100 MOST INFLUENTIAL COMPANIES 2023- PIONEERS

From artificial intelligence to fashion, the businesses and leaders shaping our future

- Leslie Dickstein, Mariah Espada, Anna Gordon, Tara Law, Simmone Shah, and Julia Zorthian

AMEELIO

Free connection

Many in U.S. prisons have no choice but to pay shockingly high prices to call a loved one. Ameelio's first-of-its-kind, free video-call and messaging app is gaining momentum as an alternative: lowa, Colorado, and Maine expanded or began using it in 2022, and others are in the tech nonprofit's pipeline for 2023. State prison systems are embracing change because they understand that greater connectivity helps lower recidivism rates, says CEO Uzoma Orchingwa. A 2020 study of Minnesota prisons found that receiving at least one video visit can reduce the likelihood of reconviction by 22%. As states debate making prison calls free and the FCC moves to regulate the industry, Ameelio's mission may have found its moment. -JEREMY GANTZ

SCHNITZER STEEL

Better metal

From screws to skyscrapers, steel shapes our world. But the industry is also responsible for 8% of global CO₂ emissions. Scrap-metal recycler Schnitzer Steel Industries, which also makes finished products, is blazing a better path. In 2023, it was named the most sustainable company in the world by research firm Corporate Knights. "Was I surprised? No," says CEO Tamara Lundgren. Schnitzer's facilities are run by net-carbon-free electricity, and it has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 24% since 2019. Last year it introduced net-zero-carbon GRN Steel products-carbon offsets and renewable-energy credits address manufacturing emissions-proving that sustainable steel can be feasible and profitable. -ALISON VAN HOUTEN

EQUIP

Team treatment