Business
Looking for positive and inspiring business stories? From green operations to employee rights, from innovative corporate structures to diversity and inclusion, the Business section at The Optimist Daily has got the latest innovative solutions from the corporate sector.
New York State mandates fertility treatment coverage for same-sex couples
Governor Andrew Cuomo’s 2021 Women’s Agenda has already introduced a host of protections for women and LGBTQ+ New Yorkers such as mandating insurance coverage of in-vitro fertilization services, banning conversion therapy, and stronger protections for marriage quality. Most recently, Cuomo Read More...
These cinemas in South Korea are hiring out their screens to gamers
As most cinemas around the world have temporarily closed their doors as a result of the pandemic, some of the venues have been finding creative ways to stay afloat. South Korea’s largest cinema chain, for example, came up with the idea of hiring out its auditoriums to small groups of Read More...
How Safe Families keeps kids out of the foster care system
Oftentimes kids wind up in foster care systems because their parents lack a basic support system that would allow them to meet their children’s basic needs. To prevent children from ever having to go through the trauma of being separated from their biological parents, an organization called Safe Read More...
The Fair Housing Act now includes protections for LGBTQ+ individuals
The Fair Housing Act was passed in 1968 to protect from housing discrimination on the basis of “race, color, religion, sex, familial status, or national origin,” but did not explicitly include sexual orientation or gender identity. Now, motivated by a recent Supreme Court ruling, the Department Read More...
Future of work: Salesforce declares the end of the 9-to-5 workday
As many people have been asked to work from home during the pandemic to prevent the spread of the virus, a good number of companies have decided to make it a permanent thing and give their employees more flexibility to choose when and where they work from. Now, the computing company Salesforce is Read More...
This foundation turns discarded oyster shells into new marine habitat
In 2008, Galveston Bay lost more than 50 percent of its oyster habitat to Hurricane Ike. Seeking solutions to this crisis, The Galveston Bay Foundation partnered with a local restaurant to turn discarded oyster shells into restored habitats for marine life. The program is supported by Read More...
Oakland mandates hazard pay for grocery store workers
Essential workers have kept our medical facilities, grocery stores, sanitation services, and emergency response systems functioning throughout the pandemic at great risk to their personal health. While other countries have passed hazard pay mandates for these workers, the US has been slow to boost Read More...
Startup gives ex-cons a second chance while upcycling construction waste
One year ago, industrial commercial designer Sasha Plotitsa launched Formr, a startup that repurposes waste while transforming the lives of formerly incarcerated people, so that both have a second chance. Plotitsa’s father was a contractor, so he spent a lot of time on job sites while he was Read More...
This program in Austin aims to undo racism in the music industry
The Covid-19 pandemic has deeply affected many industries, but perhaps none has the weight of it so great as the music industry. Live music events and venues were some of the first to be shut down with the first wave of lockdowns and will be the last to open and function regularly once things Read More...
Nigerian farmers win 13-year case against Shell for oil spill damages
A 13-year environmental justice trial has finally come to a close with a long-awaited victory for four Nigerian farmers harmed by oil spills at the hands of Shell Nigeria. The company has been ordered by a Dutch court to compensate the farmers for oil spills that polluted their land in 2004 and Read More...