CCWA Announces the Carter E. Strang Young Professionals Advisory Committee Class of 2025-2027
The Cleveland Council on World Affairs welcomes new members to our Carter E. Strang Young Professionals Advisory Committee (YPAC). YPAC is a body of young professionals who support the work of CCWA in its efforts to engage young professionals and students in our programming. YPAC members do this by providing program feedback and insight to the board and staff of CCWA, leading coordination of young professional events, and serving as community ambassadors for CCWA and its programs. The following new members of the Young Professionals Advisory Committee have been invited to join the 2025-2027 term.
Bre Tischler serves as Director of Marketing and Communications at Girl Scouts of North East Ohio. Bre graduated from Kent State University with a Communications degree and entered the marketing industry immediately after. She has a deep passion for growth, education, and helping others harness their potential for greatness. In her spare time, Bre coaches high school girls lacrosse, serves on the Leadership Council for Engage! Cleveland, serves as VP Women's Game on the USA Lacrosse North Coast Ohio Chapter Board, and serves on the Associate Board at the Beck Center for the Arts
Rissa Harris is a dedicated professional in international business and economic development. She is passionate about inclusive economic development, comparative policy, and public service. Currently, Rissa works as an International Trade Specialist within the U.S. Department of Commerce. In this role, she helps U.S. companies find foreign buyers, increase their international sales, and overcome trade barriers. Moreover, she is also the Co-founder of BeRe, a social enterprise focused on teaching justice-informed financial literacy education within correctional facilities. Rissa’s educational background includes a Master's of Public Administration from the University of Kansas and a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and a minor in International Business from Eastern Kentucky University. Rissa’s hobbies include traveling, playing soccer, and trying new cocktail bars. She is married to her husband, Ethan, and they have a very dumb pit weenie named Cooper.
Joseph Luntz is a born Clevelander, currently living in Shaker Heights. He graduated with an Accounting and Finance degree from Indiana University. In his free time, he enjoys watching business films, volunteering, and gardening. In YPAC, Joseph aims to learn more about other cultures and further his understanding of how global events impact our local community. He hopes to use his creativity to effectively spread his discoveries. He looks forward to making connections with other young professionals, speakers, and community members in order to achieve this initiative.
Samantha Alonso is a Compliance Manager for MGM Northfield Park where she has worked for two years. She has a deep love of world affairs and traveling, even going so far as to living abroad for a few years. While abroad, she completed her Master's degree in Human Rights Law at The University of Manchester, a Russell Group university in England. Though the pandemic facilitated her move back to her hometown in Cleveland, this has afforded her the opportunity to merge her love of global development with her obsession with Cleveland. Even abroad, she never failed to mention Lebron James, Browns pain, or Lake Erie sunsets in every conversation! In addition to law, Samantha has an undergraduate degree in International Business from The Ohio State University. While completing her degree, Samantha joined a nonprofit called Project Nicaragua. Since graduating, she has joined the board of the nonprofit, and has worked her way to the position of Co-Executive Director with her business partner. As a group, they help coordinate trips throughout Central America with university students looking to support communities, which keeps her organization and collaboration skills sharp. In addition to her love of global affairs and Cleveland sports, Samantha loves to read, play her Switch, and entertain her two cats Georgie and Simon.
George Bukenya is a research scientist at Cleveland Clinic, where he supports translational research focused on glioblastoma. His work explores novel therapeutic strategies aimed at improving clinical outcomes for patients facing one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer. Beyond glioblastoma, his research and publications span neuro-oncology, gynecological cancers, and platelet biology. George’s commitment to medicine is shaped by both local service and global exposure. He has contributed to research initiatives with institutions such as Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Duke University Cancer Center, and the Association of Future African Neurosurgeons. He is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations’ Young Professional Briefing Series and the German Marshall Fund’s Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders Network, where he engages with policy discussions at the intersection of global health, education, and innovation. In Cleveland, George co-founded the Health and Wellness Series, a citywide initiative that brings together healthcare professionals, academic institutions, and community members to expand access to preventive care and health education. He has been recognized with the Rising Star Award from Case Western Reserve University, 40 Under 40 Emerging Legend by the Black Professionals Association Charitable Foundation, and Cleveland’s Top 25 Emerging Professionals by Engage! Cleveland, and was inducted into The Cleveland Professional 20/30 Club, Mover and Shaker Class of 2025. With plans to attend medical school, George aims to lead at the intersection of medicine, policy, and community engagement—improving health outcomes across borders.
Kyle Shen is an Assistant Professor of Law and Political Science at Cleveland State University, where he teaches constitutional law. His academic writing examines democracy and authoritarianism through the lenses of comparative constitutionalism and international law, with a regional focus on Southeast Asia. As a Fulbright Scholar, he lived in Macau SAR, China. He also has worked and conducted field research in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. He continues to enjoy travelling, both for work and for leisure. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science and a J.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. Kyle speaks Mandarin and tries his best to practice Cantonese and Portuguese.
Natalie Bello is a social science researcher and digital media professional who returned to Cleveland at the end of 2024 after seven years in Scotland. While abroad, she studied, worked, volunteered, and traveled throughout the UK and Europe. Natalie completed her PhD in the summer of 2024, with a focus on UK politics, media representation, and gender studies. Her professional and volunteer experience has primarily been in the non-profit sector, where she has supported organizations with communication, digital media, and project management work. One of the most impactful programs Natalie participated in while living in Scotland was Young Women Lead, in partnership with the Scottish Parliament. As part of this program, she and her cohort produced a research report examining the inequalities from education to employment faced by minority women in Scotland. Her involvement in the program enabled her to spend time within the Scottish Parliament, engaging directly with politicians and even speaking with the First Minister of Scotland. Since moving back to Cleveland, Natalie has begun volunteering with the Cleveland Metroparks as a Trail Tracker and participant in the Citizen Science program. She is also a Research Analyst Volunteer for the Human Rights Research Center, where she writes about global human rights violations. In her free time, Natalie enjoys the outdoors, reading, baking, and spending time with family and friends.
Maria Blough is a rising second-year law student at Case Western Reserve University School of Law where she is pursuing a concentration in international law. She competes on one of the school’s international law moot court teams and serves as an editor for the Journal of International Law. Prior to law school, Maria worked as a television news reporter, producer, and anchor for the top-rated station in western Wisconsin covering topics ranging from local government to federal court cases. She earned her undergraduate degree from The University of Alabama where she triple-majored in News Media, International Studies, and Spanish. Maria is excited to collaborate with fellow young professionals to support CCWA’s mission of fostering an internationally engaged community.
Benjamin Jakubowski is honored to join CCWA’s YPAC, and excited to contribute to CCWA’s mission. He is a native of the greater Cleveland area and currently employed with the locally rooted Mitchell’s Ice Cream. He is a graduate of Kent State University’s School of Peace and Conflict Studies, and is sharply interested in systems of peace, justice, and power, including the international relationships that help to shape them. He is a former AmeriCorps NCCC Team Leader and a graduate of the CCWA’s own LEADS program. Benjamin has had the opportunity to travel internationally, including to Rwanda, through his final class at Kent State: Post-Genocide Reconstruction. He hopes to contribute his perspective, learn from and support his fellow members, and help foster an inclusive space for cross-cultural understanding and connection. Benjamin enjoys finding creative ways of staying active in his free time. He currently serves as a Captain of a local novice rowing team and is a big fan of the Metroparks Outdoor Recreation Department. He is also in the process of expanding his skills in the circus arts, where he primarily trains as a contortionist.
Aditi Srivastava is a Program Officer for grantmaking at The Raymond John Wean Foundation. She earned an MSc in International Social and Public Policy from the London School of Economics and a BA (Hons) in International Relations and Human Rights from the University of Sussex. With her own experiences as a migrant deeply informing her worldview, Aditi brings a unique lens to connecting local communities with global dynamics. She is passionate about designing social protection systems that are inclusive, adaptive, and effective in an increasingly interconnected world. In her free time, Aditi loves cooking new recipes and taking long walks by the lake.
Andrew Frye is an equity research analyst at Shaker Investments in Cleveland, where he primarily focuses on technology, industrial, and clean energy companies and oversees the firm’s analyst internship program. A double alumnus of Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management, he holds a master’s in Business Analytics & Intelligence as well as a bachelor’s degree in Economics, Political Science, and Business Management. After graduating, Andrew co-founded Weatherhead10, an affinity network that connects recent graduates through professional programming, and is a graduate of CCWA’s LEADS program for globally minded young leaders.
Muriel Bowen, an urban planner passionate about vibrant communities, is excited to join YPAC as a globally minded Clevelander. She views the global community as a crucial part of Cleveland’s story and future, believing that in order to combat sprawl and population decline, Cleveland must embrace newcomers and different perspectives. Her passion for world affairs stems from participating in Model UN in her youth and travelling to China as an exchange student in high school. These experiences informed her professional ambition on building multimodal infrastructure, which led her to Cleveland to work for GCRTA as an urban planner. She is excited to learn from YPAC peers and CCWA members who approach issues through a global lens. She holds a Bachelor’s of Science in GIS and World Politics from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. In her free time she enjoys practicing yoga, cooking elaborate recipes, and watching arthouse films at the Cinematheque.
Austin Jones is a Cleveland-based finance professional with a passion for foreign policy, development finance, and civic engagement. Originally from Lorain, Ohio, Austin developed an early interest in international affairs through the city’s annual International Festival. That interest deepened through travel and professional experiences that exposed him to cross-cultural perspectives on trade, investment, and economic policy. In his current role, he regularly engages with professionals across global markets, gaining insight into how policy and technological innovation shape the global economy. Outside of work, Austin is active in the community. He coaches youth baseball and supports several nonprofit initiatives focused on education, athletics, financial literacy, and leadership development. Through YPAC, Austin hopes to help connect Cleveland to the broader global economy and promote global awareness as a foundation for opportunity and inclusive, sustainable growth across Northeast Ohio.
Edelyn Park is a global health advocate and PhD candidate in Molecular Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. Her thesis focuses on translational research in women’s vascular diseases, with the goal of uncovering sex-specific mechanisms and therapeutic targets to address disparities in cardiovascular care. Edelyn holds a Master’s degree in Biotechnology from Brown University (Class of 2022), where she conducted research on infectious disease vaccine development. This experience deepened her commitment to translational science and laid the foundation for her focus on global health challenges. With over a decade of experience in health policy and advocacy, she has contributed to major global initiatives, including the White House Cancer Moonshot. She has collaborated with organizations such as UNICEF, the UN Foundation, GAVI, and the Gates Foundation on vaccine equity, immunization access, and humanitarian health efforts. As a United Nations Delegate to the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Edelyn has championed global health equity, working with U.S. legislators, international ambassadors, and public health leaders to support foreign aid, vaccine access, and sustainable development. She also serves as a Global Goals Ambassador with UNA-USA and a Next Generation Leader with the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC), leading strategic advocacy to strengthen U.S. engagement in global health and advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Drawing on an interdisciplinary background in biotechnology, behavioral science, and international development, Edelyn works at the intersection of science and policy. Her work reflects a deep commitment to innovation, equity, and improving public health outcomes through research-informed diplomacy.
Cameron Taylor joined Global Cleveland as a workforce and policy specialist in July of 2023. He attended Ashland University from 2014-2018, focusing on political science, international relations, and history. As a student, he was an Ashbrook scholar and completed a senior thesis that examined the history and development of the European Union and the broader European project. While at Ashland, Cameron was the president of the Alexander Hamilton Society, a nonpartisan organization promoting discussion of international affairs on campus. In his free time, he enjoys reading, food, travel, and motorsports. His hobbies include wildlife photography, tennis, and skiing.
Mary Conway is a native-Clevelander who is pleased to be back home after time abroad and in Columbus. She's an Ohio State graduate with degrees in finance and Russian language. Currently, she's the Manager of Business Development at INSIGHT2PROFIT, a boutique managerial consulting firm based in Beachwood. Previous work included time in Kazakhstan with the US Department of State as a translator at the International Exposition on Green Energy and Sustainable Development, at additional consulting firms, and working with a variety of nonprofits. She's also a board member with Rocky River Lakewood Meals on Wheels and the 306th Bomb Group Historical Association. She is passionate about making global engagement accessible in the Cleveland community and continuing to explore the world through good conversation and good food.
We welcome these young leaders to YPAC and look forward to seeing the future impact they have in the community! For more information about YPAC, click here or contact ccwa@ccwa.org.
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