Our Team

Our team and board members are located across nine different countries. We're deeply committed to centering our vision and operations around the voices and needs of vulnerable individuals and refugees.

Team Members

Atif Javed

Executive Director & Co-founder

Having served as an interpreter for his own refugee and immigrant family, Atif has always been passionate about creating language access. He graduated from MIT during the height of the Syrian refugee crisis. When the travel ban was announced, he left his job as a Product Manager to launch Tarjimly to help thousands of refugees and humanitarian workers overcome language barriers. He has been awarded Forbes 30 Under 30, SVBJ’s 40 Under 40, the Echoing Green Fellowship, the MIT Martin Luther King Jr. Service Award, and was featured in Forbes and TechCrunch after launching Tarjimly with Y Combinator.

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Aziz Alghunaim

Chief Technology Officer & Co-founder

Aziz leads Tarjimly’s product development leveraging the latest technologies in communication and machine learning to increase the efficiency of humanitarian services and global volunteering. Previously, he worked as a Software Engineer for Palantir Technologies in Silicon Valley enabling data-driven decision making in finance, aircraft manufacturing, and oil & gas. He received his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Computer Science from MIT, with a focus on Machine Learning. He is a Y Combinator Alum, Echoing Green fellow, and a Forbes 30 Under 30 awardee for Social Entrepreneurship.

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Sara Haj-Hassan

Chief Operating Officer & Co-founder

Sara leads the development of partnerships with organizations that can benefit from or contribute to Tarjimly's services. She has experience working with immigrant and refugee populations both nationally and internationally and has seen firsthand the negative effects of language barriers on access to various services. She received her MSW from UC Berkeley and believes in the importance of relationship-building in creating long-lasting partnerships to achieve shared goals.

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Ismail Alarmouti

Lead Software Engineer

Ismail is an exceptional software engineer with a wealth of experience in developing cutting-edge software solutions. He has a proven track record of contributing to high-profile projects at companies such as MySense.ai and NewsCorp UK.

He his dedicated to the harmonious integration of technology and Islamic principles, and is committed to using his technical skills to create software solutions that not only excel in their functionality but also resonate with the ideals of the Islamic community.

Beyond his professional achievements, Ismail is a devoted father of three lovely daughters, and enjoys a diverse range of interests, particularly reading.

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Alex Mitchell

Project & Product Coordinator

Alex coordinates interpretation and translation projects, and oversees Tarjimly's product management. She has several years of experience working for grassroots organizations in Greece that responded to the influx of refugees. Alex is passionate about language access for refugees, having witnessed the obstacles they face in accessing information about their rights and available services due to language barriers, and how this disproportionately affects illiterate and underserved communities.

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Yassin Medhouny-Laouina

Language Project and Outreach Coordinator

Yassin joined the Tarjimly as the Language Project and Outreach Coordinator. His mission is to build and foster a thriving global community of Tarjimly volunteers, who are eager and prepared to connect and break down language barriers by providing translations for those in need. With a specialized background in Humanitarian Action, Migration, and Education programs, Yassin’s journey is driven by a profound passion for development and a steadfast belief in the power of solidarity. Yassin has worked in North, West and East Africa, South-East Asia, and the Levantine area, actively engaging with critical issues related to migration, asylum and refugees.
Beyond his professional commitment, Yassin’s personal fascination with languages continuously inspires him to explore new linguistic horizons.

Irtaza Raza

Grant Manager

Irtaza holds a Master's degree in Development Studies and has experience working at different national and international NGOs. At Tarjimly, he supports fundraising and grants management. Irtaza is a strong believer in equal rights and opportunities for all.

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Fortunate Adediwura

Product Designer

Fortunate is a product designer with  five years of experience ideating and designing digital solutions in accommodation, logistics, socials and health industries to name a few. He previously led the Product Design teams at Rhics Technologies, The Thread Group and CribMD.

He is also a dad of two and enjoys playing chess, video games and swimming. Fortunate is currently driving all the design changes we are making to improve the quality of our users’ experiences.

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Imogen McRoberts

Marketing, Community, and Partnerships Lead

Imogen serves as the Marketing, Community, and Partnerships Lead at Tarjimly. Since 2019, she's been dedicated to migration-related projects, first in Northern France and later in Northern Greece. Imogen is a board member at Wave-Aid and co-founder of Border Voices, a radio series that showcases the stories of people on the move. Through these initiatives, she has addressed issues of representation while working tirelessly to shed light on the challenges experienced by individuals caught in the complexities of migration. She wholeheartedly believes in the power of storytelling to advocate for change.

Ifeanyi Muogbo

Software Engineer

Ifeanyi is a software engineer with several years of experience building software for esteemed companies like MTN NG and PeopleBeam. Beyond the world of coding, he finds solace in the pages of captivating books and the enchantment of poetry. Whether immersing himself in literary wonders or delving into the intricacies of volleyball on the court, he seeks inspiration from a diverse range of sources.  His unwavering commitment to excellence ensures the seamless functioning and continuous improvement of Tarjimly's groundbreaking app.

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Chibuike Umechukwu

Software Engineer

Chibuike is software engineer with an itch for detailed planning and execution of projects. He finds joy in solving pain-points, by simplifying complex processes. He has contributed in many high-profile projects, including finance applications, government web applications, edu-tech and many more.Outside the world of programming, Chibuike loves playing board games, bonding with friends and visiting places.

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Jonathan Undelikwo

Software Engineer

Jonathan is a software engineer who saves the world one code at a time. He has worked on several engineering projects spanning the fields of finance, health, ecommerce. His commitment extends beyond coding, as he passionately advocates for mental health awareness, believing in technology's potential for positive change. Whether architecting software solutions or advocating for mental well-being, he brings a blend of technical prowess and a compassionate heart to every endeavor. Outside the digital realm, you'll find him immersed in the world of literature and music.

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Chenge Maruziva

Outreach & Partnerships Manager

An experienced  consultant and programme manager with over 14 years in the corporate and non- profit environment. She has pioneered initiatives across the African continent and internationally. She has expertise  in the areas of business development & change management, stakeholder r management. Her academic background in psychology and social development has led to a deep interest in people empowerment, justice and social transformation.

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Pranishka Nayagar

Finance & HR

An experienced  consultant and programme manager with over 14 years in the corporate and non- profit environment. She has pioneered initiatives across the African continent and internationally. She has expertise  in the areas of business development & change management, stakeholder r management. Her academic background in psychology and social development has led to a deep interest in people empowerment, justice and social transformation.

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Board Members

Abubakar Abid

Board Member

Abubakar serves as Tarjimly’s President overseeing strategic direction as a nonprofit. He is a PhD candidate and Soros Fellow at Stanford university with a focus in machine learning. He is published in Nature and worked on Tarjimly’s first matching algorithm.

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Hussein Abdelhalim

Board Member

Value Creation Director at Littlejohn & Co and former Senior Engagement Manager at McKinsey working cross-functionally in international and US markets, especially public sector entities in the Middle East. Background in education for underprivileged communities.

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Margo Drakos

Board Member

Managing Director of the Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation, Margo Drakos plays a lead role in sourcing new investments and working with the leadership of organizations in the DRK portfolio as an operating partner and board member as they grow to build capacity and to achieve their maximum impact. Margo spent the past decade as a founder, working with private and public sector institutions to leverage technology to realize scale, revenue generation, and sustainability. She has recruited, led, and motivated matrixed and dispersed organizations of engineering, product, marketing, strategy, and growth teams.

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Yamen Al-Hajjar

Board Member

Yamen is a partner at Olive Tree Capital that was instrumental in Tarjimly’s founding and research. He holds an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management, is a World Economic Forum Global Shaper, and worked with the BMG Foundation for 10 years.

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Meg Porfido

Board Member

Meg Profido brings a wealth of experience from diverse sectors including healthcare, education, telecommunications, law, and government. With over a decade of dedicated service on the board of Kaiser Permanente, a major nonprofit health plan and healthcare delivery system, she has been instrumental in guiding large-scale health initiatives. Currently, Meg serves as the board chair for Girl Rising, an organization committed to educating girls globally. Before that she had successful career in law (in private practice in DC and Denver), government (on the Hill in DC and as COS and general counsel to Governor Romer in CO) and telecom (as part of a startup that built the initial fiber network for the Internet).

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