A New Chapter: Launching the first Bezos Scholars Alum Council!

We are thrilled to introduce the inaugural Bezos Scholars Alum Council. Born out of alum feedback and the desire to strengthen connections across the growing network, the Council will serve as a leadership body dedicated to fostering engagement, gathering and sharing feedback, and hosting meaningful opportunities to connect. Over a two-year term, the Alum Council will shape programming, create opportunities for alums to reconnect virtually and in person, and shape the future of our community.

This November, the team of six will gather at TED Next for an immersive leadership retreat where they plan to be inspired, build relationships with one another and map out their priorities for the year ahead. Collectively, the council brings a wide range of expertise and passions and is driven to amplify the voices of the Alum Network. We’re planning to share perspectives from the council in the coming months. If you are interested in connecting with the council, want to get involved, or have feedback for the group, please reach out to BSPAlumnetwork@gmail.com. To learn more about the members and their roles, read their bios below.

Valerie Shen, 2009 Cohort, Chair 

Valerie Shen spent the past year at Oxford University completing a Master of Public Policy degree.

Previously, she was Partner and Chief Operating Officer at G2 Venture Partners, a climate-tech focused venture capital fund. At G2 she was responsible for firm operations, including fundraising, impact reporting and marketing. Prior to business school, Valerie was an analyst at Kleiner Perkins’ Green Growth Fund, where she helped the team found G2. Before that, Valerie was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, where she worked across four continents, primarily on energy projects.

Valerie holds a BA degree summa cum laude in Environmental Science & Public Policy and Earth & Planetary Sciences from Harvard University. She holds an M.B.A. and M.S. in Environment and Resources from Stanford University, where she was a Siebel Scholar and an Arjay Miller Scholar.

Valerie brings her extensive leadership and event planning experience to the Alum Council and looks forward to strengthening connections and engagement across the network. She’s eager to draw on her background in cross-cultural collaboration and diverse professional experiences to foster meaningful opportunities for alums to gather and engage together.

Meghan Hussey Lim, 2017 Cohort, Professional Development Chair 

Meghan Hussey Lim is a Senior Scholarship Advisor with Scholarship America in addition to being a global health and education strategist with a career spanning international research, nonprofit program development, and inclusive education advising. A 2007 Bezos Scholar and speaker at the 2022 TED Bezos Scholars Salon, Meghan brings a deep commitment to ethical leadership, and systems-level inclusion.

She holds a BA from the University of Pennsylvania and an MSc in Global Health from Trinity College Dublin, where she studied as a George J. Mitchell Scholar. Her professional journey includes Fulbright research in China on disability and education transitions, fieldwork in East Africa, and technical roles at USAID’s Center for Education, where she supported inclusive education initiatives, Universal Design for Learning integration, and global training efforts.

Meghan has also held roles at Special Olympics, where she led inclusive education and youth leadership initiatives across multiple regions, developed partnerships with government and philanthropic partners, and contributed to international research on disability inclusion.

As the Alum Council’s Professional Development Chair for the Bezos Scholars Alumni Council, Meghan hopes to foster meaningful career pathways and mentorship opportunities for the Network. Her work reflects a lifelong dedication to dignity-centered design, interdisciplinary collaboration, and the values of curiosity, compassion, and inclusive leadership.

Imane Bounana, 2014 Cohort, Events Chair 

Imane’s story begins in Morocco, where she became the first woman in her family to pursue education. That step opened doors she never imagined and has guided her commitment ever since: to make sure that young people, no matter where they come from, feel seen, supported, and capable of shaping their own path.

Her journey has taken her across continents. Experiences spanning Africa, North America, Asia and Europe have shaped her into someone who values curiosity, humility, and connection. She has learned that leadership is not only about vision, but about presence — showing up for people, listening deeply, and creating opportunities that allow others to thrive.

Personally, she brings the perspective of someone who has lived between cultures and carried multiple identities — Moroccan, African, and Amazigh. Imane understands the challenges of navigating spaces where you are often the “first” or the “only,” and she is committed to ensuring that others feel less alone in that journey. Professionally, she brings a decade of experience in education, leadership, and community-building, working to turn ideas into action while keeping the work people-centered. 

As the Events Chair, Imane hopes to give back to the network and community that shaped her own leadership trajectory years ago. She is eager to co-create with fellow alums and listen, learn and weave the energy of the network into upcoming events.

Taiwo Odunowo, 2017 Cohort, Current Cohort Chair 

Taiwo is an investment analyst, program director, and community builder passionate about bridging global networks and creating purpose-driven opportunities for young people and entrepreneurs. A 2017 Bezos Scholar, he earned a BA in Public Policy with a concentration in Development and Growth Policy from Stanford University, an experience that shaped his leadership journey and instilled the value of combining vision with action. 

He currently serves as an Investment Analyst Associate at Western Technology Investment, where he supports strategy at the intersection of venture capital and technology. He also works as Program Director at Bridging Horizons, an international social enterprise focused on investment, impact, and philanthropy. In this capacity, he fosters dialogue between innovators and investors and supports ongoing initiatives, including a national gender-based violence response project and the development of clean cooking stove solutions.

Mentorship has always been central to Taiwo’s journey, from tutoring secondary students in math and English to founding Woo of All Traits (WAT), a media platform designed to inspire diaspora youth to contribute to national development. Across these experiences, Taiwo remains committed to bridging experiences together, between the U.S. and Africa, the private and public sectors, and current Scholars with the Alum Network.

As the Current Cohort Chair, Taiwo looks to combine his passion for storytelling and mentorship to equip the next two cohorts of Bezos Scholars with the resources to find community within the Alum Network, navigate transition and pursue their purpose.

Saifeddine Lahmar, 2021 Cohort, Cohort Ambassador Co-Chair

Saifeddine is a journalist, filmmaker and storyteller passionate about how narratives shape culture and community. A 2021 Bezos Scholar, he is currently studying Journalism at Northwestern University and exploring filmmaking as both an art form and a tool for cultural exchange.

Born and raised on the Tunisian island of Djerba, Saifeddine was shaped early on by the pulse of community and storytelling, shaping his imagination. His journey as a student at the African Leadership Academy (ALA) provided the opportunity to hone his creative leadership and sense of purpose, learning about the power of ideas and their ability to move beyond borders. 

Saifeddine’s professional path reflects that vision. His work in film – from writing, directing and cinematography to producing and marketing – has taught him that stories are more than entertainment; they are a force that expands empathy and builds community. As an intern with TED Conferences, he explored how ideas ripple outward to inspire global audiences. At the Aspen Institute’s Global Leadership Network (AGLN), he contributed to convening communities where leadership and storytelling intersect.

As the Cohort Ambassador Co-Chair, Saifeddine plans to use his passion for storytelling to strengthen connections across the Alum Network. He hopes to amplify the voices of each of the 20 cohorts and create spaces where alums can see their own stories reflected and together, shape a shared narrative of impact.

Candace Joyner, 2012 Cohort, Cohort Ambassador Co-Chair 

Candace grew up in Dexter, Oregon, a town where sheep outnumber people. Her early experiences in a rural community shaped her passion for creating systems of bridging and belonging. For Candace, belonging means fostering inclusion, disrupting shame, and promoting accountability to build genuine systems of care.

Candace earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Oregon. After college, Candace spent a year in law school before turning toward public health, earning a Master of Public Health, and now working toward a PhD in Health Policy. Her research asks whether political systems can and should foster belonging among marginalized communities, with her dissertation focusing on involuntary psychiatric detention and treatment, especially its use among people experiencing homelessness.

Beyond her studies, Candace enjoys snowboarding, practicing martial arts, and exploring Portland’s food scene to brighten the gray winters. As the Cohort Ambassador Co-Chair, she plans to reconnect alums who may have drifted from the community, reminding them that even in the middle of hectic lives and exhausting news cycles, this network can be a place of care, support, and collaboration.