Dean’s Coffee Chats
Coffee Chats are small, informal gatherings you can attend with SFS alumni and guests, hosted by Dean Joel Hellman or one of our vice deans.
Coffee Chats at the School of Foreign Service (SFS) at Georgetown provide a unique opportunity to engage directly with influential professionals and successful alumni who have made significant impacts in their fields. During these informal gatherings, you can ask questions about their experiences and gain valuable insights.
These interactions offer a glimpse into the diverse career paths that await you. Access to such prominent figures is a standout feature of the SFS experience. The knowledge and inspiration you gather during these chats not only enhance your education but also motivate you as you navigate your journey toward a fulfilling career.
Past guests
2024-2025
Fall semester
- Chris Sacca (SFS’97), entrepreneur and venture capitalist
- Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli, president and CEO of the ONE Campaign
- H.E. Dalia Grybauskaitė, former president of Lithuania
- Oleksanda Matviichuk, chairwoman of the Ukrainian NGO Center for Civil Liberties
- Siamek Namazi, Iranian-American businessman and the longest held Iranian-American prisoner unjustly detained in Iran
- HRH Prince Turki bin Faisal Al Saud (B’68), former head of Saudi Arabia’s General Intelligence Presidency
- Trae Stephens (SFS’06), co-founder and executive chairman of Anduril Industries
- Sara Minkara, U.S. special advisor on international disability rights
- Richard R. Verma, deputy secretary of state for management and resources
- Lulu Garcia-Navarro (SFS’94), New York Times journalist
Spring semester
- Nasser Judeh (SFS’83), former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Jordan
- Justin B. Smith (SFS’91), co-founder and CEO of Semafor
- Stéphane Dujarric (SFS’88), spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General
2023-2024
Fall semester
- Schuyler Moore (SSP’20), Chief Technology Officer for the U.S. Central Command
- James Filippatos (C’93), Vice President for Global Public Policy at The Walt Disney Company
- Tasia Filippatos (L’99), Senior Vice President for Communications at Disney Consumer Products, The Walt Disney Company
- Alexia Latortue (SFS’93), Assistant Secretary for International Trade and Development, U.S. Department of the Treasury
- Nasser Judeh (SFS’83), former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Jordan
- Goli Sheikholeslami (SFS’89), CEO of POLITICO
- Tim Hughes (SFS’94), Senior Vice President of Global Business and Head of Government Affairs, SpaceX
- Andrew Steer, President and CEO of the Bezos Earth Fund
- H.R.H. Prince Turki bin Faisal Al Saud (B’68), former Director General of Saudi Arabia’s General Intelligence Presidency and Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the United States
Spring semester
- Alex Marquardt (SFS’04), CNN Chief National Security Correspondent
- Enrico Letta, former Prime Minister of Italy
- Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Liberia
- Maher Bitar (SFS’06, L’12), Deputy Assistant to the U.S. President and U.S. National Security Council Coordinator for Intelligence & Defense Policy
- Anthony Fauci, former Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Georgetown Distinguished University Professor
- Stéphane Dujarric, United Nations spokesperson for Secretary-General António Guterres
2022-2023
Fall semester
- Ambassador Masood Khan, Pakistani Ambassador to the U.S.
- Nina Jankowicz (MAERES’13), former Executive Director, Disinformation Governance Board (Department of Homeland Security)
- Tzipi Livni, former Vice Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Israel
- Mayu Ávila, former Foreign Minister of El Salvador
- Margot Wallström, former Deputy Prime Minister of Sweden
- Jason Matheny, President and CEO, RAND Corporation
- Tessie San Martin (SFS’80), CEO, FHI 360
- Ken Ofori-Atta, Minister for Finance and Economic Planning of Ghana
- Ambassador Lianys Torres Rivera, Cuban Ambassador to the U.S.
- H.R.H. Prince Turki bin Faisal Al Saud (B’68), former Saudi Arabian Ambassador to the U.S.
Spring semester
- Kathleen Kingsbury (SFS’01), Opinion Editor, The New York Times
- Stéphane Dujarric (SFS’88, P’23, ’25), Spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres
- Representative Ami Bera, M.D., 6th district of California and ranking member of the Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, Central Asia, and Nonproliferation
- H.E. Esteban Moctezuma Barragán, Mexican Ambassador to the United States
- Ani Dasgupta, CEO and President of World Resources Institute
- Meroë Park (SFS’89), former Acting Director of the United States Central Intelligence Agency
- Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu (P’23), Indian Ambassador to the United States
2021-2022
Fall semester
- Dexter Goei (SFS’93), Chairman and CEO of Altice USA, President of the Board of Altice NV
- Jason Matheny, Deputy Assistant to the President for Technology and National Security
- Maher Bitar (SFS’06, L’12), Senior Director for Intelligence Programs, National Security Council
- Ambassador Peter Wittig, former German Ambassador to the U.K.
- Ambassador Roya Rahmani, former Afghan Ambassador to the U.S.
Spring semester
- Ambassador John Sullivan, U.S. Ambassador to Russia
- Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy (MSFS’04), U.S. Representative (FL-7th)
2020-2021
Fall semester
- Katrina O’Connell (SFS’90), Chief Financial Officer at Gap Inc.
- Adam Norwitt (SFS’91), CEO, Amphenol
- Mary Beth Powers (SFS’84), CEO, Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB)
- Kai Ryssdal (SSP’93, P’20), Host and Senior Editor of NPR’s Marketplace
- Anthony Coscia (SFS’81, P’10, ’12, ’16), Partner, Windels Marx Lane & Mittendorf LLP
- Brian Newman (SFS’90 , P’21), Chief Financial Officer, UPS Inc
- Madeleine Albright, former U.S. Secretary of State and Mortara Distinguished Professor of Diplomacy
- Antonio Gracias (SFS’92, MSFS’ 93), Founder and CEO, Valor Equity Partners
Spring semester
- Stéphane Dujarric (SFS’88, P’23), Spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres
- Alexander Marquardt (SFS’04), Senior National Security Correspondent, CNN
- Kathleen Kingsbury (SFS’01), Opinion Editor, New York Times
- Ambassador Todd Robinson (SFS’85), former U.S. Ambassador to Guatemala
- Antwaun Sargent (SFS’11), Art Critic and Writer
- Margaret Huang (SFS’91), President and CEO of Southern Poverty Law Center
- Senator Nasser Judeh (SFS’83, P’18), former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Jordan
- Mary Ellen Iskenderian (SFS’81), President and CEO of Women’s World Banking
- John Sullivan, U.S. Ambassador to Russia
- Alexander S. Vindman, Lieutenant Colonel (ret.), U.S. Army
2019-2020
Fall semester
- Goli Sheikholeslami (SFS’89), President and CEO of New York Public Radio, National Public Radio
- Margaret Huang (SFS’91), Executive Director, Amnesty International
- Robert Cardillo, former Director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
- Ambassador Bonnie Jenkins, Joint Visiting Fellow at Brookings Institution and the University of Pennsylvania’s Perry World House
- Tim Hughes (SFS’94), Senior Vice President, Global Business and Government Affairs, SpaceX
- Sheba Crocker, CARE USA’s Vice President for Humanitarian Policy and Practice
- John Cohen, Senior Expert on Global Threats – Argonne National Laboratory
- Maksym Eristavi, Research Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center and Co-Founder of the Russian Language News Exchange
- Congressman Andy Levin (MI-9), U.S. Representative from the 9th District of Michigan
- Jill Dougherty (S’13), SFS Centennial Fellow, Global Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and a CNN Contributor on Russia issues
- Zaid Zaid (SFS’97), Public Policy, Strategic Response at Facebook
- Tom Purcell (SFS’93), Public Securities and Private Business, Lake Trail Capital
Spring semester
- Gurbir S. Grewal (SFS’95), Attorney General of the State of New Jersey
- Ricardo Michel, Managing Director, FHI Partners
- Gyude Moore (MSFS’09), Visiting Fellow at the Center for Global Development and Former Minister of Public Works for Liberia
- Ellen Clarke (BSFS’09), Associate Security Counsel, Google