Most Innovative Companies

Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list is out! We chatted with Fast Company Executive Editor Amy Farley to hear about the top five winners and who her personal faves were. Spoilers: Nvidia, OpenAI and Microsoft were at the top but some surprises were the National Women's Soccer League, United Auto Workers and ... Chess.com. Then, Fast Company Senior Staff Editor Jeff Beer sat down with Taco Bell CEO Sean Tresvant and CMO Taylor Montgomery to discuss how the fast-food company is one of the most innovative brands out there. For more on the MIC list, check it out here. And check out Jeff's Taco Bell feature story!

Today’s CEOs can’t rely on their CMOs to tell them what’s on the minds of consumers. The modern chief executive must be fully plugged in to consumer wants and needs, which change more quickly than ever as technology evolves. Fast Company Editor-in-Chief Brendan Vaughan chatted with Verizon Consumer CEO Sowmyanarayan Sampath at the Fast Company Grill at this year's South by Southwest to discuss how the leader of Verizon’s consumer business stays on top—and how you can do the same.

This past weekend, Fast Company hosted a three-day event as part of SXSW in Austin. Yaz moderated a bunch of panels, Josh was producing podcasts, and best-friend-of-the-pod Max Ufberg also moderated a number of panels. We met up with Max in person to record the show for the first time! Here's our recap of the weekend at the Fast Company Grill. Then, Netflix’s new series “3 Body Problem” is based on the first volume of the Chinese science fiction trilogy “Remembrance of Earth’s Past.” The series depicts a fictional past, present, and future when an alien civilization comes to Earth. Yaz chatted with “Game of Thrones” showrunners David Benioff and D.B. Weiss, “True Blood” executive producer Alexander Woo, and director Derek Tsang about the process of adapting a popular book series and turning it into a successful television show . . . and whether or not fan reactions factor into it.

How artificial intelligence is shaping the product journeys from procurement to end customers.

What is an Oscar campaign? How do studios run them? When does Oscar campaigning start? We spoke with Allie Carieri to learn all about the work (and the money) that go into creating Oscar campaigns. Carieri creates experiences and events around entertainment, awards, film, and television as an independent marketing strategist. She also oversees experiential marketing activations as an accounts director at Civic Entertainment Group. She told us about the history of Oscar campaigns, the budgets behind these efforts, and we list some of the more successful campaigns. On another story, luxury consignment company The RealReal has struggled to prove to investors that it can be a profitable company. But just last week, the company announced that it had its first profitable quarter. Rati Sahi Levesque, president and COO, explains how the company turned things around.

In this podcast, leaders in HR and AI reveal what it will take for businesses to get their staff on board.

In 2022, The Bored Ape Yacht Club was kind of inescapable on some parts of the internet. People—including a range of celebrities from Gwyneth Paltrow to Eminem—were spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to acquire some monkey jpegs store on the blockchain as NFTs. The conglomerate overseeing the collection along with other NFT series, such as CryptoPunks, is called Yuga Labs. VCs including A16z flocked to invest in it, valuing the company at $4 billion. Yuga’s stated ambition at the time was to create an interoperable gaming metaverse, where NFT holders could game on a browser. Lately, though, it seems that things haven’t been going so well for the company. ‘Fast Company’ tech editor Max Ufberg joined us to interview Yaz and ‘Fast Company’ staff editor, Connie Lin, about what happened and whether NFTs are even still . . . a thing. Then, Bubble Goods founder and CEO Jessica Young wanted to create an online marketplace where you could find the best—and best-for-you—foods right at your fingertips. Bubble Goods carries only packaged goods that are free of preservatives, artificial dyes, and fillers, plus no refined or cane sugar. And everything it sells comes from small, indie makers that Bubble Goods taste-tests first to make sure its worthy of its consumers. We spoke to Jessica about what led her to create this space for food products, the vetting process for items to be on the site, and what are some of her favorites on the platform.

January was a big month for AI hardware, and we wanted to go over some of the biggest devices and tech out there. ‘Fast Company’ global design editor Mark Wilson joined us to chat about a couple of devices, including the Humane Pin, the Rabbit r1, and a wearable AI microphone called Tab. For more on these, check out Mark’s reporting, and what he thinks about the Apple Vision Pro. In 2022, the beauty market—defined as skincare, fragrance, makeup, and haircare—generated approximately $430 billion in revenue. Today, beauty is on an upward trajectory across all categories. It has proven to be resilient amid global economic crises. We wanted to figure out why. So, Yaz sat down with Kara Brothers, president of Starface, which makes star-shaped acne patches so popular with Gen Z on social media; Volition Beauty founder and VC Patricia Santos who also works with influencers to launch products for their audience; and makeup artist and luxury-brand founder Fara Homidi.

We’re about to hit the end of peak dating season with Valentine’s Day this week and what better way to commemorate that than to chat about the state of the dating industry. Fast Company Staff Writer Jess Bursztynsky joined us to chat about what the apps are doing to address dating fatigue and how they're continuing to incorporate AI into their strategies, for example, Tinder is able to use AI to help users pick out which photos in their camera rolls would work best for their profiles. Then Angara co-founders Aditi and Ankur Daga, and Brilliant Earth CEO Beth Gerstein came on the pod to discuss the lab-grown diamond boom and whether or not you should disclose when you've purchased a lab-grown diamond. Answer: yes. This business is all about trust.

The Super Bowl is set to kick off this Sunday, and we’re taking a look at some of the ads that are already out there. ‘Fast Company’ senior staff editor Jeff Beer joined us to share what he thinks about this year’s slate of ads. He’s noticed how brands are evolving to use the Super Bowl itself in their teasers and ads, which shows the trajectory of the way brands are going . . . they used to go for funny or emotional but now it’s an ad about being an ad. Using the game itself to help advertise a product is creating a very meta approach. We also talked about what’s going on with those Stanley cups. ‘Fast Company’ senior staff writer Liz Segran explained how the trendy tumblers do contain lead but more importantly, how this revelation will impact the company’s dominance in the very crowded reusable water bottle market. Also, how sustainable are these containers when they’re being marketed as a fashion accessory? For more MIC behind the scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok!

Yaz wrote a story about an upstart wrestling league called All Elite Wrestling (AEW) and its founder and CEO Tony Khan. ‘Fast Company’ deputy editor David Lidsky joined us to chat about Yaz’s piece on Tony, why he formed AEW in 2019, and how he was a huge wrestling nerd who grew up doing e-wrestling. And here are some more wrestling updates: Starting in January 2025, WWE’s flagship series, Raw, will be moving to Netflix WWE will still have some shows streaming on Peacock and still has pay-per-view offerings Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is joining the board of directors at TKO Group (which consists of UFC and WWE) Then, our producer Blake Odom sat down with Vuori founder and CEO Joe Kudla. They chatted about the company’s $4 billion valuation, its most prominent investor (SoftBank), and how it jumped into the very crowded athleisure space.

Daily Harvest is introducing a new collection of meals tailor-made for people on weight-loss medications like Ozempic. Daily Harvest president Ricky Silver explained how Daily Harvest’s January Jumpstart program includes GLP-1-focused meal plans. Then we chatted with Sharp Entertainment CEO Matt Sharp. Sharp is the guy behind such reality TV hits as ‘90 Day Fiancé,’ ‘Inmate to Roommate,’ and ‘Help! I’m in a Secret Relationship!’ He told us about how many nos he got from networks before finding success. For more MIC behind the scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok!

A number of recent court cases are using a new tactic to take on tech platforms, including Snap, Meta, and TikTok. ‘Fast Company’ contributing writer Issie Lapowsky walked us through the complicated legalese behind these cases. Basically, they’re using a novel legal workaround to Section 230 called a ‘product liability claim.’ Rather than faulting these platforms for other people’s posts—the kind of claims Section 230 protects them from—these cases accuse the companies of essentially building faulty products, which is an area of law that Section 230 doesn’t cover. Also, we sat down with a group of fitness-industry innovators in a fun roundtable discussion about staying fit and nimble during the peak of the pandemic. As a pioneer in the industry, Tracy Anderson created the Tracy Anderson Method more than 20 years ago, as well as offering DVDs, online videos, and exercise studios. Barry's CEO Joey Gonzalez went from client to instructor to eventually become the company’s top executive, and Y7 Studio founder and CEO Sarah Larson Levey created a unique way to practice yoga by candlelight to the beat of a customized soundtrack. We also asked what the trick is to get motivated to work out. Answer: you need to find your own motivation. For more MIC behind the scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok!

We spoke with Jeff Lee, cofounder and CEO of DIBS Beauty about his approach to building brand awareness, partnering with celebrities, and starting a company during the pandemic. “What makes us so unique, I think, is the way we speak with our customer at DIBS; we like to joke that it’s reverse master class. People used to learn about makeup from celebrities, from celebrity makeup artists. . . . We’re just about, take the stick, take the brush, take the powder, put it on—you won’t mess it up. And if you learn something from your friend over there, even better.” Oh, and he also shared his tips on coaching the Miss Universe pageant. “The pageants themselves are actually highly meritocratic in the sense that they test your skills. And I like to say that we give opportunities to people who can hit a ball or punch each other out or jump around at a high-level precision—no matter your race, creed or your background, your economic background for pageants—we’re giving people the opportunity to succeed. We’re democratizing access to fame and opportunities.”

And that's a wrap on 2023. Join our podcast hosts, Kathleen Davis, KC Ifeanyi, Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen as they look back on this past year. Happy New Year!

In the United States, nearly three-quarters of adults qualify as overweight or obese, 42% of whom are considered obese. The World Obesity Federation predicts that 51% of the global population will be overweight or obese by 2035. ‘Fast Company’ contributing writer Adam Bluestein joined us to break down how Novo Nordisk, the company behind Ozempic and Wegovy, developed and marketed its weight-loss drugs. He also explained why the drugs have become so popular in the U.S., how drug pricing is extremely complicated and . . . how the medications actually work to help people lose weight. Also, we chatted with Trina Spear about how she founded Figs, a DTC healthcare apparel company.

From YouTube to late night to actor to writer, Lilly Singh has always been a storyteller. In that vein, she started a company called Unicorn Island Productions a few years ago. The company has both a production arm and a nonprofit arm, which is Unicorn Island Fund. Singh told us that the company's mandate is simple. It's making stories that look like the real world. That means making stories that highlight underrepresented voices—which, more and more that's becoming South Asian voices—and ensuring that women are at the center of the stories. The company recently released a kids' animated series called The Mindful Adventures of Unicorn Island. The series comprises a quick 10 episodes that teach kids one mindfulness exercise each episode. And they're free on YouTube. "And it's so meaningful to me because [. . .] it's kind of like a love letter to younger Lilly, because in my adult life, meditation and mindfulness and mental health are so important. But admittedly, when I was younger, I knew nothing about this. It was never discussed in school or at home. If kids could learn how to meditate and regulate their emotions . . . just know that feeling things is okay and how to deal with that and how to reconcile that, that would be amazing." For more MIC behind the scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok!

Shein is a giant fast fashion retailer that's looking into filing an IPO. Fast Company Senior Staff Writer Liz Segran helps break down what that might mean for both the company and the fast fashion industry at large. For more on Shein, check out Liz's article Serendipitously, Shein’s head of strategic communications Peter Pernot-Day also joined us. He filled us in on how the company's on-demand model is constantly responding to consumers, creating low inventory levels, which leads to virtually no waste. "That means that we can pass on tremendous savings to our customers because we do not have to account for inventory risk in any of the garments we offer. Really, the entire purpose of the site is to give people lots of options to see what they actually want to wear at that present moment and then to produce only what we think they will actually purchase." He also discussed the company's zero tolerance for forced labor, vetting its supply chain and abiding by its environmental standards. "If a large player like us is paying attention to these things, that helps the entire supplier network, the entire supplier ecosystem realize, hey, this is the new way of doing business. This is what it means to participate with a global brand like Shein. For more MIC behind the scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok!

The long-simmering fault lines within OpenAI over questions of safety with regard to the deployment of large language models like GPT, the engine behind OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Dall-E services, came to a head on November 17 when the organization’s nonprofit board of directors voted to fire CEO Sam Altman. But then he was reinstated on November 22. It’s been a wild ride, but Fast Company senior writers Ainsley Harris and Mark Sullivan joined us to help break down the confusing back and forth at the generative AI company. For more on the company’s tumultuous activities, check out Ainsley's and Mark's reporting. “We need to make it a little more snackable, a little bit more bite-size.” USAFacts president Poppy MacDonald explained how she helps make government data more accessible, available, and interactive. Founded and funded by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, the nonpartisan nonprofit ensures government data is available to the general public. But what about operating in a post-truth world? MacDonald explained they don’t get involved in polling or forecasts, and instead they stick with what the facts are as published by the government. They provide the data and then people—whether an individual, business, or elected leader—decide what they want to do about that data. “We’re really hoping for a healthy debate, but we think a healthy debate about how to move our democracy forward starts with facts.” For more MIC behind the scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok!

Ideo is one of the most famous global design agencies in the world. Founded in 1991, it is celebrated for popularizing the modern corporate mantra of design thinking. It’s also known for a top-tier client list including companies such as Coca-Cola, Disney, and Apple, with estimated annual revenues of more than $100 million. But Ideo has been shedding employees since 2020. This is the second round of layoffs in 2023 alone. Ideo has since confirmed to Fast Company that it’s eliminating 32% of its headcount this year. Fast Company Senior Editor Liz Stinson breaks down the reason for the layoffs and what this means for "design thinking." For more, check out Mark Wilson's piece on Ideo "People thought we were crazy." Somos cofounder and CEO Miguel Leal wanted to bring authentic Mexican food to people's kitchens. "It was time to move the cuisine forward," he said. "Eighty-two percent of Mexican food comes from a restaurant. That is not the same for Italian food. That is not the same for Chinese food. That is very peculiar to Mexican food. And because of the size of the market, it's a $68 billion market. We just thought, what a great opportunity to become the spaghetti and sauce of Mexican food." And speaking of home cooking, Happy Thanksgiving!! For more MIC behind-the-scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok! Correction: We said former Ideo CEO Tim Brown was associated with the d.school at Stanford University but he is not.

After 118 days, the SAG-AFTRA strike finally came to a close. Fast Company deputy digital editor Morgan Clendaniel breaks down what happened this past summer with the strike, as well as the overall state of unions at the moment. As of airing this episode, the union’s national board approved the new contract with major studios and sent it to membership for ratification. “I’m completely uninterested in building small things.” Emma Grede has started a LOT of businesses. Probably best known for cofounding Good American, Emma is also a founding partner at Skims. For her, when it comes to starting a business, it’s never about who she’s going to partner with but rather what problem are we solving: What are we trying to do, and how do we uniquely align that with the right individual at the time? As she was starting out, Emma worked with some of the biggest brands in the world, including Dior, Chanel, and Calvin Klein. She said that gave her a kind of unique understanding and perspective, but also a clear insight into what she considers one of the best accelerators: fame. “I was very, very early in influencer marketing, and I think that we’ve seen enough celebrities create brands and fail or create brands and not have success like Good American and Skims and Safely to know that it isn’t talent alone [that’s] going to propel a brand.” For more MIC behind-the-scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok!

WeWork’s tumultuous ride has come to an end. We chatted with journalist Reeves Wiedeman, author of Billion Dollar Loser: The Epic Rise and Spectacular Fall of Adam Neumann and WeWork, about one of the wildest and most dramatic startup stories in corporate America’s history. “The brand is bruised.” What’s going on at Marvel Studios? ‘Fast Company’ senior staff editor Jeff Beer breaks down the Marvel Cinematic Universe with culture writers Joanna Robinson and David Gonzales. They chat about MCU’s strengths and weakness, and how the company once excelled at storytelling and teaching its audience how to be loyal to the brand. But now, Marvel is watching its goodwill chip away, Robinson said. So what happens when a brand’s logo doesn’t carry the same strength? “They have these pieces—it would be foolish to count them out—but they know they don’t have any free passes left,” she said. For more behind-the-scenes look at the MCU, check out: MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios And you can find Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok!

A year ago, Elon Musk bought Twitter for a whopping $44 billion. Since then the platform has changed dramatically . . . even its name. Senior staff editor Max Ufberg joins us again to break down what’s been going on at Twitter, er X, over the past year. Also, “Black women are the fastest-growing segment of entrepreneurs in this country,” says Nyakio Grieco, “yet still receive less than 1% of venture funding.” Grieco, founder of Relevant Skin and cofounder of Thirteen Lune, chats about her experience as a Black female entrepreneur and creating a beauty brand that’s exclusively inclusive. “We all have melanin, so this is a melanin-safe brand for all,” she says. But Grieco’s mission in launching Relevant Skin was to come up with products that wouldn’t be harmful to people with more melanin in their skin, which includes Black people and other people of color, so she did a deep dive along with her chemist. Grieco explained that the more melanin you have, the more prone you are to eczema, rosacea, hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation. . . . “So, we want it to build efficacious products, steeped in history [with] timeless ingredients, as well as be married to the best science to make sure no one feels left out at the shelf.” For more MIC behind-the-scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on TikTok!

Companies now have mountains of data to help drive decisions and develop products, but a holistic approach to product development must also prioritize customers’ needs and preferences. In this podcast interview, Stephanie Mehta, CEO of Mansueto Ventures, the parent of Fast Company, sits down with Emily Roberts, Senior Vice President and Head of Enterprise Consumer Product at Capital One to hear how to harness the power of technology and customer feedback loops to innovate products and experiences.

Halloween season is here! And actor-director-producer Emma Tammi joined us to chat about her upcoming film, Five Nights at Freddy’s, based on the popular video game franchise. She told us all about adapting a video game to a movie, working with large animatronic puppets, and creating a horror movie that’s aimed at a PG-13 audience. But the scariest part of the movie process, according to Emma? Reading the reviews. . . .Opening Friday, October 27, in theaters and on Peacock, Five Nights at Freddy’s is produced by the spooky creatives at Blumhouse with the murderous mascots from Jim Henson’s Creature Shop. Everyone feels like they have a book in them. Well, Roya Shariat proved it! The Glossier director of social impact and brand partnerships shared her tips on working a full-time job while pursuing her passion project. Spoiler: There’s no such thing as balance. It’s more of a trade-off. “It’s something I continue to struggle with,” says Roya, “and I’d say I’m not the best at dividing my time. It’s using my nights and weekends for that passion project and being a little ruthless sometimes about not going to socialize this month because I’ve got to work on this book proposal . . . It’s just, sometimes, not sleeping and sometimes working seven days a week.” Her cookbook, Maman and Me, is available now in bookstores around the U.S and coming soon to global markets. For more MIC behind-the-scenes, check out Yaz at @yazzyg on Instagram and Josh @joshuagchris on Tiktok!

Actor, producer, and entrepreneur Issa Rae has several businesses under her belt already, and now she has partnered with Gallo to launch her own prosecco line, Viarae. We chatted about her business ventures, and how she decides which creative projects to pursue. It comes down to backing things that she loves and/or needs. When she wanted to start a coffee business, for example, it was because she wanted a coffee shop in her neighborhood—specifically to have a place where she could write all the time, but there was never one nearby. So, she helped found Hilltop Coffee and Kitchen. She’s also the co-owner of Sienna Naturals because she said she prefers to wear her hair naturally but taking care of it is very hard. Other projects involve making her production company, Hoorae, an all-encompassing ecosystem, and recently teaming up with Adam McKay to adapt the New York Times’ podcast series, Nice White Parents, into an HBO series. On the WGA and SAG strikes, she says it was tough with the work stoppage and not being able to talk about her creative projects, but she fully supported them. And now, she says, she’ll have to navigate what to create next because everything is going to have to be high concept, and there will be fewer diverse shows. That will result in fewer casting opportunities, too: “While the writers were able to fight for more minimum staffing rooms, that means there’s less stuff to work on because everything is so expensive. In the same way that [the] ’90s to the 2000s had fewer diverse shows on the air, I think that’s for sure going to be a casualty of it all,” she explains. For more behind-the-scenes looks of our in-studio recording, follow Yaz @yazzyg and Josh @thejoshuachris

Only 10% of Fortune 500 companies have female CEOs, even though women make up 47% of the workforce. And female founders only get 2% of venture capital. When Sophia Amoruso coined the term ‘girlboss’ in her 2014 memoir, #Girlboss, she helped spark a movement for women to step into more leadership roles. But then she and a couple of other girlbosses faced backlash over their management practices, including creating toxic work environments. Compared to some of their problematic male counterparts, though, these women ultimately lost control of the companies they built. Fast Company senior staff writer Liz Segran breaks down why the reign of the girlboss is over and how the next generation of founders shouldn’t feel compelled to follow their playbook. “I have no intention of raising money and blowing up and trying to take over the world,” Bite founder and CEO Lindsay McCormick says. The sustainable toothpaste company’s goal is to stay small, stay true to the customers that they serve, and continue to be able to trailblaze. She said the company aims to show big brands that there is something to be done about caring for the environment. “And if you do it right, people will get on board.” And check out Stephanie Clifford’s coverage of the ongoing SBF trial.

Mitch Reback, CFO of Sweetgreen, is one of the rising corporate financial stars who is helping to take their companies to the next level. When he started, Sweetgreen had 25 stores; today, there are more than 220—and Reback says the company is still in its “infancy.” In this podcast, part of the SAP-sponsored Growth Agents series, Reback takes a deep dive into his role as a growth agent. Capital is the engine that drives growth, and Reback says his job is to make sure the company has adequate capital to grow as well as determining how best to allocate it, including investments in stores, marketing, staff, and technology—or, as he puts it, to push innovation forward in a way that’s capital efficient.

The company’s director of finance explains how her job goes well beyond accounting. Tina Hetzer, director of finance at Pink Lily, is one of the rising financial stars who are helping to bring their businesses to the next level. She built Pink Lily’s finance team from scratch and has helped the company become one of the fastest-growing retailers in the country. In this podcast, part of the SAP-sponsored Growth Agents series, Hetzer discusses the cash-flow challenges unique to fashion retailers and explains how working at a smaller, founder-run company can fuel greater collaboration across the organization.

Duolingo’s freemium subscription model, beloved brand and strategic investments have allowed it to execute its educational mission and become a cultural touchstone. Matthew Skaruppa, CFO of Duolingo, is one of the rising financial stars who are helping to bring their businesses to the next level. Since he joined the company in 2020, Duolingo has grown its base of monthly active users by more than 80%. Each month, 75 million users hone their language skills on the Duolingo app. In this podcast, part of the SAP-sponsored Growth Agents series, Skaruppa discusses how his analytical background has allowed to him to be a more strategy-oriented CFO. For him, that has meant balancing big aspirations and finite resources, and turning the uncertainties of tomorrow into action today.

What do Chanel, Heinz 57, and Coors Light all have in common? They’re all brands that have built a connection with their consumers. On today’s episode, we’re looking at our company’s ‘Brands That Matter’ recognition program with ‘Fast Company’ senior staff editor Jeff Beer. Not only is it about building connections, but also developing culturally relevant messaging, making an impact through social causes, and communicating their mission and values clearly. We also chat about peak marketing nostalgia and, specifically, how Kraft Macaroni & Cheese is re-releasing SpongeBob shapes, which seems like a perfect example of a brand keying into what millennials miss about childhood. ‘Are you ok with being in the shadows?’ Bobby Kim, aka Bobby Hundreds, talks about how he started his streetwear brand, The Hundreds, 20 years ago. Every year, there’s always a debate about what streetwear is—some people say it’s not cool anymore because of elitism and snobbery within subcultures. To get around this, Hundreds says you need young people discovering it for first time, as well as seasoned veterans weighing in, for a brand to have lore and build a legacy. Most streetwear brands are built to be ephemeral, but Hundreds said what helped his company was sticking to its core values: honesty, communication, and being personable. “People never go out of style.” Check out @bobbyhundreds and The Hundreds’ Substack ‘Monologue’: https://bobbyhundreds.substack.com/p/the-importance-of-diversity-and-representation

Lego has been pushing its ambitious sustainability efforts for years . . . only to recently do an about-face (sort of) by telling us that it will continue manufacturing its blocks with petroleum-based ABS plastic. Even though the company promised to get rid of petroleum-based materials by 2030. “Fast Company” senior editor Liz Stinson breaks down Lego’s recent announcement, which was more like “an excuse” or kind of an apology. In its efforts to redesign its bricks by using recycled plastic material, Lego decided that a) this kind of plastic just wasn’t going to be as good as the current ABS plastic used for its iconic bricks, and b) it would be more carbon intensive to have to retool its entire manufacturing process to make that work. So . . .it’s not exactly greenwashing, but it’s also not not greenwashing—and it highlights the interesting tension between what companies promise and what they can (or will?) realistically deliver. And at the Innovation Festival last week, Yaz chatted with Jason Blum, founder and CEO of Blumhouse; David Gordon Green, director of The Exorcist: Believer; and Emma Tammi, director of Five Nights at Freddy’s. Tammi discussed adapting a popular video game into a successful movie, how to balance her artistic vision with fans’ expectations, and producing a movie that could stand on its own. Blum explained how The Exorcist was the ‘riskiest’ undertaking of his life . . . and how he begrudgingly gave up the perfect release date of Friday, the13th, to Taylor Swift since her Eras Tour film is coming out that day. And speaking of movie production, we’ve also been following the WGA strike with its recent deal.

Since we’ve got our Innovation Festival going on this week, here’s a quick roundup of business and tech news: United Auto Workers (UAW) deal—the 32-hour week likely not to be a part of it UN General Assembly meets this week: there was a huge climate change protest on Sunday Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit with President Biden: to ask for help on a 10-point peace proposal and address the food security crisis Drew Barrymore apologized for her decision to resume production despite the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike and reversed her decision TikTok Shop is the latest social media platform to pivot to e-commerce Orcas are attacking people now . . . ? Or still. But now it might not just be playing and could be actual hunting And then we chatted with Chip Wade, CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group. He told us how he grew up in the hospitality industry and his tips for staying cool in a hot kitchen. USHG operates Gramercy Tavern, Union Square Cafe, and Blue Smoke, among other restaurants.

Check out this roundup of interviews from the past year! We're highlighting some of our favorite interviews at this year's Innovation Festival. Tune in for marketing advice from e.l.f and SKIMS and learn how Seth Rogen turned a hobby into a company.

So many CEOs make waaaay more than their workers. To use just one famous example, Apple CEO Tim Cook made more than $99 million in 2022. That’s 1,117 times the company’s median worker pay of $84,000 a year. ‘Fast Company’ deputy digital editor Morgan Clendaniel explains why CEO pay has increased exponentially over the years and discusses how that plays a significant role in overall income inequality. Want to find novelty in your desk job? Michelle Khare discusses trying out all kinds of different jobs on her YouTube channel’s ‘Challenge Accepted,’ which just won Show of the Year at this year’s Streamy Awards. Having gone to Butler Acade my, clown school, and worked as a runway model, Michelle says she’s learned that challenge and failure can still lead to personal growth. Another takeaway: The best managers are those who have done the job firsthand: Management training is ‘something we collectively need to address across corporate America.’ And check out the music video of ‘Back on 74’ by Jungle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3lX2p_Uy9I For more info on Fast Company’s CEO Fair Pay Report, check out: https://www.fastcompany.com/90946788/out-of-control-ceo-pay-why-its-a-problem?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss FAST COMPANY INNOVATION IS NEXT WEEK! LAST CHANCE TO BUY TICKETS: https://events.fastcompany.com/innovationfestival23

OpenAI is reportedly nearing $1 billion in annual sales. There’s an AI arms race among big tech companies. AI is everywhere and on everyone’s mind, so we’re breaking it all down. Fast Company senior writer Mark Sullivan explains who the major players are—from Nvidia to Anthropic—why ChatGPT has had such a strong impact on society, and how Congress will decide to regulate AI. Eleven Madison Park chef and owner Daniel Humm talks about the difficulties of running a fine-dining restaurant and why he decided to make the menu completely plant-based during the pandemic. The restaurant is celebrating 25 years in the global fine-dining industry with the new book, Eat More Plants, penned by Humm. And we discuss Walmart’s search for a new CEO with healthcare experience. Don’t forget to check out our Fast Company Innovation Festival! https://events.fastcompany.com/innovationfestival23

On this episode of “Lead Through Disruption,” we step into the shoes of Greg Schwartz, Co-Founder, President, and Chief Operating Officer of StockX, a $3.8 billion online marketplace for sneakers, apparel and collectibles. As a leading disruptor of the online resales market, discover Greg’s proven perspectives on the power of targeting innovation to customer pain points, the value of promoting transparency across partnerships and teams, and the impact of building a rich and vibrant community around your brand.

Lead Through Disruption continues with Part Two of Deb Golden’s conversation with author and entrepreneur Andy Dunn, as we go deeper into the challenges that disruption can bring to bear on our mental health. In this episode, Andy explores the delicate relationship between wellbeing and entrepreneurship, the highs and lows that can attend even the peaks of the journey, and the importance of normalizing (and prioritizing) a proactive approach to mental health.

Opening up about his journey through entrepreneurship and mental health, this special two-part conversation with Deb Golden and Andy Dunn reveals why resilience in the face of disruption is essential for growth in both business and life. In Part One, we uncover Andy’s path to pioneering digital fashion commerce in the 2000s, the advantage of showing up in service to a vision, and the art of navigating risk on the road to success.

On this episode of Lead Through Disruption, Deb Golden rides shotgun with professional race car driver Toni Breidinger. From falling in love with go-karts at nine years old, to making history as the first Arab American female driver in NASCAR, Toni has spent her life leading through disruption. In this conversation, Toni takes us behind the scenes of her journey to the top of her sport, the mental and physical demands of her high stakes profession, and the crucial connection between passion and grit.

In the premiere episode of Lead Through Disruption, Deloitte US Chief Innovation Officer Deb Golden sits down with Stephanie Mehta to discover her journey through journalism, from her earliest days in the newsroom, to her ascendance as Fast Company’s editor-in-chief, to her pivot into executive leadership as CEO and Chief Content Officer for Mansueto Ventures. Join us as Stephanie shares battle-tested principles for finding your voice, empowering your people, building resilience, and shattering glass ceilings.

On this episode of Lead Through Disruption, Deb Golden meets with serial space entrepreneur, author, and changemaker Jane Poynter, going behind the scenes of her mission to fundamentally change humanity’s perception of Earth. Join us as we discover how Jane has leveraged disruption to challenge the status quo. From her two-year journey inside the world’s first human-made biosphere to the founding of Space Perspective three decades later, Jane continues to advance innovations in sustainable space travel.

YouTube paid $14 billion for the rights to the NFL Sunday Ticket. For the next seven years, NFL viewers will be able to watch live football games from their living rooms—on YouTube. Fast Company senior writer Ainsley Harris explains the reason behind this purchase: YouTube consumption is heavily fragmented. Everyone is watching YouTube, but very few people are watching together. Sunday Ticket is a cornerstone type of content and NFL games pull in millions of people. This move speaks to the long-term investment that YouTube is making in both live sports and live NFL games. “We’re in an era of reckoning hypocrisies.” When Seth Rogen got into pottery a few years ago, he started sculpting ashtrays. Few people were putting a lot of thought into the lifestyles of people who smoked weed. But now, people are actually celebrating it. So, Rogen decided to create well-designed accessories, like ashtrays and grinders, to address the pent-up desire from weed smokers to decorate their space with nice things. “Crafting products that speak to your personal tastes and lifestyles is validating.” Say goodbye to your old soda cans. And then we look into that rumor regarding The New Yorker article about Tiger Global. Check out our upcoming Innovation Festival: https://events.fastcompany.com/innovationfestival23

Late last year, everyone thought we were headed for a recession. But now we’re doing great. What’s going on? James Surowiecki, author of The Wisdom of Crowds and a Fast Company contributing writer, explains how “Bidenomics” is actually helping boost the economy. Courtney Tracy calls herself the truth doctor on TikTok. This came about after she’d dealt with a serious life event in 2019 and thought she needed to hide her struggle. She realized that if an up-and-coming licensed therapist was going to hide her mental health problems, what does that say about mental health overall? That we should hide it, be embarrassed about it . . . really? She was struggling, and she thought the world needed a therapist who was significantly struggling. So she called herself the truth doctor and, in fact, told the truth about her struggles to encourage other people to be honest with themselves and tell the truth about their struggles. And we’re sorry to hear about Britney’s divorce . . . Don’t forget to check out our upcoming Innovation Festival at: https://events.fastcompany.com/innovationfestival23 And apply for MIC! https://www.fastcompany.com/apply/most-innovative-companies

The Women’s World Cup is coming to an end this weekend! The international soccer championship is down to its final week in which Spain and England will be facing off in the final match. Fast Company senior editor Amy Farley and staff editor AJ Hess catch us up on the drama and break down what this tournament means for pro women’s sports. Also, SKIMS cofounder and CEO Jens Grede explains how Kim Kardashian is like the Michael Jordan of the influencer generation and why the pumpkin spice latte is so important. And Broadway’s back, baby! Our personal fave is Spamalot. Don’t forget to sign up for our upcoming Innovation Festival on September 18-21: https://events.fastcompany.com/innovationfestival23

It’s looking like the future won’t be spent in the office. Based on a recent Deloitte study, 66% of mid- to executive-level financial services professionals do not want to come back to the office full-time. Writer and journalist Shalene Gupta breaks down the numbers and explains the impact that this will have on future pathways toward leadership. And historically, financial advice has been “male, pale, and stale,” according to Vivian Tu. The popular FinTok influencer explains why she’s passionate about teaching financial literacy. In addition to her proprietary “STRIP” method for achieving financial independence, she recommends setting up a “money date” with a close friend. Find out how much they make and pay for rent, and what their various expenditures are, she suggests. Tu says we need to ask each other these questions so we can set realistic expectations. “That’s real intimacy. Get financially naked with your friends!” And then we chat about periods, because they’ve been a taboo subject for so long, and . . . mustard Skittles, because that’s a thing. Fast Company Innovation Festival is coming up! Check it out here: https://events.fastcompany.com/innovationfestival23 Find out more about Vivian Tu’s forthcoming book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/735755/rich-af-by-vivian-tu/

The new visual platform, Spill, is not trying to become the next Twitter—it’s aiming to create an entirely new social media platform. Spill’s cofounder and CEO Alphonzo “Fonz” Terrell said he wants to create a fun, safer, and more rewarding space for its users, especially black, female, and queer folks. In order to create a safer and more inclusive community, Spill is building its algorithms based on specific data sets that will not just flag certain terms, but also look at who’s saying those terms. This will create a context-based model for content moderation. While the app is in its beta phase, it’s still invite-only; but since they’re moving at the “speed of culture,” Terrell said they’re aiming to scale up as soon as possible. There is already a vibrant kaleidoscope of diverse channels where “Spillionaires” are interacting and engaging with one another. Then we talk about the resale industry with Charles Gorra, founder and CEO of Rebag. He explains how the market has shifted and consumers have gotten past the “ick” factor of resale. Now it means you’re a smart shopper and you’re contributing to a circular economy: “It’s not consumption anymore, it’s investment.” And finally, we chatted about 46,000-year-old worms that may give researchers insight into how to “elongate” humans’ lives . . . maybe. Our show today was produced by Mariam Kiparoidze with help from Avery Miles and Blake Odom. And special thanks to Max Ufberg for stepping in to host this week! Mix and sound design by Tad Wadhams and our executive producer is Josh Christensen.

AI is poised to upend the music industry, and Fast Company Associate Editor David Salazar joins us to discuss what AI generative music is and how the music industry is combating it. Antidiabetic medication Ozempic is all over the news these days, but it's not as new as it seems. Beyond the TikTok trends and celebrity shout-outs, it's been used to treat diabetes for years. But now talk of this medication has reached a fever pitch. Found CEO Sarah Jones Simmer talks about how her company prioritizes comprehensive weight care management, the ongoing discussion about Ozempic, and the very complicated history of weight in this country. Basically, how do we thread the needle between self-acceptance and positive body image and the existing health challenges, like the skyrocketing rates of diabetes? Then we discuss Barbenheimer because, well, we have to.

The thing about the Barbie movie is that saying those three words together just seems inherently ridiculous. And one of the best things Mattel has done is really kind of lean into that. Starting with the Technicolor shots of Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling on set to the colorful trailers that really churned up the enthusiasm for the movie, Mattel created the momentum that has led to a laundry list of product tie-ins, including the Xbox console that actually looks like a house or a makeup station. Fast Company Senior Staff Editor Jeff Beer explains how this Blockbuster movie's marketing campaign stands out . . . and that having fun is at the core of the global brand's approach. Then to something more serious — Human Rights Watch Executive Director Tirana Hassan talks about how the organization is using technology to push back on misinformation and disinformation, and even how AI can benefit the organization in its investigations.

We have to talk about the new Twitter on the block: Threads. How does it work? And more importantly, how does it compare to Twitter? Fast Company Senior Staff Editor Max Ufberg is back to explain what Mark Zuckerberg’s newest platform is, the drama between the two companies, and how Threads' algorithms won't promote hard news or political discourse. And e.l.f. Beauty CMO Kory Marchisotto talks about the company’s successful media strategy on TikTok . . . and why it decided to make a Chipotle-inspired, guac-themed eye-shadow palette.