If you're feeling better about the economy these days, you're not alone. A new study shows the growth rate of new small businesses is ticking up--though as a whole, times aren't as flush as they were before the latest recession. New businesses opened in larger numbers across America over the past year. That should be good news for the economy, and mostly it is, according to Kauffman Foundation's Index of Startup Activity for 2015, released on Thursday. (Inc.)

Are those occupying the corner office poised to lead us to a less rigid and more collaborative workplace? There’s cause for hope, based on a new set of statistics derived from more than 13,000 psychometric tests administered to CEOs over the past 15 years. But the findings, produced by the executive-search and leadership development firm Korn Ferry, also highlight a big disconnect between what’s unfolding in the C-suite and what’s happening in the rest of the organization. (Fortune)

Nowadays, just about everyone has hundreds of connections on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Yet few are truly well connected. And most executives don’t do it right. So contends Mark Thierer, chief executive of Catamaran Corp., a major pharmacy-benefit manager and among the most disciplined networkers. "Old-fashioned relationship building has been superseded by social media," he says. "People do business with people they like. It’s hard to like somebody online." (The Wall Street Journal)

As income inequality in the U.S. strikes historic highs, many people are starting to feel that the American dream is either dead or out of reach. Only 64 percent of Americans still believe that it’s possible to go from rags to riches, and, in another poll, 63 percent said they did not believe their children would be better off than they were. These days, the idea that anyone who works hard can become wealthy is at best a tough sell. (The Atlantic)

A woman wants to return to work after maternity leave but can’t quite stomach putting in the hours she did before. So she asks her boss for what seems like the best of both worlds: a part-time role. In a 2012 Pew Research Center survey of moms, nearly half thought such a scenario would be ideal, while significantly lower percentages said they would prefer to stay at home or work full time. But are part-time jobs really so perfect? (Harvard Business Review)

When considering whether or not to work from home, you may think that the biggest consideration is if you are an introvert who likes to work alone. But Michael Segovia, lead trainer for the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (a personality assessment tool that is used by around 80% of Fortune 1000 companies to give employees a better understanding of how their personality preferences affect their working lives), says that anyone, regardless of their personality, can work from home. The trick to working from home effectively is self-understanding. (Fast Company)

When hunting for their first post-college job, men have a clear advantage over women: They feel surer that they'll be successful, and more of them expect a good salary, new data show. Just 16 percent of college women said they were "absolutely confident" they'll secure a job after graduating, compared with 27 percent of college men, according to job search engine Monster, which polled 1,500 adults in April. (Bloomberg)

Education and workforce participation have the greatest impact on getting women into the boardroom, according to a landmark study commissioned by BNY Mellon, the bank, and led by Cambridge Judge Business School. The research looked at 1,000 companies from the Forbes Global 2000 list, across nations and sectors, and found that increasing the economic power of women is a key factor in bridging the gender gulf at the executive level. (BusinessBecause)

The parity party is back on. After retracing about half of its first-quarter depreciation against the dollar, the euro appears to be headed lower once again – aided by a brief but meaningful turnaround in U.S. economic data, and reassurances from Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen that the central bank intends to raise interest rates in 2015. (MartketWatch)

The latest episode in Greece’s long-running economic drama is coming to a head. Since the victory of the radical-left Syriza party in the election of late January, Greece’s creditors and the new government headed by Alexis Tsipras have been exchanging threats. A resolution of some kind must occur in June, and sooner rather than later in the month. (The Economist)

Larry Benveniste was in a jubilant mood. The dean of Goizueta Business School had just struck a deal with The Consortium, a network of top-tier business schools and corporations, to launch a new fast-track version of its MBA program. The new one-year degree would provide a quick route to management careers, and allow Goizueta to funnel graduates into the cadre of companies under the Consortium’s banner – including Bank of America and Goldman Sachs. (BusinessBecause)

Don’t faint or break into a cold sweat. But we are about to tell you something that is truly shocking. The total cost of getting an elite MBA from one of the M7 schools is now between a high of $377,650 at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business and a low of $346,502 at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Those sums include the opportunity costs of lost income from leaving a job to attend school for two years, but not the interest you might have to pay on your student loans. No matter how you cut it, the costs are scary high. (Poets & Quants)

Just Two Weeks Left Until the NBMBAA 45th Anniversary Celebration, June 12 in Chicago

As a valued supporter of the National Black MBA Association’s legacy, we invite you to join us on Friday, June 12, as we celebrate 45 years of creating economic, educational and employment opportunities for Blacks in the business world. Plan now to attend this extraordinary event. Buy early and take advantage of $150 tickets before the price goes up!

HONOREES
William C. Brooks, Retired Vice President, General Motors Corporation
Amy Hilliard, President, Fashion Fair Cosmetics
Don Thompson, retired President and Chief Executive Officer, McDonald's Corporation 

ENTERTAINMENT
Terisa Griffin, as seen on season 3 of "The Voice" 

Buy Tickets!

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In November, Wayne Sutton – a serial entrepreneur and general partner at BUILDUP – penned a column for USA Today asking three questions about diversity in tech: What diversity initiatives are these companies launching? Will anything really change in Silicon Valley? And what comes next? (Black Enterprise)

In Dublin, an enclave of young tech employees has helped transform a derelict industrial area into one of the trendiest – and most expensive – neighborhoods in the Irish capital. Professionals working in Grand Canal Dock at the European headquarters of Google, Facebook and Airbnb are supporting a wave of trendy cafes, bars and restaurants. Dubliners have dubbed the area Silicon Docks. (The Wall Street Journal)

Norm Brodsky, a coach and member of the New York chapter of the Inc Business Owners council, is fond of saying, "As an entrepreneur, you'd better be successful because you're unemployable otherwise." And while he says this in a loving, nurturing sort of way, he reminds every CEO in the room that there is a substantial cost of being an entrepreneur. (Inc.)

This spring, as college graduates march down the aisles in their caps and gowns, most won’t be dreaming of rising through the ranks of a Fortune 500 company; they’re more likely to be hatching plans to start their own world-changing startups. With The Social Network and Silicon Valley, the average 22-year-old grew up on stories about how young people can make their fortunes by striking out on their own. (Fast Company)

Americans signed contracts to buy homes in April at the fastest pace in nearly nine years, evidence that steady job growth is strengthening the real estate market. The National Association of Realtors said Thursday that its seasonally adjusted pending home sales index climbed 3.4 percent to 112.4 last month. It's the fourth consecutive monthly gain. The index now stands at its highest level since May 2006. (Daily Finance)

There is a lot you need to know about your finances. So, I’m giving you a pass if you don’t know what a 529 plan is. And many of you don’t, according to a recent survey by Edward Jones Investments. For the past four years, the financial services company has been surveying adults, gauging their awareness of 529 plans. The share of people who could correctly identify the college savings vehicle was a mere 34 percent. (The Washington Post)

Although you may not realize it, you already get an annuity in retirement. It's called Social Security, and it gives you a monthly payment for life that rises with inflation. So the real question is: Do you need another annuity in order to have a secure retirement? The answer: It depends. If by "need," you mean you would seriously jeopardize your retirement by forgoing an annuity, I'd say the answer is no. (CNN/Money)

The National Black MBA Conference (NBMBAA), or as it’s better known "National Black," is a yearly conference and expo, held every September in a different city, that targets past, current, and future black MBAs. This September, the conference will take place in Orlando, FL. It is the preeminent national event for black MBAs, but in recent years the attendance at the event has become even more diverse with students from all backgrounds attending the event to take advantage of all the offerings. (Veritas Prep)

Register Now for the The National Black MBA Association® 37th Annual Conference and Exposition 

Celebrating 45 years of Black professional development and executive leadership, The National Black MBA Association® (NBMBAA®), the nation's premier organization for Black business professionals, today announced early bird registration is open for  the upcoming NBMBAA® 37th Annual Conference and Exposition at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL where more than 9,000 attendees are anticipated to convene for networking, leadership development, and career opportunities.

Visit Conference Website
Register Now!

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Perhaps the most compelling family business narrative has long been about passing on an enterprise to the next generation. But with small business start-ups proliferating, and frequently growing in step with the children of company founders, it is not just the enterprise but the spirit of enterprise – the desire to create a new one – that is being passed on to the next generation. (The New York Times)

Middle managers have not fared well. Their ranks have been decimated in many organizations, and those that have survived are often perceived as powerless or, worse, as bureaucratic sticks-in-the-mud. This is not fair and it’s flat-out wrong. Take what’s happening with Zappos at the moment. (Harvard Business Review)