Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

Small and medium enterprises (<keyword id="20086849" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SMEs" source="keywords">SMEs</keyword>) are driving a major surge in <keyword id="21881529" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="job-applications" source="keywords">job applications</keyword> across key sectors, with more than 35 million job applications recorded in the first eight months of 2024, according to a report by jobs and professional networking platform apna.co. The growth is fueled by rising demand in sectors like BFSI (Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance), BPO (Business Process Outsourcing), and hospitality. The report highlights that the surge in job applications is largely for roles such as Sales &amp; Marketing Managers, Accounting Technicians, Telecallers, Back Office Executives, and Business Development Associates. These positions are critical for the expansion of businesses in these sectors, and the growing demand reflects a strong upward trend in hiring. "SMBs and MSMEs employ more than 110 million people, making them the backbone of our economy. Their success is crucial for our nation's journey towards achieving a USD 5 trillion economy," said Nirmit Parikh, Founder &amp; CEO of apna.co. Parikh emphasised that the demand for skilled workers in these sectors is expected to continue growing, creating vast opportunities for <keyword id="20019820" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="job-seekers" source="keywords">job seekers</keyword> across India. <h2>Major growth in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities</h2>An interesting trend noted in the report is that over 55% of the total job applications for SMB roles came from tier-2 and tier-3 cities, including Jaipur, Indore, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Kochi, and Bhubaneswar. As businesses expand into these cities, the talent pool is evolving to meet the growing demand, fostering a symbiotic relationship between employers and job seekers. Out of the 35 million job applications received, 14 million came from women, marking a 30% year-on-year increase in female participation. Women are increasingly taking on roles across diverse fields like finance, accounts, marketing, and graphic design, reflecting their rising involvement in the workforce. As SMEs and MSMEs continue to grow, the <keyword id="19972727" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="employment-opportunities" source="keywords">employment opportunities</keyword> they generate are set to further contribute to India’s economic goals, fueling progress toward the USD 5 trillion economy target. (With inputs from PTI)

Small businesses generated 35 million job applications till Aug 2024, 14 million were from women: Report

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Armenia said it doesn't see any need to engage with Putin's Collective Security Treaty Organization.</li><li>Its prime minister said it has "frozen" participation in the military alliance "at all levels."</li></ul>A key Russian ally said it doesn't feel the need to engage with the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a group widely <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-csto-never-been-effective-makes-putin-look-weak-experts-2023-7">considered to be President Vladimir Putin's answer to NATO</a>, after snubbing it for almost a year.Nikol Pashinyan, the prime minister of Armenia, one of six member states of the CSTO, made the statement during a press conference on Saturday, according <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://armenpress.am/hy/article/1198725">to</a> <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://armenpress.am/ru/article/1198725">local</a> <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://armenpress.am/en/article/1198725">media reports</a>."Armenia has frozen its participation in the CSTO at all levels," he said, according to a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-september-1-2024">translation</a> by US think tank the Institute for the Study of War.Pashinyan said the Armenian public and other officials may hold different opinions about Armenia's choice, but his government does not see the need to reconsider the decision.However, he added that Armenia may "see the need to make another decision" in the future, per the ISW.Pashinyan <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-ally-armenia-said-frozen-involvement-in-csto-putin-nato-2024-2">announced</a> his decision to leave the CSTO — a military alliance made up of Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan — in February.But since mid 2023, Pashinyan and Armenian representatives have failed to participate in several CSTO events, including military exercises and political meetings.In doing so, Armenia has effectively abstained from participating in the CSTO for almost a year, the ISW reported.Experts told BI earlier this year that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/armenia-leaving-csto-damages-image-putin-russia-wants-project-experts-2024-6">Armenia's actions have damaged what Putin hoped to achieve through the alliance</a>, which is to project the image of Russian power.Tensions have <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/armenia-says-leaving-csto-russia-nato-rival-another-blow-putin-2024-6">risen</a> between Russia and Armenia since Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, which Pashinyan has repeatedly refused to support.In June 2023, Pashinyan <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/armenia-ctso-member-says-not-russia-ally-on-ukraine-2023-6">said</a> his country was "not Russia's ally in the war with Ukraine" and that it felt caught between Russia and the West.Armenia's discontent also comes from its conflict with neighboring Azerbaijan, and the CSTO's response to it.The CSTO has a clause similar to NATO's Article 5, where members are supposed to aid each other when one is attacked. But when Armenia asked for help during clashes with Azerbaijan in 2022, the CSTO did not send troops.Pashinyan called the response "depressing" and "hugely damaging to the CSTO's image both in our country and abroad."Tensions between Armenia and Russia have worsened since then, and Armenia appears to have strengthened its ties to the West, including by <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/armenia-buying-french-indian-weapons-drifting-away-from-ally-russia-2023-12">buying Western weapons</a> and holding <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/armenia-russia-ally-train-with-us-troops-after-putin-snubs-2023-9">military exercises with the US.</a>Pashinyan then announced in Armenia's parliament in June that he was <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/armenia-says-leaving-csto-russia-nato-rival-another-blow-putin-2024-6">taking the country out</a> of the CSTO altogether.At the time, Dmitry Peskov, a Kremlin spokesperson, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/armenia-says-leaving-csto-russia-nato-rival-another-blow-putin-2024-6">said</a> that Russia "will continue to work with our Armenian friends" to clarify their position.Other CSTO members have also snubbed Russia <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-did-russia-invade-ukraine-putin-politics-motive-2023-6">since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine</a> in February 2022.Kazakhstan, for example, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/armenia-ctso-member-says-not-russia-ally-on-ukraine-2023-6">denied</a> Russia's request to send troops when the invasion began, and has <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://thediplomat.com/2022/04/uzbekistan-kazakhstan-dispatch-humanitarian-aid-to-ukraine/">sent aid</a> to Ukraine.Tajikistan's president, meanwhile, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/putin-snubbed-by-allies-since-russia-invaded-ukraine-2022-12">seemed</a> to berate Putin during a meeting of central Asian leaders in October, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/putin-snubbed-by-allies-since-russia-invaded-ukraine-2022-12#tajikistans-president-appeared-to-berate-putin-and-demanded-respect-for-his-country-1">demanding</a> more respect for his country, despite its small size.However, these countries have kept their opposition to a minimum.Experts on the region previously told BI that Russia, as the leader of the group and by far its biggest member, holds so much power over member countries that it is unlikely that other members will leave the alliance.Thomas Graham, cofounder of Yale University's Russian, East European, and Eurasian studies program, told BI earlier this year that Armenia was never as close to the other members as it is to each other and to Russia, making it the most likely to leave.

A longtime Russian ally says it's frozen its participation in Putin's NATO 'at all levels' after a year of snubs

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Kenneth McQueen, 35, was a participant in Creative Rebuild New York's guaranteed basic income pilot.</li><li>The program provided $1,000 monthly to 2,400 artists.</li></ul>Around the time that Kenneth McQueen received his first <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/basic-income-gbi-ubi-low-income-americans-afford-housing-food-2024-5#:~:text=%22It%20was%20every%20single%20thing,for%20one%20to%20five%20years.">guaranteed basic income</a> payment, he started rollerskating. The 35-year-old would zip around Riverbank State Park in his Harlem neighborhood. It was "movement therapy," and helped him cope with financial stress, he said.McQueen was a participant in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-basic-income-artists-helped-pay-healthcare-bills-gbi-2024-7#:~:text=Creatives%20Rebuild%20New%20York%20gave,an%20approach%20to%20poverty%20reduction.">Creative Rebuild New York</a>, a guaranteed basic income pilot for artists across the state. Beginning in summer 2022, 2,400 participants were given $1,000 monthly for 18 months, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/georgia-basic-income-afford-rent-daycare-single-mom-ubi-gbi-2024-6">no strings attached.</a> They could spend their money however they chose.For McQueen, the pilot <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/san-antonio-ubi-guaranteed-basic-income-housing-finances-austin-rent-2024-3#:~:text=San%20Antonio's%20basic%2Dincome%20pilot,in%20Austin%20and%20Harris%20County.">was a relief</a>. He's a fashion designer and founder of the nonprofit social group Respect My Space Alliance, a community of roller skaters focused on inclusivity. On his online OkBleepShop — a platform that showcases fashion from a diverse group of artists — McQueen sells some of his designs, like hoodies, tote bags, and T-shirts with slogans like "Destroy White Supremacy" and "Respect My Skates."McQueen said he loves his work, but it can be <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/middle-class-americans-earning-above-poverty-live-paycheck-to-paycheck-2024-4">challenging to pay bills </a>as an artist."I'm meeting people and making friends, and we all have the same story," he told Business Insider. "These are super talented, very educated, beautiful, nice people, but we cannot get jobs."A majority of artists in New York have a household income below $50,000 a year, though that figure can fluctuate significantly month-to-month, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.creativesrebuildny.org/2024/05/30/portrait-of-ny-state-artists/">per a survey</a> by Creative Rebuild New York of over 13,000 artists conducted between February and May 2022. The survey also found that 46% of artists rely on gig work for additional income.To qualify for the GBI pilot, participants like McQueen had to self-identify as an artist, culture bearer, or culture maker. This could include designers, painters, singers, dancers, writers, or orators. Participants' art was not evaluated based on merit.They also had to demonstrate financial need based on the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://selfsufficiencystandard.org/">self-sufficiency standard</a>, an income measure created in the 1990s by Dr. Diana Pearce that evaluates how much money a person needs to afford the basics where they live. <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/basic-income-funding-comes-from-philanthropy-federal-budget-housing-taxes2024-4">Funding</a> for the program came from the Mellon Foundation, Tides Center, Ford Foundation, and Stavros Niarchos Foundation.Creative Rebuild New York's pilot <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/which-states-cities-have-guaranteed-basic-income-programs-low-income-2024-4">joins over 100 guaranteed basic income programs</a> across America. Previous participants have told BI that they used their basic income to pay rent, afford groceries, drop second jobs, pay down debt, and support their families.Although McQueen said he feels anxious now that his $1,000 payments have ended, he is excited about his next opportunities.<h2 id="e9483722-dd47-4ac0-95c1-b2a6684c9a8b">Basic income improved McQueen's mental health, encouraged entrepreneurship</h2>Primarily, basic income gave McQueen "peace of mind," he said. He didn't have a full-time job when the pandemic hit, and he said he was temporarily receiving unemployment benefits.A monthly boost from Creative Rebuild New York meant McQueen <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chicago-basic-income-helped-mother-rent-an-apartment-ubi-gbi2024-5">could pay his rent</a> and avoid debt. The GBI also gave him more freedom to choose design gigs and help his mother when she needed healthcare support."It kicked in at just the right time," he said.McQueen said that GBI also <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sam-altman-basic-income-study-results-starting-a-business-2024-7">allowed him to launch</a> Respect My Space Alliance. As a Black and LGBTQ+ roller skater, McQueen said he created the group in 2022 to foster a safer and more inclusive skating culture for himself and his friends. Now, the organization offers events and workshops. McQueen even had enough money to buy himself a new pair of skates."I was spending that money to create another world for me to live in and to continue to create community and create income," McQueen said.He added that he expects Respect My Space Alliance will create a steady job for himself and other New York roller skaters as the organization grows. Receiving $1,000 a month pushed him "to another level of entrepreneurship," he said.<h2 id="70f17331-9a15-4a82-82ba-2a6c25fe972a">McQueen is grateful for GBI but is stressed about future finances</h2>The Creative Rebuild New York payments concluded in spring 2024 and, now that he is no longer receiving the money, McQueen feels stressed. He isn't sure how he's going to make his next rent payment.US pilot results like New York's have shown that cash payments help people <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/los-angeles-guaranteed-basic-income-pilot-ubi-partner-violence-employment-2024-7#:~:text=The%20largest%20basic%20income%20pilot,time%20work%20than%20remain%20unemployed.">pay for housing</a> and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/immigrants-new-mexico-basic-income-for-housing-healthcare-ubi-gbi2024-5">secure jobs</a> — but the trials and subsequent research don't reflect long-term results. It's not yet clear how GBI shapes participants' financial stability in the years after their programs end, and some politicians and economists say the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guaranteed-basic-income-ban-ubi-arizona-texas-houston-homelessness-poverty-2024-2">basic income model is too expensive</a> for cities or private funders to sustain.Maura Cuffie-Peterson — the director of strategic initiatives, guaranteed income at Creative Rebuild New York — <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-basic-income-artists-helped-pay-healthcare-bills-gbi-2024-7">previously told BI</a> that many artists struggle to make ends meet. Along with a GBI pilot, the organization also ran a fellowship program that funded $65,000 annual salaries for 300 artists between 2022 and 2024."Artists have been making so much important work that we all live by, live with, and care about," she said. "But they are very rarely fairly compensated or taken care of to make that work."McQueen isn't sure what will happen next, but he's grateful for the way basic income <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sam-altman-basic-income-study-results-2024-7">helped his career and mental health</a>."It was the ignition of my own financial freedom, and although I'm still navigating my way out of the muddy waters financially, I'm thankful because I see hope in the future," he said.Have you benefited from a guaranteed basic income program? Are you open to sharing how you spent the money? If so, reach out to this reporter at <a target="_blank" class="" href="mailto:allisonkelly@businessinsider.com">allisonkelly@businessinsider.com</a>.

A New York basic income participant used his monthly $1,000 to pay bills and launch a nonprofit

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 8th edition of the International Telecommunication Union - World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (<keyword id="23549707" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ITU-WTSA" source="keywords">ITU-WTSA</keyword>) at <keyword id="19950568" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharat-Mandapam" source="keywords">Bharat Mandapam</keyword> here in the national capital today. This is the first time the ITU-WTSA will be hosted in India and the Asia-Pacific. Prime Minister will also inaugurate the 8th edition of the <keyword id="21058244" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="India-Mobile-Congress" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="India Mobile Congress" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="India Mobile Congress">India Mobile Congress</keyword> (IMC), with the theme, "The future is now." Prime Minister Modi took to X to announce both events, saying, "At 10 AM tomorrow, 15th October, the International Telecommunication Union - World Telecommunication Standardisation Assembly and the India Mobile Congress 2024 will be inaugurated. These forums are important ones, bringing together leading stakeholders from across the sector." Aa per a statement by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the event will be facilitating interactions with various industry leaders, policy-makers and tech experts from over one ninety countries. It is a pivotal global event that will bring together more than 3,000 industry leaders, policy-makers and tech experts from over 190 countries, representing telecom, digital, and ICT sectors. The ITU-WTSA event will also facilitate discussion on the standards set for new age technologies such as 6G, AI, IoT, Big Data, cybersecurity, etc. "Hosting this event in India will provide the country an opportunity to play a key role in shaping the global telecom agenda and to set the course for future technologies. Indian startups and research institutions are set to gain critical insights into developing Intellectual Property Rights and Standard Essential Patents," the PMO said. India Mobile Congress 2024 will be showcasing the telecom ecosystem, with leading telecom companies highlighting advancements in Quantum technology and Circular Economy along with spotlight on 6G, 5G use-case showcase, cloud &amp; edge computing, IoT, semiconductors, cybersecurity, green tech, satcom and electronics manufacturing. India Mobile Congress is Asia's largest <keyword id="21099140" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-technology" source="keywords">digital technology</keyword> forum, and has become a well-known platform across the globe for showcasing innovative solutions, services and state-of-the-art use cases for industry, government, academics, start-ups and other key stakeholders in the technology and telecom ecosystem. The IMC will feature over 400 exhibitors, 900 startups, with participation from over 120 countries. The event also aims to showcase more than 900 technology use case scenarios, host more than 100 sessions and discussion with over 600 global and Indian speakers.

PM Modi to inaugurate 8th ITU's telecom standard meet, India Mobile Congress in Delhi today

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Chris Williams, ex-VP of HR at Microsoft, created an easy way to plan meetings.</li><li>Participants are ranked from level five to one based on their importance.</li></ul>In over 40 years of executive experience, I've been in far too many meetings. Even as <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bill-gates-microsoft-vp-what-i-learned-from-working-2023-4">the VP of HR at Microsoft</a>, there were overcrowded meetings I should've avoided. Meeting bloat feels inevitable until you realize most of the people shouldn't have been invited.I've learned an easy way to tell if you should be in the room. This strategy is useful afterward to see if the meeting was worth your time and it can <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/6-ways-to-eliminate-meeting-fatigue-and-be-more-productive">make future meetings better</a>. It's called "Rank the Room."There are five levels of involvement in a meeting: from the most important, level five, to the least important, level one. Ideally, a good meeting would be filled with level fours and fives, with a few threes for perspective. The others shouldn't be there.Here's a look at the levels.<h2 id="0ca544a2-94d1-4de4-8e77-dd3652c9c84f">At the top, at level five, is the meeting organizer</h2>They called the meeting to solve a problem, explore an issue, and create some results. They lead the discussion and drive to the outcome. They're at the top because, without them, there would be no meeting.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/5-ways-to-dramatically-improve-meetings-2016-2">After the meeting</a>, the level five should evaluate it. Was it a good discussion? Did they lead and ensure everyone participated well? Did it last exactly as long as necessary? Was there a clear and distinct outcome? Does everyone know their role in the next steps?<h2 id="0d1b2809-49f1-492e-b230-88519feef144">Level-four people are directly affected</h2>These are the people who are directly impacted by the meeting's outcome. They are expected to be active participants and have a stake in what happens next. The results of this meeting will change what they do. They must be there, no question.Afterward, if you were at level four, you should have been core to the discussion. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-speak-up-at-work-communication-skills-heather-hansen-2022-3">Did you speak up</a>? Were you an effective advocate for your interests? Did you listen well to others and work toward progress? Or did you sow conflict? Worse, did you just let the meeting happen around you?<h2 id="877555e3-a3cb-42cd-b12c-fd877b53a03b">Level three people add value</h2>They have insight or experience with the issue. Level three people provide a perspective that might be missed. They speak rarely, only when they can include something that shifts the conversation. Even if they aren't directly affected by the result, they <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pwc-hr-performance-signs-good-at-job-2024-6">certainly add value</a>.At level three, you need to be brutally honest with yourself after the meeting. Did you contribute significantly to the meeting? <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/things-you-should-never-do-in-office-etiquette-coach-tips-2024-10">Did you talk too much</a>, or not at all? Were your inputs actually heard? If you were the meeting organizer, would you add yourself to the follow-up meeting?<h2 id="dc37411a-8050-4928-9692-089e4fe3e712">Level two people observe and learn</h2>These participants are there to observe and sometimes learn. Often little more than stenographers, they don't have to be there. Seen yet never heard, their absence wouldn't change the meeting outcome.If you went in as a level two, be very clear with yourself. <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/learn-work-naturally-good-enjoy-career-2024-3">What specifically did you learn</a> from that meeting? How did your being there help the meeting at all? Or did it just help you? If the latter, you were really just a one. And you shouldn't have been there.<h2 id="70507f8f-1fa8-4463-ab9f-45e8d17b1169">Finally, at the bottom are the level one people</h2>They are there because they want to be or because someone feels an obligation to include them for some vague reason. They offer nothing and take away even less. They're often the reason the meeting is bigger and takes longer than necessary.If you went in — or came out — as a one, your attendance was a mistake. You probably <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-generative-ai-tool-copilot-can-help-attend-fewer-meetings-2024-4">should have skipped it</a>.<h2 id="d4fe9b21-085f-47d1-aedb-4f80f9cf8d79">Know when you shouldn't be in a meeting</h2>Participating at level three should be optional and even special. Think carefully about whether you really have a perspective or insight that might change the outcome. Be honest and bow out if you don't.Don't develop a reputation as a hanger-on, as someone who is always there.If you spend most of your time as a level three in meetings, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-tell-imposter-syndrome-versus-bad-at-job-2024-9">face it, you're just a level two</a> who occasionally says something witty. Reserve your wisdom for the times when it's useful and valuable.If you're going to be a two or lower, just decline. You will save time and your sanity. You won't be missed. No one is keeping score of how many times they saw you this week.<h2 id="96c7787c-0c4d-4757-9f20-102ebf035ece">Plan a good meeting</h2>Every meeting should have a clear agenda and include precisely the right people in the room. No more and no less.As the organizer, your job is to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cutting-work-meetings-can-make-you-happier-and-more-productive-2024-7">decide what the meeting is about</a> — exactly what you want to accomplish. Ranking the participants is a great way to decide who needs to be there.Some of the fours will insist on bringing along some threes. You might think of a three who would be nice to have but try to resist. Remember, it's your meeting. Everyone three and below doesn't need to be there.Control meeting bloat by ranking the room in advance. Do that and you win the meeting game. Everyone will thank you. <a target="_blank" rel=" nofollow" href="https://clwill.com/">Chris Williams</a> is a former VP of HR at Microsoft. He's an executive-level advisor and consultant with more than 40 years of experience leading and building teams.

Should you be at that meeting? An ex-VP of HR at Microsoft shares how to rank the room — and decide if you should even be in it.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Mira Murati announced her departure from OpenAI last week.</li><li>In an X post, Murati wrote, "I'm stepping away because I want to create the time and space to do my own exploration."</li></ul>Venture capitalists are clamoring to meet with Mira Murati, the former CTO of OpenAI, as Silicon Valley expects her to start her own company soon."We're trying to get in front of her," said one venture investor. "I cold-emailed her," another investor told Business Insider.Murati did not respond to a request for comment.In a X post, Murati <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mira-murati-openai-cto-leaving-executive-memo-staff-2024-9">announced her departure</a> from OpenAI last week. Murati wrote, "My six-and-half years with the OpenAI team have been an extraordinary privilege…There's never an ideal time to step away from a place one cherishes, yet this moment feels right."Murati also added, "I'm stepping away because I want to create the time and space to do my own exploration."VCs have been <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-investments-vcs-startups-valuations-2024-3">competing</a> to be among the first checks into a startup founded by former OpenAI employees. Dozens of former OpenAI staffers, including the startup's other cofounders, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/former-openai-employees-who-left-launch-vc-backed-ai-startups-2024-1">have gone on to start companies over the past few years.</a> Former OpenAI chief scientist Ilya Sutskever raised $1 billion for AI research lab Safe Superintelligence, reported <a target="_blank" href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/openai-co-founder-sutskevers-new-safety-focused-ai-startup-ssi-raises-1-billion-2024-09-04/">Reuters</a>. Andrej Karpathy started Eureka Labs focused on applying AI to education.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-invests-4-billion-in-anthropic-2023-9">Anthropic was started in 2021</a> by Dario Amodei and a group of researchers within OpenAI. Aravind Srinivas, a former research scientist at OpenAI, founded the San Francisco-based AI search engine <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/perplexity-raising-new-funding-generative-ai-2024">Perplexity.</a>Murati joined OpenAI in 2018 to work on supercomputing strategy. She had previously worked at Tesla, focused on the electric car maker's Model X vehicle. At OpenAI, Murati oversaw the teams that developed the company's two flagship products, ChatGPT and Dall-E.In response to Murati's sudden departure, OpenAI CEO <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sam-altman-openai-future-abundant-energy-intelligence-growth-2024-9">Sam Altman</a> wrote on X, "I obviously won't pretend it's natural for this one to be so abrupt, but we are not a normal company, and I think the reasons Mira explained to me (there is never a good time, anything not abrupt would have leaked, and she wanted to do this while OpenAI was in an upswing) make sense."This comes amid OpenAI's latest <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/openai-fundraising-150-billion-valuation-new-funding-round-altman-thrive-2024-9">fundraise of $6.5 billion.</a> Thrive Capital is leading the latest round with a $1 billion investment at a valuation of $150 billion before the investment, with SoftBank, Coatue, and Microsoft also participating, reported <a target="_blank" href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=f904b52b37104c96afbbf0032cfadafdf6f3ce2c5e74e4595b74136eef000573&amp;postID=66fb0d20e5b54083003d2c8f&amp;postSlug=mira-murati-exits-openai-venture-capitalist-startup-2024-9&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theinformation.com%2Farticles%2Fsoftbank-to-invest-500-million-in-openai%3Frc%3D8tzurb">The Information</a>. OpenAI is also restructuring from a nonprofit subsidiary to a for-profit benefit corporation and planning to give Altman equity for the first time, reported <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/openai-remove-non-profit-control-give-sam-altman-equity-sources-say-2024-09-25/">Reuters.</a>Two other technical executives– Bob McGrew, chief research officer, and Barret Zoph, vice president of research– also announced their departures last week. Altman and Wojciech Zaremba are the only co-founders remaining from the 11-person founding team.Zaremba wrote in a viral X post, "Their departures made me think about the hardships parents faced in the Middle Ages when 6 out of 8 children would die prematurely," he wrote. "Despite the profound loss, the parents had to accept it and find deep joy and satisfaction in the 2 who survived."

VCs are rushing to meet with former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati in hopes of funding a new company

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Slow travel is gaining popularity as more Americans seek to destress on vacations.</li><li>Travelers are booking longer trips and spending more time in each destination.</li></ul>My <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-you-should-visit-fewer-countries-cities-when-backpacking-europe-2023-9">trip to Europe</a> in October 2022 was doomed from the start.My itinerary? Travel by train to six cities in four countries in just two weeks.Don't get me wrong — I had a good time on the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-whirlwind-luxury-travel-not-worth-it-2023-12">whirlwind trip</a>. It was fascinating to explore new cities and countries so different from mine. But ultimately, the trip wasn't fulfilling.Two weeks just isn't enough time to see more than a small fraction of what <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/berlin-germany-things-to-see-parks-canals-musicians-art-2022-12">Berlin</a>, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vienna-austria-things-to-see-do-palaces-architecture-street-art-2023-1">Vienna</a>, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/italy-venice-rome-milan-trip-visit-things-to-do-2023-2">Rome, Venice, Milan</a>, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-its-like-to-ride-polybahn-funicular-zurich-switzerland-2024-6">Zurich</a> offer, as I spent one to three nights in each city.Looking back on it, I feel like I viewed them more through my camera than my own eyes. From the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/colosseum-rome-italy-visit-tour-reality-vs-expectation-photos-2023-2">Colosseum in Rome</a> to the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/pictures-venice-canals-run-dry-drought-low-tide-gondolas-2023-2">canals in Venice</a>, I only hit the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/venice-tourism-group-cap-overtourism-2024-8">tourist hot spots</a> without truly discovering what life was really like in each place.<div type="image" title="Six Images (from top left to bottom right): 1. The author stands in front of a garden in Vienna on a hazy day. 2. Musicians play drums and cello on a street corner in Berlin. 3. The author stands in front of the Zurich skyline. 4. A street lined with mopeds in Rome. 5. The author in front of a fountain in Milan. 6. Venice buildings seen from a gondola." height="1500" width="2000" msid="112633646" hostid="261" sizebytes="387214"></div>I should have been more like <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://talesofabackpacker.com/">Claire Sturzaker</a>.When the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-you-should-travel-slowly-according-to-solo-backpacker-2023-9">full-time solo traveler</a> books a trip, she said it's usually at least a month long. She <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/family-travel-tip-schedule-rest-days-bring-board-games-2024-2">schedules time to rest</a> and explore <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/underrated-travel-destinations-solo-traveler-2024-8">lesser-known destinations</a> that are just a day trip away."It helps me really get to know the place without rushing around," she told Business Insider. "I'd rather spend a month getting to know a place than say, 'All right, I've been here for a day. Let's go."And she's not the only one.According to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.scottdunn.com/us/inspiration/travel-trends/this-year/summer">the Summer 2024 Travel Trends Report: The Rise of the 'Slowcation'</a> by Scott Dunn, founder of the luxury travel provider Scott Dunn, 60% of 2,000 US participants are planning vacations to have slow travel. The report described it as a "mindset" that emphasizes "exploring somewhere on a deeper level" and "making space mentally and physically for things to happen spontaneously."A representative of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.goway.com/inspiration/5-hottest-travel-trends-year-so-far">the luxury travel agency Goway </a>told BI that their clients have been booking an average of three additional days for trips than they did before the pandemic, and more travelers now book 11-day vacations compared to any other length of time.<div type="image" title="Left: A woman in a blue jacket stands at the end of a wooden bath with rocky hills and greenery behind her. Right: A woman stands facing away from the camera with a backpack on during a hike. In front of her is a hill, grassy field with rock formations in the distance." height="1500" width="2000" msid="112633649" hostid="261" sizebytes="525064"></div>While the "slowcation" trend is on the rise, the idea of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/former-tesla-employee-plans-to-cycle-around-the-world-2023-8">slow travel</a> — spending more time truly getting to know a destination rather than rushing to hit the tourist hot spots — is nothing new.Slow travel is about "exploring all of what one country has to offer, whether…going from different major cities to different landscapes, checking out coastal areas, or going into the mountains and hiking depending on your traveler preference," Goway destination specialist <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.goway.com/our-experts/melissa-moses">Melissa Moses told BI</a>. "It's seeing the difference between each city and one country and the landscapes of one country to get a better idea of that culture as a whole."It doesn't just benefit the vacationer — <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-travel-more-sustainably-without-harming-destinations-2022-9">sustainability experts</a> have been promoting the slow approach to travel for years."Fewer but longer trips mean fewer air miles, more money in local hands, and you'll have a more relaxing trip, too," Justin Francis, cofounder and CEO of Responsible Travel, previously told BI.<h2 id="27af92da-af7e-44a8-944c-3bec9068253c">Slow travel is a way to destress</h2><div type="image" title="A woman wearing a backpack stands facing away from the camera with her arms up in a field of yellow flowers with mountains in the background." height="3647" width="4863" msid="112633648" hostid="261" sizebytes="773464"></div>Slowcations are on the rise due to more Americans prioritizing destressing on vacation, according to Dunn's report, which says that the ideal trip length is eight days, and among the travelers they surveyed, it took an average worker three days to switch out of work mode once on vacation.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.alicestapleton.com/">Career coach Alice Stapleton</a> agrees."With smartphones, social media, and easy access to WiFi, it's become harder and harder to switch off completely," she told BI in an email. "Work (and life) is incredibly consuming these days, and it can take a while for the nervous system to adjust to a slower pace."Still, not every traveler can take a monthlong trip like Sturzaker. That's OK since Stapleton recommends taking 7-10 days to recharge for someone with a typical 40-hour week.<h2 id="844559e6-db4b-4532-891a-0b1233a372ca">Slow travel isn't just about trip length</h2><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.launchpadcounseling.com/counselors-richmond-va-online-therapy/markloewen">Therapist Mark Loewen</a> also agrees with Dunn's report, adding that restoring yourself on vacation isn't just about trip length."What makes a bigger difference than the time is how you spend that time," Loewen told BI. "One of the big reasons…vacations are good for us is because it engages another part of our brain by paying attention to something different. And just like on a computer, it helps that area that is constantly working to cool down."He said the second big reason is that learning and discovering new things excites our brains, creating dopamine that helps us recover from stress."But if we are still connected to other stressors like news, we can't fully step into whatever we're doing," he added. "So the faster we can disconnect, the faster we can get that recovery."<div type="image" title="Crowds on the boat at Niagara Falls" height="1250" width="2500" msid="112633650" hostid="261" sizebytes="152630"></div>Aside from completely disconnecting from work, Loewen suggests spending less time on your phone while slow traveling."I know it can be hard. I went standup paddling the other day, and I didn't have my waterproof case for my phone. I went for an hour and didn't even take any pictures, and I was like, 'Oh, man, yeah, I can do that.'"Loewen doesn't recommend seeing a new city every day while traveling — as I did in Europe — because the trip may feel more like checking off items on a to-do list than enjoying the moment."Slow down and take the time, because otherwise, you're trying to achieve again — thinking, 'now we have to get all this done,'" Loewen said. "But it's OK if we don't get it all done. If you're exploring, find days where you can just rest and relax as well. "When planning slowcation itineraries, Moses recommends scheduling in rest days."I personally always suggest at least three nights in each city where one of those days is packed with activities, and then the next day is a rest day," she said.<h2 id="794792ce-8c62-4c95-b1c2-6e3344525734">Biking and trains are great for slow travel</h2>Prioritizing how you travel while on vacation can give you peak slow travel benefits, such as biking or train travel.For example, in Central Vietnam, the tour company <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://slowtravelhue.com/">Slow Travel Hue</a> provides bike excursions that are a half-day long rather than just an hour or two.<div type="image" title="The outside of a restaurant in Central Vietnam with pillars and an outdoor patio seen at night." height="1365" width="1820" msid="112633647" hostid="261" sizebytes="242258"></div>"It's really about the mindset that you really take time to savor the experience," <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/do-phuong/">Do Phuong</a>, tour company founder, told BI. "Search for authentic experiences. Schedule your itinerary in a very loose way. Be really immersed into the experience and try to connect with local culture, local people, and the surrounding nature," he advises.According to Phuong, the tour company has been around since 2014, but it wasn't until 2020 that they rebranded to serve slow travelers as the trend began to build.Loewen said <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-to-pack-long-overnight-amtrak-train-ride-2021-10">train trips</a> are also a great way to travel slowly because they make the journey feel like a destination. Scott Dunn's global product director, Simon Lynch, agrees."Leisurely train travel is one of the best ways to experience slow travel, allowing you to sit back and savor every moment," he told BI in an email. "A new wave of luxury rail itineraries has driven a thirst for cultural immersion, exploring the less-visited backroads of popular destinations."<div type="image" title="A navy blue train on the left moves through Switzerland with trees and bushes on the left side of the track and a snow-capped mountain in the background." height="1365" width="2048" msid="112633651" hostid="261" sizebytes="420916"></div>Lynch added that Scott Dunn has had three times as many train trip bookings between January and April 2024 compared to the same timeframe in 2023. One of their most popular train bookings for slow travelers is the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/first-class-train-photos">Eastern &amp; Oriental Express sleeper</a> that runs between Singapore and Malaysia.Moses told BI that she recommends traveling by train to roughly 90% of destinations around Europe because it is more seamless than flying."The train stations are located in the city centers. It's oftentimes within a five-minute walk from your hotel. So depending on your luggage, you can always just walk to the train station. You only need to be there 20-30 minutes before your train departs and just hop on," she said. "Whereas when taking a flight, what could be a two-hour destination trip turns into a four or five-hour one."Moses recommends slow travel by train in Italy, Spain, and Switzerland, citing the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-i-took-switzerland-beautiful-train-for-cheap-glacier-express">Glacier Express</a>. It's "a stunning experience through the Alps," Moses added. "It has a clear rooftop, and you can have a prearranged three-course lunch or dinner on the train."<div type="image" title="A trd train moves through a green mountain range with snowcapped mountains in the background." height="2411" width="3215" msid="112633645" hostid="261" sizebytes="847624"></div>Despite the obvious benefits of lower stress, deeper immersion in the cities you visit, and sustainability rewards, Lynch says slow trips may also be more memorable."Taking a slower and gentler approach to the way that you travel — and making the journey part of your trip — will not only encourage you to relax and unwind quicker but inevitably lead to discovery along the way," Lynch said. "This, in turn, can help you to make meaningful memories, too."

It takes most people 3 days to unwind on  vacation. Meet the Slowcation.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Elon Musk said Neuralink is accepting applications for the second person to get a brain implant. </li><li>Noland Arbaugh became the first person to have the device implanted earlier this year. </li></ul><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk">Elon Musk's</a> Neuralink is ready to put its chip in another person's head.He said that the brain implant startup wa now searching for the second person to receive <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/neuralink-elon-musk-microchips-brains-ai-2021-2">Neuralink's "Telepathy" implant</a>, after the device was successfully implanted into its first patient earlier this year."Neuralink is accepting applications for the second participant. This is our Telepathy cybernetic brain implant that allows you to control your phone and computer just by thinking," Musk <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1791332539220521079">posted on X</a>."No one better than Noland (Arbaugh) himself to tell you about the first," he added.Neuralink, which <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-neuralink-fda-approval-put-brain-implants-humans-2023-5">received permission last year</a> to begin human trials, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/neuralink-first-human-trial-patient-quadriplegic-elon-musk-x-2024-3">unveiled the first recipient of its brain implant</a> in March.30-year-old Noland Arbaugh, who was paralyzed from the neck down after a diving accident, described the neural interface at the time as "life-changing," allowing him to surf the web, post on social media, and play video games using thought alone. However, Neuralink's first human trial didn't go completely smoothly. The company said last week that some of the tiny threads the device uses to interface with the brain, each thinner than a human hair, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/neuralink-weighed-removing-patient-brain-chip-implant-after-malfunction-report-2024-5">moved out of position</a> a few weeks after the surgery.The malfunction rendered the implant less effective, and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/neuralink-weighed-removing-patient-brain-chip-implant-after-malfunction-report-2024-5">the company reportedly</a> considered removing it completely.Arbaugh told Bloomberg he <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/neuralink-patient-cried-after-brain-chip-implant-malfunction-noland-arbaugh-2024-5">"cried a little bit"</a> when he began noticing a delay between his thoughts and the computer cursor.Neuralink said <a target="_blank" href="https://neuralink.com/blog/prime-study-progress-update-user-experience/">in a blog post</a> that it made tweaks to Arbaugh's implant, enabling it to work effectively again.The startup may not struggle to attract applicants for its latest human trial. Thousands of people <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/interest-neuralink-human-trial-patient-elon-musk-brain-implant-report-2023-11">reportedly expressed interest</a> in having part of their skull removed and a brain chip inserted when Neuralink began recruiting last September.It's reportedly planning to operate on 11 people this year and is targeting more than 22,000 users by 2030, Bloomberg reported.Neuralink did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, made outside normal working hours.

Elon Musk says Neuralink is looking for a 2nd participant for its brain implant

Union Finance Minister <keyword id="129243" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nirmala-sitharaman" source="Orion">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> on Saturday morning chaired a <keyword id="20255269" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pre-budget-meeting" source="keywords">pre-budget meeting</keyword> with Finance Ministers of all States and Union Territories. The Pre-Budget Meeting is organised by the Ministry of Finance and Corporate Affairs with Finance Ministers of all the States and Union Territories (with Legislature) to take suggestions for the upcoming <keyword id="20387181" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Union-Budget-2024-25" source="keywords">Union Budget 2024-25</keyword>. Ministers of State along with other stakeholders are participating in the meeting and visuals showed Uttar Pradesh finance minister Suresh Kumar Khanna, and finance minister of Rajasthan Diya Kumari at the Bharat Mandapam venue before the meeting commenced this morning. The Union Finance Ministry had begun consultations on the budget a few days ago with different stakeholders of economy. Sitharaman has met economists, finance and capital market experts and industry bodies. Sitharaman chaired the first pre-budget consultations with leading economists on June 19. The meeting was attended by Union minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, the finance secretary, secretaries of the departments of economic affairs, revenue, financial services and corporate affairs and the chief economic adviser. Meanwhile, Sitharaman will also chair the 53rd <keyword id="19922145" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Goods-and-Services-Tax" source="keywords">Goods and Services Tax</keyword> (GST) Council Meeting scheduled in the second half of the day. This is the first meeting of the <keyword id="19994390" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="GST-Council" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="GST Council" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="GST Council">GST council</keyword> after the formation of the new government. State finance ministers will also be present at the 53rd meeting of the Goods and Services Tax Council. As is the norm, the GST Council gets together to discuss issues pertaining to the GST regime, such as tax rates, modifications to policies, and administrative challenges. The Council is a key player in shaping India's indirect tax system, making sure that it facilitates company and citizen tax relief while also being in line with the country's economic objectives. The information on the agenda of Council meeting is not yet in public domain. However, the decisions and recommendations arising from the 53rd GST Council meeting will be closely watched by various stakeholders, including businesses, policymakers, and the general public, as they have the potential to influence taxation, trade, and overall dynamics. Goods and Services Tax was introduced in the country with effect from July 1, 2017, and states were assured compensation for loss of any revenue arising on account of the implementation of GST as per the provisions of the GST (Compensation to States) Act, 2017 for five years. Meanwhile, preparation has commenced for the Union budget 2024-25, the first for the third term of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led <keyword id="22141478" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Democratic-Alliance-government" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="National Democratic Alliance government" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="National Democratic Alliance government">National Democratic Alliance government</keyword>.

Union Finance Minister Sitharaman chairs pre-budget meeting with finance ministers of states, UTs; GST Council to meet later today

Ashlee Wisdom left a toxic workplace environment after developing chronic hives.At the time, Wisdom was also getting her master's in public health at New York University, where she was learning about how social and political factors can affect specific groups' health.These experiences led her to build Health In Her HUE, a digital health platform that connects women of color to medical providers committed to serving their health needs."I had my own experience of seeing how racism impacts your health, and I saw all of this innovation happening in healthcare, but I didn't see anyone at that time building anything that addressed the specific pain points that Black women and women of color tend to have when they are navigating the healthcare system," Wisdom told Business Insider.Health In Her HUE is part of a surge in femtech, or technology companies that aim to support women's health and wellness. A report published last year by a consulting company called FemHealth Insights found that the sector was rapidly growing, with over 60% of femtech companies founded from 2017 to 2022.Historically, women's healthcare has been impaired by challenges like bias and a lack of specialized providers. But femtech offers a new way forward — one where connecting with a doctor doesn't require an in-person appointment and female founders are creating digital spaces that mirror the care they want to receive.<h2>Connectivity to close the women's health gap</h2>Increased access to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/5g-advanced-standalone-6g-qualcomm-huawei-mwc-2024-3">high-speed internet</a>, the expansion of telemedicine, and demand for women-centric healthcare are some factors behind the recent support for femtech platforms and apps."In 2020, because we were left with no alternative, there was a massive increase in online services, which created a culture shift for providers and clients," said Smisha Agarwal, the executive director of the Center for Global Digital Health Innovation at Johns Hopkins University.As a result, the US healthcare sector became less resistant to remote tools like <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/teledermatology-future-of-skincare-musely-ceo-jack-jia-2024-6">telehealth</a> and medical apps, and patients realized they enjoyed the relative privacy of talking with a provider in their home rather than at a clinic. "These tools can change the power dynamic in a clinical relationship," Agarwal said.Health In Her HUE says nearly 14,000 women have accounts and use the website to access medical information tailored specifically to women of color; virtual peer-support groups; and medical professionals who deliver healthcare in a way that meets patients' social, cultural, and linguistic needs.Black women often confront <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/women-crossing-state-lines-give-birth-black-maternal-mortality-crisis-2023-9">greater difficulties</a> in accessing affordable and quality healthcare, are <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8020496/">disproportionately burdened</a> by chronic conditions, and are more likely to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-doctors-and-community-groups-are-promoting-health-equity-2023-11">experience discrimination</a> in medical settings. "I wanted to build a platform that helps Black women, and women of color more broadly, navigate healthcare and a system that is too often precarious for us," Wisdom said.<div type="image" title="A headshot of Ashlee Wisdom on a tan background." height="810" width="1080" msid="113135183" hostid="261" sizebytes="46492"></div>Through the platform, users can look up providers by the insurance they take, their specialties, and their ZIP code, and then meet with them in person or virtually, depending on the provider.In the beginning, Wisdom reached out to providers who seemed aligned with her mission and asked if they would participate in the project. Now providers looking to join can make an account, and once they commit to the company's health-equity pledge, they're added to the directory.Wisdom said one Health In Her HUE user who felt that other doctors had ignored her symptoms got a diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome after meeting with a Health In Her HUE provider. Another told Wisdom that she drove three hours to meet with a gastroenterologist she found in the directory; she felt that "if a Black GI doctor saw her, they would take her symptoms more seriously," Wisdom said.For years, healthcare systems weren't <a target="_blank" href="https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2023/01/women-health-gap-davos-2023/">designed for women</a>, and there are still gaps in research and treatments for women's health issues. A study published in the Journal of Women's Health in 2021 found that funding from the US National Institutes of Health was <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/jwh.2020.8682">more likely to go toward conditions</a> that primarily affect men and less likely to go toward conditions that disproportionately affect women, like migraines and endometriosis.With this reality in mind, Joanna Strober cofounded Midi Health, a website designed to help people experiencing menopause and perimenopause access specialists. Described as a virtual care clinic, Midi Health allows people to make telehealth appointments with licensed nurse practitioners and doctors specializing in women's midlife health. Strober told BI she started the company after encountering barriers to finding menopause care."I also realized that the only way to scale this and give access to all women was to do it virtually," Strober said. "It's about connecting women to excellent care regardless of where they live."During a virtual appointment, patients can discuss perimenopause and menopause symptoms like hot flashes and brain fog. Interventions can range from lifestyle coaching to prescription medication, and Midi providers can refer patients to in-person treatments when needed. Some insurance plans cover care if the providers are in-network with PPO plans. Strober is focused on scaling insurance coverage so more women can use Midi.Strober said that as of August, about 100,000 women had used Midi in 2024. Most are between 40 and 50, and the average age is 46."It's growing really fast, and women are coming to us in increasing numbers for more issues than we originally expected," Strober said. She added that while Midi isn't intended to be a primary-care clinic, users' interest in speaking with providers about more than hormonal health demonstrates that "there are just not enough providers who are trained in women-centered care."Strober attributed an increased desire for digital platforms like Midi to improvements in telehealth technology and to women's demands for better care. The relative ease of virtual appointments is also a benefit.<h2>Investing in solutions</h2>A report by Silicon Valley Bank published last year said <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.svb.com/trends-insights/reports/womens-health-report/">venture-capital funding for women's health companies</a> had surged by 314% since 2018.But Strober believes that the industry has just taken off and that founders must convince investors that more money can be made. Midi Health is on its way toward doing that; the company closed a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/midi-health-raising-series-b-menopause-2024-1">$60 million Series B round</a> in April.Agarwal said that as more companies enter the healthcare industry, they'll need to consider patient needs beyond health, such as <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/most-hospitals-dont-have-policies-for-new-ai-tech-survey-2024-2">privacy</a>. She argued that minimizing data collection and communicating about data use are imperative."Digital solutions do not replace in-person services, but they are a brilliant addition to in-person care," Agarwal added.Wisdom acknowledged that virtual care isn't a cure-all and told BI that while Health In Her HUE's main goal is connecting women of color to culturally responsive clinicians, she hopes for a future where all providers offer that level of care."We don't want Black patients always to feel like they need to be seen by a Black healthcare provider," Wisdom said. "They should feel comfortable and confident knowing that any provider they engage with can provide them with high-quality care."But for now, Wisdom said, virtual care can be a path toward accessibility. Health In Her HUE raised <a target="_blank" href="https://techcrunch.com/2024/01/08/health-in-her-hue-closes-3-million-seed-round/">$3 million in a seed round</a> in January, and Wisdom and her team are hopeful about features they can build to create a space where users know they're getting accurate information from medical providers who understand their experiences. Wisdom and her team plan to create an app and possibly partner with a telehealth company to offer virtual appointments."It feels good to build a solution that's useful for my community," Wisdom said. "I'm glad my energy is being used for a mission that deeply resonates with me."

Women face bias and disparities in healthcare. Digital tools could help meet their needs.

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Baltimore gave low-income parents $1,000 a month for two years, no-strings-attached.</li><li>Participants reported higher housing security and incomes after the first year.</li></ul>For some Baltimore families, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guaranteed-universal-basic-income-ubi-baltimore-young-families-success-fund-2023-11">basic income</a> helped pay the bills: rent, groceries, healthcare, childcare, and car payments. For others, it provided the support they needed to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/georgia-basic-income-afford-rent-daycare-single-mom-ubi-gbi-2024-6">maintain stable jobs</a>.The Baltimore Young Families Success Fund, with research by research firm Abt Global, released its <a target="_blank" href="https://static1.squarespace.com/static/64f8b31cbb263222a1487bd6/t/667c323d79dfcd2d6b1d844d/1719415361392/baltimore-mgi-report-6.26.24.pdf">interim results</a> in June for a guaranteed basic income pilot which began in August 2022 and is set to end this month. It gave 130 parents between the ages of 18 and 24 $1,000 cash each month to spend as they choose, with no strings attached.After one year of receiving payments, participants were <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/denver-basic-income-reduces-homelessness-food-insecurity-housing-ubi-gbi-2024-6">more likely to have housing</a>, higher household income, and a degree than the pilot's control group. Still, some participants' overall financial well-being was not impacted in a statistically significant way.Researchers primarily focused on participants' income, housing, employment, and education outcomes in the first year of the pilot. Through surveys and interviews, participants were compared to a randomly selected control group of 156 parents who met the criteria for the pilot but were not given basic income.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/san-antonio-ubi-guaranteed-basic-income-housing-finances-austin-rent-2024-3">Like most other GBI pilot research</a>, Baltimore's results are based on participants' self-reported experiences at the six-month and one-year points of the pilot. The pilot will continue to survey participants through February 2025.Baltimore's basic income program <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/basic-income-gbi-ubi-low-income-americans-afford-housing-food-2024-5">joins over 100 similar pilots</a> launched across the US — including some specifically focused on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bay-area-marin-county-basic-income-housing-food-ubi-gbi-2024-6">parents or families</a> with young children. These pilots typically offer low-income Americans monthly payments for a set time period to spend on necessities. Economic security experts and local leaders continue to try the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/which-states-cities-have-guaranteed-basic-income-programs-low-income-2024-4">no-strings-attached cash model</a> to combat poverty and income inequality despite continued <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guaranteed-basic-income-ban-ubi-arizona-texas-houston-homelessness-poverty-2024-2">conservative political opposition</a> and legal challenges."We know that so many of Baltimore's young families simply need the opportunity to thrive, but often don't have the resources to help them make it happen," Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, who was a key player in launching the GBI pilot, said in a press statement.However, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/basic-income-opposition-discriminatory-universal-basic-income-argument-2024-4">not all policymakers agree</a> that GBI is a sustainable approach to poverty reduction, and it is not yet clear how basic income will impact participants' long-term financial security.<h2 id="f4cee534-abc5-4435-b30d-5c6a2621fe7c">Baltimore focused on young parents experiencing financial insecurity</h2>Baltimore leaders <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bmorechildren.com/guaranteed-income">focused on young parents</a> because early adulthood is a key window for building financial stability, which can be difficult for individuals with young children, per the report.Parents eligible for the pilot had incomes at or below 300% of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/poverty-line-leaves-behind-low-income-americans-snap-medicare-wic-2024-6">federal poverty level</a>, which is $74,580 for a family of three, but most participants' incomes were below that. They also had to be full or partial caretakers for at least one child.The pilot is a collaboration between the city, local foundations, community leaders, and the nonprofit Mayors for a Guaranteed Income — with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/basic-income-funding-comes-from-philanthropy-federal-budget-housing-taxes2024-4">funding</a> coming from philanthropic donations and $4.8 million via the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/biden-covid-plan-pandemic-schools-healthcare-vaccine-testing-2021-1">American Rescue Plan Act</a> (ARPA).The Baltimore Young Families Success Fund randomly assigned eligible applicants to the participant group or a control group.Of the 153 selected pilot participants, 23 did not receive cash payments either because they declined them, could not be contacted, or did not fully meet the criteria. Additionally, most of the city's GBI participants were experiencing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/snap-alice-food-stamps-hunger-government-assitance-free-meals-2024-5">food</a> or <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/universal-basic-income-emergency-cash-rent-homes-government-housing-aid-2024-1">housing</a> insecurity before receiving payments.In fall 2023, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guaranteed-universal-basic-income-ubi-baltimore-young-families-success-fund-2023-11">BI talked to a Baltimore participant</a> who said the pilot allowed her and her fiancé to move into a house. Tazhane Jordan had been living in her car with her toddler daughter and another baby on the way. She said the cash payments helped her family secure housing along with everyday expenses."People can always use resources for specific things, but sometimes, you know, you just need a little money for random things: gasoline, toilet paper, baby formula, things like that," Jordan said.<h2 id="81638822-e0cc-4db8-8bd7-50542ec134c8">Baltimore participants reported higher housing security and household incomes</h2>At the time of application, slightly more participants were in independent living situations than the control group — 52% compared to 45% — though this difference grew 13 percentage points after the first year. The "independent living situation" criteria mean participants weren't relying on friends or family for housing.No participants were homeless after 12 months, compared to 5% of control group members. Researchers suggest <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-people-spend-universal-basic-income-ubi-food-housing-transportation-2024-4">basic income was likely responsible</a> for the increased percentage of participants renting an apartment.After a year of GBI, participants had a higher average <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/basic-income-kenya-helps-families-buy-food-savings-ubi-gbi-2024-6">household income</a> of $23,608 a year, compared to $16,233 a year for the control group. Data shows participants either maintained their employment or saw a slight increase in labor force participation. More participants also reported applying to a trade school or college, and researchers noted that participants may have invested their cash payments in education instead of supplementing their income.The researchers acknowledge participants remained "economically vulnerable" throughout the pilot, as their average household income remained below the federal poverty level and their unemployment rate was higher than similar Baltimore residents.<h2 id="1fba770a-4ce4-46c3-befb-3e9b418e930c">GBI pilots are facing political opposition, legal challenges</h2>Basic income programs continue to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guaranteed-basic-income-ban-ubi-arizona-texas-houston-homelessness-poverty-2024-2">face opposition</a> in local and state legislatures. States like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iowa-basic-income-cash-payments-ban-universal-basic-income-2024-6#:~:text=Conservatives%20in%20Iowa%20voted%20to,for%20110%20low%2Dincome%20residents.">Iowa</a> and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/arizona-gop-ban-guaranteed-basic-income-programs-homelessness-poverty-2024-2">Arizona</a> have introduced GBI bans, as some Republican lawmakers call the programs "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/iowa-republicans-block-guaranteed-basic-income-socialism-steroids-ubi-poverty-2024-1">socialist</a>," or worry cash payments could make low-income families too dependent on government assistance.Several lawsuits have also been filed challenging the use of public money for basic income, alleging that it is "unconstitutional" in some states for cities to give residents direct cash. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guaranteed-basic-income-houston-residents-afford-rent-groceries-housing-2024-4">halted a Houston-area GBI pilot</a> in April, and a public money-related lawsuit <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stlouis-basic-income-lawsuit-shut-down-pilot-unconstitutional-ubi-gbi-2024-6">filed by two St. Louis residents</a> in June could cut funding for the city's program.But some, like Scott, see the initial results from his city's pilot as promising. He said Baltimore parents are using the money to stabilize their families and build their careers."This program invests in their potential and allows them to pursue the needs and goals that they determined for their own families," Scott said. "All the evidence points to that being a game changer for them."Have you benefited from a guaranteed basic income program? Are you open to sharing how you spent the money? If so, reach out to these reporters at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:allisonkelly@businessinsider.com">allisonkelly@businessinsider.com</a> and <a target="_blank" href="mailto:nsheidlower@businessinsider.com">nsheidlower@businessinsider.com</a>.

You Searched For "meeting participants" and got 11 results

Small businesses generated 35 million job applications till Aug 2024, 14 million were from women: Report

BI India Bureau

A longtime Russian ally says it's frozen its participation in Putin's NATO 'at all levels' after a year of snubs

Thibault Spirlet,Sinéad Baker

A New York basic income participant used his monthly $1,000 to pay bills and launch a nonprofit

Allie Kelly

PM Modi to inaugurate 8th ITU's telecom standard meet, India Mobile Congress in Delhi today

ANI

Should you be at that meeting? An ex-VP of HR at Microsoft shares how to rank the room — and decide if you should even be in it.

Chris Williams

VCs are rushing to meet with former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati in hopes of funding a new company

Sri Muppidi

It takes most people 3 days to unwind on vacation. Meet the Slowcation.

Joey Hadden

Elon Musk says Neuralink is looking for a 2nd participant for its brain implant

Tom Carter

Union Finance Minister Sitharaman chairs pre-budget meeting with finance ministers of states, UTs; GST Council to meet later today

ANI

Women face bias and disparities in healthcare. Digital tools could help meet their needs.

Sarah Sloat

Baltimore gave young parents $1,000 a month. Participants used the money to pay bills and secure stable housing.

Allie Kelly,Noah Sheidlower

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides