Commonwealth Club of California Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Marc Benioff, Chairman and Co-CEO of Salesforce Oct 30, 2019

Show notes

When Marc Benioff started Salesforce 20 years ago, he envisioned building a company that would not only change the way the world does business but also change the world at the same time. Benioff believes that businesses are the greatest platforms for change and that they should serve not only shareholders but all stakeholders, including customers, employees, partners, communities and the environment, to make the world a better place. On day one, Benioff created the 1-1-1 model of philanthropy, which leverages the resources of Salesforce to improve communities around the world. And with the core values of trust, customer success, innovation and equality as its foundation, Salesforce has not only been one of the fastest-growing enterprise software companies ever, it’s become one of the world’s most admired companies and is consistently ranked globally as one of the best companies to work for. Benioff is an unapologetically outspoken social advocate and has publicly admonished other business leaders for not doing enough for the local community in San Francisco and beyond. In his new book, Trailblazer: The Power of Business as the Greatest Platform for Change, Benioff touches on these values and shares his insights and best practices for anyone, from the CEO to an intern, who wants to make the world a better place. He also discusses his belief that in the future, profits and progress will not be sustainable unless they serve the greater good. Join us for a conversation with a pioneering business leader who wants to challenge us all to be agents of change in a fast-moving world.

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Domestic Violence: A Cross-Sectional Approach to Effecting Change Oct 30, 2019

Show notes

In cases of domestic violence, what can be done at the local and national levels to prevent future instances of violence against women, families and society at large from occurring? What role can restorative justice and community based approaches have in mitigating harm? As CEO of Safe & Sound, Katie Albright highlights the connection between domestic violence and the compounding pressures of socioeconomic instability, lack of education and childhood abuse. Safe & Sound works to raise awareness about the red flags of abuse, challenge existing laws and ensure that survivors have a voice. With the resulting cost of child abuse estimated to be about $2.2 billion in the Bay Area alone, prioritizing prevention merits attention from not just a moral but an economic standpoint. An expert on domestic violence policy, family law and intimate partner abuse, Julia Weber’s work at Giffords Law Center focuses on restraining order implementation in relation to gun violence. The center's work highlights the relationship between domestic violence and firearms—in the majority of mass shootings, the perpetrator was committing an act of domestic or family violence. Delia Ginorio’s work prompts us to consider the role restorative justice can play in cases of domestic violence and the broader legal framework. Ginorio currently oversees all women’s services for the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department and also serves on the boards of the Insight Prison Project and the Five Keys Charter Schools. All of these programs bring education, accountability and restoration to offenders and survivors of violence. Join us this Domestic Violence Awareness Month for an evening of discussion around policy and community-based approaches we must fight for to end domestic violence and ensure a better future for us all. NOTES This program is generously supported by Blue Shield of California Foundation.

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End of Life Options for People Developing Dementia Oct 30, 2019

Show notes

Having dementia is the greatest fear shared by most people as they age. One needs to plan for the time when you may no longer have a clear mind and the ability to make decisions about your own medical care. The advance directive (AD) in its usual format is insufficient if you suffer from dementia. In this case, a dementia provision should be added to your AD to describe what kind of medical care you’d like. Various options and strategies will be discussed to help you develop a plan should you develop dementia. MLF ORGANIZER NAME Bill Grant NOTES MLF: Health & Medicine, Grownups (co-sponsor)

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Richard Stengel: The Battle Against Disinformation Oct 30, 2019

Show notes

During the final three years of the Obama administration, Richard Stengel, the former editor of Time and an under secretary of state, was on the front lines of a new global information war. At the time, he was the single person in the U.S. government tasked with unpacking, disproving and combating both ISIS’s messaging and Russian disinformation. Then, in 2016, as the presidential election unfolded, Stengel watched as Donald Trump rode to victory, in part because of how disinformation was weaponized on social media domestically and internationally. According to Stengel, the battle against weaponized disinformation has only gotten worse since, and democracies such as the United States are proving not to be very good at fighting it. In his new book, Information Wars: How We Lost the Global Battle Against Disinformation and What We Can Do About It, Stengel walks readers through this new war and where the battles are taking place, including Russia and Ukraine, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. He illustrates how ISIS terrorized the world using social media, and how the Russians launched a tsunami of disinformation around the annexation of Crimea—a scheme that became the model for their interference with the 2016 presidential election. Disinformation, of course, is as old as humanity. But the rise of social media has made disinformation even more pervasive and pernicious in our current era. Perhaps no one has faced this issue more head on than Stengel. With the 2020 election just a year away, come hear firsthand about what citizens can do to combat this ever-growing threat to democracy.

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When POC Is Not Enough: Anti-Blackness in the LGBTQ+ Community Oct 30, 2019

Show notes

Join us for an in-depth program addressing anti-blackness in the LGBTQ+ community and how it affects the ways its members navigate spaces with community, in addition to the way that people show up for each other. The goal of the program is to spark conversations around how folks in the LGBTQ+ community can work to eliminate anti-blackness in their everyday lives, how the LGBTQ+ community can work together to uplift each other regardless of race, gender identity, gender expression or anything else. The discussion is designed to help people identity anti-blackness and be able to address it. Don't miss this important community program. In association with Compton's Transgender Cultural District, ColorBloq, and "The Michelle Meow Show"

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Wait, Wait… It’s Peter Sagal and Doug Berman Oct 29, 2019

Show notes

The comedy news quiz “Wait Wait . . . Don’t Tell Me!” is the most popular show on public radio. But it wasn’t always that way. The program didn’t take off until Doug Berman (who also produced the NPR hit “Car Talk”) took a chance on a playwright named Peter Sagal to serve as host. Ever since, the show has drawn enthusiastic audiences both on radio and in person, at its Chicago home and on the road. The program covers current news and is consistently both informative and entertaining. What’s the secret to the show’s success? Peter Sagal, the host of “Wait Wait” since 1998, is an award-winning playwright, screenwriter and author, most recently of The Incomplete Book of Running. He has interviewed two U.S. presidents, appeared on “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” and run a race in his underwear, but he insists that none of this has gone to his head. Peabody Award-winning producer Doug Berman is responsible for NPR's two most successful entertainment programs. He continues to create comedy shows seeded with a modicum of useful information or, as Berman puts it, "not a complete waste of time." Here's a chance to laugh and go behind the scenes of this NPR phenomenon. Come with your own questions to stump Sagal and Berman. ** This Podcast Contains Explicit Language **

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Commonwealth Club Travel: Taking Our Mission on the Road Oct 29, 2019

Show notes

Have you been curious about Club trips and want to know more? Join us for a presentation and discussion with past travelers and staff about the unique opportunities for learning, dialogue, friendship and adventure on our trips. What is different about Club trips, and what does it mean to travel with a group of Club members? We’ll answer these and other frequently asked questions.

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Leading Ladies of the Renaissance Oct 28, 2019

Show notes

Discover the lives and legacies of Italy's Renaissance women as well as those of several unheralded Italian women who inspired Botticelli, Raphael and Michelangelo and some of the greatest art of all time. Carla Gambescia will revitalize your amore with Italy and its remarkable art treasures and cultural gifts. Learn about Artemisia Gentileschi and Isabella d’Este, whose lives and accomplishments can still inspire us today, and gain new perspectives on some of the Renaissance’s most beloved paintings. MLF Organizer: George Hammond MLF: Humanities

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Envisioning Peace: The United Religions Initiative Oct 28, 2019

Show notes

Our distinguished panel will discuss the United Religions Initiative (URI), which was begun by Bishop William Swing in 1993 after he was invited by the United Nations (UN) to hold a large interfaith service to mark the UN’s 50th anniversary. The URI envisions a world at peace sustained by a global grassroots interfaith network (known as cooperation circles) that cultivates peace and justice by engaging people to bridge religious and cultural differences. MLF Organizer: Celia Menczel MLF: Middle East In association with the San Francisco Interfaith Council

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Charles Schwab: The Secrets to Success Oct 28, 2019

Show notes

Charles Schwab is one of the world’s most influential financial executives, with, as of 2019, nearly $3.6 trillion worth of assets managed by the eponymous Charles Schwab and Co. He founded the brokerage firm in 1971 with a $100,000 loan and has since grown it into a financial service juggernaut. Schwab’s memoir, Invested: Changing Forever the Way Americans Invest, lays out his passion to change the way we invest and the hard work, ingenuity and entrepreneurship that propelled his vision into one of the leading financial service firms in the world. From studying economics at Stanford University to guiding his company through decades of economic transformations and fluctuations, Schwab recounts the defining moments of his life while providing unique insight into the evolutionary dynamics of entrepreneurial companies. Join us for an insightful conversation with Charles Schwab as he discusses the how-tos of finance management and imparts advice on obtaining a fulfilling career and life. This program is part of our Ethics and Accountability series, underwritten by the Travers Family Foundation, with additional support from the Bernard Osher Foundation for our Good Lit programs.

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