Latest Interviews

Virginie Morgon, CEO of Eurazeo

Virginie Morgon, Alison

Eurasio executed a three-phase pandemic response that transitioned from crisis prioritization to operational recovery and aggressive private equity reinvestment, with a strategic pivot toward healthcare technology, supply chain relocalization in Europe, and digital payments. The firm simultaneously launched its "O Plus" decadal strategy, becoming the first private equity firm to commit to net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 while expanding social welfare and diversity initiatives across its portfolio. Founder Morgan emphasized that long-term success in the industry relies on a culture of conviction over consensus and an investment philosophy balancing high analytical IQ with the emotional intelligence required to support portfolio leadership.

Investing in Environmental Progress

Alexis Deladerrière, Liz

Speakers describe a sustainability revolution driven by regulatory mandates like the EU Green Deal and aggressive corporate commitments from firms such as Google and Amazon, creating massive structural demand for green solutions. Technological advancements in wind energy and electric vehicles have achieved significant cost competitiveness, with wind power already undercutting fossil fuels and EVs nearing price parity with combustion engines. This convergence of policy, corporate strategy, and economic viability positions environmental technology sectors as a long-term wealth creation opportunity where investors can target profitable companies aligned with global decarbonization goals.

Jiu Jitsu Meme Review with Ryan Hall

Ryan Hall

Ryan Hall and peers conducted a structured review of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu memes, rating their humor and accuracy on a scale of 1 to 12 while critiquing topics ranging from training realities to industry branding. During the session, Hall articulated a philosophy prioritizing discipline over innate talent and recounted formative defeats against Eric Ryerson and Marilo Santana that underscored the supremacy of technique. The discussion concluded by examining the psychological impact of skill gaps, noting how observing superior opponents serves as a critical tool for self-evaluation and emotional processing within the martial arts community.

Jim Coulter, Co-CEO and Founding Partner of TPG

Jim Coulter, Alison

TPG leveraged a rapid market contraction and subsequent recovery to pivot toward defensive infrastructure, accelerated digital trends, and the potential decline of the experience economy. The firm simultaneously advanced ESG integration by expanding board diversity and addressing internal gaps while maintaining a disciplined approach to generating returns in a low-interest-rate environment. Looking forward, the strategy anticipates a flat S&P 500 performance and growing geopolitical fragmentation, urging investors to cultivate broad perspectives to navigate these diverging global markets.

Stephen Hawthornthwaite, Chairman and CEO of Rothy’s

Stephen Hawthornthwaite, Jennifer Davis, Stephen Hawthorne-Puig

Founded in 2012 by finance professionals Stephen Hawthorne-Puig and Roth Martin, Rothy's revolutionized the footwear market by launching seamless, machine-washable shoes produced from recycled plastic through a vertically integrated supply chain. The company achieved profitability in 2016 while remaining self-funded, leveraging 3D knitting technology and a core sustainability strategy to build a loyal customer base that drives over half of its traffic through word-of-mouth. Now expanding into handbags and exploring international growth and physical retail, Rothy's maintains a robust research pipeline for men's footwear while continuing to prioritize long-term sustainability over rapid scaling.

George Roberts, Co-Chairman and Co-CEO of KKR

George Roberts, Alison

KKR Co-Chairman Peter Roberts outlines the firm's strategic pivot from pandemic liquidity preservation to an offensive deployment of capital across healthcare, technology, and infrastructure sectors. He recounts the firm's 1976 origins, the transformative lessons learned from the RJR Nabisco leveraged buyout regarding market fallibility, and his enduring philosophy that prioritizes character and proactive talent assessment. Looking forward, Roberts forecasts a rising S&P 500 and continued geopolitical divergence between the US and China while emphasizing the critical importance of mentors who foster opportunity rather than just wealth.

Jon Gray, President and COO of The Blackstone Group

Jon Gray, Alison

In early 2020, Blackstone deployed approximately $11 billion into distressed public REITs, energy MLPs, and leveraged loans before the market stabilized, a move the firm later regretted as undercapitalized due to the rapid recovery. Looking ahead, the firm targets long-term themes including e-commerce, digital infrastructure, and life sciences while favoring the U.S. and Chinese markets despite projected tensions. With a culture rooted in high-conviction decision-making and nearly $100 billion in warehoused assets, Blackstone aims to navigate elevated valuations by taking calculated risks on sectors poised for post-pandemic rebound.

In Memory of My Grandmother

In a tribute to his late grandmother Anne, a 91-year-old survivor of the Holodomor and World War II, the speaker outlines five core lessons on resilience, strength, and unconditional love. These teachings, drawn from her endurance of historical catastrophes and her stoic character, include mental fortitude against suffering, a redefinition of physical power, and the courage to dream big despite self-doubt. Concluding the remembrance with a reading of Stepan Shipachev's poem and a toast to the departed, the speaker affirms a personal commitment to upholding these values of hard work and deep connection.

Investing Insights from Big Data

Nicholas Chan, Nick, Liz

Goldman Sachs utilizes machine learning and natural language processing to ingest unstructured alternative data, such as credit card transactions and geolocation metrics, for investment strategies that supplement traditional financial analysis. The firm specifically addresses pandemic-driven market volatility by constructing a quantitative "COVID basket" that evaluates revenue exposure, supply chains, and industry classifications to neutralize sector-specific risks. This approach leverages real-time indicators to forecast shifts in high-impact sectors like home improvement and digital entertainment while mitigating exposure in travel and leisure industries.

The Beauty Industry’s Next Steps

Janki Gandhi, Junkie, Liz

The beauty sector has rapidly accelerated its shift toward e-commerce and sustainable product lines as consumers adapted to home-bound lifestyles, fundamentally altering distribution patterns away from traditional travel retail. Despite these disruptions, M&A activity remains vigorous with major strategic buyers and private equity firms aggressively pursuing deals to modernize portfolios, ranging from high-revenue consolidations to sub-$100 million growth investments. Future industry success will depend on mastering omni-channel strategies that leverage digital dominance while capitalizing on emerging growth engines in Asian markets and expanded value chain opportunities.

Healthcare: The Great Unlock

Julie Yoo

Accelerated by the pandemic, the healthcare sector is compressing a decade of transformation into two to three years through a fundamental shift from local, fee-for-service models to national, digital-first, value-based care. This dislocation is driven by labor reversals, insurance coverage changes, and regulatory mandates that favor remote care, forcing legacy providers to cede ground to startups owning the end-to-end patient journey. Consequently, a once-in-a-generation opportunity has emerged for startups to replace fragmented infrastructure with an automated, interoperable operating system that utilizes AI for intelligent supply-demand matching and dynamic insurance products.

What’s Next for the Tech IPO Market

Nicole Irvin, Liz

Following a brief post-shutdown pause, global markets have surged to multi-year highs driven by pandemic-accelerated digitalization, prompting technology and healthcare companies to accelerate their 2022 IPO plans into the immediate future. Investment banks have radically condensed traditional roadshows from nine days of in-person travel to five days of remote meetings, while simultaneously customizing deal structures and exploring direct listings to offer greater transparency and efficiency. These operational shifts, supported by record investment banking volumes and valuation levels exceeding pre-pandemic peaks, have fundamentally altered the landscape for capital raising and market entry.

Shareholder Activism in Uncertain Times

Pamela Codo-Lotti, Pam, Liz

Following a 60% decline in activist campaigns during early 2020 driven by pandemic volatility and shifting investor priorities, activity has since recovered to previous levels through private dialogue and targeted engagement. Activists now focus on underperforming companies with governance weaknesses or inefficient capital allocation, while companies have increasingly adopted defensive measures like poison pills and proactive ESG integration to mitigate risk. As the market stabilizes, the landscape is shifting toward demands for M&A, board representation, and the use of ESG gaps as strategic leverage to force operational changes.

Investing in Racial Economic Equality

Allison Nathan, Liz

A Goldman Sachs-led panel examined persistent racial disparities in income, wealth, and education, highlighting that Black men's relative economic standing has stagnated over seventy years while wealth gaps remain at ten-to-one ratios. The discussion emphasized that private capital strategies, such as those implemented by the Urban Investment Group in Newark, combined with targeted public policies like affirmative action, offer pathways to bridge these divides. Speakers concluded that overcoming these structural inequities requires a holistic public-private collaboration essential for the long-term health of the U.S. economy.

Trends Shaping the Equity Markets

Philip Berlinski, Liz

Market analysts anticipate a shift in volatility sources toward equities while highlighting how the US presidential election could trigger $20 per share earnings reductions for the S&P 500 if tax reforms are unwound. Diverging pandemic responses and currency fluctuations are driving capital toward European and Asian markets, potentially weakening the dollar and favoring value stocks over growth. This environment fuels a distinct behavioral split where retail investors surge into speculative trades like Tesla while institutional actors cautiously de-gross portfolios despite record ESG fund inflows.