Brainstorm

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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