Speakers:

Sh. Hassan Leccheb 

Sheikh Hassan Leccheb is the president and co-founder of Tayseer Seminary. He earned his Ph.D. in Religious Studies at the University of Indiana and currently resides in Knoxville,  Tennessee where he serves as the resident scholar. 
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Ustadha Zaynab Ansari

Zaynab Ansari spent a decade studying Farsi, Arabic, and traditional Islam, sitting with male and female scholars in seminaries in the Middle East, including traditional scholars in Damascus in the 1990s. Upon her return to the United States, she earned degrees in history and Middle Eastern Studies from Georgia State University.
Since 2014, Zaynab Ansari has served as a scholar-in-residence for Tayseer Foundation, offering enrichment courses and halaqahs to women and youth in the Muslim Community of Knoxville, and working on interfaith dialogue.

Dr. Sameera Ahmed

Sameera Ahmed is a Fellow at ISPU and an Assistant Clinical Professor at Wayne State University in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, She is the Director of The Family and Youth Institute (FYI), a research institute that conducts research promoting the strengthening of young people and their families. Dr. Ahmed also serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Muslim Mental Health. She received an M.S. in Biology from Bowling Green State University and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Imam Anwar Arafat

Imam Anwar Arafat serves as the Imam at Masjid Ar-Rahman in Memphis, TN. Before joining the community in Memphis, TN, Imam Anwar was apart of the Salt Lake City, Utah community. 

Ustadh Osama Eisa

Osama Eisa is currently a student in the Ohio State University law school. He previously served as an Imam at Makespace and as Chaplain at Marymount University in the DC area. 

Br. Sameer Mansour & Br. Safi Khan

Brothers Sameer Mansour and Safi Khan serve as youth directors in Memphis, TN.
​Sameer Mansour serves as the president of 901 ummah, a city-wide youth group, while Safi Khan serves as youth director directly at Memphis Islamic Center. 

Br. Khalil Ismail 

Khalil Ismail is a creative director and award-winning independent artist and producer. He is the founder and manager of KI Creative Studios, which recently launched its new film directing component. Born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, Khalil was inspired from childhood to use creativity and grassroots initiatives to address the often harsh realities of life. This solution-driven vision continues to inspire his conscious music and community service work.