Shakila Ahmad, PhD (h.c.), CEO
Shakila T. Ahmad, PhD (h.c.), is a dedicated community leader who brings three decades of experience to Empowering Spaces. Her impressive resume reflects a lifelong dedication to creating positive environments in countless spaces. Raised in Cincinnati, Shakila draws from her perspective of navigating an American identity with the unique context of an immigrant Muslim family. This has laid the foundation upon which Shakila has committed her life’s work of building connections among diverse communities.
Shakila earned her BA in mathematics and information systems from the University of Cincinnati (UC) in 1982. She began her professional career at IBM as a consultant for corporate clients. In 1991, she transitioned to co-establish the Allergy & Asthma Specialty Center, with her husband, Dr. Masood Ahmad, a role she maintained until 2022.
A recognized community leader
Shakila has been recognized as an ambassador for education and cultural competency in the nonprofit sector in countless spaces. Her community awards recognizing her leadership, collaborations, and humanitarian efforts, include UC Foundation Trustees Award, UC College of Arts & Science Alumni of the Year, West Chester/Liberty Chamber Alliance Citizen of the Year, EquaSion Compassion Through Action Award, YWCA Cincinnati Racial Justice Award, United Way of Greater Cincinnati Joseph A. Hall Award for Promoting Diversity, Hebrew Union College Friendship Award, Cincinnati USA Chamber of Commerce, Leadership Cincinnati Distinguished Alumni, Lighthouse Youth Services Beacon of Light Humanitarian Award, Cincinnati Enquirer Women to Watch, FBI Cincinnati Director’s Community Leadership Award, YWCA Hamilton Legacy Award and Cincinnati Enquirer Women of the Year.
In recognition of her over 25 years of extensive contributions, Shakila was awarded a Doctorate of Humane Letters, PhD (h.c.), from Mount Saint Joseph University in 2019, a deeply humbling honor for this daughter of educators.
Shakila and her husband have proudly made Cincinnati their home, where they have raised their three children and are currently cherishing the company of their young grandson.
Samina Sohail, MD, COO
Dr. Samina Sohail is a devoted physician and community leader recognized for her empathy. Her skills in writing authentic narratives and public speaking have highlighted the Muslim American experience to many throughout the region. Through this work, she has been instrumental in creating greater understanding and positive educational/workplace environments.
Dr. Samina Sohail was born and raised in Orlando, Florida, as the eldest daughter of parents who immigrated to the United States from Pakistan in the early 70’s. Her childhood was shaped by navigating the American experience while maintaining her parents’ cultural and religious (Muslim) identity, and this set the framework for her future contributions.
Dr. Sohail obtained her BA in biology from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, where a liberal arts education cultivated her critical thinking, communication, and analytical skills. She then attended medical school at St. Louis University and completed her residency in Family Medicine at Bethesda North Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio in 2023.
Since then, Dr. Sohail has been in private practice at West Side Adult and Pediatric Care. She has lived in West Chester, Ohio, for over two decades, where she and her husband have raised their four children.
Years of community engagement
In addition to practicing medicine and raising her family, she has been involved at the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati (ICGC) as a board member, facilitator of educational programming, media communications, civic engagement, interfaith, outreach work, and speaking engagements. She has also been an advocate and volunteer at her children’s Islamic school, the International Academy of Cincinnati.
Dr. Sohail is a prolific writer and contributes frequently to the Cincinnati Enquirer with opinion pieces exploring diversity, civil rights, interfaith relations, Islamophobia, healthcare, racial justice, geopolitics, and more. Dr. Sohail has been honored by the Cincinnati Enquirer as a 2020 Women of the Year recipient.