Long Life Learning

This week, Kavitha is joined by Neha Gupta, CEO and founder of Breakthrough AI, which recently launched a practice-first coaching platform powered by role play scenarios with AI voice tools. Neha explains that part of her vision was to provide real-time quantitative and qualitative feedback on effective communication: particularly for individuals who may be highly technically skilled, but need targeted practice to improve the soft skills that win over clients. She and Kavitha discuss empathy as a cornerstone of client relations, the role of gamification for incentivizing user engagement and self-improvement, and why Neha feels it is imperative to "keep a human in the loop" when interacting with AI coaching tools. In particular, Neha emphasizes the importance of pushing back on the "quick fix" and "life hacks" culture that is rapidly developing around AI-human interactions. Instead, she encourages Kavitha to see AI coaching tools as an opportunity for engaging in unique, targeted practice to prepare employees to meet high-stakes scenarios with confidence and meaningful preparation. Transcript S3Ep8—Neha Gupta Transcript Links and Resources Information on YGELP and Yale SOM Executive Education: Yale SOM Executive Education Homepage Certificate in Professional Coaching Program Homepage Sign up for program updates Resources Mentioned in Today's Episode: Breakthrough AI Homepage The Way of Excellence by Brad Stulberg About Today's Guest Neha Gupta is the founder and CEO of Breakthrough AI, a practice-first AI coaching platform helping teams master the high-stakes conversations that shape performance, client relationships, and career growth. Combining AI role-play, behavioral science, and manager visibility, Breakthrough AI is reimagining professional development by turning communication skills from "soft skills" into measurable business capabilities. Her vision is to make personalized coaching and deliberate practice accessible at scale. Prior to founding Breakthrough AI, Neha built her career across startups, nonprofits, and global consumer brands, with experience spanning growth strategy, brand marketing, product marketing, and business development. She held leadership roles at SaverLife and previously worked at Clorox and Unilever, gaining experience in brand strategy and customer engagement at scale. She also founded BellyFire Branding, where she and her team advised mission-driven and early-stage organizations on growth strategy, positioning, and sustainable growth. Known for blending sharp strategic thinking with deep empathy for users, Neha has spent her career building brands and systems that create meaningful behavior change. The daughter of immigrants and a first-generation corporate leader, Neha's work is deeply informed by her own experience learning the unspoken rules of professional communication and leadership. That perspective fuels her belief that confidence, executive presence, and communication should not be advantages reserved for a select few. She holds an MBA from Yale School of Management and a BA from Stanford University.

This week, Kavitha is joined by Dr. Howie Forman (MD & MBA) of Yale University to discuss the unique role coaching plays in the world of medicine. Howie explains how coaching helped him navigate key turning points in his career, which has expanded from radiology into the worlds of health policy, leadership, teaching, and some coaching and mentoring of his own. He and Kavitha parse the difference between professional coaching and other key terms that have arisen this season, including psychiatry and psychotherapy. Howie identifies a core underlying principle that unifies all of them: the practice of leading with questions so as to empower clients to come to their own conclusions for action. In addition, Howie and Kavitha discuss where coaching can uniquely benefit medical practitioners, and Howie shares his thoughts about the characteristics that make certain individuals as a natural fit for coaching. Finally, Howie explains why it's not too late to change your workplace habits after age 45! Transcript S3Ep6—Howie Forman Transcript Links and Resources Information on YGELP and Yale SOM Executive Education: Yale SOM Executive Education Homepage Certificate in Professional Coaching Program Homepage Sign up for program updates Resources and Individuals Mentioned in Today's Episode: Health & Veritas podcast on Yale Insights MBA/MD with Yale School of Medicine Homepage Books by Victor Frankl, including Man's Search for Meaning "Your Local Epidemiologist," Katelyn Jetelina's Substack About Today's Guest Howie Forman Howie Forman is a Professor of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Public Health (Health Policy), Management, and Economics at Yale University. He came to Yale as a practicing diagnostic radiologist and remains an active clinician in the YNHH Emergency Room, where he also functions as the deputy operational chief for Radiology. Since 1998, he has taught undergraduate and graduate courses on healthcare policy, economics, finance, and leadership. He is the faculty director and founder of Yale's MD/MBA program and the Healthcare focus area of the Executive MBA program. Since 2011, he has been the director of the Health Care Management (HCM) Program at the YSPH. He is actively involved in patient care and issues related to financial administration, healthcare compliance, and quality improvement. He has worked in the US Senate, as a health policy fellow, on Medicare legislation. He is widely quoted in popular print and social media on Public Health, Health Policy, Healthcare Leadership/Management and Finance topics. Since September 2021, he has co-hosted the weekly Health And Veritas Podcast with Harlan Krumholz.

This week, Kavitha is joined by Aha2Impact CEO Allison Holzer to talk about how her background with the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and as an educator prepared her for excellence as a master certified executive coach. Allison walks Kavitha through the exciting developments at the forefront of coaching today, including expanded opportunities for group and team coaching, internal organizational transformation, and individual entrepreneurship. They also touch upon the democratization of coaching, how Allison incorporates her background in the visual arts into sessions, and why it is imperative for coaches to not feel invested in their clients' success. They key? Coaches and clients alike need to avoid "performing" so that they can disrupt traditional power dynamics, honor the client's agency, and approach the coaching relationship with trust and authenticity. Transcript S3Ep4—Allison Holzer Transcript Links and Resources Information on YGELP and Yale SOM Executive Education: Yale SOM Executive Education Homepage Certificate in Professional Coaching Program Homepage Sign up for program updates Resources and Individuals Mentioned in Today's Episode: Aha2Impact Insights Dare to Inspire: Sustain the Fire of Inspiration in Work and Life by Allison Holzer The Gift and Power of Unstructured Time – Allison's TED Talk Ideas to Impact Newsletter Signup Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering by Malcolm Gladwell AI for the Authentic Leader: How to Communicate More Effectively Without Losing Your Humanity by Allison Shapira About Today's Guest Allison Aboud Holzer is a Master Certified Executive Coach, leadership and innovation advisor, author, and keynote speaker who helps leaders rethink how they lead in moments that matter most. She is the Founder and CEO of Aha2Impact, a women-owned leadership consulting firm that partners with organizations to align leadership, strategy, and culture in ways that drive meaningful and measurable impact. With more than 25 years of experience, Allison has coached and advised over a thousand global leaders - including CEOs, presidents, provosts, and senior healthcare leaders - through growth, transformation, and high-stakes decision-making. Her work spans Fortune 500 companies, leading healthcare systems, and top-tier academic institutions, with a focus on helping leaders newly expanded roles and business challenges with clarity and purpose. For over 15 years, she has served as a guest lecturer, executive coach, and master facilitator for executive education programs at Yale School of Management, Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business and Vanderbilt Owen's School of Business. Allison is also the co-author of Dare to Inspire and a 2x TEDx speaker whose work explores topics like emotional agility, storytelling, and the power of unstructured time. At the heart of her work is a simple idea: when leaders harness insight, emotion, and intention, they unlock the potential to create lasting, positive change.

To kick off Season 2, Kavitha sits down with Yale SOM Professor and Senior Associate Dean Jeffrey Sonnenfeld to discuss the evergreen question, "How do leaders learn?" Drawing on Jeff's decades of research expertise, high-profile media engagement, and longtime partnership with Executive Education, they attempt to answer this question for senior level leaders and C-Suite executives in particular. Together, Kavitha and Jeff delve into the rich history of how institutions have striven to craft timely and innovative education for aspiring business leaders, culminating in Yale SOM Executive Education's flagship initiative, the Yale Global Executive Leaders Program (YGELP). Jeff, who has served as Faculty Director for all eight YGELP cohorts, makes the case for combating CEO loneliness by cultivating strong relationships across markets and borders. He advocates the importance of maximizing impact by leveraging Yale SOM's unique embrace of interdisciplinary learning, from accounting and economics to anthropology and the study of happiness. Join us for a vibrant conversation as Jeff and Kavitha tackle questions like: How can leaders evade the pitfalls of strategic stagnancy in the forms of "success syndrome" and groupthink by elevating dissenting voices where their objections hold true with investigated fact? How can an intensive, multi-module program like YGELP empower leaders to engage in experimental innovation, gain real-time feedback from peers, and facilitate a sense of mutual exchange and clarity when innovating with AI, Cloud technology, and other cutting-edge research and strategies? Transcript S2E1—Jeff Sonnenfeld Transcript Links and Resources Information on YGELP and Yale SOM Executive Education: Yale SOM Executive Education Homepage What is the Yale Global Executive Leadership Program? (YGELP) Applying to YGELP Resources Mentioned in Today's Episode: The Evolving Self by Robert Keegan "The Strength of Weak Ties" by Mark Granovetter The Hero's Farewell by Jeffrey Sonnenfeld On Tyranny by Timothy Snyders Works by Marci Shore and Jason Stanley Health & Veritas podcast by Howard Forman and Harlan Krumholz Who Believed in You? by David McCormick and Dina Powell McCormick Where to Find Jeff: Prof. Sonnenfeld Yale SOM Faculty Page Recent publications for Chief Executive Magazine Recent publications for Fortune Recent publications for TIME About Today's Guest Jeffrey Sonnenfeld is the Senior Associate Dean for Leadership Studies and Lester Crown Professor in Management Practice at the Yale School of Management, as well as founder and president of the Chief Executive Leadership Institute, a nonprofit educational and research institute focused on CEO leadership and corporate governance. He previously served as full tenured professor at Emory's Goizueta Business School for a decade and a professor at the Harvard Business School for a decade. Professor Sonnenfeld has informally advised 5 US presidents - 3 Democrats and 2 Republicans - and thousands of CEOs. He helped advise the development of the Abraham Accords; helped catalyze the exit of over 1,000 companies from Russia; and helped catalyze collective action from CEOs on safeguarding democracy and voting rights. Professor Sonnenfeld's related research has been published in 100 scholarly articles which appeared in the leading academic journals in management such as Administrative Sciences Quarterly, the Academy of Management Journal, the Academy of Management Review, the Journal of Organizational Behavior, Social Forces, Human Relations, and Human Resource Management. He has also authored eight books, including The Hero's Farewell, an award-winning study of CEO succession, and another best seller, Firing Back, a study on leadership resilience in the face of adversity. Professor Sonnenfeld's work is regularly cited by the general media in such outlets as: BusinessWeek, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Newsweek, Time, the Economist, the Financial Times, the Washington Post, CBS, MSNBC, CNN, FOX, NBC, ABC as well as PBS, and he is a staff contributor for CNBC and a staff columnist for FORTUNE, TIME, Chief Executive, and Corporate Board Member. Sonnenfeld was recognized by Poets & Quants Magazine as the 2022 Professor of the Year in recognition of his high-profile efforts to catalyze the historic exits from Russia of over 1,000+ global businesses after the invasion of Ukraine, and was named to Worth Magazine's "Worthy 100 Leaders", an annual global listing of the most influential leaders across society. Sonnenfeld received the 2023 Greatest Impact on Corporate Boards award by Corporate Board Member magazine, and received the Academy of Management's 2023 Distinguished Scholar Practitioner Award. Sonnenfeld has advised the White House, U.S. State Department, U.S. Treasury Department, and Council of Economic Advisers on Russian economic sanctions and business retreats and has testified to the U.S. Congress; in addition, he has been profiled by various media outlets including TIME, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Washington Post, and Business Insider. BusinessWeek listed Sonnenfeld as one of the world's 10 most influential business school professors and Directorship magazine has listed him among the 100 most influential figures in corporate governance. He is the first academician to have rung the opening bells of both the New York Stock Exchange and the Nasdaq Stock Exchange having done so ten times. Professor Sonnenfeld earned the 2018 Ellis Island award from the US Ellis Island Foundation. He was Harvard's first John Whitehead Faculty Fellow and won outstanding educator awards at Yale, Emory and the American Society for Training and Development. He is now a member of the board of Lennar, the leading American homebuilder, as well as IEX, Atlas Merchant Capital, and the Ellis Island Honor Society. Professor Sonnenfeld was appointed by Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont to serve as co-chair of Advance CT, where he helped lead the state's economic development, including attracting and retaining leading global businesses and developing the state's workforce. Sonnenfeld also serves on the Board of Directors of Connecticut Innovations, which is focused on building the innovation and business ecosystem within the state of Connecticut.

The final episode of season 1 features Jo Ann Jenkins, visionary CEO of AARP for the past 10 years. Jo Ann has revolutionized the mission of this "nonprofit, nonpartisan, social change organization" to help Americans embrace life after 50 as a vibrant time of transformation and connection. Jo Ann joins Kavitha to talk career pivots, lifelong mentorship, and legacy-making whose benefits extend to people of all ages. She invites us to consider the needs of an ever-evolving present day: one in which the fastest-growing age group in the U.S. is Americans 85 and up, and in which today's 10-year-olds have a 50% chance of living to see their 100th birthday. Kavitha and Jo Ann unpack how public discourse around aging and longevity has shifted toward inspiration and engagement. Though Jo Ann warns that we are still far from success, some of the issues at the forefront of AARP's mission under her tenure have seen significant wins: combating hunger, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, and protecting Social Security among them. This final episode of the season is a celebration of third act joy and purpose generated into impactful action! Transcript Episode 6—Jo Ann Jenkins Transcript Links and Resources Information on ELI and Yale SOM Executive Education: Yale SOM Executive Education Homepage What is the Experienced Leaders Initiative (ELI)? ELI Application Form—Due Nov. 8, 2024 Resources Mentioned in Today's Episode: Disrupt Aging: A Bold New Path to Living Your Best Life at Every Age by Jo Ann Jenkins and Boe Workman Drive to End Hunger: AARP's collaboration with NASCAR's Jeff Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports The Links, Inc. The Second Fifty: Answers to the 7 Big Questions of Midlife and Beyond by Deborah Whitman Pivot or Die: How Leaders Thrive When Everything Changes by Gary Shapiro AARP Purpose Prize About Today's Guest Jo Ann Jenkins, Former CEO of AARP As CEO of AARP, Jo Ann Jenkins leads the world's largest non-profit, nonpartisan membership organization, harnessing the power and passion of almost 2,300 staff members, 60,000 volunteers and numerous strategic partners. Since 2014, Jo Ann has transformed AARP into a leader in social change empowering all people to choose how they live as they age. Under her leadership, AARP has been recognized as one of the World's Most Ethical Companies, has been named to the Washington Post's Top Workplaces and Fast Company's Best Workplaces for Innovators. Jo Ann began her career at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, moving on to progressively more responsible leadership positions in the Department of Transportation and Department of Agriculture before serving as Chief Operating Officer of the Library of Congress. She has served and continues to hold board and advisory positions at a number of corporate and civic organizations. Her national best-selling book, Disrupt Aging: A Bold New Path to Living Your Best Life at Every Age, has become a signature rallying cry for revolutionizing society's views on aging by driving a new social consciousness and sparking innovative solutions for all generations. It has also been released in Chinese and Korean. She holds a BS degree from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama, is a graduate of the Stanford Graduate School of Business Executive Program, and recipient of Honorary Doctorates of Humane Letters from both Spring Hill College and Washington College. She is a Baldrige Fellow and received the Baldrige Leadership Award. In 2019 and 2021 Fortune named her "One of the World's 50 Greatest Leaders."

If you've ever caught yourself about to correct a spelling mistake on a grocery list, this week's guest has advice for you: Stop! And reflect: Why? Yale School of Management Lecturer and reflective writing practitioner Stephanie Dunson joins Kavitha in the studio for a discussion about how the power of process writing moves us from inward reflection to outward, purposeful action. Stephanie encourages her students—of all ages—to let go of everything they've been taught about "right and wrong" in writing and embrace the metacognitive journey of pursuing uncertainty: What's missing from their writing? Why did they choose a particular word or structure? How can they move from fixation on the product to a generative emphasis on process? This mindset shift, Stephanie believes, can help writers break through static individual beliefs and powerfully activate group thinking. Join this week's conversation to learn why Stephanie sees unfinished writing as the perfect, porous entry point into another's internal experience, and how to share your writing in a way that prioritizes vulnerability over exposure. Transcript Episode 4—Stephanie Dunson Transcript Links and Resources Information on ELI and Yale SOM Executive Education: Yale SOM Executive Education Homepage What is the Experienced Leaders Initiative (ELI)? ELI Application Form—Due Nov. 8, 2024 Resources Mentioned in Today's Episode: Embracing Contraries, Peter Elbow How We Think, John Dewey Transformative Learning in Practice, Jack Mezirow and Edward Taylor The Evolving Self, Robert Kegan A River Runs Through It, Norman Maclean 100 Essays I Don't Have Time to Write, Sarah Ruhl More Featuring Stephanie: Website Homepage Stephanie's guest appearance on Dr. Heidi Brooks' Learning Through Experience podcast Stephanie's podcast, 100 Writing Mistakes Academic Writers Make... And How to Fix Them About Today's Guest Stephanie Dunson, Yale SOM Lecturer in Reflective Writing Stephanie Dunson is an award-winning scholar and a collaborative process specialist whose experience spans the academic and business worlds. Over her thirty-year career, she's gained an international reputation as a writing process expert, leading workshops at major universities, speaking at leading colleges, and coaching faculty from top programs. Her development as a team thinking expert is grounded in her work as a consultant for the Bard College Institute for Writing and Thinking and continued within academia through her tenure as Director of Writing Programs at Williams College. As a corporate consultant, she leads writing workshops designed to help groups collaborate critically on complex problems, make meaningful use of diverse viewpoints, and build communities of inquiry, support, and respect. At Yale SOM, she's a Lecturer on Reflective Writing and an Executive Education affiliate.

This week, Kavitha is joined by legendary pro-soccer player-turned keynote speaker and human rights activist Joanna Lohman. Together they discuss why Joanna says that she has "refired" rather than retired from professional sports, and why, as a Yale ELI Advisory Board member and upcoming cohort participant, she would encourage other ELI Fellows to do the same. Join us to learn about Joanna's journey from a celebrated career with the Washington Spirit and the U.S. National Women's soccer team to her "second act" pivot into her current roles as a performance coach, sport diplomat, and author. In addition, Joanna shares why it takes a risk-embracing mindset to enact change, what it means to embrace transformation as a "human superpower," and how she has embraced her identity as a lesbian athlete and public persona to serve as a courageous role model to others. Transcript Episode 2—Joanna Lohman Transcript Links and Resources Information on ELI and Yale SOM Executive Education: Yale SOM Executive Education Homepage What is the Experienced Leaders Initiative (ELI)? ELI Application Form—Due Nov. 8, 2024 Resources Mentioned in Today's Episode: Finding Mastery Podcast with Dr. Michael Gervais, who recently released episode 466: "How to Thrive in a Distracted World" featuring ELI instructor Emma Seppälä Atomic Habits, James Clear's 2018 book on refining your focus and forming better habits Nelson Mandela speaking at the 2000 Laureus World Sports Awards, when he uttered the famous line, "Sport has the power to change the world." More Featuring Joanna: Raising Tomorrow's Champions, Joanna's 2021 book "Ignite the Human Behind High Performance," Joanna's keynote speech from July 2024 "The Uncomfortable Ride to the Top," Joanna's talk at TEDxBeacon Street Joanna, her wife Melodie, and their daughter Luna featured on the news for Pride Month in June 2023 About Today's Guest Joanna Lohman - Global Keynote Speaker, Authenticity Activator, Performance Igniter Joanna Lohman is a global keynote speaker, former pro soccer player, and performance coach who excels at unlocking human potential and authentic excellence. A member of the U.S. Women's National Team and Washington Spirit's first jersey retiree, Joanna has a rich background in leadership and social impact. She authored "Raising Tomorrow's Champions" and serves as a human rights activist and Sport Diplomat with the U.S. Department of State, using sports to address critical global issues. With 20 years of experience applying elite sports lessons to business, Joanna helps organizations excel through transformational leadership and resilience. She has worked with top companies like Qualcomm and the Minnesota Vikings and has appeared on CNN and Sirius XM. A Silver Spring native and Penn State standout, Joanna is a Springbrook High School and Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame inductee. Known for her blonde mohawk and authentic leadership, she is also a wife to Melodie, a parent to Luna, and a dog mom to Dewey.