Secrets and Sacrifices: CIA, Benghazi, and Motherhood

Dr. Kathleen McInnis sat down with Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) for a conversation on her new memoir, where she reflects on her time in Congress. Additionally, the pair discusses the current and future U.S. landscape, including what the U.S. should be doing to counter China’s aggressive authoritarian expansionism and more.

An off-chance encounter as an intern transformed Funmi’s life several years later when someone she networked with early in her career thought of her down the line and offered her a job. Funmi Oludaiye, Managing Director (Global Head of Engineering) at Goldman Sachs, discusses how she advanced her career in STEM through hard work, mentorship, and relationship building.

Mellody Hobson, co-CEO and President of Ariel Investments — created Ariel Alternatives, the first private equity subsidiary of the 40-year-old investment firm, alongside its current CEO Les Brun. On this Smart Women, Smart Power episode, Mellody joins Dr. Kathleen McInnis for a discussion on how she strives to close the racial wealth gap and create a better public understanding of financial literacy.   This episode is made possible through general support to Smart Women, Smart Power.

After 25 years working for the CIA, the Honorable Sue Gordon has served the United States across administrations. She joins Dr. Kathleen McInnis and Lauren Bedula, the Managing Director at Beacon Global Strategies, for a conversation on how she balanced it all as a mother of two—plus, she’ll get into her time in the CIA during the 2012 Benghazi attacks – where the realization came that secrets just aren’t what they used to be.

In 2020, Laura Modi launched Bobbie, the first U.S.-based manufactured organic formula company. Laura joins Dr. Kathleen McInnis and Lauren Bedula, the Managing Director at Beacon Global Strategies, for a discussion on how her company was defined during a national infant formula shortage, including what she learned about the infant formula industry, and how symbolic it is to everything broken in our society for parents.

We’re entering a new era of warfare – where disinformation, countering disinformation, and hybrid threats are at the forefront – threats that the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance (NATO) is not taking lightly. Marie-Doha Besancenot, Assistant Secretary General for Public Diplomacy, NATO, joins to discuss the different ways NATO is prioritizing this space.

Why should the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) care about gender? What are women, and women’s networks, doing to advance democracy – and how should a military alliance think about the strategic utility of programs like Women, Peace and Security? And what does this mean for the NATO Summit?   Irene Fellin, the NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security, joins Dr. Kathleen McInnis, Senior Fellow, International Security Program and Director, Smart Women, Smart Power Initiative, to discuss what’s on her mind as NATO celebrates its 75th year and heads into the Washington Summit.

Michele Walsh, Executive Vice President and Chief Philanthropy Officer, UNICEF USA, has prioritized the value of giving more decision-making power to those closest to the communities impacted while at UNICEF USA. On this episode, Michele joins Dr. Kathleen McInnis, Senior Fellow, International Security Program and Director, Smart Women, Smart Power Initiative, for a discussion on how she led after Russia invaded Ukraine, including the barriers UNICEF USA anticipated from stakeholders, and the values that drove the decision in the face of challenges and the outcomes.

On this episode, Heather Higginbottom, Head of Research Policy & Insights for Corporate Responsibility at JPMorgan Chase, joined Dr. Kathleen McInnis to discuss how she has anchored her work in humanizing the process behind refugee resettlement – from implementing special immigrant visas for Afghans while working at the U.S. Department of State to working with the Australian government resettling refugees on the islands of Naura and Manus. Heather has held senior positions at the highest levels of government, CARE USA, and now at JP Morgan Chase. This episode is made possible through general support to Smart Women, Smart Power.   https://www.csis.org/events/humanizing-refugee-resettlement

In her aptly named scientific study, “As Good as A Coin Toss,” Horizon Fellow Di Cooke joins Dr. Kathleen McInnis to walk through the murky world of deepfakes and the countermeasures that should be prioritized to mitigate the dangers posed by weaponized synthetic media.