This week on Can Do, we talk with global business woman and celebrity chef Maria Loi, who has a deep love for Mediterranean cooking and a desire to spread the healthy and hearty food that she grew up with.

The world of retail is constantly changing, and savvy business people learn to evolve with it. The pandemic introduced a whole new set of rules into an already dynamic landscape. When change and chaos are the new normal, how can retailers continue to anticipate the needs of the consumer?

Daily unpredictability confronts many of the 60 million Americans employed in the gig economy. When, where, and which job should they work on any given day of the week? How much money are they earning across multiple gigs? Information and data is sparse for workers — and not being able to count on a predictable pay rate makes it nearly impossible to plan out professional life. It turns out there’s an app for that.

Can Do's fourth season unfolded in real time as business owners grappled with the impacts of the pandemic on their personal and professional lives. Some looked to innovate while others doubled down on what had made them successful in the first place. Whichever strategy they used, the wild swings and challenges of the past year forced every entrepreneur to reevaluate how they do business.

Being your own boss can be rewarding, and it can be hard. Daily unpredictability confronts many of the 60 million Americans employed in the gig economy. When, where, and which job should they work on any given day of the week? How much money are they earning across multiple gigs? Information and data is sparse for workers — and not being about to count on a predictable pay rate makes it nearly impossible to plan out professional life.

The economic downturn from COVID-19 has pummeled main street businesses, but the Payroll Protection Program loans of the Cares Act have saved hundreds of thousands of them. On April 3, 2020, the first day of the first round of PPP loans, the number one lender in the country was, surprisingly, Montana’s Stockman Bank.

Over the past five years, Montana has seen exponential growth in venture capital investment. From 2015 to 2020, the state attracted over $500 million in early-stage funding. In the previous 20 years, that figure had been just $144 million.

For more than a year, all types of territorial borders have been shut down due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. International trade and commerce have been throttled, and industry experts predict that business travel will never return to pre-pandemic levels. Global business has long been reliant on building personal relationships; relationships that now must be cultivated and maintained digitally.

Ben Morris discovered the utility of three-wheeled cargo trikes, or pedicabs, during a stint in San Diego. After finishing his business degree at Northeastern University in 2005, he secured a small loan, bought five pedicabs, and launched Coaster Cycles. Soon, Ben had expanded beyond Boston to other cities, and he'd begun to incorporate outdoor advertising into his bike fleet.

The ninth of 11 children, Megan Harrington grew up understanding the value of competition and how to tell a great story. In the third grade, Megan wrote a poem that included the prophetic line: “When I grow up, I want to be a Lady Griz basketball player at the University of Montana.”