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The Diplomat + Luminary Award 2026

Tickets Become a Sponsor Can’t Attend? Donate!

Join us for an unforgettable evening at The Diplomat + Luminary Award, the World Affairs Council of Connecticut’s signature gathering of diplomats from around the world and Connecticut’s top business, government, and community leaders.

Over 50 nations will be represented as Consuls General, Ambassadors, and dignitaries gather in Hartford to offer unparalleled opportunities to connect, exchange ideas, and foster international partnerships.

This year, we proudly present the Luminary Award, honoring a Connecticut leader whose work has made a meaningful impact on the world.

Be part of an evening where diplomacy meets community, and where Connecticut shines on the global stage.

The Details

When: Tuesday, June 9 | 6:00pm – 8:00pm
Where: The Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art | Hartford, CT
Tickets: General Admission $125; Member Admission $99; Patron $250


 Unlock special member pricing by becoming a Council member today. Join here or select the membership add-on during checkout.

Can't attend? Donate instead!

The 2026 Luminary Award

Karl J. Krapek
Global Visionary, Titan of Industry, Philanthropist

The World Affairs Council of Connecticut is proud to honor Karl J. Krapek with the 2026 Luminary Award, recognizing his extraordinary global leadership and lasting impact on industry and community.

Across a distinguished career - and through initiatives like Hartford Youth Scholars - Karl exemplifies principled, forward-looking leadership and a deep commitment to expanding opportunity for the next generation in Hartford and beyond.

Join us on June 9 at The Diplomat for an unforgettable evening as we honor a leader who has changed the world for the better.

Sponsors

Support the Luminary-Diplomat as we honor Karl Krapek and celebrate Connecticut's global impact. Learn about sponsorship opportunities here.

Mission Partners

 

Join the Community

With continuous breaking global news, Council membership allows you to understand it all. Members gain lower-cost and exclusive access to discussions with foreign and local leaders, events with experts and opposing views, and – most essentially – a community of engaged people like yourself.

Become a member or renew today.

250 Years of American Diplomacy

Featuring Michael Brenes, Director of the Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy at Yale

Join us as we celebrate America’s 250th anniversary with an all-American party and reflect on America’s place in the world after 250 years.

We’ll explore the pivotal decisions, influential leaders, and defining moments that propelled the nation onto the global stage.

How has diplomacy shaped America – and what does it mean for the road ahead? Join the celebration and RSVP today.

Details

Thursday, June 18, 2026 | 5:30-7:30pm
5:30pm Celebration | 6:30pm Discussion
World Affairs Council, Studio A, Hartford CT
Tickets: $30 General Admission, $20 Members | No Charge for Students


Featuring

Michael Brenes is co-director of the Brady-Johnson Program in Grand Strategy and lecturer in history at Yale University.

His research interests include United States foreign policy, political history, and political economy. He is the author of For Might and Right: Cold War Defense Spending and the Remaking of American Democracy, published by University of Massachusetts Press in 2020, and the co-editor (with Daniel Bessner) of Rethinking U.S. Power: Domestic Histories of U.S. Foreign Relations, published by Palgrave MacMillan in 2024. His next book, co-authored with Van Jackson, is titled The Rivalry Peril: How Great-Power Competition Threatens Peace and Weakens Democracy, and will be published by Yale University Press in January 2025.

In addition to his academic articles and book chapters, his work has been published in The New York Times, The New Republic, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, Politico, Dissent, Boston Review, The Nation, and The Chronicle of Higher Education.

He is currently writing a history of the War and Terror from the 1990s to the present, to be published by Grove/Atlantic. He is also finalizing a co-edited volume with Daniel Bessner on Cold War liberalism, which is under contract with Cambridge University Press.

Join the Community

With continuous breaking global news, Council membership allows you to understand it all. Members gain lower-cost and exclusive access to discussions with foreign and local leaders, events with experts and opposing views, and – most essentially – a community of engaged people like yourself.

Become a member or renew today.

Mission Partners

Support global engagement in Connecticut by contacting CEO Megan Torrey about sponsorship opportunities. Learn more on our website about available opportunities.

The World Affairs Council of Connecticut provides a platform for open dialogue and the exchange of ideas on global issues. The views expressed by speakers and contributors to this organization’s public programs—in person, online, and through affiliated social media sites— are solely their own and do not necessarily represent the official policies or positions of CTWAC, its individual staff, board members, members, or sponsors. As a nonpartisan and nonpolitical organization, CTWAC’s purpose is to foster informed discussion and greater understanding of the world, without endorsing any particular viewpoint.