Global Development Interrupted Podcast

Life stops when the electricity goes out, and that’s not just how it feels.
The International Energy Agency says electricity consumption and GDP growth have historically gone hand in hand, particularly in emerging and developing economies.
India and Southeast Asia are a clear example. Electricity use per person has risen rapidly over the past few decades, alongside a boom in economic development. In sub-Saharan Africa, electricity use per person has been essentially stagnant for more than 30 years. In 2023, electricity consumption per person in Africa was half that of India and 70% lower than Southeast Asia.
The World Bank calls electricity “the bedrock of jobs, opportunity, and economic growth.”
And yet, more than 560 million people across sub-Saharan Africa still live without electricity.
So what does it take to build economies when the power isn’t there?
That was the challenge behind Power Africa, a U.S. government initiative established in 2013 and terminated in 2025 following the Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID.
Leah speaks with Mark Carrato, one of the former coordinators of Power Africa, who spent more than 25 years working across climate, energy, and economic development. During his time as coordinator of Power Africa, he helped lead a partnership of governments, development banks, international donors, and hundreds of private-sector companies working to expand electricity access across the continent.
Mark saw his work as more than megawatts or power plants. It was about understanding the ecosystem around them, figuring out where development dollars could have the greatest impact, and asking what it takes to make development last.
Later, as USAID’s mission director in Brazil, Mark brought the same systems-oriented thinking to protecting the Amazon. Today, he leads emerging markets work at SecondMuse, an innovation firm that builds economies to benefit people and the planet.
In this episode, Mark takes us inside Power Africa, talks about what markets have to do with development, and makes the case for thinking differently about where and how we invest in progress. We also talk about what he hopes that approach can look like in the future, and why predictability matters in markets.
Guest: Mark Carrato leads SecondMuse's work in emerging markets and brings more than 25 years of experience in climate, energy, and economic development. Before joining SecondMuse, he held senior roles at USAID, serving as USAID director for Brazil and among the former coordinators of Power Africa, the U.S. government partnership created to expand energy access across sub-Saharan Africa.
Topics: Power Africa, market-based development, USAID’s dismantling, the Amazon, systems change.
Listen, Watch, Follow
Listen & Watch on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Youtube
Follow on: Instagram: @globaldevinterrupted | Facebook: Global Development Interrupted


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit globaldevinterrupted.substack.com/subscribe

What happens when environmental work that has taken decades to build suddenly disappears?
For years, USAID supported efforts around the world to protect forests and wildlife, reduce pollution, strengthen local communities, and address the interconnected challenges of biodiversity loss, climate change, and environmental degradation. But when the agency’s programs were abruptly shut down, the loss went far beyond funding.
In this episode, Leah speaks with former USAID environmental leaders Hadas Kushnir and Monica Bansal, who are now examining the impacts of the withdrawal of USAID’s environmental programs. They share what they heard from people around the world—and what those conversations revealed about the relationships, expertise, and long-term work that were lost. Their full findings will be published in a forthcoming report, Beyond the Funding Gap, out after Labor Day through their initiative, Momentum for the Environment.
From man-eating lions and piranhas to landfill fires, plastic waste, and community conservation, this conversation explores what USAID’s environmental work actually looked like on the ground. It’s also a story of why environmental challenges in one part of the world can affect all of us.
What did we lose when that work stopped? And what might it take to rebuild?
If you want to support environmental work that’s still active on the ground, Hadas and Monica’s team has curated a pipeline of vetted, shovel-ready projects at www.oneearthpartners.com. You can also reach them directly at info@oneearthpartners.com to talk through what fits your interests.
Guest: Hadas Kushnir and Monica Bansal, co-founders of Momentum for the Environment Initiative and former USAID environmental leaders
Topics: USAID’s environmental and climate work, biodiversity loss, community-based conservation, the agency’s dismantling, localization, and the forthcoming Beyond the Funding Gap report
Listen, Watch, Follow
Listen & Watch on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Youtube
Follow on: Instagram: @globaldevinterrupted | Facebook: Global Development Interrupted


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit globaldevinterrupted.substack.com/subscribe

Can demography — the study of how populations grow, move, and change — offer a window into a country’s future?
That’s what Leah talks about with Dr. Apoorva Jadhav, former USAID senior demographer and statistician, in this episode of Global Development Interrupted. Apoorva explains how USAID was rethinking the way it invested in development through the lens of demography — looking at population data and trends to understand where countries were headed and how to invest more strategically. That work came to an abrupt end when the agency was dismantled.
The conversation gets into what’s at stake when the data infrastructure behind development begins to erode. USAID invested in the long-term systems, standards, and expertise that allowed the U.S. and other countries and organizations to make smarter investments and address real problems. Without that foundation, what happens to the quality of the data and the decisions built on it?
Because behind every data point is a person — and, as Apoorva puts it, “there is a pulse.”
Guest: Dr. Apoorva Jadhav, former Senior Demographer and Statistician, USAID Office of Population and Reproductive Health; author of Demography Matters on Substack
Topics: Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), family planning and reproductive health, maternal and child health, HIV and disability data, child marriage, global migration policy, the dismantling of USAID, the future of development data
Listen, Watch, Follow
Listen & Watch on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Youtube
Follow on: Instagram: @globaldevinterrupted | Facebook: Global Development Interrupted


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit globaldevinterrupted.substack.com/subscribe

Democracy is never finished. No country has gotten it perfect—not even here at home.
In this episode of Global Development Interrupted, Leah talks with Amy Hamelin, a former USAID Democracy Officer who spent her career working across South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Drawing on her experiences in countries where democracy has been hard won and often tested, Amy shares what she learned about the people, communities, and institutions that keep it alive.
Their conversation explores what democratic resilience looks like in practice: the importance of strong institutions, the role ordinary citizens play in sustaining democracy, and what we can learn from countries navigating democratic challenges—including lessons that matter here at home.
Because democracy isn’t something we build once and then move on from. It is a work in progress, sustained by people who show up and institutions worth showing up for.
This Substack is reader-supported. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Guest: Amy Hamelin, former USAID Foreign Service OfficerTopics: Democracy, democratic resilience, institutions, civic participation, USAID, international development, South Asia, Kenya, South Sudan
Listen, Watch, Follow
Listen & Watch on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Youtube
Follow on: Instagram: @globaldevinterrupted | Facebook: Global Development Interrupted


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit globaldevinterrupted.substack.com/subscribe

For 16 years, Sara Sullivan helped USAID tell its story around the world. She never imagined she’d have to explain it to Americans.
When the agency was dismantled in early 2025, she watched misinformation spread through the Republican and evangelical communities she grew up in. Rather than argue with strangers online, she started recording videos for the people she knew—sharing what she had seen firsthand across three continents and 16 years in global development. That’s how Average American was born.
In this episode, Sara reflects on why USAID never built public understanding at home, the human cost of the stop-work order, and why she believes foreign assistance must tell its story differently if it ever returns. She also explains why she compares USAID to a government mission trip—and yes, she once starred in a Pakistani sitcom.
Listen, Watch, Follow
Listen & Watch on: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Youtube
Follow on: Instagram: @globaldevinterrupted | Facebook: Global Development Interrupted


This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit globaldevinterrupted.substack.com/subscribe