Monthly Archives: January 2026

At a Hemispheric Crossroads: U.S. Global Policy and the Future of Latin America

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On February 26, join us for a timely and essential conversation at the crossroads of U.S. global policy and Latin American relations.

As geopolitical tensions shift and regional alliances evolve, understanding the United States’ approach to Central and South America has never been more urgent – or more complex. The most recent developments in Venezuela have once again brought the region into sharp global focus, underscoring how quickly political, humanitarian, and economic dynamics can escalate, and how deeply they resonate beyond national borders.

We are honored to convene two voices of recognized authority, experts uniquely equipped to navigate the political, economic, and diplomatic sensitivities of this moment. Their guidance will help illuminate not only where US-Latin American relations stand today, but where they may be headed next.

We anticipate a deep, critical dialogue for policymakers, scholars, business leaders, students, and engaged citizens who want to understand the stakes and impact of the current landscape.

Dinner and the program will be held at The Literary Club, 500 East Fourth Street, America’s oldest continuously operating literary club. Doors open at 5:30PM, dinner at 6:15PM, event program from 7:00PM-7:45PM, Q&A session from 7:45PM-8PM.

This program marks our first in-person dinner event of 2026.
Seating is limited, and early registration is strongly encouraged!

OUR EVENT SPEAKERS

Walt VanderbushWalt Vanderbush brings deep expertise in US-Latin American relations, Latin American political economy, and immigration policy, all grounded in decades of research, teaching, and international experience. Walt is an Associate Professor and Assistant Chair in the Department of Global and Intercultural Studies at Miami University. He has guided students on study abroad experiences in Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, and Colombia and is co-author of the acclaimed textbook “International Studies: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Global Issues.” His work enriches our understanding of international policy and intercultural dynamics, making him a compelling voice for our community.

Juan Carlos AlbarránJuan Carlos Albarrán complements this perspective with his lifelong commitment to Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino/a studies, leading student exchanges, international programs, and interdisciplinary exploration of regional issues from sustainable tourism to migration and diaspora dynamics. Originally from Havana, Cuba, Juan Carlos has developed study abroad opportunities and led workshops across Costa Rica, Panama, Brazil, and Cuba, and has guided students through Miami University’s Luxembourg campus programs. As Director of the Study of United States Institutions (SUSI) Exchange Program sponsored by the U.S. State Department, he brings global perspectives and social entrepreneurship into the classroom. A passionate advocate for global diversity, inclusion, and the humanities, Professor Albarrán continues to inspire students to engage with timely issues through deep cultural connections.

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The Masters of Consequence – Jan. 22 Event

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We are delighted to announce that we’ll start the 2026 new year with an exceptional event set for Thursday, January 22, featuring Mr. Steven J. Manning, a globally renowned business leader, strategist, author, and broadcaster with a distinguished career that includes founding, managing, and advising several highly influential enterprises across the United States and Europe.

NOTE: This presentation will be held via Zoom. Registration is required, and the meeting link will be sent to you once your registration is complete.

Impact and Implications of Global Leaders on Current Geo-Political Realities and the Fate of the Fractured World

There are likely 20,000 books in print on leadership. By all manner of experts and talking heads spewing glorious word salads. Many who write and speak on leadership have long grown weary of the endless taxonomies – the visionaries versus the managers, leadership by fear, affection, authority, autocracy, benevolence, charisma, or checkbook. By definition, some leadership styles are entirely destructive

The “trend du jour” favors the emergence of transformative vs transactional leadership. Manning notes, with characteristic candor, that many of the world’s most consequential leaders stand alarmingly bereft of the soft skills that enable genuine transformation. It is a deficit not of power, but of humanity. The rare few who possess them tend to wield those skills with cold, utilitarian precision – never as instruments of uplift, but as levers of advantage.

Manning asserts that most leaders operating on the world stage serve national imperatives, not global ideals. Their authority spans overt military force – he fully kinetic actions that move armies and ignite conflicts – and the more insidious levers of financial, social, and political coercion, each capable of reshaping the global order.

The world is not drifting; it is accelerating toward a sharper, more polarized shape. Leaders who treat these dynamics as imperatives, are in fact those not poised to become short-termed obsolete.

The Most Dangerous, The Most Stabilizing, The Most Influential, The Most Dangerous Terrorists, The Top Technology & Science Leaders and The Most Despicable.

In his presentation, Manning offers headline judgments on some global notables – delivered with his trademark clarity, bluntness, seasoned cynicism, hard-edged pragmatism, and a measured dose of wit.

OUR EVENT SPEAKER

Steven J ManningA pioneer of empirical marketing, predictive decision-making, and digital-era engagement long before they became industry vernacular, Mr. Steven J. Manning has shaped how major global brands think, act, and grow- driving tens of billions of dollars in revenue flows across consumer, digital, and advisory domains.

He has been a trusted counselor to many of the world’s most consequential corporations, including CBS, Disney, DirecTV, IKEA, Kimberly-Clark, NBC, Netflix, Toyota, Sony, WebMD, UMG, and other Fortune-level enterprises that prefer their advisors remain discreet. His professional orbit spans the globe, extending to industry titans, renowned academics, policymakers, authors, and cultural figures. A prolific voice writing, speaking and broadcasting on leadership, economics, strategy, politics, conflict resolution, corporate governance, marketing & advertising, technology, history, and the architecture of success, Manning is co-founder, publisher, and editor of MONDAY INFLUENCER®.

His books, “The Business of Life – Taking a wrecking ball to conventions and norms, in search of independent thought”, and the internationally acclaimed “Pimps, Whores and Patrons of Virtue”, are followed by forthcoming works including “Explaining Bitcoin to Buddhist Monks” and “Thanks Oscar (Wilde)”.

Always at the forefront on his inner force-multiplier – his imaginary teleprompter – are the convictions that power his life:

  • Life is not a dress rehearsal 
  • A life without passion is not a life worth living
  • Seek knowledge and wisdom all the time and everywhere
  • You diminish your own life if you withhold what you truly think – and fail to voice it forcefully, with honesty and clarity