Latest Interviews
Showing 1891–1905 of 2,108 transcripts.
Clear all filters- Milken Institute1h 1m
The Upside of Aging: A Conversation in the Pavilion
Mike Morseberger, Barry Rand, Frida Lewis, Steve Knapp, Mark Friedman, Hasi Cohen, Henry Cisneros, Bob Wheelan, Brooke, Jeff Schatz, Andrew, Rita, Gary, Britta
This panel identifies the global demographic shift toward an aging population as a critical challenge comparable to climate change, highlighting that current societal structures fail to utilize the substantial human capital of older adults. Experts argue that sustainable solutions require integrating age-friendly urban planning, reforming higher education to serve lifelong learners, and implementing financial policies that secure retirement and workforce participation. Ultimately, the discussion advocates for a cultural transition from viewing aging as decline to recognizing it as a generative force, with predictions of widespread adoption of "village" support networks and expanded health technologies within the next decade.
- Milken Institute59 min
What's Silicon Valley Got to Do With It?
Alec Ellison, Andrew Auerbach, Eric Drummond, Kate Mitchell, John Ruffalo, Eric Schmidt, Andrew Lovett
A panel consensus establishes that while Silicon Valley remains the global leader in technology clustering and venture capital, its unique managerial ecosystem is difficult to replicate, forcing other regions to leverage distinct local assets rather than attempting direct imitation. Success outside the Valley depends on aligning specific industry strengths—such as clean tech in Colorado, agtech in St. Louis, or software in Provo, Utah—with appropriate capital types and a culture that tolerates risk and embraces immigration. Looking ahead, the innovation center of gravity is shifting toward life sciences and regional verticals, with emerging hubs in the Rocky Mountains, New England, and Israel positioned to capitalize on these specialized sectors and evolving government tax policies.
- Milken Institute1h 2m
Immunotherapy: The Silver Bullet Against Cancer?
Dr. Jonathan Simons, Jed Wolchuk, Pam Sharma, Dr. Charles Drake, Elliot Siegel, TJ Sharp, Mary, Dr. William Coley, Jim Allison, Keith Black, Don Coffey, Magic Johnson, Tom Frye, Eleanor Roosevelt, Adlai Stevenson, Dr. Howard Sewell, Carl June, Drew Pardola
Hosted by Prostate Cancer Foundation President Dr. Jonathan Simons, a panel of leading oncologists and industry experts detailed the transformative impact of checkpoint inhibitors, which extended survival for terminal melanoma patients from months to years and triggered 20% cure rates. While the discussion highlighted expanding efficacy in lung and kidney cancers, the group identified critical barriers regarding "cold" tumors, inefficient serial trial designs, and federal funding disparities that threaten early-career research. The panelists concluded by advocating for parallel testing of combination therapies, revised FDA endpoints to accelerate approvals, and increased government investment to bridge the gap between immunological discovery and clinical application.
- Milken Institute57 min
Redefining the Middle East: A Game-Changing Energy Alternative from the Eastern Mediterranean
Glenn Yago, Senator Landrieu, Lawson Freeman, Ron Prosser, Mehmet Sadam
A Milken Institute panel led by Senator Mary Landrieu and Ambassador Ron Prosor redefined the Eastern Mediterranean as a strategic energy hub, leveraging massive Tamar and Leviathan gas discoveries to transform Israel from an importer into a net exporter. The discussion detailed how a $3 billion Tamar project and emerging reserves in Cyprus and Lebanon are fostering regional integration through export deals with Jordan and the Palestinian Authority while establishing a sovereign wealth fund to diversify Israel's economy. Experts concluded that ensuring fiscal regime stability and transferring US Gulf Coast technology are critical to overcoming political barriers and securing a stable, energy-independent Eastern Mediterranean against Russian influence.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
Living Healthy: Education, Access and Activity
Alex Witt, Robert Egger, Sam Cass, Michel Nishan, Rachel Poplack, Larry Soler, Robert Blendon, Natasha, Harlan Weissman
A coalition of federal agencies and major corporations is implementing a multi-faceted strategy to reverse obesity trends by codifying SNAP incentives, mandating healthy options in schools and vending machines, and reformulating product lines to remove trillions of calories. Simultaneously, innovative programs are expanding food access in underserved communities through technical aid for corner stores, mobile produce vendors, and culinary education initiatives that leverage cultural relevance and entertainment partnerships. Despite these advancements, stakeholders warn that without shifting financial sector priorities to long-term health strategies and addressing the projected diabetes crisis among seniors and youth, the current healthcare economic model remains unsustainable.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
The Big Shift: Diversity as a Business Rationale
Pamela, Alexandra, Richard, Javier, Margaret Anderson
Credit Suisse panelists and executives detailed the launch of their "New Markets" business unit designed to target women, African-Americans, and the LGBT community, citing a $12 trillion combined investment opportunity that remains underserved by current financial services. Speakers highlighted the necessity of executive sponsorship and internal data showing these segments generate outperforming returns while emphasizing that authentic progress requires top-down cultural shifts rather than quota-based hiring mandates. The discussion further explored strategic approaches to mentorship, advocacy, and the evolving legal landscape driving Fortune 500 engagement with these historically marginalized demographics.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
Are Renewables Still Relevant?
Ali Velshi, James Cameron, Richard Saines, Richard Sandor, Jigar Shah
A global panel of energy experts and investors characterizes the current shift toward renewable power as a fundamental restructuring of the energy delivery system, driven by $100 billion in annual solar investments and a transition from centralized fossil fuel generation to distributed smart grids. While consensus confirms renewables as the dominant source of new capacity, significant debate persists regarding the long-term stability of natural gas as a bridge fuel and the fragility of political support compared to permanent legislative mandates. The discussion further highlights that despite abundant capital, the industry faces a bottleneck in finding investable projects and must overcome utility opposition and aging infrastructure to meet the critical 2030 emissions deadline without relying solely on federal policy.
- Milken Institute1h 3m
Africa's Energy Landscape
Paul Hinks, Raj Shah, Jay Island, Kola Karim, President Kagame, Tony Elumelu
Launched by President Obama in 2013, the Power Africa initiative seeks to electrify the African continent by leveraging U.S. transactional advocacy to de-risk private sector investments aimed at closing a critical $50 billion to $100 billion energy gap. While the program faces significant hurdles including political instability, payment delays, and lengthy project timelines, it has already attracted substantial capital from global firms like General Electric and enabled local financial institutions to fund major infrastructure projects in priority nations such as Nigeria and Tanzania. By promoting an all-of-the-above energy strategy and accelerating regulatory reforms, the initiative targets the provision of reliable power to 600 million off-grid citizens to support the economic growth of a demographic with 60% of the population under age 25.
- Milken Institute1h 2m
The Natural Gas Economy
Brian Sullivan, Ralph Eads, John Hickenlooper, Stephen Green, Fred Krupp
This industry forum examines the U.S. shale gas sector's critical pivot toward wet gas extraction and LNG exports while addressing the economic and regulatory challenges posed by price volatility and fragmented state laws. Participants discussed the necessity of balancing environmental mandates, such as Colorado's strict methane limits, with the political imperative to maintain thousands of high-paying jobs and ensure affordable energy for consumers. The consensus among energy leaders and policymakers emphasizes that a stable, transparent regulatory compact is essential to unlock the industry's remaining potential and facilitate a natural gas transition from coal.
- Milken Institute53 min
Social Justice, Incarceration and Reentry: New Directions for a Better Way
Mike Romano, Scott Budnick, Reverend Jesse Jackson, Jackie Lacey, Van Jones, Prophet Walker
Facing a U.S. incarceration rate that quadruples the global average, California leaders and bipartisan coalitions are implementing structural reforms such as the 2012 three-strikes ballot measure and ARC's educational pathways to address severe overcrowding and 74% juvenile recidivism. By shifting focus from punitive confinement to community-based treatment, vocational training, and "Pay for Success" social impact bonds, the state aims to reduce costs that consume ten percent of the budget while simultaneously lowering violent crime rates and fostering economic opportunities for formerly incarcerated individuals. These initiatives, supported by figures ranging from Newt Gingrich to Reverend Jesse Jackson, seek to replace outdated mandatory minimums with targeted interventions that address the root causes of poverty and systemic racial disparities within the justice system.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
Inequality and Mobility in America
Jared Bernstein, Edward Conard, Robert Doerr, Chrystia Freeland
Distinguished economists Jared Bernstein, Edward Conard, and Chrystia Freeland debated the primary drivers of rising U.S. income inequality, with Bernstein attributing it to structural policy failures and financialization while Conard cites global talent shortages and labor supply shifts. The panel further contested empirical data regarding stagnant wages and mobility rates, with Freeland emphasizing the political risks of extreme disparity and Robert Doerr highlighting family structure as a key poverty determinant. To address these challenges, the group proposed divergent solutions ranging from Conard's trade deficit reduction and immigration reforms to Bernstein's full-employment agenda and Freeland's call for inclusive capitalism and universal social safety nets.
- Milken Institute59 min
Four Ways Stem Cells Will Change the Face of Medicine
John Thomas, Eugene Brandon, Paula Cannon, Jill Helms, Alison Watry
Established in 2010 via Proposition 71, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine has allocated over $2.2 billion to fund 65 entities, effectively bridging the "Valley of Death" between speculative research and commercial viability for incurable diseases. Recent breakthroughs include Dr. Eugene Brandon's encapsulated stem cell therapy for Type 1 diabetes, Dr. Paula Cannon's HIV-editing gene therapy trials, and Dr. Jill Helms's bone regeneration protocols using Wnt3a protein. Despite surging public support and promising clinical timelines for 2020 and beyond, the initiative faces a critical sustainability challenge as its $3 billion fund approaches depletion within three years while the NIH withdraws early-stage regenerative support.
- Milken Institute1h 2m
Investing in Students
Sean Green, Mike Cagney, Dave Girard, Bob Whelan, David Bergeron, Bill Bennett, Tony Miller
Addressing the $1.3 trillion U.S. student loan crisis, panelists including David Bergeron and industry leaders from SoFi and Upstart proposed shifting from traditional lending to investment-based models like Income Share Agreements and equity financing. These alternative structures aim to align educational costs with future earnings and force institutions to accept financial consequences for poor student outcomes, thereby challenging the cultural resistance to viewing higher education as a quantifiable investment. While innovative platforms have demonstrated low default rates through community accountability and flexible repayment terms, the discussion concluded that widespread adoption remains hindered by federal regulatory ambiguity and institutional reluctance to forfeit guaranteed federal protections.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
Food Security: How to Feed an Ever-Hungrier World
Glenn Yeager, Ken Quinn, Akinwumi Adesina, Claudia Garcia, Doron Gow, Mark Kahn, Mike Vellings
Organized by the Milken Institute and the World Food Prize, this high-level panel convened global leaders to strategize on feeding 9 billion people by 2050 through policy shifts, technological innovation, and private capital deployment. Key presentations detailed Nigeria's success in attracting $4 billion in private investment, highlighted the resource efficiency of aquaculture and genetic advancements like non-GMO polyploidy, and emphasized the critical role of venture capital in scaling ag-tech solutions. Ultimately, the discourse underscored the necessity of integrating digital interventions, infrastructure improvements, and nutritional science to overcome climate volatility and bridge the gap between current production and future global demand.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
China in Transition: Still a Land of Opportunity?
Henry Paulson, Cheryl Wu Dunn, Bob Iger
A high-level panel convened by Disney and former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson analyzed China's critical transition from an export-driven economy to one reliant on domestic consumption and market forces. While Disney announced a $5.5 billion expansion of its Shanghai resort to capitalize on a growing middle class, experts warned that unresolved issues like environmental degradation, local government debt, and political control pose significant risks to long-term stability. The discussion concluded that accelerating financial reforms and international integration through trade agreements like the TPP are essential to prevent an unsustainable future despite China's current economic resilience.