The Ben Franklin Fellowship: The JUNTO Project Podcast

In Episode 14 of The Ben Franklin Fellowship's JUNTO Podcast, BFF Co-Founder and Chairman Phillip Linderman sits down with Ambassador J. Peter Pham for an in-depth discussion on Africa, China, critical minerals, the Sahel, great power competition, and the future of America First foreign policy. As global competition intensifies, Africa has become a strategic battleground for influence, resources,...

In this episode of The Ben Franklin Fellowship’s JUNTO Podcast, guest host BFF Vice President John McCally sits down with acclaimed historian, author, and screenwriter Jane Hampton Cook for a wide-ranging discussion on the origins of American diplomacy and the enduring principles that shaped the early Republic. Drawing on decades of historical research and storytelling, Jane explores Benjamin Fran...

In Episode 12 of the JUNTO Podcast, Ben Franklin Fellowship Chairman Phil Linderman sits down with Ambassador Alberto Fernandez for a wide-ranging discussion on American diplomacy, the Middle East, counterterrorism, and the future of Western civilization. Ambassador Fernandez draws on decades of experience in the U.S. Foreign Service, including service as U.S. Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea, Char...

BFF Fellow Marcus Thornton joins the Ben Franklin Fellowship Junto Podcast to discuss his experience challenging federal COVID vaccine mandates, the creation of Feds for Freedom, whistleblower protections, and the culture of institutional accountability inside the U.S. State Department. Marcus Thornton is a career Foreign Service Officer, former Senior Advisor on the Secretary of State’s Policy Pl...

In this episode, BFF Chairman Phil Linderman sits down with BFF Fellow Jose Cardenas, a Washington, D.C.–based consultant with more than four decades of experience in the U.S. political process and inter-American relations. Cardenas has held senior roles at the U.S. Department of State, the National Security Council, and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), where he served as Act...

The Ben Franklin Fellowship’s JUNTO Podcast features a timely and in-depth conversation with Ambassador Michael Gfoeller — former U.S. Ambassador and senior foreign policy leader—on the future of American diplomacy in an era of renewed great power competition. Drawing on decades of experience in the Foreign Service, Ambassador Gfoeller offers insight into the strategic challenges facing the United...

The JUNTO Podcast – Featuring BFF Fellow and Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs Matt Pierce In this episode, BFF Chairman Phil Linderman sits down with Matt Pierce , BFF Fellow and Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Consular Affairs. Matt shares his path to the State Department, his rise through the Consular Affairs bureau, and the challenges and opportun...

In this episode of The JUNTO Podcast , BFF Co-Founder Phil Linderman hosts a conversation with Robert Destro and Al Gombis , both BFF Fellows and longtime State Department officials, on the state of human rights diplomacy in Washington. Robert Destro , former Assistant Secretary for the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor (DRL), and Al Gombis , who served as Senior Official Performing the...

In this episode of The JUNTO Podcast , BFF Chairman Phil Linderman speaks with Albert T. “Al” Gombis, a recently retired U.S. diplomat whose 34-year career at the Department of State spanned 13 offices, three overseas posts, and senior leadership roles advancing global justice and human rights. From serving on Capitol Hill as a State Department Fellow for the House Foreign Affairs Committee to lea...

Guest: Stuart Wilson Host: Phillip Linderman, BFF Chairman The Ben Franklin Fellowship is proud to present a new episode of The JUNTO Podcast , hosted by BFF Chairman Phillip Linderman , featuring Stuart Wilson , BFF Fellow and Deputy Assistant Secretary for Visa Services in the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs. With more than three decades in the U.S. Foreign Service, Stuart Wilson h...

Guest: Dr Mark Skousen Host: BFF Chairman Phillip Linderman In this thought-provoking conversation, BFF Chairman Phillip Linderman sits down with Dr. Mark Skousen — renowned economist, author, and direct descendant of Ben Franklin — to explore his latest book: The Greatest American: Benjamin Franklin, The World's Most Versatile Genius. Together, they unpack Franklin’s diversity: diplomat, entrepre...

The Ben Franklin Fellowship (BFF) proudly launched its JUNTO AI, Statecraft & the Future of Diplomacy Speaker Series on July 23 with a high-level panel on one of the most urgent issues facing American diplomacy today: artificial intelligence and the escalating U.S.–China tech rivalry .

Guests: Phillip Linderman, Matthew Boyse, and Simon Hankinson Host: John McCally, Director of Strategic Partnerships & Media, BFF In this foundational episode of the JUNTO Podcast, host John McCally sits down with the three co-founders of The Ben Franklin Fellowship — Phillip Linderman, Matthew Boyse, and Simon Hankinson — for a rare joint conversation about the future of American diplomacy, t...

Guest: Simon Hankinson, Co-Founder, The Ben Franklin Fellowship; Senior Fellow, The Heritage Foundation Host: Phil Linderman, Chairman, The Ben Franklin Fellowship In this bold and wide-ranging conversation, BFF Chairman Phil Linderman sits down with BFF co-founder and board member Simon Hankinson to discuss his powerful new book, The Ten Woke Commandments – You Must Not Obey(July 2025). Drawing o...

Guest: John Armstrong, Senior Bureau Official, Bureau of Consular Affairs Host: Phil Linderman, Chairman, The Ben Franklin Fellowship In this episode of The JUNTO Podcast, BFF Chairman Phil Linderman sits down with longtime American diplomat and BFF Fellow John Armstrong, who currently serves as State Department's Senior Bureau Official in the Bureau of Consular Affairs. A career Foreign Service O...