Roundtable on Global Talent & Innovation Economy

Presented in partnership with Cultural Vistas, the World Affairs Council Seattle invites you to an exclusive, small roundtable with Seattle’s leading global talent and mobility professionals.

Join the conversation as we dive into:

• The biggest challenges employers face in attracting and retaining the right talent to drive growth and innovation

• The evolving policy and regulatory landscape shaping global talent mobility

• Innovative strategies for leveraging international talent and unlocking underused visa pathways—brought to life through real-world examples

This intimate discussion is designed to foster genuine exchange and collaboration among a select group of professionals.

Please note: Filling out the interest form does not guarantee participation. Space is limited, and confirmed attendees will receive a separate confirmation email.

Interested in joining us? Let us know by filling out the interest form!

About the Speakers

Mayor Lynne Robinson joined the City Council in 2014, and she has a long history of civic involvement. She is a champion for startups and small business, and has encouraged startup and equity crowdfunding workshops at City Hall. Her colleagues voted her deputy mayor in January 2018 and mayor in January 2020, 2022 and 2024.

Lynne also advocates for the environment, parks and open spaces, human services and affordable housing in Bellevue. She proposed a property tax exemption adopted by the council for multifamily complexes that include affordable housing.

Mayor Robinson is council liaison to the Human Services Commission and LEOFF 1 Disability Board. She represents the council on the Sound Cities Association Large City Mayors, the King County Affordable Housing Committee and the Puget Sound Regional Council Executive Board, among other assignments.

Niken Priscilla is a PhD candidate at the School of Physics, University of Melbourne, where she also got her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Physics. She focuses her research in designing and fabricating metasurfaces for phase imaging, with her goal to make a compact, high resolution, optical filer that is compatible with traditional cameras to detect cells.

Priscilla is part of many published research papers, including "Metasurfaces for Infrared Multimodal Microscopy: Phase Contrast and Bright Field" (2025), "New avenues for phase imaging: optical metasurfaces" (2024), and "Deconstructed beetles: bilayered composite materials produce green coloration with remarkably high near-infrared reflectance" (2023).

She is currently a research scientist intern at Meta, researching materials and systems innovation, photonics design, and AR/VR system design.

Cody Suzuko Nunn is a U.S. Immigration Attorney at Ryan, Swanson & Cleveland, PLLC. Nunn focuses her practice on business immigration matters. She enjoys assisting corporate clients of all sizes and industries with their business immigration needs.

Nunn handles a wide range of temporary work visas, including, but not limited to, H-1B and E-3 professionals, TN professionals, L-1 intra-company transfers, E-2 treaty investors, and O-1 individuals of extraordinary ability. She also handles employment-based green card applications through PERM labor certification, and immigrant petitions for individuals of extraordinary ability. Additionally, Nunn assists companies with immigration compliance, business visitor visas, and entry letters for business meetings and events.

Nunn has been rewarded multiple honors and awards, most recently awarded Most Honored Lawyers by The American Registry (2025). She is also part of the American Immigration Lawyers Association and a member of the Asian Bar Association of Washington.

 Ahmad Ezzeddine, UW Vice Provost for Global Affairs

Ahman Ezzeddine leads the Office of Global Affairs and is responsible for the University’s global strategy and engagement efforts. Coordinating and collaborating with university partners to develop and deploy a cohesive campus-wide vision for global engagement and enhancing and expanding the university’s global programs, partnerships, and global learning initiatives.  

Previously, Dr. Ezzeddine served as Senior Vice Provost for Partnerships, Workforce, and International Programs at Wayne State University. In this capacity, he provided leadership and management for the university’s academic and corporate educational outreach programs and workforce development initiatives. As Wayne State’s Senior International Officer, Dr. Ezzeddine had strategic and operational responsibility for the university’s international initiatives, including international student recruiting, study abroad programs, and global education and research.  

Dr. Ezzeddine is currently serving as the association’s president and chair of the Board of Directors for NAFSA. Recognized for his contributions to the international education field, Dr. Ezzeddine was named Senior International Officer of the Year for 2022 by the Institute of International Education, a global not-for-profit organization that facilitates international education and research exchanges.  

Philippe Bézaire, Associate Director, International Co-operative & Experiential Education, University of Waterloo

Philippe Bézaire is a seasoned higher education professional with 20 years of experience advancing international education and work-integrated learning at the University of Waterloo, a global leader in Co-operative and Experiential Education. As Associate Director, International, Philippe leads a team responsible for facilitating 65% of all international co-op experiences reported by Canadian institutions. As a member of Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning Canada (CEWIL), he has conducted accreditation reviews for Canadian engineering co-op programs, and organized feasibility analyses to ensure viability and continued academic integration of new engineering co-op programs at Waterloo.

Philippe previously served as Acting Director of Admissions, overseeing entry to Canada’s largest and most competitive Faculty of Engineering. Philippe also launched the Faculty’s first international recruitment strategy, and directed faculty leaders in the development of its 5-year strategic plan.

Jennifer Clinton, Ph.D., President & CEO of Cultural Vistas. During her tenure, Jennifer has helped Cultural Vistas strengthen its global program portfolio, clarify programmatic learning outcomes, standardize monitoring and evaluation processes, and diversify participant populations and destination countries.

Jennifer is a dedicated leader with a demonstrated commitment to international education and business, driven by her passion for fostering connections between diverse cultures, individuals, and ideas. Known for stewarding organizational transformations, she specializes in implementing and managing bold initiatives that unlock the full potential of both individuals and nonprofits.

Prior to her role at Cultural Vistas, Jennifer served as the President and CEO of Global Ties U.S., where she led a global network of 120 community-based organizations serving 40,000 volunteers who implement public diplomacy programs in collaboration with the U.S. Department of State.

Jacqueline Miller has led the World Affairs Council of Seattle since May 2014. She held senior positions in policy organizations and non-profits on the east coast before moving to the Pacific Northwest. In Seattle, she also serves on the Mayor’s International Affairs Advisory Board; is a member of the Civic Council for University of Washington’s Master of Arts in Applied International Studies (MAAIS) program; and serves on the Washington State Advisory Committee for the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition. She is a board member of the World Affairs Councils of America; a current board member and past chair of the board of Global Ties U.S, and is a member of the Board of Advisors of the George H.W. Bush Foundation for U.S.-China Relations. She is also a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Prior to joining the World Affairs Council, Jacqueline served as Director of External Relations at Independent Diplomat in New York, working with marginalized democratic political actors to help them navigate the United Nations, the EU, and other international diplomatic fora. Previously, she was a Senior Associate at the EastWest Institute (EWI) in New York, where she created and led the U.S. program.