In his book, WASHINGTON’S FAREWELL: The Founding Father’s Warning to Future Generations, John Avlon offers a thoughtful analyses of George Washington’s last message about the forces he feared could destroy our democratic republic. Washington’s wisdom could not be more relevant; in a time of stunning upheaval, business and brands must assess how these forces are impacting them – and the need for a new operating paradigm in a new reality.

Join John Avlon, Managing Director & Editor-in-Chief at the Daily Beast, and Brian Ellner, General Manager, Public Affairs,  Edelman New York on May 9th for an in-depth discussion on how the C-Suite should navigate an uncertain political landscape and a reactionary consumer environment. 

In this free livestream, we explore topics such as:

• Forces threatening our democratic republic today

• Loss of public trust in government, media, business and NGOs

• A climate of fear, re-enforced by a self-referential media bubble

• Corporate citizenship imperatives, and opportunities for business to lead

• New approaches for communications and marketing

Speakers

John Avlon, Managing Director & Editor-in-Chief | The Daily Beast

Author | WASHINGTON’S FAREWELL: The Founding Father’s Warning to Future Generations

John Avlon is Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Beast. Mr. Avlon previously served as Executive Editor and Political Director of The Daily Beast. He began writing columns for The Daily Beast in November of 2008, one month after its launch. Mr. Avlon is a CNN political analyst who won the National Society of Newspaper Columnists’ award for best online column in 2012.

Prior to joining The Daily Beast, John Avlon was a columnist and associate editor for The New York Sun and served as chief speechwriter for New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, where he was responsible for writing the eulogies for the firefighters and police officers killed in the destruction of the World Trade Center. He is the author of Independent Nation: How Centrists Can Change American Politics and Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe is Hijacking America, and Washington’s Farewell: The Founding Father’s Warning to Future Generations as well as editor of the anthology Deadline Artists: America’s Greatest Newspaper Columns. Mr. Avlon graduated from Yale University and received his MBA from Columbia University.

Brian Ellner, General Manager, Public Affairs | Edelman New York

Brian Ellner is a leader and innovator in the interconnected worlds of politics, government, media and communications. He is the GM for Public Affairs at Edelman. Brian is a strategic counselor to CCOs, CMOs and senior decision makers at global corporations, nonprofits and foundations.

Brian was the senior strategist for the Human Rights Campaign's successful effort to win marriage equality in New York in 2011.  In that role he launched New Yorkers for Marriage Equality, a communications campaign featuring iconic New Yorkers -- from Julianne Moore and Mayor Michael Bloomberg to Barbara Bush and Russell Simmons -- expressing support for equal rights.  After the New York win, Brian created the Americans for Marriage Equality campaign and provided strategic counsel on the successful ballot marriage wins in Maryland, Minnesota, Maine and Washington State.  He also co-founded The Four 2012, a national social media effort to support the four marriage ballot measures. Brian was also a senior aide in the administration of Mayor Bloomberg and also worked with former Senator Bob Kerrey at MacAndrews and Forbes.

Brian is an advocate for those things he is passionate about, which include education, civil rights, social media, art, film, sports, politics and changing the world (not always in that order) and enjoys connecting others with big ideas and similar interests.