As Elon Musks Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) continues to reshape the U.S. governments digital infrastructurescrapping websites, eliminating jobs, and dissolving entire departmentsarchivists have been racing to preserve a vanishing record of public history.
For months, volunteers have worked to undo the damage caused by DOGEs mass deletion and rewriting of federal websites. But now they face a different challenge: not destruction, but misguided innovation.
Earlier this month, DOGE announced on X it would save $1 million annually by converting 14,000 magnetic tapes of government records into permanent modern digital records. The problem? No digital medium is truly permanentand the tapes DOGE discarded were already well-suited for long-term storage.
Unlike past changes to government archives, this move doesnt appear to be malicious. Instead, it seems driven by a tech-bro fondness for the new and a disregard for the old. (Musk did not respond to Fast Companys request for comment.)
Many assume cloud storage is infallible, but it still relies on physical hardwarehardware that can fail. Typically in my experience . . . you do this kind of decision based on a cost-benefit analysis, which Im not seeing, says Roberto Di Pietro, professor of computer science at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. The saving is $1 million, but what is the cost [of the overall project]? (One commentator likened it to archiving the Declaration of Independence on CVS receipts to save ink.)
Cloud systems experience 1% to 2% hardware failure annually, with hard drives wearing out in three to five years. In contrast, magnetic tapes have error rates four to five magnitudes lower than hard drives and last around 30 years. Tapes have a very long life. If you have SSDs, data decays much faster, Di Pietro says. Every five years you need to move data . . . and thats a cost.
Others say DOGEs announcement lacks clarity. When it comes to archiving, you well may have different goals, says Peter Zaitsev, cofounder of the open-source software developer Percona. Offline magnetic tapes are more secure and long-lasting, but harder to access than cloud storage. For data which must be kept forever but also needs to have easy on-demand access, storage both in the modern cloud . . . as well as on tape may well make sense.
The digitization push may come from the same enthusiasm that led DOGE to announce plans to rewrite government systems still running on COBOL, a 1950s-era computing language. It may turn out that taxpayer money gets spent on buying new equipment that is . . . not an actual upgrade, warns Mar Hicks, historian of technology at the University of Virginia. Just because a system is old doesnt mean it needs to be replaced.
During his family’s annual summer vacations on North Carolina’s Outer Banks, high schooler Ajith Varikuti began to notice something concerning. Homes on the narrow line of barrier islands that Varikuti had grown up visiting from his hometown Charlotte were no longer there. I started seeing more and more news articles about entire houses being completely destroyed. And it started clicking, because some of those houses that were being destroyed I’d seen in my previous years there, he says.
Varikuti, who was then a 9th grade student, knew there had to be a solution. So, as part of a student design competition organized by the design software company Autodesk, Varikuti put his mind to coming up with a design for a home that could better withstand the extreme conditions of the Outer Banks. (This year’s student design competition, Make it Home, is open until June 30 for students 1321.)
Ajith Varikuti [Photo: courtesy Autodesk]
His design is a modular, 3D printed home that sits on flood-resistant stilts and can be disassembled and moved if its site becomes untenable. The design was the grand prize winner in Autodesk’s 2024 Make it Resilient design competition, with a $10,000 prize.
To create the design, Varikuti taught himself how to use computer-aided design, or CAD, software, starting with an entry-level educational version called Tinkercad before moving on to Revit, the industry-standard 3D design program used by architects and engineers around the world. Using online tutorials, he learned how to use the software to develop a structurally sound design that could be segmented into individual parts or modules.
I broke down each of the individual drawings into its own box, so that way you could build various combinations of houses with of the same set of modules, he says. I thought that was the most intuitive and allowed for the most freedom to design whatever house you wanted to.
[Image: courtesy Autodesk]
The resilient home design was influenced by his own interest in engineering, and specifically 3D printing, which he’d begun exploring during the pandemic. Before even starting high school, he had designed and printed his own toy, a knight on a horse. That experience made him think that 3D printing parts of the house could be a viable way to make its individual modules, and allow them to be both assembled and disassembled.
Varikuti’s resilient home design also accounts for the extreme conditions of the Outer Banks, using simulations within the software tools to test its capability to withstand hurricane-force winds. He even reached out to a structural engineer at the firm AECOM to fine-tune his design. He pointed out various inefficiencies and inadequacies in my design, Varikuti says. I had too many pillars that were way too big originally. This input also led him to redesign the footings for the house’s foundations so that they wouldn’t be affected by potential frost heaving.
[Photo: courtesy Autodesk]
For a design created by a teenager, Varikuti’s is a surprisingly buildable concept, and one that could be a solution for the extreme conditions faced by the Outer Banks. There are currently no plans to get the house built, but Varikuti, who’s now in 10th grade, says the process of designing it has got him excited about creating projects that could get built one day.
This entire experience has made me realize how big of a world the engineering world is, and how there’s so many opportunities, he says. It’s led me to want to pursue a career in engineering, hopefully using CAD tools one day to make projects that will be implemented in real life.
The Flying Sun 1000 is exactly what its name implies: a very powerful light source that flies. It is not as strong as the sun, but fitted with a powerful 3,333-watt light sourcethe equivalent of a typical flood lamp in a stadiumit is enough to turn night into day instantaneously.This drone is aimed at commercial and government users for the rapid deployment of industrial-level lighting solutions, such as construction and engineering jobs, area security, and disaster relief efforts that require 24-hour operation. A single operator can deploy the Flying Sun in minutes, instantly illuminating as much as 130,000 square feet.According to its manufacturer, Freefly Systems, the drone solves the problem of having to use traditional light towers for illumination. The Woodinville, Washington-based company designs and builds camera movement systems and stabilizers for cinematography. It says these are bulky, slow, and costly to set up, often leaving gaps in area coverage. But since the drone-mounted spotlight can move around, the Flying Sun can provide continuous aerial lighting that moves with work crews and rescue teams as they progress through an area.
Furthermore, by eliminating the need for extensive installations of towers and cabling on the ground, the Flying Sun avoids risks in disaster areas, where theres often flooding and other potential electrical and trip hazards. The company also points at a less critical but potentially game-changing use: lighting for film and television productions, which can benefit from the drones ability to turn night into day in a split second.Not like a helicopterPerhaps a spotlight doesnt sound like a game changer for these industries. After all, you can light up the ground using a helicopter and a spotlight. But helicopters have huge associated costs and generate thundering noise and wind (not to mention that their operation time is limited). The Flying Sun can fly tethered to a power source in the grounda 5kW generator, batteries, or electric vehicle will workwhich allows it to fly virtually forever. This is a lot of power, so the drones lamps get hot. Freefly says it designed a system in which the LED light panels are kept cool by the drone operation itself. It utilizes the downwash from the Alta X drones propellers to actively cool the LED lights. This efficient cooling system is crucial for enabling the LEDs to operate at high power levels without overheating, which could damage the components or reduce their life span. This effective thermal management contributes to the manufacturers claim of thousands of hours between light service. [Image: Freefly Systems]How bright is it?The system consists of four panels of 72 LED lamps mounted on an Alta X heavy-lift quadcopter, an industrial drone platform manufactured by Freefly Systems. Thats a total of 288 high-power LED lamps that can generate an astonishing 300,000 lumens, which is a typical amount for modern LED lights used in football stadiums, baseball fields, or large concert venues.The Flying Suns lamp array offers a 60-degree spotlight, which translates into a wide coverage area even at low altitudes. At about 100 feet, the system covers approximately 14,000 square feet at 10 foot-candles, which is the typical lighting of a hallway or a mall parking lot (for comparison, urban street lighting goes from 2 to 5 foot-candles). Thats enough intensity to work seamlessly as if in daylight. As the drone gets higher, the coverage area gets wider. But that comes at the expense of light intensity: At 316 feet, the drone will light a 137,000-square-foot area but only at 1 foot-candle (more than moonlight, less than a streetlight). So while it is dim, its usable. And theres the option of combining several Flying Suns to cover more area with more intensity. Granted, at $60,000 a popincluding the tethered power cables and control systemthat wont be cheap. But it beats the cost of the installation of posts and flood lamps. While the Flying Sun 1000 drone may have higher up-front costs (10 lamps and poles cost about $20,000), it offers significant long-term savings due to lower operational expenses, reduced labor (theres no setup crew required), and minimal maintenance. The drone also provides superior coverage, instant repositioning, and enhanced safety by eliminating ground hazards. While traditional systems are cheaper for small, fixed installations, this droneor similar solutionswill be the best choice in dynamic environments like emergency response, construction, or large-scale events, where mobility, rapid deployment, and energy efficiency outweigh initial investment. Also, the drone will have a lower environmental impact, since no installation and removal are required. The more I look at the video, the more it feels to me like this is the typical how the hell didnt anyone think about this until now idea that is both brilliant and truly game-changing for a lot of industries.
If youre searching for a job, youve probably heard about how important it is to tailor your résumé and cover letter, showcasing your measurable achievements, and incorporating relevant keywords from the job description.
These elements can make a big difference in catching a hiring managers attention. But beyond these essentials, theres one powerful sentence that can truly set you apart from the rest: the one-liner.
According to Sam DeMase, career expert for Zip Recruiter, this line in your cover letter is important because it highlights exactly what employers want to see.
Employers are looking for relevant work experience and aligned skills. So if you’re missing that, you’re not getting called in, DeMase says.
She points out that many candidates make the mistake of overemphasizing their enthusiasm for the role and company while failing to clearly communicate the value they bring.
To stand out, DeMase suggests crafting a compelling one-liner that immediately grabs the hiring managers attention and highlights your unique value.
What should you add to your cover letter?
DeMase recommends using a direct and impactful statement in your cover letter: I will add immediate value to this role in the following ways.
Then, list one concrete example from your work history for each area of expertise. To do this effectively, identify three key skills that align with both the job description and your own strengths. So if your core strengths are A, B, and C, tell the employer, here’s how I’ve executed on that in previous roles, DeMase explains.
Since job postings outline the required skill sets, ensuring your experience aligns with those expectations is crucial for standing out as a candidate. When you’re looking at a job description, they will always tell you what those required skill sets are. This is where alignment comes in, DeMase says.
If the job posting calls for leadership development, content creation, or live facilitationand you have those skillsbe sure to showcase them.
Be warned, though, You dont want to make statements without backing it up with evidence, DeMase explains. Never say, Im really good at X, Y, and Z, and leave it there. You need to articulate specific examples from your work experience.
For example, if you want to highlight your ability to craft impactful marketing campaigns that increase follower accounts, dont just state itdemonstrate it. You might write, at my last role, I was able to increase the follower count by 30% over the course of x, y, z, amount of time.
DeMase advises job seekers to ask themselves: Have I executed on that in previous roles, and what was my approach? How can I highlight those things? she says. You want to be very clear on what your skill sets are, but also the results that you have achieved.
Where else to use this framing
Beyond your cover letter, DeMase emphasizes that this one line should also appear in your résumé.
It goes in your About Me section, and you can also have elements of it in your résumé headline, as well, which are the keywords that go right underneath your name, she explains. That is the part that I find entices recruiters to continue reading.
By strategically placing your one-liner throughout your résumé and cover letter, you maximize its impact, increasing the chances of catching a hiring managers attention.
Focus on what you have
Its important to remember that you dont need to meet every single qualification to apply for a job. Its good to apply for roles that are a little bit of a stretch, DeMase says.
Instead of fixating on what you lack, she advises focusing on your strengths. Highlight the things that you do have, she says.If you have three out of the five things, focus on the three that you do have because you can learn the rest.
That said, a more targeted job search makes crafting a strong one-liner easier. A narrow job search is going to yield you better results than a massive one, DeMase says.
By focusing on your key strengths, tailoring your approach, and strategically positioning your one-liner across your résumé and cover letter, you can confidently stand out to hiring managers and increase your chances of landing the job.
Last Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced sweeping new tariffs that will increase the cost of building materials from roofing to appliances, making home construction more expensive in the midst of a national housing shortage. These tariffs are yet another crushing blow to housing affordability, while at the same time climate change threatens to make entire areas unlivable.
In February, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell testified before the Senate that if you fast-forward 10 or 15 years, there are going to be regions of the country where you cant get a mortgage because of climate change.
Climate disasters like the Los Angeles fires and North Carolinas Hurricane Helene are causing property insurance rates to skyrocket and carriers to leave markets, a finding recently confirmed by the Treasury Departments Federal Insurance Office. Without property insurance, prospective buyers of single and multifamily housing cant get mortgages, and existing owners cant refinance or take out lines of credit for repairs.
When insurance markets fail, they fail not just in disaster zones but also across regions and entire states. More climate disasters will mean parts of the U.S. will be livable only to people who can afford to buy or repair their homes with cash. If theres one thing that’s going to kill the American dream, its the climate crisisand this will extend far beyond the death of homeownership.
Housing and climate leaders need to work together
In a period when more than half a million Americans are unhoused and Drill, baby drill is once again the slogan of the day, its time for housing and climate leaders to join forces. But most housing advocates ignore the climate crisis altogetherand I can see why.
As an affordable housing developer, I experienced firsthand that exclusionary zoning, permitting delays, and even environmental and community reviews make it nearly impossible to build new ground-up housing and repurpose underutilized buildings for housing. Because its already too hard and complicated to build, housing advocates often oppose crucial codes and standards that cut emissions and improve resiliency, even those that pay for themselves by preventing storm damage and lowering energy costs.
However, if housing leaders continue to ignore climate change and the emissions generated from housing, the future looks bleak: more Americans will go unhoused as insurance and mortgage markets fail and climate disasters grow in frequency and intensity. Already, rising insurance rates are hitting consumer pocketbooks nationwidewith premiums increasing 61% in the past five yearsslowing single and multifamily construction, alongside an unprecedented housing affordability crisis.
Aligning the housing and climate movement requires streamlining regulations to make it easier to both build new housing and repurpose existing buildings. New and retrofitted housing must also be resilient, insurable, and low emissions. At the same time, climate leaders need to make housing affordability central to their work.
Taking action at the state and local level
With a president who appears hell-bent on making housing less affordable and spinning climate disasters out of control, its time to move action to our communities and states. Governments from Texas to Montana to Connecticut are already speeding up permitting and eliminating decades-old exclusionary zoning rules that make it too hard and expensive to build new housing, especially housing that lower- and middle-income people can afford.
These pro-housing reforms can also be critical to the climate fight because denser neighborhoods and right-size housing release fewer emissions, are more walkable, and reuse existing infrastructure. By slowing sprawl, they can help preserve open space, which draws down emissions and serves as a buffer to extreme weather.
To stabilize the insurance market and mortgages, governments need to be more proactive by requiring and incentivizing building codes and standards that make new and existing homes more resilient to climate-driven disasters. There are already standards like the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safetys Fortified certification and Wildfire Prepared Home program that policymakers can adopt.
State and local governments also need to make difficult choices to prevent construction in risk-prone locations, even when private land owners push back. Los Angeles is currently grappling with whether to rebuild in high fire hazard zones after Januarys Palisades and Eaton Fires. Communities may also need to relocate existing households from areas most at risk of climate disaster.
Following Vermonts devastating floods in 2023 and 2024, Vermont Emergency Management is paying hundreds of families to leave flood-prone homes, and after demolition this permanent open space will reduce future flood risk to neighboring homes. These steps will decrease the chances of catastrophic damage in new and existing homes, changing the odds of insurance risk pools in ways that stabilize the market. We are seeing these strategies also work in Alabama, which bolstered its insurance industry and made families safer by incentivizing fortified roofs to protect homes from hurricanes.
Making homes more resilient and energy-efficient
But more disaster-prepared housing is not enough. Unless pro-housing reforms address the root cause of climate change, well be stuck in a doom loop of disaster and repair as severe weather grows fiercer. And we can only curb the climate crisis by cutting emissions in our homes20% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions come from powering housing (not including what it takes to manufacture materials or construct buildings).
The good news is, thanks to rapid advancements in efficiency and electrification, emissions-cutting improvements like insulation, heat pumps, rooftop solar, virtual power plants, and low-carbon construction materials quickly pay for themselves and make families more economically secure. omes built to todays energy codes are already 40% more efficient than homes built 15 years ago, and other standards, such as PHIUS Passive House, can double those savings, and additional construction costs quickly pay for themselves with energy savings. Energy codes also save lives in extreme heat, a crucial consideration as Las Vegas hit 120 degrees in 2024, Phoenix experienced 70 days above 110 degrees, and communities from coast to coast suffered through record-breaking temperatures.
Some argue that every dollar we spend cutting home emissions and energy costs is one dollar less to spend on building new housing. This is a false choice. Tens of thousands of homes have already been built and retrofitted to climate-smart standards, because the economics of lower energy costs and resiliency work over the long run. Every $1 invested in meeting modern building codes provides $11 in savings by reducing storm damage. Investing in disaster-prepared, energy-savings construction is not slowing new housing supply, but can instead bolster it.
Making these changes wont be easy, and we should expect no answers from the Trump administration as they tariff us out of affordable housing. The president and his appointees have blamed climate disasters on just about everything except fossil-fuel-driven climate change. They also repealed the Federal Flood Risk Management Standard (for the second time), the rule that says that flooded buildings that receive funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency must be rebuilt in a way that prevents future flood damage.
We must also overcome the resistance of lobbyists like the National Association of Home Builders that have waged decades-long campaigns against codes and consumer protections. In North Carolina, homes were unnecessarily destroyed by Hurricane Helene because for 15 years Republican lawmakersat the bequest of lobbyistsblocked common-sense building code updates and limits on flood zone and steep slope construction. As a result, homes were unnecessarily built in harms way and werent strong enough to withstand the storm.
There are examples of the home construction industry moving beyond knee-jerk opposition to regulation and climate leaders joining them to collaborate on solutions to build zero-emission resilient homes. In Louisiana, local homebuilders successfully advocated for stronger building codes that protect against disaster damage and energy codes that save people money and save lives in extreme heat. Louisiana homebuilders got behind the codes because they saw them as key to preventing insurance market failure and keeping the home construction industry afloat.
If we can replicate that model nationwide, and pair climate-smart policies with pro-housing reforms, we can supercharge construction and renovations, provide housing to people who need it, while safeguarding the mortgage and property insurance industries. The American dream depends on it.
Cars are about to get a lot more expensive. This startup wants to make your services cheaper.
Sparq Diagnostics, cofounded by Codrin Cobzaru and Daniel Nieh, has developed a plug-in scanner designed for everyday drivers. In a market full of specialized tech and pricey mechanics, Sparq aims to give car owners affordable insights into their vehicles health. Since launching just three months ago, Sparq has already sold 15,000 devices across Southern California, and is aiming for a nationwide expansion by the end of the year.
My wife came in crying that she had been taken advantage of by a mechanic that shed been going to for the past five years, Cobzaru says. Thats the reason we started Sparq. The educational component is where we believe theres a lot of leverage we can bring to everyday drivers. It all starts with knowing whats going on with your vehicle.
Inside Sparqs car tech
Nieh and Cobzaru acknowledge the dozens of OBD-II products (which scan for a vehicles Diagnostic Trouble Codes) already on the marketand indeed went through hundreds of them during their product-testing phase. But these devices are often built for experienced auto mechanics or scrappy DIYers, not the average car owner. Meanwhile, more consumer-friendly scanners from companies like Nonda and BlueDriver are not comprehensive enough to tell you what is wrong with your vehicle down to the OEM level, Nieh says.
Thats where Sparq comes in. The device translates the insights of an OBD-II scanner into a user-friendly app, presenting information through digestible tools and metrics including a red/yellow/green health indicator and a top-line vehicle score out of 100. And Sparqs AI chatbot allows users to ask questions about their vehicle and receive personalized answers. Nieh calls this letting your car speak back to you directly about what it needs.
Nieh and Cobzaru founded Sparq in 2021about a year before ChatGPTs public debut kicked off the worlds ongoing AI mania. Working with different large language models excited the duo, especially considering the volume of data they were holding onto. AI could make some of these complex car troubles even more digestible. While Cobzaru declined to disclose exactly which models Sparq uses (he notes that there are multiple, calling it their secret sauce”), hes quick to separate Sparq from the dozens of specialized AI chatbots. We had the app built, as well as the device, he says. Its not just a wrapper on top of ChatGPT.
Plugging the device into my own rental car (a Jeep Grand Cherokee), the diagnostics app quickly picked up on the make and fuel status and, after rapidly performing dozens of tests, rated it 88/100. It flagged a high-voltage condition in my Intake Air Temperature sensor and explained that the defect could cause decreased engine performance and overheating. I asked the chatbot when I should bring the car in for service, and it advised waiting until I hit 48,000 miles.
Fixes like these can be expensive. The average American spends $1,452 for every 15,000-mile year, per AAA. Moreover, Americans are frustrated by negotiating with mechanics. In a survey of 1,000 car owners by American Trucks, 50% of respondents said that an auto repair shop had tried to sell them unnecessary fixes, and 35% said they had been overcharged.
Interestingly, Sparqs chatbot estimated the cost of that service at between $275 and $375. This is a key point of leverage: Letting drivers know exactly what a mechanical procedure should cost can empower their negotiations. Cobzaru says their AI generates these labor-cost estimates based on the users region and local averages.
Of course, mechanics arent likely to be happy, since Sparqs labor-cost estimations could cut into their margins. But Cobzaru claims many in the auto service industry have responded positively. They love when people come in educated because theyre more likely to proceed with a specific service, he says.
Tracking SPARQs expansion
Nieh and Cobzaru had two startups before Sparq Diagnostics. Their first was Shair, an apparel company that Nieh describes as a brutal learning lesson for the then-17-year-olds. After that, they founded a gun-safety company called Truss Technologies, which the duo put on pause to focus on their latest venture.
After some initial product development, Nieh gauged consumer interest by running pre-product marketing campaigns. Those efforts netted the founders $51,370 on Indiegogo and $38,417 on Kickstarter. Since then, the company has continued to raise capital, though the two declined to disclose how much theyve raised to date, citing an ongoing investment round.
Having built the core Sparq device, the duo is now focused on the future. In the near term, Cobzaru is training Sparqs AI on the collected-user data, with the goal of reaching the next level of personalization. They just announced sound and image recognition in their AI system: If a user scans their tire, Sparqs AI can estimate their tire pressure. Soon, theyre hoping to have tests for mechanical wear-and-tear built into the device, too, which could go a long way toward crash prevention.
Based on how frequently you brake and how hard you break, as well as your speed deceleration, we can know how thick your brake pad is, Nieh says. Thats something that were going into.
Their long-term vision is even broader: Sparq owned-and-operated service centers, a mechanic recommendation system based on user data and more. Says Nieh, Were just scratching the surface.”
In the world of interior design gaming, where perfection is often the goal, Redecor, a 3D design-simulation game, has taken an unexpected turncelebrating flaws. The limited-time Real World Beauty collection, available free until April 15, highlights the authentic, lived-in charm of real homes. Instead of perfection, this update introduces design elements that reflect everyday life, such as coffee stains on wooden tables, sofas worn by pets, and walls decorated with kids doodles.
The flawed collection features elements that players never explicitly asked for but quickly embraced. Natalie Gal, senior director of content for Redecor, explains the inspiration behind it.
[Images: Redecor]
As I was cleaning my house and I saw a little coffee stain on the countertop, I thought how amazing it would be if it was like my game, and I could click here and replace this entire surfacebut you can’t. And that’s when I thought, maybe we should be a little more ultrarealistic, and have things that have stains, that the pets have destroyed, that the kids have destroyed, Gal says.
Introducing imperfection was a gamble, yet the concept immediately resonated with players. The relatability of the collection sparked excitement and, according to Gal, it became the most-used collection Redecor has released this year.
Beyond gaming, the collection taps into a broader cultural shift in how home design is viewed. It reflects a growing appreciation for the beauty found in life’s imperfections, and the embrace of more authentic, lived-in spaces.
[Image: Redecor]
There are actual design philosophies like wabi-sabi, the Japanese design philosophy that says that the imperfect is perfect . . . that this is the way to live life and embrace your inner self and your design, Gal says.
For now, Redecor players can experiment with imperfection in a way that still allows for control and creativity. While they may not be ready to make every design flawed, the popularity of this collection proves that sometimes, a little messiness is exactly what people need.
The collections success has also translated into increased engagement within the game, according to Gal. To determine which imperfections to include, the Redecor team researched the most common real-life household challenges.
[Image: Redecor]
It turns out that 95% of Redecor players have pets and frequently discuss related topics. Issues like cat hair, allowing pets on the bed, and dealing with torn fabrics, sofas, and pillows are common concernsthough many embrace these signs of wear as symbols of love. Gal emphasizes that they didnt want the setting to resemble a neglected or ruined home but rather one with minor imperfections that people learn to live with.
We want everyone to feel good at home when they’re designing their own spaces. Even though there are these small imperfections, it’s a part of life, she says. It’s a combined message to embrace the imperfections, and that’s what really makes your home yours.
The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more.
A year ago, our company made a bold move. We put up a million dollars in prize money for any of our team membersno matter their rolewho came up with transformative ways of using AI to serve our clients. As a health marketing agency, we saw it as our version of the renowned XPRIZE, hoping that this initiative would truly spark meaningful change and inspire us to think bigger for our clients.
Full-steam ahead on AI adoption
We also looked to history to guide us with instances that showed hesitation was the enemy of progress, and that the greatest risks weren’t in thinking too bigbut too small. Take the advent of electricity. When electrification emerged in the late 19th century, it took decades for factories to replace their steam engines. Early adopters simply swapped out steam power for an electric motor, keeping the same layouts and processes. They failed to realize that it was an opportunity to transform workflows and drastically improve efficiencies. They had to go big. Think big. And so did we, now that the AI revolution was at our doorstep.
Before we launched the million-dollar contest, we appointed AI coaches to guide our people on the adoption of AI tools. We made them available to anyone looking for help identifying and operational pain points that AI could solve. Our navigators offered workshops, one-on-one tutorials, and informal chats on topics like how to offload repetitive tasks, experiment with AI in day-to-day work, or come up with entirely new ways of doing things. Within weeks, we started seeing project managers using AI for resource planning and copywriters testing content drafts.
Launching the million-dollar challenge
With the gears on AI adoption now turning, we unveiled the million-dollar employee contest inviting anyone, from administrative assistants to senior leaders, to submit an idea on how AI could streamline workflows, address client needs, or enable entirely new product lines. We collected over 500 submissions that touched almost every facet of the business. To get real-world feedback and validation, we assembled a team of senior executive judges from leading life sciences companies like Bristol Myers Squibb, Genentech, Lilly, Novartis, and Pfizer. They evaluated proposals for their feasibility, market differentiation, and potential to transform processes.
One of the common threads we took in the winning submissions was how AI can work hand in hand with human expertise. The grand prize-winning submission was both innovative and practical: a pharmaceutical compliance tool that proactively reviews marketing claims as they’re created, reducing review workloads for client medical, regulatory, and legal teams. The tool ensures alignment with FDA guidelines and brand prescribing information, freeing our internal regulatory experts to focus on strategic and relationship-building activities. This human-plus-AI hybrid approach underscored all the winning ideas; several of the ideas we developed into prototypes, including three that have already been rolled out to clients.
The electrification of the modern workplace
Like in the dawn of the industrial revolution, companies cant just replace the steam engines of existing workflows. The entire system, from how each individual is empowered to use AI to how departments exchange data, has to be reimagined. For any leader looking to accelerate AI adoption, here are five key takeaways from our experience:
Start by empowering individuals. Provide accessible tools, navigators, or coaches so anyone can experiment with AI.
Bake real incentives into the process. Whether its a prize competition, recognition, or special budgets, give employees a reason to step forward with bold ideas.
Invest beyond the initial fanfare. Turning concepts into prototypes requires time, resources, and leadership support. Its not enough to offer a cash prize.
Pair AI with human oversight. AI can automate tasks, but sound judgment, ethical and strategic thinking must come from your people.
Inspire, dont mandate. Change management works best when people feel ownership. Show them the potential, then let them drive.
Today, AI is integral to our daily operations, enhancing everything from internal communications to client deliverables. Our people didn’t just adopt new toolsthey helped reshape our culture.
Our challenge showed our people that AI is an amplifier, not a magic bullet. It can handle heavy liftingscanning data, generating first drafts, and automating mundane processesso we humans can focus on what truly matters: creativity, empathy, strategic problem solving. Its exactly how Henry Ford rethought the factory: Once you see the new possibilities, you cant go back to steam power.
Leerom Segal is cofounder and chairman of Klick Health and Klick Applied Sciences.
The Fast Company Impact Council is an invitation-only membership community of leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual dues for access to peer learning, thought leadership opportunities, events and more.
In todays shifting political and economic climate, companies are reassessing their commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Many are pulling back, and in the process, investments in womens sportsoften lumped into DEI initiativesare being questioned. But treating womens sports as merely a diversity play misses the mark. This isnt just about fairness; its about smart business and impactful marketing.
If companies arent scaling back their investments in mens sports, why on earth would they waver on womens? The numbers tell a compelling story: Investing in womens sports delivers strong returns, unlocks valuable new markets, and fosters deep brand loyalty. Simply put, this is a high-growth business opportunity that brands cant afford to ignore.
Audience growth and engagement: A market on fire
Womens sports are experiencing a dramatic surge in audience engagement. This season, NCAA womens basketball games have drawn record-breaking TV viewership. In only its second season, the Professional Womens Hockey League (PWHL) has sold out arenas in multiple cities. Unrivaled, the player-founded 3×3 basketball league is attracting serious attention. New leagues in the next wave of sports like volleyball, rugby, and softball are gaining traction and attracting record audiences and investment, proving that the appetite for womens sports extends far beyond traditional powerhouses like soccer and basketball. Brands that once hesitated to invest in womens sports are now seeing undeniable evidence of their potential: Ad spending on womens sports doubled in 2024 alone.
Viewership is only part of the story. Fans are showing up in record numbers. The National Womens Soccer league (NWSL) set an attendance record in 2024, crossing the 2 million attendee mark for the first time ever and enjoying a 44% increase over 2023, and WNBA teams are seeing unprecedented ticket demandwith new franchise the Golden State Valkyries securing 20,000 season ticket deposits months ahead of its inaugural season. Digital engagement is booming, with social media interactions around womens sports stars rivaling, and in some cases exceeding, those of their male counterparts. In other words, the audience is not just presenttheyre deeply engaged, captivated by the athletes, and hungry for more content. Brands that invest now will build meaningful connections with this fast-growing fan base.
Numbers dont lie
The financial case for investing in womens sports is equally compelling. Sponsorship dollars and media rights valuations are climbing, yet many assets remain undervalued. Brands that have made early, meaningful commitmentsNike, Ally Financial, Gainbridge, e.l.f. Beautyare already reaping the benefits. Theyre not just seeing strong returns; theyre earning consumer goodwill that translates to long-term brand affinity and loyalty. Previous Parity research has proven that women athletes hold significantly more sway than other public figures, making them a powerful marketing force. Case in point: Womens sports fans are 2.8 times more likely to buy a product or service recommended by a woman athlete than by any other kind of influencer.
Despite rising values, womens sports still offer an incredible arbitrage opportunity. Consider this: a $20,000 sponsorship in womens sports can be life-changing for many professional female athletes, providing essential funding for training, travel, and career longevity. In contrast, that same investment in a major mens sport may not move the needle. For brands looking to maximize impact while optimizing their budgets, womens sports present a unique, high-value opportunity.
A loyal and underserved fan base
Fans of womens sports arent just passive observerstheyre highly engaged, deeply loyal, and eager to support brands that support their teams and athletes. Last fall, a brand sponsor I spoke with made the same promotional offer to fans at both an NWSL game and an NHL game, two leagues where they sponsor teams. Despite the men’s hockey game having higher attendance, the offer saw a 300% higher redemption rate at the women’s soccer match. Numerous studies show that womens sports fans have a higher propensity to recall and purchase from brands that invest in the space. Yet, compared to mens sports, the market remains significantly under-monetized.
Talk about a missed opportunity. Brands that authentically commit to womens sports gain access to a passionate, growing audience that has been overlooked for too long. Companies that act now will build lasting loyalty among this engaged consumer base.
Womens sports should be a core investment, not a side initiative
Theres a fundamental question brands need to ask themselves: If they arent pulling back on mens sports, why should they pull back on womens? The truth is, sportswhether mens or womensdrive culture, commerce, and community. Investments in womens sports should not be framed as philanthropy or secondary initiatives; they are an essential and lucrative part of a brands sports marketing portfolio.
History has shown that sports have the power to shape cultural narratives and influence consumer behavior. Womens sports are no exception. The brands that treat womens sports as core investments, rather than side projects, will see the benefits from increased visibility, consumer trust, and revenue.
The risk of falling behind
Brands that retreat from womens sports now risk losing their early-mover advantage. Momentum is building, and consumers are taking notice of which companies are committed for the long haul. In fact, 50% of U.S. adults believe brands arent investing enough in womens sports. Companies that scale back now may struggle to regain credibility with fans and athletes alike.
Savvy brands recognize this moment as an inflection pointa chance to deepen, not reduce, their investment. Those that stay the course and work to balance historically male-dominated partnership portfolios will not only contribute to the continued growth of womens sports but will also solidify their position as industry leaders in a rapidly expanding and lucrative market.
Leela Srinivasan is the CEO of Parity.
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The way we work is changing. Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the workplace, automating tasks, creating new efficiencies, and helping us accomplish more across virtually all industries.
In this environment, new hiring strategies based on evaluating a candidate’s full skillsetincluding their ability to problem-solve, think creatively, and adapt rather than solely relying on their college degreeare becoming essential for companies and organizations that want to find and retain the best talent. For the 62% of American workers who do not have university degrees, skills-based hiring strategies can offer the opportunity to build thriving careers in industries that traditionally had their doors closed.
AI has the potential to democratize these opportunities, helping to dismantle barriers to employment to close the opportunity gap.
The benefits of skills as a new currency of work
Focusing on skills-based hiring benefits individuals, businesses, nonprofits, and society as a whole. Ive worked closely with many workforce development nonprofits, and its clear that when we have a narrow focus on college degrees, many skilled workers get left behind.
Recent Workday research indicates that 51% of business leaders have significant concerns about a looming talent shortage. This research also shows that 81% of leaders believe skills-based strategies will give them a competitive advantage and will drive economic growth by improving productivity, innovation, and organizational agility.
In fact, hiring for skills has been found to be five times more predictive of positive job performance than hiring for education, and two and a half times more predictive than hiring for past work experience.
The role of AI in democratizing skills-based hiring
AI will play a crucial role in helping organizations make this transition to a skills-driven workforce. There are many AI-powered platforms available that can support skills-based hiring and internal talent mobility by identifying strengths and assessing candidates based on their demonstrated abilities, ensuring a more equitable evaluation process. AI-powered skills assessments can level the playing field by focusing on demonstrated abilities rather than pedigree, and prioritizing skills over subjective evaluations within hiring teams. By removing unconscious bias in resume screening and candidate selection, AI can help ensure equal access to opportunities. AI can also analyze vast datasets and reveal hidden patterns of bias, identify skills gaps, and more.
Once hiring managers and recruiters begin to widen their applicant criteria by using skills-based hiring methods, their businesses will benefit. For example, research shows that those who are hired on the basis of skills have, on average, a 9% longer tenure than traditional hires, saving companies money spent on turnover and backfilling. According to LinkedIn data, employers who hire based on skills are 60% more likely to find successful talent than those who do not. This is an area where AI can really be used for social good while simultaneously benefitting the hiring organization, as it can make a huge difference in how organizations find and retain talent in an efficient and effective way.
The role of nonprofits
Workforce development programs are at the forefront of the skills-first movement. These nonprofits play a vital role in equipping job seekers with the skills needed to thrive in todays tech-enabled economy and connecting them with employment opportunities. Theyre also leveraging AIs power to scale their efforts and reach more people in need.
Opportunity@Work strives to increase awareness and opportunities for STARs, workers who are skilled through alternative routes, such as community colleges, short-term training programs, certifications, self-directed online learning, and previous work experience in different fields. They use an AI integration that improves skills matching for job seekers and managers alike, making results more relevant and less biased.
Another nonprofit making AI strides is the Society for Human Resource Management, which is launching a Skills-First Center of Excellence, utilizing an AI-based skills advisor. AI can be a powerful tool for personalizing learning experiences, identifying skills gaps, and swiftly connecting workers to the right job opportunities.
AI can help cultivate human potential
While technical skills like digital fluency are important, new Workday research also shows that the uniquely human skills of relationship building, empathy, conflict resolution, and ethical decision making are all critical for success, especially in an AI-driven economy.
AI is now empowering us to recognize and cultivate human potential in ways never before imagined. By championing skills-based hiring, we’re not just filling job openings; we’re unlocking pathways to fulfilling careers and building a more prosperous future for all. Let’s harness the power of AI to help foster innovation and build a world where every person and business has the chance to thrive.
Carrie Varoquiers is the chief philanthropy officer at Workday.
