Milken Institute
Showing 1–15 of 2085 transcripts.
- 39 min
The Global AI Economy: Capital, Sovereignty, & Canada's Future | Global Dialogues Toronto 2026
Susan Li, Aidan Gomez, Dave McKay, The Honorable Evan Solomon, Evan Solomon
Canadian officials and industry leaders convened to outline a national strategy that balances aggressive AI development with robust regulatory oversight, including the establishment of a new safety regulator and a $50 million investment in the AI Safety Institute. Key figures such as Cohere CEO Aiden Gomez and Minister of AI Evan Solomon rejected calls for antitrust relief and existential risk scenarios, instead advocating for independent testing and sovereign control over frontier models to ensure democratic alternatives to U.S. and Chinese dominance. Supported by a $1.4 billion RBC growth fund and a $1.7 billion talent attraction initiative, the plan aims to retain domestic scale-ups while deploying free AI tools to students and creating 90,000 job placements to facilitate workforce adaptation.
- 41 min
Beyond Capital: How Long-Term Investors are Creating Value | Global Dialogues Toronto 2026
Amber Kanwar, Bruce Heyman, Jenny Johnson, Jack Neumark, John Porter
Panelists from CPP Investment Board, AGF, and Fortress Investment Group discussed the structural reinvention required for AI adoption and the urgent need to align governance with technological shifts while warning against liquidity mismatches in private credit. The discussion highlighted a convergence of geopolitical risks and US debt sustainability challenges that are driving a shift toward regional supply chains, yet Canada's unique AAA credit rating and infrastructure pipeline present a distinct investment opportunity amidst these global fractures. Experts concluded that capital deployment in North America depends on resolving regulatory headwinds and addressing talent retention to leverage a favorable investment window for renewable energy and diversified economies.
- 32 min
A Conversation with the Minister of Finance of Canada | Global Dialogues Toronto 2026
Richard Ditizio, The Honorable François-Philippe Champagne, François-Philippe Champagne
Minister Champagne outlined Canada's $1 trillion five-year investment mobilization strategy, leveraging its AAA credit rating, stable banking system, and unique LLM ecosystem to attract capital into energy, critical minerals, and the digital economy. The government is deploying the $25 billion Canada Strong Fund with arm's-length governance to crowd in private equity while implementing a "one project, one review" framework to accelerate infrastructure deployment and remove interprovincial trade barriers. By offering tax certainty and loan guarantees to Indigenous partners, Canada positions itself as a secure, trusted supplier of choice for global allies seeking to de-risk their supply chains amidst rising geopolitical tensions.
- 58 min
New Alliances, New Momentum: Investing in Sustainability | Global Conference 2026
Leslie Kaufman, His Excellency Majid Al Suwaidi, Raphael Arndt, Régine Clément, Peter Seligmann, Frederick Teo, Fred, Regine, Majid
GenZero, Sylvania, Creo, Future Fund, and Altera convened to address the shift from post-2008 financial stability to an era of geopolitical instability and AI-driven capital competition that demands a pivot from risk mitigation to organizational resilience. Panelists advocated reframing investment theses toward economic pragmatism, suggesting strategic capital allocation to fusion energy, nature-based assets, and local regenerative projects while utilizing AI for deep risk analysis rather than mere efficiency. The discussion concluded that long-term value creation requires depoliticized language focusing on energy security and adaptation, alongside private-sector leadership in scaling solutions that deliver both ecological protection and financial returns in an environment of "unknowable uncertainty."
- 20 min
Conversation with Minister of Finance, State of Qatar H.E. Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari | GC 2026
Ali bin Ahmed Al Kuwari, Diane Brady
Despite Iranian-backed attacks disrupting LNG operations and halting some Qatar Airways flights, the state utilized strategic reserves and accelerated new production facilities to mitigate economic losses. The IMF projects an 8% contraction in 2024 growth followed by a full recovery, while Qatar maintains fiscal stability through robust reserves and reduced sovereign debt. Reinforcing its status as a vital global energy node, the nation has committed over $10 billion in new investments toward US technology and healthcare sectors to secure long-term strategic interests.
- 57 min
Multi-Asset Management Across Public and Private Markets | Global Conference 2026
Romaine Bostick, Michael Brandmeyer, Shikha Gupta, Nabeel Qadir, Rohit Sipahimalani, David Steinbach
Institutional investors are fundamentally restructuring portfolios toward a total-asset approach that doubles private real-asset exposure to 50% of capital while prioritizing liquidity and uncorrelated return drivers to navigate inflation and geopolitical fragmentation. Strategic shifts include compressing private equity premiums to 100–150 basis points, redirecting AI investments into infrastructure, and expanding the secondary market to $500 billion over five years to secure resilience against macro regime changes. As the era of easy beta generation ends, managers face a "show me" imperative to demonstrate operating value creation and select firms with hard-asset capabilities rather than relying on historical correlations.
- 1h 0m
Private Markets After the Exit Boom: Liquidity, Insurance Capital, & Structural Discipline | GC 2026
Eric Platt, Dhiren Jhaveri, Camilla Languille, David Lyon, Eric Murzyn, Wil S. Warren
Stalled exit cycles and a structural valuation mismatch in the $4 trillion private market have forced hold periods to double, creating a severe liquidity deficit driven by the Iran conflict and AI-driven asset revaluations. In response, the industry is pivoting toward GP-led secondaries and NAV lending strategies, exemplified by Mubadala's resilient deployment, while insurance firms shift to liability-driven structures to navigate regulatory tightening and credit spread volatility. This environment is reshaping capital formation by favoring rigorous business model underwriting over financial engineering, with top-tier firms capturing the majority of new capital as mid-tier players face an anticipated strategic exodus.
- 1h 14m
Navigating Liquidity Challenges in Private Equity | Global Conference 2026
Ivan Lehon, Jenny Chan, Dipanjan "DJ" Deb, Dean Mihas, Yann Robard, Jonathan D. Sokoloff, Paul Taubman, DJ, Jan Robart
Private equity leaders characterize the current liquidity environment as a crisis marked by valuation gaps and extended hold periods, prompting a strategic pivot from traditional IPOs and M&A toward continuation vehicles as a permanent structural solution. Panelists from firms including Francisco Partners, Leonard Green, and Dawson Partners highlight how AI-driven margin improvements and revised underwriting practices are redefining value creation while raising the stakes for fund exits that must now prioritize tangible DPI over theoretical IRR. This shift has spurred the largest single-asset continuation vehicle funds to date and is forcing the industry to adapt fund structures beyond the traditional 10-year model to manage a surplus of private assets against constrained public market capacity.
- 1h 13m
Manias, Panics, & Crashes: Can We Learn to Avoid Great Financial Mistakes? | Global Conference 2026
James Mackintosh, Zoe Cruz, Benedict Evans, Austan Goolsbee, Sebastian Mallaby, Catherine Wood
Moderated by James McIntosh, a panel of industry leaders including Cathy Wood and Sebastian Thrun evaluated the current AI investment landscape against historical precedents from Charles Kindleberger's *Manias, Panics, and Crashes*. While consensus suggests the sector is not a bubble, experts diverged sharply on whether the massive capital influx supports a justified productivity revolution or masks flawed business models and impending liquidity risks. Key figures debated specific trajectory risks ranging from commodity-style pricing and sovereign debt constraints to the potential for a rapid IPO wave to trigger a market correction.
- 51 min
Venezuela Forward: Institutions, Trust, and the Path to Prosperity | Global Conference 2026
Fareed Zakaria, Iván Duque Márquez, Gabriel Gilinski, Andrés Moreno
Former Colombian President Iván Duque and investor Gabriel Puig outlined a U.S.-led, three-stage roadmap for Venezuela that prioritizes the removal of Nicolás Maduro and International Criminal Court prosecutions before any economic transition. The discussion emphasized that while Venezuela possesses significant oil and agricultural potential, restoring investor confidence and retaining diaspora talent requires a constitutional overhaul, strict rule of law, and a definitive election timeline to prevent the current regime from entrenching itself. Panelists warned that without bipartisan U.S. enforcement of these structural reforms, the nation risks a prolonged authoritarian economic model that could stall democratic progress despite high production capabilities.
- 1h 1m
Digital Disconnect: Navigating Modern Relationships in a Hyperconnected World | Global Conference
Giselle Fernandez, Laura Berman, Michael Dimock, Matthew Hussey, Spencer Rascoff
Match Group CEO Spencer Raskoff and experts Dr. Laura Berman and Matthew Hussey address the paradox of a record-breaking loneliness epidemic among hyper-connected adults under 30, attributing the crisis to choice exhaustion, dopamine-driven Skinner box mechanisms, and a generational gap in social skills. In response, the company shifted its Key Performance Indicator from revenue to "Sparks" and invested $60 million in a user-giveback budget alongside $125 million in safety initiatives to prioritize genuine connections over engagement metrics. Strategic innovations such as Hinge's conversation caps, Tinder's "Double Date" feature, and the upcoming AI-driven "Sync" service aim to combat superficial "spray and pray" behaviors while fostering authentic, in-person relationships.
- 57 min
Scaling the Global Music Economy | Global Conference 2026
Shirley Halperin, Aaron Bay-Schuck, Wyclef Jean, Michelle Jubelirer, Harvey Mason Jr.
Warner Records and industry leaders analyze a shifting music landscape defined by data-driven yet instinct-based artist signings, where long-term development prioritizes sustainable growth over viral trends amidst a saturated digital environment. Executives navigate the integration of AI for efficiency while advocating for ethical guardrails and artist agency, all as the global market expands beyond language barriers to embrace non-English genres and unprecedented streaming volumes. Despite record-breaking revenues, the sector confronts critical structural failures including unsustainable per-stream economics, a mental health crisis, and a lack of diverse leadership, necessitating collective action to modernize legacy systems and equitable profit structures.
- 1h 2m
Women, Money, and Power: Addressing the Feminization of Wealth | Global Conference 2026
Cheryl Evans, Cary Carbonaro, Dina DiLorenzo, Sylvia Kwan, Nicole Ari Parker, Barbara Stewart, Carrie Carbonaro
Coined by Ellevest founder Sally Krawcheck, the concept of the feminization of wealth highlights a projected $54 trillion shift in U.S. assets to women by 2048, driven by longer lifespans, gray divorces, and rising female entrepreneurship. Despite this economic surge, a panel including Sylvia Kwan, Carrie Carbonaro, and Nicole Ari Parker addressed persistent barriers such as the gender investing gap, male-dominated financial structures, and the undervaluation of women's non-linear career paths. The event concluded with a call for the financial industry to transition from traditional linear models to a "Wealth Care" approach that aligns investment strategies with women's unique values and demands for inclusive, non-patronizing advisory services.
- 56 min
From Script to Screen: Navigating Risk, Returns, and Opportunity | Global Conference 2026
Matthew Belloni, Drew Goddard, Cord Jefferson, Rory Kennedy, Adele Lim, Amy Redford
Industry leaders and creators convened to analyze the convergence of artificial intelligence, corporate risk aversion, and shifting audience values, identifying a systemic undervaluation of human creativity amidst an efficiency-driven market. The discussion highlighted how streamers' reliance on algorithms and "fear reflex" decision-making has decimated traditional apprenticeship pipelines while stifling diverse, politically challenging narratives in favor of safe, celebrity-centric projects. Despite these structural barriers, panelists argued that the inherent unpredictability of human emotion remains superior to AI simulation, predicting a future where audiences increasingly seek tangible community and authentic storytelling through independent funding models and live experiences.
- 50 min
Aligning Investment and Opportunity in Health | Global Conference 2026
Caitlin MacLean, Peter Kolchinsky, Pablo Legorreta, Philip Ross, Amy Schulman
Capital Markets and M&A activity have accelerated since 2025, driven by $140 billion in public company acquisitions and a rebound in fundraising averages to $400 million, while large pharmaceutical firms divest non-core assets to pursue $70 billion in new acquisitions needed for growth. U.S. reimbursement dynamics, heavily influenced by the Inflation Reduction Act, are forcing a strategic pivot away from small molecules toward antibodies and orphan drugs, with billing volume signals now driving insurer coverage decisions. Meanwhile, global competition intensifies as U.S. firms increasingly license Chinese innovations and conduct early-stage trials abroad to leverage speed, even as artificial intelligence transitions from discovery hype to operational cost reduction in clinical recruitment and regulatory processes.