YLC Leadership

Zohar Benjelloun
Board Member

Zohar started working with Seeds of Peace in 2011, joining the music committee for the YLC’s annual Peace Market. She currently works for Tiffany Americas Marketing on the brand and media management teams, developing the brand's media and marketing strategy. In the past, she worked at Cartier focusing on operational marketing and as a liaison for Paris headquarters and US offices. Zohar grew up in Montreal, Canada and visits her family in Morocco every year. She graduated from the John Molson School of Business in 2010 with a degree in International Business. Her interests include dancing, singing, spinning and music.

Scott Birnbaum
Chairperson Emeritus

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.

Samantha Bloom
Board Member

Samantha Bloom joined Seeds of Peace in 2006 as a member of the American Delegation to the Seeds of Peace International Camp in Maine. Since then, she and her siblings, also Seeds Delegates, have remained advocates for the organization. Samantha is an alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania and served as a White House intern in the Obama Administration after graduation. She currently works for a multinational investment banking firm in New York on initiatives that provide both business education to women entrepreneurs globally, and access to capital and management education to small business owners within the United States.

Lauren Joffe
Board Member

Lauren has been involved with Seeds of Peace since 2011 when she served as a Co-Chair for Peace Market 2012's Publicity Committee. She will resume her roll as PR Co-Chair again for Peace Market 2013. Lauren graduated from New York University and now works in the Partnerships Department at TED. She currently resides in New York City.  

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 and she currently works in sales for Nielsen Music. 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 lesson 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
Chairperson

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.

Uptin Saiidi
Board Member

Uptin has been involved with Seeds of Peace since 2011 when he served on the Music Team and Host Committee for the Peace Market. He's currently co-chair of the Music Team for the 2013 Peace Market. He grew up on the West Coast and attended The George Washington University where he studied Finance, International Business, and Communications. He currently resides in New York City and works at MTV News. He loves the great outdoors, traveling and participating in half-marathons.

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.

Eric Tanner
Board Member

Eric Tanner first visited Seeds of Peace's International Camp in 2004 to participate in "sports day." After the visit he decided to apply and was accepted to be an American Seed in 2005. He returned in 2006 as a Peer Support Camper, interned in the New York City office in 2007 and was Programming Director at camp in 2010. A graduate from Dartmouth College, Eric currently works for GE Capital.  He joined the board in 2012 and enjoys playing drums, skiing, golfing, and eating lobster rolls in Maine.

Jacob Toll
Chair of Executive Committee

Jacob Toll is Chairman of the Executive Committee for the Seeds of Peace Junior Board. After re-establishing the organization's Young leadership Committee through its main event, the Peace Market in 2008, Jacob broadened exposure to Seeds of Peace through additional smaller events and other outreach opportunities. When not focusing on development, he has served as the Waterfront Director at the Seeds of Peace International Camp in Maine. Before becoming a real estate developer in Brooklyn, he earned an MSW (Social Work) from New York University in 2008.

Hamza Usmani
Board Member

Hamza attended Seeds of Peace International Camp in 2003 as a member of the Pakistani delegation. Since then, he has been actively involved with Seeds of Peace through the South Asia program, the Graduate Seeds program, and the YLC. Based in New York City, Hamza is currently an Associate at private equity firm H.I.G. Capital. Prior to that, he was an Analyst at investment bank Jefferies & Company. He graduated from Middlebury College with a degree in Computer Science and Economics. Hamza founded Enlightened Pakistan, a small NGO primarily based in Pakistan, in 2007. Enlightened Pakistan has conducted projects focused on education and promoting tolerance in the society. Hamza is also a Strategy Adviser for Rabtt, another education focused, Seeds of Peace alumni run non-profit organization based in Pakistan.

Courtney Zuniga
Board Member

After interning with Seeds of Peace, Courtney fell in love with the organization's mission and joined the YLC Board in May 2011. Courtney was a gymnast at the University of Georgia where she studied International Affairs before going on to receive her Masters in Culture and Society at the London School of Economics. She currently lives in Charlotte, NC with her husband and fellow Seeds supporter, Albert, and their two daughters, Alexandra and Marcella. Courtney's passions include traveling, working out and spending time with her family.