2022 Columbus Banquet Speakers

2022 Columbus Annual Banquet

The Speakers


Keynote

Ilhan Omar

U.S. Representative for Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District

Rep. Ilhan Omar represents Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, which includes Minneapolis and surrounding suburbs.

An experienced Twin Cities policy analyst, organizer, public speaker and advocate, Rep. Omar was sworn into office in January 2019, making her the first African refugee to become a Member of Congress, the first woman of color to represent Minnesota, and one of the first two Muslim-American women elected to Congress.

Born in Somalia, Rep. Omar and her family fled the country’s civil war when she was eight. The family spent four years in a refugee camp in Kenya before coming to the United States in 1990s. In 1997, she moved to Minneapolis with her family. As a teenager, Rep. Omar’s grandfather inspired her to get involved in politics. Before running for office, she worked as a community educator at the University of Minnesota, was a Policy Fellow at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs and served as a Senior Policy Aide for the Minneapolis City Council.

In 2016 she was elected as the Minnesota House Representative for District 60B, making her the highest-elected Somali-American public official in the United States and the first Somali-American State Legislator. Rep. Omar served as the Assistant Minority Leader, with assignments to three house committees; Civil Law & Data Practices Policy, Higher Education & Career Readiness Policy and Finance, and State Government Finance.

Motivational

Adam Soltani

Executive Director of the CAIR Oklahoma Chapter

Adam Soltani is a graduate from the University of Oklahoma holding a Master’s degree in Human Relations with a certificate in Organizational Diversity and Development. He also holds a Bachelor’s of Arts in the field of Sociology from the University of Central Oklahoma.
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Adam Soltani is the Executive Director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations Oklahoma Chapter and also serves as an Adjunct Instructor of Islamic Studies at Oklahoma State University teaching courses such as Introduction to World Religions, Islam Cultural Perspectives, Religions of the Middle East, and Race, Religion, and Social Justice.
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On May 1, 2020, Adam Soltani was recognized by OKC Friday as one of the 50 Most Powerful Young Professionals in OKC. He was recognized alongside such prestigious names as Steven Adams, Chris Paul, J.D. Baker, James Cooper, Shannon Presit, Abigail Ogle, Bailey Perkins, and JoBeth Hamon.
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In June 2021, Adam Soltani was recognized by Oklahoma City Young Professionals as one of The Most Influential Young Professionals in Oklahoma. In the same month, The Journal Record recognized Soltani as One of the Most Admired CEOs in Oklahoma.

Emcee

Alauddin Alauddin

Community Leader, Founder & President of The360Muslim.com

Alauddin Alauddin has been a resident of Ohio for over 15 years and has served as a community leader within various organizations in the area.

As the Founder and President of The360Muslim.com, Alauddin uses coaching, facilitation, and mediation techniques to guide individuals and families towards a life of purpose and accomplishment. He is also the Vice President of Muslim Family Services of Ohio, a Columbus, Ohio based social service organization, governed by Islamic principles, that strives to help families in crisis, such as the displaced or homeless and women in abusive situations.

OSU Student Representative

Caisha Abdullahi

President of the OSU Somali Students’ Association & CAIR-Ohio Intern

Caisha Abdullahi is a third-year student here at The Ohio State University studying International Studies and Public Policy at the John Glenn College of Public Affairs. Caisha’s upbringing surrounded by her family and community members is what pushed her to go into policy work and advocacy. After she obtains her undergraduate degrees she plans on attending graduate school to better equip herself to work in policy reform and advocate for marginalized communities here in central Ohio as well as around the country. Caisha was a part of this past summer’s internship development program with CAIR Ohio where she engaged in comprehensive exercises to enhance her legal, political, and communicative skills.

Last school year Caisha served as the treasurer of the Somali Students’ Association. In that role, she worked with other members of the executive board to raise money to support Somalis affected by climate change in cities that were experiencing severe droughts. This year, Caisha returned to SSA as the president where she hopes to continue to elevate the great work that has been done and to lead the Somali students here at OSU on a new path of community service and academic success!

Closing Remarks

Camellia Noor

CAIR-Ohio Board Member

Camellia serves on the board to advocate for justice. She also is a volunteer, emcee and event organizer for national and international organizations and coordinates fundraisers that help uplift communities in areas of civic engagement, disaster relief and health rehabilitation.

Camellia works at Bon Secours Mercy Health as a Chief of Staff Fellow. This role grants her the opportunity to learn from the Chief Operating Officer of Bon Secours Mercy Health.

She enjoys decorating and turned her joint into a business. As an entrepreneur, she co-founded Embellished Occasions, a local event decor company

Most recently, Camellia has been selected as West Chester, Liberty Chamber Alliance “Women of Excellence” for her dedication to her community. Her volunteerism, advocacy and outreach are being recognized by the city.