Shopify, Chewy and Ally are Resilience Awards finalists

In an era upended by pandemic and recession, companies of all stripes have scrambled to innovate, scale and survive. But some media, marketing, fashion, beauty and retail players have continued to succeed in the face of daunting odds.

The companies that thrived in 2020 mastered the art of perseverance, and how they did so can serve as a lesson. Even as revenue streams tightened, this year’s Resilience Awards finalists refused to panic or to think selfishly. Instead, they doubled down on their commitment to their team members, their customers, their partners and the broader community. 

First they acted swiftly and urgently to secure the health and well-being of their employees, implementing work-from-home policies wherever possible and ensuring that any remaining in-person staff were working in safe environments. Then they looked beyond their own walls, backing financially vulnerable partners and supporting crucial charities and social movements. 

Take Shopify, which committed $200 million in business loans to its merchant partners. Then there’s Ally, which designated millions of dollars to nonprofit organizations dedicated to food, health care, housing and other emergency causes. Chewy eagerly stepped into the role of devoted pet parent, propping up struggling animal welfare organizations with more than $10 million worth of food, medication and supplies.

Similar heroic stories abound across all the businesses, teams and leaders included in this year’s shortlist. This much is clear: 2020’s most successful companies thought beyond their immediate bottom lines — and in doing so, they not only enhanced their standing with grateful customers and partners, but they also won their workers’ trust. 

Presented by Digiday, Glossy and Modern Retail, this year’s Resilience Awards program recognizes teams, individual leaders and businesses that, as a whole, have risen to meet unprecedented challenges. 

The finalists are: