Inquiry to Insight

In this explosive episode, host Steve Valentine brings you three visionaries in their respective spaces of Finance, Technology, and the Arts. These thought leaders are entrepreneurs, innovators, and idealists who shape the conversation and trends in their fields. This podcast follows a unique format: The trio will each present a problem in their respective fields that is attracting the most attention and resources right now. As a group, they will come to a consensus on which is the biggest problem that needs addressing and design a hypothetical company to address it.  Discover how in every paradigm shift, negative and positive outcomes will occur and people will be displaced. The pace of change of Technology in the next 10 years will equate to that of the past 100. How can we help people be agile and organizations to adapt?

Michael Yamashita ’67 has been a photographer at National Geographic for over 40 years, the recipient of a host of industry awards, a teacher and lecturer,  a producer of two documentary feature films, the author of 16 books, and now a dabbler in NFT’s. In Episode Three of Breaking Barriers: * Hear about Michael’s extensive archive of photos from China as well as his incredible travel adventures in the Far East. * Learn about his willingness to reinvent his art and himself. * Explore his relentless pursuit of a platform in an ever-evolving art world to share his work with the next generation of his audience.

Over the years, Evan Wittenberg ’87 has built great companies with great people, including Ancestry.com, Box, and Google. Now driven by the altruistic mission of Pivot Bio, he is creating a work culture that will change the world. In this episode: * Hear about Pivot Bio: a climate tech company that's disrupting an industry by transforming the way fertilizer is produced and used by the world’s farmers.  * Learn how a company whose goal is to exist for a hundred years, plans to do just that with a compelling mission and strong leadership. * Explore the idea that there is no one way to “do” leadership. When leading a team, rather than say, “This is what you should do as a leader,” say instead, "Run some experiments with your team and figure out what works for you.”

Best friends from their time at The Kimberley School, Polly Smith ’67 and Lisa Lindahl ’67, now members of the National Inventors Hall of Fame, paved the way for women in the sporting goods industry. * Hear about the invention of the “Jogbra” and how a prototype from two men’s jockstraps launched the first women-owned business in sporting goods. * Learn about the importance of timing. As the United States was going through the Vietnam War and experiencing its second wave of feminism, the sport of running exploded, and two women saw a need and an opportunity.  * Explore how a seven-time Emmy-winning costume designer who worked for the Jim Henson company for over 25 years can't watch her beloved show any longer.

* Hear about fairtrade and corporate/social responsibility. * Learn about impact investing and trends in impact investing. * Explore what conscious leadership means.