OAKLAND, CA—On September 22, Independent Institute will host its 30th Anniversary Gala for the Future of Liberty at the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco.

The Oakland-based nonprofit think tank—which promotes independent thinking for addressing important social and economic and fostering human flourishing—will be presenting the Alexis de Tocqueville Award to three champions of freedom, innovation, and enterprise who will be in attendance:

• Human-rights activist Yeonmi Park, who escaped from North Korea at age 13, offers a message of hope to the estimated 25 million people living under the oppressive rule of Kim Jong-un;

• High-tech venture capitalist Timothy C. Draper is also a dedicated philanthropist and the founder of the entrepreneurship-education organizations BizWorld.org and Draper University of Heroes;

• Nobel Prize laureate economist Vernon L. Smith has pioneered experimental economics as a method for better understanding human cooperation and voluntary exchange.

Bestselling author and political humorist P. J. O’Rourke will serve as the Master of Ceremonies.

“I founded Independent Institute in 1986 to spearhead a non-politicized approach to promoting liberty, prosperity, and human flourishing,” says Independent Institute President David J. Theroux. “Our work is far from done, but on September 22 we will reflect on our successes, honor some of our greatest heroes, and share our vision for a promising future.”

The Independent Institute is a non-profit, research, and educational organization that promotes the power of independent thinking to boldly advance peaceful, prosperous, and free societies grounded in a commitment to human worth and dignity.

For more information, visit www.independent.org. For media inquiries, contact Communications Manager Rob Ade: [email protected]; (510) 632-1366, ext. 114.