Most Innovative Companies

On today's episode, cohosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen discuss the latest news in the world of business and innovation. Topics include Zohran Mamdani's stunning victory in the New York City mayoral primary, Tesla's robotaxi launch, and another round of layoffs for dating app Bumble. (00:46) Next, for the past six years, OpenAI and Microsoft have enjoyed a moderately mutual partnership. Microsoft invested a significant amount into OpenAI, leading to the development of AI Boom and ChatGPT. Now, they find themselves at a crossroads. Josh and Yaz discuss with Fast Company contributing writer Chris Stokel-Walker and senior editor Max Ufberg how the two tech giants are presenting a united front to the press, while privately bickering about intellectual property, profit-sharing, and the structure of OpenAI. (05:34) Finally, Josh and Yaz talk to Fast Company senior editor and author of An Exercise in Uncertainty: A Memoir of Illness and Hope, Jon Gluck, about his battle with multiple myeloma, a rare and incurable blood cancer. (28:31) For more of the latest business and innovation news, go to https://www.fastcompany.com/news To read Chris Stokel-Walker's article on Microsoft and Open AI: https://www.fastcompany.com/91353775/openai-microsoft-ai-partnership-breakup To find out more about Jon Gluck's memoir: https://www.grassrootsbookstore.com/item/ZoOPMvNQhqYA3gQ-9mg8pg/lists/LFUIg6W8hc9s/

Welcome to the first episode of By Design, our new show for news, interviews, and criticism from the wide world of design. Our first guest is Michael Bierut. He has been the brains behind some of the most iconic design work in recent history. Mastercard, Slack, Saks Fifth Avenue, and countless more came from Beirut's desk as a partner at Pentagram.  Now, as Michael steps into (semi) retirement, he sat down with By Design hosts Liz Stinson and Mark Wilson for a thoughtful reflection on his legendary career and why both humans and technology will need to work together for real design innovation. And yes, they do revisit the infamous “H” logo he designed for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign.  Liz and Mark also give their analysis on the latest in design news. Is Apple's Liquid Glass any good? Can Sam Altman and Jony Ive make a useful piece of AI hardware?  Plus, Liz and Mark make their cases for the best and worst new designs before producer Cody Nelson picks a winner.

On today's episode, Josh Christensen and guest co-host Liz Stinson discuss the latest news in the world of business and innovation including the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, OpenAI and Microsoft's falling out, and the Trump phone. Next, Josh and Liz talk to staff writer Liz Segran about the state of apparel manufacturing in America. Finally, Yaz interviewed author and journalist Evan Osonos on his latest book The Haves and Have-Yachts: Dispatches on the Ultrarich. For more of the latest business and innovation news, go to https://www.fastcompany.com/news To read Elizabeth Segran's story on Walmart and American Giant:https://www.fastcompany.com/91333584/walmarts-plan-to-make-clothes-in-america-again

In an exclusive interview with Fast Company editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan, the U.S. labor leader also discusses DOGE, Musk, and AI.

On today's episode, co-hosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen discuss the latest news in the world of business and innovation, including Apple's newest product announcements at WWDC, Warner Bros. Discovery's split back into two companies, and the U.S. and China meeting in London to discuss trade talks. Next, since its inception in 2008, NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts have become a staple on YouTube with over 11 million subscribers. Josh and Yaz speak with Fast Company associate editor David Salazar about the lasting influence, favorite acts, and future programming of Tiny Desk Concerts. Finally, Yaz and Josh interview Sweetgreen CEO Jonathan Neman about the company's new menu items, advancements in culinary technology like Infinite Kitchens, and the removal of seed oils from their food preparation process. For more of the latest business and innovation news, go to https://www.fastcompany.com/news To read David Salazar's piece on NPR's Tiny Desk concerts:https://www.fastcompany.com/91337277/npr-tiny-desk-concert-artist-impact

Moby's prolific music career spans 35 years, most notably helping to bring electronic music to the mainstream—and perhaps less notably, but still importantly, giving so much of that music away for free. Amid consistently putting out albums, Moby launched Mobygratis in 2005, a platform where creatives can download instrumental music made by Moby to use in any number of projects. Moby has continued to update and iterate on Mobygratis, but the ethos has remained the same: helping creatives realize their projects with less financial burden and unleashing the “democratic chaos” of seeing what people create with the music. In this episode, Moby explores his relationship to creativity and commerce, the tsunami of AI, what effective activism looks like, and why as a creative it's okay (and even better) to not have a plan B.  For more of the latest business and innovation news, go to https://www.fastcompany.com/news To listen to the latest episodes of Creative Control on Fast Company:https://www.fastcompany.com/podcasts/creative-control Visit Mobygraits

On today's episode, cohosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen discuss the latest news in the world of business and innovation including Chime Financial's upcoming IPO, Microsoft introducing the Bing Video Creator using OpenAI's Sora, layoffs at Business Insider, Meta's plan to meet AI energy demands, and the long awaited release of the Nintendo Switch 2. Next, Tinder and Bumble are facing challenges, leading their management to pursue ambitious turnaround strategies. Josh and Yaz talk about the current state of dating apps and what they can learn from Hinge. Finally, Josh and Yaz speak with Chairman of Bravo & Peacock Unscripted, Frances Berwick, and star of the reality TV show Below Deck Mediterranean, Captain Sandra “Sandy” Yawn, about the growth of Bravo's reality TV empire, NBCUniversal's streaming strategy, and what it's like to go from Yacht Captain to TV star. For more of the latest business and innovation news, go to https://www.fastcompany.com/news To read Yaz's article on dating apps: Why Bumble and Tinder are suddenly scrambling to keep up with Hinge

The first iteration of Brand New World was a very specific look at how AI is changing how brands and marketers work. Now we're back to talk about brand culture more broadly. Of course that will involve AI from time to time, but I'll also be digging into sports, entertainment, music, comedy, and everywhere else brands squeeze their way into pop culture.For those who don't know or are unfamiliar, the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity is part awards show, part industry conference, and probably the biggest annual gathering of brands, marketers, entertainment folks, tech folks, and media on the planet. Anything and anyone that touches a brand—from social platforms, to sports stars to celebrities—is there. This year, ahead of the festival that kicks off June 16th, Apple has been named the Creative Marketer of the Year. Now, Apple is an iconic marketer, an all-time, first ballot Hall of Famer. But in my opinion, 2024 has been a bit of a mixed bag. So why is this Apple's year? To discuss where this past year fits in the pantheon of Apple's greatest hits, I called up Elizabeth Paul. A strategist by trade, Paul is the chief brand officer at award-winning ad shop The Martin Agency. You'll know their work for major brands like Geico, UPS, the new Axe work with Pete Davidson, and much more. More importantly, she's always up for some hot take banter about the work and culture around advertising and brands. Last month, a new doc called The Seat debuted on Netflix about how Mercedes' Formula One team decided on a successor for racing legend Lewis Hamilton. Hamilton had announced his departure, so the racing giant was forced to strategize its next move quickly and discreetly. That's where WhatsApp comes in. The entire process of evaluating and naming young Italian driver Andrea Kimi Antonelli played out over the messaging app. “The Seat” is not only a feature doc, but an excellent piece of brand entertainment, produced in partnership with WhatsApp. This episode I was excited to chat with Meta's head of global consumer marketing Eshan Ponnadurai to talk about the process behind the doc, as well as the role it plays in the brand's overall strategy. Esh has worked on major brands from Ford and P&G, to Uber, YouTube and Google. He's got a long history of finding compelling and authentic brand stories to tell in unique ways.

On today's episode, co-hosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen discuss the latest news in the world of business and innovation, including a U.S. trade court's ruling on the Trump administration's tariffs, Salesforce's acquisition of AI-powered data management company Informatica, and the end of Elon Musk's time in government. Next, Josh and Yaz speak with the showrunner and co-creator of "Hacks," Lucia Aniello, about the Emmy-winning comedy's season finale. They also discuss how Aniello created and runs the show with her husband, Paul W. Downs, and her close friend Jen Statsky, as well as how they foster a supportive writers' room. Finally, Yaz interviews the co-author of "Like: The Button That Changed the World," Bob Goodson, about how data from your likes can be used to train AI-driven algorithms to deliver more content you're obsessed with.

On today's episode, co-hosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen discuss the latest news in the world of business and innovation. Including OpenAI's acquisition of Jony Ive's hardware firm, io; Walmart's likely price increases due to tariffs; and the sale of 23andMe. Next, Yasmin talks to Fast Company contributing writer Joe Berkowitz and Fast Company Associate Editor David Salazar about Bill Gates ending his philanthropic organization, the Gates Foundation, in the next two decades, the state of philanthropy, and the next class of billionaires. Finally, Yaz and Josh interview Fast Company contributing writer Clint Rainey about Vincent Bolloré and the allegations surrounding his business ventures in Africa. For more of the latest business and innovation news, go to https://www.fastcompany.com/news To read Joe Berkowitz's coverage of Bill Gates: https://www.fastcompany.com/91333066/bill-gates-warren-buffett-benevolent-billionaire-era-over To read Clint Rainey's article on Vincent Bolloré: https://www.fastcompany.com/91334554/vincent-bollore-restitution-for-africa-complaint

On today's episode, cohosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen discuss the latest news in the world of business and innovation, including the latest consumer price index report, the deal between China and the United States to pause tariffs for 90 days, and Microsoft's latest round of layoffs. Next, Yasmin and Josh speak with Platformer's Casey Newton about Grindr and how the dating app has expanded its business into telemedicine services. Finally, Yasmin interviews Amber Venz Box, the cofounder and president of the social commerce platform LTK (LikeToKnow), about how the company is handling major shifts in social media and where AI fits in. For more of the latest business and innovation news, go to https://www.fastcompany.com/news To read Casey Newton's article about Grindr:https://www.fastcompany.com/91328918/grindr-ceo-george-arison-interview-ai-wingman

On today's episode, co-hosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen discuss the latest news in the world of business and innovation. [0:50]   Next, Yasmin and Josh talk to Fast Company Global Design Editor Mark Wilson and Fast Company producer and Founder & President of Founders International Network, Hauwa Otori, about the new Michigan EV automobile company, Slate Auto, and its efforts to create a more affordable electric vehicle. [6:10]   Finally, Yasmin speaks to Yahoo CEO Jim Lanzone about integrating the AI platform Artifact into Yahoo News. [28:36] For more of the latest business and innovation news, go to https://www.fastcompany.com/news To read more on Fast Company's coverage on Slate Auto:https://www.fastcompany.com/91322801/bezos-backed-slate-auto-reveals-its-new-customizable-20000-ev

On today's episode, co-hosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen discuss the latest news in the world of business and innovation including Trump's First 100 days, Canada's recent election, and a new competitor in the electric vehicle market, Slate Auto. Next, Yaz and Josh talk to Fast Company senior writer Liz Segran about the mass boycott of Target after their decision to rollback their DEI programs, which added to an already shaky year. Finally, Yaz and Josh speak with YouTube Shorts's senior director of product management, Todd Sherman, about the evolution of YouTube Shorts and how the vertical video product fits into the company's overall strategy. For more of the latest business and innovation news go to https://www.fastcompany.com/news For the latest news on Target:https://www.fastcompany.com/section/target

On today's episode, cohosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen discuss the latest news in the world of business and innovation. Topics include the latest on tariffs, Tesla's first-quarter earnings report, and the possibility of Google having to sell off its popular web browser Chrome. (00:54) Next, Yaz and Josh talk to Fast Company Global Design Editor Mark Wilson about his insights from a design conference he attended and the main question posed at the forum: Is design dead? (07:00) Finally, Yaz speaks with Ryan Weaver, creative director of fentanyl testing company Overdrive, about the brand's marketing strategies and efforts to reduce the stigma and judgment surrounding drug testing. (28:46)

On today's episode, cohosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen break down the latest news in the world of business and innovation, including the U.S. dollar's slide into multiyear lows as the tariff wars with China escalate, the outlook for unemployment, Nvidia's plans to make supercomputers entirely in the U.S., and OpenAI's news of launching a social network. (1:24) Next, Yaz and Josh interview ‘Fast Company freelance reporter Patrick Sisson about cleantech companies rebranding themselves as vital for national security as government funding for anything climate-related gets cut. (10:00) Finally, Yaz interviews Twitter cofounders Ev Williams and Molly DeWolf Swenson about their new private social media network Mozi, which focuses on helping people foster in-person connections. (23:15)

Generative AI has taken the brand world by storm. But how is the planet's best-known AI company building its own brand? Like everything to do with AI, the brand aspect of this category is evolving and changing seemingly week to week. There's newer brands like Anthropic, Perplexity, and DeepSeek, alongside established giants' own sub-brands like Apple Intelligence, Google Gemini, Amazon's Rufus AI assistant, and on and on.With about 400 million users, and almost constant news coverage, OpenAI may be the best known purely AI company.In episode seven of Fast Company's Brand New World podcast, host Jeff Beer talks to OpenAI's chief marketing officer Kate Rouch about the strategy behind their Super Bowl ad, how the company defines its brand values, and why, despite helpful lessons from the last 30 years of tech, new precedents will still be set for the AI brand category.

The pharmaceutical industry is on the brink of massive transformation driven by cutting-edge technology and strategic collaboration. Purdue University is on the forefront of Pharma 4.0 by partnering with pharmaceutical companies to pioneer advances in medicine and speed up the evolution of pharmaceutical manufacturing. In this custom episode, host Shibani Joshi chats with Sean Bruik, senior vice president of artificial intelligence and data at Amgen; Mung Chiang, president of Purdue University; and Tatyana Kanzaveli, CEO of Open Health Network, to discuss the role of cross-industry partnerships in driving innovation in the pharmaceutical industry.

On today's episode, cohosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen break down the latest news in the world of business and innovation, including President Trump delaying reciprocal tariffs, TikTok-alternative Skylight, a major win for college athletes, and Microsoft's 50th anniversary. (00:46) Next, Yaz and Josh interview Flexport CEO Ryan Petersen about how Flexport and the companies it works with are digesting the tariffs plus the continued uncertainty around global trade. (05:46) Finally, Yaz interviews cofounder and CEO of Colossal Biosciences, Ben Lamm, about the company's progress in trying to bring back the Woolly Mammoth and the criticism the company is facing after it unveiled three dire wolf puppies. (31:34) For more of the latest business and innovation news, go to: https://www.fastcompany.com/news For the latest ‘Fast Company' coverage on Trump's tariffs, go to: https://www.fastcompany.com/section/tariffs

In episode six, host Jeff Beer is at Google's world headquarters in Mountain View, CA to talk to chief marketing officer Lorrraine Twohill. We dig into the brand's overall GenAI strategy, not only for how they're working as a marketing organization, but also how they're marketing Google's own AI tools like Gemini.We also chat about how Lorraine and her team are balancing between third-party tools like Brandtech Group's Pencil Pro, and WPP's One, and the company's own proprietary tools.Of course, we get into the lessons learned over the reaction to Google's “Dear Sydney” Olympic ad for Gemini last summer, but also how the ultimate goal for AI's impact on the brand's marketing is to come up with an idea in the morning, and see it out in the world that afternoon.

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/news To 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-wisconsin Visit 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. 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. Finally, Yaz speaks to clinical psychologist Becky Kennedy (aka Dr. Becky), one of the cofounders of the website Good Inside, about the Good Inside method for being better parents. 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. 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)

This past December, Coca-Cola released a set of holiday ads made entirely from generative AI. They asked three different studios to create their own interpretations of the 1995 Coke holiday spot called “Holidays Are Coming” using AI video-generation models, including Leonardo, Luma, and Runway. The brand got three unique adaptations from studios Silverside AI, the Wild Card, and Jason Zada's Secret Level. Even though the AI ads were supposed to be a reimagining of Coke's holiday ads from the '90s, which is a pretty innocuous concept, the backlash was intense. The reactions were passionate and numerous enough to get coverage from The New York Times, USA Today, NBS News, and more. Despite the backlash, the ads were effective and these new AI ads also got the job done. Coke is confident that its early experimentation is not only fun, but a meaningful investment that—despite the negative reviews in the short term—is setting the company up for long-term marketing success. In this episode, host Jeff Beer talks to Pratik Thakar, Coca-Cola's global vice president for generative AI, about the companies' approach to using AI, creative risk-taking, and those holiday ads.

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. 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. Finally, Yaz interviewed author, activist, and founder of the MeToo Movement, Tarana Burke, on stage at SXSW. 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.

On today's episode, co-hosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen break down the latest news in the world of business and innovation including the will-they-won't-they tariffs on Mexico and Canada, Walgreens plans to go private, and a “huge win” for the NFT industry (52:00) Next, along with the federal workforce, private companies are increasingly calling their employees back to full-time in-person work. Fast Company staff writer Pavithra Mohan joins Yaz and Josh to discuss return-to-office mandates. (07:05) Finally, Yaz talks with Fast Company's global design editor, Mark Wilson, about the 25th anniversary and enduring popularity of the beloved PC video game, The Sims. (33:36) For more of the latest business and innovation news, go to https://www.fastcompany.com/news To read the latest ‘Fast Company' coverage on return-to-office mandates, go to: https://www.fastcompany.com/work-life 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.

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.

On today's episode, cohosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen break down the latest news in the world of business and innovation, including the recent drop in Tesla's valuation and layoffs at Starbucks. Next, Jay Willis, a ‘Fast Company' contributor and editor of ‘Balls and Strikes,' joins Yaz and Josh to discuss DOGE, Elon Musk, and the Trump administration's current move-fast-and-break-things approach. Finally, Yaz and Josh interview YouTube's senior director of product management, Kurt Wilms, about the company's ‘live room' strategy. For more on the latest business and innovation news, go to https://www.fastcompany.com/news Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review ‘Most Innovative Companies' on your podcast app of choice. Also, you can find more ‘MCI' podcast content on the 'Fast Company' YouTube channel along with additional videos on business news, tech, design, and work life.

David Droga is a legendary advertising creative and executive. He's also CEO of Accenture Song, one of the largest advertising and marketing services firms on the planet.  For those two reasons, we kick off Brand New World with Droga at the 2024 Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. Why there and then? It's the world's biggest convergence of media, marketing, entertainment, technology, and brands, and a mirror of what's happening and a bellwether of what's to come, on a global scale. There's no better time and place to start a conversation about how brands, and the marketing and advertising industries are approaching AI at this nascent moment. In this episode, I talked to Droga about what Accenture's $3 billion commitment to AI means for his work, how it compares to the first digital revolution two decades ago, where it may be headed in the not-so-distant future, and the impact it will have on the art of persuasion and pop culture.

On today's episode, cohosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen break down the latest news in the world of business and innovation, including the release of Grok 3's AI chatbot from Elon Musk's xAI, and how the prebiotic soda market may be the latest gold rush. Next, Katey Rich, awards editor at ‘The Ankler,' joins us to talk about Hollywood's Biggest Night: the Oscars and their heavy investment in this year's marketing campaigns and press runs. Catch her podcast, Prestige Junkie, here. And finally, Yaz speaks to Kat Cole, CEO of AG1 (formerly Athletic Greens). They discuss growing the brand and navigating the booming supplement market. For more of the latest business and innovation news go to https://www.fastcompany.com/news To read the latest Fast Company coverage on the Oscars: https://www.fastcompany.com/91276999/oscars-2025-predictions-best-picture-odds-shift-industry-awards https://www.fastcompany.com/91266057/oscar-nominations-2025-surprises-snubs-best-picture-full-list 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. 

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 unsolicited bid to buy OpenAI, the latest inflation numbers for the U.S., and the AI summit in Paris. Next, ‘Fast Company' senior writer Mark Sullivan, who covers AI and all things tech-related, walks Yaz and Josh through how DeepSeek upended the AI arms race and what's next for its competitors. And finally, Yaz and Josh talk to Caroline Spiegel, founder of the audio-erotica startup, Quinn. For more of the latest business and innovation news go to https://www.fastcompany.com/news To subscribe to AI Decoded go to: https://www.fastcompany.com/section/ai-decoded 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. 

On today's episode, hosts Yaz Gagne and Josh Christensen discuss the latest news in the world of business and innovation including the Trump administration's trade wars, Elon Musk's crusade against the federal bureaucracy, and the 2024 earnings results recently announced by Apple and Palantir. Then, Yaz talks to ‘Fast Company' senior staff editor Jeff Beer, who's been covering advertising and marketing for nearly two decades, about the ads we'll be seeing during this Sunday's Super Bowl. Finally, Josh and Yaz discuss the $5 billion deal that brought the WWE to Netflix.

On today's episode, host Josh Christensen is joined by ‘Fast Company' associate editor David Salazar to help break down the latest news in the world of business and innovation, including the fallout from DeepSeek's LLM launch, the backtracked federal funding freeze, and the rising price of eggs. (01:02) Next, Yasmin Gagne interviews Lionel Barber, former editor of the ‘Financial Times,' about his new book, a biography of Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son: ‘Gambling Man: The Wild Ride of Japan's Masayoshi Son.' They discuss Son's biggest wins, even bigger losses, and the recently announced $500 billion AI infrastructure project alongside OpenAI and Oracle called Stargate. (06:54) Then, ‘Fast Company' editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan discusses the reaction at Davos to President Trump's inauguration. (37:40) For more of the latest business and innovation news go to https://www.fastcompany.com/news Gambling Man: The Wild Ride of Japan's Masayoshi Son: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/451627/gambling-man-by-barber-lionel/9780241582725 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. 

 On today's episode, Donald Trump has been sworn in as president once again and almost immediately began enacting his agenda. Hosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen break down the president's executive orders and policy promises relating to the economy, the tech industry, labor and climate Then, the fires in Los Angeles are still burning. ‘Los Angeles Times' climate columnist Sammy Roth unpacks the fallout from this disaster and the role climate change has played. Finally, The TikTok ban went into effect over the weekend for a grand total of 12 hours. For now, the app remains operational in the U.S. after former President Biden declared he wouldn't enforce the ban and President Trump signed an executive order on Monday pausing the ban for 75 days. But, what comes next for TikTok and the creators who lobbied for it to be saved? ‘Fast Company' executive editor Maia McCann and senior staff editor Max Ufberg help explain the state of TikTok. But, what comes next for TikTok and the creators who lobbied for it to be saved? ‘Fast Company' executive digital director Maia McCann and senior staff editor Max Ufberg try to explain the state of TikTok. For more of the latest news coming out of the Trump administration, and in the world of business, go to https://www.fastcompany.com/news For more on the Los Angeles Fires and Sammy Roth's writing on climate change, you can find his newsletter, Boiling Point, here and subscribe to his podcast of the same name here  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.

Today we're going to take a look at how Trader Joe's remains a beloved brand despite a record number of product recalls, safety violations, worker misconduct complaints, and an environmental record that belies its reputation. Here to explain more is ‘Fast Company' contributing writer Clint Rainey. Then Yaz talks to chipmaker Nvidia, which has been the best-performing S&P 500 stock of the past three decades. Tae Kim, a senior technology writer at ‘Barron's,' wanted to find out why. He wrote about the secret of Nvidia's success in his new book, ‘The Nvidia Way: Jensen Huang and the Making of a Tech Giant.' The book explains how the company's culture, overseen by cofounder and CEO Jensen Huang, has helped it dominate in recent years

In this custom episode, we hear from Susannah Shattuck, head of product at Credo AI. She discusses why staying closely connected is critical for a distributed workforce and how AI tools are making that easier. Also, learn how Credo AI uses Atlassian tools to manage collaboration, unlock areas for more creative thinking, and drive business growth.

Police departments across the country are embracing AI-enhanced surveillance technology in the name of stopping crime. One prominent security firm called Flock Safety is leading the effort and profiting off our fears. Fast Company Senior Writer Ainsley Harris joined Yaz and Josh to explain how the Atlanta-based startup signed a deal with San Francisco in March 2024 to install and operate 400 LPRs (license plate recognition systems). Then, Yaz chats with President and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery Global Streaming and Games JB Perrette about how (HBO) Max's globalization efforts are the biggest aspect of its growth.

In this custom episode from FastCo Works and Solidigm, Abigail Bassett chats with Avi Shetty, senior director of AI ecosystem and partnerships at Solidigm, and Sachin Gupta, vice president and general manager of the Infrastructure and Solutions Group at Google Cloud. Artificial intelligence's transformative power is set to reshape the business world, revolutionizing industries as diverse as medicine to manufacturing. But amid the buzz, one critical feature is often overlooked: the importance of data storage in implementing smart AI strategies. In this episode, we'll discuss data storage's integral role in long-term AI success and how solid-state drive (SSD) innovations eliminate storage bottlenecks to make AI pipelines faster and more efficient. We'll also highlight the impact of high-capacity storage solutions on AI scaling and why future-proof storage investments are essential.

In this episode, writer, designer, educator and host of the 'Design Matters' podcast Debbie Millman, chats with Stephanie Mehta, CEO and Chief Content Officer at Mansueto Ventures, parent of Inc. and Fast Company. They explore the future of design, from the role of generative AI in creativity to the evolving relationship between design and business. 

This episode features Krishna Bhagavathula, Chief Technology Officer and NBA Executive Vice President with Stephanie Mehta, CEO and Chief Content Officer at Mansueto Ventures, parent of 'Inc.' and 'Fast Company.' They explore the role technology-including generative AI-is playing in enhancing experiences for teams, players, and fans. One Madison is the site of IBM's new headquarters in New York City.

On today's episode, it's our year-end spectacular! Yaz and Josh are joined by ‘Fast Company' editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughn and executive editor Amy Farley to help bring 2024 to a close. From design jobs to tech bros to everything AI, we look back on the biggest and most interesting stories of the year. Plus, a game Josh invented and our New Year's resolutions.

With a history exceeding 50 years, Hot Wheels has proven it has staying power. Rooted in authentic car design and performance, the brand continues to innovate. In this episode, part of the Atlassian-sponsored 'Behind The Teams' series, Roberto Stanichi, executive vice president of Hot Wheels & the global head of vehicles; Ted Wu, head of design; and Subri Kovilmadam, Mattel's vice president of technology, reveal how Mattel's culture of collaboration works.