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.
The Fair Housing Act now includes protections for LGBTQ+ individuals
The Fair Housing Act was passed in 1968 to protect from housing discrimination on the basis of “race, color, religion, sex, familial status, or national origin,” but did not explicitly include sexual orientation or gender identity. Now, motivated by a recent Supreme Court ruling, the Department Read More...
Future of work: Salesforce declares the end of the 9-to-5 workday
As many people have been asked to work from home during the pandemic to prevent the spread of the virus, a good number of companies have decided to make it a permanent thing and give their employees more flexibility to choose when and where they work from. Now, the computing company Salesforce is Read More...
This foundation turns discarded oyster shells into new marine habitat
In 2008, Galveston Bay lost more than 50 percent of its oyster habitat to Hurricane Ike. Seeking solutions to this crisis, The Galveston Bay Foundation partnered with a local restaurant to turn discarded oyster shells into restored habitats for marine life. The program is supported by Read More...
Oakland mandates hazard pay for grocery store workers
Essential workers have kept our medical facilities, grocery stores, sanitation services, and emergency response systems functioning throughout the pandemic at great risk to their personal health. While other countries have passed hazard pay mandates for these workers, the US has been slow to boost Read More...
Startup gives ex-cons a second chance while upcycling construction waste
One year ago, industrial commercial designer Sasha Plotitsa launched Formr, a startup that repurposes waste while transforming the lives of formerly incarcerated people, so that both have a second chance. Plotitsa’s father was a contractor, so he spent a lot of time on job sites while he was Read More...
This program in Austin aims to undo racism in the music industry
The Covid-19 pandemic has deeply affected many industries, but perhaps none has the weight of it so great as the music industry. Live music events and venues were some of the first to be shut down with the first wave of lockdowns and will be the last to open and function regularly once things Read More...
Nigerian farmers win 13-year case against Shell for oil spill damages
A 13-year environmental justice trial has finally come to a close with a long-awaited victory for four Nigerian farmers harmed by oil spills at the hands of Shell Nigeria. The company has been ordered by a Dutch court to compensate the farmers for oil spills that polluted their land in 2004 and Read More...
Utah activist lets people without a home set camp in his front yard
In one of the small yards adjoining the homes of the quiet Fairpark neighborhood in Salt Lake City sits an encampment made up of people experiencing homelessness. They are there at the invitation of homeowner Darin Mann. He has welcomed them to set up tents in his front yard and lets them use his Read More...
New CA vaccination sites target Covid-19 disparities
Last week, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the state will open two more mass vaccination sites located at the Oakland-Alameda Coliseum and California State University campus in East Los Angeles. The chosen locations for the new sites represent the state’s efforts to prioritize Read More...
Meet the woman who created a safe haven for Black and Trans women in NYC
Ceyenne Doroshow knows first-hand the struggle of being a trans woman of color living on the streets. Feeling unable to express her true self in her home neighborhood of Park Slope in Brooklyn, New York, she set out on her own as soon as she reached adulthood. Unfortunately, with no shelter Read More...