Alaa Shaheen has over 30 years of experience in international development projects across the MENA region, including Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, and Tunisia. He specializes in local governance decentralization, civic participation, youth empowerment, refugee support, and civil society strengthening. Alaa has designed and implemented development projects funded by USAID, World Bank, European Commission, and GIZ. He excels in business development, proposal writing, fundraising, and monitoring and evaluation. Alaa has worked directly with marginalized communities, including youth, women, and refugees, providing improved livelihoods and essential services. He has trained over 5,000 participants in professional skills across the MENA region and beyond. Alaa holds a master’s degree in Construction Management from Brighton University, UK, and a bachelor’s degree in Construction Engineering from the American University in Cairo.

Sami Shaheen is a development specialist with a master’s degree in philosophy from the University of Glasgow and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the American University in Cairo. He is currently engaged in a 5-year research project titled “Beyond Neoliberalism: Voices from the Middle East and North Africa,” funded by the Ford Foundation. His research emphasizes transformative economic development through industrial policy, innovation, and knowledge economy. Sami also leads the Giving Circle – MENA initiative, advocating for radical collaboration, consensus, and political discernment to find the best solutions.

Marina Daniel is a seasoned consultant and the head of the Business Development Unit at Aspire Community Transformation, part of Aspire for Consulting International. She holds a Master’s degree in Political Science from the British University in Egypt, specializing in gender mainstreaming, and is currently pursuing a PhD in Law and Politics at Unicaf in Zambia, focusing on the increasing social exclusion of refugees in the Middle East, and particularly Lebanon.
Marina also works with Giving Circles-MENA as a consultant where she utilizes her business development skills to promote for critical causes in our Middle East. By far, Marina has worked on tailoring membership plans, communication and social media strategy and reaching out to potential philanthropists.
Marina's expertise include developing curricula on refugee inclusion and social cohesion, creating SOPs for volunteer management, designing training programs on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and crafting content for proposal writing. She is passionate about creating positive social impact, focusing on reducing inequalities, ending poverty, providing quality education, and achieving gender equality in the Middle East.

Christen Anwar is a seasoned professional with over ten years of experience in project management, operations, and education. Her expertise also includes team leadership and operational efficiency, coupled with a strong understanding of customer service and business development. Christen is adept at building and motivating high-performing teams, streamlining processes, and achieving impactful results. She is passionate about contributing to organizational growth and creating a positive and productive work environment.