Tickets for the 2026 Summer Season go on sale at 12 PM on April 13. Guild Hall Members enjoy early access—click HERE to join and take advantage of this and other exclusive benefits.
A Conversation with Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin
Moderated by Margaret Hoover
Presented by Guild Hall & The Common Good
More than eight million people took to the streets in 3,300 determined yet joyous gatherings this past spring—the largest protests in American history. What motivates this contemporary revival of the spirit of America’s founders? Who is behind this effort? How has it been organized? What are its objectives and plans? What has been its impact?
Leah Greenberg and Ezra Levin, partners in life and in work, are the co-founders of Indivisible, the grassroots network that has mobilized millions of Americans around civic participation and democratic reform through “No Kings” rallies across the country and around the world. Their efforts have helped define a new era of peaceful, impactful political protest.
The conversation will be moderated by Margaret Hoover, CNN political commentator, host of Firing Line, and former White House staffer, known for her clear-eyed perspective on American politics. Together, the panel will explore civic responsibility, collective action, and how democratic ideals continue to evolve in a divided country.
Tickets for the 2026 Summer Season go on sale at 12 PM on April 13. Guild Hall Members enjoy early access—click HERE to join and take advantage of this and other exclusive benefits.
A Conversation with Jeh Johnson and Michael Luttig
Moderated by Michael Waldman
Presented by Guild Hall & The Common Good
President Trump has asserted an expansive vision of executive power, challenging established legal and constitutional norms: he has dismantled congressionally authorized federal agencies and programs; imposed unilateral tariffs; summarily arrested and deported immigrants; canceled university grants for scientific and medical research; pardoned convicted criminals; and ignored protections against conflicts of interest. He has authorized military incursions in Venezuela and elsewhere, engaged in war in Iran, and publicly threatened interference with midterm elections.
The courts have pushed back, reversing many—but not all—of these actions. Litigation continues. Where do we stand today? How strong is our democracy? Midterms 2026: Is Democracy Itself on the Ballot? will bring together leading legal and national security voices to examine what is at stake in the months ahead.
Jeh Johnson, former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security and General Counsel of the Department of Defense, has served at the highest levels of government during moments of crisis. Michael Luttig, a former federal appellate judge and one of the country’s most respected conservative legal thinkers, has become a prominent voice on the rule of law and constitutional limits.
The conversation will be moderated by Michael Waldman, president and CEO of the Brennan Center for Justice and a leading authority on voting rights and constitutional law.
A book signing in the lobby will follow the program.
Tickets for the 2026 Summer Season go on sale at 12 PM on April 13. Guild Hall Members enjoy early access—click HERE to join and take advantage of this and other exclusive benefits.
A Conversation with Lloyd Blankfein and Steven Rattner
Moderated by Gillian Tett
Presented by Guild Hall & The Common Good
With inflation, interest rates, geopolitical tensions, and rapid technological change all in play, the global economic outlook feels unusually uncertain. The Global Economy: Where Is It Headed? will feature experienced voices from finance and public policy to unpack what matters most right now and what may be coming next.
Lloyd Blankfein, former Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs and author of a bestselling memoir, led one of the world’s most influential financial institutions through periods of both crisis and growth. Steven Rattner, financier, former head of the Obama administration’s Auto Task Force, and frequent economic commentator, brings perspective from both Wall Street and government. Gillian Tett, U.S. editor-at-large at the Financial Times, known for making complex financial systems accessible and relevant, will moderate.
A book signing in the lobby will follow the program.
Tickets for the 2026 Summer Season go on sale at 12 PM on April 13. Guild Hall Members enjoy early access—click HERE to join and take advantage of this and other exclusive benefits.
A Conversation with Tina Brown and Tom Freston
Moderated by Ken Auletta
Presented by Guild Hall & The Common Good
Over the course of just three decades, the media business has been reshaped: newspapers and magazines have shuttered; three broadcast networks gave way to cable television and then fragmented further into a world of digital platforms, streaming, and artificial intelligence. The Changing Media Landscape will feature two media icons who helped drive that transformation, reflecting on where we have been and where we may be headed next.
Tina Brown, the influential editor behind Vanity Fair and The New Yorker and founder of The Daily Beast, has long been at the center of major shifts in journalism. Tom Freston, co-founder of MTV, former CEO of Viacom, and author of the 2025 book Unplugged: Adventures from MTV to Timbuktu, helped build some of the most recognizable global media brands of the past half-century and continues to weigh in on the industry’s future.
Moderating is Ken Auletta, longtime New Yorker writer and one of the country’s most trusted media observers, known for his reporting on the intersection of journalism, business, and power. The discussion will address the rise of social platforms, the erosion of traditional gatekeepers, and the responsibility media leaders carry in an age of misinformation and polarization.
A book signing will follow the program in the lobby.
