A few weeks ago, Michael Sandel, one of my old college professors, published an op-ed in the Times asking the provocative question: “are we all in this together?” Sandel is a philosopher who has dedicated his life and career to asking deep questions about assumptions in society that we take for granted. When I took … Continue reading Reflections on ‘Are We All In This Together?’
New York Times
NYT: COVID is Showing Us Which Entrepreneurs Matter
One of the themes I've been tracking through this project is the power of entrepreneurship and small business not just to create jobs and wealth, but to serve as integral parts of local communities. This is something I think a lot about in my work with early stage healthcare companies — how can even venture-backed … Continue reading NYT: COVID is Showing Us Which Entrepreneurs Matter
Medium: “The Public Option”
Last fall, I put together a piece examining the death of local news, why it matters, and why we should get serious about public funding to save it. The crux of my argument boils down to this: [L]osing local journalism is something that should worry us. It’s not just about an antiquated technology or business … Continue reading Medium: “The Public Option”
NYT: The End of Babies
Great read in yesterday's Times about the economic and cultural headwinds to having a family in this day and age. The piece, "The End of Babies" by writer Anna Louie Sussman, starts with the mystery. Declining fertility isn't just a consequence of policies: If any country should be stocked with babies, it is Denmark. The country is … Continue reading NYT: The End of Babies
When an economist goes to Burning Man
A Nobel prize winning economist, an urban planner named Coyote, and a New York Times reporter venture into the desert... No, it’s not the setup to a joke. On the contrary, it’s the framing for an interesting profile of Paul Romer, 2018 winner of the Nobel prize in economics, in yesterday’s Times, who is attending … Continue reading When an economist goes to Burning Man
Towards social policy rooted in social networks (the IRL kind)
It's 2059. The results of a study on the ability of genetic engineering to help poor kids escape poverty are out and they're not pretty. It turns out that even a high IQ can't overcome structural inequality. Or, at least that's the scenario presented as part of a new oped series from the Times, which … Continue reading Towards social policy rooted in social networks (the IRL kind)
Bernie Zipprich 