WHEN THE FORTUNE CHANGE THE WORLD LIST made its debut in 2015, the business world was beginning an unprecedented pivot-publicly embracing social responsibility. Widening income inequality, the Global Financial Crisis of 2008-09, and a growing awareness of climate change had made the public increasingly skeptical of businesses' motives. CEOs responded with commitments to do better for people and the planet. "Stakeholder capitalism" was in; pure profit-seeking was out.
Since then, as society has become more polarized, it's gotten harder for business leaders to highlight efforts like these; some critics dismiss them as lip service, while others deride them as "woke." But our list has spotlighted hundreds of companies that let their actions speak for them-harnessing the creative impulses of capitalism to address social problems, and generating revenue while doing so. This year's edition, our 10th, showcases 52 businesses that continue that legacy, selected by our reporters and editors from a short list of about 250.
With 2024 on track to be the warmest year on record, environmental impact remains a central focus of our list. And companies that are creatively deploying AI make a major mark on this year's roster - as do the companies training young people, by the hundreds of thousands, to use it well. You'll find these innovators and many more on the following pages.
HOW WE CHOOSE THE COMPANIES
The Change the World list recognizes companies that have had a positive social impact through activities that are part of their core business strategy. As we assess nominees, among the factors that matter most are:
MEASURABLE SOCIAL IMPACT
We consider the reach, nature, and durability of the company's impact on one or more specific societal problems.
BUSINESS RESULTS
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der October - November 2024-Ausgabe von Fortune US.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der October - November 2024-Ausgabe von Fortune US.
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KKR'S $1 TRILLION GAMBLE
The co-CEOs of KKR have a radical strategy to supercharge growth - and chart a path far different from that of their mentors, Henry Kravis and George Roberts.
THE SHIPWRECKED LEGACY OF MIKE LYNCH
THE BRITISH TECH MOGUL SOLD HIS COMPANY FOR $11 BILLION, THEN SPENT YEARS FIGHTING FRAUD CHARGES. HIS SHOCKING DEATH HAS LEFT MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT HIS LIFE.
FORTUNE - CHANGE THE WORLD
THESE COMPANIES BUILD BUSINESSES AROUND SOLVING SOCIAL PROBLEMS AND THEY DO WELL BY DOING GOOD.
Can Cathy Engelbert Handle the Pressure?
The WNBA commissioner and ex-Deloitte CEO is leading the league through a season of historic highs, but critics wonder if her game plan is good enough to seize the moment.
Kamalanomics: Harris's Road Map for Business
Vice President Kamala Harris hasn't done much to woo Big Business. Many executives would still rather take their chances with her than the alternative.
Mary Barra
The CEO of General Motors accelerates into our top spot.
MPW - MOST POWERFUL WOMEN 2024
WHEN FORTUNE launched its Most Powerful Women list in 1998, women were just starting to trickle into the C-suite in significant numbers.
WHO HAS TIME FOR A POWER LUNCH? THE REAL BUSINESS HAPPENS AT 4 P.M. 'POWER HOUR.'
THE SUN is pouring in through the floor-to-ceiling windows when the bar begins to fill with bespoke suits on a Tuesday in August at Four Twenty Five. The new restaurant from Jean-Georges Vongerichten is on the first floor of a Midtown Manhattan skyscraper, beneath the offices of financial giant Citadel Securities. And the traders are thirsty.
HOW TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FED'S BIG RATE CUT
THE WAIT IS OVER. After more than a year of will-they-or-won't-they, the Federal Reserve on Sept. 18 announced the first cut to its benchmark Federal funds rate since the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, a 50-basis-point drop that Chairman Jerome Powell signaled is likely the first of many.
FOR GEN Z AT WORK, THE GENERATION GAP IS A WELLNESS GAP. HERE'S HOW TO BRIDGE IT
FOR ONE nonprofit executive director, it was a 2022 New York City subway shooting that highlighted the stark differences between how he, a 55-year-old, and his Gen Z staffers show up to work.
