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.
Spora trains doctors to deliver better care to patients of color
Systemic inequalities put Black Americans at higher risk for many diseases than white Americans, but even within medical institutions equipped to treat these diseases, Black patients are often denied the highest caliber of care. New startup Spora aims to improve medical equity by providing a Read More...
The Bison Bridge - World's longest human-made wildlife crossing
Chad Pregracke is an impassioned conservationist who spends his time on barges, cleaning up refuse from the Mississippi River. While on the river, he watches cars drive across a 55-year-old concrete bridge that is meant to be demolished and replaced—but when he sees the aging bridge, he imagines Read More...
LEGO’s new prototype bricks are made from discarded plastic bottles
From cutting plastic from packaging to using plant-based materials, famous toymaker LEGO has been hard at work in recent years to make its beloved toy bricks more sustainable. With that same goal in mind, the company has recently created its first prototype building blocks using recycled PET Read More...
Startup cuts the ribbon on the world’s first lab-grown meat factory
Lab-grown alternatives to meat (aka cultured meat) that look and taste like the real thing have become mainstream in recent years, with people increasingly turning to these substitutes to green up their diets. A new startup in Israel wants to make cultured meat even more popular among consumers by Read More...
New ThredUp survey shows used clothing market is here to stay
According to a new report from ThredUp, millennials and Gen-Z consumers are demanding more sustainable products and would rather dig for gems in vintage shops than purchase from giant retail chains, which are increasingly criticized for generating colossal amounts of material waste and failing to Read More...
Target plans to design all its products for circularity by 2040
While you can currently buy sustainable products at Target, such as compostable cutlery, cleaning products in glass bottles, and shoes that can be sent back for recycling, the retail giant plans to go further and make all the products in its stores circular by 2040. That goal is part of its wider Read More...
What is critical race theory?
Critical race theory (CRT) has been a hot topic in the news lately as many states move to ban the educational concept, but what exactly is critical race theory and what role does it play in our schools? Today we’re clarifying the concept and exploring its academic implications. What is critical Read More...
These photography projects reveal the resilience of single parents
Most parents, especially those with young children, will agree: the pandemic has been and continues to be a multifaceted challenge that requires a lot of adapting and adjustment. It has shone a spotlight on the importance of the care-taking sector and has stalled the careers of working parents, Read More...
Amidst pandemic, America’s small businesses are doing better than expected
You’ve probably heard how many small businesses struggled due to Covid-19. Maybe you even saw your favorite local retailer close down. Now, thanks to the introduction of vaccines, and government aid in the form of stimulus checks, we might be seeing some of those familiar faces again. One Read More...
Connecticut passes law to make all prison phone calls free
We’ve written before about the importance of restorative justice in a truly effective criminal system, and a big part of that is ensuring that incarcerated individuals have access to resources to reduce recidivism rates and reintegrate as participating members of society. In an effort to bolster Read More...