How/where are you celebrating your birthday and with whom? “I will be in Nantucket with my girlfriend, Paulina, and we’ll be joined by my mom, who is flying up to host a dinner on the beach!”
How did you get your start in your career? “I co-founded a snack food business in high school with my best friend Nick, which later became a program teaching high school students about entrepreneurship and giving students seed funding to start their own businesses. We went on to intern for Fox News Channel, which was an incredible experience, and we are still business partners to this day!”
What’s an interesting book/article you’re reading now or finished? And why? “I recently finished reading ‘Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup,’ by Wall Street Journal reporter John Carreyrou. It is the story about Theranos, the blood testing company founded by Elizabeth Holmes. I vividly remember meeting Elizabeth in Sedona, Ariz., at a conference, and I was following the company closely at the time. I will never forget listening to her talk and thinking that if she had the technology she claimed to have, it would change the world. Like everyone, I was blown away by this young woman who dropped out of college to start her own company. It is devastating to see that there was such fraud going on, and when it enters the space of people’s health, it hits a new low. I think everyone should read this book to remember that our society and systems do not work without people having integrity and honesty. Commerce and governance only work if there is a basic level of trust, and stories like that of Theranos really amplify this.”
What is a trend going on in the U.S. or abroad that doesn’t get enough attention? “Venezuela. At Concordia, we have covered the humanitarian crisis closely since our 2016 Americas Summit in Miami, where we hosted the first meeting between Activist Lilian Tintori and the Secretary General of OAS, Luis Almagro. It is a situation that does not get nearly enough attention and is the ultimate example of how important good governance is. In just 25 years. we have seen an incredibly rich country move to the precipice of total collapse, and its people are the ones paying the price. We’ll again be convening heads of state, C-suite executives, and nonprofit leaders at our 2018 Annual Summit in New York City to continue the conversation and search for cross-sector solutions to this very complex issue. You can learn more, including how to attend, at www.concordia.net.”
How is the Trump presidency going? “First, I could not be happier with the growth of the economy and by his Supreme Court picks. You cannot accurately answer this question without separating the policy work from the news cycle. As an avid news follower, I have never seen such a divided time of opinions and coverage. I think that President Trump’s approach is something that sets people back and he certainly came to Washington to change things. I also think that what he achieved politically is remarkable because he tapped into something that obviously so many in this country have been feeling. He reached out to a population that felt left behind and frankly they have many reasons to feel that way. He has been willing to do things that have not been done and use tools in the toolbox that previous Presidents and administrations haven’t necessarily used. The President is putting everyone on their toes, keeping them guessing, but that seems to be his objective and it’s working for him.”
What’s a fun fact that people in Washington might not know about you? “I bring my dog to work every day. When I interned on Capitol Hill for John Warner of Virginia, he always brought his dogs to work. From that moment, I always wanted to create an office space where my dog could come with me. His name is Badger and he is a Dachshund. And yes, I have joined the crazies and created @badgerofhonor, his very own Instagram account.”
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