Airbnb, Uber, Eatwith, and other sharing economy platforms facilitate short-term rentals, transportation, meals, and even pet sharing. These “sharing economy” companies are part of what is also called “collaborative consumption” or “the peer-to-peer economy.” The companies in the...

Throughout history, disruptive technologies have transformed industry and signaled the destruction or creation of regulatory structures. When crafting regulations, governments often utilize Regulation 1.0 approaches, characterized by top-down design standards that dictate exactly how the...

Turning on an app, finding a driver nearby with the help of GPS, and quickly catching a ride to your desired destination is now a daily activity for many people around the world. This arrangement, known as “ridesharing” or “ridehailing,” has especially transformed the way many American...

Online marketplaces have transformed how we shop, travel, and interact with the world. Yet, their unique innovations also present a panoply of challenges for communities and states. Surprisingly, federal laws are chief among those challenges despite the fact that online marketplaces facilitate...

A deflated air mattress rests in the corner of Airbnb's world headquarters. It symbolizes how Airbnb allows regular, local people to earn extra income by renting out space in their homes. Yet, this symbolism fails to represent what the company has become—a unicorn receiving much of its revenue...

Once upon a time, unicorns existed only in the realm of fantasy. Now, as more platform-based technology companies (think Uber and Airbnb) obtain billion dollar valuations, unicorns are set to transform the global business environment. Due to their size, widespread popularity, and expertise in...

Thousands of rooms, houses, yurts, and castles are reserved on Airbnb each day. Soon-to-be travelers, who are sometimes thousands of miles away from their future resting places, make their selections based on host provided descriptions, pictures, and former guest reviews. The latter are...

Over the next 10 years, the intelligent use of data will become one of the greatest competitive advantages a company can possess. At the same time, the loss or mishandling of data/information is one of the bigger risks facing modern businesses. As consumers become increasingly aware of security...