Rebecca Henderson: Can Capitalism Save the World It’s Destroying?

Can capitalism save the world it's destroying?

Rebecca Henderson thinks so. An economist at Harvard Business School and author of Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire, she has advised some of the world's biggest corporations and argues that capitalism itself — and what drives corporations — urgently needs to change.

She's clear-eyed about capitalism's failures — the inequality, the exploitation, the environmental destruction — which is precisely what drives her passion for reforming it from within. And as a climate activist, she's haunted by the consequences if we fail to act.

But this conversation goes deeper than economics. Henderson opens up about hitting a personal wall in her climate work — and the unexpected turn that brought wonder back into her life.

–

• Website 
• Book: "Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire"
• More writing by Rebecca Henderson

–

0:00 Introduction
3:00 Capitalism Reimagined
8:30 The Norway Turnaround
16:50 Hitting the Wall
28:40 Reweaving Ourselves
43:00 Finding the Way Through

Wonder Cabinet is hosted by Anne Strainchamps and Steve Paulson. Find out more about the show at https://wondercabinetproductions.com, where you can subscribe to the podcast and our newsletter.