Stephenie Foster

Stephenie Foster is a partner at Smash Strategies, a firm dedicated to advising businesses, foundations, and philanthropists who want to leverage their commitment to women and girls. In January 2017, she left the United States Department of State where she worked to advance the rights of, and opportunities for, women and girls. She served as Senior Advisor/Counselor in the Secretary's Office of Global Women's Issues, and also served at the US Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan where she focused on women and civil society. Prior to joining the State Department, she had her own consulting firm, with an emphasis on domestic and international policy advocacy, government affairs, program development and training, and law. In both the US and abroad, she has worked extensively on programs to increase core civic engagement and advocacy skills, particularly of women; strategic planning; corporate and democratic governance; and project planning and management. Foster has worked in private law practice, as a Chief of Staff on Capitol Hill, and in senior management positions in the non-profit sector. She has published extensively on women and politics, including two manuals: Advocacy and Running for Office: A Training Manual for Women and Ending Violence Against Women and Human Trafficking: A Guide to New Strategies (with Cindy Dyer).