The Wisconsin Forum is pleased to announce the following line-up of speakers for the 2021-22 season.
Richard W. Graber
President and Chief Executive Officer, The Bradley Foundation
Thursday, October 21, 2021
A Civil Society for the 21st Century – The Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, a philanthropic pillar in Wisconsin and a national cornerstone of conservative philanthropy, believes that a strong civil society is essential to a free and prosperous country. Families, schools, churches, voluntary associations – these are the institutions most capable of guiding behavior and transforming lives. Yet political polarization and technology are contributing to the breakdown of civil society. This presentation will address how to strengthen the institutions that lead to vibrant communities.
Sam Rogers
Coalitions Director, Concerned Veterans for America-Wisconsin
Thursday, November 18, 2021
Realism & Restraint: A Better Path for American Foreign Policy – I will be making moral, fiscal, constitutional, and national security arguments in support of ending several of our current overseas campaigns and to reform in congress the way that authorizations for use of military force are constructed to avoid future quagmires. I will discuss the concepts of realism and restraint as a foreign policy theory, and I will argue that the past two decades demonstrated why realism and restraint is both crucial to our long-term prosperity and palpable to the American public.
Linda J. Hansen
Founder & President, Prosperity 101
Thursday, January 20, 2022
Navigating Cancel Culture in the Workplace – Tips for Employers and Employees – Cancel culture is a modern form of ostracism in which someone is thrust out of social or professional circles – whether online or in person. Linda works to help employers discuss policy issues in the workplace, without partisan politics. She helps people understand how policy affects paychecks – whether it is economic policy or policy affecting speech and activities in the workplace. She hosts a weekly podcast and wrote a book to help people become Informed, Involved, and Impactful® about policy issues. She works to educate and empower those who are concerned about walking the delicate line between work and politics.
Stephen Hicks, Ph.D. Professor of Philosophy and Executive Director of the Center for Ethics and Entrepreneurship, Rockford University and Policy Advisor, The Heartland Institute
Thursday, February 17, 2022
The Invisibility of Entrepreneurism: Why Free-Market Policies So Often Lose – It may sound strange to claim the invisibility of entrepreneurism when Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos are household names, but the sad reality is that value creation is sort-of grasped by most policy makers and most academics (even among my Business Ethics professional colleagues). Consequently entrepreneurism seems a kind of magic or luck at best and/or the acquisition of wealth seems morally suspect. So distributing wealth rather than creating it seems to be where the moral action is, and those who can re-distribute it best claim the moral high ground.
Elise Westhoff
President and CEO, Philanthropy Roundtable
Thursday, March 10, 2022
Woke Philanthropy: How It Distorts Charitable Giving and Harms Those in Need – Our nation’s tradition of charitable giving, which strengthens our civil society, is uniquely American. We live in the most generous country in the world, where people from all walks of life voluntarily give their time, talent and resources. But today, the philanthropic sector is being fueled by a movement that seeks to force donors to approach their giving through a single lens, reducing people to a few superficial characteristics like race or gender, rather than encouraging support for the diversity of causes that inspire Americans. Westhoff will address the state of philanthropy, threats to donor intent and free enterprise, and what it means for those who recognize that there are a variety of communities and causes that are worthy of support.