The Atlantic Festival 2022
MEET THE ATLANTIC LIVE
This September, today’s most important and provocative political, cultural, business, tech, and climate leaders gathered in Washington, D.C.’s reimagined waterfront neighborhood, The Wharf—home of The Atlantic’s new headquarters. Over three days of main-stage conversations and interviews, forums, intimate breakout sessions, book talks, happy hours, and special evening programming, our journalists hosted a lively exchange of complex ideas. What will you take away?
Sign up to receive updates about The Atlantic Festival 2023.
Speakers
Janet Yellen
Treasury Secretary
Nic Stone
Author, Dear Martin
Elyse Myers
Writer and Comedian
Senator Christopher Murphy
(D-CT)
Caitlin Dickerson
Staff Writer, The Atlantic
Ali Zaidi
White House National Climate Adviser
Dolores Albarracín
Alexandra Heyman Nash Penn Integrates Knowledge University Professor, University of Pennsylvania
Tim Alberta
Staff Writer, The Atlantic
Cristela Alonzo
Comedian
Ross Andersen
Deputy Editor, The Atlantic
Emma Andrews
Vice President, Global Patient Advocacy, Global Health and Social Impact, Pfizer
Underwriter Session
Anne Applebaum
Staff Writer, The Atlantic
Meredith Attwell Baker
CEO, CTIA
Underwriter Session
Jay Van Bavel
Associate Professor of Psychology and Neural Science, New York University
Gal Beckerman
Senior Editor, The Atlantic
Joe Berlinger
Executive Producer, Shadowland
BLKBOK
Neo-Classical Pianist and Composer
Eddie Bocanegra
Senior Advisor, Office of the Assistant Attorney General
Stacy A. Bohlen
CEO, National Indian Health Board
Lisa Boyars
Senior Vice President, Marketing, The Atlantic
Underwriter Session
Arthur C. Brooks
Contributing Writer, The Atlantic
Ron Brownstein
Senior Editor, The Atlantic
Shane and Hannah Burcaw
Content Creators and Disability Advocates
Underwriter Session
Ryan Busse
Author, Gunfight: My Battle Against the Industry That Radicalized America; Senior Adviser, Giffords
Rita Carreón
Vice President for Health, UnidosUS
Sonali Chopra
Executive Director of Patient Advocacy Relations, Genentech
Underwriter Session
Chinonye Chukwu
Co-Writer and Director, Till
Jim Connell
Executive Vice President, Centuri Group
Underwriter Session
Joy Connolly
President, American Council of Learned Societies
Kimberlé W. Crenshaw
Co-founder and Executive Director, African American Policy Forum
Leslie Crutchfield
Executive Director, Business for Impact, Georgetown University McDonough School of Business
Stephen DeStefani
SVP, Technology Diverse Segments, Representation & Inclusion, Wells Fargo
John Donvan
Moderator, Intelligence Squared; Contributor, AtlanticLIVE
Maureen Dunne
President and CEO, Autism Community Ventures
Maddy Dychtwald
Co-Founder and Senior Vice President, Age Wave
Underwriter Session
Letitia Dzirasa
Commissioner, Baltimore City Health Department
Anthony S. Fauci
Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Tom Fanning
CEO, Southern Company
Underwriter Session
Catherine Coleman Flowers
Founder, Center for Rural Enterprise and Environmental Justice
FLS+
Freestylers and Broadway Performers: Aneesa Folds, Jay Ellis, Kaila Mullady, Andrew Bancroft
Franklin Foer
Staff Writer, The Atlantic
Neisha Fredericks
Vice President, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, National Multiple Sclerosis Society
Underwriter Session
David Frum
Senior Editor, The Atlantic
Barton Gellman
Staff Writer, The Atlantic
Sophie Gilbert
Staff Writer, The Atlantic
Bria Gillum
Senior Program Officer, Criminal Justice, MacArthur Foundation
Underwriter Session
Jeffrey Goldberg
Editor in Chief, The Atlantic
Ames Grawert
Senior Counsel, Brennan Center Justice Program
Seth Goldman
Co-founder and CEO, Eat the Change; Co-founder, PLNT Burger
Constance Hadley
Organizational Psychologist; Founder, Institute for Life at Work
Katie Harbath
Founder and CEO, Anchor Change
Linda Harllee Harper
Director, Gun Violence Prevention, Office Of The City Administrator, Washington D.C.
Adam Harris
Staff Writer, The Atlantic
Anna Harvey
Professor and Director of Public Safety Lab, New York University
Liz Havstad
Executive Director, Hop Hop Caucus
Underwriter Session
Harish Hemmige
Managing Director & Partner, BCG
Underwriter Session
Jemele Hill
Contributing Writer, The Atlantic
Johnny Howze
Vice President of Supply Chain Management, Southern Company
Underwriter Session
Chris Hyams
CEO and Board Director, Indeed
James Ian
Musician and Actor
Underwriter Session
Michael R. Jackson
Playwright, Composer, and Lyricist, A Strange Loop
Louis Jacobson
Senior Correspondent, PolitiFact
Rachel Janfaza
Journalist
Underwriter Session
Hasan Jeffries
Associate Professor, Ohio State University
Alexis McGill Johnson
President and CEO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Lee Jones
Dean for Medical Education, Georgetown University School of Medicine
Anna Jane Joyner
Founder and Director, Good Energy
Underwriter Session
Kate Julian
Senior Editor, The Atlantic
Glenn Kaino
Artist
Neal Katyal
Saunders Professor, Georgetown University
Ibram X. Kendi
Professor and Founding Director, Center for Antiracist Research, Boston University
Randall Kennedy
Michael R. Klein Professor, Harvard Law School
Ronald A. Klain
White House Chief of Staff
Kathleen Koch
Contributor, AtlanticLIVE
Spencer Kornhaber
Staff Writer, The Atlantic
Lawrence Krasner
District Attorney of Philadelphia
Adrienne LaFrance
Executive Editor, The Atlantic
Jennifer Lawson
Member, SNCC Legacy Project
Suzanne Lee
Founder and CEO, Biofabricate
Mark Leibovich
Staff Writer, The Atlantic
Shirley Li
Staff Writer, The Atlantic
Syra Madad
Infectious Disease Epidemiologist and Senior Director, Systemwide Special Pathogens Program, NYC Health + Hospitals
Elsa Majimbo
Comedian and Author
Sharon Marcil
North America Regional Chair, BCG
Underwriter Session
Dee C. Marshall
CEO, Diverse & Engaged
Harvey Mason Jr.
CEO, Recording Academy
Moira Mcdonald
Environment Program Director, Walton Family Foundation
Underwriter Session
Lamell McMorris
Principal and Head of Policy, Regulatory and Government Relations, Edward Jones
Underwriter Session
Alice McKown
Publisher, The Atlantic
Jeanne Meserve
Contributor, AtlanticLIVE
Robinson Meyer
Staff Writer, The Atlantic
MICK
DJ
Sharone R. Mitchell Jr
Public Defender, Cook County
Underwriter Session
Kelly Monahan
Director, Future of Work, Meta
Candace Montgomery
Senior Vice President and General Manager, AtlanticLIVE
Vann R. Newkirk II
Senior Editor, The Atlantic
Tom Nichols
Staff Writer, The Atlantic
George Packer
Staff Writer, The Atlantic
Tom Perrotta
Author, Tracy Flick Can’t Win
Daniel Pink
Author, The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward
David Quammen
Author, Breathless: The Scientific Race to Defeat a Deadly Virus
Abbie Richards
TikTok Misinformation Researcher
Rebecca J. Rosen
Senior Editor, The Atlantic
John Samples
Board Member, Facebook Oversight Board and Vice President, Cato Institute
Alison Sant
Author and Partner, Studio for Urban Projects
Susan Saulny
Contributor, AtlanticLIVE
Jason Scott
Software Curator and Free Range Archivist, Internet Archive
Khalil Shahyd
Managing Director, Environmental and Equity Strategies; Environment, Equity & Justice Center, Natural Resources Defense Council
Ala Stanford
Regional Director, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Region III
Caryl M. Stern
Executive Director, Walton Family Foundation
Underwriter Session
Ed Stetzer
Executive Director, Wheaton College Billy Graham Center
Deanrea Sykes
Senior at Howard University
Underwriter Session
Bhumika Tharoor
Managing Editor, The Atlantic
Troy Thomas
Managing Director & Partner, BCG
Underwriter Session
Derek Thompson
Staff Writer, The Atlantic
Nicholas Thompson
CEO, The Atlantic
Zoe Thompson
Social Strategy Leader, KPMG
Underwriter Session
Kaitlyn Tiffany
Staff Writer, The Atlantic
Namrata Tripathi
Founder, Senior Vice President and Publisher, Kokila at Penguin Random House
Underwriter Session
Jean Twenge
Professor of Psychology, San Diego State University
Suneet Varma
Global Oncology and US President, Pfizer
Underwriter Session
Sue Vega
Programs Manager, Alivio Medical Center; Board Member, Latino Alzheimer’s and Memory Disorders Alliance
Underwriter Session
Miriam Vogel
President and CEO, EqualAI
Morgan Williams Jr.
Assistant Professor of Economics, Barnard College of Columbia University
Thomas Chatterton Williams
Author; Contributing Writer, The Atlantic
Lauren Wesley Wilson
Founder and CEO, ColorComm
Elizabeth Wrigley-Field
Assistant Professor, Sociology, University of Minnesota
Judy Woodruff
Anchor and Managing Editor, PBS NewsHour
Constance Wu
Actor, Producer, Author of Making A Scene
Ed Yong
Staff writer, The Atlantic
Raye Zaragoza
Singer-Songwriter
MAKE THE ATLANTIC FESTIVAL YOUR OWN
- JOIN live and in person at our indoor and outdoor events at The Wharf—or virtually from anywhere.
- CHOOSE an In-Person or Virtual Pass.
- CREATE your own in-person festival itinerary. Explore our speakers and topics and book your seat for specific events.
Subscribe to The Atlantic
Unlock unlimited access to The Atlantic, including exclusive events for subscribers. Join us today and help ensure a bright future for independent journalism.
SubscribeAgenda
Explore the full festival agenda below. Learn more here.
*Underwriter sessions not produced by The Atlantic’s Editorial Team.
Edward Jones Presents: The Forces Shaping the New Journey of Retirement*
Underwritten by Edward JonesSummary
Produced by our underwriter and not The Atlantic’s editorial team.
Retirement is increasingly viewed as a time of freedom and fulfillment. Yet, for many Americans, the pandemic and growing wealth gap have pushed this dream further out of reach. What are the forces shaping retirement and how can we help more Americans thrive in this chapter of life? Together, Edward Jones and Age Wave have embarked on an unprecedented research effort to better understand current retirement-related hopes, dreams and fears, recently releasing their latest cross-generational report, Longevity and the New Journey of Retirement. Join these two organizations as they explore the challenges and opportunities in preparing for the retirement journey and keys to thriving along the way.
Duration
45 minutes
Location
12 Stories
Underwriter
Speakers
Maddy Dychtwald*
Co-Founder and Senior Vice President, Age Wave
Lamell McMorris*
Principal and Head of Policy, Regulatory and Government Relations, Edward Jones
Tracks
Culture, Health
Genentech Presents: Diversity, Visibility and Health Equity in Neuroscience*
Underwritten by GenentechSummary
Produced by our underwriter and not The Atlantic’s editorial team.
For decades, conditions of the nervous system have been among some of the most complex to understand and treat. Further, these conditions can be exacerbated by language barriers, cultural differences/norms, geography and mobility. In a conversation facilitated by Genentech, learn how members of the neuroscience community are coming together to address these common barriers and foster accessibility, and visibility of disability and DEI across neurological conditions.
Duration
45 minutes
Location
Dockmaster
Underwriter
Speakers
Shane and Hannah Burcaw*
Content Creators and Disability Advocates
Sonali Chopra*
Executive Director of Patient Advocacy Relations, Genentech
Neisha Fredericks*
Vice President, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, National Multiple Sclerosis Society
James Ian*
Musician and Actor
Sue Vega*
Programs Manager, Alivio Medical Center; Board Member, Latino Alzheimer’s and Memory Disorders Alliance
Tracks
Health
The Possibility of a Sustainable Future: Combating Climate Change
Underwritten by Walton Family FoundationSummary
The stakes couldn’t be higher. Finding solutions to climate change so that people and nature can thrive together is the opportunity and challenge of the moment. The Atlantic will assemble policymakers, climate innovators, scientists and business leaders to address today’s most urgent climate challenges and solutions to build a more resilient future.
Duration
1 hour 15 minutes
Location
12 Stories
Underwriter
Speakers
Ali Zaidi
White House National Climate Adviser
Seth Goldman
Co-founder and CEO, Eat the Change; Co-founder, PLNT Burger
Liz Havstad*
Executive Director, Hop Hop Caucus
Anna Jane Joyner*
Founder and Director, Good Energy
Suzanne Lee
Founder and CEO, Biofabricate
Moira Mcdonald*
Environment Program Director, Walton Family Foundation
Robinson Meyer
Staff Writer, The Atlantic
Alison Sant
Author and Partner, Studio for Urban Projects
Tracks
Climate
An Urgent Need: Ensuring Health Equity
Underwritten by PfizerSummary
As the nation recovers from the coronavirus pandemic, racial inequities in health care highlighted during the past two years continue to disproportionately affect marginalized communities. Join The Atlantic’s journalists, practitioners, policy makers, and advocates to examine how to better address the needs of the most vulnerable and find sustainable solutions to ensure a more equitable health-care future for all.
Duration
1 hour 15 minutes
Location
Dockmaster
Underwriter
Speakers
Emma Andrews*
Vice President, Global Patient Advocacy, Global Health and Social Impact, Pfizer
Stacy A. Bohlen
CEO, National Indian Health Board
Rita Carreón
Vice President for Health, UnidosUS
Letitia Dzirasa
Commissioner, Baltimore City Health Department
Lee Jones
Dean for Medical Education, Georgetown University School of Medicine
Kathleen Koch
Contributor, AtlanticLIVE
Vann R. Newkirk II
Senior Editor, The Atlantic
Khalil Shahyd
Managing Director, Environmental and Equity Strategies; Environment, Equity & Justice Center, Natural Resources Defense Council
Ala Stanford
Regional Director, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Region III
Tracks
Health
Anthony Fauci on His Life, His Legacy, and What’s Next
Summary
The Atlantic sits down with Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the Chief Medical Adviser to the President, as he reflects on his life’s work, the pandemic, and his legacy.
Duration
45 minutes
Location
District Pier
Speakers
Ross Andersen
Deputy Editor, The Atlantic
Anthony S. Fauci
Director, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
Tracks
Health
Ideas Stage: back-to-back interviews you don’t want to miss, featuring Alexis McGill Johnson, Ed Yong and more!
Summary
The Atlantic Festival’s Ideas Stage is the destination for back-to-back interviews with luminaries across the fields of business, science, technology, politics, and culture. Bold thinkers address the most significant issues of our time on the festival mainstage while Atlantic journalists dissect their ideas about the way forward. The Ideas Stage can be livestreamed daily with the Virtual Festival Pass and is can’t-miss programming, with speakers to be announced on a rolling basis.
Duration
2 hours
Location
The Mead Center for American Theater (Arena Stage)
Speakers
Cristela Alonzo
Comedian
Meredith Attwell Baker*
CEO, CTIA
BLKBOK
Neo-Classical Pianist and Composer
Kimberlé W. Crenshaw
Co-founder and Executive Director, African American Policy Forum
Jemele Hill
Contributing Writer, The Atlantic
Rachel Janfaza*
Journalist
Alexis McGill Johnson
President and CEO, Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Glenn Kaino
Artist
Randall Kennedy
Michael R. Klein Professor, Harvard Law School
Spencer Kornhaber
Staff Writer, The Atlantic
Syra Madad
Infectious Disease Epidemiologist and Senior Director, Systemwide Special Pathogens Program, NYC Health + Hospitals
Harvey Mason Jr.
CEO, Recording Academy
Candace Montgomery
Senior Vice President and General Manager, AtlanticLIVE
David Quammen
Author, Breathless: The Scientific Race to Defeat a Deadly Virus
Caryl M. Stern*
Executive Director, Walton Family Foundation
Deanrea Sykes*
Senior at Howard University
Nicholas Thompson
CEO, The Atlantic
Suneet Varma*
Global Oncology and US President, Pfizer
Elizabeth Wrigley-Field
Assistant Professor, Sociology, University of Minnesota
Ed Yong
Staff writer, The Atlantic
Tracks
Business, Climate, Culture, Health, Progress & Tech, Race/Identity/Politics
Happy Hour
Summary
Happy Hour includes an open bar and is a great place to network and unwind outdoors on the District Pier. Join us after the Ideas Stage programs or unwind with us after work each day. You must be 21+ to attend.
Duration
2 hours
Location
District Pier
Shadowland Premiere
Summary
An exclusive first look at Shadowland, an upcoming docuseries streaming September 21st on Peacock based on the critically acclaimed reporting project from The Atlantic. Award-winning filmmaker Joe Berlinger sends documentary teams across the country to uncover conspiracy theories that have captured American attention and to investigate their dangerous influence on the functioning of our democracy. Following the world premiere, join The Atlantic’s executive editor Adrienne LaFrance in conversation with Berlinger, and The Atlantic’s Adam Harris and Kaitlyn Tiffany.
Duration
1 hour 30 minutes
Location
District Pier
Speakers
Joe Berlinger
Executive Producer, Shadowland
Adam Harris
Staff Writer, The Atlantic
Adrienne LaFrance
Executive Editor, The Atlantic
Kaitlyn Tiffany
Staff Writer, The Atlantic
Tracks
Culture
underwriters
Presenting
Supporting
Contributing
RESOURCES
Event Details
The Wharf in Washington, D.C. or Virtual
September 21–23, 2022
