2024 Schedule

Three leaders discuss the aspects of well-being, agency and purpose that are vital to the holistic development of youth in today’s world. How can society help them develop into confident, purposeful, productive and resilient adults?

How do we raise empathetic children? How do we tackle tough conversations? And how do we build resilient humans while we balance family and work life? Meet three changemakers who are drilling down on what matters the most for our kids.

What if there were a pill that could help people move, think and sleep better, and that reduced anxiety, depression and 13 types of cancer — with the side effect of making more friends and more money? That’s what youth sports does. Learn about a national effort to get 63% of kids playing by 2030 — unlocking a projected $80 billion in societal benefits.

What is dignity? How is it expressed, and how can we reclaim it? By using new tools for empathy, we can change the way we relate to each other. Participants in this interactive session leave with new ways of recognizing and avoiding discord.

From the ancients to our forefathers to our modern-day achievement-obsessed culture, the question of what makes us happy continues to perplex. Why are we eternally fascinated by the pursuit of happiness, and will we ever agree about what makes us truly happy?

Neurodivergent people make up 15% to 20% of the global population, and visionaries are busy trying to foster welcoming environments in areas like adaptive sports, fashion design and the arts. How do we create a world for — and with — people on the spectrum?

NCAA women’s basketball shattered viewership records in 2024. Two of the game’s most influential coaches talk about the years of struggle it took to get that win. With new financial obligations for programs and players, can teams stay on offense?

Too many men are falling behind women academically and economically, and feeling unmoored. Millions are turning to online influencers rather than finding fulfillment in a purposeful life. How do we curb the rise in male loneliness and create gender norms that allow them to thrive?

In a time of widespread suspicion and cynicism, everyone has a role to play in strengthening social trust and building bridges. How can individuals and organizations work together to repair the fundamental bonds of a healthy society, and create optimism about the present and the future?

The U.S. is queerer than ever — and surveys confirm that 20th-century heterosexual “normalcy” is on the wane. Why is gender the diversity dimension that has changed the most over time, and what can we learn from it?

Spiritual leaders and lifelong seekers reflect on how to cope and find optimism in dark times.

From climate change and mental health to hate crimes and chronic school absenteeism, no challenge is too big for young people’s community-changing solutions. Hear from teams of high school students from Brooklyn and San Diego, and leave knowing that the future is in good hands.

In “Mindset Matters,” Daniel R. Porterfield advances the argument for the value of undergraduate education and suggests ways to improve education for new generations. Three college graduates join to talk about how the experience helped them launch the lives they’re living.

America’s teenagers are facing a mental health crisis; 1 in 3 teen girls say they’ve considered suicide in the past year. Many young people, parents and mental health professionals point to social media as a main culprit. What does science say, and what action is being taken on the legal and regulatory front? And how can you protect your kid’s emotional well-being?

Marriage rates have been decreasing for decades, but that doesn’t mean people aren’t finding new ways to create family ties that bind. Family bonds in the LGBTQ community and among platonic friends offer social and economic benefits — and drawbacks — and just might change our collective future.

As the stakes of political confrontation have escalated, the issue of forgiveness is complicated. Should one ever hold the line rather than look for avenues of reconciliation, or is forgiveness essential to society? Samuel Kimbriel chats with Tamar Gendler and Erin McFee for a live recording of the podcast, “Wisdom of Crowds.”

Why do some conversations succeed while others stumble? The neurology and psychology of communication offer surprising explanations for why human connection goes right or wrong. Join in a live experiment — and explore how the right conversation, at the right moment, can change everything.

A nonbinary comedian challenges us to question our notions of self, gender and society, and opens our eyes to what we may gain in the process.