The evolving status of women in the world today will be explored at The Commonwealth Club throughout the month of August in the series The Ascent of Woman.

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

Midori in Conversation with Ruth Felt

Midori, Violinist
Ruth Felt, President, San Francisco Performances

Renowned violinist Midori has captured the world’s heart with her brilliant performances. Her repertory and career has established a record of achievement that sets her apart as a master musician, an innovator and a champion of the developmental potential of children. In this conversation with her long-time presenter, San Francisco Performances President Felt, Midori also will reflect on her community engagement programs that bring music closer to the lives of people who may not otherwise have involvement with the arts. She will also speak about her role as a United Nations messenger of peace.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 20, 2010

The evolving status of women in the world today will be explored at The Commonwealth Club throughout the month of August in the series The Ascent of Woman.

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

Spin It Green: The Story of Marissa Muller

Marissa Muller, Solar-Powered Bicycle Pioneer

After graduating from business school in Spain, Muller returned home to California and worked with her family in building her vision: a solar powered electric bike. During her 1,000-mile solo adventure on the roads of California, she visited 14 high schools, offering a seminar on solar and electric vehicles, and sparking a dialogue with the students to start brainstorming ways to combat our energy and environmental challenges. Though the ride is over, her goal of reaching 1,000 clean ideas is ongoing. Meet this amazing young woman and hear her message of clean power.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 19, 2010

The evolving status of women in the world today will be explored at The Commonwealth Club throughout the month of August in the series The Ascent of Woman.

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

Women Changing the Way We Eat

Temra Costa, Author, Farmer Jane: Women Changing the Way We Eat
Nina Simons, Co-founder and Co-CEO, Bioneers, Collective Heritage Institution
Jesse Ziff Cool, Restaurateur; Cookbook Author, Simply Organic
Kira Gould, Co-author, Women in Green; Director of Communication, William McDonough & Partners - Moderator

Women (including First Lady Michelle Obama) are using their unique leadership skills to play a critical role in the sustainable food movement. Come learn how women are working diligently and effectively to change the way Americans eat and farm. From bringing organic fruits and veggies into schools to ensuring that farm workers are treated fairly to pioneering new methods of sustainable farming, women are fighting to ensure that we and the planet thrive well into the future.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club on August 16, 2010

Senator Barbara Boxer

Member, United States Senate (D-CA)

Elected to the U.S. Senate in 1992, Senator Boxer is now preparing for a tough race against Republican challenger Carly Fiorina. Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and the Senate Ethics Committee, Boxer is the only U.S. senator to chair two committees. She also serves on the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation as well as the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Senator Boxer was a strong supporter of President Obama’s 2009 economic stimulus plan and co-authored the bipartisan Invest in the U.S.A. Act, to encourage companies to bring overseas profits back to the United States to create jobs here. She wrote the first-ever law to authorize federal funding for afterschool programs. Come hear her thoughts on jobs, the economy and California’s future.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 31, 2010

The evolving status of women in the world today will be explored at The Commonwealth Club throughout the month of August in the series The Ascent of Woman.

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

Rosalynn Carter: Ending the Mental Health Crisis

Former First Lady; Author

Former First Lady Carter is an icon and an advocate for mental health, early childhood immunization, human rights and conflict resolution through her work at The Carter Center in Atlanta. Carter will discuss her decades working in the mental health field. Following the program, she will also sign copies of her new book, Within Our Reach: Ending the Mental Health Crisis.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 13, 2010

David Gergen: Will America Remain a Great Nation?

Senior Political Analyst, CNN; Director, Center for Public Leadership, Harvard Kennedy School

Environmental catastrophe, economic uncertainty, international strife – where’s America headed as it faces down these and other challenges? Hear an insider’s view from the man with a front-row seat to history-making headlines. Gergen is a senior political analyst for CNN and has served as an adviser to four U.S. presidents. A professor of public service and the director of the Center for Public Leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School, Gergen got his start in public life as a speech writer in the Nixon White House. He went on to serve in the communications department for Gerald Ford and director of communications for Ronald Reagan, and as an adviser to Bill Clinton and to the 1980 George H.W. Bush presidential campaign.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on July 28, 2010

The evolving status of women in the world today will be explored at The Commonwealth Club throughout the month of August in the series The Ascent of Woman.

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

Yves Saint Laurent: Creating Power in Style for the Modern Woman

Julia Geist, Docent Lecturer, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco

In the 1960s, master couturier and fashion pioneer Saint Laurent radically changed the way women dressed. His pantsuits and tuxedos – traditional symbols of male power – conveyed elegance and chic. This illustrated lecture is a retrospective of his imaginative and sexy designs through 40 years.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 4, 2010

The evolving status of women in the world today will be explored at The Commonwealth Club throughout the month of August in the series The Ascent of Woman.

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

A Life in Science: Nobel laureate Elizabeth Blackburn in conversation with UCSF Chancellor Susan Desmond-Hellmann

Elizabeth H. Blackburn, Ph.D., Nobel Laureate, Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics, UCSF
Susan Desmond-Hellmann, M.D., M.P.H., UCSF Chancellor; Arthur and Toni Rembe Rock Distinguished Professor

On October 5, 2009, UCSF molecular biologist Blackburn learned that she had received the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, for her co-discovery of an enzyme that plays a key role in aging and cancer. Join us as Blackburn discusses her life in science. We encourage both scientists and non-scientists to come hear Blackburn's reflections on an unfettered childhood, skirting the "safe" scientific projects, the benefits of not listening to naysayers, and the difference between good and bad stress.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 4, 2010

The evolving status of women in the world today will be explored at The Commonwealth Club throughout the month of August in the series The Ascent of Woman.

Through speakers, panels, films and art, we will examine this transformational period in women's history, this dramatic shift from the expectation of our mothers' choices, to how we work and live today in ways that reach out through our families and communities to reverberate throughout the nation.

The Ascent of Woman series will illuminate women's lives today, where women are redefining what a 'woman's place' will be.

Girls Gotta Do Business: The Rising Force of Women Entrepreneurs

Alison Covarrubias, Co-founder, The Hatch Network, SF
Baat Enosh, Entrepreneur Alliance Program Director, NCWIT; VP of Operations, Women 2.0
Ayesha Mathews-Wadhwa, Director, Savor the Success, SF Bay Area
Julie Abrams, CEO, Women's Initiative for Self Employment
Cathy Curtis, Financial Advisor, Curtis Financial Planning – Moderator

The exponential growth of women-owned businesses has been in the news for well over 20 years. More than a quarter of a million women in the U.S. own businesses with revenue exceeding $1 million. Demographics have played a role: female empty nesters, corporate escapees and the newly laid off are flexing their entrepreneurial muscle. However, there are some studies that indicate that women-owned businesses on average generate less revenue than businesses owned by men. Panelists will explore this issue and more, and give insight on how women entrepreneurs can get to the next level of success.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 3, 2010

David Boies: Challenging Law and Making History

Attorney; Chairman, Boies, Schiller and Flexner LLP

Pamela S. Karlan, Kenneth and Harle Montgomery Professor of Public Interest Law, Stanford University; Co-director, Supreme Court Litigation Clinic, Stanford University - Moderator

Challenging Law and Making History: Overturning CA’s Prop 8 Gay Marriage Ban.

Boies has been deeply involved in some of the most prominent legal disputes of the past two decades. From serving as special counsel to the Justice Department in the United States v. Microsoft trial to representing Vice President Al Gore in the Bush v. Gore case following the 2000 presidential election, Boies' legal experience is extensive and varied.

Together, Boies and former Solicitor General Theodore Olson have successfully overturned California's Proposition 8 ban on gay marriage. The judge’s ruling on the case happened just one day before this program was recorded. In a recent interview with Salon.com, Boies asserted that overturning this legislation will "improve the lives of gay and lesbian couples...it will not in any way harm heterosexual marriage." In 2010, Boies was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. Boies provides a behind-the-scenes look at the Prop. 8 case, and provide insight into what it takes to challenge the status quo and make legal history.

This program was recorded in front of a live audience at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco on August 5, 2010