THE Q FACTOR

Why do some transportation technologies quietly reshape cities while others dominate headlines but stall in practice? Saar Golde, Chief Data Scientist at Via, joins host Gregg Fisher of Quent Capital to examine what the data actually says about the future of transportation—separating durable system-level change from speculative noise.From ride-hailing and EVs to shared transit, autonomous vehicles, and AI-driven optimization, Golde and Fisher explore how transportation is evolving not through flashier vehicles, but through smarter coordination, better data, and human-centered design. A grounded, data-driven conversation on how cities move, how technology scales, and where real value is being created over the next decade.

Why do some leaders act boldly while others freeze? Harvard Business School Professor Ranjay Gulati, author of How to Be Bold: The Surprising Science of Everyday Courage, joins host Gregg Fisher OF Quent Capital to explore how courage drives business performance and strategic focus.From capital allocation in downturns to the psychology of risk, Gulati and Fisher unpack what separates companies that reinvent themselves from those that play it safe—and fade. A data-driven look at how corporate boldness compounds over time.

Why do most mergers and acquisitions fail? Professors Feng Gu and Baruch Lev, co-authors of The M&A Failure Trap, join host Gregg Fisher of Quent Capital to break down the data behind the 70–75% failure rate—and the hidden factors that separate the few successes from the many misfires. From CEO ego to flawed valuation metrics, this conversation is a must-listen for anyone in finance, strategy, or leadership.

There may be no area of our culture that feels more threatened by A.I. than education. Michael Jabbour, AI Innovation Officer at Microsoft, is positioned directly at this high-stakes intersection. In this episode, host Gregg S. Fisher of Quent Capital, dives right into the questions that are increasingly top of mind: will A.I. replace our children's ability to think for themselves? Do the benefits of introducing A.I. into our classrooms outweigh its potential drawbacks? Is A.I., ultimately, our friend or foe?

Every once in a while, a breakthrough piece of tech can be an actual magic wand. The IQ3, a handheld ultrasound device manufactured by Butterfly Networks, is generating transformative outcomes in prenatal care by allowing women in underdeveloped nations (and around the world) to see and care for their unborn children. In this episode, Gregg Fisher speaks with Butterfly’s CEO and VP of Data and Imaging, Joseph DeVivo and Karl Thiele.

Many see the freedom in free trade as a sacred American value. But in their groundbreaking new book, INDUSTRIAL POLICY FOR THE UNITED STATES, Marc Fasteau and Ian Fletcher make the case that there is simply no such thing as free trade. They present overwhelming research arguing for a formal and forceful US industrial policy. Fasteau and Fletcher join host Gregg Fisher for a fascinating conversation about the ever-tricky marriage between government and big business.

"Nothing about biology makes sense unless it is seen in the light of evolution." In this episode, host Gregg Fisher of Quent Capital speaks with Dan-Avi Landau, one of the leading cancer researchers and data scientists in the world.  In this fascinating conversation, Landau zeros in on cancer's anarchic role in the story of human evolution, and describes the extraordinary leaps forward he and his colleagues are making in the mapping of the human genome. There may be no more urgent territory for big data to be taking on than health care and cancer treatment, and Dan-Avi's work represents the bleeding edge of what is, and what will be, possible.

On the opposite coast from Silicon Valley, New York is making their own massive investment in artificial intelligence. The Empire A.I. Consortium is a $400M public-private initiative designed to transform Buffalo into a global center for A.I. research. My guests are two of the project’s architects, UB Professors Venu Govindaraju and JinJun Xiong, who illuminate the critical difference between how A.I. is being designed in Buffalo, versus the A.I. systems being built in parts of Silicon Valley, and around the world. HOST: Gregg Fisher

Welcome to the most impactful season yet of THE Q FACTOR, the award-winning podcast series hosted by Gregg S. Fisher of Quent Capital. As A.I. roars into the foreground of our lives, it's never been more important to see every aspect of our lives through a data-driven lens. The world is changing rapidly; but the pattern is there.

How do successful businesses value their people? In today's data-driven world, this isn't a question that competitive business leaders can afford to leave un-quantified. Today's guest is one of the world's leading thinkers on the subject. Harvard Business School professor Ethan Rouen has just published a game-changing paper called "The Stock Market Valuation of Human Capital." Host Gregg Fisher of Quent Capital digs in with Rouen on this increasingly vital question: exactly how do the best companies invest in their people that leads to quantitative returns?

If you're running out of earthly investment ideas, perhaps you're simply not aiming high enough. Look to the Low Earth Orbit, says Dr. Ariel Ekblaw, Founder and CEO of the Aurelia Institute, and one of the most brilliant young thinkers we've ever had on THE Q FACTOR. Ekblaw joins host Gregg Fisher for a mindblowing conversation about the extraordinary steps being taken to transform humanity into a "spacefaring species."NOTE: THE Q FACTOR has had our eye on the "investment space in space" for some time now - check out our previous episodes with Dylan Taylor and Carolyn Porco if you're curious about other explorations we've made above Earth's atmosphere.

The future may be dreamed in leaps and bounds, but it's built in  small, well-considered steps. Today's guest is AJ Meyer, CEO of the delightfully-named Pickle Robot. They have one product: a robot that unloads trucks. And by focusing on one small slice of the supply-chain problem, Meyer and his team have built the foundation for the future, one in which human beings command the robots, and not the other way around. As always, Gregg Fisher of Quent Capital is your host.

The pandemic didn't change everything, but it certainly hit the accelerator. The future of work has arrived. Or has it? What are the trends worth paying attention to, and investing in, as we navigate this once-in-a-generation, or perhaps, once-in-a-century transition, to a fully-automated, work-from-home, semi-virtual, wholly-digital work life? Quent Capital's Gregg Fisher hosts an illuminating conversation with Dr. Joseph Fuller, Professor of Management Practice at Harvard Business School, and leader of the Managing the Future of Work Initiative.

Thanks to the application of data and scientific rigor, remarkable gains are being made against one of mankind’s most formidable foes: aging. Today's guest is Dr. Nir Barzilai, the founding director for the Institute of Aging Research. In his conversation with host Gregg Fisher, Barzilai breaks down the latest insights in our treatment of the human aging process. Dr. Barzilai distinguishes biological age from chronological age, sharing that the actual number of years healthy human beings are designed to spend on earth is much greater than you think.

Farms. They may seem old-fashioned. But the technological marvel known as the farm remains the centerpiece of human food consumption, and the $1 trillion category that is agriculture.  How is agri-business adapting to the massive changes coming down the pike, from automation to global warming? How is artificial intelligence changing the way you and your family eat, shop, and think about food? Eric Adamson, Founder of Tortuga AgTech, sits down with Gregg Fisher to talk about the remarkable ways the farming & food service sector is evolving to fit the future.

The most brilliant business in the world will fail...if nobody hears about it. As we search for the best investments, we must search not only for great products, services, and leaders, but also for superb marketing as well. In this episode, Gregg's guest is one of the world's foremost experts on the subject of marketing. Prof. Dominique Hanssens of UCLA shares his thoughts, expertise, and insights - including shining a light on a few aspects of modern business you may not even THINK of as marketing...but are, in fact, fundamental pieces of the marketing puzzle.

How accurate is a company's balance sheet in assessing its value? Not accurate at all, says Prof. Baruch Lev, who joins host Gregg Fisher for an eye-opening conversation about the critical value of intangibles. The importance of modern accounting pales in comparison to the importance of understanding a company's intangibles. Prof. Lev is perhaps the leading voice on the subject, having authored two seminal works on the subject, INTANGIBLES and THE END OF ACCOUNTING.

If entrepreneurship had a central office, it may very well be Babson College in Wellesley, MA, ranked the #1 school for entrepreneurship for over a quarter century. From Babson's hallowed halls have sprung the visionaries behind companies as varied as Ring, Home Depot, and Gerber Baby Food, among hundreds of others. What qualities make a great entrepreneur? Babson Professor Andrew Corbett joins host Gregg Fisher for an illuminating deep dive.

At long last, the COVID-19 pandemic seems to be in its final stages. And yet the permanent impact this pathogen has had on human culture cannot possibly be overestimated. We will surely never go back to the "way things were before." In today's episode, Gregg Fisher talks to one of the foremost experts on the subject, Yale University's Dr. Nicholas Christakis, author of the gripping book, Apollo's Arrow: The Profound and Enduring Impact of Coronavirus on the Way We Live.  

Dylan Taylor is the single most active investor in an amazing new investment space: space itself. Space exploration, development, and travel, once unimaginable as an investment category, is now opening up as an opportunity for everyday investors. Join us for host Gregg Fisher's fascinating conversation with an amazing thought leader, Dylan Taylor, the Chairman and CEO of Voyager Space Holdings.

Is your teenage daughter's TikTok usage tipping the balance of power to China? How much of our personal information is being funneled to the Chinese government? In this episode, Gregg Fisher of Quent Capital speaks with Dr. Adam Segal, Director of the Digital and Cyberspace Policy program at the Council on Foreign Relations, and one of the world's foremost authorities on China and cybersecurity. The war on privacy may be a cold war - but it's being fought every day, and the consequences are massive. 

Surely at the heart of the nationalist, anti-globalist fervor that has gripped the US in recent years is income inequality: the widening gulf between the wealthy, and those the 21st century has "left behind." Not so fast, says Dr. Rawi Abdelal, Harvard Business School professor and noted economics scholar. Perhaps there is a deeper issue animating the anti-globalist movement. Host Gregg Fisher dives deep into the the subject with Dr. Abdelal in this episode of THE Q FACTOR.

Leadership and culture can make or break a business. But how can we lead and foster a positive culture in a world of distributed work? Host Gregg Fisher (Founder of Quent Capital) speaks with renowned scholar and author Dr. Frances Frei of the Harvard Business School, who serves as a consultant to some of the most respected companies and leaders in the world today. Dr. Frei's new book, co-authored with Anne Morriss, is called UNLEASHED: The Unapologetic Leader's Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You.

A look at what lies ahead in Season Two of the Award-winning podcast, THE Q FACTOR, hosted by Gregg Fisher of Quent Capital.

It's among the biggest questions our species faces: is there intelligent life in the universe, away from our planet? Data has been powering mankind's search for intelligent life in the universe ever since we first gazed up at the heavens, and began to ponder our place in the cosmos. In this episode, Gregg Fisher speaks with Dr. Carolyn Porco, who for decades has been one of the most accomplished and distinguished members of the US space program. Dr. Porco is a Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences, a visiting scholar at UC Berkeley, and the former leader of the Cassini Imaging team. In this episode, Dr. Porco takes Gregg from her humble beginnings in the Bronx, through her remarkable experience looking for signs of life on Saturn's rings, all the way up to the questions she continues to wrestle with, including the meaning of life, which - believe it or not - Dr. Porco claims to have an answer for.

As Chief Analyst of 1010Data, Afshin Goodarzi's job is to keep track of every move you make. Does that make him a bad person? On the contrary, Afshin is a deeply moral, thoughtful human being. It just so happens that he works for a company, 1010Data, that serves as the big data "eyes and ears" for enormous multinationals like Coca-Cola, Procter & Gamble, and JP Morgan.In his conversation with host Gregg Fisher, Afshin talks about how your smartphone is actually a homing device, allowing companies like 1010Data to track your whereabouts. He and Gregg talk about how China uses data to give every citizen a "social credit score." And they weigh in on how data is being used to track how decently and courteously companies are treating their employees.

Gregg speaks with Matan Parnes, PayPal's Head of Global Risk and Data Sciences, about the ways that money is being revolutionized - and put at risk - in the digital age. Topics include: how PayPal is developing "story based" technology to detect good people from bad; China's headstart in adopting a zero-cash economy; and a new generation of digital criminals, tasked with reaching same kind of quarterly revenue targets as the law-abiding people and companies they're trying to defraud.

Gregg speaks with Jesse Redniss, EVP of data strategy at Turner and head of WarnerMedia's Innovation Lab, about the myriad ways that data is upending, disrupting, and optimizing entertainment. 

Hosted by Gregg Fisher, The Q Factor is a series of conversations with thought leaders from all walks of life, exploring the ways that data is transforming, disrupting, and revolutionizing our world. Awarded BEST PODCAST at the 2019 Mutual Fund Industry and ETF Awards.

Two titans of finance, host Gregg Fisher and BlackRock's Andrew Ang go head to head on the white-hot subject of factor investing. Gregg and Andrew discuss how factors first captured their imaginations; trade perspectives on growth, value and momentum; and compare factor investing to music and cooking.

Many of America's struggling rust belt cities are being transformed by data from the inside out. Gregg's guest today is Dr. Satish Tripathi, renowned data scientist and President of the University at Buffalo. Tripathi talks about how quantititative thinking is bringing higher education into the 21st century, and powering a growing tech sector in Western New York.

A bona fide living legend, Dr. Robert C. Merton was one of the first true scientists to enter - and revolutionize - the world of finance. A distinguished professor at both MIT and Harvard, Merton was awarded the 1997 Nobel Prize in Economics. Merton breaks down what he sees as a looming potential financial crisis, just over the horizon: the underfunding of the baby boom generation's retirement savings.

Gregg speaks with Anne Milgram, former Attorney General of New Jersey, about her pioneering work bringing data science into the world of criminal justice. Topics include: the US's incarceration dilemma, the development of a pretrial "risk assessment tool," and how even smart data can be contaminated by racial bias.

As the 2018 midterm elections approach, Gregg engages Ethan Roeder, political veteran and National Director of Data for both of Barack Obama’s presidential campaigns. Ethan offers his unique perspective on the intersection of data and politics, and how information is being leveraged for political gain.