MEET THE RISING LEADERS
Each year, the Rising Leaders Program brings together approximately thirty young professionals in the first five to ten years of their career to contribute to the conversation on critical issues while honing their leadership skills. Hailing from diverse backgrounds and sectors, all Rising Leaders have one thing in common: a passion for U.S. national security and foreign policy.
Liliana Besosa
Operations Officer, U.S. Department of Defense
Liliana Besosa is an Operations Officer within the U.S. Department of Defense in Washington, DC, where she develops strategic partnerships in Latin America and the Caribbean. In this role, she coordinates and manages security cooperation seminars that improve more than thirty partner nations’ capacities to combat illicit networks, transnational threats, and bolster cybersecurity. Liliana also publishes reports in English and Spanish on counter-narcotic operations and drug trafficking network trends in the Western Hemisphere. Liliana earned her bachelor’s degree in international relations from the University of St. Andrews and the College of William & Mary. She complemented this by acquiring her M.A. in security studies from Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service in 2021 and participated in Germany’s Transatlantic Study Program in 2023. As a proud Boricua native of Puerto Rico, Liliana enjoys experimenting with foreign dish recipes and teaching non-native English-speaking children in her community how to read.
Joseph Biegun
Senior Policy Analyst, Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Joseph Biegun is currently a Senior Policy Analyst on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff of Chairman James E. Risch, where he supports the committee’s work on the Europe and Eurasia region. His covers range of issue areas, including defense cooperation, trade, sanctions, energy, human rights, foreign assistance, and regional and international organizations, such as NATO and the EU. He also manages nominations, legislation, and hearings under the portfolio, as well as oversight of executive branch agencies and engagement with foreign governments, NGOs, and civil society/advocacy groups. He holds a degree from the University of Michigan in linguistics and Russian. He is from Alexandria, Virginia and currently lives in Washington, DC.
Joseph Bledsoe III
Institute for Future Conflict Fellow and Fighter Pilot, United States Air Force
Major Joseph “Paveway” Bledsoe III is a U.S. Air Force Intermediate Developmental Education Fellow at the Institute for Future Conflict at the U.S. Air Force Academy, where he explores the future of airpower and emerging technologies. A seasoned F-15E evaluator pilot, he has accumulated over 1,500 flight hours, including 344 combat hours in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. Previously, he served at the 366th Fighter Wing, leading training initiatives and playing a key role in shaping operational plans for five capstone exercises, culminating in the Wing’s first Indo-Pacific deployment. Major Bledsoe commissioned from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 2011 with a B.S. in biology and later earned an M.P.P. from the University of Maryland. He remains deeply connected to USAFA as a board member of the Alumni Association. Joseph is married to his high school sweetheart, Alicia, and together they have three wonderful children.
Max Bluestein
Senior Advisor, INTERPOL Washington
Max Bluestein is a Senior Advisor for INTERPOL Washington, the U.S. representative to INTERPOL, building domestic and international police partnerships. He is a policy and public affairs strategist with leadership experience at the federal, local, and private sector levels, including at four DHS components and in the intelligence community. He served as the DHS Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Strategic Communications during one of the most trying times in the department’s history and was later detailed as a Senior Policy Advisor to the Secretary of Homeland Security. He also served as a Senior Advisor in Counterterrorism and Threat Prevention Policy at DHS and as an Assistant Director in Strategy, Policy, and Plans in Naval Intelligence. He received his B.A. from the University of Georgia, his M.A. from Ben Gurion University in Israel, completed the Executive Leaders Program at the Naval Postgraduate School, and is an FDD National Security Fellow.
Larquana Bryan
Humanitarian Assistance Officer, United States Agency for International Development
Larquana Bryan is a fearless and hopeful humanitarian professional committed to providing vital assistance to vulnerable populations worldwide. As a Humanitarian Assistance Officer at the United States Agency for International Development, Larquana helps coordinate efforts to align with U.S. foreign policy, diplomacy, and national security goals. Her work strengthens global partnerships, regional coordination, and advances U.S. national security priorities. Previously, she served as a Crisis Operations Specialist at USAID’s Office of Transition Initiatives, where she promoted stability, peace, and democracy in unstable environments. She has also conducted research on a variety of topics such as cybersecurity, technology, political economy, and migration. She is an active member of Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation where she serves on the Cybersecurity and Emerging Technologies committee. Larquana is a 2020 Boren Fellow and 2024 BPIA Colin Powell Leadership Fellow. She holds a master’s in international development from New York University.
Ryan Bugas
Political Analyst, U.S. Federal Government
Hailing from Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, Ryan Bugas is a political analyst in the federal government. He has devoted most of his career to studying peace processes in the Middle East and South Asia. A term member on the Council on Foreign Relations, he has served in roles across the federal interagency, including in the intelligence community, as a briefer at the National Security Council, and at the Departments of Defense and State. A product of Virginia’s public school system from grade school through graduate school, Ryan holds a BA with high distinction in political and social thought and foreign affairs from the University of Virginia (UVA) and a MPP from UVA’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, where he was a Bocock-Hitz Public Service Fellow. He was a 2022 CNAS Shawn Brimley Next Generation Fellow. In his free time, Ryan enjoys playing tennis, spending time outside, and learning introductory Arabic.
Edward Carlson
Advisor, U.S. Government
Edward Carlson is currently the Senior Legal Advisor for the Front Office of the Office of International Affairs at the Federal Communications Commission. In his position, he provides counsel on a range of issues, including national security, telecommunication standards, and electromagnetic spectrum. Prior to this position, he worked at the General Counsel’s Office and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration at the U.S. Department of Commerce. Before going to law school, he was a Henry Luce Scholar in the FMR Japanese Cabinet Secretary’s Office for Economic and Fiscal Policy in Tokyo. He received a BA from Colorado College and a JD from Iowa Law School. Originally from Antigua, Guatemala, Edward grew up primarily in Eastern Iowa. He is fluent in Spanish and Italian.
Edward Chao
Cyber Operational Planner, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
Edward Chao is a planner in the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC) at CISA. As a planner, he works to help bolster defensive cyber capabilities through public-private partnerships and whole-of-government approaches against ongoing and emerging cyber threats. Prior to CISA, Edward worked in a variety of capacities for the State of California including building out threat intelligence and incident response functions at the California Cybersecurity Integration Center (Cal-CSIC), leading planning and operations for the first western regional cyber exercise (Cyber Dawn) through the California National Guard’s Cyber Network Defense Team, and administering two DoD grants to bolster cybersecurity resiliency through the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR). Edward first entered public service as an active-duty Army MP officer. He received a Master of Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School, an AS in computer information science from Sacramento City College, and a BA in international relations from Tufts University.
Robert Dixon
Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Africa Command
Lieutenant Commander Bobby Dixon is a Public Affairs Officer at U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), overseeing strategic communication for U.S. Department of Defense operations across Africa. Previously, he served as director of public affairs for U.S. Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command and the Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy. Over his 13-year Navy career, LCDR Dixon has led public affairs efforts at Naval Forces Europe/Africa, Navy Public Affairs Support Element, and major multinational exercises, including Exercise Sea Breeze in Ukraine. He produced and hosted the award-winning podcast “On the Horizon” with Admiral Foggo and managed media strategies that enhanced Navy outreach. A former surface warfare officer, he served aboard USS Gravely (DDG 107) and USS San Jacinto (CG 56). LCDR Dixon is a U.S. Naval Academy graduate (Class of 2012) with a B.S. in history and is completing an M.A. in communication from Liberty University.
Rachel Everette
National Security Advisor, Office of Congressman Jason Crow
Rachel Everette currently serves as the National Security Advisor for Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06) where she covers issues related to national security, defense, and foreign policy. Prior to coming to the Hill, she served as Policy Counsel on the U.S. foreign policy team at Open Society Foundations where she developed and implemented advocacy, legislative, and communications strategies on issues related to security assistance, the use of force, and U.S. foreign policy. She has also worked previously at Physicians for Human Rights and Crisis Action where she focused on advancing the protection of civilians in armed conflict. Rachel holds a JD from Georgetown University Law Center, with a concentration in international human rights and humanitarian law, and a BA from Florida State University in international relations and Chinese.