Arnold Ventures will be taking part in this year’s Texas Tribune Festival in downtown Austin, Texas, Thursday, Sept. 22 through Saturday, Sept. 24 to celebrate evidence-based policy in the shadow of the Texas Capitol’s famous pink dome. You can follow the action live on our Twitter feed.
More than 120 expert panels, on-stage interviews and public conversations about the toughest and most interesting policy challenges will take place over the three-day event.
On Friday, Laura Arnold, co-chair and co-founder of Arnold Ventures, will take the main stage for an hour-long, live one-on-one conversation with Texas Tribune CEO Evan Smith to discuss her perspectives on the imperative of philanthropy to maximize opportunity and minimize injustice.
On Saturday, Arnold Ventures will be hosting one of four tents for Open Congress at The Texas Tribune Festival — a full, free day of fascinating interviews and provocative policy discussions for all to enjoy.
The Arnold Ventures tent will include four panels on some of the most interesting and controversial policy topics: bail reform, transparency in higher education, violent crime prevention, and climate change solutions. Guests include Texas Chief Justice Nathan Hecht, Houston Police Chief Troy Finner, former Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings, and U.S. Rep. Vicente Gonzalez.
RSVP to attend this free, public event. (RSVP is not required but highly encouraged.)
A lucky few will get a chance to take home an autographed copy of “Corrections in Ink,” a new memoir by Keri Blakinger, investigative reporter at The Marshall Project.
Between panels the public is invited to grab a latte from our barista cart, snap a selfie in our photo booth (#TribFest22 #AV), and get personalized poems from Typewriter Rodeo — an experience that is authentically Austin. Plus, there will be giveaways of AV-branded hats, totes, moleskins, buttons, and other swag.
Events in the Arnold Ventures Tent at Open Congress:
⚡Sept. 24 | 9 – 10 AM | Incomplete
Why does Texas have so few college graduates?
This session features Jacob Fraire, director of policy and strategy at the Diana Natalicio Institute for Hispanic Student Success at the University of Texas at El Paso; Brenda Hellyer, chancellor of San Jacinto College; Margaret Spellings, former U.S. Secretary of Education and president and CEO of Texas 2036; and Ruth López Turley, director of the Kinder Institute for Urban Research at Rice University. It will be moderated by Kate McGee, higher education reporter for The Texas Tribune.
This session is presented by Arnold Ventures and supported by Walmart, Educate Texas, The Commit Partnership and the Texas Association of Community Colleges. Media Support Provided By Austin Vida.
⚡Sept. 24 | 10:45 – 11:45 AM | The Truth About Bail
Reforms to the system are working. What are the next steps?
This session features Krishnaveni Gundu, co-founder and executive director of the Texas Jail Project; Nathan Hecht, chief justice of the Supreme Court of Texas; Marc Levin, chief policy counsel at the Council on Criminal Justice; and Isha Rahman, vice president of advocacy and partnerships at the Vera Institute of Justice. It will be moderated by Jolie McCullough, criminal justice reporter for The Texas Tribune.
This session is presented by Arnold Ventures.
⚡Sept. 24 | 12:45 – 1:45 PM | Keeping the Peace
Three big-city police chiefs on their efforts in their communities and on the force.
This session features Joseph Chacon, Austin police chief; Troy Finner, Houston police chief; and William McManus, San Antonio police chief. It will be moderated by Sewell Chan, editor-in-chief of The Texas Tribune.
This session is presented by Arnold Ventures. Media Support Provided By KVUE.
⚡Sept. 24 | 2:30 – 3:30 PM | One-on-One with Keri Blakinger
The celebrated Marshall Project reporter on her new memoir and how the media covers criminal justice.
This session features Keri Blakinger, investigative reporter at The Marshall Project. It will be moderated by Soledad O’Brien, founder and CEO of Soledad O’Brien Productions.
This session is presented by Arnold Ventures.
⚡Sept. 24 | 3:30 – 4 PM | Book Signing: Keri Blakinger
Join us for a signing of Keri Blakinger’s book, “Corrections in Ink.” The book is available for advance purchase through BookPeople in the online book store or on site at the Festival Hub.
This session is presented by Arnold Ventures.
⚡Sept. 24 | 4:15 – 5:15 PM | The Carbon Conundrum
How does “energy transition” play out in an oil and gas state?
This session features Shalanda Baker, secretarial advisor on equity and deputy director for energy justice at the U.S. Department of Energy; Vicente Gonzalez, U.S. representative, D‑McAllen; Barry Smitherman, attorney, consultant and academic; and Michael Webber, CTO of Energy Impact Partners and professor at the University of Texas at Austin. It will be moderated by Mitchell Ferman, energy and economy reporter for The Texas Tribune.
This session is presented by Arnold Ventures and supported by Catena Foundation, and Chevron.
Hope to see you in Austin!
