By Kelly Spors

The term “sharing economy” entered the American lexicon just a few years ago when a few quirky-named startups began popping up. All were founded on the concept that people could use online tools to borrow or rent things from each other.

Over the past few years, however, this sharing economy has exploded in ways that seemed unimaginable. Concepts that were once farfetched are now among the hottest companies on the block. The $10 billion valuation of “couchsurfing” platform Airbnb, for instance, means it’s now worth more than Hyatt Hotels, which had about 75,000 employees and nearly 500 hotels as …read more