Latest Interviews

Cyber Resilience: New Line of Defense for Business

James Kaplan, Catherine Allen, Jonathan Kaltwasser, Tim Rains, Ray Rothrock, Andrew Rubin

This event analyzes the strategic shift from financial cybercrime to destructive sabotage, highlighting how automated attacks now outpace traditional prevention models and threaten critical infrastructure. Panelists including Ray Rothrock, Andrew Rubin, and Jonathan Kahlwasser debate the necessity of pivoting from perimeter defense to organizational resilience, emphasizing that boards must actively manage risk through dedicated security committees and skills development. Ultimately, the discussion outlines forward-looking mandates for global cooperation, cyber insurance standardization, and identity-centric security to mitigate existential threats to the digital economy.

Investing in America: Transforming the Tax Code, Tackling the Debt

Ben White, Maya MacGuineas, David Perdue, Mark Warner, Mark Weinberger

Panelists warn that the U.S. federal debt has reached post-World War II highs, with mandatory spending consuming 70% of the budget and interest costs poised to exceed $1 trillion annually without structural reform. Despite dire projections from the Congressional Budget Office, 2016 presidential candidates on both sides have proposed tax cuts or spending expansions lacking credible offsetting mechanisms, driven by political gridlock and a broken federal budget process. Experts advocate for a "grand bargain" model similar to Simpson-Bowles, urging immediate action on international tax reform and entitlement adjustments to preserve the dollar's status as the global reserve currency.

Tech vs. Talk: Is Technology Changing Human Relationships?

Alex Witt, Genevieve Bell, Linda Burch, Sherry Turkle, Sam Yagan

Hosted by Alex Witt at the Milken Institute Global Conference, panelists including Sherry Turkle, Genevieve Bell, and Sam Yagan examined how smartphone proliferation erodes empathy, disrupts family dynamics, and alters the landscape of romantic relationships. Experts highlighted a sharp decline in human connection metrics alongside rising anxiety over the "always-on" culture, noting that children are increasingly driving the establishment of new social boundaries regarding device use. The discussion concluded with a call for intentional design and parental modeling to preserve the friction necessary for deep human interaction while navigating the inevitable evolution of technology.

Conversations with Congress

David Rubenstein, Bob Corker, Kevin McCarthy, Mark Warner

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy outlines Republican legislative strategies centered on advancing the Trans-Pacific Partnership and comprehensive tax reform while projecting confidence in maintaining House control during the 2016 election. Simultaneously, Senators Mark Warner and Bob Corker emphasize the urgent need for bipartisan solutions to fiscal deficits and foreign policy challenges, including the Iran nuclear deal, while navigating the deep structural frustrations within the Senate. Both chambers reflect a shared determination to restore executive-legislative balance despite rising political polarization and internal party divisions.

Nuclear Fusion: Has Its Time Finally Arrived?

Katie Fehrenbacher, Michl Binderbauer, Michel Laberge, Thomas McGuire, Dennis Whyte, Tom McGuire

A strategic shift is underway where private startups, academic spin-offs, and companies like Tri Alpha Energy and General Fusion are leveraging advanced computing and superconducting materials to accelerate commercial fusion development against the slow, costly timeline of traditional government projects like ITER. These entities are prioritizing compact, modular designs and rapid prototyping cycles to achieve net energy gain within a decade, effectively trading higher initial physics risks for lower capital costs and faster iteration speeds. This public-private triad aims to transform fusion from a long-term scientific curiosity into an immediate engineering reality that addresses the surging global energy demand by 2040.

Global Capital Markets: Deflation or Stabilization?

Thomas Finke, Afsaneh Beschloss, Mohamed El-Erian, David Harding, Joseph Hooley, Steven Tananbaum, Tom Fink, Jay Holey

Panelists including Jay Holey, Mohammed Al-Arain, and Steve Tannenbaum analyzed the global economy's structural slowdown and the divergent trajectories of advanced and emerging markets, noting that while central banks face policy limits, emerging economies retain fiscal capacity for growth. The discussion highlighted China's critical transition from an export-led model to a consumption-driven one, alongside the disruptive impact of fintech and digital platforms on traditional productivity metrics and banking infrastructure. Despite near-term political uncertainties like Brexit and anti-establishment movements, experts identified specific investment opportunities in distressed credit, quasi-sovereign bonds, and sectors combining digital innovation with unique content.

For Better or Worse? Technology's Transformative Role in Developing Regions

Paul Kedrosky, Joe Mucheru, Denis D. O'Brien, Hilton Romanski, Kentaro Toyama, Stephanie von Friedeburg, Ross Lajeunesse, Thomas Witt, Kate Ambrose, Samia Malham

A panel of global technology leaders and policymakers debated the complexities of bridging the digital divide in developing regions, highlighting the tension between optimistic leapfrog theories and the stark realities of infrastructure costs, regulation, and inequality. Key discussions centered on sustainable funding models, such as reconciling Over-The-Top revenue with telecommunications maintenance expenses, and the critical necessity of building parallel "analog foundations" including skills training and governance to ensure inclusive growth. The consensus underscored that achieving connectivity for the next 1.5 billion people requires $450 billion in coordinated public-private investment, integrated infrastructure planning, and equitable revenue-sharing mechanisms to prevent a two-speed global economy.

Thematic Investing and Portfolio Strategies: Betting on the Megatrends

Stephen Foley, Victor Chu, Taimur Hyat, Catherine Keating, Rebecca Patterson, Mike Ramsay, Timer Hyatt

Global megatrends in aging demographics, rapid urbanization, and geopolitical shifts toward a Chinese-led economy are fundamentally reshaping capital flows and demanding a transition to lower-carbon energy systems. Industry experts identify private markets, long-term infrastructure, and cross-asset task forces as critical vehicles for capturing value in healthcare, automation, and cybersecurity while navigating the risks of de-globalization and premature market entry. Successful execution requires patient capital with horizons extending five to twenty-five years, emphasizing rigorous due diligence to distinguish viable commercial solutions from speculative bubbles in emerging and developed sectors alike.

Bringing 21st Century Medicine to America's Veterans

Jonathan Simons, Matthew Collier, Magali Haas, Matthew Rettig, Mark Simon

The Department of Veterans Affairs has established a Senior Advisor for Strategic Partnerships to shift from isolated operations to a collaborative model leveraging its $169 billion budget and unique longitudinal data assets. By partnering with entities like Cohen Veterans Bioscience and private biotech firms, the agency is accelerating research on traumatic brain injury, suicide prevention, and precision oncology, evidenced by successful treatments for advanced prostate cancer patients. These initiatives aim to de-risk clinical trials, improve patient access to novel therapies, and transform the VA into a premier engine for precision medicine by overcoming historical cultural barriers to external collaboration.

Leaders of Companies that are Changing the World

Josh Barro, John Mackey, Strive Masiyiwa, Blake Mycoskie, Kristin Groos Richmond

John Mackey, Strive Masiwa, Blake Mycoskie, and Kristen Grues-Richmond convened to argue that stakeholder synergy and shareholder value are simultaneous goals rather than tradeoffs, exemplified by Whole Foods' Conscious Capitalism framework, TOMS' supply-chain pivot, and Revolution Foods' employee equity model. The panel detailed how these leaders utilize B Corporation certification and localized operations to achieve cost parity with public programs while navigating the regulatory complexities of public versus private market status. Ultimately, the discussion concluded that aligning business missions with societal needs drives long-term profitability and talent retention, urging companies to prioritize customer storytelling over traditional paid media to verify their impact.

Meaningful Work and Relationships: A Conversation with Ray Dalio

Ray Dalio, Raymond Dalio, Robert Kegan, Bob Keegan, Ken Broad, Collin Tate, Larry, Amanda Pullinger, Lewis, Hania Sadat

Bridgewater Associates operates as a globally scaled firm of 1,500 employees built on Ray Dalio's philosophy of radical truth and transparency to drive an idea meritocracy. The organization utilizes data-driven tools like the "Dot Collector" app and believability-weighted decision-making systems to systematically surface conflicts and resolve them through structured feedback. This unique model prioritizes individual development and psychological adaptation over traditional hierarchies, enabling the firm to navigate market crises while generating over two million downloads of its codified decision-making principles.

Discover Miami: travel the bars and beaches with the locals

Regla, Elaine Lancaster, Raven, Roberto Ramos, Sharif Malnik

This presentation outlines how Cuban migration since 1959, alongside waves from Latin America, transformed Miami into a multicultural metropolis where the local population represents one-third of the city's total residents. The discussion highlights the region's economic prosperity and cultural evolution, citing landmarks like the Wynwood art district and the historic Little Havana enclave, while noting Miami's unique status as a global art hub established by the 2002 Basel festival. Finally, the narrative examines the city's physical geography and social fabric, detailing the man-made origins of Miami Beach, the revitalization of South Beach, and the enduring community figures such as runner Raven and iconic venues like The Forge.

Ken Thompson - Strengthening Trust in the Criminal Justice System: Talks at GS Session Highlights

Ken Thompson

The Brooklyn District Attorney's Office manages approximately 100,000 cases annually through initiatives like the "Begin Again" program, which resolves one million low-level warrants via mobile courts, and the Conviction Review Unit, which has exonerated 17 wrongfully convicted men. To address gun violence, the office operates a fast-track multi-judge court system to accelerate case resolution and collaborates with the NYPD on long-term investigations targeting the out-of-state smuggling of firearms that comprise 90% of recovered weapons. This dual approach aims to correct systemic inequities for the poor while simultaneously enhancing public safety through faster adjudications and targeted intercepts of illicit weapons.

What are the world's biggest problems? (part 2b) @ Cambridge University

A speaker outlines a strategic framework for maximizing social impact by selecting career paths based on the criteria of neglect, scale, and tractability. Using quantitative comparisons of domestic versus global poverty and analyzing failed interventions like Scared Straight programs, the presentation identifies high-impact fields such as global health, migration reform, and scientific research where resources are scarce and evidence of efficacy is strong. The analysis concludes that deliberate, data-driven selection of causes can multiply an individual's contribution compared to conventional choices, urging professionals to target under-served areas where specific actions yield measurable progress.

David Benioff - Behind the Scenes of HBO's 'Game of Thrones': Talks at GS Session Highlights

David Benioff, Stephen Friedman

Co-creators David Benioff and Dan Weiss transformed *Game of Thrones* into the world's largest television production by expanding George R.R. Martin's universe from six countries and thousands of extras while navigating the unprecedented challenge of original storytelling beyond published books. Despite initial pilot setbacks, the team secured unprecedented control from HBO to forge new narrative paths for Season Six and beyond, marking a shift toward a series they consider their most proud work. The collaboration remains defined by Martin's unique mentorship, which continues to influence the writers' approach to complex character dynamics and historical fidelity as the show prepares for its eighth and final season.