Latest Interviews
Showing 1066–1080 of 2,089 transcripts.
Clear all filters- Milken Institute55 min
Which Way for Emerging Markets in 2018?
Staci Warden, David Bohigian, Scott Mackin, Arvind Rajan, Nicolas Rohatyn, Sev Vettivetpillai
This analysis highlights a structural shift in global economics where emerging markets now drive the majority of GDP growth, fueled by a youthful demographic dividend and synchronized recovery contrasting with stagnation in developed nations. Investors are increasingly pivoting from macro commodity proxies to micro-level opportunities in healthcare, education, and renewable energy, though they must navigate significant liquidity risks in corporate bond markets and capital traps in private equity. Success in this environment requires long-term horizons, rigorous bottom-up due diligence to distinguish good capital absorption, and strategies that blend public and private funding to mitigate political and technological disruption.
- Milken Institute59 min
Lessons in Leadership: Women Breaking Barriers and Battling Bias
Yomi Abiola, Richard Ditizio, Asli Bayram, Jackie Cooper, Lynne Franks, Assia Grazioli-Venier, Brenda Trenowden
This panel of business leaders and activists argues that achieving global gender equality requires structural reforms beyond individual mentorship, citing the "elephant and giraffe" parable and Norway's 40% board quota as evidence that systemic bias must be dismantled through enforceable mandates and diverse executive empowerment. Key speakers including Asya and Brenda Trenodin outlined strategies such as replacing passive mentorship with active sponsorship, utilizing AI to neutralize gendered hiring language, and investing in mixed-gender leadership to normalize female presence in high-stakes corporate and venture capital environments. While acknowledging slow progress highlighted by the World Economic Forum's 2186 equality projection, the group emphasized that accelerating this timeline demands measurable KPIs, top-down accountability, and a shift in corporate culture from tolerance to active inclusion.
- Milken Institute1h 4m
Expanding the European Economy: The Role of Capital Markets
Michael Milken, Robert Kricheff, Damian Lillicrap, Giuseppe Naglieri, Grace Peters
At the 2017 Milken Institute London Summit, financial leaders from J.P. Morgan, QSuper, Verde, and Shankman convened to diagnose Europe's overbanked structure and fragmented capital markets as primary obstacles to middle-class prosperity. Panelists argued that excessive regulation and the dominance of traditional lending have stifled small business growth and pension innovation, necessitating a Capital Markets Union to diversify funding sources and disintermediate the banking sector. The discussion concluded with a strategic imperative to deploy capital into SMEs, emerging markets, and ESG-focused initiatives to counter populist backlash and ensure the Eurozone's economic viability.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
Immigration, Workforce and the New Europe
Robert Guest, Elizabeth Collett, Paul Collier, August Hanning, Syed Kamall, Parag Khanna
Former German intelligence chief August Hanning, economist Paul Collier, and other global security experts convened to analyze the economic, political, and security dimensions of the European migration crisis. The panelists distinguished between refugees and economic migrants, arguing that Europe's disproportionate political focus has undermined global stability while driving polarization that empowered nationalist movements from the AfD to Trump. Ultimately, the discussion concluded that resolving displacement requires a fundamental shift from border-centric policies to investing in governance and economic development within origin countries to address the root causes of migration.
- Milken Institute58 min
Alternative Small Business Financing: Keeping California on Top and Sharing the Wealth
Carolyn Karo, Autumn Burke, Manny Fernandez, Chris Hameetman, Victor Parker, Richard Swart
California's 2016 dominance in U.S. alternative financing, capturing 41% of the market and 58% of funds, is driven by the state's tech wealth effect and university density, yet this success masks severe structural biases where 99% of capital flows to graduates of top universities and only 4% reaches female minority entrepreneurs. While Regulation Crowdfunding has helped California lead the nation with nearly $8 million in offerings, industry experts warn that high compliance costs and low funding caps currently disadvantage early-stage startups outside of software, prompting calls for legislative reforms that include interstate exemptions and tax incentives. To maintain competitiveness against other states and prevent capital flight to Initial Coin Offerings, panelists recommend leveraging data science for risk assessment, introducing revenue-share instruments, and expanding financial literacy education to underserved communities.
- Milken Institute1h 1m
Tech or Bust: Maintaining California's Edge in the Workforce
Patt Morrison, Marcie Jastrow, Shawn Layden, Tobias Sherman, Jay Tucker, Jeff Wong
A panel discussion highlighted how California's dominance in video games and film is eroding due to global competitors offering superior financial incentives and the state's high cost of living driving talent away. Experts emphasized an urgent need to address critical infrastructure gaps and a finite labor shortage by expanding early education initiatives and diversifying recruitment beyond traditional tech hubs. Recommendations include establishing integrated academies to teach adaptable skills, fostering inclusive internships for underserved communities, and leveraging virtual reality to sustain future industry growth.
- Milken Institute41 min
A Conversation with Steve Ballmer
Steve Ballmer, a Harvard graduate who left Stanford to join Bill Gates at Microsoft, has applied his strategic leadership and data-driven philosophy to diverse sectors including technology, philanthropy, and sports. He founded USAFacts.org to provide nonpartisan government data that holds officials accountable and aims to improve economic mobility, while simultaneously revitalizing the LA Clippers with a focus on championship performance and operational transparency. Ballmer's approach consistently emphasizes the necessity of high performance, clear vision, and measurable outcomes across all his current ventures.
- Milken Institute1h 3m
Big Cities, Big Data: How "Smart Cities" Improve Lives & Save Money
Sean Arian, Lilian Coral, Stephen Engblom, Robert Garcia, Rohit Gupta, Steve Swartz
Hosted by Sean Arian at the LA Chamber of Commerce, the "Big Cities, Big Data" panel featured long-term strategies from Los Angeles, Long Beach, and private sector leaders to transform municipal operations through data-driven equity and efficiency. Speakers detailed how officials like Mayor Robert Garcia and former Chief Data Officer Lillian Corral restructured procurement, launched real-time transparency tools, and utilized philanthropy to bridge digital divides while shifting from asset acquisition to service models. The discussion concluded with a consensus on the urgent need to integrate governance across silos, adopt user-centric design, and establish living labs to foster sustainable civic innovation.
- Milken Institute40 min
California Leading the Future of Energy
Harry Atwater, Caroline Choi, Mark Herrema, Jane Wells
A panel featuring leaders from Caltech, SoCal Edison, and New Light Technologies explores contrasting strategies for climate mitigation, ranging from JCAP's artificial photosynthesis research and California's push for 80% zero-carbon energy by 2030 to New Light Technologies' commercial production of methane-derived biodegradable plastics. While SoCal Edison outlines the necessity of infrastructure investment to electrify transport and buildings, New Light CEO Mark Harriman details a successful licensing model that has secured billions of pounds in plastic orders with partners like IKEA. The discussion concludes by emphasizing the critical role of chemical fuels for hard-to-electrify sectors like aviation and the urgency of converting carbon emissions into valuable market products to achieve net-negative outcomes.
- Milken Institute34 min
California's Future Economy
Kevin Klowden, Kevin Demoff, Charles Harrington, Paul Markovich, Betty Yee
Hosted by the California Center for Regional Economics, a panel of leaders from Blue Shield, Parsons, the LA Rams, and the Controller's Office examined the intersection of infrastructure, healthcare, and human capital in shaping the state's future economy. Panelists identified critical challenges including healthcare costs suppressing wage growth, automation threatening tax revenue sustainability, and the urgent need to secure aging infrastructure against cyber threats. To address these issues, the group advocated for public-private partnerships like the Inglewood micro-city project, expanded workforce training initiatives, and blended funding models to maintain California's global economic leadership over the coming decades.
- Milken Institute59 min
California's Solutions to Health Care
Anna Gorman, Kimberly Evon, Yiwen Li, Josh Ofman, Hugh Waters, Claudia Williams, Kim Avon
A multi-stakeholder panel addressed California's $378 billion chronic disease burden and an impending home care workforce crisis by advocating for a transition from volume-based to value-based care models. Industry leaders and policymakers highlighted precision medicine, targeted genomic testing, and community health workers as critical strategies to reduce inefficiencies while opposing direct price controls that might stifle innovation. The consensus emphasized establishing a common data infrastructure and robust payment reforms to enable California to lead the nation in preventative care and universal access.
- Milken Institute59 min
Green Gold: California's New Cash Crop
Joe Mathews, Hezekiah Allen, Adam Bierman, Matthew Dababneh, Cat Packer, Karan Wadhera, John McCurry Jr., David Levinson, Matthew Hendershotain Jr., David Windmueller
California's $7 billion medical marijuana industry, which produces 16 million pounds annually, faces a critical transition as only a fraction of existing retailers and growers secure licensure amidst a persistent gray market and federal Schedule I restrictions that block banking access. While experts predict inevitable consolidation driven by high compliance costs and an equity gap affecting African American communities disproportionately, ancillary investors are simultaneously targeting technology and lifestyle sectors to mitigate federal risks. Long-term industry normalization and social equity will depend on Congress removing cannabis from Schedule I to enable interstate commerce and fully integrate the market into the mainstream economy.
- Milken Institute48 min
Immigration and the California Economy
Andrea Bernstein, Gray Davis, Maria Elena Durazo, Iliana Perez, Perry Wong, Caroline Walker, Krishna Thangavelu
Panelists including Perry Wong, Governor Gray Davis, and Maria Elena Durazo convened to address the economic instability caused by shifting U.S. trade policies under the Trump administration and the looming uncertainty surrounding DACA and immigration reform. The discussion highlighted California's heavy reliance on immigrant labor to fill critical roles in technology and healthcare while warning that the proposed sunset clauses in NAFTA and restrictive immigration enforcement strategies threaten billions in economic activity and workforce continuity. Participants emphasized the necessity of comprehensive legislative solutions to stabilize the labor market against a coming demographic shift as the Baby Boomer generation exits the workforce.
- Milken Institute1h 10m
Investing in California's Future
Michael Milken, Melanie Lundquist, Dominic Ng, Antonio Villaraigosa, Steve Westly
A diverse panel of civic leaders, educators, and philanthropists including Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Steve Westly addressed California's paradox of high productivity paired with critical deficits in education, housing, and infrastructure. The group highlighted transformative outcomes from the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, where graduation rates in partner institutions nearly doubled, while advocating for urgent public-private investments in early childhood education, green technology, and workforce-ready curricula. To sustain economic growth and address systemic inequality, the discussion concluded with recommendations to redefine infrastructure for the autonomous age, leverage California's demographic diversity for global trade, and implement housing cap-and-trade mechanisms to ensure equitable access.
- Milken Institute1h 14m
Made in California: Presentations from California Grown Startups
Dorothy Rothrock, Ian Coll McEachern, Gordon Fowler, Gabe Grifoni, Susie Harborth, Stella Kramer, Carmen Palafox, Dolly Singh, Ken Sunshine
Leaders from Make in LA, The Glue Factory, and BioLabs San Diego convened to address critical workforce shortages in California's manufacturing and biotech sectors while analyzing the rise of hardware-enabled startups and fragmented funding landscapes. The session featured five case studies illustrating this shift, including Vector Space Systems' launch vehicle innovation, Sangenomics' personalized probiotic therapy, and Thesis Couture's engineering-driven footwear. Presenters highlighted a strategic pivot from traditional networking to resource access, emphasizing the need for specialized incubators to support solopreneurs and the convergence of software with IoT and frontier technologies.