LOS ANGELES -- With the world full of complex geopolitical, social, and economic challenges that appear insoluble to many -- and in a world full of conferences that discuss them without driving change -- the Milken Institute Global Conference is unique. For the 17th year, Global Conference will bring together some of the world's leading thinkers, visionaries and decision-makers to help find solutions to these critical issues.

Beginning April 27, more than 3,000 people from around the world -- senior leaders with the mind and the means to create positive action -- will gather at the Beverly Hilton for four days of intense discussion. More than 650 speakers, including major investors, CEOs, government officials, scientists, educators, philanthropists, and journalists, will take part in more than 140 sessions at the conference. The wide-ranging panel topics include: the worldwide water crisis, the future of Wall Street, the promise of impact investing, the four ways stem cells will change medicine, Africa's emerging energy landscape -- and dozens more.

"The Milken Institute utilizes its unique ability to convene leaders from across sectors and continents to extend our work addressing the core issues of access to capital, improving health care, and spurring job creation," says Institute CEO Mike Klowden. "Our ability to bridge the words of business, finance and policy has never been more vital -- and never more in demand." A representative sample of this year's speakers:

Madelyn Antoncic, Vice President and Treasurer, World Bank
Marc Benioff, Chairman and CEO, salesforce.com
Leon Black, Chairman and CEO, Apollo Global Management, LLC
Tony Blair, Former Prime Minister, Great Britain and Northern Ireland
David Bonderman, Founding Partner, TPG
Jerry Brown, Governor, State of California
Eric Cantor, U.S. Congressman and Majority Leaer
Steve Case, Chairman and CEO, Revolution; Co-Founder, AOL
Deepak Chopra, Founder, Chopra Foundation; Co-Founder and Chairman, Chopra Center for Wellbeing
Francis Collins, Director, National Institutes of Health
Matt Damon, Actor and Co-Founder, Water.org
Thomas Frieden, Director, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO, Universal Music Group
Olafur Grimsson, President of Iceland
John Hickenlooper, Governor, State of Colorado
Tony Hsieh, CEO, Zappos.com
Robert Iger, Chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company
Earvin (Magic) Johnson, Chairman and CEO, Magic Johnson Enterprises; Co-Owner, Los Angeles Dodgers
H.E. Paul Kagame, President of the Republic of Rwanda
Jeffrey Katzenberg, CEO, Dreamworks Animation
Sallie Krawcheck, Business Leader, 85 Broads
Li Keping, President and Chief Investment Officer, China Investment Corporation
Mario Monti, President, Bocconi University; Former Prime Minister, Italy
Leslie Moonves, President and CEO, CBS Corporation
Helena Morrissey, CEO, Newton Investment Management
Janet Napolitano, President, University of California; Former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security
Leon Panetta, Former U.S. Secretary of Defense; Founder, Panetta Institute for Public Policy
Henry Paulson, Chairman, The Paulson Institute; Former U.S. Treasury Secretary
T. Boone Pickens, Entrepreneur and Philanthropist; Founder, BP Capital
Nouriel Roubini, Chairman, Roubini Global Economics; Professor of Economics, New York University
David Rubenstein, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, The Carlyle Group
Stephen Schwarzman, Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder, The Blackstone Group
Bill Simon, President and CEO, Walmart U.S.
Judy Smith, President and CEO, Smith & Company
Nancy Snyderman, Chief Medical Editor, NBC News
Charlize Theron, Actor; UN Messenger of Peace; and Founder, Charlize Theron Africa Outreach Project
Steve Wynn, Chairman and CEO, Wynn Resorts

In addition to blog posts and videos of panels appearing on the Institute's site, Global Conference panels will be shared through Twitter (#2014GC).

Complete information about the Global Conference, including a full program and a list of speakers confirmed to date, is available at http://www.globalconference.org.

Note to media: Full-time, professional journalists representing widely consumed, business media organizations wishing to cover the Global Conference must use the media registration form on the website's registration page. You are not registered until your application has been approved and you receive email confirmation.