Jean Geran is a host of The UpWords Podcast and Senior Advisor for Foundation Initiatives at the Stephen & Laurel Brown Foundation, where she helps lead the Upper House Fellows Program. She brings deep expertise in human rights, foreign policy, and anti-trafficking work — including experience at the U.S. Department of State and the National Security Council — and has taught at George Washington University and UW–Madison. Jean holds a PhD from UW–Madison and a BSBA from Georgetown.