Smart Women, Smart Power

2018 Eisenhower Fellow Wafaa AlAshwali, CEO and Co-Founder of Serviis, a Saudi Arabia-based digital platform and local marketplace, talks to host Beverly Kirk about how her company and others like it are opening up new opportunities for women entrepreneurs in her country. She also discusses the Saudi Vision 2030 plan and efforts to include more women in the workforce.

Emily Haber, German Ambassador to the United States, joins Beverly Kirk on the Smart Women, Smart Power Podcast for a conversation about migration, integration, and the importance of a strong relationship between the U.S. and Germany.

Linda Jojo, Executive Vice President for Technology and Chief Digital Officer, United Airlines, joins Beverly Kirk on the Smart Women, Smart Power Podcast for a conversation on how technology is transforming the airline industry and how airlines are thinking about security in the digital age. 

Julie Sweet, CEO of Accenture North America, joined CSIS for a Smart Women, Smart Power conversation with Dr. Kathleen Hicks to discuss artificial intelligence, innovation, and re-skilling the workforce for the future.

Dr. Jeanette Epps, NASA Astronaut, joined CSIS for a Smart Women, Smart Power conversation with Nina Easton to discuss her recent removal from the International Space Station mission, challenges in her career, and the importance of international collaboration in space.

Suzanne Spaulding, Senior Adviser for Homeland Security in the International Security Program at CSIS discusses how Russian influence campaigns are impacting public confidence in democratic systems, including the courts and elections, and what the U.S. should do to counter them.

Dr. Heather Williams, Defense Studies Lecturer at King’s College London in the Center for Science and Security Studies talks with Beverly Kirk about challenges with trust in the institutions, treaties and norms that govern the global nuclear order and what needs to happen to rebuild trust that has been lost between the U.S. and Europe.

Ambassador Ertharin Cousin joins Nina Easton to discuss global food insecurity and hunger and the role they play in other security issues, including violent extremism.

CSIS Europe expert Heather Conley discusses the issues dominating the upcoming Swedish general election, including immigration and the rise of populist/nationalist Sweden Democrats political party. She also looks at the impact populism is having on elections across Europe.

From sanctions to Russian foreign policy strategy to election interference to possible areas of cooperation with the U.S., Olga Oliker, CSIS Senior Adviser and Director of the Russia-Eurasia Program discusses all things Russia.

CSIS experts Dr. Kathleen Hicks and Heather Conley discuss the impact of the July NATO Summit on future relations between the U.S. and Europe and examine the growing rift between the U.S., NATO, and Turkey.

Rebecca Hersman, Director of the Project of Nuclear Issues at CSIS; Katherine Charlet, Director Technology and International Affairs Program at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; Dr. Lindsay Cohn, Associate Professor at the U.S. Naval War College; and Dr. Rupal Mehta, Assistant Professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln discuss the opportunities and challenges of current and future warfare tools and technology.  

Recorded while she was Mayor of Kaohsiung, Chen Chu, the current Secretary-General to the Presidential Office, talks to Beverly Kirk about her role as an activist and member of the “Kaohsiung Eight,” her transition to a political leader in Taiwan, and her views on women’s leadership and youth engagement.

Dr. Erin Simpson, Director for Strategic Planning at Northrop Grumman, sits down with Dr. Emma Ashford, Research Fellow at the CATO Institute, Dr. Audrey Kurth Cronin, Professor at American University, Ciara Knudsen, Director of Strategic Planning at the Department of State, and Dr. Maria J. Stephan, Senior Advisor at the United States Institute of Peace to discuss the challenge of non-state actors.

Lynn Good, CEO of Duke Energy sits down with Nina Easton to discuss the trends impacting the energy industry, the challenges it faces, and the efforts being made to create a cleaner, smarter energy future.

Sherrie Deans, Executive Director of the National Basketball Players Association Foundation, and Beverly Kirk discuss the importance of sports diplomacy, and the humanitarian work that the Players Association Foundation supports globally and in the U.S.

Julie Smith, Senior Fellow and Director of the Transatlantic Security Program at the Center for a New American Security sits down with Amanda Dory, Faculty at the National War College, Dr. Oriana Skylar Mastro, Assistant Professor at Georgetown University, Dr. Olga Oliker, Senior Adviser and Director of the Russia and Eurasia Program at CSIS, and Dr. Ariane Tabatabai, Director of Curriculum and Assistant Teaching Professor at Georgetown University to discuss strategic competition and the return of great power politics at the inaugural Future Strategy Forum.

Dr. Joyce Banda, former President of Malawi, joins Beverly Kirk to discuss educating and protecting young girls and improving maternal healthcare both in her country and in other developing countries. She also discusses the relationship between U.S. and African countries.

Dr. Kori Schake, Deputy Director at IISS and Research Fellow at the Hoover Institution, discusses her book “Safe Passage: The Transition from British to American Hegemony” and how these historical contexts can be applied to current conflicts with China and Russia.

Former U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte sits down with Dr. Kathleen Hicks to discuss the Syrian conflict, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and her leadership of CSIS’ new health security commission.