About Clea Conner

Debate and Civil Discourse

Clea Conner has dedicated her career to revitalizing public debate as a tool for civility and intelligence. As CEO of Open to Debate (formerly Intelligence Squared U.S.), she leads efforts to restore respect in discussions, hosting structured debates on platforms like NPR, YouTube, and partnerships such as ASU’s ‘PRO/CONversations’ series on topics like birthright citizenship [11][13]. She discussed reports on improving presidential debates on C-SPAN [1][3], emphasizing accuracy and open-mindedness to combat echo chambers [5][7][8].

Political Engagement and Elections

Conner engages deeply with electoral processes, offering insights on leadership and campaigns. She was interviewed on Election 2022 strategies [4] and advocates for better debate formats to enhance democratic leadership [3]. Her work extends to policy debates, positioning her as a voice in government and policy discussions [10].

Mindset Change and Intellectual Growth

A key focus is facilitating mindset shifts. She led a TED session on “Changing your mind,” exploring thought-provoking questions to challenge assumptions [2]. This aligns with her mission to encourage leaving ideological 'caves' through intelligent debates [5][7].

Innovation and Business Communication

Conner links debates to business innovation, stressing accuracy in communication [8]. Her leadership earned recognition like Crain's New York Business "40 Under 40" [9], and she has been featured in executive moves [12]. Recent renaming efforts for her organization highlight strategic evolution [6].

Arts, Music, and Cultural Harmony

As a classical flutist, Conner infuses her debate work with artistic harmony metaphors, aiming to bring 'harmony to the nation's discourse' [9]. This ties into her broader interests in music/arts, education, and creator economy, though specifics remain limited.