Mir Ali

President

Mir Ali serves as President of the Board at Carriers of Light, where he leads the board in setting vision, governance, and operational direction for the school. His focus is on building the structures and discipline the school needs to grow its mission sustainably and serve its students and families well for the long term.

By day, Mir is Head of Data & Analytics at The Hershey Company, leading enterprise data and AI strategy for one of America’s most recognized consumer brands. He has spent more than 23 years in senior technology and leadership roles, including Global Head of Digital Products & Platforms at Kraft Heinz and earlier leadership positions at McDonald’s, United Airlines, HERE Technologies, and Fitch Group. His career has centered on building high-performing teams, setting clear operating rhythms, and translating vision into steady execution.

Mir’s roots at Carriers of Light run deep. All of his children attended the school, and his wife is a founding member of COL and currently serves on the board alongside him. That shared family investment in the school’s mission is what keeps him committed to its future. He holds a BS in Management Information Systems from Northern Illinois University and lives in the Chicago area.

Dr. Rend Diab

 Founding Board Member

Dr. Rend Diab is an ophthalmologist, mother of three young adults, and a founding board member and co-founder of Carriers of Light School. She is an active member of her masjid’s executive board and a founding director of The Well Circle.

A lifelong student of the Qur’an, Dr. Diab is also a tajweed teacher and is deeply committed to faith-based education and community service. In her free time, she enjoys staying active through sports and exercise, traveling, spending time outdoors, and being with family and friends.

Mehreen Bawla

 Founding Board Member

Mehreen Bawla was raised in New York and has lived in the suburbs of Chicago for over two decades, where she has remained deeply engaged in serving the community and supporting the work of the deen.

A wife and mother of four, Mehreen is a pharmacist by profession, having earned her degree from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy. She recently completed the Alimiyya Program, studying part-time under the guidance of female scholars at Zaynab Academy in Lahore. She is a founding board member and co-founder of Carriers of Light School and is passionate about supporting faith-centered education through her diverse skills and experience.

Farheen Beg Mohammad

Secretary

Farheen Beg Mohammad is a dedicated advocate for student-centered learning with experience across both public and private education sectors. She has served as a classroom teacher and as Director of Strategy and Innovation in a high-achieving Illinois school district.

Farheen currently serves as Director of District Impact at Digital Promise, where she leads a national team of educators and works closely with district leadership across the country to support innovation and transformational change in education.

Mirza Faheem Baig

Treasurer

Mirza Faheem Baig serves as a board member and Treasurer of Carriers of Light School. He is currently the Director of Financial Planning & Analysis at Tekniplex and brings strong financial leadership and strategic insight to the board.

As a father of four, Faheem holds a Master’s degree in Accounting from the University of Iowa and is also a student of Arabic & Islamic studies. He actively volunteers with other community organizations and is passionate about advocacy and service. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his kids, camping, biking, playing basketball, and hiking.

Faiza A. Baig

Director of Operations & Development

Faiza A. Baig serves as the Director of Operations & Development at Carriers of Light School, bringing over a decade of experience in the nonprofit sector. She has been part of the COL community for more than four years and plays a key role in strengthening the school’s operations, fundraising, and long-term sustainability.

Deeply passionate about outreach, relationship-building, and organizational development, Faiza is a mother of four, owner of two small businesses, and an active volunteer with other community organizations. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, spending quality time with her children and family, and serving the community in meaningful ways.

Sami Mohammad

Board Member

Sami Mohammad is a Network Operations Manager and team leader specializing in the design and delivery of enterprise-scale network solutions supporting more than 10,000 users. He brings over 15 years of experience across public education and Managed IT Services.

Sami’s expertise lies in building secure, reliable, and scalable technology systems that support the growth of the organization and offer long-term sustainability.

Samiha H. Yousuf

Board Member

Samiha H. Yousuf is a civil litigation trial attorney and the principal of Madison Law Associates, LLC in Chicago, Illinois. She also serves as an adjunct law professor at the University of Illinois Chicago School of Law.

A mother of three and longtime supporter of Carriers of Light School, Samiha has witnessed its growth from its early days in ICW to its continued expansion and future state-of-the-art campus in Lombard. She strongly believes in COL’s mission to nurture children both spiritually and academically and is a proud COL parent—her twin daughters are alumni, and her youngest daughter is currently enrolled.

Saadia Shariff

Board Member

Saadia Shariff currently serves as the Principal of Middle School, High School, and Hifdh at MCC Academy. She holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago and a Master of Education (MEd) from Stanford University. With over 20 years of experience in the field of education, she has served in a variety of leadership roles, including Assistant Principal at CPSA and IFS, and most recently as Dean of Academics at a CPS. 

In addition to her leadership role, Saadia has also served as a middle school and high school teacher at MCC Academy and is a board member of Carriers of Light School (COL) in Wheaton. She is the author of The Islamic School Resource Guide: Developing Schools and Educational Excellence and has served on numerous school recognition and accreditation teams.

Omar Ashrafi

Board Member

Omar Ashrafi is a lifelong member of the Muslim community in the Chicago western suburbs. His family has four school age students, two attend Carriers of Light and two attend CPSA in high school.

Professionally, he is a senior director of product strategy at Paylocity, an HR software provider headquartered in Schaumburg. He takes his professional long-term systems thinking and applies it toward executing the continued maturation of the COL organization. He is currently focused primarily on our new building project.