Board of Directors
Joshua J. Marcuse
Joshua J. Marcuse is the founder and chairman of Young Professionals in Foreign Policy (YPFP), a global nonpartisan, nonprofit organization committed to building the leaders tomorrow needs. The YPFP community spans more than 20,000 young people in 80 countries.
By day, Josh serves as the Head of Strategy & Innovation for Global Public Sector in Google Cloud, leading a global team that applies digital technologies to advancing the missions of governments around the world. He also serves as an Advisor to Schmidt Futures, a global philanthropy dedicated to empowering talent who want to work on the hardest problems.
Josh served in the U.S. Department of Defense from 2012-2020. Along with its founding Chairman, Dr. Eric Schmidt, Josh launched the Defense Innovation Board (DIB), a group of distinguished business leaders and scholars who advise the Secretary of Defense on accelerating innovation in the Department's strategy, technology, people, and culture, and served as its first Executive Director. Josh also served as the Innovation Advisor to the DoD CTO. He led the Department’s effort to develop and adopt ethical principles for the use of AI; helped establish a center for AI applications; pushed DoD to move to the cloud and embrace modern software practices; and promoted a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation across the workforce. In 2011, Josh worked on Secretary Ash Carter’s Force of the Future task force -- which proposed the most sweeping personnel reforms in a generation -- and prior to that, served in OSD Policy, establishing the Leadership & Organizational Development team. Josh worked at the Center for Strategic & International Studies, Booz Allen Hamilton, and the Council on Foreign Relations.
Josh’s passion is building communities of purpose. Besides YPFP, he serves on the board of the Defense Entrepreneurs Forum; established and co-chaired the Federal Innovation Council at the Partnership for Public Service from 2017-2019, and launching the Federal Innovator Network; and not least, starting the Charcuterie Club of DC, which is sadly on a brief hiatus due to his becoming a father. (There will be a comeback…) He is also a Fellow of the Truman National Security Project, a term member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and a former Brimley Fellow at the Center for a New American Security.
Josh graduated from Dartmouth College. He is certified in change management from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University. He is Gallup certified executive coach and a LUMA Institute certified Human-Centered Design instructor.
When not working or volunteering, Josh is probably cooking, ideally grilling for family and friends. Josh is a New Yorker, currently transplanted to Alexandria, Virginia with his wife and 3-year-old hiking partner, Roosevelt. You can follow him at @joshuamarcuse.
Joshua J. Marcuse
Founder and Chair
Caroline Logan
Caroline Logan is a Principal at the McChrystal Group, where she works as a Project Lead in the McChrystal Academy developing new business and leading client engagements. Caroline creates leadership development programs for a global client-base, designing and delivering tailored content for clients in a number of industries. Prior, she worked on a long-term engagement with a financial services client, focusing on aligning the business on strategic priorities and implementing a People Strategy program.
Prior to joining McChrystal Group, Caroline worked as a talent acquisition specialist. She also previously served as a staff writer at BORGEN Magazine and worked at a law firm, specializing in advocating for abused and neglected children.
Caroline graduated with merit from The London School of Economics with a Master of Science in International Relations. She also earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and English Literature from The University of North Carolina Wilmington.
Caroline Logan
Executive Secretary
Global Executive Director
Aubrey Cox Ottenstein joined as the Executive Director of Young Professionals in Foreign Policy (YPFP) in September 2019. Prior to joining YPFP, she served as the lead for youth programs at the United States Institute of Peace. In this role, Aubrey elevated the role of youth in peacebuilding and increased the inclusion of young people in peace and security processes.
Aubrey has spent most of her career working on issues of inclusion, peace and security. Prior to joining USIP, Aubrey worked in a double-bottom line impact investment fund focused on financial inclusion at Accion International. Earlier, she conducted field-based monitoring and evaluation research for Operation Smile. Aubrey holds a bachelor's degree from the Beatty Business School at the College of Charleston and a master's degree from the School of International Service at American University. She and her husband live in Washington, DC.
Aubrey Cox Ottenstein
Mikhail Grinberg
Mikhail Grinberg is an Associate Principal at Renaissance Strategic Advisors where he consults corporate, financial, and start-up clients in the aerospace & defense industry across multiple functional areas to include corporate strategy and planning, mergers and acquisitions, and competitive analysis. Mikhail leads Renaissance’s emerging technology projects and has a particular interest in helping firms develop investment strategies for new technology areas. He specializes in advising US companies on entering foreign markets and helping international firms invest into the US defense industrial base. Mikhail has done extensive research and writing on defense procurement reform, innovation, technology management, and corporate venturing. Prior to joining Renaissance, Mikhail worked at Deloitte and IHS Jane’s where he supported the DoD and Intelligence Community in roles that varied from intelligence analysis to supply chain optimization.
Mikhail is an editor, co-founder, and board member of The Strategy Bridge, a national security focused journal and non-profit organization. Mikhail was a Visiting Research Fellow at the National Defense University (2016-2017), where he helped the Department of Defense develop a strategy for commercializing government innovations. Previously he has served as the Chief Financial Officer and Member of the Board of the Defense Entrepreneurs Forum, a non-profit focused on preparing leaders for future national security challenges. He was also a mentor to the Georgetown Hacking 4 Defense Spring 2017 course.
Mikhail holds a Master’s in International Security and Terrorism from the University of Nottingham, UK and a Bachelor’s in Political Science and History from the University of Massachusetts.
Mikhail Grinberg
Heather Wild-Gonzalez Rubio
Heather Wild-González Rubio has served at the U.S. Department of State for 12 years, most recently at U.S. Embassy Baghdad as a Political Military Officer. She has previously worked for the Deputy Secretary of State; the Bureau of Population Refugees Migration on the Syrian refugee and humanitarian crisis; the Office on Trafficking in Persons; the Secretary’s Office of Global Youth Issues; the Bureau of European Affairs; the Under Secretary for Civilian Security, Democracy, and Human Rights; and the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement working on Haiti earthquake recovery efforts. Heather is a graduate of George Mason and Georgetown Universities, a proud New Yorker, and daughter of a Colombian mother and Swiss-American father. She is a five-year term member with the Council on Foreign Relations; National Security Fellow with the Truman National Security Project; Penn Kemble Fellow; member of Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security; Team Rubicon; and U.S. Spain Council alum.
Heather Wild-Gonzalez Rubio
Jon Clifton
Jon Clifton is the Global Managing Partner of Gallup, an advisory firm that specializes in big data analytics of employees, customers, students and citizens. Jon’s mission is to help 7 billion citizens be heard on their most pressing work and life issues through the Gallup World Poll, a 100-year initiative spanning 150 countries.
Jon is a nonresident Senior Fellow at Baylor University’s Institute for Studies of Religion. He serves on the board of directors of Gallup and has previously served on the board of directors of three non-profits and a startup – Meridian International, StreetWise Partners, Chess Challenge in DC, and Findyr.
Because of his expertise, Jon has been interviewed on BBC News, C-SPAN’s Washington Journal, and Al-Jazeera, and has testified in front of the U.S. Congress on the state of American small business and entrepreneurship. He is a frequent contributor on Gallup.com and has written for The Hill, The Diplomatic Courier, and The Global Action Report.
Jon received a bachelor’s degree in political science and history from the University of Michigan and a juris doctor in international law from the University of Nebraska. He was awarded an honorary doctorate in humane letters from Midland University.
Jon Clifton
Lee Feldman
Lee Feldman is a Sr. Strategist for M12 – Microsoft’s Venture Fund. He is responsible for technology trend analysis, thesis development, and opportunity analysis influencing investment activities. He also conducts market and technical diligence for deals in areas of focus. Lee’s areas of focus include: National Security technology (Dual-use), Brain-computer interface (BCI), cybersecurity, data & AI, IoT, and Enterprise IT.
Prior to joining M12, Lee was part of Microsoft’s Corporate Strategy team, where he advised Microsoft senior leadership on topics related to the business health and growth of the company. He also led strategic projects and customer engagement programs (e.g., US DoD) for Microsoft’s EVP of Corporate Strategy and Core Services Engineering and Operations.
Before Microsoft, Lee was a management consultant where he helped traditional software companies transform their business models towards XaaS models. He has a BA in Economics and a certification in Entrepreneurship from the University of Michigan. Lee currently lives in Seattle, WA.
Lee Feldman
Alex Anyse
Mr. Alexander Anyse is Co-Founder and Partner of The MASY Group, LLC. A former U.S. Military Intelligence and Clandestine Service Officer with both the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency, he specialized in sensitive operations in the Balkans, Middle East and South East Asia. Mr. Anyse is the recipient of various military awards that include the Bronze Star Medal for service in Afghanistan in 2003.
A subject matter expert on leadership and security issues, he manages a range of specialized projects for the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community. He is a regular guest speaker addressing audiences in the U.S. and internationally including global corporations as well as academic institutions such as Georgetown and Columbia University.
Born in Paris, France, he earned a Global Executive MBA from London School of Economics and Political Science, New York University Stern School of Business, and HEC Paris School of Management (TRIUM).
From time to time and despite his best judgement, he runs ultra-races to raise funds for Smile Train, www.smiletrain.org, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing 100% free cleft repair surgeries to children in need around the world. His One Mile One Smile project alone was featured in Men’s Journal and helped raised funds for over 250 children surgeries. Mr. Anyse also supports various veteran programs as well as the Young Professionals in Foreign Policy, www.ypfp.org, a non-profit organization that works to build the next generation of diverse foreign policy leaders.
Alex Anyse
Kate Bruce
Partner, Head of Americas at Bridgewater Associates
Katie is currently Head of Americas and a Partner at Bridgewater Associates. She is responsible for the firm's North American clients, working directly with our strategic US and Canadian client partnerships, helping them meet their investment objectives by advising them on the most pressing issues facing global investors. She is also a leader in the firm’s Women’s Influence Network, where she coaches and mentors young professionals.
Katie previously led the firm’s US Advisory business and was an Investment Associate in the Trading group, where she focused on foreign currency trading strategies. She received her BS in Biomedical Engineering from Yale University and is a CFA® charterholder. She is a fellow with the Schmidt Futures International Strategy Forum, a board member of YPFP and Inspirica, and a Yale Class Treasurer. She lives in Connecticut with her husband and their four children.
Kate Bruce
Vic Marsh
Vic Marsh is a PhD candidate (expected May 2021) in Organizational Behavior at the University of Colorado Boulder’s business school. He studies the challenge of innovation in organizations that face intense pressure to conform to existing diversity program templates. Vic opposes turnkey diversity training approaches, and strongly supports tailor-made task force and in-house innovation processes in diversity and inclusion work. Prior to joining the University of Colorado, he was a Foreign Service Officer in Hong Kong, the Ops Center, the Haiti desk, and Cyprus. Vic is a fan of all Star Trek spinoffs and of all cooking shows.
Vic Marsh
Sidney Olinyk
Sidney is the Founder & CEO at Duco, an exclusive online marketplace reinventing the way enterprises qualify, engage, and secure high-value contracts with top-tier global consultants.
Sidney's career spans national security, leadership development, and entrepreneurship – from the Pentagon to civil society to Silicon Valley. She has extensive experience managing people, processes, and operations in multiple organizations in both the private and public sectors. As the CEO of Duco, she brings together her drive to build a scalable organization with lasting impact and her passion for international business and policy.
Sidney is an avid explorer and globetrotter. She has led foreign policy delegations in Turkey and Azerbaijan, developed and implemented youth programs at a refugee camp in Kenya, was selected as an Emerging Leader to contribute to the German Marshall Fund’s Atlantic Dialogues conference in Morocco, contributed to the Japan Foundation’s Young Researcher Program in Tokyo and Kyoto, and studied abroad at John Cabot University in Rome, Italy.
Sidney holds a Masters in Science in Global Politics from the London School of Economics and Political Science, where her dissertation explored the implications of the Iraqi refugee crisis post-2003. She holds a dual B.A. in International Studies and Media & Government Studies from American University in Washington, D.C. Sidney is a National Security Fellow at the Truman National Security Project, a visiting Fellow at the National Security Institute at George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School, and a Governing Board member at the Project for the Study of the 21st Century, a global think tank based in London.
Sidney Olinyk
Ashley Steinberg
Ashley Steinberg currently practices law at a transportation company. She previously served as senior associate in the International Trade and Investment group at Hogan Lovells US LLP in Washington, DC where her practice was focused on compliance with economic sanctions against Iran, Russia, Cuba, Syria, Sudan, and North Korea, as well as with anti-money laundering / counterterrorist financing laws. She also represented victims of domestic violence in immigration proceedings. Ashley is a graduate of Stanford Law School and the University of Pennsylvania.
