Dave Barry, Humor Columnist; Co-author, Lunatics
Alan Zweibel, Former Writer, "Saturday Night Live"; Co-author, Lunatics
Doug Sovern, KCBS Radio/ CBS 5 TV Correspondent (Moderator)

Beloved Pulitzer Prize-winning humorist Barry and quirky Thurber Prize-winning writer and "SNL" alum Zweibel take you on a literary journey of inspiration and mayhem. In a world filled with unbelievable jerks and morons, the two main characters of their new book Lunatics are about to collide in a swiftly escalating series of events that will send them running for their lives, pursued by the police, soldiers, terrorists, subversives, bears and a man dressed as Chuck E. Cheese. Experience the world through the eyes and words of bestselling humorist Barry and five-time Emmy Award winner, renowned "SNL" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm" writer Zweibel – a sure way to tickle your funny bone!

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on January 19, 2012

Host, “The Dylan Ratigan Show,” MSNBC; Author, Greedy Bastard$!
Quentin Hardy, Deputy Technology Editor, The New York Times- Moderator

Dylan Ratigan, host of one of the highest rated daytime shows on MSNBC, graces The Commonwealth Club with his hardball, gloves-off approach to American politics and big business. In his first book, Greedy Bastards, Ratigan details what he calls a “broken system” and “illustrates how fixing these problems will release a renaissance of growth and innovation.” Prior to joining MSNBC, Ratigan previously launched CNBC’s highly successful Fast Money and Closing Bell. Come join the debate as Ratigan discusses the repercussions and remedies to the problems we face in America today.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on January 18, 2012

Michael Gazzaniga, Professor of Psychology and Director of the SAGE Center for the Study of Mind, UC Santa Barbara

Known as the "father of cognitive neuroscience," Gazzaniga makes a powerful argument for free will. The question of free will versus determinism continues to vex scientists, psychologists and philosophers, but the biological evidence is not as stridently deterministic as it is often presented. Dr. Gazzaniga argues that the human mind constrains the brain and monitors our behavior, much as a government constrains its citizens. Drawing on cutting-edge neuroscience and psychology, as well as ethics and law, he offers a deeply considered case for human responsibility.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on January 5, 2012s

#OWS, pepper spray, book sharing, tents, mic checks and protest signs: Since September, the Occupy movement has staked a claim in every Facebook feed, almost every news program and in literally more than 100 major cities in the United States alone. Using the tools of collective assembly, occupiers have mobilized thousands in their fight for global change and against the richest 1 percent, but so many people are still less than sure what Occupy is all about. What have been the strategies and intent of this people-powered movement? Now that they have the world’s attention, what are they going to do with it? What is driving the movement forward?

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on December 15, 2011

John Merrow, Education Correspondent, NPR/PBS; Author, The Influence of Teachers
Kathleen Martin McCarthy, Recipient, 2011 Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching; Teacher, Washington Elementary School, San Leandro
Anthony Smith, Ph.D., Superintendent, Oakland Unified School District
Steven Thomas, Science Teacher/Director, De Anza High School Health Academy, West Contra Costa Unified School District
Dr. Colleen Wilcox, Executive Director, Silicon Valley Alliance For Teachers; Former Superintendent of Schools, Santa Clara County; Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors (Moderator)

A panel of high-level educators and experts discuss what they believe makes a great teacher and what the public and government can do to ensure that standards of excellence are set and adhered to at the primary and secondary level.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on December 5, 2011

PBS President Paula Kerger and KQED President John Boland

In conversation with Robert Rosenthal, Executive Director, Center for Investigative Reporting

Kerger is president and CEO of PBS, the nation’s largest non-commercial media organization, with more than 350 member stations throughout the country. Boland oversees KQED Public Media, including KQED Television – one of the nation's most-watched public television stations during primetime, with more than 1.5 million households viewing per month – as well as KQED Radio, the most-listened-to public radio station in the country, reaching more than 745,000 listeners each week. Our members ask the leaders of PBS and KQED their plans for future programming.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on November 29, 2011

In conversation with Phil Bronstein, Editor-at-Large, Hearst Newspapers

Vanden Heuvel challenges the limits of our downsized political debate, arguing that timid incrementalism and the forces of establishment power that debilitate American politics can be overcome only by independent organizing, strategic creativity and determined idealism. In the wake of the economic crisis, says vanden Heuvel, it is clear that neither one election, nor one person, can wholly reshape American politics.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on November 30, 2011

Jennifer Granholm, Former Governor of Michigan; Co-author, A Governor’s Story: The Fight for Jobs and America’s Economic Future
Dan Mulhern, Senior Advisor, Families and Work Institute; Co-author, A Governor’s Story: The Fight for Jobs and America’s Economic Future
Lisa Vorderbrueggen, Reporter and Columnist, Contra Costa Times, Bay Area News Group, Media News – Moderator

The impact of the recent economic crisis was felt especially intensely in Michigan, the heart of American manufacturing. As the state’s governor from 2003 to 2011, Granholm was on the front lines of a series of battles that began in the Great Lakes state before spreading across the country. During her eight years of leadership, Granholm tackled creating new jobs and reworking health care, rebuilding manufacturing industries and repairing the education system, in attention to attempting to restore public faith in the local and national economies. Join us for an exclusive conversation with Governor Granholm and her husband and co-author, Mulhern, as they discuss Michigan’s unique struggles, how the state weathered the economic storm, and what advice they can offer other policy makers and citizens.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on November 29, 2011

NBC Nightly News Special Correspondent; Author, The Greatest Generation, Boom! and The Time of Our Lives: A Conversation about America

Dan Ashley, News Anchor, KGO TV and Member, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors - Moderator

With all of the current political, social and economic challenges facing our country, veteran television broadcaster Brokaw asks: What happened to the America I thought I knew? In an effort to reconnect our families, communities and commitment to civic engagement, Brokaw looks back at his own family history and South Dakota upbringing and discusses the many changes that have transformed society. He offers inspiring stories of Americans who are leading the way for change in their own communities and shares his thoughts on how we can revitalize the promise of the American dream.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Santa Clara Convention Center Theatre on November 21, 2011

Robert S. Mueller III, Director, FBI

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on November 17, 2011

Host, “Hardball with Chris Matthews,” MSNBC; Author, Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero

David Kennedy, Donald J. McLachlan Professor of History, Emeritus, Stanford University - Moderator

Discover a new side to an American icon. Throughout the media storm that has followed him in life and death, President John F. Kennedy is still referred to as “that elusive man” by even his closest friends and family members. TV Host Chris Matthews sought to pull away the mystery when he began interviewing those who knew Kennedy best. From childhood in Massachusetts to a private battle with Addison's disease and finally Kennedy’s White House days, Matthews reveals the man behind the iconic initials.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Schultz Cultural Hall in Palo Alto on November 8, 2011

Amory Lovins, Author; Co-founder and Chief Scientist, Rocky Mountain Institute

Renowned environmentalist Lovins maps business-led pathways for the U.S. to phase out fossil fuels and win the global clean energy race. He envisions a future in which a 2.6-times larger U.S. economy in 2050 could need no oil, coal or nuclear energy, use one-third less natural gas, and save trillions. The transition can be led by business for profit and requires no act of Congress, says Lovins. He lays out his bold vision.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 17, 2011

Adam Gazzaley, Associate Professor of Neurology, Physiology and Psychiatry and Director, Neuroscience Imaging Center, UCSF
Josh McHugh, CEO, Attention Span Media
Tiffany Shlain, Founder, Webby Awards; Filmmaker, Connected: An Autobiography about Love, Death and Technology
David Ewing Duncan, Author, Experimental Man; Co-host, Tech Talk Radio – Moderator

More than a billion people around the world are engaged in a massive and unprecedented experiment in how social media technologies are changing society, commerce, politics, health, innovation, love, work, the arts and more. But what is this new tech literally doing to our brains? How is it impacting who we are as humans, and how is it making us different from previous generations in how we interact with information, our environment and each other? This provocative panel features a neuroscientist who studies the impact of multitasking on our gray matter and those who believe new social networking may be leading us to a more connected and even better world, as well as those who are wary of the physiological and societal impact that social media has on humanity. Listen to this mind-bending special event.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on November 1, 2011

Ever wonder what’s going on in your brain when you tune in to your favorite radio station or hum that song stuck in your head? Humans have been creating and enjoying music for thousands of years, but what really creates the experience? Is the brain of a musician different than the brains of the rest of us? Hear Levitin and De Grassi jam, chat and foot tap their way through the story of “Music and the Mind Machine.”

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on November 3, 2011

Reid Hoffman, Partner, Greylock; Executive Chairman and Co-founder, LinkedIn; Previous Executive VP, PayPal
Brian Chesky, Co-founder and CEO, Airbnb
In conversation with Brad Stone, Senior Technology Writer, Bloomberg Businessweek

One of Silicon Valley’s most successful entrepreneurs and one of the Valley’s most promising individuals are coming together to talk about the business of tech. Hoffman has not only been an important angel funder, an instrumental player in the birth of PayPal and now a thriving venture capitalist at Greylock; he also led LinkedIn to a public offering at more than $8 billion this past spring. Chesky launched the very popular and controversial Airbnb to change the way people look at ownership and dove into the world of self-monitoring online marketplaces. Find out what this tech duo has to say about crisis management, building trust, learning to be a leader and harnessing the power of the Internet.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on November 2, 2011

Former News Anchor, PBS “NewsHour”; Author, Tension City: Inside the Presidential Debates, from Kennedy-Nixon to Obama-McCain

In conversation with David Kennedy, Donald J. McLachlan Professor of History Emeritus, Stanford University

As the “man in the middle seat,” legendary broadcaster Lehrer has presided more than 11 presidential and vice-presidential debates. Drawing on his own experiences and interviews with candidates and other moderators, Lehrer gives an insider account of all of the backstage drama and reflects on some of the “major moments” and “killer questions” that defined each historical debate.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club's Silicon Valley branch on October 19, 2011

Laurence Tribe, Carl M. Loeb University Professor at Harvard Law School
Roger Pilon, Founder and Director of Cato's Center for Constitutional Studies

Jesse Choper, Earl Warren Professor of Public Law, University of California, Berkeley School of Law - Moderator

Is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act constitutional? As the litigation on health-care reform percolates up toward the Supreme Court, legal experts Pilon and Tribe debate the constitutionality of health-care reform.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 26, 2011

Director, the Edmond J. Safra Foundation Center for Ethics, Harvard University; Professor of Law, Harvard Law School; Author, Republic, Lost: How Money Corrupts Congress – and a Plan to Stop It

With the influx of private donations and corporate campaign expenditures continuing to balloon, trust in government is at an all-time low. Lessig discusses the evolution of our “economy of influence,” faulting both Democrats and Republicans and offering a plan to end corruption and restore our trust in the political system. Hear his thoughts on how to stop, correct and change the process.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club's Silicon Valley branch on October 24, 2011

Congresswoman; Republican Candidate for U.S. President

According to the World Economic Forum, the United States has slipped to fifth in global competitiveness. Republican presidential candidate and Minnesota Congresswoman Bachmann will present her views on pro-business economic policies that will allow private sector businesses to compete in the global market while addressing the need for job-skill retraining, innovation, comprehensive tax reform and reduction of regulations that threaten jobs. She will share her thoughts on how to revive America's competitive edge and restore the United States to the top of global competitiveness. Don't miss this chance to ask your questions directly to the presidential candidate herself.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 20, 2011

Director, Earth Institute, Columbia University, Special UN Advisor; Author, The Price of Civilization

Michael Moritz, Managing Member, Sequoia Capital - Moderator

Sachs gives a startling account of the inadequacies of U.S.-style capitalism. He offers a bold plan of reforms relating to sustainable infrastructure, taxes, job training, etc., that he says must be taken to avoid further damage. One of the most influential international economic advisors, Sachs was the director of the UN Millennium Project and is the president and co-founder of Millennium Promise Alliance.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club's Silicon Valley branch on October 10, 2011

Joseph Cirincione, President, Ploughshares Fund; Author, Bomb Scare: The History and Future of Nuclear Weapons

In conversation with Dr. Gloria Duffy, President and CEO, The Commonwealth Club

How should the U.S. confront nuclear terrorism and the currently unstable economic and political dynamics in the Middle East? Osama bin Laden’s death and the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq and Afghanistan indicate that the post-9/11 security era is ending. While the U.S. defense budget shrinks, strategic priorities rise to importance. Which priorities will remain? Cirincione explores these points and more.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 4, 2011

Deborah Alvarez-Rodriguez, President and Chief Executive Officer, Goodwill Industries of San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin; Board Chair, East Bay Community Foundation
Major General Michael Myatt, President and CEO, Marines Memorial Association; Chair, Fleet Week Association
Paul Rieckhoff, Executive Director and Founder, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America
Ana Thompson, Executive Director, Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation
Jane Whitfield, President, Whitfield Consulting – Moderator

Nearly 2 million veterans live in California, with more than 200,000 in the San Francisco Bay Area alone and tens of thousands of troops returning home over the next year. Collaboration between philanthropy, corporations and government is being hailed as the possible solution for the urgent needs of this massive population. Joining Forces, a White House initiative announced in March, is an attempt to catalyze this collaboration by increasing the national discourse. How can our community unite to support veterans? Experts and insiders weigh in.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 4, 2011

President, ACLU; Author, Taking Liberties: The War on Terror and the Erosion of Democracy

Following the 9/11 attacks, Americans watched as the government implemented numerous pieces of antiterrorist legislation such as the Patriot Act in an effort to fight the war on terror. In recent years, however, many civil rights advocates have increasingly argued that these emergency measures may pry too deeply into the lives of not only suspected terrorists, but of nearly all Americans. ACLU President Herman contends that civil liberties have rapidly eroded in post-9/11 America. She will examine whether laws and policies, like the Patriot Act, are constitutional and effective, or just counterproductive.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 5, 2011.

Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D, Director, National Institutes of Health

Larry Brilliant, M.D., MPH, President and CEO, Skoll Global Threats Fund - Moderator

Hear one of the world’s most influential scientists and medical researchers discuss the coming revolution in biomedical innovation – and what it might mean for you. Dr. Collins oversees the work of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the federal agency that is the nation’s largest supporter of biomedical research. Before taking the helm of NIH in August 2009, he led the international Human Genome Project and made landmark discoveries of a number of important disease genes. Today, one of Dr. Collins’ top priorities is to accelerate the movement, or translation, of scientific advances from the research lab to the medical clinic. However, despite dramatic progress in identifying the molecular basis of many diseases, translation remains a slow, expensive and failure-prone endeavor. For example, it currently takes about 13 years and more than $1 billion to develop a successful new drug. To help reengineer this process, NIH recently announced plans to establish a new entity, the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS). Dr. Collins describes how NCATS, along with other NIH research initiatives, will catalyze the generation of innovative methods and technologies to enhance the development, testing and implementation of new treatments for a wide range of diseases.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 3, 2011

John Donahoe, CEO, eBay; Member, White House Council for Community Solutions
John Lee, Executive Director, The Bread Project
Nicole Levine, Executive Director, Women's Initiative for Self Employment for San Francisco and the Bay Area
Sid Espinosa, Director of Corporate Citizenship, Microsoft Corporation; Mayor, City of Palo Alto
Sydnie Kohara, Broadcast Journalist - Moderator

During challenging economic times, creative solutions to boosting underserved communities are at a premium. Our panel of experts discuss how the private and public sectors can best join forces to support underserved communities through education, entrepreneurship and job training. eBAY CEO John Donahoe brings his unique expertise in both business and government (through his presence on the White House Council for Community Solutions) to this high-profile panel. WISE is a Bay Area nonprofit that provides high-potential, lower-income women with training, resources and ongoing support to start and expand their business. The Bread Project’s mission is to empower individuals with limited resources on their path to self-sufficiency through on-the-job training in our social enterprises and assistance for employment in the food industry. All panelists offer creative solutions that can provide empowerment not only to the underserved communities but to California as a whole.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on September 20, 2011

Julian Guthrie, Journalist, San Francisco Chronicle; Author, The Grace of Everyday Saints
Michael Krasny, Ph.D, KQED Radio Host; Author, Spiritual Envy: An Agnostic’s Quest
Rabbi Stephen Pearce, D.D., Ph.D., Senior Rabbi, Congregation Emanu-El of San Francisco
Bishop William Swing, President and Founder, United Religions Initiative; Episcopal Bishop of California, 1980-2006
Alan Jones, Dean Emeritus, Grace Cathedral - Moderator

A panel of provocative thinkers and leaders of San Francisco’s interfaith community discuss the role faith and the sacred play in modern society. Is the faith found in nature any less or more powerful than faith felt in a house of worship? Can communities save us when hierarchies fail? Must a religious community depend on a physical structure for its reality? In this eye-opening conversation, an esteemed group of panelists shed light on what it means to have faith in the 21st century, as well as push us to rethink what we hold as truly sacred in our own lives.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on September 14, 2011

Eric Ries, Author, The Lean Startup

In conversation with Dave McClure, Founder, 500 Startups

Starting one, working for one, going public with one – startups seem to be the thing to do in SF. But how do you make your startup great? Ries, the guru behind the “Lean Startup” sensation, asks: Is your startup employee-centric and knowledge-obsessed? Is your company functioning at optimal efficiency? Is your office a fun place to work? Ries reveals what he believes to be the necessary hard facts that lead to a successful startup.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on September 27, 2011

Joel Brinkley, Journalism Professor, Stanford University; Foreign Affairs Columnist

John Diaz, Editorial Page Editor, San Francisco Chronicle - Moderator

Former New York Times Israel bureau chief and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Brinkley takes us inside his recent working trip to the Middle East, where he covered a tour of U.S. and European officials in the Middle East and interviewed several senior, regional leaders. Hear an eyewitness perspective on the changes reshaping that region.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on September 19, 2011

Lieutenant Governor, California; Former Mayor, San Francisco

In conversation with Scott Shafer, Host, "California Report," KQED

Now that Newsom has packed up his San Francisco office and moved to Sacramento, he’s encountering many new challenges and responsibilities. He began his term with California billions of dollars in debt and facing numerous contentious issues. Come hear Newsom’s positions on the most important issues facing California and how he thinks we can get back on track.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on September 8, 2011

Frances Moore Lappé, Author, Diet for a Small Planet

Drawing on the latest research from disciplines ranging from anthropology to neuroscience and her own field experience, Lappé argues that the biggest challenge to human survival isn't our fossil fuel dependency, melting glaciers or other calamities. Rather, she says, it's our faulty way of thinking about these environmental crises that robs us of power. Lappé dismantles seven common "thought traps" that belie what we now know about nature, including our own, and offers contrasting "thought leaps" that suggest our hidden power.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on September 6, 2011

Navi Radjou, Independent Consultant and Fellow, Cambridge Judge Business School; Former Executive Director, Centre for India & Global Business, University of Cambridge

India’s pervasive resource and capital scarcity combined with massive diversity and growing connectivity are turning the country into a large-scale, living laboratory where grassroots entrepreneurs and corporations are coming up with frugal inventions that are both affordable and sustainable. Radjou explains how “indovations” have relevance not only within India but worldwide.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on August 31, 2011

Rajiv Doshi, M.D., Executive Director (U.S.), Stanford-India Biodesign; Consulting Assistant Professor of Medicine, Stanford University
Anurag Mairal, Ph.D., Director, Global Biodesign Exchange Programs, Stanford University

The emerging health-care needs of the rapidly expanding Indian population require the development of novel, cost-effective medical technologies that are relevant for the needs of the Indian people. However, the medical technology industry in India is still in its infancy, and there have been relatively few successful examples of medical technology innovation in that country's history. Stanford University’s program in biodesign has been working closely with the government of India to promote medical technology innovation within industry and academia, with the goal of creating scalable medical technology innovation for the masses. Doshi and Mairal will share their experiences in medical technology innovation for India and discuss the opportunities and challenges for medical technology innovation in the future.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on August 29, 2011

William Miller, Herbert Hoover Professor of Public and Private Management Emeritus, Stanford Graduate School of Business; President Emeritus, SRI International
Rafiq Dossani, Senior Research Scholar, Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center, Stanford University; Executive Director, South Asia Initiative
Sean Randolph, President and CEO, Bay Area Council Economic Institute - Moderator

India and China are the world’s two most populous countries, with dynamic, fast-growing economies that are reshaping the economic balance of power. It is widely accepted that both countries are becoming forces to contend with – which will present the United States with challenges and opportunities. But though they are often spoken of together, their political and economic systems are very different. The similarities and differences between India and China, the distinct economic paths they have chosen, and the success of their respective models will heavily influence the shape of the future global economy – and the United States. Two noted experts on China and India compare and contrast modern India and China, and assess their present and future roles.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on August 25, 2011

The story of India’s 30-million-and-growing worldwide diaspora is reshaping trade, identity and culture all around the globe. Hajratwala will speak on what she says Americans need to know today about the rapidly changing country to which nearly 2 million Americans trace their roots. Hajratwala will draw from the seven years of research that led to her nonfiction book, Leaving India, winner of a California Book Award (Silver) and other literary awards.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on August 25, 2011

Bulbul Tiwari, Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford University

In this special program, Stanford Fellow Tiwari introduces us to historical and contemporary Indian Hindi film. She will provide insight into the significant conventions, economics and genres, including a screening of excerpts from old and new musical film performances.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on August 24, 2011

Ranjan Dey, Proprietor, New Delhi Restaurant; Founder, New World Spices

A special event with acclaimed chef and proprietor of San Francisco’s New Delhi Restaurant. The evening included a cooking demonstration using Chef Dey’s “speed scratch” style with a masalas spice-blend, sampling of traditional Indian flavors, and henna hand painting.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on August 23, 2011

Rajasvini Bhansali, MPA, Executive Director, International Development Exchange

The rhetoric of India Shining, a 2004 public relations campaign, engineered by the then-ruling Hindu fundamentalist party, referred to the economic growth following India's IT boom and a few years of plentiful rain. As India's image as a developed nation grew in the eyes of the global north, it disguised the growing economic, social and cultural disparities in a country where over 400 million people continue to live in extreme poverty. A vibrant civil society and many grassroots movements in India work to deepen democracy and build the power of ordinary people. Bhansali will discuss what has been learned from the ground up from these movements working across sectors, cultures, issues and regions. She will focus on the success of women-led, community-driven initiatives working for long lasting social transformation and discuss the current lgbt movement.

Salma Arastu, Artist; Author

Michael Pappas, Executive Director, SF Interfaith Council - Moderator

Renowned Indian-born Muslim artist Arastu speaks to the contemporary relation of religion to art. In conjunction with her art exhibit at the SF Club office, she shares the inspiration for her imagery, a blending of spirituality, Islamic values and beauty in modern culture.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on August 22, 2011

Veena Srinivasan, Ph.D., Research Associate, Pacific Institute

As India’s urban population and income grow in unprecedented numbers, supplying water reliably to the community has become a growing concern. Faced with limited reservoir storage, aging piped infrastructure, and rapidly growing demand, no Indian city today has a 24/7 water supply. India’s rapidly growing cities represent both a challenge and an opportunity. Because much of the infrastructure is still being built, there is the opportunity to follow a different development path than has been followed elsewhere in the world. Join Srinivasan for a discussion on possible pathways to build a sustainable water supply system in India.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on August 18, 2011

Nirvikar Singh, Ph.D., Professor of Economics, UC Santa Cruz; Author; Member of an Advisory Group to the Finance Minister of India on G-20 matters

India’s economy is projected to grow in 2011 at a rate faster than almost every other country in the world. Is this growth sustainable? What will drive, and limit, its growth? How will it sustain innovation and entrepreneurship? What will be the role of the government? A prominent economist and expert on India will share views on the Indian economy and its future.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club's main office in San Francisco on August 11, 2011

Rafiq Dossani, Ph.D.; Author; Senior Research Scholar, Stanford University

India’s 160 million Muslims differ geographically by language, socio-economic status and culture. The Muslim-Indian community shares a common trajectory of challenges in their political power and socio-economic status. Their identity, in the eyes of the average Indian, is evermore monolithic and faith-based. To some politicians, Muslim Indians are now considered a security risk. Dossani will discuss the causes of their challenges and possible future.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on August 10, 2011

Barbara Desoer, President, Bank of America Home Loans

Jed Kolko, Ph.D., Policy Fellow, Public Policy Institute of California – Moderator

Bank of America’s purchase of mortgage giant Countrywide three years ago came at the height of the housing crisis. Since that time, Bank of America has spent billions of dollars to clean up legacy issues including a recent announcement to pay $8.5 billion to resolve nearly all of the Countrywide-issued first lien residential mortgage-backed securitization repurchase exposure - the largest settlement in the banking industry to date. Desoer will discuss the future of the housing market: the various reforms in play, the state of lending, foreclosure trends and housing recovery metrics. With Bank of America being the largest U.S. bank by assets and the nation’s second largest lender, originating one out of every five home loans, Desoer is uniquely positioned to provide insight into the housing industry. She has been with Bank of America since 1977 and, in 2010, was named one of the “50 Most Powerful Women in Business” by Fortune magazine and one of the “25 Most Powerful Women in Banking” by U.S. Banker.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club's offices in San Francisco on August 4, 2011

Monday Night Philosophy dives deep into dharma, as detailed in the divine conversation between Krishna and Arjuna. Hear as they discuss the byways of yogic philosophy, and delight in Krishna’s failure to convince the warrior Arjuna to do battle with his relatives until Krishna realizes he must forego reasoning and rely on the usual divine persuasiveness of overwhelming power.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on August 8, 2011

Sunil Asnani, Portfolio Manager, Matthews International Capital Management
Jennifer Schatz, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Matthews International Capital management

India’s ability to not only achieve respectable economic growth in a turbulent environment but to do so without injecting mammoth stimulus, demonstrates its inherit resilience, says Asnani. However, blindly investing in anything in India could lead to disappointment. Come learn about growth opportunities as well as the challenges for this country of 1.2 billion people.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on August 3, 2011

Swami Beyondananda, Cosmic Comic

Swami Beyondananda gives a heart opening presentation. Find out why noted author Marianne Williamson has called Swami “The Mark Twain of our generation.” The Swami also takes live questions from the audience. If you have an answerable question, the Swami will have a questionable answer for you.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on August 1, 2011

U.S. Under Secretary, Arms Control and International Security

Dr. Gloria Duffy, President and CEO, The Commonwealth Club - Moderator

The former U.S. congressional representative and current senior adviser to the president and secretary of state for arms control, nonproliferation, and disarmament discusses the prospects for U.S. and international security in the midst of continued global unrest. Under Secretary Tauscher represented California’s 10th Congressional District for 13 years in the U.S. House of Representatives. The district includes San Francisco’s suburbs in Contra Costa, Alameda Solano, and Sacramento counties. She was the only member of Congress to have two national defense laboratories, Lawrence Livermore and Sandia California, in her district.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at a Commonwealth Club event held in Lafayette California on July 28, 2011

Contributor, Fox News; Author, American Individualism: How a New Generation of Conservatives Can Save the Republican Party

Hoover lays the groundwork for how the GOP can capture the allegiance of the “fiscally conservative but socially liberal” millennial generation and help solve some of the country’s most pressing issues. Hear Hoover in an impassioned conversation on the future of the GOP and the country.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on July 26, 2011

Nour Ahmedin, Egyptian Student
Janet Penley, American Traveler
Maher Kalaji, British/Jordanian Academic
Dr. Abbas Milani, Director of Iranian Studies, Stanford University; Co-director, Iran Democracy Project, Hoover Institution; Author, The Shah
Jonathan Curiel, Journalist; Author, Al'America: Travel Through America's Arab and Islamic Roots - Moderator

Jonathan Curiel leads a discussion with panelists who have travelled throughout North Africa and the Middle East and discusses their observations about the tumultuous Arab spring and the enormous changes coursing through the region.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on July 18, 2011

Nick Gillespie and Matt Welch, Co-editors, Reason Magazine and Reason.tv; Co-authors, The Declaration of Independents
In conversation with Joe Garofoli, Reporter, San Francisco Chronicle; Author, Politics Blog, SFgate.com

What do health care, same-sex marriage, marijuana law, the budget and social service policies look like on a Libertarian ticket? Authors of a new Libertarian manifesto, Gillespie and Welch offer up principles of “free minds and free markets” as their fix to what’s wrong with America. Hear how Libertarian solutions for modern America match up against the other platforms.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on July 25, 2011

Stephen Zack, President, American Bar Association

Geoffrey Hazard, Thomas E. Miller Distinguished Professor of Law, UC Hastings College of Law - Moderator

Lauded as one of the country’s best lawyers in 2011 and the American Bar Association’s first Hispanic president, Zack will discuss underlying threats to the American legal system such as underfunding and political indecisiveness. Zack fled Cuba at the age of 14 after a harrowing night of detention and isolation at the hands of the Cuban secret police. After building up a powerhouse Florida litigation firm, he was tapped by David Boies to work on Gore vs. Bush in 2000. Following that monumental case, the two law firms merged. Come listen to one of the nation’s top legal voices speak about what he sees as a failing system.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on July 14, 2011

Larry Harvey, Founder, Burning Man

A first-time Burning Man attendee once said, “I walked through the gates, looked around, and asked myself, 'What is this place? Is it real?'” Every year up to 50,000 ‘burners’ make the pilgrimage to Black Rock City for eight days of commerce-free, debauchery-filled expression of human imagination. Leaving no trace of the party behind them, this diverse group of international artists, CEOs, technologists, intellectuals, families and bohemians alike carry on Burning Man founder Harvey’s world – one of mutant cars, themed villages and a 40-foot fiery effigy. Join us as we speak to the founder himself, and find out what Burning Man’s new HQ in SF will mean for that fair city.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on July 19, 2011

Jose Antonio Vargas, Former Reporter, The Washington Post; Founder, Define American

In conversation with Phil Bronstein, Editor-at-Large, Hearst Newspapers

“I convinced myself that all would be OK if I lived up to the qualities of a 'citizen': hard work, self-reliance, love of my country.” Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post journalist Vargas just revealed to The New York Times that he immigrated to the United States illegally at the age of 12. Raised and educated in the Bay Area, Vargas won the Pulitzer Prize in 2008 for his breaking news piece on the Virginia Tech shootings. Now 30 and no longer a reporter at the Post, Vargas has founded Define American, to changed the conversation on immigration reform. Fresh on the heels of this game-changing Times article, hear Vargas speak first at the Club.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on July 11, 2011

Bruce Lipton, Ph.D., Author; Motivational Speaker

Lipton unveils a vision of life science that is shattering old myths. New discoveries in cell biology, epigenetics and physics suggest that we are not victims of our genes but instead have unlimited capacity to live a life overflowing with peace, happiness and love. Infusing his pioneering stem cell research with insights from frontier cell biology, quantum physics and fractal mathematics, Lipton argues that our thoughts, attitudes and beliefs create the conditions of our body and our place in the world.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on May 18, 2011

Beth Kanter, CEO, Zoetica; Author, Beth’s Blog; Co-author, The Networked Nonprofit
May Boeve, Director for Partnerships and Policy and Co-founder, 350.org
Ben Rattray, Founder and CEO, Change.org
Darian Rodriguez Heyman, Editor, Nonprofit Management 101; Former Executive Director, Craigslist Foundation – Moderator

What are the tools, tricks and triumphs of social media as an essential component of any organization’s mission in the 21st century? Social media experts examine the consequences, opportunities and workable lessons this landscape presents for nonprofits and causes.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on May 23, 2011

Polly Trottenberg, Assistant Secretary for Transportation Policy at the U.S. Department of Transportation

If you have ever been stuck in traffic on the Bay Bridge, late to meetings, or have had a ruined weekend because you couldn’t make it to a destination in time, you know that California suffers from a major transportation infrastructure problem. From pot holes jarring people’s necks and backs, to bridges collapsing nationwide, thousands of commuters are being affected every day by America’s inadequate and faltering transportation infrastructure system. U.S. Department of Transportation Undersecretary for Policy Polly Trottenberg explores solutions to this serious crisis. Trottenberg works toward implementing the president’s priorities for transportation including safety and creating jobs. The DOT employs more than 55,000 employees with a $70 billion budget that oversees air, maritime and surface transportation missions. For 12 years she worked extensively on transportation, public works, energy and environmental issues in the U.S. Senate, for Senators Barbara Boxer, Charles Schumer and Daniel Patrick Moynahan.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on June 24, 2011

David Eagleman, Neuroscientist, Baylor School of Medicine; Author, Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain
In conversation with Kishore Hari, Director, Bay Area Science Festival

What is our subconscious mind doing while we pay our bills, write emails and decide between crunchy and smooth at the grocery store? As neuroscientists are learning more and more about our body’s hidden frontier, we have gained fleeting insights into our own intuition, habits and seemingly unexplainable preferences. Neuroscientist Eagleman draws connections between our perception of the world and the hidden functions of the brain.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on June 23, 2011

John Gray, Ph.D., Author, Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus

Come hear from best-selling relationship author Gray, whose monumental Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus sold an astounding 50 million copies worldwide. Now, Gray reveals what he says are the associations between hormone levels and happiness and advises men and women to harness the connections between stress, blood sugar, body fat and behavior to create lifelong passion and better health. He will talk about how the differences between the sexes and how they relate to one another, can be explained and managed by our hormones.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on June 20, 2011

Steny Hoyer, Democratic Whip, U.S. House of Representatives

House Democratic Whip Hoyer (D-Md.), the second-ranking Democrat in the House of Representatives, will discuss the "Make it in America" agenda: a Democratic legislative program designed to help American businesses innovate here, grow here, make products here, and sell them to the world. Hoyer will explain his belief that wise investments in innovation, infrastructure and education can create jobs in the U.S. and help our country regain its competitive edge in the world economy.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on June 27, 2011

Adam Gazzaley, Professor, UCSF

It is now known that our brain changes structurally and functionally in response to our interactions with our environment throughout our lives, not just during critical times like childhood. This modern perspective is called neuroplasticity and scientists are actively exploring the intricacies of this phenomenon. Gazzaley discusses new theories on the topic, such as cognitive reserve, use-it-or-lose-it, and neural efficiency. He will also tackle the hotly debated topic of the impact of brain training and cognitive exercises.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on June 15, 2011

Gary Shapiro, President and CEO, Consumer Electronics Association; Author, The Comeback: How Innovation Will Restore the American Dream

In conversation with Richard Watson, Co-founder and Partner, Essential

From broadband spectrum to HDTV, from gaming to Hollywood and social media, innovation is happening through industry, entrepreneurs and technology advances. How is consumer electronics driving innovation in the U.S. and abroad? What lessons can be learned from the electronics industry that can be applied to other segments of the U.S. comeback? Come hear from the head of an organization that represents 2,000 technology companies and produces the International CES Conference.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on June 7, 2011

President, Planned Parenthood Federation of America

Katrina Heron, Editor-at-Large, Newsweek and The Daily Beast - Moderator

This year, Planned Parenthood, the nation’s leading provider of sexual and reproductive health care for women, found itself at the center of a congressional budget debate over abortion that almost shut down the United States government. Calling it the “most devastating assault on women’s health in American history,” Planned Parenthood and President Richards vowed to continue providing affordable health care to women across the United States. Named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2011, Richards is one of the country’s leading voices in support of women’s rights, sex education and reproductive health. The daughter of Ann Richards, former governor of Texas, Cecile will speak about the current status of women’s health care in this country and what lies ahead for her organization.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on June 14, 2011

Siva Vaidhyanathan, Professor of Media Studies and Law, University of Virginia; Author, The Googlization of Everything (And Why We Should Worry)
Brewster Kahle, Digital Librarian and Founder, Internet Archive and the Open Content Alliance

Learn about the legal, cultural and economic implications of Google moving into the center of the publishing ecosystem. Will Google’s presence cheapen the value of “book culture,” or will the power of the service to connect people to information generate a boost to the hopes of those who wish to preserve “long-form” writing and reading? The panel will answer these questions and raise new concerns about our heavy dependence on Google to navigate the world.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on May 17, 2011

Reza Aslan, Co-author, Muslims and Jews in America: Commonalities, Contentions, and Complexities; Contributing Editor, The Daily Beast
Aaron Hahn Tapper, Co-author, Muslims and Jews in America: Commonalities, Contentions, and Complexities; Swig Chair of Judaic Studies, USF
Aysha Hidayatullah, Assistant Professor of Islamic studies, USF
Sydney Mintz, Rabbi, Congregation Emanu-El

A distinguished panel takes a new look at the innovative ways in which Judaism and Islam have absorbed, and been profoundly altered by, the so-called “American experience.” American Jews and American Muslims have consistently engaged each other in conversation – whether directly or indirectly, constructively or not – in ways that have usually eluded their co-religionists throughout the rest of the world. The members of these two groups often find themselves the focus of a disproportionate amount of media attention, particularly when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. American Jews and American Muslims struggle with similar inter-communal concerns when it comes to education, politics or even pop culture. Join in a fascinating discussion.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at a The Commonwealth Club event in Lafayette Ca on June 1, 2011

Bruce Bodaken, CEO, Blue Shield of California

Sarah Varney, Health Reporter, KQED Radio - Moderator

The rising cost of health care looms large over the state and the nation. The CEO of Blue Shield of California, one of the state's largest health-plan providers, will discuss new initiatives to address rising health-care costs in the context of national health reform. A native of Iowa, Bodaken doesn't fit the typical profile of a health-plan CEO. He earned a masters degree and taught philosophy at the college level before embarking on a career in health care. He has been at the helm of Blue Shield of California for 11 years.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on June 7, 2011

Walter M. Bortz II, M.D.

Recognized as one of the country's most distinguished scientific experts on aging and longevity, Bortz believes that the defects of the American health-care system threaten the stability of the nation. He argues that the financial interests of biotech and drug companies have eroded the values of the medical profession and placed profit before human well-being. Bortz makes a powerful case for a new kind of American health care – one based on rigorous science and a fearless acknowledgement of human potential.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on May 31, 2011

Former Foreign Minister, Mexico; Professor of Politics and Latin American and Caribbean Studies, NYU; Author, Manana Forever?

Mariano-Florentino Cuellar, Professor of Law and Political Science, Stanford University - Moderator

Mexico’s future is most certainly dependent on its relationship with the United States. In fact, Mexico ranks third in total trade with the United States behind Canada and China. But in the midst of this positive relationship, there is also a drug cartel war that has claimed the lives of more than 34,000 Mexicans and over 100 Americans in the past four and a half years. Ongoing issues of immigration and border control are also high on the list of mutual concerns. Mexico’s foreign minister under former President Vicente Fox, Castaneda will offer a broad perspective on the future of the Mexican people and on relations between our two countries. Hear from one of Mexico’s most profound social thinkers.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on June 1, 2011

Former Mayor, San Francisco; Chairman and CEO, Willie Brown Institute on Politics and Public Service

With a new governor and an unprecedented fiscal crisis in California, 2011 is shaping up to be a big year for politics. Two-term mayor of San Francisco, legendary speaker of the California State Assembly, and regarded by many as one of the most influential African-American politicians of the late 20th century, Brown gives us the inside scoop on what’s ahead for California and beyond.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on May 26, 2011

Founding Principal, Small Planet Institute; Author, Diet for a Hot Planet: The Climate Crisis at the End of Your Fork and What You Can Do About It

Steve Wright, Vice President of Strategic Communications, Silicon Valley Leadership Group - Moderator

With as much as one-third of total greenhouse emissions related to food production, the cost of our eating habits on the environment has never been more apparent. Lappe highlights the hidden cost of America’s culinary culture and outlines seven principles for a climate-friendly diet.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on May 18, 2011

Pulitzer Prize-Winning Journalist; Former Wall Street Journal Page One Editor; Staff Writer, The New Yorker; Author, Den of Thieves

Business journalist Stewart says that a “perjury outbreak” is symptomatic of a broader breakdown of ethics in American life. It isn’t just the judicial system that relies on an honor code: Academia, business, medicine and government all do. He explores the age-old tensions between greed and justice, self-interest and public interest. Stewart seeks to reaffirm the importance of truth.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on May 24, 2011

Jack Dorsey, Co-founder, Twitter; Founder and CEO, Square

In conversation with Kara Swisher, Co-executive Editor, All Things D

Making Square Hip

Entrepreneur, programmer, botanist, jean designer, taxi cab enthusiast and wanna-be mayor of New York City – Dorsey is a Jack-of-all-trades. Best known for revolutionizing communication via Twitter, Dorsey is now making waves with his one-inch-by-one-inch device called Square. “Payment is another form of communication... it’s never been designed. It’s never felt magical.” Who relates financial transactions to magic? Visionaries think differently. Join us as INFORUM gives Dorsey our 21st Century Visionary Award to find out more about the technologist who thinks differently.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on May 25, 2011

Annie Jacobsen, Columnist, Los Angeles Times Magazine; Author, Area 51: An Uncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base

Gil Gross, KGO Radio Host - Moderator

Myths and hypotheses about Area 51 have long abounded, thanks to the intense secrecy enveloping it. Some claim it is home to aliens, underground tunnel systems and nuclear facilities, and some conspiracy theorists believe that the lunar landing itself was filmed there. No credible insider has ever divulged the truth about his time inside the base. With unprecedented access to military and intelligence personnel, Jacobsen takes an unprecedented look into the Nevada desert activities, from testing nuclear reactions to building super-secret, super-sonic jets to pursuing the war on terror.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on May 23, 2011

David Eisenbach, Ph.D., Professor of American History, Columbia University; Co-author, One Nation Under Sex

Legendary Hustler publisher Flynt is seen as a pro-sexuality trailblazer to some folks, but for others he’s the source for sex scandal and smut. Yet for three decades, Flynt has been a symbol of sexual freedom, crusading for First Amendment rights and against political hypocrisy. His landmark Supreme Court case, Hustler Magazine v. Falwell, is taught in law schools. Now, Flynt and Columbia historian Eisenbach have teamed up to tackle America’s sexual mores past and present, as well as the evolving role of the press as truth-seeking opinion-shapers. Join us as the fearless Flynt takes a look at freedom of expression, sexual politics and privacy.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on May 18, 2011

Former Assistant Attorney General, Ohio; Former Trial Lawyer, Securities and Exchange Commission; Author, Eclipse and Exile

Jonathan Curiel, San Francisco Journalist; Author, 'Al' America - Moderator

Patterson has brought us 15 novels, 11 of them best sellers. His works deal with issues such as religion, the gun lobby, capital punishment and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Patterson’s newest novel takes on the issue of international terrorism and the real possibility of a mass destruction that would dwarf 9/11. Devil's Light is centered around the global lust for oil. Join us for a rare discussion with this great, best-selling author.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Lafayette Library and Learning Center on May 11, 2011

TV Host, PBS; Radio Host, PRI; Author, Fail Up: 20 Lessons on Building Success from Failure

Award-winning television and radio broadcaster Smiley gives a peek behind the curtain of success to share personal stories of his missteps, misdeeds and miscalculations. Smiley recounts 20 instances of perceived “failures” that were, in fact, “lessons” that shaped the principles and practices he steadfastly employs in his business and personal life today. Come learn how to turn your perceived failures into stepping stones for success from this legendary broadcast journalist.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on May 10, 2011

Quentin Hardy, Executive Editor, Forbes - Moderator

Come hear from one of the most powerful leaders in media. Dow Jones CEO Hinton will discuss information in the digital era, the role of journalists, and harnessing technology to find intelligence admist the noise. Hinton has worked for News Corp. for more than 48 years as a journalist and executive in all corners of the world. After several executive positions, he was appointed president of Murdoch Magazines in 1990, two years later becoming president and CEO of News America Publishing, responsible for the company’s U.S. publishing operations. In 1993, he was appointed chairman and CEO of Fox Television Stations, and then in 1995 as executive chairman of News Corp. subsidiary News International Limited, Britain’s largest national newspaper publisher. He was appointed CEO of Dow Jones & Company in December 2007, after its acquisition by News Corporation.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on May 3, 2011

Joe Garofoli, Political Reporter, San Francisco Chronicle - Moderator

Lee became mayor of San Francisco in January, when Gavin Newsom left the position to take over as California's lieutenant governor. Lee, San Francisco’s first Chinese-American mayor, steps in at a time when many controversies challenge this major city, including issues over the America’s Cup, budgeting, the Central Subway and the upcoming elections for the city’s next mayor.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on Ma 3, 2011

In this Climate One conversation at the Mark Hopkins Hotel, in San Francisco, Senator Dianne Feinstein touches on some longtime pursuits – national security experience and protecting the California desert from development. She also pledges to investigate the safety of the US nuclear fleet, protect children from toxins, and continue to shield California’s coastline from oil drilling. Feinstein is clear that clean energy is California’s future. “Energy is the largest source of new jobs for this state,” she says, citing an estimate placing the number at 100,000 additional jobs. Those new energy jobs – such as building large solar thermal power plants – should not be located, however, in the state’s undeveloped desert. “There is plenty of land in the desert that is disturbed that can be used. I think all of these [solar] companies are essentially finding other places to build, where there is no real environmental challenge to things that are endangered like desert tortoises,” says Feinstein. A trickier problem, especially in the wake of the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear complex, is how to ensure the safety of, and store spent fuel from, America’s nuclear reactors. Insufficient attention has been paid to the full nuclear fuel cycle, Feinstein says. “I believe very strongly that we need either regional or centralized nuclear fuel storage. It’s asking for trouble to keep hot rods in spent pools for decades and dry casks right along the side of nuclear reactors. I think they should be moved right away.” She also pledges quick action on plant safety. “I’m going to try to push as far and as fast as I can push to see that we really take a good look, a real examination, of all the facilities,” says Feinstein. Feinstein warns against the danger posed by exposure to chemicals, especially for infants. Of particular concern is Bisphenol A (BPA), a known endocrine disruptor, which, she says, is added to the inside of canned goods and baby bottles. “I become very interested in chemicals that are added that we know very little about,” says Feinstein. Though a proponent of greater energy efficiency (in the Q&A, Feinstein cites her decades-long quest to boost fuel efficiency standards for new vehicles as her proudest Senate achievement) Feinstein says now is not the time to raise the gas tax. “I’d go slowly on that. We have very long commutes for workers in this state,” she says. “This is not the time, when gasoline is this high, with the nation trying to pull itself out of recession. We need to keep gasoline below the $4 mark right now,” Feinstein says. She blamed speculators for the high prices: “Demand is down, and supply is even – so what can it be?” She reaffirms that oil companies should not look to California’s coast for additional supply. “The people of California have spoken through initiative. They don’t want oil drilling off the coast.”

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on April 27, 2011

Co-founder, Microsoft; Chairman, Vulcan Inc.; Author, Idea Man: A Memoir

In conversation with John L. Hennessy, President, Stanford University

In 2007 and 2008, Time named Microsoft co-founder Allen one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Since making his fortune with Bill Gates, Allen’s impact has been felt in science, technology, business, medicine, sports, music and philanthropy. Allen explains how he has solved problems, what he’s learned from his many endeavors (the triumphs and the failures) and his compelling vision for the future.

This program was recorded in The Commonwealth Club's Silicon Valley Office on April 26, 2011

Steven Levy, Senior Writer, Wired; Formerly Senior Editor and Chief Technology Writer, Newsweek; Author, In the Plex

In conversation with John Battelle, Journalist; Founder and Chairman, Federated Media Publishing

Is it the five-star chefs, free laundry and on-site masseuses that are the secret to Google's success? Perhaps its unique management style and innovative team? Either way, the revolutionary search engine has so deeply impacted our work and culture that we have turned the company name into a verb. Despite being one of the most successful and celebrated companies in history, Google maintains an air of mystery, and cultural myths abound. How has Google stayed innovative and cutting edge while making the transition to tech giant? What exactly happens inside the elusive Google campus? Levy took a deep dive into Google management, its products and its company culture. Join us as he shares untold stories and unpacks the mythology behind Google.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on April 19, 2011

Jim Louderback, CEO, Revision3
David Prager, CEO, Revision3 & Producer, Diggnation
Tara Long, Host, Destructoid
Dan Brown, Host, Dan 3.0
Jack Conte, Recording Artist, Pomplamoose
Martine Paris, Marketing Manager, Electronic Arts - Moderator

The revolution in web video distribution has opened the floodgates for those seeking fame and fortune. Hollywood talent are going directly to fans, and the rising stars of digital have production values that rival big media and audience numbers that can move ratings. Join us for this fascinating look at the economics of web celebrity, and see how video stars are making money in this golden era of opportunity.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on March 9, 2011

Founder and CEO, Teach for America; Author, A Chance to Make History: What Works and What Doesn’t in Providing an Excellent Education for All

Dr. Colleen Wilcox, Board of Governor and Executive Director, Alliance for Teaching - Moderator

On Teach For America’s 20th anniversary, founder Kopp draws on the experiences of the organization’s 25,000 teachers and alumni who, driven by passionate belief in their students’ potential, have set out to accomplish what most think is impossible. Through engaging stories from the front lines of the achievement gap, Kopp offers a provocative exploration of what’s driving the unprecedented success in a growing number of low-income communities’ classrooms, schools and districts. She will identify what she firmly believes will provide transformational education – education that changes the academic and life trajectories predicted by children’s socioeconomic backgrounds and our nation's future.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club's Silicon Valley branch in Palo Alto on April 21, 2011

Michelle Rhee, Founder and CEO, Students First; Former Chancellor, District of Columbia Public School System
Kevin Johnson, Mayor of Sacramento; Chair, U.S. Conference of Mayors Task Force on Public Education

Students First is an organization that Rhee calls a “national movement to transform education.” In her controversial three years as chancellor of the Washington, D.C., school system, she closed nearly two dozen schools, cut administrative positions and proposed that teacher salaries be based on merit rather than tenure. Today, her goal is to “put pressure on elected officials and press for changes in legislation to make things better for kids.” Sacramento Mayor Johnson says he’s “committed to identifying ways to strategically drive education reform.” Upon retiring from the NBA after 12 seasons with the Phoenix Suns, Johnson returned to his hometown of Sacramento to serve as the CEO of St. HOPE, a nonprofit community development organization he founded to revitalize inner-city communities. Hear from these two leaders about what can be done to save the American education system.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on April 20, 2011

Julius Genachowski, Chairman, Federal Communications Commission
Adam Lashinsky, Senior Editor at Large, Fortune Magazine - Moderator

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on April 14, 2011

L. Hunter Lovins, President and Founder, Natural Capitalism Solutions; Author, Climate Capitalism: Capitalism in the Age of Climate Change
David Chen, CEO and Founder, Equilibrium Capital Group
Bruce Klafter, Managing Director for Environmental, Health, and Safety at Applied Materials Inc.
Joel Makower, Chairman and Executive Editor, GreenBiz Group Inc. - Moderator

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on April 12, 2011

In conversation with Chris Anderson, Editor-in-Chief, Wired

One of the world’s most influential corporate leaders shares how a small Seattle coffee shop spawned a global empire. Schultz discusses what he’s learned on his journey from small business owner to head of a company with more than 17,000 locations.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco on April 4, 2011

Michio Kaku, Host, “Science Fantastic”; Professor of Physics, City College of New York; Author, Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100

No one has used the revelations of science fiction to explain the realities of science more than Kaku, who takes us on a fast-forward look at tomorrow. Based on interviews with more than 300 of the world's top scientists who are already inventing the future in their labs, Kaku reveals the lives we'll be leading tomorrow. Prepare yourself for the Internet being embedded in your contact lenses, the ability to rearrange shapes of objects, nanotechnology monitoring your health and home, elevators to space, and even spaceships powered by lasers. Come meet the scientist and television star who makes science understandable and the future visible.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at Cubberley Theatre in Palo Alto, CA on March 28th, 2011

U.S. Senator (D-MA); Chairman, Senate Foreign Relations Committee

Under Senator Kerry’s leadership, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee addresses the key foreign policy and national security issues facing the United States, including Afghanistan and Pakistan, nuclear nonproliferation and global climate change. As nations across the Middle East face unprecedented political upheaval, Kerry will discuss current affairs in that region as well as a variety of domestic issues. A U.S. senator for nearly three decades and a former Democratic presidential nominee in 2004, Kerry has distinguished himself as one of today’s most highly respected and influential leaders. Kerry has been a leading voice on a wide array of issues – from expanding health care to supporting small business – but his most notable work has been in regard to international affairs and national security. Kerry now chairs the very committee he notably testified before in 1971.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on April 1, 2011

Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers; Former president, United Federation of Teachers
Bruce Fuller, Professor, Education and Public Policy, University of California, Berkeley - Moderator

A recent CNN report states that Republican officials across the country have made teachers’ unions “public enemy No. 1.” Now teachers and their Democratic legislative allies are taking to the streets to protest what they see as the erosion of unions' rights and other issues. As the fever that started in Wisconsin spreads across the country, school districts are suspending classes and Democratic state senators are on the lam. As governors, claiming excessive benefits and out-of-control waste, look toward teachers unions to trim state budgets, state legislatures are coming to a standstill and school districts are scrambling to find substitutes and childcare. Is a compromise possible? Or is this battle headed for an all-out war? Join Weingarten for a discussion of what's going on, and how teachers and state houses can solve this financial and educational crisis. Weingarten was named by New York magazine as one of the most influential people in education in New York state. Crain's New York Business called her one of the 25 most powerful women in New York City business.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience in Lafayette, CA on March 28, 2011

Ph.D., Author, Forged and Jesus, Interrupted

Alan Jones, Dean Emeritus, Grace Cathedral - Moderator

Ehrman takes you on a journey to the ancient world and the forgery battles that have raged through the centuries. Ehrman contends that the New Testament is riddled with contradictions about the life of Jesus and his significance. He has provided compelling evidence that early Christianity was a collection of competing schools of thought and that the central doctrines we know today were the inventions of theologians living several centuries after Christ. Ehrman is a distinguished and prominent religious scholar, and has also appeared on NPR, "The Colbert Report" and "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart."

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on March 21, 2011

Jim Steier, Founder and CEO, Common Sense Media
George Rose, Executive VP and Chief Public Policy Officer, Activision Blizzard Inc.
Michael McConnell, Director, Stanford Constitutional Law Center; Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution
John Diaz, Editorial Page Editor, San Francisco Chronicle - Moderator

Do violent video games present a danger to national safety? Should selling them be restricted, as with pornography? Critics argue that there is a link between children's exposure to violent video games and their increased likelihood to commit violent acts. In a time when it is very easy for individuals to carry out senseless acts of violence, the state government has passed a law that bans the sale of video games deemed “ultra-violent” to children under 18. AB 1179 was signed into law by Gov. Schwarzenegger in 2005 but is not in effect because of an injunction. The Supreme Court has heard arguments and will soon decide how far the government should go to protect the well-being of our children in a case that touches on free speech, national safety and the rights of video game manufacturers and retailers.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on March 17, 2011

Elissa Epel, Ph.D., Health Psychologist, UCSF
Calvin Harley, Ph.D., pioneer in telomere biology
Jue Lin, Ph.D., Telomere/telomerase assay specialist in Elizabeth Blackburn's lab, UCSF
Thea Singer, Author, Stress Less

Groundbreaking science by Nobel Prize Winner Elizabeth Blackburn and health psychologist Elissa Epel links psychological stress not only with disease but directly with aging, all the way down to our cells – in particular, our “telomeres,” the caps on the ends of our chromosomes that protect our DNA and a marker of biological aging. Indeed, the subjects in those studies who perceived themselves as being under the most stress had telomeres that were the equivalent of 10 years older than the telomeres of those who perceived themselves as being under the least stress. Stress Less, science/health writer Singer’s new book, springs from Blackburn and Epel’s remarkable discovery; it enlists a veritable Who’s Who of stress and telomere researchers to explore this new science as well as the cutting-edge research that shows how we can slow, or even turn back, that ticking clock. Join a discussion of the implications of this ongoing revolutionary research with the scientists at the center of the research.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on March 3, 2011

Jamal Dajani, Vice President of Middle East, North Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, Internews Network
Stephen Zunes, Professor, University of San Francisco; Chair, Middle Eastern Studies Program; Author, Tinderbox and Non-Violent Social Movements
Nour Ahmadein, Student, University of San Francisco; Member, Yalla! Students in Solidarity; Born and raised in Cairo
Ayman Mohyeldin, Correspondent, Al Jazeera English – invited to drop in via Skype, live from Egypt
Chris Taylor, San Francisco Bureau Chief, Mashable
Dan Williams, Senior Emergencies Researcher, Human Rights Watch; Detained for 36 hours in Cairo during protests

In conversation with Adam Yamaguchi, Vanguard Executive Director and Correspondent, Current Tv

It all started in Tunisia, where the first dictator fell to the will of the people. Then the winds blew east; millions of Egyptian protestors with grassroots spirit, high-tech tools and an appetite for change came together and ousted their own autocrat. Now what? Egypt’s revolution has inspired the people of Libya, Bahrain, Yemen and elsewhere to forge their own change. Some have credited Facebook, Twitter, and Flip Cam as the champions of the Egyptian revolution. What impact did social media really have? Will democracy prevail in the Middle East, or will these movements become mute before we know it? Join journalists hot out of Cairo, political commentators and Middle East experts as we unpack the on-the-ground story, explore the role of social media, and discuss the future of the Middle East and revolutions 2.0.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on March 10, 2011

Pamela Hawley, Founder and CEO, UniversalGiving - Host
Bob Saldich, Former CEO, Raychem - Panel Introduction
Gabriele Zedimayer, Vice President of Global Social Innovation, Hewlett Packard
Trisa Thompson, Vice President of CSR, Dell
Mark Edmunds, Vice Chairman and Regional Managing Partner, Deloitte LLP

This expert panel of CEOs and executives will discuss the innovations and practical lessons learned from launching CSR programs all over the world. Come find out how Fortune 500 companies are scaling their international giving and volunteer programs worldwide. Join us for their successful stories, challenges, and lessons learned by the innovative leaders.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on March 14th, 2011

Adam Lashinsky, Senior Editor at Large, Fortune magazine - Moderator

Come hear from the filmmaker of this year's Academy Award-winning best documentary feature film. Could the global economic meltdown of the last few years have been prevented? Ferguson believes that the crisis was no accident. His latest documentary, Inside Job, makes the powerful case that an out-of-control finance industry took advantage of a deregulated atmosphere and purposely sought to get rich at the expense of others. Through extensive interviews with financial insiders and government officials, Ferguson crossed the globe to find proof that the financial industry intentionally engaged in unethical behavior. His gripping account of the global recession is sure to evoke feelings of disgust, anger, and concern that this all may happen again unless our regulatory system is changed. Ferguson’s previous film, No End in Sight, was nominated for an Oscar, and Inside Job brought home the grand prize at this year's awards ceremony.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on March 2nd, 2011

Phil Angelides, Chair, Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission; Former Treasurer, State of California

Mary Cranston, Senior Partner, Pillsbury, Winthrop, Shaw, Pittman; Past Chair, Commonwealth Club Board of Governors - Moderator

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on March 3, 2011

Michael Scheuer, Former Chief, Central Intelligence Agency’s Bin Laden Unit; Author, Osama bin Laden

A 20-plus year veteran of the CIA, Scheuer provides a rare, detailed look at Osama Bin Laden, showing him still to be a formidable and implacable enemy of the West. Scheuer draws from a wealth of information about bin Laden and his evolution from peaceful Saudi dissident to America's Most Wanted. Shedding light on bin Laden’s development as a theologian, media manipulator and paramilitary commander, Scheuer makes use of all of the speeches and interviews bin Laden has given as well as lengthy interviews, testimony and previously untranslated documents. From 1996 to 1999, Scheuer served as the chief of the bin Laden unit, the Osama bin Laden tracking unit at the Counterterrorism Center. He then worked as special adviser to the chief of the bin Laden unit from September 2001 to November 2004.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience in San Francisco on February 23, 2011

Max Levchin, Founder, Slide; Co-founder, PayPal
Peter Thiel, President, Clarium Capital; Co-founder, PayPal; Managing Partner, The Founders Fund
Brad Stone, Senior Writer, BusinessWeek – Moderator

Venture capitalists and entrepreneurs have long been ‘the masters of the universe,’ at least in Silicon Valley. They have turned the Valley into the heart of high-tech innovation and development and have the power to make or break some of the world’s largest companies. The 21st century has borne witness to the dot-com bubble, the private equity crash, yesteryear’s greentech capital wave, to today’s monetary flow into social networking, e-commerce and online game companies. What’s next? Paypal founders and renowned VCs Levchin and Thiel will discuss what they foresee as the best and brightest of 2011.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on February 2, 2011

Dambisa Moyo, International Economist; Author, How The West Was Lost and Dead Aid

Richard Waters, West Coast Editor, Financial Times - Moderator

Moyo daringly claims that the West can no longer afford to simply regard global up-and-comers as menacing gatecrashers. In a world where Western economies hover on the brink of recession while emerging economies post double-digit growth rates, Moyo calls out the economic myopia of the West and the radical solutions that it needs to adopt to salvage its global economic power. A former consultant for the World Bank and former emerging markets investment banker at Goldman Sachs, Moyo was named by Time Magazine as one of the "100 Most Influential People in the World," and was nominated to the World Economic Forum’s Young Global Leaders Forum.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on February 17, 2011

Bob Edgar, President and CEO, Common Cause
Charles R. Bailey, Director, Ford Foundation Special Initiative on Agent Orange/Dioxin

Wars don’t end when the guns fall silent. Thirty-five years after the end of the Vietnam War, the legacy of Agent Orange - dioxin contaminated soils and a heavy burden of disability on people in Vietnam as well as on American veterans - continues to be a challenge. Recent progress, however, has created a window of opportunity for the U.S. to intensify its effort in a shared commitment to reduce the public health impact in Vietnam. Drawing on extensive experience in today’s Vietnam, the speakers will show how this is a humanitarian concern that we can do something about.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on February 25, 2011

Entrepreneur; Author, The Startup Game

Ann Winblad, Co-founder and Managing Director, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners - Moderator

For more than 40 years, Draper has worked with top entrepreneurs in fabled Silicon Valley, where today’s vision is made into tomorrow’s reality. This venture capitalist saw the value in Skype, Open Table and many other companies, and he will share his firsthand stories of success. Draper will provide an inside look at how the worlds of venture capital and entrepreneurship work and will reveal lessons for success in both business and life.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on January 10, 2011

Bruce Bochy, Manager, SF Giants; Two time National League Manager of the Year
Brian Sabean, Senior Vice President and General Manager, SF Giants

In conversation with Roy Eisenhardt

Now that they're the World Series champs, how can the San Francisco Giants stay on top and orchestrate a repeat performance in 2011? Come meet the people who strategized the Giants' World Series triumph and hear what's in store this season. Giants Manager Bochy and General Manager Sabean will take you behind the scenes and down into the dugout to give the lowdown on who's in, who's out, and what strategies will keep the Giants at the peak of their game.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on February 3, 2011

Author, Krakatoa, The Professor and the Madman and Atlantic: A Biography of the Ocean

Brian Hackney, Science Editor and host of "Eye on the Bay," CBS5 - Moderator

Come learn about the epic sea battles, natural phenomena and colorful personalities that have helped shape and traverse one of the world’s largest bodies of water. A site of trade, exploration and natural resources that brought the discovery of new worlds and new peoples, the Atlantic Ocean has played an undervalued but crucial role in the development of the modern Western world. Bestselling author Winchester explores the meanings of this vast body of water for select communities and locations along the Atlantic seaboard from historic and scientific perspectives. A prolific author, Winchester has written a number of other works about the intersection of geological features and human evolution, including the national and New York Times best sellers The Map that Changed the World, Krakatoa and A Crack in the Edge of the World. Winchester also worked as a journalist for nearly 30 years and covered Bloody Sunday and the Watergate scandal during his time at The Guardian. Join The Club for an informative and lively discussion of the complex ways in which Earth’s topography has changed human history.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on November 14, 2010

Barbara Lee, U.S. Congresswoman, California's 9th Congressional District
Phaedra Ellis-Lamkins, CEO, Green For All
James Rucker, Co-founder and Executive Director, ColorOfChange.org
Richard T. Ford, George E. Osborne Professor of Law, Stanford Law School; Author, The Race Card
Martin G. Reynolds, Editor, The Oakland Tribune - Moderator

What is the real effect on the black community of the first African-American president? This February we take a look at the most momentous move forward in civil rights in decades: the election of the first African-American president of the United States. But what has this meant for the African-American community? Has Obama landed the final blow needed to break the glass ceiling? Or has electing the first African-American president during one of the worst times in our country’s history created an unfortunate association that will become more of a hindrance than a help?

This program was recorded in front of a live audience on February 7, 2011

Broadcast Journalist; Host, “This Week In Northern California,” KQED Television; Author, My Wildest Dreams

In conversation with Ray Taliaferro, KGO Radio Host

Raised in a dysfunctional family in Louisiana and the Bay Area, Davis rose through the black radio industry, became the first black female reporter west of the Mississippi with her hiring at KPIX, and eventually anchored KQED’s “Evening Edition,” the station’s nightly news show. Davis will discuss her extraordinary journey, personal and professional.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on February 10, 2011

Abbas Milani, Director of Iranian Studies, Stanford; Co-director, Iran Democracy Project, Hoover Institution; Author, The Shah

The life of Mohammad-Reza Shah Pahlevi, the last Shah of Iran, continues to resonate today. Milani looks at the monarch who shaped Iran’s modern age and with it the contemporary politics of the Middle East. He reveals the complex and sweeping road that he says has brought the U.S. and Iran to where they are today.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience on January 19, 2011

Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Our World

Alison van Diggelen, Founder and Host, Fresh Dialogues - Moderator

Meet the man who said “no” to ice cream. Heir to the Baskin-Robbins empire, Robbins choose to walk away from the multi-million dollar ice cream business to pursue a healthier and ecologically balanced lifestyle. He outlines why eating is not just a culinary act, but one with profound political, economic and environmental consequences. He offers mind-boggling information on factory farming, genetically modified foods and the economics of food production. (For example, did you know that it takes over 5,000 gallons of water to produce 1 lb. of beef?) Join him for his views on why we need to re-evaluate our food choices and how becoming a food activist is essential to living longer and saving our planet.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club's Silicon Valley Branch on February 2, 2011

Timothy Ferriss, Author; Investor

In conversation with Rachael King, Writer, Bloomberg Businessweek

Want to work just four hours a week? Ferriss believes he can show you how. This Jack-of-all-trades has done it all, from becoming the National Chinese Kickboxing Champion and the Guinness World Record-holder for tango dancing to working for education reform. In his controversial book, The 4-Hour Workweek, Ferriss advocates throwing out old ideas of retirement and deferred-life plans. His latest sensation, The 4-Hour Body, is a choose-your-own-adventure guide to the human body, covering topics ranging from fat loss to sex, and he says it’s all been tested.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on

Jon Coupal, President, Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association
Joe Nation, Lecturer, Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research
Roxanne Sanchez, President, SEIU Local 1021
Daniel Borenstein, Columnist and Editorial Writer, Contra Costa Times and Oakland Tribune – Moderator

California’s financial situation is in shambles, and some pundits have identified the state’s public-employee pension obligation as a central part of the problem. But what is the true cost of pensions to the state’s structural deficit? Nineteen states reformed their public pension benefits in 2010. California has the largest pension system in the nation; is it now time for our state to reform our program too? Our panel of experts will share their views on whether pension reform is needed in California and how it should be done.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on January 25, 2011

CEO, Free Press; Blogger, Huffington Post

The future of journalism and the Internet are both in jeopardy, says the president of the leading national organization working on media and technology policy in the public interest. Free Press chief Silver will address the three major fronts in the battle – Internet policy, journalism policy, and public media policy – and reveal how we can help solve this crisis at an individual level.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience in San Francisco on January 31, 2011

Matt Cohen, Founder, Off the Grid: San Francisco and SF Cart Project
Iso Rabins, Founder, Forage SF (the Underground Farmers Market)
Shakirah Simley, Founder, Slow Jams; Food Justice Activist
Margarita Rojas, Marketing and Communications Coordinator, La Cocina
Jason Mark, Editor, Earth Island Journal; Co-manager, Alemany Farm - Moderator

The city's bursting at the seams with street food, our city blocks featuring everything from trucks selling kimchi tacos to carts wielding bacon crème brulee. What about the other foodie trends working their way up the haute cuisine ladder? INFORUM’s group of epicurean innovators will give you a taste of what’s going on in the culinary underworld. Learn which neighborhood blocks grow the most umami mushrooms as we give you the dirt on foraging. Or maybe you’ll get inspired to go public with your chipotle peanut brittle after hearing about the Underground Farmers Market, a new haven for outlaw urban eaters. Join us for a look at what’s fresh on the alternative food scene, both the trends and the motivations behind them.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience in San Francisco on January 26, 2011

Visiting Professor of Economics and Law, Chapman U.; Former Bank of America Dean, Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley; Former Member of Congress

Is the U.S. economic recovery in full swing, or are we headed for a double-dip recession? Former congressman, former Cal business dean and economic expert Campbell will lay out what we can expect in the year ahead and how you can be prepared. Campbell joined Chapman in January 2009 as a visiting presidential fellow. Prior to that, he was the Bank of America dean and professor of business at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. For 20 years prior to that, he was a professor of law at Stanford Law School, a member of Congress, a member of the California State Senate, and the director of the California Department of Finance, during the last year when the state balanced the budget without additional borrowing, taxes, or dipping into reserves.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience in San Francisco at The Commonwealth Club of California on January 21, 2011

Tyrus Cobb, Ph.D., Former National Security Council Member and Special Assistant to President Reagan

This February 6th, Ronald Reagan would have turned 100. A participant in many private meetings with President Reagan and various world leaders, Cobb will share with us his intimate perspective on Reagan and his relationships with such world leaders as Gorbachev, Thatcher, Mulroney, Kohl and Pope John Paul II. Cobb will provide first-hand insights into the role of other participants in those epic times as well, including George H.W. Bush, Tip O'Neill, Colin Powell, Oliver North, Bob Gates and George Shultz.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on January 25, 2011

Mark Warner U.S. Senator (D-VA), Hon. Co-Chair, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
Rob Atkinson, President, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation
Weili Dai, Co-founder and Vice President and General Manager of Communications and Computing Business Unit, Marvell Technology Group
Steve Wright, Vice President of Strategic Communications, Silicon Valley Leadership Group - Moderator

A recent report by the Information Technology Innovation Foundation found that the U.S. ranks last out of 40 nations in progress made in the last decade on innovation-based competitiveness. When compared to other nations, we have failed to grow our innovation economy, which is measured by factors such as corporate R&D, numbers of scientists and engineers, venture capital investments, and more. The consequences of our decline are significant. Some people believe that the lack of innovation-based competitiveness contributed to the financial crisis and is a driving factor in the anemic nature of the current U.S. recovery. Unless we take steps now on an array of fronts - tax policy, trade, support for science and technology, education and others - the United States is likely to continue to slip, with deleterious implications for productivity, wage growth, business vitality and the trade deficit. Our panelists will discuss what is needed and how Washington can collaborate to play a more effective role in supporting the policies needed to restore America's innovation and leadership.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club's Silicon Valley Office in San Jose on January 19, 2011

Columnist, The New York Times; Commentator, PBS "NewsHour"

Dan Schnur, Chairman, Fair Political Practices Commission of California; Director, Jesse Unruh Institute of Politics at the University of Southern California - Moderator

New York Times op-ed columnist and American political and cultural commentator Brooks offers a fresh perspective on politics and culture in the age of President Obama. Is the country moving further to the left, right or center? What is the future of the tea party movement? As author of a twice-weekly column for The New York Times, Brooks has written extensively on regional and intergenerational differences in America, America as a consumerist society, the benefits of a free-market economy, and foreign policy. Brooks regularly appears on PBS’ "NewsHour" and on NPR’s "All Things Considered." A prolific writer and editor with a long career in journalism, he has also served as contributing editor at Newsweek and the Atlantic Monthly, senior editor of The Weekly Standard, and editor for The Wall Street Journal. Brooks is the author of two books, Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There and On Paradise Drive: How We Live Now (And Always Have) in the Future Tense. His eagerly anticipated new book will be released in March, 2011.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on January 11, 2011

Reza Aslan, Author, No God But God, How to Win a Cosmic War, and Tablet and Pen; Contributing Editor, The Daily Beast
Wajahat Ali, Playwright, “The Domestic Crusaders;” Journalist; Attorney; Creator, Goatmilk: An Intellectual Playground Blog
Zoe Ferraris, Author, Finding Nouf and City of Veils
Najva Sol, Photographer; Poet; Co-founder, the Lowbrow Society for the Arts
In conversation with Laura Sydell, Arts Correspondent, National Public Radio - Moderator

American headlines about the Middle East often focus on terrorism, suicide bombings and escalating tensions. The mainstream media can create a massive American cultural blindspot around the literature, history and stories of the Middle East. A political commentator, New York Times best-selling author and an analyst on CBS News, Aslan is considered by some to be an American window to Islam. He is now looking to bridge the gap and share the best of the Middle East's literary leaders. Join the acclaimed author and contributing editor to The Daily Beast as he brings you the cultural luminaries from Iran, Pakistan, Morocco and Turkey and beyond.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on November 11, 2010

Co-founder and President, Kiva

Kiva is the world's first person-to-person micro-lending web site, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs around the globe. Combining technology with social issues in a way that allows mass participation in facilitating solutions, it inspires grassroot support for the financing of social alleviation projects. Kiva has generated extraordinary excitement and more than $100 million in small online loans that are reimbursed if the donor requests such an outcome. Says Shah: “What bummed me out was that microfinance is such a great tool to alleviate poverty and that there is a shortage of capital – but that there is no way for the average guy in the U.S. to invest in microfinance.”

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on December 8, 2010

Donald Berwick, M.D., M.P.P., Administrator, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS)

Sarah Varney, KQED Health Reporter, “The California Report” and “Health Dialogues” - Moderator

Berwick leads a department with a larger budget than the Pentagon and oversees the programs that provide health care to nearly one in three Americans, yet he has made few public appearances since President Obama made him CMS administrator in a recess appointment last summer. A recipient of numerous medical awards and honors, Berwick has a long history of involvement with public policy on health care and was given an honorary knighthood by Queen Elizabeth in 2005 for his work. Come hear him share his thoughts about how the recent reform bill passed by Congress will affect the longevity and viability of our nation’s medical system and his goals of improving patient care while reducing waste.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on

Laurie David, Producer, An Inconvenient Truth; Author, The Family Dinner

Research has shown that children who have regular dinners together with their parents do better in almost all areas of life, from higher grades in school to maintaining loving relationships, to avoiding bad behaviors like drugs, alcohol, and promiscuity. David presents practical and inspirational ways to keep your family at the table.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on November 9, 2010

Film Director, Sleepless in Seattle; Screenwriter; Author, I Feel Bad About My Neck and I Remember Nothing

In conversation with Jane Ganahl, Author; Co-founder, Litquake

Acclaimed director of Julie & Julia and writer of When Harry Met Sally, Ephron offers her hilarious observations and insights into the past, present and future, sharing everything she hasn’t (yet) forgotten. She reflects on what women really think when they reach a certain age and what she’s learned along the way.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club's Silicon Valley branch in San Jose on November 21, 2010

Richard Wolffe, Political Commentator; Author, Renegade and Revival: The Struggle for Survival Inside the White House

Phil Bronstein, Editor at Large, Hearst Newspapers – Moderator

Wolffe, award-winning journalist, NBC and MSNBC political analyst, and author of the New York Times best-selling political epic, Renegade: The Making of a President, will tell the dramatic inside story of the defining period of the Obama White House, based on exclusive interviews with President Obama and his White House staff. As Newsweek’s former senior White House correspondent, Wolffe covered the entire length of Obama’s presidential campaign and has had unprecedented access to Obama – allowing us to see and hear President Obama with an immediacy and honesty never before witnessed. Come and listen to Wolffe as he answers the simple yet enduring question: Who is Barack Obama?

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on December 7, 2010

Tony Kushner, Playwright, “Angels in America”

Kushner returns to celebrate the opening day of the new exhibition: “More Life! Angels in America at 20” at the Museum of Performance & Design. Exhibition curator Brad Rosenstein will talk with Kushner about this play’s dramatic evolution, its powerful ongoing legacy, and the much-anticipated New York revival.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience in San Francisco on November 6, 2010

Author, The Color Purple and Hard Times Require Furious Dancing

In conversation with Laura Sydell, Correspondent, Arts Information Unit - Moderator

The masterful Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Color Purple, Walker is also a prominent political activist, feminist and a voice of cultural progressivism. With a quiet and enlightened sense, Walker speaks about the world as she sees it. Come and hear the legendary storyteller as she explores gut-wrenching and sorrowful topics in her new collection of poems, Hard Times Require Furious Dancing.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on November 4, 2010

Professor of Business and Political Science, Stanford University; Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution; Author, Extraordinary, Ordinary People: A Memoir of Family

In her first public appearance since the publication of her new family memoir, Secretary Rice provides a rare glimpse at the experiences that have shaped her world outlook and discusses her views on current issues. Rice details her remarkable childhood, which began in the late 1950s, when Birmingham blacks lived in segregation, and continued through the '60s, when Rice saw her girlhood friends lose their lives to the bloodshed of the era. Rice was the 66th U.S. secretary of state and the first black woman to hold that office. She will talk about the people and experiences that have guided her on her path to occupying one of the nation’s highest offices. Prior to serving as secretary of state, she was the first woman ever to serve as national security advisor, was provost of Stanford from 1993 to 1999, and served as the Soviet and East European Affairs advisor during the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 18, 2010

Arthur Brooks, President, American Enterprise Institute; Author, The Battle: How the Fight between Free Enterprise and Big Government Will Shape America's Future

Brooks outlines a new culture war – not the old struggle over guns or abortion or religion, but over two competing visions of America. In one, America continues as a unique and exceptional nation organized around the principles of free enterprise. In the other, the U.S. moves toward a European-style social democracy characterized by increasing bureaucracies, income redistribution and government control of corporations. Brooks argues that free enterprise is not merely an economic system but an expression of American values and American culture, and he makes the case that free enterprise is the system that delivers the greatest levels of prosperity to the greatest numbers of people.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 25, 2010

Arianna Huffington, Co-founder and Editor-in-Chief, The Huffington Post; Author, Third World America: How Our Politicians Are Abandoning the Middle Class and Betraying the American Dream

In conversation with Raj Patel, Journalist, Activist, Author, Stuffed and Starved - Moderator

“It is no longer an exaggeration to say that middle-class Americans are an endangered species," says Huffington. She is now sounding the alarm on "Third World America" She takes on the menacing duo of Washington and Wall Street, brazenly charging politicians with abandonment of the middle class and claiming the disappearance of the American Dream. Is the American middle class really in danger of extinction? How can we close the widening gap between the haves and have-nots? Hear what one of the most influential voices in modern media has to say about America’s imminent (or not so imminent) collapse.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on November 18, 2010

Munir Jiwa, Founding Director and Professor, Center for Islamic Studies, Graduate Theological Union
Ameena Jandali, Educator; Co-founder, the Islamic Network Group – Moderator

The controversial Park 51 project to build a mosque and Muslim community center near Ground Zero has thrust us into a national conversation about religious freedom, patriotism and Islamophobia. Jiwa posits that the general public still equates 9/11 with Islam rather than al-Qaida. He says we must work toward mutual respect and understanding.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on November 18, 2010

Bjorn Lomborg, Author, Cool It; Skeptical Environmentalist
Carl Pope, Chairman, The Sierra Club
Craig Miller, Senior Editor, Climate Watch, KQED Radio - Moderator

Skeptical environmentalist Lomborg declares that global warming is a chief concern facing the world, but says we should focus our resources on more immediate concerns like fighting poverty and HIV/AIDS. INFORUM is hosting a pre-release screening of Cool It, the film based on Lomborg’s 2007 book, which outlines Lomborg’s climate solutions. Are these the same solutions that the Sierra Club’s Pope would offer up? Probably not. This pair of environment advocates will tackle the issues in an exclusive discussion. Find out what happens when the environment’s devout defender meets the climate change critic.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on October 19, 2010

Evan Williams, Co-founder, Twitter
Biz Stone, Co-founder, Twitter
Brad Stone, Senior Writer, BusinessWeek - Moderator

Twitter founders Williams and Stone open up and answer our questions about the site that has the whole world chirping. A year after launching in 2006, Twitter had just a few thousand users and a quirky name. Now, the site has more than 160 million users who send nearly 100 million messages a day. The Twittersphere is flooded with the real-time updates by everyone from your 80-year-old grandmother to Iranian political protestors, Top Chefs, best-selling authors and uber-celebs seeking the Twitter crown. How did a social network based on tweets, or "short bursts of information," become the preferred voice for so many around the globe? Is Twitter the evolution of mobile messaging and news consumption and/or a soapbox for the world's attention seekers? Hear the true Twitter tale, its evolution and future from the men behind the hashtag.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 11, 2010

Founder and President, Arab American Institute; Advisor, Zogby International Polling Firm; Author, Arab Voices: What They Are Saying to Us, and Why It Matters

Based on a new Zogby International poll, Zogby reveals what people in the Middle East are really thinking right now and how we can better understand them. The poll results deliver insight on how people in the region view American society, world affairs, their own position in the world, and a host of other issues so that we can truly grasp their perspective beyond assumptions and bias. Zogby is the founder and president of the Arab American Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based organization which serves as the political and policy research arm of the Arab American community. Since the mid-1990s he has been a senior advisor to Zogby International (ZI), the polling firm founded by his brother John. At ZI he has supervised a number of path-breaking public-opinion polling projects in countries across the Middle East.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on October 18, 2010

CEO, Permanente Medical Group

Following passage of health insurance reform, a fundamental challenge – and opportunity – facing our nation today is how to advance the medical delivery system into the 21st century. As CEO of the largest medical group in the nation, Pearl is responsible for the health care of over 3 million Kaiser Permanente members.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on November 3, 2010

Bob Edgar, President and CEO, Common Cause
Jesse Choper, Earl Warren Professor of Public Law, UC Berkeley
Lawrence McQuillan, Director of Business and Economic Studies, Pacific Research Institute
John Diaz, Editorial Page Editor, San Francisco Chronicle - Moderator

Do our political leaders achieve their positions on merit, or are they buying them? After the Supreme Court ruled in January to permit both corporations and unions to promote and finance the campaigns of electoral candidates, many people, including the president, said that big business would now own and control politics. The issue appears to be polarized along party lines. Conservatives contend that prohibiting corporations from financing political campaigns is a violation of the First Amendment, and liberal politicians and policy groups have adamantly protested the ruling for giving equal representative rights to corporations and individuals. Dialogue is critical to fully understanding this thorny issue. Join The Club for a spirited debate on the ramifications, constitutionality and precedent of this landmark ruling.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on October 11, 2010

Devra Davis, Author, Disconnect; School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University

Oncology expert Davis blows the lid off what she asserts is the cell phone industry’s abuse of science. It isn’t just about brain cancer, says Davis: cell phones damage DNA, break down the brain’s defenses, reduce sperm count, and increase memory loss. Radio frequency radiation from phones is especially threatening to children, whose brains are still growing. But the U.S., helped along by the powerful mobile phone industry, has done little to examine these risks or set standards that significantly improve our safety, Davis and others contend. She will reveal the untold inside story of how we got here.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on October 6, 2010

The State of the Economy: A Conversation with Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner

Secretary Geithner will address the Obama administration’s proposals to help get more Americans back to work and help reinforce long-term growth at home as well as efforts to build a more stable financial system and to strengthen the global economy. Before his ascension to the Treasury in 2009, Secretary Geithner helmed the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. His many years of service include jobs in three presidential administrations for five secretaries of the treasury in a variety of positions. He served as under secretary of the treasury for international affairs from 1999 to 2001 for secretaries Robert Rubin and Lawrence Summers, and was director of the Policy Development and Review Department at the International Monetary Fund from 2001 until 2003. Don't miss this chance to get up close and personal with one of the most important figures entrusted with getting the nation’s economy back on track.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club's Silicon Valley branch in San Jose on October 18, 2010

Associate Clinical Professor, New York Medical College; Health Care Columnist, The Advocate

Internist and medical professor Spinelli is a leading expert on gay men’s health and wellness. He will discuss principles of gay men’s health, new paradigms for wellness and health promotion, and important insights for health-care providers.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience in San Jose at The Commonwealth Club Silicon Valley on October 1, 2010

Greg Dalton, Founder of Climate One, moderator

In just her third appearance before a US audience as secretary of state, Hillary Rodham Clinton touts the potential of American innovation to further public diplomacy and to help tackle a host of global challenges. Before a sold-out Commonwealth Club crowd of 1,500, Clinton comments on global flashpoints – Afghanistan, Iran, and Mexico – while addressing climate change and clean energy. Clinton repeatedly stresses the need to leverage the creativity of Silicon Valley with work underway at her department. “Innovation is one of America's greatest values and products,” she says, “and we are very committed to working with scientists and researchers to look for new ways to develop hardier crops or lifesaving drugs at affordable costs, working with engineers for new sources of clean energy or clean water to both stem climate change and also to improve the standard of living for people.” In the Q&A, Climate One founder Greg Dalton asks Clinton if the State Department would reconsider granting a permit for the controversial Alberta Clipper Pipeline. Clinton concedes that while a final decision had not been made, the project is likely to go ahead: “We're either going to be dependent on dirty oil from the Gulf or dirty oil from Canada. And until we can get our act together as a country and figure out that clean, renewable energy is in both our economic interests and the interests of our planet.” Clinton also comments on Senate’s failure to act on climate change. “I don't think it will come as a surprise to anyone how deeply disappointed the President and I are about our inability to get the kind of legislation through the Senate that the United States was seeking,” she says. Clinton closes with advice for Ellie, a 10-year-old who expresses concern for the future environment. “I think that there is a lot that you can do, because it's been my experience that young people are much more environmentally conscious and committed to protecting the world you're growing up in than some of us older people are,” she says. “I'm out of politics, as you all know. So speaking as a private citizen,” she adds, to laughter, “I think people running for office should be asked to explain their positions on what they're going to do.”

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 15, 2010

Vinton Cerf, VP and Chief Internet Evangelist, Google; one of the “fathers of the Internet”
Paul Mockapetris, Chief Scientist and Chairman of the Board, Nominum; Creator, Domain Name System (DNS)
Esther Dyson, Chairman, EDventure Holdings & Angel Investor - Moderator

Viruses, spyware, spam, phishing, zombie machines. Several years ago, we might have thought of these as just a nuisance, and their perpetrators as mostly underemployed kids. Today, cybercrime is worth billions of dollars to loosely organized networks of criminals that prey on individuals, businesses and governments with malicious or profit-seeking intent. What are some of the current threats, and how is industry responding to them? What new threats might we expect in the coming years? Is the Internet's health partly a result of misaligned incentives, where those who cause the damage don't bear its costs? How can we change that? What more should industry, government and individuals be doing to protect the network and, ultimately, ourselves?

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Jose on October 4, 2010

Corina Casanova, Federal Chancellor, Switzerland

Switzerland has one of the most extensive systems of democratic rights in the world. Chancellor Casanova will compare the Swiss and U.S. constitutions, elaborating on commonalities and differences, particularly with regard to state institutions, direct democracy, people's rights and federalism. Casanova was a delegate for the International Committee of the Red Cross in South Africa, Angola, Nicaragua and El Salvador. She has held the office of federal chancellor since January 2008 following her election by the Swiss parliament in December 2007.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 6, 2010

Part of The Chevron California Innovation Series

Raj Atluru, Managing Director, Draper Fisher Jurvetson
Ralph Cavanagh, Energy Co-director, Natural Resources Defense Council
Cathy Reheis-Boyd, President, Western States Petroleum Association
Jack Stewart, President, California Manufacturers and Technology Association
Virgil Welch, Special Assistant to the Chairman, California Air Resources Board
Greg Dalton, Climate One - Moderator

The low-carbon economy is California’s future. But this panel of energy experts convened by Climate One disagrees on how fast that transition will take, and how it will impact the economy. Jack Stewart, President, California Manufacturers and Technology Association, and Cathy Reheis-Boyd, President, Western States Petroleum Association, repeatedly stress that California could be more business friendly, and that green jobs alone won’t pull the state out of recession. “We all see a clean energy future,” Stewart says. “The question is: When do we get there? How fast do we get there? And at what cost?” “We cannot lose sight of the fact that we are not in a good state in California,” says Reheis-Boyd. “I can tell you my members are making some very difficult choices about where to invest their next dollar.” We have to get the rules right, the remaining panel members say, but they see no trade-off between environmental and economic good. “I think the energy history of California over the last 30 years is how to do both well,” says Ralph Cavanagh, Energy co-director, Natural Resources Defense Council. “Nobody is satisfied with 12.4% unemployment, but I don’t think the answer is doing less of what we already know we do better than anyone else. I think it’s speeding up.” For Virgil Welch, Special Assistant to the Chairman of the California Air Resources Board, it’s also about maintaining California’s global competitiveness. “The policies that we as a state are working on are not just what we need to do for our energy and environmental needs, but they’re critical to driving us towards where the global economy is heading, which is clean energy.” As long as California’s maintains its forward-thinking policy framework, green innovators will call the state home, says, Raj Atluru, Managing Director at the venture capital firm Draper Fisher Jurvetson. “California has succeeded over the last century because of its innovation. We’ve innovated in entertainment, flight, defense, communications, PCs, the Internet. Our bet, at our firm, is that the next wave of innovation is going to be the green jobs economy. ”

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on October 12, 2010

Dan Walters, Political Columnist, Sacramento Bee
In conversation with Josh Richman, Politics and Legal Affairs Reporter, Oakland Tribune and Bay Area News Group

Renowned political columnist Walters takes a look at the upcoming November election that could drastically change California’s political climate. Will political newbies Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina lead California into a Republican dominance not seen since Governor Ronald Reagan and Senator Richard Nixon were in power? Or will the deep California roots of political veterans Jerry Brown and Barbara Boxer knock California securely back into the blue? Walters weighs in on these two heated campaigns as well as what else we should be watching out for this November.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on September 22, 2010

Founder, Daily Kos; Author, American Taliban: How War, Sex, Sin, and Power Bind Jihadists and the Radical Right

In conversation with Jonathan Weber, Editor-in-Chief, The Bay Citizen

“Think about it. The freedom that jihadists hate – freedom of thought, inquiry and lifestyle – are the very freedoms that the conservatives hate.” In Moulitsas' new book, American Taliban, he pulls out the big guns against the American conservative movement. Quoting pundits and politicians, pointing to polls and news, Moulitsas makes a litany of charges claiming that the entire conservative movement in America is comparable to the U.S.’s international enemy #1 – Islamic radicalism. Does he go too far? Does he make some valid points and observations? Decide for yourself. Come see a candid, no-holds-barred interview with the founder of the popular online blog Daily Kos and frequent contributor for Newsweek and MSNBC.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California in San Francisco on September 27, 2010

Robert Reich, Professor, Goldman School of Public Policy, UC Berkeley; Former U.S. Secretary of Labor; Author, Aftershock

When the nation’s economy foundered in 2008, blame was almost universally directed at Wall Street, but celebrated economic policymaker and political theorist Reich suggests a different reason for the meltdown and describes a potentially treacherous road ahead. Reich explores a blueprint for lastingly improving our economy.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on September 28, 2010

Owner, the French Laundry, Bouchon, Per Se, Ad Hoc; Author, Ad Hoc at Home and The French Laundry Cookbook

Clark Wolf, President and Founder, Clark Wolf Company; Consultant; Author; Writer - Moderator

World-renowned chef Keller serves up stories from the front line of fine dining. The owner of such celebrated restaurants as the French Laundry, Bouchon, Per Se and Ad Hoc, Keller penned the award-winning The French Laundry and Bouchon cookbooks, as well as Under Pressure, on sous vide cooking, and Ad Hoc at Home. In 2001, he was named “America’s Best Chef” by Time Magazine. In 2003, Johnson & Wales University awarded him the honorary degree of Doctor of Culinary Arts for his contributions to the industry. His accolades include consecutive "Best Chef" awards from the James Beard Foundation and "Chef of the Year" by the Culinary Institute of America. He is the only American-born chef to hold multiple three-star ratings by the Michelin Guide. Don’t miss a rare opportunity to hear from this modern kitchen master.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on September 30, 2010

Author, Everything Is Illuminated and Eating Animals

Foer looks at our dining habits, insatiable appetites and the cultural meaning of food. He explores the ethical, environmental and health risks behind commercial fishing and factory farming and discusses his journey from carnivore to vegetarian. Hear from the man that actress Natalie Portman claims changed her from a “20-year vegetarian to a vegan activist.”

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on September 21, 2010

Frank Puglisi Jr., Executive Director, Health Care Interpreter Network
Melinda Paras, President and CEO, Paras and Associates
Carolyn Wang Kong, MPH, MPP, Practice Leader, Language Access, Northern California Diversity, Kaiser Permanente
Sarah Varney, Health Reporter, "The California Report," KQED - Moderator

The increasingly critical role of interpreters in health care and the skill required to interpret in such delicate and emotional situations have spurred the creation of a revolutionary service. This sophisticated and integrated technological system aims to break down the language barriers between service providers and patients with limited English proficiency. Language technology is rapidly becoming an integral part of health care. By using interpretation services, doctors and patients can overcome the language barriers to enable and enhance access to health care. Come hear how technology is helping doctors and patients communicate through cyberspace.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on September 24, 2010

David Walker, Former U.S. Comptroller General; Former Head, U.S. Government Accountability Office
Robert L. Bixby, Executive Director, The Concord Coalition
Michael Boskin, Ph.D., Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution; Professor of Economics, Stanford University; Chairman, President George H.W. Bush's Council of Economic Advisors
Isabel Sawhill, Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution
Tom Campbell, Visiting Professor of Economics and Law, Chapman University; Former Director of Finance, State of Calfornia; Former Member of the Joint Economic Committee, U.S. Congress - Moderator

We are inundated with facts and figures that support the argument that the U.S. government is headed toward fiscal crisis, yet we rarely read or hear a discussion of how such a crisis can be avoided. Experts with years of front-line experience in the fiscal jungle of Washington share their ideas on what steps should be taken now to place the nation on a sustainable course of fiscal responsibility.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on September 23, 2010

Melanie Cheng, Founder OmOrganics.org and FarmsReach.com
David Hodgson, Co-founder, the Idea Hive; Fellow, the International Futures Forum
Kevin Jones, Founder Good Capital; Convener, SOCAP
Hope Neighbor, Founder and CEO, Hope Consulting
Sean Stannard-Stockton, CEO, Tactical Philanthropy Advisors; Columnist, Chronicle of Philanthropy; Author, Tactical Philanthropy Blog
Amy Benziger, Co-producer, SOCAP - Moderator

More than 1,000 people from more than 35 countries are coming to San Francisco in October, intent on showing the world that there is a real market at the intersection of money and meaning. Experts in areas as diverse as mobile, food systems, philanthropy and international development will introduce and explain the growing social enterprise investment movement. Join us for an exciting and informative preview of the ideas and issues of SOCAP 2010 in conversation with the team leading the upcoming conference.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on September 17, 2010

In-conversation with chef Joey Altman

Award winning Chef and TV Personality Bayless has spent the last 30 years putting his own delicious twist on gourmet Mexican cuisine. With successful restaurants around the country, he has cooked for everyone from Oprah Winfrey to President Obama.

Bayless will share his unique culinary philosophy and highlight a few of his new 150 mouth-watering recipes from “Fiesta at Rick’s”. The season one winner of Bravo’s Top Chef Masters will also discuss why supporting local sustainable farms is so important to him.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 17, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

The Taste for Civilization

Janet A. Flammang, Professor and Chair of Political Science, Santa Clara University; Author, The Taste for Civilization: Food, Politics, and Civil Society

The recent deterioration of family mealtime traditions raises questions about the concomitant lack of civility in America’s political and civil discourse. Are our dining rooms the fundamental education foundation of our civility? Could they be the source of our awareness of the importance of the common good and what it means to be a good citizen? Professor Flammang combines political theory, feminist analysis and cultural study to explore the familiar world of our dinnertime rituals and the civilizing function of food.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 31, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

Achieving Success with the Help of a Mentor: Women Advising Women on Power, Progress and Priorities

Mary Stutts, Author, The Missing Mentor; Senior Vice President, Elan Corporation
Evelyn Dilsaver, Former President and CEO, Charles Schwab Investment Management
Mary Cranston, Senior Partner, Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP; Immediate Past Chair and CEO of the Firm

What is my next career move? How can I achieve balance between career and family? How can a mentor help? This expert panel of powerful women will help answer these questions, based on their own experience and successful business careers, and they will explore top tips and major pitfalls to avoid. Stutts and fellow panelists will discuss how to increase your confidence, create a life plan, maintain your well-being, and define and achieve your own success in life.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 30, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

The Women of Israel: A Remarkable Diversity

Donna Rosenthal, Author; Journalist; Television Producer
Rita Semel, Vice Chairwoman, SF Interfaith Council - Moderator

Rosenthal will describe the ethnic, religious and cultural diversity of Israeli women – Christians, Jews, Muslims, Druze – who range from the radically modern to staunchly traditional. Some work in high tech, the government or the military, while others practice polygamous marriages, march in gay pride parades, or support the religious fervor of their husbands.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club of California on August 27, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

Remembering Afghan Women

Katherine Brown, Truman National Security Project Fellow; Former Communications and Public Events Advisor, U.S. Embassy Kabul; NGO Worker; Former White House Staffer
Olga Oliker, Senior International Policy Analyst, RAND Corporation

Following the overthrow of the misogynistic Taliban regime in Afghanistan, the situation for women seemed to enter a promising era. A Ministry of Women was established, and a new constitution guaranteed women 25 percent representation in the legislature. But progress has been stymied in Afghanistan. More than 80 percent of Afghan women are illiterate and many remain victims of violence. Brown and Oliker will address the key challenges that hamper progress in Afghanistan and discuss how women are working to create possible solutions

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 23, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

Kate Kendell

Now occurring on August 26

Executive Director, National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR)

The NCLR’s precedent-setting case victories have literally re-written the law, changing the legal landscape for LGBT individuals and families. Kendall stands at center stage in our nation’s discussion of civil rights and social justice. Topics explored will include the role of women in securing economic parity, marriage equality and parenting rights. Kendall will also share her views on domestic and international issues such as female circumcision, homophobia and bullying in our nation’s schools.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 26, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

What Is a Woman Worth?

Jackie Speier, Member of Congress, (D-CA)
Jan Yanehiro, Director of Multimedia Communications, Academy of Art University; Broadcast Journalist - Moderator

With more than 20 years in national, state and local political work, Speier has set precedents for women and what they are worth in creating state and national politics and policies. Currently, her work includes three pivotal congressional committees: Finance Services, Oversight and Government, and the Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming. Join in this important discussion about the power of women's voices and actions during the unprecedented storm of turmoil, change, energy crisis, money and job uncertainty in the second decade of the 21st century.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 24, 2010

Aneesh Chopra, United States Chief Technology Officer

Thomas Nesbitt, M.D., M.P.H., Associate Vice Chancellor for Strategic Technologies and Alliances, UC Davis School of Medicine - Moderator

Chopra, assistant to the president and the nation's first-ever chief technology officer, has made it a priority to advance America's health-care reform goals through the use of technology and innovation for one of the administration's top priorities. He will discuss using technology, such as telemedicine and mobile health, to drive new care models for disease management, independent living and appropriate virtual care for people in their own homes. With millions of Americans about to apply for health insurance for the first time, Chopra is leading the effort to make enrollment as easy as using the Internet to pay bills or file income taxes. He will also discuss how policies, standards and harnessing the potential of technology, data and innovation can transform the nation's health-care system and improve the lives of everyday Americans.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 18, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

Midori in Conversation with Ruth Felt

Midori, Violinist
Ruth Felt, President, San Francisco Performances

Renowned violinist Midori has captured the world’s heart with her brilliant performances. Her repertory and career has established a record of achievement that sets her apart as a master musician, an innovator and a champion of the developmental potential of children. In this conversation with her long-time presenter, San Francisco Performances President Felt, Midori also will reflect on her community engagement programs that bring music closer to the lives of people who may not otherwise have involvement with the arts. She will also speak about her role as a United Nations messenger of peace.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 20, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

Spin It Green: The Story of Marissa Muller

Marissa Muller, Solar-Powered Bicycle Pioneer

After graduating from business school in Spain, Muller returned home to California and worked with her family in building her vision: a solar powered electric bike. During her 1,000-mile solo adventure on the roads of California, she visited 14 high schools, offering a seminar on solar and electric vehicles, and sparking a dialogue with the students to start brainstorming ways to combat our energy and environmental challenges. Though the ride is over, her goal of reaching 1,000 clean ideas is ongoing. Meet this amazing young woman and hear her message of clean power.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 19, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

Women Changing the Way We Eat

Temra Costa, Author, Farmer Jane: Women Changing the Way We Eat
Nina Simons, Co-founder and Co-CEO, Bioneers, Collective Heritage Institution
Jesse Ziff Cool, Restaurateur; Cookbook Author, Simply Organic
Kira Gould, Co-author, Women in Green; Director of Communication, William McDonough & Partners - Moderator

Women (including First Lady Michelle Obama) are using their unique leadership skills to play a critical role in the sustainable food movement. Come learn how women are working diligently and effectively to change the way Americans eat and farm. From bringing organic fruits and veggies into schools to ensuring that farm workers are treated fairly to pioneering new methods of sustainable farming, women are fighting to ensure that we and the planet thrive well into the future.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on August 16, 2010

Member, United States Senate (D-CA)

Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1992, Senator Boxer is now preparing for a tough race against Republican challenger Carly Fiorina. Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and the Senate Ethics Committee, Boxer is the only U.S. senator to chair two committees. She also serves on the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation as well as the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Senator Boxer was a strong supporter of President Obama’s 2009 economic stimulus plan and co-authored the bipartisan Invest in the U.S.A. Act, to encourage companies to bring overseas profits back to the United States to create jobs here. She wrote the first-ever law to authorize federal funding for afterschool programs. Come hear her thoughts on jobs, the economy and California’s future.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 31, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

Rosalynn Carter: Ending the Mental Health Crisis

Former First Lady; Author

Former First Lady Carter is an icon and an advocate for mental health, early childhood immunization, human rights and conflict resolution through her work at The Carter Center in Atlanta. Carter will discuss her decades working in the mental health field. Following the program, she will also sign copies of her new book, Within Our Reach: Ending the Mental Health Crisis.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 13, 2010

Senior Political Analyst, CNN; Director, Center for Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School

Environmental catastrophe, economic uncertainty, international strife – where’s America headed as it faces down these and other challenges? Hear an insider’s view from the man with a front-row seat to history-making headlines. Gergen is a senior political analyst for CNN and has served as an adviser to four U.S. presidents. A professor of public service and the director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School, Gergen got his start in public life as a speech writer in the Nixon White House. He went on to serve in the communications department for Gerald Ford and director of communications for Ronald Reagan, and as an adviser to Bill Clinton and to the 1980 George H.W. Bush presidential campaign.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on July 28, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

Yves Saint Laurent: Creating Power in Style for the Modern Woman

Julia Geist, Docent Lecturer, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

In the 1960s, master couturier and fashion pioneer Saint Laurent radically changed the way women dressed. His pantsuits and tuxedos – traditional symbols of male power – conveyed elegance and chic. This illustrated lecture is a retrospective of his imaginative and sexy designs through 40 years.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 4, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

A Life in Science: Nobel laureate Elizabeth Blackburn in conversation with UCSF Chancellor Susan Desmond-Hellmann

Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Ph.D., Nobel Laureate, Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics, UCSF
Susan Desmond-Hellmann, M.D., M.P.H., UCSF Chancellor; Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock Distinguished Professor

On October 5, 2009, UCSF molecular biologist Blackburn learned that she had received the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, for her co-discovery of an enzyme that plays a key role in aging and cancer. Join us as Blackburn discusses her life in science. We encourage both scientists and non-scientists to come hear Blackburn's reflections on an unfettered childhood, skirting the "safe" scientific projects, the benefits of not listening to naysayers, and the difference between good and bad stress.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 4, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

Girls Gotta Do Business: The Rising Force of Women Entrepreneurs

Alison Covarrubias, Co-founder, The Hatch Network, SF
Baat Enosh, Entrepreneur Alliance Program Director, NCWIT; VP of Operations, Women 2.0
Ayesha Mathews-Wadhwa, Director, Savor the Success, SF Bay Area
Julie Abrams, CEO, Women's Initiative for Self Employment
Cathy Curtis, Financial Advisor, Curtis Financial Planning – Moderator

The exponential growth of women-owned businesses has been in the news for well over 20 years. More than a quarter of a million women in the U.S. own businesses with revenue exceeding $1 million. Demographics have played a role: female empty nesters, corporate escapees and the newly laid off are flexing their entrepreneurial muscle. However, there are some studies that indicate that women-owned businesses on average generate less revenue than businesses owned by men. Panelists will explore this issue and more, and give insight on how women entrepreneurs can get to the next level of success.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 3, 2010

Attorney; Chairman, Boies, Schiller and Flexner LLP

Pamela S. Karlan, Kenneth and Harle Montgomery Professor of Public Interest Law, Stanford University; Co-director, Supreme Court Litigation Clinic, Stanford University - Moderator

Challenging Law and Making History: Overturning CA’s Prop 8 Gay Marriage Ban.

Boies has been deeply involved in some of the most prominent legal disputes of the past two decades. From serving as special counsel to the Justice Department in the United States v. Microsoft trial to representing Vice President Al Gore in the Bush v. Gore case following the 2000 presidential election, Boies' legal experience is extensive and varied.

Together, Boies and former Solicitor General Theodore Olson have successfully overturned California's Proposition 8 ban on gay marriage. The judge’s ruling on the case happened just one day before this program was recorded. In a recent interview with Salon.com, Boies asserted that overturning this legislation will "improve the lives of gay and lesbian couples...it will not in any way harm heterosexual marriage." In 2010, Boies was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. Boies provides a behind-the-scenes look at the Prop. 8 case, and provide insight into what it takes to challenge the status quo and make legal history.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 5, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

The Origins of the Education of Women

Patricia Lundberg, Professor Emerita of English Language and Literature and Women’s Studies, Indiana University Northwest

Monday Night Philosophy peers back in history, where not that many men were educated, and almost no women. How was that stifling cultural ideal challenged and changed, so that the ascent of woman could get started? The history of breaking this taboo, and who did it, is bound to surprise you.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 2, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

Population Aging as a Feminist Issue

Adele M. Hayutin, Senior Research Scholar and Director of the Global Aging Program, Stanford Center on Longevity

Older women face particular challenges due to gender differences in life expectancy, labor force participation and income levels. Hayutin will provide a global demographic framework for understanding historical changes in the status of women as well as future challenges and opportunities that older women face. She will highlight women’s living arrangements, care-giving responsibilities and potential social isolation.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 2, 2010

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

Outliers and Outperformers: Women in Fund Management

Mellody Hobson, President, Ariel Investments
Ivka Kalus-Bysticky, Portfolio Manager,The Pax World International Fund
Luz Padilla, Head of Emerging Markets Fixed Income, Doubleline
Mary Ellen Stanek, Managing Director, Chief Investment Officer, Robert W. Baird & Co.
Cathy Curtis, Investment Advisor, Curtis Financial Planning - Moderator

The position of portfolio manager occupies the apex of the career hierarchy in the world of investment management. Yet the gender gap remains inordinately wide in this industry. Though women own half of the investment wealth in the U.S., one recent study found that only 10 percent of mutual fund managers and 3 percent of hedge fund managers are women. What barriers confront female analysts and traders who aspire to take their place at the helm of professionally managed portfolios? And how did those exceptional women who have joined this elite circle achieve their breakthrough success? What are their lives like – inside and outside of work? How can more women join the small but distinguished ranks of female money managers? Our panelists will explore these issues and more.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on July 30, 2010

Laura Tyson, Economist; Member, President Obama’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board; Chair, Council of Economic Advisors for President Clinton; Professor and Former Dean, Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley
Paul Saffo, Managing Director, Discern Analytics; Visiting Scholar, Stanford Media-X Research Network
Nancy Pfund, Managing Partner, DBL Investors
Robert Klein, J.D., Chairman, Governing Board of California Institute for Regenerative Medicine
Robert Hertzberg, Former Speaker, California State Assembly; Partner, Mayer Brown LLP; Environmental Entrepreneur
Sydnie Kohara, News Anchor, CBS 5 Television - Moderator

How can California remain economically competitive with the eager, talented and educated middle classes emerging in China, India and elsewhere? How can the California Dream be prevented from turning into a California Nightmare? Gold drove the first economic boom, and information technology fostered California’s most recent revolution of jobs and growth. What will be next? As the world becomes flat, globalization presents challenges. Will Californians innovate their way out? Prominent Californians (including a world-renowned economist, urban analyst and business innovators) discuss the issues challenging the state's business environment and provide insight into what must be done to ensure economic success.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on July 13, 2010

Author, Delivering Happiness; CEO, Zappos

In conversation with Geoffrey Fowler, Reporter, The Wall Street Journal

Meet the man who built a business based on happiness. Hsieh co-founded LinkExchange and sold it to Microsoft for $265M in 1998. He then took Zappos from $1.6M in 2000 to more than $1 billion in 2008. Contrary to the take-no-prisoners persona one might presume would be required to rake in such revenues, Hsieh has made his mark by focusing his business model, ironically enough, on happiness. Hsieh now brings you his secret recipe for Zappos success. How does a company go from $1.6M to more than a billion dollars on happiness? And how did Hsieh make Zappos one of Fortune’s “100 Best Companies to Work For”?

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on June 17, 2010

Academy Award-Winning Actor; Founder, The Dreyfuss Initiative

Recognized for his roles in Jaws, American Graffiti, and Mr. Holland's Opus, Richard Dreyfuss has issued a call to action in our classrooms. Dreyfuss believes civic education is the foundation of public education; yet over the years, it has become more about memorizing facts and dates than understanding context and history. By incorporating logic, history, and critical thinking with a national standard, Dreyfuss hopes to inspire a new way of teaching and preparing America's youth. Learn more about his bold national initiative to enhance civic education in today's classrooms.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club's office in San Jose on July 19, 2010

Nimat Hafez Barazangi, Ph.D., Islamic and Arabic Studies, Cornell University; Author, Woman's Identity and the Quran
Laura Sydell, Correspondent, National Public Radio - Moderator

Barazangi posits that it’s time for Muslim women to have a peaceful, silent revolution, firmly grounded in the Quran. Barazangi is a researcher for feminist, gender and sexuality studies at Cornell and has worked to improve attitudes and conditions for women in Islam. Hear from this dedicated educator, who helped draft the Iraqi constitution.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on July 19, 2010