Rapid Response
312 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 15 hours ago - ★★★★★ - 50 ratingsThe pace of change in our culture is unprecedented and shows no signs of slowing. So what is most important to pay attention to when striving to innovate, create, and lead? From the team behind Masters of Scale, Rapid Response features candid conversations with today's top business leaders navigating real-time challenges. Hosted by the former editor-in-chief of Fast Company, Bob Safian.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Winning and losing, w/Vanderbilt University coach Jerry Stackhouse
February 18, 2021 10:00 - 26 minutes - 24 MBMaintaining high performance in business has become harder than ever, between health challenges, economic obstacles, and political uncertainty. But we all still work to win. Jerry Stackhouse, coach of the Vanderbilt University men’s basketball team and former NBA all-star, is focused on winning – in the near-term, and the long term. His experience offers a compelling parable for every business leader these days. With Covid-19, his team has faced cancellations, testing protocols, and...
Public-private opportunities, w/Defense Innovation Unit director Mike Brown
February 16, 2021 10:00 - 32 minutes - 29.5 MBCall him the unofficial U.S. ambassador to Silicon Valley. As director of the Defense Innovation Unit within the U.S. Department of Defense, Mike Brown is tasked with bridging the gap between technology innovators and the U.S. government. Formerly CEO of Symantec, Brown knows the significant opportunity public-private partnerships can offer entrepreneurs – if structured for speed not bureaucracy – and he's been setting up new ones at a rapid clip. He also knows the intense need to k...
Public-private opportunities, with Defense Innovation Unit's Mike Brown
February 16, 2021 10:00 - 32 minutes - 29.5 MBCall him the unofficial U.S. ambassador to Silicon Valley. As director of the Defense Innovation Unit within the U.S. Department of Defense, Mike Brown is tasked with bridging the gap between technology innovators and the U.S. government. Formerly CEO of Symantec, Brown knows the significant opportunity public-private partnerships can offer entrepreneurs – if structured for speed not bureaucracy – and he's been setting up new ones at a rapid clip. He also knows the intense need to k...
Iterating under pressure, w/Feeding America CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot
February 11, 2021 10:00 - 30 minutes - 27.6 MBThe pandemic era has ushered in a new wave of food insecurity, with some 50 millions Americans hungry for food aid. How could Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks, meet the moment? CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot describes the immense challenge: volunteers unavailable, mass-distribution centers untenable, resources unreliable. But with one in six Americans in need (one in four kids), she leaned on Feeding America's assets in new ways, empowering local chapters, collecti...
Iterating under pressure, with Feeding America's Claire Babineaux-Fontenot
February 11, 2021 10:00 - 30 minutes - 27.6 MBThe pandemic era has ushered in a new wave of food insecurity, with some 50 millions Americans hungry for food aid. How could Feeding America, a nationwide network of food banks, meet the moment? CEO Claire Babineaux-Fontenot describes the immense challenge: volunteers unavailable, mass-distribution centers untenable, resources unreliable. But with one in six Americans in need (one in four kids), she leaned on Feeding America's assets in new ways, empowering local chapters, collecti...
Why we need to think again, w/Adam Grant
February 04, 2021 10:00 - 30 minutes - 28.1 MBAs we grapple with pandemic-charged change in business and as a society, we’ve become more fractured, more divisive, and more vulnerable. Adam Grant, best-selling author and professor at the Wharton School, argues that recognizing what we don't know is the key step on the road to insight, competitive advantage, and community peace. In his new book, "Think Again," Grant illuminates why taking a fresh look at our assumptions, about others and about ourselves, is such a powerful tool. ...
Why we need to think again, w/author and professor Adam Grant
February 04, 2021 10:00 - 30 minutes - 28.1 MBAs we grapple with pandemic-charged change in business and as a society, we’ve become more fractured, more divisive, and more vulnerable. Adam Grant, best-selling author and professor at the Wharton School, argues that recognizing what we don't know is the key step on the road to insight, competitive advantage, and community peace. In his new book, "Think Again," Grant illuminates why taking a fresh look at our assumptions, about others and about ourselves, is such a powerful tool. ...
Aggressive sustainability, w/Sunrun CEO Lynn Jurich
January 28, 2021 10:00 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MBExpectations for solar are high under a Biden administration, says Lynn Jurich, CEO of the solar power company Sunrun. While Sunrun's stock price has quadrupled in the past year, Jurich faces not only high-profile competition but the complexities of a new-style energy utility and the vagaries of politics and policy in the most partisan environment in generations. Her touchstone – in a key lesson for entrepreneurs – is to focus on long-term trends that she believes are favorable. In ...
Aggressive sustainability, w/Lynn Jurich, CEO of Sunrun
January 28, 2021 10:00 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MBExpectations for solar are high under a Biden administration, says Lynn Jurich, CEO of the solar power company Sunrun. While Sunrun's stock price has quadrupled in the past year, Jurich faces not only high-profile competition but the complexities of a new-style energy utility and the vagaries of politics and policy in the most partisan environment in generations. Her touchstone – in a key lesson for entrepreneurs – is to focus on long-term trends that she believes are favorable. In ...
Ten months of pain and hope, w/restaurateur Danny Meyer
January 21, 2021 10:00 - 29 minutes - 27.3 MBIt's been an epic journey for iconic New York City restaurateur and Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer. Forced by the pandemic into closures and layoffs last spring, as he poignantly shared in two previous episodes, Danny stayed optimistic and was rewarded through the summer and fall, as new menu innovations and new dining protocols brought back customers. But then a fresh wave of infections inflicted fresh pain, with harder choices than ever and renewed layoffs and closings – one of ...
What the pandemic has cost women, w/Ellevest's Sallie Krawcheck
January 14, 2021 10:00 - 31 minutes - 28.7 MBAmidst the devastating effects of the pandemic, one in five women has left the workforce, and the gender pay gap and wealth gap are expanding. There's a long-term cost to that inequity, says Sallie Krawcheck, co-founder and CEO of Ellevest, a fintech platform dedicated to serving women investors – and businesses can help to address that cost. A long-time C-suite leader at financial behemoths like Citi and Bank of America, Krawcheck knows firsthand the obstacles women face as well as...
What the pandemic has cost women, w/Ellevest co-founder and CEO Sallie Krawcheck
January 14, 2021 10:00 - 31 minutes - 28.7 MBAmidst the devastating effects of the pandemic, one in five women has left the workforce, and the gender pay gap and wealth gap are expanding. There's a long-term cost to that inequity, says Sallie Krawcheck, co-founder and CEO of Ellevest, a fintech platform dedicated to serving women investors – and businesses can help to address that cost. A long-time C-suite leader at financial behemoths like Citi and Bank of America, Krawcheck knows firsthand the obstacles women face as well as...
Introducing: Spark & Fire, our sister podcast on creativity
December 24, 2020 10:00 - 4 minutes - 3.83 MBA podcast recommendation for the New Year. The iconic founders who join us our show are all masters of creativity. From the initial spark, down the crooked path of invention, scaling a company is a hero’s journey in creativity. With that: a new podcast from the team behind this show. It’s called Spark & Fire. On each episode, an iconic creator tells the story of bringing a beloved work to life. Yo-Yo Ma on the Silk Road Project. Kemp Powers on Pixar’s “Soul". Architect Thomas Heat...
2020: The Year in Review w/Reid Hoffman & Bob Safian
December 22, 2020 10:00 - 48 minutes - 44.5 MBReid Hoffman and Bob Safian, in conversation about a pandemic-disrupted year filled with unexpected twists and lessons. From the rise (and risks) of remote work to accelerations in tech; from supply-chain disruption to opportunities in manufacturing; from stock-market fluctuations to social justice demonstrations, 2020 was a turning point in so many realms. Reid and Bob talk about the rising responsibility of business – now is the time, says Reid, to speak up on civic and cultural m...
Why Salesforce Bought Slack, w/Salesforce president Bret Taylor
December 17, 2020 10:00 - 31 minutes - 28.8 MBSalesforce's much-buzzed-about deal to acquire Slack for $28 billion goes back a decade, when Friendfeed founder Bret Taylor met Flickr founder Stewart Butterfield. Now Taylor is Salesforce's president, while Butterfield runs Slack. In this episode, Taylor talks about how the pandemic helped the two friends bring their businesses together, and what a Salesforce-Slack combination means for the future of work. Taylor explains how an initial paralysis within Salesforce when the pandemi...
Why Salesforce Bought Slack, w/Salesforce's Bret Taylor
December 17, 2020 10:00 - 31 minutes - 28.8 MBSalesforce's much-buzzed-about deal to acquire Slack for $28 billion goes back a decade, when Friendfeed founder Bret Taylor met Flickr founder Stewart Butterfield. Now Taylor is Salesforce's president, while Butterfield runs Slack. In this episode, Taylor talks about how the pandemic helped the two friends bring their businesses together, and what a Salesforce-Slack combination means for the future of work. Taylor explains how an initial paralysis within Salesforce when the pandemi...
Why take on a turnaround, w/Magic Leap’s Peggy Johnson
December 10, 2020 10:00 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBWhy leave a storied tech icon to lead a troubled brand? As the pandemic deepened this summer, Peggy Johnson left a safe perch at Microsoft to take the helm of one-time startup darling Magic Leap, which had just barely avoided bankruptcy. Yet with CEO roles for women in tech still unfortunately rare, Johnson felt compelled to take a risk. Now she's betting that the accelerated tech adoption prompted by Covid-19 will boost emerging areas like Magic Leap's AR. All entrepreneurs face mo...
Why take on a turnaround, w/Magic Leap CEO Peggy Johnson
December 10, 2020 10:00 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBWhy leave a storied tech icon to lead a troubled brand? As the pandemic deepened this summer, Peggy Johnson left a safe perch at Microsoft to take the helm of one-time startup darling Magic Leap, which had just barely avoided bankruptcy. Yet with CEO roles for women in tech still unfortunately rare, Johnson felt compelled to take a risk. Now she's betting that the accelerated tech adoption prompted by Covid-19 will boost emerging areas like Magic Leap's AR. All entrepreneurs face mo...
Loneliness at work, w/economist Noreena Hertz
December 03, 2020 10:00 - 32 minutes - 30 MBThis is the loneliest century, says economist Noreena Hertz. Even before the pandemic forced us to stay home, loneliness was snaking its way through our lives, affecting everything from how we vote to how we work. Professor at University College London and author of the upcoming book, The Lonely Century, Noreena has some sage advice for businesses: about how less loneliness fuels more productivity, the bottom-line advantages of in-person connection over virtual interactions, and why...
Loneliness at work, w/Noreena Hertz
December 03, 2020 10:00 - 32 minutes - 30 MBThis is the loneliest century, says economist Noreena Hertz. Even before the pandemic forced us to stay home, loneliness was snaking its way through our lives, affecting everything from how we vote to how we work. Professor at University College London and author of the upcoming book, The Lonely Century, Noreena has some sage advice for businesses: about how less loneliness fuels more productivity, the bottom-line advantages of in-person connection over virtual interactions, and why...
Balancing data with gut feeling, w/JetBlue's Joanna Geraghty
November 25, 2020 10:00 - 32 minutes - 29.8 MBAfter suffering record shattering drops in revenue from Covid-19, JetBlue has had to rethink every plan and every assumption. Joanna Geraghty, JetBlue's president and chief operating officer, explains how the airline built a new system for flexing the business, to ramp up only when demand arises, deploying cost cuts but no furloughs, and looking for opportunity amid the downdraft. With JetBlue and airlines across the board now grappling with a renewed global infection surge, Geraght...
Balancing data with gut feeling, w/JetBlue president Joanna Geraghty
November 25, 2020 10:00 - 32 minutes - 29.8 MBAfter suffering record shattering drops in revenue from Covid-19, JetBlue has had to rethink every plan and every assumption. Joanna Geraghty, JetBlue's president and chief operating officer, explains how the airline built a new system for flexing the business, to ramp up only when demand arises, deploying cost cuts but no furloughs, and looking for opportunity amid the downdraft. With JetBlue and airlines across the board now grappling with a renewed global infection surge, Geraght...
Balancing Data with Gut Feeling, w/JetBlue's Joanna Geraghty
November 25, 2020 10:00 - 32 minutes - 29.8 MBAfter suffering record shattering drops in revenue from Covid-19, JetBlue has had to rethink every plan and every assumption. Joanna Geraghty, JetBlue's president and chief operating officer, explains how the airline built a new system for flexing the business, to ramp up only when demand arises, deploying cost cuts but no furloughs, and looking for opportunity amid the downdraft. With JetBlue and airlines across the board now grappling with a renewed global infection surge, Geraght...
Why brands must take a stand, w/Wieden+Kennedy president Colleen DeCourcy
November 19, 2020 10:00 - 36 minutes - 33.6 MBLegendary ad agency Wieden+Kennedy pioneered some of the most successful campaigns in history. But 2020 has raised the stakes for companies—and fundamentally changed how advertising works, W+K President Colleen DeCourcy tells us. Even as her own business adapts to financial and cultural strains, DeCourcy and her team have been guiding brands from Nike to Coca-Cola to Uber in selecting the right messages in a turbulent world. Meshing an economic goal with an emotional message has nev...
Why brands must take a stand, w/Wieden+Kennedy's Colleen DeCourcy
November 19, 2020 10:00 - 36 minutes - 33.6 MBLegendary ad agency Wieden+Kennedy pioneered some of the most successful campaigns in history. But 2020 has raised the stakes for companies—and fundamentally changed how advertising works, W+K President Colleen DeCourcy tells us. Even as her own business adapts to financial and cultural strains, DeCourcy and her team have been guiding brands from Nike to Coca-Cola to Uber in selecting the right messages in a turbulent world. Meshing an economic goal with an emotional message has nev...
A virtual-first workplace, w/Dropbox co-founder and CEO Drew Houston
November 12, 2020 10:00 - 31 minutes - 28.5 MBIn-office engagement or remote flexibility? We don't need to choose, says Dropbox co-founder and CEO Drew Houston. Facing the biggest shift in work habits in half a century, Houston has embarked on a radical experiment to reimagine how work gets done. The company's recently announced Virtual First plan dedicates all in-office activity to creative, team-based efforts, rebranding its offices as Dropbox Studios. Individual work will happen offsite, either at home or a self-chosen co-wo...
A virtual-first workplace, w/Dropbox's Drew Houston
November 12, 2020 10:00 - 31 minutes - 28.5 MBIn-office engagement or remote flexibility? We don't need to choose, says Dropbox co-founder and CEO Drew Houston. Facing the biggest shift in work habits in half a century, Houston has embarked on a radical experiment to reimagine how work gets done. The company's recently announced Virtual First plan dedicates all in-office activity to creative, team-based efforts, rebranding its offices as Dropbox Studios. Individual work will happen offsite, either at home or a self-chosen co-wo...
Pandemic Planning, Phase Two, w/physician Dr. Bon Ku
November 05, 2020 10:00 - 34 minutes - 31.9 MBWith Covid-19 cases surging, businesses may be forced into a new wave of adjustments. Will the crisis-management tactics of spring and summer be successful as winter unfolds? Dr. Bon Ku, an ER physician at Jefferson University Hospital and director of the Health Design Lab, returns to the podcast to share what he’s seeing as we enter a new season and how we might respond. His proposals for health care delivery – about both heightened vigilance and creative shifts to financing, suppl...
Pandemic Planning, Phase Two, w/Dr. Bon Ku (Jefferson University Hospital)
November 05, 2020 10:00 - 34 minutes - 31.9 MBWith Covid-19 cases surging, businesses may be forced into a new wave of adjustments. Will the crisis-management tactics of spring and summer be successful as winter unfolds? Dr. Bon Ku, an ER physician at Jefferson University Hospital and director of the Health Design Lab, returns to the podcast to share what he’s seeing as we enter a new season and how we might respond. His proposals for health care delivery – about both heightened vigilance and creative shifts to financing, suppl...
Small business – more stressed than ever, w/H&R Block CEO Jeff Jones
November 02, 2020 10:00 - 32 minutes - 29.4 MBSmall business is being taxed emotionally as well as financially, and that tax is rising, says H&R Block CEO Jeff Jones. As the pandemic hit, entrepreneurs did what entrepreneurs do: solved problems, protected teams, served customers. But as uncertainty has persisted, anxiety among business owners has risen, even since the summer, according to a major new H&R Block study. With small enterprises the backbone of his customers, Jones has a unique vantage to offer advice and lessons: ab...
Small business – more stressed than ever, w/H&R Block's Jeff Jones
November 02, 2020 10:00 - 32 minutes - 29.4 MBSmall business is being taxed emotionally as well as financially, and that tax is rising, says H&R Block CEO Jeff Jones. As the pandemic hit, entrepreneurs did what entrepreneurs do: solved problems, protected teams, served customers. But as uncertainty has persisted, anxiety among business owners has risen, even since the summer, according to a major new H&R Block study. With small enterprises the backbone of his customers, Jones has a unique vantage to offer advice and lessons: ab...
When your business disappears overnight, w/Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson
October 22, 2020 09:00 - 29 minutes - 26.9 MB95% of your business disappears. What do you do? Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson recounts how the travel industry drastically changed last spring, with hotel bookings all but disappearing overnight. In the midst of his own battle with cancer, Arne has spent the year balancing the needs of his workforce against those of his partners; having blunt but critical conversations; and empowering his team to make tough decisions. He has wise words about the role of business leaders in times of so...
When your business disappears overnight, w/Marriott’s Arne Sorenson
October 22, 2020 09:00 - 29 minutes - 26.9 MB95% of your business disappears. What do you do? Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson recounts how the travel industry drastically changed last spring, with hotel bookings all but disappearing overnight. In the midst of his own battle with cancer, Arne has spent the year balancing the needs of his workforce against those of his partners; having blunt but critical conversations; and empowering his team to make tough decisions. He has wise words about the role of business leaders in times of so...
Movie-theater drama has come to every business, w/Alamo Drafthouse CEO Shelli Taylor
October 15, 2020 09:00 - 28 minutes - 26.2 MBAs big movie chains shut down, Shelli Taylor's determined to keep her theaters open. With revenue at a trickle, the CEO of Alamo Drafthouse is negotiating daily with landlords and banks, and even tried her own video-on-demand service. Her balancing act – a conviction that long-term demand will be strong, while near-term economics are dismal – is familiar among entrepreneurial leaders. By defiantly keeping the movie magic alive, she's leaning into hope, the human need for community, ...
Movie-theater drama has come to every business, w/Shelli Taylor, CEO, Alamo Drafthouse
October 15, 2020 09:00 - 28 minutes - 26.2 MBAs big movie chains shut down, Shelli Taylor's determined to keep her theaters open. With revenue at a trickle, the CEO of Alamo Drafthouse is negotiating daily with landlords and banks, and even tried her own video-on-demand service. Her balancing act – a conviction that long-term demand will be strong, while near-term economics are dismal – is familiar among entrepreneurial leaders. By defiantly keeping the movie magic alive, she's leaning into hope, the human need for community, ...
The COVID test facts every CEO needs, w/Rockefeller Foundation president Rajiv Shah
October 08, 2020 09:00 - 36 minutes - 33.4 MBTo safely re-open a business, you need more than masks. Covid testing is key – and the options are changing quickly. We found the most in-the-know person in public health to walk us through the choices, costs, and protocols to keep an entrepreneurial team, and all of us, safe. Rajiv Shah is president of the Rockefeller Foundation, which has led response to health crises in the United States and around the world for 100 years (including the 1918 flu pandemic). Applying what he learne...
The Covid test facts every CEO needs, w/Rajiv Shah (Rockefeller Foundation)
October 08, 2020 09:00 - 36 minutes - 33.4 MBTo safely re-open a business, you need more than masks. Covid testing is key – and the options are changing quickly. We found the most in-the-know person in public health to walk us through the choices, costs, and protocols to keep an entrepreneurial team, and all of us, safe. Rajiv Shah is president of the Rockefeller Foundation, which has led response to health crises in the United States and around the world for 100 years (including the 1918 flu pandemic). Applying what he learne...
Your company is a citizen – it can act like one, w/Baratunde Thurston
October 01, 2020 09:00 - 40 minutes - 36.9 MBThe pandemic, social unrest, the U.S. election – everything affects your team and your business. And the stakes are only getting higher. How do you address race and diversity? Should your business take a stand in the upcoming election? What role should your company play? If you're debating how political to get right now, this is your must-listen. We're talking with writer / thinker Baratunde Thurston on how companies can show up as citizens – citizens with the potential for outsize ...
The myth of remote-work productivity, w/Gensler co-CEO Diane Hoskins
September 22, 2020 11:00 - 38 minutes - 35.1 MBIs your office safe to re-open? How much space do you need? Is remote-work really more productive? Diane Hoskins is co-CEO of architecture firm Gensler, which advises businesses from Google to Bank of America. With the pandemic, Hoskins explains, now is a critical moment to ask important questions about what your team needs to work smarter and successfully, and to build a physical space that is not just healthy but enables both collaboration and individual work. From new technology ...
Healthy offices and the myth of remote-work productivity, w/Diane Hoskins (Gensler)
September 22, 2020 11:00 - 38 minutes - 35.1 MBIs your office safe to re-open? How much space do you need? Is remote-work really more productive? Diane Hoskins is co-CEO of architecture firm Gensler, which advises businesses from Google to Bank of America. With the pandemic, Hoskins explains, now is a critical moment to ask important questions about what your team needs to work smarter and successfully, and to build a physical space that is not just healthy but enables both collaboration and individual work. From new technology ...
Nothing matters but this. w/Eric Schmidt (frmr Google CEO)
September 15, 2020 11:00 - 36 minutes - 33.2 MB"Until this problem gets fixed, all the other things that I care about, that you care about, are on hold.” In this must-hear interview, Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO (and now co-founder of Schmidt Futures) shares why he's 100% focused on addressing the challenges of Covid-19. From vaccines and testing protocols to best practices for businesses, Schmidt shares a clear-eyed roadmap for moving toward a healthy, just, and economically vibrant post-pandemic world. Listen to the "Reima...
Nothing matters but this. w/former Google CEO Eric Schmidt
September 15, 2020 11:00 - 36 minutes - 33.2 MB"Until this problem gets fixed, all the other things that I care about, that you care about, are on hold.” In this must-hear interview, Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO (and now co-founder of Schmidt Futures) shares why he's 100% focused on addressing the challenges of Covid-19. From vaccines and testing protocols to best practices for businesses, Schmidt shares a clear-eyed roadmap for moving toward a healthy, just, and economically vibrant post-pandemic world. See Privacy Policy a...
What you can learn from how schools are pivoting, w/Success Academy's Eva Moskowitz
September 08, 2020 11:00 - 31 minutes - 29.1 MBThe first day of school doesn't look the way it used to – in some cases, it might not be happening at all. As schools across the country start a new year, we're kicking off a new season with Eva Moskowitz, founder and CEO of Success Academy, a charter school network that serves 20,000 kids across New York City. In the spring, Success Academy pivoted to remote learning days before the City shut down schools and as they start a new semester, Success Academy is pivoting to "Remote Lear...
What to learn from how schools are pivoting, w/Success Academy CEO Eva Moskowitz
September 08, 2020 11:00 - 31 minutes - 29.1 MBThe first day of school doesn't look the way it used to – in some cases, it might not be happening at all. As schools across the country start a new year, we're kicking off a new season with Eva Moskowitz, founder and CEO of Success Academy, a charter school network that serves 20,000 kids across New York City. In the spring, Success Academy pivoted to remote learning days before the City shut down schools and as they start a new semester, Success Academy is pivoting to "Remote Lear...
Building a bridge over troubled waters, with Spelman College president Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell
July 18, 2020 11:00 - 41 minutes - 38.1 MBHow to keep students learning – and building their vital lifelong community bonds – in the middle of a pandemic? This is the question for Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell, president of Spelman College. Late in July, Dr. Campbell announced Spelman's plan for the upcoming academic year – with 100% online classes (and lower fees). Meanwhile, as the head of a leading HBCU, based in the protest hotbed of Atlanta, she's also been grappling with social unrest and calls for change. Spelman is taki...
Building a bridge over troubled waters, w/Spelman College president Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell
July 18, 2020 11:00 - 41 minutes - 38.1 MBHow to keep students learning – and building their vital lifelong community bonds – in the middle of a pandemic? This is the question for Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell, president of Spelman College. Late in July, Dr. Campbell announced Spelman's plan for the upcoming academic year – with 100% online classes (and lower fees). Meanwhile, as the head of a leading HBCU, based in the protest hotbed of Atlanta, she's also been grappling with social unrest and calls for change. Spelman is taki...
Inside PayPal's $530M plan to close the racial wealth gap, w/CEO Dan Schulman
July 11, 2020 11:00 - 30 minutes - 27.8 MBThe pandemic has hurt many businesses – but PayPal isn't one of them. PayPal has boomed as e-commerce purchases have swelled, with the stock up more than 50% this year and a new demographic of the 50+ joining the platform. That doesn't mean though, that CEO Dan Schulman hasn't had a slew of adjustments and worries to manage. PayPal recently committed more than $500 million to support Black and minority-owned businesses, after facilitating some $1.9 billion in PPP loans to largely un...
Inside PayPal's $530M plan to close the racial wealth gap, with CEO Dan Schulman
July 11, 2020 11:00 - 30 minutes - 27.8 MBThe pandemic has hurt many businesses – but PayPal isn't one of them. PayPal has boomed as e-commerce purchases have swelled, with the stock up more than 50% this year and a new demographic of the 50+ joining the platform. That doesn't mean though, that CEO Dan Schulman hasn't had a slew of adjustments and worries to manage. PayPal recently committed more than $500 million to support Black and minority-owned businesses, after facilitating some $1.9 billion in PPP loans to largely un...
What it will take for tech and Hollywood to be anti-racist, w/Color Of Change's Rashad Robinson
July 09, 2020 11:00 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MBThere's no quick fix to 400 years of oppression, says Color Of Change president Rashad Robinson. One of the largest racial justice organizations in the US, Color Of Change works with decision-makers in business and government to enact systemic change. In 2020, Color Of Change has seen its membership swell — along with its impact. Rashad's group railed against Hollywood's reflexive pro-police agenda, forcing TV shows "Cops" and "Live PD" off the air, and launched the Stop Hate For Pr...
A new playbook for new times, w/Ford Foundation president Darren Walker
July 02, 2020 10:00 - 26 minutes - 24.5 MB"This was like 1918, 1929 and 1968 in one week," says Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation. With the pandemic, economic crisis, and civil unrest all coming together after George Floyd's death, Walker found himself flooded with calls from CEOs struggling for how to respond. Walker's advice mixes clear-eyed messages — denying the trauma borne by communities of color is no longer option — with optimism about the opportunities ahead. At the Ford Foundation, they've accelerate...