Gary Goldberg was a producer and writer for television and film. His TV sitcoms included the 1982 hit show Family Ties , starring Michael Fox, as well as Brooklyn Bridge and Spin City . Gary was the author of the memoir Sit Ubu Sit . Ubu Productions, founded in 1981, was named after his black labrador retriever Ubu. Gary spoke with Jessica Harris about how he launched his writing career, from scratch. He died shortly after this recording in June, 2013. Listen to the interview...
Jan 24, 2020•32 min
Fadi Ghandour is one of the leading entrepreneurs of the Middle East. Fadi and his family moved from Lebanon to Jordan where his father eventually became head of Royal Jordanian Airlines. Adopting his father’s business sense and knowledge of the aviation space, Fadi recognized and filled the need for dependable logistics transportation and delivery services in the Arab world. Aramex has been referred to as “the Fedex of the Middle East.” Fadi speaks to Jessica Harris about how he grew Aramex fro...
Jan 17, 2020•31 min
Enigma is a company that uses the internet to make public data available and understandable to users. Enigma links across various databases to uncover relevant facts that a user might not notice by looking at a single data set. The universe of data sources to choose among includes SEC filings, public health records, government spending contracts, sales tax receipts , among several others. Marc speaks with Jessica Harris about how Enigma is making public data more accessible, from scratch. Listen...
Jan 08, 2020•19 min
Stripe is a financial software company that helps businesses manage their online and mobile transactions. Patrick started Stripe in 2009 when he was 21 years old with his younger brother, John. He is originally from Dromineer, Ireland, which has a population of roughly 70 people. Patrick speaks with Jessica Harris about how he launched Stripe, from scratch. Listen to the interview...
Jan 03, 2020•31 min
Beyond Meat makes meat using plant protein instead of animal protein. The goal is to make a healthier product that looks, tastes, feels, and smells like chicken or beef using fewer natural resources. Ethan speaks with Jessica Harris about how he launched Beyond Meat, from scratch. Listen to the interview
Dec 27, 2019•19 min
Shazam is an app that identifies the music or TV show around you simply by holding up your phone to the sound. Shazam was one of the first apps available in the Apple app store in 2008. Now, a hundred million people per month use the service. Chris speaks with Jessica Harris about how he launched Shazam, from scratch. Listen to the interview
Dec 20, 2019•19 min
Since the 1970s, The Children’s Television Workshop—now called the Sesame Workshop—intended to help low-income children become better prepared for school by using television as a tool. The Sesame Workshop’s shows—including Sesame Street, The Electric Company, 3-2-1 Contact —ended up being much more far reaching, teaching and entertaining children from all backgrounds, internationally. Jessica Harris speaks with television producer Joan Ganz Cooney about the early days of educational programming,...
Jul 26, 2018•31 min
Biolite is a company that produces clean, portable stoves for cooking off the grid in developing countries as well as for camping. The stove reduces toxic smoke emissions by 90 percent by using its own heat waste to generate energy. Biolite is targeting a global public health challenge of smoke pollution caused by cooking over an open fire. According to the World Health Organization, more than seven million people die annually from smoke originating from open cooking fires. A USB port on the sto...
Jul 19, 2018•19 min
Nolan is considered one of the pioneers of the video game industry. Nolan developed the first coin operated game (Computer Space), as well as Atari’s popular debut game, Pong. Nolan also founded Chuck E. Cheese’s, a game centric restaurant chain. He is the author of Finding the Next Steve Jobs . He and his partner Al Alcorn gave Steve his first job at Atari before Steve started Apple Inc. in 1976. Nolan speaks with Jessica Harris about how he launched Atari, from scratch. Listen to the interview...
Jul 05, 2018•31 min
athenahealth is helping to build the internet architecture for the healthcare industry. It is a cloud based software enabled company that helps physicians manage patients’ electronic medical records, among other services. The company was initially focused on childbirth services in San Diego before transitioning into a digital management company for the healthcare industry. Jonathan speaks with Jessica Harris about how he built athenahealth, from scratch. Listen to the interview...
Jun 28, 2018•31 min
DonorsChoose is an online philanthropic marketplace that connects citizen philanthropists— members of the public– to public school teachers who request supplies for their classroom projects across the United States. Charles started DonorsChoose in 2000 while he was a public school teacher in the Bronx facing his own shortage of supplies for the projects he wanted to create with his students. The organization has raised over $300M, benefiting almost 15 million students. Charles speaks with Jessic...
Jun 22, 2018•31 min
Dollar Shave Club is a membership club for men’s grooming products. The company started delivering razors in 2011 for less than $10 per month. DSC now offers a range of bathroom products from hair gel to body cleanser. Michael speaks with Jessica Harris about how he started DSC, from scratch. Listen to the interview
May 03, 2018•19 min
charity: water provides clean water to communities in developing countries. Scott launched charity: water in 2006 after raising $15,000 from his friends at his 31st birthday party. Prior to launching charity: water, Scott was a night club promoter, of course. Scott speaks with Jessica Harris about how he launched charity: water, from scratch. Listen to the interview...
Mar 29, 2018•31 min
IDEO is a global design firm that takes a human-centered approach to innovation. IDEO has helped to innovate products including Apple’s first computer mouse in 1980, the first stand-up toothpaste for Procter and Gamble, surgical tools for Medtronic, and furniture for Steelcase. The company also helps governments and social organizations innovate internationally. David is the founder of the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford, also known as the Stanford d.school . He is the co-author w...
Mar 16, 2018•30 min
Friends of the High Line is the organization that pioneered the transformation of an abandoned elevated train line into a public space about 1.5 miles long on Manhattan’s west side in New York City. Robert and his Co-Founder Joshua David started the organization after attending a community board meeting to protest the High Line’s demolition in 1999. Robert and Joshua are the authors of the book High Line: The Inside Story of New York City’s Park in the Sky. Friends of the High Line receives supp...
Feb 22, 2018•32 min
Glossier is an online beauty company that launched on Instagram in 2014. Emily is also the founder of Into the Gloss , an online community dedicated to beauty. Visitors get tips on skin, hair, makeup, and learn the beauty routines of leading members of the cosmetic and fashion industries. Emily speaks with Jessica Harris about how she launched her beauty blog and skin products company, from scratch. Listen to the interview...
Feb 22, 2018•19 min
Peter Manning launched his eponymous clothing company to focus on men 5’8″ and under. Prior to starting the company in 2012, Peter was a Tony Award winning theatrical producer. Peter speaks with Jessica Harris about his career shift– and the sartorial needs of this segment of the male population— from scratch. Listen to the interview
Feb 15, 2018•19 min
Shutterstock is an online marketplace for photos, graphic images, video clips and music. The content is crowdsourced, with photographers, artists and other contributors uploading their content in exchange for a percent of revenue when their work is purchased. Jon started Shutterstock in 2003, and the company went public in 2012. Jon speaks to Jessica Harris about how he built Shutterstock, from scratch. Listen to the interview...
Jan 25, 2018•19 min
Strand Book Store in New York City was founded by Fred’s father Benjamin in 1927. Fred was born in 1928 and has been working in the family business since he was thirteen years old. The Strand has roughly 2.5 million used, rare, and new books—the equivalent of roughly 18 miles of books. Fred spoke to Jessica Harris about how he and his father turned the Strand into one of New York’s literary landmarks, from scratch. Fred died in January, 2018 at 89 years old, a few months after celebrating the St...
Jan 11, 2018•32 min
Mark started the Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG) in 1980. Headquartered in Fort Green, Brooklyn, the company is on tour more than 20 weeks per year. MMDG collaborates with leading artists, including the cellist Yo Yo Ma, the pianist Emanuel Ax, the designer Isaac Mizrahi, and the dancer Baryshnikov. Mark speaks with Jessica Harris about how he launched his choreography career, from scratch. Listen to the interview...
Dec 21, 2017•32 min
Privateer is a private equity firm focused on making investments in the cannabis industry as the legalization of marijuana continues throughout the United States. Some of Privateer’s portfolio companies include Leafly , a user-generated reviews website for all things cannabis related; Tilray , a producer of medical cannabis in British Columbia, Canada; and Marley Natural , a global brand in partnership with the Bob Marley family. Brendan speaks with Jessica Harris about how he built Privateer, f...
Nov 16, 2017•32 min
Warby Parker is an online eyeglass retailer that sells low cost vintage inspired glasses. For each pair sold, Warby Parker provides a pair of glasses to low income people in more than 36 countries through non-profit partners like VisionSpring. VisionSpring trains female entrepreneurs to give eye exams and sell glasses in their communities. Neil co-founded Warby Parker with three classmates from Wharton Business School. Neil speaks with Jessica Harris about how he is helping to change the optical...
Oct 05, 2017•32 min
MedShare is an organization that redistributes surplus medical equipment to hospitals in the developing world. These supplies include surgical instruments, gloves, stethoscopes, sutures, x-ray machines, wheelchairs, etc. AB started MedShare in 1998 in Atlanta, Georgia. He is originally from Mississippi. AB speaks with Jessica Harris about how he built MedShare, from scratch. Listen to the interview...
Sep 14, 2017•19 min
Bonobos is an e-commerce company that sells men’s clothing. Bonobos started off with the goal of selling better fitting pants for men in 2007 and has expanded to include all type’s of men’s apparel. Bonobos was acquired by Walmart in 2017, after this interview was recorded. Andy speaks with Jessica Harris about how he built Bonobos, from scratch. Listen to the interview...
Jun 20, 2017•32 min
Coravin produces a device that accesses wine without removing the cork. Through a medical grade needle, the Coravin System extracts a portion of the wine and replaces it with argon gas. Greg is also a medical device inventor who founded Intrinsic Therapeutics, a company focused on spinal disorders. Greg is a graduate of MIT and has degrees in nuclear and mechanical engineering. Greg speaks with Jessica Harris about how he was able to repurpose his expertise in the medical world to create his win...
Jun 01, 2017•32 min
Island Creek Oysters supplies oysters to more than 400 chefs across the United States. Restaurants that serve its oysters include Thomas Keller’s Per Se and French Laundry, the Eastern Standard in Boston, and the Oyster Bar in New York’s Grand Central Station. The company sells roughly 120,000 oysters per week, and close to 6 million oysters per year. Skip speaks with Jessica Harris about how he helped to pioneer the rebirth of the oyster industry in the United States, from scratch. Listen to th...
May 04, 2017•19 min
Team Rubicon is an organization comprised of former veterans who apply their military experience to emergency situations, working as first responders internationally. Jake served in the military, in Iraq and Afghanistan, before returning to civilian life. He started Team Rubicon initially in response to the earthquake in Haiti. Jake speaks with Jessica Harris about how he repurposed his military skills to start Team Rubicon, from scratch. Listen to the interview...
Apr 20, 2017•32 min
The XPrize Foundation drives innovation through competitions with the hopes of improving the human experience. Its prizes are focused on bold yet achievable projects, ranging from space exploration to the human genome. The first prize of $10 Million was awarded in 2004 to creators of the first piloted space craft. Peter is the co-author of the books Abundance: The Future is Better Than You Think and Bold: How to Go Big, Create Wealth and Impact the World . Peter speaks with Jessica Harris about ...
Mar 09, 2017•32 min
Dropbox is a file sharing and personal data storage company that allows users to access their content (Microsoft Word documents, photos, videos, etc.) from any of their devices. Prior to starting Dropbox, Drew started an online SAT prep company called Accolade (and yes, he scored 1600 on his SAT). Drew speaks with Jessica Harris about how he built Dropbox, from scratch. Listen to the interview...
Jan 26, 2017•32 min
Oscar Health is focused on keeping health insurance simple. The company helps users connect directly to doctors, get prescriptions, and find insurance plans that are easier to navigate. Mario speaks with Jessica Harris about how he is bringing innovation to health insurance, from scratch. Listen to the interview
Jan 12, 2017•19 min
