
Brilliant Global Competitions (BGC) is an international youth competition framework designed by RVP Consultants, applicable to any field or discipline, from engineering, technology, and artificial intelligence to healthcare, sustainability, arts, and beyond. What defines BGC is not the subject matter but the framework: a structured, end-to-end competition experience that takes youth from identifying a real challenge in their community to building and presenting a solution on a national and international stage.
Every BGC program develops the same core competencies, including critical thinking, problem solving, teamwork, leadership, communication, entrepreneurship, and cultural intelligence, while the content is fully tailored to the discipline. BGC is not about producing engineers or artists. It is about producing capable, confident, globally ready young people who can identify a problem, work together to solve it, and present their thinking to the world.
RVP Consultants is a U.S.-based global education, workforce development, and cultural exchange organization headquartered in the Washington, D.C. area. Since established in 2011, RVP has supported the professional growth of students, youth, and professionals from more than 24 countries. Through the U.S. Department of State Cultural Exchange Programs and partnerships with governments, ministries, and institutions worldwide, RVP opens doors, develops global talent, and creates lasting connections across borders. Our programs span applied and project-based learning, competition-based education, youth leadership and career readiness, professional development, inclusive education, and in professional development, and inclusive education.

Sabrina Abdu is the Founder and CEO of RVP Consultants and a global education innovation leader with a background in computer science and over 15 years of experience designing and scaling international education, STEM, and cultural exchange programs across the United States, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
Sabrina has partnered with ministries of education, embassies, universities, and global institutions to deliver programs that expand access, foster innovation, and bridge the gap between education and the workforce, creating lasting impact for youth and communities worldwide.
BGC Smart Cities is guided by a distinguished team of industry leaders who bring deep technical knowledge and real-world expertise to the program. Their leadership ensures responsible innovation, and alignment with global industry standards, empowering students to design solutions that are visionary, technically sound, and capable of shaping smarter, more sustainable cities.

Smart Infrastructure & Urban Development
Riyadh, KSA

Intelligent Mobility & Transportation
North Carolina, USA

Clean Energy & Sustainability
Washington D.C., USA

IoT & Automation
Toronto, Canada

Public Safety & Emergency Management
Washington D.C., USA

Water, Environment & Climate Resilience
United States

UN SDGs & Global Impact Alignment
Texas, USA

Global STEM Director
United States
BGC Smart Cities is guided by a distinguished team of industry leaders who bring deep technical knowledge and real-world expertise to the program. Their leadership ensures responsible innovation, and alignment with global industry standards, empowering students to design solutions that are visionary, technically sound, and capable of shaping smarter, more sustainable cities.
Ed Kovaleski is a seasoned Business Development Executive and Consultant specializing in Smart Mobility and Transportation Technologies. With more than two decades of experience, he has led complex technical-commercial initiatives and built strategic partnerships across public and private sectors. His expertise spans Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), traffic management, smart cities, connected vehicles, emerging mobility technologies, and critical infrastructure solutions.
Since 2019, as Owner and Senior Consultant at Eagles Roga, Ed has driven business development strategies across ITS, Weigh-in-Motion, Advanced Traffic Management Systems (ATMS), Rail and Transit, and Smart City platforms. He has supported international firms entering the U.S. market, guiding regulatory alignment, partnership development, and government engagement. Previously, at Denso, Peek Traffic, Velsis, and Indra, he led multimillion-dollar pursuits, negotiated complex contracts, and cultivated long-term relationships with federal and state agencies.
As a consultant, Ed authored specifications and white papers for government clients, including Automated Fare Collection, CAD/AVL, and Vessel Traffic Management Systems. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and IT, is ISO 9001 certified, speaks four languages, and has lectured internationally on ITS.
Jeremy Foster is an energy consultant based in Washington, DC. With over 20 years of experience in clean energy, infrastructure strategy, and international development, Jeremy has led high-impact programs at the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Bank focused on utility reform, renewable integration, distributed energy systems, and grid modernization. His work has spanned more than 20 countries across emerging and developed markets, supporting governments, utilities, and municipalities in building resilient, future-ready power systems.
Jeremy specializes in strengthening institutional capacity, improving regulatory frameworks, and designing practical pathways for renewable adoption and energy efficiency. His portfolio includes large-scale technical assistance initiatives, public-private partnerships, and performance-based energy programs that reduce operational costs while enhancing service reliability.
His commitment centers on translating complex policy and advanced technology into scalable solutions that strengthen infrastructure resilience, expand equitable energy access, accelerate decarbonization, and support long-term sustainable development worldwide.
Nabil Abdu is an accomplished leader in the Internet of Things (IoT), specializing in the design, architecture, and delivery of large-scale, enterprise-grade IoT platforms. His expertise spans GPS tracking, fleet management, intelligent traffic systems, automated toll collection, and connected mobility solutions, where he has built integrated systems that seamlessly connect devices, data streams, and operational networks.
With a strong foundation in system architecture, real-time data processing, edge computing, and cloud-native integration, Nabil has led cross-functional engineering teams to develop IoT ecosystems that are scalable, secure, and highly resilient. He has overseen end-to-end implementation, from hardware deployment and firmware optimization to analytics dashboards and enterprise software integration, ensuring reliability at every layer of the technology stack.
His work emphasizes leveraging IoT intelligence to enhance infrastructure reliability, strengthen disaster response capabilities, improve transportation efficiency, and drive data-informed decision-making, positioning him as a key force in advancing connected technologies for complex, high-performance environments worldwide.
Charles is a public safety and emergency management professional with a strong focus on resilience strategy, crisis response systems, and risk mitigation frameworks. His work centers on strengthening community preparedness through operational planning, cross-sector coordination, and infrastructure resilience initiatives. He brings experience bridging policy, field operations, and strategic advisory functions to improve real-world outcomes in complex and high-risk environments.
Throughout his career, Charles has contributed to initiatives involving disaster preparedness, emergency coordination structures, and scalable resilience modeling. He is particularly committed to advancing innovation in public safety by integrating technology, data-informed decision-making, and collaborative governance models to enhance response effectiveness and long-term community sustainability.
As an Advisory Board Member with Brilliant Global Competitions, Charles is dedicated to mentoring and guiding students as they develop forward-thinking solutions that address modern risk landscapes and global resilience challenges.
Bobuchi Ken-Opurum, PhD (she/her), is a climate resilience researcher working at the intersection of climate adaptation, environmental sustainability, and equitable energy transitions. As Research Director at the Building Electrification Institute, she leads applied research and collaborates with cities to develop strategies that integrate climate adaptation with building decarbonization while centering the lived experiences of marginalized communities. Her work focuses on advancing healthy, inclusive, and climate-resilient communities through people-centered research and collaborative design.
She is also the Founder of Re-HOUSED, a decision-support platform that equips self-builders in the tropical Global South with data-driven tools to implement flood and heat resilience strategies in housing. Her work bridges technical research and community knowledge, translating complex environmental systems into practical, real-world solutions.
Dr. Ken-Opurum brings over a decade of experience in climate and sustainability research, applying multi-criteria decision-making and participatory engagement methods. She has published peer-reviewed research on energy equity, indoor environmental quality, environmental health, and climate resilience, and actively supports STEM education and youth engagement through urban resilience and environmental initiatives.
She holds a Ph.D. from Carnegie Mellon University, an M.S. from Columbia University, and a B.S. from Purdue University. She has been recognized on the Forbes 30 Under 30 list, named one of Grist’s “50 climate leaders,” and is a former Rockefeller Big Bets Fellow.
Stephanie Cox is the CEO and Co-Founder of GridEQ, a strategy advisory firm focused on strengthening systematic growth frameworks and market intelligence across the clean energy transition. With more than 15 years of experience spanning power generation, grid modernization, and sustainability, she works with industry stakeholders to improve commercialization strategy, enhance energy deployment accountability, and promote long-term asset performance.
Her work connects clean energy expertise with disciplined execution to advance infrastructure aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. She translates technical and market complexity into practical approaches that strengthen grid reliability and support responsible economic development.
Stephanie approaches global impact as a structural challenge requiring performance focused delivery and long-term accountability. She is dedicated to advancing alignment between industry systems and sustainable development priorities to enable resilient infrastructure, responsible growth, and measurable progress.
Husain Buhwaid currently serves as Senior Development Director at Misk City Company, a subsidiary of the Misk Foundation, and is a founding member of Mohammed Bin Salman Nonprofit City, an ambitious urban model redefining the role of cities in advancing innovation, philanthropy, and human capital development. In this capacity, he plays a strategic leadership role in shaping large-scale development initiatives that integrate economic viability with long-term social value.
With over 20 years of experience in real estate development and investment, Husain has led and advised on diverse asset classes across regional and international markets. His expertise spans master planning, large-scale urban development, hospitality, cultural destinations, and mixed-use environments designed to foster vibrant, inclusive communities. He brings deep experience in feasibility strategy, investment structuring, stakeholder alignment, and delivery oversight from concept through execution.
Husain’s work is anchored in a commitment to sustainable urban growth, innovative placemaking, and future-ready infrastructure. He champions development strategies that enhance quality of life, support national transformation agendas, and create resilient environments where people, enterprise, and ideas can thrive.

United States
Dr. Brian Saltzer is a distinguished mathematical physicist, educator, and international STEM leader dedicated to advancing science education and developing the next generation of innovators. As Global STEM Director for Brilliant Global Competitions (BGC), he helps guide the academic vision, curriculum design, and scientific rigor behind the competition’s global STEM initiatives.
Dr. Saltzer is the author of more than 25 STEM textbooks published by leading academic publishers including Pearson and McGraw-Hill, widely used to help students understand complex concepts in mathematics and physics through engaging and accessible learning approaches. Throughout his career, he has taught and inspired thousands of students while helping translate advanced scientific ideas into impactful educational experiences.
He has also been deeply involved in international academic competitions and advanced STEM training, serving as the coach for the United States Physics Team, where he mentors talented students preparing for global physics competitions.
At Brilliant Global Competitions, Dr. Saltzer supports the development of rigorous STEM frameworks that allow students to apply mathematics, physics, and engineering principles to real-world challenges such as smart cities, sustainability, and future technologies.
Through his work, he continues to champion a vision of STEM education that empowers students to think critically, innovate boldly, and help solve some of the world’s most complex challenges.

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