#1 From Theater to Brokering Change at the UN & Navigating Parenthood with Esther Pan Sloane

In this episode, our guest is Esther Pan Sloane, Head of Partnerships, Policy and Communications at United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF). Prior to joining UNCDF, Esther was a U.S. diplomat for 10 years. As Adviser at the Permanent Mission of the United States to the United Nations in New York, she was on the U.S. team that negotiated the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals. She also served on the Executive Boards of UNDP, UNICEF, UNOPS, and UNFPA, pushing the agencies to become more efficient, effective, and accountable for results.

Esther graduated from Stanford University with a BA with honors in English and International Relations and earned an MA in Theater and Performance from the University of Cape Town, which she attended on a Fulbright Fellowship. Prior to joining the U.S. Foreign Service, Esther worked as a journalist in print, radio, and national magazines for the first ten years of her career. She also has a major interest in theatre, especially theatre that helps change governments. 

Listen as we talk about her career path and how she found herself making finance work for the poor at UNCDF, the personal challenges she overcame, her expertise in negotiations, and advice for someone who may be navigating their journey to parenthood.

Links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/esther-pan-sloane-9029a5/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sloane_ep?lang=en 

UNCDF: https://www.uncdf.org/head-partnerships-policy-communications