America’s universities are a strategic national asset. Reform them through modernization—not politicization—to keep the U.S. competitive. America’s universities are globally recognized for their excellence and innovation. They power the U.S. economy, drive innovation, and educate over a million international students annually. In the 2023–2024 academic year, international students contributed over…
Talk about stories with Storywraps! I have always been of the view that the things we do on the web are an extension of the way we live, the way we work, the things we love. As our world becomes more complex and people become more sophisticated, our core desires remain simple: we all want to get more out of our lives and connect with people that care about the same things we do. That's why we…
Square’s recent $2.9 billion IPO is either a huge win for its investors or a sign of very bad days to come, depending on whether you believe the “high-five” tweets from prominent venture capitalists (VCs) or the slew of hand-wringing articles — from sources like NPR, The Verge and the Wall Street Journal — essentially saying it marks the end of free-flowing startup capital.
I met Dave before I met Sheryl. Dave joined Yahoo! through the acquisition of Launch, not long after I joined the company as chief financial officer (CFO). He impressed me tremendously. He was smart, hungry and fiercely loyal to his team.
The internet economy has long been supported by healthy growth in online advertising. In just 15 years, the industry has grown from scratch to $142 billion in 2014. And it drives the profits of the three most valuable internet companies in the world: Google, Facebook, and Alibaba, which collectively represent a breathtaking amount of value—more than $800 billion in market capitalization!
Impressions of and from the Ellen Pao Trial
I have always loved the publishing business. It started in my teenage years in Denver, getting up at 4am, snow or shine, to deliver newspapers to 250 doorsteps. Once the job was complete, the cycle started anew. The next day edition was already in process; content being created, edited, packaged, printed, stacked and dropped on my driveway for me to distribute every 24 hours. Amazing.
The hottest topic in many corporate boardrooms today is shareholder activism—or more specifically, the vulnerability of becoming the target of a shareholder activist and what to do about it. Instead of looking at this as something to dread or, worse, have to defend against, boards of directors should be proactive about getting out ahead of it. As insiders, we are in a better position to act on our…
So proud of my daughter Caelyn Dovey for writing, composing and recording songs. And even more so, for her decision to donate proceeds of her debut EP as a singer-songwriter to CURE Childhood Cancer , per their press release. She's a great example of G.URL Power and making a difference, even as a teenager. If you take a sneak peek h ere , you can stream the songs; or if you want to own them, you…
I know the stats. And they are depressing: the gender gap both in compensation (good karma notwithstanding) and participation in executive roles is alive and well. This is especially true in the technology industry, where I self-identify. I have spoken on this topic on many panels and will continue to carry this message. Among the depressing numbers: for S&P 500 companies, women represent only…
After publishing a recent post in the Harvard Business Review and Re/code about how the Alibaba deal came together, I have received many inquiries about what Yahoo is worth, and how it will trade “the morning after” the big shindig of the pricing of Alibaba’s IPO on Thursday evening. I am a Yahoo shareholder, having long held onto my shares since I left the company in 2009, awaiting the events of…
HBR fictionalized case studies present dilemmas faced by leaders in real companies and offer solutions from experts. "Sarah is a director of a Real Estate Investment Trust whose CEO has expressed his admiration of her intellect and drive for information, but board meetings have become tense recently." Read the Case Study and both Ilene S. Gordon and Sue Decker's expert opinions which follow.
In May of 2005, Yahoo CEO Terry Semel, co-founder Jerry Yang, business development executive Toby Coppel and I went on what would turn out to be a fateful trip to China. Fateful for Yahoo, for certain. Less than a decade later, the ownership stake that resulted from that trip has been the saving grace for the company that had once dominated the early Internet. The value of the shares bought then,…
My daughter Ella and I spent the day on Capitol Hill, advocating for children. Thanks to Save The Children for paving the way. Fantastic experience, so we made a video of it to share with her 5th grade class at MCDS. Children are the future and we can all make a difference!