Young people today, especially young women, face some of the same challenges I did over the past 40 years coming up through the ranks in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in top leadership roles in the United Nations, and in starting my own business. Much has changed of course, but not nearly enough!

My hope in sharing the challenges I faced personally and professionally in journeying through foreign landscapes in over 100 countries, battling pandemics and politics, witnessing tragedies and triumphs, fighting for science and truth, and facing my own personal struggles and professional setbacks...is that the essence of my truths and how I bounced back might help others. My strong advice is to never ever give up!