September 19, 2025 | 9:00am – 5:00pm EST
Better Markets Academic Advisory Board (BMAAB) is proud to announce its first annual conference taking place in downtown Washington, DC, on September 19th. This day-long, in-person and virtual conference will feature keynote speakers, panels, and interactive discussions from policy makers and leading scholars focused on economics, law, finance, and financial regulation.
BMAAB was created to foster a dynamic community of academics who are dedicated to improving economic outcomes, strengthening financial and banking systems, and facilitating broad-based wealth creation and rising living standards for all Americans. The BMAAB also aims to increase interaction between academics and policymakers, filling a critical gap where academic scholarship can provide important insights for policy formation and decision-making. The annual conference will showcase these aims by bringing together policymakers, academics, and advocates to discuss the most pressing issues facing Americans and creating an economic system that works for everyone.
Space is at capacity for in-person attendance.
This event has been structured to comply with House and Senate ethics rules.
AGENDA
9:00 AM | WELCOME & INTRODUCTION
DENNIS KELLEHER
Co-Founder, President and CEO, Better Markets
BIO
KATHRYN JUDGE
Co-Chair, Better Markets Academic Advisory Board
Professor of Law, Columbia Law School
BIO
JENNIFER TAUB
Co-Chair, Better Markets Academic Advisory Board
Professor of Law, Wayne State University
BIO
SIMON JOHNSON
Co-Chair, Better Markets Academic Advisory Board
Professor, Global Economics & Management, MIT
BIO
9:30 – 10:15 AM | OPENING KEYNOTE
CAROLINE CRENSHAW
Commissioner, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
BIO
Q & A Moderated by
GINA-GAIL S. FLETCHER
Professor of Law, Duke University School of Law
BIO
10:20 AM – 10:35 AM | CRYPTO’S POLITICAL ECONOMY
THOMAS FERGUSON
Professor Emeritus, University of Massachusetts Boston
BIO
10:45 – 11:45 AM | PANEL DISCUSSION: What’s Next for the Federal Reserve
KATHRYN JUDGE
Co-Chair, Better Markets Academic Advisory Board
Professor of Law, Columbia Law School
BIO
SKANDA AMARNATH
Executive Director, Employ America
BIO
JEREMY KRESS
Associate Professor, Michigan Ross School of Business
Co-Faculty Director, University of Michigan’s Center on Finance, Law & Policy
BIO
11:45 AM – 12:00 PM | PRESENTATION OF RELATED MATERIALS
AMANDA FISCHER
Director of Policy & COO, Better Markets
BIO
12:00 PM – 12:30 PM | BREAK FOR LUNCH
12:30 PM – 1:00 PM | LUNCH DISCUSSION: Update on Congressional Activities
Republican and Democratic Staff Directors of the Senate Banking Committee and the House Financial Services Committee have been invited to present
Moderated by
TRAVIS HORR
Director of External Affairs, Better Markets
BIO
1:00 – 2:00 PM | KEYNOTE: Private Credit, Public Risk
ANTONIO WEISS
Former Counselor to the Secretary of the United States Treasury
Partner, SSW Partners, LP
BIO
MARK ZANDI
Chief Economist, Moody’s Analytics
BIO
Q & A Moderated by
ADRIAN KEEVIL
Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Virginia, Darden School of Business
BIO
2:00 – 3:00 PM | PANEL DISCUSSION: Financial Stability: Past, Present & Future
SIMON JOHNSON
Co-Chair, Better Markets Academic Advisory Board
Professor, Global Economics & Management, MIT
BIO
GERALD EPSTEIN
Professor of Economics, University of Massachusetts Amherst
Founding Co-Director of the Political Economy Research Institute
BIO
ART WILMARTH
Professor Emeritus of Law, The George Washington University Law School
BIO
3:00 – 4:00 PM | PANEL DISCUSSION: Innovation and Distortion
JENNIFER TAUB
Co-Chair, Better Markets Academic Advisory Board
Professor of Law, Wayne State University
BIO
ANAT ADMATI
Professor of Finance and Economics, Stanford Graduate School of Business
BIO
HILARY ALLEN
Professor, Washington College of Law, American University
BIO
PATRICIA McCOY
Professor of Law, Boston College Law School
BIO
4:00 – 4:45 PM | CLOSING KEYNOTE
JARED BERNSTEIN
Former Chair, President’s Council of Economic Advisors
Senior Fellow, Center for American Progress
BIO
Q & A Moderated by
VICKI BOGAN
Professor, Duke Sanford School of Public Policy
BIO
4:45 – 5:00 PM | CLOSING REMARKS
KATHRYN JUDGE
Co-Chair, Better Markets Academic Advisory Board
Professor of Law, Columbia Law School
BIO
JENNIFER TAUB
Co-Chair, Better Markets Academic Advisory Board
Professor of Law, Wayne State University
BIO
SIMON JOHNSON
Co-Chair, Better Markets Academic Advisory Board
Professor, Global Economics & Management, MIT
BIO
Space is at capacity for in-person attendance.
This event has been structured to comply with House and Senate ethics rules.
Questions? Call us at 202-618-6464.
