Webinar Series
Please join Dean Bruce Weber, our benefactor Larry Zicklin, faculty members, and special guests for these webinars, featuring business executives and faculty discussing current business topics. This webinar series is offered by the Office of Executive Programs.
Should Organized Markets Exist That Permit Betting on Nearly Anything?
November 11, 2025, 11 am
Online betting has exploded in recent years, moving far beyond traditional sports wagers to encompass almost any uncertain outcome, from the weather and political elections to social media trends. At the same time, new online platforms and technologies have made participation easier than ever, blurring the boundaries between gambling, prediction markets, and financial speculation.
How should policymakers, regulators, and courts distinguish between beneficial innovation and public harm? What are the broader cultural and ethical implications of a world where anyone can bet on nearly everything? What distinguishes legitimate hedging of risk from unregulated gambling?
Join us for an engaging conversation with two leading legal scholars who study the intersection of law, markets, and emerging betting technologies. They will explore the rapid expansion of online wagering platforms, the regulatory challenges posed by decentralized markets, and the ethical and economic implications of treating uncertainty itself as a tradeable commodity.
Larry Zicklin (BBA ’57, left) leads the discussion with Marc Edelman (top left), Professor of Law at the Zicklin School of Business Law Department, and Prof. John Holden (top center), Associate Professor of Business Law and Ethics at the Kelley School of Business, Indiana University.
Dean Bruce Weber (right) offers introductory remarks, and Associate Dean Gwendolyn Webb (top right) moderates the Q&A.
When Corporate Leaders Speak Out:
Free Speech or Fiduciary Breach?
October 14, 2025, 11 am
Most public companies in the U.S. are incorporated in Delaware, where corporate law requires executives and boards to act in the best interests of the company and its shareholders.
At the same time, today’s corporate leaders are stepping beyond the boardroom to engage in public debates on social and political issues. Elon Musk is a prominent example. His outspoken views, editorial decisions at X (formerly Twitter), and high-profile clashes with government agencies have influenced not just public opinion, but also stock prices and corporate strategy.
This evolving landscape raises important questions for future business leaders, scholars, and citizens alike: When does a CEO’s personal expression cross the line into a breach of fiduciary duty? What are the legal and ethical limits of managerial free speech?
In this webinar, Larry Zicklin and his guests will explore tensions between First Amendment rights and the legal duties of care and loyalty that govern corporate management. This discussion will be especially compelling as it will feature a renowned civil liberties advocate and a leading corporate attorney.
We invite students, alumni, and faculty to join us for a timely and provocative discussion on the responsibilities and rights of corporate leaders in the public sphere. Larry Zicklin (BBA ’57, left) leads the conversation with Paul Roth (top left), Senior Partner, McDermott Will & Schulte, and Burt Neuborne (top center), Norman Dorsen Professor of Civil Liberties Emeritus, NYU Law School, and Founding Legal Director, Brennan Center for Justice. Dean Bruce Weber (right) offers introductory remarks, and Associate Dean Gwendolyn Webb (top right) moderates the Q&A.
AI and the Future of Business Education: Are We Ready?
September 9, 2025, 11 am
Artificial intelligence is transforming the business landscape, and business education is evolving right alongside it. As generative AI tools become more sophisticated and accessible, business schools must rethink not only how students learn, but what they need to learn to succeed in an AI-driven world.
This timely webinar explores the profound shifts AI is bringing to the classroom and the workplace, including:
- How students are using AI to generate presentations, write research papers, and design projects—and why human-centric skills like critical thinking, communication, and leadership matter more than ever.
- How AI can personalize learning, tailoring assignments and assessments to individual needs and helping students shape their own learning journeys.
- How faculty can reimagine teaching for a world where information is instant, and students may turn to AI as their first source of guidance, and how Baruch College can as an institution itself adopt AI.
- And what employers now expect from graduates entering a workforce where AI is part of every function and decision.
Join us for a thought-provoking conversation on how Baruch’s Zicklin School of Business—and business schools everywhere—can lead in preparing students for the future of work.
Larry Zicklin (BBA ’57, left) leads the discussion with, Dean Bruce Weber (top left), Willem Kooyker Dean of the Zicklin School of Business, Professor Kannan Mohan (top center), Associate Dean for Academic Initiatives and Innovation, Zicklin School of Business, and James Massa (EMSF ’08) (top right), Senior Executive Director of Software Engineering and Architecture, JPMorgan Chase. Dean Weber will open the program and Associate Dean Gwendolyn Webb (right) will moderate the Q&A.
This webinar description was developed with the assistance of ChatGPT, an OpenAI language model.
Is the Crypto World in Need of Regulation?
July 8, 2025, 11 am
Is a cryptocurrency a security, a commodity—or something else entirely? The answer matters, because it determines which government agency might be responsible for overseeing this rapidly evolving sector: the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), or potentially a new regulatory body altogether.
There is an argument that oversight of crypto markets is urgently needed. Among the most pressing reasons:
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In this timely Zicklin Talks Business webinar, Larry Zicklin leads a conversation exploring the current U.S. regulatory framework for digital assets. What is working? Where are the most critical gaps? And how should regulators adapt as crypto technologies—and risks—continue to evolve?
Larry Zicklin (BBA ’57, left) leads the conversation with Professor Nizan Geslevich Packin (top, left) of Zicklin’s Department of Law; Professor Leonard Kostovetsky (top center left), of Zicklin’s Bert W. Wasserman Department of Economics and Finance; and Benjamin Lawsky (top center right), Professor at Columbia Law School, CEO of The Lawsky Group, and the Global Head of Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs at NYDIG, a financial services firm focused on Bitcoin. Dean Bruce Weber (right) offers introductory remarks, and Associate Dean Gwendolyn Webb (top right) moderates the Q&A.
The Role of Index Funds in Corporate Governance
June 10, 2025, 11 am
Index funds invest in proportion to the composition of the market index they aim to track, with the goal of replicating that index’s performance. As a result, the largest index funds hold significant ownership stakes in many publicly traded companies.
According to the Investment Company Institute, “as part of its fiduciary duty to a fund, the fund’s board of directors, acting on behalf of the fund, is responsible for the voting of proxies relating to the fund’s portfolio securities.” Because of their substantial holdings, index funds can cast a large percentage of votes in corporate proxy contests, including those involving challenges to management. While their primary objective is to mirror the index, index fund managers are fiduciaries and are obligated to vote in the best interests of fund shareholders.
However, the low fees charged by index funds often mean they operate with limited resources, which may constrain their ability to thoroughly evaluate both sides of a proxy fight. Despite this, their votes can decisively influence outcomes. These dynamics have drawn increasing attention from regulators, corporate leaders, and shareholders. This session will explore those concerns, including the growing role of proxy advisory firms. One critical question is whether these firms wield too much influence with too little oversight.
Larry Zicklin (BBA ’57, left) leads the conversation with Prof. Sonali Hazarika (top left) and Prof. Leonard Kostovetsky (center) of the Bert W. Wasserman Department of Economics and Finance, Zicklin School of Business, Baruch College/CUNY. Dean Bruce Weber (right) offers introductory remarks, and Associate Dean Gwendolyn Webb (top right) moderates the Q&A.
Why are corporations leaving Delaware and what does it portend for shareholders?
May 13, 2025, 11 am
The state of Delaware has been the preferred home of American corporations for many years:
•Its Court of Chancery is a specialized business court that relies on judges who are more knowledgeable about business laws than juries.
•It has developed a large body of case law that provides clarity and predictability for businesses.
•Additional factors include administrative efficiency, a regulatory environment that is less onerous than in other states, and more than 100 years of successful experience in resolving disputes.
Despite these strengths, a growing number of businesses are opting to reincorporate in Texas or Nevada. What’s driving this shift? What are the legal, financial, and operational implications for corporations making the move? What are the implications for business and society?
In this webinar, Larry Zicklin and his guests will explore the key factors influencing these decisions, from tax incentives and regulatory landscapes to shareholder rights and governance structures. They will also discuss how this trend could reshape the broader corporate legal environment and the possible implications for market integrity.
Larry Zicklin (BBA, ’57, right) discusses these questions with Paul Roth (top left), Founding Partner Emeritus, Of Counsel, Schulte Roth + Zabel LLP, and Thomas Baxter (top center), Senior Fellow at NYU Law School, Managing Partner at Law Offices of Thomas C. Baxter, Jr., LLP, and former General Counsel of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
With an introduction by Dean Bruce Weber (right) and Q&A moderated by Associate Dean Gwendolyn Webb (top right).
Are Private Credit Firms Disrupting Traditional Banking Businesses?
April 8, 2025, 11 am
In this webinar, we will explore the market for private credit and how it functions. Who are the lenders and where do their funds come from? Why would a borrower choose to use a private lender as opposed to a bank? Will these lenders be regulated, and if so, by whom?
We will consider the overall implications for the traditional banks. Are they likely to lose some of their best corporate customers? What are some possible outcomes for small vs. large banks, and for the banking industry as a whole? How will the banks react to a competitor trying to invade their markets?
Larry Zicklin (BBA, ’57, right) discusses these questions with Ken Abbott (top left), Lecturer in the Zicklin School Law Department, and Hank D’Alessandro (top, center), Vice Chairman of North American Private Credit and Managing Director, Morgan Stanley.
With an introduction by Dean Bruce Weber (right) and Q&A moderated by Associate Dean Gwendolyn Webb (top right).
What’s Going on in Big-Time College Sports?
March 11, 2025, 11 am
The world of big-time college sports has evolved far from the traditional view that student athletes are students first and athletes second. Recent developments raise a host of questions for the athletic programs of the NCAA Division 1 schools:
• Are colleges now the paid minor leagues of professional football and basketball?
•How much does it take a college to recruit a top-notch high school athletes?
•Are colleges choosing to compete for students by paying their athletes?
•Will new bills under consideration in Congress make these payments tax deductible?
•Is any of this behavior new, or is it just becoming more transparent?
Larry Zicklin (BBA, ’57, left) discusses these questions with Marc Edelman (top left), Professor of Law in the Zicklin School Law Department, and Marc Sulam (top center), Adjunct Lecturer in Finance in the Zicklin School Economics & Finance Department. He is also the Chairperson of the Georgetown University Advisory Committee of the Hoyas Rising group, organized to “help Georgetown University student-athletes to capitalize on their Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), but more importantly, their brand for lifetime success.” With an introduction by Dean Bruce Weber (right) and Q&A moderated by Associate Dean Gwendolyn Webb (top right).
Do More Food Recalls Mean Our Food Supply is Less Safe, or is Testing Better?
February 11, 2025, 11 am
Several food recalls have been in the news recently. What does this really mean for our food supply?
Who issues recalls, and when do they issue them? How are risks from forever chemicals, pesticides, and human pathogens in the food supply managed by the industry and regulatory agencies? Are specific consumer demographics such as children and pregnant women at higher risk from different hazards? What scientific research is underway to identify key food safety problems and how to manage them? What roles do academic, government and industry players have in assuring food safety?
The bottom line: are we doing enough to ensure that our food is safe to eat?
Larry Zicklin (BBA, ’57, left) discusses these questions with Valerie Watnick (top left), Professor of Law and Chair of the Zicklin School of Business Law Department, and Donald W. Schaffner, Distinguished Professor at Rutgers University, Department Chair, and Extension Specialist in Food Science. With an introduction by Dean Bruce Weber (right) and Q&A moderated by Associate Dean Gwendolyn Webb (top right).
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November 11 at 11:00 am