Invested at Work

Where can AI accelerate IPO preparation, and where is human judgment most important? CFO of Carta, Charly Kevers, shares his take on when to use AI before going public, what questions CEOs should ask their CFOs sooner and why keeping employees focused on the business is the best IPO preparation companies can do. Plus, what an IPO means to him. Hint: It’s not an exit. This is Invested at Work: Off...

When you think of "investors," you probably imagine private equity firms, angel investors or major sources of external funding. But what about your employees? For Charly Kevers, CFO of Carta, equity-holding employees are investors, and getting their buy-in is essential for long-term growth. In this episode of Invested at Work, Charly and host Rodney Bolden discuss the “investor mindset” and how it...

How can equity compensation leaders get legal and compliance to say yes to creative ideas?   Rachel Ulep has answers.   As eBay’s Director of Global Stock and Equity Programs, Rachel has revamped eBay’s approach to employee education and training by injecting whimsy and creativity. Find out how she got her wider team on board with developing employee-facing AI agents and gamifying compli...

How can global enterprises transform complex compliance and equity education into high-impact employee engagement? Discover the innovative playbook Rachel Ulep uses to reach 12,000 eBay employees. In this episode of Invested at Work, host Rodney Bolden sits down with Rachel Ulep, Director of Global Stock and Equity Programs at eBay, live at Morgan Stanley’s annual Thrive conference. Rachel discuss...

Is it harder to manage an employee who has no equity or someone who's a millionaire on paper?   Atish Davda, Head of Private Markets and EquityZen, reveals his takes on tough leadership questions—including navigating equity compensation, his most difficult people decisions and the most memorable thing someone has done with their liquidity from selling their private stock shares on EquityZen....

What happens to employees at private companies when years, or even decades, pass before a liquidity event? Atish Davda, Head of Private Markets and EquityZen, has created a pathway for private market sales to help employers lower risk, boost employee retention and ultimately get the most out of pre-IPO life. In this episode of Invested at Work, Atish and host Rodney Bolden delve into the tension e...

What is the one critical thing your employees care about deeply that you might be completely overlooking? This is Invested at Work: Off the Cuff. Unscripted and top-of-mind, where industry leaders share candid perspectives on the realities of scaling businesses, managing total compensation strategies and navigating the complexities of leadership. This week: Aaron Schumm, founder, CEO and chairman...

“You're taking a 50-plus-year-old industry and flipping it on its head and saying, ‘We're going to redo this from the ground up.’”   Aaron Schumm, founder, CEO and chairman of Vestwell, is shaking things up when it comes to modernizing workplace savings solutions.   As inflation concerns rise and workforce demands shift, traditional benefits packages are no longer enough. In this episode...

As companies scale, how can they keep employees engaged and rewarded? In this season of Invested at Work, we explore how total compensation strategies make all the difference—at any stage of growth. Host Rodney Bolden sits down with founders and benefits leaders to discuss equity compensation and total rewards strategies, and share stories about how those strategies can powerfully impact the lives...

AI is changing the way we work—and fast. But beyond the headlines, how are people really using it in the workplace? And how do they feel about it? In this special bonus episode of Invested at Work, host Rodney Bolden checks in with guests from across the season to explore how AI is being adopted on the ground—from equity administration to customer service—and the emotions it’s stirring up along th...

Equity compensation can be a powerful tool to engage and motivate employees, but only when they understand its value. With over 25 years of experience in stock plan administration, Christine Zwerling, Head of Stock Administration at Asana, shares insights for HR leaders looking to make equity work harder for their teams. In this episode of Invested at Work, host Rodney Bolden speaks with Christine...

  Executive titles don’t guarantee financial clarity. That’s what Liz Dennis, Managing Director and Head of Global Client Coverage at Morgan Stanley, finds in her work with company leaders. In this episode of Invested at Work, host Rodney Bolden speaks with Liz about the unique financial challenges facing today’s executives. They discuss some of the blind spots executives might have when it c...

The best CEOs know how to hold the long-term vision—while building the structure and discipline needed to scale sustainably. That’s according to Henry Ward, Founder and CEO of Carta, a networked enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform for private capital markets. In this episode, Henry joins host Rodney Bolden to reflect on his founder journey and the leadership lessons he’s learned along the...

Employee engagement is at its lowest point in nearly a decade, but the opportunity to reconnect has never been greater. That’s according to Ben Wigert, Director of Research and Strategy, Workplace Management, at Gallu p, a global analytics and advisory firm. Ben shares some of Gallup’s latest data on why employees feel disconnected, what’s driving burnout among managers and how thoughtful benefits...

AI literacy in the workplace must evolve into AI fluency—and fast. That’s the message from Sri Krishnamurthy, fintech and data science educator and founder of QuantUniversity. In this episode of Invested at Work, host Rodney Bolden speaks with Sri about the many forms AI is taking today—and what they mean for the future of workplace benefits. From anticipating employee needs to delivering personal...

Employee stock purchase plans (ESPPs) aren’t just a workplace perk; they’re a wealth-building tool with the potential to change lives. That’s according to Aaron Shapiro, founder and CEO of Carver Edison , a financial technology company focused on improving employee stock ownership programs. The catch? Employees have to be able to afford to participate—and now they can. Carver Edison and its core t...

Today’s workplace realities are rewriting the HR playbook. That’s according to Johnny C. Taylor, Jr., CEO of SHRM, the Society for Human Resource Management, and their 2025 State of the Workplace report. Johnny shares what the research reveals about employees' expectations and the challenges facing HR decision makers today. Host Rodney Bolden shares findings from Morgan Stanley at Work’s own State...

What’s the most important asset a company has? Its people, according to Pete Stavros, Co-Head of Global Private Equity at KKR and Founder of Ownership Works. Pete knows that helping companies reach their full potential starts with an engaged workforce, and an ownership culture can be a big driver of that. In this candid conversation with host Rodney Bolden, Pete shares stories of how his father’s...

In part two of our Equity Story Hour series, recorded live at our annual Thrive Conference , equity plan managers share the real stories that have shaped their approach to managing equity compensation programs. Listen in for best practices that you can use in your own organization to help support your employees—inside and outside of work. Visit MorganStanley.com/atwork for more insights on workpla...

When employees realize the value of their equity compensation, it can be life-changing—for both themselves and their families. On this special episode of Invested at Work, recorded live at this year’s Thrive Conference , you’ll hear inspiring stories from several equity plan managers of how they were able to help employees use their company stock to fund their financial goals, including some emplo...

How can you build an equity compensation plan that is easy to understand, empowers your workforce on the path to their goals and supports them throughout their employee life cycle? With over 20 years of experience working on equity plans, including a stint at the National Association of Stock Plan Professionals, Robyn Shutak of Infinite Equity has spent her career helping employers do just that. R...

With more than two decades of experience helping lead private companies to exits, Teri McFadden of Norwest Venture Partners has her pulse on the latest private market trends. Teri sits down with our host Rodney Bolden, Executive Director, Head of Industry Engagement and Learning for Morgan Stanley at Work, to help paint a picture of the current landscape and how employers can effectively manage th...

From the importance of DEI to the perceived value of equity compensation and everything in between, our Invested at Work guests have provided so many insights into the workplace benefits landscape. The one constant of these conversations has been our host, Executive Director, Head of Industry Engagement and Learning at Morgan Stanley at Work, Rodney Bolden. For our final episode of the year, Rodne...

Whether they’re maintaining a budget, saving for retirement or preparing for major life events, you want your employees to feel supported in order to succeed. Personalized financial education programs can do just that. Jon Stinson, Executive Director, Morgan Stanley at Work Participant Experience Center of Excellence, explains how to provide your employees with targeted support in the moments that...

Stephanie Glashow, Chief Marketing Officer of Morgan Stanley at Work, has spent countless hours over her career supporting employees through the open enrollment process. Now, she gives us her most important takeaways on how to effectively communicate with your workforce so they can feel confident when making benefits decisions. Together, we explore strategies for clear communication before, during...