Creative Company behind NAACP’s Invisible Hate anti-racism platform and AdventHealth’s Sound of Healing among top-ranked in Social Good category

22Squared, the independent creative and media company that pushes brands to be more, has been named to Fast Company’s prestigious annual list of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2021.

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“For us that means solving social issues, business problems and helping Brands identify a bigger role to play in the future. As an agency, we always try to put the audience first, understand their varied perspectives and create more human and meaningful solutions. ”

The list honors the businesses that have not only found a way to be resilient in the past year, but also turned those challenges into impact-making processes. These companies did more than survive, they thrived—making an impact on their industries and culture as a whole. This year’s MIC list features 463 businesses from 29 countries.

“We set a challenge for ourselves and all companies to be more,” said Erica Hoholick, president of 22squared. “For us that means solving social issues, business problems and helping Brands identify a bigger role to play in the future. As an agency, we always try to put the audience first, understand their varied perspectives and create more human and meaningful solutions.

In today’s world, it is not enough to just talk, we must act. Being a performative ally during standardized holiday months like Black History Month or LGBTQ Pride Month isn’t enough to enact positive change. As communicators who creatively interpret brand messages to large audiences, it became increasingly obvious to the 300+ person 22Squared team that the power to influence should create actionable positive behaviors.

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In 2020, 22Squared, in partnership with the NAACP Atlanta chapter, released their social justice education platform, Invisible Hate, to push for the removal of Confederate monuments across the country. This digital platform allows users to geo-locate where these hate symbols still stand, cross-reference verified racist/violent historical documentation associated with said person, allow users to digitally and visually document their own expressions about said symbols themselves, and offer easily customized templates to contact your local representative demanding its removal. Most importantly to convert observance into action, Invisible Hate allows people who want to do more to petition for the removal of Confederate Monuments all over the country with a single click. This project has gone national with numerous nonprofit partnerships and potential change to even public school education in the truth that has whitewashed the country.

As the creative company helping bring to life the humanity in household brands and nonprofits alike. 22Squared has created deeply impactful campaigns for AdventHealth with its Sound of Healing and nonprofit work with organizations like The AdCouncil and other NAACP initiatives. We have also created a platform to give our employees a bigger megaphone to talk about issues that impact them with our Hear Me Now series.

Fast Company’s editors and writers sought out the most groundbreaking businesses across the globe and industries. They also judged nominations received through their application process.

The World’s Most Innovative Companies is Fast Company’s signature franchise and one of its most highly anticipated editorial efforts of the year. It provides both a snapshot and a road map for the future of innovation across the most dynamic sectors of the economy.

“In a year of unprecedented challenges, the companies on this list exhibit fearlessness, ingenuity, and creativity in the face of crisis,” said Fast Company Deputy Editor David Lidsky, who oversaw the issue with Senior Editor Amy Farley.

To coincide with the issue launch, Fast Company will host its first-ever Most Innovative Companies Summit on March 9 and 10. This virtual, multiday summit will celebrate the Most Innovative Companies in business, provide an early look at major business trends, and offer the inspiration and practical insights on what it takes to innovate in 2021.