Name:		Saleemah Abdulghafur
		Month:		October 2003
		Schools:		Columbia University B.A.
		Organization:		WOW Publishing, Inc.
		Title:		Chief Operating Officer

Saleemah graduated from Columbia University in 1996. Her mission, both personally and professionally, is to contribute to humanity through service to her communities.

Saleemah is an owner/operator of WOW Publishing Inc., which publishes Azizah magazine (www.azizahmagazine.com). After several years of consulting for WOW Publishing Inc. Saleemah followed her heart and joined the team in January 2003. Azizah is the first and only publication of its kind. WOW Publishing Inc.'s vision for Azizah is to present the voice of Muslim women to the larger society while empowering Muslim women to forge their own identities.

Previously, Saleemah was a program officer for Victoria Foundation (www.victoriafoundation.org). Victoria Foundation is one of the oldest and largest private foundations in New Jersey and is committed to improving the quality of life for residents of Newark and the State. Her responsibilities included reviewing proposals and making recommendations to Victoria's board whether and at what level a nonprofit should be funded. Saleemah provided technical assistance and helped non-profits build organizational capacity.

During her tenure at Victoria Foundation, Saleemah was a member of the Council on Foundations, Council of New Jersey Grantmakers, Grantmakers for Education, World Festival Advisory Council and the Hip-Hop Forum Advisory Council at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center.

Saleemah is also a member of Friends of Open House (www.friendsofopenhouse.org). Open House is a community center in Ramle and is a model of authentic interfaith and intercultural dialogue.

Saleemah frequently presents at workshops, seminars and conferences. Most recently, she was a presenter at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center's 1st Hip-Hop Festival. Saleemah participated in the panel entitled "Power & Politics" and spoke about the emergence of hip-hop activism in philanthropy. In September 2002, Saleemah presented at the United Way of Essex and West Hudson's "Forged in Fire: Transformation after 9-11" conference. Saleemah spoke about how Muslim women in the United States fared after September 11, 2001.