Meet the 2024 ATLANTA CONFERENCE Education panelistS

Asha is a Senior Manager in Corporate Real Estate at Starbucks Coffee Company in Seattle, Washington. With over 20 years of experience in corporate real estate, Asha leads strategic lease negotiations and complex real estate transactions for the existing Starbucks store portfolio across the US. Beyond her profession, Asha is a co-founder of Burao Academy of Science & Technology, a non-profit STEM boarding middle and high school located in Burao, Somaliland. She is a determined volunteer and advocate for elevating and promoting quality education in Somaliland. She uses her professional platform to bring cutting-edge technologies and a wide range of opportunities for the youth in Somaliland. Asha graduated from Washington Adventist University in Takoma Park, Maryland where she received a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. 

 Jonathan is the founder and CEO of Nomizo Learning Labs, which seeks to transform US education by driving superior life outcomes for all students. In 2017, Jonathan authored It Takes A School, telling the story of Jonathan’s founding and heading the Abaarso School of Science and Technology, a non-profit educational organization in Somaliland. Abaarso School broke a decades-long drought in Somali education, with over 200 students gaining scholarships globally, including at Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Brown, Dartmouth, Cornell, Penn, MIT, and Cambridge. In 2017 Jonathan co-founded Barwaaqo University in Somaliland, the first all-female boarding university. In 2019, he co-founded Kaabe Schools, with the mission of spreading high-quality Montessori-inspired K-12 education throughout Somaliland. From 2004 to 2008, Jonathan founded and led Flagg Street Capital, a private investment firm that managed $170 million of investor assets. Prior to Flagg Street, Jonathan worked at SAB Capital, Blavin and Company, and Fidelity Investments. Jonathan graduated from Emory University, where he received a B.A. Summa Cum Laude in Economics and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa. 

Huda is a writer and cultural critic. She currently writes for New York Magazine and CBC Arts, and has been published in many places including Globe & Mail, Pitchfork, and BuzzFeed. She is currently an assistant professor at New York University’s Media, Culture, and Communication department. Huda  completed her PhD at the University of Toronto in 2023 and is currently writing about the history of Somalis in New York City.

Sayidcali Ahmed is a dedicated education professional committed to community empowerment. Currently serving as Program Manager at Waano Learning Center and Founding Faculty at Surad Academy, he champions literacy and contributes as a member of the Board of Directors. A MasterCard Foundation Scholar and graduate of Westminster College with dual honors degrees in Political Science and Global Studies, Sayidcali's passion for policy led to a prestigious fellowship at Princeton University's Public Policy & International Affairs Program.

Hailing from Hargeisa-Somaliland, Sayidcali focuses on enhancing educational opportunities for immigrant and refugee students globally. Recognized for his academic excellence, he is a two-time recipient of the Winston Churchill Award for Outstanding Academic and Leadership roles at Westminster College and a member of distinguished honor societies. As he prepares to pursue a Master of Public Administration and International Affairs at Cornell University starting Fall 2024, Sayidcali aims to specialize in Government, Politics, and Policy studies, with a particular interest in shaping international development policies for transformative initiatives.