Rivka’s inspiration and passion for Passages was born out of her role as Advisor for Diaspora and Christian Affairs to Prime Minister Netanyahu, where she managed key relationships with global Jewish and Christian leaders. Prior to joining the Prime Minister’s Office, Rivka spent several years in the private sector working in the venture capital and high tech industries. Rivka also runs a firm that is known for creating exclusive, content-driven Israel travel programs for organizations, foundations, governments, investors, and business leaders from around the globe. Since 2019, she has been actively involved with Momentum’s Israel Committee.

Rivka was born in New York and made aliyah to Israel as a child. She holds a B.A. in Economics and an M.A. in Public Management from Bar Ilan University.

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John Coleman is the Co-CEO of Sovereign’s Capital. Previously, John held a variety of leadership positions at Invesco, Ltd., including Head of Invesco Private Capital Partners, COO of Private Markets, CAO of Global Institutional Client, and global Head of Strategy and Business Planning.

Other past professional experience includes positions in energy arbitrage, consulting, asset management, and housing and community development with McKinsey & Company, Bridgewater Associates, and the Housing Partnership Network. He has a passion for education and has served on a number of boards related to both K-12 and higher education.

John is a frequent writer and public speaker, with a recurring series of articles at Harvard Business Review, and has previously published four books. John is a summa cum laude graduate of Berry College, a graduate with High Distinction from the Harvard Business School where he was a Dean’s Award winner and Class Day Speaker, and a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School where he was both a Zuckerman and a George Fellow. He lives in Atlanta with his wife, Jackie, and their four children.

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Zach has over 14 years of experience in government, political strategy, and nonprofit leadership, serving in both public service and strategic advisory roles. Most recently, he was Strategic Development Officer at Advancing American Freedom, where he cultivated high-impact donor relationships and played a leading role in shaping national policy initiatives.

Zach began his career in the U.S. House and the Office of Indiana Governor Mike Pence, gaining deep expertise in legislative policy and executive coordination. Over nearly a decade, he served in senior roles alongside Vice President Pence—including as a senior advisor in the White House, where he managed high-level domestic and international initiatives. He later held leadership positions at MO Strategies and as National Political Director for the Pence 2024 campaign, overseeing major fundraising, policy, and coalition-building efforts.

Zach holds a BA in justice studies from James Madison University.

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Malcolm Fitschen serves as the COO for Passages. A trip to Israel changed his life when he had the opportunity to go on Passages first trip in January 2016. He holds an MA & MBA and resides in Charlotte, NC with his wife Sarah and their 4 children.

Ashley Plaeger serves as Senior Vice President of Partnerships at Passages, where she leads strategic relationships and initiatives that advance the organization’s mission and national reach. Her connection to Passages began in 2016 when she traveled to Israel with the organization. She later served as a Fellow, Senior Fellow and Trip Staff member before joining the Passages leadership team.

With more than 15 years of experience in higher education, nonprofit leadership, communications, development and student recruitment, Ashley brings a broad background to her role. Before joining Passages, she led college counseling programs at several Houston schools and managed regional recruitment and alumni engagement for Louisiana State University.

Her academic background includes studies in mass communications and merchandising at Louisiana State University and the University of Edinburgh. She earned her master’s degree in education from Houston Christian University, graduating first in her cohort and becoming the university’s first two-time recipient of the Sharon E. Saunders Endowed Scholarship.

Beyond her professional work, Ashley is an active community leader and has served in leadership roles with numerous Houston nonprofit, educational and philanthropic organizations, helping lead major fundraising efforts benefiting the American Cancer Society, Catholic Charities, VICTORY Houston, the Junior League of Houston and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.

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Tiffany Wang serves as Senior Director of Alumni Engagement at Passages, where she leads Alumni Advancement and Passages Hubs, helping alumni stay connected to the mission and continue growing long after their Israel experience. After participating in the program herself, Tiffany joined Passages in 2018 and has since helped shape and grow its alumni engagement efforts by building programs, communities, and systems that connect alumni to meaningful relationships, leadership opportunities, and career growth. She holds a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Business from Lee University and is bilingual in English and Portuguese and conversational in Spanish.