Growth Plans: Is Tech's Stock Market Run Out of Gas? A Fintech Player Lifts Small Biz in India, Founders Scale for Opportunity, March Forth +More

As the world struggles to recover from a pandemic, the challenges and opportunities look different based on industry, geography, wealth — all kinds of factors. As I talk to entrepreneurs and investors working across so many of these factors, mobile and cloud technologies have the potential to make a significant difference in how those varied recovery efforts pan out. That's why the theme for this week is Growth Plans:

Is the Growth Trade Out of Gas? On the Other Hand

Look at Snowflake, DoorDash, Zoom: Is the growth trade out of gas? That was the question for my latest installment of On the Other Hand, on CNBC's Squawk Box:

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Growing Small Business in India Through Fintech: Hardika Shah, Kinara Capital CEO

Hardika Shah founded Kinara Capital to help small businesses in India access capital to grow their businesses. Her own story is rich with calculated risk — including coming to the U.S. for college and staying the course during a pandemic:

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Personal Growth: Forethought CEO Reflects on Entering Silicon Valley

Forethought Co-founder and CEO Deon Nicholas grew up in the housing projects of Toronto, in love with video games, basketball and programming. He didn't see many Black programming role models, so had to figure things out as he went. A pivotal moment: the internship offer from Facebook that brought him to Silicon Valley. We talked about his journey and Forethought's approach to artificial intelligence in a Fortt Knox conversation this week:

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Cloud Growth Continues: Snowflake CEO on Demand for Flexibility

Snowflake CEO Frank Slootman joined me on CNBC after the company's earnings report to talk about what continues to fuel the company's momentum:

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Boardroom Growth: Outreach Adds Depth and Diversity to Director Ranks

You might remember Outreach Co-founder and CEO Manny Medina from Fortt Knox about a year ago. He's got a software startup in Seattle that's working to make the sales process more efficient and effective. He also joined me in a CNBC special in December that focused on opportunity in America. Through that special, Manny met a longtime connection of mine, former AT&T Vice Chairman Ralph de la Vega. They came on CNBC this week to announce that Ralph has joined the Outreach board:

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March Forth on March 4: A Conversation About Growing Social Impact

I've decided to try an occasional series on Fortt Knox that pulls back the curtain a bit. My friend, social impact leader Jayson Council, joined me to talk about how we're navigating family and work in a shifting society. Also joining us for this first chat: My friend Lloyd Pierce, recently coach of the NBA's Atlanta Hawks, who has had a major social impact himself:

Many readers of this newsletter will be familiar by now with my latest project: The Black Experience in America: The Course. I designed it last year after the tragic killing of George Floyd, and I'm building out an online learning experience based on the content.

The students of my alma mater, DePauw University, gained access to the course material this week. I'm looking forward to more collaborations that lead us to a deeper understanding of this moment in history, the ideas that got us here and the work to move forward.

If you're interested in exploring the same material, a bundle of three lessons is available for purchase here for $12.