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October 24, 2024


In a recent inspirational Mentorship Series session with Aspire Leaders Program alumni, Aspire Institute welcomed Reed Shafer-Ray, CEO of Mountaintop International, and Mountaintop Fellow, Abdallatif Ali. Participants listened to them share personal experiences about overcoming adversity. They explained the moments that formed their desires to elevate change-making and leadership potential within underserved communities. These same passions and interests ultimately led them to volunteer their time and collaborate with Aspire Institute.

From Tragedy to Leadership: Shafer-Ray’s Journey to Creating Change

Growing up in Oklahoma, Shafer-Ray experienced two events that drove him to analyze the importance of effective and preventative leadership. These tragic events included the loss of his father to cancer at 17 years old and a devastating storm in his hometown that claimed the lives of nine people. These events caused Shafer-Ray to reflect on the importance of effective leadership. 

“Because of the lack of leadership, both in the case of preventative healthcare but also in the case of disaster relief and disaster prevention, these people lost their lives,” Shafer-Ray said. 

During his undergraduate years at Harvard University, he started “Lobby Day,” mobilizing student volunteers to advocate for policy changes at the Massachusetts state house. These experiences fueled Shafer-Ray’s passion for building a better society, ultimately leading to the founding of Mountaintop International.

Empowering Leaders: Mountaintop’s Mission to Strengthen Communities

Mountaintop International is founded on the principle that many systems-changing leaders worldwide deserve access to tools to strengthen their leadership skills and community impact. Shafer-Ray noted a lack of resources in many developing countries. This often hinders leaders from addressing crucial issues – something Mountaintop and Aspire Institute strive to address. 

The Mountaintop Fellowship offers participants funding, mentorship, leadership courses, and networking opportunities. The goal is to equip fellows with the network and tools to address pressing issues in their communities.

Shafer-Ray explained his connection to the Aspire Institute mission and its similarities with the work he has done. He said forming a partnership and volunteering to speak with alumni was an easy choice.

“The work that y’all do in terms of building this scalable online training giving people these professional skills is extremely important, and I think it’s just an incredible mission,” Shafer-Ray said. 

Driven by Injustice: Ali’s Push for Change in Sudan and Beyond

Abdallatif (Lotfi) Ali, an alumnus of the Mountaintop International Fellowship, shared his experiences in fostering peace and unity in Sudan. He reflected on leadership qualities with Aspire Leaders Program alumni during the Mentorship Series session. Using culture as a tool within his home country, he has participated in many efforts to foster peace and unity. His activism is fueled by the ongoing challenges in Sudan, a nation rich with cultural diversity yet plagued by division.

“[Sudan is] a country rich in culture and diversity and ethnicity and religions and even the origin of people [and] the race of people,” he explained. “These elements have always been challenges and obstacles that have divided the country culturally, ethnically, and also the government and people who are governing the country have contributed to that.”

Witnessing a political assassination and human rights violations motivated Ali to become an activist, working on peacebuilding and cultural initiatives.

He founded Youth for Peace in 2015, a platform dedicated to peacebuilding and social cohesion in Sudan. This initiative played a crucial role in the 2019 revolution that led to a temporary democratic government.

“During this time, we were able to contribute to the establishment of Nirvana Control Foundation, a foundation that implemented various projects supporting civic education, youth empowerment, women empowerment, [and] democratic transition” Ali described.

These experiences led to expanding his work to include consulting on peacebuilding and youth initiatives in West Darfur in 2022. This was part of a joint project with the European Union, UNICEF, War Child Canada, and United Nations Integrated Transition Assistance Mission (UNITAMS). In 2024, he was recognized as the Global Changemaker by the African Association of Language and Culture. This same year, he completed the Mountaintop Fellowship.

“[The Mountaintop Fellowship] changed my thinking [and] the way I address the impact I’m trying to do,” Ali expressed. “It gave me resources, opportunities, connections, knowledge and experiences to address more effectively the challenges – to build peace [and] to help the communities form their collective identity.”

Final Thoughts: Shafer-Ray and Ali’s Advice for Future Leaders

Both Shafer-Ray and Ali expressed their appreciation for the enthusiasm and diversity of the Aspire Leaders Program alumni in attendance. Shafer-Ray enjoyed the excitement and hunger for opportunity that these young leaders exuded. Ali was impressed by the number of people that showed up to listen from around the world.

While there’s many things you could talk about with leadership, I think it starts with building the right mindset.

Ali emphasized the importance of authenticity in leadership, even when facing opposition.

“In the local point of view, I am supposed to be ashamed of what I am doing,” he noted. “Certain groups think other groups aren’t even human beings.” 

He highlighted that advocating against cultural norms can be challenging yet rewarding. His story shows that perseverance in the face of opposition can lead to community change and individual leadership development.

Shafer-Ray stressed the significance of believing in yourself and striving to achieve more than you could previously imagine.

“While there’s many things you could talk about with leadership, I think it starts with building the right mindset,” he said.


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