Gabr Fellows 2015

American Gabr Fellows

Casey Smith

Casey Smith
Founder & Executive Director of Cooking Up Cultures
Casey is the Founder & Executive Director of Cooking Up Cultures, with more than 12 years of professional work experience, 7 in management positions, and significant experience in human services organizations. As a graduate of Texas A&M University, veteran entrepreneur and experienced leader in corporate and non‐profit sectors, her life goal is to take an active role in the positive evolution of humanity. Through her work in creating and developing Cooking Up Cultures, an organization whose ultimate purpose is to close cultural barriers that exist between communities, she is in part fulfilling that goal. Casey resides in Austin, Texas with her husband and two children where dinnertime discussions often reference the world map fixed above the dinner table.

3rd February 2016

Elizabeth Dent

Elizabeth Dent
Strategic Planner at the Department of State’s Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications (CSCC)
Elizabeth serves as Strategic Planner at the Department of State’s Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications (CSCC). Prior to her work on counter-ISIL messaging, Dent served as Special Assistant in the office of Diplomatic Security with the Department of State where she provided policy guidance, logistical and programmatic support to bureau leadership regarding best security, strategic and operational practices. Elizabeth Dent received her M.A. in International Affairs from American University in Washington. She also holds dual Bachelor’s degrees in Islamic History and Political Science with a focus on Middle Eastern Studies from Miami University.

3rd February 2016

Ezemudi Redwood

Ezemudi Redwood
Partner at Wings Café, Kansas City, KS
Eze is passionate about innovation and community building. At 14, his first company, a high school candy business, made $30,000 in four months before being shut down. At 19, Eze graduated from Williams College, and rose to leadership in a boutique marketing firm. At 29, Eze has sat on 7 non-profit boards of directors and has experiences ranging from chair of an investment bank internal think tank, to youth leadership development mentor in Central Europe and partner in a gourmet wings restaurant. Eze also founded and currently leads Twenty30CEO, an entrepreneurs’ and innovators’ group, the Young Black Professional's Council, and is a 2015-2016 Google & NTEN Digital Inclusion Fellow.

4th February 2016

Judson Moore

Judson Moore
Operations Manager at Mutual Mobile
Judson is Operations Manager at Mutual Mobile in Austin, Texas. After a career in music and live events, Judson decided to get back to his roots and dedicate himself to making community impacts. As a Peace Corps Volunteer in the Kyrgyz Republic, he spent two years working with media outlets and journalists. His greatest contribution came in the development of a project which provided mobile technology to journalists living in rural areas so that they could have a wider voice and better access to information. Now residing in Austin Texas, Judson contributes to the growth of the Austin business community as the Co-Founder of the Brazos Technology District and as part of the Operations Team at Mutual Mobile. He is an active member of the Rotary Club of Austin and a leader of the Heart of Texas Peace Corps Association.

4th February 2016

Leah Moschella

Leah Moschella
Founder and President of Boston Girls’ Leadership
Leah is the Founder and President of Boston Girls' Leadership Organized Women (Boston GLOW), a nonprofit that fosters opportunities for women of all ages to become empowered community leaders and active world citizens. Additionally, she serves as a Manager of Workforce Development in Boston supporting immigrant and adult learners on their paths to sustainable employment and economic self-sufficiency. She holds a Master's Degree in Human Services from Northeastern University and a B.A. in Sociology and Gender Studies from Fordham University.

4th February 2016

Magdalena Kura

Magdalena Kura
Excelsior Service Fellow, Office of Governor Andrew Cuomo, New York
Magdalena is a Service Fellow for the Office of Governor Andrew Cuomo in New York. She moved from Poland to the United States as a teenager and has made New York her home. She was recognized by the State of New York and selected to serve in a leadership fellowship in the Governor’s Office. Her current mission in New York State is to streamline government services for small business owners. Prior to this position, she worked for Fulbright Commission in Spain and Center for International Development in Sarajevo, Bosnia. Magda earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the Rockefeller College of Public Policy. Her passions include community gardening, sailing, and international relations.

4th February 2016

Michelle Matus

Michelle Matus
Multimedia Journalist
Michelle is a multimedia journalist focusing on global humanitarian and environmental issues. She is a graduate student in the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada-Reno. Her graduate work focuses on food security, agriculture and building community through their intersection. In 2008, Michelle received dual undergraduate degrees from the University of Nevada-Reno in French language and culture and International Affairs. She grew up in rural Nevada but has spent time living in many places across the United States and the world, including Belgium, France, Australia, and South Korea. In addition to her teaching assistantship, Michelle researches regional and global water scarcity in her work at News Deeply, a media and technology firm focused on improving understanding around complex, global issues.

4th February 2016

Murray E. Abeles

Murray E. Abeles
Senior Associate At Franco Financial Group
Murray is a senior associate at Franco Financial Group, a boutique management consulting and financial advisory firm. In this role, he is responsible for the overall financial and operational management of the firm’s clients which include public, private and nonprofit companies in North America, Europe and Asia. In addition, Abeles serves as Chief Compliance Officer and Portfolio Manager overseeing the investment management division of the firm. Prior to that, Abeles founded a technology consulting firm to provide application development and network infrastructure solutions to enterprise clients. He was recognized as Bank of America’s Youth Entrepreneur of the Year and awarded New York University’s Madame C.J. Walker Award for Entrepreneurial Activity. Abeles holds a bachelor’s degree in theology with minors in computer science and political science from the College of Arts and Science at New York University. Abeles serves on the Parish Finance Council of The Diocese of Brooklyn and the Partnerships Committee of The Coalition for Queens. He also volunteers as a teen mentor and boxing coach at Hour Children.

4th February 2016

Nicholas Stephen Dreselly Thomas

Nicholas Stephen Dreselly Thomas
Entrepreneur
Nick recently completed his International M.B.A. for the Hult Business School and earned an M.A. in International Studies and Diplomacy from Denver University’s Josef Korbel School in 2010. Nick has traveled to over 65 countries and lived and worked for extended periods in India, South Africa, Argentina, Fiji, at Sea, and multiple times while growing up with his family in China. More recently, he has enjoyed working in the Entrepreneurial space, assisting friends at the Unreasonable Institute accelerator, his cousin on startups such as Dash Tickets and StQry and even winning in the first round of the Hult Prize 2015 with his team, Arkha, out of Shanghai. He is an Eagle Scout, a motivational speaker, and last worked in Sports Marketing on an aerobatic flight team sponsored by Oracle. He is thrilled to have been chosen for this year's Gabr Fellowship.

4th February 2016

Robert Kemp Gouldin

Kemp Gouldin
Sales and Marketing Director at Sakhr Software USA
Kemp is the Sales and Marketing Director at Sakhr Software USA, a technology startup that focuses on removing language barriers between the English and Arabic-speaking worlds. In his current position, he regularly meets with key U.S. and other officials working on international policy and has been a representative on several official U.S. trade missions. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a BS in Biology. Previously, he was the Media Account Director at Sakhr Software, and a Communications Fellow at the U.S. Small Business Administration.

4th February 2016

British Gabr Fellows

Mike Burgess

Mike Burgess
Chief of Staff, House of Commons, Parliament of the United Kingdom
Mike is the Chief of Staff for a Member of Parliament in the Palace of Westminster, London, which houses the national legislature of the United Kingdom. Prior to entering the world of professional politics, he served for over a decade in the military with both the Royal Marines and British Army, fulfilling various roles and completing numerous operational tours of duty. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the Open University. He is a Local Deputy Chairman of the UK Conservative Party and an associate of the Chartered Management Institute.

4th February 2016

Egyptian Gabr Fellows

Afnan E. Khalil

Afnan E. Khalil
Senior Lawyer, Bank Audi S.A.E
Afnan E. Khalil works as a Senior Banking and Finance Lawyer at Bank Audi, Egypt. Prior to that, she worked for the National Bank of Egypt and a part-time teaching assistant of business law at The British University in Egypt (BUE). During her work in Egypt, Afnan was able to receive her LL.M degree by correspondence from Robert H. McKinney School of Law in International and Comparative Law, Indiana University. She received her LL.B Degree from Faculty of Law, Cairo University class 2009. Afnan graduated from Ramses College for Girls (previously known as American College). She is a very active team player who is very dedicated to her work, she has a vivid spirit and loves to be introduced to new people.

4th February 2016

Ahmed Mohammed

Ahmed Mohammed
Teaching and Research Assistant, British University in Egypt
Ahmed has been working as a Teaching and Research Assistant at The British University in Egypt since his graduation from the Business Administration School, major Finance, in 2012. Ahmed has been active within various youth platforms including AIESEC Exchange and EASE NGO, in addition to participating in different schools’ programs and conferences on foreign policies and economic development. He is currently pursuing his Master's Degree in European-Mediterranean studies from Cairo University with a focus on International Relations.

4th February 2016

Ahmed Radwan

Ahmed Radwan
Actor
Ahmed is an Egyptian actor and voice-over talent who started his acting career in 2007, participating in a series of theatre plays. Over the years, he has enriched his skills in improvisation, story narration, pantomime, modern dancing and voice-over through participating in multiple workshops. In addition to that, he was part of a number of radio series as an actor on “Nogoum FM”- one of the most famous radio channels in Egypt. During the past years, he has taken part in a number of short movies and online episodes that focus on hope, positivity, as well as key issues related to the Egyptian society. He is also teaching young artists basics of acting.

4th February 2016

Bassma Chedid

Bassma Chedid
CFO Executive Assistant & Office Manager at Binsuwaidan Advocates and Legal Consultants
Bassma is the CFO Executive Assistant & Office Manager at Binsuwaidan Advocates and Legal Consultants, one of the international pioneering law firms. Bassma has more than 5 years of professional and volunteer experience in civil society and social organizations, working mainly on issues related to marketing, public relations, health, education and entrepreneurship. She earned her Master’s Degree of Business Administration (Mini MBA) in Human Resources Management from the Web Science Academy in 2012 and her Bachelor’s Degree of Commerce and Foreign Trade from the Faculty of Business Administration, Helwan University in 2010.

4th February 2016

Basma El Baz

Basma El Baz
Editor
Basma joined Yahoo Egypt in 2011, then she was chosen to relocate to company's office in Dubai to assume the role of Projects & Front Page Editor. With 7 years of experience in media, she is one of the co-founders of Shorouk News portal. She is currently working as Freelance Writer with Yahoo. She holds her Bachelor’s Degree of Arts in English Literature from Mansoura University. Basma is passionate about travelling, discovering new cultures, reading & learning new languages because she believes it is her way of building bridges with people of different cultures.

4th February 2016

Hadir Helal

Hadir Helal
Partner at Open Chance Law Firm
For over 10 years, Hadir has been practicing corporate law, specializing in drafting contracts, negotiating and concluding commercial transactions. In addition, she is an instructor at the American Bar Association and has held other teaching assistant posts at different universities. Hadir's educational background includes a Bachelor’s Degree in Law from Cairo University and an LLM Degree in International Comparative Law from the American University in Cairo. She has also attended a Banking Law course at Zurich University. She is engaged in Pro-bono work through her office, is a board member in an NGO for orphans and a Rotarian member.

4th February 2016

Mohamed Ismail

Mohamed Ismail
Cultural Worker at Culture Resource Foundation
Mohamed is currently working as Regional Programs Coordinator in the Culture Resource Foundation. In his current job is working on developing the organizational structures of different cultural initiatives in Egypt and MENA region. He is also a social activist in the field of intercultural dialogue and promoting peace. Mohamed is Co-Founder of “Hawerni” initiative for intercultural dialogue and is currently preparing for his Master’s Degree in peace and development studies. He earned his BA in Egyptology and Tourism Guidance.

4th February 2016

Muhammad Nagi

Muhammad Nagi
Founder & Managing Director, Al Maqarr
Muhammad is the Founder and Managing Director of Egypt's leading co-working space, AlMaqarr. He started his second business "ElRe7la -The Journey" where he delivers an entrepreneurial platform for making a change all over Egypt. Nagi's awareness about social responsibility was shaped when he joined college, where he co-founded the first student organization in his faculty, REACT that aims at reviving students’ potential and helping them determine their future paths. After that, he had other volunteering experiences in Gneh Fel Youm and AIESEC. He received his Bachelor’s Degree in languages from Ain Shams University. Nagi was a karate player for 13 years and is a fitness coach till present. Muhammad finds himself passionate about entrepreneurship, collaboration and connecting people.

4th February 2016

Ola Ali

Ola Ali
Architect, Dar el Handasah Corporation
Ola is an Architect at Dar Al-Handasah Multinational Engineering Consultancy Group, with 8 years of experience, who has taken part in various mega projects in the Middle East & Gulf regions. Ola joined a 2 months development internship with AIESEC AAST in Malaysia and her role included teaching English & Math to Chinese orphans in “The House of Joy” Orphanage. Since then she has been interested in traveling around the world, exploring other cultures, dealing with different people, along with pursuing her professional career as an Architect, with the dream of eventually starting her own private business. Ola graduated from the Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University in 2008 and is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree.

4th February 2016