Fast Company 50

Fast 50 Follow-Up: 10 Companies We Missed

When we last checked in with innovation expert Dev Patnaik, CEO of growth-strategy firm Jump Associates, he was chiding us for heralding company innovations--as opposed to innovative companies--on last year’s Fast Company 50. ...READ»

Slideshow: The Fast Company 50

Even in these tough times, surprising and extraordinary efforts are under way in businesses across the globe. From politics to technology, energy, and transportation; from marketing to retail, health care, and design, each company on the following pages illustrates the power and potential of innovative ideas and creative execution. These are the kinds of enterprises that will redefine our future and point the way to a better tomorrow.READ»

Creative Artists Agency's Innovation Machine

With the media landscape changing faster than a J.J. Abrams storyline, Hollywood talent agencies can no longer rely on last century's business model. That's why powerhouse CAA is as interested in transforming a sports celeb into a Web 2.0 maven as it is in turning a brand into a Webisode character. Here are some of CAA's recent innovative deals.READ»

The Dazzling Architecture of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill

For sheer quantity of dazzling buildings, no firm can match the venerable architectural behemoth Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Known for snazzy corporate headquarters, the firm also designed the elegant Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland, California, and the award-winning LEED Silver masterpiece for the U.S. Census Bureau. In fact, SOM won 54 awards in 2008. Here are five examples from the 54 cities where most of its work is concentrated.READ»

What's Disney's Inspiration?

From Lost to Wall-E to Disney.com, the media giant proves itself an exceptional idea factory and hit maker. Where do its creative heads find inspiration? We peeked inside their offices to find out.READ»

Inside Weta Digital's Spaceship

For this winter's blockbuster The Day the Earth Stood Still, two dozen Weta Digital designers spent six months sculpting the film's real star (sorry, Keanu): the spaceship. Joe Letteri, senior visual effects supervisor for the four-time Academy Award-winning digital shop, walked us through the process.READ»

Presenting the 50 Most Innovative Companies

You won't find Bernie Madoff in these pages. Or talk of another Great Depression. You won't find unemployment statistics or the word "bailout." We may discuss those topics in another issue, but this month, we pass. It's not that we ...READ»

• The Fast Company 50

Fast 50 Updates

Thirty-three of the companies on last year's Fast Company 50 didn't make the list this time. But that doesn't mean they've lost their luster. Here's what they've been up to.READ»