Apple

It would be pat, but true, to say simply that Apple has improved the planet by revolutionizing the way we communicate. Yet the decade-old iPhone changed human behavior, from facilitating computing on the go to sending instant messages in times of need. Apple has reaped huge rewards in the process, including achieving a valuation of $1 trillion. But it has generated plenty of wealth for others along the way: In June, the company announced that its App Store had generated $100 billion for developers since its launch. Apple has taken principled stands on privacy, such as not selling access to its users’ data. It is mindful, too, of its carbon footprint—no trivial matter considering its size.