Most Innovative Companies

Description:  On today’s episode, cohosts David Salazar and Josh Christensen discuss the latest news in business and innovation, including Paramount's last-chance-bid to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, Mark Zuckerberg's testimony in a social media addiction trial, and the latest investment in Elon Musk’s xAI by a Saudi Arabian AI company. Next, Josh and David talk with Fast Company senior writer Ainsley Harris on the delivery robots in her neighborhood and the controversy surrounding them. Finally, David speaks with the journalist and writer Gabriel Sherman about his new book Bonfire of the Murdochs, diving deep into how Rupert Murdoch became one of the most influential people on the planet and how his ambitions tore apart his family. To read Ainsley’s reporting, go to fastcompany.com/91486773/sidewalk-delivery-robots-coco-serve-chicago-backlash For more of the latest business and innovation news, go to fastcompany.com/news

AI, advanced manufacturing and economic growth are driving unprecedented power demand In this bonus episode, Williams CEO Chad Zamarin joins from the company’s 2026 Clean Energy & Technology Expo to unpack why energy demand is surging faster than new infrastructure can be built—and what it will take to close the gap. For Williams, the answers lie in a holistic approach combining innovative partnerships and next‑generation infrastructure to deliver reliable, sustainable, and affordable solutions at scale. It’s a multifaceted challenge that demands nuanced solutions, but our very planet depends on it.

On today’s episode, cohosts Elizabeth Segran and Josh Christensen discuss the latest news in business and innovation, including the latest jobs report, Kraft Heinz putting their split on pause, and Spotify’s blockbuster earnings report.  Next, Josh and Elizabeth speak with Fast Company’s head of editorial strategy, David Lidsky, on what’s next for Disney under Josh D’Amaro’s leadership. And finally, Elizabeth talks to the CEO of Ulta Beauty, Kecia Steelman, about how the company grew so significantly over the past few years, what makes Ulta stand out, and what the retailer’s big plans are for the future. For more of the latest business and innovation news, go to fastcompany.com/news

On today’s episode, cohosts Kristin Toussaint and Josh Christensen discuss the latest news in business and innovation, including Disney’s new CEO, the SpaceX and xAI merger, and business leaders in the Epstein Files. Next, Josh and Kristin talk with Fast Company contributing writer Adam Bluestein on why America wants more mining engineers. Finally, Fast Company senior staff editor Jeff Beer speaks with NBCUniversal Media Group chairman Matt Strauss on NBC’s place in the streaming industry and their upcoming coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics. To check out Adam’s story, go to fastcompany.com/91471471/mining-engineer-hot-career-path-metals-minerals-college-columbia-university-colorado-rare-earth-china  For more of the latest business and innovation news, go to fastcompany.com/news

On today’s episode, cohosts Bryan Lufkin and Josh Christensen discuss the latest news in business and innovation, including Minnesota executives’ response to ICE killings and the ensuing protests, the TikTok deal, and a round of layoffs from Amazon, UPS, and Nike. Next, Bryan and Josh sit down with David Lidsky, head of editorial strategy for Fast Company and Inc., about his deep dive into what makes Palantir such a successful founder factory.  And finally, our guest cohost, Fast Company staff editor Kristin Toussaint, talks about all things energy sustainability and efficiency in the U.S. and internationally with Mike Zatz, senior VP and head of global data ecosystem and partnerships at Measurabl. To check out David’s story, go to fastcompany.com/91476499/inside-the-founder-factory-known-as-palantir-americas-most-polarizing-company  For more of the latest business and innovation news, go to fastcompany.com/news

On today’s episode, cohosts David Salazar and Josh Christensen discuss the latest news in business and innovation, including highlights from Davos, Minnesota-based corporations’ lack of reaction to ICE, and the latest on Netflix's bid to take over Warner Bros. Discovery. Next, Josh and David talk to Fast Company contributing writer Chris Stokel-Walker about the sexualized deepfakes X users have been creating with Grok and how regulators, and the public, have been responding.  Finally, Fast Company global tech editor Harry McCracken spoke with Arm chief marketing officer Ami Badani about the future of the company that designs the architecture of the chips most of our smartphones use. To check out more of Chris’s reporting, go to: fastcompany.com/user/chrisstokelwalker  For more of the latest business and innovation news, go to fastcompany.com/news

On today’s episode, cohosts Elizabeth Segran and Josh Christensen discuss the latest news in business and innovation, including the investigation of Fed Chair Jarome Powell, the nurses strike in New York City, and Paramount’s escalated hostile bid to take over Warner Bros. Discovery. Next, Elizabeth and Josh talk to Fast Company senior writer Ainsley Harris about a startup, Rainmaker, that can bring rain to places that need it.  And finally, Elizabeth speaks with Walmart’s executive vice president and chief merchandising officer Latriece Watkins about how Walmart has attracted higher income families and what’s next for the retail giant. For more of the latest business and innovation news, go to fastcompany.com/news To read Ainsley’s reporting on Rainmaker, go to fastcompany.com/91448561/this-is-the-hardest-startup-in-america

On today’s episode, cohosts Kristin Toussaint and Josh Christensen discuss the latest news in business and innovation, including the aftermath of Nicolás Maduro’s capture, the latest on the Warner Bros. Discovery deal, and the new Nvidia chip. Next, Fast Company editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan talks with journalist Andrew Ross Sorkin about his new book, 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History—and How It Shattered a Nation, as well as similarities he sees between now and then. And finally, Fast Company senior writer Ainsley Harris speaks with Kalshi cofounder Luana Lopes Lara about the company’s success, its future in the growing prediction markets industry, and its partnership with CNN. Check out Andrew Ross Sorkin’s book ‘1929’ here: penguinrandomhouse.com/books/665634/1929-by-andrew-ross-sorkin/   For more of the latest business and innovation news, go to fastcompany.com/news

On today’s episode, cohosts David Salazar and Josh Christensen discuss the latest news in business and innovation, including unemployment rates, the partnership between Disney and OpenAI, and the word of the year. (00:45) Next, Josh and David talk to Fast Company senior staff editor Jeff Beer to discuss the annual Brands That Matter list. This year, the list includes brands like JLab, Liquid I.V., Levi’s, Bubble Skincare, State Farm, and Gozney. (09:55) Finally, Yasmin Gagne talks to the VP of product at Instagram, Tessa Lyon, about how she’s thinking about the company’s future. They discuss Instagram’s new features, like Your Algorithm, the creator economy, and the use of AI on the app. (40:00) For more of the latest business and innovation news, go to fastcompany.com/news To read about the brands that matter in 2025, go to: fastcompany.com/brands-that-matter/list

On today’s episode, cohosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen discuss the latest news in business and innovation, including the Warner Bros. Discovery deals, Nvidia’s permission to sell AI chips to China, and Trump's attempt to bail out farmers. (00:44) Next, Yaz and Josh speak with writer, filmmaker and Fast Company contributor John Pavlus about AI hallucinations and how Amazon is trying to minimize them. (03:04) And finally, Yaz talks to Matt Baer, CEO of the subscription styling service Stitch Fix, about his turnaround plan to increase revenue and active client growth, and how Stitch Fix partners its stylists with in-house AI tools for a better personalized styling experience. (30:17)   For more of the latest business and innovation news, go to fastcompany.com/newsTo read John’s reporting about Amazon’s usage of AI that minimizes hallucinations, go to fastcompany.com/91446331/amazon-byron-cook-ai-artificial-intelligence-automated-reasoning-neurosymbolic-hallucination-logic

On today’s episode, cohosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen discuss the latest news in business and innovation, including Costco’s lawsuit against the U.S. government over Trump tariffs, Apple’s new AI chief, and OpenAI’s new “code red.”  (00:51) Next, Yaz and Josh speak with Fast Company staff writer Pavithra Mohan about Silicon Valley’s obsession with hustle culture and how a billion-dollar AI startup is doing things differently. 08:14 And finally, Josh sits down with Anthony Padilla, Ian Hecox, and Ale Catanese of Smosh to discuss their 20th anniversary and how Smosh went from a comedy channel on YouTube to a thriving production company and brand. They chat about growth, selling and buying back the brand, and some exciting plans. (32:32) For more of the latest business and innovation news, go to fastcompany.com/news To read Pavithra’s reporting on the Silicon Valley hustle culture, read fastcompany.com/91445544/the-1-25-billion-ai-startup-that-rejects-hustle-culture

On today’s episode, co-hosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen discuss the latest news in business and innovation, including Cloudflare’s glitch that briefly broke half the internet, the U.S. House’s overwhelming vote to release all remaining Jeffrey Epstein files, and Anthropic’s discovery of what may be the first largely AI-led global cyber-espionage campaign. In addition, they talk about Jeff Bezos reentering the spotlight with a mysterious new AI venture; the latest on media industry shake-ups, including the bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery; Disney’s truce with YouTube TV; a major settlement between NPR and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting; and how Google introduced Gemini 3 along with its enigmatic Antigravity coding platform. Next, Fast Company senior writer Mark Sullivan joins the conversation to discuss SoftBank and Peter Thiel’s surprising decision to dump Nvidia stock despite the company’s blowout earnings. Finally, Harvey Spevak, executive chairman and managing partner of Equinox Group, shares how the company rebuilt after COVID, why it’s expanding globally, and why it ditched Kiehl’s for Grown Alchemist. For more of the latest business and innovation news, go to https://www.fastcompany.com/news To learn more about Mark Sullivan’s coverage on Softbank, read:Why did SoftBank sell off its Nvidia stake?

On today’s episode, co-hosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen discuss the latest news in business and innovation. Topics include the end of the government shutdown, SoftBank selling off it’s Nvidia stake, and yet another betting scandal in professional sports   Next, Bill McKibben is an author, and activist focusing on climate change and other environmental issues. He is a co-founder of the international climate organization 350.org and the founder of Third Act, which organizes people over the age of 60 for climate and racial justice. He came on the show to talk about his book, Here Comes The Sun, in which he argues for the potential of solar and wind power to address the climate crisis and help society. We also talked about Bill Gates’s recent about-face on climate change, and what the billionaire is getting wrong.   Finally, This year, Sony PlayStation has maintained its leadership in the gaming industry, with a 12% increase in global sales compared to last year, outpacing Nintendo's 8% and Xbox's 7% growth. Yaz spoke with Eric Lempel, the company’s head of marketing, business operations and consumer experience to find out how the business got where it is today, and what the future of gaming in an AI-dominated world looks like. For more of the latest business and innovation news, go to fastcompany.com/news.

Small business owners are staying optimistic — three-quarters expect revenue gains despite ongoing labor shortages, inflation pressures, and economic uncertainty. Their confidence, fueled by strong demand and increased clarity around tax policy, is driving investment and innovation heading into 2026.

On today’s episode, co-hosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen discuss the latest news in business and innovation. Topics include the most recent info on the government shutdown, OpenAI’s deal with Amazon, and Elon Musk’s potential big payday   Next, Yaz and Josh talk to Jay Willis, a Fast Company contributing writer and the editor-in-chief of Balls and Strikes, about the latest gambling scandal to hit the NBA, what led up to this moment, and where the league may go from here.   Finally, Yaz interviews Hinge founder and CEO Justin McLeod about why his business is succeeding, and whether he worries that younger daters might choose to date AI bots rather than real people. For more of the latest business and innovation news, go to fastcompany.com/news.

On today’s episode, co-hosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen discuss the latest news in business and innovation. Topics include the latest on tariffs, layoffs at companies like Amazon and Target, and NBCUniversal’s poaching of Taylor Sheridan.     Next, Yaz and Josh talk to Fast Company senior editor Bryan Lufkin about “ghost jobs” and other hiring trends in the current, uncertain economic climate.   Finally, Yaz interviews Lucy Guo. Guo is the founder of the content creator monetization platform Passes, which lets creators make money from fans through things like selling merch and private chats. The company hasn’t been without controversy and has faced lawsuits accusing it of allowing and encouraging the distribution of illegal content, including child sexual abuse material, as well as engaging in unfair business practices. Guo is also the cofounder of Scale AI, which Meta recently bought a 49% stake in. That sale made her, by some metrics, the youngest self-made billionaire. Yaz spoke to Guo about why she left Scale AI in 2018, how she responds to those lawsuits, and why she doesn’t think we’re in an AI bubble. For more of the latest business and innovation news, go to https://www.fastcompany.com/newsTo read more of our reporting on hiring trends, go to https://www.fastcompany.com/work-life

You might not know the name Tyler Evans, but you’ve definitely seen his work. He designed Zorhan Mamdani’s iconic campaign poster, led design for Bernie Sanders’ campaign, and was the Teamster’s creative director. Now the creative director for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Evans has a front-row seat to some of the biggest players in progressive politics.  This week on “By Design,” Evans shared his takes on modern political designs including the “shameful” rise of AI in politics and why the left haven’t been able to counter the MAGA movement.  We’ll also cover the latest in design news (AI slop, Nike, White House demolition) and play our hot-or-not game.

Host Greg Lindsay talks to Jaclyn Presnal, Vice President of new energy ventures at Williams. They discuss how her team is developing solutions to navigate growing power demands including carbon capture and solar farms.

On today's episode, co-hosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen discuss the latest news in business and innovation. Topics include the AWS outage, Anthropic bringing Claude to the web, Apple rolling back liquid glass, X launching a handle marketplace, and the latest on the federal government shutdown.   Next, Yaz speak to Fast Company senior staff editor Jeff Beer about how Meta’s latest AI advertising features, breaking down what the tools do, why they’re important to the future of your brand, and how they might change what you see on your feed.   Finally, Yaz talks to Kraft Heinz chief growth officer Diana Frost about the company’s plans to split up, how it’s adapting to the Ozempic era, and how it meets customers’ evolving needs. For more of the latest business and innovation news, go to https://www.fastcompany.com/newsTo read Jeff Beer’s reporting on Meta’s AI advertising business:https://www.fastcompany.com/91415443/how-to-make-sense-of-metas-growing-ai-powered-advertising-machine

On today’s episode, co-hosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen discuss the latest news in business and innovation, including renewed trade tensions with China, Instagram’s new approach to protecting minors from harmful content, and Spotify’s new partnership with Netflix.   Next, AI video technology has come a long way since 2023’s famous fever dream of a video featuring Will Smith eating spaghetti. Tech giants OpenAI and Meta have recently released powerful AI video generators—Sora 2 and Vibes, respectively. Both generators make it possible for users to create hyperrealistic videos, with Sora 2 allowing content to be generated that features “real life” characters. But these videos now add to the heaps of AI-generated image slop that dominates social media feeds, raising concerns about our ability to discern what is fact and fiction. And in our post-truth media ecosystem, only “vibes” seem to matter. Yaz and Josh talk to Fast Company contributing writer Chris Stokel-Walker about the societal and ethical gray areas of this development.    Finally, workwear brand M.M. LaFleur makes versatile, office-appropriate, affordable clothing for professionals. The company had raised money from traditional VC firms prior to the pandemic, but following the pandemic and the start of DTC winter, the company struggled. Yaz speaks with Katie Tidwell, the company’s SVP of sales and operations, about how the company raised $3 million from its biggest fans and individual female investors and how it became profitable. For more of the latest business and innovation news, go to https://www.fastcompany.com/news