Smart Talks. Cold Drinks.
Presenting THINK & DRINK – where the curious gather. This ongoing lecture series delivers a wide array of topics that generate fresh perspectives, ideas, and discussion. These community-driven events are powered by a collaboration between UMKC, Linda Hall Library, The Third Place Historian, and Casual Animal Brewing Company.
Your RSVP below is appreciated to help us preset the room and accommodate as many seats as possible for interested attendees. You will also receive at least 1 reminder email about the event when you RSVP.
December 18: Crises to Watch in 2026: Humanitarian Need Amid Geopolitical Disorder
speaker: Ken Sofer, Founder & Principal, New Colossus Advisors; UMKC Foreign Policy Professor
Humanitarian needs, global hunger, and forced displacement are all near record highs at the same time as governments cut aid budgets and support for the world’s most vulnerable. Learn about which crises and conflicts are at the top of the International Rescue Committee’s 2026 Emergency Watchlist, as well as the geopolitical trends driving them.
speaker bio:
Ken Sofer is a policy expert, advocate, and strategic communicator with more than 15 years of experience advising global civil society, think tanks, and senior executives. He is the Founder & Principal of New Colossus Advisors, a strategic consulting firm focused on bringing advocacy and communications together to drive human-centric impact. In addition to his work leading New Colossus, Ken is a foreign policy professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Prior to founding New Colossus, Ken worked for the humanitarian aid charity the International Rescue Committee (IRC), which supports people in more than 50 countries whose lives have been shattered by crisis and conflict. He supported the organization’s mission as a policy advisor and speechwriter for the President & CEO, as well as leading the organization’s advocacy on issues ranging from child hunger to the climate crisis. Ken has also worked on US national security issues for the DC-based think tank the Center for American Progress and served as a foreign policy advisor to a presidential campaign.
