Chief Influencer®

In this special in-person episode recorded at The George Washington University, Anthony Shop sits down with Dan Simons, co-founder of Farmers Restaurant Group, to explore what it truly means to lead with influence in today’s complex and fast-moving world. Known for building a mission-driven hospitality brand that connects American family farmers to the urban table, Dan shares how success is not bu...

What does it take to build influence when the stakes are deeply personal—and the audience is scattered across the globe? In this episode, Anthony Shop sits down with Mike Graglia, Founder and CEO of Cure SYNGAP1, to explore how one father turned a devastating diagnosis into a global movement accelerating research, building community, and driving toward a cure. Mike shares how he leveraged authenti...

In today’s fragmented and fast-moving influence landscape, what does it mean to lead with principle—and still drive real impact? In this episode of Chief Influencer, host Anthony Shop sits down with Peter Goettler, President and CEO of the Cato Institute, to explore how principled leadership can be a powerful force for influence in Washington and beyond. Peter shares how he has guided one of the n...

In this episode of Chief Influencer, Anthony Shop sits down with Paul R. Lawrence, Ph. D, Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, to explore what it means to lead and influence at a massive scale. With responsibility for serving over 17 million veterans, Dr. Lawrence shares how his transition from private sector consultant to government operator required a shift from advising...

In this episode of Chief Influencer, host Anthony Shop speaks with Amy Martin Ziegenfuss, Chief Marketing Officer of Carnival Cruise Line, about how she's redefining cruise travel marketing. Amy walks through Carnival's shift toward mindset-based segmentation, moving beyond demographics to understand what travelers truly want, and how that approach can be applied across industries. She shares how...

In this special live episode of Chief Influencer, Anthony Shop moderates a powerful panel at the Face the Fight Coalition convening, bringing together influential leaders committed to reducing veteran suicide. The conversation features Chef Robert Irvine, Founder of the Robert Irvine Foundation; The Honorable Patrick Murphy, former U.S. Under Secretary of the Army and Iraq War veteran, and JoAnne...

This week, we’re revisiting our conversation with iconic guest Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist. How can leadership in cybersecurity help shape the future of national security and public awareness? In this episode of the Chief Influencer Podcast, guest host Liesl Riddle, Dean of George Washington University’s College of Professional Studies, sits down with Craig to explore his ongoing philanth...

Today, we’re revisiting our conversation with Dr. Joel Braunstein, who is the CEO and Co-Founder of C₂N Diagnostics, a company dedicated to the development and commercialization of diagnostics for Alzheimer's disease and related neurodegenerative conditions. Dr. Braunstein offers insights from his extensive experience in the healthcare sector, detailing his academic journey and highlighting the pi...

We’re revisiting a powerful past conversation with Steve Schwab, CEO of the Elizabeth Dole Foundation, whose insights on leadership, storytelling, and movement-building remain just as relevant today. In this episode, Steve reflects on how Senator Elizabeth Dole transformed a critical but largely invisible issue, the millions of family members caring for wounded veterans, into a national movement....

In today’s information ecosystem, influence is no longer about having the loudest voice — it’s about having the most trustworthy one. In this powerful conversation, Anthony Shop sits down with Dan Gaylin, President and CEO of NORC at the University of Chicago and author of Fact Forward: The Perils of Bad Information and the Promise of a Data-Savvy Society. Dan has built his career helping leaders...

Today, we’re re-airing our conversation with Tiffany Benjamin, CEO of the Humana Foundation, to coincide with the Face the Fight convening in Louisville, hosted at Humana’s corporate headquarters, where leaders from across sectors are coming together around veteran mental health and suicide prevention. Tiffany shares her unexpected journey from Harvard Law School to leading a major philanthropic f...

Anthony Shop sits down with Pulitzer Prize–winning investigative journalist Brody Mullins to explore how corporate America transformed Washington — and how influence itself is being redefined yet again. Drawing from his book The Wolves of K Street, Brody explains how corporations had surprisingly little sway in Washington prior to the 1970s. Economic turmoil during the Carter era triggered a turni...

Wade Foster, Co-Founder and CEO of Zapier, explores what real, lasting influence looks like in a world driven by algorithms, automation, and AI. From his early days growing up in Jefferson City, Missouri, to building one of the most influential workflow automation platforms in the world, Wade reflects on how influence is created not through visibility alone, but through action that meaningfully ch...

As LinkedIn continues to solidify its role as the front line for executive visibility, institutional trust, and digital leadership, we’re re-airing one of the most timely conversations in the Chief Influencer archive. Recorded at the National Health Council’s Health Leadership Conference last year, this discussion has only grown more relevant as leaders across sectors rethink how influence is buil...

Patient-centered advocacy is often discussed as a principle, but far less often practiced as a discipline. In this episode of Chief Influencer, Anthony Shop speaks with Dr. Eric Racine about what it truly means to put patients at the center—and why influence in healthcare depends on trust, alignment, and proximity to lived experience. Eric shares how personal loss early in his life shaped his beli...

The meal is the entree that opens the door...It’s maybe the only time someone is going to see a person in a given day or even a given week, depending on where they’re living. Ellie Hollander, President and CEO of Meals on Wheels America, explores this question by highlighting that her organization provides far more than just nutrition; it offers a "more than a meal" service that includes safety ch...

We are revisiting our impactful conversation with Chuck Henderson, CEO of the American Diabetes Association (ADA), whose mission-driven leadership is reshaping the fight against the diabetes epidemic. Since stepping into the role in early 2020, Chuck has leveraged his background in the private sector and athletics to champion critical initiatives, including insulin affordability, health equity, an...

Dr. Jean Accius, President and CEO of Creating Healthier Communities and a globally recognized authority on health equity and longevity, joins host Anthony Shop for a compelling conversation about what it truly takes to influence across sectors, build trust, and drive lasting social impact. Dr. Accius reflects on his Haitian upbringing and the guiding wisdom of his grandmother, who taught him “Tou...

Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, former Member of Congress and now the Executive Director of GW’s Graduate School of Political Management (GSPM), shares the deeply personal story of immigrating from Ecuador, watching her mother work multiple jobs, and discovering early the power of resilience, community, and education. These experiences shaped her leadership philosophy and her belief that influence begins...

This special edition of the Chief Influencer podcast brings together some of the most powerful moments from conversations with seven remarkable leaders who are shaping the future of influence across public policy, mental health, women’s rights, technology, journalism, and social impact. Each guest: Jaymes Black, Patrick J. Kennedy, Kathryn Godburn Schubert, Craig Newmark, Frédérique Campagne Irwin...

We’re excited to re-air this powerful conversation with Terry Szuplat, former White House speechwriter for President Barack Obama and author of Say It Well: Find Your Voice, Speak Your Mind. Inspire Any Audience. Originally released as an in-person discussion, this episode quickly became a listener favorite for its timeless insights into authentic communication. Terry explores why simplicity, clar...

In this powerful episode, Anthony Shop sits down with Jill Houghton, President and CEO of Disability:IN, the world’s leading nonprofit driving disability inclusion and accessibility across global business. With a career shaped by personal experience, public policy, and transformative corporate partnerships, Jill shares how she has helped build a global movement rooted in the belief that disability...

Darra Gordon, CEO of Family Equality, is the national organization advancing legal and lived equality for LGBTQ+ families. Darra stepped into the role at a pivotal moment, when more than 600 anti-LBGTQ+ bills were introduced across the country, and she brings more than two decades of leadership at the intersection of advocacy, culture change, and community-building. Darra shares how Family Equalit...

In this special live edition of the Chief Influencer podcast, recorded at The George Washington University’s College of Professional Studies, host Anthony Shop sits down with Dr. Ellen M. Granberg, the 19th president of GW and the first woman to lead the institution in its 200+ year history. President Granberg shares her journey from accidental leader to national influencer in higher education, of...

Max Friedman is the Co-Founder and CEO of Givebutter, an all-in-one nonprofit fundraising and CRM platform that has powered nearly $2 billion in donations. Having started the company in his college dorm room, Max's journey highlights the blend of self-taught technical skills and a mission-driven approach to make online giving fun, social, and transparent.  In this episode, you’ll learn how Givebut...