Episode #39 - February 2022

In this month's episode, we take a look at the ongoing diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Olympic Games held in Beijing. As a part of the wider geopolitical competition between the US and China, this effort to highlight human rights abuses in China has been met with mixed success. We talk with former Olympian and NH resident, Julia Ford, former US Olympic Committee member, Dick Swett, and China expert, Vikram Mansharimani, we explore the positives and negatives of this effort. There are many ways to make your voice heard and we hope you will find valuable information here. As the Olympics kick off in a couple days, it is important to understand why the US has taken this route and what the goal is.

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Julia Ford - Ms. Ford is a former member of the U.S. Ski Team, with whom she competed in 40 F.I.S. World Cup races and the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia. She is a two- time U.S. National Downhill Champion. Before joining the U.S. Ski Team, she was a multi-sport athlete at Holderness School.

Vikram Mansharimani - Dr. Vikram Mansharamani is a global trend-watcher who shows people how to anticipate the future, manage risk, and spot opportunities. He is the author of the recently-released THINK FOR YOURSELF: Restoring Common Sense in an Age of Experts and Artificial Intelligence and BOOMBUSTOLOGY: Spotting Financial Bubbles Before They Burst. He has been a frequent commentator on issues driving disruption in the global business environment. Vikram’s ideas and writings have also appeared in Bloomberg, Fortune, Forbes, The New York Times and a long list of other publications. Linkedin twice listed him as their #1 Top Voice for Money, Finance and Global Economics and Worth has profiled him as one of the 100 most powerful people in global finance. Millions of readers have enjoyed his unique multi-lens approach to connecting seemingly irrelevant dots.

Ambassador Dick Swett - Richard N. Swett was nominated to be ambassador to Denmark in 1998. In 1990, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives. He served on the U.S. Congressional Delegation for Relations with the European Parliament; the Congressional Human Rights Caucus; and the Committees on Public Works and Transportation, and Science, Space and Technology. Ambassador Swett’s business experience encompasses architectural design, corporate management, project development and finance. He recently served as managing principal of the Washington, D.C., office for the eighth largest architecture and engineering firm in the United States, and currently is developing alternative energy and socio-economic enterprises in developing countries around the world. His activity is primarily in real estate, alternative energy, energy conservation, industrial development and international export promotion. He has consulted on energy technology projects and assisted with financing through the World Bank and the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development in Eastern and Central Europe. He also worked with U.S. government organizations, such as USAID and the United States Trade and Development Agency.

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