2021 Conference

• The Raging 2020s: Companies, Countries, People – and The Fight for Our Future

  Alec Ross, New York Times best-selling author and former senior advisor of innovation for the State Department, closed out the 2021 Mackinac Policy Conference Thursday.

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• Evening View: Mackinac Uncensored Tackles Michigan’s Hot-Button Topics

  For the fourth year, the Conference brought together some of Michigan’s most prominent thought leaders from a variety of backgrounds to engage in spirited banter on the state’s most critical issues. This year, an engaging lineup of speakers addressed vaccine mandates, talent, DE&I, voting rights, the 2022 election, and more. Read highlights from the conversations. 

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• Detroit Regional Chamber Releases 2021 Mackinac Policy Conference To-Do List

  The Detroit Regional Chamber unveiled its 2021 Mackinac Policy Conference To-Do List following three days of discussions featuring top state, regional, and national thought leaders. In its 41st year, the Conference convened leaders in a dialogue on “reimagining a healthy Michigan.” To-do list items focus on closing racial and social equity gaps, reduce the physical and economic health impacts of COVID-19, improving education outcomes linked to upward mobility, and more.

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• American Rescue Funds: How Michigan is Ensuring Equitable Allocations

  Experts discussed the American Rescue Plan funds that will be distributed to states, counties, municipalities, and school systems, and strategies to ensure it is equitably distributed to communities most in need.

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• Richard Florida: The Shift from the ‘Last Relic of the Industrial Age’ to Remote Work

  Richard Florida, author and professor at the University of Toronto, discussed the new urban crisis and how life in urban areas have, and will continue to, shift during and after the pandemic.

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• Reimagining Connectivity in Michigan and the Role of Autonomous Vehicles

  The pressures of the pandemic inspired new ways to accelerate sustainable prosperity, connect underserved communities, and protect the health and safety of Michigan’s most vulnerable residents.

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• Fix the Road Ahead: Gov. Whitmer on Michigan’s Path Forward

  Even with significant challenges to surmount and public divide, the state of Michigan is currently poised for a once-in-a-generation recovery. Gov. Whitmer stressed that overcoming such challenges takes understanding, compassion, and curiosity without judgment.

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• Robert C. O’Brien and Michael Steele Examine Today’s Republican Party

  Chamber President and Chief Executive Officer Sandy K. Baruah moderated an animated discussion about the Republican Party’s present and future with Robert C. O’Brien, former U.S. National Security Advisor during the Trump Administration; and Michael Steele, former Republican National Committee Chairman, former Lieutenant Governor of the State of Maryland, and current MSNBC political analyst. 

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• Harvard Economist Raj Chetty: Improve Economic Opportunity Locally Through Investments in Education

  Professor Raj Chetty opened the second day of mainstage programming at the 2021 Mackinac Policy Conference with research and insights on how to improve economic opportunity and upward mobility on a national and local level.

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• Walgreens Boots Alliance CEO Brewer: ‘Anything That Happens in Those Stores is My Responsibility’

  Detroiter and Cass Tech graduate Rosalind Brewer, chief executive officer of Walgreen Boots Alliance, shared stories of facing challenges in career as a leader for the chain, Starbucks, and Amazon in an interview with Detroit Public Television anchor Christy McDonald.

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