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The Hurdle Rate

The Hurdle Rate

By: A Grainline Works production
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What makes an opportunity worth the risk?

Hosted by Emily Advani, The Hurdle Rate explores the decisions, ideas, and inflection points that shape meaningful careers across finance, technology, business, and the arts.

In finance, a hurdle rate is the minimum return required before pursuing an investment. In life and leadership, we all have our own hurdle rates—the standards, risks, and possibilities that determine whether we move forward.

Each episode examines the thinking behind pivotal choices: launching a company, changing careers, taking creative risks, or redefining success. With a particular focus on elevating the voices and experiences of women in these fields, the show looks beyond titles and resumes to uncover how bold ideas and meaningful work take shape.

The Hurdle Rate is now produced by Grainline Works. Earlier episodes were originally recorded while the show was hosted at the Investment Banking Institute.

Copyright 2026 All rights reserved. Career Success Economics
Episodes
  • 0 to 500 Million

    0 to 500 Million
    Feb 3 2025

    Delegate to elevate - one piece of advice Heather Udo, Founder and CEO of Shoppable, offers first time founders that has helped her accelerate her own business and career. Shoppable, now with a product catalog of 500 million, was Heather's brainchild that began just more than a decade ago. In this episode, Heather shares inspiration and insights gathered along her Shoppable journey and we learn how she is sharing that advice with fellow entrepreneurs in her latest venture.

    Join Heather Udo's community for entrepreneurs here: https://www.heatherudo.com/

    Learn more about Shoppable here: https://about.shoppable.com/
    Show More Show Less
    37 mins
  • 4% to 6%

    4% to 6%
    Nov 25 2024

    Women are underrepresented in the FinTech industry, making up only 4% to 6% of CEOs. FinTech is undoubtedly disruptive, as is women leadership in the field. At the helm of Questis, CEO Lynn Raynault is a disruptor. In this episode, we hear from Lynn about the work happening at the AI-based workforce financial wellness company and about how she navigates the nuances of leadership as a woman CEO.

    Learn more about Questis here.
    Show More Show Less
    38 mins
  • 1,365 + 1

    1,365 + 1
    Oct 28 2024

    On December 28, 1967, Muriel "Mickie" Siebert became the first woman to buy a seat on the New York Stock Exchange. For ten years, she was the only woman out of 1,365 men on the stock exchange. In her latest book, She-Wolves: The Untold History of Women on Wall Street, Paulina Bren chronicles the stories of the many warriors (Mickie included) that paved the way for women on Wall Street. Get a glimpse into the book and the lives of these women along with our marching orders moving forward on the latest installment of The Hurdle Rate.

    Learn more about Paulina here: https://www.paulinabren.com/

    Grab a copy of the book here: Amazon

    The FWA is still going strong, find more on that here: https://www.fwa.org/
    Show More Show Less
    44 mins
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