Reimagining Capitalism: Harvard’s Rebecca Henderson on Climate, Inequality & Purpose-Driven Business

Mar 9, 2026

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Timothy Henry and Raj Sisodia interview Harvard professor and author Rebecca Henderson about her book Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire and why purpose-driven, multi-stakeholder firms can outperform yet remain hard to implement because they require deep investments in strategy, structure, and human systems.

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Henderson connects climate change, inequality, and democratic erosion to shareholder primacy, arguing for stronger democratic institutions, reducing money in politics, and grassroots rebuilding of trust. She emphasizes leaders’ inner work, “kindness and math,” and the ability to disagree respectfully as foundations for high-trust, innovative organizations—especially important in an AI era. Henderson recounts her shift from engineering to organizational change and climate work, lessons from board service, and her teaching evolution from “Reimagining Capitalism” to “Reweaving Ourselves,” including the role of retreats in sustaining courageous leadership.

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This show is presented by Conscious Capitalism, Inc. (https://www.consciouscapitalism.org/) and is produced by Rainbow Creative (https://www.rainbowcreative.co/) with Matthew “MoJo” Jones as Executive Producer, and Nathan Wheatley as Associate Producer & Editor.

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- Timothy & Raj

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro
01:25 Why Purpose Is Hard
06:06 Democracy and Money
11:57 Imagining a Better Future
16:18 Kindness and Math
20:49 Rebecca Academic Journey
24:10 Reforming Capitalism Rules
29:54 Boardroom Lessons
35:26 Win Win Mindset
36:22 Inner Work for Leaders
38:26 Trust as AI Advantage
40:43 Teaching Hope and Urgency
44:22 Silent Retreats and Renewal
48:46 Reweaving Ourselves Course
50:42 Changing the System from Within
55:50 Next Breakthrough for Conscious Capitalism
59:14 Rapid Fire Personal Questions
01:04:28 Closing Reflections and Farewell