My friend MELLODY HOBSON is President of ARIEL INVESTMENTS which manages $13 Billion dollars. She was named TIME MAGAZINE's 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE IN THE WORLD. She is Vice Chairman of the board of STARBUCKS. On the board of JP MORGAN CHASE. Former board chair of DREAMWORKS. She is a leading voice on the importance and necessity of diversity. And honestly, she's one of the most stylish people I know. Oh, and along the way she fell in love and married my hero, GEORGE LUCAS. She is beyond impressive. And a magnificent storyteller. One of the many benefits of my job is I get to sit down with lots of people that are way smarter than me. It's an addiction. An addiction to curiosity. Safe to say that this is my favorite to date. In a wide-ranging conversation at the 2019 UPFRONT SUMMIT in LA, we discussed the influences and mentors over her career; the role of a board member in good times and in crisis (stories of Starbucks and Dreamworks); addressing diversity in businesses, community, and content; and the future of media. I learned so much here and it's a must watch. Enjoy... In a time when media needs great thinkers and strategy, there is no better mind for my money than MATT BALL. He returns to REDEF ORIGINALS with his piece, "Big Media Isn't Ready to Fight Back (Netflix Misunderstandings, Pt. 5)." At the end of 2018, a familiar narrative began to circulate around WALL STREET and HOLLYWOOD: big media will finally start to fight back against Netflix. Well, 2019 isn't the year. And that's great news for Netflix. Matt explains... Happy Birthday to JASON DEL REY, LOU WALLACH, ANDY MARCUS, TIM SOMMER, LAURA DESMOND, JAKE AVNET, ROBERT TERCEK, JOE SPEISER, and MARJORIE MILLER.