User:Browntk/The Economic Club of Washington, D.C.

The Economic Club of Washington, D.C. is a non-profit, non-partisan member-based speaker forum dedicated to providing a prominent forum where eminent global leaders can share insights about major issues of the day, and promoting a robust peer community for the area’s top executives.

History
For many years, the Economic Club of Washington was affiliated with the Federal City Council.

The Economic Club of Washington, D.C. was formed in 1986 to fill the critical need of providing a forum where area business leaders could broaden their sphere of influence through sharing, learning, debating, and coalescing around pressing economic issues. The Club’s founders envisioned a group that "would recognize the unique and critical role that Washington plays in the world economy and underscore the area’s increasing importance as a center of business activity."

President
David M. Rubenstein is a Co-Founder and Co-Executive Chairman of The Carlyle Group, one of the world’s largest private equity firms. Under his leadership since 2008, the Economic Club has seen a vast expansion in both its membership and its programming, including the creation of the Diplomatic Advisory Council. Rubenstein also contributes nearly $1 million annually to the David M. Rubenstein/Economic Club of Washington, D.C. Scholarship Program, which provides nearly 50 students attending public schools and public charter schools in the District of Columbia with scholarships.

Signature Events
The Economic Club hosts ten to twelve signature speaker events each year, generally organized around a breakfast, lunch, or dinner. An average of 400 members and guests attend these meetings with some events surpassing 800. This audience is augmented by members of Congress, other U.S. political leaders, and serving Ambassadors from countries all over the world who regularly attend these events.

Main Article: List of Speakers at The Economic Club of Washington, D.C.

Executive Conversations
These are smaller group gatherings attended by approximately 30-75 Economic Club members. The more intimate setting allows for greater interaction between speakers and Club members in the exploration of subjects of compelling interest to the United States’ business community. These forums typically are closed to the media.

Global Initiative
The goal of the Global Initiative is to expand interaction between political and business leaders from other nations with the political, diplomatic, and opinion-leading business community in Washington, D.C., and the surrounding area, with an emphasis on economic development. The Economic Club weaves the Global Initiative into existing programing – notably the Signature Speaker Series and Global Executive Conversation Series.

Member-Hosted Dinners
Twice a year, up to ten Club members host 130+ members for small group dinners. The participating members are dispersed among the hosts’ homes and offices throughout the Washington Metro region. These gatherings, generally 10 to 20 members with optional spouses included, provide an informal, intimate opportunity for interaction among members.