Ben Paynter
Fast Company
Charleston, SC, United States
Contact Ben
Discover and connect with journalists and influencers around the world, save time on email research, monitor the news, and more.
| Recent: |
|
| Past: |
|
Past articles by Ben:
Watch a surfer shred in the postapocalyptic wetsuit of the future
The Rising Seas wetsuit isn’t real. But it might need to be soon. → Read More
Kind pulls its fruit snacks, but begins a fight against synthetic dye
The natural-looking treats didn’t appeal to kids, and the company thinks it knows why: Kids are being taught that only brightly colored things are delicious. → Read More
Is the Gates Foundation putting toilets ahead of human rights?
The Gates Foundation is going to honor Indian prime minister Narendra Modi for his work on sanitation. Activists say his human rights record should make him unworthy of any awards. → Read More
This devastating back-to-school ad is designed to shock parents into action
Sandy Hook Promise’s latest PSA shows what your kids new gear might really be used for if people don’t do something about gun violence. → Read More
IBM just announced the 5 finalists in its competition to disrupt disaster aid
The second year of its Call for Code contest features solutions from better mapping for aid deliveries to better health monitoring for first responders. → Read More
Bill Gates says we need to focus on the places where global progress is lagging
In the Gates Foundation’s annual look at the progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, the philanthropist looks at the gaps between areas in the developing world that are improving and those that are lagging behind. → Read More
Bill Gates says we need to focus on the places where global progress is lagging
In the Gates Foundation’s annual look at the progress on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, the philanthropist looks at the gaps between areas in the developing world that are improving and those that are lagging behind. → Read More
This new program lets people text to access government food aid
A pilot program in Anchorage, Alaska, removes the bureaucracy that stands between people in need and government programs, by letting them apply with a simple text. → Read More
This new program lets people text to access government food aid
A pilot program in Anchorage, Alaska, removes the bureaucracy that stands between people in need and government programs, by letting them apply with a simple text. → Read More
Sweetgreen is putting $1 million into better school lunches
The fancy salad company is partnering with FoodCorps, which works to try to give kids more say in their school food options—and healthier choices. → Read More
There’s a new group of workers spreading organic pesticide on crops: bees
As they leave their hives, the bees get coated with a beneficial fungus that they spread to plants, which protects things like strawberries from disease. → Read More
There’s a new group of workers spreading organic pesticide on crops: bees
As they leave their hives, the bees get coated with a beneficial fungus that they spread to plants, which protects things like strawberries from disease. → Read More
The national parks system is falling apart: These diverse service corps can help fix it
Local service corps are volunteer organizations that restore and maintain trails in our national parks. They’re also a great way to get a diverse population interested in conservation. → Read More
Gallup is tracking world happiness to understand what’s really happening in the world
The polling group thinks measuring well-being is the easiest way to compare countries and see potential flash points before they start. → Read More
GoFundMe’s new site is designed to make you give more, faster
The new tweaks are intended to make it easier to see info on the progress of campaigns and give people more confidence in where the money is going. → Read More
How this former high-end chef is helping schools kick chicken nuggets off the menu
Brigaid, headed by a former Noma chef, comes into schools and fully retools their cafeterias to make healthy menus and replace the processed meals they serve students. → Read More
Bill Gates explains why he’s backing companies that change how we build
The production of materials like steel, cement, plastic, glass, and aluminum causes enormous emissions, but it’s not going to stop being necessary. Gates wants to change how we make them. → Read More
Drinking beer and killing virtual deer is now a good way to save America’s wildlife
Busch beer’s latest charity stunt involves conservation and ‘Big Buck Hunter.’ → Read More
Giving on PayPal has bucked the recent downward trends for philanthropy
What can we learn from a platform where giving is up this year, while overall giving is trending downward? → Read More
WeWork’s founder’s plan to make sure he gives away $1 billion isn’t as meaningful as it looks
If the goal isn’t reached, Adam and Rebekah Neumann will lose some of their voting shares in the company. But will they lose enough to make the structure matter? And who is measuring if the $1 billion is doing any actual good? → Read More