A canceled commencement speech, and leading as an outspoken CEO
From Rapid Response by WaitWhat
May 15, 2026 · 29 min
About this episode
Rami Elghandour discusses the implications of free speech on campus and leading with values after his canceled commencement speech.
Oscar-nominated producer and Arcellx CEO Rami Elghandour was supposed to deliver an address to Rutgers University engineering graduates this week. But days before the ceremony, the school canceled his appearance after student objections to his social media posts around Palestine. Elghandour joins Rapid Response to speak out about free speech on campus, the personal cost of conviction, and what it really means to lead with your values when you run a public company. He also opens up about why the recent $8 billion acquisition of Arcellx by Gilead Sciences left him surprisingly cold, and his case for kindness and empathy as a competitive advantage — despite what Elon Musk says. 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 .
People in this episode
Guest: Rami Elghandour
Topics covered
- free speech
- leadership
- social media
- public company
- acquisition
- values
- empathy
Keywords
- commencement speech
- free speech
- leadership
- Arcellx
- Gilead Sciences
- empathy
- social media
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Rutgers University, Arcellx, Gilead Sciences
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