Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

California has committed to getting one-half of its electricity from renewable sources by the year 2030. But clean energy advocates say the state could be more ambitious and shoot for 100% clean electricity. Still, not everyone agrees on how the existing energy grid can integrate new technologies, or whether getting to 100% is even technically possible yet. On today's program, we hear how smart technology and the "Internet of things" can be part of the solution, while making our lives greener, safer, and more convenient. This program was recorded in front of a live audience at the Commonwealth Club of California.

Sam Altman, 31, has been one of Silicon Valley’s brightest stars for years as a founder, investor and president of Y Combinator. But, more recently, Sam and Y Combinator have both been making headlines for their involvement in some of today’s most contentious political and social issues. Y Combinator’s new "basic income project," based in Oakland, will give 100 families a minimum wage with the goal of exploring alternatives to the existing social safety net. Sam has also been an outspoken critic of the Trump administration and has backed "track Trump," an online tool that monitors the promises President Trump delivers on, and those on which he comes up short. Y Combinator also recently welcomed the ACLU into their winter 2017 class and will help the ACLU turn its recent $24 million donation haul into concrete actions and organizational growth. Finally, Sam is in the beginning stages of a new project focused on finding a way to reduce housing costs through the creation of a smart city prototype. Sam was named president of Y Combinator, Silicon Valley’s largest startup incubator, in 2014. Y Combinator’s portfolio includes heavyweights, such as Airbnb, Dropbox and Stripe. Sam began his tech career as CEO of Loopt, which was acquired in 2012 and was included in Y Combinator’s first round of funded companies in 2005. Sam is also a personal investor in several of today’s most successful startups, including Airbnb, Stripe, Reddit, Asana and Pinterest. Join INFORUM, Sam and moderator Nellie Bowles of Vice for an insightful and timely conversation about tech, politics and everything in between.

On the eve of the annual tax deadline, here’s a program that promises to provide ammunition for the next time you complain to elected officials about the hassles and inequities of the U.S. tax system. Noted journalist T.R. Reid points out the following: Last year, Americans spent more than 6 billion hours and $12 billion filing their taxes. In the Netherlands, the average filing time is 15 minutes; in Estonia, it takes 7 minutes. According to Reid, Congress has given its members various tax breaks and deductions that other Americans never receive. In Slovakia, by contrast, government representatives pay 5 percent more in tax. Reid goes on to say that U.S. billionaires can pay relatively very little tax—and sometimes no tax at all. France, Norway and Switzerland all have wealth taxes designed to reduce economic inequality. Historically, there have been total rewrites of the U.S. tax code every 32 years—in 1922, 1954 and 1986. This means the next rewrite is due in 2018, and Congress and President Trump will need to begin revamping the code this year. Can they write a new tax code that is both fair and simple? Can they cut tax rates and still bring in the revenue required? According to Reid, this can be done. In this program, he’ll detail exactly how America can rewrite the tax code, in this case learning from other democracies around the world.

Cancer might be in your DNA. Cancer-causing mutations in the BRCA gene came roaring into our collective consciousness when Angelina Jolie candidly shared her decision to undergo a double mastectomy to prevent inherited cancer. How does a BRCA mutation affect the risk of cancer for both men and women? How are genetic cancers different than other cancers, and who should be tested? Join us for a panel discussion on genetic cancer, treatment and prevention. Genetic counselors from Color Genomics will be on hand to demonstrate how testing works.

After over 12 years of case study research on organic and biodynamic family farms, intentional communities, and resilient and regenerative design thinking, James Ehrlich founded ReGen Villages. At the forefront of automating thriving abundance for healthy families, ReGen is a Stanford University spin-off company which develops technology-integrated residential areas. Starting with pilot communities—one in Almere, Netherlands and the other at Summit Powder Mountain in Eden, Utah—ReGen Villages intends to reduce burdens on municipal and national governments, creating self-reliant neighborhoods that can power, feed, hydrate and digest their own organic waste. Ehrlich will discuss his inspirational research on farm-to-table communities, detailing his greater vision and plans to realize solutions for the next 2–3 billion people who will live on Earth by 2050. As a serial entrepreneur in Silicon Valley for 25 years, primarily in the video game and entertainment technology area, Ehrlich designed worlds that made sense. Recently appointed to the U.S. State Department’s joint task force on the nexus of food, water, energy and waste, the genesis of Ehrlich’s personal research came from over a decade of case studies on organic and biodynamic family farms and their connection to the strongest communities around the world.

It's an important year for all things political, so join us as we explore 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. Join our panelists for informative and engaging commentary on political and other major news, audience discussion of the week’s events, and our live news quiz!

How will President Trump’s 100-day action plan impact our domestic and foreign affairs, health care, education, environment, immigration, economic and trade policies? Who are the new people leading the country and how will they impact public policy? What role will all forms of media play as they cover the new administration? Join The Commonwealth Club and KQED for part three of a four-part series of programs that address the first 100 days of the Trump administration and how this period will shape America over the next four years and beyond.

Join INFORUM for a candid discussion with Alyssa Mastromonaco—and learn what it’s like to be an insider in the competitive world of politics and media. Mastromonaco will answer questions about Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?: And Other Questions You Should Have Answers to When You Work in the White House, her memoir documenting her career to date as a national political operative and communications expert. Mastromonaco spent nine years working for President Barack Obama, where she oversaw the planning and setup of presidential events, the hiring of presidential personnel and all Oval Office operations. Early in President Obama’s political rise, Mastromonaco established herself as an integral member of President Obama’s inner circle, helping Obama with key decisions (such as selecting Joe Biden as his running mate)—with lots of lessons learned along the way. After leaving the White House, Mastromonaco shifted her focus to the global media landscape as COO of Vice Media, helping the company grow its powerhouse brand. Mastromonaco’s book includes stories about her ascension to Washington, D.C.’s political power list and also provides insightful advice for young women who are looking to make their mark on the world.

Annie Jacobsen is an investigative journalist and best-selling author who writes about war, weapons, U.S. national security and government secrecy. Her Area 51 was an international best seller and The Pentagon’s Brain was a Pulitzer Prize finalist. Now, she has written what she says is the definitive history of the military's decades-long investigation into mental powers and phenomena. Jacobsen says that for more than 40 years, the U.S. government has researched extrasensory perception, using it in attempts to locate hostages, fugitives, secret bases and downed fighter jets; to divine other nations' secrets; and even to predict future threats to national security. The agencies involved include the CIA, DIA, NSA, DEA, Navy, Air Force, Army and even the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Now, for the first time, Jacobsen tells the story of these radical, controversial programs, using never-before-seen declassified documents as well as exclusive interviews with more than 50 former CIA and Defense Department scientists, analysts and program managers, as well as the government psychics themselves. Come hear this unusual program that may challenge your own perceptions of reality.

What does it mean to be a Muslim? Join us for this special community forum to learn more about misconceptions as well as Islam as a religion and an identity in modern American and abroad.

Learn to taste wine like a pro. Bianca Bosker shares her wit, wisdom and experiences navigating the world of wine. Bosker caught the wine bug while working as a reporter and executive tech editor for The Huffington Post. Trading her reporter’s pen for a spittoon, she embarked on a vinous quest to understand what drives wine obsessives. Going from neophyte to connoisseur over the course of a year, Bosker’s deep dive into the wine world featured tastings with top sommeliers, visits to winemakers in Napa and Sonoma, and intensive training for the Court of Master Sommeliers’ Certified Sommelier Examination. Along the way, there were adventures (and misadventures) in restaurant wine cellars and a visit to New York City’s annual homage to Burgundy, the La Paulée Festival.

With 70 million Millennials now the largest segment of the U.S. workforce, how do they stay satisfied in the workplace while companies build their bottom lines? With a trust-based workplace, Millennials thrive in their jobs, while companies can also outperform financially, according to Chinwe Onyeagoro of Great Place to Work. With a sustainable, fossil-free 401(k), Millennials are more engaged, innovative and can build a better world while saving for their future, according to Timothy Yee of Green Retirement, Inc. An HIP Investors' R. Paul Herman says that by going beyond traditional investing, Millennials can use their forthcoming $40 trillion of inherited wealth to improve the health, wealth, earth, equality and trust of our world via their investing. Learn how to unleash the excitement of Millennials in your workplace. About the Speakers R. Paul Herman is a globally recognized leader in impact investing, impact ratings and impact-themed portfolios. Herman founded HIP Investor 10 years ago to show that investments in companies that solve human, social and environmental problems can be more profitable and less risky than those that are extractive of people, natural resources and trust. HIP Investor rates more than 32,000 global issuers of stocks and bonds, and it also enables ratings of thousands of mutual funds and 401(k) plan fund choices. Herman is an alumni of Wharton, McKinsey, CSC Index, Ashoka and Omidyar Network. Herman is an advisor to SASB, Net Impact and Sustainable Brands. Herman authored The HIP Investor: Make Bigger Profits by Building a Better World, which is part of the curricula for 26 global MBA, MPA and university programs in finance, capital markets and innovation. Chinwe Onyeagoro serves as president of Great Place to Work. She works with executives to successfully execute business strategy through developing high-trust, high-performance cultures. Her executive advisory work with Great Place to Work includes multi-billion dollar technology, telecom, financial services, and bio-pharma companies. She has worked for two top management consultancies (McKinsey & Company and The Monitor Group). She serves on the boards of private equity firms and lending institutions that have invested more than $1 billion in small and medium enterprises. She holds an A.B. in economics and East Asian studies from Harvard University and is a Henry Crown Fellow at the Aspen Institute. Timothy R. Yee, AIF CPFA C(k)P, is the president of Green Retirement, Inc., a 100-percent minority-owned and 50-percent woman-owned 401(k)-focused financial advisory firm with a nationwide presence, and a deep focus on fossil free and socially screened investment options. The firm is a founding B Corp member and a California Benefit Corporation. Green Retirement has been recognized as one of the Best for World B Corps since 2014. Yee has led groups at Bank of America, NationsBank, T. Rowe Price, and AIG. He is an Accredited Investment Fiduciary, a certified Plan Fiduciary Advisor, a Certified 401k professional, and holds numerous FINRA registrations. Yee graduated with honors (cum laude) from the University of California Berkeley's Haas School of Business.

President Trump’s bold dismissal of climate change as a legitimate concern is energizing a new generation of teenage activists. Some are marching in the streets. Others are taking the federal and state governments to court, attempting to apply an ancient legal doctrine to the climate fight. It’s a longshot move that has been inching its way through U.S. courts for years and is now moving forward in Oregon. Digital natives are known for short attention spans and thinking that being a “clicktivist” qualifies as civic engagement. Do teenagers have a chance to be heard and make an impact on an issue so complex and massive as the world’s energy system? How are young advocates using social media to advance their cause? Join us for a conversation about kids confronting powerful institutions and finding their own power and voices.

What are the implications of potential executive orders and religious freedom legislation on the LGBTQ community and beyond? Hear from a diverse panel of leaders on what lies ahead in the current administration. This conversation is in partnership with San Francisco Pride.

Located in the Caucasus region of Eurasia, Georgia is bordered to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, and to the south by Turkey and Armenia. Though formerly part of the former Soviet Union, it declared independence in 1991, and for more than 25 years, its government has been a representative democracy. In 2008, Georgia had a five-day military confrontation with Russia over two provinces supported by Russia, which ended in a cease-fire agreement. Today, Georgia seeks strong economic ties with Silicon Valley and the U.S. Come hear from Georgia’s government representatives about this unique country as well as their thoughts on Russia, the region and the future of the Euro-Atlantic Alliance.