Fast Company

@fastcompany

Inspiring the future of business.
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For years, Fast Company has been tracking ideas and technologies that promise to transform the world but seem just out of reach. As this year’s list of the Most Innovative Companies illustrates, they’re now firmly in our grasp. ⁠ ⁠ There’s generative AI, of course, which is being built atop the chips and platforms of this year’s No. 1 company, @Nvidia , and popularized by the likes of @OpenAI and @Microsoft . ⁠ ⁠ But while new technologies fuel innovation, our rankings of the World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies—and the 58 lists that chronicle forward-looking organizations in sectors from advertising to video—showcase deeply human stories. ⁠ ⁠ @taylorswift Productions, @Beyonce ’s @Parkwood Entertainment, Sphere Entertainment (@spherevegas ), and @Mattel have demonstrated the power of collective, in-person experiences. The United Auto Workers (@uaw.union ) is pushing companies to center labor even as they pursue innovation. ⁠ ⁠ The challenges facing business and the planet are immense, but the process of selecting these winners gave us optimism. Welcome to the future. #FCMostInnovative ⁠ ⁠ [Illustration: Andy Gilmore @a__gilmore ]
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Taco Bell is on a mission to prove that tacos are, in fact, a state of mind. ⁠ ⁠ Gracing the cover of Fast Company's March 2024 issue is Taco Bell CEO Sean Tresvant, who has grown the public's appetite for the brand across a dizzying array of pop-culture channels, leading Taco Bell to placing among the top 10 Most Innovative Companies in this year's list. ⁠ ⁠ In the past year, fans have been able to wear limited-edition Taco Bell x Crocs slides and giggle at NFL star Davante Adams’s description of how he attacks a Crunchwrap Supreme. @Tacobell even successfully petitioned to cancel trademarks for the phrase Taco Tuesday, liberating it for all people who “make, sell, eat, and celebrate tacos.” ⁠ ⁠ Thanks to Tresvant’s understanding of what fans want at a time of otherwise slow growth for fast-food companies, Taco Bell’s same-store sales grew by 5% in 2023, with digital sales up 7%, and loyalty users up 17%. ⁠ ⁠ Dig into the cover story on this year’s No. 8 Most Innovative Company at the link in bio. #FCMostInnovative ⁠ ⁠ [Photo: Christian Cody @christian__cody ]
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Of the 606 companies on this year’s Most Innovative Companies list, the top 50 are changing the world like no one else. ⁠ ⁠ There’s plenty of science fiction to go around: In addition to advancements in generative AI brought about by No. 1 @Nvidia , emerging companies are also making their mark. @Perplexity.ai , for example, is creating an entirely new way to search the web. ⁠ ⁠ And over the past year, @vertexpharmaceuticals brought the first CRISPR-Cas 9 gene-editing treatment to market. ⁠ ⁠ Outside of tech, companies are finding new ways to connect to culture and delight consumers. @TacoBell and @jmsmuckerco_ !!re!!_039;s embrace of playful foods, @wwwchesscom is making efforts to turn a centuries-old game into must-see reality TV, and The National Women’s Soccer League (@nwsl ) is taking sports fandom to new levels. ⁠ ⁠ We hope by learning about these companies, you are similarly inspired. ⁠ ⁠ Read more at the link in bio. #FCMostInnovative .
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In this year's Most Innovative Companies list, Fast Company named Nvidia at the helm. Senior Tech Editor Max Ufberg breaks down why Nvidia and other companies are leading the way with their groundbreaking products. #FCMostInnovative
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Would you rock these color-changing shoes? Dr. Martens is betting on it. ⁠ ⁠ The footwear company recently collaborated with Supreme to release a special edition of its 1461 3-Eye Oxfords with color-changing leather. The black shoe starts with a dark leather topcoat that wears away to show the metallic silver color underneath. Meanwhile, the reddish-brown shoe eventually reveals green and blue colors, which some say look similar to a weather radar. ⁠ ⁠ Since each pair changes color based on how they’re worn, the companies noted that no two shoes will look alike. The 3-Eye Show is available now as part of Supreme’s Spring 2024 season.⁠ ⁠ Read more on the color-changing footwear by Doc Martens x Supreme at the link in bio.⁠ ⁠ Slides 1-2 [Photo: Supreme/Dr. Martens]
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When office spaces were deserted in 2020, Steven Paynter and his team at Gensler knew that many of these structures could be good candidates for conversion into residential buildings. ⁠ ⁠ However, figuring out which ones could be converted included an evaluation process that was both time-intensive and expensive to carry out. So Paynter and the @gensler_design team created a shortcut: an algorithm that speeds up the assessment process. ⁠ ⁠ The algorithm evaluates nearly 150 aspects of a building’s layout and design and it can come up with a conversion viability score. It has led to more buildings being approved for conversion as governments around the world have utilized Gensler’s tool.⁠ ⁠ Read more about MIC's No. 6 rank Gensler and how its evaluation algorithm was formed at the link in bio.
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Election workers have had a rough few years, and many feel the threats against them have only increased. Natalie Adona knows it firsthand.⁠ ⁠ Adona, who serves as Assistant Registrar of Voters in Nevada County, California, has faced harassment surrounding her identity as an Asian American. Her experience dealing with the harassment has affected the mental health of her and her employees as well as their ability to do their jobs. The outlook she has on democracy in the United States has also been affected.⁠ ⁠ Read more about Adona’s experience as an election worker ahead of November’s election at the link in bio.⁠ ⁠ [Source Photo: rawpixel]
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Since stepping into the role of commissioner for the National Women's Soccer League in 2022, Jessica Berman has been on a mission to elevate its teams—and demonstrate the true value of women’s sports. ⁠ ⁠ Under Berman’s commission, the @nwsl has seen a rapid growth in its audience numbers. Attendance for regular season games increased by 26% to 1.2 million people and viewership of CBS broadcasts rose to 41% last year. ⁠ ⁠ This growth allowed Berman and the league to negotiate a landmark media rights deal last fall, which includes the broadcasting of over 100 NWSL games on networks such as CBS Sports and ESPN for the next four years. ⁠ ⁠ Read more about how Berman is championing the league and women’s sports at the link in bio. ⁠ ⁠ [Photo: Myesha Evon Gardner @myeshaevon ]
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Our March 2024 issue of Fast Company magazine is out today, featuring:⁠ ⁠ 🖥️ @nvidia , 2024's No. 1 Most Innovative Company⁠ 🌮 Our cover story on the marketing power of MIC No. 8, @tacobell ⁠ 🌟 All top 50 winners and 600+ honorees⁠ ⁠ Find it in stores and on stands, and check out the stories online now at the link in bio! #FCMostInnovative
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For many Muslims breaking fast in mosques around the world this Ramadan, something will be missing: plastics.⁠ ⁠ The communal experience of iftars—the after-sunset meal that brings people of the faith together during the holy month—often necessitates the use of plastic knives, forks, and bottles of water. But to encourage Muslims to be more mindful of Ramadan's environmental impact, mosques are increasingly phasing out the use of plastics as well as reducing food waste and overconsumption.⁠ ⁠ The Muslim Council of Britain says the ban on plastics is a way for Muslims “to be mindful of [God’s] creation and care for the environment.”⁠ ⁠ Read more about "green" Ramadan and how the banning of plastics aligns with Islam’s history of sustainability at the link in bio.⁠ ⁠ [Photo: Getty Images]
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After a 46-day-long strike, members of the United Auto Workers voted to ratify their new contracts in November, a huge victory for the storied union led by its president Shawn Fain. ⁠ ⁠ Fain quickly brought new tactics to the union and carmakers' process. The strike he orchestrated resulted in increased wages, the reopening of certain facilities, and the inclusion of battery plant workers in the union agreement, solidifying the UAW’s involvement in the electric future of auto manufacturing. ⁠ ⁠ With the contract now approved, Fain has his sights set on nonunionized international and domestic automakers, including Tesla.⁠ ⁠ Read more about how Fain is shaking up the @uaw.union ’s strategy and what his next targets are at the link in bio. ⁠ ⁠ [Illustration: Bryce Wymer @brycewymer ]
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MindMed, the first publicly traded pharmaceutical company focused on psychedelics, received a breakthrough designation from the FDA this month for its proprietary LSD drug.⁠ ⁠ The drug, known as MM120, is LSD that has been “pharmacologically optimized” to treat anxiety, and possibly other brain disorders eventually. According to findings from @mindmed_co_ !!re!!_039;s clinical trials, patients diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder showed a 48% remission rate after receiving a single 100-milligram dose of MM120.⁠ ⁠ The FDA's breakthrough therapy designation isn’t bestowed liberally—only around 500 drugs have gotten it since 2012—which makes MindMed's achievement that much more significant.⁠ ⁠ Read more about the drug and its designation at the link in bio.⁠ ⁠ [Photo: martin-dm/E+/Getty Images]
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