iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

“Gen Z will be the least trusting generation in modern American history,” writes Ryan Burge, who is also a data analyst and professor of practice at Washington University in St. Louis. Read more here: bit.ly/4hx1i2l

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 19h

For Flamingo Estate founder Richard Christiansen, "there's no joy in speed." "I think we also need ceremony as people. It's why we go to church. It's why we get married," Christiansen said at the 2026 Fast Company Innovation Festival.

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 20h

“Every second person I meet is launching a defense tech fund,” says Eveline Buchatskiy, managing partner of D3, a Kyiv-based venture fund that first invested in Swarmer in 2023.

Eveline Buchatskiy [Photo: Alexander Chekmenev for Fast Company]

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 20h

Before the war, Swarmer cofounder Serhii Kupriienko led AI teams for Amazon’s Ring division. Now, he’s building software that lets military drones coordinate with less human direction. His eventual goal: an “ethical Skynet.”

Serhii Kupriienko [Photo: Alexander Chekmenev for Fast Company]

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 29/09/2026

Welcome to M-suite, Fast Company's private, community for women navigating senior-level careers and motherhood. Learn more and apply to join here: bit.ly/3Vffw0l

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 28/09/2026

For years, brands have tried to crack the Gen Z code through campaigns, influencers, and trend chasing. The companies breaking through today are taking a different approach: inviting Gen Z into the creative process from the very beginning.

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 27/09/2026

At the 2026 Fast Company Innovation Festival, Cade Cunningham—a two-time NBA All-Star and Detroit Pistons guard—explained his brand partnership with Nike and discussed his team's recent comeback story.

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 25/09/2026

In a recent TikTok, corporate recruiter Caitlin Wehniainen said her Gen Z clients were showing up to interviews with an iced coffee in hand. Her advice: Don’t do that because it can be perceived as unprofessional. We got our office’s take on the recent viral debate.

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 25/09/2026

OnlyFans CEO Keily Blair knows her company comes with a certain connotation. But in addition to the NSFW content the platform is known for, athletes, educators, musicians, organizations, and creators of all stripes are cashing out through initiatives like OnlyFans TV.

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 25/09/2026

Smucker's Uncrustables have become a lunchbox and freezer aisle favorite for over two decades. But what happens when a high school dropout turned consumer packaged goods founder offers nostalgia-hungry Gen Zers a healthier alternative? Listen in for more: bit.ly/4itb7yj

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 24/09/2026

During Climate Week NYC, Alex Honnold, professional rock climber and host of the "Planet Visionaries" podcast in partnership with Rolex, joined conservationist Farwiza Farhan to discuss how people committed to addressing climate change can move from hopelessness to action.

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 22/09/2026

Fast Company's Fall 2026 issue is now available on newsstands. Become a subscriber and get access to exclusive Fast Company stories all year long: bit.ly/4hqqhV8

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 21/09/2026

At the 2026 Fast Company Innovation Festival, Selena Gomez discussed the growth of her makeup brand Rare Beauty as well as the company's commitment to philanthropy through the Rare Impact Fund. As Gomez put it, "I don't view us as something big, I view us as doing something big."

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 21/09/2026

In Fast Company's new special report, Jaclyn Johnson, founder and CCO of Create & Cultivate, gives her advice on building a personal brand. Get over 200 more insights from personal branding experts: bit.ly/4dw51vI

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 18/09/2026

Opting out of the personal branding game is no longer an option. In fact, it may be the last, best way to stand out in a digital ecosystem overrun by AI content. Read more from @gracesnelling.bsky.social: bit.ly/4dw51vI

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 15/09/2026

Fast, faster, fastest.⁠ That's how @bavaughan.bsky.social prefaces his Editor's Note for the Fall 2026 issue of Fast Company.⁠ ⁠⁠ The cover story featuring Walmart CEO John Furner reveals how the leader is rapidly deploying AI at scale, while managing some real employee anxiety.

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 14/09/2026

Design has always been a powerful way to solve problems. Consider the impact of innovatively constructed buildings that can withstand natural disasters, paint designed to absorb humidity and lower energy costs, or cooling fabric that makes a spiritual journey more comfortable.

A vertically oriented poster on a white background combines bold typography with a colorful abstract illustration. The upper half features large looping yellow forms surrounding stylized blue, pink, gray, and white shapes, including small humanlike figures, blue water droplets, black circular forms, and a pink couch with a white-and-yellow abstract figure seated on it. A large yellow paint roller stands at the left, while another yellow roller-like form appears on the right. Bright cyan horizontal and vertical elements frame the illustration near the bottom. The lower section contains the title “MOLD-FIGHTING PAINT” in large black serif type, followed by three lines naming the paint and organizations. Decorative elements include a grayscale swatch strip and target symbol at the top, a black circular “FC” mark on the left, diagonal black stripes at the lower right, and a thin horizontal gradient line with a target symbol along the bottom.

A bright yellow poster in a black, pixel-art style. Near the top, a horizontal yellow-to-black gradient bar appears beside the text “INNOVATION BY DESIGN 2026” and a target-like symbol. A black circle containing the white letters “FC” is positioned at upper left. The central illustration shows two people viewed from behind, wearing long, loose garments; the figure on the left has a covered head, while the figure on the right has a rounded, uncovered head. Pixelated crossed tools or abstract motifs appear above them, and stylized palm trees flank the figures on both sides. Near the bottom, large black lettering reads “A SAFER PILGRIMAGE,” followed by three bulleted lines. A striped black graphic and a long horizontal line with another target-like symbol complete the lower portion.

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 11/09/2026

The US Open officially marks the end of summer, and with it comes social media's favorite cocktail: the Honey Deuce. The cocktail's creator discusses how the Honey Deuce's popularity is opening the door for more brands to tap into the social power of a signature drink: bit.ly/4gJP6fu

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 11/09/2026

In 2024, rapper Vic Mensa began regularly posting videos of himself in front of an orange tree in his backyard. The "Orange Tree" series, as it is now referred to, is what Mensa calls a passion project. He breaks down his creative process: bit.ly/4gZZmPr

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 11/09/2026

Lifestyle brand Flamingo Estate is perhaps most known for its bucolic aesthetic and viral candles in scents like Heirloom Tomato and Croquembouche, but it is also a physical place. Here's why founder Richard Christiansen turned his home into a living brand: bit.ly/4apsIoQ

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 10/09/2026

Greer Hiltabidle started her career as a personal assistant. When she was off the clock, she started creating TikTok videos—mostly about butter. "Ironically, the moment I started making my own content, the creative job offers started rolling in," Hiltabidle says. bit.ly/4dw51vI

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 08/09/2026

The newest addition to Tesla’s fleet of robotaxis is now on the road. While the driverless taxi service previously offered only the Model Y, it recently introduced the Cybercab—a golden car with butterfly doors, interactive touchscreens, and no steering wheel. Read more: bit.ly/4gGoEDv

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 08/09/2026

URL Media describes itself as a “multiplatform network that includes high-performing Black and Brown news organizations.” When deportation raids strained resources, URL established a rapid-response grant program to provide aid to support partner reporting in underserved communities: bit.ly/4yit1uq

A stylized poster featuring a large orange umbrella against a black background. The umbrella has a cream-colored handle and tip, with subtle mottled texture near the top. Around and beneath it are colorful communication and technology symbols, including speech bubbles, a document, an envelope, a video camera, a smartphone, and a chat icon. A large gray number 5 appears at the lower left. Text is arranged above and below the illustration.

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 08/09/2026

Planet Labs operates the world’s largest Earth-imaging satellite fleet, producing more than 3 TB per day of images. Unlike traditionally slow and rigid aerospace development cycles, the company harnesses a design and development process it calls “Agile Aerospace.” Read more: bit.ly/3UGAYel

A poster-style graphic with a white background and a large black rectangular space scene in the center. The scene features two blue, segmented satellites stretching diagonally from the upper left toward the lower right, with a central square microchip connected to thin cream-colored circuit traces. A smaller white satellite appears along the lower-left edge, and part of a blue Earth with dark geographic patterns is visible in the bottom-left corner. Cream, orange, and yellow planets, stars, and small circular celestial objects are scattered across the black background. A white comet or rocket-like object with an orange tip points diagonally downward near the upper right. Above the illustration is the heading “BEST WORKPLACES FOR INNOVATORS.” Below it are a large gray “4+” graphic and the text “PLANET LABS,” followed by “SAN FRANCISCO” between two thin orange horizontal lines.

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 08/09/2026

Physical passport stamps are becoming less common, but an American Express survey found that 73% of adults want more ways to commemorate their trips. A manager at American Express had an idea: turning card transactions into virtual collectible stamps. Amex Passport was quickly born: bit.ly/4gVbv8r

A poster-style graphic features an open passport against a black background. The left page contains abstract cream, coral, and black geometric blocks, along with several overlapping travel stamps labeled “AMERICAN EXPRESS.” The right page shows a blue-and-black illustration of Earth beneath a small white airplane. A coral passport stamp with a globe symbol overlaps the lower-right corner of the passport. Above the image, gray lettering reads “BEST WORKPLACES FOR INNOVATORS.” Below it, a large gray number “3” appears beside the words “AMERICAN EXPRESS,” with “NEW YORK” printed underneath between thin coral lines.

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 08/09/2026

Frontline employees at Chipotle spotted that time-intensive prep work limited food consistency at the chain’s restaurants. In response, Chipotle introduced a High-Efficiency Equipment Package. Here's how it cuts prep time by hours per restaurant per day: bit.ly/4iPg8mX

A vertically oriented poster with a white background and a large black square graphic in the center. The top reads “BEST WORKPLACES FOR INNOVATORS.” Inside the black square is a colorful, abstract composition featuring a large green-and-cream curved loop across the lower half, along with scattered orange, green, cream, and blue shapes. The surrounding illustrations include curved ribbons, triangular forms, circuit-board lines, a blue-edged computer chip, rectangular card-like shapes, a small clock-like circle, and several flame- or leaf-shaped forms. At the bottom, a large gray number “2” appears beside the company name “CHIPOTLE,” with “NEWPORT BEACH, CA” beneath it between thin orange horizontal lines.

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 08/09/2026

Claude Code began as an internal tool used by Anthropic engineers to help test AI models and assist with coding. It quickly got picked up across the company, and its popularity suggested commercial potential. The company released it to the public in 2025. Read more: bit.ly/4iQcmK2

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 07/09/2026

Used bookstores are seeing a resurgence in sales, but the customers increasingly aren’t bookworms. They’re AI companies. Read more about how AI companies are seeking legally acquired books to scan for model training: bit.ly/4xD74pT

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 05/09/2026

At the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity this summer, there was as much buzz about the rise of the creator as there was excitement for all things AI. ⁠ The influencer bubble has popped. Listen to the full episode of the Most Innovative Companies podcast: bit.ly/4itb7yj

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 02/09/2026

Kalshi is now partnering with the Weather Co. to verify weather-related trades. Experts worry this partnership promotes the “gamification” of life-threatening weather events as well as the potential for manipulation and bad actors. Read more from @ktoussaint.bsky.social: bit.ly/4h2gHIR

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 01/09/2026

Over the last few days, hundreds of thousands of people have downloaded MapQuest on the App Store, making it the number one navigation app. There’s one reason why: The OG online mapping company said that it has no plans to rename Lake Ontario. Read more here: bit.ly/4xxEsOK

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 31/08/2026

On paper, the candidate seems wonderful, and when you bring them in for an interview, things go great... at first. But as the conversation goes on, your gut instinct tells you something is off. A detective reveals the best strategies to nudge liars to reveal the truth: bit.ly/4ciacz0

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 30/08/2026

Do you bring ghosts to work? Probably. Our ghosts—the fundamental attitudes and behaviors that evolved from your family of origin and follow you into the present—play a huge role in what motivates us. Read more: bit.ly/46qda0K

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 28/08/2026

Meta has agreed to a settlement worth $16.7 billion with 47 states, the District of Columbia, and multiple U.S. territories, and it could change social media as we know it. Read more from @gracesnelling.bsky.social: bit.ly/4gW8KEV

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 28/08/2026

Gen Z job applicants are starting to find roles the same place they find new products: on social media. Poppi is taking note. The buzzy prebiotic soda brand is looking to fill five social media roles, but they aren't posting listings on LinkedIn. Read more: bit.ly/4gFP5YF

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 27/08/2026

UK cinemas are moving to restrict camera-enabled smart glasses made by Meta Platforms and other tech companies, joining the trend of establishments banning the wearable technology in public settings. Read more about the other companies banning Meta glasses: bit.ly/4zzWZLO

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 26/08/2026

In 50 years or so, quite a few Gen Zers are going to be telling their grandkids that they met while birdwatching. In a recent study, events marketplace Eventbrite found that Gen Zers are increasingly looking to find love IRL: bit.ly/3Suq2zM

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 24/08/2026

What do you get when you mix a 5K, a music festival, and a nightclub? Diplo's Run Club has quickly become one of the fastest-growing live events in America. On this episode of FC Explains, we dive into the new phenomenon drawing thousands of runners across the country: bit.ly/4xcZXEm

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 23/08/2026

On July 18, 142 protests were held across 42 states. They all shared one goal: to stop data center development in American communities. Some startups took note, and decided to build their facilities elsewhere—in the ocean, outer space, and even your own backyard. bit.ly/4gKVYJm

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 22/08/2026

Something changed at Amazon warehouses this year. HR rarely shows up, and employees use an app to handle concerns. Here's how Amazon’s growing reliance on automation appears to be removing humans from the HR process: bit.ly/4v7t0HI

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 20/08/2026

Downloading a game directly to a console is faster than going to a store or waiting for a delivery to arrive. But it also means consumers have less control over what they buy. Read more about how Sony's recent decision is part of a wider fragmentation of physical media: bit.ly/4qpz9y9

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 18/08/2026

When the Women's Professional Baseball League was established, its creators knew they wanted it to operate under a single-ownership model. This approach allows organizers control over all aspects of the league. Here's how the WPBL built itself from the ground up: bit.ly/4zbDw3T

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 18/08/2026

Maurice the Music doesn't like AI, though he recognizes it's become commonplace in countless industries, including his own. "I've started working on a suite of tools to incorporate AI as a teacher," he shared. "Why not use it as a tool instead of as a replacement of humans?" bit.ly/4bQPG8s

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 17/08/2026

There's no such thing as work-life balance for Poppi cofounders Allison and Stephen Ellsworth. After launching their healthy soda alternative in 2018, the pair realized "work-life integration" was a more fitting term. Watch the latest episode of The Truth About Leadership: bit.ly/4gyv1Zi

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 15/08/2026

On the latest episode of the Most Innovative Companies podcast, YouTuber Felicia Day discusses her decision to crowdfund her movie "The Guild," the importance of maintaining creative independence, and the recent mainstream success of YouTubers. Listen in: bit.ly/4itb7yj

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 14/08/2026

Rapper, activist, and founder Vic Mensa can regularly be found in front of the orange tree in his backyard, recording short yet nuanced videos "waxing poetic" on sociopolitical issues. Now, the bite-sized clips are morphing into a larger project: "The Vic Mensa Show."

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 13/08/2026

L.A.-based design studio Day Job helps brands see their future selves. And they’re not always friendly. Here's how the studio is using an extreme but effective design approach to help brands reach their full potential: bit.ly/4i2hOsT

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 13/08/2026

Carisa Hendrix never set out to be in show business, but she's created one of the most unique entertainment personas today. Learn more and listen to the latest episode of Creative Control: bit.ly/4apsIoQ

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 13/08/2026

What does "Get Back" by The Beatles have to do with applied creativity?You can't necessarily see the step-by-step process of its creation. Listen in to the most recent episode of the Office Hour podcast: bit.ly/4xwk9AU

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Fast Company @fastcompany.com · 12/08/2026

In 1936, Carl Mayer—nephew of Oscar Mayer—had an idea to put a 13-foot metal hot dog on wheels. 100 years later, Oscar Mayer's Wienermobile is still one of the most recognizable brand assets in the world. @gracesnelling.bsky.social has more: bit.ly/4i5qGxX

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