Dr. Al Khalafalla is a public policy expert with special expertise in the Middle East and Africa. He is the President of American Global Consulting and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Humpty Dumpty Institute (HDI), and American non-profit organization with close ties to the U.S. Congress. While serving as President of American Global Consulting, Dr. Khalafalla has developed extensive ties with business and political leaders across the Middle East and Africa to advance economic development through educational and training programs.
Prior to leading HDI, Dr. Khalafalla led training and development programs at Virginia Commonwealth University for 10 years . In addition, he held numerous other leadership positions including President of the American Global Institute (AGI), President of the Bahrain American Council and IBN Cultural Center, and Vice Chair of A More Perfect Union at the University of Richmond.
Dr. Khalafalla has been recognized as a strong and passionate advocate for international peace. He received a Humanitarian Award from the Governor of Virginia in 2009 for his international humanitarian endeavors. In 2012, Dr. Khalafalla was honored by the U.S. Congress for organizing a series of Congressional Delegations to the Middle East which increased dialogue and engagement. In 2016, Afhad University awarded an honorary doctorate to Dr. Khalafalla for his contribution to higher education. And in 2018, he received the Order of the Niles First Class. Dr. Khalafalla’s international initiatives have also been recognized by the University of Louisiana, the Virginia Commonwealth University, the University of Bahrain, and the University of Richmond.
He regularly appears in the media and has delivered keynote addresses at Bahrain's International Symposium, the International Law and Religion Symposium, and to diverse audiences across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Dr. Khalafalla’s opinion pieces have been published in the Daily Caller, Washington Times, Fox News, the Tribune, and Alayam, among others. He is also frequently called on to comment on Africa and the Middle East on broadcast media, including Alhurra, NBC, and al-Jazeera.
He earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Louisiana, an MBA from University of Maryland System, and a PhD in Public Policy and Administration from Virginia Commonwealth University. Dr. Khalafalla is author or co-author of a number of articles on immigration, the Middle East, international relations, interfaith dialogue and religious tolerance. He is married and has two children.
Walter Simon Arbib is the President, SkyLink Group of Companies and Founder & Director, SkyLink Aviation Inc. SkyLink Aviation has become a leader in fast global deployment of food peacekeepers and international humanitarian aid,
Amir Dossal is Founder and Chairman of the Global Partnerships Forum, an international platform working to address economic and social challenges, through the creation of innovative partnerships.
Prior to creating the Global Partnerships Forum and the Pearl Initiative, Amir was the U.N.’s Chief Liaison for Partnerships. As Executive Director of this Office, he forged strategic alliances with governments, corporations, foundations and philanthropists while uniting these partners to a common purpose: to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. In 1999, Amir was appointed to manage the $1 billion gift by media mogul Ted Turner to the United Nations.
As the primary interface for the UN Foundation, Amir successfully attracted new investments of over $560 million from various donors, which supported 450 international projects for women and children’s health, climate change and bio-diversity. He has developed numerous partnerships and secured sizable social investments from such major names as the American Red Cross, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Coca-Cola, the Rockefeller Foundation, and Rotary International. Amir also oversaw management of the UN Democracy Fund, which he established in 2005 as an instrument to strengthen democratic institutions and enhance governance in new and restored democracies.
A Philadelphia native and Temple University graduate. Cosmo’s business interests include a diverse portfolio of national technology, publishing, sports and entertainment companies which he operates and manages.
In 1981, Cosmo and his wife Janet co-founded Amtech Software, which provides software solutions to over 30,000 business users throughout North America. In 1992, Cosmo assisted Janet in the creation and business development of Futura Services and later Futura Mobility, both national companies in the Healthcare and Enterprise Mobility space. They went on to acquire technology companies Zytek Software (Los Angeles, CA) and Hyperware Software (St. Louis, MO) in 2001 and 2003, respectively.
In 2001, Cosmo co-founded InfoLogix Inc., a leading Enterprise Mobility Solutions provider of Wireless and RFID technology solutions in the healthcare and commercial markets. He was Chairman of the company, helping take InfoLogix public in 2006. In 2011, Cosmo co-founded LogiStar Solutions, a specialized SAP services company focused on helping international SAP customers maximize their operational efficiencies and distribution velocity.
In 2006, Cosmo first entered the sports and entertainment industries, acquiring an interest in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers Arena Football (AF2) team. Cosmo became the sole owner from 2007 to 2009, and under Cosmo’s leadership the Pioneers won 57 games over four seasons and participated in two Arena Cup Title Games. In 2010, Cosmo acquired an ownership stake in the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League. In 2008 Cosmo invested with a group of well known media executives to acquire the brand and related assets of “Chicken Soup for the Soul”. Chicken Soup is a worldwide integrated media and merchandising company providing consumers with inspiring life improvement content, programming, and products.
In early March 2011, Cosmo acquired an interest in the long standing talent management firm J. Mitchell Management (JMM), and formed with Jeff Mitchell, the venture, Mitchell, Koseff, Schuster & DeNicola (MKS&D). The firm, based in New York City, has served the enter¬tainment industry for 25 years, and with the new partnership, MKS&D opened a west coast office on Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills, California to expand the company’s services in the heart of the film and television industries.
Notable past and present clients include James Gandolfini (“The Soprano’s); Robert Iler (“The Soprano’s); Bryan Greenberg (“How to Make It In America”); Molly Shannon (“Saturday Night Live”); Yin Chang (“Gossip Girl” and the Disney film “Prom”); Tristan Wilds (George Lucas’ “Red Tails [2012], “90210” and “The Wire”); Alexandra Chando (“As The World Turns” and the ABC Family series “The Lying Game”); E. J. Bonilla (“The Guiding Light” and the movie “Mamitas” ); Emma Kenney (Show¬time’s “Shameless”) Lily Pilblad (“Lights Out” on FX and “Fringe”); and many others.
The firm also represents Nikki M. James, one of the stars of the Broadway smash hit musical “The Book of Mor¬mon”. The role earned her a Tony award for Best Performance by an Actress in Featured Role in a Musical at the 2011 Tony Awards.
Cosmo has held many civic and trade Association board positions. He currently resides in Montgomery County, PA with his wife Janet and has two adult children, Michael and Morgan.
In 1976, Mr. Epstein founded the Izmo Family of Companies, Inc., a silk screen printing company serving the advertising and fine arts communities. Over the next twenty-one years Izmo became one of the most versatile silk screening printing companies in New York.
Mr. Epstein decided to semi-retire at age 39 to be able to devote more time to non-profit interests including Cooper Union, The New School Concert Series, the New York String Orchestra Seminar, Ballet Inc., the United Nations and the Humpty Dumpty Institute.
Robert Hong Xiao is the Chief Executive Officer of Perfect World, the largest gaming company in China with products exported to more than 100 countries and regions around the world.
Dr. Xiao participated in the leadership of many large consultation research projects on talent strategy and organizational reengineering oriented to Chinese companies, mainly including the planning and implementation of MOTO's China Accelerated Management Program (CAMP) and LEAD program, Cisco's local manager development program CHAMP, Philips' advanced local manager development program TOTAL, Dell China's leadership development program CLDP and other flagship talent development programs.
His cooperation with many international and domestic companies in multiple fields equipped him with first-hand experience in successful strategies and operations of private and international companies in China. These experiences became the foundation for Dr. Xiao in joining a newly rising Chinese internet company - Perfect World -- in May 2008. It also helped him successfully lead the change and optimization of corporate culture and internal management system. This, in turn, led to the honor of "best employer" in online game industry from 2009 to 2012.
Since he became CEO of Perfect World, Dr. Xiao has been building Perfect World from an ordinary Chinese public company into a global enterprise representing the highest level of online games in China. The concept of "global development, global publishing and global partner" long advocated by Dr. Xiao has become the company’s leading philosophy recognized by the online game industry in China. PWIE and ARC of Perfect World, a global trading platform for online games and a global standardized online game publishing platform respectively, as well as the global investment plan PWIN, etc., each play important roles in the implementation of the concept of "Perfect entertainment for World sharing".
Dr. Xiao has also proposed four possible future dimensions of next-generation internet entertainment including multi-dimensional display, vertical integration, technology revolution and global innovation. Currently, Perfect World is in the process of establishing a series of innovative research centers including a next-generation internet entertainment technology research institute, a digital arts institute, a global digital entertainment development research center and a China digital arts association. These research centers will move forward under a division of the company called Guangdong Perfect World Educational Investment Co. Ltd., a subsidiary in Zhuhai City of Guangdong Province. The purpose of these new centers of digital innovation is to train new talent in digital entertainment and promote industrial and technological revolution and innovation in digital entertainment. Under Dr. Xiao’s leadership, Perfect World is committed to developing special global strategies in an effort to become China's most competitive digital entertainment industry group, as well as an effective envoy for global cultural exchanges.
Perfect World places high priority on fulfilling its corporate social responsibility. The Perfect World Employee Foundation, officially established in 2013, makes charitable contributions to public welfare works and projects including disaster relief, helping “drop out” and disabled children and building "Perfect World” villages in the poor areas of Yunnan Province.
The Perfect World brand also enjoys strong “word-of-mouth” in China due to its contributions to the country’s national economic and social development. Dr. Xiao is often invited to visit other countries with other state leaders to deliver speeches and contribute ideas international economic development and social harmony and stability at significant international conferences such as the Davos Forum, the Boao Forum in Asia, the World Knowledge Forum, and the APEC CEO Summit etc… Dr. Xiao was named one of the "Top 10 Influential Figures within China's Game Industry In 2013" by State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of China, and "Outstanding Entrepreneur of the Year 2013" by the China Software Industry Association.
Mr. Xiao received his bachelor’s degree in physics in 1989 from Beijing’s influential Tsinghua University. He then earned a Masters degree and a Ph.D in engineering from the University of Southern California in 1991 and 1995 respectively.
Deborah Landey is a Conservation Fellow at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS). She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Ethiopia School Readiness Initiative (ESRI); the Humpty Dumpty Institute (HDI); Vice-President of the Governing Board of the Association of Former International Civil Servants (AFICS/NY); and a Senior Advisor to the Global Partnerships Forum (GPF).
Deborah Landey served for over 30 years with the United Nations including as Assistant Secretary-General at the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) from 2005-2008. She oversaw external relations, including with its governing body, human resources, finance, budget and IT for its global workforce.
She also served as Deputy Assistant Administrator and Deputy Director of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Bureau of Management (2001-2003) and as UNDP’s Director of Human Resources for some 6000 staff globally (1997-2003). She led the design and implementation of a new generation of talent management policies and processes, including serving as the Chair of the Inter-Agency Team that designed the Resident Coordinator Assessment Centre which transformed the selection methodology for United Nations Resident Coordinators appointed by the Secretary-General.
She served as the Director, United Nations Development Operations Coordination Office (UNDOCO) from 2008-2013. In this context, she mobilized resources for the work of the UN development system at global, regional and country level, in particular for coordination of its support to country led strategies to achieve the Millenium Development Goals. She provided policy advice to some 130 Resident Coordinators and 15 Deputy Special Representatives of the Secretary-General and senior officials across the UN development system. She chaired the Inter-Agency Advisory Panel which recommended candidates for Resident Coordinator positions to the Chair of the United Nations Development Group and the Secretary-General.
Deborah Landey served as United Nations Resident Coordinator in the Republic of the Philippines and the Republic of Botswana. She led the process of the development of United Nations country strategies and managed UNDP programmes including in the areas of poverty reduction, responses to HIV/AIDS epidemics, the environment, gender equity, peace building and conflict resolution. She was awarded the Order of Sikatuna by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, an award for individuals who have rendered exceptional and meritorious service to the Philippines (2005). She received the Congressional Medal of Achievement in recognition of efforts to enhance relations between the House of Representatives of the Philippines and the United Nations and support to the Government’s efforts to prevent the spread of AIDs in the Philippines (2005).
Deborah Landey holds a MA in International Affairs from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University, Canada; a BA in History, London University, England; a Certificate in the Political Economy of Development, London School of Economics. She is a Certified Professional Coach.
Constance J. Milstein is an attorney and co-founder of Ogden CAP Properties, LLC, a premier real estate, hotel and property development and management firm.
Ms. Milstein has translated her entrepreneurial skills and success into creating innovative and sustainable philanthropic projects, and her devotion to public-spirited causes such as job creation and education, medical research, the arts, and supporting veterans of the US Armed Forces and their families, is widely recognized.
In 2004, she founded Connie’s Corp., which operated Connie’s Bakery & General Store. The bakery was a socially responsible enterprise committed to empowering individuals who were homeless, unemployed or had special needs by giving them an opportunity to work and learn new culinary and business skills, with all profits going to charitable causes through her Foundation Sweet Success. Ms. Milstein is a founding Board Member of Blue Star Families, the nation’s largest support organization for US military spouses and families. Connie’s Bakery and Blue Star Families are proud to host annual holiday events for wounded warriors at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD.
Ms. Milstein believes no military veteran who wants to work should be unemployed. So in 2013, Foundation Sweet Success formed a joint venture with the newly-launched non-profit Dog Tag Bakery organization (DTB), based in Washington, DC, that will feature Connie’s baked goods. In addition to providing employment for disabled military veterans and their spouses, DTB - through a cooperative arrangement with the School of Continuing Studies at Georgetown University - will provide practical education and training in the culinary arts and entrepreneurship so participants can later pursue jobs and business ventures on their own. DTB will commence full operation in 2014 with a production, training and retail facility in Georgetown, Washington DC.
Ms. Milstein is actively engaged in global education and international humanitarian efforts, and is a longtime supporter of the United Nations. She is a former board member of UN Watch based in Geneva, Switzerland, serves as a Board Member Emeritus of Refugees International, and is a member of the Board of Overseers of the Seton Hall University School of Diplomacy. A decade ago, as a member of the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA), Ms. Milstein conceived and underwrote the Global Classrooms project of the United Nations Association, providing conflict resolution skills to underprivileged children in high schools around the New York City metro area.
She co-founded the Humpty Dumpty Institute (HDI), a non-profit organization that works with the United Nations and public-private partnerships to implement large-scale humanitarian projects in developing countries. During her tenure with HDI, she pioneered programs to foster Congressional relationships with senior level UN Representatives and Ambassadors - with an emphasis on bringing women leaders to the table - in order to create greater dialogue and understanding of how to work together to address major global issues. HDI has a Congressional Advisory Board of more than 20 sitting Members of the US Congress and has worked with governments all over the world since 2005 on projects ranging from literacy to hunger relief to landmine excavation and removal.
Ms. Milstein has worked in cooperation with the Third Way Foundation and other partners to orchestrate and coordinate conferences that broadened the global political conversation on how governments can advance progressive goals within the reality of the new economy. In 2002, Ms. Milstein personally chaired an historic gathering of current and prospective transatlantic leaders at Hartwell House in the United Kingdom to discuss global political challenges and cooperation; participants included President William J. Clinton, then - Prime Minister Tony Blair and Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, as well as many other European and American political leaders. She has served as Treasurer and as Counselor to the Chairman of the Democratic Governors Association (DGA) and as a former Board Member of the National Democratic Institute.
Ms. Milstein’s humanitarian efforts expand into the fields of medicine and healthcare, as well. She is a staunch supporter of heart research dating back to her first job working for the North Carolina Heart Association. She was the driving force behind the creation of the Vivian and Seymour Milstein Family Heart Center, a world-renowned facility which opened in 2010 that offers comprehensive, interdisciplinary cardiovascular care at New York - Presbyterian Hospital. Ms. Milstein has been an active member of the hospital’s Board of Trustees since 2000 and sits on the Quality and Performance Improvement Committee as well as the Real Estate and Major Facilities Committee, and the Joint Conference Committee.
Ms. Milstein helped launch Medical Missions for Children, a charity located on the campus of St. Joseph's Children's Hospital in Paterson, NJ which provides healthcare via telemedicine and teaching networks to young critically-ill patients in more than 100 developing countries. She also provides considerable support to LUNGevity Foundation, an organization committed to combatting lung cancer and serves on the Board of Directors of Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE), a non-profit organization dedicated to finding a cure for epilepsy.
Ms. Milstein earned her undergraduate degree from New York University (NYU) and her J.D. cum laude from the North Carolina Central University Law School, where she served as Comment Editor of the North Carolina Central Law Journal (in 2007 the name was changed to NC Central Law Review). She currently serves as a Trustee of New York University, which conferred upon her the 2009 College of Arts and Science Distinguished Service Award and the Albert Gallatin Medal for Outstanding Contributions to Society in 2010.
Devoted to helping develop young minds, Ms. Milstein conceived of a program to promote 21st century education, and provided critical guidance and support for the expansion of NYU into the nation’s capital. The Constance Milstein and Family Global Academic Center at New York University’s Washington, DC campus prepares future leaders by supplementing academic training with job and internship opportunities in government, politics, public administration, and journalism education and research.
A supporter of and contributor to the arts, Ms. Milstein serves as a member of the Kennedy Center International Committee on the Arts, an advisory board comprised of arts advocates from the US and overseas who support the international exchange of ideas and cultural programming at The Kennedy Center. She is a member of the National Symphony Orchestra Board of Directors, serves as a Trustee of the Washington National Opera and was Chair of the 2013 National Opera Ball. She has also served as Board member of the historic Ford’s Theater in Washington, DC.
Ms. Milstein has been honored for her service and generosity with many awards, including the prestigious 2000 National Human Relations Award by UN Watch and its parent organization, the American Jewish Committee. In 2004, Ms. Milstein received the Celine Marcus Award from the New York Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter for her long-time advocacy for the homeless. Other honors include YWCA’s 2006 Salute to Women and Racial Justice Award for outstanding achievement in business and the 2007 Urban Visionary by Cooper Union for outstanding urban citizenship.
Ms. Milstein is the proud mother of two daughters and a granddaughter. She is married to the The Count de La Haye Saint Hilaire and carries the title of The Countess de La Haye Saint Hilaire. The couple resides in Washington, DC, as well as Old Greenwich, CT and Normandy, France. She speaks French and conversational Italian and Spanish.
Mr. Sonnenfeldt is Managing Member of MUUS and Company, a privately owned investment fund. He has had a long and successful career as a property developer.
He is currently a Senior Lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He holds a number of other non-profit board positions and has received an Honorary Doctorate from Ben Gurion University.
Mr. John Sandy is a civic and business leader in the State of Idaho and Washington D.C. Mr. Sandy served as Chief of Staff to U.S. Senator James Risch from 2009 until 2020 and was Senator Risch's senior policy advisor.
Prior to joining Senator Risch at the U.S. Senate, Mr. Sandy was Chief of Staff to the Governor of Idaho in Boise and served in the Idaho State Senate. In addition, Mr. Sandy is one of the leading businessmen and political leaders in Idaho. He was the Chairman of the Idaho Republican Party, Chairman of the Idaho Bond Bank, and Co-owner of the Trout Co-Hydroelectric Plant and the Owner-Manager of Habitat Holdings LLC. Mr. Sandy currently serves on the U.S. Global leadership Coalition Advisory Committee.
John Sandy is a respected conservationist in Idaho working to protect local habitat and animal species. His work in preserving the pristine environment of Idaho has been recognized. He has been awarded "Man of the Year" from the University of Idaho Aqua-culture Research Institute and "Clean Idaho Guardian" for defending clean-up and removal of nuclear waste from Idaho.
Mr. Sandy attended the University of Idaho where he received a Bachelor of Science Agriculture. He also received accreditation from the PSA-Harvard Negotiation Program and as an Advanced Practitioner from Neuro Linguistic of Utah.
Ven. Hsin Ting (Chinese: 心定和尚; pinyin: Xīndìng Héshàng) is a Buddhist monk who served as the sixth abbot and director of Fo Guang Shan (aka: International Buddhist Progress Society) from 1997 to 2005.
Along with Ven. Hsin Ping, he is a forty-ninth lineage holder of the Linji Chan school. He was born into a family of farmers and grew up in Taiwan. In 1968, he became a monastic under Grand Master Hsing Yun and took full ordination the following year in Keelung. Hsin Ting graduated from the Eastern Buddhist College and the India Research Institute of the Chinese Cultural University. He further received an Honorary Doctorate Degree from the Fo Guang Shan-affiliated University of the West in Rosemead, California in 1998. The Venerable Hsin Ting is an American citizen.
As a monastic of Fo Guang Shan, Hsin Ting has held a variety of posts, such as the secretary of Fo Guang Shan's Religious Affairs Committee, the Managing Director of the Ilan Buddhist Society, abbot of Long Hua Temple in Malaysia, abbot of Hsi Lai Temple in California, and of Kaohsiung's Pu Hsien Temple, President of the American Buddhist Youth Association, and Vice President of Buddha's Light International Association of R.O.C. Upon the sudden death of Master Hsing Yun's eldest disciple and abbot, Venerable Hsin Ping, Hsin Ting was immediately promoted to the said position, and served the rest of Hsin Ping's term until 1997, when he was unanimously and officially elected abbot in 1997 as Fo Guang Shan's sixth abbot.
Hsin Ting is well versed in speaking the Dharma, instruction in Chan (Jp: Zen) meditation, construction projects, Buddhist chant, and the composition of music and lyrics.
He ended his term as abbot in 2005, when Venerable Hsin Pei was elected to the position of Abbot. Ven. Hsin Tin travels around the world constantly looking after the organization’s humanitarian projects in South America and Asia, giving dharma lectures, and presiding over Buddhist ceremonies on behalf of the grandmaster Hsing Yun.
Ms. Ruby Wang is Senior Vice President and Official Spokesperson of Perfect World, the largest gaming company in China.
Additionally, Ms. Wang oversees the operational capability and business development of Guangdong Perfect World Educational Investment Co., Ltd. She also leads the establishment of Perfect World’s International Institute for Digital Art. In this capacity, she promotes international cooperation by collaborating with well-known domestic and overseas universities and colleges in order to cultivate high-level technical and management experts in the cultural and creative fields of the digital industry.
Ms. Wang graduated from the National University of Singapore with a Masters Degree in Business Administration.
Ms. Diamond is President of the Diamond Family Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that develops unique methods to improve and increase access to education and healthcare, by supporting those who fall outside traditional, government-sponsored assistance programs. As President, Jennifer helps determine the direction and mission of the organization, sets the strategy for how to best tackle issues most important to the foundation, reviews results from past projects, and continually seeks compelling new philanthropic opportunities to explore.
Jennifer holds a B.Sc. from Michigan State University and an M.A. in Anthropology from University of London. She began her career working as an engineer in the pharmaceutical industry. In addition to her role with the Diamond Family Foundation and now with the Humpty Dumpty Institute, Jennifer serves as a trustee on a number of boards, she is a US-UK Fulbright Commissioner and she is a partner in Cobble House LLC, a multimedia development company.
Mrs. Mustafa has worked tirelessly with U.S. women organizations in promoting the advancement of women in the Middle East through her involvement with the Bahrain American Council (BAC). Mrs. Mustafa is a tireless advocate for U.S. immigration reform and is dedicated to the cause that any reform allows families to remain together. Mrs. Mustafa has toured refugee in camps in Africa and Asia, and has been recognized for her work with refugees in Africa. While working with AAWC, Mrs. Mustafa hosted Arab and African Women youth programs at the United Nations. Mrs. Mustafa is also extremely committed to education, a key focus of the Humpty Dumpty Institute. In 2010 she established two scholarships for African girls to attend schools in Virginia.
The Board of Directors of the Humpty Dumpty Institute announced in June 2018 that Mrs. Islam Mustafa will join the Board as an Associate Director. HDI Executive Director Joseph Merante praised Mrs. Mustafa’s support of HDI’s programming in Africa and said that Ms. Mustafa’s involvement will further expand HDI’s work in the Middle East and Africa.
Islam Mustafa has held leadership positions in a number of international organizations including the Arab American Women Council (AAWC) and the American Global Institute (AGI). She is currently the Vice President of American Global Consulting and co-owner of the Swiss School of Management Bahrain.
Mrs. Mustafa currently lives in Virginia. She was born in Sudan where her family was active in the business and cultural community. She is a graduate of Khartoum University and have two children, Lana and Omar.
A Philadelphia native, Morgan DeNicola currently works as the Humanitarian Program Manager for Cosmo DeNicola Companies based out of Fort Washington, Pennsylvania. Cosmo DeNicola Companies is a portfolio of businesses ranging from technology, healthcare, publishing, professional football and Hollywood talent management. Morgan’s role within Cosmo Cares incorporates her four passions of World Health, Humanitarian Recognition, Cultural Diplomacy and Conservation. She feels it is important to do good while recognizing those who are equally committed.
Fedor Zakusilo is the founder and president of Vorex USA, a company renowned for providing advanced technological solutions tailored to the needs of the oil and gas industries.
Fedor grew up in Kyiv, Ukraine. At 17, he was recruited to play junior hockey in Calgary, Alberta, as part of a bilateral sports exchange initiative. He later played hockey on a full scholarship at Mercyhurst University in Erie, PA, earning a bachelor’s degree in international business at Mercyhurst.
In 2000, Fedor started work at Reed Manufacturing in Erie, an oil and gas equipment supplier, and in 2006 he founded Liberty Tools. Operating from his family’s kitchen table, Fedor sourced hard-to-find materials for customers across the U.S. and helped American manufacturers export their products into emerging markets abroad.
Today, Vorex operates in countries around the world. In 2023, it was the top supplier of equipment to Naftogaz, Ukraine’s largest state-owned energy company.
Fedor lives in Erie with his wife Lori, their two children, Ziggy the pug, and Marley.
From 2007-2008, Ambassador Lino served as the Assistant Secretary for International Affairs at the U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security. Prior to that, she was the Director of the Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies' (SAIS) Bologna Center in Italy from 2003-2006.
During nearly 30 years of distinguished service as a Foreign Service Officer at the U.S. Department of State, Ambassador Lino held overseas positions in Albania, Italy, Pakistan, Syria, Iraq, and Peru. In her last position at the State Department, from 2000 to 2003, she served as the Senior Negotiator for Base Access and Burden-sharing in the Bureau of Political Military Affairs. In this role, she led various negotiations with foreign governments on the legal and financial arrangements and coverage for military and civilian Defense Department personnel deployed abroad. From 1996 to 1999 she served as the U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Albania.
Ambassador Lino served as a Director in Government Relations at the Northrop Grumman Corporation from 2009-2019. Currently, Ambassador Lino contributes part-time as an Adjunct Political Scientist at the RAND Corporation. She was also an Associate Fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies-Americas (IISS) from 2020-2022.
Ambassador Lino has an M.A. in international affairs from The George Washington University and a B.A. in political science from Portland State University. She later attended the University of Zagreb (in the former Yugoslavia), for a year of graduate studies in political science. On a U.S. State Department-sponsored mid-career program, she completed a Certificate in Advanced Engineering Studies in systems analysis at M.I.T. She was granted a number of service awards during her Foreign Service career. In 2003, she was selected for the Secretary’s Distinguished Service Award by Secretary of State Colin Powell.