Leadership team
Board of Directors
The Board of Directors has general oversight, fiduciary, program development and ambassadorial responsibilities. The board develops and approves strategic plans that define the framework that guides the leadership team in daily activities ensuring the organization is closer to achieving its mission.
Bina Maniar Shah
Founder & CEO
In 2018, Bina founded Project 8p Foundation to accelerate research with the goal of treatment for chromosome 8p heroes like her daughter Karina. Since then, she has fully committed herself to the advancement of clinical and research understanding of rare disorders, in particular neurodevelopmental chromosomal disorders such as the 8p rearrangements. Shifting perspectives from disease specific efforts to innovative approaches that are gene-agnostic and cross disorder is a long term scalable vision of hers. As a result, she is the founding partner of the Commission on Novel Technologies for Neurodevelopmental Copy Number Variants (CNVs).
Her family resides in New York City where Bina earned her B.S. in Finance & Marketing from NYU Stern Business School.
Jahn Marie Surette
Jahn Marie Surette
Jahn Marie Surette is a C-level executive and consultant, who has served as executive leader for business and operations for more than 25 years in the healthcare, insurance and private equity industries, at such companies as Cigna, Travelers, The Hartford and Third Bridge, LTD. She is a global leader and has led multi-year strategy development,
expense management initiatives, sales and revenue growth operations across multiple disciplines, including customer service, account management procurement, real estate and research services. She has overseen corporate social responsibility and worked in tandem with human resources talent development and change management at large and mid-cap companies.
Jahn Marie is on the Advisory Board of The Hang Out Spot, a for-profit business providing clinical-based and data driven strategies to improve the social skills of children.Â
Wissam Nesr
Wissam and his wife Hiba are very dedicated to the prosperity of Project 8p. They are parents of an 8p hero, Ayla. Wissam brings 20 years of executive expertise and board leadership as CEO of Webcor Group. Webcor Group is an agro industrial food distribution and production company. Hiba S Nesr CSR and Communication Director Webcor group. Founder and president of the Nesr Art foundation, a foundation that aims to support Artists from Angola and the Region. Both Wissam and Hiba are Belgium Lebanese nationals and travel between Geneva, Beirut and Belgium. They currently live in Dubai. They have four children, Petra,Julia,Ali and Ayla.
David Jackson
Dr. David M Jackson is an experienced executive specializing in the development and commercialization of innovative healthcare technologies with a career of over 30 years with healthcare technology companies and investment firms with an emphasis on paradigm changing products addressing unmet medical needs. David received his Doctorate in the medical sciences from the Boston University School of Medicine and served as a Fellow in the Boston Medical Center’s General Clinical Research Center. He is also trained as a Patent Agent. From roles in the banking industry he is also trained in corporate finance and has held several SEC licenses. David has authored several peer-reviewed papers and holds several patents and patents pending. Several products from his work have reached market or are currently undergoing clinical trials.
Erica Seaborne
Secretary, Officer
Erica Seaborne is a strategic advisor focused on serving tax-exempt organizations. As the Philanthropy Services Director at Holland & Knight, Erica provides guidance to clients on qualifying for tax-exempt status, governance best practices, and structuring philanthropic programs to meet donors’ goals and advance their mission. She has extensive experience establishing and running a variety of nonprofit entities, including public charities, private foundations, and donor-advised funds. Erica’s background in program development, fundraising, finance, and operations specifically for nonprofits serves her well in developing sustainable solutions to clients’ challenges. Committed to mission-driven work, Erica helps philanthropic and mission-driven organizations and individuals maximize their potential for impact.
Nancy Dominguez
Assistant Secretary, Officer
Nancy Dominguez is a trusted advisor to C-level executives and senior leaders with extensive experience in the financial services industry, private sector and non-profits. With high personal accountability and exceptional emotional intelligence, she has excelled in guiding global organizations through transformations, program management, optimizing process performance, and achieving strategic goals. Nancy’s prior experience includes underwriting, risk assessments and mitigation, enterprise risk management and operational leadership.
