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Photo Credit: The Economic Club of Washington, D.C./Joshua Roberts

Our History

Watch the video below to view highlights and excerpts from Economic Club Chairman David Rubenstein and our Signature Series Speakers.

The mid 1980s were a flashpoint for Washington’s commercial growth. A burgeoning technology revolution, acquisitions and mergers, deregulation, suburban sprawl, an emerging global economy, and workforce diversification expanded D.C.’s once-compact business community in extraordinary ways. No longer was Washington exclusive to government interests; the region had become a corporate presence with which to be reckoned.

The Economic Club of Washington, D.C. was formed in 1986 to fill the critical need of providing a forum where area business leaders could broaden their sphere of influence through sharing, learning, debating, and coalescing around pressing economic issues. The Club’s founders envisioned a group that "would recognize the unique and critical role that Washington plays in the world economy and underscore the area’s increasing importance as a center of business activity."

Over the past three decades, the Economic Club has grown steadily and expanded its influence internationally. Today the Club boasts nearly 1,000 members. It is the region’s premier forum for executive peer networking and interaction, valued for its thought-provoking insights into the complex business issues confronting the United States and the world.