The NBA Needs to Go Further on GOTV for the Midterm Elections
The NBA has raised the profile of the U.S. midterm elections, and its pivot on Election Day could be a game-changer in terms of voter turnout.
Brands Taking Stands
TriplePundit’s Brands Taking Stands newsletter has tracked corporate, employee and community activism since 2018, celebrating the intrinsic value of free expression and every person’s right to make their voices heard. Subscribe here.
Why It Isn’t ‘Radical’ for Companies to Take a Weeklong Break
Last summer, the social impact NGO New Profit shut its doors —physical and virtual — for several days, and no, things did not fall apart.
The New Abortion Ban Is Not Indiana’s Only Problem
A restrictive abortion ban enacted earlier this month in Indiana will make it harder for the Hoosier State's companies to recruit and retain talent.
Stop Spying on Your Employees: It’s Creepy, and They’re Probably ‘Quiet Quitting’ Anyway
Investments in workplace monitoring software are getting out of hand, and the spying is contributing its own bit to the quiet quitting trend across the U.S.
The Abortion Ban Brain Drain Is a Feature, Not a Bug
The abortion ban in Indiana shows why corporate fight, not flight, is the most effective pathway back to full human, civil and reproductive rights.
Black Founders Keep Driving New Business Growth, But Funding Still Elusive
Black founders across the U.S. keep establishing new businesses at a breathtaking pace, but opportunities for venture funding are still lacking.
Corporate HR Needs to Prepare As More Abortion Bans are Coming
Abortion bans have set off a time bomb in the human resources departments of corporations all across the U.S., and it is ready to explode.
The Russia Sanctions Are Working — Now U.S. Companies Have Work to Do at Home
Economic sanctions against Russia are working, and new research describes how business leaders have played a key role in making them work.
She's Changing the Face of Surfing and Making the Sport More Inclusive
With Nichelle Nichols and Bill Russell gone, who can further their legacies? Count in Rhonda Harper, the founder of Black Girls Surf, among such leaders.
Who Is Corporate America’s Next Josh Hawley? One Drugstore Chain is a Top Contender
Josh Hawley is now a meme after last week's January 6th hearings, but some of corporate America's leading brands aren't behind in this race.
This Popular Hotel Chain’s Menus Are Going Plant-Based
Selina, a hotel chain in business for less than a decade, plans to have plant-based menu items as the standard across its 150-plus properties worldwide.
After Dobbs, Pregnant People Suffer While Corporate America Parties On
It is only a matter of time before corporations begin to feel the heat after the recent Dobbs decision, especially when their own employees suffer.
Your Company’s Missing DEI Strategy: Remote Work
Many corporate DEI policies are not making much of a difference in the workplace, but one huge change could offer employees trust ad peace of mind.
Cristela Alonzo Interrupts Your Regularly Scheduled Programming to Remind You That Your Microaggressions Were Never Okay
Sick of the microaggressions you're hearing in the office or on Zoom calls? Cristela Alonzo gets it; her latest Netflix special nails it, brilliantly.
Business Leaders Have One Last Chance to Get Abortion Access Right
Some companies have scored PR points by offering travel benefits for employees seeking an abortion, but such an option is not a long-term solution.
Tech Firms Are Up to Their Necks in the Abortion Rights Tar Pit
When the U.S. Supreme Court overturned 50 years of precedent on abortion rights, it handed a potential gold mine to data mining firms seeking new business.
How 20-Year-Old Actor Sebastian Croft Defines Relentless ‘Allyship’ with LGBTQ People
Your post-Pride Month reminder: Heartstopper's Sebastian Croft is an absolute badass when it comes to allyship with his LGBTQ peers.
Abortion Fight Forces a Reckoning For America’s Corporations
A storm is brewing after last week's Supreme Court ruling on abortion rights, as employee and shareholder activists gear up for the fight of the century.
Your ‘Great Resignation’ Music Playlist Must Start with Baby Queen
Gen Z recording artist Baby Queen sings to our frustration with social media, homophobia, gender tropes and dismissive attitudes toward mental health.
In Midst of Labor Shortage, Abortion Time Bomb Drops on U.S. Businesses
In the wake of last week's Supreme Court ruling, it's clear business leaders must step beyond the offer of travel expenses for out-of-state abortion care.
Red Alert for Corporate DEI Programs: Pride Month Attacks Continue What Insurrectionists Started
Long after this Pride Month, more violence will come unless business leaders organize and deploy DEI efforts into community and political action.
How Hulu’s Fire Island Offers a Jane Austen and Queer Take on DEI
Craving a snapshot of what your employees may be thinking about what’s going on in the office? Watch Fire Island, released earlier this month on Hulu.
Needle Finally Moves on Common Sense Gun Safety Regulations
Business leaders who support equal rights for all of their employees must call their senators now that some gun safety measures could emerge from Congress.
Wanna Support Pride Month? Take Your Team Out to the Local LGBTQ Bar
After the pandemic closed many an LGBTQ bar, they are making a slow comeback; so, we have a suggestion on how you can show support for the LGBTQ community.
The Midterms are Coming: Here’s How to Not Drop the Voting Rights Ball
Leaders professing support for employees on a wide range of problems can prove their sincerity this year with their ongoing commitment to voting rights.
Double-Check Your Company’s Lobbying Spend Before Going Full-On for Pride Month
More companies are seeing Pride Month as a prime branding opportunity, but they ought to check their lobbying efforts before going full-on rainbow flag.
Blueprint for Corporate Action on Gun Violence: Break the Taboo, Advocate for Action
It may seem impossible to awaken corporate voices on gun violence, but consider the impact of recent grassroots social movements.
After Uvalde, Gabe Kapler Goes Where No One Else in Management Will Go
San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler set a high bar on how leaders can speak out on gun violence after last week's sense tragedy in Uvalde, Texas.
After the Buffalo Shooting, This Family-Run Company Sets a High Bar for CSR
Shortly after the tragic Buffalo shooting, this local family-run company set the example for the type of CSR blithely sworn to but not as often practiced.
Like it or Not, ESG Reporting is Here to Stay
ESG reporting is still a relatively new field sorting through transparency issues and analytical challenges; hence the controversy over this popular brand.
Another Retailer’s Employees Are Forming a Union: What’s Going On?
Count in another popular retailer facing unionizing efforts, as unions aren't limited to employees in heavy industry, transport or education anymore.
Finally, a Big Company Stands Up for the Queer Community
Unilever is a rare multinational doing more than displaying a rainbow on its logo; now, it's funding programs focused on the queer community in the U.S.
How to Support your Activist Employees When Roe v. Wade Crumbles
Companies that profess to uphold abortion rights need to prepare a plan for supporting employees as they carry the fight this year into Election Day 2022.
Corporate DEI and the Bystander Effect in the Age of Court-Stacking
The controversy around the U.S. Supreme Court has become a pressing DEI challenge as business leaders say they'll boost DEI efforts within the workplace.
Across the U.S., Companies Still Overlook the AAPI Community
Corporate messages about standing with the AAPI community aren’t matched by commitments to ensure all employees feel welcomed and included in the workplace.
Free Public Transportation: The Next Frontier in Corporate Giving
Providing employees free public transportation options could give companies another high-profile opportunity to showcase their corporate citizenship chops.
‘Affordable Housing’ Shouldn’t Be an Oxymoron. The Building Industry Needs to Step Up.
The U.S. desperately needs affordable housing, but the country struggles to build any at all, so it's time for the construction sector to do its part.
The Do’s and Don’ts in The Age of Worker Mobility
For many companies, the current labor situation and challenges surrounding worker mobility comprise a giant self-own predating the pandemic by many years.
Unlocking Financial Literacy Resources for Indigenous Americans
This community development financial institution in northern Colorado leads on offering Indigenous Americans the necessary financial literacy tools.
Airplane Tickets Don’t Solve Corporations’ Abortion Access Problem
Business execs worried about employees' safety must look within considering any support of politicians leading efforts like the push to end abortion access.
We’re Being Played When It Comes to Inflation, Says Corporate Watchdog
While inflation is forcing many families to tighten their belts, a new report shows that for many retailers, profits are soaring at rates unseen in decades.
Coal is Still King in West Virginia, but Solar Power is Coming on Strong
Solar energy in West Virginia shows signs of sudden growth, and surge of activism could help accelerate the state’s inevitable transition to clean power.
New Research Center Focuses on Racial Divide in Maternal Health
The maternal mortality rate for U.S. Black women is 3.5 times higher than that of white women; a new research center seeks to eliminate that tragic gap.
Why Companies that Value DEI Need to Re-Examine the Value of Cryptocurrency
Cryptocurrency has quickly planted itself in the rarified atmosphere of the winner’s circle, especially in terms of its environmental and social impacts.
In the Latest IPCC Report, the ‘I’ Stands for Indigenous
As expected, the latest IPCC assessment report offers a grim outlook, notably for Indigenous communities - but it doesn't have to be that way.
ALTERNATIVE ECONOMIES
Wage Inequality and Lessons from the Oligarchy
Current focus on an elite group of 700 or so super-rich citizens distracts from a much broader wage inequality issue that affects millions nationwide.
Women Are Still Vastly Underrepresented in Cybersecurity
Women comprise 25 percent of cybersecurity employees, a metric that must improve if the sector can stay agile with rapidly changing developments worldwide.
Some Companies’ Reputations at Risk as Russian War Atrocities Mount
Overall, the global business community's response to the Russian war against Ukraine is unprecedented in terms of scale and unity, but exceptions remain.
Coalition Seeks New Jobs for One Million Black Americans in the Next Decade
Grads of Life says it will work with OneTen to help generate jobs with a family-sustaining wage for 1 million Black Americans during the next 10 years.
U.S. Businesses Speak Up for Transgender Rights in Texas
Business leaders have been slow to organize a response to attacks on transgender rights until Human Rights Campaign took on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott.
Equal Pay Day: Why Women of Color Now Confront an $86 Billion Wage Gap
This year’s Equal Pay Day is a reminder of how U.S. women, especially women of color, have faced numerous setbacks during the global pandemic.
As Russia Rattles Nuclear Sword, Corporate Leadership Wakes Up
It was only a matter of time before consumer groups organized an index around the corporate response to the atrocities Russia has committed against Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the People of Afghanistan Struggle to Rebuild Their Lives
Refugees from Afghanistan have been largely forgotten due to the Ukraine war; we highlight a few organizations focused on helping them rebuild their lives.
The Optics Aren’t Good for Energy Companies Right Now
Though a few major energy companies made big announcements in recent days, the industry hasn't done much for its image as the crisis in Ukraine unfolded.
Fossil Energy Stakeholders Quit Russia, But Other Windows Could Open
BP caught the attention of industry observers earlier this week when it walked away from its operations in Russia; then other energy giants followed suit.
As Another Trucker Convoy Looms, Leading U.S. Trucking Organization Falls Asleep at the Wheel
As rumors build of a trucker convoy targeting Washington, D.C., it seems reasonable to expect this leading trade group to take a stand - yet it hasn't.
Why Black Climate Week Absolutely Matters
The group behind the second annual Black Climate Week says too many people of color still lack a fair shot at clean air, clean water and a safe environment.
This Company Provides a Crisis Management Lesson for Electric Vehicle Makers
A new lawsuit shows that a lack of attention to racism and workforce problems can affect brand reputation, even for a leading electric vehicle manufacturer.
Show Us the Receipts: Little More Than Half of U.S. Companies Disclose Their DEI Data
People of color are still waiting to be shown the receipts for the $50 billion that companies say that they’ve committed to DEI pledges.
Disruptive Trucker Protests in Canada (Finally) Force U.S. Corporate Leaders to Push Back
The growing trucker protests across Canada have finally elicited a public response from three leading U.S. business organizations.
Ford Pitches Civic Service with Two-Way EV Battery in a Pickup Truck
In an era of climate-related power outages and strained grids, the Ford Motor Company has adopted a civic service angle within its EV marketing strategy.
Actually, We Should Be Calling the Great Resignation the ‘Great Upgrade’
It's been an imperfect labor shift, but the data suggest that many people driving the Great Resignation found new jobs that paid higher - and are treated better.
Corporate GOTV Efforts Face New Challenges in 2022 Midterm Elections
Businesses' efforts to get out the vote will be an uphill battle during the midterm elections, largely due to a huge challenge related to citizens' safety.
Globalization Has Clearly Hurt Black Workers: Are There Any Solutions?
New research offers convincing data concluding that many Black workers paid a heavy price as globalization continued to surge since the late 1990s.
Neil Young, Brands, and the Backlash Over COVID-19 and Climate Disinformation
The influence that Neil Young has extends well beyond his music, and his powerful advocacy for vaccination has struck a nerve among Spotify users.
Carhartt Focuses Attention on COVID-19 Vaccines and Workplace Safety
The focus on COVID-19 and workplace safety has fallen upon the workwear company Carhartt, which isn't backing down on its stance on vaccine mandates.
We Have a 'Master' Problem with Supplier Diversity Commitments
Commitments to supplier diversity are proving to be difficult to achieve in practice; and once again the problem is a structural one.
DirecTV, OAN and the Limits of Both-Siderism
The ongoing fallout over the tussle between DirecTV and OAN is an example of how both insurrection and both-siderism don't pay in the long run.
Economic Powers Realizing Racial Equity and Equality Are a Must
Recent comments from Janet Yellen and Larry Fink suggest that staying the course isn’t an option to secure racial equity and economic fairness for all.
Ikea Opens New Front in the Anti-Anti-Vaccination Battle
Ikea is now imposing a lower rate of sick pay for unvaccinated U.K. employees who test positive for the virus; such actions could ripple into the U.S.
As Omicron Takes Its Toll on Essential Workers, Latinos Are Among the Ones Expected to Be on the Frontlines
Across the U.S., Latino essential workers are among the communities that are disproportionately shouldering the burden as the pandemic refuses to give in.<br />
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Brand Reputation at Risk: The Tiptoeing Around the 'Let’s Go, Brandon' Controversy
The viral “Let’s Go, Brandon” chant and a proposed sponsorship deal threatens to set this iconic stock car racing circuit back to its troubled beginnings.