*By Michael Teich*
Silicon Valley is in a race to develop tech that will hook the 60 million American gig economy workers.
Wonolo, a platform connecting on-demand workers with employers, now has an extra $32 million in funding to help win over the on-demand workforce. The company's co-founder and COO, AJ Brustein, told Cheddar in an interview that Wonolo's emphasis on blue-collar employees sets it apart from competitors like Uber, which announced last month it will develop its own on-demand staffing business called Uber Works.
"It's great that Uber is looking at this space. It really validates the opportunity here and shows the way work is getting matched today with traditional staff companies isn't the right way."
But Brustein doesn't consider Uber a competitor, because he says the ride-hailing company is targeting a different kind of worker.
Uber is focusing on restaurants and hospitality, while Wonolo is focused on lighter contract work ー hourly, blue-collar, warehouse-type gigs, he said.
The latest round of funding, led by Bain Venture Capital's Jamison Hill, puts Wonolo's total funding to $60 million. Brustein said the company's business model appeals to investors because Wonolo offers its workers freedom, something he said is hard to find in more traditional jobs.
"Unemployment continues to go down, but people are looking for jobs that offer something that companies aren't providing today, which is flexibility," he said.
Ford is recalling more than 355,000 of its pickup trucks across the U.S. because of an instrument panel display failure that’s resulted in critical information, like warning lights and vehicle speed, not showing up on the dashboard.
Nvidia reported a 56% increase in second-quarter revenue and a 59% rise in net income compared to a year ago.
The Rev. Al Sharpton is set to lead a protest march on Wall Street to urge corporate America to resist the Trump administration’s campaign to roll back diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. The New York civil rights leader will join clergy, labor and community leaders Thursday in a demonstration through Manhattan’s Financial District that’s timed with the anniversary of the Civil Rights-era March on Washington in 1963. Sharpton called DEI the “civil rights fight of our generation." He and other Black leaders have called for boycotting American retailers that scaled backed policies and programs aimed at bolstering diversity and reducing discrimination in their ranks.
President Donald Trump's administration last month awarded a $1.2 billion contract to build and operate what's expected to become the nation’s largest immigration detention complex to a tiny Virginia firm with no experience running correction facilities.
Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos claims audiences don't want to watch Netflix movies in theaters, but that seems not to be the case recently.
Chipmaker Nvidia is poised to release a quarterly report that could provide a better sense of whether the stock market has been riding an overhyped artificial intelligence bubble or is being propelled by a technological boom that’s still gathering momentum.
Cracker Barrel said late Tuesday it’s returning to its old logo after critics — including President Donald Trump — protested the company’s plan to modernize.
Low-value imports are losing their duty-free status in the U.S. this week as part of President Donald Trump's agenda for making the nation less dependent on foreign goods. A widely used customs exemption for international shipments worth $800 or less is set to end starting on Friday. Trump already ended the “de minimis” rule for inexpensive items sent from China and Hong Kong, but having to pay import taxes on small parcels from everywhere else likely will be a big change for some small businesses and online shoppers. Purchases that previously entered the U.S. without needing to clear customs will be subject to the origin country’s tariff rate, which can range from 10% to 50%.
Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
Cracker Barrel is sticking with its new logo. For now. But the chain is also apologizing to fans who were angered when the change was announced last week.
