Jake Sullivan most recently served as the 28th Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs (National Security Advisor). He is now the inaugural Kissinger Professor of the Practice of Statecraft and World Order at the Harvard Kennedy School.

Sullivan helped lead U.S. national security through a period of historic geopolitical change and challenge and established enduring strategic advantages for the United States. In the Obama-Biden Administration, he served as National Security Advisor to then-Vice President Biden, Director of the Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. Department of State, and Deputy Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. With a career spanning high-stakes diplomacy, national security decision-making, and technology and economic policy, Sullivan offers unparalleled insights into the forces driving the global landscape today. He is one of the most influential and well-respected voices on U.S. foreign policy and world affairs.

His unique insights include: 

• The direction of consequential and complex relationships with global powers like China, India, and Saudi Arabia.  Sullivan managed these relationships as National Security Advisor.
• Trends in a fast-moving landscape of technology, artificial intelligence, and national security. Sullivan pioneered groundbreaking policy at this intersection.
• The future of trade, investment, and industrial policy, which he first outlined in a landmark speech at the Brookings Institution that shaped the global debate.
• Complex multi-stakeholder negotiations, as a leading player in the secret negotiations that led to the 2015 Iran nuclear deal.
• Lessons learned from crisis management in the White House Situation Room during crisis and conflict from Ukraine to the Middle East.
• Qualities needed to build and lead successful cross-disciplinary teams.

Known for his clarity, pragmatism, authenticity, and deep understanding of global trends, Sullivan engages audiences with thought-provoking analyses and actionable ideas for shaping a more stable and prosperous world. 

Championing Transatlantic Cooperation and the Rule of Law

Diplomatic Leadership at the EU

Ambassador Gitenstein served as U.S. Representative to the European Union from December 2021 to January 2025, leveraging his extensive European experience to strengthen U.S.-EU partnerships during critical global challenges.

Foundation in European Policy

Prior to his EU appointment, Ambassador Gitenstein built his expertise through:

• 17 years in the U.S. Senate (Judiciary and Intelligence committees)
• S. Ambassador to Romania (2009–2012)
• Two decades advancing democratic values in Central and Eastern Europe

His work consistently focused on preserving democracy, enhancing market transparency, combating corruption, and defending the rule of law and independent media.

Leading a Unified Transatlantic Response

During his EU ambassadorship, Ambassador Gitenstein spearheaded several crucial initiatives:

• Coordinated the allied response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine
• Developed innovative sanctions and export controls directed at Russia,

& financial mechanisms for Ukraine through U.S.-EU cooperation

• Resolved complex trade disputes on privacy and climate technology
• Guided three successful summits addressing global challenges, including Ukraine, countering People’s Republic of China influence, climate change & the war in Gaza.

Safeguarding Democratic Institutions

Ambassador Gitenstein recognized that preserving democracy requires robust media institutions. His accomplishments include:

• Orchestrating forums uniting civil society, financial experts, and media outlets
• Developing bipartisan policy recommendations for the EU Commission
• Creating blended-finance models to strengthen independent media across Europe
• Establishing sustainable frameworks for local investment in free press

Credentials and Recognition

• BA from Duke University and JD from Georgetown Law School
• Recipient of the highest civilian honor, the Star of Romania (2012)
• American Bar Association's Silver Gavel award (1993) for his book, "Matters of Principle" about the Robert Bork nomination to the Supreme Court

Throughout his career, Ambassador Gitenstein has exemplified how transatlantic cooperation and bipartisan engagement can advance shared democratic values across Europe and beyond.

He currently serves as Diplomat in Residence at Notre Dame.  Since returning from Brussels he has lectured and participated in panels on these topics at University of Pennsylvania, Notre Dame, University of Washington and at the Seattle World Affairs Council.

After 12 Years in Office, Gov. Jay Inslee Leaves a Legacy of Climate Action and Crisis Leadership

Jay Inslee is a fifth-generation Washingtonian who has lived and worked in urban and rural communities on both sides of the state. Governor Inslee worked his way through college and graduated from the University of Washington with a degree in economics before earning his law degree at Willamette University. He and his wife, Trudi, then moved to Selah, a small town near Yakima where they raised their three sons. Jay worked as an attorney and prosecutor.

Governor Inslee first became involved in public service in 1985 when he and Trudi helped lead the effort to build a new public high school in Selah. Motivated to fight against proposed funding cuts for rural schools, he went on to represent the 14th Legislative District in the state House of Representatives. Governor Inslee continued serving communities in the Yakima Valley when he was elected to Congress in 1992. The Inslees later moved back to the Puget Sound area where Governor Inslee was elected to Congress in 1998, serving until 2012 when he was elected governor. He was re-elected in 2016 and 2020.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee’s tenure ended in 2025 after three consecutive terms marked by bold leadership on climate change and crisis management. First elected in 2012 after serving in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Washington State Legislature, Inslee joins Republican Dan Evans (1965–1977) as one of only two Washington governors to serve three consecutive terms.

In his 12 years in office, Inslee transformed Washington into a national leader in climate policy, spearheading groundbreaking initiatives like the Climate Commitment Act, which positioned the state at the forefront of clean energy and carbon reduction. Under his leadership, Washington implemented one of the most ambitious cap-and-invest programs in the country, driving investment in renewable energy, green jobs, and carbon reduction efforts that will have a lasting impact for generations. His work was honored with the TIME Earth Award in 2025. 

Beyond climate and public health, Inslee’s administration also delivered historic investments in transportation, education, and housing. His efforts led to the passage of Washington’s first long-term care program, expansion of apprenticeship programs, and reforms that increased fairness in the state’s tax system, including the voter-backed capital gains tax. His leadership on homelessness included the successful Rights of Way initiative, which moved thousands of individuals off highways and into permanent housing with critical support services.

Jennifer Granholm is an American lawyer, educator, author and politician who served most recently as the 16^th United States Secretary of Energy, and previously as the two-term governor of Michigan. As governor, she spearheaded Michigan’s economic recovery after the Great Recession by diversifying the state’s economy to focus on clean energy and revitalizing the auto industry to build electric vehicles. 

As Secretary of Energy (2021-2025), Granholm restructured the U.S. Department of Energy to focus on research and development of advanced clean energy solutions and, importantly, deployment of zero-carbon technologies. She oversaw $200 billion of U.S. DOE investments into companies and projects to accelerate the clean energy transition. During her tenure as Secretary, thanks to the policies and laws that she helped to shape, the country saw record deployment of clean energy — adding the equivalent of 30 Hoover Dams of zero-carbon energy to the nation’s electricity grid in 2024, more than twice as much solar power deployed as ever before. Due to incentives to manufacture in America, businesses announced almost 1,000 factories were coming or expanding in the U.S. to build clean energy products -- solar panels, EVs, batteries, small nuclear reactors, clean hydrogen, geothermal and more. Thanks to DOE’s work, the nation’s transmission grid is seeing an 11X expansion of new transmission miles.

During her tenure as Secretary, DOE with its 110,000 employees was ranked among the Top 10 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government. Secretary Granholm was named in 2024 to the "TIME 100 Most Influential People" list, and Forbes’ list of "Top Climate Leaders."

Secretary Granholm taught law and public policy at UC Berkeley from 2011-2020, specializing in clean energy and public leadership. A former Attorney General of Michigan (1998-2002) and an honors graduate of Harvard Law School (1987), she is the author of A Governor's Story: The Fight for Jobs and America’s Economic Future, has penned scores of articles and opinion pieces on clean energy, and continues to play a leading role in shaping America’s energy future. Heralded for her forward-looking insight, Granholm brings a balanced and nuanced perspective sorely needed in today's divisive times.