Who We Are
America is more divided than ever—but it doesn’t have to be. Open to Debate brings multiple perspectives together for real debates that are structured, respectful, provocative, and fact-driven. We examine the issues of the day with influential thinkers to build a stronger democracy through the civil exchange of ideas. Be open-minded. Be curious. Be ready to listen. Join us in being Open to Debate. (Formerly Intelligence Squared U.S.)
Max Boot is the Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Senior Fellow in National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. He is also a contributing editor to the Weekly Standard and the Los Angeles Times, and a regular contributor to the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Commentary, and other publications. He is author of the bestselling book, Invisible Armies: An Epic History of Guerilla Warfare from Ancient Times to the Present (2013).
Nicholas Burns is Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Politics at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He is faculty chair of the school’s Middle East Initiative, India & South Asia Program, and is the director of the Future of Diplomacy Project. He writes on foreign policy for the Boston Globe and Global Post and is director of the Aspen Strategy Group. During his career in the State Department, he served in a variety of positions, including as under secretary of state, ambassador to NATO and Greece and at the National Security Council.
Devon Cross is director of The Policy Forum on International Affairs. She was founder and president of The Donors Forum on International Affairs, was executive director of the Gilder Foundation in New York City, and president of the Donner Canadian Foundation in Toronto. From 1984-1993, she was director of the Smith Richardson Foundation in New York. Cross served on the Defense Policy Board, a civilian advisory board to the Pentagon, from September 2001-2008.
Mickey Edwards, a Republican member of Congress from Oklahoma for 16 years (1977-92), is a vice president of the Aspen Institute and director of the Institute’s Aspen-Rodel Fellowships in Public Leadership program. He was a member of the House Republican leadership and served on the House Budget and Appropriations committees. He has taught at Harvard, Georgetown, and Princeton universities and has chaired various task forces for the Constitution Project, the Brookings Institution, and the Council on Foreign Relations.
Richard Falkenrath is a senior manager at Bridgewater Associates and an adjunct senior fellow for Counterterrorism and Homeland Security at the Council on Foreign Relations. He was deputy homeland security advisor and deputy assistant to President George W. Bush. From 2006 to 2010, he served as the deputy commissioner for counterterrorism of the New York City Police Department. He was formerly a principal with The Chertoff Group and a contributing editor at Bloomberg LP.
David Frum, a senior editor at The Atlantic, is a contributing editor at The Daily Beast and a CNN contributor. He is the author of eight books, including Why Romney Lost, Comeback: Conservatism That Can Win Again, and Dead Right, described as “the most refreshing ideological experience in a generation” by William F. Buckley. In 2001-2002, he served as a special assistant to President George W. Bush, and in 2007-2008, he served as senior foreign policy adviser to the Rudy Giuliani presidential campaign.
Doug Hecox is a nationally recognized public relations expert and currently leads the Federal Highway Administration’s Office of Media Relations. He teaches journalism at American University and is an author, columnist and nationally touring comedian. Doug has worked for members of Congress, the White House, and the U.S. Departments of Justice, Transportation and Treasury.
Margaret Hoover is a CNN political contributor and the bestselling author of the book, American Individualism: How a New Generation of Conservatives Can Save the Republican Party, published by Crown Forum in July 2011. She is also president of the American Unity Fund, an organization that marshals GOP financial and political support to pass marriage and other LGBT rights at the state and federal level. Hoover is a veteran of the Bush Administration White House, two presidential campaigns, and a former staffer on Capitol Hill.
Simon Johnson is the Ronald A. Kurtz Professor of Entrepreneurship at the MIT Sloan School of Management. He is also a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, a co-founder of BaselineScenario.com, a member of the FDIC’s Systemic Resolution Advisory Committee, and a member of the private sector systemic risk council founded by Sheila Bair. In 2014, he joined the Financial Research Advisory Committee of the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Financial Research (OFR). From 2009 to 2015, he was a member of the Congressional Budget Office’s Panel of Economic Advisers. Johnson has published more than 300 high impact pieces in New York Times, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, and many other outlets. He is the co-author of several books, including White House Burning: The Founding Fathers, Our National Debt, and Why It Matters to You (2013). Previously, he was the International Monetary Fund’s chief economist and director of its research department.
Andrew Keen is one of the world’s best known and controversial commentators on the digital revolution. He is the author of three books: Cult of the Amateur, Digital Vertigo, and The Internet Is Not the Answer. He is executive director of the Silicon Valley innovation salon FutureCast, the host of the popular Internet chat show “Keen On,” a Senior Fellow at CALinnovates, a columnist for CNN and a much acclaimed public speaker around the world. In 2015, he was named by GQ magazine in their list of the “100 Most Connected Men.”
Michael Levi served as a special assistant to President Obama for energy and economic policy on the National Economic Council. Previously, Levi was the David M. Rubenstein senior fellow for energy and the environment at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), director of the Maurice R. Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies, and director of the CFR program on energy security and climate change. He is an expert on climate and energy, technology, and nuclear security.
Larissa MacFarquhar has been a staff writer at The New Yorker since 1998. Her Profile subjects have included John Ashbery, Barack Obama, Noam Chomsky, Hilary Mantel, Derek Parfit, David Chang, and Aaron Swartz, among many others. She is the author of “Strangers Drowning: Grappling with Impossible Idealism, Drastic Choices, and the Overpowering Urge to Help” (Penguin Press, 2015). Before joining the magazine, she was a senior editor at Lingua Franca and an advisory editor at The Paris Review, and wrote for Artforum, The Nation, The New Republic, the Times Book Review, Slate, and other publications.
Ben Nelson is the founder, chairman, and CEO of Minerva Project. In 2012, Minerva Project received a $25 million seed investment from Benchmark Capital and has since launched the Minerva Institute for Research and Scholarship and the Minerva Schools, a reinvented university experience for the brightest and most motivated students that provides an interdisciplinary curriculum using an advanced interactive learning platform. Prior to Minerva, Ben spent more than 10 years at Snapfish, an online photo sharing and storage service, where he served as CEO from 2005 to June 2010. During his tenure as CEO, he lead Snapfish’s sale to Hewlett Packard for $300M. Previously, Ben was president and CEO of Community Ventures, a network of locally branded portals for America’s communities. Ben holds a B.S. in Economics from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where he graduated with honors. It was at Penn that Ben first realized his passion for reforming undergraduate education.
Gerry Ohrstrom is a private investor in New York City and former chairman of the Ohrstrom Foundation. He is or has been a director of various corporations and nonprofit organizations, including the Reason Foundation, the Santa Fe Institute, Atlas Economic Research Foundation, the Gruter Institute, the Property and Environment Research Center, Africa Fighting Malaria, the International Policy Network, the Booker T. Washington Learning Center, the Museum of the Rockies, and the Yellowstone Park Foundation. He has been Co-Chairman of the President’s Council at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory and is a member of the New York Academy of Science.
James Piereson is president and trustee of the William E. Simon Foundation. He is also a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute where he is director of the Institute’s Center for the American University. From 1985 to 2005, he was executive director and trustee of the John M. Olin Foundation. Previously, Piereson served on the political science faculties of Iowa State University, Indiana University, and the University of Pennsylvania, where he taught government and political thought. He serves on the boards of the Pinkerton Foundation, Thomas W. Smith Foundation, Center for Individual Rights, Philanthropy Roundtable, Foundation for Cultural Review, American Spectator Foundation, Hoover Institution, and DonorsTrust.
Andrew Roberts is the bestselling author of Napoleon: A Life, The Storm of War, Masters and Commanders, Napoleon and Wellington, and Waterloo. A Fellow of the Napoleonic Institute, he has won many prizes, including the Wolfson History Prize, the British Army Military Book Award, and the Fondation Napoleon’s Jury Prize, writes frequently for The Wall Street Journal, and has written and presented a number of popular documentaries.
Jeffrey Rosen is the president and chief executive officer of the National Constitution Center. He is a professor at The George Washington University Law School, where he has taught since 1997, and the legal affairs editor of The New Republic. He is also a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, where he explores issues involving the future of technology and the Constitution.
Gail Saltz is clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the New York Presbyterian Hospital, psychoanalyst with the New York Psychoanalytic Institute, columnist, bestselling author, and television commentator, including frequent contributing to the Today Show, CNN, and MSNBC. She is the emotional wellness contributor to Health Magazine and Health.com, chair of the 92nd Street Y 7 Days of Genius Advisory Committee, and consultant and event moderator for the Clinton Foundation’s Health Matters Initiative
Peter Schuck is the Simeon E. Baldwin Professor Emeritus of Law at Yale Law School. His most recent books include Targeting in Social Programs: Avoiding Bad Bets, Removing Bad Apples; Meditations of a Militant Moderate: Cool Views on Hot Topics; Immigration Stories; Foundations of Administrative Law; Diversity in America: Keeping Government at a Safe Distance; and The Limits of Law: Essays on Democratic Governance. He is also co-editor, with James Q. Wilson, of Understanding America. He is a member of the American Law Institute’s advisory committee for the Restatement of Torts (Third), Basic Principles, and a contributing editor to The American Lawyer. He was Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation in the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
Jonathan Soros is chief executive officer of JS Capital Management LLC, a private investment firm. He is also a senior fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, a think tank based in New York City, and co-founder of Friends of Democracy, a Super PAC and advocacy organization dedicated to reducing the influence of money in politics. Soros is a member of the board of the New America Foundation and holds several board positions affiliated with the Open Society Foundations.
Bret Stephens is an op-ed columnist for the New York Times. He previously worked at the Wall Street Journal, where he was most recently deputy editorial page editor and, for 11 years, a foreign affairs columnist. Before that, he was editor in chief of The Jerusalem Post. At The Post he oversaw the paper’s news, editorial, and digital operations and its international editions, and also wrote a weekly column. He has reported from around the world and interviewed scores of world leaders. Stephens is the author of “America in Retreat: The New Isolationism and the Coming Global Disorder,” released in November 2014. He is the recipient of numerous awards and distinctions, including two honorary doctorates and the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for commentary.
John Tierney is a contributing editor to the Manhattan Institute’s quarterly publication, City Journal, and a contributing science columnist to the New York Times. His work has been published in The Atlantic, Esquire, New York, Reason, the Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post. Tierney’s latest book, Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest Human Strength, was a New York Times best-seller and has been translated into 20 languages. His website is JohnTierney
JOHN DONVANNYC.com.
The moderator of Open to Debate since 2008, John Donvan is an author and correspondent for ABC News. He has served as ABC’s White House Correspondent, along with postings in Moscow, London, Jerusalem, and Amman. John is the coauthor of In a Different Key: The Story of Autism (Crown, 2016). In addition to premiering his first one-man show, “Lose the Kid,” in 2013 in Washington, D.C., John is a four-time Emmy Award winner and was a National Magazine Award finalist in 2010.
Twitter: @johndonvan
Nick Gillespie is the editor-at-large of Reason, the libertarian magazine of “free minds and free markets,” and the host of The Reason Interview podcast with Nick Gillespie. A two-time finalist for the digital National Magazine Awards, he is co-author of “The Declaration of Independents: How Libertarian Politics Can Fix What’s Wrong with America” and holds a Ph.D. in American literature.
Full bio is available here
Nayeema Raza is a journalist and filmmaker whose work has appeared in The New York Times, New York Magazine, and the Tribeca Film Festival. She frequently guest moderates “Open to Debate.” Nayeema also hosts “Smart Girl Dumb Questions,” which seeks to invite curiosity back into our broader dialogue, and is an adjunct professor at Columbia University, where she teaches a course on technology, media, and the end of trust.
Nayeema was previously the co-host of the podcast “Mixed Signals” and the on-air Executive Producer of the Vox Media podcast, “On with Kara Swisher.” Prior to that, she was a Senior Editor at The New York Times where she launched and ran the podcast “Sway,” was a video journalist in the Opinion section covering topics from immigration to internet privacy, and penned essays on modern culture.
Nayeema came to journalism with a background in documentary filmmaking and international development, spending her early career advising foreign governments in places like Libya, Vietnam, and South Africa on major policy reform. She is on the Board of Advisors of Open to Debate and the Young Patrons Leadership Committee of PEN America. She is also a member of the Writers Guild of America, a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a 2024 Henry Crown Fellow within the Aspen Institute.
Gillian Tett is chair of the editorial board and U.S. editor-at-large of the Financial Times, where she oversees global coverage of the financial markets. An award-winning journalist and best-selling author, Tett is also the co-founder of “Moral Money,” a twice-weekly newsletter on socially responsible business. Her most recent book, “The Silo Effect,” analyzes the financial system through the lens of cultural anthropology. She has been named Columnist of the Year (2014), Journalist of the Year (2009), and Business Journalist of the Year (2008) in the British Press Awards and received three awards from America’s Society of Business and Economic Writers Awards. She is a best-selling author and has received the Royal Anthropological Institute Marsh Award and the American Anthropological Association President Medal for her work in social science.
Xenia Wickett runs a geopolitical advisory and executive coaching business, Wickett Advisory, that helps organizations and individuals find clarity and direction amid uncertainty.
Previously, Xenia has held positions as VP of Political Analysis and Integrity Due Diligence at Equinor, Head of the US and Americas Programme and founding Dean of the Queen Elizabeth II Academy for Leadership in International Affairs at Chatham House, Executive Director of the PeaceNexus Foundation, which she helped found, and Executive Director for Research at Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center.
Xenia served with the US government on the National Security Council and at the State Department. Shortly after 9/11, she was detailed to the US Office of the Vice President to help launch the Office of Homeland Security Affairs.
Among other volunteer activities, Xenia is a trustee of Transparency International UK and sits on the executive team of the Pilgrims. She has an MPP from Harvard’s Kennedy School and a BA from Oxford University. She is a qualified coach with the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
As the CEO of Open to Debate, Clea Conner is on a mission to restore civility, respect, and intelligence to the public square. Clea has produced more than 150 award-winning public policy programs spanning technology, culture, economics, law, and global affairs, convening the world’s most influential voices on the most provocative questions of our time. Named one of Crain’s New York “40 Under 40,” Clea developed “Up For Debate” and “That’s Debatable” as television programs on Bloomberg, PBS, and Newsy, and produced the first debate between artificial intelligence and a human debater in partnership with IBM’s historic Project Debater. She holds more than two dozen awards for excellence in public affairs programming in radio, television, and podcasting.
Lia Matthow’s tenure at Open to Debate spans many years and has included multiple editorial leadership and strategic development roles. As Chief Content Officer, Lia currently leads content expansion and strategy across debate topics, guest curation, radio and television broadcasts, podcasts, digital platforms, and partnership integrations. Prior to Open to Debate, Lia worked in television news in senior management positions at CNN, Court TV and MSNBC. Lia is also the President and Founder of Beacon Strategies Inc, where she has curated live events for numerous nonprofit and private entities and global media companies including Newsweek, Scientific American, Macmillan Learning and Bloomberg L.P. Lia provides bespoke media training programs for bestselling authors, C-Level executives and corporate leadership teams. Prior to launching Beacon Strategies, she served as the founding Director of Grants and Special Projects at a private foundation endowed at one billion dollars, where she managed strategic funding initiatives and a wide range of editorial events and summits. Ms. Matthow holds a law degree from Georgetown University Law Center and graduated magna cum laude from American University.
Elizabeth Kitzenberg is the Chief Advancement Officer of Open to Debate. She leads the organization’s efforts to garner philanthropic support that advances the mission of Open to Debate. Elizabeth works with individuals, families, and foundations. Prior to joining the team, Elizabeth launched Dana-Farber Cancer Institute’s Centers for Early Detection and Interception of Cancer. She brings fundraising expertise from her time at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Harvard University. Elizabeth holds a law degree from University of North Carolina School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Andrew Lipson is an experienced Production Manager and Executive having held positions for traditional broadcasters such as MTV, VH1, and Fuse as well as for digital media for Viacom New Media, Cablevision and Scholastic. He has also managed media production, operations, and distribution for Synaptic Digital/Definition6 servicing the PR industry. Immediately prior to joining Open to Debate, he was VP of Production for The Lighting Design Group where he was fortunate enough to work with Open to Debate. This inspired him to want to contribute to its mission to produce robust, respectful conversations about difficult topics.
Rachel Kemp has an impressive track record in executive operations and fundraising across a variety of sectors including startups, real estate, and non-profit organizations. Her expertise in aligning and implementing the visions of CEOs has been a key factor in driving organizational growth, notably contributing to the successful acquisition of Feedback Loop. Rachel’s diverse skills and her knack for overcoming complex challenges are integral to propelling Open to Debate’s mission of fostering informed and respectful discourse.
Michele Debreceni is the Director of Marketing for Open to Debate, spearheading initiatives in audience development, digital media, and branding strategy. Prior to working at Open to Debate, Michele held senior leadership roles at Emursive Productions, Japan Society, Kidz Bop, and Razor & Tie Entertainment, and served as an independent media consultant for numerous organizations. She is passionate about connecting brands with targeted audiences through innovative, results-driven campaigns, and is driven by her relentless curiosity. Michele holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and Communications from Boston College’s Carroll School of Management.
Gabrielle Iannucelli worked on multiple Webby-Award-winning HBO properties in social media branding and broadcast media production before serving as Social Media Director for a New York State Senator, where she managed communications for large-scale public affairs campaigns. Prior to the New York State Senate, she worked at the Emma Bowen Foundation in communications. Gabrielle holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Mass Communications from Pace University, with a focus on engaging domestic audiences, optimizing campaigns for global audiences, and making complex content accessible.
Marlette Sandoval has worked in the Editorial Department at Open to Debate since 2020, providing research and production support to every debate produced in that time. Prior to this, she worked at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory researching cognitive psychology and counterfactual reasoning. She also served as a member of Minerva University’s accreditation team, which was successful in gaining independent accreditation. Marlette holds a Bachelor of Science in Social Science from Minerva University (formerly Minerva Schools at KGI), with a focus on psychology, neuroscience, and sociology.
Max Fulton is an experienced media professional. He has worked as a production coordinator on TV and film projects for industry giants such as HBO, Netflix and 20th Century Television. Max has also worked on a variety of smaller projects taking on many different roles, including video editor, sound editor, colorist and music composer. Max has a B.A. in Sociology and Emerging Media from Hunter College.
Gabriella Mayer is an experienced writer and editor, who has always been passionate about media’s ability to strengthen our society and have a meaningful effect on the world around us. At Open to Debate, she builds upon her marketing and digital editorial experience by researching and crafting written content for our debate program and social media. Before joining the team, she worked for TED Talks, where she wrote, edited, and published posts for their social media platforms. Her articles have been published in various publications, including the Palm Beach Daily News, Bookreporter.com, and My Jewish Learning, and her poetry has been published in anthologies and literary magazines. Gabriella holds a B.A. in Comparative Literature and M.F.A. in Creative Writing from New York University.
Linda Lee is an experienced accounting professional. She began her journey in the investment industry as fund administrator for hedge funds. She has also managed small business operations and became a leading financial advisor on numerous projects. Her achievements include streamlining accounting processes for efficiency. She now strives to optimize budgets and financial strategies in the nonprofit sector.
Alexis Pancrazi is editorial producer for Open to Debate. She’s an experienced producer with an interest in audio storytelling and public affairs content. Prior to Open to Debate, she worked at the documentary film production company Fork Films, and during her time there launched and produced the podcast All Ears with Abigail Disney. She got her start working for Bill Moyers on Bill Moyers Journal and his subsequent television program, Moyers & Company. She lives in New York City, only a short drive from where she grew up in New Jersey.
Erik Gross is the Advancement Officer at Open to Debate. He supports the Chief Advancement Officer to garner philanthropic support for Open to Debate’s mission of promoting critical thinking, facts, reason, and civility in public discourse. Prior to joining Open to Debate, Erik was at the Aspen Institute, where his work focused on creating a meaningful and inclusive civic culture in the United States – one in which people can communicate and collaborate across lines of difference to address shared challenges and uphold democracy. And prior to Aspen, he worked at the American Council of Trustees and Alumni to advance academic freedom and liberal arts education at colleges and universities nationwide. Throughout his career, he has been motivated by a desire to build a cultural and intellectual ecosystem that can withstand political and social division. Erik studied Economics and History at Kenyon College.
Annalisa Cochrane is a media expert with an extensive background in film, television and storytelling. A graduate of Loyola Marymount University, she has honed her skills in narrative-driven content creation, strategic planning, and social campaigns.
Mary Ragus is a NYC events specialist. She began her career on Broadway working in development events for Geva Theatre Center and Roundabout Theatre Company before working independently for shows like Once On This Island, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts I & II, and Little Shop of Horrors as each shows’ dedicated Audience Events Manager. In the pandemic she pivoted into tv/film, working as the Testing Events Manager for shows like The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel on Prime, as well as Search Party and The Penguin on HBO Max. She has most recently been working as an events freelancer on projects like The 2024 Tony Awards, the 2023 & 2024 National Christmas Tree Lighting at the White House, and is a founding member of the Broadway non-profit Open Stage Project.
