Latest Interviews
Showing 1216–1230 of 1,563 transcripts.
Clear all filters- Milken Institute1h 3m
The Future of Higher Education
Carol Quinlan, Eduardo Padron, Mitch Daniels, Steve, Ted Mitchell, Jeff, Mike Milken, William Bonvillian, Michael Schrag, Elizabeth Lee, Elizabeth Bell, Mike Downer, Chris Hartz
A panel of higher education leaders including Eduardo Padron, Ted Mitchell, and Carol Quinlan identifies a systemic failure to convert increased student access into degree completion and employability. The discussion highlights critical barriers such as state disinvestment, regulatory rigidity regarding seat time, and a misalignment between curricula and labor market needs. To resolve these issues, experts propose shifting toward student-centric competency portfolios, establishing seamless regional pathways, and renegotiating the sector's social contract to prove tangible value to taxpayers.
- Milken Institute54 min
Beyond the Headlines: Global Leaders Explore Africa's Future
Mindy Silverstein, Bronwyn Nielsen, Tony Blair, H.E. Paul Kagame, Scott Minerd, Patrice Motsepe, Strive Masiwa, Bob Collymore, Jay Ireland, Fred Swannaker, John Rice, President Uhuru Kenyatta
The Milken Institute launched the Africa Business Fellowship Program, a reciprocal exchange initiative partnering with Strive Masiwa, Safaricom, and the Dangote Group to place up to 15 American entrepreneurs in African firms over six months. Supported by high-profile speakers like President Paul Kagame and Tony Blair, the event utilized demographic projections showing Africa's population could double by 2050 to argue that regional integration and private sector infrastructure investments are critical for unlocking a continent identified by the IMF as home to the world's fastest-growing economies. Panelists including Scott Minnert and Patrice Motsepi concluded by dismissing security concerns as manageable barriers and calling for immediate U.S. capital deployment to fuel the rising middle class and consumer industries across Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
Technology and Jobs: Should Workers Worry?
Josh Barrow, Brad DeLong, Amy Webb, Gerald Huff, Jeremy Howard, Jonathan Zittrain
Brad DeLong, Amy Webb, Jeremy Howard, and Gerald Huff analyze the impact of automation on the labor market, arguing that current unemployment stems from macroeconomic mismanagement rather than robot displacement, even as AI rapidly outperforms humans in cognitive and manual sectors. While experts identify specific industries like banking, legal services, and manufacturing as vulnerable to disruption, data shows that the vast majority of economic activity remains in traditional service roles that are difficult to automate. The panel concludes that without proactive policy shifts toward solutions like universal basic income or reduced work hours, society risks a dystopian concentration of wealth as the traditional link between labor scarcity and income distribution breaks down.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
The Economic Implications of Climate Change
Susan Goldburg, Gérard Araud, Amy Christensen, John Cochran, Mark Tercik, John Holdren, Peter Passell, Matt Boghossian, Lawrence Bender, Mark Scotland, Michael Sterling
A diverse panel of policymakers, business leaders, and diplomats established a consensus that a uniform, revenue-neutral carbon price is the most efficient mechanism for global climate mitigation, surpassing current command-and-control regulations in promoting decentralized innovation. This framework aims to accelerate the transition to clean energy while managing security risks, with specific proposals suggesting a tax trajectory starting at $16 per ton to fund an 80% emissions reduction by 2050. The strategy leverages historical U.S.-China alignment and corporate commitments to drive the upcoming Paris Conference, emphasizing that economic incentives must be paired with nature-based adaptation and diplomatic flexibility to accommodate sovereign differences.
- Milken Institute57 min
A Path Appears: A Conversation With Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn
Nicholas Kristof, Sheryl WuDunn, Steve Grove, Nick Kristof, Ashley, Derek McKesson, Dan Galpin, Esther Duflo, Brian Mulaney, Dan Pallotta, Eric Schmidt, Sheryl McCarthy, Nick Orloveyski
Google News Lab director Steve Grove facilitated a discussion with Pulitzer Prize-winning authors Nick Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn regarding their book *A Path Appears* and its accompanying PBS documentary on transforming social vulnerability into opportunity. The speakers advocate for applying business principles and market incentives to poverty alleviation, citing evidence from randomized trials that effective interventions must measure outcomes rather than inputs and leverage corporate strategies to address systemic issues like missing girls and the "word gap." They further highlight the physiological benefits of philanthropy and argue that future social progress depends on a "double bottom line" model where for-profit enterprises and rigorous data measurement replace traditional charity to solve intractable challenges in education, health, and urban violence.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
Silver Strategies: Capitalizing on the Longevity Economy
Dr. Joe Coughlin, Gretchen Addy, Paul Irving, Lisa Sunin, Jenny
A recent analysis highlights the Longevity Economy as a $7.1 trillion global market driven by the spending and innovation of the 50+ demographic, yet current venture capital and product design often fail to address this group's $100 billion annual anti-aging spend due to ageist biases and poor human-centered design. Experts like Lisa Sunin, Gretchen Addy, and Paul Irving argue that overcoming these barriers requires shifting from an illness-based narrative to lifestyle-focused strategies, specifically targeting high-opportunity sectors such as dementia care, home-based aging services, and preventive digital health. By reimagining products for active "third-age" living and fostering intergenerational workforce integration, stakeholders can unlock significant growth in a sector where investors like Peter Thiel and Larry Ellison are increasingly directing capital.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
The Talent Crisis: Strategies to Build a Skilled Technology Workforce and Assure Diversity
Freda Kaeper-Klein, Byron, Hope, Jackie, Jamal, Bonin
A projected shortage of 1.5 million skilled US tech workers is driven not only by a leaky educational pipeline but primarily by employer reliance on credential-based hiring that excludes capable candidates from underrepresented groups. Strategic shifts toward mastery-based recruitment, exemplified by initiatives like TechHire and the LaunchCode model, have already doubled revenue and reduced turnover for participating firms while addressing demographic gaps. Successful resolution of this crisis requires systematic reforms in hiring heuristics and early K-12 exposure to unlock the potential of millions of untapped workers currently excluded by traditional degree requirements.
- Milken Institute1h 3m
Say This, Not This: The Words to Use and the Words to Lose
The presentation analyzes the critical impact of communication styles on political trust and corporate branding, highlighting how figures like Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio leverage authentic, unscripted delivery to resonate with voters amidst record-low congressional approval ratings. In the corporate sector, the speaker argues that phrases emphasizing tangible benefits and transparency, such as "no fine print" and "living wage," outperform traditional buzzwords in rebuilding consumer confidence while specific visual and psychological strategies enhance demographic engagement. Ultimately, the event advocates for a shift toward raw, human-centric interaction over polished staging, asserting that physical proximity and linguistic sincerity are essential for overcoming national cynicism and fostering genuine connection.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
Boom or Bust: Opportunities and Risk in M&A
Stuart Cable, Ray McGuire, Steve Kruskos, Peter Schoenfeld, Leon Wagner, David Solomon
The current M&A market is experiencing a robust boom driven by $5 trillion in corporate cash reserves and strategic buyers outpacing private equity in mega-deal valuations exceeding $80 billion. Accelerated by rising activist hedge funds that have shifted boardroom defenses toward proactive capital reallocation, deal volume is surging across healthcare, TMT, and natural resources sectors while valuations approach historical peaks. Panelists predict a near-term resurgence in hostile bids and a geographic shift toward Europe, even as the mid-market continues to serve as the primary engine for total transaction count.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
The Future of Work: How to Survive and Thrive Amid Creative Disruption
Jody Miller, Beth Steinberg, Alexander Santamon, Diana O'Brien, Peter Grauer, John Bischke
Industry leaders from Deloitte, Bloomberg, Intello, and BrightRole converge to address the impending shift where a majority of work will be performed by non-traditional employees amidst a massive boomers retirement and the rise of the gig economy. These executives outline evolving talent strategies, ranging from predictive analytics to identify flight risks and "access-over-ownership" models like GLG's peer-learning platform, while emphasizing the critical need to bridge knowledge gaps through mentorship and revised leadership development. The discussion further highlights how forward-thinking organizations are integrating diversity and sustainability into core commercial strategies to navigate legal complexities and secure long-term retention in an era defined by rapid skill obsolescence.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
The Art and Science of Capital Structure
Industry leaders from Crescent Capital, Leonard Green, and Canyon detail how post-2008 regulations have transformed US banks into public utilities, driving a $75 trillion expansion in shadow banking and alternative financing structures. Panelists highlight specific investment opportunities in capital structure arbitrage, OpCo/PropCo splits, and the European vacuum for operating finance companies to capitalize on market volatility. Ultimately, these firms advocate for disciplined balance sheet restructuring and private credit strategies while avoiding regulated banking entities to mitigate liability and regulatory risk.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
Cyber-Security: Protecting Companies and Citizens From Assault
Eli Sugarman, Alex Stamos, Suzanne Spaulding, Ray Rothrock, Susan Gilchrist
A panel of federal officials and industry leaders, including DHS Undersecretary Suzanne Spaulding, Yahoo CISO Alex Stamos, and Red Seal CEO Ray Rothrock, convened to address the escalating intersection of U.S. cybersecurity legislation, global threat intelligence sharing, and corporate liability. The group critically evaluated the efficacy of static compliance standards versus dynamic resilience frameworks, highlighted the economic necessity of investing in security infrastructure, and debated the strategic and moral implications of government-mandated encryption backdoors. Their discussion concluded that future security strategies must prioritize continuous monitoring, standardized risk metrics for investors, and international collaboration to protect critical infrastructure against evolving cyber threats.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
The Shifting Sands of Market Structure: Equity Trading in the Spotlight
Kevin Cowan, Stephen McCauley, Seth Marin, Sianna Mastofi, Jamil Nazarelli, Jatin Suravanshi
A panel of financial experts critically evaluated SEC Chair Mary Jo White's thirteen directives on market structure, debating the efficacy of policies like the Tick Size Pilot while highlighting risks posed by the proliferation of off-exchange trading venues. Discussions revealed significant industry opposition to specific provisions that could transfer wealth from investors to dealers, alongside concerns that high data costs and a lack of institutional disclosure standards act as hidden taxes on market efficiency. As regulatory deadlines approach in May, the consensus emphasizes the urgent need for empirical evidence-based reforms to address systemic issues in capital formation, ETF concentration, and the fragmentation of liquidity across lit and dark pools.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
Disequilibrium in Global Debt
Felix Salmon, Peter Budko, Damian Lillicrab, Nouriel Roubini, Gene Sperling, Andrew Whittaker
Leading economists and strategists including Nouriel Roubini, Peter Budko, and Gene Sperling analyzed the unsustainable trajectory of global debt, debating whether net asset offsets and low servicing costs justify current high leverage ratios. The panel highlighted a critical disconnect where massive debt accumulation has fueled asset bubbles and corporate buybacks rather than productivity, leaving markets vulnerable to earnings shocks due to "covenant light" lending and constrained fiscal safety nets. Concluding that central banks have become overstretched fiscal substitutes, the experts warned that without a political compact linking stimulus to structural reform, the global economy faces a prolonged cycle of financial repression and inequality.
- Milken Institute1h 3m
From Marketer to Influencer to Global Brand Shaper
Beth Brady, Matt Durella, Hannah Groove, Mark Wilson, Nancy Kanwisher, Hannah Hartmann, Cecilia Giovannini, Mark Siegelmann, Martha Minowski, Margaret Brennan, Nicole Sinclair, Caroline O, David Kwong, Shirley Moody, Tana, Angela Duckworth, Nina Savari, Mark Goulston, Mark McCurry, Mark Zuckerberg, Cecilia Arradaza
Executives from Principal Financial Group, Twitter, State Street, and BlackBerry convened at a Milken Institute panel to redefine marketing as a strategic revenue driver driven by data and cross-functional integration. The discussion highlighted a sector-wide pivot where leaders leverage hyper-personalization, advanced attribution modeling, and security imperatives to transform complex industries into consumer-centric ecosystems. Participants emphasized that future success relies on cultivating trust through simplified storytelling and rapidly iterating strategies to convert marketing from a cost center into a critical business engine.