The Los Angeles Post

IWBI Named to Fast Company’s Annual List of the World’s Most Innovative Companies for 2019

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NEW YORK, February 22, 2019 –The International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) has been named to Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies roster, carrying last year’s momentum around WELL full force into 2019. The list honors businesses making the most profound impact on both industry and culture. IWBI leads the global movement to transform our buildings and communities to help deliver health and wellbeing for all.

“In 2018, we launched WELL v2, stood up the Portfolio program for existing buildings, expanded our geographic footprint, and crossed some big adoption milestones across industries and sectors,” said IWBI Chairman and CEO Rick Fedrizzi. “That success is built firmly on an internal culture of innovation – in our product, in our delivery model, and in how we engage with our customers. To be named No. 6 in the wellness category on a list that includes leaders like Peloton and Parsley Health is humbling and gratifying.”

Fedrizzi noted that in 2018, IWBI registered more than 134 million square feet, which is 108% growth over 2017. Of this, almost half came from portfolios and returning clients, with the rest being individual projects. “In 2018, we supported 82 projects through to certification, which is a 78% increase over 2017. Certified square footage has grown 203% over 2017,” Fedrizzi said.

Some notable WELL certifications in 2018 included:

  • Multiple WELL Interior certifications within WELL Core & Shell buildings
  • First certified warehouse (Prologis)
  • First certified project in India (Citi)
  • First certified coworking project (Workbar)
  • Major end-user clients
    • Finance: Wells Fargo, TD Bank, AEW Capital Management and Citi
    • Consulting: EY and Deloitte
    • Tech: Lenovo
    • Entertainment: Fandango
    • Hospitality: Hyatt

“Our amazing WELL AP community gets a lot of the credit for our continued uptake,” said Fedrizzi. “Today we have more than 7,500 WELL APs and aspirants across the globe, and the launch of WELL v2 has inspired many people to step up to the rigor and the rewards of this level of engagement with WELL.”

Fedrizzi noted that what sets WELL apart is its requirement for performance testing. “We evaluate more than 60 performance indicators, requiring over 20 tests and using more than 10 pieces of equipment to actually verify the performance of your space. Leaders don’t want to guess – they need to know.”

“With the launch of WELL v2, which we built alongside our customers, with the Portfolio program underway with almost 30 global participants, new marketing and sales tools, inspiring educational content, new research and ROI data and a reimagined WELL project platform that delivers value as soon as a project enters into the system, we’re looking forward to continued growth,” said Fedrizzi. “More importantly, we’re excited to be the catalyst for a second wave of sustainability built on human health and wellness through buildings that help people thrive.”