Meet the Candidates

Umme was born and raised in Assam, one of India's ecologically richest but most marginalised states. Growing up amid communal tension and environmental degradation, her parents, from a minority community, faced immense hardships but prioritized her education. In 2013, she became the first Muslim woman from the entire North-East India to clear the Indian civil services examination. A computer engineer by qualification and a public servant by profession, she has worked to curb black money practices and contributed to the Union Budget of India for 2021-2023. Eager to join Columbia University's MPA in Global Leadership program, she looks forward to fostering international collaboration.

Michal is a Journalist at Haaretz, Israel's leading liberal newspaper. In her previous role, she served as one of the four senior editors heading the news department, managing the correspondents through some of Israel's most tumultuous years, including October 7th and the war in Gaza, the wave of protests against the government's proposed judicial overhaul and 2022 elections. She focused on investigative journalism and civil society coverage. Michal also co-initiated Haaretz Editing Course, which provides aspiring journalists with hands-on tools in digital news. She holds a BA with honors in Philosophy, Political Science and Economics (PPE) from Tel Aviv University.

Maceda is a native New Yorker who has built her career in the fields of public health and international development. She’s cultivated a decade's worth of experience ethically and equitably, strengthening healthcare delivery systems and ensuring that globally, people have access to affordable, life-saving, and high-quality culturally competent care. She has supported over 13 large-scale public health initiatives focused on various areas such as Family Planning, Reproductive Health, Health Systems Strengthening, Maternal and Child Health, and Vaccines in more than 10 countries. She has worked at a variety of organizations such as JSI, CHAI, Ro, and Maven Clinic, where she was able to collaborate with different stakeholders in the health ecosystem committed to refactoring healthcare, building richer connections across systems, and ensuring millions of people's needs are understood and consistently met. Maceda holds a BA from Dartmouth College, where she majored in Geography, focusing on International Development, minored in International Relations, and received a certificate in Global Health. 

Ricardo is the National Delegate Ombudsman for the Prevention of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Violations at the Ombudsman Office in Colombia, where he leads the National Early Warning System. His extensive public sector experience includes roles as Colombia's National Human Rights Director at the Ministry of Interior, Political Coordinator for Legislative Affairs in the Congress of Colombia, advisor at the Office of the Inspector General, and Private Secretary to Vice President Angelino Garzón. Ricardo holds a Master's in Interdisciplinary Studies on Development from Universidad de los Andes and a Master's in Sports Entities Management and Administration from Universidad Internacional de Valencia. A passionate football enthusiast, Ricardo has also worked as a presenter and football analyst for Win Sports, sharing his expertise and love for the game with a broad audience.

Neil recently retired as Managing Director with Accenture after a 26-year career in management consulting, where his work ranged from marketing transformation to new business launch for his clients primarily in the telecommunications industry. He also serves on the boards of Broadway Housing Communities and the Sugar Hill Children’s Museum of Art & Storytelling, sister organizations focused on providing deeply affordable housing, early childhood education and access to the arts in Northern Manhattan in New York City. Neil holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Yale University, and is a DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) Fellow.

Lorena is a social entrepreneur and angel investor. As the Founder and CEO of Zoila, she collaborates with nonprofits to enhance access to sexual and reproductive health for girls in the Dominican Republic, aiming to reduce teenage pregnancy rates using innovative tech solutions. Simultaneously, Lorena actively invests in companies focused on democratizing financial inclusion and advancing gender equity in the region. Previously, as an Operations Manager at Uber, Lorena led successful product and market launches across Latin America. She holds a BA in Economics and International Relations, with a Minor in Philosophy from American University and a postgraduate degree in Social Impact Strategy from the University of Pennsylvania.

Colleen is a native New Yorker, born and raised in Queens. She is a proud Columbia GS graduate with a BA in Political Science. Colleen had a long career around the globe as a journalist and TV producer for Thomson Reuters News Agency. She was based in Washington D.C, London, Berlin, Singapore, the Middle East, and Zagreb, covering a range of major news stories in politics, social issues, economics, and wars. One of her first assignments was the Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, an event that started the end of communism in Central and Eastern Europe. 

Oualid is an MIT-trained scientist with 14 years of global experience in finance, technology, and consulting across Europe. As a digital innovation leader at NYLIM Company in the EU, he integrates AI for portfolio management and automates EU directives. His $2 million Front Office LAB program enhanced fund performance and efficiency while reducing costs. Oualid's expertise spans business transformations, machine learning, and ESG initiatives. He has led high-profile projects for the EU Commission, Bloomberg, and major telecom companies. A speaker at the White House Global Entrepreneurship event and a sustainability prize winner from ADEME, Oualid holds a MicroMaster in Economics & Design of Policy from MIT and a Master's in Engineering from Paris.

Rebeca leads a skilled financial team as investment principal at her family office, optimizing financial growth through strategic analysis, policy design, and innovative investment strategies. An entrepreneur, she co-founded a pioneering children's edutainment center, successfully opening multiple venues across Mexico. Committed to philanthropy, Rebeca co-founded a non-profit for rural communities in Mexico and serves on the boards of various educational organizations. Previously, she excelled in marketing at Laboratorios Rimsa, winning multiple Latin America ASPID awards. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business from ITESM.

Andres is an international development professional with over ten years of experience spanning the public, private, and multilateral sectors. His background is in international finance and public administration. As a labor markets consultant at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), he co-led financing and advisory projects at the intersection of technology, entrepreneurship, and job creation in some countries in the Americas. Before joining the IDB, Andres co-managed the Social Impact Bonds program (SIBs.CO) at Fundación Corona in Colombia, pioneering innovative approaches to social finance. As an innovation manager at Skala Ventures, he led business development initiatives focused on building institutional capacity in Central America. His earlier experience also includes roles at the National Development Fund (FONADE), consulting at Deloitte, and serving on the staff of a House Representative in the Congress of Colombia. Andres holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and international relations from Externado de Colombia University.

Ohad completed his degree in the excellence program – China's Future Leaders Undergraduate Double-Degree in Business Administration at Peking University and Tel Aviv University. This global program focuses on admitting top students with outstanding leadership potential. Intrigued by healthcare and its strong potential, Ohad was drawn to working aMoon. Ohad worked as an Associate at aMoon Velocity an early stage global HealthTech venture fund. Ohad's duties included conducting diligence on new investment opportunities, and supporting the Fund’s portfolio companies. Before aMoon, Ohad spent six years with the Israeli military as a Team Commander (Captain) in the Israeli Navy Seals.

Bibek is a Mechanical Engineering graduate from National Institute of Technology Durgapur, and studied MBA-Finance from Kathmandu University and MPA-Economic Policy Management from Columbia University. He started his career as a Project Finance Analyst in clean energy projects before joining Nepal Rastra Bank. In his twelve-year career in the central bank, Bibek has contributed to the supervision of commercial banks, regulation of banks, and financial institutions and was part of a team that worked for the successful resolution of several problematic banks/financial institutions. Bibek has a keen interest in Economic Policy, Financial Stability, Sustainable Development, and Governance.

Quintin has an academic and professional background nested in strategic communication, security cooperation, and intelligence analysis. He has held numerous assignments with the National Security Agency, the United States Cyber Command, and the United States Army Intelligence and Security Command. Quintin has extensive experience in training international partners, having led training missions in Germany, Kenya, and Chad with the aim of promoting regional security and enhancing allied domestic security capacity. Currently, he serves as a Military Diplomat focused on the European Theatre. Quintin graduated from Indiana University, where he obtained a Master of Science in Criminal Justice and Public Safety and a Master of Business Administration (MBA).

Mark is a Singaporean civil servant working to advance Singapore’s economic interests abroad as a trade policy official and a diplomat. Mark is well-versed in international affairs, having previously served as a Singaporean delegate to the UN climate talks and the World Trade Organization. As an experienced trade negotiator, Mark led market access negotiations for Singapore’s trade agreements with the Pacific Alliance, Mercosur, and the Eurasian Economic Union, leading to expanded market access for Singapore’s exports to South America and Central Asia. From 2020-2024, Mark served as head of economic affairs at the Singapore Embassy in Washington DC, working to advance bilateral economic relations with the United States. Mark holds a BA in Political Science (First Class) from the University of Melbourne.

Thaís is an Asian-Brazilian journalist and political commentator. She has worked as a reporter, editor, editor-in-chief, and columnist for leading newspapers and magazines in Brazil, such as Folha de S. Paulo, VEJA magazine, and the UOL news portal. She is also the author of a prominent book about Brazil’s far-right former president Jair Bolsonaro and his government. Oyama frequently participates in mainstream media programs, as well as at organizations and conferences, to moderate and discuss Brazilian politics. Until 2023, she was the presenter and writer for Linhas Cruzadas, a weekly public TV talk show on culture, politics, and current events, alongside philosopher Luiz Felipe Pondé.

Victoria is an economist with a master's degree in finance and investments. She is the founder of the platform Poder Económico, which is dedicated to economic and financial dissemination and analysis with a special gender focus. As an academic at various universities and with extensive experience in both the public and private sectors, she has notably established sustainability management departments at CORFO and Banco Estado. She is a consultant for international organizations, an advisor to companies, a media panelist, a mentor, and a member of investment fund committees.

Sidharth is a Central Banker with diverse experience covering areas like currency management, policy making and banking supervision. He spearheaded the Anti Money Laundering (AML) team in the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and has worked towards simplifying the Know Your Customer (KYC) process. He has been part of various Government committees/groups in the area of AML/CFT. He was lead support from RBI for the recently concluded FATF Mutual Evaluation (ME) of India, where the country received very good ratings. He also has a brief experience of working with the private sector and with the public sector (ECGC Ltd) as well.

Meenakshi is passionate about citizen engagement in solving urban civic issues. She co-founded and helps run Citizen Matters, an online knowledge platform that carries over 15000 articles and explainers that help Indian citizens make their cities more liveable and equitable. She served as the Chief Executive Officer of United Way’s Chennai chapter, where she directed over USD 3MN of corporate funds into education, healthcare and livelihood projects. Meenakshi also serves on the Board of several Indian organizations working in primary education and health. She holds an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, and a Bachelor's Degree in Commerce.

Ralf is an unwavering optimist with a dynamic vision for Haiti's transformation. As a former advisor to President Jovenel Moise, he brings critical political insight to the conversation. His book, "The Weight of My Dream," outlines a bold blueprint for rebuilding Haiti, advocating for stronger governance and economic vitality. As co-founder of Rhotopia, a digitalized-asset-backed lending platform, he is pioneering innovative credit solutions for developing nations, leveraging their human capital and natural resources as strategic reserves for growth. Rho's unique blend of political experience, visionary thinking, and entrepreneurial spirit positions him as a transformative force in Haiti's evolving story.

Mukesh is a Deputy General Manager at the Reserve Bank of India. He joined the Bank as a direct recruit officer in 2006. He has experience of more than 14 years in the area of banking supervision. He has also worked in areas like currency management, national clearing center among others. He has been part of off-site and on-site supervision of major banks operating in India. Mr. Sharma has been part of many important targeted examinations, quality assurance division and also part of the team responsible for developing the risk-based supervision model for the regulated entities in India. As the Head of Supervisory Examination Division at Jaipur Regional Office, he has worked to improve the financial health of many cooperative banks by way of continuous hand holding, engagement with top management of these banks and rigorous monitoring. He has led the Senior Supervisory team of the biggest small finance bank in India. He has been a member of teams for overseas inspection of Indian banks. He was also deputed for GLOPAC Fellowship organized by JFSA, Japan.

Garima is an Indian Civil Servant with more than a decade’s experience in Defence Diplomacy, Defence Procurements and Leadership Consulting. In her current assignment in the International Cooperation Wing, Ministry of Defence (MoD), Ms Singh’s emphasis of work is to strengthen India’s Act East policy and Indo-Pacific vision through different engagement mechanisms. She is also an alumna of Geneva Centre of Security Policy (GCSP), Geneva and Netherlands Defence Academy, The Hague where she actively engaged with Security and Defence experts on International Security Affairs. Prior to joining civil services, Ms Singh worked in multinational companies as HR Strategist, ISMS Manager and Leadership Consultant where she created her niche in Leadership Development. She holds an MBA in Human Resources, honors in B-Tech in Information Technology and Bachelor in Law. She is fluent in Hindi and English and has beginner proficiency in French.

Piyush belongs to the 2007 batch of the Indian Foreign Service. His most recent assignment was as Joint Secretary looking after India's multilateral economic relations in the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India. He has served as India’s Sous-Sherpa for BRICS and IBSA. Previously, he has served in various capacities at the Indian Missions in Cairo, Islamabad, and Berne. He is a medical graduate from the prestigious Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi Memorial Medical College, Kanpur. He likes to read and write.

Sharifah is an economist with an MSc in Development Management from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences (LSE). During her graduate study, Sharifah Sofia was an external consultant to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, examining methodologies to empower rural women in Ethiopia's agricultural sector. Prior to that, she interned at the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh. Sharifah Sofia serves as a trustee of the Albukhary Foundation and is responsible for driving its educational initiatives. In parallel, she worked in Malaysia's private sector focusing on corporate finance and strategy as well as served on the Board of a few publicly listed companies. She is also one of Philanthropy University's Founding Board Members. Most recently, she worked in private equity in Singapore. Sharifah Sofia belonged to the inaugural cohort of Southeast Asia Next-Gen Leaders at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore, and is a recipient of the York Award as well as the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Lucía is a Colombian economist with a Master's from Universidad de Los Andes, specializing in economic impacts on social policies. With over 10 years of experience in governmental and NGO sectors, she excels in program management and policy formulation. More recently, she has spearheaded initiatives at the National Democratic Institute, empowering marginalized groups, particularly in civil society, women, and LGBTIQ+ advocacy. Her expertise includes strategic planning and project implementation, supported by a commitment to human rights and sustainable development. Lucía combines analytical rigor with a passion for community empowerment and social justice.