What are Fireside Chats?
Our Fireside Chats on Culture series spotlights culture leaders from industry, government, and education. Sessions take place for about an hour, on a trimester basis, and are conducted as an interview with our Directors, Professors Jennifer Chatman and Sameer Srivastava.
Past featured leaders include Patrick Collison, Co-Founder and CEO of Stripe; Michael Lewis, bestselling author; Mike Smith, Co-Founder of Footwork; Indra Nooyi, former CEO of PepsiCo; Dr. Michael Drake, President of the University of California system; Dr. David Thomas, President of Morehouse College; Steve Kerr, Head Coach of the Golden State Warriors; and Ed Catmull, Co-Founder of Pixar Animation Studios.
![](https://haas.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/Patrick-Collison-DSS-940x500.jpg)
Patrick Collison, Co-Founder and CEO of Stripe
Patrick Collison shared his insights on entrepreneurialism, drawing from his own journey, the development of Stripe's unique organizational culture, and effective leadership strategies for tackling challenges, building community, and encouraging innovation. He also emphasized giving back to society as a fundamental aspect of business leadership.
![](https://haas.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/110823_KT_0259-scaled-e1701110655855-940x500.jpg)
Michael Lewis, bestselling author
Renowned author Michael Lewis shared insights about his writing process, business lessons learned from his work, and the unique story of how FTX’s organizational culture and CEO Sam Bankman-Fried’s leadership style contributed to FTX’s downfall, as told in his latest book, Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon. Click to watch.
![](https://haas.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2023-05-08-at-11.53.41-AM-940x500.png)
Mike Smith, co-founder at Footwork and former President of Stitch Fix
Mike Smith discussed managing culture in organizations of various sizes, investing in early-stage companies, and promoting diversity and inclusion through business. Click to watch.
![](https://haas.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/20200115_HaasCultureConference_bhs_089-2-940x500.jpg)
Steve Kerr, Head Coach of the Golden State Warriors
In a wide-ranging interview at the 2nd annual Culture Connect Conference, Golden State Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr described how he built a culture around joy, competitiveness, mindfulness, and compassion—and how he maintained it both on and off the court. Click to watch.
![](https://haas.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/Fireside_Chat_Image_2-1.png)
Dr. David Thomas, President, Morehouse College
Dr. David Thomas shared his insights on how to cultivate a culture of inclusion and equity in organizations, in line with a central theme of the 3rd annual Berkeley Culture Conference: "Addressing Systemic Racism and Fostering Inclusion Through Organizational Culture." Click to watch.
![](https://haas.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-03-31-at-10.18.20-AM-940x500.png)
Dr. Michael Drake, President of the University of California System
Dr. Michael Drake discussed how to develop strategies to cultivate a culture of inclusion and equity, drawing from his extensive career in higher education implementing innovative solutions to improve university diversity and access. This session was co-sponsored by UC Berkeley Haas' Dean's Speaker Series. Click to watch.
![](https://haas.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/Cooper-Jenny-Sameer.png)
Frank Cooper, Chief Marketing Officer, BlackRock
Frank Cooper discussed how to cultivate a purpose-driven culture, drawing from his more than 30 year leadership career in marketing and brand management. Click to watch.
![](https://haas.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-07-01-at-9.06.03-AM.png)
Wendy Kopp, Co-Founder and CEO, Teach for All
Wendy Kopp discussed how to cultivate a culture of inspiration and mission, and how to create organizations that engender systemic change. Click to watch.
![](https://haas.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-09-27-at-2.06.35-PM-940x500.png)
Sue Desmond-Hellmann, Senior Advisor, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation & Google Ventures
Sue Desmond-Hellmann, former CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Chancellor of UCSF, and President of Genentech discussed leading cultural change, assessing organizational cultures, and developing high-performing teams. Click to watch.
![](https://haas.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/19109.29.21_HAAS_KT-0464-940x500.jpg)
John Hanke, Founder & CEO, Niantic, Inc.
John Hanke discussed his experience developing strong organizational cultures, promoting creativity and exploration in the workplace, and entrepreneurship in this fireside chat with Professors Jennifer Chatman and Sameer Srivastava. Click to watch.
(Image by Katelyn Tucker Photography)
![](https://haas.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/111021_KT-9649-940x500.jpg)
Robert Ford, President and CEO, Abbott
Robert Ford discussed his experience driving impact at the nexus of healthcare and technology, building organizational culture, the future of healthcare, and the effect of the pandemic on Abbott's business. (Image by Katelyn Tucker Photography)
![](https://haas.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/041222_KT-9444-940x500.jpg)
Indra Nooyi, Former Chairman and CEO, PepsiCo
Indra Nooyi discussed her experience running a Fortune 50 company, leading cultural change, and developing strong organizational culture. Questions are drawn from Indra's experiences outlined in her new book, My Life in Full: Work, Family, and Our Future, and her extensive background in all aspects of corporate functions, including strategy, finance, and development. Click to watch.
(Image by Katelyn Tucker Photography)
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