Mr. Shamil Idriss is the CEO of Search for Common Ground where he leads efforts to resolve violent conflicts across more than 35 countries, particularly in the Middle East and Africa. With a long-standing career in international conflict resolution. Before joining Search, he co-founded Soliya, pioneering virtual exchanges for cross-cultural collaboration, which helped inspire initiatives like the J. Christopher Stevens Virtual Exchange Initiative. He holds degrees in Economics and Philosophy from Swarthmore College and is an active speaker on peacebuilding, including the Ambassador Chris Stevens Memorial Lecture Series and the Global Philanthropy Conference.​​