

Rapid Response
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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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Sep 27, 2024 • 27min
From users to investors, how Google’s ad trial impacts you, with Arielle Garcia
As Google’s high-profile antitrust trial reaches the end of week three, the future of its gargantuan ad business is in flux. Check My Ads’ Arielle Garcia has been in every court session to cover the DOJ’s arguments and Google’s defense. As head of intelligence for the digital ads watchdog and an ad industry veteran, she joins Rapid Response to share how the trial is poised to not only disrupt the digital ad landscape, but to affect democracy and journalism as we know it. 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.

Sep 24, 2024 • 26min
EA’s march to 1 billion gamers, with CEO Andrew Wilson
While EA’s pursuit of 1 billion users may sound ambitious at first, once you hear CEO Andrew Wilson explain the developers’ strategy to get there, the 1 billion mark starts to almost sound conservative. Wilson returns to Rapid Response to shed light on EA’s recent announcements around a community-driven app, and plans to unleash new AI tools for creators and gamers alike. Wilson also shares the inside story behind the company’s high-stakes FIFA rebrand, how Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu shapes his business leadership, and more. Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzAyRBd9h68See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sep 20, 2024 • 42min
Rapid Response Introduces: Pioneers of AI with Dr. Rana el Kaliouby
AI is changing our lives every single day. To help you keep up, AI scientist, entrepreneur, and investor Dr. Rana el Kaliouby offers a definitive guide to the forefront of this transformative technology with her new podcast, Pioneers of AI. To mark the show’s launch, Bob Safian welcomes Rana back to Rapid Response. We introduce the first episode of Pioneers of AI, featuring Dr. Joy Buolamwini, an expert in AI and algorithmic bias, who shares the story behind founding the Algorithmic Justice League and donning the moniker, “the poet of code”.Subscribe to the Pioneers of AI podcast feed: https://pioneersof.ai/subscribe See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sep 17, 2024 • 27min
From Taylor Swift to the Emmys, lessons in celebrity, with The Ankler’s Janice Min
While Shōgun, Hacks, and Baby Reindeer bask in their success at The Emmys, the awards reveal deeper lessons about TV’s future. Janice Min, co-founder and CEO of The Ankler, guides us through the key storylines, from Disney to HBO to Netflix. We also dig deep on Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Kamala Harris and what it says about the politics of celebrity in 2024 — for stars and for CEOs. Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvDT8wXlh0QSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sep 13, 2024 • 24min
Why I’m trying to buy TikTok, with Project Liberty's Frank McCourt
Next week, TikTok’s parent company, Bytedance, will appear in court as the U.S. government moves to force the Chinese company to shutter or sell its wildly popular social platform. Investor and former LA Dodgers owner Frank McCourt is preparing a consortium bid to buy the app — and access to its 170 million users. McCourt joins Rapid Response to explain the national security case against Bytedance, take us inside the story of his TikTok bid, and reveal how he would use the platform to address a central crisis of our digital age.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfJC_QFM07cSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sep 10, 2024 • 31min
2024 is the most significant time in human history (Encore)
We are biologically wired to focus on the near-term, and that’s often a good thing. But in this moment — with global conflict, fast-evolving tech, and climate change dominating our present — we need to also prioritize long-term impacts. Futurist Ari Wallach joins Rapid Response host Bob Safian to dive into our biological and business motivations around what he calls “futuring.” Host of the new PBS docuseries, A Brief History of the Future, Wallach shares lessons from the longest-standing corporations on Earth, why he views AI as “immortal algorithms,” and how business leaders must embrace the moral imperative of their business as a core KPI.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.

Sep 6, 2024 • 22min
What Gen Z craves now, with noplace CEO Tiffany Zhong
noplace, a new social media app for Gen Z, rocketed to the top of the app download charts this summer. Founder Tiffany Zhong (or “TZ” as she calls herself) joins Rapid Response to share what has gotten young users so excited. As a longtime advisor to brands on Gen Z trends and habits, TZ offers valuable insight about what authentic, no-BS business leadership looks like in 2024. TZ also shares the story behind her moniker “The World’s Youngest VC,” how she used Twitter to land early support from Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, and more. Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YelWhZkIkgSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sep 3, 2024 • 30min
Will.i.am is using AI to re-make radio
While some artists complain that AI uses their music as training data, Will.i.am argues that it’s no different than Prince and Michael Jackson taking inspiration from James Brown. Will joins Rapid Response to talk about his investments in the “dawn of intelligent media,” including his new app RAiDIO.fyi — AI technology that he contends will be pre-installed in every car of the future. Will shares surprising lessons from his MBA studies at Harvard, why developers are like rappers, how he works with Mercedes, and more. Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7XBPgrfiDoSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Aug 30, 2024 • 29min
Athletic Brewing cracks open the non-alcoholic beer market, with CEO Bill Shufelt
Non-alcoholic beer is booming, boosted by a cultural shift in Gen Z drinking habits and a pivot to healthy living. Athletic Brewing has become the biggest non-alcoholic beer brand in the US, fueling the buzz. Co-founder & CEO Bill Shufelt joins Rapid Response to share how Athletic is approaching a critical crossroad. After securing endorsements from JJ Watt to Karlie Kloss as well as a partnership with Arsenal Football Club, Athletic now faces a flurry of beer industry titans flooding into non-alcoholic brews. Shufelt explains why Athletic is expanding despite the competition, lessons from his days in the hedge fund world, and the balance between passion and discipline. Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIF80D4j2DMSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Aug 27, 2024 • 23min
How Campus won over Sam Altman & Shaq, with founder Tade Oyerinde
With student loan debt at record highs, higher education is at a crossroads. Campus is an all-online community college that’s built a business model around competitive pricing, resources for students (like giving them a laptop and paying for home internet), and compensating professors well above the national average. The start-up also achieves high graduation rates, while maintaining an impressive bottom line. Campus founder and Chancellor Tade Oyerinde shares how he wooed investors like Sam Altman and Shaq, and has won-over major partners from Forever 21 to Arizona State University and Butler University.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=im0aKxQNSqQSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.