Latest Interviews
Showing 196–210 of 226 interview transcripts.
Clear all filters- Goldman Sachs27 min
Paul Farmer CBE, CEO of Mind
Experts and organizations including Mind, Samaritans, and Goldman Sachs are addressing a pandemic-induced surge in mental health crises by promoting protective strategies such as strict routine maintenance, digital detoxification, and structured remote work environments. Historical precedents from the SARS outbreak and 2008 economic crash inform current protocols for vulnerable demographics, including frontline workers facing PTSD risks and students navigating educational uncertainty. Ultimately, the initiative aims to leverage these challenges to normalize mental health care as a societal priority and institutionalize resilience-building practices for the next decade.
- Goldman Sachs44 min
Adm. Timothy J. Keating, USN (Ret.) and Brig. Gen. Robert S. Spalding III, USAF (Ret.)
Timothy J. Keating, Robert S. Spalding III, Admiral Timothy Keating, Brigadier General Robert S. Spalding III, Norman Nye, Tim Keating, Rob Spalding
Hosted by Goldman Sachs's Norman Nye on April 15, 2020, Admiral Timothy Keating and Brigadier General Rob Spalding assessed how the COVID-19 pandemic accelerated U.S.-China geopolitical rivalry, particularly regarding Taiwan, supply chain decoupling, and 5G surveillance infrastructure. The experts concluded that the crisis would permanently shift global alignment toward a "democratic bloc" prioritizing national security over economic integration, forcing a reshoring of critical industries and tighter restrictions on Chinese technology. They further warned that economic strains could provoke China to employ gray zone tactics while the United States pivots toward strengthening alliances in the Indo-Pacific, India, and Latin America.
- Goldman Sachs24 min
Rahm Emanuel, Former Chicago Mayor and Author of "The Nation City"
Political leader Rahm Emanuel argues that global power has permanently shifted from dysfunctional national institutions to local governments, where 75% public confidence drives mayors to assume federal responsibilities in climate action, education, and economic growth. Citing Chicago's transformation of its school system and energy grid, Emanuel demonstrates how local leadership can achieve measurable outcomes, such as raising high school graduation rates from 56% to nearly 80%, while overcoming federal gridlock. He asserts that this structural realignment is irreversible and calls for a political strategy focused on execution and enabling policy rather than broad, unfulfillable campaign promises.
- Goldman Sachs32 min
Ret. US Marine Corps General and Former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly
General John Kelly outlines a strategic approach to North Korean denuclearization and trade with China that leverages President Trump's deal-making instincts to manage complex international relations despite significant geopolitical hurdles. Simultaneously, the administration is restructuring domestic policies on drug trafficking and border security by advocating for physical barriers, advanced surveillance technology, and comprehensive demand reduction programs to address rising opioid crises and illegal immigration. Kelly asserts that these initiatives operate within an orderly White House environment that prioritizes diverse internal advice while utilizing direct communication channels to bypass traditional media constraints.
- Goldman Sachs34 min
Bret Stephens: "New York Times" Op-Ed Columnist
Bret Stephens, Jake Siewert, Brett Stevens
Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Brett Stevens, a former Jerusalem Post editor with a background in political philosophy, delivered a speech titled "The Dying Art of Disagreement" warning that political certitude and the erosion of free press threaten liberal democracy. Stevens critiqued the isolationist trends in U.S. foreign policy, condemned the Republican Party's failure to check executive overreach, and highlighted the dangers of media algorithms creating thought silos. He argued that healthy democracies require robust disagreement and contrarian voices, urging both journalists and voters to reject the toxic "certitudinousness" that fuels extremism and undermines global security.
- Goldman Sachs45 min
Tim Brown and Joey Zwillinger: Making Footwear Sustainable, Comfortable and Cool
Tim Brown, Joey Zwillinger, Kathy Elsesser
Founded in 2016 by Tim Brown and Joey Zwillinger, Allbirds operates as a certified B Corp that disrupts the footwear industry by prioritizing sustainable material science through its direct-to-consumer model. The company leverages a co-CEO leadership structure and a rigorous "one product at a time" philosophy to rapidly iterate designs based on direct customer feedback, successfully launching innovations like the Wool Runner and eucalyptus fiber while maintaining a flat price point. With plans to expand internationally and open physical retail locations for tactile testing, Allbirds aims to normalize sustainable manufacturing standards across the fashion sector.
- Goldman Sachs36 min
A Creative Empire: Tyler Perry's Life Lessons
Tyler Perry, Harvey Schwartz, John F.W. Rogers, Kevin McCarthy, Danny Meyer, Sarah Kauss, Wilbur L. Ross, Sara Blakely, Michael Bloomberg, Gina Raimondo, Rick Snyder, Marco Rubio, Lloyd Blankfein, Richard Branson, Warren Buffett
Tyler Perry leveraged a childhood desire to escape poverty to transition from a struggling playwright with only forty-five acquaintances to the founder of a 330-acre studio empire that rivals Universal and hosts major productions like *Black Panther*. Through seven years of personal reinvestment and the early cultivation of a two-million-person email list, he scaled his work to financial independence before constructing a workplace culture defined by optional prayer and deep respect for his 400 direct staff. Currently, Perry uses the revenue from his commercial "Madea" franchise to fund ambitious artistic visions while maintaining a leadership philosophy centered on faith and the belief that his success serves as a testament to limitless possibilities for future generations.
- Goldman Sachs21 min
Steve Coll: The Fight for the Future of Afghanistan
Former Washington Post correspondent and Pulitzer Prize winner Steve Kahl presents a critical analysis of U.S. strategic failures in Afghanistan, arguing that recurring misjudgments by three administrations resulted in ambiguous objectives and an inability to distinguish between the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. Kahl evaluates recent tactical shifts under the Trump administration as insufficient for winning the war, citing data that shows no significant change in territorial control despite increased troop pressure and policy hardening. The discussion concludes by examining how these historical policy errors inform the current evolution of journalism education at Columbia University, which is increasingly prioritizing data analysis and accountability reporting over traditional narrative styles.
- Goldman Sachs25 min
James Forman, Jr.: Rethinking Race and Criminal Justice Reform
James Forman, Jr., Cork Golumbik, James Swarman Jr.
Yale Law professor and former prosecutor James Swarman Jr. leverages his dual legal experience and background as the child of SNCC civil rights leaders to expose the internal tensions within Black political thought that fueled the rise of mass incarceration. He critiques how historical misallocations of federal resources and selective enforcement policies, such as the race-targeted "Operation Ceasefire," created collateral consequences that disproportionately punished Black communities while failing to address root causes like addiction and economic disparity. By analyzing individual case studies like that of Dante, Swarman argues against categorical legislative exclusions of "violent offenders," advocating instead for personalized rehabilitation approaches that recognize the complex narratives behind criminal behavior.
- Goldman Sachs25 min
Amy Chua: Political Tribalism and American Foreign Policy
Yale Law professor Amy Chua analyzes global and domestic group dynamics through her concept of the "supergroup," contrasting the United States' unique ability to balance national unity with subgroup flourishing against the assimilationist models of France and China. She attributes rising U.S. political polarization to demographic shifts that have created defensive tribalism between coastal elites and the white majority, a division she attributes to a rhetorical shift from universalism to identity politics. Chua concludes by proposing practical remedies such as a national service "gap year" to foster intergroup interaction and arguing that allowing controversial speech prevents extremism from festering in epistemological silos.
- Goldman Sachs28 min
André Aciman: The Meaning and Message of 'Call Me By Your Name'
Author and distinguished CUNY professor Andre Aciman discusses the autobiographical origins of *Call Me By Your Name*, explaining how his fragmented Egyptian-Italian-American identity and childhood obsessions shaped the novel's exploration of ambiguous desire and the "San Clemente syndrome." He details the adaptation process by director Luca Guadagnino, noting how the film condensed written dialogue into improvisational screen time while preserving the story's core tension between articulation and the unspoken. Aciman further reflects on the work's emotional resonance, arguing that the text captures the universal human tendency to mourn a fabricated fantasy of what "might have happened" rather than accepting the reality of the present.
- Goldman Sachs23 min
Talks at GS – Bob Iger: Leading the Walt Disney Company Into The Future
Bob Iger transformed Disney from a legacy-bound corporation into a global powerhouse by executing a strategy that balanced respect for the company's 1923 heritage with aggressive innovation through major acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilm. As CEO for sixteen years, he prioritized high-quality intellectual property and diversity, most notably mandating the production of *Black Panther* to reflect modern values while navigating significant industry disruptions. Iger attributes his nearly half-century career evolution to a relentless work ethic and the belief that storytelling remains the most valuable asset regardless of technological shifts.
- Goldman Sachs21 min
Talks at GS – Alex Blumberg & Jacob Weisberg: The Power of Podcasting
Gimlet Media founder Alex Blumberg and Slate executive Jacob Weisberg chart the industry's evolution from legacy radio constraints to a decentralized audio ecosystem where *Serial* and *Start-Up* catalyzed a cultural shift toward intimate, on-demand storytelling. By prioritizing emotional connection over rigid formats and separating editorial integrity from branded content through transparent business models, these leaders established a framework that allows political and narrative podcasts to flourish without traditional FCC limitations. As the medium matures into a second golden age characterized by genre diversification and normalized consumption among younger demographics, their collaboration underscores the necessity of blending creative journalism with sustainable entrepreneurial strategy.
- Goldman Sachs30 min
Talks at GS – Tim Urban: Reasoning for the Future: From Technology to Politics
The event explores a psychological framework where true adulthood requires high-intelligence reasoning to override primate instincts for conformity, utilizing Elon Musk's first-principles approach as a model for breakthrough innovations in sectors ranging from spaceflight to digital finance. It further projects a future dominated by multi-planetary civilization and brain-machine interfaces that will fundamentally reshape human communication, while simultaneously analyzing current "social execution" dynamics as a modern form of tribal censorship. To counter this, the discussion proposes a self-awareness movement aimed at restoring open intellectual discourse by shifting the collective thought curve away from enforced norms.
- Goldman Sachs25 min
Talks at GS –Jonathan Haidt: The Psychology of Partisanship & Ethical Leadership
Jonathan Haidt examines the drivers of modern political polarization, the evolutionary roots of moral intuition, and the declining resilience of students raised in hyper-protective environments. He argues that social and institutional design must shift from relying on individual character to implementing systemic "nudges" and inclusive frameworks that foster anti-fragility. Ultimately, while historical trends suggest long-term optimism, Haidt calls for immediate vigilance in repairing polarized institutions to prevent a trajectory of mutual hatred.