Leadership isn’t about a title or position — it’s about generosity, says organizational expert Joe Davis. Drawing on his extensive experience as a people manager, he shares three essential tips for leaders to unlock the potential of their teams by listening generously, embracing vulnerability and leading with humanity — and shows how it's possible to both earn trust and drive results. After the talk, Modupe asks you to reflect on the leadership tips Joe offered and how you can make an impact. If...
May 05, 2025•10 min
What if the secret to success isn’t being in the spotlight, but making everyone else around you shine? Former NBA player Shane Battier shares how his most impactful moments didn’t come from scoring points but rather from small, underrated actions that helped his team win — and why prioritizing "we" over "me" can create a lasting legacy, both on and off the court. After the talk, Modupe reflects on the power of play and team building. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 28, 2025•14 min
Why do some countries have a seemingly endless supply of talent in certain fields? From Jamaica's sprinters to South Korea's golfers, public policy professor Anirudh Krishna explains why "talent ladders" — structured pathways to identify and nurture people's potential — are the best way to make sure everyone has the opportunity to thrive. After the talk, Modupe reiterates the importance of removing systemic barriers to level the playing field. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more info...
Apr 21, 2025•16 min
What separates struggling artists from successful ones? Looking to creative geniuses like Mozart, Edison and Monet, video creator Jon Youshaei explains why aiming to be prolific — despite flops and failures along the way — is the key to unlocking your creative success. After the talk, Modupe reflects on herself as a perfectionist and how inviting others to collaborate is an opportunity to get robust insight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 14, 2025•9 min
Is embracing your inner teenager the key to thriving in adulthood? Neuroscientist Adriana Galván shares three powerful lessons from decades of research into adolescent brain development, exploring what teens can teach us about embracing uncertainty, challenging the status quo and taking strategic risks — all tools for a bold, brave life. After the talk, Modupe reflects on what makes teenagers special... and what you can learn from them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information...
Apr 07, 2025•11 min
Networking expert Margaux Miller offers a fresh playbook for making meaningful connections online, presenting six tips for building online relationships that emphasize quality over quantity and the importance of genuine, personalized interactions. Learn how to be more thoughtful in your approach to making new connections with practical suggestions that can fuel both personal and professional growth. After the talk, Modupe clarifies having an online presence doesn't mean you have to be an influen...
Mar 31, 2025•14 min
What if businesses were designed to maximize impact — not just profits? Alex Amouyel, president and CEO of Newman's Own Foundation, details the organization’s commitment to donate all of the profits from the food company it owns — and shows what the “100% for purpose” movement can teach us about doing business, philanthropy and capitalism differently. After the talk, Modupe urges you to be wary of "greenwashing" marketing tactics and to look to "impact washing" initiatives by doing research on a...
Mar 24, 2025•14 min
Success rarely happens in a straight line, with setbacks all but guaranteed along the way. What's the best way to recover? Leadership coach Amy Shoenthal lays out the four phases of the "setback cycle" and explains how to transform difficult moments into opportunities for reinvention and progress. After, Modupe reflects on Amy's talk and the benefits of facing existential questions -- not for despair but to be awaken to clearer possibilities. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more infor...
Mar 17, 2025•19 min
Can marketing transcend traditional business goals and actually be a force for good? Mastercard CMO Raja Rajamannar shares how purpose-driven initiatives — like “touch cards” for the visually impaired and debit cards that let people choose how their names appear — align profit with purpose and position businesses to create meaningful, positive change. (This conversation was hosted by TED's Whitney Pennington Rodgers.) After the talk, Modupe reflects on how a business can find purpose beyond prof...
Mar 10, 2025•17 min
How prevalent is solar power, really? According to researcher Jenny Chase, it's already displacing fossil fuels in key energy markets around the world. She explains the rise of affordable solar power and dives into how her team tracked its rapid installation in unexpected countries, offering a vision of a brighter, more sustainable future. After the talk, Modupe looks to data on kerosene use in developing countries as a viable indicator for a potential shift to solar energy. Hosted on Acast. See...
Mar 03, 2025•12 min
Today, some companies are working hard to prevent consumers from repairing products on their own. In many cases, repair can only be done by the original manufacturer, if at all. With limited repair options available, we end up buying new and throwing more items out. So, how exactly do companies prevent repair? And what can consumers do about it? Aaron Perzanowski investigates. [Directed by Nick Hilditch, narrated by Addison Anderson]. After the talk, Modupe focuses on the term "planned obsolete"...
Feb 24, 2025•9 min
This is an episode of Fixable, another podcast from the TED Audio Collective. Sometimes the only way to win is by finding the courage to lose. This week on Fixable, Anne and Frances want you to “dare to be bad” in order to free up capacity to excel at more important things. They share insight on the power of strategic “no”s, the value of ruthless prioritization, and how Steve Jobs and Apple delivered breakthrough innovation by strategically underperforming. Frances explains why you can’t always ...
Feb 17, 2025•26 min
Where do you draw the line between work and life? Writer Simone Stolzoff explores the problem with defining yourself by your job — and shows what it takes to reclaim your time and sense of meaning beyond the office. After the talk, Modupe shares how practicing meditation nourishes her identity outside of work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Feb 10, 2025•12 min
Success in your career looks different for everyone — but no matter your industry, you'll need to take risks. Company and community builder Molly Graham shares three key skills to learn before jumping off the metaphorical cliff, outlining a path off the corporate ladder and into true professional and personal growth. After the talk, Modupe shares her own experience with risk-taking when she left her consulting job to pursue academia. What helped her along the way? The support of a good mentor. H...
Feb 03, 2025•12 min
Why do so many of us get nervous when public speaking? Communication expert Lawrence Bernstein says the key to dealing with the pressure is as simple as having a casual chat. He introduces the "coffee shop test" as a way to help you overcome nerves, connect with your audience and deliver a message that truly resonates. After the talk, Modupe explains a similar approach in academia called the "Grandma test," and how public speaking can be as simple as a conversation with grandma. Hosted on Acast....
Jan 27, 2025•17 min
This week, we're revisiting an episode on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) — essential drivers of creativity and profits, yet progress has been slow. It's time for leaders to become "rock stars" of inclusion — and that starts with pushing through discomfort, says veteran broadcaster and diversity leader June Sarpong. "When it comes to diversity and inclusion, we need bold disruptors who are uncomfortable with the status quo, even if the status quo benefits them," Sarpong says. After the tal...
Jan 20, 2025•19 min
For a long time, the conveyor belt of ideas moved from the West to the East, says business strategy expert Neeraj Aggarwal. But now, Asia’s rising cultural and intellectual influence is redefining this established order. He explores how Asia’s booming culture and economy — from K-pop to cutting-edge tech — is sparking creative solutions to global challenges and reshaping the future in unexpected ways. After the talk, Modupe draws parallels between the cultural exchange happening between the East...
Jan 13, 2025•13 min
This week, we're revisiting an episode with youth leader Shreya Joshi, who shows why having "uncomfortable conversations" with people you disagree with is crucial to bridging the political divide. "When we are able to recognize what unites us, it becomes so much easier to have conversations about what divides us," she says. Join Modupe after the talk for some useful tips on navigating difficult conversations at work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jan 06, 2025•16 min
Whether you realize it or not, you have a personal brand, says social entrepreneur Marcos Salazar — and you have the power to shape what it is. This week we're revisiting an episode that focuses on how you can create a brand that captures who you are, who you'd like to be and how you want to make an impact on the world. This episode is part of the Way We Work, a TED original video series. Then Modupe shares how she’s crafted her own online identity in a way that feels authentic. Hosted on Acast....
Dec 30, 2024•11 min
Fashion is a huge part of the world's waste problem, but it doesn't have to be. Coachtopia founder Joon Silverstein shows how her company creates new designs from the waste products of another, a circular process that cuts the need for new raw materials — and rethinks what qualifies as "luxury." This talk was made in partnership with Coachtopia. Stay tuned afterward as Modupe shares her thoughts on one way companies could cut back on waste. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informa...
Dec 23, 2024•14 min
To launch new initiatives within the confines of a large corporation, you'll need to work with the system, not against it, says "intrapreneur" Dave Raggio. He shares three lessons on innovation he learned the hard way — so you don't have to. Made in partnership with Intuit. After the talk, Modupe shares one small way we can get everyone working together. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Dec 16, 2024•9 min
What if solving poverty, caring for nature and fostering well-being were the ultimate goals of the economy, instead of growth for its own sake? Environmentalist and economist Gaya Herrington proposes a shift in thinking from "never enough" to "enough for each," asking us to contemplate whether the end of exponential growth on a finite planet will come by design — or disaster. After the talk, Modupe discusses what this mindset shift can unlock for humanity. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy ...
Dec 09, 2024•15 min
Around the world, people who work hard are often seen as morally good — even if they produce little to no results. In this episode, we're revisiting a talk by social psychologist Azim Shariff, in which he analyzes the roots of this belief and suggests a shift towards a more meaningful way to think about effort, rather than admiring work for work's sake. After the talk, Modupe delves deeper into Shariff’s research – and what our focus should actually be on at work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/...
Dec 02, 2024•18 min
What will the world look like in 2030? International business consultant Nikolaus S. Lang predicts the evolution of a multipolar world, with multiple emerging coalitions of countries acting in new ways to achieve their economic, technological and military goals. He dives into what this will mean for the global economy, offering five tips for business leaders to prepare for the coming geopolitical landscape. After the talk, Modupe shares tips on how to train for the unexpected. Hosted on Acast. S...
Nov 25, 2024•16 min
Networking doesn’t always have to feel like a self-serving transaction, says executive coach Daniel Hallak. Highlighting the importance of focusing on giving rather than taking when it comes to making connections, he outlines a mindset shift to help you build better relationships — in a way that doesn't feel gross. After the talk, Modupe highlights the value of extending your support beyond your usual network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Nov 18, 2024•17 min
Who gets to be an entrepreneur? Saamra Mekuria-Grillo says the image we most commonly see — a guy in a hoodie — is a limiting representation of entrepreneurial success. She highlights the importance of young Black people seeing entrepreneurship as a possibility for themselves and explains the key to making the field more inclusive. After the talk, Saamra joins Modupe for a conversation about how she got into this work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Nov 11, 2024•19 min
Africa's smallholder farmers feed millions of people and uplift economies, yet they often lack the basic resources needed to thrive, says agricultural scientist and policymaker Agnes Kalibata. She outlines how to empower these farmers with better tools, climate resilience strategies and market access — so they can continue to nourish humanity while caring for the planet. After the talk, Modupe paints a picture of what these ideas look like in action. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mo...
Nov 04, 2024•14 min
With all that spam clogging your inbox, a more personalized experience with the brands you interact with would be a refreshing change of pace. Sharing insights from his research into what brands can do to improve the experience of the people they want to reach, personalization pioneer Mark Abraham highlights a key mindset that can help companies boost their growth (and delight their customers) in the era of AI. After the talk, Modupe dives into what this could mean for the rest of your life — on...
Oct 28, 2024•15 min
When we avoid feeling awkward, we often miss an opportunity for growth, says workplace performance expert Henna Pryor. She shares tips on embracing discomfort for the sake of self-betterment and shows how pushing past the "cringe chasm" — the gap between how we perceive ourselves and how others see us — can open up chances to get ahead at work and in life. After the talk, Modupe shares wisdom on how to get over the fear of being cringe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information...
Oct 21, 2024•19 min
How do you get what you want out of a negotiation? United Nations negotiation trainer Alex Carter says the best methods center on recruitment, not rivalry. Whether you're asking for a raise or resolving a family dispute, she offers five simple tips for a successful discussion — starting with one powerful question. After the talk, Modupe shares tips on starting the conversation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Oct 14, 2024•17 min
