The Program

The economic outlook for 2025 has suddenly become more uncertain. While inflation may be under control in the U.S., recent labor market data has brought back the possibility of a recession.

Several factors make a clear prognosis difficult: a close presidential race with candidates who espouse very different economic policies, uncertainty in the technology sector, commercial real estate issues, the continuing Russian war in Ukraine, the conflict in Gaza and the instability in the Middle East, and unprecedented climatic phenomena. Still, Arizona appears positioned for significant growth led by technology investments.

Join us at this year’s luncheon, where top national and regional experts will present their economic forecasts and advice on these issues and more.

Gustavo Ventura

Keynote Address

Gustavo Ventura joined the faculty of the W. P. Carey School of Business in 2011. He was the Chair of the Department from 2014 to 2021.

Prior to joining ASU, Gustavo was a faculty member at the University of Iowa, Pennsylvania State University and the University of Western Ontario. He received his PhD in Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Professor Ventura is a macroeconomist, and concentrates his research in topics such as taxation, economic development and the determinants of inequality. He has published his academic work in leading journals such as the American Economic Review, the Review of Economic Studies, Econometrica, the Journal of Monetary Economics and the Review of Economic Dynamics.  

Professor Ventura is married and is the father of two children. He was born in Argentina and he is an unreconstructed fan of Boca Juniors. 

Daniel J. Brady

Outlook for the U.S. Economy

Dan is a managing director for the Investment Strategy team. In this role he contributes to all investment strategy related activities for PNC Institutional Asset Management®, PNC Private Bank℠, PNC Private Bank Hawthorn® business lines. In addition, he provides recommendations for overall strategic and tactical asset allocation guidance of client portfolios and provides thought leadership on key investment issues. Dan also performs research and analysis that support the Bank's overall investment process. 

Dan serves as a voting member of the Asset Management Group & Institutional Asset Management Investment Policy, and Investment Advisor Research committees. He is also a PNC-certified Women’s Business Advocate. 

Prior to joining PNC, Dan was a consultant at Clearstead, providing institutional investment advice to endowments, foundations and retirement plans. During his tenure, he was an active member of the firm’s retirement plan committee and was involved in developing the firm’s pension indicator tool. Before his time at Clearstead, he was a Senior Portfolio Associate at the Glenmede Trust Company where he assisted portfolio managers in a holistic approach to wealth management and financial planning. 

Dan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in economics from The Ohio State University. He is very active in his community and is a member of the Society of American Baseball Research.