At this point in the pandemic, most American consumers have faced some supply issues – be it waiting for a part for your car, or not being able to get the perfect present during the holiday season.

This episode’s guest explains why we are plagued with supply chain issues – and how we as a society can fix them.

G. 'Ravi’ Ravishankar is a faculty member at the Strategy, Entrepreneurship, and Operations Division at the Leeds School of Business. He is an expert on supply chain issues, lean transformation, product innovation strategies, and technology transfer from national laboratories.

We talked to him about how the pandemic upended our supply chain – and the cracks in the system that were there all along.


EPISODE QUOTES:
On the changing nature of who is an “essential worker”
[00:06:48] If the circumstances change enough, who becomes essential is going to change. If you have a war, soldiers are essential; if you have a famine, food production is essential. So everybody is essential at different points in time, and we need to look at the entire labor pool in that manner.


On where products are made
[00:07:50] We don't make stuff in this country. We mostly import anything that is made. And that is a fundamental problem when all of a sudden, where something comes from is disrupted. It doesn't matter what that item is. If you don't make something, then you need to ensure that the supply from wherever it is coming from is rock solid.


On implementing lessons from recent pandemic problems
[00:26:17] The supply chain problems have got tentacles that go in a thousand different ways. We are just facing the ripple. We've tossed a rock in the pond, and all of a sudden, this ripple is playing out, and it's making us rethink. My fear is that you let things alone for too long, that ripple will die out, and it'll be back to business as usual until something else happens. And I guarantee something else will happen. It’s just a matter of time.

S1E1: Professor ‘Ravi’ Ravishankar – Untangling the Supply Chain

Two years ago, it would’ve been hard to imagine a Disneyland devoid of happy families and beloved characters. But for months, the park was mostly empty due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now the crowds are back – but the experience has been updated to account for the new normal. 

Clark Jones is Senior Vice President and CFO at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California, is a 26-year veteran of the Walt Disney company's theme park business – and he’s been at the helm of efforts to ensure Disneyland’s success for generations to come, even amid a pandemic. 

EPISODE QUOTES:
On balancing change and tradition
[00:23:15] With the legacy that Disneyland has, especially with its avid fan base, anytime you make a change can be challenging … [but] once you make a change and put it into the environment and let the guests actually then interact with it and participate with it, in most cases, they realize, “You know, sometimes change is good, and sometimes, it's better.” You're never going to make everybody happy all the time, but, if we don't make some changes, we're just going to be the same Disneyland we were, you know, ten years ago, 20 years ago, 30 years ago. And, I think, our guests expect more from us.  

On his advice to people new to the workforce 
[00:20:48] As somebody brand new to the workforce, you're bringing that to the table. You are bringing a brand-new perspective to organizations and to companies. And I don't think you should be afraid to say what you're thinking and say how you might change an organization. Because I think that is your expectation that the company should be listening. And I think we, as leaders, know that that's your expectation, and we need to create an environment in which you can do that. So don't be afraid to come in and provide perspective, add value, and question things. 

On the wisdom of ‘Encanto’
[00:13:29] One of my favorite quotes right now is coming from the film Encanto, which, hopefully, the listeners have had a chance to see. And it's such a great film, and there's a character in there who is the perfect daughter. She says, “It doesn't have to be perfect. Sometimes it just has to be.” And I think when you think about planning, it doesn't have to be spot on all the time. But you have to have [a plan], and you have to be thoughtful about it, and it needs to be there, so when the time does come, you're ready to act upon it.

S1E2: Clark Jones – Riding Through the Pandemic at Disneyland

Professor Sarah Zechman is Chair of the Accounting Division at Leeds, as well as an expert in financial communications and disclosure. She’s been researching SPACs – short for special purpose acquisition companies – and their sudden popularity, especially among celebrities.

This episode digs into what SPACs are, why they’ve been in the news more, and what listeners should consider before going in on SPACs 

EPISODE QUOTES:
Why are SPACs an alternative to IPOs?
[00:05:39] People at this point are looking for alternative investments. I've seen a lot of creative investments out there and SPACs are one of them that are a bit different. It's difficult to obtain stakes in a traditional IPO. Even those entities that have access are often constrained in their allotment.  If you want to invest in early-stage investment, there's very limited options for many entities and individuals. But SPACs expand the pool of investment opportunities available.

A brief history on the popularity of SPACs
[00:21:00] The first SPAC was actually back in the 1990s, but they were extremely infrequent until 2003. And even from 2003 to 2017, there were maybe 20 a year. So still very infrequent. Then, in 2018 and ramping up in 2019 and certainly 2020 they've exploded quite a bit. In 2020, there were 200 SPACs that raised over $70 million.

S1E3: Sarah Zechman – Unpacking SPACs

Smells like a youthful jam

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Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit (Karmakaio & Auyo Flow Hypertechno Remix)

We conclude our recordings from the June 2024 Reversing the Arrow conference with a panel discussion which took place at the historic Chautauqua Community House.

Our panel is composed of:

•Christina Lubinski, Professor of Entrepreneurship at The Copenhagen Business School
•Seungah Lee, Policy Adviser, Consultant and Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship and Organizations from HEC-Paris
•The ubiquitous Bob Eberhart from the University of San Diego and founder of the Reversing the Arrow Conference, with a record-setting Creative Distillation appearance.

The episode begins with Jeff dazzling us with his beer knowledge during a tasting featuring product from two local brewers:

Upslope’ German Style Pilsner (in which Jeff enumerates the differences between German and Czech style Pilsners)
AND
Liquid Mechanics’ Lucid AF IPA (we’re not sure what the AF stands for; what do you think?)

As our panelists enjoy their beverages, they discuss the Reversing the Arrow conference’s mission: to examine entrepreneurship’s actual impact on society.

Bob notes that the subjects addressed at the conference over the years are finding their way into military and governmental spheres, as well as affecting curriculum and teaching at the academic level. 

The group also discusses whether the potential harm of entrepreneurialism taught as an ideology outweighs its positive social effects.

It’s a fascinating discussion from a fascinating conference.

Enjoy and cheers!

———

This episode of Creative Distillation was recorded at the Chautauqua Community House during the Reversing the Arrow Conference, held in Boulder in June 2024.

Learn more about Upslope Brewing at upslopebrewing.com
Learn more about Liquid Mechanics at liquidmechanicsbrewing.com

Find out more about Christina Lubinski on her faculty page at the Copenhagen Business School website (https://www.cbs.dk/en/research/departments-and-centres/department-of-business-humanities-and-law/staff/clbhl)

See what Seungah Lee is up to on her faculty page at HEC-Paris (https://www.hec.edu/en/faculty-research/faculty-directory/faculty-member/lee-seungahsarah)

And, if you haven’t bookmarked it yet, check out Bob Eberhart on his faculty page at the University of San Diego’s Knauss School of Business (https://www.sandiego.edu/business/faculty-and-research/biography.php?profile_id=14906)  

--

Learn more about CU's Deming Center for Entrepreneurship: https://deming.colorado.edu

Comments/criticism/suggestions/feedback? We'd love to hear it. Drop us a note at CDpodcast@colorado.edu.

Thanks for listening.
- An Analog Digital Arts Production for the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship Produced, recorded and edited by Joel Davis

"Whiskey Before Breakfast" [Traditional] performed by Jeffrey York and Brad Werner. Recorded, mixed and mastered by George Figgs

___

CREATIVE DISTILLATION

University of Colorado-Boulder professors Jeff York and Brad Werner distill entrepreneurship research into actionable insights.

Jeff York | Associate Professor | Research Director jeffrey.york@colorado.edu

Brad Werner | Instructor | Teaching Director walter.werner@colorado.edu

Deming Center for Entrepreneurship | CU Leeds School of Business 303.492.9018 | deming@colorado.edu

77: Reversing the Arrow Impact Panel with Christina Lubinski (CBS), Seungah Lee (HEC Paris) and Bob Eberhart (USD), and Upslope and Liquid Mechanics Beer

University of Colorado-Boulder professors Jeff York and Brad Werner distill  entrepreneurship research into actionable insights.

77: Reversing the Arrow Impact Panel with Christina Lubinski (CBS), Seungah Lee (HEC Paris) and Bob Eberhart (USD), and Upslope and Liquid Mechanics Beer

Creative Distillation

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