Wednesday 2026 Schedule

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CWAÌý
Wednesday | April 15, 2026

Dive deeper into critical conversations and forward-thinking ideas, including the Sustainability Summit and a robust lineup of expert-led sessions.ÌýPlease note: Schedule and programming are subject to change and will be updated regularly as details are finalized.

At this time, we have reached in-person registration capacity.Ìý

Livestream links are available for most panels and programming on our 2026 Schedule pages.

9:00 AM - 10:10 AM:

Flags, Borders and Belonging: The Politics of Nationalism
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Description:Ìý
How are countries protecting their national identity in an increasingly globalized world?

Location: Limelight Flatiron 1

Speakers:Ìý
Dr. Ruth Alminas
Ernesto Araújo
Joe Cirincione
Natasha LindstaedtÌý


Moderator:Ìý
Luca Vincenzo Scuriatti

Livestream Link:Ìý
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Art in the Open: A Catalyst for Community
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Description:Ìý
How public art can foster connection and spark dialogue.

Location: Limelight Flatiron 3

Speakers:Ìý
Guillermo Galena Galindo
Seth ShaferÌý
Lynn WarshafskyÌý

Moderator:Ìý
Melissa Fathman

Live-Stream Link:Ìý
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Africa: Opportunity in the World's Richest Continent
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Description:Ìý
How is the the world of international business reshaping the African continent?

Location: Limelight Flatiron 2

Speakers:Ìý
Aboubakr JamaiÌýBerraoui
Azadeh Khalili
Luvuyo RaniÌý
Lizzy Shackelford

Moderator:
Erick Mueller

Live-Stream Link:Ìý
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150th: From Cadet Corps to Space Force: С»ÆÊé Boulder’s Military Legacy
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Description:Ìý
From cadet training to connections with the U.S. Space Force, our military legacy has influenced campus life and generations of Buffs who have served.

Location: Limelight Flatiron 4

Speakers:Ìý
CAPT (ret) Stew ElliottÌý
Capt Jorge Cervantes
Lt Gen (ret) David S. Nahom
Maj DanielÌýVancil III
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Moderator:
Cadet Nicole Schmoll

Live-Stream Link:Ìý
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11:15 AM - 12:25 PM:

AI Wild West – Who is in Charge?
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Description:Ìý
Examine who holds AI responsibility and how policy, institutions and public trust are evolving as the rules continue to take shape.

Location: Limelight Flatiron 1

Speakers:Ìý
Asher Jay
Sofia RomanskyÌý
Sheila WarrenÌý
Ling XinÌý

Moderator:Ìý
Kayleigh Bishop

Livestream Link:
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Population Decline: Crisis or Cure?
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Description:Ìý
How will plummeting birth rates impact the future of human society?

Location: Limelight Flatiron 3

Speakers:Ìý
Kevin Kuruc
Nalini Nadkarni
Dr. Leslie Root
Lizzy Shackelford

Moderator:
Professor Jane Menken

Live-Stream Link:Ìý
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Occupied States of America: Balancing Power and Civil LibertiesÌý


Description:Ìý
When domestic tranquility becomes state-sanctioned chaos, what do para-military and military presence in cities cost the American people?Ìý

Location: Limelight Flatiron 2

Speakers:Ìý
Charlotte Clymer
Major General (Ret) BobÌýLatiffÌý
Dr. NatashaÌýLindstaedt
Benjamin R.ÌýTeitelbaum

Moderator:
Georgia Butcher

Live-Stream Link:Ìý
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Trad Wives and the Conservative Movement
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Description:Ìý
Women's perspectives on rising conservatism and how it's shaping feminism.

Location: Limelight Flatiron 4

Speakers:Ìý
Hadley Manning
Hadar Harris
Cynthia JamesÌý

Moderator:Ìý
Soledad Diaz

Live-Stream Link:Ìý
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1:00 PM - 2:10 PM:

Why We Need to Preserve Independent Cinema
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Description:Ìý
A discussion with leading curators and archivists on the challenges of saving indie films and the social and historical benefits for doing so.

Location: Limelight Flatiron 3

Speakers:Ìý
Maya S. Cade
Sandra SchulbergÌý

Moderator:Ìý
Dr. Andy Uhrich

Live-Stream Link:Ìý
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New World, New Arsenal
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Description:Ìý
How new defense technology is redefining the future of conflict, who holds power and what else is at stake for humanity.

Location: Limelight Flatiron 1

Speakers:Ìý
Joe Cirincione
Major General (Ret) BobÌýLatiffÌý
Ken Liu
Sofia Romansky

Moderator:Ìý
Ariel Conn

Livestream Link:
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2:30 PM - 3:40 PM:

Buy Now, Pay Forever: The Financial Traps Facing Young People
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Description:Ìý
From buy-now-pay-later and crypto to sports betting and prediction markets, what is the impact of modern financial traps targeting young people?

Location: Limelight Flatiron 1

Speakers:Ìý
Diana Moss
Kyla Scanlon
Diane Hirschhorn

Moderator:Ìý
Dennis Paul

Livestream Link:Ìý
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Empowering Citizens: Civic Education, Information and YOU
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Description:Ìý
How do we equip citizens to understand, assert and defend their rights in a divided, anti-intellectual era?

Location: Limelight Flatiron 2

Speakers:Ìý
Devon Gray
Hadar Harris
Jaisal NoorÌý
Ellen WeintraubÌý

Moderator:Ìý
Jan Burton

Live-Stream Link:Ìý
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From Rubble to Reconstruction: What Comes Next?
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Description:Ìý
How societies coming out of a period of violent conflict can recover and rebuild successful governments.

Location: Limelight Flatiron 4

Speakers:Ìý
Meghna Guhathakurta
Laura I Harder
John HeffernanÌý
Luvuyo RaniÌý

Moderator:
Dr. Ruth Alminas

Live-Stream Link:Ìý
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Rewriting the Historical Narrative with Artifacts in Art
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Description:Ìý
How have artists used and transformed cultural objects from the past and present to tell powerful, visual stories?

Location: Limelight Flatiron 3

Speakers:Ìý
Guillermo Galena Galindo
Pushpamala NÌý

Moderator:Ìý
Nancy J. Stevens

Live-Stream Link:Ìý
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4:00 PM - 5:10 PM:

Risk-y Business: The Strategic Game of Geopolitical Conquests
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Description:Ìý
Examine how shifting global power dynamics affect security, economies and everyday life, and why it matters now more than ever.

Location: Limelight Flatiron 1

Speakers:Ìý
Ernesto Araújo
Paul Bierman
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Moderator:Ìý
Dr. Mathias Nordvig

Livestream Link:Ìý
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Young, Wild & Free: How to Find your Niche and Build your Career
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Description:Ìý
How younger generations can create new opportunities for themselves and make a difference in the world.

Location: Limelight Flatiron 2

Speakers:Ìý
Devon Gray
Asher Jay
Alexa MohsenzadehÌý
Dr. ScottÌýSherman

Moderator:Ìý
Jessi Follet

Live-Stream Link:Ìý
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From Headlines to Hashtags: Who gets to be a Journalist?
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Description:Ìý
In an age when everyone can have a platform, how can audiences separate fact from viral spectacle?

Location: Limelight Flatiron 3

Speakers:Ìý
Charlotte Clymer
Carine Hajjar
Jaisal NoorÌý

Moderator:
John Masulit

Live-Stream Link:Ìý
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150th: Shaping a Sustainable World: How Buffs Have Enabled Global Impact
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Description:Ìý
Buffs have built a strong foundation for a more sustainable future and continue to drive global impact and lead what comes next.

Location: Limelight Flatiron 4

Speakers:Ìý
Sean Benjamin
Joe Hartter
Colleen ScanlanÌýLyons
Will Toor
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Moderator:
Andrew Mayock

Live-Stream Link:Ìý
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5:30 PM - 6:30 PM

Sundance Film Festival is coming to Colorado. Now what?
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Description:Ìý
Join host Ryan Warner (Colorado Public Radio) for a conversation on the future of film and independent storytelling. Featuring producer and Sundance Institute board member Gigi Pritzker, filmmaker LuLu Wang, and С»ÆÊé Boulder Cinema Studies.

Followed byÌý at the International Series at Muenzinger Auditorium!



Location: Limelight Flatiron 1

Speakers:Ìý
Gigi Pritzker
Lulu Wang
Kate Yezzi

Moderator:Ìý
Ryan Warner

Livestream Link:
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