2026 Freedom Conservatism
Annual Conference

May 20, 2026
8:30- 4:30 PM
Capital turnaround

Address:
700 M St SE, Washington, D.C.

-----------------AGENDA-----------------

8:30 AM - 9:00 AM

Welcome Coffee

9:00 AM - 9:15 AM

What is Freedom Conservatism?

Avik Roy, Co-Founder & Chairman, Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity (FREOPP)

9:15 AM - 9:45 AM

Virtue and Liberty: A New Fusionism for the 21st Century

John Hood, President, John William Pope Foundation
Stephanie Slade, Senior Editor, Reason Magazine
Paul Mueller, Senior Research Fellow, American Institute for Economic Research (AIER)
Donald Bryson, CEO, John Locke Foundation

9:45 AM - 10:15 AM

How Can Freedom Conservatism Build a Winning Coalition?

Avik Roy, Co-Founder & Chairman, Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity (FREOPP)
Daniel Garza, President, The LIBRE Initiative
Kate Carney, Deputy Director, More in Common
Zach Kessel, Politics Editor, Washington Free Beacon

10:45 AM - 11:15 AM

Fireside Chats

Featuring:

Brian Hooks, Chairman & CEO, Stand Together

Guy Benson, Host, The Guy Benson Show; Contributor, Fox News

11:15 AM - 11:45 AM

What Has Conservatism Ever Conserved?

Iain Murray, Vice President, Competitive Enterprise Institute
Dominic Pino, Editorial Writer, The Washington Post
Tony Woodlief, Senior Executive Vice President, State Policy Network
Phil Magness, Senior Fellow, Independent Institute

11:45 AM - 12:45 PM

Networking Lunch

12:45 PM - 1:00 PM

Keynote

Featuring: Ramesh Ponnuru, Editor, National Review

1:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Rags to Riches Over Redistribution: Uplifting the Forgotten American

Avik Roy, Co-Founder & Chairman, Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity (FREOPP)
Adam Millsap, Senior Fellow, Stand Together Trust
Scott Winship, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
Les Ford, Senior Fellow, Alliance for Opportunity

1:30 PM - 2:00 PM

Faith, Family, Freedom: Strengthening America’s Culture from the Ground Up

Lathan Watts, Vice President of Public Affairs, Alliance Defending Freedom
Timothy Carney, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute / Senior Columnist, Washington Examiner
Carrie Sheffield, Author & Director, Independent Women's Forum
John Shelton, Vice President of Policy, Advancing American Freedom

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Fireside Chat

Featuring: Representative Rich McCormick, GA-7 Member of Congress

2:30 PM - 3:00 PM

Turning Ideas Into Action: Strengthening FreeCon Infrastructure and Building the Next Generation of Leaders

Dan Rothschild, Director, Center for Civics, Education, and Opportunity, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute
Tim Chapman, President, Advancing American Freedom
Josh Archambault, President, Reformers Academy
Roger Ream, President & CEO, The Fund for American Studies (TFAS)

3:00 PM - 3:30 PM

America at 250: The Founding Principles and the Future of American Conservatism

Kent Lassman, President & CEO, Competitive Enterprise Institute
Ben Klutsey, Executive Director, Mercatus Center
Beth Anne Mumford, Vice President of State Operations, Americans for Prosperity
Mark Strand, Former President, Congressional Institute

3:30 PM - 4:30 PM

Keynotes

Featuring:

Erick Erickson, Host, The Erick Erickson Show
Senator Rand Paul, U.S. Senate

2026 Freedom Conservatism
Annual Conference

May 20, 2026
8:30- 4:30 PM
Capital turnaround

Address:
700 M St SE, Washington, D.C.

-----------------AGENDA-----------------

8:30 AM - 9:00 AM

Welcome Coffee

9:00 AM - 9:15 AM

What is Freedom Conservatism?

Avik Roy, Co-Founder & Chairman, Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity (FREOPP)

9:15 AM - 9:45 AM

Virtue and Liberty: A New Fusionism for the 21st Century

John Hood, President, John William Pope Foundation
Stephanie Slade, Senior Editor, Reason Magazine
Paul Mueller, Senior Research Fellow, American Institute for Economic Research (AIER)
Donald Bryson, CEO, John Locke Foundation

9:45 AM - 10:15 AM

How Can Freedom Conservatism Build a Winning Coalition?

Avik Roy, Co-Founder & Chairman, Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity (FREOPP)
Daniel Garza, President, The LIBRE Initiative
Kate Carney, Deputy Director, More in Common
Zach Kessel, Politics Editor, Washington Free Beacon

10:45 AM - 11:15 AM

Fireside Chats

Featuring:

Brian Hooks, Chairman & CEO, Stand Together

Guy Benson, Host, The Guy Benson Show; Contributor, Fox News

11:15 AM - 11:45 AM

What Has Conservatism Ever Conserved?

Iain Murray, Vice President, Competitive Enterprise Institute
Dominic Pino, Editorial Writer, The Washington Post
Tony Woodlief, Senior Executive Vice President, State Policy Network
Phil Magness, Senior Fellow, Independent Institute

11:45 AM - 12:45 PM

Networking Lunch

12:45 PM - 1:00 PM

Keynote

Featuring: Ramesh Ponnuru, Editor, National Review

1:00 PM - 1:30 PM

Rags to Riches Over Redistribution: Uplifting the Forgotten American

Avik Roy, Co-Founder & Chairman, Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity (FREOPP)
Adam Millsap, Senior Fellow, Stand Together Trust
Scott Winship, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
Les Ford, Senior Fellow, Alliance for Opportunity

1:30 PM - 2:00 PM

Faith, Family, Freedom: Strengthening America’s Culture from the Ground Up

Lathan Watts, Vice President of Public Affairs, Alliance Defending Freedom
Timothy Carney, Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute / Senior Columnist, Washington Examiner
Carrie Sheffield, Author & Director, Independent Women's Forum
John Shelton, Vice President of Policy, Advancing American Freedom

2:00 PM - 2:30 PM

Fireside Chat

Featuring: Representative Rich McCormick, GA-7 Member of Congress

2:30 PM - 3:00 PM

Turning Ideas Into Action: Strengthening FreeCon Infrastructure and Building the Next Generation of Leaders

Dan Rothschild, Director, Center for Civics, Education, and Opportunity, Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute
Tim Chapman, President, Advancing American Freedom
Josh Archambault, President, Reformers Academy
Roger Ream, President & CEO, The Fund for American Studies (TFAS)

3:00 PM - 3:30 PM

America at 250: The Founding Principles and the Future of American Conservatism

Kent Lassman, President & CEO, Competitive Enterprise Institute
Ben Klutsey, Executive Director, Mercatus Center
Beth Anne Mumford, Vice President of State Operations, Americans for Prosperity
Mark Strand, Former President, Congressional Institute

3:30 PM - 4:30 PM

Keynotes

Featuring:

Erick Erickson, Host, The Erick Erickson Show
Senator Rand Paul, U.S. Senate

What We Do

Freedom Conservatism advances its mission through three core programs that unify leaders, equip policymakers, and extend influence across the conservative movement.

Through these programs, Freedom Conservatism delivers large-scale convenings, thought leadership, and talent development—all designed to strengthen the freedom-oriented movement as a whole.

Signatory Network

A national network of nearly 400 signatories including former elected officials, policy experts, academic scholars, organization executives, faith leaders, writers, and more who publicly affirm the principles of Freedom Conservatism.

Congressional Policy Series

Issue-focused briefings and conversations connecting congressional staff, policy professionals, and DC-based thought leaders to Freedom Conservatism principles in the context of real-time national policy debates.

Congressional Leadership Development Series

Practical, skills-based professional development for rising leaders across the conservative movement designed to:

Strengthen managerial, communication, and strategic policymaking skills
Support career growth and professional pathways
Equip principled young conservatives to become more effective leaders, inside and outside of government