About the Event
How has the American economy evolved over time and is our unique brand of capitalism still the envy of the world? Well, we are still one of the richest countries in the world, with the largest economy and some of the most dynamic, innovative companies, but there have certainly been growing pains - extreme inequality, waning upward mobility, and decreasing competitiveness. So how did we get here and what lessons can be learned from our past?
Zachary Karabell has some thoughts. Author, commentator, investor and all-around renaissance man, Karabell tells the story of money and power in the United States, using Brown Brothers Harriman, the oldest private bank in America, as his lens and narrative arc. Present at the creation of the post-World War II international system, BBH’s fingerprints can be found on many of the major economic developments of the 20th century. Karabell also acknowledges a particular model of capitalism that BBH came to define and inhabit that he believes to be a more constructive version than the current publicly traded shareholder variant, where gains are privatized and losses socialized. Conversely, BBH’s model in 1800 and today is that of a private partnership - the risk is theirs and so are the rewards. At its core, this is a story of capitalism and how its evolution shaped America.
We can think of no better moderator to lead this sweeping conversation than historian and TCG Honorary board member, Douglas Brinkley.
Zach and Doug will explore the history of American power and capitalism, offering, if not a lesson, an example of a more responsible, restrained, and perhaps gentler version of capitalism for today and the future.
Wednesday, July 21st, 2021
5-6:00pm EST
Zachary Karabell is an acclaimed author and columnist, the founder of the Progress Network at New America, and president of River Twice Research and River Twice Capital.
Educated at Columbia, Oxford and Harvard, where he received his Ph.D., Karabell has written widely on history, economics and international relations.
His most recent book, Inside Money: Brown Brothers Harriman and the American Way of Power, Karabell offers the first full look inside the private investment firm Brown Brothers Harriman against the backdrop of American history. With an unparalleled understanding of money and history, Karabell expertly tracks the rise of American capitalism through the story of this powerful family firm.
Previously, Karabell was Head of Global Strategies at Envestnet, a publicly traded financial services firm. Prior to that, he was President of Fred Alger & Company. In addition, he ran the River Twice Fund from 2011-2013, an alternative fund that focused on sustainability.
Karabell also sits on the board of New America and PEN America. In 2003, the World Economic Forum designated him a "Global Leader for Tomorrow." As a commentator, Karabell is a Contributing Editor for Wired and for Politico, and the host of the podcast “What Could Go Right?”
Douglas Brinkley is one of the most prominent historians in the U.S. Dubbed by the The Chicago Tribune as “America’s New Past Master,” Brinkley has charted American history and significant figures for decades.
In addition to his role as CNN’s Presidential Historian, he is also the official Presidential Historian for The New York Historical Society, an essayist, and a prolific and renowned biographer.
Brinkley has published over three dozen highly acclaimed books, with subjects ranging from Presidents Teddy Roosevelt, JFK, FDR, Ronald Reagan, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and Richard Nixon to the life of Rosa Parks, Hurricane Katrina, the space race and American Catholicism.
Currently, Brinkley is an esteemed professor at Rice University as the Katherine Tsanoff Brown Chair in Humanities and Professor of History. He is also a member of the Century Association, Council of Foreign Relations and the James Madison Council of the Library of Congress.
