One of the biggest opportunities for folks who want to make an impact through entrepreneurship is to tackle things that Corporate America has gotten wrong and so we’ve asked some of the best and brightest in the community to share examples of what Corporate America is getting wrong in their industries.

MASAYUKI UMEMURA

What I believe Corporate America often overlooks in the cleaning industry is the human element—the care, pride, and attention to detail that transforms cleaning from a task into a craft. In many cases, cleaning services are treated purely as a cost or logistical necessity, with a focus on speed and efficiency over quality and heart. But in Japan, we approach cleaning differently—it’s about creating “KIREI,” a concept that goes beyond surface-level cleanliness to touch the heart and soul of a space. Read more>>

Leah Arnold-Smeets

Corporate America has conditioned us to live externally, measuring success through titles, salaries, competition, and comparison. We chase recognition and the next big milestone, believing that once we attain enough, we’ll finally feel fulfilled. But the more we achieve, the further we drift from our own internal wants, needs, and truths. We are so focused on doing that we forget about being. The “I’ll be happy when” mentality keeps people stuck in an endless cycle of striving, only to reach the top of the ladder and realize how lonely and unfulfilling it actually is. There will always be another level to reach, another goal to chase, and another metric to hit. If success is always just one step away, are we ever truly successful? Read more>>

Astrid Storey

Job postings for graphic designers read like a wishlist for an entire creative department—branding expert, UX/UI designer, animator, social media strategist, copywriter, web developer, and somehow, also a marketing analyst. Oh, and all for the price of an entry-level salary with “must have 7+ years of experience” tacked on. It’s the ultimate creative unicorn fantasy, except the only thing magical about it is how out of touch it is. Graphic design is already a highly skilled profession—asking for everything else on top of it is just corporate trying to get champagne results on a tap water budget. Read more>>