Savannah James launches a triple-threat company
Savannah James and April McDaniel launched Signed, a holding company consolidating their creative agency Crown+Conquer, membership community Let It Break, and podcast Everybody's Crazy. The venture operates in partnership with MarcyPen Capital Partners and hired Christopher Gray as chief creative officer from Nike and Wieden+Kennedy London.
Marriott and Gensler CEOs: good design is good for business
Marriott International selected architecture firm Gensler to design its global headquarters building in Bethesda, Maryland about eight years ago, beginning an intensive collaboration between the companies' leaders. Jordan Goldstein, who led global design at Gensler, and Anthony Capuano, Marriott's executive vice president and global chief development officer, started working together on a pilot project ten years prior to this headquarters assignment.
As JPMorgan’s CEO race heats up, the case for a two-person succession contest is put to the test
JPMorgan is testing a two-person CEO succession contest between its top executives. This approach reflects a broader board strategy of maintaining competitive pressure among leading candidates for the chief executive role.
New data: AI makes work easier. And lonelier
Sixty-two percent of employees using AI report reduced burnout, while 86 percent experience greater productivity and improved focus on higher-value work. However, AI is simultaneously weakening human connection at work, the most important driver of employee well-being.
Why Apple pivoting to China for memory may not solve big tech’s microchip crisis
Apple is exploring partnerships with Chinese memory manufacturers to address chip shortages. South Korea and Taiwan currently dominate memory chip production through three major companies.
Wendy Schmidt: Three centuries of science is something to celebrate
Dinosaurs were not discovered until after George Washington died, demonstrating how much scientific knowledge has expanded over three centuries. Science now faces unprecedented challenges requiring stronger public support and defense against misinformation and skepticism.
Marriott and Gensler CEOs: Good Design is Good for Business
Marriott and Gensler CEOs discuss how architecture functions as a tool for culture and innovation within organizations. The article also covers how Opella's chief growth officer leverages Cannes Lions for business advantage.
These human TV and movie picks trounce Netflix’s algorithm
Human-curated recommendations from real people outperform Netflix's algorithmic suggestions at helping viewers choose what to watch. The article suggests that human recommendations may be a more effective solution than improving streaming algorithms to reduce decision paralysis.
Exclusive: Inside Amazon’s brutal AI-centric app-ification of HR
Amazon has reduced on-site HR staffing at its warehouses, with HR employees now available only during business hours instead of throughout shifts. Night shift workers must now use an app to address HR concerns, with some workers reporting they see HR staff only one day weekly instead of regularly throughout their shifts.
The dollhouse just got an ingenious design update
A toymaker designed a dollhouse with four accessible rooms, short corner walls, and no ceilings for children ages two to four, replacing the traditional cutaway design. The new structure allows young children to easily reach inside and manipulate small figurines and household objects without knocking over furniture.
U.S. and Iran Agree to Stand Down, Resume Talks After Days of Hostilities
The U.S. and Iran agreed to cease hostilities and resume diplomatic negotiations following days of reciprocal attacks. The countries will return to talks aimed at resolving their underlying disputes through discussion rather than military action.
Turning university research into real, impactful businesses right here in SA
# Summary University research is being transformed into impactful businesses in South Africa through cross-faculty collaboration. Wayne Stocks from Stocks & Strauss identifies these collaborative opportunities as the most promising ventures to fund.
Leverage that fuelled US stock rally becomes a growing concern
Equity financing costs have risen due to increased demand for leveraged positions and space needed for large initial public offerings. This unexpected jump in borrowing expenses is creating growing concerns about the leverage that fuelled recent US stock market gains.
The AI Era Is Creating a New Trust Crisis at Work. Great Leaders Respond With 3 Simple Behaviors
Companies whose leaders rebuild trust after AI-driven layoffs recover fastest. Leaders accomplish this through three simple behaviors that restore confidence in their teams.
POINTS PATROL: New demerit system: What South African motorists need to know
The AARTO demerit system will launch in South Africa on July 1, 2026, assigning points to drivers for traffic violations. Motorists will face license suspension or revocation when accumulated demerit points reach specified thresholds.
The central bank of central banks warns AI frenzy could trigger stock-market slump and jeopardize economy
The Bank for International Settlements warned that elevated stock valuations combined with investor complaciness and circular financing arrangements could destabilize credit markets and harm economic growth. The BIS identified risks including excessive leverage in financial markets and interconnected funding structures that may amplify losses during market downturns.
HOUGHTON SHOOTING: Crime Intelligence’s Feroz Khan shot in attempted assassination, police deploy ‘maximum resources’
A Crime Intelligence officer named Feroz Khan was shot in Johannesburg in what police called an attempted assassination. The incident occurred during the week Khan was scheduled to testify before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, with police deploying maximum resources to investigate.
Why ‘permabear’ Jeremy Grantham is steering his own cash into high-flying tech companies
Jeremy Grantham, typically skeptical of markets, has invested his personal cash into high-flying technology companies. Social media recently scrutinized his personal portfolio, contrasting his cautious public stance with his actual investment choices.
Lindt heads for worst quarter in 17 years on price-hike fallout
Lindt is heading toward its worst quarter in 17 years as consumers reduce chocolate purchases in response to price increases. The company's strategy of raising prices to offset elevated cocoa costs has reached its limits with demand declining.
‘Suppressed talents’: How the workplace is still failing neurodivergent workers
Fortune 500 companies have created hiring programs for neurodivergent workers, including Microsoft's tailored multiday interview process and JPMorganChase's hiring of over 150 neurodivergent employees through specialized interviews. Google Cloud trained hundreds of managers to support autistic applicants, while Palantir launched a fellowship for neurodivergent talent.
4 tasks that solopreneurs can hand over to AI
Solopreneurs can delegate more than a dozen scheduled operational tasks to AI systems while maintaining custom instructions for repeatable processes. These operational duties keep businesses running smoothly but do not represent the best use of individual entrepreneurs' time.
Community isn’t a Marketing Strategy Anymore. It’s the Business Model
Community building has evolved from a marketing tactic to become the foundational business model for companies launching and scaling operations. Organizations now rely on engaged member bases to directly generate revenue and sustain long-term growth rather than treating community as a secondary promotional tool.
The World Cup Is Selling Belonging. Smart Brands Will Keep Selling It After the Final Whistle
Strangers supporting rival World Cup teams are finding connection with one another despite their competing loyalties. Brands recognize this pattern of temporary belonging and are positioning themselves to maintain these consumer relationships after the tournament concludes.
Invicta hits global diversification milestone as profits climb
Invicta's revenue grew to R8.4 billion while the company expanded its earnings sources beyond South Africa. The diversification strategy accelerated as profits climbed during this global expansion period.
South Korea unveils $880bn chip and AI investment plan
South Korea announced an $880 billion investment plan focused on chips and artificial intelligence. The plan responds to major chip manufacturing and technology investments by Taiwan, China, and Japan.
What it actually takes to future-proof your organization
Research across 1,700 companies found that most organizations cannot measure what makes their people uniquely valuable, creating a costly blind spot. Angela Jackson, a Harvard lecturer and author, identified this measurement gap as a critical weakness during the AI-driven Imagination Era.
The caregiving crisis is a workforce crisis
Nearly one in four American workers provide unpaid caregiving, while home care costs $34 per hour and assisted living exceeds $5,400 monthly. Childcare costs have climbed approximately 30% since 2020.
Oil prices, stock futures inch higher as U.S. and Iran reportedly agree to halt attacks
Oil prices and U.S. stock futures increased following reported agreement between the U.S. and Iran to stop attacks after exchanging fire in the Persian Gulf over the weekend. The agreement aimed to de-escalate tensions between the two countries following their recent military exchanges in the region.
Samsung, SK reportedly to invest $1.3 trillion over 10 years
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix plan to invest 1.3 trillion dollars combined over 10 years to build four to five semiconductor fabs each in the Gwangju area. The investment represents a major expansion of chip manufacturing capacity in South Korea's semiconductor sector.
Most Companies Are Already Failing at AI. They Just Don’t Know It Yet.
Companies are using incorrect metrics to evaluate their AI progress, making it difficult to identify failures early. The timeframe for course-correcting these measurement approaches is narrower than most leaders acknowledge.