Ayada Leads

Ayada Leads’ mission is to equip New Americans, particularly African Diaspora Women, to excel in leadership positions in their communities across the spectrum of societal influence. Our vision is to build a world in which more women hold positions of power and leadership in government, community, and business settings.

Since the start of Ayada Leads 8 years ago, originally as Women Organizing Women, the political landscape of Minnesota has been changing to becoming one with more female/African Diaspora representation. Our alumni have gone on to become elected officials and some have even made history! Senator Zaynab Mohamed became one of the first black women and the youngest person to ever become a Minnesota Senator. Recently, Nadia Mohamed became the first Somali elected mayor in the United States. 

We train the next generation of political leaders all year through our Get on Board training, Campaign School and other select trainings that we host. We also enrich the next generation of leaders through our Future Leaders in the making program. Our Future Leaders in the Making training series aims to inspire girls and young women to find their power and become confident leaders. 

Outside of politics we focus on building community power, uplifting the voices of African Diaspora Women and creating safe spaces for us to come together. We have our annual event Born to Lead that highlights BIPOC women running for office, and throughout the year we host a variety of networking events. We also have our “Know Your Rights,” sessions which is an educational series that we host within our community that aims to raise awareness around issues like housing, police and local elections.

Minority women in our community encounter challenges everywhere. They not only share their communities’ struggles over limited resources and systematic discrimination. They deal with the pressure to fit in as well as other social problems. Yet these women possess the individual and collective power to change their lives, their communities and the world we live in. Just as they face daily challenges, they are continually developing innovative, effective ways to improve their lives. By mentoring and nurturing their wisdom and creativity, they can realize and achieve their dreams. Your donation will help us to continue our work of training and mentoring women in our communities.