The 2017 Conference Pillars are Restoring Civility in American Politics, Winning the Race in Connected Technology and Increasing Economic Opportunity.

Restoring Civility in American Politics

Encourage business and civic leaders to shape public discourse to restore the art of compromise for progress in today’s polarized political environment.

Winning the Race in Connected Technology

Capitalize on Michigan’s strengths to lead in next-generation mobility, expanding beyond the “connected car” to the connectivity of all things and big data.

Increasing Economic Opportunity

Shrink the opportunity gap and enhance quality of life for all Michiganders by promoting economic inclusion strategies.

One Of Time’s “100 Most Influential People In The World” Takes Michigan’s Center Stage

Hear from Darren Walker, president of the Ford Foundation, on Thursday, June 1 during the 2017 Mackinac Policy Conference.

For more than two decades, Walker has been a leader in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. He led the philanthropy committee that helped bring a resolution to the city of Detroit’s historic bankruptcy in 2013. Prior to joining the Ford Foundation, he served as vice president of the Rockefeller Foundation, where he managed the Rebuilding Together New Orleans initiative after Hurricane Katrina. Most recently, Time magazine named Walker as one of the “100 Most Influential People in the World” in 2016.

An expert on a range of social justice issues, Walker will discuss how to shrink the opportunity gap and enhance quality of life for all Michiganders by promoting economic inclusion strategies.