Building The Future: Freedom, Prosperity, And Foreign Policy With Dan Runde

China e-commerce expert and former Ambassador to Singapore Frank Lavin joins Dan Runde on this week’s episode of Building the Future. Frank shares key takeaways from his book “The Smart Business Guide to China E-Commerce" and the opportunities that China’s market presents to U.S. businesses. The future of the U.S.-China commercial relationship and China's middle-income trap will play important roles in shaping a world affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and new geopolitical relationships.

On this episode of Building the Future, Dan Runde speaks with Marie Royce, former Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs, about the importance of people-to-people exchanges in the context of U.S. national security. As a diplomat, businesswoman, and educator, Mrs. Royce offers her perspective on international education and the cultural economy. The two share their personal experiences in cultural exchange to emphasize the benefit of people-to-people networks.

Matthew Rojansky, CEO and President of the U.S.-Russia Foundation (USRF), joins Dan Runde on this week’s episode of Building the Future. As one of the leading experts in the United States on Russia and Ukraine, Matthew covers a wide variety of topical issues, from Russian support for Putin, to the possibility of democracy in Russia, and the roles that USRF, the U.S.-Russia Investment Fund (TUSRIF), and the Western NIS Enterprise Fund (WNISEF) have in supporting Ukraine.

Nicole Robinson joins Dan Runde on this episode of Building the Future to discuss her recent publication “Women, Peace, and Security Initiative: Advancing U.S. Interests Through Women’s Empowerment.” Nicole is a research associate at the Heritage Foundation who specializes in political, economic, and security challenges in the Middle East and North Africa. In this episode, Nicole shares her insights on how women are disproportionately affected by conflict and play a strategic role in peace-building.

In this episode of Building the Future, former Finance Minister of Ukraine Natalie Jaresko joins Dan Runde to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Natalie, born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, shares how she became involved with Ukraine and explains what strategic value Ukraine has to Russia. She and Dan discuss the financial aspects of the invasion, what is next if Ukraine falls, and how listeners can help.

Dan is joined by his colleague, Marti Flacks (Director of CSIS Human Rights Initiative) and Agnieszka Rawa (Managing Director of Data Collaboratives for Local Impact at the Millennium Challenge Corporation) the outcome of the Summit for Democracy held in December 2021. The three also discuss the agenda ahead for the “Year of Action” and how digital connectivity can better serve democracy and freedom while fostering open and inclusive societies. This episode has been produced thanks to the generous support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

In this episode of Building the Future, Dan Runde speaks with Jim Harmon. As the Chairman and CEO of Caravel Management LLC, co-chair of the Board of the World Resources Institute, and former President of the Export-Import Bank, Mr. Harmon has had a storied career across government, finance, and philanthropy. He shares his many experiences through his memoir, Up and Doing: Two Presidents, Three Mistakes, and One Great Weekend―Touchpoints to a Better World. In this episode, Mr. Harmon delves into the environmental progress of the World Resources Institute and how he was able to build up the EXIM Bank, Egyptian-American Enterprise Fund, and more. This episode was recorded on October 20, 2021.

In this episode of Building the Future, Dan Runde interviews Chris Giancarlo about his new book CryptoDad: The Fight for the Future of Money and the future of digital currencies. Mr. Giancarlo, the 13th chairman of the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), discusses America’s move towards cryptocurrency in the age of the internet and digital markets. He explains the role of the CFTC and cryptocurrency regulations, as well as China’s vision for its own digital currency.

In this episode of Building the Future, Dan Runde interviews Fiona Hill on her new book, There Is Nothing for You Here: Finding Opportunity in the Twenty-First Century. Fiona, the former senior director for European and Russian affairs on the National Security Council, talks about her journey into policy and government and her work in the Trump Administration’s National Security Council. As an expert on European and Russian Affairs, Fiona also discusses the role of Russia in U.S. politics and on the global stage.

In this Spanish-language bonus episode of “Building the Future”, Dan Runde interviews Gabriel Sánchez Zinny, current Director of Blue Star Strategies, about his new book Sin Trabajo, which talks about the lack of formal work in Latin America and the Caribbean and recommendations for moving toward a more prosperous future job. Mr. Zinny also shares the lessons he learned during his time as Minister of Education for Buenos Aires, Argentina. En este episodio de “Construyendo el futuro”, Dan Runde entrevista a Gabriel Sánchez Zinny, actual Director en Blue Star Strategies, acerca de su nuevo libro Sin trabajo, que habla de la falta de trabajo formal en América Latina y el Caribe y recomendaciones para avanzar hacía un futuro laboral más próspero. El Señor Zinny también habla sobre lecciones aprendidas durante su tiempo trabajando en el Ministro de Educación de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina.

In this episode of Building the Future, Dan Runde interviews Sarina Faizy, a former Provincial Council Member of Kandahar-Afghanistan. Sarina recalls her experiences working for a local Afghan government while experiencing sexism and intimidation, and talks about how she overcame such odds. She shares her vision of Afghanistan's future and how women can continue to fight for gender equality and women's rights in Afghanistan.

In this episode of Building the Future, Dan speaks with Gary Edson, President of the Covid Collaborative, and longtime leader in U.S. development and global health initiatives. Gary and Dan speak on the Covid-19 response of the last year and a half, and how developed countries can help developing countries struggling with the pandemic and vaccine shortfall. They also address how the U.S. can prepare for future pandemics, early pandemic warning systems, and the role of the private sector in vaccine distribution.

Dr. Peter Berkowitz, the Tad and Dianne Taube Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, joins this week’s episode of Building the Future. As the former Director of Policy Planning at the U.S. State Department from 2019 to 2021, Peter discusses the Trump Administration’s take on competition with China, recent events in Afghanistan, and the multilateral system. The pair talk about the current state of the conservative movement in international affairs and how conservatives approach foreign policy.

In part two of Dan’s interview with Dr. Carter Malkasian, the pair discuss the lessons of the Afghanistan War and what the U.S. government can do to elevate their foreign service programs. They reason that in order to better reach populations that the United States have operations in, the State Department needs to integrate specialized language programs such as Dari, Pashto, and more. This episode also covers how Afghan society changed in the last 20 year, what people may expect from the Taliban government, and the future of Afghanistan.

In this episode of Building the Future, Dan Runde speaks with Dr. Carter Malkasian, a premier scholar-practitioner on the Afghanistan War. Dr. Malkasian served as the senior advisor to General Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, from 2015 to 2019 and spent several years in Afghanistan and Iraq. Dr. Malkasian recalls his experiences on the ground, how his experiences shaped his view of the Afghanistan war, and the current sentiment of Afghans post-Taliban takeover. This is part one of a two part series reflecting on the war in Afghanistan.

Hardin Lang, Vice President for Policy and Programs at Refugees International, joins Dan Runde in this week's episode of Building the Future. Dan and Hardin discuss the ballooning refugee crisis and the latest updates on the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. Their conversation spans the different countries that could take in Afghan refugees, the magnitude of the refugee crisis, and the actions that the U.S. and other countries should take to mitigate internally displaced Afghans. For those concerned about the ongoing emergency, consider contributing to NGOs on the ground such as the International Rescue Committee, Mercy Corps, and others that are providing humanitarian relief in Afghanistan, as well as refugee resettlement agencies such as the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service working to help Afghan refugees navigating the legal application processes.

Ambassador Richard Bernal joins Dan Runde in this episode of Building the Future. Ambassador Bernal was the Jamaican Ambassador to the United States from 1991 to 2001 and has a lauded career as a professional economist and professor. The episode dives into Ambassador Bernal’s new book, Corporate versus National Interest in U.S. Trade Policy: Chiquita and Caribbean Bananas. The pair talk about the book’s study of the Clinton Administration’s decision to engage in a trade war with the European Union over bananas that were not even produced in the U.S., and the similarities in economic decisions today. This fall, Building the Future will move back to a bi-weekly schedule, so please join us for our next episode on 9/15.

Please note: We will be taking a hiatus for the month of August and will be back on September 1 with a conversation with Dr. Richard Bernal. We look forward to seeing you again in the fall! In this episode of Building the Future, Dan is joined by Dr. Raul Hinojosa-Ojeda, Associate Professor at UCLA and author of The Trump Paradox: Migration, Trade, and Racial Politics in US-Mexico Integration. The conversation follows Dr. Hinojosa-Ojeda’s inspiration for The Trump Paradox and the polarization of immigration and trade in the United States. This episode touches on the current impact of immigration, the importance of remittances to immigrants, and how to reform the system around remittances. The discussion finishes with how the U.S. should position itself going forward, in respect to future immigration and the use of development banks.

In this episode of Building the Future, Dan is joined by Dr. Richard Feinberg, an economics professor at the University of California, San Diego with over 40s years’ experience in inter-American relations. Dr. Feinberg recently published “Widening the Aperture: Nearshoring in Our ‘Near Abroad”, a report on Biden administration’s domestic economic agenda. The discussion centers around American interactions with our ‘near abroad’, namely central America and the Caribbean. The pair discuss the emphasis that the Biden administration should place on this region, especially considering shifting supply chains, increased presence of Chinese investments, and the differing situations of the countries in the region.

In this episode of Building the Future, Dan is joined by Shelby Scarbrough, founder of Practical Protocol and author of her new book Civility Rules! Creating a Purposeful Practice of Civility. The pair discuss Shelby’s career and how her experiences taught her the importance of treating people civilly in professional interactions. Shelby talks about the difference between civility and being nice, and how the idea of “civility” changes across cultural borders. The conversation touches on topics like the role of civility in the digital age, civility in how democracies work, and examples of civility in leadership.