Latest Interviews

The 2014 Atlanta Summit - - Lunch Program

Judith, Trevor, Mike, Carmen, Frida, Tom

This event examines the century-long strategic evolution of major philanthropies like the Rockefeller Foundation, detailing their pivot from medical cures to integrated public health systems and the resulting cross-disciplinary fields. It highlights modern innovations such as geospatial data integration for polio eradication and the rise of non-traditional partnerships between governments, pharmaceutical giants like Pfizer, and patient advocacy groups to address both infectious and non-communicable diseases. The discussion further underscores global health security challenges, including antimicrobial resistance and pandemic preparedness, while showcasing how mobile technology and crowdsourcing enable developing nations to leapfrog infrastructure barriers.

The 2014 Atlanta Summit - - Government, Industry and a Healthier Future: A Leadership Forum

Mike Milken, Tom Frieden, Vince, Representative Kinston, Representative Bishop, Sue Siegel, Bob Hugin, Steve Knapp, Jack

Industry leaders from GE and Beckman Coulter, joined by Congressional representatives Sanford Bishop and Mike Kingston, convened to align public-private strategies for leveraging CDC data in pandemic preparedness and chronic disease management. Discussions highlighted a critical shift toward subscription-based surveillance funding and point-of-care diagnostic innovations, driven by the economic imperative to address the projected $1 trillion annual cost of chronic illnesses. Participants concluded by urging a reframing of public health as a driver of economic competitiveness, calling for rigorous data monetization to secure congressional support for prevention initiatives.

The 2014 Atlanta Summit - - The Economic Burden of Chronic Disease: Preventing the Preventable

Ross DeVol, Margaret Anderson, Steve Bird, David Heber, Ken Thorpe

Milken Institute's Ross Duvall, Safeway's Steve Bird, UCLA's David Heber, and Emory's Ken Thorpe presented a unified analysis revealing that rising chronic disease prevalence, particularly in diabetes and stroke, is the primary driver of escalating healthcare costs despite controlled medical inflation. The panel highlighted successful private-sector interventions, such as Safeway's biometric wellness programs and social network strategies for obesity, which achieved significant cost reductions by targeting visceral fat and behavioral incentives rather than relying solely on traditional medical treatment. To scale these proven models, the speakers urged policymakers to reframe Medicare reform as a proactive health strategy, overcome Congressional Budget Office scoring constraints, and replace fee-for-service payment structures with value-based incentives that prioritize prevention and early disease management.

The 2014 Atlanta Summit - - Race We Can't Afford to Lose: Outsmarting Superbugs

Larry Brilliant, Beth Bell, Victoria Nahum, Lance Price, Andy von Eschenbach

Public health leaders convened to address the critical obsolescence of U.S. disease surveillance technology, which currently lags behind the rapid, cost-effective capabilities of Advanced Molecular Detection required to combat antimicrobial resistance and food-borne threats. Panelists detailed the catastrophic societal costs of preventable infections, including specific cases where delayed diagnostics contributed to mortality, while arguing that federal inaction represents the single greatest immediate risk to national security and public safety. The discussion concluded with a unified call for mandatory antibiotic stewardship, standardized genomic testing, and medical diplomacy to secure global health infrastructure before emerging pathogens outpace current diagnostic limitations.

The Frackers: The Outrageous Inside Story of the New Billionaire Wildcatters

Gregory Zuckerman, Joel Kurtzman, Conrad Kieschel, Greg Zuckerman, David J., Eric Schmidt, John McCutchan, David Freeman, David Sanger

At a Milken Institute forum, author Greg Zuckerman and moderator Joel Kurtzman analyzed how unconventional entrepreneurs like George Mitchell and Harold Hamm drove a U.S. energy revolution, slashing import dependence from 40% to 14.5% through hydraulic fracturing innovations. This technological surge, powered by horizontal drilling and "slick water" fracking, transformed the nation into the world's top energy producer while generating millions of jobs and reshaping global geopolitical dynamics. Despite ongoing debates regarding environmental safety and seismic activity, the discussion emphasizes that these breakthroughs have provided a critical economic bridge toward future renewable energy adoption.

The 2014 Atlanta Summit - - Welcome Remarks

Addressing critical global health threats like drug-resistant infections and synthetic biology risks, the summit underscored the necessity of sustained U.S. bioscience investment despite current funding declines. Governor Nathan Deal, absent due to a winter storm, formally pledged state support to maintain the CDC's role as the world's first line of defense against emerging pathogens and intentional outbreaks. The event highlighted how technological advancements, such as rapid genome sequencing, have enabled faster responses to crises like H7N9 while calling for renewed bipartisan commitment to secure the agency's future and the nation's economic stability.

The 2014 Atlanta Summit - - The Art of Alignment: Nonprofit Strategies for Improving Public Health

Charlie, Dr. Jim Marks, Dr. Anna Barker, John Lang, Dr. Lynn Goldman, Dr. Larry Jamison

Discussions among academic institutions, government agencies, and foundations highlight how strategic cross-sector partnerships can overcome resource constraints to achieve scalable health outcomes. Case studies demonstrate these principles through successful initiatives like the measles vaccination campaign and the YMCA's policy advocacy, which leveraged diverse networks to drive significant reductions in child mortality and chronic disease. Experts conclude that while the CDC's convening power is vital for national impact, sustained investment is required to shift the agency's focus from immediate threats to long-term solutions for obesity and behavioral health.

The 2014 Atlanta Summit - - Global Health Security: Containing Threats Worldwide

Dr. Larry Brilliant, Dr. Anne Schuchat, Dr. Ali Khan, Gary

Led by scientific advisors like Dr. Larry Brilliant to ensure accuracy in the film *Contagion*, the CDC serves as the world's primary defense against global pandemics that threaten trillions of dollars in economic stability and millions of lives. The agency utilizes elite Epidemic Intelligence Service officers, advanced genomic sequencing, and a network of over 50 international partners to detect, contain, and prevent outbreaks at their source before they spread via modern air travel. Despite facing resource gaps and political hurdles regarding preventative funding, the CDC's continued investment in global health security remains a critical necessity for protecting national and global supply chains.

Uncharted: Big Data as a Lens on Human Culture

Erez Aiden, Jean-Baptiste Michel, Skip Reimer

This analysis of a 5-million-book corpus derived from Google Books reveals how irregular verbs have regularized, collective memory decays faster than ever, and the time for technological adoption has plummeted from 65 to 26 years. Researchers also quantified the suppressive power of regimes like Nazi Germany and modern China through automated detection of n-gram frequency drops while demonstrating that cultural inertia allows for predictable long-term language trends. Ultimately, the study advocates for democratized big data access to objectively track public sentiment, career fame trajectories, and potential algorithmic biases across diverse fields.

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.

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.

Keynote Address: Gov. Jerry Brown

Jerry Brown, Mike Clouden

Governor Jerry Brown credited California's transition from a $27 billion deficit to a projected surplus of up to $12 billion on five voter-passed structural reforms, including redistricting and a top-two open primary, while cautioning against using temporary capital gains to fund permanent programs. The administration is currently shifting education funding from state mandates to a local formula that targets low-income and non-English-speaking students, reversing a trend of centralized control initiated by Proposition 13. Despite facing unresolved liabilities such as unfunded pensions and deferred infrastructure maintenance, the state continues to lead the nation in venture capital and innovation while positioning climate change solutions as a key economic driver.

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.

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.

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.