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Julia Flynn Siler
with moderator Robert (Bob) Obana
Recorded July 14th, 2020
Julia Flynn Siler is a New York Times bestselling author and journalist whose latest book, The White Devil’s Daughters: The Women Who Fought Against Slavery in San Francisco’s Chinatown, was named an “Editors’ Choice” title by the New York Times. In recognition of the work, Julia has also been named a finalist in the non-fiction category for the 89th annual California Book Awards.
As a veteran correspondent for the Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek magazine, Julia spent more than two decades in Europe and the United States, reporting from a dozen countries. She has covered fields as varied as biotechnology, cult wines, puppy breeding, and a princess’s quest to restore a Hawaiian palace’s lost treasures. She has also appeared as a commentator on the BBC, CBS, CNBC, NPR, and has written for the New York Times, Washington Post, and the Los Angeles Times.
Bob Obana is the chief operating officer at Gladstone where he oversees all administrative and financial services. He has more than 30 years of experience in the administration of higher education and independent research organizations. He previously served as the executive director and chief executive officer at the Northern California Institute for Research and Education, and before that he served as assistant vice chancellor for budget and finance at UC San Francisco. He is a member of the Statewide Leadership Council for the Public Policy Institute of California and of the Bay Area Science and Innovation Consortium. Bob has a BA in environmental science from UC Berkeley and an MBA from Golden Gate University.
