An Exclusive Private Dinner: Understanding the Impact of Digital Threats and Propaganda from Foreign Actors on North Carolina and Other States 

Join us for an intimate dinner featuring experts from the Alliance for Securing Democracy as they lead a powerful and in-depth discussion on how foreign adversaries worldwide are actively shaping public discourse and influencing communities here in North Carolina and across the country.

This exclusive event will unpack findings from the Alliance’s groundbreaking new report, The State(s) of Foreign Information Operations: A State-by-State Look at Foreign Information Manipulation in the United States (Link). Guests will gain unique insight into how sophisticated propaganda campaigns—including AI-generated content—are targeting trusted institutions and voices to destabilize American democracy.

This private dinner offers an unparalleled setting for meaningful discussion, networking, and deepening your understanding of the threats shaping our digital and democratic landscapes. Seating is limited to 24 people. 

Featured Experts:

  • David Salvo, Managing Director, Alliance for Securing Democracy at the German Marshall Fund and former U.S. Foreign Service Officer with expertise in authoritarian influence operations and foreign policy strategy.

  • Bret Schafer, Senior Fellow, Alliance for Securing Democracy at the German Marshall Fund leads the Alliance’s work on tracking and countering digital propaganda focusing on foreign influence in the U.S. information space.

  • Krystyna Sikora, Research Assistant, Alliance for Securing Democracy at the German Marshall Fund and co-author of the State(s) of Foreign Information Operations report, specializing in mapping real-world examples of foreign interference in local communities.

 

 

 

WACC Private Dinner Sponsorship Info – Download Link

Program Information: 

Date:
Wednesday, May 28, 2025
Reception:
6:00 – 6:30 PM
Dinner and Discussion:
6:30 – 8:00 PM
Location:
Charlotte City Club — Directions to the parking garage (set your GPS to 116 W. 4th Street, Charlotte, NC 28202)
Parking is validated
Cost: 
$125 (WACC Member Rate) | $155 (Non-Member Rate) — Limited to 24 people. 
Includes pre-dinner cocktails, salad, entrée, dessert, wine during dinner, and coffee service

For non-online payments, please call 704-687-7762 or mail your check to “World Affairs Council of Charlotte, 9201 University City Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28223.”

 

 

 

Biography: 

David Salvo — Managing Director, Alliance for Securing Democracy 
David Salvo is the managing director of the Alliance for Securing Democracy (ASD) at the German Marshall Fund. He is an expert in Russian affairs and foreign interference with experience analyzing Russia and other authoritarian countries’ toolkits to undermine democracy at home and abroad for more than 20 years. He joined ASD as a resident fellow in 2017 and his commentary on US-Russian relations, Russian foreign policy, and foreign interference has been featured on DW News, NPR, CNN, and more.

Before joining ASD, David served as a foreign service officer in the US Department of State, most recently as the deputy secretary of state’s policy advisor for Europe, Eurasia, and international security issues. He also advised senior-level negotiators on protracted conflicts in the South Caucasus, worked on US policy toward NATO and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and served abroad in Russia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. He speaks Russian and Serbo-Croatian and has a basic knowledge of French.

David holds an M.A. from Georgetown University’s Center for Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies and a B.A. in government and Russian from Georgetown University. He is an avid music lover and plays in several Washington, DC-area bands, including a tribute band to the rock band Phish.

Bret Schafer — Senior Fellow, Alliance for Securing Democracy 
Bret Schafer is a senior fellow for information manipulation issues at the Alliance for Securing Democracy (ASD) at the German Marshall Fund. He is an expert in digital and computational propaganda, state-backed information operations, and technology regulation. Bret is the creator and manager of ASD’s Hamilton 2.0 Dashboard, an online open-source tool that tracks the outputs of Russian, Chinese, and Iranian state media outlets, diplomats, and government officials. Bret has participated in conferences around the globe and advised numerous governments and international organizations. His research has been cited in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post and he has appeared on CNN, NBC News, MSNBC, and more.

Before joining ASD, Bret spent more than ten years in the television and film industry, including in roles at Cartoon Network and Warner Brothers. He also worked in Budapest, Hungary as a radio host and in Berlin, Germany as a semi-professional baseball player in Germany’s Bundesliga.

Bret holds a M.A. in public diplomacy from the University of Southern California and a B.A. in communications with a major in radio, television, and film from Northwestern University.

Krystyna Sikora—Research Assistant, Alliance for Securing Democracy 
Krystyna (Krysia) Sikora is a researcher at the Alliance for Securing Democracy (ASD) at the German Marshall Fund. Her research has focused on information manipulation, Polish affairs, and election security in the United States. Her writing has been published in the EU Observer, Euractiv, the Fulcrum, and more. Before joining ASD, Krysia played professional soccer in Poland for two years.

Krysia holds an M.A. from Georgetown University’s Center for Eurasian, Russian, and East European Studies, where she focused on right-wing populism, information manipulation, and democratic decline in Central and Eastern Europe, and a B.A. in political science and a certificate in policy journalism and media studies from Duke University.