Leadership
Seeds of Equity is led by people with deep roots in Milwaukee and close ties to the communities we serve in West Africa. Our board and staff bring experience in project management, public service, and community work, and we hold ourselves accountable to the families who count on us, near and far.
Ali Yusuf
Board ChairAli is a Project Development Manager at GRAEF in Milwaukee, where he has managed Wisconsin Department of Transportation projects with budgets of more than $10 million since 2019. He holds a bachelor's degree in engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and brings experience in budget oversight and stakeholder communication to the Seeds of Equity board.
Dr. Sadique Isahaku, Ph.D
At Large MemberDr. Sadique Isahaku is a dean at Milwaukee Area Technical College, where he leads the General Education Academic & Career Pathway and oversees all of the college's correctional education programs. He has devoted much of his career to opening education and job training to people in Wisconsin's correctional facilities.
He helped make MATC the first college in Wisconsin to join the Second Chance Pell pilot program, which pays for technical education classes for incarcerated students. Before MATC, he coordinated career and technical education programs for the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, where he launched several education and workforce development initiatives. He also supervised the U.S. Department of Education's Incarcerated Individuals Program.
Dr. Isahaku holds a Ph.D. and was named a Notable Leader in Higher Education by BizTimes Milwaukee. MATC's president has described him as a trusted, respected leader known for working well with diverse communities and for his willingness to support others. He brings that commitment to education and second chances to Seeds of Equity.
Amina Shanaa
Board MemberAmina Shanaa holds a Bachelor of Science in History and Psychology from Marquette University and a paralegal certificate. For 12 years, she worked as a paralegal in workers’ compensation, Social Security, and personal injury law, work she found deeply rewarding because it meant helping people through some of the most difficult times in their lives.
Today, Amina is a fourth-grade teacher at Guidance Academy, a path she believes Allah (SWT) opened for her, and she finds great joy in helping her students learn and grow. She values doing work that makes a difference and is grateful for the opportunity to serve on the Seeds of Equity board. A strong believer that everyone deserves access to quality education, Amina brings that conviction to every part of this work.
AbdulKarim Mohammed
TreasurerAbdulKarim Mohammed serves as Treasurer of Seeds of Equity, bringing experience in banking, finance, and community economic development across the United States and West Africa. He is a banker at BMO in Milwaukee, where he helps individuals, families, and small businesses plan for their financial futures.
Abdulkarim is also the Founder and CEO of Mai Glow, a social enterprise that partners with women's cooperatives, farmers, and artisans in Nigeria to bring natural health, beauty, and wellness products to market. He previously spent nine years as Managing Director of Meena Agro Oil Limited in Nigeria, working closely with local farmers and producers to support fair treatment and steady livelihoods.
Earlier in his career, Abdulkarim worked in home financing, where Scotsman Guide ranked him among the top 40 mortgage originators in the country. He holds an MBA in Finance from the University of California, Irvine and a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of California, Riverside.
As Treasurer, Abdulkarim provides financial oversight for Seeds of Equity and helps ensure that every gift is used responsibly to expand access to quality education.
Dr. Peggy Kendrigan
At Large MemberDr. Peggy Kendrigan is an educator and civil rights veteran whose commitment to justice spans more than five decades. She served as an Associate Lecturer in the Criminal Justice Department at the University of Wisconsin–Parkside, where she helped prepare students for careers in law, policing, and public service.
Her path toward justice began in the summer of 1966. At 21, freshly graduated from Marquette University, she traveled to Mississippi and joined the James Meredith March Against Fear. She helped register residents to vote during a four to five week period in which about 4,000 people were registered in total. That summer, she met Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and marched alongside him into Philadelphia, Mississippi, for a memorial honoring Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner, three civil rights workers murdered by the KKK for their voter registration work.
Those experiences left a lifelong mark on her, though she never expected recognition for them. In January 2020, the Milwaukee Coalition of Justice honored her at its annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration for her 1966 work in Mississippi.