Biography

Loren Hurst is a public affairs and innovation management professional focused on science, technology, and economic issues. His diverse background includes roles in government relations, association management, public diplomacy, enterprise development, and higher education. Currently, he leads virtual stakeholder engagement teams in the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Global Public Affairs, where he manages the Ukraine, climate change, food security, and space affairs portfolios. Mr. Hurst advocates for the strategic use of virtual spaces and innovation management approaches to advance understanding of climate risk and other global, systemic challenges. 

Mr. Hurst’s interdisciplinary background includes roles as an international association manager, public diplomacy liaison, new enterprise incubator developer, and digital media consultant and producer. He created and managed the U.S. State Department’s first global podcasting program, producing over 1000 podcasts in nine languages and training 60 local U.S. Embassy staff in Africa. In Washington, DC, Brussels, and Bucharest, Mr. Hurst led development of new enterprise incubators for biotech and clean energy businesses. He served as public diplomacy liaison to U.S. embassies in the European Union, trained U.S. diplomats in digital content production at the Foreign Service Institute, and taught strategic communications at Georgetown University’s School of Continuing Studies. His media credentials include script writer, audio producer, moderator, and voiceover artist.   

Mr. Hurst’s current focus is the application of human-centered design methods and artificial intelligence in systems-level approaches to critical issues such as food security and climate risk in the policy, legal, and investment spaces. As a dedicated advocate and practitioner of cross-sector collaboration, he believes the key to addressing complex global issues lies in systems-level thinking, deep stakeholder engagement, and leveraging the power and reach of data-driven digital capabilities. 

Mr. Hurst holds a Master’s of Public Administration from the Catholic University in Leuven, Belgium, and a bachelor’s degree in French and International Politics from California State University, Fullerton. Originally from California, he is an avid fly-fisherman, kayaker, and paddle boarder. He resides in Washington, DC.

(Updated June 2025)