The Public Service Project

Katrina "Kat" Fotovat is Co-Founder of Peace Pays, a global initiative that harnesses artificial intelligence to prevent violence, strengthen democratic resilience, and advance women-led peacebuilding worldwide. Kat is a former U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for Global Women’s Issues with over 30 years of experience in fragile settings, overseeing more than $5 billion in programs supporting democracy, human rights, and marginalized populations. Today, she's harnessing her wildly impressive experience, her incredible network, and her indomitable spirit to tackle old challenges with new tools - and as always, she's turning problems into propportunities.

Russell York is the Founder and CEO of Cosmo Technologies - one of the fastest growing family tech brands, creating purpose-built, safe devices that help kids stay connected, while giving parents peace of mind.
Russell joined me for a conversation about tech, parenting, and the public good. We discuss the pervasive techxiety that is driving our parenting strategies; the need for ethical tech leadership and real solutions; the essential nature of an outdoor childhood; cultivating resilience; creating a values-first business model; and so many other topics that are top of mind for parents, policymakers, and people interested in the public good. Join me for an honest and reflective chat with this homeschooled 4H kid, who blazed his own trail from intel analysis in Afghanistan to building a kid-safe smartwatch.

Kristen Cordell serves as Grand Challenges Canada's inaugural Senior Director for Policy and Learning. Before joining GCC, she held senior roles at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the Department of State, and USAID. Her commitment to service and support of U.S. geopolitical objectives has earned her awards from the Secretary of State, and USAID Administrator. She's a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a true thought leader, an innovator, and a creator. Kristen joins us to talk about lessons learned from the many seasons of her career (from the field, to the halls of the White House) and to share her thoughts on the future of service. She's thinking through how to create productive and satisfying portfolios, how to build resilience into public service careers, and how to live in alignment with your values. And she's also here to help me convince Dr. Becky to join me on the show :)

Alexa Dominique Pascual is a Sustainable Development Goals Global Ambassador with the UN Association of the United States of America, and the DMUN Foundation's Head Observer to the UN, World Bank, and IMF. That's a lot of acronyms. What does it mean? It means Alexa leads American youth delegations weighing in on topics like global governance, economic cooperation, and AI regulation. She's participated in the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee on International Tax Cooperation and spoken at high level UN events. She's shattering assumptions about how and where young people can shape policy by demonstrating that young leaders are not just activists; they are negotiators and researchers and... tax experts!
And what prepared Alexa to engage in citizen diplomacy and multilateralism? Why of course, her background as an acrobat with Cirque du Soleil!
Listen in to learn how she moved from literal tightropes to metaphorical ones, and follow Alexa for a steady stream of inspiring content and sound advice for young leaders!

People have all kinds of reactions to a radical upset to their lives and careers, and they're all valid. But I'm always especially fascinated with people who not only find new avenues, but who create new paths, learning to pave as they go.
Deborah Cook Kaliel is that kind of person. Following the dismantling of USAID and the abrupt end of that nearly 20 year chapter in her career, Debbie moved quickly to form Crisis in Care - an organization dedicated to filling the gaps left by USAID by supporting lifesaving HIV services across the globe. On this episode, she's sharing her background, her path into public service, her experiences working as a Senior Local Partnerships advisor for USAID, and her journey into the brave unknown as a former fed and Co-Founder of Crisis in Care. Listen in for important tips on creating a nonprofit, finding funding, and getting creative about spreading the word.
If you're interested in learning more about Crisis in Care, or better yet, supporting their work through Global Giving, visit their site or reach out to Debbie: https://www.crisisincare.org/our-team