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.
Competition aims to find solutions to training the post-pandemic workforce
The pandemic has radically altered the employment landscape. Most jobs will be very different when regular work resumes and many jobs will not come back at all. In order to induct a large workforce into new roles, effective and rapid training techniques will need to happen across all sectors. A new Read More...
Black environmentalists are uniting to fight climate injustice
"I can’t breathe." These were among the final words that George Floyd and Eric Garner gasped before their deaths at the hands of white police officers. That plea has become part of the current rallying cry for racial justice and an end to police brutality in the United States. But for Black Read More...
How a small furniture company pivoted to medical supplies to stay afloat
When Matthew Moore’s company, Urban Plough Furniture, lost 80 percent of its business during the pandemic, he turned to an innovative new production strategy to stay afloat. Instead of making furniture, he began making intubation boxes for local medical facilities. Intubation boxes protect Read More...
Ford commits to carbon neutrality by 2050
Ford is the latest company to announce a plan for achieving carbon neutrality. The car manufacturer will strive to become carbon neutral by 2050 by focusing on three main areas: vehicle use, supply base, and company facilities. These three critical areas account for 95 percent of the Read More...
How to heal while fighting for social justice
In a time of deep, civil unrest (not to mention a pandemic), self-care has perhaps never been so important. You might brush off a morning meditation or virtual get-together with a simple thought: There are more important things to be focusing on right now. And you're right—there are. But that Read More...
Facebook boycott shows us outdoor companies know corporate responsibility
Last Friday, The North Face became the first major brand to join an advertising boycott of Facebook. The move was in solidarity with civil rights organizations like the NAACP and Anti-Defamation League, as well as Color of Change, Free Press, Common Sense, and Sleeping Giants, which launched the Read More...
Black bookstores are flooded with orders for anti-racism titles
Americans have been called upon to educate themselves about racism, their own racial biases, and the history of Black Americans in this country. The call to educate was made—and apparently, the people have listened. Across the country, black booksellers are being flooded with orders for Read More...
Impact-driven entrepreneurship is slashing plastic pollution in Indonesia
You may have heard that Indonesia has some of the world’s most beautiful and pristine beaches adorning its lush archipelago of islands. And while it’s true that there are few other places that can compete with these spectacular landscapes, over the recent years, an increasing number of Read More...
Into the mainstream: Plant-based meat now on the menu at Starbucks
It took Impossible Foods hardly a year it seems to go from niche food product to mainstream menu item. This week, Impossible Foods has announced it will sell its plant-based breakfast sandwiches at most Starbucks locations in the US. Given that Starbucks has more than 15,000 US location and that Read More...
Why the coronavirus recovery is the perfect opportunity to enact change
As cities reopen even while global COVID-19 cases continue to grow, most people are wondering when things will truly get back to normal. In a TED2020 talk on Monday, economist Mariana Mazzucato said that it’s the wrong question to ask. “Really, my view is that we need to do everything we Read More...