Latest Interviews
Showing 841–855 of 1,205 transcripts.
Clear all filters- Milken Institute1h 1m
Supercharge the Search for Cures: Medical Philanthropists Reinvent Giving to Get Results
LaTese Briggs, Debra Black, Cindy L. Citrone, Joyce Keller, Melissa Stevens, Rob Citron
A panel of leaders from the Melanoma Research Alliance, 33 Foundation, and Gilbert Family Foundation discussed a strategic sector shift from reactive check-writing to active venture philanthropy that leverages flexible capital to fill the translational research gap. These institutions demonstrated high-impact outcomes, such as funding all 11 FDA-approved melanoma therapies and developing a non-profit venture fund to accelerate breast cancer treatments, while also employing non-cash assets like sports partnerships to drive systemic organ donation reforms. By addressing structural barriers including the nonprofit consolidation of small entities and the medical device "valley of death," the experts advocated for patient-centric infrastructure investments and deep, data-driven engagement models to maximize scientific returns.
- Milken Institute1h 4m
China, Architect of a New Global Order?
Haslinda Amin, Lawrence Ho, Elaine La Roche, Mike Perlis, Qi Bin
China has shifted from urging global participation to actively guiding economic integration through major initiatives like the Belt and Road, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, challenging U.S. influence without explicitly seeking hegemony. While panelists such as Lawrence Ho and Elaine LaRoche emphasize China's internal focus on stability and societal modernization rather than a masterminded power takeover, Beijing's opaque leadership transition creates uncertainty regarding future policy continuity. Looking ahead, experts project sustained economic growth driven by market liberalization and a strategic shift toward rational investments, proposing joint ventures in U.S. infrastructure and agriculture to bridge the existing knowledge gap between Washington and Beijing.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
New Educational Pathways to Middle-Class Jobs
Jeffrey Selingo, Joseph Aoun, Gene Block, John Hickenlooper, Gail Mellow, Gregg Roden, Jeff Selingo, Patrick Fine, Nick Hilsner, Mark Yossowitz, Ray Jacobson, Jason Summers
Panelists from government, industry, and academia address the widening gap between traditional education and modern workforce demands by showcasing employer-led apprenticeships and micro-credentialing programs at Frito-Lay, LaGuardia Community College, and Colorado. Experts advocate for integrating "robot-proof" soft skills and coding literacy into core curricula while shifting toward lifelong learning models that combine technical training with human-centric adaptability. The discussion concludes that without systemic reforms including state-sponsored national service and expanded private-sector training, automation will increasingly displace workers, exacerbating wage stagnation and unemployment.
- Milken Institute1h 2m
Building Tomorrow's Agents of Change Across Africa
Carole Biau, Clare Akamanzi, Frank Aswani, Jingdong Hua, Daphne Kis, Jennifer Pryce, Chen Goldberg, Jenna Taylor, Anne-Marie Slainier, Caroline Hunter, Wilmilton Kwong Wong Iwasaki
Leading African institutions and policymakers are driving a strategic shift from resource competition to human capital development by launching targeted educational initiatives and regulatory reforms. Organizations such as the African Leadership Academy and WorldQuant University are rapidly scaling access to higher education and technical skills, while Rwanda's liberal immigration policies and the African Union's self-funding levy aim to foster regional integration and financial sovereignty. These efforts collectively address the critical bottleneck of youth unemployment by building a unified talent ecosystem that prioritizes dignity, ownership, and the ability to leapfrog legacy infrastructure through advanced technologies.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
Trends Shaping Technology, Business and Society
Kara Swisher, Adrian Aoun, Belinda Johnson, Oscar Salazar, Hans Tung, Devin Wenig
Industry leaders including Devin Wenig, Belinda Johnson, and Oscar Salazar convened to address the profound societal disruptions caused by artificial intelligence, automation, and platform economics, predicting significant job displacement while highlighting human-centric countermeasures like the Airbnb community's creation of 730,000 roles. The panel critiqued Silicon Valley's lack of accountability and outdated regulatory frameworks, arguing that self-regulation and government partnerships are essential to manage political polarization and the growing anxiety among the economically insecure middle class. To mitigate these challenges, speakers advocated for universal basic income experiments, robot taxes, and urgent K-12 STEM education reforms to bridge the gap between technological efficiency and the preservation of human connection and creative design.
- Milken Institute55 min
Investing in Sustainable Development
Susan Mac Cormac, Anne Finucane, Vicki Fuller, Scott Minerd, Clifton Robbins, Markus Voigt
A panel of institutional leaders from Bank of America, Blue Harbor, and the New York State Common Retirement Fund redefined the investment landscape by distinguishing between broad sustainability and material ESG factors while advocating for hybrid corporate structures like Public Benefit Corporations. These experts outlined strategies to deploy hundreds of billions in capital toward renewable energy and infrastructure, emphasizing that integrated reporting and rigorous data standards are essential for mitigating stranded asset risks and ensuring fiduciary compliance. The consensus projects that ESG integration will soon become a baseline legal requirement, transforming impact-first philanthropy into investment-first strategies that deliver superior long-term returns without concessionary financial performance.
- Milken Institute59 min
Leading a Healthy Life
Paula Zahn, Rip Esselstyn, Michael O. Johnson, Erik Oberholtzer, Dean Ornish, Shazi Visram
Dr. Dean Ornish leads a panel demonstrating that integrated lifestyle interventions involving plant-based nutrition, stress management, and social connection can reverse chronic conditions ranging from heart disease to prostate cancer while simultaneously reducing long-term healthcare costs. The discussion identifies structural barriers such as food deserts and industrial subsidies as primary obstacles, proposing community-based solutions like affordable plant foods and distributed health platforms to ensure equitable access. Ultimately, the group concludes that individual behavioral choices, driven by the joy of living rather than fear, serve as the definitive determinant of health and can override genetic predispositions to prevent premature mortality.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
Business Tax Reform: Hammering Out the Details
Ben White, Chris Campbell, Ross DeVol, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, Gene Sperling, Mark Weinberger
The White House and Republican congressional leadership have unified behind a tax reform package leveraging budget reconciliation to pass with a simple majority, though experts warn that claims of self-funding through growth are mathematically inconsistent with current proposals. Key debates center on the inclusion of corporate cuts alongside individual rate reductions, while panelists express skepticism regarding the Border Adjustment Tax's viability and the likelihood that the final legislation will fail deficit neutrality tests under the Byrd Rule. Consequently, the anticipated outcome is a significant short-term stimulus with temporary deficits rather than a permanent, revenue-neutral reform, leaving bipartisan support unlikely without structural adjustments favoring the middle class and infrastructure investment.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
Activist Athletes: Embracing Social Advocacy
Jocelyn Benson, Anquan Boldin, Swin Cash, Stephen Ross, Troy Vincent, Bill Desser, Hillary Lautenberg, Dewan Wiltshire, Jenny Santee
NFL figures Steven Ross, Troy Vincent, and Anquan Boldin joined WNBA executive Swin Cash to discuss leveraging professional sports as a platform for racial equality and social policy reform. Drawing on personal tragedies and collective action, the panel detailed strategies such as RISE's non-partisan coalition and cross-league initiatives aimed at shifting advocacy from awareness campaigns to tangible legislative changes. While acknowledging significant fan backlash and industry risks, the leaders emphasized that authentic, generational commitment and owner accountability are essential to dismantling systemic barriers within the sports ecosystem.
- Milken Institute1h 8m
How to Accelerate Gender Diversity on Boards
Celia Huber, Denise Morrison, Ronald O'Hanley, NV Tyagarajan, Rich Dottizio, Ron O'Hanley, SHARMINI PERIES, Kristen, Hope Tates, Amy Wilkinson, Nan Morris, Anna Chapman, Kelly Close, John Stackhouse
At the Milken Institute's 20th Annual Global Conference, CEOs from State Street Global Advisors, Campbell Soup, and Genpak argued that gender-diverse boards are essential for solving complex problems and driving shareholder value. These leaders identified systemic barriers such as conservative search firm practices and risk aversion while outlining actionable strategies like expanding recruitment criteria and implementing rigorous diversity metrics. The event concluded with a consensus that deliberate change requires CEO accountability and institutional leverage to achieve the industry's "30% Club" target.
- Milken Institute57 min
Globalization in the Crosshairs
Gillian Tett, Steven Ciobo, J. Bradford DeLong, John Hagel, Alejandro Ramirez Magaña, Stephen Schwarzman, Brad DeLong
Prominent economists and business leaders debated the global shift toward bilateral trade agreements and protectionism, with experts like Steve Schwarzman and Steve Chaubeau arguing that current friction serves as a catalyst for necessary systemic adaptation despite the risks of complex regulatory environments. While panelists such as Alejandro Ramirez and John Hagel highlighted immediate vulnerabilities in North American supply chains and declining corporate returns, the group largely agreed that unilateral tariff reductions in countries like Australia have historically driven superior growth compared to protectionist policies. Ultimately, the consensus leaned toward viewing the present era as a cyclical correction that could reset global trade baselines, though economist Brad DeLong warned that secular stagnation and automation might entrench these barriers longer than anticipated.
- Milken Institute56 min
Overcoming the Political Divide
Chuck Todd, Steve Bullock, Eric Cantor, Jason Grumet, Kenneth Hersh, Neera Tanden
A panel of political analysts and former officials identified that escalating dark money, collapsing competitive districts, and algorithmic media silos have structurally incentivized extremism while eroding public trust in Congress. To address these divisions, the discussion proposed concrete reforms such as the Montana-style disclosure of independent expenditures, reinstatement of reformed earmarks, and a national primary day to dilute ideological primary electorates. Looking toward the future, experts predicted that rising female candidacy rates and direct digital engagement may gradually shift the legislative landscape, potentially enabling bipartisan infrastructure deals if presidential leadership prioritizes compromise over partisan dogma.
- Milken Institute54 min
The Refugee Crisis: Rising to Meet the Moral Challenge of Our Time
Mary Hart, Simon Henshaw, Peter Laugharn, Saed Moujtahed, Zainab Salbi, Caryl Stern
A Milken Institute panel convened global leaders and philanthropists to address the escalating crisis of forced displacement, revealing that 50 million children are currently on the move while host nations face systemic strain and security misconceptions. The discussion highlighted critical failures in current aid models, noting that refugees spend an average of 18 years in limbo with only 0.2% of funding reaching local organizations, prompting a pivot toward long-term strategies like cash transfers, employment rights, and rebuilding war-torn economies. Ultimately, stakeholders called for a transition from reactive crisis management to proactive systemic reform, leveraging private and public capital to restore dignity and stability rather than relying on emergency shelters.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
How the Energy Transformation Will Power the Future
Josh Barro, Robert Armstrong, J. Andrew (Drew) Murphy, Mark Schwartz, Michael Smith
Industry experts project that while global oil demand will peak by 2040 driven by petrochemicals, natural gas will remain the fastest-growing fossil fuel alongside a renewable sector that is rapidly undercutting traditional baseloads. Economic forces are increasingly dictating energy transitions, with falling solar and wind costs enabling corporate adoption and grid modernization efforts, even as political uncertainty and infrastructure risks threaten to slow nuclear retirements and coal-phaseouts. Simultaneously, the sector faces critical challenges in grid stability and storage integration, while long-term technological bets on fusion and advanced batteries aim to address a persistent underinvestment in research and development.
- Milken Institute59 min
Shaping Digital Finance
Dan Primack, Corrie Elston, Paul Hamill, Julie Monaco, Alfred Spector, Michael Tannenbaum
Executives from SoFi, Citigroup, Two Sigma, and Google Cloud convened to analyze the accelerating digitization of finance, contrasting the rapid speed of fintech disruption with the slower, scale-driven transformation of legacy banks. The panel highlighted how artificial intelligence and machine learning are now driving critical efficiencies in underwriting and compliance, while legacy institutions are reclassifying startups as strategic partners through open API frameworks and venture arms. Despite these technological advances, participants noted that regulatory barriers and cybersecurity concerns remain significant hurdles, even as emerging markets demonstrate the transformative potential of digital payments for financial inclusion and anti-corruption efforts.