Dalton News

The Dalton Conversation Series Features Parents Garry Kasparov and Daniel Lubetzsky

Chess Great Garry Kasparov and Social Entrepreneur and KIND Snacks Founder/Executive Chairman Daniel Lubetzky, both Dalton parents, got together to, as Daniel said, “Talk a little about chess and then get into geopolitics -- we both share a big passion of this. And we face serious issues if we are to preserve American values.
Alumni Council President and Dalton parent Joanna Stone Herman ’88 welcomed guests and shared that proceeds from the Conversation Series, now its 12th year, exceed $520,000. 
Head of School Jim Best spoke about our illustrious speakers’ backgrounds: He mentioned Garry’s extraordinary chess championships as a young player in the Soviet Union and his famous match against the IBM super-computer Deep Blue in 1996 -1997. Today, Garry focuses on human rights, politics, and speaks and writes about strategy, decision-making and artificial intelligence. Daniel, the son of a Holocaust survivor who emigrated from Mexico at age 16, founded KIND, a not-only-for-profit that makes snack food. He works to build bridges between people through initiatives such as Empatico, PeaceWorks, Inc., Maiyet, and the OneVoice Movement and is committed to creating economically sustainable and socially impactful businesses.
Garry explained to a sold out audience in Dalton’s Martin Theater that chess was “love at first sight...it was pure magic.” He said that he was lucky as the Soviet system offered strong support for talented chess players. The conversation quickly shifted to geopolitics and both spoke of their concerns about the rise in “isms” -- extremism, totalitarianism, nativism, and populism. 
Daniel said that he is passionate about finding common ground. Today, in the US, he said that when he talks to people who like Trump vs. those who do not, it’s hard to find commonality. “Trump is a symptom and a problem...he turns everything into “us vs. them.” He stressed the importance of the rule of law, acting with integrity, and respecting and learning from each other. 

Garry is chairman of the Renew Democracy Initiative, a vibrant organization dedicated to solving the challenges that our nation faces together. This group’s commitment sums up a core message of the evening that “educated voters, not political factions, should shape our government and policies.” This fascinating, thought-provoking evening ended on a delicious note with KIND bars for all at the reception!
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