Opening Bid Unfiltered

Kecia Steelman’s rise to CEO of Ulta Beauty in January 2025 is a quintessential "climb to the top" story, rooted in resilience and operational expertise. Since taking the CEO helm, Steelman has launched the "Ulta Beauty Unleashed" strategy, focusing on international expansion into the U.K., Mexico, and the Middle East, while overseeing a workforce that is 91% female. Ulta's shares are up 57% over the past year. Steelman stepped up to the Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast mic with Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi to chat about the business of beauty.

Sticking with retail, Joanne Crevoiserat has emerged as one of the most successful leaders in modern luxury retail, transforming Tapestry through a disciplined focus on brand building, digital innovation, and consumer engagement. Since becoming CEO in 2020, she has helped guide the company through the COVID-19 pandemic and a rapidly changing retail landscape while strengthening its portfolio of brands, including Coach and Kate Spade New York. Crevoiserat sat down with Brian to discuss her tenure as CEO and what's next for the company.
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The business of cookies has never been more competitive, as specialty shops battle with supermarket staples and low-sugar options. Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi sits down on the Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast with Insomnia Cookies Founder and CEO Seth Berkowitz. Berkowitz founded Insomnia Cookies as a college student at the University of Pennsylvania in 2003, after being frustrated by the lack of late-night sweet treats available for delivery. What started as a single store in Syracuse has since morphed into 350 stores, mostly near college campuses today. Along the way, the company was bought and then sold by donut giant Krispy Kreme. The business is now owned by private equity firms Misral Equity Partners and Verlinvest. Still led by Berkowitz, he is targeting a decade-long goal to reach 1,800 locations.
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Shaking up the content game. Kenya Barris and Detavio Samuels have recently partnered to launch REVOLT Labs. Barris, the creator of black-ish, is serving as vice chair of the new joint venture, working alongside Samuels, who is the CEO of REVOLT and its parent company, Offscript Worldwide. The goal of their collaboration is to provide a professional infrastructure for digital creators—like Druski and Kai Cenat—to help them scale their massive social media influence into "sustainable empires" and premium intellectual property. By combining Barris’s storytelling expertise with REVOLT’s marketing and distribution power, they aim to bridge the gap between viral internet fame and long-term ownership in film, television, and digital media. In a new episode of the Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast, Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi spent time talking to Barris and Samuels about their vision for REVOLT Labs and the future of media.
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Ola Källenius is a Swedish business executive who has served as CEO of Mercedes-Benz since 2019, becoming the first non-German to lead the legendary luxury automaker. Kallenius joined Opening Bid Unfiltered with Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi to chat about the future of the auto industry, his decision to massively increase the AMG brand's presence, leaning into tech-heavy car interiors, and playing a role in a driverless-car future.
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A legend in the world of autosport, from an executive standpoint. That’s where we find Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali. After rising through the financial and sporting ranks at Ferrari, he served as their Team Principal from 2008 to 2014, notably leading the Scuderia to a Constructors' Championship in 2008. Following a transformative stint as CEO of Lamborghini, where he oversaw the successful launch of the Urus SUV, he took the reins as CEO of Formula 1 in 2021. In his current role, Domenicali has been the chief architect of F1’s global expansion, successfully navigating the sport into a record-breaking 24-race calendar and spearheading the massive 2026 technical regulations reset. Domenicali drove up to the Opening Bid Unfiltered podcast mic with Yahoo Finance Executive Editor Brian Sozzi to chat about the surging sport that is Formula 1. The F1 brand has gotten a huge lift from the successful Netflix show ‘Drive to Survive and ever increasing amounts of Corporate America sponsorships. With seemingly all eyes on the sport – especially now with Cadillac added to the grid – Domenicali has his work cut out for him to keep the growth as hot as Lewis Hamilton's lap time.
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