DANYA KARRAM, CFP

PRESIDENT | BRILLIANT ADVICE

Danya is a co-founder of Brilliant Advice, a financial planning and investment management firm. Her professional career has included working in accounting, finance, strategic planning, marketing and senior management. She has coached women on how to manage their finances as they face life changes. She has given lectures and workshops on personal finance, women in business and on how to develop diverse working environments.

Danya has served the Cincinnati community as a board member of Cincinnati YWCA, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Cincinnati Red Cross, The Economic Center of University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati Ballet and BRIDGES for a Just Community.  She has been active in many other organizations in the Cincinnati area, including Bridges of Faith Trialogue, Cincinnatus, Cincinnati Women’s Club, Cincinnati Art Museum, Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation, Alzheimer Association and Junior League of Cincinnati. 

Danya was chosen as one of The Cincinnati Enquirer’s Women of the Year for her charitable work, and she has been recognized by the Cincinnati Human Relations Commission and numerous community organizations.

James P. Buchanan, Ph.D

vice president | Director Emeritus Brueggeman Center for Dialogue at Xavier University

James is the Director Emeritus of the Brueggeman Center for Dialogue at Xavier University, which has partnered with over 90 organizations locally, nationally, and globally on interfaith, refugees, environment, foreign policy and neighborhood economic development.

His teaching and research have focused upon comparative religions, global ethics, interfaith dialogue and the application of intercultural values to a range of issues connected with globalization. Before coming to Xavier University, he taught at Bucknell University, the University of Chicago, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and held chairs at The Rochester Institute of Technology and Hamilton College.

James has delivered over 200 lectures and talks worldwide on issues ranging from interfaith relations; globalization; systems theory and global systems, refugee and immigration issues; comparative value systems; China and Chinese thought; ecology, and biotechnology. He has served on numerous editorial boards and been involved in NGO work worldwide.

His recent work in Cincinnati includes The Mayor’s Immigration Task Force, The Mayor’s Steering Committee for the Green Cincinnati Plan, Boards of RefugeeConnect, Bridges of Faith Trialogue, the Cincinnati Anti-Hate Coalition, and OMID. He is co-chair of the Foreign Policy Leadership Council. He has published articles and books on topics ranging from comparative ethics to the social and environmental impacts of technological change.

john stein

Treasurer | five stones investment group

John M. Stein is co-founder and Principal of Five Stones Investment Group. He was previously the co-founder and President of FSI Group LLC, a registered investment advisor with a specialization in the Financial Services sector. Between 1995 and 2020, he was the co-portfolio manager of that firm's equity hedge funds and its six private equity funds.

Over the past 20 years, Mr. Stein has served on the boards of various publicly traded and private banks and financial service companies. Prior to founding FSI, Mr. Stein served as a Vice President of Bankers Trust Company.

John is currently President of the Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati and serves on a number of other philanthropic boards.

Kurt L. grossman, Esq.

SECRETARY | RETIRED PARTNER | WOOD HERRON AND EVANS

Kurt L. Grossman was born in Youngstown, Ohio.  He graduated cum laude in 1978 from University of Cincinnati with a BS in Electrical Engineering, and graduated with honors in 1981 from George Washington University Law School.  Kurt served as a Technical Advisor to a Federal Appellate Judge from 1981 to 1983, after which he returned to Cincinnati. He practiced law for 30+ years, most as a Partner, with the Cincinnati patent/intellectual property law firm of Wood, Herron & Evans until retirement in 2014.

Kurt served on the Rights and Safety Committee of the Mayor’s Immigration Task Force, is Vice-President and Immigration Chair of the American Jewish Committee Cincinnati Region, is a member of the Immigration Task Force of the Catholic Diocese in Cincinnati, and is active with the Cincinnati Immigrant Dignity Coalition.

Kurt also serves as a Board member of the Jewish National Fund Ohio Valley, is an alum of the FBI Citizens Academy, tutors in Cincinnati Public Schools and at Scholar House/Brighton Center (Northern Kentucky), and collaborates with the Cincinnati Police Department and Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office on their policies in respect of foreign nationals.  Kurt is also a member of Downtown Cincinnati, Inc. and the Downtown Residents Council.

Karin goitman, esq.

Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL

Karin was born in Israel and moved to Cincinnati with her family, and prior to that, her family immigrated from Ukraine to Israel after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Karin received a bachelor’s degree in political science from Miami University. At Miami University, Karin was a founding member of the Israel Committee for Hillel and then worked as Vice President of Engagement. She was also involved with the Scholar Leader honors community, served as a Student Court Justice, and interned for a semester at the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C.

Karin has previously worked in eastern Ukraine with a humanitarian organization, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. In Ukraine, she developed the Jewish teen movement in the region and worked with internally displaced people. Upon returning to the United States, she worked as the Russian-speaking project consultant with the same organization.

Karin graduated cum laude in 2020 from American University Washington College of Law in Washington, D.C. During law school, Karin interned with a federal judge in the U.S. District Court for the South District of Ohio. She also worked extensively with civil rights organizations, including the Anti-Defamation League and the Human Rights Campaign. Karin was involved with the American University International Law Review, and served as President of the Jewish Law Student Association.

Currently, Karin is an attorney with the Mass Tort Settlement Trusts practice group at Keating Muething & Klekamp PLL in Cincinnati. She also volunteers with Russian-speaking Holocaust survivors and the ACLU-OH bail reform action team.

Jennifer grubbs, ph.d.

Antioch college

Jennifer Grubbs is a social justice activist and cultural anthropologist who has been engaged in community organizing, communications and outreach for nearly two decades. Her academic work reflects a deep commitment to engaging with and working to dismantle structures of violence through participatory-action research. Professionally, Jennifer has supported non-profits with the development of interpersonal and print communication, community engagement, and strategic initiatives.

Jennifer has worked extensively to support communities that face structural inequality. Her portfolio of nonprofit work includes a variety of local, national, and global organizations, including Annunciation House, Bethany House, Farm Sanctuary, Grace Place, Hope Border Center, Interfaith Hospitality Network of Greater Cincinnati, Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, Antioch College’s Books to Prisons Project, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the American Anthropological Association (AAA), and the National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA).

Jennifer is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Antioch College. Additionally, teaches courses inside Dayton Correctional Institution and works closely with people who are incarcerated that are working toward college degrees. She serves on several editorial boards and is a core member of the Gender and Sexuality Studies Collective with the Great Lakes College Association.

Michael g. hawkins, esq.

Dinsmore & Shohl LLP

Mike Hawkins is a partner in the Labor & Employment and Appellate Practice Groups at Dinsmore.   He has extensive experience in all aspects of labor, employment law and ERISA litigation and appellate practice.

Mike has argued two cases in the U.S. Supreme Court and many in-state and Federal Courts of Appeals. He has been selected by Best Lawyers as a top Labor & Employment lawyer every year since 1989. Mike is an arbitrator and mediator on the AAA panel.

​Mike has a special interest in humanitarian law. He currently serves as Secretary to the Board of Refugees International, where he has participated in advocacy trips to Pakistan, Thailand, Kenya, Jordan, and Philippines.  He served as Vice Chairman of the International Committee of the American Red Cross, where he attended various international conferences and visited Israel, Palestine, Vietnam and Cambodia on American Red Cross Missions.

He has served the Cincinnati community on the boards of the American Red Cross Cincinnati past Chapter Chair and Board Member, Cincinnati Human Relations Commission, United Way and Community Chest, National Conference for Community Justice, and the Cincinnati Bar Association.

Simon Svirnovskiy, Esq.

Frost Brown Todd

Simon Y. Svirnovskiy was born in Minsk, Belarus and immigrated to St. Louis in the United States with his parents as a refugee in 1993.  He graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Arts, with Highest Distinction, in 2012, majoring in Sociology and Political Philosophy, Policy, & Law.  While at UVA, he founded the school’s campus chapter of the ONE Campaign and volunteered with the International Rescue Committee and Bridging the Gap.  He worked in management consulting for two years in Boston and then graduated cum laude in 2017 from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, after which he moved with his wife to Cincinnati.  He has practiced law since 2017 as a Business Litigator with Frost Brown Todd.

 Simon is also a Partner and Coach with Social Venture Partners Cincinnati.  In law school, he volunteered with World Relief and the United African Organization at pro bono citizenship application workshops for Chicago community members.  He also published an article advocating for lawful permanent residents’ rights to remain in the United States.  When he arrived in Cincinnati, starting in September 2017 he helped organize citizenship and green card workshops with Refugee Connect, the Cincinnati Public Library, and the then-nascent IRLC.  He is also a volunteer attorney with the IRLC and Legal Aid of Cincinnati and has had the honor of representing clients seeking asylum and special immigrant juvenile status.  He was named one of Frost Brown Todd’s Pro Bono Lawyers of the Year in 2018. 

Sarah Topy, esq.

Proctor and Gamble

Sarah Topy is an Assistant General Counsel and Director in the Legal Division at Procter & Gamble. In that role, she is the North America counsel for Oral Care and Health Care businesses. Sarah is also an adjunct professor of law at the University of Cincinnati College of Law. She is on the Board of the Cincinnati Bar Foundation and Bigger than Sneakers. Sarah has also co-chaired United Way and ArtsWave community campaigns in 2021 and 2022. She is also a chair of this year’s Niehoff Gala for the Mercantile Library. Sarah is a former Women of the Year candidate with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, a Cincinnati Business Courier 40 under 40 recipient. She also serves as a Big Sister for Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Sarah is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati College of Law where she was the Executive Editor of the Law Review and graduated summa cum laude and Order of the Coif. She earned her undergraduate degree from The Ohio State University with honors in Liberal Arts and with distinction in Political Science. She currently lives in Mount Lookout.

Hon. Marilyn zayas

JUDGE, OHIO FIRST DISTRICT COURT OF APPEALS

Judge Marilyn Zayas was elected to the First Appellate District in 2016 and re-elected in 2018. She was honored to be selected to sit on an Ohio Supreme Court case in June 2018. After her election, Judge Zayas created the “Educating Tomorrow’s Leaders” program, an educational program for high school students. The program invites students to the Court of Appeals to interact with judges and attorneys, learn about the law, and inspire them to dream big. Judge Zayas is committed to promoting accessibility and accountability through student outreach and community forums.

Prior to joining the First Appellate District of Ohio, Judge Zayas served the community as an attorney for nearly 20 years. In 2001, she founded a private practice and built a strong reputation by successfully handling complex cases. She has an extensive legal background including: investor, business and family immigration law; intellectual property; labor and employment; criminal; and juvenile law. Judge Zayas has practiced in numerous courts, including state and federal trial and appellate courts.

As an attorney, she partnered with several law enforcement agencies on victims’ advocacy issues to develop best practices so that foreign-born victims would overcome their fears, report crimes, cooperate with the investigation of crimes, and appear for court proceedings. She has also served as an adjunct professor at her alma mater, the University of Cincinnati College Of Law and provided legal training to judges, magistrates, attorneys, and the Cincinnati FBI.

She is one of the 2019 YWCA Career Women of Achievement award recipients. In 2017, she received the prestigious University of Cincinnati College of Law Nicholas Longworth, III Alumni Achievement Award, and was awarded the LULAC Women's National Convention Service and Commitment Award in 2014. She currently serves on the board of Beech Acres Parenting Center and Ohio Supreme Court's Board of Character and Fitness.

Judge Marilyn Zayas grew up in a tough New York City neighborhood. Her dad worked in a printing shop and her mom worked as a seamstress in a garment factory. Judge Zayas overcame numerous obstacles to earn a college degree in computer science. She made Cincinnati her home in 1988 when she came to work for Procter & Gamble. She left P & G in 1994 to pursue her dream to become a lawyer. Judge Marilyn Zayas's family includes her three adult children and two adopted rescue dogs, Thor and Sparkle Lou.

Emily R. Cashell, Esq.

Emily is an attorney in Taft’s Employment and Labor Relations practice, focusing on immigration law. She advises clients across industries on a wide range of immigration matters, including temporary visas, permanent residence, and U.S. citizenship.

Prior to joining Taft, Emily practiced immigration law in Toronto, Canada. Active with the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), she serves as the Department of State Liaison Junior for the U.S. Consulate in Toronto.

Emily earned her J.D. from The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law. She received her B.S., magna cum laude, in psychology from The Ohio State University.

WALTER E. SPIEGEL, Esq.

Walter is Vice President/General Counsel & Chief Compliance Officer of Standard Textile Co., Inc., the leading global manufacturer and provider of reusable textile products for the healthcare and hospitality markets. He manages Standard Textile’s global legal and compliance functions as well as the company’s government relations efforts. Mr. Spiegel was previously employed as Senior International Trade Counsel for a Fortune 500 technology company and as a partner in a Washington, D.C. law firm.

Walter received his law degree from The University of Michigan Law School and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Emory University. He clerked for Judge Richard Freeman of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. He was a co-founder of the University of Cincinnati College of Law’s Institute for the Global Practice of Law and is a past President of the Southwest Ohio Chapter of the Association of Corporate Counsel.

Walter is a past President of the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) of Cincinnati and continues to serve on the JCRC board. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Jewish Council for Public Affairs, and has served on numerous other boards including the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, Rockwern Academy, and Camp Livingston.

Darlene Kamine

Community Learning Center Institute

Darlene Green Kamine, co-founder of the Immigrant and Refugee Law Center, is the founding Executive Director of the Community Learning Center Institute, a not for profit agency which is dedicated to the development of all schools as community learning centers, responsive to the vision and needs of each school and its neighborhood.   Previously she worked as a consultant to Cincinnati Public Schools to design, develop and implement the transformation of Cincinnati’s schools into community learning centers. Prior to her work with Cincinnati Public Schools, Kamine served for seventeen years as Magistrate of Hamilton County Juvenile Court where she organized the first dependency, neglect and abuse unit in the Court and overhauled practices and procedures which became the basis for new dependency law in Ohio.

Darlene is also the founder of ProKids, a nationally recognized child advocacy organization that provides volunteer guardians ad litem for abused, neglected and dependent children in the court system.  She was also a co-founder of the Children’s Museum of Cincinnati and served as the president of their board. Her devoted voluntarism includes her service as President of the Junior League of Cincinnati, President of the American Bar Association Institute for Child Advocacy, and service on the boards of the Playhouse in the Park, Ohio Children’s Trust Fund Board, Brandeis University, Seven Hills School, and many other philanthropic organizations.  She is also currently serving on the boards of Grad Cincinnati, MindPeace, Children’s Oral Health Network, and Growing Well Cincinnati.

Darlene is the author or editor of numerous publications and articles about the juvenile justice system and was an adjunct professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Law and Northern Kentucky University Chase College of Law. She has received numerous honors for her lifetime of professional and volunteer efforts on behalf of children.

John E. Pepper, Jr.

Retired Chairman and CEO, The Procter & Gamble Company

Mr. Pepper spent a 40-year career in various positions at Procter & Gamble, including Chief Executive Officer and Chairman from 1995 – 1999 and Chairman of the Board from 2000 – 2002. He served as Director of Procter & Gamble from 1984 – 2003 and President from 1986 – 1995.

John E. Pepper, Jr. currently serves as Director Emeritus of the Board of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and was CEO from January 2006 – May 2007. Mr. Pepper served as Chairman of the Board of the Walt Disney Company from January 2007 through March 2012 and had served as a member of its board since January 2006. He also served as Vice President of Finance and Administration at Yale University from January 2004 to December 2005.

Pepper has devoted important effort over the past 30 years to Early Childhood and Youth Development. He is a former member of the Cincinnati Preschool Program Board of Trustees. He was a founding supporter of Every Child Succeeds (which provides home visitation to at-risk 0-3-year-olds), and was a co-founder and currently is an honorary member of the board of the Cincinnati Youth Collaborative, one of the nation’s most successful mentoring and tutoring organizations.

Pepper graduated from Yale in 1960, where he served on the Board of the Yale Daily News. He served as Fellow of the Yale Corporation from 1995 – 2003, including two years as Senior Fellow.

A native of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, Mr. Pepper holds honorary doctorate degrees from Yale University, Xavier University, Mount St. Joseph College, St. Petersburg University Russia), the Ohio State University, the University of Cincinnati, and St. Joseph’s University.

Mr. Pepper and his wife Francie have four children and ten grandchildren and reside in Wyoming, Ohio.