What's Working in Washington

For the final episode of What’s Working in Washington , we revisit key conversations that continue to resonate — focused on creativity, technology, and leadership. Richard Powers discusses the unique emotional power of storytelling, while Ed Finn examines synergies between humans and machines. Corey Doctorow finds hope in the cautionary tales of science fiction, and ethicist Christopher DiCarlo ma...

Building the future isn’t just about technology—it’s about how we imagine, innovate, and take action together. Jonathan Aberman sits down with Ed Finn, professor and founding director of the Center for Science and the Imagination at Arizona State University. Together, they take a closer look at our relationship with AI and discuss why the future needs more human insight, not less. Zooming in...

From AI adoption to U.S. politics, we’re exploring what it means to move forward with intention, not just momentum. James Kaufman, professor of educational psychology at the University of Connecticut, makes the case for nurturing human creativity in the age of artificial intelligence. Chloe Autio, owner of Autio Strategies and co-host of “Is This It?”, weighs in on the balance between AI innovatio...

A closer look at how experts are adapting their approaches to technology, politics, and investing in a rapidly changing world. Co-host Elizabeth Shea speaks with Amelia DeSorrento, co-founder of DC’s Agora Initiative, about the gender gap in venture capital—and the power of investing in female entrepreneurs. Dave Edwards, co-founder of Artificiality, explores the promise of efficient AI: how can w...

New forms of policy are dramatically changing our technologies and economies. Co-host Elizabeth Shea sits down with Paul Doman, president of Victory Square Partners, to discuss how AI is transforming the way tech firms build and scale. White House foreign correspondent Nadia Bilbassy shares the challenges of reporting on Donald Trump’s foreign policy in the Middle East. And Eduardo Albrecht, autho...

In this episode, we’re venturing into the unknown and exploring how to move forward when the future is unclear. Co-hosting our tech segment with Jonathan Aberman, Elizabeth Shea sits down with Doug Anderson to explore how D.C. startups are navigating new political, economic and technological tides. Then, Juliane Schäuble, US Correspondent of "Der Tagesspiegel", joins us to discuss the shockwaves t...

This month, we’re taking a closer look at the changing tides in technology and international affairs. Host Jonathan Aberman and Matt Howard, CMO at Virtru, discuss D.C.’s need for effective cybersecurity amid rapid tech innovation. Jonathan also interviews Dr. Christopher DiCarlo, whose new book “Building a God” explores how artificial intelligence is raising new questions about ethics, capitalism...

Inspired by D.C.’s thriving tech ecosystem, Jonathan Aberman tackles artificial intelligence, ethics, and how we’ll coexist with emerging technologies. This month, Cory Doctorow joins the conversation. His latest book “Picks and Shovels” explores the ongoing debate over digital rights and how to find hope in the future of AI. Also, Jonathan sits down with Sean Whelan, White House Correspondent for...

In this episode, hosts Jonathan Aberman and Mark Walsh, in Mark’s final episode as co-host, explore how technology, climate change, and Elon Musk’s influence are drastically altering the path ahead. Also, hear from Greg Epstein, American Humanist chaplain at Harvard University and MIT, as he discusses his new book "Tech Agnostic". Epstein argues that technology has become a new form of religion, w...

For our final episode of the year, hosts Jonathan Aberman and Mark Walsh look ahead, from a second Trump presidency to the rise of facial recognition. Jonathan sits down with Fraser Jackson, White House Correspondent for France24, to discuss how French leaders are preparing for Trump’s return to power. Plus, in his newest book The Social Paradox, social psychologist William Von Hippel explores the...

Hosts Jonathan and Mark talk government regulation, social media, and the pulse in Washington, D.C., from Capitol Hill to outer space. Jonathan Aberman sits down with White House Correspondent Richard Latendresse — calling in from Mar-a-Lago — to discuss president-elect Trump’s new administration, and what his transition can tell us about the next four years. Also, Jonathan chats with author Robin...

This month, we're looking into our crystal ball to consider what our environmental, political, and technological futures might look like. Jonathan Aberman sits down with author Richard Powers to discuss innovation, ecology, and the art of storytelling in his new book Playground. Then, hear from Mineko Abe, producer for Yomiuri Shimbun, who joins us to discuss Japanese perspectives on new technolog...

This month’s episode explores how political expression takes shape. Introducing his new book “Paris in Ruins”, Sebastian Smee discusses how Impressionism emerged in a politically chaotic France, bringing democracy and authenticity to art. Then, Nadia Bilbassy, Bureau Chief at Al Arabiya News, describes what it's like to cover the Biden White House for a Middle Eastern audience. She sits down with...

From AI hype to Dolly Parton releases, Jonathan Aberman and Mark Walsh explore this month’s trends in finance, culture, and politics. Also, Jonathan sits down with Paulina Bren, author of “She-Wolves”, to honor the women who defied the odds and left their mark on Wall Street in the 1960s and ‘70s. Drawing on Jonathan’s own experience on Ozempic, Jonathan and Mark then discuss the reality of life o...

Longer episodes, deeper dives! In our new one hour format, hosts Jonathan Aberman and Mark Walsh explore new trends, share media recommendations, and interview author Corey Brettschneider.  "The Presidents and the People: Five Leaders Who Threatened Democracy and the Citizens Who Fought to Defend It" examines how citizen movements have resisted presidential abuses of power by appealing to a democr...

Exploring and settling outer space may seem like the ultimate form of entrepreneurship – but is it a realistic ambition? Drawing from her latest book "A City on Mars", Kelly Weinersmith sits down with Jonathan to discuss the hurdles we face in our journey to space, from human physiology to resource governance. So human life on Mars is still far-fetched, but we can learn a lot about our planet and...

"Being your own boss" isn't just about getting rich and being independent. In his latest book “One Day I’ll Work for Myself", author and historian Benjamin Waterhouse separates the allure from the illusions of self-employment. He takes a hard look at the mythology of entrepreneurship, from colonial America and the digital revolution of the 1980s to today. His advice? Look beyond the hype and make...

Sean Perryman is the Head of Algorithmic Fairness Policy at Uber. He sits down with Jonathan Aberman to discuss the major questions about privacy and bias raised by artificial intelligence, and how policymakers need to respond. From facial recognition technology to Google's Gemini, Perryman calls for greater tech literacy among lawmakers. He lays out his vision for a more attractive entrepreneuria...

Ben Foster is co-founder & executive chairman at Prodify. In an increasingly service-based economy, Foster makes the case for enhancing product-driven innovation and entrepreneurship in Washington, D.C.. He discusses his vision for scaleable, efficient product companies to compete with Silicon Valley’s recent interest in national security technology. According to Foster, it’s time to embrace t...

Since its launch in 2007, Bethesda Green has been on a mission to foster innovation and community for sustainable small businesses. Today, Jonathan sits down with executive director Dave Feldman to discuss environmental entrepreneurship in Bethesda, Maryland and beyond. From start-up incubation to environmental awareness efforts, Feldman and Bethesda Green are building a supportive space for susta...

This week, Jonathan sits down with Justin Fanelli, Acting Chief Technology Officer for the United States Department of the Navy and Technical Director of PEO Digital. Together, they unpack his strategies for adopting innovation, from iterative improvements to a collaborative, motivated workplace environment. In building stronger tech infrastructure, Fanelli always keeps his mission in mind: to sup...

Adam Green is a professor at Georgetown University and director of the Lab for Relational Cognition. This week, he sits down with Jonathan to discuss imagination, brain function, and his research in creative neuroscience. As artificial intelligence becomes more powerful and more popular, Green explores human creativity as a source of hope and empowerment in the age of AI. See Privacy Policy at htt...

Lance Collins is the is the inaugural vice president and executive director of the Virginia Tech Innovation Campus. Set to open in Spring 2025, the new state-of-the-art campus was announced by the university as part of the state’s successful effort to attract Amazon’s HQ2 to Northern Virginia, and aims to produce talented computer scientists and software engineers who will drive growth in the regi...

Harry Klaff, Principal and U.S President of Avison Young, joins Jonathan to delve into the fundamental shift in D.C.'s commercial real estate sector. With over two decades of expertise, Harry explores the critical role that commercial real estate plays in a region's economic health, addresses the profound implications of underutilized office spaces on downtown areas, and emphasizes the need for co...

Tonio DeSorrento is the CEO of GovPort, a technology platform developed specifically for government contractors that offers tools for subcontractor management, compliance, organization, and operational efficiency. On today's episode, Tonio describes the moment he saw an opportunity to create a dedicated software for GovCons, and how his product streamlines and optimizes the process for contract ad...