World Changing Ideas

Mitch Reback, CFO of Sweetgreen, is one of the rising corporate financial stars who is helping to take their companies to the next level. When he started, Sweetgreen had 25 stores; today, there are more than 220—and Reback says the company is still in its “infancy.” In this podcast, part of the SAP-sponsored Growth Agents series, Reback takes a deep dive into his role as a growth agent. Capital is the engine that drives growth, and Reback says his job is to make sure the company has adequate capital to grow as well as determining how best to allocate it, including investments in stores, marketing, staff, and technology—or, as he puts it, to push innovation forward in a way that’s capital efficient.

James Vincent talks to Brian Chesky, co-founder and CEO of Airbnb, at Fast Company's Innovation Festival this past September in New York City. They discuss the future of AI, the need to design good principles, and Chesky's "call to arms' for creative people.

Explore the power of brands and nostalgia in marketing, with examples from Chanel, Heinz 57, and Coors Light. Learn how streetwear brand The Hundreds built a legacy by sticking to core values. Discover the effectiveness of nostalgia in Magic Spoon's brand marketing. Delve into strategies used by Blumhouse Productions, PlayStation, and Coors Light. Dive into the NFL's efforts to redefine football and expand globally. Explore the Golden Bachelor brand and the concept of senior representation.

Lego has been pushing its ambitious sustainability efforts for years . . . only to recently do an about-face (sort of) by telling us that it will continue manufacturing its blocks with petroleum-based ABS plastic. Even though the company promised to get rid of petroleum-based materials by 2030.“Fast Company” senior editor Liz Stinson breaks down Lego’s recent announcement, which was more like “an excuse” or kind of an apology. In its efforts to redesign its bricks by using recycled plastic material, Lego decided that a) this kind of plastic just wasn’t going to be as good as the current ABS plastic used for its iconic bricks, and b) it would be more carbon intensive to have to retool its entire manufacturing process to make that work. So . . .it’s not exactly greenwashing, but it’s also not not greenwashing—and it highlights the interesting tension between what companies promise and what they can (or will?) realistically deliver.And at the Innovation Festival last week, Yaz chatted with Jason Blum, founder and CEO of Blumhouse; David Gordon Green, director of The Exorcist: Believer; and Emma Tammi, director of Five Nights at Freddy’s. Tammi discussed adapting a popular video game into a successful movie, how to balance her artistic vision with fans’ expectations, and producing a movie that could stand on its own. Blum explained how The Exorcist was the ‘riskiest’ undertaking of his life . . . and how he begrudgingly gave up the perfect release date of Friday, the13th, to Taylor Swift since her Eras Tour film is coming out that day.And speaking of movie production, we’ve also been following the WGA strike with its recent deal. 

So many CEOs make waaaay more than their workers. To use just one famous example, Apple CEO Tim Cook made more than $99 million in 2022. That’s 1,117 times the company’s median worker pay of $84,000 a year. ‘Fast Company’ deputy digital editor Morgan Clendaniel explains why CEO pay has increased exponentially over the years and discusses how that plays a significant role in overall income inequality.Want to find novelty in your desk job? Michelle Khare discusses trying out all kinds of different jobs on her YouTube channel’s ‘Challenge Accepted,’ which just won Show of the Year at this year’s Streamy Awards. Having gone to Butler Academy, clown school, and worked as a runway model, Michelle says she’s learned that challenge and failure can still lead to personal growth. Another takeaway: The best managers are those who have done the job firsthand: Management training is ‘something we collectively need to address across corporate America.’And check out the music video of ‘Back on 74’ by Jungle: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3lX2p_Uy9IFor more info on Fast Company’s CEO Fair Pay Report, check out: https://www.fastcompany.com/90946788/out-of-control-ceo-pay-why-its-a-problem?partner=rss&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rssFAST COMPANY INNOVATION IS NEXT WEEK! LAST CHANCE TO BUY TICKETS: https://events.fastcompany.com/innovationfestival23

Daniel Humm, chef and owner of Eleven Madison Park, shares his experience running a fine-dining restaurant and explains why he shifted to a completely plant-based menu during the pandemic. The podcast also delves into the AI arms race among big tech companies, the impact of ChatGPT on society, and Walmart's search for a new CEO with healthcare experience.

YouTube paid $14 billion for the rights to the NFL Sunday Ticket. For the next seven years, NFL viewers will be able to watch live football games from their living rooms—on YouTube.Fast Company senior writer Ainsley Harris explains the reason behind this purchase: YouTube consumption is heavily fragmented. Everyone is watching YouTube, but very few people are watching together. Sunday Ticket is a cornerstone type of content and NFL games pull in millions of people. This move speaks to the long-term investment that YouTube is making in both live sports and live NFL games.“We’re in an era of reckoning hypocrisies.” When Seth Rogen got into pottery a few years ago, he started sculpting ashtrays. Few people were putting a lot of thought into the lifestyles of people who smoked weed. But now, people are actually celebrating it. So, Rogen decided to create well-designed accessories, like ashtrays and grinders, to address the pent-up desire from weed smokers to decorate their space with nice things. “Crafting products that speak to your personal tastes and lifestyles is validating.” Say goodbye to your old soda cans.And then we look into that rumor regarding The New Yorker article about Tiger Global.Check out our upcoming Innovation Festival: https://events.fastcompany.com/innovationfestival23

Late last year, everyone thought we were headed for a recession. But now we’re doing great. What’s going on? James Surowiecki, author of The Wisdom of Crowds and a Fast Company contributing writer, explains how “Bidenomics” is actually helping boost the economy.Courtney Tracy calls herself the truth doctor on TikTok. This came about after she’d dealt with a serious life event in 2019 and thought she needed to hide her struggle. She realized that if an up-and-coming licensed therapist was going to hide her mental health problems, what does that say about mental health overall? That we should hide it, be embarrassed about it . . . really? She was struggling, and she thought the world needed a therapist who was significantly struggling. So she called herself the truth doctor and, in fact, told the truth about her struggles to encourage other people to be honest with themselves and tell the truth about their struggles.And we’re sorry to hear about Britney’s divorce . . .Don’t forget to check out our upcoming Innovation Festival at: https://events.fastcompany.com/innovationfestival23And apply for MIC! https://www.fastcompany.com/apply/most-innovative-companies

The Women’s World Cup is coming to an end this weekend! The international soccer championship is down to its final week in which Spain and England will be facing off in the final match. Fast Company senior editor Amy Farley and staff editor AJ Hess catch us up on the drama and break down what this tournament means for pro women’s sports.Also, SKIMS cofounder and CEO Jens Grede explains how Kim Kardashian is like the Michael Jordan of the influencer generation and why the pumpkin spice latte is so important.And Broadway’s back, baby! Our personal fave is Spamalot.Don’t forget to sign up for our upcoming Innovation Festival on September 18-21: https://events.fastcompany.com/innovationfestival23