Target is having a bad year . . . and it’s not just because of tariffs.
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
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1:05:35
Is design dead?
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)
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1:17:53
Cleantech is rebranding as national security in the Trump era
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)
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58:04
Prompting a new brand era
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.
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41:02
Innovating What Matters: Driving Pharma Forward - FROM FASTCO WORKS AND PURDUE UNIVERSITY
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.
Which companies are on the cutting edge of artificial intelligence? What’s the next major breakthrough in healthcare? How do iconic brands reinvent themselves to appeal to the next generation? Most Innovative Companies is where tech, business, and innovation convene. Join hosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen as they bring you the latest innovations transforming business and society—and highlights the companies that are reshaping industries and culture.
USA