Milken Institute
Showing 1801–1815 of 2077 transcripts.
- 56 min
Big City Education: We Know What Works, So Why Don't We Do It?
Ed Rendell, Paul Vallis, Antonio Villaraigosa, Tony Miller, Rudy Crew, Lowell
Leading education reformers including Tony Miller, Rudy Crew, and Paul Vallis converge on evidence-based strategies to close achievement gaps in large urban districts where 46% of fourth-graders currently read below basic levels. These experts advocate for structural overhauls involving performance-based pay, extended instructional time, and the elimination of seniority-driven hiring to replace the current system that relies heavily on punitive accountability and fragmented leadership. The dialogue further identifies state funding as a critical barrier and proposes federal quid pro quo models that condition financial support on immediate, measurable improvements in literacy and math standards.
- 1h 9m
The (Global) Innovator's Dilemma: How Can Companies Keep Their Cutting Edge?
John Lewis Levis, Tom Jenkins, Stephen Hoover
ICT now drives 75% of global innovation, compressing product lifecycles from five years to mere months and compelling organizations to shift from isolated launches to sustained innovation ecosystems. Successful strategies depend on long-term executive support, a culture that rewards failure, and diverse talent pools, while nations like Israel and Canada demonstrate how specific military, educational, and immigration frameworks foster resilience. To navigate the risk of self-disruption and the threat of invisible competitors, leading enterprises must allocate dedicated capital to disruptive ventures and embrace open innovation models that accelerate commercialization despite weak intellectual property protections.
- 1h 11m
Credit Markets: What's Next?
Mike Milken, David Warren, Steve Tannenbaum, Mark Rowan, Josh Friedman, Mark Antonazio, Richard Kanner
Representatives from Moody's, Apollo, and Golden Tree analyzed the current high-yield credit landscape, warning that stripped covenants and the dominance of liquidity-seeking ETFs are obscuring default risks despite historically low immediate default rates. The panelists outlined a strategic pivot toward direct origination and distressed opportunities in Europe's non-performing loan sector and China's underserved SME market to navigate the transition from a public to a private credit-driven era. Participants concluded that regulatory changes shrinking bank balance sheets and the shift away from traditional "Too Big to Fail" models will establish a "golden era" for alternative capital providers in infrastructure and structured products over the next decade.
- 1h 0m
Progress vs. Pessimism in the Middle East
Doyle McManus, Robin Wright, Tony Blair, Robert Ford, Ted Deutch
Host Doyle McManus convened a panel of global experts including Robin Wright, Tony Blair, and Ted Deutch to analyze the strategic perils of Middle Eastern fragmentation and the ideological clash between Islamism and pluralism. The discussion highlighted critical security threats from ungoverned spaces in Syria and Iraq while debating the viability of a nuclear deal with Iran and the governance crises in Egypt. Participants concluded that U.S. policy must prioritize national security and democratic values over regime affinity, advocating for engagement with secular civil society to foster long-term stability.
- 49 min
Trust and the Markets: A Debate on High-Frequency Trading
Jim McCoggin, Rishi Narang, Katie, Amy Goodman, David Brooks, Jim Lecinski, Mark Blyth, Jr., Steve
Industry experts Jim McCoggin and Rishi Narang debated the evolution of high-frequency trading, analyzing how regulatory milestones like Decimalization and Reg NMS drove an arms race in automation while compressing profit margins to less than 0.1% of trade face value. The discussion highlighted a stark divide regarding market transparency, with McCoggin advocating for the elimination of dark pools and payment for order flow while Narang defended them as necessary tools for institutional protection. Both agreed that current market conduct rules have failed to keep pace with technology, necessitating SEC intervention to equalize data speeds and penalize excessive order cancellations without banning the practice itself.
- 1h 1m
A Conversation with Cherie Blair: Empowering Women, Driving Growth
Cherie Blair, the first woman from her family to attend university and a former Queen's Counsel, leads the Cherie Blair Foundation for Women to empower female entrepreneurs in Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East through business training and mentoring. By addressing the critical "mid-range capital gap" that hinders women's access to $10,000–$100,000 in funding, the Foundation has already supported over 100,000 women across 50 countries, with partnerships including Google and Bank of America enhancing professional growth and job creation. Blair advocates for structural political and cultural shifts to overcome systemic barriers, citing Rwanda's high female parliamentary representation as a model for improving global economic inclusion.
- 1h 5m
Look, Ma, No Hands! The Future of Cars
John Cassessa, Chris Gerdes, Raj Nair, Chris Urmson, Kevin Vincent, Eric Schmidt, Eric Schwartzmann, Eric Schuartzmond, Carl Harris, Joe Greener
Led by John Cassessa, a panel of industry and government leaders including executives from Ford, Google, and Stanford, along with NHTSA officials, confirmed that the automotive sector has reached a critical inflection point for autonomous vehicle adoption. The group outlined a roadmap where rapid technological progress in sensor integration and Vehicle-to-Vehicle communication will soon drive significant safety gains, fuel efficiency through platooning, and reduced traffic congestion. While timelines for widespread consumer availability vary between Google's near-term deployment and Ford's two-decade horizon, the panel emphasized that successful implementation depends on resolving regulatory mandates, ethical programming dilemmas, and shifting consumer trust levels.
- 1h 1m
The Upside of Aging: A Conversation in the Pavilion
Mike Morseberger, Barry Rand, Frida Lewis, Steve Knapp, Mark Friedman, Hasi Cohen, Henry Cisneros, Bob Wheelan, Brooke, Jeff Schatz, Andrew, Rita, Gary, Britta
This panel identifies the global demographic shift toward an aging population as a critical challenge comparable to climate change, highlighting that current societal structures fail to utilize the substantial human capital of older adults. Experts argue that sustainable solutions require integrating age-friendly urban planning, reforming higher education to serve lifelong learners, and implementing financial policies that secure retirement and workforce participation. Ultimately, the discussion advocates for a cultural transition from viewing aging as decline to recognizing it as a generative force, with predictions of widespread adoption of "village" support networks and expanded health technologies within the next decade.
- 59 min
What's Silicon Valley Got to Do With It?
Alec Ellison, Andrew Auerbach, Eric Drummond, Kate Mitchell, John Ruffalo, Eric Schmidt, Andrew Lovett
A panel consensus establishes that while Silicon Valley remains the global leader in technology clustering and venture capital, its unique managerial ecosystem is difficult to replicate, forcing other regions to leverage distinct local assets rather than attempting direct imitation. Success outside the Valley depends on aligning specific industry strengths—such as clean tech in Colorado, agtech in St. Louis, or software in Provo, Utah—with appropriate capital types and a culture that tolerates risk and embraces immigration. Looking ahead, the innovation center of gravity is shifting toward life sciences and regional verticals, with emerging hubs in the Rocky Mountains, New England, and Israel positioned to capitalize on these specialized sectors and evolving government tax policies.
- 1h 2m
Immunotherapy: The Silver Bullet Against Cancer?
Dr. Jonathan Simons, Jed Wolchuk, Pam Sharma, Dr. Charles Drake, Elliot Siegel, TJ Sharp, Mary, Dr. William Coley, Jim Allison, Keith Black, Don Coffey, Magic Johnson, Tom Frye, Eleanor Roosevelt, Adlai Stevenson, Dr. Howard Sewell, Carl June, Drew Pardola
Hosted by Prostate Cancer Foundation President Dr. Jonathan Simons, a panel of leading oncologists and industry experts detailed the transformative impact of checkpoint inhibitors, which extended survival for terminal melanoma patients from months to years and triggered 20% cure rates. While the discussion highlighted expanding efficacy in lung and kidney cancers, the group identified critical barriers regarding "cold" tumors, inefficient serial trial designs, and federal funding disparities that threaten early-career research. The panelists concluded by advocating for parallel testing of combination therapies, revised FDA endpoints to accelerate approvals, and increased government investment to bridge the gap between immunological discovery and clinical application.
- 57 min
Redefining the Middle East: A Game-Changing Energy Alternative from the Eastern Mediterranean
Glenn Yago, Senator Landrieu, Lawson Freeman, Ron Prosser, Mehmet Sadam
A Milken Institute panel led by Senator Mary Landrieu and Ambassador Ron Prosor redefined the Eastern Mediterranean as a strategic energy hub, leveraging massive Tamar and Leviathan gas discoveries to transform Israel from an importer into a net exporter. The discussion detailed how a $3 billion Tamar project and emerging reserves in Cyprus and Lebanon are fostering regional integration through export deals with Jordan and the Palestinian Authority while establishing a sovereign wealth fund to diversify Israel's economy. Experts concluded that ensuring fiscal regime stability and transferring US Gulf Coast technology are critical to overcoming political barriers and securing a stable, energy-independent Eastern Mediterranean against Russian influence.
- 1h 0m
Living Healthy: Education, Access and Activity
Alex Witt, Robert Egger, Sam Cass, Michel Nishan, Rachel Poplack, Larry Soler, Robert Blendon, Natasha, Harlan Weissman
A coalition of federal agencies and major corporations is implementing a multi-faceted strategy to reverse obesity trends by codifying SNAP incentives, mandating healthy options in schools and vending machines, and reformulating product lines to remove trillions of calories. Simultaneously, innovative programs are expanding food access in underserved communities through technical aid for corner stores, mobile produce vendors, and culinary education initiatives that leverage cultural relevance and entertainment partnerships. Despite these advancements, stakeholders warn that without shifting financial sector priorities to long-term health strategies and addressing the projected diabetes crisis among seniors and youth, the current healthcare economic model remains unsustainable.
- 1h 1m
The Big Shift: Diversity as a Business Rationale
Pamela, Alexandra, Richard, Javier, Margaret Anderson
Credit Suisse panelists and executives detailed the launch of their "New Markets" business unit designed to target women, African-Americans, and the LGBT community, citing a $12 trillion combined investment opportunity that remains underserved by current financial services. Speakers highlighted the necessity of executive sponsorship and internal data showing these segments generate outperforming returns while emphasizing that authentic progress requires top-down cultural shifts rather than quota-based hiring mandates. The discussion further explored strategic approaches to mentorship, advocacy, and the evolving legal landscape driving Fortune 500 engagement with these historically marginalized demographics.
- 1h 1m
Are Renewables Still Relevant?
Ali Velshi, James Cameron, Richard Saines, Richard Sandor, Jigar Shah
A global panel of energy experts and investors characterizes the current shift toward renewable power as a fundamental restructuring of the energy delivery system, driven by $100 billion in annual solar investments and a transition from centralized fossil fuel generation to distributed smart grids. While consensus confirms renewables as the dominant source of new capacity, significant debate persists regarding the long-term stability of natural gas as a bridge fuel and the fragility of political support compared to permanent legislative mandates. The discussion further highlights that despite abundant capital, the industry faces a bottleneck in finding investable projects and must overcome utility opposition and aging infrastructure to meet the critical 2030 emissions deadline without relying solely on federal policy.
- 1h 3m
Africa's Energy Landscape
Paul Hinks, Raj Shah, Jay Island, Kola Karim, President Kagame, Tony Elumelu
Launched by President Obama in 2013, the Power Africa initiative seeks to electrify the African continent by leveraging U.S. transactional advocacy to de-risk private sector investments aimed at closing a critical $50 billion to $100 billion energy gap. While the program faces significant hurdles including political instability, payment delays, and lengthy project timelines, it has already attracted substantial capital from global firms like General Electric and enabled local financial institutions to fund major infrastructure projects in priority nations such as Nigeria and Tanzania. By promoting an all-of-the-above energy strategy and accelerating regulatory reforms, the initiative targets the provision of reliable power to 600 million off-grid citizens to support the economic growth of a demographic with 60% of the population under age 25.