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.
An exclusive look at Airbnb's first foray into urban planning
Two years ago, the founders of Airbnb were asking themselves what the company could become, now that its vision of becoming the world's largest home-share community had come true beyond their wildest expectations. That’s when they happened across a list of the top 10 tech companies of the 1990s. Read More...
Facebook apartments won't fix housing—but they’re a good start
Facebook is getting into real estate. This week, the company proposed building 1,500 apartments near its campus in Menlo Park, California, 15 percent of which it would set aside for low-income families. Urban planners and local developers call it a generous gesture that could bring sorely needed Read More...
The overlooked social responsibility program that's staring companies in the face
Plenty of companies do a lot of great work when it comes to corporate social responsibility. And many companies are generous with their flexible and remote work policies. But very few see these two things as having much, if anything, to do with each other. But flexible work isn’t just nice to Read More...
Philippines sue companies for human rights violations as a result of climate change
The world’s largest oil, coal, cement and mining companies have been given 45 days to respond to a complaint that their greenhouse gas emissions have violated the human rights of millions of people living in the Phillippines. The complaint argues that the 47 companies should be held accountable Read More...
Walmart sells ‘ugly’ fruits and vegetables to fight food-waste
Supermarkets show their best produce whenever you enter their premises. Apparently, beautiful fruits and vegetables wet our appetite… and we buy more in the store. There’s one problem: Not all apples, potatoes, and carrots are beautiful. So the ugly ones are taken out, and that leads to Read More...
The online marketplace that sells the crafts of artisans living in a Mumbay slum
Slums in the mega-cities in the developing world are creative hotbeds where many solutions to problems are found. But there’s one challenge: The slums are poorly connected to the world economy. Now Dharavi, a slum in the heart of Mumbai—famously portrayed in Slumdog Millionaire—has launched Read More...
These pretty travel bags are made from recycled plastic bottles and billboards
When entrepreneur Hamilton Perkins was getting ready to go on a trip and couldn't find a duffel bag he liked, he decided to design his own. The first version was leather, but he soon shifted to a more unconventional material: plastic bottles. "The bigger goal I always had was to build products that Read More...
After changing what you wear, Patagonia wants to change what you eat
Clothing brand Patagonia has been a leader of environmental and sustainable business for decades with innovative and often daring initiatives. So we shouldn’t be surprised that Patagonia is now launching a food business: Patagonia Provisions. Founder Yvon Chouinard says that his company has been Read More...
Business Rx: Drink this juice and your landfill will thank you
This week, a juice company with a social mission looks for ideas on how to market its beverages so consumers can feel good about each purchase. — Dan Beyers The entrepreneur Philip Wong and Ann Yang share a passion for food and social justice issues. Wong has been interested in Read More...
British businesses must meet the challenge of the circular economy
The environment was conspicuous by its absence from any of the mainstream campaigning ahead of the referendum, yet it is not only one of the areas most likely to be affected by the Brexit vote, but also the area where I believe business has the biggest responsibility and opportunity to act. Read More...