Meet Our School President & Founders:
Farhan Osman Elmi- School President
True to our mission of developing leaders of tomorrow, we welcomed Farhan Elmi, a native of Burao, to the Burao Academy family. Farhan received a degree in Industrial Engineering and Management from Germany’s Jacobs University in 2018, and returned to his native country to elevate education for Somali youth. Before joining Burao Academy, Farhan served as the Director of STEM and the Academic Records Manager at Abaarso School, his alma mater, where he also taught computer science. With a deep commitment to every student’s progress, Farhan has been leading with a renewed sense of purpose, accountability, and an eye on academic excellence at Burao Academy.
Abdi H. Farah, co-Founder
Abdi is the founder and CEO of Alliance Structural Engineers, Inc., and Alliance MEP Engineers, Inc., in Reston, Virginia. (www.allianceengineers.com). He is a registered professional engineer in over 20 U.S. states. Abdi earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Houston in 1987 and his master’s in Structural Engineering from University of Toronto, Canada, in 1990.
His father, Hassan Farah, was the first family member of his generation to receive an education in Somalia and subsequently provided educational opportunities for the next generation. Abdi is excited to be able to carry on this tradition for a larger group of Somali youth.
Abdi Aden, Co-Founder
Abdi was the first in his family to go school; he was the first in his family to go to college. He values education a great deal. He strongly believes that education plays a key role in societal development. That is why after 33 years in the United States, first as a student and then as a business manager for the State of Connecticut, he retired from work to devote his time as a volunteer to Burao Academy. Abdi oversaw Phase I planning and construction. It gives him great joy to be part of this school.
Abdi received his bachelor’s in finance from Central Connecticut State University in New Britain, CT. He spent almost 24 years administering a multi-million-dollar budget for the State of Connecticut.
Farah M. Mohamed, Co-founder
Farah is a real estate entrepreneur based in the Washington Metropolitan area (Washington D.C., Virginia and Maryland). In addition to his real estate business, Farah is a well-known Somali writer. He authored six children’s books and he also wrote two other well-known books, Xasuus Qor (Timelines of Somali History) and his latest novel Saxarla. Farah earned his bachelor’s from SIDAM and his masters in International Commerce and Public Policy from George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia.
Asha Farah, Co-Founder
Asha Farah is a corporate Real Estate Senior Manager at Starbucks Coffee Company in Seattle, Washington. With over 18 years at a Fortune 500 company, she manages and leads a team of consultants that manage Starbucks’ corporate real estate portfolio in the United States and Canada.
Asha was a nomadic child until age 12 and experienced the stark contrast between life with and without education. Uniquely positioned to speak about perseverance and optimism and with the drive to seize every opportunity for success, she is determined to extend these opportunities to children in her native land. Asha earned her bachelor’s in business administration from Washington Adventist University in Tacoma Park, Maryland.