MSR
Friday September 17, 2021
“Somali Excellence”: That’s the term used to describe the September 4 Somali Diaspora Conference that took place in the Sheraton Bloomington Hotel where over 500 young Somalis from around the globe took part in a two-day conference centered around culture and self-development.
“A group of young professionals, including myself, came together and started SNABPI [Somali North American Business and Professionals Inc.] at the end of 2017,” explained event organizer and founder Guled Ibrahim. “We saw the need and we filled the gap. Our purpose is to bring together the best and brightest Somali American minds here in Minnesota and in North America to share knowledge, resources, and make our communities better. SNABPI’s leadership includes lawyers, doctors, educators, health care professionals, business owners and entrepreneurs.”
The conference was hosted by SNABPI, a group that aims to engage and celebrate the next generation of entrepreneurs and business professionals in the Somali community. Chapters are located in cities with large Somali communities including Minneapolis, Columbus and Toronto. SNABPI hosts annual events in these cities to facilitate networking and forums aimed at creating a global platform for young Somali professionals to ensure success for the community at large.
Personalities like Neima Abdullahi, Ifrah Hussein, and the Twin Cities own Halima Aden were a draw for many. Aden is the supermodel who had captured the world’s attention when she became the first hijabi model.
A chance to connect
The day of the conference was shaped by a series of speeches, performances, and breakout panels. Panels covered several topics including what it takes to work at a top technology company, the impact of COVID on health care, and building power through civic engagement.
Faye Mohamed and Suleka Abdi are friends who arrived at the conference together seeking professional development and inspiration. Faye, who is an advertising and PR student, attended the social media panel. “I do some content, but I stopped. I went to get some inspiration so I can get back to it,” she said.
With an interest in the tech field, Suleka sat in on that panel to learn more about what her options would be after college. “Another panel that I liked was the tech panel ‘cause I’m a computer science student, so I was able to gain a lot of insight from that one,” she said.
They both attended a panel titled “Understanding Addiction: How to love someone in recovery,” which was led by Alliance Wellness Center, a treatment center based in Bloomington aimed at helping the East African community. They were touched as they heard from two young men, Abdullahi and Abdirahman, who shared their stories of substance abuse and how the center helped them overcome their addiction.
“That one was very powerful,” Faye said. “It touched me because I have family members who have dealt with addiction.”
With graduation around the corner, Safiya hoped to find potential connections to the tech industry and came away with plenty of contacts. “We networked and met a lot of people in the tech industry. We got people who were willing to help us find jobs.”