Think Egypt 3500 years ago; Athens 2500 years ago; Jerusalem 2000 years ago; Florence 500 years ago, or Philadelphia 250 years ago. 

What if today’s Coronavirus is our equivalent of the 1914 Archduke assassination, the 1938 Munich Conference, or the 1941 Pearl Harbor attack where history was made and the future was altered forever?

No one can estimate the human and financial carnage of the Coronavirus, or envision the brave new world awaiting us after the recovery. So who gets to decide the shape of our future and where do they gather to do so? Will Davos and Aspen still be the future gathering place for global leaders, or could Boulder be the next place where history takes shape?

Tall order? Pipe dream? Maybe, but Boulder is already designated as the smartest city in America, and the second most livable small city in the world. We have plenty of sunshine, great food and access to an international airport, so why not Boulder? Why not us? Why not now?

Since we started talking about Highland Institute, we are constantly asked “what is it, and what does it intend to do?” Until recently, the answer was “we don’t know but trust we’ll figure it out.” Now a vision is starting to come into focus. Highland Institute’s goal is to take action by helping member Tommi Wolfe save gorillas in Congo; member Parker Johnson help save the bees; member Sam Tarantino revolutionize the music business. 

We want to help plan, fund and build a privately-funded public cultural arts center to host global thought leaders.