Socrates Seminars and Moderators
2025
Socrates Salons 2025
| Socrates Students & Young Professionals Seminar | Danny Harris |
| Socrates UC Irvine – The Future of American Identity: Will Demographic Shifts Require a New American Mythology? | Mike Madrid |
| AIR Retreat – What’s Worth Saving? Death, Memory, and the Quest for Immortality | Danny Harris |
Socrates International Seminars 2025
| Socrates New Zealand, Kingston – Will We Ever Trust The News Again? | Vivian Schiller |
| Socrates Montenegro, Podgorica – Democratic Backsliding: Rule of Law or Rule By Law | Dr. Leigh Hafrey |
| Socrates UK, Oxford – The Leadership Paradox: Regulation, Risk, and Innovation in Uncertain Times | Ruth Girardet |
| Socrates Romania Transatlantic Seminar, Brussels – Forging Resilience and Innovation in an Era of Global Fracture | Ryan Patel, Radu Puchiu |
| Socrates Spain, Cardona – From AI to Co-creation: Democracy Now | William Powers |
| Socrates Japan, Nara – Wielding Power & Influence | José M. de Areilza |
| Socrates Moldova, Cihișinău – Supporting Moldova Increase its Societal and Democratic Influence | Radu Puchiu |
| Socrates Colombia, Choco – Equity: A Possible Dream? Perspectives from Colombia and Latin America | Patricia Zalamea, José Miguel Carreira |
| Socrates Central Europe, Prague – Artificial Intelligence in the Balance: Ethics, Work, and Democracy in the Digital Age | Dr. George Tilesch |
Socrates Summer 2025
| Is Punishment A Just Response to Harm? | Judge John Zhuo Wang, Amanda Berman |
| How Does Propaganda Shape Our World? | Professor Tamar Gendler |
| What Does the Future of Work Look Like And Who Gets to Shape It? | Roy Bahat |
| Do We Need To Win The Innovation Race, And If So, At What Cost? | Ambassador Jorge Guajardo, Damien Ma |
| Will AI Bring A New Enlightenment or Digital Despotism? | Brendan McCord |
Socrates Spring 2025
| Who Knows What’s Best for you? | Ashwin Vasan |
| Can Democracy Survive the 21st Century? | David J. Becker |
| Will We Ever Trust the News Again? | Vivian Schiller, Sewell Chan |
2024
Socrates Salons 2024
| Socrates Los Angeles: Democracy, Politics, and Civil Discourse – How did we get here and what is the path forward? | Dan Shnur |
| Socrates Greenville: Becoming an Inclusive Republic Seminar | Cordell Carter II |
Socrates Summer 2024
| The Mad Scientist Among Us: The Tension between Innovation and Destruction | Ryan Patel |
| Peaceful Victory? Ronald Reagan and the End of the Cold War | William Inboden |
| Competition in the Commons: Oceans and Outer Space | Esther D. Brimmer |
| Citizen Action: You’re More Powerful than You Think | Eric Liu |
| Who Killed the Chinese Economy, How Can It Be Saved, And What Is At Stake For The United States? | Zongyuan Zoe Liu |
Socrates Winter 2024
| Our National Purpose | Eric Liu |
| The Year that Broke Politics: What the 1968 Election can teach us about 2024? | Luke Nichter |
| Artificial Intelligence – Are We at an Inflection Point? | Cara Lapointe |
International Seminars 2024
| Socrates Mexico, Valle de Bravo – Dystopia or Democracy? Rethinking Technology’s Role in Society | William Powers |
| Socrates Japan, Nara – Humanity, Technology, and the Future of Work | Leigh Hafrey |
| Socrates New Zealand, Queenstown – The Future of Business: How to Create Real Value in a Changing World | Judy Samuelson |
| Socrates Romania, Brussels – Redefining the Future European & Global Architectures in a Multipolar World | Paula Dobriansky |
| Socrates Moldova – Supporting Moldova to Increase its Societal and Democratic Resilience | Alex T. Johnson, Radu Puchiu |
| Socrates Germany, Briesen – Good Technology – Good Democracy? | Leigh Hafrey |
| Socrates Colombia – RepensándoNOS desde el Chocó | Luisa Gómez Ángel, Diego Silva Árdila |
| Socrates Central Europe, Poland, Warsaw – The Future European and Global Architectures: The Nexus between Resilience, Security & Innovation | Paula Dobriansky |
2023
Socrates Salons 2023
| Socrates Bay Area: The Great Leveler – Inequality and the Violent Demise of Wealth Gaps | Walter Scheidel |
| Socrates Bay Area: Oversight of Artificial Intelligence | Julie Owono |
Socrates Summer 2023
| The Geoeconomics of Sovereign Funds in an Age of Competitive Industrial Policies | Zongyuan Zoe Liu |
| A More Inclusive Republic: The LGBTQ+ Community from Clandestine Minority to Political Mainstream | James Kirchick |
| Taking the Stage: Ronald Reagan’s first term and the Cold War | William Inboden |
| The New Industrial Age: Technology, Resilience, and the Future of U.S. Global Leadership | Laura Taylor-Kale |
| 21st Century Leadership – How to Lead Authentically in Fractured Times | David Gergen, Christopher Gergen |
| From AI to Co-Creation: Democracy Now | Leigh Hafrey |
Socrates International Seminars 2023
| Socrates Romania Transatlantic Seminar, Brussels – The Future European and Global Architectures: The Nexus between Resilience, Security & Innovation | Paula Dobriansky |
| Socrates Spain, Ronda – From AI to Co-Creation: Democracy Now | Leigh Hafrey |
| Socrates Japan, Nara – Dystopia or Democracy? Rethinking Technology’s Role in Society | Bill Powers |
| Socrates Romania Healthcare Seminar, Comana – Financing Resilience Through Innovation in Healthcare: Is Having the Money Enough? | Kapil Parakh |
| 21st Century Leadership – How to Lead Authentically in Fractured Times | Charlie Firestone |
| Socrates Colombia, Medellin – Can Democracy Fix Democracy? | Bill Powers |
Socrates Winter 2023
| The American Presidency Under Fire: Lessons from Lyndon B. Johnson | Mark K. Updegrove |
| Can We Imagine a Future Beyond Race? | Thomas Chatterton Williams |
| Do Reproductive Rights Really Matter? | Michele Goodwin |
2022
Socrates Salons 2022
| Socrates Phoenix – Co-Creating Leadership: Who We Are, Who We Might Be | Leigh Hafrey |
| Socrates New York – Do Financial Sanctions Work? Examining their History, use in Geopolitics, and Future | Hagar Chemali |
EGL Seminar 2022
| Emerging Governance Leaders Seminar | Colleen Shogan |
Socrates International Seminars 2022
| Socrates Romania – The Future of Public Health: Building a More Resilient Post Pandemic System | Katherine E. Bliss, Vlad Mixich |
| Socrates Romania Transaltantic Seminar – Societal and Democratic Resilience in the Era of Great Power Competition | Jodi Vittori, Radu Puchiu |
| Socrates Seoul – Everything Old is New Again: Digital Assets and Decentralized Finance | David Graff |
| Socrates Czech Republic – The Next Wave of Tech Innovation: What It Means For How We Live and Do Business | Wilson White |
| Socrates Israel – How Technology is Changing Us: How We Think, Relate, and Live | Stephen Balkam |
| Socrates Spain – Information Wanted to Be Free: Liberalism’s Tech Reckoning | Leigh Hafrey |
Socrates Summer 2022 – Aspen (In-Person)
| Contending with the Climate: Exploring How to Mitigate and Manage Natural Disasters and Extreme Weather | Costas Synolakis |
| Fixing the Fourth Estate: Rebuilding Trust in News Media | Kathleen McElroy, Sewell Chan |
| The Metaverse and Me: The implications of living, working and playing in alternate realities | Stephen Balkam, Julie Owono |
| Americanism: Confronting our History to Get to a Better Version of Ourselves | Ted Johnson |
| Thinking about Privacy and Surveillance | Dina Temple-Raston, Harvey Rishikof |
Socrates Winter 2022 – Aspen (Hybrid)
| The Supreme Court and Social Change | Theodore Olson, Melissa Murray |
| The Future of Warfare | Cara LaPointe, Meagen Nix |
| Critical Race Theory and James Baldwin | John Stauffer |
2021
Socrates Goes Digital Virtual Webinars 2021
| Post-Secondary Success in a Post-COVID World | Douglas Belkin, Ahnna Smith |
| Rewriting the Narrative on the American South: A Conversation with Mayor Steven Reed, Montgomery, AL | Steven Reed, Cordell Carter |
EGL Seminars 2021
| Emerging Governance Leaders Seminar – January | Michelle Chin |
| Emerging Governance Leaders Seminar: Criminal Justice and Congress | Gloria Browne-Marshall |
| Emerging Governance Leaders Seminar – June | Colleen Shogun |
| Emerging Governance Leaders Seminar – December | Colleen Shogun |
Socrates International Seminars 2021
| Socrates Spain – Techno-narratives & Truth: Reshaping the Future | Leigh Hafrey |
| Socrates Mexico Digital Seminar – Masks, Currencies, and A Post-Pandemic Future | Leigh Hafrey |
| Socrates Romania Online Healthcare Seminar – The Future of Public Health: Building a More Resilient Post-Pandemic System | Jennifer Lee, Vlad Mixich |
| Socrates Romania Online Transatlantic Seminar – Transatlantic Cooperation and Whole-of-Society Resilience:The Key to Fighting Disruption | Evelyn Farkas, Radu Puchiu |
Socrates Summer 2021 – Aspen (Hybrid)
| Political Divisions and Political Violence in America: What Happens Next? | Jack A. Goldstone |
| Crisis Communication in a Pandemic and Securing the Public’s Trust | Vin Gupta |
| The 2020 She-Cession- Unpacking the Factors that Shape Women in the U.S. Economy | Victoria DeFrancesco Soto |
| De-Institutionalizing Racism: How Did We Get Here/Where Are We Going? | Gloria Browne-Marshall |
| Communications and the Presidency | David Eisenhower |
Socrates Winter 2021 – Digital
| Disinformation, Hate and Social Media Platforms: The Future of Technology Regulation and Speech in America | Cecilia Kang |
| Learning from James Baldwin: Lessons for His Time and Ours | John Stauffer |
| Health at Our Fingertips: The Challenges and Opportunities of the Digital Age | Kapil Parakh |
2020
Socrates Summer 2020 – Digital
| Global Upheaval, Democratic Decline, and U.S. National Security | Rachel Kleinfeld |
| Content Moderation in the Digital Age | David Graff |
| The Business of Race –From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration– and the Need for an Inclusive Economy | Jay Coen Gilbert, Kesha Cash |
| Disruptive Reconstruction: Making the American Dream Real Again… and for All | Jim Shelton |
| “Happiness is the Aim of Life”: The Founders’ Guide to Living | Jeffery Rosen |
| Vote by Design: Presidential Election | Lisa Kay Solomon |
Socrates International Seminars 2020 – Digital
| Socrates Spain – Technology, Freedom, & Voice: On Being Human Today | Leigh Hafrey |
| Socrates Romania – Friend or Foe?: How Tech Is Transforming Democracy | Cameron Abadi |
| Socrates Romania – The Future of Public Health: Building a More Resilient Post-Pandemic System | Jennifer Lee |
Socrates Winter 2020 – Aspen (In-Person)
| Learning from Native Sons: The Pain, Rage and Hope of America’s Most Loyal Critics | Thomas Chatterton Williams |
| Wielding Power & Influence | Jose M. de Areilza |
| Thinking About Global Security | Dina Temple-Raston, Harvey Rishikof |
Socrates International Seminars 2020 – In Person
| Socrates Mexico, Los Cabos – The future of North America: A comprehensive look at the world’s largest economic zone | Patrick Schaefer |
2019
Socrates Summer 2019 – Aspen
| What is Privacy and How Do We Protect It? | Harriet Pearson |
| Cat Herding 101: Leading Complex Organizations in Uncertain Times | Ana Mari Cauce |
| Intelligence, Espionage and American Foreign Policy | John Negroponte, Edward Wittenstein |
| Learning from Lincoln: The Business, Politics and Art of the Nation’s Greatest Leader | John Stauffer |
| Lies, Bots and Social Media: The Lost Promise of the Internet and How We Can Restore It | Karen Kornbluh |
Socrates Winter 2019 – Aspen
| The Evolution of Warfare | Cara LaPointe, Gayle Tzemach Lemmon |
| Learning from Frederick Douglass: The Business, Politics and Art of a Great American Activist | John Stauffer |
| The Spiral of Immigration & Nationalism | Justin Gest |
Socrates International Seminars 2019
| Socrates Colombia, Cartagena – Order Amid Chaos: Major Trends Shaping the Future of Technology, Business, Culture and Society | William Powers |
| Socrates Colombia, Cartagena – Can the Market Fix the Market? | Sonal Shah |
| Socrates France Seminar, Annecy – Binding Values and Society in a Polarized World | Leigh Hafrey |
| Socrates France Seminar, Annecy – Binding Values and Society in a Polarized World | Stephen Balkam |
| Socrates Japan, Nara – Order Amid Chaos: Major Trends Shaping the Future of Technology, Business, Culture and Society | William Powers |
| Socrates Japan, Chiba – How Technology is Changing Us: How We Think, Relate and Live | Stephen Balkam |
| Socrates Romania, Fundata – Friend or Foe? How Technology is Transforming Democracy | Mischa Thomson |
| Socrates Romania, Pitaru – Technology, Breakthrough Medical Research, and the Future of Healthcare | Kapil Parakh, Adrian Bot |
| Socrates UK, Oxford – Leadership in Flux | Leigh Hafrey |
| Socrates Kyiv – Unlocking the Potential of Artificial Intelligence | Wilson White |
Socrates Emerging Governance Leaders Seminar 2019 – Wye
| Socrates EGL Wye – Leadership and the Role of Congress | Colleen Shogun |
| Socrates EGL Wye – Leadership and the Role of Congress | Mischa Thomson |
2018
Socrates Summer 2018 – Aspen
| Illegal is Not a Noun | Maria Hinojosa |
| Blockchain and the Rise of the Open Sector | John Clippinger, Peter Hirshberg |
| Has Conservatism Failed? | Bill Kristol |
| Fulfilling the Promise of Capitalism: The B Corp Way of Leadership | Jay Coen Gilbert |
| The US, Israel and the Middle East: Past and Present | Dennis Ross |
Socrates Winter 2018 – Aspen
| Geopolitical Ramifications of China’s Belt and Road Initiative | Terry Cooke, Wing Woo |
| Age of Disruption: The Changing Role of News Media in America | Amy Walter |
| Learning from Lincoln: The Business, Politics, and Art of the Nation’s Greatest Leader | John Stauffer |
Socrates International Seminars 2018
| Socrates Spain, Ronda – Brave New World: Change and Opportunity in Technology | Leigh Hafrey |
| Socrates Japan, Tokyo – Unlocking the Potential of Artificial Intelligence | Wilson White |
| Socrates Japan, Nara – Democracy in the Digital Age | Charlie Firestone |
| Socrates Mexico, Puebla – Change and Opportunity: The Future of Work and Learning | Connie Yowell |
Socrates Salons 2018
| Socrates Chicago – American Values in a Global Age | Evelyn Farkas |
| Socrates Washington DC – The Words and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King | Jennifer Bailey |
| Socrates New Orleans – Change and Opportunity: The Future of Work and Learning | Pablo Castellanos, Cordell Carter |
| Socrates New York – Balancing Act: Free Speech, Regulation and the Responsibility of Tech Platforms | Cecilia Kang |
Socrates Emerging Governance Leaders Seminar 2018 – Wye
| The Role of Congress | Basil Smikle, Ron Christie |
Inclusive Republic Summit 2018 – Denver
| Becoming an Inclusive Republic | Cordell Carter, Cherie Harder and Theo Brown |
2017
Socrates Summer 2017 – Aspen
| America’s National Security Toolbox: Tools of Diplomacy in the Digital Age | Madeleine Albright, Tara Sonenshine |
| The New Capitalism: Leveraging Social Enterprise and Impact Investing for Change | Seth Goldman, Eric Letsinger |
| Sacred Ground: Religious Pluralism and Prejudice in the American Experiment | Eboo Patel |
| As a City Upon a Hill: On Becoming America | Leigh Hafrey, Russ Muirhead |
| How Do you Know?: Finding the Truth in a Post-Truth World | Ray Suarez |
Socrates Winter 2017 – Aspen
| Global Security and America’s Role in the New World Order | Seth Goldman, Eric Letsinger |
| The Motivation Divide in the Global Economy | Amanda Ripley |
| The Influence of the Corporation | Judy Samuelson |
Socrates International Seminars 2017
| Socrates Spain, Ronda – Change and Opportunity: The Future of Work and Learning | Connie Yowell |
| Socrates Ukraine, Kyiv – Order Amid Chaos: Major Trends Shaping the Future of Technology, Business, Culture and Society | William Powers |
| Socrates Japan, Otsu – Changing How We Change: Major Trends Shaping the Future of Technology, Education, Business and Society | William Powers |
| Socrates Mexico, Puebla – U.S.- Mexico Relations: Leadership for the 21st Century | Welby Leaman, Dan Restrepo |
Socrates Salons 2017
| Socrates New York – Empathy and Anger in Politics | Larissa MacFarquhar |
Senate Socrates 2017 – Wye
| Political Civility and the Role of Congress | Dan Glickman, Bill Hoagland |
White House Fellows Custom Seminar – September 2017
| The Role of Government in the Economy | Bradley Belt, Martha Coven |
2016
Socrates Summer 2016 – Aspen
| Democracy in the Digital Age | Charlie Firestone |
| The Good Story: Inspiring Leadership | Leigh Hafrey |
| Artificial Intelligence | Neil Jacobstein |
| Who Is “Us”? Reimagining American Civic Identity | Eric Liu |
| Changing Leadership in the Middle East | Robin Wright |
Socrates Winter 2016 – Aspen
| Over the Horizon: Five Trends Shaping the Future of Technology, Education, Business, and Society | William Powers, Connie Yowell |
| Who Are Cities For? Opportunity, Access, and Hope in the American City | Jennifer Bradley |
| The Sharing Economy | Andrew Ross Sorkin |
Socrates International Seminars 2016
| Socrates Spain, Ronda – Changing How We Change: Five Trends Shaping the Future of Technology, Education, Business, and Society | William Powers |
| Socrates Ukraine, Kyiv – Privacy and Transparency | Jeffrey Rosen |
| Socrates Mexico, Puebla – The Future of Work in a Digital Economy | Sonal Shah |
| Socrates Serbia, Vršac – How Technology is Changing Us, How We Think, Relate, and Lead | Stephen Balkam |
2015
Socrates Summer 2015 – Aspen
| The Future of Privacy and Transparency | Jeffrey Rosen |
| How Technology is Changing our Lives and Business | Sonal Shah |
| U.S. Policy on ISIS: Coping with Jihad 2.0 | James Traub |
| The Future of Work and Skills in the Digital Age | John Irons |
| Race and Cultural Identity | Lani Guiner, Susan Sturm |
Socrates Winter 2015 – Aspen
| Competition and Care: Reinventing a Kinder Capitalism | Anne-Marie Slaughter |
| Who is Us? Reimagining American Civic Identity | Eric Liu |
| Can Business Fix Government | Peter Orszag |
Socrates Salons 2015
| Socrates New York – Artificial Intelligence, Business, and the Future of Work | Neil Jacobstein |
Senate Socrates 2015 – Wye
| Congress and U.S. Foreign Policy: Invitation to Struggle | Philip Zelikow |
Socrates International Seminars 2015
| Socrates Ukraine, Kyiv – Heroes and Villains: Leading Business, Politics, and Civil Society in the 21st Century | Leigh Hafrey |
| Socrates Mexico, Puebla – The Next Wave of Tech Innovation: What It Means For How We Live and Do Business | William Powers |
| Socrates Spain, Ronda – How Technology is Changing Us: How We Think, Relate, and Lead | Stephen Balkam |
| Socrates Spain, Ronda – The Moral Limits of Markets: Can Markets Do Social Good? | Clive Crook |
