Today on The Covered Call, we sit down with Deborah Lehr - the woman who’s quietly shaped some of the most consequential chapters in global trade and diplomacy.
She was in the room when China joined the WTO.
She’s advised presidents, Wall Street CEOs, and now leads work at the Paulson Institute and her firm Basilinna - helping chart the future of green and nature finance from Washington to Beijing to the Middle East.
Most people read the headlines, Deborah helped write them.
But what makes her story remarkable isn’t just access to power - it’s her ability to stay independent within it.
In this conversation, we explore:
How U.S.–China relations really work behind closed doors - and why there’s still reason for hope.
The quiet power shift reshaping the world as the Middle East becomes the new growth frontier.
Why “money has no flag,” and how capital - not politics - may decide the next era of globalization.
The rise of nature finance and how valuing biodiversity could unlock a new wave of innovation.
And how Deborah herself has navigated institutions of power without ever becoming defined by them.
This episode isn’t just about trade or geopolitics.
It’s about how freedom survives inside the system - and how individuals can still shape the world without being owned by it.
If you’ve ever wondered how power really works - and how to stay free while moving through it - this conversation will leave you thinking differently about influence, independence, and the flow of global capital.
—
Lovis & Jason
The Covered Call
