Inside global black markets: Emmy-winning investigative journalist Mariana van Zeller

“An estimated 30-35% of the global economy are black and gray markets.”

That’s the world our next guest, Mariana van Zeller, has spent years investigating.

From online scam centers to black-market oil, the Peabody Award-winning journalist has built a career going where few reporters can.

"Trafficked" — her hit Nat Geo series — regularly breaks records at the Emmys.

In this conversation, we dive into:

00:00: Introduction

01:18: The "hidden third" of the global economy

02:15: Growing up in Portugal and the path to journalism

03:50: Fighting her way into Columbia University

05:56: Covering 9/11 and finding her calling

09:20: Reporting from Syria and entering the world of black markets

14:34: How "Trafficked" is made