Alexandra Wilkis Wilson, Co-Founder of Fitz, is a serial entrepreneur tackling problems in the beauty and apparel industry. After co-founding Gilt Groupe and serving as CEO of GlamSquad, Wilkis Wilson is moving on to her next big venture. She shares how her new company, Fitz, an in-home styling service, is helping consumers across the country.
Wilkis Wilson says her company is catering to time-starved consumers. People get busy with life events such as weddings, new jobs, and weight-gain, and can lose sight of their wardrobe, says Wilkis Wilson. Fitz makes it easy for consumers to get their style in order by sending stylists straight to the clients' doors.
Fitz has a deep network of 400 affiliates to help clients shop for style pieces they are missing at a wide range of price points. Wilkis Wilson also discusses the amazon effect. She says there is truth behind the belief that retail is in a tough spot because of the e-commerce giant, but remains hopeful that there is "room for the little guys" as well.
Parallel Systems has been selected to receive $4.5 million from the Department of Energy for an advanced testing program of its autonomous, battery-electric rail vehicles. The startup, which has raised more than $53 million to date, was founded by former SpaceX engineers to reimagine the rail system by creating a more efficient, decarbonized freight network. Matt Soule, Co-founder & CEO of Parallel Systems, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss what the company hopes to achieve.
A bipartisan bill introduced by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Cynthia Lummis (R-WY) aims to tackle the spread of misinformation on social media platforms, as well as the addictive nature of the sites and negative mental health impacts they have on users. The 'Nudge Act' would require studies to find and compile potential interventions that platforms could use to encourage people to think before they share a post, or log off after spending too much time on an app. The FTC would create rules based on these findings, and hold the platforms accountable. But will it work? Jesse Lehrich, co-founder of Accountable Tech, joins Closing Bell to discuss the bill, whether real results and regulations could come from it, and more.
A.I.-based entertainment company, Deedub, recently raised
$20 million in a Series A round, led by Insight Partners. Deepdub uses A.I. technology to automate the dubbing process for foreign-language movies or TV shows, while using actors' original voices. The company says it can take just two to three minutes of data from an actor's voice and transform the voice into a different language. The funding comes as foreign-language films and shows like Netflix's 'Squid Game' have recently become more popular with audiences in the U.S. and around the world. Oz Krakowski, Chief Revenue Officer at Deepdub, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
