The people behind the model

Abdul Matheen Yousuf

Strategy & Growth

CEO, Project You · Global Youth Ambassador for Education, UNESCO SDG4 Youth Network

Abdul Matheen built Project You from a single Expo Live research grant in 2018 into programmes running in schools, public libraries and government partnerships across three countries. That includes the partnership with the Dubai Government that turned public libraries into community learning centres, and the Leap talent incubator built with Area2071, Hub71 and the Al Ghurair Foundation. He leads strategy and partnerships across Big Barakah Schools, where he wrote the international franchise model, and works between Dubai and Australia.

Owns: Partnerships, franchise model, market entry

Aisha Al Salimy

Learning Design & Professional Practice

PhD, University of New South Wales

Aisha has spent over ten years teaching and designing professional learning for staff and partner schools, running network days and mentoring pre-service teachers into the profession. She owns the operating manual, the standard procedures and the launch playbook: the documents a new campus opens from.

Owns: Curriculum, operating manual, launch playbook

Dr. Sayd Farook

Governance & Financial Sustainability

Founding chairman, Ilmuna

Sayd built Thomson Reuters’ global Islamic capital markets team across five continents, advised the Executive Office of the UAE’s Vice President and Prime Minister, and led Unity Grammar’s shift toward project-based learning. Ilmuna is a global board reimagining Islamic education.

Owns: Governance, financial model, board