The Penta Podcast Channel

On the latest episode of HPS Insights, HPS Partner Christina Pearson, Senior Director Jesse Coster, and Director Julia Decerega join HPS Partner Bryan DeAngelis, to discuss all things environmental, social and governance (ESG). Bryan, Christina, Jesse and Julia break down the meaning of ESG and explore its evolution from corporate social responsibility (CSR). The group chats about how global events, including the impacts of the climate crisis, the pandemic, and social unrest in 2020, have increased calls for company action on ESG issues. They also discuss the growing importance of ESG to companies amid the backdrop of stakeholder capitalism, underscoring how companies are increasingly leaning into ESG work as they strive to create value for all stakeholders–across investors, customers, employees, and regulators. Drawing from their experience working with clients across industries, the group explores the current ESG landscape and how companies are embracing this concept. Specifically, Bryan, Christina, Jesse, and Julia discuss how companies are at different points in their ESG journeys– and businesses face different challenges and opportunities to set ESG commitments and report on progress across industries. The group also talks about changing regulatory frameworks, including the potential implications of the Security and Exchange Commission's (SEC) current rulemaking to standardize climate disclosures. Additionally, the group discusses how businesses are integrating ESG into their business models, as well as best practices for companies entering the space. 

On today's Macrocast, John and Brendan are joined by Matt Dell Orfano, founder of Telamonius Ventures, to discuss the latest CPI and PPI numbers and what they mean for the macroeconomic outlook for the rest of the year. The group closes with a discussion of corporate earnings in the face of an increasing number of economic headwinds.

In this episode of HPS Insights, Meghan Pennington interviews HPS' JinAh Kim, Lizzie Johnson, and Jack Martin about the latest iteration of their Capital Chatter: A Quarterly Analysis of Congressional Tweets project. In the second quarter of 2022, Congressional Twitter accounts posted 131,311 tweets—a 3% decrease from the first quarter. With the November elections fast approaching, the economy is top of mind for everyone, including members of Congress. In today's episode, supply chain shortages, inflation, crypto, and the distinct messaging around all these topics from Democrats and Republicans take the center stage. Tune in to learn all about their insights.

Starting your first job out of college is a stressful and often daunting experience, one made even more so by COVID-related remote work. On this episode of HPS Insights, guest host and HPS associate Jack Eichner sits down with fellow associates Matisse Rogers and Will Newell to talk about how the workforce's newest generation is handling office life, adjusting to new roles, and building relationships in the workplace. The group discusses  how they navigated the steep learning curve of your first six months in a new job, emphasizing the need to absorb as much as possible and take ownership of your progress. They talk about the importance of asking for help, learning how to work with different types of people, and more. Matisse, Will, and Jack also touch on to their differing experiences with remote work through joining HPS at different stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. The group focuses on the importance of in-person collaboration and friendships to their professional and personal lives and shares advice for making the most out of your first few years in the workforce. Show notes: HPS Insights: Succeeding in Your First JobFortune: Gen Z actually doesn't want to work from homeThe New York Times: The Magic of Your First Work Friends

On this episode of the Macrocast, Tony, John, and Brendan are joined by HPS Partner Matt McDonald to discuss the fallout of a bombshell jobs report, which found the U.S. added 528,000 jobs in July. The quartet also shared their thoughts on the myriad of tax provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act before concluding the episode by talking about Speaker Pelosi's historic trip to Taiwan.Show Notes:HPS Jobs Day Fact Sheet July 2022

On today's Macrocast, Tony, John, and Brendan welcome Howard Schneider, Federal Reserve reporter at Thomson Reuters, to the show. As an expert on all things Fed and monetary policy, Howard breaks down the Fed's latest rate hike and inflation's impact on food consumption. Plus, the group analyzes the concerning PCE and GDP data released this week.Read Howard Schneider's recent piece on food prices and rising hunger here.Find more of Howard's work here.Read HPS' Q2 GDP Fact Sheet here.

On the latest episode of Crypto Convos, Nicole Valentine, FinTech Director of the Center for Financial Markets at the Milken Institute, joins HPS' Bryan DeAngelis and Jonathan Graffeo to discuss the recent crypto meltdown, its impact on legislative and regulatory efforts, and how despite this hit to the industry, "DeFi may be down, but its not out."The group concludes with their projections on what the midterm elections could mean for the fate of crypto legislation. Give it a listen and check out the show notes below!Show Notes:Nicole Valentine on TwitterThe Milken Institute's FinTech In Focus Newsletter: July 26 Edition Subscribe hereThe Milken Institute's Fintech Policy TrackerNicole Valentine in Protocol's Braintrust: "What should Michael Barr — the Fed's newest regulator — do first?"

In this special edition of the Macrocast, Tony and John welcome Megan Greene, Harvard Kennedy School Senior Fellow and Kroll Institute Global Chief Economist, to the show. Megan expands on her recent column in the Financial Times, where she makes an important point few pundits have acknowledged: There's not much policymakers outside the Federal Reserve can do about inflation. The group walks through various policy responses to inflation and the supply- and demand-driven forces behind rising prices. Plus, the group discusses energy prices, the methodology for measuring inflation, and more.Read Megan's Financial Times column here.Read the rest of Megan's FT columns here.Read Megan's bio and check out her site here.

Consumers' sentiment about the economy increased for a fourth week in a row, with all five ESI indicators increasing in one session for the first time this year. In this edition of the Macrocast, Tony, John, and Brendan are joined by John Dick of CivicScience to discuss the latest ESI report, which signaled consumers are feeling that rock bottom is behind them despite Fed-policy-driven future uncertainty and pessimistic headlines. The group also dives into credit card debt and how stable it has remained this year, unlike most summers when it generally rises, and discusses the potential impact labor mobility might have on the housing market. Read this week's HPS-CivicScience Economic Sentiment Index here.

On this week's episode of the Macrocast, Tony, John, and Brendan discussed a slew of big economic data releases including the 40-year high inflation number, big bank earnings, and China's sluggish growth. The group ends the conversation with a discussion on the EU and the "operatic drama" coming out of Italian politics this week. Tune in!