In a historic move, the ancient practice of <keyword id="19965976" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="yoga" source="keywords">yoga</keyword> has been embraced by the future <keyword id="20007738" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Asian-Games" source="keywords">Asian Games</keyword> programme, marking a significant milestone in its millennia-long journey. The decision, made at a recent executive board meeting of the <keyword id="20760894" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Olympic-Council-of-Asia" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Olympic Council of Asia" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Olympic Council of Asia">Olympic Council of Asia</keyword> (OCA), underscores yoga's growing global appeal and its evolution from a spiritual discipline to a competitive sport.<br /><br />The initiative was spearheaded by the <keyword id="19896477" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Olympic-Association" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Indian Olympic Association" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Indian Olympic Association">Indian Olympic Association</keyword> (IOA), with President PT Usha championing the cause. ”I am delighted that the OCA Executive Board spontaneously agreed to India’s request to give yoga the recognition it deserves. The proposal shall now move through the <keyword id="22259259" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sports-committee" source="keywords">Sports Committee</keyword> to the General Assembly for confirmation,” Usha said.<br /><br />She credited the unrelenting support of Randhir Singh, acting president of OCA, for facilitating this significant step.<br /><br />The inclusion of yoga in the Asian Games, according to Usha, not only acknowledges its universal appeal but also underscores its role in promoting physical and mental well-being among athletes and enthusiasts worldwide. She highlighted the visionary efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose advocacy for yoga's global recognition has been pivotal in this achievement.<br /><br />She also extended her gratitude to <keyword id="19906409" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mansukh-Mandaviya" source="keywords">Mansukh Mandaviya</keyword>, India’s Sports Minister, for his proactive stance in supporting yoga's inclusion in the Asian Games agenda. Mandaviya, echoing Usha's sentiments, emphasised the widespread popularity and holistic benefits of yoga as reasons for its rightful place in competitive sports. "It is only fair that yoga becomes a competitive sport and is included in the Asian Games," he stated, underscoring the sport's cultural significance and global relevance.<br /><br />The formal recognition of yoga as a competitive sport by the ministries of youth affairs and sports, and AYUSH in December 2020 laid the groundwork for its inclusion in major national and international sporting events. The establishment of the National <keyword id="19916946" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="yogasana" source="keywords">Yogasana</keyword> Sport Federation of India (NYSFI) and the International Yogasana Sports Federation (IYSF) further solidifies yoga's status as a globally recognized discipline.<br /><br />The recent decision paves the way for yoga to debut as a demonstration sport at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, followed by its full-fledged competitive debut at the Doha Asiad in 2030. Initially, competitions will feature five events, including traditional yogasana, artistic yogasana (singles and pairs), rhythmic yogasana (pairs and group), individual all-round championships, and team championships. Each event will offer 15 medals across men's and women's categories, ensuring a robust platform for athletes to showcase their skills.<br /><br />Dr. H R Nagendra, Secretary General of IYSF, emphasised, "Yoga's journey to becoming a competitive sport is a natural evolution, driven by its holistic benefits and cultural significance." The roots of yoga trace back thousands of years in Indian civilization, and its ethos of physical, mental, and spiritual well-being has resonated worldwide.<br /><br />Yogasana Bharat, recognized by India’s Sports Ministry for its efforts in developing yogasana as a competitive sport, has played a pivotal role in laying the groundwork for yoga's inclusion at such prestigious international platforms. The move not only promotes yoga as a physical discipline but also celebrates its spiritual and cultural heritage, enriching the Asian Games with diversity and inclusivity.<br /><br /><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em>

Yoga to be Asian Games’ newest addition; debut as demonstration sport in Japan in 2026!

<ul class="summary-list"><li>29-year-old Nancy Ng disappeared on October 19 at a retreat in Lake Atitlán, Guatemala.</li><li>She went kayaking and never returned, leading authorities to think she drowned.</li></ul><p>Nancy Ng disappeared on October 19 at a retreat in Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, and TikTok is keeping up with every update.</p><p>Ng, a 29-year-old school assistant from Southern California, had gone on vacation to a yoga retreat and was reportedly kayaking on the lake when she vanished.</p><p>Authorities believe she may have drowned, though her family and friends are unconvinced, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/nancy-ng-guatemala-missing-b2455781.html">The Independent reported</a>. As of December 4, Ng has not been found and her case remains unsolved.</p><p>Meanwhile, TikTokers have been sharing every new interview with witnesses and notices from police. Videos with the hashtag #NancyNg have amassed 36 million views on the platform.</p><p>Ed Choi, for example, who has almost 500,000 followers, has been reporting on Ng's disappearance since November 5, with his videos regularly hitting hundreds of thousands or over a million views.</p><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@etchaskej/video/7307493863562759467" data-video-id="7307493863562759467" data-embed-from="oembed" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@etchaskej" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@etchaskej?refer=embed">@etchaskej</a> <p>Replying to @Hunter Gray it has now been 42 days since Nancy Ng disappeared and the more we know, the more questions arise. Please help bring Nancy Ng home. Legal: all accounts are alleged and any references to suspicious behaviors do not imply guilt to anyone mentioned in this case. <a title="nancyng" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/nancyng?refer=embed">#nancyng</a> <a title="missingperson" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/missingperson?refer=embed">#missingperson</a> <a title="missingwoman" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/missingwoman?refer=embed">#missingwoman</a> <a title="protectwomen" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/protectwomen?refer=embed">#protectwomen</a> <a title="lakeatitlan" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/lakeatitlan?refer=embed">#lakeatitlan</a> <a title="asiantiktok" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/asiantiktok?refer=embed">#asiantiktok</a> <a title="yogaretreat" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/yogaretreat?refer=embed">#yogaretreat</a> <a title="yoga" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/yoga?refer=embed">#yoga</a> <a title="christinamarieblazek" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/christinamarieblazek?refer=embed">#christinamarieblazek</a> <a title="christinablazek" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/christinablazek?refer=embed">#christinablazek</a> <a title="eddyrimada" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/eddyrimada?refer=embed">#eddyrimada</a> <a title="yogieddy" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/yogieddy?refer=embed">#yogieddy</a> <a title="asiannews" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/asiannews?refer=embed">#asiannews</a> <a title="news" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/news?refer=embed">#news</a> <a title="pleasehelp" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/pleasehelp?refer=embed">#pleasehelp</a> <a title="guatemala" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/guatemala?refer=embed">#guatemala</a>  </p> <a target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - Ed" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7307493911240051502?refer=embed">♬ original sound - Ed</a> </section> </blockquote> <p>In his first video, he addressed some "really shady" circumstances around Ng's case, including some comments by Chris Sharpe, the leader of the search-and-rescue team hired by Ng's family.</p><p><a target="_blank" href="https://abc7chicago.com/nancy-ng-missing-in-guatemala-yoga-retreat-lake-atitln-search-and-rescue/14018530/">According to ABC7</a>, Sharpe said he was having trouble getting witnesses to come forward or speak to him, and that his team had searched most of the lake and not found anything.</p><p>"For me, this is now becoming a criminal investigation because the witnesses who were there at a material time are not being forthcoming," he told the outlet.</p><p>Choi, and others, have since made videos reporting on every update about Ng's disappearance, including when a video of her kayaking was released, and when the last person thought to see Ng alive, named Christina Blazek, came forward.</p><h2>The rise of armchair sleuths</h2><p><a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-much-true-crime-creator-earns-7-income-streams-2022-8">True crime content</a> is huge on TikTok, with videos about historic cases regularly racking up millions of views. But internet sleuths have also played an increasing role in mysteries that unfold in real-time.</p><p>For example, when <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/van-life-mental-health-girl-isolation-challenges-gabby-petito-missing-2021-9">van life</a> influencer <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/gabby-petito-brian-laundrie-missing-found-true-crime-tiktok-2021-9">Gabby Petito went missing</a> in August 2021, social media was flooded with information about her disappearance, and theories about what may have happened to her. Some content played a part in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/gabby-petito-tiktok-viral-posts-brian-laundrie-disappearance-criticism-2021-9">getting her case solved</a>.</p><p>Kendal Stoneystreet, an associate lecturer in criminology and sociology at Sheffield Hallam University, told Business Insider that this fascination with unfolding events is unsurprising because humans are particularly interested in "anything psychologically morbid."</p><p>"We can watch these frightening experiences from the safety of our homes, allowing us to vicariously experience through TV or films, and now TikToks," she said.</p><p>It helps that people can consume detailed overviews in bitesize chunks on apps like TikTok, Stoneystreet added, which she has observed many of her students doing.</p><p>Choi's videos, for instance, are informative and packed full of sources and references, and only a couple of minutes long each.</p><p>Stoneystreet told BI the problem-solving element is something that attracts people to true crime, all the way back to the disappearance of Madeline McCann, or even Jack the Ripper.</p><p>"Our desensitization to true crime, due to our constant consumption of media, means it's almost a challenge or a game to solve these puzzles," she said. "It feels satisfying when our predictions or suspicions are confirmed as right."</p><p>This phenomenon has been coined "the curious case of the armchair detective" by criminologist Professor David Wilson.</p><blockquote class="tiktok-embed" cite="https://www.tiktok.com/@crimewithkourt/video/7303704370196008234" data-video-id="7303704370196008234" data-embed-from="oembed" style="max-width: 605px;min-width: 325px;"> <section> <a target="_blank" title="@crimewithkourt" href="https://www.tiktok.com/@crimewithkourt?refer=embed">@crimewithkourt</a> <p>Nancy Ng is STILL missing. These are the newest updates as of 11/20.. <a title="truecrime" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/truecrime?refer=embed">#truecrime</a> <a title="truecrimecommunity" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/truecrimecommunity?refer=embed">#truecrimecommunity</a> <a title="truecrimetiktok" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/truecrimetiktok?refer=embed">#truecrimetiktok</a> <a title="missing" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/missing?refer=embed">#missing</a> <a title="missingperson" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/missingperson?refer=embed">#missingperson</a> <a title="unsolved" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/unsolved?refer=embed">#unsolved</a> <a title="nancyng" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/nancyng?refer=embed">#nancyng</a> <a title="guatemala" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/guatemala?refer=embed">#guatemala</a> <a title="fyp" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/fyp?refer=embed">#fyp</a> <a title="christinablazek" target="_blank" href="https://www.tiktok.com/tag/christinablazek?refer=embed">#christinablazek</a> </p> <a target="_blank" title="♬ original sound - Crime With Kourt" href="https://www.tiktok.com/music/original-sound-7303704408209115946?refer=embed">♬ original sound - Crime With Kourt</a> </section> </blockquote> <h2>The dark reality</h2><p>Though armchair sleuths can have their benefits, a lot of information shared about true crime can be misinformed, insensitive, or exaggerated. Some spread outright <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-people-believe-conspiracy-theory-overconfidence-2023-1">conspiracy theories</a> that add no aid to active investigations.</p><p>"If you look at TikTok coverage on Nancy Ng, the ones with the most likes include those covering conspiracies like her death being a cult-based sacrifice or an elaborately coordinated hate crime," Stoneystreet said.</p><p>She added is often forgotten that there are real people and families behind the stories, who may not be happy about strangers profiting off their tragedy.</p><p>For example, in October, a man named Lawrence Crook <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/man-begs-tiktokers-stop-making-true-crime-about-mom-murder-2023-10">begged TikTokers to stop</a> making true crime content about his mom's murder. Odessa Carey, 73, was murdered by her mentally ill daughter, Crook's sister, in 2019.</p><p>Four years later, people on TikTok are still making videos about the case, so Crook spoke to Chronicle Live about what that was like.</p><p>"People see it as entertainment, to see how many likes they can get," Crook told the outlet. "But they need to stop and think about the real families behind it."</p><p>Stoneystreet said cases that go viral tend to feature a particular type of victim: a young, attractive white woman.</p><p>"What is interesting about the case of Nancy Ng is that this is a woman of Asian descent," she said. "However, much of the rhetoric surrounding the case from Asian creators and other creators of color is how Nancy Ng's story should receive similar visibility to that of Gabby Petito's."</p><p>This issue has occurred before. In January 2022, TikTokers criticized the media and the public for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/tiktokers-criticize-lack-of-media-coverage-lauren-smith-fields-death-2022-1">a lack of attention on Lauren Smith-Fields</a>, a Black woman who was found dead after a Bumble date.</p><p>At the time, many referenced a phenomenon sociologists call "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/experts-missing-women-of-color-are-not-centered-news-coverage-2021-9">missing white woman syndrome</a>," where cases of missing white women and girls are far more likely to make the news than women of color.</p><p>While some creators including Choi, and true crime podcaster Kourtney Nichole who has 1.2 million followers, have managed to increase awareness of Ng's case, it certainly hasn't hit the headlines to the extent Petito's disappearance did.</p><p>Videos on TikTok with the hashtag #GabbyPetito also amassed 2.2 billion views — 61 times more than those tagged with #NancyNg.</p><p>TikToker and musician Arigato Grande addressed this issue and said she was "infuriated" with how Ng's case had been handled <a target="_blank" href="https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGeRCFvY5/">in a video posted on November 4</a>, from the witnesses staying silent, to two weeks of minimal media coverage, to the Guatemalan navy giving up their search in 72 hours.</p><p>"If you cared so much about Gabby Petito's case, you need to also care about Nancy Ng," she said. "I know there's a lot going on in the world right now, but our friend is missing and the family is suffering. They need answers."</p>

TikTok sleuths have been obsessing over the case of Nancy Ng, a woman who vanished during a yoga retreat — and it's revealed an ugly truth

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12001236" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="denver" source="Orion">Denver</keyword>, <keyword id="11918419" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="colorado" source="Orion">Colorado</keyword>, is known for its access to nature but there is much to see beyond incredible views.</li><li>From museums to sporting events, here are the best things to do when visiting the Mile High City.</li></ul><p>Denver, Colorado, is known for its proximity to nature, and for good reason. The city is just a few hours from four <a href="https://www.insider.com/visiting-national-park-first-time-surprising-things-2021-10">national parks</a>, bustling ski towns, and the breathtaking Rocky Mountains.</p><p>But Denver is also home to much more than lush landscapes and shocking mountain ranges. The Mile High City has a lively music scene, thrilling sporting events, vibrant art galleries, and an expansive park system. </p><p>Everyone from history buffs to horticulturists can fill a trip to Denver. Take a look at some of the must-do activities for your trip.</p><div type="image" title="The exterior of Union Station in Denver, Colorado." height="2672" width="3562" msid="87742979" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Denver Union Station</strong></p><p><a href="https://unionstationindenver.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Denver Union Station</a> is a 100-year-old landmark in the heart of downtown. Beyond being a hub where you can hop on trains and buses, it houses restaurants and shops that sell books, souvenirs, and Denver-branded apparel. On Saturday mornings from May to October, there's a bustling farmers' market out front. For a caffeine boost, stop by the station's <a href="https://www.pigtraincoffee.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Pigtrain Coffee</a> for delicious locally roasted coffee.</p><div type="image" title="The empty amphitheater at Red Rocks with views of the mountains." height="2657" width="3554" msid="87742982" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.redrocksonline.com/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow nofollow noopener sponsored sponsored nofollow sponsored">Red Rocks Amphitheatre</a> is a concert venue drawing big name acts. It also happens to offer unrivaled views and spectacular scenery, making it one of the best spots to hike. Red Rocks Park immediately surrounds it and the venue hosts special activities like <a href="https://www.redrocksonline.com/yoga/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Yoga on the Rocks</a> during the summer. According to the Red Rocks Amphitheatre <a href="https://www.redrocksonline.com/our-story/history/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored nofollow sponsored">website</a>, this monument is the "only naturally occurring, acoustically perfect amphitheater in the world."</p><p><strong>Denver Botanic Gardens </strong></p><p><a href="https://www.botanicgardens.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Denver Botanic Gardens</a> is a public botanical garden near Cheesman Park. There are 23 acres consisting of gardens and an amphitheater for summer concerts. Visit in mid-April to catch the tulips in peak bloom.</p><p>If you miss springtime, don't worry, the gardens host events throughout the entire year. Each Halloween, for example, the garden teems with spooky jack-o-lanterns, and during the winter, don't miss the <a href="https://www.botanicgardens.org/events/special-events/blossoms-light">Blossoms of Light</a> holiday lights extravaganza.</p><h3><div type="image" title="Coors Field, Denver." height="1124" width="1500" msid="87742985" hostid="261"></div></h3><p><strong>Coors Field </strong></p><p><a href="https://www.mlb.com/rockies/ballpark" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Coors Field</a> is Denver's ballpark and home to the MLB team, the Colorado Rockies. It's also two blocks from Union Station. If you're planning to catch a game, consider buying a ticket for The Rooftop, which is a standing-room area near the upper-right-field seating with spectacular views. Read this <a href="https://www.mlb.com/rockies/ballpark/information/guide" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">official MLB guide</a> for more details about visiting Coors Field.</p><p><strong>Denver Museum of Nature and Science</strong></p><p>When you need something to do indoors, plan a visit to the <a href="https://www.dmns.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Denver Museum of Nature and Science</a> where you'll dive into topics ranging from Egyptian mummies to space odyssey. There are both temporary and permanent exhibits, as well as an IMAX experience. Check out the <a href="https://secure1.dmns.org/">museum's website</a> for all ticket offerings. </p><p><strong>Denver Zoo</strong></p><p>Right next to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science is the <a href="https://denverzoo.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Denver Zoo</a>. From flamingos and elephants to lions and zebras, it is home to more than 3,600 animals. Plus, you're welcome to bring your own food into the zoo, so pack a picnic to save a few bucks.</p><p>Check out the <a href="https://denverzoo.org/events" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">events calendar</a> to see if the zoo will be hosting any special galas or parties during your visit. The <a href="https://denverzoo.org/exhibits/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Stingray Cove</a> experience, where you can touch sea creatures, is a blast, though it's seasonal (beginning in late March) and tickets are first come, first served.</p><div type="image" title="City Park, Denver." height="1124" width="1500" msid="87742987" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>City Park</strong></p><p>City Park is Denver's largest municipal park and is a beautiful place to walk, run, bike, and paddle boat, which you may rent at Duck Lake and Ferril Lake. Or, pack a picnic basket for a sunset dinner by the lake on a warm evening for an unbeatable night out.</p><p><strong>River North District</strong></p><p>Explore street art in <a href="https://rinoartdistrict.org/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Denver's River North District</a> (or RiNo). The area, which has over 60 murals painted by local artists, is also bustling with breweries, coffee shops, stores, and an array of restaurants. </p><div type="image" title="One area in the four-story art exhibit, Meow Wolf." height="1124" width="1500" msid="87742988" hostid="261"></div><p><strong>Meow Wolf</strong></p><p>The newly opened <a href="https://meowwolf.com/visit/denver">Meow Wolf</a> is an interactive art experience. Every inch of the 90,000-square-foot exhibition is designed to be explored, touched, and questioned. Over 300 artists worked on the exhibit, and it's something you have to see — and experience — for yourself. Tickets often sell out days or weeks in advance, so be sure to plan ahead.</p><p><strong>Sloan's Lake Park </strong></p><p><a href="https://www.denvergov.org/content/dam/denvergov/Portals/747/documents/ParkArt/ParkArt_Sloan's%20Lake%20Park.pdf" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener sponsored">Sloan's Lake</a> is the largest lake in Denver. With playgrounds, athletic fields, boating, biking, trails, picnic areas, and paddleboarding, this is the place to spend the day outdoors if you're visiting during a warmer month. The park also hosts celebrations throughout the year. So if you're visiting in July, look into attending the <a href="http://www.cdbf.org/">Colorado Dragon Boat Festival</a>, an annual celebration of Asian and Asian American heritage filled with stunning parade-like creations.</p><p><em><a href="https://www.insider.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-traveling-to-denver-colorado" target="_blank" rel="noopener">View Insider's comprehensive guide to visiting Denver</a>.</em></p>

The best things to do in Denver, from incredible hikes to the coolest neighborhoods and museums

<ul><li>As the world is still adapting to life under lockdown, it is perhaps time to take cue from our introvert friends who have been leading fulfilling lives despite not going out and socializing as frequently as extroverts. </li><li>It is also time to make the most out of the myriad options available online to keep ourselves engaged and entertained. </li><li><keyword id="9025059" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="abhik-choudhury">Abhik Choudhury</keyword>, the Chief Strategist &amp; Founder, Salt and Paper Consulting shares some valuable tips on how to ace this lockdown by sharing some of the things one could explore, while living life in isolation. </li></ul>It’s 2 am on a Tuesday night, Sufjan and Sinatra lullaby in the background as I write this article like I would have had two months ago. If you’re reading this on your smartphone, have food, internet and a place to call home, then you’re already luckier than most people in such an intimidating year; count your blessings. In the last century there has been the Spanish Flu and Asian Flu killing millions in months. The striking difference now is you can watch movies on demand, stroll through museums in virtual reality and work from home with Zoom and Hangouts Meet in the luxury of your living room.<br /><br />In the last two decades we have made a world where superficial need of social validation by going to exotic vacations, posting the #OOTD bought last evening from Zara, mushy selfies with partners and albums of office pub outings is the new normal; all of this to stir digital endorsement in the form of likes and comments from people you meet twice a year. And now with self isolation that void feels like a black-hole to a generation flirting with ADHD, who can’t fathom the idea of calm having been bred in chaos their whole lives. For a welcoming change now is the time for them to take cues from the introverts in their groups who anyway used to skip the dance parties, game nights and karaoke clubs. So how did they survive the last decade when it is becoming suffocating in less than a fortnight?<br /><br />To begin with, their idea of happiness isn’t dependent upon others, call them geeks but they will find equal joy in binging Stranger Things alone as much as you did by getting sloshed with stranger beings till the wee hours of the morning. One of the biggest myths about introverts is they avoid crowds because they are afraid of them when in reality it’s a lifestyle choice even for some of the most powerful people in the world like Zuckerberg and Gates. So when you look at it for what it truly is, you can learn to not only accept but also appreciate the temporary tweak. The choice to voluntarily lay off red meat to control high cholesterol demands acquired maturity. A lifestyle shift by definition urges an evolved state of mindset, don’t see it as a downgrade of your freedom but an upgrade of your consciousness. Another wonderful thing to emulate is their innate ability to love and pamper themselves. Pizza with truffle oil tastes magical on its own and treating yourself to fresh mimosas while sunbathing on your balcony needs just a good playlist, not a big brunch invitation. Such a beautifully liberating thing it is to enjoy one’s own company, no?<br /><br />A few years ago, <keyword id="657946" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Millennials">millennials</keyword> started a trend #staycation where going to local Spa and doing movie nights at home gardens was preferred over foreign travels. How about trying #digitaltourist this autumn which feels like RR Martin’s winter. We can send group invites to friends and whilst sharing screens doused with virtual reality, walk through some enviable museums like <a href="https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/musee-dorsay-paris">Musée d’Orsay, Paris</a>, breathtaking <a href="http://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/collezioni/musei/cappella-sistina/tour-virtuale.html">Sistine Chapel</a> to <a href="https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/rijksmuseum">Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.</a> Your gang loves to hang out with animals? <a href="https://www.dublinzoo.ie/animals/animal-webcams/penguins/">Penguins at Dublin Zoo</a>, <a href="https://www.marylandzoo.org/animals/live-cams-feeds/giraffe-live-cam/">Giraffes at Maryland Zoo</a> to <a href="http://cincinnatizoo.org/home-safari-resources/?fbclid=IwAR3A-m7WgYMmOifLNsEcTju6mlFQfb-QdRis-P0etv2-Z51qXSeRQ1C_mzA">Hippos at Cincinnati Zoo</a> are being live-streamed during their feeding times. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCBYvd5LKa4">Melbourne Symphony Orchestra</a> to Met Opera New York are giving the suave music lovers a real virtual treat. The National Theatre, London will be showcasing free plays every Thursdays from 2nd of April and U.S. National Emergency Library is offering free digital access to <a href="https://archive.org/details/nationalemergencylibrary?sort=-downloads">1.4 million books</a>. If you want to polish business skills, events such as <a href="https://www.salesforce.com/connections/">Salesforce Connections</a> and the <a href="https://www.adobe.com/summit.html">Adobe Summit</a> are virtual and free this year. Even the coveted <a href="https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/economics/14-73-the-challenge-of-world-poverty-spring-2011/video-lectures/">lectures</a> of Nobel Award Winning Economists Esther Duflo and <keyword id="370528" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Abhijit-Banerjee">Abhijit Banerjee</keyword> and The Museum of Modern Art with series of free classes on <a href="https://www.coursera.org/moma">Coursera</a> are waiting for passionately curious visitors. If you’re missing your gym sessions, yoga studios like <a href="http://www.oneyogalondon.com/">One Yoga</a> and <a href="https://www.yogiapproved.com/classes/">Yogi Approved</a> are live streaming online classes so that you can find peace in these unprecedented times. In India, <a href="https://www.cure.fit/cult/home">Cult.Fit</a> has generously made high octane, live workout sessions with the likes of Mary Kom, Mandira Bedi and Vijender Singh free for all. Whatever your heart desires this year, in all likelihood someone out there has already made it available for you to learn from home.<br /><br />This January, Samsung introduced Neon, artificial humans ready to share experiences with evolved emotions and intelligence. But there is still time for the 'Black Mirror' meets 'Her' product to be available for purchase. Till then, we need to find solace in self isolation with what we have grown up with.<br /><br />If even after the curfew ends by staying another twenty days indoors we can flatten the curve, let’s make #digitaltourist the trend of the month to save the year.<br /><br /><em><strong>- This column has been authored by Abhik Choudhury, the Chief Strategist &amp; Founder, Salt and Paper Consulting. He is also a visiting faculty of Market Research &amp; Campaign Planning for the Advertising &amp; PR department at Indian Institute of Mass Communication, New Delhi.</strong><br /></em><br />

Introverts and the Internet will save you in quarantine

Table of Contents: Masthead Sticky<ul class="summary-list"><li>I'm a <keyword id="6359726" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="colorado">Colorado</keyword> native living in downtown <keyword id="39222" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="denver">Denver</keyword>, and I'm sharing the best things in the city.</li><li>Tourists should visit Denver Union Station, Coors Field, and the Denver Zoo.</li><li>They should eat and drink at Tavernetta, Linger, Finn's Manor, and Denver Milk Market.</li></ul><p>At 5,280 feet above sea level, Denver offers a variety of activities for visitors amid its <a href="https://www.insider.com/interesting-fun-things-about-working-on-a-cruise-ship-2021-5">gorgeous landscapes</a> and bustling downtown.</p><p>The Mile High City, famous for its 300 days of sunshine, is home to the Colorado Rockies, Avalanche, and the Broncos.</p><p>As a lifelong Coloradan living in the heart of Denver, I've managed to scour the must-visit spots and find some of the best eats and drinks, sites to visit, and places to stay.</p><p>Keep reading for the ultimate guide to Denver.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Things to know before you go</h2><ul><li><strong>COVID-19 PROTOCOL: </strong>As of <a href="https://covid19.colorado.gov/mask-guidance">May 14</a>, fully vaccinated people no longer have to wear masks in public indoor spaces unless the business or entity requires otherwise.</li><li><strong>WEATHER: </strong>Colorado gets 300 days of sunshine each year, but it can be unpredictable, so you may experience a variety of weather during your stay. Overall, the weather is relatively mild and the air extremely dry. In the <a href="https://www.weather-us.com/en/colorado-usa-climate#:~:text=July%20is%20generally%20the%20hottest,F%20(34.4%C2%B0C).&amp;text=Summer%20nights%20have%20comfortable%20temperatures,F%20(15.6%C2%B0C).0C).">summer months</a>, temperatures range from the low 70s to the upper 90s. In the winter, temps hover around the <a href="https://www.denver.org/about-denver/denver-resources/weather/#:~:text=Winters%20are%20mild%20with%20an,to%20stay%20open%20all%20year.&amp;text=The%20average%20daily%20high%20temperature,a%20mild%2086%20degrees%20Fahrenheit.eit.">30s and 40s</a>.</li><li><strong>WALKABILITY: </strong>Denver is a relatively walkable city if you're planning to explore the immediately surrounding areas. Denver has bus and light-rail lines; you can purchase tickets online through the <a href="https://www.rtd-denver.com/fares-passes/mobile-ticketing">RTD Mobile Ticketing app</a>. If you're navigating through downtown, you can catch the <a href="https://www.rtd-denver.com/services/free-mallride">RTD Free MallRide</a> on 16th Street.</li></ul><h2>Where to stay</h2><div type="image" title="The Oxford Hotel (1)" height="2274" width="3024" msid="83148182" hostid="261"></div><p>When you visit Denver, you'll need somewhere to stay. Insider has previously rounded up <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-hotels-in-denver" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the best hotels in Denver</a>, as well as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-airbnbs-denver" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the best Airbnb homes in Denver</a>.</p><p>No matter where you choose to stay, I recommend keeping close to Union Station for quick and easy access to public transportation.</p><h3>The Crawford Hotel is close to public transportation</h3><p><a href="https://www.thecrawfordhotel.com/">The Crawford Hotel</a> is right above Union Station, so it's a good option if you're planning to take advantage of public-transit options and downtown attractions.</p><p>Depending on what type of room you're looking for, rates start at about $260 a night. Special amenities include exclusive discounts and freebies to the dining and retail outlets inside Union Station.</p><p><strong>Tip: </strong>Check out the Terminal Bar in Union Station right next to the hotel for a fine cocktail.</p><h3>The Oxford Hotel is luxurious and iconic</h3><p><a href="https://www.theoxfordhotel.com/">The Oxford Hotel</a> is an iconic, luxurious hotel a block from Union Station, making it another good location that will keep you close to public transit.</p><p>Depending on what type of room you're looking for, rates range from $190 to $450 a night, on average. You'll also receive exclusive discounts to <a href="https://be.synxis.com/?_ga=2.260990925.1902131267.1622135151-1734922146.1622135151&amp;adult=1&amp;arrive=2021-05-27&amp;chain=6052&amp;child=0&amp;currency=USD&amp;depart=2021-05-28&amp;hotel=239&amp;level=hotel&amp;locale=en-US&amp;rooms=1level=hotel&amp;locale=en-US&amp;rooms=1">eateries and retailers</a> when you stay at The Oxford.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> <a href="https://www.urbanfarmersteakhouse.com/location/urban-farmer-denver/">Urban Farmer Denver</a>, the restaurant adjacent to the hotel, is known for its locally sourced ingredients and simple preparations. Plus, you receive a $10 credit to Urban Farmer with your stay.</p><h2>Things to do and see</h2><div type="image" title="Union Station" height="2505" width="3340" msid="83148185" hostid="261"></div><h3>Denver Union Station is a historic must-see</h3><p><a href="https://unionstationindenver.com/">Denver Union Station</a> is a 100-year-old landmark in the heart of downtown. Beyond being a hub where you can hop on trains and buses, it has restaurants and shops that sell books, souvenirs, and Denver-branded apparel. If you're looking for a caffeine boost, I suggest stopping by the station's <a href="https://www.pigtraincoffee.com/">Pigtrain Coffee</a> for delicious locally roasted coffee.</p><p>The Crawford Hotel offers tours of Denver Union Station for $20, Thursday through Monday from 1 to 4 o'clock.</p><p><strong>Tip: </strong>If you visit on a Saturday morning from May through October, there's a farmers market out front.</p><h3>Red Rocks Park and Amphitheatre is known for its incredible views</h3><p><a href="https://www.redrocksonline.com/">Red Rocks Amphitheatre</a> is a concert venue with unrivaled views and spectacular scenery. You can also hike the surrounding area, Red Rocks Park, if you're looking for outdoor fun.</p><p>According to the Red Rocks Amphitheatre <a href="https://www.redrocksonline.com/our-story/history/">website</a>, this monument is the "only naturally occurring, acoustically perfect amphitheatre in the world."</p><p>I recommend checking the events calendar before your stay and trying to see a concert. I saw country star Kenny Chesney perform there, and even during a rainy summer evening, it's a show I've never forgotten because of the unrivaled acoustic experience.</p><p><strong>Tip: </strong>If you're traveling during the summer months, the venue hosts special activities like <a href="https://www.redrocksonline.com/yoga/">Yoga on the Rocks</a>.</p><div type="image" title="Red Rocks (1)" height="3024" width="4032" msid="83148196" hostid="261"></div><h3>Denver Botanic Gardens is your go-to for a peaceful day out</h3><p><a href="https://www.botanicgardens.org/">Denver Botanic Gardens</a> is a public botanical garden near Cheesman Park. There are 23 acres in the park consisting of various gardens and an amphitheater for summer concerts. Head to the gardens in mid-April to catch the tulips in the peak bloom season.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> If you're traveling in the winter season, check out the Gardens' <a href="https://www.botanicgardens.org/events/special-events/blossoms-light">Blossoms of Light</a> holiday lights extravaganza.</p><h3>Coors Field is a fun place for baseball fans</h3><p><a href="https://www.mlb.com/rockies/ballpark">Coors Field</a> is our ballpark and home to our MLB team, the Colorado Rockies. It's also two blocks from Union Station.</p><p>If you're planning to catch a game, I recommend reading this <a href="https://www.mlb.com/rockies/ballpark/information/guide">official MLB guide</a> for more details about visiting Coors Field.</p><p><strong>Tip: </strong>The Rooftop is a standing-room area near the upper-right-field seating area. The views are spectacular, and tickets for The Rooftop include concession credits.</p><div type="image" title="Coors Field.JPG" height="2448" width="3264" msid="83148204" hostid="261"></div><h3>The Denver Museum of Nature and Science is where to go if you're with kids</h3><p>The <a href="https://www.dmns.org/">Denver Museum of Nature and Science</a> is the perfect place to head if you're looking for an indoor activity. The museum features both temporary and permanent exhibits, so take a peek at the <a href="https://www.dmns.org/">website</a> before you go.</p><p><strong>Tip: </strong>There are a handful of ticket offerings, so be sure to read the details before purchasing. Certain exhibits and the IMAX experience may cost more.</p><h3>The Denver Zoo is fun for all ages</h3><p>Right next to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science is the <a href="https://denverzoo.org/">Denver Zoo</a>. It has more than 3,600 animals, from flamingos and elephants to lions and zebras.</p><p>Be sure to check out the <a href="https://denverzoo.org/events">events calendar</a> to see if the zoo will be hosting any special galas or parties during your visit. The <a href="https://denverzoo.org/exhibits/">Stingray Cove</a> experience, where you get to touch sea creatures, is a blast, though it's seasonal (beginning in late March) and tickets are first come, first served.</p><p><strong>Tip</strong>: You're welcome to bring your own food into the zoo, so pack a picnic if you want to save a few bucks.</p><div type="image" title="Denver Zoo (2)" height="2274" width="3024" msid="83148214" hostid="261"></div><h3>City Park is for you if you're looking to get outdoors</h3><p>While you're at the Museum of Nature and Science or at the zoo, take a quick walk around <a href="https://www.denver.org/listing/city-park/6822/">City Park</a>.</p><p>City Park is Denver's largest municipal park and is the ideal place to walk or run, bike, picnic, and paddle boat (you can rent these at Duck Lake and Ferril Lake).</p><p><strong>Tip: </strong>Pack a picnic basket for a sunset dinner by the lake during the summer months for an unbeatable quiet night out.</p><h3>Sloan's Lake Park makes for a fun bike ride or walk</h3><p><a href="https://www.denvergov.org/content/dam/denvergov/Portals/747/documents/ParkArt/ParkArt_Sloan's%20Lake%20Park.pdf.pdf">Sloan's Lake</a> is the largest lake in Denver. With playgrounds, athletic fields, boating, biking, trails, picnic areas, and paddleboarding, this is the place to spend the day outdoors if you're visiting during a warmer month.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> If you're visiting in July, you might be able to attend the <a href="http://www.cdbf.org/">Colorado Dragon Boat Festival</a>, an annual celebration of Asian and Asian American heritage filled with stunning parade-esque creations.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Where to eat and drink</h2><div type="image" title="Jax Fish House (1)" height="2274" width="3024" msid="83148222" hostid="261"></div><h3>Jax Fish House &amp; Oyster Bar is a staple if you want seafood</h3><p><a href="https://www.jaxfishhouse.com/lodo/">Jax Fish House &amp; Oyster Bar</a> is a couple of blocks from Union Station and just the right spot if you're in the mood for seafood and oysters.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> Happy hour runs from 3:30 to 5:30 daily, and you can snag oysters for $2 apiece.</p><div type="image" title="Jax Fish House (2)" height="2685" width="3580" msid="83148227" hostid="261"></div><h3>Tavernetta is your classy go-to for a special occasion or date night</h3><p><a href="https://www.tavernettadenver.com/">Tavernetta</a> offers an upscale Italian dining experience with world-class hospitality in the Union Station neighborhood. This spot is nice for a special occasion or a memorable date night.</p><p>The burrata is incredible and makes for a shareable appetizer, and you can't go wrong with the rigatoni.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> Tavernetta is popular and often busy, so book your dinner online to secure a table.</p><h2><div type="image" title="Tavernetta" height="3024" width="4032" msid="83148236" hostid="261"></div></h2><h3>Williams &amp; Graham is one hole-in-the-wall you don't want to miss</h3><p>Located in Denver's Lower Highlands "LoHi" neighborhood, <a href="https://williamsandgraham.com/">Williams &amp; Graham</a> is a Prohibition-era speakeasy hidden behind a bookshelf.</p><p>The luxurious old-school atmosphere is unforgettable. Stop by for rotating craft cocktails or one of the traditional favorites like the espresso martini.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> Make reservations to avoid waiting. Most nights will require a wait if you don't book.</p><h3>Finn's Manor makes for a fun night out</h3><p><a href="https://www.finnsmanor.co/">Finn's Manor</a> is a cocktail bar and food-truck hub in the River North Art District "RiNo" neighborhood. With 16 rotating taps and 800 or so spirits, this bar has a beverage for all tastes. In addition to the indoor bar, there's a large patio area and stage for live music.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> The summer months are prime time to visit Finn's Manor.</p><h3>Linger is a must-see with nice views</h3><p><a href="http://lingerdenver.com/">Linger</a> is one of Denver's best spots. Often packed with guests, Linger Eatuary sits atop the former foundation of the Olinger Mortuary.</p><p>The morbid past of this location makes it one of interest, but there aren't any spooky happenings in the area, just good brunch, lunch, and dinner options and awesome views.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> Though the area is generally busy, there's plenty of street parking nearby.</p><div type="image" title="Linger" height="2726" width="3635" msid="83148245" hostid="261"></div><h3>Avanti Food &amp; Beverage, for when you don't know what you're in the mood for</h3><p>If you're looking for a variety of food and beverage options, <a href="https://avantifandb.com/">Avanti Food &amp; Beverage</a> is your go-to. Located in the LoHi neighborhood, this collective eatery offers burgers, pizza, chicken, Asian street cuisine, Venezuelan dishes, and more.</p><p>Picture one big warehouse building with a lot of smaller restaurants packed inside. My favorite is <a href="https://avantifandb.com/restaurants/lea-janes-hot-chicken/">Lea Jane's Hot Chicken</a>.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> Be sure to go upstairs and check out the views of the city from the rooftop deck.</p><div type="image" title="Avanti" height="3024" width="4032" msid="83148247" hostid="261"></div><h3>Denver Milk Market is a fun, trendy location with delicious eats</h3><p><a href="https://www.denvermilkmarket.com/">Denver Milk Market</a> is an all-local mix of restaurants and bars on the corner of the historic <a href="https://dairyblock.com/">Dairy Block</a> alley. The food is good anywhere you go, but the bustling Instagram-worthy atmosphere and lively energy inside Denver Milk Market is what makes it worth visiting.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> Be sure to check out the <a href="https://www.denvermilkmarket.com/calendar">event calendar</a> before visiting. The area often hosts special brunches and themed dinners. Complete your visit with a photo in The Alley.</p><div type="image" title="Milk Market (2)" height="3632" width="3024" msid="83148249" hostid="261"></div><h3>Denver Biscuit is every brunch lover's dream</h3><p>If you're in the mood for a delicious brunch, you'll want to add <a href="https://denbisco.com/">Denver Biscuit Company</a> to your list. We're talking huge portions and a whole lot of biscuits, so go hungry.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> There are a few <a href="https://denbisco.com/locations/">locations</a> to choose from, but if you're in the mood to do some shopping before or after you eat, check out the <a href="https://www.stanleymarketplace.com/">Stanley Marketplace</a> spot, nestled in a community of over 50 businesses.</p><h3>Sushi Den serves some of the freshest sushi around</h3><p><a href="https://www.sushiden.net/">Sushi Den</a> has the best sushi in Denver because it's incredibly fresh. This sushi bar says it purchases fish from a market in Japan and that it's shipped directly to Denver, where it arrives within 24 hours.</p><p><strong>Tip:</strong> There are three restaurants, Sushi Den, Izakaya Den, and Ototo, which all operate next to one another. This trifecta shares staff, storage, and management.</p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Final tips before your trip</h2><div type="image" title="Milk Market   The Alley.JPG" height="1619" width="2158" msid="83148255" hostid="261"></div><ul><li><strong>Pack or plan to buy sunscreen.</strong> The ultraviolet rays are strong here because of the high altitude (the higher you get, the stronger the sun becomes), and if you burn easily, it will happen quickly, especially during the summer.</li><li><strong>If you plan to do any hiking, at Red Rocks or anywhere else, pack comfortable shoes and watch out for altitude sickness.</strong> There are a lot of places to hike near the city, but it's essential to prepare before you go. Wear comfortable shoes, drink a lot of water, and don't forget that the high altitude will affect your hike, so take it easy and remember to rest. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/high-altitude-climbers-psychosis-hallucinations-2018-1">Altitude sickness</a> is no joke.</li><li><strong>The weather can be kind of unpredictable, so pack outfits for various seasons. </strong>Summer months bring surprises like hail storms or random snowy days every once in a while. Winter months might shock you with a 60-degree sunny day.</li><li><strong>Craft beer is a huge deal in Denver. </strong>Colorado is <a href="https://www.denverpost.com/2019/05/17/inside-beer-here-exhibit-history-colorado-center/">known for its craft-beer culture</a>, so be sure to <a href="https://www.denver.org/restaurants/denver-bars-clubs/denver-beer-trail/">try some</a> and visit a tap room while you're here.</li></ul>

A local's ultimate guide to visiting Denver

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/author/dan-schawbel">Dan Schawbel</a> is a bestselling author, speaker, <keyword id="6359301" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="entrepreneur">entrepreneur</keyword>, and host of the "<a href="https://danschawbel.com/category/podcasts/">5 Questions with Dan Schawbel</a>" <keyword id="1590914" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Podcast">podcast</keyword>, where he interviews world-class humans by asking them just five questions in under 10 minutes.</li><li><strong>He recently interviewed <keyword id="739187" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Andrew-Yang">Andrew Yang</keyword>, an entrepreneur and former <keyword id="159173" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="presidential-candidate">presidential candidate</keyword> for the 2020 election.</strong></li><li>When Yang started his presidential run, he reached out to everyone he knew, from friends and family to business colleagues, to build support for his campaign.</li><li>When asked for his best piece of career advice, Yang said to find someone whose career you admire, then do everything you can to meet, support, and emulate them.<strong><br /></strong></li></ul><p>Born in Schenectady, New York, Andrew Yang was bullied growing up as one of the few Asians in his hometown of Westchester. He was a gifted child who skipped a grade, attended the Center for Talented Youth at Johns Hopkins University, and then attended an elite boarding school. Yang majored in economics and political science at Brown University and has a law degree from Columbia.</p><p>His first job was as a corporate attorney, but he quit to launch his first startup, Stargiving, that eventually failed during the dot-com bubble. From there, he became the CEO of Manhattan Prep, a test prep company, which was acquired in 2009. Yang then started the nonprofit fellowship program Venture for America. In 2017, he launched his presidential campaign but later dropped out to endorse Joe Biden. Yang's new nonprofit is called Humanity Forward, which is dedicated to continuing his UBI and data security movements. More recently, he launched his podcast "Yang Speaks" and a few UBI experiments. Since I focus on employment topics and issues, I was excited to hear Yang's perspectives on the future of <keyword id="6355058" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="work">work</keyword> and <keyword id="6354910" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="careers">careers</keyword>.</p><p>In our conversation, Yang talks about how he created a political movement, how <keyword id="3625814" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Universal-Basic-Income">universal basic income</keyword> can enable people to follow their passion, how to prepare for the future of work, his decision making on the campaign trail, and his best career advice.</p><p><strong><keyword id="1859852" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Dan-Schawbel">Dan Schawbel</keyword>:</strong> You started off as a political unknown, yet you were able to create and grow a movement with legions of supporters who call themselves "the Yang gang." What do you think were the key elements in your ability to start the movement, rapidly scale it, and sustain it for so long?</p><p><strong>Andrew Yang:</strong> Well, starting the movement was a lot of work and it happened the same way that it would happen for anyone listening to this right now, which is you're going to call friends, family, and people you have worked with and say, "Hey, I've got this plan."</p><p>In my case, the plan was running for president. Then you ask them for help and some of them say, "We'd love to help" while others say, "Eh, let me get back to you." That's the way anything gets started and that's the way my presidential campaign started. It seems like it was enormous, but everything starts with the same first steps. The ways something gets started are the same as any enterprise organization. You just have to reach out to some people and try to get them on board.</p><p><div type="image" title="Dan Schawbel" height="3542" width="4722" msid="76285676" hostid="261"></div></p><p>The way it scaled was that I had a consistent vision for the future of the country that I just kept hitting over and over again. And I thought that if people could see that the vision would improve their lives, that eventually we would catch fire. It seemed to outside observers that it happened really quickly, or naturally, but I was grinding away hitting the same message for months and months before it really took off.</p><p>That's the way things scale in many cases. You just have to be persistent and keep hitting the same points if you think that your value is there. If your value is not there, then hitting the same points is not going to work. But in my case, I was very confident that universal basic income was the future of our country. And I knew it would break through. </p><p>As for sustaining it, my organization Humanity Forward is still distributing economic relief to people. We're working as hard as ever trying to implement our vision, even though I'm not in office. There's still ways that we can get resources into people's hands, humanize the economy, and start trying to do things differently. That's the way we've managed to continue our growth.</p><p><strong>DS:</strong> You're credited with raising awareness for universal basic income (UBI) and are now suggesting that all Americans should receive $2,000 each month during the pandemic. One of the hidden benefits of UBI that isn't talked about is the leverage it gives citizens to make better career-related decisions. For instance, if you have a toxic manager, you're more likely to leave that job if you have a UBI safety net. Can you please explain how UBI can be a game changer for a citizen's career prospects?</p><p><strong>AY:</strong> It makes us much harder to push around, because right now there are these people that would leave their job in a heartbeat if they knew they could meet their basic needs. I'm talking about everyone from the waitress in the diner, whose boss is harassing them, to someone who just isn't being presented with the opportunities that they want, or have another dream that they'd like to pursue. One of the things I'm deeply motivated by is that entrepreneurship has collapsed in this country and this crisis has made it much, much worse.</p><p>So the question is, how are we going to rebuild small businesses? How are we going to rebuild entrepreneurship and risk taking? And we all know that if you had $2,000 a month coming in — that you didn't have to worry about — then you would start to think bigger about the kind of work that you want to do. </p><p>We also need to recognize the work that's being done in our homes. Right now, stay-at-home moms like my wife, Evelyn, get paid zero and they're working as hard or harder than anybody. Particularly if you're a single mom, you're doing two jobs, at least. We need to put money into people's hands to also broaden what we think of as work.</p><p><strong>DS:</strong> While many people think that companies are less likely to invest in automation during a crisis, the opposite is true. When revenues decline the cost of labor increases and <a href="https://www.ey.com/en_gl/news/2020/03/capital-strategies-being-rewritten-as-c-suite-grapples-with-immediate-impact-of-new-reality">a study by EY</a> found that over 40% or companies are setting up plans to automate their businesses. You say the economy is going to become more "inhuman." What can people do right now to prepare for the future of jobs and work?</p><p><strong>AY:</strong> The best thing we can do is invest in ourselves, our relationships, and our ability to project what we do digitally. I feel very, very bad for so many people who rely upon being physically next to you in order to make a living, all the personal trainers and stylists and yoga teachers and on and on, because the economy's not going to bounce back in the same shape that it was.</p><p><strong>DS:</strong> You've made some difficult decisions during your campaign. How did you evaluate when it was time to keep pushing forward, change paths, or quit, while continuing to motivate your supporters? What would you have done differently if you ran again?</p><p><strong>AY:</strong> Dropping out was very, very difficult. I thought I was never going to drop out. I thought I would just be like, "I'm going to be in this forever." Like, there's no reason for me to ever drop out because I can keep on making the case. And it really took my advisor sitting me down in New Hampshire and saying, "Look, we think that you're going to have a more powerful message and better platform to keep fighting for universal basic income and the human centered economy if you suspend earlier and here's why," and it made sense to me.</p><p>And it was really surprising when I saw it, because I thought I was going to be there forever. I was going to be the candidate no one can get rid of because I thought my entire campaign was built around being politically independent and being the scrappy entrepreneur.</p><p>I was like, "What scrappy entrepreneur would get it out?" just because they had a couple of bad results. But when my adviser sat me down and said, "Look, here's path A, here's path B; path A is better for the movement and we recommend path A," and had real facts and logic behind it, I was like, "Okay."</p><p><strong>DS:</strong> What's your best piece of career advice? </p><p><strong>AY:</strong> My best piece of career advice is to find someone whose career that you want for yourself and then try to support them, work for them, and emulate them. If you can find that person and you can add value to that person's organization, you're going to be in great shape. And on the flip side, if you look around and you can't find anyone whose life and career you want, then you should probably have some feelers out there to find something else. If there's no one in your organization whose career you want, then it's highly improbable to lead you there.</p><p><strong>Listen to the audio podcast:</strong></p><iframe src="https://player.blubrry.com/?media_url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.blubrry.com%2F5_questions_with_dan_schawbel%2Fcontent.blubrry.com%2F5_questions_with_dan_schawbel%2Fepisode85_andrew_yang.mp3&amp;podcast_link=https%3A%2F%2Fdanschawbel.com%2Fpodcasts%2Fepisode-85-andrew-yang%2F#darkOrLight-light&amp;shownotes-ffffff&amp;shownotesBackground-444444&amp;download-ffffff&amp;downloadBackground-003366&amp;subscribe-ffffff&amp;subscribeBackground-fb8c00&amp;share-ffffff&amp;shareBackground-1976d276d2" scrolling="no" width="100%" height="138px" frameborder="0" id="blubrryplayer-2" class="blubrryplayer"></iframe><p><em>Subscribe to the "5 Questions with Dan Schawbel" podcast on </em><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/5-questions-with-dan-schawbel/id1401344839?mt=2"><em>iTunes</em></a><em>, </em><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/2tTDd3gvv0938qklH9OFNL"><em>Spotify</em></a><em>, </em><a href="https://overcast.fm/itunes1401344839/5-questions-with-dan-schawbel"><em>Overcast</em></a><em>, or </em><a href="https://danschawbel.com/subscribe/"><em>others</em></a><em>.</em></p>

Andrew Yang on his best career advice, the rise of the 'Yang Gang,' and why universal basic income could fix American entrepreneurship

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/571685759105844d018bda2b-3264-2448/img_3839.jpg" alt="Success Academy Bensonhurst" data-mce-source="Abby Jackson" data-mce-caption="Success Academy Bensonhurst" /><p class="source"><span>Abby Jackson</span></p><p class="caption">Success Academy Bensonhurst</p></div><p></p></div></div>On a rainy Wednesday in February, I took the subway to Bensonhurst, Brooklyn to tour a Success Academy (SA) elementary school that opened in 2014.</p><p>The trip was spurred by a comment I heard at <span>a news conference a few weeks before, when SA CEO <span>Eva Mosckowitz <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/success-academy-press-conference-featured-many-angry-parents-and-teachers-2016-2">accused The New York Times</a> of using "</span>gotcha tactics" in its reporting of the schools. </span></p><p><span><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5717cdd391058424008bddd9-2048-1365/12885725_1119097128141147_7731764891482514763_o.jpg" alt="Success Academy Bensonhurst" data-mce-source="Success Academy Bensonhurst" data-link="https://www.facebook.com/SABensonhurst/photos/a.1119096701474523.1073741866.785002684883928/1119097128141147/?type=3&amp;theater" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/SABensonhurst/photos/a.1119096701474523.1073741866.785002684883928/1119097128141147/?type=3&amp;theater">Success Academy Bensonhurst</a></span></p><p class="caption">Success Academy Bensonhurst students</p></div><p></p></div></div>That press conference came after a Times article showed a recording of an SA teacher <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/success-academy-teacher-on-video-yelling-at-a-1st-grade-student-2016-2">verbally abusing</a> a first-grader for failing to answer a math question correctly.</span></p><p>Mosckowitz mentioned SA's "open-door" policy at the press event, encouraging people to tour her schools and see for themselves how they are run. </p><p>It seemed, to me, a bold invitation amid the chorus of negative reactions to SA's model. I jumped at the chance to visit.</p><p><span><span>SA is New York City's largest network of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charter_school">charter schools</a>, or schools that receive government money but operate independently. It has </span></span>34 schools spread throughout New York's boroughs, with the exception of Staten Island. </p><p>Students in the SA schools <a href="http://reason.com/blog/2015/08/15/success-academy-test-scores-charter">far outperform</a> students in traditional public schools in New York City on standardized tests - even students in wealthy zip codes. But the network has come under increasing scrutiny for the pressure it puts on its students, as well as the number of students it suspends.</p><p>It is also a burgeoning darling of Wall Street. At the fourth annual spring gala to support SA, hundreds of Wall Streeters gathered and raised more than <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/success-academy-spring-benefit-gala-2016-4">$35 million for the charter school network</a>.</p><p><span>Hopeful I'd be able to better understand what makes SA schools so successful, though polarizing, I arrived at the school at 7:30 a.m., just in time to see students arriving at the door.</span></p><p>Their principal, Jonathan Dant, stood outside the school, umbrella in hand, to greet them.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/57168b039105841d008bdae4-2448-3264/img_3882.jpg" alt="Success Academy Bensonhurst" data-mce-source="Abby Jackson" /><p class="source"><span>Abby Jackson</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Some students trotted in excitedly chatting, while others meandered in a bit slower, heads down. They all took a moment to say hello to Dant by way of a fist bump, and then a smile. </p><p>Dant told me he starts every morning this way, greeting students who are 22% Hispanic, 17% black, and 11% Asian.</p><p>Those students - 55% of whom qualify for free or reduced-cost lunch - represent a microcosm of the greater community. Bensonhurst contains the second-highest number of foreign-born citizens in New York City.</p><p>"We have families from all six habitable continents," Dant said. "Most of our families are first- or second-generation immigrants."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5717849652bcd020008bdbcf-2455-1841/img_3875.jpg" alt="Success Academy Bensonhurst" data-mce-source="Abby Jackson" /><p class="source"><span>Abby Jackson</span></p><p class="caption">Heresia Hayes, a dance teacher&#xa0;at the school, joined Dant in greeting students on their way in.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Throughout the school, there seemed to be a genuine sense of joy among the students, whether they were enmeshed in a math problem, or dancing in their elective class. Some of this may be attributable to the heavy emphasis on the need for play time at SA Bensonhurst.</p><p>Dant explained that, even in core subjects, there are dedicated times for "wiggle breaks" or "dance breaks" where students stop learning and are free to partake in some unstructured fun.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/571786f5910584155c8bda81-2455-1841/img_3888.jpg" alt="Success Academy" data-mce-source="Abby Jackson" /><p class="source"><span>Abby Jackson</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>We began the tour down a brightly decorated hallway of the school, which is currently kindergarten through second-grade but expects to add a grade every year.</p><p>The walls were explosions of color, with bright poster board and aspirational statements. I poked my head in homeroom classes of Morehouse, Harvard, and George Washington - named after the alma maters of the head teachers in the classrooms - and saw students attentive and focused. </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/571787d852bcd024008bdc90-2448-2356/img_3892.jpg" alt="Success Academy" data-mce-source="Abby Jackson" /><p class="source"><span>Abby Jackson</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>When we stopped into a kindergarten science class in the midst of their computer programming unit, the teacher was praising a student for his work. </p><p>"I want to give a shout out to Jacob because he immediately wrote down his program," the teacher said. "He's not forgetting that programmers write, then try. Show some love."</p><p>"Gooooo Jacob!" the students all responded in unison.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/571792a2910584716f8bd986-3264-2448/img_3897.jpg" alt="Success Academy" data-mce-source="Abby Jackson" /><p class="source"><span>Abby Jackson</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>In front of us, a couple of students began to argue. "Cam, Cam," Dant calmly chided, diffusing the situation before returning his attention to me.</p><p>I asked Dant how often he observes classes and offers suggestions while instruction is happening. He explained observing classes is a big part of his day.</p><p>"Sometimes I'm listening to the questions the teachers are going through," he said. "Sometimes I'm listening to the kids."</p><p>If he has simple suggestions for teachers, he'll talk to them in the moment. However, if there's an issue that requires a longer conversation, he'll save it for their one-on-one meetings. It seems like it would be a fine line to walk, correcting teachers in front of their classes without hurting their credibility. Dant disagrees, explaining that's exactly what makes SA unique. </p><p>"We are feedback driven, because we want them to get better in real time, and they want to get better in real time," he said. "We make feedback very comfortable."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/571793d6910584716f8bd995-2455-1841/img_3898.jpg" alt="Success Academy" data-mce-source="Abby Jackson" /><p class="source"><span>Abby Jackson</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Next, we stopped by a first-grade math class called math milestones. Students came up with their own individual way of solving math problems, without receiving guidance from teachers on techniques they should use. It's a class that intends to mimic the way people utilize math in the real world.</p><p>"The way that I think about it is that if I go into the grocery store and I have a recipe that calls for 28 ounces of tomatoes and they come in 12 ounce jars, there's not going to be a math problem there for me to solve to figure it out," Dant explained. "You have to contextualize the math and experience outside of the classroom."</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5717943e9105844e018bde6d-3264-2448/img_3900.jpg" alt="Success Academy" data-mce-source="Abby Jackson" /><p class="source"><span>Abby Jackson</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>When we headed to a second-grade reading class, students were discussing a text about the first Thanksgiving.</p><p>"What does the author mean by the real deal," a teacher named Ms. Fasig asked the class.</p><p>When the students hesitated to answer, Dant interjected, "Have them turn and talk to each other."</p><p>The students quickly paired off and the quiet room began to roar with conversation. Fasig gave them 30 seconds and then counted down from three. When she hit one, the students stopped talking at once, and the room was again silent. She pointed to a student who emphatically answered the question.</p><p>"I think it's called the 'Real Deal' because that's what really happened during the first Thanksgiving," the student responded.</p><p>Fasig was satisfied and continued on with her questions about the text.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5717956752bcd0210c8bdc28-3264-2448/img_3907.jpg" alt="Success Academy" data-mce-source="Abby Jackson" /><p class="source"><span>Abby Jackson</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Next, we headed to elective classes which students signed up for according to their interests. In a yoga class, students stretched to calming, instrumental music. </p><p>"Take a deep breath in," Ms. Vanszl instructed. She had them demonstrate downward dog, cat, and cow poses, and reminded them to find a spot on the carpet or the wall to help them balance.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/571795c352bcd022008bdcfd-3264-2448/img_3911.jpg" alt="Success Academy" data-mce-source="Abby Jackson" /><p class="source"><span>Abby Jackson</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Next door, the elective experience was a bit more lively. Students did ballet to the beat of Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe."</p><p>Ballet teacher Heresia Hayes asked the students to walk her through first position through fifth position. </p><p>Then we moved on to flag football, another elective separate from gym class, where students sprinted and ran plays. There were some excited shouts and chatter, but still the atmosphere in the gym was a controlled chaos.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5717cab49105841d008bdeb6-3264-2448/img_3914.jpg" alt="Success Academy" data-mce-source="Abby Jackson" /><p class="source"><span>Abby Jackson</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>The environment in the gym - and in the other electives and academic classes I saw - seems vastly different from the draconian teaching style that SA has been accused of fostering in the past.</p><p class="embed-spacer">Last year, a New York Times report alleged that students in the third grade and above were <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/students-wetting-pants-success-academy-charter-schools-2015-4">wetting themselves in classrooms</a> because they felt so stressed out and didn't want to lose time during standardized tests. The same article described the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/success-academy-students-being-put-in-the-red-zone-2015-4">public shaming of students for poor grades.</a> </p><p>And more recently, the<span> video that emerged of a first-grade Success Academy teacher berating a student who could not answer a math question correctly was elevated as further evidence that SA crosses the line in order to achieve the results they do.</span></p><p><span>But just like all organizations, individual schools are largely dictated by their leadership.</span></p><p>"I'm very laid back and sometimes people will say maybe I'm too laid back," Dant told me. "But that's just my style. It's very calm, that's something I value."</p><p>The practice of rip and redo - the contentious method of ripping a student's paper if it is deemed unsatisfactory - is not something that Dant allows in his school.</p><p>"As far as rip and redos, I don't believe that as a philosophy that you should shame a child in any way," Dant said. He said that he starts the school year by having these types of conversations with his staff so that the ethos of the school is unified.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5717e13e910584e73c8bdc8a-2048-1365/12513564_1100616723322521_9033779462078815011_o (1).jpg" alt="Success Academy Bensonhurst" data-mce-source="Success Academy Bensonhurst Facebook" data-mce-caption="Principal Jonathan Dant reads to students." data-link="https://www.facebook.com/SABensonhurst/photos/a.1100616266655900.1073741862.785002684883928/1100616723322521/?type=3&amp;theater" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/SABensonhurst/photos/a.1100616266655900.1073741862.785002684883928/1100616723322521/?type=3&amp;theater">Success Academy Bensonhurst Facebook</a></span></p><p class="caption">Principal Jonathan Dant reads to students.</p></div><p></p></div></div>As for measurable success, SA Bensonhurst is still untested, at least in the traditional sense. New York State standardized tests don't begin until the third grade.</p><p>But in terms of less tangible measures success, SA Bensonhurst seems to be thriving. Teachers seemed relaxed and engaged when Dant joined in on their class discussions. They weren't thrown off when he would step in and take a student aside to as a question, or tell them a student was misbehaving.</p><p>Students, too, seemed comfortable with their principal standing at the back of the room observing them, and would call him over to say hello and catch up.</p><p>"I founded this school on the promise to parents that we have to be more engaging and exciting than your iPads, your movies, and your video games," Dant said.</p><p>And to that end, it seems like he is succeeding.</p><p>"It's the little things that I notice like skipping down the street before school or walking in with smiles on their faces," he said.</p>     <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/teen-accepted-into-every-ivy-league-2016-4">This teenager got accepted into all 8 Ivy League schools - here are her secrets to success</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="VpYWt5MjE6xPLa0L-6OLukgL3l-oAdxU" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'VpYWt5MjE6xPLa0L-6OLukgL3l-oAdxU',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

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