Brainstorm

Sustainability, Inc., is a new limited-series podcast from Boston Consulting Group, produced by FORTUNE Brand Studio, without the participation of the Fortune editorial staff. In this episode, hosts speak with business leaders across the globe to better understand where we are when it comes to moving toward sustainable energy. Featuring Thomas Hörnfeldt, Vice President, Sustainability & Public Affairs, SSAB, Daniel Mölk, Asset Manager, Germany, Eavor, Mads Nipper, CEO, Ørsted, Valerie Smith, Chief Sustainability Officer, Citi, Robert Winsloe, EVP, Business Development, Eavor, and Tina Zuzek, Managing Director and Partner, Boston Consulting Group.  For more episodes, click here to subscribe to Sustainability, Inc. The views and opinions expressed by podcast speakers and guests are solely their own and do not reflect the opinions of Fortune.

The last time Tokyo hosted the Summer Games was 1964. That was the first Olympics to be televised live, around the world, and in color. The event continues to be a hotspot of innovation for broadcast. Tuning in this year you may hear mention of an athlete's metabolic data, or analysis comparing the acceleration of runners. New tech is capturing this information and spitting out the details within seconds. In today's Brainstorm you'll learn about a variety of ways technology is improving the Olympic viewing experience - providing more data and cooler camera angles than ever before. Also in today's episode, how athletes are increasingly using technology to improve their skills, and how one Olympic team is employing a unique product to protect against COVID-19. Guests include Gary Saunders, president of Kontrol Biocloud; Rick Echevarria, general manager of Intel's Olympics and Paralympics Program; and Ashton Eaton, a gold-medal Olympian, product engineer at Intel and advisor to the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance.

In the past two weeks, both Sir Richard Branson and Amazon's Jeff Bezos flew into space on their own rockets. Space tourism, they say, is just around the corner: anyone who can pay the price of admission can now travel outside our home planet. In the flurry of headlines that followed, it's easy to forget these billionaire-astronauts – along with Elon Musk – have been investing heavily in the commercial space industry for nearly two decades. There's an obvious, immediate business case: Satellites help fuel the information economy. But the longer-term ambitions of a commercial space sector are deeply imaginative, if not fanciful. Human colonies on the moon, earth-orbiting-hotels, mining asteroids for precious metals.   On today's Brainstorm, Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O'Keefe discuss the rise of the commercial space sector and the technological breakthroughs it hopes to realize.   Christian Maender, director of in-space manufacturing and research at unicorn Axiom Space, describes the company's plans to build the first private space station.  Peter Hughes, the Center Chief Technologist for NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center applauds the space-minded venture capitalists. Up in orbit, he says, the more the merrier.   Also in the episode, Mehak Sarang, research associate at Harvard Business School, discusses the limitless possibilities for scientific and technological breakthroughs that space affords.   

In a digital world, the ability to code – to train a computer, using its own language – is key, hence the enormous push to make people literate in programming languages. “Don't just play on your phone,” urged President Barack Obama in 2013, “program it.”  But today the demand for digital applications outstrips the programming talent. The became especially clear during COVID-19, when digital accessibility became a necessity. Enter low-code and no-code application development: Platforms where software is configured visually, using drag and drop interfaces. They're faster and cheaper to use than traditional coding, but how well do they work?   On today's Brainstorm, Brian O'Keefe and Fortune's Robert Hackett discuss the promise of low-code and no-code platforms, and how they've stood the test of emergency situations brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.  Laela Sturdy is a general partner at CapitalG, Alphabet's independent growth fund, which helps growth-stage tech companies scale. She says the attraction of these platforms is to enable creators and non-technical people to access the power and magic of code.   Michael Beckley is the Chief Technology Officer of Appian, the first company to go public as a low-code vendor. He says low-code has the power to deliver clients perfectly tailored software in half the time.   Also in this episode, Veronica Soto, director of San Antonio's Neighborhood and Housing Services Department describes digitizing an entire rental assistance program in a week, at the outset of the pandemic, in partnership with low-code platform Mendix.  

Fortune's Brainstorm podcast is on vacation this week, but will return next Thursday with a new episode. In the meantime, we bring you another Fortune podcast: Leadership Next (subscribe wherever you get your podcasts). Each Week, Alan Murray and Ellen McGirt interview CEOs from major companies like Intel, Hilton and Etsy. This episode of Leadership Next features Peggy Johnson, CEO of Magic Leap. The company's augmented headset never really took off with consumers, so now, Magic Leap is on a mission to find new users for its technology. Peggy spoke with Alan and Ellen earlier in the year.

Driverless cars are supposed to eliminate traffic, prevent millions of deaths and injuries, reduce congestion, and slash carbon emissions. And, they were supposed to be on our streets by now. In 2016, then-Secretary of Transportation, Anthony Foxx, now the Chief Policy Officer at Lyft, said in an interview that by 2021 “families will be able to walk out of their homes and call [an autonomous] vehicle, and that vehicle will take them to work or to school.” He wasn't the only one to make such claims. On today's Brainstorm, Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O'Keefe examine why autonomous vehicles (AVs) have yet to go mainstream, and what needs to happen in order for us to take our hands off the wheel.  Laura Major is coauthor of the book “What to Expect When You're Expecting Robots” as well as the Chief Technology Officer for Motional. Motional is a joint venture between Hyundai and Aptiv, currently partnering with Lyft on robotaxis in Las Vegas. She explains the experience of riding in a robotaxi, and how the company is approaching technical challenges it's facing. Jody Kelman, the General Manager of Lyft Autonomous, talks about what needs to happen for riders to feel comfortable in AVs, and about consolidation in the industry.  Also in this episode, Missy Cummings of Duke University and Rob Seamens of NYU explain the hype behind AVs, the unresolved technological hurdles, and the regulatory ambiguity that stands in the way of widespread adoption.   

Semiconductors are an essential part of computer chips and, therefore, power much of the technology our modern world increasingly relies upon. This is especially the case during the COVID-19 pandemic, as demand for personal electronics and internet connectivity has skyrocketed. Along with toilet paper and lumber, though, semiconductors are in short supply, due to erratic, pandemic-related bottlenecks in the global supply chain. But simply making more semiconductors isn't so easy.    On today's Brainstorm, Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O'Keefe dive into the reasons for the semiconductor shortage, and explore what solutions exist in the near and long term.   Margaret O'Mara, a professor of history at the University of Washington and author of “The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America,” describes how Silicon Valley is what it is because of the semiconductor industry and the U.S. government.  Ondrej Burkacky leads McKinsey's global Semiconductors and Business Technology practices; he explains why semiconductor manufacturing is so time and capital-intensive, and how the industry can avoid future shortages.   Also in this episode, Tyson Tuttle, CEO of Silicon Labs in Austin, Texas, describes the importance of geographic diversity in semiconductor manufacturing, and what role the government should play in preventing future shortages.  

Over the past year, cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum have garnered lots of attention, due to their meteoric rise in value. Even Dogecoin, which began as a spoof, had a market cap larger than that of Ford Motor Company this spring. But there's a growing awareness of the massive computing power these currencies require; how can something as intangible as cryptocurrency have such an enormous environmental footprint?  On today's Brainstorm, Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O'Keefe examine why Bitcoin mining, specifically, is so energy intensive, and what makes some of the alternatives "greener." Fortune's Robert Hackett explains the relationship between cryptocurrency mining and blockchain technology, and why the worldwide quest to solve a complex mathematical puzzle consumes more energy than entire countries like Argentina, or Ukraine. Alex de Vries, a financial economist and author of the Digiconomist blog, which tracks Bitcoin's energy consumption, says the more valuable Bitcoin becomes, the more incentive there is to mine it.   And Frederik Gregaard, CEO of the Cardano Foundation, explains why his cryptocurrency - ADA - is more environmentally friendly than the likes of Bitcoin and Ethereum.

When was the last time you visited a bank branch? Called a broker to make a stock trade? Paid the babysitter in cash? Increasingly, our financial lives are online. And in today's Brainstorm podcast we dig into the growth of the fintech industry. First up, Matt Harris, a partner at Bain Capital Ventures. He's been closely following - and investing in - the intersection of finance and technology for over twenty years. Zach Perret is the co-founder and CEO of Plaid whose technology allows many of your favorite financial apps to connect with your bank account. The number of fintech companies has exploded since Zach and his partner first started building Plaid - he outlines the changes he's seen, and how the pandemic has accelerated adoption of digital finance. And, Cristina Junqueira is the co-founder of Latin America's largest fintech company - Nubank, based in Brazil. What started as a no-fee credit card offering has grown to an expansive suite of products with over 40 million customers. She talks about the challenges of starting a digital bank, and the current struggle to find enough talent to keep up with Nubank's growth.

Ever since 1955 Fortune has published the Fortune 500 - a list of the country's biggest companies, ranked by revenue. And each year, that list reflects the biggest trends in business. This year, one trend stands above all others: technology is pushing business to new heights. The technology sector pulled in more profits than any other, and its market cap continues to grow. Scott DeCarlo, Fortune's list editor, breaks out some of the most telling stats. Also on today's show, Marc Benioff of Salesforce whose company illustrates the growth trajectory of many Fortune 500 tech companies. Plus, Ernie Garcia the CEO of Carvana whose digital platform for buying and selling cars was a big pandemic winner and landed on the 500 list for the first time.

Summer is right around the corner which means ... grilling! And this season there are more plant-based meats on the market than ever before. But startups are increasingly using other methods to develop alternative proteins too - and investors are flocking to support their efforts. Today's Brainstorm podcast is all about these alternative meats: the case for developing them, how Silicon Valley is embracing the challenge, who is most interested in backing these companies and - perhaps most importantly - do they taste good? Fortune senior writer Beth Kowitt wrote her first big feature on the industry in 2017 and has been following it closely ever since. She gives Brian O'Keefe and Michal Lev-Ram an industry overview. Kowitt also interviews Lisa Dyson, the founder and CEO of Air Protein. A young company that - yes - aims to make alternative protein from the elements found in air. Finally, hear from Sharyn Murray of The Good Food Institute. She has a slew of data about who is investing in this industry and where the money's going - plus an interesting argument that the government should be playing a larger role in encouraging the adoption of meatless meat. AND ... don't miss Brian's first taste of a plant-based meat alternative!

Over the course of 2020, when car trips were at a minimum due to the pandemic, Americans still spent a day of their lives, on average, sitting in traffic. Things were much worse pre-pandemic: In 2019, the average driver in Los Angeles spent almost 120 hours in traffic—nearly an entire work week. Traffic is one of the foremost inconveniences of modern life; it's also unhealthy, inefficient and wasteful, which is why technologists are leveraging the power of data and machine learning to beat back it back.   On today's Brainstorm, Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O'Keefe explore the technology behind solving system-wide traffic and mobility issues. Tiffany Chu, SVP of Remix at Via, a mobility platform, explains how COVID has forced cities to quickly rethink the best ways for people to get around. Jibo Sanyal, a computer scientist with Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, discusses his work with the city of Chattanooga to create a “digital twin” of the city, thanks to its traffic sensors, enabling them to find solutions to traffic problems virtually, before implementing them in real life.   Also in this episode, Karina Ricks, Director of the city of Pittsburgh's Department of Mobility and Infrastructure explains where the city is using adaptive traffic lights, which sense the traffic demand and time the lights accordingly, and where it's not.  

Virtual reality (VR) is no longer futuristic fantasy: it's a growing market across many industries, from gaming to education. In healthcare, doctors, nurses and therapists are immersing patients in computer-generated, interactive environments. And while it's no silver bullet, VR is proving to be powerful medicine. Studies show it can improve health outcomes in many situations, whether in labor and delivery, managing chronic pain, or for treating conditions like depression and anxiety.   On today's Brainstorm, Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O'Keefe explore how VR works is being used by doctors and therapists, and its limitations.  Dr. Brennan Spiegel, Director of Health Services Research at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles and the author of "VRx: How Virtual Therapeutics Will Revolutionize Medicine" explains VR gives patients an alternative to traditional pain medication.   Xavier Palomer is CEO of Psious, a company that designs VR applications for mental health treatment. He explains how the technology helps patients overcome phobias. Also in this episode, Tom Norris, a medically retired Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force, explains his decades-long struggles with chronic pain and how VR has enabled him to better manage it.    

At the end of April, the European Union outlined ambitious new regulations for the use of Artificial Intelligence (A.I.). Systems that determine who gets a job, or who's eligible for a bank loan, will have to prove their trustworthiness. While implementation is several years away, companies worldwide are already adjusting. The EU says the new rules reflect its human-centered values; skeptics say the laws intend to clip the wings of Chinese and American innovators, who are widely considered well-ahead in the global A.I. race.   On today's Brainstorm, Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O'Keefe explore how the regulations will impact both businesses and users in Europe and elsewhere. Fortune's Jeremy Kahn discusses how the tech industry has responded to EU regulations in the past – and what that spells for the future.    Anu Bradford, a law professor and Director of the Center for European Legal Studies at Columbia University, explains how Europe hopes to mitigate the risk of A.I. systems without disincentivizing innovation.   Also in this episode, Alex Beyer, Data Protection Officer for Sweden-based Hubert A.I., an A.I. job recruiting platform, describes what compliance with the new regulations will mean for the company.

Apple's new iOS 14.5 contains a privacy feature that's worrying the digital advertising industry. iPhone and iPad users will now be asked if they'd like to allow individual apps to track their activity across other apps. Digital advertisers, like Facebook, fear the answer will overwhelmingly be “no,” which is why some say Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature could seriously change how much advertisers get to know about us.  On today's Brainstorm, Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O'Keefe examine what the ATT means for rivaling tech giants Apple and Facebook, as well as for smaller businesses and consumers. Fortune's Aaron Pressman explains how Facebook went from running full-page ads blasting Apple's decision to claiming it could, in fact, be good for business.   Todd Parsons, Chief Product Officer at online advertising platform Criteo, says there are effective ways of advertising to consumers without accessing the kind of data that targeted advertising requires.   Also in this episode, Gennie Gebhart, a privacy researcher with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, explains how advertising is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how user data is commoditized; what we don't know about, she says, is the vast network of data brokers we've never heard of, who are watching us.   

Global carbon emissions fell in 2020 for the first time in decades, due to the pandemic and the resulting economic slowdown. Empty airports and quiet highways meant fewer planes and cars spewing carbon dioxide into the air. The decline was significant, but emissions need to fall even more - for several years in a row - in order to reach the emissions goals set by the Paris Climate Agreement. To make matters worse: emissions are rising again.   On today's Brainstorm, Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O'Keefe examine ways technology can help combat climate change. Andrew Beebe, a Managing Director with the early-stage venture firm Obvious Ventures, talks about the enormous business opportunity decarbonizing the global economy poses, and talks about the companies his firm is backing, from electric buses to flying cars.  JB Straubel, CEO and Founder of Redwood Materials discusses recycling batteries for electric vehicles. The co-founder and former CTO of Tesla says battery recycling, as a relatively new field, is ripe for innovation.    Also in the episode, Rob Niven, Founder and CEO of Carbon Cure, talks about enabling the concrete industry to improve operations while reducing its carbon footprint.  

After months and months of staying put, people are itching to travel. According to recent Google Trends, searches in the U.S. for “resort” and “hotel” are at five and 10-year highs, respectively. While the CDC recommends delaying travel until fully vaccinated, the number of vaccinated people grows each day, as does demand for a return to normalcy.     On today's Brainstorm, Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O'Keefe examine how technology can help us start moving safely again, even as the pandemic continues.   The tech raising eyebrows the most in this arena may be the digital vaccine credential, or “vaccine passport." The technology allows you to carry proof of vaccination around on your phone. Some feel this is an invasion of privacy while others simply don't trust the tech industry to protect their data. Fortune's David Z. Morris digs into the controversy surrounding “vaccine passports.”   Joel White, the Executive Director of the Health Innovation Alliance, explains why not all credentials are created equal. And Eric Piscini, IBM's VP of Emerging Business Networks, discusses the Excelsior Pass, New York's first-in-the-nation digital vaccine credential app; he shares how blockchain helps keep user data safe. Also in the episode, Catherine Powell, Global Head of Hosting for Airbnb, who details what travelers will likely be looking for come summer.

Proponents of artificial intelligence say it can eliminate human bias in hiring. Critics argue the algorithms are as flawed as the people making them. Nonetheless, A.I is becoming a mainstay in how employers attract applicants and select talent. According to the Brookings Institution, 55 percent of U.S. human resource leaders use some kind of predictive algorithms: A.I. matches candidates with job openings; it analyzes facial expressions and movements during interviews; game-based tests and personality quizzes supposedly match the right people with the right role.   On today's Brainstorm, Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O'Keefe examine how A.I. can improve hiring, but how it can also fall dangerously short of its promises.   Alexandra Givens is the President and CEO of the Center for Democracy and Technology. Barring any substantive A.I. regulation, she says employers are responsible for knowing the drawbacks of these powerful algorithmic tools.   Jake Appel, Chief Strategist for ORCAA, the O'Neil Risk Consulting and Algorithmic Analysis, says that no one should be surprised algorithms make the lucky even luckier.  And Kieran Snyder, CEO and co-founder of Textio, describes how her company's augmented writing platform relies on machine learning as well as human editorial oversight.

COVID-19 has pushed small businesses to the brink. A survey from the Federal Reserve Bank shows three out of every 10 small businesses in the U.S. say they won't survive 2021 without additional government assistance. For the ones lucky—or savvy—enough to stick around, a digital presence is key.   On today's Brainstorm, hosts Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O'Keefe trace the path small businesses must take to digitize. Visa's Mary Kay Bowman explains how customer demand for contactless payments has engendered new ways to buy and sell.  April Underwood, founder and CEO of Nearby, discusses leveling the playing field between massive online retailers and small businesses by creating a local, online marketplace.  Also in this episode, Kelsey Moriera, CEO of Doughp, talks about transforming her cookie dough company into an e-commerce business in the early days of the pandemic, and Luke Pardue, an economist with the company Gusto, talks about some surprising trends he's seen from small businesses weathering the pandemic. 

On March 11, the digital artist Beeple sold his “Everydays: The First 5000 Days” collage in a Christie's online auction for $69.3 million. Its buyer didn't receive anything to display on a wall. Instead he received a NFT, a “non-fungible token.” NFTs are essentially a certificate of ownership, recorded on the blockchain, for a digital asset that is seemingly just a Google search away for the rest of us. On today's Brainstorm, hosts Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O'Keefe probe the profitable, perplexing world of NFTs with the help of Fortune's Robert Hackett. He explains how NFTs create scarcity in the infinite digital environment of the internet.  Noah Davis, a specialist in Post-War and Contemporary Art at Christie's, recounts the beguiling auction for Beeple's work, and describes what's in store for the future of NFT art.   Finally, Caty Tedman, the Head of Partnerships at Dapper Labs discusses the company's collaboration on NBA Top Shot, a digital sports collectibles marketplace which has seen sky-rocketing growth since its launch only five months ago.   

At the end of January, Tesla CEO Elon Musk grilled Vlad Tenev, the CEO of investing app Robinhood, about the frenzied trading of GameStop stock. The billionaire tech titans weren't on TV having their unscripted conversation about one of the biggest stories of the month; they weren't even on a podcast. Instead, they spoke to a live audience on the new, invite-only, iPhone-only, audio-only app, called Clubhouse.   What exactly is Clubhouse? The next big thing, or the latest flash in the pan? On today's Brainstorm, hosts Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O'Keefe ask Fortune's Danielle Abril to show them around the app and explain the hype.  Jon Sakoda, founding partner of venture-capital firm Decibel Partners explains how Clubhouse is the perfect app for pandemic life. It's hardly a coincidence, then, that the app is valued at a billion dollars, officially making Clubhouse a unicorn startup.   Finally, Eliran Sapir, founder and CEO of Apptopia, discusses how social media startups manage to stick around, despite the competition, and how Clubhouse appears to be measuring up.    

It's been a year since kids across the country left their classrooms and started learning from home. Many students find the virtual classroom a poor substitute for the real thing. And far too many families aren't properly equipped for remote learning, which only exacerbates the persistent social and racial inequities in education. Still, the pandemic is ushering in a new reliance on technology in education - and investors are betting tech only becomes more integral to the classroom.   On today's Brainstorm, hosts Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O'Keefe discuss the growth of education technology, and ask how well it works. Hardeep Gulati, CEO of PowerSchool, explains that the company's end-to-end platform serves not just students and teachers, but parents and administrators as well.   James Kim, a partner at Reach Capital – a venture capital firm focused on education – tells us about some of the innovations he's seeing from ed-tech startups.  Finally, Ellen Meier and Karen Kirsch Page of Teachers College Columbia University discuss the importance using technology to engage students in new ways, and how to best help teachers make the most of digital tools.  

While mid-February brought some unusual cold to much of the U.S., Texas was frigid. Dallas reached its third-coldest temperature on record at minus-2 degrees. Austin had its largest two-day snowfall since 1949. Natural gas lines froze, as did wind turbines. When Texans cranked up their heaters, the electric grid couldn't keep up; millions lost power and at least 40 people died, although that figure is likely an undercount. Some blame the state's go-it-alone approach to its grid, while others point to lack of regulation. Still a larger question remains: Why do traditional electric grids fail?   On today's Brainstorm, hosts Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O'Keefe examine what's needed to modernize the electric grid, to make it smarter and more reliable. According to Emmanuel Lagarrigue, Chief Innovation Officer of Schneider Electric, the “smart grids” of tomorrow will rely on a network of solar panels hosted by businesses and homeowners, connected by software and made efficient through artificial intelligence.   Dr. Elta Kolo, Grid Edge Research Content Lead at Wood Mackenzie says we are entering something of a grid-renaissance as technologies scale, thanks - at least in part - to venture capital and investments from energy majors like Shell and BP.   And finally Michael Putt, Director of Smart Grid Innovation at Florida Power and Light ,describes how the utility is already implementing smart-grid technology and seeing impressive results.  

In the last few years, professional, competitive video-gaming, or “e-sports,” has seen tremendous growth. In 2018, over 100 million people watched the League of Legends World Championship Finals, held in South Korea, which beat viewership of the Super Bowl that year. Before COVID, e-sports could sell out venues like Madison Square Garden. During the pandemic, even more fans have been flocking to events online. And this has caught the attention of more corporate sponsors.   On today's Brainstorm, hosts Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O'Keefe explore just how big e-sports have become. Dillon Price, otherwise known as “Attach,” is a professional Call of Duty player for the Minnesota RØKKR. At age 18, he became the youngest ever world champion, winning $100,000 in prize money.  Today, he receives a salary from his team, all while capitalizing on streaming and sponsorship opportunities. We also hear from Johanna Faris of video game giant, Activision Blizzard. She's the Commissioner of Call of Duty E-sports and explains how the league functions, identifies talent, and how it's been conducting events remotely.  Finally, Marty Strenczewilk, Head of Competitive Gaming for OneTeam Partners, explains how e-sports fans also happen to be the target consumer base for major brands, driving mainstream companies from Nike to BMW to sponsor events and players. 

While technology has enormous power to solve problems, it can also systematize the most toxic elements of our culture. Think algorithms that equate beauty with lighter skin, or that disproportionately disqualify black people from receiving bank loans. Why haven't the creators behind the tech corrected these problems? And what will it take to fix them?  Brainstorm hosts Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O'Keefe speak with tech insiders and experts committed to building more inclusive technology. Sharae Gibbs is an Interaction Designer at Google and the CEO of She Designs, which is building a pipeline into the tech industry for women, especially women of color, through online courses, mentorship and job-training.   Then we hear from Nikkia Reveillac, Head of Research for Twitter, about how the company is increasing healthy participation on its platform. And finally, Mutale Nkonde, CEO of the non-profit AI for the People, details how technology can negatively impact users based on their race...and how we can fix that problem.

Social distancing; quarantining; avoiding bars and restaurants. The very public health guidance that saves lives and slows the spread of COVID-19 would seem to make dating during a pandemic impossible. But people have flocked to online dating apps: Tinder set a record for daily swipes, counting 3 billion on March 29, 2020. Between March and May of last year, OkCupid saw a 700% increase in dates.   Brainstorm hosts Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O'Keefe look at the pandemic-fueled boom in online dating. We hear from Catherine Connelly, a co-founder of The Meet Group, which owns and operates popular dating apps MeetMe, Skout, Tagged, LOVOO and GROWLr.  She explains how video dating has driven big revenue at the company over the past year. Then we hear from ex-Fortune-writer Jon Birger who's written a new book, “Make Your Move: The New Science of Dating and Why Women Are in Charge.” He tells us why women seeking men might find that a little boldness goes a long way right now.   Also in the episode: Alison Stevenson, a Los Angeles-based writer and comedian, who tells us why she's giving up on dating apps (at least for now).

You may have heard of the SolarWinds hack. Or, maybe not. News of the incident began trickling out slowly, in the midst of the U.S. election dispute and rising COVID-19 numbers. But the more we've learned about the attack, the more clear it's become that this is a big deal. Brainstorm hosts Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O'Keefe explain how the attack was carried out, who was involved, and what the fallout may be. They are assisted by Fortune writer David Z. Morris, and Dmitri Alperovitch, Chair of the Silverado Policy Accelerator, and founder and previous CTO of CrowdStrike, a large cybersecurity company. Then the conversation shifts to prevention. Protecting our country from sophisticated cyber espionage will require some big changes. Suzanne Spaulding helps tell this part of the story. She's a senior advisor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and a member of the Cyberspace Solarium Commission. She formerly ran cybersecurity infrastructure in the Department of Homeland Security.

We're all familiar with the science-fiction trope of a computer getting so smart it takes on a mind of its own. That fantasy nowadays feels all too realistic, thanks to advances in Natural Language Processing (NLP). On today's Brainstorm, hosts Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O'Keefe examine what it means to teach a computer to understand and even “think” like a human. What are the innovative possibilities this unlocks? What are the dangers?  Fortune Senior Writer Jeremy Kahn guides us through the latest developments in NLP. Then we hear from Will Hanschell, CEO of Pencil, a company that uses algorithms to generate commercial ads more quickly, cheaply, and - it hopes - more effectively for clients. Also in the episode is Jesse Shemen, CEO of PaperCup, which uses AI to automate voice translation, giving content creators the keys to unlocking a larger audience than ever before. 

The coronavirus vaccine rollout has been anything but smooth. Like everything related to COVID-19, the reasons behind that are complicated.  On today's Brainstorm, hosts Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O'Keefe highlight one of the problems: the struggle to report and share data related to the virus. They dig into how this is hindering the vaccination effort.     Three guests help tell the story.  Tarek Tomes is the Chief Information Officer for the State of Minnesota and the Commissioner of Minnesota IT Services.   Dr. Rebecca Weintraub is a physician at Brigham and Women's Hospital, assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, Director at Ariadne Labs and Managing Director at the DRK Foundation.   And Sy Mukherjee reports on health and healthcare for Fortune.   Together, they lay out the myriad groups involved with distributing the vaccine and the vast amounts of data that's collected, pointing out these groups have no centralized method of sharing this data. Also a concern: tracking an individual's vaccination record.

COVID-19 has been no friend to our collective mental health. Rates of anxiety and depression have soared since the pandemic began, as has alcohol and drug use. In this episode of Brainstorm, Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O'Keefe talk to business leaders leveraging technology to address the problem. Robin McIntosh, co-founder and co-CEO of Workit Health, a virtual rehab service, extols the ability of telemedicine to increase accessibility for those seeking treatment. And while that's unquestionably a good thing, says venture capitalist Hunter Walk; investors in these companies can't adopt a growth-at-all-costs mentality. He explains why. Finally, Cisco's Chief People Officer, Fran Katsoudas, discusses how the company is protecting employees' mental health in these unprecedented times. Visit MakeItOK.org to get resources, tips for talking about mental health, and more. If you or anyone you know is struggling, there's help available, any time. It's free and you'll reach a trained volunteer. You can reach the Crisis Text Line by texting the word HOME to 741-741, or call the Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.

If you've committed to an ambitious fitness regimen to start off the New Year, there's a good chance your devices are involved somehow. Whether you're counting your steps daily or throwing punches in a no-impact boxing match courtesy of virtual reality, digital technology is becoming integral to how we exercise. In this episode of Brainstorm, Brian O'Keefe talks to Eric Friedman, a co-founder of Fitbit, about trends the company has seen from users over the course of the pandemic. While it's no surprise people are exercising less, Dr. Abi Fisher, a professor of physical activity and health at University College London, tells Brian about the enormous potential technology has to help people stay motivated and live healthier lives. And finally, Michal Lev-Ram chats with Aly Orady, CEO of Tonal, about the intelligent home gym and personal trainer he developed for at-home strength training.

Despite a global pandemic and rocky economy, the IPO market has been booming in recent weeks. And tech stocks appear to be among some of the hottest buys. As Lise Buyer of Class V Group tells Brainstorm, "It's a fiesta, and the tequila shots are flowing." In this episode, Michal Lev-Ram talks to Buyer about non-traditional methods of going public: SPACs and the auction model. Both are gaining popularity; Buyer explains why. Then, Brian O'Keefe speaks with Threshold Ventures' Emily Melton about how the rush to go public looks from the venture capital world, and what trends she's seen that will carry over into 2021. Finally, hear from Fortune's Maria Aspan whose recent Fortune feature digs into problems and biases faced by female startup founders.

While in-store sales this Black Friday were significantly down, holiday shopping hasn't skipped a beat thanks to online sales. But retailers with services like curbside pickup are faring far better than others, says Fortune's Phil Wahba. In this episode, Brainstorm's Brian O'Keefe and Michal Lev-Ram speak with Wahba about the winners and losers on the retail side of this holiday season. Also in the episode, a conversation with Loren Padelford, Vice President and General Manager of Shopify, an e-commerce platform that's experienced meteoric growth during the pandemic. And you'll hear from Ben Jones, CEO of Ohi. His smart warehousing company enables same-day delivery for smaller brands looking to compete with the shipping norms established by giants like Amazon and Walmart.

Elon Musk may be a controversial leader, but there's no arguing with his results. Tesla is joining the S&P, and its stock is up over 500% for the year. Meanwhile, SpaceX is bringing new life to the U.S. space program, successfully delivering astronauts to the International Space Station for the first time last month. Brainstorm's Brian O'Keefe and Michal Lev-Ram speak with Fortune's Andrew Nusca about what drives Musk who, in his free time, has also founded a handful of wildly different companies and promoted in-demand products like tequila and flame-throwers. Also in the episode, a conversation with GM's Ken Morris, VP of Electric and Autonomous Vehicles. The legacy automaker has committed to an all-electric future. And while Musk's Tesla may have lit the fire under the electric vehicle market, the scale of GM means it can put many more drivers into environmentally-friendly cars. And, because no conversation about Tesla is complete without debating the merits of its stock price, you'll hear from Alyssa Altman of Publicis Sapient.

Bitcoin prices are rising fast, and Fortune's Robert Hackett argues the cryptocurrency is approaching bubble territory. CoinShare's Meltem Demirors says otherwise. But the two agree on one thing: more and more investors are turning to cryptocurrency as a means of diversifying their portfolios. Also in this episode of Brainstorm, hosts Brian O'Keefe and Michal Lev-Ram ask what happened to blockchain, and wonder if anyone has managed to find a practical way to use cryptocurrency as a payment tool. Finally, Ripple's Brad Garlinghouse joins the show to discuss how U.S. regulation is hindering his company, and explain why China seems primed to dominate digital currency markets. If you enjoy Brainstorm, check out the Fortune podcast "Reinvent" about companies fighting to thrive in a world turned upside down. To listen and subscribe, click here from your mobile device.

One year ago today, Disney launched its streaming service, Disney Plus. Over the next nine months, the service attracted 60 million subscribers. Originally, the company had predicted it would take five years to hit that number.  Now, one year after launch, it has 73 million subscribers. What happened? A global pandemic. With all of us stuck at home, time spent watching TV skyrocketed. But at some point, the pandemic will ease. Which streaming services will manage to hold our attention, and how will they do it? Fortune's Aric Jenkins offers his insight. And, the Brainstorm Podcast hears from industry veteran Andy Forssell who now heads HBO Max. Also in this episode, the Chief Creative Officer of Industrial Light & Magic, Rob Bredow. While you may not recognize the company name, you likely know Bredow's work - he's behind many of the visual effects in your favorite Star Wars productions. He tells Brainstorm about one of his group's newest technologies - the StageCraft LED stage. The technology was used to shoot much of The Mandalorian, and has proved particularly useful as crews adjust to the restrictions that accompany COVID-19. (Wondering if talk turns to Baby Yoda? Listen, and find out!) If you enjoy Brainstorm, check out the new Fortune podcast "Reinvent" about companies fighting to thrive in a world turned upside down. To listen and subscribe, click here from your mobile device.

The number of people infected with coronavirus continues to mount - as does the pressure on scientists and researchers to find a vaccine. Today, Brainstorm is talking about the technology that's enabling this important work. Brian O'Keefe speaks with Nvidia's VP and General Manager of Healthcare. The company's A.I. platforms are driving not only the search for a vaccine, but also developing therapeutics, COVID-19 testing, and more. Then, Michal Lev-Ram points out that even once a vaccine is discovered, governments have to figure out the logistics of distribution. Plus, there's an added challenge of public skepticism around even receiving the vaccine. Tech companies are tackling these problems too. Lev-Ram speaks with Qualtrics President Zig Serafin. If you enjoy Brainstorm, check out the new Fortune podcast "Reinvent" about companies fighting to thrive in a world turned upside down. To listen and subscribe, click here from your mobile device.

According to guests on today's Brainstorm, Google and other big tech platforms are hurting democracy and stifling the economy. And, these experts agree on an important point: the antitrust lawsuit being brought by the U.S. Justice Department against Google is just the opening shot in an escalating battle against companies like Amazon, Facebook and Apple. Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O'Keefe speak with Gabriel Weinberg, the CEO of search engine DuckDuckGo; Maurice Stucke, law professor at the University of Tennessee and co-author of 'Competition Overdose;' and Fortune Senior Writer, Aaron Pressman. If you enjoy Brainstorm, check out the new Fortune podcast "Reinvent" about companies fighting to thrive in a world turned upside down. To listen and subscribe, click here from your mobile device.

Russian interference via Facebook, Twitter and Google in the 2016 U.S. Presidential election was a wake-up call for many. As Brainstorm host Michal Lev-Ram says, it was the first time the general public realized social media platforms could do more harm than good in the world. Fast forward to today. What have the platforms done to battle misinformation? How effective have their changes been? And how will all of this impact the 2020 Election? Lev-Ram, along with co-host Brian O'Keefe, turn to three experts for answers. They speak with tech investor turned activist Roger McNamee, MIT Professor and author of "The Hype Machine," Sinan Aral, and Fortune reporter Danielle Abril. If you enjoy Brainstorm, check out the new Fortune podcast "Reinvent" about companies fighting to thrive in a world turned upside down. To listen and subscribe, click here from your mobile device.

Wildfires take lives, destroy property and are costing the state of California increasingly more money. What is Silicon Valley doing to help? That's what Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O'Keefe explore in this episode of Brainstorm. They speak with Joaquin Ramirez of Technosylva, the company using machine learning and big data to create “firecasts” for Cal Fire - the state's largest fire department. Also in the episode: Stanford professor and researcher Eric Appel who developed a fire retardant that can be sprayed on known “hot spots” once a season. His technology stops fires before they start and, after a few months, simply biodegrades. Finally, long-time tech entrepreneur Gina Bianchini of Mighty Networks shares her opinion that while preventing and fighting fire is important, Silicon Valley should also be looking for ways to make rebuilding from fires easier.

There are certain tasks we humans would much rather robots do, like collecting wastewater samples from our sewers. For other jobs, like cleaning, robots can perform helpful tasks that compliment work already done by humans. But there is no doubt that when robots get to work, human jobs are in danger. Fortune's Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O'Keefe are joined by their colleague, Jeremy Kahn, who writes about robotics. They're also joined by Biobot's Mariana Matus and Julie Shah of MIT and author of the forthcoming book, "What to Expect When You're Expecting Robots."

Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, more people than ever before are working at home. For many it's been a painful shift. But good news: there are ways to do it better! Fortune's Michal Lev-Ram and Brian O'Keefe explore how companies and managers can ease the pain in this debut episode of The Brainstorm Podcast. They are joined by some true remote work experts: Zoom COO Aparna Bawa and Gitlab's Head of Remote, Darren Murph. Members of Fortune's tech team also have insight to add.

Technology is disrupting our world and reshaping our lives, sometimes in ways we don't realize. In this weekly podcast, Fortune Senior Writer Michal Lev-Ram and Deputy Editor Brian O'Keefe dig behind the headlines to explore the world of tech. They speak with leaders of some of the biggest companies - and others perhaps you've never heard of - and call on industry experts for insight. Fortune's team of tech reporters and writers also weighs in on what's happening in technology news and why it matters for everyone.