Henry Elkus is the founder and CEO of Helena, a problem solving institution that brings together leaders from business, science, policy, and philanthropy to take on humanity’s hardest challenges. From climate change to AI safety to the future of democracy, Helena is rewriting how institutions act on the issues that will define our century.

Unlike a think tank or a traditional nonprofit, Helena does not stop at ideas. It sources, vets, and implements real projects. That has meant protecting the U.S. electrical grid through the SHIELD Project, responding to pandemic threats through Helena Biosecurity, and reimagining democracy with America in One Room, a deliberative experiment featured on the front page of The New York Times.

Henry started Helena when he was just 20 years old, leaving Yale to pursue the vision of building an institution designed to last far beyond his own lifetime. In less than a decade, Helena has grown into a platform where Nobel laureates, entrepreneurs, scientists, and policymakers come together to take action on problems that affect us all.

In our conversation Henry shares:

• How he went from Yale dropout to building a global institution at 20 years old
• The relentless early hustle of cold emails, rejections, and conference crashes that led to Helena’s first members, including Nobel laureates
• Why Helena was structured to act across nonprofit, for profit, and policy channels depending on what a problem demands
• The inside story of Helena’s early projects, from securing critical infrastructure to advancing pandemic preparedness and democratic reform
• His reflections on a decade of building and why Helena must be designed to outlive its founder

This is a story about ambition at scale and the grind it takes to turn vision into an institution that can change the future.

Henry’s Bookshelf

Henry shared several books that have shaped his thinking on leadership, problem-solving, and building institutions:

• The Brothers Karamazov: A recent, life-changing read that offers a mind-blowing and intimate exploration of human nature, madness, and family dynamics through deeply developed characters.
• The Lessons of History: A profound 100-page summary of 50 years of historical study, conveying essential, repeated lessons about human nature and civilization that deeply changed his perspective.
• The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire: A recent read that illustrates how civilizations collapse in slow motion, providing crucial, timeless lessons on structural decline and societal challenges relevant today.
• The Little Prince: His all-time favorite book for its ability to distill complex philosophical concepts into a simple, beautiful children’s story, representing a philosophy of life he constantly revisits.
• Paleolithic Cave Art (Textbook): An unexpected recommendation that sparked new ways of thinking about early human intelligence, communication, and the meaning behind ancient cave paintings.

If you want to dive deeper into his bookshelf and follow along with the titles that continue to shape him, you can find his full reading list on ElkList or Analogue

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