Globe Summit 2024 took The Boston Globe's journalism beyond the page during two days of thought-provoking and actionable discussions led by our journalists and partners.
Under this year's theme of "Boston's Breakthroughs", we celebrated those individuals and organizations driving forward-thinking solutions and transformative advancements across all areas of expertise.
Session recordings are now available on the Globe Events Youtube Page!
Interested in sponsoring Globe Summit 2024? Learn more here, or contact Julia.Karam@globe.com
For speaking submissions, contact Lindsay.Gearheart@globe.com
By providing us with your email address as part of your registration to any Boston Globe or Boston.com event, you will also be added to our select newsletter lists. You may opt out of these lists at any time by clicking the unsubscribe links provided in the newsletters. View our privacy policy. Your participation in any event is subject to our Terms of Service.
New research commissioned by Flywire reveals an impactful 81% of students surveyed say they need help affording education expenses. Join us for an insightful breakfast networking chat that will highlight research findings and discuss ways the University of Rhode Island is leveraging technology to better attract, engage and retain more students. Discover tips and tools to ease billing, payments and collection management by unifying the student financial journey.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to revolutionize the way we live, work and learn across nearly every discipline. As the technology grows in popularity, Boston is uniquely positioned as a hub of both AI and higher education to drive an AI-equipped workforce. Globe business editor Greg Huang brings together tech entrepreneur and activist Paul English, Usama Fayyad of Northeastern University’s Institute for Experiential AI, and President of Worcester Polytechnic Institute Grace Wang to discuss how our universities and colleges can better equip students of all disciplines in an AI world.
Massachusetts is well on its way to becoming a climate innovation hub for the world, and investors are making big bets on technologies with the power to scale. Globe Ideas editor Brian Bergstein talks with three local investors who are working to put dollars behind accelerating the science-backed solutions that can mitigate the worst effects of climate change.
Boston is widely recognized as a center of medical advancement, but despite the treatments developed here, there exists a disconnect between the resources we have and our communities in need. Theresa Gaffney of STAT moderates a conversation on ensuring health equity for the LGBTQ+ community in Boston and overcoming barriers to accessing gender-affirming care.
This school year marks 50 years since federal district court Judge W. Arthur Garrity’s 1974 decision that ordered the Boston Public Schools to desegregate through busing. As we reflect on the historic court order, intended to integrate Boston’s schools, editor of the Great Divide education team Melissa B. Taboada hosts a session examining the current state of school segregation and how things have – or have not – changed for Black and Latino students.
As the race to reduce global warming pushes forward, geoengineering offers a potential solution through large-scale, deliberate manipulation of the climate. Scientists and environmental advocates will come together for a panel discussion moderated by climate reporter Erin Douglas to debate the practice’s potential benefits and risks as we consider the most effective ways to temper the chaotic impact of the climate crisis.
As director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Dr. Rochelle Walensky led the U.S. through unprecedented public health challenges in the COVID-19 pandemic. In a fireside chat with Globe health and medical editor Anna Kuchment, Dr. Walensky will reflect on her career and share what she’s doing now, as well as discuss the top issues on her mind today, from next-generation vaccines to bird flu, medical misinformation, and more.
Nancy Gibbs, the former Editor in Chief of TIME and current Director of the Shorenstein Center at the Harvard Kennedy School, joins Jackie Kucinich, Washington Bureau Chief of The Boston Globe, for an election season fireside chat. The two veteran journalists will share unique insights on past election trends and media coverage, with predictions for the upcoming Presidential race.
As greater Boston continues to attract new businesses and residents, it faces the daunting challenge of locating much-needed electrical infrastructure in heavily congested neighborhoods to meet skyrocketing energy needs driven by the electrification of transportation and heating. This panel focuses on how Cambridge and other stakeholders broke a siting logjam with a novel, compromise-based approach to arrive at an innovative solution that includes a first-of-its-kind underground electrical substation incorporated into a residential and commercial development, and also creates new greenspace for the community.
What makes Boston a thriving environment for tech development, and where do the greatest opportunities lie? A panel of Boston technology leaders comes together for a discussion moderated by reporter Aaron Pressman around leadership and change in a challenging climate. Hear the group share their insights on how the Boston tech scene can best address its weaknesses and leverage its strengths going forward.
Advancements in food technology are driving a revolution in the way we produce, consume, and think about food, and Boston has become a magnet for food innovators. The Globe’s Janelle Nanos leads a conversation bringing together three local food tech pioneers to discuss how they’re creating a better food system through technologies with the power to improve food production, enhance nutrition, reduce environmental impact, and more.
A strong workforce is critical to fueling economic prosperity in Massachusetts, and skills-based hiring practices are changing the way our workforce is built. A fireside chat between Mayor of Boston Michelle Wu and Globe reporter Katie Johnston will consider the intersection of the future of work and education. The Mayor will share how Boston is pioneering new approaches to workforce development, prioritizing skills over traditional credentials, and creating more equitable pathways to employment.
Join a special installment of the Boston.com Book Club featuring author of “Wonderland,” Nicole Treska. Nicole speaks with author Isaac Fitzgerald about her memoir of growing up inside Boston’s criminal underworld—and breaking free. Get your own copy of "Wonderland" HERE
Soccer has steadily been growing in popularity, with over 850,000 boys and girls playing the sport in the United States. This could be because of a lower start-up cost and more programs, and growing interest brought on by the creation of American clubs like New England Revolution in 1996. President of New England Revolution Brian Bilello shares his vision for soccer in the Commonwealth with Jennifer Epstein from Boston Unity Soccer Partners, who’s working to bring women’s soccer to Massachusetts, and Mike Loynd, President of FIFA World Cup™️ Boston 26.
Moderated by senior Globe reporter Esmy Jimenez, this session aims to illuminate the Afro-Latino identity by celebrating its vibrancy while acknowledging its complexities. A panel of local leaders will share their personal experiences of addressing challenges related to navigating their racial, ethnic, and cultural identities. The group will offer insight into how their identities influence their work – from business to politics to media – and the diverse backgrounds and experiences that shape the Afro-Latino community at large.
To meet Massachusetts’ ambitious Net Zero goals by 2050, the state needs to train an additional 34,000 workers for climate sector jobs in the next six years. Governor of Massachusetts Maura Healey joins Globe climate reporter Sabrina Shankman to discuss what it will take to build up the workforce needed to power the clean energy transition. Governor Healey will shed light on how the state aims to fill climate workforce gaps, increase access to economic mobility for workers, and support a diverse clean energy workforce.
A growing trend in urban development, many underutilized office buildings in Boston are in the process of being transformed into residential spaces. It’s a sustainable choice and potential housing crisis solution fueled by post-pandemic economic and workforce shifts. Real estate reporter Catherine Carlock hosts experts in these projects to discuss how office to residential conversions are progressing and what the future might look like to revitalize downtown Boston.
Kelly Horan, deputy editor for the Globe’s Ideas section, moderates a panel of three guests who have considered this question both as a personal inquiry and an investigative one. Once, growing older meant a passive retirement and, for many, a slow drift to the end. Today, as the panelists will tell us, growing older means seizing new opportunities, reinvention, and finding purpose. It means at last having the hard-earned freedom to stake new claims on life. The group will share their perspectives about the unexpected gifts and inevitable challenges of aging, the experiences and insights of which amount to what we might call wisdom.
Everyone who rides public transit in Greater Boston would argue that our transportation system has its challenges. In his second year as CEO and General Manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA), Phillip Eng is prioritizing safety and modernization when it comes to getting residents and visitors to where they work, live and play. In conversation with the Globe’s Joshua Miller, Eng will share insight into the MBTA’s recent projects and what lies ahead.
Adding to the toll that comes with the physical stress of being a parent, accessing adequate mental health support can be extremely challenging for mothers, particularly in communities of color. Creator of ‘Parenting Unfiltered’ Kara Baskin hosts a panel bringing together psychiatrists and therapists specializing in women’s mental health to discuss disparities in treatment and opportunities to close the gaps. The group will consider strategies from policy reforms to community-based solutions for ensuring all mothers receive the care they need, beginning with pregnancy and continuing long after.
Last March, Somerville passed a first-of-its-kind ordinance protecting non-monogamous couples from discrimination. In a ‘Love Letters’ live podcast recording, host and columnist Meredith Goldstein interviews a few of the changemakers who made it happen about what this ordinance and other public policy changes might mean for the future of relationships in Massachusetts and beyond.
Amid a rapidly shifting economic landscape, driven by global uncertainty, technological disruption, and evolving workforce dynamics, it’s imperative for leaders across sectors to come together and chart a path forward. In this session, Chief Economist for PNC Bank Gus Faucher will share an economic outlook followed by a panel exploring how Massachusetts can leverage its unique strengths, from its higher education system to its diverse innovation economy, to not only weather current economic challenges but emerge stronger.
Although we continue to see transformative advances in health care technologies, treatment, and delivery, we also continue to see striking disparities in life expectancy across communities. Many of these disparities are caused by social and structural determinants of health. Research has helped us understand that socioeconomic status, zip code, gender and race all contribute to how long people live and the quality of life they experience. In the hub of health innovation, this local panel of health experts and policymakers comes together to share actionable solutions to help close life expectancy gaps and advance health equity to improve quality of life for all people.
In 2024, running a successful restaurant doesn’t just mean serving up great food, but also capturing a hungry audience on social media. Emily Schario of The B-Side brings together a panel of local restaurant owners to share the secret sauce behind how they’re crushing the social media game and what the online success means for their business. The group will share insight into how they’re leveraging social media to build loyal communities, increase foot traffic, and boost their bottom line.
Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown has said he wants to create a “Black Wall Street in Boston” - but what does that truly mean and how does it look? Host of the “Say More” podcast Shirley Leung moderates a live podcast recording focusing on what closing the racial wealth gap might require. She’s joined by leaders from the community and key collaborators of Brown’s newly-launched initiative, “Boston XChange,” to explore how this project could help build a more equitable future for Boston.
Breakthrough advancements are happening across the landscape of oncology, with some of the leading developments taking place right here in Massachusetts. A panel of leaders across the Mass General Brigham system will come together to share the latest breakthroughs in oncology research and treatment that are shaping the future of cancer care. The group will shed light on pioneering research, innovative treatment approaches, and efforts to advance equity in cancer care.
"America's weatherman," Al Roker joins the Boston Globe's Lead Meteorologist Ken Mahan for a conversation delving into the increasingly unpredictable world of extreme weather. From record-breaking heatwaves and floods to devastating hurricanes and raging wildfires, extreme weather events have become more frequent and severe as a result of the climate crisis. Ken and Al, weather and feature anchor for NBC’s TODAY, will consider how extreme weather has evolved, globally and regionally, the impact of environmental volatility, and what preparedness looks like as we go forward.
Hear from the team behind Boston Globe Media’s newest sports platform, B-Side Sports, and dive into its first video podcast series, The Quick Snap, with former Patriots quarterback and podcast host Brian Hoyer. Boston Globe Media's Chief Commercial Officer, Kayvan Salmanpour, hosts Brian to explore how sports coverage and consumption is changing and examine how B-Side Sports and The Quick Snap podcast will put sports-fans and athletes at the center of the conversation.
Over the course of the last ten years, the GlobeDocs Film Festival has celebrated documentary filmmaking and invited award-winning filmmakers, journalists, and special guests from around the globe to gather in Boston for area film premieres and lively post-film conversations. Ahead of this year’s festival, happening October 22-27, freelance arts journalist Loren King talks with festival programmer Lisa Viola and the co-directors of this year’s opening night film about the history of the festival, with a sneak preview of our 10th anniversary lineup, including, “Dukakis: Recipe for Democracy.”
Rising tuition costs pose a significant challenge for Massachusetts’ students, with public institutions charged with finding innovative solutions to maintain accessible education. Explore the pressing issue of college affordability in a fireside chat hosted by business reporter Jon Chesto with Lisa A. Calise of the University of Massachusetts. Lisa will discuss the role of public universities in shaping the future of education and shed light on the strategies UMass is employing to keep higher education within reach for all students.
