Principals and Staff

Steve Clemons is chairman and CEO of Widehall. In addition to his leadership of Widehall, he is contributing editor at The National Interest and is Co-Chair of the European national security think tank GLOBSEC US Initiative.

Clemons has served as Editor at Large of The Hill, The Atlantic and Semafor as well as in senior editorial roles at National Journal and Quartz. He is also proprietor of the popular political blog, The Washington Note, and hosts the popular news show, The Bottom Line, on the global network of Al Jazeera English. Clemons previously served as Executive Vice President of the Economic Strategy Institute and the New America Foundation, and was founding Executive Director of the Center for the National Interest.

Richard is the author of The Paradox of Debt, which presents a new view of macroeconomics, The Case for a Debt Jubilee, a policy exploration of debt relief, An Illustrated Business History of the United States, the story of our nation’s business progress, A Brief History of Doom, a chronicle of major world financial crises, and The Next Economic Disaster, a book with a new approach for predicting and preventing financial crises.

Richard currently serves on the University of Pennsylvania Board of Trustees and the Penn Medicine Board of Trustees, and on a number of business boards. He serves as Chair of PSERS, Pennsylvania’s largest public pension fund, chair of the University of Pennsylvania Press, and chair of the Innovation Advisory Board of the Abramson Cancer Center. He also serves on the Governing Board of the Institute for New Economic Thinking and the board of the Fund for the School District of Philadelphia. He is the founder of the economic data service Tychos (tychosgroup.org), which specializes in analyzing private debt trends, and the email newsletter service Delanceyplace.com, which focuses on non-fiction literature.

He previously served Secretary of Banking and Securities for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. And as Chair of the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency. Richard served as managing partner of Gabriel Investments, an early stage venture capital company, co-founder, Chairman and CEO of Energy Plus, an electricity and natural gas supply company, and co-founder and CEO of two consumer credit card banks, First USA and Juniper Bank.

Niharika is a creative leader with expertise in live journalism events and high-profile thought leadership convenings. She crafts exceptional event experiences for stakeholders and possesses a keen understanding of the influential role that live events play in raising awareness, bridging gaps, and sparking collaboration.

Her passion for innovative, impactful, and inclusive storytelling has guided her to roles at prestigious U.S. and international media brands, including Bloomberg Television, The Atlantic, The Hill, and, more recently, at digital news platforms Semafor and The Messenger.

She has developed programs featuring the preeminent decision-makers of our time, such as world leaders, U.S. administration officials, members of Congress, CEOs, and other notable figures.

Niharika is an integral part of the Widehall team, contributing to the conceptualization and execution of industry-leading in-person and virtual gatherings with the goal of driving impact, engagement, and purpose.

Meredith elevates the thought leadership of her partners through meaningful collaborations. She works closely to understand the goals and challenges many partners face in Washington, D.C. and finds opportunities to raise awareness and build key relationships. 

Kara King is a storyteller by nature. Her varied background in media and the nonprofit world has allowed her to constantly enhance the voices of others and ensure important stories are being told.

Most recently at The Hill, Kara booked and produced editorial events, hosting high-ranking government officials, CEOs, and advocacy icons, and shaping the discussion on a range of issues from health care to environmental policy. Her expertise in events content allows her to hone in on powerful storylines and help build consensus around complex policy, all while putting diversity first in every program.