Chicago, IL (February 16, 2016) –World Bicycle Relief was recognized today by Fast Company when it announced its annual ranking of the world’s 50 Most Innovative Companies for 2016, honoring leading enterprises and rising newcomers that exemplify the best in nimble business and impactful innovation. Joining global nonprofit World Bicycle Relief in The World’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Africa are M-PESA, TotoHealth, Samsung Electronics, African Leadership University and more.
In the developing world, distance prevents children from attending school, the sick from receiving care, and entrepreneurs from earning enough to feed their families. World Bicycle Relief builds and distributes specially designed, locally assembled, rugged bicycles to students, healthcare workers, and entrepreneurs through study-to-own and work-to-own programs. World Bicycle Relief mobilizes individuals through The Power of Bicycles so they can overcome barriers and change their lives.
Global nonprofit World Bicycle Relief is included among a group of first-time honorees for 2016: consumer brands Hasbro and Taco Bell; large corporations CVS Health, and Bristol-Myers Squibb; rising newcomers Shyp and Robinhood; creative retail upstarts Everlane, Shopify, and Farfetch; global healthcare companies Novocure and Noora Health; entertainment leaders Sixteen String Jack Productions and Universal Studios; and mission-driven organizations Sama Group, Black Lives Matter, and Social Capital. Other honorees included in the Most Innovative Companies feature are Buzzfeed, Warby Parker, Apple, Alphabet (Google), Slack, Netflix, Fitbit, Uber and Spotify.
Most Innovative Companies is one of Fast Company’s most significant and highly anticipated editorial efforts of the year. To produce the 2016 list, the magazine’s editors spent a full year gathering and analyzing data on companies around the globe. For the first time, Fast Company enlisted machine intelligence to help inform the list: Quid, a San Francisco-based startup, used its software to create topographical maps of innovation across more than 40 sectors of the economy. This year’s package which includes top ten lists in 27 sectors emphasizes the breadth of companies with progressive, agile business models, cultures of creativity, and ability to adapt in today’s fast-paced world, said Fast Company editor Robert Safian.
Since it’s inception in 2005, World Bicycle Relief’s dedication to innovation has driven its mission to mobilize people through The Power of Bicycleså¨. Along with innovation, World Bicycle Relief has implemented rigorous measurement and evaluation monitoring that is critical to ensure effective, efficient, impactful and scalable programming.
Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies issue (March 2016) is now available online at www.fastcompany.com/MIC as well as in app form via iTunes, and on newsstands beginning February 23rd.
ABOUT FAST COMPANY
Fast Company is the world’s leading progressive business media brand, with a unique editorial focus on innovation in technology, ethical economics, leadership, and design. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, one of the U.S.’s leading media companies.
About World Bicycle Relief
Founded in 2005, World Bicycle Relief is dedicated to mobilizing people through The Power of Bicycleså¨. World Bicycle Relief accomplishes its mission by designing, manufacturing and distributing high quality bicycles that withstand the challenging terrain and conditions in rural, developing areas. Entrepreneurs use the bike to increase productivity and profits. Students attend class more regularly and their academic performances improve. And, health care workers visit more patients in less time, providing better, more consistent care. World Bicycle Relief also promotes local economies and long-term sustainability by assembling bicycles locally and training over 1,000 field mechanics. To date, World Bicycle Relief has delivered over 285,000 bicycles in Africa, Southeast Asia and South America.
For more information, please visit: www.worldbicyclerelief.org/ Follow us @PowerOfBicycles and Like us at facebook.com/worldbicyclerelief