| Advertising | | Campaigns designed to draw attention to social issues and inspire people to act or to promote world-changing products or services. | | | | Apps | | Projects that live primarily in a mobile format, in any discipline. | | | | Art & Design | | Projects using design as the vehicle to shake up conversations surrounding society’s most pressing issues. | | | | Consumer Products | | Items for your house or office that help you live a more purposeful life, or fundamentally alter outdated business models or supply chains of our current consumer goods. | | | | Developing World Technology | | Products designed specifically for the developing world, both ones intended for the bottom of the pyramid and those intended to help create leapfrog innovation. | | | | Energy | | Solar, wind, and any other innovative ideas to create clean power (either for personal use or at a large scale) or new systems for better electricity distribution. | | | | Food | | Projects changing what we eat, how we eat, and how we get our food. | | | | Impact Investing | | Impact funds, social impact bonds, and other investments in change making organizations or initiatives that generate societal benefit along with financial return. | | | | Pandemic Response (New!) | | Programs, products, policies, or anything else designed to mitigate either the health effects of COVID-19 or the economic effects of lockdowns. | | | | Spaces, Places, and Cities | | Buildings, landscapes, urban designs, and policies that make cities and living in them cleaner, more efficient, more beautiful, and more equitable for their citizens. | | | | Software (New!) | | Projects whose main feature is a software component, in any discipline. | | | | Transportation | | Projects that get you places whether on two wheels or four in new, interesting, and fuel-efficient ways. | | | | Wellness (New!) | | Products and projects that improve either personal or global well-being, from equipment to apps to consumables. | | | | Best World Changing Idea EMEA | | The best world changing idea overall in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. | | | | Best World Changing Idea LATAM | | The best world changing idea overall in Latin America. | | | | Established Excellence: 5-14 Years In Business (New!) | | Companies that have achieved incredible impact and have been in business between 5 and 14 years. | | | | General Excellence | | The broadest ideas, be they new government policies, new business models, or entire new consumer categories. Anything that has the potential to effect true systems change or solve wicked problems. | | |
| | | AI & Data | | Projects that harness the power of data, machine learning, or artificial intelligence to understand the world and empower change | | | | Architecture (New!) | | Buildings that change the way we live or work, making it more sustainable, more energy efficient, and more humane. | | | | Creativity | | Any creative project–photography, writing, visualization, film–that helps explain and publicize global problems and solutions. | | | | Corporate Social Responsibility | | For corporate initiatives that use a company’s platform and power to help advance change, either internally or for the community. | | | | Education | | Companies or initiatives that help inspire better and more equitable learning. | | | | Experimental | | Concepts, prototypes, and just-launched ideas that may not have clear impact but have the potential to change how we think about an issue. | | | | Health (New!) | | Medical innovations that save lives, extend longevity, or increase access to care. | | | | Media & Entertainment | | Movies, books, videos, and other projects that expose issues or create actionable change. | | | | Politics & Policy | | Innovative campaigns or policy initiatives that challenge the status quo for the benefit of the environment, equity, and society. | | | | Social Justice | | Projects that help advance the cause of civil rights for marginalized people or groups. | | | | Students | | Projects in any category, created by undergraduate or graduate students. | | | | Urban Design (New!) | | Landscapes, urban designs, and policies that make cities and living in them cleaner, more efficient, more beautiful, and more equitable for their citizens. | | | | Best World Changing Idea APAC | | The best world changing idea overall in the Asia-Pacific region. | | | | Best World Changing Idea NA | | The best world changing idea overall in North America. | | | | On The Rise: 0-4 Years In Business (New!) | | Companies that have achieved incredible impact and have been in business under 4 years. | | | | Enduring Impact: 15+ Years In Business (New!) | | Companies that have achieved incredible impact and have been in business over 15 years. | | | | World Changing Company Of The Year | | The most world changing company of the year, selected by Fast Company editors. Companies will be judged on the quality, breadth, and ambition of their submitted work. | | |
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