Our Board Members:

Abdirahman Omar: Founder & Executive Director.

Abdirahman Omar is a veteran workforce development and human services professional with an extensive background in employment, training, housing, public health, and community relations. In his work, Abdirahman addresses socio-economic barriers, health disparities and racial equity in the greater King County region. He offers technical assistance to grassroots organizations and facilitates community discussions and training for Equity and Social Justice focus group meetings. 

Abdirahman strives to make an impact in African, refugees and underserved communities and remove barriers in employment, training, housing, health, and technology. He led federal, state, county and city funded projects for close two decades including COVID-19 and economic recovery funding opportunities.

Abdirisaq Ahmed :Youth Sports and Development Director | Community Engagement & Youth Empowerment Leader

Results-driven professional with 10+ years of experience designing and leading impactful community engagement initiatives, with a strong emphasis on youth development, equity, and inclusion. Demonstrated success in creating and managing dynamic sports programs that support the physical, emotional, and social growth of diverse youth populations.

Adept at cultivating partnerships with nonprofits, schools, and government agencies to expand program visibility and access. Proven expertise in strategic planning, volunteer management, and executing large-scale youth events, sports clinics, and community outreach campaigns. Skilled in integrating mentorship, leadership training, and life skills development into recreational programming to empower young people and promote long-term personal and academic success.

Passionate about fostering inclusive, safe, and engaging environments where all youth can thrive through discipline, teamwork, and physical activity.

Awale Abdullahi Farah, Board Member

I am from a family where public service is front and center. My late father dedicated his life to serving the people. Ever since I can remember, I have been asked what I would do to serve people. I had a career in the technical field but in my heart never forgot to serve the community. So I decided to retire early from AT&T to dedicate the rest of my life to serving the community, following my father’s footsteps, and working for the people. Kent School district has 24000 students, and more than 70% are people of color. The district has more than a budget of $600 million.

Duran Abshir, Board Member

Duran Abshir is a Boston native who graduated from Northeastern University in Massachusetts. He now lives in Seattle Washington and works as a senior mortgage loan officer at NEXA Mortgage.  Duran Believes that financial confidence occurs only when you own your own home. Duran is passionate to go above and beyond his regular duties as a Loan Officer and educate his clients and communities to achieve financial success regardless of their financial situation and circumstances. Most importantly, He sticks with his customers until they get into their dream homes. Duran advises his customers to grow roots in their communities and establish their financial future while young and healthy, especially when loved ones are dependent upon them financially.  

In 1994, Duran was a successful entrepreneur exporting seafood products from Somalia to Dubai and Hong Kong for 8 years before he moved back to Boston, Massachusetts.

Aynalem Degefa, Board Member

Mr. Aynalem Degefa is an IT professional in the Greater Seatle area. He earned his master’s degree from Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia. Since he moved to the United States, he has worked in Environmental consulting firms around Seattle. Mr. Aynalem has keen interest to participate in community endeavors helping immigrant communities. He has volunteered at the King County Workforce in Renton/Tukwilla for more than 8 months helping community members navigate in the process of searching for employment. Mr. Aynalem loved to support community members with computer-based job boards to make successful job applications through online job applications including resume preparation and filling job applications. It is a great honor to be a board member of this Nonprofit organization and to be able to contribute to the benefit of the community at large. 

Zakariya Jama: Programs

Zakariya Jama is a first generation college student and he is pursuing his bachelors degree at highland college. He focuses on entrepreneurship, starting small businesses, college access, and youth mentorship. He enjoys reading in his free time, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.