Samantha Turner

Inclusive leader, international speaker, expert facilitator, and change maker with expertise in gender equality, diversity equity & inclusion, national security, public and foreign policy, STEM, and organizational change management. A West Point and Stanford graduate with more than 14 years of leadership experience–first leading Soldiers and now leading at the executive level, fostering innovation within the US government, NATO, allies, and partners all over the world. She excels in leading cross-cultural teams to accomplish goals utilizing my technical, military and business acumen to bridge the understanding gaps within those teams to drive innovative solutions from ideation to implementation. Sam is a NATO trained Gender Advisor (GENAD) and a NATO certified Train the Trainer having worked as the USEUCOM GENAD. She was head of change management for the implementation of an innovative and functional Women Peace and Security (WPS) Program for over 51 countries. She also worked with USAID as the Senior Gender Advisor, Humanitarian Advisor and Democracy Advisor. Within the Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation (DDI), she contributed to strategic leadership, training, and technical assistance on USAID’s gender equality and women’s empowerment policy and programming worldwide and works to shape and institutionalize policies that empower societies with an intersectional lens. Sam worked as the Civil-Military liaison during Operation Allies Welcome at Ramstein Air Base in Germany. Most recently she was a Security Fellow collaborating with policy professionals working in national security and foreign affairs united by a commitment to progressive values in US diplomacy, development and defense rooted in adherence to international norms, human rights, and alliances.