Storyline: There are many predictions that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will displace the human workforce with robots and machine learning. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has a different perspective and believes AI algorithms can actually expand the current workforce by helping people with disabilities. At the Wired25 Summit he told the audience, “There are a billion people in… Read More
Homeless initiative divides San Francisco
Storyline: Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff announced that he and his company will donate millions of dollars to the campaign for Proposition C, an upcoming ballot measure that will raise taxes on the biggest San Francisco businesses—including Salesforce—and use the money to help the homeless. Proposition C would more than double San Francisco’s housing-assistance spending by levying… Read More
California pushes for women board directors
Storyline: Investors have pressured companies for years to increase the numbers of women serving on corporate boards. State legislators have pushed to make companies share statistics on their boards’ gender composition and passed resolutions urging companies to add more female directors voluntarily. Now California is trying a new strategy by passing legislation that forces boards to hire women… Read More
Businesses aim to increase voter participation
Storyline: With the impending 2018 mid-term elections, a coalition of companies launched a national campaign to boost turnout and encourage employers to give workers time off for voting. Over 100 companies signed on to the “Time to Vote” program, including Levi Strauss, Patagonia, Walmart, Southwest Airlines and Kaiser Permanente. The campaign began with a national… Read More
The challenges of late-stage capitalism
Storyline: There is a growing sense that the economy no longer works for many people. Globalization has brought huge benefits to the world as a whole. But middle-income people in rich countries appear to have fared poorly in recent years. While ordinary people are struggling, those at the top are doing just fine. Income and… Read More
Hurricane Florence – creating hope amid despair
Storyline: Hurricane Florence is devastating South and North Carolina with historic and unprecedented flooding and the storm has claimed at least 32 lives. In the midst of this tragedy, businesses and communities are supporting one another with acts of generosity, kindness, and selflessness. One of FEMA’s informal disaster monitoring tools, the Waffle House Index, is… Read More
Nike weathers the storm
Storyline: Nike appears to have weathered the storm caused by its controversial advertising campaign featuring former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. There was initial backlash from conservatives including President Trump, but also high-profile support on Twitter from celebrities like LeBron James, Alicia Keys, and Ricky Martin. Nick Saban and Ford also backed NFL players’… Read More
Nike goes all in with Kaepernick and ‘Just Do It’
Storyline: Colin Kaepernick is back as one of the faces of a new Nike campaign commemorating the 30thanniversary of the brand’s iconic “Just Do It” slogan. The former NFL quarterback turned activist is also suing the NFL for allegedly colluding to keep him out of the league. He has remained unsigned by teams since March… Read More
To partner with Microsoft, parental leave required
Storyline: Microsoft made a statement to their community of partners and suppliers. A new requirement – offer a minimum of 12 weeks of parental leave. Microsoft, like many larger firms, has a large network of suppliers and partners. A diverse community surrounds Microsoft, and leaders at Microsoft want to see certain values extend across their… Read More
Should Congress regulate social media?
Storyline: After several congressional hearings there seems to be increasing bipartisan support for federal action to regulate social media platforms, steps that tech leaders seem to expect and accept. On September 5th, executives including Twitter Chief Executive Jack Dorsey, Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg, and a Google senior executive are scheduled to testify before… Read More