The YLC Board of Directors is made up of YLC members who stand out for their commitment to Seeds of Peace. They are the driving force behind the YLC’s schedule of events and programming. Over the years they have grown from like-minded colleagues working towards a common goal to become a close-knit group of friends.
YLC Leadership
Scott Birnbaum
Scott Birnbaum is the Chairman and a founding member of the Seeds of Peace Young Leadership (YLC) Committee Board. He joined the Washington, D.C., Chapter of the YLC in 2005, chaired the 2010 Peace Market, and has led multiple initiatives of the YLC, including forming the YLC Board and restructuring the Annual Comedy Show. In 2012, Scott was invited to join the Seeds of Peace Board of Directors and is honored to represent the YLC in determining the growth and development of the organization. Scott grew up in Paris and attended Georgetown University, where he graduated in 2000 before beginning his career in technology as the founder of Epok, a software company. In 2006, he joined an angel investment fund focusing on media and Internet opportunities. Scott graduated Fordham Law School in 2009, joining White & Case as a Project Finance Associate. Scott is currently the Director of Strategic Initiatives & Partnerships at CBS Local Media. Scott spends his spare time traveling to Europe, South America and the Middle East, often camera in hand, and enjoys attending indie concerts.
Dan Ettinger
Board Member
Dan Ettinger was the External Relations Manager at Seeds of Peace from 2008-11 and the staff liaison to the YLC Board from 2010-11. Dan started as a counselor at Seeds of Peace's International Camp in 2004 and then returned in May 2008 to join the development team. Directly prior, he led the fundraising and marketing efforts of YouthCARE (Youth for Cultural Appreciation and Racial Equality), a youth development non-profit in Minneapolis. Dan holds a B.A. in history from Macalester College and is currently pursuing an MBA at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. 
Natasha Faroun
Board Member
Originally from Jordan, many of Natasha's cousins came to Seeds of Peace as teenagers. Always jealous of their experience, Natasha decided that the next best thing would be to dedicate her full expertise as an event planner/designer with Rockin' The Big Apple Inc to the Young Leadership Committee. Her outstanding work with the 2010 Peace Market led her to be appointed to the Junior Board and to be elected as a Chair of the 2011 Peace Market. 
Ariella Feldman
Board Member
Ariella Feldman joined the Junior Board in September 2010. Ariella is passionate about international relations and building intercultural bridges. She graduated Harvard Law School in 2009 and New York University in 2006. Ariella is currently a project finance attorney in New York. In her spare time, Ariella enjoys tango dancing, cooking and watching Spanish-language films. 
Matt Jung
Board Member
Matt Jung started working with Seeds of Peace in 2011, joining the development committee for the YLC’s annual Peace Market. He currently works as an investor and consultant in New York City, focusing on emerging specialty retail and fashion brands. In the past, he worked for a number of finance firms including AEA Investors, Peter J. Solomon Company and Deustche Bank. Matt grew up outside of Philadelphia and graduated from Georgetown University in 2003. His interests include traveling, reading, food, yoga and Georgetown basketball. 
Karen Karniol-Tambour
Board Member
Born and raised in Israel, Karen Karniol-Tambour joined Seeds of Peace in 1999 as a member of the Israeli Delegation at the Seeds of Peace International Camp in Maine. She has been active in Seeds of Peace for over a decade, in both the Middle East and the US, and her involvement has included dialogue sessions, mentoring younger Seeds, speaking about the powerful potential Seeds of Peace offers for the future at forums ranging from CNN and Carnegie Hall to elementary school classrooms in poorer parts of Israel, and of course -- chairing the best annual fundraiser in NYC, the Peace Market, in 2009. Karen graduated magna cum laude from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton University in 2006, and since graduation has worked at a large global macro hedge fund based in Westport, CT. 
Becky Laub
Board Member
Becky Laub has been involved with Seeds of Peace since 2005 and became a member of the Young Leadership Board in 2011. Becky's diverse professional experience includes stints in non-profit, entertainment, music, magazine publishing and event production. She currently works in sales and partnership marketing within the nightlife space. In addition to her passion for supporting international co-existence, Becky has served as a youth mentor for several community based programs including iMentor and Koreh LA. Becky enjoys traveling, cooking, reading and the arts. 
Jenn Lishansky
Staff Liaison
Jenn Lishansky is the External Relations Coordinator for Seeds of Peace and the staff liaison for the YLC Board. She interned at Seeds of Peace in the Spring of 2010 before becoming a full time staff member in May 2011. Jenn has experience working with young people and teachers, creating curricula and lessons plans for teaching human rights, civic engagement, meditation, and leadership. She graduated from New York University with degrees in Religious Studies and Politics. 
Ramy Nagy
Board Member
Ramy Nagy has been involved with Seeds of Peace since 1998 as a member of the Egyptian delegation. He previously served as the organization’s goodwill Ambassador in Egypt and is currently a member of the Junior Board. Ramy is a graduate of Bard College. He is the founder and partner of MADEO, a creative firm that serves clients in the United States and the Middle East through branding, design and consulting. Ramy is also the founder of BeenaProject.com, a platform that empowers innovative collaborative projects. Ramy spends most of his time between New York and Cairo. 
Grishma Parekh
Board Member
Grishma Parekh joined the Seeds of Peace YLC Board in 2011. She has been closely involved with several events including Stand-Up for Peace and Peace Market. Grishma is currently a Principal at The Carlyle Group which she joined in 2007. She is responsible for deal origination, investment evaluation and execution and portfolio management. Prior to Carlyle, Grishma spent five years in the Leveraged Finance practice at J.P. Morgan Securities. Grishma is a member of the Board of Directors of Targus Group International and Combined Systems. Grishma received a BS from the Stern School of Business at New York University. Her interests include cooking, painting, traveling, dance, design and décor. 
Charles Poliacof
Director Emeritus
Nicknamed “The Godfather” by other members of the Young Leadership Board, Charles has been a supporter of Seeds of Peace for over 10 years. It wasn’t until visiting the Camp in 2005 that his passion for the organization and the intensity of his efforts grew to where they are today. Inspired by the brave young campers, Charles shook up the YLC pushing members to take on more initiative and responsibility. Charles served as event chair of the 2007 Peace Market and still volunteers for Seeds of Peace, taking a lead role in development and fundraising.
In his other life, Charles is head trader at Centurion Trading Partners, LLC, a New York City-based hedge fund. 
Courtney Pratt
Board Member
After interning with Seeds of Peace, Courtney fell in love with the organization's mission and joined the Junior Board in May 2011. Courtney was a gymnast at the University of Georgia where she studied international affairs and religion and recently completed her MSc in Culture and Society at the London School of Economics. She is currently the sales manager of an IT consulting firm in Charlotte, NC. Courtney's passions include traveling, meditating and spending time with her family. 
Rami Qubain
Board Member
Rami Qubain joined Seeds of Peace in 1996 as a Jordanian delegate to the Seeds of Peace International Camp in Maine. Through his interest in international relations and building open communication between youth, he has been an active member of the organization in the Middle East and in the United States for the past 15 years.
Rami joined the Junior Board in January 2008. He completed his MS in 2007 at Manhattanville College. Currently, Rami is on a one-year project in Cairo, serving as the Special Projects Manager at the American University in Cairo. Rami also serves on the board of the American Mideast Leadership network. His interests are green & renewable energy, car racing, education and negotiations. 
Rubina Shafi
Board Member
A Midwestern attorney in her previous life, Rubina has been working in arts and entertainment for 10 years. She has worked in various capacities on the Brooklyn Bridge Park's Floating Pool, the Pope's visit to New York, and the first rock concert at the UN General Assembly. She produced the Gen Art Film Festival and launched the South Asian International Film Festival. She also manages events at the Gerald W. Lynch Theater at John Jay College of Criminal Justice for which she is presently co-curating the signature "Art of Justice" series and the 9/11 Project. In 2005 Rubina lived and worked at an earthquake relief camp in Pakistan and spoke about her experience alongside Sir Ben Kingsley in New York. In 2010, her photographs bore witness to the Indus Flood. She plans to revisit the affected areas this fall on the one year anniversary. 
Matthew Slovik
Treasurer
Matthew Slovik has been involved with Seeds of Peace since 1994 and joined the Junior Board in September 2010. He graduated from Duke University in 2004 and currently works in Morgan Stanley's Global Sustainable Finance team, focusing on environmental finance. When not at work, Matthew can be found cooking eating, or playing outdoors with his dog, Rebel. 
Rachel Stier
Secretary
Rachel Kreinces Stier joined the Seeds of Peace YLC Board in March 2008, along with her husband, Lance Stier. Rachel and Lance were introduced to Seeds in the spring of 2006 when they attended their first Peace Market event. Since then, Rachel and Lance have visited Camp and helped host many YLC events. They are constantly impressed and inspired by the Seeds of Peace organization and especially by the Seeds themselves. Rachel graduated from New York University School of Law and is currently working as an attorney in the Juvenile Rights Practice of The Legal Aid Society in the Bronx Trial Office. 
Lance Stier
Board Member
Lance Stier joined the Seeds of Peace Junior Board in March 2008.
Lance currently is the Vice President for Business Development /Strategy /M&A for Nassau Candy. He was previously a private equity investor with Paine and Partners LLC and Wellspring Capital Management LLC, and has successfully completed investments in the consumer, food, distribution and retail sectors. Prior to entering the private equity business, he was an investment banker with Lehman Brothers.
Lance is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. He enjoys spending time with his wife (and fellow Board Member), Rachel, and their dog, Chip, as well as enjoys traveling, sports, investing, strategy, business building and exercise. Lance is also an active member of the Young Adult Forum (a subsidiary of World Presidents’ /Young Presidents’ Organization), the Association for Corporate Growth, and is an active alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania. 
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