Latest Interviews

Space Invaders: the entrepreneurs taking humans into space

Stu Witt, Enrico Palermo, Ben, Ellen, Sean Mahoney, Jeremy Voigt

Mojave Air and Space Port has evolved from a civilian airfield into the United States' first commercial spaceport, hosting a dense cluster of pioneering firms like Virgin Galactic, Masten Space Systems, and X-Core Aerospace. These entities are driving a rapidly expanding industry by developing reusable vertical-landing technology and radical rocket engines to enable high-risk flight testing and sustainable space access without reliance on traditional government contracts. While Virgin Galactic secures millions in pre-revenue bookings following a fatal 2014 accident, the collective focus remains on establishing a private sector capable of transporting thousands of people to space by 2030.

E-Sports Superstars: gamers earning millions

Big Daddy, Conrad Janzen, Jack, Seth, Alan

Joining the elite esports scene just months prior to "The International," Danish prodigy Johan "Big Daddy" entered the $18 million tournament as part of the newly formed Cloud9 squad, which faced intense scrutiny and high expectations for victory. Despite boasting significant individual talent, the team struggled with internal cohesion and trust during critical preparation, leading to a decisive opening defeat against the more unified Chinese team CDEC. This loss exposed the fragility of their synergy, forcing Cloud9 into the lower bracket while highlighting that emotional intelligence and team unity are just as vital as raw gaming skill in the highest levels of competition.

Drone Rangers: how the technology can catch poachers and save lives

Rob Hannaford, Dr. Robin Murphy, Peter Blake

The commercial drone industry is rapidly expanding from military origins into civilian sectors like anti-poaching, construction, and disaster rescue, driven by high-resolution data collection that costs significantly less than traditional methods. In South Africa, thermal-equipped drones have successfully deterred rhino poaching by relaying real-time coordinates to rangers, while in the United States, they accelerate disaster response times by up to 90% in hazardous zones. As specialized startups professionalize the workforce by connecting freelance pilots with industrial projects, experts project the sector will generate over 100,000 new careers and contribute billions to the U.S. economy within the next few years.

Look inside China’s secretive Olympic training camps

Gao Lei, Jinwen Shi, Shen Chen

China is executing a targeted strategy to surpass the United States on the Rio Olympic medal table by recruiting 400,000 children from specialized training schools based on strict physiological and psychological criteria. While this system filters out most candidates, it produces elite athletes like trampoline contender Gao Lei who are prepared to compete for gold through intense, early-stage training. Success in this high-risk pipeline offers significant financial bonuses and government positions, motivating the rare few who overcome the low statistical probability of reaching the Games.

Solar technology that will shape the future

Elon Musk, Alison Archambault, Chuck Boggs

Earthspark International and Tesla are deploying off-grid solar microgrids and battery storage to address the global energy crisis, as demonstrated by Les Anglais' 100% renewable transition and Appel Steel's industrial independence. Innovations in perovskite cells promise to drastically increase efficiency and enable building-integrated power, while Richard Branson's Carbon War Room advocates for this decentralized shift to bypass fossil fuel dependence. Although currently representing only 1% of global supply, these scalable solutions aim to meet an 80% projected demand surge and eventually achieve financial viability without subsidies.

Prison: how to break the cycle of reoffending?

Olly Matthews, Hans Petter Hansen, Bobby Frances, Bill Kleiber, Alex Garcia

A comparative analysis of the United States and Norway's justice systems reveals that while American reentry programs face high recidivism due to inadequate resources and harsh decision-making transitions, Norway's Bastøy Prison achieves a 16% recidivism rate by fostering inmate autonomy and self-sufficiency. Retired Texas Judge Bobby Francis exemplifies a shift in the U.S. toward specialized reentry courts that balance strict accountability with rehabilitation, contributing to a 16% reduction in state incarceration rates since 2001. Despite these reforms, experts warn that without prioritizing rehabilitation over punitive measures, the current system remains insufficient to prepare the millions of inmates for sustainable reintegration into society.

How Portugal and Colorado solved their drug problems

Portugal's 2001 decriminalization and Colorado's 2014 legalization serve as contrasting case studies shifting drug policy from criminal punishment to public health and economic regulation. These measures successfully reduced overdose deaths in Portugal, while Colorado generated over $700 million in annual revenue and decreased teenage usage without collapsing the illicit market. Despite these successes, global criminal networks remain dominant within the $300 billion illicit trade, even as nearly half of U.S. states adopt similar regulatory frameworks.

Olga Vidisheva Speaks at Female Founders Conference 2015

Olga Vidisheva

ShopTix, founded by a Wellesley and Harvard Business School graduate, operates a two-sided marketplace connecting independent global boutiques with shoppers after validating demand through 800+ store owner interviews. Following a Y Combinator acceptance and seed investments from firms like Andreessen Horowitz and Greylock, the company resolved early scaling failures by replacing co-founders with a professional CTO, which drove a 700% growth rate and turned the venture profitable. Now preparing to launch its mobile application on March 18, ShopTix continues to aggressively scale its infrastructure to capture the market inflection point characteristic of successful multi-year marketplace maturation.

The Bhopal gas tragedy: Toxic legacy

Sanjay Yadav, Satinath Sarangi, Jeevan Shinde, Hajira B.

On December 2, 1984, a toxic gas leak at the American-operated Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India, killed thousands and left 570,000 people with chronic health disorders, while groundwater contamination persists three decades later. Although Union Carbide settled for $470 million, victims and advocates argue the compensation is inadequate given the scale of permanent injuries and the parent company Dow Chemical's refusal to accept liability. Current efforts by Indian authorities to revise death statistics and expand compensation face criticism from groups like the Sambhavna Trust, which reports that 93% of affected individuals are incorrectly categorized with only temporary injuries.