Dr. Main Alqudah holds Ph.D.s in Islamic studies from American Open University, Al-Azhar University; as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Al-Azhar. In addition, he is an Associate Professor, and a member of the Resident Fatwa Committee of AMJA. Dr. Main is an experienced lecturer in Islamic Studies. In his teaching career, he has provided instruction and training to learners at schools as well as college level. He is a speaker at regional and national conferences.

Sheikh Yousef Bakeer was born and raised in Cairo, Egypt, and attended Al-Azhar primary school. He became a hafiz at the age of 7 and graduated from Al-Azhar University with a Bachelor's degree in Islamic Studies at the age of 22. He's given da'wa in various countries such as Spain, Denmark, Italy and is fluent in Spanish, English, Portuguese, Arabic, and Italian. Since 2017 he has served as a teacher with Manara Institute and as the Youth Director for the Islamic Center of Passaic County. He has Ijaza in Quran and is pursuing a PhD in Islamic Studies and a Masters degree in chaplaincy. Currently he serves as the youth director of Valley Ranch Islamic Center TX. Also has experience doing youth work in prisons Services provided: Philosophical Discourse Nikah Advice on Shariah Matters General Counselling New Muslims & Shahada Ruqyah Friday Khutba Islamic Studies Arabic Language

Mufti Abdul Rahman Waheed was born and raised in Lansing, MI. He finished memorizing the Quran at a young age and completed his 7 year Shariah program by the age of 18. Thereafter, Mufti Abdul Rahman traveled to Pakistan to continue his passion to seek knowledge where he completed his 2 year Iftaa program which specializes in Islamic Jurisprudence and Law. He is legally permitted to pass a Fatwa or verdict.He is known for his passion and dedication to learning and teaching the lost history of Islam and provides detailed insight on how Muslims lived throughout the different eras of history. Mufti Abdul Rahman is serving as a principal and is a full-time instructor at Michigan Islamic Institute, the brother organization of Miftaah Institute.

Shaykh Furhan Zubairi was born in 1983 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Shortly thereafter, he moved and spent most of his youth in Southern California, graduating from high school in Irvine in 2001. He began his pursuit of Islamic knowledge and spirituality at the Institute of Knowledge (IOK) in 1998, where he started the memorization of the Qur’an and studied the primary books in the Islamic Sciences and Arabic language. After starting college, he took a break and went to Karachi, Pakistan, for 9 months to complete the memorization of the Qur’an at Jami’ah Binoria. He returned home and completed his B.S. in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Irvine in 2005. He then traveled to Egypt to further his studies of the Arabic language. Thereafter, his pursuit of Islamic knowledge led him back to Pakistan, where he completed a formal ‘Alamiyyah degree (Masters in Arabic and Islamic Studies) at the famous Jami’ah Dar Al-’Ulum in Karachi. He has obtained numerous ijazat (traditional licenses) in the six canonical books of hadith, as well as the Muwata of Imam Malik and Imam Muhammad, and has also received certification in the field of Islamic Finance. Shaykh Furhan Zubairi serves as the Dean of the Seminary and Extension Programs at the Institute of Knowledge in Diamond Bar, CA. He regularly delivers sermons and lectures at various Islamic Centers and events in southern California.

Dr. Arslan Tajammul is an optometrist practicing in La Porte, Texas. Dr. Tajammul specializing in providing eye care services to patients. As an optometrist, Dr. Tajammul performs eye exams, tests vision, corrects vision by prescribing eye glasses or contacts, detects certain eye disorders and manages and treats vision problems. Optometrists often work closely with ophthalmologists who may need to further treat patients with surgical procedures.

Two-time Emmy award winning journalist, eternal optimist and loving life! Chicago Proud! Founder & President of H3M Media Consulting

Suzy Ismail is the Founder and Head Communication Counselor at Cornerstone, a faith-based communication counseling center with several local and international offices that focus on identity building and improving relationships for couples, families, and youth. She is the author of several books including "Modern Muslim Marriage," "9 to 5," "When Muslim Marriage Fails," and several other works. She specializes in presenting a range of communication lectures and diversity workshops at major corporations, universities, and events. She has been interviewed on numerous media outlets including Fox News, PTV, ART and other networks and is often featured on international talk shows and radio and television broadcasts regarding the subjects of her work. Suzy provides youth, marriage, women empowerment, gender relations, identity, and family seminars locally and globally and is the student advisor at a private high school. She has spoken at numerous universities such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton, NYU, Bryn Mawr, Temple, University of Kentucky, University of Oklahoma and many more. Suzy also spoke by invitation at the World Meeting of Families during Pope Francis’ historic visit to Philadelphia and she has travelled overseas to work with refugees abroad and in the US on recovery and integration counseling. She currently serves as an executive officer and director on several non-profit boards, commissions, and organizations. She is completing her Doctorate in Human Services with a focus on Family Intervention and resides in Princeton, New Jersey with her husband and three children.

Abdullah Oduro is a first generation Ghanian native that converted to Islam in 1997. He graduated from the College of Islamic Law from the University of AlMadinah in 2007. He conducts public speeches, sermons, lectures, and workshops around the US on Islamic Law, self-improvement, and convert life. He is currently the Imam at the Islamic Center of Coppell and Lewisville in Dallas, TX. He resides in Dallas, TX with his wife and four children. Having recently joined Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research as a Scholar, Shaykh Abdullah leads a team providing unique and comprehensive resources for new Muslim converts and institutional convert care.

Shaykh Abdool Rahman Khan is a graduate of the Islamic University in Madinah Munawwarah, in the faculty of Shari’ah (Islamic Jurisprudence) specializing in Islamic Inheritance. He attended the university from 1982 to 1989. He is the former Principal of the Guyana Islamic Institute and also of Al-Rahmah School, Baltimore, MD. He once served as the resident scholar and Imam at Masjid Tawheed in Oakbrook Terrace, IL. As the Resident Scholar and Khateeb at Islamic Foundation, Villa Park, Chicago, IL, he was outspoken and actively involved in the field of religious dialogue and social issues. He is currently serves as the chairman of the Shari’ah Council of Islamic Circle of North America and a member of the Fiqh Council of North America. Sh. Abdool Rahman Khan is a father of two daughters and one son.

Shaykh Abdul Nasir Jangda is the founder and director of Qalam Institute. He was born and raised in the Dallas area. At the age of 10 he went to Karachi, Pakistan to memorize the Quran. He excelled in his memorization and committed the entire Quran to memory in less than 1 year. He then returned home and continued his school education. After graduating high school, he went back to Karachi to study the Alim Course at Jamia Binoria. He graduated from the rigorous 7-year program in 2002 at the top of his class and with numerous Ijaazaat (licenses) in various Islamic Sciences. Along with the Alim Course, he concurrently completed a B.A. and M.A. in Arabic from Karachi University. He also obtained a Masters in Islamic Studies from the University of Sindh. He taught Arabic at the University of Texas at Arlington from 2005 to 2007. He has served as an instructor and curriculum advisor to various Islamic schools and Islamic studies programs. He served as the Imam at the Colleyville Masjid in the Dallas area for 3 years. He is a founding member and chairman of Mansfield Islamic Center. Abdul Nasir is an instructor at Bayyinah Institute, where his class “Meaningful Prayer” has traveled the country. His latest projects include Quran Intensive (a summer program focusing on Arabic grammar and Tafsir), Quranic analysis lectures, Khateeb Training, chronicling of the Prophetic Biography at www.qalaminstitute.org, and personally mentoring and teaching his students at the Qalam Seminary. He currently resides in Dallas, Texas.

Imam Suleiman Hani is the Director of Academic Affairs at AlMaghrib Institute, a research scholar for Yaqeen Institute, a resident scholar at the Islamic Cultural Association, and an adjunct lecturer at the Islamic Center of Detroit. At the age of 14, Suleiman completed a 10-month Qur’an memorization program and began his intensive studies under numerous scholars, earning dozens of traditional religious certifications in the process. He later earned a master’s degree from the University of Jordan’s College of Shari’ah, ranking first in his class, and a master’s degree from Harvard University, where he studied religions, philosophy, political science, and psychology. Over the past decade, he has served as an Imam and community leader in Michigan, lectured in dozens of countries, published a number of books and articles, and was featured on the largest Islamic TV stations worldwide.

Imam Tariq I. El-Amin is the host of Radio Islam, the nations only daily Muslim Producd radio program airing on WCEV 1450am in Chicago,IL (6pm-7pm CST) and streaming live at www.wcev1450.com. Tariq has served as the Imam of Masjid Al-Taqwa since 2014, and is the founder and Executive Director of Bridging The Gap Inc, a non-profit social service organization which builds bonds of community through community service and dialogue. Tariq uses his platform to address the concerns of improperly served communities within the Chicagoland area through volunteerism and activism focusing on connectivity and justice. Tariq is a past appointee to former Illinois Governor Pat Quinn's Muslim Advisory Council, and is a past Convener of the Chicagoland Shura Council (the gathering of masaajid and organizations comprising the community of Imam Warith Deen Mohammed). He serves on various organizational boards that reflect his core values of service, education, and activism. When he's not engaged in community work, Tariq enjoys spending time with his wife of 17 years, and their three teenage daughters. In her past role as Director of Movement and Campaign Strategies at PANA, she helped to build a newly founded organization as she built grassroots community power through organizing, advocacy, alliance building, designing and implementing a civic engagement infrastructure in refugee communities, developing leaders, addressing hate crimes and using an integrated voter engagement strategy to build a visible refugee electorate. She continues to be engaged in and work on issues that address racial disparities, social injustices, equity and inclusion for marginalized communities. She is a former co-host on Flip the Script: The Future is Female podcast which lifts up women game changers and leaders in San Diego county. She also served as a member of the Strategic Council for statewide tables Mobilizing the Immigrant Vote and Steering Committee member for Power California as well as a representative on California Calls’ African-American Civic Engagement Program. Ismahan received her Bachelor’s in Human Biology from UCSD and a MA in Education with Concentration in Counseling from SDSU. She currently serves as the National Deputy Director for the Muslim American Society’s Public Affairs and Civic Engagement Department and also serves as the Executive Director at MAS PACE San Diego. Ismahan has received numerous recognitions and awards for her work including Assemblywoman Gonzalez-Fletcher’s 2018 Woman of the Year recognition, Power-Builder Award, recognized by NAACP for her service in the community, Moxie Theatre’s Women with Grit and Determination award, Youth Adult Ally 2019 and more. . As a frequent speaker in local and national platforms, Ismahan is passionate about working for justice and building an inclusive society.​

Shaykh Saad Tasleem, born and raised in the USA, is highly in tune with today’s youth struggles and pressures, while grounded with education in traditional Islamic Sciences. In his early years, Shaykh Saad tasted the alternative life as the lead singer of a punk rock band. Moving on from that lifestyle, Shaykh Saad still skateboards, snowboards, and rocks his Converse sneakers. After studying Art History, Modern Art, Graphic Design, and Psychology at the University of Maryland, he decided to take his life in a brand new direction.​Shaykh Saad started Islamic education at IIASA in Fairfax, VA. He then went on to study at the Islamic University of Madinah where he dedicated himself to the study of Islamic Sciences. He graduated with a Bachelor’s from the Faculty of Islamic Law, University of Madinah. Today, Shaykh Saad dedicates his teaching to Muslim youth learning to balance their Western lifestyles with Islamic values. At AlMaghrib, he has developed seminars like Fiqh of Chillin’: Entertainment & Recreation in Islam, Trends: Fiqh of Fashion & Clothing, and Deception: Study of Shaytan. His primary message is to empower Muslim youth to be comfortable with their own personal identities as part of Western society.

Omar Hedroug was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan and raised in Chicago. He attended The Islamic Foundation School in Villa Park and then graduated from Benedictine University on a Pre-Med track. While in high school and college, Omar had the opportunity to study the Islamic sciences under various local scholars. While in college, Omar was accepted as a scholarship student at the Islamic university of Madinah. He completed an Associates Degree in the Arabic language and a Bachelors Degree from the College of Shariah, graduating with the highest honors from the faculty of Islamic Law. While in Madinah, he also attended classes at the Prophet's mosque studying the various Islamic sciences. He recently moved back to Chicago where he resides with his family. He currently serves as the Full Time Youth Director at the Islamic Center of Naperville. Originally from New Orleans, LA, he began his journey of traditional Islamic learning in the year 2000 and has spent years studying in the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Malaysia, etc. Upon becoming certified in various traditional sciences, he completed a Bachelor’s degree in Islamic law, a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, a Master’s degree in Islamic Finance, a Master’s Degree in Political History, and is in the process of completing his PhD from the International Islamic University of Malaysia in Islamic Thought and Civilization. His career started in his hometown of New Orleans where he served as the Imam of the Jefferson Muslim Association in New Orleans for 6 years and directed the ICNA Relief “Muslims for Humanity” Hurricane Katrina Relief effort. It was in this time that he was noted on a national level as being a strong advocate of community service, interfaith dialogue, and social justice. He co-founded the East Jefferson Interfaith Clergy Association and was awarded for his outstanding civic achievement by the Mayor and City Council of New Orleans in 2010. He then moved to Dallas and became the Resident Scholar of the Valley Ranch Islamic Center in 2013 and more recently, Co-Chair of Faith Forward Dallas at Thanks-Giving Square. In Dallas, he has been a noted leader and voice for peace, and has partaken as a representative of the Muslim Community in many city functions. He has since been a guest at various national functions to share his experiences in community building. Shaykh Omar most recently founded the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research which is a think tank that focuses on instilling conviction based on Islamic texts, and producing contribution. He also founded M.U.H.S.E.N (Muslims Understanding and Helping Special Education Needs), a nonprofit umbrella organization serving the community to establish a more inclusive “Special Friendly” environment for our Brothers & Sisters of all Disabilities. Shaykh Omar has taught Islamic Studies at the university level since 2008. As a valued AlMaghrib instructor, Shaykh Omar developed one of the most successful seminars "Behind the Scenes: An In-Depth Study of the Spiritual Practices of the Best Generations". He also is one of the main features at our annual conferences and retreats: IlmFest and IlmSummit.​In media, he’s one of the creators of the internationally acclaimed “Inspiration Series” which has reached millions of Muslims and Non Muslims through YouTube and Islamic Television stations worldwide. He’s also known for his series on Quran weekly as well as his contributions to Hadith of the Day.

Hosai Mojaddidi is the co-founder of MH4M (www.mentalhealth4muslims.com), a site dedicated to providing mental health related content tailored for the Muslim community. She has served the American-Muslim community for over 20 years as a spiritual advisor, mental health advocate, writer/editor, mediator, interfaith organizer, and public speaker, covering a variety of topics including women's issues, marriage/family, youth/teen issues, education, self development, interfaith bridge building, spirituality, etc. She currently offers monthly self-development and spiritual wellness classes for Muslim women at Ta'leef Collective and the MCC East Bay in the San Francisco Bay Area, and she offers regular educational workshops for students and teachers at local Islamic schools. She also offers periodic talks throughout California and nationally for the Muslim community at large on a variety of topics. In her spare time she enjoys reading, writing, blogging via social media, doing arts and crafts, visiting gourmet coffee shops, and exploring the countless beautiful beaches and state parks throughout California where she lives with her husband and two sons. To learn more about Hosai, please visit: www.hosaimojaddidi.com.

Rami Kawas currently serves as the Executive Director and Instructor at Oaktree Institute. For over 10 years, Rami has focused on learning and teaching personal development and leadership. He had served in different capacities at various community based organizations, including his role as the Director of Development and Training at MAS Dallas. He has extensive experience in organizing and delivering various educational and training programs. He also has a long track record in leading and creating various departments and projects that concentrate on human development and leadership training. Rami is currently pursuing his Master’s degree in Human Developmental Psychology from Harvard University Extension School. He enjoys sports and traveling, and resides with his family in Dallas, Texas.

Mohammad Elshinawy is a Graduate of English Literature at Brooklyn College, NYC. He studied at College of Hadith at the Islamic University of Madinah and is a graduate and instructor of Islamic Studies at Mishkah University. He has translated major works for the International Islamic Publishing House, the Assembly of Muslim Jurists of America, and Mishkah University.

"Shaykh Rami Bleibel is currently the Resident Scholar & Imam at the Islamic Society of Milwaukee - Brookfield. He graduated from high school in Milwaukee in 2006. Then graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication and a Graduate TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) Certificate from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. He started working with various Islamic organizations (ISM, AMP & MAS) locally and nationally, and also taught Islamic Studies & Public Speaking at Salam High School. Shaykh Rami then traveled to the Middle East to pursue his Islamic Studies and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Islamic Law from Jinan University in Lebanon and simultaneously completed a 4 year traditional Islamic Sciences program (Madrasa) at Imam Shafie Fiqh Academy. He also pursued traditional training and received various I'jazaat (certificates to teach & narrate) in various Islamic Sciences, with a focus on Shafi'i Fiqh. Along with his academic studies, he also traveled and studied individually with scholars in various countries including Egypt, Morocco & Turkey.

Zaynab Ansari has served the Muslim Community of Knoxville since 2014 as a scholar-in- residence, public speaker, facilitator of interfaith dialogue, youth mentor, and a full-time instructor at Tayseer Seminary. She has over ten years of experience as a student and teacher of traditional Islam in various settings, having spent her formative years studying in Damascus, Syria with both male and female scholars of Qur'an, Islamic law, theology, and spirituality. Prior to settling in Knoxville, Ustadha Zaynab was based in Atlanta, where she earned degrees in World History and Middle Eastern Studies from Georgia State University, and dedicated her free time to volunteering with the Islamic Speakers Bureau of Atlanta, which honored her with the Georgia 40 Under 40 Muslims award in 2016.​Ustadha Zaynab travels throughout the United States, speaking on issues of concern to the North American Muslim community at various forums, including ALIM, ICNA, and ISNA. She has also contributed to online Islamic portals and print publications including SunniPath, SeekersGuidance, Azizah Magazine, MuslimMatters, and the Muslim 500. In addition to her work at Tayseer Seminary, where she also serves on the board of directors, she is part of the teaching faculty of the Ribaat Program, an online Islamic Studies curriculum led by Anse Tamara Gray, a leading woman scholar of traditional Islam. Tariq uses his platform to address the concerns of improperly served communities within the Chicagoland area through volunteerism and activism focusing on connectivity and justice. Tariq is a past appointee to former Illinois Governor Pat Quinn's Muslim Advisory Council, and is a past Convener of the Chicagoland Shura Council (the gathering of masaajid and organizations comprising the community of Imam Warith Deen Mohammed). He serves on various organizational boards that reflect his core values of service, education, and activism. When he's not engaged in community work, Tariq enjoys spending time with his wife of 17 years, and their three teenage daughters. In her past role as Director of Movement and Campaign Strategies at PANA, she helped to build a newly founded organization as she built grassroots community power through organizing, advocacy, alliance building, designing and implementing a civic engagement infrastructure in refugee communities, developing leaders, addressing hate crimes and using an integrated voter engagement strategy to build a visible refugee electorate. She continues to be engaged in and work on issues that address racial disparities, social injustices, equity and inclusion for marginalized communities. She is a former co-host on Flip the Script: The Future is Female podcast which lifts up women game changers and leaders in San Diego county. She also served as a member of the Strategic Council for statewide tables Mobilizing the Immigrant Vote and Steering Committee member for Power California as well as a representative on California Calls’ African-American Civic Engagement Program. Ismahan received her Bachelor’s in Human Biology from UCSD and a MA in Education with Concentration in Counseling from SDSU. She currently serves as the National Deputy Director for the Muslim American Society’s Public Affairs and Civic Engagement Department and also serves as the Executive Director at MAS PACE San Diego. Ismahan has received numerous recognitions and awards for her work including Assemblywoman Gonzalez-Fletcher’s 2018 Woman of the Year recognition, Power-Builder Award, recognized by NAACP for her service in the community, Moxie Theatre’s Women with Grit and Determination award, Youth Adult Ally 2019 and more. . As a frequent speaker in local and national platforms, Ismahan is passionate about working for justice and building an inclusive society.​

Duaa Haggag, LLPC is a Community Educator at The Family & Youth Institute. She holds a Master’s in Counseling and works in private practice as a child, adolescent, and family therapist at Silent Sunlight Counseling. Her counseling experience includes working with youth and their families in both the school and clinical setting. She has extensive experience and training in group therapy for adolescents and play therapy for children. Her interests include child and family development, attachment parenting, and parent education. Duaa has presented workshops on parenting and youth development at the local and national levels. Duaa has been a community organizer for more than 15 years. Her efforts have primarily focused on parenting, youth, education, and human development (tarbiyyah). She has also actively worked with Muslim youth and families through the Muslim American Society (MAS).In addition to be being a mentor and speaker, Lobna has written for myvirtualmosque.com and the MAS Blog. Lobna is a recent graduate of Chapman University with a Masters of Fine Arts in Screenwriting. She is the creator of the YouTube channel, Double Shot Mocha Productions, where she strives to promote social awareness through humor. Lobna was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. She graduated from California State University, Northridge in Business Administration with a focus in Accounting. She worked as an accountant for ten years until she began her career as a mother. Lobna moved to Egypt for three years with her husband, Shaikh Suhail Mulla, and her children and studied Arabic, Qur’anic Recitation and Islamic Sciences under Azhari scholars. Lobna Mulla currently resides in Los Angeles, CA with her husband and four children.

Hatem Bazian is a co-founder and Professor of Islamic Law and Theology at Zaytuna College, the 1st Accredited Muslim Liberal Arts College in the United States. In addition, Prof. Bazian is a lecturer in the Departments of Near Eastern and Asian American and Asian Diaspora Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Bazian between 2002-2007, also served as an adjunct professor of law at Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley. He teaches courses on Islamic Law and Society, Islam in America: Communities and Institutions, De-Constructing Islamophobia and Othering of Islam, Religious Studies, and Middle Eastern Studies. In addition to Berkeley, Prof. Bazian served as a visiting Professor in Religious Studies at Saint Mary’s College of California 2001-2007 and adviser to the Religion, Politics and Globalization Center at UC Berkeley. In Spring 2009, Prof. Bazian founded at Berkeley the Islamophobia Research and Documentation Project at the Center for Race and Gender, a research unit dedicated to the systematic study of Othering Islam and Muslims. Prof. Bazian in Spring 2012 launched the Islamophobia Studies Journal, which is published bi-annually through a collaborative effort between the Islamophobia Research and Documentation Project of the Center for Race and Gender at the University of California at Berkeley, the Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Initiative for the School of Ethnic Studies at San Francisco State University; the Center for Islamic Studies at the Graduate Theological Union, the International Centre for Muslim and non-Muslim Understanding at the University of South Australia, and Zaytuna College. In addition to academic work, Dr, Bazian is a weekly columnist for the Turkish Daily Sabah Newspaper and Turkey Agenda online magazine. Dr. Bazian is founder and national Chair of American Muslims for Palestine, board member of the Islamic Scholarship Fund, Muslim Legal Fund of America, President of Dollar for Deen Charity, and Chair of Northern California Islamic Council.

Rana Khalaf Is a Community Educator at The Family and Youth Institute. She holds a Master’s in Educational Psychology and a post-graduate degree in principal-ship and K-12 school administration. She has served as a parent coordinator then as the dean of students in schools in Dearborn, Michigan. Currently, she is the principal in Frontier International Academy, a K-5 school in Warren, Michigan. Rana has been active with the Muslim community for the past 23 years. Her work within the community has primarily focused on youth and parenting issues. She volunteered as the Youth program director for a number of years at the Islamic Cultural Association. She now sits on the advisory youth committees at the Muslim Community Mosque (MCM) and the Muslim Unity Center (MUC) in Michigan.

Hiba Rahim is an American Muslim activist and community organizer. She has a Master’s degree in International Affairs from Florida State University. She currently works for the Florida chapter of CAIR—the Council on American-Islamic Relations—where she focuses on programs, outreach, and advocacy. Her work with Muslims Inmates Advocacy includes working toward policy change, challenging cases of religious discrimination, and creating a network of volunteers to support the incarcerated Muslim community.

Alaa Mohammad Shareef holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, as well as Certificates in Childhood & Adolescence Studies and Cultures & Communities Studies. She has also received formal training for Quranic exegesis skills at Al Qasid Institute in Amman, Jordan. Alaa has served on the Islamic Society of Milwaukee’s Education Board as Curriculum Developer where she designed and implemented a uniquely engaging program for children and young adults. She has years of experience conducting behavioral therapy intervention and community education. Alaa currently conducts research with The Family and Youth Institute on the history of Muslim mental health. Her interests include expanding the field of Islamic Psychology, eliminating stigma surrounding mental illness, Islamic education curriculum development, Muslim mental health advocacy, and content creation of mental health literature and resources.

Hanan Hashem is a Researcher and Community Educator at The Family and Youth Institute. She completed her Master’s in Counseling Psychology at Wayne State University in 2016 and a Masters in Quantitative Methods from The University of Texas at Austin in Spring 2021. Hanan is also in the last year of her Doctorate training in Counseling Psychology at The University of Texas, Austin. She currently lives in Boston, where she is finishing her clinical work at the Center for Multicultural Training for Psychologists at the Boston Medical Center. Hanan’s main interests are in research, clinical, and community work. Her current research focuses on contextual factors that influence American Muslim youth development, including the role of their racial, religious, and gender identities on their everyday experiences. Hanan has also taught a course called Intergroup Dialogue for multiple years at UT-Austin, where she explored the psychology of race and gender with her students. In regards to her clinical work, Hanan has completed training at various sites, including community mental health centers, a youth shelter, and university counseling centers, and currently at community health centers. Hanan is also a community organizer and has focused her efforts on youth empowerment through local youth groups, regional camps and conferences, as well as serving as an educator and mental health consultant for varying institutions.

Oussama Jammal is the Secretary General of the US Council of Muslim Organiza'ons (USCMO), an umbrella organiza'on of na'onal, regional, and local Muslim organiza'ons. Mr. Jammal served in di/erent capaci'es including former president and chairman of the Boardof the Mosque Founda'on, Bridgeview, Illinois; Interfaith Advisory Board of the Department of Homeland Security – Federal Emergency Management Agency (DHS-FEMA)- Cook County, Illinois; member of the strategy board of the Metro-Industrial Areas Founda'on (Metro-IAF), one of the largest community organizing in the United States; the Na'onal Director of MAS-PACE, the Public A/airs and Civic Engagement Division of the Muslim American Society; former President of Fox Valley Muslim Community Center, Illinois; former president of the Council of Arab Organiza'ons; and former chairman of the Steering Commi?ee for the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) annual conven'on

Margari Hill is the co-founder and Executive Director of Muslim Anti-Racism Collaborative (MuslimARC), a human rights education organization. She is also a freelance writer published in How We Fight White Supremacy (2018) Time, Huffington Post, and Al Jazeera English. She earned her master’s degree in History of the Middle East and Islamic Africa from Stanford University in 2006. Her research includes transformations in Islamic education, colonial surveillance in Northern Nigeria, anti-colonial resistance among West Africans in Sudan during the early 20th century, interethnic relations in Muslim communities, anti-bias K-12 education, and the criminalization of Black Muslims. She is on the Advisory Council of Islam, Social Justice & Interreligious Engagement Program at the Union Theological Seminary. For her work, she has received numerous awards including the Council of American Islamic Relation’s (CAIR) 2020 Muslim of the Year award, Khadija bint Khuwaylid Relief Foundation Lifetime Humanitarian award in 2019, the Big Heart Award in 2017, and MPAC’s 2015 Change Maker Award. She has given talks and lectures in various universities and community centers throughout the country.

Mufti Hussain Kamani was born to a Hindu revert-to-Islam and Muslim father in Elizabethtown, Kentucky. With the blessings and du’a (supplications) of his parents, Mufti Hussain Kamani underwent a journey of a lifetime in pursuit of sacred Islamic knowledge. He began his pursuit of the Islamic sciences at the young age of six to memorize the entire Quran at the acclaimed Darul Uloom Madania in Buffalo, New York. By the blessings of Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala, he was able to complete this momentous task in 1999. Having the growing thirst to quench more knowledge, Mufti Kamani then traveled across the world to the United Kingdom to attain more advanced formal Islamic authorizations in the field of Islamic theology. He studied at Darul Uloom Bury, the renowned seminary of the great revivalist and scholar of Hadith, Shaykh-ul-Hadith Zakariyya Kandhlawi (Rahmatullahi Alayh). Mufti Kamani completed the traditional six-year curriculum covering the Arabic language, Arabic morphology, Islamic jurisprudence, Tafseer (exegis) of the Holy Qur’an, Hadith (Prophetic Sciences), philosophy, and Aqeedah (Islamic Creed) under the guidance of some of the pioneer scholars in England, including Shaykh Yusuf Motala, Shaykh Hashim, Shaykh Bilal and Shaykh Abdur Raheem bin Dawood amongst others. Upon graduation he was then was specially selected to enter a post-graduate level course in Islamic Law and Legal Verdicts (Fatwa). He completed this course in two years and received formal authorization in it as well. Alongside his religious studies, Mufti Kamani was blessed with having the opportunity to study the secular and academic sciences. He completed his graduate degree in Business Management from the University of Coventry in England as well.​Mufti Kamani currently resides in Dallas, TX with his wife and four children. He serves as an Imam and is on the Board of Directors for the Islamic Association of Carrollton (Masjid Al-Rahman). He is also an instructor for the Qalam Institute.

State Representative Nabeela Syed is running for Illinois State Senate in the 26th District to continue delivering bold, compassionate and common-sense leadership. A lifelong resident of the 26th District and current member of the General Assembly, Nabeela has built a strong record of listening to her community in the northwest suburbs and fighting for working families. Since making history in 2022 as one of the youngest members elected to the Illinois legislature, Nabeela has focused on what matters most: lowering costs, protecting access to healthcare and delivering real results. She’s passed legislation to cap prescription drug costs, expand breast cancer screening, secure paid leave for organ donors and make voting more accessible to young people. As a State Senator, Nabeela will continue fighting for the people who feel unseen—working parents struggling with healthcare costs, retirees facing rising utility bills and every Illinoisan trying to get ahead. Nabeela believes in leadership rooted in listening and action and is proud to serve her community.

Amany Suleiman is a life coach who holds self- development workshops which include topics like nurturing a productive mind set, ways to better your marriage, cultivating the inward to affect the outward, and choosing progress over perfection.

Asima Ahmad, MD, MPH, is Carrot's Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer (CMO). Dr. Ahmad is also a practicing reproductive endocrinologist and infertility specialist double board-certified in reproductive endocrinology and obstetrics and gynecology. She earned a combined medical and public health degree from the University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, completed her residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital, and completed fellowship training at the University of California, San Francisco. Her work has been published extensively on a wide range of topics related to infertility, reproductive and hormonal health, gynecologic malignancies, and patient safety. Dr. Ahmad has held leadership roles on the Access to Care Special Interest Group of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), most recently as the Chair and previously as the Vice-Chair. She has also founded Umeed Foundation, helped in healthcare delivery and optimization with global organizations like the World Health Organization (WHO), and worked on global health projects to reduce rates of maternal mortality. Dr. Ahmad has also been awarded University of Chicago’s Humanitarian Award, named to Business Insider’s 30 under 40 in Healthcare list, and recognized as a Castle Connolly Top Doctor, and one of the Top 100 University of Chicago Alumni in Technology. In addition to her extensive work in maternal health, Dr. Ahmad and her husband live in Chicago, IL, with their three children. They are expecting their fourth child later this year.