Meet California’s second gentleman and his vision for the state

Markos Kounalakis believes that the future is being shaped in California, the state where his wife Eleni Kounalakis serves as lieutenant governor. As California’s first-ever “Second Gentleman” and a visiting fellow at the Hoover Institution, he wants the Golden State to operate as a geopolitical force.

Born to Greek refugees who fled the country after the Nazi occupation, Kounalakis grew up in a working-class household in San Francisco. His father Antonio fought in the anti-Nazi resistance, delivering key intelligence throughout Crete. To make ends meet in the United States, Antonio worked as a bus mechanic and driver before eventually owning his own construction truck while his mother Vasiliki supported the family by working night shifts at Bank of America.

Attending college was transformative for Kounalakis. “In my extended family, the highest education that had existed before I went to college was my mom having a high school diploma. It wasn’t anticipated or even expected that I would go to college,” he said.

He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1978 with a degree in political science, attending university through the Educational Opportunity Program, which provides support and guidance for first-generation, low-income and underrepresented students. 

“Everybody around me seemed to know everything, always had smart questions and had read more than I have. I felt as if I did not belong,” he said.

Kounalakis has a love for learning and inquiry, evident in his continuous pursuit of higher education. He earned a master’s degree in journalism from Columbia University in 1988 and a Ph.D. in international relations from Central European University in Vienna in 2016. Over the years, he has held fellowships at several institutions, including El Colegio de México and the Hoover Institution.

Journalism remained central to his career. Kounalakis served as a foreign affairs correspondent in Austria, Italy and the Soviet Union. He covered major sociopolitical events of the late 20th century, including the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia and the fall of the Berlin Wall. He was also present at the meeting where the Warsaw Pact was dissolved.

“Markos is a humanist at heart. He was all about covering these events with empathy and ensuring that he provided a fresh perspective on the political shifts taking place,” said Peter Laufer, a fellow journalist he worked alongside during the events of 1989 in Europe.

Through his career in journalism, he cultivated a deep understanding of foreign affairs and a strong grasp of international sociopolitical interests, policies and experiences. “All too often, we mirror our own culture and base our analysis on that limited window without recognizing, appreciating or respecting other national interests,” Kounalakis said. “I try not to engage strictly with English-language media because that is what makes a difference if you are interested in geopolitical trends and foreign policies, not just America’s policies.”

“Markos believes strongly in promoting democratic values and institutions, integrity in government and the media and sharing his knowledge with the public in general and students in particular. His involvement with Hoover’s Center for Revitalizing American Institutions and his 2018 Hoover publication “Spin Wars & Spy Games: Global Media and Intelligence Gathering” exemplify these values and the range of his scholarship,” said David Berkey, a research fellow in classics and military history at the Hoover Institution. 

Despite living in several countries and immersing himself in diverse cultures, Kounalakis remains rooted in California. He is grateful for the opportunities the state has afforded him and his family.

“It was by accident, good fortune, good people who helped me along the way and being lucky enough to be born in the United States and in California at a time of enormous growth and opportunity. I was able to take advantage of the resources available to me with help from others who saw my potential,” he said.

Today, he supports his wife as she fulfills her responsibilities as the second-highest-ranking executive in California. She is the first woman and American of Greek descent to be elected lieutenant governor. 

“My parents having come here as refugees likely meant I was brought up as an outsider, even within my own culture. I don’t think it is safe to say I am an outsider anymore. I am now perhaps considered one of the ultimate insiders,” Kounalakis said. He hopes California continues to provide opportunities for hard-working immigrants and their children to prosper.

“Markos and I are each other’s primary thought partners, and I think that’s what makes our relationship so, so wonderful,” Eleni Kounalakis said. “We have been able to balance that with a respectful thought partnership as well, and that deepens our relationship, of course, because we can participate in each other’s work without overstepping. I think it’s a delicate balance.” Eleni Kounalakis said. 

Last year, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that California had overtaken Japan to become the world’s fourth-largest economy, according to the International Monetary Fund. Kounalakis studies how California operates on the global stage, which inspired his concept of “Superpower California,” the course he teaches at Stanford. 

“The whole idea is: how does a state the size and scale of California operate in the global commons? What tools exist for subnational players — like California, Texas, Catalonia or Flanders and Wallonia — that have significant power but cannot exercise it in the traditional sense of a nation-state?” he said.

Kounalakis has an optimistic view of California’s role in shaping the future, asserting that California sets global standards in many areas. From automakers like Toyota and Hyundai redesigning vehicles to meet the state’s emissions standards to the regulation of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies, he notes how the state’s rules often have a global impact.

“Even though the financial power center may be in New York and political power is mostly concentrated in Washington, D.C., the future is based right in California. That gives Stanford, its professors and students an enormous competitive advantage,” he said. 

When he is not writing columns on geopolitical trends or teaching the next generation of leaders, Kounalakis rides his Ducati Monster Dark 750 motorcycle. “I simply enjoy the experience of riding and the freedom of being on two wheels,” he said.

His son, Neo Kounalakis ’24, noted how his dad’s love for adventure has always been present. “When we were much younger, he would take us on trips and engage us in experiences outside our comfort zone. I believe he is always eager to learn something new about himself and the world,” he said. “He has evolved so well with the times. I mean, he’s even a content creator despite being 69 years old.”

Neo also acknowledged that his father helped him learn the importance of asking good questions. According to him, this habit has strengthened his understanding and has made him a lifelong learner. Eleni Kounalakis also believes his curiosity has worn off on her. “Since I have known him, I don’t think he has ever been caught without a pen. He is always ready to take notes,” she said.

Kounalakis is living his Californian dream. He hopes the state continues to fulfill its ideals as a great place to live, dream and shape the future.

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