ADVISORY BOARD

Thomas Abraham is a renowned business entrepreneur and civic leader, inheriting a legacy from his parents, the late Genevieve and Anthony R. Abraham, founders of St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. As President and Partner in multiple family office ventures, Abraham has a diverse business portfolio. Chairing the Anthony R. Abraham Foundation for 45 years, he has allocated millions to causes in Lebanon, from education and healthcare to cultural initiatives. Projects funded include the Genevieve Abraham School of Nursing, the Lebanese Hospital-Geitawi, and the Beirut Marathon. Beyond Lebanon, he founded Miami's StarArt Foundation to support contemporary artists. Additionally, he established the Beirut Foundation-USA and the Help US Rise Initiative, further expanding his philanthropic impact.

Fouad Chartouni is a Lebanese real estate investor and developer. He is president of Kensico Properties, a real-estate holding company based in New York. He graduated from the American University of Beirut and received a master's degree in business from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a doctorate in economics from Columbia University. While completing his PhD at Columbia University, he bought The Lowell Hotel at a time when New York really did not have any small luxury hotels. Coming from a European background, he felt that New York needed a European style luxury boutique hotel. Fouad Chartouni is involved in several cultural projects and philanthropic activities.

Hussein Al-Damirji is an accomplished legal expert with roots in a notable Iraqi family. Raised in Beirut and London, he holds jurisprudence and law degrees from Oxford's Pembroke College and Harvard Law School respectively. With over 30 years of experience, Hussein has worked with leading firms in London, Washington D.C., and the MENA region. He excels in establishing lesser-known firms in highly competitive markets, even earning a UK nomination for Best Firm MENA in pro bono work. Renowned for his cultural versatility, Hussein serves as an advisor and board member to various corporations, prestigious families, and ultra-high-net-worth individuals for investments across the USA, MENA, and Europe. Currently, he works with international law firm DLA Piper.

Louay Eldada, a Lebanese American businessman, is the Founder and CEO of SCIDATEK. A technical leader with proven track record at both small and large companies and a recognized expert in nanotechnology and advanced optoelectronics, he is the former CEO of Quanergy Systems, a developer and manufacturer of advanced nanophotonic 3D sensors and sensing systems. He formerly was VP of Technology at Amprius, where he led the R&D and Engineering activities, developing advanced energy storage solutions using rechargeable lithium ion batteries based on silicon nanowire anodes. Dr. Eldada is Associate Editor of the Journal of Photonics for Energy. He published 280 technical papers and books, chaired and organized 160 technical conferences, gave 200 keynote and invited talks, garnered 50 technical awards, and has 64 patents.

Eva Kotite Farha graduated from Beirut University College, currently Lebanese American University, majoring in mathematics and computer science. She worked at MD Anderson hospital in the Biomath department as a statistician in cancer research. She is one of the founders and president of the Lebanese Club at Houston. She was also a member of National Organization of Arab-American Women that participated at the United Nations Women’s Conference in Beijing, China. She formerly served on the Board at Institute of International Education, the Health Musuem of Houston and currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Lebanese American University as well as of the Methodist Debakey Heart and Vascular Center.

Since January 2021, Bassima Al Ghussein serves as the Executive Director of the Middle East Policy Council (MEPC). She is the founder of Alghussein Global Strategies, a consulting firm specializing in government affairs and communications. Her expertise encompasses working with U.S. and international institutions including Congress, the State Department, European Union, and IMF. A recognized Truman National Security Project Political Expert, she also sits on the board of Women of Color Advancing Peace & Security (WCAPS) and is a member of the Meridian International Center Young Global Leaders Council. A frequent commentator on global policy, she holds a master's in Security Studies from Georgetown and a bachelor's in International Relations from Mount Holyoke College.

Habib Haddad is a renowned tech entrepreneur and a driving force in the MENA region's startup ecosystem. He is the creator of Yamli.com, a leading Smart Arabic Keyboard and search engine that has reached 10 million users and produced 350 million Arabic words. His milestone deal with Yahoo! amplifies Yamli's impact. Haddad also founded YallaStartup, which nurtures early-stage entrepreneurship and has spawned 34 startups through a pivotal StartupWeekend in Beirut. Subsequently, he served as CEO of Wamda, further bolstering MENA entrepreneurship across multiple verticals. Haddad has received numerous accolades, including Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and being listed among the 30 most influential Arabs under 30. Additionally, his humanitarian venture, ReliefLebanon, raised $2 million for post-war efforts in 2006.

Luciana Haddad Hakim is an experienced attorney who received a Doctorate in Law at Mackenzie University in São Paulo-Brazil, being awarded with a Master’s degree of Law and specialization in Comparative Law and International affairs, both at Harvard University. She has more than 25 years of strong entrepreneurship, working in the areas of Negotiations, Planning, Intellectual Property all over the world, Litigation, Health Care, Medical Devices and New Business Development. She is a legal advisor and strategist leader on multinational legal matters , representing US and Multinational Corporations doing business in the US and litigation on South American countries. An art lover and Philanthropist, Luciana has co-founded AQUARELA, a Foundation providing better quality of life for foster kids in Colombia.

Khaled Janahi is the Chairman of Vision 3. He served as Group Chief Executive at Dar Al-Maal Al-Islami Trust (DMI Trust Switzerland). He is the Chairman of the Solidarity Group Holding, Naseej Company, Faisal Private Bureau of Switzerland, and the Islamic Investment Company of the Gulf. He is also the Executive Vice-Chairman of Ithmaar Bank and a Boards Member at the Faisal Islamic bank of Egypt and Ithmaar Bank. He has served on a number of other boards including the Center for International Business and Management, and the University of Cambridge. Khaled holds a BS in Computer Science & Accountancy from the University of Manchester, and he is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. He is currently focused on venture capital, specifically on start-ups.

Lynn Jochim is a trailblazing leader in urban development in California. As President and COO of FivePoint Holdings, LLC, she spearheaded projects that generated around 288,000 jobs and contributed $54 billion to California's economy. Focused on integrated, multi-generational communities, her work addresses California's pressing issues like job creation, climate change, and affordable housing. Prior to FivePoint, she was Regional Vice President at Lennar Homes in San Francisco. In the '90s, Jochim founded a minority and woman-owned business and led the BIA Women’s Education Council. She has also served on the board of Oakland Children’s Hospital and as a president of the Building Industry Association in Northern California.

Habib Kairouz is a Managing Partner of Rho Capital Partners, Inc. a private equity firm with approximately $1.2 billion under management and offices in New York, Palo Alto and Montreal. Rho's business units span various classes of private equity investments, including venture capital in early stage and growth equity technology and healthcare companies (Rho Ventures and Rho Canada), buyouts in the technology sector (Rho Acceleration) and fund investments in all classes of venture capital and private equity funds (Rho Fund Investors). Prior to joining Rho in 1993, Habib worked for five years in investment banking and leveraged buyouts with Reich & Co. and Jesup & Lamont. Habib received a B.S. in Engineering and a B.A. in Economics from Cornell University and an M.B.A. in Finance from Columbia University.

Dana Khuthaila is a New York City plastic surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery, the Royal College of Physicians, and Surgeons of Canada in Plastic Surgery. Dr. Khuthaila has been chosen as a Top Doctor by Castle Connolly Top Doctors and Super Doctors featured in The New York Times, for five consecutive years. She has chaired and moderated at workshops and seminars across the world in different plastic surgery specialties. Dr. Khuthaila specializes in procedures for the breast and body, and is known for performing all of her procedures using her “Drainless” technique.