Latest Interviews
Showing 2896–2910 of 3,499 transcripts.
Clear all filters- Milken Institute57 min
Income Inequality: The Moral Issue of Our Time?
Alan Schwartz, Jared Bernstein, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Garrett Neiman, Sarah Rosen Wartell, Darren Walker
A panel convened by the Ford Foundation, led by Darren Walker, shifts the national discourse from debating income inequality to implementing structural solutions, citing data that reveals the U.S. trails other developed nations in quality-of-life outcomes despite its wealth. Experts including Jared Bernstein and Doug Holtz-Eakin analyze how systemic drivers like racial disparities in the criminal justice system, historical policy exclusions in the GI Bill, and stagnant wage growth have hardwired inequality into the economy. The discussion concludes with specific policy recommendations such as universal Pre-K, infrastructure investments to reverse segregation, and direct job creation for justice-involved individuals to foster economic mobility.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
How Activist Investing Is Reshaping the Boardroom: A New Dawn for Corporate Governance?
David Faber, Gene Lee, Raymond J. McGuire, Clifton Robbins, Anne Sheehan, Jeffrey Smith
CalSTRS leverages its $189 billion portfolio to co-invest with specialized activist managers like Starboard Value and Blue Harbor, prioritizing deep due diligence and long-term governance engagement over distinct asset classification. The discussion highlights the Darden Restaurants case study as a paradigm for successful collaborative intervention, where board turnover and a jointly developed five-year plan drove superior cash-flow outcomes while avoiding costly proxy fights. As institutional investors increasingly demand internal self-introspection and director equity alignment, the event projects a future where activism remains a permanent governance feature driven by mid-cap opportunities and shareholder pressure on capital allocation.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
Driverless Cars and Beyond: Where's Transportation Headed?
Sue Callaway, Chris Ballinger, Brian Kelly, Doug Newcomb, Raj Rajkumar, Juraj Vaculik, Vasilis Galavaniskaya, Martha Minowski, Raj Kumar
Industry leaders from Toyota, Google, and Carnegie Mellon are driving a shift toward autonomous and air mobility to address the 1.3 million annual global traffic fatalities while navigating regulatory frameworks currently being updated in California and globally. Despite projections that full technological readiness requires decades of testing, stakeholders anticipate a convergence of shared, connected, and autonomous services that could displace traditional vehicle ownership and create new economic models across developing markets. While safety protocols continue to evolve through extensive data collection and multimodal integration, experts warn that significant workforce displacement in the transportation sector will necessitate proactive adaptation in infrastructure and workforce development.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
Lighting the Globe: Manoj Bhargava in Conversation with Sheryl WuDunn
Manoj Bhargava, Sheryl WuDunn, Eric Schmidt, John McCutchan, Raymond Santos, Jennifer Doyle, Sharon Chandran
Forbes billionaire and 5-Hour Energy founder Manoj Parga has launched "Stage 2," a venture dedicated to deploying low-maintenance, scalable technologies in water, energy, and health for underserved populations. The initiative introduces hardware like the $250 Free Electric bicycle to generate power for livelihoods, the energy-efficient Rainmaker desalination unit, and a medical patch for early disease detection, all designed to replace unreliable solar and complex medical diagnostics in rural areas. Parga explicitly rejects proprietary hoarding by offering to train competitors and sell production lines, prioritizing rapid global adoption of simple, functional engineering over traditional philanthropic overhead.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
Marketplace Influence Empowers the New Latina
Giselle Fernandez, Julie Ann Crommett, Mónica Gil, David Hayes-Bautista, Nina Vaca
This panel convenes industry leaders and data analysts to expose the $1.5 trillion economic power of Latinas, who dominate household spending, drive 60% of the 18-to-34 demographic, and lead startup ventures at triple the national rate. Speakers detail how strategic investment in this demographic through culturally authentic marketing, diverse workforce representation, and targeted capital access drives measurable revenue growth while dismantling stereotypes that hinder women in STEM and tech sectors. The discussion concludes that the traditional "general market" is obsolete, urging corporations to pivot toward the "browning of America" to secure profit and solve critical workforce shortages.
- Milken Institute58 min
Global Risk: Challenges for the Next President
Michael Crowley, Wesley Clark, Bob Corker, Niall Ferguson, Jane Harman
A panel of geopolitical experts warns that decaying NATO infrastructure, Russian nuclear escalation, and US fiscal irresponsibility have created a strategic vacuum filled by adversaries exploiting the Trump-Putin relationship and Chinese expansion. The discussion emphasizes the urgent need for lethal aid to Ukraine, a coherent counter-narrative against Iranian aggression in the Middle East, and immediate legal assertions of authority in the South China Sea to prevent miscalculation. Ultimately, the speakers argue that the next US president must prioritize a long-term strategic vision over short-term political games to restore Western unity and counter the rise of a multipolar world order.
- Milken Institute1h 3m
Russia: A Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery Inside an Enigma?
Alexander Kovaler, Erik Berglöf, Mark Garber, Steven Hellman, Maxim Oreshkin, Ernest Rudyak, Alex Kohl
Moderated by Alex Kohl, a panel of international financial experts and former Russian officials assessed how the nation adapted to two years of sectoral sanctions and falling oil prices. The discussion highlighted that while Russia successfully stabilized its banking sector and achieved a current account surplus through currency devaluation and import substitution, its long-term growth remains constrained by state dominance, demographic stagnation, and an uncertain political environment. Ultimately, the group concluded that unless the government implements structural reforms to address institutional gaps, the economy will likely experience only limited expansion while shifting its financial focus toward Asian partners.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
The Sustainable Investing Challenge: Innovative Plans from a New Generation
Paul Irving, Ryan Alam, Suzana Amoes, Dave Chen, Megan Strawther, Susanna Amos, Thomas Witt, David Bank, Amit Boren, Cameron Saul
The Morgan Stanley Sustainable Investing Challenge at the Milken Institute Global Conference saw the USC Master of Science in Social Entrepreneurship team, Terra Limpa, win by proposing a $30 million fund to revitalize Angola's agricultural sector by clearing landmines on 5,500 hectares of uncultivated arable land. The three-member team, led by Susanna Amos, plans to partner with UXO technicians and institutional buyers to secure land titles at deep discounts and cultivate staples like cassava for the Luanda market. This structured investment vehicle aims to diversify Angola's oil-dependent economy while generating social impact through a layered capital structure and a five-to-seven-year exit mechanism that transfers land ownership to local smallholders.
- Milken Institute58 min
Asia's Imperative: Educating the Fastest-Growing Middle Class in History
Kirk Wagar, Gene Block, Brian Rogove, Thomas Rosenbaum, Lee Tran
A panel of academic and industry leaders discusses the strategic necessity of expanding U.S. higher education access to Asia's growing middle class, which is projected to reach 3.2 billion people by 2030. Speakers from UCLA and Caltech highlight how international students serve as critical revenue sources for public institutions while addressing systemic barriers such as English proficiency gaps and restrictive visa policies. The dialogue concludes by emphasizing educational exchange as a vital soft power tool for maintaining global diplomatic ties and driving innovation amidst rising political scrutiny.
- Milken Institute1h 5m
Progress Report: Education Leaders Sound Off
Lowell Milken, Michael Crow, Nicholas Dirks, Eva Moskowitz, Kristan Van Hook, Pat Miller-Zahler
This panel examined the stagnation of U.S. educational outcomes despite over $200 billion in federal funding, highlighting critical failures in literacy, numeracy, and college readiness among minority and low-income students. Speakers including Success Academy CEO Eva Moskowitz, ASU President Michael Crow, and UC Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks detailed institutional innovations such as performance-based teacher hiring, adaptive learning technologies, and a shift from degree-based credentials to content mastery. The discussion concluded with a consensus on the need for policy reforms that prioritize educational equity, teacher effectiveness, and scalable solutions to address the system's impact on national security and economic competitiveness.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
Trans-Pacific Partnership: A Conversation with U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman
With five and a half years of negotiations concluded, the Obama administration is aggressively pursuing ratification of the Trans-Pacific Partnership before its term ends, aiming to secure $130 billion in annual economic gains and establish high regional standards to counter China's influence. Despite facing significant political headwinds from populist figures and the pharmaceutical industry over specific intellectual property and currency provisions, officials argue that the agreement's binding labor and environmental rules offer a strategic alternative to state-driven models. By utilizing Trade Promotion Authority for an expedited congressional vote, the administration seeks to prevent legislative delays that the Peterson Institute estimates could cost the U.S. economy over $90 billion.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
The Promise of the Cancer Moonshot
Kathy Hudson, Anna Barker, L. Michelle Bennett, Robert Bradway, Louis DeGennaro, Isla Garraway, Lou DiGennaro, Greg Simon, Tom Caleo, Jackie Brandwin, Greg Zuckerman, Laura Kalmos Nasser, Mike Hiltik, Noah Crafts
Following the Vice President's appointment to lead "Mission Control" and a proposed $1 billion federal funding request, the Cancer Moonshot initiative seeks to accelerate cancer research by prioritizing patient outcomes over bureaucratic processes. The program targets a structural shift from competition to collaboration through new mandates for data sharing, the launch of the Genomic Data Commons, and the implementation of patient-centric clinical trial designs. By leveraging public-private partnerships and modernizing regulatory frameworks, the initiative aims to bridge the gap between clinical trial success and real-world health equity within a 15-month timeline.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
The Forces Shaping Europe
Ross Westgate, Peter Beyer, Jim Mellon, Howard Shore, Roger Wicker, Paul Wolfowitz
Panelists including Jim Mellon, Howard Shaw, and Peter Baer debated the UK's potential withdrawal from the EU, contrasting arguments for regained legislative sovereignty and economic deregulation against warnings of severe financial costs and the loss of geopolitical stability. The discussion expanded to broader European challenges such as the Eurozone's structural fragility, the refugee crisis driven by Middle Eastern policy failures, and Russian aggression in Ukraine, which Senator Roger Wicker and Paul Wolfowitz identified as the region's most critical security threat. Ultimately, the dialogue concluded that while economic integration faces internal contradictions, a successful exit strategy would require immediate UK deregulation to avoid punitive measures, whereas the United States prioritizes a strong British partner within NATO over continued EU membership.
- Milken Institute1h 4m
Leadership in a Multigenerational Workforce: Bridging the Gap to Drive Impact
Patsy Doerr, Amy Friedrich, Julie Sweet, Eric Termuende, Aniela Unguresan, Ahu Yildirmaz, Patsy Shudo-Doer, Ariella Ungerson, Scott Heathman, Angela Shi, Jasmine
Moderated by Thomson Reuters VP Patsy Shudo-Doer, a panel of corporate leaders including Accenture CEO Julie Sweet and Generation Y co-founder Eric Tremondi addressed the unique challenges of managing a five-generational workforce while integrating diversity into core business strategy. The discussion highlighted critical trends such as the 2025 projection that women and millennials will control 70% of financial decisions, the widening gap in leadership aspirations among millennial women, and the shifting definition of stability from company loyalty to personal brand security. Participants concluded that organizations must abandon rigid generational stereotypes in favor of adaptive models like the "lattice" career path and radical transparency to successfully close skills gaps and secure talent in an increasingly competitive labor market.
- Milken Institute1h 4m
Hybrid and Next-Generation Warfare: The Future of Conflict
Matthew Spence, Henry Crumpton, Geoffrey Ling, Pippa Malmgren, Yasuhide Nakayama, Juan Carlos Pinzón
This analysis asserts that modern warfare requires balancing technological precision with human intelligence to preserve empathy while addressing volatile threats from biotechnology and neuro-integration. It further identifies economic drivers like food insecurity and infrastructure financing as primary catalysts for geopolitical aggression, particularly in Asia, where hypersonic weapons and asymmetric non-state actors have compressed decision-making timelines. Ultimately, the discussion concludes that successful counterinsurgency and future security depend on integrated logistics, community empowerment, and viewing artificial intelligence as a symbiotic tool rather than a standalone solution.