For this week's keep reinventing segment brought to you by HP we are taking a look at a new bike share player in the space. Zagster recently closed a $15 million round of funding, which it plans to use to expand its dockless program to new cities. The company's CEO Timothy Ericson explains how he is taking a conservative approach to the expansion efforts.
"Right now we are really focusing on bring our bikeshare program Pace to communities who are willing to invest in bikesharing in the right way," says Ericson. "This allows riders to pick up and drop off bikes anywhere in the city."
Ericson says Zagster works directly with communities to roll out its program, and integrate it with the transit program. Zagster partners include Princeton University, City of Rochester, and Roanoke.
As the COVID-19 omicron variant continues to spread, thousands of flights have been canceled, restaurants and bars have been forced to re-adapt to outdoor and take-out dining, and consumers are canceling their travel and other plans. This all comes as the CDC recently updated its quarantine guidelines for people who test positive, slashing the isolation period from 10 days to five. That change was pushed by the airline industry as it continues to struggle with labor shortages. How will the variant continue to impact businesses large and small? Laura Reathaford, Partner at Lathrop GPM, and Tom Sacco, CEO, President, and Chief Happiness Officer of Iowa-based Happy Joe's Pizza and Ice Cream, join Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss employment law issues related to worker safety during COVID-19 outbreaks, and how small businesses are dealing with the latest wave, respectively.
Luke Larsen, senior editor at Digital Trends, joins Cheddar News to discuss the largest tech convention in the world, CES, kicking off in Las Vegas this week.