55:55 minutes
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July 29, 2026
#44 Democracy, Climate, and the Business We Need
A Reckoning
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About The Speaker
Rebecca Henderson is one of 25 University Professors at Harvard, a research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research and a fellow of both the British Academy and of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She also has more than twenty-five years of major public board experience. Rebecca’s research explores the degree to which the private sector can play a major role in building a more sustainable economy. Her publications include Accelerating Energy Innovation: Insights from Multiple Sectors (University of Chicago Press), Leading Sustainable Change: An Organizational Perspective (Oxford University Press) and Political Economy and Justice (University of Chicago Press). She is also the author of Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire which was shortlisted for the FT/McKinsey 2020 Business Book of the Year Award.
Episode Description
What does business owe society? And what does society owe business in return? These aren’t abstract questions—they’re survival questions. As climate change accelerates, democracies falter, and mission-driven companies struggle to stay afloat, we need a new conversation about what capitalism can actually do. This week, we sit down with Rebecca Henderson to explore the real constraints, the hidden power of the private sector, and why this moment might be more hopeful than it seems.
Rebecca Henderson is one of 25 University Professors at Harvard and author of Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire. We talk about climate commitments, investor power, the future of democracy, and what it takes to build a business that lasts. If you’re a founder, a leader, or simply trying to understand how we got here and where we go next, this conversation is for you.
Additional inspirations from Rebecca Henderson
More about Rebecca’s work and research here
