Our Leadership

Her Majesty Queen Noor is an international public servant dedicated to cross-cultural understanding, conflict prevention and recovery, poverty alleviation, climate change and disarmament. Her work focuses on the Middle East, the Balkans, Central and Southeast Asia, Latin America and Africa.
Born to an Arab-American family distinguished for its public service, she received a degree in Architecture and Urban Planning from Princeton University prior to working on international urban planning and design projects in Australia, Iran, the United States and the Arab world. She married His Majesty King Hussein bin Talal of Jordan in 1978.
Throughout her life, Queen Noor has initiated and assumed leadership in many organizations that reflect her diverse commitments, including the Noor Al Hussein and King Hussein Foundations, the King Hussein Foundation International, Refugees International, the Alliance of Civilizations Media Fund, the International Commission on Missing Persons, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, Global Zero, United World Colleges, and Trust Women.
In recognition of her efforts to advance peace, development, and democracy, Queen Noor has been awarded numerous awards and honorary doctorates in international relations, law and the humanities. She has published two books, Hussein of Jordan (KHF Publishing, 2000) and Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life (Miramax Books, 2003), a New York Times #1 best seller published in 17 languages.

Marcel Arsenault, with his wife Cynda Collins Arsenault, is the co-founder of One Earth Future, the Arsenault Family Foundation, and the Secure World Foundation. Through these foundations, Marcel pursues his passion of promoting systems of governance which solve complex problems at the root of armed conflict. Marcel and Cynda have donated more than $100 million so far and have dedicated over 96% of their total wealth to support these foundations into the future.
Marcel brings an entrepreneurial and impact-focused drive to philanthropy based on his many years of expertise building successful businesses and navigating the complex real estate market. As founder of Real Capital Solutions, Marcel approaches the real estate business from an academic perspective, constantly reading and analyzing the ‘story behind the story’ of real estate cycles. Over the past 30 years, he has purchased and managed more than 350 real estate investments totaling approximately $3.0 billion, and successfully predicted the housing-led U.S. recession selling 80% of his portfolio at market peak. Marcel’s reputation for integrity, creative deal structuring, and decisive action makes him a true leader in real estate.
As Founder, Chairman, and CEO, Marcel passionately drives the One Earth Future Foundation, a peacebuilding foundation working to solve complex problems at the root of armed conflict. Through its unique culture of iterative learning and improvement, One Earth Future designs, tests, and partners to scale programs that help communities see problems in new ways and solve them collectively. Marcel’s vision is an Earth beyond war, achieved by new and effective systems of global governance & a focus on the long term.

Geir Aune is a businessman and entrepreneur. He has been CEO or executive chairman in publicly listed companies for more than 20 years, mainly within the oil service industry but also including Norwegian Cruise Line.
Most of the time this has been related to turning struggling companies around, including design and execution of capital market transactions. Aune has also been chairman and CEO of a few early stage technology companies.
Aune spent two years in Angola during the worst part of the civil war in the mid-eighties, as a young engineer working for Schlumberger. He is currently chairman of Rapid Oil, a small oil company he founded.
Aune studied Petroleum Engineering at the Norwegian Institute of Technology. He has also gone through military training and served as an artillery officer.
He is a Norwegian citizen now living in London and has previously lived 13 years in the USA

Carol is a physician, investor in bio-tech start-ups, innovative philanthropist, leadership training facilitator, and volunteer fundraising consultant. She is committed to improving the quality of life for women and children throughout the world, and pursues that goal through many avenues. She successfully pioneered Search’s Vision Investment Program, by pledging a percentage of her future profits from certain start-up investments, which paid out in four years. Carol enjoys adventure travel, including visiting Search’s programs.

At Visa, Eric leads the team that builds the skills and capabilities of leaders and employees at all levels across the world’s leader in payments. He previously led Learning for Citi’s global consumer bank, following a stint leading Leadership and Executive Development for Citigroup. Prior to Citi, Eric was a management consultant with Deloitte, focusing on culture transformation, talent management, and leadership development. From 2003 to 2005, he was Manager of the Kennedy School Negotiation Project at Harvard University, where he led training programs on negotiation and conflict management for senior executives and public leaders in Europe, Asia, North America, Latin America and the Middle East.
In addition to his role at Visa, Eric is Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University, where he teaches negotiation and mediation. Eric holds Master degrees in Public Administration and Theological Studies from Harvard University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Queen’s University in Canada.

Kimberly Chirls recently retired from a long career with Thomson Reuters as a Lead Project Manager for large, global technology projects. After years of nonprofit Board service and engagement in philanthropy, Kim started her own consulting practice to bring her project management and Board training to nonprofit organizations seeking guidance in Board development and governance best practices. Kim served as Finance Chair and Board Chair for the National Institute for Reproductive Health Action Fund. She also is on the Executive Committee of WellMet Philanthropy, a grant making network that provides catalyst grants to emerging nonprofits in NYC, and the President’s Leadership Council for Search for Common Ground, the largest NGO dedicated to peace building in areas of conflict around the globe. She is a member of the NationSwell Council, a community of service-minded leaders who convene to share and accelerate innovation, and to provide strategic guidance to innovators and community leaders. She is actively involved in Citizens’ Committee for Children of NY, including as a Class of 2021 graduate of their Community Leadership Course, as a member of their Advocacy Council and as a co-host on their 2021 Gala committee. Kim is also actively engaged in political fundraising as part of The New York Buddy Group, raising awareness and funds for Congressional and Senate candidates in swing districts.

Tom is a retired Ernst & Young audit partner with extensive experience working with businesses of all sizes, ranging from large multi-nationals to emerging growth companies and venture backed start-ups. During his 30 year career with EY, Tom served numerous Fortune 500 companies and enhanced his cross-border skills through a four year assignment in EY’s Tokyo Office. Tom has worked with clients as they navigated significant transactions, including initial and secondary public offerings, business acquisitions, dispositions and spin-offs, and complex accounting and financial reporting issues, such as revenue recognition, income taxes, and stock compensation. Since his retirement in 2015, Tom has spent much of his time training the next generation of accountants, serving as an adjunct faculty member at Chapman University and leading manager training programs for EY.

Tom is Co-Founder and past President of Pacific Consulting Group, a management and marketing research firm located in Palo Alto, CA. Along with co-founder Peter Webb, he developed PCG’s survey-based Net Impression® technology for identifying priority improvement drivers for business, government and nonprofit organizations. He is deeply involved in innovation and improvement projects, turning customer information into actionable initiatives that ultimately boost revenues or improve customer service. He has directed projects in the technology, financial services, construction, legal services, utility, professional services, communications, transportation, and construction industries. Public sector clients include such notable agencies as Bureau of the Census, Treasury, Federal Reserve, National Park Service, Social Security Administration, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, National Gallery of Art, Veterans Administration, and the USDA Forest Service. He has maintained a close relationship with Stanford’s Graduate School of Business, serving as a marketing instructor, President of the Alumni Association, and a student coach. Currently he is consultant and board member to several nonprofit organizations. Interests include increasing success among early-stage businesses that serve the poor and supporting progressive causes and political candidates.

Passionate about building social trust, including youth in public institutions, and open data, Aleksander (Aleks) Dardeli has spent over 25 years in global development. Aleks is currently the executive vice president at IREX, a global nonprofit. He leads IREX’s efforts to navigate market and geopolitical trends and successfully seize impact and business opportunities. He is also responsible for creating long-term value for IREX through innovation and partnerships and maximizing impact through learning. Aleks has extensive experience in peace building, fighting corruption, supporting independent media, and building resilience to manipulative information. Aleks directed a high-profile project in Kosovo that was embedded in the Office of the Prime Minister of Kosovo and helped prepare the Office of the Prime Minister and six ministries for Kosovo’s transition to independence.

Forever curious about the intersection of culture, neuroscience, and business, Mark has spent the last two decades applying his insights in a wide range of projects and organizations. He has worked with high level executives, renown creative professionals, startups, and large corporations. Former positions include Vice President of Client Affairs for Globefish Media BV, and Principal at UFUSE Visionary Strategy Management.
As the CEO of COMMON, Mark works with entrepreneurs and businesses to accelerate social innovation, and promote a new way of doing business that is pro people and the planet. He is married to Malene from Denmark, father of two beautiful girls, a classical composer, and lover of tractors.

Sharif El-Gamal is the Chairman and CEO of Soho Properties, a Manhattan-based real estate company which he founded in 2003. With his extensive experience in all aspects of the development process from financing, acquisition, structuring complex joint ventures, and a 15-year career of investing in New York City real estate, he has successfully led the repositioning of over 20 Manhattan buildings containing in excess of 2 million square feet. Since founding Soho Properties, Sharif has executed over $1 billion in real estate transactions in Manhattan. A charismatic and sought-after public speaker, Sharif has appeared in national and international media and has been quoted in the New York Times, Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times and the Associated Press. Sharif is a Founding Board Member and a Trustee of Park 51, a Board Member of Stella Adler Studio acting school, and is involved in numerous non-profit organizations and charitable foundations.

Michael N. Emmerman is a Managing Director and a Senior Money Manager at the investment management firm of Neuberger Berman Investment Advisers, LLC, where he has been for 44 of his 53 years in the financial community. For more than 35 years, he has also been an advisor to public safety, law enforcement and intelligence agencies.
Mike is the Director of the Special Operations Support Group, a not-for-profit organization that provides research and technical advice to law enforcement and public safety agencies. He offers services or holds official positions in the U.S. Department of Justice, the DEA’s Intelligence and Financial Investigations Teams, the FBI’s Joint Terrorist Task Force and Counterterrorism Division, New York’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force, the NYPD and FDNY and the American Red Cross.
In his role as a disaster response specialist, he has served at many major disaster scenes, including the TWA Flight 800 recovery operation and at the World Trade Center on 9-11. He dedicates substantial time to law enforcement, intelligence, and military agencies to combat money laundering, financial crimes and terrorism, and educating the public about disaster preparedness.

Cat Evans is a diplomat with nearly 20 years’ experience working for the UK Government, specialising in conflict affected and fragile countries. This includes six postings across Africa, South Asia and the Middle East, where she’s worked on a range of political, security, development and humanitarian issues. Her most recent diplomatic role was as the British Ambassador to Mali and Niger (2018-2020) where she was a member of the International Mediation for the 2015 Algiers Peace Agreement. Prior to this she was the UK’s Deputy Head of Mission in Ethiopia (2015-17) and her first posting was also in Africa, as an Adviser in the Sierra Leone Ministry of Defence (2006-07) supporting security sector reform. In between, she acted as a Policy Adviser to senior UK military commanders during the Iraq war (2008-09) before being posted to Pakistan to lead UK policy towards the tribal border areas, focusing on conflict drivers and understanding Taliban dynamics. In 2011, she joined the British Embassy Kabul to lead the political section, with a particular focus on reconciliation initiatives and regional issues.
Throughout her career, Cat has sought to build connections and partnerships with a range of different actors in order to identify shared interests that can help create coalitions for positive change. She believes passionately in deepening mutual understanding, viewing meaningful dialogue as the first step towards building trust that can in turn help foster solutions to seeming intractable problems. Cat is currently on a sabbatical from the UK Government and is now working for Independent Diplomat (ID), a not-for-profit diplomatic advisory group that advises democratic governments, groups and non-state actors on how to access and influence the high level political processes affecting them in order to deliver more inclusive, just and sustainable outcomes.

David is an investment strategist and financial advisor with more than two decades experience advising founders, families and organisations across the UK and Europe. During a career at leading financial institutions, David continues to advise many of the world’s top entrepreneurs and business-owning families with a twin focus on international tax structuring & multi-asset investment portfolio construction and management. At Pictet & Cie in the UK he leads the firm’s activities in the entrepreneurial and philanthropic spaces. Prior to Pictet, David was a senior advisor at JP Morgan in London as well as advisory investment specialist at Barclays PLC. He is a passionate supporter of the arts and culture & is a Patron of the Design Museum in London. David also supports and advises a number of charities in the UK. He lives in London with his family and he enjoys a range of sports, theatre and current affairs.

Seth Freeman is an award-winning marketing executive with over twenty years of experience, from leading marketing for a $1bn brand at The Coca-Cola Company targeting African-American consumers, to InterContinental Hotels Group, to Chief Marketing Officer of the $4bn Buffalo Wild Wings. Seth holds an MBA from Georgia State and is a proud graduate of Howard University.

Susan has been involved in the NGO (non-governmental organization) world for more than 35 years. She has worked and volunteered in 70 countries. She is the author of How to be an Amazing Volunteer Overseas: Rules of the Road, Stories from the Field, published October 2021. In 1992, Susan went to Bangladesh where she got her training in microfinance at Grameen Bank from Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus. From 1992 – 2001, Susan was a consultant providing technical assistance and conducting workshops in team building, communications and microfinance principles for NGOs, UN agencies and donor governments. Susan has served on the board of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, the International Rescue Committee (IRC-UK) and remains involved in refugee issues. She was Vice-Chair on the Carter Center UK board and was Co-Chair of the Human Rights Watch London Committee. Susan was born and raised in Toronto, Canada and was based in New York in the 90s for her career in the development sector. She lived in London, UK with her husband and teenage son for 20 years and as of August 2021, has started a new chapter in Washington DC.

David R. Goldberg is an academic, business leader and global advisor. He is the Chairman Emeritus of Lensdrop, a digital platform devoted to empowering creators to freely utilize high quality images in their work. He is also a well-regarded educator and scholar in genocide studies and international affairs, and continues to teach both. He is particularly focused on expanding educational and economic opportunities to those most in need. He serves as a Special Advisor for NGO Sustainability, an organization in Consultative Status with the United Nations which is devoted to sustainable development around the world. He also currently serves as the Board Vice President of Peace Education Initiative Rwanda. Previously he has advised the Institute for Human and Community Development in Haiti and has led roundtable discussions in Afghanistan. He has been a Fulbright recipient of the German-American Fulbright Commission, and has been awarded fellowships and grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities in Turkey, the Goethe Institute in Germany, and The Korean Studies Foundation in South Korea. He has helped develop national programs in India on global education and conflict resolution through the Global Education and Leadership Foundation of The Nand and Jeet Khemka Foundation. Dr. Goldberg received his B.A., summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from Binghamton University, his M.S. from Hofstra University, and his Ph.D. from Columbia University. He is an avid traveler and has been to nearly every country in the world.

Tom Gregg is an international conflict mediator and negotiator with almost two decades of on the ground experience engaging non-state armed groups on behalf of governments, the UN and NGOs. Tom lived in the tribal areas of Afghanistan from 2005-2008 as the UN representative working on conflict mediation, civil military relations, elections peace efforts, human rights. From Afghanistan to Nigeria to Somalia, Tom has a broad and deeply informed perspective on conflict and non-state spaces. He’s built and led a diverse team based in conflict-affected countries throughout the world, and has leveraged this global network to expand access to public health by negotiating safe passage for health workers. His experience gives him a vision for how best to engage in humanitarian diplomacy in the non-state spaces where over 70 million vulnerable people currently live. His unique background informs his work as a strategist, and he has advised the World Health Organization, the UN, the Gates Foundation, the government of Norway and other entities and governments. Tom currently serves as a Senior Advisor to the UN Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). In this role, Tom advises on expanding humanitarian access for the UN to communities residing in security compromised areas. Tom was previously Director of Global Projects at the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, a Swiss-based international conflict mediation organization. In this capacity, Tom was formerly Associate Director at the Centre on International Cooperation (CIC) at New York University. Previously, Tom worked for the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations as a Special Assistant to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, as a Head of Region (Southeast Afghanistan) and in Political Affairs. Tom has also worked at the Australian Council for International Development and the Australian National University. He has written widely on topics including foreign policy and fly fishing in Afghanistan. Tom holds a master’s degree in International Relations from the Australian National University where he was a Hedley Bull scholar.

Brooke Gregory is the Vice President of Courageous ConversationTM, and assumes the role of President beginning January 2021. She currently works primarily with higher education, corporate, international and non-profit client partners to develop and achieve their racial equity, diversity and inclusion goals. Prior to her current work, Brooke spent over 25 years as a teacher, high school principal and central office administrator. She retired from her position as Assistant Superintendent / Chief of Strategic Initiatives in the Cherry Creek School District in 2019. Her work with community groups, legislators and the Western States Benchmarking Consortium focused on accelerating the development of school and community environments, as well as practices and policies, that nurture the genius and wellbeing of all children –- particularly those who are historically marginalized based on race, gender, home language(s), citizenship status, religion and financial resources. In addition to joining our Board, Brooke serves on the Board of the Courageous Conversation Global Foundation. Brooke earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado-Boulder and her M.A. from the University of Colorado-Denver, and she is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

Rebecca Henderson is one of 25 University Professors at Harvard, a research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research and a fellow of both the British Academy and of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She is an expert on innovation and organizational change, and her research explores the degree to which the private sector can play a major role in building a more sustainable economy, focusing particularly on the relationships between organizational purpose, innovation and productivity in high performance organizations. For several years she taught “Reimagining Capitalism: Business & the Big Problems”, a course that grew from 28 students to over 300 and that is the basis for her book “Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire” (Hachette/Public Affairs, April 2020). Rebecca sits on the boards of Idexx Laboratories and of CERES. Her publication include Leading Sustainable Change: An Organizational Perspective, and Accelerating Energy Innovation: Lessons from multiple sectors. She was named one of three “Outstanding Directors of 2019” by the Financial Times.

Carrie Jones-Barber is the Chief Executive Officer of Dawn Foods, a global bakery ingredients manufacturer and distributor. As CEO, Carrie leads a team that operates in 100 countries and partners with more than 50,000 customers to inspire bakery success and deliver full solutions to help customers grow their business.
Since becoming CEO in 2006, Carrie has helped to build Dawn into a multi-billion-dollar company that remains rooted in its values and puts people at the center of its strategy. Her unique understanding of international business and her experience in leading Dawn’s international growth has provided Carrie with a global view of the interconnectedness of customers, suppliers, and people.
A graduate of Western Michigan University (BA) and the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University (MBA), Carrie serves on multiple business and charitable boards, including the Business Advisory Council for the Haworth College of Business at Western Michigan, and the Board of Directors for Land O’ Frost. She is a member of the American Bakers Association, the Society of Bakery Women, and C200, a global organization focused on making a profound impact on the advancement of women in business.
Carrie received the Distinguished Alumni Award from Western Michigan University in 2018. She is a regular speaker at industry and university events to help inspire the next generation of leaders and bakery professionals. Carrie has also been involved with Junior Achievement and the Girl Scouts, and is committed to eradicating hunger in communities, and supporting healthy lifestyle initiatives, education, and community vibrancy, through the Dawn Corporate Giving program.

Gloria is a New York real estate investor and agent who credits her professional success in part to the values and negotiating skills she has learned through her long relationship with Search for Common Ground. Learning to identify and serve adversaries’ highest mutual interests, rather than competing for a win-lose result, has proven to be an empowering, break-through approach to resolving conflict, in both the personal and professional dimensions.
An undergraduate of Indiana University, Bloomington, in Journalism and Environmental Science, Gloria earned a Master of Fine Arts from New School University in New York City. She began her career as a television talk show host, anchor and reporter, working first for CBS -TV and later for the Financial News Network. She has taught English Composition at the college level. Since 2007 Gloria has been with Sotheby’s International Realty as a sales agent in Manhattan and Southampton.
For many years Gloria has been attentive to her philanthropic values and impact, learning best practices through academic and experiential study. Among other things, she has participated in workshops, trainings and visits to country programs with Search for Common Ground, and recently assisted Women Moving Millions in developing a new program — Women in Philanthropic Leadership — which will be launched in early 2020.

Aly Kassam−Remtulla is the Chief International Officer at Princeton University where he provides strategic leadership for global engagement. He leads a team of 275 professionals across three continents that enables and advances international activities among faculty and students, supports and advocates for Princeton’s 3,100 international students and scholars, and manages the university’s global footprint including the Mpala Research Centre in Kenya and the Princeton China Center in Beijing.
In addition, Aly is a founding member and co-chair of the Faculty Advancement Network, a consortium of national research universities collaborating to advance diversity and inclusion in the American professoriate. Beyond his administrative responsibilities, Aly is a faculty advisor for first-year and sophomore students in First College and occasionally teaches an undergraduate seminar in the Department of Anthropology.
Prior to coming to Princeton, Aly worked at the MacArthur Foundation where he was the program officer for arts and culture and managed the creation of two new portfolios which awarded more than $60 million in grants.
Aly is a trustee and chair-elect of the United World College-USA and on the board of Allegheny College and Princeton in Beijing. He has been a trustee of many other educational, advocacy, museum, and philanthropic organizations, including twelve years of service to the national board of the American Civil Liberties Union.
Aly was born in Kenya, raised in Canada, and graduated with honors and with distinction from Stanford University. He received an MSc, MBA, and PhD from Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. His writing has appeared in WIRED Magazine, the Chicago Tribune, Al Jazeera, and the Philadelphia Inquirer.

JC Keeler is a real estate professional in New York. JC co-founded DDG in 2009, a real estate development firm with projects in New York, San Francisco and Florida, and is a broker with Sotheby’s Realty in the Hudson Valley and Catskills. He splits his time between New York City and Woodstock NY.
JC is an accomplished outdoorsman, summitting Denali and “big-wall” climbing in Zion and Yosemite. He is a member of the National Ski Patrol and a backcountry telemark skier.
JC grew up in rural upstate New York, with a foot in both the upstate and downstate communities, which are searching for their own common ground. JC graduated from Tulane Law School, the University of Colorado (Russian language) and the Lawrenceville School.

Jonathan L. Kempner is Counselor to the Harvard Law School Project on Disability. He is a Scholar in Residence at Winthrop House, a Harvard undergraduate residential community, and was a 2019 Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative Fellow. Mr. Kempner is President Emeritus of TIGER 21, having served as President from October 2009 through June 2016. He is Chairman of the Board of The Ciesla Foundation, a 501(c)(3) educational organization that has produced award-winning documentaries. He has participated in various other charitable and philanthropic activities, including a lead role in First Year Connect – a college orientation program to combat polarization on campuses – in partnership with Search for Common Ground. Mr. Kempner received his B.A. from the University of Michigan (with High Honors and High Distinction, Phi Beta Kappa), and his J.D. from Stanford Law School, where he served on the Stanford Law Review and as Chairman of the Law Forum.

Kenneth Kim is a serial physician entrepreneur, having founded and transitioned several companies to private equity groups in the clinical trials space.  He currently is the medical director of Ark Clinical Research and a strategic investor in a variety of startups.
Dr. Kim currently focuses his energy in the area of philanthropic giving in the areas of social justice, sustainable inclusion and equity. He has been serving on the board of the Council of Korean Americans since 2015 and as its co-Chair of CKA’s Leadership and Mentorship committee until 2019. He is also a board member of the Go Campaign, a national nonprofit that champions pioneering local heroes who are transforming the lives of children in their communities across the world. He is also a founding member and part of the executive committee of the National Asian American Community Foundation, a national philanthropic platform for unifying Asian American philanthropy.
Dr. Kim graduated summa cum laude from Harvard, completed his MD at Harvard, a health policy and management fellowship at the Sloan School at MIT, and his internal medicine residency and allergy/immunology fellowship at UCLA.  He has served on the clinical faculty both at UCLA and UCI Schools of Medicine for over 15 years and currently maintains an allergy practice in southern California. 

Victoria Kirby York is the Deputy Executive Director of the National Black Justice Coalition. In this capacity she is responsible for managing the operational policies and efficiencies of the organization, strengthening the organization’s grassroots constituency engagement efforts, and leading the advocacy and action agenda.
Mrs. Kirby York most recently served as the Deputy Director for the Advocacy & Action Department at the National LGBTQ+ Task Force where she managed the policy, organizing, and faith team to queer (do differently) advocacy around faith, equity, and democracy. She has been organizing in a variety of capacities over 20 years regarding a number of progressive issues and candidates at the federal, state, and local level. She served as the Florida Director for Organizing for Action (OFA), the non-profit formed from the President’s electoral campaigns to support President Barack Obama’s legislative agenda. She has also worked in senior-level roles in gubernatorial and presidential campaigns in Florida, for US Congresswoman Kathy Castor, youth education nonprofits, and in the private sector. 

Dilip Kulkarni is the President and CEO of Systematic Management Services, Inc (SMS), an award winning company he founded in 1979. Throughout his professional career he has successfully provided program management services to nationally critical capital programs valued in excess of two billion dollars. SMS is a leading provider of counterintelligence, cyber security, insider threat, and program management services to the federal government. For the last seven years, Dilip has been involved in numerous non-profit organizations that are dedicated to peacebuilding and conflict resolution. He has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Construction Management Association of America, and served on the Minority Business Advisory Board for Thomas Kane, former Governor of New Jersey. Dilip was born and raised in Mumbai, India, and emigrated to the United States in 1966. He is a Professional Engineer with a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Bombay, a master’s degree in civil engineering from Clarkson University, a master’s degree in Dynamics of Organization from the University of Pennsylvania and a PhD in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from Nova Southeastern University.

Bill Lawson is a lifelong advocate for military veterans with disabilities and their families, having served terms as National President of Paralyzed Veterans of America. Under Bill’s leadership, the organization: fought to ensure that all veterans received the healthcare, benefits and job opportunities they deserve; worked to make America more accessible for people with disabilities; and, invested in the effort to find new treatments, therapies and one day a cure for spinal cord injuries and disease/dysfunction. Bill has testified on numerous occasions before the United States Congress and his opinion pieces and quotes have appeared widely in media as diverse as the New York Times and Voice of America. In his free time, Bill is a keen fisherman, wood carver, NASCAR fan, and adaptive sports lover and participant. He lives in Woodland, OK with his wife.

A serial entrepreneur, Lindsay Levin founded Leaders’ Quest in 2001 as her “last start-up.” She has since worked to connect leaders from all disciplines and sectors, to explore solutions to some of the big issues in the world today. Currently, much of her time is spent working with corporate CEOs and their leadership teams on the role and purpose of business, company values and culture change. She is passionate about bridging divides between perspectives and opposing voices. She also works extensively with leaders from non-profit institutions and NGOs and in 2004 founded the Leaders’ Quest Foundation to build leadership capacity in grassroots communities.
Lindsay serves on the Board of Hartford Care, a nursing home group in the UK, and of Unitus Capital, an India-based investment firm that develops finance structures and raises capital for entrepreneurial businesses that benefit those at the bottom of the economic pyramid. Between 2008 and 2012 she was Chair of the International Steering Committee of OneVoice, working to amplify the voices of Israelis and Palestinians committed to peaceful coexistence.
Lindsay lives in New York with her husband David and their youngest son, Louis; their older sons are at university in the UK. Her book, Invisible Giants: Changing the World One Step at a Time, was published by Vala in March 2013.

Doug Levine is a serial entrepreneur. He started Crunch Fitness with $5,000 and a one room aerobic studio in New York City in 1989. In 2002, Doug sold it to a private equity firm. That same year he moved to Miami Beach with his wife Kaisa and raised his family. In 2008, Doug and Kaisa started Fridababy with $3,800 and built it into the top baby product company selling to 35,000 stores nationwide. Fridababy was then sold to a private equity firm in 2017. Doug has invested in over 30 companies including Grundens, Zumba Fitness, Clean Market, Zyr Vodka, Jungle Punks. Big Move Properties has creatively completed adaptive reuse on 25 buildings in the Miami, Wynwood, Little River, and Allapattah area.

Jeanné is dedicated to building bridges between groups to find new ways to build just and empowered communities. Originally from the suburbs of Washington, D.C., she has lived and worked in four states and the District of Columbia to challenge systemic inequities. As Vice President and Chief Engagement Officer at the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP), Jeanné leads the team that designs and implements strategies for engaging progressive social justice nonprofit organizations and more than 120 foundation supporters. Her efforts result in a deeply engaged philanthropic sector more open to learning from social justice movement leaders.
Her earlier positions have drawn on her expertise in building unlikely alliances which generate new initiatives to promote justice and support marginalized groups. Before joining NCRP she was the Director of US Programs at Search for Common Ground; one of her major initiatives advanced bipartisan conversations among members of the U.S. Congress and other government leaders about the impact of racism on policy. Prior to that, Jeanné worked to build a network of support organizations for military families impacted by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. She also led a restorative justice program for New Hanover County Public Schools in North Carolina, and worked as a faith-based community organizer in Ohio and Florida. Her broad-based experience includes designing discussions and workshops to advance constructive interaction and social justice for international audiences. Jeanné has delivered these forums to elected officials, ambassadors, clergy, executives and other leaders. Jeanné serves in several volunteer roles, including the Board of Directors of Faith in Public Life. She is a member of the steering committee for the Community Grocery Cooperative in Washington, D.C., where she resides. She was an inaugural member of the Leadership Council of Within our Lifetime, a national movement to end racism seeded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. In her free time, she sings with SongRise, D.C.’s women’s social justice singing group. She received her undergraduate degree from Washington University in St. Louis and her M.A. in Conflict Resolution from Antioch University Midwest

Isaac Lee is a journalist, entrepreneur, as well as a film and television producer. He is the founder of EXILE, a company focused on developing, packaging and producing long-form content in Spanish and English for global audiences. Most recently, Exile forged an exclusive partnership with Endeavor Content to finance, develop, and produce Spanish language scripted television projects as well as to create a fund to acquire IP and pursue development deals with high-profile and emerging talent across Latin America and Spain. Prior to this new venture, Lee served as the Chief Content Officer for Univision Communications and Televisa where he led broadcast networks, cable properties, OTT, a film studio and digital properties. On the production side in scripted content, Lee produced the film Paraíso Travel, as well as the mini-series for TVE Operación Jaque which was nominated for an international Emmy and three seasons of El Chapo for Netflix. In non-scripted, Lee produced the award-winning documentary Science Fair (NatGeo), Outpost (HBO) and Residente (Netflix), as well as Hate Rising with Jorge Ramos among many other documentaries and notable investigations. Lee is a Board Member of the Associated Press (AP), the Committee to Protect the Journalists (CPJ) and Columbia Journalism Review (CJR). He also serves on the Journalism Advisory Board at Propublica and is a member of the Council of Foreign Relations (CFR).

Rafiq Masri is a Palestinian-American entrepreneur in the information technology industry. Rafiq is the CEO of Network Management, Inc. (Est. 1994) one of the Washington, D.C. metro area’s leading IT service providers. Rafiq is the chairman of Palestinian Economic Development Foundation (PalEco), which is focused on promoting the Palestinian private sector via engaging the Palestinian Diaspora, promoting innovation and entrepreneurship, encouraging international trade, facilitating investment, and helping create a vibrant and sustainable business environment. Rafiq is on the board of Alliance for Middle East Peace (ALLMEP) and Middle East Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow (MEET). Additionally he is an advisory board member with the World Venture Group (WVG). Rafiq is also a member of Breaking the Impasse (BTI) a World Economic Forum initiative. Rafiq was born in Nablus, raised in Kuwait and immigrated to the United States in 1979. He holds a BS in Engineering from the University of Michigan and has completed post graduate studies in business and software engineering at both Harvard and George Mason University. With his strong connections in the business community within the United States, Palestine and Israel, Rafiq is committed to efforts to build and support the Palestinian economy which is a paramount requirement to any future peace and stability

Kinjil Mathur serves as Chief Marketing Officer of Squarespace, a NYC technology company. She oversees the company’s world-class marketing and PR teams. Since joining Squarespace in 2017, Kinjil has launched strategic partnerships and creative marketing initiatives that support the company’s mission of empowering people with creative ideas to succeed. She led the multi-year strategic partnership between Squarespace and Madison Square Garden to not only become the New York Knicks’ first jersey partner but together, the organizations launched the Make It Awards, an annual competition awarding grants to diverse entrepreneurs and small businesses to further their businesses and support their local communities. In 2018, Kinjil led an Equal Pay Day campaign that galvanized feminist Squarespace customers by raising awareness of gender pay gaps, resulting in the biggest sales day in Squarespace history – exemplifying her personal mission to reposition a CMO’s remit to include driving business impact through social impact.
Kinjil has been awarded multiple industry honors. She was named to Adweek’s ranking of the Top 20 Tech Savvy CMOs and one of Adweek’s Young Influentials, along with Forbes’ inaugural CMO Next list, AdAge’s Women to Watch and Business Insider’s 27 Most Innovative CMOs in the World. Vogue India named her one of the 50 Most Influential Global Indians. Kinjil serves as an Executive Board Member of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Fashion Trust as well as a member of the Advisory Board of NYCxDesign. She is an active angel investor and scout for Kleiner Perkins with a sharp focus on investing in female and BIPOC founded business.
She holds a bachelor’s degree with Honors from the University of Texas at Austin in Management of Information Systems and Finance.

Recognized by Opera News as “one of the finest singers of his generation,” American bass-baritone Ryan McKinny has earned his reputation as an artist with something to say. His relentless curiosity informs riveting character portrayals and beautifully crafted performances, reminding audiences of their shared humanity with characters on stage and screen. Ryan believes the power of art lies in its relevance – that genuine connection can wake up a stagnant society to the possibilities of change. Ryan brings this clarity of vision to his work on the world’s greatest stages, including the Metropolitan Opera, Teatro Colón, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Dutch National Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Houston Grand Opera, Opéra de Montréal, and Lyric Opera of Chicago. Offstage, Ryan creates intimate films that bring stunningly beautiful and innovative performances to streaming audiences. With Helio Arts, he commissions artists to write, direct, and film original stories, leveraging his personal power to help elevate new voices and visions in the classical performing arts world.

Mohsin (Mo) Meghji is an internationally recognized turnaround professional with an exemplary track record of accomplishment across a wide range of industries. His 25-plus year career has focused primarily on reviving companies experiencing financial, operational or strategic transitions to maximize value. He has accomplished this through management and/or advisory roles in partnership with some of the world’s leading corporations, investment firms and financial institutions. Mo has also served as a director on many corporate and not-for-profit boards and serves on the board of the Nassau County Interim Finance Authority. Earlier in his career, Mo served as EVP & Head of Strategy at Springleaf Holdings and prior to that he co-founded advisory firm Loughlin Meghji + Company. Earlier in his career, Mo was with Arthur Andersen & Co. where he became a Partner. Mo is a graduate of the Schulich School of Business.

Krishen Mehta is a former partner at PwC, and served in their New York, London, and Tokyo offices. While in Tokyo he was in-charge of the firm’s US tax practice in Asia, with oversight for offices in Japan, China, Singapore, Malaysia, and India. Krishen is currently a Senior Global Justice Fellow at Yale University co-teaching a course on Global Trade, Tax, and Social Justice. Along with his wife, Krishen is co-founder of Asia Initiatives, an organization devoted to women’s empowerment in Asia and Africa. Krishen also serves on the Board of the Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver, The Nation Fund for Independent Journalism in NY, the Center for Citizen Initiatives, the American Committee for US Russia Accord, the Human Rights Watch Foundation in Japan, and SaveLife Foundation in India. He has also been Co-Chairman of Global Financial Integrity in Washington, DC, and a Director of the Tax Justice Network in London. Krishen has been a guest speaker at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Boston and at Tokyo University in Japan on issues of tax and social justice. Krishen is an engineer by training, has an MBA, and is a US CPA.

Asiya Mohammed, MDW, is the Founder and CEO of Conflict Women, Ltd, a social business committed to solving gender-based violence through entrepreneurship. Through its Butterfly Project, Conflict Women provides training in business, jewelry making and conflict transformation for rape and domestic violence survivors and an income in exchange for their handcrafted products. Through its MULTIPLY initiative survivors can acquire capital to invest in their small businesses. Asiya has long been fascinated by political economy and hopes to use business to end gender-based violence. She is the recipient of the 100th Commonwealth Point of Light Award from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and of a National Medal for the Development of Women (Gold) from the President of Trinidad & Tobago for her exceptional service in advancing women’s rights and supporting survivors of domestic and sexual violence. She previously worked for UNICEF, USAID/ DPK Consulting, and Initiatives of Change across Europe, North America and Africa, and for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Trinidad & Tobago, representing her country at the UN General Assembly and providing policy advice to government on gender, human rights, and peace and conflict. She holds a Masters in Comparative Politics (Markets & Politics) from the London School of Economics and Political Science, an executive MBA from the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management and a BA in International Relations from Lehigh University, minoring in Peace Studies. She is a former TEDx Speaker, Caux Scholar, Commonwealth Youth Leader, and One Young World Ambassador, and serves as an Advisory Board Member of Unidas, the Women’ Network Connecting Latin America, the Caribbean and Germany, convened by the German Foreign Ministry.

Jess is an awarding-winning communications specialist and Common Ground activist. She is the CEO/Co-founder of W!CKED SAiNTS Studios, a behavioral technology company that designs interactive story games that are wickedly fun and actively good. She is the creator and author of the text-based interactive story game “Pitfall,” as well as the latest game in the development “Pathways.”
At age 24, she received a Northwest Regional Emmy for Community Service for her lead role in “Don’t Turn Away,” an anti-child abuse media campaign. Months later, her PSA “Meth Mirror” won Oregon Association of Broadcasters’ Award for “Best PSA 2012.”
Jess spent the next four years running the global communication department for Search for Common Ground. Utilizing the Nobel Peace Prize-nominated NGO’s experience, Jess went on to train young leaders in some of the most hostile places on earth in Social Change Communication. She uses what she’s coined the “Tattoo Method” to design creative campaigns and activities that have the power to shift people’s attitudes and behaviors. She has used the framework in collaboration with local peacebuilders to develop communication strategies and awareness campaigns for projects in Kyrgyzstan, Nigeria, Indonesia, Myanmar, Burundi, Colombia, Jordan, Armenia, and the US.
Jess is an international speaker and continues to use her framework in the design and development of W!CKED SAiNTS Studios’ games. She has authored op-eds, including “I’m black. I’m a peacebuilder. I want your help.” and “America’s Identity Crisis: Race and Reconciliation from a Black Peacebuilder,” published in Foriegn Policy. COMMON named Jess one of the top 20 social entrepreneurs to watch in 2020.

Sarah Oh serves as Human Rights Advisor at Twitter where she is focused on the use of social media to promote and safeguard human rights. Sarah previously led Facebook’s crisis response efforts in the Asia Pacific and South Asia as a senior member of the Strategic Response Team within the Office of the CEO and COO at Facebook. In this role, Sarah instituted path-breaking processes that enabled civil society to influence global product design decisions at the company.
Sarah has advised non-profit organizations focused on media development, democracy, and conflict for more than a decade. From 2014 to 2017, she designed online hate speech and digital rights programs in Myanmar during the country’s “connectivity revolution” with grassroots civil society leaders and tech entrepreneurs. Sarah began her career at the National Democratic Institute for International Affairs (NDI) where she served as the NDI’s inaugural Silicon Valley Partnerships Representative.
Sarah received her BA with honors in political science from Northwestern University and was previously a Visiting Scholar at The Center for Information Technology Research in the Interest of Society and the Banatao Institute at the University of California.

Damali Peterman is the CEO and Founder of the prominent global conflict resolution firm, Breakthrough ADR. Breakthrough specializes in innovative and engaging ways to help individuals, companies, government agencies, and educational institutions prevent, manage and resolve conflict in the workplace and beyond. As an attorney, mediator, and educator with over 20+ years of experience, Damali saw a need to teach people how to listen, negotiate and resolve everyday situations. She has traveled the globe servicing companies such as the World Bank, Howard University, NYU, and NYPD with tailored workshops aimed at increasing overall company efficiency and talent retention. Globally recognized as a conflict resolution expert, Damali has been featured on NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox, In Touch Weekly, MadameNoire, CEOWorld, the New York Post, and more. Damali’s podcast, Breakthrough Barriers with Damali is popular on 6 continents and listened to in over 50 countries. Damali is a mediator, arbitrator, and ombudsman with the prestigious global alternative dispute resolution firm, JAMS. When Damali is not out building a worldwide community of conflict resolvers, she devotes her free time to writing, improv, and finding ways to make her husband and two sons laugh.

Laurie Pinto is a businessman with three decades of experience working in British financial institutions and global enterprises. Mr. Pinto spent the majority of his career working in large banking institutions— notably Commerzbank, Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, and Dresden Kleinwort—and played a key role in growing the alternative investment industry. Recently, he was chairman of Pali International, a brokerage and advisory business based in London and Singapore, and NSBO, a brokerage business based in London and Beijing. Currently, Mr. Pinto is a Partner at Pinto Capital LLP, which he also founded, and the Commercial Director at Rich Energy, a premium British energy drink brand and sponsor of the Haas Formula 1 Team. Mr. Pinto studied Law at the University of Westminster and was a junior international chess player

David S. Ross, Esq. is a Senior Mediator with JAMS, the largest provider of private alternative dispute resolution in the world. He has successfully resolved thousands of complex two-party and multi-party cases — including multiple class actions — and regularly handles high profile cases involving celebrities, politicians and CEOs of large corporations. David focuses on discrimination and sexual harassment disputes as well as a wide array of business-related cases. His mediation career has been featured in The New York Law Journal and The National Law Journal.
David also serves as an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University Law School, teaching seminars in Basic Negotiation and Advanced Negotiation Theory and Skills. He sits on the Boards of several non-profits, including The Rainforest Alliance, Convergence Leadership Council, and Friends of Facing History. David served on the Board of Search for Common Ground from 2004 – 2009, where he Chaired the Governance Committee.
Prior to joining JAMS, David practiced in the litigation department at Cravath, Swaine and Moore. Among other academic achievements, he received an LL.M. in Alternative Dispute Resolution from Columbia University Law School (1993), a J.D. from NYU Law School (serving on the Moot Court Board) (1989), and a B.A. with honors from the University of Virginia (1986). He recently completed The Negotiation Master Class at Harvard Law School (2018).

Eric Sanders founded and operated Sanders Industries for 30 years. The company manufactured polymeric, metallic, and carbon fiber composite products for the aerospace and defense industry. Since the sale of his business in 2014, Sanders has returned to an activity he had set aside to focus on his business and raising his family. He currently is quite passionate about painting and has built a large studio at his residence where he produces over 100 pieces per year.
Sanders has been actively involved in philanthropy for 15 years. He established the Sanders Family Foundation, a non-profit charity with a focus on fostering sustainable change in developing countries, with a specific concentration on initiatives directed towards women and children. The Foundation supports organizations such as Global Communities, Project Concern International, and World Neighbors. In 2018 he established Art 4 Social Impact to serve philanthropic causes through his artwork.
Sanders holds a degree in Philosophy from George Washington University. He lives in Manhattan Beach, California and is the devoted father of two boys.

Farah Siddiqui has over 15 years experience in the start-up and tech space. She’s held various roles in Accounting, Business Operations, Training & Certification, and Mergers & Acquisitions, and now works in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) at Google, focused on driving belonging for diverse religious & cultural communities. In 2017, she successfully co-founded and was the Global President of the Interfaith Employee Resource Group at Salesforce, which added religious identity to the mix in the company’s DEI initiatives, and helped build bridges of understanding and connection across the various religious communities at Salesforce. She is a trusted thought leader in interfaith engagement and faith-based inclusion efforts in the workplace. She has received multiple awards and recognition for her work, spoken at numerous DEI conferences, delivered trainings focused on bridge building across differences, and has advised numerous companies as they embark on their own interfaith and faith inclusion efforts.

Shelby Smith-Wilson has more than 20 years of experience in foreign affairs and national security strategy. As a U.S. diplomat, she has served abroad in Spain, Colombia, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Kenya in addition to various assignments in Washington DC. She is currently the Chief of Staff, Office of the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State for Management & Resources. Shelby has an M.S. in National Security Strategy from the National War College, an M.A. International Affairs from The George Washington University and a B.A. in Political Science and Spanish from Duke University. She is a 2020-2021 International Women’s Forum Fellow, a program which convenes 35 female executives from around the world to offer customized leadership training.

Nikki is an author who has written five books, including Hope in Small Dose: Reasonable Happiness in Unreasonable Times. The book is an Eric Hoffer Montaigne Medal finalist for books that provoke, inspire and redirect thought. She’s penned numerous essays that have appeared in three anthologies as well as the New York Times, Newsweek, USA Today, and Humanist Magazine, among many media outlets. She is a past member of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation’s Memorial Advisory Committee and the Families Advisory Committee. In 2003, she helped to facilitate a series of discussions about the future of downtown Manhattan in the wake of 9/11. As executive director of Families of September 11th, Nikki shared a Common Ground Award in 2005 for co-sponsoring a series of university town-hall meetings designed to foster communications between Muslim-Americans and others community members. Between 2005 and 2009, she served as a facilitator for the organization America Speaks, whose mission was to “engage citizens in the public decisions that impact their lives.” She continues to write about grieving, resilience, aging, and staying relevant.

Sebastian has spent twenty-five years in global alternative investments and investment banking. He is CEO of Pine State Regional Center, a financing firm with a particular emphasis on the Middle East, India and the Far East. Prior to joining Pine State, Sebastian was a founding partner and co-portfolio manager of Landmark Advisors, an alternative investment management firm in New York. Landmark provided value-oriented investment funds and managed account solutions for family office clients and university endowments in the US, Europe and Asia. Previously Sebastian was also a member of the Investment Banking groups of Salomon Smith Barney in New York and London. He is a regular speaker and panelist at immigration, alternative investment and family office conferences. He received an MBA from Columbia Business School and a B.S. from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service, where he graduated with concentrations in international relations, law and organization, and Middle East economics.Throughout his career, Sebastian has been dedicated to conflict resolution and bridging political, ethnic and religious divides. He has worked with and supported a range of peacebuilding organizations, including One Voice and ALLMEP, and volunteered in the Zarqa refugee camp in Jordan. Sebastian also served on the board of Seeds of Peace for 10 years, focusing in particular on the next-generation GATHER Fellowship program, to amplify the innovative efforts of young changemakers.

Ian is an entrepreneur and has successfully founded and managed a variety of companies in a range of different areas internationally. Currently, Ian is Chairman and Managing Director of Genagro Ltd., with 73,000 hectares of agricultural land in Brazil. Ian is Co-Founder and Chairman of PYE global, empowering young people and adults internationally to work with their creativity. He is a past Chairman of the Hunger Project and the Institute of Noetic Sciences. Ian was Executive Producer of Forgiveness, a 3 hour documentary by PBS TV in April 2011. He is also Executive Producer of the following Common Ground Productions: Madame President (2015), Singha Durbar (2015), and The Team (Sri Lanka) (2015).

Suhail Rizvi is founder and Chairman of Rizvi | Traverse Management, a private investment firm with offices in New York, Los Angeles and Detroit. Rizvi | Traverse has invested over $3 billion in the last 10 years in a portfolio of private companies in the media, entertainment and technology sectors. This portfolio has included investments in International Creative Management (ICM), Summit Entertainment, Playboy Enterprises, Facebook, Twitter, Square, SESAC, Jawbone, Flipboard and Snapchat.
Mr. Rizvi earned his undergraduate degree at The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania in 1988 and currently serves on the Wharton Executive Board.

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.

David Creekmore has been an advocate for peacebuilding and the power of information as a teen activist for nuclear disarmament and as an executive with citizen diplomacy and media-oriented nonprofits. After receiving his MBA from Johns Hopkins in 2000, David focused on the unheralded craft of managing the internal operations of large nonprofits; first as CFO of Corporation for Public Broadcasting which is always in the U.S. political spotlight, and then as COO for Internews, a large global media development NGO working in the hardest places in the world. In 2020, David started Lifetime Financial, a financial planning and investment management firm designed to help fellow nonprofit professionals and their families adapt financially while they serve important social causes at lower salaries. David authors a blog focused on these and other issues facing nonprofit executives and is regularly featured and quoted in major publications.

Being Swiss, Nicole worked for the ICRC, specialized in the protection of both prisoners of war and political prisoners. She worked in the DRC, Rwanda, Sarajevo and Iraq using her specialist knowledge. She lived for 12 years in Goma, DRC (1996-2008) and developed projects under the umbrella of “Let’s Go Kids”, a Belgian NGO in which she was an administrator until 2015; although she moved to Kenya in 2008 she continued to travel to Goma to work. All the projects they developed had one main goal: promoting peace in DRC, a country where the brutality of war has affected millions of people and destroyed millions of lives.

Living on the ground during some of Goma’s most turbulent years, she realized that people had needed better living conditions in order to have the resources and the resilience to face the daily challenges created by conflict that was all around them. They started from the ground, from the nucleus of society: the family cell. They developed projects for kids to learn again how to live together (instead of being in orphanages) before being reintegrated back into their families; they supported these same families with goods, but mainly with psychological support, giving them an opportunity to offload and supporting them in finding solutions that suited them. They were the bridge between families and their children. The majority of reintegrations were successful.

Alongside this Nicole co-founded www.kisany.com a high-end linen social enterprise with two other women. They wanted to change the way people look at Africa and create a proper exchange where both parties could find a benefit: the customers around the world enjoying their linen with a story; the embroiderers and tailors realizing their talents could give them a solid income and improve their daily life. “Give Work” became a real motto to enable people to take back the threads of their lives. Since 2016, she has withdrawn from “Let’s Go Kids” to concentrate on her own family but now feels ready to use the experience she has gained in a new capacity.

Abdul Jabbar Ghayoor serves as Bridgespan’s vice president of finance and risk management. In his position, he leads the organization’s accounting, audits and compliance, financial planning, analysis and reporting and international finance functions. Prior to joining Bridgespan, Abdul Jabbar held senior finance and administration roles at The Trevor Project, The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), Global Communities, Chemonics International, Inc., and Development Alternatives, Inc.

With Global Communities, Abdul Jabbar led one of the largest portfolios of Ebola response and WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) programs in West Africa. With IFES, he led financial management of 45 country offices in Asia, Africa, Europe and EuroAsia, South America, and the Middle East and North Africa regions.

He earned his Master of Sciences degree in accounting and finance from the University of Maryland and an MBA from The International Business School of Scandinavia. He also has professional certifications in accounting and fraud and risk management.

Sophie is London born with a global perspective that comes from a European background (Polish father and English mother) and a life experience that includes significant time in America and Australia. She lived and worked in New York for several years in the 1990s, has spent significant time in Sydney Australia and continues to maintain a much valued, and ever growing, corporate, political and media international network. Her professional experience over a 30 year career encompasses multiple senior roles in advertising, marketing, business development and government relations across a wide spectrum of industry sectors and geographies.

She has a primary focus on the UK and US, while also working with select other geographies, providing advisory services in global public affairs and international business development as well as facilitating speaker engagement and event management projects.  Relationships are key.

Sophie has been proud to volunteer as activist and fundraiser for the UK Conservative Party since 2000 with a variety of formal and informal roles over that time period.

She believes strongly in mentoring the next generation and actively supports many young people as they start and continue to develop their careers.

Jon Turteltaub has been an elite producer and director of hit movies for the past 35 years.  He is known for directing a series of hit films including 3 Ninjas, Cool Runnings, While You Were Sleeping, Phenomenon, National Treasure, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Last Vegas, The Meg and others which have earned billions at the box office. Jon has also produced and directed several television projects, including the smash hit “Jericho” on CBS and “From the Earth to the Moon” for HBO.  Jon was born in New York and raised in Beverly Hills before attending Wesleyan University and USC film school.  His father, Saul Turteltaub, is a legendary television writer and producer known for “The Carol Burnett Show”, “That Girl”, “Sanford and Son”, “Love American Style” and “What’s Happening!”.  Jon has been married to Amy Eldon since 2006 and together they work extensively with their family’s Creative Visions Foundation, supporting artists and activists.  Jon has also served on the DGA Western Directors Council, as advisor to Represent.Us, and on the board of the Inner-City Filmmakers program.  Jon and Amy have spent considerable time in Africa where they fund an orphanage in Kenya and work to protect and rehabilitate child soldiers in Uganda.  Jon and Amy have three young children and, therefore, no time for anything fun.

Ambassador Doctor Koki Muli Grignon has extensive diverse global, regional and national experience working with governmental, intergovernmental and nongovernmental organisations and institutions. Her focus is on legal advocacy, mediation and negotiation, human rights and social justice, climate justice, sustainable development, gender equality and the empowerment of women, girls, youth and persons with disabilities, democracy and participation, inclusion and meaningful people’s participation in governance and public affairs, peace and security, constitution-making and reform of institutions to make them nimble and fit-for-purpose and change management, good governance and accountable, efficient and transparent management of public resources, rule of law, accountability and professional integrity, and the independence/separation of organs of government. In her more than thirty four (34) years of experience, Amb. Dr. Muli Grignon has proven record of leadership, diplomacy, mediation, disputes resolution and negotiation, strategic design, planning, management and administrative skills, including, strong people and fiscal management. Amb. Dr. Muli Grignon is an analytical thinker who applies logic and reason to solve problems, builds trust, confidence and consensus. She is a Senior Lecturer and the Dean of the School of Law of South Eastern Kenya University (SEKU) having served in various leadership positions in SEKU (2011-2012 and again 2020 to date). She served as Kenya’s Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations Headquarters, New York (2012 – 2019) and is a consummate diplomat of repute. Amb. Dr. Muli Grignon also has extensive experience in civil society, having been personally involved in the constitution-making and democratisation processes in Kenya and beyond and having worked as an Executive of different Non- Governmental Organisations (NGOs) such as the Institute of Education in Democracy (IED – 2002 – 2008), International Commission of Jurists (Kenya Section) (1992 – 1995) and Nairobi Law Monthly (1990 – 1991) and the Kenya Government: Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2012-2019 and part of 2020), National Gender and development Commission as a Board Member (2002-2005) etc. Amb. Dr. Muli Grignon is an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and a Member in Good Standing of the Law Society of Kenya for over 31 years, a Commissioner for Oaths and a Notary Public. She is also a Professional Mediator, Certified Public Secretary and a fellow of the Institute of Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya and was 1st Runners-Up Corporation Secretary of the Year, 2023 in Kenya. She is a member and has and serves in several Professional Bodies and Boards. She has a PhD in Law from University of Dar-es-salaam, a Masters in Human Rights from University of London, a Bachelor of Laws from University of Nairobi and numerous diplomas and certificates from other institutions and professional bodies. She is a weekly columnist in the Sunday Standard (Kenya) and is extensively written. She is happily married with two lovely daughters and lives in Kenya.

Angela is a sustainable tech investor and entrepreneur, building and growing solutions driving systemic change towards a clean, inclusive and safer world.

She is cofounder and President at Ignite Power (www.ignite-power.com), chairwoman at Ignite Investments, and on the board of multiple sustainable tech startups, impact funds’ investment committee and supports several philanthropic efforts.

Ignite is developing and scaling innovations solving access to clean power, internet, and climate-tech to leave no one behind. It pioneered a distributed digitised infra-tech platform, with presence across Africa, the UAE, Israel, and the US, with millions of people using Ignite’s life-enabling solutions.

Angela has also invested in tech startups scaling tech solutions to address sustainable challenges in emerging markets and sits on several tech and sustainability boards. Previously, she was a macro trader at Goldman Sachs, and a sustainable investor at Generation IM under VP Al Gore’s chairmanship. She also worked on post-conflict economic and financial solutions together with Sir Ronald Cohen.

In her non-for-profit work, Angela has been the chair of Seeds of Peace Global Leadership Council and a founding board member of Harvard’s Negotiation Strategies Institute. She is actively involved in Track II and impact-innovation initiatives across the Middle East and Africa. She was an awarded Chair of YPO Global Diplomacy Network, and is also a contributor, lecturer and speaker in multiple universities and institutions globally, such as Technion, New York University, Tel Aviv University, TEDX, Milken Institute, AIM, WFES, Globes, I24 News, Ynet News, and more.

Angela is Lebanese, Egyptian, Israeli and lives in Abu Dhabi. She is a mathematician and economics scholar, and a Singularity University Executive Graduate. She speaks French, English, Spanish, some Arabic and Hebrew.

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.

Grande’s concern and curiosity in conflict and collaboration has led to decades working on interest-based negotiation, civil rights community-based mediation, polarization prevention, and dispute systems design. As Director of the Gould Center for Conflict Resolution and Senior Lecturer at Stanford Law School, he continues that journey through teaching, scholarship, and community engagement. 

Prior to that, he was senior partner at the Rebuild Congress Initiative. Previously he served as provost and professor at Menlo College. Grande was the founding director of the Divided Community Project at the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. He was nominated by President Barack Obama and confirmed by the US Senate unanimously as director of the Department of Justice’s Community Relations Service. Grande was also clinical professor and director of the dispute resolution center at UC Law San Francisco. He is the co-author of America’s Peacemakers: The Community Relations Service and Civil Rights as well as the author of the books The Negotiation Fieldbook and Tear Down the Wall: Be Your Own Mediator in Conflict. Grande is a graduate of UC Berkeley and Harvard Law School.

TIFT MERRITT is a Grammy-nominated musician who wanted to be a writer until her father taught her guitar chords and Percy Sledge songs. She has toured around the world with her sonic short stories and garnered a reputation for making her own way and setting an interesting artistic table. The New Yorker calls her “the bearer of a proud tradition of distaff country soul that reaches back to artists like Dusty Springfield and Bobbie Gentry.” Don Henley, with help from Mick Jagger, kicks off Cass County with a cover of her song Bramble Rose. Taking time off the road to raise her daughter, Merritt began work on larger, site specific projects by way of collecting found objects in the abandoned asylum in her hometown as forgotten, essential language. Merritt has also collected artist interviews researching creative process and integrity on The Spark for Carolina Performing Arts and Marfa, Texas Public Radio. She is a founding member of the Hungry River Collective and a Practitioner-In-Residence at the Franklin Humanities Institute at Duke University. She lives in North Carolina with her daughter Jean.