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TED Business

Every Monday, host Modupe Akinola of Columbia Business School presents the most powerful and surprising ideas that illuminate the business world.


Latest episode

  • What successful negotiators do differently | Kathryn Valentine

    11:55|
    Studies show that women negotiate just as frequently as men — so why do they succeed half as often? With wit and humor, business consultant Kathryn Valentine unpacks the gender expectations of workplace negotiations, offering a clear equation for anyone looking to make a successful ask and get what they want. After the talk, Modupe shares what she's doing to help the people in her life practice negotiating more—and how you can do too.

More episodes

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  • Toolkit: Give Better Feedback | from Fixable

    35:25|
    Giving and receiving feedback is an important part of any job or relationship—but it can be tricky to get it right. This season, Anne and Frances are introducing a new segment called Toolkit: a practical guide to ideas, tools, and frameworks that can help you reach your goals at work and beyond. In this episode, they break down the different kinds of workplace feedback and share common pitfalls that can keep you and your colleagues from reaching your full potential. They also offer actionable tips for delivering both praise and critique, along with advice for what to do with criticism that falls short of constructive.
  • How to be a great listener | Maegan Stephens, Nicole Lowenbraun

    15:02|
    Have you ever left a meeting thinking: everyone talked, but nothing was achieved? Chances are that people were listening to each other, just not in the same way. Listening experts Maegan Stephens and Nicole Lowenbraun unpack the four different ways to listen, sharing a practical framework that could change how you respond, build trust and get results — starting with just one simple question. After the talk, Modupe reflects on a powerful tool that goes beyond reading the room.
  • How to introduce yourself — and get hired | Rebecca Okamoto

    12:43|
    First impressions matter, so how do you make yours count? Communication consultant Rebecca Okamoto outlines five simple ways to introduce yourself in 20 words or fewer, setting up any interview or conversation for those three crucial words: "Tell me more." After, Modupe shares her own advice for practicing giving introductions.
  • How to understand money stuff (w/ Matt Levine) | from How to Be a Better Human

    39:16|
    Matt Levine is the author of Bloomberg’s “Money Stuff” newsletter where he writes about Wall Street and finances. Matt joins Chris to break down common money questions such as what exactly is commodity trading? How do AI companies make money? How do companies balance ethics and virtues with increasing profits for shareholders? They also discuss how Matt uses comedy and humor to make complicated money topics accessible.
  • AI is coming for your job. Now what? | Vlad Tenev

    18:50|
    As anxiety grows around what AI means for the future of work, technologist Vlad Tenev delivers a clear-eyed look at what happens when the majority of today's jobs disappear — and why it's not what you think. After Modupe shares how to balance healthy trepidation with our capacity for creativity.
  • The trap of win-lose thinking (and how to escape it) | John Mackey

    13:23|
    What do you get when you combine a major flood and near-bankruptcy? For Whole Foods cofounder John Mackey, the answer reshaped his business into a household name. He takes us back to the night his first store was destroyed, showing how shifting from a win-lose mindset to a "win-win-win" worldview helped him achieve success — and why it can work for you, too. After, Modupe teases what she would add to improve John's "win-win-win" perspective.