If we took everything at face value, todays media headlines, studies, and overall assumptions about the next generation currently entering the workforce could be considered true. Unreliable. Entitled. Difficult to work with. Zero work ethic. Screen-obsessed, except on Zoom calls because their cameras are always off. Unwilling to work in the office or collaborate with others.
These are just a few of the stereotypes overshadowing Gen Z, the youngest generation in the workforce and, apparently, the bane of business leaders around the world.
Personal Experience
They also remind me of what I personally experienced when I started my professional career in the late 2000s.
My first professional opportunities were often marked by generational biases and unintentional leaders who made it more difficult to grow my skills and gain the experiences necessary to mature as a leader. I was told I didnt look like a leader and that I looked more like a celebrity or influencer than a traditional businessperson, which is both inappropriate and unhelpful.
Its also a bad reason to decline to provide the proper coaching or professional development opportunities that would have helped young professionals like me thrive.
As a millennial and the leader of a New York City-based public relations agency, I also have my own unique experience breaking out as a young founder. I often navigated client meetings, partner negotiations, and overall business operations. I had to be the most strategically minded person in the room while simultaneously being the youngest person there.
Collectively, these experiences prompted me to cultivate a different culture for the next generation. They shaped my approach to leadership and mentorship.
More Than a Stereotype
As a leader always looking for new PR talent, I often received comments about how mature and advanced my leadership abilities were for someone my age, especially as a young senior leader.
People were surprised that someone from my generation could be at the advanced stage at which I found myself in my career. I have since taken that learning and applied it to the young professionals who I manage today.
In other words, I infuse in them the expectationversus the surprise or doubtthat they can advance as quickly as they can put their mind in action to do so.
No assumptions
As Gen Z navigates the complicated professional world following the 2020 pandemic disruption to their educational and personal lives that no other generation since the early 1900s flu epidemic had to navigate, I take any and all assumptions about this generation with a grain of salt. Im placing a deep investment in helping them realize their dreams.
I’m not surprised that leaders in todays business world, almost like incumbents, are raising red flags about the new arrivals, mistaking differences for deterrents. That’s been true of every new generation to enter the workforce.
These leaders undermine not only their industries but also the broader business landscape and, ultimately, the very companies they claim to serve, forgetting that today’s entry-level employees are tomorrow’s breakthrough innovators, mid- or senior-level managers, and changemakers.
An opportunity and obligation
Amid all the negative buzz on the state of Gen Z workers, so many overlook that Gen Z brings real value to the table right now.
As leaders, we have the opportunity and the obligation to seek out aspirational talent, treat them like who they could become, and meet them where they are as the ultimate support approach to help them get to where they ultimately could be.
If leaders arent flexible enough to connect with and bridge differences in the workplace, collaborate more effectively, and help raise the next generation of talent to the highest level, they have lost the most important aspect of cutting-edge leadership: the ability to adapt to a continuously changing environment while continuing to lead effectively.
That means inducting the next generation into America’s workforce with open arms, open hearts, and a teachable mindset.
But How?
Todays leaders must stop focusing on Gen Zs divisive stereotypes. They need to start focusing on the individuals they meetwho may be from any generation, but especially this generationto unlock their unmistakable talent and innovative potential.
Heres how.
1. Start Early
Focus on cultivating talent at the internship level.
For burgeoning professionals, the word is out: Internships matter, and they are clamoring for hands-on learning opportunities.
At my agency, we receive a deluge of applications every season, selecting just a handful for an interview. Only a few will receive an internship offer.
This selectivity allows us to best invest our time and attention in every intern. We spend a lot of time ensuring each intern fully understands the task at hand, so they can work for us and with us, not just complete low-level tasks without guidance or growth-minded intention.
We value our interns in the same way we value all our team members.
While some will find that PR isnt their thing (and you will find that some of your interns are not the right fit for your company or industry), others will become rock stars who we want to cultivate into full-time team members.
Ultimately, we want our interns to know exactly what its like to work at a PR agency so that whether we hire them or they move on to the next opportunity, they are in a position to succeed.
Everyone benefits when we take this approach.
2. Mentor at Each Phase
Mentorship is for everyone. Whether seasoned executives or fresh faces out of college, we all have room to grow.
Even as the owner of the company, theres still work to do.
This isnt diminutive. Its empowering.
Mentoring gives the right guidance to the right people at the right time so they feel successful at work, value their position, and want to stay longer. Its a win-win-win.
Practically, effective mentoring empowers executive decision-making by stepping back and being available but at the same time making Gen Z-age professionals accountable for making decisions.
3. Invest in Connection
As a busy leader, connecting with people often feels like the last thing I can smash into my schedule. Its also the most important.
With my team, daily personal engagement consists of team touch bases at 9:30 a.m. Eastern time (10:30 a.m. on Fridays) and 4 p.m. Eastern time Monday through Thursday, with an additional casual 12:15 p.m. meeting for water cooler discussions.
The team operates virtually with set hours from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Eastern time, balancing structured connection points that typically last 20 to 30 minutes, with flexibility for personal appointments and family needs.
4. Prioritize Recreation and Celebration
Regardless of generation, people want to be seen. Thats why we prioritize recreation and celebration
Notably, for every birthday and work anniversary, we send flowers to employees and make birthdays special with social media shout-outs and advance planning to ensure proper recognition.
Our team also holds two major annual celebrationsa summer retreat and family partyand we invest our time and money to give employees time away from work to feel celebrated and acknowledged for their hard work throughout the year.
All these celebrations are deliberately planned to make employees feel special and valued, with an emphasis on ensuring these are genuine breaks from work responsibilities.
5. Live by Example
At the end of the day, teaching is only as effective as your practice. Even as Gen Zers develop their own opinions, perspectives, and preferences, they are looking at leaders and taking notes.
For my staff, this means that on vacation time, we prioritize true disconnection, requiring employees to set up out-of-office documents and making it a team effort to avoid contacting vacationing colleagues unless the situation is urgent, which I demonstrate by being unavailable during my own vacations.
Outside of business hours, I don’t contact employees unless it’s urgent, believing people need downtime to feel fresh for the next day, and we actively avoid blurring lines between personal and work life to prevent frustration.
What we do is more valuable than what we say, so we should take care to practice what we preach.
Ready or Not
Gen Z workers arent on their way. They are here. Now.
We can continue to accentuate their most sensational characteristics, or we can get to work, recognizing that every new generation brings unique values, perspectives, and competencies to the workforce.
We can cultivate these through intentional mentorship, structured support, and genuine investment in their growth. As a business leader, Ive discovered that Gen Z brings fresh perspectives, digital fluency, and innovative thinking to our organization.
Their approach to work-life integration, commitment to purpose-driven careers, and ability to adapt to rapid change aren’t weaknesses. As the older range of the Gen Z generation approaches their mid-twenties in 2025, they need to be recognized as assets that we should all embrace and integrate now because, ready or not, Gen Z is part of todays workforce, and only moving upward from here.
On June 27, Lululemon filed a lawsuit alleging that Costco has infringed on its copyright with several knockoff athleisure products. Its just the latest chapter in a story of dupe design thats plagued Lululemon for years.
According to documents filed with the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Lululemon takes issue with a number of Costco products that it says are intended to mimic its popular designs, including the $128 Define jacket, the $118 Scuba oversize half-zip hoodie, and the $128 ABC trouser. The documents lay out an in-depth explanation for Lululemon’s identification of these dupes, pointing to details like the ornamental lines on the front of the Define jacket and the construction of the ABC pants back seam as examples of intellectual property copied by Costco in its own line of jackets and pants.
As details of the lawsuit emerge, the overwhelming majority of commenters on social media are landing firmly on Costcos side of this debate. It seems that dupe design culture is becoming so normalized that many consumers view it as standard practice.
Lululemon and the rise of dupe culture
In recent years, dupe design culture has been taking over the way we shop. From makeup brand copycats to luxury furniture look-alikes and fragrance knockoffs, its likely that if youve been in the market for a higher-end product recently youve stumbled across a cheaper version of said product that seems suspiciously familiar.
For Lululemon, this cycle is turning into a tale as old as time. On TikTok, the hashtag #lululemondupe currently yields more than 11,000 videos; videos of affordable dupes of Lululemon products routinely garner hundreds of thousands of views.
Lululemon points to this trend in its suit against Costco. There is even a hashtag LululemonDupes on social media platforms such as TikTok that social media influencers use when promoting these copycat products, the documents read. The Infringing Products create an improper association with [Lululemons] authentic products.
According to the U.S. Copyright Office, copyright infringement occurs “when a copyrighted work is reproduced, distributed, performed, publicly displayed, or made into a derivative work without the permission of the copyright owner.”
That can look different depending on the industry, but in the fashion world it generally protects patented clothing designs that are artistic rather than utilitarian in nature. For example, Lululemon argues in its lawsuit that the ornamental features of the Define jacket are “not essential to the function of the product,” meaning those features are not a “competitive necessity” for other companies’ apparel products, and therefore should belong to Lululemon alone.
This isnt the first time Lululemon has stood up against alleged copycats. Back in 2021, the brand filed a lawsuit against Pelotona former collaboratorarguing that the fitness company had stolen its womens athleisure designs, a claim that was ultimately settled out of court in 2022. Lululemon then took a softer tack against dupes in 2023, when it hosted an event encouraging consumers with Lululemon dupes to trade them in for the real thing.
Its a trend we dont see going away anytime soon. So we decided to actually lean in and embrace it, rather than pretend its not there, Nikki Neuburger, Lululemons chief brand officer, told Fast Company at the time.
The internet sides with Costco
Now Lululemon is once again objecting to what it sees as infringing designs, but in the court of public opinion, it appears the brand has already lost.
On TikTok, one video from the user @thatssority explained Lululemons argument that Costcos alleged infringing products might cause customer confusion. Per the actual legal filing, Upon information and belief, some customers incorrectly believe these Infringing Products are authentic lululemon apparel while still other customers specifically purchase the Infringing Products because they are difficult to distinguish from authentic lululemon products. (Potential customer confusion is often the basis for trademark infringement litigation as well.)
Several commenters took issue with Lululemons assertion that Costcos products might be confused for theirs: Not a single person has ever been confused about if theyre buying lulu or kirkland, one comment with more than 30,000 likes reads. Boycott lululemon because I dont play about Costco, another adds.
Explanatory TikToks from news sources like ABC 7 LA and CBS Mornings have garnered an influx of similar responses, with commenters largely expressing their frustration at Lululemons prices, pledging their support for Costco, and echoing the idea that no one would ever mistake Costco apparel for Lululemon.
While dupes have certainly been around for a while, it appears that the threshold for public acceptance of these products is getting lowerespecially when the dupes are targeting a major corporation like Lululemon rather than a small business.
More than half of Americans now use a chatbot, with an increasing number of people replacing search engines with large language model (LLM)-powered chat queries to navigate the web and find answers. In general, the quality of these outputs is improving as the underlying models get better.
However, the challenge of processing so much information means AI models sometimes misfire, hallucinating detailsincluding website URLs. One analysis of 18,000 landing page visits from ChatGPT found that the AI system included the wrong URL in roughly one out of every 33 links. Sometimes, the mistake is just a single letter off; other times, the URL is entirely fabricated. The result is that website hosts are beginning to adapt, trying to capture this traffic and redirect it to the intended target.
From designing new 404 error pages that explain what may have gone wrong and offer contextual links, to creating on-the-fly contentoften with the help of AI tools themselvesvarious strategies are being deployed. These efforts arent quite AI engine optimization, the anticipated successor to traditional search engine optimization (SEO), but they reflect a growing urgency as users shift from Google searches to chatbot interactions. They’re an attempt to acknowledge and improve the experience of those who land on websites via AI hallucinations or errors.
Jack Arturo, who runs WP Fusion, a WordPress plug-in, has noticed the impact of artificial intelligence on traffic to his site. Data shared with Fast Company shows that in September 2024, ChatGPT was responsible for less than 0.5% of his referral traffic. A year ago, it didnt really exist as a referrer, he explains. But if we go for the last 30 days, its number threewell, actually, really number two, after Google, because these are direct visits, he says.
Most of the AI chatbot traffic Arturo receives is directed to live pages. But in line with broader trends, about three out of every 100 links are broken. Until recently, those users landed on WP Fusions standard 404 page, similar to many others that have existed on the web for decades. It informs visitors that something went wrong and the page cant be found, suggesting they use the on-site search tool to locate what theyre looking for. Still, it seemed like a missed opportunity to auto-redirect a chatbot-referred visitor to something more relevant than a generic Ooops message.
To address that, Arturo built an AI-powered system that generates content for nonexistent pages that users were sent to. We know what they’re looking for based on the title, Arturo explains. Why not just generate something for them?
The system took only about an hour to set up, but Arturo believes the time was well spent and expects future enhancements will be, too. We see the traffic increasing consistently from those sources, he says. I think it’s worth spending some time and getting it right, and then we’ve open-sourced it, so ideally, other people would contribute.
SEO experts agree that website owners will need to adapt as AI chatbots become more embedded in everyday browsing. LLMs have a tendency to hallucinate URLs that dont exist, so if the user clicks on them, they will land on your 404 page, says SEO expert Lily Ray. This makes it important for site owners to rethink how 404 pages function and to guide users toward the content they were originally seeking.
The best way to provide an optimal UX [user experience] on 404 pages is to provide messaging about the content not being found and include links to important pages on the site, says Ray, who also suggests incorporating standard site navigation into the 404 page template.
Arturo, for his part, acknowledges this is yet another case of AI systems creating new challenges for those not involved in their development. It would be nice if it sent them to the correct page, he says. But he adds that even AI companies may not fully understand how their models behave and may not be able to fix the issue right away. Until they fix itif they can fix itwe just have to kind of adapt and work around it.
Janet Feldman spent 20 years working in footwear. As VP of her family’s business, she flew to Asia, supervised factory operations, and negotiated with suppliers. Then her father had a stroke, and her life took a twist.
All of his life, Feldman’s father had been staunchly independent. Now, he struggled to get get up from a chair without a helping hand. Feldman bought all of the lift recliners she could find on the market. These chairs were designed to help people transition between sitting and standing by tilting their entire bodies forward, but none of them fit the bill. Some were monstrously big. Others were plain ugly. Every single one of them reclined in such a way that her father slid out of it when he reclined. Then Feldman came to a resolve. “Finally, I said, you know what? I’ll make my own chair,” she recalls.
Feldman saw a gap in the market for a chair that performs better than any other lift chairand looks good while doing it. “I wanted to have a beautiful chair that anybody would be proud to have in the living room. She left her family business, and in 2014, started her own company, called Assistance With Elegance.
Ten years, eight patents, and a pandemic later, she is now launching her company’s first product: the Awe chair. While other lift chairs push up from the floor, the Awe chair never leaves the ground. The only thing that lifts is the seat itself, which makes for a much more elegant experience. To prevent anyone from sliding out, the chair comes with an ingenious footrest that glides out as the chair reclines and scoops up your feet into place. It took 10 years to make, and two years to figure out the footrest alone. Its cost is $10,000.
A chair for the “silver tsunami”
When Feldman became her father’s caregiver, she noticed that people, including doctors, started to look at her instead of him. “Old people, they’re invisible,” she told me. “Nobody wants to look at old people because nobody wants to be old, and it’s sad to look at what we’re all going to be.”
It’s high time we started looking, because 73 million Americans, or one-quarter of the U.S. population today, is between 60 and 78 years old. By 2035, the Census Bureau estimates that older adults will outnumber American minors. The so-called silver tsunami is projected to fuel an economic boom: By 2050, people over 50 are projected to generate more than $28trillion globally.
And yet, the elderly are still largely left out of design meetings. They’re seldom the target audience for new product launches.
Over the past few years, the tide has been turning, albeit slowly. Independent designers like Sarah Hossli and Lanzavecchia + Wai have each designed their own version of a chair that helps the elderly get up with dignity and grace. More broadly, Remsen makes pill containers that look like jewelry boxes. Boom Home Medical makes pastel-colored bedside urinals that look like flower vases. Can Go specializes in high-tech smart canes with GPS and activity tracking, an integrated flashlight, and cellular data for emergency phone calls.
The Awe chair sits within this ecosystem, and Feldman hopes to keep expanding the offerings. “We do realize that not everybody’s going to like a club chair. Some people might want much more modern designs,” she says. “It was so hard to do just this, that we figured we’d start really small and focused.”
From the dreamworld to reality
The look and feel of the Awe chair quite literally came to Feldman in a dream: “I wanted an old-style club chair that your grandfather would sit in,” she remembers. Brown, crinkly, straight from 1929, but with a modern takeand, of course, the technology to go with it.
The chair comes in two sizes and seven colors, including midnight blue, crimson red, and emerald green. For now, it is available directly to customers via the company’s website; the team is also hoping to partner with high-end assisted living facilities, airport lounges, and even golf clubs.
Feldman isn’t a designer, so she surrounded herself well. The chair was designed in collaboration with Jessica Banks, a robotics expert who runs a studio in Brooklyn, New York, that focuses on robotics and furniture design. It was engineered in Germany, with motors from China, and handcrafted in North Carolina, with leathers from Italy. Feldman declined to share how much it cost her to bring it to market, in part “because it’s still so shocking to me,” she says, noting she is now selling her house in West Hampton to replenish the coffers.
Earlier this month, I went out to the company’s offices in SoHo to try it out. As the seat gently lifted me, I thought of my grandfather, whose weakened arms could no longer push him up from his old armchair. As the chair gently lowered me back down, I thought of the thud he would make when he sat back down, letting gravity do the work his knees no longer could.
Of the four people who were at the office that day, three of them had experienced a similar moment with their parents or grandparents. “It’s such a common experience,” Feldman said.
Every other touchpoint was carefully thought through. The edges of the front of the armrests are slightly recessed, which provides an extra handgrip when getting up. A cupholder is built straight into the armrest. A side pocket lets you store glasses or a book. Of the chairs Feldman’s father tried, all had pockets that were too far down to reach. “We just raised the pocket,” she says. “All you have to do is look at how people use things.”
One of Feldman’s biggest pet peeves with other chairs was the lack of a footrest to stop people from sliding outbut adding one turned out to be more challenging than expected. Her team cycled through factories in Michigan and Florida that make airline chairs or theater chairs, but they couldn’t build the right mechanism. The German factory she ended up partnering with went bankrupt twice before resuming business. Finally, they found a way to coordinate the reclining flap and the footrest so that the footrest slides out until the two meet to form a “T.” A safety curtain at the bottom prevents small pets or children from crawling under.
These features are almost enough to make you forget about the sticker shock. t $10,000, the Awe chair is almost 10 times more expensive than the average lift recliner in the U.S., which is between $700 and $1,500. Feldman is sensitive to the price tag and hopes to follow through with a more affordable line that’s “maybe not made in Germany, maybe not using Italian leathers.”
She also knows that her target audienceretired boomershas a lot more disposable income than the average working American. “I know it’s a very high price. But for now, we feel like it’s such a beautiful, special chair.”
A recent survey by online résumé builder ResumeHelp found that 60% of millennials and 58% of Gen Z employees say they sometimes or frequently talk about politics at work. In contrast, only 41% of Gen X and 40% of boomers do the same. In short, the generational divide is stark.
But this isnt just about politicsits about identity, inclusion, and the evolving role of work in peoples lives. For many in Gen Z, work isnt just about a paycheck; its a platform. Its where they spend the majority of their waking hours. They want to be seen, heard, and valuednot just for their productivity, but for their principles.
I asked my 29-year-old son, Ryan, and a few of his friends why political conversations feel so natural at work. Here’s what I heard:
Theyve grown up in a world where expressing opinions online is second nature.
They’re passionate about climate change, racial justice, reproductive rights, LGBTQ+ equality, and economic fairness.
They are deeply concerned about increasing war and violence (including political violence).
They feel disappointed by political leaders on both sidesand want meaningful dialogue.
They believe that silence can be dangerous, and dialogue is the way forward.
And most critically, theyre anxious about their future and want to feel empowered in it.
Why political talk feels so riskyand so necessary
The workplace reality, of course, is more complicated. In MIT Sloan Management Review, Michael Platt and Morela Hernandez explain that political discussions become polarizing for three key reasons:
Politics feel moral, not just rational. Political views are often experienced as moral truths, processed through emotion rather than logic.
Political beliefs become identity markers. Once moralized, political stances become deeply tied to ones sense of self-worth and moral character.
People form moral tribes at work. Individuals tend to seek validation by clustering with like-minded colleaguescreating ideological silos that fuel tension and division.
These dynamics contribute to an increasingly hostile work environment. What should be a well-tuned chorus has descended into a discordant melee, often incivil or toxic. Besides making the workday an unpleasant source of stress and even violence, this fracturing can negatively impact a firms productivity and culture.
For example, a SHRM survey reports that it takes up to 30 minutes for an employee to resume productive activity following a workplace conflict. Now consider that reported uncivil acts in U.S. workplaces increased to more than 200 million per day following a presidential debate in 2024, per SHRM, and the magnitude of the problem becomes clear.
Incivility also has a negative effect on corporate culture and morale. If ignored or handled clumsily, internal conflict can erode a companys identityand even damage its reputationfrom within.
These dangers cant be laid at the feet of Gen Z alone: its a problem decades in the making. Today, nearly every human action appears to have been politicized, and we all have a responsibility to address this issue.
Many wear their political sympathies on their sleeves, supporting certain politicians and policies in an attempt to capture market share among their target demographic. Atop that, the outcome of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the 2010 Supreme Court ruling that endowed businesses with the rights of people, now enables campaign contributions to be considered a protected form of speech. Knowing all this, it would be strange if the workplacewhere people spend most of their timewasn’t also drawn into the days political conflicts and culture wars.
Not surprisingly, a recent survey by Indeed found that 60%of workers overall would favor working for companies with politically sympathetic leadership. Already, 42% of respondents were working for companies aligned with a single party. These numbers may be more stark among recent college graduates, but its clear that the blurred role of politics in the office is already well-established.
A teachable moment for leadership
Many leaders worry that political conversations will fracture teams or harm productivity. And yes, boundaries matter. But what if this moment isnt just a challenge, but a profound opportunity?
The truth is that empathy is not a soft virtueits a strategic one. Empathy, when practiced with consistency and courage, builds trust. And trust is the foundation of any thriving workplace.
This is our chance to cultivate the next generation of leaders. Those who will:
Understand that disagreement is not a threat to unity, but a path toward it.
Learn to listen across ideological and experiential divides.
Develop the skills to speak with curiosity, clarity, and respect.
Embrace dialogue as a tool for problem-solvingnot conflict.
This is how we grow, not just as professionals, but as citizens.
And we dont have to do it alone. Grassroots organizations like Braver Angels, Listen First Project, US United, Stand Together, More in Common, Convergence, Living Room Conversations, and Starts With Us offer free, practical tools for fostering civil discourse.
As efforts to create multicultural workplaces that leverage rather than suppress diversity have demonstrated, proactive leadership and pragmatic processes are an essential combination.
How leaders can respond to politics in the workplacewith grace
This isnt about encouraging political debate, its about not silencing it out of fear. Leaders dont have to take sides. In fact, they should avoid taking sides. But they do have an obligation to set the tone. Here’s how:
Affirm respect as a ground rule. Accept that employees will have differences, but make it clear that political discussions must remain respectful. No personal attacks. No shaming. No exclusion.
Offer dialogue training. Provide employees with tools and workshops that teach active listening, civil disagreement, and conflict navigation.
Model thoughtful engagement. Leaders dont need to be apoliticalbut they should be intentional. Share your views with humility, and create space for others to do the same.
Create safe spacesnot echo chambers. Welcome diverse viewpoints across the spectrum. Curiosity is contagious.
Remember the bigger picture. Helping employees engage across differences doesnt just protect moraleit strengthens democracy.
We may live in divided times. But our workplaces dont have to mirror that division. Instead, they can model something better. Political conversations, when approached with care, can be the crucible in which better citizensand better leadersare forged.
Lets ot waste this moment. Lets teach the next generation not just how to workbut how to listen, engage, and lead.
Chinas biggest coffee chain just opened stores in the U.S. for the first time. Its business model is the antithesis of Starbuckss back to basics plan.
Luckin Coffee has dominated the java-slinging business in its home country, where it overtook Starbucks as the largest coffee chain both by total sales and number of locations back in 2023. Now it’s setting its sights on the U.S., with its first retail stores officially open in New York City.
Luckins rapid growth is a product of what it calls its technology-driven retail model. At most locations, the company operates without any cashiers, instead taking orders entirely through its popular mobile appa strategy that prioritizes convenience and speed above all else. Its a structure thats almost the direct opposite of the new business model at Starbucks under CEO Brian Niccol, which emphasizes human interaction and personalized touches as a core part of the coffee-drinking experience.
[Photo: Luckin Coffee]
What is Luckin Coffee?
For American consumers, Luckins offerings are perhaps most comparable to those of Dutch Bros., covering a wide range of beverages, from specialty lattes and teas to refreshers, matcha, and a series of fruity Americanos. The prices are typically about 30% less than a Starbucks alternative. In a highly saturated American beverage market thats constantly vying to identify the next Gen Z drink craze, Luckins menu isnt exactly reinventing the wheel. However, its business model does represent a coffee shop experience that no American brand has yet to fully emulate.
According to an analysis by the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, Luckin Coffee’s founder, Jenny Qian, pulled inspiration for the shops retail model from popular ride-hailing services. Virtually all the companys transactions are cashless, given that the entire ordering and payment process is handled through the brands appsimilar to the way one might order an Uber or Lyft.
While American brands like Dunkin, Dutch Bros., and Starbucks all have their own apps and mobile-ordering functions, none has made the plunge into a fully mobile-first strategy.
We advocate a more convenient and rapid new retail experience, Luckins website reads. Users can purchase, pick up and take out coffee through our mobile app, completely changing the traditional coffee business mode[l].
Luckins simplified sales approach lent itself to an astronomical pace of growth. From January 2018 to March 2019, Whartons analysis notes, Qian and her team opened an average of 5.2 stores per day.
The brands success was significant enough that in May 2019 Luckin made its first play at a U.S. presence by filing for an initial public offering. Just a year later, though, a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigation revealed that the companys earning reports had been artificially inflated, causing Luckin to delist from the Nasdaq and fire Qian and six other executives involved in the scheme. In 2021, the company also filed for bankruptcy to recover from the $180 million in fines accrued during the legal proceedings.
Six years later, Luckins new leadership team has pulled off an impressive financial turnaround. Per Luckins first-quarter 2025 financial report, the brand now boasts more than 24,000 locations, primarily across China, Malaysia, and Singapore (Starbucks operates roughly 40,000 locations globally and about 8,000 in China). Luckin also notched $1.2 billion in net revenue during the three months ending on March 31a 41.2% year-over-year increase. Meanwhile, Starbuckss sales in the region have stalled, with same-store sales down 8% in fiscal year 2024.
Due to New Yorks prohibition on cashless businesses, its likely that Luckins first two stores are operating under some combination of app and in-person orders. The brand did not immediately respond to Fast Companys request for clarification on the stores operations, or whether Luckin plans to expand its mobile app model to other states in the U.S.
[Photo: Luckin Coffee]
Why Luckin Coffee is the anti-Starbucks
At the same time that Luckin is perfecting its efficiency-first, in-and-out structure, Starbucks is working on backtracking to its former glory as a human-centric third place.
Since Niccol took the helm at Starbucks back in September 2024, hes been working to address the brands image problemsa result of higher costs, longer wait times, and waning saleswith a plan he calls Back to Starbucks. In an interview with Fast Company earlier this year, Nccol shared that he believed Starbucks had veered off course as a business during the mobile-ordering era of the pandemic. I think it just really took a lot of the soul out of what this business is all about, Niccol said.
To recapture Starbucks original magic as a sit-down coffeehouse, Niccol has been working on bringing back human touches like handwritten notes, warm, familiar ads, and a simplified menu that emphasizes coffee quality over beverage trend-chasing. So far, its clear that the turnaround wont happen overnight: In April, Starbucks reported financial results that even Niccol called disappointing, with revenue and same-store sales falling below investor predictions.
While Starbucks de-emphasizes its mobile-ordering features, Luckins entire business model revolves around them. Even the two companies branding seems to underscore their opposing strategies: Starbucks embraces a warm aesthetic through its iconic dark green siren logo and color-graded advertising, while Luckins bright blue branding and stag logo feel more reminiscent of a tech company or bank than a coffee shop.
Luckins entrance into the American market is poised to offer a case study in whether Niccols thesis around the importance of the coffee shop as third place holds true. Or perhaps what consumers really care about is how quickly they can pick up their iced matcha.
Amid tariffs, inflation, and the rising cost of living in the United States, it’s no surprise that this Fourth of July could be pricier than in years past. But not all items are more expensive. From gas prices and fireworks to your weekend cookout, here’s a breakdown of how much certain things will cost this holiday.
July 4 gas prices are down
First, the good news: Filling up your car before hitting the road this Fourth of July weekend won’t break the bank.
A record 61.6 million people are expected to travel by carmore than ever beforeaccording to the American Automobile Association. AAA forecasts a 2.2% increase in travel compared with 2024, making it the highest number on record.
Fortunately, gas prices are down from $3.49 per gallon last year, to an estimated nationwide average of between $3.10 and $3.15 per gallon this year, according to GasBuddy, as reported by CNN. That would make gasoline the cheapest it’s been for July 4 since at least 2021.
July 4 firework prices skyrocket
Now, the bad news. Most fireworkswhich historians believe were developed in the second century B.C. in ancient Liuyangare imported into the U.S. from China: 99% of consumer fireworks and 90% of professional display fireworks, to be exact, according to the American Pyrotechnics Association (APA).
And they are going to be a lot more expensive this year, due to the Trump administration’s ongoing tariff war with Beijing, which currently slaps a 30% tax on all Chinese imports.
The tariffs could result in fewer and pricier fireworks on the shelves and at shows this holiday, according to CBS News. It could even affect America’s 250th anniversary celebrations next summer, per the APA.
“The timing of the tariffs couldn’t have hit at a worse time. The majority of U.S. importers told China, ‘Do not ship our product; we can’t afford to pay,” APA executive director Julie Heckman told CBS News. “It’s creating a supply-chain problem.”
How much will your July 4 cookout cost this year?
Before firing up the grill, you might want to take note of how much your barbecue is going to cost.
According to the American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF), the average price of a Fourth of July picnic for 10 will cost $70.92, down slightly from $71.22. That makes it the second-most expensive Independence Day for food since 2013, when the organization first started tracking costs.
The AFBF’s survey offers a snapshot of prices families are facing this summer, for cookout favorites including cheeseburgers, chicken breasts, pork chops, potato salad, strawberries, and ice cream.
You can blame it on inflation and supply issues: Inflation and lower availability of some food items continue to keep prices stubbornly high for Americas families, AFBF associate economist Samantha Ayoub said.
How far would you travel in search of a sweet treat?
Bakery tourism is on the rise, with more and more people travelingsometimes across the globein search of the perfect flaky croissant or artisan bun they spotted online. Long lines arent a deterrent; in fact, theyre often part of the appeal. A crowd signals youve found the right spot.
Jessica Morgan-Helliwell, 26, and her mother, Louise Church, 48, are two self-proclaimed bakery tourists. They visit at least one new artisan bakery every weekend and have even planned entire international trips around bucket-list pastry spots. Having that shared interest is really lovely, and we get to explore lovely places along the wayand eat some really good food, the pair told the New York Post.
@loveeatdrinktravel A must-visit bakery in Prague for your pastry and coffee fix! If youre exploring the beautiful streets of Prague, @Artic bakehouse is an essential stop for breakfast or a coffee break. This artisan bakery is known for its sourdough-based pastries, made fresh daily with natural ingredients and a whole lot of love. The smell alone will pull you in from the street! We couldnt resist the classic chocolate croissant (flaky, buttery, and rich) and the almond croissant (sweet, nutty, and absolutely dreamy). Its the perfect quick morning bite before a day of sightseeing trust us, your taste buds will thank you! Multiple locations in Prague, with a cozy, minimalist vibe and top-notch coffee to match. #ArticBakehouse #PragueEats #PragueFoodie #BestBakeryPrague #PragueBreakfast #CzechPastries #CoffeeAndCroissant #EuropeFoodie #PragueTravelTips #WhereToEatInPrague #PastryLovers #AlmondCroissant #ChocolateCroissantDreams #SourdoughBakery #FoodieInPrague #praguecafeculture – R&B SOURCE – R&B SOURCE
Theyre not alone. As younger generations swap binge drinking for early morning pastry runs, independent bakeries are having a major moment. Social media drives the trend, with itineraries crafted from viral videos documenting Paris croissant crawls, East London bakery tours, bucket-list eateries in Seoul, and taste tests of classic Filipino pastries.
@k8prk v important research mission 1st place always goes to the most unassuming rando spots Bakeries included in experiment: Tranché, Leonie, Mamiche (attempted), Aux 9 bles dor #parisfood #croissant Zou bisou bisou – Gillian Hills
The treats themselves are often inventive takes on the familiar: cube-shaped croissants, croissant-shaped cookies, pastries filled with fruit, or ones styled to look like fruit. Most are mouthwatering. Some are clearly engineered for the algorithm.
@whatericacraves If you’ve been wondering if those viral fruit pastries you’re seeing all over the internet are actually worth the hype, I’m here to tell you they 100% are and you can grab them over at @Parisien Gourmandise in La Jolla (and they’re GF!!!) P.S. if you enjoy my content, be sure to hit share with your friends & family, and if you’re new here, I’d love to have you follow alongmy foodie journey at @whatericacraves – I so appreciate the support Now I’ve been seeing these fruit entremet’s all over my FYP and I honestly didn’t know if I’d like them, but was really eager to give them a try. If you’ve never had them before, it typically entails a crunchy outside, usually made of chocolate, with a sponge cake, mousse and fruit filling (that goes with whatever fruit shape they are). I saw that Parisien Gourmandises had them over in La Jolla, and If you’ve been you know this is an insanely good bakery, so I had high hopes. Sarah and I headed over and were NOT disappointed. We tried a variety of flavors including a NEW Blueberry one which I’ve never seen anywhere else and they were all fantastic. They weren’t too sweet and had perfectly balanced ratios of fillings. Plus, I love that it all tasted very fresh and natural vs artificial flavors. Them all being gluten free was just a big bonus. Check out all the flavors below and if you’re looking to try these, I highly recommend checking them out! So worth it. Flavors Lime Blueberry Lemon (Sarah’s favorite!) Strawberry Champagne Coconut Mango (my favorite!) Location: 7643 Girard Avenue Suite B, San Diego, California 92037 Hours: Mon – Fri 9:00 AM – 5:30 PM #entremets #entrement #fruitpastrycake #viralpastry #sandiegopastry #sandiegodesserts #lajollaca #lajollalife #sandiegofoodscene #frenchpastries #frenchdessert original sound – whatericacraves
These viral baked goods rarely come cheap. But they reflect our growing appetite for small indulgences, a phenomenon known as the lipstick effect. Even during economic downturns, a splurge on an $8 almond croissant feels manageable in comparison with a pricey dinner out.
Spending on small luxuries can also offer emotional benefits. Studies show that doing so can restore a sense of control, ease sadness, and create a sense of accomplishment. According to the British Baker website, 80% of Gen Zers say a daily sweet treat boosts their mental healtha continuation of what journalist Imogen West-Knights dubbed treat brain back in 2021 during the pandemic.
Treats can act as a temporary Band-Aid over a deeper need, West-Knights wrote for the Financial Times. When we are very tiredsay, because were juggling homeschooling and a jobwhat we might really need is more sleep. But if we cant get it, a more easily available source of comfort might be chocolate or wine. Or, of course, a flaky, sugar-dusted pastry.
Whether youre on a bakery crawl through Copenhagen or just visiting a new viral spot in your neighborhood, getting coffee and a sweet treat has become an event in itself. Any excuse to get out of the house and break bread.
One of the most positive legacies of the COVID-19 pandemic stretches across 26 blocks in the Jackson Heights neighborhood of Queens. The 34th Avenue Open Street emerged out of a New York City-sanctioned program in the early days of the pandemic that allowed neighborhood groups to temporarily close streets to car traffic and use the space for outdoor recreation and other purposes. In Jackson Heights, one of the early epicenters of the pandemic, the open street that emerged from this program became a kind of lifeline for the neighborhood. Now, after running strong for more than five years, a plan is taking shape to make the project on 34th Avenue, now known as Paseo Park, permanent.
Paseo Park Current Residential Block [Image: Alliance for Paseo Park]
The concept for the park was commissioned by the Alliance for Paseo Park, a volunteer group that has overseen the open street since the beginning, when it was little more than metal barriers at the end of each block. The group hired the architecture and urban design firm WXY to envision a more formal park space along the 1.3-mile length that includes a mix of recreational areas, seating and meandering zones, multiuse playspace for the 10 schools on and near the street, dense landscaping, paths for cyclists and pedestrians, as well as required emergency vehicle access areas. And because New York Mayor Eric Adams’s administration allocated $89 million in funding in 2022 to permanently build out the 34th Avenue Open Street, there’s a good chance this design concept will take shape. It could be a model for other neighborhoods in New Yorkand other citiesfor how to thoughtfully turn streets into neighborhood amenities.
“There’s so many streets that are doing one thing, serving cars and parking,” says Rob Daurio, a senior associate and director of urban sustainability at WXY who led the 34th Avenue design project. “This is a big opportunity to really think ambitiously about how to provide more significant public space.”
Paseo Park Conceptual Residential Block [Image: Alliance for Paseo Park]
The need is acute. A report from New York City’s Independent Budget Office found that Jackson Heights has as little as two square feet of park space per resident. “It’s one of the lowest amounts of park space in the city,” says Daurio. The creation of the open street during the pandemic “did start to serve this really important and meaningful role for the community,” he says.
WXY worked directly with the Alliance for Paseo Park on deep community outreach to learn what neighbors and users of the space wanted from a permanent version of 34th Avenue’s open street. The main priority was to ensure that the linear park would be safe and pedestrian first, provide room for the schools in the area, and use its planting to combat the effects of climate change. WXY interpreted those priorities in a range of active, passive, and school-centric areas. “We tried to come up with not just one solution, but a range of different block typologies that really did respond to the needs of the individuals in those particular areas,” Daurio says.
The design concept is based on two main typologies that can define each of the 26 blocks in the park. WXY calls them the Super-Median and the Super-Sidewalk, and they essentially stretch out either the existing median in the street’s center or the sidewalks on its edges to create more usable public space. “Neither the sidewalk nor the median are big enough to actually take on a more significant use,” Daurio says. “But if you just widen them to enough space that you’re still allowing for your emergency access lanes and drive lanes, either of those options are viable to really create a more significant open space.”
These designs also balance the need for the street to remain a viable path for transportationjust not for most cars. In the years since 34th Avenue became an open street, it has become a highway for cyclists and, to the chagrin of some residents, delivery drivers on fast-moving electric bikes, mopeds, and other alternative forms of mobility. It’s particularly a problem for the youngest users of the space. According to a survey of children that was conducted by a local Girl Scout troop, 66% of children said that the thing they wanted most to change about the open street was for there to be fewer cars and mopeds on the street.
WXY integrated these concerns into their design by looking beyond the edges of 34th Avenue, proposing streetscape changes on another nearby arterial street, Northern Boulevard, which could be redesigned to handle more of the cross-neighborhood non-car traffic that has dominated 34th Avenue. “It’s a little bit of a Swiss Army knife of a street right now, where it’s a park, and it’s also a place for school drop-offs and a route for delivery people,” Daurio says. “We’re thinking about other opportunities to help take the burden off of 34th Avenue for doing everything.”
Luz Maria Mercado, board chair of the Alliance for Paseo Park, says people in the neighborhood are enthusiastic about the design concepts. “Our neighbors see their feedback reprsented in ideas like creating a front yard for the six public schools that line Paseo Park, the addition of green space, and the flexibility of different design types for different blocks with different needs,” she says.
Right now the design is still just a concept, and one that, despite official support from the Alliance for Paseo Park, is subject to input from the broader community. Claire Weisz, founding principal of WXY, says permanently closing any street to traffic, even one that’s had such a long and successful pilot stage, is going to be a challenge. “It’s not without its controversies, because, well, people love cars,” she says. This design concept is a hopeful wager that people will realize they love public space even more.
“Were trying to do something thats never been done before in New York City, but is being done around the world,” Mercado says. “It is hard, but it is not impossible.”
One of medicines harder lessons about burnout and mental health might be the most urgently needed by every industry right now.
As an emergency physician who also did four years of surgical residency training, I witnessed firsthand how the grueling training that medical residents face, coupled with a tough-it-out attitude, can cause silent sufferingand sometimes with deadly consequences.
Often it is the institutional stigma that prevents doctors from seeking help. Physician burnout is a systemic, not individual, failure, and its prevalence has been growing. According to the American Medical Association (AMA), the pandemic increased physician burnout to an all-time high, due to the grief, isolation, and psychological pressures.
Physician Suicide: The Tip of the Iceberg
Studies show physician suicides are among the highest of any profession. For men, its 40% higher than the general population, and for women, its up to 130% higher.
Seeking mental health support is still seen as a risknot to our well-being, but to our careers. Often there are fears of career consequences if we speak candidly about our mental health. Plus, issues related to licensing and credentialing processes often exacerbate this silence. Inside the industry, theres the subtle implication that physicians with any mental health issue might not be fit to practice. And its a tragic irony, as we spend our careers advocating for our patients mental health but often are too afraid to address our own.
ER Violence: Another Burnout Contributor
Burnout isnt only due to emotional exhaustion and stress. It can also be fueled by daily threats and obstacles that can strip away our dignity.
Violence against healthcare staff, especially in emergency departments, is escalating. A 2024 poll from the American College of Emergency physicians (ACEP) found more than 90% of emergency physicians report being threatened or attacked in the past year. These incidents carry more than physical harm: 85% of physicians cite emotional trauma and anxiety, and 89% say their productivity has been impacted by it.
Every assault is another blow to the emotional well-being of physicians, as well as affecting the quality of care for patients, too. And it shows up beyond medicine, too: in industries where plenty physical labor is involvedsay, service, hospitality, or event executiona lack of safety protocols can knock down emotional well-being for workers.
Insurance Battles: An Administrative Avalanche
Healthcare professionals spend up to two hours on clerical work for every clinical hour, driven largely by paperwork, billing, and prior authorizations, which has increased steadily over time. According to an AMA survey, this added burden of prior authorization is contributing to physician burnout. But additionally, we also worry about pre-authorization and its often-associated denials. About 94% of medical professionals surveyed reported it negatively impacts patient care.
Excessive administrative work and burden is strongly correlated with burnout, but also stress-related health problems. And its not only in healthcare: its also seen in plenty of other industries, from finance to business to tech.
Resilience Culture: Shifting Leadership from Stoic to Supportive
In healthcare resilience is seen as a badge of honor, entailed by pushing through grueling shifts, making life-or-death decisions, and walking out with a composed face. But true resilience is built on having support, empowerment, and trust. Resilience does not mean invulnerability.
But medicines history has taught us that psychological safety matters more than invulnerability. Creating a psychologically safe environmentwhere people feel safe to speak up, take risks, and be vulnerable without fear of negative consequencesis more important than maintaining a facade of control. In healthcare, psychological safety is crucial for open communication, error reporting, and team collaboration, ultimately benefiting patient care. And it applies to every industry. Credibility in leadership cannot be built on denial of stress; teams led by emotionally intelligent, vulnerable leaders perform better.
Trauma-informed care is a model that originated in medicine and mental health but has profound implications for any workplace. It prioritizes trust, empathy, and empowerment, thereby improving outcomes for patients and providers alike. It influences how individuals interact, communicate, and respond to challenges at work. Adopting trauma-informed principles of safety, empowerment, and collaboration can benefit any workplace, replacing isolation with solidarity.
Small Shifts with Big Impact
Corporations, law firms, schools, and more could learn from emergency departments. Its important to acknowledge risks, measure physical and emotional safety, empower employees to help shape the system, and make sure your leaders are connected to their people.
Burnout is not a character flaw. Its an organizational and occupational hazard. When violence, paperwork, and isolation compound high-stakes fields, emotional safety can be the difference between thriving or breaking.
Medicine is slowly proving its possible to change through systemic redesign. We dont need more heroes who suffer in silence. We need systems that listen, leaders who care, and cultures that heal instead of harm. If medicine, one of the most tradition-bound professions, can begin to change, so can everyone else.
