Meet the USJLP Class of 2024

First Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

Lieutenant Commander, U.S. Navy; 
Instructor, Political Science Department, U.S. Naval Academy

(Washington, DC)

Justin Chock is an instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy who teaches the next generation of naval officers courses on Political Science, International Relations, and Cybersecurity. He was previously the Superintendent’s Speechwriter and he additionally assists with various extracurricular activities including graduate school preparatory programs and the Naval Academy Foreign Affairs Conference, the largest undergraduate foreign affairs conference in America. Previously, he served as the Chief Military Liaison for the U.S. Forces Japan J2 Intelligence Directorate and as the Gunnery and Ordnance Officer onboard USS CHUNG-HOON (DDG 93). He received an MPhil in International Relations from Oxford University.

First Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

President & Executive Director
Center for Law and Social Policy

(Washington, DC)

Indivar Dutta-Gupta is a national expert on policies advancing economic justice in the United States. For two decades, he has worked as a consultant, Congressional aide, think tank researcher, campaign policy volunteer, and more to shrink racial and gender gaps while ensuring that everyone in the United States has a basic foundation from which to access and take advantage of opportunities. He has helped develop and enact a wide range of policies while collaborating on strategies that have shifted policymakers' focus toward justice for people who are marginalized and excluded by current structures, systems, institutions, policies, programs, and practices.

First Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

Co-Founder & Chairman
Zehitomo Inc.

(Tokyo)

Jordan Fisher is Co-Founder and Chairman of Zehitomo, Japan’s marketplace for local services. From home renovations to karaoke coaches, Zehitomo provides a platform to match with 600+ types of service professionals. Prior to founding Zehitomo, Jordan was Vice President at J.P. Morgan in Tokyo, working in Fixed Income Technology and Equities Sales Trading. Born and raised in New York, Jordan holds a B.S. Computer Science from the University of Southern California. Outside of Zehitomo, Jordan is an active mentor to several startups. He is also a loving husband, and a father to two young daughters.

First Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

Partner
The Management Center

(Los Angeles, CA)

Cosmo Fujiyama Ghaznavi is a Partner at The Management Center where she leads partnerships with major philanthropic foundations and has trained over 4,000 non-profit and social justice leaders. Previously, she co-founded a non-profit in Honduras improving access to education for youth and served as Managing Director of University of Pennsylvania’s Center for Social Impact Strategy. As a Reynolds Fellow in Social Entrepreneurship, Cosmo earned her M.P.A in Nonprofit Management from New York University and a B.A. in American Studies and Women Studies from the College of William and Mary.

First Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

Lieutenant Colonel; F-35 Instructor Pilot; Commander 60th Fighter Squadron
U.S. Air Force

(Okaloosa Island, FL)

Hunter "Felon" Grunden is an F-35 Instructor and Evaluator Pilot. He commands the "Fighting Crows" of the 60th Fighter Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base. Hunter was an Olmsted Scholar in France, where he studied Geopolitics at Sciences Po University in Aix-en-Provence. Before flying the F-35, Hunter was an F-15C fighter pilot stationed in Okinawa, Japan. Hunter is a graduate of the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University with an MA in Arab Studies. Hunter began his Air Force journey at the US Air Force Academy, where he served as the Cadet Wing Commander.

First Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

Director of Precision Medicine, California
Governor's Office of Planning & Research;
CEO and Managing Publisher, Journal of Science Policy & Governance;
Teaching Faculty, University of California, Davis

(Sacramento, CA)

As Director of Precision Medicine at the California Governor's Office of Planning & Research, Dr. Julianne McCall manages cross-sector research and policy projects, which include co-authoring the California Surgeon General's Report. Previously, she worked 16 years in neuroscience research labs, including as a Fulbright Fellow in Sweden. Dr. McCall also serves as CEO of the Journal of Science Policy & Governance, teaches graduate courses at the University of California, advises TEDxFulbright, and occasionally directs the International Brain Bee Neuroscience Olympiad. She earned a PhD in Neuroscience from Heidelberg University, Master's from UC San Diego, and Bachelor's from Denison University.

First Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

Director, International Data Strategy and Multilateral Cooperation
Digital Agency of Japan

(Tokyo)

Maiko Meguro is the Director of International Data Strategy and Multilateral Cooperation for the Digital Agency of Japan, where she leads multilateral digital cooperation efforts such as G7/G20 and data governance. Previously, she led the G7 digital track at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and worked on initiatives such as the WTO Dispute Settlement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. She is concurrently a research fellow of public international law and legal theories at the University of Amsterdam and has been published in major American, European, and Japanese legal journals on topics such as international law, treaty-making, climate change, human rights litigation, economics, and technology.

First Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

Editor-in-chief for the evening news program “Super J-channel” 
TV-Asahi

(Tokyo)

Yuka Mizoue has worked for TV-Asahi as a TV journalist and documentary filmmaker for nearly 20 years. Her passion and life mission is to promote gender equality in Japan through journalism. She has recently been recognized with the Media Ambitious Award for her documentary “Sexism: The Real Truth Behind Japanese Politics," which focuses on women's barriers to politics in Japan. She is now an editor-in-chief for a daily news program, leading the coverage on women and childcare. She is also an active leader in pushing gender equality in the newsroom. She holds a BA from Doshisha University and studied documentary filmmaking at the University of California San Diego.

First Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

CEO / 5th Generation Owner
HAMASA-EN Co., Ltd.

(Shizuoka City, Shizuouka)

Toru Nanami, the fifth-generation owner of HAMASA-EN CO., LTD., a family-owned Japanese tea company established in 1865, hails from Shizuoka, Japan. Starting his international journey at 14, he embarked on a path of cultural enrichment. Toru's tenure at Morgan Stanley extended over five impactful years, spanning financial hubs such as New York, London, and Tokyo. Currently, he is dedicated to fostering client relationships across 40 countries and collaborating with stakeholders nationwide. A graduate of the University of British Columbia, Toru holds an MBA from INSEAD, guiding HAMASA-EN with a blend of tradition, innovation, and international experience.

First Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

CEO and Principal Artist
Chalk Riot

(Washington, DC)

Chelsea Marie Ritter-Soronen is a multi-disciplinary public art creator, educator, and organizer committed to collective exploration of the ground as canvas. Based in Washington, DC, she is the CEO and Principal Artist of Chalk Riot, an all-women mural production house specializing in pavement art. Their work has been featured by PBS Newshour, the Washingtonian, The Washington Post, and National Public Radio. She has been a TedX and Bloomberg CityLab speaker, Seeds of Peace Gather Fellow, and Resident Teaching Artist of the Moonshot Studio at John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Chelsea is currently pursuing a master’s in Sustainable Transportation.

First Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

Journalist
Nikkei Inc.

(Palo Alto, CA)

Uran Sasaki is a journalist at Nikkei Inc.'s Cultural News Group in Tokyo, specializing in cultural journalism with a focus on the performing arts sector. She has covered a broad spectrum of performing arts, including Kabuki, Kyogen, Rakugo, and modern theater, writing theater reviews and reporting on significant events such as the succession of Danjuro Ichikawa, expansion of female Rakugo artists, and the overseas performances of Man Nomura. A graduate of the University of Tokyo with a degree in Economics, she currently resides in Palo Alto, having relocated under a spousal relocation program.

First Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

Associate Professor, Graduate School of Law, University of the Ryukyus;
Counsel (Japan, New York, & Maryland), Kollect Partners Law Offices

(Nishihara, Okinawa)

Atsushi Shiraki is an associate professor at the University of the Ryukyus Law School and a legal practitioner qualified in Japan, New York, and Maryland. His academic interest lies in family law and transnational litigation law. After his seven years of practice in Japan, he pursued legal studies at three different law schools as a Fulbright Scholar: the University of Pennsylvania (LL.M.), the University of Hawaiʻi at Manōa (S.J.D.), and Columbia University (visiting scholar). As a board member of Human Rights Watch, Tokyo, he is also engaged in pro-bono work to seek accountability for human rights violations against North Korea.

First Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

Tokyo Bureau Chief
The Economist

(Tokyo)

Noah Sneider is the Tokyo Bureau Chief for The Economist. He was previously a correspondent in Russia and Ukraine. His writing has also appeared in Harper’s, The Atlantic, The New York Times, The New Republic and Slate, among others. His work has been anthologized in the Best American Travel Writing series. He is the recipient of a MacDowell Fellowship. He has also appeared as a commentator for radio and television, contributing to CNN, NPR, and the BBC. He is a member of the third generation in his family to live and work in Japan.

First Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

Founder & CEO
Proper Beverage Company/Rice Vice Hospitality

(Nashville, TN)

Byron Stithem is the Founder and Master Brewer at Proper Sake and Koji Beer Company, as well as the co-founder of Rice Vice Hospitality. Rice Vice aims to promote community through fermentation and “third place” establishments across the U.S. while supporting Japanese producers and business development, state-side.  He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Sake Brewers Association of North America and is a certified sake scholar. 

First Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

Human Resources Generalist
Cybozu, Inc.

(Tokyo)

Kazushi Takagi is an HR Generalist in the Human Resources Division of Cybozu, Inc., renowned for the most unique HR system in Japan. He authored the book Dear HR Manager in 2022, which proposes the use of information technology to rebuild Japanese-style employment. While engaged in HR at Toyota Motor Corporation, he recognized the stagnation stemming from Japan's distinctive employment system. Seeking solutions, he researched new forms of organizational structures, HR systems, and contracts at Cybozu, where he formulated a hypothesis. The book was highly acclaimed by experts in the HR and employment fields as a possible solution to various social problems in Japan. As an HR practitioner, he continues to explore new ways of HR and employment systems utilizing IT technology.

First Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

Professor, Graduate School of Public Policy, Tohoku University (Seconded);
(Assistant Commissioner, National Police Agency)

(Sendai, Miyagi)

Seconded from the National Police Agency, Naoko Udagawa is currently working as a Professor at the Graduate School of Public Policy at Tohoku University, where she teaches public policy. In the field of law enforcement, she has rich experience in international and foreign affairs, such as strengthening cross border cooperation on tackling transnational organized fraud as well as carrying out joint operations on busting technological leakage in coordination with foreign law enforcement and intelligence agencies. She also demonstrated leadership as the first female police executive of Toyama and Nagano prefectural police forces. Naoko earned an M.P.P. from Kyoto University and M.I.A. from Columbia University.

First Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

District 17 Council Member, Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County; 
Partnerships Director, API Middle TN

(Nashville, TN)

Terry Vo is a trailblazing advocate for social change and racial justice. Her background in government, non-profit, and the corporate world across three continents has led her to being the first Vietnamese American elected to the Metro Council where she represents District 17 and Partnerships Director for API Middle TN. She graduated with a BA from the University of Arkansas and a MGPP from the University of Queensland, where she attended on a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship. She lives in Nashville, TN where she serves on the Nashville Predators GUIDER and the Friends of Fort Negley Board of Directors. She is the co-founder of the Beautiful Bookworms Book Club and enjoys traveling, gardening, cooking, and live performances.

First Year Delegate (2024, 2025)

Founder, NPO WELgee; 
Co-Representative, Japan Association of New Public

(Tokyo)

Sayaka Watanabe is the founder of WELgee, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering the rebuilding of refugees' lives in Japan. Her journey began in Bangladesh, where, during her university years, she engaged with local NGOs in conflict zones and interned with UNDP on peace-building projects, witnessing firsthand the plight of individuals forsaken by their governments. Leading the "WELgee Talents" initiative, she connects refugee talent with Japanese companies, fostering mutual growth and understanding. Sayaka was recognized as a Forbes 30 Under 30 laureate for Japan/Asia. She has completed her master's in the Human Security Program at the University of Tokyo. She is also a member of the Global Shapers Tokyo hub, a TV news commentator, and co-representative of the Japan Association of New Public (JANP).

Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024)

Director, Center for Indo-Pacific Affairs & Assistant Professor, Asian Studies
University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa

(Honolulu, HI)

Kristi Govella is Director of the Center for Indo-Pacific Affairs and Assistant Professor of Asian Studies at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. Her research examines the intersection of economics, security, and governance in the Indo-Pacific, with a focus on Japan. She is an Adjunct Fellow at the East-West Center and Pacific Forum and Editor of the journal Asia Policy. She previously held positions at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, Harvard University, and the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies. Beginning in October 2024, she will be an Associate Professor at the University of Oxford.

Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024)

CEO, Corporate Directors Forum
Co-Founder, Mine The Gap
Co-Founder, Running Start

(San Diego, CA)

Jessica N. Grounds is an internationally recognized leadership and diversity expert. Over her two-decade career, she has advised Fortune 500 executives, trained political candidates and governments worldwide, and conducted original research on leadership, all through the lens of diversity as a proven strategy for innovation and impact. Jessica is currently the CEO of Corporate Directors Forum, an organization that educates and connects corporate board members and executives about modern leadership practices. She co-founded Mine The Gap, a diversity consulting company, and Running Start, a nonprofit organization that encourages young women to enter politics.

Second Year Delegate (2019, 2024)

Partner / Head of Japan
Farallon Capital Management

(Tokyo)

Eiji Imai is a lawyer turned investor and educator. Currently, he is a Partner at Farallon Capital Management, a global asset management firm. As Head of Japan, he is in charge of various types of investments, including public equity, private equity, credit, and real estate. He is also a lecturer at Waseda Business School, where he was recognized with a Teaching Award in 2023. He serves on the boards of Broadband Tower Inc. (Japanese listed data center company), FC Ryukyu (Japanese professional soccer club), and the American School in Japan.

Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024)

Project Leader, Airborne Rescue & Relief Operations with Search (“ARROWS”)
Peace Winds Japan

(Okayama City, Okayama)

Mototaka Inaba is a dedicated emergency surgeon and a key figure in disaster medical response, with a significant role in the ARROWS project at Peace Winds Japan, particularly during the Noto Peninsula earthquake in January 2024. His contributions extend beyond emergency response; he has earned a PhD in emergency intensive care for the elderly, showcasing his commitment to advancing medical care for vulnerable populations. Inaba is deeply involved in healthcare delivery in Japan's remote areas and in international outreach, like in Palau. His vision includes creating a system to circulate medical professionals between hospital settings and fieldwork, aiming to enhance healthcare accessibility and quality in underserved communities.

Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024)

Commander; Plans and Programs Division, Maritime Staff Office
Japan Maritime Self Defense Force

(Tokyo)

Kotaro Kitahara is a career surface warfare officer for the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force currently stationed in Tokyo as a member of the Plans and Programs division, Maritime Staff Office. In his decade-long professional naval career, he has been involved in various activities for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region and the Middle East with partners including the U.S. He earned a master’s degree from King’s College London and a bachelor’s from the National Defense Academy.

Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024)

Co-Founder and CEO, CROSS FIELDS;
Director, Japan Association of New Public

(Tokyo)

Daichi is the Co-founder and CEO of Cross Fields, a nonprofit organization that facilitates connections between Japanese business professionals and various NPO/NGOs across Asia. Additionally, he serves as an executive board member of the Japan Association of New Public (JANP), a network organization comprising over 160 nonprofit organizations in Japan. Prior to co-founding Cross Fields in 2011, he dedicated two years as a JICA volunteer in the Syrian Arab Republic and worked as a business consultant at McKinsey & Company Tokyo Office. Daichi holds an MA in Sociology from Hitotsubashi University and an MBA in Design & Leadership for Societal Innovation from Shizenkan University.

Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024)

Partner
Nishimura & Asahi

(Tokyo)

Atsushi Mizushima is a partner of Nishimura & Asahi, Japan’s largest law firm. He supports the management of large corporations and startups in their strategic actions, including M&A, new business creation, business alliance, and IP strategy. Earlier in his career, he served as a founding member of WHILL, Inc., a U.S. startup, where he achieved the initial product launch and two rounds of VC fundraising. Atsushi also currently holds concurrent positions as a member of several committees of the Japanese government, a law school lecturer, and the Chair of the Space Law Committee of the First Tokyo Bar Association. He holds an LL.B. (University of Tokyo, 2004) and an MBA (Stanford University, 2013).

Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024)

Representative for the Americas
Bank of Japan Chief Representative Office for the Americas

(New York, NY)

Yui Mukoyama has worked for the Bank of Japan for 10 years after she acquired a MA in Economics from University of Edinburgh. Yui also holds a master’s in finance from London Business School. She is the author of “The Investment Patterns of Japanese Retail Investors in Foreign Exchange (FX) Margin Trade” with Kazuaki Washimi et al. and “China’s Long-Term Growth Potential: Can Productivity Convergence Be Sustained?” with Koichi Yoshino et al. Currently, Yui is a Representative for the Americas at the Bank of Japan New York Representative Office. Yui was elected to the NEXUS Japan committee and selected as a sole central bank participant for the Under 30 G-1 Summit.

Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024)

Research Scientist
Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry

(Manila, Philippines)

Yu Nagai is a research scientist at the Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry (CRIEPI), specializing in the transition to a low-carbon society through renewable energy policy analysis and energy systems modeling. In his previous position at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), he focused on policy analysis to improve access to clean cooking technologies in developing countries. He is currently serving as a Japanese delegate to OECD/NEA’s Nuclear Development Committee and a committee member to the Advance Reactor Working Group of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. He holds a PhD in electrical engineering from Vienna University of Technology.

Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024)

Senior Science and Technology Policy Fellow, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan;
Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Osaka Metropolitan University

(Tokyo)

Chihiro Nakagawa has been assigned to Japan’s Cabinet Office as a Senior Science and Technology Policy Fellow since April. She also remains with Osaka Metropolitan University as an associate professor of mechanical engineering. One of her main research themes is the dynamics of personal mobility vehicles and humans, including automated driving. In addition to her research, she promotes parliamentary debate as an educational activity. She founded Parliamentary Debate Personnel Development Association (PDA) and has worked with MEXT and Boards of Education. She is also working on an AI debate system. She holds a PhD in mechanical engineering from the University of Tokyo.

Second Year Delegate (2019, 2024)

Captain; Senior Aide / Executive Assistant to the Chief of Staff
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force

(Tokyo)

Captain Tomoaki Nakano is a career Naval Officer of Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF). Currently, he serves as the Senior Aide / Executive Assistant to the Chief of Maritime Staff, assisting the top naval officer of JMSDF in policy matters and drafting his speeches for a variety of occasions. As a surface combat officer, Tomoaki’s service career afloat includes 7 naval ships and 2 Task Group headquarters, and most recently, he commanded around 200 sailors as the Commanding Officer of JS FUYUZUKI (DD-118). Tomoaki holds a master’s degree in international relations from Georgetown University, School of Foreign Services.

Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024)

President, JWLI (Japanese Women's Leadership Initiative)
Fish Family Foundation

(Boston, MA)

Kozue Sawame has over 20 years of expertise in gender issues and women’s leadership, focusing on philanthropy, nonprofits, and entrepreneurship in the U.S. and Japan. As President of JWLI (Japanese Women’s Leadership Initiative) at the Fish Family Foundation, she oversees leadership programs for women nonprofit executives and social entrepreneurs in Japan. Kozue holds degrees from Hosei University and Georgetown University, with additional leadership training from Babson College and the East-West Center. Born and raised in Hokkaido, Japan, she now lives in Boston, passionately advancing women’s empowerment and leadership.

Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024)

Executive Vice President & Chief Counsel
Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics in Washington (CREW)

(Washington, DC)

Donald K. Sherman serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Counsel at the government watchdog Citizens for Responsibility & Ethics in Washington (CREW), where among other projects, he has litigated landmark cases to enforce the 14th Amendment's Disqualification Clause. Prior to joining CREW, Sherman served in various roles in the House, Senate, and Executive Branch including as Special Assistant to the President for Racial and Economic Justice in the Biden-Harris White House. Sherman also led oversight and ethics investigations on the House Oversight Committee, Senate Homeland Security Committee, and the House Ethics Committee. Sherman earned his bachelor’s degree and law degree from Georgetown University. He lives in Washington, DC with his wife and two kids.

Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024)

Managing & Creative Director
Blueprint FTC

(Brooklyn, NY)

Roxann Stafford brings together the worlds of social impact, entrepreneurship, storytelling and design thinking. Her background in mechanical engineering, business, and psychology combines the analytical rigor and empathy necessary for sustainable systems design. Roxann is the Managing & Creative Director of Blueprint FTC, an initiative and investment fund backed by experienced founders and funders, creative leaders and change makers who harness the power of ventures and the stewardship of resources to create a more just world. She has extensive international experience identifying and co-creating sustainable and soulful solutions to big system problems in regions from the Pacific Islands to East Africa to the Caribbean. Roxann works with individuals, organizations, companies, governments and communities on how to thrive in a state of reinvention and reimagination.

Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024)

Founder & CEO
Bokksu

(New York, NY and Tokyo)

Danny Taing is the Founder & CEO of Bokksu, the world’s largest online Japanese snack company delivering authentic Japanese snacks and gifts to 100+ countries. Born in NYC to Cambodian-Chinese refugees, Danny studied at Stanford and worked at Google before moving to Tokyo to study Japanese at Waseda and then work for Rakuten. He returned to NYC, completed a Computer Science program at Columbia, and founded Bokksu in 2015. Danny is passionate about bridging cultures, supporting traditional makers, and bringing people together through the joy of food. In his spare time, he loves rock climbing, board games, and modern anime.

Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024)

Opera Singer

(Kyoto City, Kyoto)

Ayaka Tanimoto is a Mezzo Soprano (Opera Singer). She attended London’s Royal College of Music where she earned a Bachelor of Music (BMus Hons) and a Master in Vocal Performance (MPerf). She also graduated as a Scholar from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Alexander Gibson Opera School where she sang many roles as a Mezzo Soprano. Ayaka has won numerous awards in Japan and the U.K. and has taken to the stage as a recitalist in a number of highly regarded venues such as the Purcell Room, National Gallery, King’s Place, St. Martin in the Fields, St. James’ Piccadilly, Portsmouth Cathedral, and Bristol Cathedral to name a few. Ayaka currently lives between Kyoto and London, singing and teaching young talents as a Representative Director of the British Music Association Japan.

Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024)

CEO and Chairman
Yamato Medical Group

(Tome, Miyagi)

Yusuke is an experienced owner/President and medical doctor with 17 years of practice experience in Japan, including 8 years as a general surgeon. He has successfully built and managed 11 clinics and one hospital, providing medical services to underserved urban and rural areas, including after the 3.11 earthquake in Tohoku. He also serves as a government advisor and creates community networks through medical care in Tome City. He established a virtual doctor group that delivers healthcare to remote areas through online task shifting and task sharing. He aims to expand the doctor group through its own media platform, coffeedoctors.jp. He and his activities are widely covered in the media. Yusuke graduated from the University of Tokyo’s medical school.

Second Year Delegate (2023, 2024)

Columnist
The Washington Post

(Washington, DC)

Bina Venkataraman is a journalist, author, and science policy expert, who is currently the inaugural Columnist of the Future for The Washington Post. She previously served as Editorial Page Editor of The Boston Globe, overseeing its opinion section and editorial board and as Senior Advisor for Climate Change Innovation in the Obama White House. Bina is the author of The Optimist’s Telescope: Thinking Ahead in a Reckless Age, named a top book by The Financial Times and National Public Radio. She currently serves on the Advisory Board of Harvard’s Shorenstein Center on the Media, Politics, and Public Policy and on the MIT Corporation’s Visiting Committee on the Humanities.