An All-Encompassing Economy

2020 will be remembered for many reasons – and a main one is that the conversation around racial injustice hit a breaking point. COVID-19 exacerbated inequities in health outcomes for Black and Latino Americans, and in the wake of George Floyd’s death, we’ve seen a massive movement for enduring change. Consumers are seeking ways to support Black-owned businesses with their dollars, and Kristina Liburd (Founder & CEO of Viageur) and Boyuan Gao (Founder & Principle of Project Inkblot) speak to how companies are looking to hire more equitably and inclusively. Stephanie Wemusa (VP Diversity & Inclusion at TalVista) and Evie Cheung (Designer at Doblin) discuss how even our technology is getting a redesign – to correct biases built right into the programming of tech tools companies and consumers use every day, such as smart voice assistants and hiring platforms. Jefferies’ Head of Global Corporate Access, and Founder & Head of J-NOBLE – Jefferies Network of Black and Latinx employees, Nadia Batchelor, explores how this powerful movement can create lasting changes in businesses around the world.

A New Peace of Mind

2020 has been a year of instability and upheaval, so it’s no surprise many of us have been especially focused on our security – securing our health, our homes, our digital lives, and even our finances. We used to talk about ‘safety in numbers’ – but during the pandemic as we’ve been in quarantine and isolation – we’ve had to rethink what security looks and feels like today. Jefferies’ European Head of Investment Banking, Dominic Lester, and Global Head of Information Securty, Ramin Safai, are joined by Christian Cerda, the CEO of Simplisafe and Thomas Smyth, founder and CEO of Trim. In this episode, we explore how this need for fortification has been accelerated by work-from-home orders and lockdowns, and how this year has changed our idea of security for good.

Lean, Mean and Green: The Future of Sustainable Businesses

Consumers today, especially younger buyers, are in the market for more environmentally friendly products – and the good news is, their options are only growing. This episode looks at how the trend towards conscious consumption is driving change in just about every industry, from fashion, to food, to home decor. Simon Powell, Jon Matuszewski, and Dominic Lester are joined by Tom Quinn, the President of Halio North America, Erin Wallace, the VP of Integrated Marketing at Thred Up and Thrive Market CEO Nick Green, to dig into how tech is powering green innovations in a wide range of industries. We hear from business leaders how this force is not only good for the Earth, but good for your company's bottom line. As the buying power of Gen Z and Millennials grows into the trillions, how will this trend change our markets over the next decade?

The Changing Face of Urban Space

The global pandemic has made many of us think differently about the cities we live in. As lockdowns closed many of the amenities that make cities desirable, work-from-home orders showed us we can really work from anywhere. In this episode, we explore the future of our cities, and how the push-pull of urbanization will shake out over the coming years. Jon Matuszewski, Storm Duncan and Nadia Batchelor join to discuss whether the city-dwellers considering swapping skylines for suburbs will really move, and what implications this may have on the future of city space? Taco Carlier, the co-founder of the Dutch e-bike company Van Moof explores what the pandemic might do for the future of urban transportation? 

When Tech is Your Tailor

In 2020, personalization has become a dominant trend across industries. It is an effective way to grow your market, boosting sales, customer satisfaction and brand loyalty, all while minimizing costs and overhead. Jefferies experts Cameron Lester and Jared Holz explore how the shift towards hyper-personalized goods and services is revolutionizing the retail and healthcare landscapes. They are joined by Nick Green, the co-founder and CEO of Thrive Market, Chris Merkle, the co-founder of MIME, and Dr. William Li, a physician and bestselling author of Eat to Beat Disease.

Crying Over Spilled Milk: The Disruption Solution

The outbreak of COVID-19 has exposed major weaknesses in our global supply chain. In the season two premiere of Invisible Forces, Jefferies’ Aneta Markowska and Storm Duncan are joined by business leaders and historians to look at how the pandemic is rapidly transforming everything along the $10 trillion global supply chain – from vital medical equipment to fresh produce to jigsaw puzzles and beyond.

Show Contributors: Jefferies

Guest: Storm Duncan
Global Head of Mobility Technology, Global Head of Technology M&A at Jefferies

Senior financial and strategic advisor with extensive expertise in identifying, analyzing, negotiating and closing complex, transformative business partnerships and capital raises. Internationally recognized expert in mobility and the future of transportation.