Rapid Response
315 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 16 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.
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Episodes
TaskRabbit's Stacy Brown-Philpot: “A pandemic doesn’t see money.”
April 18, 2020 16:57 - 33 minutes - 30.9 MBTaskRabbit remains open for business, says CEO Stacy Brown-Philpot. As the magnitude and severity of the pandemic became clear – and as workers across the U.S. were furloughed and services cut – TaskRabbit leaned into the work they do: providing services to those who need them and empowering Taskers with new opportunities for income, including virtual tasks, and Tasks for Good, which connects vulnerable individuals in need with local volunteer Taskers. TaskRabbit was founded during ...
Crisis data is the story of our times, w/Crisis Text Line founder Nancy Lublin
April 17, 2020 18:44 - 27 minutes - 24.8 MB"Anxiety," "grief," "mom”: These are the words that matter at this extreme moment in time. That data comes from Crisis Text Line, whose online counselors are using both empathy and aggregated data to help people through this pandemic. Founder and former CEO Nancy Lublin makes the case for not losing sight of data — especially at extreme moments like this. Crisis Text Line provides free, confidential crisis counseling via text, 24/7 and to help counselors meet the moment, they anonym...
"We're a data first company." w/Crisis Text Line's Nancy Lublin
April 17, 2020 18:44 - 27 minutes - 24.8 MB"Anxiety", "grief," … "mom”: These are the words surfacing at this extreme moment in time. That data comes from Crisis Text Line’s Nancy Lublin, whose online counselors are using both empathy and aggregated data to help people through this pandemic. Nancy makes a passionate case for not losing sight of data — especially at extreme moments like this. Crisis Text Line provides free, confidential crisis counseling via text, 24/7 and to help counselors meet the moment, they anonymize an...
"We're a data-first company," w/Crisis Text Line
April 17, 2020 18:44 - 27 minutes - 24.8 MB"Anxiety," "grief," "mom”: These are the words that matter at this extreme moment in time. That data comes from Crisis Text Line, whose online counselors are using both empathy and aggregated data to help people through this pandemic. Founder and former CEO Nancy Lublin makes the case for not losing sight of data — especially at extreme moments like this. Crisis Text Line provides free, confidential crisis counseling via text, 24/7 and to help counselors meet the moment, they anonym...
How to keep an essential business running, w/Lyft co-founder John Zimmer
April 16, 2020 20:55 - 27 minutes - 25 MBEverything starts with transportation, says John Zimmer, co-founder and president of Lyft. And even though ride sharing is sharply down, transportation remains key – for essential workers and for our supply chain. So Lyft is flexing some new muscles, says John. They recently launched a delivery service so they can help get supplies where they need to go – and put drivers on the road. They’ve also spent over a million dollars on protective equipment so that both drivers and riders ca...
Lyft’s John Zimmer: How to keep an essential business running
April 16, 2020 20:55 - 27 minutes - 25 MBEverything starts with transportation, says John Zimmer, co-founder and president of Lyft. And even though ride sharing is sharply down, transportation remains key – for essential workers and for our supply chain. So Lyft is flexing some new muscles, says John. They recently launched a delivery service so they can help get supplies where they need to go – and put drivers on the road. They’ve also spent over a million dollars on protective equipment so that both drivers and riders ca...
Hourly workers are a 'hero class' w/Cue Ball’s Tony Tjan
April 15, 2020 19:44 - 38 minutes - 34.9 MBJobless claims are in the millions and climbing by the week. As businesses close indefinitely, the workforce—and especially hourly workers — face an astounding level of financial instability. At Boston’s Cue Ball Group, Tony Tjan’s portfolio includes companies that employ hundreds of nail care workers, cooks, and servers. For some of their businesses revenue has fallen to zero. And Tony's asking: How can we protect hourly workers and help them prepare for an uncertain future? And ho...
Hourly workers are a 'hero class', w/Cue Ball investor Tony Tjan
April 15, 2020 19:44 - 38 minutes - 34.9 MBJobless claims are in the millions and climbing by the week. As businesses close indefinitely, the workforce—and especially hourly workers — face an astounding level of financial instability. At Boston’s Cue Ball Group, Tony Tjan’s portfolio includes companies that employ hundreds of nail care workers, cooks, and servers. For some of their businesses revenue has fallen to zero. And Tony's asking: How can we protect hourly workers and help them prepare for an uncertain future? And ho...
A playbook for when there’s no playbook, w/Carbon CEO Ellen Kullman
April 14, 2020 20:01 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBHow do you survive a crisis? You create your own trajectory, says Ellen Kullman. And she knows: In her former role, she became CEO of the chemical engineering giant DuPont in 2008, just ahead of the financial crisis. During those years of straight free fall, Ellen learned how to lead through what seemed like completely devastating circumstances and developed four crisis principles, forged through the fire of experience. She’s putting those to the test now, at the helm of 3D printing...
A playbook for when "there’s no playbook" – CEO Ellen Kullman (Carbon, DuPont)
April 14, 2020 20:01 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBHow do you survive a crisis? You create your own trajectory, says Ellen Kullman. And she knows: In her former role, she became CEO of the chemical engineering giant DuPont in 2008, just ahead of the financial crisis. During those years of straight free fall, Ellen learned how to lead through what seemed like completely devastating circumstances and developed four crisis principles, forged through the fire of experience. She’s putting those to the test now, at the helm of 3D printing...
Crisis is pushing us back to our roots, w/Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky
April 13, 2020 22:02 - 34 minutes - 31.5 MBAs the pandemic hit, Airbnb was preparing for an IPO. Within a matter of days, everything changed dramatically, as travel worldwide screamed to a halt. “I felt like I was captain of a ship and a torpedo hit the side,” says CEO Brian Chesky. Airbnb responded quickly, announcing that they'd override host rules and allow for guest cancellations. They went on to establish a relief fund for hosts, lobby the U.S. Congress to include hosts in the CARES stimulus package; open up a new busin...
Airbnb’s Brian Chesky: "Crisis is pushing us back to our roots"
April 13, 2020 22:02 - 34 minutes - 31.5 MBAs the pandemic hit, Airbnb was preparing for an IPO. Within a matter of days, everything changed dramatically, as travel worldwide screamed to a halt. “I felt like I was captain of a ship and a torpedo hit the side,” says CEO Brian Chesky. Airbnb responded quickly, announcing that they'd override host rules and allow for guest cancellations. They went on to establish a relief fund for hosts, lobby the U.S. Congress to include hosts in the CARES stimulus package; open up a new busin...
The wrenching decision to layoff thousands, w/restauranteur Danny Meyer
April 10, 2020 02:05 - 34 minutes - 31.7 MBIn late March 2020, Danny Meyer laid off 2,000 people – that's 80 percent of staff at Union Square Hospitality Group, representing 20+ restaurants across the country. It was a heartbreaking decision made with full understanding of the impacts, short-term and long-term – or as much as can possibly be known in this volatile time. Danny shares why and how he acted so quickly, the process he and his team used to make this decision, the impact of the layoff, and what comes next for his i...
Danny Meyer on the wrenching decision to do layoffs
April 10, 2020 02:05 - 34 minutes - 31.7 MBIn late March 2020, Danny Meyer laid off 2,000 people – that's 80 percent of staff at Union Square Hospitality Group, representing 20+ restaurants across the country. It was a heartbreaking decision made with full understanding of the impacts, short-term and long-term – or as much as can possibly be known in this volatile time. Danny shares why and how he acted so quickly, the process he and his team used to make this decision, the impact of the layoff, and what comes next for his i...
Crowdfunding in a crisis w/IFundWomen CEO Karen Cahn
April 04, 2020 16:01 - 34 minutes - 31.9 MBWhat are your options for emergency funding in the US? Can you use the U.S. CARES Act to get financial assistance? Should you consider crowdfunding? We talk to Karen Cahn, CEO of IFundWomen, about what you need to know. Who qualifies for the forgivable and traditional loans within this $2.2 trillion stimulus package? Do you have to apply today? How much money could you get? And is a loan a good idea? Karen gives us the details – and makes the case that now is the best time to crowdf...