Rapid Response

We’ve reached a radical inflection point in the growth of women’s sports, particularly the WNBA. As college stars like Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese enter the league, fans are clamoring for tickets and on social media, generating unprecedented excitement and business potential. WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert joins Rapid Response host Bob Safian to share how she plans to capitalize on this newfound buzz, and how NIL deals have transformed the business of sports for players and owners alike. Plus, Engelbert peels back the curtain on how she led the league through the Brittney Griner crisis, and the tumult of COVID. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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? 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.As the fastest-growing content in the Masters of Scale franchise, starting May 14th Rapid Response will begin releasing new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Follow Rapid Response today to ensure you never miss an episode!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Khan Academy first rocked the education world with online video. Now Khan Academy CEO and founder Sal Khan has gone all-in on AI, convinced that it has immense potential to democratize and improve education. Khan tells Rapid Response host Bob Safian how an early outreach from OpenAI led Khan Academy to create an AI assistant called Khanmigo, which is already being used by thousands of students and teachers. Khan shares lessons from this real-world experiment, plus the inspiration behind his new book, Brave New Words, and why the most educated among us tend to avoid the risks worth taking.Pre-order Sal Khan’s new book, Brave New Words: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/740806/brave-new-words-by-salman-khan/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Every day we’re inundated with news and opinion pieces about America’s hopeless division — but is this really true? Axios CEO Jim VandeHei joins Rapid Response host Bob Safian to bust what he sees as myth, plus share his seemingly counterintuitive AI play. VandeHei also makes a case for why the era of business leaders speaking out on political issues may be behind us, and he weighs-in on the state of Buzzfeed, NPR, and where the future of news media is inevitably headed.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The streaming wars have reached a new inflection, as Netflix and Disney+ jostle for position, and in the process disrupt post-strike Hollywood. Paramount+ invested heavily in blockbuster veteran Alex Kurtzman to turn Star Trek into a distinguishing franchise. Now Kurtzman talks with Rapid Response host Bob Safian about the future of streaming, the end of TV’s golden age, and how courting Trekkies offers lessons for all customer engagement. Plus, Kurtzman shares behind the scenes stories of Star Trek’s past, present and future.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is the state of the U.S. economy good or bad right now? Stock markets have soared, but consumers remain wary. Are CEOs and investors deluding themselves? Or do Main Street Americans expect too much? Suzanne Clark, CEO of the US Chamber of Commerce, has uncommon insight into this perplexing dichotomy. She talks with Rapid Response host Bob Safian about what she’s hearing from businesses in the U.S. and abroad. Plus, she shares details from her recent high-profile visit to China. Also: why bringing your full self to work may not be a good idea, and how optimism drives economic growth and progress.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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

If the U.S. government bans TikTok, a generation of content creators and brands who have built businesses on the platform will be radically disrupted. With 17 million social followers — 3.5 million of which on TikTok — fitness and lifestyle entrepreneur Cassey Ho is in the heart of that storm. Founder of athleisure brands Blogilates and POPFLEX, she joins Rapid Response host Bob Safian to discuss the fast-changing game of social engagement and what’s required right now. Plus, she offers personal lessons on building a dedicated following and how audience feedback fuels her product roadmap. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rabid demand for weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy is altering US society and transforming the healthcare industry. Rapid Response host Bob Safian guides us through the upheaval and lessons, talking with CEO Zach Reitano of Ro, a telehealth platform that has ridden the wave to a $7 billion valuation. Reitano shares why he chose obesity-treatment as his company’s “hero product,” the impact of weight-loss drugs on industries beyond health-care, and why the potential of GLP-1s like Ozempic mirrors that of AI.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Oscars aren’t just Hollywood’s biggest night. The ceremony and the scrutiny around it captures the trends and evolving values of American culture. Rapid Response host Bob Safian digs into the business implications of the Academy Awards with incisive Hollywood observer Franklin Leonard, founder and CEO of The Black List, an independent platform connecting screenwriters with studios. From Oppenheimer’s near-sweep to Killers of the Flower Moon’s donut – and how Barbie arguably won the night without taking home the top prizes, Leonard teases out lessons about creativity, missed opportunities, and where the future of entertainment is moving.If you work in the film, television or theater industry and are interested in finding high quality material, apply for The Black List industry membership today: https://blcklst.com/register/applySee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.