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dough, Inc. is made up of tastytrade, a fast-growing financial network that produces eight hours of live, original, and financially educational programming each day of the work week, and dough, a trading platform that was built to make investing more engaging and interactive.

As Chief Technology Officer, dough Inc.’s Linwood Ma is at the intersection of all the company’s tech and product decisions. His leadership has steered dough, Inc. to the success it sees today.

Despite the mammoth technological responsibilities he champions at work, Ma still says the largest technical hurdle he’s ever overcome has been teaching his parents how to use Microsoft Windows.

“You suffer through it,” he said. “Soul crushing, but they’re your parents, right?”

We caught up with Ma to learn more about what’s powering dough’s technology.

What technologies power your business?

We use an abundance of open source software and frameworks and a wide variety of cloud-based services (AWS, Ooyala, etc.) to support the infrastructure. We take a lot of pride in the fact that the engineering team is very adaptive, polyglottic and autodidactic. It shows in the brief survey of our technology stack which includes Java, Ruby/Rails, EmberJS, iOS, Android and even an increasing footprint in Elixir and Phoenix (running on the Erlang VM).

Along the same line, our infrastructure is managed increasingly by “declarative code-oriented frameworks” in the form of Terraform, Chef, Docker, Packer and a whole cast of supporting characters. Our infrastructure foundation is definitely rooted in Amazon’s Web Services and powered by our CDN for content distribution. Those commoditized and packaged services are invaluable to simplifying the overhead of running a business.

What technologies are playing the biggest roles in dough, Inc. this year?

We’ve always relied heavily on Ruby on Rails, EmberJS, and all the major mobile frameworks (iOS/Android), and this year is no different. We set ourselves apart from a lot of traditional companies in that we develop pretty sophisticated applications for distribution within the browser. I think we’re better at squeezing out interesting features and optimizing capabilities with a focused set of technologies, rather than looking for “star player” technologies.

What are lessons you've learned about working in Chicago that other local entrepreneurs can learn from?

The main takeaway from working on many projects within Chicago is that there is a remarkably supportive and truly opportunity-generating community of entrepreneurs locally. From the hallways of 1871 all the way up to the World Business Chicago Council, if you are seeking a community of sharing and assistance, you will find it here.

Our tastytrade network produces a show called Bootstrapping in America where co-hosts Tom Sosnoff and Tony Battista interview entrepreneurs from all over the world about their innovative businesses. We especially love it when we get to shine a spotlight on the midwest and Chicago because the feedback from viewers across the globe is so positive.

How will Chicago specifically continue to strengthen its tech community as we head toward 2016?

The absolute best thing Chicago can do for its tech community is to nurture the environment which surrounds our home-grown entrepreneurship and the smart and ambitious technology community which is driving it forward.

Chicago offers a fantastic urban landscape to enjoy (during the warmer seasons, at least). Projects like the 606 trail, improving the neighborhood experience (Street Fairs, Cultural Events) as well as playing up the diverse cultural experiences across the city will go a long way to continually engage the active minds and hearts that make Chicago great.

General top-level urban development of all scales like providing more convenient public transportation, more centralized hubs of concentrated opportunity across the city, better schools and more media attention will increase the catalytic action of good people working hard around other good people.

Chicago is known for having a large talent pool of thirsty, young workers. What are the top characteristics you look for in a potential hire?

We look for very holistic traits in a candidate. The first is technical skill and critical reasoning, specifically in foundational understanding of the technology and stack. We want our technical team to be comfortable working near the edge of a technology. This requires that we can work our way up and down the hierarchy of details, dig through someone else’s source code and reason clearly about both the explicit and implicit aspects of code and architectural frameworks.

Secondly, we intend to be a world-class engineering team regardless of the fact that we’re married to the business. This means that we look for the interweaving of a candidate’s “professional” career and their “personal” passion and pride for the work that they do. This tends to raise expectations of what is considered acceptable over time, professionally-speaking.

Thirdly, because I’m such a small-town midwesterner at heart, we look for heads-down, pragmatic, hard-working and common-sense attitudes. We avoid those who have any air of entitlement in their attitude towards the rest of the group, no matter how smart the candidate may be. We’re very much a meritocracy at heart.

How would your team describe working with you?

That’s definitely a question you should ask them! I know that I’m pretty laid back and like to delegate. I also think it is important to recognize team members who are performing well. I actively work to be a buffer between the sometimes chaotic business side and the development team, and try to structure the iteration in a way that allows team members to still have a life outside of the fabulousness that is dough. One other trait that I’m guilty of is that I’m typically an anti-formalist. I don’t like any unquestioned rituals of the business process (which sometimes don’t add meaningful value). In an environment of more numerous tasks and ideas than resources to execute them, we want our team to be critical and pragmatic towards our processes and products, while at the same time aiming to bring the biggest value to our customers.

What else do you want the Chicago startup community to know about tastytrade/dough?

We are always trying to capture the do-it-yourselfer — whether that is through the programming we air, the products we build, or the employees we hire. We value and support fellow entrepreneurs and enjoy being a part of FinTech community here in Chicago.

We are also always working to improve our platform and services. So if you have any feedback, send it over to us!

Some answers have been edited for length or clarity.

These are some of the last words Jack Givins' father spoke to him before he was whisked away by witness protection, leaving Jack and his mother to pick up the shattered pieces of their lives as best they could.

Years later, Jack is a grown man with problems of his own. He's a talented but struggling author, barely scraping by on the royalties from his moderately successful first book. So when the U.S. Marshals approach him with a lucrative opportunity, he's in no position to turn them down. They're recruiting writers like Jack to create false histories for people in witness protection—people like Jack's father.

The coincidence is astonishing to Jack at first, but he soon realizes this may be a chance to find his dad. Only there's one problem—Jack's father hasn't made contact with his handlers recently, and they have no idea where he is. He could be in serious danger, and Jack may be the only one who can find him.

But how will he find a man he's never truly known? A man who has done terrible things in his lifetime and made some deadly enemies in the process—enemies who wouldn't think twice about using his own son against him. (From HarperCollins)

Linwood Barclay is an American Canadian thriller writer with over 20 books to his credit, including the adult thrillers Broken Promise, A Noise Downstairs, Elevator Pitch and the middle-grade novels Escape and Chase.

Interviews with Linwood Barclay

The Candy Palmater Show16:35Mystery writer Linwood Barclay holds the keys to the art of suspense

Best-selling author Linwood Barclay is a master of keeping his readers guessing. The mystery author talks to Candy about the art of wrapping up a trilogy, and the keys to being a master of suspense.

In the CBC Books 'Why I Write' series, Canadian authors talk about what literature means to them.

Here and Now Toronto7:24Tuesday Afternoon Book Club: Linwood Barclay

Here and Now's Tuesday afternoon book club talks about "The Liemaker," Linwood Barclay's latest novel. He's the New York Times bestselling author of books like Find You First and Take Your Breath Away.

Other books by Linwood Barclay

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NORTHBRIDGE – Massachusetts has 180 breweries in production, or soon to be in production, Kevin Mulvehill, co-owner of Purgatory Beer Co. told selectmen Monday. “And we are yours,” he said. “We’re the Blackstone Valley’s brewing company.”

Selectmen voted unanimously to approve Purgatory Beer Co.’s applications for a farmer series pouring permit and a common victualler license.

Mr. Mulvehill and his business partner, Brian DiStefano, said the brewery’s 2,400-square-foot indoor space and 367-square-foot outdoor patio, located in the Linwood Mill complex at 670 Linwood Ave., Building C, will house brewing facilities and retail customer serving areas for ale and fresh beer.

As a nano-brewery, the beer is brewed in batches of 100 gallons or less, which the owners anticipate won’t last more than two weeks. And because the business has a state farm brewer license, it has to use some ingredients from within Massachusetts.

Mr. Mulvehill and Mr. DiStefano said they were talking to local restaurateurs at Maison de Manger, also at the Linwood Mill, and UxLocale, on Hartford Avenue West in Uxbridge, to bring in locally made snacks, such as Bavarian pretzels.

The brewery can sell growlers and kegs for off-site consumption, but Mr. Mulvehill said they were seeking the pouring permit and common victualler license to encourage people to stay a while.

“It oozes potential. It’s quintessential Blackstone Valley,” Mr. Mulvehill said of the restored former mill building.

“We started in Northbridge because it’s a business-friendly community,” Mr. DiStefano said.

Purgatory Beer Co. will be open Thursday and Friday evenings and on weekends, he said. A soft opening is planned for late June, with a formal kickoff at the end of July.

In other business, selectmen voted unanimously to have the town manager pursue a grant through the Metropolitan Area Planning Council to defray costs of retrofitting streetlights to LED fixtures.

Town Manager Theodore D. Kozak said that with grants and more efficient energy use, converting the streetlights to LED would pay for itself in two-and-a-half years. He said the town could also look into Green Community grant support to mitigate costs further.

The town would have to take ownership of the streetlights, which belong to National Grid, according to Mr. Kozak. That would mean the town would also have to be responsible for providing or paying for maintenance, which is now provided by the utility. But he added that LED fixtures last longer, typically 15 to 20 years, and would require less maintenance than the current fixtures.

To proceed with the project, voters at town meeting would also have to approve assuming ownership of the streetlights.

Selectmen discussed that if the town took over the streetlights and if anticipated cost savings materialized, streetlights that had been shut off to cut costs could likely be restored.

Selectmen also reorganized for the coming year, voting Selectman Charles Ampagoomian Jr. as chairman, Selectman Thomas J. Melia as vice chairman and Selectman James J. Athanas as clerk.

Mr. Ampagoomian announced that 10 years ago, when he previously served as chairman, he had cast the sole dissenting vote when the board appointed Mr. Kozak as town manager. As Mr. Kozak prepares to retire June 30, Mr. Ampagoomian said, “It’s very pleasing to know that he has proved me wrong.”

Mr. Ampagoomian cited Mr. Kozak’s ability to inspire the community to grow, his bringing in strong department managers and his skill in saving money, among other accomplishments.

He rescinded his 10-year-old opposition vote so that Mr. Kozak’s appointment was retroactively unanimously approved.

NORTHBRIDGE — The cause of a fire that destroyed a mansion in April will officially remain undetermined, state fire investgators said.

The four-alarm fire in the mansion, known as the Victorian and the James Fletcher Whitin mansion, at 583 Linwood Ave., is not considered suspicious, state Fire Marshal Peter. J. Ostroskey and Northbridge Fire Chief David White said in a joint press release.

A passerby reported the fire at 3:40 a.m. on April 29. Firefighters responded and found heavy smoke and flames coming from the second- and third-floor windows. Police officers rescued a dog from the home prior to firefighters arriving.

According to the press release, the fire spread through the three-story home and drew a dozen fire departments to help fight it. One firefighter was injured when a ceiling collapsed.

Although the official cause of the fire is undetermined, investigators did find rags covered in wood stain left in a cardboard box near the starting spot of the blaze that had been used two days prior.

“The oils in some paints, stains and varnishes release heat as they dry,” White said in a statement. “If oily rags or applicators are left in a pile or confined space, the heat can build up and cause them to ignite. To prevent a fire, always dry these rags outdoors and individually. You can hang dry them or lay them flat on the ground with a rock to keep them from blowing away.”

Ostroskey said oily rags have been the cause of "major fires."

“We’ve seen several major fires this year that started with oily rags, including one that was fatal,” Ostroskey said in the release. “If you’re undertaking a home improvement project, please be careful when using paints, stains and varnishes. While the cause of this fire will remain officially undetermined, investigators were unable to rule them out as a potential cause.”

According to the Northbridge Historical Society, James Fletcher Whitin built the 13,000-square-foot home across from the Linwood Cotton Mill, which he owned, in 1879.

Whitin was the son of Paul Whitin, who founded Whitin Machine Works, which was the largest manufacturer of textile machinery in the world at the time. The village of Whitinsville is named for Paul Whitin.

The home had served as a restaurant and inn from 1971 to 1993, with actor Paul Newman being an occasional guest. It has been a private residence since 2005.

The property was last assessed at $871,800, according to Northbridge property records.

Norman Miller can be reached at 508-626-3823 or [email protected]. For up-to-date public safety news, follow Norman Miller Twitter @Norman_MillerMW or on Facebook at facebook.comNormanMIllerCrime.

Spread betting and contracts for difference (CFD) operator IG Group has agreed to acquire brokerage and “ trading education” platform Tastytrade for $1.0bn (£727.9m/€823.6m), after reporting record revenue for the six months ended 30 November 2020.

Tastytrade consists of two brands: media brand Tastytrade, which offers education to traders about options and futures markets; and brokerage platform Tastyworks, which boasts 105,000 active accounts and makes up 1.3% of the entire US equity options market by trading volume.

“Together, tastytrade provides ambitious retail traders with the education and confidence to trade in derivative products, whilst tastyworks provides them with a powerful, modern and easy-to-use trading platform to utilise this knowledge,” IG’s board said.

IG Group said the deal – consisting of a $300m cash sum and 61.0m new IG Group shares priced at $11.47 each – allows it to enter the world’s largest derivatives market, the US, which it says includes around 1.5m retail traders.

Of the cash sum required for the deal, £150m will come from new debt facilities and the remaining £68.3m from existing cash. Upon completion, Tastytrade shareholders will hold 14.1% of IG Group shares.

IG Group said the acquisition also allows it to diversify its offering as Tastytrade focuses mostly on options and futures, which are popular assets in the US market, rather than spread betting and CFDs.

“I am thrilled to welcome Tastytrade to the IG Group family,” IG chief executive June Felix said. “This acquisition will materially expand and scale our business in the US and see us further diversify into the exciting high growth market of US retail options and futures, a market which is adjacent to IG’s core retail trading skill set.

“The US market has more than 1.5 million retail traders and is the largest derivatives market in the world. Tastytrade has grown impressively and proven itself to be an innovative market disrupter passionately committed to delivering for their clients.

“The financial and strategic rationale underpinning this deal are compelling. I am confident that with our shared client-centric ethos, passion for innovation and growth, IG and tastytrade will prove a winning combination.”

Finally, IG Group said Tastytrade’s fast growth to a major player in the US brokerage market – with annual revenue growth averaging 49% between the 2018 and 2020 calendar years, showed it was a very strong business.

The acquisition will also see four Tastytrade members join the IG Group board: chief executive Scott Sheridan, co-chief executives Tom Sosnoff and Kristi Ross and chief technology officer Linwood Ma.

Sosnoff said the deal allowed Tastytrade to achieve its goal of becoming a global platform.

“Early on we knew Tastytrade was a very special company,” Sosnoff said. “While our long-term goal has always been to go global, we waited almost 10 years until we found the right partner and perfect match.

“Together we will focus on empowering the self-directed investor and change the way people perceive and engage with financial markets.”

The deal is subject to approval from competition and regulatory authorities. IG Group said it expects the deal to close in the three months ended 31 August 2021, the first quarter of its 2021-22 financial year.

IG also announced its financial results for the first half of its 2020-21 year today. Net trading revenue was up 67.1% year-on-year to £416.9m.

After paying betting duty and accounting for interest on client funds and other operating income, its net operating revenue came to £420.4m, up 64.8%.

Its operating costs, meanwhile, grew 22.1% to £188.2m. The IG Group paid £162.8m in operating expenses, up 18.0%, plus £25.4m in variable remuneration of staff, a 63.2% year-on-year increase.

This led to an operating profit increasing by 131.7% to £232.2m.

After financial costs of £900,000, IG Group’s pre-tax profit totalled £231.3m, up 128.9%.

The group paid £44.2m in tax, more than double its tax bill from the prior year, leasing to a post-tax profit of £187.1m, up 127.2% year-on-year.

“Our financial performance metrics in the period have been outstanding, delivering record revenue and profits, with profit before tax 129% higher than the prior period,” Felix said. “This performance would not have been possible without the continued commitment of our people and the resilience and flexibility of our technology.

“Our strong brand, long-standing commitment to client service and improvements to our marketing capability have supported a record 238,600 clients trading with us during the first half of the financial year.”

The market volatility and acquisition opportunities from the novel coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic have significantly boosted the IG Group’s revenue. In the 2020 fiscal year, the group took in revenue of £649.2m, of which £259.5m was made in the three months ended 31 May 2020.