Insights

Global Gateway Advisors’ Summer Edit

By Global Gateway Advisors

July 15, 2025

We asked our team and friends of the firm to tell us what’s capturing their attention this summer — and because the news cycle is relentless, we also sought out TV and movie recommendations for those in need of a good distraction.

Also, our thoughts are with the families and communities affected by the devastating floods in Central Texas. The New York Times compiled a list of ways to help.

ICYMI: The previous edition of COMPASS explored why LinkedIn is more essential than ever and how to lean into the latest trends to reach your most important audiences. Read it here.

What to read, watch and listen to this summer

NEWSLETTERS

“I love Culture Study from Anne Helen Petersen. No one else can dissect the cultural zeitgeist the way she can. It’s so important for us as communicators to approach the latest culture trends with a deeper understanding of the full context of what matters and why, and her ability to dig deeper in an extremely accessible way makes us all smarter.”
– Carrie Engel, head of U.S. external communications, Indeed

“The Ed’s Up, the immensely insightful science writer and author Ed Yong’s newsletter, who also has made me want to take up birding!”
– Kathleen Siedlecki, principal, KAS Strategies

“I look forward to Fortune’s Broadsheet every day. Emma Hinchliffe’s coverage of female founders, funders and the forces shaping the business world is sharp, thoughtful and always relevant. It’s a smart pulse check on where power and capital are flowing — and where they *could* be flowing if more women were at the center of the story.”
– Laura Lowery, advisor, Global Gateway Advisors

What else?

See our full list here.

PODCASTS

“Bloomberg’s Odd Lots is fantastic for digging deep into economics and markets. I’m a football fan too, so I like listening to The Athletic Football Show and The Mina Kimes Show when I’m out for a run.” 
– Daniel Zhao, director of economic research, Glassdoor

“I’m loyal to NPR’s Up First and The Skimm. For pop culture news, I’ve been loving Peyton Dix and Hunter Harris’s Lemme Say This podcast.”
– Morgan Smith, freelance journalist

“Hard Fork from the New York Times provides an excellent look at what’s happening in tech and AI. I always look forward to Friday listening.”  
– MaryJo Fitzgerald, head of West Coast, partner, Global Gateway Advisors 

What else?

See our full list here.

BOOKS

“Immunity to Change: How to Overcome It and Unlock the Potential in Yourself and Your Organization by Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey. It’s a great book that challenges leaders to think about the work they need to do to evolve and then work with their teams. It’s a book I revisit to evaluate my personal and company growth.”
– Carol Harrison, president, Global Gateway Advisors

“Moral Ambition by Rutger Bregman. I am teaching Global Social Enterprise in the fall and it is the basis of my course. Needed now more than ever.”
– Julie Meyer, founder, Eat Well Global

“For the heart: Ina Garten’s Be Ready When the Luck Happens. For the beach: Casey McQuiston’s Red White and Royal Blue. For the brain: Simon Sinek’s Leaders Eat Last.
– Théa Iacovelli, managing director, strategic growth, Global Gateway Advisors

What else?

  • Abundance by Ezra Klein: An exploration of how technological advancements could reshape society, economy and human potential in a future of radical abundance.

  • Adventures in the Louvre: How to Fall in Love with the World’s Greatest Museum by Elaine Sciolini: A guide to experiencing the Louvre’s art and history through personal stories and insider tips, inviting readers to connect deeply with the museum.

  • The Art Thief by Michael Finkel: A true story of Stéphane Breitwieser, a prolific art thief who stole over 300 artworks from European museums, driven by obsession rather than profit.

  • The Beauty of the End by Lauren Stienstra: In a dystopian future facing extinction, two sisters navigate ethics, ambition and survival in a government-run reproduction program.

  • Black Friend by Ziwe: A humorous collection of essays from comedian Ziwe, reflecting on race, identity and pop culture through her incisive and irreverent lens.

  • Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism by Sarah Wynn-Williams: A historical narrative exploring the reckless ambition and moral decline of Jazz Age figures.

See our full list here.

MOVIES + TV

“Adolescence. Wow. Amazing. It was gripping, terrifying of course, and carried an important message. It was also acting, writing, directing and producing at its very best.”
– David Neibart, principal, The Neibart Group

“Paradise is a series that teaches that utopia is not perfect. Orchestrated life based on the opinion of a few does not prevent curiosity.”
– Vanessa N. Quijano, senior public affairs and communications advisor, NeighborWorks America

“Handmaid’s Tale and America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. In their own, unique ways, both series illustrate the strength, grit and complex inner thoughts and motivations of women. I would recommend watching both series in tandem, alternating between shows based on your mood.”
– Sareena Roy, account executive, Global Gateway Advisors

What else?

  • Anora: A young Brooklyn sex worker’s whirlwind romance and impulsive marriage to the son of a Russian oligarch is threatened when his parents attempt to annul the union, leading to a chaotic journey through New York.

  • Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything: A documentary exploring the groundbreaking career and personal life of the legendary journalist.

  • Call Her Alex: A two-part documentary series about Alex Cooper, the host of the massively successful podcast “Call Her Daddy,” exploring her rise from a self-conscious teenager to a media mogul.

  • Dept Q: A brash but brilliant cop becomes head of a new police department, where he leads an unlikely team of misfits in solving Edinburgh’s cold cases.

See our full list here.

We’d love to know — what are you reading, watching, or listening to this summer? Share your favorites with us here.

AFS Youth Assembly: Empowering global citizens

Hundreds of delegates aged 18-35 representing over 100 countries will gather in New York City August 8-10 for the AFS Youth Assembly, a global platform dedicated to developing the next generation of leaders through cross-cultural exchange, education and action.

What to watch: For the first time, the Youth Assembly will feature a focused track on youth mental health in a turbulent world, focused on understanding the challenge and driving solutions.

Global Gateway Advisors is proud to support this important initiative and we hope you’ll stay tuned for important announcements coming out of this year’s Assembly.

Click here to receive our biweekly youth mental health insights newsletter.

Upcoming events

  • Semafor’s Solving the Youth Wellbeing Challenge (Washington D.C. / virtual, July 16) Semafor journalists will host a discussion exploring the youth mental health crisis, highlighting opportunities to rebuild social ties, foster resilience and develop lasting strategies to combat rising depression, anxiety and loneliness among young people. Speakers include Sen. John Fetterman; Laura Horne, chief program officer, Active Minds; and Sara DeWitt, senior vice president and general manager, PBS KIDS. RSVP here.

  • Reuters Momentum AI San Jose (San Jose, CA, July 15-16) This two-day conference hosted by Reuters brings together industry leaders to explore how AI can improve the way large companies operate and deliver products and services. Speakers include Prashant Mehrotra, chief AI officer, U.S. Bank; Hilary Packer, CTO, American Express; and Yao Morin, CTO, JLL. More here.

  • American Hospital Association Leadership Summit (Nashville, Tenn., July 20-22) Senior health care executives, clinicians and industry experts convene to explore strategies for delivering higher-value care, ensuring financial sustainability, tackling workforce challenges and enhancing the consumer experience. More here.

  • Fortune Brainstorm AI Singapore (Singapore, July 22-23) This year’s event focuses on the rise of AI agents, the shift from AI planning to implementation and the urgent need for sustainable, responsible scaling. Featured speakers include Tan Su Shan, CEO, DBS Bank; Oliver Jay, managing director, international, OpenAI; and Madhu Kurup, vice president of engineering, Indeed. More here.

Bookmark Global Gateway Advisors’ event tracker, updated weekly.

Media news + moves

The latest in AI:

  • “The Hidden Layer.” A new twice-weekly newsletter from Puck offers insights into the latest dealmaking and breakthroughs in AI, and how the intersecting worlds of finance, entertainment, media and politics are being transformed in its wake. Subscribe here. 

  • Law360 requires use of AI tool. All stories are required to be screened by an AI-powered “bias” detection tool prior to publication, leading to a petition from the Law360 Union. “As journalists, we should be trusted to select our own tools of the trade to do our information-gathering, reporting and editing — not pressured to use unproven technology against our will,” it states. Read more.

  • Axios adjusts editorial policies to be more AI-friendly. Per a recent note to staff: “The new language replaces our original framing, which was centered on how everything we do ‘will be written or produced by a real person with a real identity. There will be NO AI-written stories.’ That was written years ago and was unnecessarily limiting as we’ve learned more about what AI tools can and can’t do.”

  • Fortune leans into AI-produced content. A new section on the outlet’s website, Fortune Intelligence, features stories drafted by generative AI — but edited by humans. Read more. 

  • The fight against AI scraping. Publishers are increasingly moving to cordon off their content with the help of companies like Cloudflare to prevent it from being scraped by unlicensed AI chatbots — a move AI companies reject, arguing it’s within bounds and setting up a clash with far-reaching implications for both the media industry and the internet. Read more.

Media moves:

  • Michal Lev-Ram joined CNBC as a tech contributor.

  • Henry Chandonnet joined Business Insider as a trending news fellow.

  • Jeff Bercovici is joining the Wall Street Journal’s San Francisco team as deputy tech and media editor later this month.

  • Business Insider health correspondent Rachel Hosie is departing to pursue freelance work.

  • Riley Beggin joined the Washington Post to cover Congressional economic policy.

  • The Financial Times hired Abigail Hauslohner to cover a new beat about the United States’ evolving relationships, policies and actions in the Middle East.

  • Rob Lang was named Reuters’ first-ever newsroom AI editor.

  • Brad Smith trades Yahoo Finance for the anchor desk at CNN Headlines.

  • Politico hired David Harrison as economic policy editor.

  • Christina Vallice joined Vox as head of video.

  • Semafor appointed Matthew Martin as its Saudi Arabia bureau chief and global head of sovereign wealth fund coverage.

  • Yahoo Finance hired Jake Conley as a breaking news business reporter.

  • The Financial Times hired Laith Al-Khalaf as a banking and fintech reporter.

  • Idrees Kahloon, Washington bureau chief at The Economist, is leaving for a role at The Atlantic.

  • Gizmodo hired Gayoung Lee as a reporter.

  • Miranda Nazzaro left The Hill for a new opportunity.

  • Wall Street Journal reporters Sabela Ojea and Preetika Rana have left the organization.