Impact Point
By: Q2IMPACT
Language: en
Categories: Business, Management, Technology
technology, policy, and people, and how they all come together to create real-world change.
Episodes
Inside Saudi Arabia’s Innovation Wave and Investment Boom with Sean Jones of The American University in Cairo
Dec 15, 2025Saudi Arabia is transforming at a scale and speed rarely seen, reshaping perceptions, markets, and opportunities across the Middle East. In this episode, we sit down with Sean Jones, Adjunct Professor of The American University in Cairo and Board Member of the Binational Fulbright Commission in Egypt, to unpack what this shift means for businesses, policymakers, and innovators. We explore firsthand impressions from Riyadh, the forces driving the country’s rapid change, and why now is a pivotal moment for engagement in the region.
Key Takeaways:
00:00 Introduction.
01:21 Saudi Arab...
Duration: 00:25:17From Policy to Practice: Embedding Evaluation Across the State Department with Sarah Kohari of Kohari Consulting, LLC
Nov 24, 2025Systematic change in government organizations doesn’t happen overnight. It takes structure, collaboration, and a commitment to learning. In this episode, we speak with Sarah Kohari, Principal at Kohari Consulting, LLC, and former Chief for Planning, Performance, and Learning at the US Department of State. She shares how the 18 FAM 300 policy transformed monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) practices across the State Department, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
Key Takeaways:
00:00 Introduction.
01:34 The evaluation policy showed bureaus lacked clarity on project goals.
05:33 Many staff al...
Duration: 00:30:31Building Credibility in a World of Generative AI with Jake Shapiro of Princeton University
Oct 28, 2025The world is entering a post-documentation era where truth and evidence are no longer easily verifiable. In this episode, we speak with Jake Shapiro, John Foster Dulles Professor of International Affairs at Princeton University, to explore how technology, reputation, and trust shape our understanding of facts in a rapidly changing information landscape.
Key Takeaways:
00:00 Introduction.
02:27 The era of trusting recordings as undeniable proof of truth is coming to an end.
05:09 Chains of reputation sustained high-trust trade across long distances.
12:35 Large-scale aid in Iraq...
Duration: 00:26:00Innovation, Agility, and the Next Era of Foreign Assistance with Neelima Grover and Rob Jenkins of Q2IMPACT
Oct 07, 2025Foreign assistance is undergoing one of its most dramatic transformations in decades, forcing organizations to rethink strategies, funding sources, and innovation models.
In this episode, Neelima Grover, Founder and CEO of Q2IMPACT, and Rob Jenkins, Senior Advisor of Q2IMPACT, explore the challenges and opportunities facing foreign assistance amid geopolitical shifts, funding uncertainty, and the rise of emerging technologies like AI. They discuss how adaptive management, innovation, and private sector leadership are shaping the future of global development.
Key Takeaways:
00:00 Introduction.
00:45 F...
Duration: 00:34:02Preserving Human Value in an AI-Dominated Future with Dr. Varun Grover of the University of Arkansas
Sep 23, 2025The rise of artificial intelligence is reshaping not only technology but also how humans define knowledge, value, and dignity in their work. In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Varun Grover, George and Boyce Billingsley Endowed Chair and Distinguished Professor of the University of Arkansas - Sam M. Walton College of Business, to explore the concept of benchmark inversion and the future of human-AI collaboration.
Key Takeaways:
00:00 Introduction.
02:01 ChatGPT highlights the shift from programmed to data-driven AI.
04:25 AI mimics empathy and judgment, but it l...
Duration: 00:24:40Cutting Through the Noise at the Crossroads of AI, National Security, and Global Change with Neelima Grover, Marsha Grodnicki, Rob Jenkins of Q2IMPACT
Sep 16, 2025We’re living through a defining moment where technology, geopolitics, and national security converge at an unprecedented pace. In this inaugural episode, Neelima Grover, Founder and CEO of Q2IMPACT, Marsha Grodnicki, Managing Director of Q2IMPACT, and Rob Jenkins, Senior Advisor of Q2IMPACT, discuss how organizations can navigate disruption, harness reliable data, and lead with innovation in an AI-first world. Together, they reflect on the pivotal role of reliable information, change management, and forward-looking leadership in shaping resilient strategies for government, industry, and society.
Key Takeaways:
00:00 Introduction.
... Duration: 00:11:43