World Changing Ideas series roundup!

Who is the ‘most fairly paid’ CEO in America—and what does that even mean?

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 differen...

How ChatGPT is launching tech’s next big wave

OpenAI is reportedly nearing $1 billion in annual sales. There’s an AI arms race among big tech companies. AI is everywhere and on everyone’s mind, so we’re breaking it all down. Fast Company senior writer Mark Sullivan explains who the major players are—from Nvidia to Anthropic—why ChatGPT has had such a strong impact on society, and how Congress will decide to regulate AI. Eleven Madison Park chef and owner Daniel Humm talks about the difficulties of running a fine-dining restaurant and why he...

YouTube’s $14 billion bet on NFL Sunday Ticket

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-...

So, thanks to Bidenomics, we’re not in a recession?

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 ...

SKIMS’ CEO on how Kim Kardashian is like Michael Jordan—and Starbucks

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 ...

Future executives don't want to go back to the office, and why we still don't know how to manage our finances

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 passionat...

What is Spill and could it (finally) kill Twitter?

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 te...

AI and Ozempic: The two great disruptive technologies of 2023

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 prioritiz...

Barbie's global domination: Exactly how Mattel pulled it off

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....

Will Threads disrupt the digital public square?

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, g...

Computer Freaks - Chapter Four: The French Connection

Louis Pouzin is a French academic who some experts say really invented the Arpanet. But is that true, and should any one person be given all the credit?

Computer Freaks - Chapter Three: Let's Have a Ball

It’s the 1970s and both the government and academia are doing everything they can to spread the word of the Arpanet. But as the Arpanet gains popularity everywhere after its 1972 coming-out ball in Washington, D.C., through its new phone book, it also faces detractors who don’t want it to be available to all.

Hacking into the wellness industry with Fast Company's 'Future Me' Docuseries

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-co...

Computer Freaks - Chapter Two: In the Air

Many historians say the Arpanet (and ultimately the internet) was born on October 29, 1969. But is that really when the Arpanet began, and who should be given credit for this key moment in internet history?

Introducing 'Computer Freaks' - Chapter One: The Dollhouse

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.

Are we all going to start using the new Apple Vision Pro headset?

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.

What are long-shot presidential candidates talking about on podcasts?

The presidential race is already heating up, and aside from the usual fanfare around frontrunners like Trump and Biden, there are long-shot candidates creating space for themselves on . . . podcasts, of all places. Yaz chatted with ‘Fast Company’ contributing writer Clint Rainey to hear about his journey listening to some of these long-shot candidates on quite an array of podcasts. Harry’s Razors is arguably one of the first companies to pioneer the direct-to-consumer model. This year, the compa...

Presenting: The new season of 'Most Innovative Companies'

Is AI coming for our jobs?? ‘Fast Company’ senior staff editor Max Ufberg explains that it is . . . but that it’s not all bad news. And Yaz chatted with Loom CEO Joe Thomas—Loom is essentially TikTok for business, which sounds crazier than it is—about how video conferencing is here to stay. Also, a special thanks to Marfa Public Radio for helping us out with some recording on this episode!

Flashback: Beyond Meat is aiming for perfection

Back in 2021, Talib sat down with Beyond Meat Founder and CEO Ethan Brown to discuss the company's newest burger and how plant-based meat compares to animal-based meat.

FROM PFIZER AND FASTCO WORKS: The future of marketing medicine

Bringing trusted science into consumer hands has never been more important. Establishing credibility, sending the right message, and offering relevant information all hinge on a marketing strategy that delivers superior insights, reaches the right audience wherever they are, and makes an impact. As Pfizer's first CMO, Drew Panayiotou leads the company's efforts to modernize its marketing through unparalleled analytics, strategic integrations, and innovative go-to-market models. In this custom ep...

Flashback: Rescuing food, feeding the hungry and saving the environment

Talib chatted with 412 Food Rescue Founder Leah Lizarondo about addressing climate change and preventing hunger.

Flashback: The pregnancy test that won't cause more pollution

Throwback to when we chatted with LIA co-founders Bethany Edwards and Anna Couturier. Lia is the first biodegradable, flushable, and zero-waste pregnancy test.

Flashback: How a pair of shoes can help drop the carbon footprint

Let's rewind to when Talib Visram chatted with Cariuma Co-founders Fernando Porto and David Python about their mission to make the footwear industry more sustainable using materials like sugar cane and bamboo.

Flashback: How we can prevent food waste and change our food system for the better

A look back on a conversation between Talib Visram and Full Harvest Founder and CEO Christine Moseley about her passion for the environment, affordable healthy food, and efficiencies.

Flashback: How the trucking industry can reduce its carbon footprint

We're looking back on our conversation with Convoy's Head of Sustainability Jennifer Wong about the company's efficiency methods and decarbonizing the supply chain.

Flashback: Building 3D homes on the moon

Rewind to our chat with Jason Ballard, CEO and co-founder of ICON, a digital construction company that 3D-prints houses... that might end up on the moon someday.

Flashback: Rethinking our democracy from elections to lotteries

Rewind to Season 1 when we chatted with ofbyfor about an alternative way to structure democracy from elections to lotteries.

Let's stop fighting the water and learn how to live with it

We’ve looked at a whole bunch of amazing ideas this season. We’ve met people tackling global problems, including rising temperatures, water shortages, rainforest destruction, and greenhouse-gas emissions. But one environmental challenge we can’t skip over is rising sea levels. Global warming has caused unprecedented levels of ice and glacier melt over the last few decades. No matter how much we reduce our carbon emissions, sea levels are on course to rise at least a foot by 2050. That’s a scary ...

The future of the brain is here with a brain-computer-interface implant

This week, we're taking a look at the brain and a world-changing idea that could overhaul how we approach brain surgery. A company called Synchron is investigating how you restore, treat, and map the electrical activities of the human brain. And they’ve developed the first brain-computer-interface implant in the United States. It’s called a Stentrode, and when the device gets implanted, it can allow severely paralyzed patients to control personal devices without using their hands. Producer Avery...