For most leaders, failure is not a matter of life or death. But for some, making life-or-death decisions is part of the job. What can high-risk decision-making teach us about the more ordinary and conventional risk leaders assume every day? What roles do preparation and instinct play in this process? How can leaders become better at conquering a fear of failure in order to make hard decisions? In this episode, Host Gautam Mukunda speaks about risk and high-stake decision-making with two remarkable individuals who have spent their lives doing the impossible in the face of enormous danger. General Stan McChrystal is a retired four-star general, former Head of Joint Special Operations Command in Afghanistan, and the founder and CEO of the McCrystal Group. Alex Honnold is a professional adventure rock climber, who is known for his free solo ascents, most notably El Capitán as documented in the movie Free Solo. “The more often you encounter...

For most leaders, failure is not a matter of life or death. But for some, making life-or-death decisions is part of the job. What can high-risk decision-making teach us about the more ordinary and conventional risk leaders assume every day? What roles do preparation and instinct play in this process? How can leaders become better at conquering a fear of failure in order to make hard decisions? In this episode, Host Gautam Mukunda speaks about risk and high-stake decision-making with two remarkable individuals who have spent their lives doing the impossible in the face of enormous danger. General Stan McChrystal is a retired four-star general, former Head of Joint Special Operations Command in Afghanistan, and the founder and CEO of the McCrystal Group. Alex Honnold is a professional adventure rock climber, who is known for his free solo ascents, most notably El Capitán as documented in the movie Free Solo. “The more often you encounter...

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We are the home to Biotech because we committed to the industry from the very beginning. Our gateway to the capital markets allows researchers, scientists and business leaders to pioneer the possible every day—and we are proud to be with them at every step of that journey.

Lindz Amer is the founder and CEO of Queer Kid Creative, a multi-media production company spreading queer joy through queer-focused intersectional all-ages media. They write, produce, and co-host Queer Kid Stuff, an original LGBTQ+ educational webseries for all ages and supplementary educational resources. In this series, Lindz performs songs and stories for families. They also produce and host a recently launched, family-friendly podcast called Activist, You! focused on social justice wherein they interview kid & youth activists.

What does “entrepreneurship” mean to you? Lindz Amer: Entrepreneurship is so many things! For me it has been about taking ownership of my work and my passions and turning them into something that’s not only going to build a livelihood for myself, but also cultivate a community around the mission of everything I do and am trying to give to my audience.

How did your company come to be? LA: It has been a winding...

We are the home to Biotech because we committed to the industry from the very beginning. Our gateway to the capital markets allows researchers, scientists and business leaders to pioneer the possible every day—and we are proud to be with them at every step of that journey.

Building upon the record number of listings in the first quarter, Nasdaq has extended its listings leadership to 30 consecutive quarters, welcoming 395 initial public offerings in the first half of this year and raising a total of $103 billion – the highest amount of proceeds raised on record.

Of the 395 listings during the first half of the year, 160 were operating companies, representing a 78%-win rate in the U.S. market.1 Nasdaq also solidified its presence with Special Purpose Acquisition Companies (SPACs), welcoming 67% of all SPAC IPOs, raising $59 billion, and 59% of all SPAC business combinations, including SoFi (SOFI) and 23AndMe (ME).

Beyond operating companies and SPACs, 14 companies transferred their corporate listing to Nasdaq, including Honeywell (HON). Furthermore, Nasdaq held the largest direct listing among all exchanges, welcoming Coinbase (COIN) with $65 billion in...

Today, business leaders have the power to create positive change. Not just within their organizations, but in society and in the world more broadly. In this episode, Host Gautam Mukunda speaks with Reverend Cornell William Brooks, former head of the NAACP and the Professor of Practice and Public Leadership and Social Justice at the Harvard Kennedy School, and Mohamad Ali, CEO of International Data Group, about the challenges and opportunities of corporations in the wake of COVID-19, profound social and economic upheaval, the death of George Floyd, and Black Lives Matter. “So, in terms of this moment in which we find ourselves, in terms of ethical leadership, and responsibility of those in the business community, I would just simply say this, that on a regular and recurring basis, people in the business community are charged with the responsibility of delivering products, and services for this country are not merely disaggregated...

Risk management is an essential responsibility for a board of directors, and more recently, investors have been urging corporate boards to broaden the range of risks to include environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, such as climate-related exposure and supply chain risks. By taking a forward-looking approach and working to address emerging sustainability challenges, boards can unlock growth opportunities, according to influential proxy advisor Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS).

ESG has come to the fore of capital markets as companies shift away from shareholder primacy and embrace stakeholder capitalism, reflecting a commitment to shareholders, communities, employees, consumers and suppliers. Amid this transition, investors have also been driving directors to consider the management of ESG factors and establish frameworks that reflect the company’s capacity to assess, monitor, measure and manage these risks.

Lindz Amer is the founder and CEO of Queer Kid Creative, a multi-media production company spreading queer joy through queer-focused intersectional all-ages media. They write, produce, and co-host Queer Kid Stuff, an original LGBTQ+ educational webseries for all ages and supplementary educational resources. In this series, Lindz performs songs and stories for families. They also produce and host a recently launched, family-friendly podcast called Activist, You! focused on social justice wherein they interview kid & youth activists.

What does “entrepreneurship” mean to you? Lindz Amer: Entrepreneurship is so many things! For me it has been about taking ownership of my work and my passions and turning them into something that’s not only going to build a livelihood for myself, but also cultivate a community around the mission of everything I do and am trying to give to my audience.

How did your company come to be? LA: It has been a winding...

We are the home to Biotech because we committed to the industry from the very beginning. Our gateway to the capital markets allows researchers, scientists and business leaders to pioneer the possible every day—and we are proud to be with them at every step of that journey.

Today, business leaders have the power to create positive change. Not just within their organizations, but in society and in the world more broadly. In this episode, Host Gautam Mukunda speaks with Reverend Cornell William Brooks, former head of the NAACP and the Professor of Practice and Public Leadership and Social Justice at the Harvard Kennedy School, and Mohamad Ali, CEO of International Data Group, about the challenges and opportunities of corporations in the wake of COVID-19, profound social and economic upheaval, the death of George Floyd, and Black Lives Matter. “So, in terms of this moment in which we find ourselves, in terms of ethical leadership, and responsibility of those in the business community, I would just simply say this, that on a regular and recurring basis, people in the business community are charged with the responsibility of delivering products, and services for this country are not merely disaggregated...

Our Nasdaq employees take pride in making Nasdaq the leading company that it is, with respect for our diverse backgrounds and colleagues included. For our Nasdaq Pride series, we will be featuring members from the OPEN (Out Proud Employees of Nasdaq) and learn about how they are pushing for positive change for LGBTQ+ people in the workplace. With the OPEN, Nasdaq aims to:

Today, business leaders have the power to create positive change. Not just within their organizations, but in society and in the world more broadly. In this episode, Host Gautam Mukunda speaks with Reverend Cornell William Brooks, former head of the NAACP and the Professor of Practice and Public Leadership and Social Justice at the Harvard Kennedy School, and Mohamad Ali, CEO of International Data Group, about the challenges and opportunities of corporations in the wake of COVID-19, profound social and economic upheaval, the death of George Floyd, and Black Lives Matter. “So, in terms of this moment in which we find ourselves, in terms of ethical leadership, and responsibility of those in the business community, I would just simply say this, that on a regular and recurring basis, people in the business community are charged with the responsibility of delivering products, and services for this country are not merely disaggregated...

Today’s Big Picture

Equity indices in Asia closed mostly lower led by the 08% to 0.9% declines in the Hong Kong Hang Seng, China’s Shanghai Composite and Japan’s Nikkei. By mid-day trading, equity indices in Europe were trading higher. And U.S. futures point to a mixed equity market open later this morning, following yesterday’s new record high for both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite Index.  

As expected, following the Fed’s latest round of stress tests, bank stocks are boosting dividends to shareholders, but that enthusiasm is being muted by new lockdowns to contain the delta Covid-19 variant in Asia. Meanwhile, Spain announced that it was taking the U.K. off its list for restriction-free travel. This morning, investors will likely tune into comments from Richmond Fed President Thomas Barkin and European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde.

Data Download

International Economy

Japan’s...