Business Innovators UnPlugged

  In this episode of "Business Innovators UnPlugged," real estate agent and Amalfi Estates owner Anthony Marguleas breaks down why buying a home in Los Angeles feels harder than ever. Marguleas, who lost his Pacific Palisades home in last year’s fires, also discusses who is buying in burn areas, who's staying and what those communities may look like after the rebuild.   Marguleas and BIU host Anna...

Sabina Gault is founder and CEO of Konnect Agency, a full-service communications and marketing firm in Los Angeles. She discusses building her brand, offers tips on crisis communications, and explains how she is rethinking PR for today’s audiences. Those interested in building a creative, high-profile agency will find insight here. How does becoming a billionaire overnight change a person? How is...

Jaime Lee helped turn Koreatown into one of Los Angeles’ most active development hubs. As the former CEO of Jamison, one of the city’s largest private landlords, she led major office-to-residential conversions, including 38 apartment buildings since 2013.   Lee has often been the only Asian woman serving on civic and nonprofit boards of directors. Her volunteer service has included the Board of Ha...

Can fusion provide a clean energy solution to the challenges created by climate change? Joe Paluska, chief marketing officer of Commonwealth Fusion Systems, says it could. He explains how the company’s technology works, why fusion could transform how electricity is produced and what it’s like to work for a startup trying to change how the world powers its infrastructure. How does becoming a billio...

HOK design principal Adaeze Cadet is one of the very few Black female architects shaping skylines in America today. Less than one percent of all licensed architects in the U.S. are Black women. Cadet  opens up about beating the odds, the projects she's most proud of, and how she’s working to inspire the next generation of designers. It’s a conversation about vision, resilience, and what it really...

With most of the world’s electric vehicles produced and sold by China, Ford CEO Jim Farley is blunt about what it will take for American companies to win the EV race. In this episode, Farley details how Ford plans to stay competitive amid industry disruption, the Chinese in-vehicle technology that humbled him, his concerns about the shortage of skilled workers and what the future of driving looks...

Host Anna Magzanyan sits down with Arman Oganesyan, co-founder of Dave’s Hot Chicken. He and a few friends launched the brand with just $900 and a pop-up in a Hollywood parking lot. They sold the business last year for $1 billion and distributed $1 million each to more than a dozen employees. We get into how it all unfolded, how a glowing restaurant review almost derailed everything, and why they...

In this episode of "Business Innovators UnPlugged," NHL Hall of Famer and president of the Los Angeles Kings, Luc Robitaille, joins host President Anna Magzanyan to talk leadership, longevity and building winning cultures. Robitaille shares what opponent he feared the most, his transition from player to executive, and what lies ahead for the Kings post- Anže Kopitar. How does becoming a billionair...

In the premiere episode of Business Innovators UnPlugged, Haider Ackermann shares the story of meeting Tom Ford for the first time, a rare personal moment between two fashion icons. The meeting marked the start of a relationship that led Ford to personally select Ackermann as creative director of Tom Ford. Ackermann sits down with host Anna Magzanyan to discuss his first year at Tom Ford, being na...

LA Times Studios' newest podcast Business Innovators UnPlugged spotlights the people building what's next.  Host Anna Magzanyan sits down with the CEOs from some of America's most recognized companies, as well as leaders of companies you may not know yet - but definitely should.  No buzzwords. No hype. Just real conversations what it actually takes to build and lead.  How does becoming a billionai...