Most Innovative Companies

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

Anthony Padilla and Ian Hecox, co-founders of Smosh, share their journey from the early YouTube days to a well-established comedy brand. They discuss the challenges of selling and repurchasing Smosh, emphasizing their focus on 'comedy rooted in friendship' to stay relevant. Ale Catanese, the current CEO, outlines the company's efforts in creating a sustainable work culture and a new talent-first studio space. Pavithra Mohan dives into the hustle culture in Silicon Valley, contrasting it with companies like Linear that prioritize work-life balance.

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?

Bill McKibben, a prominent climate activist and co-founder of 350.org, shares insights on his book, Here Comes the Sun, discussing how solar and wind power can tackle the climate crisis. He critiques Bill Gates's views on climate policy and emphasizes the need for clean energy in AI infrastructure. Meanwhile, Eric Lempel, head of marketing for Sony Interactive Entertainment, explores PlayStation's strategy amidst rising digital sales, the importance of exclusives, and how AI can enhance game development while allowing creativity to flourish.

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.