Program areas at Helena Group Foundation
A1r: america in one room is a historic gathering that brought together the most representative sample of the american voting electorate in u.s. history. Over the course of three full days, this Group engaged in a civil and nuanced deliberation on the critical issues facing the united states. The entire sample took the same in-depth questionnaire before and after the event. This process yielded important data concerning how americans think about values, candidates, and policy issues when given the chance to think deeply, engage with different opinions, and deliberate in a fact-rich and respectful environment. It was covered extensively in the media, and hailed by former us presidents barack obama and bill clinton. In 2022, Helena launched america in one room: democratic reform. America in one room (a1r): democratic reform brought together nearly 1000 americans in an unprecedented forum for citizens to discuss in-depth democratic reform topics with a cross-section of the us voting electorate.
Membership - Helena's membership program recruits, convenes, and communicates with a small Group of world-leading experts in different fields to help Helena choose and operate our projects to address major global issues. In practice, this means: i) researching and networking to find potential Helena members (people who represent the pinnacle of achievement in their and share a willingness to use that influence to achieve positive good); ii) recruiting them to join Helena (and agree to assets and talents to solve world problems); and iii) meeting with members to discuss important global problems, and the ways they can work with each other and with Helena to address those problems (e.g. Through our other program services). This program also involves helping our members with their own projects to address societal issues in Helena's program areas, including efforts like project proteus, an underwater monitoring and research station to study the health of the oceans.
Biosecurity project - advances in synthetic biology and other intersecting technologies (e.g. Ai) are driving enormous novel risks to society. These risks are growing in severity and likelihood; mitigating them requires powerful and enduring responses. Helena's biosecurity project aims to advance wise policy to mitigate risks from synthetic biology and to increase the competence and trustworthiness of the institutions required to enact said policy. We do this through engagement with us and global policymakers, academics, and private sector leaders to provide research, proposals, and advice on how to reduce risk from advances in synthetic biology. For more information, please visit httphelenaorgprojectsbiosecurity
Other programs