Ariel Schwartz

Ariel Schwartz is a Senior Editor at Co.Exist. She has contributed to SF Weekly, Popular Science, Inhabitat, Greenbiz, NBC Bay Area, GOOD Magazine and more. For story ideas: ariel[at]fastcompany.com

Fast Company

What It’s Like To Live On A Bike

Do you get sweaty riding to work? Maybe you should try the difficult–but not impossible–on-bike shower, just one of the many feats this artist performs while attempting to spend his days cycling.

Fast Company

Is The Open-Office Trend Reversing Itself?

Employers spent years knocking down their walls. Now they are slowly building them back up.

Fast Company

Take Your Vitamins And Supplements, Minus All The Artificial Ingredients

Many pills contain synthetic vitamins, fish and dairy products, and unknown fillers. A new company says it can make more pure products made only from plants.

Fast Company

The Countries That Have The Most Resilient Supply Chains

Japan’s manufacturing industry weathered the post-Fukushima crisis pretty well, all things considered. Other countries are less prepared for big disasters.

Fast Company

This Teenager Just Designed A System That Keeps You Safe From Germs On Planes

Air cocoons insulate you from your sneezing, coughing neighbor.

Fast Company

The World’s First $9 Computer Does Everything That Your Expensive Model Can Do

Chip is a bona fide Kickstarter hit. But the tiny computer’s implications go far beyond the novelty of a cheap computer.

Fast Company

Walmart Is Bottling Water From The Middle Of California’s Drought

Buying a city’s water supply for dirt cheap and reselling it for not-dirt cheap is already egregious, even in better, wetter times.

Fast Company

This Is the First Surfboard Made From Algae, No Petroleum Required

Surfers can now catch a fossil fuel-free wave, with the help of some UC San Diego undergrads and a large biotech company.

Fast Company

With An Electric Zap, This Bandage-Sized Wearable Provides Instant Pain Relief

Soothe your sore muscles with a simple new device that gives a treatment you used to have to see a doctor to get.

Fast Company

Need A Break From Home, But Want To Keep Working? Take A Jobbatical

A site that matches employers and wandering gig-seekers wants to foster a new way to travel. Like everything else, it helps if you can code.

Fast Company

Collapsing Buildings Were The Most Dangerous Part Of The Nepal Earthquake–What Could Make Them Better?

In a poor country that’s rapidly urbanizing, earthquake readiness isn’t a high priority, but Nepal’s two temblors shows why it’s necessary. What can other cities and countries learn from how Nepal’s buildings fared in the quakes?

Fast Company

“Smart” Inhalers Are Now Monitoring All The Asthmatics Of Louisville

A new kind of air-monitoring network, courtesy of the people who can’t breathe because the smog is choking them.

Fast Company

Erica Mackie

For using solar to empower people.

Fast Company

The “Safe” Replacement To Cancer-Causing Chemicals In Pizza Boxes May Be—You Guessed It— Also Toxic

Scientists want you to know about a class of chemicals that is potentially harmful–and very difficult for consumers to avoid.

Fast Company

The Ridiculous Jobs Of The Digital Economy, Illustrated As Children’s Book Characters

The BusinessTown Tumblr takes the ridiculous jobs and workplace archetypes of Silicon Valley and makes them cute animals in the style of Richard Scarry.

Fast Company

Henry Red Cloud

For letting the sun shine on the reservation.

Fast Company

Danilo Leao

For knowing when the cows come home–and what they’ve been doing all day.

Fast Company

This Famous Solar-Powered Plane Is About To Take A Five-Day Flight Across The Pacific

Solar Impluse 2’s latest journey will take it (very slowly) from China to Hawaii–as long as it doesn’t run out of power first.

Fast Company

What A Secretive Military Agency Is Doing For The Future Of Global Health

As U.S. military troops wind down their Ebola mission in West Africa, DARPA’s is just ramping up.

Fast Company

You’ll Get Paid More Money At Work If You’re Not Neurotic

Just be chill and you’ll get that raise.

Ideas

This Database Tells You Which Bad Chemicals Are Hiding In Your Tap Water

Ideas

Sam Adams Tries To Raise Up Craft Brewing By Supporting The Competition

Ideas

Rick Perry Is Fighting Historical Forces In The Energy Market–He’s Going To Lose

Entertainment

Inside The Dumbest First Amendment Battle Of 2017

Entertainment

Julia Michaels Is Exactly What Pop Music Needs Right Now

Entertainment

“Stranger Things 2” and “Ready Player One” Trailers Are Peak ’80s Nostalgia

Co.Design

Spaces

This Skatepark Is A Sculpture You Can Ride

Cities

This Crowdsourced Project Is Mapping Mysterious Photos Of Lost New York

Product

Meet The Designer Who Still Leads The Bernie Sanders Resistance

Fast Company

Leadership

Five Skills You’ll Rarely See In Job Postings (But Definitely Need)

Technology

How Facebook Used AI To Make The Trippy Effects In This VR Film

Most Creative People

Ariel Schwartz

What It’s Like To Live On A Bike

Do you get sweaty riding to work? Maybe you should try the difficult–but not impossible–on-bike shower, just one of the many feats this artist performs while attempting to spend his days cycling.

Is The Open-Office Trend Reversing Itself?

Employers spent years knocking down their walls. Now they are slowly building them back up.

Take Your Vitamins And Supplements, Minus All The Artificial Ingredients

Many pills contain synthetic vitamins, fish and dairy products, and unknown fillers. A new company says it can make more pure products made only from plants.

The Countries That Have The Most Resilient Supply Chains

Japan’s manufacturing industry weathered the post-Fukushima crisis pretty well, all things considered. Other countries are less prepared for big disasters.

This Teenager Just Designed A System That Keeps You Safe From Germs On Planes

Air cocoons insulate you from your sneezing, coughing neighbor.

The World’s First $9 Computer Does Everything That Your Expensive Model Can Do

Chip is a bona fide Kickstarter hit. But the tiny computer’s implications go far beyond the novelty of a cheap computer.

Walmart Is Bottling Water From The Middle Of California’s Drought

Buying a city’s water supply for dirt cheap and reselling it for not-dirt cheap is already egregious, even in better, wetter times.

This Is the First Surfboard Made From Algae, No Petroleum Required

Surfers can now catch a fossil fuel-free wave, with the help of some UC San Diego undergrads and a large biotech company.

With An Electric Zap, This Bandage-Sized Wearable Provides Instant Pain Relief

Soothe your sore muscles with a simple new device that gives a treatment you used to have to see a doctor to get.

Need A Break From Home, But Want To Keep Working? Take A Jobbatical

A site that matches employers and wandering gig-seekers wants to foster a new way to travel. Like everything else, it helps if you can code.

Collapsing Buildings Were The Most Dangerous Part Of The Nepal Earthquake–What Could Make Them Better?

In a poor country that’s rapidly urbanizing, earthquake readiness isn’t a high priority, but Nepal’s two temblors shows why it’s necessary. What can other cities and countries learn from how Nepal’s buildings fared in the quakes?

“Smart” Inhalers Are Now Monitoring All The Asthmatics Of Louisville

A new kind of air-monitoring network, courtesy of the people who can’t breathe because the smog is choking them.

Erica Mackie

For using solar to empower people.

The “Safe” Replacement To Cancer-Causing Chemicals In Pizza Boxes May Be—You Guessed It— Also Toxic

Scientists want you to know about a class of chemicals that is potentially harmful–and very difficult for consumers to avoid.

The Ridiculous Jobs Of The Digital Economy, Illustrated As Children’s Book Characters

The BusinessTown Tumblr takes the ridiculous jobs and workplace archetypes of Silicon Valley and makes them cute animals in the style of Richard Scarry.

Henry Red Cloud

For letting the sun shine on the reservation.

Danilo Leao

For knowing when the cows come home–and what they’ve been doing all day.

This Famous Solar-Powered Plane Is About To Take A Five-Day Flight Across The Pacific

Solar Impluse 2’s latest journey will take it (very slowly) from China to Hawaii–as long as it doesn’t run out of power first.

What A Secretive Military Agency Is Doing For The Future Of Global Health

As U.S. military troops wind down their Ebola mission in West Africa, DARPA’s is just ramping up.

You’ll Get Paid More Money At Work If You’re Not Neurotic

Just be chill and you’ll get that raise.

Ideas

This Database Tells You Which Bad Chemicals Are Hiding In Your Tap Water

Sam Adams Tries To Raise Up Craft Brewing By Supporting The Competition

Rick Perry Is Fighting Historical Forces In The Energy Market–He’s Going To Lose

Entertainment

Inside The Dumbest First Amendment Battle Of 2017

Julia Michaels Is Exactly What Pop Music Needs Right Now

“Stranger Things 2” and “Ready Player One” Trailers Are Peak ’80s Nostalgia

Co.Design

This Skatepark Is A Sculpture You Can Ride

This Crowdsourced Project Is Mapping Mysterious Photos Of Lost New York

Meet The Designer Who Still Leads The Bernie Sanders Resistance

Fast Company

Five Skills You’ll Rarely See In Job Postings (But Definitely Need)

How Facebook Used AI To Make The Trippy Effects In This VR Film

Long Live Microsoft Paint! It Helped My Blind Grandpa Keep Making Art