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Arizona in Boston · Fly-in delegation

Three days in Boston, for America’s 250th

Boston is where the American Revolution began, from the Massacre and the Tea Party to the first shots at Lexington and Concord. As the nation marks 250 years, an intimate group of Arizona’s civic and business leaders gathers here for an honest, off-the-record conversation about where the American economy and democracy go next.

Register nowSee the agenda
Dates
Sept 20-24, 2026
Where
Boston, Massachusetts
Registration
$3,000 per delegate
Access
Invitation only

The question on the table

What does principled leadership look like in a country this divided, in a year this consequential?

Over three days, from Kendall Square to the Kennedy Library, the delegation takes up the question every executive, civic leader, and policymaker is already facing. The conversation is off the record, the group is small, and the goal is candor.

Delegation highlights

History, industry, politics, and democratic institutions, in the city where the argument started

  • 1

    American History

    The founding, on foot

    A scholar-led walk along the Freedom Trail through the places where the revolution started, then a historian-led day in Concord at the North Bridge and the Old Manse, home to Emerson and Hawthorne.

  • 2

    Biotech and Defense Industry Collaboration

    Kendall Square and Harvard Business School

    A working session with HBS faculty on American capitalism and leadership, followed by a tour of the Kendall Square biotech corridor and working sessions with biotech and defense leaders on collaboration between Arizona and Massachusetts.

  • 3

    The Politics of Today

    Harvard Kennedy School and the Ash Center

    Meet elected officials in Boston and participate in a closed-door roundtable at the Ash Center with researchers who study polarization and civic division, examining where American politics stands and where it goes from here.

  • 4

    Democratic Institutions: Academia and the Free Press

    The JFK Library and WBUR

    A private evening at the Kennedy Library on Boston Harbor, paired with a visit and discussion at NPR’s Boston station, WBUR, on the role the press plays in keeping public leaders and institutions honest.

The itinerary, day by day

A working draft. The final agenda is shared with registered delegates and is subject to change.

  1. Sunday, Sept 20

    Arrival and first table

    A welcome dinner at a storied Boston location to open the week.

  2. Monday, Sept 21

    The founding and Harvard Kennedy School

    A scholar-led Freedom Trail walk, lunch with historians, and an afternoon at the Kennedy School.

  3. Tuesday, Sept 22

    Harvard Business and the JFK Library

    A Harvard Business School tour and faculty session, then a private evening at the Kennedy Library overlooking the harbor.

  4. Wednesday, Sept 23

    MIT, Concord, and Nashoba Valley

    MIT and Kendall Square sessions, the North Bridge and the Old Manse, and a long-table dinner at Nashoba Valley Winery.

  5. Thursday, Sept 24

    Departure

    Morning departures from Boston Logan International Airport.

The $3,000 registration covers the week in Boston

Flights and hotel are arranged separately by each delegate, so you can use your own points, preferred airline, and schedule. Everything in Boston is handled for you.

Hosted by Arizona Talks, a cross-partisan 501(c)(3) nonprofit. You’ll travel alongside leaders from Harvard, MIT, and the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library.

  • Three days of fully curated programming in the heart of Boston
  • Private meetings with Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School leadership
  • MIT and Kendall Square access, with closed sessions on bioscience and innovation
  • A private evening at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library
  • Meetings with Massachusetts elected officials and civic leaders
  • A scholar-led Freedom Trail walk and a historian-led day in Concord
  • Welcome reception, evening meals, select beverages, and ground transportation in Boston

Where to stay

Recommended hotels

Delegates book their own rooms. All four recommended hotels are in Cambridge, across the river from downtown Boston.

Seats are limited and by invitation. Reserve yours before the delegation fills.

Register now

Delegation leadership

Who you’re traveling with

  • Stephen Richer

    Stephen Richer

    Lecturer and Senior Practice Fellow in American Democracy

    Harvard Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation

    Former elected Maricopa County Recorder, where he ran voter registration and early voting for the fourth-largest county in the country. Named Arizonan of the Year by the Arizona Republic and a Defender of Democracy by Time.

  • Justice Clint Bolick

    Justice Clint Bolick

    Justice

    Supreme Court of Arizona

    Appointed to the Arizona Supreme Court in 2016 and retained by voters in 2018. Before the Court he litigated constitutional cases from coast to coast, including at the U.S. Supreme Court, and co-founded the Institute for Justice.

  • Alan Price

    Alan Price

    Director

    John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum

    Appointed by President Obama as Associate Director of Management at the Peace Corps and Acting Chief of Staff at the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. Earlier he led the Global Leadership Initiative at Harvard Business School.

  • Carlos Alfaro

    Carlos Alfaro

    Founder and Board Chair

    Arizona Talks Foundation

    Has shaped Arizona’s civic landscape through statewide initiatives, policy work at the State Capitol, and leadership delegations that bring executives, public officials, and community leaders together around public service and economic development.

Partnership opportunities

Put your organization in the room

Partners help underwrite the delegation and join it. Both levels include delegate registrations and a speaking role in the program.

Delegation Partner

$6,000

  • One delegate registration included
  • Logo placement on delegation materials and this event page
  • Recognition as a partner organization during the program
  • Introduce a speaker for one of the discussion sessions
  • Featured social and on-the-record recognition from leadership
Talk to us about Delegation Partner

Anchor Partner

$12,000

  • Two delegate registrations included
  • Co-host placement on all materials, the website, and press
  • A toast at the Kennedy Library evening
  • Introduce a speaker for one of the discussion sessions
  • Featured social and on-the-record recognition from leadership
Talk to us about Anchor Partner

Register

Reserve your delegate seat

Registration is $3,000 per delegate. Flights and hotel are arranged separately, so you can use your own points, preferred airline, and schedule. Prefer to reach Carlos Alfaro directly? Email carlos@arizonatalks.org or call 480-270-0001.

About Arizona Talks

Arizona Talks is a cross-partisan, nonprofit foundation working to improve the way Arizona argues. We bring people together to learn from each other and to disagree better.