Ken Biberaj’s thought leadership series started the same way he takes his coffee: strong (with a splash of milk).
Coffee with Ken launched just weeks into the pandemic with a conversation about the economic impact of COVID-19 with Nobel laureate and economist Joseph Stiglitz. In the 150 episodes since, Biberaj has welcomed a who’s who of politics and policy, arts and culture, nonprofits and finance, and more.
“I’m not a reporter—I’m not after sound bites,” says Biberaj, a senior managing director of the global real estate company Savills in suburban DC. Rather, the goal is “smart, substantive conversation” over a good cup of joe, which Biberaj says keeps things light (even if the coffee’s not).
The idea of the podcast had been percolating for a while, but Biberaj moved quickly after the pandemic hit. “My day job was in commercial real estate and, at the time, was very focused on office leasing,” says the native New Yorker. “Suddenly, everyone was staying at home.” Biberaj wanted to keep busy and to contribute to discussions about what was happening in the world, including virtual learning and the future of work, both of which he was asking questions about before they became mainstream.
His guests have included historian and author Jon Meacham; Baltimore Orioles owner David Rubenstein, cofounder of the private equity firm Carlyle Group; New York Stock Exchange president Lynn Martin; and another Ken—actor Ryan Gosling of Barbie fame. Biberaj has also recorded convos with a convocation of Eagles, including Maryland governor Wes Moore (pictured), former fellow with AU’s Sine Institute of Policy and Politics, and Cleveland mayor Justin Bibb, SPA/BA ’09—another former AU Student Government president.
In November, he recorded an episode on campus with CBS White House correspondent Ed O’Keefe, SPA/BA ’02, who recalled being in a movie theater with his two young daughters when he learned President Joe Biden had dropped out of the 2024 presidential race.
Biberaj says his conversations aim “to bring us together” and are a natural complement to AU’s Civic Life initiative. “Even if I don’t agree with someone, I always think we can find some common ground.” It starts with a cup of coffee.