Past Events

John Gillespie, co-author of “Money for Nothing: How the Failure of Corporate Boards is Ruining American Business and Costing Us Trillions,” will speak and answer questions on his new book on corporate accountability on March 25th. This event, sponsored by  Nutter, McClennen & Fish, is the first in a series with local and national authors.    The book, co-authored with David Zweig, explores the weakest yet most important link in our capitalist system. According to the authors, corporate boards have been commandeered…

Get the lowdown on the year ahead in state politics and government from a distinguished group of State House journalists, including columnist Scot Lehigh of The Boston Globe, Janet Wu of WCVB-TV (Ch. 5), Hillary Chabot of the Boston Herald, and Craig Sandler of State House News Service. The discussion, hosted by MassINC and Suffolk University, will be moderated by Bruce Mohl, editor of CommonWealth magazine. Doors will open at 8:00 a.m., with panel discussion starting at 8:15 a.m. Continental breakfast…

While accustomed to the challenge of paying the bills and trying to get ahead, artists at a recent RealTalk forum said they face another obstacle: competition for the eyes, ears and wallets of patrons from social media. During a gathering at Faneuil Hall, part of a MassINC's series sponsored by State Street Corporation and Zipcar, artists decried cuts in spending on arts programs and the high costs of health insurance, discussed tactics for making progress in a down economy, and…

Young entrepreneurs and like-minded explorers of startup possibilities gathered at Faneuil Hall Sept. 30 to discuss the risks and benefits associated with launching a new company during an economic downturn. Part of a RealTalk series on economic issues facing young professionals, the discussion examined the expectations of entrepreneurs, capital requirements, and lessons learned by those involved in startups. The panelists at "Innovation Works: How Young Entrepreneurs Thrive in a Bad Economy," were: Morgan First, marketing and community director, The Second…

On Thursday, June 25, a panel of experts, including state Education Secretary Paul Reville, graded the success of the 1993 law and identified the likely areas of focus for the future. Their discussion, sponsored by the Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth and turning on findings included in the non-partisan think tank’s research report, drew movers and shakers in education, including teachers union officials, Early Education Commissioner Sherri Reneé Killins and Rep. Marty Walz, House chair of the Legislature’s Education…

The latest RealTalk event and the first of a three-part “Our Economy” series explored the issue of growing interest in public service and whether that increase is tied to the recession and a dearth of jobs. More than 100 mostly young individuals gathered at Ned Devine’s in Faneuil Hall on a rainy Tuesday night, May 5, 2009 to hear from, and talk with individuals with direct experience public service and non-profit causes. The panelists were: Joshua Biber, executive director, Teach…

Why do so few people run for office in Massachusetts? And can anything be done about it? Those were the two chief questions discussed by a panel featuring a political science professor, potential gubernatorial candidate, mayoral candidate and state senator who knocked off an incumbent. The panelists at the MassINC-sponsored event at the UMass Club were: Charles Baker, President and CEO, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Sam Yoon, Boston City Councilor and candidate for Mayor of Boston State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz…

Experienced hands in the Fourth Estate jumped from one hot topic to another Friday morning, hurtling from ethics and the economy to the changed and evolving political dynamics on Beacon Hill to a diminished capitol press corps and media strategies out of the Corner Office. The “Starting Line” forum, timed to coincide with the beginning of the 2009-2010 legislative session, was cosponsored by Massachusetts Institute for a New Commonwealth, a nonpartisan think tank, and State House News Service. The panelists…