Miriam Zara (USA)

Columbia Business School ’28

Miriam Zara is an MBA candidate at Columbia Business School (CBS) and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from The George Washington University. After graduating, Miriam joined the inaugural class of Visa’s Client Services Development Program, a two year rotational program where she gained experience across multiple areas of the organization. Most recently, she worked at Visa Inc. as a Client Operations Financial Analyst, focusing on AI adoption, knowledge management strategy, and operational excellence in the Miami office.

Mukhtar Al-Nasrawi (Sweden)

Harvard Business School ’28

Mukhtar Al-Nasrawi is an MBA candidate at Harvard Business School. Born and raised in Sweden to Iraqi immigrant parents, he graduated Magna Cum Laude from Duke University with a degree in economics. Prior to HBS, he spent three years in M&A at Badwa Capital in Dubai. Earlier in his career, Mukhtar worked in private credit at Silver Point Capital in Connecticut and public credit at J.P. Morgan in New York.

Nadim Sammur (Palestine/Sierra Leone/USA)

Berkeley Haas School of Business ’28

Nadim Sammur is an MBA candidate at the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, where he attends as a Consortium Fellow. Originally from Dayton, Ohio, Nadim is a first-generation Palestinian immigrant on his father’s side and a second-generation Sierra Leonean immigrant on his mother’s side. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Engineering with a minor in African American Studies from Purdue University.

Nadim began his professional career as an actuarial consultant advising pharmaceutical leadership on competitive strategy and market entry. He went on to serve as an Advanced Analyst at Invesco, where he led internal process optimization initiatives, served as a project manager for global cross-functional teams, and co-spearheaded the firm-wide learning and adoption of artificial intelligence tools.

A passionate entrepreneur and advocate for community wellness, Nadim is also the founder of For The Soul Culinary, a plant-based culinary and educational enterprise dedicated to expanding holistic health, financial empowerment, and well-being within underserved communities. In addition to his business, he is the author of four books and a public speaker on entrepreneurship and holistic wellness.

Post-MBA, Nadim aims to transition into institutional asset allocation and impact investing, where he plans to deploy capital toward reducing healthcare disparities and driving financial inclusion across emerging and underserved markets. Beyond his professional and academic pursuits, Nadim is a proud member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. In his free time, he enjoys boxing, staying active, exploring plant-based cuisine, and spending quality time with his wife, Alexis, and their daughter, Selah.

Riad Kanj (Lebanon)

Harvard Business School ’28

Riad Kanj is an MBA candidate at Harvard Business School. Before HBS, Riad was an investor at Golden Gate Capital in San Francisco, where he focused on private equity investments across the industrials sector. Earlier in his career, he was a strategy consultant at Bain & Company, where he worked within Bain’s Private Equity Group and on broader growth strategy engagements. Riad graduated summa cum laude and with High Distinction from Duke University with a B.S. in Economics, and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa.

Roa Hassan (Sudan/UK)

Harvard Kennedy School & Stanford Graduate School of Business ’28

Roa Hassan is a Sudanese-British physician and MBA/MPP candidate at the Harvard Kennedy School and Stanford Graduate School of Business, and holds an MBBS from the University of Medical Sciences and Technology. She previously worked as a medical doctor in the UK’s National Health Service. Her work spanned healthcare, public policy, and strategy, with a commitment to building more equitable and resilient health systems across Europe and Africa. 

Roa is a Fulbright Scholar and Harvard Center for Public Leadership Fellow. Her interests sit at the intersection of healthcare, finance, and economic development, with a long-term focus on strengthening health systems across Africa.