RISE for Our speakers

Scott Philips

CEO of Passages

Scott is passionate about connecting next generation Christian leaders with the deep biblical roots of their faith and introducing them to the people and places of Israel. Scott received his Diploma in Practical Theology and Youth Ministry from Christ for the Nations Institute, his B.A. in Christian Ministry and Business Administration from Dallas Baptist University, and is now working to complete his MBA from the University of Illinois.

Rivka Kidron

Co-Founder of Passages

Rivka’s inspiration and passion for establishing 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. Leveraging her expertise and connections with Israel’s top political and business leadership, Rivka also runs a firm that is known for creating exclusive, content-driven Israel travel programs for organizations, foundations, government, investors and business leaders from around the globe.

Robert Nicholson

Co-Founder of Passages

Robert Nicholson is the President and Executive Director of The Philos Project. He is also co-founder and board member of Passages Israel, an advisory board member of In Defense of Christians, and an adjunct professor at The King’s College in New York City. He holds a BA in Hebrew Studies from Binghamton University, and a JD and MA in Middle Eastern history from Syracuse University. A former U.S Marine and a 2012-13 Tikvah Fellow, Robert founded Philos in 2014 to stimulate a new generation of religious and cultural exchange between the Near East and the West. His written work has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Telegraph, New York Post, Jerusalem Post, Newsweek, Providence, First Things, The Hill, and National Interest.

Craig Derschowitz

Craig Dershowitz is the Executive Director of Artists 4 Israel, a heavily tattooed, heavily opinionated, heavily commended, Brooklyn born radical thinker who fuses humanitarian projects with advocacy work.

Tiffany Wang

Director of the Passages Leaders Network

In this capacity, she oversees and supports the PLN team in strengthening the Passages alumni community across the states and equipping alumni for influence. She first traveled to Israel with Passages in the Summer of 2017 and returned with a love and passion for Israel. Upon her return, she connected her campus with Passages and had the privilege of serving as a Fellow for her peers the following Spring. Tiffany graduated Lee University in May 2018 with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Business.

Carina Romanov

Associate Director of the Passages Leaders Network

Carina Romanov is a first-generation Ukrainian-American and a native to the San Francisco Bay Area. She currently serves as the Associate Director of the Passages Leaders Network at Passages Israel. Carina received her AA in Ministry from The International School of Ministry and her B.A. in Political Science with a concentration in International Relations and pursued a minor in Jewish Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Carina has also worked within the Strategic Engagement department at Passages her senior year and shortly after graduation. Carina is a frequent traveler and loves to visit new places and encounter new cultures.

Jamie Willman

Associate Director of Alumni Advancement

Jamie first traveled to Israel in the summer of 2017 with AIPAC. She became the campus liaison for AIPAC at Baylor University and traveled to Saban and Policy Conferences during her time in undergrad. She participated in speaking at AIPAC conferences as a student and learned about the geopolitics of the Middle East. She helped promote Israel awareness on Baylor’s campus through bipartisan meetings with other politically involved students. In 2017, she partnered with Passages to send Baylor students on a trip to Israel. She is passionate about Middle East politics and teaching Christians about the importance of their Biblical roots in Israel. She graduated from Baylor University in 2019 with a B.A. in International Studies.

Jeremy Rivers

COO of Passages

Jeremy Rivers is the Chief Operations Officer (COO) of Passages. He brings strategic direction and management to the staff, operations, and culture of Passages. Jeremy visited Israel for the first time in 2007 and has been over 20 times since then leading groups, over half of those trips being with Passages. Jeremy joined the Passages team in January 2016. Prior to leading with Passages, Jeremy and his wife Maggie served as the staff pastor in a local church for 5 years. He holds an executive certification from Harvard Kennedy School on Performance Measurement for Effective Non-Profits as well as 15 years’ experience of leading numerous organizations, initiatives, and teams. Jeremy and Maggie have three children and reside in McKinney, TX.

Malcolm Fitschen

CPO of Passages

Malcolm Fitschen, MBA, is the Chief Program Officer at Passages. In this capacity, he oversees the teams that create the life-changing experiential programming at Passages, ranging from Education and Israel Operations, Passages International, Leadership Development, and the Passages Leaders Network. While in graduate school at Regent University, Malcolm visited Israel for the first time on Passages’ inaugural trip in January of 2016 and later was a Passages Fellow. Malcolm holds an M.A. in Government and a concentration in International Relations and the Middle East and received the Outstanding Graduate Award for his graduating class in the Robertson School of Government. He also received an MBA from the University of Florida.