A Meeting of the Minds at Bellagio Spurs a Convening and a Movement

During the four weeks of shared meals, walks, and conversations at Bellagio, both men discovered “that one of fundamental questions Darrick’s been grappling with is the purpose of an economy,” said Chokshi, who is currently Sternberg Family Professor of Leadership at the City College of New York. “And I’ve been grappling with how to prevent the millions of uniquely American ‘birthdays lost’—our shortened lifespans. Both of us, obsessing over our respective questions, found this fertile intersection.”

Returning to their New York City homes after their Bellagio residency, the two joined forces to launch the Health and Political Economy Project (HPEP), dedicated to a just and inclusive economy that enables all people to experience health and dignity.

Then they went back to Bellagio in June 2024 for a convening they created to draw together 21 leading scholars, practitioners, and civil society leaders, including Natalie Diaz, a Pulitzer Prize-winning Indigenous poet who was part of that 2022 residency as well. Together, they developed a course of action for HPEP.

One powerful residency leads to one productive convening and a plan to alter the country’s economic system in favor of better health.

“The Rockefeller Foundation knows that our investments alone aren’t enough,” said Sarah Geisenheimer, Vice President, Convenings and Networks, The Rockefeller Foundation. “We believe in the power of connection and collaboration to change the world for the better. The Bellagio Center has facilitated countless connections, among them this powerful partnership between Dave and Darrick, that unite diverse perspectives and approaches into a transformative solution.”

Rebalancing Power and Growing Understanding

HPEP’s goal is to generate ideas, then develop policies and strategies to implement these ideas, and finally engage diverse communities to drive adoption.

The focus is on reorienting public and private finance toward long-term investments in health such as baby bonds, rebalancing power toward patients rather than profiteering, and deepening broad public understanding about the links between health and the economy.

“We have a big vision for this project,” said Hamilton, who has noted in previous interviews that while he loves learning, he ultimately believes knowledge must help create meaningful change.

“We are seeking to catalyze a new deal at the intersection of health and the political economy, so there is a lot to do in the realm of ideas and discourse and changing hearts and minds,” Hamilton said. “But we won’t be satisfied if this remains on the pages of a journal—this needs to actually change the systems that shape the lives of our families, neighbors, the people we aim to serve.”