The Atlantic Festival

“Planet” is The Atlantic’s guide to life on a warming planet.

Join the Atlantic staff writer Robinson Meyer, the author of a weekly newsletter on climate change, for a conversation about the most pressing environmental issues facing our world today. How does climate change affect our daily lives—and what can we do about it?

Addressing racial inequities is one of the most pressing issues of our time. The conversation has shifted from intent to impact. Advancing sustainable solutions demands bold initiatives, immediate policy changes, multisector collaboration, and strategic community engagement.

The Atlantic Festival will gather economic and social-justice leaders to outline what’s needed to create a racial-equity ecosystem that builds equal opportunities for all Americans.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the racial inequities in health. Communities of color and low-income and rural communities continue to suffer from racial bias and a lack of access to quality care. The Atlantic will explore how policy makers, the medical community, and business leaders can work to improve health outcomes for all Americans regardless of race, age, gender, and sexual orientation.

Food production accounts for about a quarter of the planet’s green-house-gas emissions. At the same time, more than 2 billion people around the world go hungry. So although the food system encompasses a tangle of complex issues—including agricultural and cultural norms, corporate practices, and government regulation—the stakes are simply too high to ignore the need for rapid and holistic reform.

In this timely forum, The Atlantic brings together scientists, restaurateurs, activists, businesses, and foodies to outline a bold new vision for a more sustainable future of food.

Join the Atlantic contributing writer and happiness correspondent Arthur C. Brooks for a taping of his new podcast, How to Build a Happy Life, which launches soon. His guest is Atlantic contributing writer and best-selling, Lori Gottlieb. Together, they’ll talk about well-being in relationships, at work, and in our lives.

The pandemic’s economic devastation disproportionately impacted communities of color. But despite the crisis, we saw a record surge in minority-owned small-business creation. As we look to build back from the pandemic and create a more inclusive economy, what collaborative efforts are needed to ensure that these businesses not only survive but grow in the new digital economy?

Produced by our underwriter and not The Atlantic’s editorial team.

Scientific advances have catalyzed a new wave of innovation aimed at reducing the global burden of brain diseases; incorporating insights at every step will result in the greatest societal benefits. Learn how Janssen Research & Development, LLC is leading the new era of neuroscience precision medicine and incorporating insights across all aspects of their business—from discovery to development and commercialization—to reduce the burden and disability caused by nervous system disorders.

It’s an age-old question: Can money buy happiness?

The answer is, of course, quite complex. And women, people of color, and younger generations often face many structural obstacles to achieving financial confidence and well-being.

What financial resources are available for underserved populations? What should people know when making important decisions about how to spend and save? How do we build the financial life we want and discern the credible information from the bad?

The global pandemic brought a whirlwind of change, but it also presented new opportunities for businesses to take the lead in solving environmental and societal challenges. Through a series of conversations with private-sector leaders and climate experts, we’ll explore how companies are prioritizing meaningful environmental, social, and governance strategies to build a more sustainable future.

The filmmaker Ken Burns’s latest documentary is about the life of the famed boxer Muhammad Ali. Ali was celebrated in the ring, but was controversial at the height of his fame for being outspoken about race and religion. Joining Ken Burns for this discussion will be Ali’s daughter Rasheda Ali, and the Atlantic contributor Alison Stewart will moderate.

For many, COVID-19’s rise in 2020 precipitated a steep decline in mental health. As depression and anxiety hit staggering highs around the world, one demographic group suffered perhaps more than most: young people. With the erosion of real-world social contacts and activities, and little prospect of a plannable future, young people today continue to experience mental-health issues at alarming rates.

In this forum, The Atlantic convenes medical experts, educators, families, and young people themselves to explore some of the tools that can provide a path back to a life of happiness and purpose.

The pandemic has only exacerbated long-standing inequities in K–12 education, disproportionately affecting students of color and from low socioeconomic backgrounds. But it has also presented a unique opportunity to dramatically overhaul the education system.

The Atlantic will convene education advocates and practitioners to explore innovative solutions for sustainable reform and ways to create an equitable learning environment for all students.

After 20 years of American forces in Afghanistan, the Taliban has once again taken over, and the U.S. military has executed a highly controversial exit from its longest war.

The troop drawdown represents the biggest foreign-policy challenge yet for Joe Biden’s young presidency. Some say the administration’s pullout strategy has been misguided, while others argue that there were few options left and a Taliban takeover was inevitable.

The Atlantic will convene writers and experts to discuss the fallout in Afghanistan and what it means for the future of that country and American foreign policy.

Environmental stewardship is key for businesses today as they face increasing challenges from climate change, and ever more informed customers who demand ethical, environmentally friendly, and sustainable products and services to combat them. We’ll talk with thought leaders from the public and private sectors about what they think are the pivotal steps and safeguards for businesses to take in addressing climate insecurity.

America’s business leaders are using their voices, influence, and reach to advocate for global change. In many cases, companies large and small are taking action on major policy issues—including environmental justice and racial equity. So how can we harness this momentum to create sustainable change?

The Atlantic will explore corporate activism in 2021, the balance between purpose and profit, and the broader coalition being built by the private sector to create a more equitable society for all.

Produced by our underwriter and not The Atlantic’s editorial team.

The word “metaverse” might not yet be popular in the zeitgeist, but many experts predict it is quickly becoming the next big thing. What is the metaverse, who will have access to it, what does it mean for our economy, and how might it be regulated? Join Vice President of Facebook Reality Labs (FRL), Andrew Bosworth and Facebook’s Vice President of Global Affairs​, Nick Clegg, as they discuss how the metaverse could reshape our society.

The Atlantic Festival’s Ideas Stage is the destination for back-to-back interviews with luminaries across business, politics, culture, and more.

Join the team from The Experiment podcast, a co-production of The Atlantic and WNYC, for a behind-the-scenes look at our upcoming episode about the surprisingly complex history of the canned meat Spam. Host Julia Longoria will talk with producer Gabrielle Berbey, who traces the international spread of Spam from Minnesota to all over the world, and professor and Guamanian poet Craig Santos Perez, who will share his poetry about Spam.

“Inheritance” is a project from The Atlantic about American history, Black life, and the resilience of memory. We’ll explore the unwritten rules in Black entertainment television, the racist legacy of voter suppression and unequal education, and the ways in which our political system is influenced by our forgotten past.

The events of the past year have underscored the systemic racism and bias that continue to plague our institutions. It has become increasingly clear that addressing public safety and criminal-justice reform is the key to achieving racial equity. How can activists, law-enforcement officials, policy makers, and communities leverage 2020’s cultural momentum to reimagine our criminal-justice system, eliminate racial disparities, while maintaining equity as a central strategy?

The Atlantic Festival’s Ideas Stage is the destination for back-to-back interviews with luminaries across business, politics, culture, and more.

The workforce is changing faster than ever. America’s future depends on whether our education system and skills training can adapt quickly to our new ways of working. The Atlantic will convene higher-education leaders and workforce developers to explore solutions to ensure that students receive equitable education and preparation for the future workforce.

Join the Atlantic contributing writer and happiness correspondent Arthur C. Brooks for a taping of his new podcast, How to Build a Happy Life, which launches soon. His guest is Atlantic contributing writer and best-selling, Lori Gottlieb. Together, they’ll talk about well-being in relationships, at work, and in our lives.

The Atlantic Festival’s Ideas Stage is the destination for back-to-back interviews with luminaries across business, politics, culture, and more.

The filmmaker Ken Burns’s latest documentary is about the life of the famed boxer Muhammad Ali. Ali was celebrated in the ring, but was controversial at the height of his fame for being outspoken about race and religion. Joining Ken Burns for this discussion will be Ali’s daughter Rasheda Ali, and the Atlantic contributor Alison Stewart will moderate.

Produced by our underwriter and not The Atlantic’s editorial team.

The word “metaverse” might not yet be popular in the zeitgeist, but many experts predict it is quickly becoming the next big thing. What is the metaverse, who will have access to it, what does it mean for our economy, and how might it be regulated? Join Vice President of Facebook Reality Labs (FRL), Andrew Bosworth and Facebook’s Vice President of Global Affairs​, Nick Clegg, as they discuss how the metaverse could reshape our society.

Produced by our underwriter and not The Atlantic’s editorial team.

Join Barclays, Acumen, and Everytable to hear what it takes to create opportunity and close the racial wealth gap for both individuals and their communities. Everytable is a fast-casual restaurant bringing healthy food to food deserts across Los Angeles and beyond. Through its innovative business model, Everytable has been able to increase access to healthy food and change the culture of health in underserved communities, while drastically reducing the costs of the standard restaurant model. Now, with an eye toward closing the wealth gap in the communities it works in, Everytable has launched a social-equity franchising program, which enables people who otherwise would not have the capital, resources, or training to own and operate an Everytable franchise. Join us to hear from Everytable’s director of social-equity franchising and a new franchise owner about the potential for this model to create new avenues to build wealth in disadvantaged communities.

The Atlantic Festival’s Ideas Stage is the destination for back-to-back interviews with luminaries across business, politics, culture, and more.