Corporations & Associations

CBS Sunday Morning correspondent and New York Times bestselling author David Pogue recently discussed COVID-19 and how to stay safe. In the CBS Sunday Morning segment, Pogue has a conversation with his neighbor, Julie Beitman, of 15 years about the disease. He notices she is continuously washing her hands and despite not having this disease, it has affected her emotionally. After consulting David DeSteno, a psychology professor at Northeastern University, about why coronavirus is altering people’s behavior, Pogue discovered that fear plays a large role in irrational thinking. DeSteno suggests hope and calm can beat the nervousness felt during this time.

Acclaimed technology futurist and author, APB speaker Rebecca Costa, is among the few scientists who are not against panic. Costa expresses, “When it comes to exponentiating threats, the time to panic is now, not later.” Costa explains in her blog how the human brain is used to solving problems in a linear method, but when the problem is exponential, like COVID-19, it can truly become dangerous. Therefore, Costa uniquely enforces that panic is necessary to help put a stop to the virus spreading. Costa says, “They're treating the spread of the virus as if the number of cases will grow in a controlled, manageable, linear fashion. And in so doing, creating the illusion there is ample time to prepare hospitals, healthcare workers, nursing homes, schools, law enforcement, etc.” 

The Healthcare Technology Report issued their annual list of the top 25 Biotech CEOs of the year, and APB’s own John Crowley tops the list at #1! Crowley is being recognized for his groundbreaking work as the Chairperson and CEO of Amicus Therapeutics, which he has grown from a 4-person startup operation to an international biopharmaceutical firm with over 500 employees. Crowley is uniquely mission-driven, having left his original career and founded his own company after both his children were given fatal diagnoses of the rare neuromuscular disorder, Pompe disease. Crowley was frustrated with the slow pace of Pompe research, so he took matters into his own hands at his own company, eventually finding a life-saving enzyme treatment for his two young children and thousands of others like them. 

APB speaker Dr. Nada Sanders is an internationally recognized expert in forecasting, enterprise digital transformation and global supply chain management. Due to COVID-19’s impact already on businesses, Dr. Sanders is sharing what corporate treasury and finance teams need to know about dealing with their current challenges and preparing for future crises. In Treasury&Risk, Dr. Sanders starts with expressing the three most important things corporate decision-makers need to know, which are: Global supply chains have become extremely complex, just-in-time inventory replenishment is exacerbating the coronavirus situation and, when the outbreak is contained, ramping up manufacturing will take time.

Founder of SkinnyGirl, best-selling author, reality TV star and speaker Bethenny Frankel is raising funds through her BStrong Initiative to support those in need during the COVID-19 crisis. Frankel and her team are putting together BStrong Corona Kits, which include masks, gloves and antibacterial wipes, to be distributed to hospital workers on the frontline of the pandemic. Frankel aims to distribute at least 500,000 masks, in addition to working on the distribution of BStrong cash cards for parents who are struggling to make ends meet during this crisis.

Known as the “go-to expert” for the impacts of the COVID-19 virus, APB speaker Dr. Michael Osterholm was featured on Joe Rogan’s podcast to share what is to come of this pandemic.  In the viral interview, Dr. Osterholm discusses how to stay safe during these turbulent times and also disproves popular myths.

An Emmy Award-winning medical journalist and CNN analyst, APB speaker Dr. Seema Yasmin recently debunked the myths surrounding the rapidly growing COVID-19 virus in an interview with 90.9 WBUR. 

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and APB speaker Nick Kristof published his 12-step coronavirus action plan in the New York Times Opinion section, drawing from both public health research and his decades of experience covering dire situations all over the world and at home. Kristof’s 12-step plan is very clear, which is a welcome contrast to the uncertainty of current events. He recommends measures such as setting up drive-through testing, suspending the vacations of health workers and passing paid sick leave legislation. Kristof points out that flattening the curve is our best option, saying, “we are much better off if 100 million Americans contract the coronavirus over 18 months than over 18 weeks.”

Shark Tank star and speaker Daymond John knows that COVID-19 has caused a difficult time for many, but he advises all employees who are temporarily working from home to make the most of a bad situation and treat the time saved on commuting as an opportunity to invest in yourself.  John advises an entrepreneurial mindset, advocating utilizing the time saved when you might normally be on the train or sitting in traffic to be put towards learning a new skill or talent to build your own utility and value. This progress-oriented mindset can alleviate stress by providing an outlet; asays John: “make sure you keep investing in yourself because true entrepreneurs always know that change is going to happen.” 

Speaker and CNN National Security Analyst, Juliette Kayyem has a warning for the United States: even with the government’s response on the coronavirus (COVID19), many people will be in peril unless they take the proper precautions. Kayyem wrote in the Atlantic that the U.S. is anything but prepared without sound guidance. As the former federal and state homeland-security official, Kayyem, who studied safety and resiliency issues and advises companies on their emergency response plans, emphasizes that what will help this epidemic is to be “calm.”