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Reinventing corporate relocation

In the intricate world of corporate relocation, where global workforces navigate hybrid work, visa complexities, and geopolitical shifts, Matt Tebbe, presi

From luxury to legacy: How Rachel Springate is redefining venture capital

In the frenetic world of venture capital, where sharp elbows and sharper pitches are the currency of success, Rachel Springate stands out not by shouting t

Money Moves: David Snider's bet on brains over buzz

In a city like New York, where wealth is both a currency and a cult, David Snider moves with the quiet confidence of someone who has seen the machine from

Trump grants 90 day tariff reprieve

President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff plan took a dramatic turn on Tuesday as the White House announced a temporary reprieve, reducing the universal tar

Goodbye Skype: How the fall of a tech icon signals a new era

Microsoft’s recent announcement about the discontinuation of Skype represents more than just the end of a pioneering communication tool; it highlights the

The case for no-tax on tips

In the bustling restaurants of Brooklyn, the coffee shops of San Francisco, and the diners scattered throughout America’s heartland, there is an unspoken u

The market's fever: How Trump's Fed fight fuels volatility

The financial markets seem to have caught a fever, a jittery oscillation that’s sent stock indices lurching and bond yields twitching. The proximate cause,

Harness Distracting Self-Talk

We all have the little voice in our heads that seems to be talking all the time! It’s part of the decision-making process to “think things through.”However

Reinventing corporate relocation

In the intricate world of corporate relocation, where global workforces navigate hybrid work, visa complexities, and geopolitical shifts, Matt Tebbe, president and CEO of Cartus Corporation, is charting a new course. A subsidiary of Anywhere Real Estate, Cartus manages employee relocations for over a third of Fortune 100 companies. Since taking the helm in July 2023, Tebbe has brought clarity, akin to a systems thinker, to the role, as revealed in an interview with CEO.com. His vision — rooted in adaptability, technology, and human-centric solutions — aims to redefine how companies move people in an unpredictable era.Tebbe’s path to Cartus reflects a career spent solving complex problems. With an MBA from Yale’s School of Management, he began at Booz Allen Hamilton, sharpening his operational expertise. He later spent nearly a decade at Equifax, leading HR technology in Australia and New Zealand, where he integrated Veda, a major acquisition, and launched Australia’s largest native pre-employment screening business. Before Cartus, he served as general manager of group products at Riverside Insights, overseeing a business unit that supports over six thousand schools. “I’ve always been drawn to roles where you can make things better, not just bigger,” he told CEO.com.When Tebbe joined Cartus, the company faced a transformed landscape. The pandemic had upended traditional mobility, with remote work and global disruptions complicating relocations. Cartus held steady under interim CEO Eric Barnes, but Tebbe was tasked with accelerating its evolution. “Matthew has a gift for seeing around corners,” Don Casey, president and CEO of Anywhere Integrated Services, said in a 2023 press release announcing Tebbe’s appointment. Tebbe’s response has been to lean into the complexity. “We’re seeing trends that no one could have predicted five years ago,” he said in the interview. “Hybrid work is here to stay, but it’s not one-size-fits-all. Some employees want to relocate for opportunity; others need flexibility to stay put. Our job is to make both possible.”This philosophy underpins Cartus’s 2023 brand refresh, with the tagline “Where Mobility Meets Agility.” For Tebbe, it’s more than marketing—it’s a mandate. “The relocation industry isn’t just about moving bodies from point A to point B,” he said. “It’s about understanding what makes people thrive in a new place — culture, community, opportunity.” To achieve this, he’s betting big on artificial intelligence. “AI can analyze patterns—housing markets, cultural fit, even employee sentiment — and give us insights that make moves more successful,” he said. Cartus is piloting AI-driven tools to predict outcomes, from costs to employee satisfaction, though Tebbe emphasizes balance. “It’s not about replacing people,” he noted. “It’s about giving our experts better data to do what they do best: solve problems.”This blend of innovation and empathy defines Tebbe’s leadership. He speaks often of “unlocking growth,” a phrase that peppers his LinkedIn posts and Cartus’s communications. But growth, for him, transcends revenue. “I want Cartus to be the company that clients trust, not because we’re the biggest, but because we’re the most thoughtful,” he said. His track record — empowering teams at Equifax, championing equity at Riverside — suggests he means it. His focus on value over cost is deliberate. “Cost matters, but value matters more,” he said. “If we can show clients that a thoughtful move saves money in the long run — through retention, productivity, morale — they’ll listen.”

The market's fever: How Trump's Fed fight fuels volatility

The financial markets seem to have caught a fever, a jittery oscillation that’s sent stock indices lurching and bond yields twitching. The proximate cause, or so the headlines insisted, was a public spat between President Donald Trump and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. This clash felt less like a policy debate and more like a personal vendetta on the global stage. Trump, never one to shy away from spectacle, declared that Powell’s “termination cannot come fast enough,” a statement that sent ripples of unease through Wall Street and beyond. By Tuesday, April 22, he had backpedaled, denying any intent to fire the Fed chief, but the damage was done. The S&P 500 wobbled, the dollar dipped, and pundits fretted over the sanctity of central bank independence. Yet, as Fisher Investments’ MarketMinder argued in a sober analysis, the volatility was less about the specifics of Trump’s outburst and more about a more profound, almost primal market sentiment — a “fear morph” that thrives in moments of uncertainty.To understand this episode, one must first grasp the peculiar alchemy of markets in the Trump era. The former and now current president has always been a maestro of disruption, wielding tweets and offhand remarks like a conductor’s baton. His first term was a masterclass in this art: tariff threats against China would tank futures one day, only for a conciliatory phone call to send them soaring the next. In 2025, this pattern has returned with a vengeance. Fisher’s commentary notes that Trump’s tiff with Powell was not an isolated event but part of a broader narrative of policy unpredictability, from “Liberation Day” tariffs to musings on federal layoffs. Whether followed through on or not, each pronouncement acts as a spark in a tinder-dry market, igniting volatility that feels irrational and inevitable.This disconnect between the breathless narratives and the mundane data reveals a truth about markets: they are as much a psychological phenomenon as an economic one. Nobel laureate Robert Shiller has long argued that markets are driven by “narrative economics,” the stories we tell ourselves about what’s happening and why. In this case, the story was one of existential threat: Trump’s attack on Powell was framed as an assault on the Federal Reserve’s independence, a sacred cow of modern economics. The fear was not baseless. A 1935 Supreme Court precedent, Humphrey’s Executor v. United States, underpins the Fed’s autonomy, stipulating that its members can only be removed “for cause.” Trump’s team has signaled an intent to challenge this, raising the specter of a politicized central bank. The historical context adds nuance. The Fed has not always been an untouchable institution. In the 1970s, President Richard Nixon pressured then-Fed Chair Arthur Burns to keep interest rates low ahead of the 1972 election, a move many economists believe fueled the decade’s stagflation. More recently, Trump’s first term saw him repeatedly criticize Powell, calling him “clueless” and lamenting high interest rates. For his part, Powell has maintained a stoic resolve, emphasizing the Fed’s data-driven mandate. In a December 2024 press conference, he described the economy as “strong,” even as markets fretted over fewer anticipated rate cuts. This resilience suggests that Powell is unlikely to bend to Trump’s bluster, but the mere suggestion of interference is enough to unsettle investors.Beyond the headlines, the market’s volatility reflects broader unease about the economic landscape. The Fisher commentary situates the Trump-Powell spat within a correction sentiment — a sharp, sentiment-driven drop of 10 to 20 percent, distinct from deeper, fundamentally driven bear markets. Corrections, they argue, are often fueled by “false fears,” exaggerated worries that lower expectations and set the stage for positive surprises. In early 2025, such fears abounded: tariffs on Mexico and Canada, announced with fanfare and then partially walked back, sparked volatility but failed to derail economic growth. The Atlanta Fed’s real-time GDP tracker showed continued expansion, even amid concerns about tariffs. Similarly, as measured by the University of Michigan’s gauge, consumer sentiment tanked in March, yet retail sales data suggested spending remained robust.This resilience points to a paradox: markets may thrash about, but the underlying economy often plods along. Of course, the U.S. economy has a remarkable ability to shrug off political noise. Markets are forward-looking, pricing in not just current events but expectations of future outcomes. In 2025, those expectations are clouded by uncertainty about trade policy, monetary policy, and the political will to navigate a narrowly divided Congress.Ultimately, the Trump-Powell tiff is less about the Fed’s independence than about the stories we tell ourselves in times of uncertainty. The markets, like a feverish patient, will eventually cool, driven not by headlines but by the slow grind of economic reality. For now, the volatility is a mirror, reflecting our anxieties and hopes. As Fisher Investments put it, “Patience and discipline generally prove wise and right.” In a world of soundbites and sell-offs, that may be the most radical advice of all.

From luxury to legacy: How Rachel Springate is redefining venture capital

In the frenetic world of venture capital, where sharp elbows and sharper pitches are the currency of success, Rachel Springate stands out not by shouting the loudest but by listening intently. As a founding partner of Muse Capital, a Los Angeles-based seed-stage venture fund, Springate has carved a niche by blending intuition, a global perspective, and a relentless focus on underserved markets. Her journey — from a British transplant navigating luxury lifestyle sales to a Kauffman Fellow shaping the future of consumer tech — reads like a master class in reinvention. However, it’s her approach to venture capital, rooted in relationships and a defiant optimism about entrepreneurship’s potential, that marks her as a singular force.In a recent CEO.com interview, Springate provided insights into Muse Capital’s mission and her own winding path. There’s a warmth to her presence, a disarming mix of candor and conviction, as she leans into the conversation with the ease of someone who has spent decades building bridges between brands and CEOs, startups and Hollywood, and now, investors and founders. “I’ve always been fascinated by how people connect,” she says. “Venture capital, at its core, is about betting on those connections—on the people who can turn ideas into something real.”Springate’s entry into venture capital was anything but conventional. Born in the UK, she honed her skills in brand research, cultivating relationships with marketing directors at global giants like Coca-Cola and Apple. In 2006, she was headhunted by Quintessentially, a luxury lifestyle group, to launch its corporate sales division. For years, she jetted across continents, closing deals with the likes of Amex Centurion and Gucci Group, her Rolodex expanding with CEOs, celebrities, and entrepreneurs. “It was a crash course in human dynamics,” she recalls. “You learn how to read a room, how to build trust with people who have everything — and nothing — to prove.”Her pivot to tech came in 2012, sparked by a chance meeting with Troy Carter, the renowned artist manager and angel investor. Inspired by his ability to navigate the worlds of entertainment and technology, Springate relocated to New York and founded a consultancy to connect startups with her vast network. It was a leap driven by instinct, not a spreadsheet. “I saw this gap between Silicon Valley and Hollywood,” she explains. “Startups needed access to culture, to storytelling, and I knew I could help bridge that.” By 2016, along with partner Assia Grazioli-Venier, she launched Muse Capital, a fund focused on early-stage consumer technology with a focus on diversity and underserved markets.What sets Springate apart in the venture capital arena is her refusal to play by its unspoken rules. While others chase unicorns — those rare startups valued at a billion dollars or more — Springate seeks what she calls “authentic impact.” Muse Capital’s portfolio, which includes companies such as Eli Health and Queens Gaming Collective, reflects a deliberate focus on founders addressing previously overlooked needs, particularly in women’s health and gaming. “The venture world can be obsessed with scale for scale’s sake,” she says. “I’m more interested in businesses that solve real problems for real people, even if they don’t look like the next Airbnb.”This philosophy stems from her belief that entrepreneurship is evolving. In the CEO.com interview, she speaks passionately about a future where founders are less tied to traditional hubs like Silicon Valley. “The pandemic accelerated this,” she notes. “You’ve got incredible talent in places like Austin, Miami, even Dubai. Technology has democratized access, and that’s only going to grow.” She envisions a world where capital flows to diverse founders in unexpected places. This vision is actively supported by Muse Capital through its $30 million FirstLook Partners Fund I, announced in 2024.Springate’s approach to due diligence is equally distinctive. While many VCs focus heavily on metrics — such as traction, burn rate, and total addressable market — she gives equal importance to intangibles. “I spend a lot of time understanding the founder’s why,” she says. “What’s driving them? What’s their relationship with failure?” This human-centric lens, honed through years of navigating high-stakes relationships, enables her to identify potential where others perceive risk. It’s why Muse has supported founders like Marina Pavlovic Rivas of Eli Health, whose work in women’s health Springate champions with palpable pride. “When you see someone solving a problem they’ve lived, you know they’re not going to quit,” she says.Her emphasis on relationships also extends to her role as a mentor. As a Kauffman Fellow (Class 25), Springate has dedicated years to holding office hours for emerging managers, providing guidance on topics ranging from fundraising to mental health. “Venture can be isolating,” she admits. “You’re making high-stakes decisions with incomplete information. Sharing what I’ve learned — especially the mistakes — feels like my responsibility.” Her LinkedIn posts brim with gratitude for these interactions, whether she’s celebrating a founder’s milestone or reflecting on a health equity summit that “recharged her soul.”Yet Springate’s optimism is tempered by realism. She’s candid about the challenges of being a woman in a male-dominated field. “You have to be twice as good to get half the attention,” she says, echoing a sentiment familiar to many female VCs. Muse Capital’s commitment to diversity — both in its leadership and its investments — is her response. Studies consistently show that diverse teams drive better financial performance and innovation, she points out. “It’s not just the right thing to do; it’s the smart thing,” she says, citing her partnership with Grazioli-Venier as a case study in complementary strengths.As she looks to the future, Springate is bullish on entrepreneurship’s potential to address global challenges. She views consumer tech as a frontier for social good, encompassing health equity and sustainable systems. “The next wave of founders will be solving problems we haven’t even articulated yet,” she predicts. Her recent interest in the Middle East, sparked by a trip to Dubai in 2024, underscores her global outlook. “There’s so much untapped potential there,” she says. “It’s about finding the right partners and building trust.”As the CEO.com interview wraps, Springate leaves with a parting thought: “Venture capital isn’t just about money. It’s about belief — in people, in ideas, in what’s possible.” It’s a credo that defines her work at Muse Capital, where she invests not only in startups but also in a future where entrepreneurship reflects the world’s diversity and complexity. In an industry often criticized for its homogeneity, Springate serves as a reminder that the most transformative bets are frequently those placed on the overlooked. For her, that’s not simply a strategy — it’s a calling.