On Wednesday, January 16, MSFS hosted a lunch and discussion with Scott Carpenter, Deputy Director from Google Ideas. Mr. Carpenter gave a talk titled “Thought Leadership: Incubating New Approaches to Global Challenges @ Google Ideas.” Google Ideas is Google’s new “think/do” tank, and Mr. Carpenter is responsible for driving the portfolio addressing illicit networks as well as advising its strategy in three other key areas: confronting violent extremism, expanding freedom of expression in closed societies, and securing citizens in weak states.
Prior to joining Google, Mr. Carpenter founded and directed Project Fikra as the Keston Family Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, an effort to use connective technologies to share ideas among Arab democrats and connect them with each other as well as with policy makers in places such as the US and Europe. Previously, Scott served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State in the Bureau of Near East Affairs where he helped conceive and implement the Middle East Partnership Initiative before being named Coordinator for the Broader Middle East and North Africa Initiative. His other roles in government include director of governance for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq and Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Human Rights and Democracy. Earlier in his career, Scott worked for the International Republican Institute where he founded and co-directed its European program from Bratislava, Slovakia and on Capitol Hill. He received his Master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
This talk was part of the MSFS Leadership Program, which has been generously supported by a gift from alumnus Philippe Sachs (MSFS ’02).