What You Need To Know: International Women's Day, Bitcoin ATH, AI & VCR

Happy International Women's Day!

Listen, I'll be honest: Working in a women-led business isn't without its frustrations. In the same way it was difficult to be the only woman in the room for the early part of my tech career, it can be difficult to be one of the few women-led businesses in any ecosystem. Even still, I wouldn't trade it for the world, especially working with Debbie Soon and Alexandra Cavoulacos at HUG!

There will always be people who will tell you that you aren't enough, or that what you're doing isn't important. They're wrong. The funny thing about trusting in yourself and your abilities is that if you keep striving towards your goals, you'll go from trusting yourself to surprising yourself.

Opportunities and privilege are not afforded in the same to women, or other marginalized identities. This is why I started my work at HUG ?? , to uplift, amplify, and embrace the people who need that extra attention the most. In this past year, HUG has put over 1000 artists into events and exhibitions around the world and sourced over $85,000 in financial grants and another $80,000 in scholarships. A lot of those, quite intentionally, went to women and other artists from underrepresented backgrounds.

This International Women's Day, I'm thinking of everything I've accomplished and every person I've helped and I'm Iooking forward to doing even more. The best part? I won't be doing it alone. I have an amazing team of women to work with, to get creative with, and to cheer each other along.

Sentiment aside, here's what you need to know this week:

• HUG & Loupe Art team up for International Women's Day Earlier this week, HUG announced a partnership with Loupe Art to share curated work from women-identifying artists across Loupe's streaming platform to over 700,000 subscribers across YouTube, Apple TV, Fire TV, Samsung TV, and more. It's always a special treat to work with fellow women-led businesses! As the kids say these days "girls that get it, get it"... or in the words of Michele Tobin , "empowered women, empower women." The opportunity to share art from so many women around the world is a reward in and of itself, but today held one sweeter surprise: a feature in USA TODAY ! You can stream the HUG x Loupe Art collection here .You can read the article on inclusion for IWD in USA Today here .

• Bitcoin still climbing after new ATH Bitcoin at $70,000?! I've had to go back and edit that ATH (all-time high) metric a few times before publishing this post, because it just keeps going. It feels like it's 2021 all over again, so I felt the need to bring back that acronym as Bitcoin recently hit $70,000 this week. This comes as regulations have gotten more defined, with Bitcoin ETFs making it easier for retail investors to buy in, and even increased interest in the art market via Bitcoin Ordinals (NFTs). The only different thing is that the media barely covered the news, which must mean Bitcoin is here to stay? Are we back? I'm cautiously optimistic. Only time will continue to tell!

• Is AI technology paralleling VCRs? Wait, what? In an attempt to dismiss claims in a New York Times copyright infringement lawsuit, Microsoft lawyers are comparing generative AI models (like GPT-4) to the technology of video cassette recording (VCR). That acronym is a throwback to a bygone era in media and consumer technology.Microsoft argues that new emerging tech doesn’t kill industries but encourages them to evolve. While this is true, between their VCR argument and recent disruptions like Spotify in the music industry, that comparison towards copyright infringement is a bit more nuanced. What is clear is that however this ruling gets determined, it will help shape the continued disruption of AI.

Girls support girls,

Randi Zuckerberg

PS: Ever dreamed of having brand clients like H&M, Adidas, and Casetify?

On the note of women who lead, this weekend is your last chance to learn firsthand from one of my favorite artists, Amber Vittoria.

Licensing one's art is an exciting way to both get creative with your business skills and earn passive income as a creator. With a licensing resume spanning the industries of technology, home, beauty, hospitality and more - Amber's as creative as it gets! She'll be sharing her experience and advice while helping you craft your own pitch to bring to potential partners.

Sign up on HUG to join her exclusive Art Licensing Masterclass!

Don't wait too long, though. If you sign up with the code EARLYBIRD before March 11, you'll save $60 on registration (full price is $129).