About Us

Safirah Bibi is a founder and President of MASS. As a social activist, her work for promoting children’s education spans over 2 decades. She has a Master’s degree in Women and Gender Studies from Karachi University, Pakistan and a Post Baccalaureate in Gender and Globalization from University of California, Davis. She has worked with Aga Khan Education Service Pakistan as a science teacher and with the Women and Gender Development Sector in Aga Khan Rural Support Program in Chitral, Pakistan.

Safirah was born in Chitral, Pakistan and grew up in the remote, mountainous area and recalls her 4 hour-roundtrip on foot to the only school with her friends. She was the only girl from her small village, Awi, who was able to attend college. It was only possible with her family selling a piece of land to support her education. Her friends were not able to pursue their dreams to continue their education beyond 10th grade due to lack of financial support. That left a lasting impact on Safirah and she promised herself to help deserving youth achieve their dreams of attaining education. Her dream came true when she moved to the US in 2008 and with a job at UC Davis, she started supporting 10 underprivileged children in Chitral from her personal resources to achieve excellence in their education. She founded MASS in 2021 with a vision to provide educational opportunities to the children of Chitral. Safirah has two beautiful children and loves photography and spending her time outdoors close to nature.

Javed Panjwani is a seasoned business leader with over 25 years of experience in business development, consulting, and emerging technologies. Currently serving as the Vice President of Ecosystem, Strategy & Business Development at enosix, Javed excels in driving strategic vision and growth initiatives in the Salesforce, SAP, and ServiceNow integration market. His extensive background includes leadership roles at Salesforce, Deloitte, and SAP, where he has consistently delivered transformative outcomes for customers. Javed is passionate about leveraging his expertise in enterprise transformation and human-centered design to create innovative solutions that address complex business challenges. He is also dedicated to giving back to the community through his volunteer work with organizations like Aga Khan Foundation USA and as a leader in the Ismaili Community in the Bay Area. This blend of corporate expertise and community engagement where his strategic thinking, leadership skills, and dedication to social impact can contribute significantly to organizational growth and mission fulfillment.

Javed Panjwani, serving as Vice President at MASS, is a vital asset to the organization. With his extensive knowledge and expertise, Javed significantly contributes to the successful management of the organization.

Sharmeen is a masterful storyteller, marketer and thought leader who is passionate about creating value in every interaction. Her own journey of growing up in Karachi, Pakistan and later immigrating with her family to the US has made her appreciate the impact a good quality education has on not just an individual but the well-being of the community at large. Her advocacy work in providing life skills and mentorship to under-resourced schools in the local community has awarded her to foster a love of learning and scholarship for youths. She continues to volunteer in a number of initiatives from early childhood education development to managing summer camps for young children to leading women’s impact initiatives and organizing parental involvement programs in her community. As one of the founders of MASS, Sharmeen hopes to inspire others to invest their time and resources into creating a better future to provide educational opportunities for deserving youths. Sharmeen loves to travel with her family. On most Friday nights, you can find her cheering her son playing high school football!

Malik is a senior consultant at Kaiser Permanente. Previously, he has worked internationally building and improving educational and healthcare operations across East Africa and Central Asia. Additionally, he has co-founded an educational non-profit within East Africa focusing on improving the quality of life across the most challenged regions. He continues to serve as an advisor to nonprofits within Africa. Malik received his Bachelors in Economics from UCLA – University of California, Los Angeles.