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Every week, another executive asks me: Where do we even start with AI? As we enter 2026, this question drives explosive demand for AI upskilling platforms and AI-powered learning solutions. Yet most enterprise AI training programs fail because they lack a systematic framework that moves the organization from confused to fluent to truly differentiated. Think of it as Maslow’s hierarchy, but for AI capability development. And 2026 is the year to climb that hierarchy. An effective AI upskilling platform must address five levels of organizational capability: foundational literacy, company-specific application, durable skills development, breakthrough innovation, and co-intelligence integration. THE FOUNDATION: BUILD YOUR BASE CAMP Just as you can’t achieve self-actualization without food and shelter, you can’t build an AI advantage without foundational literacy. Yet most organizations skip this step, rushing to deploy tools before their people understand what they’re actually working with. The three non-negotiables at the base: 1. Understand what AI actually is. Not the marketing promises, but the reality. When your teams understand the underlying mechanics, they make better decisions about when and how to apply these tools. The goal isn’t turning everyone into data scientists. It’s eliminating the dangerous combination of over-confidence and ignorance. 2. Safety and ethics literacy. Fear of “doing it wrong” stops more AI adoption than any other factor. People need clear guardrails: What data can we use? When must we disclose AI assistance? Without this clarity, your talented people will simply avoid AI entirely. 3. Core application skills. Everyone in your organization should understand how to effectively communicate with AI systems. In 2026, this isn’t optional AI literacy anymoreit’s as fundamental as email proficiency was in 2005. THE CRITICAL MIDDLE: YOUR COMPANY’S POINT OF VIEW Here’s where good companies separate from mediocre ones. The best organizationsShopify, Zapier, Duolingodon’t just teach generic AI skills. They build a distinctive point of view on how AI should work in their specific context. This means answering hard questions: What should AI do here? What should it never do? How does AI use align with our values and competitive positioning? Your “company POVAI sandbox” becomes the space where teams safely experiment within defined boundaries. It’s structured freedomclear enough to prevent dangerous mistakes, open enough to enable innovation. Then comes personalization. Generic training fails because a software engineer’s relationship with AI looks nothing like a customer service representative’s. Breaking down use cases by team, role, and workflow transforms abstract concepts into concrete daily practice. This is where enterprise AI upskilling platforms differentiate themselves, by enabling personalized AI training that adapts to each team’s workflow context. Research shows that personalizing training by role achieves much higher adoption than generic training programs. WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN AN AI UPSKILLING PLATFORM Organizations succeeding with AI transformation share common infrastructure: Cohort-based learning for peer accountability and shared discovery Workflow integration that brings training into daily work contexts Role-specific pathways rather than generic content Safe experimentation environments (AI sandboxes) Progress tracking that measures fluency, not just completion The right AI-powered learning platform doesn’t just deliver contentit builds organizational AI capability systematically across the hierarchy. THE TRANSFORMATION ZONE: DURABLE SKILLS Here’s the insight that escapes most organizations entering 2026: Crossing from competent to breakthrough doesn’t require more AI skills. It requires human skills that AI amplifies. Critical thinking. Curiosity. Entrepreneurial agency. These durable AI skills separate organizations that use AI to do the same things faster from those that reimagine what’s possible. Leading corporate AI training platforms focus on developing these capabilities through experiential learning and peer collaboration, not just content consumption. This tier splits into two paths: Scale and efficiency growth: AI’s ability to generate and personalize at near-zero marginal cost fundamentally changes business economics. Smart companies systematically examine every workflow, asking: Where does AI change our cost structure? Human-first breakthrough: The harder path, with far higher returns. This requires asking: How can AI make our company more human? How do we free people from tedious work to do more creative, caring, human work? How do we use AI to create experiences that are more personalized and genuinely helpful than humans alone could deliver? Most organizations stop at efficiency. The winners push through to augmentation and transformation. THE SUMMIT: CO-INTELLIGENCE At the peak sits a different relationship with AI entirelyone that forward-thinking organizations are achieving in 2026. Not tool and user, but genuine co-intelligencewhere AI seamlessly integrates into workflows, giving your people capabilities they never had before. This is where empowered, curious, AI-native talent emerges. These individuals don’t think about “using AI.” They think through problems with AI as a natural extension of their cognitive toolkit. Organizations at this level aren’t just AI-fluent. They’re AI-native in their decision making, customer experience, and innovation process. YOUR 2026 AI TRANSFORMATION ROADMAP Whether you’re evaluating AI upskilling platforms or building internal corporate AI training programs, this hierarchy provides your 2026 roadmap. The organizations winning with AI aren’t those with the most toolsthey’re those with the most systematic approach to workforce AI capability development. The beauty of this hierarchy is its clarity: If you’re at zero: Start with foundations. Build understanding, safety literacy, and basic skills across your organization. If you’re past foundations: Develop your company POV. Create your sandbox. Personalize by role and workflow. If you’re operationally fluent: Identify your catalysts. Build their durable skills. Set them loose on breakthrough opportunities. If you’re pushing toward co-intelligence: You’re writing the next chapter. The path isn’t easy. But it is clear. And in 2026, as AI capabilities accelerate and organizations remain paralyzed at the base, simply moving systematically up this hierarchy creates a genuine competitive advantage. The question isn’t whether your organization will become AI-fluent. It’s whether you’ll get there in 2026 before your competition doesand whether you’ll stop at efficiency or push through to transformation. Start climbing. Candice Faktor is co-CEO of Disco.
Category:
E-Commerce
Sprinkles Cupcakes, the company known for its sweet treats and iconic cupcake ATMs, is no more. Candace Nelson, the company’s founder, ended 2025 by confirming that all Sprinkles locations were shutting down as of December 31. In a video shared to Instagram and TikTok, Nelson said, This isnt how I thought the story would go. I thought Sprinkles would keep going and be around forever. I thought it was going to be my legacy. Sprinkles has yet to make a formal announcement, but its Instagram profile appears to be gone and the store locator tab on its website now produces an error message. Fast Company reached out to the brand’s PR contact for additional details. Nelson started Sprinkles in 2005, but has held no stake in the company since selling it to private equity in 2012. KarpReilly LLC announced an investment in Sprinkles shortly after. That decision over a decade ago has led many social media users to question exactly how Nelson thought Sprinkles would live on and prosper under private equity ownership. While Nelson asked people to share their special Sprinkles memory or story with her, many of the comments under her post instead take a vehemently anti-private equity stanceand blame her for the demise. Below is just a sample of the types of comments Nelson has received: Selling to private equity was the beginning of the end. What did you expect? Private equity has literally NEVER made things better for customers only for board members’ and investors’ pockets. You sold it to PE and expected it to not close?? What planet are you living on? I dont begrudge you for selling as thats entirely your choice but to think any PE firm cares about a company in the slightest is insanity. Legacies cant be abandoned before theyre legacies. PE fingerprints on many retail bankruptcies In recent years, private equity deals have appeared to play a role in the dismantling of a number of legacy retail brands, including restaurants Red Lobster and TGI Fridays, and fabrics chain Joann Inc. Private equity firms have a reputation for stripping down companies parts and leaving them saddled with debt, sometimes leading to bankruptcy. Fast Company has reached out to KarpReilly for comment and will update this post if we hear back. Individuals in the comment sections also claim that Sprinkles employees were blindsided with only one day’s notice and no severance. In response to one such claim on Nelsons TikTok post, a purported former employee wrote, Some of us don’t have backup plans we loved sprinkles and planned to be here forever. Nelson responded to the above comment, Im so sorry this is heartbreaking.
Category:
E-Commerce
The year 2025 was scary good for investors.It was scary because the U.S. stock market plunged to several historic drops on worries about everything from President Donald Trump’s tariffs to interest rates to a possible bubble in artificial-intelligence technology. In the end, though, it was a good year for anyone with the stomach to stick through the swings.S&P 500 index funds, which sit at the heart of many savers’ 401(k) accounts, returned nearly 18% in 2025 and set a record high on Dec. 24. It was their third straight year of big returns.Here’s a look at some of the surprises that shaped financial markets along the way: Tariff tremors Trump dropped the biggest surprise on “Liberation Day” in April, when he announced a sweeping set of tariffs that were more severe than investors expected.It immediately triggered worries about a possible recession and spiking inflation. The S&P 500 plunged nearly 5% on April 3 for its worst day since the 2020 COVID crash. The very next day, it dropped 6% after China’s response raised fears of a tit-for-tat trade war.The tariffs’ impact went beyond the stock market. The value of the U.S. dollar fell, and fear even shook the U.S. Treasury market, which is seen as perhaps the safest in existence.Trump eventually put his tariffs on pause on April 9 after seeing the U.S. bond market get “queasy,” as he put it, which sent relief through Wall Street. Since then, Trump has negotiated agreements with countries to lower his proposed tariff rates on their imports, helping calm investors’ nerves.Wall Street motored higher through a remarkably calm summer thanks to euphoria around artificial-intelligence technology and strong profit reports from companies. The market also got a boost from three cuts to interest rates by the Federal Reserve.Trade worries can still cause havoc in markets, and Trump sent stocks spiraling as recently as October with threats of higher tariffs on China. Trump and the Fed Another surprise was how hard, and how personally, Trump lobbied to get the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates.The Fed has traditionally operated separately from the rest of Washington, making its decisions on interest rates without having to bend to political whims. Such independence, the thinking goes, gives it freedom to make unpopular moves that are necessary for the economy’s long-term health.Keeping interest rates high, for example, could slow the economy and frustrate politicians looking to please voters. But it could also be the medicine needed to get high inflation under control.As inflation stubbornly remained above the Fed’s 2% target, the central bank kept rates steady through August. This drew Trump’s ire even though it was his own trade policies that were driving fears about inflation higher.Trump continuously picked on Fed Chair Jerome Powell, even giving him the nickname “Too Late.” Their tense relationship reached a head in July when Trump, in front of cameras, accused Powell of mismanaging the costs of a renovation of the Fed’s headquarters. Powell, in turn, shook his head.Even though Wall Street loves lower rates, the personal attacks caused some queasiness in financial markets because of the possibility of a less independent Fed. Powell’s turn as Fed chair is set to expire in May, and the wide expectation is that Trump will choose a replacement more likely to cut rates. Good but not first “America first” didn’t extend to global markets. Even as U.S. stocks soared to another double-digit gain, many foreign markets fared even better.The technology frenzy that helped fuel gains for the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq composite drove Korea’s KOSPI higher in 2025, enjoying its biggest gain in more than two decades. South Korea is a technology hub and companies including Samsung and SK Hynix surged amid the focus on artificial intelligence investments and advancements.Japan’s Nikkei 225 had a double-digit gain for a third straight year. Besides the focus on AI and the technology sector, the gains were boosted in October and November following national elections and plans for a $135 billion stimulus package.European markets also had a strong year. Germany’s DAX got a boost as the government announced plans to ramp up spending on infrastructure and defense, which could fuel economic growth in Europe’s largest economy.The European Central Bank spent the first half of the year cutting interest rates, which helped give financial markets across Europe a boost. France’s CAC 40 was a laggard, but still gained more than 10%. Crypto’s ups and downs Even with a reputation for volatility, cryptocurrencies still managed to surprise market watchers.Bitcoin dropped along with most other assets early in the year as Trump’s trade policies scared investors away from riskier investments.The most widely used cryptocurrency roared back as the White House and Congress threw their support behind digital assets and the Trump family launched a number of crypto ventures. Retail investors joined in by pouring money into bitcoin ETFs, stock-like investments that allowed them to benefit from the run-up in price without having to actually store bitcoin in digital wallets. Some companies, notably Strategy Inc., made buying and holding crypto the crux of their business and their stocks jumped.Bitcoin hit a high around $125,000 in early October. But, almost as quickly, digital assets tanked as investors worried the prices for shining stars such as tech stocks and crypto had jumped too high. As of Wednesday afternoon, bitcoin traded around $87,700, down roughly 30% from the peak and 6% below where it started the year. What’s ahead? Many professional investors think more gains could be ahead in 2026.That’s because most expect the economy to plod ahead and avoid a recession. That should help U.S. companies grow their profits, which stock prices tend to track over the long term. For companies in the S&P 500, analysts are expecting earnings per share to rise 14.5% in 2026, according to FactSet. That would be an acceleration from the 12.1% growth estimated for 2025.But some of last year’s concerns will linger. Chief among them is the worry that all the investment in artificial-intelligence technology may not produce enough profits and productivity to make it worth it. That could keep the pressure on AI stocks like Nvidia and Broadcom, which were responsible for so much of the market’s gains last year.And it’s not just AI stocks that critics say are too pricey. Stocks across the market still look expensive after their prices climbed faster than profits.That has strategists at Vanguard estimating U.S. stocks may return only about 3.5% to 5.5% in annualized returns over the next 10 ears. Only twice in the last 10 years has the S&P 500 failed to meet that bar.At Bank of America, strategist Savita Subramanian says the S& P 500 could rise by less than half as much as profits do in 2026. She said that could be a result of companies reducing stock buybacks, as well as global central banks implementing fewer rate cuts.__Reporter Damian Troise contributed. Stan Choe, AP Business Writer
Category:
E-Commerce
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