Don Kilburg, Ph.D.
Psychologist. Diplomat. Strategist.
Don Kilburg, Ph.D.
I spent 21 years as a U.S. Foreign Service Officer — serving in Beijing, Mexico City, Almaty, Santo Domingo, Rome, and Washington. Before that, I was an infantry soldier, then a professor of psychology. I’ve directed press for presidents, briefed secretaries of state, contributed intelligence to the President’s Daily Brief, evacuated 25,000 Americans after a hurricane, and brought a platinum-selling rock band to China to fight piracy.
Today, I run Mind Leap Institute and write about what happens to human judgment, trust, and expertise when AI enters the picture. My book AI Use Cases for Diplomats (Routledge, 2025) was the first field guide for applying AI in foreign affairs. Three more are on the way.
“Don is one of the finest the Foreign Service has; focused, calm, grounded, and steady under pressure.”
— Dan Peck, Military Attaché, U.S. Embassy Beijing
A Career in Four Acts
Cognitive Strategist. Founder & CEO of Mind Leap Institute. Pioneered AI adoption across the U.S. diplomatic corps. Author of four books with Routledge. Now helping leaders and institutions navigate the human dimensions of the AI revolution.
Diplomat. 21 years in the U.S. Foreign Service. Six postings across four continents. Press attaché in Beijing, spokesperson for energy diplomacy, intelligence analyst whose research reached the White House.
Scholar. Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from DePaul University. Japanese Government Monbusho Fellow. Professor at Eastern Washington University. Published in English and Japanese.
Soldier. U.S. Army Infantry, 2/130th Infantry Division. Basic training at Fort Jackson, infantry school at Fort Benning, disaster deployment for the Mississippi Flood of 1993.
Books
AI Use Cases in Consular Affairs
Available for Pre-order — Routledge, 2026
AI Use Cases for Public Diplomacy
Forthcoming — Routledge, 2026
Mind Leap: How to Think, Feel, and Flourish in the Age of AI
Forthcoming — Routledge, 2026
“He’s a very creative kind of diplomat, having a psychology background. He has an instinct and sensibility that many of his peers lack, and he’s not afraid to take calculated risks to generate core engagement and authentic communication.”
Dr. Chris Stout
LinkedIn Top Voice, Best-Selling Author, APA Psychologist
“Don is probably the only Foreign Service Officer I have met who understands the importance and significance of research design and data collection, including sampling techniques and statistical analysis.”
Matthew Warshaw
CEO, D3: Designs, Data, Decisions
Speaking & Media
Keynotes and panels on the psychology of AI adoption, cognitive governance, strategic communication, diplomacy in the age of technology, and the human dimensions of institutional change. Recent appearances include The AI Summit London and the Public Diplomacy Council of America.
Latest Writing
Every AI Interaction Is a Neural Training Event
April 14, 2026
Cognitive Civic Studies in the AI Age
March 26, 2026
A Unified Theory of the Cognitive Industrial Revolution
March 23, 2026
Get In Touch
Keynotes, consulting, research collaboration, or just a conversation.
Based in Madrid — available worldwide.