Up2

Seven years after her first visit to the Up2 studio, our favorite public company CEO,  Sheryl Palmer returns following the announcement that the esteemed Berkshire Hathaway is acquiring Taylor Morrison for nearly $7 billion. In this wide-ranging conversation, she reflects on what drew Berkshire to TM, the power of combining multiple homebuilders under one platform, and her vision for delivering better housing solutions at greater scale.  Sheryl also discusses her personal leadership philosophy, the influence of early mentors like Ray Kroc (McDonald's), and how she stays grounded while leading through major transformation. She shares thoughts on innovation in homebuilding, the importance of community, and balancing a high-impact career with family life.

Ben duPont grew up with one of the most recognizable last names in American business — but he chose to forge his own path beyond the family empire. And while most of us don't know what it's like to have our name as a brand, many of us do know what it's like to consider following our family's expectations or chart our own course. In this wide-ranging conversation, the co-founder of Yet2 and partner at Chartline Capital Partners shares how he left the duPont company to pioneer open innovation, why he’s more optimistic than ever about the future, and what’s really changing in the age of AI. Ben breaks down the key difference between the last tech wave and today.

In this inspiring episode of the Up2 Podcast, host Adam sits down with Dr. Rene Caissie — a former maxillofacial surgeon, department chief, and repeat entrepreneur — who left a successful medical career in Canada to found Medeloop, an AI-native platform that deploys intelligent agents on massive healthcare datasets to accelerate clinical research, discover new biomarkers, reduce costs, and improve operational efficiency in hospitals and life sciences. Dr. Caissie shares his remarkable journey: building and exiting an EMR company, moving his family to Silicon Valley, studying at Stanford GSB, and now leading a fast-growing AI health tech company valued at over $100 million. He opens up about the emotional side of entrepreneurship, the importance of relationships, managing board pressure, staying grounded through extreme hobbies and family life, and why he believes AI will fundamentally transform how medicine is practiced. A must-listen for physicians, entrepreneurs, healthcare leaders, and anyone fascinated by the intersection of AI and medicine.

We love talking to resilient winners. Hard drivers who take on whatever challenges come their way who find the strength to not only overcome but to achieve and grow time and again. Our guest today lives by the mantra, "There is always going to be a better tomorrow,' which is particularly impressive given he had to overcome getting hit by a truck as a teenager; being fired and lied to by the organization he built into a national model; and even a serious health diagnosis soon after. Tune in for this riveting and meaningful conversation with our super-impressive friend, former CEO and current entrepreneur, Akram Boutros, MD.

All of us face inevitable curves in the road as we navigate the journey of life. So it's valuable to learn how effective leaders deal with these challenges, for as Albert Einstein wisely observed, 'in the middle of difficulty lies opportunity." These are some of our favorite segments where Up2 guests shared reflections on how they overcome challenges.

Today's guest leaned into his fondness for business and passion for sports, building a career that began with the law and now excels in the growing world of sports private equity. Tune in for an authentic conversation with this energetic counselor driven by both his family and his heritage.

There's something special about super-accomplished business leader, Joel Peterson. He teaches some of the most popular courses at Stanford; he led JetBlue Airways when they topped the industry's customer satisfaction rankings; and he was at the helm when Tramel Crow was the largest real estate development company in the U.S. His newest book, Juggling Glass and Rubber Balls, chronicles how this father of 7 successful children (31 grandchildren!) navigates parenting and career and the inevitable curves in the road. Exuding authentic humility in spite of all of his achievements, Joel embodies the ethos of Up2. Tune in for Joel's wisdom career, intellectual and spiritual maturity, goal-setting, and parenting.