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In the US we mark the transition from summer vacations to the work and school routines of autumn with Labor Day — an annual moment of reflection on what work really means and why it matters. It’s no secret that the pandemic has upended a lot of deeply-ingrained habits and ideas about what it means to be part of the workforce. While calibrating the balance between remote, hybrid, and in-person work is an ongoing point of debate, we are heartened by the growth of the voices of stakeholders at companies around the world — and the increase in the number of companies seeking to promote values that attract and retain the best employees, including intentionality around improving diversity.
We have a long way to go, but we try to celebrate progress and not wait for perfection. With that in mind, we’re seeing positive reports about how some of the signatories on the pre-pandemic Business Roundtable commitment to stakeholder capitalism are following through — particularly when it comes to improving diversity, equity, and inclusion, offering greater support for working parents or caregivers, and greater access to professional development opportunities. The Corporate Call to Action, which aims to reduce racial disparities in the financial services industry, is just one example of the initiatives putting critical action behind words. And then there are the entrepreneurs who want to make it possible to literally invest in other people.
What do you want the future of work to be? Whether you own your business, manage a team, or hustle through the gig economy, we hope you are able to see your values reflected in what you do.
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Quinta Brunson is just 32 years old, but the creator and star of the hit TV series Abbott Elementary is already a legend. After being nominated in 3 comedy categories for the 2022 Emmys — a first for a Black woman — she became the first Black woman to win a solo writing Emmy.
Abbott Elementary has been widely praised for its heartfelt and humorous portrayal of teachers’ challenges, and draws from Brunson’s own experiences as the daughter of a teacher at an underfunded public school in West Philadelphia. She has donated part of Abbott Elementary’s marketing budget to support teachers like her mother.
And while Brunson wants comedy to remain the show’s center, she also hopes that a bigger message about education reform is visible through the jokes. “We didn’t try to make anything funny that couldn’t be made funny… we want to make sure it stays a comedy,” she told Time Magazine earlier this year. “There are always ways to insert these larger issues into the picture to get people thinking and talking about what’s going on in schools.” |
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Here Comes the Sun
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While supply chains for fossil fuels remain mired in the post-pandemic challenges and the recent war on Ukraine, the supply chains for solar energy are a different story. Manufacturing capacity for key solar panel materials is predicted to grow enough to build 940 gigawatts of panels a year by 2025. In other words, solar might soon be the cheaper alternative. And that estimate does not yet account for new incentives in the recent legislation out of Washington.
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Data Has A Heart
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| Measuring climate impacts are one thing, but when it comes to social impact, how can a person’s well-being be measured? Gathering the right data to address such a holistic question has long been part of the conversation about impact measurement and management. Experts Bonnie Chiu and Ben Carpenter break down the path that investors can take to ensure that the data they’re collecting tells the true story of the impact. Curious about what this looks like in practice? Check out these entrepreneur case studies or this firsthand investor account. |
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| INCLUSIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP |
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Wondermind from a Wunderkind
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| What will Gen Z’s innovators do next? Serena Williams might know: shortly before announcing her retirement, she made a multi-million-dollar investment in Wondermind, the mental health startup whose co-founder, 27-year-old Daniella Pierson, is now one of the youngest women of color to build a nine-figure fortune. Wondermind isn’t even Pierson’s first venture: as an undergraduate, she launched a newsletter that now brings in $40 million in revenue and boasts a spinoff marketing agency. |
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Tech It Out
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Early-stage accelerator Techstars made waves earlier this year when it announced an $80 million partnership with JP Morgan Chase to find and fund entrepreneurs of color working in high-need areas like health and education. Now, the first cohorts are getting down to business: meet the 12 startups in Washington DC, one of five cities where the program is being piloted, who are working on everything from employee reskilling to dermatology treatments.
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The Climate King
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| The death of Queen Elizabeth means the ascension of a longtime climate advocate to the throne: King Charles III, whose interest in conservation and the environment can be traced back to the 1970s. In an opinion piece, Climate & Capital editor Peter McKillop reflects on the late Queen’s eco-legacy and looks at how the new King might influence the conversation about investing in sustainability. His verdict? “Not since the darkest days of World War II has Britain’s royal monarch faced such a challenge – or opportunity.” |
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Indigenous Travel Guides
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| How can indigenous leadership change the way visitors experience national parks? In both Australia and the US, the descendents of the land’s original settlers are the ones guiding newcomers around the rainforests, mountains, and other reserves that all humans share a responsibility to protect from climate change and other manmade challenges. |
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