The IVY Podcast

#124: The Fox Hunt: One Refugee’s Miraculous Escape to Freedom with Activist & Author Mohammed Al Samawi

As extremist groups surrounded his apartment in Aden, Yemen, Mohammed Al Samawi made a last-ditch appeal for help from his Facebook network. Amazingly, over the course of two weeks, four near-strangers devised a daring mission to lead him to safety — an improbable journey that spanned six technological platforms and ten time zones. Al Samawi shares his moving story in the new book The Fox Hunt, which was picked up last year for a film adaptation by La La Land producer Marc Platt and the Oscar-winning screenwriter of Spotlight, Josh Singer. Al Samawi joined IVY for a live conversation in NYC to tell the tale of his miraculous escape to freedom from war, rebel fighters, and Al-Qaeda extremists.

#123: The Future of Solar Technology with Climate & Energy Expert Varun Sivaram

Energy is a hot topic and a critical issue in politics, business, and society at large. And it doesn’t look like this will be changing any time soon.  On the forefront of this discussion is clean energy, and, particularly, the rise of solar-powered technology. To get a better understanding of why this is the case and what that means for our world, we held a conversation on The Future of Solar Technology with climate and energy expert Varun Sivaram. Varun authored the recent book, Taming the Sun: Innovations to Harness Solar Energy and Power the Planet. In a live conversation moderated by David Livingston — who serves as the Deputy Director of Climate and Advanced Energy at The Atlantic Council's Global Energy Center — Varun offers insights on the innovations that are powering our world and the role America is playing in harnessing clean technology.

#122: BaubleBar Co-Founder Daniella Yacobovsky on How to Build a Booming Startup

Daniella Yacobovsky, the co-founder of the rapidly growing e-commerce company BaubleBar, is transforming the way women shop for jewelry and accessories. With its “fast fashion” approach to women’s jewelry, BaubleBar provides its customers with on-trend products at an affordable price. Evidently, it’s working: Daniella and her co-founder, Amy Jain — who both come from investment banking backgrounds — raised $20 million in funding during their Series C round in 2016. The two have been recognized by Inc., Fast Company, and TechCrunch, among others, as the “Most Influential Female Founders.” We invited Daniella into the studio to hear about the initial startup days of BaubleBar, the process of raising significant venture-capital funding, how they scaled without hampering their entrepreneurial spirit, and more.

#121: The Courage Solution: How to Bring Your True Self to Work with Best-Selling Author Mindy Mackenzie

IVY held a conversation in Chicago with Mindy Mackenzie, the highly accomplished speaker, CEO advisor, and author of the new book The Courage Solution. This is our second conversation with Mindy as part of a larger series on the power of authenticity in the workplace. Mindy, who oversaw Beam’s $16-billion acquisition by Japan’s Suntory Holdings in 2014, talks about how to bring your true self to work, speak unpopular truths, and engage in every aspect of your business.

#120: The Data-Driven Leader: How to Deliver Breakthrough Business Results with Jenny Dearborn, Chief Learning Officer at SAP

Jenny Dearborn is the Chief Learning Officer at the software giant SAP and has been recognized as “one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology.” She believes that being data-oriented leads to more than just success in the marketplace — it fosters better leadership and creates happier organizational structures. Drawing on insights from her latest book, The Data Driven Leader, Jenny discusses how we can use data to solve important leadership challenges and overhaul work cultures for the better.

#119: The Perils of Empathy: How to Make Ethical Decisions with Yale Professor Paul Bloom

In this episode of The IVY Podcast, we talk to Paul Bloom, a Yale University professor of psychology and cognitive science. Bloom calls into question our culture’s current focus on empathetic thinking and argues that it distorts our judgment in every aspect of our lives.

#118: How to Find Your Co-Founder, Fundraise, and Scale a Business with Plated CEO Josh Hix

The Harvard Business School Class of 2010 graduated in the midst of the worst economic crisis in the United States since the Great Depression. These students realized they'd have to take matters into their own hands to tackle the problems they wanted to solve. In the years since, they've generated the most successful cohort of startups Harvard Business School has ever seen, including IVY. Now, IVY is talking with these founders and entrepreneurs to hear how they managed to emerge from the economic crisis with thriving businesses, and what lessons they've learned on leadership and the power of community along the way. Please enjoy the first conversation in this series of interviews, featuring the co-founder and CEO of Plated, Josh Hix.

#117: Finding Comfort in Your Panic Zone: How to Be a Serial Entrepreneur with George Swisher

In this episode of The IVY Podcast, we talk to serial entrepreneur, corporate advisor, and IVY Thought Leader, George Swisher. A former ad agency executive who has founded five startups of his own, this expansive conversation covers how to get comfortable in your panic zone, why you should learn to love mistakes, the importance of emotional vulnerability, and more.

#116: How to Be a Great Leader: The Power of Authenticity with Best-Selling Author Mindy Mackenzie

Mindy Mackenzie has walked the walk: as the Chief Performance Officer of Beam, she oversaw the company’s $16-billion acquisition by Japan’s Suntory Holdings in 2014. Widely regarded as the “Velvet Hammer,” Mindy was known for being a highly effective executive, but one who led her team with compassion and empathy. Now, as a coveted executive advisor and the bestselling author of The Courage Solution, Mindy joined IVY for a discussion on courageous leadership. Among other questions, Mindy addresses why some managers are more effective than others; the right way to approach conflict in the workplace; how to strike the balance between being feared and being liked; and how to create lasting, world-changing businesses.

#115: Why Our Decisions Get Derailed & How We Can Stick to the Plan with Francesca Gino

The following discussion features Harvard Business School Professor, behavioral scientist, and IVY Thought Leader, Francesca Gino. Gino’s groundbreaking research focuses on judgment and decision-making, and is richly explored in her recent book, Sidetracked: Why Our Decisions Get Derailed, and How We Can Stick to the Plan. Gino joined IVY to discuss the psychological reasoning behind why we struggle to hold onto certain decisions, and how to actually best reach our intended goals.