ASU World Innovators (AWI) Program

Mohammed Al Tarawnh, a member of the 2015 cohort, is the chairman and general manager of Blue Umbrella, a Jordanian NGO that focuses on community training and development. During program year, Al Tarawneh was placed at the National Youth Leadership Council. His LAP seeks to strengthen local communities and develop character-driven Jordanian youth. Al Tarawneh has achieved substantial success…

Zaheer Abbas is a civil society activist who has gained new insights through his work on inner-city violence in the US for his project in Pakistan’s Federally Administrated Tribal Areas that engages men and boys on their perceptions of masculine behavior. Abbas advocates self-awareness and critical thinking and training on nonviolent, gender sensitive male role models.

Esther Akafia is an attorney and an experienced international development professional with over 20 years of experience working and leading teams globally. She is the founder and executive director of the Pioneers International Academy, an institute focused on providing quality and affordable elementary education in areas of need. Akafia seeks to implement Pioneers International Academy across…

Giorgi Akhmeteli, who is wheel-chaired due to a spinal trauma, is the founder and chairman of the Georgian NGO, Accessible Environment for Everyone, an organization that advocates the interests of persons with disabilities. He seeks to improve treatment, advance quality of life and opportunities for the disabled in Georgia. In the U.S., he examined relevant legislative, regulatory and…

Alhamza is an award-winning Syrian journalist and co-founder and spokesperson of Raqqa is Being Slaughtered Silently, a non-partisan, independent organization that exposes the atrocities committed by ISIS and the Bashar Al-Assad regime in Syria. Prior to this position, Alhamza organized non-violent protests and demonstrations against the Syrian regime. After escaping to Turkey in 2014, he used…

Bashar Sorri is a lawyer and youth activist dedicated to encouraging the youth to experience and understand differences between cultures and customs. He engages students in a democratic environment that fosters diversity, awareness and commitment to justice. Sorri seeks to develop a national action plan focused on the development, both socially and economically, of the youth, and facilitate…

Ezzeddine Ben Rhima is an e-marketing and communications professional, and co-founder of AM I ODD. AM I ODD is a mentorship platform designed to share leadership thoughts, entrepreneurship practices, and innovation stories with Tunisian youth to promote innovation and “start-up” culture in Tunisia. Convinced that the digital economy is the best way for nations to thrive, Ben Rhima Co-initiated…

El Allam is an ecosystem builder in the Entrepreneurship, Leadership and Community Development space from Morocco. Known for trustworthiness and diplomacy as a community builder, she has a proven track record of engaging national and international stakeholders to lead successful initiatives.

El Allam seeks to bridge the gap between business communities by building a cross-…

Eman Sayed Elabd is an economist in the office of the Egyptian Minister of Finance. She studies and analyzes various economic and development issues in order to provide advice on polices, and legislation related to such issues. Ms. Elabd believes that it is her duty as a human being to help all people who are living a deprived difficult life all over the world and provide them with a more…

Faghih Imani is the founder and president of the Center for Cultural Diplomacy and Development, a non-profit, non-partisan, public benefit organization that enables individuals to learn about the culture and society of several Middle Eastern nations. Faghih Imani serves as the host of a weekly London television show where she discusses Iranian culture, society and politics.  She believes…

Ljubomir Filipović is an activist and publicist from Montenegro. He has served his community in a number of political and public positions including Deputy and Acting Mayor of Budva and Political Advisor to the Social-Democratic Party of Montenegro in the National Parliament. Filipović founded “Budva 2020,” a civic foundation that promotes transparent, sustainable, and socially-inclusive local…

Selamawit Girmay Birhane is a federal high court appellate judge and case flow management coordinator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Prior to assuming this position, she served as the head of the Child Justice Project and the National Court Reform Program under the Federal Supreme Court of Ethiopia.

Edlira Gjoni is a communications professional and political activist in Albania. She is actively involved internationally as a communications expert, known for her advocacy for women’s rights and her respected presence in the media. In addition, Gjoni has conducted training and research in both communication and political participation in her country. As a political activist, Gjoni is the co-…

Goldmann-Kefalas has worked as a project manager for refugee labor market integration with the family support focused FROEBEL group in Berlin. She previously volunteered in refugee camps in Greece and takes part in the Turkey Europe Future fellowship by Mercator to find political solutions to refugee issues in Europe. Goldmann-Kefalas aims to address the issues surrounding refugee migration in…

Rosie Gomez is a senior policy advisor on Trafficking Prevention in the Administration on Children, Youth and Families in the United States Department of Health and Human Services. She has over 10 years of experience in the field of child welfare serving as a child protection specialist prior to joining the Department of Health and Human Services. She aligns multiple anti-trafficking…

Leon Hernández is a communications professional in Venezuela. His career began in editing and broadcast journalism in RCTV, a major independent news network. In 2014, Hernández joined Universidad Central de Venezuela as a professor of broadcast journalism. Additionally, he managed the Democratic Unity political coalition press team. He and his team provided full coverage of the 2015…

Zaw Tu Hkawng is a project coordinator for BBC Media Action in Myanmar, where he produces the nationally-broadcasted radio drama, “The Tea Cup Diaries,” which supports peace and social inclusion across Myanmar, particularly among its varied ethnic and religious communities. Additionally, Zaw has a history as a humanitarian aid worker, assisting Myanmar refugees, Malaysia and rehabilitating…

Vimal Kumar is the founder of Movement for Scavenger Community (MSC), an organization committed to the eradication of manual scavenging in India and bringing education and awareness to the existing scavenger community. As one of the rare members of the scavenger community who was able to obtain higher education, Kumar provides the unique perspective needed to provide insight on the issues…

Ambassador Batu Kutelia is a former Georgian Ambassador to the United States and Deputy Secretary of Georgia’s National Security Council. Ambassador Kutelia seeks to build a political movement to promote democratic values and political professionalism in Georgia.

Lainfiesta is a journalist and civil society activist specialized in neuroscience and cultural and creative industries. She currently works as a multimedia journalist where she focuses on fostering debate, critical thinking, and civic engagement.

She works to transform the economy and identity in Guatemala through the conservation of Mayan Bees and Mayan traditions as an economic model…

Siham Mamand works in the Kurdistan Regional Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs. She is passionate about education for girls and women, especially in rural areas. Her ultimate goal is to motivate and empower women to assume leadership positions in the public and private sector in Kurdistan and to break cultural norms that assign lesser roles to women in her society.

Dr. Erkaiym Mambetalieva is an anti-corruption specialist and founding director of the Anticorruption Center under the Bishkek Mayor’s Office on Corruption Prevention.  Dr. Mambetalieva received her Ph.D. from the High Attestation Committee of the Kyrgyz Republic and established her credibility in the field of anti-corruption through her work at the National Agency of the Kyrgyz Republic…

Sahana Mishra is a civil society activist from India. During her time in the United States, she worked with Lugar Strategies to further her understand of how private corporations participate in the promotion of women and girl’s leadership development. Since returning to India in September 2016, she has provided leadership and economic empowerment trainings to approximately 4,000 women. Her…

Mondésir is an activist from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Her professional focus is on gender equality, specifically assisting women to achieve equal access to leadership opportunities in the Haitian public sector. Mondésir aims to empower women to run for office and participate in political decisionmaking, as well as work to ensure that the Haitian Constitutional mandate of a 30% quota for women…

Jerlie Requerme is a judge with more than 16 years of experience working in the Filipino legal community. She has dedicated over two decades to advocacy work spanning across sectors such as environmental, education, peace and more. Judge Requerme seeks to secure justice through technology by the digitization of records in order to preserve the integrity of court records and the entire judicial…

Gantuya Sainkhuu is a social activist, author, and co-founder of Sainkhuu Iveel San (SIS), a non-profit organization that promotes education to reduce poverty in Mongolia. She seeks to create more inclusive governance in Mongolia by empowering women at the grassroots level. Since returning to Mongolia in August of 2018, Sainkhuu has empowered 150 local women through training them in leadership…

Since 2022, Kateryna Smagliy has served at the Embassy of Ukraine in the USA, where she covers a broad portfolio of political and public diplomacy issues. She joined the Political Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine in 2021 and holds the diplomatic rank of a Counselor. She is a former Director of the Kennan Institute Kyiv Office, a Kyiv-based consultant of the European…