Our People

Shaista has been living in Edmonton since 2010. She is an Industrial Engineer by training and after spending almost 10 years in Process Improvement and Technology in the financial industry, she is now working in a machine learning startup. Shaista’s work experience has provided her with the opportunity to apply her knowledge of process improvement, lean and design thinking. In the last few years, she has been a board member for the Edmonton chapter of the Canadian Council of Muslim Women. Last summer, Shaista volunteered as a docent at the University of Alberta Botanic Garden to guide visitors through the Kurimoto Japanese Garden and the Aga Khan Garden. Over the last few years, she has volunteered with the Aga Khan Youth and Sports Board to help with Positive Youth Development. Shaista is impressed with all the good work that IslamicFamily can accomplish for the Muslim community and would love to be involved with the board to help in any capacity possible.

Howaida obtained her Bachelor of Applied Science in Engineering degree from the University of Waterloo in 1999. She is currently the General Supervisor of Transportation working on Edmonton’s long-term strategic plan - The City Plan. Howaida’s skills and experience span strategic planning, providing oversight and leading technical teams to achieve goals on complex projects, strategy monitoring and reporting, and survey development. Howaida has 13 years of experience working in Transportation Planning including transportation modelling, household travel surveys, policy and strategy development. She hopes to serve on the IslamicFamily board by offering her skills in strategic planning, program monitoring, and governance. Howaida and her two brothers were born and raised in Toronto. She is the proud daughter of Egyptian immigrants to Canada. Howaida, her husband, three kids, and cat have called Edmonton home for many years.

Ahsan is a senior finance professional having worked with both MNCs and small and medium businesses. He has volunteered previously with WildNorth and PCAE as a board member. Ahsan is excited to volunteer with IslamicFamily in a role where he can use his commercial finance skills to build strategies that will continue to develop the organization's donor base and continue to improve on the reporting, budgeting and forecasting to better serve the community clients.

Mariam is a Somali-Canadian born and raised in Canada who spent parts of her youth in the Middle East. She is fortunate to speak both Arabic and Somali. Mariam is deeply connected to the Edmonton community and the opportunity to serve. Mariam is an Epidemiologist by training, currently working with the Government of Alberta. She has had the opportunity to act as the lead for Infectious Disease epidemiology for many years and now serves a role in workforce planning. Her most cherished role is teaching Qur'an and she is blessed to serve both as a Teacher with the Imam Al Shatibi Institute, and in a volunteer capacity during her spare time.

Amaly is an American-Canadian-Muslim mother and physician. She has lived in Edmonton for 15 years, and now calls it home. Amaly is always inspired by the creativity around her, and loves exploring this side of her, as demonstrated by her constant flow of projects and ideas. Creativity is where she flourishes. Since a young age, her parents have always made volunteerism an important part of her life, and she has tried to follow in their footsteps. Some projects she has helped create include: the "One ummah, One Eid” gift program, and the Edmonton Volunteer Society. Amaly also loves giving back to the community. Over the past few years, she has been a board member of Muslim Woman’s shelter, and has traveled abroad multiple times offering medical care to refugees and those in need in foreign countries.

Youssra was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. She holds a Bachelor of Psychology, a Bachelor of Education, as well as a Masters of Educational Policy from the University of Alberta. Her professional experiences include frontline Mental Health Services, at Alberta Hospital Edmonton, Youth Support Work with nonprofit human service organizations, as well as 10+ years serving learners as an educator with the Edmonton Public School Board. Currently she works as an ESL Consultant, supporting both educators and English Language Learners with best practices. Aside from her husband and four children, her greatest commitment is supporting students and educators.

After spending much of my life in Saskatchewan, where I was deeply involved in youth outreach through the local mosque and University MSA, I moved to Edmonton. Family, community, and staying active are central to my life, and I’m grateful for every opportunity to connect with others. As a lawyer in private practice, my main areas of focus are Civil Litigation, Personal Injury, Wills and Estates, and Family Law. I have also provided pro-bono legal guidance to mosque board members on non-profit legal matters, giving me insight into the operational frameworks of non-profits. Before law school, I worked as a Settlement Support Worker in Schools (SSWIS) for the Saskatoon Open Door Society. In this role, I helped newcomer families navigate the Canadian schooling system, advocating for their unique needs and building collaborations with school boards, teachers, and service providers. My work with newcomers and vulnerable individuals has equipped me with skills essential for supporting communities. I am inspired by IFSSA's dedication to uplifting the Muslim community and would consider it a privilege to contribute to their mission. My legal expertise and experience with newcomers would allow me to support the board’s strategic and governance efforts in meaningful ways.

I moved to Edmonton after having spent a significant part of my life in Saskatchewan. There, I was actively involved in the local mosque and the University MSA focusing on youth outreach and mentorship. I enjoy spending time with my family, attending the mosque, meeting new people, and staying physically active. I am a lawyer by profession at a private practice and my main practice areas include Civil Litigation, Personal Injury, Wills and Estates, and Family Law. I have been previously engaged on a pro-bono basis by mosque board members to provide them legal guidance related to non-profit organizations. This has helped me become familiar with the legal framework that governs the role and operations of non-profit organizations. Prior to attending law school, I worked as a Settlement Support Worker in Schools ("SSWIS Worker") for the Saskatoon Open Door Society. In that role, I provided services to newcomer families to support their children's transition and integration into the Canadian schooling system. I worked closely with the public school board, school teachers and administration, and other service providers to advocate for my clients and ensure their unique needs are recognized and accommodated. As a SSWIS Worker, I developed the skills and knowledge required to work with newcomers and vulnerable persons. IFSSA and the dedicated people behind it have been doing a remarkable job in uplifting the Muslim community and helping them overcome the challenges they face. It would be a privilege to be part of the team and offer my skills and knowledge in furtherance of the organizations mission. In particular, I hope to contribute my legal expertise and work experience in serving the newcomer community to assist the IFSSA board with their strategic and governance functions.

I have been a direct beneficiary of IslamicFamily's work through The Green Room's Leadership Team, where as a newly immigrated teenager I was introduced to community service and built many of my meaningful connections in the city. My very first "real" job was with IslamicFamily as an HR and Policy Intern, where I had the chance to research and review IslamicFamily's existing policy and help support the process of achieving Imagine Canada accreditation. As I continue to pursue a higher education in health sciences, I hope my academic background both informs and is informed by my work and learnings as a member of the IslamicFamily board. I hope to give back to The Green Room a fraction of what The Green Room did for me. As TGR navigates developing new programming and restarting

I am an analyst with the government of Alberta with a bachelor in commerce and a graduate diploma in immigration law. My role with the ministry of mental health and addiction connects me with leaders striving to end the addictions issues in Alberta. What the Muslim community often fails to realize is the number of Muslim youth are among those struggling with alcohol and drug addictions, many times the cause being their own familial traumas unaddressed. I want to see more programs addressing the root causes of addictions, implement more recovery based programs, and create programs for young muslims that ultimately deters our community from addictions.

IslamicFamily has been an integral part of Omar’s service journey. Omar has worked in non-profit management, global development and for-benefit consulting. He holds an MBA and BSc from the University of Alberta, where he also teaches Corporate Sustainability to MBAs. Before joining as staff, Omar played a key role in the development of IslamicFamily's youth program, and partnership development. He is proud to have worked alongside exceptional leaders who helped the organization expand to serve more people in more ways and more places.

Lena received a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Neurobiology and a Master’s in Business Management from Harvard University. As an undergraduate, she received a number of awards for her activism and advocacy including the Harvard College Women’s Leadership Award and the Harvard Foundation Award for Race and Intercultural Relations. Prior to joining the IslamicFamily team, Lena has worked with and developed close relationships with numerous non-profits throughout the city, and internationally.

Lubna is a registered psychologist with a Master’s in Psychological Studies in Education from the University of Alberta, and a Counselling Certificate from Athabasca University. Lubna first joined IslamicFamily 12 years ago as a board member, and has provided cultural competency training to community leaders, governments, law enforcement and service organizations. She has been recognized for her outstanding volunteer commitment, and has been awarded the Athabasca Volunteer Service Award, the YMCA Peace Medal, and the Governor General's Sovereign Medal for Volunteers

Experienced Immigrant Community Support Worker with a demonstrated history of working in the non-profit organizations and with vulnerable communities. Skilled in networking, community connection and community service, Customer Service, Management, and MS office. Strong community support professional graduated from the Lebanese University.

Experienced finance and business professional with expertise in client advisory, analytics, financial reporting, business development, and scaling start-ups.

Ali has a broad background in various professions like digging ditches, making falafel, journalism and writing textbooks. It wasn’t until he was in graduate school that realized what it was he needed to be doing: visiting folks navigating the carceral system, hearing what they need, and then doing just that. He started this work visiting youth in immigration detention in Chicago, then organizing jail visition in the Chicagoland area. He moved to Edmonton in 2022 to build IslamicFamily’s program. Ali has a Bachelor’s of English from Kalamazoo College and a Masters of Divinity from the University of Chicago.

Sumaira graduated with a degree in Human Ecology from the University of Alberta, and began her work with IslamicFamily two years ago. Currently, she is helping to grow IslamicFamily's volunteer base and establish long-lasting relationships with those who love to give back to their community. She is also the Creative Director of the brand Shubinak and loves all things handmade, eco-friendly and ethnic fusion.

Raj is passionate about service through leveraging technology for the greater good. He holds a BURPI in Urban and Regional Planning and a Certificate in Project and Product Management. He is also a Fellow at On Deck. Before joining IslamicFamily, Raj spent 6 years in the public sector with various organizations working as an urban planner and then transitioned into technology. He built a B2C mobile application that made it as one of top 20 most downloaded apps in Canada and built a B2B saas-based platform that raised 7 figures in funding.

Ibrahim is a passionate advocate for the integration of spirituality and mental health. Throughout his education, he has blended religious studies with training in spiritually-integrated mental health care and counselling. He holds a BA in Religious Studies, an MA in Islamic Studies and Christian-Muslim Relations, and a Graduate Certificate in Islamic Chaplaincy from the Hartford Seminary - the first graduate institution to offer accredited training in Muslim chaplaincy. Ibrahim is one of Canada’s only clinically-trained Muslim chaplains, having completed intensive training in spiritually-integrated mental health care and counselling. Ibrahim is presently pursuing a Masters in Social Work with a specialization in Community-Informed Practice for Health and Well-being.

Ray has been working in fundraising in the Canadian non-profit sector for over 5 years after "stumbling" on this beautiful path while studying industrial engineering. His focus and drive is to get community members excited about projects and to make visions come to life. Ray is passionate about helping people and bringing love, joy and faith to their lives. He is specifically passionate about international development, namely helping his home country, Lebanon.

How can design be more human-centered? Zeinab's passion lies in creating design that is tailored to the needs of people and the environment as a whole. By utilizing design thinking methodologies, asking the right questions, and maintaining an empathetic perspective, she works on ensuring that solutions are user-centric. Prior to venturing into the non-profit sector, Zeinab worked in consulting and marketing. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in marketing and minor in political science.