Last episode introduced the concept of common ownership. That’s where major investors buy significant stakes across competing firms, which can lower competition, raise prices, and affect innovation. But what could be done about that? Is there a way to address these anti-competitive issues?

Host Curt Nickisch talks potential solutions with Florian Ederer, Allen and Kelli Questrom Professor in Markets, Public Policy & Law at BU Questrom; Glen Weyl, founder of the RadicalxChange Foundation and the Plurality Institute;

and Fiona Scott Morton, Theodore Nierenberg Professor of Economics at the Yale School of Management.

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When the same big investors buy stakes in multiple competing companies, are those firms still competitors? When they practically have the same owner, do they set their prices differently? Do they lose their drive to innovate?

This is not a thought experiment. It’s real and widespread—a phenomenon known as common ownership. Is common ownership just smart investing, or is it reducing competition and driving up costs? And what, if anything, should be done about it?

To explain, host Curt Nickisch speaks to Florian Ederer, Allen and Kelli Questrom Professor in Markets, Public Policy & Law at BU Questrom.

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Innovation is what drives progress—but in healthcare, progress can feel frustratingly slow. New treatments, technologies, and approaches have the potential to save lives and reduce costs, yet systemic barriers often stand in the way. Are financial incentives in this regulated market holding innovation back? If so, how badly? What would it take to realign them?

Today, host Curt Nickisch speaks to Jim Rebitzer Professor, Markets, Public Policy & Law, Questrom School of Business, and his brother Bob Rebitzer, National Advisor at Manatt Health.

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As we’ve discussed these last few episodes, there’s a lot that goes into how executives get paid—but what about the people working beneath those executives? How do employees feel about executive compensation, and how can companies balance rewarding top leaders while keeping employees engaged and valued?

Today, we explore how pay structures shape workplace culture, trust, and motivation—and what can be done to make them feel fairer.

Host Curt Nickisch speaks to Charlie Tharp, Professor of the Practice at BU Questrom School of Business and Peter Fasolo, Former CHRO at Johnson & Johnson.

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For our next conversation on executive compensation, we’re exploring some of the big questions researchers are tackling today. Like: How much of CEO pay is driven by luck? Have these pay packages gotten too complex? And are CEOs being fairly rewarded — or punished — for the risks they take?

Host Curt Nickisch is joined by BU Questrom Professors Ana Albuquerque and Charlie Tharp.

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 Today's episode dives into the voice that shareholders have and how executives are paid, including large institutional shareholders. What does that relationship look like between investors and companies, and how does this affect CEO pay?

Host Curt Nickisch chats with Bob McCormick, Executive Director at the Council of Institutional Investors, and Charlie Tharp, Professor of the Practice at Boston University Questrom School of Business.

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Why and how did CEO paychecks become so massive and divisive? Who decides what leaders are worth? And what’s the ripple effect on companies, workers, and the economy?

Host Curt Nickisch unpacks these issues and more with Charles Tharp, Professor of the Practice at the Questrom School of Business and former CEO and founding member of the Center On Executive Compensation in Washington D.C.

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How do we reconcile the protection of free speech with the need to prevent harmful misinformation from spreading online? Is it even possible to strike a balance?

Host Curt Nickisch speaks to Marshall Van Alstyne, the Allen and Kelli Questrom Professor in Information Systems at Boston University Questrom School of Business; Nadine Strossen, Professor of Law at New York Law School and former president of the American Civil Liberties Union; and Michael Masnik, CEO and Founder of Copia Institute and its publication Techdirt.

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From political lies to viral conspiracy theories, misinformation has reshaped our digital landscape—creating confusion, influencing public perception, and altering national debates.

Just how widespread has misinformation become? What are the roles that social media platforms play, and what are some potential solutions?

Host Curt Nickisch speaks to Marshall Van Alstyne, the Allen and Kelly Questrom Professor in Information Systems at Boston University Questrom School of Business and Gordon Pennycook, Associate Professor of Psychology and Himan Brown Faculty Fellow at Cornell University

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Last week's episode features the first part of a panel centered around the Business Round Table's pledge five years ago to redefine the purpose of a corporation, by create value for all stakeholders, not just shareholders. Today, we continue where we left off, and look into the future. How should boards operate now? What should they taking into account differently in the coming years?

Host Curt Nickisch speaks to Lynn Paine, Professor at Harvard Business School, Om Prakash Bhatt, the former chair and CEO of the State Bank of India, Anthony Allott, former chair and CEO of Silgan Holdings, and James Orlikoff, president of Orlikoff & Associates Inc.

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