The Team

Qiam Amiry - Founder & Board President: Qiam was born in Kabul, Afghanistan where he lived until winning a scholarship to attend Li Po Chun United World College of Hong Kong in 2003. Qiam holds a bachelor's degree in government from Colby College, and a master's degree in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University.

Qiam's education afforded him a world of opportunities that were unimaginable to him during his childhood. Incredibly, before obtaining his scholarship, Qiam's life goal was to earn $400 per month. After his educational preparation, Qiam is often seen addressing audiences, exhorting them to understand that "$400 should never be the upper limit of anyone's aspirations. Our prospective leaders need to know their dreams, large and small, are possible in Afghanistan."

Qiam has grown convinced that, for Afghanistan to experience transformational change, men and women of excellence must lead her. That conviction prompted Qiam to start the Afghan Scholars Initiative to help prepare Afghanistan's future leaders by giving her brightest sons and daughters the opportunity to study at top high schools and colleges around the world.

Qiam leads the Afghan Scholars Initiative mission to prepare Afghanistan's future transformational leaders. His work includes leading ASI's fundraising and stakeholder support for ASI's board of directors, donors, partner schools, students and their families.

John Campbell - Executive Director: John is the co-founder and executive director of ASI. He oversees day-to-day operations and runs ASI's programming, including the tutorial, partner schools, and scholars programs. Along with Qiam, he was the 2009 Maine Collegiate Philanthropist of the year. He graduated magna cum laude from Colby College with a BA in English and Government.  He currently lives outside Boston.

Zac Bloom - Director of Communications: Hailing from Santa Monica, CA, Zac met Qiam and John in his freshman year at Colby College where they all embraced a mutual passion for studying the greater Middle East region and conflict zones around the world. Zac ended up pursuing a career in entertainment and media after graduation, but maintained a constant interest in the field as well as the ASI. In July of 2011, he was brought onboard to coordinate the ASI communications team as well as consult on overall marketing strategy and tactical implementation.

Lauren Pongan - Communcations: Yet another Colby alum on the team, Lauren began working with ASI as a tutor in 2009. More recently, Lauren has begun lending a hand to ASI in the realms of communications, development, and curriculum development. She hopes to bring writing skills that she has honed at various non-profits and as a freelance journalist. Currently, she enjoys cheesesteaks and soft pretzels in the City of Brotherly Love, where she makes living as a cupcake decorator and an after school literacy program leader at the public library.

Alex Wise - Accountant: Alex supports the financial operations of ASI.  Alex hopes to apply her budget experience from an international development non-profits to ASI. Alex worked as a strategy consultant and then within the international development-humanitarian field, where she was posted in Afghanistan, Mongolia, and South Sudan.  She is classmates with Qiam at The Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy at Tufts University.

Additional Team Members:

Sanjay