More than 5,000 people descended upon the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles this week for the 22nd Annual Milken Institute Global Conference. Leaders from finance, philanthropy, environment, and other sectors convened to collaborate, share ideas and discuss ways we can drive shared prosperity -- the theme of this year's event.

Here’s a look at what people were talking about:

On the role of philanthropy

“Our ability to be humble in our work, our ability to understand what becomes our lane, what becomes our role, what becomes the unique ways we can use our capital to be catalytic to be able to address structure --- that’s a unique place that philanthropy can help fill.” - Wes Moore, CEO, Robin Hood

“Place-based [philanthropy] is proactive, not reactive. We’re not waiting for people to come to us. It’s anchored in assets. Assets are defined first as people, second as places and the last are resources … It will lead to the redistribution of resources that will result in systemic change.” - Diana Bucco, President, The Buhl Foundation

“There is a need to create infrastructure to make money flow to many humanitarian needs in the world,” - Cecilia Conrad, CEO, Lever for Change, Managing Director, 100&Change, John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

“At the same that we’re passing a law to do away with perpetuity … we must make sure we have organizations that have the capability to take large amounts of capital and put it to work with great efficacy.” – George Pavlov, CEO Bayshore Global Management

On effective disaster philanthropy

“It’s not about raising more money, it’s about distributing it in the right way.” - Petra Nemcova, Founder, All Hands and Hearts

Tackling poverty

"When you get to have a conversation and understand where these people are coming from, they touch you in such a way, that you can't wait to come back the next year. Now you find yourself wanting to build sustainable systems for people to be able to empower themselves ... and get themselves out of the cycle of poverty." - Ndaba Mandela, Co-Founder and Chairman, Africa Rising Foundation

“Face [poverty] where it exists, not just where we’re comfortable doing the work.” - Shirley Franklin, Executive Board Chair, Purpose Built Communities

On inclusion

“There isn’t a space where people feel they have equal access to power. Success [in art institutions] would be if you have a regular population who are diverse.” - Charles Gaines, Artist

Critiquing philanthropy

“To make the impact we need to make, we have to get philanthropy to take risks, be more nimble and swing for the fences.” - Scott Budnick, Founder and President, Anti-Recidivism Coalition; Film producer; CEO, One Community

“The broader effect of the capital market money-making system is probably more important that what philanthropy on its own could ever do.” -Rob Reich, Professor, Stanford University, and Author of “Just Giving: Why Philanthropy is Failing Democracy and How It Can Do Better”