It is common in this field for people to want to be “the next big thing” or “the outlier”. Our true aspirations are supporting women ventures, Black & Brown startups, the people that work the hardest and receive the least.We offer office and communal space for entrepreneurs, freelancers, startups, thought leaders, and anyone who may simply need a change of pace. We have served the community of Newark for 7 years, and we look forward to continuously providing resources to our thriving community. As =SPACE grew and connected more with the people who used our space, we learned more about the pain points that our Space(r)s [=SPACE community members] deal with on a daily basis, both in their career, and within their own minds. With those things in sight, we curate events and experiences like Newark Tech Week, Small Business Week, and Woman In-Novation. These events allow us to collaborate with Mayor Ras J. Baraka, mayor of the largest city in New Jersey, powerhouses like Nathalie Molina Nino [Founder of Brava Investments], Senator Sandra Cunningham, Marley Dias [#1000BlackGirlBooks], and other prolific influencers from all over the U.S. Our partners list is exponentially growing and allows us to format an experience for Space(r)s that is noteworthy and fitting for their personal businesses.

There are 5 ways we provide better opportunities than any coworking space:

1. Inclusive Culture: Our community is rich not only in cultural diversity, but also in industry diversity. We have freelance photographers, fitness trainers, lawyers, tech writers, content developers, real-estate specialists, social media influencers, coders, and more – these are the people who make =SPACE what it is.
2. Community Support:Although, we are still amidst a pandemic, =SPACE managed to develop its second city-wide week-long conference, Small Business Week. We hosted everything from courses to luncheons, helping 80+ local small businesses build up hard and soft skills to grow their business. We curate events and experiences like Newark Tech Week, Woman In-Novation, and Civic Influencers. These events allow us to collaborate with Mayor Ras J. Baraka, mayor of the largest city in New Jersey, powerhouses like Nathalie Molina Nino [Founder of Brava Investments], Senator Sandra Cunningham, Marley Dias [#1000BlackGirlBooks], and other prolific influencers from all over the U.S.
   
3. Social Network: Last year we hosted over 25 events, with over 1.8K attendees, during a tough time for so many small businesses we were able to create free programming that empowered, educated and provided access to much needed support. Our proof is in our actions. We collaborate with organizations and businesses like NJII, Panasonic, Verizon, NJEDA, LISC and more to build our social capital; and provide our members with access to high-level information on grants, startup funding, and more!
   
4. 1:1 Mentorship: We actively practice cultural equity and diversity through our business policies and practices, including our Ambassadors Program. Our Ambassadors are Newark-based individuals who have demonstrated a commitment to the entrepreneurial and/or creative landscape of our city. Ambassadors represent =SPACE through assisting us with marketing & promotion, hosting events and being a part of SPACE(r) culture. Ambassadors also receive free membership and business mentorship, as a result, choosing ambassadors is in line with our mission. We work with local talents including visual artists, graphic designers, photographers and entrepreneurs in tech, fashion, marketing and more.
5. Endless Resources: =SPACE has expanded its facility, with over 19,000 sq.ft. of space. We have formatted our space to host more suites to encourage safe workplace distance while encouraging connection with our common space amenities. We have dedicated ourselves to provide more amenities to our Spacers like FitSPACE, a gym with a personal trainer to help address the increased mental/physical health concerns for the entrepreneurial community at large.

Click here to schedule a tour today! And Grab your free day pass!

If you’re reading this article, then chances are you’re interested in web development. After all, web development is one of the most in-demand skills today. So if you’re just learning about web development or already have some experience with it, here are some things you should know before diving into your next project.

1. Kinds of Web Developers

Before learning more about web development, you should know that there are different kinds of web developers. Frontend developers build the look and feel of a website using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. On the other hand, backend developers work on the code behind the scenes, including database management and server settings.

There are also full-stack developers who can handle both frontend and backend coding. In addition, mobile app developers specialize in creating apps for smartphones and tablets. Knowing the different kinds of web developers can help you decide what kind of position you’d be best suited for.

2. Technical Skills of Web Developers

Web developers need the necessary technical skills to succeed in their fields. Since web development is a very broad field, you’ll want to make sure you know the basics of different areas of technology. Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll need:

• HTML and CSS

The first thing you need to do when starting out with a new project is to learn how to write good code. This includes both HTML and CSS. HTML stands for hypertext markup language, which is just a way of structuring data on a webpage. On the other hand, CSS (cascading style sheets) is used to make sure that everything looks nice on a page.

• Basic Programming Languages

Once you’ve mastered HTML and CSS, you’ll want to start learning a programming language as well. There are many different languages available for use on the web, but the most common ones include PHP, C++, C#, Ruby, Python, and Java. You should know that learning one language can lead to a basic understanding of other programming languages as well. or instance, some kids are learning Python at a young age so they can later move on to more advanced languages.

• Software and Developer Tools

Aside from knowing how to write code, you’ll also need knowledge of software and developer tools. When it comes to web development, software and developer tools can help you build websites faster, easier, and with better results. They also enable allow you to check code during the process of building a site, which helps catch errors early on. 

• User Interface and User Experience

Web development isn’t limited to just the actual website; it involves user interface design too. If you’re creating a website for someone else, you’ll want to consider their needs and preferences as much as possible. This is where the importance of user experience comes in. With basic knowledge of UX/UI and graphic design, you can create a website that fits its users’ needs while still looking aesthetically pleasing. 

3. Soft Skills of Web Developers

In addition to technical skills, you’ll also need soft skills to become a successful web developer. Remember that web development encompasses so many different facets of the industry. As such, it requires a wide range of expertise. To become a successful web developer, some of the soft skills you need include:

• Problem-Solving

You’ll need to have an analytical mind to solve problems and come up with solutions. Web developers usually find themselves spending a lot of time thinking about the functionality needed for a particular website or application. While this may not seem like a challenging task at first, it will quickly turn into something difficult if you aren’t able to think through problems effectively.

• Perseverance 

Web development isn’t always easy. You need to take time to work on your projects even though they don’t always go according to plan. A web developer who has been working in the field for a long period of time knows what it takes to stay motivated and focused while working on his or her projects.

• Communication

Whether you work in person or online, you’ll need to communicate clearly with others. In web development, working with different clients and other team members is inevitable. You need to have strong communication skills to ensure everyone understands what they’re supposed to be doing and why.

• Project Management

Having project management skills is essential for any kind of job. It’s especially important when you’re dealing with multiple people or tasks at a time. Without the knowledge of how to manage your time or resources efficiently, you won’t be able to meet deadlines and deliver high-quality products.

• Creativity

Lastly, you need to have creative ideas and innovative solutions to problems as well. Creativity doesn’t only apply to art; it applies to everything, especially in web development. There are times when web developers need to come up with unique ways of tackling problems or finding new approaches. With some creative skills in your alley, you’ll be able to develop more effective applications and websites.

Final Words

As you can see, web development involves a variety of skills and disciplines. Learning how to write lines of code can only take you so far. It takes the right combination of both hard and soft skills to become a highly-skilled web developer to be successful in the industry.  

Navigation is essential to human life, whether for choosing the best route from your house to your workplace or for deciding the most efficient shipping route for goods. Fortunately, our method of navigation has developed through time, giving rise to amazing tech tools that help determine the most ideal navigation routes by land, sea, or air. 

This article will discuss the best general tools for navigation, as well as a few of the best navigation technologies for maritime transportation.

Best tech-based navigation tools 

Navigation tools in the modern-day are primarily concerned with fuel consumption, safety, and speed. Other tools for navigating streets can even provide specific and detailed information such as the best route to avoid traffic or the quickest way to hit several stops. 

Navigation technology for general purposes

Magnetic Compass

In the 13th century, the magnetic compass was a huge advance in navigation technology because it allowed travelers to find their way even when their usual astronomical cues (e.g., the North Star) were obscured. The compass uses the Earth’s magnetic field to point to the north pole. Though it isn’t as new as the other technologies on this list, it is still vital to fleet management.

Global Positioning System

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a global navigation system that uses satellites to provide and synchronize data on location, velocity, and time. GPS receivers have been used for tracking vessels and monitoring their positions at sea. But it is also found in your car, your watch, and even your smartphone.

GPS works by receiving signals from multiple satellites orbiting the Earth. Nowadays, this navigation tool can be equipped with features like autopilot or collision avoidance. More commonly, GPS is used to plot courses to specific destinations.

Radar

Radio Detection and Ranging (Radar) detects objects and their positions relative to your current location. Radar works by sending out a radio signal, which gets reflected back to the radar when it hits an object. Maritime radars are especially useful for detecting other ships and land obstacles and avoiding collisions as a result. Originally developed for military purposes, radar is still most widely used for military applications on land, in the air, and at sea. Military uses of radar include missile guidance and air navigation.

Navigation apps

Route optimization apps combine information from various sources as well as relevant technologies in order to determine the safest and fastest route for all kinds of vehicles. For land navigation, applications such as Waze and Google Maps are two of the most widely used. Waze is most loved for providing accurate, up-to-date traffic data and good rerouting to get you around severe traffic jams. Google Maps, on the other hand, provides cycling and walking routes as well as a top-notch search function and offline map option. Meanwhile, reliable maritime navigation apps include Wayfinder for plotting shipping routes and Navi-Planner for safe, rookie-friendly voyage planning. 

Navigation technology for maritime travel

Maritime transportation may not be a daily activity for most of us, but it fuels the global economy through the shipping and receiving of goods and raw materials from different countries. Hence, finding safe and efficient routes at sea is a significant goal of modern navigation.

Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS)

An electronic chart display and information system (ECDIS) is used for determining a vessel’s course and speed. It displays your coordinates, time, and date on a map screen. It is frequently used in navigation apps because it allows voyagers to plan and monitor routes and calculate ETAs automatically.

Automatic Identification Systems

Automatic identification systems (AIS) allow vessels to broadcast their location information to passing ships with radio waves. They automatically transmit information to nearby ships to avoid collisions. AIS can also be used to calculate the shortest route, making it an indispensable tool for shipping companies.

Voyage Data Recorder

A voyage data recorder (VDR) is a tiny electronic device that records data about a ship’s voyage, much like an airplane’s black box. It is usually used in commercial vessels and oil tankers. VDRs contain multiple sensors such as pressure transducers, gyroscopes, altimeters, and accelerometers. In case of accidents, investigators can use data recorded by VDRs to uncover the cause of the incident.

Drifting weather buoys

Maritime navigation apps often integrate weather data which are collected through traditional weather buoys or, more recently, smart buoys. These innovative drifting weather buoys are free-moving devices that collect weather and ocean data, specifically currents, water, air, and sea surface temperatures, salinity, air pressure, and wave direction, among others.

Final words

Because navigation plays an important role in our lives, whether individually or as a nation, it is natural for innovation in navigation to be prioritized and celebrated. For general purposes, we have compasses, GPS, radar, and navigation apps at our disposal. Meanwhile, maritime navigators have ECDIS, AIS, VDR, and smart buoys. As startups and researchers continue to thrive through technology events and grants, we will enjoy easier and safer navigation in the years to come.

The World Health Organization (2020) defines burnout as a syndrome that transpired from chronic workplace stress which has not been successfully managed. It is usually manifested by experiencing feelings of energy exhaustion or depletion, increased mental distance from the job or negative outlook towards one’s career, and reduced professional productivity. 

Burnout is not a new terminology for employees since many of them, in different demographic backgrounds, experience stress, fatigue, and mental health challenges from time to time. However, it has gotten worse in these trying times of the COVID-19 pandemic. Burnout not only affected employees but also organizations in terms of employee retention. Worth noting, eighty-four percent of millennials mentioned that they have experienced some type of burnout at their current job and nearly half of them had to leave their jobs for good, (Deloitte, 2021). 

Moreover, based on pre-pandemic data as cited by Threlkeld (2021), 52% of all workers feel burned out from work — a percentage that increased by 9% from a previous study with more than two-thirds (or 67%) believing that the pandemic aggravated or worsened their burnout. While one may think that burnout is only common to regular team members, managers or leaders are just as likely to suffer frequent or constant burnout, (Gallup, 2019). And just like any other employee, employee burnout may lead to lower levels of self-confidence, motivation, and productivity which can threaten their job satisfaction, retention, relationships, and overall contribution to business success. Many leaders have resolved such issues by acknowledging the situation first and then accept that they need to leverage their efforts for self-care and mental health. Never ever let the time pass and think it would go away like a bad flu, it is not a strategy that works and this may only lead to stress accumulation. The best way to do it start today with these tips:

• Improve your communication channels.

You need a reliable tool or system for communicating with your colleagues as this is the simplest way to boost employee engagement which can both be beneficial to you and them. Allot 30 minutes of your daily work time for check-ins or vibe checking. This presents an ideal way to practice positive speech and make everyone, including yourself, heard and listened to. Find out what everyone else is feeling at the time they clock in for work and you can share your own thoughts too. It does not have to be all negative, perhaps everyone can share what also keeps them busy these days and learn from one another. In the context of work, you can try implementing asynchronous communication. This can help leaders strategize at their own pace and relieve the pressure of responding immediately.

• Add flair to your normal work routine.

Doing regular engaging virtual events can aid the whole team to connect and lessen the daily work pressure. To boost employee engagement including your own, you can arrange and host events via a teleconferencing app. These events include:

• A virtual hangout – online coffee, tea, or wine party where everyone can talk, gossip, and share experiences as they would in the physical office
• A virtual awards night – recognizing small wins is one way to uplift everyone’s spirit especially during these times. This can be done by dishing out certificates or electronic badges.
• A wellness program – directed at prevailing issues and their solutions in the workplace like healthy habits, risks to productivity, or maintaining work-and-life balance.
• Try a different workspace.

Coworking spaces are effective. They are essentially shared spaces offered at affordable rates for those looking to escape the isolation of a home or physical office. Independent contractors and freelancers can use a coworking space to develop flexibility and diversity. To get a breath of fresh air and renew your energy and motivation levels, go somewhere different.

• Create a flexible schedule for everyone.

Be the change you want to see in the world, they say. If you long for something that might work for you, it can also be the thing that might work for everyone. Knowing when you and other people work best can pay off in their productivity and efficiency. This can increase your chance of having satisfied employees. Schedule flexibility can provide for the work-life balance your company encourages. 

• Revisit your mental health and wellness benefits.

Take advantage of your PTOs and use them based on your needs. When you feel like you need to take your hands off from your laptop and disconnect for a while, you may feel free to do so on account that you make pre-leave arrangements to ensure everyone still works despite your being away. With this, you are modeling a behavior that responds to what your mental health needs so that you can encourage others to do the same and this can free everyone from the risks of burnout. 

Sure that as a leader you are morally obligated to ensure that all your team members are happy, motivated, and satisfied with their jobs but do not forget yourself in this process. You are also an employee. You also get tired, exhausted, and demotivated, just like everyone else. Luckily, you have this list with you to make sure you will never have to deal with burnout in the same old way again.

September 11th – 13th | BREAKOUTFEST

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