Fast Company Names Stand.earth to 2023 List of World’s Most Innovative Companies

March 2, 2023

International environmental and climate advocacy organization Stand.earth is honored to be included in Fast Company’s 2023 list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies.

Stand received the No. 4 spot in the not-for-profit sector of Fast Company’s annual list highlighting organizations at the forefront of their respective industries, which the magazine describes as “paving the way for the innovations of tomorrow (and) setting the standard with some of the greatest accomplishments of the modern world.”

Fast Company highlighted the work of Stand’s SAFE Cities campaign, which the magazine described as serving to “help cities kick their fossil fuel habits by working with local municipalities on climate policies that do everything from prohibiting new gas stations to limiting fossil fuel use in buildings.” Other nonprofits that made the top 10 list include Holdfast Collective, Workers United, Sesame Workshop and Save The Children.

Humbled and grateful as our staff is to receive this honor, we know it doesn’t belong to us. Our innovative approach is grounded in the knowledge that advocacy is more successful when we work together, and our victories in delivering large-scale change for our planet and its people over the past two decades simply would not have been possible without the integral collaboration of our wide variety of partners — especially those living on the frontlines of climate change.

Our rapid-response team is more than 1 million people strong, including local organizing and environmental justice groups, national organizations within and beyond the environmental movement, networks of governments, legal experts and advisors, and frontline communities. Stand is unique among climate and environmental advocacy groups in our ability to connect widely dispersed stakeholders into highly effective networks and alliances.

“We will continue to push the limits of what is possible in the coming years as if our lives depend upon it — because they do,” Stand Executive Director Todd Paglia said. “The world is on a precipice, and it will tilt one way or the other based on the innovative work of small and medium-sized nonprofits, frontline organizations and indigenous leaders. I have hope for our future because I have seen the impact that real innovation can have to change our world.”

Stand was pleasantly surprised to learn in December that the organization was being considered for inclusion. Fast Company’s editors and writers seek out companies making the biggest strides around the globe, and Stand stood out among a crowded pool of nominees for its work in challenging corporations and governments to treat people and the environment with respect.

Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies issue (March/April 2023) is currently available online here, and will be on newsstands beginning March 14.

“This year’s list compiles some of the most cutting-edge groundbreakers who are changing our world every single day,” Fast Company Editor-in-Chief Brendan Vaughan said. “Everyone on this list does something completely, uniquely different, yet, they all have one thing in common: innovation.”

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Media contact:

Cari Barcas, Communications Director, cari.barcas@stand.earth