Meet The 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneurs Making An Impact In 2018 - Forbes

NOV 14, 2017 - The Little Black Book of Billionaire Secrets

Meet The 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneurs Making An Impact In 2018

Americans owe more than $1.4 trillion in student debt. And Kelly Peeler thinks that whopping figure may very well be an underlying cause of economic instability. She worked at JPMorgan Chase right after the 2008 crash, and while working there, she says, "I got my hands dirty understanding the dynamics around the student loan market and how predatory this whole process was for the 70 million people who will be entering the financial system for the first time... I'm a huge believer that the next financial crisis is rooted in the student loan market."

She left her Wall Street job to found NextGenVest, a financial advice company helping Generation Z better navigate the financial aid process via text message. Its customers (all high school seniors and college students) can text for machine-learning powered advice at all hours of the day and they do. Queries at 10 p.m. on Sunday aren't uncommon. Neither are ones at 1 a.m. on Tuesdays. So NextGenVest is staffed accordingly, with advisers available 24/7. In all, Peeler says, customers have saved more than $39 million through increasing access to the more than $2.7 billion in financial aid that goes unclaimed each year.

Peeler represents just one of the 30 innovative ventures that appear on this year's 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneurs list. Each of them, right down to the youngest honoree 19-year-old Elvis Zhang, will be making an impact in 2018. Here are some of the notable areas you'll find Under 30s making headlines:

Providing jobs for immigrants: As a Tibetan refugee raised in the Indian Himalayas, Tenzin Seldon, 28, is all too familiar with the struggles of being an immigrant. Realizing the power of technology to empower immigrants, Seldon founded Kinstep, a tech platform that matches pre-vetted immigrants with employment at partners like WeWork, Box and more. While providing a living wage, the company combats the problems associated with "under-the-table" work that often leads to exploitative labor practices.

Bringing advanced analytics to farmers in Africa: Apollo Agriculture's Eli Pollak, 28, and Earl St Sauver, 26, are increasing access to modern farming techniques (and increasing yields) for the 50 million smallholder farmers across Africa. Using machine learning, remote sensing and mobile technology, they've helped over 1,000 farmers in Kenya access the same insights available to farmers in the United States.

Kelly Peeler, 29, founder of NextGenVest

Eliminating food waste: Chobani Food Incubator graduates Phil Wong and Ann Yang, 24, of Misfit Juicery are keeping "ugly" produce out of landfills by transforming rejected fruit into hip cold-pressed juice that can be found in places like Sweetgreen, WeWork and Whole Foods. Meanwhile, Rescuing Leftover Cuisine's Robert Lee, 27, is saving excess food and delivering it to homeless shelters and food kitchens across the nation.

Combating climate change: Jack Amend, 26, and the Web Neutral Project are tackling a little known source of carbon emission: the internet. Through a comprehensive carbon neutral certification program, he has eliminated the production of over 300 metric tons of CO2.

Hundreds of potential honorees were evaluated in the making of this list. After being narrowed down to a shortlist of contenders, they were carefully reviewed by the judges: Case Foundation CEO and Chairman of the Board of National Geographic Jean Case; Echoing Green President Cheryl Dorsey; Forbes Magazine Editor Randall Lane; and Uncharted Founder and 30 Under 30 alum Teju Ravilochan.

Get to know the full list of 30 Under 30 Social Entrepreneurs here.

What do you think of the list? Join the conversation on Twitter with #30under30

Germany supplants US as the country with the best global reputation - CNN News

Germany supplants US as the country with the best global reputation

By Doug Criss, CNN

November 17, 2017

Angela Merkel: Germany's beloved 'Mom'

Angela Merkel press ocnference on December 23, 2016

Former ambassador: Merkel can handle Trump

German Chancellor Angela Merkel attends a joint press conference with the Argentinian President at the Chancellery in Berlin on July 5, 2016. / AFP / Adam BERRY (Photo credit should read ADAM BERRY/AFP/Getty Images)

Merkel calls for full veil ban

German Chancellor Angela Merkel addresses the World Economic Forum in Davos

Angela Merkel is TIME's Person of the Year

Why was Angela Merkel selected over Donald Trump?

German Chancellor Angela Merkel gestures as she addresses a press conference in Berlin on August 31, 2015. AFP PHOTO / JOHN MACDOUGALLJOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP/Getty Images

Merkel calls on EU countries to do more for migrants

Angela Merkel turkey visit Paton Walsh LKLV_00001009.jpg

Angela Merkel visits refugee camp in Turkey

German flags are pictured in front of a display showing the German stock market index DAX at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, on July 14, 2014. AFP PHOTO / DANIEL ROLAND (Photo credit should read DANIEL ROLAND/AFP/Getty Images)Now Playing

The German economy in 60 seconds

German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks to the media the day after the CDU won 32.9% of the vote and a first place finish in yesterday's German federal elections on September 25, 2017 in Berlin, Germany.

Merkel faces complex coalition building

German Chancellor and Christian Democrat (CDU) Angela Merkel (C) reacts to initial results that give the party 32,9% of the vote, giving it a first place finish, in German federal elections on September 24, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. Chancellor Merkel is seeking a fourth term and coming weeks will likely be dominated by negotiations between parties over the next coalition government.

Merkel's party receives lowest support in year

Merkel: We have to fight for our own future

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (R) and US President Donald Trump attend a panel discussion titled "Launch Event Women's Entrepreneur Finance Initiative" during the G20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany, on July 8, 2017.

G20 closes with rebuke to Trump

BERLIN, GERMANY - JULY 18: German Chancellor Angela Merkel listens during a news conference with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra at the German federal chancellory on July 18, 2012 in Berlin, Germany. Yingluck, Thailand's first female prime minister, is on her first state visit outside of Asia since she took office in August of last year. (Photo by Adam Berry/Getty Images)

Angela Merkel: Time is of the essence

Angela Merkel building walls NATO Berlin wall_00000000.jpg

Merkel: Building walls doesn't equal success

New French President Emmanuel Macron, left, and German Chancellor Angela Merkel wave to journalists at the chancellery in Berlin Monday, May 15, 2017, during the first foreign trip of Macron after his inauguration the day before. (Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa via AP)

Macron meets Merkel on first day in office

Angela Merkel: Germany's beloved 'Mom'

Angela Merkel press ocnference on December 23, 2016

Former ambassador: Merkel can handle Trump

Merkel calls for full veil ban

German Chancellor Angela Merkel addresses the World Economic Forum in Davos

Angela Merkel is TIME's Person of the Year

Why was Angela Merkel selected over Donald Trump?

German Chancellor Angela Merkel gestures as she addresses a press conference in Berlin on August 31, 2015.

Merkel calls on EU countries to do more for migrants

Angela Merkel turkey visit Paton Walsh LKLV_00001009.jpg

Angela Merkel visits refugee camp in Turkey

German flags are pictured in front of a display showing the German stock market index DAX at the stock exchange in Frankfurt, Germany, on July 14, 2014. AFP PHOTO / DANIEL ROLAND (Photo credit should read DANIEL ROLAND/AFP/Getty Images)

The German economy in 60 seconds

German Chancellor Angela Merkel speaks to the media the day after the CDU won 32.9% of the vote and a first place finish in yesterday's German federal elections on September 25, 2017 in Berlin, Germany.

Merkel faces complex coalition building

German Chancellor and Christian Democrat (CDU) Angela Merkel (C) reacts to initial results that give the party 32,9% of the vote, giving it a first place finish, in German federal elections on September 24, 2017 in Berlin, Germany. Chancellor Merkel is seeking a fourth term and coming weeks will likely be dominated by negotiations between parties over the next coalition government.

Merkel's party receives lowest support in years

BERLIN, GERMANY - JULY 18: German Chancellor Angela Merkel listens during a news conference with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra at the German federal chancellory on July 18, 2012 in Berlin, Germany. Yingluck, Thailand's first female prime minister, is on her first state visit outside of Asia since she took office in August of last year. (Photo by Adam Berry/Getty Images)

Who is Angela Merkel?

merkel go it alone sot_00000000.jpg

Merkel: We have to fight for our own future

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (R) and US President Donald Trump attend a panel discussion titled "Launch Event Women's Entrepreneur Finance Initiative" during the G20 summit in Hamburg, northern Germany, on July 8, 2017.

Leaders of the world's top economies gather from July 7 to 8, 2017 in Germany for likely the stormiest G20 summit in years, with disagreements ranging from wars to climate change and global trade. / AFP PHOTO / POOL / Michael Kappeler (Photo credit should read MICHAEL KAPPELER/AFP/Getty Images)

G20 closes with rebuke to Trump

BERLIN, GERMANY - JULY 18: German Chancellor Angela Merkel listens during a news conference with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra at the German federal chancellory on July 18, 2012 in Berlin, Germany. Yingluck, Thailand's first female prime minister, is on her first state visit outside of Asia since she took office in August of last year. (Photo by Adam Berry/Getty Images)

Angela Merkel: Time is of the essence

Merkel: Building walls doesn't equal success

Story highlights

US falls to No. 6 in survey that ranks the world's best nation brands

"Trump effect" is behind the big drop, developer of brand survey says

(CNN)America's brand has taken a major hit in the age of Trump.

At least that's according to a survey that ranks the world's best nation brands.

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The United States lands with an overall No. 6 ranking in the Anholt-GfK Nation Brands Index, which measures 50 nations in multiple categories, including governance, exports, culture, people, tourism and immigration/investment. The United States was the overall No. 1 in 2016, but Germany took the top spot this year.

The source of America's big drop? President Donald Trump, says Simon Anholt, a political consultant who developed the brand survey more than a decade ago.

"We are witnessing a 'Trump effect,' following President Trump's focused political message of 'America First,' " Anholt said in a statement.

Anholt noted that despite the big drop in the overall ranking, Americans interviewed for the survey actually had a more positive assessment of their country than they did last year.

And this year isn't the first time that the United States has experienced such a big drop in the survey. Anholt said the nation saw a "similar fall in global perception" after the re-election of President George W. Bush in 2004. The US fell to No. 7 then.

The West dominates the Top 10

Germany ranked first this year thanks to big gains in the governance, people and culture categories.

The UK, which took a hit last year after the Brexit vote, regained enough ground to hang on to No. 3 in the survey, and Anholt said that showing indicates the United States should be able to bounce back, too.

"Previously, America has never stayed outside the top ranking for more than a year at a time," he said. "It will be interesting to see whether this holds true in the 2018 ranking."

France came in at No. 2, while Canada and Japan tied for fourth place. The rest of the Top 10 is Italy at No. 7, Switzerland at No. 8, Australia at No. 9 and Sweden at No. 10.

No non-Western countries managed to crack the Top 10.

Senate panel interested in Russians' request for Trump meeting during campaign - CBS News

By JEFF PEGUES CBS NEWS November 17, 2017, 5:12 PM

Senate panel interested in Russians' request for Trump meeting during campaign

Nov 17, 2017

CBS News has learned that a Russian national requested a meeting with Donald Trump during the presidential campaign in May 2016, and the request is at the center of the Senate Judiciary Committee's demand for more information from Jared Kushner.

On Thursday, the committee asked for additional information from Kushner about a "Russian backdoor overture and dinner invite." Kushner is Mr. Trump's son-in-law and a top White House adviser who played a key role in the campaign.

A source familiar with the document request says the "dinner invite" referred to an email requesting a meeting with a man named Alexander Torshin and a woman reported to be Torshin's assistant, Maria Butina. The source says both claimed in the email to be members of an all-Russian organization called "The Right To Bear Arms."

According to the source, Torshin and Butina were hoping to meet then-candidate Trump and were eager for Mr. Trump to travel to Russia to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The request was made through an intermediary who was attached to a National Rifle Association (NRA) event in Kentucky.

A source says the intermediary forwarded the five-page request to Trump campaign officials, including Paul Manafort and Rick Gates. Eventually it was forwarded to Kushner. The source, who has seen the email, says Kushner declined the request for a meeting, apparently commenting that people claiming to carry messages to the campaign rarely are.

However, Torshin does have ties to the Kremlin. According to published reports, in 2015 he was appointed deputy governor of the Bank of Russia. Reports also suggest he is suspected of having ties to organized crime.

In a statement, Kushner's attorney would not discuss the email request, but offered to respond to the Senate Judiciary Committee demands.

"Mr. Kushner and we have been responsive to all requests. We provided the Judiciary Committee with all relevant documents that had to do with Mr. Kushner's calls, contacts or meetings with Russians during the campaign and transition, which was the request," attorney Abbe Lowell said. "We also informed the committee we will be open to responding to any additional requests and that we will continue to work with White House Counsel for any responsive documents from after the inauguration. We have been in a dialogue with the committee and will continue to do so as part of Mr. Kushner's voluntary cooperation with relevant bipartisan inquiries."

In December 2016, Kushner discussed with then-Russian envoy Sergey Kislyak the idea of setting up a "back channel" for communications with the Trump transition team and Russian officials. He also met with Sergey Gorkov, the CEO of Russia's state-owned Vnesheconombank (VEB), which was already sanctioned by the U.S.

And then they came for Robert Mueller. - New York Times

By THE EDITORIAL BOARD

OCTOBER 31, 2017

And then they came for Robert Mueller.

If there were any remaining hope that Republicans would accept the precise, methodical work of this veteran, highly respected, Republican-appointed law enforcement official — the man Newt Gingrich once called a “superb choice to be special counsel” — it has evaporated in a fog of propaganda and delirious conspiracy theories.

In the real world, Mr. Mueller, appointed as special counsel after President Trump fired the F.B.I. director, James Comey, in May, is doing the job he was hired to do — smoke out any and all links between the Trump campaign and the Russian government officials who assaulted American sovereignty in 2016 in an effort to get Mr. Trump elected. These days, the most serious attacks on American governance are coming not from abroad, but from Mr. Trump’s aides and his allies in the right-wing media and Congress. As ludicrous as these attacks seem, they could yet lead to a constitutional crisis.

Reading the increasingly outlandish theories cooked up by Mr. Trump’s defenders and apologists is like entering an alternate, upside-down universe where Hillary Clinton remains Public Enemy No. 1.

In these irrelevant tales, Mrs. Clinton (or, as Sean Hannity called her on Monday, “President Clinton”) is the real colluder, working stealthily with the Russians to — stay with us here — destroy her own candidacy. Also, she and Bill Clinton once sold American uranium to the Russians. Also, Robert Mueller failed to fully investigate that sale when he led the F.B.I., so he’s complicit in it, too, not to mention he has ties to Mr. Comey, who also led the F.B.I. Also, some of his investigators donated to Democratic candidates.

There’s no bottom to the delusion on display. At this point, investigators could release videotapes of Vladimir Putin personally handing Mr. Trump a uranium-lined briefcase filled with stolen emails, and the right-wing armada would find a way to blame Mrs. Clinton. (This would be followed, of course, by a congressional investigation to identify who leaked the tapes.)

These efforts at obfuscation and misdirection would be laughable, but they are linked to a very real and dangerous move by Trump allies throughout right-wing media and the government to shut down the Russia investigation for good.

It’s no secret that Mr. Trump has been itching to get rid of Mr. Mueller since soon after his appointment as special counsel in May. Mr. Trump’s advisers have told him that would be a terrible idea and have reportedly talked him out of it more than once. But the calls for such a move are now coming from some of the most influential voices in conservative media, as are other equally bad proposals, like urging that Mr. Mueller resign and that Mr. Trump pardon anyone and everyone caught up in the Russia investigation — including himself.

Mr. Trump would be wise to continue to ignore these loony ideas and restrain his own authoritarian reflexes. The president of the United States, no less than any citizen, lives under the law, not above it; Mr. Mueller’s investigation is the embodiment of that fact. Removing him now, after he has already secured two indictments, including one for Mr. Trump’s former campaign chief, and a guilty plea by a foreign-policy adviser, would send the message that Mr. Trump and his aides are accountable to no one.

Over the last several weeks, a few top Republicans have found the courage to say out loud what a majority of Americans have known for a long time: With his erratic behavior and antidemocratic eruptions, Donald Trump is presenting a profound danger to security of the nation and the stability of the world order. So far, these dissidents have beat their chests in a safe space, giving eloquent speeches on their way out the door.

But it will not be hard for them to turn their words into actions if Mr. Trump gives in to an impulse to fire Mr. Mueller. Do the math: Three Republican senators (looking at you, Mr. McCain, Mr. Corker and Mr. Flake), joining with 48 Democrats, could bring the Senate to a halt until Mr. Mueller was reinstated — no tax cuts, no more judges confirmed.

The scenario in which Mr. Mueller loses his job, or Mr. Trump further abuses his pardon power, is hypothetical — and may it remain so — but if it materializes, it will fall to Congress to defend the foundations of American democracy, the separation of powers and the rule of law