America at 250 Global Forum Opening Reception and Dinner

In-Person
Dinner
An invitation-only gathering of senior policymakers, scholars, business leaders, and global voices examining the current moment, how we got here, and what the future holds
People sit around a dinner table
Jun
17
Speakers
Leslie Vinjamuri
Paul Alivisatos
David Cole
Date and Time
Who Can Attend

REGISTRATION

This event is invitation-only.

About This Event

The America at 250 Global Forum opens on the evening of June 17 with an invitation-only dinner. Bringing together senior policymakers, scholars, business leaders, and global voices, the dinner sets the stage for the Forum's two-day examination of America's past, present, and future. Following welcome remarks and dinner service, attendees will hear a keynote conversation on "The First Freedom," an opening dialogue on free expression and democratic discourse at this pivotal moment in the nation's history.

The First Freedom

Panelists: Paul Alivisatos, President, University of Chicago; David Cole, Hon. George J. Michell Professor in Law and Public Policy, Georgetown University Law Center; Former National Legal Director, American Civil Liberties Union; In conversation with Leslie Vinjamuri, President & Chief Executive Officer, Chicago Council on Global Affairs

Free expression is the cornerstone of democracy, but who gets to define its limits? Paul Alivisatos, David Cole, and Leslie Vinjamuri examine what freedom of speech means in an era of polarization, disinformation, and contested public discourse.

About the Speakers
Leslie Vinjamuri
President & Chief Executive Officer, Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Leslie Vinjamuri headshot
Dr. Leslie Vinjamuri joined the Council in 2025 as the president and chief executive officer, after previously serving as director of the US and the Americas program at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, known as Chatham House, in London. She is Professor of Practice in International Studies and Diplomacy at SOAS University of London.
Leslie Vinjamuri headshot
Paul Alivisatos
President, University of Chicago
Paul Alivisatos headshot
Paul Alivisatos is the 14th president of the University of Chicago and the John D. MacArthur Distinguished Service Professor in the Department of Chemistry, the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering, and the College. A pioneering chemist and entrepreneur, his award-winning research has yielded more than 50 patents and applications ranging from biomedicine to renewable energy.
Paul Alivisatos headshot
David Cole
Hon. George J. Michell Professor in Law and Public Policy, Georgetown University Law Center; Former National Legal Director, American Civil Liberties Union
David Cole headshot
David Cole is the Honorable George J. Mitchell Professor in Law and Public Policy and former national legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union. He speaks on constitutional law, freedom of speech, and constitutional criminal procedure, and has won numerous awards for his work, including the inaugural Norman Dorsen Presidential Prize from the ACLU for lifetime commitment to civil liberties.
David Cole headshot
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Event Series America at 250
Issues America at 250
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America at 250: The Arc of Global Influence

This content is part of the Council’s America at 250 initiative, a series of high-level dialogues, expert perspectives, public and private programs, and a signature conference focused on the critical questions that will define America’s future.
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