Podcast — 12 Geniuses

The Making of the “Miracle on Ice” - an Interview with Hockey Hall of Famer Lou Nanne

In arguably the greatest upset in sports history, the 1980 United States Olympic Hockey Team defeated the Soviet Union and then went on to clinch the gold medal against Finland. The sports world was shocked and the “Miracle on Ice” was complete.

In this interview, Lou Nanne, a key influencer of the team, takes us back nearly 40 years and tells the story of the 1980 “Miracle” team, his involvement in securing Herb Brooks as head coach, and how the team was best prepared to face the international competition through innovative practice routines and training methods.

Lou Nanne has been a leading figure in the hockey community for decades. Lou was captain of the 1968 United States Olympic Hockey Team. Later he played, coached, and served as general manager for the Minnesota North Stars. Lou is a member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame and the International Ice Hockey Federation Hall of Fame. He has also been awarded the Lester Patrick trophy for his impact on the sport of hockey.

Safi Bahcall | Nurturing Crazy Ideas That Change the World

A lifelong innovator and expert on innovative practices, Safi Bahcall shares his process for nurturing “Loonshots” - the crazy ideas that disrupt industries, cure diseases, and change the world.

In this interview, Safi dives into how good ideas are often killed by great teams and how we can develop the skills to nurture and encourage “Loonshots.” Safi also discusses company culture and organizational structure, why companies need to separate their innovators from executors, the importance of getting incentives right, and why “failing fast” is not the best path toward innovation.

Safi worked for three years as a consultant for McKinsey before co-founding a biotechnology company that developed new drugs for treating cancer. Safi regularly speaks with senior executives about how to implement the ideas in his bestselling book “Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas That Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries.”

Mehrdad Mahoutian | A Concrete Innovation for Climate Change

An innovator in the field of carbon dioxide capture and building materials, Mehrdad Mahoutian discusses his journey to discovering a new process for creating concrete and his quest to use waste materials to create high-value products. More than 5% of global CO2 emissions comes from the production of concrete. The impact of this is so high that for every ton of concrete made, a ton of carbon is released into our air. Mehrdad’s innovative concrete-making process solves this problem and more, while making a stronger, cheaper, and carbon-negative construction material. As we tackle climate change, we will need thousands of innovations like Carbicrete to stop global warming.

In this interview, Mehrdad describes the problem cement and the resulting CO2 creates for our environment and shares how he came up with a carbon-negative process to create cement-free concrete. He also shares the failure along his innovative journey and how he came to see his new process as a viable product for mass production. Mehrdad also discusses the barriers to industry-wide adoption of the new process and how governments are responding to Carbicrete. Finally, Mehrdad explains the potential for the emerging market of CO2 based products and the integral role consumers and organizations will play in reducing our carbon emissions.

Mehrdad Mahoutian is CTO and Co-Founder of Carbicrete, a company that has developed a concrete-making process that is cement-free and carbon-negative.

Ben Waber | MIT, AI, & the Power of People Analytics

An innovative leader in the field of people analytics, Ben Waber discusses the creative ways companies can unleash the full potential of their employees. Through data, companies can devise new management techniques, adjust the physical environment, and even re-design the employee experience to improve performance at all levels. Companies already have mountains of data available to them through ID badge scans, emails, meeting assignments and much more. Driven by a passion to help companies interpret this data, Ben Waber has created a company that uses AI to simplify the numbers and help leaders make better decisions.

In this interview, Ben talks about the creative environment at MIT. He explains how analytics can be used to inform company-wide decisions, understand how teams are working together, and improve individual career development. Ben also describes how the data can help us better understand bias and influence decision making. Finally, Ben talks about the future implementation of the technology and the ethical questions it may raise about employee and user privacy.

Ben Waber is President and Co-Founder of Humanyze, a behavior analytics company. For over 15 years, Ben has studied, researched, and implemented new technology to better understand human behavior.

Third Quarter Review

What did you accomplish in the third quarter of 2019? How do you plan to finish out this decade? What are your goals for 2020? In this special episode, Don and Devon talk about what they’re paying attention to, where Don traveled, what they’ve learned, and what they have planned for the show. Devon McGrath, Assistant Producer of 12 Geniuses talks with Don about recording the Leadership Moments, lessons from parenthood, remarkable travel moments, and what guests they have planned for Seasons Two and Three.

Ken Ricci | The Cleaner, Greener, Smarter Jail of the Future

An established justice architect, Ken Ricci discusses the impact building design has on those involved in the justice system. Nearly two thirds of those held in jails are still innocent in the eyes of our legal system, yet they are detained in dark, dingy, unsafe spaces that deprive them of a healthy lifestyle and access to the outside world. Driven by a passion to make correctional facilities more humane, Ken has dedicated his career to using innovative design to create facilities that are both safer and more comfortable for those inside.

In this interview, Ken describes the impact of design on the detention experience and provides insight into how we can build facilities that are safer for the guards and the detainees while still providing comfortable, open spaces with natural light. Ken also discusses his perspective on the future of our justice facilities.

Ken Ricci is a nationally recognized leader in the field of justice planning and design. Ken has devoted his entire career to designing better correctional facilities and he continues to educate others as a lecturer for the American Institute of Architects and the National Institute of Corrections.

Morgan Mercer | Solving Sexual Harassment & Bullying

A breakthrough tech entrepreneur, Morgan Mercer discusses the power of Virtual Reality in building empathy and creating a safer work environment. Of the women that report sexual harassment in their workplace, 80% leave within two years. This has significant ripple effects from a career change, loss of economic opportunity, and even tarnished company profiles. As we look to the next decade, we have many social issues to resolve and one of the best ways to do that will be through empathy.

In this interview, Morgan Mercer explains why we need better training for a safer workplace, the impact of #MeToo on training standards, and how to build empathy through immersive experiences. She also discusses her experience as a woman of color in the tech industry, her drive to empower others through VR, and her take on the future of VR.

Morgan Mercer is the CEO and Founder of Vantage Point which serves clients around the world from their headquarters in Los Angeles.

Creating a Culture of Innovation | Simone Bhan Ahuja

An innovation expert, Simone Bhan Ahuja explains how large, established organizations can innovate and avoid disruption even in a volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous time. Only 14% of new graduates want to work for large organizations. Instead, they’re attracted to the start-up path and opportunities to be creative and innovative in their careers. In order to attract top talent and remain disruptive in any industry, larger organizations will need to adopt innovation at every level of their organization.

In this interview, Simone explains the argument for encouraging innovation and intrapreneurship, the barriers many organizations face in the pursuit of innovation, and the importance of creating a culture of psychological safety. Simone also provides insight on how to build an innovative structure within an organization, the benefits of keeping projects frugal, and what leaders can do today to start implementing these ideas.

Simone is the author of Disrupt It Yourself, and a co-author of Jugaad Innovation: Think Frugal, Be Flexible, Generate Breakthrough Growth. For over 15 years Simone has studied emerging markets and how organizations can continue to innovate across all levels.

Threat Hunter Max Heinemeyer | Innovations in Cybersecurity

An expert in cybersecurity, Max Heinemeyer explains how we can prevent attacks from malicious hackers both in our personal and professional lives. Vulnerability on the Internet has increased exponentially as new “smart” devices and appliances are tied into our networks every day. In a world where we have learned to protect ourselves from physical threats, we must learn how to protect ourselves and our companies from cyber threats as well.

In this interview, Max defines the threats we face each day on the Internet, how malicious hackers have evolved, and the increasing complexity of cybersecurity. Max also provides tips and solutions for safeguarding your personal and business information.

Max is Director of Threat Hunting for Darktrace and works in their Cambridge, United Kingdom office. He works with companies to help them investigate and respond to threats, while additionally overseeing the 30+ member cybersecurity analyst team. Max also has extensive experience as a white hat hacker.

Daniel Pink | The Secrets of Perfect Timing

NYT & WSJ bestselling author Daniel Pink is here to help us understand how our cognitive ability changes throughout the day and how you can learn to plan your day around your brainpower. Knowing when to plan your creative activity, your executive work, and your administrative tasks has a massive influence over the quality of your performance.

In this interview, Daniel discusses his creative process, the importance of coordinating your creative work during the right time of day, strategies for selling your innovative ideas to investors and other decision makers, and a few tips that famous creatives have used to perform their best.

For nearly 20 years, Daniel has written about the intersection of human behavior and work. His books include Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, To Sell Is Human, A Whole New Mind, and his most recent bestseller When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing.

Coming Soon: Season Two - Creators & Innovators

12 Geniuses is back with Season Two. We have 12 new episodes coming out this fall. This season is dedicated to the theme of creativity and innovation. We will talk directly to creators of culture and innovative problem solvers. If you want to better understand how you, your team, and your organization can be more creative and innovative, this season of the podcast is for you. The first episode of Season Two is an interview with bestselling author Daniel Pink. That episode is available on September 9th. We hope you’ll subscribe and tune in!

Innovation, Creativity, Podcastdon macphersonSeptember 4, 2019Trailer, Innovation, Creativity, entrepreneurialism

Season One Review - Ryan Estis Interviews 12 Geniuses CEO Don MacPherson

That’s a wrap! 12 Geniuses Season One is now complete. Looking back at the growth of the podcast over the first season, it’s clear we learned quite a bit! In this special episode of 12 Geniuses, Ryan Estis and Don MacPherson sit down together to talk about what went well, what challenges arose, and some highlights from the first season. The two friends also chat about what is coming up next for 12 Geniuses in Season Two! Don shares some episode topics, exciting guests to look forward to, and ways you can get more 12 Geniuses content in the meantime.

Second Quarter Review - Laurie Ruettimann Interviews 12 Geniuses CEO Don MacPherson

How did your second quarter of 2019 end? Did you accomplish all that you wanted to get done? Did you meet the people you’d hoped you would? Did you go where you wanted to go? It’s helpful to do an inventory of what we have been paying attention to, where we went, what we learned, who we met, and what’s up next. That’s exactly what two friends do in this special episode of 12 Geniuses. Laurie Ruettimann, the host of the Let’s Fix Work podcast, spends some time talking with Don MacPherson about how Q2 of 2019 went for 12 Geniuses. They cover a wide range of topics from technology trends, travel, parenthood, and what the 12 Geniuses audience can expect on the podcast over the rest of 2019.

Andrew Winston | Cashing in on Climate Change

Andrew Winston has worked in the clean business industry for over a decade. Globally recognized as an expert on how companies can navigate climate change for profit, Andrew has thoroughly researched the importance of adaptability for companies in this time of change. In this interview, Andrew discusses the implications of changing climate from what our new world will look like to how we can all participate in saving the environment. Andrew also provides insight on how businesses can harness the environmental movement for better employee engagement, increased profits, and company longevity. In this interview, Andrew discusses:

Part One: The current state of the climate, creating value through sustainability, the pace of warming, defining global warming and climate change, the 1.5 Degree Report, changes to Earth’s geography, The Paris Agreement, We’re Still In movement in the United States, how countries are working to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, how to slow down climate change.

Part Two: The Big Pivot, consumer access to sustainability information, how large sized companies are making environmentally conscious changes, attracting employees with an eco-friendly company culture, the clean economy, how to make your company eco-friendly, investment opportunities in the clean economy, innovations to help save our planet.

Andrew’s publications are available on amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Andrew-S.-Winston/e/B001H6O3R2/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1

More information about Andrew is available at www.andrewwinston.com.

Sara Kenkare-Mitra | Changing Cultures & Curing Cancer

A generation ago, a cancer diagnosis meant the patient had a 50% chance of living beyond five years. Today, cancer is still an awful disease, but thanks to incredible medical advances, survival is far more likely than ever before. That’s not the only good news. In fact, there is hope that as soon as a decade from now, cancer could possibly be a managed disease instead of a killer.

In this episode, pharmaceutical expert and cancer researcher, Sara Kenkare-Mitra, shares her how she got into the pharmaceutical field, the long road to creating an effective drug, and the importance of celebrating failure.

Sara discusses:

Part One: The Road to Making a Drug

Growing up in India, moving from India to the United States, culture shock, building resilience, joining Genentech, becoming a leader, how her leadership skills as a manager needed to evolve to lead a team of 550 people, the importance of technical competence in a large organization, the drug development process.

Part Two: Curing Cancer

Why it’s good to celebrate failure, how pharmaceutical companies are curing cancer, advice for young women entering STEM fields, encouraging your teams to learn from failures, meditation and leadership, overcoming the minority effect, advocating for yourself, how being a mother made her a more effective leader, the future of cancer, the role of empathy in leadership and drug development.

Organizations, People, Resources, Places Mentioned.

Mumbai, India, Genentech, Austin, Texas, University of Texas - Austin, UCSF (University of California, San Francisco), San Francisco, Kadcyla (Her2+ Breast cancer drug), the FDA (U.S. Food & Drug Administration)

To learn more about Sara and Genentech, please visit www.Gene.com.

Giadha DeCarcer | Demystifying Cannabis

Thirty years ago, just 16% of Americans favored the legalization of marijuana. Now, 90% support legalization for medical purposes. For people who experience chronic pain, medical cannabis can be a highly effective, affordable treatment. Ten states have legalized recreational use in the United States and 33 have legalized it for medical use. This had sparked incredible opportunity both in the job market and as an investment.

As cannabis rapidly expands in the global market, we all stand to gain advancements in medical treatment, cheaper energy storage, energy efficient crops, and an explosive new job market. In this episode, serial entrepreneur and cannabis expert Giadha Aguirre de Carcer shares her knowledge of cannabis uses, the global market, and the future of cannabis.

Giadha discusses:

Part One: Changing the Dialogue on Cannabis

Being a serial entrepreneur, starting New Frontier Data, working in the field of United States intelligence, being a female tech entrepreneur, the differences in cannabis terms (CBD vs THC vs Hemp), The Farm Bill, the shift in public opinion on cannabis, medical purposes of cannabis, cannabis user profiles (discrete, weekend, medical, etc.), top ten reasons for cannabis consumption, alternative medical applications for cannabis, federal legalization of cannabis.

Part Two: The Market & Future of Cannabis

Global hemp market, cannabis as an alternative to opioids, Big Agriculture’s position in the hemp market, cannabis consumption rates, cannabis investments, creating company policies where cannabis is legal, police testing for cannabis impaired driving, the best locations for cannabis production.

Organizations, People, Resources, Places Mentioned:

New Frontier Data, University of Pennsylvania, Georgetown University, Progressive, Verizon, China, The Farm Bill, Colorado, California, Martha Stewart, A.G. William Barr, Obama and Trump administrations, Australia, Florida, Mercedes-Benz and BMW

Contact info for New Frontier Data:

https://newfrontierdata.com/

“I did finally convince her to take some CBD pills. It changed her life. She woke up one morning crying saying to me she had forgotten what it was like to not feel pain.”

Giadha Aguirre de Carcer talking about her mother using CBD instead of the opioids she was originally recommended

First Quarter Review - Joey Torkildson Interviews 12 Geniuses CEO Don MacPherson

How did your first quarter of 2019 end? Did you accomplish all that you wanted to get done? Did you meet the people you’d hoped you would? Did you go where you wanted to go? It’s helpful to do an inventory of what we have been paying attention to, where we went, what we learned, who we met, and what’s up next. That’s exactly what two friends do in this special episode of 12 Geniuses. Joey Torkildson, the host of The Grind Podcast, spends some time talking with Don MacPherson about how Q1 of 2019 went for 12 Geniuses. They cover a wide range of topics from rapidly advancing technology to traveling in Europe, to what the lineup of genius podcast guests looks like for the rest of the year.

Topics Covered

Technology: Artificial Intelligence, robotics, wearables, virtual reality, the Internet of Things

Travel: Las Vegas, Lone Pine, CA, Death Valley, Washington DC, New Haven, CT, Yale University, New York City, Phoenix, Honfleur, France, D-Day Beaches

Speaking Engagement: Fuel Work HR Technology Expo on April 10th, 2019

12 Geniuses Guests: Rebecca Ryan, Lauren Azar, Chris Farrell, Patrick Riley, Daniel Pink, Andrew Winston, Giadha Aguirre de Carcer

Catherine Carr | A Story of Self-Disruption and Reinvention

Every day, 40,000 people around the world work in extremely stressful situations to help provide assistance to people in need. People working for Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières) leave behind their comfortable lives for the opportunity to make the world a better place. On assignment they expand their self-knowledge and limitations, experience, and adapt to entirely new ways of living while helping those in need. When it’s time to return home, they experience the challenges of re-assimilating to their native culture. In this episode, humanitarian Catherine Carr shares her decade-long experience working for Doctors Without Borders and how the lessons of working as a humanitarian translate to other areas of work once you return home. Catherine discusses:

Part I: The Humanitarian Experience

Applying to Doctors Without Borders, culture shock and adaptation, finding meaning at work, learning from locals, the various roles within Doctors Without Borders, Tea in the Morning, relationship building during “morning tea,” overcoming the fear that prevents personal growth, finding happiness.

Part II: Lessons to Learn from a Humanitarian

Advice for overcoming fear and facing future changes, resistance to change, agility, discovering yourself, getting out of your comfort zone (without leaving the country), the power of teamwork, building trust with employees and community members, the unique skills of a humanitarian, coping in high-stress situations, burnout vs. stress, belief vs. truth, disruption avoidance.

Organizations, People, Resources, Places Mentioned:

Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières), PB&J Family Services, Kenya, Iraq, the Philippines, Haiti, Central African Republic, Jordan, South Sudan

www.catherinecarr.global

“I was scared of making the change, but I think what scared me even more was not making the change.”

Catherine Carr describing her decision to disrupt her career as a Human Resources leader to join Doctors Without Borders

Chris Farrell | The End of Retirement as We Know It

Chris Farrell has worked as a journalist for national publishers and public radio for decades. Throughout his career, Chris has taken a hard look at how Baby Boomers have redefined work and how they are now redefining the concept of retirement. In this interview, Chris looks at what retirement has been historically, how it is evolving, and what organizations can do to continue to leverage the talent of their most experienced people. Chris also shares his thoughts on the FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early) movement that is becoming popular among younger, affluent workers. In this interview, Chris discusses:

Part I: Unretirement and the Future of Retirement

Traditional retirement and its evolution, the relationship between continued work and mental acuity, doing meaningful work, the importance of relationships at work, health benefits as the primary reason some employees stay with their organizations, the importance of building having a thriving network for older workers, advice for those considering a career change, the FIRE movement, retirement in Europe, workforce disruption, the 55-64 year-old entrepreneur, encore careers.

Part II: The Future of Work, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship

Disruption and the future of work, creation of new jobs, the increasing rate of technological developments, adapting skills for the future, training employees for a strong and valuable workforce, career changes later in life, how to remain relevant towards the end of your career, the 50+ entrepreneur, women and entrepreneurship, immigrant entrepreneurs.

Organizations, People and Resources mentioned: Unretirement (Book and Podcast), FIRE Movement, Purpose and a Paycheck, AARP, PBS Next Avenue, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, Financial Times, Encore.org, Desk Set with Katherine Hepburn, Michael Mandel with the Progressive Policy Institute, Herman Miller, Toyota, Bloomberg Businessweek

Chris’ publications are available on amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/Chris-Farrell/e/B001HMRRYW?ref=dbs_p_pbk_r00_abau_000000

Unretirement Podcast online: https://www.apmpodcasts.org/unretirement/

Rebecca Ryan | How a Futurist Sees the World

How can you plan for your organization's future? For over two decades Rebecca Ryan has been consulting with individuals, teams, and organizations to create future plans that accommodate for our ever changing society. In this interview Rebecca shares her insights on:

Part I – Social Change in America

Who is winning economically and who is losing, the cost of being middle class, the Great Recession, the three previous “Winters” in America (The American Revolution, The Civil War and Reconstruction, and the Great Depression), social changes in America, the aging of baby boomers, the expansion of human rights, prison reform, economic development, benefit corporations (B-Corps), influential demographic changes, community planning, affordable housing, transit changes, and planning for the unexpected.

Part II – How to Predict the Future

Foresight / futuring, STEEP methodology (Society, Technology, Environment, Economy Politics), Four Forces (Resources, Technology, Demographics, Politics), crowdsourcing, advice for staying relevant in the future, future trends, how to be future ready, city planning, youth as agents of change for our future, diversifying your information sources, and the importance of delivering on America’s promise.

Organizations, people, and resources mentioned: “Re-Generation: A Manifesto for America’s Next Leaders,” “The Next Big Things” by Rebecca Ryan, Patagonia, Tom’s Shoes, Danone, WARBY PARKER, Futurist Camp, STEEP Methodology, Four Forces (Cecily Sommers), “Think Like a A Futurist: Know What Changes, What Doesn’t, and What’s Next,” www.rebeccaryan.com

“Change happens from the margins…it works its way into the mainstream. So if you want to be future ready, you need to pay attention to things that people are just now starting to talk about.”

Rebecca Ryan on the importance of empathy building and diversifying your information sources for futuring.

12 Geniuses Podcast

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