For our project, we explored the growth of the ASU BioDesign Clinical Testing Laboratory (ABCTL) from a standard university research lab to a COVID-19 testing facility through a business lens. The lab has pioneered the saliva-test in the Western United States. This thesis analyzes the laboratory from various business concepts and aspects. The business agility of the lab and it’s quickness to innovation has allowed the lab to enjoy great success. Looking into the future, the laboratory has a promising future and will need to answer many questions to remain the premier COVID-19 testing institution in Arizona.

Over the last few decades, sustainability has become a great focus for individuals as well as businesses globally. The focus of this study was to understand why businesses purchase certain office supplies and why they may not be choosing to purchase the most sustainable options. The research question asked, “why are certain businesses reluctant to make positive, sustainable changes to their usage of office materials in their workplace environments?” Most companies do not look for alternatives that would benefit the environment when purchasing products for their office space. The reasons behind this hesitancy to change was studied through current literature on the topic as well as interviews conducted with Office Managers of several different businesses. Comparisons were made between each businesses’ decision patterns in order to find the root cause or causes of why companies do not choose more sustainable options when purchasing products for their workspaces. The interviews revealed that cost and quality are the most important factors these businesses take into consideration when purchasing office supplies. While some companies have looked into alternative products for their supplies, they ultimately choose to still purchase the less sustainable option. This is because the less sustainable option is often cheaper, and the company knows what quality to expect for the item. Overall, all of the Office Managers who were interviewed acknowledged some sort of sustainable practice that their company was taking part in, even if it did not directly relate to the types of office supplies that they purchase. This inclusion of general sustainable practices demonstrates how businesses are making efforts one way or another towards a more sustainable future. Therefore, this awareness to sustainability suggests that most, if not all businesses will eventually end up purchasing sustainable alternatives for their office supplies. However, the timeframe for which this occurs for each company will likely vary.

In the current age of global climate crisis, corporations must confront the rising pressure to mitigate their environmental impacts. The goal of this research paper is to provide corporations with a resource to manage waste through the implementation of a circular economy and by increasing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Navigating this large and complex system required the use of various methodologies including: the investigation of the relationships between waste management systems and sustainable development across major companies; literature reviews of scholarly articles about CSR, circular economies, recycling, and releases of company reports on sustainable development and financials. Lastly, interviews and a survey were conducted to gain deeper insight into the problems that make circular economies so difficult to achieve at scale.

Honored Brow is a local, non-profit, start-up business that specializes in brow lamination and lash lifts with tinting services. The business is founded and operated by four students enrolled in Arizona State University, Barrett, The Honors College. Honored Brow’s mission, through the thesis project, is to connect and provide brow and lash services to enhance natural beauty and empower women. This project was completed as part of Founders Lab.

Since its introduction, the use of technology has been rapidly expanding and has been integrated into almost every aspect of daily life. Alongside this growth, there has been an increasingly urgent movement for sustainability and to fight climate change. Because technology is so prevalent in society today, it is important to understand how the use of technology relates to sustainability and climate change. While technology has been beneficial to society, it requires vast amounts of energy to power, which causes significant environmental degradation. On the other hand, technology also has provided useful in reducing carbon emissions and mitigating the effects of climate change. This can be seen in areas such as efficient transportation and logistics systems and smart cities. Thus, technology has the potential to positively impact the environment, but its negative effects must also be reduced. Technology companies also play a large role in the reduction of carbon emissions, as they provide much of the services and technology that we use today. Companies such as Google, Amazon, and Microsoft have all made commitments to sustainability, and it is important that they are held accountable to these commitments. Additionally, as new technologies emerge, their environmental impact must also be calculated. The findings of this thesis show that the main negative impacts of technology come from its energy use and its life cycle, while the main positive impacts come from its indirect effect on production processes, systems, and industries. In the long-term, these indirect positive effects are expected to increase, but the energy demands of technology will also increase. Therefore, managing the energy demands of technology while also allowing for increased efficiency and reductions in carbon emissions is the main challenge that companies face regarding sustainability.