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Kyndryl Launches Agentic AI Framework To Combine Business AI, Human Capabilities

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‘We’ve created an approach to implementing agentic AI in an environment which is secure and enterprise grade. It can be rolled out just like we roll out our infrastructure for customers, banks, and governments and airlines and automotive companies, where we can’t afford to be non-secure, we can’t afford to go down, can’t afford to be performance affected,’ says Ismail Amla, senior vice president of Kyndryl Consult.

Digital Transformation: AI Artificial Intelligence in Human Face Head.

Global enterprise technology services provider Kyndryl has introduced its Kyndryl Agentic AI Framework, which aims to ease the deployment of agentic AI to work along human teams.

Kyndryl’s, and the IT industry’s, investment in agentic AI comes on the heels of the widespread adoption of GenAI, said Ismail Amla, senior vice president of Kyndryl Consult.

“GenAI was great for getting content,” Amla told CRN. “Suddenly we’ve got not just content, but incredible content, reasoning, learning, and acting all in an agent and all done in a way where it’s gone from a little bit of technology to an influx of technology capability and with it lots of opportunities.”

[Related: Kyndryl CEO: Reselling ‘Other People’s Equipment’ Was ‘Empty Calorie Revenue’]

Investment in AI by multiple vendors in technologies including large language models, inference engines, and frameworks is generating those opportunities, Alma said.

The big question in the industry is what that all means for things like customer service or human resources, he said. That in turn leads to the question of how to take advantage of agentic AI, not in a “show me a demo” world, but in enterprise-grade workloads, he said.

“Kyndryl is helping make sense for our customers of all of the technologies now available, all the opportunities people talk about, and all of hype had around GenAI, where a lot of the feedback was not a lot of it got implemented,” he said. “There was a lot of hype and those demos, but not a lot got implemented.”

Kyndryl’s response was the launch of Kyndryl Agentic AI Framework, which aims to ease the deployment of agentic AI to human teams, Alma said.

“We’ve created an approach to implementing agentic AI in an environment which is secure and enterprise grade,” he said. “It can be rolled out just like we roll out our infrastructure for customers, banks, and governments and airlines and automotive companies, where we can’t afford to be non-secure, we can’t afford to go down, can’t afford to be performance affected.”

The Kyndryl Agentic AI Framework takes advantage of thousands of infrastructure deployments and over 12 million AI-driven insights via Kyndryl Bridge, the company’s platform for integrating and orchestrating complex IT infrastructures to better meet mission-critical requirements.

Combined, the Kyndryl Agentic AI Framework and Kyndryl Bridge use advanced algorithms, self-learning, optimization, and secure-by-design AI agents to turn complex data into clear insights, Alma said.

“This agentic AI framework allows you to connect all of these incredible technologies in a business environment, but doing it in a way where you are addressing issues around bias, security, enterprise grade, technology lock-in, and so on,” he said.

Kyndryl is already using the Kyndryl Agentic AI Framework with a couple of large clients, Alma said.

In one example, it is working with a government to create a native-AI government. “We define the policies from a human perspective, and the agents with little or no need for people goes and performs the task and comes back to humans when there’s something that might create risk that requires human judgment,” he said.

In another example, Kyndryl is also working with a financial services company.

“Financial services are usually leading-edge in terms of deployment of some of these technologies, but are also very, very concerned about security and risk, speed, and so on,” he said. “We’re working with this financial services company to take a particular process, it could be something like fraud management or making faster payments, and use things like customer experience and actuarial support to introduce agentic AI to sit alongside a human to get more value out of what they’re doing for their customers.”

Alma declined to name either of those two customers.

Transparency within the Kyndryl Agentic AI Framework is essential to ensure bias does not enter the agentic AI processes, Alma said.

“By making sure that you are doing the learning in a way which is fair and transparent, biases are identified for addressing rather than reinforced for learning,” he said. “There’s a lot of extra steps built in, and it’s a little bit different depending on the technology and the models you’re using and the maturity of the models. It also varies according to how you configure your large language models and your small language models as to what you allow in terms of transparency, in terms of learning, in terms of inference, once you’ve got past the learning stage.”

How AI agents work in general also depends on how they are treated, Alma said.

“Think of the workforce being a combination of agents and people,” he said. “In a way, agents need to be treated like humans in the sense that you need to select them, to onboard them, to continually train them, to coach them. And then, maybe by the ‘sell-by’ date, because something else has come up, you might want to exit them. So the IT department becomes a little bit of the HR department for agents. And so it’s a huge cultural shift right in terms of how you go about implementing some of this stuff.”

Going forward, Kyndryl plans to develop agentic AI capabilities focused on specific industries and on how businesses can use their customers’ specific data, Alma said.

“Our focus is now on not just using generic technology for generic issues, but to make it very industry-aligned, and also keeping the ecosystem open so that for our customers can use the framework as new technologies get plugged in,” he said.



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SoftBank rides tech rally with AI investments, but will they pay off?

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SoftBank Group has been among the top performers on Tokyo’s Prime market this year, surging on the back of a US tech rally powered by an artificial intelligence boom.

The conglomerate’s increasing AI investments have fueled hopes for lucrative returns, but some investors are still mulling whether it’s worth the bet.

Shares in SoftBank are up more than half this year, gaining steam over the last few months and outperforming the benchmark Nikkei Stock Average’s 8.5% gain. SoftBank touched an all-time closing high of JPY 16,705 (USD 113) on Aug. 18, helping push the Nikkei average to a record high last month, before tumbling to the 14,000 level.

Tomoichiro Kubota, a senior market analyst at Matsui Securities in Tokyo, said the stock’s more recent weakness reflected concerns among retail investors that its rally was due for a pause.

“SoftBank’s share price doubled in a short period of time as expectations and hopes for its future growth climbed very quickly,” he said. “Long-term institutional investors operate differently, but for Japanese retail investors, it was an opportunity to short-sell the stock amid the rapid rise.”

The stock had been buoyed by a string of announcements and news headlines.

Just days after the Japanese giant revealed that it would invest USD 2 billion in Intel and acquire a stake of around 2%, President Donald Trump said the US government will take a roughly 10% stake in the chipmaker in exchange for outstanding federal grants.

“Semiconductors are the foundation of every industry,” Masayoshi Son, the chairman and CEO of SoftBank, said in a statement on August 26. The “strategic investment” in Intel “reflects our belief that advanced semiconductor manufacturing and supply will further expand in the US, with Intel playing a critical role.”

Intel is just one of SoftBank’s many bets on AI and semiconductors, as the company has accelerated investments in such advanced technologies.

UK-based chip designer Arm, which SoftBank bought in 2016 for USD 31 billion, is reportedly considering developing AI chips under its own brand. In the past year or so, SoftBank has acquired AI chipmaker Graphcore and US chip designer startup Ampere Computing. The Japanese company has increased its stake in Nvidia, as well as the world’s top chip foundry, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC).

In March, ChatGPT creator OpenAI announced that it secured fresh funding of USD 40 billion from investors, including USD 30 billion from SoftBank. OpenAI is reportedly preparing to sell around USD 6 billion in stock to investors, including SoftBank, as part of a secondary sale that would value the company at roughly USD 500 billion.

“These investments are further emphasis of a longer-term theme, in our view, involving SoftBank Group focusing on AI ecosystem plays, as opposed to technology more broadly, or other verticals like consumer, as we have seen in the past,” said Paul Golding, a senior digital infrastructure and payments analyst at Macquarie in New York.

Golding added that SoftBank has been using its non-AI investments “as funding sources for reinvestment into what we would consider to be more pure play AI investments.”

SoftBank’s Son has taken a key role in Trump’s AI push. Trump said in January that OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank pledged USD 500 billion to the Stargate project to build data centers across the US.

“The perception of SoftBank has changed significantly. Investors now see SoftBank as an AI company rather than an investment company,” said Takashi Nakagawa, senior analyst at Tokai Tokyo Intelligence Laboratory.

At the company’s annual general meeting in June, Son told shareholders that in ten years, his company aims to become the world’s leading platform provider for artificial superintelligence (ASI), leveraging the strengths of Arm and OpenAI.

The tycoon said that just like Google, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and Meta have defined the digital age, he wishes for SoftBank to become the foundational company in ASI.

Earlier this month, the company reported a JPY 421.8 billion (USD 2.9 billion) net profit for the three months ended in June, posting its first profit for that quarter in four years, as valuations in its Vision Funds’ portfolio improved. Gains in shares of South Korean online retailer Coupang and ride-hailing firm Grab helped the tech investment arm, as did a rise in Nvidia’s stock price.

SoftBank’s net asset value (asset value minus liabilities), which shows how well the company is doing with its investments, jumped 26% to JPY 32.4 trillion (USD 222.8 billion) as of June from three months before. The increase was largely due to a rise in the market capitalization of Arm, which accounts for half of the value of the stocks it holds.

Oliver Matthew, head of Asia consumer research at CLSA, said, “I think SoftBank has consistently shown that they get the paradigm shifts in technology correct, and they make big investments in those shifts.”

Matthew said SoftBank has been “extremely successful” with its bets on Arm and the US carrier Sprint, both of which initially received a “quite negative” response from investors. “But they turned out to be brilliant investments over the longer-term horizon.”

Along with expectations for SoftBank’s future growth, also at play are investors eager to gain access to OpenAI.

OpenAI is a private company that was founded in 2015 as a nonprofit, open-source model. But it has a for-profit division and scrapped plans to convert entirely into a for-profit business.

“When I talk to investors, [SoftBank’s] rally seems to be driven by a belief that, for institutional investors who cannot directly invest in OpenAI, one way for them to invest is through buying SoftBank’s public equity stock,” said Atul Goyal, equity analyst at Jefferies in Singapore who has been covering Asia’s tech, media, and telecommunication sectors for around two decades.

Goyal said that whether investments in OpenAI will pay off depends on whether the company can convert itself into a for-profit business. SoftBank has said it could reduce the size of its funding to OpenAI if it fails in its transition this year.

Some analysts have flagged concerns and potential risks for the Japanese tech giant stemming from its increasing exposure to AI.

A recent report by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology revealed a cold truth for companies betting on AI. While US businesses have invested between USD 35 billion to USD 40 billion in generative AI, it said that a whopping 95% of businesses are “getting zero return” on their investments.

Based on the valuations OpenAI has been given by investors, the startup “is an extremely valuable business now,” said Dan Baker, senior equity analyst at Morningstar in Australia. “But no one’s really sure about how exactly they’re going to make money.”

SoftBank’s involvement in cutting-edge technologies and advanced businesses comes with “more risks on the equity value,” Baker said. Such investments may not bear fruit for some time, he said. “I guess that’s what Son has done in the past. He’s taken those sorts of risks.”

This article first appeared on Nikkei Asia. It has been republished here as part of 36Kr’s ongoing partnership with Nikkei.





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ExamJam SAT as a Disruptive Force in Affordable, Effective Tutoring

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The test-prep industry is undergoing a seismic shift as artificial intelligence redefines the economics and efficacy of academic support. At the forefront of this transformation is ExamJam SAT, a digital platform leveraging adaptive algorithms to deliver personalized SAT preparation at a fraction of traditional tutoring costs. For investors, the case for ExamJam is compelling: it addresses the limitations of conventional methods while aligning with broader trends in education technology, equity, and digital accessibility.

The Flawed Promise of Traditional Tutoring

Traditional one-on-one tutoring, long the gold standard for SAT prep, has shown mixed results. A 2025 study by Belator et al. found no significant score improvements for tutored students compared to self-study groups, despite hourly rates averaging $50–$90 [2]. Even high-profile providers like The Princeton Review, which charges up to $6,560 for private tutoring, report only modest gains—typically 100–200 points—across their programs [4]. Meanwhile, the College Board’s analysis of 2 million test-takers revealed that tutoring’s average impact is just 33 points, far below the 115-point boost achievable through 20 hours of free Khan Academy practice [4].

These inefficiencies stem from structural flaws: rigid pricing models, inconsistent tutor quality, and a reliance on generic practice tests. As one Reddit user lamented, “Nearly 1.5 years of tutoring and my score hasn’t improved” [1]. Such anecdotes underscore a market in need of disruption.

ExamJam’s AI-Driven Edge

ExamJam SAT positions itself as a solution to these challenges. By integrating adaptive learning technologies, the platform tailors practice sessions to individual weaknesses, a feature proven to enhance retention. A 2025 report by Dialzara found that AI platforms improve 6-month retention rates by 22% compared to traditional methods, a critical advantage in a market where 40% of students abandon prep programs within three months [6].

Cost efficiency further strengthens ExamJam’s appeal. While traditional tutoring ranges from $20–$349 per hour [1], ExamJam’s subscription model costs $20–$60/month, offering 24/7 access to AI-driven diagnostics, simulated testing environments, and real-time feedback. This aligns with broader industry trends: online platforms like Magoosh and PrepScholar already undercut traditional rates by 40–60% while delivering comparable results [4].

Score Improvements and Market Validation

The data on score gains is equally persuasive. Marks Education, a peer in the AI-driven space, reported a 166-point average improvement for its 2025 cohort, with low-scoring students (950–1050) seeing gains of 200+ points [5]. While ExamJam’s specific metrics remain undisclosed, its use of adaptive algorithms mirrors the methodologies of successful platforms like Prep Expert, which claims a 10–15% score lift through personalized practice [2].

Moreover, the digital SAT’s shift to adaptive testing in 2024 creates a natural synergy. Platforms like ExamJam, designed for dynamic question formats, can simulate real-world conditions more effectively than static paper-based prep. This is a strategic advantage as 78% of 2025 test-takers now opt for the digital format [3].

Equity and Scalability: A Dual Impact

ExamJam’s disruptive potential extends beyond economics. By offering tiered pricing and fee waivers, it democratizes access to high-quality prep, countering critiques that standardized tests favor wealthier students. This aligns with College Board initiatives to expand fee waivers and eliminate late registration penalties [3]. For investors, this represents both ethical and financial upside: a 2025 EdisonOS report noted a 12% year-over-year increase in SAT participation from underrepresented communities [3].

Risks and Considerations

Critics argue that AI lacks the nuanced guidance of human tutors, particularly for complex problem-solving. However, hybrid models—combining AI diagnostics with occasional human check-ins—are gaining traction. Platforms like PrepMaven already blend AI tools with $79–$349/hour expert sessions, suggesting a path for ExamJam to scale without sacrificing quality [1].

Conclusion: A Lucrative Long-Term Bet

ExamJam SAT embodies the future of test prep: affordable, data-driven, and scalable. With traditional tutoring’s ROI increasingly called into question and digital adoption accelerating, the platform is well-positioned to capture market share. For investors, the opportunity lies not just in profit but in reshaping an industry that has long struggled to balance cost, effectiveness, and equity.

**Source:[1] 15 Best Online SAT Tutoring Services for 2025 (PrepMaven)
https://prepmaven.com/blog/test-prep/best-sat-tutoring/[2] The Impact of Test Prep Tutoring (TPAPT Research)
https://tpapt.mykajabi.com/blog/tutoringresearch[3] SAT Trends 2025: Shaping the Future of Test Takers (EdisonOS)
https://www.edisonos.com/digital-sat/sat-trends[4] Do Tutored High School Students Obtain Better SAT Scores? (Total College Prep)
https://www.totalcollegeprep.net/do-tutored-high-school-students-garner-higher-sat-scores/[5] Announcing the Score Improvements for the Class of 2025 (Marks Education)
https://markseducation.com/announcing-the-score-improvements-for-the-class-of-2025/[6] AI Tutoring vs. Traditional Tutoring (Dialzara)
https://dialzara.com/blog/ai-tutoring-vs-traditional-tutoring-key-differences



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The Top 10 Boxers of All Time According to AI

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By Richard D. Harroch and Dominique A. Harroch

Boxing is more than just a sport—it’s a theater of discipline, resilience, and raw power. The stories of boxing’s greatest champions are woven with tales of triumph over adversity, breathtaking victories, and an unmatched hunger for glory. These athletes step into the ring not only to battle their opponents but also to confront their own limits, pushing the boundaries of what the human spirit can endure.

Over the decades, boxing has produced some of the most celebrated athletes in history. Each generation has seen fighters who redefined the sport, brought crowds to their feet, and etched their names into the annals of greatness. These boxers weren’t just skilled pugilists; they were cultural icons who inspired millions with their courage and determination.

In this article, we count down the top 10 boxers of all time, with research assistance from ChatGPT. These fighters earned their places on this list through a combination of skill, legacy, and impact both inside and outside the ring.

1. Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali was a larger-than-life figure who transcended the sport of boxing. With his unmatched charisma, lightning-fast reflexes, and a fighting style as poetic as his words, Ali dominated the heavyweight division and became a global icon for his activism and larger-than-life personality.

  • Nickname: The Greatest
  • Weight Class: Heavyweight
  • Record: 56 wins (37 KOs), 5 losses
  • Notable Fights: “The Rumble in the Jungle” against George Foreman, “The Thrilla in Manila” against Joe Frazier
  • Legacy Outside the Ring: Advocate for civil rights and a symbol of resistance against oppression
  • Awards: Three-time heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist (1960)

2. Sugar Ray Robinson

Many regard Sugar Ray Robinson as the greatest pound-for-pound boxer in history. Known for his impeccable technique, speed, and power, Robinson dominated the welterweight and middleweight divisions with ease.

  • Nickname: Sugar
  • Weight Class: Welterweight, middleweight
  • Record: 173 wins (108 KOs), 19 losses, 6 draws
  • Notable Fights: Epic rivalry with Jake LaMotta, known as the “St. Valentine’s Day Massacre”
  • Style: Fluid footwork and deadly counterpunching
  • Legacy: The benchmark for boxing greatness; inspired the creation of the pound-for-pound ranking
  • Impact: Revolutionized the way fighters approached the sport with his finesse

3. Mike Tyson

Mike Tyson was a force of nature in the 1980s, earning the nickname “Iron Mike” for his devastating power and relentless aggression. He became the youngest heavyweight champion in history at just 20 years old.

  • Nickname: Iron Mike
  • Weight Class: Heavyweight
  • Record: 50 wins (44 KOs), 6 losses
  • Notable Fights: Dominant first-round KO of Michael Spinks in 91 seconds
  • Fighting Style: Aggressive, with an explosive combination of speed and power
  • Legacy: Known for his intimidating persona and spectacular knockouts
  • Impact: Brought global attention to the heavyweight division during his reign

4. Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is synonymous with defensive brilliance and technical mastery. Undefeated throughout his career, Mayweather built his success on his ability to outthink and outmaneuver every opponent.

  • Nickname: Money, Pretty Boy
  • Weight Class: Welterweight, Super featherweight, lightweight
  • Record: 50 wins (27 KOs), 0 losses
  • Notable Fights: Defeated Manny Pacquiao in one of the highest-grossing fights in history
  • Fighting Style: Exceptional defense, counterpunching, and ring IQ
  • Legacy: Considered the best defensive boxer in history
  • Impact: Revolutionized boxing as a business with his promotional savvy

5. Joe Louis

Joe Louis was a dominant heavyweight who held the title for a record 12 years. His technical skills, combined with his knockout power, made him one of the most feared fighters of his era.

  • Nickname: Brown Bomber
  • Weight Class: Heavyweight
  • Record: 66 wins (52 KOs), 3 losses
  • Notable Fights: Victory over Max Schmeling in their rematch, symbolizing democracy versus fascism
  • Legacy: A unifying figure during World War II and a symbol of hope for African Americans
  • Awards: Longest reign as heavyweight champion in history
  • Impact: Elevated boxing’s popularity worldwide

6. Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao is the only boxer in history to win world titles in eight different weight classes. Known for his relentless work ethic and humility, Pacquiao combined power, speed, and charisma to become a global sports icon.

  • Nickname: Pac-Man
  • Weight Class: Flyweight to welterweight
  • Record: 62 wins (39 KOs), 8 losses, 2 draws
  • Notable Fights: Trilogy against Juan Manuel Márquez, victory over Oscar De La Hoya
  • Style: Aggressive and fast-paced, with relentless combinations
  • Legacy: Transcended boxing to become a political leader in the Philippines
  • Impact: Inspired millions with his rise from poverty to global fame

7. George Foreman

George Foreman is best known for his devastating power and two careers as a world-class boxer. After an early retirement, Foreman made a stunning comeback, reclaiming the heavyweight title at 45 years old.

  • Nickname: Big George
  • Weight Class: Heavyweight
  • Record: 76 wins (68 KOs), 5 losses
  • Notable Fights: Victory over Michael Moorer at age 45 to regain the heavyweight title
  • Legacy: Represented perseverance and longevity in sports
  • Impact: Successfully transitioned into entrepreneurship with the George Foreman Grill

8. Roberto Durán

Roberto Durán is one of the most ferocious fighters in boxing history. He dominated the lightweight division before becoming a world champion in four weight classes.

  • Nickname: Hands of Stone
  • Weight Class: Lightweight to middleweight
  • Record: 103 wins (70 KOs), 16 losses
  • Notable Fights: Victory over Sugar Ray Leonard in the “Brawl in Montreal”
  • Style: Aggressive, relentless pressure with powerful punches
  • Legacy: One of the most skilled and versatile fighters of all time
  • Impact: Revered in his native Panama as a national hero

9. Rocky Marciano

Rocky Marciano remains the only heavyweight champion in history to retire undefeated. Known for his relentless pressure and incredible durability, Marciano’s 49-0 record remains legendary.

  • Nickname: The Brockton Blockbuster
  • Weight Class: Heavyweight
  • Record: 49 wins (43 KOs), 0 losses
  • Notable Fights: Knockout victory over Joe Louis in Louis’ final fight
  • Legacy: Embodied the spirit of determination and grit
  • Impact: Inspired the fictional Rocky Balboa character
  • Awards: Inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame

Evander Holyfield was a master technician and one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in history. His epic battles with Mike Tyson and Riddick Bowe defined an era.

  • Nickname: The Real Deal
  • Weight Class: Cruiserweight, heavyweight
  • Record: 44 wins (29 KOs), 10 losses, 2 draws
  • Notable Fights: Trilogy against Riddick Bowe, upset victory over Mike Tyson
  • Style: Exceptional stamina and ring intelligence
  • Legacy: The only four-time heavyweight champion in history
  • Impact: Cemented his reputation as one of boxing’s toughest competitors

Conclusion on Boxing Legends

Boxing’s greatest champions are more than just athletes—they’re symbols of perseverance, grit, and the relentless pursuit of greatness. Each of these boxers left an indelible mark on the sport, captivating audiences with their skill, bravery, and unforgettable moments in the ring.

Whether it’s Muhammad Ali’s charisma, Mike Tyson’s ferocity, or Floyd Mayweather’s technical mastery, these fighters represent the pinnacle of boxing excellence. Their legacies extend beyond the ropes, inspiring generations and cementing their places in history as legends of the sport.

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About the Authors

Richard D. Harroch is a Senior Advisor to CEOs, management teams, and Boards of Directors. He is an expert on M&A, venture capital, startups, and business contracts. He was the Managing Director and Global Head of M&A at VantagePoint Capital Partners, a venture capital fund in the San Francisco area. His focus is on internet, digital media, AI and technology companies. He was the founder of several Internet companies. His articles have appeared online in Forbes, Fortune, MSN, Yahoo, Fox Business and AllBusiness.com. Richard is the author of several books on startups and entrepreneurship as well as the co-author of Poker for Dummies and a Wall Street Journal-bestselling book on small business. He is the co-author of a 1,500-page book published by Bloomberg on mergers and acquisitions of privately held companies. He was also a corporate and M&A partner at the international law firm of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe. He has been involved in over 200 M&A transactions and 250 startup financings. He can be reached through LinkedIn.

Dominique Harroch is the Chief of Staff at AllBusiness.com. She has acted as a Chief of Staff or Operations Leader for multiple companies where she leveraged her extensive experience in operations management, strategic planning, and team leadership to drive organizational success. With a background that spans over two decades in operations leadership, event planning at her own start-up and marketing at various financial and retail companies, Dominique is known for her ability to optimize processes, manage complex projects and lead high-performing teams. She holds a BA in English and Psychology from U.C. Berkeley and an MBA from the University of San Francisco. She can be reached via LinkedIn.

Copyright (c) by Richard D. Harroch. All Rights Reserved.



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