Opus Training Named One of Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies of 2026

Opus joins companies like Google, Nvidia, Adidas, and Walmart as Fast Company announces organizations shaping the future of their industries

NEW YORK  — Opus, the training operations platform trusted by hundreds of multi-unit brands, has been named one Fast Company’s  World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2026, which highlights organizations driving meaningful progress across industries and around the world.

Opus and its team were recognized for transforming frontline training with a training operations platform built for the frontline, including  innovations like Ask Opus, Guest Feedback Integration, and enhanced Task Management capabilities.

Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list recognizes organizations across sectors and regions through a highly competitive review process evaluating companies that are shaping industry and culture through innovation.

”Over the past year, we’ve focused on one thing: Bringing training closer to the reality of frontline work,” said Rachael Nemeth, CEO and co-founder of Opus. “For businesses to truly invest in their people, they have to see the impact in their operations first. Training needs to be continuous and embedded in the work, not something you complete once and move on from. And it has to respond to what’s happening in the business. That’s how deliver value and how you create opportunities for the people doing the work every day.”

Addressing critical challenges for restaurants and hospitality

Opus’ recognition comes as multi-unit operators rethink how training fits into their businesses. Frontline employees typically have less than an hour per month for formal training, yet are expected to deliver consistent performance across locations in increasingly complex operating environments.

As a result, leading brands are moving away from static onboarding models toward systems that support continuous learning and performance in the flow of work. Opus is designed to meet these needs and over the past year introduced a range of capabilities designed specifically for that shift.

Fast Company’s award recognizes three core components of Opus’ platform:

  • Ask Opus, which gives employees instant, role-specific answers sourced from company training materials, allowing teams to access knowledge in the moment rather than relying on memory.
  • Guest Feedback Integration, which connects customer feedback directly to training, enabling businesses to identify patterns and deploy targeted improvements across locations.
  • Enhanced Task Management capabilities, which  link training to execution, helping operators reinforce standards and close performance gaps in real time.

Delivering measurable impact across frontline operations

Together, these capabilities represent a shift from static training programs to a more dynamic, operational approach. Instead of separating training from day-to-day work, Opus enables businesses to continuously develop their teams in the flow of work and to adjust based on real conditions inside the business.

This approach is delivering measurable results.

Operators using Opus have reduced top guest issues by up to 60% within 30 days, accelerated new hire ramp time by more than 25%, and improved engagement across multilingual teams with training delivered in more than 100 languages. Opus continues to grow with brands across frontline industries, training more than 1 million frontline workers in the United States.

A platform built from frontline experience

Opus is built on firsthand experience in restaurants and frontline industries.

Nemeth co-founded the company after working in the service industry for years, including with Union Square Hospitality Group. She saw training systems that struggled to support the frontline workforce and didn’t reflect the way people really worked. Dedicating the same resources typically invested in workers who sit at a desk, she believed, could unlock opportunity for the majority of the workforce who are in frontline roles.

Opus’ growth has also come as many businesses rethink the way training can work and drive efficiency.

“For a long time, training has been treated as something you complete once and move on from, but that’s not how frontline businesses actually operate,” Nemeth said. “The reality is faster, more dynamic, and more demanding than that. Teams need to learn and improve in the flow of work and it needs to be connected to what’s happening in the business and the outcomes operators care about.”

Opus serves restaurants, hospitality businesses and other frontline-heavy industries with a mobile first platform that delivers training, task management, and support in more than 100 languages. Its inclusion on Fast Company’s list reflects growing pressure on operators to drive consistency, adapt quickly, and improve unit-level performance.  By connecting training directly to operations, Opus helps organizations reduce turnover and build more consistent customer experiences at scale.

About Opus Training

Opus is the leading training operations platform for multi-unit brands with frontline workforces, helping operators deliver consistent, engaging training that delivers measurable results. Trusted in thousands of locations across restaurants, retail, fitness, healthcare and consumer services, Opus customers include Smashburger, Craveworthy Brands, Let’s Play Soccer, Shipley Do-Nuts, Sound Fun Entertainment, Big Chicken, York Building Services, Gordon Ramsay Group, Jose Andres Group and more. Learn more at opus.so.

About Fast Company

Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging influential leaders, companies, and thinkers shaping the future of business. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures, along with Inc. magazine. For more information, visit fastcompany.com.