Fast Company (magazine)
Encyclopedia
Fast Company is a full-color business magazine that releases 10 issues per year and reports on topics including innovation, digital media, technology, change management, leadership, design, and social responsibility. Fast Companys current editor is Bob Safian, a veteran of Fortune
and SmartMoney
.
, two former Harvard Business Review
editors. The publication began with $550,000 in funding from 11 individuals, raised to create a prototype.
In 1997, Fast Company created an online social network, the "Company of Friends" which spawned a number of groups that began meeting in person.
In 2000, Fast Company was sold to Gruner + Jahr
, majority owned by media giant Bertelsmann
, for $350 million. At the time this was the second largest amount for any US magazine in history. G&J sold the magazine in 2005 and shortly thereafter exited the U.S. magazine market.
In 2011, Fast Company redesigned their website, and provided an online app that allows users to view all articles posted electronically and allows users to view magazine articles with a subscription code. The site has a global rank of 1,769 (US: 728). The articles on the site are divided into four main groups (Technology, Design, Leadership, and Ethonomics). The site is updated frequently with new articles and content. The site also displays infographics
.
, the founder and CEO of mutual fund
rating company Morningstar, Inc.
. Mansueto became a billionaire and joined the Forbes 400
list of the richest Americans when Morningstar went public in 2005. Mansueto Ventures also owns Fast Companys sister publication, Inc. magazine, which is dedicated to covering growing businesses and entrepreneurs.
FastCompany.com operates as a network of sites with Inc.com and is a member of the Online Publishers Association. The website features FC Now, which launched in 2002, and was one of the first staff-written blogs maintained by a print magazine.
Regular features include "Made to Stick" by Chip Heath and Dan Heath, "Do Something" by Nancy Lublin, and short profiles in a section of the magazine called "Next."
Fortune (magazine)
Fortune is a global business magazine published by Time Inc. Founded by Henry Luce in 1930, the publishing business, consisting of Time, Life, Fortune, and Sports Illustrated, grew to become Time Warner. In turn, AOL grew as it acquired Time Warner in 2000 when Time Warner was the world's largest...
and SmartMoney
SmartMoney
SmartMoney The Wall Street Journal Magazine of Personal Business was launched in 1992 by Hearst Corporation and Dow Jones & Company. In 2010, Hearst sold its stake to Dow Jones. Its first editor was Norman Pearlstine....
.
Origins and history
Fast Company was launched in November 1995 by Alan Webber and Bill TaylorBill Taylor (businessman)
William C. "Bill" Taylor is co-founder and editor of Fast Company Magazine. He is a former editor of the Harvard Business Review. He is an adjunct professor at Babson College and wrote a column in the Money section of The Guardian newspaper....
, two former Harvard Business Review
Harvard Business Review
Harvard Business Review is a general management magazine published since 1922 by Harvard Business School Publishing, owned by the Harvard Business School. A monthly research-based magazine written for business practitioners, it claims a high ranking business readership among academics, executives,...
editors. The publication began with $550,000 in funding from 11 individuals, raised to create a prototype.
In 1997, Fast Company created an online social network, the "Company of Friends" which spawned a number of groups that began meeting in person.
In 2000, Fast Company was sold to Gruner + Jahr
Gruner + Jahr
Gruner + Jahr GmbH & Co. KG is the largest European printing and publishing firm. Its headquarters is in Hamburg, Germany.-History:Originally founded on August 1, 1948 as the Henri Nannen publishing house, Gruner + Jahr was created in 1965 from a merger by acquisition, by publishers John Jahr Sr....
, majority owned by media giant Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann AG is a multinational media corporation founded in 1835, based in Gütersloh, Germany. The company operates in 63 countries and employs 102,983 workers , which makes it the most international media corporation in the world. In 2008 the company reported a €16.118 billion consolidated...
, for $350 million. At the time this was the second largest amount for any US magazine in history. G&J sold the magazine in 2005 and shortly thereafter exited the U.S. magazine market.
In 2011, Fast Company redesigned their website, and provided an online app that allows users to view all articles posted electronically and allows users to view magazine articles with a subscription code. The site has a global rank of 1,769 (US: 728). The articles on the site are divided into four main groups (Technology, Design, Leadership, and Ethonomics). The site is updated frequently with new articles and content. The site also displays infographics
Information graphics
Information graphics or infographics are graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge. These graphics present complex information quickly and clearly, such as in signs, maps, journalism, technical writing, and education...
.
Current activity
The magazine and its website are now owned by Mansueto Ventures, a private media company controlled by Joe MansuetoJoe Mansueto
Joseph D. Mansueto is the founder and CEO of Morningstar, Inc.. In 2011, his majority ownership of Morningstar gained him inclusion on the Forbes World's Billionaires list, with a net worth at time of publication of $1.6 billion....
, the founder and CEO of mutual fund
Mutual fund
A mutual fund is a professionally managed type of collective investment scheme that pools money from many investors to buy stocks, bonds, short-term money market instruments, and/or other securities.- Overview :...
rating company Morningstar, Inc.
Morningstar, Inc.
Morningstar, Inc. is an independent investment research company based in Chicago, Illinois, USA.-Businesses:Morningstar, Inc. is a leading provider of independent investment research in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. The company offers an extensive line of products and services for...
. Mansueto became a billionaire and joined the Forbes 400
Forbes 400
The Forbes 400 or 400 Richest Americans is a list published by Forbes Magazine magazine of the wealthiest 400 Americans, ranked by net worth. The list is published annually in September, and 2010 marks the 29th issue. The 400 was started by Malcom Forbes in 1982 and treats those in the list like...
list of the richest Americans when Morningstar went public in 2005. Mansueto Ventures also owns Fast Companys sister publication, Inc. magazine, which is dedicated to covering growing businesses and entrepreneurs.
FastCompany.com operates as a network of sites with Inc.com and is a member of the Online Publishers Association. The website features FC Now, which launched in 2002, and was one of the first staff-written blogs maintained by a print magazine.
Regular features include "Made to Stick" by Chip Heath and Dan Heath, "Do Something" by Nancy Lublin, and short profiles in a section of the magazine called "Next."