In Conversation
Exclusive programs designed to explore the greatest issues of our time.
Talent Matters, Exclusivity Counts
On The Future of America
“America is headed in a direction fraught with a lot of challenge...and opportunity.” —Harold Ford, Jr.
Harold Ford, Jr.
Chairman, Democratic Leadership Council & NBC News Analyst www.greatertalent.com/HaroldFord
Michael Steele
Chairman, Republican National Committee www.greatertalent.com/MichaelSteele
“We must create legacy wealth, something of value for future generations...” —Michael Steele
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Exclusively Represented by GTN
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Harold Ford, Jr. & Michael Steele
Looking ahead, Harold Ford, Jr. and Michael Steele explore the most critical issues facing America in the 21st Century. Together they confront key concerns facing every American: stability in the Middle East, domestic security, energy policy, healthcare and education reform, military transformation and the economy. As prominent leaders representing both sides of the political spectrum, Ford and Steele will engage your audience in a passionate discussion of hot-button issues that will shape our nation’s future. At the podium, Ford and Steele discuss diversifying America’s energy sources; overhauling U.S. healthcare and education systems; re-establishing our moral authority through diplomacy; strengthening America’s international reputation; resurrecting our economic health and integrity; modernizing our military assets and strategy; managing sustainable levels of government spending and establishing entitlement, regulatory and tax reform. Harold Ford, Jr. served Tennessee in the U.S. House of Representatives for 10 years. Described by President Clinton as the “walking, living embodiment of where America ought to go in the 21st century,” he is passionate about free enterprise and balanced budgets. Ford is now the Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) and a political analyst for MSNBC. Ford’s agenda for the party includes growing America’s economy, strengthening our moral standing in the world, ridding our dependence on oil, and modernizing our military to protect us from Democracy’s enemies. Michael Steele earned his place in Maryland’s history when he became the first AfricanAmerican to be elected to statewide office. Steele’s first major national exposure came during an appearance at the 2004 Republican National Convention. Previously the Chairman of GOPAC, he is currently the Chairman of the Republican National Committee (RNC) and is a regular analyst on FOX News. As a self-described Lincoln Republican, Steele’s mission is to steer the party back to its core values of small government, strong national defense and an end to pork barrel spending.
www.greatertalent.com/FordandSteele
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On Social and Corporate Responsibility Fre Ice Cr e for th eam e Audie Entire nce!
“Business can be a source of progressive change.” —Jerry Greenfield
Ben Cohen
Jerry Greenfield
www.greatertalent.com/BenCohen
www.greatertalent.com/JerryGreenfield
Co-Founder, Ben & Jerry’s Homemade
Co-Founder, Ben & Jerry’s Homemade
“If we were going to have a business we were going to have one that was consistent with our values.” —Ben Cohen
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Exclusively Represented by GTN
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Ben Cohen & Jerry Greenfield
Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield are the men behind one of the most talkedabout and least conventional success stories in American business. Founders of Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc., they built a store-front venture into a $300 million ice cream empire by harnessing the power of social responsibility and creative management. Born just four days apart, Ben and Jerry met during junior high and remained close through their years at Calhoun High in Merrick, NY. After college and various odd jobs, the two reunited in 1977 to fulfill a dream they both shared: running a food business. Settling on an ice cream proved to be the winning formula. One year and a $5 Penn State correspondence course in ice cream making later, they opened their first Ben & Jerry’s Homemade ice cream parlor in Burlington, VT. The duo soon became known throughout Vermont for rich, unusual flavors and a community-oriented approach to business, whereby good will, good times and good ice cream were shared through a variety of events, such as an autumn “Fall Down” Festival, a free outdoor movie festival and celebrating their anniversary with Free Cone Days. As the company grew, Ben’s jobs included scooper and taste-tester, truck driver, marketing director, salesperson and president. Jerry began by making all the ice cream, but as the company expanded into new markets, he soon found himself handling everything from distribution to orientation to employee motivation. A model for modern American corporate responsibility and business success, Ben and Jerry have been recognized for fostering commitment to social responsibility by the Council on Economic Priorities and by the U.S. Small Business Administration, which named them U.S. Small Business Persons of the Year in 1988. Ben and Jerry realize that by definition, the manufacturing of products creates waste. As they expand into Europe and Asia, Ben and Jerry remain conscious of their impact on the environment and believe it’s possible to be profitable and environmentally responsible. Environmentally Responsible Economies (CERES). Bringing all of this to life at the lecture podium, Ben and Jerry’s presentation is a rousing tribute to America’s entrepreneurial spirit, full of hilarious anecdotes and radical business philosophy—and comes complete with servings of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream for the entire audience.
www.greatertalent.com/BenandJerry
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Global Perspectives, Family Affairs
“I often feel like I’m stating the obvious. Sadly, journalism doesn’t always state the obvious.” —Campbell Brown
Campbell Brown
Dan Senor
www.greatertalent.com/CampbellBrown
www.greatertalent.com/DanSenor
Award Winning Journalist & CNN Anchor
Foreign Policy Expert
“The vast majority of Iraqis do not share the obsession with Israel that has consumed many in the region.” —Dan Senor
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Campbell Brown & Dan Senor
Together the husband-and-wife team speak about global affairs in the unique dual view of media reporter and government policy-maker. Brown and Senor combine to share more than two decades of experience in politics, government and the press, leading to a spirited discussion. Dan Senor and Campbell Brown met in Baghdad shortly after the start of the Iraqi War—with Senor serving as the Bush Administration’s Chief Spokesman in Baghdad, and Brown in her role as correspondent for NBC’s TODAY: Weekend Edition and NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams. Campbell Brown is one of the most respected and recognizable faces in American news. She won an Emmy for her reporting during Hurricane Katrina; was on the trail during two presidential elections; and has made numerous trips to Iraq to report on the Iraqi elections, abuses at Abu Graib prison and the trial of Saddam Hussein. She currently host of Campbell Brown: No Bias, No Bull. Prior to joining CNN, Brown was with NBC News for eleven years. While there, Brown served as co-anchor of NBC’s TODAY: Weekend Edition, and as the main substitute anchor for Brian Williams for NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams. Dan Senor was the Chief Spokesperson for the U.S.-led Coalition in Iraq, and a Senior Advisor to Presidential Envoy L. Paul Bremer III, the Administrator of the Coalition Provisional Authority. Senor rode into Baghdad on the first convoy of civilians into Iraq from Kuwait, less than two weeks after the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime. Working closely with the military under often less-than-ideal conditions, Senor advised the Bush Administration, the Blair Government in the U.K. and Ambassador Bremer on a variety of Iraqi strategic, policy and communication issues and was the civilian face of the Coalition Authority to Americans, Europeans, Iraqis and the world.
www.greatertalent.com/DanandCampbell
What’s So Great About God?
“I don’t expect anyone to come and contradict me.” —Christopher Hitchens
Christopher Hitchens
Dinesh D’Souza
www.greatertalent.com/ChristopherHitchens
www.greatertalent.com/DineshDSouza
Social Critic, Best-Selling Author & Journalist
Policy Analyst & Best-Selling Author
“In America, we are architects of our own destiny. We construct it. —Dinesh D’Souza
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Christopher Hitchens & Dinesh D’Souza
Taking on Christianity, Atheism, Islam, fundamentalism and the war on terror, Christopher Hitchens and Dinesh D’Souza draw intellectual swords in an impassioned debate. From opposite sides of the spectrum they present cases for and against organized religion, its influence on world history and impact on current events. Together they explore the social, political and historical foundations of faith. Christopher Hitchens is one of the most prominent controversial writers and critics in the media. Described by The Economist as “one of the greatest living conversationalists,” he is a renowned author, journalist, critic and social intellectual. As foreign correspondent and travel writer, Hitchens has written from more than 60 countries — Afghanistan, Albania and Angola through Dublin, India, Iran, Iraq and Japan, to Vietnam, Western Sahara, Xylophagou and Zimbabwe. He is the only writer to have written, since 2000, from Iran, Iraq and North Korea. The author of the #1 best-seller God is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, Hitchens presents an ardent argument against organized religion from an intellectually charged, atheist perspective. Dinesh D’Souza has been called one of the “top young public-policy makers in the country” by Investor’s Business Daily. The New York Times Magazine named him one of America’s most influential conservative thinkers. One of the nation’s leading authorities on international issues, Newsweek cited him as one of the country’s most prominent Asian Americans. A bestselling author, scholar and former senior policy analyst for the Reagan Administration, The New York Times Magazine named him one of America’s most influential Conservative thinkers. His best-seller Whats So Great About Christianity answers atheist theories which denounce religion in general, and Christianity in particular.
www.greatertalent.com/HitchensDSouza
The Power of Perseverance “I saw you before I went on stage and you signed ‘I love you,’” —12-year-old Matlin to Winkler
Marlee Matlin
Henry Winkler
www.greatertalent.com/MarleeMatlin
www.greatertalent.com/HenryWinkler
Academy Award Winning Actress & Activist
Actor, Author, Director & Producer
“If you listen to what you know instinctively, it will always lead you down the right path.” —Henry Winkler
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Marlee Matlin & Henry Winkler
When 12-year-old Marlee Matlin met Henry Winkler, one of the most recognized actors in the world, they instantly struck a special bond. Matlin was attending the Center on Deafness, a community theater where she began acting at seven years old. Winkler and his wife visited the Center after he received fan mail from the students. There they saw Matlin perform on stage and were blown away by her talent. Backstage, Winkler enthusiastically told Matlin to follow her dream of becoming a professional actress. Although her parents never discouraged Matlin from acting, they were convinced Hollywood would never accept a profoundly deaf actress. Concerned for her future, they asked Winkler not to encourage her. Winkler refused. His passion for supporting others was the result of a lifetime struggle with undiagnosed dyslexia; told he was both “lazy and stupid” as a child, he was in fact neither. A champion for children of all abilities, he mentored Matlin’s subsequent breakout career from theater to film. At age 21, Matlin became the youngest recipient of the Best Actress Oscar - one of only four actresses to receive that honor for a film debut. Oscar in tow, Matlin found her way to Winkler’s front door and asked if she could stay for a week until she found a place to settle. Two years later she was still living with the Winklers, who consider her their adopted daughter to this day. Together for the first time on stage, Winkler and Matlin delight audiences with an intimate dialogue revealing their profound connection and individual journeys. Through humorous anecdotes, inspirational life lessons and moving stories, Winkler and Matlin explore themes of overcoming adversity and believing in oneself. And like most family members, they interrupt each other — but often to finish each other’s sentences. Their magical bond and engaging chemistry is enhanced by their shared belief that anything is possible if you follow your dreams.
www.greatertalent.com/MatlinWinkler
Faith & Politics in the Middle East
“We must strip this ideological conflict of its religious connotations and address the actual grievances that fuel the Jihadist movement. How do you win a cosmic war? By refusing to fight in one.” —Reza Aslan
Reza Aslan
Gideon Yago
www.greatertalent.com/RezaAslan
www.greatertalent.com/GideonYago
Author & Middle East Expert
News Correspondent
“I could talk at length about the omnipresence of fear and insecurity [in Iraq], but it would only paint one side of the story.” —Gideon Yago
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Reza Aslan & Gideon Yago
“Religious language is the language that holds the most currency for the masses. In every culture, it’s not unusual to boil down the most complex sociopolitical issues and conflicts to their most basic level: good vs. evil. Any child can make that choice.” — Reza Aslan The first young Muslim intellectual to come on the scene in years, Aslan brings a new, passionate, and much-needed perspective to the national discussion regarding Islam. In his lectures and writings, Aslan masterfully explores the intricate interplay between faith and politics in the Muslim world, presenting Islam as an ever-evolving faith and culture that is currently in the midst of a cataclysmic internal battle for reform and modernization. To a generation savvy about media biases and packaging, Yago frames complex issues in an unbiased, informative format. Their unique perspectives allow for a fresh, comprehensive look at the culture of Islam and global events. Together, they are an unbeatable duo for exploring the current Reza Aslan is the author of the acclaimed No god but God: the Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam. Praised by The New York Times as a “grippingly narrated and thoughtfully examined...literate, accessible introduction to Islam,” No god but God has established Aslan as the most dynamic voice of liberal Islam in the US. For 7 years, Gideon Yago was the face of news and current events to millions of young adults in America. As a correspondent and producer for MTV News, Yago helmed the network’s coverage of elections, wars, national crises, and social trends affecting young people. He has received numerous awards, including an Emmy for his coverage of the 2004 election, a George Foster Peabody Award for his work in MTV’s “Fight For Your Rights: Sexual Health” campaign and an Edward R. Murrow Award for outstanding documentary coverage of the Iraq war in 2004. In addition to covering the war in Iraq for MTV, he was part of the award-winning coverage in the wake of 9/11. He is currently the host of the IFC Media Project.
www.greatertalent.com/RezaandGideon
The Politics of Truth ea Soon to btion Major Moarring Picture Stnn & Sean Pe atts Naomi W
“We appreciate your service and your courageous leadership when you were in Baghdad.” —George H.W. Bush writing to Ambassador Joseph Wilson
Joseph Wilson
Valerie Plame Wilson
www.greatertalent.com/JosephWilson
www.greatertalent.com/ValeriePlameWilson
Former Senior United States Diplomat
“Outed” CIA Agent
“Plame spent a courageous and honorable career on the front lines of terrorism only to come home and meet the ultimate betrayal, her own country – unethical politicians and unscrupulous journalists. Her story is a modern odyssey, a cautionary tale that should make Americans think twice before sacrificing their patriots.” —Robert Baer, Former CIA Case Officer and Author
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Valerie Plame Wilson & Joseph Wilson The first to challenge the Bush administration on its use of purported intelligence to justify the invasion of Iraq, Ambassador Joseph Wilson revealed in a July 2003 New York Times article that he had been asked by the CIA to look into allegations that the Iraqis had attempted to purchase significant quantities of uranium yellowcake from the West African country of Niger. Wilson, who had been in charge of the American Embassy in Baghdad during the first Gulf War and later served as an ambassador in the administrations of Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton, concluded there was no substance to the allegations — a conviction supported by others, including the American Ambassador to Niger and a four-star Marine Corps general. Within a week of his accusation that the White House “twisted” its intelligence to justify the Iraq invasion, his wife’s secret status as a CIA agent was revealed by senior White House and State Department officials to several national journalists — including a syndicated conservative newspaper columnist who published her name. Valerie Plame Wilson, a longtime CIA covert operations officer involved in issues of counter-proliferation, then found herself at the heart of a political firestorm and of a Justice Department investigation that exposed what some dub an act of treason. The betrayal implicated senior administration officials, including President Bush’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Karl Rove, Vice President Cheney’s Chief of Staff, I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, and the Deputy Secretary of State, Richard Armitage. For his role in the leak case, Libby was convicted on four counts of perjury, obstruction of justice and lying to federal investigators in March 2007. Together the husband and wife team, whose story is scheduled to be released at the end of 2009 as a major motion picture starring Sean Penn and Naomi Watts, lay out the CIA leak controversy in an incisive and enlightening presentation. Drawing from Wilson’s memoir, The Politics of Truth, they take audiences inside two decades of world politics — from facing down Saddam Hussein to White House leaks. They share their views on the incredible events that led to Valerie Wilson’s exposure, the unprecedented abuse of public trust by the Bush administration, and its efforts to silence a critic and subvert the right of citizens to exercise free speech.
www.greatertalent.com/ValerieandJoseph
Founded with the belief that words have the ability to change people’s lives, Greater Talent Network is devoted to bringing the most interesting and inspiring stories to audiences worldwide. GLOBAL AND NATIONAL PERSPECTIVES: Ehud Olmert • Wesley Clark • Harold Ford, Jr. • Alberto Gonzales • Richard Clarke • Richard Gephardt • Valerie Plame Wilson • Louis Freeh • Bernard Kouchner • Mayor Cory Booker • George Pataki • Spencer Abraham • Joseph Wilson • Janet Reno • Reza Aslan • Roger Cressey • Dan Senor • Judge Andrew Napolitano • Parag Khanna • Brigitte Gabriel • Zachary Karabell
PRINT AND BROADCAST JOURNALISM: Campbell Brown • Jeffrey Toobin • Ali Velshi • Tina Brown • Christopher Hitchens • Jonathan Alter • Peggy Noonan • Steve Kroft • Byron Pitts • Andy Borowitz • Kati Marton • Sir Harold Evans • Rob Walker • Susie Gharib • Gideon Yago • Tiki Barber • The Onion
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT: Carson Kressley • Danny Glover • Mo Rocca • Henry Winkler • Vanessa Williams • Anthony Rapp • Seth MacFarlane • Leonard Nimoy • David Steinberg • Ben Vereen • Max Weinberg • Anthony Zuiker • Alan Zweibel • Neal Baer • Bob Balaban • Peter Sagal • Brett Ratner • Gloria Reuben • John Forte • Carol Leifer • Mike Henry • Conan O’Brien • Henry Winkler
MOTIVATION, INSPIRATION, ADVENTURE: Marlee Matlin • George Foreman • Mark Burnett • Marcus Luttrell • Petra Nemcova • Mia Farrow • Rear Adm. T.K. Mattingly • John Douglas • Rory Kennedy • Caroll Spinney • Capt. Winston Scott • Nell Irvin-Painter • Esera Tuaolo • Richie Roberts • Luma Mufleh • Kris Carr • Emmanuel Jal
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