Impact Point

David Lillie , Executive Director of the Syrian American Medical Society, has spent 25 years delivering humanitarian assistance in conflict zones, including Syria, Sudan, and Rwanda. In this episode, he makes the case that humanitarian aid is not charity. It is crisis prevention, and the cost of cutting it is measured in instability, disease, and displacement, not budget savings. With over 320 mil...

The drone threat is no longer a future problem. Recent incidents at El Paso and Fort Hancock have exposed a critical vulnerability — not in technology, but in how organizations coordinate decisions under pressure. The biggest counter-UAS readiness gap is a practice problem, not a hardware one. In this episode of “Impact Point,” we sit down with Brad Halsey , Founder of Building Momentum and former...

Billions are spent on US security cooperation every year. Mick Crnkovich , one of the most candid practitioners in the field, joins us to make the case for treating assessment, monitoring, and evaluation (AM&E) not as compliance overhead, but as the decision infrastructure that protects taxpayer investment and keeps security cooperation honest. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Introduction. 01:16 AM&E...

Building resilient supply chains, translating talent across sectors, and aligning public and private incentives are becoming defining challenges for US competitiveness. Sreenivas Ramaswamy , Chief Innovation Officer of NobleReach ™,️ joins us to explore how innovation policy, procurement reform, and workforce development must evolve to meet today’s national security and economic realities. Drawing...

The GovCon landscape is undergoing seismic change, and navigating it requires a new kind of leadership, talent strategy, and organizational mindset. In this episode, we sit down with Jake Frazer , President and Co-Founder of Precision Talent Solutions , to explore how CEOs, executives, and transitioning professionals can adapt, upskill, and thrive in a rapidly shifting market. Jake shares insights...

Saudi Arabia is transforming at a scale and speed rarely seen, reshaping perceptions, markets, and opportunities across the Middle East. In this episode, we sit down with Sean Jones , Adjunct Professor of The American University in Cairo and Board Member of the Binational Fulbright Commission in Egypt , to unpack what this shift means for businesses, policymakers, and innovators. We explore firsth...

Systematic change in government organizations doesn’t happen overnight. It takes structure, collaboration, and a commitment to learning. In this episode, we speak with Sarah Kohari , Principal at Kohari Consulting, LLC, and former Chief for Planning, Performance, and Learning at the US Department of State . She shares how the 18 FAM 300 policy transformed monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL)...

The world is entering a post-documentation era where truth and evidence are no longer easily verifiable. In this episode, we speak with Jake Shapiro , John Foster Dulles Professor of International Affairs at Princeton University , to explore how technology, reputation, and trust shape our understanding of facts in a rapidly changing information landscape. Key Takeaways: 00:00 Introduction. 02:27 T...

Foreign assistance is undergoing one of its most dramatic transformations in decades, forcing organizations to rethink strategies, funding sources, and innovation models.  In this episode, Neelima Grover , Founder and CEO of Q2IMPACT , and Rob Jenkins , Senior Advisor of Q2IMPACT , explore the challenges and opportunities facing foreign assistance amid geopolitical shifts, funding uncertainty...

The rise of artificial intelligence is reshaping not only technology but also how humans define knowledge, value, and dignity in their work. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Varun Grover , George and Boyce Billingsley Endowed Chair and Distinguished Professor of the University of Arkansas ­- Sam M. Walton College of Business , to explore the concept of benchmark inversion and the future of hu...

We’re living through a defining moment where technology, geopolitics, and national security converge at an unprecedented pace. In this inaugural episode, Neelima Grover , Founder and CEO of Q2IMPACT , Marsha Grodnicki , Managing Director of Q2IMPACT , and Rob Jenkins , Senior Advisor of Q2IMPACT , discuss how organizations can navigate disruption, harness reliable data, and lead with innovation in...