Latest Interviews
Showing 1351–1365 of 2,108 transcripts.
Clear all filters- 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.
- Milken Institute1h 4m
That's Entertainment: Looking for the Next Stage
Julia Boorstin, Leslie Moonves, Peter Rice, Ted Sarandos, Reese Witherspoon, Jeremy Zimmer, Les Moonves
Major media entities are executing divergent strategies to secure scale and distribution, with Netflix prioritizing global original content volume while Fox and CBS pursue vertical integration and direct-to-consumer platforms. These shifts drive a fundamental restructuring of content economics, emphasizing non-English language production and data-driven advertising to compete against tech giants and redefined theatrical windows. Simultaneously, the industry navigates labor disputes over personal services contracts and regulatory hurdles surrounding major mergers to establish a stable, consolidated market capable of global expansion.
- Milken Institute59 min
Feng Shui Your Life: A Formula for Prosperity
Curtis S. Chin, Naomi Campbell, Sherry Chris, Pun-Yin
Master Ponyin Poon and industry leaders like Sherry Chris convened to define Feng Shui as a universal energy framework that drives high-value real estate transactions, particularly among Asian buyers who now comprise over 30% of international US purchasers. The session detailed practical applications for travelers and business executives, ranging from specific room-clearing rituals to creating "energy zones" that align with current astrological cycles to mitigate stress and enhance decision-making. By shifting the focus from material accumulation to legacy and community healing, the panel advocates for integrating these ancient principles into modern urban development and personal conduct to foster global harmony.
- Milken Institute1h 4m
Addressing Global Challenges with Investment Dollars
Jessica Matthews, Reyaz Ahmad, Thomas Hyland, Hardeep Walia
Moderated by Jessica Matthews of Cambridge Associates, a panel featuring leaders from Motif, Espada Investment Advisors, and IFC Asset Management discussed the feasibility and strategies of market-rate mission-related investing across retail, emerging market infrastructure, and climate sectors. The discussion highlighted recent performance data confirming that impact funds in private equity and real assets can achieve competitive financial returns while addressing specific social goals, driven by strong generational demand and significant institutional allocations like the Ford Foundation's $1 billion initiative. Despite identifying persistent challenges such as deal flow quality and data fragmentation, the experts concluded that hybrid structures and permanent capital vehicles are successfully bridging the gap between philanthropic intent and commercial viability for the remaining 95% of endowment capital.
- Milken Institute54 min
When Ordinary Becomes Extraordinary: Olympic and Paralympic Heroes
Gene Sykes, Janet Evans, Allyson Felix, Apolo Ohno, Sarah Reinertsen
Four elite athletes and LA 2024 Bid Committee CEO Gene Sykes explored the psychological resilience, evolving training methodologies, and unique pressures that define Olympic competition. The panelists detailed how modern data-driven recovery techniques and mental conditioning allow mature athletes to overcome doubt and extend their careers, while contrasting these approaches with the raw ambition that fueled their youth. Sykes further outlined Los Angeles's strategy for the 2024 Games, emphasizing a low-cost, transit-centric infrastructure model that leverages existing facilities to create a compact, legacy-rich event.
- Milken Institute1h 2m
Start-up Nations: Creating Laboratories for Developing Economies
Glenn Yago, Clare Akamanzi, Jeremy Bentley, Richard Blum, Eli Groner, Angela Homsi, Karen Ross
A structural inversion where emerging markets now surpass the "Old World" in GDP share has created a critical need to deploy trillions in idle global capital toward addressing climate adaptation and Sustainable Development Goals. Panelists identified that despite available financing, the primary barrier is a lack of scalable "applied innovation" and viable business models to serve deep rural areas, prompting a strategic pivot toward government-led frameworks in Rwanda, Israel, and California. These nations are successfully leveraging public-private partnerships, financial innovation centers, and educational initiatives to transform niche technologies into bankable projects that bridge the gap between capital availability and last-mile implementation.
- Milken Institute1h 2m
The Evolution of Hedge Fund Management
Julie Lauer Wurster, Mark Baumgartner, Scott Ferguson, Samantha Greenberg, Richard Schimel
Following a wave of hedge fund closures driven by surging infrastructure costs, the industry is undergoing rapid consolidation that forces emerging managers to either secure massive seed capital or join established platforms like Citadel to survive. This environment has created a buyer's market for talent, enabling larger firms to recruit top analysts with structured career paths and sophisticated technology, while successful startups increasingly rely on institutional-grade operations to deliver top-quartile performance. As a result, the sector is trending toward a model where the top managers command an expanding share of total assets, compelling smaller funds to adapt through hybrid approaches or risk obsolescence.
- Milken Institute1h 5m
Space Travel: From Mars to the Stars
Michael Milken, Buzz Aldrin, Daniel Goldin, Mae Jemison, Yuri Milner
Panelists including Buzz Aldrin, Dan Goldin, and May Yi outline a strategic roadmap for human expansion from the Moon to the stars, featuring Aldrin's 2039 Mars colonization plan and Breakthrough Starshot's billion-dollar interstellar probe initiative. The discussion emphasizes a collaborative framework where private sector funding drives high-risk exploration while governments support infrastructure, aiming to solve technical hurdles like relativistic sail integrity and biological survival for deep space travel. Ultimately, the experts argue that pursuing audacious goals like interstellar flight is essential to galvanize global innovation, ensuring the long-term survival of the human species by expanding beyond Earth's carrying capacity.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
A Conversation with Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso
Taro Aso, John Micklethwait, Kyle Theodore, Mark Allen, Alfredo
Japanese Finance Minister Taro Aso detailed a comprehensive strategy to shift the nation from a deflationary recession to robust growth by prioritizing wise spending, corporate governance reforms, and the mobilization of dormant household savings. He outlined specific fiscal incentives for SMEs and R&D while addressing critical demographic challenges through labor participation, automation, and targeted visa programs rather than mass immigration. In the geopolitical arena, Aso emphasized the urgent threat posed by North Korea and affirmed Japan's continued commitment to the TPP framework while coordinating with the US to secure multilateral trade benefits.
- Milken Institute1h 4m
What's Happened to the American Dream?
Shaun Robinson, Jim Clifton, Robert H. Dugger, Shirin Laor-Raz Salemnia, Yascha Mounk, Will Packer
This analysis examines the shift from the American Dream as a pursuit of universal material improvement to a zero-sum struggle for positional goods, driven by flat living standards since 1985 and the exclusion of 60% of young adults from the labor market. Key structural barriers including felony records, educational misalignment, and automation threats have reduced intergenerational social mobility to 7.5% and created governance risks by alienating millions of citizens. Proposed solutions focus on early childhood investment, expanding awareness of high-growth tech sectors, and reforming higher education to identify and nurture resilience in high-potential students regardless of background.
- Milken Institute1h 4m
Where in the World Are the Best Infrastructure Deals?
Harry Goldgut, Sharmila Chatterjee Kassam, Joe Hockey, Stu Porter, Thomas Wu
Institutional investors are increasingly targeting $7 trillion in Asian infrastructure gaps and 12–15% returns in frontier markets by prioritizing greenfield assets and co-investment structures over traditional core holdings. To unlock this capital, experts advocate for asset recycling models that link public asset sales to visible new construction, supported by development banks to underwrite political risk and legal frameworks tailored to local conditions. Strategic focus is shifting toward energy storage, technological upgrades for AI, and specific opportunities in Brazil, Colombia, and India where customized financing and equipment adaptation mitigate developmental barriers.
- Milken Institute57 min
Addressing the Urban Housing Crisis
Gail Goldberg, Laura Archuleta, Christopher Hawthorne, Hessam Nadji, William Witte, Shawn Robinson, Dick Zyman, Josh Stevens
A comprehensive analysis of the global and Californian housing crisis highlights a critical shortage of 8.3 million U.S. units exacerbated by fragmented land-use policies, excessive approval timelines, and volatile funding mechanisms that have stalled job growth in tech hubs. While recent voter initiatives in Los Angeles and various counties demonstrate strong public support for housing bonds and transit-oriented development, systemic barriers such as prevailing wage mandates and the dominance of single-family home ownership continue to drive costs and restrict supply. Strategic solutions now focus on accelerating modular construction, reforming zoning to prioritize permanent affordability in master-planned communities, and shifting cultural paradigms toward rental tenancy to address the 9-to-11 trillion dollar investment gap required to close the housing divide.