Latest news with #MohamedAhmed
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
New Bush Foundation Fellows include amputee, journalist, architect, more
Mohamed Ahmed had just dropped his youngest daughter at a program at the Hosmer Library in Minneapolis in 2016 when a car began speeding toward him on the sidewalk. Ahmed jumped between two parked cars to avoid getting hit, but the driver smashed into the back of the rear parked car. The force crushed Ahmed's left leg. 'I don't know if they were texting or had been drinking alcohol or whatever, but somehow they ended up on the sidewalk,' said Ahmed, who lives in St. Paul. 'I got my right leg out, but not my left.' Ahmed, who emigrated from Somalia to the U.S. when he was 17, had his left leg amputated above the knee and now uses a high-tech, computerized knee called a 'c-leg.' Since his amputation, Ahmed has worked to ensure equitable access to prosthetic care for underserved communities, both in Minnesota and globally. He is a volunteer with the Protez Foundation, an Oakdale-based organization that provides free prosthetics for people who have lost limbs, especially as a result of wars, in underserved areas of the world, and Wiggle Your Toes, an organization dedicated to helping victims and families of victims who have experienced limb loss. Ahmed is one of 29 new fellows chosen by the Bush Foundation for their work in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota and the 23 Native nations that share the same geography. Each fellow will receive up to $150,000 to fund 12-to-24 months of study and reflection, often in other states or countries, with the goal of making them better leaders. Ahmed plans to use his award to complete a master's of science degree in orthotics and prosthetics from Concordia University in St. Paul, strengthen his policy and advocacy skills and expand his impact on disability justice and healthcare access. He particularly wants to help people in Somalia and Yemen, he said. 'Here, if you lose your leg, you can go to a clinic and get a prosthetic,' he said. 'In third-world countries, if you lose your leg, you lose everything. You lose your livelihood, you lose your transportation. Everything is out of the window. I'll be working to help those people remain independent – to be able to support their family; get kids back to school, adults back to work, and to support their community. So it's a win-win situation for everybody.' In total, seven of this year's 29 Bush Fellows live or work in St. Paul or the east metro. The Bush Foundation, based in downtown St. Paul, chose them from among 1,000 applicants. Here's more about them: Georgia Fort, a three-time Midwest Emmy Award-winning journalist from St. Paul, is working to reshape the media landscape to center community and representation. 'Less than 3 percent of journalists in the state of Minnesota are Black,' she said. 'I think it's really important that our newsrooms reflect the diversity of the communities they serve, and that's what I aim to accomplish.' Fort, who grew up on St. Paul's East Side, is the founder of BLCK Press and the Center for Broadcast Journalism in St. Paul. She left mainstream media eight years ago 'to build platforms that elevate underreported stories and develop the next generation of Black and brown journalists,' she said. Fort plans to use her fellowship to pursue a certificate in leadership at Harvard University and develop a personal wellness plan that will allow her 'to continue building a journalism ecosystem that affirms community, develops talent, and ensures that all voices are seen and heard.' Two years ago, Fort launched a weekly half-hour TV show, 'Here's The Truth with Georgia Fort,' on The CW Twin Cities. 'We had a shoestring budget, and we made it happen, but the reality is, the transformation that we want to see on that side of our work is going to require more than just a 30-minute time slot once a week,' Fort said. 'Journalism is a pillar of democracy, and in order for this region and this nation to move forward, we need more than just a 30-minute show. We need a network. And so how do we build that? I'm excited to have the next two years to really have the time and space to become the leader that will be required to bring forth that vision.' James Garrett Jr., of St. Paul, believes architecture should be used as a tool for equity, cultural expression, and community transformation. Many of the projects designed by his firm, 4RM+ULA, reflect the aspirations of underserved communities from North Minneapolis to the Rondo neighborhood of St. Paul. For example, the Rondo Commemorative Plaza in St. Paul, which his firm designed, 'commemorates the neighborhood that was there before (Interstate 94) was built,' he said. It includes a 30-foot illuminated sign that 'is wrapped in art and says 'Rondo,' and it kind of claims that space. It says, 'Hey, we're still here. The community was devastated, but we're still here.'' 'We're really interested in community and understanding how best we can reflect the community values and identity and create an artwork that expresses those things, gives people that sense of pride and that sense of belonging and ownership to connections of place,' said Garrett, whose great-grandmother is believed to be the first Black person to purchase a home in Rondo. 'A lot of times that's missing in our underserved neighborhoods or lower-income communities. People don't get to build new buildings; they just sort of inhabit the buildings that are left over from prior eras. Going into community and really pushing to be able to create spaces and places that actually speak to who people are and what they aspire to be in new and creative ways, that's really our motivation.' Garrett said he plans to use his fellowship to 'deepen his exploration of sustainable, climate-responsive materials and methods of building construction and expand his network as a thought leader for inclusive design.' Leya Hale is 'indigenizing filmmaking by rooting the creative process in Indigenous language, kinship and worldview,' Bush officials said. Hale, a citizen of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate and Dine Nations, is a multiple regional Emmy Award-winning documentary producer for Twin Cities PBS. She has earned national acclaim for films like 'Bring Her Home' and 'The People's Protectors,' which uplift Indigenous stories and resilience. Hale plans to use her fellowship to strengthen her Dakota language skills, expand her technical and narrative filmmaking skills, and build a global network of Indigenous creatives reshaping the future of media. Hale lives in West St. Paul. Pastor Carl Johnson is transforming food access and economic opportunity on St. Paul's East Side through faith-rooted leadership and community ownership. Johnson, of St. Paul, founded the neighborhood's first Black-owned 'micro' grocery store and the George Washington Carver Cultural Center for Innovation, a hub for youth mentorship and cooperative business development. The concept has been so successful that Johnson is working on starting other 'micro' grocery stores across the Twin Cities, including the North End and downtown St. Paul. The stores, called Storehouse Grocers and Coffee Co-op, include a coffee shop. Johnson plans to use his fellowship to complete his degree in entrepreneurship, pursue certification in cultural intelligence, and deepen his spiritual and cultural leadership through ancestral pilgrimage and learning Swahili. 'I plan to start in Kenya, in East Africa, where I have some DNA representation,' he said. 'Then I will be going to Rwanda … to see what we call 'a fully sustainable culture.' They take one day out of the month, and the whole country cleans up the environment. I just thought, 'Man, what would it look like to see someplace where everybody cleans up?'' Marvis Kilgore has an ambitious goal: Close the equity gap in education by increasing the presence and power of Black male educators. Studies show that if Black male students have a Black male teacher before fifth grade, they're more likely to graduate from high school and attend college, according to Kilgore. 'How they think about themselves changes because they have someone in close proximity to them who can understand lived experience and take that lived experience and connect it in the classroom to create something more magical,' he said. Kilgore is executive director of Code Savvy, a Minneapolis-based nonprofit offering computer science training programs to students and school districts focused on traditionally underserved student communities. He previously served as program director for Sirtify, a Normandale Community College program dedicated to recruiting Black men in K-12 teaching. He said he plans to use his fellowship to 'expand his leadership in educational equity, strengthen his policy expertise and explore how innovation and technology can drive systemic transformation in teacher preparation and retention,' he said. 'My plan is to really get out in the state of Minnesota to understand the reason why there is this huge equity gap in education,' said Kilgore, who lives on St. Paul's East Side. 'I know what the numbers say, but I want to hear from Black men across the state of Minnesota to understand their why. Data is great, but it doesn't come with voice. I need to understand the voice of the people to be able to affect change in a more meaningful way and be a more effective voice of change and advocacy.' As a first-generation Hmong-Chinese-American and a parent of neurodivergent children, Maychee Mua helped establish Minnesota's first autism Medicaid program for children under 21 and the state's first cultural competency training for autism providers. Her advocacy expertise extends to housing, behavioral health and advocating for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Mua, of Cottage Grove, is 'reimagining autism advocacy through a culturally attuned and healing-centered lens,' Bush officials said. 'Her work dismantles barriers with empathy, cultural fluency and deep systems knowledge.' Mua, the co-author of the Hmong children's book 'I Am a Hmong-American Child,' plans to use her fellowship to 'reconnect with her cultural roots, design holistic healing frameworks and develop resources that bridge Southeast Asian traditions with Western systems of care.' With federal cuts, Hubert H. Humphrey Job Corps to close after 44 years Two artists awarded $25K as McKnight Book Artist Fellows 'An absolute privilege': Darts President Ann Bailey offers advice, reflects on 10 years in Dakota County aging services St. Paul family nonprofit seeks to break the stigma of addiction in the Hmong community Ellison drops objection to appointment of Otto Bremer Trust trustee's daughter
TECHx
11-04-2025
- Business
- TECHx
Jebel Ali Racecourse Enhances Operations with Kodak Alaris
Jebel Ali Racecourse, one of Dubai's leading horse racing venues, has streamlined its operations and improved the visitor experience through a strategic partnership with Kodak Alaris. This collaboration led to the racecourse being named the 2024 Innovative Solution Champion by Kodak Alaris. To manage the growing popularity of its 'Pick & Win' program, Jebel Ali Racecourse needed to process a high volume of handwritten forms quickly and accurately. The goal was to upgrade its document handling capabilities without compromising the on-ground experience for visitors. Working with TechBee, the racecourse implemented a solution using Kodak Alaris technology. This included the KODAK S3100 Scanners for high-quality image capture and the KODAK Info Input Solution, a browser-based intelligent document processing (IDP) platform with AI capabilities. The system uses a custom cloud-based AI engine to accurately process variable handwritten entries. It started as a proof of concept but soon scaled to handle real-time race data. Since implementation, the solution has processed over 1 million data points across 20,000 forms within a two-hour window during live events. Results are automatically fed into the racecourse's system to select winners. The impact has been significant. Jebel Ali Racecourse has achieved a 97% accuracy rate, reduced operating costs by 80%, and cut infrastructure expenses by 90%. All of this was accomplished while maintaining a strict 120-minute service level agreement. Mohamed Ahmed, General Manager of Jebel Ali Racecourse, noted that Kodak Alaris became more than a technology provider—they were true partners in driving innovation. Elias Mouchantaf, General Manager of Kodak Alaris Dubai, emphasized that the project reflects how smart automation can redefine operations in experience-driven environments. This collaboration highlights how AI-powered document processing can help venues meet high visitor expectations while improving backend efficiency. Jebel Ali Racecourse continues to set new standards for digital transformation in the sports and entertainment sector.
Yahoo
02-03-2025
- Yahoo
Family 'scared' after racist attack on new home
A woman and her daughter have been left badly shaken after the home they were due to move into in south Belfast was attacked and daubed in racist graffiti. It happened at a block of flats on Roden Street off the Donegall Road on Thursday evening. The family, who came to Northern Ireland in the past few years, were due to move into the property this weekend before their social housing provider contacted them to say it was not safe. Mohamed Ahmed, from the Horn of Africa People's Aid Northern Ireland (HAPANI) said the family is "devastated". The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) said they received a report on Friday of racially-motivated criminal damage. They added that an investigation is ongoing to ensure "those responsible are held to account for their actions". The family, who are now back in their previous accommodation, are being supported by HAPANI. Mr Ahmed, the group's chairperson, says the family now feel very vulnerable. "They're really worried. They're scared, and to be honest, it's not something they were expecting," he said. "They were hoping to settle down and be part of the community and now they're devastated." "I'm worried about their mental health, they don't speak any English at all, so the language barrier is a big problem as well. I think they're in a really bad place," he added. In recent years, there have been a number of racist attacks in south Belfast. PSNI Supt Finola Dornan described the incident as "completely unacceptable", adding that it did not "reflect the local community and its people". "The heartbreaking reality behind this headline is a young mother and her child who were looking forward to moving into a new home, a place where they should have felt both safe and welcome," she said. "They have understandably been left badly shaken and distressed." Supt Dornan emphasised that "hate crime has no place in our society". "We will be proactive in our approach to ensure justice for victims," she said. Suleiman Abdulahi, the founder of HAPANI, believes the housing strategy in Northern Ireland needs to change so there is enough to cater for all those who need affordable housing. "If there was no scarcity of resources or housing in Northern Ireland then we could accommodate everyone and those concerns can be stopped," he said. "But whenever there is not enough houses and there's this housing crisis then the scapegoat is vulnerable families and it's happened multiple time." Sinn Féin MLA for south Belfast, Deirdre Hargey described the graffiti as "sickening". "The majority of people in south Belfast stand squarely against racism and the disgusting behaviours that come with it," she said. "The racist thugs behind this attack must be brought to justice, and I would encourage anyone with information to bring it to the PSNI." Meanwhile, Alliance MLA Paula Bradshaw said she's "absolutely appalled" by the attack. "This has clearly been done in order to intimidate this young mother and her child," she said. "The repeated hate-fuelled attacks we're witnessing are deeply unsettling for minority ethnic communities both in Belfast, and right across Northern Ireland. People deserve to live free from the threat of violence and free from fear of attack." SDLP leader Claire Hanna described the attack as "ugly racism". "This is a disgraceful act that has prevented a family from moving into their new home," she said. "What should have been a moment of joy has turned into a horrible ordeal because of the ugly racism that has once again reared its head. "Let me be clear – there is no place for racism in south Belfast or anywhere else in Northern Ireland." Why has there been a spike in racist attacks? Who is behind the Belfast race violence?
