OCON 2026 – Program

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New Orleans

June 26-30, 2026 • Sheraton New Orleans Hotel

June 26-30, 2026

Sheraton New Orleans Hotel

Program

General Sessions

Concurrent Events

Social Events

Lunches

Download Area Guide

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Meet and mingle with fellow attendees at the official opening of OCON 2026! This event is smart casual. Your fee includes two drinks, and a cash bar is available. The opening reception and dinner are included in all in-person week passes.

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Ballroom Foyer

If this is your first OCON, then let’s kick things off together over breakfast! You’ll meet other first-time attendees, connect with ARI staff, students, and OCON speakers—and get tips on how to make the most of the week ahead. Have questions about the schedule, events, or anything else? Bring them with you. We’re here to help you get the most out of OCON. We can’t wait to meet you!

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Blake Scholl founded Boom Supersonic in 2014 with the audacious goal of making supersonic flight commercially feasible. He spoke at OCON 2017 with a talk—“Who Killed Speed?”—describing the decades-long stagnation in aviation and the prospects for a renaissance. This year, we’re excited to welcome Blake back to the OCON stage to tell us about the significant milestones that Boom has recently achieved—and about the political and philosophical lessons he’s learned building a jet and changing the laws around supersonic flight.

Ballroom Foyer

Thanks to the support of Ayn Rand Center donors, the project has reached a major milestone: the Construction Document set was submitted for permits on April 1, clearing the way for groundbreaking this July. We invite those helping bring the Center to life to join us for this special luncheon. Break bread with fellow supporters and project leaders as we celebrate the progress we’ve made together and look ahead to the groundbreaking in Austin this summer.

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Steven Pinker is one of the world’s top public intellectuals, a cognitive scientist who has been named by TIME as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World. He is the Johnstone Professor of Psychology at Harvard University and the author of such bestselling works as Rationality, Enlightenment Now, and When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows . . ..
Join us for a panel discussion in which leading Objectivist intellectuals will converse with Pinker about such topics as the Enlightenment and human progress, Objectivism, freedom of speech, and the battle for Western civilization.

Ballroom Foyer

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Tal Tsfany, ARI’s president and CEO, will review ARI’s mission to spread Objectivism and the progress made during 2025–26.

Ballroom Foyer

Connect with fellow attendees in a relaxed setting. A cash bar will be available.

Ballroom Foyer

During this year’s gala, we’ll celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States—and the indispensable role of Objectivism in revitalizing the American experiment.
ARI’s CEO Tal Tsfany will host a fireside chat on the builders of freedom. He will be joined by Ben Chestnut, founder of Mailchimp, and Onkar Ghate, ARI’s Chief Philosophy Officer, to explore the vital alliance between the businessman and the intellectual—the creators of wealth and the creators of knowledge.
We will also hear inspiring remarks from those whose lives have been shaped by ARI’s work—from rising students discovering these ideas for the first time to accomplished intellectuals carrying them into the world. Together, they reflect the full arc of ARI’s mission in action.
Learn more and buy tickets here.

Ballroom Foyer

In La La Land, two artists—a jazz pianist devoted to his craft and an aspiring actress chasing her breakthrough—cross paths in Los Angeles, each driven by a clear vision of the life they want to build. As their connection deepens, they face a question that every ambitious person must answer: how to hold fast to one’s purpose while navigating love, opportunity, and the pull of competing dreams.
With dazzling music, vibrant cinematography, and unforgettable performances, La La Land captures the exhilaration of creating, striving, and choosing one’s path. Join us for this luminous celebration of ambition, romance, and the courage to pursue a life of your own making.

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Later stages of life naturally pose emotional challenges for which people often feel ill-prepared. While physical longevity has received increasing attention in recent years, less thought has been given to psychological terrain. This lecture addresses that gap. What are the distinct emotional challenges of older age, and how might Objectivist resources be brought to bear on them?
First, Dr. Smith describes the special circumstances of old age in two particular areas: a person’s relationships with others and his conception of himself. Next, she explains how the virtue of independence and the value of self-esteem (somewhat surprisingly, in this context) can help.

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In the second century, Roman anatomist Galen of Pergamon discovered a small network of blood vessels at the base of the skull. This “wonderful net” became central to theories of the soul stretching back to Plato and forward to Christianity. For nearly 1,500 years, the wonderful net was considered an unassailable fact of anatomy. Until 1540, when a young medical student named Andreas Vesalius was tasked with demonstrating the structure in a public dissection. And he couldn’t find it. This is the story of what happens when a diligent student has to choose between the authority of the ages, and the evidence of his own eyes.

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The offer: payment in gold and transportation in a private rail car. Ayn Rand accepted. Thus, her 1981 trip to New Orleans to give “The Sanction of the Victims,” her last public speech, to an audience of 3,000. Harry Binswanger, a member of her travel party, relates his perspective on this event-filled journey and reveals the pivotal role played by Ayn Rand’s discovery of the actor she wanted to play Francisco in an Atlas Shrugged mini-series. Shoshana Milgram will MC the session and contribute background information and biographical insights about this episode in Rand’s life.

Ballroom Foyer

For Objectivism to become a dominant cultural force, we need “New Intellectuals”—in every field. The Intellectual Incubator is ARI’s strategic platform for investing in high-potential thinkers to catalyze their growth. Join Elan Journo and Incubator members for an inside look at one of ARI’s most ambitious and inspiring ventures—and how your support helps bring it to life. Tickets are available on the registration page.

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The rainbow has been a source of delight and fascination for all of human history. But it wasn’t until the seventeenth century, with the work of Descartes and Newton, that a full scientific explanation of its basic properties was developed. What are the basic properties of the rainbow? What did Descartes and Newton each contribute to our understanding of the causes of those properties? And what lessons do their very different approaches hold for us about the scientific method?

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ALEX SILVERMAN — The Metaphysics of Productiveness
Productiveness, as a process which shapes man’s environment, relies on a certain metaphysical view of the universe. This talk expounds upon key metaphysical ideas underlying the productive process and discusses how they can and should inform one’s day-to-day work. Topics to be discussed include the primacy of existence, the metaphysically given, and Francis Bacon’s “Nature, to be commanded, must be obeyed.”
JOHN DENNIS — The Comfort Trap: How a Culture of Ease Undermines the Producer’s Mind
America once celebrated the individual who earned comfort through creative effort. Today, we increasingly expect comfort first and growth later—if at all. In this talk, John L. Dennis examines how this inversion has reshaped our schools, workplaces, and character. When societies elevate comfort above competence and resilience, they erode the virtues that make freedom sustainable. The result is a culture that prizes validation over value creation. Dennis makes the case for productive discomfort as the foundation of agency, independence, and innovation. Comfort may soothe us—but only effort ennobles us.

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After the sudden death of Marilyn Monroe, Ayn Rand paid tribute in a newspaper column with two main themes: the courage of Marilyn Monroe as an artist and the evil of the envious attacks on her. She quoted from Marilyn Monroe’s last interview: about the secrets she shared in her performances, and the secrets she withheld from public view. Ayn Rand, moreover, was drawing on secrets of her own: her friendship with a journalist who knew Marilyn well and her association with a pro-capitalist screenwriter/director who had featured Marilyn in a film (Ayn Rand offered advice and attended the preview). This talk will explore Rand’s view of Marilyn Monroe, and her tribute to her, which was at once ethical, esthetic, and personal.

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Ayn Rand saw America as a land of abundance and progress. The more one examines her work, the more one sees her returning to themes of progress vs. regress. But why was an individualist thinker so concerned with the concept of progress, which denotes successive improvements in the overall standard of living over generations? This lecture will examine Rand’s extensive fictional portrayal of and philosophical commentary on the issue of progress: its cultural and philosophical engines, and forces working to oppose it. We’ll devote special attention to her attempt to explain the disparity between human progress in science/technology vs. in the humanities, and how Objectivism, on every level, is fundamentally a philosophy of progress.

Ballroom Foyer

Connect with fellow attendees in a relaxed setting. A cash bar will be available.

Ballroom Foyer

This special gathering highlights how you can help secure a future of reason, individualism, and capitalism. Enjoy drinks, light refreshments, and engaging conversation with fellow attendees and ARI staff. You’ll learn how our Atlantis Legacy Program provides donors real benefits now—while simultaneously amplifying their impact far into the future, ensuring Ayn Rand’s ideas continue to reach and inspire generations to come.

Ballroom Foyer

Showcasing the talents of OCON attendees, this fan-favorite event returns for another year! The night will feature a live band, cash bar, and an incredible lineup of performances. Whether you’re on stage or in the audience, expect an unforgettable evening of creativity and camaraderie.

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Once known as a deadly “necropolis,” New Orleans faced yearly yellow-fever death tolls approaching ten percent. This lecture traces how scientists and physicians transformed that grim reality through reason, discovery, and heroic action. From Walter Reed’s decisive breakthroughs to William Gorgas’s implementation and Max Theiler’s vaccine, their achievements not only saved cities but made feats like the Panama Canal possible. The lecture will also explore yellow fever’s unexpected influence on the abolitionist movement—revealing a profound story of human productivity and progress.

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AUDRA HILSE — The Publishing Struggle of We the Living
We the Living’s first edition, published in 1936, was not a commercial success. Despite its powerful story and theme, it sold only a small number of copies and quickly went out of print. Why? This talk examines evidence found in the Ayn Rand Archives to answer this question.
BRANDON LISI — The Movies That Changed Ayn Rand’s Life
Brandon Lisi, associate archivist at the Ayn Rand Archives, explores a major influence on Ayn Rand’s decision to come to the United States: the American films she saw while living in Soviet Russia. Drawing on Rand’s movie diary and other archival sources, he examines what she saw in these films and why they made such a profound impression on her.

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In The Fountainhead, Howard Roark identifies “your work” as “the meaning of life.” This reflects the ideal of the producer and the distinctive conception of work essential to Rand’s philosophy. Dr. Salmieri elucidates this aspect of Objectivism, identifying its foundations in a view of reason and values, indicating the role it plays in Rand’s valorization of America, and drawing out its implications for how we can better value our lives, our work, and our civilization.

Ballroom Foyer

Lunch on your own.

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Dr. Gorlin’s forthcoming book, The Builder’s Mindset, elaborates the “method of using his consciousness” that Rand says is distinctive of “the Producer.” This talk previews the book, illuminating how the producer’s premises show up in one’s psychology and how to implement them in one’s life, work, and relationships. Topics include: building (rather than finding) one’s purpose; holding one’s fully lived life as the context for all of one’s judgments and decisions; the common failure modes into which would-be producers fall, and the tools for overcoming them.

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The Teleological Argument (or Argument from Design) has ancient roots and yet is the most enduring of the arguments for God’s existence. It was favored during the Enlightenment, and despite the setback it received following Darwin’s theory of evolution, it has made a (purportedly scientific) comeback. In this lecture, Dr. Mayhew will present the argument and explain why, according to Ayn Rand, it is utterly unscientific, involving as it does the false dichotomy of chance or design, and a primitive rejection of the Law of Identity.

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Go behind the scenes with ARI’s archivists for a special OCON-exclusive panel on the work of uncovering, preserving, and sharing Ayn Rand’s intellectual legacy. Showcasing rare archival media, this panel will include a special announcement about public archival access and what it will make possible for scholars, readers, and admirers of Rand’s work.

Ballroom Foyer

Connect with fellow attendees in a relaxed setting. A cash bar will be available.

Ballroom Foyer

The evening will feature remarks and toasts from leading Objectivist intellectuals and ARI leaders. Above all, this gathering is our opportunity to thank you personally for the generosity and conviction that make ARI’s work possible. We are deeply grateful for your support and hope you will join us for what promises to be a memorable evening.

Ballroom Foyer

Feeling lucky? Join speakers, board members, and fellow attendees for an exhilarating Texas Hold ’Em Poker Championship Tournament. With a $100 buy-in (100% tax-deductible!), this high-stakes showdown is always a highlight. Register by June 20 for a chip bonus—seats are limited, so don’t wait!

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JOSH WINDHAM — The Roots of Non-Objective Law Enforcement
The Trump Administration’s “mass deportation” campaign has sparked national outrage and a renewed interest in proper law enforcement. While ICE and its officers are often rightly blamed for many of the abuses we’ve seen, that blame tends to blur a more fundamental issue: that non-objective laws necessarily yield non-objective law enforcement. Simply put, when the government wages massive enforcement campaigns against peaceful people—whether 18th-century customs laws, 19th-century slave laws, 20th-century drug laws, or modern immigration laws—arbitrary searches and seizures naturally follow.
ROBERTAS BAKULA — How Antitrust Law Crippled a Nation of Producers
America is the country of the producer—yet for 135 years, antitrust laws have waged a war against that very identity. From the breakup of Standard Oil to the targeted persecution of today’s tech giants, this talk traces the beatings the American producer endured while still delivering unprecedented progress. Business today survives by the arbitrary grace of antitrust officials, forcing innovators to hire lobbyists before engineers. To live up to the idea of being the country of the producer, America needs a fundamental shift in how it treats its most productive individuals.

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Our society has been suffering from a sustained period of intellectual shrinkage—a subtle, steady decline in conceptual thinking. Many people’s intellectual capacities and inclinations to think conceptually are contracting in ways that bring destructive consequences.
The lecture is in two parts. First, it surveys contemporary culture to showcase the disturbing indicators of our cognitive erosion. Second, it exposes the damage that this inflicts, focusing on the impact in three areas: on curiosity, on personal relationships, and on an individual’s relationship to his own values.

Ballroom Foyer

This is an invitation-only event for Atlantis Legacy donors, in appreciation of their generous support of the Institute. The program will include remarks by Atlantis Legacy and ARI board member Jeri Eagan.

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What exactly are we naming when we classify something as a fundamental? What does it mean to identify a fundamental right, or a fundamental virtue, or a fundamental cause? Is the relationship between fundamentals and derivatives one of cause-and-effect—or something else? How do we go about discovering fundamentals? And what purpose do they serve? Mr. Schwartz addresses these questions and presents a comprehensive view of the nature, and the crucial importance, of fundamentality.

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SAM WEAVER — Milton’s Paradise Lost: Defying the “Tyranny of Heaven”
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TRISTAN DE LIEGE — Valuing Aesthetically
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Over the last two centuries, America’s businessmen have liberated all of us economically, creating unprecedented wealth and opportunity. But tragically, businessmen themselves have often become increasingly shackled politically. Alex Epstein will share how he has succeeded in helping businessmen in the energy industry reverse that trend—by giving them a moral appreciation of their work and by giving politicians a blueprint for championing and implementing pro-freedom energy policies. He will draw lessons that can be applied to the liberation of all of America’s producers.

Ballroom Foyer

Connect with fellow attendees in a relaxed setting. A cash bar will be available.

Ballroom Foyer

We’ll close OCON with a reception, seated dinner, and dance. Your fee includes two drinks, and a cash bar will be available. Come and enjoy the company of old and new friends and dance the night away!
This event is dressy; coats and ties for gentlemen, evening wear for ladies, please.

Objectivist Conferences / Ayn Rand® Institute reserves the right to make necessary adjustments to the schedule.

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