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.
How do solar panels break? And how do we fix them?
At the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado, teams of scientists and researchers spend large parts of their day jumping on, twisting, smashing, and generally coming up with various ways of breaking solar panels. It’s not malice, it’s not incompetence. It's not Read More...
Fix these common mistakes to take your interview from good to great
Just like running, playing an instrument, or doing the math, if you haven’t had a job interview in a while, you may find you have fallen out of practice. Whether you’re a recent grad or an experienced professional, the key to a good interview is practice. This can help you gather your thoughts, Read More...
This startup uses a plant-derived material to make roads carbon negative
Similar to building new roads, repairing existing ones is not an environmentally friendly endeavor. One of the main problems is bitumen, a fossil fuel-derived binder that holds asphalt together. A startup in Norway is recycling old roads using a plant-based binder instead, a process that could Read More...
Administration unveils plan to fix bias in home appraisal industry
Three weeks ago, The Optimist Daily wrote a piece about Congress' aims to fix bias and inequality in the home appraisal industry. This is a much-needed change to a systemic problem that has furthered the wealth gap over years and kept families from building intergenerational wealth. On Read More...
How AI helped Togo's poorest citizens
Back in 2020, we ran a story about a humanitarian project in Togo organized by the non-profit GiveDirectly, UC Berkeley, and Togo’s Ministry of Digital Economy. Its aim: use AI to deliver humanitarian aid in the form of money to the poorest populations in the country. Now some of the results Read More...
3 ways senior health rights improved post-Pandemic
The pandemic has been especially hard on the elderly population. Being in a high at-risk group meant that many older individuals could have no visitors and had their interactions hugely restricted even when living in the same home. This combined with staff shortages in hospices meant the levels of Read More...
The James Dyson Award: a call to young inventors
The Optimist Daily has written about many winners of the James Dyson Award. This is an international design award that celebrates, encourages, and inspires the next generation of design engineers. It is open to current and recent design engineering students and is run by the James Dyson Foundation, Read More...
David Beckham surrenders Instagram account to Ukrainian doctor for a day
Amidst the breaking news of horrifying attacks and rising civilian casualties as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it can be difficult to know how to help. This past Sunday, ambassador for Unicef and former soccer star David Beckham decided to use his fame to bring awareness to particular Read More...
In win for Earth, new S.E.C. rules would require climate disclosures
On Monday, the top financial regulator of the United States, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), announced new regulations that would require disclosures from public corporations about their climate risks and carbon footprints. This marks a huge step towards acknowledging the reality and Read More...
House passes bill promoting hair tolerance
Free expression is not just something we value at The Optimist Daily, it is an inalienable right. One big way in which we all express ourselves is through our individual hairstyles. Last week, Congress passed a bill that forbids discrimination based on hair. The discrimination Black Hair Read More...