Today in Global Small Business: An Embodied Internet

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What's affecting me, my clients, my colleagues and other global small business owners:

• Facebook plans to rebrand as a metaverse company, one that the CEO envisions as an embodied Internet.
• How to help Africans prove their identify online.  Smile Identity has the answer.
• Swiss startup Tide Ocean Material is working with a global network of fishers to upcycle ocean-bound plastic.
• Quote of the week: "Getting information off the Internet is like taking a drink from a fire hydrant." – Mitch Kapor
• Wonder Brands raised $20M to build a portfolio of e-commerce brands that operate in the Mercado Libre and Amazon ecosystems.
• Dubai, The Bahamas, Sweden, and Nigeria have all launched their own digital currency, called “central bank digital currency” (CBDC). Now, 81 countries are exploring doing the same.