Dr. Vikas Shah MBE DL Interviews the world's leading thinkers, and the people shaping the century.

In this interview I speak to Sir Laurie Bristow, former UK Ambassador to Azerbaijan, Russia and Afghanistan. We discuss the role of diplomacy in our world, the role of diplomats in global peace and security, and what we can learn from when diplomacy goes right, and when it goes wrong.
Thought Economics

 

In this interview I speak to Trey Yingst, one of the world’s most accomplished foreign correspondents & war reporters who has covered the Israel-Hamas War, Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine and secured interviews with everyone from the leaders of Hamas, the Haqqani Terror Network and Islamic Jihad to the Presidents, Prime…
Thought Economics

 

In this interview I speak to Professor Marc Brackett, one of the world’s foremost experts in the science and psychology of emotion. Marc is the founding director of the Yale Centre for Emotional Intelligence, and author of the international best-selling book, Permission to Feel. In this powerful discussion, Marc helps…
Thought Economics

 

In this interview, I speak to Professor Karthik Ramanna, one of the world’s foremost experts on governance and leadership in crisis. We discuss the reasons why our world feels so outraged- and how leaders can build resilient organisations which can make sense of outrage, turn down the temperature, progress through…
Thought Economics

 

Renée DiResta is a highly regarded expert and speaker on adversarial abuse online – in other words, on how bad actors manipulate the digital public square. From spammers and scammers to state sponsored trolls, she investigates how social media platforms and technologies (such as generative AI) are used for evil. Although…
Thought Economics

 

In this interview I speak to one of the world's most experienced kidnap-for-ransom negotiators, Scott Walker, who has successfully resolved over 300 life-or-death crises, facing down gang leaders, pirates, cyberhackers, and extortionists. Scott spent 16 years as a Scotland Yard detective engaged in counter-terrorism and kidnapping operations. He left the…
Thought Economics

 

In this interview I speak to Cady Coleman, a former NASA Astronaut & Retired US Air Force Colonel with more than 180 days in space including two shuttle missions and a six-month expedition to the International Space Station. In our conversation, we discuss the learnings we can take for our…
Thought Economics

 

In this interview, I speak to Ron Shaich, the extraordinary entrepreneur who founded Panera Bread and Au Bon Pain. We discuss the realities of life as an entrepreneur and what it takes to build a $multi-billion business, with over 100,000 employees. He is also the author of the best-selling book…
Thought Economics

 

Tetris is the top-selling video game of all time - played in more than 200 countries, with over 520 million units having been sold and nearly 700 million downloads on mobile devices. Tetris is also one of the most studied games in history with over 30 scientific studies, showing the…
Thought Economics

 

Have you ever noticed that what is thrilling on Monday tends to become boring on Friday? Even exciting relationships, stimulating jobs, and breathtaking works of art lose their sparkle after a while. People stop noticing what is most wonderful in their own lives. They also stop noticing what is terrible.…
Thought Economics

 

All Interviews  (577)
My interview with reMarkable CEO, Phil Hess. We discuss the thesis behind reMarkable that led to the creation of one of Europe’s fastest growing technology companies, and a product with millions of users, which made Time magazine’s list of Best Inventions of 2020. Phil digs into reMarkable’s traction and growth,…
In this interview, I speak to Baron Jon Moynihan on his new book, Return to Growth Volume One: How to Fix the Economy. We discuss the UK’s decades-long stagnant economy and looks at what can be done to resuscitate it. In our conversation, we explore the key dynamics affecting economic…
Business & Economics  (341)
My interview with reMarkable CEO, Phil Hess. We discuss the thesis behind reMarkable that led to the creation of one of Europe’s fastest growing technology companies, and a product with millions of users, which made Time magazine’s list of Best Inventions of 2020. Phil digs into reMarkable’s traction and growth,…
In this interview, I speak to Baron Jon Moynihan on his new book, Return to Growth Volume One: How to Fix the Economy. We discuss the UK’s decades-long stagnant economy and looks at what can be done to resuscitate it. In our conversation, we explore the key dynamics affecting economic…
Culture, Society, Sports & Arts  (232)
Health & Medicine  (65)
In this interview, I speak to James Nestor (author of ‘Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art’) we discuss his extraordinary journey understanding how modern civilisation has forgotten the importance of the most important thing we do, breathing. We discuss the impact that poor breathing has on our health…
In this interview I speak to Professor Bruce Hood, a world-leading psychologist and happiness expert. Grounded in decades of neuroscience, Professor Hood’s recent book The Science of Happiness explores the simple, life-changing discoveries that can really impact our own happiness. In our conversation, we discuss the fundamental nature of happiness,…
Nobel Laureates  (20)
Politics & Policy  (162)
In this interview, I speak to Baron Jon Moynihan on his new book, Return to Growth Volume One: How to Fix the Economy. We discuss the UK’s decades-long stagnant economy and looks at what can be done to resuscitate it. In our conversation, we explore the key dynamics affecting economic…
Science & Technology  (119)