Economic Good News

Stories about money and economics being used for good — and good being done for money and economies

Afghan Girls Are Bypassing the Taliban Through Underground Coding Classes

Hundreds of Afghan girls and women are continuing to learn online and in hidden classrooms, despite Taliban restrictions on education

An illustrated arrow pointing upward, in reference to the rise of women-owned businesses

More Women Are Becoming Entrepreneurs Than Ever

A report commissioned by American Express found that, between 2014 and 2019, the number of women-owned businesses climbed 21 percent to a total of nearly 13 million.

Meghan Markle and Kirsten Gillibrand working together on paid child leave

Senator Gillibrand and Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, Are Working Together To Get Paid Leave Passed

Meghan recently called Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, who in 2013 proposed her own paid leave bill, and expressed her desire to help. Last month, Meghan wrote a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Leader Chuck Schumer as an “engaged citizen and parent”...

A Black woman tends to her garden in Detroit

A New Fund Is Helping Black Farmers in Detroit Purchase Land

Black farmers in Detroit have turned blighted properties into vital food sources. Now, a new land fund is opening the door to official ownership.

Portrait of a male group of Black happy small business workers laughing at the door of a urban plant nursery wearing aprons

12 Places To Find Black-Owned Businesses To Support

Your guide on directories of Black-owned businesses to support in your community and around the United States — plus why supporting BIPOC-owned businesses matters

A before image of a dry and brown Loess Plateau, and an after image of the same space covered in greenery

These 'Holistic Engineers' Have a Plan To Restore a Dry Egyptian Desert Into a Lush Forest

A group of “holistic engineers” wants to return the arid Sinai peninsula to the lush, green landscape it once was.

A smiling mother lifts her smiling daughter into the sky

Government and Nonprofit Actions Likely Kept Millions of Americans Out of Food Insecurity During the Pandemic

As the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated, the United States can, I believe, assure a “right to food” in the United States through government interventions, especially through expansions in benefits and SNAP eligibility.

Portrait of Jason Wang with light shining through the windows

After Leaving Prison, This Man is Helping End Recidivism

Jason Wang is the founder of FreeWorld — a nonprofit that helps people who were formerly incarcerated start a well-paying post-prison career in the trucking industry.

The view from inside of a bus in New York City

Cities Are Mobilizing to Equitably Expand Public Transit

During the pandemic, commuter trains ran nearly empty while buses shuttled essential workers. Now, cities are reevaluating where they spent their transit dollars.

A series of wind turbines on a hill at sunset

Renewable Energy Jobs Grew Globally in 2020, Defying Expectations

Clean energy jobs rose to 12 million last year even amid the pandemic but officials say green employment must come with decent conditions and bring in more women.

This Nonprofit Is Providing Hope for North Korean Refugees

Liberty in North Korea believes the North Korean people will achieve liberty in our lifetime. Here's why we can be hopeful about North Korea — and how to make a difference.

Tilling North St. Louis, Planting for a Healthier Future

Large swaths of St. Louis are without easy access to fresh food and nutritious produce. These “food deserts,” are most often in low-income communities. Organizers, farmers, and nonprofits are using a variety of creative methods to ensure people have access to the food they need