Ladies and gentlemen, please do welcome on stage Stephanie Martin. When it comes to ticking the diversity box, you could probably say that I am the perfect candidate. I am the daughter of South African immigrant parents, so that's a tick for culture. I'm brown in skin tone, but not too brown. A comfortable shade, you know, just enough to tick the representation box. I'm female. Tick for gender. Western educated. Tick. Speaks English in a western accent. Double tick. So, you see on paper I tick all the right ...

Hello, Kalispera Bonacera. Um, yeah, obviously she gave it out. I'm totally Greek and I come from a very small town called Fibs or Tebe as you call it in Latin. You know, Fibs was the home of all ancient Greek tragedies and a Tyron was there, Antiggoni was there. So everything really in the ancient Greek tragedy scene happened in my hometown. So then when I was invited to speak here to TED, I thought, okay, is it me or are we living a new type of tragedy now? Is it a Greek one? No, but it's definitely Greek ...

Public Opinion & Political Landscape - American voters are deeply concerned about the state of democracy, rising extremism, and worsening race relations [1] - Approval of the Supreme Court has significantly decreased, dropping 19% [1] - 88% of those polled believe the nation is stronger because of diversity, across the political spectrum [2] - Support for immigration is at an all-time high [2] - There's a rising contempt among Hispanic voters for those perceived as hunting their family members [3] Societal Concerns - 71% of respondents are concerned that artificial intelligence will take jobs away [1] - Concerns about white supremacy are increasing, with more people explicitly identifying it as a major issue [1] - One in four Latinos report experiencing racism, up from 11% previously [1] Geopolitical & Technological Competition - The United States is falling behind China in the field of AI [4] - The US has fallen behind on drones [7] Policy & Governmental Issues - ICE's actions are viewed unfavorably by 56% of respondents, due to perceived violations of rights and freedoms [4] - There are concerns about the government's focus on issues other than the future, such as AI and technological advancement [5] - Research funding to universities, which are engines of innovation, is being reduced [7]

Core Insights - Corporate boards are experiencing a significant decline in diversity disclosures, with only 45% of Russell 3000 companies and 66% of S&P 500 companies disclosing directors' race and ethnicity in 2025, down from 85% and 98% respectively in the previous year [1][2] Group 1: Changes in Board Diversity - The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit's decision to overturn Nasdaq's diversity rules has led to a reduction in board diversity targets and disclosures [2] - The share of newly elected women directors on Russell 3000 boards decreased from 42% in 2022 to 33% in 2025, while S&P 500 boards saw a drop from 43% to 36% [3] - The number of directors aged 66 to 70 increased from 19% in 2021 to 22% in 2025 in the Russell 3000, and from 22% to 26% in the S&P 500 [3] Group 2: Skills and Expertise Demand - There is a growing demand for directors with expertise in technology, cybersecurity, and human capital, with tech expertise among directors rising to 30% in the Russell 3000 and 44% in the S&P 500 from 2021 to 2025 [4] Group 3: Board Structure and Governance - The trend of limiting the number of boards a director may serve on is increasing, with 56% of Russell 3000 boards implementing such restrictions, up from 44% in 2020, and S&P 500 boards increasing from 68% to 85% [5] - The number of boards with mandatory retirement policies has declined, and overall turnover among directors has decreased [3][5]

Core Insights - Disney has omitted the term "diversity" from its 2025 annual report for the first time since 2019, reflecting a shift in its approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives [1][2] - The company has introduced a "Global Belonging Week" event series, emphasizing "inclusion" and "belonging" over traditional DEI terminology, which has become politically charged [1][4] Summary by Sections Annual Report Changes - The latest 10-K form does not include "diversity," "inclusion," "DEI," or "D&I," although "equity" appears 130 times, solely in financial contexts [2] - Previous reports consistently highlighted DEI objectives aimed at reflecting audience life experiences and supporting diverse voices in creative teams [5][6][7][8] Human Capital and Employee Development - Disney mentioned "inclusive" in the "human capital" section, stating that HR programs aim to enhance workplace engagement and inclusivity [3] - The company plans to launch new leadership development opportunities in the 2025 fiscal year [3] Industry Trends - There is a broader trend among companies moving away from the term "diversity" in favor of "belonging" and "culture," as noted by workplace strategist Mita Mallick [4] - A report indicated that the use of "DEI" has decreased by 98% year-over-year among Fortune 100 companies as of May 2025 [5] Previous DEI Initiatives - Disney's past DEI initiatives included programs like the Executive Incubator and Heroes Work Here, aimed at supporting underrepresented groups and military veterans [6][9][10] - The company has established over 100 employee-led groups to represent diverse communities within its workforce [9][10]

Core Viewpoint - Two major proxy firms, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis, are advocating for the removal of certain Cracker Barrel board members due to poor marketing decisions that have led to a 45% decline in the company's shares this year [1][4]. Group 1: Board Member Removal Recommendations - ISS and Glass Lewis have advised shareholders to vote against the re-election of Gilbert Dávila, a DEI marketing executive, citing his "faulty" expertise in board-level marketing [2][10]. - Glass Lewis also recommended voting against board member Jody Bilney for implementing "arbitrary" and "regressive" bylaw amendments [10]. Group 2: Company Performance and Leadership - Cracker Barrel's recent rebranding efforts, including a new logo that removed the Uncle Herschel character, have been criticized and resulted in significant backlash, prompting a decline in share value [1][4]. - CEO Julie Felss Masino, who took over in November 2023, faced criticism for the logo controversy but was not targeted for removal by the proxy firms, as they believe her removal would lead to further chaos [4][12]. Group 3: Activist Investor Influence - Activist investor Sardar Biglari is leading a proxy campaign against both Masino and Dávila, which has reportedly cost the company millions in defense [7]. - Conservative activist Robby Starbuck has publicly questioned Dávila's qualifications for the board, highlighting his background in DEI consulting [9]. Group 4: Company Response - Cracker Barrel has stated that the board and leadership team are working to restore positive momentum for shareholders, contrasting their efforts with those of Biglari, whom they accuse of spreading false claims [8].

Key Takeaways - The speaker reflects on a childhood ambition to "be happy" and how traditional career paths are being disrupted by AI [1][2][3][4] - The speaker introduces two models: the "if-then" model (chasing external achievements) and accepting the world as it is [9][10][11] - Different things bring different levels of happiness to different people, and happiness is not a horizontal box [12][13][14][15][16][17] The Five (Six) Fs of Happiness - Fame: Making an impact on other people's lives and becoming part of their stories [20][21][22][23] - Family: Emotional anchors who provide support during difficult times [23][24][25][26] - Friends: Having 3:00 a m friends, people you can count on and share your problems with [26][27][28][29] - Fortune (Money): Important for getting out of toxic situations and choosing your own life [29][30][31] - Fitness: Maintaining physical health to live a long and happy life, potentially into the 100s [31][32][33] - Future: A work in progress, where happiness depends on the other five Fs [33][34] Conclusion - The speaker concludes by reflecting on their teacher's initial assessment and emphasizing the importance of diversity and the path to happiness [34][35][36]

I was asked to say something wise and to have some wise words. I note the obvious differences in the human family. Some of us are serious.Some thrive on comedy. Some declare their lives are lived as true profoundity while others claim no, they are living the real reality. I've sailed upon the seven seas and stopped in every land and seen the wonders of the world.But not yet one common man. I note the obvious differences in every sort and type. But we are more alike, my friends, than we are unalike.But we ar ...

Elections and Political Races - YouGov 的一项民意调查显示，民主党人 Abigail Spanberger 以 14 个百分点的优势领先于共和党人 Winsome Earl Sears [1] - 昆尼皮亚克民意调查显示，民主党人 Mikey Sherrill 以 8 个百分点的优势领先于共和党人 Jack Chittarelli，而 Suffolk 的民意调查显示 Sherrill 仅领先 4 个百分点，且该领先优势在误差范围内 [2] - 民主党及其盟友正在向宾夕法尼亚州最高法院投入数百万美元，以阻止共和党人推翻三名民主党法官，预计花费将超过 1500 万美元 [2] - 民主党全国委员会主席 Ken Martin 警告说，如果不保留这三名法官，共和党人将有机会威胁宾夕法尼亚州的堕胎权和反 gerrymandering 裁决 [3] - 民主党候选人普遍关注经济问题，致力于提高民众的生活水平，代表着民众提升经济地位、实现美国梦的机会 [5][6] Political Party Dynamics - 民主党是一个大帐篷党，拥有各种类型的民主党人，包括保守派、中间派、进步派和左派 [7] - 民主党需要找到适合其选区的候选人并支持他们，而不是像共和党那样采取统一的步调 [8] - 共和党总统候选人专注于亿万富翁朋友和建造舞厅，而民主党则专注于改善民众的生活 [10][11] - 民主党全国委员会主席 Ken Martin 认为 Chuck Schumer 和 Hakeem Jeffries 将尽最大努力帮助民主党在 11 月胜选 [16] Economic Issues and Government Shutdown - 特朗普政府选择扣留 4200 万美国人的食品援助，而他们却在佛罗里达州的一家私人俱乐部举行盛大的聚会 [37][39] - 新墨西哥州州长宣布将提供 3000 万美元的资金，用于大约 10 天的紧急食品援助 [41] - 纽约市市长候选人 Mamdani 承诺冻结租金，这将影响该市大约 100 万套租金稳定住房 [64] - 修复城市组织已筹集超过 3500 万美元，其他两个组织分别筹集 250 万美元和 150 万美元，其中一些捐助者包括 Michael Bloomberg，他自初选前以来已捐赠近 1000 万美元 [70] Trump Family and Allegations of Corruption - 在特朗普担任总统期间，特朗普组织的收入飙升了 17 倍，从 5100 万美元增至 86400 万美元 [82] - 美国宪法中的薪酬条款旨在防止总统的对外政策决策、白宫监管决策与其个人商业利益之间存在明显的联系 [85] - 特朗普赦免了币安负责人赵长鹏，帮助他的公司赚取了数十亿美元 [90]

Campaign Focus - The campaign emphasizes inclusivity, aiming to represent all New Yorkers regardless of origin or language [1] - The candidate criticizes opponents for using divisive language and focusing on language barriers instead of economic issues [1] - The campaign highlights the importance of direct engagement with voters through door-knocking and personal conversations [2] Policy Positions - A key campaign promise is to freeze rent in approximately 1.1 million rent-stabilized units, affecting roughly 2 million tenants [2] - The candidate proposes building 200,000 new affordable homes over the next 10 years to address the housing supply crisis [2] - The candidate aims to make New York City affordable for all residents [1] Political Strategy - The campaign rejects focusing only on specific voter demographics based on voting history or language [1] - The candidate contrasts their grassroots campaign with opponents supported by large donors, who seek to maintain a system benefiting the few [2] - The candidate addresses allegations of anti-semitism, emphasizing the importance of protecting and celebrating Jewish New Yorkers [1][2]