Why do some leaders act boldly while others freeze? Harvard Business School Professor Ranjay Gulati, author of How to Be Bold: The Surprising Science of Everyday Courage, joins host Gregg Fisher OF Quent Capital to explore how courage drives business performance and strategic focus.

From capital allocation in downturns to the psychology of risk, Gulati and Fisher unpack what separates companies that reinvent themselves from those that play it safe—and fade. A data-driven look at how corporate boldness compounds over time.

Why do most mergers and acquisitions fail? Professors Feng Gu and Baruch Lev, co-authors of The M&A Failure Trap, join host Gregg Fisher of Quent Capital to break down the data behind the 70–75% failure rate—and the hidden factors that separate the few successes from the many misfires. 

From CEO ego to flawed valuation metrics, this conversation is a must-listen for anyone in finance, strategy, or leadership.

There may be no area of our culture that feels more threatened by A.I. than education. Michael Jabbour, AI Innovation Officer at Microsoft, is positioned directly at this high-stakes intersection. In this episode, host Gregg S. Fisher of Quent Capital, dives right into the questions that are increasingly top of mind: will A.I. replace our children's ability to think for themselves? Do the benefits of introducing A.I. into our classrooms outweigh its potential drawbacks? Is A.I., ultimately, our friend or foe?

Every once in a while, a breakthrough piece of tech can be an actual magic wand. The IQ3, a handheld ultrasound device manufactured by Butterfly Networks, is generating transformative outcomes in prenatal care by allowing women in underdeveloped nations (and around the world) to see and care for their unborn children. In this episode, Gregg Fisher speaks with Butterfly’s CEO and VP of Data and Imaging, Joseph DeVivo and Karl Thiele.

Many see the freedom in free trade as a sacred American value. But in their groundbreaking new book, INDUSTRIAL POLICY FOR THE UNITED STATES, Marc Fasteau and Ian Fletcher make the case that there is simply no such thing as free trade. They present overwhelming research arguing for a formal and forceful US industrial policy. Fasteau and Fletcher join host Gregg Fisher for a fascinating conversation about the ever-tricky marriage between government and big business.

"Nothing about biology makes sense unless it is seen in the light of evolution." 

In this episode, host Gregg Fisher of Quent Capital speaks with Dan-Avi Landau, one of the leading cancer researchers and data scientists in the world.  In this fascinating conversation, Landau zeros in on cancer's anarchic role in the story of human evolution, and describes the extraordinary leaps forward he and his colleagues are making in the mapping of the human genome. There may be no more urgent territory for big data to be taking on than health care and cancer treatment, and Dan-Avi's work represents the bleeding edge of what is, and what will be, possible.

On the opposite coast from Silicon Valley, New York is making their own massive investment in artificial intelligence. The Empire A.I. Consortium is a $400M public-private initiative designed to transform Buffalo into a global center for A.I. research. My guests are two of the project’s architects, UB Professors Venu Govindaraju and JinJun Xiong, who illuminate the critical difference between how A.I. is being designed in Buffalo, versus the A.I. systems being built in parts of Silicon Valley, and around the world. 

HOST: Gregg Fisher

Welcome to the most impactful season yet of THE Q FACTOR, the award-winning podcast series hosted by Gregg S. Fisher of Quent Capital. As A.I. roars into the foreground of our lives, it's never been more important to see every aspect of our lives through a data-driven lens. The world is changing rapidly; but the pattern is there.

How do successful businesses value their people? In today's data-driven world, this isn't a question that competitive business leaders can afford to leave un-quantified. Today's guest is one of the world's leading thinkers on the subject. Harvard Business School professor Ethan Rouen has just published a game-changing paper called "The Stock Market Valuation of Human Capital." Host Gregg Fisher of Quent Capital digs in with Rouen on this increasingly vital question: exactly how do the best companies invest in their people that leads to quantitative returns?

If you're running out of earthly investment ideas, perhaps you're simply not aiming high enough. Look to the Low Earth Orbit, says Dr. Ariel Ekblaw, Founder and CEO of the Aurelia Institute, and one of the most brilliant young thinkers we've ever had on THE Q FACTOR. Ekblaw joins host Gregg Fisher for a mindblowing conversation about the extraordinary steps being taken to transform humanity into a "spacefaring species."

NOTE: THE Q FACTOR has had our eye on the "investment space in space" for some time now - check out our previous episodes with Dylan Taylor and Carolyn Porco if you're curious about other explorations we've made above Earth's atmosphere.