Lucien Bourjeily is a Lebanese writer and director of both theater and film. He was behind the first professional improvisational theatre show in the Middle East where he peacefully challenged social and cultural barriers using theatre to create dialogue, encourage free speech, and become a true force of positive change. His work in both theatre and film has enabled him to travel the worldwide festival circuit and won him many awards, one of which was the 2017 Dubai International Film Festival Jury Prize. He brought his progressive approach to the theatre to London's LIFT Festival in 2012 with his hard-hitting immersive play 66 Minutes in Damascus, which was chosen as one of 10 plays in the world that "rethink the stage" by the Huffington Post. In 2012, he was chosen by CNN as one of eight leading cultural lights from Lebanon's contemporary art scene that are making an impact in Lebanon and internationally. For his activism against censorship on the arts in Lebanon, he was nominated for the 2014 "Freedom of Expression" award, held annually at the Barbican Center in London by Index on Censorship. He wrote and directed Vanishing State at the Battersea Arts Center in London as part of the 2014 LIFT festival. Bourjeily received an MFA in Film from Loyola Marymount University, where he was a Fulbright student from 2010 to 2012. He received an Alumni Development Grant, funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by Amideast, in October 2018 to participate in the Arabian Sights Film Festival in Washington D.C., where he screened his first feature-length film Heaven Without People.

Imane Fahli is currently a Policy Manager at the Morocco Employment Lab, where she works with policymakers and non-profit organizations to improve the effectiveness of labor markets. Prior to this, Fahli was the Economic Development Coordinator for the Special Commission on the Development Model, which was established by his Majesty King Mohammed VI in 2019 to improve and renew Morocco’s development model. Fahli also worked at the Head of Government office in Morocco to improve the business environment, develop the private sector, and attract foreign direct investment to stimulate the economy. In 2019, Fahli was the recipient of an Alumni Community Action Grant, funded by the U.S. Department of State and administered by Amideast. With this support, she created a financial literacy program in the Casablanca-Rabat region in Morocco that empowers  female entrepreneurs running micro-enterprises. This program provides practical tools to ensure the financial sustainability of their business.  Fahli is a 2015 Fulbright alumna from Morocco who received her master’s in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University.

Dr. Rana Dajani is an expert in genetics and a globally recognized social entrepreneur. She has been lauded as one of the most influential women scientists in the Islamic world. An advocate for biological evolution and Islam, she has been awarded the Jordan Star of Science- the country’s highest recognition for contributions to science, by His Majesty King Abdullah II. Dr. Dajani was also ranked 12th among the 100 most influential Arab women in 2015 and was inducted into the Women in Science Hall of Fame for her contributions to science. In 2021, she was named one of the top "Women of Influence in the Arab World" by Arabian Business. Dr. Dajani also established a women-to-women mentor network and organized the first gender summit for the Arab world, in 2017. Dr. Dajani splits her time between laboratories, teaching classes for university students, and is the founder and Lead Organizer of We Love Reading. This non-profit organization helps introduce and inspire children from around the world to read and create new social leaders capable of solving problems in their communities, through books. Dr. Dajani is a 2000 Fulbright alumna from Jordan who graduated from the University of Iowa with a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology.

Iyadh Abid is a Legal and Policy Consultant working on investment and business climate reforms and digital rights. He previously served as an Advisor to the Minister of Development, Investment, and International Cooperation of Tunisia, where he worked on investment law reforms and streamlining market entry, contributing to Tunisia’s improved ranking in the World Bank’s “Doing Business Report.” He also served as the Director of Africa Programs for Penn State Law. Prior to this, Abid worked for the American Bar Association, was a legal analyst for Al-Bawsala- a local parliament watchdog NGO, and co-founded Lead Tunisia, an NGO created to enhance and advance the legal and educational system in Tunisia. Abid is a 2015 Fulbright alumnus from Tunisia with his LL.M. from Penn State Law. In 2018, Abid established a scholarship program with Penn State Law dedicated to Tunisian lawyers. To date, eight Tunisian students have already benefited from this program, with more waiting to enroll.

Luma Bashmi is the Head of Scientific Research & Development and Chairperson of the Institutional Review Board at King Hamad University Hospital (KHUH). She is a co-investigator on six KHUH studies; her research topics include integrative oncology services and mind-body interventions, stress and burnout among residents and emergency medicine physicians, and the psychological impact of COVID-19 on healthcare providers. Her department oversees and supports over 60 active studies in medical research at KHUH. Following the explosion in Beirut in August 2020, Bashmi co-founded and now directs eLaa Beirut, an initiative providing free mental healthcare to victims of the blast, including members of the LGBTQ+ and refugee communities. She is also on the editorial board of the Journal of the Bahrain Medical Society and an active science communicator on social media in her main areas of research. Bashmi recently joined the Royal College of Surgeons Ireland - Bahrain as a Lecturer in Health Psychology. Bashmi is a 2014 Fulbright alumna from Bahrain who graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a master's degree in Psychological Research (Health Psychology).