BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND LEDERSHIP

Gateway Institute for Research and Development's Board of Directors is included many munificent folks from a diversity of backgrounds. The group holds significant roles in grounding the organization and guiding its future. Our Board of Directors provides leadership guidance in organization management and helps establish strategic direction.

Hodan Abdi, Chair Person of the Board | Affiliation: Hennepin Country | Criminal Justice from Metropolitan State University

Said Bihi, Treasurer | Affiliation: City of Minneapolis

Ahmed Jama, Secretary | Affiliation: Emerge

1. Ahmed Muhumud is an entrepreneur who consults services. Muhumud was a former Outreach Manager at the City of Minneapolis. He was also a program developer and project manager at Minnesota State. Muhumud was also 2012 Fellow at the University of Minnesota Humphrey Schools of Public Affairs. Muhumud received an MS from Hamline University, St. Paul, Minnesota. 

2. Edil Hassan is a public relations manager at the Ministry of Health in the Puntland State of Somalia. Ms. Hassan has fifteen plus years of experience in public health and information system management. Hassan received M.S. in Information Technology Management from Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota. 

3. Abdirizak Hassan is financial management at the University of Minnesota. Hassan worked as an accountant specialist at Twin Cities International Elementary School. Hassan received his MBA from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota. 

LEADERSHIP TEAM 

Gateway Institute's leadership provides inspiration, objectives, operational oversight, and other administrative services to an organization. Our leaders prioritize objectives for subordinates and can provide guidance toward achieving the overall organization's vision. 

Tarabi Jama, Founder, and the Executive Director. He presided at all meetings of the staff, supervised the long-term goals and purposes of the organization, signed and delivered documents on behalf of the organization. He has day-to-day responsibilities for the organization, including carrying out the organization’s goals and policies including hiring and supervision of staff, and preparation of annual budgets and financial statements. 

Jama was Bush Foundation Fellow (2011-2013). He identified the root causes and the effects of youth violence and radicalization on the young American men of Somali descent who returned to their war-torn homeland, where they are believed to join Al-Shabab, a fundamentalist terrorist group that is affiliated to Al-Qaida.

Jama received his Master of Arts in Management from the Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota in 2006.  

Abshir Jama, Program Director. He brings over 20 years of program management. He led multi-thematic programs with teams of different cultural backgrounds in volatile conflict-affected environments. Abshir has a broad knowledge of program management principles. He has a strategic mindset as well as be able to lead and develop his subordinates. 

Abshir is responsible for initiating, planning, developing, and setting goals for programs according to the strategic objectives of the organization. He plans the programs from start to completion involving deadlines, milestones, and processes. He develops or approves budgets and operations. His goal is to ensure every program will be delivered successfully and add the highest possible value to the organization.

Mohamed Nur, Senior Consultant. Mohamed brings over 25 years of experience in the role of the government in economic development. He will perform as an individual contributor on client engagement teams, working under the supervision of a program director to develop work products, lead specific project initiatives, and as a subject matter expert on consulting projects. Client engagement activities include but are not limited to framing issues, problem-structuring, optimizing client processes, developing go-to-market strategies, and change management.

Qali A. Kadiye, Women Economic Empowering and focuses on bringing down the systemic barriers standing in the way of scalable and sustainable change. Facilitates dialogue, build global learning connections, and promote effective practice and policy to address the needs of vulnerable women in our communities.