Soula Parassidis has appeared at leading opera and concert venues worldwide, including Berlin Philharmonie, Teatro Massimo Palermo, Prague Rudolfinum, Oper Leipzig, Festival Aix-en-Provence, Theater an der Wien, Opéra Nationale de Bordeaux, Guangzhou Opera, Taipei Symphony, and many others.

A passionate advocate for the operatic art form and the singers who inhabit the stage, in 2019 Soula founded the online platform Living Opera. Living Opera is a community initiative spanning 4 continents that strives to inform, equip, and empower singers about the realities of the business of opera. Living Opera has worked with various organizations including Medici TV (Paris), Reload Greece (London), Florida State University, Houston Grand Opera Studio, and Northland, Orlando.

Soula Parassidis

Phaedrus Engineering

Executive leader who spearheads cutting-edge initiatives such as threatcasting, strategic foresight, concept development, architecture, transition and sustainment, and scenario planning to position the firm at the forefront of global business and national security challenges. Leveraging over two decades of experience in the national security, intelligence, and global strategy arenas, I lead a multidisciplinary team focused on developing forward-looking strategies that enable our clients to navigate complex geopolitical landscapes and emerging threats. My work bridges the gap between technological innovation, policy development, and strategic foresight, ensuring that Phaedrus Engineering remains a trusted partner to governments, businesses, and organizations worldwide.
Key Responsibilities:
Strategic Leadership: Direct and manage the firm's strategic initiatives, aligning our vision with Phaedrus Engineering's goals to anticipate future trends, challenges, and opportunities across industries.
Innovation Initiatives: Lead innovative projects such as threatcasting, a unique foresight methodology to identify potential threats and opportunities, enabling clients to strategically prepare and adapt in an increasingly volatile world.
Thought Leadership: develop and deliver insights on geopolitical risk, intelligence, and strategy to guide decision-makers. Contribute to the firm’s public profile through keynote speaking engagements, publications, and media appearances.
Client Engagement: Partner with international clients, including government agencies, multinational corporations, and NGOs, to provide actionable foresight and intelligence solutions that drive success and resilience.
Global Business Development: Oversee strategic initiatives aimed at expanding Phaedrus Engineering’s global footprint and influence, leveraging deep expertise in intelligence, defense, and foreign policy to deliver unmatched value.

Executive Director, Global Foresight and Strategy 

Atlantic Council

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

McColm & Company

As the principal course instructor for the South Caucasus Regional Overview at the Foreign Service Institute, Dr. Jake Sotiriadis provides critical training and strategic insights to U.S. diplomats, defense officials, and interagency partners preparing for assignments in one of the world’s most volatile and geopolitically complex regions. He develops and leads innovative programs that combine in-depth geopolitical analysis, cultural intelligence, and practical expertise to help participants understand and navigate the unique challenges of the South Caucasus (Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia). 

Drawing on his extensive network of regional experts, policymakers, and thought leaders, Dr. Sotiriadis delivers immersive and impactful learning experiences that shape strategic thinking and enhance the effectiveness of U.S. foreign policy efforts. His approach incorporates advanced foresight techniques, such as scenario planning and threatcasting, enabling diplomats to anticipate emerging threats, manage regional tensions, and engage effectively on issues of geopolitics, energy security, and conflict resolution.

Through this role, Dr. Sotiriadis ensures that U.S. foreign service professionals are strategically prepared and well-positioned to address the complexities of the South Caucasus, strengthening America's diplomatic presence and policy impact in this critical region.

Course Instructor, US State Department Foreign Service Institute, South Caucasus Area Studies

National Intelligence University

Founded major Research Center for the Intelligence Community’s flagship university to facilitate analysis at the nexus of geopolitical futures, disruptive technology, and strategic foresight. Director of $3M intelligence collaboration laboratory integrating data science, drone/UAV initiatives, geopolitical analysis. Spearheaded academic diplomacy with major NATO ally—assisted Prime Minister’s Office in creating strategic foresight capability, led futures intelligence summit and authored groundbreaking report, “The Future of European Security in the Wake of the Ukraine Crisis.”  Teaches core academic course, "Analyzing the Global Strategic Environment," as well as "Strategic Intelligence Warning" course. Air Force Senior Service Advisor representing service equities for over 130 bachelor's and master's degree students. 
 
NIU is the Nation's premier academic institution for the study of intelligence. It is the sole university in the Nation at which students and faculty can teach, study, and research in the classified realm. The NIU faculty includes 18 Agency chairs from across the Intelligence Community (IC) and the student body is competitively selected from the top-tier personnel of all US military services, the 18 IC agencies, Congressional staffs, and other government agencies.

Director, The Center for Futures Intelligence I Director, Ops & Engagement, NIU iRES Laboratory

United States Air Force

Intelligence Officer

Department of the Air Force’s senior futurist—created futures intelligence capability and led integration of foresight-based analysis for 12 cross functional teams and a 300+ member organization. Advised AF Secretary, Chief, Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff on cutting-edge foresight methods. Forged scientific and technological investment priorities for $300M programmatic investment cycle. Built international coalition during COVID-19 pandemic and authored the “Global Futures Report,” a major defense publication that assisted senior defense leaders in navigating the global disruption. Drove major public/private sector initiative to create first-ever virtual reality futures report for senior defense leadership. First Air Force officer to use a volumetric capture/hologram to produce groundbreaking report that changed the way senior defense officials make decisions. Built coalition of tech sector/defense/media advocates to produce and promote extended reality in national security.

Chief, Strategic Foresight and Futures Branch

Futures and Concepts Strategist 

Pacific Forum

Pacific Forum is a non-profit, foreign policy research institute based in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Young Leaders Program 

China-US Focus

China-US Focus provides exclusive commentaries on China-US relations from politics, economics, trade, military and security, environment and culture.

Content Contributor/Author

University of Hawaii at Manoa

I was selected for an Air Force-sponsored doctoral program in political science at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.  Additionally, I was a research associate at the Hawaii Research Center for Futures Studies, one of the only dedicated intellectual centers for futures studies worldwide.  

My dissertation research focused on the nature and function of ideology in contemporary geopolitics. I developed a theory of power fit to replace understandings of soft power that are too dependent on a kind of normative consensus about the rules of the game.  My research offers a new guide book for the more-subtle and diverse power games that will predominate in the aftermath of the rules based international order.  In addition to the original theoretical framework offered by the dissertation, the case studies on Russia, China, and Turkey offer a frightening and important first look into the philosophical systems being developed and disseminated as challenges to liberal thought as well as the liberal order. 

The dissertation makes a compelling case that dismissing these developing ideological networks as merely internal politics or nation building will severely undermine our ability to understand and predict the behavior and aims of competitor states in the 21st century.

Doctoral Candidate

Atlantic Initiative

Atlantic Expedition is a project aimed at empowering a younger and more diverse generation of leaders in transatlantic relations. The project is run by Atlantische Initiative, a Berlin based, non-profit, non-partisan NGO.

Transatlantic Fellow

US Embassy Berlin

Selected as first-ever Air Force political advisor fellow in US Embassy Berlin’s political section. Served as subject matter expert in German political/military affairs. Authored analytic reporting cables and organized embassy-wide engagements for Congressional Foreign Affairs Committee. Principal assistant to US Ambassador during 2015 G-7 Foreign Ministerial meetings in Lübeck—facilitated sessions with counterparts from UK, France, Italy, Japan, Canada, and EU Commissioner for Foreign Affairs.

Political Advisor Fellow 

Jake Sotiriadis is a leading global authority in strategic foresight, geopolitics, national security, and tech futures, with a distinguished career advising prime ministers, generals, diplomats, and CEOs. An industry leader and Executive Director of Global Foresight and Strategy at Phaedrus Engineering, Jake helps his clients navigate complex global challenges and capitalize on emerging trends. In addition to his industry role, Jake is a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Scowcroft Geostrategy Initiative and a foreign policy advisor on contract to the U.S. State Department, where he trains U.S. diplomats to navigate the complexities of global geopolitics. 

𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬, 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐭: 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠@𝐣𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐬.𝐜𝐨𝐦 
𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐤𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬, 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐊𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐭: 𝐡𝐭𝐭𝐩𝐬://𝐰𝐰𝐰.𝐤𝐞𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐫.𝐢𝐨/𝐣𝐚𝐤𝐞-𝐬𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐬

For over two decades, Jake has led innovation initiatives across the Intelligence Community and the Defense Department. His keynote speeches deliver cutting-edge insights on topics such as geopolitical shifts, artificial intelligence, tech integration, energy security, and strategic foresight, making him a sought-after speaker for corporations, government agencies, and international forums. He has presented to Fortune 500 companies, NATO, the U.S. State Department, foreign governments, and leading think tanks worldwide. 
  
Jake served as Founding Director of the Center for Futures Intelligence at the National Intelligence University, where he shaped the future of national security strategy. During his distinguished 21-year career as an Air Force intelligence officer, he founded the Air Force’s Strategic Foresight team at the Pentagon, driving a cultural transformation in strategic thinking.

Jake holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Hawaii, an MA from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, a Master of Philosophy in Military Strategy from the U.S. Air Force School of Advanced Air & Space Studies, a Master of Military Operational Art and Science from the Air Command and Staff College, and a BA in international studies from Norwich University.

His work has been featured in leading publications such as the Harvard Business Review, The Diplomat, The National Interest, The California Management Review, and China-US Focus. His upcoming book, "The Revenge of Ideology: How Ideas Shape the Global Order," is highly anticipated for release in Summer 2025.

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Jake Sotiriadis, Ph.D.

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