable crypto becomes."Nivi likened the potential impact of Coinmine on the crypto world to the influence that Apple had on the PC industry. "We were like Apple computers back then, an easy way to access the Internet," he said. "Easy to participate. You don't have to be an expert." The device has a power of 29 megahashes per second(MH/s) for Ethereum, 900 hashes per second (H/s) for Monero, and 320 solution per second (Sol/s) for Zcash. To put that into perspective, if turned on for a year, the device can mint an ether, which is the cryptocurrency powering Ethereum, up to three Monero, and half a Zcash, according to Nivi.The company has raised $1.5 million to-date and is backed by Coinbase's venture arm as well as angel investors like Coinbase's chief technology officer Balaji Srinivasan and Tinder's chief product officer Brian Norgard.The new launch comes at a time when it's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bitcoin-price-rise-causes-hash-rate-arms-race-2018-2">harder to turn a profit mining crypto</a>, particularly at home. According to <a href="https://diar.co/volume-2-issue-40/">research firm Diar</a>, bitcoin miners amassed $4.7 billion in revenue in the first three quarters of 2018. But with crypto prices falling and an increase in computing power competing for mining rewards, profitability has dropped. Mining, in general, is a process of solving complicated math problems to get compensated by new coins, like bitcoin or ether. Machines run 24/7 to execute a protocol to resolve those math problems. The first computer, or a group of computers, that solve the problem can receive slices of the currencies in return. In the midst of the cryptocurrency craze, sophisticated investors set up machines at home to mine those digital assets and sell them, in addition to trading cryptos on exchanges. Whether you can make money depends on the efficiency of the mining rig, the cost of electricity, and the price of the cryptocurrency.In bitcoin mining, the industry has been rapidly evolved, with miners using gears equipped with specially designed mining chips, called ASIC, short for application-specific integrated circuit. But even with those advanced kits, it would still be hard for miners to be profitable at scale, according to Silicon Valley venture capitalist Bill Tai, who is also a board member of BitFury, which produces mining hardware."You have to be able to source electricity at scale and at prices of less than 10 cents," he said. According to a report by advisory firm Fundstrat, the breakeven price for bitcoin mining is $7,300, assuming that miners are using the powerful bitcoin miner Antminer S9 ASIC and paying an electricity cost of $0.06. "What's at the heart of the crypto mining industry is a hash rate battle and a low energy consumption battle," said Martin Leblanc, founder and CEO of Nuvoo, a Canadian cryptocurrency mining company.<h2>See also:</h2><ul><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bitcoin-price-rise-causes-hash-rate-arms-race-2018-2">JPMORGAN: Bitcoin miners are in a hash rate arms race</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bitcoin-price-rise-causes-hash-rate-arms-race-2018-2"></a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/citigroup-exploring-crypto-digital-asset-receipt-2018-9">Citigroup has created a new, less risky way of investing in crypto - and it may be a game changer for the industry</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/citigroup-exploring-crypto-digital-asset-receipt-2018-9"></a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bernstein-research-says-crypto-exchanges-are-set-to-rake-in-more-money-than-last-year">Crypto exchanges are set to rake in twice as much money as last year even though bitcoin is down 51%</a></li></ul> Get the latest Bitcoin price <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/currencies/BTC-USD">here.&gt;&gt;</a>

A sleek new device that looks like an Xbox lets you mine crypto at home

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">John Dill, MaiTai GlobalAn entrepreneur tries kiteboarding during last year's Xtreme Tech Challenge on Necker Island.</div></div></div><a href="http://www.maitaiglobal.org/">MaiTai Global</a> isn't your typical entrepreneur network. Combining a passion for innovation with extreme sports, MaiTai hosts a number of meet-ups in exotic locations like the Dominican Republic, Australia, and Necker Island over the course of the year. The organization was started by venture capitalist Bill Tai and professional kiteboarder Susi Mai. MaiTai has announced its second annual "Extreme Tech Challenge," a startup competition hosted in conjunction with Virgin Group billionaire Richard Branson and the Consumer Electronics Show."We're looking for a killer founding team that has an edge, with a product that could disrupt or define a big market," Tai told Business Insider. "We add accelerant to a team and product that will be winners anyway, but get them there faster by stepping up their visibility and providing resources that help them scale at low cost." Applications <a href="http://extremetechchallenge.com/">are being accepted</a> until September 30. The top 10 startups will present to contest judges during CES in January. The final three then get to go on to present at Necker Island, Branson's 74-acre Carribbean retreat.Judges include Branson, Consumer Electronics Association CEO Gary Shapiro, Google Maps creator Lars Rasmussen, tech blogger Robert Scoble, and venture capitalists Tim Draper and Veronica Serra. While an investment isn't guaranteed, the contest's organizers say the exposure to influential members of the tech community can be invaluable. This year, the challenge team has partnered with wearable tech-focused accelerator <a href="http://wearableworld.co/">Wearable World</a> to help competing Internet-of-things startups get on a fast track to success."What truly sets this competition apart from any other goes beyond on the infrastructure we provide to help companies scale. It's truly about community," executive director Kym McNicholas said. "I love cultivating a community where entrepreneurs feel like they have support every step of the way, well beyond their two minutes on the stage."They'll have some fun, too. Any event with MaiTai is bound to include kiteboarding and other water sports, and Branson's island was basically designed for a good time.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Courtesy of John Dill, MaiTai Global</div></div></div><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Courtesy of John Dill, MaiTai Global</div></div></div>Last year's finalists included smartphone breathalyzer company <a href="https://www.breathometer.com/">Breathometer</a>, medical app <a href="http://www.doctorondemand.com/">Doctor on Demand</a>, and bus travel search site <a href="http://www.wanderu.com/">Wanderu</a>. Breathometer, a platform that can analyze your health by the scent of your breath, had won a $1.6 million investment on "Shark Tank" prior to its participation in the Extreme Tech Challenge. It also graduated from StartX, the Stanford-affiliated startup incubator, in 2014. Doctor on Demand was founded by daytime TV personality Dr. Philip McGraw ("Dr. Phil"), his son Jay McGraw, and entrepreneur Adam Jackson. In July, <a href="https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/doctor-on-demand">the startup closed</a> a $62.7 million Series B round that included contributions from Branson, 23andMe, Rock Health, Qualcomm Ventures, Dignity Health, and Shasta Ventures, among others.Wanderu shot to the top of the iTunes Store charts the week of its launch. It <a href="https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/wanderu">has raised</a> $8.1 million in funding to date. "It was the most incredible experience I've ever had," Wanderu cofounder and CEO Polina Raygorodskaya <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/what-its-like-to-pitch-richard-branson-on-necker-island-2015-2">told Business Insider</a> in February. "We definitely built some important connections." <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/richard-branson-necker-island-water-2014-7">How Richard Branson gets fresh water on his private island</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="x4a2MzNjqxnaDciCyAXi2sUVdgB4W9we" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

A group of extreme sports-loving entrepreneurs is hosting a startup contest, and the finals will be on Richard Branson's private island

<div type="image" title="aang sozin's comet avatar the last airbender" height="642" width="856" msid="75753563" hostid="261"></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>"Avatar: The Last Airbender," one of the most beloved <keyword id="19966" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="cartoons">cartoons</keyword> of all time, hit <keyword id="128682" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Netflix">Netflix</keyword> in its entirety on May 15.</li><li>The series, which aired originally from 2005 to 2008, is still one of the best animated series ever, set apart by its complex worldbuilding and empathy for its characters.</li><li>"Avatar" set a precedent for cartoons in the 2010s, demonstrating the complex stories that can be told in 23-minute chunks. </li><li>This article contains spoilers for "Avatar."</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>To this day, no animated series — and arguably, few television series in general — have managed to achieve the lasting impact of <keyword id="16123" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Nickelodeon">Nickelodeon</keyword>'s "Avatar: The Last Airbender." The series, which initially ran from 2005 to 2008, is a masterclass in animation, character development, and complex storytelling. Moreover, it still resonates with audiences today, coming to Netflix in full on May 15, much to the joy of the series' fans.It's easy to recognize the ways that "Avatar" set a precedent in Western animation in the 2010s, precipitating a wave of ambitious, character-driven storytelling that's easily seen in series like Wonderstorm's "The Dragon Prince" (it's showrunner, Aaron Ehasz, is an "Avatar" alum) or Cartoon Network's deeply empathetic "Steven Universe."What sets "Avatar" apart in 2020, 15 years after its debut, is its incredible worldbuilding, fleshed-out characters, and ability to make topics like war, trauma, and death comprehensible for younger audiences without pulling its punches. [Ed. Note: This article contains spoilers for "Avatar: The Last Airbender."]<h2>"Avatar" deftly crafts an immersive universe that its characters inhabit. </h2>For the uninitiated, the series takes place in a fantasy world split into four elemental nations: The Earth Kingdom, the Northern and Southern Water Tribes, the Fire Nation, and the Air Nomads. As <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/5943jz/avatar-the-last-airbender-is-still-one-of-the-greatest-shows-of-all-time">Nicole Clark reported in Vice</a>, the series draws from a variety of Asian cultures, particularly that of China. The series brought on the vice president of the group Media Action Network for Asian Americans as a consultant in order to check that everything from character design to the show's art style was done sensitively. In the show, certain people have the ability to "bend" one of the four elements, with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iisrUSi7Kgw&amp;feature=emb_titleitle">bending styles drawing upon martial arts styles</a> ranging from Tai Chi to Northern Shaolin Kung Fu. One individual known as the Avatar is gifted with the power to bend all four. In return, they're tasked with maintaining balance in the world and serving as a bridge between mortals and spirits.<div type="image" title="aang avatar cosmic power crossroads of destiny" height="663" width="884" msid="75753567" hostid="261"></div>In "Avatar: The Last Airbender," that's Aang, a whimsical 12-year-old Airbender who learns in the series' first episode that his people were wiped out as a result of a genocidal war waged by the Fire Nation while he was frozen in an iceberg for 100 years. In turn, the world has been without an Avatar for a century, leaving the balance skewed. The initial device of Aang being an Avatar displaced in time helps to flesh out the history of the universe. He consistently harkens back to things he remembers from his childhood, whether it's bygone Fire Nation slang or old schemes he used to get up to with a friend in one of the Earth Kingdom's biggest cities. From the get-go, it's clear that "Avatar's" vibrant history is key to understanding the political machinations of its present. While the Fire Nation is the indubitably the biggest enemy, the Earth Kingdom capital city, Ba Sing Se, is fraught with corruption; the Northern Water Tribe closed itself off in the face of the war, leaving the Southern Water Tribe to fend for itself.The "Avatar" universe is so compelling that its creators have regularly revisited it. There's "<a href="https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2014/12/korra-series-finale-recap-gay-asami">The Legend of Korra</a>," a sequel series that follows the next Avatar, Korra, through her own struggles 70 years after the events of Avatar. Going into the past, there's "<a href="https://www.polygon.com/2019/7/24/20703880/the-rise-of-kyoshi-avatar-the-last-airbender-fc-yee-interview">The Rise of Kyoshi</a>" and its forthcoming sequel "The Shadow of Kyoshi," YA novels penned by F.C. Yee that dive hundreds of years into the past to focus on Avatar Kyoshi's origin and life. <h2>"Avatar" is character-driven, exploring complex themes through personal stories</h2>While Aang is the Avatar, he's not alone in his quest: early on in the series, he groups up with Katara and Sokka, the pair of Southern Water Tribe siblings who awaken him from his 100-year slumber. Along the way, the trio picks up accomplices like Toph, a blind Earth Kingdom heiress who teaches herself how to use her Earthbending to "see," or Suki, a warrior from the Earth Kingdom who follows traditions set by Avatar Kyoshi. Each of "Avatar's" primary characters go through extensive character development across the course of the series' three seasons, suddenly seeming much older than their 12 to 16 years by the end of it all. <div type="image" title="aang katara hugging sozin's comet" height="649" width="866" msid="75753570" hostid="261"></div>Just as crucial, however, is the show's ensemble cast, who ground the show's narrative by showing the impact that the war has had on people outside of the Avatar's inner circle.<h2>"Avatar" features one of the best redemption arcs ever.</h2>Zuko, the disgraced Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, is arguably the series' most compelling character. He's first introduced as a villain, attempting to capture Aang in order to bring him back to his father, the Fire Lord, and restore his honor. Like others, he's also been wounded by the Fire Nation, and he bears it in a visible scar that occupies half of his face.Guided by his uncle Iroh, a military hero who typically prefers to wax poetic over a cup of tea, Zuko's change across the series is the most dramatic. Initially guided by a single focus — capture the Avatar to restore his honor — repeated interactions with Team Avatar and others outside the Fire Nation continually challenge Zuko's worldview. In one pivotal moment, he and Katara learn that even as rivals, they share something in common: both of their mothers were taken by the Fire Nation. Down the line, Zuko and Aang learn the secrets of Firebending side by side.<div type="image" title="aang and zuko firebending masters" height="651" width="868" msid="75753574" hostid="261"></div>Zuko's journey is far from simple, and involves quite a bit of prodding from his uncle Iroh, who serves as one of the series' moral centers. Across three seasons, Zuko's worldview fundamentally shifts as he comes to terms with the fact that his honor isn't tied solely to appeasing his father. From the get-go, it's clear that his path will be the least straightforward out of any of the main cast, particularly as he falters, realizes his mistakes, and tries again and again.<h2>"Avatar: The Last Airbender" set a precedent for cartoons in the 2010s</h2>At this point, "Avatar" feels like canon in the world of cartoons — returning to the series in 2020 makes it clear how its empathetic storytelling and ambitious worldbuilding set a precedent for series like its sequel spin-off, "The Legend of Korra," or shows like "She-Ra and the Princesses of Power," a Dreamworks series helmed by "Nimona's" Noelle Stevenson that released its final season on May 15 as well. Elements of "Avatar's" ruminations of inherited trauma and war are apparent in series like Cartoon Network's "Steven Universe," which focuses on a half-human, half-alien boy who is <a href="https://www.polygon.com/2019/9/2/20842447/steven-universe-the-movie-review-spoilers">continuously forced to deal with the implications of his deceased mother's decisions</a> while ensuring alongside his mentors that Earth doesn't become part of an intergalactic conflict. There are echoes of Zuko's redemption in <a href="https://www.polygon.com/2018/12/4/18124396/she-ra-netflix-noelle-stevenson-interview-catradora">Catra, one of "She-Ra and the Princesses of Power's" villains,</a> as she grapples with pursuing her ambitions in an organization that's tearing her apart and her lack of willingness to admit defeat in any way to Adora, her former best friend turned sworn enemy. The <a href="https://www.polygon.com/2018/9/23/17883268/the-dragon-prince-writers-season-2-video-game-world-building">ambitious worldbuilding in "The Dragon Prince"</a> tackles a new universe with the potential to be just as vast as that of "Avatar."<div type="image" title="the dragon prince netflix" height="800" width="1067" msid="75753576" hostid="261"></div>That's not to say that the animated canon of the 2010s drew directly from "Avatar's" pedigree. Rather, "Avatar" set a standard in storytelling, proving that it was possible to tackle difficult stories in 23-minute chunks ostensibly targeted towards children and young adults. Continued interest in the franchise today and across the past decade is also testament to its impact: aside from the fact that there's still new canon yet to be added into the universe, the series also established the <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/tags/Alternate%20Universe%20-%20Avatar%20*a*%20Benders%20Setting/works">popular "Avatar &amp; Benders" fanfiction subset</a> in which writers imagine characters from other franchises taking on the Avatar role. That's not to mention <a href="https://www.insider.com/avatar-the-last-airbender-netflix-nickelodeon-reaction-gifs-zuko-meme-2020-5">the "Avatar" memes</a> that are still pervasive online.<h2>It's not a reach to call "Avatar: The Last Airbender" one of the best TV series of all time</h2>While it's easy to be dissuaded by overarching, superlative claims that certain series are "must-watches," "Avatar" truly fits the bill. Aside from the aforementioned points, it has a laundry list of redeeming qualities ranging from its anime-influenced animation style to its lush, percussive score to its unflagging goofy sense of humor. Ultimately, though, the series' compelling characters and overwhelming sense of empathy is what makes it truly great. With the series coming to Netflix, it's once again set to be easily accessible for those with a subscription, opening the door for everyone to re-experience one of the best animated series together — no matter if it's for the very first time or the 50th.<ul class="read-more-links"><li>Read more:</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/avatar-the-last-airbender-netflix-nickelodeon-reaction-gifs-zuko-meme-2020-5">'Avatar: The Last Airbender'c omes to Netflix on May 15. Revisit some of the series' iconic moments through GIFs and memes.</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/best-tv-shows-of-all-time-2017-6">50 TV shows everyone should watch in their lifetime</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/netflix-best-animated-series-streaming-now-2019-12">The 16 best animated series you can stream on Netflix right now</a></li></ul>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.insider.com/avatar-netflix-watch-best-cartoon-tv-show-impact-last-airbender-2020-5">Insider</a>

'Avatar: The Last Airbender' is on Netflix now, and it still stands up as one of the best animated TV series ever

Top 100 richest people in the world: Some interesting facts

Bethany McCamishThe author and her fiancé, Charles. <ul class="summary-list"><li>My fiancé and I are getting married in Kauai, and we're saving on travel costs by booking flights on points.</li><li>We transferred Ultimate Rewards points from the <a href="https://thepointsguy.com/card-details/chase-sapphire-preferred-card/?utm_campaign=bi_02142020_bm_destination-wedding-points&amp;utm_source=referral" rel="nofollow">Chase Sapphire Preferred Card</a> and the <a href="https://thepointsguy.com/card-details/ink-business-preferred%e2%84%a0-credit-card/?utm_campaign=bi_02142020_bm_destination-wedding-points&amp;utm_source=referral" rel="nofollow">Ink Business Preferred Credit Card</a> to Southwest to book our round-trip tickets.</li><li>I also signed up for the <a href="https://thepointsguy.com/card-details/southwest-rapid-rewards-performance-business-credit-card/?utm_campaign=bi_02142020_bm_destination-wedding-points&amp;utm_source=referral" rel="nofollow">Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card</a> and am working toward the Companion Pass. This will let me bring along a family member for almost free.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-rewards-credit-cards">See Business Insider's list of the best rewards credit cards »</a></li></ul>My fiancé and I have used points and miles to travel as far as South America. When we decided on Kauai for our destination wedding, we took two plane tickets out of our wedding budget. That's because we knew we could book them using our credit card points. Here's how we did it.Keep in mind that we're focusing on the rewards and perks that make these credit cards great options, not things like interest rates and late fees, which will far outweigh the value of any points or miles. It's important to practice financial discipline when using credit cards by paying your balances in full each month, making payments on time, and only spending what you can afford to pay back. <h2>Finding the best travel reward credit cards for us</h2>The travel rewards credit card you pick should be determined by your future travel goals. For us, we like to get our plane tickets for free, and this is where <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-chase-card">Chase credit cards</a> truly shine.Our first Chase travel rewards card was the <a href="https://thepointsguy.com/card-details/chase-sapphire-preferred-card/?utm_campaign=bi_02142020_bm_destination-wedding-points&amp;utm_source=referral" rel="nofollow">Chase Sapphire Preferred</a>. We each applied and received the 60,000-point sign-up bonus by meeting the minimum spending requirement of $4,000 in the first three months.The points came rushing into our accounts, and we got really excited about our first free plane tickets. These points are called <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guide-earning-using-chase-ultimate-rewards-points">Chase Ultimate Rewards</a>, and they can be transferred to different hotel and airline partners, including Hyatt, Marriott, British Airways, and United.We found you can fly just about anywhere in the world using the Chase Ultimate Rewards points. United, Southwest, British Airways, Air France, and more are all transfer partners who accept Chase Ultimate Reward points.<h2>How we're flying to our destination wedding on points</h2>Once we figured out how to transfer points and booked our first plane tickets for free, we were hooked. This made choosing a destination wedding even easier once we were engaged. For the wedding travel, we applied for new credit cards.Chase business credit cards are the way to go because they offer large sign-up point bonuses. Thankfully, I own my own freelance design and writing business, so I was able to sign up for the <a href="https://thepointsguy.com/card-details/ink-business-preferred%e2%84%a0-credit-card/?utm_campaign=bi_02142020_bm_destination-wedding-points&amp;utm_source=referral" rel="nofollow">Ink Business Preferred Credit Card</a>. This card gave me 80,000 points after meeting the minimum spend requirement of $5,000 in the first three months. Plus the points are worth 25% more when redeemed for travel.All of this does take time to plan out, but we had over a year and a half before the big day.<h3>The first step was to accumulate the points</h3>The minimum spend on this card was $5,000 in the first three months in order to get the points. We always pay off our credit cards in full each month, so we needed to make sure what we put on the card could be paid off.We switched some bills onto the card and made all of our grocery purchases with it. By the end of three months, we hit the minimum spend and the points came in. We didn't touch them until it was time to buy our tickets to Kauai four months later. By this time, we had accumulated another 20,000 points, both through purchases and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/earn-more-miles-points-credit-card-referral-bonuses">by referring a friend to the card</a>.<h3>Next, we found the flights we wanted</h3>We decided to fly Southwest from Phoenix to Kauai, since it had the most direct route. But, we had to wait again. That's because airlines have their own policies about how far in advance you can book tickets for both cash and using rewards.Southwest varies, but they always announce it ahead of time. We could book the tickets on December 11, 2019 for our wedding in June of 2020. <h3>Finally, we transferred the points and purchased the flight tickets</h3>On December 12, we logged into our Southwest account (you'll need an account if you want to transfer over Chase points), and found the flights. When searching, we always choose the option for "points" instead of dollars. This way we can get a total for the exact number of points we need to transfer from Chase to the airline. Our total for two tickets was 94,254 points.Next, we opened another browser window and went to the Ultimate Rewards center on the Chase website. There's a clear button to transfer the points and a place to input our Southwest Rapid Rewards number. Within a few minutes the points showed up, and we booked the tickets.We paid a total of $22.40. This is a security fee not covered by Ultimate Rewards points. <h2>How we plan to fly family out for almost free</h2>Using points for our destination wedding didn't stop with our two free tickets. I applied for another Chase credit card in November. It's the <a href="https://thepointsguy.com/card-details/southwest-rapid-rewards-performance-business-credit-card/?utm_campaign=bi_02142020_bm_destination-wedding-points&amp;utm_source=referral" rel="nofollow">Southwest Rapid Rewards Performance Business Credit Card</a>. We're moving and I'm getting a new office, so meeting the minimum spending requirement of $5,000 in the first three months (for 70,000 Rapid Reward points) wasn't a challenge. Currently, the card is offering an elevated bonus of up to 100,000 points - 70,000 points after you spend $5,000 in the first three months, plus another 30,000 points after you spend $25,000 in the first six months.The most important thing was to making sure I met the minimum spend near the start of a calendar year. That's because the points from this sign-up bonus (and from spending on the card) count toward the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-earn-the-southwest-companion-pass">Southwest Companion Pass</a>. The Companion Pass allows me to bring along a friend or family member for almost free on any flight. I'd still have to pay taxes and fees, but that's it.Earning the Companion Pass at the start of the year is essential because it's valid the entire calendar year you earn it in and the following year. We're aiming to have it by February or March.To get the Companion Pass, you need to earn 125,000 qualifying Rapid Rewards points and then we're in! Of course, transferring any leftover Ultimate Rewards points from my Chase cards to Rapid Rewards might seem like an easy solution - but that won't count toward the Companion Pass.In the next few weeks, I plan to apply for the personal <a href="https://thepointsguy.com/card-details/southwest-rapid-rewards-plus-credit-card/?utm_campaign=bi_02142020_bm_destination-wedding-points&amp;utm_source=referral" rel="nofollow">Southwest Rapid Rewards Plus Credit Card</a>. It's currently offering a sign-up bonus of 40,000 points after you spend $1,000 in the first three months.Our home renovation projects and upcoming move should set us up to make the minimum spend and be eligible for the Companion Pass in 2020 and 2021 - meaning I can help fly my family to our destination wedding for almost free, too.Once that's done, I'm just going to be thinking about Mai Tais on the beach and watching the sun hit the ocean edge while we tie the knot.<ul class="read-more-links"><li>More <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/credit-cards">credit card</a> coverage</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-airline-credit-card-comparison-delta-united-american">What's the best airline credit card?</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-cash-back-credit-cards">The best cash-back credit cards</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/southwest-credit-card-comparison-which-to-get">Southwest credit card review</a></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-rewards-credit-cards">Best rewards credit cards</a></li></ul>Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Personal Finance Insider team. We occasionally highlight financial products and services that can help you make smarter decisions with your money. We do not give investment advice or encourage you to adopt a certain investment strategy. If you take action based on one of our recommendations, we get a small share of the revenue from our commerce partners. This does not influence whether we feature a financial product or service. We operate independently from our advertising sales team.Business Insider may receive a commission from The Points Guy Affiliate Network, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.Please note: While the offers mentioned above are accurate at the time of publication, they're subject to change at any time and may have changed, or may no longer be available. <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/martin-greenfield-presidents-tailor-2018-5">How this Holocaust survivor became a tailor for US presidents and celebrities</a></h3>

I'm getting married in Kauai - thanks to credit card sign-up bonuses, I'm able to cover my family's flights with points

<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image"><a href="https://twitter.com/tpdubs2/status/444509011522891776">Twitter / Theresa Preston-Werner</a>Theresa and Tom Preston-Werner, cofounders of nonprofit startup Codestarter.</div></div>After 90 days under the mentorship of Techstars, 12 startups pitched their ideas to an enthusiastic crowd of investors and members of the tech community at <a href="http://demoday.techstars.com/">NYC Spring 2014 Demo Day</a> on Thursday. All the presentations were good, but these four startups really stood out.
<h3><a href="https://www.lynxsy.com/">Lynxsy</a></h3>
Founders: <a href="http://www.twitter.com/susanxzheng">Susan Zheng</a> (CEO), <a href="https://twitter.com/cs_wong">Connie Wong</a> (COO), <a href="https://twitter.com/QuillyT">Quentin Tai</a> (CTO)
With $250,000 in gross billings, Lynxsy plays matchmaker for recent college grads looking for non-technical startup jobs. Its claim to fame? Reducing hiring time for startups from 23 days to a mere 7.
Recent grads import their LinkedIn profile to the app and make a brief autobiographical video to apply. Employers review applicants' skill sets, prior experience, and communication skills. Then, they can hire and pay their new employees through Lynxsy. It's free for job seekers, which is a major incentive for cash-strapped grads.
<h3><a href="http://rivaltheory.com/">Rival{Theory}</a></h3>
Founders: <a href="https://twitter.com/jedisolosky">Amanda Solosky</a>, Bill Klein (CEO) <a href="http://rivaltheory.com/"></a>
"Emotionally intelligent characters are the future," Rival{Theory}'s Amanda Solosky said Thursday morning. The startup creates emotionally intelligent, responsive characters in video games using artificial intelligence. Characters learn about your preferences (for example, that your favorite color is blue and that your weapon of choice is a sword), respond to your voice, and can even jump from game to game with you. 
Rival{Theory} presented its new software, Sentio, using Io, a character who recognized Amanda's voice. Io seemed to be a complex, responsive character. Sentio creates a profile that's based on its memory of you, and Sentio characters learn more about you over time. Its characters are driven by their own desires and change based on their experiences. Solosky said 6,000 developers will have access to Sentio when it's released on Jan. 15, 2015. 
<h3><a href="http://socialsign.in/">SocialSign.in</a></h3>
Founders: <a href="http://twitter.com/mpwn">Mike Perrone</a> (CEO)
SocialSign.in lets businesses build relationships with their customers using Wi-Fi as the medium. When a business uses SocialSign.in, customers who connect to the business' free Wi-Fi are prompted to sign in with their Facebook account or with their email address. Customers can access free Wi-Fi and are given calls to action: "Like us on Facebook" or "Download our app," for instance.
Aside from providing branded Wi-Fi, companies can tap into SocialSign.in's other benefits, like easily acquiring customers' email addresses for mailing lists, gathering visitor insights, and improving how they interact with their customers on social media. For instance, with SocialSign.in a company can look at its customers' top collective Facebook likes. Using this information, companies might cater to their clientele's music taste or preferred reading material. 
<h3><a href="https://codestarter.org/">Codestarter</a></h3>
Founders: <a href="https://twitter.com/tpdubs2">Theresa Preston-Warner</a> (CEO), Tom Preston-Warner (strategic adviser)
"We're on a mission to give a laptop to every kid who wants to learn how to code," Theresa Preston-Werner, Codestarter's CEO and cofounder said Thursday morning. The first nonprofit startup to participate at Techstars NYC, Codestarter raises money for laptops by crowdfunding them one by one.
After installing Linux and a bunch of programming languages on Acer Chromebook laptops, which cost $250 each, Codestarter sends the laptops to <a href="http://coderdojo.com/#zoom=3&amp;lat=48.9225&amp;lon=-35.15625&amp;layers=00B0T">CoderDojo</a>. The volunteer coding program then gives away the laptops to kids who want to learn how to code. 
Preston-Werner's husband, Tom, the GitHub cofounder <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/github-founders-wife-writes-medium-post-2014-5">who resigned over a scandal last month</a>, is Codestarter's strategic adviser. Since Codestarter is a nonprofit, Theresa asked investors to tell other companies they invest in about Codestarter. As incentive for donating money to Codestarter, companies will have their logos placed on each laptop they pay for. During the presentation, Theresa announced that the nonprofit, which she originally started under the name <a href="https://twitter.com/omakasecharity">Omakase</a>, already had 111 pledged laptops.
Check out the <a href="http://demoday.techstars.com/">full list of participants in Techstars' NYC Spring 2014 Demo Day.</a>

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