100 MOST INFLUENTIAL COMPANIES 2023- INNOVATORS

From artificial intelligence to fashion, the businesses and leaders shaping our future

- Leslie Dickstein, Mariah Espada, Anna Gordon, Tara Law, Simmone Shah, and Julia Zorthian

KIA AMERICA

Powerful EV pivot Kia America is shedding its reputation for inexpensive cars and embracing the industry's future with stylish, award-winning electric vehicles. In 2022, the company hit a new annual sales record as it launched its first dedicated battery-only EV: the EV6 crossover, which helped Kia place second only to Tesla in U.S. EV sales for most of the year. The automaker's transformation continues in 2023, with its new three-row SUV, the EV9; 15 EV models are planned for Kia's global lineup by 2027. "People are surprised when they get into a Kia vehicle because it's not the Kia they remember," says Kia America CEO Seungkyu Yoon. Maybe that's why Kia says that in 2022, 60% of its customers were new to the brand. -NOVID PARSI

TAZO

Responsible brew Tazo, a unit of Lipton Teas and Infusions, has embraced a broad definition of regenerative agriculture, supporting not just sustainable farming, biodiversity, and climate awareness, but also human rights. "In some farming communities where teas, spices, and botanicals are grown, there's climate change already impacting many communities and the day-to-day reality of poverty," says Jami Lewchik, head of Tazo and portfolio sustainability at Lipton. In 2022, Tazo helped efforts like Fair Trade USA's emergency program to provide food, medical supplies, and housing relief to those affected by severe floods in Assam, an Indian tea region. -DON STEINBERG

A24

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