All,
As you may know, LP is one of the prime backers of AUK (The American University of Kyiv). This year, along with several other companies, such as JP Morgan, Blackstone, DOKA, and others, we are sponsoring their summer intern program. This program gives these young women a chance to escape the war for a few months (as we’ve done with the hockey camps) and get the experience of working in a Western company.
Our interns are Katerina (Kate) Bykova and Oleksandra (Sasha) Yusupova. I came to DC Sunday night to meet them and spend a few days with them and our friends from AUK before they head to Erie for the summer. Dan Rice, the President of AUK, is our host for the week. And what a busy program they’ve arranged.
Our first visit was to CISA, which I know none of you have ever heard of, but it is the US Government’s Cybersecurity Agency in charge of everything from cyberattacks to election fraud. A BIG portfolio. Dan went to West Point with the now-Director of CISA, Jenn Easterly, who spent an hour and a half with the interns and their sponsors, explaining the challenges they face (even the recent Crowdstrike crash we all experienced, which, though not an attack, still falls squarely in their lap) and graciously answering questions.
As is often the case, I’ve found Jenn and her team are yet another example of how smart, caring, and well-meaning the faceless “bureaucrats” who labor every day to help run this nation are. She and her team were sharp, down to earth, and very approachable. (Funny when one of the sponsors mentioned how calm they all seemed, even with the recent chaos of the Crowdstrike outage still affecting the nation, Trent Frazier, one of her deputies, responded, “Not calm. Tired.” đŸ˜‰) Since CISA is a “Voluntary Agency” that looks to work with private partners to help stop attacks, and to communicate better and more seamlessly, Emile, Keith, and our IT gang will connect with them to get involved. Good.
A good start to the visit. More to come!
At CISA – Kate, Sasha, Dan Rice, Jenn Easterly, and me.
Sasha and Kate
A cloudy day in DC
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