An Evening with Ben Rhodes in conversation with L. Felice Gorordo

🎟️ Please note: Tickets are REQUIRED. Each ticket admits two (2) guests into the venue and includes one (1) copy of ALL WE SAY ($35 + tax). Books will be handed out upon entry. Additional books will be available for sale at the event. Can't make the event?

For 250 years, we have debated what it means to be American. This question shaped the compromises in our Constitution and the arguments we’ve been having ever since—spawning abolitionism, secession, and civil war; populism, mass migration, and global leadership; movements for reform and the backlashes to them. In All We Say, Ben Rhodes tells the story of fifteen speeches—some iconic, others long forgotten—which have both shaped and reflected the argument Americans have been having from our founding to the intense divisions of our time.
Through riveting and beautifully rendered accounts of the people, movements, and moments that produced these speeches, Rhodes traces the history of our battle over identity. The result is a singular and revealing portrait of America itself: a nation divided between two stories—one of inheritance, power, and exclusion, the other of equality, striving, and belonging. Drawing on a decade writing for Barack Obama, Rhodes also shows us how words can redirect a nation, what makes a speech enduring, and why oratory is a unique form of persuasion in American democracy.
From Benjamin Franklin’s call for compromise at the Constitutional Convention, to Alexander Stephens’ case for white supremacy as the cornerstone of the Confederacy; from Martin Luther King’s dream of true equality to Donald Trump’s rallying cry against democracy itself, these speeches remind us that history is a living argument. At a time when American identity—and truth—is contested, All We Say offers a fresh and powerful look at who we really are and who we could still become.

Ben Rhodes is the author of the New York Times bestsellers After the Fall and The World as It Is, co-host of Pod Save the World, a contributing opinion writer for the New York Times, a contributor for MS NOW, and a former deputy national security advisor and speechwriter to President Barack Obama.

L. Felice Gorordo is a seasoned chief executive, investment professional and board member. Felice brings more than two decades of leadership experience in management and governance, serving as CEO of three venture-backed technology companies, Executive Director at the world's largest multilateral development bank, investor and advisor at two venture capital funds with global mandates in healthcare and infrastructure, and board member on several for-profit and non-profit boards.
Felice is CEO of Embark, a management and finance consulting company revolutionizing the industry by promoting a culture of fanatical hospitality and innovation. With 24 offices and almost 600 employees across the U.S., Embark has been experiencing exponential growth (10x in 4 years) with a 87 Net Promoter Score from clients and 90% approval rating amongst team members.
Most recently, Felice served as the World Bank Executive Director for the United States, led the U.S. government’s shareholding and delegation, and served as the U.S. representative on the Board and Audit Committee of the World Bank Group, which disperses approximately $130 billion annually in grants, loans, investments and guarantees in emerging markets.
Previously, Felice was CEO of eMerge Americas, a venture-backed platform focused on transforming Miami into the tech hub of the Americas, which has cumulative economic impacts of $2.6 billion in the State of Florida, according to the Washington Economics Group.
Prior to that, Felice was President & CEO of Clearpath (acquired by L1BRE), a venture-backed tech company focused on streamlining the U.S. immigration filing process. Following the acquisition of Clearpath, Felice served as CEO of L1BRE, a venture-backed tech company that powered the largest taxi fleet in the world, with more than 138,000 cabs in circulation and 2.2 million daily riders.
Felice also served as a venture partner at I Squared Capital, a global infrastructure platform managing assets with over $40 billion in Enterprise Value, and Global Director at the venture capital fund StartUp Health. Earlier in his career, Felice served in the White House under both Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush. While in college, Felice co-founded Roots of Hope, a non-profit focused on youth empowerment in Cuba through technology and entrepreneurship.
Felice is a recipient of the “Ultimate CEO Award”by South Florida Business Journal (2023). He has appeared as a guest commentator on CNN, CNN en Español, BBC, NPR, CNBC, Bloomberg, NBC News, Univision, and Telemundo. His views and articles have also been published in Forbes, Fortune, Fast Company, The Economist, The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Miami Herald.

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