Thereisauniquemomenttorebuildtheworldbetterthanitwasbeforethepandemic, andrealizingthatgoalwillmeanexpandingourdefinitionofvaluetoincludehowwell peoplethrive,theimpactleftontheenvironment,growinginclusivity,andmore. When technology, ambition, and a commitment Evenpriorthepandemicotherleadershavebeen Imaginebuyingacoffeeandbeingable to people converge, the impossible becomes widening their vision of who their stakeholders to see—and trust—its full production history. attainable. Early in the pandemic it was clear are and ingraining those commitments into the You could guarantee that sustainable material thatmanyworkforcesweregoingtobestuck fabric of their business. For instance, Danone was used in the packaging, confirm the absence in limbo. Some industries, like airlines and published its fiscal year-end results with a of allergens, be assured of ethical practices in hospitality, suddenly had next to no customers “carbon-adjusted” evolution to their earning production, and more. In the past, providing and a surplus of talented employees. Other per share to ensure environmental impact this level of visibility for any and every product areas, like technology and customer service, was included when assessing the company’s would have seemed far-fetched. But emerging had surging demand and existing staff couldn’t 20 In light of protests that brought technology solutions are making it increasingly profitability. keepup.Torespondtothisimbalance,thechief awareness to racial inequality, Walmart underwent feasible, allowing companies to build trust with human resources officers from Accenture, Lincoln an audit of its diversity and hiring practice, customersinunprecedented ways. Financial Group, ServiceNow, and Verizon jointly prioritized relationships with minority-owned createdadigitalplatform toconnect workers suppliers, and committed $100 million to 19 The platform, called People + 21 with new roles. establishinga center for racial equity. Work Connect, maps out employees available for work and roles that need to be filled, letting Andwiththeiraccelerateddigitaltransformations, HR professionals from different companies enterprisescanattack someofthedeepest- collaboratively fill talent needs across their set challenges the world faces. As efforts like organizationsandkeepmorepeopleemployed. sustainability and conscientious consumption become top initiatives, technology offers a foundationfromwhichtoachievethosegoals.