LAUREATES 2023
ADAH ALMUTAIRI
Professor Adah Almutairi is a scholar, inventor, and entrepreneur. Her work focuses on nanomedicine, nanotechnology, chemistry, and polymer science. She is the Chairman and Founder of eLux Medical and a Professor of Nanoengineering and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of California San Diego. Professor Almutairi is best known for discovering the first nanoparticle that responds to inflammation in the body. This life-changing innovation led her to win the NIH New Innovator Award in 2009, which aims to encourage highly innovative research. She has also won PhRMA Foundation Award, and the Young Investigator Award, and was a Kavli Fellow for the US National Academy of Sciences in 2016. Professor Almutairi completed her Ph.D. in Materials Chemistry at UC Riverside and came to UC San Diego in 2008 from UC Berkeley, where she worked with Professor Jean Fréchet to develop several nanoprobes for in vivo imaging. Professor Almutairi has 13 issued patents and much more pending, several of which have been licensed and one of which is being developed by eLux Medical. Professor Almutairi is also the co-director of the Center for Excellence in Nano-Medicine and Engineering (CNME), where researchers create nanoparticles that aim at new levels of precision in treating disease, like delivering drugs under highly specific conditions — when triggered by light or when they encounter a disease-related situation. Her groundbreaking work was highlighted by U.S. NIH director Francis Collins to Congress as one of the 4 most important American technology breakthroughs of the year 2012. She was featured in Forbes as one of the top 10 “Most Influential Women in Engineering in the World.” Her lab’s research has been recognized by Chemical & Engineering News and Materials Today, among other scientific media outlets. She has also written a number of scientific articles on the NanoLipo technology.
MAHER DAMAK AND KARIM KHALIL
Maher is the Co-Founder and CEO of Infinite Cooling, a start-up disrupting the way industrial plants use water. Maher has a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from MIT where he developed a novel patented technology to efficiently recover water from cooling tower emissions using electric fields. This technology is the basis of Infinite Cooling, which has won numerous awards including MassChallenge, an Edison Awards gold medal, and the US Department of Energy national startup competition. Maher also co-founded AgZen, a startup focused on eliminating pesticide waste in agriculture using a new technology Maher co-invented at MIT. The product is currently undergoing large-scale trials in the US and Europe. Maher was born in Tunis, graduated from École Polytechnique in France with a concentration in mathematics and physics, and now lives in Boston. Maher got several awards for his work including Forbes 30 Under 30 in Energy and the Lemelson-MIT award. Karim is CTO and Co-Founder of Infinite Cooling. Karim has a PhD in Mechanical Engineering from MIT where his research in the Varanasi Research Group focused on thermal fluid systems and capillarity. The research utilized nano-engineered surfaces to bring about efficiency enhancements of large-scale industrial processes, with a focus on energy and water systems. Karim did his undergraduate work at Duke University, with a major in Mechanical Engineering and Material Science and a concentration in Energy & the Environment. His research focused on a novel self-assembly technique that can build crystalline metamaterials with building blocks ranging from the nanometer to micrometer scale at extremely low cost. Karim was featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 in Energy for his work at Infinite Cooling. Karim has enjoyed playing classical guitar for over 10 years, is an avid Duke Basketball fan, and plays soccer for a Boston club league.
NADINE CHAKAR
Nadine Chakar is a seasoned, entrepreneurial executive with a multidisciplinary and global background in financial services. With over 30 years of experience as a global business head, she has a consistent record of successfully implementing and managing strategic businesses, capital markets, operations, and technology initiatives while driving profitability and growth in challenging environments. She most recently served as executive vice president and head of State Street Digital, a new division focused on digital assets and technologies, encompassing the setup of a new integrated business and operating model to support clients’ entire digital investment cycle from pre-trade, trade and post-trade, as well as other initiatives designed to enhance the client experience. Previously, Nadine served as executive vice president and head of State Street Global Markets. In this role, she oversaw all aspects of State Street Global Markets’ trading, product and operations platform, helping to drive successful client solutions. Nadine has more than 30 years of experience in global wealth and asset management. Prior to State Street, she served as the global head of operations for the Global Wealth and Asset Management Division at Manulife. Nadine was also an executive sponsor of Manulife’s Global Wealth and Asset Management’s Global Optimization Program. Before moving to Manulife, Nadine led the Global Asset Servicing teams for BNY Mellon as the global head of Financial Institutions and head of eCommerce Strategy and Research and Financial Markets Infrastructure. Nadine has a recognized ability to build and lead high-performing and cross-functional teams to achieve organizational effectiveness and culture change. She has a strong track record of excellent problem-solving, and strategic thinking, and understands the intricacies of successfully managing and growing businesses. Nadine was an executive sponsor for State Street’s Sustainability Employee Network, which focuses on raising awareness of sustainability issues and devises solutions to the world’s pressing environmental problems. Nadine holds a Bachelor of Arts in economics and finance from Boston University. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the Boston Medical Center and is a member of the Institute of International Finance where she is a member of the Digital Finance Steering Committee. In both 2020, 2021, and 2022 Nadine was named as one of American Banker’s Most Powerful Women in Finance. In 2022, Nadine was named to the Forbes 50 over 50 influential women in Finance. In addition, Global Custodian named Chakar as an industry legend in 2013 and was recognized as the Funds Europe personality of the Year in 2007.
SHIHAB KURAN
Dr. Kuran is an investor, serial entrepreneur, and seasoned executive in the global semiconductor, power, and cleantech sectors. He founded and ran several private companies and served as an executive board member at eight public companies. His efforts are fueled by a vision for a peaceful world with universal access to clean and sustainable sources of food, energy and water. He led companies in the start-up stage and managed organizations generating revenue exceeding $1B. In semiconductors, he developed a business that became the sole supplier to Intel as they launched their coveted Centrino platform. In cleantech, he founded and ran Petra Solar where he developed leading-edge technologies and launched the largest solar electric project in the world in 2009. Currently, he serves as President and CEO of Power Edison and Executive Chairman of EV Edison, two companies he co-founded focused on providing energy storage and Electric Vehicle charging solutions. Power Edison built the world’s largest mobile battery storage system. EV Edison is building the US largest EV charging super hub located in Metropolitan New York. Dr. Kuran served as President of Advanced Solutions at SunEdison, the world’s largest renewable energy developer at the time and served as President of Strategic Development at NRG, the US largest independent power producer. He was named by Greentech Media as one of the “100 people you must know in Smart Grid.” and was named by NJBIZ as one of “The 100 most powerful people in New Jersey business,”. His company, Petra Solar was awarded the American Technology Award in both Smart Grid and Clean Tech. In 2010, E&Y recognized him as the NJ Green Tech Entrepreneur of the Year. He serves as an independent director on the boards of NN, Inc. and Laredo Petroleum with a focus on ESG and on the energy transition strategy. He serves on the Advisory Boards of the Charles Edison Fund, the Edison Innovation Foundation and the boards of EnerKnol and New York Energy Week. Dr. Kuran holds a Ph.D. in EE from the CUNY and completed his Executive Management education at Harvard Business School. He is an inventor and has published over 40 papers.
HABIB AZAR
An eight-time Emmy Award-winning producer and director, Habib Azar’s career is distinguished by its wide aesthetic range and energetic style. His work has been called “unobtrusively virtuosic” by The Wall Street Journal and “mesmerizing” by The New York Times. He directed his first network television broadcast at age 22 and has worked consistently since, contributing in fields as diverse as feature film, contemporary opera, and live multi-camera broadcasts. His first feature film Armless was an official selection of the Sundance Film Festival and his second feature film Saint Janet stars Tony winner Kelly Bishop and Nyambi Nyambi. In 2020 when the world locked down during the pandemic, Habib worked prolifically with many of the world’s great arts institutions, re-imagining how they could still contribute to culture and remain engaged with their audiences. Habib produced and directed several shows for Carnegie Hall, notably their 2020 Opening Night Gala where he filmed performances and tributes in 8 countries of some of the greatest artists in the world including James Taylor, Wynton Marsalis, Lang Lang and Gustavo Dudamel. Habib also directed the Juilliard School’s virtual Commencement and the majority of the online offerings from the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Aspen Music Festival, New York Philharmonic and many others during the pandemic. Habib is the executive producer of The All-Star Orchestra, a PBS program in its 6th season that tells the story of the world’s greatest music and then showcases performances of those works. The show has won 4 Emmy Awards for best special event broadcast. Habib was also the executive producer of the New York Philharmonic’s live broadcast series in 2016-2019, scripting and directing shows with Alec Baldwin and Terrence McKnight as hosts. Habib regularly films the world’s greatest artists as one of the leading multi-camera directors and producers working today. Habib directed the 2021 and 2022 Boston July 4th Spectacular with artists including Jon Batiste, Mavis Staples, and Chaka Khan. He regularly directs for the Metropolitan Opera, New York Philharmonic, Boston Symphony, Cincinnati Symphony, and many others. He has filmed distinguished artists including Joshua Bell Danil Trifonov, Yuja Wang, Anna Netrebko, Renee Fleming, Lang Lang, and many others. For the stage, Habib has focused lately on contemporary opera. His recent stage production of Haas’ Atthis was called “one of the most revealing operatic performances in recent times” by the New York Times. He directed the world premiere of Angel’s Bone, an opera that went on to with the Pulitzer Prize in music. He has directed for the leading contemporary music ensembles of today including the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), American Contemporary Music Ensemble (ACME) and Opera Cabal.
MICHELINE AND FRANCOIS NADER
Dr. Francois Nader and Micheline Nader’s career achievements are more than just success stories. They are lifetime contributions by two Lebanese entrepreneurs for the benefit of the US and the world. Dr. Nader graduated from the Faculté Française de Médecine and then earned a Physician Executive MBA from the University of Tennessee. He then joined the Pasteur Institute in Paris and was instrumental in launching the first hepatitis B vaccine worldwide as head of their international division. Relocating to the US, Dr. Nader became the first head of US medical affairs for Marion Merrell Dow and subsequently held senior executive positions in the pharma industry. Dr. Nader became the CEO role of NPS Pharma where he turned it around and built it into a global biotechnology company that developed medications for rare diseases with no other treatments. During his successful career, Dr. Nader was involved in the development of 22 innovative medicines. Dr. Nader currently serves as chairman of three biotech companies including Benevolent AI, which leverages Artificial Intelligence in discovering new medicines, He also serves on the boards of LAU and ATFL, but also on the board of Moderna where he was directly involved in developing Moderna’s covid vaccine. Mrs. Micheline Nader is an AUB graduate where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master’s in Public Health and later a doctoral degree in Health Services Management from Paris-Dauphine. Mrs. Nader started her career as assistant director of the American University Hospital before moving with her family to France when she joined the American Hospital of Paris. Then to Canada where Mrs. Nader “built” the Chateau Westmount with McGill University and it has since been the best long-term care facility in Montreal. In the US, she founded the Blue Dolphin Healthcare Group, to create a differentiated chain of long-term care facilities that seniors would call home. After 15 years of successful growth, she sold her company to a public healthcare group. After a fruitful healthcare career, Mrs. Nader decided to become a published author to empower people through conscious awareness and transformational leadership. Mrs. Nader’s two books: The Dolphin’s Dance / Discover your True Self and her new one: LEAP Beyond Success / How Leaders Evolve, which was just launched, made it to the coveted Amazon best-seller list. Mrs. Nader currently serves on the boards of Takreem America and Fairleigh Dickinson University. Yet, another facet of the Nader’s life is their commitment to giving back to their community here in the US and in Lebanon. Through their family’s JESRA Foundation, the Naders are generous philanthropists in the fields of health, education, and social awareness.
GHADA AND RIAD IRANI
Ray (Riad) and Ghada Irani’s achievements around the world are a testament to the dedication and love they hold towards their communities and cultures, both in America and Lebanon. Before Ray Irani became Chairman and CEO of Ray Investments LLC, he had served as president of the Occidental Petroleum Corporation, which he grew to be the fourth largest oil and gas company in the United States. But Dr. Irani’s contributions span beyond his career accomplishments. Besides serving on the Advisory Board of RAND’s Center for Middle East Public Policy, he was a member of The Conference Board research group organization, and of The Council on Foreign Relations, an American think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international relations. Dr. Irani holds honorary positions in the University of Southern California and the American University of Beirut. He has reaped several awards, notably the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 1993 and the designation of Chevalier of the French National Order of the Legion of Honor by the French government in 2011. He is the author of the book Particle Size, and has published more than 50 technical papers. Ghada Irani devotes her time and resources to a broad spectrum of charities with an emphasis on humanitarian issues, especially those dedicated to the welfare of children. Her concern for the plight of impoverished children throughout the world has inspired her extensive efforts on behalf of UNICEF. She also works for the needs of Syrian refugees resettling in Southern California. Her philanthropy extends to refugees worldwide, having visited and supported schools and services in Lebanon, Jordan and the United States. Irani is Chairwoman of the Southern California Regional Board and sits on the National Board of Directors for the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. She is the Honorary President of the Lebanese Ladies Cultural Society, supporting the educational needs of children in Lebanon. She also serves on the boards of Directors and Trustees of various institutions. In 2016, the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California, one of the state’s leading medical schools, confirmed her appointment to its Board of Overseers, and in 2016 the Ghada Irani Chair in Neuroscience was named in her honor.
SOLVAN NAIM
Solvan “Slick” Naim is an Emmy-nominated Algerian-American rapper, director, and writer, who most recently directed the season finale of the upcoming IMPROBABLE VALENTINE for Apple TV+ and Annapurna. Slick recently Directed and Executive Produced the DEMASCUS pilot for AMC. Prior to DEMASCUS, Slick directed all episodes of MO (Netflix), with A24 and Ramy Youssef producing, which has since won the Gotham Award for Breakthrough Series, the AFI Award for TV Program of the year, and has been Certified Fresh with a perfect score of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Slick directed, starred, produced, and wrote his series, IT’S BRUNO, which is currently streaming on Netflix and received an Emmy nomination. Initially coming out of the Sony TV Diverse Director’s Program, Slick has since directed for a wide range of television series, including multiple episodes of BMF (Starz), THE BLACKLIST (NBC), POWER (Starz), and SNOWFALL (FX). On the feature side, Slick’s attached to direct the Chris Paul Biopic. His debut feature FULL CIRCLE (which he wrote, directed, starred, and wrote the music for) won the audience award at the Urbanworld Film Festival, was acquired by eOne, and premiered theatrically. His short film STANHOPE won Best Picture in HBO’s Short Film Competition at the American Black Film Festival.
IBRAHIM ALHUSSEINI
Ibrahim is a venture capitalist and philanthropist dedicated to advancing social change globally. He has spent much of his career as a sustainability-focused entrepreneur. He has also spent much of his career helping angel investors find clean technology and natural resource-related investments. Ibrahim was an early investor in Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA), Infinera (NASDAQ: INFN), Bloom Energy (NYSE: BE), and Uber Technologies (NYSE: UBER) as well as Aspiration Inc., Devoted Health, WePower, Cadence Health, Thrive Market, and CleanChoice Energy. Through this work, Ibrahim has developed an extensive network of industry leaders, investors, and entrepreneurs across the sustainability space. Recognizing the urgent need for waste solutions, Ibrahim founded FullCycle Energy in 2013 to invest in early-stage technologies that can revolutionize our relationship with waste, while addressing the global need for low carbon energy. In 2020, FullCycle Climate Partners was launched to provide expansion capital for accelerating the commercial deployment of the next gigaton-scale climate technologies. Ibrahim is also the founder and managing partner of Husseini Group LLC, a firm dedicated to facilitating, financing, and guiding ventures that embrace social enhancement and ecological sustainability. He also sits on the boards of The Rainforest Action Network, The Biomimicry Institute and The Global Partnership for Women and Girls.