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Meet Our Team

Our Leadership Team and Board of Directors are dedicated to serving the Cincinnati Region’s international community members. It’s about people and passion.

Leadership

Working diligently to advance our mission

Bryan Wright team headshot

Bryan Wright

Executive Director

Bryan is a dedicated connector and collaborator committed to inclusion, equity, and community building. His work focuses on creating a more… Read More

Contact Info

bryan​@cincinnaticompass.org
513-579-3123
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Jane Muindi headshot

Jane Muindi

Program Director

Jane focuses on managing and coordinating programs to advance the economic, social, and civic inclusion of immigrants and refugees throughout the Cincinnati… Read More

Contact Info

jane​@cincinnaticompass.org
513-562-8441
LinkedIn

Board of Directors

Meet the Cincinnati Compass Board of Directors

Mayor Aftab Pureval headshot

Mayor Aftab Pureval

Mayor, City of Cincinnati

Aftab Pureval is the 70th Mayor of Cincinnati. He was raised in Southwest, Ohio, the son of first-generation Americans. He is making history as Cincinnati’s first Asian… Read More

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Shakila Ahmad headshot

Shakila Ahmad

Board Chair

Shakila T Ahmad is an enthusiastic community leader who has dedicated herself to numerous civic and community causes, building peace and understanding for 25 years… Read More

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Tom Fernandez headshot

Tom Fernandez

Immediate Past Board Chair

As CEO of Elevar Design Group, Mr. Fernandez is the driving force behind the company’s innovative and creative design solutions. He is responsible for directing projects and facilitating… Read More

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Chrisopher Che headshot

Christopher Che

Che International Group, LLC

Christopher Che is President and CEO of the Che International Group, LLC (CIG), which he founded in 2005. CIG is a multi-national holding company that identifies, acquires, supports… Read More

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Michelle Morales Denisoff headshot

Michelle Morales Denisoff

Liona Enterprises

Liona Enterprises, Inc. is a certified 8a, minority woman owned (WOSB/EDWOSB), HUBZone small business providing full-service information technology solutions. She started the company… Read More

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Jason Dunn

Cincinnati Convention & Visitors Bureau, Vibe Cincinnati

Jason Dunn has been a change maker in Cincinnati and within the national hospitality industry for almost two decades, with a drive to… Read More

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Mahendra Vora

Vora Ventures

Mahendra Vora is a veteran entrepreneur with 30+ years of experience leading the growth of large, cutting-edge software initiatives. He has co-founded many hi-tech startups and… Read More

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Gustavo León

Procter & Gamble

Gustavo was born and raised in Mexico, where he studied Industrial Engineering and joined P&G in Product Supply Manufacturing in 1990… Read More

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Chukwuma (Chuma) Ekwueme headshot

Chukwuma (Chuma) Ekwueme

SURE Mechanical

Chukwuma “Chuma” Ekwueme fulfilled his lifelong dream of becoming an entrepreneur when he founded SURE Mechanical. A certified… Read More

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Gerardo Calvo Logroño headshot

Gerardo Calvo Logroño

Yuxi Global

Gerardo was born and raised in Spain, where he studied Telecommunications Engineering. He has a background in innovation and special… Read More

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Felicity Tao

Greater Cincinnati Foundation

Felicity Tao is the Sr. Director, Marketing at Greater Cincinnati Foundation. As the leader of the Marketing team, she is responsible for driving… Read More

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Shazafar Khaja

The Kroger Co.

Shazafar Khaja was born and raised in India and migrated to the USA and earned a dual master’s in computer engineering and Bio-Medical Engineering… Read More

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Katie Eagan

Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber

Katie Eagan serves as the Vice President of Government Affairs at the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber. Ms. Eagan comes to the Chamber from the Ohio Vision Professionals Board… Read More

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Gustavo León

Procter & Gamble

Gustavo was born and raised in Mexico, where he studied Industrial Engineering and joined P&G in Product Supply Manufacturing in 1990. In his 33 yrs career at P&G, he has worked in very diverse assignments in Manufacturing Sites and Human Resources in Mexico, Brazil, United States and Panama, always leading significant transformation of various Market Organizations, Global Business Units, Global Business Services and Corporate Human Resources Practices. He currently is the Senior Vice President of Human Resources for the Global Baby Care, Feminine Care and Family Care Products Sector.

Gustavo came to Cincinnati for the first time more than 20 yrs ago with his wife and three kids and made Mason Ohio the place his family call home and always came back to after each international assignment.

Gustavo is an advocate for Equality and Inclusion and is passionate about service to others, actively volunteering and collaborating over the years with many organizations such as Su Casa Hispanic Center of Cincinnati, LULAC, & LNESC (Hispanics in US), and Casa Esperanza in Panama to stop children labor and offer development opportunities. He currently sponsors the Hispanic Community programs at P&G.

 
Shazafar Khaja headshot

Shazafar Khaja

The Kroger Co.

Shazafar Khaja was born and raised in India and migrated to the USA and earned a dual master’s in computer engineering and Bio-Medical Engineering from the University of Oklahoma. As the Director of Software Development at Total Quality Logistics he lead the Business Integrations team at TQL. He is currently the Sr. Adv Software Engineering Manager at The Kroger Co.

When not at his day job, Shazafar loves to use technology to solve social and communal challenges. He is a certified educator and loves teaching K-8 students about technology and conducts coding and robotics bootcamps. He also serves as the Chief Technologist and the board of trustees, and Executive Board for the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati and the Board of the IT Leadership Forum at NKU.

Shazafar has lived in the greater Cincinnati area since 2009, and currently resides in Mason with his wife Nasreen, and 3 children.

Felicity Tao headshot

Felicity Tao

Greater Cincinnati Foundation

Felicity Tao is the Sr. Director, Marketing at Greater Cincinnati Foundation. As the leader of the Marketing team, she is responsible for driving strategic marketing, integrated communications and brand strategies for GCF.

Prior to join Greater Cincinnati Foundation, Felicity Tao was a Sr. Brand Strategist at Cincinnati Bell where she leads the company’s branding, content, and social media marketing strategy and execution. She has worked in the biotech and IT/Communications technology industries for over 15 years in various marketing and communications capacities, leading branding, content, and digital strategies as well as supporting new business/product launch initiatives. Her expertise includes strategic planning, digital marketing, social media, data analytics, and multimedia content development.

Felicity graduated from China Foreign Affairs University with a bachelor’s degree in English and International Relations. She received her master’s degree in Journalism from University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign.

Felicity is a very active member of the Asian American community in the Greater Cincinnati area. She is the founder and current chair of the Greater Cincinnati Chinese Cultural Exchange Association whose mission is to celebrate Asian cultural heritage, improve cross-cultural understanding, and support regional diversity and inclusion initiatives. She also sits on the board of the Greater Cincinnati Chinese School and volunteers for a number of non-profit organizations. Her passion is to bridge cultural differences, connect people from different backgrounds, and make the voice of the minority groups heard.

Gerardo Calvo Logroño headshot

Gerardo Calvo Logroño

Yuxi Global

Gerardo was born and raised in Spain, where he studied Telecommunications Engineering. He has a background in innovation and special projects at worldwide leading IoT providers. Gerardo earned an Erasmus scholarship and finished his masters in Sweden, where he lived for a year. He always loved the mix of business and engineering and a family friend suggested he should do an MBA at Xavier University, so he packed his bags and, after looking at a map to see where Cincinnati was, he came here. Halfway through, he got a job at a local company, met his now wife, and started developing roots in this community.

Most recently, Gerado has been pushing the global expansion and business segmentation of Yuxi Global as its General Manager and now Chief Growth Officer. Yuxi Global is an international software development firm with offices in the US and Latin America. The company specializes in helping customers navigate their digital transformation journey by providing new and tailored customer experiences through engaging UX/UI designs, the latest hybrid and native technologies, and an end-to-end delivery model.

Chukwuma (Chuma) Ekwueme headshot

Chukwuma (Chuma) Ekwueme

SURE Mechanical

Chukwuma “Chuma” Ekwueme fulfilled his lifelong dream of becoming an entrepreneur when he founded SURE Mechanical. A certified minority-owned (MBE) mechanical firm located in Cincinnati, Ohio. SURE Mechanical provides HVAC/Mechanical design, fabrication and installation services for educational, government and private organizations. Chuma earned a Bachelor’s of Mechanical Engineering from his native country of Nigeria and a Masters of Engineering from University of Cincinnati. He began his career with a mechanical service company, where he was part of a team that provided maintenance and trouble-shooting for chillers and condensing units. He continued his career in the construction industry at Megen Construction of Cincinnati, Ohio. During this time, Chuma managed a variety of construction projects in the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Areas. Chuma also helped to champion the construction of Ohio’s first LEED Platinum project, the Fernald Preserve Visitors Center in 2008.

Armed with an engineering education, complementary work experience and strong ambition, Chuma identified a need in Southern Ohio for an innovative, quality-minded, minority mechanical contractor. Chuma put the wheels in motion to eventually launch a mechanical contracting firm. Following months of planning, SURE Mechanical was eventually launched in October 2010. He earned his LEED AP accreditation and became actively involved in several industry-related organizations such as American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and United States Green Building Council (USGBC). He is also a Lean construction enthusiast.

Today, SURE Mechanical is proud to be a certified minority-owned mechanical contracting firm in Southern Ohio that offers a full range of mechanical design, fabrication, installation, design-build and engineering services. Additionally, SURE Mechanical provides a much needed opportunity for minorities to become engaged in one of the most technical aspects of the construction industry.

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Katie Eagan

Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber

Katie Eagan serves as the Vice President of Government Affairs at the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber. Ms. Eagan comes to the Chamber from the Ohio Vision Professionals Board, where she served as executive director over the last two years. Additionally, her work history includes service as executive director of the Ohio Republican Party, state director of the Americans for Prosperity Foundation, policy advisor for the Ohio House of Representatives, and other positions with the Ohio Industrial Commission and the Ohio House Republican Caucus.

Ms. Eagan currently serves and volunteers in the community as a member of the Jo Ann Davidson Leadership Institute and a contributor to Politico Caucus. She is a Cincinnati native and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from The Ohio State University.

Mahendra Vora headshot

Mahendra Vora

Vora Ventures

Mahendra Vora is a veteran entrepreneur with 30+ years of experience leading the growth of large, cutting-edge software initiatives. He has co-founded many hi-tech startups and orchestrated mergers with Fortune 500 IT companies.

Mahendra has extensive experience working with and developing information technology solutions from small start-ups to billion-dollar organizations across the world. He has contributed significantly to the computer industry in developing and delivering strategies, architecture, and technologies that helped facilitate the transition to distributed and Internet-based computing.

Mahendra was the winner of the 2021 John F. Barrett Entrepreneur Vision Awards and named the 2020-2021 AsiaOne Global Indian of the year. He holds a master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Michigan and a Bachelor of Science degree in Electronics and Communications from University in India.

Jason Dunn headshot

Jason Dunn

Cincinnati Convention & Visitors Bureau, Vibe Cincinnati

Christopher Che is President and CEO of the Che International Group, LLC (CIG), which he founded in 2005. CIG is a multi-national holding company that identifies, acquires, supports, and grows scalable subsidiary companies in diverse industries through startups, strategic acquisitions, joint ventures, and alliances, to help customers maximize supply chain diversity while promoting supply chain excellence. Christopher is an accountant by profession and a veteran Senior Financial Executive with over 35 years of vast and dynamic business management experience.

Consistent with his vision to influence global supply chain excellence, Christopher founded Transworld Supply Network (TSN) in 2018 and Transworld Delivery Corporation (TDC) in 2020. Originating primarily as a medical supplies, products, and equipment company, TSN has evolved into an innovative central marketplace, a multi- product, multi-division, multi-industry business-to-business, and global supply sourcing enterprise.

Christopher’s community involvement includes serving as a member of President (Obama)’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness from 2011 to 2012, board member of the Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council, the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce, the African American CEO Roundtable of Cincinnati, the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, the Dayton Area Business Advisory Council, and chairing the Ohio Minority Business Input Committee for all Ohio Minority Companies. Professional, business and civic awards and honors include the President’s Award from the Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council in 2013, the “Outstanding American by Choice” Award in 2012 from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) at the recommendation of the White House (this is the highest award presented to immigrants by the Department of Homeland Security), induction into the Association of Ohio Commodores in 2011 by Ohio Governor Kasich; the Cameroon Professional Society (CPS) 2011 Distinguished Leadership Award; the Dayton Business Journal 2010 “Executive of the Year” Award; and the Dayton Business Journal’s 2010 Top 10 Most Influential People in the Greater Dayton Region.

Christopher earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting with a minor in Computers from Wilmington College-Ohio in 1985 and a Master’s of Accountancy degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in 1986. He resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, with his wife Rose and is the proud father of two sons and one daughter.

Michelle Morales Denisoff headshot

Michelle Morales Denisoff

Liona Enterprises

Liona Enterprises, Inc. is a certified 8a, minority woman owned (WOSB/EDWOSB), HUBZone small business providing full-service information technology solutions. She started the company in January of 2015 and is responsible for providing strategic leadership and oversight of all operations and business activities to ensure they produce the desired results and are consistent with the overall strategy and mission of the company. Michelle actively works with the board and other management within Liona to establish long-range goals, strategies, plans and policies.

In 2001, Michelle graduated from Loyola Marymount University with a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration. She received her Masters in Business Administration in Global Management from Pepperdine University. Through the University of Oxford, she is received a certificate in Global Management and through Dartmouth College, she received a certificate in Building a High Performance Minority Business.

Chrisopher Che headshot

Christopher Che

Che International Group, LLC

Christopher Che is President and CEO of the Che International Group, LLC (CIG), which he founded in 2005. CIG is a multi-national holding company that identifies, acquires, supports, and grows scalable subsidiary companies in diverse industries through startups, strategic acquisitions, joint ventures, and alliances, to help customers maximize supply chain diversity while promoting supply chain excellence. Christopher is an accountant by profession and a veteran Senior Financial Executive with over 35 years of vast and dynamic business management experience.

Consistent with his vision to influence global supply chain excellence, Christopher founded Transworld Supply Network (TSN) in 2018 and Transworld Delivery Corporation (TDC) in 2020. Originating primarily as a medical supplies, products, and equipment company, TSN has evolved into an innovative central marketplace, a multi- product, multi-division, multi-industry business-to-business, and global supply sourcing enterprise.

Christopher’s community involvement includes serving as a member of President (Obama)’s Council on Jobs and Competitiveness from 2011 to 2012, board member of the Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council, the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber of Commerce, the African American CEO Roundtable of Cincinnati, the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland, the Dayton Area Business Advisory Council, and chairing the Ohio Minority Business Input Committee for all Ohio Minority Companies. Professional, business and civic awards and honors include the President’s Award from the Ohio Minority Supplier Development Council in 2013, the “Outstanding American by Choice” Award in 2012 from the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) at the recommendation of the White House (this is the highest award presented to immigrants by the Department of Homeland Security), induction into the Association of Ohio Commodores in 2011 by Ohio Governor Kasich; the Cameroon Professional Society (CPS) 2011 Distinguished Leadership Award; the Dayton Business Journal 2010 “Executive of the Year” Award; and the Dayton Business Journal’s 2010 Top 10 Most Influential People in the Greater Dayton Region.

Christopher earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Accounting with a minor in Computers from Wilmington College-Ohio in 1985 and a Master’s of Accountancy degree from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in 1986. He resides in Cincinnati, Ohio, with his wife Rose and is the proud father of two sons and one daughter.

Tom Fernandez headshot

Tom Fernandez

Immediate Past Board Chair

As CEO of Elevar Design Group, Mr. Fernandez is the driving force behind the company’s innovative and creative design solutions. He is responsible for directing projects and facilitating the work of teams at all levels of the design process. Mr. Fernandez is member of the Society of American Registered Architects. In recent years, Mr. Fernandez has served as a member of former Mayor Cranley’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Council and co-chair of the Task Force on Immigration. He is a Board Member of the Dayton Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and is actively involved with the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Greater Cincinnati. He also serves as a Board Member for the Cincinnati Museum Center as well as Area 7 – a Workforce Development Board in Ohio that aims to achieve and sustain economic prosperity. Tom is a member of the Business Advisory Committee for the City of Cincinnati and is a PIA steering committee member for The Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur.

Shakila Ahmad headshot

Shakila Ahmad

Board Chair

Shakila T Ahmad is an enthusiastic community leader who has dedicated herself to numerous civic and community causes, building peace and understanding for 25 years. She most recently served 5 years as Chair and President of the Board at the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati (ICGC), being the first woman to serve in this capacity at such an institution across the country. She simultaneously has had a professional career and serves as the director of management at the Allergy & Asthma Specialty Center.

An active member of ICGC’s board of trustees since 1995, Ahmad was the first female and the youngest to serve at that time. She established ICGC’s Tours and Talks program to educate neighbors, law enforcement personnel, businesses, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, the community and its leaders about Islam and Muslims. This education and outreach initiative has reached over 100,000 people in all its forms. She spearheaded the ‘A Visit to a Mosque in America’ educational DVD produced to increase understanding of Islam and the Muslim community in the United States. This award winning short film has aired internationally and continues to be used in academia, business, faith communities and law enforcement today as an educational resource.

Ahmad is founding chair of ICGC’s Muslim Mothers Against Violence initiative. Along with other members, she brings people of all faiths together to explore peaceful and constructive means of conflict resolution. She and other members have led many sessions, created and distributed educational materials on bullying prevention, including a Bullying Prevention Guide that she helped to co-author. The guide available to educators and community organizations through www.ing.org. She is a dedicated supporter of interfaith and outreach efforts, and has served as board chair of BRIDGES for a Just Community (old NCCJ) and subsequent human relations work under EQUASION. Though her groundbreaking work began pre 9/11, she stepped up these efforts through law enforcement cultural competency and being instrumental in working to set up an FBI MultiCultural Advisory Task Force to better serve needs of minority communities in their relationship with the FBI. She was recognized at the national level with the FBI Community Leadership award in DC by then FBI director Robert Mueller. She has continued this peace and understanding building work in the face of many challenging environments. She currently serves on the Muslim Jewish Advisory Council (MJAC) composed of national leaders focusing on strengthening hate crimes legislation and celebrating the contribution of Jewish and Muslim Americans while building understanding.

In addition to COMPASS Cincinnati, Ahmad has or currently serves on numerous executive board of directors including the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, the Ohio Humanities Council, Islamic Networks Group, YWCA Greater Cincinnati, the United Way of Greater Cincinnati, the Xavier University and University of Cincinnati Foundation where she has been instrumental in helping set up the Malik Islamic Studies Professorship at the College of Arts and Sciences, setting the stage for educating generations to come.

Shakila is sought by numerous community organizations to be a voice at the table which is often not represented. These have ranged from search team for a University President, to hiring a new regional Police Chief, to helping establish/serve on Diversity & Inclusion teams at major school districts, to being on the Advisory Board for a major health and hospital network to name a few.

She has been blessed with a number of awards including Cincinnati Enquirer Woman of the Year 2001, Women to Watch 2014, Lighthouse Beacon of Light Humanitarian Award, Leadership Cincinnati Distinguished Alumni 2015, Hebrew Union College Friendship Award 2016, YWCA Racial Justice award 2018 and was humbled with an honorary PhD by Mount St. Joseph University 2019.

Shakila is married to Dr. Masood Ahmad. They have three adult children and delighted to have their first grandchild.

Mayor Aftab Pureval headshot

Mayor Aftab Pureval

Mayor, City of Cincinnati

Aftab Pureval is the 70th Mayor of Cincinnati. He was raised in Southwest, Ohio, the son of first-generation Americans. He is making history as Cincinnati’s first Asian American Mayor. As Mayor, he is committed to serving Cincinnati’s 52 neighborhoods. He has made equitable economic growth a top priority of his administration, as well as a comprehensive reform and improvement of public safety, affordable housing, and environmental action.

He served as Hamilton County Clerk of Courts from 2016 to 2021 and was the first Democrat to hold this office in over 100 years. During his tenure, he brought modern and professional reforms to the Clerk’s office. He paid a living wage to all employees and become the first county officeholder in Ohio to offer comprehensive paid family leave. By ending nepotism, by cutting waste, and by making the office more professional, he saved taxpayers millions of dollars.

Mayor Aftab graduated from The Ohio State University and the University of Cincinnati for law school. He resides in Clifton with his wife, Whitney, and their son, Bodhi.

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Jane Muindi

Program Director

Jane is currently the Program Director for Cincinnati Compass, where she focuses on managing and coordinating programs to advance the economic, social, and civic inclusion of immigrants and refugees throughout the Cincinnati region. In her role, she facilitates access to opportunities and resources that support the growth and belonging of immigrant, refugee, and international communities. Additionally, she develops, coordinates, and manages programs and community engagement strategies, with a particular emphasis on workforce and small business development, civic engagement, and inclusive policies and practices. Jane also plays a key role in building strategic relationships and partnering efforts with relevant organizations to fulfill Cincinnati Compass’s mission and impact objectives, thereby contributing to the creation of an inclusive welcoming infrastructure in the Cincinnati region.

Outside of her professional responsibilities, Jane actively serves the Greater Cincinnati region through various leadership roles in cultural, healthcare, and social organizations. She has served on the board of Girls on the Run, is a sustaining member of the Junior League of Cincinnati, and serves as a Girls in STEM (GIS) Advisory Board Member at iSPACE, demonstrating her commitment to women’s empowerment. Furthermore, Jane is a lifetime member of the African Professionals Network (APNET) and has held numerous leadership positions within the organization. She also contributes her expertise to the OneSource Center for Nonprofit Excellence by assisting client organizations with operational issues, strategic challenges, and leadership development concerns.

Jane holds a Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems and a Master’s degree in Health Informatics from Northern Kentucky University.

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Bryan Wright

Executive Director

Bryan Wright currently serves as the Executive Director for Cincinnati Compass. Bryan is a dedicated connector and collaborator committed to inclusion, equity, and community building. His work focuses on creating a more welcoming and inclusive region for immigrants and refugees.  In his role as Executive Director, he advocates for social and economic inclusion; connects individuals and organizations to resources and to each other to build capacities and opportunities; and celebrates the cultural and economic contributions of immigrants and refugees in the Cincinnati region.

Most of his professional career has been dedicated to working with immigrant and refugee communities to build social, civic, and economic power. Additionally, he works with communities and organizations to improve access to education, employment, small business support, legal services, and health care, while advocating for more inclusive and welcoming policies and practices. Currently, Bryan serves on the boards for Interact for Health, Refuge Collaborative, the Workforce Council of Southwest Ohio, and Vibrant Ohio. Recently, he was appointed to Hamilton County’s Economic Inclusion Advisory Council.

He is the former Manager of International Student Affairs at Cincinnati State Technical & Community College, working with current and potential students, regardless of immigration status, and worked for several years in refugee resettlement in Nashville, Tennessee as a Case Manager and an Employment Manager. He holds a Master’s degree in International Studies from Florida International University and a PhD in Geography from the University of Cincinnati. His doctoral research focused on immigration, immigrant representation, and urban regeneration in the Cincinnati region.