Welcome to the Arena from ICR – Conversations with Today's Innovators & Business Leaders (ICR)
Explore every episode of Welcome to the Arena from ICR – Conversations with Today's Innovators & Business Leaders
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| 01 May 2024 | Kevin McLaughlin, Co-Founder & CCO, and Mary Ellen Coyne, CEO, J. McLaughlin – Dressed for Success: Designing a brand's future with customer-centric simplicity (re-broadcast) | 00:37:56 | |
The sign of a strong apparel brand isn't always about covering every billboard. It's about longevity, steady growth, and speaking the customer's language. And today's two guests certainly know how to do that. On this episode, we're sitting down with Kevin McLaughlin, Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer of J. McLaughlin, and Mary Ellen Coyne, the company's CEO. Kevin started J.McLaughlin in 1977 with his brother, Jay. They envisioned a timeless lifestyle brand with a legacy of style and a spirit of connection. And they did just that, opening their first shop on 74th Street and Third Avenue in Manhattan. It immediately became the post-brunch destination for the Ivy league, JG Mellon crowd. Kevin's taste and design-sense has guided the J.McLaughlin collection since the first store opened, and he prides himself on creating effortless and enduring styles with a modern twist. Each style is thoughtfully designed with impeccable craftsmanship, original colors and prints and innovative fabrics. Mary Ellen Coyne is the CEO of J. McLaughlin, and joined the brand in 2016. She oversees all aspects of strategy and operations, including merchandising, product development, marketing, retail expansion, and e-commerce. Under her leadership, the brand has launched new product verticals, including swim and footwear, enjoyed robust retail expansion, and recently launched a brand refresh. Prior to joining the company, Mary Ellen had two decades of leadership experience at Ralph Lauren, where she most recently served as the Chief Merchandising Officer of Polo Women and Children's Division. Her career kicked off in the Macy’s Training Program, and from there, she sharpened her industry expertise with key merchandising roles at Ann Taylor, The Gap, and Victoria’s Secret. J.McLaughlin now has over 170 beautiful stores on the most charming streets in America and true to the McLaughlin brothers' vision, each store is entirely unique.
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| 14 Feb 2024 | Christine Schindler, Co-founder & CEO, PathSpot – A Clean Sweep: Revolutionizing health and safety in hospitality | 00:24:21 | |
In an industry booming with customer-focused innovations, it's crucial not to overlook the backbone of an enterprise. Today's guest created a groundbreaking technology that prioritizes health and safety for both customers and in-house staff, that is a critical asset for hospitality businesses as a whole. We're sitting down with Christine Schindler, who is CEO and co-founder of PathSpot, a technology company dedicated to protecting businesses and their customers from the threat of food borne illnesses and outbreaks. An engineer and entrepreneur who is passionate about utilizing technology to overcome gaps in healthcare, Christine invented PathSpot's hand scanner in 2017, following a transformative educational trip to Mount Kilimanjaro. The scanner instantly detects carriers of harmful contamination commonly spread through poor handwashing. PathSpot has now broadened its safety suite to include a comprehensive range of back-of-the-house digital health and safety tools that track temperature, expiration, and more. Christine has a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering and Global Health from Duke University. Prior to founding PathSpot, she assisted with biomedical research for Engineering World Health at Mount Kilimanjaro, and spent two years on the innovation and M&A team at Cigna. In addition to PathSpot, Christine is Founder and CEO at Girls Engineering Change, a non-profit focused on increasing female representation in STEM. She was also featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2021 and Hospitality Technology's Top Women in Restaurant Technology in 2023. Highlights:
Links: Christine Schindler on LinkedIn Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 07 Feb 2024 | Anton Nicholas, Managing Partner, ICR – Revving up Consumer Relationships: How Blue Engine Merges Creativity and Strategy in PR Communications | 00:24:31 | |
Today, there are countless platforms to reach consumers, but utilizing too many outlets can also fragment a brand's image. Our guest on this episode specializes in strategic brand exposure, providing clients with guidance to target consumers, and maintain a united market presence. We're sitting down with Anton Nicholas, Managing Partner at ICR. Anton just celebrated his 12th anniversary at ICR, and he runs the corporate PR team for all of Consumer, from retail to apparel to food to restaurants to CPG. It's a big practice within ICR, but we've also added a new brand: Blue Engine, an ICR offshoot creative consumer communications agency, and Anton is also taking care of that. We'll dive into Anton's career and his work with Blue Engine, but not before settling an important debate about snack foods... Highlights:
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 28 Jun 2023 | Dr. Marc Hedrick, President & CEO, Plus Therapeutics - The Plus Side: Making groundbreaking developments in cancer research | 00:28:41 | |
Millions of Americans with medical conditions spend years waiting for breakthrough treatments. Today's guest is making extraordinary advances in cancer treatment to significantly improve outcomes. Today we're sitting down with Dr. Marc Hedrick, President and CEO at Plus Therapeutics whose stock trades under the symbol PSTV. Previously, Dr. Hedrick served in a number of executive leadership roles, including President, CEO and Director of Cytori Therapeutics, and President and CEO of STEM Source. He's a trained general vascular and plastic surgeon, and former Associate Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics at UCLA. He also served as co-Director of the Laboratory of Regenerative Bioengineering and Repair at UCLA. Dr. Hedrick received his MD from University of Texas Southwestern Medical School Dallas, and an MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA in 2005. We talked about his company's incredible new technology that is revolutionizing how some cancers can be treated. Highlights:
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 19 Jun 2024 | Syed “Raj” Imteaz, Partner, Head of Convertible and Equity Derivatives, ICR – Inflation Insulation: Navigating complex capital markets with advisory expertise | 00:18:51 | |
In the current macro environment with growing inflation and financial uncertainty, it's no wonder companies are actively seeking alternative solutions to safeguard their businesses. But today's guest is more than just an alternative; he's a game-changer for his clients, helping them maximize their financial outcomes. Today we're sitting down with Raj Imteaz, who serves as the Head of ICR Capital's Convertible and Equity Derivatives Advisory Team, where he focuses on complex capital markets transactions across all industry verticals. Raj advises boards and management teams on structuring and executing convertible debt transactions, convertible preferred and mandatory offerings, structured share repurchases, cap calls and call spreads, hedging and monetization strategies, and warrant management solutions. Raj joined ICR Capital from Matthew South, where he was the Head of Technology origination, advising clients on multiple convertible and equity derivatives transactions. Previously, Raj spent 15 years at Barclays, where he was a Managing Director in the equity-linked and hybrid solutions team and led the origination efforts across several sectors. During his career, Raj has advised on and executed more than 200 convertible and equity derivative transactions, totaling over a hundred billion dollars of deal value. Highlights:
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| 10 Aug 2022 | Jim Barr, CEO at Nautilus — Don't Sweat It: The home fitness trend is here to stay | 00:29:09 | |
Summary: While gyms were closed, and most of the population was stuck at home during the pandemic, the home exercise equipment category saw a huge boom in sales. With this came increased consumer appetite for connectivity and consolidation of their fitness experience across all the products in their home gyms.
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If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, elizabeth@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 23 Nov 2022 | Dana Telsey, CEO and CRO at Telsey Advisory Group – Tales of Retail: Telling the story of the consumer universe | 00:30:20 | |
Summary: Case in point is today's guest, long-time friend of ICR, Dana Telsey. Dana is the CEO and Chief Research Officer of Telsey Advisory Group, which was founded in 2006. The firm has grown to be a leading equity research trade execution, investment banking and consulting firm focused on the consumer space. During her 35-year career, Dana has followed over a hundred companies. From 1994 to 2006, she was Senior Managing Director covering the retail sector at Bear Stearns. Prior to that, she was a retail analyst at CJ Lawrence and was a V.P. of the Baron Asset Fund at Baron Capital. In 2015, she also formed Telsey Consumer Fund Management, an asset management firm investing in consumer oriented companies. Dana's received countless awards and accolades during her career. This year, Dana was named for the third time as one of Barron's Hundred Most Influential Women in US Finance, and she was named for a second time as one of Rethink Retail's Top 100 Retail Influencers. And maybe most impressive is that she was a member of Institutional Investor Magazine's All America Research Team for 13 years, from 1992 to 2005. Dana is a regular on CNN and CNBC, she's a fountain of energy and knowledge, and on today's episode we had a great conversation about her career, the fascinating story of retail, and what's to come. Highlights:
Links: Telsey Advisory Group LinkedIn Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 12 Mar 2025 | Kevin Duffy, CEO, iFIT – The Perfect Fit: How technology is ending one-size-fits-all fitness | 00:28:49 | |
Summary:
Personalization has reshaped nearly every industry, turning one-size-fits-all solutions into tailored experiences. Think self-serve kiosks in fast food or streaming algorithms curating content just for you—consumers now expect products to adapt to them, not the other way around. In the health and fitness space, where no two people share the same habits, goals, or motivations, personalization is crucial to progress. So why hasn’t mass personalization taken hold in the space? Because it takes more than just offering choices—it requires an approach that adapts in real time and integrates seamlessly into people’s lives. Today’s guest is leading this shift, using cutting-edge innovation to make personalized health and fitness more accessible than ever.
Today, we're sitting down with Kevin Duffy, CEO of iFIT, the global leader in connected fitness. Kevin is a seasoned executive with experience leading both private equity-backed and public consumer-branded technology companies.
Some of Kevin's core strengths include steering organizations through transformative organic growth, completing integrated accretive acquisitions, and delivering superior investor returns. Kevin holds a Bachelor of Economics from Princeton University and an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business.
In this episode, Kevin unpacks how iFIT is revolutionizing connected fitness by making mass personalization a reality. He discusses the technology driving adaptive workout experiences, the role of data in shaping individualized fitness journeys, and why the future of health and wellness hinges on meeting people where they are.
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Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 05 Mar 2025 | Rahul Mewawalla, President & CEO, Mawson Infrastructure Group – Full Charge: Developing the energy and infrastructure to power the future of AI | 00:30:13 | |
Summary:
The rapid rise of AI is transforming industries at an unprecedented pace, creating both challenges and opportunities for innovation. With technology this powerful, pure progress is not enough. We have a responsibility to be intentional about about how we build it, power it, and use it, to ensure it drives positive outcomes and a more sustainable future.
Today, we're sitting down with Rahul Mewawalla, the President and CEO of Mawson Infrastructure Group, a rapidly evolving digital infrastructure services company that trades on NASDAQ under the symbol MIGI.
Rahul has been a CEO for over a decade, leading numerous technology companies, including household names like Yahoo, Nokia, and General Electric. Rahul has served on the boards of six NASDAQ-listed companies, two of which he chaired. He led San Francisco's Innovation and Technology Program in collaboration with the White House and the Executive Office of the President, served as a Special Government Employee with the U.S. Department of Defense, and was an advisor to Stanford University's Persuasive Technology Lab. Rahul has had a front-row seat to four major technology waves—the internet, mobile, cloud, and AI—giving him tremendous perspective on today’s rapidly evolving landscape
In this episode, Rahul explores how companies are joining forces to address AI’s soaring energy demands—and what it means for the future of digital infrastructure. He delves into the evolving partnership between technology firms and energy providers, the growing role of nuclear and carbon-neutral power in sustaining AI’s expansion, and why cross-industry collaboration is essential for long-term success. Highlights:
Links: Mawson Infrastructure on LinkedIn
Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 08 Jun 2022 | Kyle Kostesich, Executive Creative Director at ICR — ICR Industry Reports: Branding + Creative Practice | 00:20:11 | |
Summary: Your brand is your promise. It's how you signal to stakeholders who you are and what you stand for. With so much on the line, it's no wonder that a messy brand can have a huge impact on your business.
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If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, elizabeth@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 06 Sep 2023 | Len Liptak, Co-Founder & CEO, ProSomnus Sleep Technologies – Silent Nights: Trailblazing with life-changing sleep tech | 00:30:27 | |
Sleep apnea affects a billion people worldwide and can cause serious medical problems, and yet its most widely prescribed therapy can be intolerable for many sufferers. My guest today has identified and jumped on a huge need for an alternative therapy. We're sitting down with Len Liptak, founder and CEO of ProSomnus Sleep Technology, which trades under the symbol O S A. He's a board member and the co-inventor of the company's flagship product. Prior to starting ProSomnus, Len was President of MicroDental Laboratories, where he led the commercialization of multiple award-winning products and directed the expansion of the company's digital supply chain. During Len's tenure, the company grew three times faster than the industry average and set company records for profitability. At MicroDental, Len was named to Exec Rank's list of Top Executives for privately held companies in 2012 and 2013. Len also spent 10 years at 3M and Stryker in strategic business development, business unit management and product development capacities. While at 3M, he was awarded the company's Golden Step Award, Circle of Technical Excellence Team Award and Global Sales and Marketing Leadership Award. Len has an MBA from University of Minnesota and a BA from Brown. We had a great conversation about the important work ProSomnus is doing to solve a widespread medical problem. Highlights:
ProSomnus Sleep Technologies on LinkedIn ProSomnus Sleep Technologies Website
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| 15 Sep 2021 | Don Duffy, ICR — SPACs: the ongoing evolution of Special Purpose Acquisition Companies | 00:37:37 | |
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If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, andrew@lowerstreet.co | |||
| 10 Jul 2024 | Seth Spergel, Managing Partner, Merlin Ventures – More Than Money: Standing out in Venture Capital by investing in relationships | 00:31:00 | |
Venture Capital is all about the cash — but in a crowded field, money is a commodity. To truly stand out, you have to go above and beyond for your portfolio companies. Today's guest has set themselves apart by providing exceptional support. We're sitting down with Seth Spergel, who is a managing partner of Merlin Ventures, where he's responsible for identifying cutting-edge companies for Merlin to partner with and invest in. Seth has more than 20 years of experience building, selling, and investing in software and startups. Prior to Merlin Ventures, Seth was VP for Infrastructure Technologies at In-Q-Tel, a strategic investment firm that invests in startups that meet the mission needs of government customers. There he led a team of technology experts to evaluate companies and identify novel uses of their technology within the In-Q-Tel customer set. Before In-Q-Tel, Seth was the VP of engineering for ThinkGeek, an online seller and manufacturer of geeky toys and clothing. He also spent 12 years at IBM in roles ranging from software developer to sales manager. Highlights:
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 21 Aug 2024 | Lyndon Park, Managing Partner, Global ESG Advisory & Shareholder Activism, ICR – Boardroom Balancing Act: Governance, ESG, and Shareholder Power | 00:32:57 | |
Navigating the intricate landscape of ESG and shareholder activism requires a deep understanding of both market dynamics and investor expectations. That's why expert guidance is indispensable for companies looking to build lasting value and trust with their stakeholders.
Before joining ICR, Lyndon was Head of Global Corporate Governance at Dimensional Fund Advisors, where he oversaw the firm's global stewardship and ESG initiatives. Prior to Dimensional, Lynden was a partner and Head of Governance and Listing Standards at EQX, a capital market startup. He began his career in governance at BlackRock by supporting BlackRock's board of directors on intercompany governance matters before serving as one of BlackRock Investment Stewardship teams' lead governance analysts, overseeing portfolio companies representing about 450 billion of BlackRock's AUM. Lyndon is a recognized thought leader in ESG and shareholder activism, frequently participates on panels, and his perspectives have been published or quoted in numerous leading media outlets like the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times. Highlights:
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If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 19 Jan 2022 | Steve Glenn, CEO of Plant Prefab — Building Better Businesses: Efficient and eco-conscious construction | 00:31:18 | |
Summary:
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, andrew@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 28 Aug 2024 | Larry Connor, Managing Partner, The Connor Group (Part 1 of 2) – Daring to Be Different: Disrupting industries through radical strategies | 00:23:00 | |
Hiring top talent is a proven game plan for any business, but there’s untapped power in taking risks—especially on professionals with unconventional, strategic backgrounds that keep your company fresh and forward-thinking. Today’s guest is no stranger to risks of any kind. He took that leap with his company, and it's been thriving for over 30 years. And he continues to take extraordinary leaps today — both inside and outside of the business world. Today we're sitting down with Larry Connor, an entrepreneur, nonprofit activist investor, and adventurist. In business, he's best known for founding the Connor Group, a real estate investment firm that has grown its assets from zero to $5 billion over a 30-plus-year period. The company operates luxury apartment communities in 18 markets and has earned national accolades as a top workplace. Connor has been featured in Forbes and USA Today, among other national publications. During the stress and uncertainty of COVID-19, Larry made $1.6 million on stock market investments, but instead of building his own wealth, he distributed all the money to his frontline associates in the form of bonuses. He also organized a small business loan program that helped Ohio-based entrepreneurs survive the economic downturn. Larry is also a philanthropist. And the Connor Group's success has been critical to those efforts. It helped fund Connor Group Kids and Community Partners, which has devoted $175 million to nonprofit causes, including the Greater Dayton School, Ohio's first private non-religious school for under-resourced students, which Larry founded in 2022. Kids and Community Partners will devote over $800 million to nonprofit initiatives over the next decade. In 2022, Connor piloted AX 1, the first private mission to the International Space Station. That mission came on the heels of his research work 36,000 feet under the ocean in the Mariana Trench, making him the first human being to reach the deepest part of the ocean and space within a year. Larry followed that feat by leading a team of four U.S. Air Force pararescue specialists in a 38,139-foot leap from a hot air balloon setting a Guinness World Record for the highest halo formation skydive. Connor has also won multiple titles as a professional racecar driver. He is an accomplished pilot, rated in both helicopters and fixed wing aircraft, with extensive hours piloting a fighter jet and competing in national and aerobatic competitions. As you can tell there's a LOT to cover with someone like Larry, so we're making this interview a two-parter. Be sure to check out next week's episode to get his full, amazing story. Highlights:
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| 02 Oct 2024 | Jared Isaacman, Founder, Shift4 and Draken International, Part 1 of 2 – Shooting For The Stars: Going beyond limits for lasting impact (re-broadcast) | 00:26:48 | |
A few weeks ago, Jared Isaacman became the first civilian in history to carry out a spacewalk during a mission aboard the SpaceX spacecraft. We decided to celebrate that by revisiting our two-part interview with him from earlier this year. Look for part two next week. In business, there's success, and there's potential. Success is an achievement, but true greatness lies in tapping into untapped possibilities. Today's guest has harnessed their business's potential to make a lasting impact on a global scale. On this episode, we're featuring an interview recorded in January at ICR's annual conference in Orlando. It's a fireside chat hosted by Morgan Brennan, who was kind enough to step in to ask all the pressing questions. Morgan is co-anchor of CNBC's 4P.M. show Closing Bell Overtime. Over the last 10 years, she has held various on-air roles with CNBC and was previously co-anchor of Squawk on the Street and Squawk Alley. We're thrilled to feature her as our host today. Morgan sat down with Jared Isaacman. Jared is an entrepreneur, a business leader, an accomplished pilot, AND he's also an astronaut. He's the founder of both Shift4 and Draken International. Under his leadership as CEO, Shift4 has consistently pushed boundaries, developing cutting-edge payment technologies that empower businesses across countless sectors. Draken International is an aerospace defense company that provides tactical aviation services for all branches of the US military. In 2021, he made history by commanding Inspiration4, the world's first all-civilian mission to orbit. And later this year, he's going to return to space as commander of the Polaris Dawn mission, which is a partnership with SpaceX. Highlights:
Links: Draken International on LinkedIn Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 20 Apr 2022 | Brian Kelsey, Voice Actor and Host of Ten Minutes With — Take it from a Talk Show Host : Building a brand from the bottom up | 00:26:55 | |
Summary: Before there was Apple, or Amazon, or Disney, or Google, there was a person with an idea, who was willing to put in the work to see that idea come to life. Across industries, there are common lessons to be learned from the stories of the entrepreneurial-minded people who have built successful brands from the bottom up.
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If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, elizabeth@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 20 Nov 2024 | Frantz Saintellemy, CEO, LeddarTech – Paving the Way: Revolutionizing automotive safety through unified, scalable software | 00:28:26 | |
Summary:
Every industry has its trailblazers, but true innovation goes beyond just patents and profits. Today’s guest understands that collaboration and flexibility aren’t just ideals—they’re essential to creating safer, smarter technologies that drive progress across an entire ecosystem.
Frantz Saintellemy is the CEO of LeddarTech, an automotive ADAS and autonomous driving software company, trading under the symbol LDTC. As an engineer, innovator, and internationally recognized expert in advanced technology, Frantz brings over 25 years of experience in the electronics and automotive sectors.
Frantz is the co-founder of Groupe 3737, an incubator and innovation hub, and previously served as VP and General Manager of the Automotive and Industrial Division at Integrated Device Technology. His remarkable career includes roles as President and Executive VP of Global Sales and Marketing at ZMDI AG, a global supplier of automotive and industrial sensor solutions, and as CTO and Corporate VP of Technical Marketing and Advanced Engineering at Future Electronics.
A graduate of the MIT Sloan Engineering Fellows Program on Innovations and Global Leadership with a degree in electrical engineering from Northeastern and an MBA from McGill, Frantz's expertise has a firm academic foundation. And, in 2021, he was appointed Chancellor of the University of Montreal, underscoring his commitment to both innovation and education.
In this episode, we explore LeddarTech’s approach to innovation and IP, how LeddarTech’s technology is differentiated, and what the future of autonomous driving looks like for all of us.
Highlights:
Links: Frantz Saintellemy on LinkedIn
Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 20 Mar 2024 | David Bandele, CFO, Hexagon Composites – Energizing the Industry: Fueling growth by tapping into a sustainable future and a vast market | 00:32:47 | |
There are some extraordinary opportunities for companies with the vision and commitment to get behind the energy transition, and today's guest works with one of them. We're sitting down with David Bandele, who has served as the CFO of Hexagon Composites since 2014. The company is headquartered in Norway and trades under the symbol H E X . O L. Their business is focused on carbon-negative, zero-emission energy solutions supported by world-class manufacturing and digitization. Before joining Hexagon, David held several senior positions in the field of finance and controlling with the Acre Group of Companies, GE Healthcare, and Amersham PLC. He holds a Bachelor of Economics from the University of Sheffield and is an ICAEW Chartered Accountant. Highlights:
Links: Hexagon Composites on LinkedIn Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 14 Jun 2023 | David Katz, Founder & CSO, and Robert Jacks, President and CEO, Sparrow Pharmaceuticals – Pioneering Relief: A prescription for changing lives and healthcare | 00:29:10 | |
Sometimes abstract thinking that can lead to real breakthroughs. The knowledge and innovative thinking of today's guests led to an life-changing solution to an ongoing 75-year puzzle. Today we sit down with David Katz and Robert Jacks; Chief Scientific Officer, and President & CEO, of Sparrow Pharmaceuticals, respectively. Sparrow has come up with a groundbreaking way to help patients who need steroid treatments. Robert was previously President & CEO of Indalo Therapeutics, a clinical-stage biotech company developing therapeutics for serious fibrotic diseases, and President, CFO, and Co-Founder of Symbiomix Therapeutics, which was sold after achieving NDA approval for Solosec®. Robert began his career in finance and product development at Pfizer, where he last worked as the Director of Business Development for Oncology and Infectious Diseases.
Links: Sparrow Pharmaceuticals on LinkedIn Sparrow Pharmaceuticals Website Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 15 Nov 2023 | Ed Garden, Founder, Garden Investments (Part 2 of 2) – Boardroom Brilliance: Investing in the Future | 00:26:14 | |
It's a huge treat to get the behind-the-scenes stories of the crucial transitions and incredible growth of some of the most iconic companies in the world. And that's why our guest today needed a two-part episode. Last week we shared the first half of my conversation with Ed Garden, Founder of Trian Fund Management and most recently, Garden Investments. Ed was Chief Investment Officer at Trian until May of 2023, and oversaw the company's portfolio management, idea generation, and due diligence activities. He presently serves as a senior advisor. Ed has extensive experience engaging with public company management teams and boards and currently serves on the board of General Electric. He previously served on the boards of Bank of New York Mellon, Family Dollar Stores, Invesco Janice Henderson Group, Pentair, The Wendy's Company and Triarc Companies earlier in his career. Ed worked at Credit Suisse First Boston as an investment banker and BT Alex Brown, where he was co-head of Equity Capital Markets. Ed has a BA in Economics from Harvard. In Part One of our interview, Ed told us how he broke into the investment world, and also shared Trian's origin story. In Part Two, we dive into Garden Investments, as well as Ed's work on various boards, including how he overcame some major challenges at General Electric. Highlights:
Links: Trian Fund Management on LinkedIn Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 08 Jan 2025 | Julie Masino, President & CEO, Cracker Barrel – Leveraging Legacy: Fusing tradition with transformation to drive growth | 00:32:06 | |
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If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 10 Nov 2021 | Eric Yunag, Convergint — Connecting the Dots: Making your technology work together | 00:33:33 | |
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If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, ross@lowerstreet.co | |||
| 13 Dec 2023 | Michael Browning, Founder & CEO, Unleashed Brands – Business Jungle Gym: Scaling up with brands that help kids learn, play, and grow | 00:30:35 | |
At a time when parents are fighting a losing battle against screen-time for their kids, real world, active and educational experiences are a huge draw. Today's guest is passionate about these kinds of opportunities for kids, and has built an amazing business to fill that need. We're sitting down with Michael Browning, Founder and CEO of Unleashed Brands, a platform company that houses the world's best franchise brands to help kids learn, play, and grow. Michael launched Unleashed Brands in 2011 after noticing a void in the market for parents looking for trusted resources for kids' activities. The company's growing portfolio currently includes Urban Air Adventure Park, Snapology, The Little Gym, Premier Martial Arts, XP League, and Class 101. In 2011, Michael launched Urban Air Adventure Park, the world's preeminent family indoor adventure park, which has since served over 20 million kids annually and generated over half a billion dollars of system-wide revenue. A young entrepreneur, Michael was named a rising star by the Dallas Business Journal in their annual 40 under 40 list in 2021. Having spent years as an entrepreneur, he leads the team with true insight into the challenges that new businesses face as he doggedly pushes the team to look for new ways to overcome obstacles and break down barriers to achieving success. Highlights:
Links: Michael O. Browning Jr. on LinkedIn Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 06 Nov 2024 | Roshan Pujari, Founder & CEO, Stardust Power – Powering Progress: Refining lithium production with sustainable practices and American innovation | 00:24:44 | |
Summary:
There's a growing call for clean energy solutions in America, and our guest today is ready to answer it. With an unpredictable geopolitical landscape and US lithium demands projected to skyrocket over 500% by 2030, now is the time for American innovation in the outdated lithium refinement industry. Today’s guest is leading this charge, modernizing an industry long overdue for and upgrade with a commitment to environmental responsibility and smarter, sustainable practices.
Roshan Pujari is the founder and CEO of Stardust Power, a sustainability-focused, American developer of battery grade lithium resources, which lists on the NASDAQ stock exchange under the symbol SDST. Currently, the company is focused on building 'the U.S.’s largest battery-grade lithium refinery' in Muskogee, Oklahoma, which is expected to process up to 50,000 metric tons of lithium annually (enough to power almost five million electric vehicle (EV) batteries every year).
Previously serving as founder and CEO of VIKASA Capital, Roshan brought over 20 years of experience in market analysis with him to Stardust. He is a recognized investor and philanthropist, and is chairman of the Pujari foundation, a 501(c)(3) educational organization promoting arts, culture, education, and community around the globe.
In this episode, Roshan discusses the strategic advantages of the location chosen for their Oklahoma refinery, and outlines the sustainable practices, including the use of recycled wastewater from oil and gas production, at the core of Stardust's business model.
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Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 12 Oct 2022 | Joe Ennen, CEO at SunOpta – Milking the Market: Sustainable food products and the plant-based milk revolution | 00:26:53 | |
Summary A growing number of food companies are investing in sustainable product development, but only a handful are really getting it right. Joining me to talk about doing sustainability successfully is Joe Ennen. Joe is CEO and a director at SunOpta, which trades under the symbol S T K L. The company sources, processes, and produces organic, natural, and non-GMO plant and fruit-based food and beverage products. SunOpta sells to retail customers, food service distributors, branded food companies, and food manufacturers. They have 14 processing facilities, mainly in North America. Joe has over three decades of experience as a food industry leader. Prior to his current role, he was Group Vice President of Innovation at PepsiCo, and served as CEO at Columbus Foods, and CEO of Columbus Manufacturing. Joe has an undergraduate degree in Finance and Marketing from University of Minnesota, and an MBA from University of Michigan.
Highlights:
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, elizabeth@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 30 Oct 2024 | Christine Schindler, Co-founder & CEO, PathSpot – A Clean Sweep: Revolutionizing health and safety in hospitality (re-broadcast) | 00:25:31 | |
Summary:
On October 22, the CDC reported that an outbreak of E. coli infections was connected to McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers, leading to recalls of their quarter pound beef patties and fresh slivered onions from supplier Taylor Farms in several states. This outbreak has spotlighted the importance of food safety for restaurants and food services companies and has reminded us of an interview from earlier this year with food safety expert, and CEO & Founder of PathSpot, Christine Schindler. This is a timely episode and, whether you caught it when it originally aired or are listening now for the first time, one you won’t want to miss.
In an industry booming with customer-focused innovations, it's crucial not to overlook the backbone of an enterprise. Today's guest created a groundbreaking technology that prioritizes health and safety for both customers and in-house staff and is a critical asset for hospitality businesses as a whole. We're sitting down with Christine Schindler, who is CEO and co-founder of PathSpot, a technology company dedicated to protecting businesses and their customers from the threat of food borne illnesses and outbreaks. An engineer and entrepreneur who is passionate about utilizing technology to overcome gaps in healthcare, Christine invented PathSpot's hand scanner in 2017, following a transformative educational trip to Mount Kilimanjaro. The scanner instantly detects carriers of harmful contamination commonly spread through poor handwashing. PathSpot has now broadened its safety suite to include a comprehensive range of back-of-the-house digital health and safety tools that track temperature, expiration, and more. Christine has a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering and Global Health from Duke University. Prior to founding PathSpot, she assisted with biomedical research for Engineering World Health at Mount Kilimanjaro and spent two years on the innovation and M&A team at Cigna. In addition to PathSpot, Christine is Founder and CEO at Girls Engineering Change, a non-profit focused on increasing female representation in STEM. She was also featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 in 2021 and Hospitality Technology's Top Women in Restaurant Technology in 2023.
Highlights:
· Christine's background in healthcare and public health (4:30) · Christine describes the entrepreneurial influence that motivated her (5:30) · The a-ha moment for PathSpot's hand scanner technology (6:20) · How the hand scanner technology works (8:12) · How PathSpot found and targeted their audience (9:22) · Brands that PathSpot works with (10:24) · Christine describes PathSpot's safety suite of services and data platform (11:30) · The pandemic's impact on PathSpot's newly founded business (13:01) · PathSpot's economic model (14:29) · How PathSpot uses their data bank as an ROI feature for businesses (15:36) · Christine explains the data PathSpot technology detects, and how businesses can utilize it (17:17) · How PathSpot maintains legal regulation and brand compliance (20:07) · PathSpot's areas of focus for the new year (21:23) · Christine's perspective on the society's mindset on health and safety conditions, post-COVID (22:03) · PathSpot's goals and trajectory over the next 10 years (23:13)
Links: Christine Schindler on LinkedIn
Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co.
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| 27 Jul 2022 | Dave Prokupek, CEO at Ideal Image — The Beauty Business is Booming: The rapid rise of the aesthetics industry | 00:22:50 | |
Summary: The 'Fountain of Youth' was first mentioned in the writings of Herodotus in the 5th century BC. The world may have changed a lot since the Ancient Greeks, but our desire to look better, look younger, has not. Fast forward to today, Tiktok "beauty hacks" and YouTube videos promising to help us "look younger in seconds" flood the internet. The human obsession with youth and beauty has been alive and well for thousands of years, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that the aesthetics category is giant, and continuing to grow.
Links:
If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, elizabeth@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 12 Feb 2025 | Jeff "Trip" Tripician, CEO, Meatable – A Shared Plate: Shaping a sustainable future for the meat industry through partnership | 00:31:58 | |
Summary:
In some industries, new players try to shake things up by breaking them down. But in sectors like food, where traditions run deep and habits are hard to change, collaboration can be a far more palatable strategy and can be leveraged to create scalable, sustainable solutions. Today's guest is doing just that, using decades of industry expertise to partner with key players, tackle global challenges, and redefine what’s possible for the future of food.
Jeff "Trip" Tripician is the CEO of Meatable, a Dutch biotech company dedicated to the development of cultivated meat products. Trip is an industry veteran with more than 25 years of experience in the organic and natural meat industry in the U.S.
He most recently served as CEO of Grass Fed Foods and, prior to that, as President of Perdue Premium Meat Company. Trip also brings extensive experience across the U.S. meat market with deep expertise in the U.S. supply chain, marketing of sustainable meat products, fundraising, and M&A. In fact, at Grass Fed Foods, Trip orchestrated a successful merger between Teton Waters Ranch and SunFed Ranch, which positioned the company as the foremost regeneratively focused grass-fed beef platform in the U.S.
In this episode, Trip shares how his background in the traditional meat industry shaped his work at Meatable. We dive into the cultivated meat-making process and the nuances of producing different cuts and types of meat. Trip also discusses the challenges the industry is facing, from scaling production and licensing to food security and navigating regulatory hurdles.
Highlights:
Links:
Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 22 Jun 2022 | Nino Ciappina, CEO at PARTS iD — Standing Apart: Finding success through differentiation | 00:29:53 | |
Summary:
Highlights:
Links:
If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, elizabeth@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 18 May 2022 | Farah Soi, Partner at ICR — ICR Industry Reports: Consumer, Retail & Digital Commerce | 00:18:42 | |
Summary: This week is the first in a new mini-series profiling some of ICR's leading industry experts: ICR Industry Report. Alongside our usual content, this series will feature observations and analysis of what ICR's leaders are seeing in the market, and what trends they anticipate are coming up next in their verticals. These bite-size segments will be jam-packed with useful information to help you better understand the fields you're playing in.
Links:
If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, elizabeth@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 08 Mar 2023 | Matthew Doctor, President & CEO at Regis Corporation – A Cut Above: Rebuilding a business model, and transitioning from corporate to franchise | 00:27:45 | |
As a public company, moving into a fully franchised model isn't always easy. There are lots of challenges and misconceptions, but today's guest has come through all of that with flying colors. Matthew Doctor is President, CEO, and a Board Member of Regis Corporation, which trades under the symbol R G S. Regis is the beauty industry's global leader in salons and cosmetology education, with more than 5,500 locations worldwide operating under concepts such as Supercuts®, SmartStyle® and First Choice Haircutters® to name a few. Matt joined Regis in February of 2021, as Chief Strategy Officer, before becoming President in 2022. Previously, Matt was a partner and chief financial officer for Kava Restaurants, a Tim Horton's franchisee. Prior to Kava, he held several roles at Restaurant Brands International, owner of the Burger King, Tim Horton's and Popeye's Brands. There, he was head of Global Development and franchisee performance of Burger King, he led M and A in Asia for Burger King, and led development efforts for Tim Horton's. Matt started his career as an investment banker for JP Morgan in New York. On this week's episode, we sat down to talk about Matt's franchise career, and his incredible work with Regis during a really tricky period.
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 07 Sep 2022 | John Mancini, Partner at Mayer Brown — Investing in your IP Strategy : The importance of protecting your intellectual property | 00:28:58 | |
Summary: In today's knowledge-based economy, your intellectual property is your competitive advantage and it needs to be protected.
Links:
If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, elizabeth@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 09 Apr 2025 | Sender Shamiss, Co-founder and CEO, ReturnPro – All Sales Are Final: Why returns cost retailers billions, and how one company aims to change that | 00:25:24 | |
When we experience buyers remorse about an item, what do we do? We return it. Either in store, or through the mail. But what happens to those products after we send them back? Surely they're repackaged and restocked, right? In a lot of cases, no. Many vendors aren't equipped to process those returns, and they can end up being sold in bulk at a loss, or worse, dumped in a landfill. Sender Shamiss has made it his mission to prevent that from happening. He's the co-founder and CEO of ReturnPro, a global reverse logistics platform that works with the world's largest retailers and vendors to solve the significant problem of merchandise returns. Today, we discuss the complexity of restocking returned items, the prevalence of fraud in merchandise returns, and how ReturnPro leverages innovative tech solutions to lessen that nearly 900-billion-dollar burden on the retail industry.
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 24 Jul 2024 | Doug Sanders, Chairman & CEO, Heritage Grocers Group – Market Roots: Embracing diversity and unique consumer needs to expand authentically | 00:25:29 | |
For industry dominators, success rarely hinges on a 'one-size-fits-all' approach. Instead, they master their market by focusing on specific demographics and creating tailored strategies unique to needs and preferences. Today's guest has used this method to craft customized solutions in his unique market. Today, we're sitting down with Doug Sanders, Heritage Grocers Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. Doug's extensive career in the grocery industry spans 38 years across multiple and wide-ranging sectors including supermarket retail, wholesale food distribution, retail technology solutions, natural and organic foods, in addition to Hispanic and ethnic-focused specialty formats. Over the past 20 years, Doug has held the role of chairman and CEO for multiple private equity-owned grocery companies, including Sprouts Farmers Market, Cardenas Markets, and Heritage Grocers Group. In 2011, he led the sale of Sprouts Farmers Market to Apollo Global Management, followed by two successful acquisitions and an initial public offering In 2013. In 2022, Doug spearheaded the sale of Cardenas Markets from KKR to Apollo joining Cardenas Markets and Tony's Fresh Market under the parent company Heritage Grocers Group. Highlights:
Links: Heritage Grocers Group on LinkedIn Heritage Grocers Group Website Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 08 Nov 2023 | Ed Garden, Founder, Garden Investments (Part 1 of 2) – Sowing Seeds of Growth: Cultivating Success through Strategic Activist Investing | 00:32:32 | |
Today we're celebrating a big milestone for the show: It's our 100th episode of Welcome to the Arena and we're marking that huge achievement with a 2-part interview with an influential player in the investment world. Our guest today has had an incredible career and our conversation was packed with inspiring stories and insightful advice. We're sitting down for part one of our interview with Ed Garden, Founder and CEO of Garden Investments. Prior to starting Garden Investments, Ed founded Trian Fund Management in 2005 with Nelson Peltz and Peter May. He was Chief Investment Officer at Trian until May of 2023, and presently serves as a senior advisor. As Chief Investment Officer, Ed oversaw Trian's portfolio management, idea generation, and due diligence activities. He has extensive experience engaging with public company management teams and boards and currently serves on the board of General Electric. He previously served on the boards of Bank of New York Mellon, Family Dollar Stores, Invesco Janice Henderson Group, Pentair, The Wendy's Company and Triarc Companies earlier in his career. Ed worked at Credit Suisse First Boston as an investment banker and BT Alex Brown, where he was co-head of Equity Capital Markets. Ed has a BA in Economics from Harvard. Highlights:
Links: Trian Fund Management on LinkedIn Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 06 Mar 2024 | Jared Isaacman, Founder, Shift4 and Draken International, Part 1 of 2 – Shooting For The Stars: Going beyond limits for lasting impact | 00:26:46 | |
In business, there's success, and there's potential. Success is nice, but true greatness lies in tapping into unseen possibilities. Today's guest has harnessed their business's potential to make a lasting impact on a global scale. On this episode, we're featuring part one of a two-part interview recorded in January at ICR's annual conference in Orlando. It's a fireside chat hosted by Morgan Brennan, who was kind enough to step in to ask all the pressing questions. Morgan is co-anchor of CNBC's Closing Bell Overtime. Over the last 10 years, she has held various on-air roles with CNBC and was previously co-anchor of Squawk on the Street and Squawk Alley. We're thrilled to feature her as our host today. Morgan sat down with Jared Isaacman. Jared is an entrepreneur, a business leader, an accomplished pilot, and he's also an astronaut. He's the founder of both Shift4 and Draken International. Under his leadership as CEO, Shift4 has consistently pushed boundaries, developing cutting-edge payment technologies that empower businesses across countless sectors. Draken International is an aerospace defense company that provides tactical aviation services for all branches of the US military. In 2021, he made history by commanding Inspiration4, the world's first all-civilian mission to orbit. And later this year, he's going to return to space as commander of the Polaris Dawn mission, which is a partnership with SpaceX. Be sure to check out next week's episode for the second half of this fascinating interview. Highlights:
Links: Draken International on LinkedIn Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 10 Apr 2024 | Morgan Brennan, Co-Anchor, CNBC's Closing Bell: Overtime – Lights, Camera, Ascend: A behind-the-scenes look at scaling the media industry's fast-paced climb | 00:31:04 | |
When it comes to climbing the ladder in any industry, being willing to try new things and seize opportunities is your fastest track to growth. Our guest today has built her impressive career and carved out her place in the industry by doing just that. Today we're sitting down with Morgan Brennan, who Co-anchors CNBC's Closing Bell Overtime, which broadcasts live from CNBC's global headquarters in Inglewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Previously, she was co-anchor of the 10 a.m. hour on CNBC's Squawk on the Street. and Co-anchor of CNBC's Squawk Alley. Morgan joined the network in December 2013, as a general assignment reporter and continues to cover a variety of sectors including manufacturing, defense, and space among others. She's also the host of the CNBC podcast, Manifest Space. Prior to joining CNBC, Morgan was a staff writer and reporter for Forbes Media where she reported for Forbes Magazine, Forbes Life magazine, and Forbes. com. She began her career at Forbes in 2009, holding several positions, including anchor reporter and producer for the Forbes video network, covering a wide variety of business and finance topics. Morgan has interviewed billionaires, and heads of state, thought leaders, and chief executives of multi-billion dollar corporations. Her profile story on Equity Group Investments' Chairman, Sam Zell was one of five magazine covers featured on the 2013 Forbes 400 issue. She's also a board member of the nonprofit, City Year New York. Morgan graduated summa cum laude from New York University, majoring in Social Science with a double concentration in Anthropology and Media Studies. Highlights:
Links: Manifest Space with Morgan Brennan Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 03 Apr 2024 | Jake Karls, Co-Founder & Rainmaker, Mid-Day Squares – Bittersweet Victory: Showcasing challenges and successes in the entrepreneurial journey | 00:33:13 | |
Introducing a new product into the extremely competitive snack market is not for the faint of heart. To succeed, you need more than a unique product; you need energy, creativity, and a bold approach. Today’s guest has all that in spades. We're sitting down with Jake Karls, who is the first to admit that he's a different kind of business leader, unapologetically authentic, refreshingly relatable, and completely free of bullshit. Jake is the Co-Founder and Chief Rainmaker of Mid-Day Squares, the good-for-you chocolate brand that turned a kitchen table dream into a global household name. Mid-Day Squares is leading the disruption of an extremely competitive vertical with a winning team, innovative marketing and a fearless spirit. Jake is recognized as a rising star in the business world, was a finalist for Ian Wise Entrepreneur of the Year Award, was named to Forbes’ 30 under 30 List for food and beverage, and has featured as a regular contributor to media outlets across North America. Jake has also nicknamed the ICR conference The House of Capital, and we love him for that. He’s officially a “FOICR” which stands for Friend of ICR. Highlights:
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 14 Dec 2022 | Todd Lachman, President and CEO at Sovos Brands – Secret Sauce: Disrupting the food aisle with premium brands | 00:29:27 | |
Summary: Being a disruptor in business can be as uncomplicated as putting out high quality products, in a small-but-mighty category. And that's what today's guest has done, with incredible success. On this episode we're talking to Todd Lachman, the founder, President and CEO of Sovos Brands.
Outside of his extensive professional experience, Todd's an active board member with Big Brothers and Big Sisters in the Bay Area, and he's a super active guy who's into skiing, cycling and hiking with his family and two dogs. I managed to tear him away from his busy life for a conversation about how he built Sovos Brands into the huge success it is today, and what made him start the company in the first place.
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If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 21 Jun 2023 | John Dowd, CEO of GoGreen Investments, and Chris Showalter, CEO of Life Zone Metals - Digging Deep: Unearthing the future of sustainable mining | 00:24:37 | |
When it comes to legacy industries, it's all too common for business processes to become embedded and stagnant, but with growing technological and environmental transformation across markets, there may be no choice but to change. Today's guests are teaming up to promote a technology that could drive that change with the potential to disrupt the mining industry. Today we're talking with John Dowd, CEO of GoGreen Investments and Chris Showalter, CEO of Life Zone Metals. GoGreen is a special-purpose acquisition company combining with Life Zone Holdings Limited in a go-public transaction set to list on the New York Stock Exchange in July under the symbol LZM. John has over 30 years of energy and commodity investing experience and has received six Lipper Awards for best risk-adjusted performance in in the energy sector. Previously, he researched energy companies for 11 years as a sell-side analyst. Needless to say, John has a deep understanding of what resonates with investors. Chris is the CEO of Lifezone Metals. He brings a corporate finance and merchant banking background to the Lifezone team and has extensive experience across Africa. In addition to capital markets and fundraising, Chris brings strong expertise, originating sourcing, and developing relationships across the continent. He held the role of director and partner at the Merchant Bank, Hanneman Partners in Zimbabwe, where he focused on African mining sector. Over six years in Zimbabwe he has developed specific, he has developed specific expertise in the platinum sector and advised a number of platinum mining companies prior to that. He spent nine years at Goldman Sachs where he held various roles in equity capital markets where where also ex, while also exploring opportunities for Goldman across Southern Africa.
Links: GoGreen Investments on LinkedIn Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 31 May 2023 | Robert Irvine, World Class Chef & Entrepreneur – The Recipe for Success: Cooking up a second chance, and turning setbacks into comebacks | 00:28:02 | |
Making mistakes is a natural part of building every business, but leaving problems unresolved for too long can be costly. Today's guest is teaching business owners that huge success can come out of grand failures - if you’re paying attention. Today we're sitting down with Robert Irvine, a world-class chef and host of Food Network's hit show 'Restaurant: Impossible', where he takes two days and under $20,000 to transform failing restaurants and give their owners a second chance. Robert's also an entrepreneur, a Royal Navy veteran, and a tireless supporter of the military. In addition to his restaurants, he's the owner of 'Fit Crunch', makers of protein bars and snacks; Robert Irvine Foods, which makes restaurant-quality, prepared meals available in grocery stores and for food service applications; and Boardroom Spirits, makers of Irvine's Vodka and Irvine's American Dry Gin. Robert is also the author of five books, the latest of which is called 'Overcoming Impossible'. Highlights:
Links: Robert's TV Show 'Restaurant: Impossible' Buy Robert's Book 'Overcoming Impossible' Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 30 Nov 2021 | Katherine Fogertey, CFO at Shake Shack — Grabbing a Byte : Innovation, digitalization and experience in the new age fast-food industry | 00:29:39 | |
Highlights:
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, ross@lowerstreet.co | |||
| 11 May 2022 | Conor Flynn, CEO at Kimco Realty — Realty Reality, Post Pandemic: Responsible REITs are more than just landlords | 00:33:29 | |
Summary: Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) can be pretty misunderstood as investment opportunities, particularly amongst younger investors. Their slow-and-steady pace and relative lack of volatility can lead investors looking for quicker action to focus on other asset classes. However, REITs have historically produced long-term capital appreciation and high, consistent dividend income at relatively low risk. For growth-oriented investors, they should be worth consideration. Conor Flynn is the CEO of Kimco Realty, and my guest on this episode of Welcome to the Arena. Kimco is a real estate investment trust listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol KIM. It's America's largest publicly traded owner and operator of open air, grocery-anchored shopping centers and mixed-use assets with approximately 540 properties and more than 93 million square feet of gross leasable space. In this episode, I speak with Conor about the strategic choices that have positioned Kimco with their highest credit rating and strongest balance sheet to date, and what action they took to support their tenants during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Links:
If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, elizabeth@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 28 Feb 2024 | Amol Dhargalkar, Managing Partner and Chairman of the Board, Chatham Financial – Risky Business: How to strategically mitigate and manage market volatility | 00:33:44 | |
Mitigating risk has never been more challenging, but today's guest leans on smart data technology, a great relationship with his clients, and over 20 years of working with his very successful firm. We’re excited to sit down today with Amol Dharkalkar, who is Managing Partner and Chairman of the Board of Chatham Financial. He is the Global Head of Chatham's corporate sector and brings over 20 years of experience in derivatives capital markets expertise to the treasury and accounting functions that support client strategies and operations. Amol created the corporate sector at Chatham in 2010. He’s advised some of the largest corporations in the world in the development, execution, and ongoing management of hedging programs across interest rates, currency, and commodities. Amol has also advised both public and private companies across all industries, including real estate, private equity, telecom, technology, industrials, and healthcare, just to name a few. Amol graduated from Penn State University with a Bachelor's degree in both chemical engineering and economics and received his MBA from Wharton at U Penn, where he was a Palmer Scholar. Highlights:
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 11 Dec 2024 | Arik Kaufman, Co-Founder & CEO, Steakholder Foods – Meat the Future: Leading Innovation in Plant-based Meat for a Sustainable Tomorrow | 00:28:00 | |
Summary: With a rising global population and growing urgency around sustainability, one industry under the spotlight is cultured meat. Vegan and plant-based products have made strides in recent years, but today’s guest is pushing that progress further—pioneering new ways to create sustainable alternatives without compromise.
Links:
If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 18 Dec 2024 | Michael Saylor, Executive Chairman, MicroStrategy – The Bitcoin Buy-in: Embracing a New Paradigm of Digital Capital | 00:46:06 | |
Summary: With a new, crypto-friendly administration incoming, 2025 may be the year we see Bitcoin integrate more fully into mainstream finance in America and globally. Though volatile, and with an uncertain future that will heavily depend on how macroeconomic conditions and regulatory policies play out across the year, there's reason to believe that Bitcoin could soon be more prominent than ever. Today's guest is here to tell us why.
Links: Book: The Bitcoin Standard by Saifedean Ammous
If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 26 Mar 2025 | Mike Aiello, CEO and Managing Partner, Centri Business Consulting – You Can't Unring That Bell: How one firm helps companies get IPO-ready | 00:28:32 | |
Putting together an IPO is no easy feat. Just getting your finances in order can be a herculean effort. Add in the laundry list of compliance requirements, and it simply becomes too much for most firms to handle on their own. That's especially true for young companies in emerging industries like biotech or AI, where corporate governance may have taken a backseat to product development. Enter, Mike Aiello. He's the CEO and managing partner at Centri Business Consulting, one of the country's fastest growing accounting and advisory firms. Mike founded Centri in 2011 with a focus on capital markets, transactions and emerging growth organizations. It has since grown from its Philadelphia, mid-Atlantic roots to eight offices nationwide, with around 250 staff providing support to more than a thousand companies. Mike walks us through the massive undertaking that is IPO preparation, and how Centri guides their clients through that process. He also shares his thoughts on the current state of IPOs and SPACs, and explains why he feels optimistic for the future of capital markets.
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 02 Apr 2025 | Doug Perlman, Founder and CEO, Sports Media Advisors – Cutting The Cord: Negotiating sports media rights in a post-cable world | 00:28:52 | |
Major sporting events used to be clustered among a handful of TV channels. Now following your favourite team might require subscriptions to a whole litany of cable and streaming services. Which is to say nothing of all the licensed content you'll find spread out across social media platforms. In such a complex media ecosystem, how do organizations even begin to think about licensing their media assets? And how do they calculate their worth? Doug Perlman is the founder and CEO of Sports Media Advisors. SMA advises sports properties on their media strategies and rights negotiations. Doug has negotiated tens of billions of dollars in rights fees for some of the largest sports properties in the world, including the NFL, NASCAR, US Soccer, and the Ryder Cup, among others. Doug joins us today to discuss recent trends like the rise of streaming, the popularization of sports betting, and the emergence of AI, and all the unique challenges and opportunities they present for different leagues and organizations. Highlights:
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 03 Jul 2024 | Matthew Tucker, Head of Tock – Data-Driven Dining: Optimizing the guest experience by reshaping reservations (re-broadcast) | 00:27:10 | |
In the effort to recover from the impact of the pandemic, the hospitality industry has had a surge of innovation, ideas, and new technologies. And while the boost has been essential to getting the industry back on its feet, it has also intensified the competition. Today's guest is setting their company apart with a consumer-focused approach. We're sitting down with Matt Tucker, who is the head of Tock, a technology driven hospitality business owned by Squarespace, and trading under the symbol SQSP. Matt oversees commercial success and growth of the Tock business, which includes a reservation system, table management, carry-out operations and events for operators across 33 countries. Matt came to Squarespace after nearly two decades of experience building teams and operating companies of all sizes and has a strong background in hospitality tech and the startup world. Most recently, Matt served as President and COO of Olo, the leading provider of SaaS solutions to the chain restaurant industry, serving almost 90,000 locations. He spent nearly nine years there, taking the company from 10 people and one product to a public company with over 700 team members, six core products and nearly 200 million in revenue. Prior to Olo, Matt was on the founding team of LendingTree and was also the founder of Rely Software. He has an MBA from Georgetown and a BA in Political Science from the University of Michigan. Highlights:
Links: Feedback: | |||
| 11 Jan 2023 | Molly Langenstein, President and CEO at Chico's FAS – Know Thy Customer: Building brands and revitalizing sales in the retail fashion industry | 00:27:48 | |
Summary: Molly is a 30-year retail industry veteran with a proven track record of building multiple successful brands, and revitalizing sales and profitability in the retail fashion industry. Prior to Chico's, Molly held multiple roles at Macy's, including General Business Manager for Ready to Wear, Private Brands Officer of Macy's in Bloomingdale's, and Executive Vice President of private brands for Men's and Children's wear. I sat down with Molly to talk about the unique strategy at Chico's and her amazing career in the retail industry, that in some ways, started when she was just a kid. Highlights:
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| 05 Jul 2023 | Cyrus Vance, Partner, Baker McKenzie - The Prosecutor's Dilemma: Navigating tough decision-making in the legal sector | 00:30:00 | |
A great thinker once said "what is right is not always popular and what is popular is not always right." Our guest on this episode has built his legacy on difficult, but hugely influential decision-making. We're joined by Cyrus Vance Jr., best known for serving as New York County's top law enforcement officer for 12 years. As Manhattan District Attorney, he oversaw everything from white-collar fraud to cybercrime, human-trafficking, and even cold-case homicides. He's now a partner at global law firm, Baker Mackenzie, where he wears three hats, sitting in its litigation and government enforcement and global investigations and compliance groups, all while serving as Global Chair of the Cybersecurity Practice. After graduating from Yale University and earning his JD from Georgetown Law Center, Cy entered his first stint in public service as an Assistant District Attorney in the office that he was later elected to lead. His career has taken him everywhere from Africa to the Pacific Northwest, and we're very fortunate to have him as a guest. Highlights:
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 10 Jan 2024 | Maital Rasmussen, Chief Commercial Officer at Octave – Harmony in the Healthcare Ecosystem: Creating a collaborative platform to drive treatment innovations | 00:30:44 | |
Providing effective healthcare isn't just about the right treatment, it's a field with many branches, and strong relationships and communication channels are just as essential to providing patients with the care they need. Today's guest has developed a platform to bridge those gaps and facilitate collaboration. Today we're sitting down with Maital Rasmussen, who has over 20 years experience as a global commercial executive and strategic advisor. In her role as chief commercial officer at Octave, Maytel is responsible for leading and bringing the first in market precision care solution in neurodegenerative diseases to patients, physicians, pharmas and payers. She is a leader in the global commercialization of digital health and precision medicine solutions and has extensive experience in growth and value creation of patient centric, data-driven health tech products across multiple disease areas, including oncology, neurology, diabetes, infectious diseases, and more. Maital previously served as Global Head of Marketing at Roche during her tenure there, she defined Roche's personalized healthcare strategy and successfully launched digital solutions globally, positioning the company as a world leader in health technology. Some of her other positions included Director of Strategic and Product Marketing at Oracle Healthcare and Precision Medicine, Vice President of Global Marketing at JPMorgan Chase, and Founder and CEO of Rasmussen Communications. Maital draws on deep insights, fresh thinking, and relationships. She turns great ideas into action and delivers results driven programs without losing sight of the big picture, as so many often do. Highlights:
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 22 Jan 2025 | Mohammed Alardhi, Executive Chairman, Investcorp — Scaling New Heights: Empowering Teams to Achieve Global Success | 00:37:23 | |
Summary:
In business, leadership isn’t just about taking charge — it’s about enabling others to thrive. As companies grow and stakes rise, fostering trust and collaboration becomes essential. Today’s guest has embraced a leadership style rooted in empowerment, driving innovation, and turning ambitious visions into tangible success.
Today we're sitting down with Mohammed Alardhi, Executive Chairman of Investcorp, a leading global manager of alternative investments. Under his leadership, Investcorp has grown its assets under management from 10 billion to 53 billion in just nine years, all while diversifying and expanding its global footprint.
Mohammed leads the firm's activities across its global network in New York, London, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Mumbai, Delhi, Beijing, Singapore, and Japan. He is a retired Air Vice Marshal and was the youngest and longest-serving Chief of the Omani Air Force, having joined the Royal Air Force of Oman in 1978.
In addition to his role at Investcorp, Mohammed also serves as Chairman of the Muscat Stock Exchange. He sits on several boards, including the International Advisory Board of the Brookings Institute in Washington, D.C., the Eisenhower Fellowship in Philadelphia, The World Economic Forum's Community of Chairpersons, and the Harvard Kennedy School's Dean Council, among others. Mohammed is the author of three published books, the most recent is Connecting to the Future, which became a U.S. bestseller in 2023.
He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Military Science from the Royal Air Force U.K. Staff College and a Master's in Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He is also a graduate of the Royal Air Force Military Academy in the U.K. and the National Defense University in Washington, D.C.
In this episode, we discuss how Mohammed redefined his leadership style at Investcorp, blending military precision with visionary strategy to scale operations, foster innovation, and create lasting impact on a global stage.
Highlights:
Links: Book: Connecting to the Future by Mohammed Alardhi (2023)
Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 17 Aug 2022 | Scott Sanborn, CEO at LendingClub — Bank on It: Innovative lending for better financial futures | 00:32:06 | |
Summary: According to recent surveys, 43% of Americans expect to add to their debt in the next six months in order to make ends meet. Most will use credit card debt to bridge the gap, but high interest rates could see this put the financial futures of many Americans at risk. Innovative solutions to help manage that debt can make all the difference.
Links:
If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, elizabeth@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 26 Jul 2023 | Lee Pacchia and Joan Vollero, Managing Directors of Special Situations, ICR – Mastering Crisis: Navigating High-Stakes Shifts with Legal and Communications Expertise | 00:24:31 | |
When it comes to high-stakes strategising for businesses undergoing challenging shifts, the incredible value of legal training mixed with communications expertise can't be overstated. Today's guests know all about that. On this episode, we welcome two of ICR's finest, Joan Vollero and Lee Pacchia. Joan and Lee are both Managing Directors in ICR's Special Situations practice group. Joan advises companies and individuals on a wide range of matters relating to crisis and litigation. For more than 11 years, she ran communications and external affairs for the Manhattan District Attorney's Office, where she served as the Director of Communications and a Senior advisor to Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. Earlier in her career, Joan worked as a journalist at New York One News. She's a graduate of Tufts University and received her masters from the Med Hills School of Journalism in Northwestern University. Lee is also in ICR's Special Situations practice, where he works on a range of corporate crisis matters with a focus on advising, financially distressed businesses, exploring strategic alternatives, restructuring, or chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Previously, Lee served as a Senior Executive at a boutique restructuring advisory firm, providing financial, operational and communications advisory services to companies in crisis, restructurings, or bankruptcy. After completing his Law Degree at New York Law School, Lee clerked for the US Bankruptcy Court, before joining Bloomberg as a journalist covering bankruptcy in the legal industry. Highlights:
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 04 Sep 2024 | Larry Connor, Managing Partner, The Connor Group (Part 2 of 2) – Leaping Into the Unknown: The power of taking unconventional risks in business and beyond | 00:21:07 | |
Breaking away from the norm will always attract skepticism, especially from industry veterans. But these risks often lead to the most significant rewards. Our guest today has not only challenged the status quo in business but did so with fearless commitment and a willingness to be the newcomer in any field. In this episode, we're diving into part two of our conversation with Larry Connor—a trailblazer in business and beyond. Larry is an entrepreneur, nonprofit activist investor, and adventurist, known for founding The Connor Group, a real estate investment firm that thrives on doing things differently. Last week, we explored Larry's unique approach to leading The Connor Group. Today, we shift our focus to his remarkable journey outside of the business world, beginning with his impactful philanthropic efforts. Highlights:
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 07 Jun 2023 | David Horowitz, Founder & CEO, Touchdown Ventures - Scoring Big: The power of partnerships and strategic investing | 00:21:06 | |
Building partnerships and investing strategically can be key in the growth of a business. However, for big corporations, and small start-ups, creating and managing a variety of partnerships can be challenging. Today's guest created his company to help ease that process. On this episode we're sitting down with David Horowitz, founder and CEO of Touchdown Ventures. Touchdown partners with leading corporations to manage their venture capital funds, and currently they partner with Kellogg T-Mobile, Amerisource Bergen, Olympus, and Erie Insurance, Masco and Colorcon just to name a few. Prior to starting touchdown, David was founding partner and managing director at Comcast Ventures for nearly 15 years. There he focused on investments in digital media, advertising, technology, digital home education, and financial technology. David also helped start and was partner at Gencast Ventures, a seed stage venture capital fund affiliated with Comcast Ventures. Prior to Comcast, David worked in investment banking at Bear Stearns. He started South Jersey Tech Collective and networking group of entrepreneurs and investors in South Jersey, and David is also the inventor of the board game 'Frequent Flyer', which we'll talk about later in the program. Highlights:
Links: Touchdown Ventures on LinkedIn David's 'Frequent Flyer' board game Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 08 Dec 2021 | Paddy Spence, CEO & Amy Taylor, President of Zevia — Can-do!: The benefits of being nimble in the beverage industry | 00:33:18 | |
Carbonated beverages and health don't often go hand in hand, but Zevia intends to change that. By using plant-based ingredients and all-natural sweeteners, Zevia eliminates sugar, GMO's and artificial ingredients from the equation. They deliver drinks that fly off the shelves, both in-store and online; they rank as the number-one sold beverage on Amazon. But their commitment doesn't stop at great taste. CEO Paddy Spence and President Amy Taylor are passionate about consumer health and eliminating plastic waste. Together, the two of them have developed a company that goes way beyond the can. During the COVID pandemic, as with many beverage companies, Zevia has found itself facing many difficulties, like aluminum shortages and customers who don't want to shop in person. But through their resilient nature, nimble structure, and "can-do" attitude, Paddy and Amy have gone from strength to strength. Advancing on scalability, developing in-store strategies and strengthening the balance sheets has made Zevia one of the major players in the beverage market. On this episode, we discuss Zevia's commitment to health and sustainability and how its agile strategy has positioned it well for the future. We'll talk about how Paddy and Amy dealt with supply chain issues and how they partner with retailers to position their brand in-store, as well as their strategies to engage new demographics. Listen on for a refreshing conversation!
Links: Zevia Executive Leadership Team
If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, ross@lowerstreet.co | |||
| 08 Feb 2023 | Louis Chen, Executive Vice President and CSO of Perfect Corp – Industry Makeover: The technological transformation of beauty brands | 00:32:26 | |
Summary: Louis has a Bachelor's and a Master's Degree in computer science from National Taiwan University. He joined me from his office in Taipei to tell us about Perfect's groundbreaking technology, and how it's transforming the beauty industry. Highlights:
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 03 May 2023 | Sean O'Scannlain, President & CEO of Fortune International – Reeling in Success: Utilizing tech to take the seafood industry global | 00:29:18 | |
The food industry is a tough business that relies on tight planning and logistics, but today's guest has created a finely-tuned operation by taking advantage of tech innovations. On this episode, we're sitting down with Sean O'Scannlain, who founded Fortune International in 2001. Since then, the company has grown both organically and through numerous acquisitions into one of the country's leading processors, distributors, and importers of quality seafood, meats and gourmet products. Today, Fortune International employees over 1,300 people and is the parent company of Fortune Fish and Gourmet Fortune Imports, Chef Martin, Coastal Seafood, D'Artagnan and Lobster Gram. The company handles more than 15,000 seafood and gourmet products daily throughout the central, southeastern and northeastern United States. It's no surprise that Sean is well respected in the seafood industry. Among many leadership positions, he’s a past chairman of the National Fisheries Institute, and he’s a founding member of SeaPak group of seafood companies dedicated to driving continuous improvement of social, economic, and environmental responsibility throughout the global seafood chain. Highlights:
Links: Fortune Fish & Gourmet on LinkedIn Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 05 Jan 2022 | Jason Kelly, Bloomberg Quicktake— Good News: How the media can help your business | 00:41:33 | |
With fast-growing private and public companies, you’re often juggling a lot of stakeholders: management, employees, board members, investors. But there’s one key stakeholder that’s often forgotten: the media. But ignore them at your peril. They control a huge portion of the narrative and public image of your company—and if you haven’t established the relationships and trust to tell your story, then they’re going to tell it for you.
We sat down to talk about Jason’s approach to business journalism, and his new pursuits at the nexus of business, sports, and culture. He’ll share his philosophy on asking tough questions, the benefits of longstanding relationships with the media, and why CEOs should depart more often from their talking points. So join us! Because in the arena, all news is good news.
Links: Bloomberg Quicktake: The Business of Sports
If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, andrew@lowerstreet.co
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| 20 Sep 2023 | Keri Findley, Founder, CEO of Tacora Capital – Structured Credit Secrets: How Tacora Capital carved out a unique approach to business growth | 00:33:59 | |
When you're a founder, you need creative ways to grow your business. Today's guest recognized that need, and built her company on it. We're sitting down with Keri Findley, Founder and CEO of Tacora Capital. Keri has two decades of experience in structured credit investing at leading firms, and as a private investor. She founded Tacora in 2022, securing a $250 million investment from renowned venture capitalist Peter Thiel. From 2009 to 2017, Kerry ran the structured credit portfolio for Third Point, the multi-billion dollar hedge fund founded by Dan Loeb. She was the first woman and the youngest person to be made partner at Third Point. Prior to that, she held a similar position at D.B. Zwirn, and began her career at Morgan Stanley. Keri currently serves as an advisor to Firework Ventures and 8VC, and is on the boards of Hearth, Karus, Point Digital, and Architect. Highlights:
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 15 May 2024 | Thomas Sandgaard, Founder, Chairman, President, and CEO, Zynex Medical – Electrifying the Industry: Revolutionizing chronic pain care with innovative service and solutions | 00:30:04 | |
There's a reason it's called healthcare – care and carefulness are at the core, and if you want to be successful in the field, you've got to understand the significance of compliance, exceptional service, and continuous expansion. Today's guest has mastered that formula. We're sitting down with Thomas Sandgaard who is Chairman, President, and CEO of Zynex, which trades on the NASDAQ under the symbol ZYXI. Thomas founded the company in 1996, but before that, he held management positions with companies such as ITT, Siemens, GN Danavox DataCo, and Phillips. Thomas is also the Founder and CEO of Sandgaard Capital, a private equity investment firm and family office. Additionally, he's the Founder and President of the Sandgaard Foundation, which seeks to address the tragic opioid and fentanyl crisis here in the States by helping to fund initiatives that save lives from overdoses, help people escape the cycle of relapse, and support victims and their families.
Highlights:
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 02 Aug 2023 | Sarah-Marie Martin, VP, Corporate Development & Capital Markets at Uber – Drivers of Growth: Changes and challenges from investment banking to early-stage companies (re-broadcast) | 00:30:11 | |
This week we're re-sharing a really fun interview from back in April, with the unstoppable Sarah-Marie Martin. It's pretty inspiring to hear from people who climb huge heights, and then go looking for even bigger challenges. And that's exactly what today's guest did. On this episode we're sitting down with Sarah-Marie Martin, who joined Uber in 2022 as Head of M&A Investor Relations and Capital Markets, after a successful 25-year career in investment banking. At Uber, Sarah-Marie helps optimize and finance Uber's portfolio of businesses. Before joining Uber, she was the first CFO of Yumi, a digitally native, organic children's food company. Previously, in her time as an investment banking Sarah-Marie was a partner at Goldman Sachs, and also worked at Credit Suisse for 20 years. In the early days of her career, Sarah-Marie worked in the high-yield and equity capital markets groups, as well as Latin American corporate finance. She earned a BA from Stanford in Quantitative Economics, graduating with distinction. And she got her MBA from Columbia Business School, where she was valedictorian of her class. Sarah-Marie serves on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of The Door, an organization that empowers disconnected youth in New York City. She's a board member of Easy Point, a pre-IPO shipping software company. And in her spare time, she's the mom of five kids. We had a great conversation about her fascinating career, and the exciting direction that Uber is headed. Highlights:
Links: Sarah Marine-Martin on LinkedIn Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 08 Jul 2021 | Introducing Welcome to the Arena | 00:01:35 | |
Introducing Welcome to the Arena, launching Q3 2021. For more information, visit http://www.icrinc.com | |||
| 15 Jan 2025 | Kate Doerge, Principal, Kate Doerge Consulting – The Branding Blueprint: Aligning Strategy, Storytelling, and Authenticity | 00:27:45 | |
Summary:
Links: Kate Doerge Consulting Website
If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 03 Aug 2022 | Greg McDowell, Partner at ICR — ICR Industry Reports: Technology Investor Relations | 00:18:29 | |
Summary: Tech companies are having to work harder than ever to prove their resilience in an increasingly noisy market. For investors, the pandemic has highlighted the need for sustained growth and detailed future planning when choosing where to put their capital, and communicating these avenues of value to investors needs to be a part of every company's core strategy.
Links:
If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, elizabeth@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 18 Aug 2021 | Nicole Miller, Piper Sandler — Food for Thought: Sell-Side Analysis & the Restaurant Universe | 00:26:07 | |
Effective sell-side analysts have to be well-versed in their industry. The best are experts on every aspect: consumer behavior, competitive landscape, and industry trends. Nicole Miller is one of those experts. As Senior Research Analyst at Piper Sandler, she has been conducting sell-side analysis for over 15 years, and is an authority on the restaurant and hospitality universe. We sat down with Nicole to talk how the restaurant industry drove value by adapting to COVID, what factors into her picks, and where she thinks equity research is headed.
Links
If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, andrew@lowerstreet.co | |||
| 25 Sep 2024 | Alex Ibrahim, Corporate CFO, Yanolja – Globetrotter Goals: How Yanolja is upping the travel game | 00:23:55 | |
As travel trends shift, and young people drive demand for simple, integrated, experience-focused journeys, its critical to respond with innovative solutions that are ahead of the curve. That's where today's guest comes in. We're sitting down with Alex Ibrahim, the Corporate CFO at Yanolja. South Korea's top travel and accommodation booking platform. In this role, Alex leverages his expertise in the capital markets to strengthen the company's financial management and drive strategic initiatives, supporting its continued global expansion and growth. He brings over 20 years of experience from his distinguished career at the New York Stock Exchange, where he played a pivotal role in facilitating IPOs, Capital raises for numerous global enterprises across Asia, North America, and South America. We chatted about what excites him about Yanolja, and the bold moves the company is making to reimagine travel around the globe. Highlights:
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 02 Nov 2022 | Gregg Nabhan, Chairman of the Americas Equity Capital Markets, Bank of America – The Wisdom of the Deal: Learning from four decades of Wall Street deal-making | 00:28:22 | |
Summary: It's always a pleasure to speak to a grizzled veteran who has decades of experience leading hundreds of deals that have raised billions of dollars. Here to share that wisdom is Gregg Nabhan, Chairman of the America's Equity Capital Markets, as well as Managing Director of the Consumer and Retail team at Bank of America. Gregg is responsible for the origination, IPO valuation, structuring, book-building, price discovery allocation trading, and aftermarket performance of equity transactions. Gregg has almost 40 years of experience on Wall Street. He's led over 400 deals, raising over 265 billion for companies around the world, including 115 IPOs totaling 50 billion dollars. Prior to joining Bank of America in 2008, Gregg worked at Morgan Stanley for 13 years where he was a Managing Director in the equity capital markets. He has a BA in Economics and Political Science from Columbia University. Gregg and I talked about the past 4 decades of economic twists and turns, some of his career highlights and what he sees coming around the bend. Highlights:
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 17 Apr 2024 | Pete Najarian, Managing Partner, RW3 Ventures – Digital Disruption: Decoding the crypto world and revolutionizing finance through blockchain technology | 00:36:59 | |
As the world embraces cryptocurrency, blockchain technology, and deregulated finance, there's a massive transformation on the horizon. But if you're going to invest in these innovations, you need to be incredibly diligent and have a deep understanding of the tech. Today's guest has both. We're sitting down with Pete Najarian, who is the Managing Partner of RW3 Ventures. RW3 is a digital asset venture firm built in partnership with The Raptor Group. The Raptor Group is a multi-sector venture firm with significant investments across fintech, sports and gaming, healthcare, and digital assets. Pete has significant dedicated digital asset experience, having previously served in senior leadership roles for two leading digital asset operating businesses: Zappo, which was ultimately acquired by Coinbase in 2019, and BitGo, the leader in digital asset security, custody, and liquidity. They provide the operational backbone for more than 1, 500 institutional clients and over 50 companies. They also process 20 percent of all the global Bitcoin transactions by value. Prior to that, Pete spent 20 years plus building and leading the global emerging markets businesses for some of the world's largest banks, UBS and RBS in particular. Highlights:
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 27 Nov 2024 | Lyndon Park, Managing Partner, Global ESG Advisory & Shareholder Activism, ICR – Boardroom Balancing Act: Governance, ESG, and Shareholder Power (re-broadcast) | 00:32:57 | |
Summary:
Navigating the intricate landscape of ESG and shareholder activism requires a deep understanding of both market dynamics and investor expectations. That's why expert guidance is indispensable for companies looking to build lasting value and trust with their stakeholders.
Before joining ICR, Lyndon was Head of Global Corporate Governance at Dimensional Fund Advisors, where he oversaw the firm's global stewardship and ESG initiatives. Prior to Dimensional, Lynden was a partner and Head of Governance and Listing Standards at EQX, a capital market startup. He began his career in governance at BlackRock by supporting BlackRock's board of directors on intercompany governance matters before serving as one of the BlackRock Investment Stewardship teams' lead governance analysts, overseeing portfolio companies representing about $450B of BlackRock's AUM. Lyndon is a recognized thought leader in ESG and shareholder activism, frequently participates on panels, and his perspectives have been published or quoted in numerous leading media outlets like the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times. Highlights:
Links:
If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 11 Oct 2023 | Gary Beasley, Co-founder & CEO, Roofstock – Reshaping Rental: Using economic pressure to create real estate prosperity | 00:31:58 | |
Sometimes the most innovative business concepts are born from immense industry stress. Today's guest created a ground-breaking platform in response to the economic pressure cooker of the 2000's. On this episode, we're sitting down with Gary Beasley, who is a co-founder and CEO of Roofstock, an award winning real estate investment as a service platform for the 4 trillion dollar single family rental sector. The company is backed by Blue Chip roster investors, including Cosla Ventures, Light Speed Venture Partners, Bain Capital Ventures, and SoftBank. Roofstock has completed over $6 billion worth of transactions since its founding in 2015. Previously, Gary was the co-CEO of publicly traded Starwood Waypoint Residential Trust, now part of Invitation Homes, and is known as a pioneer in the development of the single-family rental sector as an institutional and asset class. Gary also served as CEO of boutique hotel company Joie De Vivre Hospitality, and award-winning solar technology startup GreenVolts. Between 2001 and 2007, Gary was the CFO of Zip Realty where he led the internet-based residential brokerage through its IPO before eventually being named its President. Gary also spent six years with KSL resorts where he was instrumental in acquiring and integrating over 800 million worth of resort properties. Gary earned a BA in economics from Northwestern University and an MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business where he serves as a regular guest lecturer. Highlights:
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 27 Sep 2023 | Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech – Fueling the Future: Transforming Pollution into Energy Solutions | 00:31:17 | |
Innovation is about creation, but it's also about finding new spaces where those creations can be used. Today's guest has applied a centuries-old scientific process to solve a global industry problems. Today's guest is Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech. Under Jennifer’s guidance, LanzaTech is developing a variety of platform chemicals and fuels, including the world’s first alternative jet fuel derived from industrial waste gases. She is also the Director and Chair of the LanzaJet Board of Directors. Prior to LanzaTech, Jennifer was VP and General Manager of the Renewable Energy and Chemicals business unit at UOP LLC, a Honeywell Company. While there, she was a key driver of their leadership in low carbon aviation biofuels. Jennifer has authored or co-authored 50 U.S. patents and more than 30 scientific publications and is a member of the National Academy of Engineering. Jennifer sits on multiple boards and advisory councils, including the Governing Council for the Bio Energy Research Institute in India, the Board of Directors of the U.S.- India Strategic Partnership Forum, the Advisory Council for the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment at Princeton University, the National Academies' Board on Energy and Environmental Systems and the Founder Advisory for The Engine, a venture capital fund built by MIT that invests in early-stage science and engineering companies. Jennifer holds a B.Sc. from Harvey Mudd College, a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MBA from the University of Chicago. Highlights:
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 08 May 2024 | Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech – Fueling the Future: Transforming pollution into energy solutions (re-broadcast) | 00:33:18 | |
Innovation is about creation, but it's also about finding new spaces where those creations can be used. Today's guest has applied a centuries-old scientific process to solve the problems of a global industry. Today's guest is Dr. Jennifer Holmgren, CEO of LanzaTech. Under Jennifer’s guidance, LanzaTech is developing a variety of platform chemicals and fuels, including the world’s first alternative jet fuel derived from industrial waste gases. She is also the Director and Chair of the LanzaJet Board of Directors. Prior to LanzaTech, Jennifer was VP and General Manager of the Renewable Energy and Chemicals business unit at UOP LLC, a Honeywell Company. While there, she was a key driver of their leadership in low carbon aviation biofuels. Jennifer has authored or co-authored 50 U.S. patents and more than 30 scientific publications and is a member of the National Academy of Engineering. Jennifer sits on multiple boards and advisory councils, including the Governing Council for the Bio Energy Research Institute in India, the Board of Directors of the U.S.- India Strategic Partnership Forum, the Advisory Council for the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment at Princeton University, the National Academies' Board on Energy and Environmental Systems and the Founder Advisory for The Engine, a venture capital fund built by MIT that invests in early-stage science and engineering companies. Jennifer holds a B.Sc. from Harvey Mudd College, a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MBA from the University of Chicago. Highlights:
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 16 Oct 2024 | Sandra Campos, CEO, PetMed Express – Leading the Pack: Driving innovation in pet care through core-value realignment | 00:29:57 | |
Summary: Periods of transition often come with uncertainty, but they also offer a chance for businesses to innovate and refine their direction. Under the right leadership, companies can seize these opportunities to reevaluate objectives and implement fresh strategies, finding new alignment with the core values of their customers. At PetMed Express, that leadership takes the form of CEO Sandra Campos. Sandra is now a two-time guest on the podcast, and, as of this past April, the president and CEO of PetMed Express (Nasdaq: PETS). Already a three-time CEO prior to joining PetMeds, Sandra recently served in the role at DVF (Diane von Furstenberg) a global luxury fashion brand. She has held leadership roles at apparel companies Polo Ralph Lauren and Nautica International, and is the former co-president of women's apparel at Global Brands Group Holding Limited, a branded apparel, footwear, and brand management company that included labels like Juicy Couture, Bebe, and BCBG, among others. Sandra is the founder of Fashion Launchpad, a continuing education platform for retail and fashion professionals, and created Dream Out Loud in partnership with Selena Gomez, the first teen celebrity brand management company. Sandra is a board member for Big Lots, Daniel's Jewelers, Fabric (a modular commerce solution), and advertising services company PureRED since 2023. She has also served on the board of the national non-profit Girls, Inc. and is a Director of the Latino Corporate Directors Association. In this episode, Sandra talks us through the strategic decisions she's made since joining PetMeds Express as CEO, and where she anticipates the company heading. Highlights:
Links:
If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 23 Oct 2024 | Sandra Campos, 3x CEO & Entrepreneur – Fashion Forward: Leading the fashion industry into the future (re-broadcast) | 00:32:07 | |
Summary:
Last week, we welcomed Sandra Campos back to the show to discuss her new role as CEO of PetMed Express, and her vision for the company's future. This week, we’re revisiting our previous interview with Sandra, where we unpacked the career trajectory that set the stage for her leadership at PetMeds today. If you missed it the first time, this conversation is a must-listen.
The fashion industry is powered by the sometimes differing perspectives of artistic entrepreneurs and business executives. It takes an intuitive and bold business innovator to merge those visions, and lead brands into the future. On this episode we sit down with Sandra Campos, a board member, three time CEO and two-time entrepreneur and advisor. Throughout her career, she's built global lifestyle brands, and she's been instrumental in turnarounds, digital transformations, and innovative marketing campaigns, as well as international expansion as a technology-focused operator. She's the only independent board director at Fabric, a modular and headless commerce solution. She's also a board member at Private Equity-backed Daniels Jewelers, and Big Lots. Her retail career has included being CEO of Diane Von Furstenberg, president of a portfolio of billion dollar contemporary brands, including Juicy Couture, and Division President at Oscar de la Renta. As an entrepreneur, she created the first teen celebrity brand management company in partnership with fellow Latina, Selena Gomez. Together, they launched Gomez's first lifestyle brand 'Dream out Loud'. Sandra is an advocate for Latinos, and recently launched Latina Disruptors, an event highlighting and honoring entrepreneurs. She has received numerous awards, including Top 100 Latina Leaders by Latina Magazine; ALP'S most powerful Latina 2020 to 2022; Top Women in Retail and 2019 Top Leaders in Business, by Hispanic Executive Magazine.
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Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 15 Dec 2021 | Brian Gonick, Co-CIO of Senvest — Diamonds in the Rough: Finding the value that everyone else ignores | 00:32:14 | |
Summary: Investing in stocks that the market has passed by is certainly risky, but that's right where Co-Chief Investment Officer Brian Gonick and his team at Senvest find value. Through strong understanding of management, a discerning eye, and techniques adopted from the CIA, Senvest find stocks with the potential for exponential long-term growth. Brian Gonick highlights how Senvest look to invest over an extended period of time, showing how important they view their horizons. To be part of the Senvest journey, you need to understand a thing or two about community. Developing strategies and building networks are two pieces of the investment puzzle, as far as Senvest are concerned. On this episode, we'll understand how Brian and his company set out to bring companies together for a brighter and more profitable future. For Senvest, getting from point A to B is the ultimate goal, but they believe as long as milestones are being hit, success will follow. Highlights:
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, andrew@lowerstreet.co | |||
| 30 Aug 2023 | Tom Schadewald, Director, Baird – Mastering the Market: Sound advice in uncertain times | 00:30:17 | |
After a couple of turbulent years, there are still a lot of unknowns in the market. But today's guest is sharing his insights based on a wealth of experience, grounded in his firm's excellent reputation. Today we're sitting down with Tom Schadewald, who is a Managing Director working on Baird's Equity Capital Markets Team. Tom is focused on technology and on the technology and services sectors. He joined Baird in 2022 from UBS, where he was a Director in their equity capital markets group responsible for, among other things, growing out the firm's capital markets advisory business. Tom started his career at Deutsche Bank in the Equity Capital Markets Group, focused on financial institutions and permanent capital. He brings a decade of experience and investment banking across both equity capital markets and corporate finance advisory, and he holds a Bachelor's degree in economics from Harvard. Highlights:
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 24 Jan 2024 | Matt Frazier, Founder & CEO, Jones Street Investment Partners – A Prosperous Pursuit: Mastering a market niche, one property at a time | 00:28:39 | |
Over the last few years, the wavering economy has presented problems for virtually every market. In real estate, rising rates and inflation have challenged buyers and sellers alike. But while wading in those waters, today's guest managed to find a silver lining in their unique investment field. Today, we get to sit down with Matt Fraser, a 20-year veteran of real estate, private equity, and corporate finance. He is the founder and CEO of Jones Street Investment Partners, a multi-family investor with more than 2 billion in assets under management. In this role, Matt is responsible for all aspects of the company's growth, including fundraising, deal sourcing, and the growth of the Jones Street team. Prior to forming Jones Street, Matt served as the VP of Investments and Capital Markets at Taymil Partners, a multi-family owner and operator active throughout New England. Before that, he was a VP at the private equity and venture arm of Fleet Bank, which became Bank of America. Matt received a BA in media studies with a concentration in philosophy, with honors and distinction from Penn State University. Highlights:
Links: Jones Street Investment Partners on LinkedIn Jones Street Investment Partners Website Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 23 Aug 2023 | David Pennino, Founder & CEO, LogicSource – Procure and Conquer: Behind the Scenes of Procurement Optimization | 00:29:56 | |
For companies with expenditures that run into the billions, strategic procurement can mean millions for the bottom line. Today we're sitting down with David Pennino, President, CEO, Board member and Founding Partner of LogicSource, a purpose-built procurement services and technology provider focused exclusively on indirect or not-for-resale expenditures. LogicSource’s service and technology solutions drive cost reductions and efficiencies for clients across all areas of this spend, which typically add up to 20% of a company's revenue and represent a significant opportunity for profit improvement. David has over 20 years experience in the services and outsourcing industry, including roles as a senior executive at Williams Lea Group, Scient, and Gartner. We had a great conversation about how LogicSource secures big wins for businesses, and what's next for this growing company. Highlights:
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 13 Nov 2024 | Dale Schwartz, Founder & CEO, Pinstripes – Holistic Hospitality: Widening market appeal with curated experiences and exceptional quality | 00:26:36 | |
Summary: Driven by pandemic restrictions and changing lifestyles, social isolation is on the rise in America. In response, many people are searching for new ways to connect and share meaningful experiences together. Bars, restaurants, and entertainment spaces have a unique opportunity to help fill this void, but too many venues leave potential markets untapped by prioritizing some aspects of their offering at the expense of others. Today’s guest, however, has come up with a winning formula: a blend of thoughtful design, engaging entertainment, and stand-out dining that appeals to customers across generations and backgrounds. Today we sit down with Dale Schwartz, the founder and CEO of the bowling and bocce restaurant Pinstripes, which trades under the symbol PNST. Prior to Pinstripes, Dale was co-Founder and co-CEO of natural pharmacy retailer Pharmaca Integrative Pharmacy, CEO of Infigen, Inc., and CFO of Ribozyme Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Earlier in his career, he was a principal at Odyssey Partners, a private partnership specializing in leveraged buyouts, venture capital, and recapitalizations. He got is start as an analyst in Morgan Stanley's M&A group, attended Colgate University, and holds an MBA from Harvard Business School. In this episode, Dale talks us through Pinstripes' unique approach to experience curation, their considerations when it comes to real estate, and discusses their plans for domestic growth and international expansion. Highlights:
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If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 24 May 2023 | Alex Ryan, CEO, The Duckhorn Portfolio – Aged to Perfection: A generational journey in crafting brand legacy | 00:31:23 | |
To create a brand with a lasting legacy, owners have to set and follow clear principles from the very beginning. Today's guest has continued to strengthen and grow their brand while maintaining those key principles. Today we're sitting down with Alex Ryan, President, CEO, and Chairman of The Duckhorn Portfolio, North America's premier luxury wine company, with 10 wineries, eight state-of-the-art wine-making facilities, seven tasting rooms, and over a thousand coveted acres of vineyard spanning 32 estate properties. Their wines are available throughout the US, on five continents, and in 50 plus countries around the world. Their stock trades under - not surprisingly - NAPA. Since 1988, Alex's visionary leadership has been instrumental in establishing and growing The Duckhorn portfolio from a modest 15,000 cases and a few million dollars in revenue to one of the most highly respected and fastest growing luxury wine companies in the world with multiple Appalachians brands, price points, and styles. Alex's story about moving to the region and rising through the ranks to his current position is so interesting, and it's safe to say Tom has been looking forward to this interview for months. Join him on this week's episode as he cracks a bottle of Duckhorn Three Palms Vineyard Merlot 2019 just for the occasion. Highlights:
Links: The Duckhorn Portfolio on Instagram The Duckhorn Portfolio on LinkedIn The Duckhorn Portfolio Website Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 27 Dec 2023 | John Carrington, CEO at Stem – Powering Up: Transforming the energy sector with AI (re-broadcast) | 00:30:52 | |
During the holiday period, we're re-sharing this very popular episode from earlier this year. If you missed it the first time, definitely check out Tom's chat with Stem's John Carrington! Extreme weather, aging grids, power storage and distribution; these are just some of the challenges that clean energy is stepping up to solve. And companies like Stem are at the forefront, with cutting edge AI-driven services. On this episode we get to hear from John Carrington, CEO of Stem. John leads the energy storage and analytics movement at the company and has more than 25 years of leadership experience in technology, energy, and industrial companies. John came to Stem from MiaSolé, the world's largest CIGS-based thin film solar company, where he was CEO and Director. Prior to that, John was the Executive Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at First Solar, growing the company from 250 million to more than 2 billion dollars in open markets in the US, Asia, and Europe. John also spent over 16 years at General Electric, most recently as the General Manager and Chief Marketing Officer of GE Plastics. He was part of a small executive team that executed on the 12 billion dollar sale of GE Plastics to SABIC in 2007. We sat down with John to talk about his fascinating career trajectory and the huge runway he has in front of him with Stem. Highlights:
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 19 Jul 2023 | Gregg Nabhan, Chairman of America's Equity Capital Markets for Bank of America – Staying Afloat in the Economic Current: Navigating the post-COVID economy with financial foresight | 00:25:37 | |
In the developing post-pandemic landscape, the discussion of a possible recession has been the latest ongoing hot topic, leaving businesses in a difficult position for decision-making. Today’s guest is sharing his expansive career knowledge to inform businesses about the reality of the current market. We're sitting down with my only two-time guest, Gregg Nabhan. If you tuned in to the first episode with Gregg, you'll remember that he's Chairman of America's Equity Capital Markets for Bank of America, as well as Managing Director of the Consumer and Retail Team. Gregg is responsible for the origination, IPO valuation, structuring, book-building, price discovery, allocation trading, and aftermarket performance of the equity transactions. He has 35-plus years of experience on Wall Street, and during the last 20 of those years, Gregg has led over 400 transactions raising over 265 billion dollars for companies around the world including 115 IPOs.
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Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 24 Apr 2024 | Tom Nolan, CEO of Kendra Scott – Bling it On: Building a Values-Driven Jewelry Empire (re-broadcast) | 00:32:16 | |
In business, you have to want to win. But in addition to that, simple, honest values go an incredibly long way. Today's guest leads a company that is powered by that philosophy. On this episode we get to sit down with Tom Nolan, CEO of the jewelry and accessories brand, Kendra Scott. Tom leads the billion dollar business by balancing day-to-day functions and strategy with the integration of the brand's core pillars of family, fashion and philanthropy into every consumer touch-point. In addition to serving on the Board of Directors, Tom oversees the brand's substantial omnichannel growth, global expansion and evolving retail model. Tom has more than two decades of experience in brand building, management and results-driven strategic planning from a diverse range of companies, including Ralph Lauren, Conde Nast, and his own entrepreneurial endeavor, Prospect Brands. We had a great conversation about the company's humble beginnings and how far they've come. Highlights: | |||
| 31 Aug 2022 | Henry Nassau, CEO at Dechert — On Firm Footing : How law firms play an essential role in the corporate landscape | 00:30:32 | |
Summary: Given the legal complexity of just about every aspect of running a company, lawyers are nearly ubiquitous in the corporate world. So, it should come as no surprise that a lifetime in corporate law amounts to an incredible wealth of knowledge and insight that can extend a lawyer's value far beyond just providing legal advice.
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If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, elizabeth@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 09 Mar 2022 | Dux Raymond Sy, Chief Brand Officer at AvePoint — Business' Brand New Era: Building brand visibility and reputation post-pandemic | 00:28:12 | |
Summary: In 2021, the average person was estimated to encounter between 6000 and 10 000 ads every single day. And, with eyes more glued to screens than ever before, digital marketing, finding its way to us via smartphones and computers, accounts for a great deal of that ad consumption. Customers are constantly bombarded with messaging telling them to “buy now,” but in increasingly crowded markets of near-identical competitors, how can you convince them to not just “buy now,” but buy you. That’s where brand (your company’s unique identity and reputation) comes in. This week’s guest, Dux Raymond Sy, is a brand expert who will help unpack the advantages of building brand into your business strategy. Dux is the Chief Brand Officer at AvePoint, a NASDAQ listed company under the symbol AVPT. Founded in 2001, AvePoint is the largest independent software vendor of SaaS data solutions for Microsoft 365 and they migrate, manage and protect data in Google, Microsoft Cloud, SharePoint, and Salesforce, optimizing SaaS operations and secure collaboration. In this episode, Dux describes the differences between marketing strategy and branding strategy, how AvePoint is establishing their brand based on customer confidence, and the digital marketing shifts he has seen in the SaaS space coming out of the pandemic. Highlights:
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| 29 Nov 2023 | Chris Pronger, Professional Athlete, Co-Founder, The JRNY Whisky – Taking a Shot: Launching into a new market after a lifetime in the NHL | 00:28:01 | |
On Welcome to the Arena, Tom gets to talk to some of the most impressive people around, and with today's guest, that couldn't be more true. An added bonus? Their conversation combines two things Tom is a huge fan of: the NHL and Whisky, so this is an extra special episode. Today we get to hear from Chris Pronger, not just a former professional hockey player, but a Hall of Famer who has been voted one of the NHL's hundred greatest players ever. For 19 years, Chris was known as one of the fiercest and most dominant defensemen in the history of the league, and was a four-time All Star, a Norris Trophy winner as the league's best defenseman and a Hart Trophy winner, which is the league's most valuable player, and very rare for a defenseman. Chris took three teams to the Stanley Cup Finals as Captain and won it all with the Anaheim Ducks. He was a two-time Olympic gold medal winner for Canada and is one of 30 players in the Triple Gold Club IIHF World Champion, Olympic Gold, and Stanley Cup. Chris is a great family man and a hardworking entrepreneur launching among other businesses, The JRNY, a 100 percent Canadian rye whisky with his brother, Sean. And that's our focus for today's conversation...with a bit of hockey thrown in as well. Highlights:
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| 13 Oct 2021 | Harold Edwards, Limoneira — Freshly Squeezed: Creating an agile, sustainable business that lasts | 00:32:21 | |
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Links: Compass Diversified Holdings Website Compass Diversified Holdings Twitter Feedback: If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, andrew@lowerstreet.co | |||
| 03 Jan 2024 | Chris Tomasso, CEO of First Watch Restaurants – Breaking Fast: A disruptive and innovative recipe for success in hospitality | 00:30:00 | |
As today's guest will tell us, breakfasts have recently overtaken Friday dinners as the number one dining out experience of choice. So in the always-competitive hospitality industry, restaurants that do those meals particularly well are in a fantastic position. Chris Tomasso definitely understands how to excel in this space. Chris is the CEO of First Watch Restaurants, which trades under the symbol FWRG. Prior to taking the helm in 2018, Chris served as President for three years and as Chief Marketing Officer from 2006 to 2015. Before joining First Watch, Chris led strategic branding and marketing for renowned national and international brands such as Cracker Barrel and Hard Rock Cafe International. In 2021, Chris was named one of the restaurant industry's most admired C-suite leaders by FSR Magazine. Later that year, he led First Watch into Wall Street with their IPO. Chris earned a BA from the University of Central Florida and is an active alum who currently serves on the University of Central Florida Foundation Board of Directors. He was inducted into the University's Nicholson School of Communication and Media Hall of Fame in 2016. Highlights:
Links: First Watch Restaurants on LinkedIn First Watch Restaurants Website Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 29 May 2024 | Fred LeFranc, Managing Partner and Co-founder, Results Thru Strategy – The Secret Ingredient: Spicing up your strategy to succeed in hospitality | 00:32:11 | |
To be a great consultant, a deep understanding of an industry is table stakes, but you also have to connect with the needs of the employees that work within it, while helping a business grow and change appropriately. It's not an easy formula to master, but today's guest has figured it out. Today we're sitting down with long-time FOICER - that stands for friend of ICR - Fred LeFranc. Fred is the Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Results Thru Strategy, a consulting firm focused on the hospitality industry. Fred and his team help companies improve their strategic planning, organizational development, marketing, and performance management, as well as enhance their technology-based systems. They also help with executive coaching. Fred's four decades in the hospitality industry include stints as COO, CEO, Board Member, and President of a number of hospitality and technology brands, including Flat Rock Grill, Ruby's Diner, Fishbowl Marketing, and Louise's Trattoria. Inc. Magazine actually featured his corporate turnaround from Louise's which included design, concept development, food production, IT systems, and operational executions as a great milestone in his career. Highlights:
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| 16 Aug 2023 | Jeff Grass, Co-Founder & CEO, HUNGRY – Feeding Innovation: A visionary app for a thriving food industry | 00:25:11 | |
During the pandemic, there was an eruption of on-demand delivery sites and apps focused on consumer convenience. Today's guest has built a strategic service that provides flexible opportunities for both their customers and their employees. This week we sit down with Jeff Grass, Co-Founder and CEO of HUNGRY. It's the first ever platform that connects independent chefs to the catering and corporate food services markets while improving the lives of its chefs, clients, community, and team. HUNGRY now operates in 13 U.S. cities, and is growing at triple-digit rates. The company has raised 60 million in venture capital from its investors, including food industry heavyweights, Walter Robb, founder of Whole Foods, Ming Tsai founder of Simply Ming, Seth Goldman's Beyond Meat and Honest Tea, and Dan Simmons of Founding Farmers Restaurant Group. From the entertainment industry, Jay-Z, Usher, and Kevin Hart, are also investors, and HUNGRY's venture capital investors are Sands Capital Ventures, Motley Fool Ventures, Evolution VC Partners, and Marcy Venture Fund. Jeff was also a chairman and co-founder of LiveSafe, a fast growing venture-backed mobile safety and anonymous communications platform, which crowd-sources safety insights and actionable intelligence that safety and security professionals can leverage for better situational awareness, evidence gathering, and emergency response. LiveSafe was acquired in 2020. He's also Chairman and Co-Founder of BuySafe, a VC backed online trust company enabling businesses to rapidly increase customer trust and make online shopping safer for buyers, and more profitable for online merchants. Jeff earned his MBA from Wharton and has a BBA in finance and economics from James Madison University. Highlights:
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 14 Aug 2024 | Keri Findley, Founder, CEO of Tacora Capital – Structured Credit Secrets: How Tacora Capital carved out a unique approach to business growth (re-broadcast) | 00:34:02 | |
When you're a founder, you need creative ways to grow your business. Today's guest recognized that need, and built her company on it. We're sitting down with Keri Findley, Founder and CEO of Tacora Capital. Keri has two decades of experience in structured credit investing at leading firms, and as a private investor. She founded Tacora in 2022, securing a $250 million investment from renowned venture capitalist Peter Thiel. From 2009 to 2017, Kerry ran the structured credit portfolio for Third Point, the multi-billion dollar hedge fund founded by Dan Loeb. She was the first woman and the youngest person to be made partner at Third Point. Prior to that, she held a similar position at D.B. Zwirn, and began her career at Morgan Stanley. Keri currently serves as an advisor to Firework Ventures and 8VC, and is on the boards of Hearth, Karus, Point Digital, and Architect. Highlights:
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| 06 Oct 2021 | Rob Sharp, Ramy Brook — Both Sides of the Check: Lessons from Private Equity and Management | 00:30:37 | |
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Deutsche Bank (formerly Banker's Trust) Agilex (acquired by Accenture) Keith Frankel - MidOcean Partners
If you have questions about the show or topics you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, andrew@lowerstreet.co | |||
| 17 Jan 2024 | Charles Baker, Partner, Sidley Austin, Co-Chair Entertainment, Sports & Media – He Shoots, He Scores! : Winning strategies for the game of sports and entertainment investments | 00:31:47 | |
Every investment comes with plenty of responsibility, but in a multifaceted market like sports and entertainment with varied revenue streams and worldwide integration, navigating this complex landscape can be overwhelming. Today's guest is helping his clients make sure that all the bases are covered. Literally. We're sitting down with Charles (Chuck) Baker, who chairs Sidley Austin's Entertainment, Sports, and Media Group. Chuck represents investors in professional sports, businesses and teams, and advises on sports and entertainment transactions. He has decades of experience in the sports industry and has represented sports franchise purchases across multiple leagues, including the NFL, Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, the NBA, the NHL, the National Women's Soccer League, and multiple European football leagues. Recently, Chuck represented Genius Sports in its multi-year strategic partnership with the NFL and the Canadian Football League, and also advised on the acquisition minority interest in the Los Angeles Lakers, the Charlotte Hornets, as well as the 6+ billion dollar purchase of the Washington Commanders. Chuck has been highly recognized in the field of sports and entertainment law by multiple national publications. Most recently, the National Law Journal named him to its 2022 list of sports gaming entertainment law trailblazers. The Sports Business Journal also named him to their 2021 Power Players list, and Law 360 added him to their 2020 Sports Betting MVPs. Chuck is an active board member for the March of Dimes and Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. He is also an adjunct professor and advisory board member at the University of Miami School of Law, and a distinguished lecturer at NYU's Tisch Institute for Sports Management, Media and Business. Chuck was also an associate for former Senator, Dollar Bill Bradley, one of Tom's all time favorite Knicks! Highlights:
Links: Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 18 Jan 2023 | Michael Pengue, CEO at ZOA Energy – Rocking the Boat: Shaking up the world of energy drinks | 00:28:21 | |
Summary: Prior to ZOA, Mike was Senior Vice President, General Manager for the Emerging Brands Group at Keurig, Dr. Pepper. He came to Keurig, Dr. Pepper from Bai Brands where he was Chief Strategy Officer, and was instrumental in the 1.65 billion sale to Dr. Pepper Snapple. Mike also spent 20 years at Nestle Waters North America in a variety of positions. His last role there was Executive Vice President, leading the $5 billion brand portfolio that included Perrier Pellegrino, Nestle's Pure Life, Poland Spring, Ozarka, and Deer Park, among others. Mike joined me to share the story of ZOA Energy and the amazing founders he's working with. We also discuss why this new drink is standing out and growing at breakneck speed. Highlights:
Links: Michael Pengue bio - Beverage Forum Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||
| 11 Sep 2024 | Andy Goldberg, President & CEO, PCH Media – A Winning Strategy: Leveraging data-driven insights to evolve and thrive in a shifting landscape | 00:26:27 | |
Longevity in any business is something to celebrate, but when a media company can successfully evolve through several decades of seismic shifts, it's also a huge lesson in the art of pivoting. Today's guest has navigated through 41 years of change and his company has come through stronger than ever. We're sitting down with Andy Goldberg, CEO of PCH Media. Andy is leading PCH's multi-year transformation as the company continues to pivot from direct-to-consumer retail towards an identity and data-driven advertising business. This includes a concerted effort to attract and hire top media talent to align with the company's new focus. The company is aimed at creating incremental shareholder value based on PCH's unique value exchange and unparalleled ability to generate peer audience authentication, permission first-party data, and tremendous user engagement. Andy has led the company through several successful evolutions via acquisitions in the online search, casual games, and mobile advertising markets. In addition to being CEO, he's also Chairman of the Board of Directors and a past member of the Board of Directors and Executive Committee of the Direct Marketing Association. Recognized for excellence in the industry, Andy has been honored with the Silver Apple Award from the Direct Marketing Club of New York. He earned a BS in Marketing from the Wharton School at UPenn.
Links: Publishers Clearing House on LinkedIn Publishers Clearing House Website Feedback: If you have questions about the show, or have a topic in mind you'd like discussed in future episodes, email our producer, marion@lowerstreet.co. | |||