2026 Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders Network

Liliia Antoniuk is a Ukrainian civil society leader, gender equality expert, and EU affairs specialist dedicated to advancing inclusive leadership and equitable societies through education, policy engagement, and international cooperation. She serves as executive director of the NGO Women's League, where she leads national initiatives to empower young people, especially girls and women from diverse regional, social, and economic backgrounds. Through programs such as the Girls Leadership Academy, Girls Diplomatic Academy, and the Girls Leadership and Volunteering Forum, she works directly with participants from remote and conflict-affected communities to strengthen civic engagement, leadership capacities, and social inclusion. 

Antoniuk has served as the national coordinator for the Young European Ambassadors initiative in Ukraine, worked as a fellow at the European Parliament, and consulted on gender equality and EU-Ukraine cooperation. She is pursuing a PhD in law, focusing on Ukraine's European integration and its implications for gender equality, and has held research fellowships across Europe, including in Finland, Belgium, Poland, and Spain. 

Noah Arbit is serving a second term in the Michigan House of Representatives, where he has championed bipartisan legislation strengthening the state's hate crime law, advancing mental health, and safeguarding elections from artificial intelligence (AI) disinformation.  

Prior to his election to the state legislature in 2022, Arbit built coalitions across the government, nonprofit, and grassroots sectors. He worked at the National Coalition Supporting Eurasian Jewry during Russia's 2014 invasion of Crimea and at the National Democratic Institute. He founded the Michigan Democratic Jewish Caucus, which has become an influential advocacy organization. 

Arbit holds a bachelor's degree in comparative politics and Jewish studies from Wayne State University. His scholarship includes a published paper on the 1994 Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina Jewish community center bombing in Buenos Aires that examines the case for institutional failure and the limitations of international criminal law. 

Russel Bassarath is an educator, researcher, and activist. He works at the Buffalo Center for Arts and Technology as a professional development facilitator supporting youth and adult learners enrolled in cost-free programs. He has taught English, social studies, and public speaking at the high-school level. 

Bassarath holds a master's degree in education and a bachelor's degree in history from the University at Buffalo, where he also served as a graduate assistant with its Center for K–12 Black History and Racial Literacy Education. His academic research interests center on transdisciplinary teaching and learning opportunities for students in middle school and high school. He received a Fulbright grant to teach English in Cyprus in 2023–2024 and now serves as an alumni ambassador for the Fulbright program. 

Kelsey Beltz leads The Good Lobby's work on global partnerships and education. She coordinates the consulting, research, and advocacy-training organization's regional offices, spearheads partnership development, and designs and delivers educational activities such as The Good Lobby Climate Incubator, Advocacy Academies, and lobbying workshops. 

Prior to joining The Good Lobby, Beltz worked at the OECD Development Centre, New York University School of Law, and several NGOs, where she focused on migration issues in Boston, New York, and Paris. She holds a master’s degree in public policy from Sciences Po Paris and a master’s degree in law and diplomacy from The Fletcher School at Tufts University. 

Ita Bonner is an internal engineer at a US company's UK branch, specializing in explosion protection and pressure relief solutions in the civilian and military sectors. Before joining the private sector, she served as an adjunct professor at the Agricultural University of Tirana (AUT), where she worked on the USAID-funded GRAIN Project, lecturing university-level Afghan refugee students. She has served as a national expert and research assistant at the OSCE Presence in Albania and as a visiting scholar at the Desertification Research Center of València. She received a competitive research grant from the Global Disaster Preparedness Center of the American Red Cross. 

Bonner has evaluated public programs, assessed governmental and international interventions in Albania, and co-authored a disaster risk reduction strategy for municipalities. She has written numerous research articles and contributed to high-impact assessments and reports. 

Bonner is a member of the Climate Security Community of Practice at the NATO Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence. She is also a member of the Environmental Peacebuilding Association and the UK Royal Naval Association. 

Bonner is a PhD candidate at AUT, where her research examines the relationship between climate change and food security in the Mediterranean region. She recently completed her second master's degree in civil-military interaction at the Helmut-Schmidt-Universität/University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg. Her research there focused on the impact of climate change on the Albanian defense sector and civil protection system. 

Angelo Camufingo is a policy and advocacy adviser at the European Coalition of Cities Against Racism (ECCAR), where he works at the intersection of local governance, human rights, and anti-racism. In this role, he supports European cities that are developing and implementing anti-racist policies by translating international human rights standards into concrete municipal action. He also coordinates ECCAR's working groups on Anti-Black Racism and Environmental Justice, and is the lead author of the upcoming guidebook, “Local Practices Against Anti-Black Racism”, which documents and systematizes local approaches to combating racism. 

Prior to his current role, Camufingo held leadership positions in civil society, including as co-project lead of the federal German project Competence Network on Anti-Black Racism (KomPAD), where he coordinated the education department and led political advocacy at the national and EU level while co-managing a multidisciplinary team of 10. 

Alongside his policy and advocacy work, Camufingo is an experienced leadership coach and organizational consultant specializing in diversity, anti-discrimination, and racism-critical organizational development. He advises public institutions, NGOs, and cultural organizations on leadership, governance, and change processes, with an emphasis on accountability, power, inclusive decision-making, and structural sustainability.  

Camufingo’s academic background is in educational sciences. He is a recent former fellow of the UN Fellowship Program for People of African Descent of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. 

Shabel Castro is a staff attorney at the Innocence Project, a national litigation and public policy organization dedicated to freeing the innocent, preventing wrongful convictions, and creating fair, compassionate, and equitable systems of justice. In her role, she represents individuals who were wrongfully convicted and works to address the systemic failures that lead to injustice within the criminal legal system. 

Castro previously served as a staff attorney with the New York Immigrant Family Unity Project at Brooklyn Defender Services, where she represented immigrants detained in immigration custody and facing deportation. She was part of the inaugural class of the Black Public Defender Leadership Institute, which supports emerging Black advocates committed to dismantling systems of racialized oppression. 

Castro holds a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She was a Toll Public Interest Scholar there after being awarded a merit-based fellowship for students committed to careers in public service. She also holds a master’s degree in social policy from the School of Social Policy and Practice, and two bachelor's degrees, in business administration and sociology, from the Macaulay Honors Program at Lehman College, City University of New York. 

Alexis Cherry is the director of international trade analysis at Winton & Chapman PLLC in Washington, DC. Her firm focuses on international trade remedy proceedings before the US federal government, intergovernmental panels, and multilateral dispute settlement bodies. With nearly a decade of experience in international affairs, she works with clients on navigating regulatory decisions in an evolving global trade environment. 

Prior to joining Winton & Chapman, Cherry served in the US federal government in trade enforcement and trade policy. At the US Department of Commerce, she managed trade remedy proceedings for a variety of imports and represented her agency at a commercial diplomacy workshop in Moldova. At the US Department of Agriculture, she developed trade strategy for the Europe and Eurasia region. She received that department's "Administrator Award" in 2025 for her efforts to protect market access for certain US agricultural products in Chile. 

Cherry received a Fulbright grant to serve as an English teaching assistant in Türkiye for an academic year. She holds a graduate degree in international economic relations from American University's School of International Service and an undergraduate degree in international affairs and economics from Florida State University. She speaks French and Turkish. 

Callia Cox is a public health nutritionist and policy strategist dedicated to advancing health equity through federal, nonprofit, and community-based initiatives. She serves as a public affairs specialist at the US Department of Health and Human Services, leading regional outreach to and communications with 68 federally recognized Indigenous tribes in five states. Her portfolio includes high-impact initiatives such as the “Food is Medicine” campaign, maternal health equity efforts, and the Newborn Supply Kit program, an interagency public-private partnership to improve postpartum outcomes. 

Cox previously worked at the Food Research and Action Center and the Center for Science in the Public Interest, where she supported national nutrition policy and Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program innovation. She has led youth wellness programs, secured grant funding for community resilience, and supported local food policy councils. 

Cox holds a master’s degree in public health and nutrition and a graduate certificate in innovation for the public good from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, and a bachelor's degree in nutrition and food science from Louisiana State University. 

Sara Elhasan is the public health adviser for Dearborn, Michigan's Department of Public Health, where she oversees departmental operations and leads programs that advance health equity, safety, and community well-being. She translates data and community insights into actionable policies and initiatives that address systemic health disparities, social determinants of health, and public safety.  

In her current role, Elhasan supports initiatives including citywide Narcan distribution, traffic-calming measures, air-quality monitoring, and the expansion of Rx Kids, a program that provides financial support during pregnancy and early infancy. She also manages a fellowship program that offers mentoring to young professionals and fosters leadership skills development. 

Elhasan previously worked as a data and policy fellow at the University of Michigan and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, where she implemented data-driven policy improvements and program innovations for maternal and child health programs.  

Elhasan holds bachelor's degrees in public health and sociology from Wayne State University and a master’s degree in epidemiology from the University of Michigan. 

Max Genin is a youth adviser in the UN Human Rights Office, focusing on youth engagement, training, and rights promotion. He is executive director of Afflican, where he oversees youth-led development projects in the Americas and Europe. As North American chair of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network's Global MDP Association, he heads transatlantic collaboration among 35 universities in 23 countries. He architected the transformation of the Global Challenge—an initiative funding youth-led community pilots advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—into a fully funded 12-month incubator program across 24 countries, supported by the Leopold Bachmann Foundation and judges from the World Bank, UNESCO, and Google. 

Genin is a member of the UN Interagency Working Group on Youth, helping shape member-state commitments on youth participation in global governance. He has supported the Youth Rights Academy, which has trained over 40 young advocates in conflict-affected regions including Colombia, Palestine, and South Africa, and has represented youth and spoken at global forums including the UN and the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Fluent in seven languages, he has published texts on cybercrime, digital rights, and labor law.  

Genin is pursuing a master's degree in global development at Harvard University and holds degrees in international development from the London School of Economics and Political Science, in European affairs from the Center for International Formation in Europe, and in international law from Leeds Law School. 

Alend Gravi is a legal and public policy professional working at the intersection of international cooperation, social policy, and sustainable development. He was born and raised in Germany to a Kurdish-Iraqi family, which gave him early experiences in different political and social systems that have led to a lasting interest in social cohesion, institutional trust, and inclusion across borders.  

Gravi has worked at the UN Environment Programme, Accenture, and PwC, and is now at the Munich Security Conference. He previously worked in the US Congress and the German Bundestag, supporting legislative research and international policy engagement. 

Gravi serves as regional spokesperson for the Berlin chapter of the German Tönissteiner Kreis Student Forum. He co-founded the GerMENA Student Dialogue, bringing together students and young professionals from Europe and the Middle East. He has represented youth at international forums including the Yenching Global Symposium, the World Bank Youth Summit, and the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) Youth Forum. 

Gravi holds a joint master's degree in global social and public policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science and Fudan University. His academic work focused on sustainable development, trade, and green economic transformation. He also completed legal studies at Humboldt University of Berlin and the University of Geneva, with additional training in the United States, the United Kingdom, China, and the Gulf region. 

Ana Hernandez serves as an associate recruiter focused on early-career and workforce development programs, designing and executing inclusive talent strategies that expand access to competitive industries. Born in Mexico and raised in the United States, she has experience in talent acquisition, early-career recruitment, and program management, with a strong emphasis on education-to-employment pipelines. She partners with senior leaders and cross-functional teams to improve candidate experience, reduce bias in hiring processes, and build scalable internship and leadership programs. Her work centers on creating sustainable pathways for underrepresented students and early-career professionals to access long-term economic mobility. 

Hernandez is an alumna and board member of New Village Girls Academy, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting young women through education, mentorship, and holistic care. In this role, she contributes to strategic planning, fundraising initiatives, and community partnerships, with a focus on career readiness and postsecondary success.  

Hernandez’s interests include cross-sector and transnational approaches to workforce development, inclusive education systems, and youth leadership. 

Bashir Ibrahim serves as a senior adviser to London Mayor Sadiq Khan, with a portfolio encompassing global relations, communities, civil society, and sport. Ibrahim champions London's diverse communities to ensure the city remains open, inclusive, and globally connected. He is a political strategist and communications expert with extensive experience delivering successful campaigns in local, regional, and national UK elections, government, and public service. 

Ibrahim previously served as external relations adviser to Keir Starmer, now British prime minister, during the 2024 general election. The vote returned the Labour Party to power after 14 years in opposition. Prior to this, Ibrahim was deputy director on Khan's successful third-term reelection campaign for London mayor. In that race, Khan increased his vote majority. Ibrahim also worked on Khan's 2021 reelection campaign and on two local election campaigns that returned Labour majorities. 

Ibrahim was twice elected as a councillor for the London borough of Islington, for which he was also the first young people's champion. 

Mariami Japaridze is a Georgian political analyst and civic leader specializing in European affairs, democratic governance, and the EU's Eastern Neighborhood. She has over five years of experience working at the intersection of policy analysis, civic engagement, and strategic communication. 

Japaridze has worked with international institutions and civil society organizations, including the US embassy in Georgia and the European Network of Election Monitoring Organizations, and with USAID- and EU-funded programs. Her work has ranged from political reporting and election observation to designing donor-funded projects supporting refugee women, human rights activists, and young civic leaders.  

Japaridze is part of Today, a civic media initiative promoting political pluralism and youth participation, and she co-hosts Emigrants Today, a podcast that amplifies the voices of Georgian migrants. 

Japaridze holds a master’s degree in European interdisciplinary studies from the College of Europe in Natolin and a bachelor's degree in international relations from Tbilisi State University. She also studied at the University of Tartu. 

Rose Legrone is an associate director at the US International Development Finance Corporation in Washington, DC, where she leads its strategic and operational initiatives. She previously worked as a senior analyst at McKinsey & Company, advising multi-sector clients on organizational effectiveness initiatives for large-scale transformations. She was a 2014–15 Fulbright fellow to South Korea, where she conducted research on policy interventions addressing declining labor participation.  

Legrone holds a master’s degree in economic and financial policy from Cornell University and a bachelor's degree in government and Asian studies from the University of Texas at Austin. 

Ben McConkey is a technical economic adviser to the Republic of Somaliland’s Ministry of Trade and Tourism and a fellow at ODI Global. He previously spent two years working at the Irish embassy in Washington, DC as a policy officer in the economic and public diplomacy sections. In that role, he facilitated ministerial visits, briefed diplomats and politicians on EU-US economic relations, and managed public events and communications. 

McConkey holds a master’s degree in international political economy from the London School of Economics, where he worked as a researcher at the school's Trade Policy Hub. He also holds a bachelor's degree in economics and political science from Trinity College Dublin. He is a recipient of a Laidlaw scholarship, through which he pursued research on the political economy of health care policy in The Gambia and Fiji during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Kowsar Mohamed is an executive leader, governance practitioner, and scholar advancing inclusive and resilient societies through public-sector systems change, economic development, and institutional stewardship. She is enterprise director at Minnesota Management and Budget, leading enterprise-wide policy, practice, and strategic initiatives to strengthen workforce experience, retention, and accountability across state government. She was recently appointed to the University of Minnesota Board of Regents, the governing body of the state's only land-grant university, where she holds fiduciary and strategic oversight of a $5 billion institutional portfolio spanning education, research, health care, and community engagement.

Mohamed began her career in local government as a senior project manager for the city of St Paul, overseeing a $1.5 million commercial development portfolio, before joining the Center for Economic Inclusion to manage a $2 million portfolio focused on inclusive growth strategies. She subsequently led inclusive growth efforts by advising regional chambers of commerce and civic leaders in Ohio, Alabama, and Virginia on strategies to expand economic opportunities for communities. 

Mohamed is a three-time graduate of the University of Minnesota with a master's degree in urban and regional planning. She is a Minnesota Young American Leaders Program fellow at Harvard University and a third-year PhD candidate in natural resources, focusing her research and practice on water regeneration and governance systems change in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Neelam Patel is a nonprofit professional with a background in international exchange, cross-cultural communication, and leadership development. She serves as senior manager of global programs at The International Center in Indianapolis, where she leads and implements initiatives that strengthen global competency among Indiana’s professionals, organizations, and communities. She oversees the implementation of US Department of State-funded professional exchange programs that welcome business and political leaders from around the world to meet with their counterparts in Indiana. She also facilitates The International Center's James T. Morris Global Leadership Series, which supports Indiana professionals to become global leaders. The program offers cross-cultural and intercultural communication training for multinational corporations and organizations serving global communities. 

Patel holds a bachelor's degree in international studies and a bachelor's degree in near eastern languages and cultures from Indiana University. She has completed the Arabic Language Flagship Program in the US Department of Defense’s National Security Education Program. She serves on the board of the Indiana chapter of the Fulbright Association and on the Arts and Culture Committee for the 2026 National Collegiate Athletic Association Men's Final Four Basketball Tournament. 

Ana Plavsic is an international affairs professional and consultant specializing in youth engagement, inclusive leadership, and public policy. Committed to promoting equitable participation, democratic governance, and cross-regional collaboration, she works in the Western Balkans, supporting organizations that bridge grassroots realities with institutional policymaking and foster European integration. She previously served as senior project officer at the Council of Europe, coordinating international Youth Summer Universities across Europe, Africa, and the Mediterranean. The universities are focused on promoting human rights and the rule of law. 

At the European Commission's Directorate-General for International Partnerships, Plavsic contributed to designing and implementing youth policy in EU external action, managed the EU Youth Sounding Board—a flagship youth engagement mechanism—and oversaw multi-million-euro projects in partnership with civil society, local authorities, and international organizations.  

Plavsic holds a double law degree in European integration and European law from the Centre Europeen Universitaire of Nancy and the University of Belgrade. She also studied at Heidelberg University. 

Nina Ullom is a legislative affairs specialist at the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, securing funding from the US and Canadian governments and advocating for food security policy in emergencies such as those in Ukraine and Gaza. She previously served in USAID's Europe and Eurasia Bureau, where she managed democracy and human rights programs and policies for the South Caucasus team. Prior to that, she managed the human rights portfolio at the British embassy in Washington, DC, leading the United Kingdom's campaign on the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI), securing financial support from the United States, and supporting a survivor-centered PSVI alliance. 

Ullom has advocated for marginalized groups such as the Uyghurs and the Rohingya at the US Commission on International Religious Freedom, where she served as a specialist for congressional relations and outreach. She is a Women, Peace, and Security champion in the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe's Peace Leadership Programme and a member of Women of Color Advancing Peace, Security, and Conflict Transformation. She also co-chairs Foreign Policy for America's Democracy and Human Rights Working Group. 

Ullom holds a master's degree in public policy and a bachelor's degree in sociology. 

Iratxe Uriarte Eiguren is a public policy professional with experience in youth leadership and governance. In her role as president of the Basque Youth Council, she has positioned the organization as a bridge between young people and public institutions, promoted youth participation in decision-making, and advanced inclusive policies in areas such as emancipation, equality, employment, and education. 

Uriarte Eiguren graduated with a degree in political science and public management in 2023.