Latest Interviews
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Clear all filters- Milken Institute1h 6m
Investing in Hope: Philanthropy for What’s Next | Global Conference 2026
Melissa Stevens, Tonya Allen, John Palfrey, Maura Pally, Shamina Singh, Mark Suzman
Leading philanthropic executives from the Gates, MacArthur, and Mastercard foundations convened to redefine the sector's role in addressing poly-crises through active hope, strategic spending acceleration, and the integration of inclusive technology. Key initiatives such as the "Unite in Advance" coalition and the Gates Foundation's 2045 spend-down timeline underscore a collective shift toward deploying free capital for systemic change rather than transactional impact. The panel concluded that restoring public trust requires a fundamental cultural transition from reactive fixing to proactive community building, emphasizing collaboration over competition to solve complex challenges like AI displacement and racial wealth gaps.
- Milken Institute58 min
New Alliances, New Momentum: Investing in Sustainability | Global Conference 2026
Leslie Kaufman, His Excellency Majid Al Suwaidi, Raphael Arndt, Régine Clément, Peter Seligmann, Frederick Teo, Fred, Regine, Majid
GenZero, Sylvania, Creo, Future Fund, and Altera convened to address the shift from post-2008 financial stability to an era of geopolitical instability and AI-driven capital competition that demands a pivot from risk mitigation to organizational resilience. Panelists advocated reframing investment theses toward economic pragmatism, suggesting strategic capital allocation to fusion energy, nature-based assets, and local regenerative projects while utilizing AI for deep risk analysis rather than mere efficiency. The discussion concluded that long-term value creation requires depoliticized language focusing on energy security and adaptation, alongside private-sector leadership in scaling solutions that deliver both ecological protection and financial returns in an environment of "unknowable uncertainty."
- Milken Institute1h 0m
Private Markets After the Exit Boom: Liquidity, Insurance Capital, & Structural Discipline | GC 2026
Eric Platt, Dhiren Jhaveri, Camilla Languille, David Lyon, Eric Murzyn, Wil S. Warren
Stalled exit cycles and a structural valuation mismatch in the $4 trillion private market have forced hold periods to double, creating a severe liquidity deficit driven by the Iran conflict and AI-driven asset revaluations. In response, the industry is pivoting toward GP-led secondaries and NAV lending strategies, exemplified by Mubadala's resilient deployment, while insurance firms shift to liability-driven structures to navigate regulatory tightening and credit spread volatility. This environment is reshaping capital formation by favoring rigorous business model underwriting over financial engineering, with top-tier firms capturing the majority of new capital as mid-tier players face an anticipated strategic exodus.
- Milken Institute1h 13m
Manias, Panics, & Crashes: Can We Learn to Avoid Great Financial Mistakes? | Global Conference 2026
James Mackintosh, Zoe Cruz, Benedict Evans, Austan Goolsbee, Sebastian Mallaby, Catherine Wood
Moderated by James McIntosh, a panel of industry leaders including Cathy Wood and Sebastian Thrun evaluated the current AI investment landscape against historical precedents from Charles Kindleberger's *Manias, Panics, and Crashes*. While consensus suggests the sector is not a bubble, experts diverged sharply on whether the massive capital influx supports a justified productivity revolution or masks flawed business models and impending liquidity risks. Key figures debated specific trajectory risks ranging from commodity-style pricing and sovereign debt constraints to the potential for a rapid IPO wave to trigger a market correction.
- Milken Institute51 min
Venezuela Forward: Institutions, Trust, and the Path to Prosperity | Global Conference 2026
Fareed Zakaria, Iván Duque Márquez, Gabriel Gilinski, Andrés Moreno
Former Colombian President Iván Duque and investor Gabriel Puig outlined a U.S.-led, three-stage roadmap for Venezuela that prioritizes the removal of Nicolás Maduro and International Criminal Court prosecutions before any economic transition. The discussion emphasized that while Venezuela possesses significant oil and agricultural potential, restoring investor confidence and retaining diaspora talent requires a constitutional overhaul, strict rule of law, and a definitive election timeline to prevent the current regime from entrenching itself. Panelists warned that without bipartisan U.S. enforcement of these structural reforms, the nation risks a prolonged authoritarian economic model that could stall democratic progress despite high production capabilities.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
Digital Disconnect: Navigating Modern Relationships in a Hyperconnected World | Global Conference
Giselle Fernandez, Laura Berman, Michael Dimock, Matthew Hussey, Spencer Rascoff
Match Group CEO Spencer Raskoff and experts Dr. Laura Berman and Matthew Hussey address the paradox of a record-breaking loneliness epidemic among hyper-connected adults under 30, attributing the crisis to choice exhaustion, dopamine-driven Skinner box mechanisms, and a generational gap in social skills. In response, the company shifted its Key Performance Indicator from revenue to "Sparks" and invested $60 million in a user-giveback budget alongside $125 million in safety initiatives to prioritize genuine connections over engagement metrics. Strategic innovations such as Hinge's conversation caps, Tinder's "Double Date" feature, and the upcoming AI-driven "Sync" service aim to combat superficial "spray and pray" behaviors while fostering authentic, in-person relationships.
- Milken Institute57 min
Scaling the Global Music Economy | Global Conference 2026
Shirley Halperin, Aaron Bay-Schuck, Wyclef Jean, Michelle Jubelirer, Harvey Mason Jr.
Warner Records and industry leaders analyze a shifting music landscape defined by data-driven yet instinct-based artist signings, where long-term development prioritizes sustainable growth over viral trends amidst a saturated digital environment. Executives navigate the integration of AI for efficiency while advocating for ethical guardrails and artist agency, all as the global market expands beyond language barriers to embrace non-English genres and unprecedented streaming volumes. Despite record-breaking revenues, the sector confronts critical structural failures including unsustainable per-stream economics, a mental health crisis, and a lack of diverse leadership, necessitating collective action to modernize legacy systems and equitable profit structures.
- Milken Institute50 min
Aligning Investment and Opportunity in Health | Global Conference 2026
Caitlin MacLean, Peter Kolchinsky, Pablo Legorreta, Philip Ross, Amy Schulman
Capital Markets and M&A activity have accelerated since 2025, driven by $140 billion in public company acquisitions and a rebound in fundraising averages to $400 million, while large pharmaceutical firms divest non-core assets to pursue $70 billion in new acquisitions needed for growth. U.S. reimbursement dynamics, heavily influenced by the Inflation Reduction Act, are forcing a strategic pivot away from small molecules toward antibodies and orphan drugs, with billing volume signals now driving insurer coverage decisions. Meanwhile, global competition intensifies as U.S. firms increasingly license Chinese innovations and conduct early-stage trials abroad to leverage speed, even as artificial intelligence transitions from discovery hype to operational cost reduction in clinical recruitment and regulatory processes.
- Milken Institute54 min
Banks, Private Credit, and the Future of Risk | Global Conference 2026
Erik Schatzker, Vivek Bantwal, Molly Duffy, Jeffrey Gundlach, Kristofer Kraus, Brad Rogoff, Paul
A panel of financial experts convened to assess that while direct lending poses no immediate systemic threat comparable to the 2008 crisis, significant risks remain due to loosened underwriting standards, high leverage in enterprise software, and critical liquidity mismatches in semi-liquid funds. The discussion highlighted how valuation opacity and rising refinancing costs ahead of the 2028–2029 maturity wall are eroding investor trust, particularly among retail participants facing redemption gates. Despite these structural fractures and a potential recessionary spike in defaults, institutional capital continues to view the volatility as an opportunity to deploy funds at wider spreads while awaiting a market correction driven by credit dispersion rather than a total collapse.
- Milken Institute54 min
Modernizing Military Power | Global Conference 2026
Colin Demarest, Julie Bush, Dave DeWalt, Dino Mavrookas, Chris Power
A pivotal panel explored a massive surge in defense technology investment, projecting capital to reach $100 billion by 2026 as funds shift from software to hardware and industrial "neo-prime" entities consolidate the market. Participants detailed how a Trump-era budget blueprint and shifting Pentagon procurement culture are accelerating the adoption of commercial AI and dual-use technologies while addressing critical labor bottlenecks through de-skilled manufacturing and rapid workforce training. Looking toward 2026, the discussion highlighted an irreversible strategic pivot toward sovereign reindustrialization, characterized by aggressive shipbuilding initiatives, quantum-ready cybersecurity, and a projected wave of industry-wide mergers driven by the failure of past globalization strategies.
- Milken Institute45 min
AI Infrastructure at Scale: Financing the Power-Constrained Grid | Global Conference 2026
Brian Sullivan, Lucy Heintz, Douglas Kimmelman, Karl Kuchel, Rajit Nanda, Michael Zeltkevic, Doug Kimmel, Carl Cuscelli, Lucy Hines
Projected to approach one trillion dollars in global capital expenditures, the AI energy transition is being driven by hyperscalers utilizing long-term power purchase agreements to de-risk infrastructure financing amid rising electricity costs. As the industry shifts from a focus on speed to market to speed to power, data center locations are increasingly dictated by the immediate availability of reliable energy and data sovereignty constraints, with nations like Saudi Arabia positioning themselves as strategic inference hubs. While supply chain advantages and government permitting acceleration are accelerating deployment, the sector faces significant consolidation risks and financing hurdles for unproven storage technologies as the race for compute capacity intensifies.
- Milken Institute55 min
The Tech Supercycle: Where Capital Meets Innovation | Global Conference 2026
Daniel Koffmann, Marlene Garayzar, Scott Sobel, Francis Suarez, André Vellozo, Marlena Górezar, Andre Veoso
Scott Sobel of Valor Capital Group and Marlena Górezar of Story analyze the Latin American venture landscape, highlighting a rebound in investment driven by deep talent pools and resilient fintech unicorns that achieve profitability through proprietary AI models. Former Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and Andre Veoso of Drumwave discuss how physical safety, regulatory deregulation like Brazil's Pix system, and renewable energy infrastructure are establishing the region as a secure hub for reverse innovation and AI sovereignty. Together, the speakers illustrate a strategic pivot toward capital efficiency and data ownership, positioning Latin American firms to capitalize on valuation arbitrage as they expand globally.
- Milken Institute56 min
Inside the New Sports Economy: Innovation, Partnerships, & Global Expansion | Global Conference 2026
Jon Schwartz, David Abeles, Heather Brooks Karatz, Jeff Gordon, Ben Kennedy
NASCAR and golf leaders are redefining their industries through experiential festival models, massive digital gaming partnerships, and the strategic repurposing of venues for year-round mixed-use development. With new playoff formats and unique event locations like the upcoming San Diego military base race, the sports aim to capture first-time fans while leveraging simulation technology and female demographic data to drive engagement. Industry experts predict significant consolidation in golf by 2026 and emphasize that authentic values will remain essential for sustaining long-term revenue in an increasingly diverse and digital sports economy.
- Milken Institute1h 3m
Things That Will Blow Your Mind | Global Conference 2026
Richard Sandler, Ali Agha, Erin Blanton, Bentzion Levinson, Geoffrey von Maltzahn
This panel featured four innovators presenting distinct AI-driven solutions: Lila Sciences deployed autonomous laboratories to accelerate biotech and material discoveries, Field AI introduced hardware-agnostic robotics for extreme environments, Heaven Aerotech developed hydrogen-powered endurance drones for strategic defense, and Carbon Mapper utilized satellite spectrometry to identify and mitigate global methane super-emitters. Collectively, these breakthroughs demonstrate a shift from conversational AI to embodied, physical intelligence capable of operating 24/7 to solve critical challenges in labor shortages, climate change, and geopolitical security. The discussion concluded with a unified call for the West to reindustrialize and scale automation to prevent falling behind China's rapid advancements in scientific and military capabilities.
- Milken Institute52 min
Tradewinds: Navigating Economic Uncertainty | Global Conference 2026
Gerard Baker, Whitney Baird, Xavier Bettel, John Denton, Francisco Pérez Mackenna, Michael Roberts, Jerry Baker
A global economic panel consensus identifies a critical inflection point where geopolitical volatility and policy unpredictability are driving nearly $250 billion in annual lost activity while compelling nations to prioritize supply chain resilience over pure free trade. Amidst rising food security threats from conflicts in the Middle East and evolving US-China de-risking strategies, leaders are exploring plurilateral arrangements and technological solutions to manage these disruptions. Ultimately, the event highlights a shift toward strategic autonomy and green energy innovation as essential mechanisms to mitigate inflationary pressures and narrow the widening gap between the Global North and South.