January 2024

2024: The Year Ahead

In this issue of the APF Monthly, we are happy to share our exciting 2024 programs and initiatives. We hope you'll connect with us to get involved.



2024 Programs & Initiatives

Revamping the Leadership Council

The APF Leadership Council (LC) is a network of Pakistani American professionals, students, and allies who help implement the APF mission to empower the Pakistani American community in all aspects of American life and to build bridges between the United States and Pakistan. In February 2024, the LC elected the inaugural Leadership Council Leadership Team (LCLT), enlisted to steer the direction of future programs and initiatives:

Managers:

Chair: Ammad Mahmood, Vice President at Goldman Sachs

Career Development Lead: Faizan Farukh, Director, US Dermatology at Sanofi

Community Engagement Lead: Noah Usman, JD Candidate at UCLA School of Law

Civic Engagement Lead: Misaal Irfan, Intern at White House Gender Policy Council

Rising Stars Sublead: Mehr Manzoor, PhD, Global Advocate for Gender Equality

Professional Development Sublead: Hamed Majeed, PhD, Modeling & Simulation Engineer at ITW Construction

Ambassadors:

West:

Mehwish Nasir, Management Consultant at Accenture

Noah Usman, JD Candidate at UCLA School of Law

Midwest:

Mehr Manzoor, PhD, Global Advocate for Gender Equality

Hamed Majeed, PhD, Modeling & Simulation Engineer at ITW Construction

Northeast:

Hina Gir, Director of Foreign Policy, Special Competitive Studies Project

Laila Jiwani, Impact and Analytics Manager at the Brooking Institution

South: TBD

If you would like to get involved, please email us at info@americanpakistan.org.

APF Pakistan Fellows 2024 Program:

Accepting Applications

After a three-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are excited to resume offering both in-person and virtual opportunities for our 2024 Pakistan Fellowships!



APF UN Initiative 2024 Fellows

We are pleased to announce the selection of our five UN Fellows for 2024! This fellowship is designed to give exposure to students to the inner workings of the United Nations Economic and Social Council and empower themselves to advocate for and explore social and economic issues surrounding the Pakistani-American diaspora. 

Please get to know our fellows below:

Taania Khan is a first-year student at Columbia Business School. Her life's journey has been marked by unparalleled experiences - calling over 25 different places home, each contributing to the rich tapestry of her existence; being an identical twin attending Columbia Business School with her sister, Natasha Khan; and furthermore, taking immense pride in her unwavering embrace of her Pakistani heritage, a heritage that infuses her worldview with depth and resonance.

As the host of "The Khancept" podcast, Taania has the privilege of engaging with thought-provoking topics and guests from all walks of life, sharing insights with a broader audience. She is an explorer of artistic ventures, capturing the world through film, and a practitioner of advanced meditation, embodying a holistic approach to life's pursuits.

Muhammad Khan is a Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health student in his second year of a Master's in Public Health program, with a certificate in Climate & Health. Born in Pakistan and raised in Alaska, Muhammad is passionate about helping the less fortunate and advocating for vulnerable communities affected by climate change and lack of healthcare resources in low and middle-income countries. In addition to his studies, he works at Management Sciences for Health (MSH) as a Consultant, working on various projects related to health technology assessments in South Asia. Muhammad enjoys taking walks in Central Park and catching up with his family during his free time.

Originally from Houston, Texas, Mustafa Ahmad is currently pursuing a dual-degree program between the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and the Bloomberg School of Public Health, now in its third year. He earned his B.S. in Public Health from Texas A&M University in 2021, with minors in economics and geography. Currently interning with the Northeast Group, a market research group focusing on smart utilities and smart cities, Mustafa has a diverse background. He previously collaborated with the local government in Fortaleza, Brazil, on solid waste management and conducted research on opioid policy at Bloomberg. Additionally, he interned on health and agricultural cold chains, including projects in Pakistan. Mustafa aims to apply his experiences and knowledge to develop solutions tailored to Pakistan and South Asia's unique challenges. His primary interest lies in exploring the connections between climate change and health, with a specific focus on the energy sector's role in shaping this relationship.

Aisha Khan is currently an undergraduate at Harvard University concentrating in Economics and Spanish. She has worked with the Virginia House of Delegates and on Capitol Hill on projects addressing voter accessibility, food deserts, and youth voter turnout. Aisha also recently interned at Brookings’ Global Economy and Development program where she researched central bank digital currencies and geopolitical flashpoints. On campus, Aisha is involved with Harvard’s Black Diamond Capital and volunteers as a teacher with First Generation Investors. As a Pakistani immigrant, she is particularly passionate about applying frameworks from developmental economics to alleviate poverty in Pakistan. She hopes to continue leveraging education and experiences to analyze critical global issues.

Haadiya Ahmed is a human rights advocate, a community organizer, and an aspiring diplomat. Currently, she is a second-year Masters of International Relations (MAIR) candidate at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). At SAIS, she specializes in Security, Strategy, and Statecraft with regional focuses in South Asia and the Middle East and North Africa. She completed her undergraduate degree in International Relations and Public Health from the Johns Hopkins University. She intends to pursue a career in international diplomacy and looks forward to advancing foreign policy that serves her communities.

Get Out The Vote (GOTV 2024) Initiative

With over 600,000 Pakistani Americans residing in the United States, it is crucial that we realize our power to instill lasting change not only in our community, but in our country.

In the last quarter of 2023, the Get Out the Vote (GOTV) team reconvened to determine our priorities for a successful 2024 campaign. We formed a core team, established program management, digital strategy, and research roles, and have begun to embark on a new and ambitious timeline. 

At our annual APF Board Retreat on February 3, we beta-tested our revamped pledge-to-vote tool and inaugural civic engagement survey, and look forward to releasing these tools to the public in the coming weeks. We are also in the process of hiring GOTV interns.

If you would like to get involved or contribute, please email us at gotv@americanpakistan.org to learn more.

APF Connect Mentorship Initiative

The APF mentorship program has been designed to democratize the networking and guidance seeking effort for Pakistani Americans. It gives all mentees who opt into our platform access to some of the most successful mentors from the Pakistani American community. Anyone can sign up and take advantage of this opportunity! This platform is here to lift more Pakistanis up in their professional lives and offer them the guidance they seek.

Join the platform and become a mentor or mentee!

Rising Stars 2024 Program

There are innumerable people in our community who have served the world and the country in instrumental ways, many of whom we may not know about. The APF Rising Stars initiative was conceived to recognize and celebrate Pakistani American women from a variety of fields – academia, media, tech, medicine, who have contributed in big and small ways to the world around them.

The American Pakistan Foundation recognizes that Pakistani Americans across the country are making significant contributions to their communities with local, national, and global impact. From essential workers during the pandemic, journalists on the

front lines of current events, and public servants in every tier of government, individuals in our communities are rising to the occasion, and in doing so, leaving a valuable imprint on American and Pakistani society.

In 2023, we honored a cohort of 15 Pakistani women forming new paths in their personal and professional endeavors.

This year, we look forward to selecting and celebrating another inspiring group of Pakistani American women to serve as role models for emerging generations of our community. Our nomination cycle will open this summer.

We hope to have you join us in our efforts, through nominating new Rising Stars and amplifying our existing Rising Stars!