Rapid Response

Latest Episodes:

Global markets react to Russia's war on Ukraine, w/Gro Intelligence CEO Sara Menker Mar 12, 2022

Show notes

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine presents a new level of disruption to an already fragile global trade system. Sara Menker, the CEO of Gro Intelligence, a data research firm with deep insights on global supply and demand, joins Rapid Response for the second time to discuss these disruptions. While her biggest focus is agriculture, Sara’s insights provide a window into how things are shifting across all parts of the economy. She also discusses what we need to understand about Russia’s trade with China and the largely overlooked impacts in the Middle East.

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

On the ground in Ukraine, w/Mercy Corps CEO Tjada D'Oyen McKenna Mar 10, 2022

Show notes

Tjada D'Oyen McKenna, the CEO of Mercy Corps, an NGO on the front lines of the Ukrainian crisis, provides an inside look on how they’re helping address the needs of refugees. Mercy Corps began scenario planning well in advance of Russia’s aggression, and they’re now deploying food, cash, and social services to those in need. She also cautions about potential negative impacts elsewhere, as troubles in Ukraine pull resources from other struggling populations.

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

Make mistakes to make progress, w/GM's Gerald Johnson Mar 03, 2022

Show notes

General Motors’ Gerald Johnson shares the process and progress of trying to accomplish two daunting goals: an all-electric vehicle future, and to become the world’s most inclusive company. One thing that Johnson, the Executive Vice President of manufacturing and sustainability, has learned: “If you're not making mistakes, you're not making progress.” He adds that progress requires us to embrace being uncomfortable — and to learn from it. Johnson, who is a pastor as well, also discusses why he believes work-life integration is more realistic than work-life balance.

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

Ukraine reverberations, Theranos, and more, w/Reid Hoffman and Bob Safian Mar 01, 2022

Show notes

“We should expect more volatility,” Reid Hoffman tells Rapid Response host Bob Safian in the first Need to Know session of the year, covering news and business topics impacting entrepreneurs right now. Reid and Bob discuss the implications of the Ukraine invasion, then dive into the pandemic-fueled troubles at Peloton, PayPal, and Meta, new climate-change urgencies — including Reid’s recent trip to Antarctica, and how Activision will be different after merging with Microsoft. Plus: pay transparency; the lessons of Theranos; and the business case for democracy. Cameos: John Doerr (author of Speed & Scale), Jeremy Farrar (Wellcome Trust), Daniella Ballou-Aares (Leadership Now Project).

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

Invest in first principles, w/Betterment CEO Sarah Levy Feb 24, 2022

Show notes

It may appear off-brand for Betterment, a digital investment adviser, to acquire a cryptocurrency investing platform. But CEO Sarah Levy explains that Betterment, positioned around its long-term diversification philosophy, has approached this volatile space with their tried-and-true principles top of mind. “Once we believe that an asset class is here to stay,” she says, “the question is: how do we responsibly incorporate that alongside a traditional investment strategy?” Levy, who became CEO in the midst of the pandemic, offers an intriguing perspective on how new, fast-moving digital finance platforms are shifting the norms of the industry. “We are not saddled with legacy businesses here that prevent us from chasing new dreams.”

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

Be confident enough to show your vulnerability, w/former Merck CEO Ken Frazier Feb 17, 2022

Show notes

Ken Frazier, the longtime CEO of pharmaceutical giant Merck, was one of the few Black CEOs at the top of Corporate America. Now as an adviser at General Catalyst and co-founder of the social impact organization OneTen, he’s re-shaping how business addresses racial and health equity. He joins host Bob Safian to discuss crisis adjustment, the positive side of fear, and the importance of vulnerability. Plus, he addresses the rising divisiveness in American culture, and the important role that business can play – by stressing our commonality and emphasizing kindness.

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

Scaling when you’re already at scale, w/Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon Feb 10, 2022

Show notes

As the global chip shortage unfolded last year, Qualcomm’s engineers quickly redesigned their products – an effort that tapped into “every possible capacity we could find,” says CEO Cristiano Amon. Their story is a great lesson in how an established company can and must move with the speed of a startup. One key to moving at speed, says Amon: aligning the entire organization around a single strategy. But along with an all-hands effort, he insists, must also come time to rest. “Everything's new, everything's always changing, we have to move fast, but at the end of the day, we also need time for ourselves and our family,” he reminds us.

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

Tapping a new generation of consumers, w/The Drone Racing League president Rachel Jacobson Feb 03, 2022

Show notes

With their eyes fixed on what’s next, the Drone Racing League has established a fresh fanbase, previously left untapped by professional sports. President Rachel Jacobson, formerly an NBA executive, refers to this audience as “techsetters” – young, enthusiastic, tech-driven fans who are “invested in what the future looks like.” It’s a new demographic that could have only emerged from the league’s unique positioning that intersects sports, entertainment, and technology. As Rachel says, the companies that aren’t planning for their future demographics of consumers will “age out really quickly.” She spoke with Rapid Response host Bob Safian about diving into future ideas that may first appear unrealistic – and spinning them into realities. The Drone Racing League has successfully secured partnerships with some of the biggest media and commercial organizations in the world, such as NBC, Twitter, T-Mobile, and DraftKings.

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

Be relentless, so your team can be fearless, w/Planned Parenthood CEO Alexis McGill Johnson Jan 27, 2022

Show notes

Faced with long odds, how do you keep your team motivated and moving forward? As a leader, Alexis McGill Johnson is focused on building hope. As the president of Planned Parenthood, Johnson is preparing for the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade. But in the meantime, she’s modeling a sense of relentlessness for her team – so they can be fearless and unapologetic. Since she took over at Planned Parenthood, she’s faced both internal and external challenges. Something she learned early: "You really need to drive it like you stole it,” she says. “And don't wait for permission to make the transformations that you need to see.” She’s chosen to speak boldly, emphasizing equity and addressing the organization’s legacies of racism head on. The lessons she offers can be focused as a refusal to shy away from disappointments – and impossible dreams.

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

Lessons of Omicron, w/Wellcome Trust director Sir Jeremy Farrar Jan 20, 2022

Show notes

Sir Jeremy Farrar is UK’s pre-eminent scientific authority on Covid-19 and the chief executive at the research foundation Wellcome Trust. He joins Rapid Response to discuss the latest learnings of the Omicron variant – and offers a framework for reacting to the uncertainty. Farrar, whose research specializes in infectious diseases, also shares the two most important leadership lessons he’s learned during the pandemic: find time for yourself, and take warnings seriously. “Humanity often finds ways of going through some really bad periods to get to a good place. And I think we're going through a bad period at the moment,” Farrar says.

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