Professor Safwan M. Masri is Dean of Georgetown University in Qatar and Distinguished Professor of the Practice at Georgetown’s Walsh School of Foreign Service. Before joining Georgetown in October 2022, Professor Masri was Executive Vice President for Global Centers and Global Development at Columbia University, and a Senior Research Scholar at Columbia’s School of International and Public Affairs.

Ambassador (ret.) Michael Pelletier was appointed as the founding Executive Director of the Aspire Initiative Endowed Institute for Global Engagement at the University of Houston on August 1, 2021. 

Mr. Amjad Ahmad is a Managing Partner and Emerging Market Advisor at 500 Global, a venture capital firm that invests in founders building fast-growing technology companies. He is also an instructor for 500 Global’s Venture Education, training the next generation of venture capitalists and angel investors in various markets. Mr. Ahmad serves on the board of directors of Amideast, Homzmart, Koita Foods, and Tapal Tea.