Host: Fionnghuala “Fig” O’Reilly

Fionnghuala “Fig” O’Reilly is a television correspondent for the award-winning STEM television series, Mission Unstoppable on CBS. The Irish and American engineer and women in stem advocate made history as the first woman of color to represent Ireland at an international beauty pageant. In 2019, Fig won the Miss Universe Ireland title and represented the country at the Miss Universe competition. Fig obtained her B.S in systems engineering from the Washington University, and after graduating, became a NASA Datanaut, working within the agency’s Open Innovation program comprised of engineers and scientists who engage with NASA’s open data. As a science communicator, she has worked with NASA and the European Space Agency to cover various space and Earth science missions, including the 2019 InSight mission to Mars, the historic all-female spacewalk, and Ireland’s very first satellite launch to space. Fig is the founder of Space to Reach, an organization of over 200 women that is dedicated to closing the opportunity gap for Black and Brown women in STEM. Additionally, Fig works with Engineers Ireland and the White House Historical Association as an ambassador to support education for the next-generation. In 2023, Fig was awarded the Trailblazer Award at the Diversity in Tech Awards in partnership with J.P. Morgan.

Find Fig @FigOreily

Amy Shoenthal

Amy Shoenthal is a journalist, marketing consultant, and author of The Setback Cycle, a book about how today’s prominent founders and leaders overcome obstacles to find success. In her years spent profiling these leaders for outlets like Forbes and Harvard Business Review, nearly every discussion revealed a common theme: what they learned during their biggest setbacks led them to their most successful ventures. That’s the answer Amy searched for as she researched this phenomenon, speaking with executive coaches, neuroscientists, and psychologists to come up with a framework that helps people identify setbacks and work through them. Told through the stories of leaders like Robin Arzón, Reshma Saujani, Norma Kamali, Stacy London and others, Amy takes people through this common experience in a way that enables them to understand it, address it, and come out the other side with a renewed sense of growth and a clear vision. Amy also boasts a two-decade marketing career, working with some of the world’s largest brands, from Procter & Gamble to Google. Now, through her consulting firm, Visionaries Collective, she works with founders, corporations, nonprofits and small businesses to shape their brand narratives and captivate audiences through strategic storytelling. After completing The Setback Cycle, she began working with organizations to help their employees and managers confidently lead through tumultuous times, offering the tools to help their teams navigate their own inevitable setbacks together. Amy previously wrote a local children’s book about the independent-owned businesses in her own beloved neighborhood of Sunnyside, Queens, where she lives with her husband and daughter.

Find Amy @AmySho

Doncel Brown

Doncel Brown’s journey from the tech industry to the forefront of fashion is a testament to the power of passion and determination. With no formal training, he embarked on a remarkable odyssey, guided solely by his creativity and vision. Leaving behind the familiarity of technology, Doncel ventured into uncharted territory, driven by an unwavering desire to make a difference.

Fueled by his innate curiosity for innovation and conversations, Doncel founded Generation Typo, a brand that transcends mere apparel, aiming to foster meaningful connections across generations. Drawing inspiration from his own experiences and observations, he set out to challenge the status quo, infusing his designs with a profound sense of purpose.

His relentless dedication and willingness to embrace risk propelled Generation Typo to unprecedented heights, culminating in a triumphant showcase at New York Fashion Week.

The invitation to Paris Fashion Week marked a pivotal moment in Doncel’s career, affirming his place among the industry’s elite. For Doncel, fashion is more than just fabric and thread; it’s a medium through which he can inspire change and spark meaningful conversations.

Doncel’s story is a testament to the transformative power of following one’s passion and embracing the unknown with courage and conviction. As he continues to break new ground and push the boundaries of fashion, he inspires countless others to pursue their dreams relentlessly, reminding us all that with dedication and perseverance, anything is possible.

Find Doncel @DoncelBrown

Alireza Jafarzadeh

Mr. Alireza Jafarzadeh, a well-known author, Middle East commentator, and a prominent Iranian dissident figure, is best known for revealing the major nuclear sites of Iran. His 2002 and 2003 revelations in uncovering the illicit nuclear weapons program of Iran triggered the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to begin, for the first time, the inspections of Iranian sites.

Mr. Jafarzadeh is the author of The Iran Threat (Palgrave MacMillan; New York 2008) and is an accomplished analyst, frequently appearing on major television and radio broadcasts, including CBS-Evening News, CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC, writing for or being quoted in acclaimed news outlets such as Washington Post, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, and Reuters, and speaking in various forums, including on Capitol Hill and major universities across the United States.

Mr. Jafarzadeh has advocated for democracy, women’s rights, and human rights. He is the Deputy Director of the US Representative Office of the National Council of Resistance of Iran(NCRI-US), which endorses the Ten-Point Plan for the Future of Iran and has gained bi-partisan majority support in U.S. Congress as well as thousands of parliamentarians around the globe. The platform calls for the universal right to vote, free elections, a market economy, and separation of religion and state, and advocates gender, religious, and ethnic equality, a foreign policy based on peaceful coexistence, peace in the Middle East, and a nonnuclear Republic of Iran.

Karen Vallejos Corrales

Karen Vallejos Corrales is an experienced advocate for the immigrant community.  Her commitment to immigrant rights includes advocacy and leadership that challenges systemic inequities in education. After witnessing the 2010 collapse of the federal DREAM Act, she was one of the founding members of the Dream Project. The mission of the Dream Project is to empower students whose immigration status creates barriers to education by working with them to access and succeed in college through scholarships, mentoring, and scholar, alumni, and family support. 

Karen earned her Juris Doctorate from the Washington and Lee School of Law and possesses a Bachelor of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts in History from Southwestern Adventist University. Her expertise spans nonprofit leadership, governance, and legal and policy research.

Kanika Gupta

Kanika Gupta is an internationally recognized artist and entrepreneur who uses her practice to create dialogue and human connections to bring us to a more inclusive world. Through multi-modal and sensory based work, Kanika is passionate about engaging public audiences with art in ways that are meaningful to them.

Kanika is named among Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women.

Her work can be seen at www.byKanika.com