In 2022, the online crowdfunding platform saw its biggest campaign ever: nearly $42 million for a sci-fi author’s self-publishing effort. But recent changes inside Kickstarter are just as notable. Workers at the company unionized, and shaved a day off its workweek, setting a powerful example of workers’ rights in tech. “We’ve been just as productive or even more productive with a four-day workweek,” says Everette Taylor, who in September became the company’s first Black CEO. Kickstarter’s senior leadership is now 75% women and 63% people of color, and it donates 2.5% of its after-tax profit to organizations fighting inequality. The focus is on maximizing Kickstarter’s real-world impact rather than revenue, Taylor says.
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