Community

The Forum of Young Global Leaders is a community of innovators from diverse backgrounds and experiences. Search current members and alumni by year awarded, sector or region.

Orenzo "Perry" Hollowell

Head of Equities and Sustainable Investing, CFI Partners, USA

Perry Hollowell has over 15 years in the financial services industry and a passion for investing for profit and purpose. As the Head of Equities and Sustainable Investing at CFI Partners, he oversees public and private equity impact strategies aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals and the integration of ESG best practices across the firm’s fixed income and equity portfolios.

In his prior role as a Managing Director at Guggenheim Partners, Perry managed over $750 million in equity derivative strategies. While at Guggenheim, Perry was instrumental in establishing the firm’s Social Justice Initiatives Operating Committee, which seeks to invest in and support minority-owned businesses. Before Guggenheim, Perry was a Vice President at Goldman Sachs in the firm’s internal hedge fund, Principal Strategies. As a portfolio manager specializing in global macro investment strategies, he invested across asset classes and the capital structure of companies.

Perry has a Bachelor of Science in accounting and finance from Georgetown University and a Master of Business Administration with concentrations in econometrics and statistics from The University of Chicago, Booth School of Business. He is a charterholder of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), Chartered Market Technician (CMT), Chartered Alternative Investments Analyst (CAIA), and EFFAS Certified ESG Analyst (CESGA) designations. Perry has also completed the CFA Institute’s Certification in ESG Investing, the Sustainability and Climate Risk (SCR) certification, and is an IFRS Fundamentals of Sustainable Accounting (FSA) credential holder.

The World Economic Forum has recognized Perry as a Young Global Leader in 2022. He is an alumnus of the Robert Toigo Foundation Fellowship and a 40 Under 40 honoree.

Perry currently serves on the boards of the Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic Chapter, the Smithsonian’s D.C. Regional Council, and the Smithsonian's Anacostia Community Museum. He is an advisor to Silver Lining Finance, which believes there is no better risk than small businesses and Beyond the Billion (launched as the Billion Dollar Fund for Women). In his spare time, Perry enjoys struggling through boxing workouts, staying on his wife’s good side, and teaching his son how to be a kind human being.

Jukay Hsu

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Pursuit, USA

Jukay Hsu is the co-founder & CEO of Pursuit, whose mission is to create transformation where it’s needed most. Pursuit’s programs increase participant incomes from $18,000 to $85,000 by equipping them with software engineering skills and enabling them to get jobs and create leaders reflective of the diversity in our society. Jukay graduated from Harvard College with a degree in economics and then served as a U.S. Army officer where he commanded a rifle platoon in Iraq and earned the Bronze Star Medal. Jukay served as the youngest member of New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s Transition Team and Jobs Task Force. He currently serves as a Director of the New York City Water Board, the Vice-Chair of Friends of the Brooklyn Queens Connector, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Partnership for New York City Foundation.

Mei Mei Hu

Chief Executive Officer, Vaxxinity, USA

Mei Mei is the CEO of Vaxxinity and a member of the executive committee of United Biomedical, Inc. She oversaw the launch of one of the first endobody vaccines in the world and the successful spin-out of three companies. Mei Mei was formerly a consultant at McKinsey & Company where she advised pharmaceutical companies on strategic, operational and organizational issues. Prior to that, Mei Mei was in the Securities group at Cravath, Swaine and Moore. Mei Mei is also co-founder of an investment and advisory group with active investments in real estate, energy and life sciences. She was named to Time 100 Next list, Fortune 40 under 40, and Young Global Leaders of World Economic Forum. She holds a B.A. from University of Pennsylvania and her J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Caroline Blanch Israel

Managing Director and Partner, Boston Consulting Group, USA

Caroline Blanch Israel is a Managing Director and Partner at Boston Consulting Group. As a leader within the firm’s Consumer Practice, she works with some of the world’s leading consumer goods companies and retailers, specializing in the role of e-commerce, data and analytics to transform how people transact, work and live. Caroline is a deep believer in the power of technology and data to drive change and our collective responsibility to harness these for social and economic good. Outside of her work in digital and retail, Caroline chairs the People functions for BCG Australia & New Zealand and champions Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for BCG Asia Pacific, working to further representation, affiliation and community engagement including LGBTQIA+, cultural diversity and disability inclusion. She has been recognized as an INvolve HERoes Role Model for future women leaders in business. Caroline holds a Master in Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School and a Law degree from the University of Melbourne, where she was awarded the law school’s highest honour, the Supreme Court Prize.

Omayra Issa

News Anchor, CPAC, Canada

Omayra Issa is an award-winning News Anchor at Canada's CPAC. Highly skilled in television, radio, digital and investigative journalism, she is one of the best-known journalists working in Canada today. As a leader in journalism, her work has received several awards, including a national Radio Television Digital News Association Award, which recognizes the best in Canadian journalism, and a Digital Publishing Award. Her work leading national conversations on diversity and inclusion has been recognized across Canada. Highly sought-after as a moderator, she has facilitated hundreds of high-level panel discussions in French and English in Canada and worldwide, including at the African Union. Issa is fluent in five languages.

Jessica Jackson

Chief Advocacy Officer, Reform Alliance, USA

Jessica Jackson’s quest for justice began in a Georgia courtroom. The high-school dropout held her two-month-old daughter and watched helplessly as her husband was sentenced to six years in prison. In that moment, she decided to turn her shock into a crusade to change the justice system. As a single mother, she graduated college and law school. Today she is a leader in the bipartisan movement to end excessive incarceration. Jessica’s specialty is bringing political rivals together to pass bills considered “impossible.” As the bill’s main advocate, she led the drive to pass 2018’s “First Step Act.” The New York Times called the law “the most substantial justice reform in a generation;” it has already helped free more than 16,000 people. While leading her national initiative, #cut50, Jessica helped ban the shackling of jailed pregnant women in 14 states. Her “Dignity for Incarcerated Women” campaign enlisted formerly incarcerated women and dozens of celebrities to deepen the focus on women’s issues. At the helm of #cut50, Jessica built the biggest national grassroots network for bipartisan reform, #cut50’s Empathy Network. Jessica has led not only on the national level, but was also elected the youngest-ever Mayor of Mill Valley, California where she focused on affordable housing. Today, she now helps lead the REFORM Alliance, an organization where she is continuing her work to end mass incarceration and mass supervision. Jessica continues to take clemency cases as well, working on both the federal and state level to secure a second chance for individuals who have lengthy prison sentences. Jessica turned her hopelessness into hope for millions.

Karen Karniol-Tambour

Co-Chief Investment Officer, Bridgewater Associates, USA

Karen Karniol-Tambour is Co-Chief Investment Officer at Bridgewater Associates, responsible for managing the company’s investment process. Karen oversees the systemization of Bridgewater’s research into trading strategies, manages the development of proprietary investment management models, directs the design and implementation of client investment strategies, and publishes timely market understanding to clients and global policy makers via Bridgewater’s Daily Observations. She also co-leads the firm’s Sustainable Investing efforts, overseeing the design of new investment solutions with both financial and sustainability objectives. Karen joined Bridgewater in 2006 after graduating from Princeton University. She serves on the boards of Search for Common Ground and Seeds of Peace. Karen is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, was included in Fortune’s "40 Under 40" most influential leaders in business in 2019, and has been named to Barron's list of "Most Influential Women in US Finance" for three years in a row.

Matthew Katz

Global Head, Data Science, Blackstone Group, USA

Matthew Katz is a Senior Managing Director and the Global Head of Data Science for Blackstone. He leads Blackstone’s team of data scientists and in this capacity partners with management teams and operators to accelerate growth across Blackstone’s portfolio companies by leveraging data science. He and his team additionally work closely with Blackstone’s investment teams to provide a differentiated viewpoint through advanced analytics during the investment process.
Before joining Blackstone in 2015, Mr. Katz was a Vice President at Point72 Asset Management where he focused on data science and investing. He began his career at Credit Suisse.
Mr. Katz graduated with honors from Princeton University. He serves on the advisory board of Virginia Tech’s Academy of Data Science and is on the Blackstone Charitable Foundation Leadership Council.

Brian Kaufmann

Head, Private Equity; Portfolio Manager; Member of the Management Committee, Viking Global Investors, USA

Mr. Kaufmann is the Head of Private Equity and a Portfolio Manager for Viking Global Investors, LP, a global investment firm that manages over $40 billion. He is also a member of the firm's Management Committee. From 2010 to 2016, Mr. Kaufmann was a public equity Portfolio Manager and Investment Analyst responsible for investment ideas in the healthcare and life sciences sector. From 2005 to 2008, Mr. Kaufmann was an Associate at TA Associates, where he was responsible for originating, researching and executing private equity investments in the healthcare and business services sectors. From 2003 to 2005, he was an Investment Banking Analyst in Merrill Lynch's Mergers and Acquisitions Group. Mr. Kaufmann is a graduate of Harvard Business School, where he received an MBA and was a Baker Scholar, and of Cornell University, where he received a B.S. in applied economics and business management, magna cum laude. In 2021, he was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

Conrod Kelly

Managing Director, MSD, USA

Conrod Kelly is an award-winning marketer and industry leader, as well as a published author and sought-after speaker. Conrod’s tenure at Merck includes commercial leadership of the Diabetes, Anesthesia, Surgery, and Alzheimer’s Franchises. He is currently serving as Merck’s first Executive Director of Health Equity, leveraging data, digital solutions, partnerships, and policy frameworks to improve health outcomes and driving sustainable business and societal value. Prior to joining Merck, Conrod held roles at Johnson & Johnson in diabetes and GlaxoSmithKline in vaccines. In 2020, Conrod was recognized by Medical Marketing & Media’s inaugural 40 Under 40 in Healthcare. His work on the film A Touch of Sugar was a finalist for 33 industry awards and winner of 15. He also received the United Nations SDG Media Award and Top Black in Healthcare Award from the George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. Conrod serves on the SDOH Taskforce and the Global Futures Council at the World Economic Forum. He received his MBA and BS from Florida A & M University and has continued his executive education at The Wharton School at UPenn and Duke University.

Ibram X Kendi

Director, Center for Antiracist Research, Boston University, USA

Dr. Ibram X. Kendi is a National Book Award-winning author of fifteen books for adults and children, including nine New York Times bestsellers—five of which were #1 New York Times bestsellers. Dr. Kendi is the Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the Humanities at Boston University, and the director of the BU Center for Antiracist Research. He is a contributing writer at The Atlantic and a CBS News racial justice contributor.

Dr. Kendi is the author of Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America, which won the National Book Award for Nonfiction, making him the youngest author to win that award. He also authored the international bestseller, How to Be an Antiracist, which was described in the New York Times as “the most courageous book to date on the problem of race in the Western mind.” Dr. Kendi’s other bestsellers include How to Raise an Antiracist; Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019, co-edited with Keisha Blain; How to Be a (Young) Antiracist, co-authored with Nic Stone; Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, co-authored with Jason Reynolds; and Antiracist Baby, illustrated by Ashley Lukashevsky. In 2020, Time magazine named Dr. Kendi one of the 100 Most Influential People in the world. He was awarded a 2021 MacArthur Fellowship, popularly known as the Genius Grant.

Smriti Kirubanandan

Growth and Strategic Partnership Executive, HLTH Forward, USA

Smriti has a strong background in robotics and public health and currently serves as a Director, Healthcare at TATA Consultancy Services, where she focuses on driving significant transformations within the healthcare ecosystem, concentrating on customer experience, Intelligent automation, digital analytics, and insights, and is determined to make healthcare more accessible and affordable. She is also the Head of Strategic Marketing for Healthcare and Lifesciences, North America, where she drives brand development, thought leadership, and market research. Smriti serves on the Board of the World Food Bank and as a Vice Chair for the American College of Healthcare Executives, Southern California.

An empathetic and innovative strategic policy advisor has helped organizations globally to build the capacity to empower people to engage in wellness programs and is responsible for educating small farmers in Africa to lift them out of poverty to improve food & nutrition insecurity, impacting 2 million people per year. In 2022, Smriti was appointed to serve the Los Angeles County food equity round table as a Nutrition & Policy Advisor to design and strategize programs to address food insecurity by educating and improving access and affordability to nutritious food. Smriti is also the founder of HLTH Forward Podcast- a space that hosts healthcare leaders, policymakers, and artists such as Bryan Adams,Dr. Joneigh Khaldun of CVS Health, and many others to discuss the challenges in the system and what we could do collectively to move healthcare forward.

Smriti has shared her thought leadership by speaking at The Adama Carolla show, SXSW, HLTH, and other national forums. She is a health news contributor at Medcity News and is featured on Washington Post, ABC News, Huffington Post, Times of India, The Hindu, VegNews, Medium, and Yahoo News.

Smriti holds her Bachelor of Science in Robotics, Master in Engineering Management from the University of Southern California, and Masters in Public Health from the University of California,Los Angeles, Certified Raw Vegan Chef and Nutritionist, and is currently in Fellowship with the American College of Healthcare Executives.