Dear Council on Competitiveness Community,
We are less than two months out from the Council’s premier annual gathering — our 2025 Gala Dinner and National Competitiveness Forum (NCF) — which is coming together as a truly extraordinary event. I am excited to share more soon about the agenda — and special guests. This year’s NCF will bring together our community of members, policymakers, and global competitiveness leaders in Washington, DC, for a vibrant celebration of the Council’s 2025 achievements — for which there are many! — a forward-looking exploration of 2026, and a tribute to a slate of visionary leaders who have helped to define and shape U.S. competitiveness.
Our agenda includes dynamic sessions and keynotes covering the future of the bioeconomy; strategies for expanding the U.S. talent pipeline; driving U.S. leadership in AI, quantum, and supercomputing; addressing the energy challenges—and opportunities—shaping the next economy; and much more. If you have not registered, be sure to do so now and join us to shape the next era of U.S. competitiveness. Visit the 2025 NCF landing page her. And please do consider sponsoring — joining your peers in helping the Council execute such pathbreaking events and programs.
Reflecting on Council highlights from October, the latest edition in our highly successful series of Competitiveness Conversations Across America – “Forging the Future: The Intersection of Health, AI, and Technology” in Pittsburgh – was a highly substantive success. Chancellor Joan Gabel, University of Pittsburgh and Academic Vice-Chair of the Council on Competitiveness, hosted the Conversation on her campus – alongside myself, Council Chair Emeritus Chad Holliday, and Carnegie Mellon University President Farnam Jahanian. Distinguishing the three-day program was a cross-over with our sister organization’s annual global innovation summit. This Conversation, winding down our 2025 editions, convened high-level leaders from government, academia, industry, and labor – from across the United States and 20+ nations – to explore the nexus of AI, health, and technology.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro delivered a powerful keynote documenting the factors that drive Pittsburgh’s incredible innovation engine, while both Senator Dave McCormick and John Fetterman provided perspectives from the Hill. We also curated and executed an incredible slate of leadership panels engaging voices from across Pittsburgh, the nation, and the world; and experienced immersive tours to gain firsthand insight into Pittsburgh’s rapidly expanding innovation ecosystem. I want to extend a special thank youto our Academic Vice-Chair, Chancellor Gabel, for her hospitality in welcoming over 200 leaders from more than 20 countries, creating a global stage for collaboration and discovery.
As we move toward December’s NCF, I encourage you to engage fully in the Council’s extraordinary community. In the newsletter that follows, you will find more details on upcoming events, opportunities to connect, and ways to advance innovation and competitiveness together. Thank you for your continued partnership and commitment to shaping the next era of U.S. and global competitiveness.
Sincerely,
Deborah L. Wince-Smith
President & CEO
Council on Competitiveness
###
Read the full edition of the October 2025, Compete Connect newsletter, including much more about the Council's upcoming engagement opportunities and initiatives led by Council Members, below:
