Part 2 of the TED Radio Hour episode Biotech is about to change your world How can we grow enough food without destroying our planet in the process Physical chemist Brad Ringeisen believes CRISPR may hold the key—by helping to develop climate-resilient crops Brad Ringeisen is the executive director of the Innovative Genomics Institute (IGI) which focuses on developing gene-editing tools to tackle climate and health issues Brad was Director of the Biological Technologies Office at DARPA This segment of the TED Radio Hour was produced by Katie Monteleone and was edited by Sanaz Meshkinpour. You can follow us on Facebook and email us at TEDRadioHour@npr.org Related TED Talk: The future of the food ecosystem -- and the power of your plate Related TED Talk: The problem with food and climate — and how to fix it Related TED Talk: Is cultivated meat the future of food All Things Considered: Customized CRISPR treatments could help people with rare genetic disorders The Pulse: How money shapes medicine Shots: Alzheimer's was taking her memory Become an NPR sponsor Software startup Wegrow has raised €7 million in a Series A funding round Wegrow’s AI-powered platform solves the problem of companies repeatedly trying to "reinvent the wheel" Wegrow breaks down the existing silos between different geographies business areas and functions within a large group enabling them to save time and boost profits by streamlining the collection This value-add from Wegrow comes into sharper focus notably given the recent announcement of Meta retiring Workplace “Whenever a team reinvents the wheel instead of re-using a proven best practice they and their company waste time and money” said Arnaud Sliwa “Having spent 15 years in multinational corporations like Danone I was shocked to see how much time and money was wasted due to this Our mission at Wegrow is to eradicate this problem which affects any company operating from several locations.” Wegrow’s proprietary rating system intelligently matches best practices to the right users at the right time in a secure environment helping businesses save time and money while driving significant ROI (up to 30 times) The Wegrow platform supports a rapidly expanding and diverse client base featuring industry leaders from sectors such as food and beverage with participation from Wille Finance and existing investors Shapr Ventures  “Every company in the world is trying to increase productivity and profits and reduce inefficiencies and waste of resources Wegrow enables large companies to achieve all of the above by connecting and curating their teams’ knowledge base Their AI-assisted solution ensures maximum engagement and adoption across the organisation We were impressed by how much value clients recognised they had obtained from using Wegrow and understood why many blue-chip companies are now Wegrow customers.” The new funds will allow Wegrow to expand its platform’s capabilities beyond marketing and sales introducing customised AI-driven solutions for finance Sometimes I wonder why there is a need for one special day—Earth Day—to celebrate the bountiful natural resources surrounding us in Florida or anywhere else On my family’s farm we achieve Earth Day objectives throughout the year guided by respect for the blessings natural resources provide We must conserve and protect natural resources to grow food and sustain our farm for future generations we’re helping sustain water resources and greenspace not just on our farm but across the region of The Sunshine State we call home We grow an array of certified organic vegetables eggplant and cabbage from late October to early June We also produce beef cattle and conventionally grown herbs By maintaining our Palm Beach County farm as level ground We flood it during the summer months with collected rainwater and nearby surface water to control harmful insects In all seasons our farm functions as a large retention pond that helps to recharge the aquifer all southeastern Florida residents depend upon for drinking water Regular soil testing allows us to apply precise amounts of fertilizer for each plant only when necessary for growth we achieve plentiful harvests while making sure that water leaving our farm is not contaminated by phosphate We have to conserve our water and our soil not only for the next crop but for the next generation and the generations after that One of our staff members oversees food safety daily assuring that the produce coming out of our farm is safe and fresh Like other fruit and vegetable farmers in our county and across the nation we do not receive federal price support for our harvests We grow and deliver food independent of any guaranteed return for it Our main challenge stems from large shipments of fruits and vegetables from foreign nations with very low-wage workers As a primary part of our beef cattle production we suppress invasive vegetation with controlled burns This technique suppresses invasive species supports the growth of native plants and trees and also maintains habitat and food sources for the abundant wildlife around us My family’s farm maintains 50 full-time employees farms in our county support more than 194,000 jobs as University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences data show Along with other farm families in Florida and across the nation we help preserve our national security by providing abundant we would all be dependent upon foreign sources for our daily nutrition I hope that this year’s celebration of Earth Day (April 22) will highlight farmers as outstanding conservationists We are proud that we can serve as natural resource stewards as we contribute to the foundation of life for everyone Jim Alderman is a farmer and Farm Bureau leader in Florida Upfront by Health Catalyst recently collaborated with Hartford Healthcare in Connecticut to integrate a tech-enabled patient engagement program for the seven-hospital system The omnichannel outreach was deployed to HHC patients to engage the population follow through with specialist referrals and generate an uptake in vaccine adherence This digital approach resulted in over five million appointments scheduled a company recently acquired by Health Catalyst is healthcare organizations are seeking ways to recover their business and drive revenue following COVID-19 "'How do we grow again?'" she said is the question asked "To really succeed at doing patient engagement," she said "you are going to touch multiple parts of the health system and the organization." listen to Kozlowski's conversation with Susan Morse executive editor of Healthcare Finance News Patient engagement around AI is mixed Patient engagement in a post-pandemic world Healthcare needs hyper-personalized patient engagement Data and analytics can help payers understand population health drivers Using data to nudge patients at a meaningful time Email the writer: SMorse@himss.org I just attended my fortieth high school reunion. It feels a bit surreal to write that. Forty years have passed already? It’s another reminder of my recent reflections: our lives are very brief I remember graduation day like it was yesterday: all of us a mere seventeen or eighteen years old and most of us feeling a flush of euphoria as we stood together for a moment at that milestone Now most of us are older than our parents were when we graduated high school — in fact a significant number of us are grandparents — which made our reunion somewhat bizarre to experience Photos of us from our high school years played on the monitors in the venue as we reconnected with old friends and acquaintances graying hair and our bodies showing the tolls that gravity and changing metabolisms have taken as we’re rapidly approaching our culture’s retirement age But those aren’t the only tolls we’ve paid in different ways and to differing extents the universal reality that Moses spoke of when he wrote We’ve discovered that life not only passes faster than we expected; it’s also harder than we expected But our hope has to be real hope if it’s going to sustain us through real life not the illusory hope of the mirage-like dreams my classmates and I likely had when we graduated Real hope is only realized when we come to terms with the dismaying reality we all face in this age Truly facing it is what forges in us “a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:12) the kind of heart that Psalm 90 teaches how to cultivate one of the godliest people to walk the earth one who grounded his hope in God and his promises was dismayed by his experience and observation of life — just like we often are His real hope is grounded in the reality of the human condition Which is why we first hear him lament the end we all face: death Moses cuts right to the chase when he says but underneath all others is a primal root reason: death is God’s judgment on sinful humanity and we intuitively know God’s judgment is dreadful “You return man to dust,” we can see he’s in touch with reality because he’s quoting God’s words back to him: Perhaps you and I will be among those alive when Jesus returns and we will experience our mortal bodies being “swallowed up by life” (2 Corinthians 5:4) I imagine every saint since Jesus’s resurrection has hoped and prayed for that experience But there is wisdom to be gained from pondering the significant likelihood that someday soon — bewilderingly soon — God will say to us Then Moses delves into the core of our dread of the judgment of death: For those of us living on this side of Jesus’s substitutionary work on the cross these words can sound confusing and disturbing in what way are we still under God’s wrath Moses’s description of our dismay over our toil and trouble reminds us of the mysterious experience of living in the already–not yet kingdom of God he did pay the full price for the sins of all saints past God put forward [Jesus] as a propitiation by his blood because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins [of former saints] It was to show his righteousness at the present time so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus Jesus’s death “delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thessalonians 1:10) so that when we “appear before the judgment seat of Christ” (2 Corinthians 5:10) we will not stand condemned (Romans 8:1) we receive “the free gift [of] eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23) we still endure the wretched experience of living in a body where sin dwells in our members (Romans 7:23–25) We still suffer the toil and trouble of living in a world subjected to futility along with the groaning that comes with it (Romans 8:20) And we still suffer the dreadful experience of the death of our bodies we still experience the same kind of dismaying sorrows Moses lamented there is gospel in this profoundly sober part of Moses’s prayer and your wrath according to the fear of you?” (Psalm 90:11) the answer is that the believing saint does and our approaching death cause us to consider the reality of God’s judgment and see that they all point to the gospel hope — the same hope Moses had even if he saw it only in copies and shadows (Hebrews 8:5) these sorrows cause us to lay up our treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:20) to fight our remaining sin with all our might (Romans 6:12) to sojourn as “strangers and exiles on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13) to share with others the hope we have (1 Peter 3:15) On that happy June evening in 1984 when my classmates and I celebrated our high school graduation not only did we not comprehend how fast our lives would pass; we didn’t comprehend how difficult our lives would be But that doesn’t mean we all have cultivated a heart of wisdom Not all my classmates have a hope grounded in the sobering explanation of why our days are so brief and so full of trouble Not all have considered the power of God’s anger and his wrath according to the fear of him Open their eyes that they may consider these things and be delivered from the wrath to come But for those of us who have put our hope in God it is good for our souls to continue to consider these things seriously — even Because feeling the weight of our fleeting days and troubled lives can teach us to number our days and so teach our hearts wisdom It also can teach us to feel more fully the joy that is set before us (Hebrews 12:2) and to be filled “with all joy and peace in believing so that by the power of the Holy Spirit [we] may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13) Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker And those who look only to the past or present I have experienced all sides of the recent debates on issues of growth in our community whether it’s infrastructure projects like Welaunee Boulevard affordable housing initiatives or a possible Buc-ee's I take nothing more seriously than supporting responsible growth and protecting our quality of life I have found that there is a disconnect in the zeitgeist of how our neighbors view growth If you talk to advocates for limited growth they tell you our permitting departments will let developers do anything they want with brutal disregard for the environment or quality of life business owners or others interested in investing in our community they tell you that Tallahassee and Leon County is the most difficult place in Florida to get a permit I have found that we have a very thoughtful methodical and often rigorous permitting process that is driven by a deliberate effort to plan for growth with considerations made in time frames that are decades long developers build homes where people need them and investors build restaurants where people will eat in them and we have significant demand for both I recently made a social media post informing folks of an application review meeting that is proposing to build a Culvers restaurant and Waffle House near the entrance of Chiles High School This post generated enormous engagement with well over 100k views in a matter of days these parcels have been intended for development since the school was built and are zoned for the uses being proposed Our planning staff vigorously scrutinize and appropriately permit construction within guidelines set forth in state law and our local Comprehensive Plan Elected officials don’t get to pick which businesses get built on a properly zoned parcel We have met with neighbors and posted about the intended development around Chiles multiple times over the past three  years Construction of Welaunee Boulevard has been planned for 40 years The requirement for road easements through the Miccosukee Greenway has been known for 28 years The reason we need more affordable housing is because we have a significant housing shortage Tallahassee will need 23,000 new homes in the next 25 years We welcome a Buc-ee's into our community because it will create jobs and tax revenue Yet all these projects are reflexively met with opposition by some despite the rigorous permitting process that we insist they go through The truth is that we all want measured and well-planned growth and elected officials do everything in our authority to ensure that happens I take my obligation to protect our community very seriously Brian Welch is the County Commissioner for District 4 and currently serves as chairman. He can be reached at welchb@leoncountyfl.gov Send letters to the editor (up to 200 words) or Your Turn columns (about 500 words) to letters@tallahassee.com. Please include your address for verification purposes only, and if you send a Your Turn, also include a photo and 1-2 line bio of yourself. You can also submit anonymous Zing!s at Tallahassee.com/Zing. Submissions are published on a space-available basis and may also be published by any part of the USA TODAY NETWORK WeWork is shuttering its WeGrow school as the company continues to close and spin out businesses under new leadership after a failed IPO.  The office company piloted the school with a handful of students two years ago. Last year, it opened WeGrow, led by Rebekah Neumann as CEO The Huffington Post first reported WeGrow's closing on Friday.  A WeWork representative said in a statement that WeGrow will close at the end of the academic year.  "As part of the company's efforts to focus on its core business WeWork has informed the families of WeGrow students that we will not operate WeGrow after this school year WeWork and the families of WeGrow students are engaging in discussions with interested parties regarding plans for WeGrow for the following school year," the WeWork representative said.  Rebekah Neumann had big plans for WeGrow, starting with an elementary school in New York that she planned to be a model for how education could fit in at WeWorks around the world. In the company's August filing to go public WeWork said "we also expect to expand our education and learning programs to broaden the reach of our grow mission."  he told Business Insider last month before the company's leadership changes He did not have a prior relationship with WeWork or the Neumanns and said his family first applied for the school after reading about it in the New York Times who is a Yale- and Harvard-trained child psychologist were drawn to WeGrow's philosophy of combining education with nurturing children through community and mindfulness efforts like yoga.  Gupta also liked the school's focus on building future business leaders and cultivating kids' interests "We felt in the traditional school setting The elementary school students could also link up with WeWork customers to be mentors.  One of Gupta's children is interested in polar bears so the elementary schooler worked with his mentor to create a podcast to interview a scientist from the nonprofit group Polar Bears International Gupta's son used WeWork's recording studio to produce the podcast.  The weekly trip to the farm further appealed to Gupta's city family.  "Working the soil and growing things and feeding them – it gives a sense of how life is created and how food is created," he said noting the lessons of patience and other skills his kids learned at the farm.  We checked in with Gupta after learning the school would close and would "organize and create a winning solution for all stakeholders." "Rebekah created a beautiful school where kids' superpowers spirituality and learning are the core," he said the design would break down traditional classroom environments into "more tactile and visually stimulating" work stations Multiple WeWork employees sent their children to the school including at least one employee who was let go as part of the wave of cuts after the new CEOs took over.  Good Fruit Grower has covered every challenge — and plenty of opportunities — faced by the fruit industry the only constant in agricultural business seems to be change learned and shared how growers evolve to remain relevant and sustainable.  It’s with that spirit we must also evolve.  Good Fruit Grower will resize our print publication to a 9-by-12-inch magazine That’s slightly smaller than our current footprint but moving to a standard statement size will afford us production efficiencies and allow us to continue featuring the comprehensive articles with beautiful images and graphics that you Our team’s respected coverage of the fruit industry over generations has earned a legacy of loyal readers who have loved our standout size; yet We are owned and published by the Washington State Fruit Commission which is governed by a board of growers who understand this need to change Our publication has always been produced by growers and we consider it a privilege to be of service to your continued success.  We have a responsibility to be good stewards on behalf of the industry we represent and this path toward greater sustainability is not finite.  We recognize the need to apply a sustainability lens to all we do and ensure that we support growers in every way possible new website for you to access the magazine’s content online in 2025 Good Fruit Grower has adapted and expanded its offerings to better meet the needs of growers These extensions include not just the website Spanish-language content to ensure all branches of our industry have the information needed to succeed The Good Fruit Grower team also is playing a larger role in the 2025 Cherry Institute sponsored by the Northwest Cherry Growers and the Washington State Fruit Commission and coordinated in collaboration with Washington State University Extension We are committed to continuing our service to this great industry create opportunities and do the right thing to help your families and businesses thrive These changes exemplify that continued commitment We hope you’ll continue to support us on this journey look for our team at the winter conferences and shows — the Washington State Tree Fruit Association Annual Meeting and NW Hort Expo in Yakima Vegetable and Farm Market EXPO in Michigan and the International Fruit Tree Association’s tour of South Africa as well as IFTA’s Annual Meeting in New York Wishing you all the best as you prepare to wrap up harvest and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" 2025-05-01T16:48:37-07:00May 1st, 2025|0 Comments 2025-05-01T10:34:58-07:00April 28th, 2025|0 Comments Use the search box to find a topic of interest, explore articles by topic or category in the main navigation links on every page, or view articles by issue on our Archives page. We don’t flood you with panic-inducing headlines or race to be first We focus on being useful to you — breaking down the news in ways that inform We rely on readers like you to fund our journalism Will you support our work and become a Vox Member today by Izzie Ramirez I had dropped the shoes off years ago in one of those donation bins in the basement of my dorm. From there, they likely went to an apparel-specific bulk collector and then shipped overseas in bales to a sorting facility or to some informal group that decides whether something is good enough to be resold to a secondary market neon shoes were doing really well in Colombia according to the several waste experts I spoke with the shoes were sent to yet another country to rot away in a landfill I didn’t know it at the time, but there was no guarantee that my donation would actually help anyone. Only about 15 percent of textiles in the US gets reused or recycled each year Americans and other wealthy countries continue to buy more stuff and, just like that, throw it away. It doesn’t help that the majority of what we buy these days is of lower quality, as I’ve previously reported What I’ve just described is the linear economy we live in now But what if there’s a world where the polyester and nylon threads of my lime green shoes could be separated from each other and then transformed into something brand new the company responsible for producing it created a plan for the end of the jacket’s life as detailed as the plan it made for selling it It’s so frustrating to accept a world that can’t get better The system of buy-use-toss isn’t set in stone I wanted to find out what a replacement system could look like and what it would take to get there the company factors in the ugly external cost of disposal into the price of the jacket Intentionally designing the jacket to be efficiently recycled might make it slightly more expensive but it can help extend the value of the jacket Not only are buyers more likely to take care of items they pay more for but designing a product to be recyclable also literally extends that product’s use — exponentially so That jacket could be taken back for repairs or company resale Or it could be transformed again and again and again through innovative recycling processes ensuring that the material in the jacket is no longer seen as disposable hopefully you would choose the option that doesn’t require so much extraction of new materials and waste you’d opt to reuse the materials you already have This is one way a circular economy — an economy where waste is designed out — might work International regulation certainly isn’t where it needs to be to ensure the rights of workers and those who bear the burden of living near factories and landfills either: There are government-led initiatives and programs dedicated to solving how circularity would work Scientists are figuring out how to recycle synthetic fabrics and lithium batteries and all sorts of materials Brands are trying to design products that take end-of-life into consideration These are all steps in the right direction There’s just one question: Is this really possible I like to think of the circular economy as a jacked-up “reduce The hope is to keep materials in use for as long as possible with minimal waste there are two main reasons why a lot of what we recycle doesn’t ever actually get made into new things: It’s either prohibitively expensive to do or we just don’t know how to recycle that material yet (like most plastics) A circular economy also would aim to prevent waste from happening in the first place by designing products made to be recycled “At the end of the day, it’s very much a system infrastructure change because you need to demonstrate resources, reverse logistics, and all these things,” said Hilde van Duijn, managing director of the Circle Economy Foundation a nonprofit that aims to double global circularity by 2032 “The most tricky part about the transition to surface is the mindset.” Consumption, or the purchasing of new goods to satiate some need or desire, is a cornerstone of the modern economy for privileged countries and especially for the US. When quality of living goes up, so does consumption. And the production of consumer goods, for many low-income countries, allows for a chance of upward mobility through wages, at least in theory “Consumption is like a drug,” argued Peter Majeranowski, the CEO of Circ “It’s a very tough thing to change because you’re working against psychology and you’re working against If the circular economy is going to change this pattern then there are four areas for it to address: extraction with each area requiring different approaches and bringing up different questions What would it mean to slow down extraction in place of reusing existing materials How can products be made so that they can be recycled The most obvious approach to see — but the most difficult for governments to implement — is to pass regulations that ensure compliance for labor and the environment Every company that produces would have to adhere to some kind of law that outlines how the waste and the extraction of new materials should be handled Governments would also have to invest in infrastructure to make it possible to meet those tougher rules whether that’s scaling up recycling facilities or providing subsidies for innovators to solve a complex recycling problem One public policy idea that’s gaining traction is extended producer responsibility (EPR) which shifts the end-of-life management of products away from consumers and governments back to the corporations that sell those products you and I likely pay taxes to our municipal and state governments to handle trash and recycling EPR laws would require companies to front money for the products they sell into a responsible entity — like a nonprofit organization or government agency — that helps pay for recycling infrastructure (EPR can also look like voluntary take-back programs where consumers can return their used stuff to the company to recycle into other things.) government regulations take a long time to come to fruition — more on these hurdles in a minute we still don’t have a clear sense of what regulation should look like in terms of balancing enforcement “But we understand that this is a doable thing,” said Deb Chachra, a materials scientist and author of How Infrastructure Works “It is a goal that we want to reach for because if we’re trying to transform everything that we have then we want to do it for that reason alone.” It turns out that my initial impression was wrong industry experts are genuinely clamoring for some semblance of change to the current race to the bottom mainly because there will come a time when extracting new materials will become expensive due to scarcity this scarcity will create a “huge opportunity in circularity” for interested investors The summit hosted panels on reverse logistics ending oversupply — all incredibly unsexy topics Sustainability teams from luxury and mid-market brands were in attendance alongside European and Latin American policymakers and even the Queen of Denmark Mary Elizabeth emphasized that imagination is the first step The real challenge is getting everyone on the same page — and then it’s a matter of clearing the hurdles The circular economy has four key challenges to reckon with it’s very energy-intensive to recycle certain materials materials that are more expensive to extract than recycle are the ones that are prioritized for recycling It takes a ton of energy to recycle it — “to tear it and put it back together again,” Chachra added “So the main reason why we don’t get recycled plastic is because only a few kinds of plastic are amenable to mechanical recycling And if you have to pay for the energy by paying fossil fuel companies for every joule that you use it’s never going to be economically viable.” The former CEO Patrik Lundström has previously argued that brands were mostly all talk and were slow to move to circular alternatives That could change if governments institute new regulations “If brands want to be in compliance with regulations or have an easier time getting compliance with regulations or not pay as high of an extended producer responsibility tax they’ll need to secure this material early on,” Majeranowski said arguing that ReNewCell showed key lessons to the industry “But it’s about not expecting one company to do it all They should really be betting on all the players.” If circularity becomes touted as a climate solution alone rather than building a more efficient consumer economy that benefits everyone it risks becoming vulnerable to partisanship Some industries may also still lobby against regulations There has to be a consensus from economists and scientists that these laws aren’t going to set the consumer economy on fire proposed recycling systems have to work for the respective country they operate in We’d also have to guarantee that recycling changes from an expensive nuisance into an affordable way to acquire materials rigorous interdisciplinary innovation toward material recycling and collaboration and open discussion between policymakers specific considerations that policymakers and scientists have to account for What works for plastic won’t work for wool or cobalt “I believe the only way to help reduce these problems and I don’t mean solve these problems and I don’t mean achieve perfect circularity or local or international,” said Don Fullerton an economist who studies circularity at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign should be used as a tool to improve social and economic conditions — and because of that we shouldn’t let perfect become the enemy of good “Nobody’s happy about policymaking at the federal level The final hurdle is a social one and arguably the fuzziest and most subjective: Even if we pass regulations And how are we sure that we’re not creating some new system that perpetuates the same injustices as the old one “Circular fashion without ethics is nothing interesting,” said Emma Hakansson, the founder of Collective Fashion Justice. “Like if we keep on having wool but we also keep on exploiting and slaughtering sheep But the brands are not willing to engage with that.” While I still believe that the fashion industry could stand to make less clothing it’s still important that people have jobs and choices Van Duijn at the Circle Economy underscored the importance of including producer countries Her team is doing research looking into the impact of the EU’s circular textiles policies on trade partners like China “there’s a system already and you are going to change that Do you really take into account that you might be cutting up the lifeline of some very vulnerable women in one of these destination countries?” something has to give when it comes to the sheer amount of stuff we make Shifting consumer behavior away from being accustomed to simply throwing away whatever we want But it’s one worth pursuing — and it will take all of us Although every stakeholder has ideas or opinions on what circularity could look like there is remarkably little cross-disciplinary discussion It can’t just be fashion sustainability people or material scientists or designers or economists or politicians who are thinking about circularity in their own segregated silos Knocking down barriers between different industries and fields could facilitate smarter EPR could have bipartisan support if packaged the right way so leveraging that could cascade into companies doing business outside of New York Our stuff doesn’t last as long as it used to but buying new things still seems like it will fix that problem Buying less and smarter can help the environment and your wallet In Chile, the home of the notorious Atacama desert landfill, the government etched out a circularity roadmap that aims to create 180,000 new green jobs increase material productivity by 60 percent and recover 90 percent of sites affected by illegal dumping by 2040 the circular economy is worth designating positions over the circular economy policy implementation coordinator has been working on single-use plastic regulation “There we are with some collaboration and work to understand what they are doing as well as what we are doing and how we can in some way learn from the experience of other countries,” she told me in Spanish With all these large-scale plans and projects, I actually feel a twinge of hope. More often than not, the overconsumption of stuff gets painted as a frivolous problem The best thing about circularity and all its various mechanisms is that it has the potential to force international cooperation and discussion on a long-neglected issue at least we can get off the treadmill of constant consumption Today, I have a different pair of running shoes. They’re white, stained with mud and who knows what else, but they still have a lot of time left before they give. Because my shoes were designed to be recycled I have a different relationship with them — rather than paying $170 for a new pair of shoes these are part of a $30 monthly subscription There will come a time when their tread wears thin and training in them becomes painful my shoes — or composites of them — will live uncountable lives When I’m done with them, I’ll ship them back to the brand. The cloth uppers will be separated from the sole of the shoe and go through a fiber-to-fiber recycling process The rest of the shoe will be ground up and reconfigured into a new pair of running shoes The shoes I bought and recycled back to the company could very well be used to make the pair of shoes they send me in the future we're unwavering in our commitment to covering the issues that matter most to you — threats to democracy and the rising polarization across this country accessible journalism that empowers you to stay informed and engaged in shaping our world you directly strengthen our ability to deliver in-depth independent reporting that drives meaningful change MembershipMonthlyAnnualOne-time$5/month$10/month$25/month$50/monthOther$50/year$100/year$150/year$200/yearOther$25$50$100$250OtherJoin for $10/monthWe accept credit card complicated problems the world faces and the most efficient ways to solve them Sorry, a robot is probably a safer driver than most humans. OpenAI released a model that tells users they’re right — no matter what. That’s more dangerous than it seems. A federal program killed nearly 2 million wild animals last year. The reason might surprise you. In its first 100 days, the Trump administration has moved to roll back food safety measures, endanger slaughterhouse workers, and more. Pay-what-you-can café serving ethically grown coffee and locally sourced foods Bringing talent from around the world to local audiences Stadium seating with high-back rocking chairs Family-owned Mediterranean restaurant serving authentic cuisine in West Reading Community theater venue featuring house productions of diverse plays & musicals West Reading family-friendly diner serving American classics daily from 7am-9pm in collaboration with Rite Aid Healthy Futures celebrated the release of Together We Grow: A Story of Food Support and Community Thursday evening at the GoggleWorks’ Gardens at Lauer’s Park The event marked the debut of the children’s book created by author Floyd Stokes and illustrator Sheena Hisiro with a focus on raising awareness about food access resources such as pantries and community gardens Aimed at reducing the stigma surrounding the use of these resources Together We Grow highlights their inclusivity and the role they play in promoting community well-being through gardening and shared support The launch event featured bilingual readings of the book in both English and Spanish making the story accessible to a broader audience and other collaborators gathered to discuss the importance of the project and celebrate its release The book is part of an ongoing effort by Penn State Health and its partners to encourage healthy living and reduce barriers to accessing nutritious food reflecting the growing interest in community-based food solutions and the positive impact of educational resources like Together We Grow locally owned digital newspaper covering the latest regional news and headlines in the City of Reading and Berks County Photo by Laurian Ghinitoiu courtesy of WeWork Following a failed IPO and an impending takeover by Japanese parent company SoftBank amid an exodus of investors, office space sublease and coworking brand leader WeWork informed parents that the 2019-2020 school year would be the last for the newly-launched Manhattan elementary school, HuffPost reports the co-founder of the company and wife of its recently-ousted CEO Adam Neumann (and first cousin of Gwyneth Paltrow) had helmed the educational program for children ages three to nine with a focus on education through play and interaction The small New York City private school opened in 2018 with a tuition bill of between $22,000 and $42,000 a year dance and martial arts and weekly trips to an upstate farm to learn how to plant and harvest crops–in addition to fundamental courses all with a heavy emphasis on creative expression and immersion in nature WeWork burst on the scene in 2010 and quickly became the most recognizable brand in coworking. Their main business, renting office space then subleasing it to tenants wanting custom-designed workspaces, had grown exponentially, enabling the company to become the largest private office tenant in Manhattan–with a $47 billion valuation Known for having their finger on the pulse of millennials’ work habits and need for ad-hoc office space–and for the hubris of its founders who frequently spoke of their intent to change the world–while raking in investments like the $10.5 billion total infusion from SoftBank–WeWork branched out into childhood education in 2018 Buzzy starchitect Bjarke Ingels was tapped to design the school’s first location, as 6sqft previously reported which opened in Chelsea last September with open-plan classrooms multi-functional furniture and lots of natural light the school had reportedly grown its enrollment to about 100 “Parents and administrators are exploring all options to keep WeGrow open.” that parents whose children were enrolled in the program will have to find a new school The company said in a statement: “As part of the company’s efforts to focus on its core business WeWork and the families of WeGrow students are engaging in discussions with interested parties regarding plans for WeGrow for the following school year.” Also in the hubris-fueled lofty goals fallen flat category are the company’s WeLive co-living apartments aimed at young professionals in search of affordable housing. That concept, as 6sqft reported was “focused on enabling people to live more fulfilling lives,” by creating a communal living space for hard-working millennials Each floor would offer a community space for activities like yoga and movies; a “community manager” would plan activities like weekly dinners New York was the proverbial guinea pig in the venture Krash and Campus in the communal apartment space But WeLive has yet to expand beyond its first two locations and efforts to open international sites have failed, the New York Times reports And New York City has investigated whether the Lower Manhattan building’s units legally intended to be long-term apartments [Via HuffPost] By providing your email address, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Comment * document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id" "a29ffabdf42258ce4d9b879ce96b9bf8" );document.getElementById("d57a537edf").setAttribute( "id" By providing your email address, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Let us know what you are looking for and we’ll help you find the home of your dreams We’ll provide current market comps and connect you with a trusted expert By providing your email address, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.You can unsubscribe at any time ShareSaveThis article is more than 4 years old.Rebekah Neumann has bought back WeGrow While her husband prepares for a drawn-out legal battle with investors in the company he co-founded Rebekah Neumann is attempting to salvage what’s left of her own legacy at WeWork: WeGrow the $42,000-a-year school that shut down as the co-working company’s IPO ambitions imploded last fall Neumann acquired the rights to the curriculum of the elementary school which previously occupied the third floor of WeWork’s Chelsea headquarters in New York people familiar with the matter tell Forbes The purchase could breathe new life into the passion project for Rebekah and former CEO Adam Neumann which counted about 100 students when its closure was announced in October Neumann declined to be interviewed for this article declined to comment on the value of the transaction WeWork confirmed the sale but declined to comment further A person familiar with the matter said the transaction also included some furniture in the asset sale but no real estate was transferred and the trademark “WeGrow” was not sold Neumann is planning to relaunch the school as Student of Life For Life pronounced “soulful.” She is partnering with former WeGrow teacher Alexandra Duvall to further develop the initiative which would include a combination of remote and physical learning with an aim to eventually expand the curriculum nationally The pair are aiming to launch a pilot of the program in time for the September term start which launched in 2017 with tuition ranging from $22,000 to $42,000 a year as an integral way for WeWork to further its mission at the time of “elevating the world’s consciousness.” (Neumann’s spokesperson says that the majority of students received scholarships) But the project was also seen as a potential distraction to the ambitious co-working company even as it raised billions for global expansion No expense was spared: WeWork hired the famed (and expensive) studio of Danish architect Bjarke Ingels to create a space complete with a rock climbing wall Those grand designs came crashing down when public market investors balked at WeWork’s $47 billion valuation and shunned its IPO Seeking to avoid bankruptcy and total disaster WeWork announced it would sell off or shutter businesses not considered crucial to its core offering of flexible office space in October In a move that surprised enrolled families In the initial aftermath of Adam Neumann’s ouster as CEO of WeWork the Neumann family decamped to his native Israel to avoid the intense scrutiny of New York and its media scene A group of 30 parents whose children attended WeGrow had been lobbying for WeWork to keep the school open for months and learned upon the Neumanns’ return to New York of Rebekah’s intent to re-launch the school says she has been volunteering with Rebekah in an unofficial capacity “WeGrow’s vision from the very beginning was to create students of life for life globally,” says Berrang completed the final WeGrow semester remotely last week “The WeGrow campus in Chelsea was really just a pilot program for how that could expand globally.” who owns an advertising agency and was speaking with Forbes from a beach in Montauk says she first decided to enroll her children in the school because the “typical” school system did not meet her standards “The things [students] are required to do are not based on actual education principles and science,” she says “They are old things that are carried over and have forced educators to teach in a way that isn’t the best for the students.” She believes she is among many parents who want to “create children who are not just memorizing multiplication tables and facts and figures but are critical thinkers and are out to do something different and help the world.” Berrang says she plans to re-enroll her children in the school This was weeks after WeWork's founder and CEO Adam Neumann stepped down in the wake of a failed attempt to go public and the company was taken over by SoftBank But on the third floor of WeWork's headquarters in Manhattan's swanky West Chelsea neighborhood As sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the 10,000-square-foot space one young woman in a pink jumpsuit jammed on an acoustic guitar while another played a ukulele A man with a tattoo sleeve banged on a bongo and another waved a tambourine as they belted out the lyrics to Bill Withers' "Lean on Me." They were joined by about 40 children and some parents who danced around the band until it was time to gather into a conga line Each child broke off when the line reached their destination This is how "morning ritual" concludes each day at WeGrow WeWork's progressive early-childhood school — the brainchild of Rebekah Paltrow Neumann WeWork announced it would shut down WeGrow in June WeWork said in an emailed statement that it was closing WeGrow's doors "as part of the company's efforts to focus on its core business." But 12 parents have formed a coalition aimed at saving the school including finding a funder and a suitable piece of real estate "There's nothing even close to this in New York City," a father involved in the coalition who asked to remain anonymous because of concerns about how his statements could affect his family "We have something very special here that's hard to quantify." Insider spoke with four parents about what it's like being part of WeGrow and how they're trying to prevent the school from closing Supporters say they want to see the school survive because it offers a stellar education housed in a supportive and creative environment The warm community was an added bonus that parents said they didn't know to expect but now don't want to give up on The leaders of the group of parents trying to save the school said almost all the remaining families would stay on if WeGrow continues next year The coalition even offered to take over WeGrow from WeWork A WeWork representative told Insider that the company "thoughtfully considered all proposals for WeGrow's future." WeWork hasn't disclosed what it will do with the Bjarke Ingels-designed space or its furnishings and an amoebic light fixture that's supposed to resemble clouds the lifestyle site run by her cousin Gwyneth Paltrow Paltrow Neumann's vision was a school that's academically rigorous without the stuffiness and cutthroat competitiveness of an exclusive private school The school also aims to foster "conscious entrepreneurship," Paltrow Neumann told Goop open to students between the ages of 3 and 9 which combines several age groups in a classroom and encourages self-directed learning and collaborative play WeGrow's pilot program started in 2017 with a handful of children There were about 120 students at the start of the current school year WeGrow offers amenities that go far above and beyond what most private schools offer a music room lined with guitars and other instruments the students put on a showcase where children as young as 5 performed original numbers while playing electric guitars There's also an intensive language-immersion program with students able to choose among Spanish Paltrow Neumann tapped several impressive names to lead the effort the brother of the record executive Scooter Braun Adam Braun is also the founder of Pencils of Promise a nonprofit that brings education opportunities to underserved children In the WeGrow classrooms for children who are 6 and younger there's one teacher for every four students the average public school in New York City typically has one teacher for 14 students it is usually about one teacher for every eight students Tuition at WeGrow starts at about $36,000 for the younger children and goes up to about $42,000 That's about standard for New York City's private schools and may even be on the reasonable end considering WeGrow's student-to-teacher ratio While WeGrow has gotten flack for catering to the ultrarich At least half of students receive some form of tuition assistance One parent told Insider that nearly every family got some help The parents Insider spoke with weren't permitted to disclose how much financial aid they received a widow and mother of three who owns a small jewelry business was able to send her 7-year-old son to WeGrow because of the school's scholarship program Another mother who has two children enrolled at WeGrow who asked to remain anonymous to protect her family's privacy told Insider that WeGrow offered her more tuition assistance than she had anticipated getting At least one family who was willing to pay full tuition was turned away because they wanted the school to alter elements of its philosophy The parents at WeGrow said the swarm of negative news around the school had been hurtful The most scathing critique has been that the parents shouldn't have put their trust in a startup or Paltrow Neumann a former yoga instructor who dabbled in acting before partnering with her husband at WeWork Each parent Insider spoke with said they did agonizing amounts of research before betting on WeGrow The father who's part of the coalition first visited WeGrow in 2018 and said the WeWork connection gave him pause He could've afforded to send his daughter to a renowned private school but he didn't want her in a stodgy environment like the kind he was exposed to growing up "You go to a school that's been around for a hundred years and there are risks involved with that," he said Kaminsky saw WeGrow's affiliation with WeWork as a positive since it meant the school had sound financial backing She was so certain that WeGrow would serve her son well that she sold her house in Staten Island and got a place in Brooklyn to be closer to WeGrow Some parents told Insider that Paltrow Neumann was a draw for them They appreciated her vision and that she was right there at pickup and drop-off with her five children who attended the school Paltrow Neumann removed her children from WeGrow when the turmoil began at WeWork But parents said they were still in close touch with the founder who has encouraged them to fight to keep WeGrow open and has even offered her connections to help them and solid leadership to even have a chance of taking off if someone had a great idea for a new way to conduct brain surgery do you think they should have experience in brain surgery?" an education expert who asked to remain anonymous because of the sensitivity of the issue Relying on a corporate funder to support an educational institution isn't without major risks "Having a big financial backer has a giant pro and a giant con to it," an expert in for-profit education who asked to remain anonymous because of the controversial nature of the topic "The pro is that they have financial resources that many other places don't Within that is a giant con: You are kind of indebted — both literally and figuratively — to that one particular backer." which aimed to profit from its school software in addition to running a school "It felt like a sanctuary," the father said of his first visit to WeGrow "This is a school where the kids can feed their senses When parents were notified of WeGrow's impending closure they had until November to switch out and still get a full tuition refund About a handful of families took WeGrow up on the offer Some parents will even start to prepare while their babies are still in utero since he's expressed interest in supporting educational causes While some people have looked into other public and private schools certain parents have refused to consider an alternative "I haven't thought about it," Kaminsky said the photojournalist Robin Tutenges has captured how skateboarding provides a vital escape for the country’s young people – an act of resilience and freedom as they reclaim the streets in the face of conflict and trauma the streets of some Ukrainian cities may seem to be returning to a semblance of normality the sandbags on the corners of caulked windows and the antitank obstacles – dozens of them are piled up under a tarpaulin Ukrainian skateboarders want to give themselves permission to live To regain control of their lives in the face of a war that blurs their bearings ‘Ukraine is like a jail you can’t get out of and Kyiv is my cell Only skateboarding allows me to escape’Alexandr sums up the situation in which Ukraine’s young people found themselves in summer 2023 A generation suffocated in the middle of a war from which it cannot escape (men between the ages of 18 and 60 are not allowed to leave the country) living daily to the rhythm of the overwhelming news from the front under the threat of forced enlistment on the street or a Russian airstrike ‘It’s like a breath of fresh air in this swamp of problems Since the beginning of the Russian invasion skateboarding in Ukraine has taken on a singular dimension: it is a way to escape From a sport practiced in the company of homies skateboarding has become a window to freedom in the middle of chaos and anxiety a psychological support that has become vital for a disoriented youth even when everything else is falling apart,” says Vasilkan Eric walk with their skateboards in front of a building bombed by Russian forces in Dnipro in 2023Yet it is hard not to be drawn back to reality Walking through the country’s skateboarding spots buildings lie gutted by Russian shelling and airstrikes Barricades block access to the damaged outlines of statues that skateboarders normally love to ride Even the road composition reminds skateboarders of the situation: the rough ground that hinders them is turned towards the east and its Soviet past it’s like dreaming with your eyes open,” says Eric from Dnipro Skateboarders are resolutely turned towards this Europe – the one in the west. Skateboarding appears to symbolise the fracture between Ukraine’s young people and a Soviet past that constantly pursues them dragging them into a conflict from another time Some have just returned from elsewhere Europe where they fled to escape the Russian invasionUkrainian skateboarders who have not gone off to fight are fighting a completely different battle: to take back the streets and spaces marked by war Artioum shows off the tattoo on his ankle.Skateboarding is also a mentality And then you do it again and again and again known as “Thrasher” after the US skate magazine serves as a psychological support in the face of the uncertainty of war a 17-year-old Ukrainian who lived for several months under Russian occupation in Kupiansk adds: “Skateboarding isn’t just about going out on the street and playing sports even when everything around you is falling apart.” Art direction and design Harry Fischer. Development Pip Lev. Picture editor Matt Fidler 11-06-2017STARTUP REPORT The billion-dollar coworking community’s founding partner and chief brand officer is launching a micro school called WeGrow to serve Generation We BY David Lidsky Rebekah Neumann’s impetus for her new venture was solving a problem for herself As her oldest daughter’s kindergarten class progressed “it just wasn’t the right environment,” recalls Neumann a mother of five young children and the founding partner and chief brand officer of WeWork the world’s most successful coworking community evaluated first-grade options for their daughter—”looking at schools both here [in New York City] and on the West Coast “We couldn’t find the school that we felt would nurture growth her spirit as well as her mind,” Neumann says and then it seems like we squash it all out of them in the education system Then we ask them to be disruptive and find it again after college.” “we came up with this concept for the pilot class and we launched,” she says of her new school for children in kindergarten through fifth grade Rebekah Neumann [Photo: courtesy of WeWork]Although the exact nature of the relationship between her education startup and the communal real-estate venture WeWork–which is valued at $20 billion–is not totally resolved the two enterprises at minimum share a mission Much as WeWork aspires to help its members do what they love (as one of its slogans asserts) WeGrow wants children to “understand their superpowers,” she says the ‘we generation,’ we just felt that we wanted our eldest to be raised as conscious global citizens of the world and know how to use those gifts to help others,” she says Seven children, ages 5, 6, and 8, are enrolled in WeGrow’s pilot class, which is currently running at a Chabad school in New York City. The program joins the growing ranks of “micro schools,” educational institutions that offer a modified Montessori-style program for students of different ages in a shared There are several distinctions between WeGrow and its ostensible competition, but what binds it to the micro school trend is that just like AltSchool, Portfolio School, or Tinkergarten WeGrow was created by a successful businessperson with specific ideas about how to educate her own children (Neumann’s oldest child I’m noticing there’s been a huge missed opportunity in the educational system because children are ready to start creating their life’s work when they’re 5,” Neumann says So why are we waiting until they graduate from college I don’t even know if my kids are going to go to college.” Neumann believes that the current system is built on an old model that doesn’t reflect today’s values and priorities “The whole format was created during the Industrial Revolution so that people would grow up and learn how to take orders on an assembly line,” she asserts But we’re going to kind of go with that anyway because there’s no better option.’ I just wasn’t willing to accept that focuses on creating “a culture of kindness,” “conscious entrepreneurship,” and a connection to nature integrated with mindfulness and yoga and meditation and farming and farm-to-table cooking and all these sorts of things,” explains Neumann WeGrow students are already “learning reading and math and science through working on the farm and running their own farm stand,” she says lies north of New York city in the tiny town of Pound Ridge the Neumanns purchased the 60-acre property for $15 million and then set up a farm stand at WeWork headquarters “We were all blown out of the water,” Neumann says who have never been in this setting before literally opened up a farm stand of crops that they themselves harvested out of the ground They were checking everybody out on their own It was just a really empowering experience for them.” Accepted students will have access to WeWork’s member network and employees who will be woven into the curriculum itself Neumann shares another story from the farm stand project “There’s an 8-year-old child who was working with our brand team designing shirts and collateral for our farm stand,” she says “We notice that she has an aptitude for design and a true passion So instead of just noticing that and then going back to the classroom and strictly teaching geometry She loves this.’ There’s a member in WeWork who she can apprentice under That whole art of apprentice-mentor is a lost art and a really critical one to the development of humanity.” WeWork’s vast network of creatives and entrepreneurs can help WeGrow students cultivate their passions WeGrow at WeWork [Photo: courtesy of WeWork]She also believes that connecting WeGrows with WeWorks can help bring families–torn apart by the remote-work culture WeWork helps facilitate–back together “We have WeWorks located all around the world “A lot of members don’t see their kids for many So I’m passionate about actually opening these schools inside WeWork buildings so that parents can bring their kids to school Ultimately Neumann would like to build WeGrow into as far-flung an operation as WeWork itself in part to accommodate the globe-trotting careers many WeWork members have embraced “The idea that once your kids enter kindergarten you cannot move around the world anymore is completely archaic,” she says who want to live global lifestyles or need to for work,” she adds pointing to WeWork and WeLive–WeWork’s communal living offshoot which has two locations in New York and Washington WeLive had promised investors it would have 70 locations by now at each of these locations where people can bring their whole family and students can have a much more well-rounded global education.” WeGrow’s pedagogical plans intend to rely on a lot of best practices that have been proven to work elsewhere including programs that encompass hands-on learning and collaborative projects the hope is that being affiliated with WeWork creates opportunities that transcend what other schools can do “One of the problems of education has always been the limitations of the individual teacher,” says a veteran educator who is currently advising WeGrow Neumann raises worthwhile questions about the traditional education model, but WeGrow may introduce other concerns. “What if people don’t want to be entrepreneurs?” asks Corey Pein, author of the forthcoming Silicon Valley critique Live Work Work Work Die “There’s a certain amount of naivete among this elite class that thinks everyone can become a stellar startup founder.” Neumann is still assembling a team to help achieve her global WeGrow ambitions. So far, she’s working with Hannah Flood, who apprenticed under chef Dan Barber at Stone Barns (a sustainable farm, restaurant, and educational center); Barber himself, “who has become a friend,” Neumann says, and is offering input; and star architect Bjarke Ingels who has signed on to design the first WeGrow [Photo: courtesy of LEGO]“What we’ve tried to do is undo the compartmentalization that you often find in a school environment,” says Ingels of the WeGrow design (see renderings above) He cites his work on the Lego House in Denmark as his most relevant experience to the WeGrow project a kind of interactive environment where the kids are invited to touch all the exhibits It’s like one of my favorite pedagogical statements: What I’ve been told reinforces “the significance of engaging kids in an interactive environment We’ve been trying to make the space more tactile and visually stimulating and Neumann admits “what I have now as much as answers are questions.” When I ask whether WeGrow will be financed with some of the $9.8 billion that WeWork has raised from investors “We are still trying to figure out what the model will be moving forward that’s going to allow for the most flexibility as we pilot new ideas I don’t know what WeWork’s involvement financially will be but I know for sure that Adam and I financially are going to be supporting this.” A WeWork representative indicated that the school would be a for-profit enterprise to start but could transition to not-for-profit status at some point in the future but the intent is to reinvest any funds back into WeGrow’s development “The bigger issue here is private rich people deciding on their own what used to be public policy,” Pein suggests “They have a right to do that under our laws but there’s a big question about whether that’s the right thing for the people as a whole.” I pose Pein’s critique to the educator advising the Neumanns. “We want to start now,” this person says, citing the bureaucracy that would be required to launch any kind of initiative within the public-education system. “Ask Zuckerberg what happened to his $100 million in Newark.” Ultimately the hope is to leverage what happens at WeGrow to bring successfully incubated ideas into the public-school world “Starting this way is by far the best way to do it,” the educator says If Neumann is worried about blowback and bad PR and we know what’s driving each one of us,” she tells me “I just try to focus on having a really good intention and approaching each day with humility and joy and wonder and putting all my energy into creating meaningful things for myself and my kids The final deadline for Fast Company’s Brands That Matter Awards is Friday, May 30, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Apply today. David Lidsky is deputy editor of Fast Company. He’s responsible for helping to steer its overall editorial direction, with an emphasis on finding, commissioning, and editing long-form narrative feature stories that appear in print and online More Fast Company & Inc © 2025 Mansueto Ventures Fastcompany.com adheres to NewsGuard’s nine standards of credibility and transparency. Learn More Climate change is affecting our food, and our food is affecting the climate. NPR is dedicating a week to stories and conversations about the search for solutions As NPR's climate solutions reporter Julia Simon puts it "modern agriculture is a big driver of climate change Powerful warming gases are released from cows and fertilized soils and deforestation that’s driven by rising food demand." But with the challenges come efforts to find solutions Across the country communities are tackling this challenge so we've gathered some examples from across the NPR Network of how we can change the food we grow to support climate goals Using technology to advance the science of agriculture Researchers at Cornell University are using a machine called a respiration chamber to measure exactly how much gas a cow emits to better understand the emissions associated with dairy and meat farming. As WSKG's Rebecca Redelmeier reports, the data is essential for figuring out which feed additives work to reduce gas in cows and how to improve them ➡️ LISTEN: Reimagining our Meat System➡️ Future of tomatoes amid CA drought: Hydroponic farming? Meanwhile, entomologist Brian Spiesman, a professor at Kansas State University, has created a new smartphone app called BeeMachine that harnesses artificial intelligence to identify different species of bees and study habitat loss. And as KCUR Kansas City reports "the app lets the public participate in documenting bees by snapping photos when they spot one," providing valuable insight on where bees live Some solutions start by honoring indigenous knowledge ➡️ How the Seed Savers Exchange works to preserve American crop biodiversity Others are reintroducing biodiversity into their local ecosystem. Angie Comeaux started an indigenous food forest on her farm in Florala, Ala., featuring thousands of native trees, along with hundreds of plant species. The crops are planted in such a way as to foster cooperation, designed to grow stronger, together. and how we choose to use it often reflects our priorities as an economy But some communities have begun to figure out ways to maximize the yield ➡️ This family runs two dairy farms — one organic, one conventional — as part of being good stewards of the land. Meanwhile, in parts of the country where people have settled closer together, urban farming presents a world of opportunities — and new challenges to navigate. As WFAE's Zachary Turner reports, a developer in Charlotte, N.C., is trying to build a 1,400-acre mixed-use community centered around an urban farm Anther effort in Charlotte partnered urban farmers and an insurance company to not only help grow food but to provide food and farm education and help to make eating locally affordable Volume 5 - 2018 | https://doi.org/10.3389/fcvm.2018.00054 This article is part of the Research TopicExploring the Frontiers of Regenerative Cardiovascular MedicineView all 13 articles In situ heart valve tissue engineering using cell-free synthetic biodegradable scaffolds is under development as a clinically attractive approach to create living valves right inside the heart of a patient a valve-shaped porous scaffold “implant” is rapidly populated by endogenous cells that initiate neo-tissue formation in pace with scaffold degradation While this may constitute a cost-effective procedure compatible with regulatory and clinical standards worldwide the new technology heavily relies on the development of advanced biomaterials the processing thereof into (minimally invasive deliverable) scaffolds and the interaction of such materials with endogenous cells and neo-tissue under hemodynamic conditions Despite the first positive preclinical results and the initiation of a small-scale clinical trial by commercial parties in situ tissue formation is not well understood it remains to be determined whether the resulting neo-tissue can grow with the body and preserves functional homeostasis throughout life it is still unknown if and how in situ tissue formation can be controlled under conditions of genetic or acquired disease we discuss the recent advances of material-based in situ heart valve tissue engineering and highlight the most critical issues that remain before clinical application can be expected We argue that a combination of basic science – unveiling the mechanisms of the human body to respond to the implanted biomaterial under (patho)physiological conditions – and technological advancements – relating to the development of next generation materials and the prediction of in situ tissue growth and adaptation – is essential to take the next step towards a realistic and rewarding translation of in situ heart valve tissue engineering the outlooks for clinical application are promising but creation of these valves is still laborious and costly Selection of (pre)clinical studies on in situ tissue engineered heart valves Transapically delivered pulmonary valves in Nitinol stents showed similar native-like matrix formation and good hemodynamic performance over a 6-month follow-up period complete understanding of neo-tissue formation is missing growth of in situ engineered heart valves has not been demonstrated yet Next to ongoing long-term in vivo investigation of the technology a number of scientific and technological challenges must be addressed before in situ HVTE can be translated into a routine clinical practice Regenerative medicine in general – and in situ tissue engineering in particular – builds on the intrinsic self-healing and regenerative capacity of the human body for in situ HVTE to be successful and safe our understanding of the intelligent and diverse ways of human tissue adaptation and regeneration in response to a non-living degrading biomaterial under hemodynamic conditions is critical the prime challenge is to develop a mechanistic understanding of materials-driven valve regeneration and unveil the potential and limitations of in situ HVTE under various (patho)physiological circumstances It remains to be elucidated if in situ tissue development will be similar under more demanding conditions such as in case of aortic valve replacement it is far from clear if and how in situ tissue regeneration can be controlled under conditions of genetic or acquired disease more personalized in vitro and in vivo models enables the fundamental unraveling of materials-driven regeneration for a wide range of patient populations Although the use of synthetic degradable materials as valve replacement is attractive from a clinical perspective the success of this approach fully depends on the generation of sophisticated biomaterials and the processing thereof into valvular scaffolds these scaffolds should: (i) take over valve functionality immediately upon implantation thus providing structural and mechanical support; (ii) fully interact and integrate with their biological environment instructing and guiding neo-tissue formation by providing a microenvironment with the necessary biochemical and biophysical cues for cells to home and organize their own load-bearing extracellular matrix (iii) maintain tissue functionality at all times thus degrading in pace with neo-tissue formation and permitting matrix homeostasis and remodeling to evolving functional demands; and (iv) result in completely endogenous and well-structured layered and endothelialized valves that can adapt to somatic growth These demands are relevant across lengths scales load-bearing properties) is determined by macroscopic mm-cm scale properties of the valvular scaffold while cell behavior is mainly dependent on microscale properties like porosity or chemical composition of the scaffold will affect both microscopic and macroscopic properties As this would prevent the use of bioactive moieties the processing of materials into scaffolds with the right initial microstructure might suffice to control the delicate balance between fibrotic and regenerative tissue formation These observations are likely relevant for valvular scaffolds as well and can be translated into “scaffold leaflets” with a predominantly circumferential anisotropy they also reveal the complexity of the interplay between valve geometry the evolving structural and mechanical properties of the tissue and traction forces generated by the cells thereby demonstrating the grand challenges in predicting neo-tissue formation and homeostasis in scaffold-driven in situ HVTE such models may be extended with more (and even genetically affected) signaling pathways to provide insights in the requirements for scaffolds that drive tissue formation and ultimately tissue stability and functionality in a variety of pathological conditions Today, the question remains whether HVTE will ever make a difference. 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Perspective on Material-based In Situ Heart Valve Tissue Engineering Received: 31 January 2018; Accepted: 09 May 2018; Published: 29 May 2018 Copyright © 2018 Bouten, Smits and Baaijens. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY) distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited in accordance with accepted academic practice distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms *Correspondence: Carlijn V. C. Bouten, Yy52LmMuYm91dGVuQHR1ZS5ubA== Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher. 94% of researchers rate our articles as excellent or goodLearn more about the work of our research integrity team to safeguard the quality of each article we publish. a co-working company valued at $20 billion started by creating hip co-working spaces to allow entrepreneurs to flourish in a community setting it’s trying to transfer that philosophy to education entrepreneurial” private elementary school inside its Chelsea New York City headquarters in September 2018 Kids should develop their passions and act on them early instead of waiting to be “disruptive” later in life A pilot program of seven students is currently running inside a Chabad school in New York City The school will embrace experiential (hands-on) learning so kids will spend at least one day a week on a $15 million farm in Pound Ridge the Neumann’s recently bought (The kids recently brought back vegetables and started a farm stand to sell them.) but it may also become a separate operation Free to be.Image: WeWorkWhat will differentiate WeGrow from other private which for a century have focused on experiential learning celebrating the individual and generally subscribing to the notion that kids can do much more than educators expect of them who rent offices and desks at 52 locations around the world to act as mentors to cultivate kids’ passions the school can also serve the WeWork community so parents can work just a few floors away from their kids kids can come along and plug into the network of WeGrow schools “This is an organization that understands space,” said the educational consultant “To be able to have schools in other cities we are well situated to do that; there are strengths here that no one else has.” WeGrow will be open to anyone who wants to apply (and pay) More recently, Silicon Valley has embraced the need to disrupt education. AltSchool was founded in 2013 with the mission of helping “every child reach their potential.” A year later built off of the pioneering online Khan Academy eliminated grades and traditional subjects running for 365 days of the year on a 9-to-5 work schedule The school “empowers students to take ownership of their learning,” it says Embedded in each startup is the belief that children are far more unique than schools recognize There is genius to be tapped and it takes entrepreneurs—working with educators—to harness it (Robinson sits on the board of the Blue School.) WeWork aimed no to just offer fancy co-working space Its many mottos talk about fostering a purpose-driven existence that blends work and play On top of the “co-living” and gym offshoots the company recently bought a coding school But schools are also about helping kids build their own world rather than co-existing in their parents’ one The tremendous focus on the individual at WeGrow and other startups seems to to miss a key aspect of schooling which is its leveling effect: a period when parents and children alike discover what is common and collective among us in addition to what is truly unique about each child WeWork’s educational aspirations seem limitless In addition to putting schools in WeWork buildings around the world it wants to expand into higher and continuing education WeGrow talks about educating people “from birth to death.” WeGrow’s educational advisor was quick to say that the company does not share the hubris sometimes associated with Silicon Valley “There’s a perception that Silicon Valley is hubris-laden It’s the idea of learning together and being iterative an starting small,” the advisor said a hippie school for the hyper-rich run by one of the company’s co-founders shows signs of an uncertain future as well is a WeWork spinoff that aims to educate the children of New York’s well-heeled and woo-woo The private school enrolls kids ages 2 through 11 charging from $26,000 up to $48,000—a pricetag on par with the annual tuition at an elite university Beyond being the wife of WeWork’s much-maligned ex-CEO Adam Neumann she is—or was—co-founder and “chief brand and impact officer” at WeWork’s parent company Neumann left the company this week amidst her husband’s investor-mounted corporate ouster according to a source familiar with the matter could now be worth as little as $10 billion—a remarkably swift fall from grace for a company that was on top of the world Neumann is also the first-cousin of Goop empress Gwyneth Paltrow, who personally interviewed Neumann in a video Q&A for Goop promoting WeGrow as an educational refuge for “families that are in an open state of being.” that open state of being could have a limited tenure either option could leave WeGrow in the crosshairs as the company tightens its belt ahead of a now-delayed public offering A spokesperson for the Neumanns declined to comment WeGrow’s chaos hasn’t gone unnoticed in New York’s hypercompetitive schooling environment which grooms kids for success from a tender age “Be wary of sending your kid to a school run by a company that’s in financial trouble Enron?”“I wouldn’t recommend a school like this because I’m not sure it’ll be open next year,” said Amanda Uhry founder and CEO of Manhattan Private School Advisors which consults with New York parents on where to send their children to school They don’t know if the school will be open tomorrow.”  New schools rarely stay open long in New York City It’s hard to compete with the likes of Fieldston and other private schools that have operated for a century or more kids are the “collateral” when a for-profit school fails to create a sustainable business She’s not alone in expressing concerns over WeGrow “I wouldn’t recommend a family go to unproven schools unless they are committed to the educational vision and at least eight families willing to stay as a cohort so they’re sure it’s sustainable CEO of the school consultancy Dream Workshop which helps parents steer their children through New York’s “education maze.” a partner at New York Private School Consultants added that his company would not recommend families send their children to WeGrow noting that the school’s track record is far from proven “We recommend they apply to places with a demonstrated history of placement at top New York schools,” Mets said WeWork’s high-minded experiment in private schooling is nestled next to the company’s Manhattan headquarters in Chelsea a mix of smooth “super-elliptic” wooden play pods The school welcomed its first class in 2018 though it’s unclear how many students are currently enrolled The part of the website dedicated to conveying information to parents was full of placeholder text and blank images Wednesday afternoon No one answered WeGrow’s front-desk line Wednesday Prior to opening its doors last year, WeWork picked up a startup called MissionU that billed itself as a one-year alternative to a traditional college education MissionU founder Adam Braun joined WeGrow as the company’s chief operating officer Braun is still listed as WeGrow COO on the company’s website though WeGrow’s plan for leadership post-Neumann remains unclear including a wave-pool maker and a food company owned by a surfer Adam Neumann met on vacation Trainers for Rise by We did not respond to requests for comment and a WeWork spokesperson declined to comment on the fate of any of the company’s ventures the new 21st-century schools like AltSchool and Avenues will last It’s only great if the school stays open.” Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here. Blake Montgomery is a former breaking news reporter and editor for The Daily Beast in San Francisco. He previously covered tech and Silicon Valley. Text description provided by the architects. BIG and WeWork’s collaboration and belief in creativity manifests through the first WeGrow school in New York City. The interactive learning landscape supports a conscious approach to education, nurturing the growth, spirit and mind of the 21st century child. The 10,000 ft2 learning universe for children aged three to nine is located in WeWork’s HQ in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. A field of spaces with a variety of functions allow children to move freely throughout the day and to learn from the environment around them and each other. The learning landscape encourages collaboration by emphasizing transparent and communal spaces, which comprise more than half of the school: four classrooms, flexible workshops, community space, multi-purpose studio, art studio, music room and other playscapes support the energy of creation and togetherness. © Dave BurkTeachers and parents share the lobby with the children where a playful felt nook forms from the smooth cut out in the walls to serve as a flexible work an all-felt lounge that can be taken apart for playing and learning WeGrow is lit by Gople Lamp and Alphabet of Light – flexible lighting systems designed by BIG Ideas and manufactured by Artemide to create ambience effects that form comfortable natural lighting throughout the school day WeGrow nurtures the child’s education through introspection You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email “Yet another dumb idea for a school is closing,” said Amanda Uhry, founder and CEO of Manhattan Private School Advisors. “And the parents are desperate.”  She said her company has received between 10 and 20 calls from WeGrow parents. The school enrolled roughly 100 students ages 2 to 11 and charged as much as many universities—between $26,000 and $48,000. “They’re furious,” she added. “They’re kicking themselves for getting involved.” “WeGrow has stranded a number of parents,” said Max Mets Mets said his firm has also been receiving calls from WeGrow parents in the past two weeks and some have worried the school may close sooner than the end of the school year Neither consultant made their clients available for interviews Neither WeGrow parents nor the school responded to requests for comment “If the parents don’t have a connection or point of entry at another private school they may need to enroll their students in public school,” Mets said WeGrow offered a bevy of seemingly unrelated curricular options—Hebrew, weekly field trips to a Neumann-owned farm, a daily yoga routine dubbed WePractice—in a designer Chelsea facility detailed on the school’s half-finished website.  Run by Rebekah Paltrow Neumann, wife of former WeWork CEO Adam Neumann and cousin of Goop’s Gwyneth Paltrow, WeGrow was designed to be a “conscious entrepreneurial school”—a project she started after turning up her nose at available schooling options for the five Neumann children.  “Making the wife the head of the school? Please! The woman had no experience,” Uhry lamented. She said parents should have been more cautious in their embrace of WeGrow. “They’re shocked, but I’m shocked they sent their kids there. You’re making a deal with the devil when you send them to a school like this, a brand new one. You give a school like this five years to see if everything they say is true,” Uhry said. Japanese mega-corporation Softbank—WeWork’s largest investor—will buy nearly $1 billion of Neumann’s shares in the company furnish him with a $500 million credit line to repay a loan The deal with the former CEO values the company at $8 billion an order of magnitude less than the $47 billion valuation the company hovered around in January The Softbank takeover comes as WeWork’s low cash reserves hang by a thread; the company was recently forced to delay layoffs because it couldn’t afford severance costs, the Journal reported Neumann will also step down from the board He resigned as CEO in September amid a fiasco of an initial public offering when Wall Street investors balked at both his management style and the company’s growing losses His wife resigned from WeWork and WeGrow at the same time Private schools in New York City admit most students in kindergarten and few spots are available for first-through-fourth graders changing schools puts students at a “high disadvantage.” Applications are typically due in March and how much assistance WeGrow will provide with next year’s placements remains unclear CEO of the education consultancy Dream Workshop said WeGrow parents will likely find open slots for their children at schools similar to their old one “A for-profit school that’s new and not particularly prestigious Those are the types of places that have space,” she said “These are parents who went to an experimental school but what WeGrow offered more than anything else was convenience.” The parents may be the ones making panicked calls but it’s students who will suffer the disruption “The kids will be the collateral damage when the school closes,” she said Who knows where they’ll get in when this is over?” Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here Blake Montgomery is a former breaking news reporter and editor for The Daily Beast in San Francisco He previously covered tech and Silicon Valley the first photographs of the project have been revealed with the school term well underway the design for WeGrow — the first school of office-sharing brand WeWork — seeks to ‘undo the compartmentalization often found in traditional school environments and reinforces the significance of engaging kids in an interactive environment’ the design starts from the premise of a school universe at the level of the child image by dave burk (also main image) conceived as a ‘school universe at the level of the child’, the interior comprises a field of super-elliptic objects, which together, form a ‘learning landscape that’s dense and rational — yet free and fluid.’ modular classrooms, tree houses, and a vertical farm have been designed by BIG to promote an inclusive and collaborative learning environment and neutral colors hope to create a calm setting focused study BIG has designed a series of architectural environments image by laurian ghinitoiu ‘WeGrow was created to unleash the creative potential of all generations through design,’ explains bjarke ingels, who is also chief architect at WeWork ‘with this first location in new york city we have created a space to facilitate and accommodate WeGrow’s transformative approach to learning because as life evolves so should the framework in which we live in children realize they have agency and when design is less prescriptive and more intuitive — we don’t have to tell kids how to use the space and every interpretation of how they use the space is good.’ the school welcomes children ages three through nine image by laurian ghinitoiu most of the partitions inside the school are shelves raised to the level of the child allowing natural light to reach deep inside the building three different shelving levels for each age group curve occasionally to create various activity pockets and give a feeling of comfort while allowing teachers to have full perspective of the space at all times each learning station includes furniture with details and materials designed to optimize the educational environment natural materials have been paired with neutral colors image by dave burk WeWork’s founding partner and chief brand officer describes WeGrow as ‘a new conscious entrepreneurial school committed to unleashing every child’s superpowers.’ ‘we hope to reimagine the very idea of a classroom as elementary school-age children begin to identify their callings and apprentice under employees and members already living that dream,’ says neumann ‘curriculums will be created around meaningful local cultures and environments so that learning can be hands-on and experiential.’ teachers and parents share the lobby with the children image by laurian ghinitoiu the first WeGrow is located in new york’s chelsea neighborhood and will welcome children ages three through nine which has multiple scholarship programs available reading hives contribute towards organic learning environment image by laurian ghinitoiu the first WeGrow school opened in fall 2018 image by dave burk BIG – bjarke ingels group partners-in-charge: bjarke ingels beat schenk project leader: otilia pupezeanu project architect: jeremy babel team: bart ramakers AXOR presents three bathroom concepts that are not merely places of function but destinations in themselves — sanctuaries of style 05-16-2018MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES MissionU founder Adam Braun will become WeGrow’s COO working alongside WeGrow CEO Rebekah Neumann [Photo: Rawpixel] BY Ainsley Harris when $20 billion startup WeWork opens elementary school WeGrow in New York City the 40 inaugural students will start their day with a laughing circle or a meditation session students will prepare meals using food grown on the farm they run there will be blocks of time set aside for the arts there will be opportunities for students to meet with WeWork mentors paired according to the students’ interests–or in the parlance of WeGrow founder and CEO Rebekah Neumann according to their “superpassions” and “superpowers.” Rebekah Neumann [Photo: courtesy of WeWork]“We say ‘superpowers,’ not ‘power,’ because we all have many,” says Neumann who sips a hot chocolate at WeWork headquarters while seated on a tangerine and pink sofa–a color scheme selected by her children Neumann, who is married to WeWork cofounder and CEO Adam Neumann, unveiled her vision for WeGrow last November she was operating a seven-student pilot.) Today she is expanding that vision to include online learning with the acquisition of higher education alternative MissionU who previously founded nonprofit Pencils of Promise “The mission statement of MissionU is to help every person reach their full potential,” says Braun, who launched MissionU last year “As I spent more and more time with all the incredible people [at WeWork] it was just so clear that this was the right place to achieve that.” which will keep staff on hand for the next few months as it winds down operations raised $3 million in October 2016 and an additional $8.5 million in funding last September MissionU’s core offering and WeWork’s other recent education investments hint at an expanding ambition enrolling them in a one-year program designed as preparation for business intelligence jobs at hiring partners like Warby Parker students committed to paying MissionU 15% of the pretax income for three years MissionU built software that allowed for roughly 90% of the program to be delivered online will be incorporated into WeGrow over time “As we scale globally–and obviously we can use the footprint of WeWork and we plan to–we also want to have a very strong presence digitally,” she says “And MissionU has technology to support us in that.” A post shared by MissionU (@missionu) The experiences of WeGrow’s parents and mentors may offer the first clues as to how lifelong learning might infuse WeWork’s global empire WeGrow plans to include a parent lounge in the WeGrow school space that architect Bjarke Ingels is designing The lounge will host programming for parents as well as offer them a place to work while their child is in class Parents will also be encouraged to engage with some practices “One of the biggest components of a child’s long-term success is having engaged parents,” says Braun “This is an exciting opportunity for any parent to not just send their kid off but actually be an active participant in the community that we’re creating.” Of the parents who have enrolled in WeGrow and one-third are from outside of the existing WeWork community Neumann is also cognizant that parents will pay close attention to their children’s progress even if they are willing to eschew traditional report cards “Our teachers are assessing the kids on a daily basis everybody is totally exceeding all Common Core expectations So it’s not just that we’re not looking toward what’s expected at each age academically WeGrow’s official mission will be to unleash every human’s superpowers “Not just to study traditional academic subjects of which I really love studying and are really important to me as well but also to study how to be a successful human being and how to use your superpowers to share with the world.” Ainsley Harris is a senior writer at Fast Company. She has written about technology, innovation, and finance for the past 10 years, including four cover stories More after the company's valuation plummeted in 2019 There were about 100 students enrolled and tuition ranged from $22,000 to $42,000 a year was passionate about childhood education — especially the education of her and Adam's five children — she didn't necessarily have any formal experience in the area Rebekah envisioned a more holistic education for the students at WeGrow In addition to having the kids attend class in the city the children were often taken to the Neumanns' farm in upstate New York they helped grow produce that they then tried to sell to WeWork employees so they could learn about entrepreneurship Yoga was also a central part of the curriculum which makes sense given Rebekah's love of it Rebekah studied under yoga gurus around the world and became an instructor herself WeWork employees also sometimes dropped in to teach lessons to the kids about business WeWork announced it was closing WeGrow in the fall of 2019, and the school ceased operations at the end of the academic year. In 2020, "Forbes" reported that Rebekah acquired the rights to the school's curriculum from WeWork though she did not purchase its original WeGrow name According to a statement from Rebekah's spokesperson at the time she planned to relaunch the school using some of the curriculum under the name Student of Life For Life pronounced "soulful." The plan was to combine remote and physical learning and eventually launch the curriculum nationwide and then globally She aimed to begin the new version of the school in the fall of 2020 and its most recent post is from the fall of 2019 The first three episodes of "WeCrashed" premiere March 18 on AppleTV+ WeWork co-founder Adam Neumann stepped down from his position as CEO WeWork (officially called the We Company) had delayed its IPO and reportedly saw its valuation cut by at least $32 billion While Neumann’s resignation is far from the end of WeWork reports that the new co-CEO’s plan to cut the company’s extraneous businesses means it is surely the end of Neumann’s dream of creating “a new way of living was my last chance to experience Neumann’s WeWorld or at least get as close to it as we may ever see By spending an entire day hopping from one WeWork property to another perhaps I’d see the company as Neumann saw it an ecosystem in which the “WeGeneration” could thrive he imagined the company becoming the hub of key aspects of our lives: landlord and he had at least mentioned ideas for a WeWork airline I tried to spend a whole day in WeWorld to savor it before the new CEOs begin hacking away at non-core operations to lower the company’s furious cash burn rate Only by experiencing the company at such a granular level was I able to wrap my mind around just how ambitious — and disjointed — Neumann’s vision was 8:32 a.m.: My day starts on a Chelsea sidewalk outside WeGrow which is WeWork’s school for kids ages 2 through 12 It’s the creation of Rebekah Paltrow Neumann WeWork’s “chief brand and impact officer.” Her vision for WeGrow was “a new conscious entrepreneurial school committed to unleashing every child’s superpowers.” Or a school geared toward “families that are in an open state of being.” Tuition runs from $36,000 to $42,000 but I imagine the day when I might; I visualize dropping the bright-eyed tot off for another day of unleashing her superpowers I try to play it cool and not look like a creep standing across the street A very muscular man in a tight black T-shirt stands outside the door like a bouncer greeting teachers I watch a few fashionable moms and dads drop their kids off and head to work It turns out I was witnessing one of the last normal days at WeGrow: On October 11 the company announced it would be shuttering the schools after this academic year 9:23 a.m.: Just a few blocks away is WeWork Now the company’s combination coffee shop and co-working space It’s WeWork’s only “on demand” co-working space anyone — WeWork member or not — can enjoy a sleek comfortable co-working space attached to a Bluestone Lane coffee shop To my right is a giant wall of merchandise a shirt that says “Human,” and a bucket hat that says “Worker.” I want the bucket hat but don’t think I’ll be able to expense it At the opposite end of the merch wall is a checkpoint where people can check in to the paid co-working space I approach and ask an employee what she thinks about the Neumann shake-up She also tells me I can book a seat in advance next time I see only five or six people in a space space built for about 100 10:02 a.m.: Curious to check out the scene at the place where it all began where the company’s first co-working space opened in 2010 and there are still four others within a six-block radius I pull out my credit card and ask to purchase a day pass we don’t do day passes,” she says sympathetically 10:06 a.m.: I buy a seltzer at a Starbucks across the street and do some work for an hour 12:06 p.m.: I was surprised to learn that anyone can tour Dock 72 WeWork’s latest project in the Brooklyn Navy Yard a cool 20-something with bleached hair and a tie-dyed shirt and she hands me a hard hat before we begin walking through the massive building passing workers hustling to put the final touches on before it opens on October 1 I ask my tour guide if she likes working for WeWork it’s one of the coolest companies in the world.” The WeWork offices in Dock 72 are grand and modern with massive windows offering views of Manhattan up and down the East River The rep tells me that all members will have access to Rise by We WeWork’s “vision for the complete wellness experience” — a.k.a I picture myself working while reclining in one of the Scandinavian-style pieces of furniture she lays out my options: $475 a month for a “hot desk,” which would allow me to work in the open spaces or $930 for the very last available single-occupancy private office And that’s the end of my Dock 72 personal-office fantasy I’m in a studio apartment on the 26th floor so I am expecting it to be something like a four-star hotel I find a tiny room that reeks of bleach with two overhead lights and a Murphy bed This studio costs $3,100 to $4,100 to rent monthly would get you a nice one-bedroom apartment I cruise the common areas to see if the perks justify the hefty price tag A large communal kitchen offers free coffee all day I see two college-age guys wandering around in sweatpants and slippers but most of the people I see during my stay seem to be families on vacation an electronic bulletin board by the elevator delivers devastating news: I’ve missed a White Claw happy hour by two days 2:59 p.m.: I make the five-minute walk from WeLive to Rise by We Rise offers fitness and yoga classes as well as spa treatments in a luxury environment (read: pretty solid bathroom amenities) at a premium I wasn’t keen on boxing or cardio classes (I’d already exercised once this week) “power nap” reservation and signed up for a “guided sauna session” at 5:35 p.m I sheepishly check in for my power nap at the front desk and am directed down a series of hallways adorned with quotes like “Mmmhmm I have absolutely no idea if the slogan is encouraging me or judging me When I arrive at “Insight,” the studio where I am to report for my power nap the woman from the front desk catches up to me She tells me she has made a mistake — I’d registered for a “private nap,” not an “open nap,” which means I will not be taking my nap on a mat in Insight but in one of two beds in a small massage room in the spa The third person is giving someone a tour on FaceTime “I come every day because no one is ever here.” I find the nap room and slowly open the door It’s dark inside; the only light comes from an emergency-exit sign and a pulsing aroma diffuser I peek behind the curtain at the first bed and see a figure beneath the sheets The second bed looks as if someone has already used it for a nap but that doesn’t really bother me so I climb in fully clothed I didn’t expect the act of trying to fall asleep next to someone I’ve never met or seen to feel so intimate but I listen closely to the person’s breathing and hear them adjusting in bed I soon have my answer: The person starts snoring forming a portrait of a truly bizarre company The people running an extremely expensive primary school are hawking “Worker” bucket hats building out a massive co-working development in the Brooklyn Navy Yard hosting a White Claw happy hour at an apartment–hotel–co-living space on Wall Street and now facilitating my nap in a spa at a boutique fitness center do these businesses have to do with one another Stumped by that question and unable to sleep I step outside the private room and grab a seat by the door hoping at least to catch a glimpse of the snorer when they finish their nap I’m late for the next item on my WeWorld tour S&P Global downgrades WeWork’s credit rating to a B- 4:05 p.m.: I read a Business Insider story reporting that WeWork is selling Neumann’s $60 million private jet and that Neumann reportedly voted 4:19 p.m.: I tell the receptionist behind the desk at The Wing in Dumbo that I’m here to see a friend My friend greets me at the front desk and escorts me inside both of us a little stunned that the receptionist let me in WeWork was the lead investor in The Wing’s $42 million Series B investment round which I thought was a good enough reason to drop by it feels like a fully formed version of a premium there’s a class or lecture going on in one of the conference rooms Why does this feel so different from the WeWork properties I’ve been to 4:54 p.m.: While walking back to the subway I change into my swimsuit for my “guided sauna session.” I join about 15 people in the spa and a slender guy in flip-flops introduces himself as the “sauna master” and herds us into a large sauna to listen to your bodies,” the sauna master tells us We will overcome this obstacle because the heat will become very intense and put us under pressure The sauna master spends the next 12 minutes or so raising the temperature in the room while adding essential oils to the steam He periodically helicopters a damp towel over his head By the time the sauna master passes out ice cubes and tells us to rub them all over our bodies I feel like a ziplock bag full of hot spaghetti on a sidewalk in July we form a line to spend a few seconds under a cold shower I ask him if this type of sauna session is offered at other spas in New York “We’re the only ones.” When I ask how the program got started here have some pineapple,” he says and walks away I need an employee to open my locker for me that is the least-hot booty call I’ve ever received,” my wife responds to my request to spend the night at WeLive 6:50 p.m.: Still eager to get a sense of a standard WeWork space I attend a panel discussion that is open to the public at a WeWork just north of Penn Station The event is called “Men & Vulnerability,” and when I walk in I’m surprised to find about 50 people milling about drinking free wine and pouring themselves beers from a tap in the communal kitchen and the moderators introduce themselves as “Coach Jake” and “Coach Nick.” As an icebreaker they instruct us to turn to the person sitting next to us and share a time when we were vulnerable I am sitting next to a woman I guess to to be in her late 60s or early 70s She tells me she has no real interest in sharing; she’s just here to support her co-worker who is sitting on the panel I ask her if this is her first time at a WeWork I realize she isn’t confused — she knows what desks and offices are — she’s just utterly unimpressed Insights are mostly limited to parables and personal anecdotes about the panelists’ childhoods 8:02 p.m.: I check my phone and see that a friend has sent me a Reddit post of a picture purporting to show Neumann walking barefoot and talking on the phone near Gramercy Park on the day he resigned I expected to feel as if I were living in a bubble but the experience of bouncing from WeGrow to WeWork to WeLive to Rise by We is so jarring each location so intrinsically dissimilar from the last I’d thought the WeWorld would have had more social interaction built into it 8:52 p.m.: Financial Times reports that WeWork is halting the signing of all new leases 9:23 p.m.: My wife and I meet for drinks in the Mailroom which makes the fact that we are one of only two parties in the entire joint even sadder We ask the bartender if the bar ever gets busy during the twice-weekly WeLive happy hour — a claim that comes under suspicion when he later reveals that today is only his second day on the job my wife climbs into bed and turns the lights off I have some work to finish and consider heading to the communal kitchen at the end of the hall By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice and to receive email correspondence from us Things you buy through our links may earn Vox Media a commission Password must be at least 8 characters and contain: you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York WeGrow features modular and flexible spaces. Photography: Laurian Ghinitoiu escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox VIEW GOOGLE MAPS in 1974) studied architecture at the Royal Academy in Copenhagen and the School of Architecture of Barcelona ​​obtaining his degree as an architect in 1998 He is the founder of the BIG architecture studio - (Bjarke Ingels Group) after co-founding PLOT Architects in 2001 with his former partner Julien de Smedt whom he met while working at the prestigious OMA studio in Rotterdam.Bjarke has designed and completed award-winning buildings worldwide his studio is based with venues in Copenhagen and New York and the innovative Danish Maritime Museum in Elsinore.With the PLOT study he won the Golden Lion at the Venice Biennale in 2004 and with BIG he has received numerous awards such as the ULI Award for Excellence in 2009 Other prizes are the Culture Prize of the Crown Prince of Denmark in 2011; Along with his architectural practice Columbia University and Rice University and is an honorary professor at the Royal Academy of Arts School of Architecture in Copenhagen.In 2018 Bjarke received the Knight's Cross of the Order of Dannebrog granted by Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II He is a frequent public speaker and continues to give lectures at places such as TED 10 Downing Street or the World Economic Forum Bjarke was appointed Chief Architectural Advisor by WeWork to advise and develop the design vision and language of the company for buildings campuses and neighborhoods around the world Archive Design Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information 2020 at 5:00 PM EDTBookmarkSaveLock This article is for subscribers only.Rebekah Neumann has purchased the assets of WeGrow the private elementary school she founded within WeWork suggesting she could salvage her passion project after the co-working startup co-founded by her husband imploded Montreal’s Canadian Centre for Architecture (CCA) strives to “make people think” about architecture as a public concern this new film trilogy explores housing innovations in cities around the world these films help viewers to see and to empathize with people who need an architecture of care and those working to provide it and a restaurant into the homeless housing mix The second film, When We Live Alone (2020) peeks at people living solo in Tokyo individuals balance intimate solitude with urban adventures a society of individuals is possible only in communities with generous public spaces Where We Grow Older (2023) hits a homerun, with seniors’ housing success stories in Barcelona and Baltimore. Now playing internationally, the film screened recently at Winnipeg’s Architecture + Design Film Festival The film features elders happy to have quality housing and care the film compares successful municipally funded projects like Alí Bei a city rich in innovative housing and social infrastructure an intergenerational co-housing project in a neglected neighborhood of Baltimore Designed by Pau Vidal and Vivas Arquitectos, Alí Bei (completed in 2020) is one of 20 seniors’ apartment buildings in Barcelona funded and managed by the city The growing network aims to provide housing and care for hundreds—perhaps thousands—of low-income seniors allowing them longer lives in their own neighborhoods bringing a mix of people and activities together In Baltimore, Carehaus is an ambitious intergenerational co-housing project aiming to integrate professional caregivers and their families with elderly tenants they care for together in the building Co-designed by community-based artist Marisa Morán Jahn and affordable housing developer Ernst Valery it could profoundly reverse patterns of isolation and neglect that have damaged and divided people around the world These three CCA films on housing—and the people and projects they gather—show us how and why change might yet be achieved Based in Toronto, architectural teacher and critic Ted Landrum was co-curator of Winnipeg’s annual Architecture+Design Film Festival for 10 years. Support their festival by visiting adff.ca As appeared in the June 2024 issue of Canadian Architect magazine 2025 RAIC Gold Medal: Charting the Course 2025 RAIC Gold Medal: Community Champion 2025 RAIC Gold Medal: Ethics in Action 2025 RAIC Gold Medal: The Genius of Collaboration 07mayAll Day14sepGroundwork Exhibition - Canadian Centre for ArchitectureMontreal, Quebec Groundwork is a three-part film and exhibition series exploring the conceptual development and field research of contemporary architects cultivating alternative modes of engagement with new project sites the CCA will take a critical look at how designers across diverse geographies and contexts engage with their environments in preliminary phases of projects and stages of transformation will be highlighted as revelatory aspects of architectural work that help to deepen our understanding of new critical modes of practice and engagement the project questions how different architects situate themselves in relation to changing natural and disciplinary boundaries The exhibition is on from now until September 14 For more information, click here 13febAll Day11mayElana Herzog - ExhibitionToronto, Ontario This exhibition surveys the 35 year career of Toronto-born Brooklyn-based artist Elana Herzog and is curated by internationally Canadian artist Jessica Stockholder It features a new site-responsive installation made This exhibition surveys the 35 year career of Toronto-born Brooklyn-based artist Elana Herzog and is curated by internationally Canadian artist Jessica Stockholder It features a new site-responsive installation made using wallpaper designed by the artist Part of Herzog’s process is to encrust textiles onto – and into – different surfaces explains “while working in the building trades I became intimately acquainted with the built environment and how it is constructed On a very personal level I learned about how systems interact and are installed in buildings – what’s behind the walls and under the floors.” Her work can be described as a form of domestic archeology often engaging architecture and other more intimate forms of material culture For more information, click here 01mayAll Day30Arthur Erickson: Design in MindVancouver, British Columbia The Arthur Erickson Foundation has announced the world premiere of ArthurErickson: Design in Mind The immersive pop-up exhibition will run from now until May 30 This experience marks the culmination of the AE100 Centennial Celebration a year-long series of events honouring the life and work of architect Arthur Erickson For more information, click here 08mayAll DayTMU Department of Architectural Science Year End Show 2025Toronto, Ontario Toronto Metropolitan University's Department of Architectural Science encourages its students to test boundaries and apply their skill to prevailing issues present within their evolving surroundings Toronto Metropolitan University’s Department of Architectural Science encourages its students to test boundaries The annual Year End Show presents the culmination of the 2024-25 academic term showcasing the impressive and cutting-edge works of our top students in all four years of study and at the graduate level For more information, click here To view this year’s thesis booklet, click here 08mayAll Day14University of Montreal - Cohort 2025Montreal, Quebec The annual exhibition of graduates from the Faculty of Planning at UdeM will soon be back for an extended 2025 edition A full week to admire the innovative projects of future architects For more information, click here 09mayAll Day11housed…[un]housed...[re]housed… 2025 SymposiumToronto, Ontario The housed…[un]housed...[re]housed… symposium will shine its academic light on our affordable housing and unhoused crisis in Toronto Given our recent pressing issues and experiences with affordability issues The housed…[un]housed…[re]housed… symposium will shine its academic light on our affordable housing and unhoused crisis in Toronto the symposium will probe and discuss precedents with a critical and multi-disciplinary lens and expand on the Fair Housing Act discourse which prohibits discrimination and the Ontario Human Rights Commission that housing is a human right For more information, click here 09may7:00 pm10:00 pmPresence roma XLV exhibition - CambridgeCambridge, Ontario The University of Waterloo School of Architecture class of 2025 is proud to reaffirm its  long-standing Presence in Rome with an exhibit of our design projects For more information, click here 13mayAll DayUniversité de Montréal School of Architecture's 60th anniversaryMontreal, Quebec Come and celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Université de Montréal School of Architecture on Tuesday the school is preparing a commemorative catalog and visuals to reminisce on the school’s 60-year history since joining the Université de Montréal To register for the event, click here 14mayAll Day24City Building 2025 - Call for SubmissionsToronto, Ontario This is an exhibition of contemporary works by artists who explore our changing urban environment while looking at local architecture and urban issues Artists interested in participating are being asked to send a image list, current CV /artist statement, and 4 to 6 jpegs to [email protected] Selected artists will pay $40 per selected work The exhibition will be on display from May 14 to 24 For more information, click here 24mayAll Day25Doors Open TorontoToronto, Ontario Doors Open Toronto invites the public to explore the city’s most-loved buildings and sites The event provides rare access to buildings that are not usually The event provides rare access to buildings that are not usually open to the public and free access to sites that would usually charge an admission fee it has attracted more than two million visits to nearly 700 unique locations and remains the largest event of its kind in Canada For more information, click here WeGrow. Image Courtesy of Bjarke Ingels GroupRebekah Neumann, WeWork’s founding partner and chief brand officer, describes WeGrow as a "new conscious entrepreneurial school committed to unleashing every child’s superpowers." She goes on to state the the organization "hopes to reimagine the very idea of a classroom as elementary school-age children begin to identify their callings and apprentice under employees and members already living that dream Curriculums will be created around meaningful local cultures and environments so that learning can be hands-on and experiential." The new WeGrow is now welcoming children ages 3 through 9, adding ages 2 and older next year. The school is open to WeWork members