Garrett Boorojian and Ambassador, Counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy who worked for five U.S. Presidents and four U.S. Secretaries of State, Author, Ph.D. from UCLA, Dennis Ross

Garrett Boorojian and Ambassador, Counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy who worked for five U.S. Presidents and four U.S. Secretaries of State, Author, Ph.D. from UCLA, Dennis Ross

Author: Garrett Boorojian September 11, 2026 Duration: 49:47

Garrett Boorojian and Ambassador Dennis Ross discuss relationship building in a team environment.

Source: THE WASHINGTON INSTITUTE for Near East Policy

https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/experts/dennis-ross

"Dennis Ross

  • William Davidson Distinguished Fellow
  • Counselor
  • Irwin Levy Family Program on the U.S.-Israel Strategic Relationship

Expertise

  • Arab-Israeli Relations
  • Democracy & Reform
  • Peace Process
  • U.S. Policy
  • Gulf & Energy Policy
  • Great Power Competition
  • Iran
  • Israel
  • Palestinians
  • Gulf States

Ambassador Dennis Ross is the counselor and William Davidson Distinguished Fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. He also teaches at Georgetown University’s Center for Jewish Civilization. For more than twelve years, Ambassador Ross played a leading role in shaping U.S. involvement in the Middle East peace process, dealing directly with the parties as the U.S. point man on the peace process in both the George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton administrations. He was instrumental in helping Israelis and Palestinians reach the 1995 Interim Agreement; he also successfully brokered the 1997 Hebron Accord, facilitated the 1994 Israel-Jordan peace treaty, and intensively worked to bring Israel and Syria together. Later, he served two and half years as special assistant to President Obama and as National Security Council senior director for the Central Region, spending the first six months of the administration as the special advisor on Iran to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

A scholar and diplomat with more than two decades of experience in Soviet and Middle East policy, Ambassador Ross worked closely with Secretaries of State James Baker, Warren Christopher, and Madeleine Albright. Prior to his service as special Middle East coordinator under President Clinton, Ambassador Ross served as director of the State Department's Policy Planning Staff in the first Bush administration. In that capacity, he played a prominent role in U.S. policy toward the former Soviet Union, the unification of Germany and its integration into NATO, arms control negotiations, and the 1991 Gulf War coalition. Ambassador Ross joined the Institute in 2001.

During the Reagan administration, he served as director of Near East and South Asian affairs on the National Security Council staff and deputy director of the Pentagon's Office of Net Assessment. Ambassador Ross was awarded the Presidential Medal for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service by President Clinton, and Secretaries Baker and Albright presented him with the State Department's highest award.

A graduate of UCLA, Ambassador Ross wrote his doctoral dissertation on Soviet decision making and served as executive director of the Berkeley-Stanford program on Soviet International Behavior. He received UCLA's highest medal and has been named UCLA alumnus of the year. Ambassador Ross is the author of six books on the peace process, the Middle East, and international relations..."


Garrett Boorojian hosts WaveCapital's Guest Speaker Series on Relationship Building in a Team Environment, a podcast that digs into the human dynamics behind high-stakes success. Each conversation moves beyond typical interviews to explore how trust, communication, and genuine connection are forged under pressure. The guest list is a testament to the universal application of these principles, featuring Hall of Fame athletes from football, basketball, and baseball, Olympic medalists, Emmy-winning media figures, and top coaches and executives. These are individuals for whom "team" is not a corporate buzzword but the fundamental mechanism of achievement. You'll hear firsthand accounts of navigating locker rooms, boardrooms, and creative collaborations. The discussions are grounded in real stories-from the tension before a championship game to the delicate negotiations of a major business deal-revealing the practical methods these professionals use to build cohesive units. This isn't abstract theory; it's lived experience dissected to uncover what actually works. Whether you're leading a sports team, a business department, or any collaborative project, this podcast offers a rare look at the relational craftsmanship required to excel. Garrett guides these explorations with a focus on actionable insight, making each episode a masterclass in the subtle art of working with others.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

WaveCapital's Guest Speaker Series on Relationship Building in a Team Environment
Podcast Episodes
Garrett Boorojian and 1993 NFL First Round Draft Pick (1st Overall), New England Patriots Hall of Famer, 4x Pro–Bowler, Super Bowl 36 Champion, Co–founder of Bledsoe Wine Estates (Doubleback, Bledsoe Family Winery, Bledsoe|McDaniels), Drew Bledsoe [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:12
Garrett Boorojian and Drew Bledsoe discuss relationship building in a team environment.Drew's NFL Career / Accolades:– 251 Passing Touchdowns / 44,611 Passing Yards– Super Bowl 36 Champion / 2x AFC Champion– 4x Pro–Bowle…
Garrett Boorojian and former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, U. of Michigan Law School Professor, Author of "The Fix: Saving America from the Corruption of a Mob-Style Government, NBC News / MS NOW Legal Analyst, Barbara McQuade [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:45
Garrett Boorojian and Barbara McQuade discuss relationship building in a team environment.Source: University of Michigan Law Schoolhttps://michigan.law.umich.edu/faculty-and-scholarship/our-faculty/barbara-l-mcquade"Barb…
Garrett Boorojian and Atlanta–based Award–winning Independent / Hollywood Actress (Walk the Line, Big Momma's House 2, We Are Marshall, The Blind Side, The Hunger Games, What to Expect When You're Expecting, Flight, 42, Hidden Figures), Rhoda Griffis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:44
Garrett Boorojian and Rhoda Griffis discuss relationship building in a team environment."... [T]his platform is fabulous Garrett, there is a door for everybody, and that's thanks to you." – Rhoda GriffisSource: Universit…
Garrett Boorojian and former NFL 4x Pro–Bowler, former NFL First–Team All–Pro, former NFL Sacks Leader, former NFL Defensive Player of the Year, former High School and NCAA Division I Football Coach, Motivational Speaker, Bryce Paup [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:06
Garrett Boorojian and Bryce Paup discuss relationship building in a team environment.Source: Iowa State Footballhttps://cyclones.com/sports/football/roster/coaches/bryce-paup/2348"Bryce PaupTitle: Assistant Defensive Lin…
Garrett Boorojian and Founder / Principal of The Fair Path Project, former Diplomat at the U.S. Department of State, former CAO / Spokeswoman at End Workplace Abuse, former Director of Human Resources at Solano County / Mariposa County, Kim Williams [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:21:12
Garrett Boorojian and Kimberly Williams discuss relationship building in a team environment.Sources: The Fair Path Projecthttps://www.fairpathproject.com/"Overcome Workplace Bullying. Build Psychological Safety.The Fair…
Garrett Boorojian and 1982 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball National Champion and Consultant at the University of North Carolina, former NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Head Coach, former Assistant GM at the NBA's Charlotte Hornets, Buzz Peterson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:38
Garrett Boorojian and Buzz Peterson discuss relationship building in a team environment.Robert Bower Peterson Jr. | Buzz Peterson:– 1981 High School Basketball Player of the Year in the U.S. state of North Carolina– 1982…
Garrett Boorojian and Women's Pro Baseball League Co-Founder, Counsel at Dentons, former Counsel at Heenan Blaikie, former Corporate Counsel at Toyota Canada, Canadian businessman who met with John F. Kennedy Jr. before JFK Jr.'s passing, Keith Stein [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:32
Women's Pro Baseball League Co-Founder Keith Stein:Served as Corporate Counsel for Toyota Canada, learned Japanese, and "created a Japanese North American Friendship Foundation for Young Professionals."Served as "the rig…