Semiha Biyik (Cooking)
Semiha is from Turkey. Right after finishing the university, she moved to Myanmar and worked there as a teacher for 4 years.  She loved South East Asia so much that after Myanmar, I wanted to stay in the region for some more time and got a job in Cambodia. In 2019, she started to work at an amazing school located in Virginia, Pinnacle Academy, and have been work here for a year now.  She loves to be a part of big, colorful picture. Therefore, she enjoys volunteering in different organizations and attend multicultural social gatherings.

Br. Andrew Corriente (Cooking)
BrAndrew Corriente is a Capuchin Franciscan friar within the Catholic Church. He lives a life of prayer and service to the poor and is currently studying for the priesthood. During his free time, he cooks and bakes for the 30 friars he lives with. He recently won Season 5 of the Great American Baking Show: Holiday Edition. 

Nuvin Krishna Das (Meditation and Yoga)
Clergy and Religious Teacher: ISKCON of DC
Yoga Practitioner and spiritual counselor in the line of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Over 25 years of Bhakti yoga practices trained in the monastery of Jammu and Kashmir  India. Nuvin has led the Meditation session for the last 4 years at the DC interfaith Youth Summit.

Hladini (Race and Justice: Blacks and Minority Religious Communities)
Hladini was born into Vaishnavism to West African parents and was given her name at birth by HH Bhakti Tirta Swami. During childhood, she attended gurukul at the Gita Nagari temple, learning many things including Sanskrit writing, Bhagavad Gita verses, bhajans, and japa meditation as part of her early education. As an adult, Hladini credits her upbringing in the multicultural ISKCON movement for her ability to connect with and appreciate people from various cultural backgrounds and also with understanding of the importance of healthy, supportive communities.  

 

Utsav Chakrabarti (Race and Justice: Advocacy Against Religious Discrimination):
An architect by profession, Utsav Chakrabarti has been presenting the case of Hindu and other subaltern communities to thought-leaders in Washington DC for more than 18 years. An astute observer of geopolitical trends inside the Washington Beltway, his works have been presented to the lawmakers at the Capitol Hill and to representatives of the Human Rights Commission at the United Nation. Currently volunteering as the executive director of HInduPACT, utsav’s interest in geopolitics, socio-political movements and religions, stems from his exposure to the history of architecture, the built environment and its impact on peoples and civilization.

Johanna Mustafa (Race and Justice: Advocacy Against Religious Discrimination): Johanna Mustafa is the current Policy and Advocacy Manager at Poligon Education Fund. She closely monitors policy developments in Congress, and identifies opportunities for proactive responses. Johanna has a passion for civil rights work and social, racial, and economic justice. She brings years of experience in national and grassroots advocacy and organizing work with the American Muslim community. Prior to joining Poligon, Johanna served as an Advocacy Specialist for the National Network of Arab American Communities. She also led civic engagement campaigns with the Arab American Institute and the Arab American Civil Council.

 

Joseph Simons (Race and Justice: Advocacy Against Religious Discrimination): Joseph Simons is an associate with Gartner’s federal technology consulting practice and a U.S Navy Reserve Officer based out of Washington, DC. He also serves as a member of the American Jewish Committee’s ACCESS Washington, DC Board. Joseph brings fifteen years of experience as a military officer and civil servant focused on Middle East and national security issues throughout the U.S. Government and private sector. Joseph holds a master’s from The Fletcher School at Tufts University and a bachelor’s from McGill University. He is originally from Boston, MA.

Taniel Koushakjian (Faith and Community: Immigration):
Taniel Koushakijian is HAF’s Director of Public Policy, based in Washington, D.C. He earned a B.A. from Florida Atlantic University, and a M.A. fro
m The George Washington University. For the last 15 years, he has successfully advocated on Capitol Hill on a wide array of human rights, international religious freedom, U.S. foreign policy, and appropriations issues. Mr. Koushakjian was selected as a 2018-2019 Fellow with the Anti-Defamation League Glass Leadership Institute, a 2019 Fellow with the James Madison Institute, and is currently the Chair of the International Religious Freedom Roundtable’s South Asia Working Group.

Deborah Choi (Faith and Community: Immigration): Deborah Choi serves as the Equal Justice Works Fellow at Muslim Advocates. In this role, she challenges the ever-expanding denaturalization machine that is stripping Americans of their citizenship while also effectively redefining American citizenship to the exclusion of communities of color. Her focus is on dismantling the white supremacist conceptualization of citizenship and belonging that is embedded in our institutions and society. Deborah is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley and Berkeley Law.

Keynote Address: Rev. Jazmine Brooks
Rev. Jazmine Brooks, more affectionately known as Rev. Jaz, is the proud pastor of Macedonia AME Church in Accomac, Virginia. She serves as the Program Director for the Office of Inclusive Excellence at Mary Baldwin University and co-facilitates the African-American Religious History course with an emphasis on the lineage of resistance. Her work includes cross-cultural programming, leadership and professional development, civic, social, and community engagement, academic support, and advocacy.