OAKLAND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Apr 30, 2025--
Today, Square announced the launch of “ The Way Up,” a new video series hosted by Guy Raz that celebrates the entrepreneurial spirit and showcases the real stories of grit, vision, growth, and heart behind some of America's most innovative local businesses. The series features in-depth conversations with business owners who have transformed their dreams into thriving enterprises, sharing their pivotal moments and the lessons learned along the way.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250430605108/en/
Made in collaboration with Guy Raz, the acclaimed interviewer and creator of “How I Built This,” the series features six remarkable Square-powered businesses that represent the diversity and resilience of American business ownership as they use technology and ingenuity to grow:
“Throughout my career, I've been drawn to the human stories behind successful businesses – the moments of truth, the critical decisions, and the community connections that shape their journeys,” said Guy Raz. “With ‘The Way Up,’ we're going deeper into these stories, showing how local businesses across America are reimagining their industries and using technology to bring their unique visions to life. These aren't just business stories – they're stories about human ingenuity, perseverance, and the transformative power of successful businesses on their broader communities.”
“At Square, we’re proud to support the millions of bold, imaginative sellers redefining what local business looks like today,” said Lindsey Irvine, Head of Marketing at Square. “‘The Way Up’ shines a light on their stories – of resilience, reinvention, and impact. Through Guy Raz’s lens, we see how empowered business owners don’t just build successful companies – they shape the future of their communities.”
The series will be distributed across multiple platforms, including full episodes on Square's YouTube channel, audio versions on Raz's “Wisdom From the Top” podcast, and exclusive content through The Bottom Line, Square's publication for business owners and operators. Each episode explores how these businesses navigate change and challenge, implement solutions, and scale their operations using Square.
The first episode of "The Way Up" launches today on The Bottom Line. Learn more about how Square can power your growth at www.squareup.com.
About Square
Square makes commerce and financial services easy and accessible with its integrated ecosystem of commerce solutions. Square offers purpose-built software to run complex restaurant, retail, and professional services operations, versatile e-commerce tools, embedded financial services and banking products, buy now, pay later functionality through Afterpay, staff management and payroll capabilities, and much more – all of which work together to save sellers time and effort. Millions of sellers across the globe trust Square to power their business and help them thrive in the economy. For more information, visit www.squareup.com.
Award-winning podcast host Guy Raz partners with Square to spotlight journeys and lessons from growing, thriving businesses across America (Graphic: Square)
COURCHEVEL, France (AP) — Mikaela Shiffrin isn't just winning every slalom of the Olympic season. She's winning them by an average of more than 1.5 seconds — an eternity in ski racing.
The American skiing standout claimed a record-extending 105th World Cup victory after several of her top challengers went out during a night race Tuesday.
Shiffrin added to her first-run lead to finish 1.55 seconds ahead of Swiss skier Camille Rast and 1.71 ahead of German racer Emma Aicher.
Shiffrin has now won the opening four slaloms of the season — and five straight including the final race of last season.
All of her margins of victory this season have topped a full second — and three of them more than 1.5 seconds: 1.66 in Levi Finland; 1.23 in Gurgl, Austria; and 1.57 in Copper Mountain, Colorado before her latest performance in the French Alps.
Do the math and the average margin is 1.5025 seconds.
Lena Duerr, the German who stood third after the first run, went off course early in her second trip down.
Lara Colturi, the Italian-born skier who races for Albania, straddled a gate toward the end of her opening run — ending a streak of three consecutive slalom podiums.
Wendy Holdener managed a seventh-place finish despite a mishap at the end of her first run.
Holdener hit a hole in the finish area, got flipped up into the air and landed on her back. After grimacing in pain for a few moments, she got up and walked away. It wasn’t immediately clear if she was injured but she competed in the second run.
Defending World Cup slalom champion Zrinka Ljutic and Olympic silver medalist Katharina Liensberger, the next two starters, went out midway down.
It’s the third straight slalom that Ljutic has failed to finish.
Katharina Truppe of Austria finished fourth and American skier Paula Moltzan moved up from ninth to fifth with the fastest second run.
Shiffrin earned her 68th World Cup slalom win. She also won gold in slalom at the 2014 Sochi Olympics — then took gold in giant slalom four years later at the Pyeongchang Games.
But Shiffrin didn't medal at the 2022 Beijing Games.
Women’s Alpine skiing at the Feb. 6-22 Olympics will be held in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy — where Shiffrin won four medals in her four events at the 2021 world championships and where Lindsey Vonn holds the record of 12 World Cup victories.
Vonn, who won a downhill last week at age 41, no longer competes in slalom.
Vonn will be back in action this weekend for a downhill and a super-G in nearby Val d’Isere.
Rast recovered from a mistake midway down her second run to earn the sixth podium of her career.
Aicher, who also won a downhill last weekend, is one of the few skiers competing in all four events.
Rast and Aicher moved up to third and fourth in the overall standings, respectively.
Shiffrin leads the overall with 558 points, followed by Alice Robinson (394), Rast (343) and Aicher (319).
AP Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/milan-cortina-2026-winter-olympics
Switzerland's Camille Rast celebrates at the finish area of an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom, in Courchevel, France, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)
United States' Mikaela Shiffrin, left, winner of an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom, and Germany's Emma Aicher, third-placed, congratulate each other at the finish area, in Courchevel, France, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)
United States' Mikaela Shiffrin celebrates winning an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom, in Courchevel, France, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)
Albania's Lara Colturi competes in an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom, in Courchevel, France, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Pier Marco Tacca)
United States' Mikaela Shiffrin competes in an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom, in Courchevel, France, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Pier Marco Tacca)
United States' Mikaela Shiffrin competes in an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom, in Courchevel, France, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Pier Marco Tacca)
United States' Mikaela Shiffrin competes in an alpine ski, women's World Cup slalom, in Courchevel, France, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)
