Jada Allender is a Corporate & Securities attorney at Snell & Wilmer LLP. In addition to large- scale mergers and acquisitions, Jada works on public company offerings and SEC filings. Jada also helps clients with devising business solutions, structuring and forming business entities, corporate organization, private equity financing, and deal negotiation. Outside of traditional corporate law, Jada works on sports law matters and represents clients in new technology ventures, media rights deals, and executive and coach compensation contracts. Jada has also helped universities put together their NIL policies and published articles on the topic for various sources, including the Harvard Sports Law Journal. Jada’s background is in college athletics working for the University of Oregon football team and Stanford football team before heading to Arizona State University where she earned a J.D. and a Master of Sports Law & Business. Additionally, Jada attended the Wharton Sports Business Academy, where her work in the sports industry earned her the prestigious Johnnie L. Cochran, Jr. Salute to Excellence Award in 2015—a national award for students, NCAA coaches, NFL coaches and front office executives honoring their excellence and leadership in the sports industry. Outside of her passion for sports and corporate law, Jada has pursued her interests in public policy and foreign relations through her involvement with the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations. In her free time, Jada has an eclectic group of interests that keep her busy. Jada is an avid comedy show attendee, regularly plays pickleball, and is no stranger to international trips. Jada also grew up barrel racing and driving combines, so she enjoys horseback riding and country drives when she gets the chance.

Fareed Bailey is a Senior State Government Affairs Representative at Salt River Project (SRP), a community-based, not-for-profit organization providing affordable water and power to more than 2 million people in central Arizona. In this role, he is responsible for advancing SRP’s public policy priorities at the Legislature and Executive branch agencies through advocacy and relationship building with elected officials, staff and relevant stakeholders. Fareed was most recently Deputy Assistant Director, Director of Legislative Affairs and AZ529 Education Savings Plan Administrator at the Office of Arizona State Treasurer Kimberly Yee. His prior experience includes many years helping legislators develop public policy as a Research Analyst and staffing Committees at the Arizona Senate, including Commerce & Energy, Natural Resources & Transportation, Finance, Federalism, and Financial Institutions. Fareed also has experience working in Washington, DC, having served as an Energy Program Research Associate at Taxpayers for Common Sense, and as a Senior Legislative Associate for the government affairs consulting firm Stateside Associates. Fareed earned a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, CA, and a Bachelor’s Degree, summa cum laude, in Political Science from Arizona State University. Born in Azerbaijan, he immigrated to the United States as a child, and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2006. He grew up in Arizona and enjoys reading, hiking, music and travel.

Dr. James Crowell is the Founder and CEO of Crow Industries, leading the company in producing intelligent robotic systems for enhanced military and industrial operations, on Earth and beyond. Globally focused, CI works closely with U.S. and Allied forces and commercial customers, across Europe, the Indo-Pacific, and the Middle East. Previously, Dr. Crowell spent over a decade at NASA and in academia developing and deploying robotic systems for scientific exploration in extreme environments on Earth, the Moon, and Mars. He is an expert in extreme environment robotics, natural resources, and space settlement.

Born and raised in Mexico City, David Farca started his first business in the retail industry, selling accessories and gifts during his high school years. He later sold the business as a three store chain while still in college. David graduated from UI (Universidad Iberoamericana) with a degree in Biomedical Engineering, which created the opportunity for his second venture in the medical field, manufacturing antiseptics, plaster of paris and distributing surgical lasers. David’s real interest remained in medical imaging and after the sale of the manufacturing side of the business, he restructured the distribution side to accommodate medical imaging equipment. With his experience in the field and a degree in Medical Imaging Infrastructure from MIT, David’s opinion in designing and specifying digital imaging departments became very well respected throughout Mexico becoming a business column writer for “Diagnostic Imaging America Latina” a Miller Freeman Publication and a Board Member of the Mexican Society and the Mexican Federation of Radiology (SMRI and FMRI). Trying to balance his college technical background with his self-taught business experience, David pursued an MBA degree from ITAM (Instituto Tecnológico Autónomo de México). His medical imaging venture added manufacturing facilities for x-ray film while transitioning hospitals from analogical to digital imaging equipment. After the sale of the business, David and his wife Mavi, moved to Scottsdale with the purpose of turning their passion for cross border business, into their third business endeavor. Their efforts created a holding group of international companies in several industries including defense, manufacturing, real estate and healthcare. David now heads International Business Group, which assists companies expand internationally. Not all of David’s achievements have been in the business world. In the sports world, he attained a third degree black belt in Karate and the highest degree in oriental weapons. David also is a former member of the Mexican Alpine Olympic Ski Team and a former Member of the Mexican Olympic Committee and the International Federation of Ski (FIS). David is also a firm believer in giving back to the communities where he has lived and done business in. Some of his accomplishments are: Served as president of the YEO (Young Entrepreneur’s Organization) Arizona Chapter Past Member of the Phoenix Thunderbirds serving as Cabinet member for the 2009, 2011 and 2016 Phoenix Open Tournaments and as Council member for the organization in 2009 and 2011 Founding Member and past Chapter Chair of YPO (Young Presidents Organization) Scottsdale Chapter Past Board Member of the Latin American Art Alliance a support organization to the Phoenix Art Museum Past Board Member of the Real Estate Committee of the Arizona Mexico Commission Past Board Member of the Arizona Super Bowl XLIX Host Committee Past Board Member of the Barrow Neurological Foundation Advisor to The Global Chamber Trustee of The Nature Conservancy, AZ and Mexico Chapters Member of Governor Doug Ducey’s Financial and Transition Committees Past Board Member of Arizona 2016 College Championship Organizing Committee Past President of the Arizona-Mexico Commission, appointed by Governor Doug Ducey Advisor to the United States Global Leadership Coalition Member of the Advisory Board of The Consular Corps of Arizona Founding Member of the Arizona Zanjeros, a business advisory board to the Governor of Arizona Advisor for Job Aire Group, an Aerospace Industry Company Board Member for The Gold Standard Foundation. David enjoys life in the Arizona desert, while maintaining close personal relationships in Latin America, SE Asia and Europe. He enjoys traveling, cycling, golfing, and fine arts.

Glen Goodman is Senior Director for Latin America with Arizona State University’s International Development Initiative where he and his team work to harness ASU’s considerable expertise and capabilities to pursue and implement development projects in the region, principally funded by USAID and the Department of State. In this capacity he engages with universities, development agencies, foundations, NGOs, local governments, and the private sector to build strategic consortia for implementation of US Government priorities across the region. He is also Clinical Assistant Professor of Brazilian Studies in ASU’s School for International Letters and Cultures. A proud 5th generation Phoenician, Glen is passionate about helping Arizona and Arizonans engage globally, particularly with its most proximate neighbors in the Hemisphere. He holds degrees from Georgetown, Oxford, and Emory Universities, two certificates in cuisine from Cordon Bleu Paris, and has received support from the Fulbright, Fulbright-Hays, and German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) programs.

Austin Kennedy is the Executive Director of the Arizona Business Roundtable (AZBRT), where he leads efforts to shape public policy that support economic growth and business interests throughout the state. Austin is an accomplished public policy expert with over 15 years of experience in legislative affairs and government relations. He most recently served as the Senior Advisor for Arizona Policy to U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema, where he led all Arizona-focused legislative initiatives. In this capacity, he played a pivotal role in shaping and advancing policy priorities with a focus on bipartisan solutions and strategic collaboration. Throughout his career, Austin has worked with some of Arizona’s most influential federal lawmakers, including the late Senator John McCain, former Senators Jon Kyl, Jeff Flake, and Martha McSally, as well as Senator Joe Lieberman. These roles have equipped him with a comprehensive understanding of national policy development, constituent engagement, and coalition building. Beyond his work in government, Austin is actively engaged in civic life. He currently serves as President of the State Society of Arizona, a nonpartisan nonprofit that fosters community and connection among Arizonans in Washington, DC. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Phoenix Committee of Foreign Relations and the Arizona Defense and Industry Coalition. A proud alumnus of the University of Arizona, Austin remains dedicated to public service, civic engagement, and advancing Arizona’s interests at the national level.

James McCain is the director of government affairs at Hensley Beverage Company in Phoenix, Ariz. After 18 years in the U.S. military (USMC and US Army) and a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, he also serves in the Arizona National Guard as an intelligence officer, and is involved with the Business RoundTable, AZ Chamber, AFMA, and BACIC. He is on the board of Arizona Tourism and Lodging and works heavily with multiple veteran charities across the U.S. McCain received his bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and a master’s degree from Trinity College Dublin and from Arizona State University.

David A. Merkel is the managing director of Summit International Advisors, LLC. His expertise includes United States foreign policy, the geopolitics of energy, the Belt and Road Initiative, Europe, Russia, the Caucasus and Central Asia. David A. Merkel has served as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, Director for South and Central Asian Affairs at the National Security Council in the White House, Director for European and Eurasian Affairs at the National Security Council and Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Affairs at the U.S. Treasury Department. He also served as international counsellor to the Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), senior professional staff on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and senior foreign and defense policy adviser to the leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, International Institute for Strategic Studies and the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations.

Ben Stewart is Senior Advisor, Strategic Engagement at Arizona Public Service (APS). In his role, Ben focuses on government and community relations for APS’s long-term strategic infrastructure projects. Prior to APS, Ben served as State Director for the Office of U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema. Ben engaged with elected officials, community leaders, and various stakeholders throughout Arizona. Before working for the Senator, Ben held other state and federal positions including serving as Director of Government and Community Affairs for the Arizona Office of Tourism. Ben is personally involved in local government, serving on his neighborhood’s planning commission and was appointed by the governor in 2019 to serve on the state’s Tourism Advisory Council. Ben is a 5th generation Arizonan and lives in Phoenix with his wife Anna, son Asher, and two dogs Jagger and Pepper.