Iron Butterfly Podcast

Stories from the most powerful women you've never heard of. Eighty years ago, Eloise Page joined the Office of Strategic Services, trailblazing a path for what ultimately became the United States Intelligence Community. She rose the ranks from secretary to case officer, defying the norms of her time, and eventually became the first female Chief of Station at CIA. Along the way, Eloise earned the code name “Iron Butterfly.” Our podcast continues her legacy, bringing stories from women spies from dark alleyways and into the light. These are the women who have shaped our world, and whose influence continues to ripple through time, space, and generations.

The Documentary Season

This season, we’re doing things differently, and going inside our first documentary feature film, The Power We Hold: Stories from Women Spies. We’re inviting you into deeper conversations with each woman from the film, reflecting on her life, family, career, and the unseen moments that shaped who she is today.

Meet The Women

  • Carmen Medina sitting at a table being interviewed.

    Carmen Medina

    CIA Deputy Director for Intelligence (Former)

     “I think one of the most important things that happened in the last just almost exactly 100 years ago was giving the women the vote. That was a huge change in society…”

  • Three women smiling and hugging outdoors on a balcony, wrapped in colorful blankets, with one woman seated and two standing behind her, all wearing hats and casual clothing.

    Hon Sue Gordon

    2nd Highest Ranking U.S. Intel Officer (Former)

    “So there's a perfection to life, like whether it's plants or animals or the relationship or an ecosystem or where fish swim in their various strata in the ocean or predator and prey, there's just a perfection to it. And it's all connected. And you see a piece. If you make the mistake of thinking about the piece as though it is all there is, you will miss not only its role, but the ripple effect of that as it goes…”

  • A woman with gray hair sitting on a light gray chair in a recording studio or interview set, with a large professional light overhead. Behind her is a white curtain, and various equipment and crew members are visible to the right.

    LTG Karen Gibson

    Director of Intelligence

    U.S. CENTCOM (Former)

    “I think it’s easy to dehumanize the government – to think of it as federal bureaucrats or faceless IRS clerks. We know that isn’t really true, that it is made up of men and women who are really doing their best for the nation every day.”

  • A woman sitting in a chair, smiling, wearing a black shirt with white text that reads "We are who we protect," and a necklace with a pendant, in front of a brick fireplace.

    Stephanie La Rue

    Intelligence Community Chief of DEIA (Former)

    “I will start by saying I am the daughter of immigrants. For those who know, that is a whole brand, it is a vibe. When your parents left everything they knew and loved, and came to a foreign country and sacrificed everything, that pushes you…”

  • A woman in a brown patterned blazer and blue dress sitting in a modern armchair during a filming or interview session inside a studio, with professional lighting and crew members working around her.

    Dawn Meyerriecks

    CIA Deputy Director for Science & Tech (Former) 

    “I used to wear our oath on my badge and I would pull out the oath and say, so let's look at the oath. We swore to uphold and protect the Constitution, not a party…”

  • A woman with long blonde hair sitting at a booth in a restaurant or bar, being recorded on a camera while having a conversation with a person to her right. The scene is lit with warm lighting, with a red patterned wall and a lamp in the background.

    Laura Thomas

    CIA Case Officer and Chief of Base (Former)

    “I see you. I feel you. I'm from a one stoplight town in the middle of nowhere and I found myself abroad doing things that some people can only dream about, but also things that I think really speak to the love and humanity that I think many of us feel for our fellow human beings… I think everyone has that power within them. You can start with your neighbor and then you can expand out as you desire, but start somewhere, go out and do good things.”

  • African American woman in green dress speaking at a conference, holding a microphone and notes, seated on a white chair with a blue background displaying the IAEA logo.

    J’Tia Hart

    Nuclear Engineer & Former Intelligence Briefer

    “I think that the more people you have and the more diversity of not only people, but they bring diversity of thought – I think your decisions get better, your decision making gets better. I think your perspectives get better.”

  • A woman in a black dress sitting in a gray chair during a video shoot or interview, with a camera operator kneeling nearby, surrounded by lighting equipment in a cozy, well-lit room with a wooden door and plants.

    Tish Long

    Director, National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (Former)

    “My leadership style evolved to just be more of myself – it’s okay to be emotive, to cry at work, to have pictures of the family. It’s okay to be yourself.”

  • A woman is speaking at a podium with the Seal of the U.S. Department of Justice, flanked by two men in suits. The setting is a formal room with an American flag and a Department of Justice flag in the background.

    Hon Ellen McCarthy

    Asst. Secretary of State for Intelligence (Former)

    “I remember – my first 20 years of my career, I remember sitting in rooms or sitting with groups of people where I would talk, and nobody would maintain eye contact with me. And I thought, well it’s because I’m not as smart. If I study more, if I work harder, they’ll start looking at me while I talk. It was only later on that I realized that wasn’t why they weren’t looking at me. It’s not that you weren’t as smart or weren’t as capable. It’s because you were a woman.”

  • A woman sitting on a beige armchair in a room with a wooden barn-style door, a lamp, a small table with a potted plant, and lighting equipment overhead, during a video or photo shoot.

    Chitra Sivanandam

    National Security Technologist 

    “I think that first generation immigrant philosophy is hey, we have to create the stickiness for our kids for the culture and values that they brought over. It totally shaped our thinking and changed the way we look at all the people we consider friends and family.”