Most Innovative Companies

Cofounder and CEO of 23andMe, Anne Wojcicki, wants to take the public company private. Founded in 2006, the DNA-testing startup was valued at $6 billion in 2021. Now, it’s trading for less than a dollar. So what happened? ‘Fast Company’ senior writer Ainsley Harris breaks down 23andMe’s history, and why the company faces an uncertain future.Also, actor Edward Norton chats with ‘Fast Company’ staff writer David Salazar about his startup, Zeck. After decades of serving on nonprofit and corporate boards, as well as working with boards as a founder, Norton realized that modern, streamlined tools could vastly improve boardroom communication. His company aims to change the dynamics of boards and company management by reducing repetitive tasks and facilitating better collaboration.And heads up, our show will be shifting to publish on Thursdays starting August 22!

A Gallup poll published last July found that just 36% of Americans had “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in higher education. That’s a 10% drop from 2018, and more than a 20% drop from 2015. Enter the University of Austin, which claims to be a new type of higher education institution that offers students “the fearless pursuit of truth.” The privately funded nonprofit has reportedly received $200 million in private donations, much of it from prominent right-wing investors. ‘Fast Company’ senior staff editor Max Ufberg discusses the university’s background and what school will be like for the first class of freshmen.Also, L-Acoustics CEO Laurent Vaissié shares his excitement for the possibilities of sound design for live concerts and shows. His company’s approach to audio is creating immersive experiences and new layers of storytelling, from Broadway theaters to Vegas shows.

With President Biden out of the presidential race and support gathering behind Vice President Kamala Harris to take his place as the Democratic nominee, Silicon Valley’s influence on the candidates is more obvious than ever.Back when Harris ran for California District Attorney, she received donations from tech investors and venture capitalists including Sheryl Sandberg and Reid Hoffman, both of whom have already endorsed her for president. On the Republican side, JD Vance worked for prominent VCs and even started his own, with money from Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen, and Eric Schmidt. So it’s not surprising that the past couple weeks have brought a flurry of endorsements and massive donations from the biggest names in tech. ‘Fast Company’ contributing writer Issie Lapowsky joins the show to break down what’s influencing tech billionaires in their endorsements, and what that reveals about the industry’s political interests.Also, world-renowned chef René Redzepi, the creative force behind Noma, the three-Michelin-star restaurant in Copenhagen, discusses his new role as host of Apple TV+’s docuseries, ‘Omnivore.’ He also digs into the joys and pains of foraging and his plans to rework his restaurant business after Noma closes at the end of this year.

AI technology's energy demands, Amazon's renewable power claims, and insight into energy consumption challenges. Also, discussion on branding trends, marketing campaigns from Etsy and Taco Bell, and Olympic advertising strategies.

Temperatures are hitting all-time highs, with some cities reaching 25 degrees above average. Last week, the Biden Administration announced a proposed rule that would create heat protections for certain workers, including delivery drivers. But with companies like Grubhub and UberEats classifying delivery workers as “independent contractors,” what does that mean for some of the people most vulnerable to extreme heat? ‘Fast Company’ staff writer Jess Bursztynksy gives us the latest on the state of delivery workers’ rights in NYC and beyond. And Dr. Sophia Yen, founder of Pandia Health, talks about changing how people get essential healthcare, using algorithms in telemedicine, and how our political climate impacts women’s healthcare businesses.

Brooklyn-based art collective MSCHF has a long history of expertly harnessing pop culture humor to poke fun at big corporations. Their latest project is a game built on top of Venmo, where players buy in for $10 and participate in hourly votes to eliminate each other, and a daily vote to pick a winner. The first player chosen to win by 100% of the votes will win a prize pot of over $119,000. Fast Company Global Design Editor Mark Wilson breaks down MSCHF's history and how they combine artistic commentary with capitalism. And Pinterest Chief Product Officer Sabrina Ellis discusses AI's possible uses on a platform with such a vast library of images. How can Pinterest continue to be a source of inspiration for users, an avenue for shopping, and expand the diversity of its content? And what insights can AI provide into the things that catch our eye?

In a recent viral LinkedIn post, Cap X Media’s CEO Matthew Baltzell poses in a backwards baseball cap and details his experience firing an employee for the first time. He talks about the process, what he learned, and asks for feedback from readers. One commenter wrote, “This LinkedIn post is a disgrace,” while another said, “You brought pain into someone’s life and then turned it into a ‘gold star for me’ moment. They’re certainly appalled by this on other (less weird) social platforms.”But plenty of comments sympathized with Baltzell over the uncomfortable situation, even praising him for sharing it. In fact, deranged behavior like this is a daily occurrence on LinkedIn, where business influencers operate very differently from influencers on other social media platforms. ‘Fast Company’ contributing writer Joe Berkowitz discusses his own forays into LinkedIn’s world of ‘corporate positivity.’ And Andrew Lacey, founder and CEO of medical technology company Prenuvo, talks about how the full-body MRI scanning that his company is offering might change our perspective on preventative healthcare—if the high cost can be lowered by other systemic reforms in healthcare.

Back in April, President Biden signed a law that would ban TikTok unless its parent company, ByteDance, sells the social media app. The company was given about nine months to a year to find an American buyer. So, today we’re going to dive into the race to buy the social media app . . . specifically looking at one billionaire who’s spearheading a bid: former Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt. Fast Company Senior Staff Editor Max Ufberg sat down with McCourt a few weeks ago to discuss his interest in buying TikTok.And then we chatted with Fast Company Senior Staff Editor Jeff Beer about his trip to Cannes and which brand he thinks will win the Titanium award.Also, check out Yaz's interview on the "Rapid Response" podcast: https://www.fastcompany.com/91142303/have-we-hit-peak-apple

A nonprofit founded by right-wing billionaire Charles Koch was a "key contributor" to a recent video produced by the popular content creator MrBeast. The video, titled "We Schooled Hundreds of Teachers," was uploaded on April 30th to "Beast Philanthropy," a second channel MrBeast uses to showcase charity work. MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, lists the organization Stand Together as one of the main financial sponsors. Stand Together was founded by Koch in 2003 as The Seminar Network and it describes itself as a "philanthropic community" dedicated to tackling the "country’s biggest problems," which range from education initiatives to what it calls "freedom-minded solutions." But we wanted to focus on how MrBeast’s corporate structure operates, so Fast Company contributing writer Ryan Broderick joined us to chat about it.Then, Fast Company associate editor David Salazar had a conversation with Vault founder David Greenstein and musician James Blake, who was the first artist on Vault and has been vocal about its potential as a new way for fans to engage with their favorite artists. They chatted about experimenting with new ways to monetize music.

Dropout CEO Sam Reich discusses rebranding and growth of Dropout TV, focusing on long-form improv content. The podcast delves into revenue strategies, niche comedy, and maintaining a unique workplace culture. Keith Gill's return to Reddit and the Paramount-Skydance merger are also highlighted.