EMERGE Everywhere

From her seat at The Aspen Institute, Judy Samuelson has led a 10-year campaign to disrupt Milton Friedman’s narrative that corporations solely exist to maximize shareholder value. The past two years have provided some watershed moments. In 2019, public statements from the Business Roundtable and World Economic Forum signalled corporate leaders were embracing stakeholder capitalism – a mission to serve customers, suppliers, workers, and communities, rather than solely shareholders. But 2020 has severely tested these principes, from the pandemic to racial unrest and political divisiveness. In the wake of all this, have CEOs’ actions supported their words? In this episode, Judy discusses how corporations have responded to current crises, what it means for the future of stakeholder capitalism, and how businesses can succeed in tomorrow’s economic and social landscape.

In the final episode of the year, Financial Health Network President and CEO Jennifer Tescher takes a moment to look back on the engaging conversations she had with her guests and the three silver linings that emerged from this challenging year: a growing energy around stakeholder capitalism, racial equity, and empathy. This momentum offers a sense of hope for healing and transformation in the coming year. EMERGE Everywhere will be back in January 2021 with new episodes. Happy holidays!

Health and financial health are inextricably intertwined. As income and wealth increase or decrease, so does physical well-being. This is especially apparent in underserved communities, which have disproportionately borne the financial and health impacts of COVID-19. The close connection between health and wealth underscores the need for cross-industry leaders to identify challenges and develop integrated solutions to support wellness. Dr. Richard Besser, president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is one of the leading voices on health equity. In this episode, Jennifer talks with him about this connection, the challenges facing the American healthcare system, and how we can create a system that supports health and financial wellness for all.

AARP Foundation President Lisa Marsh Ryerson joins Jennifer to talk about the importance of partnerships to address the financial health needs of people as they age. In the midst of a global pandemic that is having an outsized impact on older people, forging these partnerships is more critical than ever. Listen in as they discuss the financial health, physical health, and racial disparities affecting older Americans, and how an integrated financial health ecosystem is key to finding solutions. 

By offering robust benefits and resources, employers are ideally positioned to improve worker financial health while also improving their own bottom lines. One company that has integrated financial health into the workplace effectively is Prudential Financial. In this episode, host Jennifer Tescher explores the tools critical to build financial resilience with Prudential’s Yanela Frias, President of Retirement, and Jamie Kalamarides, President of Group Insurance.

For Jelena McWilliams, the mission of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)  – to maintain stability and public confidence in the nation's financial system – is a personal one. After immigrating to the U.S. with only $500, she put herself through undergraduate and law school to become one of the leading voices for financial inclusion. In this episode, Jelena shares with Jennifer what it’s like to head the FDIC during a time of such extreme economic hardship and uncertainty, revealing her keen sense of empathy for the challenges currently facing the most financially vulnerable Americans.

2020 has been anything but ordinary. The coronavirus pandemic has resulted in record unemployment filings, long lines at food banks, and millions of Americans struggling to make ends meet. The Financial Health Network created the U.S. Financial Health Pulse in 2018 to provide an ongoing snapshot of the nation’s financial health, and this year, it offers a stark picture of the lopsided and inequitable impact of COVID-19 on communities across America. In this episode, Jennifer sits down with Bill Bynum, the CEO of HOPE, to get his thoughts on the country’s growing economic inequality and what we can do to facilitate opportunities for all, especially disenfranchised populations.

Melvin Carter III is the 46th mayor and the first African American mayor of Saint Paul, the capital city of Minnesota. This year, his city has been impacted by the tragic murder of George Floyd, the resulting civil unrest, and the economic and personal hardships of the pandemic. In this episode, Jennifer talks with him about leading his community through this trying year, his advocacy for the working class, and his thoughts on how initiatives in Saint Paul can inspire other cities to focus on an integrated financial health system for all.

For most of us, work takes up 8 or more hours every weekday. Our jobs are more than just a source of income; they are often a central part of our identity and our lives. That’s why employers must see people in 3D to fully understand the need to enhance worker financial health and integrate it throughout their organizations. In this episode, Jennifer explores the importance of a supportive workplace – whether on-site or remote – with Michael Bush, CEO of Great Place to Work®.

President and CEO of PayPal Dan Schulman is a Black Belt silo buster. He joins Jen to talk about transforming PayPal into a customer-focused, stakeholder-oriented company. Listen in as he shares why PayPal’s most important stakeholders are its employees and reflects with Jen on the complexities of leading his team through escalating racial tensions and the uncertainty of a global pandemic.