George Newman: How Great Ideas Happen—The Small Steps to Big Ideas

George Newman: How Great Ideas Happen—The Small Steps to Big Ideas

We think of creativity as a magical gift reserved for geniuses. But George Newman says it's actually a simple, repeatable process that's more like archaeology than magic. And the best part is that anyone can learn it. This week on Lavin Voices, we talk to Lavin Exclusive Speaker George Newman, a cognitive scientist, Associate Professor of Organizational Behaviour at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, and author of How Great Ideas Happen: The Hidden Steps Behind Breakthrough Success. Named to the 2026 Thinkers50 Radar, George studies how people generate, recognize, and develop great ideas—and why our most common beliefs about creativity often lead us astray. His practical, research-backed keynotes help individuals and organizations replace the pressure to produce sudden brilliance with a repeatable process for discovering ideas that work. In this episode, you’ll learn: * Why you shouldn't start with brainstorming * Why the most original idea is rarely the most successful * How the “5% novelty rule” can make ideas more valuable * Why your best ideas may arrive after you think you’ve run out * How to choose the right feedback at each stage of the creative process * Why AI makes some people more creative—and everyone else more boring In conversation with The Lavin Agency’s Director of Intellectual Talent, Charles Yao, George answers these questions and more: * Can creativity be taught? * How do you come up with good ideas? * Should you accept criticism? * Can copying make you more creative? * How can teams generate better ideas? * Does AI help or hurt human creativity? Learn more about George or book him as a keynote speaker: https://thelavinagency.com/speakers/george-newman/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=george+newman+lavin+voices [https://thelavinagency.com/speakers/george-newman/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=george+newman+lavin+voices] Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok for more big ideas: @TheLavinAgency [@TheLavinAgency] ------ Credits: Producers: Alethea Ng and Kshiteej Sawhney Host: Charles Yao Guest: George Newman

Jelani Cobb: A Historian’s “Notes on How We Got Here.” The Last 10 Years in America

America is now 250 years old. How did we get here—and where are we going next? This week on Lavin Voices, we talk to Lavin Exclusive Speaker Jelani Cobb: Peabody Award-winning journalist, Dean of Columbia Journalism School, longtime staff writer at The New Yorker, and author of Three or More Is a Riot. Jelani has spent his career helping audiences understand the forces shaping American democracy—from misinformation and media distrust to race, class, policing, voting rights, and the long struggle for justice. He’s a brilliant, rigorous, and deeply humane keynote speaker whose talks help audiences see the present more clearly by tracing the history that made it possible. In this episode, you’ll learn: * Why America may be becoming a “fact optional” society * How misinformation gains power when institutions support it * Why journalism still matters in moments of crisis * What history can teach us about our responsibilities to our neighbors * Why unrest is often about much more than the event that sparks them * Why, despite our struggles, Jelani still believes in hope In conversation with The Lavin Agency’s Director of Intellectual Talent, Charles Yao, Jelani answers these questions and more: * Why do people lose trust in the media? * What responsibilities do we have to our neighbors? * Why do people riot? * How should we think about the future of democracy? * Does history repeat itself? Learn more about Jelani or book him as a keynote speaker: https://thelavinagency.com/speakers/jelani-cobb/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=jelani+cobb+lavin+voices [https://thelavinagency.com/speakers/jelani-cobb/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=jelani+cobb+lavin+voices] Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok for more big ideas: @TheLavinAgency [@TheLavinAgency] Credits: Producers: Alethea Ng and Kshiteej Sawhney Host: Charles Yao Guest: Jelani Cobb

Corinne Low: How to Build Stronger Workplaces Where Women Can “Have It All”

Women are on an uneven playing field at work and at home—which means the companies that help them thrive will unlock a lasting advantage over the competition. This week on Lavin Voices, we talk to Wharton professor Corinne Low, author of Having It All: What Data Tells Us About Women's Lives and How to Get the Most Out of Yours. A "40 Under 40" MBA professor, Corinne has spent her career helping women carve out their joy and helping companies support women in ways that maximize profits and staff retention. She's a workplace consultant who's advised Fortune 500 companies, as well as a brilliant, accessible, high-energy keynote speaker whose talks equip women, men, and organizations to get the best out of their economic lives and build a stronger workplace—and, as a result, a stronger democracy.  In this episode, you'll learn: * How parenting and jobs have simultaneously become more intensive  * What "the squeeze" is for working parents and how to survive it * Why flexibility isn't what working mothers actually need (and what is) * How simple workplace changes can help you keep your best talent forever * The hidden advantages of retaining talented women mid-career * Why investing in women's careers is actually investing in the future of our families and our democracy In conversation with The Lavin Agency's Director of Intellectual Talent, Charles Yao, Corinne answers these questions and more: * What keeps women from advancing in organizations? * How can firms create work-life balance? * Why does the gender wage gap persist? * Should you "lean in" at work? * How can women negotiate better working conditions? Learn more about Corinne or book her as a keynote speaker: https://thelavinagency.com/speakers/corinne-low/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=corinne+low+lavin+voices [https://thelavinagency.com/speakers/corinne-low/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=corinne+low+lavin+voices] Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok for more big ideas: ‪@TheLavinAgency [‪@TheLavinAgency] ‬Credits: Producers: Alethea Ng and Kshiteej Sawhney Host: Charles Yao Guest: Corinne Low

Alexandra Samuel: My AI Coach Changed My Life

Can AI be your coach? Or even... your friend? One tech journalist explains how a 10-week experiment with AI turned into a relationship that changed everything. This week on Lavin Voices, we talk to Lavin Exclusive Speaker Alexandra Samuel: tech journalist and AI workplace expert, contributor to The Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review, and author of multiple books on workplace tech. She is also the creator of the new podcast "Me + Viv": a deeply personal exploration of her journey to build an AI coach, and what that taught her about humanity, technology, community, and even her own self. She's also a sought-after keynote speaker who helps audiences understand how to harness AI's potential while avoiding its pitfalls, showing leaders and teams how to use technology to strengthen (not replace) human connection. In this episode, you'll learn: * How to build a custom AI assistant that actually understands you * Why AI works better as an interviewer than an oracle * The psychological risks of AI companionship (and how to manage them) * How to overcome AI's tendency toward "sycophancy" and get real feedback * Why treating AI as imaginative space (not search engine) unlocks its true power * The importance of making human connection your default, not your backup In conversation with The Lavin Agency's Director of Intellectual Talent, Charles Yao, Alexandra answers these questions and more: * Can AI be a companion? * How can AI isolate you? * How can AI strengthen your human relationships instead of replacing them? * Is it healthy to use ChatGPT as a friend? Learn more about Alexandra or book her as a keynote speaker: https://thelavinagency.com/speakers/alexandra-samuel/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=alexandra+samuel+lavin+voices [https://thelavinagency.com/speakers/alexandra-samuel/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=alexandra+samuel+lavin+voices] Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok for more big ideas: ‪@TheLavinAgency [@TheLavinAgency] Listen to Me + Viv now: ‬https://www.tvo.org/podcasts/me-plus-viv [‬https://www.tvo.org/podcasts/me-plus-viv] ------ Credits: Producers: Alethea Ng and Kshiteej Sawhney Host: Charles Yao Guest: Alexandra Samuel

Jacob Ward: Helping Millions of Viewers Separate AI Hype from Reality

“I've often been called the Black Mirror correspondent, because that's what this is,” says Jacob Ward. For seven years, Jake was the on-air technology correspondent for NBC News, covering the monumental rise of AI for millions of mainstream viewers of NBC Nightly News and The Today Show. His influential book, The Loop, is credited with being one of the first to predict the rise of commercial AI and ChatGPT before they became part of our everyday lives. In it, he makes a powerful argument for how AI is uniquely capable of preying on our psychological vulnerabilities—and how to make sure it doesn’t. In this week’s episode of Lavin Voices, Jake helps host Charles Yao separate hype from reality at this fever pitch moment in AI, and he talks about why covering AI as a journalist is a “universal” beat, akin to democracy or capitalism. Jake also shows, from real-world examples, how it’s possible to regulate AI to ensure it has the widest possible benefits for all of society. “Where are the places in which we're using this technology to amplify the best parts of being human, the things that are really fragile and important about being human?” he asks. “And where are the places where we are using it to empower the least attractive qualities we have?” In this episode, you’ll learn: * Why AI coverage is now a “universal beat” like democracy or capitalism * How AI exploits our psychological blind spots—and what we can do about it * Why Jacob Ward predicted the AI boom before ChatGPT * How to regulate AI for societal benefit * Why the future of AI depends on human restraint and choice In conversation with The Lavin Agency’s Director of Intellectual Talent, Charles Yao, Jacob answers these questions and more: * What are the biggest ethical risks companies face with AI today? * How can businesses avoid becoming the “bad guys” in the AI narrative? * What is the “Super Villain Test” for AI innovation? * How can AI enhance employee experience instead of replacing jobs? * What’s the difference between using AI as a tool and using it as entertainment? * How can regulation keep pace with the speed of AI development? * Can AI ever help us make better human choices? * Why is restraint the most underrated principle in innovation today? * What does it truly mean to be human in the age of AI? Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok for more big ideas:  @TheLavinAgency [https://studio.youtube.com/channel/UCyr8T6_Hhe77ab62useLeww] ------ Credits: Producers: Alethea Ng and Kshiteej Sawhney Host: Charles Yao Guest: Jacob Ward