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2016 Annual Meeting

Don't miss out on this year's annual meeting

Don't forget to register for our 23rd Annual Meeting. Join your friends in Washington, D.C. from October 26-29 for another extraordinary meeting - just days before the US Presidential election. Hear from experts on the future of science, philanthropy, business, what's to come on the political horizon and much more.  Remember, registration ends September 1st!  Simply refer to the original invitation email sent in early July ("Join your G50 friends in Washington, DC: Registration for the XXIII Annual Meeting is now open"). Don't miss out on ensuring a spot for this wonderful event!

New Speaker Updates

From one of the richest men in the world  to the police commissioner that made NYC the safest big city in the United States, here is a look at the most recent additions to this year's meeting. Register now! Don't miss out on the opportunity to hear from these extraordinary people. 

Alan Murray Named Time INC Chief Content Officer

After some speculation, Alan Murray has been named the new Time Inc. Chief Content Officer. He will succeed Norman Pearlstine and help oversee the company's shift towards digital media. Vanity Fair talked to Murray hours after his appointment and learned more about his ideas for this new job and the future of journalism. Read the complete interview. 

Aprende.org: Slim's New Initiative

As part of his philosophy that knowledge - not philanthropic foundations - solves poverty, Mexican telecom tycoon Carlos Slim Helú launched Aprende.org, a free online educational platform aimed at expanding opportunities to anyone with a smartphone and an internet connection. Read More...

Endangered Species Alert: Elephantidae republicanus

Seldom does the global public have an opportunity to observe an endangered species in its natural habitat, but this week, wildlife enthusiasts received a rare glimpse into the poignant final days of the American Republican elephant. Georgetown's Rosa Brooks explains... Read More...

The (G.O.P) Party's Over

Thomas L. Friedman has argued for a while now that there is only one thing worse than one-party autocracy, and that is one-party democracy. At least a one-party autocracy can order things to get done. A one-party democracy - that is, a two-party system where only one party is interested in governing and the other is in constant blocking mode, which has characterized America in recent years- is much worse. It can't do anything big, hard or important. Read More...

Ambassador Otaiba Speaks Out Against Treatment of Emirati in Ohio

“In the UAE, we are also strong believers and advocates of religious diversity and tolerance, guided by the true tenets of Islam: respect, inclusion and peace,” Ambassador Yousef al Otaiba said. “In this spirit, we welcome hundreds of thousands of Americans to live and work in the UAE. The hundreds of thousands of Emiratis who live in or visit the U.S. each year for business, medical care, education or tourism should also expect to be treated the same, and not singled out because of their beliefs, attire or language.” Read More...

Fixing Broken Windows

NYPD commissioner, William "Bill" Bratton, wants to be the country's top cop. However, many seem to think that his legacy, defined by the "broken windows tactic", is tainted. Is that fair? Read More...

Internships are Not a Privilege

Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation, has made it his mission to battle inequality. In his most recent op-ed in the New York Times, he explains the inequality that is embedded in internships

How to Defeat ISIS

In a recent interview, Bernard Haykel, Princeton University professor of Near Eastern Studies, explains that in order to defeat ISIS, there has to be political and social change in the Arab worldRead the interview

The Need for Action

Chris Stone writes about the need for action on policing and racial justice after Baton Rouge.  "At this moment of grief, fear, and frustration in the United States, the Open Society Foundations stand committed to solidarity and justice. The killings of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, Philando Castile in Minnesota, and five police officers in Dallas in the last two weeks had already plunged the country back into a tense debate about racism and police use of force. The killing of three officers in Baton Rouge on Sunday has raised the stakes for everyone. There is danger everywhere, even as we are in mourning, and no one can stay above the fray"... Read More...

Alan Murray & His Love for Journalism

Former Fortune editor, Alan Murray recalls the moment he began his career as a journalist: he was a nine-year old kid going down his street asking his neighbors what was going on in their lives, writing it up in a one-page sheet and selling it for a nickel.  His career has since grown but his love of journalism has not faded. He still "like[s] to write about events". Read More about his career,  his experiences and what he thinks about the future of journalism.

Rubenstein: Brexit Won't happen

During the 2016 Aspen Ideas Festival, billionaire private equity guru David Rubenstein had some advice for those concerned about the eventual departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union: Don't panic, it won’t happen.  Read More...

Groundbreaking Quest to Improve Lives

"I am first and foremost a fundamental scientist, studying the genetic software of life," but J. Craig Venter is much more than a genomics pioneer. In this interview with the San Diego Union Tribune, Venter discusses his journey towards science, his hobbies and his thoughts on life. Read More...

Save the Date

Make sure to save the date for our 23rd Annual Meeting. Join your friends in Washington, D.C. from October 26-29 for another extraordinary meeting - just days before the US Presidential election. Hear from experts on the future of science, philanthropy, business, what's to come on the political horizon and much more. Registration opens soon. Stay tuned! 

The Latest Speaker Updates

From the acclaimed pioneer in genomics to a world renowned expert negotiator and a rising social entrepreneur, here are some of the latest speakers to join this year's G50 program. 

"Will My Money Make Something Happen that Wouldn't Otherwise Happen?"

The Carlyle Group's David Rubenstein recently spoke at the Washington Post Transformers event to discuss why he engages in patriotic philanthropy.  “My theory is that if younger people and older people know more about our traditions, our history — the good and the bad — they can be more informed citizens and we can have a better democracy. That’s a theory. Maybe it’s right, maybe it’s wrong." Read More...

Mariana Costa Chats with Obama & Zuckerberg

Mariana Costa, founder of Laboratoria, sat down with President Obama & Mark Zuckerberg to discuss her entrepreneurial journey and the challenges in between. The conversation was part of the 7th annual Global Entrepreneurship Summit that took place at Stanford University from June 22-24.   (Click here to watch full panel)

Science, Adrenaline & the Meaning of Life

J. Craig Venter — a motorcycle-racing, world-sailing adrenaline-junkie — was the first person to sequence the human genome - and his subsequent discoveries are changing the future of science. “How we understand our own selves, and how we work with our DNA software has implications that will affect everything from vaccine development, to new approaches to antibiotics, new sources of food, new sources of chemicals, even potentially new sources of energy,” he says. “Food will be manufactured — it won’t be grown in fields — in 50 years.” Read More...