Highlights of the Week (Mar 26, 2021)

The last full week of March welcomed the first days of spring but also served as a week of mourning for the nation as another mass shooting occurred in Colorado, killing 10 people, including a police officer, just one week after the shootings in Atlanta that took the lives of 8 victims.

• March 24 celebrated Equal Pay Day. According to the US Census, women on average lose $400,000 to the wage gap in their lifetimes, but the disruptions of COVID will most likely intensify this gap. Read about how women-founded or women-led organizations also lose out on funding. Dive deeper.
• Influencers are finding new ways to generate revenue with the help of startups that help connect with fans in more engaging ways, including paying to vote for control of an influencer’s daily activities. Read more.
• Cloud companies like Snowflake have made a name for themselves, after Snowflake's successful 2020 IPO. Here are four cloud startups -- also helping companies gain a competitive edge with cloud technology -- that are IPO-ready. Dive deeper.
• To give support to the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities, in the wake of the shootings in Atlanta, we share 10 Asian-founded startups you should put on your watchlist. See the list.
• As we are wrapping up March, we review 10 companies that are going public via SPAC. Read more.