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Hello everyone, I’m excited to tell you about a few things I’ve been up to recently:

1. I’ve released a new episode of Ventures today: Real Escape from the Sex Trade (REST), Fighting Human Trafficking, and Starting a Nonprofit :: with Amanda Hightower and Brent Turner // As a reminder, you can watch this episode at the link above or listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode dives deep into the story behind REST, a nonprofit that provides a range of services for those who have experienced the horrors of being trafficked in and around the greater Seattle area.

2. I wrote up a short article this past weekend: Why stock prices are soaring while the economy is collapsing. After watching this 30min video from Will Woodall and Mike Rarey, a much clearer explanation surfaced compared to vague references to optimism for COVID-19 vaccines. I’m not much of an economist or finance person, so - if this is your area of expertise/interest, I’d be curious to hear your take.

3. I released the first part of a relaunch of a mega-series I worked on in the 2010s helping entrepreneurs learn to code. Check it out: Learn to code with sensibilities for business, product, and collaboration :: a curriculum for entrepreneurs // As I mentioned in a previous newsletter, I’ve been teaching my 14-yr old son to code and preparing him to be an apprentice with us at Prota Ventures. This first post introduces the unique approach and walks students through setting up a Windows, Mac, or Linux machine for building Ruby on Rails applications.

4. For fun, and especially if you or someone you know is into homebrewing, check out https://www.getvessi.com/. One of Prota’s portfolio companies (Vessi) makes a Fermentor and Dispenser that makes the life of brewmasters easier. Today, the team is also announcing BrewVide™, a simple and clever device that adds precision heating, whirlpooling, and a pump to any existing homebrew setup. (I’m super impressed).

That’s all for now. Have a great rest of your week!

~Will