The New York Stock Exchange ground to a halt for nearly four hours Wednesday because of what officials said was a technical glitch, spooking investors and raising new worries about the soundness of the world’s complex financial markets. America’s oldest exchange went dark from 11:32 a.m. to 3:10 p.m., its longest computer-related closure to date, freezing orders and redirecting trades through a sprawling network of other exchanges. (The Washington Post)

Business has been so brisk in the giant Kotsovolos appliance and electronics store in this upper-middle-class suburb of Athens that you might think a sale was on. But, no. It is panic buying, those who work here say. Increasingly concerned that greater economic trouble lies ahead of them, and limited in how much cash they can take out of banks, Greeks have been using their debit cards to buy ovens, refrigerators, dishwashers – anything tangible that can hold its value in troubled times. (The New York Times)

The pastry chefs were unhappy. They had to follow the whims of the head baker, they weren’t allowed to take bathroom breaks, and the hairnets they had to wear were truly unflattering. Inspired by an anti-capitalist documentary, they came up with a solution: no more bosses. The pastry chefs quit their jobs and joined together to form a vegan-donut co-op, where they could bake sweets free from the strict confines of the top-down corporate world. (The Atlantic)

Generation X is moving into the corner office, bringing a different style to the way companies are run. As older baby boomers retire, more companies are turning to members of Gen X, those born between about 1965 and 1980, and younger boomers, now in their mid-50s. Among companies that have recently appointed CEOs aged 50 or younger are McDonald’s Corp. , Harley-Davidson Inc., Microsoft Corp. , and 21st Century Fox Inc. (The Wall Street Journal)

It’s easy to put things off, from starting a big project at work to making a dental appointment. Everybody procrastinates, says Joseph Ferrari, PhD, professor of psychology at DePaul University in Chicago, but not everybody is a procrastinator. "Twenty to 25% of adults are chronic procrastinators; it affects their home, school, relationships, and job – wherever they have to do something," says Ferrari, author of Still Procrastinating: The No-Regrets Guide to Getting It Done. "That’s higher than the rate for depression, substance abuse, phobias, and other psychological abnormalities. People think it’s humorous, but it can be a serious problem." (Fast Company)

Picture this. I was at a networking event last winter. It was cold outside, but quite warm in the room. Most of us balanced winter coats and heavy bags. I made small talk with a few other people, when a new guy approached the group. "Damn, you guys are carrying a ton of sh*t," he said. "You know, you can check your sh*t for free at the coat check." Boom! Instant credibility suck. I get that he was trying to help us, but none of us paid him any mind after that introduction. (Inc.)

As the Greek crisis escalated in recent days, Europe’s common currency crossed a line that could taint it forever. The crucial moment occurred when Greece’s debt dispute with other European countries became a fight to stay in the euro. The prospect of a country leaving the currency was once unthinkable. Europe’s goal is to form an "ever closer union" – and the euro’s creators expected the currency to play a driving role in that process. (The New York Times)

Given China’s status as U.S.’s second largest trading partner after Canada, the recent meltdown of the Chinese stock market poses a serious challenge to American companies with significant interest there. As an economic powerhouse with a voracious appetite for everything from Coach handbags to iPhones, China has emerged as an important market for U.S. companies. But as the events of the past month demonstrated, all is not well in China and that could increasingly affect U.S. corporate profitability. (MarketWatch)

In 1780, John Adams wrote a letter to his wife, Abigail, in which he laid out his plans for what his children and grandchildren would devote their lives to. Having himself taken the time to master "Politicks and War," two revolutionary necessities, Adams hoped his children would go into disciplines that promoted nation-building, such as "mathematicks," "navigation," and "commerce." His plan was that in turn, those practical subjects would give his children’s children room "to study painting, poetry, musick, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelaine." Two-hundred and thirty-five years later, this progression—"from warriors to dilettantes," in the words of the literary scholar Geoffrey Galt Harpham—plays out much as Adams hoped it would: Once financial concerns have been covered by their parents, children have more latitude to study less pragmatic things in school. (The Atlantic)

t was hailed as a success story this year when a group of leading US business schools managed to increase their proportion of female students on MBA (Master of Business Administration) courses to 40% - up from 30% a decade before. It was seen as a step forward in the challenge to make business courses, particularly MBAs, less male-dominated. (BBC News)

Winners of the 2015 National Black MBA Association® (NBMBAA®) Leaders of Tomorrow® (LOT) National Business Case Competition have been announced. On Saturday, June 27, LOT high school students from the U.S. and Canada trained for months to analyze an MBA-level Harvard-style graduate business case. Twelve final teams competed for the grand prize of $15,000 at the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice University, who served as a contributing sponsor. (PR Newswire)

This week, five NBMBAA members are attending the China Europe International Business School Pre-MBA Summer Boot Camp in Shanghai. Member Keon Williams is among those interviewed by CNN for a discussion of the impact of recent stock market dips on the Chinese economy. (Video)

For the second consecutive year, The Consortium presented a merit-based, full-tuition fellowship in partnership with the National Black MBA Association at our annual Orientation Program & Career Forum, this year in Phoenix. This year, the scholarship went to Marissa Smith, an Atlanta native who graduated in 2011 from Washington University in St. Louis with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. (The Consortium)

Just five minutes and a genius business idea can help you to win big. Gone are the days of conventional business plan competitions. For this activity, three NBMBAA members will have five minutes each to sell their business idea to a mixed panel of venture capitalists, academic instructors and successful entrepreneurs – using only a digital board and pen. The winner will receive $10,000. The time is now to bring your best business idea to the table. Just submit your a 60-second pitch video to register. Visit our Innovation Whiteboard Challenge page to see samples and get all the details. Deadline is July 21, so don't miss your chance to participate!

For many new mothers, the experience of early parenthood means having a smartphone in one hand and a baby in the other. Common tasks include: searching Google Images for horrifying rashes, watching instructional YouTube videos on swaddling, acting as their baby’s own personal paparazza, texting photos to grandparents, and, of course, shopping online. Among other parenting pitfalls, new mothers must also now try to avoid giant giraffes, colorful tunnels, and other impulse buys they might regret in the morning. (The Atlantic)

From booking your next vacation, to shopping, playing games, and sharing cat videos with Facebook friends, no question, the Internet offers limitless options for goofing off. "The technology seems to be irresistible," observes Maria Triana, who teaches management and human resources at the graduate business school at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "Even the most conscientious employees admit they spend some time on non-work-related sites, especially between tasks." That’s fine in small doses. (Fortune)

Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram—they're all free platforms businesses can use to directly engage with their audiences. But the idea that engagement is easy, free, and quick is false, according to Amy Vernon, social marketing consultant and cofounder and CMO of Predictable.ly. "One of the biggest false assumptions about using social media for marketing is that it doesn’t cost money and it’s fast," says Vernon. "Like all good things, 'getting the word out' takes time." Luckily, she says there are things you can do to help speed up the process. (Fast Company)

You know that social media can drive results. Even if you haven't seen it in your company, you'll see it with thousands of other brands. However, it doesn't matter how present you are on social media if you aren't receiving any kind of feedback from your customers. That's a clear sign that you're doing it all wrong. If you're not sure why your customers aren't engaging with your social media posts, it could be that you're doing any of the following things. (Inc.)

As Greeks hope for the best outcome to the crisis shaking their nation, small businesses are preparing for the worst. Maria Iliadou, who owns a franchise for the Goody’s Burger House chain in Thessaloniki, said suppliers who used to get paid via electronic banking are asking for cash for July. With capital controls into their second week and banks shut, she said she will have to close by the end of this month if she can’t access her account. (Bloomberg)

When it comes to saving, we aren't doing enough of it. Roughly half of Americans are saving 5% or less of their incomes, including 18% that are not saving anything, according to a survey from Bankrate. Only about a quarter of people are saving more than 10% of their earnings. (CNN/Money)

Growth is set to slow across more of the world’s largest economies, including the U.S. and China, according to leading indicators released Wednesday by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. The Paris-based research body said its gauges of future economic activity—which are based on information available for May – also point to slowdowns in the U.K., Canada and Brazil. The indicators had previously pointed to steady growth for the U.K. (The Wall Street Journal)

If you slept in a bed last night, ate a meal today, wear clothing or drive a car, you probably agree that daily life can be expensive. The number of things you have to pay for can seem endless.But what if you could cut back in a big way in one or two spending categories and get ahead on your financial goals? (Daily Finance)

Four years ago, Cait Flanders, a personal finance writer in Vancouver who turns 30 tomorrow, pulled out her credit cards and faced the truth she had been avoiding for years: She was $25,000 CAD ($19,800 USD) in debt, and most of it had been frittered away. Student loans accounted for $4,500 CAD ($3,600 USD), but as for the rest? "I don’t have a great answer for it. I just lived a lifestyle I couldn’t afford," she says. (Forbes)

Conferences are an overwhelming rush of presentations, conversations, and potential meet-ups, and it can be tough to know where to focus your time. How do you figure out which sessions to attend? Should you skip the keynote to meet an important contact? How many coffee dates are too many? And what should you do if you’re an introvert who hates small talk? (Harvard Business Review)

Education, Networking and Career Opportunities You Can't Miss: Register Now for The National Black MBA Association® 37th Annual Conference and Exposition 

Celebrating 45 years of Black professional development and executive leadership, The National Black MBA Association® (NBMBAA®), the nation's premier organization for Black business professionals, today announced early bird registration is open for  the upcoming NBMBAA® 37th Annual Conference and Exposition at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL where more than 9,000 attendees are anticipated to convene for networking, leadership development, and career opportunities.

Registration rates increase August 17, so register today!

Visit Conference Website
Register Now!

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If you are aiming to pass the PMP® or CAPM® exam and you want to get the best project management learning experience in just 3 days, then CertifiNOW® is the right choice for you.

A recent study indicated that certified employees tend to earn 10-25% more in annual salary than their non-certified peers... and 1.2 million new project management jobs will be created, on a yearly basis, for the next 10 years. This project management learning program provides an unsurpassed learning experience for the PMP® (Project Management Professional) or CAPM® (Certified Associate in Project Management) certification exams in a condensed amount of time.

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David Berdish worked to get Ford Motor Company to develop interest in car sharing and urban transport models. Nick Hughes had to appeal to external financing to get Vodafone to support M-Pesa, a mobile-phone based banking service that now enables millions around the world to transfer money. And Mandar Apte rolled out a meditation program at Shell that’s now being piloted to improve safety outcomes at the company. What do these individuals have in common? They are all intrapreneurs – or misfits – pioneering new innovations within incumbent corporations. (Fortune)

Some of the biggest global corporations are tapping business schools to fill their leadership development pipelines. Multinational groups including online retailers Amazon and Alibaba, brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev and Chevron, the energy major, have recruitment tracks that fast-track MBAs into leadership positions. (BusinessBecause)

Money wasn’t the only thing that enabled financier Cosimo de’ Medici to become de facto ruler of Florence for much of the Italian Renaissance. He exemplified a special leadership skill – the ability to get diverse teams of contending bankers, merchants, and traders to collaborate effectively. How? He identified with each group’s sentiments and mindsets. With that understanding, he succeeded where others failed: He built new bridges of common purpose, resulting in a "team" that produced greater, more sustained economic, social, and cultural value for all parties – and the broader society. (Harvard Business Review)

Getting to Inbox Zero may seem like a far-off dream, and often means dozens if not hundreds of unread emails. For PubMatic CEO Rajeev Goel, however, Inbox Zero is not only attainable but is a daily practice. Goel has earned a company-wide reputation for reading and responding to every email in his inbox while simultaneously running a $130 million company. How does he do it? (Fast Company)