Using creativity to build bridges
Foreigner. Conservative. Oppressed.
America, 2016: I find myself placed into a seemingly indestructible box with steel reinforcements because of the cloth that lies purposefully on my head. I wear my hijab by choice, and yet those around me see me as a helpless, weak woman.
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How I Accidentally Became a Teacher After All
For a long time I had a dream of being a teacher. When I co-founded optiMize I thought that dream was gone. I was an “education entrepreneur” now, not a teacher.
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How optiMize Changed My Life
A lot of people talk about having a mid-life crisis when they’re older, but when I was a junior at the University of Michigan, I was having a quarter-life crisis.
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Deeksha Gollamudi (she/her)
Deeksha Gollamudi (she/her)
Read more about how Deeksha helps women become business leaders
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Dallas McGhee-Henry (he/him)
Dallas McGhee-Henry (he/him)
Learn how Dallas reimagined the foster care system
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Yasmeen Berry (she/her)
Yasmeen Berry (she/her)
Read more about how Yasmeen makes art more accessible and inclusive
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Tobin Brenner (he/him)
Tobin Brenner (he/him)
Learn about how Tobin made greek life sustainable
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Jonae Maxey (she/her)
Jonae Maxey (she/her)
Learn about how Jonae makes an impact in Detroit through real estate
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Rachel Kennelly (she/they)
Rachel Kennelly (she/they)
Read about how Rachel helped create a zine for marginalized creatives
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Maxwell Weng (he/him)
Maxwell Weng (he/him)
Learn how Maxwell helps aphasia patients communicate with tech
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Isaac Coenca (they/them)
Isaac Coenca (they/them)
Read about how Isaac normalizes pronouns and uplifts voices
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Kat Yang (she/her)
Kat Yang (she/her)
Learn about how Kat built a literary magazine for the APIDA community
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Hugh Davis (he/him)
Hugh Davis (he/him)
Learn more about how Hugh combined his love for sustainability and sports
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Linda Weng (she/her)
Linda Weng (she/her)
Read about how Linda helps people reconnect with their families
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Madelynn Carter (she/her)
Madelynn Carter (she/her)
Learn more about Madelynn’s journey starting a non-profit through optiMize
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Evelyn Reyes (she/her)
Evelyn Reyes (she/her)
Read about how Evelyn started a non-profit and what inspired her
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Jackson Riegler (he/him)
Jackson Riegler (he/him)
Read about how Jackson built a sustainable fashion brand
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Grace Coudal (she/her)
Grace Coudal (she/her)
Learn about Grace’s journey at Michigan and how she built a brand
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