TED Business
- Episodes
- 359
- Released
- several times a week
- Latest episode
- Nov 9, 2026
About the podcast
Whatever your business conundrum, there’s a TED Talk for that — whether you want to learn how to land that promotion, set smart goals, undo injustice at work, or unlock the next big innovation. Every Monday, host Modupe Akinola of Columbia Business School presents the most powerful and surprising ideas that illuminate the business world. After the talk, you'll get a mini-lesson from Modupe on how to apply the ideas in your own life — because business evolves every day, and our ideas about it should, too.
Follow Modupe on Instagram at @mnakinola and on LinkedIn at @mnakinola
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Episodes 359
The 60 seconds that make or break a conversation | Chris Fenning
What's your point? Communication expert Chris Fenning reveals how the first 60 seconds can make or break a workplace conversation — and shares a three-step framework to help you get it right. After, Modupe …
Show notes
What's your point? Communication expert Chris Fenning reveals how the first 60 seconds can make or break a workplace conversation — and shares a three-step framework to help you get it right. After, Modupe shares how you can put Chris' ideas into practice.
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How to clean up the world's dirtiest industry | Joojin Kim
Climate strategist Joojin Kim spent years convincing banks across South Korea to stop funding coal, and it worked. Now he's aiming that same playbook at a new target: maritime shipping, a hidden engine of the …
Show notes
Climate strategist Joojin Kim spent years convincing banks across South Korea to stop funding coal, and it worked. Now he's aiming that same playbook at a new target: maritime shipping, a hidden engine of the global economy — and one of the world's dirtiest industries. He breaks down how the whole system converges in one place and why redirecting finance could transform it into a driver of a clean economy worldwide. (This ambitious idea is part of The Audacious Project, TED's initiative to inspire and fund global change.) After, Modupe recaps what you can learn from Joojin's experience.
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Unlocking Your Power at Work: Kara Swisher on how to get what you want | from Fixable
No matter where you fall on the corporate food chain, you have power at work—you just might not know how to use it. In this new series on Unlocking Your Power at Work, Anne and Frances dig into how to discover …
Show notes
No matter where you fall on the corporate food chain, you have power at work—you just might not know how to use it. In this new series on Unlocking Your Power at Work, Anne and Frances dig into how to discover, build, and use your power, explore common power dynamics in the workplace, and learn from people who use their full power with honesty and swagger. Kara Swisher is one of the most influential voices in media and has built a career holding the powerful accountable. In this episode, she reflects with Anne and Frances on her own path to power and what she’s learned from watching some people become corrupted by power while others learn to wield it for good. She also argues that people don’t leave jobs early or often enough, and makes the case for pursuing more than just the opportunities that are offered to you.
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Unlocking Your Power at Work: Why you underestimate your own power with Deborah Gruenfeld
In the modern workplace, hierarchy and power differences are often viewed as problems to solve. But Deborah Gruenfeld has a different perspective: hierarchy is not only essential to organizations, but we …
Show notes
In the modern workplace, hierarchy and power differences are often viewed as problems to solve. But Deborah Gruenfeld has a different perspective: hierarchy is not only essential to organizations, but we actually crave it in our relationships and communities. Deborah is a professor at Stanford University and a social and organizational psychologist who studies power and powerlessness. In this episode, she joins Anne and Frances to demystify how power actually works at work, why people underestimate their own power, and how to use the power you already have more skillfully. She also offers practical tips for playing your own power up or down, and shares what she has learned studying power dynamics in marriages and long-term relationships. Anne and Frances put their own marriage to the test, exploring whether their partnership truly is—or even should be—equal.
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Unlocking Your Power at Work: How to build your financial power with Mrs. Dow Jones
Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy you the freedom to make powerful choices. Haley Sacks, also known as Mrs. Dow Jones, is the host of the podcast Financial Tea and a bestselling author the Wall Street …
Show notes
Money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy you the freedom to make powerful choices. Haley Sacks, also known as Mrs. Dow Jones, is the host of the podcast Financial Tea and a bestselling author the Wall Street Journal calls “the financial guru millennials listen to.” In this episode, Anne and Frances sit down with Haley to discuss the keys to unlocking your financial power at work and in your everyday life. Haley shares some simple steps to start behaving like a Future Rich Person, along with advice for negotiating value from your job when a raise isn’t on the table. Anne and Frances hear from a listener who regrets not taking a higher-paying career path, and together they unpack the many factors—financial and otherwise—that make a job worth your time.
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Unlocking Your Power at Work: How to empower others with Hubert Joly
Throughout the Unlocking Your Power at Work series, Anne and Frances have uncovered practical advice for gaining power, building influence, and unleashing the abilities you already have. But once you make it to …
Show notes
Throughout the Unlocking Your Power at Work series, Anne and Frances have uncovered practical advice for gaining power, building influence, and unleashing the abilities you already have. But once you make it to the top, what do you do with all that power? Hubert Joly is a professor at the Harvard Business School and the former CEO of Best Buy, where he led one of the most celebrated corporate turnarounds of the past decade. In this episode, Anne and Frances sit down with Hubert to dissect his belief that sharing your power and empowering others is the key to strong leadership. Hubert shares the story of how he helped bring Best Buy back from the brink and what he learned from listening to employees on the front lines. He also makes the case for why leadership is more important than ever in a world of AI, and that AI is most powerful when it amplifies “human magic.” Anne and Frances ask Hubert some questions from listeners struggling to share power as leaders, and explore how men and women respond differently to being offered powerful leadership positions.
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Unlocking Your Power at Work: The new rules of power
With great power comes great responsibility… and the chance to reflect on what we’ve learned from people who wield it well. In this episode, Anne and Frances look back on their conversations with Kara Swisher …
Show notes
With great power comes great responsibility… and the chance to reflect on what we’ve learned from people who wield it well. In this episode, Anne and Frances look back on their conversations with Kara Swisher, Deborah Gruenfeld, Mrs. Dow Jones, and Hubert Joly about how power at work really works. They dig deeper into why telling the truth to yourself and others is such a strong power move, revisit Hubert’s “currency converter” framework for understanding how power manifests differently in different people, and celebrate the power of graceful leadership. They also share what they’re doing differently after having these conversations, and return to a message that echoed across the series: you already have more power than you think.
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How the wealth gap is reshaping politics | Xochitl Gonzalez
Wealth inequality gets talked about as an economic problem. Writer Xochitl Gonzalez makes the case that it's a civic one, too — a slow, quiet threat to democracy. Drawing on her research into the psychology of …
Show notes
Wealth inequality gets talked about as an economic problem. Writer Xochitl Gonzalez makes the case that it's a civic one, too — a slow, quiet threat to democracy. Drawing on her research into the psychology of social class, she shows how growing up with (or without) money changes how we experience politics, community and society. After the talk, Modupe shares why she thinks the work place is the prime location to talk about wealth inequality.
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How do the stock market and the economy work? | Oliver Elfenbaum and Richard M. Coffin
How does the stock market work? How do you choose stocks? And what causes an economic recession? In this episode, Modupe shares three TED Ed lessons that answer these questions to help demystify the process and …
Show notes
How does the stock market work? How do you choose stocks? And what causes an economic recession? In this episode, Modupe shares three TED Ed lessons that answer these questions to help demystify the process and help you become more empowered to take control of your finances.
Talks featured
Oliver Elfenbaum | How does the stock market work?
Richard M Coffin | How do investors choose stocks?
Richard M Coffin | What causes an economic recession?
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Your job or your sanity? How to not lose both (w/ Guy Winch) | from How to Be a Better Human
If we accept that work-life balance is a necessity, then why are stress and burnout still increasing? Guy Winch is a psychologist and was the first guest ever on the How to Be a Better Human podcast. Guy …
Show notes
If we accept that work-life balance is a necessity, then why are stress and burnout still increasing? Guy Winch is a psychologist and was the first guest ever on the How to Be a Better Human podcast. Guy returns to the show six years later to share strategies on how to stop indulging in unhealthy rumination, start identifying harmful triggers, and why it’s necessary to change your perspective and view problems as solvable.
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Who controls your city's money? | Trinity Tran
What if your city could borrow money from its own bank instead of private lenders? TED Fellow Trinity Tran is leading the push for public banks — which are owned by the people through their local governments — …
Show notes
What if your city could borrow money from its own bank instead of private lenders? TED Fellow Trinity Tran is leading the push for public banks — which are owned by the people through their local governments — and shows how this model could ensure your local tax dollars stay in your community.
(Following her story, pulled from a short film she made for TED, Trinity joins Lily James Olds, director of the TED Fellows program, to dig more into how a public bank actually works, why it’s an ideal solution to reinvesting funds into local communities, and why local organizing really works.)
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Why countries should measure dreams and ambitions (just like GDP) | Lance Katigbak
What do you want to be when you grow up? It's a universal question — and yet at some point, people stop asking you. Drawing on a nationwide survey across the Philippines, consumer researcher Lance Katigbak …
Show notes
What do you want to be when you grow up? It's a universal question — and yet at some point, people stop asking you. Drawing on a nationwide survey across the Philippines, consumer researcher Lance Katigbak makes the case that countries should keep track of their citizens' ambitions and aspirations. His radical proposal: What if governments didn't just track GDP but also started measuring dreams? After Modupe shares why asking about people's dreams are important.
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Growing Your Career: How to ask for more — and get it | Alex Carter
How do you get what you want out of a negotiation? United Nations negotiation trainer Alex Carter says the best methods center on recruitment, not rivalry. Whether you're asking for a raise or resolving a …
Show notes
How do you get what you want out of a negotiation? United Nations negotiation trainer Alex Carter says the best methods center on recruitment, not rivalry. Whether you're asking for a raise or resolving a family dispute, she offers five simple tips for a successful discussion — starting with one powerful question. After the talk, Modupe shares tips on starting the conversation.
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Growing Your Career: Why the best hire might not have the perfect resume | Regina Hartley
Given the choice between a job candidate with a perfect resume and one who has fought through difficulty, human resources executive Regina Hartley always gives the "Scrapper" a chance. As someone who grew up …
Show notes
Given the choice between a job candidate with a perfect resume and one who has fought through difficulty, human resources executive Regina Hartley always gives the "Scrapper" a chance. As someone who grew up with adversity, Hartley knows that those who flourish in the darkest of spaces are empowered with the grit to persist in an ever-changing workplace. "Choose the underestimated contender, whose secret weapons are passion and purpose," she says. "Hire the Scrapper."
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Growing Your Career: How to speak so that people want to listen | Julian Treasure
Have you ever felt like you're talking, but nobody is listening? Here's Julian Treasure to help. In this useful talk, the sound expert demonstrates the how-to's of powerful speaking -- from some handy vocal …
Show notes
Have you ever felt like you're talking, but nobody is listening? Here's Julian Treasure to help. In this useful talk, the sound expert demonstrates the how-to's of powerful speaking -- from some handy vocal exercises to tips on how to speak with empathy. A talk that might help the world sound more beautiful.
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Growing Your Career: Why we choke under pressure -- and how to avoid it | Sian Leah Beilock
When the pressure is on, why do we sometimes fail to live up to our potential? Cognitive scientist and Barnard College president Sian Leah Beilock reveals what happens in your brain and body when you choke in …
Show notes
When the pressure is on, why do we sometimes fail to live up to our potential? Cognitive scientist and Barnard College president Sian Leah Beilock reveals what happens in your brain and body when you choke in stressful situations, sharing psychological tools that can help you perform at your best when it matters most.
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Growing Your Career: Let your ambition light you up, not burn you out | Tarveen Forrester
Burnout shouldn’t be the price of success, but setting boundaries at work is easier said than done. Tarveen Forrester, who oversees workplace culture at Kickstarter, shares practical strategies for protecting …
Show notes
Burnout shouldn’t be the price of success, but setting boundaries at work is easier said than done. Tarveen Forrester, who oversees workplace culture at Kickstarter, shares practical strategies for protecting your time and cultivating “sustainable ambition,” so you can crush your goals — without letting them crush you. After the talk, Modupe urges you to come up with a library of your own "tried and true" phrases that you can use when you’re feeling stretched.
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The four steps to hearing hard feedback gracefully | Chris Wheatley
We all have a "thing" — the way we act when we're not at our best that we somehow can't see in ourselves. Leadership expert Chris Wheatley learned about his when his best friend at work called him on it. He …
Show notes
We all have a "thing" — the way we act when we're not at our best that we somehow can't see in ourselves. Leadership expert Chris Wheatley learned about his when his best friend at work called him on it. He shares how hearing that hard truth shattered a lifelong pattern of defensiveness, offering a practical framework for receiving feedback with tact. After, Modupe shares why your siblings might be the best source of feedback.
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How to get past the "messy middle" of a big change | Mary Martin
Did progress on your next big project stall out? Transformation expert Mary Martin refers to this moment as the "messy middle" — the frustrating gap between starting and finishing a goal, when you might lose …
Show notes
Did progress on your next big project stall out? Transformation expert Mary Martin refers to this moment as the "messy middle" — the frustrating gap between starting and finishing a goal, when you might lose confidence or give up altogether. Offering three ways to find glimmers of progress when the going gets tough, she explores what to do when you feel stuck. After, Modupe shares why you don't need to go through your messy middle alone.
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Can AI make you a better manager? with Hilary Gridley | from WorkLife with Molly Graham
Managing people is a deeply human line of work—it requires relational skills, judgement, and deep knowledge of the people you work with. But Hilary Gridley believes that when used properly, AI can not only help …
Show notes
Managing people is a deeply human line of work—it requires relational skills, judgement, and deep knowledge of the people you work with. But Hilary Gridley believes that when used properly, AI can not only help you become a better manager, but can help your team make more meaningful use of their human skills. Hilary has spent years leading teams at companies like Whoop, and she’s known for her work helping managers use AI to coach people, give feedback, and develop talent more efficiently. In this episode, Hilary makes the case for why AI belongs in management, and offers practical advice for how to help your team use AI in a way that adds value to their work instead of generating meaningless slop. Hilary and Molly also take a closer look at where many organizations have gone wrong in their adoption of AI tools, and the importance of clarity and communication within a team no matter what technology you have at your disposal.
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The fleeting euphoria of success | Debbie Millman
Over two decades of interviewing countless creative people, Debbie Millman (host of the iconic "Design Matters" podcast) had a realization: the pride and joy of accomplishing something often evaporates almost …
Show notes
Over two decades of interviewing countless creative people, Debbie Millman (host of the iconic "Design Matters" podcast) had a realization: the pride and joy of accomplishing something often evaporates almost instantly. She explains how to stop chasing external validation for your achievements and instead live for the act of creation itself. After, Modupe shares how she finds time to celebrate after the end of every project.
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Finding Purpose: How to find your purpose (w/ Master Fixer Molly Graham) | from Fixable
What is your true purpose—and how do you find it? This month, Anne and Frances are tackling one of life’s biggest questions in search of answers for Fixers of all ages, from fresh graduates charting their first …
Show notes
What is your true purpose—and how do you find it? This month, Anne and Frances are tackling one of life’s biggest questions in search of answers for Fixers of all ages, from fresh graduates charting their first career moves to seasoned executives craving something more. In this episode, Anne sits down with Molly Graham, a former executive at Facebook and the new host of TED’s WorkLife podcast, to explore what it means to pursue meaningful work and stay open to opportunities you never saw coming. They also answer a question from a new graduate about finding your purpose somewhere between work and life.
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Finding Purpose: How to give your work meaning (w/ the New York Times Jodi Kantor) | from Fixable
In uncertain times, purposeful work can feel impractical and out of reach. But award-winning investigative reporter Jodi Kantor argues that meaning is both essential and available to all of us. Anne and Frances …
Show notes
In uncertain times, purposeful work can feel impractical and out of reach. But award-winning investigative reporter Jodi Kantor argues that meaning is both essential and available to all of us. Anne and Frances dive into the lessons from Jodi’s latest book, “How to Start: Discovering Your Life's Work,” and explore practical strategies for anyone looking to chart a more purposeful career. The three also discuss two key principles for finding work that matters and challenge the idea that economic stability and purpose are mutually exclusive.
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Finding Purpose: How to defend your values (w/ Yara Shahidi & Keri Salter) | from Fixable
In a world that won’t stop changing, knowing what matters most can make all the difference. Yara Shahidi and Keri Salter are a mother-daughter duo building a more inclusive and imaginative Hollywood through …
Show notes
In a world that won’t stop changing, knowing what matters most can make all the difference. Yara Shahidi and Keri Salter are a mother-daughter duo building a more inclusive and imaginative Hollywood through their production company, 7th Sun Productions. In this episode, Anne sits down with Yara and Keri at the TED Conference in Vancouver to dig into their “highest order” framework for aligning purpose with priorities. They also reflect on how purpose evolves over a lifetime and explore what today’s changemakers can learn from previous generations.
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Finding Purpose: Why purpose is the answer to uncertainty and anxiety (w/ Arun Gupta) | from Fixable
Work today is a lot less stable than it used to be. Career paths that once seemed predictable are constantly being disrupted and reshaped, leaving many of us feeling unsteady. In this final episode of the …
Show notes
Work today is a lot less stable than it used to be. Career paths that once seemed predictable are constantly being disrupted and reshaped, leaving many of us feeling unsteady. In this final episode of the Finding Purpose series, Anne and Frances are joined by Arun Gupta, CEO of the NobleReach Foundation, who has spent his career helping people find ways to serve causes bigger than themselves. Arun makes the case for why following your purpose can be a powerful antidote to instability and anxiety, and shares practical ways to discover your own purpose. Anne and Frances also reflect on what they’ve learned from guests throughout the series.
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A plan to stop AI from automating our decline | Gina Raimondo
The United States is on track to win the AI race — and hollow itself out in the process, says Gina Raimondo, former Governor of Rhode Island and US Secretary of Commerce. In this unflinching look at the threat …
Show notes
The United States is on track to win the AI race — and hollow itself out in the process, says Gina Raimondo, former Governor of Rhode Island and US Secretary of Commerce. In this unflinching look at the threat of AI-induced economic disruption and social unrest, she offers a concrete blueprint to prepare workers for what’s coming next. "AI is a 100-year technology and needs a 100-year response," she says. Is America up to the challenge? After, Modupe talks about why people shouldn't be punished for taking time to find new ways to work.
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My $60 million science experiment | Mark Rober
Mark Rober spent years trying to land a rover on Mars. Now, the former NASA engineer turned science YouTuber with millions of subscribers is launching a new mission: to teach the next generation of big problem …
Show notes
Mark Rober spent years trying to land a rover on Mars. Now, the former NASA engineer turned science YouTuber with millions of subscribers is launching a new mission: to teach the next generation of big problem solvers. That's why he's spending 60 million dollars to build a STEM curriculum kids actually want. With squirrel obstacle courses, giant lasers and elephant toothpaste explosions, who wouldn't want to learn from YouTube's top engineer? After, Modupe urges you to imagine your favorite teacher—what qualities of theirs made class engaging and made you feel heard? And how can you bring those qualities and characteristics into your work life?
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How to build a career you actually love | Bill Gurley
Passion doesn't drive work — fascination does, says venture capitalist and author Bill Gurley. Drawing on years of research into the lives of high achievers, he shows why obsessive, lifelong learning is the …
Show notes
Passion doesn't drive work — fascination does, says venture capitalist and author Bill Gurley. Drawing on years of research into the lives of high achievers, he shows why obsessive, lifelong learning is the real engine of career excellence. After, Modupe urges you to try something new with a friend.
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What sitting all day does to your brain and body | Keith Diaz | Your Body on Tech
Can a five-minute walk change how you feel all day? Exercise scientist Keith Diaz shows how your body is built for the kind of movement that modern life has quietly erased — and suggests something refreshingly …
Show notes
Can a five-minute walk change how you feel all day? Exercise scientist Keith Diaz shows how your body is built for the kind of movement that modern life has quietly erased — and suggests something refreshingly doable: making time for small doses of movement sprinkled throughout the day, as a way to boost your brain and body. And stick around after his talk for a deep dive conversation with our guest host for the week, author and podcaster Manoush Zomorodi, into the ideas he shared on stage and beyond.
This is episode one of a seven-part series airing this week on TED Talks Daily, where Manoush — and the seven speakers she curated for TED2026 — explore how you can live a healthier life in our high-tech era.
To hear more from Manoush, listen to TED Radio Hour wherever you get your podcasts. Check out her new book, Body Electric, to learn more about the hidden health costs of the digital age.
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Modupe's Top 5 (#1): Why you should talk about your anxiety at work | Adam Whybrew
We can't get rid of anxiety and depression, so we might as well talk about it, says depression truth-teller Adam Whybrew. Sharing his own experience with mental illness, he reveals the surprising benefits of …
Show notes
We can't get rid of anxiety and depression, so we might as well talk about it, says depression truth-teller Adam Whybrew. Sharing his own experience with mental illness, he reveals the surprising benefits of opening up about stress at work — and why being vulnerable creates a safe space for everyone. After the talk, Modupe discusses why we all need to advocate for important causes on an institutional level — and how to start.
(This episode originally aired in 2024.)
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These are the latest 40 of 359 episodes. You’ll find older episodes in the podcast’s feed.
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