In 1931, in the midst of the Great Depression, James Truslow Adams—a Pulitzer-winning writer and historian and the son of a Venezuelan immigrant—published his most important book, The Epic of America. He sought no less than to capture the nation’s history and the unique American experience, and in doing so, he coined a new phrase:

“The American Dream is that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement.”

James Truslow Adams a Pulitzer-Winning Writer

Nearly a century later, the Dream endures

In the US and around the world—but it faces new challenges. As just one example, a recent study suggests that the probability of a 30-year-old earning more than his or her parents dropped from 70 percent in 1970 to 50 percent in 2014. Preserving the spirit of the Dream is core to the Milken Institute’s three-decade mission of driving shared prosperity by widening access to capital, creating jobs, and improving health. Over the next several days, you’ll interact with 5,000 leaders and decision-makers from more than 60 nations and nearly every US state. Participants include heads of state; members of the US Administration and Congress; CEOs and heads of private equity rms; members of our Global Capital Markets Advisory Council as well as money managers who, together, oversee more than $50 trillion in assets; current and past military and diplomatic leaders; philanthropists and Giving Pledgers; current and former heads of government health agencies; entertainers and media gures; athletes; artists; and more. Our 800 speakers will address topics spanning 12 tracks: nance, government, medical research/public health, nutrition/food sustainability, equality, energy/environment, philanthropy, technology/media, education/jobs/human capital, aging/longevity, industry and regions.