June 9th | Chain Reaction 2026: Iran and Upending the Nuclear Order
Save the Date: We are excited to announce the date for Ploughshares’ annual gala, Chain Reaction
Join us on Tuesday, June 9, 2026, from 5:30-8pm at The Commonwealth Club in San Francisco. The event will feature conversations with top policy and political leaders, experts, and activists in the nuclear field.
Chain Reaction: Iran and Upending the Nuclear Order.
Tuesday, June 9, 2026 | 5:30-8pm PT
The Commonwealth Club | 110 The Embarcadero San Francisco, CA
Program details to be announced
Click HERE to purchase your tickets.
Overview
Since February 28, the US and Israeli strikes on Iran have reshaped the regional landscape in ways that will take months, if not years, to fully understand. The human cost is serious, the diplomatic path is unclear, and the questions facing policymakers and peacebuilders are urgent.
Ploughshares is uniquely positioned to guide the nuclear field through these crises using lessons learned from our decades of experience and applying strategies to uncover new, longer-lasting solutions to the world’s greatest problem. Together, we can envision a new world order rid of nuclear threats. One where agreements, cooperation, and international standards are upheld.
A series of events so related that each one initiates the next is known as a chain reaction. Every year we gather leaders in our field, devoted partners, and new advocates to generate bold ideas and strategies to advance policies to reduce the threat of nuclear weapons. You—and every new ally you introduce to Ploughshares—represent critical innovators of change.
Chain Reaction Speakers
Dr. Emma Belcher
World-renowned expert on nuclear weapons policy, Dr. Emma Belcher is the President of Ploughshares and an authority on the threat of nuclear weapons and the nuances of nuclear weapons policy. Dr. Belcher began her career as a Public Affairs Officer at the Australian Embassy in Washington, DC; served as a national security and international affairs advisor in Australia’s Department of the Prime Minister; and held multiple fellowships at prestigious organizations.
Ben Rhodes
Ben Rhodes is a national security advisor and consultant. During his tenure as Deputy National Security Advisor in the Obama Administration, Rhodes led the secret negotiations with the Cuban government which resulted in the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba and served as an advisor on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran. He is the co-hosts the Crooked Media podcast Pod Save the World.
Dr. Chen Zak Kane
Dr. Chen Zak Kane directs the CNS Middle East Nonproliferation Program and heads the Middle East Weapons of Mass Destruction Free Zone Project at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research. She founded the Middle East Next Generation Arms Control Network and has held research positions at Harvard’s Belfer Center and the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. She has advised the Jebsen Center for Counter-Terrorism at Tufts University and the Crown Center for Middle East Studies at Brandeis University, and has served as an adjunct professor at the National Defense University. Previously, she worked at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). She holds a PhD and MALD from Tufts University’s Fletcher School, and an MA and BA from Tel Aviv University.
Dr. Avner Cohen
Trained as a philosopher and historian of ideas, Dr. Cohen turned early on in his career into nuclear history. He is widely known for his path-breaking historical studies of the Israeli nuclear program. He is a two-time winner of the MacArthur Foundation research and writing awards, in 1990 and 2004. He was also a Senior Fellow at the United States Institute of Peace in 1997-98 and 2007-08, and a Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington DC in 2008-09. Currently he is a Global Fellow with the Nuclear Proliferation International History Project at the Woodrow Wilson Center and a Senior Fellow at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS).
Sina Toossi
Sina Toossi is a Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the Center for International Policy focused on U.S.–Iran relations, Middle East geopolitics, nuclear policy, and human rights advocacy. His writing has appeared in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The Guardian, USA Today, and Al Jazeera English, and his analysis has been featured by CNN, BBC, The Wall Street Journal, and other international media outlets. In 2024, he received the Middle East Policy Council’s 40 Under 40 Award. He holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from American University.
Please consider supporting the event with a sponsorship:
All Chain Reaction sponsors will receive recognition on all print and electronic event materials, onscreen during the program, on the Ploughshares website, and in the 2026 annual report. Sponsorships include admission for up to eight guests.
Sally Lilienthal Sponsor – $20,000+ A Sally Lilienthal Sponsorship honors the legacy of our founder. A gift of $20,000 allows us to make grants that respond to urgent needs, such as “fly-ins” so constituents can meet directly with congressional offices and advocate against dangerous nuclear legislation. Sally Lilienthal Sponsors are listed as co-chairs of the Host Committee and will receive verbal recognition during the program and VIP seating for you and your guests.
Advocate Level – $10,000 An Advocate level sponsorship helps educate and support the next generation working to eliminate nuclear weapons. For example, $10,000 is the stipend each Ploughshares Nuclear Futures Fellow receives to kickstart an innovative capstone project at their home organization. Advocates receive verbal recognition during the program and VIP seating for you and your guests.
Activist Level – $5,000 As an Activist, you support coordination activities to shift public opinion about nuclear weapons. For example, each of the four members of the Core Team for Ploughshares’ Stop the Nuclear Arms Race Roundtable receive a $5,000 honorarium from Ploughshares for their leadership of cross-organizational efforts to bolster our collective impact on the future of arms control and diplomacy. Includes VIP seating for you and your guests.
Analyst Level – $2,500 As an Analyst, you help to demonstrate the benefits of safer nuclear policies. For example, $2,500 covers the cost of an educational workshop about the legacy of nuclear weapons in a community harmed by America’s nuclear past. In addition, Analysts receive entry for eight guests to the event.
Other ticket options:
President’s Ticket – $1,000 Includes entry for eight guests.
Executive Director’s Ticket – $250 Includes entry for two guests.
Single Ticket – $150 Includes entry for one guest.
For more information about the event or sponsorship opportunities, please contact us at events@ploughshares.org or 415-668-2244.
Enjoy articles and videos about previous Chain Reaction events. We hope to see you in June!
