Kai Ryssdal

Host and Senior Editor

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.

Latest from Kai Ryssdal

Jun 9, 2009
Taking Stock: Lessons from history
Revered economist and monetary policy expert Dr. Anna Schwartz talks with Kai Ryssdal about how the Federal Reserve and government have performed while in the economic hot seat. She isn't too pleased.
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May 29, 2009
Are we at the bottom yet?
Trying to figure out if we've reached the bottom seems to be every pundit's new favorite game. Kai Ryssdal reviews where we stand in the housing, manufacturing, and banking industries.
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May 21, 2009
Indiana town builds hope on machinery
Muncie, Ind., was once a manufacturing hub, but the recession has taken nearly all of those jobs away. So the city is banking on a new piece of machinery to help get it somewhat back on track. Kai Ryssdal reports.
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May 20, 2009
Keeping a retail niche in the bullseye
Gregg Steinhafel, chairman and CEO of Target Corp., talks about the company's strategy for weathering the recession and expanding its place in the retail market.
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May 16, 2009
The Weekly Wrap
Kai Ryssdal goes through this week's news with Mike Mandel, chief economist for Businessweek, and Megan McArdle from The Atlantic's Business Channel.
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May 16, 2009
Retirement dreams face new reality
The recession has been a wake-up call for Americans who weren't preparing adequately for retirement. Alicia Munnell, director of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, talks with Kai Ryssdal about the changing picture for older workers.
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May 14, 2009
Homes built for a new American Dream
Home developers are morphing designs to match the needs of homeowners in a new economy. Kai Ryssdal talks to Elizabeth Moule, an architect in Pasadena, Calif., who's using the subprime crisis as an opportunity to re-think how homes are built.
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May 13, 2009
Madoff feeders kept the scheme going
Former Madoff investors continue to try recouping some of the billions they fed into the Ponzi scheme. Kai Ryssdal talks to Frontline correspondent Martin Smith, who looks into the "feeders" of the Madoff Affair.
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Apr 25, 2009
Meals on Wheels needs more than faith
The need for charities and programs that provide food and shelter is growing, but donations are down. Kai Ryssdal reports on a privately-funded Meals on Wheels program in Los Angeles that's hungry for help.
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Apr 7, 2009
Planning to take a chip out of recession
Intel CEO Paul Otellini is an MBA at a company that had been founded and run by engineers. He talks about his 25 years in the computer chip business and the company's strategy for bouncing back from the slow economy.
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