The IVY Podcast

#104: Rachel Roy Talks Fashion & Philanthropy | Presented by smartwater®

Fashion icon and legendary designer Rachel Roy discusses fashion, philanthropy, and how to design the life you wish to live in a live conversation with IVY in Los Angeles. Rachel believes that everybody can take small, actionable steps to incorporate philanthropy into their personal and professional lives, and that entrepreneurs are in a unique position to better society. Roy discusses her path to founding her own brand, and her belief in using our entrepreneurial spirits as a force for good.

#103: The Power of Community: How Social Networks Can Change the World with Prakash Janakiraman

Prakash Janakiraman is the Co-Founder and Chief Architect of Nextdoor. Valued at over one-billion dollars, Nextdoor is an innovative and emerging social network that connects users with their neighbors and surrounding neighborhood. In a live conversation with IVY, Prakash tells the story of building Nextdoor from the ground up and touches on the far-reaching impact of social networks and their potential for bringing out the best in humanity — whether it's finding a last-minute babysitter or sharing safety tips with your neighbors.

#102: How to Make Better Decisions with Linnea Gandhi

Linnea Gandhi is a Behavioral Science Practitioner and Adjunct Assistant Professor at the Chicago Booth School of Business. She sheds light on the forces shaping our decisions, suggests some shortcuts, and offers tips on how to design our decisions with wisdom and intent.

#101: Understanding Globalization and the Ascent of the Developing World with Steven Radelet

Dr. Steven Radelet is a world-renowned economist and global human development expert. He played a central role in shaping U.S. policy under the Clinton and Obama administrations, working as the Chief Economist of the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury. He now serves as the Director of the Global Human Development Program at Georgetown University, studying the ways in which we can accelerate positive global development. In this live conversation with IVY, Dr. Radelet outlines the tremendous progress the world has made towards improving global education, health, rates of poverty, and income — and how we can channel these patterns for a more positive future.

#100: Leonard Bernstein at 100

West Side Story, Peter Pan, On the Waterfront, Candide — these are just a selection of the Broadway-shaping scores written by the legendary composer and conductor, Leonard Bernstein. A trailblazing musical force, cultural ambassador, and longtime music director of the New York Philharmonic, Bernstein is credited with bringing American classical music to the world stage. The IVY Podcast hosted Joshua Gersen, the New York Philharmonic’s current Assistant Conductor and former occupant of Bernstein’s chair, to hear an insider’s take on Bernstein’s music and what it’s like conducting the Philharmonic in the year of Bernstein’s centennial celebrations. To attend Bernstein’s centennial celebrations with IVY, please visit IVY.com/events.

#99: How to Achieve the Big Life ft. Ann Shoket

Author and former Editor-in-Chief of Seventeen Magazine, Ann Shoket, draws on her editorial and entrepreneurial experience to show us what it takes to earn respect and build a supporting network. Referencing her most recent book, The Big Life, Shoket reveals how we can all achieve our dreams — be that success in the workplace, or making the world a better place for all.

#98: How to Navigate Trust in the Digital Age

Rachel Botsman is an award-winning author and expert on trust. Recognized as one of the “Most Creative People in Business” by Fast Company and as a “Young Global Leader” by The World Economic Forum, Botsman specializes in how we can navigate trust at a time when fake news, polarizing ideas, and limitless information abound. Botsman joined IVY for a live conversation in Boston, exploring how technology is transforming human relationships, creating a new era of trust, and what this all means for life, work, and how we do business. This episode of The IVY Podcast is presented by Emerge212, New York City’s premier operator of full-service office suites.

#97: How to Build a Better Society Through Creativity and Art ft. Jane Chu

These are uncertain times for the arts. With arts programs habitually cut from public school programs and proposed limitations on tax deductions among other challenges, Americans of our generation are having fewer and fewer opportunities to make art an accessible and everyday part of our lives. Along with budget cuts comes threats to abolish the National Endowment of the Arts, a federal agency that has been in existence for 53 years and is full appropriated by Congress, with a budget of 149 million - which serves as an arts stimulus in every congressional district. IVY sat down with Jane Chu, Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, who illuminated the foundational role the arts play in shaping a better world. Chairman Chu described the greater social impact afforded by arts and arts education and illuminated the need for their need in all facets of society, from economic and community development to the military.

#96: A Conversation with Chopped Judge & Iron Chef Alex Guarnaschelli

World-renowned chef Alex Guarnaschelli has run the gamut of culinary endeavors. The daughter of noted cookbook editor Maria Guarnaschelli, Alex grew up around the sights and sounds of food. She went on to study at the esteemed La Varenne Culinary School in Burgundy before launching into a professional career at the Michelin three-star restaurant Guy Savoy in Paris. She has since won Iron Chef America, judged 34 no-holds-barred seasons of Food Network’s Chopped, written two cookbooks, and currently serves as the executive chef at Butter in New York City. In a live conversation with IVY, Alex brought her impressive credentials and characteristic wit to the stage — offering candid insights into the high-stakes world of restaurants and fine dining, as well as her own personal wins and losses along the way.

#95: The Future of U.S. Democracy ft. William G. Howell

The United States Constitution, a document written nearly 250 years ago, continues to dictate politics in 2017. According to the political scientist, author, and University of Chicago Professor, William Howell — this is a problem. In his new book, Relic: How Our Constitution Undermines Effective Government—and Why We Need a More Powerful Presidency, Dr. Howell argues that the political institutions we inherited from the Founding Fathers were simply not designed to solve the problems we face today. In a live conversation with IVY, Dr, Howell expands on this argument and explains why it might not be such a bad idea to rewrite the centuries-old Constitution to create a better path forward for 21st-century democracy.