A canceled commencement speech, and leading as an outspoken CEO episode artwork

EPISODE · May 15, 2026 · 28 MIN

A canceled commencement speech, and leading as an outspoken CEO

from Rapid Response

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.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published May 15, 2026

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A canceled commencement speech, and leading as an outspoken CEO

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