28th January 2025
What does it take to build an impactful career that spans continents, sectors, and some of the world’s most pressing challenges?
In our latest podcast episode, Kate Beale, Managing Director at Crowell Global Advisors, shares her inspiring journey from grassroots work in Paraguay to influencing global policy in Washington DC.
Tune in to hear Kate’s story: a testament to the power of collaboration, listening to a diverse range of perspectives, and staying flexible while pursuing your passion.
In this exclusive interview for Fresh Humanitarian Perspectives, Kate sits down with the HLA’s Ka Man Parkinson and shares some of her key lessons learned during her career, including:
- How her college professor inspired her to join the Peace Corps in Paraguay, shaping her passion for humanitarian action
- Lessons learned from working with Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and in leadership roles at USAID
- Why partnerships and new perspectives are essential to solving global challenges
- Her advice for aspiring humanitarians on breaking into the field and finding mentors
If you’re looking for career inspiration or practical advice on making a global impact, this episode is for you!
Listen to the episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and Buzzsprout.
I have learned that partnerships are fundamental to achieving big things. And through those partnerships, really specifically the relationships that we all build along the way… Every walk of my career – be it in Paraguay, Capitol Hill, USAID – I have seen the private sector come together to address really important challenges, but also opportunities – be it in the technology space, global logistics, innovative solutions to empower people to unleash their own potential.
About the speakers
Kate Beale is Managing Director at Crowell Global Advisors, where she leverages over 20 years of experience in foreign policy, global health, trade, and humanitarian efforts to support clients in shaping legislative and regulatory strategies. Her career spans leadership roles in Congress, in the Obama administration at the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and at the Peace Corps, and the private sector, including pivotal contributions to international health initiatives and disaster relief programs such as the Haiti earthquake response, creation of the Global Health Service Partnership and supporting the US government’s Ebola response efforts. A former Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay, Kate is deeply committed to advancing humanitarian assistance, global health systems, and equitable policy solutions worldwide. She is based in Washington DC, USA.
Ka Man Parkinson is Communications and Marketing Specialist at the Humanitarian Leadership Academy. She holds almost two decades of experience spanning the international education, non-profit and humanitarian sectors. Ka Man is passionate about making a positive impact through engaging, audience-focused communications that connects and inspires diverse global communities. She is based near Manchester, UK.
Keywords: Humanitarian careers, humanitarian assistance, women in leadership, disaster response, Peace Corps, USAID, policy and impact, partnerships, collaboration, innovation, public-private sector partnership, Humanitarian Xchange, mentorship, diversity, community, women.
Listen to the episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and Buzzsprout.
Credits and acknowledgements
Episode produced by Ka Man Parkinson. With thanks to Kate Beale’s media representatives Katie Hanusik, Robin Bectel and Eileen Belden from REQ.
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The views and opinions expressed in our podcast are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of their organisations.
Podcast episode transcript
[Music]
Ka Man: Welcome to Fresh Humanitarian Perspectives, the podcast brought to you by the Humanitarian Leadership Academy!
I’m Ka Man Parkinson, and today I’m delighted to share with you an insightful, careers-focused conversation I recently had with Kate Beale, who is Managing Director at Crowell Global Advisors in Washington DC.
Kate shares her fascinating journey with us – from her time as a Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay, to working in the US Senate alongside Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and her time as a leader at USAID, and now leading innovation and partnerships in the private sector.
In our conversation, we explore Kate’s diverse experiences, her thoughts on the power of collaboration and listening, and the valuable lessons she’s learned from mentors and communities along the way.
What really struck me about Kate is that while she works with very senior industry leaders and government figures, she came across to me as very down to earth. During our conversation, she places a strong emphasis on the human side of things – on people, relationships, and the valuable skills and perspectives that each of us can bring to the table.
So whether you’re just starting your career in humanitarian work or looking for new perspectives, this episode will leave you feeling inspired and motivated to make a real difference. So, let’s dive in.
[Music ends]
Ka Man: So hi, Kate, welcome to the podcast!
Kate: Morning, many thanks for having me. Great to be with you.
Ka Man: Oh, fantastic, I’m really excited to have you join us today for what will be a really insightful careers-focused conversation. So thanks again for taking the time to be here and sharing your story with our listeners. So before we dive into your professional journey, could you start by briefly introducing yourself please?
Kate: Absolutely. My name is Kate Beale. I am currently Managing Director at Crowell Global Advisors. I live in Washington, DC, but I’m originally an Upstate New Yorker and I have spent my career committed to humanitarian assistance, and really US and global policy.
I started my career as a Peace Corps volunteer and came to Washington and have worked on global policy issues at the US Congress within the US Federal government, global trade associations, and I’m thrilled to be here with you today.
Ka Man: That’s absolutely fantastic. Thank you, Kate. So I had the pleasure of connecting with you for the first time on a call at the end of last year, and I was really inspired by our initial conversation. So when you were telling us – telling me – about your background, like you’ve just touched upon now, I was really excited to hear about the rich and diverse experiences that you have. So I’m really excited to have this conversation with you today to hear more.
So let’s go back to the beginning. So, could you share with us how your career in humanitarian work began? And along the way, were there any mentors who had a significant impact on your journey?
Kate: Yes, of course. Well, thank you so much. Well, like many young Americans and also global citizens, I had an incredible academic experience at college. And specifically one of my professors at Boston University really inspired me in terms of my understanding of the tremendous needs for humanitarian action and global partnership. My professor – his name was David Palmer at Boston University – he taught me a class in my senior year on US-Latin relations. And during that class, he shared the complexities of US foreign policy, but of course, priorities throughout the region.
But the thing that really resonated with me is that he served in the first cohort of Peace Corps volunteers in Peru, and he brought a unique local level to us as students, and that sparked my personal interest in understanding the region, how the United States, but also how countries work together. And that motivated me where I applied to be a Peace Corps volunteer and the, you know, the power of universities and teachers for so many individuals – I feel like that’s where it starts.
Soon after graduation, I found myself living in the rural hills of Paraguay. I served as a Peace Corps volunteer in a community, and I was equipped to be an agriculture volunteer, but it was really the women in my community that inspired me to think through key aspects of community development. I was exposed to health needs, food insecurity, infrastructure, education, ways to empower the women and families to do more.
And throughout my career I have really looked to mentors, so in Paraguay it was the women that inspired and empowered me. We worked together to form a women’s group – a co-op – where we addressed nutrition needs and maternal health. And it was just an incredible experience for me at such a young, pivotal point in my career.
That experience really set the stage for me to learn more and come back to the United States, where I had a unique opportunity to work in the US Senate for my home state senator, Hillary Rodham Clinton.
And I quickly joined her team and learned about US policy, the intersection of US funding. I led her economic development portfolio and quickly learned how domestic humanitarian needs were so similar to global needs. One of my first projects I worked on was the Katrina response and the vast impact that that had, but it really just was amazing to work alongside such a leader in Senator Clinton. She taught me how to work alongside unique partners and do really incredible things through global resources in the US, but also how I’ve carried that on, where I then was able to serve at USAID, other corners of the US government.
So that experience with Senator Clinton, the issues and individuals that I came in contact with, really set the stage for my understanding of how I wanted to lead my career. And now here I am at Crowell working alongside corporate and private sector partners to make global impact.
Ka Man: That’s absolutely fantastic. Thank you, Kate. What a journey you’ve been on! I love how rich and diverse your experiences have been, and I really liked what you shared just now because I was asking you about mentors, and I really liked who you’ve picked out there. So I like the fact that your college professor – educators have such a profound impact and influence on so many people – and I really liked how your professor who as formal mentor, I guess, set you on this path, and then you had this experience in Paraguay with Peace Corps.
And then what I really liked is – and this wouldn’t have naturally come to a lot of people, I don’t think, when you’re asking about mentors – I like the fact that you referenced the women community, the female, the women in the community in Paraguay who you saw as your mentors. So that that sort of peer-to-peer learning and sharing with fellow women in the community. So I thought that was really interesting.
And then finally coming to your experience working with Senator Rodham Clinton. She’s obviously a strong woman in leadership, so I like the diverse range of mentors that you’ve picked out there, and that’s very inspiring.
Kate: Thank you. Yes, I’ve been very intentional throughout my career of really learning from those, you know, very unique perspectives of individuals that I have been privileged to engage with, so thank you.
Ka Man: That’s wonderful. So as you’ve mentioned you now, on your journey you’ve now transitioned into the private sector where you’re now helping to shape policy for the benefit of companies and their customers. So how did all these early experiences that you had in humanitarian work lead you to where you are today? And do you view your current role as an extension of your humanitarian work?
Kate: Absolutely. I, you know, I really do see my current role as an extension. So you know, you ask kind of things that I have learned along the way. And I would say really, you know, whether it’s a university, a member of Congress, a stakeholder at the White House, USAID – a nonprofit organisation – or a company, I have learned that partnerships are fundamental to achieving big things.
And through those partnerships, really specifically the relationships that we all build along the way. I think, first, the power of the private sector. You know, every walk of my career – be it in Paraguay, Capitol Hill, USAID – I have seen the private sector come together to address really important challenges, but also opportunities – be it in the technology space, global logistics, innovative solutions to empower people to unleash their own potential. Let me just draw upon a few examples.
The first is when I was working at Peace Corps Headquarters, I was there during the Ebola response, and that was just an eye-opening experience for me. I had just been at USAID and I was running a programme called Peace Corps Response. We were partnering with countries and sending more advanced technical volunteers to help equip their country needs and specifically we’re working in the health space. We were sending doctors, nurses and midwives to countries to think about their healthcare capacity, but also technical expertise. And Ebola struck. And one really kind of pivotal point for me was that Merck, the pharmaceutical company and innovator, stepped forward with the vaccine that addressed the Ebola pandemic. But really helped unleash for me the recognition of the power of innovation.
The next was when I was at USAID, I had the privilege of playing a role on the Haiti earthquake response. It was such a large and monumental disaster. And we at USAID, I was working alongside Administrator Raj Shah. We tried to address kind of how to position the United States and our global partners on how to support local Haitians in the immediate aftermath, but also the long-term reconstruction building of the country.
An example of I think where I have seen the power of the private sector was how the MasterCard Foundation stepped up and brought their technology to bear of how we could quickly support Haitians with access to digital tools, and specifically payment networks to address their food needs, but also basic needs for healthcare.
I think just another point that I’ve given a lot of thought to throughout my career is the people, and the role that people being employees or local volunteers within the community of any country in the world, either here in the United States, as we’re thinking about the current LA wildfires. You know, people show up and those individuals, local citizens or CEOs or politicians, matter, and that is been inspiring for me to think through how do we all work together to address these needs?
Ka Man: Thank you so much, Kate. I loved those all examples that you drew on to sort of illustrate your point that – I love what you said here, ‘partnerships are fundamental to achieving big things’, and the power of collaboration is something that you’ve sort of illustrated here through your what you’ve just shared around your experiences with the Ebola response.
Yes, so one of the things as I think I mentioned when we touched base before Christmas, I said one of the things that the Humanitarian Leadership Academy is seeking to achieve through one of our initiatives, the Humanitarian Xchange, is bringing together the humanitarian sector with what we’re calling non-traditional actors, including industry.
So these examples that you’re sharing are very inspiring to me as they give me very concrete examples of this collaboration in action and you know, like you said, in relation to the emergency response with the LA wildfires now, that with the emphasis on people – people showing up and making their contributions in relation to this response, that’s the thing that’s so important. So you really illustrated that power of collaboration across industries and sectors to me there. So thank you very much for that.
So I’m really excited to ask you this next question as I think that we can definitely learn a lot from you here, especially drawing on all your rich experiences. So you’ve worked with lots of incredible people throughout your career, including politicians, humanitarians, and those we help with our work. So what are some of the most meaningful pearls of wisdom that you’ve gained along the way?
Kate: That’s a great question. And you know, pearls of wisdom in terms of kind of key things that I have learned in my career. The first really came from Hillary Clinton, where she taught us to find unique and you know, kind of, partners that would not necessarily be individuals that on paper, looked like they would be our champions and that was something I really took to heart throughout my career.
And so I do think that seeking out the perspectives and building relationships with individuals that you don’t think that you necessarily agree with is really important ’cause that helps you find the common ground. It also helps you learn where you know, you might think that you disagree wholeheartedly on a topic, there actually might be a lot of common ground that you’re trying to achieve on the same solution. So that was the first pearl of wisdom, I would say is you know learn – learn what your, learn what other people think about, and you might find key partners along the way.
The second piece of wisdom I’d like to share is what I received from Raj Shah, who was my boss when I was at USAID and he really helped me understand the importance of the sense of urgency. The issues that we were working on at USAID were massive and you know, time sensitive. And something that helped teach me was, you know, you have to move fast and you cannot be afraid that you might actually break things in the process. And sometimes breaking things or upsetting the apple cart can be a good thing where you can unleash new innovations and move complex policies forward and achieve big goals.
Ka Man: Thank you so much, Kate. So I really liked learning – the pearl of wisdom that you shared about learning – from other people’s experiences, particularly those who may not look like they may support or champion our cause, but we may gain some valuable perspectives, and also maybe build some relationships and bridges there and create much needed allies.
So I think that’s really interesting, and particularly in this current place that we’re at in 2025 where the world seems to be increasingly polarised, with different views and perspectives, and sometimes these become echo chambers, so actually sharing your experience that actually trying to break out of those silos and seek maybe unconventional partners or people to learn from I think is very wise.
And then I think it’s very interesting what you said about that sense of urgency. And at first I was thinking, oh, you’re saying work faster [laughs], work harder – and you are to an extent but not necessarily – but with a mission to challenge the status quo and create a new way of doing things, where there is that, that sense of urgency.
So very interesting perspectives and thank you very much for sharing those. So I’m interested to know if there are any common themes that you recognise that drive your passion to help improve the lives of others through your work?
Kate: Yes, so I would say the common themes that have driven my work are helping to give the voice to those that are, don’t always have a microphone to share their perspectives, share their ideas. And the reason could be, you know for economic imbalances around the world. And I have been very focused throughout my career, is trying to really diversify the conversation and be it, you know, a diverse board of directors of ensuring that there is a unique gender perspective, a unique age perspective. But also life experience, you know, if you are coming from Washington DC, your experience is going to be very different if you grew, then if you grew up in Cotonou, Benin, and someone in Delhi, in Delhi, India will have a very unique experience.
So I really think the importance of listening to different perspectives to help gain an understanding is fundamental for the work that I do, and also those unique and different experiences will help stakeholders from all walks of the policy arena, make smart and informed decisions around how we can address the current challenges of today, and also the challenges of tomorrow. So that’s definitely one of ensuring that perspectives are highlighted.
And then another theme that has really driven my work is the economic imbalances that are in the United States, but also around the world, and that could be, you know, an individual that comes from a family that does not have the resources to have a formal academic education. But their life experiences are equally, if not more, rich. And seeking out those individuals, understanding their contributions, partnering with them has really for me and my professional career been instrumental to inform myself, colleagues and partners on how we can do more in innovative ways.
Ka Man: Thank you, Kate. What I’m really hearing in what you’ve just said – and it’s sort of a running theme throughout our conversation – is the power of listening, of hearing people and diverse voices and perspectives, and really learning from that and incorporating that into what we do and evolving along the way. So thank you very much for sharing that.
So now for our listeners who have been inspired by hearing about your career journey and professional story – what advice do you have for those seeking to develop their own career journeys in this area of work from a grassroots level?
Kate: Well, thank you for that. I would say the first is really to be honest with your passion motivates you? What sparks your own internal fire of how you want to contribute to learn, and move the world forward. You know, it could be global health, it could be innovation, it could be education, environmental issues – whatever that is, foster it and harness it and take the necessary steps to deepen your own understanding and expertise.
Like I said earlier, it could be through formal education. Or it could be through rolling up your sleeves and partnering with an organisation that you respect and admire at a grassroots community level, and start to cultivate that passion, identify where their needs that you can individually bring your talents really drive your actions through your passion and what motivates you.
And I would say second is, be flexible on how you get there. For me, I think that flexibility has been really important because I’ve taken a mentality that no task was too small, especially early in my career. But you know, if somebody needed me to run errands or help take notes, I always raised my hand ’cause I knew that that would put me in a room where I could learn and alongside individuals that I could, you know, as we’ve discussed, you build a relationship and learn from, So I think that’s really important to be flexible and humble throughout your journey and how you chart your own career path.
Ka Man: That’s brilliant, thank you so much. And so before we wrap up, is there anything else you’d like to share with our listeners?
Kate: Thank you, I think first and foremost, you know continue doing what you’re doing. Stay motivated, and I think first and foremost, you know, being part of the humanitarian world and the ecosystem of a group of individuals that want to support communities at every level is just inspiring in and of itself, and I think, you know, there’s always ways to help and learn. And so continue to check in with yourself every day on how you can show up best, but also how are how are you, how are you doing that? Are there new ways to do it? Are there new people to learn from? And also as you are paving your own path, how are you bringing others along with you? I know we’ve talked about the power of mentorship and looking out for your own personal mentors, but then how do you give back and how are you and your own unique way inspiring next generation of global leaders? I think that’s something that’s critical. I think it’s something that is even more important in the global complex world that we are in.
And I just really appreciate you taking the time with me today for this conversation, and the work that you are doing along with your HLA colleagues to inspire humanitarians around the world.
[Music]
Ka Man: Thank you so much Kate, that’s really lovely to hear. I’ve really enjoyed hearing from you, and I’ve learned a lot. I’m sure our listeners have been really inspired what you’ve shared and gleaned lots of great, useful insights from you.
So thank you once again for taking the time to share your story, and thank you to our amazing listeners for joining us for today’s episode of Fresh Humanitarian Perspectives from the Humanitarian Leadership Academy.
[Music ends]
Listen to the episode on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music and Buzzsprout.
Note: This transcript was generated using automated tools and is intended for reference purposes only. While efforts have been made to check its accuracy, minor errors or omissions may remain.