TED Business

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 designed with women in mind? After t...

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 out from its competitors—and wh...

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 filter oppor...

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.

(Following the talk, Elis...

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 displaced people are already driving...

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 conversation.

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 practice negotiating more—and...

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 that can keep you and your coll...

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 the talk, Modupe reflects on...

First impressions matter, so how do you make yours count? Communication consultant Rebecca Okamoto outlines five simple ways to introduce yourself in 20 words or fewer, setting up any interview or conversation for those three crucial words: "Tell me more." After, Modupe shares her own advice for practicing giving introductions.

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Matt Levine is the author of Bloomberg’s “Money Stuff” newsletter where he writes about Wall Street and finances. Matt joins Chris to break down common money questions such as what exactly is commodity trading? How do AI companies make money? How do companies balance ethics and virtues with increasing profits for shareholders? They also discuss how Matt uses comedy and humor to make complicated money topics access...

What do you get when you combine a major flood and near-bankruptcy? For Whole Foods cofounder John Mackey, the answer reshaped his business into a household name. He takes us back to the night his first store was destroyed, showing how shifting from a win-lose mindset to a "win-win-win" worldview helped him achieve success — and why it can work for you, too. After, Modupe teases what she would add to improve John's "win-win-w...

Every minute somewhere in Europe, a house is demolished — along with the memories and sense of community it holds, says architect Olaf Grawert. Exposing the human and environmental cost of demolition for profit, he highlights a bold alternative that could address the growing housing crisis. Learn how rethinking the value of the buildings we already have could create sustainable, affordable homes for millions and reshape the f...

For decades, investor and business leader Steve Howard watched companies pour money and effort into sustainability initiatives ... and still fall short. The problem isn’t a lack of will, he says; it’s that capitalism and climate have been wired to work against each other. He shares four realities that explain why even well-intentioned businesses fail at climate action — as well as a plan to flip the system, making...

Everything successful starts with heart — even the most pragmatic business plan, says Sharon Price John, CEO of Build-A-Bear. She shares how she led a purpose-centered approach to save the beloved teddy bear company from bankruptcy and get it back to global profitability, all by asking one powerful question. Then Modupe reflects on why focusing only on data and numbers aren't enough and how to reintroduce emotion and storytel...

What if kindness isn’t a soft skill — but a strategic one?

In this special episode from Think Fast, Talk Smart, host Matt Abrahams talks with management professor Bonnie Hayden Cheng about the business case for kindness. Her research on the “return on kindness” suggests that organizations grounded in compassion, candor, and trust often see stronger performance, deeper engagement, and healthier workplace c...

In 1999, a NASA mission to Mars failed ... not from a technical glitch, but because people weren't talking to each other. Psychology professor Tessa West explores how assumptions, overlooked details and "hidden languages" can quietly sabotage even the smartest teams — and explores the small shifts in communication that can make a big difference in how information lands. After the talk, Modupe urges you to be brave and ask for...

What does it take to fly a plane? For TED Fellow Refilwe Ledwaba, it took perseverance and drive — and an instructor who took the time to teach to her learning style. Today, as founder of Girls Fly Africa, Ledwaba is empowering the next generation of pilots, particularly young women, with the engineering skills, professional networks and hands-on experience they need to take flight into a sky-high career.

After the talk, M...