Latest Interviews
Showing 16–28 of 28 transcripts.
Clear all filters- Milken Institute1h 1m
Lighting the Globe: Manoj Bhargava in Conversation with Sheryl WuDunn
Manoj Bhargava, Sheryl WuDunn, Eric Schmidt, John McCutchan, Raymond Santos, Jennifer Doyle, Sharon Chandran
Forbes billionaire and 5-Hour Energy founder Manoj Parga has launched "Stage 2," a venture dedicated to deploying low-maintenance, scalable technologies in water, energy, and health for underserved populations. The initiative introduces hardware like the $250 Free Electric bicycle to generate power for livelihoods, the energy-efficient Rainmaker desalination unit, and a medical patch for early disease detection, all designed to replace unreliable solar and complex medical diagnostics in rural areas. Parga explicitly rejects proprietary hoarding by offering to train competitors and sell production lines, prioritizing rapid global adoption of simple, functional engineering over traditional philanthropic overhead.
- Milken Institute1h 2m
Power Shifts: The Emergence of a Multipolar World
Jean-Marie, Mehdi, Richard, Eric Schmidt, Tina Fordham
Jean-Marie Guéhenno and Mehdi Jomaa analyze a shifting global order where state capacity erodes amid non-state actors, forcing institutions like NATO and the UN to adapt to hybrid warfare and internal member skepticism. While Syria's chaos and Russia's strategic leverage in Ukraine highlight the failure of traditional diplomacy, the discourse emphasizes that economic strain and regional instability now demand proactive investment in transitions like Tunisia to prevent further refugee crises. The panel concludes that the current multipolar complexity requires redefining collective defense doctrines and abandoning regional silos to address interconnected threats effectively.
- Milken Institute1h 2m
How American Business Is Shaping the Gay-Rights Debate
Katie O'Reilly, Richard Socorides, Matthew Winkler, Nicole Dullet, Dustin Lance Black, Josh Barrow, Sumit Goel, Patricia Waldinger, Eric Schmidt, Mark Chamberlain
Since the early 1990s, major corporations across sectors like technology, finance, and entertainment have actively championed LGBT rights, evolving from isolated advocacy to a unified front that leveraged economic influence to defeat discriminatory legislation such as Indiana's 2015 Religious Freedom Restoration Act. Driven by data linking inclusive policies to higher productivity and younger consumer appeal, these business leaders have pioneered investment vehicles like the Credit Suisse LGBT Equality Index while pressuring governments to expand marriage equality and employment protections. Looking ahead, this corporate momentum is poised to address transgender rights and navigate global legal complexities, further fracturing traditional political coalitions and redefining workplace standards for the next generation.
- Milken Institute54 min
The Art of Art Collecting
Don Marin, Eric Schmidt, Philippe Rigollet, Mitch Rales, Kavita
Former MoMA president Don Marin moderates a panel featuring Philippe Rigollet, Mitch Rales, and Kavita Pande to analyze the tension between the rapid global expansion of museums and the scarcity of historically significant artists. The experts debate the risks of institutions prioritizing commercial entertainment and high-frequency visitor numbers over artistic integrity, while highlighting a dramatic surge in collector investment where art now comprises up to 50% of net worth. Participants conclude that despite booming market values for specific African and contemporary works, only a tiny fraction of creators achieve the longevity required to shape art history.
- 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 0m
Technology, Creativity, Values: What Drives the New Disruptors?
Andy Serwer, Brandon Beck, Brad Delson, Dave Gilboa, Payal Kadakia, Mike Shinoda, Eric Schmidt, Bradley Horowitz, Brad Lee O'
Four industry leaders from Riot Games, Linkin Park, ClassPass, and Warby Parker present a "New Disruptor" business model that replaces quarterly profit maximization with long-term stakeholder unity. By integrating employees, fans, and customers into a single ecosystem, these organizations leverage deep empathy and real-time feedback to achieve Net Promoter Scores in the high 80s and 90s. This strategy reframes relationships as the primary asset, enabling rapid organizational scaling while maintaining social missions that directly drive sustainable profitability.
- Milken Institute1h 5m
Look, Ma, No Hands! The Future of Cars
John Cassessa, Chris Gerdes, Raj Nair, Chris Urmson, Kevin Vincent, Eric Schmidt, Eric Schwartzmann, Eric Schuartzmond, Carl Harris, Joe Greener
Led by John Cassessa, a panel of industry and government leaders including executives from Ford, Google, and Stanford, along with NHTSA officials, confirmed that the automotive sector has reached a critical inflection point for autonomous vehicle adoption. The group outlined a roadmap where rapid technological progress in sensor integration and Vehicle-to-Vehicle communication will soon drive significant safety gains, fuel efficiency through platooning, and reduced traffic congestion. While timelines for widespread consumer availability vary between Google's near-term deployment and Ford's two-decade horizon, the panel emphasized that successful implementation depends on resolving regulatory mandates, ethical programming dilemmas, and shifting consumer trust levels.
- 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 0m
Brand Battlefield: Mobile and Social Networks
Sean Amos, Josh Mandel, Bonin Bow, Jamie Goodfriend, David Rockefeller Jr., John McWhorter, Eric Schmidt, Josh Tenenbaum, Jimmy O., Kathleen King, Mike McDonald, Serena Rosso, Ron, Nick Smoot, Carolina Tolberti
The discussion highlights a decisive market shift where social media usage now surpasses television, driving 84% of purchasing decisions through peer influence while Millennials command $400 billion in projected spending. Brands like Mondelēz International are responding by realigning strategies toward mobile-first approaches and real-time engagement, exemplified by the Honey Maid campaign's rapid crisis-to-opportunity turnaround. This transformation is further fueled by organizational changes where executive sponsorship and machine learning empower sales teams to replace compliance silos with authentic relationship building.
- Milken Institute1h 23m
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.
- Milken Institute1h 16m
MI Forum: Clutch: Why Some People Excel Under Pressure and Others Don't
Paul Sullivan, Skip Reimer, Cyrus Hekmat, Eric Schmidt, William Rickles, Jamie Dimon
Paul Sullivan distinguishes "clutch" performance from mere luck by defining it as the repeatable execution of high-level skills under extreme pressure, characterized by laser-focused attention, adaptability, and a strategic balance between fear and desire. Through case studies ranging from Eli Manning's Super Bowl victory to Jamie Dimon's disciplined leadership, Sullivan demonstrates that these traits are learned via deliberate practice rather than innate talent, enabling individuals to avoid the paralysis of overconfidence and overthinking. The presentation concludes by urging a shift from outcome-oriented anxiety to present-moment execution, making elite performance accessible to professionals across various fields through consistent, pressure-simulated training.
- Milken Institute1h 3m
Longevity Is Opportunity: Riding the Demographic Wave
Pinchas Cohen, Michael Hodin, Dan Houston, Paul Irving, Jody Holtzman, Eric Schmidt
Driven by a historic demographic inversion where the over-60 population now exceeds the under-14 group, the traditional retirement model has collapsed due to extended lifespans outpacing savings and healthcare innovations. This shift has catalyzed a $3.5 trillion market dominated by the over-50 demographic, prompting corporate leaders and investors to pivot from acute care toward prevention, wellness, and extended career engagement strategies. Organizations like BMW and emerging startups such as Neuropath are now adapting workplace structures and diagnostic technologies to address the financial, biological, and social challenges of an aging global workforce.
- Milken Institute1h 12m
Alternative Investments
Andrew Whitaker, Josh Harris, Vinay Choudhary, Julia Lawler, Andrew Serwer, Eric Schmidt, Brevin Howard, Arvind
Leading alternative investment managers Josh Harris, Wilbur Ross, and Vinay Choudhary detail a strategic market pivot driven by the unattractiveness of traditional fixed income and the need to escape equity volatility, with private equity demonstrating a historical 26% net return against the S&P 500's 9%. Panelists identify specific high-yield opportunities in energy, distressed European banking, and marine transport while warning of an impending credit cycle caused by a massive debt bubble and a $500 billion annual refinancing wall between 2018 and 2020. This consensus positions institutional capital toward direct co-investments and value creation in distressed assets as the Federal Reserve prepares to normalize rates and end quantitative easing.