This week: September 19, 2025 - TBA - Zoom only
Previous slide
Next slide

September 19: TBA - Zoom only
September 26: NBRC - Zoom only
October 3: Steve Vaccarezza - TBA
October 10: Chad Bissonnette  - Roots of Development

where?
(New location)

Victoria Feldman – Classification Talk

September 5th

Victoria is an accomplished architect with over 40 years of experience, recognized for her outstanding residential and conceptual design work both in the U.S. and abroad. Among her many projects, she also participated in the Pentagon Memorial competition.

As the founder of VIF Design, based in the DC Metro area, Victoria continues to bring creativity and vision to her practice.

Beyond her professional achievements, Victoria has been a dedicated Rotarian for 24 years. She is also a Past President of our club, where her leadership and commitment to service have made a lasting impact.

Eric Koch – The Promise of Ethical AI in Peacebuilding

August 22nd

A Software Engineer at Scale AI and Captain in the U.S. Army Reserve, received District 7620’s Global Grant Scholarship to pursue a Master of Science in Cognitive Science at the University of Edinburgh. His work currently focuses on building Artificial Intelligence technology to support national security.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree from MIT and has specialized expertise in defense technology, AI/ML development, and software engineering. A former Boren Scholar at Tsinghua University in Beijing, Eric served on active duty in the Army after graduating from MIT. He has worked in Maryland and the DC area supporting U.S. Cyber Command’s Cyber National Mission Force and Special Operations Command.

As a Global Grant Scholar at the University of Edinburgh, Eric aims to advance the study of ethical AI and leverage it to proactively prevent conflicts, aligning with the Rotary Foundation’s focus on Peacebuilding and Conflict Prevention. He was sponsored by the Rotary Club of Washington, DC and values Rotary’s unique position to unite DC’s diverse professional community for service.

A resident of Navy Yard, Eric enjoys runs on the National Mall and biking around the city. He speaks Mandarin Chinese and some Russian and has studied and lived in Russia, China, and Kazakhstan. Eric looks forward to sharing his insights from his Edinburgh studies with Rotary clubs throughout District 7620.

Ukpeme Akpan Okon – Ambassador for Peace

August 8th

Ukpeme Akpan Okon, the Principal of The Values String, LLC is the Author of  award-winning The Values String: A book on Transitional Life, Compelling Fulfillment, and Profound Peace.A Lawyer, Human Rights Consultant, Arbitrator, Adjudicator, Mediator, Speaker, Trainer, Mentor, and Ambassador for Peace, she believes that the complexities of the world, and challenges encountered by individuals can be surmounted.