*By Max Godnick*
Bethenny Frankel is using the same skills she used to succeed in the business world to help change lives in Puerto Rico and Guatemala.
The author, philanthropist, and entrepreneur is the founder of B Strong, a crisis intervention initiative that focused its efforts on disaster relief during the historic Atlantic hurricane season of 2017. The organization helped charter over fifty planes to deliver aid to Puerto Rico and raised over $1 million, which was distributed via cash cards.
"It felt like business," Frankel said of the non-profit endeavor in an interview with Cheddar on Tuesday.
The "Real Housewives of New York" star said she approached her role like a CEO and viewed her supporters as investors.
"They were investing their money to help people or investing their time to donate," she said.
Frankel's business mindset is one she knows well as the founder of Skinnygirl, the lifestyle brand she sold to Beam Suntory in 2011. The company is now expanding beyond its cocktail roots into food and clothing, with a denim line expected to be in stores this fall. She also started production company B Real-ity and is a guest judge on ABC's hit deal-making show, "Shark Tank."
Frankel thinks these experiences helped her prepare for her most important job yet.
"I knew that skill set," she said of the tools required to conduct such a large-scale relief endeavor, directly tracing them back to her stint as an event planner. "I know how to start a company, I know how to run a company, I know how to manage people and execute."
Frankel said the experience kept her from sleeping for three months as she organized her team and helped mobilize online chat rooms into meaningful support. She framed her direct and personal approach to a privately-run humanitarian mission as more effective and trustworthy than larger organizations.
"Right now the world of Big Charity is very not trusted," Frankel said, adding, "The people in Puerto Rico don't know where that money is."
For the full segment, [click here.](https://cheddar.com/videos/bethenny-frankel-runs-disaster-relief-efforts-like-a-ceo)
David Stryzewski, CEO of Sound Planning Group, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he says that rate hikes are driving the market right now and outlines what must be in place for a stock rally.
Andrew Arons, Founder and Partner at Synergy Advisory Management Group, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he breaks down Tuesday's market action and provides his insight on Snap's historic slide after the comments made by CEO Evan Spiegel.
Peter Andersen, CIO at Andersen Capital Management, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he breaks down Monday's trading action and discusses whether this could be the start of a new rally or a blip in an otherwise disappointing stretch.
The crypto industry is still reeling from Terra's recent crash. The company's blockchain was temporarily halted earlier this month after the collapse of its cryptocurrency Luna (LUNA) and its stablecoin TerraUSD (UST), which led to almost $45 billion being wiped from the tokens' market caps within a week. Now, many are left wondering what Terra's struggles mean for the broader crypto market. Reeve Collins, CEO of the NFT platform BLOCKv, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell from Davos 2022 to discuss.
China's largest ride-hailing company will no longer be listed on the world's largest stock exchange. Didi shareholders voted on Monday to delist from the New York Stock Exchange, less than a year after launching a $4.4 billion IPO with the most significant U.S. share offering by a Chinese company since Alibaba debuted in 2014. Since going public in June of last year, around $70 billion has been wiped from Didi's market value and shares of the company have dropped nearly 90%. Now, Didi is expected to begin preparations to list in Hong Kong. Kevin T. Carter, founder and Chief Investment Officer of EMQQ Global, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Ahead of the Meta shareholder meeting, more than five hundred doctors have jointly sent a letter to investors to hold the Facebook parent accountable for the risks its platforms have posed to the public and mental health. Dr. Rob Davidson, a West Michigan ER physician and executive director of the Committee to Protect Health Care, joined Cheddar News to discuss how medical professionals are coming together to highlight the social media giant's spread of misinformation, especially during the pandemic. "We've seen the direct impacts of misinformation and disinformation that spreads like wildfire on the social media platforms," he said. "Our goal with this letter is to try to get the shareholders of Meta to convince leadership that they need to do a better job."
Snap downgraded its earnings and revenue expectations for the second quarter, saying the "macroeconomic environment" has deteriorated faster than the company anticipated. The warning sent shockwaves through the digital ad industry, dragging down a handful of other tech stocks, including Pinterest, Meta, and Twitter. Daniel Cobb, CEO and Chief Strategy Officer of Daniel Brian Advertising, joined Cheddar to discuss the reason behind this warning, and why it's bringing so many social media stocks down.
Pamela Rucker, CIO Advisor and Instructor for Harvard Professional Development, joins Cheddar to discuss how perceptions of Environmental, Social, and Governance–or ESG–changed over the past couple of years, and how using machine learning and artificial intelligence could pave the way to a more sustainable future.
