Present Value Podcast

From predictive algorithms to machine learning, artificial intelligence is becoming more prevalent in every industry. In this episode, Professor Soumitra Dutta talks about the history of AI and his future predictions on its application worldwide.

The process of starting a business can be a roller-coaster! Co-Founders of Tangle, Will Mitchell and Nate Koweda talk to us about CornellTech, designing a new venture and the future of remote work.

With declining margins and price increases, hospitals need to deliver low-cost care without sacrificing the quality. Dr. Harry Cho explains how he tackles this task with his work at Mt. Sinai and NYU Health.

Entrepreneur, tech exec, and best-selling author - Scott Belsky - discusses how his journey through the crossroads of technology and creativity led him to where he is today: Adobe Chief Product Officer. Scott shares his view on why creativity is the new productivity and how we can challenge ourselves to become more creative, no matter what type of work we are doing. 

NFLPA President and current starting center for the Cleveland Browns, JC TRETTER sat down with us last spring to discuss all things NFL. How do contract negotiations play out? How do you play a contact sport in the midst of a pandemic? How did he get to his position as president of the NFL players association? What was his path from Cornell to the NFL?  After three years at Cornell, JC was drafted in the fourth round by the Green Bay Packers. He played with the Packers from 2013-2016 and then signed with the Cleveland Browns. In March 2020 he was elected by a group of his peers to be the President of the NFL Players Association.

What exactly does the FDIC do? Hear from CFO Bret Edwards about the FDIC’s key responsibilities, the future of banking, and tales from his career – from the 2008 financial crisis, to cryptocurrency trends, to GameStop.

An all-American athlete, a cancer survivor, and a consultant, Chris Bordoni has experienced his share of adversity and reinvention. Now, he works with individuals and groups to help them achieve transformational change through the art of building resilience. In this episode, Chris chats about his background as an athlete, as an undergraduate at Cornell, an MBA from the Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago, and his time at Boston Consulting Group. He and host Greg Wool discuss the difficulty of defining ‘resilience,’ tools to become more resilient, how to overcome hurdles and reinvent ourselves to achieve post-traumatic growth.

In our latest episode, Professor Buckler discusses the inaugural course, cannabis, biology, society, and industry, as well as the historical and current-day context of cannabis. She also discusses her unique journey, from dropping out of high school and touring with a jazz band to teaching viticulture to getting her PhD in Maize genetics.  

What does it take to become a top Professional Athlete? Cornell alum & Professional Squash Player, Danielle Letourneau discusses her training methods, practice routines, and what it’s like living and competing in Egypt on the latest episode! 

Thrust into the spotlight as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson alum Liz Riley has helped Colgate-Palmolive navigate the challenges in changing consumer behavior online. Liz sits down with host Paul Witko to discuss the impact of COVID-19 on eCommerce and shopping behaviors, striking the proper brand tone in uncertain times, and the future of marketing in the “new normal”. Along the way, Liz gives a peek behind the scenes of how Colgate pivoted specific strategies to continue serving its consumers during the pandemic. Liz Riley has over 7 years of experience driving strategic brand growth at Colgate. She holds an MBA from the Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management and a bachelor’s degree in business administration and psychology from SUNY Geneseo.

How does a Film Maker and Screenwriter produce an Audio Drama? How did stars, Aaron Paul and Krysten Ritter record their lines? Executive Producers, Ryan and Aaron explain it all.

Professor Jon Parmenter is an associate professor at Cornell University’s College of Arts and Sciences Department of History, where he specializes in the history of indigenous peoples in the Northeast, particularly that of the Haudenosaunee. In addition to his professorship and research, he has served as a legal and historical consultant to several Haudenosaunee communities and was recognized as an expert in the history and ethnography of the Iroquois by the Ontario Superior Court. In this episode, with host Maria Castex, Parmenter discusses his research on indigenous dispossession and Cornell University’s legacy as a land grant institution. In October of 2020, Parmenter wrote a blog post titled “Flipped Scrip, Flipping the Script: The Morrill Act of 1862, Cornell University, and the Legacy of Nineteenth-Century Indigenous Dispossession.” This episode discusses the Morrill Act and its further implications in detail, along with the degree to which we must confront this history and engage in discourse and the

As a Professor of History and Classics and the Edith M. Bowmar Professor in Humanistic Studies at Cornell University, Barry Strauss is a recognized authority on leadership and the lessons of the great political and military leaders of the ancient world. He has authored eight books on ancient history, painting a fascinating portrayal of momentous events from assassination of Caesar to the Trojan War. His books have been translated into 14 languages, from French to Korean. His book, The Death of Caesar: The Story of History’s Most Famous Assassination, (Simon & Schuster, March 2015) was hailed as “engrossing, exhaustive yet surprisingly easy to read” by Barron’s. With host Greg Wool, Barry discusses his approach towards bringing historical figures to life and navigating the balance between providing historical fact and entertainment through his books. Along the way, Barry clears up popular misconceptions in historical events, such as the assassination of Caesar, and provides clarity to lesser-known battles th

Professor Suzanne Shu specializes in the areas of behavioral economics and decision research. She focuses primarily on consumer self-control problems, consumption timing issues, and financial decision making during retirement. Professor Shu and host Paul Witko discuss foundational concepts in behavioral economics, looking at choice architecture and the idea of “nudges”. She also shares research around personal health decisions and sticking to a fitness goal. Lastly, Professor Shu goes into detail about how to think about decumulation of assets in retirement and why it’s so important. Suzanne Shu is the John S. Dyson Professor of Marketing at Cornell University’s Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management. Professor Shu received a B.S. and Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Cornell University, and then went on to receive both her MBA and Ph.D. in Behavioral Science from the University of Chicago. She is an NBER Faculty Research Fellow, holds a joint faculty appointment at the UCLA Medical S

As the Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer of the National Basketball Association, Mark Tatum has been influential in guiding and growing the league’s business expansion, including the spearheading of its international efforts. Mark sits down with host Paul Witko to discuss the NBA’s “bubble” plan to restart the season amidst a global pandemic and the league’s proactive commitment to social justice. Mark also comments on the league’s partnership with its stars, the impact of international expansion, and technological evolution surrounding the league and fan engagement. Along the way, Mark shares some insights from his early career in business and what attracted him to a career in sports. Mark Tatum graduated with a B.S. in Business Management from Cornell University in 1991 and received an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1998. Prior to joining the NBA, Mark had an accomplished career in sales and marketing across several Fortune 500 companies and Major League Baseball. He was named to Forbes

Chris Fenton has leveraged his experience in film production across Hollywood and China to share his lessons with America’s top diplomats, executives, and policy makers. He and host Greg Wool relive his story on becoming a producer, navigating China’s complex requirements for international films, and his hopes for the future of this delicate relationship between the world’s two strongest powers. Along the way, Chris explains what a producer does and how they make the difficult decisions of which films to produce. Focusing on China’s relationship with Hollywood and the impact it may have in the future, he also shares his views on the impact of factors outside of Hollywood’s control, such as the NBA. Finally, they look at how the major events of 2020 (COVID-19 & the U.S. Presidential election) have further complexified this already difficult situation. Chris Fenton is a Hollywood executive and author of the new book, “Feeding the Dragon: Inside the Trillion Dollar Dilemma Facing Hollywood, the NBA & American

Lourdes Casanova discusses the rise of Chinese multinational companies and the growth of the Chinese economy in a discussion with Present Value host Ghady Arida. The conversation starts off with a discussion about strategic mergers and acquisitions conducted by Chinese companies after the financial crisis of 2008. This M&A activity allowed Chinese companies to expand internationally, acquire knowledge, and improve their industries. She also discusses the challenges, such as brand recognition, faced by Chinese multinationals and the efforts these companies are undertaking to overcome them. Lourdes Casanova is the Gail and Roberto Cañizares Director of the Emerging Markets Institute and a senior lecturer at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management. She specializes in international business with a focus on emerging market multinationals. She was a Fulbright scholar and earned her Master’s degree from the University of Southern California and her PhD from the University of Barcelona. She is a m

Erica Dawson discusses the benefits of practicing and developing negotiation skills, common strategies and tactics, and the ethics of lying during a negotiation. As Director of the Cornell Engineering Leadership Program, Professor Dawson reflects on how negotiations and leadership overlap as well as the difference between a leader and a manager. An avid skydiver, the conversation ends with Dawson’s thoughts on courage. Erica Dawson is the Nancy and Bob Selander Director of Leadership Programs at Cornell’s College of Engineering. Before this, she was the Director of the U.S.-Israel Center on Innovating and Economic Sustainability, and she trained through the Coaches’ Training Institute’s curriculum for co-active coaching and co-active leadership. She also designed the program on organizational and executive ethics at the Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values at MIT. Professor Dawson is an expert in negotiation and conflict management, and consults worldwide for organizations ranging from large

Vanessa Bohns has focused her research on social influence and the psychology of compliance and consent. In particular, she examines the extent to which people recognize the influence they have over others. She and host Greg Wool discuss influence in the workplace, including a deep dive into the reasons managers often underestimate the power they have over their directs, as well as the subtle complications relating to workplace romance. She also shares research involving "voluntary searches” conducted by police, and why people are often bad predictors of how they will react in tense situations. Finally, they look at organizational design and behaviors that managers and organizations can encourage to facilitate the best performance by their employees. Vanessa Bohns is an associate professor in the Department of Organizational Behavior at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations. She received her Ph.D. in Social Psychology from Columbia University and her AB in Psychology from Brown Unive

In this episode, Michelle Duguid discusses the effects of diversity on group performance, its relationship to status, power, and influence, and the importance of sponsorship and allyship within organizations. Newly appointed Dean of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging for the College of Business, Duguid also reflects on what those three words really mean and how they inform her vision for change. Michelle Duguid is the Associate Dean of Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging and an Associate Professor of Management and Organizations at the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management at Cornell University. Dean Duguid received her MS and PhD in organizational behavior from Cornell and her primary area of research investigates the interplay of social status, power, politics, influence, and diversity in organizations.  She also does research which examines individual and group processes that affect creativity and decision-making. Dean Duguid serves on the editorial board of several publications and her