Milken Institute
Showing 1681–1695 of 2077 transcripts.
- 1h 5m
Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear (II)
Frank Luntz, Skip Reimer, Jim Gray, Bob Shapiro, Eric Schmidt Jr., John McWhorter, Priscilla Burton, Charlie Stokes
A prominent business leader outlines a strategic shift from traditional corporate branding to building trust through emotional connection and value-aligned language, citing record-low public confidence in CEOs and corporations. The presentation details specific linguistic reframing tactics, such as replacing "CEO" with "Business Leader" and "capitalism" with "economic freedom," to align with public priorities like peace of mind and stability. Ultimately, the speaker argues that future business success depends on adopting "hardworking taxpayer" messaging, prioritizing tangible results over abstract metrics, and addressing deep-seated societal fears regarding financial security.
- 1h 17m
How the Poor Can Save Capitalism: Rebuilding the Path to the Middle Class
John Hope Bryant, Paul Irving, Skip Reimer
John Hope Bryant challenges the traditional focus on political rights by defining poverty as a "disabling frame of mind" and advocating for financial literacy as the primary tool for economic empowerment. His newly launched Project 5117 aims to deploy 1,000 "Hope Inside" locations to provide financial counseling, entrepreneurship training, and job placements, with the specific goal of raising 700,000 individuals' credit scores into the mainstream banking range by 2020. By positioning financial education as a civil right and mobilizing corporate CEOs to hire students through the "B-minus business compact," Bryant seeks to transform the psychological state of despair into a catalyst for creating one million new startups annually.
- 33 min
Best-Performing Cities Index 2014 - Press Conference
Ross Duvall, Jim, Manoli Ratacunga, Armin Bedrosian, David Klesch, Kish Rajan, Larry
The 2014 Milken Institute Metro Index identified San Francisco as the top U.S. economic performer, driven by a technology sector that accounts for 45% of metro job growth and offers average wages of $160,000. While five Texas metros and cities like Provo, Utah, also ranked highly due to energy and job creation, the report noted that U.S. employment has fully recovered from the recession alongside a historic surge in oil production. Mayor Ed Lee responded by outlining aggressive strategies to expand the local economy through housing initiatives targeting 30,000 new units and diversifying sectors beyond technology to include biotech and manufacturing.
- 1h 13m
MI Forum: Hall of Mirrors
Barry Eichengreen, Michael Hiltzik, Skip Reimer
Economist Barry Eichengreen joined Michael Hiltzik at the Milken Institute's January 2015 forum to analyze historical parallels between the Great Depression and the 2008 financial crisis in a discussion of his book *Hall of Mirrors*. Eichengreen argued that the Euro's structural flaws and the Federal Reserve's past policy errors, including the Lehman Brothers failure, created systemic vulnerabilities that Keynesian fiscal intervention successfully averted during previous depressions. The session concluded with warnings that prioritizing short-term stability over long-term structural reform risks precipitating a future financial collapse within the next eighty years.
- 1h 16m
The Water Challenge: Doing More with Less
Rodney Smith, Sanjay Gaur, Susan Leal, Andy Lipkus, Frances Phoebe Weber, Karen Ross, Moss, Carolyn Jungermann Bennett, Sanjeev, John McDonald Jr., Alec, Jim McDaniel, Marine Stapleton
An upcoming December event in Sacramento will convene Australian water authorities and technology firms to share critical lessons from Australia's decade-long "sea change" in water management with California stakeholders. The presentation aims to address the state's transition to a high-risk hydrologic environment by discussing integrated solutions for agricultural adaptation, groundwater regulation, and urban conservation technologies like direct potable reuse. Participants will examine how market mechanisms and infrastructure investments, such as the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, can bolster resilience against escalating water volatility without relying on single silver-bullet solutions.
- 1h 16m
Energy: Powering the Green Economy
Lindsay, Dennis Areola, Andrew McAllister, Nahar Patel, Nancy Fund, Daryl Steinberg, Daryl Obert
California leaders and private sector experts convened to address the state's mandate to cut transportation emissions by integrating aggressive vehicle electrification targets with long-term hydrogen and natural gas strategies. The discussion highlighted the critical role of public-private partnerships, such as the joint funding of hydrogen infrastructure, alongside policy instruments like SB 375 that link land use planning to emission reductions. Furthermore, the dialogue emphasized the necessity of workforce development programs and utility market reforms to ensure the economic viability and scalability of these clean energy transitions.
- 1h 15m
Training the 21st Century Workforce: Strong Skills for Great Jobs
Jody Miller, Darrell Huntley, Maria Clave, Perry Wong, Gray Davis, Joseph Castro
Amidst a critical retention crisis where half of Boeing's workforce is nearing retirement, industry leaders and policymakers are rallying to address severe shortages in engineering and computer science talent. The event highlights a multi-pronged strategy combining educational reform at the K-12 level, public-private funding partnerships like those established by Fresno State, and visa reforms to retain foreign experts. Experts argue that closing this skills gap through targeted curriculum changes and diverse recruitment is essential to maintaining California's economic dominance and preventing the displacement of high-value jobs to other nations.
- 1h 14m
The High Cost of the California Dream
Matt Miller, Roxana Tynan, Joel Singer, Antonio Villaraigosa, Rudy Espinoza, Louis Feldman, Aliza Carney-Gurin, Mark Stagan, Dan Hamilton, Eve Chair, Michael Banner
Hosted by Matt Miller at the Milken Institute, a panel of civic leaders including Antonio Villaraigosa and Joel Singer analyzed the stagnating wages and soaring costs of housing, healthcare, and education that are eroding California's middle class. The discussion identified outdated zoning laws and NIMBYism as primary drivers of an affordability crisis while proposing solutions such as density bonuses, pension restructuring, and micro-equity investments to spur entrepreneurship. Ultimately, the panelists argued that reversing the state's talent drain requires a combination of regulatory reform, higher wages, and inclusive immigration policies to restore economic competitiveness.
- 58 min
California the Pioneer: Blazing the Trail of Innovation
Michal Levram, Gil Elbaz, David Koenig, Brett Johnson, Peter Marks
Moderated by Fortune's Michal Levram, a panel comprising leaders from SpaceX, Factual, Control Group, and the City of Los Angeles examined California's innovation ecosystem, emphasizing the tension between radical technological ambitions and the practical challenges of talent retention, cybersecurity, and high living costs. The discussion highlighted how data-driven cultures, public-private collaborations, and manufacturing advantages are driving a hardware revival in Los Angeles despite significant brain drain to Silicon Valley and urgent STEM workforce shortages. Looking forward, the experts predicted that ubiquitous connectivity and autonomous vehicles will fundamentally reshape society, provided policymakers address digital divides and streamline regulations to maintain the region's competitive edge.
- 1h 7m
Bettering California's Business Climate
Mike Cloughton, Mike Milken, Scott Minard, Kevin DeLeon, Sharon, Troy
Hosted by the Milken Institute, the California Summit convened key policymakers and investors to address the state's economic trajectory, demographic shifts, and innovation capacity. Leaders such as Scott Minard, Senator Kevin de León, and Troy Carter debated strategies to leverage California's upgraded credit rating for massive infrastructure bonds, reform the film tax credit system, and resolve funding disparities for women-led bioscience firms. The event concluded with a consensus that the state must reduce regulatory friction and lower marginal tax rates to retain global talent and sustain growth in critical sectors like technology and healthcare.
- 1h 9m
Bay to Basin: Cities Make a Comeback
Mindy Silverstein, Scott Miner, Kevin Clouden, Austin Buechner, William Rusty Bailey, Dale Bonner, Jim Wunderman, Carol Armstrong
The Milken Institute is broadening its global initiatives while leveraging its California Center to drive policy changes in government efficiency and small business capital access. A recent summit highlighted the critical need for reauthorizing public-private partnership statutes to unlock $42 billion in infrastructure investment, focusing on regional waterways, transportation, and climate resilience. Panelists from major institutions and local governments identified fragmented governance as a primary barrier to execution, calling for centralized regional leaders to manage complex long-cycle projects and mitigate catastrophic flood risks.
- 1h 4m
Women's Breakfast: Transformational Philanthropy
Mike, Wendy Kopp, Alexis, Precious, Margaret, Marissa Drew, Helena, Maria, Katie O'Reilly, Nancy Oseas
Leading economists, philanthropists, and corporate executives convened to address the critical role of human capital, highlighting that education and health constitute up to 90% of national assets while global leaders like Wendy Kopp and Margaret Chan outlined successful interventions for educational equity and disease prevention. The discussion detailed specific strategies to close gender and economic gaps, including the expansion of Teach for All across 35 countries, initiatives to boost female participation in STEM fields, and financial models designed to increase women-led business funding in Sub-Saharan Africa. Participants concluded that sustained, horizontal collaboration between the public and private sectors is essential to leverage technological solutions and ensure inclusive economic growth for the next generation.
- 1h 17m
2014 London Summit - Capital Markets Outlook
Michael Milken, Madelyn Antoncic, Richard Byrne, John Calamos Sr., Elroy Dimson, Thomas Finke, Mike, Rich Byrne
Following post-2008 regulatory shifts that forced legacy banks to retreat from middle-market lending, non-bank alternative capital providers and Business Development Companies have rapidly absorbed the resulting $40 billion funding gap. This structural transition coincides with a global surge in cash held by sovereign wealth funds and corporations, who are increasingly favoring direct investments in equities and convertibles over traditional fixed income as the risk-free rate nears zero. Simultaneously, market participants are shifting focus toward underdeveloped regions in Africa and Asia to capitalize on emerging consumer demand while utilizing capital market mechanisms to address climate and health risks previously managed by traditional sovereign budgets.
- 56 min
2014 London Summit - U.S. Overview: Business and Ballots
Alex Witt, Eric Cantor, Ross DeVol, William Kahane, Alan Schwartz, Gene Sperling
Experts convened to analyze the U.S. economy's recovery, with Ross Milken identifying a trajectory toward 3% "escape velocity" growth driven by robust auto sales and small business hiring alongside Jean Soltis's critique of overly tight housing credit standards. While Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen is expected to maintain accommodative policies until labor market sub-indicators improve, panelists warned that geopolitical risks and regulatory uncertainty regarding mergers and tax reform continue to stifle corporate investment and equity stability. The discussion further highlighted that resolving housing finance ambiguities could boost GDP, whereas achieving comprehensive immigration or energy infrastructure legislation remains hindered by legislative gridlock despite bipartisan support for incremental reforms.
- 1h 1m
2014 London Summit - Africa Rising: How Fast?
Mark Cutis, Jay Ireland, Kola Karim, Ben Kruger, Vimal Shah, June Sarpong, Nick Williams, Paul Links, Sandra, Tarek
This panel of experts from institutions including Shoreline Energy, Standard Bank, and the Abu Dhabi Investment Council evaluates Africa's projected status as the world's second-fastest growing region, driven by rapid urbanization and a massive $2 trillion infrastructure gap. Participants advocate for a strategic shift toward patient capital with 10 to 15-year horizons and local partnerships to overcome critical bottlenecks in power, logistics, and SME financing. The discussion concludes that despite persistent challenges like high interest rates and bureaucratic delays, technological leapfrogging and improving governance are enabling a maturing market where agile local firms can outperform global giants.