Aimee Lopez | Science & Technology Sphere
As a Civil engineer & international project manager, and the founder of the non-profit, Heart-to-Heart Teens, Aimee Lopez has worked in Construction and Development over 20 years. A civil engineer graduate with an emphasis in Construction Management from the University of South California. Also certified from USC's Real Estate Planning and Development. Lopez's background includes program and construction management for data centers, school campuses, biotech, hospitals, and TI on Global and local projects.
Aimee Lopez leads with integrity, clarity and transparency. Recognized in her community and by clients for her leadership, mentoring and client support. Currently managing programs for Global Data Centers globally in MEP upgrades and construction. Aimee is also very active in her community by providing mentoring programs to at-risk teens and families. She founded a local non-profit serving families in leadership development, mentoring and life-skills. Recipient of the NFL 49ers Community Award for making a difference in her community.
Aimee's passion is to not only build buildings but also build lives!
Dora Kung | Ethnomusicology Track
Dr. Dora Hsiang-Ning Kung, a native of Taiwan, serves as an assistant professor at Dallas International University. She prepares cross-cultural workers in the area of ethnodoxology—a movement calling all people groups to worship the God in the Bible using their heart languages and culturally appropriate expressions. Dora was an international student in the US and joined International Friendships Inc. (IFI) in 2017.
Clement Mutambo | Government Sphere
Fellow, Wilberforce International Institute Clement has a Master's in International Peace and Conflict Resolution from American University's School of International Service and a bachelor's degree in Political Science from Nazareth University in Rochester, NY.
He works as a Private Sector and Foundations partnerships liaison for World Bank Group's External Corporate Relations (ECR) division, managing five external entities as a relationship manager.
As a peace and security officer for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) office in the United Nations, Clement assisted the peace and security liaison team in enhancing IOM engagements with various United Nations entities.
He interned with multiple think tanks, NGOs, and private sector entities, working as a research and marketing assistant, refugee advocacy, interfacing with congressional lawmakers on refugee matters seeking resettlement in the United States, and as a Criminal Intelligence analyst, focusing on human and labor trafficking in the Southeast Asian fishing industry.
He serves as President of the Associations of Zambians living in Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia, a non-profit organization that aims to enhance the community, social, and cultural development of Zambians residing in the United States.
He works as a Private Sector and Foundations partnerships liaison for World Bank Group's External Corporate Relations (ECR) division, managing five external entities as a relationship manager.
As a peace and security officer for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) office in the United Nations, Clement assisted the peace and security liaison team in enhancing IOM engagements with various United Nations entities.
He interned with multiple think tanks, NGOs, and private sector entities, working as a research and marketing assistant, refugee advocacy, interfacing with congressional lawmakers on refugee matters seeking resettlement in the United States, and as a Criminal Intelligence analyst, focusing on human and labor trafficking in the Southeast Asian fishing industry.
He serves as President of the Associations of Zambians living in Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia, a non-profit organization that aims to enhance the community, social, and cultural development of Zambians residing in the United States.
Melanie Henderson | Ethnomusicology Track
Melanie Henderson is a World Arts PhD student at Dallas International University. She serves as a Board Member of the Global Ethnodoxology Network, an organization of arts advocates, musicians, and artists from around the world. Melanie spent time living in southeast Asia, working with international and local students, families, and individuals in education, the arts, and worship ministry.
Damon Moon | Business Sphere
Damon spent the first decade of his career in management consulting helping tech clients find new business opportunities and improve their bottom line. Recently, he worked at Samsung, where he created an internal open innovation program called SamsungOpen. Currently, he is a lecturer at the Lucas College of Business in SJSU, teaching Global Dimensions of Business. Outside being a lecturer, he also runs a startup that helps college students make meaningful relationships with their classmates on their digital-first college experience. Damon holds a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Seoul National University, and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from UCLA Anderson. He lives with his wife, Joy, and his two kids, Jiho (12) and Teo (10), in the Bay Area. In his free time, he enjoys mountain biking and podcasting.
Nate Mirza | Mentorship Track
Nate Mirza grew up in Iran’s Assyrian Christian community and was educated in India from ages 9-17 before coming to the United States as an international student. In 1955, he entered into a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ as a freshman at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, California. He served with The Navigators in India, Lebanon and Iran for 15 years. Since 1977 he has worked among international students in Wisconsin and Colorado and trained people in international student ministry. He is a graduate of the Near East School of Theology in Beirut, Lebanon, and one of the founders of the Association of Christians Ministering among Internationals (ACMI).
As a result of visiting graduates who went back to their countries, he wrote Home Again: Preparing International Students to Serve Christ in their Home Countries. In 2021 he retired from The Navigators as an organization, but not from his calling as an ambassador of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is currently making a Podcast of his book Yearning for Peace. Nate and his wife Carol live in Sandpoint, ID. The two families have four daughters, eleven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
One of his favorite passages of scripture is Philippians 1:20-21: 20 I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
Some favorite things to do are writing and Proof Reading, visiting international students who have graduated and gone back to their countries, and sky diving.
Patricia Kriska | Christian Entrepreneurship Track
A Lecturer in Entrepreneurship from Southern Methodist University, Cox School of Business for over thirty years, Patricia Kriska has taught various for credit and non-credit Entrepreneurship courses at the Dallas campus and Entrepreneurship seminars in Romania, Ukraine, Belarus, Lithuania, Czech Republic, and Slovakia. Pat also owns the authorship of A Dowry In Lace, importer of European lace products, and works consulting for Dallas area entrepreneurs, specializing in business plan preparation.
Richard Mendola | Mentorship Track
Moy Soriano | Establishing a Christian Community Track
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Moy and his wife are catalyzing new work in the Pacific Northwest, USA. His desire is to see a great harvest of souls come to know Jesus as Lord, be baptized, and join a healthy community of disciples who go and make disciples. He also has a passion to see believers understand their call to be disciples whose purpose is to multiply. Moy loves to encourage and train Kingdom-minded believers to identify and grow in their God given gifts. His vision is to see a new network of house churches birthed wherever he goes. Moy is on staff with Biglife and is currently the interim director for Latin America. God has given him two languages and he loves using both languages for God’s Glory. |
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Danny Walker | Discipleship Track
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Danny and Cheryl Walker have served as IFI volunteers for 15 years. Married for over 40 years, Walkers have two children and four grandchildren. Walkers have hosted and mentored students from many countries for short stays as well as long term. As IFI National Discipleship Coordinator, Danny is leading IFI staff and volunteers (as well as students) to be faithful and fruitful in Jesus' Great Commission. Danny & Cheryl have a special passion for seeing Jesus glorified among the people of Nepal and India. |
Sandeep Thomas | Religion Sphere & Discipleship Track
Sandeep Thomas was born in Mumbai, India into a devout Christian community whose roots trace back to the early church founded in Kerala, India by Apostle Thomas in 52 AD. His own faith journey was a progression from teenage doubt, to exploring the various religions of India, to coming to the realization that God had uniquely revealed Himself in Jesus Christ.
Sandeep’s career spans both the marketplace and ministry worlds. He did his undergrad in Electrical Engineer. His life in the US took many unexpected turns with a string of challenges and powerful encounters with Christ. These life altering experiences of Christ’s love led him to a calling to full time ministry in 2002. For 15 years, Sandeep has been a Pastor and a missionary training others in sharing the Gospel with South Asians. He has been with ISI since 2013. He is currently pursuing a second Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy as God has been expanding his calling into new spheres of influence.
Since his journey in ministry, the question topmost in his mind has been, what does it mean to obey Christ? He has come to see “making reproducing disciples” as Christ’s central ask of His followers. Sandeep is married to Sonia and has one adult child Ahia, who is a nurse and a son Andrew who is 17.
Sonia Thomas | Education Sphere
Sonia Thomas was born in Mumbai and came to the US in 2001 to pursue her PhD in Biochemistry. She did her postdoctoral work at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University. Since then, she has trained students both in the laboratory and in the classroom. She teaches biochemistry, physiology, neurobiology and cancer biology at KU to students, many of whom are on their path to medical school.
Her passions in life are serving the Lord with her husband, Sandeep and mentoring the next generation. Her own walk with the Lord has spanned many years. One of her favorite verses in the Bible is: “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. (Habakkuk 3: 17-19, KJV)”
In her spare time, she enjoys talking with her husband, Sandeep about the importance of right communication in relationships and going for walks with him in the beautiful outdoors of Kansas where they contemplate upon the Lord’s wondrous work.
Brian Peterson | Art & Entertainment Sphere
SBrian Peterson is an artist based in Miami, Florida who works in Southern California. Brian’s use of vibrant colors and simplified geometries to capture the essence of the human spirit is what some have called a “contemporary street art” style. Drawing on his design background as an award-winning automotive designer and his Christian faith, Brian portrays his subjects in a form that is minimalistic, yet from a Heavenly perspective. Brian’s work can be seen in homeless shelters across the United States as well as gracing the walls of high-ends shopping facilities like Ovation Hollywood (formerly Hollywood & Highland) in Los Angeles.
Brian’s humanitarian and advocacy work, which began with painting his neighbors experiencing homelessness, has led him to be featured in BBC’s Amazing Humans, The Huffington Post, NPR, and a documentary film Faces of Santa Ana. His love for art, his community, and Jesus led him to found Faces of Santa Ana, a non-profit organization focusing on homelessness and the rehabilitation of his neighbors. Faces of Santa Ana has since expanded into Faces of Mankind, sprouting in cities across the US, such as Anaheim; Riverside, CA; Detroit, MI; Miami, FL; and Jackson, TN.
Kelly Li | Family Sphere
More to come!