Copyright Boston.com
In November, The Boston Globe’s fifth annual Globe Summit will bring together researchers, entrepreneurs, executives, politicians, and change-makers from New England and beyond in conversations led by Globe journalists focused on this year’s theme, “Revolutionary Ideas.” The Globe Summit takes place Tuesday, Nov. 18, and Wednesday, Nov. 19, at the House of Blues in Boston, with the first day’s programming focused on health care and leadership, followed on day 2 by discussions on innovation, community, and commerce. Speakers include best-selling author Elin Hilderbrand, cultural historian Sarah Lewis, Ben & Jerry’s cofounder Ben Cohen, activist and author Bill McKibben, Ken Casey of the Dropkick Murphys, Ben Collins of The Onion, and Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey, along with university presidents, chief executives, city officials, and other influential figures. The summit will feature a series of 30 forums and can be attended in person and watched online via livestream. Tickets are available at Globe.com/summit. Globe editor Nancy Barnes said the annual summit brings together “so many important sectors to tackle the biggest questions and challenges facing Boston and New England.” “It’s one of the most critical roles we play as journalists, among many,” Barnes said. “I am proud of the entire Globe team who put this event together; our reporters and journalists are the heart of the Globe Summit and are helping to bring our mission of serving the community to life in tangible ways.” Barnes will kick off the summit Tuesday, Nov. 18, with a conversation focused on medical research funding with the leaders of two of the region’s top hospitals: Dr. Benjamin Ebert, chief executive of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Dr. Kevin Tabb, president and chief executive of Beth Israel Lahey Health. As universities and medical institutions face cuts to federal funding, leaders are having to adapt to a changing financial landscape as they try to maintain resources needed for research and the development of life-saving treatments. Barnes said she is looking forward to digging into “how leaders are sustaining the funding and collaboration that fuel medical breakthroughs in cancer, rare disease, and chronic illness.” “It’s such a critical topic at this time in history,” Barnes said. “Innovation depends not only on great science, but on a strong ecosystem of support to bring life-saving treatments and discoveries to patients.” Also Tuesday, Globe medical reporter Jessica Bartlett will lead a talk with Dr. Alan Penzias, a fertility physician and medical director at Boston IVF, about the promise and limitations of in vitro fertilization, which has helped millions of people overcome fertility challenges worldwide but remains prohibitively expensive and inaccessible to many. The summit will shift Tuesday afternoon to conversations focused on leadership and impact, through the lens of higher education, climate, immigration, and art. Globe immigration reporter Giulia McDonnell Nieto del Rio will lead a panel on citizenship, identity, and what it means to be “American” amid today’s political battles over immigration, education, and civic participation. Panelists will include Dr. Pawan Dhingra, chief equity and inclusion officer and professor at Amherst College; Iván Espinoza-Madrigal, executive director of Lawyers for Civil Rights; and Boston City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune. Also Tuesday, three New England university presidents will join Globe reporter Diti Kohli for a talk on the future of higher education and the role of universities in American democracy. Joining Kohli will be Dartmouth president Sian Beilock, Babson College president Stephen Spinelli, and Assumption University president Greg Weiner. McKibben will join Globe reporter Sabrina Shankman for a fireside chat Tuesday about the fight to accelerate renewable energy development and its potential to transform the world. The conversation stems from McKibben’s new book, “Here Comes the Sun,” in which he charts the rise of solar and wind power as the fastest-growing, cheapest energy sources in history. Globe Rhode Island reporter Alexa Gagosz will host a discussion on food sustainability with Roger’s Fish Co. founder Roger Berkowitz; US Representative Chellie Pingree of Maine; and Mr. Tuna owner Jordan Rubin. The panel will dive into the challenges surrounding the country’s fishing industry amid changing ocean temperatures, overfishing, and shifting consumer demand, and will discuss solutions to keep seafood available without compromising the environment. The summit’s first day will end with a fireside chat between Dropkick Murphys frontman Ken Casey and Globe assistant digital editor Matt Juul. They’ll talk about the band’s new album, taking on politics through art, and why Casey believes this is “the most serious moment” for musicians to speak out. Wednesday, Nov. 19, day 2 of the summit, will feature conversations with experts on innovation and transformation and community and commerce. Globe travel writer and columnist Christopher Muther will talk with JetBlue president Marty St. George about his vision for the airline’s presence at Logan International Airport, from expanding domestic and transatlantic routes to enhancing the passenger experience with new lounges and services. Globe reporter Aaron Pressman will then join MIT professor Daron Acemoglu and Chris Kay, head of enterprise platforms for M&T Bank, to talk about how AI is reshaping work and how industries are adapting. Globe columnist and associate editor Shirley Leung will sit down with Ben and Jerry’s cofounder Cohen to talk about the future of corporate activism and how a business can balance profit and purpose in a politically polarized era. The summit will then pivot to conversations on community and commerce in the afternoon, starting with a talk between Jackie Kucinich, the Globe’s Washington bureau chief, and Collins, chief executive of the satirical news outlet The Onion, discussing how the outlet has thrived in an era of rapid-fire news and blurred lines between fact and fiction. Anica Butler, the Globe’s deputy managing editor for local news, will lead a talk with Yvonne Hao, an executive with Flagship Pioneering, and Christian Weller, a professor of public policy at UMass Boston, about the state’s economy and what it will take to rebuild a thriving middle class and better balance growth with equity. Jeneé Osterheldt, the Globe’s deputy managing editor for culture, talent, and development, will speak with Demond Martin, cofounder of WellWithAll, a health and wellness company reinvesting profits into underserved communities. The talk will explore how business, leadership, and philanthropy can advance racial and social equity. Later, Globe reporter Catherine Carlock will lead a panel about the Boston real estate market with Liz Berthelette, head of Northeast Research & National Life Science Research at Newmark; Synergy chief executive David Greaney; and Downtown Boston Alliance president Michael Nichols. Also later Wednesday, Globe senior assistant sports editor Katie McInerney will lead a panel on how Boston is preparing to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. She will be joined by CBS Sports soccer analyst Charlie Davies, FIFA World Cup Boston executive Jon Persch, and Meet Boston president Martha Sheridan. The conversation comes as President Trump has suggested in recent days that he could pull World Cup games from Boston, as Gillette Stadium in Foxborough prepares to host seven World Cup games next year. Closing out the summit, Healey and Boston Celtics executive Allison Feaster will talk about how their backgrounds as athletes helped guide them to leadership roles in politics and professional sports.
