Great Minds: People and Culture
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Episodes
Justin Thomas-Copeland, CEO of the 4As, on Modernizing Agency Support in Real Time
04 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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...
The Data Behind Belonging: What Leaders Get Wrong About Culture — with Carissa Romero, Co-Founder of Paradigm
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 w...
Vision, Structure, and the Future of Experiential Marketing with Kim Lawton, Founder & CEO of Enthuse Marketing
07 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
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 & CE...
Claude Silver, Chief Heart Officer at VaynerMedia: What It Really Takes to Be Yourself at Work
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 thi...
Grit in Action: Erin Fabio on Founder Reality, Resilience, and Reinvention
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 catchin...
The Future of Loyalty and Customer Experience with Morana Bakula of Bond
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Ren Akinci speaks with Morana Bakula, President and CEO of Bond Brand Loyalty. In this conversation, Morana shares what sets Bond apar...
Defending Free Speech, Defining Leadership Madeline Krasno on Founding Justify and Leading Change in Science
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Is deleting social media comments just “good housekeeping”? Madeline Krasno didn’t think so. Her alma mater, the University of Wisconsin–Madis...
Thinking Differently, Buying Differently: Why Brands Can’t Ignore Neurodivergent Consumers — with Nathan Friedman, CMO of Understood.org
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Ren Akinci sits down with Nathan Friedman, Co-President and Chief Marketing Officer of Understood.org, to explore the intersection of...
Bridging the Workforce Divide with Harvard’s Joseph Fuller
17 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This Week on Great Minds: People & CultureRen Akinci is joined by Professor Joseph Fuller, a leading expert on workforce strategy from Harvard Busines...
Redefining Parental Leave with Allison Whalen, Founder & CEO of Parentaly
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After returning from her own parental leave to find her team struggling and her career momentum stalled, Allison Whalen knew this wasn’t just a pers...
The Courage to Nourish: Ground-Up Leadership with Natalie Flores of NourishLA
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For Earth Day, Ren Akinci sat down with Natalie Flores, founder of NourishLA, a community-powered nonprofit tackling food waste, hunger, and local sus...
Rethinking Sleep: The Leadership Advantage You’re Overlooking
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re constantly running on empty, pushing through stress, or telling yourself you’ll “catch up on sleep later”—this episode is for you....
What Companies Miss When They Require Degrees: A Conversation with OneTen’s Debbie Dyson
17 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On this Episode of Great Minds: People & Culture, Ren Akinci speaks with Debbie Dyson, CEO of OneTen, about how the organization is helping employers ...
Success, Status & Starting Over: Melani Dziire on Finding Meaning in Work
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Great Minds, Ren Akinci sits down with Melani (Walker) Dziire, who made the bold decision to leave behind a high-powered executive ...
Unlocking the Power of Inclusive Marketing with Lisette Arsuaga
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Great Minds, Ren Akinci sits down with Lisette Arsuaga, co-founder of AIMM and Co-CEO of DMI Consulting, to explore how brands can ...
Diana Brooks, Founder and CEO of THE 3RD EYE, on Leadership, Innovation, and Empowerment
10 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, our host Ren Akinci speaks with Diana Brooks, founder and CEO of THE 3RD EYE, who, at a young age, was told that women couldn’t suc...
Gender Specialist Rebecca Minor on Supporting Trans and Gender-Expansive Kids
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In our latest podcast episode, we speak with Rebecca Minor, MSW, LICSW (she/her/they), a queer clinician, consultant, and educator specializing in the...
Retaining Talent in a High-Turnover Industry: Lessons from GALE’s Brad Simms
20 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The advertising industry faces an annual turnover rate of 27%, costing companies their talent, creativity, and momentum. On this episode, Ren Akinci s...
Creating Safe Workplaces Amid Societal Challenges: Insights from Dr. Lori Watson
31 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, Ren Akinci and Dr. Lori Watson discuss how leaders can effectively respond to societal incidents that impact employees, creating a sa...
Redefining Inclusive Leadership in Advertising
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode Ren Akinci speaks to Kumi Croom, the first Managing Director at Duncan Channon. Kumi has been a trailblazer in leading the agency’s ...
Shaping Political Campaigns and Company Culture: Lessons from the CEO of SKDK
11 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Ren Akinci speaks with Doug Thornell, the CEO of SKDK, one of the top political advertising and public affairs agencies, about shapin...
From First Employee to CEO: Leadership Lessons at 72andSunny
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On today’s episode, Ren Akinci is joined by Evin Shutt, the CEO of 72andSunny, as they celebrate a major milestone: 72andSunny 20th anniversary. Evi...
Creating Belonging: LGBTQ+ Allyship Beyond Pride Week
29 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Ren Akinci is joined by Ben Cicchetti, Vice President of Corporate Marketing at InfoSum and a passionate advocate for the LGBTQ+ comm...
Innovate, Engage and Disrupt: Shaping a Dynamic Culture at Movers + Shakers
24 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Ren Akinci is joined by Geoffrey Goldberg, a Broadway performer and director, and Evan Horowitz, a marketing expert, founders of Move...
Resilience, Joy, and Leadership: Navigating Challenges with Positivity
10 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Great Minds: People & Culture, Ren Akinci and Mercy for Animals CEO Leah Garcès delve into the world of resilient leadership and t...
Managing with Adult ADHD
26 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Great Minds: People & Culture we’re pleased to welcome Brooke Schnittman, MA, BCC, PCC, an esteemed expert in the field of ADHD managem...
Having a Seat at the Table
11 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Christine Guilfoyle, President of SeeHer, joins Ren for this episode of Great Minds: People & Culture. In this episode, Christine discusses what it me...
Management During National Crisis
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Great Minds: People and Culture, we speak with Sergii Denysenko, CEO of MGID, Inc., an innovative global pioneer in native advertis...
Trailblazing in the Legal Cannabis Industry
06 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode of Great Minds: People & Culture we’re pleased to welcome Dr. Chanda Macias, who connects, educates, inspires and empowers the next ...
The Significance of Mentorship at Every Career Stage
23 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Great Minds People & Culture, Ren Akinci is joined by Sarah Engel, a passionate advocate for mentorship. Together, they talk about...
Putting ‘Mother’ on a Resume
09 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In today’s episode, Ren Akinci and Rebecca Coleman dive into the crucial yet often overlooked aspect of putting ‘mother’ on the resume. Listen i...
Fair Chance Hiring Practices
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Ren Akinci is joined by Alex Love of Alex Love Consulting. Alex is an advocate for fair chance hiring practices. But what exactly is...
Harnessing AI’s Power for Good
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In our latest episode, Ren Akinci sits down with Shelly Palmer, a renowned AI expert, who shares invaluable insights on harnessing AI’s power for ...
Leading Through Tough Times
24 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our new episode is an inspiring conversation with Rafat Ali, CEO of a Skift. Ren and Rafat talk about leading a global team through tough times and ...
The Workplace Anxiety Monster
10 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Melissa Swift talks to Ren Akinci about the Work Anxiety Monster, how companies can leverage data to improve the everyday work expe...
How Advertising Week Approaches DEI Through Attitude and Action
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Despite industry efforts, a recent Wave II of Global DEI Census shows no improvement in inclusion; in fact, 1 in 7 people say they’d consider leavin...
Mental Health in the Workplace
12 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In our debut episode, host Ren Akinci speaks with Natasha Bowman, author and a champion for workplace equity, as well as a top voice for mental health...
Great Minds: People and Culture Trailer
06 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Advertising Week is proud to present Great Minds People and Culture, a podcast dedicated to exploring the art of intentional leadership during times o...