News

The Great Listening, inspired by Sweden’s 50-year-old Almedalen week of discourse, will host its inaugural event this November 16-17 in Austin. Almedalen has welcomed leaders from diverse backgrounds like Karl Rove and Jesse Jackson to business leaders like Adam Kostyál, Nasdaq, Sr. VP and Dr. Catherine Mann,

01May

Policy Weirding: Climate Change and National Security

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By Raye Elizabeth Ward A military weather tracking station. Photo Courtesy of United Nations Climate Change. Will the military drive our national climate change agenda? Dr. Joshua Busby dropped by a session of the World Spins for an update. Just last week, the Environmental Protection Agency announced that new

22Apr

World Spins: Blockchain, Trust and the Global Economy

by Raye E. Ward, WAC Austin board member Pete Harris stopped by a session of the World Spins to share his take on blockchain, the software technology generally overshadowed by its trendier spawn, bitcoin and the Bitcoin network. Harris, who bears a striking resemblance to Bilbo Baggins, has a relationship to hype

30Mar

World Spins: A Raging Climate and No Policy in Sight

Now that the feds have left the table, can Battlestar Galatica save us? We kicked off our new “World Spins” series Dr. Josh Busby pointing out that not only is the weather crazy but we currently have no policy in place to manage its unpredictable impacts. This was the first in a two-part deep-dive into […]

30Jan

What is “The World Spins”: and Why Should I Go? Disruption, Innovation and the Future of Our World: Be There or Be Square

Every so often I’m struck by how lucky we are to live in Austin where there are so many people working on the cusp of disruption. Our new series “The World Spins,” will bring people at the forefront of issues that are re-shaping the world we live in: climate change, national security, blockchain technology,

07Dec

“Same Same But Different”: The Need for Cultural Competence in a Globalized World

by Anna Katrina Davey, Founder & President at Cultural Confidence The iconic phrase “same same but different”, ubiquitously heard in the tourist areas of Thailand as well as other parts of Southeast Asia, is a metaphor I like to use to describe people and culture. While the versatile Tinglish expression

01Dec

The future of humanity is at stake: Roy Casagranda on Thomas Pickering and the Iran nuclear deal

By Roy E. Casagranda, PhD and Professor of Government at Austin Community College The dominant world order for 6,350 years, that the Middle East and North Africa has been host to at least one world superpower, has been turned upside-down for last 150 years. This is the result of successful British, French, and US

21Nov

What are Your Observations on Culture?

“Culture is not made up but something that evolves which is human“-E.T Hall Culture is an extremely broad concept and can be interpreted in various ways, however, the definition of culture provided by Edward T.Hall allows us to get a better understanding of cultural differences. Edward T. Hall was one of the

17Oct

Saudi Arabia Pivots toward China: The Rise of a New Global Order

What is one to make out of King Salman of Saudi Arabia recent trip to Asia? The answer is the kingdom’s worries about the economic and security impact of the inevitable shift in global geopolitics. Though, I am not surprised at this visit given the fact the kingdom is reassessing its economic and security

17Sep

United in Strength: Recap on Fiesta de El Grito 2017

Despite a climate of political uncertainty, el Fiesta de El Grito brought a lively crowd, captivating performances and themes of belonging to mark 207 years since Mexico gained independence from Spain. As hundreds of celebrators gathered at the South Entrance of the Texas Capitol, they listened to various music

The Great Listening