PEF DC: Inside the U.S. Department of State
PEF DC is heading to the Harry S. Truman Building for a morning with senior State Department leadership. Ishan Girdhar arranged this one, and the lineup is exceptional.
WHO WE'LL HEAR FROM
Jacob Helberg, Under Secretary for Economic Affairs (reports directly to Secretary Rubio). Jacob will walk us through Pax Silica, his flagship initiative: an international coalition to secure AI and semiconductor supply chains. Suggested pre-read: https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2026/09/18/jacob-helberg-state-china-ai-profile-01082572
Tim Hallowell and Marco Vonhof, Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR), Executive Support Team / Presidential Daily Briefers. How intelligence and analysis actually reach State's senior leaders, and what it's like briefing the PDB across two administrations.
Colin Guest and/or Eric Bigalow - Colin and Eric will talk about the newly-created Bureau of Emerging Threats. They will dissect the emerging global threats to the United States and what actions are taken as new areas of risk are identified. Colin was previously economic minister counselor at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and is now Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Emerging Threats. Eric worked in Emerging Threats while it was being established and now leads the tech unit of China House.
Tentative Speaker
Will Cappalletti, former founder, ex-Chief of Staff to Jacob Helberg, now Deputy Assistant Secretary for NATO at DOW. On going from entrepreneur to supply chain and energy domain expert inside the U.S. Government.
LOGISTICS
When: October 20th, 9:00 to 11:30 AM
Where: U.S. Department of State, 2201 C Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20520
After: Optional lunch at the State Department cafeteria.
No programming during or after lunch, so leave when you need to.
A FEW GROUND RULES
This is non-partisan. Please keep questions off party politics and away from controversial topics. Dress is formal. Suits for men (no tie required), suit pants or dresses for women.
Attendance is limited and we cannot accommodate guests. Registration is first come, first served (We do not have the max capacity yet). Please only RSVP if you're confident you can make it, since a no-show takes a seat from another member.
Questions: reach out to Ishan or Litan directly.