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

Jan 19, 2008
Ford CEO keeps both hands on wheel
CEO Alan Mulally has been running Ford for the past 15 months, when he was brought in from Boeing to lead the turnaround of the troubled automaker. In an interview with Kai Ryssdal, he says he's got his work cut out for him.
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Jan 15, 2008
Looking to make a quick U turn
Ford Motor Co. shareholders are hoping CEO Alan Mulally can drive a turnaround that will halt the company's flood of red ink and declining market share. He talks with Kai Ryssdal about the challenges facing the automaker.
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Jan 12, 2008
Global economy fuels human trafficking
Slavery is a huge element of the global economy, and it goes unseen by consumers. Kai Ryssdal talks with Kevin Bales of the advocacy group Free the Slaves about his efforts to clean up the slave supply chain.
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Jan 12, 2008
Week on Wall Street
Stockbroker and business analyst David Johnson chats with host Kai Ryssdal about what happened on Wall Street this week and what may lie ahead.
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Jan 10, 2008
How do you stimulate an economy?
Even though we may be a long way from the experts deciding when or if we're in a recession, Congress and the White House are working on economic stimulus plans. Doug Elmendorf of the Brookings Institution explains just how that might be done.
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Jan 9, 2008
Tallying losses from Globes cancellation
Not only NBC is counting up the losses from the cancellation of the Golden Globes award show. The show, called off due to the Hollywood writers strike, meant a lot of business for others as well. Kai Ryssdal has more.
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Jan 9, 2008
Big players see big demand for video
Demand for video-on-demand may be around the corner, if this year's Consumer Electronics Show is a guide. Comcast, Microsoft and perhaps Apple are involved in video distribution deals. Matthew Garrahan of the Financial Times discusses the details with Kai Ryssdal.
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Jan 8, 2008
What, exactly, is the middle class?
In recent weeks, presidential candidates have shifted their emphasis toward traditional middle-class issues such as health care and the economy. Kai Ryssdal talks with Jim Kessler, founder of the think tank Third Way, about who makes up the middle class today.
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Jan 4, 2008
More bowls than good teams to fill them
If you follow college football, you've noticed an explosion of bowl games — some featuring teams with losing records. Our business-of-sports analyst Diana Nyad has been keeping track and shared her thoughts with Kai Ryssdal.
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Jan 4, 2008
Candidates ramp up online campaigning
The Internet may be the deciding factor in this year's Iowa caucuses. Author Garrett Graff, who worked for Howard Dean's campaign the last time around, says this year's campaigns have taken their Web work to another level.
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