Colossal’s Favorite Art Books of 2024

Arts & Culture, Books

Colossal’s Favorite Art Books of 2024

December 4, 2024

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As we get ready to say goodbye to 2024, we’re celebrating some of our favorite books shared on Colossal throughout the year. We published dozens of articles about spectacular new monographs, photography, architecture, painting, science, history, and more. Peruse our top 10 below, and find many more in the Colossal Shop and on Bookshop.

Shirin Neshat, “Land of Dreams” (2019), film still. © Shirin Neshat, courtesy of the artist, Gladstone Gallery, and Goodman Gallery, Johannesburg, Cape Town, and London

The Women Who Changed Photography: And How to Master Their Techniques

From bold black-and-white visages to masters of disguise, identity plays a vital role in many of the practices featured in The Women Who Changed Photography. The tome investigates the trailblazing practices of Lee Miller, Shirin Neshat, and many more, chronicling the individuals, aesthetics, and approaches that have shaped the field.

Available in the Colossal Shop

Detail of Astrolin Color Card, Établissement Georget Fils Peintures Laquées et Vernis, Chantenay-Lès-Nantes (c. 1906). Image courtesy of Bibliothèque Forney, Paris

Color Charts: A History

From chemists’ plant-derived dyes to consumer paint swatches displayed at the hardware store, the history of color charts reflects a varied relationship between pigments, science, culture, and commerce. Anne Varichon explores the entwined evolution of this categorization through nearly 200 vibrant samples from the 15th century to modern day.

Available in the Colossal Shop

The Art Book for Children

Two decades ago, Phaidon published the first volume in The Art Book for Children series, which quickly became beloved by children and parents the world over. To share its legacy with a new generation of readers, this edition pairs a selection of “best of” artists from the original series with 30 brand-new contemporary entries.

This year was a plentiful time for children’s art books, and we also enjoyed the informative narrative, I Am an Artist.

Available in the Colossal Shop

Sacred Sites (Library of Esoterica)

From ancient pyramids to subterranean labyrinths to mountaintop meccas, we have always been drawn to visiting or building sites that inspire reverence and awe. Sacred Sites celebrates how we traverse and transform the world around us through ritual and art. Compiled by Jessica Hundley, the volume surveys a remarkable array of places and artworks through more than 400 images centered around pilgrimage, performance, and devotion.

Available in the Colossal Shop

Beth Moon, “Heart of the Dragon” (2010), archival pigment inks on cotton paper, 32 × 48 inches. Image © Beth Moon

Tree: Exploring the Arboreal World

Spanning 3,500 years of art, science, culture, and history, Tree: Exploring the Arboreal World surveys the awe-inspiring beauty and romance of trees. The volume includes more than 300 illustrations ranging from ancient wall paintings and botanical illustrations to captivating photography and multimedia work by today’s leading artists.

Available in the Colossal Shop

Image © Ivan McClellan

Eight Seconds: Black Rodeo Culture

Eight Seconds comprises 118 images by Ivan McClellan, a Portland, Oregon-based photographer who’s spent nearly a decade documenting the lives, wins, and losses of the Black rodeo community from Alabama to Los Angeles. He offers an insider’s view, capturing the addictive energy of the sport and the rich sense of camaraderie it fosters.

Available on Bookshop

Camo

Camo is the first publication to chronicle the work of Thandiwe Muriu, celebrating her vibrant portraits that combine cultural textiles and beauty ideologies. Muriu takes us on a colorful, reflective journey through her world as a woman living in modern Kenya as she reinterprets contemporary African portraiture.

Available in the Colossal Shop

Cover of ‘Hidden Portraits: Old Masters Reimagined,’ featuring “Hidden Jacometto” (2019), from “Portrait of a Young Man” (1480s) by Jacometto Veneziano

Hidden Portraits: Old Masters Reimagined

This monograph gathers a quintessential selection of Volker Hermes’s works into one volume. Highlighting the artist’s wry commentary on luxury, social status, and fame, the selection delves into the history of portraiture through a humorous lens.

Available on Bookshop

Great Women Sculptors

Presenting a more expansive and inclusive history of sculpture, Great Women Sculptors surveys the work of more than 300 trailblazing artists from more than 60 countries, spanning 500 years from the Renaissance to the present day.

Available in the Colossal Shop

Artwork by Christina Fong

Art Is Art: Collaborating with Neurodiverse Artists at Creativity Explored

Spurred by the belief that art changes lives, Florence and Elias Katz founded Creativity Explored in 1983, a San Francisco-based nonprofit studio and gallery designed for disabled, neurodivergent artists. More than 135 people currently participate in its programming, learning techniques across painting, drawing, clay, textiles, and more. In Art Is Art, Ann Kappes, Creativity Explored’s director of artist partnerships, celebrates the organization’s 40th anniversary through hundreds of artworks.

Available on Bookshop

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Elasticsearch’s AI vision: Unlocking business value from unstructured data

Business News

Advances in artificial intelligence are reshaping how enterprises leverage their data, with AI-powered data search positioning Elasticsearch B.V. as a front-runner in this movement.
By enabling organizations to unlock insights from unstructured data through its innovative AI-powered search and security solutions, Elasticsearch is raising the bar for efficiency and scalability in enterprise applications, according to Ash Kulkarni (pictured), chief executive officer of Elasticsearch.
Elasticsearch’s Ash Kulkarni talks with theCUBE about the company’s AI innovations, semantic search and business process automation through advanced data and security solutions.
“Large language models are enabling that value extraction,” he said. “We are seeing customers go from traditional search — which was textual, lexical search — to semantic search. That’s the first step, right? Then, people are going from there to now saying, ‘Now that I can ask these questions, can I turn this into a conversational application so I can automate some of the queries and so on?’ This is the business version of ChatGPT.”
Kulkarni spoke with theCUBE Research’s John Furrier for theCUBE’s “Cloud AWS re:Invent coverage,” during an exclusive broadcast on theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio. They discussed how Elasticsearch leverages AI-powered data search to transform enterprise data management, from semantic search to advanced automation in business processes and cybersecurity.
AI-powered data search simplifies data management and automation
Elastic’s serverless vector database is a game changer for enterprises managing unstructured data, offering unprecedented scalability and efficiency, according to Kulkarni. The database integrates with Amazon Web Services Inc., making AI-powered data search and semantic capabilities accessible to a broader range of users. This shift empowers businesses to derive actionable insights without needing extensive technical expertise.
“[For] the semantic search, the great part about it is in the past, when you searched for information, you had to be precise in your questions; otherwise, you wouldn’t get matches,” Kulkarni said. “Now you can search for the concept, you can search contextually, and you can get amazing answers. And that’s how human beings respond. That’s effectively semantic search. Now the machine can do that, which is so powerful.”
Elastic’s advancements extend beyond semantic search to retrieval-augmented generation and agentic workflows. These tools enable automation of complex business processes, reducing the need for manual effort and increasing productivity, according to Kulkarni.
“Now I can automate things that in the past involved human beings reading through documents and forwarding the analysis onto the next person in the chain,” he said. “That journey is happening today, and I expect that people are going to go through that curve, going from search to semantic, to RAG [and] then agentic workflows.”
Elastic has also demonstrated a commitment to privacy, governance and scalability through innovations such as better binary quantization. This technique reduces memory requirements for vector embeddings by 32 times, making AI solutions more cost-effective and efficient, according to Kulkarni.
“Even today, the cost of inferencing is pretty high,” he said. “We are constantly making our vector database more and more efficient. Just two weeks ago, we released a capability called better binary quantization. [It] represents an entire vector embedding in a single bit without compromising on the accuracy of the results that you can get. It’s a very advanced algorithm [and] we are the first in the industry to be out with it.”
In the security domain, Elastic’s AI-driven tools, powered by AI-powered data search, are bridging gaps in cybersecurity expertise. By automating complex threat detection and analysis, Elastic equips new security professionals with capabilities that would otherwise take years to develop, Kulkarni explained.
“[We’ve applied] that to the other domains that we play in, observability and security,” he said. “In security, we applied those same concepts to create a functionality called Attack Discovery, and that basically gives a security operations center analyst … instead of just dealing with alerts, it turns all of those alerts, correlates them and shows you the actual attacks that are going on in their environment.”
Here’s the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s “Cloud AWS re:Invent coverage”:
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Massachusetts families sue book publishers over ‘faulty literacy curricula’

Arts & Culture, Books

Since the pandemic, Massachusetts schools have seen students’ reading abilities plummet, with studies showing more than half of the state’s fourth graders can’t read proficiently. A new lawsuit filed in Massachusetts Superior Court is pointing the finger at publishers.

What You Need To Know

Several Massachusetts families filed a class action lawsuit Wednesday against publishing companies over their curricula meant to teach young children how to read
The lawsuit claims the publishers’ curricula didn’t include enough phonics instruction, which teaches students to ‘sound out’ what they see on the page
A study by EdTrust found more than half of the state’s fourth graders can’t read proficiently
Efforts in MA to get students’ literacy skills back on track have included the $20 million ‘Literacy Launch’ program

Several Massachusetts families filed a class action lawsuit Wednesday against publishing companies Heinemann and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt over their curricula meant to teach young children how to read.
The families claim that for years, the publishers falsely marketed their curricula to school districts as ‘research-backed,’ when some studies claimed they were ineffective.
“What we’re asking for in our lawsuit is pretty simple,” said Karrie Conley, a plaintiff. “Our schools need to teach reading in a way that actually works. They need lessons and materials that actually work, and it shouldn’t be the schools or the taxpayers’ bill to foot. It should be the people who broke the system in the first place.”
Heinemann issued a response to the study in question, calling EdReports’ rubric ‘narrow,’ adding that it ‘does not capture the scope and power of the day-to-day literacy work happening in classrooms.’
Conley, other plaintiffs and their legal representation claim the publishers’ curricula didn’t include enough phonics instruction, which teaches students to ‘sound out’ what they see on the page.
Benjamin Elga, founding executive director of Justice Catalyst Law, alleges the publishers ‘dragged their feet’ in acknowledging this.
“The defendants dragged their feet to acknowledge their shortcomings when they did begin to make updates to their curricula,” Elga said. “They turned around and charged school districts with a fix, think about that.”
The issue of illiteracy among Massachusetts students is one that Gov. Maura Healey and the Massachusetts Legislature have set their sights on, with Healey citing low English language arts MCAS scores during her State of the Commonwealth address in January.
“That number reflects social inequities,” Healey said. “It also reflects the fact that many districts are using out-of-date, disproven methods to teach reading. Children are paying the price. Some are struggling for years to catch up, if they even can.”
Efforts to get students’ literacy skills back on track have included the $20 million ‘Literacy Launch’ program, and an additional $38 million in federal grants for school districts.
But the lawsuit is believed to be the first case in which consumer protection laws related to deceptive marketing have been applied to a publisher’s curriculum.
The lawsuit was filed by Justice Catalyst Law and Kaplan & Grady, and seeks “substantial relief for the generations of students and families across Massachusetts harmed by the defendant publishers and authors’ discredited literacy products and deceptive marketing.” It also seeks a court order requiring the publishers to warn schools about “defects in their literacy products and other relief to fully remedy the situation so school districts have quality literacy instruction materials.”

Syntheia Announces Establishment of Advisory Board and Appointment of Travel Industry Expert, Mr. John Kirk

Travel

This section is Partnership Content suppliedThe content in this section is supplied by Business Wire for the purposes of distributing press releases on behalf of its clients. Postmedia has not reviewed the content. by Business Wire Breadcrumb Trail LinksBusiness Wire News ReleasesPMN Press ReleasesAuthor of the article:Business WirePublished Dec 04, 2024  •  4 minute readArticle contentTORONTO — Syntheia Corp. (“Syntheia” or the “Company”) (syntheia.ai), CSE – SYAI, Syntheia, a Canadian leader in conversational AI SaaS, is pleased to announce the establishment of its new Advisory Board. The Advisory Board will collaborate with management and the board of directors to enhance the Company’s strategic direction, provide expert guidance on its commercial initiatives, offer industry insights, and shape and accelerate innovations.Article contentArticle contentAs the inaugural member of the Advisory Board, Syntheia welcomes Mr. John Kirk, a leader in the travel industry. The travel sector represents a potentially significant growth market for the Company’s technology.Advertisement 2Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLYSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O’Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world’s leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O’Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world’s leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentMr. Kirk is currently Founder and Editor-In-Chief of TravelPulse Canada and TravelPulse Quebec based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He has been in the travel industry for over 25 years, working in the tour operator and aviation space with Porter Airlines, where he founded PorterEscapes.com, and Thomas Cook North America as SVP E-Commerce and Retail Distribution. He was responsible for some of Canada’s legendary retail brands such as, The Last-Minute Club, Bel Air Travel, Avion Travel, and Algonquin Travel, covering on-line, store front, and call centre, with annual retail sales in excess of over 500 million dollars generated by a retail sales force of over 350 travel advisors across Canada. John is known throughout North America as a leading travel expert and has deep routed relationships crossing all spectrums, from front line sellers of travel to government dignitaries.“I am extremely pleased and honoured to join Syntheia’s Advisory Board, where I look forward to providing guidance as they explore opportunities within the travel and tourism space. The commercial opportunities for conversational AI in this space are incredible. I’m hopeful my years of experience and the relationships I have developed will assist them in achieving their goals,” commented Mr. Kirk who will begin his Advisory Board activities effective immediately.Tony Di Benedetto, CEO of Syntheia, commented: “We are privileged to welcome John as the founding member of our Advisory Board. His wealth of expertise and leadership will be invaluable as we finalize preparations for Syntheia’s commercial launch in January 2025. The establishment of the Advisory Board is a key milestone in unlocking the full potential of Syntheia. We anticipate announcing additional industry leaders to join the Advisory Board in due course.”For more information and to read customer testimonials, visit syntheia.ai.About SyntheiaSyntheia is an artificial intelligence technology company which is developing and commercializing proprietary algorithms to deliver human-like conversations. Our SaaS platform offers conversational AI solutions for both enterprise and small-medium business customers globally.Cautionary StatementNeither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.Top StoriesGet the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.Thanks for signing up!A welcome email is on its way. If you don’t see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againArticle contentAdvertisement 3Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article contentThis news release contains certain “forward-looking information” within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as “plan”, “expect”, “project”, “intend”, “believe”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “may”, “will”, “would”, “potential”, “proposed” and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions “may” or “will” occur. These statements are only predictions. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the information is provided and is subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to the appointment of additional members to the Advisory Board. Readers are cautioned that forward-looking information is not based on historical facts but instead reflects the Company’s management’s expectations, estimates or projections concerning the business of the Company’s future results or events based on the opinions, assumptions and estimates of management considered reasonable at the date the statements are made.Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking information are reasonable, such information involves risks and uncertainties, and undue reliance should not be placed on such information, as unknown or unpredictable factors could have material adverse effects on future results, performance or achievements. Please refer to the Company’s listing statement available on SEDAR+ for a list of risks and key factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking information. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should assumptions underlying the forward-looking information prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described herein as intended, planned, anticipated, believed, estimated or expected.Although the Company has attempted to identify important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially, there may be others that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management’s estimates or opinions should change unless required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information.Advertisement 4Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article contentThe securities of the Company have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirement. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20241204028116/en/ContactsFor further information, please contact:Tony Di Benedetto Chief Executive Officer Tel: (844) 796-8434Article contentShare this article in your social networkComments Join the Conversation Featured Local Savings

Jim’s gym founder meets small business minister for small business saturday

Business News

James Hilton, founder of Jim’s Gym and a specialist in biomechanics and injury recovery, recently met Gareth Thomas MP, the Minister for Services, Small Business & Exports, at the House of Lords in the run-up to Small Business Saturday. (Dec 7)
Small Business Saturday is a UK wide campaign to encourage people to buy from local small and independent businesses and suppliers especially at Christmas. James was one of 100 small business owners who were selected as one of the 2024 SmallBiz100 which showcases the diversity and power of the small business sector as part of the annual campaign which is sponsored by American Express.
“It was fantastic to be invited to the launch event at the House of Lords and to meet the team behind Small Business Saturday and also to have the opportunity to meet the Minister for Small Business, Gareth Thomas who pledged to tackle the scourge of late payment and also back plans to rejuvenate the High Street,” James said.
Gareth Thomas also talked about new law which has come into force this week (Dec 2) allowing local authorities to force long-term empty shop units back into use. The new High Street Rental Auctions have been introduced mainly under the Levelling Up & Regeneration Act 2023. This allows local authorities to hold an auction for interested parties to bid to renting out long-term empty units on any High Street to bring it back into use – without needing the consent of the owner, landlord or any mortgagee.
“We need to create a thriving small business eco system,” the Minister said. “Owners and founders of small businesses are key to growing the UK economy and we must champion the potential at the heart of all of our communities.
“We must rejuvenate the High Street and this new law will help new High Street tenants and drive more local opportunities by forcing landlords to rent out empty properties.”
As part of the Small Business Saturday movement, throughout December, James will be offering a 20 per cent discount on any personal training and Jim’s Gym membership.

Unlocking the science of sleep: how rest enhances language learning

Science and Health

UniSA researchers have identified the importance of sleep in learning a new language.Sleep is critical for all sorts of reasons, but a team of international scientists has discovered a new incentive for getting eight hours of sleep every night: it helps the brain to store and learn a new language.A study led by the University of South Australia (UniSA) and published in the Journal of Neuroscience has revealed that the coordination of two electrical events in the sleeping brain significantly improves our ability to remember new words and complex grammatical rulesIn an experiment with 35 native English-speaking adults, researchers tracked the brain activity of participants learning a miniature language called Mini Pinyin that is based on Mandarin but with similar grammatical rules to English.Half of the participants learned Mini Pinyin in the morning and then returned in the evening to have their memory tested. The other half learned Mini Pinyin in the evening and then slept in the laboratory overnight while their brain activity was recorded. Researchers tested their progress in the morning.Those who slept performed significantly better compared to those who remained awake.Lead researcher Dr Zachariah Cross, who did his PhD at UniSA but is now based at Northwestern University in Chicago, says sleep-based improvements were linked to the coupling of slow oscillations and sleep spindles – brainwave patterns that synchronise during NREM sleep.“This coupling likely reflects the transfer of learned information from the hippocampus to the cortex, enhancing long-term memory storage,” Dr Cross says.“Post-sleep neural activity showed unique patterns of theta oscillations associated with cognitive control and memory consolidation, suggesting a strong link between sleep-induced brainwave co-ordination and learning outcomes.”UniSA researcher Dr Scott Coussens says the study underscores the importance of sleep in learning complex linguistic rules.“By demonstrating how specific neural processes during sleep support memory consolidation, we provide a new perspective on how sleep disruption impacts language learning,” Dr Coussens says. “Sleep is not just restful; it’s an active, transformative state for the brain.”The findings could also potentially inform treatments for individuals with language-related impairments, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and aphasia, who experience greater sleep disturbances than other adults.Research on both animals and humans shows that slow oscillations improve neural plasticity – the brain’s ability to change and adapt in response to experiences and injury.“From this perspective, slow oscillations could be increased via methods such as transcranial magnetic stimulation to accelerate aphasia-based speech and language therapy,” Dr Cross says.In future, the researchers plan to explore how sleep and wake dynamics influence the learning of other complex cognitive tasks.“Understanding how the brain works during sleep has implications beyond language learning. It could revolutionise how we approach education, rehabilitation, and cognitive training.”Notes for editors“Slow oscillation-spindle coupling predicts sequence-based language learning” is authored by scientists from the University of South Australia; Northwestern University, Chicago; University of Tübingen, Germany; Monash University; University of Adelaide; University of York, United Kingdom; and UC Berkeley, United States. DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2193-23.2024Mini Pinyin contains 32 verbs and 25 nouns, including 10 human entities, 10 animals and five objects. Overall, the language contains 576 unique sentences. Source & references /UniSA Release. View in full here.

ThredUp Signs Binding Contract to Divest European Business

Business News

ThredUp has officially agreed to divest its European business, Remix, in an effort to focus on its business in the U.S., the company announced Tuesday. 
During its Q2 earnings call in August, CEO James Reinhart noted that the company had European divestment on its roadmap. By the time the company’s Q3 earnings call came along in November, the company said it had made a non-binding agreement to offload Remix. Now, the transaction has been made official.

In its filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) disclosing the details of the deal, the company noted that Florin Filote, ThredUp’s general manager of Europe, is leading the charge on the management buyout.

According to ThredUp’s Dec. 3 Form 8-K filing, Filote paid €1 ($1.05) for 8,100,000 shares of Remix US Holdings, a new entity formed by the transaction. That accounts for 91 percent of the company’s total shares. ThredUp will keep a minority stake in Remix, holding the remaining 9 percent of the company’s shares and has pumped a final investment of $2 million into Remix, which, according to a company release will serve to “help fund operations as Remix continues its fundraising process independently.” 

Related Stories

Remix has issued the resale company a promissory note worth nearly €61.6 million ($64.9 million), plus interest. That sum “reflects [ThredUp’s] investment in Remix since its acquisition to build distribution center infrastructure, enhance the technology platform, hire personnel, engage customers” and more. 

But it’s not as if ThredUp can cash in on that note today; according to the 8-K filing, Remix will be required to pay out the sum in November 2034, or earlier, if it ends up being acquired, filing for an IPO or accepting a third-party investment from a firm that has “the intention to gain long-term strategic benefits” from the transaction. 

ThredUp acquired Remix in 2021 for $28.5 million. At the time, the company had high hopes for the European resale market. Ultimately, Reinhart said, it’s offloading as a chance to look back to home base: the United States. 

“This is a mutually beneficial outcome for both ThredUp and Remix,” he said in a statement. “We are confident that Remix will thrive under Florin Filote’s leadership and the team’s expertise. This transaction will allow ThredUp to focus on our core U.S. business and continue to innovate and evolve our marketplace.”

On the innovation front, Reinhart and team have been eager to keep up with artificial intelligence; earlier this year, the CEO told Sourcing Journal that ThredUp had laid off employees to allow it to go all in on AI. 

Despite its technology-led advancements, the platform reported tough results for Q3 2024, with year-on-year total net revenue down 11 percent for Q3 and U.S. net revenue down 9.6 percent in Q3. Though the company raised guidance for Q4, the information investors gleaned on ThredUp’s call on Nov. 4 sent its stock price tumbling to $0.53—its lowest all year. Over the course of the past month, the stock performance has improved, with Wednesday’s price sitting at $1.70. 

When reporting, Reinhart and Sean Sobers, ThredUp’s chief financial officer, seemed to remain optimistic about what’s ahead. Sobers noted on the call that the team is “looking forward to exiting the year as a U.S.-only business.” 

At the time, Reinhart called the EU business “a distraction” and said that, once the company had the chance to fix its attention solely on the U.S., investors could look forward to seeing better EBITDA, driven by stronger gross margins. 

“Without some of the distraction and the challenges of the EU business, we can make progress faster,” he said in November. “One of the things that was challenging over the past few quarters was we didn’t feel the freedom to invest in the U.S. business as deeply because we still had to manage the cash consumption of the EU business. I think now without that drag and overhead, I think there’s a freeing feeling of, okay, how do we get the U.S. business to grow faster to generate more contribution margin over time.” 

Despite the larger of the two companies turning a page on its time in Europe, Filote said he remains excited about what comes next in the European resale market. 

“We are excited to embark on this new chapter as an independent company,” Filote said in a statement. “We have a strong foundation and a talented team, and we are committed to continuing to provide our customers with a best-in-class resale experience. We believe that this transaction will enable us to accelerate our growth and expand our presence in the European market.”

In the Book Nook with … Lelina Durrette

Arts & Culture, Books

Author Lelina DuretteAuthor Lelina Durette just moved from Dickinson, Texas to Evansville, Indiana, where she will work as a case manager for IPMG. She has been writing since childhood, but her first book wasn’t published until 2023. She is an active member of the writing communities on Instagram, Threads, Facebook and X; her website is https://lelinad.wixsite.com/lelinadurrettewrites. When Lelina isn’t writing, she enjoys reading, listening to music and going to concerts, traveling, and cooking.

Which genres do you cover?Lelina Durette: YA, Romance, Contemporary, and Horror.

Which is the latest book you had published, and what is about?Lelina Durette: The Girl Who Saved Them All is the second book in the Kiera Rieman trilogy. It takes places in a future dystopian society in which a young woman struggles to fit into a society where physical appearance is valued above all.

At which book events can readers find you?Lelina Durette: Currently, I have no upcoming event

Lelina Durette’s latest book

Which book event connecting you with readers is your favorite and why?Lelina Durette: The Author Indie Book Fair in Houston, Texas, is probably my favorite. I participated in it last year as well, and it’s a wonderful opportunity to connect with many readers and writers, not just from Texas, but from other states as well.

Do(es) your book(s) have any specific messages to your readers and, if so, which are they?Lelina Durette: My books have a strong female lead who isn’t afraid to defy societal norms. The books have strong messages of body positivity and acceptance of all peoples.

Which writer(s) keep(s) inspiring you and why?Lelina Durette: Stephen King was probably my biggest influence in wanting to become a writer to begin with. I also greatly admire authors such as Anne Rice, Grady Hendrix, and Chuck Wendig, as well as numerous independent authors.

Lelina Durette’s first book in the Kiera Rieman trilogy

Do you have any specific writing habits?Lelina Durette: I write everything out longhand on legal pads or in notebooks, and then transcribe everything to my laptop.

What are you currently working on?Lelina Durette: I’m currently working on a new book in a different genre, but it won’t be released until sometime in 2025. It is a romance/adventure novel and is not YA. I am also working on a collaborative project with a talented screenwriter, and I am transforming his screenplays into full-length novels. These should be published in either late 2025 or 2026.

Which book are you currently reading simply for entertainment?Lelina Durette: You Like It Darker by Stephen King.

What advice would you give any aspiring author?Lelina Durette: Never give up. I published my first book at the age of 53 – it’s never too late! Keep writing!

You can find Lelina Durette’s books in online bookstores and on Amazon.

9 Clever Marketing Ideas To Boost Your Small Business

Business News

Sometimes, running a small business means working with a smaller budget, especially for advertising. But even a limited budget offers plenty of opportunities to make yourself known through fun and interesting ways. Find the right strategy, and you’ll make your business pop. Here are nine clever marketing ideas to boost your small business.Leverage Social Media

If you’re not on social media, why not? Local customers will find you more easily because search engine results often point to local businesses that are active on social media. Engage your audience on platforms such as Instagram and TikTok. Post behind-the-scenes content, run polls, create product videos, and share customer stories. You don’t have to go viral worldwide to grab attention. Simply make it easier for people to find you through hashtags and stay consistent.

Email Marketing

Email remains your best marketing value. Ask your customers for their email addresses so you can send them newsletters, promotions, announcements, invitations, and helpful tips.

Host a Workshop or Event

Know what you’re talking about when it comes to your business? Show it off during regular in-store demonstrations and at local fairs, markets, and other public events. Showcase your expertise by hosting a free workshop—whether it’s teaching a skill or offering industry insights. Also, consider connecting your class or workshop to a promotion to increase sales.

Partner With Local Businesses

Are there other businesses in town that aren’t direct competitors but share similar aims? Team up with them to cross-promote products and services or host joint events. Provide each other with business cards and fliers, and suggest that your respective customers check each other out for deals and more.

Fly Flags

Flags are a low-cost, high-visibility, and fun way to promote whatever you like to people passing or driving by. Banners and regular rectangular flags are fine, but consider unusually shaped ones to get more attention. Custom feather flags offer creative ways to promote things or point people your way.

Encourage Customer Feedback

Asking your customers how you did is good, but encourage them to share those feelings online. Your website, review sites, and social media are prime places to run testimonials and success stories. The more people who post reviews, the more attention you’ll get from search engines.

Offer Referral Incentives

Encourage current customers to refer your business to their friends by offering discounts or freebies. A small investment can lead to even more referrals over time.

Launch Limited-Time Offers

Everyone has a fear of missing out! Create a sense of urgency with time-sensitive sales or exclusive product drops to attract customers.

Use Geotargeted Ads

Ever noticed those ads on the side of Google’s search results page? Purchase online ads that you can set to target specific cities or neighborhoods (like yours, of course). Local customers will find you and your ads much more easily.

Those are just nine clever marketing ideas to boost your small business, and there are even more out there. Marketing your small business doesn’t have to be expensive, just strategic. Experiment and see what produces the biggest boost for your business and bang for your buck!