Basma Alawee ACTIVIST, CO-FOUNDER OF WEAVE TALES - She came to the US with her husband as a refugee, leaving behind her career. She got involved in activism work, and her work and activism have been featured in the media. Her organization, Weave Tales, shares refugee stories.
Ahmed Albasheer COMEDIAN, CREATOR OF ALBASHEER SHOW - Having gone through many horrid experiences due to the political chaos in Iraq, he fled to Jordan and created the political satire program Albasheer Show to encourage dialogue and resist against the corruption in Iraq.
Zainab Al-Eqabi ACTIVIST, ADVOCATE FOR THE DISABLED COMMUNITY - Losing her leg at the age of 7 due to a bomb in Iraq has never stopped her from reaching her goals. She is a TV presenter, public speaker, social media and influencer, pharmacist, licensed scuba diver, and inspiration to many.
Faisal Al-Mutar ACTIVIST, WRITER, ENTREPRENEUR - He is an award-winning social entrepreneur and education advocate, founded Global Conversations and Ideas Beyond Borders, and , translated more than 17,000 articles and 15 books into Arabic, Farsi, and Kurdish.
Hisham Al Thahabi FOUNDER OF IRAQI HOME: FOUNDATION FOR CREATIVITY - Not wanting to see children living on the streets in Iraq, he founded an orphanage and takes care of many children with no where else to go, rehabilitating them through art and creative expression to give them better lives.
Alia Muhammad Baker LIBRARIAN, SAVED THE BOOKS OF THE LIBRARY OF BASRA - When the threat of war in Iraq neared the library that she worked at, Alia managed to sneak out 30,000 books and brought them to safety in her house at the last moments before the library went up in flames.
