The Public Service Project

On Being Mayor of Arvada, CO with Lauren Simpson

Mayor Lauren Simpson is the first directly elected female Mayor of the City of Arvada, Colorado. She’s also a Mom to a human daughter and countless foster kittens, all of

On Working for America with Shifra Goldenberg

Shifra Goldenberg is Chief Program Officer at Work for America, a nonpartisan nonprofit working to make public service a more desirable, accessible, and stable career pat

On Being Mayor of Canton, NC with Zeb Smathers

Homegrown Mayor Zeb Smathers loves tending to his backyard in Canton, North Carolina. Before assuming office, he started as a community advocate at his family-run legal p

On Being Mayor of Chapel Hill, NC with Jess Anderson

Jess Anderson is Mayor of Chapel Hill. Many know her as a public policy analyst, a Professor, a Mom, a wife, a friend, etc. but she's also the child of two clinical psyc

On City and State Diplomacy with Ambassador Nina Hachigian

Nina Hachigian was the first U.S. Ambassador for City and State Diplomacy from 2022-2025, the first Deputy Mayor for International Affairs in the City of Los Angeles, and

On Care and Community and Modern Masculinity with Gary Barker

Gary Barker, PhD, is President, CEO and Co-Founder of Equimundo Center for Masculinities and Social Justice. A quick Google search reveals how wildly impressive Gary is,

On Grief and Moxie with Maryum Saifee

Maryum Saifee is living, becoming, rethinking and rewriting the American dream. She is her parents' greatest wish come to life, and she holds herself to the highest possi

On Policy and Public Affairs with Jeffrey Levy

Jeffrey Levy served the public in the U.S. federal civil service for 31 years, through 21 years at EPA and 5 each at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Sta

On Human Rights and Civilian Security with Uzra Zeya

Uzra Zeya is President and CEO of Human Rights First, and former Under Secretary of State for Civilian Security, Human Rights, and Democracy - the pillar tasked with adva

On Youth and Social Movements with Sarah Sladen

Sarah Sladen is a Senior global leader with 20+ years developing and implementing strategies at the intersection of social impact, youth and community development, econom

On Dignity and the Rising Tide with Christina Sass

Christina is a powerhouse. She has spent over two decades tackling challenges in global development through an ever-sharpening focus on youth employment. She's here today

On Philanthropy and Enlightened Self Interest with Gil Gillenwater

Gil Gillenwater is the founder of the award-winning Rancho Feliz Charitable Foundation, which has reimagined border philanthropy, empowering communities through reciproca

On Culture and Conflict (and sexy policy work) with CJ Pine

CJ Pine is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University in Qatar, teaching about the United Naitons Security Council. He previously worked as a civil servant at the U.S.

On Courage and Vocation with Ambassador Barbara Leaf

Ambassador Barbara Leaf is a career public servant with over 3 decades of experience, most recently serving as Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs, wher

On Fatherhood, Friendship, and Fine Living with Dr. Corey Holmes

Dr. Corey Holmes is a diplomat, an academic, a father, an author, a friend. He is here to talk less about his achievements (there are many!) and more about the questions,

On Democracy and Subnational Diplomacy with Jon Temin

Jon Temin works across government, research and the non-profit sector to advance democracy, good governance, conflict resolution, and US-Africa relations. He is currently

On History and Context with Amanda Van Dort

Amanda Van Dort is a McCain Institute American Democracy and Technology Fellow, and an Adjunct Professor for Johns Hopkins and GWU teaching undergraduate and graduate cou

On Peace and Propportunities with Kat Fotovat

Katrina "Kat" Fotovat is Co-Founder of Peace Pays, a global initiative that harnesses artificial intelligence to prevent violence, strengthen democratic resilience, and a

On Techxiety and Corporate Social Responsibility with Russell York

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 connec

On Pivots and Portfolios with Kristen Cordell

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 Counci