Black MBA NetWire

For the second year, Entrepreneur partnered with CultureIQ to find the best office cultures in America. For more companies, tips and profiles, check out the rest of 2017's Top Company Cultures package.Work should be gratifying. We should appreciate our colleagues. Our peers should inspire us. And our happy, efficient, productive workplaces should -- and will -- lead us all to greater success. (Entrepreneur)

Visit https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/289218 to view the full article online.

Any small business owner knows that time is money. It’s not unusual for small business owners to work 12 to 16 hours a day, oftentimes seven days a week—especially in the beginning stages of a business. It sounds like a lot of time, but for most, it isn’t enough. Much of that time is spent on emails, in meetings, and on tedious tasks. So, how do you manage to actually spend time moving your company forward? How do you manage to stay on top of the tedious tasks while growing your company? (Black Enterprise)

Visit http://www.blackenterprise.com/small-business/time-management-tips-small-business-owners/ to view the full article online.

Jason Wingard, professor and dean of Columbia University’s School of Professional Studies, decided to turn the experience into a positive one for certain students from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) through a Columbia University scholarship program with a $100,000 value. For the first time this summer, Columbia is opening its doors to two students from each of the top 10 HBCUs as ranked by The Wall Street Journal. (The Undefeated)

Visit https://theundefeated.com/features/columbia-university-partners-with-hbcus-to-fight-lack-of-business-diversity/ to view the full article online.

When you pay for an airline ticket, the expectation is simple: You'll be allowed to board the plane and fly to your destination. But airlines reserve the right to bump you off a flight for plenty of reasons, all of which you sign off on when you book the flight. (CNN Money)

Visit http://money.cnn.com/2017/04/11/news/reasons-you-lose-airplane-seat/index.html?iid=surge-stack-dom to view the full article online.

You’re staring at a to-do list that seems endless. You know you need to start making some progress, but you have no idea where to even begin. How can you effectively prioritize when everything on your list seems like a priority? Chances are, you just need to take a step back, refocus, and return to that overwhelming list with a fresh perspective. Take a minute to ask yourself these three key questions to figure out what actually needs to be tackled first. (The Muse)

Visit https://www.themuse.com/advice/3-questions-smart-people-ask-when-a-long-todo-list-is-stressing-them-out?ref=carousel-slide-1 to view the full article online.

A new study from the University of Texas shows that even when our brains aren't tired, they can make it very difficult for us to make good decisions. When making a decision, instead of referencing the knowledge we've accumulated, our brains focus on specific, detailed memories. (CNBC)

Visit http://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/12/5-choices-you-will-regret-forever.html to view the full article online.

We’re all on an endless quest for happiness, aren’t we? And there are certainly career benefits to pursuing this endeavor. Harvard Business Review reports that happy people are 31% more productive, have 37% higher sales, and are three times more creative than their peers.(The Muse)

Visit https://www.themuse.com/advice/5-questions-thatll-help-you-pinpoint-why-youre-unhappy-at-work?ref=the-muse-editors-picks-2 to view the full article online.

A lot of tech companies say they want to make progress on diversity and inclusion. Code2040, a nonprofit that gets its name from the year people of color are projected to be the majority of the U.S. population, argues that just saying that isn’t enough. Businesses need to act. (recode)

Visit https://www.recode.net/2017/4/12/15265540/diversity-inclusion-tech-laura-weidman-powers-code2040-recode-podcast to view the full article online.

In our conversations with corporate leaders and talent managers, we have heard numerous reasons why corporate executives decline the opportunity to take action to increase diversity within their organization. Here are our top eight. (Forbes)

Visit https://www.forbes.com/sites/gaudianohunt/2017/04/10/the-top-eight-excuses-that-inhibit-workplace-diversity/#49ecd3654899 to view the full article online.

Project Include, launched last May, is a group that hopes to help the industry get more realistic — and more accountable — with diversity assessments. The 8 cofounders, who include notable inclusion advocates such as Tracy Chou and Ellen Pao, have made a mission of compiling resources to help CEOs and management teams diversify. (Forbes)

Visit https://www.forbes.com/sites/katherynthayer/2017/04/05/project-include-has-a-simple-starting-point-for-workplace-diversity-better-data/#3dd5612565fd to view the full article online.

A tsunami of change is already arriving. Artificial intelligence is now capable of doing desk jobs that were previously safe from automation. The social and economic effects remain to be seen, but is AI what we think it is? Workplaces that include artificial intelligence (AI) will soon be reality, say researchers who believe the rise of AI in all areas of life is not only inevitable, it's set to reshape the way we think about consciousness and human identity. (PHYS ORG)

Visit https://phys.org/news/2017-04-workplace-diversity-artificial-intelligence.html to view the full article online.

The United States and sub-Saharan Africa do tens of billions of dollars in trade together each year. While some regions in the world are disturbed by President Trump’s "America first" stance, most exports coming from Africa to the U.S. are natural resources and low-value goods, thus it is generally accepted wisdom that African trade has not hurt American manufacturing or taken away any jobs. (The Hill)

Visit http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/international-affairs/327894-trump-and-america-can-win-by-doing-more-business to view the full article online.

Venezuela has put off a reckoning on its tens of billions of dollars in debt, but its ability to avoid a disastrous default will probably require much higher oil prices than appear likely in the next year or two, financial experts say. (The New York Times)

Visit https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/12/business/venezuela-oil-debt-payment.html?src=me to view the full article online.

As a minority millennial, Yanely Espinal is in a class of 20-somethings who have lacked proper financial education. When tested on their financial knowledge, 76% of millennials demonstrated a poor understanding of basic concepts, according to a 2016 PricewaterhouseCoopers study. A survey by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority further revealed that 49% of African-American respondents and 41% of Hispanic respondents were late with student loan payments last year. They were also less likely than their whites and Asian American counterparts to answer financial literacy quiz questions correctly. (Forbes)

Visit https://www.forbes.com/sites/justinchan/2017/04/10/why-colleges-need-to-invest-more-in-minority-millennials/#65aa20e7654c to view the full article online.

Many employees who must innovate in America’s leading industries are finding that they can no longer share in the fruits of such innovation. Is this the new American reality? For more than a decade, equity compensation where average employees get to own a share of the companies they work for through restricted stock or stock options, has declined dramatically in many large publicly-traded corporations. (Fortune)

Visit http://fortune.com/2017/04/12/tech-stock-market/ to view the full article online.

People in Silicon Valley pride themselves on their capacity to upend entrenched industries. Uber defeated taxi cartels. Airbnb made getting a room cheaper and more accessible. Streaming services are undoing the cable business. Yet the airline industry has not just stubbornly resisted innovation to improve customer service — in many ways, technology has only fueled the industry’s race to the bottom. (The New York Times)

Visit https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/12/technology/how-technology-has-failed-to-improve-your-airline-experience.html?rref=collection%2Fsectioncollection%2Ftechnology&action=click&contentCollection=technology&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&conten to view the full article online.

Federal regulations designed to give you more control over your web browsing history and other personal information may soon be eliminated. There are steps you can take to protect yourself -- but you'll have to do more than set your browser to private mode. And there is no perfect solution, experts agree. (CNN Tech)

Visit http://money.cnn.com/2017/03/29/technology/spying-companies-isp-house-vote/index.html to view the full article online.

Based on her firsthand expertise, Zakiya Larry says aspiring entrepreneurs must be diligent about saving and managing funds while they plan to launch a business. "I think that it is really important to address entrepreneurial goals and mindset. There are different flavors of entrepreneurship and each one requires a different money approach. You can leap into full-time entrepreneurship or maintain what I like to call, your "parallel career." (Black Enterprise)

Visit http://www.blackenterprise.com/event/entrepreneurs-conference/4-money-tips-need-entrepreneurship/ to view the full article online.

African American business owners joined with legendary musician Kenny Gamble and religious leader Dr. Alyn Waller on Tuesday to launch a discount card they hope will encourage members of Philadelphia’s black community to spend their dollars at local black-owned businesses. About 80 business owners already have signed up to participate and accept the "iBuyBlack" card, sponsored by the Philadelphia Community of Leaders. (Philly.com)

Visit http://www.philly.com/philly/business/personal_finance/African-American-Leaders-Business-Owners-Launch-iBuyBlack-Discount-Card.html to view the full article online.

The Black Women’s Expo has been showcasing Black businesses and women for 23 years. It is a highly anticipated event each year in the city of Chicago. We spoke with the founder, Merry Green, about the expo, its impact on the community and a few of her most memorable moments. (rollingout)

Visit http://rollingout.com/2017/04/06/merry-green-talks-black-womens-expo-importance-black-businesses/ to view the full article online.

Americans have become lazy, argues economist Tyler Cowen. They don't start businesses as much as they once did. They don't move as often as they used to. And they live in neighborhoods that are about as segregated as they were in the 1960s. All of this is causing the U.S. to stagnate economically and politically, Cowen says in his new book: "The Complacent Class: The Self-Defeating Quest for the American Dream." Growth is far slower than it was in the 1960s, 70s and 80s and productivity is way down, despite everyone claiming they are working so hard. (CNN Money)

Visit http://money.cnn.com/2017/04/12/news/economy/us-economy-big-problem-tyler-cowen/index.html?iid=hp-stack-dom to view the full article online.

When the Federal Reserve lowered interest rates to close to zero during the financial crisis, it was an extraordinary move. The central bank had hit the limits of conventional monetary policy, leaving the recovery to sputter along with less help than it needed. (The New York Times)

Visit https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/07/upshot/the-economy-may-be-stuck-in-a-near-zero-world.html?ref=economy to view the full article online.

As people approach retirement age, many employees become eager to trade in the office chair for a La-Z-Boy recliner. But retiring too early can be a major financial mistake: if you retire without enough funds to keep you going for the rest of your life, you'll either have to scrape up another job, drastically reduce your lifestyle, or both. Here's an easy test you can use to see if you have enough money saved up to provide retirement income for life. (USA TODAY)

Visit https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/retirement/2017/04/12/take-this-simple-test-to-see-if-you-have-enough-saved-to-retire/100163512/ to view the full article online.

One in 5 taxpayers expects to put tax refund cash toward a debt, and 28 percent will use the proceeds to pay bills, according to a new survey from TD Bank. The bank polled 1,213 taxpayers in early March. (CNBC)

Visit http://www.cnbc.com/2017/04/12/use-your-tax-refund-to-make-headway-on-this-financial-goal.html to view the full article online.