OUR TEAM
Professional Team
Nafiso Samatar
Executive Director
Nafiso Samatar is the Executive Director of the Somali Independent Business Alliance (SIBA) and has over 25 years of experience supporting immigrant, refugee, and BIPOC entrepreneurs in navigating city services, business development, and technical assistance. Under her leadership, SIBA empowers small business by providing business training, support with loans, grants, credit building, marketing, and compliance, helping small businesses strengthen their operations and access important resources. Her long-standing collaboration with the City of Seattle has earned her multiple community service awards. These include awards from three consecutive Seattle mayors from 1999-2013 (Paul Schell, Greg Nickels and Michael McGinn), a former Seattle Chief of Police, School districts, City agencies, University of Seattle and other community organizations in recognition of her outstanding service to the community.
Sharif Kaharaba
Human Resource Manager
Sharif Kaharaba, our Human Resource Manager, brings extensive HR expertise to our team. With years of experience, Sharif is dedicated to fostering an inclusive workplace culture and supporting our staff's growth and well-being. His commitment to equity and inclusion enriches our organization's environment.
Mohamed Saireh
Staff and Programs Consultant
Mohamed Saireh is SIBA’s Staff and Programs Consultant, bringing over 20 years of experience in education, social services, and community engagement. A bilingual Somali-English professional with a Master’s in Education and Arts from Antioch University, Mohamed has spent his career supporting immigrant and refugee communities through culturally responsive communication, youth programming, and family advocacy. He has extensive experience coordinating interventions, mentoring educators, and building strong relationships across diverse communities. At SIBA, he supports program development, outreach, and staff coordination, contributing his deep expertise in cross-cultural communication, community trust-building, and equity-focused service delivery.