Space Tech with Aevum, Chip Wars with Intel & GlobalFoundries, Software for Healthcare +More
Jay Skylus of Aevum, Darren Walker of Ford Foundation, Eren Bali of Carbon Health
It was another week packed with news and interviews, in the chip sector, space tech and beyond.
In chips: I spoke to GlobalFoundries about its planned manufacturing expansion in New York, and Intel’s rumored interest in buying the company. Intel meanwhile reported earnings in the thick of a global chip shortage, and the stock sold off on weaker profit margins and doubts about new CEO Pat Gelsinger’s ability to execute an ambitious turnaround plan. It wasn’t all bad news: Intel beat on revenue, raised guidance and set the stage for a major technology update Monday 7/26. (Go deep on that announcement with me on Fortt Knox: I’ll be interviewing Intel SVP Sanjay Natarajan in a return of the Fortt Knox Deep Dive, and I’ve invited veteran industry analysts Kevin Krewell and Patrick Moorhead to join.)
Last week saw the return of my March Forth social impact series with my friend Jayson Council. For the first time, we took the conversation on location, in this case to the headquarters of the Ford Foundation. We talked to foundation president Darren Walker about the gaps in economic opportunity globally, and the role tech can play, for better and worse.
Who could have missed Jeff Bezos’s trip to space this week? If you want to go further into the subject of innovation in the commercial space industry and whether it’s glorious or vainglorious, check out my 1:1 with Jay Skylus, CEO of Aevum.
All that, and a lot more, below.
Is Netflix Over the Hill? On the Other Hand
Is Netflix over the hill or getting ready for a new phase of growth? I argued both sides in the latest edition of On the Other Hand, on CNBC’s Squawk Box:
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger on Q2 Earnings and the Company’s Challenging Road Ahead
New Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger is shuffling executive leadership, bringing in new talent, trying to fix chip manufacturing and launch a foundry business at the same time. Meanwhile the global chip shortage is both hurting and helping. Learn more in my interview here:
GlobalFoundries CEO Tom Caulfield on Chip Manufacturing Expansion, Intel M&A Rumors
Intel is rumored to be interested in buying GlobalFoundries, and Gelsinger said nothing to squash the possibility. When I spoke to GlobalFoundries CEO Tom Caulfield, he dismissed the Intel speculation and focused on his push to build up chip manufacturing capacity:
Tech’s Role in Closing (and Opening) Gaps: Ford Foundation President Darren Walker
For five months now, Jayson Council and I have been working on the March Forth series, highlighting questions of social justice in business. In the latest installment we spoke with Ford Foundation President Darren Walker:
Avalara CEO Scott McFarlane on Solving for Tax Complexity, and Learning from Partners
Scott McFarlane had learning challenges growing up; he also had an intense curiosity about business and a love for sports and teams. In this conversation I learned how he grew as an entrepreneur and a leader, and how he’s growing Avalara into a major player in the world of omnichannel commerce:
PubMatic CEO Rajeev Goel on the Future of Digital Ads and Privacy
Rajeev Goel and his brother grew up in Silicon Valley before the dotcom era, launched a company in it, and learned tough lessons when it fell apart. Then the brothers and other cofounders built PubMatic, a digital advertising marketplace that’s thriving. We talked about his journey, and the future of digital content and ads:
Carbon Health CEO Eren Bali on Tech for Making Affordable Healthcare Available to All
Eren Bali grew up in rural Turkey, in a forward-thinking community that nonetheless lacked affordable access to quality education and healthcare. That’s part of the reason why he’s used his technical and business chops to first launch edtech startup Udemy, and more recently healthcare platform Carbon Health. On the occasion of a $350 million funding round, he told me his story and filled out the company’s vision:
Aevum CEO Jay Skylus on Overcoming Barriers in Aerospace, and Society
Jay Skylus immigrated to Alabama from South Korea as a kid, with his mom and brother. Though his intellect and drive were chronically misunderstood, he kept asking questions — and now he’s leading Aevum, a startup that’s getting attention in the space tech arena:
Check out The Black Experience in America: The Course, an online educational resource I researched, designed and built. A free PDF download is available to bring the material to kids, and the online interactive experience is made for adults.