Sam Goodwin was unjustly imprisoned in Syria during the summer of 2019. His release marked the first time a captive American had been freed by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Goodwin played division I ice hockey at Niagara University before moving to Singapore where he co-founded a game development company and regional NGO, serving for six years as Director of Investor Relations. He has led humanitarian efforts across Asia, Africa and Latin America and is an advocate for the freedom of political hostages globally. From 2010-2019, Sam traveled to every country in the world and wrote about it on his blog. Goodwin speaks about his experiences and has presented to elite athletes, faith groups, at corporate conventions and to the US Military. Sam is pursuing a Master’s degree in International Affairs at Washington University in St. Louis. He is a practicing Catholic and speaks conversational French.