Good Morning! 🌞

We threw a survey yesterday asking you all about your vacation planning habits.

And here’s what’s up: majority of you like to get the gears turning a few months before the big trip. Then there are those who waste no time and start plotting their next adventure right after they’ve unpacked. And hey, there's even a handful of you out there who multitask and plan your next escapade while still soaking up the sun on your current one.

How about that? 😎 

Business

New Tech Company Gets $3 Billion Valuation

Island, an enterprise browser company, might just be the most valuable startup you've never heard of. Recently, the company announced a $175 million Series D investment, valuing it at a staggering $3 billion. To date, Island has raised a total of $487 million.

What makes Island so valuable? Doug Leone, a partner at Sequoia and an early investor in Island, attributes his interest to the company's founding team and its innovative approach.

Leone explained to TechCrunch that founders Dan Amiga, a technical expert from Israel, and Mike Fey, a seasoned security executive from the U.S., envisioned a secure enterprise browser built on Chromium. This browser would appear normal to corporate users but offer enhanced security features to prevent malicious activities.

Chromium is an open source web browser that many browsers, including Google Chrome, is built on top of.

This innovative browser aims to reduce overall security costs by eliminating the need for separate tools like VPNs, data loss prevention, and mobile device management—integrating these functions directly within the browser itself.

Ray Wang, founder and principal analyst at Constellation Research, notes that Island is not only pioneering in the enterprise browser category but also enhancing employee security while maintaining a familiar user environment.

Mike Fey acknowledges the challenges of introducing a proprietary browser in large companies, especially those with extensive app ecosystems, like a Fortune 100 company with 20,000 apps. However, because Island's browser is based on the widely-adopted Chromium standard, it bypasses lengthy IT testing processes, facilitating easier adoption. “The browser world standardized on Chromium. This idea couldn’t have come to fruition before that,” Fey remarked.

Despite the clear value proposition, Fey admits that it often requires effort to convince executives of the financial benefits. “You have to explain where the ROI [return on investment] comes from. What am I getting? Where’s it coming from? And the ROI has to be very understandable and very believable and large,” he stated.

How substantial? Fey cites an example where one company saved $300 million annually by reducing their data center resources, thanks to the efficiencies gained from using Island's browser.

Science

A Far Away World

The James Webb Space Telescope has unveiled stunning new details of the Horsehead Nebula, a well-known celestial feature, through mid- and near-infrared observations. These new images reveal previously unseen aspects of this space cloud, showcasing intricate tendrils and filaments with exceptional clarity atop the nebula's 'horsehead' silhouette.

Astronomers utilized a combination of 23 filters to achieve this remarkable resolution, enabling them to observe emissions from tiny grains less than 20 nanometers wide. These include interstellar polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and the light scattered by larger grains, along with ionized hydrogen within the nebula.

Located approximately 1,300 light-years from Earth in the Orion molecular cloud complex, the Horsehead Nebula is characterized by its dense dust and gas, making it appear almost shadow-like in optical light. Often, it stands out as a dark silhouette against the brighter, glowing gas surrounding it, enhancing its horse-like appearance.

If you are interested in reading more, or want to see the full images, check out this article here!

Entertainment

Tony Awards 2024

Set to take place on June 16, 2024, at Lincoln Center's David H. Koch Theater in New York City, the 77th Tony Awards are gearing up to recognize the best of Broadway from the 2023-2024 season.

Ariana DeBose returns to the hosting duties for the third consecutive year, promising an evening filled with her trademark charisma and humor.

To be eligible for consideration, productions must have run between April 28, 2023, and April 25, 2024, and meet the criteria set by the American Theatre Wing and the Broadway League. This includes performances in one of the 41 legitimate Broadway theaters, ensuring that only the cream of the crop gets recognized.

The nominations for the 77th Tony Awards represent a diverse range of productions, showcasing the richness and innovation of Broadway. From fresh new works to reimagined classics, the nominees span various categories, highlighting the depth of talent within the theatrical community.

Check out the complete list of nominees:

Sports

Walmart Worker Aims for Olympic Track Team

In the realm of Olympic athletes, Dylan Beard stands out as distinctly different. Beard, a dedicated hurdler, is vying for a spot on the United States Olympic team for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, all while juggling a full-time job at Walmart's deli counter.

His breakthrough victory in the 60-meter hurdles at the Millrose Games in February catapulted him into the limelight. Reflecting on his unexpected win, Beard attributed it to a relaxed mindset: "I think I went in a lot more relaxed, like nothing to lose, a lot to gain," he shared in an interview with "TODAY."

Following his impressive performance, Beard quickly returned to his rigorous routine of training and work. Despite his burgeoning athletic success, he remains unsponsored, relying on his own earnings to fund his Olympic journey while balancing training at North Carolina State University.

Both his coach, Reuben McCoy, and his manager at Walmart, David Davis, commend Beard's exceptional work ethic and character. McCoy praises Beard's unmatched dedication, while Davis highlights his commitment to excellence both on and off the track.

In addition to his athletic pursuits, Beard holds a master's degree in public health from Howard University and aspires to use his education to support at-risk youth.

During an interview with "TODAY," Beard received a surprise gesture of support from Walmart—a $20,000 check to assist him and his loved ones during his Olympic trials journey.

Mind Stretchers

❓️ 

What type of cheese is made backward?

Answer to yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:
A garbage truck. Jennye Smith got the correct answer first!

Be the first to send us the correct answer for today’s mind stretcher for a shout-out with the answer tomorrow. Just send us the answer and your name to [email protected]

If you have any uplifting stories and experience you might want to share, send those over to [email protected] for the chance to be featured.