Get Real with Jim Weiss

Why does healthcare keep getting more expensive, even as technology gets better? Dan Mendelson has spent his career trying to answer that question, from the Clinton White House to founding Avalere Health and now leading Morgan Health at JPMorgan Chase. In this episode of Get Real, Dan joins Jim Weiss to unpack what’s driving costs, why employer-sponsored healthcare needs more attention, and how AI, better primary care and sma...

Alan Murray has spent decades inside the rooms where leaders make consequential decisions, from The Wall Street Journal and Fortune to today’s WSJ Leadership Institute. In this episode of Get Real, Alan joins Jim Weiss to talk about trust, leadership, AI and how technology is reshaping business and healthcare. They also explore the future of journalism, the changing role of CEOs and whether innovation could transfor...

Jim sits down with Dave Fredrickson, Executive Vice President of AstraZeneca's Oncology Business Unit, to explore the breakthroughs reshaping cancer care and why this may be the most promising moment in oncology history. Dave's journey has taken him from the Pentagon to consulting, Genentech, and ultimately the leadership of one of the world's largest oncology businesses. Along the way, he's helped bring some of the most important ...

As a physician, scientist, entrepreneur, and biotech CEO, Jeremy Levin has spent his career helping bring innovative medicines to patients. In his book, Biotech in the Balance, he argues that the future of healthcare depends on restoring trust in science, strengthening innovation, and keeping patients at the center of decision-making. In this episode of Get Real, Jeremy joins Jim Weiss to discuss the state of biotechnology, the cha...

The rules of leadership are changing. According to Bob Pearson, success in the age of AI won't come from replacing human intelligence. It will come from learning how to amplify it. That's the central idea behind his latest book, The Compass. In this episode of Get Real, Bob joins Jim Weiss to explore how leaders can navigate a world being reshaped by artificial intelligence, why curiosity matters more than ever, and how organizatio...

From helping build one of the world's leading oncology businesses to serving as CEO of a Fortune 500 company, Frank Clyburn has spent his career at the intersection of healthcare, leadership, and innovation. His work helped shape the commercialization of breakthrough medicines, including advances that transformed cancer care. In this episode of Get Real, Frank joins Jim Weiss to discuss the lessons that shaped him, the importance o...

For more than two decades, Dr. Richard Pazdur helped shape the future of cancer treatment from inside the FDA, overseeing many of the therapies that transformed care for patients around the world. He played a central role in building the FDA's oncology review programs and accelerating access to groundbreaking medicines. In this episode of Get Real, Dr. Pazdur joins Jim Weiss to discuss the evolution of cancer care, the challenge of...

Robin Carhart-Harris is one of the world's leading researchers studying psychedelics, consciousness, and mental health. For decades, psychedelics sat on the fringes of medicine. Today, they're at the center of some of the most promising research into depression, well-being, and the human mind. Robin's groundbreaking work has helped uncover how substances like psilocybin and LSD affect the brain and their potential role in treating ...

Robert Croak never set out to create one of the biggest product crazes of the 21st century. But when he spotted an unusual silicone rubber band at a trade show, he saw something others didn't. That insight became Silly Bandz, a global phenomenon that transformed a simple idea into a massive business. In this episode of Get Real, Robert joins Jim Weiss to share the entrepreneurial journey behind his success, from a challenging upbri...

When Monica Coenraads’ daughter was diagnosed with Rett syndrome, she refused to accept that nothing could be done. As founder and CEO of the Rett Syndrome Research Trust, she has helped advance groundbreaking research aimed at treating the disorder at its genetic root. In this episode of Get Real, Monica joins Jim Weiss to discuss the personal journey that led her into rare disease advocacy, the promise of gene therapy, and ...

Jim gets real about death with someone who's embracing that conversation. Tamatha Thomas-Haase, host of the podcast Grand Exit, has been living with metastatic breast cancer since 2018. While most of us avoid talking about mortality, Tamatha has made it her mission to confront it head-on and help others do the same. Jim and Tamatha explore what it means to live with uncertainty, redefine hope, and find joy in the time we have. They...

Renée Fleming has spent her life mastering sound. Now, she’s convincing science to see its power. Renée joins Jim to explore Music and Mind, her groundbreaking book, and Music as Medicine, their pioneering initiative with the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH), focused on advancing research at the intersection of music, neuroscience, and healthcare. You'll learn about their partnership bringing scientists...

Misty Copeland changed what was possible for generations of dancers to come. Jim and Kate sit down with Misty to talk about the determination it took to reach the top and why her focus today is on creating opportunity for others. They discuss motherhood and the work she's doing through The Misty Copeland Foundation to help young artists see themselves in spaces where they belong. This is a conversation about building something bigg...

For Maimah Karmo, surviving cancer was just the beginning. In this episode of Get Real, Jim sits down with Maimah, founder and CEO of the Tigerlily Foundation, who is 20 years out from a diagnosis of stage two triple negative breast cancer. Maimah made a decision early on: she wasn’t just going to survive, she was going to live with intention. She shares how her upbringing, from Liberia to building a life in the U.S., shaped ...

For decades, the biotech industry has been concentrated in a handful of coastal hubs. But according to Isaac Barchas, one of the most significant opportunities in medicine may be hiding in plain sight.In this episode of Get Real, Jim Weiss sits down with Isaac Barchas, co-founder of Arsenal Bridge Ventures, to discuss why world-class scientific research is happening far beyond Boston and Silicon Valley, and why investors have been ...

Dr. Cheri Mah has spent her career proving what elite athletes are finally starting to take seriously: sleep is not optional — it’s medicine. In this episode of Get Real, the internationally recognized sleep physician and researcher joins Jim to break down how sleep drives performance, recovery, injury prevention, and mental health, both in sports and in life. They explore why chronic sleep deprivation is quietly underm...

Few voices are as woven into Bay Area sports as Vern Glenn’s. In this episode of Get Real, the longtime broadcaster sits down with Jim to trace his journey to becoming one of the most recognizable storytellers in local television. Vern reflects on breaking into the business, making mistakes on air, and building a career defined by curiosity, humor, and hands‑on reporting — earning the nickname “Mr. Involvement.&rd...

Founder Len Kozhukh sees a new horizon of health - using a quick assessment of your oral microbiome to PREVENT THE EVENT, one of the pillars of this show. In a special in-person episode, Jim and Len discuss Len's company nihl and how Len hopes it can be the start of a longevity revolution. We need to free everyone's health data so you can be in the driver's seat - can our saliva be the key? Let's find out!

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