Subject: September's Inspiring Possibilities & Sobering Realities
From: "Laudicina, Paul" <[email-masked]>
To: <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2016 06:00:00 -0500

Dear Hunter,
  
September is usually a very busy month with lots of noise in the media, all the more so this year as the post Labor Day US presidential election campaign moves (happily!) into its final lap. And we also picked up the pace with our “America@250” initiative aimed at trying to elevate the national dialogue around America’s future as we approach the 250th anniversary of the founding of the Republic in 2026. And, God knows, listening to the buzz around the US presidential campaign, the national dialogue needs elevating!
  
To that end, I am happy to share with you three Forbes columns I posted this month. The first two of these columns are based largely on the commencement speech I was honored to give recently at the University of Vermont’s innovative B-School Sustainable Entrepreneurship MBA (aka “SEMBA”) graduation. The third one attached was inspired by US Vice President Joe Biden’s dinner speech I co-hosted with the Smithsonian at the Museum of American History this month, focused on envisioning an optimistic future for the United States.
  
In the first column, "Social Innovation or Revolution: What Would FDR Do? [ https://info.atkearney.com/email_handler.aspx?sid=0d16f53c-6c93-44a9-9d2d-060dedd43503&redirect=http%3a%2f%2fblogs.forbes.com%2fpaullaudicina%2f%3fp%3d449 ] ", I argue that growing income inequality and social stability are not compatible. And I call for courageous, purposeful and effective political leadership working with an engaged, enlightened private sector to generate the sustainable, equitable economic growth that will redound to everyone’s benefit.
  
In the second column, "Tear Down This Wall [ https://info.atkearney.com/email_handler.aspx?sid=0d16f53c-6c93-44a9-9d2d-060dedd43503&redirect=http%3a%2f%2fblogs.forbes.com%2fpaullaudicina%2f%3fp%3d456 ] " I argue that there should be no dichotomy between the principles of capitalism and social responsibility. To the extent that such barriers exist, business leaders working with government need to “tear down the wall separating business and the common good”, and the 76 million strong millennial generation needs to engage in the process to demand the best of public and private sector alike.
  
Finally, my last column of this month, "Never Bet Against America [ https://info.atkearney.com/email_handler.aspx?sid=0d16f53c-6c93-44a9-9d2d-060dedd43503&redirect=http%3a%2f%2fblogs.forbes.com%2fpaullaudicina%2f%3fp%3d465 ] " was inspired by Vice President Joe Biden’s remarks at the recent Smithsonian America@250 dinner we hosted for a broad swath of American leaders focused on envisioning an optimistic future for America, leveraging this country’s many “inspiring possibilities”, while managing some daunting “sobering realities”.
  
Thank you for letting me share my thinking with you in this month’s email wrap up. As always, I’m anxious to learn, so thank you in advance for any comments or input.
  
Warm regards,
  
Paul
  
Paul A. Laudicina
  
Chairman, Global Business Policy Council
  
Partner and Chairman Emeritus, A.T. Kearney
  
A.T. Kearney, Inc.
  
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Connect with Paul [ https://info.atkearney.com/email_handler.aspx?sid=0d16f53c-6c93-44a9-9d2d-060dedd43503&redirect=https%3a%2f%2fwww.linkedin.com%2fin%2fpaullaudicina ] 
  
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