Kai Ryssdal

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SHORT BIO

Kai is the host and senior editor of “Marketplace,” the most widely heard program on business and the economy — radio or television, commercial or public broadcasting — in the country. Kai speaks regularly with CEOs of Fortune 500 companies, startup entrepreneurs, small-business owners and everyday participants in the American and global economies. Before his career in broadcasting, Kai served in the United States Navy and United States Foreign Service. He’s a graduate of Emory University and Georgetown University. Kai lives in Los Angeles with his wife and four children.

Episodes by Kai (6,146)

Make Me Smart | Episode 1293

The history behind Black Friday

Nov 26, 2024

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Marketplace

The DOJ has a plan for Google

Nov 21, 2024

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Make Me Smart | Episode 1290

The new face of Trump's tariffs plan

Nov 21, 2024

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Marketplace

What happened to sweater weather?

Nov 20, 2024

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Make Me Smart | Episode 1289

A harbinger of change in Medialand

Nov 20, 2024

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Marketplace

Private equity's appetite for restaurants

Nov 19, 2024

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Make Me Smart | Episode 1288

The myth America exported to the world

Nov 19, 2024

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Marketplace

A more equal nation?

Nov 18, 2024

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Make Me Smart | Episode 1287

Trump's revenge agenda

Nov 18, 2024

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Marketplace

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ... online

Nov 15, 2024

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Latest Stories (5,837)

Why are some restaurants shutting the door on food delivery giants?

by Kai Ryssdal and Minju Park

Aug 18, 2021

Steep third-party food delivery fees are driving some restaurant owners to seek alternatives.

An Uber Eats delivery person hauls food on a bicycle. Jon Sewell says his delivery co-op, which is owned by restaurants, cut delivery costs and improved service.

Sean Gallup via Getty Images

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COVID-19

What could the delta variant mean for Hawaii's tourism industry?

by Kai Ryssdal and Andie Corban

Aug 18, 2021

Even after a record-breaking sales this summer, Manu Powers, co-owner of Sea Quest Hawaii, is concerned about the future of her business.

A tourist goes through COVID-19 safety protocols at Los Angeles International Airport before flying to Hawaii.

Patrick T. Fallon via Getty Images

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Farms don't have to be outside anymore

by Kai Ryssdal and Andie Corban

Aug 3, 2021

Irving Fain, CEO of Bowery Farming, hopes growing crops in warehouses near cities will increase access to fresh produce.

Bowery Farming has two vertical farms in the Northeast, with another under construction. "All of our supply chain exists in this one building," CEO Irving Fain says.

Photo courtesy Bowery Farming

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A Warmer World

Lake Mead business struggles to stay afloat as water drops to historic low

by Kai Ryssdal and Maria Hollenhorst

Jul 29, 2021

“It’s a tough season this year,” says Lisa Duncan of Temple Bar Marina. Slips are filled, but the boat launch is closed for now.

The closure of Lake Mead’s Temple Bar boat ramp due to low water levels has impacted revenue at the restaurant, hotel and retail store that Lisa Duncan, manages at Temple Bar Marina, she says.

Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

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Love Crocs? Hate Crocs? Either's OK with the company's CEO.

by Kai Ryssdal and Daisy Palacios

Jul 29, 2021

Crocs are — and have been — back. Socks are the latest addition to the company's line of products.

Andrew Rees joined Crocs in 2014.

Courtesy of Crocs

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What America's hunger crisis may look like after pandemic relief ends

by Kai Ryssdal and Richard Cunningham

Jul 28, 2021

Feeding America’s CEO expects a greater need for food assistance, but the pandemic created a "keener understanding" of hunger, she says.

A volunteer prepares donated groceries for food-insecure families. Claire Babineaux-Fontenot, CEO of Feeding America, says there may be a "spike in need" for food assistance later this year.

Michael Loccisano via Getty Images

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Sallie Krawcheck on what the pandemic means for women's finances

by Kai Ryssdal and Andie Corban

Jul 27, 2021

The CEO of Ellevest and former Wall Street executive says the pandemic has widened the gender wealth gap.

"It's exactly someone like me who should be using my privilege ... in order to build this," Sallie Krawcheck says of Ellevest, her digital financial company for women.

Rachel Murray/Getty Images

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Back to Business

How the pandemic altered the art and science of “menu engineering”

by Kai Ryssdal and Maria Hollenhorst

Jul 26, 2021

From QR codes to delivery apps, a menu specialist weighs in on the rise of digital menus.

A QR code menu for a Mexico City restaurant. “Here in 2021 … we can start to build our digital menus a little bit better with what we learned from the pandemic,” says menu engineer Sean Willard.

Photo by Claudio Cruz/AFP via Getty Images

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COVID-19

Is fast fashion catching up to real time?

by Kai Ryssdal and Minju Park

Jul 22, 2021

Shein, a fast-growing, China-based clothing brand, relies on a “real-time fashion” model that slashes the time from design to production.

Antony Jones/Getty Images for Shein

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COVID-19

"We're in it for the long game": After extended shutdown, Broadway producer plans for reopening

by Kai Ryssdal and Andie Corban

Jul 21, 2021

Kai Ryssdal speaks with Eva Price outside "Jagged Little Pill's" theater. She hasn't been inside since the pandemic started.

The Broadhurst Theatre in January, after being closed nearly a year. "Jagged Little Pill" is expected to resume performances in the fall.

Cindy Ord/Getty Images

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