Podcast
Most Innovative Companies
Hosted by Fast Company · EN
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.
39episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Inside the DOGE takeover
Feb 27, 202501:12:24Tap to summarizeOn 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. (00:58)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. (04:45)Finally, Yaz and Josh interview YouTube’s senior director of product management, Kurt Wilms, about the company’s ‘live room’ strategy. (30:55)For more of the latest news, go to https://www.fastcompany.com/newsBe 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.
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Selling the Future
Feb 26, 202500:46:07Tap to summarizeDavid 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.
Transcribe →How studios navigate the Oscars race
Feb 20, 202501:14:09Tap to summarizeOn today’s episode, cohosts Yasmin Gagne and Josh Christensen break down the latestnews 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. (00:55)Next, Katey Rich, awards editor at ‘The Ankler,’ joins us to talk about Hollywood’sBiggest Night: the Oscars and their heavy investment in this year’s marketingcampaigns and press runs. Catch her podcast, Prestige Junkie, here. (06:28)And finally, Yaz speaks to Kat Cole, CEO of AG1 (formerly Athletic Greens). Theydiscuss growing the brand and navigating the booming supplement market. (38:11)For more of the latest business and innovation news go to https://www.fastcompany.com/newsTo read the latest Fast Company coverage on the Oscars: https://www.fastcompany.com/91276999/oscars-2025-predictions-best-picture-odds-shift-industry-awardshttps://www.fastcompany.com/91266057/oscar-nominations-2025-surprises-snubs-best-picture-full-listBe 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.
Transcribe →DeepSeek, OpenAI, and the relentless AI race
Feb 13, 202501:02:43Tap to summarizeOn 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/newsTo subscribe to AI Decoded go to: https://www.fastcompany.com/section/ai-decodedBe 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.
Transcribe →The Super Bowl is all about the ads
Feb 6, 202501:16:49Tap to summarizeOn 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. (00:51) 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. (04:35)Finally, Josh and Yaz discuss the $5 billion deal that brought the WWE to Netflix. (37:36)For more of the latest news, go to https://www.fastcompany.com/newsTo read Jeff Beer’s coverage on Super Bowl Ads, go to: https://www.fastcompany.com/91268582/shane-gillis-and-post-malone-are-your-new-favorite-neighbors-in-bud-lights-super-bowl-adTo read Yaz Gagne’s feature on the WWE, go to: https://www.fastcompany.com/91231333/wwe-raw-netflix-tko-endeavor-livewrestlingBe 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.
Transcribe →Teflon Son? How Softbank CEO Masayoshi Son’s legend keeps growing
Jan 30, 202501:03:47Tap to summarizeOn 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. (01:12)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. (06:56)Then, ‘Fast Company’ editor-in-chief Brendan Vaughan discusses the reaction at Davos to President Trump’s inauguration. (38:09)For more of the latest business and innovation news go to https://www.fastcompany.com/newsGambling Man: The Wild Ride of Japan’s Masayoshi Son: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/451627/gambling-man-by-barber-lionel/9780241582725Be 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.
Transcribe →The LA fires are still burning, TikTok is still running in the US, and the new Trump administration has begun
Jan 23, 202501:09:35Tap to summarizeOn 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 (00:57)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. (07:53)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. (29:52)For more of the latest news coming out of the Trump administration, and in the world of business, go to https://www.fastcompany.com/newsFor 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.
Transcribe →Inside Trader Joe’s and NVIDIA
Jan 17, 202501:05:51Tap to summarizeFast Company contributing writer Clint Rainey discusses his recent series on Trader Joe’s. He explains how the grocer remains a beloved brand despite a record number of product recalls, safety violations, worker misconduct complaints, and an environmental record that belies its reputation. (07:46)Then, Tae Kim, a senior technology writer at Barron's and author of The Nvidia Way: Jensen Huang and the Making of a Tech Giant, explains the secret behind NVIDIA's success. (30:18)
Transcribe →Y Combinator and Oishii
Mar 27, 2024Tap to summarizeY Combinator has become arguably the most powerful force in tech. It touts that five-and-a-half of the startups that have participated in it have become unicorns . . . which is at least double that of rival accelerators such as TechStars and 500 Global. But it started suffering from exactly the kind of corporate bloat that its founder Paul Graham abhorred.Current president and CEO Garry Tan—who also happens to be a YC alum—took over last January and promised to reclaim YC’s roots and focus on serving early-stage founders. Here’s Fast Company senior writer Ainsley Harris to help fill us in on the behind-the-scenes action.In theory, there are a lot of benefits to indoor farming . . . they often use 90% less water than traditional farms and can produce year-round crops, but we’ve also seen a whole bunch of companies like AeroFarms, AppHarvest, and others really struggle to make the unit economics work. We wanted to hear from Oishii cofounder and CEO Hiroki Koga. His luxury strawberries can be purchased at Whole Foods for $15. Here, he talks about the challenges of vertical farming, and explains why he recently raised a whopping $134 million to expand his operation.
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