Ryan Panchadsaram

Ryan Panchadsaram is an engineer and investor focused on solving systemic societal challenges. At Kleiner Perkins, Ryan serves as technical advisor to John Doerr, where he invests in founders and technologies that aim to change the world. Ryan and John collaborated on Speed and Scale: An Action Plan for Solving Our Climate Crisis Now and number one bestseller Measure What Matters. Under President Obama, Ryan was Deputy Chief Technology Officer of the United States, where he championed entrepreneurship, innovation, and open data.

Jim Andrew

Jim Andrew is Executive Vice President, Beyond the Bottle businesses and Chief Sustainability Officer for PepsiCo. PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers more than one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated more than $70 billion in net revenue in 2020, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker, Tropicana and SodaStream. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 23 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.
Mr. Andrew joined PepsiCo in 2016. He heads PepsiCo’s Beyond the Bottle business unit, including our SodaStream and SodaStream Professional businesses. He also leads PepsiCo’s sustainability agenda, including the strategic framework, governance, and integrated plans of PepsiCo, whilst ensuring that sustainability is woven into the operating plans of all Business Units.
Previously, Mr. Andrew served as chief strategy and innovation officer for Royal Philips N.V., and as CEO of Philips Group Innovation, based in Amsterdam. He played a central role in the transformation of Philips from a conglomerate to a focused and high-performing health tech company. He had leadership accountability for all elements of strategy and innovation, including Philips Research, venture businesses, Philips Design, and Intellectual Property. He was instrumental in leading the evolution of innovation at the company, with a focus on increasing speed-to-market of new products and developing a leaner and more efficient R&D organization. He also led the company’s digital transformation.
Mr. Andrew also served as the chief administrative officer of Sears Holdings Corporation.
Mr. Andrew started his career at the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) working his way to the role of senior partner over a distinguished 25-year career. At BCG, he established and led the firm’s Innovation practice for almost a decade. He also worked globally with leading companies in the areas of portfolio composition, corporate and business unit strategy, and shareholder value creation. He opened the firm’s offices in Mumbai India and Singapore.
Mr. Andrew earned his Bachelor of Science in Accountancy from the University of Illinois and his MBA from the Harvard Graduate School of Business.
Mr. Andrew is based in Purchase, N.Y.

Lord John Browne

Lord John Browne is former BP CEO, where he engineered the Aramco merger, and gained access to Russian oil reserves with the creation of TNK-BP. He is current Senior Advisor to General and BeyondNetZero. He has served on the Boards of Intel, Goldman Sachs and Daimler Benz, and is also the author of “Make, Think, Imagine” and “The Glass Closet”.

Jean Case

Jean Case has a long and diverse track record of innovation and transformation as a business builder, tech pioneer, investor, policy advocate and philanthropist.

Since 2016, Jean has served as Chairman of the National Geographic Society, an organization she has been actively involved in for more than a decade. Under her leadership as Chairman, National Geographic has dramatically expanded its digital strategy and global reach. Nat Geo now reaches hundreds of millions of people each month, and is the #1 social media brand in the world. Jean helped create and serves on the Board of National Geographic Partners, a $5 billion global media and travel joint venture with the Walt Disney Company.

Since 1997, Jean has served as CEO of The Case Foundation, which is widely regarded as one of the most innovative philanthropic entities in the world. In that role, Jean has led cross-sector partnerships that have brought business, government and nonprofits together to drive impact in areas including inclusive entrepreneurship, impact investing, citizen engagement and the digital divide. In January 2020, Jean launched the Case Impact Network to build on her leadership in impact investing and identify and support opportunities for companies to more fully integrate impact into their business approaches. In 2021, Jean launched For What It’s Worth (FWIW) to expand interest in investing for social good and to provide the resources, news and trends new investors need to confidently invest for both profit and purpose.

Throughout her career, Jean has remained true to her business and entrepreneurial roots by maintaining investments and board seats in startups, by mentoring the next generation of entrepreneurs, and by collaborating with a wide range of Fortune 500 CEOs and leading business coalitions. Jean has spent decades building and providing leadership at innovative tech-driven businesses. She was a pioneer in bringing the Internet to the masses, having joined the nation’s first online service early in her career, and later serving as a top executive at AOL for nearly a decade, where she oversaw all marketing and communications that established AOL as the #1 Internet brand and the first Internet company to go public. Her passion for all things
digital is reflected in her continued board roles on innovative tech startups. In 2019, Simon & Schuster published Jean’s book, B e Fearless: Five Principles for a Life of Breakthroughs and Purpose. The book immediately rose to become a National Bestseller. Be Fearless highlights principles proven to
drive innovation and breakthroughs, with storytelling of great founders, companies and movements that have
helped to change the world.

Jean has led the Advisory Council of the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative and served on advisory boards at Harvard Business School, Stanford and Georgetown, and as an Executive in Residence at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business. She was named as an advisor to the U.S. National Advisory Board to the Social Impact Investing Task Force, established by the G8. Jean also led the President’s Council on Service and Civic
Participation, where she was appointed Chair by President George W. Bush, and the U.S.-Palestinian Partnership, which she co-chaired with Sandy Weill and Walter Isaacson. A regular guest lecturer at leading business schools, Jean has also been a sought-after speaker at leading companies and associations across the United States. A passionate believer in the power of business as a positive force for good, Jean has been profiled extensively in media including the New York Times, CBS, CNN, FOX and PBS NewsHour. Jean was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2016 and her extensive achievements have been recognized with honorary degrees from Indiana University and George Mason University.

Gabby Cazeau

Gabby Cazeau is a Principal at Harlem Capital where she focuses on deal sourcing, due diligence, internal operations, and building partnerships across the tech and entrepreneurship ecosystem. At the firm she focuses on ecommerce, fintech, and software. Gabby was featured in the HBCUvc’s 31 under 31 list. Gabby received her MBA in 2020 from the Yale School of Management. At Yale, Gabby was a fellow in the Forte and Management Leadership for Tomorrow MBA Programs. She also served as an advisor in Yale’s startup incubator and accelerator. Prior to Yale, Gabby worked in R&D and Innovation at General Mills where she built and launched several products for iconic brands like Cheerios, Nature Valley, Epic, and FiberOne. She is Haitian and originally from Maryland. She holds a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis where she was a John B. Ervin Scholar. In her free time she is an avid reader, gets very competitive playing Connect-4, and enjoys salsa dancing, especially finding a good dance spot while traveling to a new city.

Sir Ronald Cohen

Sir Ronald Cohen is Chairman of the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment and The Portland Trust. He is a co-founder director of Social Finance UK, USA, and Israel, and co-founder Chair of Bridges Fund Management and Big Society Capital.

For nearly two decades, Sir Ronald’s pioneering initiatives in driving impact investment have catalyzed a number of global efforts, each focused on driving private capital to serve social and environmental good. These efforts are leading the global impact investment movement towards an Impact Revolution.

He chaired the Social Impact Investment Taskforce established under the UK’s presidency of the G8 (2013-2015), the Social Investment Task Force (2000-2010) and the Commission on Unclaimed Assets (2005-2007). In 2012 he received the Rockefeller Foundation’s Innovation Award for innovation in social finance.

He co-founded and was Executive Chairman of Apax Partners Worldwide LLP (1972-2005). He was a founder director and Chairman of the British Venture Capital Association and a founder director of the European Venture Capital Association.

He is a member of the Board of Dean’s Advisors at Harvard Business School and a Vice-Chairman of Ben Gurion University; a former member of the Harvard University Board of Overseers; a former director of the Harvard Management Company and the University of Oxford Investment Committee; a former trustee of the British Museum; and a former trustee of the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

He is a graduate of Oxford University, where he was President of the Oxford Union and serves as an Honorary Fellow of Exeter College. He has an MBA from Harvard Business School to which he was awarded a Henry Fellowship.

He is the author of 'IMPACT: Reshaping capitalism to drive real change,’ published by Penguin Random House in 2020, which became a Wall Street Journal Bestseller. His previous book 'The Second Bounce of the Ball,' published in 2007, was described by the Financial Times as “one of the best books written on entrepreneurship in recent years.״

Sir Ronald lives in Tel Aviv, London, and New York with his wife of more than thirty years, Sharon Harel-Cohen, who is a film producer. They have two children, Tamara and Jonny.

Virginie Helias

With more than thirty years in brand management and innovation, Virginie has broad experience across multiple categories which has built her skills in global to local brand management. She has worked on several of P&G's multi-billion dollar brands, including: Pantene, Ariel/Tide and Pampers. Virginie has extensive international experience, having been based in France, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and the United States. Today, Virginie serves as P&G's Chief Sustainability Officer where her mission is to develop the company's strategies and goals on sustainability and operationalize them across businesses and regions.

John Doerr

John Doerr is an engineer, venture capitalist, the chairman of Kleiner Perkins, and the author of the new book Speed and Scale: An Action Plan for Solving Our Climate Crisis Now as well as the number one New York Times best-seller Measure What Matters. For over 40 years, John has served entrepreneurs with ingenuity and optimism, helping them build bold teams and disruptive companies. He was an original investor and board member at Google and Amazon, helping to create more than a million jobs. A pioneer of Silicon Valley’s cleantech movement, Doerr has invested in zero emissions technologies since 2006. Outside Kleiner Perkins, Doerr works with social entrepreneurs who are tackling systemic issues across climate, public health, and education.

Paul Polman

Paul Polman is a former CEO of Unilever.

Megan Reitz

Audrey Choi

Audrey Choi is Morgan Stanley’s Chief Sustainability Officer and is the founding CEO of Morgan Stanley’s industry-leading Institute for Sustainable Investing where she oversees the Firm's efforts to promote global sustainability through the capital markets. She also serves on the Firm’s Management Committee and for four years, Ms. Choi simultaneously served as Morgan Stanley’s Chief Marketing Officer where she stewarded the brand to reflect the Firm's core values of leading with integrity and exceptional ideas, and won industry awards for best corporate strategy and media innovation as the Morgan Stanley brand reached an all-time high. Prior to joining Morgan Stanley, Ms. Choi held senior policy positions in the Clinton Administration, including serving as Chief of Staff of the Council of Economic Advisers, and Domestic Policy Advisor to the Vice President. Previously, Ms. Choi was a foreign correspondent and bureau chief at The Wall Street Journal. She serves on the boards of several national nonprofits focused on sustainability, community development and social justice. Ms. Choi is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School.

Amelia DeLuca

Amelia DeLuca is Managing Director of Sustainability at Delta Air Lines. She is responsible for overseeing the long-term sustainability strategy, managing Delta’s sustainability investments, building an industry-leading team and partnering with Government Affairs and Legal as the airline swiftly drives positive change in an everchanging regulatory and policy environment. During her 15-year career with Delta, she has held varied positions within Global Sales, Revenue Management and Network Planning and has been based in Mexico City, Minneapolis, Amsterdam, New York City and Atlanta. She graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a Bachelor of Art in Mathematics and has her M.B.A. from the University of Amsterdam.

She currently lives in Atlanta with her husband and two daughters.

Rhonda Schaffler

Rhonda Schaffler has been reporting on business for NJ Spotlight News since 2016. Previously, she worked as an anchor and reporter for CNN, Reuters and Bloomberg.

Amanda Simpson

Amanda Simpson is the Vice President for Research and Technology at Airbus Americas and is responsible for coordinating technology development, research activities, and innovation for Airbus in the western hemisphere. She is also the Head of Sustainability efforts for Airbus in the Americas.

Previously Ms. Simpson was the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy at the U.S. Department of Defense, responsible for developing the strategy for the utilization of energy for military operational forces worldwide and the senior advisor to the Secretary of Defense for all matters pertaining to energy in our military. Prior to accepting that responsibility, she was the Executive Director of the U.S. Army Office of Energy Initiatives, an organization developing large scale renewable energy projects to bring energy security to Army installations leveraging private sector financing. In addition, she has held senior government roles in the office of the Army Acquisition Executive and the Bureau of Industry and Security at the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Prior to her government appointments, Ms. Simpson had distinguished program management career in the aerospace industry working for Raytheon, Hughes Aircraft, Douglas Aircraft, and Hughes Helicopters.

Ms. Simpson has been the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions including the Tucson YWCA Woman on the Move, Arizona Human Rights Fund Individual Award, National Conference for College Women Student Leaders Women of Distinction Award, and was named an Outstanding Alumni of Harvey Mudd College. She is a recipient of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service and the Department of Defense Pride Civilian Leadership Award. Her team received the DARPA Award for Significant Technical Achievement in 1999.

Ms. Simpson earned a Bachelor of Science in Physics from Harvey Mudd College, a Master of Science in Engineering from California State University, and a Master in Business Administration from the University of Arizona. She is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics serving on the Systems Engineering Technical Committee, Executive Steering Committee, and Corporate Member Committee. She is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and serves on the board of the Washington DC Chapter. She serves on the boards of directors of the Commonwealth Center for Advanced Manufacturing, Advanced Thermal Batteries Inc., and chairs the board of directors of the Airbus Institute for Engineering Research.

Ms. Simpson holds both an Airline Transport Pilot certificate and a Certified Flight Instructor license, and has logged nearly 3,000 hours of flying in more than 60 different types of aircraft including floatplanes, flying boats, unmanned drones, and multi-engine jets.

Caroline Woods

NYC-based video presenter and producer with extensive experience in all areas of television and digital video development and production, including anchoring, reporting, writing, producing, interviewing, editing, social media, hiring and team development. Organized, detail-oriented and collaborative leader with comprehensive experience in business news, media training and startups.

Jim Cramer

Jim Cramer believes there is always a bull market somewhere, and he wants to help you find it. He is host of CNBC's "Mad Money," (M-F, 6PM ET) featuring lively guest interviews, viewer calls and most important, the unmatched, fiery opinions of Cramer himself. He serves as the viewer's personal guide through the confusing jungle of Wall Street investing—navigating through both opportunities and pitfalls with one goal in mind—to help them make money.

Cramer is also co-anchor of the 9 a.m. ET hour of CNBC's "Squawk on the Street" (M-F, 9AM-11AM ET) and the founder of TheStreet, a multimedia provider of financial commentary.

He graduated from Harvard College where he was president and editor-in-chief of the prestigious daily, The Harvard Crimson. After graduation, he became a reporter for the Tallahassee Democrat and later for the Los Angeles Herald Examiner, where he covered stories ranging from homicides to sporting events.

Cramer is a former hedge fund manager and founder/owner and senior partner of Cramer Berkowitz. His compounded rate of return was 24 percent after all fees for 14 years at Cramer Berkowitz. He retired from his hedge fund in 2001, where he finished with one of the best records in the business, including having 36 percent-plus year in 2000.

He helped Steve Brill launch American Lawyer magazine before attending Harvard Law School and earning a law degree. Upon graduating and passing the New York State Bar Examination and being admitted to the N.Y. State Bar, Cramer joined Goldman Sachs in sales and trading. While at Goldman, Cramer wrote for The New Republic about stock market issues.

In December 2013, he published the book, "Jim Cramer's Get Rich Carefully," in which he creates a guide to high-yield, low-risk investing. Cramer is also the author of "Jim Cramer's Getting Back to Even," "Stay Mad for Life: Get Rich, Stay Rich," "Mad Money: Watch TV, Get Rich," "Jim Cramer's RealMoney" and "Confessions of a Street Addict."

Sara Eisen

Sara Eisen is anchor of CNBC’s “Closing Bell” (M-F, 3PM-4PM ET). She is known for her deep expertise in financial markets and the global economy as well as regular news making interviews with some of the most prominent names in the financial world, including Phil Knight, Leon Black, Janet Yellen and Christine Lagarde, among others.

Previously, Eisen was co-anchor of the 10AM ET hour on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” (M-F, 9AM-11AM ET), which broadcasts from Post 9 at the New York Stock Exchange. Before that, she was co-anchor of CNBC’s “Power Lunch” (M-F, 2PM-3PM ET) and co-anchor of CNBC’s “Worldwide Exchange” (M-F, 5AM-6AM ET), both of which broadcast from CNBC Global Headquarters in Englewood Cliffs, N.J. She joined CNBC in December 2013 as a correspondent, focusing on the global consumer.

Prior to CNBC, Eisen was co-anchor of “Bloomberg Surveillance” as well as a correspondent for Bloomberg Television, where she covered global macroeconomics, policy and business. During that time, she covered the European debt crisis, the tsunami aftermath and Fukushima nuclear crisis in Japan. Eisen also hosted the Bloomberg Radio program, “On the Economy.”

She is the editor of “Currencies After the Crash: The Uncertain Future of the Global Paper-Based Currency System” published by McGraw-Hill in Jan. 2013.

Eisen holds a master’s degree in broadcast journalism with a concentration in business reporting from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

Sharon Epperson

Sharon Epperson, named one of “12 to Watch in TV News,” can be seen regularly on CNBC television and other media platforms.

As CNBC’s senior personal finance correspondent, Epperson covers the many facets of how people manage, grow and protect their money. Her expertise includes saving and investing for retirement, paying for college, managing mortgage, student loan, credit card and other debt, and building a financial legacy through estate planning.

Preparing your finances for the unexpected is another critical (and personal) aspect of her reporting. In September 2016, Epperson sustained a ruptured brain aneurysm and she nearly lost her life. She has become a staunch advocate for health and wellness issues, raising awareness about brain aneurysms and funding for research. In September 2018, she and her family established “The Sharon Epperson Chair of Research” through the Brain Aneurysm Foundation to provide grants for research on early detection and innovative treatments.

Epperson is a lead contributor to “Invest in You: Ready. Set. Grow.,” a multi-platform financial wellness and education initiative at CNBC in partnership with the micro-investing app Acorns, and developed its companion 8-week learning course and weekly newsletter, “Invest in You: Money 101.” She also contributes to NBC’s TODAY and NBC Nightly News as well as Today.com and NBCNews.com.

Her book, The Big Payoff: 8 Steps Couples Can Take to Make the Most of Their Money-and Live Richly Ever After, was a finalist for the Books for a Better Life Awards, honoring works that have “changed the lives of millions.” She also was a contributing writer for The Experts’ Guide to Doing Things Faster. Her personal finance expertise has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, USA Weekend, Self, Essence, Ebony and TIME, where she had covered business, culture, social issues and health as a correspondent prior to joining CNBC.

Epperson has numerous industry and civic awards, including the Special Achievement Award from the National Association of Personal Financial Advisors (NAPFA) and the Savvy Inspiration Award from the non-profit, financial empowerment group Savvy Ladies. She won an Alliance for Women in Media’s Gracie Award for Outstanding Online Host for her “Financial Advisor Playbook” video series on CNBC.com. She has received the Vanguard Award for her distinguished career in business and personal finance reporting from the National Urban League Guild, and the All-Star Award from the Association of Women in Communications. She also has won awards from the New York Festivals, the New York Association of Black Journalists and the National Association of Black Journalists.

Epperson is committed to improving financial literacy, particularly in underserved communities. She was invited to the White House during President Obama’s administration to speak about financial literacy and to moderate a public meeting of the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability at the U.S. Treasury Department. She also speaks frequently at conferences and events for local and national organizations, colleges and universities about many facets of personal finance.

An adjunct professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, Epperson has also taught courses at Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism. She enjoys teaching the importance of budgeting and building long-term savings as part of her professional development courses for graduate students.

Epperson received her bachelor’s in sociology and government from Harvard University, a master of international affairs degree from Columbia University, and an honorary doctorate from Carlow University in Pittsburgh. A Pittsburgh native, she has also been inducted into the Hall of Fame at Taylor Allderdice High School, her alma mater.

She currently lives with her husband and two children in Westchester County, N.Y.

Tyler Mathisen

Tyler Mathisen co-anchors CNBC's "Power Lunch" (M-F, 1PM-3PM ET), one of the network's longest running program franchises. He is also Vice President, Events Strategy for CNBC, working closely with the network's events team to grow the rapidly expanding business.

Previously, Mathisen was co-anchor of "Nightly Business Report," an award-winning evening business news program produced by CNBC for U.S. public television. In 2014, NBR was named best radio/TV show by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers (SABEW). Since joining CNBC in 1997, Mathisen has held a number of positions including managing editor of CNBC Business News, responsible for directing the network's daily content and coverage. He was also co-anchor of CNBC's "Closing Bell."

Mathisen has reported one-hour documentaries for the network including "Best Buy: The Big Box Fights Back," "Supermarkets Inc: Inside a $500 Billion Money Machine" and "Death: It's a Living." Mathisen was also host of the CNBC series "How I Made My Millions."

Prior to CNBC, Mathisen spent 15 years as a writer, senior editor and top editor for Money magazine. Among other duties, he supervised the magazine's mutual funds coverage, its annual investment forecast issue and its expansion into electronic journalism, for which it won the first-ever National Magazine Award for New Media in 1997.

In 1993, Mathisen won the American University-Investment Company Institute Award for Personal Finance Journalism for a televised series on "Caring for Aging Parents," which aired on ABC's "Good Morning America." Mathisen served as money editor of "GMA" from 1991 to 1997. He also won an Emmy Award for a report on the 1987 stock market crash that aired on New York's WCBS-TV.

A native of Arlington,Va., Mathisen graduated with distinction from the University of Virginia.

Leslie Picker

Leslie Picker joined CNBC in February 2017 as a reporter covering hedge funds, private equity and asset management. She is based at CNBC Global Headquarters, and her reporting appears on television and CNBC’s digital platforms.

Picker has interviewed some of the most prominent investors on CNBC, including Citadel’s Ken Griffin, Greenlight Capital’s David Einhorn, Omega Advisors’ Leon Cooperman and Pershing Square’s Bill Ackman. Her investigation into Puerto Rico’s debt crisis won a Society for Advanced Business Editing and Writing (SABEW) award and was a finalist for a Gerald Loeb Award in 2018.

Previously, Picker was a reporter at The New York Times where she covered deals. Her beat encompassed mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, venture capital, private equity, restructuring and shareholder activism. Prior to The New York Times, Picker was a reporter at Bloomberg News where she reported on initial public offerings. There, she also contributed to Bloomberg Businessweek, Bloomberg Television and Bloomberg Radio. Prior to becoming a reporter, Picker was a segment producer for Bloomberg Television. She began her career as a booker at Fox Business Network.

Picker graduated magna cum laude from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, earning a bachelor’s degree in political science. She also earned a master’s in journalism from Columbia University, graduating with honors, and an MBA from New York University’s Stern School of Business, with a concentration in finance.

Rahel Solomon

Rahel Solomon joined CNBC in March 2019 as a general assignment reporter. She is based at CNBC Global Headquarters, and her reporting appears on television and CNBC’s digital platforms.

Most recently, Solomon was co-anchor of Eyewitness News This Morning and Eyewitness News at Noon for CBS 3 in her hometown, Philadelphia. She additionally anchored the station’s weekend morning news. Solomon first joined CBS 3 as a general assignment reporter in September 2015. Previously, Solomon was a reporter and fill-in anchor for KCNC-TV, the CBS-owned station in Denver. While there, she was named the Colorado Association of Black Journalists’ Broadcast Journalist of the Year in 2015. Prior to that, Solomon was a multimedia journalist for WSAZ-TV in Charleston, West Virginia.

Solomon graduated with high honors from St. John’s University, earning a bachelor’s degree in finance. She also earned a master’s degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.

Andrew Ross Sorkin

Andrew Ross Sorkin is co-anchor of "Squawk Box" (M-F, 6AM-9AM ET), CNBC's signature morning program. Sorkin is also a financial columnist for The New York Times and the editor-at-large of DealBook, a news site he founded that is published by The Times.
Sorkin is the author of the best-selling book, "Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System—and Themselves," which chronicled the events of the 2008 financial crisis. The book won the 2010 Gerald Loeb Award for Best Business Book, and was shortlisted for the 2010 Samuel Johnson Prize and the 2010 Financial Times Business Book of the Year Award. The book was adapted as a movie by HBO Films in 2011. Sorkin was a co-producer of the film, which was nominated for 11 Emmy Awards.

Sorkin is also co-creator of the drama series "Billions" on Showtime starring Paul Giamatti and Damien Lewis.

Over the years, Sorkin has broken news on many major mergers and acquisitions, including Chase's acquisition of JPMorgan and Hewlett-Packard's acquisition of Compaq. He also led The Times's coverage of Vodafone's $183 billion hostile bid for Mannesmann, resulting in the world's largest takeover ever.

He won a Gerald Loeb Award in 2004 for breaking the news of IBM's historic sale of its PC business to Lenovo. He was also a finalist in the commentary category for his DealBook column. He won a Society of American Business Editors and Writers Award for breaking news in 2005 and again in 2006. In 2007, the World Economic Forum named him a Young Global Leader. In 2008 and 2009, Vanity Fair named him to its "Next Establishment" list. He was also named to the "Directorship 100," a list of the most influential people on the nation's board of directors. He is a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Sorkin began writing for The New York Times in 1995 under unusual circumstances: He hadn't yet graduated from high school.

He graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. degree in May 1999.

Jane Wells

Jane Wells develops features, special reports and series for CNBC and CNBC.com. Based in Los Angeles, she also contributes to CNBC’s breaking news coverage.

Wells assumed her current role after more than 20 years as a CNBC reporter. Most recently, she covered retail, agriculture and defense as well as reports on California’s economy, West Coast real estate and Las Vegas for the network. Wells joined CNBC in 1996, providing special coverage of the O.J. Simpson civil case for “Rivera Live.” During her career at the network, Wells also served as a senior correspondent for CNBC’s “Upfront Tonight.” She also helped create the “Strange Success” franchise for CNBC Make It, and produces a companion podcast.

Prior to joining CNBC, she was a correspondent for the Fox News Channel and Los Angeles reporter for NBC’s flagship television station, WNBC, in New York. Her television news career includes reporter positions with KTTV, Los Angeles; WTVJ, Miami; and KOB, Albuquerque. She has also contributed international reports for CNN.

Wells has received numerous honors for her work, including a 1992 Peabody Award and duPont Award for her role in the live coverage of the Rodney King Trial. That same year, she earned a Los Angeles Emmy Award for her investigative reporting. She also has received UPI, Press Club and Emmy Awards for feature reporting; three Florida Emmy Awards for news reporting; and the Investigative Reporters and Editors Award for team reporting.

Wells holds bachelor’s degrees in broadcast journalism and philosophy from the University of Southern California, where she graduated with honors. She and her husband have two children and live in Los Angeles.