9:00 - 11:00 AM CST
During the Saturday Symposia, participants will have an opportunity to choose and attend two 50-minute sessions.
August 2-4, 2024
Chicago, IL
During the Saturday Symposia, participants will have an opportunity to choose and attend two 50-minute sessions. Learn more about the options and speakers below.
Chicago VIII-X
ConnectEffect is an interactive experience open to all participants. Led by trained facilitators, ConnectEffect guides participants through conversations and activities that examine media, identity formation, and human connection over both the screen world of our phones and social media and the “real world” of our daily lives. You will have a chance to participate in ConnectEffect during the Saturday Symposia or later in the day after your training sessions. Please note that if you choose to participate in Connect Effect during the Saturday Symposia, it will overlap with the second Saturday Symposia session period. This session is first come, first served.
Riaz Patel, Executive Producer/Director at ConnectEffect
Riaz Patel is a psychology-trained two-time Emmy-nominated & NAACP Image Award nominated Executive Producer/Director. His TV series & media projects create ‘perspective-shifting’ transformative experiences for real people and have been filmed in twenty-one countries and distributed worldwide by companies such as Discovery, AMC, A&E, MTV, Lifetime, AMC, OWN, The Blaze and NBC/Universal. Represented by CAA, the largest entertainment agency in the world, he currently sits on the board of trustees of The Jenesse Center (LA), is President of the board of Odyssey-Impact (NYC). Riaz recently received a special commendation from the City of Los Angeles for his transformational work. After seven years of development and testing, his newest endeavor is ConnectEffect – a live entertainment show that quickly & deeply connects an audience of strangers across backgrounds, generations & divides. Forbes calls it a “game-changer” and it was created as an intervention for the epidemic of isolation, alienation & polarization.
Streeterville
This symposia will take place from 9:00-10:00 a.m. and will only run once.
Americans say they encounter more religious diversity at work than in any other part of their lives. Join us for a dynamic panel discussion exploring the critical importance of interfaith skills for the workplace. Our expert panelists will share why they think engaging religious diversity at work matters, how they’ve seen interfaith skills make a difference in their workplace environments, and some innovative approaches that companies are taking to engage religious diversity. Whether you’re a student preparing to enter the workforce or an educator shaping future leaders, this session will provide valuable insights and actionable takeaways to help you activate your interfaith skills in the workplace.
Megan Johnson, Senior Director at Interfaith America
Megan Hughes Johnson supports senior leaders across sectors to engage religious diversity in positive and productive ways. At IA since 2006, Megan built the organization’s higher ed consulting model and led many of its premier leadership programs. Megan’s undergraduate work in culture and politics at Georgetown University and her graduate work in religion and conflict at the University of Chicago Divinity School sparked her passion for bridge-building. Prior to joining IA, she worked for Seeds of Peace where she developed leadership programs for young people from conflict zones around the world. Megan is motivated by her Christian faith to welcome the stranger and love her (religiously diverse) neighbor. She lives in Cincinnati where she enjoys exploring new playgrounds and pop-up markets with her family.
Sumreen Ahmad, Global Change Lead at Accenture
Sumreen Ahmad is a Global management consultant with 25+ years’ experience in leadership development, human capital and organization design, journey and change management, crisis communications and strategic planning. Extensively experienced in mobilizing and leading global initiatives, Sumreen is a recognized expert in building inclusive, equal and innovative cultures – leading organization wide transformational efforts for the firms’ 700,000 employees, as well as through her leadership of Accenture’s Interfaith and Faith inclusion priority. Sumreen is committed to translating her professional skills back into community building by driving strategy development for the non-profit community and delivering youth leadership training. She serves as the Strategic Planning Lead and Board Member for Zaman International – a SE Michigan based non-profit humanitarian organization that provides wraparound services to women and children in extreme poverty. Sumreen leaves in Canton, MI with her husband and children.
Cecilia Persson-Ramos, DEI Lead at Intuit
Cecilia Persson-Ramos (she/her) is the Global Employee Resource Group Leader, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, for Intuit. Cecilia is responsible for strategic alignment and management of 15 global ERGs in support of the DEI strategy and the DEI event strategy and partnership portfolio.
Cecilia is a board member of the San Diego Inclusion Network, a LGBTQ+ professional association educating businesses on social justice and diversity awareness through networking, resource sharing, and hosted conversations. She also serves on the USC Marshall Center for Effective Organizations: Strategic ERG Leadership Advisory Board, providing strategic perspective and input to action research and offerings, and volunteers as an adaptive athlete for the Challenged Athletes Foundation.
Cecilia holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication from UCLA and a Master’s Degree in Communication Management from USC. She is a Prosci Certified Change Practitioner, a Cornell Certified Diversity Professional (CCDP) and a SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP).
Paul Lambert, Director of Wheatley Institute at Brigham Young University and corporate consultant
Dr. Paul Lambert is the Religion Initiative Director at Wheatley Institute. He is a leading expert on religious pluralism in society, including the role of pluralism in economics and business. He works regularly with global businesses on this topic, including American Airlines, Accenture, Dell Technologies, Equinix, ServiceNow, and PwC. Prior, Paul was Assistant Dean at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business, where he managed consulting and business education programs for global companies and university partners. Before joining Georgetown University, Paul was at the National Defense University (NDU), where he served as Professor and lead Academic Officer of a congressionally-funded Department of Defense and Department of State American Studies graduate program for students from over 75 countries. Paul’s leadership and teaching gained him recognition as one of NDU’s most highly rated professors and the recipient of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Joint Meritorious Civilian Service Award, the highest award available for civilian service from the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Paul has also held numerous teaching and leadership roles in other educational institutions, including as a lecturer at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, a visiting professor at the National Defense University in Washington DC, and visiting fellow and faculty at BYU’s Marriott School of Business. Paul also led the development of the Freedom Forum Institute’s first executive education capability focused on religious freedom in business contexts and served on the executive education advisory board for the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy. Paul also serves on the board of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation and as a member of the national advisory council of Cicero Group.
Paul is a graduate of Georgetown University where he earned his Doctorate in Liberal Studies; the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University where he received his Masters Degree in International Relations; Brigham Young University where he studied American Studies; and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where he graduated from the Seminar XXI Fellowship Program on foreign affairs and national security.
Streeterville
This symposia will take place from 10:00-11:00 a.m. and will only run once.
Join us for an inspiring panel discussion featuring MBA students and early career professionals at different levels of their journey successfully navigating religious diversity in the workplace. From participating in business case competitions to showing how they’ve leveraged their interfaith leadership skills at work and beyond, these panelists will share their personal journeys and insights on how they’ve helped their colleagues and their companies thrive. Whether you’re a student wondering how to use your interfaith training to land a job, a faculty member teaching aspiring business leaders, or a staff member in career services, this session promises to provide valuable lessons and practical strategies for harnessing the power of religious diversity in the modern workplace.
EbunOluwa Oduntan, BYU Faith and Belief at Work Case Competition Winner
EbunOluwa Oduntan is an MBA graduate from the Kelley School of Business, Indiana University. She has 5 years of work experience in Financial services & Consulting. Currently she’s working in the Retail / Tech industry full time.
Adedoyin Adenuga, BYU Faith and Belief at Work Case Competition Winner
Doyin is a recent MBA graduate from Kelley School of Business, where she majored in Finance and Business Analytics. During her MBA, she and her team won the BYU Faith and Belief competition. Doyin is an accomplished professional with a strong background in finance and audit. Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, she earned her undergraduate degree from the prestigious University of Lagos and is an Associate Chartered Accountant with ICAN. With over five years of experience in financial and professional services, Doyin has excelled in senior audit roles, culminating in a key engagement in London, United Kingdom, where she led a systems audit and acquisition accounting for a client in the software technology industry.
Priya Garg, BYU Faith and Belief at Work Case Competition Winner
With 8+ years of experience as a Technology Consultant at Deloitte Consulting US India, I have honed my skills in delivering innovative solutions and driving technological advancements. I hold an MBA with dual majors in Business Analytics and Marketing from Indiana University – Kelley School of Business. Currently, I am a Senior Analyst at Whirlpool Corporation, part of the Global IT Leadership Development Program, where I continue to leverage my expertise to contribute to impactful projects.
Parth Bhansali, Director at Reddy Ice; Executive MBA Candidate at Marquette University
Parth is a first-generation Indian-American who identifies with the Hindu faith. He is a sales leader in the CPG industry, serving as a Director of National Accounts. He is currently pursuing an Executive MBA at Marquette University and is a Realtor® with eXp Realty. Parth has been actively involved with Interfaith America since 2012 and is an ACWAY fellow. His corporate experience fuels his commitment to fostering interfaith dialogue and cooperation beyond traditional boundaries. Parth has shared his insights on the intersection of business and interfaith work at various events, including the 2021 G20 Interfaith Youth Forum and the 2018, 2021, and 2023 Parliament of the World’s Religions.
Sara Rahim, Program Manager at Interfaith America
Sara Rahim is part of the Innovation team and works with partners to positively engage religious diversity across the business and health sectors. Previously, Sara has led multi-stakeholder engagement to accelerate collaboration between governments, businesses, and non-profits. With field/travel experience in 50+ countries, Sara is passionate about inclusive design, training, facilitation, and community building. Sara has trained over 50 non-profits and social enterprises across the country on workforce development best practices in her role at Cara Collective. Sara holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Chicago. In her free time, you can find Sara planning her next trip, hiking, or hanging out with her cat Goose.
Matt Young, Senior Brand Manager, P&G
Matt is currently a Senior Brand Manager for Pantene NA. Prior to Pantene Matt worked in finance and strategy for 5 years. He has a passion for bringing people together, preferably at block parties. He and his wife Lisa have two boys and love to be outside. In 2022 Matt co-founded the National MBA Case Competition: Faith & Belief at Work aimed at inspiring inclusion, compassion and sharing across belief systems to build a better working world. He is an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Wrigleyville
Shared values are at the heart of interfaith cooperation and one of the biggest is a commitment to serving others. Join this session to hear from leaders from campuses and communities who are using their interfaith skills to increase the reach and impact of their service work.
Carissa Zaffiro, Mobilization Manager at Exodus World Service
Carissa Zaffiro works at Exodus World Service where she mobilizes the Christian community and others to welcome, befriend, and resettle refugees in their community. Prior to working at Exodus, she was at Neighborly Faith connecting Evangelical Christians and Muslims for dialogue and understanding. Carissa loves the religious and cultural tapestry of the U.S. and believes well-informed curiosity and holistic partnerships build a stronger community for all. She graduated in 2020 with a B.A. in Global Studies from Taylor University.
Rabbi Sara Zacharia, Rabbi and Educator
Rabbi Sara Zacharia, has served as Queens College Hillel’s Senior Jewish Educator and Campus Rabbi since 2017. Her tenure ended in spring 2024. She has been an ordained rabbi for 25 years and was a member of the first class at the Ziegler School for Rabbinic Studies, in Los Angeles, CA. Rabbi Sara is a passionate and creative teacher of Torah, Jewish Tradition. Meditation and spiritual practice. Her campus work has included interfaith work since 2019 and has continued as she will be an interfaith consultant for Hillel International. She was a part of campus ministry and has developed an interfaith fellowship through Hillel on campus. Rabbi Sara was seen on campus as a Rabbi for all the students. Looking forward to using this time to expand her interfaith work.
Becca Hartman-Pickerill, Senior Director of Democracy Initiatives
Becca Hartman-Pickerill, Senior Director of Democracy Initiatives, leads Interfaith America’s non-higher education strategy for fostering a healthy diverse democracy. She is a connector between IA’s program offerings, research and learning on effective bridgebuilding, and diverse networks of civic and faith communities supporting the structural and cultural pillars of democracy. Becca oversees the Faith in Elections Playbook, a nonpartisan tool to empower religious and ethical communities to engage in election processes, from building trust in the process to volunteering for primaries and elections. She also leads Interfaith America’s Team Up Project, a partnership with Catholic Charities USA, Habitat for Humanity International and YMCA of the USA to deepen bridge building work across these national networks. Becca has a bachelor’s in religion and philosophy from Northwestern University and a master’s in forced migration from the University of the Witwatersrand. Beyond the office, Becca loves to spend time outside with her partner and two small children. Her American Baptist tradition guides her commitment to safeguard religious liberty and to be a loving neighbor to all.
Gold Coast
You’ve done a great job as an interfaith leader in college, but what happens after graduation? Interfaith skills are essential because of how they touch every career and vocation. Join this session to hear from some of your alumni trainers about the different ways that they have transitioned their interfaith skills into life after graduation.
Keryn Wouden, Harpist
Keryn Wouden Anderson is a professional harpist. She loves using art and music as a platform for collaboration and interfaith awareness. She completed her Bachelor’s of Music at Chapman University (CA) and graduated with a Masters of Music from Northwestern University (IL). Keryn has worked as a facilitator and spokesman for the importance of interfaith dialogue and has been a member of the Interfaith America’s Emerging Leaders Speakers Bureau since 2014. From 2018 to 2019, she joined the Interfaith Innovation Fellows and developed a home-supported interfaith curriculum for preschools. Keryn loves to travel, rock climb, and play games with her family in New Mexico.
Elaine Krebs, Education Program Manager
Elaine Krebs is an Education Program Manager at a science museum in Colorado Springs, CO. She graduated from USC with an M.S. in Marine Biology and Science Communication. Elaine is a Roman Catholic Christian, and has written multiple articles about the intersection of faith and science.
Melanie Young, Founder of Infinite Mind Tutors and Math Girl Movement
Melanie, a Philadelphia based educator, is the founder of Infinite Mind Tutors and Math Girl Movement. Before launching Infinite Mind Tutors, Melanie was a teacher and tutor working in Philadelphia’s public schools for over nine years. During this time, she coached two NBA Math Hoops National Championship participants and was awarded the Sixers Youth Foundation Game Changer Award in 2018 and the University of Pennsylvania Woman of Color Award in 2014.
Ishaq Pathan, Senior Education & Change Management Consultant at Box
Ishaq is a Change Management & Education consultant at Box. Prior to Box, he worked as a Program Director at ING, an organization focusing on educating for cultural literacy and mutual respect. In 2019, Ishaq was an Interfaith America Innovation Fellow supporting Muslim, Jewish, and Sikh teens to raise awareness on Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and/or anti-Sikh bigotry in their schools. Ishaq earned his B.A. from Hamilton College with a major in Anthropology and minors in Education and Middle Eastern & Islamic World Studies.
Michigan AB
Interested in putting your Summit learnings into practice this year? This session highlights upcoming grant opportunities at Interfaith America, exploring pathways for individuals and organizations to deepen practices of pluralism. We’ll also discuss best practices for writing competitive grant applications, empowering potential applicants to submit their best proposals.
Bex Blackburn, Program Operations Manager at Interfaith America
As Program Operations Manager, Bex Blackburn develops systems that help Interfaith America programs run effectively. In addition to several years of work in student affairs, Bex holds a Bachelor of Social Work and a Master of Arts in Spiritual Formation & Leadership from Spring Arbor University, and she is pursuing a PhD in Biblical Hermeneutics from Chicago Theological Seminary. At Interfaith America she manages tools and workflows that make program operations smoother, so that staff have increased capacity for innovative and relational work with organizational partners. In her free time Bex enjoys connecting with friends, playing video games with her partner, and exploring new places on foot. She is drawn to interfaith work through her friendships across religious difference, and she believes in the inspirational power of diverse worldviews to cultivate positive change in America.
Huron
Are you pursuing or considering a health-related career? Join this session to learn how to leverage your interfaith leadership skills as future medical and health professionals. Apply the interfaith leadership skills you gained in your training rooms to make an impact in the medical and public health fields.
Anastasia Young, DNP, AGNP-C, Nurse Practitioner
Anastasia Young is the Interfaith Healthcare Cohort Lead. Anastasia recently received her Doctorate of Nursing Practice-Nurse Practitioner from the University of Minnesota, co-created the Interfaith Health Cohort (IHC) for IA’s Emerging Leaders network in 2018. Her work has been extraordinarily valuable for healthcare workers in and around the Twin Cities—and across the country—who seek to foster resilience, avoid burn out, and better understand the role that faith can and should play in public health. Anastasia described her work with the IHC in this Interfaith America article “What Matters to Patients at the End of Life? Join the Conversation.”
Makerspace, Chicago Ballroom Foyer
Artists have a long tradition of using their work to create spaces for community, bridgebuilding, and connecting across differences. In this symposium, participants will experience a collective artmaking project, and leave with tips on how to create meaningful connections in their own interfaith work through artmaking.
Jess Smoot, Program Assistant at Interfaith America
Jess Smoot (they/them) is a Chicago-based performance artist, educator, and facilitator using their work to question societal patterns and structures through play. Heavily inspired by their training as a clown, their work is immersive and mischievous, and invites audiences in to explore without shying away from difficult subjects. They hold an MFA in Performance from School of the Art Institute and a BA in Theatre from Oklahoma State University, and have had their work shown across Chicago in DIY venues and larger institutions alike. Their work has been seen across the city at DIY shows like Potluck, Heels Over Head, and Fly By Night Circus, as well as larger institutions such as the Museum of Contemporary Art, Jude Gallery, and and Heaven Gallery. As an educator, they are proud to have worked with many organizations including Junior Players, Emerald City Theatre, and the Mudlark Theatre amongst others. Currently, they are a resident artist with CPS Lives, where they are working with Chicago Public School students to create a new work exploring non-hiearchical pedagogy. During the day, they also work as a program assistant at Interfaith America supporting their higher education initiatives.
