The IVY Podcast

Daniella Yacobovsky, the co-founder of the rapidly growing e-commerce company BaubleBar, is transforming the way women shop for jewelry and accessories. With its “fast fashion” approach to women’s jewelry, BaubleBar provides its customers with on-trend products at an affordable price.

Evidently, it’s working: Daniella and her co-founder, Amy Jain — who both come from investment banking backgrounds — raised $20 million in funding during their Series C round in 2016. The two have been recognized by Inc., Fast Company, and TechCrunch, among others, as the “Most Influential Female Founders.”

We invited Daniella into the studio to hear about the initial startup days of BaubleBar, the process of raising significant venture-capital funding, how they scaled without hampering their entrepreneurial spirit, and more.

IVY held a conversation in Chicago with Mindy Mackenzie, the highly accomplished speaker, CEO advisor, and author of the new book The Courage Solution. This is our second conversation with Mindy as part of a larger series on the power of authenticity in the workplace.

Mindy, who oversaw Beam’s $16-billion acquisition by Japan’s Suntory Holdings in 2014, talks about how to bring your true self to work, speak unpopular truths, and engage in every aspect of your business.

Jenny Dearborn is the Chief Learning Officer at the software giant SAP and has been recognized as “one of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Technology.” She believes that being data-oriented leads to more than just success in the marketplace — it fosters better leadership and creates happier organizational structures.

Drawing on insights from her latest book, The Data Driven Leader, Jenny discusses how we can use data to solve important leadership challenges and overhaul work cultures for the better.

In this episode of The IVY Podcast, we talk to Paul Bloom, a Yale University professor of psychology and cognitive science. Bloom calls into question our culture’s current focus on empathetic thinking and argues that it distorts our judgment in every aspect of our lives.

The Harvard Business School Class of 2010 graduated in the midst of the worst economic crisis in the United States since the Great Depression. These students realized they'd have to take matters into their own hands to tackle the problems they wanted to solve. In the years since, they've generated the most successful cohort of startups Harvard Business School has ever seen, including IVY.

Now, IVY is talking with these founders and entrepreneurs to hear how they managed to emerge from the economic crisis with thriving businesses, and what lessons they've learned on leadership and the power of community along the way.

Please enjoy the first conversation in this series of interviews, featuring the co-founder and CEO of Plated, Josh Hix.

In this episode of The IVY Podcast, we talk to serial entrepreneur, corporate advisor, and IVY Thought Leader, George Swisher. A former ad agency executive who has founded five startups of his own, this expansive conversation covers how to get comfortable in your panic zone, why you should learn to love mistakes, the importance of emotional vulnerability, and more.

Mindy Mackenzie has walked the walk: as the Chief Performance Officer of Beam, she oversaw the company’s $16-billion acquisition by Japan’s Suntory Holdings in 2014. Widely regarded as the “Velvet Hammer,” Mindy was known for being a highly effective executive, but one who led her team with compassion and empathy.

The following discussion features Harvard Business School Professor, behavioral scientist, and IVY Thought Leader, Francesca Gino. Gino’s groundbreaking research focuses on judgment and decision-making, and is richly explored in her recent book, Sidetracked: Why Our Decisions Get Derailed, and How We Can Stick to the Plan.

Gino joined IVY to discuss the psychological reasoning behind why we struggle to hold onto certain decisions, and how to actually best reach our intended goals.

In this episode, we speak with Lavinia Errico, the visionary founder of Equinox Fitness Clubs and the “Inside/Out” movement. A nationally acclaimed fitness and wellness entrepreneur, Errico offers sage advice on topics ranging from entrepreneurship and leadership to nutrition, self-awareness, and emotional balance.

As a sought-after consultant and angel investor in diverse startups, Errico inspires individuals and organizations with her unique, disruptive take on how to create a more powerful, authentic, inspiring, and joyful journey through life.

Press and media outlets are scrutinized as much as the subjects they cover, perhaps now more than ever. With the rise of social media and other forms of mass communication, these organizations are having to rethink the way they operate, and just as importantly, the way they tell the news.

We hosted a conversation with Alexandra Villoch, the Miami Herald Media Company’s President and Publisher, to navigate the ins and outs of today’s shifting media landscape. Alexandra touches on such subjects as current perceptions of media, “fake news,” and the evolving industry of journalism