Make Room
Make Room is an inclusive professional development network where early professionals are equipped to pursue their career goals and develop their leadership skills. Founded in 2020 and run by junior members of the CNAS staff, Make Room aims to train, empower, and amplify the voices of underrepresented communities in the national security and foreign policy spheres.
Make Room recognizes and celebrates the inherent value of all people, and the initiative welcomes college students, recent graduates, early career professionals, and others interested in joining a community of peers working to strengthen their skills and build a diverse national security workforce. There are no costs nor prerequisites to join. If you are interested in joining Make Room, you can subscribe to our newsletter, join the mentorship program, and attend study sessions. To learn more, contact [email protected].
How to Get Involved:
Study Series
The Study Series holds interactive study sessions that focus on functional skill development and substantive learning. Study sessions speakers are diverse, early- to mid- career professionals who can readily relate to the Make Room community and provide actionable advice.
Mentorship Program
Applicants selected to join the pilot Make Room Mentorship Program will be paired with an experienced national security professional who best meets their specific mentorship needs.
Newsletter
The newsletter delivers the Make Room experience directly in your inbox. The newsletter’s feature, Around the Table, highlights diverse voices in the field—each month the Make Room team interviews a peer in the community on their area of expertise and personal experience.
More:
A key part of CNAS’ mission is to inform and prepare the national security leaders of today and tomorrow. In keeping with this mission, CNAS supports several programs that educate and advance the next generation of national security experts. These programs include: the Shawn Brimley Next Generation National Security Leaders Fellowship, the 1LT Andrew J. Bacevich Jr., USA Award, the Robert M. Gates Fellowship, Make Room, The Pitch: A Competition of New Ideas, and the Joseph S. Nye, Jr. National Security Internship and Mentoring Program.
Join the Make Room Mission: Support our goal of creating a more diverse and inclusive national security workforce.
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Meet the Team
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Valeria Allende
Executive Assistant and Deputy Director for NextGen Fellowship
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Arona Baigal
Former Research Assistant, Middle East Security & Securing U.S. Democracy Initiative Programs
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Daniel Bonomo
Former Finance & Operations Associate
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Austin Calvo
Former Senior Development Associate
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Noah Greene
Research Assistant, AI Safety and Stability Project
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Kate Klein
Chief of Staff, Director, Shawn Brimley Next Generation National Security Leaders Fellowship
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Gibbs McKinley
Research Associate to the CEO
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Rin Rothback
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