Most Innovative Companies: Recent Episodes
Fast Company
Which companies are on the cutting edge of artificial intelligence? What’s the next major breakthrough in healthcare? How do iconic brands reinvent themselves to appeal to the next generation? Most Innovative Companies is where tech, business, and innovation convene. Join hosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen as they bring you the latest innovations transforming business and society—and highlights the companies that are reshaping industries and culture.
So many CEOs make waaaay more than their workers. To use just one famous example, Apple CEO Tim Cook made more than $99 million in 2022. That’s 1,117 times the company’s median worker pay of $84,000 a year. ‘Fast Company’ deputy digital editor Morgan Clendaniel explains why CEO pay has increased exponentially over the years and discusses how that plays a significant role in overall income inequality. Want to find novelty in your desk job? Michelle Khare discusses trying out all kinds of different jobs on her YouTube channel’s ‘Challenge Accepted,’ which just won Show of the Year at this year’s Streamy Awards. Having gone to Butler Academy, clown school, and worked as a runway model, Michelle says she’s learned that challenge and failure can still lead to personal growth. Another takeaway: The best managers are those who have done the job firsthand: Management training is ‘something we collectively need to address across corporate America.’ And check out the music video of ‘Back on 74’ by Jungle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3lX2p_Uy9I For more info on Fast Company’s CEO Fair Pay Report, check out: https://www.fastcompany.com/90946788/out-of-control-ceo-pay-why-its-a-problem?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss FAST COMPANY INNOVATION IS NEXT WEEK! LAST CHANCE TO BUY TICKETS: https://events.fastcompany.com/innovationfestival23
YouTube paid $14 billion for the rights to the NFL Sunday Ticket. For the next seven years, NFL viewers will be able to watch live football games from their living rooms—on YouTube. Fast Company senior writer Ainsley Harris explains the reason behind this purchase: YouTube consumption is heavily fragmented. Everyone is watching YouTube, but very few people are watching together. Sunday Ticket is a cornerstone type of content and NFL games pull in millions of people. This move speaks to the long-term investment that YouTube is making in both live sports and live NFL games. “We’re in an era of reckoning hypocrisies.” When Seth Rogen got into pottery a few years ago, he started sculpting ashtrays. Few people were putting a lot of thought into the lifestyles of people who smoked weed. But now, people are actually celebrating it. So, Rogen decided to create well-designed accessories, like ashtrays and grinders, to address the pent-up desire from weed smokers to decorate their space with nice things. “Crafting products that speak to your personal tastes and lifestyles is validating.” Say goodbye to your old soda cans. And then we look into that rumor regarding The New Yorker article about Tiger Global. Check out our upcoming Innovation Festival: https://events.fastcompany.com/innovationfestival23
Late last year, everyone thought we were headed for a recession. But now we’re doing great. What’s going on? James Surowiecki, author of The Wisdom of Crowds and a Fast Company contributing writer, explains how “Bidenomics” is actually helping boost the economy. Courtney Tracy calls herself the truth doctor on TikTok. This came about after she’d dealt with a serious life event in 2019 and thought she needed to hide her struggle. She realized that if an up-and-coming licensed therapist was going to hide her mental health problems, what does that say about mental health overall? That we should hide it, be embarrassed about it . . . really? She was struggling, and she thought the world needed a therapist who was significantly struggling. So she called herself the truth doctor and, in fact, told the truth about her struggles to encourage other people to be honest with themselves and tell the truth about their struggles. And we’re sorry to hear about Britney’s divorce . . . Don’t forget to check out our upcoming Innovation Festival at: https://events.fastcompany.com/innovationfestival23 And apply for MIC! https://www.fastcompany.com/apply/most-innovative-companies
The Women’s World Cup is coming to an end this weekend! The international soccer championship is down to its final week in which Spain and England will be facing off in the final match. Fast Company senior editor Amy Farley and staff editor AJ Hess catch us up on the drama and break down what this tournament means for pro women’s sports. Also, SKIMS cofounder and CEO Jens Grede explains how Kim Kardashian is like the Michael Jordan of the influencer generation and why the pumpkin spice latte is so important. And Broadway’s back, baby! Our personal fave is Spamalot. Don’t forget to sign up for our upcoming Innovation Festival on September 18-21: https://events.fastcompany.com/innovationfestival23
It’s looking like the future won’t be spent in the office. Based on a recent Deloitte study, 66% of mid- to executive-level financial services professionals do not want to come back to the office full-time. Writer and journalist Shalene Gupta breaks down the numbers and explains the impact that this will have on future pathways toward leadership. And historically, financial advice has been “male, pale, and stale,” according to Vivian Tu. The popular FinTok influencer explains why she’s passionate about teaching financial literacy. In addition to her proprietary “STRIP” method for achieving financial independence, she recommends setting up a “money date” with a close friend. Find out how much they make and pay for rent, and what their various expenditures are, she suggests. Tu says we need to ask each other these questions so we can set realistic expectations. “That’s real intimacy. Get financially naked with your friends!” And then we chat about periods, because they’ve been a taboo subject for so long, and . . . mustard Skittles, because that’s a thing. Fast Company Innovation Festival is coming up! Check it out here: https://events.fastcompany.com/innovationfestival23 Find out more about Vivian Tu’s forthcoming book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/735755/rich-af-by-vivian-tu/
The new visual platform, Spill, is not trying to become the next Twitter—it’s aiming to create an entirely new social media platform. Spill’s cofounder and CEO Alphonzo “Fonz” Terrell said he wants to create a fun, safer, and more rewarding space for its users, especially black, female, and queer folks. In order to create a safer and more inclusive community, Spill is building its algorithms based on specific data sets that will not just flag certain terms, but also look at who’s saying those terms. This will create a context-based model for content moderation. While the app is in its beta phase, it’s still invite-only; but since they’re moving at the “speed of culture,” Terrell said they’re aiming to scale up as soon as possible. There is already a vibrant kaleidoscope of diverse channels where “Spillionaires” are interacting and engaging with one another. Then we talk about the resale industry with Charles Gorra, founder and CEO of Rebag. He explains how the market has shifted and consumers have gotten past the “ick” factor of resale. Now it means you’re a smart shopper and you’re contributing to a circular economy: “It’s not consumption anymore, it’s investment.” And finally, we chatted about 46,000-year-old worms that may give researchers insight into how to “elongate” humans’ lives . . . maybe.
Our show today was produced by Mariam Kiparoidze with help from Avery Miles and Blake Odom. And special thanks to Max Ufberg for stepping in to host this week! Mix and sound design by Tad Wadhams and our executive producer is Josh Christensen.
AI is poised to upend the music industry, and Fast Company Associate Editor David Salazar joins us to discuss what AI generative music is and how the music industry is combating it. Antidiabetic medication Ozempic is all over the news these days, but it's not as new as it seems. Beyond the TikTok trends and celebrity shout-outs, it's been used to treat diabetes for years. But now talk of this medication has reached a fever pitch. Found CEO Sarah Jones Simmer talks about how her company prioritizes comprehensive weight care management, the ongoing discussion about Ozempic, and the very complicated history of weight in this country. Basically, how do we thread the needle between self-acceptance and positive body image and the existing health challenges, like the skyrocketing rates of diabetes? Then we discuss Barbenheimer because, well, we have to.
The thing about the Barbie movie is that saying those three words together just seems inherently ridiculous. And one of the best things Mattel has done is really kind of lean into that. Starting with the Technicolor shots of Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling on set to the colorful trailers that really churned up the enthusiasm for the movie, Mattel created the momentum that has led to a laundry list of product tie-ins, including the Xbox console that actually looks like a house or a makeup station. Fast Company Senior Staff Editor Jeff Beer explains how this Blockbuster movie's marketing campaign stands out . . . and that having fun is at the core of the global brand's approach. Then to something more serious — Human Rights Watch Executive Director Tirana Hassan talks about how the organization is using technology to push back on misinformation and disinformation, and even how AI can benefit the organization in its investigations.
We have to talk about the new Twitter on the block: Threads. How does it work? And more importantly, how does it compare to Twitter? Fast Company Senior Staff Editor Max Ufberg is back to explain what Mark Zuckerberg’s newest platform is, the drama between the two companies, and how Threads' algorithms won't promote hard news or political discourse. And e.l.f CMO Kory Marchisotto talks about the company’s successful media strategy on TikTok . . . and why it decided to make a Chipotle-inspired, guac-themed eye-shadow palette.
When you have a chronic illness or debilitating condition, you start turning to alternatives for answers. This is what one of our colleagues did. Fast Company Video Producer and host of the new docuseries “Future Me,” Emma Wheylin, takes us through her biohacking journey. She tried out the Peak Brain Institute and the BallancerPro where she learned a lot about lymphatic drainage. Yaz chatted with Fast Company Senior Staff Writer Liz Segran and Senior Editor Amy Farley about what the direct-to-consumer Daily Harvest’s recall and lawsuits reveal about how unregulated food startups are. They dove into how this resulted in several hospital visits, emergency surgeries, and thousands of dollars in healthcare costs. It came down to a novel ingredient called tara flour. Also, for more info about Fast Company premium, check out: https://www.fastcompany.com/premium
Pedestrian and cyclist deaths have hit their highest levels in 40 years. There’s one major way we could bring those numbers down and that’s if we got rid of the law that allows drivers to turn right on red. Yaz spoke with Fast Company contributing writer David Zipper. David is a visiting fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School, and he focuses on road safety, climate change, and the future of micromobility, among other things. And Fast Company Executive Editor Mike Hofman sat down with Jason Del Rey about his latest book, “Winner Takes All.” In it, he explores the rivalry between Amazon and Walmart and the traditional retail giant’s attempts to reinvent itself. For more on the right-on-red ban, you can read David's article here: https://www.fastcompany.com/90908929/its-time-for-a-nationwide-ban-of-right-on-red?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rss
After World War II, the U.S. had to change the way it communicated if it was going to keep up with the Soviets in the Cold War, especially once Sputnik was launched. It was the vision of a Missouri boy called Lick that would solve those communication issues and spark the creation of the internet.
To discuss this year’s just-announced list, ‘Fast Company’ staff writer Pavithra Mohan joined us for a behind-the-scenes look. For a bit of context, the Queer 50 is an annual list that ‘Fast Company’ puts together of the most impressive LGBTQ women and nonbinary folks in business and technology. Covering a range of industries, this year’s list focuses on leaders within the Queer community who are both activists and advocates, fighting for trans rights, reproductive justice, pay equity, inclusion, and other compelling issues, which involve the latest in AI, VR, and AR tech, too. Yaz also sat down with one of our honorees, Folx Health CEO Liana Guzmán, to chat about affirmative healthcare in a time where LGBTQ rights are being eroded.
On today's episode, Yaz chats with Fast Company senior writer Mark Sullivan about what's happening with Apple these days. And we learn about the latest biotech research in menopause with Fast Company senior writer Ainsley Harris.
In this episode, we're taking a look back at our Fast Company Innovation Festival. Fast Company Senior Editor Aimee Rawlins sat down with Chloé Founder and Creative Director Gabriela Hearst and Make It Nice Chef and Owner Daniel Humm to talk about forward-thinking approaches to sustainability, the role of innovation in their work, and the ways they are seeking to elevate the conversation around climate change.
Brittany "Broski" Tomlinson turned her 15 seconds of fame as "the Kombucha girl" meme into a full-fledged career. In this live episode of Fast Company's podcast Creative Control, Tomlinson gives her candid take on the creator economy and explains how she's building a name for herself offline.
Kate Davis hosts a live episode of The New Way We Work at Fast Company Innovation Festival. She talks about burnout and why so many employees are unhappy at work with Ludmila Praslova and Phoebe Gavin. Ludmila is a professor of Organizational psychology at Vanguard University of Southern California with extensive experience in talent systems, inclusion and wellbeing. She is a frequent contributor to Fast Company and Harvard Business Review. Phoebe is a career and leadership coach specializing in career strategy, negotiation, and self-advocacy. She’s also the Executive Director of Talent and Development at Vox.com where she oversees the employee life-cycle from candidate to employee to alumni. A new season of The New Way We Work starts October 3rd with a special four-part mini series called Ambition Diaries.
In this special podcast episode, hear the latest on what’s taking place in edge computing and hybrid cloud from a top industry executive at AWS. Also learn how these innovations can ultimately help you transform your business.
James Vincent reflects on lessons learned from the last 12 episodes of Most Innovative Companies.
On this week's Most Innovative Companies Podcast, Danny Rimer shares his investment ethos, his thoughts around the evolution of the venture capital industry, why he believes it’s a privilege to invest in someone else’s idea, and, how in return for that privilege, he promises to roll up his sleeves, get to work and do everything possible to make that company as successful as it can be.
James Vincent talks with Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky on stage at Fast Company Innovation Festival in New York City
On this week's Most Innovative Companies Podcast, Nicolas Julia, CEO and cofounder of Sorare talks about his vision for democratizing NFTs through the world’s biggest sports.
On this week’s Most Innovative Companies Podcast, Alexandr Wang, CEO and founder of Scale AI, explains how his company is using data to tackle problems from access to healthcare to supplies for the war in Ukraine.
On the latest episode of the Most Innovative Companies podcast, Irving Fain, founder and CEO of the vertical farming company Bowery, explains how being an outsider to agriculture has helped him come up with new ideas.
James Vincent is joined by Rebekah Jefferis, Stephen Butler and Nick Barham, his partners at FNDR, to discuss lessons they've learned from their work with 126 founders.
Every company’s success is tied to its talent - recruiting and retaining the employees needed to deliver high-level customer experiences that support the bottom line. Yet rapid transformation has disrupted many things that organizations used to do to maintain great company cultures. So how can business leaders reimagine their employee experiences to meet the needs of their workforces? How does that translate into better customer experiences? In this thought-provoking podcast episode, FastCo Works will hear from Freshworks CMO Stacey Epstein as she shares some of the latest industry best practices and learnings for companies navigating these work culture shifts.
On this week’s Most Innovative Companies Podcast, Nate founder and CEO Albert Saniger discusses the role technology plays in our lives, and the autonomy we hold over our decisions and our data.
On this week's Most Innovative Companies podcast, Farfetch Founder and CEO José Neves explains what Web3 is and what it's capable of through the lens of fashion and culture, drawing from his experience founding and growing Farfetch, the online luxury fashion retail platform.
On this week’s Most Innovative Companies podcast, Joanna Coles explains the business case for all leaders to surround themselves with independent working minds that are connected to culture, both within the broader world around us as well as the communities we live, work, and thrive in.
On this week’s episode of Most Innovative Companies podcast, Sonos CEO Patrick Spence talks with James Vincent about why companies should embrace innovation even when they don’t need to.
On this week's Most Innovative Companies Podcast, Jack and Sam dive into why the creator economy isn’t new, but a fresh iteration of a much older phenomenon, as well as the beauty of Web3 as it applies to ownership. By focusing on “love” as opposed to “likes”, Patreon has helped change the way art is brought back autonomy to artists and creators around the world, enabling them to receive fair pay—as opposed to fractions of cents—for their creative output.
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On this week's Most Innovative Companies, Joe Percoco, cofounder and co-CEO of Titan, shares his thoughts with host James Vincent about why, while a financial crisis is undeniably a challenge to companies, it can also bring key opportunities for growth. His company Titan is a consumer fintech opening up access to expert-led investment opportunities for as little as $100. Operating in that space means that Percoco has seen this crisis from the eye of the storm. You can listen and subscribe to Most Innovative Companies on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Join host James Vincent, a founding partner at FNDR, as he talks to amazing and transformative founders about their creative journeys. Because James knows each founder personally and has helped them build narrative strategies for their companies, you'll get a level of intimacy and understanding that's not always possible. He'll also share anecdotes from his time working with Steve Jobs and other well-known founders, where you'll learn how they developed enduring brands like Apple and Airbnb. Tune in to hear their stories firsthand and glean valuable lessons. New episodes start on July 12th!
We’re taking a look at some of our favorite moments from the 2021 Fast Company Innovation Festival. Here’s a conversation about going from a corporate gig to entrepreneurial life with Gail Becker, CEO of Caulipower, and Alexa Von Tobel, founder of Learnvest and Inspired Capital.
We're taking a look at some our favorite moments from last year's innovation festival. Here’s a conversation about closing the gender financing gap with Allie Burns, CEO of Village Capital; Shruti Chandrasekhar, head of Startup Catalyst and SME Ventures and the Africa regional lead at the International Finance Corporation; and Odunayou Ewaneeyiee, cofounder and COO at Piggyvest.
We’re taking a look at some of our favorite moments from the 2021 Fast Company Innovation Festival. Here’s a conversation about sports, entertainment, and the new way we tell and sell stories with Stephanie McMahon, chief brand officer at WWE, and Lee Trink, CEO and co-owner of FaZe Clan.
We’re taking a look at some of our favorite moments from the 2021 Fast Company Innovation Festival. Here’s a conversation that goes beyond recycling to talk about reshaping supply chains with Stuart Landesberg, cofounder and CEO of Grove Collaborative; Alex Totterman, founder and CEO of Cove; and Lee Ellen Drechsler, senior vice president of Platform Innovation and Corporate R&D at Procter & Gamble.
We’re taking a look at some of our favorite moments from the 2021 Fast Company Innovation Festival. Here’s a conversation about design as a force for good with Jake Barton, designer as well as founder and principal of Local Projects; Felipe Memoria, designer and founding partner of Work & Co.; and Dori Tunstall, dean of Faculty of Design at the Ontario College of Art & Design University.
We’re taking a look at some of our favorite moments from the 2021 Fast Company Innovation Festival. Here’s a conversation about branching out and starting your own production company with “Good Morning America” Co-anchor Robin Roberts. Her new company is called, Rock’n Robin Productions.
We’re taking a look at some of our favorite moments from the 2021 Fast Company Innovation Festival. Here’s a conversation about quantum computing with IBM CEO Arvind Krishna.
We’re taking a look at some of our favorite moments from the 2021 Fast Company Innovation Festival. Here’s a conversation about closing the opportunity gap with Ken Chenault, chairman and managing director of General Catalyst, and former chairman and CEO of American Express; Gerald Chertavian, the founder and CEO of Year Up; Ruth Bowen, platform automation manager at Bank of America; and Accenture CEO Julie Sweet.
We’re taking a look at some of our favorite moments from the 2021 Fast Company Innovation Festival. Here’s a conversation about how good economics can help us rebuild equitably with Nobel Prize-winning economists, Abhijit Banerjee and Esther Duflo. Banerjee is the Ford Foundation International Professor of Economics at MIT and Duflo is a professor of poverty alleviation and development economics at MIT.
We’re taking a look at some of our favorite moments from the 2021 Fast Company Innovation Festival. Here’s a conversation with Actress and Entrepreneur Drew Barrymore, about making the case for optimism. Barrymore is also the executive producer and host of her eponymous daytime talk show.
We’re taking a look at some of our favorite moments from the 2021 Fast Company Innovation Festival. Here’s a conversation about how art affects our brains with Susan Magsamen, founder and executive director of International Arts + Mind Lab; Ivy Ross, VP of Design for Hardware at Google; Diana Saville, cofounder and CCO of BrainMind; and Judy Tuwaletstiwa, visual artist, writer, and teacher.
We’re taking a look at some of our favorite moments from the 2021 Fast Company Innovation Festival. Here’s a conversation about how we can fix the childcare crisis with Wendy Chun-Hoon, director of the Women’s Bureau at the Department of Labor, and Elliot Haspel, author and philanthropic program officer at the Robins Foundation.
In this episode, we’re talking about social media. While Facebook and Twitter still dominate the space, apps like TikTok and Clubhouse are offering people new ways to express themselves and form communities. Amy chatted with Maria Raga, the CEO of Depop, the fashion resale app that’s become popular with Gen Z. The platform has 30 million registered users: 90% of them are under 26 years old. They discuss Depop’s unique approach to social commerce and how it has fostered a deep connection with younger users.
On this episode, we’re going to talk about the gaming industry, which is worth more than 160 billion dollars globally. Over the past year and a half, as people have gone from sheltering at home to tentative re-engagement with the world to….whatever is in store for us this fall, games have taken on an outsized role in our lives. Amy sat down with Roham Gharegozlou, CEO of Dapper Labs, the company behind NBA Top Shot, to discuss why he wants to do far more than just digitize the age-old pastime of buying and selling trading cards.
In this episode, we’re talking about biotech and health. If this past year and a half is any indication, investment in these sectors is critical. We’ve seen how we can confront a global pandemic with fast-tracked RNA-based vaccines. We’ve harnessed genomics to track and diagnose illness as it spreads. And the rise of telemedicine has made healthcare more accessible to all. Amy talked with Twist Bioscience CEO and Co-founder Emily LeProust about the MIC winner's cutting-edge technology that has pioneered what’s known as synthetic DNA. It’s used in therapeutics and precision medicine, but has applications across agriculture, biomaterials, and even data storage.
We're talking about AI in this episode. Once the villain of Sci Fi thrillers, AI is one of the most crucial—and misunderstood—sectors that we cover here at Fast Company. The truth is, AI—in some form or another—underpins the operations of just about every company these days, from powering self-driving technologies in our cars to serving up product recommendations when we’re shopping online. And though we’re increasingly aware of how algorithms can perpetuate and amplify inequities, AI is also being used by companies to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems, increasing crop yields, fighting disinformation, and helping us track and control a global pandemic. We're featuring one such company: Pachama, an MIC honoree that’s taking on climate change with the help of some advanced AI and data science. Amy speaks with Co-founder and CEO Diego Saez Gil about how Pachama is revolutionizing the fight against global warming.