AKF USA is governed by a National Committee that is appointed by the Board of Directors, in consultation with the General Manager and CEO leadership. The National Committee is responsible for providing directional oversight and works closely with the CEO, staff, and volunteer leadership.
Nageeb Sumar
Chair
Nageeb Sumar is an expert on philanthropy and global development diplomacy, with over 20 years of experience. He currently serves as President of Liberty Mutual Foundation overseeing the company’s philanthropic engagement. He previously served as Head of Social Impact at Fidelity Investments leading a college success initiative and held a leadership position at Fidelity Charitable, working with generous donors to drive social change in the U.S. and abroad.
Nageeb began his philanthropic career at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s D.C. office, overseeing international engagement to improve the charitable sector. He also led the Gates Foundation’s strategic partnerships with G20 governments providing international aid. Nageeb has worked in 17 countries and has grantmaking experience in 9 countries.
Shaiza Damji Nurani
Vice-Chair
Shaiza Damji is a Principal and Managing Director of 360 Degree Hotel Group, headquartered outside of Seattle, Washington. She previously worked as an Associate Attorney at Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton in New York.
Shaiza is a member of YPO (Young Presidents’ Organization). She is a former chairperson of the Washington State Lodging Association and currently serves as the President of one of Marriott’s Franchisee Advisory Councils. In November 2023, the Washington Hospitality Association awarded Shaiza the Burtenshaw Lifetime Achievement Award. She has served as a Member of Communications and Publications for the Ismaili Council for the United States and as a Member for Scholarships for the Aga Khan Education Board for the USA. After graduating from college she was an International Development Management Fellow of Aga Khan Foundation Canada, placed with an NGO in Gujarat, India.
Rozina Mussani
Member
Rozina Mussani is a senior program officer with the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. In this capacity she oversees a multi-million dollar program portfolio covering Central and Eastern Europe. Programs funded by the bureau focus on strengthening human rights, countering corruption, encouraging participation in political processes, and increasing government accountability.
Hassan Natha
Member
Hassan Natha is a senior financial executive with a public accounting background, and extensive finance, accounting, and operations management experience honed through leadership roles at top consumer packaged goods and media organizations. He is consistently recognized for his strategic, globally focused business savvy and success in driving key improvements in organizational performance and profitability.
Sarah Hassan
Member
Sarah Hassan is senior Project Manager at Hewlett Packard, working across various teams within the company since 2013. She started her journey with AKF in 2009 working in various capacities. Before joining the National Committee in 2024, she served as the Vice Chair of the Southwest Region for over four years.
Purnur Ilolova
Member
Purnur Ilolova is an international development leader with deep expertise in civil society resilience, democratic governance, and youth empowerment across Central Asia, the Caucasus, Turkey, and the United States. She currently serves as a Senior Program Officer with Jubilee Monuments Corporation (JMC), where she leads national youth programming for the Jamat across the United States. Purnur previously worked at Freedom House, U.S. State Department–funded youth leadership exchanges, and the Mandela Washington Fellowship at Indiana University. She holds a Master’s Degree in Economics from the Technological University of Tajikistan and a Bachelor of Science in Public Affairs from Indiana University.
Akbar Poonawala
Member
Akbar Poonawala, co-founder and managing partner of Pivot Investment Partners, has over a decade of experience in investing and supporting FinTech and InsurTech companies. He previously served as Managing Director at Deutsche Bank Global Transaction Banking where he he spearheaded the expansion of the business, achieving over $1 billion in revenues. Akbar has held various leadership roles in his career and he serves on various private and public company boards.
Farrukh Valliani
Member
Farrukh Valliani has served as the National leader for the AKF USA Planned & Legacy Giving Program since 2019. Farrukh has over 30 years of experience in the mobile telecommunication industry. He started his career with Ericsson Systems as a Systems Architect and has authored a patent for mobile networks. Farrukh serves enterprise clients and customers that include mobile operators, private wireless networks, transport, energy, utilities and private sectors. Currently, he leads Nokia Enterprise Campus Edge focusing on commercial and pricing strategies for North and South Americas Enterprise customers.
Farrukh has been involved in various leadership roles within the community, including serving as President of Ismaili Councils for Central USA and Northern Texas. Farrukh has also served as a member of the National Council for the USA.
Al-Karim Alidina
Ex-Officio Member
Al-Karim is a Partner in Aon’s Mid Atlantic Market Retirement Solutions Practice. He has management responsibilities for actuaries in the Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC markets, which entails allocating resources, developing talent, growing revenue and driving operational excellence. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree with distinction in 1989 from University of Toronto. He is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries, and an Enrolled Actuary.
Al-Karim has been volunteering for 20+ years, including his current role as the President of His Highness Prince Aga Khan Shia Imami Ismaili Council for the USA and National Committee Member for the Aga Khan Foundation USA.