Alia J. Bilal
alia@imancentral.org
Alia J. Bilal is a native of the South Side of Chicago. She graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in International Studies and a concentration in Islamic World Studies. She studied Arabic and Islamic history in Cairo, Egypt, and is currently conducting extensive research on the experiences of Blackamerican Muslim youth in America. She has also taught English to international refugees in Cairo, and taught cooking and life skills classes to a group of inner-city youth in Washington, DC, while simultaneously serving as an intern for the Muslim Public Service Network. Alia has volunteered with IMAN for several years in different capacities, including helping to organize publicity for "Takin' It to the Streets", serving as a mentor for the Pillars of IMAN program, and hosting and performing at Community Café. Alia is a freelance writer and performer, and is currently working on writing and editing her first manuscript. Alia is especially interested in discovering what it takes to run a thriving non-profit service-oriented agency, and is excited to be serving as an IMAN Executive Fellow.
Aquil Charlton
aquil@imancentral.org
Aquil Charlton, a Chicago native, has worked to engage leaders of all backgrounds in positive community initiatives since 2000. Aquil's first professional position in the non-profit sector was as a Public Ally, where he helped develop a school based mentoring program at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Metropolitan Chicago. In 2002, he became one of the five co-founders of the Crib Collective, an organization dedicated to nurturing social entrepreneurship and cross-cultural collaboration among Black and Latino youth on Chicago's West Side. In 2006, he took over as Executive Director, leveraging resources that doubled the organization's budget each year for the subsequent three years. Aquil has helped develop positive leadership programs for youth at The Chicago Park District,Inter Faith Youth Core, Little Village Lawndale High School, Young Chicago Authors, and Family Focus Nuestra Familia. Aquil has served as a non-profit consultant, facilitating workshops on asset-based community development with The Leadership Practice, Public Allies, and Northwestern University's ABCD Institute. He is currently pursuing his degree in Non-profit Management at North Park University.
Ndidi Amatullah Okakpu
ndidi@imancentral.org
Ndidi Amatullah Okakpu is a community advocate dedicated to promoting the socio-economic welfare of the Ummah. She is Assistant to the Editor of the Muslim Journal newspaper, and founding Director of NAIM Community Mentoring, a program evolved from a need for community involvement and encouragement in the lives of youth. Ndidi holds a Bachelor's in Finance and Business Administration from DePaul University, and served directly for the late Imam W. Deen Mohammed in community organizing and as the Coordinator of his Youth Da'wah training program. She joined the first delegation he sent to study at Abu Nour Institute in Damascus, Syria under the late Sheikh Ahmad Kuftaro. Ms. Okakpu works closely in interfaith efforts with the Midwestern region of the Catholic organization, Focolare Movement, and served as a young Muslim American delegate for their world conference in Castelgandolfo, Italy. Ndidi is also proud to be a recent graduate of the inaugural cohort of the American Muslim Civic Leaders Institute. She is honored and excited to be selected for IMAN's Executive fellowship position, and looks forward to a wonderful synergy.
