Award-winning actress and founder of Pattern Beauty Tracee Ellis Ross didn’t see Black beauty being represented well in the market – so she built a company from scratch to fix that. In this episode, she shares entrepreneurial lessons with her longtime friend Samira Nasr, who is editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar. Their conversation was recorded live on stage at the 2024 Masters of Scale Summit. Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com Subscribe to the Masters of Scale ...
Nov 21, 2024•24 min
Rapper and musician Iggy Azalea wants you to know that her crypto token $MOTHER isn’t just another ‘pump and dump’ celebrity crypto play. She believes in the future of cryptocurrency and the potential for fostering a new engaged community of followers — or ‘stans’ as she calls them. Azalea sits down with Rapid Response host Bob Safian to reveal why she retired from music and made the pivot into cryptocurrency, as well as founding an online gifting platform and telecommunication company. For any ...
Nov 19, 2024•32 min
Reid and Aria sat down with Bill Gates to discuss his main areas of focus: climate change, energy, global health, and education—and how AI will help transform each of them. Taking a bird’s-eye view of society’s challenges, it’s easy to give in to pessimism. But as one of the most influential people in the world, Bill Gates has a unique perspective on how far humanity has come and what our potential—and timelines—for meaningful change really look like. He gets granular on everything from cows (5%...
Nov 16, 2024•1 hr 9 min
Octopus Energy is now the UK's top electricity supplier, and is growing its footprint in the US. CEO and founder Greg Jackson joins host Jeff Berman to discuss how Octopus is disrupting a global industry with green energy. From helping customers game out savings to building AI-powered software tools, his approach to innovation is multifaceted – and fascinating. Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://m...
Nov 14, 2024•32 min
How do you cultivate loyalty, from investors to team members and, of course, customers? Business leaders have long debated this. Host Bob Safian invites two guests to weigh in with their secrets to brand and company loyalty. Chewy CEO Sumit Singh has built his pet-centric business around customer service and care. And seasoned CEO Sarah Robb O’Hagan has led at Exos, Equinox, Nike, and more – all brands with deep reliance on genuine connections. Hear their conversation recorded live at the 2024 M...
Nov 12, 2024•22 min
Following Donald Trump’s victory in this week’s US presidential election, Reid Hoffman (a major donor to Vice President Harris’ campaign) is figuring out where business, tech, and his own energy go from here. Hoffman joins Rapid Response host Bob Safian to share his reaction to the election and what the outcome means for Silicon Valley, the overall economy, and more. Despite being a vocal critic of Trump, Hoffman is committed to driving US prosperity over the next four years, assuring “we’re all...
Nov 08, 2024•32 min
In this special 2-for-1 episode, we offer two segments of rapid-fire fun from the 2024 Masters of Scale Summit. First, Slutty Vegan’s Pinky Cole joins Rapid Response host Bob Safian for a gamified session on capturing consumer attention that delivers lessons on the power of joy, building celebrity, and competing with stalwarts like McDonald’s. Then, ocean storyteller and entrepreneur Philippe Cousteau Jr. has 10 minutes to convince Safian (as a faux VC) to invest in our oceans — encouraging...
Nov 05, 2024•30 min
Former President Bill Clinton joined host Reid Hoffman on stage at the 2024 Masters of Scale Summit on October 24 to offer insights on what’s at stake in this election, and what could come next. Their full, unedited stage conversation is presented in this episode. Synthetic voiceover of Reid Hoffman used in this episode was produced by Respeecher with full consent and permission. Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newslett...
Nov 04, 2024•34 min
Artificial intelligence is a “new digital species,” says Mustafa Suleyman, Microsoft AI’s CEO. For this episode, Mustafa joined Reid Hoffman on stage at the October 2024 Masters of Scale Summit. They discuss the risks and rewards of AI, and Mustafa explains why AI will change our experience of memory. Plus, why he thinks now is a great time to found and scale companies. Synthetic voiceover of Reid Hoffman used in this episode was produced by Respeecher with full consent and permission. Read Must...
Oct 31, 2024•27 min
As conflict in the Middle East continues to escalate, Rapid Response host Bob Safian led a discussion live on stage at the Masters of Scale Summit between two experienced leaders with close knowledge of the region. World Central Kitchen’s CEO Erin Gore has been providing food relief in Gaza and beyond, and Daniel Lubetzky leads the Builders Movement, an organization committed to overcoming extremist thinking and division around the world. (He’s also the founder of Kind Snacks.) Both share how th...
Oct 29, 2024•38 min
Shan-Lyn Ma, co-founder and co-CEO of Zola, joins host Jeff Berman to share how intrapreneurship prepared her to build a business that’s transformed the wedding industry with online tools. From weathering the Covid pandemic to scaling a better experience for millions of couples, including a focus on underserved markets, Shan’s resilience and leadership have fueled Zola’s remarkable growth to a $600 million valuation, with more plans ahead. Read a transcript of this episode: https://m...
Oct 24, 2024•30 min
Leonardo da Vinci is a thoroughly modern figure, even if he lived hundreds of years ago. So says Ken Burns, the legendary documentary filmmaker on topics from the Civil War to Muhammad Ali. Burns joins Rapid Response to talk about his new, upcoming project on da Vinci and what leaders in 2024 can learn from his interdisciplinary approach. Burns also opens up about the challenges of creative integrity in a world influenced by AI, the advantages of avoiding shortcuts, and how studying history reve...
Oct 22, 2024•28 min
Scott Galloway, creator of Prof G Media and NYU business school professor, joins host Jeff Berman to answer your questions with his trademark wit and candor, offering advice on when CEOs should speak out on political issues, how to build and sustain company culture, and the secret to expanding the reach of your ideas. We also touch upon AI quite a bit. With his sharp takes and hard-earned no-filter approach, Scott proves that being bold and outspoken can be good for business. Read a transcript o...
Oct 17, 2024•36 min
Wikipedia is among the top ten most-visited websites in the world, and it’s been a pillar of online knowledge for more than 20 years. The site’s parent nonprofit, Wikimedia Foundation, wants it to stay that way. CEO Maryana Iskander joins Rapid Response to discuss how Wikipedia is navigating AI-generated misinformation, why debates around truth and neutrality will only intensify, and threats to the platform from authoritarian governments. Iskander shares how human-edited Wikipedia is holding its...
Oct 15, 2024•28 min
David Heath and Randy Goldberg, co-founders of Bombas, join host Jeff Berman to reveal how they scaled their mission-driven apparel company. Bombas donates one item for every one sold, and has given away more than 140 million pairs of socks, underwear and shirts so far to people in need. They recount how the Shark Tank rollercoaster affected their business, why sometimes you have to ignore well-intentioned advice, and what their nationwide network of community partners has taught them about how ...
Oct 10, 2024•32 min
As early voting begins in the US presidential election, there is a nascent movement afoot that would reshuffle future contests from local school boards to Washington DC – and it revolves around our smartphones. Venture capitalist and political strategist Bradley Tusk has invested $20 million in building what he says is a safe, secure app that would allow mobile voting, which he’s bankrolled pilots for in 20 jurisdictions across 7 states. Tusk outlines what he believes makes mobile voting a power...
Oct 08, 2024•27 min
From founding the viral fashion brand Nasty Gal to inspiring and living the #Girlboss movement, Sophia Amoruso’s ideas tend to catch fire quickly. She joins host Jeff Berman to share her “accidental” entrepreneurial journey – building an e-commerce brand with nearly $100 million in revenue and then starting Girlboss Media – all with no formal business training. Now, Sophia is focused on supporting and teaching a new generation of entrepreneurs, as Managing Partner of the early-stage venture fund...
Oct 03, 2024•32 min
The Black List has reshaped Hollywood by identifying overlooked screenplays from Argo to The King’s Speech that have become commercial and artistic successes. Now, founder Franklin Leonard is opening The Black List’s successful model to the book industry. He shares what Hollywood and publishing have in common: a bottleneck in talent discovery, and billions in missed revenue from untapped audiences. Leonard is already linking novelists to Hollywood’s ever-growing appetite for adaptations. His ins...
Oct 01, 2024•26 min
Leaders like Bill Gates, Airbnb’s Brian Chesky, and Pixar’s Lindsey Collins shared big ideas at the first-ever Masters of Scale Summit in 2022. In this episode, host Jeff Berman guides you through the best scale lessons shared at the event. More blockbuster insights from iconic business leaders are coming in our 2024 Masters of Scale Summit, October 22-24 in San Francisco. You can check out the lineup and learn more about taking part: mastersofscale.com/summit Watch all the Summit 2022 seg...
Sep 26, 2024•23 min
While EA’s pursuit of 1 billion users may sound ambitious at first, once you hear CEO Andrew Wilson explain the developers’ strategy to get there, the 1 billion mark starts to almost sound conservative. Wilson returns to Rapid Response to shed light on EA’s recent announcements around a community-driven app, and plans to unleash new AI tools for creators and gamers alike. Wilson also shares the inside story behind the company’s high-stakes FIFA rebrand, how Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu shapes his busines...
Sep 24, 2024•26 min
Host Reid Hoffman has always been impressed with the way Dr. Rana el Kaliouby thinks about AI. She’s an AI scientist, co-founder of Affectiva, an investor and author who has spent decades building toward more emotionally intelligent technology. Now, she’s joining the Masters of Scale podcast family with a new show: Pioneers of AI. In this episode, Reid gets to the heart of Rana’s core interests in AI and business. Then he passes the mic to Rana so she can ask Reid her biggest questions about whe...
Sep 19, 2024•34 min
While Shōgun, Hacks, and Baby Reindeer bask in their success at The Emmys, the awards reveal deeper lessons about TV’s future. Janice Min, co-founder and CEO of The Ankler, guides us through the key storylines, from Disney to HBO to Netflix. We also dig deep on Taylor Swift’s endorsement of Kamala Harris and what it says about the politics of celebrity in 2024 — for stars and for CEOs. For more info, visit: www.rapidresponseshow.com Watch this episode on YouTube: htt...
Sep 17, 2024•27 min
David Novak, co-founder and former CEO of Yum! Brands, joins host Jeff Berman to share lessons from scaling one of the world’s largest restaurant companies. Hear how his focus on listening, team recognition, and taking big swings helped grow a fast food empire to a $32 billion market cap. He also reveals lessons from the infamous Crystal Pepsi campaign, how he came up with Cool Ranch Doritos, and what fuels his mission to develop the next generation of leaders. His latest book is: “ How Leaders ...
Sep 12, 2024•32 min
We are biologically wired to focus on the near-term, and that’s often a good thing. But in this moment — with global conflict, fast-evolving tech, and climate change dominating our present — we need to also prioritize long-term impacts. Futurist Ari Wallach joins Rapid Response host Bob Safian to dive into our biological and business motivations around what he calls “futuring.” Host of the new PBS docuseries, A Brief History of the Future, Wallach shares lessons from the longest-standing corpora...
Sep 10, 2024•31 min
Drybar co-founder Alli Webb turned her side hustle as a hair stylist into a business concept now thriving nationwide. She talks with host Jeff Berman about scaling Drybar, launching and then selling a hair care product line, and how she thinks about franchising. Alli also reflects on getting personal in her memoir The Messy Truth , and why she’s doing things differently in her new endeavor, a massage concept called Squeeze. Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com Subs...
Sep 05, 2024•31 min
While some artists complain that AI uses their music as training data, Will.i.am argues that it’s no different than Prince and Michael Jackson taking inspiration from James Brown. Will joins Rapid Response to talk about his investments in the “dawn of intelligent media,” including his new app RAiDIO.fyi — AI technology that he contends will be pre-installed in every car of the future. Will shares surprising lessons from his MBA studies at Harvard, why developers are like rappers, how he wor...
Sep 03, 2024•30 min
Steve Huffman, co-founder and CEO of Reddit, joins host Reid Hoffman to share scale lessons from building one of the internet’s most influential platforms. It took nearly two decades for Reddit to reach its IPO, persevering through ownership changes, swings in popular sentiment, and shifts in the site’s identity. Steve guides Reddit with a deep belief in the power of online communities, and he dives into how he tackles challenges – like AI and misinformation – while staying true to Reddit’s valu...
Aug 29, 2024•37 min
With student loan debt at record highs, higher education is at a crossroads. Campus is an all-online community college that’s built a business model around competitive pricing, resources for students (like giving them a laptop and paying for home internet), and compensating professors well above the national average. The start-up also achieves high graduation rates, while maintaining an impressive bottom line. Campus founder and Chancellor Tade Oyerinde shares how he wooed investors like Sam Alt...
Aug 27, 2024•23 min
Fawn Weaver, founder of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, joins host Jeff Berman to share scale lessons from building one of the fastest-growing spirit brands in history. Hear how a photo in the newspaper inspired Fawn to uncover a forgotten legacy, break into the whiskey business, and craft a billion-dollar brand. Fawn’s book Love & Whiskey is available here: https://loveandwhiskeybook.com/ Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.com Subscribe to the Masters of S...
Aug 22, 2024•34 min
As the Democratic National Convention gets underway, CNN’s Van Jones still can’t quite believe Vice President Harris’s glow-up from “cringe” to a Beyonce-like star. The political analyst and entrepreneur joins Rapid Response host Bob Safian to discuss his new initiative, Dream Machine, which aims to make AI more accessible for multicultural communities. Jones also shares his thoughts on the evolution of Elon Musk, the vital issues that he believes are being neglected in the campaign maelstrom, a...
Aug 20, 2024•27 min
