Our Community of Change-Makers
We are thrilled to announce our SASM Change-Maker Series where we highlight South Asians stepping out of the norm to make an impact on the larger Chicago community. Check out our notable change-makers below and check back for our most recent features to be inspired by South Asians doing social impact work to support communities outside of their own.
Shelly Patel
Black Health & Wellness
Shelly serves as Director of Operations at Alkeme Health, a content platform focused on Black health and wellness. She joined the founder, Ryan Mundy, as the company’s first employee, and has spent the last two years building Alkeme into a world-class organization. On the side, she runs another business, JohriBox, a jewelry platform focused on showcasing minority-owned designers and artisans.
Sufyan sohel
Civil Humanitarian Rights
Sufyan is a trained mediator and facilitator, and speaks frequently on topics of social justice, civil rights, and diversity. Sufyan serves as a Cook County Human Rights Commissioner and is the host of Change Agents, a cable talk show that uplifts and amplifies the work of community leaders and organizations working to tackle some of Chicago’s biggest issues. Sufyan also sits on the board of directors for Can TV, ACLU of Illinois, where he serves as the organization’s Affiliate Equity Officer, and is co-chair of the DePaul Law Diversity Council.
Samir Mirza
Black Tech Founders
Samir is the Co-Founder of Fifth Star Funds - a venture philanthropy fund enabling the city of Chicago to be the “Friends & Family” investors of Black tech founders. Previously, he was the Co-Founder and CTO of mobile advertising leader TapCommerce in New York, which was acquired by Twitter for $100M in 2014. He then lived in Berlin, Germany where he taught code at the ReDI School for Refugees and was an EIR for Techstars. Samir currently resides in Chicago where he also advises early stage tech startups and consults with organizations supporting underserved communities.
Pooja Shah
BIPOC Creative Community
Pooja is the Founder and Creative Director of TEMBO TONES, LLC, a photo and design studio serving entrepreneurs and storytellers of color. As a Kenyan-Indian-American woman, Pooja’s cultural identity shapes how she sees the world and inspires her communications with BIPOC creative communities. Her philosophy on human connection is the basis of TEMBO TONES’ signature groundwork: seeking to honor, understand, and energize one another. Pooja’s photography explores the themes of identity, nostalgia, and slow living, with a focus on reclaiming the experience of black and brown people.