Most Innovative Companies

On today’s episode, cohosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen break down the latest news in the world of business and innovation, including the latest on the sweeping tariffs announced on wednesday, the Trump administration being sued by federal workers, Newsmax stock pops 500% on NYSE, Meta’s head of AI research Joelle Pineau is leaving the company, and fast-fashion giant H&M plans to use AI clones of its human models—plus the backlash. (00:44)Next, Josh and Yaz speak to ‘Fast Company’ senior editor Max Ufberg about the Tesla Takedown protests happening across the globe. Plus, Max shares details of the coordinated event called Global Action Day where worldwide protests are calling on people to sell their Teslas and their shares of Tesla stock. (05:17)Finally, Yaz spoke to award-winning actor Walton Goggins and GoDaddy's CEO Aman Bhutani about GoDaddy's partnership with Walton Goggins Goggle Glasses. (26:26)For more of the latest business and innovation news, go to https://www.fastcompany.com/newsTo read the latest on Fast Company’s coverage of Tesla:https://www.fastcompany.com/91308723/elon-musk-blames-tesla-protests-shady-payoffs-while-making-shady-payoffs-wisconsinVisit Walton Goggins Goggle Glasses

Sephora is compelling for any number of reasons, and one is it’s been a leader in the beauty industry working with GenAI and broader AI technology.A McKinsey piece reported earlier this year that Gen AI could add up $9 billion to $10 billion to the global economy based on its impact on the beauty industry alone.As consumer brands go, the beauty industry has been ahead of the curve on AI, with companies like Sephora, L’Oreal, Dior, Estee Lauder, P&G, all creating AI-powered tools for customers to use as early as 2017.In this episode, host Jeff Beer talks to Sephora’s US CMO Zena Arnold, and Vlad Kuznetsov, the company’s Chief Information Officer, to get a peek under the hood for a glimpse at how one of the most powerful brands in an incredibly influential consumer industry is thinking about Gen AI right now.

With more than a century of expertise, Williams is shaping the future of energy—delivering reliable, sustainable solutions to fuel economic growth and global progress. ‘Fast Company’ speaks with Chad Zamarin, EVP of corporate strategic development for Williams, about the urgent need for companies to adapt in a rapidly evolving energy landscape—and how AI and media trends are reshaping our energy demands.

On today’s episode, cohosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen break down the latest news in the world of business and innovation, including the Trump administration’s Signal scandal, Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s resignation, Chinese electric-vehicle maker BYD outperforming Tesla per its 2024 revenue, and important privacy issues related to the bankruptcy announcement of DNA-testing site 23andMe. (00:50) Next, ‘Fast Company’ associate editor David Salazar joins the show to discuss the anime streaming service, Crunchyroll, and why it made Fast Company’s 2025 Most Innovative Companies list. (07:36) Finally, Yaz speaks to clinical psychologist and co-founder of the parenting company Good Inside, Dr. Becky, about the Good Inside method for raising children. (27:46) For more of the latest business and innovation news go to https://www.fastcompany.com/news To check out the 2025 Most Innovative Companies list go to: https://www.fastcompany.com/most-innovative-companies/list For more on Dr. Becky, visit: https://www.goodinside.com/

On today’s episode, cohosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen break down the latest news in the world of business and innovation including Elon Musk’s DOGE staff breaking into the U.S. Institute of Peace, the Trump administration's plans to cut 25% of the IRS workforce, and Pepsi's acquisition of prebiotic soda company Poppi for nearly $2 billion. (01:01)Next, Fast Company executive editor Amy Farley joins the show to discuss this year's Most Innovative Companies. (07:41)Finally, senior staff writer Ainsley Harris talks to Yaz and Josh about her feature on Robinhood and the company's recent bets on crypto and prediction markets. (34:45)

Pratik Thakar, Global Vice President for Generative AI at Coca-Cola, drives the brand's innovative approach to AI in marketing. Jason Zada, a creative director known for his AI-generated work, shares insights on the recent Coca-Cola holiday ads. They discuss the unique challenges and passionate backlash surrounding these AI animations, while still highlighting their effectiveness. The conversation delves into the balance of nostalgia and modern technology, exploring how AI can revolutionize brand storytelling and influence future marketing strategies.

On today’s episode, cohosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen break down the latest news in the world of business and innovation including the stock market tumble, what’s going on with all those tariffs, Elon Musk blaming X’s outage last week on an alleged cyberattack, and Mark Carney becoming the next prime minister of Canada. (00:51) Next, It’s SXSW again with Josh and Yaz down in Austin for the annual festival and holding court at the Fast Company Grill. We recapped our time at SXSW with ‘Fast Company’ senior editor Max Ufberg. (09:33) Finally, Yaz interviewed author, activist, and founder of the MeToo Movement, Tarana Burke, on stage at SXSW. (24:01) For more of the latest business and innovation news, go to https://www.fastcompany.com/news To see the latest ‘Fast Company’ coverage on SXSW, go to: https://www.fastcompany.com/section/sxsw Be sure to subscribe, rate and review Most Innovative Companies on your podcast app of choice. You can also find more Most Innovative Companies podcast content on Fast Company’s YouTube channel along with more videos on business news, tech, design, and work/life.

If GenAI is the biggest technological advancement since the internet itself, then the creative possibilities are or will be pretty much endless. From a brand marketing and advertising perspective, we are still very early days, but there needs to be those willing and able to push the envelope, test boundaries, make mistakes, learn lessons, and evolve from there. Yet how far should the boundaries of brand content be pushed? In this episode, I look for some answers by talking to two founders of boutique creative shop Food Arts & Technology, industry legends creative technologist Iain Tait and designer Richard Turley. I also sat down with Jason Zada, founder of AI-focused production studio Secret Level, who has worked with major brands like Coke on utilizing these new tools. There are so many different perspectives on how this tech will and should be used creatively. Here you’ll get a glimpse into the perspective of people trying their best to push the tech and their own creativity for brands.

Pavithra Mohan, a Fast Company staff writer, delves into the contentious issue of remote work as companies push for a return to the office, grappling with employee sentiments and productivity concerns. Mark Wilson, Fast Company's global design editor, celebrates the 25-year legacy of The Sims, discussing its impact on virtual lives and cultural connectivity. The conversation reveals how gaming not only shapes personal narratives but also reflects broader societal trends in work and play.

To paraphrase a great philosopher, brand ideas are like small intestines – everybody has one. But could you build something with that idea in less than an hour? In this episode, we meet with David Jones,founder and CEO of The Brandtech Group, a $4 billion company which invested heavily in integrating AI into marketing and advertising services by acquiring leading companies like Pencil and Jellyfish. Jones says GenAI tools tailored to brands make that idea possible, so we challenge him and creative director James Dow to make it happen, right here, right now on the podcast. While that’s happening, we also take a look inside a few of the large-scale tools being deployed by major ad agencies right now. Omnicom Advertising Group chief operating officer Deepthi Prakash gives us a peek under the hood of TBWA Worldwide’s CollectiveAI platform, which it has built working with companies like Microsoft, OpenAI, Google, Adobe, and more to create tools trained on decades of successful strategies, creative work and philosophies, then utilized to help inform and evaluate new work and ideas. I won’t spoil the brand idea we have, but by the end, you may just have a new favorite toothpaste.