#social-impact

#social-impact

AI toys are seemingly everywhere, marketed online as friendly companions to children as young as three, and they're still a largely unregulated category. It's easier than ever to spin up an AI companion, thanks to model developer programs and vibe coding. In 2026, they've become a go-to trend in cheap trinkets, lining the halls of trade shows like CES, MWC, and Hong Kong's Toys & Games Fair. By October 2025, there were over 1,500 AI toy companies registered in China, and Huawei's Smart HanHan plush toy sold 10,000 units in China in its first week.

Eva Longoria's multi-hyphenate approach reveals how creative ambition, business strategy, and social impact can reinforce one another, shaping the business of entertainment on her own terms.

"Instead of starting with a product that we didn't feel like existed in the marketplace, we started with a mission that we felt like didn't exist, particularly in the beauty space," Cohen said. "We love that young people are turning to brands for not just products, but for the issues that they care about-and also that's what holds us accountable."

Why do I get to be the runner, and these guys get to be the homeless guys on the corner? Why can't we all be runners? She didn't have an answer. It would've been easy to let that question dissolve with her footsteps. Most people would have. But Mahlum saw something in those men that others had missed.

It follows a young Syrian boy, Ahmet, who arrives in the UK without his parents. He joins a school and befriends a group of kids who hear that the government is going to close the gates. They don't fully understand what it means other than that Ahmet's parents, who must be looking for him, won't be able to get into the country. So they decide, in a beautifully innocent way, to go to the most powerful person they can think of—the queen!—and ask for help to find Ahmet's parents and keep the gates open.

TV has a unique superpower: helping small and medium-sized businesses punch above their weight and reach audiences they'd never normally get in front of. B Corps have authentic stories worth shouting about, and Channel 4 loves nothing more than telling stories that spark change. There are incredible purpose-driven brands nationwide, and this opens the door for more of them to grow bigger.

While they are frequently criticized for being performative or symbolic rather than genuinely impactful, CSR initiatives can be deeply meaningful for organizations, employees, not to mention entire communities. First and foremost, well-designed and comprehensive CSR programs generate positive social change for underserved communities and groups, address vital social and environmental causes, and allow welfare organizations to extend the quality and scale of their contributions.

AirPods changed my life. I was previously a user of excellent but somewhat cumbersome Audio Technica over-ears, but Apple's wireless headphones dinky in their construction, finicky in their setup, temperamental in their ability to actually work liberated me from cords. My listening habits are, at best, frustrating for the people around me: when you write about music, you have to listen to the same things over and over, and sometimes those things are very bad.

This year (2025), Tanween designs the unspoken. It could be environmental, social, cultural, or educational - but it always returns design to humanity. We focus on the actual needs of people across many disciplines. That is the real role of Tanween: to experiment, to inspire each other, to support each other, and to develop ideas with ambition. Each edition builds a thematic path in the design process, allowing designers to explore what truly matters,

Beginning in 2022, working with strategic partner BYNK Media, Kotn shifted its creative and marketing strategy to a more community-focused approach, foregrounding its unique origins, social mission and global appeal. It invested in expanding its brick-and-mortar retail portfolio, positioning stores as creative hubs and community spaces rather than just distribution channels. It reframed its identity from being a " sustainable brand," with one of the highest B Corp certifications,

According to the 2025 Bentley University-Gallup poll published in May of this year, 51% of U.S. adults now believe companies should take a public stance on current social and political issues, a significant jump from just 38% in 2024. This is an interesting development at a time when companies face heightened scrutiny around sustainability and social commitments. However, a SmartNews survey released earlier this year shows that 90% of respondents question corporate messaging at least some of the time and 36% think company statements feel inauthentic.

extraordinary talent emerging from universities across the UK,

The Next 3 Billion is dedicated to exploring the forces accelerating economic and societal prosperity across the world's most ascendant regions.

Big news for the south London massive - Nathaniel Mortley, aka NattyCanCook, is launching his very first restaurant. Opening in October 2210 by NattyCanCook will be landing in Herne Hill, serving up bold Caribbean flavours with a fine-dining twist. If you don't already know Natty, you're about to. He smashed it with his sold-out pop-up at The Greyhound in Peckham (and picked up Condé Nast Traveller's "One to Watch" award while he was at it).

Aspect Capital, Tide, Neighbourly and Guavapay were each awarded the prestigious Lord Mayor's Award, reflecting the breadth of the UK's fast-growing business ecosystem - from fintech and quantitative investment to social impact platforms and global payments infrastructure. The awards are part of the Lord Mayor's Growth Unleashed programme, which is designed to revive the UK's appetite for responsible risk-taking, channel institutional investment into high-growth sectors and ensure scale-up companies remain rooted in Britain.

Today, September 2, the seven winners of the 16th Cycle (2023-2025) of the Aga Khan Award for Architecture were announced, following on-site reviews of the 19 shortlisted projects revealed in June. Established in 1977, the Award seeks to identify and encourage building concepts that respond to the physical, social, and economic needs of communities with a significant Muslim presence, while also addressing their cultural aspirations.

Financial, environmental and community goals aren't competing objectives; they're interconnected. This is why founders who chase revenue at the expense of value for their customers or broader social impact often experience limited growth. This is a bit like buying a gym membership and then letting your diet go because you're working out. Just like healthy eating habits are part of an effective fitness plan, your mission and values are essential parts of creating a business plan that works.

Gloria Palacios, 84, operates a small shop in a poor neighborhood, relying on a government transfer of 6,200 pesos for survival, emphasizing the positive impact of social welfare.

Mountaineering isn't just a sport. Reaching the summit brings an incredible sense of relief. And it's proof that you can overcome your physical and emotional challenges, even after extreme hardship.

"Music has always been my way of connecting with people and leaving a mark on the world. I can't wait to perform, unite, and inspire action."

Black-owned advertising agencies are reshaping the industry from the inside out, using creativity as a form of resistance, visibility, and power. These firms are rewriting the rules of who gets heard - and how.

In today's America, people leave their jobs because their boss hangs the wrong flag in the office. Long-standing friendships end because a vote was cast for that other guy.

The American Lawyer has compiled a ranking of Am Law 200 firms based on their pro bono work in 2024, focusing on average pro bono hours and lawyer participation.

I feel it's important to commit not for next month or next year, but to the five year journey of making progress on an issue or developing an outcome for a community.

"We have an opportunity to build not just another industry, but a better one, one that isn't built on the misfortune of communities."

At the heart of Antananarivo's Cité des Cultures, Ndao Hanavao unveils its exhibition Matières des Possibles, emphasizing the transformation of waste into sustainable designs.

The fruit of your labor isn't just what you achieve; it's what you plant for others to harvest.

Art Johnston, who owns the bar with husband José Pepe Peña, said opening at the airport - the second busiest in the country, behind Hartsfield-Jackson in Atlanta - would "create ways for people to see gay people and see that not only have we done well in Chicago, we have thrived in Chicago."