Airbnb and the Unintended Consequences of ‘Disruption’
Like some of the most exciting start-ups of this century, Airbnb is a new kind of “aggregation” platform. It’s a portal that connects producers and consumers in the marketplace for … Continue reading
Nestlé Makes Billions Bottling Water It Pays Nearly Nothing For
The Michigan operation is only one small part of Nestlé, the world’s largest food and beverage company. But it illuminates how Nestlé has come to dominate a controversial industry, spring by spring, … Continue reading
How JPMorgan Chase Is Fueling Detroit’s Revival
It takes a village to rebuild a city, and the list of people and businesses collaborating on Detroit’s recovery is long. But the planning underway in Livernois/McNichols, and in a … Continue reading
Patagonia’s CEO Explains How To Make On-Site Child Care Pay For Itself
To date, three states and the District of Columbia offer paid family leave: California, New Jersey, and Rhode Island. The United States is one of only two countries in the … Continue reading
The Upwardly Mobile Barista at Starbucks
Starbucks and Arizona State University are collaborating to help cafe workers get college degrees. Is this a model for helping more Americans reach the middle class? In their announcement, Starbucks … Continue reading
As in Indiana and Arkansas, corporate America now wields clout on social issues
The controversy over the state’s religious rights measure signed into law last week has been striking for the parade of well-known businesses that not only joined in the opposition to … Continue reading
The Los Angeles Philharmonic faces up to a daunting future
Orchestras across the country have been shaken by the loss of subscribers, aging audiences, declining corporate donations, labor strife and the struggle of remaining relevant in an era when technology … Continue reading
After A Bitter Struggle, DSO Brings ‘Joy’ To The People Again
Detroit’s Orchestra Hall is one of the best symphony concert halls in the country… But what happens to the music when it’s taken out of that context, away from the pitch-perfect … Continue reading
What’s the Point of City Logos?
It’s not immediately obvious that changing a logo would change the city’s reputation, any more than changing a refrigerator’s light bulb changes its ability to keep food cold. And yet, … Continue reading
