Women’s Sports on a Winning Streak
By leveraging talent, on-field success, and surging popularity, female athletes are gaining much deserved star status among a growing fan base. Check out this Wall Street Journal article to learn more.
The article focuses on soccer star Alex Morgan, who spearheaded a landmark deal with the U.S. Soccer Federation that secured equal pay for the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams, including a unique measure to share the prize money from their respective World Cups.
As a woman-led company, bold leadership will always be an inspiration for those of us at Athena, and it is encouraging to see specific action that acknowledges and corrects a gender pay gap.
Philly Alive Summer 2022
American consumers are returning to their pre-pandemic habits, shopping, enjoying entertainment, and traveling at usual rates and with even more gusto in some cases according the Wall Street Journal.
The Bottom Line: If money talks, Americans are saying it’s time to make up for lost time and live like there is no tomorrow – carpe diem!
Where There’s Green There’s Growth
A tech boom in Latin America is one potential positive result of the recent pandemic years, with venture capital investment tripling in 2021 to $15.7 billion, as this Financial Times Opinion piece points out.
Why it Matters: As global credit conditions tighten, funding will become scarcer and more competitive. If sustained growth is the goal, government investment in mobile and fixed broadband can help boost Latin America’s prosperity.
- Inter-American Development Bank estimates $68.5 billion is needed to close the digital gap with OECD countries.
- Over 285 million Latin Americans, about 45%, do not have internet access
- Bridging this divide would create up to 15 million jobs and increase GDP growth by 7.7%
Three-legged Race: Public & Private in Stride
The Biden administration announced a plan to partner with ISPs to provide low-cost, high-speed internet for low-income Americans, NPR reports.
The Plan: The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), part of the recent Infrastructure Bill, will offer internet service with speeds of 100+ Mbps for $30 or less. Twenty ISPs—including giants like Comcast, AT&T, and Verizon—are participating in the program.
Affordable, high-speed internet is a necessary step in the right direction, but there is still work to be done to raise awareness and adoption among the nearly 50 million qualifying Americans.
Visit this case study to learn more about our digital equity work.
Your Digital Twin Loves You and Wants You to Be Healthy
Aside from social engagement, marketing, and e-commerce, the metaverse is already contributing value to an extremely real-world industry: healthcare. Healthcare educators, professionals, and patients alike benefit from metaverse advancements, according to this Fast Company article.
Digital twins are medical models comprising patient data gathered through techniques such as MRIs and CT scans.
- Experimenting with individual or hospital system procedures without risking lives is a huge boon to strategic decision-making.
- Combining virtual models and AR technology, surgeons can project a patient’s digital twin onto their physical body during surgery.
Check out our blog for insights about the role of brands in the metaverse!