Mr. Amir Dossal
Founder & Curator
President & CEO, Global Partnerships Forum
Vision for the Future
In a world increasingly defined by social, economic, and humanitarian divides, remarkable individuals are stepping up to reshape our future. Vision for the Future was created to find them, listen to them, and share their stories with the world. visionforthefuture
Launched in September 2024 as an initiative of the Global Partnerships Forum, Vision for the Future is a digital anthology that celebrates leaders and changemakers driving economic, technological, and social progress globally – including those working at the frontlines of the Sustainable Development Goals. Each edition brings together a curated collection of voices: innovators, advocates, entrepreneurs, and public servants whose work is making a tangible difference in communities around the world.
Discover their stories. Be inspired. Become a changemaker. visionforthefuture
A Collaboration Built on Shared Purpose
Vision for the Future is produced in collaboration with Long Island University and Geneva Global LLC – partners who share GPF’s conviction that storytelling is itself a form of advocacy, and that elevating the right voices can shift the conversation on what global progress looks like and who is driving it.
Partnership Development
The most transformative partnerships in the world – between governments and foundations, between multinationals and social enterprises, between research institutions and communities – rarely find each other on their own. GPF acts as a trusted facilitator and partnerships architect. We identify where complementary strengths exist across sectors, help potential partners build the trust and shared language they need to collaborate, and support the design of alliances that are built to last. We measure our success not by the number of MoUs signed, but by partnerships that actually deliver.
Policy & Thought Leadership
For partnerships to flourish at scale, the environment around them has to be right. Policies need to enable rather than obstruct. Norms need to reward transparency and shared accountability. And practitioners need access to the best thinking on what works. GPF contributes to all of this through research, publications, and active engagement in multilateral processes. We bring field experience into policy conversations, and bring policy clarity back to practitioners. With 2030 approaching, that exchange has never been more urgent.
The 2025 Edition
The 2025 edition of Vision for the Future is now available. This year’s anthology features a new cohort of leaders whose work spans climate, health, education, entrepreneurship, and governance — a testament to the breadth and energy of the global changemaker community.
Meet the Team
Vision for the Future is the product of an exceptional team that has given its time, talent, and expertise on a pro bono basis. Their dedication to this initiative reflects the very spirit of partnership and purpose that GPF was founded to advance. The Global Partnerships Forum is deeply grateful for their commitment and generosity, without which this initiative would not exist.
Dr. Gregory W. Barton
Project Director
Dean of the Honors College and Global College, Long Island University
Dr. Ali Mazzara
Project Director
President, Geneva Global LLC
Mr. Matthew Barton
Creative Director
Creative Director, GALE
Mr. Zecki Dossal
Content Director
Senior Director, Henry Schein
Mr. Howard W. Buffett
Advisor
Professor, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University
Mr. Amir Dossal, President & CEO, Global Partnerships Forum
President & CEO, Global Partnerships Forum
The great journey to end poverty for good begins with a child. Due to natural disasters and man made disasters so many people are suffering so help to recover them. Please help them. Money is not always the way to help the poor. You can get involved by giving them anything that you are capable of. Many a penny makes a pond; drops of water make the ocean. So if we work together we can change the world in a better way.
Dr. Gregory W. Barton, Dean of the Honors College and Global College, Long Island University
Project Director
Gregory W. Barton, Ed.D., serves as the Dean of the Honors College at Long Island University. Dr. Barton received his doctorate from Johns Hopkins University, specializing in Entrepreneurial Leadership in Education. His dissertation focused on improving college readiness through arts, athletics, and family engagement. As a former college athlete and practicing artist, Dr. Barton is passionate about helping students succeed by building college readiness skills in extracurricular activities. Before his work at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Barton received his master’s in Historic Preservation from the Savannah College of Art and Design and his bachelor’s degree in sculpture and art history from Washington and Lee University. In his current role, Dr. Barton helps students broaden their education and engage in interdisciplinary learning and research that puts them on the best path toward success after college. Before becoming the Dean of the Honors College, Dr. Barton served as the Director of Promise and Associate Dean of Students at the LIU Brooklyn campus. Dr. Barton also has extensive teaching and coaching experience at the high school and college levels, both domestically and internationally.
Dr. Maryalice (Ali) Mazzara, President, Geneva Global LLC
Project Director
Dr. Maryalice (Ali) Mazzara is a highly regarded global affairs and leadership expert specializing in designing and implementing international programs and projects for universities, governments, corporations, and non-profit organizations. Highlights include programs with the Aspen Institute, Columbia University, Johnson & Johnson, Samsung, and Save the Children. Dr. Mazzara is also recognized for her leadership in recruiting and developing diverse and extremely effective teams for global programs.
In July 2024, Dr. Maryalice Mazzara she founded the Geneva Global LLC, a globally focused consulting company. Geneva Global offers three services: creating global initiatives for corporate and family foundations; designing and implementing special global events and programs; and partnering with Fortune 500 companies to successfully support DEI in their workplaces.
Before Geneva Global, Dr. Mazzara has been the Dean of Global College and the Director of the International Relations and Diplomacy Program at Long Island University, a Director of several programs at SUNY’s Global Center, the Education Attaché at the Government of Québec in New York, and the Education Director of an NGO, Global Film Initiatives. Prior to these positions, she was the Education Director at Columbia University’s Harriman Institute’s Title VI U.S. Department of Education Grant for 10 years.
Mr. Matthew Barton, Creative Director, GALE
Creative Director
Matthew Barton is an award-winning Creative Director born and raised in New York City. Matthew currently works at GALE Partners where global consultancy meets world class creativity. He previously worked at other major agencies like MullenLowe and Johannes Leonardo working on the likes of adidas, Amazon, E*TRADE, KFC, Kraft, Velveeta, Venmo, Volkswagen among others.
He received his undergraduate degree at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, VA where he majored in photography and journalism and played four years on the varsity football team. He then received his Masters in Fine Arts in Photography from the Savannah College of Art and Design.
Outside of work, he and his brother co-founded Hamptons Surf Company, a small surf company, lifestyle brand and artist collective based on the Eastern End of Long Island. Matthew also serves on the Associate Board of BUILD NYC, an educational nonprofit which uses entrepreneurship to build career success, entrepreneurial mindsets, and opportunity in under-resourced communities.
Mr. Zecki Dossal, Senior Director, Henry Schein
Content Director
Zecki Dossal is a senior executive with 20+ years of experience driving growth, transformation, and new venture development across global markets, including the US, Canada, and EMEA. He currently serves as a Senior Director at Henry Schein, a Fortune 300 global healthcare company, driving global commercial growth and scaling recurring revenue models. He has launched high-margin ventures, expanded subscription-based business models, and led strategic growth initiatives that enhanced enterprise value and customer lifetime value. Previously, Zecki was a Senior Vice President at GLG, overseeing strategy and operations for the private equity and venture capital business. He advised investment teams on deal evaluation, portfolio optimization, and value creation. He also founded GLG’s social impact initiatives, helping high-growth social enterprises accelerate decision-making and scale. Zecki holds an MBA from Columbia Business School and a BA in Economics from Columbia University. He serves on the Board of the Global Partnerships Forum and is an Advisory Board Member of NEXUS and The Resolution Project. Zecki has also served on the Board of the Association for Dental Safety.
Mr. Howard W. Buffett, Professor, School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University
Advisor
Howard W. Buffett is a professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, where he published his award-winning research, Social Value Investing: A Management Framework for Effective Partnerships (Columbia University Press, 2018). He is also a member of several corporate boards where he focuses on effective governance and sustainability strategies, including Case New Holland (NYSE:CNH), Toyota Motor North America (NYSE:TM), and Inari Agriculture. Howard was previously the executive director and trustee of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, which strengthens food security for vulnerable populations and is active in nearly 100 countries throughout Africa, Asia, and Latin America. While at the foundation, he co-authored the New York Times bestselling book 40 Chances: Finding Hope in a Hungry World (Simon & Schuster, 2013). Prior to that, he oversaw economic development and stabilization programs for the U.S. Department of Defense in Afghanistan and Iraq, and was awarded the Joint Civilian Service Commendation Award—the highest-ranking civilian honor presented by the Joint Chiefs of Staff requiring the approval of the Combatant Commanders. Prior to that, Howard was a policy advisor for the White House Domestic Policy Council, where he co-authored the President’s cross-sector partnership strategy, and he was a member of the 2008-09 Presidential Transition Team. He also held roles at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the United Nations Office for Partnerships. Howard has a BS from Northwestern University, an MPA from Columbia University, an MBA from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and executive education certificates from Harvard Business School. He also chairs the Advisory Council for Harvard’s International Negotiation Program
