Iris An

By Iris An  (All pictures taken by the author and used with permission from Dr. and Mrs. Yao unless otherwise cited)  Pleasant Vineyards is located at 2018 Les Robinson, Columbia, Tennessee, at the foot of the picturesque Theta hills. The lovely 27-acre property features 11 acres of grapes, gorgeous views, quiet picnic spaces, and plenty of free parking. The Pleasant Vineyard, which is open every weekend for muscadine U-pick, wine tastings, and wine purchases, has hosted a great number of muscadine lovers and introduced this unique grape to a wider audience. This beautiful vineyard is owned by Dr. Jie Yao,…

By: Iris An  (All images are provided by Sweet Dreams Bakery & Bubble Tea, used with permission)  YiMemg Wang is the owner of Sweet Dreams Bakery & Bubble Tea, a bakery on Cool Springs Blvd., in Franklin, Tennessee, which specializes in pies, cheesecakes, egg tarts, breads and bubble tea. In this interview, YiMeng shared her story of establishing her own business and the most essential factors and long-term strategies in the food service industry from her unique perspective.  (more introduction of YiMeng's fantastic bakery is below this article!) IA: What made you decide to establish your own business?  YM: My…

By Iris An Sitting in the 21st Avenue coffee shop with my pumpkin spice latte, I opened my next week’s reading assignment for BUSA 3710 and found myself staring at six articles about Starbucks—in a Starbucks (the irony of this weekend study mode  was not lost to me). As its name indicates, BUSA 3710: Corporate Valuation is a course introducing the methods of intrinsic, relative, and contingent valuation. Like Aswath Damodaran, the “dean of valuation,” once said, “A craft is a skill that you learn by doing. The more you do, the better you get.” Valuation is a craft that…

By Iris An At dawn on August 14, just as daylight swept over Mumbai, Jhunjhunwala, the veteran trader-cum-investor, known as the Big Bull of Dalal Street, passed away following a cardiac arrest. At the funeral ceremony, Gautam Adani, who had just overtaken Bill Gates and become the world's third richest man in August, expressed his shock and sadness, calling Jhunjhunwala India's “ace investor” and “the most legendary investor that India has had.”  Unprecedentedly for any financial practitioner, India exercised the highest tribute by placing the memorial service for Jhunjhunwala at the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE India). Prime Minister Narendra Modi…