Sixth Edition Marquis Who’s Who INSIGHT 15 INSIGHT MARQUIS WHO′S WHO SIXTH EDITION SUMMER 2024 put my shoes on, and I want to help someone who is in need. It can be a family looking for housing service, a business owner looking for a grant or loan, or someone who needs assistance. Something that motivates me is my desire to see change. I want to see the low-income immigrant communities here and beyond be successful. That's what motivates me and what I do best. What are two key behaviors/personality traits that allow you to be effective in your role? As a nonprofit organization founder, you have to know exactly what you’re doing and what kind of needs you will answer for. You have to know the issues, the challenges, the opportunities or the problems you are trying to solve. A nonprofit is basically a mediator between the government agencies and the community. To be a trusted leader, you have to be transparent, know what you are doing, and be credible and committed. What is the most important issue/challenge you are dealing with in your industry? The most important challenge a nonprofit faces is the continuation of work by getting funding to ensure that the services they provide to the community continue. The foundation advocates for policy change at a state level and the needs of philanthropic organizations. Our focus is a lot of Muslim communities in Minnesota, especially East Africans, who have an issue buying homes and accessing culturally appropriate small business micro-lending. I'm trying to create an alternative financial mechanism where people can buy homes without paying interest. I envisioned having an alternative financial committee that included universities, developers, financial institutions, Imam, Rabbi, priests and commercial leaders to study alternative homeownership models. We have to think outside the box to address the cultural and systemic financial needs of our communities in Minnesota and beyond. How do you feel your industry has changed/evolved? One of the key changes is the relationships that we build or the people whom we partner with. They are either people who left their jobs, have retired, or someone new who comes in. So, you have to start again with a new relationship. Another change that we face is our employment rate. The housing issue is always there, and although we’ve been dealing with the same thing for the last decade, we are making great progress. What innovations or technologies do you feel will shape the future of your industry? As we move into a digital world, I believe in innovative, high-end technology software, for example, software specific to nonprofit organizations’ fundraising. It can give you a column showing what grants are available. What excites you the most about your industry? Whenever I see an issue – whether it’s a small issue or one person or a big issue or a community-wide issue – whenever I help someone change their life, that makes me happy. When I go home and sleep on my bed and remember what I've done, that excites me and gives me energy. That's what motivates me.
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