Friday • 16^th July 2021

Greg Mitchell

Co-Chair of the IRF Roundtable | Founder The Mitchell Firm

Greg Mitchell has been in national politics and government since 1991. He got his start as an intern during his senior year of college in the Pasadena, California, district office of Congressman Carlos J. Moorhead. And after graduating from California State University, Northridge, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science, Greg helped Congressman Moorhead win his last two reelection campaigns, as Campaign Coordinator in 1992 and Campaign Manager in 1994. In 1995, he served as District Administrator until Moorhead announced he would retire.

Greg then went to work as Chief of Staff to James E. Rogan, who was then the Majority Leader of the California State Assembly. Greg also managed Rogan’s successful campaign for Congress in 1996 and moved to Washington, D.C., to serve as his Chief of Staff on Capitol Hill. At the same time, Greg enjoyed moonlighting as a Bill Clinton impersonator. He appeared in an episode of the Muppets Tonight television show, numerous TV commercials, and countless personal appearances at conventions, retreats and special events.

In search of a higher purpose, Greg decided to focus on government reform and improving public policy, and in the late summer of 2003 founded The Mitchell Firm. Greg and his wife, Renee, have three young children—Roman, Gisele and Leonardo. They live in Chantilly, Virginia.

Simran Singh Stuelpnagel

IRF Secretariat Board, Vice Chair.

Simran is Chief Growth Officer & Partner at G6 Technologies, and Senior Vice President of Business Development at The Akai Group. He is also a fellow at the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Institute. Previously, he was Executive Vice President at the Alzheimer's Research and Prevention Foundation.

Jan Figel

IRF Secretariat Global Leadership Council; Former EU Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief Outside the EU. Member of the EIT Governing Board.

Dr. Ján Figeľ is a Member of the EIT Governing Board. Previously he was the first Special Envoy for promotion of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) outside the European Union. Formerly European Commissioner for Education, Training & Culture, Dr. Figeľ has also held other positions such as State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was the Chief Negotiator for Slovakia’s accession into the EU. He joined the Christian Democratic Movement party in 1990 and was elected in 1992 as an MP to the National Council of the Slovak Republic, serving on its Foreign Affairs Committee and becoming a member of Slovakia’s delegation to the Council of Europe. In 1998 he was appointed State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and was also the representative of the Slovak government in the European Convention which drafted the European Constitution. From 2004 to 2009 he served as European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Multilingualism, with a brief stint as Commissioner for Enterprise and Information Society. In 2009 he was elected leader of the Christian Democratic Movement in Slovakia. He stepped down from his Commission post in 2009 following his election as leader of the Christian Democratic Movement in Slovakia.

Paul Murray

IRF Secretariat Board, Vice Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary.

Dr. Paul Murray is an award-winning author and internationally sought-after speaker and minister. In his call for moral and innovative leadership, Dr. Murray is a passionate advocate for religious freedom and human rights. He is a regular keynote speaker at conferences and a presenter on international program panels where he addresses religious oppression and persecution around the globe as well as inter-religious challenges on the African continent, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, the Philippines, South America and within the United States.

Greg Mitchell

Co-Chair of the IRF Roundtable | Founder The Mitchell Firm

Greg Mitchell has been in national politics and government since 1991. He got his start as an intern during his senior year of college in the Pasadena, California, district office of Congressman Carlos J. Moorhead. And after graduating from California State University, Northridge, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science, Greg helped Congressman Moorhead win his last two reelection campaigns, as Campaign Coordinator in 1992 and Campaign Manager in 1994. In 1995, he served as District Administrator until Moorhead announced he would retire.

Greg then went to work as Chief of Staff to James E. Rogan, who was then the Majority Leader of the California State Assembly. Greg also managed Rogan’s successful campaign for Congress in 1996 and moved to Washington, D.C., to serve as his Chief of Staff on Capitol Hill. At the same time, Greg enjoyed moonlighting as a Bill Clinton impersonator. He appeared in an episode of the Muppets Tonight television show, numerous TV commercials, and countless personal appearances at conventions, retreats and special events.

In search of a higher purpose, Greg decided to focus on government reform and improving public policy, and in the late summer of 2003 founded The Mitchell Firm. Greg and his wife, Renee, have three young children—Roman, Gisele and Leonardo. They live in Chantilly, Virginia.

David Anderson

IRF Secretariat Global Leadership Council; Founding Member, International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief; Former Member of Parliament in Canada.

David Anderson is a former Canadian Member of Parliament for Cypress Hills-Grasslands, now retired. In his nearly 20 year career as an MP, he has served in portfolios dealing with Human Rights, Foreign Affairs, Natural Resources, Trade and Agriculture, championing the promotion of important freedoms – both economic and personal.

He serves as Chair of the Steering Group for the IPPFoRB – The International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief, a worldwide network of legislators focused on supporting the basic principles of the freedom to believe, to change belief, and to practice belief.

Brian Grim

Brian is founding president of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation. Brian is the world’s leading expert on the relationship between religious freedom and the economy.

Full CV

Brian holds a doctorate in quantitative sociology from Penn State and is author of scores of academic articles and books. He is former chair of the World Economic Forum’s global council on the role of faith and a speaker at Davos. Brian was previously a senior researcher and director of international data at the Pew Research Center in Washington, DC. He lived and worked in China, Central Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the former USSR, where he was instrumental in setting up the first western-style business school in the Soviet Union, which was dissolved in his office building.

Brian’s recent widely reported research finds that religion contributes $1.2 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, more than the combined revenues of the top 10 technology U.S. companies including Apple, Amazon and Google.

Brian also supports and works closely with the “Business for Peace” platform of the United Nations Global Compact. He is also a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and a regular speaker at the annual Forum on Workplace Inclusion.

Annie McKinney

IRF Secretariat Global Coordinator.

Annie previously worked as a State Associate for Americans for Tax Reform, a Communications Intern at the Senate Republican Conference, and a White House Intern in the Presidential Office of Correspondence.

Kathy Ireland

Kathy​ has graced the cover of Forbes Magazine twice (2012, 2016), is listed as the 25th most powerful brand globally by License! Global Magazine and according to Fairchild Publications, Kathy Ireland®​ is one of the 50 most influential people in fashion. The success of kathy​ ireland®​ Worldwide is the result of teamwork and dedication.

Kathy​ and kiWW®​ support many non-profits including: YWCA Greater Los Angeles for which she is an Ambassador, Dream Foundation, Providence Educational Foundation, 911 for Kids/AEF, and the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Kathy is the first-ever National PTA Ambassador for Youth. ​Kathy​ serves as International Youth Chair for the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation, as well as Ambassador for the American Cancer Society. Kathy is​ an Ambassador for the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.

As a powerful advocate for Israel, Kathy​ has spoken out for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference, with global leaders, including; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Shimon Peres and President Barack Obama. Kathy is a member of WIZO, and is honored by the ADL and the JNF. ​ ​

Ingrid Vanderveldt

Ingrid Vanderveldt (iV) is the Chairman and CEO of Empowering a Billion Women (EBW), EBW Distributors (a division of EBW2020) & Vanderveldt Global Investments. Previously, she was the first Entrepreneur-in-Residence (“EIR”) for Dell Inc. where she oversaw entrepreneurial initiatives worldwide helping to build a $250 million business segment and founded the $125M Dell Innovators Credit Fund, Dell Founders Club, and the Dell Center for Entrepreneurs during her 3-year term. iV is an Emeritus member of United Nations Foundation’s Global Entrepreneurs Council, is a Managing Partner of Vanderveldt Global Investments, and co-founder of The Billionaire Girls Club. She also created and hosted CNBC’s first original primetime series, “American Made,” reaching over 1M viewers around the globe and is a Dell Women’s Entrepreneur Network (DWEN) Member. She is a Global Ambassador and Advocate of Women & Diverse Leaders creating social and economic impact and job creation. She’s the Recipient of the Global Empowerment Award by the Global Business and Interfaith Peace Awards in partnership with the UN. iV has been featured on outlets including NBC, CNBC, FOX, ABC, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Bloomberg, CNN Money, Fortune Magazine, Fast Company, Inc Magazine and Entrepreneur Magazine. She was named one of Oprah’s SuperSoul 100 Global Leaders. She also was ranked #1 Super Connector by Fast Company, is the recipient of the Forbes and Northwestern Mutual Global “Entrepreneur in Excellence Award” and was just named the 100th Champion Celebration for the HearStrong Foundation, recipient of The Global Voice Award, World Women Foundation and The Girl Scouts “Women of Distinction” Award. She holds a Masters in Architecture at the Savannah College of Art & Design and an MBA in Entrepreneurship from UT at Austin.

King Husein

King Husein was born in Bombay, India. He received received a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Bombay. He also received his master’s degree in Civil and Structural Engineering from Brigham Young University. After completing his education, he was hired by Priggen Steel Buildings, a regional builder affiliated with Varco Pruden Buildings. From there he moved to California, where he eventually established Span Construction and Engineering, which he now heads as the Chairman and CEO. He has built the company into what is now the country’s largest steel building engineering and construction company, which is operating on four continents. The company specializes in the engineering and construction of large steel buildings. It is also the exclusive builder for Costco Wholesale worldwide. In addition to his business ventures, King has been a prominent philanthropist, focusing his efforts particularly on engineering education (he recently headed an $80,000,000 project for funding new facilities for the College of Engineering at Brigham Young University,) and what is most relevant to this application, he has been a major supporter of religious freedom initiatives worldwide. For more biographical detail. King Husein, CEO of Span Construction, has played a critical role addressing the rising tide of restrictions on religious freedom that has swept the globe over the past decade. His efforts range from helping found the South Asian Consortium for Religion and Law Studies, to being an effective business advocate for religious freedom, helping to kick off the first-ever Business Roundtable Discussion on International Religious Freedom in New York City, and laying out how religious ethics benefit business at the Horasis Global Conference in Portugal. His advocacy also looks toward the next generation by his helping launch an initiative at BYU Hawaii to equip Asian students to know how to advance religious freedom when they return home.

Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett

Dr. Katrina Lantos Swett serves as President of the Lantos Foundation for Human Rights and Justice, established in 2008 to continue the legacy of her father, the late Congressman Tom Lantos. Under her leadership, The Lantos Foundation has rapidly become a distinguished and respected voice on key human rights concerns. Dr. Lantos Swett is the former Chair and Vice-Chair of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) and teaches Human Rights and American Foreign Policy at Tufts University. She currently serves as Co-Chair of the Board of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea (HRNK) and the Budapest based Tom Lantos Institute. Dr. Lantos Swett also serves on the Advisory Board of UN Watch, the annual Anne Frank Award and Lecture, and The Warren B. Rudman Center for Justice, Leadership, and Public Policy. Lantos Swett earned a Political Science degree from Yale University at the age of 18, a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, and a PhD in History from The University of Southern Denmark.

Brian Grim

Brian is founding president of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation. Brian is the world’s leading expert on the relationship between religious freedom and the economy.

Full CV

Brian holds a doctorate in quantitative sociology from Penn State and is author of scores of academic articles and books. He is former chair of the World Economic Forum’s global council on the role of faith and a speaker at Davos. Brian was previously a senior researcher and director of international data at the Pew Research Center in Washington, DC. He lived and worked in China, Central Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the former USSR, where he was instrumental in setting up the first western-style business school in the Soviet Union, which was dissolved in his office building.

Brian’s recent widely reported research finds that religion contributes $1.2 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, more than the combined revenues of the top 10 technology U.S. companies including Apple, Amazon and Google.

Brian also supports and works closely with the “Business for Peace” platform of the United Nations Global Compact. He is also a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and a regular speaker at the annual Forum on Workplace Inclusion.

Greg Mitchell

Co-Chair of the IRF Roundtable | Founder The Mitchell Firm

Greg Mitchell has been in national politics and government since 1991. He got his start as an intern during his senior year of college in the Pasadena, California, district office of Congressman Carlos J. Moorhead. And after graduating from California State University, Northridge, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science, Greg helped Congressman Moorhead win his last two reelection campaigns, as Campaign Coordinator in 1992 and Campaign Manager in 1994. In 1995, he served as District Administrator until Moorhead announced he would retire.

Greg then went to work as Chief of Staff to James E. Rogan, who was then the Majority Leader of the California State Assembly. Greg also managed Rogan’s successful campaign for Congress in 1996 and moved to Washington, D.C., to serve as his Chief of Staff on Capitol Hill. At the same time, Greg enjoyed moonlighting as a Bill Clinton impersonator. He appeared in an episode of the Muppets Tonight television show, numerous TV commercials, and countless personal appearances at conventions, retreats and special events.

In search of a higher purpose, Greg decided to focus on government reform and improving public policy, and in the late summer of 2003 founded The Mitchell Firm. Greg and his wife, Renee, have three young children—Roman, Gisele and Leonardo. They live in Chantilly, Virginia.

Jan Figel

IRF Secretariat Global Leadership Council; Former EU Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion or Belief Outside the EU. Member of the EIT Governing Board.

Dr. Ján Figeľ is a Member of the EIT Governing Board. Previously he was the first Special Envoy for promotion of freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) outside the European Union. Formerly European Commissioner for Education, Training & Culture, Dr. Figeľ has also held other positions such as State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was the Chief Negotiator for Slovakia’s accession into the EU. He joined the Christian Democratic Movement party in 1990 and was elected in 1992 as an MP to the National Council of the Slovak Republic, serving on its Foreign Affairs Committee and becoming a member of Slovakia’s delegation to the Council of Europe. In 1998 he was appointed State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and was also the representative of the Slovak government in the European Convention which drafted the European Constitution. From 2004 to 2009 he served as European Commissioner for Education, Training, Culture and Multilingualism, with a brief stint as Commissioner for Enterprise and Information Society. In 2009 he was elected leader of the Christian Democratic Movement in Slovakia. He stepped down from his Commission post in 2009 following his election as leader of the Christian Democratic Movement in Slovakia.

David Anderson

IRF Secretariat Global Leadership Council; Founding Member, International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief; Former Member of Parliament in Canada.

David Anderson is a former Canadian Member of Parliament for Cypress Hills-Grasslands, now retired. In his nearly 20 year career as an MP, he has served in portfolios dealing with Human Rights, Foreign Affairs, Natural Resources, Trade and Agriculture, championing the promotion of important freedoms – both economic and personal.

He serves as Chair of the Steering Group for the IPPFoRB – The International Panel of Parliamentarians for Freedom of Religion or Belief, a worldwide network of legislators focused on supporting the basic principles of the freedom to believe, to change belief, and to practice belief.

Paul Murray

IRF Secretariat Board, Vice Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary.

Dr. Paul Murray is an award-winning author and internationally sought-after speaker and minister. In his call for moral and innovative leadership, Dr. Murray is a passionate advocate for religious freedom and human rights. He is a regular keynote speaker at conferences and a presenter on international program panels where he addresses religious oppression and persecution around the globe as well as inter-religious challenges on the African continent, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea, the Philippines, South America and within the United States.

Simran Singh Stuelpnagel

IRF Secretariat Board, Vice Chair.

Simran is Chief Growth Officer & Partner at G6 Technologies, and Senior Vice President of Business Development at The Akai Group. He is also a fellow at the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Institute. Previously, he was Executive Vice President at the Alzheimer's Research and Prevention Foundation.

Annie McKinney

IRF Secretariat Global Coordinator.

Annie previously worked as a State Associate for Americans for Tax Reform, a Communications Intern at the Senate Republican Conference, and a White House Intern in the Presidential Office of Correspondence.

Brian Grim

Brian is founding president of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation. Brian is the world’s leading expert on the relationship between religious freedom and the economy.

Full CV

Brian holds a doctorate in quantitative sociology from Penn State and is author of scores of academic articles and books. He is former chair of the World Economic Forum’s global council on the role of faith and a speaker at Davos. Brian was previously a senior researcher and director of international data at the Pew Research Center in Washington, DC. He lived and worked in China, Central Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the former USSR, where he was instrumental in setting up the first western-style business school in the Soviet Union, which was dissolved in his office building.

Brian’s recent widely reported research finds that religion contributes $1.2 trillion to the U.S. economy annually, more than the combined revenues of the top 10 technology U.S. companies including Apple, Amazon and Google.

Brian also supports and works closely with the “Business for Peace” platform of the United Nations Global Compact. He is also a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and a regular speaker at the annual Forum on Workplace Inclusion.