CEO Says Soothe Has 'Zero Tolerance Policy' for Harassment
*By Jacqueline Corba*
The massage on-demand app Soothe recently raised $31 million in a Series C round of funding, the company's new CEO Simon Heyrick announced Wednesday in an interview with Cheddar.
The new funding comes even as the company has faced scrutiny after a [Kentucky woman told police last month](http://www.wdrb.com/story/38048901/woman-says-massage-appointment-in-louisville-hotel-room-turned-into-sexual-assault) that she was sexually assaulted by a licensed massage therapist she booked with Soothe's on-demand service.
Heyrick said the company has recently introduced additional trust and safety features.
"Soothe has a zero-tolerance policy for any kind of harassment," said Heyrick. "Trust and safety we take very seriously, and we will continue to invest in that going forward."
Heyrick said Soothe's process of screening therapists differs from competitors. It conducts background checks and in-person interviews and administers practical exams. Soothe rejects 30 percent of applicants because they do not pass its screening process, Heyrick said.
Soothe therapists can earn up to three times what they'd make at traditional spas, and Heyrick said some therapists in the network earn $100,000 a year through the app.
Soothe is currently available in 60 cities in the U.S., Britain, and Australia.
On which country is the most stressed out across the globe, Heyrick says it is definitely the United States.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/soothe-ceo-on-restoring-consumer-trust).
As Russian forces invade Ukraine, millions of dollars in cryptocurrency has flowed into the country to lend support. Russian citizens are also seeing the appeal after sanctions have made their traditional banks unreliable. Robbie Heeger, president and CEO of Endaoment, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
Amazon unveiled its new mobile app called Amp as a direct competitor to Clubhouse, allowing people to host live radio shows. Although it is still in beta, users can join the waitlist from the iOS store.
The war in Ukraine continues to reveal heartbreaking gut-wrenching stories. The war in itself is not only devastating but also expensive. Experts estimate that Russia is draining nearly $20 million dollars each day to continue occupying and invading Ukraine. All this could force the country to turn to cryptocurrencies. It's a major turn for the country that briefly considered outlined digital assets entirely, but it could also have serious implications for cryptos. Managing Director at Quantum Fintech Group, Harry Yeh, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
As Russia intensifies its war on Ukraine, President Biden announced a ban on oil imported from the aggressor nation. Critics of Russia have said this would be the best way to force Putin to pull back, but curbs on Russian oil exports are expected to send already skyrocketing oil and gas prices even higher, further impacting consumers, businesses, financial markets, and the global economy. Leslie Beyer, CEO of the Energy Workforce and Technology Council, joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss. "It's certainly going to increase pricing, but it is the right thing to do," she said. "The industry itself has already pulled out of the significant portion of its operations in Russia."
