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.
Thought Leader Series: Improving Black student college graduation rates
The percentage of first-time, full-time undergraduate students who complete their bachelor’s degree in six years or less is 61 percent. This statistic isn’t great, but for Black students, the rate is even more alarming. Only 42 percent of first-time, full-time Black undergraduates complete a Read More...
Oakland to launch alternative response program for nonviolent 911 calls
Following successful alternative policing programs in Denver and Newark, Oakland, California is the latest city to adopt such a program with an initiative to redirect nonviolent, noncriminal calls to mobile teams of civilians. Projected to launch this fall, the program is called Mobile Read More...
New version of "The Oregon Trail" finally portrays Indigenous perspectives
When it was first launched in 1971 as a computer game, “The Oregon Trail” told the story of white settlers traveling across the American West in 1848 and let players assume the roles of wagon leaders whose mission was to keep people and cattle alive while facing starvation and other threats. A Read More...
Jaden Smith's free vegan food truck is a restaurant for the homeless
For his 21st birthday back in 2019, Jaden Smith, son of famed actor Will Smith, decided to celebrate with the launch of his series of 'I Love You' vegan food trucks that provide free, healthy, and sustainable meals to the homeless community of Skid Row in Los Angeles. Now, 22-year-old Smith Read More...
Major firms sign ambitious deal to cut plastic waste in the Pacific
Every year, more than 800,000 tonnes of plastic waste in Australia end up in landfills or the environment, contributing to an already toxic plastic soup that’s threatening marine ecosystems all across the world. In the coming years, that number is expected to decrease significantly thanks to a Read More...
Degree Inclusive is the first deodorant designed for people with disabilities
'Inclusivity.' It’s a term that is coming up more and more frequently as humanity strives towards a more equitable playing field that addresses the historic exclusion of marginalized and minority voices and needs. On the topic of diversity, most discussion circles around race and class, Read More...
Alabama removes anti-LGBTQ language from sexual education curriculums
Sexual education classes are a critical component of health education, but the content and quality of these curriculums vary widely from state to state. For example, only 22 US states actually require schools to teach sex education. In Alabama, curriculums in much of the state emphasize Read More...
Allbirds and Adidas team up to bring sustainable shoes to a wider audience
We’ve followed Allbirds closely as the shoe company expands its sustainable footwear line to include both sustainable and completely biodegradable shoes. Now, the brand is bringing its eco-friendly design to an even broader audience with the announcement of its partnership with Adidas. Part Read More...
Cob on Wood is a refuge center that empowers the unsheltered in Oakland
A charming refuge for the unsheltered in Oakland has taken form under a highway overpass in West Oakland thanks to a coalition of organizations and members of both the housed and unhoused community. The structures are made of “cob,” a mixture of organic materials including sand, subsoil, water, Read More...
Mattel’s recycling program is now accepting old toys
If you’re a parent of older children, you likely have a box full of once-beloved dolls and matchbox cars taking up space in your attic. Fortunately, there’s a new eco-friendly way to rehome these toys with the announcement of Mattel’s new toy recycling program. Toy giant Mattel is the Read More...