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TED Business

TED Business

TED 317 Episodes Jun 29, 2026

TED Business is a weekly podcast that applies TED Talks to business challenges, from career advancement to innovation. Host Modupe Akinola of Columbia Business School introduces a talk and then offers a mini-lesson on how to apply its ideas in your own professional life. The show aims to provide actionable insights for navigating the evolving business world.

Episodes

Why the smartest person in the room is asking the “dumb” questions with Molly Graham Jun 29, 2026 31:30 One of our favorite TED talks on TED Business is from company builder Molly Graham. She’s also the new host of WorkLife with Molly Graham, another podcast from TED. Modupe sits down with Molly at TED2026 to talk about her journey from Facebook to giving her first TED Talk to now joining TED as a podcaster. Molly shares how she quietens her inner critic whom she affectionately calls “Bob the Monste
Why you should stop chasing your “dream job” (w/ Emily the Recruiter) | from Fixable Jun 22, 2026 44:30 Does your “dream job” really exist? You may know Emily Durham as Emily the Recruiter on social media, where she shares practical, refreshingly honest career advice and coaches people through the biggest professional decisions of their lives. Emily doesn’t believe in the idea of a dream job. In this episode, she joins Anne to make the case for the “awake job” that actively fits into your purpose, l
Is inviting everyone to the meeting holding back global cooperation? | Qahir Dhanani Jun 15, 2026 13:55 International collaboration expert Qahir Dhanani makes the case for rebuilding public trust in broken institutions by embracing small, focused coalitions that can move faster and act bolder — offering a hopeful, practical vision for updating diplomacy to meet the world’s toughest challenges. Then, Modupe shares why it's useful to identify "coalitions of the willing,” in your own workplace. Hosted
Why the world is still not built for women | Virginia Santy Jun 8, 2026 16:42 Design consultant Virginia Santy set out to create an office space built specifically for women, flipping the script on the subtle (and not-so-subtle) ways that workplaces and cities still fail them. The results were striking: greater productivity, deeper collaboration and an environment where women felt genuinely valued, leading her to ask a simple question: What would the world look like if we d
The surprising origins of Southwest Airlines with Jacob Goldstein Jun 1, 2026 25:41 In this special TED Business episode, Modupe is in conversation with Jacob Goldstein, reporter and co-host of the Business History podcast, to dig into the origin story ofSouthwest Airlines. From debunking the airline's founding myth, about a triangular route sketched on a napkin to discussing why Southwest chose to only fly Boeing 737s, Jacob shares the decisions that made Southwest stand ou
The secret to making the right career decisions with Patty Stonesifer | from WorkLife with Molly Graham May 25, 2026 39:16 You might think the biggest, most prestigious job is always the right career move. Patty Stonesifer — founding CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and an early Amazon board member — says that’s exactly the wrong way to decide what to do next. So what should guide your career? In this episode, Patty joins Molly to share the nine-word personal mission statement she’s used for decades to f
3 things I wish I knew when I was broke | Vivian Tu May 18, 2026 27:27 Finance doesn't have to feel like a foreign language. Wall Street trader-turned-financial educator Vivian Tu helps millions of people make sense of money, breaking down complex concepts into everyday terms you can understand. She shares how she broke free from the stress of living paycheck to paycheck — and explores how we can shift power structures to give everyone a real shot at building wealth.
How displaced people are driving local economies | Julienne Oyler May 11, 2026 12:04 The number of forcibly displaced people across the world is on the rise. While aid systems often focus on providing basic necessities like food and shelter, Julienne Oyler and her team at the nonprofit Inkomoko have a more ambitious plan: invest in refugee entrepreneurs in order to help them build their businesses, uplift their communities and gain access to financial services. She describes how d
4 relationship traps that lead to burnout | Eric Quintane May 4, 2026 20:35 Are your workplace relationships quietly burning you out? Drawing on large-scale research across industries, organizational behavior researcher Eric Quintane reveals four hidden relational traps woven into the fabric of work — and explores how connection shapes resilience, vulnerability and burnout. After, Modupe shares her trick for finding new people to talk to and how she strikes up the convers
What successful negotiators do differently | Kathryn Valentine Apr 27, 2026 11:55 Studies show that women negotiate just as frequently as men — so why do they succeed half as often? With wit and humor, business consultant Kathryn Valentine unpacks the gender expectations of workplace negotiations, offering a clear equation for anyone looking to make a successful ask and get what they want. After the talk, Modupe shares what she's doing to help the people in her life practi
Toolkit: Give Better Feedback | from Fixable Apr 20, 2026 35:25 Giving and receiving feedback is an important part of any job or relationship—but it can be tricky to get it right. This season, Anne and Frances are introducing a new segment called Toolkit: a practical guide to ideas, tools, and frameworks that can help you reach your goals at work and beyond. In this episode, they break down the different kinds of workplace feedback and share common pitfalls th
How to be a great listener | Maegan Stephens, Nicole Lowenbraun Apr 13, 2026 15:02 Have you ever left a meeting thinking: everyone talked, but nothing was achieved? Chances are that people were listening to each other, just not in the same way. Listening experts Maegan Stephens and Nicole Lowenbraun unpack the four different ways to listen, sharing a practical framework that could change how you respond, build trust and get results — starting with just one simple question. After

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