Sidney Hargro is the executive director of the Leaders Trust. He is the former executive director of Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia and the Community Foundation of South Jersey. He has also served as the Senior Officer of Strategy and Organizational Learning at The Columbus Foundation, the nation’s 7th largest community foundation. He is the author of “Lessons Learned,” a chapter in the Foundation Center’s fundraising guide After the Grant: A Nonprofit’s Guide to Good Stewardship. Sidney served on the Board of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations, as well as the boards of regional and national organizations including Wells Fargo Regional Foundation and CDC, United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, New Jersey Council for the Humanities, and the advisory committee of the New Jersey Nature Conservancy. He is a graduate of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Ohio State University, and the United Theological Seminary.

Fanta Aw is Executive Director and CEO of NAFSA: Association of International Educators. She has been a dedicated member and leader within NAFSA since 1996. From 2013 to 2016, she served as NAFSA’s President and Board Chair. Fanta is a recognized and highly respected figure in the fields of international education and higher education administration.

Fanta has dedicated her academic studies and professional career to the American University in Washington, D.C., where she received several degrees. Her accomplishments include a bachelor’s degree in accounting, a master’s in public administration with a specialization in organizational development, and a doctorate in sociology with a focus on international education, social stratification, and transnational migration.

At American University Fanta previously held the position of Vice President for Undergraduate Enrollment, Campus Life and Inclusive Excellence, and she has been recognized as an award-winning teacher having fulfilled her role of Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer at the university’s School of International Service.

A professor of mechanical engineering, Dr. Feridun Hamdullahpur has served as an educator and leader over the span of a more than 35-year career in research and higher education. In 2021, Feridun retired following ten impactful years as the sixth President and Vice Chancellor of University of Waterloo. Feridun previously served as the Provost and Vice-President Academic and as the Vice President Research and International at Carleton University in Ottawa. He holds a PhD in chemical engineering from the Technical University of Nova Scotia and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the Technical University of Istanbul in Türkiye.

Helen Hayward was born and educated in Hong Kong and came to Canada as an international student. She has a successful track record of advising and leading change in high profile and complex environments. In 2018, Helen retired as a National Partner with Western Management Consultants (WMC), a Canadian management consulting and executive search firm. She was previously with Mercer Delta International Organizational Consulting, a consulting firm based in New York. As a Certified Management Consultant, she has consulted extensively with national, provincial, and municipal governments and their agencies. She serves on multiple health care, justice, and education boards.

Kamal Bhattacharya is a computer scientist and technology executive with a notable career spanning academia and industry. He co-founded and serves as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Future, a company dedicated to empowering individuals to make positive impacts on climate change. He is also the Vice-Rector for Research & Transfer at IU International University, where he also serves as a Professor of Computer Science.

Prior to that he co-founded Advancity, an edtech company, served as Chief Innovation Officer at Safaricom PLC, Kenya’s leading telecommunications company, was a commissioner of the Pathways for Prosperity platform, Kenya country manager for IGC, CEO of the iHub in Nairobi and served as Vice President at IBM Research and Director of IBM Research – Africa, where he led initiatives to address key challenges in the region through technological innovation.

Bhattacharya holds a Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics from Göttingen University in Germany. His career reflects a commitment to leveraging technology for societal advancement, particularly in emerging markets.

Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic is Chief Innovation Officer at ManpowerGroup. He is responsible for leading the Center of Excellence for Assessment and Analytics, developing data-driven solutions and insight to create new value for clients and candidates by driving predictable performance. Tomas is passionate about leveraging people, analytics, and assessment to help individuals understand themselves better and companies better understand their people.

He was previously CEO at Hogan Assessments, a leader in personality assessment, leadership, and organizational effectiveness.

Tomas is also a Professor of Business Psychology at University College London and Visiting Professor at Columbia University in New York. He has written 10 books and published over 150 scientific papers on the psychology of talent, leadership, innovation, and artificial intelligence, and has been recognized by the American Psychological Association, the International Society for the Study of Individual Differences, and the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology.

Donna Daniels is CEO of Possibility Labs, an organization dedicated to creating frameworks for societal well-being. With a background in cultural anthropology, Daniels has experience in higher education, venture capital, market research, social entrepreneurship, and philanthropy. Previously, she was Vice President at the Heron Foundation and RSF Social Finance, and Interim Executive Director at Social Venture Network. She has also worked in market research at Iconoculture and as a consultant. A former professor at Duke and Columbia Universities, Daniels specializes in supporting communities of color with hands-on efforts to build a regenerative economy. She holds a PhD from Stanford, an MA from Yale, and a BA from Haverford. 

Caroline Gayle is an experienced IT, business, and technology transformation leader. She is the Managing Director for the Technology Financial Service Practice at Accenture Canada, where she has spent more than 21 years. She has extensive experience implementing large and small systems projects, as well as 22 years of IT experience in all industries. Over the course of her career, she has earned several awards recognizing her excellence as a leader, women’s advocate, and mentor, including the 2019 Women in Communications and Technology (WCT) Mentorship Award and the Canadian Inspirational Leader Award. Caroline earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of the West Indies (Mona) and an MBA from Golden Gate University.

Joanna Harries is the Senior Vice President of Expansion at Endeavor Global, the world’s leading organization working with high-impact entrepreneurs in more than 30 countries. Endeavor identifies, mentors, and co-invests in entrepreneurs that build world-class businesses and grow entrepreneurial ecosystems. The organization has tripled its footprint over the last decade. Joanna has launched Endeavor offices across the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America. Prior to Endeavor, Joanna was an Acumen Fellow working in Mumbai and a brand manager at Unilever. Joanna is a graduate of Wilfrid Laurier University’s School of Business and Economics. She has been recognized as a Kauffman Fellow and serves on the advisory board for the Lazaridis Institute

Ajay Patel, President and CEO of Vancouver Community College (VCC), the oldest public post-secondary institution in British Columbia, is a distinguished leader in the education sector. With a career spanning over two decades, Ajay has been instrumental in guiding VCC since 2019. An esteemed alumnus of VCC-Langara and the University of British Columbia, his expertise extends from competitive sports leadership to academic administration. Recognized as the City of Vancouver’s Volunteer of the Year and a Top 25 Canadian Immigrant, Ajay’s contributions reflect his deep commitment to inclusivity and community enrichment. His transformative impact in international education and notable roles in various sports organizations demonstrate his dedication to societal progress. At VCC, Ajay’s strategic vision and dedication to community development and educational excellence are shaping a dynamic and inclusive future on both local and global stages.

Julie Reddy is the former Chief Executive Officer of the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), where she held senior management positions since 2012. She previously served in senior management and leadership roles for over 30 years in the international and South African education, skills development, and civil society sectors.

Over the years, Julie has worked at numerous national and international entities, including the National Skills Authority and the Human Resource Development Council in South Africa.

Julie has participated in or worked on various UNESCO and other global initiatives. She is currently a UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning International Juror for its Learning City Award and a director on the board of the Groningen Declaration Network. In 2022, the Minister of Basic Education designated her the Deputy Chair of the South African National Commission for UNESCO. Her appointment to the World Education Services Board of Trustees began in 2023.

Julie received a Master of Science (as a Fulbright scholar) and a doctoral degree, both from Cornell University.

Paolo Varias is a registered nurse who is currently serving as Associate Director of Clinical and Support Services for Niagara Region in Southern Ontario. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the Philippines and a Master of Science in Aging and Health from Queen’s University in Canada. He is currently pursuing McGill University’s International Masters for Health Leadership. He has studied the impact of universal health care programs and contributed to an international USAID project. Before becoming Associate Director, Paolo held several leadership positions in long-term care facilities. He also has broad knowledge and experience in managing and leading health operations in primary healthcare and public health. He was a former Fellow of Health Policy Development Program (HPDP) and a current surveyor at Canadian Centre for Accreditation (CCA). In 2014, he immigrated to Canada and began the process of becoming licensed as a nurse. He received his registration from the College of Nurses of Ontario in 2016.

Paolo is a passionate healthcare advocate committed to challenging systemic barriers facing internationally educated health professionals (IEHPs).

Aaron Williams has extensive experience in the strategic design and management of assistance programs in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. In addition to his role as Director of the Peace Corps, he was for 22 years a diplomat and senior official at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), where he reached the rank of career minister in the Senior Foreign Service. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on the boards of directors of the Ron Brown Scholar Program, and ChildFund International, as well as the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs’ Advisory Board. Aaron has also served on the board of directors for the U.S. Global Leadership Campaign, CARE, the National Peace Corps Association, and the Institute for Sustainable Communities. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Chicago State University, and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

Esther T. Benjamin has been a global executive in the public, private, and civil society sectors for more than 25 years. Before joining WES as CEO and executive director, Esther worked with Laureate Education, Inc., a leading global higher education organization. Esther served as the Associate Director for Global Operations of the U.S. Peace Corps, and held senior management roles with the International Youth Foundation and the International Partnership for Microbicides.