Thought Leadership

August 28, 2025

Today: Some quick media moves, news and several exciting upcoming events to ponder as you ride out the last wave of summer. And because it can’t be all work and no play, revisit Global Gateway Advisors’ Summer Edit for inspiration on what to read, watch or listen to this long weekend.

ICYMI: The last edition of COMPASS introduced OK Today, a global, youth-driven collective working to change how the world sees and talks about mental health through dialogue, education, community and culture. Learn more and get involved here.

Events: What’s coming up in September

Technology & Innovation

• Fortune Brainstorm Tech (Park City, UT, Sept. 8-10): Join the top leaders in tech — including clients and event speakers Brad Anderson, President Products, User Experience Engineering and Security, Qualtrics and Anthony Moisant, CIO and CSO of Indeed – to discuss the role of technology in society and topics from AI and cybersecurity to fintech, crypto and defense tech. The evening prior to the event, Zig Serafin, CEO, Qualtrics, will co-host a Fortune CEOi private dinner with Diane Brady, Executive Editorial Director, Fortune. More here – Will you be on site? Let us know so we can meet up!
• WSJ Technology Council Summit (New York City, Sept. 15-16): Industry leaders including Carolina Dybeck Happe, COO of Microsoft; Anthony Moisant, CIO and CSO of Indeed; and Severin Hacker, cofounder and CEO of Duolingo, will convene to explore how AI’s rapid rise is reshaping companies, industries and jobs through interviews, discussions and networking. More here
• Fast Company Innovation Festival (New York City, Sept. 15-18): Join innovators, entrepreneurs, and creatives including Justin McLeod, founder and CEO of Hinge; Brian Niccol, chairman and CEO of Starbucks; and Ego Nwodim, actress, comedian, and SNL cast member, for four days of talks, workshops, and experiences exploring the future of business, technology, design and culture. More here
• Axios AI+ Summit (Washington, D.C., Sept. 17): Examine the forces driving the global race to dominate AI, the business landscape it is reshaping, and the policy challenges emerging as breakthroughs outpace regulation and leaders race to balance innovation with oversight. More here 

Executive Leadership & Finance

• Gartner CFO + Finance Executive Conference (London, Sept. 10-11): Finance leaders will tackle risk, efficiency and growth in uncertain times, with keynotes from polar explorer and climate tech investor Ben Saunders and futurologist Magnus Lindkvist. More here
• Forbes CMO Summit (Aspen, Colorado, Sept. 16-18): An exclusive gathering for top marketing leaders, the Forbes CMO Summit fosters candid, Chatham House Rule discussions on growth and brand leadership, with speakers including Zena Arnold, CMO, Sephora U.S.; John Gerzema, CEO, The Harris Poll; Zach Kitschke, CMO, Canva; and Marian Lee, CMO, Netflix. More here

Ideas, Media & Policy

• The Atlantic Festival (New York City, Sept. 18-20): Discussions with leading thinkers and cultural icons — including Scott Galloway, Jeffrey Goldberg and Keri Russell — along with exclusive book readings, film screenings and performances. More here

Health & Biotech

• Fierce Pharma Week (Philadelphia, Sept. 8-11): Top pharma leaders — including attendees from Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Merck and Novartis — will meet for a week of strategy and innovation in Philadelphia. More here
  
• LSX World Congress USA (Boston, Sept. 16-17): Join leaders from biotech, medtech and healthtech to showcase innovation, forge partnerships and shape the future of healthcare technology — with attendees from companies including Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, AstraZeneca, Novartis, Eli Lilly, Merck, Philips and Stryker. More here
• Modern Healthcare Leadership Summit (Washington, D.C., Sept. 25): C-suite executives and key decision-makers will gather to tackle challenges from AI integration to value-based care, sharing practical insights to improve financial and operational performance, with speakers including Peter Arduini, CEO, GE HealthCare; David Rhew, MD, global chief medical officer, Microsoft; and Micky Tripathi, chief AI implementation officer, Mayo Clinic. More here

Bookmark Global Gateway Advisors’ event tracker, updated weekly.

Media news + moves

• The anchor exodus: The trend of news anchors leaving mainstream media continues, with Don Lemon, Joy Reid, Chuck Todd and Jim Acosta among those finding they can operate more freely — and often earn more — in the independent realm of Substacks, YouTube and podcasts, further fragmenting the traditional media landscape. Some, however, see it as the pendulum swinging back: ‘It feels to me like we are going back to valuing traditional beat reporters,’ said Alison Pepper, a former CBS News talent executive and CAA agent. Keep reading
• Truth isn’t totally dead: Jessica Yellin, independent journalist and former CNN White House Correspondent, argues that as more Americans turn to social and video platforms for news amid rising AI-driven misinformation, “evidence-based creators” have become essential truth-tellers — but they need stronger frameworks, resources and ties to legacy media to endure. Keep reading
• A month of changing logos: While Cracker Barrel grabs headlines, MSNBC is also rebranding — dropping the peacock and adopting My Source News Opinion World, or simply MS NOW. Keep reading
  The argument for the left: Former Atlantic staff writer Jerusalem Demsas has launched The Argument, a new publication (on Substack, naturally) aimed at bolstering the ideas and arguments of modern liberalism and convincing readers of their importance and value. It has already raised roughly $4 million at a $20 million valuation and attracted an impressive slew of contributors including Matt Yglesias, Rachael Bedard and Derek Thompson. Read Demsas’ welcome letter here
• Hiring: The Wall Street Journal is seeking a Talent Coach for a new development program intended to equip journalists with advanced skills in content creation and audience engagement. Learn more

The latest in AI:

• A cautionary tale: AI can fool anyone — even the editors of a tech-centric outlet like WIRED, who had to retract a seemingly perfect but ultimately AI-fabricated pitch. Keep reading 
• A new standard for compensation: Perplexity, the startup building an artificial intelligence search engine to rival Google — and recently in the spotlight after offering to buy Chrome — is giving publishers the chance to earn revenue from the articles their content generates. ‘AI is helping to create a better internet, but publishers still need to get paid,’ said CEO Aravind Srinivas. The company has earmarked $42.5 million to distribute through the program. Keep reading 

The latest in Inclusion: 

• Global employers caught in a DEI crossfire: In the U.S., the Trump administration has rolled back diversity policies with executive orders declaring many initiatives “illegal DEI,” while Europe, the U.K., Japan and Australia are moving in the opposite direction with mandates on pay transparency, board quotas and equity reporting. The result is a fragmented global landscape where a one-size-fits-all strategy is nearly impossible, pushing employers to tailor policies by region — and to communicate those strategies with careful, intentional messaging both internally and externally. Keep reading
• LGBTQ+ inclusion drives long-term growth: A new analysis by the Human Rights Campaign Foundation found that companies with long-standing LGBTQ+ inclusive policies delivered stronger financial results over time — including higher revenue growth, net income and market stability. Keep reading
• Scientists drop diversity language: To avoid scrutiny from the Trump administration, scientists are modifying grant applications by removing terms like “diverse” and “underrepresented.” Longtime researchers say this level of language policing — which even affects scientific contexts such as “diverse airborne toxicants” — is unprecedented. Still, there’s no real alternative to funding from the National Institutes of Health, which provided nearly $37 billion in the last fiscal year. Keep reading
  
• Drop in Women Leaders Across U.S. Corporations: Against the backdrop of Trump-era executive orders dismantling DEI programs, the number of women in leadership positions in the U.S. has fallen. Keep reading

Track key changes in diversity, equity and inclusion — updated in real time — here.

Media moves:

• TechCrunch hired Russell Brandom as artificial intelligence editor.
• Alexis Sobel Fitts was named a senior assignment editor overseeing technology and media coverage at The Washington Post. 
• Bloomberg News hired Judy Lagrou as a reporter, while senior reporter Lindsay Dodgson has left the news organization.
• Katie Roof will join The Information as Deputy Bureau Chief of the venture capital section after being “poached” from Bloomberg, while Sri Muppidi will expand to become a beat reporter on OpenAI and Anthropic.
• Charles Forelle is being positioned to be the next editor in chief of Barron’s, per Oliver Darcy of Status.
• The Wall Street Journal has hired Lydia Wheeler as a legal affairs reporter, while both Marie Beaudette and Denny Jacob are departing the news organization.
• Fierce Healthcare reporter Noah Tong left the news organization for a new opportunity.
• Axios health care policy reporter Victoria Knight left the news organization.

August 14, 2025

Young adults are struggling. 

Globally, one in seven youth live with a mental health condition, and many face stigma, isolation and a lack of support. Rates of anxiety, depression and stress are rising, often leaving youth unsure where to turn.

That’s why we’re taking action.

We’re proud to announce the launch of OK Today, a global, youth-driven collective on a mission to transform how the world sees and talks about mental health. It debuted at the 2025 AFS Youth Assembly this past weekend. More on that, and how your organization can get involved, below. 

Plus: Is corporate activism making a comeback? The numbers say yes.

ICYMI: People are no longer “Googling it,” they’re turning to AI chatbots and overviews for answers. But where do these tools get the information they’re sharing? We dive into AI’s media diet in our recent newsletter. Read it here.

Breaking down stigma one conversation at a time

There’s no single cause of the youth mental health crisis. A mix of factors — smartphone use, social media, political polarization, the lingering effects of COVID isolation and remote learning, climate change, rising living costs and global instability — have all contributed.

Go deeper: However, the real crisis isn’t just how youth feel; it’s what they’re afraid to express. Four in 10 Gen Z individuals say they feel judged or misunderstood when discussing mental health at school or work. That silence blocks real progress.

OK Today is a peer-powered platform that is working to change how the world sees and talks about mental health. We believe everyone deserves space to show up as their authentic self, whether we’re OK or not OK, and know that is OK. We are breaking down stigma through:

• Dialogue: encouraging everyday conversations around mental health. 
• Education: equipping youth changemakers with tools to break down stigma through community building and advocacy. 
• Community: investing in youth-led ideas to improve mental health at the community level.  
• Culture: creating a culture where mental health conversations are normalized.  

How it works: OK Today is built on the belief that young people, ages 18-25, should be leading the mental health conversation. We’re guided by a Youth Advisory Board of young people from across the globe. Meet them here! 

2025 AFS Youth Assembly + OK Today

For the first time in the Youth Assembly’s history, mental health was featured as a core program track — a powerful signal that it’s not a side issue, but central to how young people experience the world, navigate crises and shape their future. 

That focus was reflected in the conversations, participation and data we shared throughout the event, where OK Today championed a weekend of activations, workshops and community-building moments.

By the numbers: Research shows that 67% of young people will tell a friend they’re struggling before telling anyone else, yet 70% feel unequipped to help a friend dealing with mental health challenges. 

Taking action: In an OK Today-sponsored session moderated by Active Minds, a peer-to-peer education advisor to OK Today, participants learned how to support peers in need using the A.S.K. (Acknowledge, Support, Keep-In-Touch) framework. They practiced real-life scenarios, shared personal experiences and walked away with tangible skills to use in their own communities. 

Leading dialogue: A panel discussion titled “Beyond the Surface: The Global Mental Health Crisis” explored how global crises, from armed conflict to pandemics to climate change, are impacting youth mental health. Experts and youth advocates discussed solutions ranging from peer-led support and journaling to gender-sensitive policies and community-driven action. The panel highlighted the role of storytelling, early intervention and empowering young people to drive meaningful change.

“The solutions to mental health challenges arise from love, genuine care and a profound sense of empathy,” said Eduardo Vasconcelos Goyanna Filho, panelist and director of youth engagement at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Global Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Join us in our goal of reaching 1 million young people in the next three years.

• Become a partner. We’re looking for nonprofit and funding partners to help scale the impact of OK Today. Join us to help build and grow OK Today programming, drive campaigns at key moments and be a part of our next global, youth-driven event. Get in touch at OKToday@gga.nyc.
• Subscribe to our youth mental health newsletter for regular updates on what we’re doing, and for broader trends in youth mental health. 
• Connect with us on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Is corporate activism back?

Last week, Bentley University-Gallup released a report which found that 51% of U.S. adults believe companies should take a public stance on current issues; a Pew Research poll released the same week found similar results. We looked into Gallup’s findings: 

By the numbers: While there’s nothing decisive about 51%, it marks a 13-point increase from 38% in 2024.

• Sixty percent of 18- to 29-year-olds want to hear from businesses, with that number decreasing in each older age group.
  
• Seventy-one percent of Democrats support businesses taking public stances, compared to 33% of Republicans. 

What issues matter the most? When given 12 topics companies could address, more than 50% of respondents supported companies speaking out on the following, respectively: free speech, climate change, mental health, diversity, equity and inclusion and healthcare. Just 33% supported companies taking a stance on international conflicts, 26% on abortion, and 18% on religion.

Yes, but: While a slight majority of consumers want companies to speak out on current events, only 40% of employees want their employers to discuss these issues with them.  

The bottom line: We help organizations develop custom rubrics to determine whether and how they should engage internally or externally on social issues and current events. Interested? Reach out to info@gga.nyc.

Media news + moves

What we’re reading and watching:

• The buzz about Beehiiv: Substack is ubiquitous, but many writers are choosing Beehiiv for its customization options and pricing. “I chose Beehiiv over Substack for my new AI and book-focused newsletter for several reasons — product, economics, and more. One of the biggest? I didn’t want to be just another same-looking Substack,” said Wall Street Journal columnist Joanna Stern. Meanwhile, The Information is asking whether Beehiiv could be the next billion-dollar newsletter startup. More on that here
• An unexpected win for Reddit: Reddit’s defining feature is human conversation — exactly the kind of content AI seeks. Thanks to licensing deals with OpenAI and Google, Reddit is a top-cited source for queries from ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google Gemini, appearing in 5.5% of Google’s AI Overview responses. “Human conversation is not being replaced by AI, instead, it’s becoming more important,” Reddit CEO Steve Huffman said in a recent earnings call. Continue reading
• Behold the Gray Lady: While many media companies struggle, the New York Times is thriving, with its stock hitting an all-time high earlier this month and Q2 revenue up 27.8% year over year. It has stayed competitive by producing more video content and signing an AI-related licensing deal with Amazon. Read more
• Semafor considers its next move. It’s been just over two years since Semafor’s last infusion of outside funding, and it may be gearing up for another round, Oliver Darcy reported in his Status newsletter. Learn more
• Business Insider founder launches podcast: Henry Blodget launches “Solutions” next Monday, a new podcast series produced with Vox that highlights experts tackling major challenges in science, business and society. Bookmark to listen here

Media moves:

• Business Insider hired Zak Jason as executive editor for its Discourse section. 
• Yahoo Finance hired JR Whalen as a news and personal finance producer, while Jordan Weissmann announced he is leaving the organization. 
• Bloomberg News hired Charles Gorrivan as a reporter, while editor Kevin Miller left the organization after nearly 30 years.
• MarketWatch hired Christine Ji to cover Big Tech.
• Fast Company promoted Christopher Zara to news director.
• The New York Times hired Erik Wemple to cover media news for the business section and Sandhya Somashekhar as its Washington bureau domestic policy editor. 
• The Information hired Katie Roof as deputy bureau chief of venture capital coverage.
• Bloomberg Industry Group hired Keith L. Alexander as editor-at-large.