Latest Interviews
Showing 901–915 of 1,615 transcripts.
Clear all filters- Milken Institute1h 0m
Are eSports Ready for the Big Time?
Anne Hand, Jack Etienne, Rick Fox, Peter Levin, Bruce Stein, Peter Vlastelica, Clinton Foy, Monkey Man
Industry leaders from Cloud9, Major League Gaming, and Lionsgate discussed the critical transition of esports from an unregulated niche to a structured global franchise ecosystem exemplified by the Overwatch League. The panelists highlighted a strategic shift toward territorial ownership and sustainable monetization models to capture the valuable millennial demographic while rejecting traditional sports structures that might stifle the industry's digital-native authenticity. Emphasis was placed on long-term brand building, educational pipelines for players, and innovative sponsorship integrations that leverage direct community engagement over conventional advertising.
- Milken Institute56 min
Hacks on Health Care: How to Make a Vulnerable Industry Cyber-Secure
Kim McCleary, Joshua Corman, Kevin McDonald, Suzanne Schwartz, Mark Wilson, Josh Tenenbaum, Martha Minowski
Led by Kim McCleary, a panel of industry experts and regulators detailed how the convergence of legacy medical devices, severe talent shortages, and immense costs has created a "critical condition" for healthcare cybersecurity in the United States. Highlighting the Hollywood Presbyterian ransomware attack and a BlackBerry demonstration of infusing pump vulnerabilities, the discussion established that proof of potential harm is now sufficient for FDA intervention while exposing the market's $100-per-record data value and the impossibility of total technical prevention. To address these systemic risks, stakeholders were advised to integrate security into patient safety cultures, mandate transparency in device procurement, and leverage the NIST framework to shift focus toward risk containment and continuous response rather than unattainable prevention.
- Milken Institute56 min
Big Data as Driver of Disruptive Technology Breakthroughs
Sumant Mandal, Andrew Appel, Vanessa Colella, Vikas Kapoor, David A. Steinberg, Andreas Weigend
The event analyzes the strategic evolution of big data from volume-centric metrics to "smart data" decision-making, highlighting the stark contrast between advanced consumer applications and the entrenched data silos plaguing large enterprises. It examines success cases like Kroger and Walmart that leverage integrated customer profiles for competitive advantage while addressing global regulatory divergences in Europe, the United States, and China. The discussion concludes with an investment thesis on four emerging value pools and urges corporations to prioritize data governance as a core utility to overcome the "dis-economy of scale" inherent in legacy infrastructure.
- Milken Institute58 min
White Swans, Grey Swans and Black Swans for the Global Economy
Dennis Berman, Bill Gross, Jim McCaughan, Ross Perot, Jr., Nouriel Roubini
Nouriel Roubini and panelists analyze a divergent global economy where technological expansion and stable oil prices coexist with severe structural risks, including labor displacement by AI, European financial fragility, and rising geopolitical tensions. The discussion highlights critical policy failures in monetary and fiscal spheres, warning that low interest rates and populist backlashes may precipitate a "Lehman-type" crisis or a hard landing in China. Despite these challenges, the dialogue concludes with a long-term optimistic view that historical innovation will ultimately create new employment paradigms to counteract current demographic and social divides.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
Medical Marijuana: Health and (Financial) Wellness
Tara Kelly, Lynn Honderd, Ben Kovler, Brian Reynolds, Juan Sartori
A panel of industry leaders from Green Thumb Industries, Mary's Medicinals, and International Cannabis Corporation discussed a rapidly expanding cannabis market projected to reach $45 billion in legal demand as 70% of U.S. states move toward medical legalization. Panelists highlighted significant arbitrage opportunities driven by vertical integration and global export potential, while noting that federal restrictions, specifically IRS Code 280E and banking prohibitions, currently create a temporary regulatory moat for private capital. The discussion concluded with a strategic outlook favoring branded consumer products and pharmaceutical applications over commodity flower, anticipating a transition to a regulated global agricultural sector once domestic policy alignment occurs.
- Milken Institute58 min
A New Breed: FinTech's Fusion with Alternative Investing
Rob Copeland, Jeff Assaf, Peter Early, Brendan Ross, Richard Sandor
This panel featured industry leaders Brendan, Peter, Richard, and investors Jeff and Eric Schmidt debating FinTech business models that range from regulatory premium lending to tech-enabled consumer banking. While proponents highlighted proprietary deal flow and superior credit metrics in segments like student loans, skeptics warned that traditional banks would eventually reclaim market share, compressing yields during economic downturns. The discussion concluded that long-term viability depends on proving underwriting resilience across full credit cycles and navigating the transition from niche platforms to cleared, standardized capital markets.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
Charting New Frontiers in Asset Ownership
Thomas Finke, Christopher Ailman, Hiromichi Mizuno, Jagdeep Singh Bachher, Carrie Thome
Representatives from CalSTRS, GPIF, WARF, and the UC Regents convened to discuss how massive institutional investors are adapting their portfolios to address aging demographics, declining return assumptions, and the inefficiencies of traditional active equity management. The panelists highlighted strategic shifts toward in-house execution, AI-driven efficiency, and venture capital initiatives that leverage university research, while emphasizing ESG integration as a risk management tool rather than a moral imperative. Ultimately, these leaders outlined a future where asset allocation prioritizes long-term system stability and fee compression, forcing a restructuring of the investment chain to navigate market disruption and the global energy transition.
- Milken Institute59 min
Getting from Financial Inclusion and Literacy to Financial Health
Daniel Gorfine, Louis Beryl, Kari Dohn Decker, Nan Morrison, Jerry Patterson, Jennifer Tescher
Industry leaders and policymakers convened to redefine financial progress from mere access to holistic "financial health," emphasizing that resilience requires both institutional products and behavioral support. While fintech innovations like automated savings tools and transparent lending platforms have demonstrated success in reducing costs and defaults, speakers agreed that traditional financial literacy education is insufficient without early, habitual curriculum integration and behavioral design nudges. The discussion concluded with urgent policy recommendations to standardize retirement portability, mandate national financial standards, and establish a federal framework akin to public health to close the generational gap in financial capability.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
The Road Less Traveled: Investing in Special Situations
Julian Salisbury, Maria Boyazny, Justin Chang, Jeff Robinson, David Leonhardt Jr.
Major credit and real estate managers including Bain Capital Credit, Colony Northstar, and MB Global are pivoting from shrinking US liquid markets toward illiquid assets in Southern Europe and the Asia-Pacific region to exploit a turning credit cycle and lower institutional competition. While European opportunities offer massive non-performing loan volumes, investors demand deep discounts to offset judicial delays and political uncertainty, whereas Asian markets present structural immaturity despite significant regulatory barriers to capital repatriation. To navigate these complexities, firms are shifting capital from traditional secondary trading to direct lending, digital infrastructure, and niche distressed strategies that provide downside protection amid rising macroeconomic instability and protectionist trends.
- Milken Institute1h 3m
Act Now! Making Culture a Force for Change
Ralph Simon, Haifaa al-Mansour, Laura Dawn, Moby, Gina Otto, Tina Wells
At the Milken Global Conference, a panel of cultural leaders including Laura Dorn, Moby, and Haifa Al-Mansour discussed leveraging creative industries as a form of soft power to drive social change without direct confrontation. Participants defined the "factivist" approach as merging data-driven insights with cultural narratives to mobilize audiences on critical issues such as climate action, animal rights, and gender equality. The session concluded with strategic consensus that sustainable progress in both conservative and progressive markets requires engaging children early, utilizing influencer networks, and integrating female leadership to solve global crises.
- Milken Institute52 min
The Business of Sports
Liz Habib, Dan Beckerman, Ed Glazer, Stephanie McMahon, David Nathanson, Andrew Wilson
Leading figures from WWE, EA Sports, AEG, and Fox Sports convened to analyze how digital expansion and gaming have fundamentally reshaped global sports engagement and monetization strategies. The panel emphasized that while platforms like YouTube and FIFA drive massive audience reach, the live in-stadium experience remains the critical "secret sauce" that brands must augment rather than replace. Participants highlighted a collaborative future where data-driven storytelling, diversified distribution, and the inherent business value of on-field winning will define the next era of the sports ecosystem.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
Mission Driven: How NextGen Leaders Use Business Tools to Create Social Change
Sonal Shah, Simone Friedman, Alexis Ohanian, Arif Rachmat, Cindy Whitehead, Eva Yazari, Aubrey Ruby, Sandra Kwok, Diane Murphy, Nadia Bachter, Jay Lipman
The "Mission Driven Next-Gen Leaders" panel convened philanthropist Simone Friedman, investor Alexis Ohanian, Indonesian entrepreneur Arif Rahmat, and venture capitalist Cindy Whitehead to advocate for merging social impact directly into core business models rather than treating philanthropy as a separate activity. Panelists detailed specific strategies for systemic change, including Friedman's impact investments in sustainable food systems, Ohanian's platform governance reforms at Reddit, Rahmat's agricultural stewardship in Indonesia, and Whitehead's focus on closing the gender funding gap in health tech. The discussion concluded by highlighting that while traditional grants remain limited, integrating impact into profit generation and addressing regulatory barriers are essential for scaling solutions across emerging markets and diverse sectors.
- Milken Institute58 min
Things That Will Blow Your Mind
Richard Sandler, Ed Boyden, Mary Lou Jepsen, Bryan Johnson, Neal Kassell
A panel of neuroscientists and entrepreneurs led by Dr. Ed Boyden, Dr. Mary Lou Jepson, Dr. Neil Cassell, and Brian Johnson discusses the convergence of neuroscience and engineering to treat disorders like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The group details breakthroughs in non-invasive therapies, including Boyden's expansion microscopy for nanoscale mapping, Jepson's wearable holographic imaging for deep brain monitoring, and Cassell's focused ultrasound for precise tumor and tremor treatment. Beyond immediate clinical applications, the experts warn that failing to augment human cognitive capacity risks a widening gap between biological intelligence and artificial systems, urging rapid investment to manage future geopolitical and societal complexity.
- Milken Institute59 min
Venture Capital 20/20: Trends to Expect in the Years Ahead
Court Coursey, B. Bonin Bough, Nikhil Kalghatgi, Kay Koplovitz, Dave McClure, Mehmet Oz
Venture capitalists Dr. Oz, Bonin Bao, Dave McClure, and Nikhil Kogadi converge to define a sourcing strategy dominated by trusted founder networks while identifying high-potential exits in underserved sectors like healthcare, legacy food brands, and global emerging markets. The panel emphasizes that successful investments require strategic partnerships with major infrastructure providers to scale distribution, illustrated by specific examples ranging from Dr. Oz's Sharecare to Bao's America's Hustle revitalization model. Looking toward long-term disruption, the experts highlight imminent opportunities in neural interfaces, sustainable food systems, and the democratization of capital across diverse geographies to bypass traditional coastal concentration.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
Leverage: How Philanthropies Use New Tools to Create Change
Melissa Stevens, Marlo Gottfurcht Longstreet, Thomas Meredith, Brian Sheth, Todd Wagner
A panel of experts from Vista Equity Partners, Charity Network, and The Nature Conservancy convened to argue that traditional philanthropic models are insufficient for addressing systemic global crises, calling for a shift toward disruptive, data-driven strategies. The group advocated for consolidating redundant organizations, adopting market-competitive executive compensation, and leveraging digital technologies to replace inefficient fundraising with measurable outcomes. By prioritizing high-impact scientific research, genetic accessibility, and corporate integration of social purpose, the sector aims to solve "wicked problems" through collaboration between governments, private companies, and evolved investors.