WHY

Much like the Biblical Noah, we find ourselves today in a world driven by crises—economic, political, social, environmental, and epidemiological. Each of these crises has been drawn into stark relief in the COVID-19 pandemic wreaking havoc on human lives and livelihoods around the globe.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the response to it have served as a global referendum on humanity, shining a klieg light on those who have risen to the occasion, those who have made matters worse, those who have sat on the sidelines, and those who have leapt into the fray with an unwavering commitment to find and disseminate a cure. The crisis has moved seasoned professionals and ordinary Americans to come together and support their neighbors in vital ways big and small.

Starting from the premise that relying exclusively on governments for disaster preparedness and management has proven woefully inadequate, the Ark Institute seeks to engage an innovative and entrepreneurial private sector, in collaboration with world-leading academic institutions and a robust non-profit civil society, to meet the challenge both of ending the current pandemic and preparing to meet future epidemics head-on.

That dynamic collaboration between the business and academic/civic sectors is realized in the Ark Institute’s two-pronged approach to our mission. Our Think Tank will enlist its member subject matter experts to study the epidemiological underpinnings of the coronavirus’s spread, the infrastructural pitfalls into which attempts to curb it have fallen, and the scientific/medical shortcomings of prior preparations.

Meanwhile, the Ark Institute’s Do Tank will convene leaders and connectors from the worlds of philanthropy, finance, pharmaceuticals, product manufacturing and commercial distribution to put the recommendations into practice. By supporting investments in manufacturing capabilities, state of the art PPE acquisition, storage and distribution methods, chemical and essential supply manufacturing, public education campaigns and government lobbying, the Ark Institute’s Do Tank will identify and engage in the practical and necessary operations to safeguard against the next infectious catastrophe.