Latest Interviews
Showing 1831–1845 of 2,108 transcripts.
Clear all filters- Milken Institute59 min
The Highs - and Lows - of the Cannabis Economy
Mike Zaplin, Todd Denkin, Craig Ellens, Sue Rouchet, Michael Kraft, Doug Praw, Deepak Chopra, Peter Janssen, Tommy Lasorda, Chief Justice Roberts, Greg
A panel of industry leaders and public health advocates argues that the cannabis sector is transitioning from an unregulated "pirate" economy to "Cannabis 2.0," a professionalized model led by scientific innovation and standardized regulation. Speakers including Mike Zaplin, Craig Ellens, and Todd Denkin emphasize the urgent need for sterile cultivation technologies, comprehensive lab testing, and trade schools to replace the current 98% THC-only testing landscape, while public health expert Sue Rouchet warns of severe risks regarding adolescent brain development and future addiction costs. As federal enforcement priorities clarify banking access and international markets like Canada offer uniform frameworks, the consensus calls for a "medicine-first" approach to prevent legal liabilities and ensure the industry evolves into a compliant, brand-centric pharmaceutical standard.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
The Future of Higher Education
President Obama, Secretary Duncan, Steve, Janet, Joe, Rob, Barry, Gene
Panelists from George Washington University, the University of California, and Northeastern University discussed a shifting higher education landscape defined by $80 million public health investments, a reversal of state funding reliance, and the adoption of output-based success models. The discussion highlighted critical systemic challenges, including stagnant graduation rates, a reliance on adjunct faculty, and the risk that low-income students face a "reverse digital divide" while facing restrictive new regulations. Experts concluded that to avoid obsolescence, institutions must disrupt traditional vertical integration by decoupling research, teaching, and credentialing while advocating for a unified response to federal policy changes that threaten the viability of public higher education.
- Milken Institute1h 3m
The Data Science Revolution
Tim O'Reilly, Frank Adante, Tim Donke, Keith Collins, Michael Woods
At the 2014 O'Reilly Strata conference, industry leaders from Rubicon Project, eBay, SAS, and IASDI discussed how big data is shifting from simple volume analysis to complex, real-time applications across sectors like agriculture, healthcare, and advertising. The panel highlighted a technical pivot toward in-memory computing and algorithmic cross-pollination to operationalize insights while addressing critical challenges in data privacy, security, and the distinction between correlation and causality. Ultimately, the event concluded that the future of data science relies on enterprises owning their processing while trusting "black box" algorithms to drive predictive maintenance, precision medicine, and automated decision-making.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
Aging: The Next Global Investing Opportunity
Roger Baumgart, John Beard, Katherine Collinson, Michael Hoden, Paul Irving
As the global population rapidly ages, a $7.1 trillion U.S. Longevity Economy is emerging to challenge traditional retirement models and workforce structures. Industry leaders, venture capitalists, and policymakers are increasingly rebranding older consumers as a dynamic market segment, driving innovation in digital health, age-friendly infrastructure, and extended-career opportunities. This demographic shift is compelling corporations to redesign benefits and products for inclusive use, transforming aging from a perceived burden into a primary engine for future economic growth.
- Milken Institute1h 4m
The Road to Profit in Alternative Fuels
Joel Kurtzman, James Cameron, Yossi Hollander, Chris Hostetter, Andrew Littlefair, Paul Tellis, Zan Dubin-Scott, Tanner Krause, Rajiv Nair, Ahmed Heikal
A panel of industry leaders from the Milken Institute, Toyota, and Clean Energy Fuels evaluated the strategic investment potential and infrastructure needs for a diversified portfolio of alternative transportation fuels. Speakers detailed specific roadmaps, including Toyota's 2015 hydrogen fuel cell vehicle launch and Clean Energy Fuels' expansion into the heavy-duty trucking sector, while advocates for the Fuel Freedom Foundation emphasized the economic advantages of multi-fuel options like ethanol and methanol. The group concluded that policy frameworks must evolve to support a non-monopolistic market where regional resources dictate the adoption of hydrogen, natural gas, or liquid fuel blends rather than a single universal technology.
- Milken Institute53 min
Inventing the Impossible
Ken Rakowski, Akon, Elan Lee, Ralph Simon, Sasha Strauss
Hosted at the Milken Global Conference, the "Inventing the Impossible" panel featured Ken Rakowski, Elan Lee, Ralph Simon, Sasha Strauss, and Akon to demonstrate how rapid technological advancement and creative storytelling have transformed previously unachievable feats into global realities. The discussion highlighted transformative outcomes such as the democratization of finance through M-Pesa in Africa, the merging of physical and digital narratives to drive civic engagement, and the emergence of low-cost medical diagnostics and cryptocurrency that bypass traditional infrastructure. Ultimately, the speakers concluded that by prioritizing accessibility, leveraging crowdsourcing, and accelerating the speed of iteration, innovators are shrinking the timeline for breakthroughs while fundamentally altering human behavior and societal systems.
- Milken Institute55 min
Entertainment: The Big Picture
Janice Min, Jeff Schell, Nancy Dubuque, Bobby Kotick
Industry leaders including CBS's Les Moonves, Universal's Jeff Schell, and Activision Blizzard's Bobby Kotick affirmed robust growth prospects for entertainment, citing surging international demand, digital expansion, and the strategic necessity of owning original intellectual property. Executives outlined concrete shifts in business models such as A&E's pivot to scripted ownership, CBS's replacement of David Letterman with Stephen Colbert, and Disney's $500 million acquisition of Maker Studios to secure YouTube distribution rights. Despite regulatory battles over digital rights and concerns about content saturation, panelists maintained that high-quality storytelling and diverse portfolios drive value across theatrical, streaming, and interactive platforms.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
Russia: A Business Opportunity Wrapped in a Mystery?
Alex Kolor, Stephen Hellman, Sean Glodek, Jim Gansinger, Michael Kuchment, Dima Kovacharovskyi
Moderated by Alex Kolor, this panel featured Credit Suisse's Stephen Hellman, RDIF's Sean Glodek, and industry leaders like Subway's Jim Gansinger and MVideo's Michael Kuchment to evaluate Russia's economic resilience following new sanctions. Despite market volatility and potential blowback from Visa and MasterCard withdrawals, participants argued that depressed asset prices and a shift toward Asian capital create distinct investment opportunities for private equity and retail sectors. The discussion highlighted specific strategies for navigating currency devaluation and geopolitical friction while positioning Russia as a future global consumer market despite short-term contractions.
- Milken Institute55 min
The View from Institutional Investors: Where Will Returns Come From?
Christopher Ellman, Jane Modelo, Kei-Ping Ling, Seesma Hingorani, Jerry Albright, Michael Sabian
Representing approximately $1.5 trillion in combined institutional assets, major funds including Harvard, the China Investment Corporation, and various public pension plans discussed portfolio strategies to balance long-term horizons against short-term performance pressures. Speakers detailed diverse approaches to direct investing, highlighting Harvard's internal natural resource initiatives, the China Investment Corporation's reliance on co-investments, and the specific constraints faced by New York City and Texas in acquiring talent and accessing alternative assets. The panel concluded by identifying fixed income challenges, European distressed opportunities, and emerging market valuations as critical forward-looking themes for these global investors.
- Milken Institute1h 11m
Hollywood's Pursuit of the Digital Dollar
Kevin Cloud, Michael Burns, Kevin Mayer, Steven Mnuchin, Ben Silverman
Industry leaders from Lionsgate, Disney, and Netflix discuss a pivotal transition in Hollywood where digital revenue is projected to surpass physical sales within two years, driving a strategic shift toward direct-to-consumer channels and the acquisition of digital-native talent like Maker Studios. Executives detail how financing models are evolving from risky pilot programs to straight-to-series commitments that reduce financial exposure while enabling binge-watching behaviors that dominate younger, device-agnostic audiences. The panel further explores how content-distribution convergence and native advertising are reshaping monetization, creating new opportunities for IP exploitation while raising concerns about market consolidation's impact on independent voices.
- Milken Institute1h 11m
Reading the Tea Leaves: Where Are Markets Headed?
Stephanie Ruhl, Justin Slatky, Morris Mark, Jim Latinsky, John Kalamos, Michael Sembelos
Leading investors from Shankman Capital, JHL Capital, and Kalamos Investments convened to assess a market characterized by compressed high-yield spreads and S&P valuations nearing historical peaks amidst an unprecedented era of negative real rates. Panelists identified critical risks including a surge in triple-C rated leverage, covenant-lite structures, and aggressive small-cap multiples, while projecting that future equity returns will likely rely primarily on earnings growth rather than multiple expansion. Despite these warnings regarding a potential shift in capital flows to overvalued segments, the group maintained a cautiously bullish outlook with a consensus expectation of strong long-term equity returns driven by diversification and avoidance of leverage.
- Milken Institute59 min
The Evolution of Music and the Music Consumer
John Amato, Irving Azoff, Scooter Braun, Lucien Grange, Rob Light, Bob Pittman, Pascual Rotella, Scooter Bryant Gilbert Jr., David Rockefeller Jr., Mark Geiger
Industry leaders including Irving Azoff, Scooter Braun, and Lucien Grange converged to project an era of exponential growth driven by the shift from record sales to diversified live and multimedia ecosystems. The panel highlighted that while global touring has expanded rapidly across emerging markets and streaming revenue is set to reach $72 billion within a decade, challenges remain in scaling artist presence and enforcing intellectual property rights against tech services. Ultimately, the consensus established that the modern music business functions as a cohesive branding enterprise where artists leverage global digital connectivity and franchise-style festival experiences to secure financial independence.
- Milken Institute58 min
Emerging Markets: Are They Ready for Steadier Performance?
Jay Palosky, Madeleine Antonich, Ricardo Adrogue, Jim McCuckin, Sri
A panel of financial experts led by Jay Palosky, Jim McCuckin, and Madeleine Antonich evaluated the structural viability of emerging markets, concluding that while global liquidity tailwinds are fading, improved fiscal health and sovereign wealth fund growth provide a stable foundation. The discussion highlighted China's constrained reform path and likely 4-5% growth rate alongside regional divergences favoring Mexico and Eastern European credit opportunities while cautioning against Brazil's stagnation and Russia's isolation. Consequently, investors are advised to abandon broad emerging market strategies in favor of selective, long-short approaches focused on hard currency debt and specific country-level fundamentals to navigate re-emerging current account deficits and income inequality risks.
- Milken Institute58 min
Fast Pitch: Concept, Presentation and Critique
Daniel Gorfine, Delian Asperhov, Bonin Bao, Lynn Tilton, Steve Case, Caroline Pugh, Riley Ennis, Katalin Voss, Spencer Hewitt, Ryan Cavanaugh
Hosted by the Milken Institute in partnership with the Kairos Society, the inaugural "Fast Pitch" competition featured five entrepreneurs presenting ventures in health, sustainability, and retail to a panel of judges including Steve Case and Lynn Tilton. Participants were evaluated on growth potential and social impact before audience voting crowned Katalin Voss, founder of the autism-focused Sention, as the winner. The event concluded with a strategic consensus among judges that future success for these high-impact startups relies heavily on forming partnerships to scale distribution and address capital-intensive challenges.
- Milken Institute59 min
Real Estate: Housing Builds a New Foundation
Rick Newman, Stan Humphreys, Jeffrey Gundlach, Larry Mizell, Jed Kalko, Steve Brown
A recent industry analysis details a housing market characterized by declining sales volumes, stagnant household formation, and severe affordability strains driven by high mortgage rates and restrictive lending standards. Experts such as Jeffrey Gundlach and Larry Mizell describe a secular shift from an investor-led recovery toward a "renter phase," where supply constraints in major urban hubs and demographic changes limit new home starts to cyclical lows. While future forecasts predict a slowdown in price appreciation to around 3%, the sector faces complex pressures from rising interest rates, potential GSE reform, and a long-term transition away from traditional single-family homeownership among younger cohorts.