[In-Person RSVP Deadline 12/2] 2025 BPIA Annual General Body Meeting: Moving Forward Together

2025 BPIA Annual General Body Meeting: Moving Forward Together

(In-Person RSVP Deadline 12/2)

Join us for BPIA’s 2025 Annual General Body Meeting — a high impact gathering designed to reconnect our community, celebrate our progress, and prepare for an ambitious year ahead. This convening brings together members, partners, and emerging leaders across international affairs for a day of reflection, fellowship, and strategic engagement.

Throughout the program, attendees will hear key organizational updates, including the President’s Report and the installation of the newly elected Board of Directors. Members will also learn about upcoming initiatives, opportunities to participate in BPIA committees, and ways to contribute to the work shaping our 2026 agenda.

This year’s meeting also features an optional interactive workshop led by UNA–NCA’s Kristen Hecht focused on resilience, community, and leadership in complex global environments.

Whether you are a long-standing member or newly engaged in the BPIA community, this gathering is designed to strengthen our collective impact and ensure every member has a place to contribute. We encourage in-person attendance to fully experience the connection, conversation, and collaboration this moment is built for.

Event Details

Saturday, December 6, 2025
Doors open at 9:30AM EDT
Location: GWU Elliott School of International Affairs (Floor 6),
1957 E St NW, Washington, DC 20052
Hybrid Zoom Option Available

Zoom Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/9794618227

Agenda Highlights

• 9:30am ET - Doors Open
• 10:00am ET — Meeting Begins -- President’s Report
• 11:30am ET — Installation of New Board of Directors
• 12:30pm ET — Lunch Break
• 2:00pm ET — Optional Interactive Workshop
• “Resilience & Community” ft. UNA–NCA’s Kristen Hecht
• 4:00pm ET — Concludes

Who Should Attend

• BPIA General and Student Members
• BPIA Collegiate Council Leadership 
• BPIA Committee Members and Chairs
• Partners and collaborators
• Students and early professionals interested in global affairs
• Anyone seeking community, leadership pathways, and impact

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Kafuti Talahumbu Biography 

Keynote Speaker 

Kafuti Talahumbu serves as Associate Director of Corporate Relations at The George Washington University. In this capacity he cultivates and advances strategic alliances across GW’s ten schools, working collaboratively with senior leadership, faculty, institute directors, and corporate partners to secure resources and launch initiatives that drive innovation and institutional impact.

Before joining GW, Kafuti built corporate ecosystem and partner-channel strategies at major technology and communications firms. At Verizon he managed channel partnerships in the healthcare, education, and public sectors. At IBM he led key efforts including the go-to-market launch of Watson Education’s partner ecosystem and expansion of IBM’s government contracting footprint. Earlier in his career he analyzed Wall Street firms for The Investment Company Institute and provided market-insight support to the Federal Reserve Board, the United States Department of the Treasury and other industry stakeholders.

Kafuti holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics and Public Policy from Saint Mary’s College of Maryland and an MBA from GW’s School of Business. Outside of his professional work he enjoys spending time with family, reading, travel, and fitness.

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Kristen Hecht - Biography

Workshop Facilitator

Kristen Hecht is the Founder and CEO of Kristen Hecht, LLC, a bespoke consulting firm that specializes in capacity-building, leadership coaching, and workshop facilitation. With over 15 years of experience in the social impact sector, she has developed a niche in designing, facilitating, and strengthening fellowship programs. Her clients include Columbia University (Social Impact Fellowship, Obama Foundation Scholars Program, and Neurodivergent at Columbia), Georgetown University (Women Faith Leaders Fellowship), Habitat for Humanity (Humanitarian Shelter and Settlements Practicum Fellowship), the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area (Graduate Fellows Program), Vital Voices (Bold Movers Program), and the Human Trafficking Legal Center (Harriet Tubman Fellowship). 

As a fellowship consultant, she is skilled in human-centered program design and management;  research and analysis; monitoring, evaluation, and learning; partnership building; and alumni engagement. As a workshop facilitator, Kristen is trained in Dare to Lead (Brené Brown’s courage-building leadership framework), adaptive leadership (New York University), trauma-informed and resilient leadership (Center for Justice and Peacebuilding), liberating structures (a facilitation framework that fosters participation and engagement), and diversity, equity, and inclusion practices (Nonprofit Leadership Alliance). As a professional coach, Kristen completed her training through Co-Active Training Institute, recognized as the most rigorous professional coach training and certification program in the industry. She has continued to build her coaching practice through Positive Intelligence coaching (mental fitness model to boost well-being and performance) and Neurodiversity-Inclusive coaching (coaching that supports the full spectrum of humanity).

Academically, Kristen received her Master of Arts in international politics from American University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of North Texas. She has also completed continuing education training through the Next Level Lab at Harvard University's Graduate School of Education.

Kristen currently resides in Washington, DC, where she serves on the Board of Directors for the United Nations Association of the National Capital Area (UNA-NCA). She has also served on the National Council for the United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA) and has been an active member of the Impact Fellowships Network, a community of practice for fellowship program managers and facilitators.

In her free time, Kristen enjoys hiking, cycling, and traveling. Her personal values - which also guide her professional ethos - include adventure, growth, and community.

Wanda Jackson is a trusted advisor to senior leaders and a catalyst for leadership excellence. Known for her ability to unlock potential, she partners, challenges, and inspires individuals and organizations to achieve meaningful, measurable growth.

With more than two decades of experience across corporate, nonprofit, government, and educational sectors, Wanda has worked with a diverse portfolio of organizations—including AbbVie, AstraZeneca, Kimberly-Clark, Marriott, SkinCeuticals, Ultimate Care Group, United Way Worldwide, and Volvo North America. Her expertise in leadership development, adult learning, and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) has consistently supported leadership pipelines, strengthened executive presence, elevated team performance, and helped leaders navigate complex organizational challenges with clarity and confidence.

Wanda’s approach is both strategic and deeply human. She blends data-driven insight with empathetic partnership, meeting leaders where they are while guiding them toward where they want to be. Whether coaching executives through high-stakes decisions, facilitating team alignment, or building talent programs that shape future-ready leaders, her work sparks insight, inspires action, and delivers real impact.

Wanda holds a master's degree in Organizational Leadership from Georgetown's McDonough School of Business, where her research examined psychological safety and optimal discomfort—productive unease that drives reflection and growth—in workplace conversations about race, work and leadership. She also holds a master’s certificate in Inclusion and Diversity from Cornell University and holds a double major in Experimental Psychology and Statistics from Howard University. 

Beyond her professional pursuits, Wanda is passionate about addressing hunger and homelessness among college students and brings a global lens shaped by living abroad during the Covid-19 pandemic. Wanda believes leadership isn’t defined by authority, assessments or personality—who you are. Leadership is defined by action—simply, leadership is defined by what you do. 

More information: LinkedIn | Website