22 DEC 2013 · Founder, Aramex Fadi Ghandour is one of the leading entrepreneurs of the Middle East. Fadi and his family moved from Lebanon to Jordan where his father eventually became head of Royal Jordanian Airlines. Adopting his father’s business sense and knowledge of the aviation space, Fadi recognized and filled the need for dependable logistics transportation and delivery services in the Arab world. Aramex has been referred to as “the Fedex of the Middle East.” Fadi speaks to Jessica about how he grew Aramex from a scrappy startup to the first company from the Arab world to be listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange, from scratch.

22 DEC 2013 · Founder, SecondMarket SecondMarket is a private market place for buying and selling alternative assets including private company stock, bankruptcy claims, and restricted public stock. If you are an investor in a startup or an employee who wants to sell your company’s stock before the IPO, SecondMarket facilities this transaction. Companies trading on the SecondMarket exchange have included Facebook, Twitter, and Linked In. Barry became a registered trader at 17 years old. He speaks with Jessica about the state of international capital markets, and how he launched SecondMarket, from scratch.

22 DEC 2013 · Co-Founder, Friends of the High Line Friends of the High Line is the organization that pioneered the transformation of an abandoned elevated train line into a public space about 1.5 miles long on Manhattan’s west side in New York City. Robert and his Co-Founder Joshua David started the organization after attending a community board meeting to protest the High Line’s demolition in 1999. Robert and Joshua are the authors of the book High Line: The Inside Story of New York City’s Park in the Sky. Friends of the High Line receives support from members to fund the ongoing maintenance of the park, as well as the expansion of its third section, to be completed in 2014. Robert speaks with Jessica about how he overcame fierce opposition to develop an unlikely public space, from scratch.

22 DEC 2013 · Founder, Women for Women International Zainab Salbi grew up in Iraq with close ties to Saddam Hussein. Her father was Saddam’s personal pilot, causing her family to be victims of psychological abuse by the dictator. When Zainab was living in the United States as a young adult, she was again involved in an abusive relationship. Her understanding of women in extremely harsh conditions eventually led her to start Women for Women International, an organization that provides support to women in war zones worldwide. Zainab tells Jessica about growing up in the shadow of Saddam Hussein, and how it empowered her to join the fight to help women across the globe, from scratch.

22 DEC 2013 · Co-Founder, Gilt Groupe, 10Gen, Business Insider Kevin is an internet entrepreneur who has led innovation in the online advertising and e-commerce space since the late 1990s. Kevin was the CEO of DoubleClick, the advertising serving company that was eventually sold to Google for $3.5 Billion. Kevin has since founded a number of internet companies including Gilt Groupe, a luxury e-commerce community, 10Gen, an open source database company, and Business Insider, an online news site for the technology and media industries. Kevin speaks to Jessica about how he has built a career around internet innovation, from scratch.

22 DEC 2013 · Founder, Nest Labs Nest Labs is focused on helping to create the next-generation home by making energy-saving smart digital assistants. Tony calls Nest’s first product, the Nest Learning Thermostat, “a smartphone in disguise.” Prior to launching Nest, Tony worked at Apple where he led the team that developed the iPod and iPhone. He was a special advisor to Steve Jobs until late 2009. Tony speaks with Jessica about his leadership role at Apple, and his vision for Nest, from scratch.

22 DEC 2013 · Founder, Kiva Systems Kiva Systems is a mobile robotics company that automates the warehouse fulfillment process. Kiva robots deliver inventory shelves to stationary human operators who then pick and pack the product. Mick started Kiva Systems in 2003, and the company was acquired by Amazon for $775 Million in Spring, 2012. Customers include Diapers.com and Zappos (both owned by Amazon), Saks Fifth Avenue, Staples, Toys ‘R Us, and the Gap, among others. Mick speaks with Jessica about how he has pioneered the transformation of the traditional warehouse, from scratch.

22 DEC 2013 · Founder, Rethink Robotics Dr. Rodney Brooks is the co-founder of Rethink Robotics, a company that makes robots for the manufacturing industry. Rethink’s first robot, Baxter, was introduced in October 2012 with the goal of increasing US manufacturing productivity. Prior to Rethink, Dr. Brooks co-founded iRobot, which makes robots for the consumer and defense industries. iRobot’s first consumer product was the Roomba, a vacuum robot, introduced in 2002. Dr. Brooks is professor emeritus at MIT, where he was on the faculty from 1984 to 2010.

22 DEC 2013 · Co-founder, Warby Parker Warby Parker is an online eyeglass retailer that sells low cost vintage inspired glasses. For each pair sold, Warby Parker provides a pair of glasses to low income people in more than 36 countries through non-profit partners like VisionSpring. VisionSpring trains female entrepreneurs to give eye exams and sell glasses in their communities. Neil co-founded Warby Parker with three classmates from Wharton Business School. Neil speaks with Jessica about how he is helping to change the optical industry landscape by making attractive glasses more affordable to everyone, from scratch.

22 DEC 2013 · Founder, Thomas Keller Restaurant Group Chef and restaurateur Thomas Keller bought the French Laundry, a restaurant in Napa Valley California, and turned it into one of the leading fine dining establishments in the world. The French Laundry and Per Se, located in the Time Warner Center in New York City, have both been awarded three Michelin Stars. Thomas has won consecutive “Best Chef” awards from the James Beard Foundation and “Chef of the Year” award by the Culinary Institute of America, among other accolades. He is the author of multiple cookbooks, including The French Laundry, Bouchon, Under Pressure, and Ad Hoc at Home. Thomas speaks with Jessica about how he launched his collection of restaurants, from scratch.