About Us

I

n 2008 a group of students from the University of Houston founded Amaanah to address the unmet needs of the refugee population in Houston. Amaanah’s early days began by distributing food, clothes and funds. 

Fast forward to more than a decade later the business model now has changed to a solution-based organization. Amaanah provides community programs to provide the opportunity to access to social and economic equity to vulnerable populations such as refugees, asylum seekers, or other forced migrants. 

Amaanah strives to provide holistic services to beneficiaries through community programs that are established. Join us on our journey to help one individual at a time. 

LEADERSHIP

JIDA NABULSI

CEO

Jida joins with over a decade of strategic marketing experience in the oil and gas industry, most recently as a Senior Analyst at Exterran in Houston. There, she was forecasting trends, managing budgetary tasks, and spearheading company-wide goals and initiatives. Jida has a bachelor’s degree in finance and economics from the University of St. Thomas and is certified in marketing strategy from Cornell University. She is currently pursuing an MBA from Texas A&M University.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

NAZIF SHARIQUE
NAZIF SHARIQUEBOARD MEMBER
A Certified Public Accountant by trade, Nazif has been an active volunteer with Amaanah since its early days. Nazif received his Bachelor’s of Accounting and Economics from Rutgers University in New Jersey. He has over 14 years of experience in public accounting, business development, and consulting services. Currently, Nazif serves as a partner at RSM.
AMANDA OLSON
AMANDA OLSONBOARD MEMBER
Amanda Olson is a Texas attorney who has focused her practice in Houston’s oil and gas industry. After her family’s repatriation to the States Amanda sought out to improve the lives of refugees.
AHMED MEGAHED
AHMED MEGAHEDBOARD MEMBER
Ahmed Megahed currently works for Salesforce and has both a Bachelors in Computer Engineering and an MBA from The University of Houston. He has a passion for technology and is constantly looking for ways to leverage technology for the better good. He’s an advocate for refugee resettlement and dedicates his time assisting refugees with their integration into society. Ahmed is currently on the board of Ethaar (a non-profit focused on refugee services in Atlanta) and is excited to join Amaanah’s board.
Richard Spragg
Richard SpraggBOARD MEMBER
Richard Spragg is the CEO of Houston based creative agency Hirebrand. A London native, he has a Masters Degree in Journalism & Communications from the University of Westminster and an honors degree from the University of Essex. He moved to the United States in 2006, and became a US citizen in 2017. A long term Amaanah volunteer, he has worked on the Amaanah Lions sports program for the last six years, alongside its long serving team of coaches. He lives near the Galleria with his wife Rima and their dog Socrates. He’s an obsessive soccer fan and a lifelong follower of Watford FC.
Ahsan Mukhtar
Ahsan MukhtarBOARD MEMBER
Ahsan Mukhtar has been working in the Oil & Gas industry for over 15 years and is currently the Vice President of Corporate Development and Treasury at DistributionNOW. Born and raised in the United Arab Emirates and a graduate of Indiana University with a degree in Finance and International Business, Ahsan now calls Houston his home and lives with his wife and three kids. He was introduced to the challenges faced by the refugee community by Amaanah and became extremely passionate about the need to empower refugees with the necessary tools to be successful and thrive in our community.