Ibrahim Abdul-Matin has worked in the civic, public, and private sectors and on several issues including sustainability, technology, community engagement, sports, and new media. He is the author of Green Deen: What Islam Teaches About Protecting the Planet and contributor to All-American: 45 American Men On Being Muslim. From 2009 to 2011 Ibrahim was the regular Sports Contributor for WNYC’s nationally syndicated show The Takeaway. Ibrahim played a full slate of high school sports and played linebacker at the University of Rhode Island from 1995-99. He is a suffering Knicks fan and lives in Brooklyn, NY with his wife and two sons. @IbrahimSalih
Nadirah Angail is a family therapist turned blogger from Kansas City, Mo. In 2006, she began working as a therapist with families and couples who suffer from issues ranging from depression and drug addiction to infidelity and marital discord. In 2009, she had her first child and decided to (temporarily) leave the professional world to focus on motherhood and writing. She has self-published two books and enjoys writing about relationships, family, parenting, and her particular perspective as a Black American Muslim woman. Learn more at nadirahangail.com and strugglinghijabi.tumblr.com or @Nadirah_Angail
Sabiha Ansari is Co-Founder and Vice-President of the American Muslim Consumer Consortium, Inc. (AMCC). She has a degree in Psychology, is a Certified Empowerment Coach, and a consultant with Canavox, a program of Witherspoon Institute dedicated to promoting family and marriage values. Sabiha has been instrumental in her role as Event Director for the past five AMCC conferences. As a representative of the organization, she has also appeared on Huffington Post Live and inteviewed for The Atlantic, The New York Times, and other publications.
Hesham A. Hassaballa is a Chicago doctor and writer. He has written extensively on a freelance basis, being published in newspapers across the country and around the world. His articles have been distributed worldwide by Agence Global, and Dr. Hassaballa has appeared as a guest on WTTW (Channel 11) in Chicago, CNN, Fox News, BBC, and National Public Radio.
Dr. Hassaballa is co-author of The Beliefnet Guide to Islam (Doubleday), and his essay, “Why I Love the Ten Commandments,” was published in the award-winning book Taking Back Islam (Rodale). His book, Noble Brother, is the story of the Prophet Muhammad told entirely in poetry. It is now published in its second edition. Dr. Hassaballa’s first work of Fiction, Code Blue, is now available worldwide by Faithful Word Press.
In addition to writing, Dr. Hassaballa helped found the Chicago Chapter of the Council on American Islamic Relations and currently serves on their board of directors. He also co-founded the Bayan Hassaballa Foundation and has served as its Executive Director. He is now the Foundation’s Treasurer. @GodFaithPen
Dr. Fasiha Hasham obtained her medical degree from Sindh Medical College and completed a residency at Jinnah Post Graduate Medical Centre in Pakistan before moving to the United States. Her specialties include Internal Medicine and Gynecology and Obstetrics. She is married with four children and lives in Farmington Hills, Michigan.
Amnah Ibrahim writes for her blog, LittleLifeOfMine.com, where she chronicles her life as a crafty, stay-at-home mom to four rambunctious girls. In addition to recipes and project ideas, her blog helps mothers find humor and magic in the mundane. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. @LLifeOfMine
Sajid A. Khan is a Public Defender in San Jose, CA. He has a BA in Political Science from UC Berkeley and a law degree from UC Hastings. When not advocating for justice, Sajid enjoys playing basketball, football and baseball, and is a huge fan of Cal football and A’s baseball. He lives in San Jose, Ca with his wife and son.
Faisal Masood is the Founder and President of the American Muslim Consumer Consortium Inc. American Muslim Consumer Consortium (AMCC) is a registered 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to develop the American Muslim Consumer market. The key objective of AMCC is to address the needs of American Muslim Consumers and empower companies that are developing products for this market.
Faisal has more than 20 years of management consulting, business management, entrepreneurship and sales management experience. Faisal was one of the founders of pcWonders.com, which was sold to Buyitnow.com in 2000. PcWonders.com was primarily engaged in the sales of technology and electronics products to small businesses and consumers and had an annual sale of approximately $80 Million. Faisal has been a featured speaker at many international conferences and is a subject matter expert on the Muslim Consumer market. He has spoken at the World Halal Forum, Kuala Lumpur; Global Islamic Economy Summit, Dubai; Saudi Food Forum, Jeddah; Natural Food Expo, Los Angeles and the American Muslim Consumer Conference, New Jersey.
He is an active member in the community and has organized many fundraising events to support relief and humanitarian activities for Islamic Relief. Faisal was also an adjunct professor at the School of Business, Rutgers State University, New Jersey from 2002 to 2008. Currently he works for JP Morgan Chase in New York.
Hina Khan-Mukhtar is a mother of three boys and one of the founders of the homeschooling co-operative known as ILM Tree in Lafayette, California, which now serves over 30 homeschooling families in the East Bay. In addition to teaching Language Arts to elementary, middle school, and high school students, she has written articles on parenting and spiritual traditions for children and is involved in interfaith dialogue.
Haroon Moghul is the author of “The Order of Light” and “My First Police State.” His memoir, “How to be Muslim,” is due in 2016. He’s a doctoral candidate at Columbia University, formerly a Fellow at the New America Foundation and the Center on National Security at Fordham Law School, and a member of the Multicultural Audience Development Initiative at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art. @hsmoghul
After Noor H. Salem graduated from the University of Michigan, she went on to pursue her dream career. Noor is now a Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, and is CEO of her own wellness practice, Holistic Noortrition, LLC. Noor specialized in women’s health, weight loss, and food intolerance versus allergies. She offers individual and group health coaching programs, and is a speaker on the topic of holistic health at workshops and seminars.
Sameer Sarmast is the President and Executive Producer of Sameer’s Eats, the first and only Halal food review web blog and video channel on YouTube. The channel has over 400,000 views and growing. In 2012, Sameer and his team launched “The Halal Food Tour” in 5 cities across the country. The tour was a series of Halal food festivals which included local Halal food vendors, cooking demos and cooking challenges.
Sameer has been recognized by local and national media outlets as well as the U.S. State Department for his efforts in highlighting Halal cuisine. He is very passionate about Halal Food and frequently shares his zeal with chefs and personalities from the Food Network. Although Sameer has had cameos on a couple Food TV shows, he hopes to see a segment on Halal cuisine make it to the Food Network one day!
Sameer resides and works full time in New Jersey as a Vice President in Wealth Management for a major financial institution. When he isn’t working, he loves to travel and spend time with his friends and family. @SameersEats
Jennifer Zobair is a biological and adoptive mother, an attorney, and a writer. She is the author of the debut novel, “Painted Hands” (St.Martin’s Press, 2013) and the co-editor of “Faithfully Feminist: Jewish, Christian, and Muslim Feminists on Why We Stay” (forthcoming from I Speak For Myself/White Cloud Press, 2015). She lives with her husband and three children in the DC area. Connect with Jennifer on twitter at @jazobair or through her website at www.jennferzobair.com.