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.
Ikea proves it is ethical and profitable to go green in business
Ikea has achieved a clean energy milestone this week, more than a year ahead of schedule. The furniture company will now produce more renewable energy from solar and wind farms than it consumes. The renewable energy comes from two large solar farms in the U.S. and a wind farm in Romania. Read More...
Daimler says bye to the internal combustion engine to focus on electric cars
After reigning in the auto industry as the powertrain of choice for a century, the internal combustion engine is finally dying. The beginning of the end is marked by the recent decision of German automotive company, Daimler, to stop developing internal combustion engines as part of its efforts Read More...
Barclays and Anthemis seek untapped innovation in female fintech startups
Women receive only a slim 2 percent of venture capital funds, but Anthemis and Barclays’, Female Innovator Lab, is looking to change this statistic. The New York-based group is looking to back female financial technology startups to level the playing field for female entrepreneurs. The group Read More...
Burger King UK will scrap plastic toys from its kids’ meals
With plastic pollution becoming one of the most pressing environmental issues of the modern age, lately, there has been increasing consumer pressure on fast-food chains to stop handing out plastic toys that come together with children’s meals. The latest fast-food restaurant to come to its Read More...
Social enterprise allows families in Zambia to make a living by harvesting honey
Here at the Optimist Daily, we praise and admire business ideas that come into being on grounds other than just making a profit. Take, for example, Martin Zuch – who, after discovering his spiritual side 10 years ago, decided to leave his job as a hedge fund manager and start a honey-making Read More...
The fix is in: how repairing old stuff helps in the war against planned obsolescence
It can be frustrating to repair something when it costs the same amount to replace it. But that’s how planned obsolescence works. Companies create poor quality products, so you are forced to pay to replace it. This trend has taken over the modern consumer’s life. From clothing to Read More...
Corporate America takes a stand against gun violence
“Gun violence in America is not inevitable; it’s preventable. There are steps Congress can, and must, take to prevent and reduce gun violence.” This quote comes from a letter written and signed by 145 CEOs of U.S. companies this week, including Dick’s Sporting Goods, Levi Strauss, Reddit, Read More...
CupClub makes your morning coffee sleeker and effortlessly sustainable
The to-go coffee cup is a symbol of the on-the-go worker: an iconic image of the modern professional. But the image of 600 billion discarded coffee cups clogging up oceans and landfills each year is far less glamorous. Architect Safia Qureshi wanted to make coffee cups more sustainable, without Read More...
In solidarity with global climate strike, Patagonia will close its doors September 20th
Companies are slowing beginning to acknowledge the need for greater environmental consciousness in their business practices, but one company has been practicing green corporate responsibility for years and continues to put its money where its mouth is: Patagonia. In keeping with their Read More...
3 ways one business coalition is combating modern slavery
One of the harsh realities of business in the 21st century is that it’s still upheld by slavery. Shocking as it might seem, over 40.3 million people globally are victims of modern slavery today, and at least 16 million of them are being exploited in the private sector. The US Department of Labor Read More...