What happens when one of Silicon Valley's most accomplished engineers decides the system he helped build is broken—and walks away to fix it?

Today my guest is Raffi Krikorian, CTO of Mozilla and one of the most civic-minded technologists I know. We explore why the fight for open-source AI isn't just a technical debate; it is really a fight for who controls our relationship with knowledge itself.

Raffi's career path is uniquely fascinating. He spent his early years scaling massive engineering teams at Twitter and launching Uber’s first self-driving fleet. But then he did something rare. He pivoted to public service, becoming the first-ever CTO of the Democratic National Committee to rebuild their cybersecurity from the ground up. He then went on to drive social-impact technology at Emerson Collective, applying his engineering mind to systemic issues like immigration and climate change.

At Mozilla, he is now on the frontlines of the AI revolution. We talk about what it means to be "technically optimistic" right now—which also happens to be the name of his excellent podcast. For Raffi, optimism isn't about blind faith in algorithms. It’s about demanding that our tools are trustworthy, transparent, and built to serve humanity, rather than exploiting it.

In our conversation, we explore:
→ The Twitter crash that taught him his job was not to be the architect, but to create the conditions for others to do their best work
→ Why he left Uber's self-driving program after discovering their models misclassified people based on skin color
→ How a week of Google Sheets transformed an asylum-seeker nonprofit more than any AI chatbot could
→ His conviction that we need seven billion AGIs—one for each of us—not seven controlled by massive corporations
→ Why patience, not speed, is the leadership skill that actually builds movements

"We have outsourced dreaming to a few people who are building companies and we all need to dream again." — Raffi Krikorian, CTO, Mozilla

If you have ever wondered whether the technology on your phone is truly working for you—or for someone else—this conversation will completely change how you think about what comes next.

🔑 Key Themes: Open-Source AI, Responsible Technology, Purpose-Driven Leadership, Digital Trust, Civic Tech, Cybersecurity, Technical Optimism.

🎧 Related Episodes:

• Kevin Scott — Empowering people with AI:
• Navrina Singh — Building Trust in AI: Leadership, Governance, and Human Values
• Rana el Kaliouby — Human-Centric AI (purpose meets profit in technology)

🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, jpcourtois.com

Subscribe now to JP's free monthly newsletter "Positive Leadership and You" on LinkedIn to transform your positive impact today: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/positive-leadership-you-6970390170017669121/

What if the greatest turnaround in modern corporate history wasn’t driven by financial engineering or restructuring, but by an unshakeable belief in science and human talent?

In this powerful episode of the Positive Leadership Podcast, I welcome Pascal Soriot, CEO of AstraZeneca—a visionary leader who transformed a struggling pharmaceutical company into a defining global force in oncology, cardiovascular disease, and respiratory care.

He is also someone I know personally: I had the privilege of serving on the AstraZeneca board between 2008 and 2016, and I was in the boardroom when we appointed him as CEO.

What makes Pascal’s leadership so rare is his non-traditional ascent. He didn't start with an elite corporate playbook; his foundational lessons were grounded in learning the value of loyalty and protecting his people. By beginning his professional life as a practicing veterinarian, he developed a profound sense of empathy—traits that continue to drive his unwavering commitment to putting patients first today.

But Pascal’s story isn’t your typical corporate trajectory. Raised in a humble background where he learned early lessons about loyalty, standing up for his team, and defending his territory, he began his professional life not in business, but as a veterinarian. It was this experience that profoundly shaped his empathy and his "patient-first" approach to leadership.

In our conversation, we explore:

🔬 The Turnaround – How Pascal orchestrated AstraZeneca's massive transformation by instilling a clear, shared purpose and focusing relentlessly on patient outcomes.

🛡️ The Pfizer Takeover – How Pascal defended AstraZeneca against a massive hostile takeover bid from Pfizer by betting everything on the truth of long-term science.

🌍 COVID-19 & Global Access – The leadership lessons learned during the pandemic and the drive to ensure global, equitable access to the vaccine, particularly for countries in the Global South.

🤖 AI and the Future of Discovery – How AI is accelerating the race to cure cancer and redefine medicine.

Pascal’s insight: “People come to work because they believe they can make a difference. First, a shared purpose. Second, clarity about each person’s contribution to that goal.” Whether navigating a corporate crisis, defending core values against short-term pressures, or building a culture of psychological safety and innovation, this conversation is a masterclass in resilient, purpose-driven leadership.

Key Themes: Corporate turnarounds, healthcare innovation, purpose-driven leadership, AI in medicine, empathy, resilience, scientific truth, navigating crises.

🎧 Related Episodes You’ll Love:

• Indra Nooyi: Driving performance with purpose
• Sir Ronald Cohen: Reinventing capitalism for impact
• Gianpiero Petriglieri: Leadership, a matter of love
• Fabio Barbosa: Leading with Purpose: Profit, People, and the Planet
  
  

Subscribe now to JP's free monthly newsletter "Positive Leadership and You" on LinkedIn to transform your positive impact today: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/positive-leadership-you-6970390170017669121/

What if the stories you inherited about who you’re supposed to become—from your family, your industry, your own fears—are the very narratives holding you back?

In this powerful episode of the Positive Leadership Podcast, I welcome Nicholas Thompson, CEO of The Atlantic, a visionary media executive who has led transformations at The New Yorker and WIRED, and an extraordinary marathoner who set an American record in the 50K at age 45.

But Nick’s story isn’t just about professional success or athletic achievement. It’s about the conscious choice to rewrite the narrative we inherit.

Nick grew up watching his brilliant father—a Rhodes Scholar and academic star—whose life eventually “cracked up” due to alcoholism and personal struggles. Around Nick’s 40th birthday, his father warned him: “All men’s lives fall apart at this age.” That was the script Nick had inherited. A story of inevitable decline.

But Nick refused to live that story.

In our conversation, we explore:

🏃 The Running Ground – How Nick used running as therapy to honor his father while writing a different ending (achieving a 2:29 marathon at 44)

📰 Truth in the Age of Misinformation – Leading The Atlantic through a crisis of trust, deepfakes, and algorithmic manipulation

🤖 AI as Editorial Tool vs. Existential Threat – Why he says AI is “the best tool we’ve ever had” but could also “completely obliterate us”

👨‍👦 Inherited Patterns – Recognizing generational trauma and consciously choosing a different path

⚖️ ️ The Church-State Separation – Why editorial independence matters more than ever

💪 Defying Aging – Getting faster with age and what it teaches about leadership limits

Nick’s profound insight: “I run because of my father. Running connects me to my father; it reminds me of my father; and it gives me a way to avoid becoming my father.”

That sentence captures everything: honoring where we come from while consciously choosing who we become.

Whether you’re navigating generational patterns, leading through uncertainty, or simply asking yourself what story you want to live—this conversation will challenge and inspire you.

Key Themes: Narrative identity, media leadership, AI ethics, generational healing, resilience, editorial integrity, running as therapy, conscious choice

🎧 Related Episodes You’ll Love: -

• Herminia Ibarra: Growing through personal disruption https://www.buzzsprout.com/1798971/episodes/10210926
• Caroline Leaf: Managing your mind - https://www.buzzsprout.com/1798971/episodes/15018482
• Angela Duckworth: The power of grit - https://www.buzzsprout.com/1798971/episodes/14677055
• Peggy Johnson: Leading a human-centric future of AI - https://www.buzzsprout.com/1798971/episodes/18329548

Subscribe now to JP's free monthly newsletter "Positive Leadership and You" on LinkedIn to transform your positive impact today: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/positive-leadership-you-6970390170017669121/