Leading thinkers from President Barack Obama to Thomas Friedman argue that innovation is key to improving the United States economy now and in the future. If that is the case how do we prepare young people to become innovators? That is the question Tony Wagner Harvard University’s first innovation education fellow at the Technology & Entrepreneurship Center asks in his new book Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World. To find the answers Wagner profiles several young innovators drawing on interviews with them and their parents educators and mentors to discover the forces that have driven them to succeed in thinking outside the box. (Podcast with transcript)

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Wharton management professor Peter Cappelli’s most recent book -- Why Good People Can’t Get Jobs: The Skills Gap and What Companies Can Do About It -- has inspired a reaction from just about every group with a stake in today’s workforce: employers employees recruiters academics and media commentators. Cappelli debunks the oft-repeated argument from employers that applicants don’t have the skills needed for today’s jobs. Instead he puts much of the blame on companies themselves. In this interview with Knowledge at Wharton Cappelli talks about his book the current labor market and how the job hunting process can be vastly improved. (Podcast with transcript)

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Gabon is one of the stable regimes in the African continent and leaders there have a vision of progress based on being both business- and environment-friendly. Liban Soleman is the president’s chief of staff of the government of Gabon. In this interview with Knowledge at Wharton Soleman says there is enormous opportunity for investors in Gabon and in Africa as a whole. (Article with audio)

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The general approach towards private equity investments has shifted substantially in part to conform with the tougher market conditions prevailing after the financial shocks of the last few years. Gone are the days of earning profits largely through financial engineering and rapid portfolio turnover. In their place — business transformation — where investors park their money for longer terms and generally rebuild under-performing companies. Wharton professor Stephen M. Sammut and Philip Bass global private equity markets leader at Ernst & Young LLP discuss the new landscape in this Knowledge at Wharton podcast. They also take a look at the similarities — and differences — between private equity specialists and entrepreneurs. Ernst & Young: Private Equity Heads Down a New Path

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In the aftermath of the election of Socialist Francois Hollande as the new president of France eurozone austerity policies in Europe which many now blame for pushing much of the Continent back into recession appear likely to be loosened. At the same time at least some complementary growth-oriented policies may be introduced. Big questions remain however: What will these changes look like and how much difference will they make? (Article with podcast)

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In this third and final segment of the interview with Chade-Meng Tan best selling author of Search Inside Yourself Knowledge at Wharton explores the relationship between emotional intelligence and financial performance. According to Meng companies as diverse as GE Patagonia Zappos Genentech American Express and MetLife have seen positive business results through practices based on emotional intelligence. Mindfulness can also help laid off job seekers find work faster. 

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The second segment of Knowledge at Wharton’s interview with Google’s Chade-Meng Tan author of Search Inside Yourself focuses on the role that emotional intelligence can play in helping managers resolve conflicts within high-performance teams. It also shows how the Google SIY program through compassion training has helped managers become more successful and charismatic.

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Chade-Meng Tan (Meng) was among the earliest engineers to be hired at Google. Since 2007 he has been running a seven-week personal growth program called Search Inside Yourself whose mission is to promote peace and harmony through the cultivation of emotional intelligence among Google employees. Meng has now written a book titled Search Inside Yourself: The Unexpected Path to Achieving Success Happiness (and World Peace) to share these tools and techniques with companies everywhere. He spoke with Knowledge at Wharton about his conspiracy for world peace. (Podcast with transcript)

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According to Jon Huntsman Jr.  former Utah governor and Republican presidential candidate ”partisanship has seeped into campaigning [so much] that breaking through with a message that is beyond party politics ... is a very challenging thing to do.” Yet in an interview with Knowledge at Wharton he spoke about the importance of public service as well as the need for fundamental tax and energy reform the outlook for China in the coming decade the role of the media in covering elections his respect for Ronald Reagan and what he plans to do in the coming months among other topics. (Podcast with transcript)

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The U.S. Supreme Court recently heard arguments both for and against President Obama’s health care reform initiative known as the Affordable Care Act. The provision at the center of the legal debate -- the individual mandate -- requires all adults to buy health insurance either through their employers or by purchasing it themselves. Knowledge at Wharton talked with Wharton professors Scott Harrington Jonathan Kolstad Mark Pauly and Arnold Rosoff about the possible outcomes of the court case; the potential implications for businesses and consumers and ways in which health care delivery in this country can be improved. (Video with transcript)

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