Diane Helfrey
Showing 1–3 of 3 transcripts.
- Milken Institute1h 14m
Building Better Cities and Scaling Housing Solutions
Diane Helfrey, Ross DeVol, Mary Mack, Jonathan Rose, Jesse Vaughan
Experts and corporate leaders convened to address a 20-million-unit U.S. housing deficit driven by coastal economic concentration and demographic shifts, highlighting how essential workers like teachers and first responders are increasingly priced out of the market. The dialogue detailed specific interventions, including Landed's equity-sharing model for down payments, Wells Fargo's LIFT program, and Microsoft's $500 million investment, while emphasizing that preserving existing affordable stock and reforming zoning laws are equally critical to expanding supply. Despite strong public support for mixed-income housing, the event concluded that overcoming local NIMBY opposition and aligning fragmented advocacy groups are necessary to unlock the policy consensus required for systemic change.
- Milken Institute1h 0m
The Future of Workforce in California: Industry Trends and Employment Pipelines
Jane Oates, Elise Stribos, Jeanie Wade, Ryan Craig, Diane Helfrey, Jessica Koo Kim
This summit addressed the critical displacement of traditional manufacturing roles by automation and the urgent need to bridge the digital skills gap across California's Los Angeles Basin workforce ecosystem. Industry leaders from E-Velocity and Northrop Grumman, alongside experts like Ryan Craig, highlighted successful intermediation models and strategic partnerships that align K-12, community college, and corporate curriculum with real-time labor market demands. The event concluded with consensus that the obsolete "40-year degree" model must be replaced by continuous upskilling, apprenticeship pathways, and inclusive hiring practices to sustain economic mobility in the 21st century.
- Milken Institute55 min
Opening Remarks and Keynote
Diane Helfrey, Michael Klowden, Dan Schnur, Toni Atkins, John Chiang
Hosted by the Milken Institute and Sacramento Bee director Dan Schnur, this conference convened key figures such as State Treasurer John Chung and Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins to launch a sustained dialogue on California's critical challenges in housing, workforce development, and climate finance. The event highlighted the urgent need for cross-sector collaboration to bridge the "missing middle" housing gap, address a projected 2030 labor shortage, and mobilize a record $1.75 billion JPMorgan Chase investment alongside a new state Green Bond Pledge. Attendees acknowledged a deep public trust deficit that can only be resolved by uniting public, private, and nonprofit leaders to implement innovative financing mechanisms and streamline legislative priorities for the state's future.