EVENT RECAP: 2025/26 Northern Ireland Emerging Leaders Program

NCAFP Launches Third Cohort with Belfast Conference

September 2025 

The National Committee on American Foreign Policy (NCAFP) officially launched the third cohort of the Northern Ireland Emerging Leaders Program (NI EL) at a conference in Belfast. Over the next nine months, this cohort will develop innovative policy proposals addressing regional and global challenges, from boosting tourism and transatlantic trade to advancing climate-smart agriculture, green energy, and climate justice.

Emerging Leaders will also focus on pressing social issues such as reimagining social housing, preventing youth paramilitarism, strengthening grassroots storytelling, and reversing brain drain, while preparing for an AI-driven future.

Transatlantic Collaboration and Mentorship

The conference opened on September 19 with a welcome reception hosted by Lawrence Simms, Joint Secretary, and Róisín Hinds, Deputy Joint Secretary, at the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs. The event brought together supporters of, and representatives from, NCAFP’s NI EL cohorts one, two, and three.

The induction day took place on September 20 and included discussions with key representatives from the Northern Ireland Executive and the U.S. Consulate, such as Lynsey Moore, Director of Europe Strategy and International Relations at The Executive Office, and Dori Winter, Political-Economic Chief at the U.S. Consulate General Belfast. Their insights highlighted practical pathways for transatlantic collaboration across multiple sectors.

As part of the program, each Emerging Leader is paired with a mentor whose expertise aligns with their policy focus or professional background. On induction day, participants virtually met their mentors to begin developing their projects, receiving personalized guidance to turn their ideas into actionable policies that advance peace, prosperity, and transatlantic ties.

The cohort’s mentors include a distinguished group of scholars, diplomats, and leaders such as Nancy Soderberg, American diplomat and foreign policy strategist; Charley Landow, Senior Advisor at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs; Jennifer Frankola Crawford, Arbitrator and Attorney; Barbara Stephenson, Vice Provost for Global Affairs at UNC Chapel Hill; Helena Kane Finn, former U.S. diplomat; Martin Flaherty, Princeton University; John Connorton, NCAFP Trustee; Joseph Donaldson, North Carolina State University; Andrea Haughian, New York Invest Northern Ireland; Christine Ryan, human rights lawyer and scholar; Alexander Robinson, Tenor Capital Management/NCAFP Trustee; Angela Barranco, North America Climate Group; and Margaret Crotty, Northwell Health.

Turning Ideas into Action

The 2024 Emerging Leaders cohort welcomed the new group with an alumni panel discussion that connected different cohorts of NI EL. Members of the 2024 cohort shared their experiences and emphasized the program’s focus on turning ideas into action.  

The third (2025/2026) cohort’s recommendations will be presented at a spring 2026 conference in New York City and subsequently published, showcasing strategies for sustainable progress in Northern Ireland and beyond.

We extend our deepest thanks to the Government of Ireland’s Reconciliation Fund, The Ireland Funds, Invest Northern Ireland, the Eithne & Paddy Fitzpatrick Memorial Fund, the Irish American Partnership, and our entire community of donors and supporters who make this work possible.