Smith Brain Trust

Aspiring leaders who want to unlock their potential should anticipate detours in their nonlinear rise to the top, commencement keynotes speaker Connie K. Weaver told graduates on Dec. 20, 2017. She drew lessons from her own career.

Many Bitcoin buyers can't explain their investment because they don't understand how cryptocurrency works. Smith School finance professor Joe Rinaldi and two students provide this primer to help reduce the confusion.

When the Smith School's Cliff Rossi was chief risk officer for Citigroup's Consumer Lending Division, few people understood the role. Things have changed since then. Rossi explains the evolution and what's next.

With three or four Fed rate hikes anticipated in 2018, mortgage rates will edge higher. But the borrowing environment will remain favorable, Smith School professor Clifford Rossi says. He takes a look at the housing market as we head into a new year.

Is a smiley-face emoji in an e-mail to your boss ever a good idea? It can be, the Smith School's Trevor Foulk says. He offers some advice on when to use emojis and emoticons :) and when to leave them out :(

Bitcoin continued to defy gravity this week, even as many prepared to watch it plunge. And no one seems quite sure why. The Smith School's Albert "Pete" Kyle says he believes the cryptocurrency's plunge is inevitable. It may just be a bit delayed.

Ask anyone who loves those iconic building toys: Lego sets aren't cheap. And those plastic brick sets very rarely go on sale. The Smith School's P.K. Kannan says Lego is part of an elite club of brands that hold their ground on price and quality. 

The Smith School's Rebecca Bellinger outlines a business strategy for reversing the recent decline of international student enrollment at U.S. colleges and universities.

Beauty pageants draw criticism. But Smith School executive communication coach Tricia Homer, who competed in the Miss Universe 2005 pageant, says the competitions can elevate one's brand.

Are we headed for a cashless society? Financial technology or "fintech" makes it a real possibility, but sparse regulation leaves this new world feeling like the Wild West.