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.
Another UK company gives Nature a voice in its boardroom
In a significant move towards sustainability, House of Hackney recently appointed a 'nature guardian', marking a pivotal step in integrating nature's voice into corporate decision-making. Frieda Gormley, co-founder of the London-based interiors firm, regarded this as a natural evolution for a brand Read More...
How West African hairdressers offer mental health support and a pathway to healing
DECEMBER 21ST, 2023 UPDATE: This solution is a Reader's Choice selection of 2023! Here's why one of our fellow optimists nominated this story: "A few days before [this article was published], I was at my favorite salon getting my hair done. As she was conditioning my hair and massaging my scalp Read More...
Leading up to COP28, EU-Canada Green Alliance amplifies climate dedications
By joining the EU-Canada Green Alliance, Canada and the EU have recently reaffirmed their commitment to combating climate change. This historic collaboration launched ahead of the COP28 climate meeting, is a huge step toward a more sustainable future. The alliance's importance was stressed by EU Read More...
Opting out: 4 alternative movements to redefine Black Friday
Right now, the Black Friday shopping festivities are undoubtedly engulfing our screens and storefronts. It's easy for consumerism to take center stage, but nonetheless, amid the consumption frenzy, emergent movements provide respite for people wanting a break from the buying frenzy. Here are four Read More...
How teen playwrights are changing the narrative of gun violence in America
American students, raised in the shadow of repeated school shootings, are not just witnesses to a grim reality but active participants in reshaping the narrative. Following the Parkland school tragedy in 2018, theater aficionado turned activist Michael Cotey developed "Enough! Plays to End Gun Read More...
Developing public lands for affordable homes
A radical solution is taking root in the magnificent landscapes of the American West, where growing demand for housing collides with huge state-owned trust lands. States are looking for creative ways to repurpose these lands, which were originally earmarked to fund schools and local communities, to Read More...
Meet Filkin's Drift, the band walking 870 Miles to promote environmentally friendly touring
In a world where music has no boundaries, the environmental impact of touring has frequently taken a back seat. But now, two musicians from Birmingham, UK, are upending the music industry by embarking on an 870-mile eco-tour along Wales' gorgeous coast. Meet Seth Bye and Chris Roberts, the Read More...
A new era in STI testing: a tampon developed by a British firm identifies infection
Daye, a forward-thinking gynecological health firm, pioneered a novel way for sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing. Their groundbreaking STI diagnostic tampon, which includes a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test, is set to change the way women think about their sexual health. It is Read More...
What's in a name? Dozens of American birds to be renamed to promote inclusivity
"Names have power, and power can be for the good or it can be for the bad," says Colleen Handel, President of the American Ornithological Society. This power is driving a radical movement to revise the English names of all bird species named after people, as well as to erase any names deemed Read More...
Art preserves endangered flora in Himalayas—where conservation and culture collide
"In 2002, I was returning to Kalimpong in the eastern Himalaya region of India, and I found numerous trees had been cut down for a dam on the Teesta River at Kalijhora," recalls Hemlata Pradhan, an artist who had just completed her Master's in natural history illustration in London. This shocking Read More...