The Courage of Conviction

Former CIA officer Yaël Eisenstat has been speaking out publicly about President Trump’s dangerous relationship with the Intelligence Community, outing her CIA past very publicly in a NY Times op-ed and on various news outlets. Yaël will speak about the courage of working behind the scenes in the CIA, keeping your work life secret, and the humility of mission over recognition. Her decision to speak out publicly since Trump’s election was the toughest decision she has made since leaving government four years ago. She will speak about why she decided to make the very serious decision to tell the world something she had hidden from her friends her entire life, and why for her it is so important to put country before self right now.

About the Speaker:
Yaël has spent 16 years working on global political, social and security issues, as a CIA analyst, a diplomat, the senior intelligence officer at the National Counterterrorism Center, a national security advisor to Vice President Biden, a CSR strategist for a Fortune 5 company, and the head of a global political risk firm. In 2016, she founded Kilele Global, providing intelligence-based advice to help companies and start-ups operating in emerging markets do so smartly and with purpose. She also provides context and analysis on national security, political and foreign affairs in the media, as a speaker and guest lecturer, and through workshops and seminars. She has been published in the New York Times and TIME, has appeared on CNN, CBS News, in policy forums, and on a number of podcasts

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