Audible Launches a Startup Attraction Program 

Audible, an anchor in Newark, invites startups with game-changing ideas and a passion for innovation to be a part of this unique opportunity. Audible, the leading provider of premium digital spoken audio content, is excited to announce the launch of its groundbreaking startup attraction program, aimed at fostering innovation and economic growth within the state of New Jersey. This initiative, known as the Audible Startup Attraction Program, is designed to attract promising startups to the state by offering a substantial grant of $250,000 to selected startups that choose to establish or expand their operations in New Jersey.

“We’re proud to be creating economic opportunities for the growing innovation sector, local businesses, workers, and residents to thrive. Our startup attraction efforts are leading the way in this resurgence by thoughtfully and equitably growing the tech and innovation ecosystem, empowering diverse founders and supporting the local economy.” said Aisha Glover, Vice President of Urban Innovation for Audible’s Global Center for Urban Development.

  1. $250,000 Grant: Startups selected for this program will receive a grant of $250,000, which can be used to fuel growth, develop innovative products or services, and enhance their operations.
  2. Access to Expertise: Participating startups will gain access to a network of experienced professionals, mentors, and advisors from Audible and its partner organizations like  Newark Venture Partners (NVP). This access to expertise will provide invaluable guidance and insights for startups to scale their ventures effectively.
  3. The Program targets startups with at least 10 employees, at the seed or Series A stage, and which are looking to expand or relocate to Newark. 
  4. Aims to support companies in Tech, Innovation, Entertainment and Hospitality.
  5. The business attraction efforts will also facilitate leasing opportunities at buildings in Newark’s Harriet Tubman Square, such as 33 Washington Street, 550 Broad Street, 494 Broad Street, 540 Broad Street and 536 Broad Street.

“This innovative pilot program is another scalable model that can be adopted by other companies seeking to make an impact in the cities they call home,” said Audible Founder Don Katz. “It is gratifying that since moving our US headquarters to Newark and the launch of many efforts to impact and accelerate positive change, that so many Audible employees are drawn to work at Audible because of our People Principles, which includes our stated commitment to the people and city of Newark.”

This is beyond exciting, with six companies in the tech innovation, hospitality, and entertainment sectors already participating in the program, and will be expanding in Newark. Four new tech startups have leased office space in 550 Broad Street, while Newark Culture Club is opening at 12 Halsey Street, and Harlem’s BLVD Bistro will open a second location in the mixed-use space at 33 Washington Street – all located in Newark’s newly created burgeoning arts and innovation district adjacent to Harriet Tubman Square and home to Audible’s headquarters.

Hear it all in Audibles own words Audible.com – Audible’s New Business Attraction Program Fuels Newark’s Innovation Economy

Some of the companies already taking advantage of the program:

ABF Creative is a multicultural kids and family podcast network and production company, founded by Newark native Anthony Frasier, that joins Audible in the audio and podcast industry. ABF Creative leverages its unique production framework to deliver award-winning IP that builds emotional and cultural connections through loveable characters and compelling narrative storytelling.  

Gymble (pronounced gym-bull) is a fitness app, founded by three athletes from Charlotte, NC, that connects communities to facility rentals, personal training and fitness experiences. The all-in-one platform helps fitness facilities and entrepreneurs market to their customers and manage their bookings more effectively.

co:census is a collaborative, cloud-based workspace for urban planning and design teams to learn, plan, create, analyze, and work together as they conduct research projects and community engagement. The company’s enterprise solution is used by Ford Mobility, MIG, and Habitat for Humanity’s teams to plan community engagement, create projects to collect feedback and analyze text and voice data with their patent-pending AI. 

Fitnescity is a consumer health startup that gives consumers easy access to wellness tests, along with personal analytics, while allowing local clinics to reach more consumers. Designed to make health and wellness testing convenient and accessible, Fitnescity partners with local clinics, labs and leading healthcare providers across the country to provide wellness tests. It also enables consumers to track their wellness goals and outcomes over time with a user-friendly personal analytics platform that can not only make test results easier to understand, but also, in the long term, develop predictive models to inform wellness decisions.

If you are considering this program EqualSpace has space for your startup to choose Newark, we have an entire campus at 550 Broad Street that will be the perfect base of operations as you plant roots in this amazing city! So contact us to learn more about the program and how we can support you!  Email us iamequal@equalspace

Check out more press via: 

·        TapInto – Audible Launches Business Attraction Effort to Boost Newark Economy
·        Patch – Audible Tries To Lure More Companies To Newark With $1M Program
·        NJ Business Magazine – Audible’s New Business Attraction Initiative to Grow Newark’s Innovation Economy
·        ROI-NJ – Audible giving $250,000 grants to help bring startups to Newark
·        NJBIZ – Audible’s incentive effort aims to help businesses grow with Newark
·        RE-NJ – Audible launches program to boost leasing, business growth around Newark’s Tubman Square

The Future of Design: AI’s Potential in Shaping Creative Industries with Emotional Intelligence

In the ever-changing world of creative industries, a game-changing phenomenon is reshaping the design landscape, and its name is Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI’s ability to incorporate emotional intelligence into design is the key to unlocking a new era of creativity. 

The numbers don’t lie – Adobe records that 83% of designers already embrace AI tools to enhance their work, finding new ways to push the boundaries of imagination. Moreover, an astonishing 91% of consumers have expressed a strong preference for brands that can authentically evoke emotions through their designs. 

This article delves into the exciting prospects of AI’s integration with emotional intelligence, examining its transformative impact on creative industries.

Understanding Emotional Intelligence in Design

Emotional Intelligence (EI) involves acknowledging, comprehending, and handling emotions within ourselves and others. In the design context, EI goes beyond technical skills and aesthetics, encompassing the capacity to create emotionally resonant experiences. 

A key aspect of EI is empathy, which allows designers to connect with their audience on a deeper level, leading to more impactful and memorable designs.

Importance of EI in Design and Creativity

Statistics show that 63% of consumers are more likely to purchase brands that evoke emotional connections, highlighting the significance of EI in design (Survey by Harvard Business Review). EI is pivotal in design and creativity, empowering designers to craft experiences that evoke genuine emotional responses. By understanding their target audience’s emotional needs and desires, designers can create products and services that leave a lasting impression. 

For instance, companies like Apple have integrated emotional intelligence into their design philosophy, resulting in products that forge strong emotional connections with consumers, leading to brand loyalty and advocacy.

The Role of Human Emotions in the Design Process:

Human emotions are the driving force behind the successful design. By tapping into emotions such as joy, nostalgia, or empathy, designers can create products that resonate deeply with users. Take the example of Coca-Cola’s iconic holiday campaigns. 

By infusing their designs with warmth and nostalgia, they evoke a sense of tradition and joy, establishing an emotional bond with their consumers beyond the product itself.

Challenges of Incorporating Emotional Intelligence into AI Design

Integrating emotional intelligence into AI design poses several challenges. A significant challenge lies in guaranteeing that AI systems can effectively interpret and respond to human emotions. Although advancements have been achieved in emotion recognition technology, there is still ample space for further refinement to achieve greater nuance and accuracy. 

Moreover, maintaining the authenticity and emotional richness of the creative process demands a delicate equilibrium between human input and AI-generated designs.

AI’s Current Role in Creative Industries

AI in Graphic Design and Visual Arts

AI has already made significant inroads in graphic design and visual arts. Designers can now leverage AI-powered tools to automate repetitive tasks like layout design, color palette selection, and image enhancement, streamlining their workflow and saving time. 

For instance, Adobe’s Sensei AI technology enables designers to automatically remove backgrounds from images and generate custom fonts based on a user’s handwriting. This allows designers to focus on the more creative aspects of their work, enhancing productivity and artistic expression.

AI’s Impact on User Experience (UX) Design

AI has revolutionized UX design by enabling personalized and intuitive user experiences. With AI-driven algorithms analyzing user behavior and preferences, designers can create dynamic interfaces that adapt to individual needs. 

For example, e-commerce platforms like Amazon use AI to recommend products based on customer purchases and browsing history, enhancing user engagement and conversion rates.

AI-Generated Music and Creative Writing

AI has ventured into the realm of music composition and creative writing, paving the way for the future of creative innovation. AI algorithms can analyze vast datasets of music and literature to generate original compositions and written content. 

While some purists argue that AI-generated art lacks human emotion and creativity, there have been impressive examples of AI-produced music that resonates with audiences. 

For instance, OpenAI’s GPT-3 language model can generate coherent and creative stories, showing the potential of AI to augment human creativity.

The Pros and Cons of AI-Driven Creativity

The integration of AI in creative industries has its share of advantages and challenges. On one hand, AI can boost efficiency, democratize access to design tools, and inspire new ideas through its ability to process massive amounts of data. 

On the other hand, there are concerns about AI’s potential to replace human creativity and perpetuate biased outcomes. Striking a balance between human ingenuity and AI assistance is crucial to ensure that AI-driven creativity remains a tool for human expression rather than a replacement.

The Emergence of Emotional AI in Design

Advancements in Emotional AI Technology

Emotional AI is rapidly advancing, driven by natural language processing, sentiment analysis, and affective computing innovations. AI algorithms can now detect and interpret human emotions through voice tone, facial expressions, and text analysis, leading to more sophisticated emotional understanding. 

For example, AI-powered chatbots can assess customer sentiment during interactions, enabling personalized and empathetic responses.

How Emotional AI Differs from Traditional AI in Design

While traditional generative AI focuses on data analysis and problem-solving, emotional AI goes beyond cognitive capabilities. Emotional AI seeks to comprehend and respond to human emotions, facilitating emotionally resonant interactions between humans and technology. 

It enables AI systems to adapt and cater to individual emotional needs, leading to more human-like and compassionate interactions. For instance, emotion-aware virtual assistants can comfort and support users in distress.

Case Studies of Emotional AI Implementation in Creative Projects:

WARC reveals that 65% of consumers believe brands lacking emotional engagement will become obsolete in the next five years. One notable case study of emotional AI implementation is the Replika app, an AI chatbot designed to be a user’s emotional companion. Through continuous conversations, Replika learns about the user’s personality and emotions, providing a supportive and empathetic presence. 

Final Thought 

The future of design is unfolding, and the integration of AI’s emotional intelligence stands at the heart of this transformative journey. As designers harness the power of emotional AI, they unlock new dimensions of creativity and establish deeper connections with their audiences. 

Embracing AI as a collaborative partner rather than a replacement, designers have the potential to craft emotionally compelling designs that transcend boundaries and ignite the human spirit. 

However, with great power comes great responsibility, and ethical considerations surrounding data privacy, AI manipulation, and human-AI balance must guide our path forward. As we navigate this uncharted terrain, let us remember that AI’s true potential lies not in isolating human emotion but elevating it to unprecedented heights. 

Balancing Flexibility and Accountability in Remote Work Environments

Due to the advancements in technology, it’s now possible for many employees to work remotely. Technological advancements such as instant messaging, video conferencing, internet access, and secure information systems have facilitated remote work for employees. Many employees benefit from this setup, primarily due to the flexibility it offers in their work.

However, working remotely has its challenges. Many employees lack accountability and structure in a remote working environment. Without proper tools and policies, remote workers may experience isolation, decreased productivity, and lack of motivation.

This is why employees need to know how to properly embrace the future of flexible employment. In this article, we’ll talk more about how employees can foster an environment of remote work that promotes accountability and success.

Flexibility: Empowering Employees and Boosting Creativity

One key aspect of remote work is providing employees with flexibility. They are free to choose their own schedule and working environment. Whether they want to work from their home, a coffee shop, or a sharespace, it enables them to establish a balance between their work and personal life.

Flexible and remote work also gives birth to creativity. Many employees are able to find inspiration when they’re in different settings. Confinement in an office can cause stagnant performance. With remote work, employees can change their work environments, leading to more productive and creative performance.

Accountability: The Backbone of Remote Work

Despite the various benefits of remote work, employees must always take accountability. Accountability remains the backbone of remote work. Without it, the benefits can quickly turn into drawbacks. A strong sense of responsibility and communication is essential for a remote working environment to thrive.

How to Establish Flexibility and Accountability in Remote Work

We now know that flexibility and accountability should go hand-in-hand for remote work to thrive. Here are some tips to ensure both elements are embraced in a remote working environment:

  1. Establish Clear Goals and Objectives

Managing a remote team means establishing clear goals and objectives for each member. Before anything else, employees must know what is expected of them. They should know what goals they’re working towards to achieve. This helps guide them in their work so that they don’t end up doing work that doesn’t benefit the team.

When you’ve established your goals and objectives, remember to track them. Seeing where you’re at with certain goals makes it easier to plan your next steps. For instance, if you’re falling behind, you can adjust your goals so everyone can accomplish what’s on their plate.

  1. Embrace Open Communication

Every team member in a remote team must know how to properly communicate. They should also maintain open lines of communication with each other. These will help them accomplish different goals and objectives without going back and forth.

To ensure good communication, utilize different communication channels. For example, the team must agree on which instant messaging platform they should use. This helps consolidate all important information in one place. They don’t have to guess or figure out where they can reach certain team members.

  1. Utilize Project Management Tools

With remote employees working from different areas, keeping track of what everyone is doing can be difficult. This is where project management tools come in useful. A project management tool shows what everyone is doing or working on.

This can be extremely helpful for managers since you don’t have to check in with each employee individually. Instead, you can refer to the tool and see their progress. If the manager sees something erratic on the tool, that’s the only time they reach out to the said employee. Project management tools save a lot of time, making the team’s workflow more productive and efficient.

  1. Practice Empathy

Another important factor in remote work is empathy. Many remote teams have people working from different cultures and backgrounds. Without empathy, your team may have a difficult time working together. Messages and tasks may get lost in translation, affecting your team’s productivity.

One way to overcome this challenge is to invest in emotional intelligence training. This can show that team members understand each other’s perspectives. A team that considers each other’s background will work more harmoniously towards their goals.

  1. Encourage Continuous Learning

Lastly, a successful remote team encourages continuous learning. Accountable work environments, whether in-office or remote, have team members looking forward to improving their skillset. Successful remote teams continuously think of ways to improve their workflows and processes.

Continuous learning is essential in a remote working environment. It helps develop team members to become more productive and efficient. This, in turn, leads to better accountability and may even lead to better results from the team overall.

The Bottom Line

A successful remote working environment should balance flexibility and accountability well. With the right guidelines, remote teams can become more productive and efficient.

We’ve talked about different ways to promote accountability in a remote team. By following these tips, you can ensure that your remote team stays on track and achieves its goals.

2022 END OF THE YEAR REPORT

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For the past 8 years, we have diligently worked to provide free access to resources, opportunities, and grants to local entrepreneurs and small business owners.

As an equity space we dedicate our brilliance to finding new innovative ways to celebrate you. 2022 was a year to remember because we had so many new wins, from partnering with major organizations like LISC, Wells Fargo, Chase, and Verizon to hosting 2 of the major tech and small business conventions in the city – we have made an impact in bigger and better ways than ever before.

To shine a light on the hard work of our small but mighty team, we created the End Of Year Report, showing you how we are helping Newark thrive and putting love, resources, and power into the hands of small business owners all across this city.

 

MarketSPACE: Summerfade Is Here!!

=SPACE will collaborate with local organizations, businesses, and collectives once again to develop a 2-day holistic local market!

A night of Newark’s finest vocal talents alongside local makers, artisans, and creatives, to celebrate the brilliance of Newark — while keeping our dollars local.

MarketSPACE: Summerfade is not just a market, we will have various eastern wellness professionals who will engage in conscientious moments with our local community members. So, get ready to soak in the positivity with great your yoga, reiki, song-bowl moments. We are trying to align your style and your chi!

Overall, you will come to MarketSPACE to swag up your fit for the fall, realign your chakra, and get a little groovy. This is an event for all ages, so make sure to invite ev’rybody and enjoy the last of the summer with us.

 

Day 1

6pm          Opening

6:15pm     Meditative experience

6:30pm    Market SPACE doors open

7pm          Reiki healing

7:30pm    Yoga experience

8pm          Closing

 

Day 2

6pm         Opening

6:15pm    Music guest(s) #1: Neo-soul & Jazz

6:30pm   Market SPACE doors open

7pm          Music guest(s) #2: R&B & Pop

7:30pm   Music guest(s) #3: Samba & Salsa

8pm         Closing

 

 

DON’T MISS OUT ON THIS EXPERIENCE!