Cecilia Chan is the Managing Director of a Manhattan-based private equity firm, Octonovem. In over 30 years as an investor, she has honed a style that focuses beyond the bottom line, to assess success by including a project’s effects on its community and the world. “Asset-light” companies, such as content creators, travel companies and products lik…

Cairn Spring Mills is a company that surprisingly is growing during the pandemic. The company is a varietal flour mill that produces a high quality locally sourced product. While other companies have been strapped by failing consumer demand and disrupted supply chains, Cairn Spring has increased sales by changing their business model - pivoting fro…

The #Covid-19 virus is changing accepted business norms around the globe. In this episode of Business Class, we spoke with #MarcusLu as he sheltered-in-place at his home in #China. With deep insight into business in China, Marcus described how the virus is changing long accepted patterns of how business is conducted. “We realize and are starting to…

In this episode of #BusinessClass, we return to Thailand for an #MBA review of the business skills needed to face this financial crisis. We spoke with PJ Van Hecke, a 2018 graduate of the #USCIBEARMBA program. PJ used his time in the program to shift from a global career in maritime engineering to the entrepreneurial side of book publishing. He is …

The moment the St. Patrick’s Day Parade was cancelled, Janet Lightner - General Manager of Boundary Bay Brewery - knew they were in trouble. In this episode of Business Class, we move to the Microeconomic impact of the pandemic and go to the craft brewery nexus of Bellingham, Washington, to explore how the virus has upended the business model of a …

In this episode of #BusinessClass, we look at how the #Covid-19 pandemic is affecting the ASEAN nations, particularly #Thailand. We turn to #Dr.NarongchaiAkaransee, a former Thai government minister with extensive business knowledge.Dr. Narongchai explains Thailand’s successful approach to control of the Covid-19 virus. In comparing the government’…

It’s always difficult to know what’s happening inside China. In this episode of Business Class, we hear first-hand information and analysis on China’s Covid-19 response from Shanghai resident, Jim McGregor, the CEO of APCO China.In an interview with USC’s Dick Drobnick, Jim notes that “China’s exports have fallen off a cliff.” They explore if: havi…

Millions of sports fans across the Asian sub-continent are watching the results of Jasdeep Pannu working from his living room. In this episode of Business Class, we speak with the Head of Digital Programming for ESPN India about how his organization saw the virus coming and moved #ESPNIndia out of the studio and into the guest room. The biggest pro…

Overnight, the Covid-19 pandemic moved much of the world’s business and business interactions online. In this episode of Business Class, we talk with Paul Wilson, Managing Director for Google Cloud (Public Sector) Asia Pacific. We asked Paul how this pandemic has created a moment in time, where technology tools are being adopted for use by people a…