Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Can changing our consciousness hold off the climate apocalypse? When we think about the enormity of climate change and what it’s doing to our planet, it’s easy to get overwhelmed, even shut down, by despair. But is despair such a bad place to be? Or could it be the one thing that finally spurs us to action? A conversation about climate change, spirituality and the human condition in unsettling times.

The Internet has drastically transformed our lives—it permeates every corner of our society and is only growing more influential. The pervasive exposure of our personal information has made us more vulnerable than ever. Former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff argues that nothing undermines our freedom more than losing control of information about ourselves. He believes our laws must also join the Information Age, and that technology can be used as the ultimate protection of our freedoms. From 2005 to 2009, Chertoff served as the second U.S. secretary of homeland security, leading efforts to stop terrorism inside American borders. Now, he has shifted his security focus to the cyber front. Chertoff argues that it’s not just a simple loss of privacy that is at stake but our ability to make personal choices without fear of coercion. Join us for a conversation about cyber issues plaguing our world, and how governments, companies and individuals must work together to protect our personal data in the Information Age.

Entrepreneur Alexis Ohanian has had a wild ride, and he’s just getting started. He founded Reddit, commonly known as “the front page of the Internet” and one of the most public displays of the huge potential and pitfalls of open dialogue today. Earlier this year, he left Reddit for new challenges, including becoming a father and returning full-time to the venture capital firm he founded, Initialized Capital. He spent time as a microfinance fellow for Kiva. He helped launch travel website Hipmunk and served as a partner for Y Combinator. His relationship with the world’s most famous tennis player, Serena Williams, was a match for the digital ages (There was a Reddit announcement of the engagement.), and now he’s arguably one of the highest profile dads in the tech world (to baby daughter Olympia). His perspectives on tech, culture and parenting uniquely intersect at a key time in today’s landscape, and we have questions about many subjects: life for working parents in tech and beyond; his lens on the world as a husband and father; the role of open dialogue online, the most interesting emerging tech coming out of Silicon Valley; and advice for founders or those looking to start their own ventures. Join us for a wide-ranging conversation with Ohanian, moderated by Katie Bethell, founder of PL+US, an organization which advocates for paid family leave for everyone in the United States. This program is generously supported by Bank of America Merrill Lynch

Here’s a rare chance to hear from the Trump administration official who oversees Medicare and Medicaid. Seema Verma is only the 15th person ever confirmed to the post. She was nominated by President Trump and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on March 13, 2017. As administrator, Verma oversees a $1 trillion budget, 26 percent of the total federal budget, which administers health care programs for more than 130 million Americans. A nationally recognized leader in health policy and operational design, Verma has guided health care policy in the public and private sector, working with states to build flexibility into their Medicaid programs to help them meet the diverse needs of their unique populations. As the architect of the historic Healthy Indiana Plan, she helped create and implement the nation’s first consumer directed Medicaid program. Administrator Verma is a graduate of the University of Maryland and holds a master’s degree in public health with a concentration in health policy and management from Johns Hopkins University.

This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Crisis in Our Country summer series. The Institute for the Future’s (IFTF) Marina Gorbis will discuss the concept of universal basic assets (UBA), a framework developed at IFTF in response to the technology-driven reshaping of jobs and work and rising levels of economic inequality. UBA are a core set of resources that every person is entitled to, including housing, health care, education and financial security. Why do we need UBA now, and what would a UBA plan look like? Come learn more about how this concept would work. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Gerald Harris NOTES MLF: Science & Technology

David Gergen is one of America’s most respected political observers, noted for his calm demeanor and perspective, having served as a White House adviser to four U.S. presidents of both parties: Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. Professor Gergen has been a regular commentator on public affairs for some 30 years and is an honors graduate of Yale and Harvard Law School. Come for a rare, insightful conversation about the impact of the Trump presidency and the future of America.

Early in 2018, many of the best known leaders from across American health care joined forces to launch United States of Care, a bipartisan initiative to ensure access to quality, affordable health care for every American. The founding belief is that when political rhetoric is removed, Americans outside of Washington agree more than they disagree about health-care access and coverage. The organization seeks politically and economically viable solutions that can garner broad support that won’t disappear with the next election or presidential administration. The group’s Board and Founders Council is a who’s who of U.S. health care, several of whose members will be on hand for this lively discussion.

Science and environmental reporter Andrew Revkin has been writing about climate change since the 1980s, including 21 years for The New York Times. So what are some things he’s learned in those three decades? How has he learned to best tell the story? As New Yorker writer Elizabeth Kolbert knows all too well, covering climate change is journey that can be a challenge. “On some level it’s the worst story ever. It’s sort of everything and nothing and so finding the narrative is very, very difficult,” says Kolbert. This is a conversation with those telling the story of our climate.

Julius Caesar’s ambition, writing, generalship and brutal death on the Roman Senate floor continue to fascinate us more than 2,000 years later. Our panel will discuss both why Caesar continues to hold our attention, and the related world premiere of "Caesar Maximus," which will be staged by We Players at the Music Concourse this fall. This new multi-disciplinary, site-integrated adaptation explores power, grief and the blind fury of a righteously angry mob. It also incorporates popular entertainment elements from the Opera and the Circus, opening up Shakespeare’s greatest political parable for our own tumultuous time. A crowd is expected to attend. Et tu? MLF ORGANIZER NAME George Hammond NOTES MLF: Humanities

Today we're checking in on current events, discussing immigration, and we'll be talking by phone with journalist Brody Levesque. Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready.

In 2017, all-women founder teams received just 15 percent of the dollars invested by venture capitalists in the United States. Venture capitalist Jess Lee and her peers have their work cut out for them, but they’re ready to make changes. Venture funding is often spurred by individual perspectives, so startups founded by women may not personally resonate with male venture capitalists. With women numbering only 9 percent of decision makers at U.S. firms, this means there are fewer women investing overall and a lack of representation on both sides of the coin. Since venture capital is an increasingly vital resource to support unique solutions for problems at every level, if funders and founders are not diverse, can the investment truly address a broad swath of challenges? Lee was the founder of the digital fashion site Polyvore, and she is now the first female investing partner in the United States at the high-profile venture firm Sequoia Capital. She’s focused on investing with a social lens, in companies such as Wonolo, which looks at the future of work. She’s also one of 34 senior female investors who came together in 2017 to found All Raise, a nonprofit dedicated to doubling the percentage of women in partner roles in venture capital over the next ten years and increasing total venture capital funding to female founders from 15 to 25 percent in the next five years. All Raise has already launched efforts such as Female Founder Office Hours and Founders for Change–and they’re just getting started. Join Lee for a conversation about the power of access and capital to create growth and change, and what founders, funders and consumers alike can do to ensure valuable resources are available to all.

Katie Sowers made history when she became the first openly LGBTQ coach in the National Football League. Sowers is in her third season in the NFL and second with the 49ers as a seasonal offensive assistant. She originally joined San Francisco in June 2017 as part of the 49ers 2017 Bill Walsh Minority Fellowship, where she worked with the team’s wide receivers. In 2016, Sowers spent the offseason/training camp in the same capacity with the Atlanta Falcons. With the Falcons, she worked closely with Atlanta assistant head coach/wide receivers coach Raheem Morris in organizing, conducting and concluding practice drills. Following her time on the field as a coach, she spent nine months as a scouting intern with the Falcons. Sowers joined Atlanta after spending five years (2012–16) as the athletic director of the city of Kansas City. A former member of the 2013 United States Women's National Football Team and a player herself in the WFA (Women’s Football Alliance) for eight years, Sowers earned her master’s degree in kinesiology with an emphasis in pedagogy from the University of Central Missouri in 2012. Join us for a fascinating discussion of her life, sports and more. NOTES This program is sponsored by VISA

The opioid epidemic is ravaging communities nationwide, and the president has announced it's a top priority to take action. Come learn about the problem: the extent of the opioid epidemic nationally as well as the current data in Alameda County; drug trends; the intersection of chronic pain and the intersection of opioid use disorder; and the promises and potential pitfalls of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) and its application at Tri-City Health Center. Dr. Nguyen is a licensed clinical psychologist who maintains an active training, consulting and therapy practice. Dr. Nguyen is continuously developing innovative ways to translate science into practice. She is responsible for the dissemination of state-of-the-art knowledge and treatment interventions to integrate behavioral health and substance use services within a primary care setting. She oversees the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Program at TCHC and is a member of the East Bay Safe Prescribing Coalition Accelerator Program, sponsored by California Health Care Foundation. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Patrick O'Reilly NOTES MLF: Psychology

Our guests this week: Melanie Nathan, who will be in-studio and will tell us about the cost of criticizing the president. Nathan is a mediator and an equality and human rights activist who advocates, speaks and writes on issues impacting LGBTI communities around the world, with a focus on the United States and Africa. She is the executive director of the African Human Rights Coalition and directs the Peacemaker Museum World Tour. She currently also mediates for Private Courts Inc. Join us as Michelle Meow brings her long-running daily radio show to The Commonwealth Club one day each week. Meet fascinating—and often controversial—people discussing important issues of interest to the LGBTQ community, and have your questions ready.

Join us for a midsummer political review and member social. We will discuss the biggest, most controversial and sometimes the surprising political issues with expert commentary by panelists who are smart, are civil and have a good sense of humor. Our panelists will provide informative and engaging commentary on political and other major news, and we'll have audience discussion of the week’s events and our live news quiz! And come early before the program to meet other smart and engaged individuals and discuss the news over snacks and wine at our members social (open to all attendees).