Enterprising Companies of the Year 2022

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W W W . T H E E N T E R P R I S E W O R L D . C O M | A M E R I C A E D I T I O N | J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 2 Fashionwithconsumerinsights
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Weoftencomeacrosscompaniesthataresolelydedicatedtoimprovingthelivesofpeopleandourcommunity, butveryfewhavededicatedthemselvestoprovidingthehigheststandardsofservice,support,andcare.

Survivingthechangingeconomicsituationisatoughcall.Evenforthosepolishedbusinessmen,orthosewhohavebeen intheindustryforalongtime.Changingthepoliciesofyourcompany,orensuringastrongteamthatalignswithyour valuesandethics,youneedprofessionalassistance.Thisiswhereabusinessconsultantstepsin.

Withaprofessionaladviceyoucanhelpyougeneratehigherrevenuewhilekeepingtheexpensesatminimum,thereby ensuringanefficientoperation.

FeaturingforTheEnterpriseWorld’sthisissueofEnterprisingCompaniesoftheYear2022arethestoriesofsuch successfulbusinesses,thathavemadeitthrougheveryoddstormandmadeittothetop.

FortheCoverStoryreadaboutFashWire:Thecompanyrunsundertheparentcompany–WireHoldings,Inc.Theparentcompanyhastwoproducts, FashWireandGlossWire.FashWireisfocusedontheFashionindustry,andGlossWireisorientedtowardstheBeauty industry.

FashWirebeganitsjourneyin2015,withitsheadquartersbasedinSeattle,Washington.Thecompanyaimstoprovide contemporaryfashion,withakeenfocusonconsumerchoicesanddemands.Theyachievethisthroughatwo-sided marketplaceanddata-drivenconsumerinsights.

Theirmissionistoreframethefashionworldbyprovidingconsumersauniqueopportunitytodiscoverbrandsandtrends whiledeliveringtheirbrandpartnerscriticalcustomerfeedback.Theyarestrivingdayinandouttoprovideamarketplace thathasgenuineproducts,dedicatedcustomersupport,andofcourse,thelatesttrendsanddesigns.

FashWirewasthefirsttobefoundedunderitsparentcompany,thusmakingitachallengefortheteam.Theteamhadto developaservicethatwillnotonlycreateanewtrendbutalsoaone-stopdestinationforwomenandmen.

FashWire’shigh-growthtwo-sideddiscoveryandshoppingmarketplaceprovidesitsportfolioofdesignersandbrands vitaldataintoconsumershoppingbehaviourpatterns.Givingfashiondesignersreal-timevaluableinsightsthrougha seamlessuserexperiencemakesFashWirethedigitalfrontrunnerinconsumerglobalbusinessintelligence.

SevenSix:TheideabehindSevenSixtennissparkedfromaserendipitymeetingatFrenchOpeninParisbackin2016.I metwithoneofthebesttechnicaltenniscoachesintheworld.HebroughtmeringsidetotheheartofRolandGarros whereheteamedupwiththebestfemaletennisplayersatthetime.Hisstoryabouttennis,challenges,andopportunities, andhisproblemtoscalehistenniscoachingknowledgeignitedmyentrepreneurDNA.

Thisweekendinspiredmetohelptennisplayersimprovetheirgameinanew,engaging,andeffectiveway.Forthenext6 months,weconceptualizedSevenSixtennis,andIjumpedoffthecorporatepathwhereIwasadirectorofatelecom companyinNorway.

BeingatennisplayerandtennisdadmyselfIexperiencedthatthetoolsandtenniscoachingarenottooengaging,andI alsowantedtogivetennisplayerstogetvisualizedcoachingfromthebesttenniscoachesintheworld.Uptonow,thishas beenapossibilityonlyforthefewwithbigcoachingteamsandatechlab.

Shalmali W.
halmaliS

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Leaders in Spotlight

FortheCoverStoryreadabout-

FashWire:Thecompanyrunsunderthe parentcompany–WireHoldings,Inc.The parentcompanyhastwoproducts,FashWire andGlossWire.FashWireisfocusedonthe Fashionindustry,andGlossWireisoriented towardstheBeautyindustry.

FashWirebeganitsjourneyin2015,withits headquartersbasedinSeattle,Washington. Thecompanyaimstoprovidecontemporary fashion,withakeenfocusonconsumer choicesanddemands.Theyachievethis throughatwo-sidedmarketplaceanddatadrivenconsumerinsights.

Theirmissionistoreframethefashionworld byprovidingconsumersauniqueopportunity todiscoverbrandsandtrendswhiledelivering theirbrandpartnerscriticalcustomer feedback.Theyarestrivingdayinandoutto provideamarketplacethathasgenuine products,dedicatedcustomersupport,andof course,thelatesttrendsanddesigns.

FashWirewasthefirsttobefoundedunderits parentcompany,thusmakingitachallenge fortheteam.Theteamhadtodevelopa servicethatwillnotonlycreateanewtrend butalsoaone-stopdestinationforwomenand men.

FashWire’shigh-growthtwo-sideddiscovery andshoppingmarketplaceprovidesits portfolioofdesignersandbrandsvitaldata intoconsumershoppingbehaviourpatterns. Givingfashiondesignersreal-timevaluable insightsthroughaseamlessuserexperience makesFashWirethedigitalfrontrunnerin consumerglobalbusinessintelligence.

SevenSix:TheideabehindSevenSixtennis sparkedfromaserendipitymeetingatFrench OpeninParisbackin2016.Imetwithoneof thebesttechnicaltenniscoachesintheworld. HebroughtmeringsidetotheheartofRoland Garroswhereheteamedupwiththebest femaletennisplayersatthetime.Hisstory abouttennis,challenges,andopportunities, andhisproblemtoscalehistenniscoaching knowledgeignitedmyentrepreneurDNA.

Thisweekendinspiredmetohelptennis playersimprovetheirgameinanew, engaging,andeffectiveway.Forthenext6 months,weconceptualizedSevenSixtennis, andIjumpedoffthecorporatepathwhereI wasadirectorofatelecomcompanyin Norway

BeingatennisplayerandtennisdadmyselfI experiencedthatthetoolsandtenniscoaching arenottooengaging,andIalsowantedto givetennisplayerstogetvisualizedcoaching fromthebesttenniscoachesintheworld.Up tonow,thishasbeenapossibilityonlyforthe fewwithbigcoachingteamsandatechlab.

WhenwestartedbuildingSevenSixthere wasnootherconceptthatcouldprovide instanttechnicalfeedbackonyourgame withoutbeinginalaboratorywithsensors, expensivecameras,andcoaches.Therewere somegreatapplicationsoutthere,butthey weresomewhatmanual,meaningthat coacheshadtodrawlinesandexplainthe techniqueandsenditbackviaemail.Also, theproductsavailablewerehardertoscale andmonetize.

12. FashWire
C O N T E N T S 28. Seven Six 34. 22. A R T I C L E The future of digital currency DATA PROTECTION, DATA THREATS AND VULNERABILITIES

Coverstory

Fashionwithconsumerinsights

Kimberly Carney, Founder & CEO
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Themarketisfullofuniqueandinteresting products/services,butonlyafewgetrecognized.Itisthe usefulnessandproblem-solvingabilityofthese products/servicesthatmakethesecompanieshighlysought-after andsuccessful.

Insearchoftheserevolutionarycompanies,todaywetalkabout FashWire.FashWireisacompanyreshapingtheFashion industry Thecompanyprovidesofferingsthatarechangingthe fixedimageandcarvingtheneweraoftheFashionindustry

Thecompanyanditssolutionsarehighlyacclaimedandoneof theleadingnamesprovidingunrivaledproducts.FashWireandits teamareamixofindustryexpertsandfashionvisionaries, poolingtheirskillsandexpertisetoprovideauniqueand unmatchedserviceandcustomerexperience.

TheCompany,anditsjourneysofar

Thecompanyrunsundertheparentcompany-WireHoldings, Inc.Theparentcompanyhastwoproducts,FashWireand GlossWire.FashWireisfocusedontheFashionindustry,and GlossWireisorientedtowardstheBeautyindustry.

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FashWirebeganitsjourneyin 2015,withitsheadquartersbased inSeattle,Washington.The companyaimstoprovide contemporaryfashion,withakeen focusonconsumerchoicesand demands.Theyachievethis throughatwo-sidedmarketplace anddata-drivenconsumerinsights.

Theirmissionistoreframethe fashionworldbyproviding consumersauniqueopportunityto discoverbrandsandtrendswhile deliveringtheirbrandpartners criticalcustomerfeedback.They arestrivingdayinandoutto provideamarketplacethathas genuineproducts,dedicated customersupport,andofcourse, thelatesttrendsanddesigns.

FashWirewasthefirsttobe foundedunderitsparentcompany, thusmakingitachallengeforthe team.Theteamhadtodevelopa servicethatwillnotonlycreatea newtrendbutalsoaone-stop destinationforwomenandmen.

FashWire’shigh-growthtwo-sided discoveryandshopping marketplaceprovidesitsportfolio ofdesignersandbrandsvitaldata intoconsumershoppingbehavior patterns.Givingfashiondesigners real-timevaluableinsightsthrough aseamlessuserexperiencemakes FashWirethedigitalfrontrunnerin consumerglobalbusiness intelligence.

Forconsumers,FashWirecreatesa compellinginteractiveexperience bycombiningimmersiveswipe votingandsocialintegrationto influencethedesignerinstantly. Throughitsmarket-leadingapp andwebexperience,FashWire customerscanshopacuratededit of30,000+products,sourcedfrom

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over400contemporarydesignersandbrandsfrom40+ countries.ThecompanyisownedbyWireHoldings,Inc. recentlylaunchedGlossWireinthemultibillion-dollarbeauty industryandisbackedbyarangeofall-starprivateangel investorsinthebeauty,fashion,andtechspaces.

Thechallengeswererelentless,butsowastheteam’sspirit andzealtobringachange.Theirjourneyistobeaheadofthe curvewhilecreatingadigitalplatformconnectingconsumers andbrandsinthefashionindustry.

Withsomanyyearsinthisjourney,theyhavesuccessfully createdaplatformwherecustomerscanshophassle-free withoutanyworry,andbrandscanputuptheirbestproducts forward.

WhatmakesFashWirealeadingfashiondestination

Togetwidespreadawarenessandmaximumfootfall,theteam targetedfashiontradeshowstodirectlygettheplatformin frontofthebrandsandprovethetechnologyatthetech shows.ExhibitingatShopTalkgavethemexposuretoGoogle andtheylaunchedin2018withaGooglepartnership.

Afterthis,theFashWirebrandbasebeganrisingtoover200 bytheendof2019.Duringthepandemicwhenretailwasshut down,thefashiondesignersandbrandstheyconnectedwith atthetradeshows,thatinitiallywerenotinterested,joinedthe platform.Today,FashWirehasover400designersfrommore than40countriesonitsplatformandcontinuestogrowdaily

ThisexponentialriseinthesuccessofFashWire,pushedthe teamtodelvedeeperintootherindustries,leadingtothe launchGlossWireinFebruaryof2021,whichusesthesame innovativetechnologyforbeautybrands.Beforethelaunch, 50+beautybrandssigneduptobeontheGlossWireplatform basedonthesuccesswithFashWire.GlossWirehasquickly growntoover150brandsandproveditsconceptwhenthey werenamedafinalistinWWD’sProjectConnect.

Addinganothervertical,withasuccessfullaunch,helpedthe teamtogainmorevaluableinsightsandvisibility,which propelledthegrowthofbothplatforms.

FashWire’sunmatchedproducts,andnewadditionsto theirarsenal

FashWireisaB2B2Cmarketplaceprovidingitsbrand partnersvitalreal-timedataandactionableinsightsinto consumershoppingpatterns.Thedesignersandbrandsthen receivethisdataallowingthemtomakesmarterproduction

decisionsdrivingconversion,repeatpurchases,and profitability.

FashWireaimstoprovideconsumersauniqueopportunity todiscoverbrandsandtrendsbyleveragingtechnologyto engageshoppersacrossallchannels.Userinteractionisa keydifferentiatorandcombiningthatexperiencewithdeep dataandhyper-curatedcontentmakesFashWireahighly covetedsolutionforemergingandestablishedbrands.

Withthisuniqueapproachtounderstandingconsumersand providingorganicdiscoveryofworldwidefashion,they haveachievedimmensesuccessintheFashionindustry

FashWire’steamisconstantlyenhancingitstechnologyto integrateintoitsplatform,toelevatetheuserexperiencefor consumersandbrands.Toachievethesame,theyrecently addedAIcapabilitytohelpconsumersquicklyfindrelevant productsandsimilaritemswithoutthehassleofsearching.

Also,theteamiscontinuouslyexpandingandlocalizingits platform,makingitmoreaccessibletobrandsalloverthe globe.Fortheirexistingbrands,theyofferacomprehensive setoftoolstogrowtheirpresence.Thesetoolsand advantagesprovideeverybrandasimilargroundandan equalfightingchance.Throughtheirinnovation,FashWire continuestodemocratizedigitalsalesforbrandsaroundthe world.

Fashwireoffersamultitudeofopportunitiesthatwill showcaseyourbrandandengagereaders.Fashwirecan createcustomprogramsandcontentintegration opportunitiesthatwillbringyourmessagetolifeandhelp youachieveyourmarketingobjectives.

Ifyouwouldliketobecomeafashionbrandonthe FashWireplatform,pleasecontactinfo@fashwire.com.

“Successisnotfinal;failureisnotfatal:itisthecourageto continuethatcounts”-WinstonChurchill

LeadershipatFashWire

Itisadauntingtasktobringauniqueplatforminthe Fashionindustry,withinsightsandanalyticssupportto brands,enablingthemtounderstandconsumersbetter This uniqueplatformrequiresateamofexperts,skills,and immenseexperience.

Morethanthis,thecompanyandtheteamrequirea visionaryleader,whoisacharismaticpersonality,notafraid

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ofchallenges,mostimportantlyunderstands theindustryandaimstorevolutionizeit withunparalleledservices.

KimberlyCarneyistheFounderandCEO ofFashWireandGlossWire.

Kimberlyholds15+yearsofexperienceof owningamulti-brandwomen’sandmen's specialtyboutiqueinthecontemporary fashionspace.Thisexperiencegavehera uniquebrandperspectiveforselling products.

Additionally,sheholds20+yearsof experienceinmobileandtech(formerly AT&TWirelessandDotComcompanies). It’sthecombinationoftechandindustry experiencethatgaveherthetechnological andin-depthknowledgetolaunchFashWire andGlossWire.

Overtheyearsofanextraordinary entrepreneurialjourney,Kimberlyandher companyhavebeenbestowedwithmany honorsandawards.Someofthemare-

2016/2017:Raisedandcompletedthe firstroundoffunding.

June2018:OfficialFashWirelaunch withaGooglepartnership.Theylanded intheTop10oftheappstore.

September2020WinnerofStartup Grind’sInauguralPitchBattle.

October2020OprahMagazine:Named inAdamGlassman’sTopPicks.

December2020FashionGroup InternationalrecipientofRisingStar AwardforNewRetailConcept.

February2021:LaunchedGlossWire andlandedat#2intheappstore.

August2021:UnileverPrestigeand WWDProjectConnectnamed GlossWireasafinalistforitsgrant initiative.

September2021:WomeninSupply Chainwinner.

October2021:InternationalTrade Council’sGoGlobal1stplacewinner forWomeninBusiness.

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TeamofFashWireandGlossWire

FashWireandGlossWirebothhavevery strongteamsandthegreatthingisthatthere isadeepbondbeyondtheprofessional environment.Bothteamssupportone anotherandhasfosteredacultureofmutual respect.

Thisuniquecombinationofsolidleadership, communication,andproductivecollaboration hasenabledtheteamstostriveharderand providethebestpossibleservicestotheir consumersandbrands.

InFashWireandGlossWire,thewholeteam playsakeyrole.Sincetheteamunderstands eachotherandtheirdifferencesinviewsand ideas,theyworkinsyncbycomplementing eachotherandworkingtogetherasacloseknitfamily

BothFashWireandGlossWireofferitsbrand partnersIGLives,PitchCompetitions, personalizedinterviews,andmoreaspartof buildinganempoweredcommunity.

Kimberly’sviewsonconstantvigilanceas aneedorastrategy

Itisboth–youaccomplishmorebystaying constantlyvigilant.Ifyouareconstantly vigilantindoingthethingsthatimproveyour company,yourteamefforts,drivingbusiness andoverallstrategy,youmakeyourselfand yourcompanymorevaluableandattractive.

Kimberly’stakeonthecompetitioninthe market

Competitiveenvironmentsdon’tscareme andIthriveonchallenges.Butmuchofwhat wedoisnewanddefiningnewsolutions.So Iworrylessaboutwhatothersdoandfocus onthethingsthatwecaninfluenceandhow wecankeepdrivingourgrowthforwardto improvethevalueforourcustomers

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The Futur

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uture of www.theenterpriseworld.com | 23

Digitalcurrencieswill undoubtedlyhavean influenceonfinancial systems.AccordingtotheWorld EconomicForum,86percentofthe world'scentralbanksare investigatingtheadvantagesand disadvantagesofcentralbank digitalmoney.Cryptocurrencies wereabigissueattheWorld EconomicForum'sDavosAgenda thisyear.Leadersintheblockchain sectormetelectronicallytodiscuss concernssuchaslegislationand whichfeatureswerenecessaryfor theindustry'scontinuinggrowth.

Cryptocurrenciesbasedonthe blockchainprovideanalternativeto establishedmoneysystemslikefiat. Digitalcurrencymaytheoretically removecontrolofmoneyaway frominstitutionsandreturnittothe peoplebyeliminatingthepowerof governmentsandcentralbanks. Unfortunately,theworldhasbeen slowtoacceptthisconcept.Despite itsinherentpromise,Bitcoinhas hadabadimagethroughoutthe firstdecadeofitsexistence.The publicimpressionoftheemerging assetclasshasshifteddueto enterprisingcriminals, unscrupulousinvestors,and institutionalapprehension. Speculatorsandinitialcoin offerings(ICOs)tookadvantageof thepotentialtoearnaquick buck—oftenatthecostof inexperiencedinvestors—during thecryptoboomof2017. Thankfully,thefocushasshifted awayfromcryptocurrenciesasa speculativeassetandtoward aimingtosolvemanyofthe problemsthatconsumersand companiesfacethroughoutthe world,fromfasterandcheaper cross-bordertransfertobankingthe unbanked.However,mostordinary peoplestillfaceconsiderable

barrierstoutilizing cryptocurrenciesintheirdailylives, whichmustbeovercomeifdigital moneyistogainwidespread adoptionandeventuallyreplacefiat asthedominantmonetarysystem.

LegalDocuments&Smart Contracts

Theblockchainisusedtokeep trackofdigitalmoneyproduction andtransfer.Thiscapabilityisideal forstoringandenforcinglegal documentsintheformofsmart contracts.Smartcontractsare computerprogramsthatrunwhen certaincriteriaaresatisfiedandare maintainedonablockchain.This enableslegalagreementstobe automatedsothatallcontract participantsareimmediatelyaware oftheconclusion,withnotimelag orneedforanintermediary The adoptionoflegalpapersandsmart contractswillbedrivenbythe automationofworkflows, triggeringthenextstepwhen criteriaaresatisfied,and irreversiblyrecordingstatusonthe blockchain,especiallywhenthe cheapercostofconductingbusiness crowdsoutpaper-basedcontracts.

Crypto-enableddebitcards

Inrecentyears,anumberof creativefintechstartupsthattryto givealternativestobitcoin exchangeshavethrived.These includemobile-basedsystemsthat letcustomerstobuyandexchange avarietyofdigitalandfiat currencies.Wirexcards,for example,mayturnanyfundinto fiatinstantly,lettingclientsto spenditinstoresandonlinejust likecash.Althoughexchangesare stillanimportantelementofthe bitcoininfrastructure,theylackthe practicalityandsimplicitytoallow everydaypayments.Asaresult,

crypt-enableddebitcardsbridgethe gapbetweenregularmoneyand bitcoin,providingasolution.

Wirex,forexample,isprioritizing theacquisitionoflocalbanking licensesinordertosecurethe assetsofitsclients.Infact,thefirm islicensedtoissueelectronicfiat moneyandpaymentinstrumentsby theUKFinancialConduct AuthorityundertheElectronic MoneyRegulations2017,with equivalentlicensesinJapanandthe UnitedStatesduesoon.Thereisa lotofmarketvolatilityrightnow. Cryptocurrencies,unliketraditional fiatcurrency,arevulnerableto severemarketvolatility This impliesthatthevalueoftokenslike bitcoin,XRP,andethereummight fluctuatedramaticallyinasingle day.Thevalueofasinglebitcoin soaredfrom$5,940tomorethan $19,190attheendof2017,before

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plunginginJanuary2018.Skewed wealthdistributioncancause volatility,withafewhigh-net-worth peopleororganizationsexerting disproportionatepricingpower

However,macroeconomic considerationsandpublicimageare vitallyimportantinthedigital currencyindustry.Despitethefact thatitsunderlyingblockchain technologyenablesforsafelow-cost paymentsandtransfersoutsidethe traditionalbankingrails, cryptocurrency'sinherentvolatility

ofordinarypeople,ratherthan centralbanksandgovernment entities.Theironyisthatwithout theassistanceofsuch organizations,widespread acceptanceofdigitalmoneyis improbable.Afterall,changinga moneysystemthathasruledfor over50yearsisnoeasytaskand necessitatesamassiverevampof theglobalfinancialinfrastructure.

Thefinancialelitehaslongbeen skepticalaboutcryptocurrencies' abilitytobecomeamainstream monetarysystem,citingexamples offraud,crime,andalackof regulatorycontrol."Centralbanks havebeensleepingatthewheel overthefutureofourmoney systembeingdefinedbyatiny numberofbanks,payment businesses,andnowinternet giants,"saysFranBoait,executive directorofadvocacyorganization PositiveMoney

closedworldwidenetworkof financialinstitutionsthatworksto expeditesettlementamongits members.Cryptocurrency'sgeneral adoptionisunavoidable,but whetheritwillreplaceorjust supplementthepresentfiatmoney systemremainstobeseen.Fintech companieswillcontinuetocreate methodstoassistbusinessesand individualsinusingdigitalmoney ineverydaylifeuntilthatday comes.

Conclusion

makesitanundesirablemeansof exchange.

Mainstreamadoptionofdigital currencymightnothappen immediately

Cryptocurrencysupportersarea dreamylot.Decentraliseddigital currencyisclaimedtobean alternativetotraditionalfiatmoney thatputscontrolbackinthehands

However,governmentsand commercialorganizations throughouttheworldarestartingto seetheadvantagesofatokenized economyoverthepresentfractional reservebankingsystem.Central BankDigitalCurrenciesarebeing investigatedbytheBankof England,SverigesRiksbank,Bank ofJapan,andEuropeanCentral Bank(CBDCs).TheBankof Englandstatedinafinancial stabilityassessmentreleasedin December2019that"stablecoins mightpartiallyreplaceor supplementpresentpayment arrangements."

Thisconceptisalsobeingaccepted byprivatebusinesses.Wirex teamedwithIBMtowardstheend of2019tobecometheprincipal issuerofregulatedstablecoinson theIBMWorldWireNetwork,a

Webelievethatthepopularityof digitalcurrenciesand cryptocurrencieswillcontinueto grow,andthatbanks,governments, andotherinstitutionswillbe powerlesstostopit.Thebeast's verynatureisadaptive,responsive, andtechnologicallyadept,implying thatthedevelopersbehinditcan overcomepracticallyanyobstacle placedintheirway.Theonly peoplewhoshouldbeconcerned arethosewhohaveinvested millionsinsuchcurrency.Because thedependabilityofanycurrency cannotbeguaranteed,caution shouldstillbemaintainedwhen takingriskswithlargesumsof money.

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Trond Kittelsen CEO
| JANUARY 202228

SevenSix

The Alpha of Tennis

Inthesearchforenterprisingcompanies,wecome acrosstheinnovativeandhighlyadvancedservices offeredbySevenSix.Theyareoneoftheleading visionaries,offeringunrivaledservicestoenhanceyour gameandbecomenothingbutthebest.

TheyintegratethelatesttechnologysuchasAI,etc.into theirservices,whichoffersinstantandcomprehensive feedbackaboutyourgame,strokes,accuracy,andmuch more.Theyareenablingtheprofessionalsandbeginnersto leveragethistoleveluptheirgameandperformtheirlevel besteachtime.

InconversationwiththeCEOofSevenSix,TrondKittelsen. Let’sgettoknowmoreaboutSevenSix,whatledhimto createsuchauniquecompany,itsservices,andhis professionaljourney.

Briefusaboutthecompany,whatinspiredyoutostart thecompany?

TheideabehindSevenSixtennissparkedfromaserendipity meetingatFrenchOpeninParisbackin2016.Imetwith oneofthebesttechnicaltenniscoachesintheworld.He broughtmeringsidetotheheartofRolandGarroswherehe teamedupwiththebestfemaletennisplayersatthetime. Hisstoryabouttennis,challenges,andopportunities,and hisproblemtoscalehistenniscoachingknowledgeignited myentrepreneurDNA.

Thisweekendinspiredmetohelptennisplayersimprove theirgameinanew,engaging,andeffectiveway.Forthe next6months,weconceptualizedSevenSixtennis,andI jumpedoffthecorporatepathwhereIwasadirectorofa telecomcompanyinNorway

BeingatennisplayerandtennisdadmyselfIexperienced thatthetoolsandtenniscoachingarenottooengaging,and Ialsowantedtogivetennisplayerstogetvisualized coachingfromthebesttenniscoachesintheworld.Upto now,thishasbeenapossibilityonlyforthefewwithbig coachingteamsandatechlab.

Whataretheproductsorservicesthecompanyfocuses on?Howareyourservicesdifferentfromthoseinthe market?

WhenwestartedbuildingSevenSixtherewasnoother conceptthatcouldprovideinstanttechnicalfeedbackon yourgamewithoutbeinginalaboratorywithsensors, expensivecameras,andcoaches.Thereweresomegreat applicationsoutthere,buttheyweresomewhatmanual, meaningthatcoacheshadtodrawlinesandexplainthe techniqueandsenditbackviaemail.Also,theproducts availablewerehardertoscaleandmonetize.

WehypothesizedthatwecouldbuildAIsoftwarepropped withtheknowledgeofthebesttenniscoachesintheworld onlywithaniPhone.Aperfectstormwasrising,givingus

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accesstoAItechnologyandcomputervisiontechnology, alsowithmoreadvancedmobilecameras.Cloudcomputing gaveusthechancetoscalethetechnologyworldwidewith amobile-firstapproach.

So,wegotthetechnologicalbreakthroughinMarch2020 provingourinitialhypothesisthatwecouldhelp50million tennisplayersacceleratethroughaccessible,affordable world-classAI-poweredvideocoaching.

Ourcompetitiveedgeliesinbeingthefirstintheworldto useAItohelptennisplayersandcoachesimprove techniqueinstantly.TheconceptisbuiltonAI,computer vision,machinelearning,audiophysics,andcomplex mathematicstocalculaterotationintimeandspace.We havealsobeenworkingcloselywithApple’sengineersto enableon-deviceprocessing.Thishelpstoreducethe processingtimeby70%andgivesusanedgeindeveloping racketandballdetection.

Eventhoughthetechnologyisverycomplex,wehaveput mucheffortintomakingtheappeasytouseforthemass marketintennis.

Pleasetellusaboutyourteam.

Ourteamisourgreatestasset!Goingafewyearsbackwe triedtolocatethebrightestmindtosolveourtechnological challenges.Wetriedandfailedacoupleoftimes.Itwas onlywhenwefoundtherightpeopleattherightplace,the righttime,thatweachievedthetechnologicalbreakthrough.

Thereareonly5peopleinourcoreteam.Theyhavea diversebackgroundinAIandmachinelearninginthe healthvertical,arehighlycreative,andrelativelyyoung withabackgroundincreatingmusicandgamingapps.The 3ofusarealsoverypassionatetennisplayers.

Pleasealsotakeintoaccountthatnoothercompanyhas donewhatwearedoing,andwehavespentmanyyearsin researchanddevelopmentmode,alsotryingandfailing beforewefoundthesweetspotbothintermsofthetech setup,butalsothebusinessside,

Weareorganizedasahybridteamwithsatellitesinseveral citiesaroundtheworld,nobigexpensiveofficesbut workingfrominnovationenvironmentswhereweshare

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resourcesandgetinspiredfromeachother.Thefactthat covidchangedtheworlddidnotchangethewayweare working.Havingsaidthat,wemisstravelingtotennis tournamentsandhavingmoreface-to-facemeetings.

Ialsowanttousethisopportunitytothankthetennis coachesandplayersthathavehelpedusbuildSevenSix. Theirknowledge,inspiration,network,andeffortsmadea difference.

Also,ourinvestorsandadvisoryboardareproviding valuablecompetenciesinbusiness,economics,andlaw

Pleasebriefusaboutyourprofessionalexperience.

Iseemyselfasacreativeandbusiness-focusedserial entrepreneur.Ihavetraveledtheworld,studiedinFrance, andhaveaglobalmindset.Nothingisimpossible!Ihave alsoworkedincorporateenvironmentssolving technologicalandmobilecommunicationchallengesforthe world.Myexperiencehasgivenmethepossibilitytowork withsomegreatbrandslikeNokia,Motorola,Diageo,and Microsoft.

Whatarethekeyachievementsofyourbusiness journey?

Beinganentrepreneur,youareahigh-speedproblemsolver Ibelievewehavelearnedmorethanapersonworkinghis

wholelifeinacorporateenvironment,onlyinayear.So manyobstacles,opportunities,andstrategicdecisionsmust bemadeallatonce.Itishardtopickthekeyachievements, butsurelywhenwefoundtheproduct/marketfit.

Weexperiencedthatourappwasspreadingtothewhole worldinweeks,nowsoldin183countriesin4500cities aroundtheworld.Alsobeingasmallstart-upcompany fromNorway,beingabletosignaglobalcontractwith WilsonthebiggesttennisbrandintheworldissomethingI amproudof.InQ22022Wilsoncustomerswillbuytennis racketswithourAICoachtoimprovetheirtechnique instantly Tennisisjustastart,andwewillbranchoutto othersportssoon.

Anyclientexperienceyouwouldliketohighlight? Wearethrilledtoreadouruser'stestimonialsdiscovering thatwecanhelpsomanytennisplayersandcoaches.

Feedbacklike; “Arguablythebesttrainingappinthegame.Iandmy teammates'progressionbecauseofthisapphavebecome tremendous“ Marcus,TennisPlayer.

Thisgetsourheartspumping,andwegetevenmore motivatedtocontinueourjourney

Ialsogetengagedwhenoursoftwarediscoversthatthe kineticchainintennisservefromatop10ATPplayerisnot perfect,potentiallyleadingtoinjuriesoralessefficient stroke.Seeingthereactionfromthebesttenniscoachesin theworld,whocannotevenspotthiswithslow-motion camerasisalsoinspiring.

Whichoneisyourfavoritequote?

IrecentlyreadPhilKnight'sstoryabouthowNikebecame whattheyaretoday,andthereisonequotethatIcanrelate to.Itisaboutchallengingthestatusquo.Thequotefrom DouglasMacArthur“Youarerememberedbytherulesyou break”.

Igetinspiredbypeoplewhobendtherulesoftechnology andbusinesstoinnovate.Musicians,engineers,athletes, andarchitectsthatcreatesomethingdefining,pushesthe limits.Also,aquotefromBillyJeanKing,“Pressureisa privilege”isagoodone.Forme,pressuresituationsinsport andbusinesscreateenergytoachieveyourgoals.

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| JANUARY 202234

EverythingYouNeedtoKnow

DATA PROTECTION, DATA THREATS AND VULNERABILITIES
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| JANUARY 202236

Whenyoutalkaboutdatasecurity,datathreatis anythingthatcanpotentiallycausedangerto theinformationinyoursystems.Thesethreats couldbeanythingfromanintrudernetworkthroughaport onthefirewall,toaprocessaddressingdatainawaythat violatesthesecuritypolicyofacompany,toatornado wipingoutafacility,orevenanemployeemakingan unintentionalmistakewhichcouldexposesomeofthe confidentialinformationordestroyafile'sintegrity.

Itisimportantforeverybusinesstounderstandtherisksif theirdataisbreached.Oneofthemostimportantstepsin datasecurityistoidentifythepotentialthreatstothe system,classifythembyacategory,andthenevaluatethat damagepotentialtothecompany.Followingaretheways howcommondatathreatscanaffectyourbusiness.

TechnicalDataThreats-

Hacking-

Today,hackingisworthamulti-billion-dollarindustryfor thecybercriminals.Hackinghasbeenproviding opportunitiestoextractthedataforpoliticalandmonetary gains.Inabroaderview,hackingisanunethicaland unauthorizeduserwhogainsaccesstoacomputerora network.Therearemanywaysthroughwhichthehackers gainaccesstonetworksorcomputers,someofwhichareas intricateasalteringthesystemssecurity.Othersaresimple andstraightforward,likeguessingtheusers'passwordsor installingakeylogger.

Cracking-

Crackingisareverseengineeringforsoftware,passwords orevenencryption.Thiscouldleadtotheunauthorized accesstoacompany'ssensitiveinformation.

Malware-

Malicioussoftware,oralsocalledasthemalwareisa softwarethatdisruptssomeoftheimportantcomputer operationsandgatherssensitiveinformationorevengains anaccesstoacomputersystemthroughwhichthedataand informationisthencompromised.Tokeepacomputersafe fromthiskindofdatabreaching,antivirussoftwareand firewallsareinstalled.Viruses,worms,spyware, ransomware,keyloggersandbackdoorsaresomeofthe examplesofmalware.

Errors-

Someofthemostcommonerrorslikesystem misconfigurationsorsomeotherprogrammingerrorscan

causetheunauthorizedaccessbycybercriminals.These errorscanoccurduetofaultyin-houseprogramming,or whenhackersfindaloophole.

DataLeakage-

Dataleakageiswhenthereisanunauthorizedelectronicor thephysicaltransmissionofdataorinformationfroma companytosomeotherexternaldestination.

Non-TechnicalDataThreats-

Onethingtokeepinmindisthatdatasecurityisnotjustan electronicissue.Somenon-technicalthreatscanaffectyour businesstoo.Someofthenon-technicaldatathreatsarePhysical-

Physicalfactorsliketheft,tampering,snooping,sabotage, vandalism,localdeviceaccessoranassaultcannegatively affectyourbusinessasitcanleadtolossofyourdataand information.

Environmental-

Direenvironmentalfactorslikeundeniablenaturaleventsof tornado,powerlosses,fire,andfloodscanposedangerto theorganizationandinfrastructurewherethedatais located.

InsiderThreat-

Anotherwaythenon-technicalfactorscanposeasathreat toyourbusinessiswhenthereisinsiderthreat.Your employees,contractors,orevenpartnerscancommita fraudortheftoftheintellectualproperty

SocialMedia-

Oftenemployeescanfallpreytosomescamsonthe internetandthusrevealsensitiveinformationwhichisnot intendedforthepublicknowledge.

ImproperDisposalDumpsterdivingortheimproperdisposalofsensitivedata cancauseimproperdisclosuresandleaksomeofyour sensitiveinformation.Toavoidthis,youneedtohave internalprocedureswhendisposingofthesensitive documents.

Withheapsofdatabeingproducedeverypassingday,itis justasimportanttosavethedataproperly.Leakingevena smallamountofdatacanleadtolargerrepercussionsand cancausegreatlossestoyourcompany.

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