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the M.A.D.E. INSTITUTE team

OUR TEAM

Meet the people who make up the MADE INSTITUTE Family.

Leon El-alamin

Founding & Executive Director
Read more about Leon

Antonio Riggs

Board Member
Read more about Antonio

Dr. Rodlescia Sneed

Board Member
Read more about Dr. Sneed

Attorney Tiffany Huges

Board Member
Read more about Tiffany

Jay Cummings

Board Member
Read more about Jay

Marsha Thrower

Program Manager
Read more about Marsha

Babak Elahi

Board Member
Read more about Babak

Jessica Nelson

Executive Assistant
Read more about Jessica

Attorney Qamar Enayah

Board Member
Read more about Qamar

Duke Talley

Board Member
Read more about Duke

Diego Rodriguez

Fundraising Manager
Read more about Diego

La'Shaya Darisaw

Google Program Consultant
Read more about La'Shaya

Vanessa Ferguson

Communication Manager
Read more about Vanessa

Dr. Tauheeda Yasin

Board Member
Read more about Tauheeda

Tauheed Hasan

Board Member
Read more about Tauheed

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Our vision is to create a community where returning citizens and at-risk youth have equal access to employment, education, full participation in the economical, political and cultural life of the community.

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Contact

Phone: (810) 835 – 8304

Email: Leon@madeinstitute.org

Address:

503 E. Garland St.

Flint, Michigan 48503

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Leon El-Alamin - Founder & Executive Director

Leon El-Alamin is a life long resident of the City of Flint, Michigan. He is currently seeking to obtain his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration at U of M Flint. Since 2010 he has been working within the Flint and Genesee County Metropolitan area as an organizer, mentor, businessman, and stakeholder for the social–economic development and over all well-being of the Flint community. Mr. El-Alamin focus is on at risk-youth and returning citizens who come back into the community from incarceration. As individuals enter the penal system, they were condition to believe that prison time would allow them to pay their debt to society. Upon their return to flint and Genesee county, they are faced with the stark reality that they in fact have not paid their debt to society; society has systematically structured them out. Society has created barriers that negatively impact their ability to pursue higher education; to secure employment; to acquire housing and many other opportunities that are necessary to sustain their lives. Mr. El-Alamin. has a deep desire to breakdown barriers such as Institutional racism and other social – economical inequalities that effect the health and overall development of inner city communities. Some of his affiliation and accomplishment include being the CEO and Founder of M.A.D.E Institute, Community Outreach Coordinator for The Flint Coalition, Author and a Flint and Genesee Chamber of Commerce Spark Award recipient.

Antonio Riggs - Board Member

Antonio Riggs has worked at University of Michigan-Flint for nine years. He currently serves as the Associate Director for the Office Student Career Advancement & Success with the Students Success Center. Within his role he coordinates career fairs, employer engagement, student professional development, and oversees our job board called Handshake. Antonio also works as a Career Instructor for Lapeer Adult Education program.
Antonio is a graduate of Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) with his Educational Specialist (2013); Masters of Arts (2010); and a Bachelors in Business Administration (2004). Antonio completed his certification to be a Certified Career Services Provider and Global Career Development Facilitator.
He enjoys serving the community as a Board member of the M.A.D.E. Institute and as a member of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity Inc. In his downtime he loves camping with family, fishing, and traveling.

Dr. Rodlescia Sneed - Board Member

Dr. Sneed is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Public Health at Michigan State University who has conducted community-engaged research in Flint since 2017. As a researcher, she is interested in improving physical health outcomes among justice-involved adults through community-based programming.

Her work focuses on engaging with community partners to improve chronic disease prevention and management in the Flint community. She has expertise in research & evaluation, data analysis, and grant writing. Dr. Sneed is a Detroit native who earned her PhD from Carnegie Mellon University and her Master of Public Health (MPH) degree in Epidemiology from Columbia University.

Attorney Tiffany Huges - Board of Directors

Attorney with a Juris Doctor from Thomas M. Cooley Law School, University of Michigan, Flint Bachelor of Arts in Economics. Experience- Kelly Legal Serviced, Legal Document Reviewer. Jill Creech Bauer Legal Services, Attorney of Counsel. Genesee County Public Defender, Attorney.

Jay Cummings - Board of Directors

Jay Cummings is a Minister in the United Church of Christ, a board member of Peoples Church of Flint.
He has served churches in Jackson, Michigan; Grosse Point Farms, Michigan; and Andover, Maine. He also serves as Facilitator of The Prophetic Integrity Team of the Michigan Conference UCC. He is married and has a daughter, a son and three grandchildren.

Marsha Thrower – Program Manager

Graduate of Michigan State University and Eastern Michigan University, 20 years experience in K-12 education (curriculum and instruction and student services). Managed a Florida Department of Corrections reentry program in Palm Beach County. Returned to Flint and joined the MADE Institute as a board member and later as a Program Manager

Babak Elahi - Board Member

Babak Elahi is Dean of the College of Sciences and Liberal Arts at Kettering University where he also teaches communication, literature, and leadership and ethics.

He has over 20 years of experience in higher education including teaching English and communication at Rochester Institute of Technology in New York where he served for over five years as Associate Dean of Liberal Arts. His writing on Iranian diasporic culture and American literature, among other subjects, has appeared in top academic journals.

Jessica Nelson - Executive Assistant

Jessica Nelson serves as the Executive Assistant at the MADE Institute, responsible for maintaining day-to-day office tasks and communications as well as assisting in MADE’s community engagement activities and coordinating agency programs. She originally started working with MADE Institute as an undergraduate intern pursuing her Bachelor’s of Social Work September 2020. Jessica is continuing her education and pursuing her Master’s in Social Work (MSW) online at MSU with a concentration in Organizations and Community Leadership. Jessica seeks to make better community connections through networking, partnerships, and effectively utilizing current community resources to better advocate and assist MADE proteges.

Qamar Enayah - Board of Directors

Qamar Lina Enayah has been an assistant prosecuting attorney for seven years. During her employment, Ms. Enayah has been assigned to the Juvenile Justice Division as well as the Circuit Court Division. She has taken over 40 cases to trial as an assistant prosecutor. Ms. Enayah is a member of the State Bar of Michigan’s Criminal Procedure & Courts and Criminal Jurisprudence & Practice Committees as well as the Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Committee. She is a member of the Oakland County Bar Association, the Genesee County Bar Association, the Women Lawyers Association of Michigan, and the National Arab American Bar Association. Ms. Enayah was recently awarded the 40 Under 40 award by the Arab America Foundation regarding her career achievements.

Duke Talley - Board of Directors

Duke Talley serves as the treasurer at The MADE Institute and is also a member of the fundraising committee. His responsibilities include overseeing the organization’s funds and reporting out any financial activity at the monthly board meetings. In addition, he participates in community outreach and partnerships building. As a banker, he is passionate about giving back to his community and assisting others with reaching their goals, especially those dealing with finances. Duke’s main objective is to contribute to The MADE Institute’s efforts to empower our community through mentorship, leadership, and creative collaboration.

Diego Rodriguez - Fundraising Manager

Diego Rodriguez hails from Guatemala. With a remarkable professional journey spanning 13 years, both domestically and internationally, Diego has traversed diverse markets and accumulated extensive experience in digital marketing, fundraising, international volunteering, project management, and more.

Diego holds a degree in International Relations and has acquired several diplomas in Corporate Social Responsibility, Digital Marketing, Business Administration, and Time Management, among others.

In his relentless pursuit of a brighter future, Diego consistently upholds his values and ethics, serving as a compass to aid others in achieving their goals and fostering harmonious collaboration. His dedication shines through as he strives to make a positive impact while maintaining a steadfast commitment to integrity.

La'Shaya Darisaw - Google Program Consultant

LaShaya Darisaw is a Community Organizer, Political Strategist and Organizational Consultant. She holds 5 Collegiate degrees. She is the former Board President of Michigan Liberation , a statewide organization dedicated to transforming the criminal legal system by implementing effective campaigns and the leadership development of directly impacted people. She is also a former board member of the Michael Thompson Clemency project, an organization that strives to alleviate the injustices caused by mass incarceration, racial disparities, and emotional, physical and mental abuse across the criminal justice system by pursuing redemption through advocacy, education, providing reentry resources and seeking legal services for incarcerated individuals in need. Before becoming an organizer, Darisaw worked with various social service agencies for 10 years throughout Genesee County. Afterward, Darisaw’s advocacy has been featured in Politico, MSNBC, TYT, Fox, ABC, the Guardian, and many more news outlets across the world.

Vanessa Ferguson - Communication Manager

Vanessa Ferguson coordinates public relations efforts for The MADE Institute including handling social media, website content and providing support with grantwriting and reporting. A Flint native, she holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Michigan-Flint’s Honors Program; a master’s degree in communication from Michigan State University and a master’s in public adminsitration from Eastern Michigan University with a focus on nonprofit management.

She has nearly 20 years experiencing working with nonprofits throughout Michigan and is an approved consultant with the United Way of Genesee County along with the Council of Michigan Foundations. She is a college instructor and volunteers with her therapy dog at Hurley Medical Center. In her sparetime, she enjoys podcasting and traveling with her husband and her daughter.

Dr. Tauheeda Yasin - Board Member

Dr. Tauheeda Yasin is new to the MADE Institute board. She is a professor and researcher focusing on poverty, justice systems in the US/European contexts, data, and social policy. She teaches a variety of courses at institutions in the Washington, DC area and leads technology integration and learning for a humanitarian sector organization. She has previously worked with the World Bank and the NYC Public School System. She’s an avid plant and seed enthusiast and advocates for food security and agricultural learning reclamation for Black and Native communities.

Tauheed Hasan - Board Member

Born and raised in the city of Flint, Michigan. I’m a Licensed professional Counselor with the state of Michigan.I have worked in mental health for over 20 years and have provided therapy for over 10 years. I am the Director of Integrated Services with Hamilton Community Health Network treating individuals with substance use disorders.

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