Timothy Gamble left his VP role at Walker & Dunlop to cofound HelloData.ai in 2022.
Gamble's decision was driven by a desire for continual growth and the opportunity to innovate in AI.
Despite earning less, Gamble is happy with his decision to leave his 9-5.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Timothy Gamble, a 26-year-old cofounder atHelloData.aibased in Washington, DC. It's been edited for length and clarity.
I'm a cofounder and the head of data engineering at HelloData.ai, which uses real-time data on more than 25 million multifamily units nationwide to suggest the most relevant comparable properties and analyze real-estate assets.
My career kicked off in 2016 at Enodo, a real-estate analytics company, as a freshman in college with just a few months of computer science under my belt. I gathered and normalized real-estate data, but my role quickly expanded, and I was soon in charge of the data infrastructure that processed billions of real-estate data points daily.
By the time I graduated, Enodo was approached with an acquisition offer, which was accepted. I then joined Walker & Dunlop, a provider of financing services to owners of commercial real estate, as a lead data engineer in February 2019.
I played a key role in incorporating Enodo's technology into Walker & Dunlop's data-driven products. In August 2021, I was promoted to VP of data engineering.
From the outside, it might've looked like I had it all, but inside, something was missing
Although I enjoyed the stability of my role, I reached a point where I felt my growth had plateaued, and I wanted to get back into the startup scene.
At the end of 2022, I quit to cofound HelloData.ai with Nico Lassaux, head of machine learning, and Marc Rutzen, CEO.
Nico left W&D one year before me, but we kept in touch. When I left W&D, we decided it made sense to start a real-estate AI company since we both had an entrepreneurial spirit, strong engineering backgrounds, and real-estate domain expertise.
We started with six separate ideas before moving forward with HelloData.ai. Marc kept in touch with us and decided to join our venture.
Leaving a stable job and cofoundingHelloData.aiwasn't a quick decision
Deciding to leave my stable job took a year of wrestling with questions, especially from my family. Security, prestige, and a steady paycheck — why trade those for the unknowns of a startup?
There was no one answer, but I had several realizations I couldn't ignore. First, I craved the startup energy. The constant challenges and rush of innovation lit a fire in me. My job was comfortable, but I missed the adrenaline of pushing boundaries and overcoming hurdles.
Then there was my role at W&D, which had shifted from creating to maintaining. Building new systems and implementing fresh ideas were the activities that fueled my passion. I needed to be challenged, and the corporate ladder didn't offer that kind of growth. Managing a bigger team or getting a "senior" title was less appealing than the chance to learn and innovate in a rapidly changing field.
Finally, there was AI. It was starting to sweep across industries, and I didn't want to be a bystander.
Deciding to leave my VP role was scary but the fear of complacency and the prospect of looking back with regret for not pursuing my passions were far greater motivators.
I knew I needed to challenge myself to grow
Walking away from a role that may seem perfectly set up for you, especially when it feels like golden handcuffs, requires a deep understanding of what you value most. For me, it was about continual growth and not wanting to get left behind as the pace of engineering, especially in AI, began to accelerate.
Don't shy away from the discomfort of leaving security behind. In that discomfort, you'll find the most significant opportunities for growth and innovation. Trust in your ability to navigate the unknown, and remember that the skills and resilience you build through this process are invaluable assets.
I'm now earning less than I was before, but that's because we're reinvesting all profits back into the business. We're very proud to be bootstrapped yet profitable and continue to grow.
I've learned a lot as an entrepreneur
I've made plenty of mistakes in my career, but my most recent one was in January when I built a system and unexpectedly racked up over $5,000 in computing costs.
The issue was resolved after editing a few lines of code, but it showed me just how important it is to forecast what a new system will cost before deploying it.
If I were to distill one piece of concrete advice for people itching to leave their corporate jobs, it would be this: embrace the challenge of leaving a comfortable position not as a loss, but as a critical step toward personal and professional growth.
Rebel Wilson's claim in her memoir that Sacha Baron Cohen harassed her on set is redacted in UK copies.
The actors worked together on the 2016 action comedy, "The Brothers Grimsby."
Cohen's representatives said Wilson's claims are "demonstrably false."
Rebel Wilson's claims that Sacha Baron Cohen harassed her on "The Brothers Grimsby" set have been blacked out in UK copies of her memoir "Rebel Rising."
The movie, which was released in 2016, stars Cohen as Nobby Butcher, a man from the north of England who discovers that his long-lost brother (Mark Strong) is a spy.
Wilson plays Nobby's girlfriend, Dawn Grobham. For years, Wilson has alleged that Cohen continuously asked her to go nude for the role and that he acted inappropriately with her on set. Most recently, she wrote about the alleged incident in her memoir and has claimed that the "Borat" star hired lawyers to threaten her over its publication.
Cohen has strenuously denied the accusations.
Although "Rebel Rising" was released in the US last month, it was delayed in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand amid the controversy between Wilson and Cohen.
When "Rebel Rising" was finally published in the UK on April 25, Wilson's allegations against Cohen were blacked out. Wilson's publishers, Harper Collins Australia, told Business Insider on Sunday that the entire chapter featuring the allegations will be blacked out when the book is released in Australia and New Zealand on May 8.
The changes are likely due to differences in defamation laws in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.
Defamation laws are stricter in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand than in other countries, which dissuades media companies from publishing potentially libelous statements without a lot of proof.
In fact, Australia is often referred to as the "defamation capital of the world" because of how often courts rule in favor of the plaintiffs.
Here's a complete timeline of the drama between Wilson and Cohen, which dates back nearly a decade.
In 2014, Rebel Wilson said Sacha Baron Cohen asked her to put a finger in his butt while filming a scene for "The Brothers Grimsby."
Rebel Wilson as Dawn and Sacha Baron Cohen as Nobby in "The Brothers Grimsby."
Sony Pictures Releasing
Wilson first accused Cohen of behaving inappropriately on "The Brothers Grimsby" set in 2014 when she appeared on the "Kyle and Jackie O" radio show in Australia, according to The Courier Mail.
The "Pitch Perfect" star said Cohen kept asking her to go naked for the film, but she didn't want to. She said: "Every day he's like, 'Just go naked. It will be funny. Remember in "Borat" when I did that naked scene? It was hilarious.'"
The star added: "On the last day, I thought I'd obviously won the argument, and he got a body double to do the naked scene."
During the same interview, Wilson also claimed that Cohen sprung the idea of a lewd scene on her during filming.
"Then in the last scene ... he was like, 'Rebel, can you just stick your finger up my butt?' And I went, 'What do you mean, Sacha? That's not in the script,'" she recalled.
She continued: "And he's like, 'Look, I'll just pull down my pants, you just stick your finger up my butt, it'll be a really funny bit.'"
Wilson declined and said she smacked her hand on the star in the scene instead.
In 2017, Wilson discussed being harassed by an unnamed male costar in now-deleted tweets.
Actress Rebel Wilson attends the Los Angeles Premiere "Pitch Perfect 3" at the Dolby Theatre on December 12, 2017 in Hollywood, California.
Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic via Getty Images
Three years later, Wilson appeared to discuss the same "Grimsby" incident on then-Twitter now X in two tweets, which have since been deleted.
In the tweets, which Business Insider reported on at the time, she said that an unnamed male costar asked her to perform a lewd act on him in front of his friends, who she said were filming the incident.
Wilson also claimed that the actor's representatives threatened her not to bad mouth him. She didn't name Cohen in the tweets at the time.
Rebel Wilson has been extremely consistent over the past decade in talking about what she experienced with Sacha Baron Cohen. Here are some tweets from 2017. pic.twitter.com/sJFNX4lcGo
In March 2024, Wilson teased that a chapter of her upcoming book would expose an actor she worked with.
Wilson announced her memoir, "Rebel Rising," in October 2023, but it wasn't until March 2024 that she claimed to fans that a former male costar was attempting to threaten her over what she'd written about him in the book.
Posting to her Instagram story on March 22, Wilson wrote: "I wrote about an asshole in my book. Now, said asshole is trying to threaten me. He's hired a crisis PR manager and lawyers. He is trying to stop press coming out about my book."
Wilson said the book would come out regardless, "and you will all know the truth."
Days later, Wilson finally named Cohen as the person she says hired lawyers to threaten her memoir.
On March 24, Wilson posted another Instagram story naming Cohen as the "asshole" she'd written about in "Rebel Rising."
"I will not be bullied or silenced by high priced lawyers or crisis PR managers. The 'asshole' I am talking about in ONE CHAPTER of my book is: Sacha Baron Cohen."
On March 26, People magazine published an excerpt from Wilson's book detailing her claims about Cohen's behavior.
Sacha Baron Cohen in 2021.
Pool/Getty Images
On March 26, People published an excerpt from "Rebel Rising," in which Wilson alleges that Cohen frequently asked her to go nude in "The Brothers Grimsby."
"It felt like every time I'd speak to SBC, he'd mention that he wanted me to go naked in a future scene. I was like, 'Ha, I don't do nudity, Sacha.'"
Writing about a scene in the film shot in Cape Town, Wilson says: "SBC summons me via a production assistant saying that I'm needed to film an additional scene. 'Okay, well, we're gonna film this extra scene,' SBC says."
"Then he pulls his pants down … SBC says very matter-of-factly: 'Okay, now I want you to stick your finger up my ass.' And I'm like, 'What?? … No!!'"
"I was now scared. I wanted to get out of there, so I finally compromised: I slapped him on the ass and improvised a few lines as the character," she continues.
When the book was published, these allegations were featured in the chapter "Sacha Baron Cohen And Other Assholes."
Cohen's representatives have denied Wilson's allegations and provided anonymous source statements in his defense.
A spokesperson for Cohen denied the allegations in an emailed statement to BI on March 25, the day after Wilson publicly named him on her Instagram story.
They wrote: "While we appreciate the importance of speaking out, these demonstrably false claims are directly contradicted by extensive detailed evidence, including contemporaneous documents, film footage, and eyewitness accounts from those present before, during, and after the production of 'The Brothers Grimsby.'"
On March 28, Cohen's spokesperson also provided BI (via email) with nine statements from anonymous crew members, producers, and writers who said they worked with Cohen and Wilson on "The Brothers Grimsby."
Several of the unnamed sources, including a producer, a writer/producer, an assistant director, and a cameraman who all say they were present during the alleged incident, say that Wilson's recounting of the events is inaccurate and that the incident took place on a professional movie set, not in a "room" as she'd characterized it in her 2017 tweets.
Rebel Wilson at the amfAR Cannes Gala in Cap d'Antibes and Sacha Baron Cohen at the CAA pre-Oscar party in Los Angeles.
Randy Shropshire/Getty Images
"As per the script, which Rebel had read and approved in advance, her character was attempting to put a finger in Sacha's character's butt," the unnamed producer's statement read, in part. "At no point did Sacha actually ask her to put a finger in his butt, or any other of his body's orifices, for that matter."
That producer also said Wilson was "treated with the utmost respect and empowerment" as a creative collaborator and claimed that Wilson and Cohen had a "good relationship" until Wilson saw an early cut of the movie that cut out several of her improvised scenes, which the source deemed "frankly very problematic." According to the producer, the cuts made Wilson "extremely angry" and resulted in her hostility toward Cohen.
An anonymous executive producer also echoed that the scene Wilson described was in the "approved shooting script" and said they'd never received any notice about Wilson's concerns about the scene before or after shooting.
Several of the statements said that they never personally witnessed or heard about any bad behavior on Cohen's part and that the set was very professional.
The release of Wilson's memoir was delayed in the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.
Rebel Wilson attends the "Miss Saigon" Sydney Opera House Premiere on August 25, 2023.
Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images
On April 3, Hello! magazine reported that the memoir would be released in the UK on April 25 but would be delayed indefinitely in Wilson's home country, Australia.
Harper Collins told Hello!: "Publication of 'Rebel Rising'in the UK and Australia has been moved to coincide with Rebel Wilson's press tours."
Wilson was set to tour the UK at the end of April and head to Australia for an event at the Sydney Opera House on May 9.
However, Wilson said in an Instagram Story post that Cohen was behind the delay.
"UK & AUS momentarily delayed by a**hole… but not for long," Wilson captioned a photo of her book leaning against a window.
Neither Cohen nor Wilson's representatives have confirmed this claim.
Wilson's allegations are redacted in UK copies of her memoir.
On April 22, numerous media outlets reported that the UK copies of "Rebel Rising" would have Wilson's allegations blacked out.
HarperCollins told the MailOnline: "The book contains some redactions in chapter 23 on pages 216, 217, 218 and 221, as well as an explanatory note at the beginning of the chapter."
On April 25, the pages were shared on X by Alex Ritman, Variety's London Bureau Chief.
And here are those redacted allegations from Rebel Wilson's memoir. They feature in a chapter poetically entitled 'Sacha Baron Cohen And Other Assholes' https://t.co/ehYE2z2PsApic.twitter.com/EDJH1b28XS
Ahead of the blacked-out section, Wilson writes: "What followed was the worst experience of my professional life. An incident that left me feeling bullied, humiliated, and compromised. It can't be printed here due to peculiarities of the law in England and Wales."
Wilson and Harper Collins have not confirmed what these "peculiarities" are.
The "Pitch Perfect" star wrote on her Instagram Story on Thursday: "I want to thank all the people who have come forward and acknowledged my experiences with Sacha Baron Cohen. Thank you for sharing your own stories with me. I am so grateful to you and really appreciate it."
On April 25, following news of the redaction, Cohen's spokesperson told Business Insider that the changes to the memoir were a "clear victory" for the "Borat" star.
"Harper Collins did not fact check this chapter in the book prior to publication and took the sensible but terribly belated step of deleting Rebel Wilson's defamatory claims once presented with evidence that they were false," the spokesperson said.
The statement went on: "Printing falsehoods is against the law in the U.K. and Australia; this is not a 'peculiarity' as Ms. Wilson said but a legal principle that has existed for many hundreds of years. This is a clear victory for Sacha Baron Cohen and confirms what we said from the beginning — that this is demonstrably false, in a shameful and failed effort to sell books."
The entire chapter is blacked out in the Australian and New Zealand editions of "Rebel Rising."
Rebel Wilson.
Arturo Holmes/FilmMagic/Getty Images
Last week, Harper Collins Austalia told Business Insider in an emailed statement that the entire chapter featuring Wilson's allegations would be redacted in the Australian and New Zealand editions of "Rebel Rising."
"For legal reasons we have redacted one chapter in the Australian/New Zealand edition and included an explanatory note accordingly," a spokesperson for Harper Collins Australia said. "That chapter is a very small part of a much bigger story and we're excited for readers to know Rebel's story when the book is released, on Wednesday 8 May."
Representatives for Wilson, Harper Collins, and Cohen did not immediately respond to a comment request from Business Insider.
Chinese sailors at a demonstration at China's Submarine Academy in Qingdao.
Kevin Frayer/Getty Images
Chinese submarine crews are training to operate farther into the Western Pacific.
The more intense training appears to be stressing them.
The training also seems bent on curbing cheating in China's military.
China is forcing its submarine crews to endure more intensive and realistic training exercises. The goal is to enable subs to operate farther from the Chinese coast and deeper into the Western Pacific, which requires commanders and crews capable of the flexible tactics and initiative that are the norm in Western navies.
But this change is taking a toll on submarine crews. Training has become "more realistic, rigorous, and standardized across the fleet," according to areportby the China Maritime Studies Institute at the US Naval War College. "Though stressful on submarine equipment and crews, these changes to training may ultimately yield a more combat-capable submarine fleet operating throughout the western Pacific."
The changes date to 2014, when China's military strategy expanded from continental defense on China's border to blue water operations in the Western Pacific. To accomplish this, Chinese leaders have called for attack submarines to embrace "informatization:" Rather than prowling as solitary hunters, they would send and receive targeting data from external sources such as surface ships, aircraft and fleet headquarters.
In addition to more joint training, the People's Liberation Army Navy is now trying to make training as real as possible.
"While the PLA has addressed wartime requirements in training for years, the explicit requirement to train under conditions that are expected in combat adds an intensity and rigor to training and pushes units to consistently train for war," wrote Christopher Sharman and Terry Hess, who co-authored the CMSI report.
Chinese attack submarines are also expected to act more independently, take more initiative and respond flexibly to changing tactical situations rather than await orders from superiors. This may not be easy for a submarine force brought up in the Soviet tradition of rigid control, and in which each boat sails with apolitical commissarwho shares authority with the captain.
Attack subs are most effective when they can ambush warships and merchants, missions that require tactical prowess and flexibility. So-called "boomer" submarines, by contrast, need rigid command and control to be trained and ready to fire nuclear missiles.
Since 2018, the Chinese navy has created new training infrastructure, including more use of simulators and the establishment of special naval bases that evaluate submarine crews and issue those who pass with "deep sea battlefield" certificates. "A submarine might face twenty different scenarios that are used to evaluate fifty technical and tactical tasks while operating at sea," the report noted. "For example, during one assessment, evaluators directed a submarine to sea in poor weather causing severe sea sickness among the crew. In these conditions, evaluators tested the submarine's ability to dive, avoid anti-submarine ships and aircraft, overcome a rudder hydraulic failure, perform anti-surface and anti-submarine targeting, and launch live torpedoes."
In another test, "a submarine sonar operator detected a high-speed target maneuvering toward the submarine. The submarine's captain assumed the object was an enemy torpedo and began making evasive maneuvers. The target, however, was a decoy. Because the submarine had misidentified the target, the crew failed the exam."
A submarine arrives at a wharf in preparation for the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) on April 20, 2024.
VCG/Getty Images
Training seems concerned not just with combat proficiency, but also with preventing cheating in the corruption-prone Chinese military. "Oversight prevents units from grading themselves on training evolutions, which ensures training accountability by mitigating the risk of units falsifying capabilities and validates capabilities to execute operational requirements," said the report. "Moreover, it addresses two problems that existed in PLA training: inconsistency between how similar units train and incorrect training techniques."
China's submarines face some unusual challenges, including "internal solitary waves" — common in the Western Pacific — that can sink them. The Chinese navy also has a habit ofselecting low-scoring officersto command its submarines, which often operate with senior commanders aboard to ensure things are done right. Nonetheless, the idea of strenuous and realistic training would seem normal enough to Western sailors.
But for Chinese submariners, the new training is stressful. Demands for more realistic training have resulted in riskier training. "In order to execute operational guidance, the submarine force must operate at sea for longer durations, operate further from the coast, and train under simulated wartime conditions while ashore and at sea," the report said. "This places tremendous emotional stress on the crew and physical stress on the submarine platform, increasing the likelihood of a mishap caused by a mechanical malfunction or human error."
Between tougher training and mastering new equipment as Chinese subs become more sophisticated, there is a greater chance of a mishap. "Crews have less time to familiarize themselves with their equipment, and over time there is increased likelihood their lack of familiarization will contribute to an accident or mechanical failure," the report warned.
Indeed, a 2021 Chinese military newspaper article reported "a submarine that conducted a maximum self-sufficiency test to operate as long as possible at sea without external supplies," according to the CMSI study. "Reportedly, the submarine was able to operate for 90 days before returning to port. During the deployment, sailors experienced physiological difficulties such as sensory degradation, eating disorders, and internal clock disorders."
At sea, sleep rhythms are defined by when sailors stand their watches and can shift away from the 24-hour day that's characterized by the night and day submariners don't experience.
Ironically, while rigorous training is intended to create a more skilled and aggressive submarine force, these changes could backfire. "Any potential mishap in the years leading up to a conflict could adversely affect PLA leadership's confidence in the ability of the submarine force to execute high-risk missions during a conflict resulting in more conservative submarine employment during combat," the report concluded.
Sub commanders who take initiative are praised in China's military press, and in 2018, senior officers were barred from sailing aboard submarines to babysit their captains. "But uncertainty remains regarding the full autonomy of submarine commanding officers," Sharman told Business Insider.
In fact, much about China's submarines remains a mystery. What we know largely comes from open-source literature, such as Chinese military media, but this only provides limited information. "Open-source literature provides little insight into the proficiency of Chinese submarines or their crews or how capable they are," Sharman said. "What the literature does suggest is that the PLAN submarine force is simultaneously incorporating a wide range of new operational guidance, platforms, and technologies that are pushing the crews and equipment of the PLAN submarine force in ways they have not been stressed before."
For several years before Russia invaded Ukraine, Western experts claimed that the Russian military had thrown off its Soviet-era rigidity and transformed into a flexible NATO-style force. But Russia'sdismalcombat performance in Ukraine showed that the reforms were mostly cosmetic. It remains to be seen whether China has remolded its submarine fleet.
"My reading of the literature, and watching the PLAN for over three decades, suggests PLAN submarine capabilities have improved over time," Sharman said. "But it still must improve further to be capable of supporting what is expected of the submarine force."
Michael Peck is a defense writer whose work has appeared in Forbes, Defense News, Foreign Policy magazine, and other publications. He holds an MA in political science from Rutgers Univ. Follow him onTwitterandLinkedIn.
The author says that her house is always turned upside down by her three children and she apologizes to visitors.
Anna Kraynova/Getty Images
Every time I have someone over to my house, I apologize for the state it is in.
I'm a mom of three boys and our house is constantly being turned upside down by them.
I know that when they are out of the house, I will miss the chaos and mess that came with them.
If you're coming over to my house for a playdate or any other social occasion, I can guarantee that the next words I say to you after "Hello" will be, "I'm sosorry about the mess."
Even if I'vetidied up prior to my guests' arrivaland the house is looking pretty organized, those words of apology will still come out of my mouth. It seems to be an involuntary impulse — and my husband thinks it's ridiculous. I don't think I've ever heard him say it, even when the house is genuinely a mess.
But as a mother, I know I'm not alone in doing it — most of my friends do it, too.
Why do we do it?
I know that my friends love me for me and would never comment on thestate of my houseor say anything to hurt my feelings. They're here to see me and my family so we can catch up and have a nice time together. But for some reason, I always worry about what the house might look like through their eyes and what opinions they might be forming about me if things are a bit chaotic.
We havethree young boys, so our house frequently gets turned upside down when they make dens and play with their friends. I never care about the mess as long as they're happy and having fun. And trying to keep the house neat and tidy all of the time just feels like a bit of a waste of my time anyway.
Society still expects women, and mothers in particular, to be able to have it all and do it all. Many of us arejuggling careers, childcare,responsibilities in the home, and much, much more. Our inner critics might be concerned that friends and family will perceive an untidy home as a sign that we've dropped the ball and are struggling to cope. I know this is the case for me. And when life gets overwhelming, the laundry will pile up and other chores may be neglected.
It's a defense mechanism
Georgina Sturmer— who counsels women through life challenges — explains that my apology isn't really an apology at all but actually a defense mechanism.
"It's a way to protect us from how we might feel if someone else sees our messy home — protection from anxiety, fear or embarrassment," Sturmer told Business Insider.
This is definitely the case for me, and I don't just apologize for the mess. If I'm cooking dinner for friends, I'll make excuses about its flavor, texture, or presentation before they've even tasted the food.
Sturmer says it's important to remember that we have no control over what people think of us. But for many of us it becomes a learned behavior to be self-critical and to offer apologies for trivial things. "Instead, I'd suggest noticing what it feels like when the urge to apologize comes over us and thinking about how it would feel to find a different way of coping and of reassuring ourselves," Sturmer said.
The reality is that when our children grow up and have moved out, we'll inevitably feel wistful for the noisy, messy and laughter-filled days at home. We won't remember the sticky surfaces or wish that we'd tidied up more.
So I've decided that the next time my friends come over, they'll be greeted with a "Hello" followed by a "Come in, it's great to see you". We'll step over the Lego, cars and trains, leave the kids to go wild, and just enjoy being together.
Carbohydrates are an important part of a balanced diet, and pasta can be a great source.
Lisa Valente, a registered dietitian, shared five ways to make your pasta dishes even healthier.
These include adding protein and vegetables and choosing the least processed jarred sauces.
The myth that carbs are bad for you has been circulating for years, but a registered dietitian told Business Insider that pasta can actually be a delicious part of a healthy diet.
Thanks to the popularity of diets from Atkins to keto, which exclude carbohydrates in favor of protein and high-fat foods, carbs have been wrongly painted as the unhealthy cause of weight gain and insulin resistance. But most experts agree that carbs are an important part of a healthy diet, particularly nutrient-dense whole foods, and have benefits including providing energy.
"If you love pasta, it's definitely OK to include it in your diet," Lisa Valente, who practices out of Vermont and is also nutrition editor at Healthline.com, told BI.
Pasta is a staple food of the Mediterranean diet, widely considered one of the healthiest ways to eat, and is a great base for meals because it contains some protein and fiber as well as carbs. A 100g portion of dried white pasta carries 13g of protein and 3.2g of fiber, which are essential for muscle growth and digestive health, respectively. Pasta is thought to be even healthier the next day, as reheating it increases the levels of resistance starch.
But pasta can also be a tasty vehicle for other ingredients. "Think about what you can add to your pasta to make it more nutritious, to add a little more variety and round out your plate," Valente said.
Valente shared five tips to make your pasta meals even healthier.
Add vegetables and protein to pasta
Two of the best things to add to pasta are vegetables and sources of protein, Valente said.
Making a healthy pasta meal could be as simple as throwing it together with leftover vegetables and meat, or some canned beans.
Valente also likes to combine pasta with green vegetables that can melt into it like spinach, kale, and escarole, or add some frozen vegetables in with the pasta water for a supercheap and easy option. Frying up some garlic and adding it to the pasta, meanwhile, would provide antioxidants and depth of flavor, she said.
Adding vegetables to your pasta can add fiber and nutrients to your meal.
Moment/Getty Images
Try chickpea, whole wheat, or lentil pasta
Pasta made using chickpeas, whole wheat, or lentils is packed with even more protein and fiber than regular white pasta and is a good option for those who need to avoid gluten, Valente said.
Chickpea and red lentil pasta, which have a mild texture, might be particularly appealing to those who don't like wholewheat versions.
Choose the healthiest jarred sauces
"Jarred sauces can be great," Valente said. "When I think about nutrition, I don't think about perfection because sometimes we need that convenience element to come into play."
However, some jarred sauces can be high in added sugar and salt, so she recommends checking the labels and choosing products that contain the least additives.
Be mindful of how much cheese you add
Valente is a big fan of adding Parmesan cheese to her pasta.
Some cheese can contain a lot of sodium, which can contribute to high blood pressure, but, she said, it doesn't matter too much as long as you don't go overboard.
"It's a nice way to add flavor, get some calcium and a little more protein," she said. "A little bit of Parmesan cheese with pasta is delightful."
Eat salad with your pasta
Research suggests that eating a salad with meals can take the edge off hunger with lower-calorie foods. This can help you eat less food overall, which in the longer run could help prevent obesity and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
If you don't want to eat a salad with your pasta, Valente said you can get the same effects from snacking on some raw vegetables while cooking your noodles. This is a great way to pack in extra nutrients from the vegetables, too, she said.
Malaysia may add a casino to Forest City, a mega-development that has turned into a ghost town.
The casino, which would be the second in the country, could rejuvenate the struggling property.
The move may attract Singapore tourists, who pay a daily tax to gamble at home.
Malaysia's Forest City mega-development started with big ambitions and big money.
Announced in 2006, the luxury housing project in the south — easily accessible from Singapore — would house 700,000 people and feature a waterpark and hotels. The whole project cost its developers $100 billion.
But, eight years after construction began, only a few thousand people live there. The project has turned into a ghost town — and a major liability for its developer, which is facing sizable financial issues elsewhere.
Now, Malaysia is in talks with several high-profile investors to add a casino to Forest City, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg on Wednesday.
The southeast nation's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim met with the heads of a Malaysian property development firm and a resort company at Forest City last week. A representative of Malyasia's billionaire king, Ibrahim Iskandar, also attended, the people told Bloomberg.
King Ibrahim owns more than 20% of Forest City as part of a joint venture with Chinese real estate developer Country Garden, Bloomberg reported. The king took the throne in January for his five-year term and said last month he is ready to "begin my real way of ruling." The other partner, Country Garden, is facing significant financial issues from China's floundering property market and had nearly $200 billion in liabilities at the end of last June.
The two tycoons who met with the prime minister last week own some of Malaysia's most prominent businesses. One of the companies is Genting Group, a resort and theme park operator that owns Malaysia's only casino, located in a central Malaysian hill town. Genting operates other casinos in Singapore, the US, and the UK. The other, Berjaya Corp., runs hotels and develops properties, among other businesses.
The casino talks are in early stages and it is unclear if Prime Minister Anwar will allow such a business. Malaysia has a Muslim-majority population and those following Islam are prohibited from gambling.
Forest City did not immediately respond to BI's request for comment.
Expensive, empty apartments
A casino — which would only be the second in Malaysia — could help struggling Forest City.
While advertised as a "popular short-haul tourist destination," the complex, which includes apartments, hotels, a waterpark, and a mall, only sees a few dozen visitors each day, Business Insider reported in April. Those who do come are typically on a budget and don't spend much.
As of last year, only about 15% of the planned property had been completed, local media reported.
The corridor in one of the condominiums in Forest City.
Marielle Descalsota/Business Insider
Most apartments look like they've never been lived in, a BI reporter who visited earlier this year observed. They're almost twice the price of other apartments in the city, and wealthy people prefer to buy single-family homes, BI reported in April.
A new casino could attract tourists from Singapore. Singapore's government disincentivizes gambling by taxing residents 150 Singapore dollars, or $110, to enter local casinos. Singapore is connected by a one-kilometer bridge to the state of Johor, where Forest City is.
Cities around the world are similarly looking to add casinos to boost tourism.
The United Arab Emirates, another majority-Muslim country, is betting big on gambling. Earlier this year, it launched a federal-level gaming authority, and plans are in place to create an "Arabian Strip," an Emirati version of the Las Vegas Strip of hotels and casinos on the island of Al Marjan.
New York City is also looking to cash in. In April last year, the state government authorized up to three casino licenses for downstate New York, which includes the city and surrounding counties.
Purchased as an ultra-long-haul workhorse to connect its Abu Dhabi hub with far-away international destinations, the A380 first flew to New York in 2015 but left when the pandemic halted travel in 2020.
Etihad didn't follow through, however, instead deciding to re-launch the plane on flights to London last summer due to strong post-pandemic demand.
The airline has since moved one of those A380 flight to New York to up capacity at JFK — competing with rival five-star carrier Emirates' luxe A380 superjumbo already flying to the airport.
Here's what passengers can expect when flying Etihad in economy, business, first class, and its three-room "The Residence" suite.
Etihad's first A380 flight to the US since 2020 landed just after 10 a.m. on Monday after trekking more than 14 hours from Abu Dhabi.
Etihad Airways A380 flight path from Abu Dhabi to New York on April 22, 2024.
Courtesy of FlightAware
The famous double-decker left Abu Dhabi's Zayed International Airport at about 3:20 a.m. local time and landed at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport just after 10 a.m. ET, according to FlightAware.
The plane is one of four A380s active in Etihad's fleet, each featuring dual-level cabin with economy, business, and first class seats.
An Etihad Airbus A380.
Etihad
The A380 replaced one of the Boeing 787 Dreamliners that previously flew the Abu Dhabi-New York route, leaving one Dreamliner and the superjumbo flying the two daily frequencies.
If it needs even more capacity, Etihad has another six A380s on "reserve," CRO Arik De told Business Insider in December when the NYC route was first announced.
The most basic offering on Etihad's A380 is economy, featuring the typical inflight amenities like entertainment, food, and reclining seats.
Etihad's economy product has an edge over competitors thanks to added amenities.
M101Studio/Shutterstock
Etihad's 415-seat economy cabin is located on the lower level of the mammoth superjumbo, and the nice finishings like a cupholder and a touchscreen remote highlight its five-star status.
Coach comes with a winged headrest and a tray table, as well as a seatback pocket, 17.5 inches of seat width, and 31 inches of pitch — putting its legroom on par with the likes of Delta Air Lines and British Airways, according to SeatGuru.
Customers can pay for an economy upgrade, like seats with extra legroom, ones that are more kid-friendly, or seats that are "neighbor-free."
The extra legroom bulkhead seats on Etihad's A380 can come with a baby bassinet (pictured in 2015 before Economy Space was designated in 2018).
M101Studio/Shutterstock
"Economy Space" seats offer five more inches of pitch than the regular coach seats. The bulkhead is in the first row of the cabin and won't have a row in front.
Neighbor-free seating is similar to Lufthansa's option, which guarantees the adjacent seat will be empty — essentially a 2-in-1-type booking.
Notably, Etihad does not have a premium-economy cabin like its UAE counterpart Emirates. Economy Space is as close as it gets.
Etihad's A380 economy cabin right before its inaugural flight in 2014. Specific Economy Space seats have since been designated.
First Class Photography/Shutterstock
Former CEO Tony Douglas said at its launch that Etihad has not added premium economy because it wants simplicity.
"We listen to our guests, and space is what they tell us that they really want," he told Executive Traveller in 2022. "But what we haven't done is put in a lot of cost and unnecessary complexity."
Etihad's upper deck is where the luxury is — and where the airline makes its money.
Etihad's A380 before its inaugural service in 2014.
AFP/Getty Images
The second level of the A380 hosts Etihad's most premium cabins. There are 70 lie-flat business class seats, nine fully enclosed first class "apartments," and the one-of-a-kind "The Residence" suite.
Filling up its expensive upper deck on every flight is essential in making the gas-gusting A380 profitable — meaning it has to have an attractive product to compete with the other five-star carriers also serving New York.
Business class offers the typical luxuries like aisle access, plenty of storage, and a touchscreen television with a connected remote.
Etihad's business class cabin is in the back half of the A380's second level. Some seats are forward-facing, and some are backward-facing.
David Slotnick/Business Insider
Customers can expect the common bells and whistles of business class plus a few special perks, but it's not cheap.
Flights for mid-July in A380 business class between New York and Abu Dhabi on Etihad's website show fares starting at about $4,000 each way.
The premium cabin also offers WiFi access, power ports, an amenity kit, window shades, and a pillow and blanket for sleeping.
Etihad's A380 business class seat in lie-flat mode.
David Slotnick/Business Insider
There is no sliding door on Etihad, as seen in business class cabins in Qatar or Japan's All Nippon Airways, but there is a partition between the pair of seats in the center section for privacy.
Customers can also enjoy an 'anytime' dining menu that lets people eat on their own schedule.
The meal from a previous BI flight review in Etihad's A380 business class.
David Slotnick/Business Insider
The flexible dining plan can be useful on some early-morning or late-night flights, like Etihad's New York-bound A380 departure that leaves Abu Dhabi at around 3 a.m.
First class sits at the front of the upper deck and includes nine 'apartments.'
Etihad's first-ever A380 flight to the US, taken in 2015 at New York-JFK.
Etihad Airways
Carriers like Singapore Airlines, Qatar Airways, and Emirates have added grandiose first-class suites to their A380s as well, thanks to the mammoth size of the jet.
The apartments are like mini hotel rooms with sliding doors that come complete with a separate armchair and bed — similar to Singapore.
Apartment 5C on Etihad's A380.
Some cabins can be combined into one for two people to share, and the television swivels so it can be used from either the chair or the bed.
Two of Etihad's A380 apartments combined.
M101Studio/Shutterstock
The bed stretches nearly seven feet, so it'll be long enough for even the tallest travelers — and a convenient remote allows passengers to control the far-away television when lying down.
Also available to first-class flyers is fine dining, WiFi, power, storage, a luxe lavatory, and a standing shower.
Inside the first class apartment on Etihad's A380 at night.
First Class Photography/Shutterstock
First-class meals include high-dollar Champagnes, wines, steaks, and other gourmet food.
The shower is rare to see on airlines because of the costly extra weight of carrying the water.
Etihad shower.
The latter has installed two giant lavatories with separate vanities in its upper deck first class.
Those with a first-class ticket can upgrade to Etihad's crown jewel, called The Residence, which is exclusive to its A380.
A butler used to be available for The Residence, but Etihad has since abandoned that perk.
Etihad
The Residence is an actual flying hotel room as it is the only three-room suite onboard a commercial jetliner. It is considered the cream of the crop for long-haul flying and goes beyond the typical first class.
"We had our first bookings within minutes of the announcement that the A380 was coming to New York," De told BI in December. "It's a famous experience, and there are plenty of people out there who want to sample it, either as a dream one-off or as part of their overall travel mix."
The completely private suite features a living room, a bedroom, and an ensuite bathroom with shower.
The Residence bathroom with a shower.
Etihad Airways via Getty Images
The 125-square-foot space is designed to accommodate up to two people thanks to the double couch and bed.
It's about as close as possible to flying on a private jet without the six-figure price tag. At launch, the route between NYC and Abu Dhabi cost $32,000 each way for either single or double occupancy, according to Etihad, but that has varied over the years.
It's nicer (and bigger) than some New York City apartments — and deep-pocketed travelers are willing to pay thousands for the sky penthouse.
The Residence cost $32,000 one-way at launch, and remained above $20,000 pre-pandemic, depending on the season and the route.
Etihad Airways via Getty Images
Looking on Etihad's website in December for a flight between New York and Abu Dhabi for mid-May, the A380 apartments were priced between roughly $9,000 and $10,000 each way, with another $3,000 per leg on topfor the Residence, totaling about $24,000.
Searching again on Monday, it appears the Residence is already booked up on most days for May, as it cannot be added tofirst-class bookings. Apartments are going for between $5,000 and $8,000 now each way.
One thing Etihad keeps equal across all classes is a prayer room, with one located in each cabin.
Etihad Airways
SeatGuru shows a prayer room toward the front of the economy cabin, in the middle of business class, and right behind the last row of first. A curtain adds privacy.
Meanwhile, exclusive to just business and first class is access to an onboard bar and lounge.
The bar during a previous BI flight review on Etihad's A380 in 2020.
David Slotnick/Business Insider
The exclusive space sits on the upper deck between the two premium cabins and is a place to socialize, work, and stretch your legs.
The sitting area has a coffee table and television, while a bar is available with drinks and snacks.
The bar during a previous BI flight review on Etihad's A380 in 2020.
David Slotnick/Business Insider
Emirates and Qatar also offer a similar bar for premium passengers flying on their A380s.
Premium passengers can also enjoy perks like chauffeur service in Abu Dhabi and express airport check-in and lounge access before flying.
The Etihad Business Class Lounge in Abu Dhabi.
Etihad's return to NYC signals confidence in the A380 and its niche viability within the airline's strong hub-and-spoke network.
An Etihad Airways A380 over New York.
Etihad Airways
While many carriers have turned a cheek to the A380 due to high operating costs, Emirates, Singapore, Qatar, and Etihad, as well as a handful of other Asian and European airlines, all continue to fly the A380.
"We are entering a new phase of sustainable growth to meet the demands of our customers, and the A380 is the right aircraft to meet capacity demands on very select routes," De told BI. "We brought it back on our London services earlier this year, and saw tremendous commercial success, with guests loving the experience."
Whenever Costco releases a batch of gold bars for sale, the supply sells out "within a few hours" as shoppers snap up the precious metal for a small markup over its spot price.
The out-of-stock notices give the allure of a hard-to-get item, but the wholesale club is still moving a lot of gold bars and silver coins — to the estimated tune of $200 million a month.
But the Wall Street Journal reports that some buyers who have gotten their hands on a bar or two are now getting a crash course in the complicated world of trading commodities.
Gold bars are one of the few items that Costco does not allow returns, refunds, or price adjustments on, so the only way to get your money back is to find someone else who will buy it from you, and that's more complicated than some expected.
"It's not like trading stocks," New York-based appraiser Lark Mason told the newspaper. "There's a friction between what you pay and what you actually get."
One shopper, Adam Xi, encountered those frictions. He was hoping to use the $2,000 gold purchase to boost his credit-card points but then had to search for a buyer who ended up only paying him $1,960 for it, the Journal reported. Another managed to turn a $850 profit — after holding the bar for nine years.
Although gold has been used as a medium of exchange for thousands of years, it's not really considered currency in the modern sense.
Unlike cash or even gift cards, Costco classifies gold bars as collectibles, which may or may not retain their value over time.
For that matter, the Internal Revenue Service also considers gold bars as a collectible too, and demands as much as a 28% cut of any profits on gold held for more than one year.
The bars themselves might be fun to hold and look at, but between the possible interest, taxes, shipping, and other expenses — not to mention the hassle of finding a buyer — trading gold just might not be worth the trouble, even at Costco prices.
The Stratosphere is viewed from downtown on August 13, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
George Rose/Getty Images
North American downtowns struggle as remote work continues to dominate the white-collar workforce.
A University of Toronto study reveals a gradual uptick in downtown foot traffic.
Downtowns are looking to transition into mixed-use districts and ease their dependence on offices.
As remote work cements its grip on the white-collar workforce, North American downtowns are working to fight off a downward spiral.
Many are attempting the transition from office-only districts to mixed-use neighborhoods with new residents and businesses. But breathing new life into areas dominated by half-empty office buildings is proving challenging.
The largest North American downtowns have generally seen a gradual uptick in foot traffic over the last year, according to a newly updated report from the University of Toronto analyzing anonymized cellphone data.
Many cities are working to turn vacant offices into homes, give restaurants and other businesses tax breaks to move downtown, and otherwise turn office districts into vibrant neighborhoods. But it takes time.
"Downtowns are going through this painful transformation to 24/7 social districts from being office districts," said Karen Chapple, the director of the School of Cities at the University of Toronto and the author of the downtown recovery study.
The researchers found that while most cities have seen their office occupancy stagnate, they've seen an uptick in nighttime and weekend activity.
"You've got a really striking picture of many cities where weeknights and weekends are completely back to normal, but the overall recovery rate is being dragged down by the working-hour activity, which is still slow," Chapple said.
Overall, the rate of new downtown activity between March 2023 and February 2024 has slowed and even fallen in some cities. Overall, the median rate of change over the last year was 9.3%, and 50 of the 64 downtowns saw increased activity, the researchers found.
"So many of them have just sort of stagnated in their recovery," Chapple said. The data aligns with office building vacancy rates, she said.
The University of Toronto researchers, along with the Institute of Governmental Studies at UC Berkeley, have been analyzing foot traffic since January 2020 to understand how downtowns are coping with the impacts of the pandemic. Chapple said it will likely take years for many downtowns to attract the numbers they had pre-pandemic. Some probably never will.
"2022 was a big upswing year," she said. "And then in 2023, that upswing slowed dramatically, and in 2024 it's slowing even more because we've reached what people are calling the new normal."
Pandemic-induced remote work has exacerbated the decline of many downtowns that were struggling long before COVID-19 hit, and threatens to send many others into a so-called "urban doom loop." As offices empty and residents leave, experts warn that declines in tax revenue could force the government to cut funding for municipal services, from schools to mass transit.
Certain downtowns haven't seen much progress over the last year. San Francisco, for example, has kept its spot in last place for downtown activity, seeing a 21.6% decline in foot traffic over the last year. But others — including several Midwestern cities that struggled in the last few years — have seen their activity levels tick up. Minneapolis is ranked in first place: the Minnesota city has seen a 45.3% increase in foot traffic since March of last year. Chicago, Louisville, and Cincinnati are also among the top 10 fastest-growing downtowns.
David Smith dropped his career as a delivery driver and factory worker to become a Henry VIII impersonator.
He earns a living by giving talks and performances as Henry VIII at schools and heritage sites.
After leaving behind a more traditional job, he wouldn't consider ever going back.
This is an as-told-to essay based on a conversation with 24-year-old UK resident David Smith about his career as a Henry VIII impersonator. It has been edited for length and clarity. Business Insider has confirmed his previous and current employment. Smith declined to share his earnings.
I was eight years old when I saw a portrait of Henry VIII in all his regalia. I was mesmerized by it.
My passion grew from there: I spent my childhood reading my mom's encyclopedias, buying Tudor books, and watching documentaries about Henry VIII and his six wives.
I studied the Tudors at elementary school and wanted to become a history teacher but my local high school didn't teach Tudor history.
I ended up dropping out of school when I turned 17, and went to work in a factory and then as a delivery driver. During that time, my love of history still lingered in the back of my mind.
Everything changed when I found a Henry VIII outfit on Facebook Marketplace for £20 ($25) in 2021. I'd always wanted to own one, whether I'd wear it or not.
I decided to post a photo of myself wearing it on Facebook. Immediately messages flooded in telling me I bore a resemblance to the young King. A historical costumier saw the post and directed me to a reenactment group looking for a young Henry.
I debuted my impersonation with the group on a voluntary basis. During the week, I'd be in the factory, and then on the weekend, I'd self-finance my trips around the country to different palaces. The other reenactors and I would travel to heritage sites like Penshurst Place (a site once used as Henry VIII's hunting lodge), where we would perform and walk around the grounds in character, educating people on the Tudors.
After a year, the high travel costs and exhaustion got to me, but I didn't want to give up on being Henry. I decided to start doing it as paid work: I set up a business email address and a Facebook page and started getting in touch with palaces and historic workshops myself.
'You have to believe that you are the king'
My current job is a long way from my career as a delivery driver, which I ended just last year.
I now work five days a week visiting schools, palaces, and other heritage sites. I adapt to what the venue wants: I do historical talks, live reenactments of historical events, and even Tudor dancing.
My job could be described as being half teacher, half method actor. Nearly every time I go into a school, a kid asks me, "If you're Henry VIII, how are you still alive?" I usually reply, "Well, God wills it to be so," and in some ways, I have to believe it myself.
To do the job well, you have to believe that you are the most important person — that you are the king. You have to believe that you were chosen by God. All that definitely gives you confidence that stays with you.
Smith with an Anne Boleyn impersonator at Hatfield House.
David Smith
Recently, I took part in a three-course banquet at the Old Palace in Hatfield House, an estate previously owned by Henry VIII and now owned by the Marquess of Salisbury. Visitors could dine with me and Anne Boleyn for around £80 ($100) per person.
The whole experience was as historically accurate as possible. My hands were washed for me, my food was cut for me, my goblet was refilled whenever I needed it, and everyone had to bow and curtsey to me.
Out of all the events I've attended, that was the one that made me feel most like Henry VIII. I felt how he must've felt being there and being served.
Becoming Henry
Smith with a Tudor reenactment group.
David Smith
Some people wrongly see Henry as just an obese, tyrannical despot of a King. While that's reflective of the last years of his life, when he ordered the execution of thousands of people, that wasn't always how he was. He was also a scholar and a well-mannered leader.
It's incredible to see the excitement you see on kids' faces when you go into schools, and they get to see this historic character brought to life.
While I'm not a traditional teacher, I still think of myself as one. I get all the good bits — meeting new pupils and sharing my passion for history — without the stress that teachers deal with.
After my visit, one school sent me letters to my home address: 30 letters from children expressing how much they loved my visit and shared all the facts they remembered. That was a particularly touching moment.
Life outside Henry
Unlike my old job, I have to take my role home with me.
My beard is cut in the same way Henry had his and although I'm naturally blond, I dye my hair and beard ginger to improve the resemblance.
It's definitely taxing on my time. Every two weeks, I travel around 70 miles to practice traditional Tudor dancing with a group. And even when I come home from a long day at work, all I want to do is get straight back to learning more about the Tudors.
A lot of my earnings go back into the business. Each of my outfits is custom-made by historical costumiers to my exact measurements. Prices start at £2,000 ($2,500) — and that's without all the extras that go with it: the rings, the chain of office, the medallions. I currently own two of these outfits.
Getting the money together takes me a while, but I pride myself on accuracy. I live and breathe it.
Most of my small circle of friends work in reenactment too, and they understand that this lifestyle is a defining part of who I am. My name is saved as Henry in most of their phones.
While my career may seem a long way off from other people's jobs, I still have the same concerns and ambitions.
Trying to "make it" in any industry requires a level of sacrifice, be that on your time or your relationships. Perhaps the hardest thing is the fear of running out of bookings, like with any freelance job.
But all that matters to me is that I have enough to live on and keep investing in this passion. I don't really care for buying a fancy house or fancy cars, I just want to earn enough to buy Tudor books and add to my collection of Tudor portraits.
I could never go back to a 'normal' job, I'll keep doing this, even if one day it means having to take a pay cut.
The US is the largest employer in the country, securing about 11 million contracts per year.
A Mokhtari/Getty
The government signed four million new contracts in 2023 and there are many ways to enter the field.
Some large companies regularly sign contracts with the government and many roles require clearances.
You can also bid on your own contracts and make deals directly with the government.
The US is the nation's largest employer, according to the Department of Labor — and it needs a lot of goods and services. From supplying employees with basic needs like toilet paper to renovating government buildings or supplying weapons to the military.
The government can't do everything itself, so it hires contractors to help out. This lets the government tackle specific jobs and projects quickly without all the steps of regular government hiring and bureaucratic obstacles.
The White House has said that the US government signs 4 million new contracts and orders each year.
While pay is sometimes considered a drawback of public sector work, government contracting opportunities can offer better pay than federal roles, while still providing stability and other perks like flexible scheduling.
Even though the industry is vast and the pathway to enter isn't always clear, there's a lot of opportunity in the field. The federal government awarded about $765 billion in contracts in 2023, according to government market intelligence platform HigherGov.
To help make sense of the complex field, BI spoke to recruiters and individual contractors about how the system works and best practices to enter the field. We broke it down below to demystify the process.
You can work for a larger government contracting company
A sign marks the Raytheon offices in Woburn.
Thomson Reuters
There are a wide range of large government contracting companies that the government regularly makes deals with.
Defense contractors are a good example of some of the biggest players in the space who secure massive government contracts regularly, such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Raytheon, and Northrop Grumman. These are public companies that also sign contracts with the government.
There are also smaller to midsize companies that help serve the government's needs directly, such as helping with development and policy work in other countries.
Opportunities in tech and data are especially in demand. The Judge Group, a recruiting agency, told BI it has seen a 15% increase in opportunities in government aerospace and defense positions over the last couple of years.
Many government contractor roles require some level of clearance, which costs money and can take time to attain. Some of the larger companies may sponsor your clearance, though, so it can be a good place to secure a first job, according to Lauren Irizarry, a senior talent acquisition partner at A2 Federal.
Many companies favor those who have worked in the military or at a government agency previously, but you can still get a job without that background if you have the skills and clearances needed.
You can find many of these opportunities on Clearancejobs.com, a platform for jobs with security clearance. Even if you don't have a clearance, the site has thousands of jobs listed, contact info for recruiters, and a career fair page with upcoming events to meet employers.
If you're breaking into the field, you may want to browse through positions you're interested in and see what kind of clearance they require before applying.
While these opportunities are sometimes difficult to find, once you have experience under your belt it's easier to find work.
John Breth, 40, worked in government contracting roles for 12 years before starting his own contracting company. He said the perk to working for a large company is there are often other contracts that you can transition to when you finish the project you're working on.
You can establish your own contracting business
If you're interested in selling services to the government, you can start by registering your entity or getting a unique entity ID at Sam.Gov. To get a sense of available opportunities, you can search for different needs or supplies in "contract opportunities," which lists notices from federal contracting offices.
Once you find an opportunity, the next step is to bid on the contract. This involves submitting a proposal that outlines how you plan to meet the government's needs.
If awarded the contract, you have to meet specific requirements set by the government, which may involve getting clearances or certifications.
Kevin Jennings has been in the business for 15 years. He started out providing the government with commodities like toner ink, pencils, office furniture, and medical supplies. Once he got his foot in the door, he moved to construction.
"I could make as much money as I wanted to make or as little as I wanted to make," Jennings said. "I could find projects that fit what I wanted to do at the time."
The US Small Business Administration also has a small business program that reserves 23% of prime government contracts for small businesses. This may give some business owners an advantage in selling goods and services over other industries.
While some people manage the whole process themselves, others work solely in the bidding process. There are many different roles and nuances within the field, and you can go to sba.gov to learn more and receive free training online.
There's value in understanding the industry
The US government has client-contractor relationships like many other industries, but with government contracting, the client is the government. This brings unique requirements to the deals and complexities of getting paid.
You can explore help topics on Sam.gov or browse through different posts on FindRFP to find out more information about the industry at large.
If you research a specific sector, you'll have a better sense of the industry-specific requirements, pay scales, and other distinctions that add layers of complexity to the career path. Once you understand the landscape better, you'll be able to recognize which jobs you qualify for and define your path forward.
Are you a government contractor with an interesting story to share? Reach out to the reporter from a non-work device and email ataaltchek@businessinsider.com.
Amazon uses an AI model that does a smarter job of selecting the right box, bag, or wrapper for each of the millions of unique items sold through the company's warehouses.
Klaus-Dietmar Gabbert/picture alliance via Getty Images
Amazon's packaging has been getting more efficient in recent years, thanks to AI.
The e-commerce giant built an AI model that interprets pictures and text to choose the best shipping materials.
The tool is key in helping the company cut out 2 million tons of plastic and cardboard since 2015.
While most of the tech world is focused on shiny new generative AI tools, Amazon has been chipping away at an ongoing challenge posed by modern consumerism: the proliferation of shipping materials.
For several years now, the e-commerce giant has been developing what it describes as a "multimodal AI model" called the Package Decision Engine.
The PDE's job is to do a smarter job of selecting the right box, bag, or wrapper for each of the millions of unique items sold through the company's warehouses.
Amazon's earlier packing strategy — chosen by humans and less intelligent computers — was frequently a source of confusion for customers and ridicule toward the company. Frequent Amazon shoppers have almost certainly received a shipment with a single small item in a comically large box.
Now, instead of humans doing physical tests, the company says products are sent through a computer vision tunnel that gathers dimensions and particular features (like whether it has fragile parts or already resides in a box).
Those images are then matched with a natural language processing of text-based description of the product, plus other quantitative data to match the item with its ideal shipping solution.
While there are some unexpected reasons for why larger packaging is in fact a smart choice, Amazon says it is committed to reducing the amount of cardboard it uses as part of its sustainability pledges.
It makes business sense too: when sending billions of parcels, taking even a little bit from each one can add up to some staggeringly large numbers.
The company estimates using correctly sized boxes, switching to softer mailers, or skipping packaging altogether now saves 60,000 tons of cardboard per year in North America alone.
