Advisors
We are deeply grateful for the ongoing support of NEXUS’s Advisors who lend their names, time, and expertise in ways that amplify the work we must do.
Aaron Berger
Aaron Berger is a research scientist specializing in global catastrophic risks, geopolitical spillover events, and complexity. Working at the delta of deep tech, government relations, and impact, he has spent his time contributing strategic and critical thinking to organizations on multiple global issues, with a particular focus on climate change. A diverse background in international relations has engendered a broad understanding of how to reach individuals across different parts of the political spectrum. He serves as a strategic advisor to individuals and organizations interested in finding important solutions to difficult problems. In his effort to help others see a more systemic perspective, his research methods break down problems into their foundational elements, analysis of which yields new angles and novel solutions.
In addition to being an Advisor to NEXUS, he’s Special Advisor on Innovation and Technology to The Rainey Center for Public Policy, and UN Representative for NEU Global.
SANDFORD R. CLIMAN
Sanford R. (Sandy) Climan is CEO of Entertainment Media Ventures, which he founded in 1999. EMV is active in media investment and strategic advisory work, with a particular focus on innovative technologies and entities currently impacting the traditional boundaries of business, media, and entertainment. He is an investor, producer, and considered a media visionary. He previously served as part of the senior management at Creative Artists Agency, representing such talent as Robert Redford, Robert De Niro, Kevin Costner, Danny DeVito, and director Michael Mann. In addition, he was the founding head of CAA’s corporate practice. Throughout his career, Mr. Climan has held senior executive roles across the entertainment industry, including Corporate Executive Vice President and President of Worldwide Business Development for Universal Studios, and leadership positions in production and distribution for
MGM.
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His productions include “U2 3D,” the first digital live-action 3D film, and “The Aviator,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and directed by Martin Scorsese, for which he was awarded a Golden Globe and a British Academy Award. He serves on several charitable boards, including the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television, the American Cinematheque, and the World Arts Forum Foundation of the World Economic Forum. He holds a BA in Chemistry from Harvard College, an MS in Health Policy and Management from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
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Zecki Dossal
is a Senior Director at Henry Schein, where he drives commercial growth and recurring revenue strategy, leading new market expansion and enterprise value creation. He has launched high-margin ventures, scaled subscription-based business models, and led strategic growth across North America and EMEA. Previously, Zecki was a Senior Vice President at GLG, overseeing strategy and operations for the private equity and venture capital business. He advised investment teams on deal evaluation, portfolio optimization, and value creation. He also founded GLG’s social impact initiatives, helping high-growth social enterprises accelerate decision-making and scale. Zecki holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BA in Economics from Columbia University. He serves on the Boards of the Association for Dental Safety and the Global Partnerships Forum and is an Advisory Board Member of NEXUS and The Resolution Project.
Daniel Erem
Born & raised in Toronto, Canada, Daniel founded, E2 Global, a boutique advisory firm that develops and implements value strategies on behalf of corporations, governments and high net worth individuals. Prior to founding E2 Global, Daniel ran the human capital operations at Lifestyles Magazine, the premier platform perpetuating the culture of high philanthropy. He focused on building and maintaining relationships between the publication and their extensive network of Ultra-High Net Worth philanthropists. Today Daniel spearheads the relationship between NEXUS and Lifestyles, finding creative ways to profile more next gen philanthropists in the publication. Daniel sits on several philanthropic boards and committees including: Federal Law Enforcement Family Support (FDAF), The Prostate Cancer Foundation, as well as a number of cultural not for profits around the world. Daniel speaks 4 languages and holds a B.A. in Political Science from York University and an MBA from the Stern School of Business at New York University. Daniel is married to his wife Haley, who is also a proud NEXUS member.
Mary Galeti
currently serves as the Executive Director and Vice-Chair of the Tecovas Foundation. The Tecovas Foundation funds social innovation and entrepreneurship by focusing on leveraging new service models and sustainable economic development both locally and internationally. A member of the board of trustees since 2000, Mary has led Tecovas to develop a concrete vision to increase the foundation’s capacity and effectiveness. Recently the foundation has added impact investing and PRI work to their portfolio. Through her leadership of the Tecovas Foundation, Mary also serves as strategic stakeholder consultant to several non-profit entities.
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By focusing on appreciative inquiry, and experiential learning, she helps non-profits move from objective-oriented to relationship-oriented strategies, thereby empowering those the nonprofits serve to be a partner in the problem solving process. Previously, Mary worked for Grassroots.org as the Director of Development and Strategy. Grassroots.org is a non-profit organization that aids fellow nonprofit organizations build their capacity through free technology and business services. With experience as both a grant maker and grant seeker, Mary became inspired by the interactions between philanthropy and the ever-evolving social entrepreneurship space. Mary serves as the Chair of the Family Philanthropy Committee at the Council on Foundations. She also serves as the Vice-Chair of the StartingBloc Social Innovation Fellowship Program. She serves on the board of Directors of the Cleveland Council on World Affairs, and the City Club of Cleveland Endowment Foundation. She has spoken on the issues of generational transition and leadership cultivation in philanthropy and the nonprofit space at many venues, including the Council on Foundations, Advisors in Philanthropy, and The Youth Summit on Social Innovation and Philanthropy at the United Nations. She has also been a frequent contributor to WNYC’s The Takeaway on supporting military families during deployment. She is a 2008 Startingbloc Social Innovation Fellow. She was a participant in the Next Generation Leaders summit at the White House in 2010, and the NEXUS Youth Summit in 2011. She is the Curator of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Washington, D.C. Hub. She and her husband currently live in Washington, D.C.
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Winston Ibrahim
Winston Ibrahim is Co-Founder & CEO of Hydros, the makers of fast flow filtering hydration products. The company is dedicated to providing sustainable high quality consumer hard goods as well as to fighting the global water crisis. He is also Co-Founder of the Ibrahim Leadership and Dialogue Project in the Middle East, a pioneering effort to develop a generation of U.S. leaders sensitive to inter-cultural understanding. He also serves on several boards including Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC), an organization that works to engage religious diversity by building interfaith cooperation on college and university campuses; and ThinkImpact, a leading social entrepreneurship education company.
Khaliya
is a philanthropist, venture capitalist, public health specialist and active advocate for social change. Both her professional and philanthropic work focus on the intersection of design, technology and social entrepreneurship. In addition to her work with NEXUS, Khaliya is a patron of the TED conference. An avid art collector, she is on the Young Acquisitions Council for the Guggenheim, the Whitney Contemporaries and the Metropolitan Museum’s Apollo Circle. Khaliya also runs an art gallery which features innovative, socially-conscious artists and artisans. She received her Master’s degree in Public Health from Columbia University, her Bachelor’s degree in European Studies and International Affairs from New York University, and served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Bulgaria from 1999 to 2001. She also studied Computer Science at New York University and Film at the New York Film Academy.
Shawn Landres
NEXUS Advisor on Faith-based and Interreligious Innovation, is an entrepreneur, writer, and network curator. The White House has spotlighted Shawn’s work as co-founder & CEO of Jumpstart, a research & development laboratory that the Jerusalem Post says has “changed the global conversation about Jewish innovation”, and the Forward has named him to its list of the 50 most influential American Jewish leaders. Jumpstart supports visionary philanthropic & nonprofit leaders of Jewish & interreligious causes with the perspective & connections they need to achieve impact, build stronger communities, and transform the world.
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A member of the inaugural class of Ariane de Rothschild Fellows, Shawn has more than two decades of experience leading, convening, and writing about interreligious engagement, including evangelical-, Catholic-, and Muslim-Jewish dialogue, as well as international education projects funded by the U.S. State Department. He sits on the Investors Advisory Board for The Mother Company, which creates social & emotional learning products for 3- to 6-year olds, and he is a Founding Member of and early investor in HUB LA, a local co-working event space & global network of social enterprise changemakers. He has been delighted to help catalyze multi-faith philanthropic creativity through designing and facilitating encounters and conversations at NEXUS London, the 2012 NEXUS Summit, and beyond.
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Jennifer Smorgon
Jennifer Smorgon is a Vedic meditation teacher, speaker, and mentor for the NEXUS Global Summit community. She is joining the NEXUS Impact Society as a Scholar in Residence cultivating an awareness of conscious leadership skills for its members. She is passionate about innovative approaches to health, the mind, and the role of technology in humanity. In the United States, she is a founding member of The Chopra Foundation’s Self-Directed Biological Transformation Initiative. She is also the past Vice Chair of the Chopra Foundation Board and a current advisor. In Israel, Jennifer serves on the board of the Mem Foundation supporting an array of social impact and community projects. Jennifer is a mentor to individuals, family offices, and global communities. Jennifer lives in San Francisco along with her husband and their five children.
Josh Tanenbaum
Josh has been investing in early stage companies since 2014 upon exiting his early stage social enterprise, LOCAL VIBES, where he first discovered the concept of scalable social DNA. The company was a tech-enhanced artist scouting, development, and cause marketing platform that supported quality emerging live bands. Post-the exit from LOCAL VIBES, Josh joined Korn Ferry’s Global Asset Management & Alternatives Practice, where he participated in the founding of the Impact Investing practice and Transactions & Transformations (M&A) solution in addition to supporting searches and team lift outs of Asset Management CEOs and senior investors. Josh transitioned to investment banking at Citi in its Financial Institutions Group, supporting Mergers & Acquisitions of Asset Managers, Insurance firms, and Marketplace Lenders. Josh then launched Clearstone’s decentralized venture fund in an effort to redress inequality for low and middle income communities.
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Josh is a Board Trustee and Investment Committee Chair of the Polonsky Foundation, a Young World Fellow of the Duke of Edinburgh International Award and a member of the University of Michigan Ross School of Business’s Erb Institute External Advisory Board. Josh previously judged the President Clinton-backed Hult Prize and was a Environmental Finance & Impact Investing Fellow at Partners Group Impact Investing. He has received the FiNext Award as a “Leader of Excellence in Financial Services” and The Forward’s “Take the Lead Award” for Transformational Impact Investing.
Josh holds an MBA from Cornell Johnson Graduate School of Management and a dual-BA in Politics & International Studies and Sociology from University of Melbourne, Australia.
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Stef van Dongen
Stef van Dongen is Founder/President of the Rotterdam based social enterprise Enviu. He started the company in 2002 from the belief that entrepreneurs can play a major role in solving the world’s biggest challenges. Over the years Stef co-founded more than a dozen social enterprises and innovation programs in the domains of Financial and Economic Inclusion, Food Systems and Circular Economy.
Next to Enviu, Stef engages with organisations (e.g. The Vatican) and families to build partnerships that leverage private and public assets to realise societal impact. Stef was awarded the lifetime achievement award “Radical Innovators” from Vrij Nederland Magazine. He is a distinguished alumni of the Rotterdam School of Management, where he did his MBA with a focus on Global Business Society Management. Stef is a passionate board member and advisor of several social companies, philanthropists and innovation networks
Emeritus Advisors
