Hend Al-Mansour

Hend Al-Mansour's work highlights the power of women through figurative representations in an Islamic art style. She often centers stylized figures against a background of Arabic calligraphy, Islamic geometric design, and traditional Saudi women's art. Al-Mansour Media includes installation, screen printing, and murals, often combined. To expand her creative expression, her artistic repertoire currently includes 2D animation.

Al-Mansour holds a Master of Fine Arts and a Master of Art History from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and the University of St. Thomas, respectively. Al-Mansour has received several grants from the Minnesota State Art Board and the Metropolitan Regional Council for the Arts. She earned the McKnight Fellowship in 2018 and the Jerome Fellowship for printmaking in 2013. She is a member of the Rosalux Gallery in Minneapolis, the Interfaith Artist Circle in the Twin Cities, and the national collective The Habibtis, a group of ten women artists who promote cultural diversity in the US.

Marc Anderson

Marc Anderson is a distinguished musician, composer, poet, teacher cultural anthropologist and Zen priest. He has been on staff at several Minnesota colleges and is currently the executive director of the Minnesota based non-profit organization, Relational.

Pooja Bastodkar

Pooja Bastodkar has held many leadership positions on the Executive Committee Board at the Hindu Society of Minnesota, including taking the role of President during 2020-2021. Pooja’s interests include engaging and maintaining the interest in Hinduism among second-generation Hindu Americans, through religious, educational, and social events. Pooja has served as a multi-religious fellow at the Collegeville Institute from 2017-2019, and is on its Advisory Committee. She continues to find opportunities where she can bring her experience in Hinduism into various interfaith settings.

Rachel Breen

Rachel Breen’s work explores the critical possibilities of the sewing machine, which she uses to draw and create sculptural installations. Her work has been shown widely across the country and internationally, including a solo exhibition at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Rachel was awarded a Fulbright fellowship to India in 2022, was awarded artist residencies at MacDowell, and Willapa Bay AiR and is a recipient of a McKnight Fellowship for Visual Artists in 2024. Rachel holds an MFA from the University of Minnesota and a BA from The Evergreen State College. Rachel is a tenured professor of art at Anoka Ramsey Community College and currently serves as the chair of the Department of Fine Arts.

Lee Burdge

Lee C Burdge is the Minnesota Area Interfaith Specialist for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Lee has served as a Bishop for his congregation in Eagan for 7+ years.  Lee also served a two-year mission for his church in Argentina.  Lee retired in 2019 from a 30+ year profession in sales management for a global technology company. Lee is married to his college sweetheart and has 6 children and 13 grandchildren which keeps him busy.

Dr. Danielle Clausnitzer

Danielle Clausnitzer is the current Assistant Director of Wisdom Ways Center for Spirituality in Minneapolis and an adjunct professor at Augsburg University in the Department of Religion and Philosophy. She graduated from at Georgetown University in 2023 with a PhD from the Department of Theological and Religious Studies with a specialization in African and African Diasporic religious movements including Hoodoo, African Traditional Religions, and Pentecostalism. She also presents on issues of disability and marginalization to local audiences.

Elder Corbin E. Coombs

Elder Corbin E. Coombs was named an Area Seventy and a member of the Tenth Quorum of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the April 2021 general conference. Elder Coombs has served in a number of Church callings, including full-time missionary in the

Mexico Torreon Mission, elders quorum president, Sunday School teacher, high councilor, bishopric counselor, ward mission leader, stake mission presidency counselor, bishop, and stake president. Elder Coombs received both bachelors and masters degrees in statistics from Brigham Young

University. He worked for AT&T with responsibilities including market research, marketing analytics, product management, strategy, operations, carrier relations, and data analytics. He founded LPVISTA LLC, a business and operations consulting company, in 2023. Corbin E. Coombs was born in Lawrence, Kansas, on November 17, 1964, and was raised in St. George, Utah. He married Margo Webster Nelson in 1989. They are the parents of four

children. Elder and Sister Coombs reside in Schaumburg, Illinois.

Trahern Crews

Trahern Crews is a visionary leader whose work spans social justice, reparatory justice and community empowerment. As a co-founder of Black Lives Matter Minnesota, he played a key role in propelling the global reckoning on race following George Floyd’s murder. With a deep commitment to reparations and economic justice for Black Americans, Trahern’s efforts have led to the creation of legislation like the Saint Paul Recovery Act and the Minnesota Migration Act, aiming to rectify historical injustices and build generational wealth for Black communities.

Rev. Angela Denker

Rev. Angela Denker is an award-winning author, ELCA Lutheran pastor, and veteran journalist. Her first book, Red State Christians, was the 2019 Silver Foreword Indies award-winner for political and social sciences. Her second book, Disciples of White Jesus: The Radicalization of American Boyhood, came out on March 25th, 2025. She is a former columnist for the Minnesota Star Tribune and has written for many publications, including Sports Illustrated, the Washington Post, and FORTUNE magazine, and has appeared on CNN, BBC, SkyNews, and NPR to share her research on politics and Christian Nationalism. Pastor Angela lives with her husband, Ben, and two sons in Minneapolis, where she is a sought-after speaker on Christian Nationalism and its theological and cultural roots. She also serves Lake Nokomis Lutheran Church in Minneapolis as Pastor of Visitation and Public Theology. Order Disciples of White Jesus Now! Order on Bookshop Barnes & Noble Comma (Minneapolis) You can read more of her work on Christian Nationalism, American culture, social issues, journalism, theology, and parenting on her Substack, I'm Listening.

Rev. Dr. Curtiss DeYoung

Rev. Dr. Curtiss Paul DeYoung is an author, activist, and academic. He recently retired as Co-CEO of the Minnesota Council of Churches. DeYoung previously served as the Executive Director of Community Renewal Society inChicago and Professor of Reconciliation Studies at Bethel University in St. Paul, MN. He currently is an adjunct theology professor—teaching doctoral students at United Theological Seminary of the Twin Cities and GenZ students at University of St Thomas (MN). He is an alumnus of Howard University School of Divinity, with a doctorate from University of St. Thomas. He is an author and editor of thirteen books on racial justice, reconciliation, and interfaith social justice activism. His books Living Faith: How Faith Inspires Social Justice and Becoming Like Creoles: Living and Leading at the Intersections of Injustice, Culture, and Religion have a particular interfaith focus.

Rev. Dr. Tom Duke

Tom is an ordained Lutheran pastor (retired). Before retiring he served for 15 years as Executive Director of the Saint Paul Area Council of Churches (now Interfaith Action of Greater Saint Paul). Earlier he was Fellow at the Wesley Center, Hamline University; Director of Community Care Resources, Amherst H. Wilder Foundation; a parish pastor and he taught pastoral theology at Luther Seminary in St. Paul. Tom has a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota and Master of Sacred Theology from Andover Newton Theological Seminary. Following retirement Tom coordinated the Saint Paul Interfaith Network and co-coordinated the Twin Cities Interfaith Network. Tom helped found the Minnesota Multifaith Network (MnMN). He is a member of MnMN's Network Council, is a special advisor to the Network Executive and volunteers for MnMN, particularly on special projects. He does consultation related to dialogue on divisive issues in interfaith and intercultural relations.

Rabbi Dr. Ryan Dulkin

Ryan Dulkin received rabbinic ordination in 2004 and a doctorate in Midrash and Scriptural Interpretation in 2011 from the Jewish Theological Seminary in New York. He currently serves as a full-time adjunct faculty member in the Theology Department at the University of St. Thomas and Director of the Encountering Judaism program. He teaches courses including Theology 100 (with an emphasis on spirituality and religious experience), courses on the Hebrew Bible, Judaism, and comparative religion. His various academic appointments have included St. Olaf College, Franklin & Marshall College, The Jewish Theological Seminary, the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College, Eden Theological Seminary, and Washington University in St. Louis. He lives in Minnetonka, Minnesota with his spouse Hazzan Joanna Dulkin and their two sons Zac and Jesse.

Rev. Charlotte Franz

Rev. Charlotte Frantz is a retired minister of the United Church of Christ. She served congregations in Indiana, Montana, Iowa and Minnesota over a span of forty years. In retirement, she helped establish and interfaith coalition (ICMJ) working for migrant justice in Duluth, Minnesota. She also convenes an Afghan Welcome Circle at her home church, Peace United Church of Christ, Duluth. She has a grown son who lives in St. Paul.

Ram Gada

Ram Gada is a founding member and a past president of Jain Center of Minnesota (JCM),Midwest Vice President of Executive Committee of the Federation of Jains in North America(JAINA), recipient of "JAINA Ratna"award and speaker on Jainism( one of the ancient religions of India). Ram is Honorary and Emeritus Council Member at the Minnesota Historical Society, after serving as the Director for nine years and currently serving on its Finance Committee. Ram is a founding member of the Gujarati Samaj of Minnesota, Honorary Board Member at the India Association of Minnesota (IAM), Lifetime Trustee at the Hindu Society of Minnesota(HSMN), Ram is a Board Member and Fund Raising Committee Member at Minnesota Multifaith Council (MnMN).

Rev. Emily Goldwaithe

Rev. Emily Goldthwaite is Director of Congregational Organizing at Beacon Interfaith Housing Collaborative. Emily leads Beacon’s engagement of congregations in creating homes, supporting residents in Beacon’s housing through donations and volunteering, and speaking out for just policies on housing and homelessness. She believes people of faith have a critical voice in communities striving toward the vision that all people have a home. Originally from Eugene, Oregon, Emily is a minister ordained in the United Church of Christ who has served in both local churches and nonprofit service agencies in the Midwest, Palestine, and Israel.

Bishop Emeritus Mark Hanson

Appointed as a Distinguished Fellow in Augsburg’s Christensen Center for Vocation, The Rev. Mark S. Hanson leads national and international initiatives to advance interfaith dialogue, inspire peacemaking, and support the College’s commitment to vocational discernment. In addition, he serves as a major gifts advisor for “Always Being Made New: The Campaign for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.” Prior to his current appointments, Hanson served as presiding bishop of the ELCA. He was elected to this position by the Churchwide Assembly of the ELCA in August 2001 and was reelected in 2007. In 2003, he was elected to serve, concurrently, as president of the Lutheran World Federation, a position he held until 2010.

David Harris

David Jordan Harris: A graduate of the University of Chicago, David is artistic director and co-founder of the Twin Cities-based performance ensemble Voices of Sepharad. Integrating his skills as a singer, actor, and dancer, he has appeared as guest artist with many ensembles, including Zorongo Flamenco, Katha Dance Theatre, Corning Dances and Company, Illusion Theater, North Star Opera, Rose Ensemble, Liz Lerman Dance Exchange, Lyra Baroque Orchestra, Ensemble Español, and In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre. Harris was the founding music director of Shir Tikvah Congregation where he led music for 21 years and was the founding executive director of Rimon: The Minnesota Jewish Arts Council. Harris has been an interfaith arts special consultant for the Jay Phillips Center for Interreligious Studies at the University of St. Thomas and the Jay Phillips Center for Interfaith Learning at Saint John’s University since 2010. He brings a wealth of experience to the Center, drawing together cultural communities through theater, music, and dance, workshops for students and adults, innovative artistic collaborations, public forums, and artist salons.

Rev. Susie Hayward

Rev. Susie Hayward has twenty-five years of experience in human rights, peacebuilding, and teaching in Minneapolis, Washington, DC, and Boston. She studied Buddhism in Nepal and worked for peace in Sri Lanka before joining the U.S. Institute of Peace’s Religion and Peacebuilding program, where she worked globally with faith leaders to transform violence and advance justice for fourteen years, and to advance religious literacy in U.S. foreign policy. Most recently, she helped build Harvard Divinity School’s Religion and Public Life program. Co-editor of Women, Religion, and Peacebuilding: Illuminating the Unseen, she’s published widely across policy, academic, and popular outlets. She currently serves as Minister of Justice and Formation at Creekside UCC in Minneapolis and as a Research Fellow at the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs at Georgetown University. 

Lynn Hinkle

Lynn Hinkle 77, identifies as a reparationist and has centered anti-racism as bargainer for the UAW Ford local, as policy director with the Minnesota Solar Energy Industries Association and now as resident of George Floyd Square working for equitable development.

Rev. K. P. Hong

Rev. K.P. Hong has served as congregational minister in multiethnic communities and as college chaplain in interfaith settings, shaped particularly by Korean Buddhism and Christianity in the increasingly relational context of world religions. He currently serves as the Minister of Faith Formation at Unity Church-Unitarian, working at the convergence of faith formation and antiracist multiculturalism, watching it coalesce into clouds, then rain, then harvest and the flourishing of the beloved community.

Bob Hulteen

Bob Hulteen, currently serving as communications specialist for MnMN, has a long history of communications and community engagement. He was the associate editor of Sojourners magazine in Washington, D.C.; the executive editor of MetroLutheran, a Minnesota-based newspaper; and communications director for Interfaith Workers Network in Chicago and the Minneapolis Area Synod of the ELCA here. He has also been a tenant organizer, a labor organizer, and an organizing director in D.C., Chicago, and the Twin Cities. After 34 years living in Minneapolis, he recently moved to St. Paul. (He’s trying to get used to it.) He is an active member at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Minneapolis.

Nausheena Hussain

Nausheena Hussain is on a mission to reimagine a world where Muslim women draw from their heritage, history, and intersectional identities in order to make the world a better place. She is the author of Prosperity with Purpose: A Muslim Woman's Guide to Generosity and Abundance, a groundbreaking financial guide that addresses the unique experiences and challenges faced by Muslim women in building wealth and their generosity. Nausheena’s philanthropic journey includes service on grant committees including at Headwaters Foundation for Justice Community Innovation and Social Change Fund, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation, and the Bush Foundation committee. She currently serves on the board of the St. Paul and Minnesota Foundation. She has served on the board of Center on Muslim Philanthropy helping Muslim nonprofit leaders upskill, collaborate and improve their fundraising impact. She received her Certificate in Fund Raising Management (CFRM) from Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and holds a M.A. in Philanthropic Studies. Nausheena is now pursuing her doctorate in philanthropic leadership at IU and her research focuses on Muslim women-led nonprofits and their resilience leadership.  As a former start-up founder of several nonprofits, Nausheena has a proven track record of taking an idea and creating a movement. Married, with two children and a beautiful cat, she lives in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota and loves to garden, read and travel.

Rev. Jim Bear Jacobs

Jim Bear Jacobs is a powerful voice at the intersection of faith, justice, and Indigenous truth-telling. Born in St. Paul, Jim Bear is a member of the Stockbridge-Munsee Mohican Nation, an American Indian tribe located in central Wisconsin. A sought-after keynote speaker at events like the Overcoming Racism Conference and Coming to the Table National Conference, Jacobs contributed chapters to "Reparations and the Theological Disciplines," "Dialogues on Race," and "Gone for Good." His work is featured in Robert P. Jones' book "The Hidden Roots of White Supremacy" and in the PBS documentary "Religion, Racism and Reconciliation."

Dr. Jen Kilps

Jen Kilps currently works as the Network Executive for the Minnesota Multifaith Network - statewide network connecting and equipping faith & interfaith leaders and organizations working for a more just and loving world. She has spent the entirety of her career organizing faith communities and volunteers around issues of peace and social justice. Jen has worked for the Lutheran Office for Public Policy in WI, Lutheran Volunteer Corps, Minnesota Council of Churches Refugee Services Program and the national Church World Service Refugee Resettlement Program. Jen holds a doctorate in theology from the Centre for the Study of Religion and Politics at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. Her research focused on the topic of hospitality.  Most recently Jen has trained as an End of Life Doula through the University of Vermont’s Medical School. She considers interfaith work her vocation.

Dr. Patrice Koelsch

Formally trained with a Ph.D. in Philosophy, Patrice Koelsch began sitting at Common Ground Meditation Center in 1995. Patrice is a graduate of Spirit Rock’s Community Dharma Leaders Program, and completed a year-long Buddhist Chaplaincy Training Program at the Sati Center for Buddhist Studies. She has practiced meditation at monasteries in Thailand and Myanmar. Patrice has provided hands-on care for persons in the last stages of HIV/AIDS, and worked for many years in HIV education and client support services. For more than 2 decades she has been facilitating meditation groups in correctional facilities. She is on the Board of the Minnesota Multifaith Network, and volunteers with ISAIAH and Faith in Minnesota to bring about a multicultural democracy, a caring economy, and a just climate future.

Anu Krishnan

Anu Krishnan is the creative Director of her school, Shruthilaya School of Carnatic Music based in the twin cities. She is an accomplished Carnatic Vocalist. Anu started her musical journey at the age of four and has had the privilege of learning and honing her musical skills from the great RK school of Music in India, and later under the tutelage of Smt. Seetha Narayan. She has been the recipient of Gold medal for Carnatic vocal and silver medal for Carnatic Veena at the National level Competition held in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh at the All India Music Competitions. She has performed in various prestigious venues in Indian and abroad alike, and has participated and spearheaded various musical festivals in the twin cities. Currently, she resides in Plymouth and imparts her musical knowledge to the next generation and among her peers from her home studio. To embark or pursue your Indian classical music journey, do contact her after the program.

Alexie Laushkin

Alexei Laushkin is a strategist with 21 years of experience driving successful faith-based campaigns and facilitating complex dialogues. He is an expert on trends and dynamics within American religious communities. His strategic counsel has served a diverse client base, including the Aspen Institute, Prison Fellowship, and a wide range of national and local religious organizations. Alexei is the founder of the Kingdom Mission Society and is a key national convener, notably for evangelical and Pentecostal leaders. KMS serves as the evangelical convener for the influential Evangelical-Catholic national dialogue.

Amber Lewis

Amber works as a consultant for Northspan Group, Inc. where she is focused on fostering a more Welcoming Community in northeast MN and supporting talent retention and community engagement in the region. She graduated with a master's degree in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University in 2020. Amber is a member of the Duluth Area Chamber of Commerce Fuse Leadership Council, chairs the Economics Committee for the Duluth Branch NAACP, is a certified facilitator for the national non-profit organization UR Action, and is a co-chair of her local Braver Angels alliance. She is a lover of all things community engagement has continued to find ways to strengthen her community while raising her own family of five children, in partnership with her husband David.

Kevin Lindsey

Kevin Lindsey is the CEO of the Minnesota Humanities Center (MHC) and organization who envisions a just society that is curious, connected, and compassionate. MHC’s mission is to connect past, present, and future to bring people together, increase understanding, and spark change. MHC creates a wide variety of humanities programming (conversations, books, and films) throughout Minnesota, distributes grants to individuals and organizations (www.mnhum.org – $20 million by January 2027), operates a retreat event center in St. Paul, and is an affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Lindsey formerly served as the Commissioner of Human Rights under Governor Mark Dayton and has practiced law in Minnesota since 1991.

Nanette Missaghi

Nanette Missaghi is a lifelong Baha’i and retired Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion director with over 25 years of experience. She is a licensed Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) coach and author. She holds an MA in anthropology from the University of Minnesota. Nanette is also a watercolor painter and quilter.

Julie Nerbonne

Julia Nerbonne is the Executive Director of Minnesota Interfaith Power & Light where she works to grow the climate justice movement in communities across Minnesota.  She is also an adjunct assistant professor in the department of Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology at the University of Minnesota. She has a Ph.D. in Conservation Biology from the University of Minnesota where she researched the social movements born of natural resource crises. Since 1998, she has been teaching Environmental Justice and Sustainability Studies and bringing students into the world of social movements. Before coming to MNIPL she was the cofounder and acting director of MN350. Over the past decade she has been working with indigenous communities throughout Minnesota and the nation to center indigenous worldviews, and has been working to build resilient, equitable communities.

Ellie Pierce

Elinor (Ellie) Pierce is the research director at the Pluralism Project at Harvard University, a writer, and an independent filmmaker. Ellie is the author of the case collection Pluralism in Practice and the co-editor of two volumes in interfaith studies. She collaborated on two feature length films: Acting on Faith, about women and religious activism, and Fremont, U.S.A., documenting religious diversity in a California city, and two short documentaries. Ellie is the producer/director and assistant editor of the award-winning film Abraham’s Bridge. She has an undergraduate degree in Anthropology from Macalester College, and a master’s degree from the Harvard Divinity School.

Professor Emeritus Anantanand Rambachan

Anantanand Rambachan is Professor Emeritus of Religion at Saint Olaf College, Minnesota, USA (1985-2021). He was also Forum Humanum Visiting Professor at the Academy for the Study of World Religions at the University of Hamburg in Germany (2013-2017). His books include Accomplishing the Accomplished: The Vedas as a Source of Valid Knowledge in Ṡaṅkara; The Limits of Scripture: Vivekananda's Reinterpretation of the Authority of the Vedas, The Advaita Worldview: God, World and Humanity, A Hindu Theology of Liberation: Not-Two is Not-One; Essays in Hindu Theology and  Pathways to Hindu-Christian Dialogue.  Prof. Rambachan has been involved in interreligious relations and dialogue for over 40 years, as a Hindu contributor and analyst. He is a Co-President of Religions for Peace.

Dr. Imam Tamim Saidi

Dr. Imam Tamim Saidi was born in Afghanistan and as a teenager was forced to leave his family behind and take refuge in Pakistan. He came to the USA in 1990, and since then, he has called Minnesota home. He received his Doctor of Pharmacy from the University of Minnesota and holds an MDiv degree from Chicago Theological Seminary and Bayan Graduate School. In 2018, he was selected as one of 24 Bush Fellows. In addition, he serves/has served in community leadership positions with NWICC, MYLA Scholarship, Islamic Center of MN, Muslim Youth of MN (MYM), Muslim Students Association, Council of Trustees of the Islamic Center of MN, CAIR-MN, Al-Amal School Board of Directors, interfaith dialogues, and a newly formed organization called Noursury, which aims to provide no-interest micro-loans to eligible borrowers. He has presented to thousands of Minnesotans about Islam and cultures of Muslims. His articles have appeared at EngageMN, Star Tribune, Pioneer Press, USA Today, St. Cloud Times, and MN Daily, and he has also appeared on WCCO and TPTV Almanac. Tamim is a father to four children, and is a son, husband and brother. He currently serves as the Resident Scholar at the Islamic Resource Group.

Emily Scott

I spent the first ten years of my adult life working overseas, spending time in China, Bangladesh, Thailand, South Africa, and Namibia, before moving back to my home state of Minnesota. I started working in non-profit accounting in 2015, and since then have worked for organizations large and small both in the Twin Cities and in the Caribbean. In my spare time, I enjoy playing with my two dogs, reading books, and visiting family. In 2019, I first attended a Quaker meeting at Twin Cities Friends Meeting in St. Paul, MN, where my partner Chris had been attending since 1988. I started attending more regularly in 2021. This year, 2025, my partner and I were married under the care of the Meeting! I have recently joined the Board of the Quaker organization Right Sharing of World Resources, a Quaker-based grantmaking organization, where I am working on programs around materialism and resource management in the United States, especially among people who are looking to discern "How much is enough.

Presiding Elder Rev. Stacy Smith

Rev. Stacey L. Smith is a native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she  was raised with her six siblings of which she is the youngest. She holds a B.A. degree in Organizational Leadership and Development from Bethel University, in St. Paul, Minnesota, and earned a Master of Divinity degree from United Theological Seminary, in New Brighton, Minnesota. Rev. Smith served as a successful business leader in Corporate America for 25 years leading diverse groups in Health, Human Resources, and Business Operations. She is married to Jeffery L. Smith, for which they have shared thirty-two wonderful years of marriage. They are the proud parents of two children, a son Ian and a daughter Ainsley. Rev. Smith previously pastored St. Mark African Methodist Episcopal Church in Duluth, Minnesota for 4 years, and in November of 2013, she was appointed as the 37th pastor of St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church, in St. Paul, MN, where she is currently serving. Rev. Smith has traveled internationally on behalf of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and is known as a National and International speaker.  On September 30, 2017, at the 135 Session of the Chicago Annual Conference, Bishop John Franklin White, appointed Rev. Smith to become the Presiding Elder of the St. Paul Minneapolis District of the Chicago Annual Conference. Rev. Smith is the first female to be appointed as Presiding Elder in the Chicago Conference. Rev. Smith also sits on the Board of Trustees for United Theological Seminary and the Minnesota Council of Churches. Rev. Smith is a woman of prayer, and vision, and a leader committed to following the will and teachings of Jesus Christ.

Anna Stamborski

Anna Stamborski, M.Div., is a national organizer and trainer with Crossroads Antiracism Organizing and Training, known for her expertise in creating interactive and growth-oriented spaces. She is also a qualitative researcher, DEI consultant, and former bilingual public educator. Anna's approach is deeply influenced by her background in Restorative Justice, mediation, and her role as an Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) Qualified Administrator, emphasizing high accountability, joy, and growth.

Nathan Stock

Nathan Stock has over 20 years of experience working to resolve conflicts and strengthen democracy around the world and in the United States. Since 2017, he has been working to reduce political violence in the United States. He just finished a five-year stint at the Carter Center, where he led an effort to establish anti-political violence networks in six states. Nathan is currently on a contract with Common Ground USA to help them counter political violence in Minnesota. In addition to his U.S. work, Nathan has extensive experience in the Middle East, including nine years supporting former President Jimmy Carter's peacemaking in the region. He has published on U.S. polarization and political violence and taught undergraduate courses on political dialogue. Nathan is also an affiliated scholar with the Middle East Institute, where he has published extensively on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Nathan holds an MA in international peace and conflict resolution from American University and a BA in international relations from Colgate University

Rev. Elona Street-Stewart

Elona Street-Stewart, is a Ruling Elder and Executive of the Synod of Lakes and Prairies, Presbyterian Church USA. A member of the Delaware Nanticoke tribe, Elona is the first Native American called as executive for a synod, to serve as CoModerator of the Presbyterian General Assembly, and elected to the Board of Education in Saint Paul. A seasoned collaborator with more than 4 decades of experience, her work is deeply committed to advocacy initiatives on public policy, racial justice, Indigenous rights and theology and has been formative in shaping calls to restorative action. Her contributions to numerous non-profits and institutions have been recognized with many honors including the Alumna Seal Award from Occidental College for Professional Excellence-Service to Community., Racial Equity Community Empowerment Award by Pacific Education Group, a Woman of Faith Award by Presbyterian Women, and an Honorary Doctorate from Macalester College.

Professor Najeeba Syeed

Prior to becoming the El-Hibri inaugural endowed chair and executive director Augsburg’s Interfaith Institute, Najeeba Syeed was a professor and expert practitioner in the fields of conflict resolution, mediation, and interfaith studies. An award-winning educator, she has taught extensively on interreligious education and published articles on faith and community-based conflict resolution, restorative justice, and interfaith just peacemaking. She previously served for 10 years as an associate professor at the Claremont School of Theology. She also held faculty positions at Starr King School for the Ministry and Chicago Theological Seminary, where she was most recently associate professor of Muslim and interreligious studies. She has served as the co-chair of the American Academy of Religion’s Religion and Politics Section and was a member of the Academy’s Religion, Social Conflict, and Peace Section.

Syeed also brings significant executive experience in organizations focused on conflict resolution in community, higher education, and government settings, including the Western Justice Center Foundation and the Asian Pacific American Dispute Resolution Center. Her peacemaking work in the area of gang intervention, school based conflict resolution and community peacebuilding has been recognized with numerous prestigious awards. In 2021, she served as chief of staff to the first Asian American woman elected to the Los Angeles city council. She holds a law degree from the Indiana University School of Law and a bachelor of science degree from Guilford College

Dr. Matt Taylor

Matthew D. Taylor is the senior Christian scholar at the Institute for Islamic, Christian, and Jewish Studies in Baltimore, where he specializes in American Christianity, American Islam, Christian extremism, and religious politics. His book, The Violent Take It by Force: The Christian Movement that is Threatening Our Democracy (Broadleaf, 2024), tracks how a loose network of charismatic Christian leaders called the New Apostolic Reformation was a major instigating force for the January 6th Insurrection and is currently reshaping the culture of the religious right in the U.S. He is also the author of Scripture People: Salafi Muslims in Evangelical Christians’ America (Cambridge, 2023). He is currently at work on a new book, Defying Tyrants: Following Jesus in a World of Christian Antichrists (Broadleaf), as well as a 10-episode podcast series on understanding and resisting religious nationalism around the world.

Taylor holds a PhD in religious studies and Muslim-Christian relations from Georgetown University and an MA in theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. He also serves as an associate fellow at the Center for Peace Diplomacy in New Orleans, where he works on preventing religion-related violence surrounding U.S. elections.

Nick Theisen

Nick Theisen from A Peace of My Mind will be joining us on site to capture quotes and portrait photographs of our conference attendees. While participation is optional, we highly encourage everyone to stop by the A Peace of My Mind pop-up studio to share a brief statement in response to the prompt "When have you experienced the power of religious pluralism?" and have your photo taken. Nick will be compiling these assets into a portfolio of images (as well as a video reel) that can help tell our story as a network of faith leaders gathering together to empower and advance our collective work of building interconnected faith communities. For examples of past work, please check out A Peace of My Mind's website, as well as this example from past work at the Interfaith Conference of Greater Milwaukee.

Professor Emeritus Deanna Thompson

Dr. Deanna A. Thompson is recently retired from 29 years in higher education. Most recently she was the Director of the Lutheran Center for Faith, Values, and Community and Martin E. Marty Regents Chair of Religion and the Academy at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. Thompson's research focuses on topics ranging from Martin Luther and feminism to the intersections of cancer, trauma, and faith, and what it means to be rooted in Christian faith while also being committed to interfaith engagement. She is author of five books, including The Virtual Body of Christ in a Suffering World and most recently, Glimpsing Resurrection: Cancer, Trauma, and Ministry.

Karen Willis

Karen Wills, a lifelong Unitarian Universalist (UU), co-facilitates the Policy & Legislation Team of the North Star Alliance for immigrant justice in Minnesota, and serves as Midwest Organizer for the Faithful Justice Team of UURISE (UU Refugee & Immigrant Services & Education). She is a reader, writer, gardener, and pediatric neuropsychologist involved with planning rehabilitation of brain-injured children.