Welcome the Community Innovation Program Managers

May 5, 2017

The Bush Foundation recently welcomed Bilal Alkatout and Naaima Khan as Community Innovation Program Managers.

Both Bilal and Naaima joined the Foundation in 2015 as Ron McKinley Philanthropy Fellows.

“We are excited and grateful that Bilal and Naaima are in these new roles on the Community Innovation team,” said Community Innovation Director Molly Matheson Gruen. “They are both lovely people who bring a depth of experience and expertise to this work. I’m confident they will help us do the most possible good with the resources left to the community by Archibald Bush.”

As Program Managers, they will provide day-to-day leadership for key elements of the Community Innovation team’s programs. Naaima will lead the team’s evaluation and grantee support efforts, while Bilal will lead community engagement and applicant support for the team.

Naaima earned a master’s degree in Public Policy with a concentration in Nonprofit Studies from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. She serves on the boards of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of the Twin Cities and Islamic Resource Group.

Bilal left the science and biotech industry to pursue a master’s degree in Public Health with a focus on Global Health at Emory University. While promoting health and social equity among communities in Ghana, South Sudan, Georgia (U.S.A) and Minnesota, he discovered his passion for community-driven initiatives.