Blazing Trails

The innovations of technology and data in sports are massive and they’re driving athletes to maximize their performances in almost unimaginable ways. From wearables to virtual reality, Olympians know best how fine the edge is between a career-defining gold medal performance and slipping micro-seconds behind your competitors into obscurity. Each of the champion athletes in this episode have conquered that razor's edge to success and then gone on to use their platform to do good. Our guests this week - Apolo Ohno, Elana Meyers Taylor, Jessie Diggins, and Mike Schultz - use technology not only to improve their performance, but also to promote positive messages around topics like body image and environmental sustainability. Learn more about the different ways each is leveraging tech as a platform for change on this episode of Blazing Trails.

She went from working in the White House for President George H.W. Bush to traveling the world with Elmo, Big Bird, and the cast of Sesame Street - and Sherrie Rollins Westin says she wouldn't have done it any other way. In this week's episode, Sherrie, the president of Sesame Workshop, the non-profit educational organization behind Sesame Street, joined host Michael Rivo at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit to talk about her unique career path. They discuss the importance of brand and core values, why she believes in mentorship, and what CEOs and business leaders can actually learn from watching Sesame Street. All this up next on Blazing Trails. 

Not many people will admit that they “started their life as a geek,” but today’s guest is more than proud of her STEM-focused beginnings. Joining the podcast is Raj Seshadri, a former Phd. physicist and the current President of Data and Services at Mastercard. Raj shares why she made a career jump from physics to business, and what she loves about the work she does today. She tells us how Mastercard champions the philosophy of “doing good while doing well,” what the company is investing in today to prepare their offices for the workforce of the future, and how they are using data to tease out insights and trends that would have otherwise gone unnoticed. 

“Have at least three mentors in your career. One you work with, one who loves you and a third one who scares the living daylights out of you.” That’s career advice Sarah Friar lives by and credits for her incredible career journey from Wall Street to executive roles at Salesforce, Square and most recently Nextdoor. On the second episode of our five-part, mini-series on the personal journeys of some of the world’s most innovative CEO’s and business leaders, we’ll be speaking with Nextdoor CEO Sarah Friar. She delves into the role of mentorship in a successful career, including how she became a mentee of Marc Benioff, and discusses why she believes slower growth is benefitting Nextdoor. Plus, she and host Michael Rivo touch on the ways that Nextdoor continues to serve communities and address shifting needs to enhance connection, respect, and trust. All this up next on Blazing Trails.

As the news landscape becomes ever more crowded, it takes a straight-shooting, old-school journalist to cut through the din. One like Kara Swisher, who is arguably both the most respected and feared reporter covering tech for decades.Kara, host of both The New York Times Opinion podcast “Sway” and Vox Media’s "Pivot" podcast, discusses the overarching lack of diversity that still exists in tech, why she's not afraid of anyone, and how being famous isn't such a bad thing. All this up next on Blazing Trails. 

Can we really predict the future?Today’s guests make future-planning their business… but they will also be the first to tell you that the future is far from predictable.Peter Schwartz, Mick Costigan, and Niall Ferguson join the podcast to discuss what they call scenario-planning; the process of identifying the most likely outcomes for the future and helping businesses and governments prepare. They reflect on decision-making in the past year, share 2022 trends business leaders should prepare for, and offer advice for individuals who want to apply scenario-planning to their own lives. About the Guests:Peter Schwartz is the Chief Futures Officer and SVP of Strategic Planning at Salesforce.Mick Costigan is the Vice-President of Salesforce Futures.Niall Ferguson is a historian and author. He is a Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, as well as a senior faculty fellow of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard.

A "mix between The Economist and Twitter" -- that was Jim VandeHei’s vision for Axios when he founded the company in 2016. Today, as CEO, he leads his team of several hundred with that principle top of mind. He calls it “Smart Brevity” and in this episode, he joins Sarah Franklin, Salesforce’s President and Chief Marketing Office, to discuss how that mindset has helped the company stand out among consumers, while also creating trust within the company. Tune in to learn how to apply Smart Brevity to your business.

Growing up in India, Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai dreamed of working in Silicon Valley. Now he helms one of its most iconic companies. Sundar led the development of Google’s most important products, including Chrome, Android, and Maps. The understated CEO with an oversized influence on the world is guiding the company into the future of AI development. This week on Blazing Trails, join Monica Langley, Salesforce EVP Global Strategic Affairs, as Sundar shares his passion for technology as an equalizing force to bring products to everyone, his optimism on how tech can help solve climate change and his fun experience with his son using AI to chat with Pluto.

What makes you different makes you stand out. As one of few women at the helm of the finance industry, Stacey Cunningham, President at NYSE, knows this better than most. In today’s episode from the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit, Cunningham shares some of the key moments that have marked her career and made her the leader that she is. She shares advice for how to be thoughtful when communicating with your team, dives into diversity and inclusion in corporate America, and explains why you should always lean into the qualities that make you stand out from your peers. Plus, stay tuned for her take on upcoming investor trends and opportunities, including why she believes most companies should go public.

This week we feature a rerun of one of our favorite episodes from earlier this year. Enjoy!Scott Galloway, professor at NYU Stern, multi-time founder, best-selling author, and host of the Prof G Show, joins the podcast with Karen Mangia, VP of Customer and Market Insights at Salesforce. In this wide-ranging conversation, Scott and Karen share their perspectives on the long-term economic and social effects of the pandemic, the ever-evolving relationship between consumer and brand, and the rapid acceleration of digital. Plus, hear a deep dive with Scott on the death of higher education, company-driven training programs, and what he learned about healthcare while trying to schedule a vasectomy.

‘Doing well by doing good’ is the mission that drives Amanda Brinkman as the Chief Brand Officer at Deluxe and the Host and Creator of the Small Business Revolution series. Her passion for small businesses has evolved over time, and now, six seasons into the show, she has a wealth of knowledge to share. Brinkman believes that consumers want brands that are doing good in the world. Learn how -- through simple digital housekeeping of your brand’s online presence -- a small business can stand to lose or gain a great deal. Plus, Brinkman shares how to build a unique business that not only stands out but leaves a positive impact.

If this past year has taught us anything, it’s that change and transformation is not only inevitable, but it takes shape in a variety of ways: large and small, personal and collective. In this week's episode, we hear from two business leaders who know all about change from two different perspectives and scales.Jen Fisher is the Managing Director and Chief Well-Being Officer at Deloitte, bestselling author of "Work Together Better," and host of the WorkWell Podcast, and Karen Fang is Managing Director and Global Head of Sustainable Finance at Bank of America. Despite their different roles, they bring to the conversation a rich understanding of the power of transformation—from the small ways we thank ourselves every morning to the large ways we allocate capital in a corporation.

When you hear the word ‘entrepreneur’ what kind of person comes to mind? An athlete? An artist? A doctor? A celebrity?How many people imagined a military veteran? Veterans possess a lot of the qualities needed to be successful. They are great at building teams, are focused, and have stamina and integrity. In honor of Veterans Day, we spoke to Taylor Justice, who, after leaving the military in 2007, co-founded Unite Us, a tech start-up, that reached unicorn status this year and is valued at more than $1.6 billion dollars. In today’s episode, Taylor and Michael discuss how the pain points he experienced transitioning from active duty military to the civilian sector inspired him to start his company.After Taylor, we’ll hear from Sam Allen, the Chief Operating Officer of Salesforce.org. He’s a former Marine, and he joins us to talk about Salesforce’s commitment to helping re-skill veterans for the jobs of tomorrow.

How do your coworkers perceive you? How about your boss, or your clients? If these aren’t questions you’ve given much thought, then today’s guest, Kyra Kyles, is here to help. Kyra is the CEO of YR Media and the former Editor in Chief of Ebony Magazine -- she’s spent her career helping establish the brand image of the companies she’s worked for, and simultaneously learning how to establish her own personal brand.How you work, speak, and present yourself are imperative in today’s digital environment. Kyra joined host Ebony Beckwith, Chief Philanthropy Officer at Salesforce, on #BossTalks to share her tips and tricks for establishing yourself at work and online. She explains why you shouldn’t identify yourself by your job, how to incorporate your interests and goals into who you present at work, and why you always need to show up the way you want to be perceived. All that and more on this episode of Blazing Trails.

How are we staying safe, secure, and innovative in the era of digital-everything? The urgent need to democratize technology is creating an equally critical need to ensure we protect technology users.Up next on Blazing Trails, please enjoy this conversation from Dreamforce 2021 featuring U.S. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and European Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton. They discuss the role of policy in helping secure our communications and technology and how they are both striking the careful balance between improving consumer trust in data safety while still implementing new technologies.

As employers continue to navigate the changing landscape of work, many are faced with a myriad of difficult decisions. Should employees return regularly, irregularly, or at all? What digital tools should we invest in and rely on? And how can we build an amazing workplace culture with a partial or fully remote staff?Stewart Butterfield, the CEO and co-founder of Slack, and Jennifer Tejada, the Chairperson and CEO of PagerDuty, joined Fortune Magazine's Michal Lev-Ram for a discussion about managing and leading increasingly digital teams. They share their personal experiences, recommendations for fostering meaningful, remote relationships, and the tools they use every day to stay connected.

Are employee and consumer experiences connected? Mellody Hobson, the Co-CEO and President of Ariel Investments, definitely thinks so.As we continue our coverage of Dreamforce 2021, this week you’ll hear Kristen Bellstrom, the Features Editor at Fortune, and Mellody Hobson discuss the challenges and many benefits of improving customer and employee experiences in tandem.From getting employee buy-in while working remotely, to creating a fulfilling work environment, to aligning processes with company values, Kristen and Mellody uncover how all these aspects of the employee experience ultimately play a major role in what the customer sees and how they feel about your brand.

The question for Black women should never be, “Do I deserve to be in this room?” It should be “Does this room deserve me?”As our Dreamforce 2021 coverage continues, today we feature a conversation with moderator Soledad O'Brian and a panel of powerful women for a conversation on Black Women in Leadership. Soledad, an award-winning journalist and author, is joined by Elaine Welteroth, New York Times bestselling author; San Francisco Mayor London Breed; and Minda Harts, workplace & equity consultant, award winning AuthorThe panel discusses leadership challenges they have each faced, overcoming double standards, and what “Black excellence” means to them. Plus, they explain that to do the right thing, you must be willing to champion change that makes people uncomfortable. All that and more on today’s episode of Blazing Trails.

"Climate change is a life-and-death crisis." That's the message Jane Fonda wants us all to hear in this urgent and important conversation in this week's episode of Blazing Trails. As part of our special Dreamforce 2021 coverage, the Academy Award-winning actor, producer, author, and activist shares how she turned her despair into action and became a champion to save our planet. In a discussion with Douglas McCauley, professor of ocean science at UC Santa Barbara and director of the Benioff Ocean Initiative, Fonda talks about concrete steps we can all take to battle climate change and why protecting our oceans is key. Tune in to the episode for more!

As kids head back to the classroom this fall and the Delta variant's presence in the US increases, what do you need to know as a parent?Our scientifically-minded panel this week includes Dr. Geeta Nayaar, Executive Medical Director and General Manager of Healthcare and Life Sciences at Salesforce; Dr. Carlos del Rio, the Executive Associate Dean at the Emory School of Medicine; and Aneesh Chopra, CO-Founder and President of CareJourney, who was also the first US Chief Technology Officer under President Obama.They outline some of the steps you can take to keep your kids safe from infection and discuss how companies can take the lead in prioritizing the safety of their employees by providing flexibility and developing trust with them.