Today’s Solutions: January 17, 2025

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.

Belfast venues unite to elimin

Belfast venues unite to eliminate single-use plastic cups

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Belfast is making history as the first city in Ireland and the UK to commit to eliminating single-use plastic cups in entertainment venues. This city-wide initiative, led by the Venue Sustainability Forum and supported by Visit Belfast, will see major and Read More...

New CFBP regulations erase med

New CFBP regulations erase medical debt from credit reports

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In a bold move to protect consumers burdened by medical debt, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) unveiled new regulations on January 7. These rules prohibit credit reporting agencies from including medical debt on credit reports and bar lenders Read More...

Progress amid backlash: corpor

Progress amid backlash: corporate America’s commitment to LGBTQ+ rights

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Amid mounting conservative backlash against diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, a new report from the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) highlights a surprising trend: many U.S. companies are doubling down on their commitment to LGBTQ+ equality in Read More...

How to help victims of Califor

How to help victims of California wildfires: a guide to supporting relief efforts

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Wildfires have once again ravaged Los Angeles County, burning tens of thousands of acres, destroying thousands of structures, and forcing mass evacuations. Fueled by unrelenting winds, the Palisades, Eaton, and Hurst fires broke out on Tuesday, followed by Read More...

Goodwill’s new store ins

Goodwill's new store inside the Silicon Valley Jail offers hope and job skills

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Goodwill of Silicon Valley started an innovative venture by launching its first store inside Milpitas' Elmwood Correctional Facility. This innovative initiative offers hands-on retail training to incarcerated women, preparing them for future work Read More...

Rowing against the current: Bo

Rowing against the current: Botswana’s women safari guides inspire and empower

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In the calm of Botswana's Okavango Delta, where the morning sun creates a golden glow on the water's surface, an amazing metamorphosis is occurring. Women are taking the lead in changing an industry that was formerly thought of as a man's domain: guiding Read More...

Zimbabwean grandmothers transf

Zimbabwean grandmothers transform mental health care globally

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM A deceptively simple yet revolutionary mental health therapy based on grandmothers' wisdom and sensitivity took root in Zimbabwe. Now, it is being embraced around the world, including in the United States.  A lifeline for despair Tambudzai Tembo, 57, was Read More...

Restitution of Asante Kingdom

Restitution of Asante Kingdom treasures: US museum returns stolen artifacts after 150 years

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In a historic event, the Asante kingdom of Ghana welcomed the return of seven royal treasures seized by British colonial forces 150 years ago and kept at the Fowler Museum at the University of California, Los Angeles since the 1960s. This is a significant Read More...

Helping young people of color

Helping young people of color navigate the music industry with Carnegie Hall's The B-Side

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM In the iconic setting of Carnegie Hall, a remarkable initiative is taking shape, one that seeks to bridge the stark gap between the industry's diverse musical talent and its predominantly white leadership. The B-Side, a program specifically developed to Read More...

7 states secure abortion right

7 states secure abortion rights as voters push back against restrictive measures

BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM As abortion rights remain a hotly debated issue in the United States, voters in ten states recently had the opportunity to change reproductive freedoms at the state level. More than two years after the Supreme Court decided to overturn Roe v. Wade, which Read More...