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.
This restaurant owner in Colorado fed her town through the pandemic
Kyleena Falzone's restaurants in Crested Butte, Colorado generated $6 million in revenue last year, but when the pandemic hit and the tourism cash flow dried up, she had no choice but to close her doors. Rather than dwelling on the loss of her business, Falzone rolled up her sleeves and spent the Read More...
The tech workforce is mostly white and male. These groups are changing that
The tech industry is one of the largest sources of wealth generation in the United States. It’s also 68 percent white and 65 percent male. As we work to build a more inclusive economy after the pandemic, the Optimist Daily is spotlighting movements that seek to provide opportunities to Read More...
How groups of gleaners are bridging the gap between farms and the food insecure
Whether it was stopping on the side of the road to pick wild plums or gathering apples from a neighborhood tree, most of us have gleaned at least once in our lives. Now, this practice of gathering leftover produce throughout the community is finding new purpose as a source of food for those in need Read More...
Sephora pledges 15 percent of shelf space to Black-owned brands
Aurora James, the founder of sustainable accessories brand Brother Vellies, has called on large retailers to take the 15 Percent Pledge to counteract racial disparities in big business and cosmetics brand Sephora is the first to endorse and commit to this pledge. In June, Sephora agreed to Read More...
Petition website Change.org to dedicate $6 million to racial justice
Change.org is a petition website that has been hugely instrumental for getting online communities to rally together in order to amplify a particular message or demand. The two biggest petitions ever seen on the website call for justice for George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, two names we should all Read More...
Pandora aims to reach 100% recycled silver and gold by 2025
Jewelry giant Pandora has big ambitions: by 2025, the world’s largest jewelry brand by volume, will use 100 percent recycled silver and gold in its products. As it stands, 71 percent of the silver and gold in Pandora jewelry comes from recycled sources. And the company sells a lot of Read More...
How Guinness is repurposing their beer into fertilizer and biogas
When bars and restaurants across Ireland closed to stop the spread of the pandemic, thousands of kegs of Guinness beer went unconsumed. Fortunately, the company began a reclamation initiative to put the beer to a helpful and unusual use: tree fertilizer. Guinness is apparently great for Read More...
The Optimist View: How consumers, companies, and our furry companions scored a win
"Cruelty-free is becoming the standard. Not just in California, in general." - Katie Mukai BY LAUREN GOODMAN A couple of weeks ago, you may have seen an Optimist Daily story in your inbox about a proposed California bill that would ban the use of twelve ingredients in cosmetics. This Toxic-Free Read More...
American Express is offering credits for shopping at small businesses
American Express’ “Small Business Saturday” initiative helped generate a reported $19.6 billion in spending in one day in 2019. Now, the company is back to encourage cardholders to support small businesses facing challenges due to the pandemic. The company is offering its small business Read More...
Amazon India ditches all single-use plastic in packaging to curb waste
Amazon has often been criticized – and rightfully so – for using too much plastic and thermocol to wrap its billions of package shipments, all leading to massive amounts of plastic waste ending up in landfills and leaking into the environment. But a recent move by the company’s Indian unit Read More...