Mezgebe Gebrekiristos, PhD

Founder / President

Dr. Mezgebe has over 21 years of dedicated service in the health care industry and extensive leadership roles within nonprofit roles–including Churches and charitable foundations. He brings a wealth of expertise in program development, community engagement, Church administration, volunteer coordination, and fundraising ideas and resource development.

Outside of his professional pursuits, Mezgebe mentors the youth and assists individuals with limited English in interpreting the English language to Eritrean and Ethiopian languages in courts and health institutions in the US.

His personal philosophy centers on the belief that sustainable change is achieved through honest collaboration, innovation and unwavering compassion. 

Samuel Alemu, Esq

Vice President

Samuel Alemu Esq. is the Managing Partner of International Legal and Business Services Group LLP, with a presence in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and South Carolina. He is also a co-founder of Lex Nimble Solutions, a legal tech and IT consulting firm. He is a co-founder of Simplelaw.com, an intuitive collaboration platform for lawyers, clients, and law firms.

Samuel is a graduate of Harvard Law School, the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law School, and Addis Ababa University School of Law. He has been admitted to the bar associations of New York State, the United States Tax Court, the United States Court of International Trade, and the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.

He is a board member of ARTS TV and the chairman of the board of ArifPay Financial Technologies S.C. He attends service at St. Michael EOTC in Wheaton, IL.

Brook Mezgebe

Treasurer

Brook Mezgebe is a Chemical and BioMolecular Engineer by training. He is a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and the American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (ASBMB). He has worked on multiple diverse, hands- on projects spanning from biotech development to industrial process improvement. He performed undergraduate medical research on prospective therapeutic proteins for Concordia University Wisconsin. He proposed data-driven process improvements as a project engineer for Novonesis–a global biotech food company.

Currently, Brook is working in the semiconductor industry. He is highly experienced in data analytics, manufacturing quality control (Six Sigma), and project management.

Brook points to his parents as his major source of inspiration. He has been supporting his
dad in running a nonprofit organization. Now, he aims to honor his mother’s legacy by
helping to facilitate charitable works through the Amit Promise Foundation (APF).

Azeba Hagos

Secretary

Azeba Hagos is a global talent acquisition leader committed to equity, inclusion, and purpose-driven work. With over a decade of experience across manufacturing, education, and healthcare sectors, she specializes in people‑centered recruiting strategies and sustainable talent development.

She currently serves as Global Talent Acquisition Manager at Provisur Technologies, a global manufacturer of industrial food processing equipment. Prior to that, she was Talent Acquisition and Development Manager at Transcendia, a leader in engineered materials for healthcare, food, and industrial applications. In these roles, Azeba led global hiring initiatives and collaborated closely with technical and cross-functional teams to build solutions that support organizational growth.

Outside of her professional career, Azeba mentors aspiring professionals and supports initiatives that increase access to opportunity for underrepresented communities. She is passionate about helping individuals build confidence, navigate career paths, and find meaningful work.

Her leadership is grounded in empathy, strategic thinking, and the belief that while talent is universal, opportunity is not. She is dedicated to creating inclusive environments where people are valued, supported, and empowered to succeed.

Abebe Fisseha, PhD

Dr. Abebe Fisseha is a pharmacy manager at Walmart, Rockford, Illinois. With over 17 years of experience in retail pharmacy, Dr. Abebe has a track record of providing compassionate care to his patients. Before joining the pharmacy practice, he had been a member of the Faculty of Education at Addis Ababa University for five years, where he taught education and history.

He holds a BA in History and an MA in Education from Addis Ababa University, a PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Midwestern University in Downers Grove, Illinois. Dr. Abebe is an active, practicing member of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo faith community.