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Simran Jagdev

Journalist. Making numbers tell stories. Hate jargon.

Business-Standard •

Stand-up comedy: Laughers' curve

Your dad divorces your mom to marry your male caretaker. Your mum writes erotic novels and has a libidinous appetite. Girls think of you as a closet homosexual. Your only aim in life is to be the funniest guy in the room. Sarcasm is your byword, dry wit your forte. Obviously, I’m talking about Chandler from the popular sitcom FRIENDS.

Now meet Aditi Mittal, 27. Many know her as Dr (Mrs) Lutchuke, a part-Gujarati, part-Maharashtrian sexologist and “psycho-logist” (pun intended) in the stand-up s
Business-Standard •

Malala's teachable moments

MALALA
The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Changed the World
Malala Yousafzai with Patricia McCormick

Everybody knows Malala Yousafzai and the story of the girl who stood up for the right to education, was shot by the Taliban for her pains and miraculously survived. So when I picked up the autobiography of this 16-year-old girl, I expected to find a glorified story of her trials and tribulations. That it certainly was. But, unexpectedly
Bloomberg.com •

Sidewalk Labs Plans $980 Million Investment In Toronto Hub

Sidewalk Labs LLC., the urban innovation unit of Alphabet Inc., is proposing to team up with local partners to invest C$1.3 billion ($980 million) to get its vision for a high-tech city in Toronto off the ground.

Part of that would be a C$900 million equity investment to finance the C$3.9 billion development of a five-hectare neighborhood on Lake Ontario that will include tall-timber housing, adjustable curbs and heated bike lanes. It will also include the Canadian headquarters for sister compa
Bloomberg.com •

Shopify Nips at Amazon With Hassle-Free Shipping for Small Firm

Same-day shipping is becoming the norm for online shoppers but for smaller merchants it can be a logistical nightmare. That’s where Shopify Inc. can step in, says Ric Kostick, chief executive officer of 100% PURE.

The natural skincare company ships up to 5,000 orders a day from its own warehouse in San Jose, California. That works fine for customers on the West Coast but it can take up to a week to get its bamboo blur powder and coconut shower gel to the rest of the U.S. The company contemplated setting up an East Coast warehouse but the prospect was technically daunting.
Bloomberg •

Trump’s Canada Drug Import Plan Can’t Happen Without Big Pharma

U.S. President Donald Trump’s plan to import cheap Canadian drugs overlooks a crucial fact: it can’t happen without the cooperation of major drugmakers, the very industry he’s trying to undercut.

Even as alarm grows in Canada over the prospect of Americans draining their supply of medicines, there’s little reason to believe the U.S. proposal would worsen the country’s drug shortages. But the fear plays into the hands of the powerful drug companies seeking to protect their U.S. profit margins.
Bloomberg.com •

Shopify’s Success Puts Spotlight on Next Canadian Tech Stars

Shopify Inc.’s scorching rally and Lightspeed POS Inc.’s successful trading debut this year are throwing the spotlight on who might be the next Canadian tech star to go public.

A total of C$1 billion ($751 million) was invested in 142 venture capital deals in the first quarter, up 48% from a year earlier, according to the Canadian Venture & Private Equity Association. More than half of that was in tech and increasingly from U.S. investors.
The Dales Report •

The Event That Changed Esports Globally

As a former venture capitalist, Adam Adamou likes to stay ahead of the curve, with eyes on the next big investment opportunity before it becomes an obvious one. It is not surprising then that he chose professional competitive gaming, or esports, for his next move.

Adamou, co-founder and head of strategy for esports and gaming company, OverActive Media Group Inc, says he had been tracking esports since the mid-1990s. But he did not see any substantial opportunities in the field for anyone other