I recently attended my first World Economic Forum in Davos and left with insights that continue to shape my thinking. By now, you’ve likely read the headlines, heard the speeches, or even taken in opposing commentary—after all, with a theme like “A Spirit of Dialogue,” healthy debate wasn’t just expected—it was the point.
I’ll admit, I arrived in Davos somewhat skeptical. Its reputation for exclusive, closed-door debates among global elites left me wondering whether meaningful dialogue was even possible in a world that feels increasingly divided.
Yet, across both official programming and informal conversations, important and familiar themes emerged through open and surprisingly candid exchange. On a global stage like Davos, polarization and politics were unsurprisingly ever-present, but artificial intelligence quickly became the dominant focus—not AI the technological breakthrough, but AI the disrupter.
One prominent CEO remarked that “there is no such thing as business as usual”—and it not only got a lot of head-nodding, a few even laughed. At times, it felt as though business leaders, philanthropists and NGOs were reading from a shared script, even as they approached issues from different vantage points. And if you had words like upskilling, reskilling or workforce disruption on your Davos Bingo Card, you walked away a winner.
In contrast to the moments that made headlines, my Davos experience was defined less by political posturing and more by real talk about real issues. Davos is not only about the ideas debated among its star-studded roster of world and business leaders, but about the remarkably unifying commitment of its attendees to meet this moment with a commitment to act.
That is precisely what motivated the participation of dozens of attendees across two Ad Council events hosted in partnership with Qualcomm:
- A roundtable discussion with philanthropists and social impact leaders on narrative change, public trust and legitimacy in times of technological disruption featuring the Ad Council, Meta and the Global Philanthropy Forum; and
- A private lunch for CMOs and business leaders featuring Qualcomm CMO and Ad Council board member, Don McGuire, in conversation with Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team Principal, Toto Wolff, on the unifying power of sport to raise awareness about mental health featuring the Ad Council’s “Love, Your Mind” campaign.
Both events were powerful reminders of the Ad Council’s longstanding role as a convener, partnering to shape conversations that build trust, spark connection and drive lasting social change. They also underscored how much work remains—an insight made far more encouraging by the growing roster of new contacts eager to collaborate with the Ad Council and help carry our work forward.
For more than 80 years, the Ad Council has existed at the intersection of cause and creativity—harnessing the collective power of the advertising, media, marketing, and technology industries to deliver large-scale communications that raise awareness, influence attitudes, and drive behavioral change on the most pressing social issues of our time.
Our work has always been rooted in collaboration because our ability to drive change has always depended on the strength of our partners and the power of collective effort.
And that's what was reinforced in Davos.
There, in the majestic beauty of the Swiss Alps, with the sun peeking through most days, the still-frigid-but-warmer-than-usual winter delivered something unexpected: literal light—and a sense of hope.
Amid conversations about AI governance, workforce demands, waning public trust and polarization, it became clear that the Ad Council’s mission—to educate, unite and uplift people across America—is not just relevant, but essential. In moments of rapid technological and societal change, people don’t just need information; they need trusted, human-centered communication that helps them navigate uncertainty, see one another more clearly, and find common ground.
That is precisely what the Ad Council does so well. By convening partners across advertising, media, marketing and technology, we translate complexity into clarity and turn dialogue into action at scale. Davos reinforced that guiding people through this era of disruption will require more than policy and governance; it will require empathy, collaboration and purpose-driven leadership. In a world grappling with division and distrust, the Ad Council’s work serves as a reminder of what connects us, what truly matters, and what’s possible when collective effort is grounded in purpose.
Photo by Mattias Nutt/WEF