10-06-2025
Stakeholder capitalism is entering new era. So is ‘Fast Company'
Fast Company has been covering a sea change in American business over the last 15 years or so. Companies big and small have embraced the idea that they ought to be accountable not just to shareholders but to all stakeholders—including workers, customers, communities, suppliers, and the planet.
Some refer to it as 'stakeholder capitalism.' Others like 'conscious capitalism.' And for those of you who prefer 'woke capitalism,' hey, thanks for joining us.
But then, within the last year or two, it all fell apart. Even before Trump retook the presidency, CEOs had begun shuttering DEI programs and climate initiatives, and clamming up about the 'greater good' they were pursuing. What happened? How did a megatrend that transformed boardrooms and C-suites unravel so rapidly?
That's the big question we asked James Surowiecki to dissect in this issue's cover story, 'How 'Business for Good' Went Bad.'
