Power & Impact

In this episode of Power & Impact , I sit down with business leader Nigel Travis, whose career spans some of America's most iconic brands, including Dunkin', Burger King, Jersey Mike's, and others from Blackstone's global portfolio. From his British roots to leading quintessentially American companies, Nigel reflects on how perspective, people, and disciplined execution shape enduring leadership....

In this week's episode of Power & Impact , I sit down with Azeem Azhar, a leading expert on the rapid growth of technology, to explore how acceleration itself is shaping the way we work and make decisions. As AI becomes part of everyday life, its influence now extends well beyond business, reaching into education, family life, and the expectations we place on institutions. Azeem's perspective is s...

In this week's episode of Power & Impact , I sit down with Armando Pantoja, an investor, technologist, and thought leader who has spent his career spotting inflection points before they become obvious. Armando's story is a study in reinvention. He went from playing professional basketball in Puerto Rico to returning to software engineering, and eventually to building businesses at the center of th...

Recorded live at Techonomy 25, this week's episode of Power & Impact brings together two voices thinking deeply about where creativity and leadership are headed: Sergio Lopez Ferrero, CEO of Omnicom Production and a global leader in AI-driven brand storytelling, and Dr. Bobbi Wegner, a Harvard lecturer focused on team health, connection, and performance. Their conversation cuts through the noise a...

In this week's Power & Impact, I sit down with Dr. Gary King, one of Harvard University's most distinguished professors and a leading voice in social science research, for a wide-ranging conversation about learning, leadership, and the power of community. Joined by my co-host and friend Dr. Bobbi Wegner, we explore why relationships sit at the heart of meaningful education and how community fuels...

In this week's Power & Impact , I sit down with the remarkable thinker, Dr. Barbara Oakley, for a deep look at the science of how we learn, adapt, and tap into abilities we never knew we had. Barbara shares her extraordinary path from "hating math" to becoming one of the world's leading engineering educators, Together, we reveal what modern neuroscience now proves: the brain can change, heal, and...

What does it take to lead under the brightest spotlight in the world? In this episode of Power & Impact , I sit down with my friend Sally Susman, who recently wrapped up an extraordinary run as chief corporate affairs officer at Pfizer. Few people have been tested the way Sally was during the COVID years, and even fewer managed to lead with the clarity, steadiness, and optimism she brought to ever...

What would you do if you hit financial independence at 30… and realized the life you built was slowly destroying you? In this week's episode of Power & Impact , Paul Stamoulis and I sat down with Ryan Renteria, a Stanford grad who rocketed through Goldman Sachs, became a rising star in the hedge fund world, and walked away right as he reached the top. His body was failing, his spirit was exhausted...

What can business leaders learn from the mindset of a world-class athlete? In this episode of Power & Impact , I sit down with Austin Ramos, an entrepreneur whose path from All-American long-distance runner at UCLA to private equity leader is filled with lessons on building winning teams.  Austin shares how his years as a competitive athlete shaped his approach to leadership and navigating high-pr...

AI tools are powerful, but misusing them can lead to poor results. How can business leaders avoid "AI slop" and maintain quality as they scale this technology across their organizations? In this episode, I sit down with Andreas Welsch, an AI strategist, educator, and author of The AI Leadership Handbook We talk about why 85% of AI projects fail and what practical steps businesses and individuals c...

Some people chart a course and stick to it. Others let curiosity lead the way. In this week's Power & Impact, I talk with Marc Hodosh, the entrepreneur who revived TEDMED and later co-founded Life Itself with Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Marc's path has been anything but predictable — from medical school to inventing a laundry backpack, building breakthrough tech companies, and creating platforms that bring...

Are we on the brink of the end of traditional surgery? In this episode, I sit down with Bill Peine, Ph. D., VP of Surgical Research & Technology at Medtronic — one of the world's leading innovators in medical technology. Bill and his team are reimagining the future of healthcare at the intersection of robotics, AI, and human ingenuity — where the idea of cutting into patients may soon feel as outd...

What if chasing money isn't the path to happiness — but understanding   why   we chase it is?   In this episode of Power & Impact , I sit down with   Jeff Kreisler , a Princeton-educated lawyer-turned-comedian who is now head of behavioral science at JPMorgan Chase .   From the courtroom to the comedy stage, Jeff has built a career that bridges insight and laughter, showing us that understanding p...

It's not every day you get to revisit a conversation that could change lives — but this one just might. In this week's Power & Impact, I had the privilege of catching up with Dr. Jonathan Sackner-Bernstein , a scientist who's on the frontlines of Parkinson's disease research. In our first talk, we explored his early challenges and the uphill fight to push new ideas forward. This time, he shares th...

In this inspiring conversation, entrepreneur and author Chip Conley shares his journey from founding a boutique hotel chain at age 26 to becoming a transformative mentor at Airbnb. He reflects on the importance of "right-sizing" ego, embracing intergenerational learning, and finding purpose in midlife. Chip introduces the concept of being "useful" rather than "used up," a theme central to his book...

In this thought-provoking episode, Reid Blackman, Ph. D. joins us for a wide-ranging conversation about technology, ethics, education, and the ways rapid change is reshaping everything from Fortune 500 companies to family dinner tables.  Reid reminds us that while AI and social technologies offer incredible opportunities, they also raise difficult questions: Who benefits? Who is left behind? What...

In this episode, I sit down with Howard Stevenson , often called the Father of Entrepreneurship . Over 40+ years at Harvard Business School, Howard reshaped how the world understands entrepreneurship — defining it as "the pursuit of opportunity beyond the resources you currently control." We dive deep into why entrepreneurship is not about taking risk.   Howard's journey shaping the field of entre...

Today, we sit down with Dan Buettner , the explorer, journalist, and longevity expert who introduced the world to Blue Zones — the regions where people consistently live longer, healthier lives. Dan reveals:   The secrets of Blue Zones like Okinawa, Sardinia, Costa Rica, and Greece.   Why beans, whole grains, and plant-based meals are the real longevity foods.   His new book Blue Zones One Pot and...

Can chronic diseases like Alzheimer's, heart disease, diabetes, and even early-stage cancer actually be reversed — not just slowed down? In this inspiring conversation, world-renowned physician and researcher Dr. Dean Ornish shares groundbreaking insights from nearly four decades of scientific studies. From presenting new Alzheimer's research to showing how lifestyle medicine can outperform drugs...

From the early days of Y2K disaster-recovery planning to helping launch Amazon Alexa, this conversation traces the remarkable career of a leader who has shaped how we think about technology, business strategy, and the future of AI. In this episode with tech leader Noelle dives into the energy, angst, and opportunity of today's AI moment. From Y2K war rooms to Alexa's early days, Noelle's journey s...

In this in-depth conversation, we sit down with Dr. Natalie Nixon — globally recognized creativity strategist, keynote speaker, teacher, and author of the award-winning book The Creativity Leap and her upcoming book Move, Think, Rest . With a background that spans fashion, cultural anthropology, global business, and 16 years in academia , Dr. Nixon shares her personal journey of leaving a "dream j...

What does it take to be the true "CEO Whisperer"? In this powerful conversation, Jeff Sonnenfeld — Senior Associate Dean at Yale School of Management, bestselling author, and trusted advisor to Fortune 500 CEOs — shares leadership insights from decades of experience guiding business leaders through crises, transitions, and reinvention. From his early career as a professor at Harvard and Emory to f...

In this powerful and deeply personal episode of   Power and Impact , host   Jim McCann   is joined by the brilliant   Anna Gifty Opoku-Agyeman   — economist, activist, and author of   The Double Tax . What follows is a dynamic and inspiring conversation about gender, race, economics, and purpose. Anna shares her remarkable journey: from being born in Ghana and winning the U.S. visa lottery, to gro...

On this episode of   Power and Impact we sit down with Venk Varadan, co-founder and CEO of Nanowear, to uncover the inspiring journey behind one of the most innovative startups in digital health. From his academic roots in biomedical engineering and chemistry to working on Wall Street. You'll learn how Nanowear's flagship product, Simple Sense, evolved from a concept to an FDA-cleared wearable tha...

Why is burnout not just tolerated—but praised? On today's Power & Impact, I sit down with Dr. Judith Joseph, psychiatrist, researcher, and author of High Functioning, to unpack the hidden costs of high achievement. From the psychological fallout of workplace trauma to the emotional toll of always saying "yes," Dr. Joseph reveals how our drive to perform can mask unhealed wounds. Drawing on years o...