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The pandemic has exposed long standing inequity when it comes to access and adoption of critical technologies, from broadband connections to laptops to digital literacy. These are the necessary conditions for children to learn, for young adults to acquire needed skills, for adults to find jobs, and to ensure everyone has access to the services they need. In this conversati...

Private equity firms are using leveraged buyouts, venture capital, and other funding sources to acquire hospitals, clinical practices, nursing homes, and other health-related businesses on a grand scale. In 2021, they poured more than $200 billion into the sector, compared to $41 billion in 2010. Investors claim their capital will expand access to care, drive innovation, f...

Alongside climate adaptation, wealth inequality is one of America’s most urgent problems. Learn from a diverse group of innovators about their contributions and commitments to a more equitable wealth agenda and why they are hopeful substantive progress will be made.

No one is immune from the catastrophic storms, wildfires, heat waves, and drought that accompany climate change, but the risks are far greater for some populations than for others. Unstable housing, food insecurity, inadequate access to care, lack of tree canopy, and proximity to toxic emissions and other environmental hazards all intensify the health consequences. People...

Featured Ideas Festival Scholars include Lashon Amado, María Teresa Kumar, Michael McAfee, and Eshauna Smith. Fueling today’s highly charged political environment is the growing sense that opportunity is elusive and inequality is rising because our national economic policies unfairly disadvantage the middle class. Millions of Americans believe they’re pawns in a game they...

If one dives deeply into the statistics, the American Dream is actually quite alive and well. In his provocative book, The Myth of American Inequality, former U.S. senator Phil Gramm argues that the facts reveal a very different and better America than the one currently described by policy advocates across much of the political spectrum.

Untapped market opportunities, coupled with the recognition that many diseases exclusively affect women, or affect them differently than men, are drawing venture capitalists into women’s health. These private equity investors, often entrepreneurial women, are motivated by a commitment to gender equity, a supportive regulatory environment, and awareness that there are profi...

Peter Georgescu arrived in this country as a penniless Romanian refugee and rose to prominence as the CEO of Young & Rubicam. It’s an American Dream success story that could not play out in today’s economic environment — one that is plagued with disappearing jobs, flat wages, and a shrinking middle class. In his new book, Capitalists, Arise!, Georgescu argues that the star...

While internet connectivity, technology, and digital skills are central to every part of modern life, the unfortunate reality is that millions of Americans have been left behind. We’ll discuss how transformational investment in digital equity and inclusion is helping close the digital divide.

The pathway to health sometimes travels through a physician’s office, but economic stability, the physical environment, access to nutritional foods, adequate schools, and social support may be even more important way stations. These and other social determinants of health need to be considered in an integrated fashion, engaging collaborators across disciplines who have not...

A historic opportunity to accelerate positive outcomes for the environment, communities, and shareholders may be within reach as unprecedented federal funding for sustainable initiatives provides innovation opportunities for the private sector. Join this panel to learn how to invest in climate and equity to benefit the bottom line, catalyze innovation, and attract and reta...


How far have we come toward racial equality since the civil rights era? What would Dr. King think?

Amidst the pandemic, the George Floyd killing, and the 2020 election, the calls for business to respond to societal challenges have increased exponentially. Chip Bergh has spent much of his decade-long tenure as Levi Strauss & Co. CEO speaking out on topics including gun-violence prevention, voting rights, climate change, and racial justice. Join Bergh and Ellen McGirt as...

Join Deloitte, University of Colorado Boulder, and Aspen Institute experts for a conversation at the intersection of cutting-edge research and inclusive innovation on climate resilience. As severe weather and climate-driven natural disasters become the new norm, find out how to reduce climate-related risks across geographies and demographics. Presented by Deloitte
While the United States has the world’s deepest and most liquid capital markets, and the largest number of billionaires in the world, we also have historic levels of wealth inequality and racial disparity. The very real risk: These disparities might not only undermine our economy but our democracy. What will it take to narrow the gap and build wealth equity in America? Wha...

Senator Chris Coons (D-DE) is actively working with Republicans to foster innovation and competitiveness. He is eager to enjoin Capitol Hill in policies to grow manufacturing jobs, and to equip workers with the skills they need to fill them. The senator, just recognized by the Bipartisan Policy Center for his commitment to working across the aisle, has become a strong voic...

How do we develop scalable policy solutions that will empower families throughout the United States to rise out of poverty and achieve better life outcomes? How we can improve children’s opportunities in communities that currently offer limited prospects for upward income mobility? Award-winning Harvard scholar Raj Chetty, whose research focuses on equality of opportunity...

American pro sports make a lot of money. Had it not been for the pandemic, the industry in North America was projected to generate $75.7 billion per year in revenue, a tally that includes ticket sales, television contracts, concessions, and advertising. Less easy to calculate — but also significant — is the impact of sports on communities. Sports have a profoundly positive...

Rural America has come to the nation’s attention. But much discussion in the media and coffee shops, at conferences and dinner tables, relies on incorrect or no data, largely idyllic or dystopic tropes and images, and opinion uninformed by rural experience. The full picture of rural America is quite different. It has gained population in the last two years. Agriculture emp...

Nothing demonstrates that health is an industry ripe for growth and change more clearly than the enthusiastic participation of venture capitalists. Far more than in the past, they are committing resources to seed start-up operations, not only in artificial intelligence and data science, but also in the life sciences and health-related services and delivery systems. Recogni...