Karina Valeriano is a master’s student in Public Administration at American University. She hopes to gain experience in the nonprofit sector before pursuing a career in lobbying, where she aims to advance policies that promote equality, support minority communities, and further social justice. During her internship at HANDS, she will focus on nonprofit management and […]
Gabrielle Tyndall is an International Studies major at American University, concentrating in Justice, Ethics, and Human Rights with a minor in Communication. Her work centers on global inequality and the use of storytelling as a tool for advocacy. At American University, she serves as Director of Media & Communication for Students for Change, President and […]
Anusha Chowdhuri is a rising senior at Georgetown University studying International Politics and pursuing certificates in Diplomatic Studies and International Business Diplomacy. She’s interested in international development, social justice, and trade. At HANDS, she is working on fundraising for the Smart Water Management for Small Farmers Project, assisting with the 2027 Insight Trip, and writing […]
William “Skip” Miner is a politico-military expert and retired U.S. Navy Commander. He served in the Navy from 1967 to 1988. This included advising the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs and providing strategic planning to the staff of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Since 1988, Skip has worked as a private-sector policy consultant to […]
Dr. Graeme Bannerman is the founder of Bannerman Associates, an international consulting firm. He was previously a staffer for Middle East and South Asia on the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, as well as a former Middle East analyst on the US State Department Policy Planning staff. Graeme has taught at several universities, including Georgetown […]
Suzan Habachy is an expert in the field of international development, having served in a variety of roles showcasing her diverse areas of expertise. She worked for the United Nations for over 20 years and served as the Executive Director of the Trickle Up Program, an international poverty-alleviation organization working across the globe. Suzan has […]
Steve Lutes is a Middle East and international trade expert. He currently serves as Vice President of Middle East Affairs at the US Chamber of Commerce and as Executive Director for the US-Egypt Business Council, among other councils on which he serves in the same capacity. Prior to this position, Steve was a senior legislative […]
Born and raised in Egypt, Lana Sawiris has built her career around transforming creative vision into measurable impact. A graduate of The New School’s Parsons School of Design in New York, she began her journey at Christian Louboutin as Global Digital Communications Manager before moving on to Kith, where she served as Global Art Director. She later founded &LANA, a New […]
Alex Shalaby is the current Chairman and former CEO of Mobinil, one of Egypt’s largest mobile phone operators. Alex came to Mobinil from Washington, DC, where he was Director for Public Affairs for AT&T, serving as the company’s link to lawmakers on Capitol Hill and lobbying the executive branch of the U.S. government. He has […]
Olivia Zhang is a recent graduate from The George Washington University with a degree in International Affairs and a concentration in the Middle East. In 2017, she studied abroad in Tel Aviv, Israel and interned at Israeli think tank Moshe Dayan Center for Middle Eastern and African Studies, where she worked on several projects regarding […]