

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

Oct 22, 2024 • 28min
Ken Burns on Leonardo da Vinci, AI, and the future of storytelling
Leonardo da Vinci is a thoroughly modern figure, even if he lived hundreds of years ago. So says Ken Burns, the legendary documentary filmmaker on topics from the Civil War to Muhammad Ali. Burns joins Rapid Response to talk about his new, upcoming project on da Vinci and what leaders in 2024 can learn from his interdisciplinary approach. Burns also opens up about the challenges of creative integrity in a world influenced by AI, the advantages of avoiding shortcuts, and how studying history reveals key lessons for tackling modern problems.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9puG9A0YpHsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Oct 18, 2024 • 28min
From tipping to AI, a new era for restaurants, with Shake Shack founder Danny Meyer
How much should we tip? Legendary restaurateur Danny Meyer returns to Rapid Response to assess an inflection point in customer expectations and experiences around that and other questions. The founder of Union Square Hospitality Group and Shake Shack shares his hard-earned lessons from unsuccessfully challenging the tipping norm, plus why he sees right now as a golden age for new restaurants. Hear how AI is poised to redefine hospitality–and his best advice for securing a reservation at that hard-to-get-into spot.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.

Oct 15, 2024 • 28min
How Wikipedia will survive AI with CEO Maryana Iskander
Wikipedia is among the top ten most-visited websites in the world, and it’s been a pillar of online knowledge for more than 20 years. The site’s parent nonprofit, Wikimedia Foundation, wants it to stay that way. CEO Maryana Iskander joins Rapid Response to discuss how Wikipedia is navigating AI-generated misinformation, why debates around truth and neutrality will only intensify, and threats to the platform from authoritarian governments. Iskander shares how human-edited Wikipedia is holding its ground against AI competitors like ChatGPT, and her leadership strategy amid social-technological transformation.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.

Oct 11, 2024 • 29min
Marc Benioff says Salesforce can beat Microsoft in AI, here’s why
Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce and a leader in cloud computing and AI, discusses the launch of Agentforce, a groundbreaking AI tool set to revolutionize business. He critiques Microsoft’s CoPilot as part of his vision for transforming the industry. Benioff shares insights from his ownership of TIME magazine and reflects on shifting core values at Salesforce. He emphasizes the ethical responsibility of developers in the AI era and hints at a rebranding for Salesforce, underscoring the importance of adapting to societal changes.

Oct 8, 2024 • 27min
How mobile voting can save democracy, with Bradley Tusk of Tusk Ventures
As early voting begins in the US presidential election, there is a nascent movement afoot that would reshuffle future contests from local school boards to Washington DC – and it revolves around our smartphones. Venture capitalist and political strategist Bradley Tusk has invested $20 million in building what he says is a safe, secure app that would allow mobile voting, which he’s bankrolled pilots for in 20 jurisdictions across 7 states. Tusk outlines what he believes makes mobile voting a powerful antidote to political dysfunction and how he’s battling entrenched power brokers content with the status quo. Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6j4PyLc6U-0See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Oct 4, 2024 • 26min
Why social media’s not solely behind the loneliness epidemic, with Charlie Health's Carter Barnhart
Epidemic levels of loneliness can increase cases of anxiety and depression, and Carter Barnhart, founder of the virtual mental health platform Charlie Health, says the problem defies simple explanations like overuse of social media. Barnhart is on a mission to improve access to mental health services like group therapy, and to prevent suicides in particular. With Charlie operating in more than 30 states, hers is a hopeful outlook toward a future with more treatment options for all.Note: Today's episode includes mentions of suicidal ideation as well as sexual assault. If you or someone you know may be struggling with thoughts of suicide, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 9-8-8.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yLLrmcw8xESee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Oct 1, 2024 • 26min
A new script for the book biz and Hollywood, with The Black List’s Franklin Leonard
The Black List has reshaped Hollywood by identifying overlooked screenplays from Argo to The King’s Speech that have become commercial and artistic successes. Now, founder Franklin Leonard is opening The Black List’s successful model to the book industry. He shares what Hollywood and publishing have in common: a bottleneck in talent discovery, and billions in missed revenue from untapped audiences. Leonard is already linking novelists to Hollywood’s ever-growing appetite for adaptations. His insights apply to many industries, from the cost of making knee-jerk assumptions to the importance of finding risks worth taking.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Qh-PWaolHoSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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.