How a summer job grew into an ice cream empire, with CEO Ben Van Leeuwen
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream is one of the fastest growing dessert brands in the country. It’s known for its seriously delicious classic flavors and its wacky collaborations. (Kraft Mac and Cheese ice cream, anyone?) Co-founder and CEO Ben Van Leeuwen talks with Jeff Berman to reveal how it grew from his love of simple ingredients and driving an ice cream truck as a teenager into a rapidly scaling company with about 2,000 employees.Subscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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PBS fights for its future, with President & CEO Paula Kerger
PBS President & CEO Paula Kerger joins Rapid Response to take us inside the organization’s financial reality if federal funding is stripped, and how she’s battling to protect iconic programming — from Frontline to Sesame Street. Kerger shares the role of corporate philanthropy in PBS’ future, its relationship with streamers like Netflix, and how she handles allegations of public media bias. Whether or not you're an avid Nova or Ken Burns viewer, PBS' challenge captures critical lessons about focus, mission, and the need to evolve or die trying.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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How Baby2Baby stepped up as LA wildfires raged, with co-CEOs Norah Weinstein and Kelly Sawyer Patricof
Devastating wildfires tore through Los Angeles at the start of 2025. Nonprofit Baby2Baby was on the ground leveraging its deep knowledge of how to respond to natural disasters to help families in need. Co-CEOs Norah Weinstein and Kelly Sawyer Patricof joined host Jeff Berman on stage to reflect on what it was like to use everything they’d learned scaling their nonprofit to help their hometown in a moment of crisis. This Masters of Scale Live event, presented by Capital One Business, was recorded at Neuehouse in Los Angeles. To learn more about how you can support Baby2Baby, go to https://baby2baby.org/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Canva’s $35B design biz is quietly taking over the workplace, with co-founder & COO Cliff Obrecht
For over a decade, Canva has made design and publishing more accessible than ever. Now, the company is wrestling with how to harness AI while staying true to its mission of empowering individual creators. Co-founder and COO Cliff Obrecht joins Rapid Response to reveal how Canva is navigating this shift—and why the stakes are so high when it comes to AI-adoption in the creative industry. He opens up about leading the company alongside his wife and co-founder Melanie Perkins, their decision to give away $100 million to causes in Malawi, and what it means to scale without compromising values. Obrecht also shares Canva’s role in the future of technology and how marketing could define the business’s next chapter.Visit the Rapid Response website here: https://www.rapidresponseshow.com/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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Building a $1.5B real estate empire, with Spencer Rascoff and Austin Allison
Zillow co-founder Spencer Rascoff and Dotloop founder Austin Allison both knew that owning a vacation home was a great privilege — and an expensive hassle. They’re leveraging their decades of experience in real estate to reshape how owning a vacation home works with a new business: Pacaso. They join host Jeff Berman to reveal how it became the fastest U.S. company to ever reach unicorn status.Read a transcript of this episode: https://mastersofscale.comSubscribe to the Masters of Scale weekly newsletter: https://mastersofscale.com/subscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
On Masters of Scale, iconic business leaders share lessons and strategies that have helped them grow the world's most fascinating companies. Founders, CEOs, and dynamic innovators join candid conversations about their triumphs and challenges with a set of luminary hosts, including founding host Reid Hoffman (LinkedIn co-founder and Greylock partner). From navigating early prototypes to expanding brands globally, Masters of Scale provides priceless insights to help anyone grow their dream enterprise.
France