Eight virtual seminars build toward the Washington, D.C. Summit. Required and optional sessions are shown below with their instructors, objectives, and guiding questions.
Week 1 · Required
Washington 101
How Washington actually works, who makes the decisions, and where outsiders fit.
Hon. Margaret Shaw
Former Deputy White House Chief of Staff
By the end of this session, you can…
- Recognize where Washington excels — and where there is room for improvement.
- Explain the role organizations like AFPI play in Washington.
- See how outside stakeholders — like you — play a pivotal role in Washington.
Guiding questions
- What might Washington be missing from the private sector?
- How does Washington function?
- What are the roles of organizations outside of government?
- What were Washington's original intentions — and how have they changed, or not?
Week 2 · Optional
Interacting with State & Local Governments
How state and local governments regulate, and how those relationships get things done federally. Paired this week: an optional AI seminar.
Dr. Alan Reeves
Former Governor's Chief of Staff
By the end of this session, you can…
- Explain the core functions of state and local governments and how their power to regulate commerce differs from the federal government's.
- Identify the main policy areas where state and local governments shape outcomes for businesses.
- Explain how state and local governments work alongside the federal government to pass legislation.
Guiding questions
- What unique roles do state and local governments play in regulation and business operations?
- How can relationships with state and local officials be leveraged to get things done federally?
- Why are relationships with state and federal regulators underutilized — and how can they be improved?
Week 3 · Required
Translating Expertise
Communicating your work so Washington can use it — and finding where your industry plugs in.
Amb. Susan Ortiz
Former U.S. Trade Representative official
By the end of this session, you can…
- Communicate your work products in a way staffers in Washington can understand.
- Explain why technical expertise often gets mistranslated in Washington.
- Draw ideas and lessons from your own field that could benefit Washington.
- Identify which agencies and committees deal with your current portfolio.
Guiding questions
- How does my industry intersect with government, and through what pathways are those interests exchanged?
- What mechanisms exist to prevent or deter private-sector influence on government — and are they good or bad? Why?
- What should the government's role in industry be — and vice versa?
Week 4 · Optional
Best Practices for Future Government Employment
Clearances, ethics, and the habits that keep the door to public service open.
Col. (Ret.) David Kim
Former NSC Director
By the end of this session, you can…
- Understand the purpose of security clearances and the factors that affect eligibility.
- Distinguish conduct that is normal in business from conduct that creates ethics or conflict-of-interest concerns later.
- Understand why international relationships belong on the record if a clearance may be in your future.
- Understand how your digital footprint can affect future federal employment.
Guiding questions
- What personal behaviors can create barriers to government employment?
- What separates one-time mistakes from patterns that suggest poor judgment?
- How should you think about financial responsibility, foreign contacts, and outside affiliations?
- How should you prepare before applying for a government role that requires a clearance?
Week 5 · Required
Understanding the Executive Branch
The Cabinet, the President's tools, and how appointees and career staff actually work together.
Hon. Patricia Vance
Former Deputy Secretary, DHS
By the end of this session, you can…
- Explain the purpose of the President's Cabinet and the responsibilities of a cabinet secretary.
- Identify the unique tools available to the President — executive orders, presidential memoranda, proclamations.
- Understand the relationship between political appointees and career staff.
Guiding questions
- How do the executive branch's authorities differ from the legislature's?
- How do the jobs of political appointees differ from those of career officials?
- What happens when the two disagree?
Week 6 · Optional
Navigating the Political Media Landscape
Media ecosystems, bias versus perspective, and reading the news like a professional.
Mr. James Calloway
AFPI Director of Communications
By the end of this session, you can…
- Understand the different ecosystems within political media and how they differ from each other.
- Distinguish an outlet having a perspective from an outlet being biased.
- Identify common manipulation tactics used by the media.
Guiding questions
- What does it mean to be media literate — and how do you tell real information from manipulated information?
- How have different forms of media contributed to the rise of misinformation?
- How much responsibility falls on the average person to separate bias from perspective?
Week 7 · Required
Summit Readiness
Arriving at the Summit with a plan: who you want to hear, what you want to ask, what you want to leave knowing.
Gov. Richard Hale
Former Governor
By the end of this session, you can…
- Know the backgrounds of the Summit's speakers and how you can relate to them.
- Articulate what you want to get out of the Summit and how you are going to achieve it.
Guiding questions
- Which speakers do I want to ask questions at the Summit?
- What do I want to walk out of the Summit knowing more about?
Week 8 · Optional
Government vs. Private Sector Management
How managing in government differs from managing in business — and making the most of your time in D.C.
Ms. Diane Foster
Former Agency Chief Operating Officer
By the end of this session, you can…
- Gain familiarity with how management in government differs from managing in the private sector.
- Understand what those differences mean for working with — or inside — government.
Guiding questions
- What do I want to walk out of the Summit better understanding?
- What can I do to capitalize on my time in D.C. — the facetime with speakers and with the rest of my cohort?
DC Summit · Optional
Arrival & check-in
DC Summit · Washington, D.C.
DC Summit · Optional
Opening Dinner & Keynote
DC Summit · Washington, D.C.
DC Summit · Optional
The Importance of Civics
DC Summit · Washington, D.C.
DC Summit · Optional
Workshop tracks — choose one
DC Summit · Washington, D.C.
DC Summit · Optional
Industry & Government Roundtable
DC Summit · Washington, D.C.
DC Summit · Optional
Executive Team Q&A
DC Summit · Washington, D.C.
DC Summit · Optional
Dinner & Evening Keynote
DC Summit · Washington, D.C.
DC Summit · Optional
Litigation Panel
DC Summit · Washington, D.C.
DC Summit · Optional
Energy Panel
DC Summit · Washington, D.C.
DC Summit · Optional
Capital Markets Discussion
DC Summit · Washington, D.C.
DC Summit · Optional
American Security Overview
DC Summit · Washington, D.C.
DC Summit · Optional
AI Overview
DC Summit · Washington, D.C.
DC Summit · Optional
Closing Breakfast & Departures
DC Summit · Washington, D.C.