Dr. George Cheriyan, MD, FRCP (Lon), FRCPI, MBA is the Corporate CEO and Chief Medical Officer of the King Hammad American Mission Hospital (KHAMH) in Bahrain, the oldest hospital in the GCC. He worked as a Neonatologist for over 25 years after obtaining his post graduate training in Pediatrics in London at The Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street, and sub-specialization in Neonatology at the Hospital for Sick Children, in Toronto, Canada.
Dr. Cheriyan has also worked as a Consultant Neonatologist in the National Health Service In London before moving up to take up a position as Head of Neonatology at the Saudi Aramco Hospital where he worked for 18 years in various capacities of leadership. He is a trained 'Improvement Advisor' in Healthcare quality from the Institute of Healthcare Improvement (IHI) in Boston, MA where he was adjunct teaching member of the faculty and has been an invited speaker at various healthcare Forums both in and outside of the US.
He further obtained training in Healthcare management at the Harvard Business School and is both an alumni of the Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. His area of interest is the economics in developing a model of non-profit healthcare which is both affordable and of high quality.
Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., president and chief executive officer of Mayo Clinic, leads the No. 1 ranked hospital by U.S. News and World Report and Newsweek. Powered by a 76,000-person workforce, Mayo Clinic cares for more than 1.4 million people each year with serious or complex illnesses from all 50 U.S. states and 140 countries. With a singular focus on the need for patient-centered health care transformation, Dr. Farrugia is a leading voice in the movement of health care from a linear pipeline operational model to a platform-based model.
Prior to his appointment as CEO, Dr. Farrugia served as CEO of Mayo Clinic in Florida. Under his leadership, Florida established itself as a destination medical center for the Southeast. He also led the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine, which brings genomics into routine clinical care, and co-founded the Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation. He is a member of the Mayo Clinic Board of Trustees and Governors.
Dr. Farrugia has been a Mayo Clinic physician for more than 30 years. He is jointly appointed in the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, and the Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering. He also is a professor of medicine and physiology at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science. He completed his undergraduate training at St. Aloysius College and earned his medical degree from the University of Malta Medical School.
Dr. Farrugia is the co-author of "Think Big, Start Small, Move Fast: A Blueprint for Transformation from the Mayo Clinic Center for Innovation", a book highlighting the need for change in the delivery of health care. He is a past president of the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society. An active translational scientist and NIH researcher, he has published more than 350 academic articles. He also is co-chair of the Global Health and Healthcare Governors, World Economic Forum.
Prof. Eyal Zimlichman is an internal medicine physician, a health care executive and a researcher focused on assessing and improving health care quality and value, patient engagement and patient safety.
Prof. Zimlichman currently serves as Chief Transformation Officer and Chief Innovation Officer at Sheba Medical Center, Israel's largest hospital. In this position he oversees the transformation efforts carried out at the Medical Center as it aims to redesign healthcare to be focused on patients, while being more effective, efficient and equitable. For these reasons, Prof. Zimlichman founded Sheba's global innovation program (ARC - Accelerate, Redesign and Collaborate). Prior to this Prof. Zimlichman held the position of Chief Medical Officer and before that as Chief Quality Officer, both at Sheba.
Preceding his work at Sheba, Prof. Zimlichman held the position of Lead Researcher at Partners Health Care Clinical Affairs Department in Boston where he was involved in the efforts to bring about a strategic care redesign initiative. In that capacity, Prof. Zimlichman established their program for collecting and reporting patient reported outcomes across the continuum of care, a program that earned international appraisal. During that time, Prof. Zimlichman held an appointment at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School affiliated Center for Patient Safety Research and Practice, where he conducted research on implementing technology to improve quality and patient safety.
Prof. Zimlichman is a founding member of the International Academy of Quality and Safety in Health Care and an International Expert at the International Society of Quality in Healthcare (ISQua). He also served as an advisor to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In 2007 Prof. Zimlichman was selected as a member of Sheba's Talpiot Medical Leadership Program, a program aimed at advancing the brightest young physicians into leadership roles. In 2017 he was appointed head of the program. Prof. Zimlichman is a graduate of the Harvard School of Public Health Master of Science in Healthcare Management program and has earned his MD at the Technion Israel Institute of Technology.
Dr. Maan Fares, MD, is a practicing cardiologist in the Robert and Suzanne Tomsich Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, and Chairman of Global Patient Services, at the Cleveland Clinic.
The Cleveland Clinic is a nonprofit multispecialty academic medical center that integrates clinical and hospital care with research and education. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, it was founded in 1921 by four renowned physicians with a vision of providing outstanding patient care based upon the principles of cooperation, compassion and innovation. The Cleveland Clinic has pioneered many medical breakthroughs, including coronary artery bypass surgery and the first face transplant in the United States. U.S.News & World Report consistently names the Cleveland Clinic as one of the nation's best hospitals in its annual "America's Best Hospitals" survey.
As a global health care organization with an international reputation for excellence in specialty care particularly in cardiovascular diseases. The department of Global Patients Services helps in organizing the care and management of more than 5,000 patients annually. Patients arrive from all corners of the globe with immensely diverse backgrounds seeking various health care needs. Their care demands excellence in management of complex medical illnesses and special cultural awareness to ensure a better experience and superb outcomes.
Dr. Fares is board-certified in cardiovascular disease, nuclear cardiology/cardiovascular imaging (Level II, including SPECT and PET) and echocardiographic imaging (Level II) and has completed Level II training in cardiac CT angiography. He performs nearly 2,000 nuclear stress tests, 2,000 adult echocardiograms, and more than 2,500 stress tests and EKGs each year.
Dr. Fares earned his medical degree from the University of Damascus, School of Medicine, Syria. He completed a residency at the Cleveland Clinic, in Cleveland, Ohio, and a fellowship in cardiovascular medicine at New England Medical Center, in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Fares spent time on staff at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, as a clinical associate in echocardiography. Prior to his appointment to the Cleveland Clinic medical staff in 2013, Dr. Fares was a member of the Ohio Permanent Medical Group/Kaiser Permanente medical staff and Chief of Cardiology. Additional positions he held with Kaiser Permanente Ohio include Associate Medical Director for Medical Specialties and member of the Board of Directors.
He is a member of the American College of Cardiology, American Society of Echocardiography and the American Society of Nuclear Cardiology and is a founding member of the Syrian American Medical Society.
Dr. Deborah L. Birx, MD, is a world-renowned medical physician and expert on HIV/AIDS and infectious diseases and a diplomat who served as a special representative for global health diplomacy. Most recently, Dr. Birx served on the White House Coronavirus Task Force from Feb. 2020 to Jan. 2021. Her three-decade-long career has focused on HIV/AIDS immunology, vaccine research, and global health. As the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator for presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, Dr. Birx oversaw the implementation of the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the largest commitment by any nation to combat a single disease in history, as well as all U.S. government engagement with the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. Serving as the U.S. Special Representative for Global Health Diplomacy, she aligned the U.S. Government's diplomacy with foreign assistance programs that address global health challenges and accelerate progress toward achieving an AIDS-free generation; ending preventable child and maternal deaths; and preventing, detecting, and responding to infectious disease threats.
In 1985, Dr. Birx began her career with the Department of Defense (DoD) as a military-trained clinician in immunology, focusing on HIV/AIDS vaccine research. From 1985-1989 she served as an Assistant Chief of the Hospital Immunology Service at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Through her professionalism and leadership in the field, she served as the Director of the U.S. Military HIV Research Program (USMHRP) at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research from 1996-2005. Dr. Birx helped lead one of the most influential HIV vaccine trials in history (known as RV 144, or the Thai trial), which provided the first supporting evidence of any vaccine's potential effectiveness in preventing HIV infection. During this time, she also rose to the rank of Colonel, bringing together the Navy, Army, and Air Force in a new model of cooperation - increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the U.S. military's HIV/AIDS efforts through inter-and intra-agency collaboration. Then known as Colonel Dr. Birx, she was awarded two prestigious U.S. Meritorious Service Medals and the Legion of Merit Award for her groundbreaking research, leadership and management skills during her tenure at DoD.
From 2005-2014, Dr. Birx served as the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Division of Global HIV/AIDS (DGHA) in the CDC Center for Global Health. As DGHA Director, she utilized her leadership ability, superior technical skills, and passion to achieve tremendous health impact. She successfully led the implementation of CDC's PEPFAR programs around the world and managed an annual budget of more than $1.5 billion. Dr. Birx was responsible for all of the agency's global HIV/AIDS activities, including providing oversight to more than 400 staff at headquarters, over 1,500 staff in the field, and more than 45 country and regional offices in Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Recognized for her distinguished and dedicated commitment to building local capacity and strengthening quality laboratory health services and systems in Africa, in 2011, Dr. Birx received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the African Society for Laboratory Medicine. In 2014, CDC honored her leadership in advancing the agency's HIV/AIDS response with the highly prestigious William C. Watson, Jr. Medal of Excellence, the highest honor bestowed by the CDC.
Dr. Birx received her medical degree from the Hershey School of Medicine, Pennsylvania State University. She trained in internal medicine and basic and clinical immunology at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Birx is board certified in internal medicine, allergy and immunology, and diagnostic and clinical laboratory immunology. She has published over 220 manuscripts in peer-reviewed journals, authored nearly a dozen chapters in scientific publications, as well as developed and patented vaccines.
Dr. Ghassan Abou-Alfa, MD, MBA joined the Gastrointestinal Oncology Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York back in 2001. Dr. Abou-Alfa specializes in the treatment of gastrointestinal cancers and in particular, liver cancer. Dr. Abou-Alfa received his medical degree from the American University of Beirut, Lebanon, and completed his post-doctoral training at Yale University School of Medicine. He received his MBA from Columbia University.
Dr. Abou-Alfa serves as the chair of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Task Force for Hepatobiliary Cancers, the chair of the AIDS Malignancy Consortium (AMC) Non-AIDS Defining Malignancies (NADC) Liver/GI Task Force, and is the President-Elect for the International Society of Gastrointestinal Oncology. Dr. Abou-Alfa has lectured worldwide on the subject on gastrointestinal malignancies. He serves as the chair the medical/scientific board of the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation and the Blue Faery Liver Foundation, and also serves on the National Medical Advisory Committee of the American Liver Foundation.
Dr. Abou-Alfa has also spearheaded many international projects since 2006, and now serves on the institutional leadership panel for international healthcare. Dr. Abou-Alfa helped Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center establish a strong relationship with many institutions worldwide, with an ongoing faculty exchange, repeated video-link conferencing, and class-training courses with China and the Middle East. These joint collaborations have led to the development of the first joint tissue bank with a shared database with Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and supported fellowship opportunities for excelling medical graduates. Dr. Abou-Alfa has also helped promote and enhance the MSKCC international patients' referral base.
Suja Mathew, MD is Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer of Atlantic Health System. In her role, Dr. Mathew oversees the quality, research, education and health equity missions of the Atlantic Health organization. With many years of experience in clinical leadership, Dr. Mathew works collaboratively to deliver innovative and high-quality care for patients across the state.
Working directly with Atlantic Health System's chief medical officers and quality, research and academic teams, Dr. Mathew helps strengthen the bonds that connect Atlantic Health System's entire network of care, empowering every patient to benefit from its system-wide resources. In her unique role as Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Mathew is primarily focused on three key areas: optimizing patient access to the full Atlantic Health System network of care, elevating the system's innovative research and academic programs, and continuing the system's commitment to the highest quality care.
Under her leadership at Atlantic Health, the system has earned numerous, national recognitions for quality care. Most recently Atlantic Health was honored with a 2023 Citation of Merit from the American Hospital Association as part of its prestigious Quest for Quality prize.
Dr. Mathew is a leader and sought-after speaker on policy matters involving physicians thanks to several roles she plays with national organizations. She serves on the Board of Regents for the American College of Physicians (ACP), the largest specialty-based physician society in the country and is immediate past governor for the Illinois Northern chapter. She is a delegate to the American Medical Association (AMA) and an elected member of the AMA's Council on Medical Education and chair of the Continuing Medical Education committee. Additionally, Dr. Mathew works with the AMA as a Senior Practice Advisor and assists leaders in their efforts to improve professional satisfaction among their clinicians.
Before joining Atlantic Health System in March 2022, Dr. Mathew served in the Cook County Health and Hospitals System in Chicago, Illinois for 22 years, most recently as the System Chair of Medicine. She oversaw integrated inpatient and ambulatory internal medicine, dermatology and neurology services across the entire system. Dr. Mathew distinguished herself as a medical educator when she served as program director at Stroger Hospital of Cook County, leading one of the nation's largest internal medicine training programs and in progressive educational leadership roles at Rush Medical College.
Dr. Mathew earned her medical degree from the Pritzker School of Medicine at The University of Chicago and was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha national medical honors society. She completed residency training in internal medicine at the University of Chicago Medical Center.
Dr. Mathew is passionate for health equity and addressing the needs of marginalized communities. She is an advocate for ensuring that all Americans have access to reliable sources of nutritious food and serves as co-chair of Doctors for a Hunger Free America since 2019. Dr. Mathew is also committed to mentoring the next generation of healthcare leaders through her co-founding of the South Asian Women's Healthcare Collaborative, a group that aims to mentor and sponsor women of South Asian heritage who aspire to the highest leadership roles in U.S. healthcare. She is an awarded teacher, mentor, and humanitarian.
Dr. Gabi Hanna, MD is an Associate Director at the Duke Cancer Institute, surgical and imaging facility which leads translation medicine and drug development to clinical work, foster innovations design and conduct preclinical researches translational to clinic and patient care. Collaborate and work with Biotech and pharmaceutical industry to conduct preclinical and translation research at Duke, including: Clinical trial; GLP good laboratory practice; IND new drugs development; IDE and medical device development; novel imaging methods.
Dr. Hanna worked with GlaxoSmithKline pharmaceutical on antiangiogenic therapy project. He led the multidisciplinary team at Duke to develop new treatment protocol based the tumor oxygenation after evaluation the different antiangiogenic therapies on cancer prognosis; microenvironment; vascular; drug delivery; EMT; VGF; PDGF.
Dr. Hanna is also the President, Chairman of North Carolina Society of Physician Entrepreneurs. As serial entrepreneurs, Dr. Hanna took the role to be the president and chairman for the professional society dedicated to advancing healthcare innovation. By linking clinicians, entrepreneurs, technologists, investors, VC/ PE, universities, industries and policymakers with creative business strategy to create next generation of technology to get to the new area of medical practice.
Dr. Hanna newest technology start-up is AMERICAN REMOTE HEALTH and TeleCancer. It is the first and only Telemedicine service and app that focuses on cancer and chronic diseases to improves the outcome care. By utilizing telecommunication technology, it helps extend the medical advanced knowledge and research of academia centers and top universities like Duke, Mayo Clinic, the Cleveland Clinic, NIH, Harvard, etc. beyond the wall of universities.Patients have the option to upload their complete medical records (via HIPPA compliant apps or EMR web system) and communicate to the top 2% of doctors in US. American Remote Health doctors will provide a written treatment plan including genetic personalized treatment and clinical trials; collaborate on the treatment with the local doctors; or arrange the treatment and logistic for patients to come to the best hospital to receive the treatment/ surgery upon the next day of their arrival. American Remote Health is not just saving lives and improving outcome but eliminating unnecessary surgeries, and possibly "wrong" treatments.
Dr. Hanna graduated medical school from Aleppo, surgical internship acting at University of Texas Medical Branch and his Radiation Oncology postdoctoral fellowship at Duke University.
BioSAFE technology provides environmentally responsible solutions for the treatment and disposal of biologic and medical waste. The company also serves specialized high containment government and private laboratories, vaccine production facilities, and leading agricultural research centers, to eliminate the threat of hazardous or infectious agents.
Prior to leading BioSAFE Engineering, Mr. Mervis was COO of Mervis Industries, one of the largest private recyclers in the USA, recycling over 1 billion pounds per year of metals, plastics, paper, and electronics. Mr. Mervis has leveraged this experience to make BioSAFE a leader in solutions that enable recycling medical and laboratory plastics.
Dr. Fredrick L. Echols, the Chief Executive Officer for Cure Violence Global, ranked the No. 9 NGO in the world by NGO Advisor. Dr. Echols is an accomplished physician and public health professional. He has experience in the public and private health sectors. Prior to starting is tenure with Cure Violence Global, he served as the Director of Health and Health Commissioner for the City of St. Louis. In these roles, Dr. Echols oversaw all public health regulations and departmental operations and led the City of St. Louis' COVID-19 pandemic response.
Prior to serving as the director, Dr. Echols served as director of Communicable Disease, Emergency Preparedness, Vector and Veterinary Programs for the St. Louis County Department of Public Health, where he was responsible for overseeing daily operations, staff development and training, establishment of public-private partnerships, strategic planning, fiscal management of a multi-million-dollar budget and program development and implementation.
Before his position with St. Louis County, Dr. Echols served as Chief of Communicable Diseases for the Illinois Department of Public Health and as a physician in the U.S. Navy, where he managed a staff of medical and ancillary personnel. Additionally, Dr. Echols has served as the principal investigator for local and federally funded public health research initiatives and provides guidance to national and international health workgroups.
Mr. John (Johnny) P. Walker II is a graduate of Pace University and the United States Marine Corp where he started his experience in logistics serving in the MT Platoon, Service Company, 6th Comm BN, 4th DV USMC as a 3521 (Diesel Mechanic: 2E). Honorably Discharged at the rank of E-3 in 2002. From there he gained extensive experience in Stevedoring operations from Break Bulk; Liquid transfer; Supervising Union Labor; Trucking; Equipment Control; and Container Marine Operations, in one of the busiest Ports in the western hemisphere. Other areas of Logistical experience include Route Logistics; Warehouse Shipping and Receiving; and, exporting new products globally for product introduction to various Global markets.
Mr. Walker has been featured in two documentaries: The "Science Channel's" - "Mega Machines - Sea Giants: Season 1: Episode 8 'New York Mega Port'" and this year's winner for "Best Featured Documentary - New York Movie Awards" - "Healing the Heroes of 9-11: The Way Forward". other appearances include National Television: NewsMax "America Right Now" (two appearances to date). He also has three published articles in various global media outlets.
PROFILE
Researcher • Author • Formulator Product / Ingredient Platform Development More than 35 years of experience in developing ingredient platforms for medical and nutraceutical products domestically and internationally. Devoted to developing natural health products that are genetic based and genetically compatible. Concentrating on ingredient profiles that are based on traditional food resources that address the large and growing need for genetic based nutrition.
HISTORY
- Research/Development/Technology
- Nutraceuticals for the prevention and long term reversal of type 2 Diabetes.
- Platform for fruit & vegetable extracts for health and Diabetes.
- Plant based high viscosity polysaccharides for menopause symptoms.
- Nutraceuticals for immune system enhancement.
- Pure Minerals for bone, teeth, osteoporosis and dental health.
- Plant based weight loss formulas and body composition improvements that work thru the digestive system.
- Anti-inflammatory formulas to dampen systemic inflammation.
A tech industry pioneer who helped build influential brands like broadcast.com and Yahoo!
Woodward has invested in over 70 early-stage ventures since 1995 and participated in several successful IPOs, including Broadcast.com and Ascend, that had a combined market valuation of nearly $30 billion at the time of their acquisition by Yahoo! and Lucent, respectively.
Woodward currently sits on the board of and is a seed investor in IPTalons, an innovation protection platform for corporate, university and government research and development. Prior to this, Woodward seed-funded and was a co-founder of MyLifeIQ, a genomics health and wellness company that was sold to Recuro Health and Quantum Symphony Group, a cyber security consulting firm. He is the former CEO and Chairman of MVPindex, Inc., a social and digital sponsorship valuation platform for sports and entertainment brands, teams, leagues, properties, and influencers.
Dr. Rothman began his research career as an undergraduate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he studied E. coli DNA repair under Graham C. Walker. He completed his B.S. in biology in 1980 and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He then entered medical school at Yale University. While at Yale, Dr. Rothman studied T cell subsets in the lab of Leonard Chess at Columbia University. He received his medical degree in 1984, earning a place in the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society.
Dr. Rothman went on to a medical residency and rheumatology fellowship at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City before joining the medical faculty of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1986.There, he also completed a postdoctoral biochemistry fellowship with Frederick W. Alt, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, studying immunoglobulin class-switch recombination. At Columbia, Dr. Rothman was appointed the Richard J. Stock Professor of Medicine (Immunology) and Microbiology and chief of the pulmonary, allergy and critical care division.
A molecular immunologist, Dr. Rothman's research focused on immune system molecules called cytokines. He investigated the role these molecules play in the normal development of blood cells, in addition to the abnormal blood-cell development that leads to leukemia. He also studied the function of cytokines in immune system responses to allergies and asthma. The National Institutes of Health consistently funded his work.
In 2004, Dr. Rothman accepted a position as head of internal medicine at the Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa. In 2008, he was named dean of the Carver College of Medicine and leader of its clinical practice plan, a role in which he served for four years. In 2012, he became the 14th dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the second CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Dr. Rothman is on the Board of Directors of Merck and Company, as well as the King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre in Saudi Arabia.Dr. Rothman began his research career as an undergraduate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he studied E. coli DNA repair under Graham C. Walker. He completed his B.S. in biology in 1980 and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. He then entered medical school at Yale University. While at Yale, Dr. Rothman studied T cell subsets in the lab of Leonard Chess at Columbia University. He received his medical degree in 1984, earning a place in the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society.
Dr. Rothman went on to a medical residency and rheumatology fellowship at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City before joining the medical faculty of the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in 1986.There, he also completed a postdoctoral biochemistry fellowship with Frederick W. Alt, a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator, studying immunoglobulin class-switch recombination. At Columbia, Dr. Rothman was appointed the Richard J. Stock Professor of Medicine (Immunology) and Microbiology and chief of the pulmonary, allergy and critical care division.
A molecular immunologist, Dr. Rothman's research focused on immune system molecules called cytokines. He investigated the role these molecules play in the normal development of blood cells, in addition to the abnormal blood-cell development that leads to leukemia. He also studied the function of cytokines in immune system responses to allergies and asthma. The National Institutes of Health consistently funded his work.
In 2004, Dr. Rothman accepted a position as head of internal medicine at the Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa. In 2008, he was named dean of the Carver College of Medicine and leader of its clinical practice plan, a role in which he served for four years. In 2012, he became the 14th dean of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and the second CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Dr. Rothman is on the Board of Directors of Merck and Company, as well as the King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre in Saudi Arabia.
In January 2021, Israel opened an embassy in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with Ambassador Na'eh serving as head of the mission. In November of 202 he began working at the Israeli embassy in Manama, vacating his temporary posting in Abu Dhabi, where he spent nine months serving as the first diplomat to represent Israel in the United Arab Emirates. Israel signed normalization agreements with the UAE and Bahrain in September 2020, with Morocco and Sudan joining what is now known as the Abraham Accords a few months later.
Dr. Toby Cosgrove M.D., is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of the Cleveland Clinic and currently serves as an Executive Advisor for the Cleveland Clinic global health system.
Dr. Cosgrove is a sought-after speaker worldwide. He has addressed the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting at Davos, Switzerland, and the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, in Washington, D.C. He is regularly quoted and featured in national magazines and newspapers, including a cover story in Time, and major articles in Newsweek, the New York Times, and the Washington Post. He has appeared on CNN, Fox, MSNBC, NBC, CBS, "The Charlie Rose Show" on PBS, and other national media outlets.
The recipient of the Cleveland Clinic's Master Clinician Award, Innovator of the Year Award and Lerner Humanitarian Award, Dr. Cosgrove is also a member of the Cleveland Medical Hall of Fame and Cleveland Business Hall of Fame. In 2007 he was named Cleveland Business Executive of the Year by the Sales and Marketing Executives of Cleveland, and Castle Connolly's National Physician of the Year. He also received the Woodrow Wilson Center Award for Public Service as well as Harvard Business School's Award from HBS Alumni, Cleveland, and the Humanitarian Award of the Diversity Center of Northeast Ohio. Dr. Cosgrove topped Inside Business's "Power 100" listing for Northeast Ohio, and is highly ranked among Modern Healthcare's "100 most powerful people in healthcare" and "most powerful physician executives".
Prof. Kreiss is highlighted for his revolutionary initiatives in his esteemed role as Director General of Sheba Medical Center, the largest hospital in the Middle East. In 2018, Professor Kreiss was ranked as the 5th most influential person in the country, by The Marker, the leading business publication in Israel
Since he became Director General of Sheba, Prof. Kreiss has demonstrated powerful leadership skills and many pioneering accomplishments. He expanded Sheba's research programs significantly and introduced many breakthrough innovations to improve global healthcare. Prof. Kreiss advanced Sheba as an epicenter for ultra-progressive medical studies and care, thereby helping to save lives in health facilities around the world.
In particular, TheMarker cites the modern and promising City of Health Project, which is renovating and upgrading Sheba's campus with cutting-edge technologies and facilities. This project is regarded as having a tremendous potential impact on Israel and on medicine worldwide. "We not only want to influence patient care and the future of medicine in Israel, but also on a global scale," says Prof. Kreiss.
Prof. Kreiss is also credited with helping to garner international respect for Sheba Medical Center's global humanitarian efforts, as well as for the way the hospital is an oasis of peace in the region. Sheba's campus in Tel HaShomer includes an acute care hospital and a rehabilitation hospital, and it welcomes patients from all over the world indiscriminately.
Professor Kreiss also served in the Israel Defense Forces in various capacities for 25 years, achieving the rank of Brigadier General. In 2011, he was appointed Surgeon General of the IDF.
Stephen M. Hahn, M.D., is CEO-Partner of Flagship Pioneering and Chief Executive Officer of Harbinger Health. Steve joined Flagship in June 2021 as Chief Medical Officer of its Preemptive Medicine and Health Security Initiative, which is creating a new field that aims to protect, maintain, or improve people's health before they get sick. Steve will continue as a strategic advisor to the Initiative.
Steve brings two decades of distinguished leadership in healthcare strategy, oncology medical practice, and translational/clinical research to this role. He served as the 24th U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner from 2019 to 2021 overseeing both COVID and non-COVID regulatory affairs, including therapeutics and vaccine development, devices, diagnostics, and clinical trials.
Prior to his FDA appointment, Steve served as chief medical executive at the world-renowned MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Prior to his role as chief medical executive, he served as deputy president and chief operating officer where he was responsible for the day-to-day operations of the nation's top cancer center, which included leading more than 21,000 employees and overseeing a $5.2 billion operating budget. Steve was elevated to the chief operating officer role after serving as division head, department chair, and professor of Radiation Oncology. Prior to his executive leadership roles at MD Anderson, Dr. Hahn was the leader of radiation oncology at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine.
Steve focused his translational research efforts on the evaluation of the tumor microenvironment, signal transduction pathways involved in tumor response to therapies and proton therapy. He has authored more than 220 peer-reviewed original research articles and has experience in medical product development.
Steve earned his M.D. from Temple University and received his B.A. in Biology from Rice University. He was an internal medicine resident at the University of California San Francisco before completing a fellowship and residency at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland.
Ms. Seema Verma served as administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the agency that oversees Medicare, Medicaid, and the insurance markets, from 2016 - 2020 during the Trump Administration. She was named as "Modern Healthcare's" 2019 number one most influential person in health care. Her health care articles have been published in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Health Affairs, Modern Healthcare, Newsweek, CNN, and USA Today.
Ms. Verma was vice president of the Health & Hospital Corporation of Marion County and worked at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials in Washington, D.C. She founded health policy consulting firm SVC, Inc., in June 2001. She was president and CEO of the company, which worked with state insurance agencies and public health agencies in preparation for the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. She assisted Indiana and Kentucky, as well as other states, in the design of Medicaid expansion programs under the ACA. In her work with Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky, she developed Medicaid reform programs under the Section 1115 waiver process.
Ms. Verma received a bachelor's degree in life sciences from the University of Maryland, College Park, in 1993. She earned a Master of Public Health, with a concentration in health policy and management, from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in 1996.
Dr. Jeffrey Graves joined 3D Systems in May 2020. Prior to joining the company, from 2012 to May 2020, he served as CEO, President and Director of MTS Systems Corporation, a global supplier of test, simulation, and measurement systems. From 2005 until 2012, Dr. Graves served as President and CEO of C&D Technologies, Inc.
He also held leadership roles with Kemet Corporation as Chief Operating Officer (2001-2003) and CEO (2003 to 2005). Previously he held a number of leadership and technical roles with GE, Rockwell Automation and Howmet Corporation. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Hexcel Corporation.
Dr. Graves holds a bachelor's degree in metallurgical engineering from Purdue University. He also holds a master's degree and PhD in metallurgical engineering from the University of Wisconsin. He has been recognized with the distinguished alumni award from both universities and is also a master black belt in six sigma.
Dr. Peter Lechman MD, MBA, is responsible for provider operations for 160 primary care providers in 11 sites. He is a Member of Clinical Faculty at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and The Lurie Children's Hospital at Northwestern. An important role for Dr. Lechman is supervising and teaching pediatric resident physicians. Dr. Lechman earned a BS from the University of Wisconsin, a Master of Business Administration from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University, and a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine.
Ms. Jessica Morrissey focuses on expanding Northwestern Medicine's outreach and footprint globally. She brings a wealth of both healthcare and business management expertise. Ms. Morrissey has extensive experience in providing business solutions to health systems, Fortune 50 and private companies. She built her career at The Walt Disney Company and Mars Inc. in Los Angeles, where she led programs in business process improvement, system integration and implementation, and strategy. She additionally served in several leadership-level roles for Jiahui Health in Shanghai, China during commissioning and opening of their tertiary level hospital and outpatient sites. Most recently, she served as director for the Office of CEO, where she focused on strategy and governance, global outreach, and clinical optimization. Prior to her work in China, she developed the international strategy and programs at City of Hope National Medical Center, a cancer center in the US. Ms. Morrissey holds a Master of Arts in industrial relations from the University of Minnesota.
Dr. Mariam AlHilli, MD, is a Staff Physician in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Cleveland Clinic. She graduated with honors from the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. Dr. AlHilli completed residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minnesota) and a three-year fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology at Mayo Clinic.
Dr. AlHilli specializes in the surgical management of women with gynecologic cancers including ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer, cervical cancer, and vulvar cancer. She also specializes in the postoperative treatment (chemotherapy) and follow-up of women with gynecologic cancers. Her interests include robotic and minimally invasive surgery, complex gynecologic surgery, gynecologic cancer screening, and evaluation and management of hereditary gynecologic cancers. She is passionate about improving the quality of patient care and experience.
Dr. AlHilli is board certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology. She is a fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a member of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology.
Dr. Zahraa Alhilli is a general surgeon and is affiliated with Cleveland Clinic, Bahrain. She received her medical degree from Royal College of Surgeons Ireland and has been in practice between 11-20 years.
Dr. Jameela Al-Salman graduated with honors from the medical school at Arabian Gulf University, where she is also an Associate Professor. She joined the Salmaniya Medical complex in 1996. Dr. Al-Salman holds three American Board certifications: American Board in Internal Medicine, American Board in Geriatric Medicine, American Board in Infectious Diseases.
Dr. Al-Salman completed her residency and fellowship programs in the United States, where she finished the internal medicine residency in Eason, Hahnemann University, Pennsylvania, USA. Then she did a fellowship in geriatric medicine at Temple University in Pennsylvania, followed by a fellowship in infectious diseases at Yale University, IN, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. She was awarded for the program of antibiotic stewardship for the best governmental practices for 2016 by the Prime Minister in the Kingdom of Bahrain in 2016.
Dr. Al-Salman has received several honors and awards for her scientific contribution internationally. She is a member of several professional societies, including: the American College of Physicians; the Infectious Diseases Society of America; the Bahrain Medical Society; and, the Saudi Society of Infectious Disease and Infection Control.
Mr. Michael "Mick" Merritt is the Chief Operating Officer of Signature Services at Penn Medicine. In this role, he is responsible for Penn Medicine's global strategy and programs, patient facilitated services, executive health, and membership programs. He has over twenty years of experience in healthcare and academic medicine as a management consultant and health system leader. His more than twelve-year consulting career has spanned clinical, education and research-related strategic and operational advisory services to academic medical centers and health systems across the U.S. and abroad where he served in leadership roles at Manatt Health and The Chartis Group.
Mr. Merritt's academic health system leadership experience was developed over nine years at New York-Presbyterian (NYP) in collaboration with the Columbia Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons and Weill Cornell Medicine, where he last served as Vice President of Global Services. In this role, he led a team of nearly 90 people focused on positioning the organization for referral and revenue growth through direct-to-patient strategies, institutional collaborations, employer initiatives, and global education and training programs.
A recognized industry leader, Mr Merritt served on the Vizient Global Executive Services Council Steering Committee, and he helped establish and was on the founding Advisory Council of the U.S. Cooperative for International Patient Programs. He is also a published author who most recently co-authored a Future of Academic Medicine Series report of the American Association of Medical Colleges entitled "Next-Generation Funds Flow Models: Enhancing Academic Health System Alignment" in October, 2018. He is a graduate of Cornell University with a B.A. in psychology.
Mr. Ransel Potter has been a guest speaker at financial and healthcare events in the Arab region and the United States. His contacts throughout the Arab world and the United States are with the top global financial institutions; high net worth families; and, government representatives, including several Sovereign Wealth Funds and Foreign Ministries; U.S. Department of State; United Nations; U.S. Department of Commerce; U.S. Chamber of Commerce; foreign diplomats; current and past Congressmen and Senators.
The founder and Managing Partner of C3 Summit International, he continues to build a rewarding career spanning three decades, and multiple industries, including many noteworthy achievements. His abilities to lead, strategize, develop business and maintain relationships have all contributed to his success.
In 2011, Mr. Potter founded Copara International which marketed financial research from Value Line to the Arab region. Copara provided technical research versus fundamental data as marketing instruments for quantifying selected public companies for client and institutional trades and investments. He personally negotiated with Value Line the international distribution rights regarding both terms and conditions. In less than 11 months, Mr. Potter established several funds in the Middle East using ValueLine research. One fund was capitalized and managed by the National Bank of Abu Dhabi (the 50th strongest bank in the world). He also was successful in marketing a high yield fund for Thomson Reuters with the National Bank of Abu Dhabi and The National Investor, a top boutique investment banking house located in Dubai. He was also responsible for engaging with the Abu Dhabi Investment Company (Invest AD) an assignment to incorporate a quantitative ranking system, with a $30 million GCC/MENA fund, managed by Invest AD.
In 2012, Mr. Potter founded C3 Summit LLC. Some of the more notable global dignitaries who have key noted past C3 Summits and received the prestigious C3 Lifetime Achievement Award have included: President Bill Clinton; Dr. Henry Kissinger; His Majesty King Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifa; HRH Prince Faisal Bun Bandar Al Saud; Khalad Ahmed Al Habtoor; General Wesley Clark and General David Petraeus.
The mission of C3 Summit, as noted on its website www.c3summit2018.com is to ensure that both US and Arab businesses grow and prosper by providing unique and valuable commerce opportunities. By creating a global forum for both the US and the Arab world to explore private and public sector growth and employment generation, C3 Summit encourages each region to open new opportunities on the commercial front to enhance "knowledge transfer" and the welfare of freer trade. Since its founding, C3 Summit has partnered with XS conferences in Saudi Arabia to develop the highly successful Saudi-American Healthcare Forum, held annually at the Riyadh Ritz Carlton since 2014. Under the auspices of the Ministry of Health and King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, both of whom were engaged by Mr. Potter, the Saudi-American Healthcare Forum, with the leadership of Mr. Potter, has attracted leading healthcare professionals and institutions including, among others: Johns Hopkins, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Huntsman Cancer Foundation, Cleveland Clinic. Sponsors recruited by Mr.Potter have included, to name a few, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Google, Microsoft, all of whom continue to support the C3 Summits.
Most recently, Mr. Potter, in partnership with XS Conferences &Exhibitions, led a reverse trade mission to the 2018 Jeddah Economic Forum comprised of CEO's from the private and public healthcare and business sectors. And in March of 2019, Mr, Potter conducted the first C3 China-US Healthcare Summit in Beijing, C3 China-US Healthcare Summit, 2019.
Prior to founding Copara and C3 Summit, Mr. Potter was in Private Wealth Management with Morgan Stanley and licensed with a Series 7, Series 66 and Series 3. Morgan Stanley recognized the value of Mr. Potter's experience and relationships and, in 2007, they invited him to join the firm. Until December of 2010, Mr. Potter served as a Senior Partner on their Private Wealth Management team responsible for identifying viable business opportunities among high net worth clients, families, hedge funds and foundations. His introductions had been a cornerstone of the team's success producing more than $250 million of net new assets in 36 months.
In 1992, Mr. Potter founded Kinloch Marketing and occupied the role of CEO until 2007. Kinloch designed and brought to market sales lead generation and management systems for the Insurance, Banking and Energy industries. Kinloch's success was a direct result of Mr. Potter's leadership and a network he established with senior executives of Fortune 1000 companies.
In 1990, his previous achievements were recognized by Flair Communications and he was asked to run their NY office. He merged R.N. Potter Associates with Flair's New York office and built that regional office in to the largest of their five domestic offices, leaving in 1992 to establish Kinloch Marketing. He formed R.N. Potter Associates in 1984, a marketing and sales organization, which he headed until 1989. During that time, Mr. Potter personally initiated, negotiated and developed one of the largest independent contracts for advertising billboards with the Penn Central Corporation.
In 1980, Mr. Potter, together with a partner, started On Line Media, an innovative supermarket ad company. Within three years, they took On Line Media public, raising capital and watching the stock soar. Upon selling his shares of On Line Media in 1984, he formed R.N. Potter Associates. Mr. Potter, a graduate of Syracuse University, has six children and, with his wife, lives in Sag Harbor, NY.
Mr. Charles N. ("Chip") Kahn III is the president and chief executive officer of the Federation of American Hospitals whose member companies own nearly 20 percent of all American hospital beds. Mr. Kahn and the FAH represent their members on health policy issues like health care reform and hospital care quality improvement.
From 1986 to 1993 and from 1995 to 1998, Mr. Kahn served the Health Subcommittee of the United States House of Representatives' Ways and Means Committee, first as Minority Health Counsel and then as Staff Director. During this time he helped develop legislation such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and the Balanced Budget Act of 1997.[5] From 1993 to 1995 and from 1998 to 2001, Mr. Kahn held positions with the Health Insurance Association of America (HIAA), as Executive Vice President, Chief Operating Officer/President-Designate and President.
Mr. Kahn is currently the co-chair on the strategy-setting Coordinating Committee of the NQF's Measure Applications Partnership, which was established under the Affordable Care Act to advise the federal Department of Health and Human Services on selecting measures for public reporting and performance-based healthcare payment programs.
Additionally, he has served as a member of the Governing Board of the National Quality Forum (NQF), where he helps build consensus on national priorities for healthcare quality reform and the standards for measuring and reporting on quality.
Mr. Kahn also is a founding principal of the Hospital Quality Alliance (HQA), a private-public partnership that he helped to initiate.The HQA is a national private-public collaboration focused on improving hospital quality and making comparative quality information available to the public through the Hospital Compare website.
Dr. Djaoued Bedjaoui is the Senior Advisor for Health at the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Washington, DC. In this capacity, Dr. Bedjaoui's remit includes patient care, strategic collaborations and partnerships, collaboration with Major US facilities and representing the best interests of the UAE patients.
Prior to returning to the UAE Embassy in his current position, Dr. Bedjaoui was Canada Information Officer for MD Anderson Cancer Center (TX, USA) in Toronto, Canada where he oversaw enterprise relationships and patients relations in North America for one of the world's leading facilities in cancer. After graduation from medical school in Oran, Algeria, Dr. Bedjaoui specialized in healthcare administration by earning an MBA from HEC - Hautes Etudes Commercial at The University of Montreal. Before joining the UAE Crown's Prince Court Medical Office in 1999, as a Medical Advisor, Dr. Bedjaoui was a biotech Analyst for the Montreal Stock Exchange.
Dr. Bedjaoui has been an early and well-recognized advocate of "health diplomacy” & for the importance of the cross-cultural aspects in managing patients' care.
Dr. Heitham Hassoun is a leading international health expert and the Vice President & Medical Director for International at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles. He is also a Professor of Surgery and a multi-faceted clinician and healthcare leader with a wealth of experience in global collaborations and system development. He previously served as Global Medical Director for Johns Hopkins Medicine. Previous to his work at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Hassoun served as medical director for Methodist International in Houston and was an associate professor of cardiovascular surgery at Weill Cornell Medical College In New York. He completed his fellowship training in vascular surgery at Northwestern University in Chicago and earned his medical degree at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
Having grown up as an American expat overseas, Dr. Hassoun is exceptionally passionate about the important role that US Academic Medical Centers play in advancing healthcare across the globe, and he is an advocate for providing access to compassionate, high quality, and evidence-based care for all people regardless of geographic location or socioeconomic background.
Dr. Hassoun maintains a clinical practice in vascular & endovascular surgery. He also continues to educate and research in a variety of topics related to global collaborative healthcare and academic medicine. As medical director of International Health, Hassoun plans to expand Cedars-Sinai's strong international profile in China, Mexico, Latin America and elsewhere, in part by tapping his extensive experience with facilities in the Middle East.
Dr. Daniel Derman, MD has been practicing internal medicine since 1988. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, where he graduated cum laude, and his medical degree from the University of Illinois, Chicago campus. Dr. Derman completed his internal medicine residency at Northwestern University where he was Chief Resident and a member of Alpha Omega Alpha, the Medical Honor Society.
Dr. Derman was President of Northwestern Memorial Physicians Group, a primary care multi-specialty group of 65 physicians, which he founded in 1993. Northwestern Memorial Physicians Group was acquired by Northwestern Memorial Hospital, where he holds the title of Senior Vice President of Innovation. Dr. Derman is board certified in internal medicine. His special interests include preventive medicine and nutrition. He is the Associate Medical Director of Northwestern Medicine Executive Health.
Ambassador Patrick Nickolas Theros served as the US Ambassador to the State of Qatar from 1995-1998. Prior to his appointment, he served as Deputy Coordinator for Counterterrorism, responsible for the coordination of all U.S. Government counterterrorism activities outside the United States. From 1991-1993, Ambassador Theros served as the Political Advisor to the Commander-in-Chief of Central Command (CENTCOM).
Ambassador Theros joined the Foreign Service in 1963, and served in a variety of positions in Washington D.C., Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Nicaragua and Syria, including charge d'affaires and Deputy Chief of Mission at the US embassies in the United Arab Emirates and Jordan.
In 1999, His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifah Al-Thani awarded Ambassador Theros the Qatar Order of Merit for his efforts in service of the US-Qatar bilateral relationship. His commitment to national service also earned him the President's Meritorious Service Award and the Secretary of Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service (1992). Ambassador Theros has also earned four Superior Honor Awards, the highest awards for distinguished service given by the Foreign Service.
After his retirement from the Foreign Service Ambassador Theros assumed the office of President of the US-Qatar Business Council in March 2000 until his retirement in 2017. He currently serves as Strategic Advisor to the Gulf International Forum, a new Washington think tank that aspires to bring objective discussion and critical research of the Arab-Persian Gulf region to the United States. He has also represented the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem in the United States since 1999.
Ambassador Theros' personal commitment to community and public service earned him the rank of Knight Commander of the Order of the Holy Sepulcher by the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem (1999), as well as the Ellis Island Medal of Freedom (2005).
In addition to his duties as President of the US-Qatar Business Council, Ambassador Theros is also active in the following organizations: • The Middle East Policy Council, Board of Directors; • The Council of Foreign Relations, Member; • The Washington Institute of Foreign Affairs, Member; and • The American Academy of Diplomacy, Member
Ambassador Theros was born in 1941 in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and attended public schools in Michigan, Ohio and the District of Columbia. He graduated from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service in 1963. He has done advanced studies at the American University in Washington, D.C., the Universidad Centroamericana in Nicaragua, the Armed Forces Staff College at Norfolk, Virginia, and the National Defense University in Washington, D.C. He is married to Aspasia (nee Pahigiannis) and has three children. He speaks and reads Spanish, Arabic and Greek professionally.
Dr. Clotilde Monguya is a distinguished professional with deep expertise in healthcare, social services, and global health initiatives. Her leadership and contributions across various organizations highlight her commitment to improving healthcare and overall well-being. As an Executive Board Member and outcome-driven leader, she bridges the gap between scientific, medical, civil societies, international donors, NGOs, and African governments to develop and implement strategies that address climate change adaptation, poverty, food insecurity, communicable and non-communicable diseases, and gender inequities. Her work promotes human capital development, economic growth, and strategic partnerships.
With over 20 years of experience in Belgium, Sub-Saharan Africa, and the United States, Dr. Clotilde Monguya is a highly motivated reproductive health physician. Her expertise encompasses strategic planning, project management, and the development of human capital with a focus on social and health issues. She is a strong advocate for Universal Health Coverage and primary healthcare as key strategies for achieving resilient and sustainable development outcomes for underserved populations.
Dr. Clotilde Monguya serves as a public policy advisor to CHARTA based in Tanzania, a Consortium for Health, Advocacy, Research, and Training in Africa—working to utilize data science and genomics to address non-communicable diseases such as sickle cell disease, cancers, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. She collaborates closely with government officials and local communities in Sub Saharan Africa to advance social and health-related initiatives.
Her robust educational background includes degrees in Medicine, Obstetrics & Gynecology, and a Master of Public Health. She is affiliated with the Conseil National de l'Ordre des Médecins in Brussels. Dr. Clotilde Monguya has earned executive professional certificates from Université Paris Cité, Harvard Medical School, Harvard Business School and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
As a public speaker and advocate, she serves as a health and social diplomat, known for her resilience and purpose-driven approach to bridging gaps between patients, communities, organizations, and governments in Sub-Saharan Africa. Beyond her medical expertise, she is a social entrepreneur and international global health consultant, with significant involvement in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals.
Dr. Clotilde Monguya also serves as an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to CASBLCO (Coalition des Associations Sans But Lucratif du Congo), a coalition engaged in socio-economic, socio-cultural, health, educational, and environmental initiatives. In addition, she holds the roles of Senior Board Member, Ambassador at Large, and Special Envoy with Consultative Status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) on behalf of the African Hope Committee Inc.
Her proficiency in English, French, Lingala, and basic reading knowledge of Kikongo, Spanish, and Italian—has been instrumental in fostering effective communication with government officials and international stakeholders.In recognition of her service, Dr. Clotilde Monguya was awarded the United States President's Volunteer Services Award in 2023 and is an active member of Manhattan Community Board 9 for the City of New York.
On June 23, 2017 His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa issued Royal Decree No. 34/2017 appointing Shaikh Abdulla bin Rashid bin Abdulla Al ~Khalifa as the ambassador of the Kingdom of Bahrain to the United States of America
EducationHis Excellency graduated from Ibn Khuldoon National School in 1997 and came to the United States for college. He earned a B.S. in management from Bentley College (now Bentley University) in Waltham, Massachusetts in 2001 and an MBA from the same school in 2003. He next attained a certificate from the Harvard Kennedy School focusing on "Innovation in Governance” as part of his executive education program. He is currently pursuing a PhD at the International School of Management based inParis.
Professional Career- Shaikh Abdulla's post-graduate career started at the Royal Court where he worked and oversaw Educational, Medical and Social Affairs.
- He then joined the General Organization for Youth and Sports as the Director of Planning and Follow-up and was later appointed Director of Financial and Human Resources.
- In 2010, he was appointed as Governor of the Southern Governorate of the Kingdom of Bahrain, the largest in size and with the highest potential for development.
- As part of a collaborative effort between the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United States of America, Shaikh Abdulla launched a partnership between the Governorate and the American non-profit organization D.A.R.E. to develop and deploy an anti-violence and anti-addiction program delivered by trained community police officers in local elementary and secondary schools. The initiative would later transform into a national program sponsored by the Kingdom's National Anti-DrugCommittee,onwhichShaikhAbdulla serves.
- Shaikh Abdulla played an active role in drafting the National Anti-Drug Strategy in conjunctionwith the regional office of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, which was launched in 2016.
- Shaikh Abdulla served as a member of the Bahrain Olympic Committee from 2008 and as the Treasurer until 2017.
- When he served as Vice President of the Bahrain Olympic Shooting Federation, Shaikh Abdulla formulated the first women's shooting team, competing in the different disciplines locally and internationally. In 2007, he gained continental support to be elected Vice President of the Asian Shooting Confederation.
- The Bahrain Weightlifting and Bodybuilding Association was another entity that Shaikh Abdulla chaired until his recent appointment. He, once again, gained continental and international support to earn posts as the President of the Asia Bodybuilding Federation and the Vice President of the International Federation for Bodybuilding and Fitness.
In 2016, His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa AlKhalifa granted Shaikh Abdulla bin Rashed AlKhalifa an Honorary Distinction Award recognizing his gubernatorial achievements and contributions.
Stevie AwardIn Oct. 2019 Bahrain Ambassador to the United States, Shaikh Abdullah bin Rashid Al Khalifa, received the 2019 Stevie Award for the personality of the year category, for his role in the founding and development of the of the Maan "Together" program against violence and addiction.
General David H. Petraeus (US Army, Ret.) (New York) is a Partner at KKR and Chairman of the KKR Global Institute, which he established in May 2013. He is also a member of the boards of directors of Optiv and OneStream, a Strategic Advisor for Sempra and Advanced Navigation, a personal venture investor, an academic, and the co-author (with British historian Andrew Roberts) of "Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine" (October, 2023). Prior to joining KKR, General Petraeus served over 37 years in the U.S. military, culminating his career with six consecutive commands as a general officer , five of which were in combat, including command of the Surge in Iraq, command of U.S. Central Command, and command of coalition forces in Afghanistan. Following retirement from the military and after Senate confirmation by a vote of 94-0, he served as Director of the CIA during a period of significant achievements in the global war on terror, the establishment of important Agency digital initiatives, and substantial investments in the Agency's most important asset, its human capital. General Petraeus graduated with distinction from the U.S. Military Academy and is the only person in Army history to be the top graduate of both the demanding U.S. Army Ranger School and the U.S. Army's year-long Command and General Staff College. He also earned a Ph.D. in international relations and academics from Princeton University. General Petraeus taught both subjects at the U.S. Military Academy in the mid-1980s, he was a Visiting Professor of Public Policy at the Honors College of the City University of New York from 2013 through 2016, and he was for 6 years a Judge Widney Professor at the University of Southern California and a Senior Fellow at Harvard University's Belfer Center. He is currently a Visiting Fellow and Lecturer at Yale University's Jackson Institute, Co-Chairman of the Global Advisory Council of the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, Senior Vice President of the Royal United Services Institute, and a Member of the Trilateral Commission, Council on Foreign Relations, and the Aspen Strategy Group, as well as a member of the boards of the Atlantic Council, the Institute for the Study of War, and over a dozen veterans service organizations. He is also a LinkedIn Top Voice. Over the past 20 years, General Petraeus was named one of America's 25 Best Leaders by U.S. News and World Report, a runner-up for Time magazine's Person of the Year, the Daily Telegraph man of the year, a Time 100 selectee, Princeton University's Madison Medalist, and one of Foreign Policy magazine's top 100 public intellectuals in three different years. General Petraeus has earned numerous honors, awards, and decorations, including four Defense Distinguished Service Medals, the Bronze Star Medal for Valor, two NATO Meritorious Service Medals, the Combat Action Badge, the Ranger Tab, and Master Parachutist and Air Assault Badges. He has also been decorated by 14 foreign countries and he is believed to be the only person who, while in uniform, threw out the first pitch of a World Series game and did the coin toss for a Super Bowl.
He developed "Ho-Me-I-Ku", an educational method originated in Japan, and has spread it to a total of 1 million people in 20 countries around the world. He started his career at a major consulting firm and then moved to a restaurant washing area, where he lived for four years and worked as a manager. Then, mixing brain science and psychology with education that actually worked in the field, he perfected an educational method called "Ho-Me-I-Ku”. He has introduced his method to more than 500 companies and educational institutions, including early childhood education institutions, and also supports entrepreneurs. He also supports entrepreneurs. The Homeiku online salon is currently being held with content that will bring any relationship to a happy conclusion.
He is the author of 31 books, which have been used not only in Japan, but also in the U.S., China, India, Singapore, and Thailand. (His books have also been translated into English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, and Thai).
He has appeared on TV Asahi's News Station, NHK's "Ohayo Nippon", The Japan Times, Nittele's "The Forest at Midnight", FM Okayama's "Kunio Hara's Homeiku Radio" every Saturday, the only Asian to speak at TEDx 4 times overseas, the most views in the world in FY2021 and 2022, and participated in the World Summit on Education. He established his own foundation and donates to children's homes in Cambodia, India, Miyazaki, and Akita. He enjoys triathlon and piano, and his motto is "Where there is a will, there is a way.
Ms Forsythe is an author and a military combat photographer. She served five tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq where she was exposed to great risk to life and limb but found that she thrived in dangerous situations and living on the edge. She was being pushed to face fears of death and serious injury on a daily basis but it gave her a renewed sense of reward, gratitude and appreciation for all the goodness in life. While those situations are in the rear-view mirror for her now, she cherished the experiences of danger and uncertainty because it continues to make her a better leader, friend and American citizen. Taking risks is an opportunity to grow, learn and sacrifice. When there's no risk, there's no reward.
"Risking is always better than regretting" is a quote that Ms. Forsythe feels has always fueled her passion for global travel, pushing her creative limits and challenging the status quo. Ms Forsythe feels "when we reflect on crossroads in our lives, sometimes people regret about the things they would have, should have or could have done to achieve a different outcome. I've always tried to make decisions based on the fear of regretting to take risks with my career and relationships."
Ms. Lindsay Denny is a global health and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) practitioner, currently serving as an environmental health consultant for UNICEF-HQ, where she leads the portfolio on Climate Resilient, Environmentally Sustainable Healthcare Facilities. She also runs the WASH in Healthcare Facilities Community of Practice through Emory University's Center for Global Safe WASH and is the Health Associate for IRC WASH and was the Health Advisor for Global Water 2020.
Ms. Denny has worked at the nexus of WASH and health from a variety of vantage points, including research, advocacy, education, and implementation. Formerly based in the Philippines and Cambodia, she has provided support to countries across the world to improve WASH conditions in their healthcare facilities. Ms.Denny graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a degree in Physiology & Neuroscience. She also completed her Master of Public Health at Boston University, with a focus on International Health and Infectious and Non-Communicable Diseases.
Rev. Timothy J. Mercaldo has been an ordained Christian/Evangelical minister for 35 years, primarily in the Greater New York area.
He is the founder and executive director of WorshipPlus.Org, a 501c3 designed to "inspire transformation through the power of the arts” in houses of worship and their local communities.
He has led music in the evangelical church world, performed in and produced holiday productions, and outreach concerts since the early 1980's. As a recording artist and instrumentalist (piano and cello) he has performed at various institutions and secular events within the community, nationally and internationally.
He founded Gateway Community Outreach, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) to inspire and impact the Greater New York area through arts, sports and educational programs and events.
As an executive consultant with ImpactStewardship.com, he brings the experience of 7 stewardship "new construction” programs through his 33 years on staff at one local church in Staten Island NY. As a result Tim is well aware of the resources and platforms for raising needed funds in the private religious sector.
It is from these bases that he seeks to encourage the best of biblical and business practices of stewardship in resourcing vibrant ministries focused on fostering human flourishing in the worldview.
Education:
Moody Bible Institute
BA - Theology/Greek
Liberty University
MA studies - Philosophy & Apologetics
Trevecca University
MA Program - Worship Studies and Leadership Organization
Dr. Abdalelah S. Saaty is Dean of the newly established College of Business (COB) at King Abdulaziz University (North Jeddah Campus). The creation of COB was approved by the Custodian of the two holy mosques. Dr. Saaty is proud to be a part of the founding team of this college. The College of Business (COB) at King Abdulaziz University (North Jeddah Campus) provides world-class education in business programs while simultaneously providing a forum for innovation.
Dr. Saaty was born in Jeddah. He received his B.A. from KAU; a Master's Degree from University of Southern California, USA; and, his Ph.D. from University of Alabama, USA. He has Held high positions in KSA's Ministry of Health and is a member of Health National Committee formed by the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz.
Dr. Saaty has authored several books and he is a contributor to several newspapers in the Kingdom. He has also presented papers in many Conferences in Saudi Arabia and abroad. Both the King and Crown Prince, in addition to both Ministers and senior officials have recognized and thanked him personally with letters of appreciation.
Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley, a 30-year diplomat, was the longest serving U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Malta. Through a series of senior positions that included advising the Commander of U.S. cyber forces on our foreign policy priorities, expanding our counterterrorism partners and programs as Deputy Coordinator for Counterterrorism, and coordinating the largest evacuation of American citizens from a war zone since WW ll, her professional life has played out almost daily in international media.
She began her formal work in teaching and leadership development as Chairwoman for Middle East Area Studies at the prestigious Foreign Service Institute where U.S. diplomats are trained. Earlier in her career, she served in Baghdad, Jakarta and Cairo before taking on the position of Special Assistant for the Middle East and Africa to the Secretary of State. Her Middle East assignments included election monitoring in the Gaza Strip and an extraordinary assignment where she actively supported gender equality in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as the first woman to lead a diplomatic mission there. In addition to the State Department, she has held senior positions at the Defense Department and at the National Security Council of the White House. Prior to that, she was a fellow on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for the then Ranking Member, Senator Joseph Biden. Ms. Abercrombie-Winstanley is the recipient of the Maltese Order of Merit, Foreign Policy for America's Community Leadership Award, Department of State Meritorious and Superior Honor Awards, including "For acts of courage during an attack on the U.S. Consulate General, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on December 6, 2004 by al-Qa'ida terrorists."
Over the years, Ms. Abercrombie-Winstanley has been a keynote speaker on foreign policy issues for a variety of organizations including IESAbroad, The Cleveland City Club, TrueBlue Inclusion; Harvard University, Georgetown University, George Washington University, University of Denver, The University of Malta and Johns Hopkins University Bologna Center. She has been a panelist and moderator at some of the most respected international think tanks including The German Marshall Fund, The Brookings Institution, CSIS, The World Affairs Council and The Council on Foreign Relations on issues that range from U.S. Middle East Policy, how diversity and inclusion improves U.S. foreign policy making, cyber security challenges and counterterrorism. Most recently, the Department of State's inaugural Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, she is the incoming President of the Middle East Policy Council and a strong proponent of excellence through diversity across organizations. She strives to strengthen merit-based decision making by eliminating barriers to the full participation of women and minorities.
Ms. Abercrombie-Winstanley, a Cleveland native, has degrees from The George Washington University and The Johns Hopkins University and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Academy of Diplomacy. She has been an active Board member and Advisor for several organizations committed to excellence in educating and leadership development including the Middle East Policy Council, The Forum on Education Abroad, College Now of Greater Cleveland, Women of Color Advancing Peace and Security (WCAPS), and the International Career Advancement Association. Ms. Abercrombie-Winstanley is a co-Founder of The Leadership Council for Women in National Security (LC-WINS) and has written for the Foreign Service Journal and The New York Times. She is also the co-author of two papers published in The New York Review of Science Fiction.
Dr. Maliha Hashmi is a globally recognized leader at the forefront of healthcare, leadership, futurism, and deep tech innovation. Her unique expertise bridges business, technology, medicine, education & law making her one of the most influential figures in these fields. She is the CEO & Managing Partner of a Globally renowned personalized precision care deep tech ecosystem.
In 2024, Dr. Hashmi was named among the Global 200 Women Power Leaders. She was also honored with the Women Icon of the Year 2024 award for her exceptional contributions to the health industry as a Senior C-suite Executive. Recognized as one of the Top 5 Iconic Women Leaders in the Business World of 2023 and winner of the prestigious Forbes Health Leadership Award of 2022, Dr. Hashmi is a C-level Healthcare Executive, Public Speaker, WEF Global Future Council Expert, V2O Delegate of G20, & Author. She is also part of the World Leaders Award recipients.
She is also one of the Top 7 Most Talented Female Health Leaders of the MENA region. She is well-known as a dedicated esteemed leader who has committed to bringing positive change wellness & growth globally. Dr. Maliha Hashmi received her Doctorate and Master's Degrees from Harvard and MIT & is listed as one of the top 20 women in the USA for her achievements making it into the Who's Who in America List.
Senior C-suite Executive with a demonstrated history of working in health systems & globally renowned projects that have successfully transformed, automated, & optimized the safety, health, & wellness operations of multiple organizations. A keynote speaker & leading authority in the health, wellbeing, & biotech industry, she has delivered publications, research & presentations to provide introduce well-researched business insights, futuristic strategies, cutting-edge technologies & solutions that helped businesses globally to attain sustainable growth.
Mr. Robert ("Bob") Castro, a successful entrepreneur, executive, & Boardroom Advisor, has balanced a 30+ year career between corporate, entrepreneurship, and public service, including 15 years in government and a lifetime in family-owned businesses. Most recently, a Senior Advisor at USAID and the Secretary of State's Office of Global Partnerships, Mr. Castro spent the prior decade in the private sector focused on new market development and corporate engagement in Diplomacy, Development & Defense, while living in the GCC Region, Egypt, Mexico, Europe/EU, and Washington, DC.
Mr. Castro held a series of appointed roles in the Presidential Transition, supporting confirmation of cabinet members while contributing to new policy initiatives and communication plans for Emergency Preparedness, Innovation, Private Sector Engagement, and Indo-Pacific Strategy, including impact investing and creation of the Development Finance Corporation (DFC). Previously, as Chief of Staff (rank of Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary) for Overseas Buildings Operations (OBO), Mr. Castro oversaw a $1.5 B annual budget, $5.7 B in construction and $14.0 B in assets. He served 10 years on Capitol Hill as professional staff for members of Appropriations, Ways & Means, Transportation & Infrastructure, Science, and Small Business committees and the Office of Technology Assessment.
He was managing VP of a prominent public opinion research firm and Director of Global Security Policy at Lockheed Martin/PAE. He advised executive leadership of the Corporate Council on Africa, US-ASEAN Business Council, and American Chambers of Commerce in Latin America and the MENA region. Widely published and quoted in national press, Bob has appeared on CNN, NPR,C-SPAN, Univision, and Al Jazeera. He produced live content for C3 US-Arab Summits, Rotary International, and a number of global conferences.
Atlanta native and graduate of Georgetown University, Mr. Castro co-chaired the 100th anniversary alumni committee for Villa le Balze in Italy. In 2013, he received DACOR's Tragen Award for founding "PROPS: Professional Partners & Spouses of the Foreign Service." In 2016, he won AAFSW's Secretary of State Award for Outstanding Volunteerism Abroad.
Current Advisory Boards:
- The World Innovation Network
- The Ayadee Foundation & Fellows
- The Nourish Movement
Current Advisory Start-ups:
- Agromovil (Colombia, Tanzania, Ghana & USA)
- Karma Verde Fresh (Mexico & USA)
- Various cohorts of Barclays/Unreasonable Impact
Dr. Chung is VP, Chief Data Officer, and Director of Data Ecosystem of the Institute for Data Science in Oncology at MD Anderson Cancer Center. She is an associate professor in Radiation Oncology and Diagnostic Imaging with a clinical practice focused on brain tumors and a computational imaging lab focused on leveraging quantitative imaging and modeling to enable personalized cancer treatment. Internationally, Dr. Chung leads several multidisciplinary efforts to enable high quality, quantitative data use to advance research discoveries and impact clinical care as Co-Chair of the Quantitative Imaging for Assessment of Response in Oncology Committee of International Commission no Radiation Units and Measures (ICRU) and National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) appointed committee addressing Foundational Research Gaps and Future Directions for Digital Twins.
Beyond her clinical, research and administrative roles, Dr. Chung enjoys serving as an active educator and mentor. She serves as Chair of Women in Cancer-All in Cancer (http://www.womenincancer.org/), a non-profit organization that is committed to advancing cancer care by encouraging the growth, leadership and connectivity of current and future oncologists, trainees and medical researchers.
Ms. Karen Avakian, throughout her career, starting with the family business, Avakian Brothers, Inc., with offices in Teheran, Brussels and New York, has been involved in international trade and subsequently technology development. She now advises on projects from inception to completion, including structuring, finance, and contract negotiations, with an emphasis on international marketing. contracts and logistics.
In the 1980's, closely following the US rapprochement with China, Ms. Avakian joined World Trading and Shipping, Ltd., handling negotiations between Chinese companies and government entities and European and American companies, including Morgan Stanley, to establish joint ventures.
In the 1990's Ms. Avakian founded Vapor Tech International, B.V., in Amsterdam, and Vapor Tech Belgium, S.A., it's operating company, to pioneer a patented, environmentally friendly system for cleaning heavy fuel tanks, both ship and shore. Among its clients were Electrabel (the national electric company for Belgium) and Amoco.
Ms. Avakian's background and experience in China led her in the 2000's to manufacture equipment for Water Safe Solutions, Inc, her own company, in Hangzhou. Water Safe's modular multistage units can be customized for mobile emergency use anywhere surface water available. Permanent systems can be installed in hospitals, schools or small villages in underdeveloped countries. With the increasing occurrence of natural and manmade disasters, and increased awareness of these issues, commercial and governmental markets are open for this innovative solution.
Protostar Materials Corporation is a major client. They design and build nanoreactors that produce superior specialized materials, currently for the US and Australia. They are about to launch an advanced Tacker Reactor. Protostar's products have applications for commercial, military and medical markets.
Most pertinent to this C-3 Conference, Ms. Avakian has been involved in the international exchange of medical research since the 1980's, first through the Italian American Foundation for Cancer Research, now the American-Italian Cancer Foundation. Their work, initiated by Dr. Umberto Veronese of Milan, promotes cooperation among researchers in the same field who have previously been siloed. Currently they offer Post-doc Fellowships in the US to Italian citizens pursuing basic or translation cancer research, as well as clinical research.
Dr. Michael D. Chuong, MD is an internationally recognized expert in radiation therapy for gastrointestinal (GI) cancers, Michael Chuong, M.D., is vice chair and medical director of radiation oncology and leads the GI radiation service at Baptist Health.
Dr. Chuong earned his medical degree from the University of South Florida College of Medicine and completed his residency training in radiation oncology at the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, where he served as the chief resident.
He also serves as the vice chair of education and clinical research and is a professor of radiation oncology at the Florida International University Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine.
Dr. Chuong frequently speaks to global audiences about his clinical expertise and research, especially related to proton therapy and MRI-guided radiation therapy. Dr. Chuong has co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed manuscripts in prestigious journals such as JAMA Oncology and the International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics, for which he is an associate editor of the GI section.
He is a principal investigator for multiple national and international clinical trials that are exploring advanced radiation therapy strategies and unique combinations of radiation therapy with novel therapeutic agents for GI cancers.
An active leader in the medical community, Dr. Chuong is the Protocol Monitoring and Review committee chair at Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute, Disease Site chair of the Proton Collaborative Group and the Particle Therapy Co-operative Group Gastrointestinal subcommittee co-chair.
He is also an committed member of the NRG Oncology Non-Colorectal GI subcommittee, NRG Oncology Pancreas working group, NRG Oncology International Liaison committee and RTOG Foundation Communications committee.
Dr. David A. Goukassian is a graduate of Yerevan Medical University. After practicing Medicine and Dermatology for five years he was accepted to a post-graduate program and completed his Ph.D. at Central Advanced Training Institute for Physicians, in Moscow, in 1992. Between 1992 - 1994 he was the Executive Medical Director of International project on development of “Elasticity Imaging for Early Diagnosis of Breast and Prostate Cancers” at the Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Biophysics, Russian Academy of Sciences. Dr. Goukassian arrived to United States in 1994 where he continued leading the R&D division of this project for another 2 years. In 1995 he decided to further his career in biomedical research and accepted NIH-funded post-doctoral fellowship in the fields of Aging, Genetics and Biochemistry. In 2001 he accepted a second post-doctoral fellowship in the field of Stem and Progenitor Cell Biology at the Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM). Between 1999 - 2004 he was promoted to Assistant, then Associate Professor of Dermatology and Medicine at Boston University School of Medicine. In 2004 he also joined the faculty of Cardiovascular Research Division at TUSM as Associate Professor of Medicine. He was appointed as the Director of Cardiovascular Research Center at Genesys Research Institute, at Steward St Elizabeth's Medical Center in 2012-2015, where he was leading several major projects in the fields of Cardiovascular Space Radiobiology, Cancer Therapeutics, Stem and Progenitor Cell Biology. In late 2018 he joined Cardiovascular Research Institute at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai as Tenured Professor of Medicine/Cardiology.
His most recent research focus is on using integrated physiological approaches along with genomic and epigenetic methodologies to understand molecular mechanisms of space and terrestrial radiation-induced long-term cancer and cardiovascular disease risks, development of mouse models for evaluation of ionizing radiation-induced Excess Relative Risks (ERR), development of predictive biomarkers for estimation of ERR, development of countermeasures for NASA's future long-duration space missions to Moon, near Earth asteroids and Mars. These studies have significant implications for NASA's efforts to develop cancer and heart disease risk estimates for astronauts, as well as for prevention of radiation-induced secondary cancer and cardiovascular diseases in cancer patients receiving conventional and particle radiotherapy. Over the years his research publications had been highlighted by local, national, and international outlets and media including Nature Publishing Group, Lancet Oncology, The Scientist Journal, BCC World News, Reuters, ABC, NBC, BBC, US News and World Report, Forbes, and many others.
Dr. Goukassian has a wide range of intramural and extramural activities that include reviewer for numerous scientific journals in cardiovascular and cancer fields, past and present member of national and international grant review committees, member of various institutional committees on faculty affairs, MD/PhD admissions, appointment and promotions, research excellence recognition and more. He had been a primary mentor for numerous undergraduate, graduate, and post graduate students, including post-doctoral clinical and research fellows, medical resident and visiting scientists from abroad.
Dr. Goukassian is the Founder and First Co-President of Armenian Scientific Diaspora Association (ASDA) with its mission to unify the efforts of Armenian Scientific Diaspora so that she could help Armenia as a whole in a coordinated way with research expertise, teaching, training and scientific conferences, encourage scientific collaborations and networking between Armenian diaspora scientists around the globe with scientists in Armenia and serve as a bridge between Armenia and the international
Mr. Robert ("Bob") Potter is a graduate of Syracuse University's School of Visual and Performing Arts. His career includes senior creative and marketing executive roles at Scholastic Magazines; Time Warner; and National Geographic Television. Additionally, he headed marketing and communications for Mystic Seaport Museum.
He was also a corporate development officer at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC and advised the international art therapy program for Save The Children. He currently is a senior docent at the Yale Center For British Art.
Dr. Stephen Klasko is a transformative leader and advocate for a revolution in our systems of health care and higher education. He has been a university president, a dean, a CEO, and an obstetrician, and now pursues his vision for the creative reconstruction of American healthcare by bridging traditional academic centers with entrepreneurs and innovators.
His passion is using technology to eliminate health disparities and offer everyone the promise of health assurance. Dr. Klasko is also a lifelong DJ who believes that the message in the music can give us the courage to tackle a broken, fragmented, unfriendly, expensive, and inequitable healthcare system.
He currently serves as an executive in residence at General Catalyst, North American ambassador for Sheba Medical Center in Israel, and as CMO of Abundant Partners. He serves on the board of directors at Teleflex. In 2022, President Biden appointed him to the National Board of Education Sciences.
His 2023 book is titled Feeling Alright: How the Message in the Music can Save Healthcare published by ACHE.
As president of Thomas Jefferson University and CEO of Jefferson Health from 2013-2021, he led one of the nation's fastest growing academic health institutions based on his vision of re-imagining health care and higher education.
Under his leadership, Jefferson expanded from three hospitals to 18 and from a health sciences university to a professional university with multiple campuses. Its revenue grew from $1.8 to $9 billion. His 2017 merger of Thomas Jefferson University with Philadelphia University created a pre-eminent national doctoral university that includes top-20 programs in fashion and design and occupational therapy, the first design-thinking curriculum in a medical school, and the nation's leading research on the role of empathy in health care.
His track record of success has earned him Modern Healthcare's #2 in 2018's “100 Most Influential Individuals”; as #21 in Fast Company's “100 Most Creative People in Business 2018”; “Philadelphia Entrepreneur of the Year 2018”; Ernst & Young's “Greater Philadelphia Entrepreneur of the Year 2018”; and Becker's Hospital Review's “100 Great Leaders in Healthcare.”
Dr. Klasko is an internationally recognized advocate for transformation in health care and higher education. He is the author of 2020's UnHealthcare: A Manifesto for Health Assurance, with Silicon Valley investor Hemant Taneja. In 2019, he spoke about the future of hospitals at the World Economic Forum in Davos, and in 2020, was named a Distinguished Fellow of the World Economic Forum and co-chair of its Board of Stewards for the Forum's platform on the digital economy. He is co-author of the 2020 book, Patient No Longer with Ryan Donahue; Bless This Mess: A Picture Story of Healthcare in America (2018) - an account of how the USA was elected to the Intergalactic Council of Cool Health Systems by 2035; WE Can Fix Healthcare in America (2016); and The Phantom Stethoscope (1999).
He is married to Colleen Wyse, a fashion leader and founder of The Philadelphia Trunk Show, and has three children: Lynne, David and Jill.
A super fortune teller and spiritual master, Ms. Sakurai has traveled to 38 countries and opened a healing salon in New York City.
By using counseling, healing, channeling, divination, and therapy, she proposes a method to rewrite the subconscious mind and to obtain an ideal life by balancing the soul, mind, body, emotions, consciousness, and thoughts.
As a parapsychologist certified by Princess Costanza de' Medici, the richest woman in Europe, she is the only person in the world entitled to teach a tarot school in the Medici family castle.
Galed Hakim, M.D., is assistant vice president of international healthcare partnerships and insurance development for Baptist Health International. His role encompasses nurturing existing international partnerships with health insurance companies, hospital systems and physicians; identifying and developing new international strategic alliances; participating in international conferences; interacting with insurance company medical directors; and managing the International insurance department contracts.
Dr. Hakim has over 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry, serving as director for organizations such as United Healthcare and Tenet Healthcare. Previously he was a missionary doctor in the Dominican Republic, where he completed his medical education. After his return to the U.S., he completed his MBA and finished his doctorate degree in health sciences at Nova Southeastern University, with an emphasis in global health.
Dr. Hakim has developed key strategies to reduce readmissions and maximize the quality of care of patients during hospitalization, and post-discharge. As a keynote speaker at conferences, he has addressed quality concerns related to readmissions, hospital utilization as well as global disease prevention and wellness topics.
Dr. Hakim is Co-Chair of the patient safety and quality committee for the American Association of Interdisciplinary Doctors of Health Science and faculty at Florida International University Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, where he teaches Hospital Quality Management, Risk Prevention and Health care Leadership. Dr. Hakim has co-authored several articles on quality and safety in hospitals.
Career Summary
- Public Service: Served in three Presidential Administrations, in three government agencies: the U.S.Commerce Department, the Federal Trade Commission, and the U.S. Department of Education
- Private Practice: International trade consulting (23 years) * Corporate law and litigation (eight years) * Adjunct Law Professor, Georgetown Law (eight years); Executive Coaching (January 2022)
- Board of Directors: Amideast - multinational not-for-profit organization ▪J Street * D.C. Vote
- Member: Cosmos Club
- Selected: One of the "Top 100 Board Candidates with Global Skills.” by the Financial Times in a worldwide search
- Published: Blogs for the Huffington Post; articles for The Huffington Post, The Daily Beast, Vogue magazine, Washington Post, Al Jazeera, Chicago Tribune, UPI, Washington Times
- Commentator: CNN, BBC, and numerous international television programs
- Education: Bachelor of Science, University of Michigan; J.D. Georgetown University Law Center
- Appointed: U.S. Department of State International Economic Policy Committee (ACIEP), advisory board on international trade and business
Resume
After a career in the practice of law and senior positions in the U.S. Government, Judith Barnett began The Barnett Group, L.L.C. in 2003 to provide international trade and government affairs consulting services for global companies and governments, specializing in the Middle East. Ms. Barnett provides strategic advice and implementation for Fortune 100 American companies interested in opening global markets, ending their barriers to trade, and expanding marketing opportunities. Ms. Barnett has recently begun a practice in Executive Coaching, using her past experience to coach women and men in implementing positive career transitions.
Before consulting, Ms. Barnett served as a senior trade official in the Clinton Administration, practiced as a corporate lawyer and litigator, an adjunct law professor for eight years at Georgetown Law Center, a public affairs specialist and speechwriter in the Carter Administration (U.S. Department of Education and the Federal Trade Commission), and a writer. In addition to her consulting practice, Ms. Barnett was appointed to the State Department's Advisory Committee for International Economic Policy and the Boards of Amideast and JStreet.
Ms. Barnett began her current trade practice after serving in the Clinton Administration (1993 to 1998). Her first position in the Administration was in the U.S. Department of Commerce as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Trade Development (TD), International Trade Administration (ITA). In ITA/ TD, Ms. Barnett worked with the Assistant Secretary to manage an Office of 400 persons and a budget of $ 49 million. During her tenure at Trade Development, she oversaw the only US government agency that represents industry sectors, managed 22 private sector advisory committees, created and developed the U.S.-Israel Science and Technology Commission, and assisted the Assistant Secretary in establishing the Advocacy Center (still exists to assist companies win large contracts, globally).
Ms. Barnett then served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) for the Middle East and Africa, at Commerce. As the DAS, she was responsible for activities and programs in 68 countries, including bilateral and multilateral trade matters, creating and implementing regional projects and programs, and advocating for the selection of US companies. She was the senior Commerce official working with the State Department responsible for trade/ commercial activities associated with the Middle East Peace Process.
Previous to the Clinton Administration, Ms. Barnett practiced law (1986-1993), focusing on various aspects of corporate law and litigation. During that time, Ms. Barnett served for eight years as an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University Law Center. Before entering the law profession, Ms. Barnett served in the Carter and Reagan Administrations in public affairs and speechwriting at the Federal Trade Commission and the US Department of Education. She has written articles for her blog on The Huffington Post, for The Daily Beast, and Al Jazeera, and previously for the Washington Post, the Chicago Tribune, the Washington Times, and Vogue magazine. Ms. Barnett has been a media commentator on CNN, BBC, and numerous international television programs. She has served as a political fundraiser for numerous Presidential and Congressional campaigns. Ms. Barnett lives in Washington and has one daughter, a son-in-law, and two adorable granddaughters.
Dr. Ronald M. Razmi is the Managing Director of Zoi Capital, a venture capital firm focused exclusively on AI in Healthcare. He is the author of the upcoming book "AI Doctor: The Rise of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare". Dr. Razmi began his career as a cardiologist and built the software system, cardiovascularmri.com, to serve as a platform for education and training of cardiologists in using MRI in managing their patients. He is a co-author of the textbook “Handbook of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging.”
As a McKinsey consultant, Dr. Razmi worked with the world's top life sciences companies in strategy, M&A, and product development. In 2011, he founded Acupera, a population health management software company that used AI to industrialize key aspects of care delivery and patient management. Dr. Razmi completed his medical training at the Mayo Clinic. He holds an MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management
Mona is the founder, executive director, and chairman of the board at Music Beats Cancer. She launched Music Beats Cancer to address the "Valley of Death", the growing gap in funding that constrains the translation of cancer research discoveries into clinical applications.
As cancer affects millions of Americans each year, national efforts to cure this disease have largely focused on cancer research rather than cancer product development. Mona believes that the key to bridging the Valley of Death is to:
- Raise public awareness about the Valley of Death and its impact on our progress on the war against cancer;
- Create a funding platform that empowers the public to directly and transparently support the development of cancer-fighting solutions.
Prior to Music Beats Cancer, Mona founded Foligo Therapeutics, Inc. in 2005 to develop and commercialize a DNA-based therapeutic compound as a potential treatment for ovarian cancer. While Foligo was able to initially attract funding from various state-run venture programs and business plan competitions, the company ultimately succumbed to the Valley of Death.
In 2010, Foligo closed its laboratory and research facilities due to a funding drought. While there is no guarantee that Foligo's targeted therapies for ovarian cancer would have worked, there was enough evidence and promise in early proof-of-principle studies to continue the work.
Mona realized that breaking this funding bottleneck was a more critical priority than Foligo and rededicated herself to Music Beats Cancer and its mission.
Mona holds a doctorate in biochemistry from the Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University. She trained as a post-doctoral fellow at the National Cancer Institute. Mona was granted the SPORE Fellowship Award for Breast Cancer Research at the Lombardi Cancer Center of Georgetown University. She subsequently specialized in intellectual property and technology transfer while at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research.
Mr. Dilip Chauhan comes to the Mayor's Office for International Affairs from the Brooklyn President's office, where he served as the Executive Director of Southeast & Asian Affairs. As Executive Director, Mr. Chauhan worked towards empowering the South and Asian Community in Brooklyn. He did this by increasing awareness for available resources provided by the government. Under his leadership, he helped create a stronger relationship within this community and the Borough President's Office.
Previously, he was appointed as Deputy Controller of the Minority Affairs office in Nassau County, New York. He was the first South Asian to hold this office. While there, he worked on setting guidelines, and was able to empower the Community for proper participation of MWBE businesses. Mr. Chauhan contributed to this effort by arranging different boot camps for small businesses, which created community awareness and participation campaigns, and built lasting strategic partnerships with various community organizations.
Mr. Chauhan is also the Founding President of the New York South Asian American Chamber of Commerce. He was instrumental in building the organization and raising the representation of the South Asian community, estimated to be about seven million across USA, at a high-end business forum. The South Asian-eastern community makes up the fastest-growing ethnic group that is actively responsible in all walks of life and contributes significantly to our economy.
Mr. Chauhan has built unmatched goodwill amongst top public officials across New York for his "Gateway to South Asian American Community of New York” presentation. As a result, November 12, 2016 was declared as “Dilip Chauhan Day” in the 6th US Congressional District of New York in honor of his work.
Mr. Chauhan is highly respected in the diplomatic corridors of South Asian countries. He also served as a Board member of Services Now for Adult Persons, Inc (SNAP) New York. Mr. Chauhan is a unique combination of a successful entrepreneur and a decorated public official with a Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering.
Mr. Art Agolli is the founder and CEO of Equity Health Services, a healthcare diagnostic and solution provider company. Equity Health played an important role during the Covid pandemic in Canada and internationally. Mr. Agolli is also the Founder and Chairman of Dsrupt.ca, an investment and disruptive technology company. He is a successful serial entrepreneur and has been a champion of innovation, disruptive technologies and improvement of Canadian healthcare. He is an important advocator for a more efficient, equitable and innovative healthcare in Canada.
Prior, Mr. Agolli co-founded Bankers Petroleum, a multi-billion dollar publicly traded energy company. He also worked as an executive with Koch Industries Inc, the largest privately held company in North America.
Mr. Agolli started his career at the World Bank in Washington DC. He received a Master`s Degree in Management from Grand Valley State University in Michigan, USA and also holds a Bachelor's in International Relations and Business from the same university. Mr. Agolli is quite active in the community supporting various philanthropic causes.
Sofia Erica Lane, a maternal health and postpartum advocate, brings a unique blend of entrepreneurial innovation and professional expertise to the women's health industry. Sofia's remarkable journey from her previous role as Her Highness Che Puan, a member of the Malaysian Royal family, to becoming a pioneering force in women's health, makes her an influential voice in the healthcare community.
Sofia's career began in the Hospitality and Events industry, where she specialised in corporate event management. This led to the founding of Ladies at the Table, a groundbreaking women's events company dedicated to hosting wellness events tailored specifically for women. Through this initiative, Sofia has been instrumental in creating communities that prioritise self-care, mental well-being, and women's empowerment.
Her experience as a member of the Royal family also launched Sofia's public speaking persona and provided her with a platform to advocate for numerous charitable causes, particularly those supporting women and children. Her dedication to these causes earned her recognition and respect within philanthropic circles. Sofia's eloquence and passion in public speaking have made her a sought-after speaker, where she effectively raises awareness and drives action on important issues affecting women globally.
As an innovative entrepreneur, Sofia has launched several successful companies. She is the Visionary Founder of Samoedra Pty Ltd, a pioneering Australian women's nutraceuticals company focused on postpartum health and recovery. Her personal experience with postpartum challenges after the birth of her daughter in Australia highlighted a significant gap in postpartum care in Western countries. This motivated her to develop solutions that support mothers during their recovery period. Today, Samoedra is a vital resource for many mothers, offering essential support and care.
Sofia's commitment to postpartum wellness is deeply personal. Having experienced postpartum depression, she conducted extensive research into clinical studies, uncovering substantial gaps in maternal health awareness and support. Her mission is to ensure that no mother faces the challenges she did alone. By raising awareness about postnatal depletion and the mental health impacts of childbirth, Sofia is dedicated to transforming maternal care practices and empowering women to take control of their health.
Sofia Erica Lane's work has positioned her as a leading authority in maternal wellness. Her unwavering commitment to improving the lives of mothers and her dedication to women's health make her an invaluable asset to the healthcare community. Through her efforts, she continues to inspire, educate, and advocate for comprehensive care and support for mothers worldwide, ensuring that maternal health becomes a priority on the global healthcare agenda.
Ivanna is a distinguished entrepreneur and innovator in the healthcare sector, blending her expertise in international business and finance with a passion for groundbreaking health technologies. She earned a Bachelor of International Business from Bond University in Australia and a Master of Finance from the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) while launching her career in Sydney's finance industry.
Ivanna established Nova Satra Health Sdn. Bhd., a private healthcare investment holding company focused on science-based natural products and molecular diagnostics. Her interest in this cutting-edge technology was sparked by its rapid evolution and unique potential.
Building on this passion, Ivanna founded Nova Satra Dx Pte. Ltd., a Singapore- based molecular diagnostic company dedicated to the research, development, and commercialization of novel blood-based diagnostic tests for female cancers. In 2017, Nova Satra Dx received backing from Genting Bio Cellular, a subsidiary of the Malaysian conglomerate Genting Bhd. The company was recognized for its excellence, winning the Singapore British Chambers of Commerce Annual Business Award for Startup Excellence in 2018. Following a merger in 2019, Nova Satra Dx is now known as Inex Innovate.
In 2022, Ivanna launched Samoedra Pty Ltd, inspired by her postpartum recovery after the birth of her special needs child. Samoedra offers science-backed natural supplements, drawing from ancient Asian traditions to support women through their postpartum recovery which is a neglected area of women's health. Ivanna is deeply committed to improving maternal wellness and addressing the unique health challenges women face during and after pregnancy.
In addition to her professional achievements, Ivanna is a passionate advocate for Prader-Willi Syndrome, supporting her special needs child and raising awareness for this rare genetic disorder.
Ivanna's commitment to personal growth and philanthropy is exemplified by her passion for running. She discovered her love for the sport while training for her first marathon, which she completed in Philadelphia in 2019. Running has provided her with numerous philanthropic opportunities, including becoming a top fundraiser for UNICEF Australia's Water Walk Challenge and participating in the International Women's On Her Team run.
Ivanna's journey showcases her dedication to advancing healthcare innovation, supporting women's health, and advocating for special needs. Her multifaceted contributions highlight her role as a leader in both the business and philanthropic communities.
Blake currently serves as the Chief Medical Officer for Alva 10, a consultancy that is moving diagnostics to the forefront of precision medicine by providing clinical, health economic, and strategic capital perspectives to diagnostic companies and payors. He is an Adjunct Professor at Duke's Fuqua School of Business in the Health Sector Management Program teaching health care innovation.
Prior to joining Alva 10, Blake was the Chief Medical Officer for Sapere Bio, an early-stage molecular diagnostic company, and Chief Clinical Officer for Echo Health Ventures, a venture investment group of BlueCross BlueShield. Prior to Echo, Blake served for 20 years as a practicing pediatric cardiologist at Savannah Children's Heart Center and a clinical professor at Mercer University School of Medicine.
He earned his AB and MD from Duke University, and then completed his pediatric clinical training at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and pediatric cardiology fellowship at Duke Medical Center. He received his MBA from Duke's Fuqua School of Business.
Hannah Mamuszka is Chief Executive Officer at Alva 10, which she founded in 2016 to change the pace of how diagnostics are brought to market and influence healthcare decision making.
Hannah started her career as a molecular biologist at the National Cancer Institute, before working in the pharmaceutical industry in oncology drug development. It was during that time that she realized that patients were not getting the full benefit of diagnostic technology in healthcare decision making, and that the reasons were generally financial, not clinical.
After pursuing a Masters Degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology at Harvard and subsequently spending 20+ years in the diagnostic industry, she grew frustrated with the lack of use of data and diagnostics in healthcare decision making and started Alva 10 to change the dynamic.
Alva 10 uses data tools to both identify the clinical junctions where the lack of use of a diagnostic tool to make a decision regarding patient care results in both poor outcomes and worse economics. Alva 10 then determines what diagnostic tools exists to address that clinical junctions, or identifies new opportunities for diagnostic development.
Alva 10 has worked to bring diagnostics to market in autism, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune diseases, neurodegenerative diseases and other areas with a goal of making every healthcare decision informed by patient specific data.
Hannah is a frequent speaker and writer on how to drive change in healthcare, and is on the editorial board for the Journal of Precision Medicine, where she also writes a regular column on the challenges of implementing change in medicine.
Hannah serves on the Board of Directors for Bionano Genomics (BNGO) and the University of North Carolina's Carolina Health Informatics Program (CHIP).
Dr. Mashael Alhegelan, MD, MBA is an Associate Professor of Medicine specializing in Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine. Hailing from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, she honed her medical expertise through rigorous training at renowned institutions such as King Saud University Hospital (Riyadh), King Faisal Specialist Hospital (Riyadh) and Duke University Hospital (Durham, NC) before joining the distinguished faculty at Duke University.
At Duke, Dr. Alhegelan served as Division Chief of Pulmonary & Critical Care holding pivotal roles as Medical Director of the ICU and Respiratory Care Services at Duke Regional Hospital as well as leading Pulmonary & Critical Care services at Duke Raleigh. Her tenure was illustrated by significant achievements such as restructuring staffing, increasing retention rates, and expanding practice size, resulting in Duke Regional's recognition as a top 10 hospital in the specialty. Additionally, she established infrastructure for cutting-edge clinical care, managed finances efficiently, spearheaded system-wide initiatives for therapy introduction and cost transparency while instructing clinical courses and mentoring early-career professionals.
With over two decades of clinical experience, Dr. Alhegelan's passion for healthcare administration led her to pursue an MBA at The Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, in 2022. Armed with this dual expertise, she adeptly navigates the complex intersection of medicine and business, leveraging innovation and strategic planning to optimize patient care and operational efficiency.
Beyond her clinical expertise, Dr. Alhegelan's leadership spans into broader healthcare spheres. Having served as the past president of the NC Thoracic Society and currently holding the position of Chair of the Durham County Hospital Board of Trustees, she plays a pivotal role in shaping the strategic direction of Duke Regional Hospital, ensuring accountability and advocating for the delivery of exceptional healthcare services to the community.
In 2023, she assumed the role of Vice President of Clinical Effectiveness at Alva 10, a healthcare consulting firm. Here, Dr. Alhegelan leverages her clinical insights to guide market access and reimbursement strategies for diagnostic companies and payer systems, ensuring the clinical effectiveness of proposed care pathways and contributing to budget impact modeling.
Outside her professional commitments, Dr. Alhegelan is deeply involved in community service as Business Director and Chief Financial Officer of the IN HER VISION FOUNDATION in Durham, NC. This non-profit organization provides essential eye care and prescription glasses to underserved communities, reflecting her commitment to accessible healthcare for all.
Manish Arora is the founder and CEO of Linus Biotechnology — a precision medicine clinical-stage company. Dr. Arora, an environmental epidemiologist and exposure biologist, is also the Edith J.Baerwald Professor and Vice Chairman of the Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.
Dr. Arora's research focuses on the effects of prenatal and early life chemical exposures on life- long health trajectories. In 2020, he and colleagues proposed the “Biodynamic Interface Theory,” a novel theoretical framework that explains how the environment interacts with physiology in a dynamic way over time. This theory has the potential to shift the paradigm of environmental health research from a static to a more nuanced dynamic view of health throughout the life course. In Dr. Arora's own research, environmental dynamic principles paved the way for his groundbreaking work on the tooth and hair biomarkers. Drs. Arora, Curtin and Austin led this technology to an FDA Breakthrough Designation for an autism biomarker that can be applied at birth.
Dr. Arora is currently the Principal Investigator or Co Investigator of eight research projects funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), including the Human Health Exposure Analysis Resource (HHEAR) Untargeted Center grant, and the R35/RIVER grant. He has received multiple honors throughout his career, including the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) awarded by President Barack Obama in 2015 and the National Institutes of Health Director's New Innovator Award in 2014.
Dr. Arora is the author of the book Environmental Biodynamics: A New Science of How the Environment Interacts with Human Health, published by Oxford University Press in December 2021.
Dr. Michael Salgaller currently works at the National Cancer Institute, where he leverages over 20 years of business, scientific, and investment experience in various life science sectors to support technology development and commercialization. Previously, he provided technical and strategic expertise to The Conafay Group, a DC-based government affairs firm - leading efforts on non-dilutive funding and alliance development. Prior to that, he was a long-time industry executive who held various positions in biotechnology and professional service firms. In addition, Dr. Salgaller was on the investment team of Toucan Capital, an early-stage venture firm dedicated to healthcare. He began his career as a Senior Staff Scientist at the National Cancer Institute, where he oversaw a lab developing treatments for patients with terminal illnesses.
Dr. Salgaller serves on the Life Sciences Advisory Board of the Maryland Technology Council, and as a liaison to the Maryland-Israel Development Corporation and Maryland Technology Council. He is a reviewer for Washington DC ArchAngels and the Cooperative Angel Alumni Group. He is the author of “Biotechnology Entrepreneurship,” which is used as a reference text for courses at NIH and Catholic University, among others. He is an author of over 100 articles, presentations, and book chapters, and is on the editorial boards of several journals. Dr. Salgaller received his PhD in Pathology from The Ohio State University.
Dr. O'Donnell is a medical oncologist and the Director of the Multi-Cancer Early Detection Clinic in the Centers for Early Detection and Interception at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and a physician-researcher in the Plasma Cell Disorder Center. She graduated from Vanderbilt Medical School and completed her residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center where she spent an additional year as a chief resident. She completed her fellowship in hematology and oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Her research focuses on early detection of cancer and therapeutic and lifestyle interventions for the treatment of plasma cell dyscrasias.
Based in Monaco, Emichika is an entrepreneur and nurturer of female executives. After the death of her husband at the age of 50, she transitioned from being a housewife to a business executive. Emichika envisions "going beyond one's limitation with dignity, courage, and love" and has cultivated her networking and language skills from scratch to seize business opportunities in the well-being field.
In July 2022, she delivered a speech at the globally renowned presentation event "TED," achieving the highest monthly views worldwide. She has founded "Emichika Academy" for Japanese businesswomen and "KELLY CLUB JAPON," and is actively giving lectures worldwide and nurturing business leaders, especially women, whom she views as diamonds in the rough.
Her work has been featured in numerous international media outlets, such as a full-page feature in 'The Japan Times,' 'Forbes France,' and 'TIMES Monaco.' Her publications include "In the End, Live 'Empty-Handed' to be Successful - 57 Hints I Got from Billionaires in Monaco" (PHP Institute) and "77 Words from Monaco that Nurture the 'Magnetic Aura'" (Gentosha).
Takashi Sasaki is the CEO and Founder of Relive Inc., a pioneering Japanese company revolutionizing health and well-being through innovative wearable technology. After developing asthma at a young age, Mr. Sasaki spent much of his childhood struggling with his health, sparking his lifelong quest for health solutions.
At 55, he discovered his life's purpose: to help others achieve vitality and well-being. This insight led to the creation of Relive Shirts and Pants, designed to energize and invigorate the body. By embedding mineral powder into specific areas, the Relive clothing improves physical abilities, alleviates pain, enhances sleep, and reduces fatigue. The remarkable benefits have been experienced by individuals from various backgrounds including athletes, healthcare workers and seniors, driving successful commercialization in Japan. Supported by scientific studies and recognized with medical device status in Japan, Relive's clothing stands as a testament to innovative health technology.
Mr. Sasaki's diverse entrepreneurial background in computer software and business management has positioned Relive Inc. as a leader in the wellness industry as they begin to expand globally. His vision and dedication have driven the company to achieve tremendous success, with over one million pieces already sold, and the expectation of doubling that number by the end of 2025. This incredible growth under Mr. Sasaki's leadership demonstrates the potential to achieve even higher milestones, while his mission is to continue advancing health technology and inspire others to prioritize well-being in their daily lives.
Ms Ruriko Sakuraba is based in Tokyo and has been guiding tours of Japanese mythology for about 30 years. Her participants can not only learn the stories but also experience them. In December 2024, three people, including Ms Sakuraba, who were born in 1958 and are now 65 years old, founded a company, Ruriko Inc. Currently, their activities are centered on the “Konohana Club,” a Japanese cultural exchange group, which focuses on three themes: learning about the culture and customs handed down in Japan from ancient times, thinking about how to preserve them, and passing them on to the future. The club's activities are currently held in Japan and will expand to the rest of the world in the future.
They also hold storytelling events where they talk about the richness of what people can feel with their hearts and five senses, which we cannot touch, and how we are all alive today because of the help of others. In Japan, there is a concept of “helping each other” and “thanking each other,” and a memory of a culture that created a long-lasting era without conflict is engraved in their genes. This is what they call “Mammaru-sun,” and they have started their activities around this concept. Human connection is Mammaru-sun. Heartfelt richness is Mammaru-sun. Goods flow is Mammaru-sun. Everything is Mammaru-sun, not round, but a sphere, warm and gentle, made with the palms of both hands. Mammaru-sun is a project Ruriko, with three people of the same age, has decided to start together with serious commitment. They will seriously work on building a place full of passion, the “Mammaru-sun” village, in Japan and around the world.
Maiko Horisawa is a recording artist, lyricist, and composer who sculpts musical sound with infinite creativity and mastery of her original vocal technique. She is also an award-winning educator and entrepreneur, who has brought life-changing transformation experiences through her original voice and breathing methods.
After graduating from Kunitachi College of Music, one of the most prestigious music conservatories in Japan for Vocal Arts, Horisawa embarked on a transformative journey, developing her craft in bel canto singing techniques in Italy and mastering gospel singing in the United States. She had a challenging battle with vocal polyps that led to a loss of voice, but through resilience and innovation, Horisawa developed her original vocal method, which allowed her triumphant return as a singer. In 2001, Horisawa's debut album, Sol Aura Vita, was a sensation, clinching the top spot on the Healing Chart in the Kansai region, followed by acclaimed albums Wonderful World (2007), Ave Maria (2008),Re-Birth (2009),Departure (2011).
In 2012, seeking new challenges and artistic growth, Horisawa ventured solo to the United States to collaborate with globally recognized record producers. This journey led to a fateful encounter with Steve Dorff, a legendary producer known for his work with Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, Barbra Streisand, and the Carpenters, who was inspired and captivated by Horisawa's voice. Together, they produced the album, Kindred Spirits, with the Hollywood Orchestra and top musicians, such as Lee Sklar and Vinnie Colaiuta. Released in 2014, by the major record label Yamaha Music Communications, the album made a spectacular debut, achieving the number one spot in the Amazon New Age category.
Horisawa's exceptional vocal talents have been showcased across many film, films and other audiovisual projects, including Netflix's series THE DAYS, Disney+ series Gannibal, feature films such as KINGSGLAIVE FINAL FANTASY XV, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Polar Express, and in the video games ZONE OF THE ENDERS Z.O.E, anime series Eureka Seven, and NHK Taiga Drama Kirin Ga Kuru, in collaboration with Hollywood film composer John R. Graham.
In addition to performing in concerts in Japan, New York, Los Angeles, the United Kingdom, and Taiwan, Horisawa has been commissioned for the ceremonial performance at major shrines across Japan, such as Ise Grand Shrine and Izumo Taisha, showcasing her deep respect for cultural traditions.
Aside from her successful music career, Horisawa has revolutionized voice training in Japan with her original one-day master class. During her early music career, she lost her voice due to polyps on her vocal cords. It was crucial for her to invent a new singing method in order to continue her professional career without the polyps recurring. During her recovery time, she studied the ancient Japanese martial art of Kobujutsu and used that to create her original vocal and breathing method. It not only brought back her voice but also improved her overall vocal performance.
In 2007, Horisawa founded the voice and mental health academy, Amato Musica, Tokyo, with her belief that all human beings are born with the ability to produce and control their true perfect voice by understanding the relationship between their body, voice, and mind. Amato Musica offers a one-day master class to master her method. Over 8,000 students have taken this life-changing voice transformation experience. Horisawa has also coached professional singers, politicians, actors, and corporate executives, including McKinsey & Company and Boehringer Ingelheim.
In 2011, Horisawa published her bestselling book Transforming Your Speaking and Singing Voice in a Day, which has sold over 130,000 copies in Japanese alone. She is one of the most successful authors and coaches on the topic of voice and mental health coaching with six Amazon Japan bestselling books to her credit.
In 2023, in recognition of their extensive contributions to music, entrepreneurship, and literature, all underpinned by a commitment to peace, Horisawa was awarded the prestigious Higashi Kuninomiya Peace Prize in 2023. This awards accolade not only honors their individual achievements, but also their role as a beacon of hope and harmony in the global community.
Ms. Baer leads Personal Cities, a smart city company helping cities take bigger, bolder actions to reimagine their future. Their work is focused on rebuilding trust and finding new solutions to the most intransigent challenges every community faces—climate, technology, transport, housing, safety and youth empowerment and more.
Ms. Baer has also joined Urban Icon International as the Smart City Chief & Master Plan Designer, focused on brand strategy, marketing and innovative community and youth district plans. Urban Icon International is a model of Sports and Entertainment developments in cities across the continent of Africa. Every project is designed to satisfy the need for Sports and Entertainment arenas, while enhancing every urban community. Urban Icon's venues are the catalyst for re-imagining a more promising future in Africa.
As the Brand Ambassador, SmartCitiesWorld, Ms. Baer advocates for new thinking, new actions to help the ecosystem of a city become compassionate, intelligent, and sustainable.
Ms. Baer believes that the smart city future is bright. As we take bigger, bolder actions to meet city challenges, our commitment to improving urban life and our enduring collaborative relationships will enable us to create a future that all of us want to visit.
Edward J. Cupler, MD, FAAN, is a distinguished consultant Neurologist and Neuromuscular Diseases specialist serving as the Executive Director of Research and Innovation at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (KFSHRC). In this role, he is responsible for the strategic direction, operational management, and growth of the Research and Innovation at a corporate level. He oversees all aspects of research, including the development and execution of research initiatives, resource allocation, and performance evaluation. He is instrumental in aligning the Research and Innovations' goals with KFSHRC's overall mission and vision while fostering strong collaborations with national and international stakeholders. His responsibilities encompass strategic leadership, identifying high-impact projects, securing funding, and measuring research outcomes. Talent management by building and leading a highly renounced research team, fostering a culture of innovation, and cultivating strategic partnerships. External engagement by representing KFSHRC in the research community, suggesting policy, and communicating the value of research to diverse stakeholders. Operational excellence by ensuring efficient resource utilization, financial stewardship, and adherence to ethical and regulatory standards. Organizational transformation by driving innovation and leading the Research and Innovation towards a future-focused research agenda. Leading projects such as the establishment of a GMP facility for ATMPs. Through his leadership, Dr. Cupler is committed to advancing scientific discovery, improving patient care, and positioning KFSHRC as a global leader in research and innovation.
Dr. Cupler is the founder of the Saudi Arabian Neuromuscular and Electrodiagnostic Medicine (SANEM) branch of the Saudi Neurology Society (SNS). His career at KFSHRC spans multiple tenures, beginning in Riyadh from 1996 to 2005, where he engaged in clinical research, postgraduate education, and basic research. Subsequently, he held leadership positions at Oregon Health Sciences University, directing the Neuromuscular Diseases Center, MDA Clinic, and ALS Center of Oregon, while serving as Associate Professor of Neurology. Upon returning to KFSHRC in 2010, he assumed roles of increasing responsibility, culminating in his appointment as Executive Director of Research and Innovation in 2022.
A prolific scholar, Dr. Cupler has authored numerous academic publications, book chapters, and abstracts, and is a sought-after lecturer at international conferences, summits, seminars, and symposiums. He is dedicated to mentoring young neurologists and has maintained a consistent research focus throughout his career.
Dr. Cupler earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from Ohio State University, followed by an Internal Medicine internship at Loyola University in Chicago, IL, and a Neurology Residency at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX. He completed his Neuromuscular Diseases fellowship at the National Institutes of Health.
Prof. Eyal Zimlichman is an internal medicine physician, a health care executive and a researcher focused on assessing and improving health care quality and value, patient engagement and patient safety.
Prof. Zimlichman currently serves as Chief Transformation Officer and Chief Innovation Officer at Sheba Medical Center, Israel's largest hospital. In this position he oversees the transformation efforts carried out at the Medical Center as it aims to redesign healthcare to be focused on patients, while being more effective, efficient and equitable. For these reasons, Prof. Zimlichman founded Sheba's global innovation program (ARC - Accelerate, Redesign and Collaborate). Prior to this Prof. Zimlichman held the position of Chief Medical Officer and before that as Chief Quality Officer, both at Sheba.
Preceding his work at Sheba, Prof. Zimlichman held the position of Lead Researcher at Partners Health Care Clinical Affairs Department in Boston where he was involved in the efforts to bring about a strategic care redesign initiative. In that capacity, Prof. Zimlichman established their program for collecting and reporting patient reported outcomes across the continuum of care, a program that earned international appraisal. During that time, Prof. Zimlichman held an appointment at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School affiliated Center for Patient Safety Research and Practice, where he conducted research on implementing technology to improve quality and patient safety.
Prof. Zimlichman is a founding member of the International Academy of Quality and Safety in Health Care and an International Expert at the International Society of Quality in Healthcare (ISQua). He also served as an advisor to the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
In 2007 Prof. Zimlichman was selected as a member of Sheba's Talpiot Medical Leadership Program, a program aimed at advancing the brightest young physicians into leadership roles. In 2017 he was appointed head of the program. Prof. Zimlichman is a graduate of the Harvard School of Public Health Master of Science in Healthcare Management program and has earned his MD at the Technion Israel Institute of Technology.
Dr. Feras Khaliel is a distinguished figure in the field of cardiac surgery and robotic-assisted procedures, currently serving as the Head of Cardiac Surgery, Director of Robotics and MIS Program, and Director of MCS and Heart Transplant Program at King Faisal Specialist Hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Additionally, he holds the position of Professor of Surgery at Alfaisal University.
Dr. Khaliel's expertise lies in advanced treatments for heart failure and intricate robotic cardiac surgeries. Under his leadership, the hospital's robotics program has gained global recognition, handling complex cases and achieving high surgical volumes comparable to leading centers worldwide.
As an active academic, Dr. Khaliel has contributed significantly to the field, delivering over 250 conference presentations and publishing more than 30 research papers. His dedication to advancing medical knowledge and improving patient outcomes is evident in his pioneering work and ongoing contributions to the field of cardiac surgery.
Recently, Dr. Khaliel led his team at King Faisal Specialist Hospital in successfully completing three heart transplants within a remarkable 24-hour period. This achievement highlighted the hospital's rapid response capabilities and its commitment to delivering cutting-edge healthcare.
Dr. Khaliel's leadership, expertise, dedication to academic and training, innovation, and continued shaping of the landscape of cardiac surgery enhance the quality of care provided at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre.
Dr. Björn Zoëga is an experienced international hospital Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and a prominent figure in the healthcare industry. Dr. Zoëga has a proven record of accomplishment of developing world-class hospitals. With his visionary approach and pragmatic leadership style, he has demonstrated the ability to transform healthcare organizations into powerful engines of medical innovation, patient care, and financial performance.
In his career, Dr. Zoëga has held the position of CEO at various hospitals around the world. Currently, he is the Deputy Chief Executive Officer of King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Several awards and recognitions have been bestowed upon him for his outstanding leadership skills. In 2011, he received the CEO of the Year award in Iceland.
During his tenure at Karolinska University Hospital, Dr. Zoëga played a significant role in transforming the institution into a global leader in healthcare. Under his leadership, the hospital secured a place on the esteemed Newsweek World's Best Hospitals list from 2020 to 2023, ranking among the top six hospitals in the world. Additionally, Karolinska University Hospital was named one of the World's Smartest Hospital in 2021 and 2023, ranking ninth globally. In 2023, the hospital also received the Newsweek World's Best Specialized Hospitals award, (Best in the Nordics in 8 categories) further solidifying its position as a leader in its respective field.
Dr. Zoëga was born and raised in Reykjavik, Iceland. He completed his Doctor of Philosophy at Gothenburg University's Faculty of Medicine in 1998. Prior to that, he obtained a Bachelor's degree in Science from Reykjavik College in 1984. For his management education, Dr. Zoëga studied clinical hospital management in Gothenburg, Sweden from 1999 to 2002. Furthermore, he attended Harvard Business School in 2011, where he gained a broad knowledge of management and administration within the healthcare industry.
In 1991, Dr. Zoëga embarked on a journey of rotating internships in various medical specialties. These internships included Rejkjalundur Rehabilitation Center, Reykjavik Hospital's Emergency Department, and St. Josefs Hospital's Internal Medicine and General Surgery departments. After completing his internship, Dr. Zoëga began his career at Saghlgrenska University Hospital as an orthopedic surgeon. In this role, he gained valuable hands-on experience and expertise in the field. Today, Dr. Zoëga holds a full licensed to practice medicine in Iceland, Sweden, and Norway.
Throughout his career, he has delivered keynote addresses at major international conferences. He holds memberships in multiple medical associations and societies, including Icelandic Medical Associations, Swedish Medical Associations, Icelandic Orthopedic Societies, Swedish Orthopedic Society, Swedish Society of Spinal Surgeon, North American Spine Society and Gothenburg Medical Society. His extensive publication record demonstrates his dedication to advancing medical knowledge. He has published research in many journals and contributed to more than 50 scientific abstracts as well as public works and book chapters.
Dr. Zoëga's visionary pragmatism and focus on data has revolutionized healthcare. His innovative approach has led to groundbreaking advancements. As he continues to function as a hospital leader internationally, Dr. Zoëga's dedication, strategic thinking, and unwavering commitment to patient care have earned him the respect and admiration of his peers. His visionary leadership continues to inspire others in the healthcare community, and he will undoubtedly shape healthcare's future.
Dr. Salah Baz is specialized in epilepsy/neurology and has over 15 years of experience as a Consultant and Executive Administrator.
In December 2020, the KFSH&RC established the Centre for Genomic Medicine (CGM) to embark on the first Personalized Medicine Program in Saudi Arabia in support of the Kingdom's Vision 2030. The primary mission of the CGM is to develop, validate, localized and implement genomic capabilities for better health, disease prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, through the practice of precision medicine.
CURRENT ACADEMIC/ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS:
- Executive Director, Centre for Genomic Medicine (December 2021-present)
- Vice President of Saudi Neurosciences Society
- Consultant Neurologist and Epileptologist, Section of Adult Neurology, Department of Neurosciences, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre
- Affiliate as Assistant Professor of Alfaisal University
PREVIOUS ACADEMIC/ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS:
- Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Medical Affairs, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre (January 2019 - January 2022)
- Director, Virtual Care Hospital KFSH corporate.
- Executive Director, Aldara Partnership Healthcare Delivery, King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre (October 2020 - July 2021)
- Deputy Executive Director, Academic & Training Affairs (December 2016 - January 2019)
- Director of Epilepsy and EEG Fellowship Training Program (November 2009 - November 2017)
- Epilepsy and EEG Fellowship, London Health Science Center at the University of Western Ontario, Canada (May 2005 - October 2007)
- Chair, Scientific Epilepsy Fellowship Programs (SCFHS)
- Chair, Scientific Neurology Residency Programs (SCFHS)
Dr. Baz received his MBBS degree from the King Saud University, KSA and is certified by Saudi Board of Medicine, Arab Board of Medicine, Saudi Board of Neurology, and Jordanian Board of Neurology. He completed his fellowships in EEG & EPILEPSY at London Health Science Centre, University of Western Ontario, Canada and Human Brain Mapping: By FMRI and DTI: LHSC and Robarts Research Center, University of Western Ontario.
Seema Kumar is the Chief Executive Officer of Cure, a healthcare innovation campus in New York City. Cure, an affiliate of Deerfield Management, is a world-class laboratory, engineering, and business facility that brings together industry leaders and innovators who share a mission to foster collaborations spanning disciplines, sectors and geographies to advance health. Cure houses 18 on-campus startup and established companies, which collectively raised more than $1.2 billion between 2021 and February 2024.
Seema is a visionary leader with deep expertise in science, education, diversity, equity, inclusion and corporate social responsibility. Her 30-year career has spanned academic, government, corporate and non-profit environments. She sets and achieves the vision, mission and strategy for scientific programming, educational and learning initiatives. She also drives business growth through innovation, strategic alliances and coalition building.
Before joining Cure in October 2022, Seema served as Global Head of the Office of Innovation, Global Health and Scientific Engagement at Johnson & Johnson. During her nearly 20-year tenure in senior leadership roles at J&J, Seema worked at the intersection of science, media, business and society to expand the company's leadership as a champion of science and global health authority.
Before joining J&J, Seema was the Chief of Staff to Eric Lander, PhD, and Chief Communications Officer at the Whitehead Institute/Massachusetts Institute of Technology Center for Genome Research. She was vital to enhancing worldwide public awareness and understanding of the Human Genome Project, working with Lander as well as Francis Collins, MD, PhD, Kathy Hudson, PhD, and other leaders.
Prior to Whitehead, Seema worked at the U.S. National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the National Institutes of Health. She also worked at The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, where she launched new initiates to communicate the importance of basic science.
Seema has published more than 200 articles on topics including science, health, policy, politics, and culture. She serves on several boards and advisory committees focused on science education and social impact. Seema is a member of the NYAS Board of Governors.
Seema earned a master of science in science journalism from the University of Maryland and a bachelor of science in physics from Stella Maris College in Madras, India.
Seema spends her personal time connecting with her culture and focusing on her life-long passion to empower women. She founded SEEMA, is the largest multi-dimensional platform focused on connecting and empowering South Asian women, increasing their representation and spotlighting their roles globally.
Mr. Kahn's extensive health policy expertise, outstanding leadership abilities, lengthy Capitol Hill experience, and proven campaign and communications skills make him one of Washington, DC's most effective and accomplished trade association executives. He is one of only six health care leaders who have appeared on Modern Healthcare magazine's annual “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare” list (formerly the “100 Most Powerful People in Healthcare” list) since its inception. Becker's Hospital Review included Mr. Kahn on its “50 Most Powerful People in Healthcare” list for 2015. He also appeared on the list in 2014, 2012, 2011, 2010, and 2009.
In October 2015, The Hill newspaper selected Mr. Kahn as one of the capital's top lobbyists for the 15th consecutive year. Fortune magazine, for three consecutive years, named the former Health Insurance Association of America (HIAA), under Mr. Kahn's leadership, as the nation's most influential insurance trade association.
Currently, Mr. Kahn is at the forefront of national initiatives to shape policy for advancing health care quality and information technology. He represents the FAH as a member of the Measure Applications Partnership (MAP) Coordinating Committee of the National Quality Forum (NQF), a multi-stakeholder private-public partnership for developing and implementing a national strategy for health care quality measurement. He also is a former member of the NQF's Governing Board. Mr. Kahn is a member of the Board of Directors of PharmMD, a medication therapy management company. He is the past Chair of the David A. Winston Health Policy Fellowship, which funds a 12-month postgraduate experience in Washington, D.C. as well as scholarships for health policy graduate students.
Mr. Kahn is also the recipient of the B'nai B'rith 2016 National Health Care Award, which has recognized exceptional trailblazers in the health care industry for more than 30 years.
Orli joined ARC in May 2022 as Chief Business Officer to lead strategic partnerships and grow ARC's network of international partners, including leading medical centers, industry partners, academic institutions, government offices, and startups.
Since Orli relocated to the US in August 2022, she also led the global initiatives, as the head of ARC Global, including the consulting services, helping global medical centers to establish innovation centers according to the ARC's model, tailored made to their goals.
Today, Orli serves as CEO of ARC US and responsible to establish an innovation and simulation lab for the future of healthcare and a soft-landing pad for ARC's startups.
Prior to joining Sheba Medical Center, Orli worked for 20 years in different key roles, including marketing, sales, commercial and strategy for pharmaceutical companies, including Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Pfizer, Janssen, Johnson & Johnson, and Merck.
Orli holds an MBA in Healthcare Innovation from Reichman University, a master's degree in health administration and public health from Bar Ilan University and a B.Sc. in Bio-Medicine from Tel-Aviv University. Orli was a teaching assistant in two courses at Reichman University: “Redesign Healthcare” and “Innovation in Healthcare Services”.
Jerome Gary is an Academy Award and Emmy nominated filmmaker and teacher. He is the Chairman of Visionaire Media and the MENA Media Fund, which in association with the US Department of State, invests in media in the Middle East and North Africa. Currently, the fund has more than twenty projects in various stages of development or production. Thus far, one feature film and eight pilots have been produced; five have gone to series; three have had a second season and one a third season. His film credits include the Academy Award nominated Pumping Iron; Stripper; Old Boyfriends; The Gathering; Life After Death; Generation Iron and Confessions From A War. And in television, The Russians (Series/TNT), Laughs (Series/HBO); Rebel Highway (Showtime); On the Road in America (three seasons/Sundance; MBCI); American Caravan; Arab Muslim Women (Series MBC1), and Trading Places.
He also served as the President of Production at Cinema 5 (1978-1980), an independent film studio; President of Visionaire Communications (1981- 86); and the Strategic Director for USC's Institute for Creative Technologies (2000-2006). He has been the recipient of more than $32 million in federal grants for media and public diplomacy related projects and has worked extensively in the Middle East since 2004.
While very active in film and television, for thirteen years he was senior lecturer in screenwriting and directing at the American Film Institute Center for Advanced Film and Television Studies. He was the Senior Screenwriting Instructor (Chair) for seven years and the Senior Directing Instructor for three. He was on the directing faculty at the University of Southern California School of Cinema and Television for ten years. He has taught directing, screenwriting, and storytelling at the Los Angeles Film School, Esalen Institute, Yale University, Dartmouth, The University of Hawaii and in numerous foreign countries. In 2006, 2007 and 2008, he went to Afghanistan three times, leading teams of 10 teachers to teach two-week media capacity building in Kandahar. Graduation certificates were awarded to 138 participants. Since 2018, he has taught storytelling and screenwriting to more than 1200 students, filmmakers and teachers in masterclasses in Cairo, Tunis, Rabat (3), Marrakech (2) and Beirut (2). He has also taught storytelling to traumatized children in Kandahar and Kabul.
He produced iDiplomacy, a two-day symposium on citizen diplomacy at the Gallup Organization sponsored by the Office of the Secretary of Defense and Gallup. He has twice been spokesperson for the Media Committee at the DOHA forum. He has published 'papers' and lectured on 'Trauma and Fractured Narrative' in Beirut, Cairo, Rabat and at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey. He was also President of the Jury at the Carthage Film Festival and the Rabat Festival des Auteurs.
He graduated from Yale University with Honors in History of the Arts and Letters and is a member of the WGA and DGA. He is married to Mary Lambert, the film director, and they have a son, Jordan.
Dr. Baban earned his Ph.D. from the University of London UK, followed by his postdoctoral fellowship, Master of Business Administration (MBA) and Master of Public Health (MPH) from Augusta University and Certificate in leadership principles from Harvard Business School. He has published over 140 peer reviewed publications, 3 issued and several pending patents. He is also a member of the scientific board and study sections of several major organizations nationally and internationally.
Dr. Baban was granted the Regent's Entrepreneur designation by Georgia Board of Regents based on his outstanding full-time tenured established reputation as a successful innovator who has taken his research into a commercial setting.
Dr. Aleksi gained her MD degree and Cardiology Specialty Certification in Europe, where she also pursued a Master of Clinical Sciences with focus on the advanced cardiac sciences. Upon moving to Canada, she completed additional post-graduate training, including a 4-y program in Internal Medicine, followed by a 2-y program in Medical Oncology, at University of Calgary in Alberta. She holds both Internal Medicine board certification and Medical Oncology certification by Royal College of Physicians of Canada (FRCPC). She pursued niche sub-specialty training with 2 clinical fellowships in Thoracic & Neuro Endocrine tumors, as well as in Theranostics and Cardio-Oncology. She is currently a practicing Medical Oncologist at the Tom Baker Cancer Centre, in Calgary.
Dr Aleksi is a strong advocate of PRRT & Theranostic, with a specific interest in radio-ligand based applications for both diagnosing and treatment of cancers. She has spearheaded a few provincial initiatives. She is the Lead of Neuro-Endocrine Awareness Campaign in Calgary, having launched the first NET Patients Awareness Committee, the first comprehensive NET provincial database and the first NET fundraising campaign. She is the President of the newly founded Canadian Cancer Theranostics Foundation (CCTF). She is a promoter of PRRT precision medicine, acknowledging its rapid expansion across cancer sites. She is a member of Canadian radionucleotide group and sits in the provincial guideline committee for paraganglioma & pheochromocytoma, among other things. As a trailblazer in the hybrid dual-specialty of Cardio-Oncology, she is creating new bridges to facilitate research between Cardiology and Oncology, interested in building a future cardio- oncology fellowship program. Dr Aleksi serves annually in AIMGA program, as an interviewer for international medical graduates applying for residency entry positions at University of Calgary, as well as an interviewer for undergraduate students entering Cumming School of Medicine, in addition to being a career coach for several UofC medical students. She has an established research background in cardiovascular translational research with Libin CV Institute of Alberta, involving endothelial vascular biomarkers. Current area of clinical research interest involves: outcomes of PRRT use in PET + and PET - , Ga-68 + advanced G1-G3 neuroendocrine tumors. She looks forward to a brighter future for cancer patients in Alberta, as the Medical Oncology Department in Calgary, anticipates the move to the newly built “Arthur J.E Child”Comprehensive Cancer Centre, the largest cancer center in Canada and a world-leading cancer care facility.
Hannah Katz is a Senior Innovation Program Manager at SciTech Scity where she is responsible for managing the planning, execution, and overall operational support of SciTech Scity's Edge Works and the Healthcare Innovation Engine. Prior to joining SciTech Scity, Hannah served as Chief of Staff at New Jersey Innovation Institute (a subsidiary of NJIT) and has over a decade of experience in higher education and healthcare.
Hannah holds a B.A. in Psychology and M.A. in Humanities and Social Thought from New York University.
Kevin E. Baird co-chairs the Center of Excellence for Health Care at Prometric, the world's leading partner for talent quality certification and upskilling. Prometric partners with governments and professional organizations to develop and credential health care talent from doctors and nurses to medical technology specialists worldwide. Prometric's validated credentials are trusted in more than 180 countries.
Mr. Baird brings three decades of experience in accelerated human performance and contributes to the global talent quality conversation through his roles as Chief Experience Officer at Prometric and Chairman at the Global Center for College & Career Readiness. He is a leading thinker, researcher and author studying the intersection of technology and accelerated achievement.
Kevin E. Baird holds degrees in Sociology & Anthropology, an MBA in Global Management, and is one of the world's first ALEP accredited professionals focused on the intersection of the built environment and human skill acquisition. He is a Wingspread Scholar, a Beinecke National Scholar, and a co-founder of MVMNT and the Environmental Symphony. He is co-author of Whole: What Teachers Need to Help Students Thrive, and co- author of Trust Me: Discovering Trust in A Culture of Distrust. Mr. Baird's Family Office actively invests in the development of communities across South Asia and South America, with an emphasis on the health, education and skill development for women and women-led families.
Mr. Baird can be contacted at Kevin@KevinEBaird.com.
ⓘ
Keynote Speaker
General David H. Petraeus, US Army (Ret.)
Partner,
KKR;
Chairman,
KKR Global Institute,
USA
ⓘ
C3 Summit Co-Chair
Dr. Ghassan Abou-Alfa,
MD, MBA
C3 Summit Co-Chair,
Attending Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center;
Professor at Weill Cornell College at Cornell University;
Trustee of American University of Beirut;
International Affairs Steering Committee,
American Society of Clinical Oncology,
USA
ⓘ
Dr. Maan Fares, MD
Chairman,
Global Patient Services,
The Cleveland Clinic;
C3 Board Advisor,
USA
ⓘ
Ambassador
Dr. Deborah L. Birx
White House,
Coronavirus Task Force (retired),
2020-2021;
C3 Board Advisor,
USA
ⓘ
Dr. Björn Zoëga
2024 C3 Global Innovative Healthcare
& Impact Transformation Award
Deputy Chief Executive Officer,
King Faisal Specialist Hospital &
Research Centre,
KSA
ⓘ
Ms. Seema Kumar
Chief Executive Officer,
Cure
USA
ⓘ
Prof. Eyal Zimlichman, MD, MSc (MHCM)
Chief Transformation Officer,
Chief Innovation Officer,
Sheba Medical Center, Israel;
Founder and Director,
ARC,
Israel
ⓘ
Orli Biger, MHA&PH, MBA
CEO, ARC US
ARC Innovation
American Friends of Sheba Medical Center,
Israel
ⓘ
Hannah Katz, B.A., M.A.
Senior Innovation Program Manager,
SciTech Scity,
USA
ⓘ
Dr. Betsy O'Donnell
Director,
Multi-Cancer Early Detection Clinic,
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute;
Assistant Professor of Medicine,
Harvard Medical School,
USA
ⓘ
Dr. Blake Long,
MD, MBA
Chief Medical Officer,
Alva 10;
Adjunct professor,
Duke Fuqua School of Business,
USA
ⓘ
Dr. Mashael Alhegelan
MD, MBA
VP of clinical effectiveness,
Alva 10;
Associate Professor of Medicine,
Division of Pulmonary,
Allergy & Critical Care Medicine,
Duke Health,
USA
ⓘ
Dr. Manish Arora
BDS, MPH, PhD
Founder and CEO,
Linus Biotechnology,
USA
ⓘ
Dr. Alda Aleksi,
MD, MSc, FRCPC
Medical Oncologist,
Medical Oncology Department,
NET Tumors, H&N Malignancies,
Theragnostic and Cardio-Oncology,
Tom Baker Cancer Centre,
Canada
ⓘ
Ms. Ivanna Salehudin
Founder & CEO,
Samoedra Pty Ltd,
Australia
ⓘ
Dr. Edward J. Cupler
Chair, C3 Scientific Committee
Executive Director of Research
and Innovation,
King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre | KFSHRC,
KSA
ⓘ
Dr. Suja Mathew,
M.D.
Executive Vice President,
Chief Clinical Officer,
Atlantic Health System,
USA
ⓘ
Dr. Feras Khaliel
Head of Cardiac Surgery,
Director of Robotics and MIS Program,
and Director of MCS and Heart
Transplant Program at KFSHRC,
KSA
ⓘ
Mr. Charles ('Chip') N. Kahn, III
President and CEO of the Federation of American Hospitals,
Co-Founder/Director of the Board of FOH,
USA
ⓘ
Ms. Sofia Erica Lane
Founder & Chief Creative Director,
Samoedra Pty Ltd,
Australia
ⓘ
Dr. Abdalelah S. Saaty
Dean,
College of Business,
King Abdulaziz University,
Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
ⓘ
Ambassador Gina Abercrombie-Winstanley
President,
Middle East Policy Council,
USA
ⓘ
Mr. Phillip Mervis
Chairman & CEO,
BioSAFE Engineering,
USA
ⓘ
Dr. Michael Salgaller, PhD
Supervisory Specialist,
Technology Analysis and Marketing Unit (TAMU),
Technology Transfer Center,
National Cancer Institute,
USA
ⓘ
Mr. John Payne
Chairman & CEO,
PURELIFE Health Sciences Group, LLC,
USA
ⓘ
Ms. Lindsay Denny
Environmental Health Consultant,
UNICEF-HQ,
USA
ⓘ
Dr. Caroline Chung,
MD, MSc., FRCPC, CIP
Department of Radiation Oncology,
Division of Radiation Oncology;
Chief Data Officer,
MD Anderson,
USA
ⓘ
Mr. Jerome Gary
Chairman,
Visionaire Media,
MENA Media Fund,
USA
ⓘ
Dr. Maliha Hashmi
Prominent Health Leader,
One of Top Seven Female Health Leaders,
MENA Region,
Kingdom Of Saudi Arabia
ⓘ
Salah Mohammed S. Baz, MD
Executive Director,
Centre for Genomic Medicine,
King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre,
KSA
ⓘ
Dr. Clotilde Monguya
MD Obstetrics,
Gynaecology MPH,
Global Health Emerging Markets Consultant,
African Scientific Institute Fellow,
USA
ⓘ
Dr. Stephen Hahn
Flagship Pioneering,
Chief Executive Officer,
Harbinger Health,
USA
ⓘ
Mr. Kevin E. Baird
Co-Chair,
Center for Excellence | Health Care,
Prometric,
USA
ⓘ
Mrs. Hannah Mamuszka
CEO,
Alva 10,
USA
ⓘ
Dr. Gabi Hanna, MD
CEO, Co-Founder,
Lamassu Pharma, LLC;
Executive Director,
Duke Preclinical Translational Research Center;
Associate Director,
Duke Cancer Institute, Surgical Facility;
VP American Remote Health,
USA
ⓘ
Ms. Emichika
Representative Director,
General Incorporated
Association
“KELLY CLUB JAPON”,
Principality of Monaco
Japan
ⓘ
Ms. Maiko Horisawa
Recording Artist,
Founder & CEO,
"Amato Musica"
Voice & Self-empowerment Institute,
Japan
ⓘ
Mr. John Walker
CEO/Chairman,
Holo Sail Technologies,
USA
ⓘ
Mr. Kunio Hara
President,
Ho-Me-I-Ku Foundation,
Japan
ⓘ
Dr. Galed Hakim, M.D., MBA, DHSc
Assistant Vice President of
International Healthcare Partnerships and
Insurance Development,
Baptist Health International,
USA
ⓘ
Ms. Miho Sakurai
Parapsychologist;
Founder,
Spiritual Coordinator
Association,
Japan
ⓘ
Mr. Robert J. Castro
Founder,
Bob Castro Strategies;
Advisory Board,
The World Innovation Network,
"The Nourish Movement",
USA
ⓘ
Mr. Mick Merritt
Chief Operating Officer,
Penn Signature Services,
Penn Medicine,
USA
ⓘ
Rev. Timothy J. Mercaldo
Founder & Executive Director,
WorshipPlus.Org,
USA
ⓘ
Dr. Babak Baban
Professor of Immunology and Associate Dean for Research,
DCG of Augusta University,
USA
ⓘ
Dr. Ronald M. Razmi
Managing Director,
Zoi Capital,
USA
ⓘ
Mr. Takashi Sasaki
CEO and Founder,
Relive Inc.,
Canada/USA
ⓘ
Ms. Ruriko Sakuraba
Japanese Cultural Ambassador,
CEO
Ruriko Co., Ltd.,
Japan
ⓘ
Mr. Art Agolli
Founder & CEO,
Equity Health Services,
Canada
ⓘ
Mr. Robert ("Bob") Potter
C3 Advisory Board,
USA
