Masters of Scale

Latest Episodes:

From 'Trump bump' to 'Trump slump,' with Betterment CEO Sarah Levy Mar 18, 2025

Show notes

Recent market swings are causing whiplash for everyday investors. Sarah Levy, CEO of digital investment platform Betterment returns to Rapid Response to shed light on a market in flux. Levy explores the evolving volatility of crypto, socially responsible investing, generational attitudes to finance, and more. Amid the noise around our economy, Sarah offers a clear-eyed vision to help everyone find their own unique approach to money.

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Solving start-up puzzles, with Vanta CEO Christina Cacioppo Mar 13, 2025

Show notes

Compliance and security might not be the flashiest parts of running a business, but that’s exactly where the CEO and founder of Vanta saw a $2.5 billion opportunity. Christina Cacioppo joins host Jeff Berman to share lessons from hyperscaling her trust management platform.

Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com

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Nonprofits navigate Trump’s drastic funding cuts, with The Chronicle of Philanthropy CEO Stacy Palmer Mar 11, 2025

Show notes

President Trump’s dramatic cuts to U.S. government grants are destabilizing every corner of the non-profit sector, leaving organizations scrambling to adapt. Stacy Palmer, CEO of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, explores the executive order’s impact on both the public and private sector, how organizations can adjust to the unpredictable philosophy of the new administration, and what the future of giving may look like. With many historical institutions like public schools, houses of worship, and community organizations under pressure, this moment could further fracture the ties that bind Americans together.

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What the Oscars tell us about streamers, studios, and Hollywood’s future with The Ankler's Janice Min Mar 04, 2025

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The Oscars aren’t just about filmmaking — they’re a real-time look at the culture, business, and power plays shaping Hollywood and larger entertainment industry. The Ankler CEO Janice Min returns to Rapid Response to unpack the night’s biggest turning points — including how Sean Baker’s Anora proved that low-budget filmmaking can outrun major studios, why Hollywood is more afraid of political controversy than ever, and how livestreaming is factoring in the streamers wars, one Hulu glitch at a time.

Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/

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Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen on leveraging AI Feb 27, 2025

Show notes

Shantanu Narayen has weathered plenty of storms for Adobe, the iconic software company that earned more than $21 billion in revenue last year. The veteran tech leader talks with host Reid Hoffman about transforming Adobe’s creative tools like Photoshop to a cloud-based subscription, how that unlocked ways to innovate faster, and why those lessons are serving the company well in the new age of AI.

Synthetic voiceover of Reid Hoffman used in this episode was produced by Respeecher with full consent and permission.

Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com

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Egg prices, avian flu & golden yolks, with Vital Farms CEO Russell Diez-Canseco Feb 25, 2025

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Feeling the impact of eggflation? Vital Farms’ CEO Russell Diez-Canseco joins Rapid Response to offer valuable context beyond the eye-popping price tags. As avian flu continues to wipe out millions of birds, many egg producers are struggling — but Vital Farms has managed to keep growing. Canseco shares how the brand’s relationship with farmers, transparency with customers, and unique business model has allowed the company to turn crisis into opportunity. He also explores why Vital Farms became a B Corp before its IPO, the company’s high-profile lawsuit with PETA, and what makes Vital Farms’ yolks so orange.

Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A more compassionate capitalism, with Cotopaxi’s Davis Smith Feb 20, 2025

Show notes

Cotopaxi founder Davis Smith believes business can be a force for change. He built a world-class outdoor brand around a simple but powerful motto: Do Good. In this conversation with host Jeff Berman, Smith shares the spark of inspiration that set Cotopaxi in motion, the hard-won lessons that shaped his approach to building teams, and why he chose to step away from the CEO role amid the company’s impressive growth.

Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com

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Can Rivian avoid the EV speed bumps? with founder and CEO RJ Scaringe Feb 18, 2025

Show notes

As demand declines for EVs, and Tesla’s Elon Musk wields power in the new Trump administration, electric automaker Rivian is taking this time to adapt its business and expand its brand. Rivian’s founder and CEO RJ Scaringe joins Rapid Response to share how the company is moving beyond the luxury SUV space — introducing a raft of new challenges and opportunities. RJ explores Rivian's recent $5.8 billion partnership with Volkswagen, the ongoing risk assessment for self-driving features, and how Rivian's AI-enabled 'technological plumbing' can accelerate the brand beyond incumbent manufacturers.

This episode is brought to you in partnership with Stripe — empowering businesses around the world to make progress.

Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Building a network of mentors, with Cadre’s Ryan Williams Feb 13, 2025

Show notes

Ryan Williams thinks it should be easier to invest in real estate. He founded Cadre in 2014 to address this problem, and scaled it to impressive heights before an acquisition last year that sources say was valued at north of one billion dollars, combined. Williams talks with host Jeff Berman about how he built a powerful network of mentors to support his success, what he learned after being thrust into the spotlight because of one of his investors, and why he decided to exit his business.

Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com

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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

From Nike to Bud Light to Tubi: Lessons from the Super Bowl 2025 ads, with Autodesk's Dara Treseder Feb 11, 2025

Show notes

Super Bowl LIX had a clear winner on the field, but victory for brands was more hard-won. Sure, plenty of ad spots were star-studded, from Seal to David Beckham to Ben and Casey Affleck, but to what end? Many aimed for impact, but did they deliver? Autodesk CMO Dara Treseder offers hot takes on this year’s hits and misses from the big game’s ads. She joins host Bob Safian to break down what makes an NBDB (never been done before) moment, why so many brands adopted a “safe” approach, and what trends business leaders should note going forward.

Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.