United States Business Summit – A New Era

Thursday, 14 November 2024, 5:38 pmPress Release: Auckland Business Chamber

NZINC. and the Auckland Business Chamber present the
United States Business Summit: A New Era on Friday, November
22nd. Now in its third year, the US Business Summit offers a
unique chance to assess the implications of Donald Trump’s
re-election on NZ-US relations.Following a year of
strong bilateral trade, during which the US became New
Zealand’s second-largest export market, this summit will
gather political and business leaders to discuss how New
Zealand can capitalise on expanding ties. Prime Minister
Christopher Luxon will open the event, sharing insights on
New Zealand’s evolving relationship with the United
States.“This is a pivotal moment for New Zealand
and the United States. President Trump’s re-election
brings both challenges and opportunities, and we must be
proactive in shaping our future economic and diplomatic
relationship with the US,” said Fran O’Sullivan,
Co-Chair of the United States Business
Summit.Geopolitical expert Zack Cooper
will examine the impact of Trump’s presidency on trade,
security, and foreign policy, while best-selling author and
NZTE Beachhead Adviser Simon Taylor will offer strategies
for New Zealand businesses expanding into the US
market.With a strong focus on foreign
direct investment, Rob Coneybeer, co-founder of Shasta
Ventures, will highlight New Zealand’s appeal as an
investment destination, and Minister for Trade Hon Todd
McClay will discuss opportunities for New Zealand businesses
to leverage this growing economic relationship.

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The
summit will address emerging opportunities in sectors like
green technologies, sustainable agriculture, space, and deep
tech, as well as the influence of shifting global dynamics,
consumer expectations and trade policies.“New
Zealand’s relationship with the United States is integral
to our growth and success. The summit will set the stage for
building a solid foundation for business and partnership in
this new era,” added Simon Bridges, Co-Chair of the United
States Business
Summit.

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UMass suffers 66-56 loss to Louisiana Tech

Against a team ranked similarly, Wednesday’s game against Louisiana Tech played out much like last Friday’s game against West Virginia for the Massachusetts men’s basketball team. 
In both games, UMass (1-2) fell behind by double digits early. Despite the deficits, better offense helped the team get within striking distance in the second half. Both times, though, the original deficit proved to be too much, which is what led to the Minutemen’s 76-66 loss in Long Island. 
“We got thoroughly outplayed from an effort standpoint for the first 25, [27] minutes of the game,” head coach Frank Martin said. “… We didn’t play hard enough to beat a team like [Louisiana Tech head coach Talvin Hester] prepares his team to play.”
One of the biggest changes Martin made over the offseason was adding more length to his roster, and that move paid off late in the contest. With the game teetering on getting out of reach, the coach brought out a full-court press against the Bulldogs (3-0). It worked, as the presence of wings like Akil Watson and Jayden Ndjigue sped up Louisiana Tech’s offense and forced rash decisions to bring what was once a nineteen-point Bulldog lead down to as close as five points. 
Unfortunately for UMass, while its defensive intensity ramped up late, so too did the play of Louisiana Tech big man Daniel Batcho. The preseason Conference USA Player of the Year played just one minute in the first half due to foul trouble, but he made his mark in the second with eight points, three rebounds and three blocks. 
Batcho’s biggest sequence of the game came with just over four minutes to play. After forcing a missed three, the Minutemen were threatening to cut the Bulldogs’ lead to five or less for the first time in roughly 27 minutes of play. The ball swung to Daniel Hankins-Sanford down low, but Batcho’s presence led to a rushed hook shot by the forward that was off line. The senior grabbed the rebound for Louisiana Tech and got the ball back 19 seconds later, where he displaced Hankins-Sanford for an easy reverse layup. 
“There’s a reason they got the preseason player of the year,” Martin said. “I tried to tell us ‘Yo, [Louisiana] Tech got dudes now… you better bring your A-game from a discipline, toughness [and] physicality standpoint,’ and we didn’t.” 
Facing a 14-point deficit just six minutes into the game, it was Jaylen Curry who kept UMass’ offense afloat in the first half. The sophomore guard used his explosiveness to get layups and opportunities at the free throw line, and notably, looked much improved as a facilitator. Curry finished with a team-leading 14 points to go along with four rebounds and six assists.
Curry’s early success was needed in part due to the struggles of Rahsool Diggins. After scoring 45 points over the Minutemen’s first two games, shots weren’t falling for the guard on Wednesday, even off of open looks. The result was a six-point performance on 2-of-12 shooting, the first time in ten games dating back to last season that Diggins was held to single-digit scoring.
After shooting 29 percent from deep against the Mountaineers, three-point shooting continued to be a thorn in UMass’ side against the Bulldogs. The team combined to go just 3-of-13 (23 percent) on three-point attempts, and with Batcho lurking in the paint, there was no consistent offense for the Minutemen in the second half outside of fastbreak and transition opportunities. 
With Batcho out for nearly the entire first half, Louisiana Tech built a 12-point halftime lead off its guard play. Led by Georgia Tech transfer Amaree Abram and lead facilitator Sean Newman Jr., the Bulldogs brought a slow-paced offense that generated open looks from deep and good opportunities at the rim. Good ball movement kept the Minutemen on their toes and resulted in 20 assists for Louisiana Tech off of 28 made field goals. 
Wednesday’s matchup was part of the first annual “Icons of the Game” event, a college basketball doubleheader in the Nassau Coliseum that was set up to honor past collegiate and professional coaches. UMass will play three more non-conference games at neutral sites this season. 
Next up for the Minutemen is a home date against Hofstra on Saturday, Nov. 16. That game tips off at 7 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN+.
Dean Wendel can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @DeanWende1.

The Pallikoodam for performing arts strives to hit the right note blending technology and expertise

Technology is transforming the way performing arts are taught to students, irrespective of time zone or geography. Practitioners and teachers of performing arts are increasingly adopting technology to stay relevant and reach more students than ever before.Tapping into this trend is The Pallikoodam, a Chennai-based edtech startup, which is imparting lessons in vocal music and acting to students around the world via online live classes and recorded sessions.While there is no dearth of performing arts classes in the country, the quality of teaching and learning experiences differs greatly. This is the gap that The Pallikoodam seeks to bridge with its courses that are taught by seasoned artistes and experts in their own right.The founders of The Pallikoodam aim to leverage the power of technology and equip students of all ages with the essentials of vocal music and acting.The Pallikoodam was founded by Kiran Sampath, Ranjith Govind, and Nara Visva in 2021. It started with vocal music classes and then expanded to acting lessons.Each session, which is hosted on Zoom calls, is crafted, curated and taught by experienced artistes, says Sampath, Co-founder and CEO, The Pallikoodam.Lakshmipriyaa Chandramouli, Ranjith Govind, and Vithya Arasu, instructors at The PallikoodamThe teachers include Ranjith Govind, a trained Carnatic musician, and Lakshmipriyaa Chandramouli, a national award-winning actor.Govind has lent his voice to over 1,000 film songs in the South Indian languages. He has also learnt Hindustani and Western classical music and is influenced by rock, RnB, alternative rock, hip-hop, country and EDM.Chandramouli, who has played various roles in Tamil, Malayalam, and Telugu films, won the the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum.What The Pallikoodam offersThe Pallikoodam’s courses emphasise on core techniques of music and acting.The startup’s music course, called ‘PaatuClass’, offers lessons based on Carnatic music techniques, such as breathing techniques, pitch adjustment, expressing emotions, and voice modulation.“However, it is a genre-free course where learners can sing in any style and any language—including hip-hop, jazz and K-pop,” says Sampath.While level 1 of the music class focuses on voice exercises, level 2 includes lifestyle choices for vocal health, vocal improvisation techniques, live performance skills, and rhythm development.The vocal training also includes sing-alongs and vocal workouts. Students submit videos of their practice or performance, which are then assessed by teachers for constructive feedback.The curriculum is designed to provide a solid foundation in vocal music. “We believe the entire journey and the experience (of a learner) is based on how strong the foundation is … and we are laying that foundation for them,” says Govind, Co-founder, The Pallikoodam.The acting class includes acting drills and exercises, presenting one’s authentic self, expressing emotion, and connecting with the audience.The level 1 course in both music and acting, which lasts for 12 weeks, is priced at Rs 3,953. Level 2 in music is a 10-week course priced at Rs 5,900.The startup recently expanded its music course to offer music lessons in Tamil.Fun and interactive platformDiscussing the feasibility of learning performing arts online, Visva, the co-founder of the edtech platform, says the greatest advantage of the online medium is that it gives learners a “constant reference point,” which allows them to go back to their lessons and practise as and when they need to.The founders believe The Pallikoodam will serve as a “fun and interactive” platform that helps people get out of their shells and express themselves.“The lessons and self-practice exercises allow people to learn within the boundaries of their privacy, and the live classes allow for group activities,” says Sampath.Collaboration and guidanceThe Pallikoodam has also launched a vertical called ArtVizha, a collaboration platform for learners and upcoming artistes. It also provides artistes a personalised career roadmap and expert guidance on branding, networking, and marketing.ArtVizha gives learners exposure to what really goes into working on a music track and helps artistes turn their creative vision into reality and accomplish their career goals, explains Sampath.“As not many people want to manage an unknown artiste, we feel it is our responsibility to help them find their footing,” she adds.Growth and expansionThe Pallikoodam has around 5,000 learners across the world, including 100 students in its acting course. While a majority of the students are from India, there are also learners from the United States, United Kingdom, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Middle East, Australia, and Europe.The platform—which is backed up by Malaysia-based high net worth individuals—plans to launch its own app and add more art forms to its portfolio.Other startups offering online lessons in music and performing arts include Hyderabad-based Muzigal and Bengaluru-based SaPa India and Perfect Strangers School of Music.Going forward, The Pallikoodam plans to offer dance classes by Vithya Arasu, who is trained in Bharatanatyam, Mayurbhanj Chhau, Odissi, Kandyan, and contemporary styles. It plans to teach the fundamentals of classical art forms in a genre-agnostic manner.The Pallikoodam will also explore the possibility of integrating augmented reality and virtual reality into the learning experience. According to Visva, this will help online learning become as close to offline education as possible.

The Pallikoodam for performing arts strives to hit the right note blending technology and expertise

Technology is transforming the way performing arts are taught to students, irrespective of time zone or geography. Practitioners and teachers of performing arts are increasingly adopting technology to stay relevant and reach more students than ever before.Tapping into this trend is The Pallikoodam, a Chennai-based edtech startup, which is imparting lessons in vocal music and acting to students around the world via online live classes and recorded sessions.While there is no dearth of performing arts classes in the country, the quality of teaching and learning experiences differs greatly. This is the gap that The Pallikoodam seeks to bridge with its courses that are taught by seasoned artistes and experts in their own right.The founders of The Pallikoodam aim to leverage the power of technology and equip students of all ages with the essentials of vocal music and acting.The Pallikoodam was founded by Kiran Sampath, Ranjith Govind, and Nara Visva in 2021. It started with vocal music classes and then expanded to acting lessons.Each session, which is hosted on Zoom calls, is crafted, curated and taught by experienced artistes, says Sampath, Co-founder and CEO, The Pallikoodam.Lakshmipriyaa Chandramouli, Ranjith Govind, and Vithya Arasu, instructors at The PallikoodamThe teachers include Ranjith Govind, a trained Carnatic musician, and Lakshmipriyaa Chandramouli, a national award-winning actor.Govind has lent his voice to over 1,000 film songs in the South Indian languages. He has also learnt Hindustani and Western classical music and is influenced by rock, RnB, alternative rock, hip-hop, country and EDM.Chandramouli, who has played various roles in Tamil, Malayalam, and Telugu films, won the the National Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Sivaranjiniyum Innum Sila Pengalum.What The Pallikoodam offersThe Pallikoodam’s courses emphasise on core techniques of music and acting.The startup’s music course, called ‘PaatuClass’, offers lessons based on Carnatic music techniques, such as breathing techniques, pitch adjustment, expressing emotions, and voice modulation.“However, it is a genre-free course where learners can sing in any style and any language—including hip-hop, jazz and K-pop,” says Sampath.While level 1 of the music class focuses on voice exercises, level 2 includes lifestyle choices for vocal health, vocal improvisation techniques, live performance skills, and rhythm development.The vocal training also includes sing-alongs and vocal workouts. Students submit videos of their practice or performance, which are then assessed by teachers for constructive feedback.The curriculum is designed to provide a solid foundation in vocal music. “We believe the entire journey and the experience (of a learner) is based on how strong the foundation is … and we are laying that foundation for them,” says Govind, Co-founder, The Pallikoodam.The acting class includes acting drills and exercises, presenting one’s authentic self, expressing emotion, and connecting with the audience.The level 1 course in both music and acting, which lasts for 12 weeks, is priced at Rs 3,953. Level 2 in music is a 10-week course priced at Rs 5,900.The startup recently expanded its music course to offer music lessons in Tamil.Fun and interactive platformDiscussing the feasibility of learning performing arts online, Visva, the co-founder of the edtech platform, says the greatest advantage of the online medium is that it gives learners a “constant reference point,” which allows them to go back to their lessons and practise as and when they need to.The founders believe The Pallikoodam will serve as a “fun and interactive” platform that helps people get out of their shells and express themselves.“The lessons and self-practice exercises allow people to learn within the boundaries of their privacy, and the live classes allow for group activities,” says Sampath.Collaboration and guidanceThe Pallikoodam has also launched a vertical called ArtVizha, a collaboration platform for learners and upcoming artistes. It also provides artistes a personalised career roadmap and expert guidance on branding, networking, and marketing.ArtVizha gives learners exposure to what really goes into working on a music track and helps artistes turn their creative vision into reality and accomplish their career goals, explains Sampath.“As not many people want to manage an unknown artiste, we feel it is our responsibility to help them find their footing,” she adds.Growth and expansionThe Pallikoodam has around 5,000 learners across the world, including 100 students in its acting course. While a majority of the students are from India, there are also learners from the United States, United Kingdom, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Middle East, Australia, and Europe.The platform—which is backed up by Malaysia-based high net worth individuals—plans to launch its own app and add more art forms to its portfolio.Other startups offering online lessons in music and performing arts include Hyderabad-based Muzigal and Bengaluru-based SaPa India and Perfect Strangers School of Music.Going forward, The Pallikoodam plans to offer dance classes by Vithya Arasu, who is trained in Bharatanatyam, Mayurbhanj Chhau, Odissi, Kandyan, and contemporary styles. It plans to teach the fundamentals of classical art forms in a genre-agnostic manner.The Pallikoodam will also explore the possibility of integrating augmented reality and virtual reality into the learning experience. According to Visva, this will help online learning become as close to offline education as possible.

Republicans win the House, completing their 2024 election ‘trifecta.’ What total control on Capitol Hill will mean for Trump’s presidency.

More than a week after winning the presidency and the Senate, Republicans have finally completed the so-called trifecta and secured the 218 seats required for control of the U.S. House of Representatives. The AP declared the majority for the GOP Wednesday night. But just barely. A handful of races remain uncalled, and when the dust…