Rapid Response

Latest Episodes:

How to get funded now: VCs Reid Hoffman, Aileen Lee, and Stacy Brown-Philpot, with Van Jones Nov 11, 2025

Show notes

Reid Hoffman, Stacy Brown-Philpot, and Aileen Lee are three of the most successful, legendary leaders and investors in Silicon Valley. (The term “unicorn” for a startup valued at a billion dollars? Well, Aileen coined that.) This power trio sat down with journalist Van Jones live onstage at the 2025 Masters of Scale Summit, October 8 in San Francisco, to share candid snapshots of the investor’s mindset during this time of rapid change. Learn why VCs have dramatically shifted the way they invest in entrepreneurs this year, how companies can stand out in the crowded AI space, their personal green lights or red flags, and how players on all sides can adapt.

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What Ken Burns’ The American Revolution warns us about today Nov 07, 2025

Show notes

After a decade in development, legendary documentarian Ken Burns is set to release his long-awaited series, The American Revolution. Burns returns to Rapid Response to share key lessons from the founding of the United States—and the parallels between the revolutionary era and today. He also reflects on his admiration for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton, the obstacles he faces in his ongoing quest for truth, and why the pursuit of virtue is as essential to American democracy as the pursuit of happiness.

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

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Branding truths and tariff myths, with Autodesk’s Dara Treseder & Flexport’s Ryan Petersen Nov 04, 2025

Show notes

In a special episode of Rapid Response, we feature two fast-paced, lively conversations from Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco. Autodesk CMO Dara Treseder breaks down branding and marketing lessons from the most high-profile campaigns of 2025. Treseder shares her unvarnished read on Sydney Sweeney, Cracker Barrel, Taylor Swift, and more. In the second half of the episode, Flexport CEO Ryan Petersen assesses the five biggest myths around trade and tariffs today, advises about avoiding jail, and what he calls "dumb competition."

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

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Inside a crisis turnaround, with The Honest Company and the National Women’s Soccer League Oct 31, 2025

Show notes

When you inherit a business in crisis, what decisions can a leader make to steady the ship and drive a positive change? Recorded live at the Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco, The Honest Company CEO Carla Vernón and National Women’s Soccer League Commissioner Jessica Berman join Bob Safian to riff on counterintuitive methods for gaining employee trust after public scandals and to share practical advice on reframing strategy. The pair also explores how to attract a broad customer base in an increasingly polarized culture — and where they find their best leadership inspiration, from the U.S. Constitution to children’s books.

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.

Chobani & Patagonia CEOs break down where values meet profit Oct 28, 2025

Show notes

In these volatile times, how do we navigate the intersection between values and commerce? Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert and Chobani CEO Hamdi Ulukaya join the New York Times’ David Gelles on stage at Masters of Scale Summit to reveal their different strategies for dealing with an activist White House, the pressure for what David calls "anticipatory compliance," and how they grow their businesses while also prioritizing causes like environmental conservation and immigration. The pair also share personal stories that mark key inflection points for their companies, and what most gives them hope for the future.

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

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How AI redefines your workplace, with Meta’s Clara Shih, Box’s Aaron Levie, and LinkedIn’s Aneesh Raman Oct 24, 2025

Show notes

AI is radically changing the future of the workplace — from redefining jobs to fueling the rise of so-called “work slop.” Live on stage at the Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco, host Bob Safian is joined by Box CEO Aaron Levie, LinkedIn’s Chief Economic Opportunity Officer Aneesh Raman, and Meta’s Head of Business AI Clara Shih to share their insider perspectives on AI optimism, uncertainty, and navigating this unprecedented era. The panelists also take audience questions from an executive at IBM’s Institute for Business Value and the Chancellor of Vanderbilt University, and reveal the habits and leadership traits that will matter most in this daunting yet exciting transition.

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.

The New York Times ‘will not be cowed’, with CEO Meredith Kopit Levien Oct 21, 2025

Show notes

From attacks by President Trump to active lawsuits against Microsoft and OpenAI, The New York Times is engaged in a fierce fight to preserve the future of independent journalism. It also keeps building a multi-faceted, excellence-obsessed brand with more users for games, recipes and podcasts than ever before. President and CEO Meredith Kopit Levien joins Bob Safian live on stage at the Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco to explore The Times business model, how news coverage relates to the organization's fast-growing lifestyle products, and the impact of AI as a threat and a tool.

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.

What really shapes our economic future, with Federal Reserve of San Francisco CEO Mary Daly Oct 17, 2025

Show notes

The Federal Reserve’s influence on the economy is immense, and often misunderstood. President of the San Francisco Fed Mary Daly joins Rapid Response to give us an exclusive, firsthand look into the central bank’s daily decision-making. She explains how the Fed’s policies, at the regional and national level, ripple through society. From housing prices to immigration’s impact on labor, Daly weighs the major factors shaping the US economy. As political and market pressures mount, Daly reflects on what it means to lead with discipline and data, and what every business leader can learn from the Fed’s balancing act.

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.

Airbnb’s bet on an IRL future, with Brian Chesky Oct 14, 2025

Show notes

Amid dramatic disruption, what role should business play in building the future? Recorded live at the 2025 Masters of Scale Summit in San Francisco, Airbnb co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky shares his candid perspective on business, politics, creativity, and AI — taking listeners from Airbnb’s humble beginnings to bold plans for the company’s future. Through a designer’s lens, Chesky also reveals the single question leaders must ask themselves, and explores how best to make tricky decisions in a volatile climate.

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.

Possible: Stephen Colbert isn’t so sure about AI (with Reid Hoffman) Oct 10, 2025

Show notes

On a recent episode of Reid Hoffman’s Possible podcast, he and Aria talk with comedian Stephen Colbert. They discuss how J.R.R. Tolkien helps The Late Show host make sense of AI, whether technology will ever be able to replicate the ‘micronutrients’ of human interaction, and more.

You can find this episode and more on the Possible podcast feed: https://play.megaphone.fm/awr0uaskrl6m7mfdaaeb0w

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

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