
Rapid Response
The 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.
Latest episodes

May 23, 2025 • 28min
The 2 million volunteers fixing immigration, with Welcome.US' Nazanin Ash
As the global migrant crisis continues to dominate our airwaves, Welcome.US has triggered a dramatic impact on US immigration, resettling 800,000 refugees across all 50 states. The organization’s co-founder and CEO, Nazanin Ash, joins Rapid Response to share how her team developed an effective and efficient model, unlocking a nonpartisan, corporate-backed community of 2 million volunteers. Welcome.US is a story of both business innovation and human inspiration.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.

May 20, 2025 • 34min
The enterprise AI revolution is underway, with Box’s Aaron Levie
The buzz in Silicon Valley around AI agents has many asking: What’s real and what’s hype? Box’s co-founder and CEO, Aaron Levie, joins Rapid Response to help decipher between fact and fiction, taking listeners inside the fast-paced evolution of agents and its impact on the future of enterprise AI. Plus, Levie unpacks how AI is really being adopted in the workplace, what it takes to legitimately build an AI-first organization, and what political leaders across both parties misunderstand about creating the best environment for technology to thrive.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.

May 16, 2025 • 31min
Inside Trump’s crackdown on colleges, with The Chronicle of Higher Education’s Evan Goldstein
Higher education is the latest victim of the culture wars. At prestigious institutions like Harvard and Columbia, the Trump administration is cracking down on research budgets amid accusations of antisemitism on campus. Evan Goldstein, managing editor at The Chronicle of Higher Education, joins Rapid Response to reveal what’s really driving the attacks — and why colleges have struggled to present a united defense. Goldstein unpacks the deeper political motives, the economic consequences for colleges, and what’s at stake for the future of education.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.

May 13, 2025 • 29min
The one trait every leader needs today, with General Stanley McChrystal
Amid polarization, AI disruption, and eroding trust in institutions, retired four-star general, Stanley McChrystal, argues that what leaders need now more than ever, is character. Head of the business consulting firm McChrystal Group, Gen. McChrystal returns to Rapid Response to discuss his new book on the subject of character. From AI ethics and modern warfare to hot-button issues like Signalgate and transgender service in the military, McChrystal explains why character is the foundation of lasting leadership. Drawing from decades of experience, he urges today’s leaders to start standing up for what matters and “be not afraid”.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/More details about On Character: Choices that Define a Life here.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

May 9, 2025 • 33min
Lyft’s bold plan to overtake Uber in the race for rideshare’s future, with CEO David Risher
The rideshare market has reached a crossroads. Autonomous vehicles are on the rise, driver unrest is mounting, and customers are questioning everything from pricing to trust and safety. In the midst of it all, Lyft is mounting a comeback. CEO David Risher, who took over the wheel at Lyft two years ago, is pushing to reposition the company squarely against Uber — with faster execution, bold new programs, and Lyft’s biggest international acquisition to date. A former Amazon executive, Risher isn’t shy about calling out the “enshittification” of tech platforms, or borrowing a few lessons from Jeff Bezos. He joins Rapid Response to unpack his high-speed strategy and explain why Lyft’s comeback story is just getting started.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.

May 6, 2025 • 37min
Musk and DOGE: Inside 100 days of chaos, with WIRED’s Global Editorial Director Katie Drummond
When Elon Musk stepped into the White House spotlight and brought his DOGE chainsaw, no one was better poised to cover the fallout than WIRED. The tech journalism outlet knew Musk’s playbook from the get-go, from years of covering his companies and his takeover of Twitter. WIRED’s Global Editorial Director Katie Drummond joins Rapid Response to take us inside Musk’s transformative, head-spinning time at President Trump’s side thus far. Drummond weighs the lasting impact of DOGE’s efforts 100 days in, and says that even as Musk announces plans to step back from politics, we can still expect plenty more to come.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.

May 2, 2025 • 34min
The world’s largest drone delivery service comes for retail, with Zipline’s Keller Cliffton
News coverage about drones often focuses on warfare, but the impact of this evolving technology is far broader. Zipline’s co-founder and CEO Keller Cliffton joins Rapid Response to chart the company’s recent expansion from transporting blood for life-saving transfusions in Rwanda, to retail deliveries across eight countries — including high-profile partnerships with the likes of Walmart, Chipotle, Panera, and the Mayo Clinic. Zipline’s do-good health efforts and commercial deliveries are all part of Cliffton's vision for a radical, new transportation network. As we look to understand the societal impacts of AI and autonomy, Zipline is a case study in what's possible for a future of consumers hungry for accessibility and speed. 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.

Apr 29, 2025 • 26min
Marc Lore wants an AI superapp to plan all your meals
In his return to Rapid Response, the billionaire entrepreneur, NBA owner, and CEO of Wonder, Marc Lore, told us he plans all his meals with AI – and he loves it. It’s just one part of his vision for transforming our relationship to food and health. His start-up Wonder has already acquired Blue Apron, Grubhub, and the media brand Tastemade, and he shares how that’s all laddering up to a superapp for meal time. Plus, while many businesses are raising prices in the face of today’s volatility, Marc reveals why he’s taking the bold step to lower them.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.

Apr 25, 2025 • 38min
Pioneers of AI: Your next manager could be powered by AI, with Katherine von Jan
A great manager can make a person feel more satisfied and included at work. But a bad manager can cost a company lots of time and resources — even driving away valuable talent. Katherine von Jan is building a better manager, powered by AI. As CEO and co-founder of Tough Day, von Jan is building AI management tools tailored for the future of work. Tough Day might handle basic questions about PTO, but also step-in around sensitive issues like workplace conflict. In this episode of Pioneers of AI with host Dr. Rana el Kaliouby, hear why AI is poised to redefine middle management, ushering in an era of “un-bossing”.Learn more about Pioneers of AI: http://pioneersof.ai/Follow Pioneers of AI on all channels: https://linktr.ee/pioneersofai At the center of AI is people, so we want to hear from you! Share your experiences with AI — or ask us a burning question — by leaving a voicemail at 601-633-2424. Your voice could be featured in a future episode!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Apr 22, 2025 • 33min
From warzones to boardrooms: José Andrés on leadership learned in the kitchen
As the founder of World Central Kitchen, renowned chef and humanitarian José Andrés has truly mastered the art of leading through crisis. José returns to Rapid Response to share insights from his new book, Change the Recipe — a candid collection of personal stories that doubles as a playbook for navigating uncertainty, breaking rules, and leading with heart. José also explores how AI is poised to reshape the food industry, the importance of unplugging, and more. In a world seemingly on fire, José shows us how to harness that fire — without getting burned.Order José’s New Book TodayVisit 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.