*By Michael Teich*
Digital daters no longer have reason to feel insecure about using apps to find love, said Bumble COO Sarah Jones Simmer.
The popular dating app ー which only allows women to initiate conversations with matches ー faces new competition from Facebook as the social media giant prepares to launch its own dating feature. But the Bumble exec thinks it's good news for the matchmaking business.
"I see it as a net positive for the industry," Jones Simmer said Friday in an interview on Cheddar. "If there was any stigma attached to meeting people online and making very real connections online, Facebook just validated that this is a real path to making those meaningful connections."
But Bumble aims to do more than just match-make. The Austin-based company announced Wednesday it's looking to narrow the gender gap in venture capital funding with the launch of "Bumble Fund," which will raise capital for female-founded and female-led businesses. All-female business teams only received 2.2 percent of capital invested by VC's in 2017, according to [PitchBook](https://pitchbook.com/news/articles/bumble-doubles-down-on-female-first-mission-with-new-vc-fund). Jones Simmer said the company's own success made it imperative to help others in the same position.
Still, Jones Simmer is not dismissing the threat of Facebook dominating her field.
"We have examples ー even in the way that Amazon has moved across the e-commerce space. If you are in \[Facebook's\] path, I think you do need to be a bit worried. They have a very dominant monthly active user base."
Jones Simmer said she's still confident Bumble and Facebook can co-exist peacefully ー mostly because their business models are vastly different.
"We feel like we are able to run alongside in our lane, which is very focused on the experience for women ー which is very focused on empowerment, equality, creating a kind, safe community," she said.
"There's so much opportunity for us to exist alongside whatever Facebook builds if we stay true to that competitive edge."
For more on this story, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/bumble-coo-sees-facebook-dating-as-a-positive-2).
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
Tesla, the car company run by Elon Musk, reported Wednesday that it sold more vehicles in the past three months after boycotts hit hard earlier this year, but profits still fell sharply. Third-quarter earnings fell to $1.4 billion, from $2.2 billion a year earlier. Excluding charges, per share profit of 50 cents came in below analysts' estimate. Tesla shares fell 3.5% in after-hours trading. Musk said the company's robotaxi service, which is available in Austin, Texas, and San Francisco, will roll out to as many as 10 other metro areas by the end of the year.
Starbucks’ AI barista aims to speed service and improve experience. Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune Business Editor, explains its impact on workers and customers.
