Latest Interviews

In Search for a Cure: Are We Nearing a Treatment for COVID-19?

Esther Kofa, Meg Terrell, Dr. Tony Fauci, Albert Bourla

The Milken Institute Summer Series concluded by analyzing the U.S. resurgence of COVID-19 infections and the global development of nearly 250 treatment compounds, featuring critical insights from Dr. Anthony Fauci and Pfizer CEO Dr. Albert Bourla. Dr. Fauci warned of severe fall surges driven by behavioral shifts while outlining a vaccine timeline with Phase III trials expected to begin in July, whereas Dr. Bourla detailed Pfizer's autonomous mRNA strategy aiming for safety and efficacy data by September. As the organization prepares its 23rd Global Conference for a likely online format in October, these discussions underscored the urgent need for robust public health protocols alongside rapid medical solutions.

Addressing Mental Health Challenges and Access During COVID-19 - Conference Call Series

Melissa Stevens, Jerome Bettis, Dr. Joshua Gordon, Nancy Lublin

Amid a pandemic that has exacerbated pre-existing mental health crises and disproportionately affected women, people of color, and economically vulnerable populations, experts like Dr. Joshua Gordon and Nancy Lublin highlight the "three-headed monster" of virus, quarantine, and economic collapse driving rising anxiety, isolation, and domestic violence rates. To address these surging needs, digital platforms like Crisis Text Line are scaling remote support models while initiatives such as "Embrace Pittsburgh" attempt to bridge the technology gap for underserved students and families. The collective response emphasizes a shift toward accessible, data-driven interventions that combine community mobilization with systemic changes in healthcare delivery to prevent acute reactions from becoming chronic long-term conditions.

Life in Isolation post COVID May 27 update

Nora Super, Arianna Huffington, Scott Kaiser, Lisa Marsh Ryerson

Moderated by Nora Super of the Milken Institute, a panel led by Arianna Huffington and Lisa Marsh-Ryerson outlines how social isolation drives chronic disease and mortality while proposing structural reforms to embed social connection into healthcare systems. The discussion highlights scalable interventions ranging from volunteer call networks and intergenerational programs to telehealth expansion, specifically targeting vulnerable demographics like low-income seniors and marginalized adults. Ultimately, the event advocates for a cultural shift that redefines aging as a source of wisdom and demands policy funding to close the gap between isolated individuals and essential community support.

China Opportunities: Insights from Business Leaders - Conference Call Series

Petra Freddi, Donald Lacey, Kai-Fu Lee, Cindy Mi, Don Lacey

The Milken Institute Asia Center hosted the seventh episode of "The World Post-COVID-19" series, moderated by Don Lacey and featuring Kai-Fu Lee and Cindy Mee to analyze the digital transformation in China's education and healthcare sectors. The discussion highlighted how pandemic-driven data surges have accelerated AI adoption, enabling rural learning via virtual tutors and healthcare leapfrogging through diagnostic tools, while noting a strategic investment shift from user-growth models to profitable AI integration in traditional industries. Furthermore, the panelists addressed geopolitical implications, observing that despite intensified US-China competition, China maintains AI self-sufficiency and is prioritizing global expansion in developing markets while advocating for technological over legislative solutions to digital risks.

An Update on the Economic and Public Health Implications of Coronavirus for Europe

Sharmin Mossavar-Rahmani, Dr. David Heymann, Sven Jari Stehn, Silvia Ardagna, Peter Oppenheimer, Sharmeen Mosavar-Rahmani

Hosted by Goldman Sachs on March 26, 2020, a panel of infectious disease experts and economists analyzed the severe impact of the coronavirus on Europe, highlighting Italy's high mortality due to demographic factors and early hospital overload while noting a potential 9% GDP contraction in the Euro area by year-end. In response to the crisis, European central banks and governments deployed unprecedented monetary and fiscal measures, including unlimited asset purchases and corporate loan guarantees, though fragmentation within the Eurozone contrasted with more coordinated US actions. Despite the deepening economic downturn, equity strategists noted that market valuations have reached historic lows, projecting a high probability of double-digit returns over the subsequent 24 months as earnings decline stabilizes.

YC SUS: Eric Migicovsky hosts founder office hours

Eric Migicovsky, Eric Mijakovsky, Helen, Drow, Philippe, Diana, Bill, Jason Hirschhornbecker

Five software founders presenting Jovial, Cognitive, Match Hotels, DreamList, and Burlocks received targeted strategic advice to refine their business models and overcome specific operational hurdles such as low conversion rates and scalability challenges. The session emphasized executing concrete two-week action plans, including manual outreach to secure annual subscriptions, niche market testing, and pivoting from manual services to scalable software products. By defining clear success metrics and shifting revenue strategies from one-time fees or unreliable affiliate tracking toward recurring revenue, these entrepreneurs aim to validate their product-market fit and drive sustainable growth.

YC SUS: Gustaf Alströmer and Eric Migicovsky discuss growth tactics

Gustaf Alströmer, Eric Migicovsky, Gustav

This comprehensive analysis outlines critical strategies for early-stage startups, emphasizing that charging users immediately is essential for validating product-market fit and sustaining growth. Founders are advised to prioritize direct customer engagement and curated supply acquisition while leveraging predictive retention metrics and substantial referral incentives to drive scalable adoption. The guidance further details how to navigate market education through targeted SEO and social proof, ensuring that monetization models align with user value rather than relying on unsustainable advertising revenue.

YC SUS: Kat Mañalac and Eric Migicovsky discuss Week 2 SUS Lectures

Kat Mañalac, Eric Migicovsky

Founders are advised to prioritize rapid MVP validation and recurring launches over perfectionism to maximize market discovery and gather authentic user feedback. Strategic distribution requires targeting accessible micro-communities and non-scalable manual hacks before scaling, while pricing and feature decisions must rely on real customer interactions rather than hypothetical surveys. Ultimately, sustainable growth depends on securing early revenue from niche customers to fund development, treating failed hypotheses as necessary pivots, and aligning product iteration with specific geographic or sector constraints.

YC SUS: Michael Seibel and Eric Migicovsky discuss How to Launch an MVP

Michael Seibel, Eric Migicovsky

This presentation outlines a comprehensive framework for executing Minimum Viable Products across diverse sectors, emphasizing scrappy differentiation in saturated markets and safety-first approaches for hardware challenges. Founders are advised to prioritize high-bandwidth feedback loops, validate demand through manual service models before full automation, and utilize strategic pricing to distinguish between casual and critical user needs. The session further details critical pitfalls regarding platform dependency, intellectual property timing, and investor communication structures to ensure robust product-market fit and sustainable iteration cycles.

MIT 6.S091: Introduction to Deep Reinforcement Learning (Deep RL)

This presentation analyzes the architectural foundations of deep reinforcement learning, contrasting its trial-and-error paradigm with supervised learning while detailing critical algorithmic categories such as model-based, model-free, and actor-critic methods. It highlights pivotal breakthroughs like Deep Q-Networks and AlphaZero that leverage neural networks to achieve superhuman performance in complex decision-making tasks, while cautioning against the misalignment risks inherent in reward function design. The discussion further explores the transition from simulation to real-world deployment in robotics and autonomous driving, emphasizing the necessity of mathematical rigor and iterative implementation for effective research and development.

Immigration Shifts 2019: Prep & Resources for Startups

Ting Ni, Hendrik Pretorius

This analysis addresses the critical recruitment and compliance challenges facing Silicon Valley employers, where foreign-born talent comprises nearly 70% of the technical workforce yet faces onboarding delays six times longer than domestic hires. The event details specific strategies for navigating high-rate Requests for Evidence in H-1B filings, leveraging alternative visa pathways like O-1 and L-1, and maintaining operations during government shutdowns. It further outlines actionable recommendations for drafting robust internal immigration policies and preparing for upcoming regulatory shifts regarding wage levels and STEM OPT extensions.

A Conversation with Dan Gilbert

Dan Gilbert, Michael Milken

The provided text lacks coherent facts, specific figures, or actionable outcomes, rendering it impossible to generate a substantive summary of any specific event. While the content vaguely references topics such as a "30-year" work history, the University of Washington, and a "2011 special case study" in San Diego, these elements appear in a fragmented and unverified context. Consequently, no meaningful description of key figures or results can be constructed without fabricating data not present in the source material.

Data Disrupting Health

Meg Tirrell, Susannah Fox, Deborah Kilpatrick, Don Rucker

No verifiable event or decision-making process can be identified from the provided text due to its severe semantic incoherence and lack of factual substance. The recording consists of fragmented speech and unrelated topic cycles that fail to establish credible timelines, specific figures, or actionable outcomes regarding health, finance, or organizational development. Consequently, the content does not support a summary of any substantive meeting, expert discussion, or confirmed progress report.

Partnerships in Global Health

Thomas Bollyky, Deborah Birx, Kathy Calvin, Bruce Gellin, Susan Sweeney

The provided text fails to describe a coherent event, as the source material is a corrupted and semantically incoherent machine generation containing contradictory health statistics and nonsensical procedural claims. While the fragmented output mimics a discussion on global public health involving various government departments and international projects, it offers no verifiable facts, actionable outcomes, or specific speaker identities. Consequently, no substantive summary of an actual meeting can be derived from the repetitive and hallucinated content presented.

Helping African Businesses Get Paid, Shola Akinlade of Paystack

Shola Akinlade, Craig Cannon, Creative Joe, Paul Israel, Nelson, Nestor Ezeagu, Car Joyy, Achyut Shrestha, Jordan Jackson

Founded in 2016 by Shola Akinlade and Ezra Olubi, Paystack transformed into Africa's leading payments infrastructure provider by simplifying complex banking processes for merchants across Nigeria and expanding into Ghana. The company accelerated from processing $200 to over $20 million in monthly transaction volume within three years, supported by a Series A investment from Stripe and Visa that facilitated its strategic growth. Through a rigorous internal engineering bootcamp and a focus on localized product adaptation, Paystack continues to build the foundational layer for the continent's next generation of digital businesses.