Greg Docter

Applications are open until June 1st for the 2026 Roots of Progress Blog-Building Intensive! Launch a blog and improve your progress-focused writing with expert guidance and an amazing community progress builders, writers and intellectuals. You'll learn from a phenomenal advisor lineup including @tylercowen, @_brianpotter, @elidourado, @vpostrel, @_alice_evans, @kesvelt, @glukianoff, @akoustov, @Brendan_McCord, and Elle Griffin. RPI fellows are now leading conversations on AI policy, transportation, agriculture, biotech, housing abundance, and more—with work appearing in major outlets like the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times and the Atlantic. What you'll get: Launch/re-launch a blog/Substack, develop consistent writing habits, improve your craft, build your audience, and connect with progress studies leaders and build community with engaged, thoughtful fellow writers. During the 10-week program, you'll write and publish 4 essays with feedback from our developmental editor @MikeRiggs, the RPI team, and your fellow writers. This year features two tracks, in addition to our general progress track: human flourishing & potential and security & resilience. We welcome fellows writing on ANY progress topic, but a handful of spots will be reserved for these tracks. BONUS: Attend a 3-day in-person retreat in Pennsylvania and receive a free ticket to the invitation-only 2026 Progress Conference with ~400 authors, technologists, policy experts, academics, and nonprofit leaders. Meet your peers and your heroes! This is for you if: You're passionate about progress studies and love writing. Maybe you want to explore a writing career, join a think tank, write to build community around a cause area, and of course take your existing blog to the next level. Commitment: 10–15 hours weekly for 10 weeks (July 27–Oct 2). The weekend retreat is August 20–23. There is no cost to participate. Applications close June 1st!

Announcing Progress Conference 2026 Hosted by @rootsofprogress with @abundanceinst @foresightinst @JoinFAI @HumanProgress @IFP @TheIHS and @WorksInProgMag. Speakers include @tylercowen @dmitri_dolgov Michael Kremer, John Martinis, Stephen Winchell. Oct 8-11 • Berkeley, CA Other fantastic speakers: @A_G_I_Joe @jasoncrawford @erika_alden_d @kesvelt @_alice_evans @bobbyfijan @Gena_I_Gorlin @akoustov @moxie @AndrewMillerYYZ @Brendan_McCord @patio11 @ryanzip @UrbanCourtyard @KelseyTuoc @brianpotter @rSanti97 @noor_siddiqui @mspringut @Vernon3Austin @Scott_Wiener … and more to come. A big thanks to our early sponsors: @coeff_giving @AsteraInstitute @JaneStreetGroup Ken Broad @WorksInProgMag @LENSDetect @MNX_fi @ArchbridgeInst @GoodSciProject @TheIHS @CirculateSD @feeonline (Sponsorship opportunities still available). Four days of intellectual exploration, inspiration, and interaction that will help shape the progress movement into a cultural force. Tracks this year explore Human Talent & Potential, AI & Robotics, and Security & Resilience. Participants will attend talks on topics ranging from drone delivery to housing construction to psychology and philosophy of builders, organize and run unconference sessions, mingle in garden, and more. Thursday and Sunday are add-on days, with optional gatherings for interest groups and other activities like factory tours to Bay Area startups. We're excited to continue this regular gathering of the progress community. Let's get together again in Berkeley this fall!

Announcing the 2026 Roots of Progress Blog-Building Intensive Apply to the 4th cohort of this highly-regarded program for progress writers and intellectuals! newsletter.rootsofprogress.o…