Commonwealth Club Of California Podcast

This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. Cosmological Koans invites you to take an intellectual journey through more than 50 koans: pleasingly paradoxical vignettes following the ancient Zen tradition. Anthony Aguirre traverses the world from West to East, and through ideas spanning the age, breadth and depth of the universe. Using beguiling koans and a flair for explaining complex science, Aguirre covers cosmic questions that thinkers from Aristotle to Galileo to Heisenberg have grappled with. A playful and enlightening book, Cosmological Koans explores the strange hinterland between the deep structure of the physical world and our personal experience of it. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sammie is a queer, non-binary Pilipinx person with a vivid love for their chosen family, social justice, and grassroots organizing. Currently director of APIENC, a trans and queer Asian and Pacific Islander grassroots organization in the SF Bay Area, Sammie's politics have grown from years of witnessing xenophobia, fighting budget cuts in public schools and learning about trans Pilipinos fighting colonization. It’s from these knowledges that Sammie has worked to train hundreds of young, trans, queer, Asian people to lead from values of abundance and interdependence. Sammie believes that anything can be turned into a chant and brought onto the streets (literally and emotionally). 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Come in out of the fog and let us clear up things for you, at least as far as politics is concerned. Join us as we 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). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it take to raise successful people? Esther Wojcicki, lovingly referred to as the Godmother of Silicon Valley, has a simple answer to this million-dollar question. It comes in the convenient form of an acronym: TRICK (Trust, Respect, Independence, Collaboration and Kindness). It also comes in the form of her new book, How to Raise Successful People: Simple Lessons for Radical Results. Her tried-and-true advice for parents, employers and mentors of all kinds is to trust individuals to follow their passions and to work hard, to be supportive of their achievements and, above all, to relax. Her wisdom applies to the corporate hiring process, to young parents raising children, to teachers trying to be the best advocates for their students they can be. Wojcicki is a revered high school teacher in the media arts program she founded at Palo Alto High School, a role model for Silicon Valley legends such as Steve Jobs (and his daughter Lisa), and the mother of three successful daughters: the CEO of YouTube, a

These three compelling authors show the value of great places to work and how people are truly an asset to investors and society. Michael C. Bush will explore what makes a company a great place to work. Emilie Aries provides understanding and tips to keep employees from burning out. R. Paul Herman explains how you can invest to pursue higher human impact and profit potential. You will enrich your understanding of how people-focused companies make the world better and how you can benefit. MLF Organizer: Elizabeth Carney MLF: Business & Leadership In partnership with Presidio Graduate School Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Join us as we talk with high-profile gay parents about the joys and challenges of raising families. Our guests: James Loduca leads global inclusion and diversity efforts at Twitter. In this new role, he will lead a team responsible for ensuring the company reflects its service and that Twitter remains a place for people to freely express themselves. He has previously held leadership positions in the tech and nonprofit sectors, where his work has focused on advocating for underrepresented communities and driving a more diverse and inclusive future for everyone. He served as an advisor to the Obama White House and proudly serves as a Latinx member of the LGBTQ Advisory Committee to U.S. Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Jeff Titterton is chief marketing officer at Zendesk. Prior to Zendesk, Jeff led engagement marketing at Adobe for its flagship Creative Cloud business. He has also served as CMO at 99designs, VP of marketing at Zoosk, and SVP of consumer marketing and services at PlanetOut Inc, among others. Jeff holds a B

Monday Night Philosophy revives an almost forgotten aspect of 20th century American politics, played out mostly in the Midwest. The progressive Republican Party that came to power in Minnesota with Harold Stassen's election in 1938 had already faded into near obscurity by the 1990s, but Minnesota's modern success story sprang from the ideas and ideals of that dynamic political movement, which emphasized effective government. Issues that are anathema to today's GOP—environmental protection, assistance for vulnerable citizens and economic opportunity for low-wage workers and the middle class—were at the heart of the party's agenda. Minnesota Republicans held that working across the aisle was a mark of strength, not of weakness or disloyalty. Senator Dave Durenberger grew up in and helped build that party and explains how Minnesota's progressive Republicans earned voters' trust and delivered on their promises. Progressive Republican ideas only fell out of favor when an increasingly anti-government, anti-tax nati

Giving USA: The Annual Report on Philanthropy is the seminal publication on charitable giving in the United States. For over 60 years, fundraisers, nonprofit leaders, donors and volunteers, scholars, and other individuals who work in or with the charitable sector have counted on Giving USA to provide the most comprehensive charitable giving data available. First published in 1956, Giving USA is the longest-running, most comprehensive report on philanthropy in the United States. At this event, conducted in association with CCS Fundraising and Foundation Center West, local philanthropic and nonprofit leaders will review national and exclusive data pertaining to Bay Area giving. Philanthropic giving—whether to hospitals, universities, the arts or local nonprofits—impacts the lives of all citizens and determines a range of services available in our communities now and in the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Edward Patrick “Slip” Madigan was a football coach who was far ahead of his time, yet he was also a coach for all time, modernizing of the game in the 1920s and 1930s at Saint Mary’s College of California. He was the first mainland coach to play a game in Hawaii and also to travel coast to coast by train to meet an opponent, Fordham University in New York City, thereby putting the tiny St. Mary’s on the national map. He was foremost in his innovative thinking by playing at night and on Sundays. His teams scored more upsets, dressed more flamboyantly and drew record crowds, even without a campus stadium, while defeating college powerhouses with much larger student bodies. He was a coach who couldn’t be denied. Besides his achievements on the football field, he physically built St. Mary’s campus in Moraga, California with the financial success of his football teams. His Galloping Gaels were the definition of the mouse that roared. Come learn more about this one-of-a-kind coach. MLF Organizer: Linda Calhoun MLF:

This event is the latest in our member-led forums’ Art and Science of Well-Being series. Are Americans suffering from an "empathy deficit,” as Barack Obama claimed in 2006? Studies do show that we are less caring than we were even 30 years ago. But Jamil Zaki argues that empathy is not a fixed trait we’re born with. It's a skill we can all strengthen through effort. Drawing on both classic and cutting-edge research, including experiments from his own lab, Zaki shows how we can overcome toxic cultural divisions. He also tells the stories of people who are living these principles—fighting for kindness in the most difficult of circumstances. Written with clarity and passion, The War for Kindness is an inspiring call to action. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 2015, representatives of 193 nations gathered in Paris, agreed that global climate change is underway and that our use of fossil fuels is a primary cause and set goals to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. President Trump ignored these agreements; overturned environmental protection standards; ordered the commencement of the Dakota Access Pipeline and the Keystone Pipeline; and opened national parks, Indian reservations, and coastal protected areas to the extraction of oil, coal, and natural gas. The dramatic opposition at Standing Rock by the Lakota people, other Native Americans and environmentalists inspired many to call for a Green New Deal. Sheehan, known for his public advocacy on the Pentagon Papers, Watergate, the Karen Silkwood Case, the American Sanctuary movement case, and the Iran–Contra scandal will address this pivotal moment in history. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kick off Pride weekend in San Francisco with award-winning producer Lauren Morelli. Lauren Morelli is a television writer, screenwriter and producer. She is executive producer and writer of a reboot of Armistead Maupin’s "Tales of the City" for Netflix, starring Laura Linney, Olympia Dukakis and Ellen Page, which was released June 7, 2019. Previously, Lauren had the honor of working on five seasons of "Orange Is the New Black," which received 17 Emmy nominations, six Golden Globe nominations and six Writers Guild nominations. In her spare time, Lauren also writes short stories and personal essays that you can find in various corners of the Internet. Before moving to Los Angeles in 2007, Lauren received a BFA in modern dance from Marymount Manhattan College. Join us for this important program, and share your questions with us ahead of time by using #EqualityForAll. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

According to David Wallace-Wells, we’re cooked – literally. In his new book The Uninhabitable Earth, Wallace-Wells explores how climate change will impact not just the planet, but human lives – including how a five degree increase in temperatures would make parts of the planet unsurvivable. But If science and news headlines won’t propel us into climate action, will fear itself do the trick? According to climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe, building connection over an existing set of values is critical to communicating the perils of climate change and mobilizing action to address it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This program is part of our Ethics and Accountability series, underwritten by the Travers Family Foundation. George Will has been a columnist for The Washington Post since 1974 and is one of the most influential political pundits today. He is vocally dissatisfied with the directions that both the American Right and Left have dragged the nation. His new book, The Conservative Sensibility, asks Americans to revisit their history books and remind themselves of the values America was founded upon—values which he sees both sides of the aisle straying dangerously far from. The book covers everything from the natural rights of man and the history of American democracy to the modern capitulation of congressional checks on the power of the executive. He believes the solution to many of the high-profile political issues of today can be found by going back to the founders’ intentions for the nation, and by grounding modern solutions more solidly in a historical context. People of all political affiliations have found th

With the dramatic decline in bird populations and insect species, how can we help birds flourish in our cities and backyards? With the hope of protecting their continued survival, artist Sharon Beals has photographed and documented the intricacies of birds’ nests and their occupants. Beals will cover the feat of migration, a journey of up to 5,000 miles that a fledgling travels without any parental guidance, and how in our own lives we might be affecting their survival, even from a distance. Beals is the author and photographer of Nests, a visual homage to birds, documenting the nest and eggs specimens dating from the 1800s to the present day. Beals’ sources include the California Academy of Sciences, the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology in Berkeley, the Western Foundation of Vertebrate Zoology in Camarillo, Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates and the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian. Select images from Nests are currently on view at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, in the Farmer

Building Blocks to the Future While the San Francisco Bay Area is booming with jobs and (for many) high wages, people are increasingly priced out of the housing market and the region is losing people to fill jobs that are essential to California’s economy. In response to this crisis, we have seen a proliferation of transit-oriented projects (TODs) which place high-density housing above or adjacent to transit centers. TODs provide easy mobility while offering less costly living space. Join us to learn the effective strategies used by planners, policy makers and advocates to implement high quality, equitable transit-oriented station areas. These and other innovations will be discussed at this free, half day summit. Schedule: 9–10:15 a.m. Keynote: Therese McMillan, Executive Director, Metropolitan Transportation Commission Moderator: Secretary Norman Mineta, Secretary (Ret.), U.S. Department of Transportation 10:15–10:30 a.m. Break 10:30–11:30 a.m. Panel Asha Agrawal, Ph.D., Director, Mineta Transportation Insti

The action-packed, technology-filled life of spies can be intoxicating to read about or watch on TV. Nowadays, it is hard to imagine these kinds of scenes playing out in real life—but for Jonna Mendez, a former covert operative in the Soviet Union and former chief of disguise for the CIA, everything from complex disguises to “Spiderman” rappelling technology to high-speed car chases were part of her daily life. Her new book, The Moscow Rules: The Secret CIA Tactics That Helped America Win the Cold War, recounts the most exciting parts of the job, as well as the moments with the highest stakes for U.S. interests. Together with her co-author and husband Antonio Mendez, she explains the techniques and technologies that helped the Americans get one step ahead of the KGB. Join us for a conversation with a real-life CIA spy about her experiences as a covert operative and her role in the advancement of the American intelligence strategy that helped America win the Cold War. This program is part of our Good Lit serie

What does a country do when it realizes it cannot win an outright war against the United States? It turns to new subversive, clandestine types of modern warfare. This, argues CNN chief national security expert Jim Sciutto, is exactly what China and Russia have been successfully doing—winning a new kind of war that the United States has barely realized it is currently fighting. Sciutto’s new book, The Shadow War: Inside Russia’s and China’s Secret Operations to Defeat America, is filled with a dizzying amount of on-the-ground reporting. From Ukraine to the South China Sea, from the belly of a submarine under the Arctic to the highest levels of America’s Space Command, Sciutto’s experience both as a reporter and as a diplomat give him unprecedented access and a uniquely informed perspective. His words of caution (and sometimes alarm) point to the areas in which Russia and China have successfully undermined America’s reputation and credibility. Join us for a conversation with someone reporting from the front lin

In 2012, after moving up the ranks at Condé Nast, Elaine Welteroth became the first African-American to hold the title of beauty and health director at Teen Vogue. At 29, she was eventually promoted to editor in chief, making her the youngest to hold the title in the company’s 107-year history and the second person of African-American heritage. Her reign at Teen Vogue was undeniably historic as she led the magazine in a new, fresh direction that allowed her young staff to create content centered on not only fashion and beauty, but also politics, social activism, world news and other topics that painted a more realistic, well-rounded picture of teen life. Throughout her wildly successful career, Welteroth has often noted that she consistently found herself alone as the only black woman in the room. Her life is filled with stories of triumph despite the numerous roadblocks put in her way, and in her memoir, More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say), Welteroth offers invaluable a

Produce, consume, discard; we all know the routine. Raw materials are extracted, produced into goods, and used – sometimes only once – before turning into waste. And maybe we think that recycling that Starbucks cup or Smartwater bottle is the best we can do for the planet. But that’s only one part of the story. Now, innovative companies are “going circular” by transforming how their products are designed, used, and remade. Can a circular economy salvage the climate and save the planet? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices