A more modern take on Leonard Read’s prized essay: ‘I, iPhone’
By Gerhard Apfelthaler In 1958, Leonard Read, the founder of the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) published a famous article titled “I, Pencil”, which was later popularized by Nobel laureate Milton Friedman, particularly in his book and television series Free to Choose (1980). It’s not that I necessarily agree with all of Mr. Reads or Mr. Friedman’s Read More →
Guest commentary: Bubbles are delightful to watch until they pop
By John Grace What’s next for investors in 2025, you ask? Bubbles last as long as everyone can hop on the carousel. Then the music stops — or worse, the carousel catches fire. With the S&P 500 delivering back-to-back annual gains exceeding 20% for the first time since 1988, investors everywhere are asking, “What’s next?” Read More →
Guest commentary: The benefits of coworking spaces in the age of work-from-home
By Pamela Tanase More than one-third of Americans now work from home at least part of the time, enjoying the perks of flexible schedules, reduced commutes and the comfort of their own spaces. But working from home can also bring challenges: isolation, household distractions, and limited access to professional amenities. These downsides can make even the most Read More →
Guest commentary: How tri-county small business owners can kick off 2025 with confidence
By Melissa Macias and Brenda Cervantes Every new year brings an opportunity for entrepreneurs to evaluate the state of their business and adjust their strategies to prepare for success in the year ahead. Here in the tri-county region, Ventura County’s 2025 GDP is estimated to be markedly higher than in previous years according to a Read More →
Guest commentary: Entrepreneurs are not a good fit for the U.S. government
By Gerhard Apfelthaler In 1988, my former colleague at California Lutheran University, renowned entrepreneurship scholar Bill Gartner published a seminal article in the American Journal of Small Business titled “Who is an entrepreneur is the wrong question.” In the article, he argued that the focus on identifying the personality traits of entrepreneurs is misguided and Read More →
Guest commentary: IPO outlook for Central Coast depends on AI, national trends
By Scott Olmsted and Gabe Simon Despite successful IPOs from the likes of Ibotta, Reddit and OneStream, 2024 didn’t provide the influx of capital-raising opportunities that many late-stage tech startups and venture capitalists have been waiting for. Since highs last seen in 2021 — when 90 tech companies went public — the national IPO market has been muted, with Read More →
Guest commentary: Securing the future of our students and our university
By Richard Yao Since 2019-20, CSU Channel Islansa has experienced a 35% drop in enrollment — from 6,406 full-time equivalent students (FTES) in 2019 to 4,154 this Fall. As Ventura County’s only four-year public university, we have lost more than a decade’s worth of growth in just five years, having contracted back to our enrollment of 4,152 Read More →
