Nasser Jaber, founder of The Migrant Kitchen Initiative, is originally from Ramallah, Palestine, and came to the United States as a university student studying economics and finance. Working in restaurants to pay for his degree, Jaber soon found that his true passion was food and that his talents would take him from waiting tables to training under the best chefs in New York City. Since 2012, he has worked with the US State Department in Turkey, Sweden, and Morocco to provide solutions to the refugee crisis through food, hospitality, and sustainable farming. Inspired by the intersection of immigration and food, Jaber opened the critically acclaimed Middle Eastern restaurant Mazeish, in Manhattan’s Lower East Side in 2015, which birthed Displaced Kitchens, a not-for-profit dinner series devoted to showcasing the diverse communities that are the backbone of the New York City food industry. In 2019, he cofounded The Migrant Kitchen, which gave life to The Migrant Kitchen Initiative.

Guillermo Martinez is the deputy director and intergovernmental liaison for the Institute on Immigrant Integration Research and Policy. He brings over 20 years of significant leadership, management, and communications experience in both the nonprofit and government sectors. During his time in the New York State Legislature, he served as the director of policy development for the New York State Assembly Task Force on New Americans and legislative and communications director for the New York State Assembly Puerto Rican/Hispanic Task Force, having served in that role as the longest tenured staffer in the organizations 35-year history. In those capacities, he helped research, draft, and negotiate over 200 pieces of legislation that are now state law, including programs such as the SUNY Hispanic Leadership Institute, the SUNY Office of Diversity Equity and Inclusion, the codifying of the Office of New Americans, the Immigration Services Fraud Prevention Act, the Idle-Free School Zone Act, Geriatric Mental Health Act, the Undocumented Immigrant In-State-Tuition Act, the School Energy Efficiency Collaborative Act, the establishing of the New York Latino Research and Resources Network (NYLARNet), and dozens of other laws, including consumer protection measures addressing online privacy, disaster preparedness, protecting children with disabilities, and the elderly. Prior to his time in the legislature, Martinez served as director of communications and legislative affairs for the Council of Community Services of New York State and worked at SUNY Oneonta’s migrant education program (ESCORT) assisting migrant farmworkers with the educational needs of their children in a region covering 23 states.

Dina Refki is the director of the Center for Women in Government & Civil Society (CWGCS) at the University at Albany. Refki studies and researches the interplay of gender with institutional structures in the US and international context. She applies gender mainstreaming and budgeting analysis from transnational perspectives. Prior to assuming leadership at CWGCS in 2009, she held different positions at the Center, including as director of the Immigrant Women & State Policy Program, which facilitated interagency collaboration, promoted dialogues with civil society and immigrant women at the state level, and worked to identify and address barriers to the integration of immigrant women in the social, economic, and political fabric of local communities. Refki studies the challenges of migration, the barriers facing immigrant women and their families, and the structural changes needed to better respond to the needs of immigrant women.

Asha Venugopalan is a PhD candidate at the Department of Political Science at Stony Brook University. Her research lies at the intersection of group identities, prejudicial attitudes, and political communication. Prior to joining the doctoral program, Venugopalan was a researcher in India, where she developed large public opinion surveys to capture the sociopolitical attitudes of citizens during the inter-election period. She also holds an MSc in political science and political economy from the London School of Economics.

Danielle Davis is the director for BIPOC business growth at The Capital Region Chamber. Davis has over 10 years of business experience, having started her business in Albany and learning the teething pains associated with such a venture. Before becoming an entrepreneur, she served 18 years in the military before resigning her commission at the rank of major. Her military service saw her not only specializing in logistics but also had appointments in administration and human resources. Her current role at The Capital Region Chamber gives targeted assistance to BIPOC businesses in the Capital Region. This assistance ranges from business coaching, assistance with minority- and/or women-owned business enterprise (MWBE) certification, connecting entrepreneurs to resources, and facilitating business-to-business networking. She is uniquely qualified for this role through her experience in both government and business.

Davis’s passion is philanthropy, and she is determined to help build BIPOC businesses in the region. She is also on the South Glens Falls Habitat for Humanity Board. Davis has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and many other military and civilian certifications in various fields.

Carlos Flores Figueroa is the vice president of business development at the Center for Economic Growth (CEG), a not-for-profit organization supporting manufacturing companies to improve their business management, commercial and production processes to enable productivity, sustainable growth, and innovation. Before joining CEG, Flores Figueroa founded his business consultancy firm Global CXS, LLC. His experience spans industrial applications and manufacturing processes. Previous roles include, vice president of sales and marketing for Cyanco International, LLC.; vice president of global marketing for Davis-Standard; global marketing director and country manager for General Electric (GE) Advanced Materials-Silicones (Momentive Performance Materials); regional sales manager for GE Water & Process Technologies; and sales manager for GE Plastics.

Flores Figueroa holds a diploma in executive top management from the PanAmerican Institute for High Business Management at Pan-American University, a bachelor of science in business management from Skidmore College, a Six Sigma Green Belt Certification, and over 30 courses in areas such as leadership development, strategic marketing, executive coaching, to name a few.

Ahyoung Kim is the director of economic empowerment at the Asian American Federation (AAF). Since 2019, she has spearheaded the Small Business Program, aiding Asian American small businesses through technical and marketing assistance, as well as comprehensive support. As a fierce advocate for immigrant small businesses, Kim actively engages with city, state, and federal authorities while collaborating with foundations and corporations to secure necessary backing for local enterprises. Her efforts aim to enhance access to crucial information and resources, advocate for equitable business practices, and drive commercial revitalization in Asian Americans and immigrant neighborhoods.

Under her guidance, AAF has extended its presence across key commercial hubs in Queens, as well as expanding its technical support initiatives across New York City and the state. A first-generation immigrant and descendant of small business owners herself, Kim resides in Jackson Heights, Queens, with her spouse, Scott, and their cat, Tommy.

Kristine Rudgers joined America’s Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) as a small business advisor in April 2023. As a small business advisor and member of the New York Small Business Development Center (NYSBDC) Lender Relations Committee, she helps educate and counsel small business customers on starting up their new business or expanding their existing business.

Prior to joining the SBDC, Rudgers worked in retail banking as a senior branch manager for 10 years. Her work focused on the credit/lending, financial management, and networking aspects with small business customers. In addition to her financial background, she assisted in operating a small family-owned business and understands the challenges many small business owners face. She has a strong passion for guiding business owners towards a path of success.

Rudgers holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational management from Roberts Wesleyan University and held board positions at the Greece Chamber of Commerce and Spencerport Rotary.

Senator Sean Ryan was elected to the New York State Senate in 2020, previously serving in the New York State Assembly. Senator Ryan proudly grew up in Lackawanna and graduated from the State University of New York at Fredonia and Brooklyn Law School.

His broad legal experience includes work for Neighborhood Legal Services, a private law practice collaboration with the Learning Disabilities Association of WNY, concentrating on the rights of disabled students, and the Legal Aide Bureau of Buffalo.

As an elected official, Senator Ryan has championed many different issues, including creating a fair economy for all, protecting taxpayer dollars, lowering taxes for middle-class families and small businesses, increasing investment in education, waterfront development, neighborhood redevelopment, and clean air, water, and environmental protection. He is currently the chairman of Senate Committee on Commerce, Economic Development, and Small Business.

Assemblymember Al Stirpe is a lifelong Central New Yorker, raised in Clyde, where his family owned and operated Albert’s Restaurant for over 25 years. Assemblymember Stirpe graduated from high school with honors and attended the University of Notre Dame, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in economics.

After college, Assemblymember Stirpe worked as a financial analyst for General Electric (GE) in Syracuse and eventually spun off GE’s Electronic Camera Operation to form CID Technologies, Inc.(CIDTEC). Assemblymember Stirpe was the company’s chief financial officer and fostered innovation in the company’s information systems and customer support. In 1994, CIDTEC was sold to Thermo Electron, a Fortune 500 company.

From there, Assemblymember Stirpe formed a new venture, Qube Software, Inc. As the company’s president, Assemblymember Stirpe brought Qube Software from a start-up business to a multimillion dollar company with 200 customers throughout the United States and Canada.

In his eight terms in the Assembly, Assemblymember Stirpe has been a powerful advocate for small business and economic development in Central New York, early intervention programs for children with developmental issues, universal pre-K, higher education, and environmental issues. He serves as the chair of the Assembly Standing Committee on Small Business.