🎨 The world’s most creative people have this one thing in common

Your next pair of shoes may be made from mycelium, the root-like threads that grow under mushrooms. Bolt Threads, a sustainable materials startup that transforms mycelium into “unleather,” is scaling up production in the Netherlands so it will be able to make a million square feet of its material annually. I talked to CEO Dan Widmaier about how the company is growing, how it can take on the traditional leather industry, and how it’s partnering with brands like Adidas, which will soon release sneakers that use the new material. Read my story here. —Adele Peters   impact This realistic mushroom ‘leather’ is ready for commercial production Get ready to see Lululemon bags and Adidas shoes made with Mylo, a leather-like material made out of mycelium. READ MORE   co.design The world’s most creative people have this one thing in common Researchers used artificial intelligence to study the careers of 4,500 directors, 70,000 scientists, and 2,000 artists. The most successful among them share an important trait. READ MORE   tech How Occupy Wall Street spawned a decade of protest, politics, and social media Though brief and messy, the Occupy movement of 2011 helped recast the political story in the U.S. and fostered more-enduring movements to come. READ MORE

These fridge-free, no-needle vaccines could be ready for the next pandemic Scientists are working hard to solve some of the issues with vaccine delivery so they’re ready the next time we need to give shots to the whole world. READ MORE

co.design Meet the visionary designer behind AOC’s Tax the Rich dress Aurora James, the designer behind Brother Vellies, has spent her career advocating for economic equality. READ MORE   work life How to break your email addiction If you find yourself picking up your phone while spending time with others, it may be time to reassess your relationship with your inbox.   READ MORE   work life These are the challenges and downsides to the 4-day workweek A professor of the future of work points out that a four-day week is likely to exacerbate existing inequalities and create resentment against those who get to have a three-day weekend. READ MORE   tech SpaceX’s big launch will send 3 regular people—and 1 billionaire—to space The Inspiration4 mission will circle Earth for three days, bringing space tourism closer to reality. READ MORE   co.design Paging cat people! This apartment building is a love letter to feline friends A London architect covered a building in cats and created a fictional backstory in order to change the neighborhood’s narrative. READ MORE   work life How to keep your big project going, even after key team members leave Employees are leaving their jobs in record numbers. Here’s how to prevent the loss of a key team member from derailing your multidisciplinary project. READ MORE   NEWS Should the Fed break up Wells Fargo? What you need to know For years, Senator Elizabeth Warren has been threatening to break up America’s big banks. Now for the first time, she has a specific one in mind: Wells Fargo.  On Monday, the Democrat from Massachusetts wrote a letter asking Federal Reserve chairman Jerome Powell to do it by revoking the bank’s financial holding company license.  That would force Wells Fargo to split apart the banking and Wall Street sides of its business, making it nearly impossible for the bank to conduct any sort of non-banking business. Warren argues that regulators have given Wells Fargo ample opportunities to fix its myriad problems.  Wells Fargo responded with a lengthy statement affirming its focus on building a “strong risk and control foundation.” Check out the latest news stories here.   events The Fast Company Innovation Festival September 27-31: The seventh annual Fast Company Innovation Festival returns this year as an immersive hybrid experience, featuring four days of inspirational keynote interviews, in-depth panels, and interactive workshops.  GET TICKETS     FREE SPONSORED E-BOOK OF THE DAY Windows 10 for Dummies, 4th Edition ($24.99 Value) FREE for a Limited Time – Expires 9/22/2021 Click here to download your free e-book.     Thanks for reading! Have questions or comments? Email us at newsletters@fastcompany.com. Have a great day! SHARE THIS NEWSLETTER   Support strength in journalism Join Fast Company Premium for $1   If you don’t want to receive Compass anymore, unsubscribe here If you were forwarded Compass and like it, subscribe here View this newsletter online 7 World Trade Center, 29th Floor, New York, NY 10007-2195