Latest Interviews
Showing 751–765 of 822 transcripts.
Clear all filters- Milken Institute1h 17m
Son of a Gambling Man: My Journey from a Casino Family to the Governor's Mansion
Bob Miller, Joel Kurtzman, Mike Milken
On January 21, 2014, Harvard researchers Aris Aydin and Jean-Baptiste Michel will discuss *Uncharted Big Data as a Lens on Human Culture* alongside former Nevada Governor Bob Miller, who remains at the venue to sign copies of his autobiography. The event contextualizes Miller's career within the broader evolution of Las Vegas, tracing its transformation from a mob-influenced gambling hub into a globally recognized economic leader through the strategic visions of figures like Bugsy Siegel, Howard Hughes, and Steve Wynn. By detailing shifts in financing, regulatory oversight, and infrastructure, the session highlights how legal enforcement and corporate innovation drove Nevada's diversification beyond gaming into fields such as biotechnology, mining, and tech.
- Milken Institute1h 6m
Lunch Discussion: Investing in California's Future
Bobby Kotick, Scott Minerd, Lynda Resnick, Lyndon Rive, Michael Milken
A high-level panel convened by industry leaders like SolarCity's Lyndon Rive to analyze California's economic resilience, highlighting critical challenges in municipal debt, workforce retention, and immigration policy. The discussion detailed the tension between rapid renewable energy expansion and regulatory hurdles while proposing public-private partnerships to address educational gaps and unfunded healthcare liabilities. Ultimately, participants urged a strategic shift from reactive philanthropy to active business engagement to compete globally against emerging markets like China and secure sustainable long-term growth.
- Milken Institute56 min
A Conversation with Edmund Phelps, Moderated by Peter Passell
Edmund Phelps, Peter Passell, Krishna Kumar
Co-hosted by RAND and the Milken Institute, this event featured Nobel Laureate Edmund Phelps arguing that a shift from individualism to corporatism since the 1930s has stifled indigenous innovation and halved US productivity growth rates. Phelps highlighted that while established corporations currently leverage regulatory protections to block startups, China is matching historical US innovation rates through technological diffusion and grassroots experimentation. He concluded that reversing the stagnation requires a fundamental cultural shift that prioritizes individual creativity and risk-taking over traditional conformism, as standard economic policies alone cannot restore economic dynamism.
- Milken Institute1h 21m
The Mideast's New Resource: Entrepreneurs
Christopher Schroeder, Jonathan Spalter, Skip Reimer
Christopher Schroeder, author of *Startup Rising*, presented a transformative narrative to the Milken Institute challenging Western perceptions of the Middle East by highlighting a youth-driven entrepreneurial revolution fueled by mobile technology. The discussion detailed how regional innovators are overcoming systemic barriers such as "Wasta" nepotism and educational deficits to build a mobile-first economy where women comprise nearly one-third of tech startups. Schroeder concluded by urging global investors and policymakers to adopt a forward-looking strategy that leverages this demographic dividend for economic integration rather than relying on outdated geopolitical frameworks.
- Milken Institute1h 9m
MI Breakfast With Bill Richardson, Moderated by Ambassador Charles Ries
Bill Richardson, Charles Ries, Mike Clowden, Kevin Blyer
Governor Bill Richardson and Ambassador Charles Reese joined Milken Institute and RAND for a joint breakfast in Santa Monica to launch Richardson's book, *How to Sweet Talk a Shark*, and outline future innovation summits. The discussion featured Richardson's firsthand accounts of negotiating hostage releases with dictators in North Korea, Sudan, and Cuba, while also detailing strategic lessons on ethics, translator reliability, and the necessity of personal rapport. The event further highlighted three upcoming initiatives: a Nobel Laureate conversation with Edmund Phelps, a biotech investor conference in New York, and a private California Summit for state-level policy reform.
- Milken Institute1h 14m
Innovate Like IDEO: Meet the Dynasts of Design
David Kelley, Tom Kelley, Patrick Adams, Mike Clouton
IDEO co-founders David and Tom Kelly argue that creative confidence, a universal trait combining ideation with the courage to act, can be rebuilt through guided mastery to overcome societal fear of failure. Their framework emphasizes radical collaboration, empathy-driven problem reframing, and strategic prototyping, exemplified by innovations like the low-cost Embrace incubator and the redesign of the computer mouse. By shifting focus from innate talent to disciplined practice and rapid iteration, the authors demonstrate how individuals and organizations can systematically unlock breakthrough solutions across diverse fields.
- Milken Institute1h 17m
Finerman's Rules: Secrets I'd Only Tell My Daughters About Business and Life (updated)
Finerman, Jody Miller, Mike Clowden
Karen Feinerman, CEO of Metropolitan Capital and author of *Feynman's Rules*, discussed her trajectory from Wall Street to CNBC while analyzing gender dynamics in finance and the impact of bias on career advancement. She outlined strategies for women to overcome systemic obstacles, including managing maternal leave perception, adopting confident leadership styles, and prioritizing workplace presence over remote work to foster mentorship. The discussion concluded with insights on financial literacy, the limitations of multitasking, and a prediction that the retiring baby boomer generation will necessitate the hiring of more qualified women into senior roles.
- Milken Institute1h 13m
Access to Global Capital Initiative: Corporate and Investor Roundtable
Tony Blair, Paul Kagame, Strive Masiyiwa, Seth Merrin, Mike Milken, Mindy Silverstein
At the Milken Institute's "Investing in Africa" working group, President Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Tony Blair outlined strategic partnerships with the Institute to accelerate capital flow into emerging markets through the new Access to Global Capital Initiative. The session highlighted Rwanda's 8% annual economic growth and regional integration efforts while presenting data indicating that emerging markets now hold a larger share of the global economy than the US, Europe, and Japan combined. With future plans to expand operations in Indonesia and convene international investors in East Africa, the group aims to leverage governance reforms and renewable energy projects to drive sustainable wealth creation across the continent.
- Milken Institute56 min
MI Summit 2013 - London: Access to Global Capital: Investing in Growth
Mindy Silverstein, Tony Blair, Strive Masiyiwa, Seth Merrin, Jane Rowe, Michael Milken
In partnership with LiquidNet and Tony Blair's Africa Governance Initiative, the Milken Institute launched the Access to Global Capital Initiative to direct foreign investment into emerging markets like Indonesia, Colombia, and Rwanda through improved governance frameworks. Major institutional investors, including Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, are increasing their emerging market exposure by leveraging rigorous risk management and specific country classifications to align fiduciary interests with stable regulatory environments. This collaborative effort aims to catalyze economic transformation by proving that human capital and predictable rules drive growth more effectively than natural resources, thereby incentivizing broader global adoption of these development strategies.
- Milken Institute51 min
Dinner Program - To Infinity and Beyond: Jeff Skoll Talks with Elon and Kimbal Musk (updated)
Jeff Skoll, Kimbal Musk, Elon Musk, Paul
At a panel introduced by Jeff Skoll, brothers Elon and Kimbal Musk detailed their divergent yet complementary ventures, ranging from early startups like Zip2 and PayPal to Elon's engineering firms SpaceX and Tesla and Kimbal's culinary and nonprofit initiatives. The discussion highlighted specific milestones such as the sale of PayPal to eBay for $1.5 billion, Tesla's launch of the award-winning Model S, and The Kitchen Community's measurable impact on childhood nutrition and school test scores. Both founders reflected on their formative years in South Africa and Silicon Valley, emphasizing a shared philosophy that combines technological innovation with social responsibility through scalable, market-based solutions.
- Milken Institute57 min
In Tech We Trust? A Debate with Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen (updated)
Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen, Martin Giles
Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen debate whether the U.S. economy suffers from a post-1970 technological stagnation that has stunted wage growth or is actually experiencing an acceleration masked by unmet sci-fi expectations and political interference in physical sectors. While Thiel attributes rising inequality and declining living standards to risk aversion, excessive regulation, and a cultural loss of imagination, Andreessen counters that communication breakthroughs are driving efficiency and that physical sector stalls result from massive oil subsidies and restrictive liability frameworks. Both speakers agree that government monopolies and regulations inhibit innovation in energy and transportation, though they differ on the sufficiency of the digital revolution to solve broader economic challenges.
- Milken Institute1h 2m
The Business of Sports (updated)
Todd Boehly, Jimmy Connors, Wayne Gretzky, Joseph Ravitch, Melinda Witmer, Jim Gray, Joe Ravitch
Guggenheim Partners acquired the Los Angeles Dodgers for $2.1 billion to operate as a global entertainment brand, while Time Warner Cable secured exclusive local media rights through a direct $10 billion agreement that bypasses traditional regional sports networks. Panelists including Todd Boley, Melinda Whitmer, Wayne Gretzky, and Jimmy Connors affirmed that live in-stadium events remain the premium product despite technological advancements in broadcast, citing superior fan engagement and physicality that home viewing cannot replicate. The discussion further highlighted that franchise valuations are driven by real estate potential and media scarcity rather than emotion, with experts predicting the inevitable return of an NFL team to Los Angeles and continued appreciation in major league sports assets.
- Milken Institute55 min
A Conversation with Howard Marks and Mike Milken (updated)
Howard Marks, Mike Milken, Michael Milken
Historical analysis of major market crashes, including the 1973 Nifty Fifty collapse and the 2008 financial crisis, reveals that investors often suffer catastrophic losses by ignoring cyclical valuations and overestimating the safety of high-quality assets. The presentation further explains that long-term bond returns depend more on reinvestment rates than initial yields, while successful investing requires focusing on knowable factors like specific companies and demographics rather than unpredictable macro variables. Finally, the discussion highlights how Oaktree Capital Group sustains its long-term success through a firm culture rooted in specific ethical creeds, harmonious teamwork, and a succession strategy that prioritizes the perpetuation of values over individual founder skills.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
Bioscience Discoveries That Will Blow Your Mind (updated)
Jack Andraka, David Baltimore, Francis Collins, Tejal Desai, Aydogan Ozcan, Margaret Anderson
Prominent figures including Jack Andraka, Tejal Desai, and NIH Director Francis Collins present breakthroughs in nanotechnology, genomics, and cellular engineering that promise to revolutionize early cancer detection, drug delivery, and precision medicine. While these innovations leverage falling sequencing costs, portable diagnostic devices, and adaptive sensor platforms to bridge the gap between molecular discovery and clinical treatment, panelists express deep concern over a 20% decline in real research funding. The collective discourse underscores an urgent need to redirect resources toward young innovators and high-risk projects to sustain the momentum of this biological renaissance.
- Milken Institute1h 18m
MI Forum: Silicon Rally: L.A.'s Thriving Tech Scene (HD)
Walter Driver, Susan Feldman, Michael Jones, Dana Settle, Mike Jones
The Los Angeles tech ecosystem, known as "Silicon Beach," is distinguished by a culture of entrepreneurial hustling and rapid venture capital growth that has historically outpaced Boston, New York, and the Bay Area. Panelists Mike Jones, Susan Feldman, and Walter Driver discuss how local startups must prioritize immediate monetization due to a lack of late-stage capital and limited acquisition targets, while noting that the region faces significant challenges in talent retention and university industry connections. To succeed, founders are advised to leverage deep personal expertise and build strategic "connective tissue" with broader national communities, as the local landscape currently demands sustainable business models over high-risk visionary plays.