Announcing Progress Conference 2024: Toward Abundant Futures

Also: The Roots of Progress is now the Roots of Progress Institute (RPI)

First: we have a new look and a (slightly) new name! See below for the announcement, and look for the green color and the new logo when this newsletter lands in your inbox.

In this update:

• Progress Conference 2024: Toward Abundant Futures

• We are now the Roots of Progress Institute (RPI)

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Progress Conference 2024: Toward Abundant Futures

The progress movement has grown a lot in the last few years. We now have progress journals, think tanks, and fellowships. The progress idea has spread and evolved into the “abundance agenda”, “techno-optimism”, “supply-side progressivism”, “American dynamism”. All of us want to see more scientific, technological, and economic progress for the good of humanity, and envision a bold, ambitious, flourishing future.

What we haven’t had so far is a regular gathering of the community.

Announcing Progress Conference 2024, a two-day event to connect people in the progress movement. Meet great people, share ideas in deep conversations, catalyze new projects, get energized and inspired.

Hosted by: the Roots of Progress Institute, together with the Foresight Institute, HumanProgress.org, the Institute for Humane Studies, the Institute for Progress, and Works in Progress magazine

When: October 18–19, 2024

Where: Berkeley, CA—at the Lighthaven campus, an inviting space perfect for mingling

Speakers: Keynotes include Patrick Collison, Tyler Cowen, Jason Crawford, and Steven Pinker. Around 20 additional speakers will share ideas on four tracks: the big idea of human progress, policy for progress, tech for progress, and storytelling/media for progress. Full speaker list

Attendees: We expect 200+ intellectuals, builders, policy makers, storytellers, and students. This is an invitation-only event, but anyone can apply for an invitation. Complete the open application by July 15th.

Program: Two days of intellectual exploration, inspiration and interaction that will help shape the progress movement into a cultural force. Attend talks on topics from tech to policy to culture, build relationships with new people as you hang out on cozy sofas or enjoy the sun in the garden, sign up to run an unconference session and find others who share your interests and passions, or pitch your ideas to those who could help make your dreams a reality.

Special thanks to our early sponsors: Cato Institute, Astera Institute, and Freethink Media! We have more sponsorships open, view sponsorship opportunities here.

Original post: https://rootsofprogress.org/progress-conference-2024-toward-abundant-futures

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We are now the Roots of Progress Institute (RPI)

The Roots of Progress has officially become the Roots of Progress Institute (RPI).

The new name represents the new identity we took on ever since we announced our first program last year, the Roots of Progress Fellowship. Before then, the organization had primarily been a vehicle for Jason Crawford’s writing and speaking; “The Roots of Progress” was the name of the blog he started in 2017 that was the origin of this project. Starting in 2023, we became a full-fledged cultural institute, with a mission to establish a new philosophy of progress for the 21st century.

We stuck with “Roots” for a few reasons. First, we like the brand we have built so far, and we wanted to keep it. The idea of “roots” points to what is unique about our role in the progress movement: focusing on the deepest causes of progress, and the fundamental ideas underlying it. And everyone told us they liked the original name. So we’ve simply added “Institute” to put us in the right reference class.

We’re also pleased to introduce a new logo and website, designed by the excellent And–Now (the unofficial design firm of the progress movement):

The logo also sticks with the “roots” concept, now adding branches and leaves as well. In addition to evoking “root causes,” it evokes life, growth, and flourishing—the north star of true progress. And the inverted symmetry of the design reflects the logic, structure, and clarity we aim to bring to the discourse.

The original blog lives on at blog.rootsofprogress.org; it will continue to serve as Jason’s personal voice and intellectual outlet. The main site here at rootsofprogress.org is now the home for the organization and its programs. This Substack (newsletter.rootsofprogress.org) will continue to have both essays by Jason and official announcements from the organization (they are now organized into two sections, and you can subscribe to either or both). On social media, RPI will mostly post the announcements, and Jason will post his thoughts and essays from his personal accounts (but both accounts will repost each other).

Thanks to the tens of thousands (!) of you who have been following this journey for years now. We deeply believe that our mission is needed now more than ever, and we’re looking forward to moving forward with this new chapter. We’re excited about our 2024 fellowship—we’re still selecting the fellows from among hundreds of applicants, but the cohort is shaping up to be very strong, and we can’t wait to announce it to you. We’re also excited to announce very soon our first annual progress conference, along with other programs in the near future.

Onward!

Original post: https://rootsofprogress.org/new-name-and-logo-announcement