Lavin Voices

The Lavin Agency

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Conversations with the world’s top voices—curated by The Lavin Agency. Pulitzer Prize winners, bestselling authors, C-suite executives, and visionary entrepreneurs share the big ideas shaping business, culture, and society. Each week, Lavin Voices brings you insights that will change how you think, feel, and act. Consider this your front-row seat to the conversations moving the world forward.

4d ago

Jay Van Bavel: We're Polarized. The "Power of Us" Can Bring Us Back Together Again

What if the same group thinking that divides us could also help bring us together? In the age of sycophantic AI and social media polarization, one psychologist is showing how shared identity can strengthen trust, cooperation, and connection, online and in the real world. This week on Lavin Voices, we talk to Lavin Exclusive Speaker Jay Van Bavel, Professor of Psychology and Neural Science at New York University and award-winning co-author of The Power of Us. Jay studies how group identity shapes our beliefs, behavior, relationships, and performance—and how leaders can use that knowledge to build stronger teams, healthier cultures, and a greater sense of shared purpose. His engaging, research-backed keynotes reveal why “us vs. them” thinking is so powerful, and how we can harness the same psychology that divides us to increase trust, cooperation, and collective success. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why polarization is real—but often feels worse than it actually is How a tiny number of hostile accounts can distort your view of the world Why unfollowing just 10 or 12 people can reduce partisan animosity How shared identity can improve trust, cooperation, and team performance Why constructive dissent helps groups make better decisions—even when the dissenter is wrong How flattering AI can make us more biased and overconfident Why the best chatbots may be willing to disagree with you In conversation with The Lavin Agency’s Director of Intellectual Talent, Charles Yao, Jay answers these questions and more: Why are people becoming less civil? Does social media make polarization worse? How do groups shape the way we think and behave? How can our teams become more innovative? Does hybrid work still work today? Is AI making us worse at thinking? Learn more about Jay or book him as a keynote speaker: https://thelavinagency.com/speakers/jay-van-bavel/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=jay+van+bavel+lavin+voices Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok for more big ideas: @TheLavinAgency Credits: Producers: Alethea Ng and Kshiteej Sawhney Host: Charles Yao Guest: Jay Van Bavel
Jul 22

Carissa Véliz: Are AI "Prophecies" Dictating Your Future?

We use AI predictions every day: from the weather app to Instagram algorithms to business tools. But these predictions don’t just describe the future, says Carissa Véliz. They're actively creating it—and the people making them may have more power over your life than you realize. This week on Lavin Voices, we talk to Lavin Exclusive Speaker Carissa Véliz, Associate Professor of Philosophy at the Institute for Ethics in AI at the University of Oxford and author of Prophecy: Prediction, Power, and the Fight for the Future, from Ancient Oracles to AI. An award-winning expert on privacy, technology, and ethics, Carissa reveals how predictions shape everything from hiring and healthcare to business strategy, democracy, and our personal choices. Her sharp, accessible keynotes help audiences question the futures they’re being sold—and reclaim their power to defy the odds and build something better. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why predictions are never as neutral as they appearHow AI can turn predictions into self-fulfilling propheciesWhy forecasting people is more dangerous than forecasting the weatherHow leaders can prepare for uncertainty instead of trying to predict everythingWhy expert judgment still matters in a data-driven worldHow curiosity, creativity, and serendipity can help us build a better future In conversation with The Lavin Agency’s Director of Intellectual Talent, Charles Yao, Carissa answers these questions and more: Can AI accurately predict human behavior?How is AI changing decision-making?What do AI predictions get wrong?What is a self-fulfilling prophecy?How can businesses prepare for an uncertain future?Should we trust algorithms to make decisions?How can leaders make better decisions under uncertainty?What is the relationship between data privacy and AI? Learn more about Carissa or book her as a keynote speaker: https://thelavinagency.com/speakers/carissa-veliz/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=carissa+veliz+lavin+voices Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok for more big ideas: @TheLavinAgency Credits: Producers: Alethea Ng and Kshiteej Sawhney Host: Charles Yao Guest: Carissa Véliz
Jul 15

George Newman: How Great Ideas Happen—The Small Steps to Big Ideas

We think of creativity as a magical gift reserved for geniuses. But George Newman says it's actually a simple, repeatable process that's more like archaeology than magic. And the best part is that anyone can learn it. This week on Lavin Voices, we talk to Lavin Exclusive Speaker George Newman, a cognitive scientist, Associate Professor of Organizational Behaviour at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, and author of How Great Ideas Happen: The Hidden Steps Behind Breakthrough Success. Named to the 2026 Thinkers50 Radar, George studies how people generate, recognize, and develop great ideas—and why our most common beliefs about creativity often lead us astray. His practical, research-backed keynotes help individuals and organizations replace the pressure to produce sudden brilliance with a repeatable process for discovering ideas that work. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why you shouldn't start with brainstormingWhy the most original idea is rarely the most successfulHow the “5% novelty rule” can make ideas more valuableWhy your best ideas may arrive after you think you’ve run outHow to choose the right feedback at each stage of the creative processWhy AI makes some people more creative—and everyone else more boring In conversation with The Lavin Agency’s Director of Intellectual Talent, Charles Yao, George answers these questions and more: Can creativity be taught?How do you come up with good ideas?Should you accept criticism?Can copying make you more creative?How can teams generate better ideas?Does AI help or hurt human creativity? Learn more about George or book him as a keynote speaker: https://thelavinagency.com/speakers/george-newman/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=george+newman+lavin+voices Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok for more big ideas: @TheLavinAgency ------ Credits: Producers: Alethea Ng and Kshiteej Sawhney Host: Charles Yao Guest: George Newman
Jul 8

Jelani Cobb: A Historian’s “Notes on How We Got Here.” The Last 10 Years in America

America is now 250 years old. How did we get here—and where are we going next? This week on Lavin Voices, we talk to Lavin Exclusive Speaker Jelani Cobb: Peabody Award-winning journalist, Dean of Columbia Journalism School, longtime staff writer at The New Yorker, and author of Three or More Is a Riot. Jelani has spent his career helping audiences understand the forces shaping American democracy—from misinformation and media distrust to race, class, policing, voting rights, and the long struggle for justice. He’s a brilliant, rigorous, and deeply humane keynote speaker whose talks help audiences see the present more clearly by tracing the history that made it possible. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why America may be becoming a “fact optional” societyHow misinformation gains power when institutions support itWhy journalism still matters in moments of crisisWhat history can teach us about our responsibilities to our neighborsWhy unrest is often about much more than the event that sparks themWhy, despite our struggles, Jelani still believes in hope In conversation with The Lavin Agency’s Director of Intellectual Talent, Charles Yao, Jelani answers these questions and more: Why do people lose trust in the media?What responsibilities do we have to our neighbors?Why do people riot?How should we think about the future of democracy?Does history repeat itself? Learn more about Jelani or book him as a keynote speaker: https://thelavinagency.com/speakers/jelani-cobb/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=jelani+cobb+lavin+voices Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok for more big ideas: @TheLavinAgency Credits: Producers: Alethea Ng and Kshiteej Sawhney Host: Charles Yao Guest: Jelani Cobb
11/25/2025

Corinne Low: How to Build Stronger Workplaces Where Women Can “Have It All”

Women are on an uneven playing field at work and at home—which means the companies that help them thrive will unlock a lasting advantage over the competition. This week on Lavin Voices, we talk to Wharton professor Corinne Low, author of Having It All: What Data Tells Us About Women's Lives and How to Get the Most Out of Yours. A "40 Under 40" MBA professor, Corinne has spent her career helping women carve out their joy and helping companies support women in ways that maximize profits and staff retention. She's a workplace consultant who's advised Fortune 500 companies, as well as a brilliant, accessible, high-energy keynote speaker whose talks equip women, men, and organizations to get the best out of their economic lives and build a stronger workplace—and, as a result, a stronger democracy. In this episode, you'll learn: How parenting and jobs have simultaneously become more intensive What "the squeeze" is for working parents and how to survive itWhy flexibility isn't what working mothers actually need (and what is)How simple workplace changes can help you keep your best talent foreverThe hidden advantages of retaining talented women mid-careerWhy investing in women's careers is actually investing in the future of our families and our democracy In conversation with The Lavin Agency's Director of Intellectual Talent, Charles Yao, Corinne answers these questions and more: What keeps women from advancing in organizations?How can firms create work-life balance?Why does the gender wage gap persist?Should you "lean in" at work?How can women negotiate better working conditions? Learn more about Corinne or book her as a keynote speaker: https://thelavinagency.com/speakers/corinne-low/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=corinne+low+lavin+voices Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok for more big ideas: ‪@TheLavinAgency ‬Credits: Producers: Alethea Ng and Kshiteej Sawhney Host: Charles Yao Guest: Corinne Low
11/18/2025

Alexandra Samuel: My AI Coach Changed My Life

Can AI be your coach? Or even... your friend? One tech journalist explains how a 10-week experiment with AI turned into a relationship that changed everything. This week on Lavin Voices, we talk to Lavin Exclusive Speaker Alexandra Samuel: tech journalist and AI workplace expert, contributor to The Wall Street Journal and Harvard Business Review, and author of multiple books on workplace tech. She is also the creator of the new podcast "Me + Viv": a deeply personal exploration of her journey to build an AI coach, and what that taught her about humanity, technology, community, and even her own self. She's also a sought-after keynote speaker who helps audiences understand how to harness AI's potential while avoiding its pitfalls, showing leaders and teams how to use technology to strengthen (not replace) human connection. In this episode, you'll learn: How to build a custom AI assistant that actually understands youWhy AI works better as an interviewer than an oracleThe psychological risks of AI companionship (and how to manage them)How to overcome AI's tendency toward "sycophancy" and get real feedbackWhy treating AI as imaginative space (not search engine) unlocks its true powerThe importance of making human connection your default, not your backup In conversation with The Lavin Agency's Director of Intellectual Talent, Charles Yao, Alexandra answers these questions and more: Can AI be a companion?How can AI isolate you?How can AI strengthen your human relationships instead of replacing them?Is it healthy to use ChatGPT as a friend? Learn more about Alexandra or book her as a keynote speaker: https://thelavinagency.com/speakers/alexandra-samuel/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=alexandra+samuel+lavin+voices Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok for more big ideas: ‪@TheLavinAgency Listen to Me + Viv now: ‬https://www.tvo.org/podcasts/me-plus-viv ------ Credits: Producers: Alethea Ng and Kshiteej Sawhney Host: Charles Yao Guest: Alexandra Samuel
11/11/2025

Jacob Ward: Helping Millions of Viewers Separate AI Hype from Reality

“I've often been called the Black Mirror correspondent, because that's what this is,” says Jacob Ward. For seven years, Jake was the on-air technology correspondent for NBC News, covering the monumental rise of AI for millions of mainstream viewers of NBC Nightly News and The Today Show. His influential book, The Loop, is credited with being one of the first to predict the rise of commercial AI and ChatGPT before they became part of our everyday lives. In it, he makes a powerful argument for how AI is uniquely capable of preying on our psychological vulnerabilities—and how to make sure it doesn’t. In this week’s episode of Lavin Voices, Jake helps host Charles Yao separate hype from reality at this fever pitch moment in AI, and he talks about why covering AI as a journalist is a “universal” beat, akin to democracy or capitalism. Jake also shows, from real-world examples, how it’s possible to regulate AI to ensure it has the widest possible benefits for all of society. “Where are the places in which we're using this technology to amplify the best parts of being human, the things that are really fragile and important about being human?” he asks. “And where are the places where we are using it to empower the least attractive qualities we have?” In this episode, you’ll learn: Why AI coverage is now a “universal beat” like democracy or capitalismHow AI exploits our psychological blind spots—and what we can do about itWhy Jacob Ward predicted the AI boom before ChatGPTHow to regulate AI for societal benefitWhy the future of AI depends on human restraint and choice In conversation with The Lavin Agency’s Director of Intellectual Talent, Charles Yao, Jacob answers these questions and more: What are the biggest ethical risks companies face with AI today?How can businesses avoid becoming the “bad guys” in the AI narrative?What is the “Super Villain Test” for AI innovation?How can AI enhance employee experience instead of replacing jobs?What’s the difference between using AI as a tool and using it as entertainment?How can regulation keep pace with the speed of AI development?Can AI ever help us make better human choices?Why is restraint the most underrated principle in innovation today?What does it truly mean to be human in the age of AI? Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok for more big ideas: @TheLavinAgency ------ Credits: Producers: Alethea Ng and Kshiteej Sawhney Host: Charles Yao Guest: Jacob Ward
11/04/2025

Bree Groff: How to Make Work Fun. Really

Work can be fun, says Bree Groff. In fact, work should be fun! And enjoying our workdays will make us not only more productive, but also more human. This week on Lavin Voices, we talk to Lavin Exclusive Speaker Bree Groff. Bree is a workplace culture expert and author of Today Was Fun: A Book About Work (Seriously). A hotly in-demand consultant and keynote speaker, Bree has worked with organizations like Pfizer and Microsoft to transform how teams think about work, boosting productivity and happiness along the way. In her dynamic keynotes, Bree challenges audiences to rethink the "patently ridiculous" norms we've accepted about work culture and shows leaders how to create environments where people thrive. "I'm a human being with only so many days on the planet," Bree says. "It's worth making these days fun—for myself and my team." In this episode, you'll learn: Why we've normalized unhealthy work practices (and how to undo them)The difference between work-life balance and work-life integrationWhy fun at work isn't about ping pong tables or happy hoursHow to design "Do Nothing Days" that spark creativityWhat psychological safety really looks like in practiceWhy professionalism often gets in the way of great work In conversation with The Lavin Agency's Director of Intellectual Talent, Charles Yao, Bree answers these questions and more: Can you have fun at work?Can customer service be fun?Should you really "do what you love"?What's the first step to changing workplace culture?How can you tell if your employees are happy?Why should business leaders care about employee engagement?How can AI help us be more human at work? Learn more about Bree or book her as a keynote speaker: https://thelavinagency.com/speakers/bree-groff/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=video&utm_campaign=bree+groff+lavin+voices Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, and TikTok for more big ideas: ‪ @TheLavinAgency ------ Credits: Producers: Alethea Ng and Kshiteej Sawhney Host: Charles Yao Guest: Bree Groff

Conversations with the world’s top voices—curated by The Lavin Agency. Pulitzer Prize winners, bestselling authors, C-suite executives, and visionary entrepreneurs share the big ideas shaping business, culture, and society. Each week, Lavin Voices brings you insights that will change how you think, feel, and act. Consider this your front-row seat to the conversations moving the world forward.

Creator

The Lavin Agency
Years Active

2025 - 2026
Episodes

14
Rating

Clean
Copyright

© The Lavin Agency
Show Website

Lavin Voices