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Empower Community Weekend (ECW) is an all-day family-friendly event that brings together the largest East African community in the Washington DC metropolitan area.
Born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Lives & works in Silver Spring, MD
dj, photographer and film Maker
Radio professional experience started long time ago at FM Addis 97.1 hosted and produced biggest shows Addis Zema, Irie Music Show and Gabina VOA
Ariam Yitbarek is a C-suite healthcare executive with over 25 years of experience who is currently the Chief Nursing Officer at MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center.
Ariam was recently appointed as the Senior Vice President and Chief Nursing Officer for MedStar Washington Hospital Center, effective July 1st, 2023, the largest hospital in Washington DC with over 900 Beds. Ariam is a dynamic, highly driven nurse executive with a successful track record in executing innovative recruitment and retention strategies to build a multigenerational diverse nursing workforce to deliver high-quality patient care in a complex setting. She has significant experience in collaborating with physician and operational executives to grow specialty service-lines in both inpatient and ambulatory settings. Expertise in strategic planning/execution, data analytics and forecasting, change management, technology integration, collaborative relationships, and staff/leader development with significantly improved outcomes and engagement. Ariam holds her Doctor in Nursing Practice from George Washington University, Masters in Healthcare Administration from George Mason University, Baccalaureate of Nursing from University of Maryland, and her Diploma in Nursing from Chester County School of Nursing. She also holds a certificate in Executive Leadership from Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
Thomas Debass serves as the Acting Special Representative for Global Partnerships. Previously, Debass served as the Deputy Special Representative.
His recent partnership accomplishments include: Fishackathon, mFish, Women In Science (WiSci) Camp, Veterans Innovation Partnership (VIP), International Diaspora Engagement Alliance (IdEA), Liberalizing Innovation Opportunity Nations (LIONS@FRICA), and Unreasonable@State. Thomas has played a leading role in promoting and institutionalizing the role of public private partnerships as a tool for advancing foreign policy and development objectives. He regularly gives lectures and talks about the intersection of foreign policy, business, and society.
Prior to joining the State Department, he was Lead Economist/Deputy Director in the Office of Investment Policy with the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) in Washington, DC. Thomas also served as a senior technical advisor in USAID’s Global Development Alliance (currently named Development Lab) and Economic Growth, Agriculture and Trade (currently named E3) teams.
Prior to his development finance career, Thomas worked on agricultural research projects in Bangladesh and East Africa. Thomas is a graduate of Virginia Tech with a master’s degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics and a bachelor’s in Economics. He also has an Executive Certificate in International Business Management from the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University.
Zewud Debebe joined Pact in 2020 from ODA Global, a minority- and women-owned management consulting firm where she served as CEO.
An accomplished business and human resources leader with more than 25 years of experience, Zewud’s background includes policy and strategy development that combines best practices in human capital management with regulatory compliance.
She has worked across the human resources spectrum, including in employee and management development, diversity and inclusion and engagement, mentoring, performance management, recruiting, employee relations, training, compensation, corporate policy/procedures and more. Prior to ODA Global, Zewud held executive-level positions at Social Solutions International and Danya International, as well as HR management positions at Koba & Associates and Gannett.
Mr. Samuel Alemayehu (Sam) is the co-founder and General Partner at C1 Ventures (C1V). C1V exists to catalyze the emergence of carbon-negative and resource-efficient industries by investing in science and technology.
Sam leads the commercialization of cutting-edge technologies and innovations that aim to reimagine large-scale industrial processes with deep decarbonization and efficiency at the core. Sam started his entrepreneurship journey in Silicon Valley as a serial entrepreneur launching two companies while a student at Stanford University. He first got introduced to venture capital at Venrock Associates, where he focused on consumer media services. Sam has also spent significant time in Africa, founding and investing in numerous companies across the continent and in various industries. For example, he built a mobile gaming platform in 18 countries with over 50m customers before exiting the startup in 2013. In addition, Sam has partnered with leading investment banks to develop large health infrastructures in Africa. He then co-founded Cambridge Industries Ltd (CIL) to accelerate the implementation of pioneering infrastructure projects in emerging cities. As Managing Director, Sam led the development of the first municipal waste-to-energy Facility in Africa, designed as a multi-purpose plant with numerous functions, including recycling, brick production, industrial steam, and modern insect farming. Sam is currently Chairman of CIL. Moreover, Sam is an active angel investor globally and sits on the board of numerous companies as an investor. He also sits on three non-profit boards: the Ron Brown Scholars Program, KID Museum, and VC Include. He is the World Economic Forum Young Global Leader and Technology Pioneer.
Delina is a skilled makeup artist and powerful thought leader at the intersection of beauty and business.
She built her business over the past fifteen years as a Celebrity Makeup Artist, On Camera Beauty Expert, Producer and Host. With her skill set, Delina empowers her clients and followers to feel good about themselves and be able to shine with confidence.
As a force of creativity, Delina has been featured on Today Show, worked on NYFW SHOWS, and has published makeup work in InStyle, Vogue, NYTimes, Allure, ELLE, and Essence. Her client list includes Kamala Harris, Issa Rae, Alfre Woodard, Ilana Glazer, Phoebe Robinson, & many more. Her expert understanding of skincare, complexion, and lighting is what makes her an asset. Her beauty advice and recommendations are in Allure, Glamour, The CUT, TZR, Well + Good and Mind Body Green. As Talent, Delina has year-long partnerships with Bobbi Brown, Chanel and Revlon. She has worked with many different brands like KISS Cosmetics and Schick to create paid advertising work. She’s also produced and hosted her own YouTube series called Exploring Harlem and her own podcast, It Takes A Village To Raise An Entrepreneur, available in Apple, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts.
As someone who leads with authenticity and honesty, she is passionate about educating her community, encouraging questions, and having fun. All of her brand partnerships and content are in alignment with her brand aesthetics, voice and values.
Eden Shiferaw Glenn is an Ethio-American female bodybuilder, and an IT professional specialized in Cybersecurity.
Born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Eden always had a passion for fitness and exercise from a young age. She used to look forward to the Girma Cheru exercise TV show daily so she can exercise along with him. After completing high school Eden moved to South Africa as an exchange student and a part-time hair model for Satin F. hair products for few years. Eden didn’t pursue modeling as her focus was education.
After graduating from a local University in Pretoria, with a Bachelor’s degree in Information System Management she moved to the US in 2000 to pursue her education. She furthered her education in the US, completed her first Master’s degree in Information Security and Assurance, and her second Master’s degree in Cyber System Engineering. Eden is currently working for a Federal Government Agency as a Senior Cybersecurity Engineer.
Her love for fitness and healthy living continued to develop where she learned valuable lessons that have transitioned into her bodybuilding career. Eden has been competing in NPC (National Physique Committee) since 2020 and have won 3 first places in Women’s Figure Division, and 2 first places in Women’s Physique Division.
She is a National Qualifier preparing to compete in the upcoming National show in July.
Maaden Eshete Jones is an U.S.-born, Ethiopian writer, podcastor, and shop owner. She promotes self love and healing through her platform Love, Maaden, and her online gift shop Love Goods Co.
Madi, as she is known to friends, holds a Master of Public Health degree with a focus in Social and Behavioral Health Science. And she has nearly fifteen years of experience in the arena of women’s wellness as a business owner, public speaker, and community influencer as well professional experience in both the public and non-profit sector.
Madi, as she is known to friends, holds a Master of Public Health degree with a focus in Social and Behavioral Health Science. And she has nearly fifteen years of experience in the arena of women’s wellness as a business owner, public speaker, and community influencer as well professional experience in both the public and non-profit sector.
Maaden appeared in the documentary film, Crisis in the Crib with Tonya Lewis Lee and Spike Lee; and went on to co-author the book, Peace That Supersedes. She has also appeared on Ye Helen Show, NBC4 News in DC, Howard University Television, and was featured on ESSENCE.com. She has spent the better part of the last decade sharing her personal testimony with recurrent pregnancy loss, and encouraging others through her lessons learned in healing and hope.
While she wears many hats, she identifies with family first. A wife, mother, daughter, sister and friend; she currently resides in Washington, DC with her husband, Ben, and their young daughter. You can learn more about Maaden and join her thriving community at www.lovemaaden.com
Hermela is a content creator who began her journey helping women love and embrace their natural hair. Since then she has built her brand creating and sharing various passions she has in life, including beauty, hair, lifestyle, travel and more.
She has worked with various brands like Dyson, Crate & Barrel, Shea Moisture, and Nike. Her goal is to use her social platforms to bring authenticity, knowledge, and positivity to her audience while being her authentic self.
Yene Damtew is a salon owner, business mentor, brand consultant, and celebrity hairstylist based in the Washington, DC area.
She is a leader in the industry and is most notably known for being the hairstylist for the Obama Family. With a nearly two-decades-long career, she places significance on education and business in conjunction with healthy haircare. Yene brings passion into all that she does and is focused on nurturing the next generation of stylists while creating a more inclusive environment in the beauty industry.
Birye became Chief Information Officer in January 2020 and brings more than 20 years of experience in the Information Technology field.
In his role, he develops and implements an information technology strategy that meets business needs, delivers optimal return on investment, and maintains utmost security.
Negash Assefa is the Director for Information Technology/CIO at the Maryland Department of Transportation (MDOT) Motor Vehicles Administration (MVA).
Negash has broad responsibility over all aspects of technology at MDOT MVA and provides leadership for the continued development of innovative, creative, robust, and secure information technology that allows MDOT MVA to provide premier customer service.
Most recently, he led the successful implementation of an $80 million systems modernization project, replacing MDOT MVA’s Mainframe-based COBOL legacy system allowing customers to experience a marked difference in service and efficiency.
From 2017 to 2022, he served as vice chair and chair of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) Mobile Driver’s License (mDL) subcommittee, which successfully established an ISO standard (ISO/IEC 18013-5) for the implementation of globally interoperable mDL. His expertise in this field has allowed Maryland to be the first state, and so far, the only state in the Nation to have mDLs available on both the Apple Wallet and Google Wallet.
Since Joining MDOT MVA from the private sector in 2008, and before his current role, he has served in various positions at the MDOT MVA, including Project Manager, innovation and process improvement lead, Director of PMO, and Deputy Director of IT.
Negash graduated from The Krannert School of Management at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana.
Silicon Valley transplant Teshager “Tesh” Tesfaye is a serial entrepreneur with a proven track record in Software, Security, Networking, and Computing industries spanning over 25 years.
Armed with a BSc in Electrical and Computer Engineering, Tesh’s expertise was forged at tech powerhouses like Sun Microsystems, Juniper Networks, and Tapjoy.
Tesh has co-founded and led startups in innovative fields such as Hardware Simulation, Indoor Navigation, Free International long-distance calling, and Logistics. Furthermore, he’s contributed to the Ethiopian community, creating the region’s first food delivery service akin to UberEats called ToloFood and developing Kesto, a comprehensive Ethiopian and Eritrean social-plus app.
He manages Kesto while exploring Cyber Security opportunities in the US and Africa. His spare time is spent advising tech entrepreneurs and startups, indulging his passion for reading and writing, and maintaining balance through continuous innovation by writing software and experimentation.
Teddy Kavaleri is the Chief IT Officer (CIO) at the District of Columbia’s Office of Unified Communications (OUC).
The OUC is responsible for 911 and 311 services in the District of Columbia. He has been the Chief IT Officer (CIO) responsible for the agencies’ systems and applications including 911, 311, CRM, Radio, Cybersecurity and Mobile Data Computer systems since 2008. As the CIO for the OUC he manages systems that process over 3 Million annual 911 and 311 Calls and over 10 million Radio transmissions. He received his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech University and Master of Science from George Washington University in Engineering and Technology Management. Teddy is a technical expert in wireless communications and large-scale IT systems and applications. Teddy has 25 years of progressive technical and management experience.
Absala Mengestab serves as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the DC Department of Human Resources (DCHR).
In this role, Ms. Mengestab directs DCHR’s information technology (IT) modernization projects, ensures information security, and promotes operational service delivery. She is responsible for planning, developing, and managing agency-wide IT related services -ultimately advancing the mission critical work that DCHR delivers to District residents and employees.
Ms. Mengestab joined DCHR in 2016 as Program Manager under the Policy and Compliance Administration. In this role, she led automation efforts for the District’s employment suitability program streamlining the background check and drug and alcohol screening protocols. Prior to joining District government, Ms. Mengestab has served in a variety of IT positions both in public and private sectors where she achieved transformational results building and implementing enterprise-wide, customer-focused technical solutions. She has over 10 years of progressive experience in system administration, operations and program management.
Ms. Mengestab earned her Bachelor of Science degree from University of Maryland, College Park and Master’s degree in Management Information Systems from University of Maryland, University College. She also holds numerous industry certifications including Scaled Agile for Enterprise (SAFE),Lean Six Sigma (LSS BB) and Certified Public Manager (CPM) through George Washington University.
Abai is the Founder and Creative Director of ZAAF. Her work at ZAAF reflects deep influences that span from the countryside to the capitals of the world where she lived and studied.
Her life journey has taken her from an orphanage in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to the United States and the rest of the world. She has committed to using her academic background in economics and fine arts from her alma mater George Washington University to create unique and practical expressions of beauty.
Abai is part of a new wave of creative entrepreneurs who are redefining what “Made in Africa” means. Her company, ZAAF is developing long-term growth opportunities across Africa, partnering with skilled artisans to develop high-end designer products that celebrate the boundless depths of the continent’s ancient cultures, designs, and natural wonders that have laid the foundation for the next wave of incomparable creativity, luxury, and style.
ZAAF’s creativity has been recognized in various ways ranging from appearing on runways
at New York Fashion Week, to being featured in Forbes, CNN, Elle, and Vogue, to receiving the UNESCO Tremplin Prize for Entrepreneurship. In 2018, ZAAF was nominated for Socially Responsible handbag design at the Independent Handbag Designer Awards in New York and recently honored with the Creative Industry Award by Africa Women Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum (AWIEF) award in Cairo, Egypt.
ZAAF shop boutiques: National Harbor, Maryland, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and BWI Marshall Airport, MD (opening in July 2023).
Social media info: Instagram: @zaafcollection Twitter: @zaaf_collection
ZAAF Shop Address: 189 Waterfront St Oxon Hill, MD 20745
“Elias Yassin was born in Washington DC to Ethiopian parents. He was raised in Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia. He attended college at Howard University, where he studied biology, organic chemistry and Arabic.
While in college, Elias worked overnights as a Civilian Gunsmith in Quantico, VA where he learned and understood the meaning of integrity, focus and accountability.
After graduating from college, he was accepted to Howard University Medical School but decided to not attend and pursue a different career. His decision to not attend was based on his passion of changing people’s lives through the utilization of technology.
In 2010, Elias started his career as a self-taught cybersecurity professional. Over time, Elias became increasingly skilled in the areas of compliance, network security, cryptography, and ethical hacking. He started to work as a cybersecurity consultant for various companies, helping them identify vulnerabilities in their systems and develop strategies to protect against cyber threats.
Today, Elias is a respected expert in the field of cybersecurity, with a deep understanding of both the technical and strategic aspects of the discipline. His background in biology and organic chemistry has given him a unique perspective on cybersecurity, as he sees it as a way to protect the digital “organisms” that make up our modern world.
Elias’s passion goes beyond cybersecurity; his passion is advocating for the underserved population and women by bringing and exposing them to a career in the cybersecurity field.”
Daniel leads strategy and partnerships at Boost Payment Solutions – a global fintech specializing in B2B payments. Daniel was recently selected for Money 20/20’s distinguished Amplify Cohort recognizing the next-generation of leaders within the wider fintech and financial services landscape.
Prior to Boost, Daniel led the North American payments and financial & business services product team at Gerson Lehrman Group. He is deeply passionate about fintech, digital payments, and emerging technologies enabling transformative change to the business arena.
Daniel is a first-generation Ethiopian American and graduate of The University of Virginia where he majored in Foreign Affairs with a specialization in Arabic and Macroeconomics.
Ms. Yodit Shibru is the Director of Government Contracts and Procurement Services at the Washington D.C. Small Business Development Center at Howard University.
She provides counseling and small business consulting
and advisory services to small businesses interested in the global market, obtaining local, state, and federal certifications, and those pursuing government procurement opportunities. Ms. Shibru has over twenty-four years of international experience in humanitarian and development programs. She has on-site work experience in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. She is fluent in English, French, and Amharic.
Ms. Yodit Shibru has been working with the DC-SBDC Network for ten years, providing counseling and small business consulting on various topics, such as business planning, business loan readiness, business registration, market research, financial reviews, and international trade.
Ms. Shibru was the Host Center Director of the Anacostia Economic Development Corporation (AEDC) DC-SBDC Network Service Center for over two years. She led the development, delivery, and reporting of all programs, activities, and services. Ms. Shibru also managed a team of professional business consultants, leading them to work with small businesses serving Ward 7 and Ward 8 of Washington, DC.
Ms. Shibru has over twenty-four years of international experience in humanitarian and development programs. She has on-site work experience in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. One of her many accomplishments occurred in June of 2019, when the Mayor of Washington, DC, Ms. Muriel Bowser, appointed Ms. Shibru as the Chairperson of the Commission of African Affairs for the District’s Office on African Affairs and honored to serve in this capacity for three years.
Ms. Shibru earned a Master’s in International Development and Education from George Washington University and a B.A. in Business Administration from Strayer University. Ms. Shibru earned an Executive Coaching Certificate from Howard University/Sherpa program. Ms. Shibru accomplished the following certifications: SBA International Trade Certified, How to Run an International Trade Center and Import into the United States, International Trade Compliance, and Best Practices for New-To-Export Clients. Her most recent accomplishment came in 2022 as Ms. Shibru received DC-SBDC 2022 State Star award for her superior counseling services, providing quality assistance in supporting client(s) efforts to start and grow their businesses. She also received this award in 2017, proving that her expertise and dedication to growing and expanding small businesses in Washington, DC, is recognized by her peers and, most importantly, the client she serves.
William E. Linzey – Working with Business Owners Transforming Their
Business Goals into Reality is what Eric does. William Eric is an experienced leader with robust business coaching, advising, analysis, and consultancy
skillset.
Mr. Linzey is the Owner, Business Coach & Business Consultant of 19Seventeen, LLC. William also has a podcast called “Fit for Growth.”
William’s experience has spanned several roles and responsibilities. He served as the Center Director for the Anacostia Economic Development Corporation Small Business Development Center in Washington, DC. He also served as the Interim Director and now is the Director for Grants and Programs for the Greater Washington Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Foundation, where he also serves as the DC SBDC Host Center Director. In 2023 William was selected as the Small Business Administration (SBA) THRIVE Business Coach for the
Washington, DC Cohort.
He has a proven ability to transform an organization’s operational effectiveness with the positive outcome of increasing revenue and profit. William guides his clients with understandable language and creates processes with cloud-based solutions customized to their individual needs. William focuses on working with business owners to find answers to maximize workflow and produce accurate financial and business strategies to ensure a successful, informed, confident, and profitable decision-making process.
He has a successful track record of leading complex projects and programs in high-pressure and mission-focused environments. He is skilled at managing and meeting stakeholder expectations. Results-oriented with experience in both domestic and international arenas. Strong interpersonal skills result in the creation of highly focused and effective teams. William is a member of the International Coaching Federation, The Association for Accredited Business Consultants, and an Accredited Small Business Consultant® (AASBC). He is also a Sandler Sales trained in Sales strategies.
His transformation into business coaching came after spending 30 years working Internationally and in the United States of America. He is intimately involved with several scientific and management areas, such as geospatial mapping, geodesy & global positioning systems, environmental and physical development, food security and agricultural meteorology, emergency management, disaster risk reduction,
international stakeholder engagement, finance, public policy, business, and organizational management and leadership.
William was exposed to many aspects of business globally. He was honored to represent the United States as an Accredited Advisor and served on official delegation meetings at UN meetings in Africa, Europe, the Americas, and the Caribbean. His educational achievement of an MBA gave him the skills and experience to establish his own company, and he has served many clients well for over ten years.
Originally from the Caribbean region, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Geography & Environmental Planning from Towson University and then earned an MBA from UMGC. Before creating 19Seventeen, LLC, he was employed with the United States Department of Commerce, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Virgin Islands Territorial Emergency Management Agency (VITEMA).
William designed his coaching style to raise awareness of opportunities so business owners can make the best decisions. He is an Elohim-loving and fearing man, a dad to a wonderful daughter who is a business student in college. He enjoys swimming and is a member of the U.S. Masters Swimming Association.
Menty Bayleyen is a Senior Associate Director of Admissions at Penn Dental Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.
In this capacity she also serves as an advisor for Student National Dental Association and coordinate the international dental student exchange program at PDM. Prior to joining PDM she worked at New York University, where she managed admissions and coordinated clinical placements for the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. Menty earned her B.A. in International Relations and Sociology-Anthropology at The Hebrew University, Jerusalem and M.S.Ed in Higher Education Management at the University of Pennsylvania.
During her time at Penn she worked as an orientation coordinator for international students and scholars at the university’s Office of International Programs, an interviewer for undergraduate applicants at the Penn Alumni Interview Program, and a team leader at Penn’s Intercultural Leadership Program (ILP), where she mentored students and initiated programs to promote intercultural discourse on Penn’s campus.
In her spare time, Menty enjoys playing with her son, Jonathan, watching international movies, experimenting vegan baking and traveling the world.
Dr. Weldeab has extensive skills, knowledge and over eighteen years of experience teaching, developing, managing, coordinating, and evaluating education, special education and early intervention projects in Africa, Europe, and Unites States of America.
He has knowledge and experience in providing Academic Counselling and coaching, through one-on-one and embedded coaching, college and university students from multicultural backgrounds.
Trained in both qualitative and quantitative methods, Dr. Weldeab has conducted, published, and presented multiple research and articles on the issues of special education. For more than eighteen years, he worked in education settings from secondary school counsellor position to university professor. He also worked with people with disabilities, families, immigrants with various positions. In addition, he worked in health and multicultural settings where he trained health care providers, social workers, therapists, teachers, and parents.
Dr. Weldeab has excellent grant and proposal writing skills and experience. He has also years of experience in communications and social media. He has excellent experience in community outreach and volunteered in programs and organizations and was awarded the President’s Volunteer Service Award and TASH’s 2019 Special Recognition Award.
Tsion Bizuayehu is the Program Manager and Assistant to the Executive Director Matheos Mesfin at the African Diaspora college Access Program formerly known as IEA Councils.
She studied Government and Politics with a concentration on International Relations at the University of Maryland. With a keen interest in education policy, the nonprofit sector, and a passion for mentoring and giving back to the East African community Tsion joined ADC in the Summer of 2020 as an intern. Since joining she has handled the daily programmatic services and structural adjustments necessary due to the Covid-19 pandemic. She engages with our stakeholders as much as our students, providing individualized support. As strong advocates of higher educational access and persistence, ADC engages targeted African student communities by delegating appropriate mentors to ensure proper guidance, support, and resources. She has now worked with three classes of graduates and engages with the alumni.
Azeb Ataro Adere offers direct training and advocacy support to students with special needs and helps parents of special needs students to identify and seek out appropriate services for their children.
Azeb worked with individuals with special needs for over 15 years and thoroughly understands the process of special education as well as how to carry it out with integrity. She has a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Education from University of Maryland College Park, and is an active member of Council of Parent Attorneys and Advocates (COPAA). She specializes in implementation of Applied Behavior Analysis, developing individualized academic and social skill goals for students from all levels, abilities and needs. She also helps parents navigate Committee of Special Education (CSE) meetings and evaluate IEP reports, to ensure that every child is getting the correct support they need for success.
Azeb Ataro Adere is a founding member of the board and the president for the Ethiopian Eritrean Special Needs community, an organization to share information, provide support to one another, educate, and guide families raising children with special needs so they can become effective advocates for their children. She has a strong personal and professional interest in serving people on the autism spectrum and their families.
As a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), Selam Hagos works with people who have developmental disabilities.
She was trained as an engineer and earned a B.S. in Civil Engineering and an M.S. in Water Pollution Control in the UK prior to becoming a BCBA in 2015. Her goal at the time was to return to Africa and advance socioeconomic development by enhancing access to water and sanitation.
She worked as a Civil/ Environmental engineer for 10 years supporting U.S Marine Corps and Flood Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Selam is a mother of two boys, ages 24 and 22. Her younger son was diagnosed with autism when he was just two years old. Selam attended support groups in an effort to better understand how she might raise and educate her son. She was also motivated by knowledgeable/active parents. By the time her son turned 9 years old, Selam had come to the conclusion that she was her son’s best teacher and had resigned her job as an engineer to pursue a profession in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA).
She graduated from an ABA graduate certificate program, received practical experience working with young children who have developmental disabilities, and earned her BCBA certification and state license in Virginia. Selam has always wanted to help and support her community. For the past five years, Selam has been offering training and assistance to the Ethiopian and Eritrean communities in America. She joined the board of the Ethiopian Eritrean Special Needs Community (EESNC) organization in an effort to increase her involvement. In addition, Selam is a Master Trainer in the parenting program Caregivers Skill Training for Families of Children with Developmental Delays or Disabilities (CST), created by the World Health Organization (WHO) and international collaborators.
Dr. Netsanet Mulugeta, is a Board Certified Pediatric Practitioner. She has over fifteen years of pediatric healthcare experience, with the last four years specializing in autism spectrum disorder.
She is an autism advocate and has a passion for helping the Habesha community. She recently completed her doctorate and concentrated her research on autism and its underlying medical conditions. Netsanet also brings the perspective as a mother of a child on the spectrum. She has spent thousands of hours researching both traditional and functional medicine approaches. Her own experiences have made her even more passionate about helping medically complex patients. She has centered her care for the pediatric patient to be holistic to help promote a healthy recovery.
Martha Negash is a Senior Human Resources professional with over 20 years of experience collaborating with directors, managers, and employees of nonprofit and for-profit companies.
Martha has HR and Management consultant expertise in performance management, employee relations and engagement, change management, compensation, and benefits, recruiting and policy interpretation and implementation.
Martha has Master of Art degree in Human Resources Management and Management Science degrees. She also has a law degree from Addis Abeba University Law school. Martha is a Certified Life and Health coach and loves to empower people to be successful in life. Martha’s inspiration comes from her family and close friends. In her spare time, she loves to exercise, take long walks, and practice yoga and most of all she loves to socialize and giving back to the community she loves and supports.
Mimi Asfaw is a highly accomplished Team Leader & Senior Consultant specializing in Recruitment Outsourcing.
With over 20 years of professional Human Resources Management experience, she is recognized as an expert in international recruiting, talent acquisition, business development, and administration. Throughout her career, Mimi has achieved remarkable results, including playing a pivotal role in developing and implementing hiring processes for a Homeland Security project involving 50,000 employees. She has also demonstrated her expertise as a Lead Consultant in recruiting over 400 Call Center Personnel for Kaiser Permanente and private, non-profit, and NGO sectors.
Her proven track record includes successful recruitment experiences in global/public health (Africa, Latin America) and with renowned government agencies. Mimi’s expertise extends to proposal recruitment, where she executes recruiting strategies and processes for all proposals, including task orders on USAID, IDIQs, and additional contract vehicles, as well as competitive single-award contracts. Mimi excels in supporting national and international employees and government agencies, optimizing business initiatives, and deploying best practices aligned with strategic goals. She actively collaborates with local government agencies, Workforce Development, and Welfare to Work initiatives. In addition to her professional achievements, Mimi has served as the President and CEO of Placement Ready, a Maryland-based women-owned staffing agency, overseeing operations and financial management. Her unique combination of entrepreneurship and skills has led to successful hiring projects valued at over $20 million. Mimi’s unwavering commitment to excellence and adherence to industry best practices consistently generate outstanding outcomes. As the daughter of an Army Colonel and a very successful entrepreneur, Mimi Asfaw believes in setting goals and working hard at achieving them. Mimi also believes in providing others with opportunities at making their lives better. This same belief is what led Mimi to her volunteer work at the Montgomery County Homeless Coalition Org, and her ongoing work with the community Workforce Center. Given Mimi’s military upbringing, she is a huge veteran’s advocate and believes in giving priority hiring to veterans and unemployed candidates. “Hiring is about alignment, personality, culture, heart, and work ethic.”
Sinafik Birara Gebru serves as Executive Director for Your Ethiopian Professionals (YEP), a 501(C)(3)non-profit organization founded in 2010 and based in Washington D.C. that aims to be a global connection point for the professional community.
Through this role, she leads a deep and experienced team that works to deliver on YEP’s overarching mission of community empowerment.
She is responsible for overseeing YEP’s program objectives, which is to eliminate barriers that hinder community members from connecting, sharing resources and growing personally/professionally. Outside of her tenure at YEP, she works as Account Executive, Assistant Vice President for Employee Benefits in Lockton Northeast’s Washington, D.C., office and serves as the primary business contact for clients. She also founded and co-manages Birara Genet, a non-profit organization that empowers under-represented community members in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia through targeted and job-relevant skill training programs.
Dr. Lishan Kassa, is a board-certified medical doctor who has been practicing medicine and Holistic approach providing community-focused health services for over 20 years.
She is a trained and certified substance abuse and behavioral health treatment provider in the Ethiopian/Eritrean community. She is a founder and co-founder of community-based organizations, a writer of multiple books focusing on family and holistic health. She is also a founder of New Hope Rehabilitation and Healing Center. She has been involved in many community outreach programs to provide education and management of mental health. Her tremendous contributions to the community have served as inspiration to many healthcare providers while reaching optimal outcomes.
Luladey is a Behavioral Health Nurse who has been a Community Liaison and Youth Advocate for over 15 years focused on wellness and self-care to maintain Mental Health with a deep understanding of behavioral health, she plays a crucial role in promoting mental well-being, fostering resilience, and breaking down the barriers and stigmas surrounding mental health.
Her dedication to the community alongside mental health providers, brings hope, understanding, and a commitment to transforming lives.
Hanna is a registered nurse with over 12 years of experience providing exceptional, patient-centered care in multiple healthcare settings. Hanna is a dedicated professional currently enrolled in a Family Nurse Practitioner degree (FNP) to expand her impact in the community.
Hanna has worked in multiple settings namely MSICU, NeuroICU, and Rehabilitation where she has been for the last 10 years.
Hanna currently works as Lead Clinical Documentation Improvement Specialist at a large teaching Rehabilitation Hospital. She ensures the quality, integrity, consistency and timeliness of the facility coding and health record documentation, to comply with federal and state regulations.
Hanna is a member of American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA) and a Certified Clinical Documentation Specialist (CCDS). She serves as a secretary of The Ethiopian Nurse Association in North America (ENANA). Hanna strongly believes in understanding culture and heritage to be able to move forward and participates in many community services in addition to teaching Amharic and bible studies.
Kedest is a board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health provider with over 17 years of experience providing care in multiple health care settings.
Currently Kedest practice as Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), committed to providing comprehensive mental health care to individuals across the lifespan and opening her own practice, Bright Beehavior Health LLC, in June 2023. Over the years Kedest has developed a deep understanding of psychiatric disorders, substance abuse, and treatment modalities. Using her experience Kedest is passionate about promoting mental wellness, reducing stigma, and empowering individuals to achieve their optimal mental health. She is dedicated to promoting mental wellness by providing education to the community in addressing this issue to improve and optimize community health.
Tsion Gebresellasie is a board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner with over 13 years of experience in providing care in the healthcare system.
Currently serving as the co-founder and president of ENANA and a founder for Comfort Health LLC, Tsion has demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and an entrepreneurial spirit in establishing and nurturing healthcare organizations. Through ENANA, she has been instrumental in inspiring and networking with nurses while promoting community well-being. ENANA, under Tsion’s guidance, has made remarkable strides in fostering a sense of empowerment and unity among nurses, while also addressing the healthcare needs of underserved communities.
In addition to her remarkable contribution to the community, Tsion is also pursuing a doctoral program in nursing with concentration in healthcare system leadership, exemplifying her commitment to personal and professional growth. This academic pursuit reflects her desire to expand her knowledge and expertise, ultimately enabling her to drive positive change within the healthcare industry.
Tsion brings her expertise as a Family Nurse Practitioner-Certified (FNP-C) to the forefront, delivering compassionate care and making a difference in the lives of her patients. With her empathetic approach and extensive clinical skills, she consistently goes above and beyond to ensure that individuals receive the highest level of care, tailored to their unique needs. Her remarkable accomplishments and contributions to the healthcare community make her an inspiring role model for aspiring healthcare professionals.
Highly recognized Sales Engineering Leader across Healthcare, Life Sciences and Public sector industries. Over 20+ years of experience leading system integrations and enterprise architecture across several market segments.
Senior SWE/Cloud Engineer with more than 10 years of experience on technologies such as Java fullstack, Python, SQL ,Databases, Scripting languages, AWS & Azure Cloud infrastructure, Machine learning & Scrum agile practices.
Multi disciplinary & cross functional experience in building, migrating & integrating OnPrem to Cloud. Providing Devops service. Implementing CICD & Container services.
Experienced in architecting & building web based MVC applications in industries like Health care, Education, Insurance & Finance. Experience in ORM’s like Entity framework , Hibernate, Spring Boot, Entity framework & Lamina. Implementation of software architectures, design patterns , event driven developments, SOA,TDD , Microservices, OOP, design patterns & testing.
Expert in backend technologies like MsSQL , MySQL & NoSQL.
Certified machine learning expert. Machine learning and data analytics development & implementation in R-SQL 2016/2017, Azure, Matlab & Octave.
Mr. Seyoum Senay is leading the FDA mission-critical Informatics initiatives in support of human drug regulatory review and approval process.
Drive wide-scale adoption of innovative solutions to accelerate safe and effective human drug review and approval. Mr. Seyoum Senay is the U.S Excellence in Government Leadership Fellow (EIG) solving national problems and delivering results. Mr. Seyoum Senay holds a master’s degree from The Johns Hopkins University and a Certified Program Manager.
Solomon Gebreyesus is a co-founder of SoloTek ITS a Cyber Security company and Cyber Spring a Cybersecurity and Cloud computing training center.
He is a cybersecurity architect with over 20 years of experience in the government and private sector. He was recognized for his excellence, innovation, and leadership and received the CIO Award at AstraZeneca.
Solomon’s expertise lies in designing and implementing ZERO Trust Security solutions, as well as Identity and Access Management (IdAM/ICAM) solutions for government agencies and private organizations. He is known for his ability to align technology solutions with business goals, driving process improvements and acting as a client-driven collaborator, business strategist and IT Security Service Delivery.
Solomon holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Master of Science in Information Technology (MSc) with a major in Information Assurance (IA) from the University of Maryland University College. He also has a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSc) with a major in Management Information Systems from Harris-Stowe State University.
Throughout his career, Solomon has worked for major organizations in the USA, including GE, Discovery Communications, AstraZeneca, Deloitte, ManTech International, Defense Point Security (DPS), Olympus Solutions and more. He has undertaken roles such as Senior Security Architect, Zero Trust Identity Pillar Lead, Senior Identity & Access Management (IdAM) SME, and IT Security Service Delivery Manager.
Solomon is a certified IAM Engineer and Zero Trust Architect (ZTCA), He possesses a wide range of technical skills in the IT security space.
Zerubabel Kassa, MBA, PMP, is a highly accomplished professional with over 15 years of experience in IT project management, specializing in workforce training and development, IT Consulting, healthcare, and manufacturing.
As the Co-founder and CEO of Clever Data Insights (CDI Inc) and CDI24, Zerubabel has played a pivotal role in managing and overseeing various projects in these sectors.
With expertise in project and program management, Zerubabel has also contributed significantly to the design of curriculum on Microsoft product courses, as well as project and program management training. His knowledge and proficiency extend to areas such as leadership mentorship, Agile development, and deployment strategies.
With an impressive blend of leadership skills, project management expertise, and a dedication to making a difference, Zerubabel Kassa continues to propel CDI Inc and CDI24 to success while driving meaningful change in the community.
Yony Kifle is the founder/CEO of Your DMV Team Realty. For the past 13 years Your DMV Team Realty has helped thousands of individuals and families Buy and Sell Real Estate in the DC, MD, and VA areas.
Yony considers PEOPLE – not properties – his passion so with that mindset he has created a company culture that is all about EDUCATING and EMPOWERING clients. That culture has elevated Yony and Your DMV Team Realty into becoming one of the TOP REAL ESTATE TEAMS in the DMV and Nation.
