Fast Company Lists

Fast Company’s Brands That Matter (BTM) is the preeminent program for spotlighting brands that demonstrate purpose, are meaningful participants in their communities, and leverage culture to forge a deeper relationship with fans and customers. Fast Company editors and writers select brands based on their ability to innovate, adapt to changing market demands, and stand out from their competitors. Since 2021, brands from around the world—including the largest multinational conglomerates and small-but-mighty companies—have been showcased as Brands That Matter.

Fast Company’s Next Big Things in Tech (NBTT) launched in 2021 and introduces readers to the most promising and influential technology trends and innovations on the horizon. By spotlighting these emerging technologies, Fast Company offers insight into the transformative effects they may have on various industries and their role in shaping the future. Fast Company editors and writers assess NBTT submissions based on their inventive use of new technologies that are likely to grow in importance over the next few years, early milestones that indicate traction, and the potential impact they may have. NBTT covers a wide range of technology categories, including Artificial Intelligence, Virtual and Augmented Reality, Biotechnology, Healthcare Tech, and Blockchain and Cryptocurrencies.

The Fast Company Digitally Balanced Workplaces certification program measures a company’s screen balance, digital inclusion and belonging, and digital boundaries, offering a unique opportunity for participants to benchmark and enhance their digital workplace practices through valuable feedback and comparisons to global industry standards. Invaluable to companies big and small, or distinct divisions within large companies, the  certification — and recognition — helps companies gain a competitive edge in talent acquisition and appeal to top-tier candidates.

Fast Company’s Best Workplaces for Innovators (BWFI) recognizes companies and organizations that foster a culture of innovation and creativity within their workplaces. Launched in 2019, BWFI identifies and honors businesses that invest in their employees and their ideas—and create an environment that encourages experimentation and forward-thinking. Best Workplaces for Innovators has leveraged a two-stage evaluation process in which Fast Company editors and writers and a global knowledge partner assess every applicant based on several criteria that reflect their commitment to innovation, including Innovation Culture, Employee Empowerment, Resources for Innovation, and Results and Impact.

Fast Company’s Innovation by Design (IBD) is the world’s leading design awards program. IBD showcases the industry’s outstanding achievements in transforming business and society through its creative initiatives; it also identifies the ways in which organizations are using design as a strategic advantage. Launched in 2011, IBD assesses the most creative and important design solutions that improve various aspects of human life and culture. The Innovation by Design awards cover a wide range of design categories, including Product Design, User Experience, and Spaces and Places. Fast Company editors and writers—and in certain circumstances, panels of design-industry leaders—judge each Innovation by Design application according to four criteria: Novelty, Visuals, Immediacy, and Impact.

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Launched in 2017, Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas (WCI) celebrates projects that have created (or are trying to create) substantive, positive change. WCI champions solutions and initiatives that are significantly improving people’s lives, addressing global challenges, and contributing to a more sustainable, equitable, and better future for all. Fast Company editors and writers judge each World Changing Ideas application according to four criteria: Ingenuity, Design, Scalability, and Impact.

Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies (MIC) is the authoritative source for identifying trailblazers and trendsetters across the business landscape. Launched in 2008, MIC recognizes organizations that have introduced groundbreaking products, implemented novel business strategies, fostered positive social impact, and reshaped industries through their transformative approaches. Fast Company editors and writers judge each Most Innovative Company application according to four criteria: Innovation, Impact, Timeliness, and Relevance.

Fast Company’s Queer 50 is a special feature that honors and celebrates LGBTQ+ leaders and individuals who have made significant contributions to their respective fields and communities. Launched in 2020, this initiative recognizes the achievements and impact of queer-identified professionals, activists, artists, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders. The Queer 50 list typically showcases a diverse group of LGBTQ+ individuals who have demonstrated excellence and leadership in business, technology, arts and entertainment, social activism, healthcare, and more. Fast Company editors and writers choose these individuals based on their accomplishments, advocacy work, and role in driving positive change and representation for the LGBTQ+ community.

Fast Company’s Most Creative People showcases individuals that have accomplished something that’s both groundbreaking in their industries and meaningful to the wider world—and that’s already making an impact. You may not recognize their names yet, but we assure you that each is worth getting to know. See our most recent honorees.