Latest Interviews
Showing 1111–1125 of 1,549 transcripts.
Clear all filters- Goldman Sachs20 min
Jason Rezaian: Author of "Prisoner"
Jason Rezaian, Andrew Williams
On July 22, 2014, Washington Post columnist Jason Rezaian was arrested in Tehran and falsely accused of being a CIA operative, subjecting him to seven months of solitary confinement in a sensory-deprived cell at Evin Prison. Rezaian argues that his eventual release resulted from sustained global public attention and political will rather than the legal system alone, while criticizing the U.S. for failing to leverage Iran's vast economic potential and for neglecting the six remaining Americans currently detained there. He further contends that American soft power and press freedom must remain a guiding global standard despite domestic challenges, urging renewed diplomatic engagement with Iran instead of isolation.
- Goldman Sachs22 min
Nandan Nilekani: Co-Founder of Infosys
Nandan Nilekani and his team pioneered Infosys's global scaling strategy before architecting the Aadhaar digital identity system to authenticate 1.2 billion citizens and drive massive financial inclusion. This infrastructure enabled the Unified Payments Interface, a public-bank-owned platform that now processes hundreds of millions of real-time transactions monthly while catalyzing a domestic services-led economic model. As India transitions toward a young, tech-enabled workforce, the event highlights how these foundational systems position the nation to achieve sustained GDP growth despite global manufacturing shifts.
- a16z30 min
Founding Stories: Anchorage
Chris Dixon, Diogo Monica, Nathan McCauley, Katie Haun
Founders Nathan and Diogo, previously instrumental in scaling security at Square and Docker, established Anchorage Digital to address the operational limitations of traditional cold storage for institutional crypto assets. The firm deploys a crash-resistant custody architecture that enables active on-chain participation, including staking and governance voting, while simultaneously serving as a founding node operator for the independent Libra Association in Geneva. This dual strategy aims to legitimize the broader cryptocurrency ecosystem by combining regulated fiduciary safeguards with a decentralized blockchain designed for global scalability and mass adoption.
- Goldman Sachs29 min
Ian Bremmer: President and Founder of Eurasia Group
Ian Bremmer's *Us Versus Them: The Failure of Globalism* diagnoses the rise of populism in advanced democracies as a structural result of economic inequality, automation, and information fragmentation rather than a singular political event. The analysis details how U.S. unilateralism is eroding alliances, specifically through trade tensions with China and security failures in the Middle East, while highlighting China's strategic pivot toward controlling semiconductor supply chains and exporting digital authoritarianism. Despite these geopolitical recessions and regional flashpoints in Mexico, Iran, and Europe, Bremmer concludes that global human capital and technological innovation may ultimately catalyze new solutions to these existential challenges.
- Goldman Sachs28 min
Douglas Brinkley: Historian and Author of "American Moonshot"
Douglas Brinkley, Tim O'Neill, Doug Brinkley
The 1969 Apollo 11 lunar landing, driven by Cold War political competition and a 4.5% federal budget commitment, relied on rocket technology developed by former Nazi officer Wernher von Braun to defeat Soviet advances. While the mission served as a definitive triumph of American democracy that cost taxpayers $25 billion, it ultimately exposed the fragility of such singular national goals, as the program was immediately scaled back under President Nixon due to waning public interest and political friction. The event left a complex legacy where technical achievements coexist with the moral contradictions of von Braun's background and the reality that the organizational capacity for such massive undertakings has since diminished.
- a16z21 min
How to Get the Most from Your Board
This presentation analyzes the critical dynamics of long-term venture capital relationships, emphasizing the need for entrepreneurs to align with board members who serve as strategic stewards rather than mere financial backers. It details how diverging economic interests and fiduciary duties influence three distinct exit scenarios: distress management through recapitalization, acquisition negotiations involving management carve-outs, and IPO processes where pricing conflicts arise. Ultimately, the discussion advises founders to rigorously assess investor incentives and liquidation structures to maintain alignment and build durable, independent public companies.
- a16z27 min
How to Understand and Choose a Venture Investor
David Swenson's endowment model and subsequent regulatory shifts enabled institutional investors to allocate significant capital to venture capital as a means of generating uncorrelated, power-law distributed returns. The industry now operates on structures requiring massive "home run" exits to offset frequent failures, while firms increasingly compete by providing operational expertise rather than just financial access. Looking forward, the sector faces intensified competition and a blurring of lines between private and public markets as companies stay private longer and secondary trading expands.
- Goldman Sachs28 min
Tzi Ma: Actor
Tai Ma, a Hong Kong-born actor who transitioned from cultural isolation in Staten Island to a prominent stage and film career, advocates for substantive Asian-American representation through his upcoming projects like *The Farewell* and the Netflix series *Wu Assassins*. He highlights a shifting industry landscape driven by the demographic spending power of the 23 million Asian-American consumers, noting increased opportunities for Asian-American women directors while criticizing the Writers Guild of America's lack of diversity. Beyond his own roles in major productions such as *Mulan*, Ma actively mentors emerging talent and employs a participatory casting approach to challenge script inconsistencies and foster authentic storytelling.
- Goldman Sachs28 min
Mark Teixeira: Retired Major League Baseball Player
Former MLB switch-hitter Mark DeShera reflects on his journey from a contentious 2004 Red Sox draft to winning a 2009 World Series with the Yankees, where he led the league in home runs and RBIs while rejecting performance-enhancing drugs to preserve his personal legacy. Now a broadcaster and dedicated philanthropist, DeShera analyzes the modern game's reliance on analytics and payroll depth while championing his DREAM organization's 99% college matriculation rate for at-risk youth in the New York tri-state area. His career is defined by high-stakes competition, a commitment to integrity, and a philosophy that values education and long-term relationship building over short-term baseball gains.
- Goldman Sachs20 min
Niklas Zennström: CEO of Atomico and Co-Founder of Skype
Niklas Zennström, Cliff Marriott
Founded by Skype co-creator Nicholas Zennstrom in 2006, Atomico has evolved from addressing European capital gaps to investing in consumer giants like Spotify while pivoting toward enterprise solutions in healthcare and climate sectors. The firm now integrates ethical governance into its portfolio strategy, requiring founders to assess societal risks and implementing proactive diversity hiring programs to foster inclusive growth. Zennstrom guides this transformation by framing the next decade as a critical window for technology to solve environmental challenges and align commercial success with sustainable corporate purpose.
- Goldman Sachs21 min
Saadia Zahidi: Author of "Fifty Million Rising"
Saadia Zahidi, author of *50 Million Rising*, documents a 50% surge in the Muslim world's female labor force that is reshaping social norms through increased education investment and economic independence. While this regional progress contrasts with a global gender gap projected to take 202 years to close due to unpaid care burdens and technological displacement, Zahidi highlights Nordic policy models and smart quotas as effective strategies for accelerating parity. The narrative emphasizes how individual success stories, such as a Pakistani McDonald's worker navigating joint family dynamics, illustrate the broader transformation of family economic strategies and women's agency in Muslim-majority economies.
- a16z36 min
What's Next for Esports Startups
Bennett Carroccio, Frank Chen, Andrew Chen, D'Arcy Coolican, Darcy Kulikin
Global esports viewership has surged past 450 million, generating over $1 billion in revenue driven by sponsorships and media rights that now rival traditional North American sports leagues. The industry distinguishes itself through a younger demographic, a cultural shift that integrates celebrities with gaming, and infrastructure optimized for digital engagement rather than just gameplay. Strategic investment is increasingly focusing on the underlying "picks and shovels" infrastructure and B2D2C models to capitalize on this rapid growth while publishers continue to define league standards and capture value.
- Goldman Sachs20 min
Dan Rosensweig: President and CEO, Chegg
Dan Rosenzweig leveraged a serendipitous net gain from his first layoff at Pitney Bowes to navigate a career defining the shift toward direct-to-consumer technology sales and later as Yahoo's COO, where he missed a pivotal opportunity to acquire a then-unprofitable Facebook. Following that tenure, he founded Chegg to address the higher education crisis marked by $1.5 trillion in student debt and obsolete four-year degree models, advocating for an on-demand, skills-based system aligned with employer needs. His work highlights the urgent need to reform curriculum and enrollment barriers to serve non-traditional learners and resolve the financial stagnation facing millions of American graduates.
- Goldman Sachs22 min
Lei Zhang: Founder and CEO of Hillhouse Capital
Zhang Lei, founder and CEO of Gaoling Capital, directs a firm that has scaled assets under management to over $60 billion by applying a lean, reputation-based investment model that merges Western equity principles with Eastern philosophical concepts. The firm actively pursues the "Plus Internet" sector, driving innovation in traditional industries through artificial intelligence and biotechnology while prioritizing founders who demonstrate empathy, lifelong learning, and a resilient "sports team" culture. Beyond capital allocation, Lei's strategy extends to philanthropy and education, notably through the establishment of Hill House Academy and Westlake University, which aim to transform China's wealth culture by compounding human capital rather than seeking immediate financial exits.
- Milken Institute28 min
A Conversation with Calvin Klein
Calvin Klein, Mike Milken, Michael Milken
Calvin Klein co-founded his global fashion empire with early capital from childhood friend Barry Schwartz, eventually pioneering disruptive marketing strategies like the Brooke Shields "Nothing" campaign and unauthorized product placements to define an American, provocative brand identity. While the partnership with financier Michael Milken provided critical structural discipline during cash crunches, Klein also navigated legal controversies such as the "Kiddie Porn" investigation by prioritizing cultural conversation over traditional safety. Today, he reflects on how social media has compressed the industry timeline, distinguishing between fleeting celebrity brands and enduring legacy companies built on distinct style and consistent messaging.