National

Participants enjoyed a seated breakfast during the discussion.

On Weds, June 29, Axios hosted an Expert Voices roundtable discussion in Boston, featuring local leaders in entrepreneurship and investing who considered the impacts of the current macroeconomic environment on investors and entrepreneurs in the region and shared perspectives on strategic dealmaking in today’s growth landscape. Axios’ business editor Dan Primack and Local Boston reporter Mike Deehan led the conversation. 

Trends in remote work and their impact on the Boston innovation landscape 

Care Academy CEO and founder Helen Adeosun speaking to the Axios roundtable group.

Care Academy CEO and founder Helen Adeosun described how remote work trends provide more opportunity for Boston to be a leader in innovation. 

“I believe not sort of in the marginalization of folks and moving people to Boston. I actually take a different vantage. I think Boston would be a greater and more powerful ecosystem if it is able to model in pulling folks from across the country and create a way for folks to participate in labor force and to the innovation economy from outside of the city as well.”

First Star Ventures managing partner Drew Volpe highlighted how Boston’s life sciences industry is embracing the shift to remote work. 

“Life sciences is definitely embracing remote. There’s tons of biotechs today that buy assets, use a CRO, to do basically all of the lab work and those CROs can be anywhere, they can be here, but increasingly they are saying, 'You know what? Lab space here is really, really expensive.' … I actually worry that Boston, I don’t know that it still won’t be a biotech hub in five years, but I think it will be less of one. I think South San Francisco and New Jersey and other hubs are starting to build up biotech assets and it’s a lot driven by housing.”

The resilience of the Massachusetts economy 

Devoted Health chief legal and external affairs officer Mo Cowan engaging with guests.

Mo Cowan, Devoted Health chief legal and external affairs officer, shared his perspective on whether Massachusetts is heading into a recession. 

“I am anticipating continuing recessionary pressures, but I also think that’s where innovators and entrepreneurs actually excel, in those moments. Seeking solutions, promoting creative ideas, finding creative options and pathways through challenging times. I think Massachusetts is particularly primed well for that, because I think this is a hotbed of innovation … so I think there are macro challenges today; I think there will be more still. I think the geopolitical environment is going to increase those pressures and we will feel them here.”

Harvard Innovation Labs Bruce and Bridgitt Evans executive director Matt Segneri raised questions about what industries will be next in upholding the durability of the Massachusetts economy. 

“On the question of resilience of the economy, you know, I do think our success in life sciences that’s been durable is a function of the last two gubernatorial administrations who invested and supported deeply in this. My question is … to build a resilient economy … what are those next clusters that we need to ensure continued durability?”

On opportunities for entrepreneurship and investing in the region 

Asymmetric managing partner Robert Biederman speaking to fellow attendees. 

Asymmetric managing partner Robert Biederman illustrated which industries are on the rise as strengths for the Boston region.

“We’ve been in kind of a down cycle at the things we’re good at until now, which is largely kind of engineering and go to market … We’re now seeing the exact opposite, so things like infrastructure and security and robotics, which are relative strengths for this region, are upcycling … so I’m actually quite optimistic about this ecosystem. I think as more substantive companies matter more and less substantive companies matter less, this region has huge upside.”

Massachusetts state Sen. Eric Lesser raised concern about the region’s dependence on the success of the life sciences sector. 

“I think the bigger issue and the thing that I’m concerned about is if we’re so dependent on life sciences, what happens when life sciences changes … There’s nothing inevitable about a hub staying a hub. We all think that when we’re at the height of it. I think the big question is, what happens if life sciences shifts to New Jersey or to Texas … I think we’re a little bit victims of our own success in Massachusetts right now. The incredible innovation that’s happened here and the growth has led to $800,000 median housing prices, and that could snap.”

David Chang, Hunt Club GM of Expert Network, discussed whether investor location relative to entrepreneurs matters in today’s landscape. 

“We talk a lot about in the early stages, you want to have entrepreneurs close to the investors, but I actually find that it’s more important for those entrepreneurs to be close to their markets. So if your customer is in life sciences, then it really matters that you’re here and it kind of matters less where the investor is … so that location matters less, I think it is an end positive for people in this region.”

Jim Quagliaroli, Silversmith Capital Partners Managing Partner, explained how helping companies with their growth strategies informs his work as an investor.  

“All of those companies, they tend to be bootstrapped, they tend to have already developed their product, and we’re trying to lean into situations where we can help them grow, invest in sales, invest in marketing, help them with acquisitions.”

Thank you Silversmith Capital Partners for sponsoring this event.

Dealmakers & their Dealbreakers: Boston

Axios hosted an Expert Voices discussion in Boston on dealmaking in today's growth landscape.

Axios event

Axios event promotional image reads: Dealmakers & their Dealbreakers

<figure><img alt="Participants enjoyed a seated breakfast during the discussion." height="4480" id="9d94f018-36a8-4ba4-83e5-610a80ea99e6" src="https://images.axios.com/Cbistj5WxED0vEGOKw3TdzcHr_w=/2022/07/05/1657044364262.jpg" width="6720"/><figcaption>Participants enjoyed a seated breakfast during the discussion.</figcaption></figure>On Weds, June 29, Axios hosted an Expert Voices roundtable discussion in Boston, featuring local leaders in entrepreneurship and investing who considered the impacts of the current macroeconomic environment on investors and entrepreneurs in the region and shared perspectives on strategic dealmaking in today’s growth landscape. Axios’ business editor Dan Primack and Local Boston reporter Mike Deehan led the conversation. Trends in remote work and their impact on the Boston innovation landscape <figure><img alt="Care Academy CEO and founder Helen Adeosun speaking to the Axios roundtable group." height="4480" id="85b5c6bc-5269-45ca-bcac-fca599436631" src="https://images.axios.com/clj3sBBllRIjIMYeCOEDBFk2H4E=/2022/07/05/1657044465380.jpg" width="6720"/><figcaption>Care Academy CEO and founder Helen Adeosun speaking to the Axios roundtable group.</figcaption></figure>Care Academy CEO and founder Helen Adeosun described how remote work trends provide more opportunity for Boston to be a leader in innovation. <ul><li>“I believe not sort of in the marginalization of folks and moving people to Boston. I actually take a different vantage. I think Boston would be a greater and more powerful ecosystem if it is able to model in pulling folks from across the country and create a way for folks to participate in labor force and to the innovation economy from outside of the city as well.”</li></ul>First Star Ventures managing partner Drew Volpe highlighted how Boston’s life sciences industry is embracing the shift to remote work. <ul><li>“Life sciences is definitely embracing remote. There’s tons of biotechs today that buy assets, use a CRO, to do basically all of the lab work and those CROs can be anywhere, they can be here, but increasingly they are saying, &#x27;You know what? Lab space here is really, really expensive.&#x27; … I actually worry that Boston, I don’t know that it still won’t be a biotech hub in five years, but I think it will be less of one. I think South San Francisco and New Jersey and other hubs are starting to build up biotech assets and it’s a lot driven by housing.”</li></ul>The resilience of the Massachusetts economy <figure><img alt="Devoted Health chief legal and external affairs officer Mo Cowan engaging with guests." height="4405" id="0d0e6578-3616-4b04-a916-2fa4c87f1dd3" src="https://images.axios.com/9rwdAHl1R-v_MIuhXXY5rfkejn0=/2022/07/05/1657044515622.jpg" width="6607"/><figcaption>Devoted Health chief legal and external affairs officer Mo Cowan engaging with guests.</figcaption></figure>Mo Cowan, Devoted Health chief legal and external affairs officer, shared his perspective on whether Massachusetts is heading into a recession. <ul><li>“I am anticipating continuing recessionary pressures, but I also think that’s where innovators and entrepreneurs actually excel, in those moments. Seeking solutions, promoting creative ideas, finding creative options and pathways through challenging times. I think Massachusetts is particularly primed well for that, because I think this is a hotbed of innovation … so I think there are macro challenges today; I think there will be more still. I think the geopolitical environment is going to increase those pressures and we will feel them here.”</li></ul>Harvard Innovation Labs Bruce and Bridgitt Evans executive director Matt Segneri raised questions about what industries will be next in upholding the durability of the Massachusetts economy. <ul><li>“On the question of resilience of the economy, you know, I do think our success in life sciences that’s been durable is a function of the last two gubernatorial administrations who invested and supported deeply in this. My question is … to build a resilient economy … what are those next clusters that we need to ensure continued durability?”</li></ul>On opportunities for entrepreneurship and investing in the region <figure><img alt="Asymmetric managing partner Robert Biederman speaking to fellow attendees. " height="4456" id="033be020-af80-4295-acf7-b23fd46bc9e9" src="https://images.axios.com/flQ0TWyJmUJrIiSck-lXRl1dW-s=/2022/07/05/1657044561111.jpg" width="6684"/><figcaption>Asymmetric managing partner Robert Biederman speaking to fellow attendees. </figcaption></figure>Asymmetric managing partner Robert Biederman illustrated which industries are on the rise as strengths for the Boston region.<ul><li>“We’ve been in kind of a down cycle at the things we’re good at until now, which is largely kind of engineering and go to market … We’re now seeing the exact opposite, so things like infrastructure and security and robotics, which are relative strengths for this region, are upcycling … so I’m actually quite optimistic about this ecosystem. I think as more substantive companies matter more and less substantive companies matter less, this region has huge upside.”</li></ul>Massachusetts state Sen. Eric Lesser raised concern about the region’s dependence on the success of the life sciences sector. <ul><li>“I think the bigger issue and the thing that I’m concerned about is if we’re so dependent on life sciences, what happens when life sciences changes … There’s nothing inevitable about a hub staying a hub. We all think that when we’re at the height of it. I think the big question is, what happens if life sciences shifts to New Jersey or to Texas … I think we’re a little bit victims of our own success in Massachusetts right now. The incredible innovation that’s happened here and the growth has led to $800,000 median housing prices, and that could snap.”</li></ul>David Chang, Hunt Club GM of Expert Network, discussed whether investor location relative to entrepreneurs matters in today’s landscape. <ul><li>“We talk a lot about in the early stages, you want to have entrepreneurs close to the investors, but I actually find that it’s more important for those entrepreneurs to be close to their markets. So if your customer is in life sciences, then it really matters that you’re here and it kind of matters less where the investor is … so that location matters less, I think it is an end positive for people in this region.”</li></ul>Jim Quagliaroli, Silversmith Capital Partners Managing Partner, explained how helping companies with their growth strategies informs his work as an investor. <ul><li>“All of those companies, they tend to be bootstrapped, they tend to have already developed their product, and we’re trying to lean into situations where we can help them grow, invest in sales, invest in marketing, help them with acquisitions.”</li></ul>Thank you Silversmith Capital Partners for sponsoring this event.

Axios Events

Attendees enjoyed breakfast prior to the reception. 

On Tuesday, May 24th, Axios hosted a reception in Davos, Switzerland, featuring an interview between Axios’ chief financial correspondent Felix Salmon and FTX US president Brett Harrison. Their conversation honed in on the stakes for cryptocurrency adoption and regulation in the global economy. 

FTX US president Brett Harrison outlined his hopes for more regulation on cryptocurrencies, FTX’s strategies for mergers and acquisitions and the economics behind the stock side of the crypto market. 

On working with existing regulation to create a comprehensive crypto framework: “Crypto trading is really a thing with a number attached to it that transfers between a buyer and a seller. And the idea that we need to completely throw out decades worth of regulation on exchanges to foster crypto trading in the U.S., I think is crazy. I think with probably existing regulation now and…power between the CFTC and SEC, they could work together in the U.S. and create a comprehensive regulatory regime for U.S. crypto exchanges.”

On merger & acquisition strategies: “On a broader level about M&A, we’re always looking for two potential things when it comes to potential targets for FTX. One is whether we can acquire users in a quicker way than just sort of the normal growth way. For example, when we acquired Blockfolio…that was a great user acquisition play for us because we got several million customers into FTX  through that acquisition. And the second is licensing. For example, our acquisition of Ledger X gave us the ability to have these CFTC licenses that often take 2 to 5 years to be able to obtain.”

On business models for crypto on the stock market: “We’re also in the great position as a company that our revenues come from our crypto trading, that’s the high margin business right now. And so we don’t have to make money on the stock side. We don’t need to sell order flow, it can  just be an extra service we provide our customers and we can acquire users that way. And so if we do want to turn that stock business into a profitable one, because maybe we see lots of volume on the exchange, we want to think very hard about the business model…”

FTX US President Brett Harrison speaks to attendees.

In the View from the Top segment, Axios publisher Nick Johnston discussed regulatory outlooks for crypto as the industry keeps evolving with Grayscale CEO Michael Sonnenshein. 

“In the U.S., because of our regulatory system and so many different governing bodies, because crypto doesn’t squarely fit into currency commodity, you know, any kind of one singular definition, there is eventually going to have to have all of that come to a head, and either a singular regulator is going to need to step up and say this is now part of our mandate, or we may even see the creation of an entirely new federal agency to oversee this technology, because certainly the rules and regulations that govern a lot of what we have in the financial markets today will not apply and will not satisfy what we need to have businesses like our and others be able to flourish in the U.S..”

Nick Johnston interviewing Michael Sonnenshein.

Thank you Grayscale for sponsoring this event.

The Stakes for U.S. Crypto Adoption

Axios hosted a reception in Davos on the stakes for cryptocurrency adoption.

<figure><img alt="Attendees enjoyed breakfast prior to the reception. " height="3667" id="4700849a-92ba-4bfb-b6c6-81f6c5f5c42b" src="https://images.axios.com/ep9bU1Cg8XUIqUbhCzSBiW-W93k=/2022/06/02/1654192641593.jpg" width="5500"/><figcaption>Attendees enjoyed breakfast prior to the reception. </figcaption></figure>On Tuesday, May 24th, Axios hosted a reception in Davos, Switzerland, featuring an interview between Axios’ chief financial correspondent Felix Salmon and FTX US president Brett Harrison. Their conversation honed in on the stakes for cryptocurrency adoption and regulation in the global economy. FTX US president Brett Harrison outlined his hopes for more regulation on cryptocurrencies, FTX’s strategies for mergers and acquisitions and the economics behind the stock side of the crypto market. <ul><li>On working with existing regulation to create a comprehensive crypto framework: “Crypto trading is really a thing with a number attached to it that transfers between a buyer and a seller. And the idea that we need to completely throw out decades worth of regulation on exchanges to foster crypto trading in the U.S., I think is crazy. I think with probably existing regulation now and…power between the CFTC and SEC, they could work together in the U.S. and create a comprehensive regulatory regime for U.S. crypto exchanges.”</li><li>On merger &amp; acquisition strategies: “On a broader level about M&amp;A, we’re always looking for two potential things when it comes to potential targets for FTX. One is whether we can acquire users in a quicker way than just sort of the normal growth way. For example, when we acquired Blockfolio…that was a great user acquisition play for us because we got several million customers into FTX through that acquisition. And the second is licensing. For example, our acquisition of Ledger X gave us the ability to have these CFTC licenses that often take 2 to 5 years to be able to obtain.”</li><li>On business models for crypto on the stock market: “We’re also in the great position as a company that our revenues come from our crypto trading, that’s the high margin business right now. And so we don’t have to make money on the stock side. We don’t need to sell order flow, it can just be an extra service we provide our customers and we can acquire users that way. And so if we do want to turn that stock business into a profitable one, because maybe we see lots of volume on the exchange, we want to think very hard about the business model…”</li></ul><figure><img alt="FTX US President Brett Harrison speaks to attendees." height="3667" id="e9730f8f-b435-4901-b00a-59bded0bf03a" src="https://images.axios.com/IwjI2A0uv-HhJ9KO2csP1yy0PF0=/2022/06/02/1654196239668.jpg" width="5500"/><figcaption>FTX US President Brett Harrison speaks to attendees.</figcaption></figure>In the View from the Top segment, Axios publisher Nick Johnston discussed regulatory outlooks for crypto as the industry keeps evolving with Grayscale CEO Michael Sonnenshein. <ul><li>“In the U.S., because of our regulatory system and so many different governing bodies, because crypto doesn’t squarely fit into currency commodity, you know, any kind of one singular definition, there is eventually going to have to have all of that come to a head, and either a singular regulator is going to need to step up and say this is now part of our mandate, or we may even see the creation of an entirely new federal agency to oversee this technology, because certainly the rules and regulations that govern a lot of what we have in the financial markets today will not apply and will not satisfy what we need to have businesses like our and others be able to flourish in the U.S..”</li></ul><figure><img alt="Nick Johnston interviewing Michael Sonnenshein." height="3667" id="444bb5de-8a34-4be5-8258-6f2d3b9d2a3c" src="https://images.axios.com/b_YeN64kWLotcV_O4OuhPCGVD-8=/2022/06/02/1654196269731.jpg" width="5500"/><figcaption>Nick Johnston interviewing Michael Sonnenshein.</figcaption></figure>Thank you Grayscale for sponsoring this event.

Retail Deals

On Tuesday, June 28, Axios Pro Retail Deals reporters Kimberly Chin and Richard Collings led conversations highlighting scoops and top stories from the second quarter in Retail deals. Guests included Meta global business group vice president Eva Press and Macellum Capital Management CEO Jonathan Duskin. 

Eva Press discussed new ways retailers are engaging with consumers on social platforms, what the metaverse can offer retailers and how consumer behavior drives much of the development of commerce offerings.  

On opportunities for retailers to engage with consumers on platforms: “The opportunity for retailers is enormous. When you look at social commerce, it’s expected to be a $3 trillion business by 2025, and so really finding the way in through our platforms becomes incredibly important.”

On advising retail partners around the metaverse “When we think about how we work with our retail partners and advise them around the metaverse, what we like to reinforce to everyone is the metaverse isn’t just one thing, right? It’s this interconnection of digital spaces that you can move seamlessly between, and it includes everything from 2D video to augmented reality all the way to VR, and so what we really encourage people to do is think about each of those elements and find the ways that they are going to be able to drive their business results using any of those elements.” 

Jonathan Duskin gave a summary of the 2022 proxy season specific to retail and how it compared to previous years, what attributes he looks for when targeting a company and what changes companies can expect moving into next year. 

On how this year’s proxy season compares to previous years: “I guess the value of assets such as real estate is becoming a little bit more of a method people are looking at to create value in retail in particular. There are a couple of campaigns focused on spinning out [e-commerce]. … I think there have probably been a few new twists, but I think they always come back to the same core tenets of, is this a business that can be improved and with better governance and better oversight, and are there better directors that can help effectuate that change and create value over the long term?”

On changes to expect next year: “The biggest change that’s coming down the pipe next year is the universal proxy access. In the system we have today, you can either vote the company’s card or the dissident’s card. … What a universal proxy card will do will put all the candidates on one ballot. … You can choose a mix and match from the dissident slate and the company’s slate. I actually think it’ll be a really positive development.”

In the View from the Top segment, PwC US Deals Sector leader and partner John Potter shared his advice for companies as they move into the second half of the year.

“A focus on discipline and selectivity is key. We see valuations coming back a little bit, looking where the equity markets are, but we also see the focus on growth and where consumer spending is and the continued demand to meet customers where they are. So I think back to the strategic conviction is really critical. ... And same goes for divestitures, really revisiting the portfolio and being committed to saying, you know what, I know we decided to keep that last year, but let’s rethink that.”

Axios Pro Insights: Retail Deals

Axios Pro Retail Deals reporters led conversations discussing the second quarter in retail deals.

Screenshot of Kimberly Chin and Eva Press on a video call

Axios Pro Retail Deals reporter Kimberly Chin interviews Meta global business group vice president Eva Press. Screenshot: Axios Pro

On Tuesday, June 28, Axios Pro Retail Deals reporters Kimberly Chin and Richard Collings led conversations highlighting scoops and top stories from the second quarter in Retail deals. Guests included Meta global business group vice president Eva Press and Macellum Capital Management CEO Jonathan Duskin. Eva Press discussed new ways retailers are engaging with consumers on social platforms, what the metaverse can offer retailers and how consumer behavior drives much of the development of commerce offerings. <ul><li>On opportunities for retailers to engage with consumers on platforms: “The opportunity for retailers is enormous. When you look at social commerce, it’s expected to be a $3 trillion business by 2025, and so really finding the way in through our platforms becomes incredibly important.”</li><li>On advising retail partners around the metaverse “When we think about how we work with our retail partners and advise them around the metaverse, what we like to reinforce to everyone is the metaverse isn’t just one thing, right? It’s this interconnection of digital spaces that you can move seamlessly between, and it includes everything from 2D video to augmented reality all the way to VR, and so what we really encourage people to do is think about each of those elements and find the ways that they are going to be able to drive their business results using any of those elements.” </li></ul>Jonathan Duskin gave a summary of the 2022 proxy season specific to retail and how it compared to previous years, what attributes he looks for when targeting a company and what changes companies can expect moving into next year. <ul><li>On how this year’s proxy season compares to previous years: “I guess the value of assets such as real estate is becoming a little bit more of a method people are looking at to create value in retail in particular. There are a couple of campaigns focused on spinning out [e-commerce]. … I think there have probably been a few new twists, but I think they always come back to the same core tenets of, is this a business that can be improved and with better governance and better oversight, and are there better directors that can help effectuate that change and create value over the long term?”</li><li>On changes to expect next year: “The biggest change that’s coming down the pipe next year is the universal proxy access. In the system we have today, you can either vote the company’s card or the dissident’s card. … What a universal proxy card will do will put all the candidates on one ballot. … You can choose a mix and match from the dissident slate and the company’s slate. I actually think it’ll be a really positive development.”</li></ul>In the View from the Top segment, PwC US Deals Sector leader and partner John Potter shared his advice for companies as they move into the second half of the year.<ul><li>“A focus on discipline and selectivity is key. We see valuations coming back a little bit, looking where the equity markets are, but we also see the focus on growth and where consumer spending is and the continued demand to meet customers where they are. So I think back to the strategic conviction is really critical. ... And same goes for divestitures, really revisiting the portfolio and being committed to saying, you know what, I know we decided to keep that last year, but let’s rethink that.”</li></ul>Thank you PwC for sponsoring this event.

On Wednesday, June 1, Axios hosted an Expert Voices roundtable discussion in Little Rock, Arkansas, featuring state and local health care leaders, government officials and medical experts. Guests offered their perspectives on combating barriers to quality health care access and proposed solutions for bridging long-standing equity gaps. Axios’s senior health care editor Adriel Bettelheim and health care editor Tina Reed led the conversation.  

How state health leaders are thinking about bridging the health care divide

Arkansas Department of Human Services secretary Cindy Gillespie speaking to fellow attendees. 

Cindy Gillespie, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Human Services, discussed what she is doing to meet the health needs of Arkansans, particularly those who are uninsured. 

“Our goal is not to end up with people uninsured…we don’t set goals we aren’t going to achieve… We’ve divided the population up by different eligibility groups…our organization takes responsibility for each eligibility group…each population we have a plan for.”

Telehealth as a solution for closing health care gaps in rural areas

Dr. Joseph Sanford speaking to the Axios roundtable group.

Dr. Joseph Sanford, chief clinical informatics officer at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, said he is concerned about telehealth remaining accessible to patients as appointments and consultations return to in-person clinical settings. 

“It doesn’t make sense…for patients to go to a clinic location to then have an appointment with someone in Little Rock if they’re in rural Arkansas…If we don’t have good broadband coverage, then we are denying our patients access to equitable care…We see many patients who have to take a full day off work…they travel 3 ½ hours one way…we’re working with the Department of Commerce to expand broadband…”

Provider says funding is an impediment to making health care more equitable

Troy Wells, Baptist Health president & CEO, speaking to guests.

Troy Wells, president & CEO of Baptist Health, said he believes a major barrier to health equity and greater health care access is funding. 

“It all comes back to money…health access, it’s about money. Health disparities? It’s about money. Arkansas is one of the poorest states in the nation. We have one of the lowest Medicare wage indexes in the nation. Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, West Virginia are probably the worst.”

Health equity expert encourages holistic thinking around health equity solutions

Dr. Keneshia Bryant-Moore sits at the Axios table between Marico Howe, left, and Craig Wilson. 

Dr. Keneshia Bryant-Moore, associate professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, said health equity is much broader than access and care. Bryant-Moore also shared a personal story of navigating the healthcare system as an African American. 

“We have to think beyond access to care. When we talk about social determinants, we have our little checklist…If we’re not talking about policy…and how health is impacted by every single policy that we make…then we’re not going to have any effect.”

Thank you Delta Dental for sponsoring this event.

Health Care Vitals

Axios hosted an Expert Voices discussion in Little Rock, Arkansas.

<figure><img alt="Participants enjoyed a seated breakfast during the discussion." height="4480" id="b654f429-9247-4c10-8c5a-c5ba4fc600b1" src="https://images.axios.com/v3hN4Fsaid5jdMwOElV9NZkX-WI=/2022/06/06/1654545513564.jpg" width="6720"/><figcaption>Participants enjoyed a seated breakfast during the discussion.</figcaption></figure>On Wednesday, June 1, Axios hosted an Expert Voices roundtable discussion in Little Rock, Arkansas, featuring state and local health care leaders, government officials and medical experts. Guests offered their perspectives on combating barriers to quality health care access and proposed solutions for bridging long-standing equity gaps. Axios’s senior health care editor Adriel Bettelheim and health care editor Tina Reed led the conversation. How state health leaders are thinking about bridging the health care divide<figure><img alt="Arkansas Department of Human Services secretary Cindy Gillespie speaking to fellow attendees. " height="4480" id="2d26cc30-d4fe-419f-8814-bed6fb793f6b" src="https://images.axios.com/jHKmlk-BeHAqp60cVlO3EDJKdUU=/2022/06/06/1654545551773.jpg" width="6720"/><figcaption>Arkansas Department of Human Services secretary Cindy Gillespie speaking to fellow attendees. </figcaption></figure>Cindy Gillespie, secretary of the Arkansas Department of Human Services, discussed what she is doing to meet the health needs of Arkansans, particularly those who are uninsured. <ul><li>“Our goal is not to end up with people uninsured…we don’t set goals we aren’t going to achieve… We’ve divided the population up by different eligibility groups…our organization takes responsibility for each eligibility group…each population we have a plan for.”</li></ul>Telehealth as a solution for closing health care gaps in rural areas<figure><img alt="Dr. Joseph Sanford speaking to the Axios roundtable group." height="4480" id="4c162eb6-cff3-48f5-ada3-9854c6289771" src="https://images.axios.com/oabiY9mJIjZKnFEO3C03ILKRVcc=/2022/06/06/1654545593152.jpg" width="6720"/><figcaption>Dr. Joseph Sanford speaking to the Axios roundtable group.</figcaption></figure>Dr. Joseph Sanford, chief clinical informatics officer at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, said he is concerned about telehealth remaining accessible to patients as appointments and consultations return to in-person clinical settings. <ul><li>“It doesn’t make sense…for patients to go to a clinic location to then have an appointment with someone in Little Rock if they’re in rural Arkansas…If we don’t have good broadband coverage, then we are denying our patients access to equitable care…We see many patients who have to take a full day off work…they travel 3 ½ hours one way…we’re working with the Department of Commerce to expand broadband…”</li></ul>Provider says funding is an impediment to making health care more equitable<figure><img alt="Troy Wells, Baptist Health president &amp; CEO, speaking to guests." height="4480" id="479f50ad-c3bb-4974-adf9-d2a5da85115d" src="https://images.axios.com/6j5U8J7tpNtQkIyPJp8WK0SdLnA=/2022/06/06/1654545631458.jpg" width="6720"/><figcaption>Troy Wells, Baptist Health president &amp; CEO, speaking to guests.</figcaption></figure>Troy Wells, president &amp; CEO of Baptist Health, said he believes a major barrier to health equity and greater health care access is funding. <ul><li>“It all comes back to money…health access, it’s about money. Health disparities? It’s about money. Arkansas is one of the poorest states in the nation. We have one of the lowest Medicare wage indexes in the nation. Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, West Virginia are probably the worst.”</li></ul>Health equity expert encourages holistic thinking around health equity solutions<figure><img alt="Dr. Keneshia Bryant-Moore sits at the Axios table between Marico Howe, left, and Craig Wilson. " height="4480" id="bbeaacc1-06e1-49f2-8616-4a737f24371a" src="https://images.axios.com/0umwf3tgpXXrAYLMfWOUQCtea1E=/2022/06/06/1654545671649.jpg" width="6720"/><figcaption>Dr. Keneshia Bryant-Moore sits at the Axios table between Marico Howe, left, and Craig Wilson. </figcaption></figure>Dr. Keneshia Bryant-Moore, associate professor at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, said health equity is much broader than access and care. Bryant-Moore also shared a personal story of navigating the healthcare system as an African American. <ul><li>“We have to think beyond access to care. When we talk about social determinants, we have our little checklist…If we’re not talking about policy…and how health is impacted by every single policy that we make…then we’re not going to have any effect.”</li></ul>Thank you Delta Dental for sponsoring this event.

On Tuesday, June 14th in Washington, D.C., Axios business reporter Hope King and business editor Dan Primack led conversations examining the rise of cryptocurrencies in the investing space and how industry stakeholders are adapting to manage them. Guests included Archetype venture partner Katherine Wu, Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) commissioner Christy Goldsmith Romero and Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.). 

Katherine Wu discussed the recent volatility surrounding the crypto industry, how the state of the market dictates what types of applications developers build and what she thinks is necessary to make crypto more accessible.

On whether crypto is currently in a bear market: “Certainly, I think dealmaking is slowing down. Certainly we’re seeing price corrections. We’re certainly seeing what you call “tourists” kind of leave the industry, and so you’re seeing all the signs of people not being as excited anymore.”

On if crypto has become too accessible to ordinary retail investors: “I think there’s a difference between accessibility in terms of ease of use and education, which is the understanding part. I think where we’re lacking is maybe on the education front. I have so many friends and family who come to me, they’re like…I’m really curious but I’m so scared and I have no idea where to look, I don’t know what sources are valid, I don’t know who I can trust. So I think the education piece is huge.”

Christy Goldsmith Romero explained the regulatory gaps in the crypto industry, what proposed  crypto legislation efforts are aiming to achieve and the differences between CFTC and SEC oversight over the crypto market.

On how increased regulation would impact crypto investors and customers: “There’s not a lot of financial institutions invested in cryptocurrency, and a lot of them come in and tell me we’re waiting for a regulatory framework, more regulation. So to the extent that happens, they become more invested. There’s going to be a lot more interconnections, a lot more interdependence, but then there’s also going to be a lot more customer protections, a lot more guardrails. So when I look at this, my biggest concern is that if regulation fails to keep pace with technology, the most vulnerable people are going to be hurt.”

On proposed crypto legislation: “I am certainly of the opinion that I would like Congress to act to close the regulatory gap and give the CFTC greater authority beyond our anti-fraud authority into the spot market, so I’m very appreciative of Senators Lummis and Gillibrand…”

Rep. Darren Soto illustrated how he balances promoting innovation while protecting consumers, why existing laws do not work to regulate evolving assets like crypto and what the “light touch” regulation the Congressional Blockchain Caucus speaks of looks like in practice. 

On updating existing laws to regulate cryptocurrency: “Our job is to pass new laws to evolve to what society has. In the case of cryptocurrency, it could be one of four different types of archaic assets that are being discussed by Chair Gensler. It could be a commodity, it could be a security, it could be a currency, it even can be a future. So trying to fit it into 20th century boxes just doesn’t work, and it isn’t working right now.”

On light touch regulation: “It starts with defining jurisdictions so that we don’t have agency overlap. It also makes sure that we’re starting with basic rules of the road like we did for the internet back in the late ‘90s, early 2000s…we just want to make sure we have guardrails for the most blatant frauds that you could see…”

In the View from the Top segment, Grayscale CEO Michael Sonnenshein shared one big industry trend he’s watching in the second half of this year.

“I think it would have to be plumbing. And when I say plumbing, I’m talking about infrastructure in and around crypto assets. The continued development of order management systems, indices, tax lot reporting, these are all those critical elements that have now been built out, and when we see those begin to get connected to the legacy financial system, it’s going to unlock a lot more investors and a lot more value.”

Watch: A conversation on crypto's rise in the investing space

Featuring Rep. Darren Soto and Archetype venture partner Katherine Wu.

Event promo image for Crypto & the Investing Space

On Tuesday, June 14th in Washington, D.C., Axios business reporter Hope King and business editor Dan Primack led conversations examining the rise of cryptocurrencies in the investing space and how industry stakeholders are adapting to manage them. Guests included Archetype venture partner Katherine Wu, Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) commissioner Christy Goldsmith Romero and Rep. Darren Soto (D-Fla.). Katherine Wu discussed the recent volatility surrounding the crypto industry, how the state of the market dictates what types of applications developers build and what she thinks is necessary to make crypto more accessible.<ul><li>On whether crypto is currently in a bear market: “Certainly, I think dealmaking is slowing down. Certainly we’re seeing price corrections. We’re certainly seeing what you call “tourists” kind of leave the industry, and so you’re seeing all the signs of people not being as excited anymore.”</li><li>On if crypto has become too accessible to ordinary retail investors: “I think there’s a difference between accessibility in terms of ease of use and education, which is the understanding part. I think where we’re lacking is maybe on the education front. I have so many friends and family who come to me, they’re like…I’m really curious but I’m so scared and I have no idea where to look, I don’t know what sources are valid, I don’t know who I can trust. So I think the education piece is huge.”</li></ul>Christy Goldsmith Romero explained the regulatory gaps in the crypto industry, what proposed crypto legislation efforts are aiming to achieve and the differences between CFTC and SEC oversight over the crypto market.<ul><li>On how increased regulation would impact crypto investors and customers: “There’s not a lot of financial institutions invested in cryptocurrency, and a lot of them come in and tell me we’re waiting for a regulatory framework, more regulation. So to the extent that happens, they become more invested. There’s going to be a lot more interconnections, a lot more interdependence, but then there’s also going to be a lot more customer protections, a lot more guardrails. So when I look at this, my biggest concern is that if regulation fails to keep pace with technology, the most vulnerable people are going to be hurt.”</li><li>On proposed crypto legislation: “I am certainly of the opinion that I would like Congress to act to close the regulatory gap and give the CFTC greater authority beyond our anti-fraud authority into the spot market, so I’m very appreciative of Senators Lummis and Gillibrand…”</li></ul>Rep. Darren Soto illustrated how he balances promoting innovation while protecting consumers, why existing laws do not work to regulate evolving assets like crypto and what the “light touch” regulation the Congressional Blockchain Caucus speaks of looks like in practice. <ul><li>On updating existing laws to regulate cryptocurrency: “Our job is to pass new laws to evolve to what society has. In the case of cryptocurrency, it could be one of four different types of archaic assets that are being discussed by Chair Gensler. It could be a commodity, it could be a security, it could be a currency, it even can be a future. So trying to fit it into 20th century boxes just doesn’t work, and it isn’t working right now.”</li><li>On light touch regulation: “It starts with defining jurisdictions so that we don’t have agency overlap. It also makes sure that we’re starting with basic rules of the road like we did for the internet back in the late ‘90s, early 2000s…we just want to make sure we have guardrails for the most blatant frauds that you could see…”</li></ul>In the View from the Top segment, Grayscale CEO Michael Sonnenshein shared one big industry trend he’s watching in the second half of this year.<ul><li>“I think it would have to be plumbing. And when I say plumbing, I’m talking about infrastructure in and around crypto assets. The continued development of order management systems, indices, tax lot reporting, these are all those critical elements that have now been built out, and when we see those begin to get connected to the legacy financial system, it’s going to unlock a lot more investors and a lot more value.”</li></ul>Thank you Grayscale for sponsoring this event.

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