Our Team

  • A young woman with curly hair smiling outdoors, wearing a light gray sweater and jewelry.

    Shira Hoffer, Founder and Executive Director

    Shira is the founding Executive Director of The Viewpoints Project. A 2025 graduate in Social Studies and Religion, she served on Harvard’s Intellectual Vitality Committee for two years, advising and presenting on new strategies for promoting constructive disagreement on campus. She is also former fellow and research assistant at the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Ethics’ Intercollegiate Civil Disagreement Program, and a practicing mediator in Massachusetts courts. Her senior thesis explored differing campus speech behaviors between religious and secular college students.

  • A young man with short, dark curly hair and light skin, smiling, wearing a dark blazer over a light blue button-up shirt, against a gray background.

    José Valdez Genao, Director of Programming

    José is a 2025 college graduate with a bachelor's degree in Government and a minor in Education from Harvard College. Prior to joining Viewpoints, he interned at the United Nations and UNESCO, conducting research to support global policymaking, and organized international conferences and debates, promoting diplomacy and cross-cultural cooperation. A native of the Dominican Republic, he founded and served as Director General of a local NGO that has helped more than 400 low-income students access scholarships and build critical-thinking skills. He cares deeply about expanding equitable access to educational opportunities, civic engagement, and civil discourse.

  • A young woman with short dark hair and freckles, smiling outdoors on a sunny day, wearing a purple lace top with black accents, a blue patterned strap, and a blue earring, with a white flower in her hair. In the background, a person in a light blue shirt is walking on a grassy field surrounded by trees.

    Sarahann Yeh, Director of Operations and Finance

    Sarahann is a social impact professional with nearly a decade of experience in diplomacy, philanthropy, and non-profit management. She previously served as a U.S. diplomat and corporate philanthropy strategist, working in over 10 countries to facilitate dialogue, deliver educational programs, and advance positive social change. While working in Guatemala, Sarahann founded a diplomatic diversity council and led a five-year strategy development process. She is a strong believer in global citizenship and actively sponsors a scholarship for U.S. community college students to study abroad. She holds a M.A. in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University and a B.S. in Biology from the University of Maryland. 

  • Young man with glasses smiling in front of a neutral background.

    Jason Vadnos, Director of Campus Partnerships

    Jason is a junior at Vanderbilt University majoring in Human & Organizational Development and Culture, Advocacy, & Leadership. He serves as a Dialogue Vanderbilt Student Ambassador, helping shape campus policies and programs that promote respectful, evidence-based, and open-minded cross-partisan conversation. As a Research Assistant at Vanderbilt’s Civil Discourse Education Lab, he teaches students to communicate across divides and advocate effectively at personal, community, and policy levels. Beyond campus, Jason partners with nonprofits to build a national network of educators and administrators advancing civic engagement and civil discourse in higher education.

  • A young woman in a graduation gown and stole, standing outdoors in front of a large building with steps and trees, smiling at the camera.

    Anna Nelson, Program Associate

    Anna is a recent graduate of the University of Wisconsin - Madison. There she studied political philosophy, philosophy of education and gender studies. Her undergraduate thesis focuses on pedagogical methods of improving disagreement in the gender studies classroom. Her interest in pedagogy stemmed from her experience as an intern at the Center for Ethics and Education where she created curriculum and audio content. At Wisconsin, she also restarted an abolitionist collective and publication, The Madison Journal of Literary Criticism where she facilitated discussion on the carceral state and oversaw the magazine’s production as Co Editor in Chief. She is now living Des Moines, Iowa building her writing portfolio, catching up on her backlog of reading lists and enjoying a rest from school.

Board of Directors

  • A smiling man in a dark suit with a white shirt and gray tie, posing against a light gray background.

    David Seibel

    David Seibel is Co-Founder and President of Insight Partners and Insight Collaborative. A Harvard-trained lawyer and faculty at the Program on Negotiation, he specializes in negotiation, conflict resolution, and strategic relationship management. He has taught and consulted globally, advising clients from corporate leaders to international prosecutors, with a focus on creating value and strengthening relationships.

  • A woman with short dark hair and a black top smiling at the camera against a plain gray background.

    Mónica Guzmán

    Mónica Guzmán is the author of I Never Thought of It That Way, founder of Reclaim Curiosity, and Senior Fellow at Braver Angels. She also hosts A Braver Way podcast. A past fellow at Harvard’s Nieman Foundation for Journalism, she is a Mexican immigrant and proud liberal daughter of conservative parents. Mónica lives in Seattle with her husband and two kids. Learn more at moniguzman.com.

  • A man with a beard and medium-length hair smiling outdoors, leaning against a wall.

    Ned Hall

    Edward J. Hall is an American philosopher and Norman E. Vuilleumier Professor of Philosophy at Harvard University. He is known for his expertise on philosophy of science and epistemology. Hall graduated from Reed College in 1987, and earned his Ph.D. in philosophy at Princeton University in 1996. He taught at MIT until 2005, when he moved to Harvard.

  • Portrait of a man with dark hair, glasses, and a beard wearing a light blue dress shirt.

    David Hamburger

    David Hamburger is executive director of Persuasion, a nonprofit publication and community dedicated to defending the principles of liberal democracy at home and abroad. In addition to IME, he serves on the national board of the Princeton Prize in Race Relations. David is a graduate of Johns Hopkins and Leiden universities and lives in Baltimore, Maryland.

  • Close-up of a woman with shoulder-length light brown hair, blue eyes, smiling, wearing a turquoise scarf and white top, against a gray background.

    Angela Orlando

    Angela Orlando is a Managing Director at Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH. Her work in Advancement specializes in strategic fundraising, major gift work and volunteer management. Angela has served as a Board member and Chair of Development at both Crossroads Academy in Lyme, NH and The Family Place in Norwich, VT.

Advisors

  • Dr. Allison Briscoe-Smith

  • A woman with curly brown hair smiling, wearing a dark green velvet top and a gold chain necklace against a gray background.

    Nadine Strossen

  • A smiling woman with short, braided hair, red lipstick, and gold jewelry, wearing a white top with black grid pattern, against a black background.

    Dr. Avé Luke-Simpson

  • Young man with light brown hair smiling outdoors in front of a house and lake.

    Sam Pratt

  • A woman with dark skin, long beaded braids, round glasses, and hoop earrings smiling at the camera.

    Osamagbe Osagie

  • Headshot of a man with short black hair, facial hair, and light skin, smiling slightly, wearing a dark shirt against a plain light background.

    Christian Carmody

  • Headshot of a smiling woman with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a black top and blazer, standing outdoors in front of a brick building.

    Dr. Tatiana Geron

  • Smiling woman with brown hair in a ponytail, wearing a red shirt, outdoors with blurred trees and buildings in the background.

    Dr. Annie Rappeport

  • A man with light brown hair, a beard, and blue eyes, wearing a dark suit jacket and a light blue shirt, standing outdoors with blurred green foliage in the background.

    Daniel Hart