Welcome, this industry newsletter shares key market changes, in a twice-monthly publication, curated by Jeremiah Owyang, Founder of Catalyst Companies™, you can subscribe to the email newsletter on the footer of the homepage.

The Framework Puts 90k Startups Into One Distilled Graphic

In nature, honeycombs are resilient structures that efficiently enable many individuals to access, share, and grow resources among a common group. In this visual representation, this economy is organized into 6 discrete families (goods, services, space, etc), 14 sub-classes (bespoke goods, personal services, workspace, etc) and dozens of example companies (Airbnb, Uber, Shapeways, etc). In prior taxonomies, there were five families, but now we’re seeking rapid growth in the food sector, which deserved its own hexagon.
http://www.web-strategist.com/blog/2014/05/05/framework-collaborative-economy-honeycomb-osfest14/

Lyft Gets Insurance From MetLife in Big Brand Deal
“MetLife has recognized the opportunity to serve Lyft users in this emerging marketplace for community-powered transportation, with millions of rides shared among users across the country.” The alliance between MetLife and Lyft may be a marriage made in Heaven. Not only is it good for both companies, but it offers confidence for Lyft drivers and clients that they are adequately protected against potential liability issues. Lyft is also demonstrating that it is a class act, by not ignoring or turning a blind eye to important regulatory and legal issues. Sharing startups would do well to follow their example of complying with standards and ordinances rather than rubbing the establishment the wrong way. Better to make friends than enemies. Read More.

Gap Offers Shared Workforce Solutions with Local Bike Sharing
In an idea that has been a long time coming, seasonal workers at Gap stores in Chicago will have the opportunity to continue working year-round, manning pickup/ drop-off stations for Divvy, a bicycle sharing service, during the Gap off-season (which happens to be Divvy’s busy season.) The formerly seasonal workers will have year-round work available without have to go through the job hunting process. The companies will benefit from having a stable, trained, available workforce. This is sharing on a grand scale. Read More.

Even the Small Cities are Getting Into Sharing
Franklin, Tennessee is a community of 62,000 located south of Nashville, not a large metropolis by any definition. So it is somewhat surprising that the town fathers are planning to create something typically seen in major cities – a bike-sharing program. Funded by a $2.9 million federal grant, 15 bike stations will be built on city property, accommodating 150 bicycles. Compare that to 20 bike-sharing stations already in use in the much larger city of Nashville. Not only will the program be an everyday convenience for locals, but it should help to reduce congestion and maintain the city’s historic look. Read More.

Catalyst Companies is Now Six Month Old with Over 40% Growth
This brand council, Catalyst Companies was launched 6 months ago on stage in Paris at famed LeWeb conference with 24 Fortune 500 corporations. A half year later, the council has grown 41% with 34 corporations and has over 110 business leaders. The council has hosted three physical meetups, hosted over a dozen online sessions, and introduced dozens of collaborative economy startups to decision makers. The council is on a mission for corporations to unlock the opportunities of the Maker Movement, Sharing Economy called the Collaborative Economy in order to further relationships with their own customers and marketplace.