The Coursera Podcast

We sat down with Anupriya Sharma, Vice President of Technology Strategy at Walmart US, to talk about what it takes to lead digital transformation at one of the world’s largest companies.

From navigating change and scaling GenAI to building a strong learning culture, Anupriya shares how Walmart is embracing innovation while keeping people at the center. She offers insights on change management, building inclusive technologies, an...

We sat down with Ylli Bajraktari, President and CEO of the Special Competitive Studies Project (SCSP), to discuss how AI is transforming global competitiveness, national security, and the future of work.

Ylli draws on years of leadership experience across the Pentagon, the White House, and the National Security Commission on AI to explain why AI adoption is now a national imperative. He shares the founding story of SCSP, insight...

We sat down with Suraj Srinivasan, a professor at Harvard Business School and an expert in corporate governance, AI, and innovation, to explore how leaders can navigate disruption and drive meaningful change in an era of rapid technological advancements.

Suraj shares his fascinating career journey—from investment banking to launching a retail business in India to becoming a leading voice in business education. We dive into the k...

We sat down with Molly Nagler, Chief Learning Officer at Moderna, to explore how curiosity and innovation are transforming learning and development. Molly shares how Moderna is tackling challenges like AI adoption, skills shortages, and workforce transformation while making mRNA education accessible to learners worldwide.

In this episode, Molly and Arunav also discuss:

🌟 The importance of curiosity in fostering a learning culture

...

We sat down with Amanda Brophy, Director of Grow with Google, to explore how technology has transformed workforce training and career development. Amanda shared the story behind Grow with Google’s career certificates, which have empowered hundreds of thousands of learners worldwide, and highlighted the program’s focus on inclusivity, digital skills, and AI training.

In this conversation, Amanda and Arunav cover:

🎓 The origins of ...

In this episode, we sit down with Panos A. Panay⁠⁠⁠, President of the Recording Academy, to explore his remarkable journey—from founding Sonicbids to leading one of the most influential organizations in the music industry during a time of profound change. Panos shares insights on the transformative role of music education, the impact of emerging technologies like AI, and the Academy’s global efforts to inspire creativity. ⁠

In this...

We sat down with Dr. Vic Strecher, professor at the University of Michigan’s School of Public Health and the founder of Kumanu, a company focused on building purposeful cultures in organizations, to discuss transformative power of purpose and resilience.

In this episode, Vic and Arunav cover:

🧠 The physiological and psychological benefits of having a purpose

📋 Strategies to cultivate purpose, build resilience, and set meaningful...

We sat down with Sayasat Nurbek, the Minister of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan, to discuss how the widespread adoption of online learning is helping to bridge the skills gap in his country. Minister Nurbek shares his personal journey and passion for education, as well as the initiatives he has led to reshape Kazakhstan's higher education system.

In this episode, Sayasat and Arunav cover:

• The challenges of ups...

We sat down with Jeff Hollan, Head of Applications and Developer Platform at Snowflake, to discuss how product design is changing and how developers are scaling up their skill sets to make the most of AI. From enhancing collaboration to unleashing new levels of imagination, Jeff’s insights will inspire you to see AI as your new creative and technical partner.

In this episode, Jeff and Arunav cover:

• Balancing Innovation a...

Steam propelled the original Industrial Revolution; electricity powered the second; automation and machines engineered the third; and intelligent computers are shaping the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Like the revolutions that preceded it, the Fourth Industrial Revolution has the potential to raise global income levels and improve the quality of life for populations around the world; but along the way, almost every industry in eve...

We sat down with Dr. Jules White, Professor of Computer Science at Vanderbilt and Director of the university’s Initiative on the Future of Learning & Generative AI, to discuss the rise of GenAI and the importance of prompt engineering in utilizing large language models like ChatGPT. He emphasizes that GenAI is not just a passing trend but a fundamental skill that everyone should learn.

Dr. White also shares:

• Best pra...

Despite the fact that most cosmetics are targeted to and bought by women, did you know that men have an outsized influence on how they are made? In the US alone, women make up less than half of cosmetic chemists. This disparity deepens when looking at STEM as a whole, where women represent only one-quarter of the overall workforce.

We sat down with Dr. Rolanda Wilkerson, an in-house cosmetic scientist at OLAY and the Senior Directo...

As CEO of Coursera, an online learning platform with 142 million learners and hundreds of millions of course enrollments, Jeff Maggioncalda has a unique view of what’s happening around the world in edtech, higher education, and the future of work. We sat down with him to discuss:

🔮 The implications of GenAI on online learning and education

🔑 Navigating the GenAI conundrum to drive innovation and productivity at your organization

...

We sat down with Andrew Ng—Co-Founder of Coursera, Founder of DeepLearning.AI, Managing General Partner at AI Fund, Founder & CEO of Landing AI, Chairman Adjunct Professor at Stanford University, and one of the world’s most prolific and renowned AI experts—to discuss:

✅ Best practices for incorporating generative AI into your organization

📎 When is generative AII appropriate or not appropriate to use at work?

👥 How generative...

We sat down with Alexis Abramson—a mechanical engineer, the thirteenth Dean of the Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth, and co-founder of Edifice Analytics.

Degrees as a credential, particularly from top institutions, continue to be a major driver of long-term economic mobility. Offering them online creates unprecedented access for learners to gain from these prestigious programs. However, fully online degrees from Ivy League...

We sat down with Vishal Gupta, Professor in Organizational Behavior at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad, whose insightful theories on practical leadership frameworks have empowered thousands of professionals across the globe.

In this conversation, Professor Gupta details how you can become a respected and influential leader by mastering self-leadership, cultivating an empathetic communication style, and effectively navi...

We sat down with Dr. Laurie Santos, a renowned professor of psychology at Yale University and the host of the popular podcast The Happiness Lab.

Her course on evidence-based strategies for happiness, The Science of Well-Being, became the most popular in the university’s history and has developed into a global phenomenon, with the online version garnering more than 4.5 million enrollments on Coursera.

In this conversation, Laurie te...

We sat down with Dr. Barbara Oakley, whose research on the relationship between neuroscience and social behavior has been described as “revolutionary” by the Wall Street Journal. 

Dr. Oakley shares practical advice on tackling daunting subjects and beating procrastination, debunks misconceptions about limits on learning, and reveals how to cultivate a lifelong learning mindset.

She also illuminates the inspiration behind her online...

On the first episode of The Coursera Podcast, we discuss creative thinking with Professor Peter Childs, Head of the Dyson School of Design Engineering and the Professorial Lead in Engineering Design at Imperial College London. Professor Childs shares his insights on what happens in our brains when we create, techniques and frameworks to amplify our inventive abilities, and the future of imagination in the age of AI.

Check out his t...