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.
L’Oreal going forward with 2 new solar power installations
L’Oreal USA is having two new solar arrays installed at its manufacturing facilities in Kentucky and Arkansas. The array in Kentucky will be 1.5 MW and the one in Arkansas will be 1.2 MW. Construction on the first will start in late 2016, and the one in North Little Rock is expected to be Read More...
Uber to move freight, target trucking for the long haul
With its recent acquisition of self-driving truck startup Otto, Uber is plotting its entry into the long-haul trucking business, aiming to establish itself as a freight hauler and a technology partner for the industry. Otto plans to expand its fleet of trucks from six to about 15 and is forging Read More...
Uber launches global assault on food delivery market
In a measure of rising ambition beyond its taxi business, Uber will begin delivering meals in Amsterdam on Thursday just as Dutch market leader Takeaway.com begins trading on the city's stock market. And according to current job listings on Uber and other recruiting sites - for about 150 Read More...
Charities were there first: The new world of social enterprise
Have you heard about social enterprises? Social enterprises apply business solutions to social problems. They're incredibly hot right now. So hot, in fact, that I've just come back from the Social Capital Markets (SOCAP) conference in San Francisco where there were over 2000 attendees. It's the Read More...
Solar in Africa launches new services by enabling refrigeration and irrigation
New ideas and declining costs are leading to a dramatic uptake of solar technology across Africa, according to a report published by the International Renewable Energy Agency. Many startups are trying to navigate the challenges of Africa’s off-grid electricity sector with mobile, flexible solar Read More...
Airlines support carbon emissions plan that could cost them $24 billion a year
The airline industry is pushing to support a United Nations proposal to limit pollution from international flights even though the measure may eventually cost companies $24 billion annually. The airlines are pushing nations to join the agreement, which would require companies to offset their Read More...
Is the mass sharing of driverless cars about to reshape our suburbs?
A few months ago I interviewed Klaus Bondam, head of the Danish cycling union and formerly Copenhagen’s mayor for roads and infrastructure, and asked him how he saw his city changing in the coming years. The answer was something of a surprise. “Look at something like car parking,” Bondam told Read More...
How this $700 million business makes money without trying to turn a profit
In his updated book Let My People Go Surfing (Penguin Random House, 2016), first published in 2006, Patagonia founder and owner Yvon Chouinard describes the unique pillars of success for his famous enterprise. In the following edited excerpt, Chouinard explains how a business philosophy focused on Read More...
Google just pumped a bunch of money into Airbnb
Airbnb just got a big cash infusion — and Google is one of its big investors. According to a report from Fortune, the company has raised $555 million at a $30 billion valuation, part of a desired $850 million round that it filed to raise last month. Google Capital and Technology Crossover Read More...
Jamnation builds a fair-trade jam empire from the Bayview
“Have you ever seen a Geami roll?” asks Gillian Reynolds, as she pulls out a box of what looks like ripped paper. Reynolds owns 2-year-old Jamnation, a jam company in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood. The Geami roll is biodegradable packing material that she uses instead of Read More...