Great Minds: People and Culture

Advertising Week
  • 5.0 (6)
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Hosted by EVP of People & Culture, Ren Akinci. The Great Minds People & Culture podcast dedicated to exploring the art of intentional leadership during times of change.

  1. FEB 4

    Justin Thomas-Copeland, CEO of the 4As, on Modernizing Agency Support in Real Time

    Host Ren Akinci is joined by Justin Thomas-Copeland, CEO of the 4As, for a conversation on what matters most as the advertising and marketing industry enters its next phase. Together, they unpack the shifts reshaping agencies, what a modern trade association must deliver in real time, and how the 4As is redefining its role, tools, and member experience. Justin shares how he’s thinking about agility, technology, and measurable signals of progress as he builds the organization’s next chapter.

    37 min

  2. JAN 21

    The Data Behind Belonging: What Leaders Get Wrong About Culture — with Carissa Romero, Co-Founder of Paradigm

    In this episode, Ren Akinci sits down with Carissa Romero, Ph.D., co-founder of Paradigm, for a conversation about what actually changes behavior at work and what quietly undermines it. Drawing from her roots in Stanford research and years advising leaders, Carissa breaks down why many well-intentioned culture efforts fail, how data often contradicts leadership narratives, and what it really takes to build belonging at scale.

    39 min

  3. JAN 7

    Vision, Structure, and the Future of Experiential Marketing with Kim Lawton, Founder & CEO of Enthuse Marketing

    What happens when an agency is built on teaching and not just executing? In our latest episode, Ren Akinci sits down with Kim Lawton, founder & CEO of Enthuse Marketing, to break down the non-negotiables behind sustainable creativity, the traps experiential teams keep falling into, and what agency leaders need to unlearn heading into 2026.

    32 min

  4. 12/10/2025

    Claude Silver, Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia: What It Really Takes to Be Yourself at Work

    In this Episode Ren Akinci sits down with Claude Silver to discuss her new book Be Yourself at Work. Together, they explore the moment Claude knew this book needed to be written, the healing and emotional bravery behind it, and the parts of herself she once hid but now embraces.

    51 min

  5. 11/19/2025

    Grit in Action: Erin Fabio on Founder Reality, Resilience, and Reinvention

    Erin Fabio joins Ren Akinci for a candid conversation on what it  takes to build and scale a marketing agency as a woman in an industry still catching up. They get into early barriers, pivots, leadership evolution, and the unfiltered realities facing female founders today

    33 min

  6. 10/15/2025

    The Future of Loyalty and Customer Experience with Morana Bakula of Bond

    In this episode Ren Akinci speaks with Morana Bakula, President and CEO of Bond Brand Loyalty. In this conversation, Morana shares what sets Bond apart in the loyalty and customer experience space, offers an inside look at The Loyalty Report — the agency’s annual industry benchmark — and reflects on how brands can evolve to meet rising customer expectations. She also opens up about her journey as a first-generation immigrant leading a fast-growing agency into its next chapter.

    34 min

  7. 10/01/2025

    Defending Free Speech, Defining Leadership Madeline Krasno on Founding Justify and Leading Change in Science

    Is deleting social media comments just “good housekeeping”? Madeline Krasno didn’t think so. Her alma mater, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, deleted her posts about animal testing, leading her to file a lawsuit in 2021. Though a district court initially dismissed the case, the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the decision in 2025, ruling the censorship unconstitutional. In this episode, Madeline shares how she turned her experience into leading Justify, a nonprofit supporting current and former lab workers.

    26 min

  8. 09/17/2025

    Thinking Differently, Buying Differently: Why Brands Can’t Ignore Neurodivergent Consumers — with Nathan Friedman, CMO of Understood.org

    In this episode, Ren Akinci sits down with Nathan Friedman, Co-President and Chief Marketing Officer of Understood.org, to explore the intersection of creativity, inclusion, and business strategy. Nathan shares how his personal journey with learning and thinking differences shaped his career and fuels his passion for building a more inclusive world. We dive into insights from Understood’s recent study on neurodivergence in the creative industry, unpack the tension between valuing “different thinking” and actually supporting neurodivergent talent, and explore the untapped market potential of neurodivergent consumers.

    26 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
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6 Ratings

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Hosted by EVP of People & Culture, Ren Akinci. The Great Minds People & Culture podcast dedicated to exploring the art of intentional leadership during times of change.

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