SPEAKERS

dR. SABEEL AHMED

  • Dr. Sabeel Ahmed is a nationally respected educator and speaker, serving as Director of GainPeace, a project of ICNA, where he has led efforts to share Islam’s message through education and dialogue for over 15 years. With over 95 million views on YouTube, Dr. Sabeel is a leading voice in clarifying misconceptions about Islam and inspiring curiosity about faith and ethics.

    His outreach work has earned him the “Four-Star Chicagoan Award” and “Best Neighbor Award.” Author of several training manuals and children’s books, he continues to empower communities with clarity and compassion. In his free time, he enjoys table tennis and solving the Rubik’s cube in under a minute.

IRSHAD KHAN

  • Irshad Khan is a respected community leader with over 25 years of service to communities across Illinois. He is the former Chairman of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago (CIOGC), the state’s largest Muslim representative body, where he led initiatives serving more than half a million Muslims and over 70 mosques, schools, and service institutions. He currently serves as Chairman of Zakat Chicago, CIOGC’s charitable arm dedicated to local collection and distribution.

    During his four-year tenure as CIOGC Chairman, Khan launched the organization’s first Diversity and Inclusion initiative, expanded partnerships with state agencies, and guided the Council through the COVID-19 pandemic by establishing a task force that collaborated with the Illinois Department of Public Health. He also led CIOGC’s humanitarian response to the arrival of Afghan refugees, helping facilitate the resettlement of 1,400 individuals in partnership with the Illinois Department of Human Services.

    Khan has strengthened interfaith relations through close collaboration with the Chicago Archdiocese and Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, including co-hosting the annual Catholic-Muslim Ramadan Iftar. He has also championed the recognition of Muslim leadership, honoring national and local changemakers throughout CIOGC’s 30th anniversary celebrations.

    In addition to his statewide leadership, Khan has served as Chairman and President of Islamic Foundation North in Libertyville, as a member of his local school board, and as a volunteer with several grassroots organizations. He resides in Lake County with his wife and four children.

  • Wesam Shahed is a first-generation Palestinian-American from Chicago, Illinois. He currently serves as the Senior Legislative Counsel at the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, where he is the first Muslim, Arab, and Palestinian American in the administration’s history.

    Previously, he was a prosecutor at the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office (CCSAO), the second-largest prosecutor’s office in the United States. Recognized among the Arab American Foundation’s “30 Under 30,” Wesam also delivered a TEDx Talk on criminal justice reform titled “Does Justice Always Require a Conviction?”

    He has served as Finance Director for the first Muslim and Palestinian American elected to the Illinois House Legislature (2023) and has held leadership roles with the ACLU of Illinois, the Arab American Bar Association, the Muslim Bar Association, and the Arab Business Professional Association.

    Wesam is now running for Cook County Commissioner – District 6, where he would become the first Palestinian-Muslim in Cook County Government history.

WESAM SHAHED

dR. TAYYAB YUNUS

  • Dr. Tayyab Yunus is a Pracademic, Social Entrepreneur, and Nonprofit Growth Expert, serving as the CEO and Principal Strategist at Intuitive Solutions. He holds an MBA in Strategy and Innovation and a Doctorate in Business and Entrepreneurship. His doctoral research focused on identifying successful strategies for Muslim nonprofit organizations. Since 2003, he has led growth strategies and change management initiatives for both for-profit and nonprofit organizations. Under his leadership, Intuitive Solutions has launched and accelerated hundreds of nonprofits, trained thousands of professionals, and reached a financial impact of over $1 Billion.

    Dr. Yunus is the host of The Muslim Nonprofit Show. A podcast shared across 11 platforms, aimed at inspiring Muslim non-profit Leaders through powerful stories and actionable insights.

    Dr. Tayyab Yunus is committed to a world where every Muslim is actively involved in serving humanity. This guiding mission shapes his efforts to inspire acts of kindness and social good within the Muslim community and beyond, drawing others closer to Allah through service. His goal is to inspire a love for Islam through acts of kindness and to create a world positively impacted by Muslim contributions.