Meet the Team
Rami Nsour, Founding Director
Rami Nsour is a scholar, counselor, public speaker, teacher, and translator of Islamic texts. Spending over 10 years within the Mauritanian tradition (mahdara) system of studying Islam, Shaykh Rami received licensure (ijaza) to share his wisdom with students. Further enhancing his extensive study of fiqh, Nsour completed an extraordinary ‘in-residence’ experience, allowing him to research questions (fatawa) of Islamic faith, law, and practice.
Nabil Afifi, Co-Founder, Development Director
Nabil Afifi is a visionary with many years of experience in private and non-profit settings. With a Master’s degree in Public Administration and 4 years of seminary training at Murabit al Hajj’s mahdara in Mauritania, Nabil brings fundraising, administrative, and sacred knowledge acumen to his work with the Tayba Foundation.
Michelle (Khadija) Harmer, Correspondence Programs Director and VP of Tayba Board of Directors
Michelle Harmer serves as program manager for the Tayba Foundation, overseeing the development and implementation of the unique curriculum Tayba provides for its students. Passionate about client success, Michelle helps to ensure that “best practices” lead to excellent outcomes. She also helps with Tayba’s development and outreach endeavors.
Meet the Re-Entry Team
Tabari Zahir, SoCal Reentry Manager
Tabari Abdul-Zahir began formally studying the Islamic Sciences in early 2003 with Muslim scholars at Zaytuna Institute. Due to a series of bad choices and spiritual heedlessness, he found himself in federal prison for a non-violent drug crime from 2005-2016. In prison, Abdul-Zahir spent all of his time learning and teaching Aqeedah, Fiqh, Tazkiya, and Arabic which make up the Tayba Foundation educational curriculum.
Jennifer Hernandez-Curtis
When Jennifer is not helping the community, you can find her enjoying time with her family, traveling and eating good food. Her job is to provide services that will help the members avoid obstacles, and succeed with employment, or education.
Meet the Programs Team
Abdul Muhaymin Al-Salim, Instructor
Abdul Muhaymin has been with the Tayba Foundation since 2013 as a student and began teaching with Tayba in 2016. He is completing his MA in Islamic Studies & Religious Leadership (June 2024), has been granted Ijazat in Hadith & `Aqida, and is working through the Maliki Fiqh curriculum.
Lumumba Shakur, Instructor
Lumumba Shakur works as the lead instructor for Tayba Foundation which includes directing course development, student outreach, mentoring, and responding to questions submitted by students. Converting to Islam in 1997 right before college, he studied classical Islam through notable online and distance learning organizations due to a lack of classically trained scholars in his region.
Kelly Legere-Gallant, Program Administrator
Kelly is fluent in English and French and has been pursuing the Path of Sacred Knowledge since 2010. She acquired her fard ‘ayn knowledge in Mālikī Fiqh and learned some aspects of Islamic Spirituality (taṣawwuf) while studying in West Africa. Kelly has a background in Office Administration and is a certified Early Childhood Educator and Educational Assistant.
Abu Hamza (Daniel) Archuleta, Instructor
Abu Hamza teaches Tayba Foundation's Shafi'i fiqh courses, answers questions that are submitted by students, and serves as a coach/mentor. He graduated cum laude from Zaytuna College, studying a rigorous liberal arts curriculum rooted in both the Islamic and Western tradition.
Nusayba Elqabbany, Program Coordinator & Coach
Nusayba Elqabbany restructures texts to make them more accessible to students struggling with lower literacy rates, trauma, and/or isolation.
Nusayba is a published elementary school textbook author in the MENA region.
Meet the Information Technology Team
Amir Amiri, Information Technology Department Manager
Although Amir Amiri is currently managing the Information Technology Department he developed the Life Skills department at Tayba Foundation.
He is a first-generation American-Afghan sociologist who aspires to provide education and educational resources to those who desire. He has been rewarded with a B.A. in Sociology, and is a certified WRAP co-facilitator (Wellness Recovery Action Planning).
Meet the Marketing Team
Anton Kuratnik, Marketing Consultant
Anton is essentially Tayba's storyteller: he writes most of the emails you receive from us. He also consults Tayba on marketing strategy. He has been with the organization since 2017.
Erin Rutherford, Marketing and Fundraising Manager
Erin started her career as a Registered Nurse. After a career break to care for her three young children, she discovered her passion for writing and marketing.
She has been working in the NFP field for over 10 years and hopes to utilise her experience to help the students at Tayba.
Meet the Finance Team
Mohammad Naeem Fatany, Financial Controller
Mohammad is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and also has an undergraduate degree in finance and accounting from Florida International University. Before joining Tabya Foundation he was also the Chief Financial Officer of Attieh Steel in Saudi Arabia.
Several years ago he moved to the USA where he did consulting assignments for multi-national companies. He has over 30 years of experience in the financial and management accounting field in various management capacities.
Najia Hussain, Finance Administration
Najia's background in corporate finance spans both domestic and international roles. Driven by her creative pursuits, a desire to distance herself from corporate interests, and her responsibilities as a mother, she left the corporate sector to travel with her son. Returning to the States, Najia became her mother’s primary caregiver during her final years.
During the following years, Najia dedicated her efforts to humanitarian causes, particularly disability rights and prison reform. Joining Tayba brings together her business expertise and her passion for making a difference. It's the perfect blend of her skills and values, enabling her to contribute meaningfully while furthering her professional growth.