Carlos Files w/ Valarie Jarrett

Only a select few have earned a spot in President Barack Obama’s inner circle, and even among those elites, Valerie Jarrett is in a class unto herself. As POTUS himself once put it, “She combines the closeness of a family member with the savvy and objectivity of a professional businesswoman and public-policy expert.”  

As senior advisor to the president, Jarrett has a vast portfolio, ranging from climate change policy to campaigns against sexual assault and working with the business community to raise the minimum wage. But it’s that unofficial role of “big sister-in-chief” that really puts Jarrett at the center of everything. A friend and confidante for more than two decades, Jarrett regularly dines and vacations with the Obamas and was a mentor to both the president and the first lady when they were young law school grads trying to establish themselves professionally in Chicago.

Last week, OZY welcomed Valerie Jarrett to curate the Presidential Daily Brief; we also had a chance to sit down in her White House office to chat. Unsurprisingly, she was fired up about getting people enrolled for Obamacare before the end-of-year deadline, but she was also pretty effusive about what makes her happiest outside the West Wing. (Hint: Both TV’s most prolific producer and dessert were mentioned.)

Edited by Matthew Reyes