2025 NewDEAL Forum Ideas Summit Preview
These are not normal times, and Americans across the country are looking for serious ideas from serious people to address serious issues. Unfortunately, erratic decisions from Washington only add to a feeling of chaos. In times like this, state and local leaders have the opportunity to step up and show what true leadership looks like.
Enter the annual NewDEAL Forum 2025 Ideas Summit.
This year’s two-day event, taking place in Atlanta, will bring together more than 45 of the most talented and effective policymakers from across the country along with partners from the public and private sectors to discuss a range of issues, including: expanding economic opportunity; making government work better; and exploring leadership strategies for governing successfully in challenging political environments.
KEY SPEAKERS
As in years past, the NewDEAL Forum will convene thought leaders, policy experts, and elected officials to discuss the biggest issues facing state and local elected leaders. And 2025 will be no different, with the following speakers already confirmed:
NewDEAL Alum and former Minority Leader of the Georgia House of Representatives, Stacey Abrams will be featured as a keynote speaker, drawing on her experiences working on voting rights, engaging more Georgians in the political process, and fighting for progress on a host of issues, as she connects the dots between what is happening in government and what is happening in people’s lives.
Jim Kessler, Executive Vice President for Policy at Third Way, will dig into data to help explain why voters abandoned the Democratic Party — at least at the top of the ticket. He’ll explore why Democrats lost the middle, particularly on the question of who would best respond to people’s economic challenges, and offer ideas on how to resonate with the broader American populace.
Author and scholar Marc Dunkleman will discuss America’s history of getting big things done, and how to get back there again. His remarks will reference his recent book, Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress — and How to Bring It Back.
At a time when division and disagreement are too often the norm, Adar Cohen seeks to find ways to bring people together. With a PhD in conflict resolution from Trinity College Dublin, Adar will share ways we can be our best selves as we find common ground and move forward together.
In addition to these speakers, panels and breakout sessions will feature experts from a variety of areas, including the non-profit sector (Center for American Progress, Lawyers for Good Government, Chamber of Progress), the private sector (IBM Center for The Business of Government, McKinsey) and numerous current and former public officials, including several who served in the Biden White House.
KEY ISSUES
The agenda reflects two major tasks that the Forum has emphasized for state and local leaders since January: show that government can effectively achieve results for constituents, and formulate responses to the chaos and cruel policies emanating from the Trump White House. In that same vein, the 2025 Ideas Summit has two major themes: Making Government Work and Responses to Trump 2.0. The speakers above reflect these two broad themes.
When it comes to plenary and breakout discussions, speakers and elected officials will dig deeper into more of these topics. Here is a small sample of planned discussions:
Barriers to Getting Things Done: This plenary will explore how state and local governments can create opportunities for all through smart, pragmatic policies. The discussion will focus on removing obstacles to the government performing at its highest potential, whether that is spurring more housing construction, delivering services, or building modern infrastructure.
Building for the Future: Housing Task Force Launch. The 2025 Ideas Summit will host the first official meeting of the NewDEAL Forum’s Housing Task Force. This session will focus on sharing experiences and success stories from leaders tackling the housing crisis from around the country with Task Force co-chairs Zach Conine (Nevada Treasurer) and Kesha Hodge Washington (Phoenix City Council).
Policy Reactions to Trump 2.0. This plenary session will focus on two issues from the Trump Administration’s first hundred days: Tariffs and Federal Funding. The discussion on tariffs will focus on details of what is happening at the moment as well as effective responses for state and local elected officials. With regards to federal funding, speakers will discuss fact vs. fiction when it comes to funding pauses, as well as how state and local officials can access federal funding.
Defending Democracy in 2025. The threats to American democracy did not start and end on January 6, 2021. The discussion will address President Trump’s recent Executive Order on voting, as well as other issues surrounding attacks on voting and democracy, and how state and local officials can respond.
Additional sessions will offer attendees the opportunity to speak candidly about a variety of policy issues, sharing data-backed suggestions on topics including the state of education; barriers to a cleaner, more sustainable energy future; using AI to improve government efficiency; and public health in America.
Discussions across the two-day event will feature elected officials, ranging from city council members, mayors, state legislators, and more, to give firsthand thoughts on policies that are working as well as what is being done in response to federal initiatives.
For more on what discussions at the Ideas Summit look like, check out these highlights from the 2024 Ideas Summit:
For more information: Check out the 2025 Ideas Summit website.
To purchase tickets: Please contact casey@newdealleaders.org or mario@newdealleaders.org.
For press inquiries: Please contact jonathon@newdealleaders.org.
