How ZeeMee is Reinventing the College-Application Process
For a process that could wind up determining the rest of a student's life, college applications don't leave much room for personal expression. ZeeMee's Adam Metcalf joins Cheddar to discuss how his company is putting "stories over scores," and eradicating biases in the process. The co-founder explains how his experience as a high-school teacher inspired him to find a better way for applicants to present themselves to universities.
Metcalf walks us through how the app works and why it's caught on with students in over 150 countries. He also explains how ZeeMee helps applicants in underrepresented communities even the playing field. The app also helps students with learning disabilities who struggle on traditional writing-heavy applications.
ZeeMee is also getting into business with colleges themselves. Metcalf explains how universities around the country are using the app to share video and communicate with prospective students. Finally, he previews the company's new chatbot feature that automatically prompts users with discussion points and questions.
One month after its launch, new streaming venture CNN+ announced it was shutting down. Seth Schachner, the managing director of StratAmericas and digital business executive, joined Cheddar News to talk about the high-profile media flop. "That's a really, really different beast than what HBO Max is, which is video streaming, entertainment features," he said. “It's a tough sell when you really look at these things in the cold light of day as to whether or not they actually fit together."
Meta wants creators to make money from the metaverse, but it's going to take a large chunk of the cut. The tech giant is planning to keep nearly 50% of all digital asset sales within Horizon Worlds, the virtual reality platform that's considered an integral part of the company's unfolding metaverse. Rolf Illenberger, Co-founder and Managing Director of VRdirect, joined Cheddar to discuss why Meta is taking heat for this move, and what it could be doing as an alternative to help support creators, small businesses, and consumers.