The Light House Project
Empowering Muslim Americans in the Triangle
Driving out darkness with light
The Light House Project is committed to reclaiming and advancing the Muslim American narrative through community engagement, outreach, education, and youth development.
We’re glad you’re here to find out how we do it!
Meet the Board
Board Chairman
Ibraheem Khalifa
Ibraheem is father to four young children and joined the Light House as Board Chair when it was established in 2016. He’s called North Carolina home for 22 years and served at several local non-profit organizations, including the Raleigh Mosque, Muslim American Society and Habitat for Humanity. Ibraheem believes in creating opportunities for youth to feel welcomed and encouraged to grow through service to others and self-improvement.
Founding Board Member
Farris Barakat
Farris Barakat was born and raised in Raleigh, NC to Syrian immigrants. He graduated from North Carolina State University with concentration in Entrepreneurship. Since then, he has continued to work internationally in bringing relief to Syrian refugees. Farris founded the Light House Project in hopes of reclaiming the Muslim American narrative in honor of his brother Deah Barakat. He has committed his career to bridging the gap of ignorance to further understanding.
Board Member
Wajeha Barakat
Wajeha Barakat is a Raleigh native whose passion lies in connecting the youth to their Islamic identity. She has taught Islamic studies and Quranic Arabic locally for over a decade. This has culminated into her development of "Sister Gigi", an Islamic Education channel on Youtube dedicated to Muslim children. You can find her leading the women's monthly Quran and Coffee on Sundays at LHP. Outside of her involvement at the LHP, Wajeha is a mom, wife, and Business Strategy Consultant at a local tech company.
Board Member
Yezen Hamad
Yezen grew up in Rocky Mount, NC. His father is originally from Palestine and mother is from Nash County, NC. Yezen earned a degree in Economics from Sydney College in VA and went on to work as a mutual fund accountant. Yezen’s true passion was to pursue Commercial Real Estate, which has been doing for over 20 years. Yezen is happily married with three children.
Board Member
Mansoor Kazi
Mansoor moved to the Raleigh area in 2020 and immediately became connected with the Light house Project. He is committed to building healthy, vibrant communities that embody the Prophetic model, and has served on the board of several non-profit organizations, including Ta'leef Collective and Mozaic.
Meet the Staff
Executive Director
Nadia Khan
Nadia has been working in the nonprofit sector for over a decade and is passionate about serving the Muslim community. She earned a graduate degree in Nonprofit Management from the University of Georgia. Nadia has been involved in various Muslim organizations since moving to the Triangle in 2008 and had perviously served on the Light House Project board since 2018. She took on the role of Executive Director in October 2021.
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Programs Director
Ali Hida
Ali Hida was born and raised in Raleigh, NC. He recently graduated from NC State University with a Business Administration degree, after which he joined Deloitte Consulting as an Analyst for a year. While in college, Ali founded Hida Apparel, a thobe company dedicated to diversifying mainstream fashion with contemporary designs. From a young age, Ali has been actively involved in the Muslim Triangle community, leading daily prayers and Taraweeh at various Masjids such as MYCC, IAR, ICM, and more. He has also made significant contributions by leading halaqahs, delivering khutbas, and teaching classes to engage with the community on multiple fronts. Ali aims to help continue realizing the LHP vision of empowering the youth and young professionals through beneficial programming while expanding its impact across the Triangle and the United States.
Operations Manager
Sarah Sinawi
Sarah Sinawi currently serves as the operations manager. Sarah has a bachelors in Business Administration with a concentration in IT from NC State University. She served on the Omega Phi Alpha executive board as Leadership chair as well as obtaining a certificate in leadership development from the LDP at state. Sarah is passionate about youth leadership and empowering the next generations to become creators of change in their communities through gaining islamic knowledge, service work, and outreach programs.
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Programs Coordinator
Sophie Khan
Sophia, a North Carolina native, holds a Bachelor's degree in Cognitive Psychology from North Carolina State University, where she focused her efforts on conducting research to reduce cognitive load among physicians. She furthered her education by earning a Master of Health Administration degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago and has since built a solid reputation with over three years of experience in healthcare strategy, consulting, project management, and digital transformation. Outside of her professional career, Sophia dedicates a significant portion of her time to community service. She has been actively involved as a key member and volunteer at Taleef in Chicago, where she strived to create a hospitable and welcoming environment for all. Additionally, Sophia has served as the youngest Executive Director on the WakeMed Volunteer board demonstrating her commitment to giving back and making a positive impact within her community. Sophia is passionate about infusing the Light House Project with love and kindness and currently serves as the Programs Coordinator, where she endeavors to bring these values to fruition, ensuring that the atmosphere is warm, inviting, and inclusive for all who enter.
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