HOPE GLOBAL FORUM '15 OVERVIEW (2/1/15)

Non-partisan fans and critics alike gathered to hear former U.S. President Bill Clinton speak at the recent Hope Global Forum held at the beautiful Omni Hotel in downtown Atlanta.

"The only thing sustainable is a living you can earn," said Clinton, "...earn and keep and give to someone else." Clinton was the Keynote Speaker at the conference. 

Operation Hope has raised, distributed and given more than 1.5 billion dollars in multiple directions to build communities since 1992.

 

Other speakers at the annual event included a round-up of the most recognized names in politics, social media, and business.  AOL Co-Founder Steve Case, HUD Secretary Julian Castro, and Georgia's Lisa M. Borders of the Coca Cola™ Foundation had chances to share their insight with attendees..

Topics of the speeches included steps that are working to irradiate poverty and strengthen the middle class.  In fact the organization calls these economic groups "untapped assets" and views them as "...the greatest under-leveraged asset for growth...in the 21st century."

To the Forum, what is working is the expanding free enterprise access, or lifting the borders of trade by way of Internet. New products, services and innovations now take 1/10th the time to go through research to market. 

Attendees learned everything from "How to Prosper in the Global Economy" to Big Data's mission in "Identifying the Entrepreneurial Class".  One of the most attended speeches also bordered on 'happiness theory', called The Big New Idea: “Connecting Financial and Physical Well Being”

The really big names came out to discuss the meatiest topic: How the Poor Can Save Capitalism: “Solutions For Rebuilding the Path to the Middle Class”.  All wise, and quite entertaining; Case, Clinton, Ambassador Andrew Young and Gallup CEO Jim Clifton had unique takes on the problems.  Some solutions were more complex...like 'getting over' ourselves.  

"A lot of you are like me and have tried things and they have not worked.  Even now, I look back on some things I tried and I say to myself...'I cannot believe that did not work.'" Clinton urged the crowd to be encouraged about their role in the future and learn from their past mistakes.

Global Warming and the lack of any world protocol thereof was another topic at the Forum.  The former President and others urged world economic leaders to look at the data and hear the voices from the scientific community who are calling for global action to stop it.  

If you can get tickets to the event, you certainly will see and maybe meet the greatest names in U.S. business.  Because of the 2016 political races, next year's forum will probably include politics's role in economic development.

The organization encourages Atlantans to Save the Date for the HOPE Global Forum 2016  January 13-15, and visit http://hopeglobalforum.org/ to register.  2016

---Ray Macon