Jasmine at her home in London. Photo: Rich Hardcastle. 2023
Jasmine El-Gamal is a writer, speaker and mental health advocate. She is the founder and CEO of Mind/work Strategies, LTD, a boutique consulting firm specializing in workplace mental health and the creator and host of Mind/work show, a podcast dedicated to exploring mental health in the workplace, one story at a time.
Born in New York and raised in Egypt, Jasmine’s experiences in the aftermath of 9/11 compelled her to spend her career advancing a less militarized, more humane U.S. approach to the Middle East, first as a U.S. public servant and then as a writer, analyst and media commentator.
A national security expert and former Middle East advisor at the Pentagon, Jasmine has served throughout her 22-year career at various public and private-sector organizations covering issues related to security and international affairs, most recently at a London-based think tank, where she supported the CEO on all matters related to countering hate, extremism and polarization in her capacity as Special Assistant.
From 2015-2020, Jasmine was a Senior Fellow with the Middle East program at the Atlantic Council, where she focused primarily on U.S. policies in the Middle East and the Syria conflict. From 2008-2013, Jasmine served as a Middle East advisor in the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Middle East Policy. During her tenure, she covered issues related to Iraq, Syria, the Arab Spring and ISIS, among others, and served as the Acting Chief of Staff for the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Middle East Policy. From 2013-2015, she was a Special Assistant to three consecutive Under Secretaries of Defense for Policy. In 2003, Jasmine volunteered to serve as a translator and cultural advisor in Southern Iraq, where she assisted reconstruction missions in support of the local population.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Jasmine emerged as a vocal and passionate advocate for improving mental health in the workplace, frequently writing and speaking on the topic in public fora and to private audiences.
She founded Mind/work Strategies, LTD to help organizations assess, analyze and optimize mental health in their workplaces, with a focus on high-stress, high-stakes fields such as national security, the military, conflict journalism and crisis humanitarian assistance.
She also created Mind/work show (May 2023), a video and audio-format podcast dedicated to exploring mental health in the workplace through interviews with individuals from a range of careers and industries.
Jasmine’s commentary, and coverage of her work, has appeared in The Washington Post, USA Today, The Atlantic, Newsweek, Time Magazine, CNN, Al Jazeera, Al Hurra, L’Orient du Jour, Sawt al Azhar, Al Masry Al Youm. Le Figaro and other international outlets.
Jasmine lives in London with her husband and cat, Dora the Explorer (or, more accurately, dog in cat form).