Our Leadership

Adam is a serial startup executive and entrepreneur who has built a wide range of highly successful software companies during the last 25 years. He is currently the CEO of PathCheck Foundation, an MIT spin out building digital pandemic response solutions.

Adam has helped to build seven technology companies including two that went public. He’s worked across a wide range of sectors including application development, online video, genomics, big data, AI, crypto, and fintech. He’s also worked in venture capital and is an active angel investor.

Lesly is a philanthropist who was born in Seattle, Washington and grew up in Manila, Philippines. As owner, founder and buyer of an import business in the 1970’s, she sourced Bedouin garments and Egyptian
antiquities from Lebanon, Syria, and Egypt.

Lesly holds a BA in psychology from the University of Colorado which she applied as a ski instructor, teaching for sixteen years in Aspen, Colorado. She was a principal in programs integrating concepts from the martial arts and fear management. She now lives in Israel and supports Search for Common Ground programs by promoting cross-border peacebuilding.

Kathleen is a Distinguished Scholar at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy and a co-Director of CUNY’s Center for Immigrant, Refugee and Global Health Policy.  Dr. Cravero is also a Professor of the Practice at the University of Bridgeport School of Public and International Policy. In addition, she serves as an independent consultant on ending violence against children. Earlier in her career, Dr. Cravero worked for many years in international development and philanthropy.  She served as President of Oak Foundation for ten years, stepping down in February 2019. In this capacity she supported the

Trustees of Oak Foundation to address issues of global, social and environmental concern, particularly those that have a major impact on the lives of the disadvantaged. She also provided leadership and guidance to Oak staff in each of the Oak’s six substantive programmes, including the Environment, Child Abuse, Housing & Homelessness, International Human Rights, Issues Affecting Women and Learning Differences.

Prior to her tenure at Oak Foundation, Dr. Cravero worked for over two decades on a range of international development issues, from newly emerging democracies to conflict and emergency situations. Dr. Cravero also worked in several posts of increasing responsibility with UNAIDS, UNICEF, UNDP and WHO. Her last three assignments with the United Nations included Director of the Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery with the United Nations Development Programme (Feb 2005 – Jan 2009), Deputy Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (from March 2000 to March 2005) and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Burundi (from September 1997 to January 2000).

Advancing gender equality and ending violence against children are long-standing concerns for Dr. Cravero. At UNDP, she chaired the Steering Committee of UN Action: Ending Sexual Violence against Women in Crisis and Recovery Settings, which united the work of 12 UN entities with the goal of ending sexual violence in conflict. From 2005 to 2008, she chaired the Leadership Council of the Global Coalition on Women and AIDS, a group of prominent personalities who raised visibility of the impact of HIV/AIDS on women and girls. Dr. Cravero was also the founding Chair of the Executive Committee of the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children from 2016 to 2018. She now serves as a consultant and adviser on strategies to end violence against children.

Earlier in her career, Ms Cravero served as UN Resident Coordinator/Humanitarian Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Burundi (1998-2000); UNICEF Representative in Uganda (1994-1998); External Relations Officer of the World Health Organization Global Programme on AIDS (1992-1994); UNICEF Senior Health Advisor (1988-1992); and UNICEF Programme Coordinator in Chad (1985-1988).

Dr Cravero holds a Ph.D. in Political Science (Fordham University), and a Masters in Public Health (Columbia University). She is currently a Professor of Practice at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut (USA) and an independent consultant on global development and philanthropy.

Abigail Disney is a member of Search for Common Ground’s Board of Directors, a filmmaker, and philanthropist. Her longtime passion for women’s issues and peacebuilding culminated in her first film Pray the Devil Back to Hell. Abigail created the groundbreaking PBS mini-series Women, War & Peace, the most comprehensive global media initiative ever mounted on the role of women in peace and conflict. She has played a role in many film projects and is currently at work on a film highlighting the key role of women in the Arab Awakening. She founded the Daphne Foundation, Peace is Loud and co-founded, along with 2011 Nobel Peace Prize winner Leymah Gbowee, the Gbowee Peace Foundation USA.

Laurie is President of the Five Together Foundation, founded along with her siblings in 2005, to provide support to vulnerable populations. Based on the shared values of justice, equal opportunity and compassion, The Five Together Foundation supports initiatives in youth development, services to families in need, and the preservation of U.S. democracy.

Laurie currently serves in leadership roles for several non-profit organizations. She is the past Board Chair for the Agahozo-Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda, built as a response to the 1994 Rwandan Genocide against the Tutsi, replicated from villages built in Israel after the Holocaust, and is currently serving as Development Chair. She serves on the boards of JEVS Human Services as the Governance Chair and Board Chair-Elect, and OLAM. She also sits on the Board of Search for Common Ground and the Advancement Committee, as well at the New England International Donors (NEID) Racial Equity Committee. Laurie graduated from the University of Delaware (B.A. in English) and currently resides in Philadelphia.

Jeremy is the President of LeagueApps, a technology company that powers how sports is organized around the world. He is also a partner at [212]MEDIA, a NYC-based venture development firm that owns and operates a portfolio of digital media ventures, including LeagueApps, Saavn (Bollywood) Speakaboos (digital children’s content), and SnakBlox (social media analytics). Jeremy has years of experience in digital strategy and entrepreneurship, having begun his career as a technology strategy consultant at Mitchell Madison Group, served as the Founder and CEO of poliVOICE, a DC-based political technology company, and led the non-profit consulting firm Generate Insights.

Jeremy is also passionate about his causes. Besides his board service for Search for Common Ground, he has worked in various capacities for Obama for America and served as the Director of Development and now board member at Seeds of Peace, an international leadership organization that accelerates the social, economic and political changes essential for peace in the Middle East and South Asia. He is also on board of Reboot. Jeremy is an honors graduate of the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University where he co-founded the Georgetown Journal of International Affairs, and received a MIA at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs.

Sally spent most of her career in the Federal Reserve System, with broad strategic and operational leadership responsibilities at the System level and in the Boston and Richmond Reserve Districts. She
managed the national Check and Automated Clearinghouse payments businesses.

As the Richmond Reserve Bank’s first female Chief Operating Officer, she worked to create a culture of accountability, integrity, teamwork, and inclusion. At the Boston Reserve Bank, she held leadership positions in its payments systems, economic research and corporate support areas. She also worked for a consulting company, Abt Associates, on a mutli-year housing experiment that underpinned the federal government’s adoption of the Section 8 housing policy.

Lisa graduated from Lafayette College in 1984 with a BA in Psychology and earned a JD from Rutgers University Law School in 19889. Prior to entering law school, LIsa worked in the buyer training program at Macys. After graduating from Rutger’s Law, Lisa worked as an associate at Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hayes and Handler from 1989 to 1994, and then a partner at Morrison Cohen Singer and Weinstein in 1997, specializing in commercial real estate transactions.

After her second child was born, Lisa took a step back from the law to raise her three children. During that time, Lisa held many volunteer positions, including the Benefit Chair at the Rodeph Sholom School Auction. Lisa was responsible for the first Annual Benefit and Auction for the Ethical Culture Fieldston School and continued to be active in the Development office at the school for many years. In addition, Lisa was the head of the very active school PTA lower and upper school divisions as well as being a tour guide and head of the Sports Committee. During that time Lisa also served on the Board of Directors of Border Crossers, an organization dedicated to facilitating conversations about race in the classroom, and served on the Benefit Committee for PPNYC. Lisa has also served on the Parent Committees of the University of Pennsylvania and Northwestern University.

For the past three years, Lisa has managed a pop-up cashmere business which has grown from $300,000 in sales in its first year to over $1,000,000 in sales in its second and third years. Lisa and her husband, William Spiegel reside on the Upper Westside of New York City. They have three children: Jack, 25; Livia, 21; and Ryan, 17; and a dog named Jagger.

With LA flowing through his veins & armed with a bold message, Propaganda has assembled a body of work that challenges and guides. Propaganda’s ideas stem from where he sits at the intersection. He sees how cultures cross and inspire one another, and can see the oneness of us all. Propaganda will cause you to nod your head, but more importantly, he will stretch your mind & heart.

After ten years of experience in management consulting and education, Elizabeth joined the New Profit team and now serves as a Senior Partner. She is responsible for leading New Profit’s work with a number of portfolio organizations, including Management Leadership for Tomorrow and LIFT.Before joining New Profit, Elizabeth was a consultant at Monitor Group working with both corporate and nonprofit clients on issues of strategy and organizational development. During this time, she had the opportunity to work closely with New Profit and its portfolio organizations, including Citizen Schools.

Previously, Elizabeth worked as a consultant at Arthur D. Little Inc., evaluating market opportunities and developing strategies for companies in all fields of environmental business. In the field of education, Elizabeth has taught and worked on educational development projects in the U.S., Latin America, and Africa. She worked with Educational Development Center in Guinea, West Africa on a project to improve the elementary school system nationwide by providing teacher training, radiobased education programs, and new curriculum and classroom resources. In Ecuador, Elizabeth taught at a state university, training Ministry of Tourism officials as part of a program to expand tourism, and offering English classes for the community adult education program.

Elizabeth graduated from Georgetown University with a B.S. in Foreign Service and holds a Master in Business Administration from Columbia Business School. She is fluent in French and proficient in Spanish and Italian.

Sandra Djuvara Melone is the Chairwoman of the Board of Directors for Search for Common Ground ASBL/VZW and has worked with Search for Common Ground since 1995. Sandra served as Search for Common Ground’s Executive Vice President for 12 years, prior to which, she founded Search for Common Ground Belgium ASBL/VZW, where she served as Executive Director for 8 years, and founded the Women’s Peace Centre in Burundi, where she was based for 2 years during the civil war. Sandra is a founding member of the European Platform for Conflict Prevention and Transformation (EPCPT), of the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EPLO), and of the Child Soldiers Initiative (CSI), and served on their Steering Committees. She also served on the Board of the International Federation of Associations in Belgium (FAIB) and as the Vice-Chair of the Board of Directors of the Alliance for Peacebuilding (AfP). Before dedicating her career to conflict transformation, Sandra worked in human rights advocacy with Amnesty International, and in international education. She has given numerous presentations and led workshops and trainings in conflict resolution, mediation, negotiation, consensus-building, team-building, facilitation, cross-cultural communication, fundraising, gender, and NGO management. She has appeared on CNN, BBC, the VOA and other media, and her articles have been published in a variety of international outlets. She has written about the role NGOs can play in Track II diplomacy and reconciliation; the complementarities of governmental, non-governmental, intergovernmental and private sector initiatives; and civil-military cooperation. Sandra studied at the University of Chicago and Ludwig-Maximilian Universitat in Munich. She speaks English, French, German and Romanian, and has worked across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. She is the Founder and President of the Neagu Djuvara Cultural Association, a Founding Member of Elles du Sahel, and the CEO & Founder of Zancora Consulting.

Shamil Idriss is the Chief Executive Officer of Search for Common Ground, the world’s largest dedicated peacebuilding organization. In his current capacity as CEO, and in his previous capacities as President, Chief Operating Officer, and Burundi Country Director, Shamil has led Search’s efforts to end violent conflict in more than 35 countries globally, including some of the most devastating conflict zones in the Middle East and Africa.

Shamil was appointed in 2005 by United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Kofi Annan as Deputy Director of the UN Alliance of Civilizations. In this role, he supported high-level political and religious leaders in developing policy recommendations and action plans to improve cross-cultural relations between Western and Muslim-majority countries, before, during, and after the Arab Spring revolutions. During his tenure at the UN, he worked closely with policymakers from the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa in conceiving and implementing conflict prevention projects and increasing cross-cultural understanding.

From 2004-2005, Shamil worked with the World Economic Forum to establish the Forum’s Council of 100 Leaders, conceiving and leading the Council’s “Action Track” to identify and attract support for innovative high-impact programs.

Shamil is also a pioneer in the use of interactive media technologies for cross-cultural education and collaboration. In 2008-2014, as the CEO of Soliya, he led a coalition to create a market for virtual exchange through partnerships with public and private sector leaders across the United States, the Arab League, and the European Union. This led to the establishment of the J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative announced by President Barack Obama in February 2015, and the subsequent announcement by the European Commission of their dedicated fund to expand virtual exchange in 2017.

A graduate of Swarthmore College with degrees in Economics and Philosophy, Shamil has authored several op-eds, papers, and articles on conflict transformation and peacebuilding for print and online publications around the world. He has also delivered numerous presentations, media appearances, lectures, and keynote addresses on international conflict resolution, media and social change, Islam and West-Muslim World relations, and social entrepreneurship. Most recently, he delivered a TEDx presentation on “Truths About Violent Conflict” and a lecture on “Conflict is Inevitable, Violence is Not” at Pacific Lutheran University as part of the Ambassador Chris Stevens Memorial Lecture Series. He also delivered a feature speech on “The Search for Belonging through Violent Extremist Networks” at the 2016 Global Philanthropy Conference.

Ingrid is Founder and Chair of Partnership for Change and the PfC Social Innovation Fund and is leading the effort to foster a greater culture of philanthropy and corporate social responsibility in Norway. She serves on the board of directors of a number of organizations promoting social innovation, developing sustainable business in challenged countries, and meeting climate challenges. She serves on the advisory board of the Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights, the Sahara Forest Project and Ashoka Norway. She is associate fellow at the World Academy of Art and Science and she is a board member of Queen Sonja’s International music competition.

She holds an MsC from the Norwegian School of Economics and an MBA from UC Berkeley. She has focused on social business and venture philanthropy for the past 25 years, introducing the Montessori School system in Norway and establishing several foundations focusing on dignity for challenged children and youth. She also serves on the board of several private and state owned companies, and as deputy chair of the leading think tank in Norway, Civita.

Mark Chandler is a Lecturer in Law at Stanford Law School, co-leading the Filing Fairness Project aimed at simplifying court processes to increase access to justice in the US. From 2001-2021 Mark served as chief legal officer and chief compliance officer of Cisco Systems. He was responsible for the company’s international engagements with security and privacy laws and regulations, and has worked with governments on the development of appropriate network security and access requirements, negotiation of global supply chain security arrangements, and Cisco’s international human rights engagements. He was also Cisco’s executive sponsor for Germany. Prior to becoming chief legal officer, he directed the company’s legal affairs in Europe, Middle East and Africa, based in Paris, and previously lived in Germany as a fellow of the Robert Bosch Foundation. He was chief legal officer at Stratacom, Inc. from 1994-1996, and chief legal officer at Maxtor Corporation, a Fortune 500 manufacturer of computer disk drives, from 1988-1994.

Mark is a member of the board of directors of Paladin, PBC, and a trustee of the Belmont Hill School, Belmont, Massachusetts. He is a senior fellow at Georgetown Law School Center on National Security, a visiting senior fellow of the German Marshall Fund of the US, and a nonresident scholar in the Carnegie Endowment’s Technology and International Affairs Program. In 2013, American Lawyer numbered him among the Top 50 Big Law Innovators of the Last 50 Years and in 2018, he received the Burton Legends in Law Award. He is a graduate of Harvard College and Stanford Law School.

Shamil Idriss is the Chief Executive Officer of Search for Common Ground, the world’s largest dedicated peacebuilding organization. In his current capacity as CEO, and in his previous capacities as President, Chief Operating Officer, and Burundi Country Director, Shamil has led Search’s efforts to end violent conflict in more than 35 countries globally, including some of the most devastating conflict zones in the Middle East and Africa.

Shamil was appointed in 2005 by United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Kofi Annan as Deputy Director of the UN Alliance of Civilizations. In this role, he supported high-level political and religious leaders in developing policy recommendations and action plans to improve cross-cultural relations between Western and Muslim-majority countries, before, during, and after the Arab Spring revolutions. During his tenure at the UN, he worked closely with policymakers from the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa in conceiving and implementing conflict prevention projects and increasing cross-cultural understanding.

From 2004-2005, Shamil worked with the World Economic Forum to establish the Forum’s Council of 100 Leaders, conceiving and leading the Council’s “Action Track” to identify and attract support for innovative high-impact programs.

Shamil is also a pioneer in the use of interactive media technologies for cross-cultural education and collaboration. In 2008-2014, as the CEO of Soliya, he led a coalition to create a market for virtual exchange through partnerships with public and private sector leaders across the United States, the Arab League, and the European Union. This led to the establishment of the J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative announced by President Barack Obama in February 2015, and the subsequent announcement by the European Commission of their dedicated fund to expand virtual exchange in 2017.

A graduate of Swarthmore College with degrees in Economics and Philosophy, Shamil has authored several op-eds, papers, and articles on conflict transformation and peacebuilding for print and online publications around the world. He has also delivered numerous presentations, media appearances, lectures, and keynote addresses on international conflict resolution, media and social change, Islam and West-Muslim World relations, and social entrepreneurship. Most recently, he delivered a TEDx presentation on “Truths About Violent Conflict” and a lecture on “Conflict is Inevitable, Violence is Not” at Pacific Lutheran University as part of the Ambassador Chris Stevens Memorial Lecture Series. He also delivered a feature speech on “The Search for Belonging through Violent Extremist Networks” at the 2016 Global Philanthropy Conference.

Mathieu Maes, a Korean adoptee raised in France and Belgium, has dedicated over a decade to heading the Brussels chapter of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), known since 1919 as « The Merchants of Peace ». With six years of experience on the Board of Directors of Transparency International Belgium, Mathieu continues to support non-profits and enterprises across various policy areas, including business integrity, sustainability, and innovation management. He currently works as a Policy Advisor at Daldewolf Law Firm, where he harmonizes the mission and values of the firm with its operational endeavours, both in Brussels (Belgium) and Kinshasa (Congo)

Fabienne Hara currently serves as Deputy Director General of the Paris Peace Forum, an organization focusing on improving global governance of global commons and global public goods.

With 25 years of professional experience, including 10 years in African conflict zones, she is an expert in conflict prevention, management and resolution, African affairs, and global governance. From 2008 to 2014, she held the position of Vice-President for Multilateral Affairs and Director of the New York Office at the International Crisis Group after founding and directing the organization’s Africa program from 1998 to 2004. She also served at the UN at the UN Headquarters and as Acting Political Director at the United Nations Mission in Sudan, where she supported the implementation of the North-South Comprehensive Peace Agreement and the process leading to the establishment of a peacekeeping mission in Darfur. In 2014 and 2015, she played a key role in establishing the Dakar International Forum on Peace and Security in Africa, organizing its first two editions in coordination with the French government.

She has also held senior positions and coordinated special initiatives at the Open Society Foundations, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, The Elders, and the Council on Foreign Relations.

Additionally, she taught at Columbia University, Sciences Po Paris and Panthéon-Sorbonne for over a decade and has authored over 60 publications.

Patrick De Wolf is Managing Partner at DALDEWOLF, one of Belgium’s leading law firms. He is an expert in corporate law, dealing with arbitration matters at national and international levels, serving both as an arbitrator and as an attorney. A member of the Brussels Bar since 1986, Mr. De Wolf was one of the founding partners of De Wolf & Partners, an independent Belgian law firm, of which he was the Managing Partner from 2000 to 2010. He has significant experience in working with foreign investors in Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the wider region. He is a lecturer at the Catholic University of Louvain-La-Neuve, where he teaches corporate law and the principles of commercial law. He is member of the Brussels Bar Council, of the Crides Centre Jean Renauld (UCL), of CEPANI (Belgian Center for Arbitration and Mediation); he chairs the Belgian OHADA Club (Organization for the Harmonization of Business Law in Africa) and the Fonds Scientifique Jean Bastin. He is Director of the Chamber of Commerce ACP/CBL. He is the author of numerous articles and is regularly invited to a wide range of seminars and conferences as a speaker. Patrick served as Chairman of Search for Common Ground ASBL/VZW’s Board of Directors for 20 years, until he stepped down in 2018.

Dillon St. Bernard is a narrative change strategist, digital communications consultant, and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree.

Dillon founded Amplify Pledge, a network of creative changemakers, influencers, and brands, who make social impact impossible to ignore. Amplify Pledge houses efforts such as Young People Address the Nation, the Webby Award-winning series that is home to the historic annual “Youth Response to the State of the Union.”

Dillon founded Team DSB, a creative collective supporting the digital communications and cultural strategy needs of purpose-driven brands, organizations, and creators who ignite movements. Since launching in 2021, Team DSB has worked with over 30 purpose-driven brands and organizations. With most of the work being focused on elevating civic engagement and climate justice, Dillon and Team DSB have mobilized over 1.5 million people to take action.

Dillon led digital communications strategy for movements that have organized over one million people in the streets and garnered billions of impressions. These efforts include the historic September 20, 2019 US Climate Strikes, March On for Voting Rights, Earth Day Live, and #VoteWithUs.

The journey that started for him as a 13-year-old content creator has led him to develop his superpower: helping purpose-driven creatives, brands, and organizations effectively amplify stories that shift culture through high-impact creative campaigns.

Hilde Deman is the Executive Director of Search for Common Ground’s AISBL, responsible for all European engagement, partnerships, policy initiatives, and Europe-funded programs. She leads the Brussels headquarters, which houses Search for Common Ground’s Europe team of over 30 individuals. In her capacity as Executive Director, she provides strategic leadership, planning, and oversight of the organization’s teams, programs, and operations.

With expertise in conflict transformation and women’s rights, Hilde Deman has been affiliated with Search for Common Ground since 2014. She initially served as Search’s Country Director in Madagascar, followed by a tenure in Tunisia/Libya from 2017 to 2020, designing and leading programmes on security sector reform, preventing violent extremism, business sector engagement, large-scale media productions, and many others. Between 2020 and 2024, she directed Search’s global programmes portfolio, overseeing a diverse range of initiatives in areas including pandemic response, digital peacebuilding, religious engagement, Youth, Peace, and Security (YPS), Women, Peace, and Security (WPS), and mediation.

Prior to her engagement with Search for Common Ground, Ms. Deman held positions with OHCHR, UNFPA, Oxfam, and Pax Christi/Broederlijk Delen, working on gender/Gender-Based Violence (GBV), conflict resolution, and humanitarian response in Mongolia, the Great Lakes region, and Yemen. Originally from Belgium, she currently resides in Brussels with her family.

Hilary Pennington is an American philanthropist and the Executive Vice President of Ford Foundation, a position she has held since January 2018. Pennington is celebrated for leading the launch of the five-year, $5 billion BUILD initiative, which invested in the sustainability and capacity of 300 social justice organizations around the world. Previously, she was vice president for Ford Foundation’s programming on Education, Creativity, and Free Expression.

Before joining Ford Foundation, she was the Director of Education, postsecondary success, and special initiatives at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. She led the foundation’s effort to double by 2025 the number of low-income Americans who obtain a postsecondary credential by age 26.