Neuroscience Speaker Jonah Lehrer: Don't Rely on Statistics Alone
Watch out sports stat nerds, neuroscience speaker Jonah Lehrer has set his sights on you in his debut article for Grantland. True to form, Lehrer takes a fascinating look at the way our minds make choices—in this case, the increasingly prevalent practice of leaning on math—and turns the tables. He... Continue Reading →
Salman Rushdie: A Rare Glimpse Into a Tumultuous Life
Over the weekend, The Guardian published an interesting interview with Salman Rushdie, in which the legendary author chats about fatherhood, faith, fatwa, and the writing of his 600-page biography—which industry insiders have pegged as one of the most anticipated releases of the decade. The... Continue Reading →
Doug Stephens on How We Shop Now
Today, Doug Stephens, who runs Retail Prophet, stopped by The Lavin Agency's Toronto offices to talk about the history and future of retail through the lens of sociology, trends, demographics, and personal experience. The period from 1940 to 2007 in North America, Doug said, was an unprecedented era... Continue Reading →
From War Room to Boardroom: Rick Hillier's Tangible Lessons
"Charismatic, compelling. . . quick with the jokes and bearing a salty tongue that seemed especially to amuse the middle managers in attendance.” This is how the Financial Post described retired general Rick Hillier at the recent Art of Leadership conference in Toronto. The article highlighted that... Continue Reading →
Jonah Keri's Montreal Expos Book: Sports, Commerce, Community
Jonah Keri—whose latest New York Times bestseller, The Extra 2%, examines the incredible turnaround of the Tampa Bay Rays—is now working on the definitive history of the Montreal Expos. Youppi! More than a history of the franchise, Jonah’s book, to be published by Random House in 2014, is an... Continue Reading →
Alex Samuel: After Vancouver Riots, Social Media Shifts to Surveillance
Alexandra Samuel is disappointed with her community. No, the Vancouver-based social media speaker isn't talking about her hometown, which erupted in rioting after the Canucks lost game seven of the Stanley Cup finals; she's concerned about what's becoming of her online community. In The Harvard... Continue Reading →
From Zero to $9 Billion: Arkadi Kuhlmann's ING Direct Success
Last week, ING Direct USA—the U.S. wing of the online bank that Arkadi Kuhlmann built from scratch—was sold for a staggering nine billion dollars to Capital One. With this historic sale, it’s worth reflecting on how Kuhlmann, an unconventional business leader, created a bank and brought it from zero... Continue Reading →
Scathing, Quotable, and Necessary: Matt Taibbi Takes on Wall Street
Our newest speaker, Matt Taibbi, didn't become one of America's most illuminating experts on the recent economic crisis by donning kid gloves to handle Wall Street villains and their shills. Scathing, quotable, and evocative of Hunter S. Thompson, Taibbi's articles for Rolling Stone stir and... Continue Reading →