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After Chobani owner and CEO Hamdi Ulukaya and his wife welcomed a baby in late 2015, he started to wonder whether his company was fully supporting its employees as they became parents. When he returned to work, he inquired about the companys parental leave policy. I asked, what happens at Chobani when someone has a baby or a new member of their families? Ulukaya recalled. The response was: We don’t have [a policy]. We have disability insurance. That insurance in New York offers up to 75% coverage for six weeks, basically. And that’s what we offered for birthing parents. Ulukaya says he was shocked and immediately asked his team what they could do differently. That prompted a major change at Chobani: In 2016, the company started offering six weeks of fully paid leave for all full-time workersincluding those in its manufacturing facilitieswith the option of adding an additional six weeks at partial pay. Chobani’s new parental leave policy The company found that many birthing parents would take the full 12 weeks of leave, with some workers even tacking on an additional six weeks through short-term disability. As of this week, Chobani is expanding its leave policy further by offering 12 weeks of fully paid leave for all new parents, including those who are fostering or adopting a child. Birthing parents will have access to a total of 18 weeks paid leave, since Chobani will also cover six weeks of short-term-disability leave at 100% pay for any reasonand the new policies will apply to all full-time and part-time employees who work at least 24 hours per week. Anything you do [for] your employeesanythingis an investment, Ulukaya says. It comes back 100% from my experience . . . People know that Chobani has been present on all kinds of social issues, but we start with our own people first. Investing in your people, recognizing the needs of your people, and being there with your people, especially frontline and factory [workers], is really the competitive advantage. “This is good for business” Chobani has long been known for its progressive workplace policies, from hiring refugees and paying competitive wages to giving its employees a stake in the companys future through an equity-sharing program. Even so, the parental leave policy has been one of the most popular benefits offered by Chobani, according to Ulukayaand it has also helped the company attract new talent. A lot of people come in and say, ‘I just got married, or I’m planning on [starting] a family,’ he says. ’Learning about your parenting policy, it was really attractive to come and join you.’ It’s massively important for a lot of people. Its a message Ulukaya also passes along to his peers in the business world. I tell my colleagues and other CEOs: This is good for business, he says. It’s not just a handout. When you have policies like this, what it does to your company is magical. The new update to its leave policy also makes Chobani somewhat of an outlier in the manufacturing space. A 2023 survey by the Institute for Womens Policy Research found that a little more than half the respondents had some access to paid family leave. While a significant portion of people with young children (78%) reported having paid maternity leave, far fewer (46%) were entitled to paternity leave. More broadly, paid leave is still hard to come by at many workplaces in the country: As of 2024, only 31% of full-time employees and 14% of part-time employees had access to the benefit. “We could fix this” Some companies that offer more generous leave distinguish between corporate employees and hourly workersthough there are exceptions. Starbucks recently made a similar update to its policy, increasing paid leave for birthing parents to 18 weeks and 12 weeks for all other new parents. Amazon, on the other hand, provides 20 weeks of paid leave to all birthing parents (including hourly workers), though the company offers only six weeks of leave to other new parents or those who adopt. While there has been little progress on a federal paid leave policy since the pandemic, states have continued adopting legislation that has expanded coverage for many workers. Thirteen states and Washington, D.C., have now passed legislation that mandates paid leave. Still, most state laws only guarantee partial payand the onerous process of applying for leave stops many workers from taking advantage of those policies. Cultural norms also hold men back from taking leave, even when they’re entitled to do so. With the latest changes at Chobani, Ulukaya is hopeful that lawmakers and business leaders alike will take notice. We do a lot of things at Chobani [that] I don’t really see the value of talking about, he says. I talk about this because I’m hoping that this could impact other businesses and policy makers and society. It doesn’t matter who you are and what kind of view you have when it comes to politics. This is something [where] we can all unite, and we could really fix this.
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The correlation between reduced crime rates and thriving communities is profound. Lower crime not only ensures the safety of residents but also sets off a chain reaction of positive outcomes that enhance the overall quality of life. In short, crime reduction touches not only the potential would-be victims and families. It also touches the entire neighborhood and community that may not even directly understand the downstream effects. Weve observed this time and time again over the past 8 years in building Flock Safety, a technology company that builds tools to solve and reduce crime. When cities feel the impact of lower crime, its reflected across every aspect of daily life. Here are five downstream areas that can feel the effects. 1. Economic growth and job creation A safe environment is a fertile ground for economic development. Businesses are more likely to invest in areas where crime rates are low, leading to job creation and economic prosperity. Conversely, high crime rates can deter investment and prompt existing businesses to relocate, resulting in job losses and economic decline. A 2021 study tracking the impact of crime on local businesses found that the estimated effects of property crime and outdoor crimes on consumer visits in the following month are negative, meaningful and strongly significant. 2. Housing and urban development Safety plays a crucial role in the housing market. Communities with lower crime rates experience higher property values and increased homeownership rates. This not only benefits homeowners but also attracts real estate development, leading to improved infrastructure and amenities in a self-perpetuating benefit cycle. A report by the Center for American Progress highlighted that the largest economic benefits of reducing violent crime arise from the impact on housing values, as safer neighborhoods become more desirable places to live. On average, a reduction in a given year of one homicide in a ZIP code was correlated with a 1.5% increase in housing values in that same ZIP code the following year. 3. Public health and well-being The link between public safety and public health is undeniable. Communities free from violence experience better physical and mental health outcomes. Some of these effects are quite directone study tracked a 1% decrease in neighborhood violent crime was associated with a 0.21% decrease in cardiovascular death rateswhile others center around a general sense of well-being. The absence of crime fosters a sense of security, reducing stress and anxiety. Moreover, safe neighborhoods encourage outdoor activities, social interactions, and community engagement, all of which contribute to overall well-being. 4. Educational opportunities Safety is a fundamental prerequisite for effective education. Students in secure environments are more likely to attend school regularly and perform better academically. A controlled study with the New York City Department of Education and the New York City Police Department identified that exposure to violence in students neighborhoods and an unsafe climate at school led to substantial test score losses. And lower crime creates a positive feedback loop where education leads to better job opportunities, further contributing to community prosperity. 5. Community cohesion and trust Effective public safety outcomes, specifically reduced crime, fosters trust among community members and between residents and law enforcement. This trust is essential for community programs, local governance, and collective efficacy. When people feel safe, they are more likely to participate in community activities, support local businesses, and engage in civic duties, all of which strengthen the social fabric. The ripple effects of reduced crime are vast and transformative. From economic growth and improved public health to stronger community bonds and enhanced educational outcomes, safety is the cornerstone of thriving communities. Garrett Langley is founder and CEO of Flock Safety. The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual membership dues for access to peer learning and thought leadership opportunities, events and more.
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At a recent groundbreaking for one of our data center campuses, three members of the community told our team, Great, were going to get a Trader Joes now. It may sound funny, but this is one small part of the data center effect. Having Starbucks and Whole Foods establishments in the neighborhood famously have been associated with higher property values. Data centers also boost the communities where theyre located, by creating jobs and supporting revitalization efforts, for example. Of course, the industry faces criticism too, often based on outdated perceptions that dont reflect advances in design and sustainability. But public opinion is shiftingpartly thanks to growing recognition of data centers vital role as the digital backbone of the economy and helping enable AI. Those who havent seen the data center effect in their community may soon. As of last year, the U.S. was home to almost 5,400 data centers. With facilities under construction expected to reach a new high in 2025 and demand projected to grow almost 10% annually through 2030, development is picking up outside urban cores and in secondary markets. Here are some of the overlooked ways that data centers are transforming the communities where they operate. 1. They are driving the shift to green power Data centers are pivotal in the transition to green energy. This is part of a broader sustainability push, as the industry aims to shrink its environmental footprint while diversifying power sources to keep up with AIs demand. In fact, our company gets 100% of its electricity from zero-carbon renewable energy. To cool equipment, we leverage a closed-loop system that uses little or no outside water. We also prefabricate electrical and mechanical infrastructure, dramatically reducing waste and minimizing on-site construction. In our home state of Texas and elsewhere, data center providers are seeking more renewable options and funding their development. For example, hyperscalers Amazon, Google, and Microsoft invest heavily in clean energy sources such as wind, solar, and nuclear. By 2029, the U.S. sustainable data center market is expected to double, topping $35 billion. Thanks to such efforts, energy is becoming cheaper and greener, benefiting local communities and society at large. In 2023, 81% of new utility-scale renewable energy projects had lower costs than fossil fuelpowered alternatives. As the price of going green keeps falling, consumers will reap the rewards. 2. Data centers boost the local labor market Like any business that sets up shop in a community, data centers create jobs for local people. We see it in DallasFort Worth, where providers are generating employment opportunities and attracting new talent. As the industry grapples with a labor shortage, reskilling is crucial. In addition to hiring trade school grads to build and maintain our facilities, weve filled key technical roles by retraining skilled military veterans. The impact on local labor markets can be profound. In Virginia in 2023, the data center industry provided more than 26,000 operational and construction jobs. In total, it supported some 78,000 jobs, delivering $6.2 billion in pay and benefits and $31.4 billion in economic output. Not including construction, each job in a Virginia data center supports 3.5 more. Data center providers are also partnering with post-secondary institutions to back industry-specific offerings. I sit on the advisory board of Southern Methodist Universitys Master of Data Center Systems Engineering program, one of the few degrees of its kind. 3. Data centers attract other businesses Data centers exert their own gravitational pull, drawing other companies to the communities where they establish roots. In fact, the surge in new projects recently prompted Wyndham Hotels & Resorts to open properties near data centers. When a hyperscale data center moves into a market, businesses that support its services follow. If the applications using that facility are latency-sensitive, the need for speed pushes companies to locate nearby, too. The result can be a new business ecosystem for some communities and regions. In Virginia, the companies serving data centers include those in power distribution and management, IT hardware, cybersecurity, design, construction, and management consulting. The cybersecurity that local data centers provide is another business magnet. Meeting the security needs of industries with strict data privacy and storage rules, such as healthcare and financial servicesas well as players in the AI arms raceis driving expansion. For customers, data protection combined with zero downtime is a powerful draw. 4. Data centers deliver broader economic benefits When a data center comes to town, the ripple effects are far-reaching.One perk? Better public infrastructure. Upgrades to roads, broadband, power transmission, and other needed services can improve residents quality of life. Data center companies can also breathe new life into long-dormant districts, redeveloping brownfields into new campuses. For local governments, data centers can be a major revenue source. Because theyre taxed locally but serve customers globally, they bring in tax revenue from outside. In Virginia in 2022 alone, the industry paid $640 million and $1 billion, respectively, in state and municipal taxes. When using public services, data centers have a high fiscal benefittocost ratio. In Loudoun County, for every dollar of local public services required, data centers ay about $26, versus roughly $4 for manufacturing plants. 5. Data centers create community partnership opportunities In many cases, the data center industry enriches communities by giving back. Being a good neighbor requires asking residents what contributions they need and working with them to deliver. Weve partnered with a nonprofit to support reforestation near our campuses, teamed up to educate students on industry careers, and provided donations to organizations supporting families in need. As the data center industry keeps growing, many more communities and state and local governments will find themselves approached by providers. Of course, each must make the decision thats right for them. But the data center effect is worth considering. The industry still has work to do, but data centers can help build strong local economies with more opportunities for people and businessesand, perhaps, even get their own Trader Joes. Andrew Schaap is CEO of Aligned Data Centers. The Fast Company Impact Council is a private membership community of influential leaders, experts, executives, and entrepreneurs who share their insights with our audience. Members pay annual membership dues for access to peer learning and thought leadership opportunities, events and more.
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