AI evolves faster than companies can integrate it strategically. This dynamic has become even stronger as we move toward 2026. Today, around 78% of businesses use AI in at least one business function – up from 55% in 2023.

Most of the cases of AI adoption affect marketing and customer service, and only 27% of companies use it in operational processes. The question now is why such a rapid technological uptake so rarely translates into strategic advantage? And how can companies move beyond the trap of ‘experimentation without integration’, where AI tools operate on the surface level but don’t systematically transform the business?

1. The principle of data transparency

AI is only as effective as the data it consumes. According to the PEX Report 2025/26, 52% of more than 200 professionals mentioned poor data quality and availability as their number-one challenge in AI maturity, ahead of internal expertise (49%), regulatory concerns (31%) and resistance to change (30%).

Clean, centralized and standardized data is the starting point for correct and productive cooperation between businesses and AI. Any “holes” or inconsistencies in data create distortions that AI algorithms then will only scale.

In 2024, The New York Times shared that Google’s AI Overviews in search served very dubious and inaccurate responses due to poorly filtered public web data. Google faced immediate public backlash and renewed scrutiny of its rollout strategy, proving that weak data governance can threaten even the world’s most advanced AI companies.

Related: Stop Using AI to Hype Up Your Story, Start Using It to Get Work Done

2. The principle of response speed

The effectiveness of AI is measured not just by how fast it generates results, but by how quickly this output can be translated into real actions and changes. A WSJ study found that the main barriers to unlocking AI’s potential in customer experience were disconnected workflows rather than the limitations of the AI itself.

Even a highly accurate prediction doesn’t mean so much if the team cannot quickly process it and coordinate actions across different departments for further developments. Deep integration is about creating processes where the signal reaches the right functions, data is interpreted quickly and actions are coordinated across all critical points of the chain.

Seguros Bolivar, an insurance provider in Colombia, uses Google’s Gemini for partner collaborations when designing insurance products. As a result, they faced faster turnaround and reduced costs by 20-30%, not to mention the quality of cross-company communications and cooperation.

3. The principle of predictiveness

A 2024 Deloitte survey found that 72% of organizations using predictive analytics reported significant improvements in decision-making accuracy. Models help companies to anticipate demand shifts, operational bottlenecks, inventory risks and customer behavior before problems appear, thus shifting into proactive management.

Netflix’s share price soared by 83%, the highest since 2015. A key driver was Netflix’s use of predictive analytics to forecast audience engagement and content personalisation with impressive accuracy. AI data showed Netflix the right projects to invest in, how to personalize recommendations, and sustain high customer retention. Happier users mean flourishing business.

Related: What Transitioning From Founder to CEO Taught Me About Leadership at Any Scale

4. The principle of error criticality

It’s a common fact that AI often comes with some mistakes, and double-checking is a must. Businesses better use AI for the processes where the consequences of inaccuracies are reversible and do not necessitate expensive manual intervention.

No wonder 77% of businesses worry about AI hallucinations (fabricated outputs), with 47% of enterprise AI users admitting at least one major decision based on hallucinated content in 2024. Overall, implementation failure rates for AI projects stand at 70-85%.

For instance, McDonald’s AI drive-thru ordering system, tested with IBM at over 100 US locations, quite often misinterpreted orders: adding 260 Chicken McNuggets, bacon to ice cream or iced coffee instead of hot. These mistakes went viral because of TikTok videos, leading McDonald’s to end the partnership and shut down the system.

5. The principle of strategic compatibility

AI can amplify strategy, but if a company lacks clear processes, stable operational frameworks, or well-defined metrics, AI will only worsen the inconsistency. In fact, 95% of failed generative AI pilots in 2024 were linked to the lack of oversight, ethical concerns, or workflows that didn’t match with AI-driven methods. The organisation was not ready to work properly with the technology.

Huge companies Accenture and IgniteTech made headlines over the contrasting approaches to AI-related workforce policies. Accenture pressured employees to complete generative AI training, and those who could not upskill faced job insecurity despite long tenure. IgniteTech introduced ‘AI Mondays’, requiring employees to dedicate their entire day to AI initiatives, leading to an 80% workforce reduction. Yes, both initiatives can be quite productive and cut short-term costs, but they both lead to the teams’ burning out and weakened collaboration.

AI is a truly transformative force for businesses in 2026, but it should be used wisely on strong foundations. Clean data, fast decision pathways, predictive capabilities, low-risk deployment areas and alignment with company strategy determine whether AI will amplify your strengths or your vulnerabilities. Businesses that pass this ‘AI stress test’ will move faster, plan smarter and navigate uncertainty with confidence.

AI evolves faster than companies can integrate it strategically. This dynamic has become even stronger as we move toward 2026. Today, around 78% of businesses use AI in at least one business function – up from 55% in 2023.

Most of the cases of AI adoption affect marketing and customer service, and only 27% of companies use it in operational processes. The question now is why such a rapid technological uptake so rarely translates into strategic advantage? And how can companies move beyond the trap of ‘experimentation without integration’, where AI tools operate on the surface level but don’t systematically transform the business?

After years of threats and legal battles over Chinese ownership, TikTok finally blinked.

The social media giant signed a deal to sell its U.S. operations to a joint venture valued at around $14 billion, Axios is reporting. Oracle, Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi-based MGX will collectively own 45% of the new entity dubbed “TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC,” with the agreement set to close on January 22.

The U.S. venture will handle data protection, algorithm security and content moderation, including retraining the recommendation algorithm on American user data to keep the feed “free from outside manipulation.”

The deal ends a wild ride that started when President Trump first demanded Chinese parent ByteDance sell TikTok in 2020 over national security concerns. Congress passed a ban-or-sell law in 2024, the Supreme Court upheld it in January, then Trump kept postponing enforcement while negotiating behind the scenes. Now the app that survived multiple death threats finally has new American owners — well, mostly American, since ByteDance is keeping nearly 20 percent for itself.

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After years of threats and legal battles over Chinese ownership, TikTok finally blinked.

The social media giant signed a deal to sell its U.S. operations to a joint venture valued at around $14 billion, Axios is reporting. Oracle, Silver Lake and Abu Dhabi-based MGX will collectively own 45% of the new entity dubbed “TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC,” with the agreement set to close on January 22.

The U.S. venture will handle data protection, algorithm security and content moderation, including retraining the recommendation algorithm on American user data to keep the feed “free from outside manipulation.”

The deal ends a wild ride that started when President Trump first demanded Chinese parent ByteDance sell TikTok in 2020 over national security concerns. Congress passed a ban-or-sell law in 2024, the Supreme Court upheld it in January, then Trump kept postponing enforcement while negotiating behind the scenes. Now the app that survived multiple death threats finally has new American owners — well, mostly American, since ByteDance is keeping nearly 20 percent for itself.

Read more

With 400 million tons of plastic produced annually, landfills are overflowing. Oceans are choking on microplastics. And global plastic production is on pace to triple by 2060. But a new wave of innovation is shifting how the world thinks about plastic, and it’s creating a $125B opportunity for one company.

Midori Bio CEO and co-founder Ken Lyons spent more than 35 years helping global brands rethink packaging. He watched the world’s dependence on plastic escalate while recycling systems failed to keep pace. Only 9% of plastic gets recycled today, even when it carries the recycling symbol, a report from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development says.

For Lyons and his team, the question wasn’t how do we ban plastic? The real question was: What if plastic itself could become part of the solution?

Years of research and testing produced Advanced BioRecycle™, a proprietary additive that helps plastic break down 64x faster in landfills, the company says. It’s engineered to reduce microplastics in the environment while generating renewable energy in the form of biogas. Instead of plastic sitting for centuries, it becomes a fuel source.

Today, Midori Bio is helping the world’s biggest brands turn one of the planet’s most urgent problems into a net positive. And investors can join them.

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Global brands are already partnering with Midori Bio

Just a few years after launching, Midori Bio has become one of the fastest-moving innovators in sustainable materials. They’ve partnered with major brands such as Head/Penn Tennis, Planters Peanuts, Keen, and Snibbs Footwear. Plus, the company says it has more than 150 more potential partners in the pipeline, including major consumer packaged goods and industrial manufacturers.

A key driver behind Midori Bio’s success is that it’s easy to adopt. Their technology requires no factory changes, equipment upgrades, or manufacturing downtime. It simply mixes into the plastics manufacturing process like any other ingredient. Because it’s FDA-compliant and third-party tested, major brands can adopt it without operational friction, the company says.

How does Midori Bio’s technology work?

Plastic treated with Advanced BioRecycle™ remains fully recyclable and performs identically to traditional plastic while in use. The strength, flexibility, and appearance of the plastic remain unchanged, the company says. The transformation begins only once the product is thrown away.

Once the plastic reaches the landfill, natural microbes can begin eating away at the treated plastic. The additive accelerates this process, allowing the material to break down up to 64x faster than untreated plastic. As it decomposes, the company says that roughly 75% of it is converted into biogas, a renewable energy source that can be captured and used for electricity, heat, or fuel. The remaining 25% becomes humus, an inert, soil-like material that does not release toxins or microplastics back into the environment.

Just like that, Midori Bio’s tech positions the company to solve multiple problems at once. And with the speed of plastic production today, they have a unique moment to shine.

A $125 billion plastic market opportunity

The global market for plastic waste solutions is already accelerating due to regulation; environmental, social, and governance (ESG) pressure; and consumer demand. It’s happening right as Midori Bio aims to capture a major share across several high-value markets:

• Footwear: Up to 24 billion pairs of shoes are produced annually, less than 1% are recycled
• Sports: Tennis balls, golf grips, and athletic gear generate millions of tons of waste
• Food packaging: Midori Bio is preparing launches with four major food brands

Those are just to name a few.

Over the next decade, every major brand will be forced to adopt more sustainable plastic solutions. Midori Bio is one of the few companies that can scale to meet that demand. They offer the fastest, most cost-effective path available today.

Be a part of Midori Bio’s next stage of growth

Midori Bio’s early traction shows how quickly brands are adopting solutions that make sustainability profitable. The team’s next major milestone? An anticipated future Nasdaq listing as Midori Bio scales into new markets and accelerates global adoption.

For a limited time, Midori Bio is inviting investors to join the mission while they’re private.

With major brands already onboard and demand rising fast, this company is poised to lead.

Learn more about how you can become a Midori Bio shareholder.

This is a paid advertisement for Midori Bio’s Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at https://invest.midori-bio.com/

With 400 million tons of plastic produced annually, landfills are overflowing. Oceans are choking on microplastics. And global plastic production is on pace to triple by 2060. But a new wave of innovation is shifting how the world thinks about plastic, and it’s creating a $125B opportunity for one company.

Midori Bio CEO and co-founder Ken Lyons spent more than 35 years helping global brands rethink packaging. He watched the world’s dependence on plastic escalate while recycling systems failed to keep pace. Only 9% of plastic gets recycled today, even when it carries the recycling symbol, a report from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development says.

For Lyons and his team, the question wasn’t how do we ban plastic? The real question was: What if plastic itself could become part of the solution?

Here’s a sobering stat: the Verizon 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report found that 68% of breaches came down to human error — stolen credentials, phishing scams … the usual suspects. If you’re running a business and handling client data or financial records, one breach could tank your company’s reputation through lawsuits and fines.

Fortunately, you can now have encryption that allows no one to access your files except you, forever. Get lifetime access to 10TB of zero-knowledge Internxt cloud storage while it is available to new users for just $279.97.

Military-grade protection for business-critical files

Internxt encrypts everything on your device before it hits their servers. So if those servers were hacked tomorrow, your files would still be gibberish to whoever saw them, the company says.

The platform is open-source with code on GitHub for audits. It’s GDPR-compliant and independently audited by Securitum, which is critical when you’re dealing with client info, medical records, or legal docs where regulators don’t mess around.

Post-Quantum Encryption sounds like sci-fi, but it’s practical. Quantum computers will eventually crack today’s encryption – that’s not an if, it’s a when. Internxt says it already protects against that, so your files stay locked down as the tech landscape shifts over the next decade.

Best of all, it works everywhere you do. Desktop apps for Windows, macOS, and Linux, mobile apps for iOS and Android, plus web access, mean you can securely access critical business files from any device or location. When you share files, they stay encrypted with password protection and expiration dates.

Also, you’re getting 10TB of storage here – that’s roughly 2.5 million docs, 200,000 photos, or 2,000 hours of HD video. If you’re managing client files or project archives, you can finally stop playing Tetris with your storage. Basically, you get enterprise-level security for all your files forever with no monthly fees.

Grab a lifetime subscription to Internxt 10TB Cloud Storage while it’s available to new users for just $279.97.

Internxt Cloud Storage Lifetime Subscription: 10TB Plan

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StackSocial prices subject to change.

Here’s a sobering stat: the Verizon 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report found that 68% of breaches came down to human error — stolen credentials, phishing scams … the usual suspects. If you’re running a business and handling client data or financial records, one breach could tank your company’s reputation through lawsuits and fines.

Fortunately, you can now have encryption that allows no one to access your files except you, forever. Get lifetime access to 10TB of zero-knowledge Internxt cloud storage while it is available to new users for just $279.97.

Military-grade protection for business-critical files

Internxt encrypts everything on your device before it hits their servers. So if those servers were hacked tomorrow, your files would still be gibberish to whoever saw them, the company says.

If 2025 was the year franchisees held their breath, 2026 is when they finally exhale.

The International Franchise Association predicted 20,000 franchise units would open in 2025, but IFA president Matt Haller told Nation’s Restaurant News the industry will fall short — though it’ll still outpace the broader economy. Multi-unit franchisee David Barr called 2026 the “year of stability,” expecting traffic to flatten as interest rates improve and tariffs settle. “I think franchising remains healthy,” he said.

The long-term outlook is bright. White-collar layoffs could bring new franchise owners with capital to invest, while chicken and beverage concepts keep attracting interest due to lower entry costs. The American Franchise Act may also bring stability by codifying joint employer regulations and reducing franchisor liability.

Read more

If 2025 was the year franchisees held their breath, 2026 is when they finally exhale.

The International Franchise Association predicted 20,000 franchise units would open in 2025, but IFA president Matt Haller told Nation’s Restaurant News the industry will fall short — though it’ll still outpace the broader economy. Multi-unit franchisee David Barr called 2026 the “year of stability,” expecting traffic to flatten as interest rates improve and tariffs settle. “I think franchising remains healthy,” he said.

The long-term outlook is bright. White-collar layoffs could bring new franchise owners with capital to invest, while chicken and beverage concepts keep attracting interest due to lower entry costs. The American Franchise Act may also bring stability by codifying joint employer regulations and reducing franchisor liability.

Read more

Many small businesses begin at home, and for good reason. Keeping overhead low while you find your footing is often the smartest move a new founder can make. But one early decision is frequently underestimated: choosing a business address.

When launching a company, it’s common to default to a home address because it seems simple and harmless. In reality, that choice can have lasting consequences for your privacy, personal safety and professional credibility — often long after the business begins to grow.

Where the problem starts

For many founders, the issue first arises during business formation, particularly when forming an LLC. While it’s legal to use a home address on formation documents, those filings are typically made publicly available through state databases. That means your personal address becomes searchable to anyone who looks it up — from potential clients to disgruntled customers or bad actors.

Beyond public records, businesses are also required to be available to receive legal and government correspondence. Using a home address for this purpose can unintentionally expose where you live and blur the line between your personal and professional life in ways that are difficult to undo later.

Related: How Smart Entrepreneurs Are Protecting Their Brand and Building Wealth — And How You Can Too

Why it only gets worse over time

Privacy and safety risks
Once your home address becomes associated with your business, it tends to spread. It may appear on domain registrations, websites, social profiles, licenses and third-party data aggregators. Even if you change your address later, traces often remain searchable for years.

Operational and legal friction
Updating a business address isn’t as simple as changing a mailing label. It can require amending state filings, updating IRS records, revising licenses and permits, notifying banks and paying additional fees. The longer a business operates with a home address, the more complicated and error-prone those updates become.

Professional perception
Fair or not, a home address can raise questions for banks, partners or potential customers. A dedicated business address often signals stability and legitimacy, particularly as a company begins to pursue larger clients or outside capital.

Smarter alternatives many founders overlook

Avoiding these issues doesn’t require leasing office space. Several affordable options allow founders to separate their business identity from their personal address.

Registered agent services
When forming an LLC or corporation, many founders use a registered agent. In many cases, these services allow their address to be used on public filings, keeping a founder’s home address off state records while ensuring legal compliance.

Commercial mail receiving agencies (CMRAs)
CMRAs provide a physical street address where business mail can be received, forwarded or scanned. This option is relatively inexpensive and allows a business address to remain consistent even if the owner relocates.

Business identity and address services
Some newer services bundle formation, compliance, mail handling and digital tools into a single platform. For founders who prefer fewer vendors and centralized administration, this approach can simplify early operations — though it’s important to evaluate flexibility and long-term needs.

Related: Afraid to Put Your Contact Info on Your Site? You Could Be Losing Sales.

A foundational decision worth getting right

You only launch a business once. Decisions made at the beginning — including something as unglamorous as a business address — can shape how smoothly the company scales later.

A business address isn’t just an administrative detail. It affects privacy, compliance, credibility and the ease with which your company can grow. Treat it as a foundational choice, and you’ll save yourself time, risk, and unnecessary complications down the road.

Many small businesses begin at home, and for good reason. Keeping overhead low while you find your footing is often the smartest move a new founder can make. But one early decision is frequently underestimated: choosing a business address.

When launching a company, it’s common to default to a home address because it seems simple and harmless. In reality, that choice can have lasting consequences for your privacy, personal safety and professional credibility — often long after the business begins to grow.

As 2026 approaches, marketing leaders will have to navigate a convergence of change. Artificial intelligence is redefining search and discovery. Social platforms now drive both awareness and transactions, and companies are spending more on Connected TV (CTV).

This is no longer about optimizing isolated tactics. It’s about aligning brand presence, media efficiency and full-funnel performance around intent.

For CMOs and market leaders, the shift is clear: We are moving from keywords to intent. Discovery isn’t happening solely on Google; it’s happening across AI assistants, social platforms and video environments. And the playbook must evolve accordingly.

Related: Why AI Search Will Soon Decide If Customers Ever Find Your Brand

AI search optimization: Beyond the blue links

Generative AI is transforming how consumers find information. Google’s AI Overviews and emerging assistant-based search models (ChatGPT, Perplexity and You.com) produce synthesized answers instead of just links. In an interview with Duane Forrester, a former Yext and Microsoft employee who worked on Bing search webmaster tools, we discussed how visibility is no longer guaranteed based on ranking. Brands need to be structured in ways that are discoverable by machines.

Actionable focus areas:

• Implement Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) by structuring content to appear in AI summaries.

• Use Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) practices, such as FAQ blocks, schema markup and concise answers.

• Prioritize entity-based content architecture, not just keywords.

• Track brand inclusion in AI snapshots and answer modules across platforms.

Strategies for searchability now live across search engines, AI interfaces and context-aware media. Static ranking is no longer the goal. Recognition is.

This is a topic that Forrester covered thoroughly in a prior interview.

Social SEO and search-led discovery across platforms

Social SEO and social search do not get enough coverage, but marketers must know that social media channels such as TikTok, Instagram, YouTubeand Pinterest are no longer just content channels — they’re intent-driven search engines. Consumers actively scroll for product reviews, tutorials and solutions.

To stay competitive, brands must design content that is not only engaging but search-optimized within each platform’s ecosystem.

What works in 2026:

• Use natural language in captions, hashtags, alt text and scripts.

• Build out topic clusters via playlists, boards or series to establish authority.

• Connect social content to owned landing pages that capture traffic and allow retargeting.

Social SEO is a system, not just a campaign. Done right, it connects discovery with measurable outcomes.

Social commerce matures, and video drives the funnel

In 2026, social commerce will be fully embedded. From in-app checkout to creator storefronts and affiliate links, the shopping experience is now native.

Short-form video is the backbone of this evolution. Whether it’s live shopping on TikTok or YouTube Shorts, video connects interest to intent immediately. This creates a content layer that feeds both upper-funnel awareness and lower-funnel conversions. Video is a commerce engine, not just a branding tool.

Related: What Brands Need to Know About Social Commerce

AI-driven content, human POV

AI has become a central force in content production and personalization. But the key differentiator is not automation; it’s judgment.

Effective content strategies in 2026 will use AI to accelerate planning, research and adaptation, while keeping strategy and brand voice in human hands.

A balanced workflow:

1. Use AI for audience research, outline generation and topic clustering.

2. Develop content with a clear POV, especially long-form and narrative-driven formats.

3. Break content into short-form video and social posts for broader discovery.

4. Analyze engagement and search performance to refine iterations.

Brands that rely solely on AI will sound the same. Those who use it to scale intent-led storytelling will stand out.

Privacy-first, measurement-ready

The retirement of third-party cookies and tightening privacy regulations make first-party and zero-party data essential. Brands need a measurement stack built on consent, transparency and modeled outcomes.

Immediate priorities:

• Improve consent capture UX to drive opt-ins.

• Deploy server-side tagging and privacy-compliant analytics.

• Use modeled conversions and clean-room attribution where applicable.

• Build loyalty programs and content hubs that convert traffic into data-rich audiences.

A future-proof digital strategy relies on data you own and measurement systems that don’t collapse under privacy reform.

CTV advertising strategy: Measurable, cross-channel and scalable

CTV is no longer a niche or experimental channel. In 2026, it will earn its place as a core part of the performance media mix. It delivers scalable reach, measurable outcomes and the ability to tie into CRM, search and social retargeting loops.

Unlike legacy video buys, CTV can now be executed with precision targeting, frequency controls and cross-device attribution.

To integrate CTV successfully:

• Clarify CTV’s role in the funnel: awareness, consideration or retargeting.

• Audit existing display and video spend to identify reallocations.

• Run controlled tests (5-15% of media budget) to track branded search lift and assisted conversions.

• Choose partners that offer premium inventory, first-party audience onboarding and lift measurement.

• Develop creative tailored for CTV: 15- or 30-second spots, strong hooks, one core message and audio-first delivery.

Video should be treated not as a silo, but as connective tissue across media.

Related: 5 Internet Trends Every Brand Must Understand Before 2026

Marketing and sales enablement unavoidable

Digital strategy in 2026 cannot stop at impressions and clicks. Sales enablement and CRM integration are critical to converting mid- and lower-funnel interest into revenue.

This is where platforms like Get My Auto CRM have excelled, creating continuity between marketing activity and dealership-level or sales team engagement. Whether you’re in B2B, ecommerce or multi-location retail, your CRM and marketing stack must operate as a single system.

Content, ad exposure and user intent signals should feed directly into sales workflows, personalized messaging and retargeting triggers.

To compete in 2026, brands need to think beyond traffic and leads. Success comes from orchestrating discovery, personalization and conversion across AI search, social SEO, CTV and CRM, all informed by intent and powered by integrated data.

This is the next phase of digital marketing: aligned, adaptive and built for how consumers actually search, engage and buy.

As 2026 approaches, marketing leaders will have to navigate a convergence of change. Artificial intelligence is redefining search and discovery. Social platforms now drive both awareness and transactions, and companies are spending more on Connected TV (CTV).

This is no longer about optimizing isolated tactics. It’s about aligning brand presence, media efficiency and full-funnel performance around intent.

Coffee. After water, it’s America’s most popular beverage. A $100B industry in the U.S. alone, right under our noses.

But while many love it for its jolt, investors love it for a different reason.

After all, artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t coming along anytime soon to turn the industry on its head. And roughly two out of three people rely on it daily, no matter what the economy does.

It’s led multi-billion-dollar giants like Starbucks ($SBUX, $96B market cap), Nestle ($NSRGY, $250B market cap), Peets ($JDEPY, $15B market cap), Keurig Dr Pepper ($KDP, $40B market cap), and Dutch Bros ($BROS, $10B market cap) to public markets.

But there’s one company in this booming industry that is doing things differently. And they just got exclusive rights to begin selling their products under the brand of one of coffee’s most beloved names.

That company? The Green Coffee Company. Already Colombia’s #1 largest coffee producer, they just secured exclusive rights to the storied Juan Valdez brand in the U.S. and Canada.

Why is that such a big deal? Because Juan Valdez remains a top-five choice among many American coffee drinkers and #1 choice for many Hispanic Americans. Founded and popularized in 1959, it is a brand that many Americans grew up with.

As Colombia’s largest producer, few can match Green Coffee Company’s state-of-the-art processing infrastructure, logistics capabilities and on-the-ground network. And with the benefit of Colombia’s most recognizable coffee brand, they’re preparing to take this storied brand to new heights as they accelerate their North American expansion.

So it’s no surprise that they’ve got their eyes on an IPO in 2027.

But that’s only the tip of the iceberg on why investors are paying such close attention to the Green Coffee Company’s current pre-IPO opportunity…

Unlocking the industry’s untapped value

Most brands let the supply chain dictate the price passed off to consumers, with little to no knowledge of where their product has been or if it meets standards.

Green Coffee Company grows, processes, packages, and exports its own beans, giving customers full traceability and quality control from farm to shelf. This control unlocks major advantages for everybody involved:

• Higher margins and pricing power
• Consistent quality that retailers can trust
• Certifications like Carbon Positive, Rainforest Alliance, and Fair Trade
• Operational leverage as they scale
• Auxiliary revenue streams like ethanol generated from waste byproducts

That’s how Green Coffee Company achieved 37x revenue growth in three years. Now, they’re preparing to unlock new revenue streams with the power of the Juan Valdez brand.

From white-labeled success to national brand play

The Juan Valdez name is instantly recognizable and synonymous with quality. And since earning the rights, the company has already leveraged its reputation to banner results:

• Retailers are already buying in: Since March 2025, Juan Valdez–branded products have landed in hundreds of locations across more than a dozen states, including Target, Walmart.com, and Harris Teeter, with more in the pipeline.
• American institutions trust them: Already the Official Coffee of the Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Rams and served at more than a dozen additional chains including Roche Bros and DÁgostinos on the East Coast, Pete’s Fresh Market in the Midwest, and Raley’s on the West Coast.
• A refreshed product and strategy: They’re rolling out high-growth products like ready-to-drink lattes and K-cups, priced competitively against premium peers like Peet’s.

The company earned $37M in revenue in 2024, it says. But with the power of the Juan Valdez brand, they’ve got even more ambitious plans ahead.

By 2027, the company is targeting a public listing. That’s why investors are so excited about this chance to join now, at the pre-IPO stage.

A pre-IPO opportunity for everyday investors

Rather than reserve this opportunity for just institutional funds or insiders, Green Coffee Company is inviting everyday investors to own equity before the company’s planned 2027 IPO.

They’ve already done the hard part: built a vertically integrated model, used it to grow revenue exponentially, and secured a brand to unlock nationwide growth. Now, they’re raising capital to accelerate that expansion, with $250M in annual revenue targeted by 2030.

With coffee consumption hitting 20-year highs, brand power locked in, and full control of the supply chain, Green Coffee Company is scaling fast.

Now is your chance to become a pre-IPO Green Coffee Company investor.

To learn more about this opportunity or to become an investor, go to invest.greencoffeecompany.com/.

This is a paid advertisement for Green Coffee Company´s Regulation CF offering. Please read the offering circular at https://invest.greencoffeecompany.com/

Coffee. After water, it’s America’s most popular beverage. A $100B industry in the U.S. alone, right under our noses.

But while many love it for its jolt, investors love it for a different reason.

After all, artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t coming along anytime soon to turn the industry on its head. And roughly two out of three people rely on it daily, no matter what the economy does.

With data playing an absolutely critical role in nearly every business function, the consequences of data loss can be catastrophic. Hence, it becomes necessary that we plan and implement robust data recovery practices that can tackle different scenarios.

To help you keep your data safe, we have compiled a comprehensive list of the 15 most critical data recovery practices that you should proactively adopt.

Related: The Step Most Businesses Skip (and Regret) When It Comes to Data Protection

Prevention — the first and often most important line of defense

Prevention lies at the heart of an effective and robust data recovery protocol, and here are three things you absolutely must undertake:

1. Implement regular backups

When it comes to data protection, implementing a comprehensive backup strategy offers you a safety net that can be a lifesaver. Simply follow the 3-2-1 rule, which essentially mandates maintaining three copies of all your data. In addition, you should store the data in two different media types and further keep one copy securely offsite or in the cloud.

A backup strategy should always rely on automation for regular backups, as manual backups are susceptible to human error and inconsistency. Further, one should periodically test out the restoration process to ensure backup integrity.

2. Always use reliable storage media

Low-quality storage media are often susceptible to errors, and they can put your entire backup at risk. Always invest in quality hard drives from reputable industry leaders. Preference should be given to SSDs (solid state drives) as they typically have longer shelf lives. Add to this, you should put in place SMART monitoring tools, which can effortlessly track core drive health metrics and offer advance warnings.

3. Maintain comprehensive documentation

Proper documentation allows any administrator on the ground to get things back up and running again. It should cover details of system configurations, along with software licenses, sites where data is stored and even the network topology. In addition, include insights on backup processes in place and approved escalation protocols.

Related: 5 Data Backup Mistakes that Could Bankrupt Your Startup (and How to Quickly Fix Them)

When data loss occurs — critical first steps to follow

Once you have noticed an incident of data loss, it is important to follow the right procedures in the initial moments.

4. Simply stop using the affected device right away

Absolutely, stop using the impacted device right away, as any usage drastically decreases chances of data recovery due to the possibility of data overwrite. Powering off the device is also highly recommended.

5. Avoid installing recovery software on the impacted drive

Needless to say, if you try to install any software on the impacted drive, it will do more harm than good. The installation itself may overwrite the data.

6. Do not even try running CHKDSK or ScanDisk

These typical utilities are not ideal for a professional data recovery attempt. They instead come with a significant risk of overwriting existing data and should never be used in the initial stage.

7. DIY recovery should be strictly avoided

Trying to open a damaged disk or recover data using run-of-the-mill recovery tools can do more harm than good. Opting to go with a reputable data recovery service that operates in a clean room environment is often the best choice.

8. Isolate the device with proper labelling

The impacted device should be immediately stored in a secure place with proper labelling so as to avoid accidental usage or mishandling.

9. Properly assess the situation

Methodically assess the situation at hand and try to narrow down the cause of data loss. Next, you also need to consider the extent of data loss and try to identify what data was lost. Together, all these points will help you plan your data recovery strategy.

Related: One of the Most Overlooked Risks in Business — and How to Protect Yourself Before It’s Too Late

Recovery process for maximizing the chance of success

10. Create a copy of the impacted device

Create a copy of the compromised drive by installing a disk image tool on a different machine and mounting the impacted drive on it. The imaging tool you choose should preferably come with a write-blocking option. Thereafter, it is better to perform recovery on the disk image instead of the impacted device, since in that way, there will be no possibility of damaging the original device anymore.

11. Stick to read-only methods

If you have no option other than attempting a recovery directly from an impacted drive, just stick to operating in read-only mode and output the recovered data on a separate drive.

12. Try out simple solutions first

Before resorting to professional solutions, start with the basics like checking recycle bins and temporary folders. Next up, try looking through application autosave locations or try out system features like File History in Windows or the Time Machine feature on a Mac.

13. Choose the appropriate recovery software

Always opt for reputable and professional software that comes with read-only recovery options. For drive recovery, the software should not write to the original impacted device. For file repair, the software should not write to the original corrupt file.

14. Store the recovered data in a different location

Absolutely do not take the chance of saving the recovered data on the once compromised device, even after a successful recovery operation, as errors might creep back in.

15. Validate the integrity of recovered data

Make sure you validate the integrity of the recovered data by opening and testing some of the files manually — documents, databases, etc. — or through technical means that compare file hashes like SHA256. If possible, you can automate the process to improve efficiency.

By following the best practices in this article, you can protect your data from potential disasters in the future, which is vital for both your personal life and business operations, since data is the most important digital asset in today’s information age.

With data playing an absolutely critical role in nearly every business function, the consequences of data loss can be catastrophic. Hence, it becomes necessary that we plan and implement robust data recovery practices that can tackle different scenarios.

To help you keep your data safe, we have compiled a comprehensive list of the 15 most critical data recovery practices that you should proactively adopt.

As most businesses prepare for the end-of-year closeout, by all accounts, many of us feel optimistic about the future. This is also the time when business owners, myself included, are actively recruiting talented professionals to support our business.

Yet in all my reading, one conversation seems to be missing as entrepreneurs navigate new — and often unexpected — demands: What happens after a prospective client says no?

Rejection is part of building a business, but it’s rarely treated as a process worth examining. Below are three questions I encourage every small business owner and entrepreneur to consider when a deal doesn’t move forward.

First and rather immediately, you should thank the potential client for the opportunity. There was a contract that I did not win in 2023, but in 2025, with leadership transitions and a shift in overall organizational strategy, my company became the right candidate for the project.

In confirming our partnership, they mentioned that they never forgot how I responded to the initial proposal rejection.

After you have expressed your gratitude, now is the time to delve into strategic questions:

1. Did this client match the current capabilities or skills of my company?

In my experience, many companies, mine included, submit proposals out of sheer curiosity or, worse, out of panic if the sales cycle is not as vibrant as we would like, when in reality the client or project was never a good fit. Every single proposal should be a fit for your target audience and what you bring to the market.

According to the Harvard Business School, understanding your audience demographic data, behaviors and motivations allows you to thoughtfully assess if they fit within your business value proposition/brand promise and, second, craft a proposal that directly speaks to their needs, preferences and desires.

Related: Want to Succeed? Learn to Say ‘No’

2. While you may have sufficiently addressed the request for services, did you level up your proposal with the ‘and what?’

As an example, in 2025, when submitting a gala event proposal for a justice and equity organization, I shared my direct link to their mission as someone who struggled early on with financial duress, resulting in receiving an eviction notice while attempting to leave an abusive relationship.

During this season in my life, I was the recipient of community efforts to support me coming out of my situation. This true story, paired with the documented history of my company’s success with managing galas, allowed us to stand out from the rest because I sent a clear message to the client that we were values-aligned.

In this case, my ‘and what’ was about my why and purpose for wanting to partner with them. Here are a few other examples of ‘and what’ you could include in future proposals:

• Offering a case study from a previous project, even if it wasn’t requested in the request for proposal.
• Explaining how you can tangibly add value with a specific example that yields financial savings.
• Sharing insight into your framework on your approach to the project. This is not an opportunity to restate the values on your website — this is a challenge to express how your values live in and throughout the project.

3. Ask the prospective client: Who did you select for the project?

This is not an invitation to become or copy from the company that was awarded the contract. At one point, I did not receive a contract because another company that had won Emmys was given the contract.

And guess what? They should have been, but this information helped me to understand where my business was in the conversation. I was honored to learn from this experience. What I believe is that rejection is an opportunity to spark a continuous learning process.

Rejection can help clarify your goals and priorities, force you to consider if your business offering needs to change, as well as refine where you may want to spend your business development resources.

While I think there is tremendous value in the introspective process, this does not dismiss the fact that, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 20.3% of businesses fail in their first year, this number grows to 30% in the second year, and for those who reach a decade, roughly only 60-65% continue to thrive. Therefore, for every no, each entrepreneur must manage the mental disappointment that comes from a lost opportunity, as well as the stress of a temporary revenue shortage, which can be humbling.

What I have discovered is that every no is usually a yes for another area in business development and overall career trajectory. It has been my lived experience that every single time I received a rejection, it redirected me to a necessary professional pause and/ or provided room for me to take on a larger professional opportunity. Specifically, when I have not received a contract, I have revisited our proposal template, refined our value proposition and revisited our fee structure. As a result, each rejection has made my business more innovative.

Yes, the truth of the matter is that rejection stings because it directly attacks our ego, which is why I am providing this framework to equip all entrepreneurs to embrace the mindset shift that assumes that every rejection is meant for your overall success, even if you cannot see it right away.

So consider your next no as an opportunity for introspection and a clear invitation to keep going, albeit with some strategic adjustment. Entrepreneurs’ contribution to the U.S. economy is irrefutable, and every entrepreneur needs to push beyond the temporary rejections to continue the work that your company is uniquely positioned to do in 2026 and beyond.

As most businesses prepare for the end-of-year closeout, by all accounts, many of us feel optimistic about the future. This is also the time when business owners, myself included, are actively recruiting talented professionals to support our business.

Yet in all my reading, one conversation seems to be missing as entrepreneurs navigate new — and often unexpected — demands: What happens after a prospective client says no?