When Steve Ballmer retired from Microsoft after a long and storied career, he realized that he didn’t know exactly how and where U.S. tax dollars got spent. And it wasn’t as easy to find as he had hoped. So he set out to solve the problem — and founded USA Facts, which consolidates available data and makes it accessible to citizens.

David French is a writer and columnist for The New York Times – informed by a career that began as a litigator, turned to the Army as a JAG officer and then Bronze Star awardee after volunteering to deploy to Iraq as part of the Surge, and finally to journalism.

Former White House Social Secretaries from multiple administrations recently traveled to Dallas for a special Engage at the Bush Center, presented by NexPoint event.

Chuck Salter is the president and CEO of the News Literacy Project, an organization that’s on a mission to create better informed, more engaged, and more empowered individuals — and ultimately a stronger democracy.

Valerie Jarrett, CEO of the Obama Foundation and former senior advisor to President Barack Obama, joined Executive Director of the George W. Bush Institute David J. Kramer and host Andrew Kaufmann to discuss the collaboration between the Bush Center, the Obama Foundation, and 11 other presidential centers to affirm the principles of democracy.

Alexandra Hudson is the author of new book The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves. She joined host Andrew Kaufmann and the Bush Institute’s Chris Walsh to discuss the difference between civility and politeness, why civility is a duty of citizenship, and how we can flourish across deep differences.

Governor Spencer Cox currently serves as the 18th governor of Utah and as chair of the National Governor’s Association, where he launched the Disagree Better initiative.

Three George W. Bush Institute experts gathered for a thought-provoking discussion on the state of democracy – both here at home and abroad.

Ambassador Michael Froman served as United States trade representative under President Barack Obama from 2013 to 2017. Today, he’s the president of the Council on Foreign Relations, a nonpartisan organization and think tank that aims to help leaders and citizens better understand the world and the foreign policy decisions facing the U.S. and other countries.

General David Petraeus rose the ranks to four-star general in the U.S. Army and led the CIA during his four-decade career in public service.

Tim Strong is the head of agriculture finance for Opportunity International, a global nonprofit organization that uses financial services, training, and support to address some of the most pressing challenges facing those living in poverty around the world. 

David Rubenstein is a philanthropist, lawyer, businessman, and avid historian. Items from his rare collection of U.S. artifacts — including the Emancipation Proclamation, the Federalist Papers, and original works from abolitionists — are on display in the George W. Bush Presidential Museum’s special exhibit, Freedom Matters.

Society has long had a fascination with spies. Michael G. Vickers is as close to this world as anyone, having served as a Green Beret, an operator in the CIA, and a national security policy maker during some of the most pivotal moments in recent U.S. history.

Daniel Lubetzky, founder and executive chairman of KIND Snacks, envisions a world with more kindness and empathy.

The George W. Bush Presidential Center recently welcomed a very special guest: the first first lady of the United States, Martha Washington.

Garry Kasparov is a democracy activist and Russian chess grandmaster and former World Chess Champion. He is the founder and chair of the Renew Democracy Initiative, a nonprofit with the goal of uniting Americans across the political spectrum in defense of democratic ideals.

Sebastien Lai is a democracy advocate and son of jailed Hong Kong businessman and publisher Jimmy Lai. He and Jonathan Price, a member of Jimmy’s international legal team, joined the George W. Bush Institute while in Dallas raising awareness about why Jimmy is jailed.

Problems and pessimism tend to overwhelm the daily news cycle. What gets less attention are the incredible solutions governments and organizations have devised to solve some of the world’s most pressing issues.

Hector Rodriguez, known online as H3CZ, is the founder and CEO of OpTic Gaming, an organization that maintains some of the most competitive esports teams in the world. Through video games, Hector became part of an online community and built something unique — and is now living the American Dream.

Daron Babcock is the CEO of Bonton Farms, an organization that started as a small garden serving the food deserts in South Dallas that has grown into a movement working alongside residents to transform the community.

Dan Bartlett is the executive vice president of corporate affairs at Walmart and longtime key advisor to President George W. Bush.

Meghan Ogilvie is the CEO of Dog Tag Inc., a non-profit with the goal of empowering veterans with service-connected disabilities, military spouses, and caregivers to find renewed purpose and community through an unexpected combination: a bakery and a classroom.

Manu Meel is the CEO of BridgeUSA, a nonprofit organization that creates spaces on high school and college campuses where students can have open discussions about political issues.

Dave Copps is the CEO and co-founder of Dallas-based technology company Worlds, where they’ve created an artificial intelligence platform for building the industrial metaverse. He joined the George W. Bush Institute in April at the Forum on Leadership, where he participated in a conversation on the co-evolution of humans and machines.