Latest Interviews
Showing 916–930 of 1,549 transcripts.
Clear all filters- Milken Institute26 min
Fintech in Focus: Michael Greenwald on the Digital Asset Space
Michael Greenwald, Kate Goldman
China is intensifying its crackdown on cryptocurrency transactions to consolidate state control and challenge the US dollar's global dominance, a move that pressures the Federal Reserve to accelerate digital dollar innovation despite internal divisions on the timeline. Analysts warn that without a coordinated "Digital Asset Bretton Woods" framework involving G7 allies and a proactive national security strategy, the US risks falling behind in the emerging geopolitical contest between authoritarian and non-authoritarian digital finance systems. Experts argue that achieving bipartisan legislative clarity and establishing a "Digital Asset Bill of Rights" will be essential to create a robust regulatory environment where centralized and decentralized payment rails can coexist.
- Goldman Sachs30 min
Steve Buscemi, Actor, Director and Former NYC Firefighter
Former FDNY firefighter Steve Buscemi transitioned to acting after serving from 1980 to 1984 and later returned to the World Trade Center site in 2001 to assist with recovery efforts. Since then, he has channeled his experiences into advocacy, co-producing documentaries like *Firehouse* and *Dust* to highlight the psychological trauma and 9/11-related cancers affecting first responders and their families. Buscemi currently partners with the "Friends of Firefighters" organization to provide mental health services while continuing his acting career through roles that authentically portray the firehouse community.
- The Diary Of A CEO30 min
How I Make $1.2 Million A Year From This Podcast | E94
Diary of a CEO, Europe's top-ranked business podcast, generates over $1.2 million annually through a dedicated eight-person team and a strict weekly publishing schedule that leverages guest networks for organic growth. The show maintains high quality by rejecting underperforming episodes despite featuring mega-influencers, while securing direct, non-scripted sponsorships from companies like Huel and Fiverr to ensure authentic monetization. Building on a sold-out theatrical event in Manchester, the podcast is expanding into a five-city UK tour and deeper production investments to sustain its commitment to long-form dialogue and personal development.
- Goldman Sachs25 min
Bill Bynum, CEO of HOPE
Bill Bynum and HOPE Credit Union are reshaping economic strategy by reframing diverse populations as an emerging majority and deploying a financial ecosystem to dismantle historical barriers rooted in the legacy of slavery and predatory lending. Through targeted interventions like the Million Black Women Initiative and community-led revitalization in Mississippi, the organization has successfully expanded access to capital during crises while proving that small business ownership can significantly narrow the racial wealth gap. By operating as an R&D laboratory for policy and providing essential financial education, HOPE is systematically addressing the determinants of economic mobility to foster sustainable development in underserved regions.
- Goldman Sachs30 min
Race to Zero: How Companies Are Deploying Decarbonization Strategies
John Greenwood, Cindy Quan, Allison Nathan
Driven by institutional capital shifting toward low-carbon assets, the global business landscape is rapidly prioritizing decarbonization strategies to secure valuation premiums and lower costs of capital. Over 400 major companies across tech, heavy industry, and transport have committed to net-zero targets by 2050, expanding disclosure requirements to include Scope 3 emissions while leveraging tools like green bonds and nature-based offsets. This strategic realignment, exemplified by activist campaigns such as Engine No. 1's intervention at Exxon and Goldman Sachs' integration of ESG into core operations, transforms climate action from a compliance obligation into a critical financial imperative.
- Goldman Sachs33 min
Jeff Shesol, Historian and Author
The 1962 orbital flight of John Glenn succeeded in overcoming technical failures and a false heat shield alarm to counter Soviet space superiority, an event that cemented the Cold War rivalry while exposing internal NASA tensions regarding astronaut selection. Decades later, the geopolitical landscape has shifted as China and Russia develop aggressive counter-space capabilities, yet current NASA funding remains a fraction of historical levels compared to the 1960s. Meanwhile, the public focus has pivoted toward commercial space entrepreneurs, though skepticism persists regarding the economic viability of mass market space tourism.
- Goldman Sachs23 min
Susan Page, Washington Bureau Chief at USA Today and author Of "Madam Speaker"
Susan Page's unauthorized biography *Madam Speaker* offers a definitive examination of Nancy Pelosi's rise as the most powerful woman in American history, tracing her leadership philosophy from her father's maxim about seizing power to her strategic decision to lead the opposition following the 2016 election. The work synthesizes interviews with Pelosi, her family, and political rivals like John Boehner and Newt Gingrich to analyze pivotal moments such as her reversal of retirement plans, her role in the 2018 House takeover, and her complex relationship with the progressive "Squad." Page further contextualizes Pelosi's "don't agonize, organize" mantra within the broader crisis of democratic stability, emphasizing the necessity of a free press to establish a shared factual baseline amidst intense partisan conflict.
- a16z23 min
NFT Uses for Today (and Tomorrow)
Devin Finzer, Katie Haun, Arianna
OpenSea, currently hosting over four million digital assets across more than 200 categories, functions as an interoperable marketplace that enables immediate trading for assets regardless of their originating project. This ecosystem supports a broad spectrum of tokenized goods, ranging from digital art and virtual real estate in worlds like Decentraland to physical items secured via blockchain, thereby facilitating direct creator-to-consumer revenue models and new job categories. While high Ethereum gas fees initially posed scalability challenges, the platform's integration of Layer 2 solutions like Polygon is increasingly lowering transaction costs to support complex gaming and metaverse applications.
- a16z21 min
Social Tokens for Creators Explained
Chris Dixon, Kevin Chou, Ariana
Rally is an Ethereum-based open network that enables approximately 120 creators, including bands like Portugal. The Man, to tokenize their identities using a cohesive economy of fungible and non-fungible tokens. By prioritizing decentralized governance and simplified "template" tools, the platform allows communities of 1,000 to 10,000 fans to transition from passive consumption to active economic participation through social tokens. This infrastructure supports diverse use cases ranging from virtual concert access and peer-to-peer gaming assets to community-governed artist funds, all driven by a native token that accrues value through network effects rather than traditional corporate revenue.
- a16z21 min
NBA Top Shot and the Flow Blockchain
Founded by Dapper Labs co-founder Dieter Shirley, the Flow blockchain was engineered to solve the scalability and usability barriers that limited consumer adoption on Ethereum, specifically by enabling frictionless onboarding for mass-market applications. This architecture successfully powered the launch of NBA Top Shot, a flagship platform that integrates iconic NBA moments as limited-edition NFTs while prioritizing seamless fiat integration and non-custodial user experiences over immediate interoperability. Despite facing ongoing challenges regarding ecosystem fragmentation and long-term standardization, Flow continues to focus on sustainable, utility-driven consumer assets rather than speculative trading.
- a16z21 min
NFTs and the Creator Economy
Foundation, a decentralized platform on the Ethereum blockchain, recently facilitated $60 million in artist sales and $250 million in bids by enabling non-custodial NFT minting and transparent global auctions. The event highlighted transformative market shifts through high-profile milestones, such as the $7.5 million Snowden collaborative auction won by a DAO and significant earnings for creators like Raphael Rosendahl and Ethiopian artist collectives. By leveraging immutable on-chain provenance and royalty standards, the platform is establishing a new ecosystem where creators bypass traditional gatekeepers while fostering collective investment and cross-platform interoperability.
- a16z21 min
The Future of NFTs
Chris Dixon, Dan Boneh, Ariana
Chris Dixon and Dan Bonet discuss how NFTs fundamentally shift web architecture by enabling true digital ownership and allowing creators to bypass centralized intermediaries through programmable royalty structures. The conversation details how technical advancements like the ERC-721 standard facilitate financial innovation through DeFi composability, enabling assets to be tokenized, collateralized, and traded across interoperable ecosystems. Furthermore, the speakers address long-term security protocols and storage solutions necessary to preserve these digital assets indefinitely while noting the current adoption barriers faced by regulated institutional collectors.
- Goldman Sachs22 min
Dr. Dambisa Moyo, Economist and Author of "How Boards Work"
Dr. Dambisa Moyo, John Waldron
Dr. Dambisa Moyo warns that the global economy faces a precarious rebound rather than a true recovery, driven by structural threats such as human capital shortages, inequality, and a credibility crisis for the Western capitalist model compared to China's strategic approach. To address these challenges, she proposes radical governance reforms inspired by Singapore, including extended public terms with performance-based penalties, alongside a shift toward data-driven investment in infrastructure and social outcomes by institutional asset owners. Her advocacy further emphasizes that diverse leadership and initiatives like the "One Million Black Women" program are essential to unlocking capital access and correcting the market failures that currently threaten long-term growth.
- Goldman Sachs41 min
Malcolm Gladwell, Author and Staff Writer at "The New Yorker"
Malcolm Gladwell, Stephen Chirr
Malcolm Gladwell traces the rise and fall of the "Bomber Mafia," a 1930s group of American aviators led by Haywood Hansell who sought to revolutionize warfare through precision bombing, only to have their doctrine discarded by Curtis LeMay in favor of mass firebombing that killed one million civilians. The narrative uses this historical pivot to argue that intellectual revolutions require the spontaneous, in-person collisions of a physical "crowd," a thesis Gladwell applies to critique modern remote work and highlight the transformative power of immersive audio formats. Ultimately, the story contrasts LeMay's remote execution of destruction with the Bomber Mafia's failure, underscoring how technological detachment alters the psychological and political thresholds of modern conflict.
- Goldman Sachs29 min
John F. Crowley, Chairman and CEO of Amicus Therapeutics
Amicus Therapeutics Chairman John F. Crowley leveraged his military background and personal family history with Pompe disease to guide the company through a strategic pivot that led to FDA-aligned pivotal trials for its candidate ATGAA. The therapy demonstrates significant clinical benefits in muscle strength and respiratory function, positioning the firm for a global launch to treat this underserved patient population. Building on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, Amicus aims to expand its portfolio of rare disease treatments by replicating the accelerated collaboration and regulatory agility established during that crisis.