At the Coalface is a conversation series hosted by Philippe Rose. Guests share personal stories from behind the headlines of international affairs and reflect on lessons learned from careers in diplomacy, international organisations, NGOs, journalism and the private sector. Many guests also share the common experience of attending graduate school at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. The podcast focuses on how practitioners make an impact in the world.
Episodes
Nikole Burroughs – Finding Common Ground in a Divided Capital
In this episode, I catch up with Nikole Burroughs, whose career has taken her from Capitol Hill to the State Department and USAID, and now to government affairs and lobbying in Washington.Growing up in rural Vermont, Nikole had little exposure to international affairs until a university class on the European Union opened up a new world. Her instinct to challenge injustice was already there, though
Kim Wilson: Beyond Vulnerability: The Ingenuity We Overlook
In this episode, I sit down with Kim Wilson, a financial inclusion scholar and practitioner whose work has taken her from the world of business and finance to the everyday financial lives of migrants and communities often overlooked by formal institutions.Kim reflects on how her early career in finance led her towards international development, and how her experiences with microfinance challenged
David Browne - Home Beyond Borders
In this episode, I sit down with David Browne, a former USAID Foreign Service Officer whose career has taken him from Bolivia and Bangladesh to the West Bank, Uganda, and now back home to local government in North Carolina.David reflects on growing up between India and the United States, never quite fitting neatly into a single cultural identity, and how those early experiences shaped his lifelong
Robert (Mark) Nelson - You Can't Be Fully Loved Until You're Fully Known
In this episode, I sit down with Rob (Mark) Nelson, a pharmacist and lifelong student of languages, culture, and global affairs.Mark reflects on growing up in New Mexico, where a rich blend of cultures, languages, and family influences first sparked his curiosity about the wider world. He shares how formative experiences in Mexico deepened his appreciation for cultural understanding and reinforced
Perry Boyle - The Three Wars in Ukraine
In this episode, I sit down with Perry Boyle for the second time, two years after our first conversation about his efforts to build Ukraine's domestic defence industry. Much has changed since then, with Ukraine emerging as one of the world's most innovative defence ecosystems and developing technologies that other countries are increasingly looking to learn from.Perry reflects on how thi
Carolina L. - Between Stimulus and Response There Is a Space
In this episode, Siri and I sit down with Carolina L., an Argentinian economist and humanitarian whose career with the United Nations took her from New York to East Timor and Iraq. Carolina reflects on the experiences that first drew her to international affairs, her fascination with diplomacy, and the sense of purpose she found working in some of the world's most challenging environments.Car
Tyson Johnson - From Being Dead Right to Leading Well
In this episode, I sit down with Tyson Johnson, a leader whose career has spanned intelligence, enterprise risk, cybersecurity, digital transformation, and artificial intelligence.Tyson reflects on the conversations around his family's dinner table, the influence of his World War II veteran grandfather, and the curiosity that first led him to explore how the world works. He shares how a caree
Mildred Pantouw - Learning Before Helping: Lessons from a Life in Development
In this episode, I sit down with Mildred Pantouw, a public health and international development leader whose career has taken her from Indonesia to the United States, Guinea, and back to Indonesia.Mildred reflects on growing up between two cultures and how navigating life between Indonesia and the United States shaped her understanding of identity, community, and service. She shares how her faith,
Chris Salinas – To Lead, First Learn to Follow
In this episode, I sit down with Chris Salinas, a former U.S. Coast Guard officer whose career has spanned international security, maritime cooperation, and technology.Chris reflects on the experiences during his teenage years that first drew him toward a life of service, and how those early influences led him to the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. He shares how working alongside partners across culture
Laura B. - Insuring the uninsurable: helping the private sector navigate political risk
In this episode, I explore Laura’s journey into the fascinating world of political risk insurance, a space that is exploding in relevance as business leaders grapples with an ever more complex geopolitical landscape. Laura shares her insights into the way businesses navigate political risk and the leadership and organisational blindspots she’s noticed. She then distils a few principles that the mo
Tjark Egenhoff - Revolutions, Democracy, and the Courage to Be Yourself
In this episode, I sit down with Tjark Marten Egenhoff, a development and foreign policy leader whose life has been shaped by movement, service, and the search for belonging.Tjark reflects on growing up across countries and cultures, from revolutionary Iran to Argentina during periods of political upheaval. He shares how those early experiences, together with a strong sense of justice instilled by
Mariana Deluera - Between Roots and Reinvention: Making Sense of a Changing World
In this episode, I sit down with Mariana Deluera, a geopolitical risk analyst whose life has been shaped by movement, adaptation, and the search for belonging.Mariana reflects on growing up across five countries as the daughter of a Mexican diplomat. She shares what it was like to become repeatedly uprooted and re-rooted, and how returning to Mexico as a teenager left her feeling both at home and
Stephen Hunnewell - Service, Narratives, and a Changing World Order
In this episode, I sit down with Stephen Hunnewell, a former national security and irregular warfare practitioner whose career has spanned Special Operations, geopolitics, technology, and strategic competition.Steve reflects on growing up in a single-parent household, the values that shaped him early on, and the impact 9/11 had on his generation. We talk about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the
Gian Jones - You Can’t Serve If You’re Bought
In this episode, I sit down with Gian Jones, a real estate investor, community builder, and congressional candidate.Gian reflects on growing up in the Rockaways in a single-parent household, taking on responsibility early as the oldest of three, and a childhood that was modest but grounded in strong family and community.He shares how he found his way into real estate, first as a way to make money,
Daniel Freeman - The Search for Belonging, Reinvention, and Second Chances
In this episode, I sit down with Daniel Freeman, a former U.S. Air Force intelligence officer, entrepreneur, and community builder whose life has been shaped by movement, reinvention, and the search for belonging.Daniel reflects on growing up in a military family, constantly adapting to new places while carrying a quiet sense of not fully fitting in. Over time, that same tension would shape his pa
Barker Keith - Between Idealism and Interests: Law, Risk, and the Real World
In this episode, I sit down with Barker Keith, whose career spans military service, law, and sovereign risk management.Barker reflects on growing up in Venezuela, and how his early, idealised view of the United States was challenged by friends who saw the world less through ideology and more through national interests.He shares formative experiences from his time in the U.S. Army, his transition i
Siobhán MacDermott - Risk, Identity, and a Life Between Worlds
In this episode, I speak with Siobhán MacDermott, a cybersecurity and public policy expert whose career spans Silicon Valley, global finance, and advisory.Siobhán reflects on an itinerant childhood and how constantly being the “new kid” shaped her relationship with risk, identity, and belonging. What began as an ambition to become an ER doctor took unexpected turns, from scouting mobile tower loca
Jay Truesdale - Purpose, Diplomacy, and the Craft of Understanding Risk
In this episode, I sit down with Jay Truesdale, a geopolitical risk adviser and former U.S. diplomat and Navy Reserve officer whose career spans diplomacy, military service, and private sector leadership.Jay traces his sense of duty back to childhood, inspired by family stories of wartime service. That early call led him into diplomacy and the Navy Reserve, with formative experiences across Russia
Andres Boaz Munoz Mosquera - History in the Blood, Service in the Present
In this episode, I sit down with Andres Boaz Munoz Mosquera, a former Spanish military officer, NATO legal adviser, professor of international law, and spiritual caregiver, whose life has been shaped by war, democracy, and service.Andrés describes himself as “the product of three wars”: the Spanish Civil War, Spain’s colonial conflicts in North Africa, and the war in Bosnia in the 1990s. His famil
Iman Kamel - An Inquiry into Resisting, Transforming, Being
In this episode, I sit down with Iman Kamel, an Egyptian filmmaker, writer, artist and creator, whose work explores inner resistance, transformation, and living between worlds.Living between Germany and Egypt, Ima’s path spans dance, visual art, film, and international relations. Her films blur the line between documentary and fiction, using embodied storytelling to explore fear, rebellion, and be
Guillermo de los Santos - Fundraising for Good: On Ethical Persuasion
In this episode, I speak with Guillermo de los Santos, a humanitarian fundraiser whose career began as an unintended detour.After studying international relations with hopes of working in diplomacy, Guillermo found himself stuck in telemarketing. What felt like a dead end became an unexpected training ground in persuasion, listening, and human motivation.A chance opportunity led him to UNICEF, whe
Mahendra Shunmoogam - A Life Working Toward a Better Society
In this episode, I sit down with Mahendra Shunmoogam, a South African policy thinker working at the intersection of industry, trade, and climate diplomacy.Mahendra’s path spans HIV/AIDS activism, science and economic policy, government diplomacy, corporate affairs, and global climate governance. From working with Zackie Achmat at the Treatment Action Campaign to coordinating negotiations for the G
Rob Palmer - From the Battlefield to the Beltway, on Leadership and Influence
In this episode, I sit down with Rob Palmer, corporate government relations executive and retired U.S. Air Force Reserve public affairs officer, for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, influence, and the art of translating complexity across the worlds of politics, the military, and industry.Rob’s career spans trade association lobbying, military public affairs, NATO operations, and today th
Emma N’Gouan Anoh - Bringing grassroots experience for better development partnerships in Africa
In this episode, I speak with Emma N’Gouan Anoh. Emma shares her journey and insights as a seasoned development professional currently working at the UNDP in Djibouti. Emma traces the pull she felt towards development to conversations with her father when noticing the jarring inequalities in her home country of Ivory Coast. In our conversation, we discuss what stakeholder participation means in pr
Dylan Monaghan - Reengineering Our World, The Self Beyond the Mind
In this episode, I speak with Dylan Monaghan, engineer, pilot, linguist, digital nomad, and author of Singlethreading. Dylan’s life is a study in reinvention: from a childhood in the Virgin Islands to an elite school in White Plains, from the discipline of the U.S. Air Force to the creative freedom of Japan. His story moves across cultures and identities, and somehow he has stitched these chapters
Fredrik Norman - The Long Ride: Values, Change and Continuity
In this episode, I speak with Fredrik Norman, whose story captures Norway’s remarkable transformation, from a country built on fishing to one where new generations could freely choose their path.We spoke about navigating career choices in a rapidly changing economy, and Fredrik’s journey through the energy industry, a path we both share, before he moved into public service.We also touched on marri
Nicodemus Ajak Bior - The Long Walk from War to Leadership
In this episode, I speak with Nicodemus Ajak Bior, a former child soldier from South Sudan who defied unimaginable odds to become a scholar, public servant, and advocate for transparency.At just eight years old, Nicodemus was taken by rebels and thrust into a world of survival, separation, and loss. His escape, walking over hundreds of kilometres barefoot through war zones and jungles, marks the b
Michael Klein - How to Talk About Economics Without Losing the Plot
In this episode, I speak with Professor Michael Klein, founder and co-editor of EconoFact and Professor of Economics at The Fletcher School. Michael has served as Chief Economist in the U.S. Treasury and as a visiting scholar at the Federal Reserve and the IMF.We discuss how sound economic analysis can cut through noise and polarization, and why clear communication of facts is critical for better
Krystal Ramsden: From Faith to Fractures, a Journey Through Mining, Resilience, and Meaning
In this episode, I speak with Krystal Ramsden. Krystal was raised in an ultra-religious, homeschooled environment. Her early world was one of strict boundaries, until science, education, and the wider world cracked it open. What followed was a lifelong pursuit of knowledge and a career that has taken her from field camps in the Yukon to the geopolitical battlegrounds of mining finance and fragile
William Morrissey: Adaptability is key, frontline lessons from special forces to business
In this episode, I speak with William Morrissey about his remarkable journey from a career in the special forces to leadership roles in the private sector. Bill reflects on pivotal moments in his path, when he chose to persevere through challenges, and when he decided it was time to cash his chips and move on.We explore how his military career shaped his approach to leadership, including his work
Jeff Taliaferro: Against the Grain, The Making of a Realist
In this episode, I speak with Professor Jeffrey Taliaferro of the Fletcher School, a leading scholar of international relations and a key voice in the development of neoclassical realism. We explore the formative experiences that led him to study great power strategy and the complex relationships between great powers and their allies. Jeff reflects on realism’s resurgence after Russia’s annexation
Natalia Navarre - Shamanism, Intuition, and the Entrepreneur’s Journey
In this episode of At the Coalface, I sit down with Natalia, an entrepreneur and seeker whose story weaves together Russia, Ecuador, Canada, and beyond.Born to a Russian mother and Ecuadorian father, Natalia grew up in Quito feeling like both an insider and an outsider. Her father, a doctor in the jungle, would return with stories from indigenous peoples that sparked her lifelong fascination with
Gul Rukh Rahman - The Rebel from Peshawar on the Politics of Philanthropy
In this episode, I speak with Gul Rukh Rahman, a woman whose life and work cross continents, cultures, and the fault lines of global politics.Born in Pakistan and raised in countries including Libya and Saudi Arabia, Gul moved to the US for university before settling in Europe 15 years ago. She grew up in conservative Peshawar in the protective bubble of a military family, yet in a region marked b
Honey Al Sayed: Reinvention in exile and owning the past before it owns you
What does it take to rebuild your life, again and again, when the ground keeps shifting beneath you?In this personal and wide-ranging conversation, Philippe sits down with Honey Al Sayed, a media pioneer turned executive coach, whose life has spanned seven countries, three wars, and countless reinventions. Born in Kuwait to Syrian parents, Honey's path was anything but linear, from escaping w
Robert Palm: Leadership at Altitude: on Service, Fairness, and Space
In this episode, I sit down with Rob Palm, former U.S. Navy aviator, military diplomat, and now space tech executive, for a wide-ranging conversation on military diplomacy, reinventions and leadership.Over a 29-year Navy career, Rob flew F-14s and later served as a Foreign Area Officer, advancing U.S. defence collaboration across Europe and the Middle East. Today, he’s helping to shape the future
Curtis A. Smith - The Doctrine of No: Power, Identity & the Politics of Refusal
In this episode, I sit down with Curtis A. Smith, a political thinker, author, and practitioner whose journey spans the worlds of media, finance, and direct community service. From a childhood steeped in conversations that challenged liberal orthodoxies, to feeding the homeless and working with youth in recovery, Curtis has developed a rich and personal understanding of power, injustice, and resil
Eileen Barber - Impact and Impermanence and What It Takes to Keep Aid Working
In this episode, I speak with Eileen Barber about her career in international development and the transformative years she spent in Colombia helping farmers improve their livelihoods. We explore the power of foreign aid programmes rooted in strong community engagement, and why it's just as important to communicate their impact back home to sustain political and public support. Eileen reflects
Athanasia Shinas - Where Service Meets Self: A Senior Military Logistician on Purpose and Leadership
In this episode, I sit down with Athanasia Shinas just hours after her graduation from The Fletcher School to reflect on her remarkable 28-year career as a senior military logistics officer. What begins as a conversation about career choices, from a childhood love of archaeology to joining ROTC, evolves into a deeply personal exploration of leadership, service, and growth. Athanasia shares how she
Jorge Tuddón - The Diplomat’s Detour: on Stories, Spirit, and Starting Over
In this episode, former Mexican diplomat Jorge Tuddón shares his journey into the foreign service and reflects on the unexpected influences, what he calls “angels”, that shaped his career path. He recounts the emotional weight and richness of serving as a mobile consular officer across the U.S., where he encountered the powerful and often untold stories of Mexicans abroad. Jorge also opens up abou
Theo R. - Trauma and Power in Africa’s Great Lakes
In this episode, Theo offers a deeply informed perspective on the conflict unfolding in the Great Lakes region of Africa. He unpacks the forces shaping the crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda’s role in it, drawing connections between colonial legacies, economic interests, and the personal influence of political leaders.With the region still carrying the unhealed trauma of genocid
Derreck Kayongo - From Soap to Soul: on Legacy and Leadership
In this episode, I speak with Derreck Kayongo, founder of the Global Soap Project, which recycles hotel soap for communities in Africa without access to basic sanitation. In a conversation that moves between the idealistic and the deeply personal, we explore the trauma that fuelled his entrepreneurial drive and the lessons he's learned as a change-maker. We talk about how embodying a brand—th
Nelly Arocha Dagdug - Rediscovering purpose, a journey of self-discovery and healing
In this episode, I speak with Nelly Arocha Dagdug. Nelly shares her professional journey working for Mexico’s government on improving transparency in the electoral process and then in the field of information disclosure. Her story gives a fascinating insight into Mexico’s shift towards a more pluralistic political system and the cultural shock that came with it. Our conversation switches gear to e
Lasha Kasradze - From Georgia to Florida: Navigating Chaos, Freedom, and Identity
In this episode, Lasha Kasradze shares his journey from growing up in the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic to witnessing the chaos following the collapse of the Soviet Union and eventually moving to the United States as a teenager.The conversation explores how his experience of straddling cultures and striving to integrate shaped his worldview, fuelled his drive to survive and thrive in the U.S.
Sang Yeob Kim - Balancing interests and personalities in high stakes diplomacy
In this episode, I speak with Sang Yeob Kim. Sang shares his experience growing up across cultures, being exposed to Latin America as a child. This planted the seed for him to return as an adult to work as a diplomat, initially working for Chile. In our conversation, Sang shares his secrets about navigating high stakes diplomacy at the UN and, at the other end of the spectrum, about delivering res
David Kovar - Managing the existential threat of UAV cybersecurity
In this episode, I speak with David Kovar. David shares his thought leadership in the field of cybersecurity and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles forensics. David’s work addresses cyber crime and informs domestic and international policies on these important yet often poorly understood topics. David shares his philosophy about bringing the temperature down, finding a common language and translating compl
Kelly Sims Gallagher - The art of climate diplomacy and navigating the U.S.-China relationship
In this episode, I speak with Professor Kelly Sims Gallagher, Dean of the Fletcher School. In our conversation, we explore how Kelly’s early life and exposure to air pollution shaped her desire to dedicate her life to environmental issues. Kelly shares the insights of her research on China in the late 1990s and her realisation that China would become a world leader in climate issues, both as emitt
Olena Tregub - The power of civil society to reform Ukraine's governance in the midst of war
In this episode, I speak with Olena Tregub. Olena shares her fascinating trajectory, growing up in Soviet times and witnessing her country’s independence. The relative immaturity of the political landscape at the time prompted her to get involved politically at a young age. Olena shares the unique role that civil society plays in Ukraine and its power to affect deep change. Her organization, NAKO,
William Moomaw - Our climate emergency: why net zero won’t be enough, we need to maintain natural systems
In this episode, I speak with Professor William Moomaw. Prof. Moomaw is a world renowned expert in sustainable development. He has been a long-time contributor and lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, including in 2007 when the IPCC was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Prof. Moomaw has changed the worldview of many of his students as part of his teaching at the Fletcher Sch
Jeff Dodson - Leadership lessons from a life in finance, executive search and teaching
In this episode, I speak with Jeff Dodson. Jeff shares his life and leadership lessons from his multiple careers, first as an investment banker working on Wall Street, then in the beverage industry, then pivoting to the executive search business, and most recently as a high school teacher. In our conversation, we reflect on what characterises the best leaders, what they think about in the shower,
Jivan Ljupčo Gjorginski - Calming things down: the high stakes of bioweapons diplomacy
In this episode, I speak with Jivan Gjorginski. Together we dive into the complexities of diplomatic efforts to regulate biological and toxins weapons that Jivan has been spearheading. We also touch on his earlier work on lethal autonomous weapons. Jivan reflects on his personal journey, straddling Macedonia and Canada, and how his drive for calming things down guided his decisions and career.Reco
Ifeoma Okali - A lifelong pursuit of equality and justice in Nigeria and beyond
In this episode, I speak with Ifeoma Okali. Ifeoma shares her journey growing up in Nigeria, finding her way into the legal profession, animated by a strong sense of the importance of equality and protecting civil rights in a society that was still very male dominated. We talk about her experience of 12 years working for the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the role of internatio
Adam Barbina - Where love is absent, power fills the vacuum: on geostrategy, bridging divides and living after cancer
In this episode, I speak with Adam Barbina. Adam shares his memories of growing up in rural Ohio in a hard working, religious and conservative family. After studying at a liberal grad school and living in New York City, Adam still remains connected to his roots and understands conservative viewpoints, wishing more people could see both sides. We talk about his career break into geostrategy consult
Zack Peterson - Tackling childhood stunting door to door: a grassroots mission to change the world
In this episode, I speak with Zack Peterson. Zack founded 1000 Days Fund, an NGO addressing childhood stunting in Indonesia at a grassroots level with specially trained community health workers. Zack was working at the World Bank when he was confronted with the pernicious creep of stunting that was about to affect his daughter - and he decided to jump out and start his NGO. 1000 Days Fund has had
Carolina Neal - From Costa Rica to Missouri: a story of building roots by restoring buildings
In this episode, I speak with Carolina Neal. Carolina is originally from Costa Rica, a country with a deep connection to the wisdom of nature. Her grandmother, the powerful head of her family, had picked Carolina out among her many siblings for her smarts and sent her for higher education. Carolina’s life was destined for high political office, but love got in the way and she ended up in Joplin, M
Nino Kalandadze - The new Iron Curtain and the Russian state capture in Georgia
Nino Kalandadze was one of our first guests on this podcast. Then, she spoke about her experience forged as a young politician while her country, Georgia, was fighting a war with Russia. In this conversation, Nino sheds light on the direction Georgian politics have taken, as a capture of state institutions is under way by interests aligned with Russia. The upcoming Parliamentary elections and the
Dana Dumitrascu - How to (re)discover our vocation and fill our inner void
In this episode, I speak with Dana Dumitrascu. Dana just published a book, How To Discover Your Vocation. In our conversation, we explore Dana’s backstory and how she grew into becoming a vocational coach. Her book helps people, young and experienced in life, shed the conditioning we’ve all inherited about work and jobs, and look at vocation in a new way. Dana’s framework is practical and involves
Bernard Zongo - Shaping Burkina Faso with music and words, an unlikely journey from nothing to mining
In this episode, I speak with Bernard Zongo. Bernard’s story inspires me in so many ways. He grew up in a poor environment where the odds were stacked against him doing much with his life. His relentless determination to pursue education, with a sprinkle of help along the way, led him to blaze a path in local development, urbanism, humanitarian interventions in conflict zones and more recently, in
Michael Brasseur - Robotics and AI for a digital ocean: lessons in leadership and innovation from a life at sea
In this episode, I speak with Michael Brasseur. Michael is a man of the seas, who’s made a living sailing the oceans for the US Navy and grappled with some of the most fascinating naval and security challenges of our time. Michael shares his leadership lessons from decades of building winning teams, summed up as having a vision, clear values and a strong culture. He talks about his journey of inje
Diana Chigas - Understanding corruption dynamics to unlock durable development in conflict areas
In this episode, I speak with Professor Diana Chigas. Diana is one of the foremost experts in international negotiation and conflict resolution. She has worked in El Salvador, South Africa, Ecuador and Peru and in the Georgia/South Ossetia peace process, facilitated inter-ethnic dialogue in Cyprus and in Central and East Africa. She co-directs the Corruption, Justice and Legitimacy Project that ai
Steve Viola - The hardest part was surrendering: working through trauma with plant medicine
In this episode, I catch up with Steve Viola. We last spoke on this podcast about 2 1/2 years ago when he shared his fascinating career in the Navy and as special warfare operator. Since that last conversation, I had been following Steve’s work advocating for opening up new treatment protocols for veterans suffering from trauma. We speak about the healing power of plants with psychotropic properti
Zsuzsanna Szelényi - On safeguarding democracy from the autocrat's playbook, lessons from Hungary
In this episode, I speak with Zsuzsanna Szelényi. Zsuzsanna shares with me her incredible journey at the heart of Hungary’s political transformation since the fall of the Soviet Union. She talks about the early days of Hungarian democracy and the levers used by Victor Orban to shape the country’s institutions towards a more authoritarian, illiberal form of governance. This was the subject of her a
Rahul Sharma - On the role of trust in foreign relations: a journalist's global perspective on politics and leadership
In this episode, I speak with Rahul Sharma. Rahul has had a fascinating international career in journalism, media, corporate and political affairs. He’s worked at the Economic Times, Khaleej Times and Reuters among others, covering business and political stories, while also living in Hong Kong, Singapore and Sri Lanka. He has a unique perspective about China, watching the country rise while his n
Perry Boyle - On living one's values, scaling the fight on poverty, investing in Ukraine's defence industry
In this episode, I speak with Perry Boyle. Perry shares with me his multiple lives and how he reinvented himself as his life goals evolved and as his values broadened. We talk about his initial career in investment banking and private equity, his pivot to equity research, and then his decision to reframe his purpose towards scaling a successful NGO tackling acute poverty in Africa. Perry shares hi
Kamran Balayev - An international lawyer's quest to safeguard human rights and foster individual prosperity
In this episode, I speak with Kamran Balayev. Kam is a lawyer specialised in human rights and international law. He grew up in Azerbaijan but has made London home. He divides his energy between commercial consulting projects and international transactions and his work on human rights. Kam is passionate about improving the political and legal structures that underpin business and enable individual
Scott Malcomson - The hard-earned insights of an author, reporter, foreign affairs analyst on why international and local structures never win over one another
In this episode, I speak with Scott Malcomson. Scott is an accomplished author, reporter, editor, foreign affairs analyst and investigator, with experience working in government advising leaders that have defined our era, as well as for the private sector. He’s travelled all over the world to dive deep into the local dynamics of far flung places, from Latin America to Central Asia to the Pacific
Alberto Montrond - Lessons in service and diplomacy from Boston to Cape Verde
In this episode, I speak with Alberto Montrond. Alberto is originally from Cape Verde and moved to the US as a child. In our conversation, we explore what it meant to grow up in an environment with bullying, racial and social challenges. Alberto shares how he turned these negative forces into a source of strength and self-discipline thanks to martial arts, leading him to use this wisdom to serve
Journel Jospeh - Al Frontiers: The New Wave of Innovation Driving Entrepreneurship and Globalization
In this episode, I speak with Journel Jospeh. Journel shares his fascinating story into the world of AI entrepreneurship. He grew up in Haiti and initially pursued a journalistic ambition. In the US, he moved into data science and saw opportunities for digital technologies to improve some of the disparities and inequalities with access to quality healthcare. We talk about the dangers and opportuni
Janine di Giovanni - On giving a voice to victims of conflict
In this episode, I speak with Janine Di Giovanni. I first met Janine at a crisis simulation workshop as part of our degree programme at the Fletcher school and remember being struck by her energy, but also the ease with which she navigated the harrowing scenario of an ambassador needing to take immediate action as staff were caught hostage. Janine needs no introduction, she is one of the world’s m
Katarina Kavec - A journey in other people’s minds, as interpreter and psychotherapist
In this episode, I speak with Katarina Kavec. Katarina grew up in the drab setting of former Yugoslavia, where she had a window seat on the colours and choices available right across the border in Italy. She shares with me the opportunities that came her way and those that eluded her... and the philosophy she developed to embrace whatever comes your way, to trust that everything will work out. I’
Anabel Bueno Santana-Dolenc - A lifetime of international experience and serving Dominican Republic
In this episode, I speak with Anabel Bueno Santana-Dolenc. Anabel shares her unusual story growing up in a politically active family in Dominican Republic, who had to find refuge in the US for many years. Her background provided the impetus to seek a path that would lead her to serve her country. Her calling was working in the UN and multilateral agencies, managing lending and donation programmes
Moges Gebremedhin - On the importance of peace and stability to enable development to take roots
In this episode, I speak with Moges Gebremedhin. I’d long wanted to have a longer conversation with Moges after meeting him at an event where he was a panelist and we had a Q&A on his thoughts about the trajectory of East Africa where he grew up, between Ethiopia and Kenya, yet originally from Eritrea. Moges shares his story of multiple identities common to many people in the region, connected
Laurie Charlés - Healing trauma in conflict zones: capacity building in family systems therapy
In this episode, I speak with Laurie Charlés. Laurie is a family therapist who has taken her expertise to regions in the throes of conflict, violence and fragility - countries where mental health concerns can be dire - yet the resources available to help are rudimentary. She’s helped coach and train the people who support vulnerable groups and victims of gender-based violence in places like DRC, B
Peter Stanbury - Getting things done in difficult places, on the political economy of unintended consequences
In this episode, I speak with Dr Peter Stanbury. Peter has developed a unique expertise over decades of guiding companies, international agencies, governments and civil society organisations on the politics of economic development in emerging markets. He’s helped these organisations design economic activities that take account of local dynamics, such as what happens to social structures when incom
Ernesto Gonzalez - From oil painting in a Chilean favela to the UN Security Council
In this episode, I speak with Ernesto Gonzalez. Ernesto shares with me his incredible life trajectory, from modest beginnings in Chile to the inner workings of the UN’s Security Council. Ernesto grew up in poverty, where one pair of shoes had to last for an entire year. His story is one that combines focus and grit with openness to chance encounters - such as the offer to help pay for his stay in
Monica Smith - On navigating a career in the corporate world: have you forgotten the spices?
In this episode, I speak with Monica Smith. Monica shares how her upbringing in a family that moved frequently across the US and her experience of travelling and living abroad early on shaped her outlook on the world and softened her philosophical principles. She talks about her career in the corporate world, her approach to succeeding in hierarchies and lessons in global leadership as she helpe
Josy Joseph - An investigative journalist's fight for the future of Indian democracy
In this episode, I speak with Josy Joseph. Josy is proudly Indian, an acclaimed investigative journalist who uncovered a series of major corruption stories that have exposed systemic issues plaguing the very fabric of India’s democracy. In this conversation, we talk about the origin of the West’s romantic narrative of India, and how this vision is blinding many of us to dangerous faultlines that
Jeffrey Fang - What it took to awake and pursue my dream of being happily unemployed
In this episode, I speak with Jeffrey Fang. This is a bit of a different conversation today. Jeff is an accomplished corporate professional from Singapore, who decided to break away from the logical professional path of corporate promotions and step out to follow a path much more aligned to who he wanted to be and what his intuition was telling him. In this rather personal exchange, we explore how
Alexandra Vitard - Meditations on privilege, women and living a purposeful life
In this episode, I speak with Alexandra Vitard. Alexandra talks about the influence her multicultural, globetrotting background had on her life, and what happened when she came face to face with the realisation of what living with privilege meant. She shares how she brought the insights and skills honed in her early career in government to women who needed them. She was inspired by Nasim Taleb’s i
Alicia Pérez-Porro - Swinging between the branches of science from marine research to climate diplomacy
In this episode, I speak with Alicia Pérez-Porro. Alicia is a a scientist working in the space of climate diplomacy. She trained as a marine biologist researching sponges, but her heart wasn’t really in research. A life-changing journey to Antarctica helped her discover her passion in science activism. We speak about her childhood connection with nature and the importance of role models in opening
Aicha Pere - Dreams of my grandfather, on transforming Togo's agriculture
In this episode I speak with Aicha Pere. Aicha shares her story of growing up in Togo as a bookish, introverted girl, but inspired by her grandfather whose passion for agriculture and food set the foundations for her professional direction. Aicha talks about how she overcame her reserved nature to achieve elected leadership positions and become a trusted partner in agricultural projects, both in t
