STEERING COMMITTEE
Joseph Amann | Masha S. Feiguinova | Julian Harper | Eddie Mandhry | Conor Moran | Sylvana Rochet-Belleri | Liana Sterling
MEMBERS
Ryan M. Berger | Camilla Bosanquet | J. Brett Buchness | Jackie Carter | Annie Castellani | Peter Christodoulou | Niovi Christopoulou | Jae H. Chung | Mary Eleanor Davis | Peter DeBartolo | Lucie-Kay Desthuis-Francis | Christopher Dowd | Dean Fealk | Annik Foreman | Travis Gidado | Kei Hiruta | Julia Taylor Kennedy | Pam Kingpetcharat | Timothy Kudo | Caroline Lampen | Kathryn M. Martorana | Kyle C. Matthews | Juanmari Molina | Shrideep Murthy | Elizabeth Nugent | Jonathan Perlman | McKenzie Price | Vladimir Prokopchuk | Matthias Resch | Dahlia Saibil | Fredrik S. Stanton | Andre D. Stein | Luke Tarbi | Jennifer L. Tavis | N.A.J. Taylor | Jason H. Tepperman | Robin van Puyenbroeck | Miro R. Vassilev | Stephanie-Eva Venturas | Daniel Weisfield | Christopher Wentzel
Joseph Amann is a market risk manager at Morgan Stanley where he specializes in corporate credit, credit derivatives, and securitized products. Prior to Morgan Stanley, Amann worked as an analyst at a boutique consulting firm, where he advised on CMBS valuations and bank M&A portfolio due-diligence. Amann is a Carnegie Council trustee, a member of its Investment Committee, and serves on the CNL Steering Committee. He also sits on a Executive Committee for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society and the NYC Board of Directors for his alma mater. Amann graduated from the University of Delaware in 2006 with a major in finance and minor in political science.
Camilla Bosanquet is an executive officer in the United States Coast Guard on a cutter based out of Boston. Her previous military assignments include Commanding Officer of Coast Guard Cutter Kiska, Operations Officer onboard Cutter Venturous, Deck Watch Officer and Maritime Law Enforcement Boarding Officer onboard Cutter Gallatin, and Officer in Charge of an internationally deployable law enforcement detachment. Over her military career, she has assumed responsibility for planning and executing search and rescue missions, migrant interdiction, counter-drug operations, homeland security initiatives, and international engagement throughout the Caribbean and Pacific. Additionally, Bosanquet served as a political advisor with the United States Mission to the United Nations, New York, where, inter alia, she negotiated the current Security Council Resolution on Children Affected by Armed Conflict. She received her B.S. in government from the United States Coast Guard Academy and M.A. in philosophy from Boston College.
J. Brett Buchness is an associate portfolio manager at BlackRock, the world's premier asset management firm and a trusted consultant to institutions and governments around the world. Buchness and the senior portfolio manager currently manage roughly $6 billion in global, municipal, and taxable fixed income assets for over 700 clients, including large corporations, governments, banks, and high net worth individuals. Prior to his time at BlackRock, he worked on the fixed income trading desk at Stifel Nicolaus. Buchness earned a B.S. degree with special attainments in commerce, cum laude, in business administration from Washington and Lee University. In 2011, he was accepted into the New York Society of Security Analysts (NYSSA). He is an active participant in community service for such diverse causes as the preservation of New York waterways and the Liberty Humane Shelter.
Jackie Carter is an associate at Citigroup where she works with the management team of the investment banking division. Prior to this role, Carter graduated from Yale Law School / Yale School of Management, where she completed a J.D.-M.B.A. and served as an editor of the Yale Law Journal and co-president of the Yale Law & Business Society. Carter has previously worked at the Clinton Foundation, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Covington & Burling LLP, and the Yale Investments Office. She currently serves on the Board of the Hale Foundation and the Junior Board of Hot Bread Kitchen. Carter graduated from Yale College in 2007 where she majored in ethics, politics, and economics. She also holds a master's degree in philosophy from Columbia University.
Annie Castellani is a law fellow at the Public International Law & Policy Group, a non-profit organization that operates as a global pro bono law firm to provide free legal assistance to states and governments involved in peace negotiations, advise states on drafting post-conflict constitutions, and assist in prosecuting war criminals. In this capacity, she provides legal and policy advice to Libyan and Syrian clients on topics such as transitional justice, international criminal law, constitution drafting, elections monitoring, minority participation, state structures, security sector reform, and protection of human rights. Prior to PILPG, Castellani was a litigation associate in the New York office of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, where she represented domestic and foreign clients engaged in litigation, international arbitration, and mediation arising from disputes over complex commercial agreements. Castellani also previously worked at CNN's New York and UN bureaus, where she researched, wrote, and produced stories on criminal law and international relations, including counterterrorism initiatives and peacekeeping operations. She also contributed to CNN's coverage of the 2004 presidential election. Castellani is a graduate of Northwestern Law and Dartmouth College.
Niovi Christopoulou is assistant general counsel of Libra Capital US, Inc. in New York. Previously, she co-founded an international strategy consulting firm and worked as a corporate associate at international law firms in New York, London, and Washington DC focusing on mergers & acquisitions and private equity, and advising multinational companies on various legal and strategic issues. She is co-chairing the International Committee of Columbia Business School Alumni Club. In 2006 she was recognized by the International Chamber of Commerce-Hellas for co-leading a business forum in NYC on U.S.-Greek and Turkish partnership opportunities with the participation of various prominent business and political leaders. In June 2012 she was nominated to be a speaker at the Womens' Globe Summit in Athens, Greece in which over 1,000 top-level international executives participated. She graduated with honors from Columbia University Law School (LL.M., J.D. Stone Scholar), has authored various legal articles, and is multilingual.
Peter DeBartolo teaches international affairs at Adelphi University and is administrative director of the Levermore Global Scholars Program. He also serves as representative to the United Nations, chairs the university's subcommittee on UN affairs, and manages special projects in support of the UN Academic Impact Initiative. In 2012, he was named "One to Watch in Higher Education" by Long Island Business News and, in 2011, he won Adelphi's Teaching Excellence Award—the university's highest faculty honor for teaching. DeBartolo is a board member of the United Nations Association (Southern NY Division) and is chairman of the Alumni Advisory Board of the Bard Globalization & International Affairs Program in New York City. He received his B.A. in political studies and international relations from Bard College and earned his M.A. in political science from Central European University in Budapest, Hungary. DeBartolo also holds a certificate in multilateral diplomacy from the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, and has completed professional training in international humanitarian law and conflict analysis. He has lived in Spain, China, Hungary, and the United States, and serves as a strategic advisor to various international non-profits.
Lucie-Kay Desthuis-Francis is senior associate with Deloitte's Business Intelligence Services practice. Desthuis-Francis has handled a broad range of investigative assignments—including mapping complex corporate networks, due diligence inquiries, asset tracing and FCPA investigations. She has extensive experience developing intelligence on individuals and entities worldwide. Desthuis-Francis also has significant experience writing competitive landscape studies and risk assessments on countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and Sub-Saharan Africa. She has provided services for multinational companies, financial services firms, and governments on political risk and strategic industries, including energy, transport, construction, and real estate among others. Desthuis-Francis has spent extensive time on the ground in the MENA region. She is a native French and English speaker and proficient in Arabic. Desthuis-Francis holds a M.Sc. in Middle Eastern politics from the School of Oriental and African Studies (University of London) and a M.A. in international relations from Saint Andrews University, Scotland.
Dean Fealk is a partner and heads the Global Equity practice at DLA Piper. He advises leading multinational companies on a wide range of legal and strategic issues related to doing business overseas. In 2010, The Daily Journal named Fealk to its list of California's "Top 20 Attorneys under 40." He was also designated a 2011 recipient of the American Marshall Memorial Fellowship. The New Leaders Council selected him for a "40 under 40 Leadership Award," celebrating young leaders across the nation in entrepreneurship, advocacy, media, and politics. He has served as a consultant to the World Bank on issues of regulatory reform and business climate and has taught as an adjunct professor or guest lecturer at the law schools of UC Berkeley, UC Hastings, Santa Clara University, and Kyunghee University. He is a Fulbright Scholar and a Truman National Security Fellow. He served on the National Security Advisory Board of a leading presidential candidate in 2007 and 2008. He currently serves on the advisory group to the California Economic Strategy Panel, the Finance Council of the California Democratic Party, and the Executive Committee for International Law of the State Bar of California. He is also a graduate of the 2009–2010 class of Leadership San Francisco.
Masha S. Feiguinova is a senior director for Corporate Social Engagement at Changing Our World. She has worked in the nonprofit management and private philanthropy field for more than eight years. Feiguinova has extensive experience in program development and implementation, monitoring and evaluation, strategic planning and grants management. Before joining Changing Our World, Feiguinova was a program officer at the Open Society Foundation, a private foundation that supports health, education, access to information, youth and environmental protection. In that role, Feiguinova directed the funds, priorities and management of staff; developed program strategies and partnerships; performed project monitoring, performance evaluation and reporting; advised the Corporate Social Responsibility teams of apparel retailers and technology companies on environmental and human rights protection, and collaborated with them to address public concerns. Prior to working at the Open Society Foundation, Feiguinova managed the Community HealthCorps, an AmeriCorps direct service program that addresses public health needs of medically underserved communities in New York City. In this capacity, she trained community health advocates and worked with health centers to expand and enhance their services. Feiguinova holds a bachelor of arts in history and a bachelor of science in anthropology from State University of New York, Purchase College; and a master's degree in international relations from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Annik Foreman is a student at New York University's school of public service and works as a research consultant. Prior to this, she has served the Government of Alberta (Canada) in various capacities, including as a manager of strategic analysis, a senior consultant on organizational performance measures, and as research and evaluation coordinator. Foreman received a B.A. (honors) from The University of Alberta (Canada) in 1998 and a Ph.D. from Monash University (Australia) in 2003, and has taught linguistics, English, accent reduction, and intercultural communication to adults. Her professional goals include working with private or public sector organizations to develop innovative ways for governments to better address cross-jurisdictional policy issues.
Travis Gidado is a legal analyst at Goldman, Sachs & Co. specializing in finance, corporate governance, and regulatory matters for GS Bank USA. Prior to Goldman Sachs, Gidado spent time as an investment banking analyst at UBS AG covering global industrials. He also worked as an editorial assistant for YaleGlobal Online, a constituent publication of the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization. Gidado graduated with a degree in ethics, politics, and economics from Yale University, where his capstone thesis addressed extreme right-wing reactions to multiculturalism and immigration policy in Western Europe. His primary research interests include globalization as it relates to culture and identity formation, the intersection of business with foreign and domestic policy issues, and how technological innovation impacts the global public sphere. One day, Gidado hopes to advise governments and corporations faced with the implications of multifaceted globalizing forces.
Julian Harper is an investment professional at Franklin Templeton Investments, where he focuses on international small and mid cap equity opportunities across industries, primarily in Asia and Europe. He previously worked for an international private equity firm, with an emphasis on secondary investments and mezzanine finance. Harper currently serves on the CNL Steering Committee and is a co-chair for the New York Children's Museum of the Arts Young Professionals Committee and a board member for Sure We Can, a Brooklyn-based non-profit. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Swarthmore College with a double major in economics and political science.
Kei Hiruta is a Carnegie-Uehiro Fellow at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs and a research associate in the Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics at Oxford University. He has been a visiting scholar in the Center for the Study of Human Rights at Columbia University since January 2010. His research interests are in the areas of ethics, political theory, political ideologies, and twentieth-century political thought.
Pam Kingpetcharat is the chief administrative officer of Human Rights First, an independent advocacy and action organization that challenges America to live up to its ideals. She is responsible for ensuring that Human Rights First has the people, processes, and systems in place to operate efficiently and effectively in advancing its mission. Before joining Human Rights First, Kingpetcharat was a senior manager at Dalberg Global Development Advisors, spent two years in Guyana with the Peace Corps, and has worked for Accenture, Merrill Lynch, and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Kingpetcharat holds a master in public administration / international development from Harvard's Kennedy School of Government and a B.A. in economics from Reed College.
Timothy Kudo is currently a dual degree student at New York University where he is studying to receive a master in Business Administration and master in Public Administration. He also writes occasionally for national publications about issues affecting veterans as they make the transition from combat to their communities. Previously, Kudo worked for the advocacy nonprofit Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. He was honorably discharged from the United States Marine Corps in 2011 where he served as an infantry officer deploying to both Iraq and Afghanistan to conduct nation-building and counterinsurgency operations. Kudo started his career as a member of Teach for America and also worked briefly for the New York State Assembly.
Caroline Lampen is the executive assistant to the Chief Financial Officer at the American Jewish Committee, a non-profit organization that advocates for peace in the Middle East and Israel's security, as well as the advancement of human rights throughout the world. She graduated from Duke University in May of 2010 with a degree in political science and a Spanish minor. During her senior year, she researched and wrote a paper titled, "The Emergence of a Norm Cascade on Violence Against Women: CEDAW or Transnational Advocacy Network?" that was published in Eruditio, Duke's undergraduate humanities journal. The paper was also awarded the Oliver W. Koonz Human Rights Prize by the Faculty Advisory Board of Duke's Human Rights Center for being the best paper in the field of human rights for that academic year. At Duke, Lampen was the president of Millennium Villages Project, a campus organization that focused on poverty alleviation and the fulfillment of the Millennium Development Goals. In the past year, Lampen has become involved at Our Little Roses, an orphanage in San Pedro Sula, Honduras for abused, abandoned, and malnourished girls. Her experiences volunteering there have been instrumental in cultivating her passion in the empowerment of women and girls in the developing world.
Eddie Mandhry joined NYU Africa House in November 2012. As the associate director, he is responsible for managing Africa House's public engagement programs that spotlight Africa-focused research conducted by members of the NYU academic community. He also manages seminars, conferences, and symposiums featuring local and international dignitaries, thought leaders, and practitioners. The flagship programs aim to promote critical dialogue and debate on evolving social and political trends linked to economic development in Africa. Prior to joining NYU Africa House, Mandhry was the Washington program director at Global Kids Inc., a United Nations-affiliated human rights education organization working to develop global awareness and civic engagement among New York and Washington D.C. urban youth. He also served as the director of the U.S. in the World: International Law and Foreign Policy Program, conducted in collaboration with the Council on Foreign Relations, New York; and the annual Global Gateways Scholars Program held at Howard University's Ralph J. Bunche International Affairs Center, leading international youth programs to Brazil and Haiti. He has interned with The Hague Appeal for Peace, the Aga Khan Foundation in Geneva, and the Inter Africa Committee on Harmful Traditional Practices Against Women and Children, also in Geneva. He holds a B.A. in Political Science/African Studies from Hampshire College, and a M.Sc. in International Relations from the London School of Economics. He has also studied international affairs and French in Geneva, Switzerland with the School for International Training. He is a 2008 graduate of the Columbia Business School Social Enterprise Executive Education certificate program. He is a Kenyan national, fluent in Kiswahili with basic proficiency in Amharic and French.
Kathryn M. Martorana is currently an MA candidate at Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. She has previously worked as a coordinator for Oxfam America's Oil, Gas, and Mining Program, which promotes transparency and accountability in the extractives sector. While at Oxfam, she visited a number of mining operations and affected communities in West Africa and East Asia. Prior to joining Oxfam, she worked in the Republic of Namibia under the Ministry of Education. Martorana has held internships at the American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research, Senator John F. Kerry's office and the International Institute for Justice and Development. She holds a B.A. in international relations and economics from the University of Delaware.
Kyle C. Matthews is the lead researcher for the Will to Intervene Project at the Montreal Institute for Genocide and Human Rights Studies, Concordia University. He is co-author of the book Mobilizing the Will to Intervene: Leadership to Prevent Mass Atrocities and has advised Canadian politicians on issues related to international peace and security. He previously worked as a diplomat at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. During that time, he was posted to the Southern Caucasus (Tbilisi), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa), and Switzerland (Geneva). He also worked for CARE International in Albania and later at its Canadian office in Ottawa, where he managed various humanitarian response initiatives and peace-building projects in Afghanistan, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the Middle East. Matthews is currently the president of the Canadian International Council in Montreal and is a member of the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations. In 2011 he joined the advisory board of the Canadian Centre for the Responsibility to Protect. Originally from Ottawa, Matthews completed his master's in development and international relations at Aalborg University in Denmark, earned a certificate in Refugee Issues from York University, and received his undergraduate degree in history from Carleton University.
Conor Moran works as a financial technology executive, most recently with Markit Group Limited, which acquired his previous firm Data Explorers. Moran helped develop the buy-side proposition and new business development for the firm as they launched their New York office. His previous experience has been working with the traditional and alternative asset community around research, trading, and financial technology. He is an active participant in many New York area organizations including Young Professionals in Foreign Policy, the United Nations Association, Nework 20/20, iMentor, the American Alpine Club New York Section, Upwardly Global, and NY Cares. He serves as a board member and past president for the Dance Marathon AIG and as a board member for the Four Diamonds Fund.
Elizabeth Nugent is an investigator with the James Mintz Group, a private investigation services firm. Her interests include Middle Eastern politics with a focus on Islamist and opposition movements in the region. Previously, Nugent served as a research assistant at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, DC. Nugent graduated cum laude with a bachelor's degree in Arabic from Georgetown University in 2007. In 2010, she received her master's degree in Arab studies from Georgetown and was awarded distinction for her thesis, titled "Hizbullah in Lebanese Domestic Politics: Islamism, Nationalism, and Parliamentary Opposition." Nugent served as 2007 Fulbright Fellow in Cairo, Egypt and was a 2009 Cosmos Club Foundation Scholar.
McKenzie Price is the program administrator for ORBIS International's Flying Eye Hospital, an ophthalmic training and surgical center on-board a DC-10 aircraft. With a focus on enhancing the skill set of ophthalmologists, nurses, anesthesiologists, and biomedical engineers in developing countries, the organization works to build the capacity of partner hospitals and medical institutions globally. Previously, Price worked in the Washington DC office of Human Rights Watch, supporting the organization's Africa-focused research and advocacy initiatives on themes from government corruption and state-sponsored terrorism to human rights abuses against civilians in conflict and post-conflict situations. She has interned with the U.S. State Department in Kenya and the Central Intelligence Agency and holds a B.A. in anthropology from Howard University and a M.Sc. in Comparative Politics-Conflict Studies from the London School of Economics, where she wrote her thesis on political legitimacy and the potential for terrorism in Somalia. She has also enjoyed volunteering for refugee and community development organizations in the U.S. and UK.
Vladimir Prokopchuk recently was admitted for a master's of science program at Columbia University. Prokopchuk has had internship opportunities on the state and international level. Furthermore, he worked for more than three years at an academic institution helping students. He is interested in international affairs particularly matters of diplomacy and conflict resolution.
Matthias Resch is a finance professional, economist, and social entrepreneur. Originally from Germany, he completed his bachelors in business management prior to relocating to NYC to pursue a master's degree in economics and international political economy & development. Since then, he has been working as vice president and asset / liability manager of an international bank. An avid cyclist and experienced public speaker, he is also a board member of the United Nations Association of Southern New York, a consultant to various non-profits, and a co-founder of the non-profit CDi – Community Development International. He has a strong belief in public-private partnerships, triple-bottom lines, and innovative business solutions for economic growth, social development, and for the public and environmental good. He has traveled extensively in Central America, Sub-Saharan Africa, South and South East Asia, and Eastern Europe. He speaks fluent English, German, and French as well as some Creole and Spanish.
Sylvana Rochet-Belleri is currently the associate director of programs for the Flying Eye Hospital (FEH) at ORBIS International in New York. She focuses on developing sustainable processes and tools to maximize the impact of the FEH's capacity-building and medical training programs, while strengthening relationships with partners in developing countries. Previously an international program manager at the American Cancer Society, she led public health campaigns and capacity-building initiatives in North Africa, Latin America, and Sweden. Throughout her nine years of professional experience, Rochet-Belleri has honed her skills as a cross-cultural strategist, launching programs in underserved areas and training high-level executives in institutions such as the European Commission in Brussels. She holds a B.A. in international relations from Florida International University, and a M.A. from New York University Paris in French civilization with focus on foreign affairs. Having studied and worked in France and Colombia, she is fluent in French and Spanish. She also volunteers her time to advocate for environmental causes and is a member of the Eco-Health Alliance.
Dahlia Saibil earned her LL.M. in international law with a focus on international human rights from Georgetown University in 2007. She received her LL.B. from Osgoode Hall Law School, and a Bachelor of Sciences in psychology in Toronto. For the past 18 months, Saibil has worked for UN Women in New York managing programs that are working on the thematic issue of violence against women and girls. Her area of focus is the intersection of HIV and violence against women. Previous to her work at the UN, Saibil was a district attorney in Canada for eight years and specialized in domestic and sexual violence crimes. She has worked as a policy advisor for the Ministry of the Attorney General in the Ontario Victim Services Secretariat.
Fredrik S. Stanton is the author of Great Negotiations: Agreements that Changed the Modern World. He is a John C. Whitehead Fellow of the Foreign Policy Association. Stanton is the former president and publisher of the Columbia Daily Spectator. He has served as an election monitor in Armenia, Republic of Georgia, Bosnia, Kosovo, and Azerbaijan. He received a B.A. in political science from Columbia University.
Andre D. Stein works in the international financial markets where he advises on the impact of global political risk on investment strategies and instruments. Stein previously served as a senior advisor to a global professional services firm, focusing on political/security risk, sovereign decision-making, and capital flows in Europe and Africa where he led meetings with elected Heads of Government and other senior officials. He has also worked as a staff adviser to an Australian Federal Government Cabinet Minister and was a practicing attorney. Stein is a graduate of Harvard University with a master's degree in international security and political economy and holds a First Class Honors degree in political science and a degree in law from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. His op-ed articles have been published in The Australian Financial Review, The Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian as well as national newspapers in Southeast Europe.
Luke Tarbi is a senior consultant at Forrester Research, a global market research and advisory firm. His research interests focus on the confluence of emerging technologies, telecommunications, and the developing world. Prior to Forrester Research, Tarbi consulted for Deloitte & Touche (Middle East) and served as an advisor in various economic development and international trade initiatives. His background is as an officer in the U.S. Navy, with whom he served overseas throughout Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, and Sub-Saharan Africa. Tarbi is an active member of the Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), and served as the director of Veterans and Military Affairs on a 2012 congressional campaign. He received his master's degree in international relations from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and is currently pursuing his M.B.A. at The Stern School of Business at New York University. He is a graduate of the Political Science Honors Program at Boston College.
N.A.J. Taylor is a research associate at La Trobe University's Centre for Dialogue, and a doctoral researcher in the School of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Queensland. Taylor's primary teaching and research interest is the study of international and global ethics, particularly questions relating to: methods of killing in contemporary warfare; cosmopolitan responses to the weaponisation of the biosphere; armaments manufacturers' limits of responsibility; transboundary environmental harm; and the future of weapons technology. His research has drawn competitive grants from the Australian Commonwealth Government, UK Foreign Office, Institute of Human Security, La Trobe University, and the University of Queensland. In addition to authoring a number of articles in academic journals and edited books, Taylor's passion for political writing and the reading public has seen his essays and reviews appear in over 50 publications, most recently as a frequent contributor to Al Jazeera English and Crikey.
Robin van Puyenbroeck is a partner at Strategy XXI, a boutique strategic communications and government relations firm. He is also the special representative of the Secretary-General of EUCLID, an international intergovernmental organization holding a university charter. Van Puyenbroeck serves as strategic advisor at the Global Partnerships Forum, which facilitates public-private partnerships for development, and as international coordinator for the Pearl Initiative, which focuses on creating a greater culture of transparency and accountability in the Arabian Gulf. Van Puyenbroeck is actively engaged in numerous non-profit boards, such as the United Nations Association of NY. Previously, van Puyenbroeck worked at ING Group and was part of ING's Global Management Program. He was vice president at ING Global Clients in New York where he managed relationships between senior officials of multinational corporations and all facets of the bank; before he was business manager of the Natural Resources sector at HQ and worked for ING in Brussels and Toronto. Van Puyenbroeck is a doctoral candidate in diplomacy and international affairs at the Pôle Universitaire Euclide. He holds an LL.M. in international law (Hons.) from the Université Libre de Bruxelles and a J.D. (Hons.) from the University of Ghent. He also studied European law at the Universidad de Valencia and holds a Certificate in Global Affairs from NYU.
Miro R. Vassilev is a New York-based hedge fund investment professional focused on the infrastructure, energy, and industrial sectors globally. Previously, he was an investment professional with Goldman Sachs in Europe and with a U.S. special-situations investment fund focusing on privatizations, restructurings, and spin-offs. Vassilev graduated with an M.P.P. in international security policy from the Harvard Kennedy School, where he was Kokkalis Fellow and co-president of the Social Enterprise Club. He also received an M.B.A. in finance from the Wharton School, where he was Social Impact Management Fellow focusing on the role of global business in solving the most pressing social and environmental issues. Vassilev is a graduate of Oxford University.
Stephanie-Eva Venturas is a managing director at Eagle Capital Management, LLC a Manhattan based investment management firm serving domestic and international clients including academic organizations, cultural institutions, endowments, foundations, sovereign entities, pensions, and religious organizations. Prior to joining Eagle Capital, Venturas was an associate at Cramer Rosenthal McGlynn, LLC. She graduated from Colgate University in 2005 with a B.A. in international relations and interdisciplinary writing.
Daniel Weisfield is a J.D. candidate at Yale Law School and an M.B.A. candidate at the Yale School of Management. As a U.S. diplomat he worked in 26 countries, served at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations, and worked in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. In the private sector, Weisfield has worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, founded a real estate venture in New Haven, and worked in strategy at ArcelorMittal, the world's biggest steel company. He is a recipient of a Fulbright Scholarship and the State Department's Meritorious Honor award, and is a proud mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters. As a Carnegie New Leader for Ethics in International Affairs, Weisfield hopes to explore how technology and globalization impact business ethics.
Christopher Wentzel is an asset manager at Dubai Real Estate Corporation, the real estate sovereign wealth arm of the Emirate of Dubai, U.A.E. Prior to DREC, Wentzel worked as a senior associate for a private equity group, TECOM Investments, where he led and negotiated several real estate, education, and green-tech investment transactions and projects along with various corporate development activities. He has been active in building institutional and cross-cultural bridges between the West and East, helping to establish a branch of Michigan State University in the Middle East, and serving as a member of the Steering Committee for the Dubai International Film Festival. Wentzel has a M.B.A. from London Business School and he currently serves as an international alumni ambassador for the University of Connecticut where he earned his B.A. in political science and international relations.
