Finding Forward Speaker Series
President Rob Vischer
"...discussing issues that matter in a way that shed more light than heat."
Join the Next Finding ForwardA speaker series that starts us talking. And listening.
If polarization is what hinders effective conversation, our Finding Forward series is what feeds it. When it can feel like the world is at a standstill, we're tackling the topics that propel us forward with the help of thought leaders from diverse backgrounds.
But this series is only the beginning. It is our hope that Finding Forward serves as an avenue for wider audiences to join the discussion, because that is how we can truly begin to break down the walls that polarization builds.
Finding Forward is a partnership between the University of St. Thomas and the Minnesota Star Tribune.
Upcoming Conversations
Join us in-person, or online.
Stay tuned!
Get in the conversation.
Watch one of our past events.
Reverend Tony Lowden
A conversation with Reverend Tony Lowden on championing unity and common ground in this time of political and ideological division in the United States.
Recorded October 2024.
Author Colum McCann
A conversation on peacemaking, grieving and storytelling.
We are grateful for financial support from the Mike & Linda Fiterman Family Foundation that made this event possible.
Recorded September 2024.
Josh Metellus, Cindra Kamphoff, Coach Johnny Tauer
Mentally Tough: How Grit and Resiliency Help to Create Sustained Well-being in a World of Uncertainty
Recorded May 2024.
Ryan Long
Xcel Energy President Ryan Long joins Mahmoud Kabalan, PhD, St. Thomas engineering professor and founding director of the Center for Microgrid Research, to discuss challenges and opportunities in the transition to carbon-free energy
Recorded April 2024.
Justice Alan Page
Justice Alan Page joins St. Thomas President Rob Vischer for a conversation about leadership and collaboration in an age of polarization.
Recorded March 2024.
Christopher J. Waller
Christopher J. Waller, member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, shares his views on the government’s role in creating economic stability.
Recorded Feb. 2024.