Madam Policy

Leader in the "Food is Medicine" movement and nutrition advocacy space, Jean Terranova, Senior Director of Policy and Research at Community Servings, joins Madam Policy to talk about the future of nutrition and food security policy in the United States. Host Dee Martin and Jenna Bolonik sit down with Jean to discuss her work on the bipartisan Medically Tailored Meals (MTM) Home-Delivered Meals Demonstration Act, the White House National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, and an amendment of Medicare and Medicaid to include coverage for MTMs. Want to understand more about how Community Servings caters their services to people experiencing a wide range of health challenges and food preferences? Curious about the progress, challenges, and benefits of expanding access to MTMs? Wondering how to get involved in volunteering and advocacy for food security? Tune in to learn about these issues and more!

Expert in crisis communications and brand building, Anne Marie Malecha, CEO of Dezenhall Resources, sits down with Madam Policy hosts Dee Martin and Rebecca Brown to discuss how operations should drive high-stakes communications, the role of communications in politics and policy, and when and how a company should weigh in on hot button issues. Armed with a policy background and extensive experience advising clients on how to build strong brands, Anne Marie lays out critical questions companies should ask themselves before speaking about issues that affect their key audiences. Curious about the legal consequences of crisis communications? Wondering how a communications professional would objectively analyze Trump and Biden's performances in the recent presidential debate? Give this episode a listen!

The Honorable Thea Lee, Deputy Undersecretary for International Labor Affairs (ILAB) at the U.S. Department of Labor, joins Madam Policy hosts Dee Martin and Ihna Mangundayao to talk about her important work influencing policy through economics and promoting workers' rights globally. As a leader at the forefront of both domestic and foreign policy, Deputy Undersecretary Lee explains how economics and economic research inform her work in policy, from the seafood industry to child labor prevention, and the importance of putting workers' rights front and center when creating workplace evaluation protocols. Want to hear the story of how Thea debated a Nobel Laureate during the NAFTA negotiations? Strategies to end forced labor and social auditing under authoritarian regimes? Then tune in!

Globally recognized environmental justice champion Jeanette Pablo, founder and CEO of the Climate Equity Foundation and previous director of the Climate Equity Initiative at the Clean Air Task Force (CATF), joins Madam Policy to discuss the intersection of environmental justice and climate change. Hosts Dee Martin and Ihna Mangundayao sit down with Jeanette to talk about her work negotiating high-stakes international energy frameworks, the importance of AANHPI voices in environmental justice, and global approaches to shaping inclusive policies. Curious about the role of optics vs. substance in treaty negotiations or the staggering language barrier in social services and climate justice? Tune in to learn about these issues and more!

Madam Policy welcomes world-renowned musher and literal trailblazer, DeeDee Jonrowe, to discuss her journey within the dogsledding world, leading to 32 Iditarod starts, 29 finishes, three second-place finishes, and a record setting run in 1998 of fastest time by a female. DeeDee joins hosts Dee Martin and Anna Karakitsos to discuss her incredible journey, including completing one of her Iditarod runs three weeks after finishing chemotherapy, her work with search-and-rescue dogs, and her role as a leader on animal humanitarianism. Want to learn more about animal search-and-rescue training? The importance of perseverance in the face of hardship? Then this episode is for you!

Trailblazer Eleanor (Ellie) Smeal, co-founder and president of the Feminist Majority Foundation, joins Madam Policy to talk about her lifelong dedication to achieving social, political, and economic equality for women worldwide. Mentor and friend, Ellie joins Madam Policy host Dee Martin, former Feminist Majority intern and now Board member. The two discuss the importance of the Equal Rights Amendment, Title IX, reproductive choice, and the what’s at stake in the 2024 elections. Want to know more about gender apartheid in Afghanistan? What the U.N. calls “crimes against humanity”? What could happen with mifepristone? The potential for young people to decide the elections? Then this is the episode for you!

Madam Policy welcomes global leader and trailblazer in telecommunications and Artificial Intelligence (AI), Mignon Clyburn, former Chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Making history, Mignon was the first woman to serve as Chair of the powerful FCC.

Mignon joins Madam Policy hosts Dee Martin and Kendall Mitchell to discuss her journey to the top in an historically male-dominated field, the challenges and opportunities surrounding the widespread emergence of AI, her lifelong commitment to public service, and the work she is doing and has done to maintain an open and accessible internet for all. 

Tune in to hear about how Mignon, daughter of Congressman James E. Clyburn, shaped her journey to the head of an executive agency through her experience at the South Carolina Public Service Commission and how mentorship has molded her path every step of the way.

Women and children's rights activist, Maebel Gebremedhin, co-founder and president of Tigray Action Committee, shares the Tigrayan story of the conflict between the Government of Ethiopia, acting in alliance with Eritrea, and the Tigray People's Liberation Front on Madam Policy this week. Born in a refugee camp in Sudan, Maebel sits down with host Dee Martin to discuss the "forgotten war," conflict-based gender violence, and how her family background shaped her path in life. This episode spotlights the importance of women being involved in decision making processes, living by the mantra "if not me, then who?", and how drawing attention to an issue can create change. Tune in to learn more!

Political strategist and technology entrepreneur, Lucy Caldwell, Founder of Mockingbird Lab, joins Madam Policy to talk about her work mobilizing independent voters, advocating for structural reforms to make politics more competitive, and disrupting old school grassroots organizing with innovative technologies. Lucy sits down with Madam Policy hosts Dee Martin and Caitlin Sickles to discuss the current state of political campaign technology and her focus on using data-driven strategies to drive voter engagement. Tune in for a healthy dose of political prognostication, too! Want to hear the toughest advice Lucy was told early on in her career? Tune in now!

Chief Strategy Officer for the CHIPS Program Office at the U.S. Department of Commerce, Dr. Morgan Dwyer, joins Madam Policy hosts Dee Martin and Ihna Mangundayao to talk about the critical work the CHIPS program does to ensure U.S. economic prosperity and national security. Dr. Dwyer highlights the work she's doing to strengthen the U.S. semiconductor industry and the importance of investing in local communities and workforce development programs. Want to hear about the journey that landed Dr. Dwyer to become the woman leading a $39 billion investment portfolio focused on semiconductor manufacturing and the advice she would give to her 24-year-old self? Then tune in!