ArteEast is led by a dedicated nine-person board that brings a range of professional expertise to the organization, including nonprofit, arts, business management, marketing and law.
Karim Mostafa, President
An Egyptian-American philanthropist who is a doctoral candidate in Reading, Writing, and Literacy at University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education. While working to complete his dissertation on the interplay of text and image in Arabic and Arab-American children’s picture books, he has been assisting in teaching a course at Penn on Multicultural Issues in Education for three years. Prior to pursuing his doctorate, Karim worked in New York City for nine years as a journalist and an elementary public school teacher. From 1997 – 2002, Karim reported on the online newspaper industry as Associate Editor of Editor & Publisher Online, the online edition of Editor & Publisher magazine. From 2002-2006, he was a New York City Teaching Fellow, requiring him to teach grades 4-6 in Spanish Harlem and to complete a Masters in Elementary Education at Hunter College in 2004. For his undergraduate degree, Karim studied Near Eastern Languages & Civilization, focusing on medieval Islamic thought, at the University of Chicago (1995). Since 2006, Karim has been an active board member participating in the management of Nimos Engineering & Agricultural Development Co., (Cairo, Egypt), while studying at University of Pennsylvania. As an Egyptian-American who has lived in both Egypt and North America, each for 20 years, Karim now divides his time between residences in Cairo and New York City.
Susan Peters, Secretary
Susan Peters is a former ArteEast board president and the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Arab Bankers Association of North America (ABANA). Susan has a long history in nonprofit management and development, as well as in the MENA region. Prior to rejoining ABANA in 2010, where she had also been executive director from 2000-05, she was Executive Director to the Board of King’s Academy, where she led strategic planning, development and policy for a new coeducational boarding school outside of Amman, Jordan. She has lived in Egypt and Jordan, as well as in Morocco, where she was assistant director of the Arabic Language Institute in Fez from 1994 to 1997. Susan has been a development consultant to several nonprofit organizations and universities in New York City. She was a founding board member and is a former president of ArteEast, a New York-based nonprofit organization that promotes the contemporary arts of the Middle East, and serves on the boards of a private company and foundation. A Wisconsin native, Susan holds a BA from the University of Michigan and an MA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She was a fellow at the Center for Arabic Studies Abroad (CASA) at the American University in Cairo and completed language studies at the University of Paris-Sorbonne, Middlebury College and the Arabic Language Institute in Fez.
Lynze Ballay, Secretary
Lynze Ballay is a creative branding and communications specialist with extensive multinational experience in digital strategy development and emerging market brand exposure. Previously, Lynze was the Lead Project Manager for the CEO of Dow Chemical, where she managed strategic initiatives and international brand reputation from Dow’s New York City headquarters. Prior, Lynze was located in Dubai where she built up Dow’s regional brand reputation, and was responsible for implementation of corporate responsibility programs for the Middle East and Africa. A vibrant self-starter, Lynze founded the Middle East Women’s Innovation Network to showcase career growth opportunities for women in the region. Lynze holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan (U-M) in Arabic, Armenian, Persian, Turkish, Islamic Studies and English Literature. She has completed education programs at the American University of Dubai and Yarmouk University in Jordan. Lynze is a board member of the U-M Alumni Association of New York City, where she currently resides.
Osman Khan, Treasurer
Osman Khan is one of the co-founders of and the Chief Operating Officer for Paddle8, the leading online auction house. Since Paddle8’s inception in 2011, Osman has overseen day-to-day management of the company, including all of its internal operations and business development, as well as helped develop and manage the company’s proprietary infrastructure and processes around bidding, fulfillment, logistics and client service. Osman also co-manages all of the Company’s benefit collaborations. Osman’s primary expertise is in organizational development and change, operations/logistics, and strategic and financial advisory. Prior to Paddle8, Osman held 10+ of professional services experience across management consulting and investment banking. From 2009-2011, he helped launch and co-manage the Private Capital group for the New York boutique investment bank, Perella Weinberg Partner as well as held a role in the M&A Advisory group, working on transactions in the media, telecom and financial institutions sectors. From 2006-2007, Osman served as a financial technologies banker at Goldman Sachs and prior to that was a management consultant with various firms. Osman started his professional career as an operations associate for the United States Postal Service evaluating procedures and technologies for optimizing mail routes through the United States. Osman holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a Masters of Industrial Engineering, Bachelors of Economics and a Bachelors of Science and Education from Northwestern University. As an avid cook, Osman holds the Diplôme de Cuisine from the Cordon Bleu culinary school in Paris and spent six months as a sous chef in-training at various restaurants throughout UK and France. Osman is fluent in Urdu and Arabic and has basic proficiency in French.
Lena Diab
Lena Diab is an art collector and currently runs My Pick LLC, a New York-based company that identifies and promotes emerging labels in the ready-to-wear and fashion accessories space. Born and raised in Nazareth, Lena is a graduate of Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Lena moved to the United States in 1994 and has lived in Washington, London and York City where she currently lives with her husband, Salah Saabneh, and her two children, Amir and Yara. Lena is an art enthusiast and collects art from around the world.
Tarek Khanachet
Tarek Khanachet practices as an attorney at Covington & Burling LLP, where he advises clients across a broad range of complex international regulatory, government affairs and corporate matters focused on Turkey, the Middle East and Gulf States. Tarek was previously an archaeologist and a Supervisor at the Brown University Petra Great Temple Excavations in Petra, Jordan. Tarek received his A.B. in Old World Archaeology and Art from Brown University, his M.A. in Archaeology from the Institute of Archaeology, University College London, and his J.D. from New York University School of Law. He is currently a member of the New York City Bar Middle Eastern and North African Affairs Committee, and a member of the NYU Law Alumni Association Board.
Carole Marshi
Carole Marshi is an art collector and prominent member of the Lebanese American community.
Katherine Precht
Katherine Precht is a development professional currently at Friends Seminary and previously at the American University in Cairo who brings professional experience to support ArteEast development efforts.
Leila Zubi
Leila Zubi is a former ArteEast Board president and a founding partner of Zubi Rosner, LLP and heads the firm’s corporate and real estate practices. Leila serves as general counsel to individual and corporate clients, and foreign sovereign governments. Further, Leila is an Adjunct Professor of Legal Writing and Research for LL.M. Students at Fordham University School of Law. Leila also advises not-for-profit organizations, serves on the board of the United Nations Association, NY Chapter, and is a volunteer mediator of commercial and community disputes. Leila is a member of the New York and New Jersey Bars. Leila is a graduate of Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and was the Editor-in-Chief of the Cardozo Journal of Conflict Resolution. She has a Master of Arts in Near Eastern Studies from New York University Graduate School of Arts and Science and was the recipient of the prestigious Ettinghausen Fellowship. She received a University of Virginia fellowship to study Arabic at Yarmouk University in Irbid, Jordan. Leila is a graduate of Fordham University where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Economics and was a member of Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society. Leila is fluent in Turkish.
