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schedule

monday, september 9th

8:00AM - 9:00AM

Welcome and Breakfast

9:00AM - 10:00AM

Overview and Introductions

10:00AM - 11:30AM

Setting the Stage

In this session, Ilyse Hogue, Senior Fellow at New America and former President & CEO of NARAL Pro-Choice America, will provide an insider's view of the coalition defending American democracy and the work that lies ahead.

11:30AM - 1:00PM

Lunch

1:00PM - 2:30PM

American Politics Unveiled

In this session, David Halbfinger, Senior Political Editor at The New York Times, will share key insights about American politics and democracy to help shape our understanding of the current landscape.

2:30PM - 4:00PM

Philanthropy for Democracy

In this session, leading American democracy funders - Mike Berkowitz, Aaron FrankKim Philbrick McCabeRachel Pritzker, and Gideon Stein - will discuss how donors have organized to save U.S. democracy, and will share strategies, tensions, and lessons learned along the way.

4:15PM - 5:30PM

Media for Democracy

In this session, Tara McGowan, top political strategist and Publisher of Courier Newsroom, will discuss the role of media and media innovation in supporting a robust liberal democracy in the 21st century.

5:30PM - 6:00PM

Closing Session: Group Debriefs

6:30PM - 7:30PM

Travel to Recanati Home

7:30PM 

Cocktail Reception and Dinner at Recanati Home

tuesday, september 10th

8:00AM - 9:00AM

Overview and Breakfast

9:00AM - 10:30AM

Persuasion for Democracy

In this session, Megan Lewis, Co-Founder of Voting Rights Lab, and Maya Bourdeau, Founder of Frameshift, will explore cutting-edge strategies for reaching and persuading center-right, independent, and under-engaged voters about democracy issues.  

10:45AM - 12:00PM

Learning How to Win 

In this session, renowned social psychologist, Jonathan Haidt, will discucss how to build a broad-based movement for liberal democracy in an era of toxic polarization and partisan echo chambers. 

12:00PM - 1:00PM

Lunch

1:15PM - 2:15PM

Work Plan Brief

2:30PM - 3:00PM

Travel to Central Synagogue

3:00PM - 4:00PM

Democracy, Israel, and Jewish Life in the U.S.

In this session, Rabbi Angela Buchdahl, Senior Rabbi at Central Synagogue and one of the leading rabbinic voices in New York and across the U.S., will discuss the state of American Jewry and its role in the battles for American and Israeli democracy. 

4:30PM - 5:30PM

Freedom on the Line

In this session, Jefrey Pollock, lead pollster for the Harris-Walz campaign, will discuss American politics and democracy from inside the presidential campaign fighting off autocracy. 

7:00PM - 8:30PM 

Dinner at Wall Street Grill

9:00PM - 11:00PM 

Presidential Debate

wednesday, september 11th

7:00AM - 8:00AM

Breakfast and Check Out

8:00AM - 10:00AM

Drive to Philadelphia

10:30AM - 11:45AM

Organizing for Democracy 

In this session, we will meet with the leaders of The Voter Project - Melita Brito Barbosa, Kevin Mack, and Leonzo Vargas - to learn about its outside-the-box efforts to engage Pennsylvania voters and ensure they are able to vote in a safe, secure, and convenient manner.

Location: REC Studios

12:00PM - 1:15PM

Building a Government that Works 

In this session, we will meet with the Lauren Cristella, President & CEO of the Committee of Seventy, a central democracy organization in Philadelphia, which has been fighting for trustworthy, representative, and effective state and local government since 1904.

Location: REC Studios

1:15PM - 2:30PM

Lunch

Location: REC Studios

2:30PM - 6:00PM

Drive to Washington DC

Departure: REC Studios

6:00PM - 7:00PM

Hotel Check In

Location: Royal Sonesta

7:00PM - 8:30PM 

Dinner and What Makes a Successful Campaign
In this session, Matt Bennett, Executive Vice President of Third Way, will share stories from his career in politics about the key elements of a successful candidate or issue campaign and some hard-earned lessons about the pitfalls to avoid.

Location: Royal Sonesta

8:30PM - 8:45PM 

Drive to Lincoln Memorial

Departure: Royal Sonesta

8:45PM - 10:00PM 

Visit Lincoln Memorial

Location: Lincoln Memorial 

thursday, september 12th

8:00AM - 9:00AM

Breakfast

Location: Royal Sonesta

9:30AM - 10:30AM

Philanthropic Leadership

In this session, Joe Goldman, President of the Democracy Fund, one of the leading democracy philanthropies in the U.S., will explore different strategies donors have used to strategically coordinate and mobilize democracy resources over the past six years.

Location: Royal Sonesta

10:30AM - 11:30AM

Data for Democracy 

In this session, Mindy Finn, CEO of Citizen Data, will discuss the role of data in political campaigns and the broader fight for liberal democracy, especially in the context of a hyperpolarized environment.

Location: Royal Sonesta

11:30AM - 11:45AM

Drive to White House

Departure: Royal Sonesta

12:00PM - 1:00PM

Tour of the White House

Location: The White House

1:00PM - 1:30PM

Drive to Hotel

Departure: The White House

1:30PM - 2:30PM

Lunch & Country Over Party

In this session, Sarah Longwell, founder of Republican Voters Against Trump, will discuss the importance of a key demographic in the fight for American democracy and what she has learned about them from dozens of focus groups. 

Location: Royal Sonesta

2:30PM - 4:15PM 

Closing Session

Location: Royal Sonesta

4:30PM

Drive to NY

Departure: Royal Sonesta

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