On Pivots and Portfolios with Kristen Cordell
On Pivots and Portfolios with Kristen Cordell  
Podcast: The Public Service Project
Published On: Wed Mar 11 2026
Description: Kristen Cordell serves as Grand Challenges Canada's inaugural Senior Director for Policy and Learning. Before joining GCC, she held senior roles at the White House Council on Environmental Quality, the Department of State, and USAID. Her commitment to service and support of U.S. geopolitical objectives has earned her awards from the Secretary of State, and USAID Administrator. She's a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a true thought leader, an innovator, and a creator. Kristen joins us to talk about lessons learned from the many seasons of her career (from the field, to the halls of the White House) and to share her thoughts on the future of service. She's thinking through how to create productive and satisfying portfolios, how to build resilience into public service careers, and how to live in alignment with your values. And she's also here to help me convince Dr. Becky to join me on the show :)