In this episode, I sit down with David Browne, a former USAID Foreign Service Officer whose career has taken him from Bolivia and Bangladesh to the West Bank, Uganda, and now back home to local government in North Carolina.
David reflects on growing up between India and the United States, never quite fitting neatly into a single cultural identity, and how those early experiences shaped his lifelong curiosity about people, cultures, and the wider world. He shares how music, poetry, and an unexpected journey into international development helped him make sense of belonging and purpose.
We explore the realities of serving overseas through moments of profound uncertainty, from the Arab Spring to COVID-19, and the leadership lessons he learned about trust, inclusion, and empowering others. Along the way, David reflects on what it means to build community, continually reinvent yourself, and remain open to new experiences long after your career path seems set.
Ultimately, this is a conversation about identity, curiosity, and discovering that home is often found not in a place, but in the people who help us become who we are.
Recorded on 6 August 2026.
Connect with David on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/david-browne-cpa-cgfm. His music is available on YouTube.
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